This chapter is just my "let's make Percy and Nico look like badasses" chapter; the actual plot will continue next chapter, but I had so much fun writing this! Thanks for reading!
This took me so long to write... I apologize. I am still looking for a Beta (or Betas) for this fic- please review or PM me if interested!
In just about everysinglestinking fanfic I've read where the demigods have to "explain" themselves (though there are definitely a lot of exceptions), it turns out either A) really stupid-sounding; B) really awkward-sounding; or C) both. I've tried really hard to make mine different, but please feel free to weigh in with your opinion!
Thanks so much to the guest reviewer who commented that Danny needs to get some attention, too. I definitely have that planned, don't worry :) his moment will come.
Danny looked at both of us again. We probably didn't look very godly. I prayed that he would believe it. After another moment or so, his eyes lit up.
"Prove it."
Percy grinned and shot a glance at Nico, who smirked almost sinisterly in reply. I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that. Oh god (or was it gods?), Danny was going to pay for this, wasn't he? But it was too late now.
"Okay, Death Breath, how do you suppose we go about this?" Percy asked, still smirking. Nico tilted his head as if weighing his options.
"How about you start, Mr. Hero of Olympus." Percy's face grew red.
"Um, what, now?" Danny interrupted. Percy glared at Nico again (Danny was getting the feeling that this was a regular occurrence).
"Uh, last summer I kinda..." the rest was mumbled.
"Come again?"
"He kinda-sorta saved the world from the evil Titan Lord," Nico supplied unhelpfully.
"Yeah, that." Percy muttered. "Pretty much sucked, actually. But Kronos is gone now- back in Tartarus." He seemed to brush the comment off, like he was obviously trying to avoid talking about it. Danny was momentarily speechless. His cousin had saved the world last year? It made Danny's own job of protecting Amity Park seem insignificant in comparison.
"Anyway, my dad is Poseidon, god of the seas-"
"Are you, like, really good at surfing?" Danny couldn't help but ask. Percy laughed, shaking his head, while Nico blushed for some reason.
"I was nine, okay? Gimme a break."
"Yeah, yeah. I actually haven't ever been surfing. But I can breathe underwater, and I can control it, too."
"Control it? Like how?"
"Like this." Percy flashed a lopsided grin- Danny was coming to know it as his "about to cause trouble" face. Percy held out his hand as if using the force, and suddenly, a gush of water came flooding through the doors of the kitchen and into the family room. It floated in mid-air, hovering a bit before Percy twitched his fingers and the water hit Nico face-on (Nico's cusses being both wildly creative and extremely unprintable).
Danny bit back a laugh, knowing that this was going to turn bad- fast. Nico wiped off his face, eyes even darker and more dangerous-looking than before.
"You did not just-"
"What? Daddy's widdle errand boy afraid of some water?" Percy taunted, oblivious to the anger forming in Nico's face. Danny blinked, and the next instant, Nico had a sword pointed right at Percy's heart.
Danny's breath caught in his throat. They were cousins, right? On the same team and all. Nico wouldn't really-
"Ha ha, nice try." Percy seemed surprisingly calm for a guy on the brink of death.
"Godsdamn Styx." Nico cursed, thunder rumbling ominously in the background as if on cue. Danny didn't even get a word in before the banter started. It was like the whole incident with the sword was forgotten.
"And whose fault is that, again? Remind me."
"If it wasn't for me, your ass would've been clear to Hades at least a million times by now."
"Yeah, so you save my life and then turn me in to your dad. Real considerate on my behalf."
"Son of Hades- considerate isn't exactly part of the job description."
"Whatever." Percy looked around and seemed to register for the first time that most of Danny's living room was still dripping wet. He raised his hand again, and all the water lifted off the carpet, couch, and wherever else it had fallen before being guided down the kitchen drain by Percy.
"See, at least I can clean up after my messes. Chiron still hasn't been able to fix that stupid crack in the mess hall at Camp."
"I'm pretty sure you've caused your fair share of messes, Seaweed Brain. I talk to Annabeth, sometimes- she was actually telling me this fascinating story about you, the Gateway Arch, and... what was it... 'torching one of the greatest architectural feats of the New World?'"
"That wasn't even my fault! Freaking Echidna and her flamethrower chihuahua attacked me!" Okay, Danny had had enough. Time to end this.
"What the hell are you guys talking about? Why is Percy sword-resistant, who is Annabeth, what's camp, and how the hell did you get attacked by an anteater at the Gateway Arch?!" Both Nico and Percy wheeled to face him; in the chaos of their bickering, they'd obviously forgotten the third member in the room.
"You want the simplified explanation or the confusing one?" Percy asked at last. Danny raised an eyebrow. "Um, swam in the Styx, got the Achilles curse that made me all but invincible. Annabeth's my girlfriend, daughter of Athena- you saw me talking to her in the bathroom." Danny decided to tack that question on at the end of the explanation.
"Camp Half-Blood is where demigods can go and get training on how to fend off monsters- it's the only safe place for demigods." Nico's eyes shifted to the ground a bit at that one. He was hiding something, even from Percy- that much was obvious. But Danny didn't want to pry. "As for the Gateway Arch thing... I was twelve, on my first quest with Annabeth and a satyr- half man, half goat- named Grover. We made a stop at the Arch 'cuz Annabeth's an architecture nerd. I mean, I can't really blame her... her mom's the goddess of wisdom, y'know?
"Where was I... oh yeah, so there was only room for one more in the elevator. I was stupid and decided to go alone. Basically, one of the ladies turned into a monster, her dog poisoned me and torched through the arch, and I had to jump down into the river below so I didn't, like, die or something. You should've seen her face when I called her an aardvark, though!" he finished brightly.
He's got the attention span of a four-year-old, Danny thought dryly. Was this really the guy who had saved the world? But then again, he'd seen Percy at Casper High, battling monsters, being sword-resistant, and finally controlling the water like that. Something finally clicked.
"Hey- that's why you were so good at the obstacle course. And then why that cooler fell over when you got pissed at Dash." Danny made the connection. Percy nodded, a little embarrassed.
"Usually I have more control than that, with the whole water cooler incident and all. It's just... every hero has a fatal flaw- something about them that, if not kept in check, could lead to their, well, let's just say downfall. Mine is personal loyalty: no one hurts the things I care about and gets away with it." He'd gone from hyperactive child to semi-philosophical in mere seconds... maybe it was a demigod thing.
Either way, Danny had a lot to learn.
"Okay, talking this much about myself is just... creepy. Nico! Get your half-dead ass over here!" Percy called. Danny looked up; he hadn't even noticed that Nico had vanished.
"Gods, Percy. Way to ruin the surprise." Nico's disembodied voice was as sarcastic as ever.
"Wha-?" Danny turned his head, searching for the source of the voice, but he didn't see Nico anywhere.
(In all honesty, he probably should've seen it coming.)
Hands extended from the shadows on the wall nearest to Danny, and the son of Hades literally stepped out of the wall, brushed himself off, yawned, and waved halfheartedly.
"Sorry, got a little bored... most demigods- like Percy here, in case you haven't picked up on it- are ADHD.. pretty sure I am too." Ah, it made sense now.
"So getting fidgety gives you a right to go shadow-traveling off to gods-know-where again? What if you got lost, like last time?" Nico waved the comment off with his hand.
"Yeah, yeah. I knew where I was this time, at least. Been there on another mission for my father. Stupid British accents... never fully able to understand what they're rattling on about. I mean, if they'd just give me an actual name rather than 'You-Know-Who' or whatever, I could go out, kick ass, and be done. But noo- uh, nevermind, actually. Story for another time. At least I got back here in time." Percy rolled his eyes, and Nico turned to face Danny.
"Okay, so I'm the son of Hades, ghost king, yadda yadda. Shadow-travel is kinda like teleporting, and I can summon the dead sometimes." He must've seen Danny's expression, because he sighed wearily.
"Nope, not kidding. I can show you after a nap, but first I'm going to need some food. Got any good burger joints around here?"
Once again, very dialogue-heavy, and I apologize to those who don't like that sort of thing. I decided writing bickering dialogue is extremely fun :) Thanks for reading!