Chapter 41: Son of PropheSEA

AN: Just writing the Demigod Files together makes more sense. Again, Italics is my own additions, reading in between the lines. I like my little pun.

"That's it. That better be the end of the romance for at least another few scenes. I'm going to barf if you don't," Thalia said fake gagging. "I thought you guys were better than that."

"You just don't spend enough time with them then," Grover bleated. "I haven't been with them in months and I can tell you it's not so bad compared to some other times."

"It's bad," Nico agreed.

"You don't get to talk," Thalia said. "I've just seen you and Will together for this whole thing and maybe a day before that and you might be as bad as them or even worse."

"They're cute," Jason told her.

"What happened to you while you were in the Roman camp?"

"This is not roman," Reyna frowned.

"Frank and Hazel are and they might be one of the cutest couples here," Juniper pointed out.

"You're all pretty gross," Alex decided. "I'm not dating and becoming as nasty as all of you."

Half the room immediately started to snicker at Magnus's fallen face and then the confused one that followed as he tried to figure out why they were laughing. He started to glare at them all which quieted most of them down.

"But please. Are you and Annabeth done?"

"Unless it shows the Iris messages in the next two days yeah. I had tried to ask her at camp before Argus honked."

"You weren't admitting your feelings?"

"It was kind of part of that."

"He asked me later," Annabeth assured them. "Though it wasn't with the feelings then. I guess he wanted to do it personally, which is sweet."

"But she was busy with Chiron and camp," Percy said. "And it was only two days after camp. That's why I don't usually ask anyone. Also because in the past two years we've been really busy at that time."

"Really?" Clarisse asked. "That's all it was? Busy?"

"I'm not elaborating."

"It probably wouldn't let him."

"Can we just finish? It's probably the last scene next. Like I said. My birthday."

"What's so important about your birthday?" asked Sadie. "Not that birthdays aren't marvelous."

"You'd be surprised."

"Trust me. I've had some pretty bloody insane birthdays too," Sadie said with arms crossed.

"Same here," Jason agreed.

"Don't even start," Thalia muttered.

"I beat you all," Annabeth said with a smirk.

"We'll talk at the end. Can we watch my birthday now? Maybe I'll actually get to feel like I'm eating blue birthday cake."

"Have you felt like you were eating other food?" asked Magnus curiously.

"Kind of. It's not the same as other things though," Percy grimaced. "Which really sucks."

Percy's apartment appeared. Tyson and Sally stood together working on birthday balloons. Tyson blew them up and Sally tied them. Percy finished setting the table when Paul called his name. "Percy, can you come help me in the kitchen?"

"Just the four of you guys?" asked Sadie surprised. "Birthdays are big things."

"It was usually just me and mom for years. Then when I learned I was a demigod I had friends to invite. It's always right after camp though. Annabeth and Grover usually did something during the last week. Presents or something. Just us. Like I said Annabeth was busy and Grover was now the leader of the nature spirits. I don't need much though and I did get a few more guests."

"Two," Tyson agreed. "Only for a little bit with one."

"It was good enough he came."

Everyone exchanged glances trying to figure out who the mysteries guests could be. Nico was tense trying to think how early his plan would be revealed. He didn't need people mad at him again, or suddenly becoming overprotective just after they just stopped.

Paul pulled out a pitcher and handed Percy a cup. As he poured some punch he looked at Percy. He said he heard that his mom had signed him up for driver's ed in fall. Percy said yeah. It was cool. He couldn't wait.

"That's if you lived to sixteen," pointed out Magnus.

Annabeth snorted. "Look who's talking."

"I'm sixteen."

"For like a few hours. Then you died," pointed out Sam.

"Either way Percy got his driver's license," Jason said after a second of silence and weird stares at Magnus.

"You'd do good as a stunt driver," Apollo said. "Though I could teach you to be smoother so I won't throw up."

"It was you, your little minion, and the frickin karpai that wouldn't shut up," Percy groaned. "Do you know how much trouble I got into?"

"Either way, Percy's a good getaway driver. Filing that information away," muttered Alex.

"Just hope he's better than Bast and Bes," muttered Sadie.

Paul looked at him and his eyebrow furrowed and crinkled.

"Had you told him anything then?" Frank asked.

"No. Not yet. He's just a good dad. A good teacher," Percy said proudly. "Like Chiron. One look and it's like he knows everything."

Paul said Percy had a rough summer. He was guessing he lost someone important. And, Paul paused hesitantly asking if it was girl trouble.

"Wow," muttered an impressed Carter. "He's good at that."

"It's scary," Percy agreed. "Between him and mom, well…."

Percy's eyes widened and he turned to stare at Paul. He asked how he knew. Did his mom— Paul held up his hands and interrupted saying Percy's mom hadn't said a thing. And he wouldn't pry. He just knew there was something unusual about Percy. He had a lot going on that Paul wasn't able to figure out. But he was also fifteen once. And he was just guessing from his expression that he'd had a rough time.

"Like no one could even imagine," muttered Rachel.

"Even if we're demigods," agreed Piper. "Percy's life is a bit crazier than most."

Percy nodded. He said he lost a couple of friends at the camp he went to. Not close friends but still. Paul said he was sorry. Percy said yeah. And he guessed the girl stuff... Paul stopped him and handed him a cup of punch saying here. To his fifteenth birthday and a better year to come. They tapped their cups together and drank.

Percy snorted. "And it only got worse. The next year even more so."

"This year was better," Annabeth reminded him.

"A little. Till I had to help Apollo with his mess, after helping Sadie and Carter and now we have this and after we have to help Magnus. Annabeth it's not going to stop. Ever. It's just getting a little worse and worse. "

"It's getting better and it will continue to get better. We're going to figure this out," Annabeth reminded him. "After all, you figured out those girl problems."

Percy blushed.

Paul said he felt kind of bad giving Percy one more thing to think about. But he wanted to ask him something.

"Didn't even have to think about it for a moment. Definitely the best thing that happened that year," Percy grinned.

"Paul would be glad to hear that."

"He already knows."

Percy said yeah. Paul said girl stuff. Percy frowned and asked what he meant.

"That's sweet of him," Hazel smiled softly. "To ask for your blessing."

"He's proposing?" Calypso asked curiously.

Percy grinned. "I said he's my stepdad. The best one."

"You got lucky with every type of parent," Leo bemoaned. "Step, godly, and regular. Though I'm pretty sure I won in that last category too."

Paul said his mom. He was thinking about proposing to her. Percy's eyes widened more. He asked that Paul meant…marrying her? Him and her?

"That' s what proposing generally means," Thalia snorted.

"I know what proposing means," Percy grumbled. "It's just it's my mom."

"Just funny that messes you up just as much as Annabeth."

Paul said that was the general idea. Would that be okay with him? Percy's eyes widened further if that was possible as he looked more shocked. He asked if Paul was asking for his permission. Paul scratched his beard and said he didn't know if it was permission so much. It was his mother. And he knew Percy was going through a lot. It wouldn't feel right if he didn't talk to Percy about it first. Man to man.

"That just shows how great he is. Most people wouldn't even consider it."

"You really did get lucky."

"It's my mom. I'm lucky to have her and so is Paul and I'm lucky to have him because of her," Percy grumbled. "Does that even make sense?"

"Kind of."

Percy repeated man to man slowly. He grinned and said he that was a great idea. Paul should go for it. Paul smiled even wider and held out his cup again. He said they should join the party.

"Is that all?" asked Zia. "I don't believe it would just show this if it was just your stepfather asking for permission. What else is there at a birthday party?"

"You'd be surprised."

The scene changed to them all sitting around the table and Percy leaning over the cake to blow out the candles when the doorbell rang. Sally frowned and asked who that could be looking at Percy who shook his head.

"She knew I only invited Annabeth and Grover besides Tyson," Percy explained. "She thought maybe one of them came to surprise me but the building had a doorman who called up when people came."

"Monster? Wouldn't be the first time a birthday got ruined," Jason grimaced.

"That's true," Grover agreed thinking about his own after the war.

Sally got up and opened the door gasping. The god in front of her wore Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiin shirt and Birkenstocks like usual. His beard was trimmed and a battered cap with fishing lures that said Neptune's lucky hat was on his head.

"Poseidon?" Apollo frowned. "How'd he get away with getting to your birthday?"

"Really?"

"No fair."

"I've never even gotten a card."

"You're so lucky."

Percy had expected all the complaints. He knew he was one of the luckiest demigods with respect to the relationship with his godly parent. He'd wanted his father to be at his birthdays and do trips with him for years. And after sixteen years he got to go to his Father's palace and to talk to him and learn from him. Most of his friends had barely met their godly parents once.

"He came to my party," Percy agreed. "To talk to me about what was coming mostly but also if I'm being honest cause my dad cares. I'm lucky and I'm not going to apologize in that regard just try to make sure you all get to be as lucky as well."

"Are you for real?" Magnus asked.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Sally started to say Poseidon's name and stopped herself though she was blushing hard. She paused and said hello. Poseidon said hello to her and said she looked as beautiful as ever. He asked if he could come in. Sally squeaked and Poseidon stepped in as Paul looked around confused.

Several people winced.

"Poor Paul has no clue," Rachel said sympathetically.

"So awkward," Jaz muttered.

"What did he even know about your dad?" asked Magnus.

"Just that he wasn't around and my mom was never married to him. When he learned the truth about Gabe I swear he looked proud of my mom."

"Paul is so cool."

"This is still so awkward though."

Paul stepped forward and introduced himself. Poseidon raised his eyebrow as he took Paul's hand and shook. He asked if Paul said Blowfish.

Everyone laughed.

"Like Father, like son," Thalia snickered.

"You have to admit his name sounds like Blowfish," Percy argued.

"It does but only you and your dad would have said it."

Paul said no. Blofis actually. Poseidon said he saw. A shame. He liked Blowfish. He was Poseidon.

"Could he be anymore obvious?" Carter asked. "How does he get away with that?"

"The weirdness overloads people's brains," Alex explained. "Mortals won't notice."

"Are you sure? Because that was really right in his face. And hilarious too," Leo noted.

"The mist works," Hazel said. "It's simple even though it's crazy."

"Like everything else in our lives."

Paul said Poseidon. That was an interesting name. Poseidon said yes. He liked it. He'd gone by other names but he preferred Poseidon.

"He likes it," repeated Frank incredulously.

"This all does sound pretty ridiculous," agreed Percy.

Paul said like the god of the sea. Poseidon said very much like that. Yes.

"Are you serious?" Will asked.

"I agree," Chris said frowning. "That didn't do it?"

"You know the mortals have seen crazier things," Annabeth pointed out. She knew they'd all see that soon enough with the Titan war happening right in front of hundreds of mortals eyes.

Sally interrupted with a well. They were so glad he could drop by. She turned to Paul and said this was Percy's father. Paul said ah though his face became placid. He saw.

"So awkward," Jaz said again.

"You don't even know," Percy agreed. "It was even weirder when Paul found out that his old competition was a god."

Everyone winced.

"Did not need that image," Nico complained.

"How do you think I felt about it?"

Poseidon turned and smiled at Percy saying there he was and called him his boy. Then he turned to Tyson saying hello son to him as well.

"And it's about to get even more awkward," Piper decided. "I feel so bad for your mother."

"She's a saint," Annabeth said for Percy.

"She raised me. She had to be."

"How is she going to explain the fact Tyson is your brother?" Frank asked.

"Somehow. Plus the actual truth a few weeks later."

Tyson yelled Daddy and ran over giving Poseidon a hug which made his hat lopsided. Paul gaped and turned to Sally with wide eyes saying Tyson was…. She interrupted and said he wasn't hers. It was a long story.

"How did you even survive this without cringing?" Sadie asked.

"The way I do everything."

"I guess that makes sense."

"How?" Carter asked them. Neither one answered.

Poseidon said he couldn't miss Percy's fifteenth birthday. If this were Sparta Percy would be a man today.

"He's trying to reveal himself isn't he?" asked Jason frowning.

"I think so," Percy agreed.

"He's trying to do it so he can intimidate your stepfather," Apollo grinned. "It's hilarious."

"It's really not."

Paul said that was true. He used to teach ancient history. Poseidon's lip twitched and his eyes filled with amusements. He said that was him. Ancient history. Then he asked Sally, Paul, and Tyson if they minded if he borrowed Percy for a bit.

"Thank the gods that isn't lasting longer," Alex said. "No matter how hilarious it was."

"So it wasn't just a birthday visit then," Clarisse grumbled. "He actually was up to something."

"He wouldn't have gotten away with it as easily if he did if he wasn't."

Poseidon put his arm around Percy and steered him away into the kitchen. He held Percy at arms length as his smile faded. He asked if Percy was all right?

"Daddy is nice," Tyson smiled. "He makes sure I am not hurt when we talk and asks to see my projects."

"Yeah. He cares."

"That's it," Thalia declared. "I'm adopting your dad as my godly parent."

"He'd be honored. He likes you actually. Doesn't know how you're related to your dad," Percy grinned.

Thalia grinned back.

"Your family is weird," Sadie decided.

Carter snorted.

Percy said yeah. He was fine. He guessed.

"So you're not," Grover said.

"Eh."

"He wasn't," Annabeth said.

"Who was?" Will asked

"True," grumbled Clarisse.

Poseidon said he heard stories. But he wanted to hear it directly from Percy. He should tell him everything. Percy's shoulders slumped and he sighed as he began.

"You told him the whole battle?" asked Jason. "How long did that take?"

"More like the whole quest. From the cheerleaders. So it took a while," Percy said.

"Please skip," Blitz muttered. "I want to get some sleep."

"We all do."

Percy finished and Poseidon nodded slowly.

"Thank the gods."

"Good," Percy agreed. "I kind of didn't want to watch Dad listening to that all again. He listened, which is weird for a god. He listened too well. It was kind of scary. He never stopped looking at me and barely reacted."

"Sounds kind of creepy."

"Especially because I talked for at least twenty minutes," Percy agreed.

Poseidon said Kronos was indeed back. It wouldn't be long before a full war was upon them.

"It was already starting," Annabeth said. "Your dad knew better than anyone."

"You know why he didn't tell me."

"He was worried about us," Tyson agreed.

"It got annoying."

"Yes. But you helped."

Percy asked what about Luke. Was he really gone?

"Didn't you have this conversation at the end of your last quest on top of Olympus?" asked Rachel.

"Kind of, but not really. I wanted him to be dead then. Now I didn't. Funnily enough, the survival was for the same reasons."

"What?"

"I found out later that day. Not sure when you will," Percy shrugged.

"That's annoying."

Poseidon said he didn't know. It was disturbing. Percy said that his body was mortal. Couldn't they just destroy him?

"They already would have if they could," pointed out Nico.

"We have all already realized that," Reyna replied.

Nico rolled his eyes.

Poseidon said mortal perhaps but there was something different about Luke. He didn't know how he was prepared to host the titan's soul but he wouldn't be easy to kill. And yet he was scared they had to kill him if they were going to send Kronos back to the pit. He'd have to think about this. Unfortunately, he had other problems of his own.

"I understood none of that," Leo decided. "But it didn't sound good."

"You won't understand it all for a while either," Percy assured him. "And neither did me or Poseidon. As for his problems well, it's never easy for anyone with a worldwide war brewing."

Percy's brow furrowed. He asked if Poseidon meant the old sea gods? Poseidon agreed indeed. The battle came to him first. In fact, he couldn't stay long. Even right now the ocean was at war with itself. The fighting was so intense, it was all he could do to keep the hurricanes and typhoons from destroying the surface.

"It was really bad that year," Carter frowned in agreement. "We thought that was Apophis."

"We thought it was the sea gods or Jorgumandr," Sam grimaced.

"Why did all the world ending events have to happen in the past few years? Just one after another for all of us," Leo groaned.

"And it's still going," Percy sighed.

Percy begged to let him come down there. To let him help.

"He could probably take care of that," mused Frank.

"Do it. I want to see an underwater fight," Clarisse grinned.

"But if he goes and they need him here it wouldn't be good," Carter pointed out.

"We needed him," Will confirmed.

"Not that much."

Nico scoffed. "Sure."

"Just watch and you'll see. I didn't save anyone. Not really the way you think I did."

Poseidon smiled kindly and he said not yet. He sensed Percy would be needed her. Which reminded him. He pulled out a sand dollar and put it into Percy's hand. He said it was his birthday present and to spend it wisely.

"You get a birthday present from a god and then he gives you a sand dollar?" Leo complained. "That's disappointing."

"Don't even start me on godly birthday presents," Sadie groaned with a sharp look at her boyfriend.

"You used that," Carter reminded her.

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't have liked something a bit nicer or more to my taste as well," Sadie argued.

"I just wanted to help," Walt said with a small hint of Anubis's voice in his.

"Yeah, well Walt's present was nicer."

Walt flickered a little and paled a second.

"Though both were very useful," Sadie amended. "Next time though you know better."

"But seriously," Magnus frowned. "A sand dollar? How do you spend that?"

"Not in a vending machine," Percy said. "It doesn't fit there."

"You didn't."

"I tried at school," Percy admitted. "I was hungry. It just didn't fit there."

"I can't believe you," Annabeth said.

"It's hilarious."

"It was a gift from a god," pointed out Reyna. "It should be respected."

"Spending it on food is spending it wisely," Percy argued.

"It doesn't work though. So what can you spend it on?" pressed Piper.

"Something worth a lot more," Percy muttered making everyone turning to him interested.

Percy said spend a sand dollar? Poseidon said yes. In his day you could buy a lot with a sand dollar. Percy would find it still bought a lot if used in the right situation. Percy asked what situation. Poseidon said when the time came he thought Percy would know.

"Why do gods always have to give cryptic advice?" asked Carter.

"It is an issue," Jason agreed.

"A huge one," Magnus muttered.

"Godly," Percy joked.

The other three boys rolled their eyes at him as he smirked.

Percy gripped the sand dollar and looked back up Poseidon worriedly. He said when he was in the maze he met Antaeus who had said that he was Poseidon's favorite son. He decorated his arena with skulls. Before Percy could continue Poseidon finished and said Antaeus dedicated them to him. And he was wondering how someone could do something so horrible in his name. Percy nodded.

"Many people do horrible things in the gods' names," Apollo said. "And sometimes we even accept it. But that doesn't give them favoritism, most the time at least."

"Your dad just came to visit you and you think he likes a psycho killer son he somehow had with Gaea more than you?" asked an incredulous Jason.

"Wow," muttered Percy. "I forgot how much you could sound like Thalia when you wanted too."

"Because he's right."

"I know," Percy muttered.

Percy nodded and shifted. Poseidon put a hand on his shoulder and said lesser beings do lots of horrible things in the name of the gods. That doesn't mean the gods approve. The way their sons and daughters act in their names said more about them than it does about the gods. And Percy, he was his favorite son.

"Aren't you the only child of his right now?" Walt asked.

"Only demigod child."

"There's all the Cyclops," Annabeth agreed. "Like Tyson."

"And all the immortal ones."

"And a few gods."

"But Uncle P isn't always happy with most of them," Apollo pointed out. "They do things like Antaeus or act like brats, complain and try and overthrow him among other things. Percy's definitely the best. I mean, have any of you met Triton?"

Percy shrugged. "I can't say that. Dad might have just been trying to make me feel better. He could have meant just out of demigod sons as well."

Most of the Greeks and Romans looked incredulous. A small smirk grew on Thalia's face. Piper looked at her questioningly. She mouthed something to her which everyone between them but Percy caught.

"Later," Annabeth whispered at them both.

Poseidon smiled and Percy beamed. It lasted for a second then Sally called Percy's name to tell him the candles were melting.

"You still haven't blown them out?" Chris asked.

"I mean Dad showed up and I spent a while talking to him so no."

Most of the demigods frowned. Percy had gotten a smile from his father, an approval, and some form of love. His father had gone out of his way to offer him his advice.

Thalia and Jason exchanged glances. Both had met their father, one once and another a few times more. They knew he was proud and he loved them in some way but he'd only interacted with them formally and barely shown what Poseidon did.

Clarisse grumbled too. She didn't need Ares but she'd like to know he was proud of her beside when she slew a giant drakon. Chris was thinking of the once he met his father who apologized. That was better than he'd hoped and seeing all he did of Hermes here he knew his father cared but he wished he'd gotten to spend more time with him too.

Nico and Will just exchanged glances. Both had spent more time with their godly parents than other demigods. One had their father right next to them. Hades came off as cold though, he was unsure how to interact with his son and when he did it was awkward but Nico was thankful that now at least his father was proud. But the days he yelled at Nico to be like Bianca still echoed in the back of his mind.

Will knew Apollo cared. He was forgetful though and like most gods didn't claim his children. Once he did though, he'd taken care of them and made sure to check up on them during the Titan War. Their bunk had always known their father was keeping an eye on them. He could stand to be a little better, less embarrassing, and self-involved.

The rest of the seven and Reyna had met their parents once or not at all. All their feelings were mixed but the feelings of jealousy of seeing Percy with his father were still there. By the looks of it, even some of the Egyptians and Norse were feeling something like that. Annabeth as well. Her face was a strange mix of happiness for her boyfriend and a pale, unmoving, and angry expression.

Percy just sighed. "It's not just there to show my father being there for me. I promise. There's a warning."

"You already discussed Luke," Jason frowned.

"And he already gave you that gift," Hazel agreed. "What else is there?"

Poseidon said he'd better go. But there was one last thing Percy should know. The incident at Mt. St. Helens. Percy blushed for a second but quickly sobered.

Percy blushed and it didn't leave as everyone laughed.

"He mentions a volcano you exploded and the first thing you think about is a kiss?" Piper asked him incredulously.

"Yeah," Percy shrugged. "Probably the craziest thing about that day to me."

"Not causing a volcanic explosion?" Reyna asked looking at him like he was the crazy one.

"No. Not really."

"Well, that's obviously what he was talking about and it was pretty crazy for all of us," Leo gaped. "Seriously dude. That was an explosion. Like the size of all the Argo IIs weapons explosion."

"Not all of them."

"Most of them."

"Well, that kiss is what blew me away," Percy grinned.

Annabeth pushed him. "Stop. That was gross."

"It was funny."

"No. It was too cheesy."

"You loved it."

"I said to stop being disgusting," Thalia groaned. "And do you listen, no?"

"He's stopping," Annabeth promised.

"Never."

Poseidon said the eruptions were continuing. Typhon was stirring and it was likely that soon, in a few months and at best a year that he'd escape his bonds.

"That's the storm guy, right?" asked Sadie.

"More than that. A giant, taller than most skyscrapers. He's powerful enough it took all the gods to defeat him and chain him below Mt. Etna," Apollo grimaced. "Him escaping again was the worst thing possible."

The whole room started to frown as well.

Percy automatically apologized. He said he didn't mean too. Poseidon interrupted with the raise of his hand. He said it wasn't Percy's fault. It would've happened eventually as Kronos awakened the ancient monsters. But he should be aware if Typhon stirred it would be unlike anything he'd ever faced before. The first time he appeared all the forces of Olympus were barely enough to battle him. And when he woke again he'd come straight here to New York and straight for Olympus.

"And if having Kronos on your back wasn't enough," Magnus muttered. "Loki isn't seeming as bad anymore."

Hearth nodded in agreement.

"We tried to do something about Typhon then realized that the gods were taking care of it," Jason frowned. "What actually happened?"

"You know I can't tell you that," Percy shrugged. "Sorry, bro."

"Never too late to try."

Percy's expression got darker and Poseidon patted his shoulder again. He said he should go and told Percy to enjoy his cake. Then he turned to mist which swept out the window.

"Nice note to end on," Alex muttered.

"Should have given him the present at the end," Sadie agreed. "Cheered him up a little."

"I wasn't really in the mood for a birthday anyway," Percy shrugged. "Not when my next one meant doom and there was a war going on."