Chappie Mark VII

"ANAKE!" Chaos furiously screamed, ready to vaporize the lock that kept the steaming mother from busting into the fearful sister's room somewhere on the dark side of the moon.

"You're in for it now sis!" Eros teased, then flashed out in a puff of pink smoke so he was not caught in the crossfire.

"I sure it's nothing serio-"

BANG

"WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Around the compound, Chaos left, well, chaos in her wake. Not a single room was unturned, destroyed, or a general mess that would leave Anake in spring cleaning for the next few centuries–it was a decently large domicile. The chase–if you can even call it that–ended up in the basement where Anake was cornered into a corner.

"Care to explain why my son's and my favorite mortal is dead?" A few objects floated around her black veil, some exploding at random while others faded out of existence. If Death had a fear, it would be the one who created death. Fate may not be killable, but it can surely get out of hand.

"W-well you s-see," she stuttered, "I was sharpening my shears, because you know I have to keep them sharp, right?" She pointed her index fingers together, a bad habit commonly shared by the family regardless of age.

"Go on..."

"And you know how I keep Sally's string on me all the time?

"Yes..."

"..."

"Did you drop the shears?" Anake nodded. "Why am I not surprised?"

Chaos calmed when she figured it wasn't on purpose. If the small objects haven't been destroyed or manipulated in some fashion, then they deserved a reward for standing one of Chaos' temper tantrums which don't happen often, but when they do, boy does the protogenoi family need insurance.

With an action as similar as her name, Chaos hugged Anake who stiffly hugged back mostly due to the power still radiating off her.

"Hello, and welcome to Death of America! Please have your payment ready at the main pedestal and enjoy your eternal stay."

A young middle-aged woman found herself walking about the last place she dreaded to go within her unexpected time. Compared to her place, the quaint studio combined with the cozy plush furniture felt suspiciously ominous and reminiscently uncomfortable considering this was only a stopping point for most who made it this far.

According to the friendly welcome prerecording, the man Sally was due to meet was at the tall pedestal, leering into the lives of the newly deceased with blank eyes that almost existed to Sally if she wasn't clear-sighted.

Yep. Juuuuuuust cozy.

Well, except for the sign on the wall stating, "No socializing, no living, and absolutely NO seasickness."

In the words of a particular ghastly British chad, "Nothing to see here, move along."

Percy's, or Annisi's mom depending on who you ask, patted herself down for the spare drachma she always carried for an event just like this. Unfortunately, Sally didn't have her spare coin because she used it to contact Chaos about what happened to her child.

Sally's options weren't looking too bright. Currently, she could stay here for eternity or plead her case to the ferryman for passage through. Neither sounds very promising. If only there was a third option...

Wait for it, wait for it, waaaaaaaait for it...

That's called foreshadowing.

There she is.

Sally turned around to familiarize herself with the place she'll be spending for the next paragraph or so. The newly deceased noticed a lighter shaded door under a candle-lit exit sign. Strangely, no spirits paid attention to the sign.

If it wasn't in her agenda, the door pulled her spirit. This was usually not supposed to happen according to standard operating procedures of death transportation. Fear crept through Sally's spirit, unsure what was happening. A prayer to Hades might solve her problems, but she was sure Hades doesn't listen to the requests of the dead.

"Ma'am what are you doing?" the posh ferryman asked, a bit stumped on what to do while hastily flipping through the dead transport SOP handbook looking for what he was supposed to do in the event of a dead spirit leaving the realm of the dead with the physician's cure while deadbeat worried about his pay.

Without asking for permission, the door swung open with an uninvited invitation extended towards Sally. As with most spirits, everyone's favorite mom couldn't stand the sudden invasion of light penetrating her fabric of existence, slowly dissolving what remained of her from the inside.

Sometime during this odd hap stance was a little translucent ghost, trudging his way with a heavy limp through the emerald forests in the direction of the seaside cabin. Annisi nursed his head in his palms from the plaguing migraines, unable to remember where he got it from. Sure, there was the large knot on his head from some sort of blunt force trauma, and multiple large lacerations from unknown sources made normal body functions a hassle.

Undenounced to the world around him, nocturnal critters continued making their rounds regardless of his intended path–some passing through him like he didn't exist. Dryads freaked out when a shade with the power of a minor god passed through their resident tree, some already spreading the news to pocket forests in New York.

Stumbling through the wall, Annisi found his way to the bedroom as the crow flew, phasing through material objects due to the natural fluidity of ghosts. Percy graciously flopped down on the bed, finally realizing he could come in contact with something.

Then he noticed a shiny trail of liquid leading into the living room.

Most demigods would leave it considering the run-down state of the cabin, yet for his pure intents and purposes, they were not a normal demi-primordial by any standards. You could say they were very...chaotic.

Percy bawled his eyes over his mom, yelling at her to stop sleeping and get up. He'd watched enough Broadway through a translator to understand this was no joke. The midnight moon didn't help to soften Sally's slain body; it seemed to glow with satisfaction.

The little boy clutched his mom tightly, wishing for someone caring to rock him asleep from this nightmare. A faint voice kept telling Percy that these emotions won't last much longer, filling him with determination for his mom to see the next sunrise.

Percy had a small black book of mystical encounters he thought was normal until his mom told him it was his imagination. Annisi almost fell for it, but imagination does chase you to the next city leaving you with dried bloodlines reminiscent of claw marks. Or does it leave him stuffed in the trunk of a Camaro for arriving late from school, though Smelly Gabe as a monster probably doesn't fit the description of his imagination?

Wiping the vain water droplets away, Annisi cleared his mind in lieu of something new, closing his eyes and ignoring the droning buzz in his ear. Annisi knew he could do some pretty terrifying stunts if he set his mind on it. So far, slowing down time a matter change was present on his soon-to-be-growing list.

In a stroke of luck, he imagined an empty soul in his mind, shaping it to represent the mom he loved and knew without any inaccuracies in her personality good or bad. If one thing was different, he'd have to start all over again, wasting energy in the process since doing this 'magic' was very tiring for the young creator.

Several failed attempts later, Annisi decided that Sally's soul would be more authentic than a fake, so he concentrated on her soul, reaching out to it in vast infinite space until he latched on to a soft, friendly signature surrounded in a black veil.

With the soul ready for insertion, it wouldn't do him any good with a bleeding body–if anything, it will reject the soul for its perfect-imperfect incompatibility. For all his intents and purposes though, he'll deal with that problem later.

The dead woman decided she didn't like being dead. Sally choked on the air, too long for her tastes, but long enough for Annisi to yank the arrow out the wrong way. The stocking red ink ran down her neck from the missile-induce wound, allowing Sally to breathe through two major air intakes.

That wasn't for long because Annisi extended his hand to cover the slit. Searing tingle strangled Percy's mother, denying her the pain-relieving screams she desperately needed to escape her lips. Instead of her vocal cords doing their job, neural orders increased sweat production and tears to abnormal levels as the only alternative.

Lack of vocal transmission. Percy wasn't incapable of using his voice, he was only barred from using it due to the inefficiency of transmission among the general communication population. She desperately wanted to do something that would convey her pain to anything within her vicinity yet failed to compile a plan of action.

"Maw?" Annisi asked?

"Percy?"

"MAW!" Percy exclaimed, well assured he could relish his mother's warmth in the flesh. With the opportunity presenting itself, Percy lept up and latched onto his mother ever scared of losing her again. They made a promise to themselves to keep their mom's well-being as great as it could be, even if that meant sacrificing their own.

They eventually cried themselves to sleep, leaving Sally to do her duty once again. She tenderly picked up the child, holding securely between her arms. Sally in all her motherly skills had noticed the swelling forehead and multiple slash marks all over his body, but both parties were equally tired of the day's events. She tucked them into bed before slipping into it herself, finalizing the day with a kiss on his forehead. By the time they fell asleep, no one noticed their revert back to a ghost.

The next morning...

CAN IT CHAOS!

Percy was happily munching on a plate full of pancakes with pure maple syrup and orange juice–all blue except for the juice which would turn black much to Rachel's delight. Sally, on the other hand, was absentmindedly picking at the parfait she couldn't recall packing, ruminating the sentiment of experiencing death.

While breaking a natural law is certainly bad, the possible repercussions when the man downstairs gets his hands on her could have potentially disastrous fees long overdue. May Tyche have favor over her until fate wills it happens, preferable later than she'd want.

A light probing brought Sally out of her gloomy thoughts.

"Perseus Anagennisi Jackson! What did I tell you about using eating utensils?" Sally scolded, internally satisfied to find her mothering skills haven't diminished.

Perseus rubbed a fist over his chest, his face pulling into the classic baby seal with two eye colors. Sally knew she couldn't stay mad at her child for so long before spoiling him with excessive amounts of love.

Sensing his mother's dilemma, Annisi took the candied sleeve, focusing on his magic to clean it off and make it disappear. For added leverage, Percy stood on his toes and gave his mother a soft kiss on the cheek.

Sally sighed. 'I love you."

'I love you too!'

Somewhere in Zeus' spy room.

Chaos?

Ya?

You're fired.

Zeus was in a thunderous mood. His best daughter had just informed him that she'd succeeded in hunting the target. With normal circumstances, he would've let it go without regard, looking for his next 'conquest' instead.

This menace was still at large, able to do who knows what to Zeus' reign. His perfect daughter has never lost anything in a hunt, yet this entity has proven him wrong again. Others in the council have noticed the large shift in power around this individual, some even taking great lengths to meet this bloke because of how much power his little frame is holding.

Poseidon seems to be acting differently too. Judging from the twerp's age, this one already has Poseidon's favor since his birth. Zeus knew of every visit his salty brother has made; especially how intimate he was with the child's mortal mother.

This child (Zeus really should get to know his name) could've been a sea spawn, but his scrawny frame ruined the family resemblance, further reinforced by the eyes–neither of them was sea-green, one not even remotely close. If this one truly was a sea spawn, all the more reason to save the child from years of pain, suffering, and premature death.

One more excuse to add to his list, now when to schedule a visit with the child...

I have a strong feeling something different is coming up...

-Duckie