Howdy, wassup! Hope yall enjoy, let me know what you think!
Theinvisiblereaderguy - Thanks chief, I try :). Enjoy!
Neez - Thank you guy! Yeah, I should have specified, np. Im glad to have any comments, but dont feel bad about that, Imma keep going regardless :). And you do english pretty dang good, better than a lot of people ive seen. Enjoy!
Lunas Banana - Yeah! Go Piper! I feel like she needs a bro level friendship with Percy, so thats the type Im going for. In this case, rational is probably the best choice. Enjoy!
Morning found Percy in a cheap motel bed with an uncomfortable itch across his shoulder. The night had been blessedly dreamless, and the warmth beneath the covers had held him there far longer than it should have. The blasted itch, however, lingered no matter how much he scratched. That was what finally got him from his place.
He mentally reminded himself to stop somewhere for basic hygiene products, and took a long shower that blessedly scratched his itch. Every drop of water soothed sore muscles from yesterday's trek, and helped energize him in preparation for today.
It was only when he examined himself in the mirror that he noticed it. A much larger than before tattoo, a moon just big enough to stretch across his shoulder blade, surrounded by intricate designs of animals and hunts. The sight made his stomach churn, even when his eyes left the mirror. His pace shifted to a jittery rush, as he dressed and grabbed what little belongings he held.
By the time he made it to the stairs, his body was shaking like he had chugged three energy drinks. His eyes darted across every detail in the open space, carefully picking out every spot of silver in sight.
The check-out had been through in record speeds, and he practically jumped for his bike. He clumsily attempted to put the key in the ignition, shaky hands missing a few times before he hit home.
Was this some sort of cruel way to toy with him? Or was it a way to track him? How far behind was the hunt? The motorcycle roared to life once more, and set on a blistering pace to the interstate. His pulse pounded harder, as he revved the bike harder, and as his surroundings blurred in his speed. With a small gesture, loose water collected before his eyes and formed a layer of water to protect his eyes.
He didn't know how fast he was going, nor how long he could keep such a pace, but for the time being he hardly cared. Until the speed was the only reason his heart pounded, he would keep going.
Day two of travel aboard the Argo II was somehow even more tense then the day before. It seemed the closer they got to Seattle, the thicker the tension grew. At least two fights had started between Annabeth and Piper, fights that Jason himself had to stop. The other three had given them a wide berth whenever there was an opportunity.
Shouting below broke his thoughts and brought his attention below. They were at it again, and with a heavy sigh, he jumped from the mast.
"YOU'RE ASSUMING THE WORST WITH NO EVIDENCE!" Well, she wasn't really wrong was she?
"AS IF HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ARTEMIS' OATH! THAT IS THE ONE THING OLYMPUS KNEW!" He also slightly agreed with that too, but Piper didn't need to know that. With a few quick steps, he planted himself between the two. His presence did little to stop them however, and he had to keep a firm grip on each shoulder to keep them apart.
"You two," He grunted, before he shoved both in opposite directions, "Need to chill. I'm tired of breaking up fights, and I'm tired of these arguments. We will find out what happened when we find Percy, and we will decide if he is guilty or innocent then, got it?" This time, arcs of electricity jumped between each finger. Both of their attentions instantly shifted, Annabeth warily eyeing him while Piper took deep breaths.
Annabeth had vanished below deck shortly after, while Piper merely stood there to calm herself.
"You know he didn't do this, Jase." He merely matched her stare for a minute, studying her face. His eyes left her to stare at the clouds when he answered.
"It doesn't seem like something he would do," Jason finally admitted with a shrug, "But there's something going on between Annabeth and Percy. Until I know how bad it is, I won't make that decision." Her expression soured, but she gave an understanding nod.
"Fine," Her hands curled into tight fists, "I'm gonna go talk to Leo." She practically stomped to the back of the ship, to a very awkward looking Leo. Jason almost stopped her, but decided against it with a sigh. The wind answered his call quickly, pulling him from the deck and back atop the mast where he started.
Out in the distance, far enough that only Jason could see, the outline of Seattle sat. They were closer than he had expected, maybe a couple hundred miles out. The city, at least from here, was rather beautiful.
The blue sky above, with Apollo's chariot even higher, welcomed him. It was something he had missed, after the Giant War. Not that he wasn't glad the war itself was over, he was. He just missed the open freedom he felt while they traveled aboard the Argo.
He let the air from his lungs in a slow exhale, finally relaxing into the mast. He could only hope this went well
It had taken a few hours for the shaky hands to stop, and a few more after that for Seattle to become a looming figure before him. It was a pretty city, there was no doubt about that, but it was no New York.
His stomach rumbled to bring his attention to the next issue. He needed food before he headed north.
The city was bustling with life, workers and tourists alike clogging sidewalks and streets. It was a wave of familiarity, one that grew as he hid his bike in an alley and weaved through them. His eyes scanned each building he passed for a cafe, an effort that was taking far longer than he expected.
After an irritatingly long search, he stood before a small hole-in-the-wall cafe. With a relieved sigh, he pulled the door open. Instead of being met with the cafe interior, he was met with eyes. Very familiar eyes. Grey, blue, gold, two sets of brown, and a set always changing color.
They stared at him. He stared at them. The shock on their faces was clear as day, and he was sure that his face wasn't that far off. He was the first to recover.
"Hey, guys," He sent them a weak grin, "Fancy seeing you here?" His attempt of a joke didn't land, nor did he wait for it to. In a flash, he slammed the door behind him and took off towards his bike. Either it was some coincidence, which seemed far more likely, or they had been tracking him somehow. Whichever one it ended up being, there was little doubt that they knew about the bounty that must be on his head.
His breakneck pace through the streets made the crowd part before him, though not without curses and shouts of protest. Behind him, more shouts drew his attention. He practically slid around every corner he took, mentally marking each step until he was back to his bike.
The bike roared to life in record speed, and with a matching speed he practically flew from the alleyway. The crowds parted far faster now, as he weaved between the street and the sidewalk when either got too crowded. The revving motor echoed off the towering buildings, matched by the sound of a siren behind him. Now, of all times?
The cop behind him, of course, had no chance to keep up in any car, but at this point what was another group hunting him? Alaska was his only hope now, hope that he could have time away from Olympus.
There was some gut feeling for Piper, one that had her so fervently defending Percy. A gut feeling that felt like there was far more to the story than what Annabeth had assumed, and more than even what she suspected.
What she hadn't suspected was for Percy to have stolen a bike, and the odd pride that followed. She couldn't recall why she ended up teaching him that, probably for some kind of emergency (or fun, but Jason and Annabeth didn't need to know that).
She tried to speed up her pace, but she couldn't really do much in comparison to a motorcycle. Something in her peripherals drew her attention. A bright red Ferrari gleamed back at her. Oh this would be fun.
After a few minutes of beyond aggressive driving and near-misses, She managed to make it back on Percy's assumed trail. The car was a wise choice, considering how absurdly fast it was. She barely glanced down to see her speed in the triple digits, a sight that caused her adrenaline to pump that much more. Everything on both sides of the road stood out to her that much more, her mind adjusting to match.
A single sight, after about an hour of driving, made dread bubble up in her chest. It was a simple, almost shoddy, motel. The building looked rather run down, and not terribly far from abandoned. She practically floored the breaks to make the turn in time, barely skidding into the turn to the lot.
Just as she had suspected, the motorcycle that she only caught a glimpse of sat in one of the parking spots. The rumble of the engine cut as Piper took one calming breath, before she stood from the car to take an appraising stare.
Just as she had initially seen, the building was at least heavily worn down. Some paint spots peeling here or there, large cracks and fissures spread across the parking lot, and interspaced flickering lights all made her and the ferrari feel extremely out of place.
The inside of the lobby was just as dingy as the exterior, with ugly brown wallpaper and dirty linoleum floors. The smell made her nose scrunch in disgust, an unholy mixture of body odor and mold that felt like it almost burned her nose.
The charmspeak flowed from her like water as soon as she saw the receptionist.
"Excuse me, my friend just came in and rented a room. Can you tell me which one he's in?" She watched his eyes glaze over in an instant.
"Room 203." Barely dropped from his lips before she had left the room, trying to keep her resolve steeled. One flight of stairs and about 10 rooms later, she stood directly in front of room 203. Her knuckles paused just before the door, before she moved from sight of the peephole and gave a knock.
The long pause that followed almost made her think she got the wrong place, before she came face to face with Perseus Jackson, Riptide in hand. His expression was one similar to some sea animal she couldn't think of right now, eyes wide and jaw dropped.
"We need to talk."
Enjoy? I hope yall did. Im gonna work on making my chapters a bit longer, methinks. but yeah. See ya next time!