Book Two: Chapter Two
Percy knew something was off the moment he made it back to the lighthouse. There wasn't anything wrong with the house itself—everything was in place, and he had some crazy sensors installed that would have alerted him the moment that anyone even tried to get in. No, the pit in his gut that he was feeling was leading him towards the ocean. He walked slowly over to the bluff overlooking the water and paused, leaning on the Trident. It was already dark, so there was no way he'd be able to see if there was anything in the water, but the thing was, he didn't have to be able to see. Percy could listen.
It took some time—most surveillance craft could stay a few hundred yards out at sea and still be able to easily see him, but eventually, it was a pod of dolphins that caught sight of his observers. Percy had been expecting the government, maybe private corporations. He hadn't been expecting an Atlantean ship. And definitely not one he recognised. He took and deep sigh before turning and walking into the house before he started fiddling with his gauntlet. After a moment, he found the right channel.
"Kym, this is Percy. I'll have a drink waiting for you inside. If you're not here in ten minutes, but you're still out there, I'll sink your ship. See you soon."
He cut then channel off and went about making the strongest brew of coffee he could. Nine minutes later, Kym slinked inside of the house, looking thoroughly put-out. Her expression changed the moment she saw he held a mug in his hand, and a broad smile took over her face.
"You remembered!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah, of course I did. You made the first cup of coffee I ever had in Atlantis. No one would tell me why you had a dry-room until then." He laughed. "So why does Triton have you spying on me?"
"Your brother, the king," she stressed, "was concerned by the falling out between yourself and Princess Artemis. He was worried there might be…external factors contributing to your decision to leave Atlantis, considering you didn't inform him either. Or Chiron. Or the Queen-Mother. So really, all of the people in your life."
"I'd like to remind you, and my brother the king, that I am an adult and that ever since I arrived in Atlantis, every decision I've made has been to make his rule stronger." Percy sighed. "He could have anyone spying on me. But he sent you. His best, most loyal agent. This is bigger than his 'concerns.'"
"You are annoyingly perceptive; did you know that?" Kym frowned. "I'm not supposed to tell you."
"No one ever says they're not supposed to say something and then not say it. You're practically announcing that you're going to tell me anyway." He pointed out. "So get to it, Lady Kym. Royalty doesn't like waiting."
"We've received chatter that there might be an attempt on your life by extremists."
"Atlanteans?"
"Yes. Our agents in Olympia have been tracking a group known as the Red Current. They're a highly militant, insanely religious organisation that believe your inclusion into Atlantean life threatens the traditions of our people." She reported. "There's also another report that King Zeus of Olympia has sent an agent after you, but we're not entirely sure about that. It would be incredibly stupid, for one thing, but Zeus has always been ruled by emotion, and word of your falling out with his daughter would not have made him happy."
"Someone else wants me dead, what's new?" He shrugged. "Go back to Atlantis and tell my brother that I can take care of myself. Next time he sends spies, I might not be as polite as I am now."
"Are you intentionally trying to drive a wedge between yourself and Triton?" Kym asked him. "Because it's sounding like you are."
"I need distance from Atlantis, now more than ever. I don't expect you or anyone else to understand, but it's better for everyone if I'm not around for a while. Enjoy the rest of your coffee, and close the door behind you."
"Percy—"
"Don't. We're not friends, Kym. You're my brother's assassin and spy. You're lucky I didn't sink you. I don't take kindly to spies. Take that message back to my brother." He told her. "I'm serious. The next time Atlanteans show up here without my express invitation, they'll be swimming home. This isn't Atlantis, this is my home. The one where I grew up, where my mother died. I've already had it attacked by mercenaries twice, and I'm not going to let anyone watch it."
"Triton won't be happy." Kym said. "And my job isn't to make you feel comfortable."
"Don't make the mistake of underestimating me—others have made that mistake, and very few of them are around to regret it." He warned. "Triton will manage, and so will you."
"…very well. Thank you for the coffee." Kym rose, placing the mug down. "I will pass your message along to the king."
"Make sure that you do."
Kym nodded before slipping back out of the house. Percy waited until he heard the sound of her body hitting the water to relax. Another day, another bridge burned. Still, Triton clearly wasn't thinking if he had Kym watching him. If he had been more paranoid, he'd have killed her before she could get within walking distance of his house. Honestly, sending an assassin to watch over him? It was borderline insulting, and definitely concerning. He sighed deeply as he placed the Trident into its safe, before shrugging the scale shirt off his body. He didn't even bother with the rest of his armour and fell face first into his bed. He'd be able to think more clearly in the morning, but he was too tired to do anything but sleep. It'd been a long day, and the ending hadn't been as refreshing as he would have hoped.
XXX
Percy woke up to the sound of sirens. The sun was streaming through the blinds, and the breeze was blowing through gently, bringing a hint of salt with it. He really needed to stop leaving the windows open while he slept. He rolled out of bed, and again, the sirens drifted through the window. They were in Montauk proper, still some ten miles from his house, but there were enough of them that it sounded like they were parked right out front. Whatever was going on, it probably had the entire department out in force. Percy walked down the stairs and flipped the TV on to the local news channel, and unsurprisingly, he was greeted by a hectic scene.
"…and we're live on the scene, where five gunmen have taken hostages at the Montauk Liberty Bank. At least six hostages are confirmed, but there are four civilians inside unaccounted for," the reporter said, "the stand-off began when two police officers from the Montauk Sheriff's Department entered the bank as part of their local route, culminating in a shoot-out with the robbers, who then retreated further into the bank. One of the officers, now confirmed to be Connor Stoll, was injured but is stable. Negotiators appear to be setting up, and a unit of SWAT officers have been sighted on their way. But the question on everyone's mind is—where is Riptide? The Hero was last seen in Montauk last night, eating at a local diner with fellow Argonaut, the Princess Reyna of the Amazons. Reports have him entering his home, but he has not been seen during this altercation."
"Yeah, because I was asleep."Percy said to his TV as he clicked the remote, the screen blacking out quickly. "Well, if you want a show, you'll get one."
He shot back upstairs and grabbed his scale shirt and the Trident before diving out the window, using the momentum when he landed to launch himself upwards again. It had taken some time and a few broken windows, but Percy had finally mastered the art of the long leap, and it only took him four bounds to make it to the bank, landing right in the middle of the police set up. Guns were drawn, screams were released, and at least one bystander wet themselves.
"Uhhh, Riptide? We appreciate you stopping by, but we've got this." The Sheriff said. "Let the professionals handle this, son."
"I'm not your son." He replied, before turning and looking at the assembled officers. "Travis?"
"Here!" His old friend pushed his way to the front.
"How's Connor?"
"He caught a round in the shoulder. He's annoyed that he even got hit." He said. "You here to help?"
"We don't need his help, Stoll." The Sheriff said again. "Stand down."
"Yeah. Do you know where they are?"
"Behind the tellers. Do you remember the bank still has the old layout? There are steel bars on the tellers, and reinforced concrete all the way back to the vault. We only have the one-way in." Travis told him.
"Stoll, stand down, that's an order!" The Sheriff barked, red faced. "Or I'll fire you right now!"
"Alright boss, standing down." Travis held his hands up. "Sorry I can't be any more help, Perce."
"Don't worry about it." He grinned. "You told me everything I needed to know."
Percy launched himself up onto the roof, and was in the middle of trying to decide where to come through when his ear-piece came alive.
"Hey, it's Jason."
"I'm kinda in the middle of something buddy." Percy replied.
"I know. Take two steps to your left." Jason said. Percy didn't hesitate. "I was in the area for a story, incidentally. I was going to step in when you arrived. I'm about…five hundred feet in the air, hiding in a cloud. The gunmen are having a conference together. They saw that you've arrived and they're panicking. If you break through right where you are, you'll literally land on top of them."
"Awesome, thanks. Now go back to your day job, before you lose it." He said. The line went silent, and Percy rolled his neck. "Okay, let's do this.
As promised, when Percy smashed through the roof, he landed directly in the middle of the gunmen. They stumbled back in surprise, and it was all the invitation he needed. He spun the Trident around, using the shaft to knock the closest robber out. He pivoted on a foot, jammed the Trident into the floor, and used the leverage to launch himself at the next gunman, crushing the barrel of his rifle in his hand before tossing him into man across from him. Behind him, he heard a roar, and then the tingle off bullets slamming into his back. He sighed as he turned around, reaching forward and grabbing the man who had shot him by the throat. A quick squeeze and the man was unconscious.
"St-stop!" The last gunman said as Percy turned around, still holding his partner in his grip. He had grabbed one of the hostages—a middle-aged woman, and was holding a handgun to her chin. He dropped the unconscious gunman and pulled the trident from the ground where it had been jammed. "If you don't let me go, I'll kill her!"
Percy looked at the man for a long moment before shrugging.
"You want to know something cool?" He asked him.
"Wh-what? What are you talking about?"
"A cool fact. Do you want to hear it?"
"Is this a trick?" The gunman demanded, pushing the barrel deeper into the woman's jaw.
"No. Just science." Percy said, leaning the Trident against the wall. "You see, my body has adapted so that I can withstand the crushing pressure of the deep sea. I've literally seen the bottom of the ocean—no one else has seen what I've seen. But since my body is meant to survive those depths, when I'm up here, it's a bit of a struggle not to be clumsy. My reflexes are just…so much faster. I wouldn't say that I could catch a speeding bullet or anything, that's Praetor's job, but man, I can go fast. Do you want to know how fast?"
The man opened his mouth, and that was when Percy struck. He launched himself forward, jamming his hand between the barrel of the gun and the hostage's chin. The gunman got a shot off, but it just slammed into his hand. Before he could fire again, Percy had crushed the pistol and flicked the man in the nose, shattering it. He dropped to the ground, tears streaming down his face, while the woman rushed away.
"Idiot." Percy shook his head. He grabbed the Trident as the hostages streamed out of the bank, and a few moments later, the police came rushing in, the Sheriff just behind them, puffing as he ran. "Five gunmen, eight hostages. That leaves two unaccounted for. Good luck finding them."
"Where are you going?" The Sheriff demanded.
"I dunno. Home or a swim. I haven't made up my mind yet."
"You interfered in a police operation!"
"Yeah, and no one was hurt." Percy said. The man who's nose he had broken began wailing on the floor. "Well, no one who didn't deserve it. Look man, if you're fine with me fighting freaking extra-dimensional monsters, you need to be okay with me beating the crap out of armed robbers. It's not a 'one or the other' kind of thing."
"We had the situation under control!" The Sheriff insisted.
"You hadn't done a damn thing before I arrived. I just saved you like, eight hours of bullcrap negotiations, or having to risk a SWAT assault." Percy pointed out. "None of your people or the hostages were hurt. If you have a problem with it, tough."
"Officer Kendall, arrest Mister Jackson!" The Sheriff demanded. The man Percy assumed was Officer Kendall made a choked sound and looked like he had just been told he was going to die. "Now!"
"Is this how you want to do this?" Percy asked the Sheriff quietly. "I'm a national hero, Sheriff. I was honoured by the President. How do you think this is going to end for you?"
"Arrest him!"
"Alright, fine, but we're doing this outside."
"What?"
"I need to get rid of the Trident, so we're doing this outside," Percy repeated, before pushing past all the officers. Right as he stepped outside, he called over his shoulder. "And I want Travis Stoll to arrest me!"
That got a reaction from the crowd, as well as the officers who had stayed outside. In particular, Travis looked like Percy had slapped him. Percy eyeballed the distance between where he was standing and the ocean, before cocking his arm and launching the Trident as far as he could. Already, he could feel the subtle buzzing in his head telling him where it was, but he'd go back for it later.
"Riptide! Riptide! Why are you being arrested?" A reporter called out.
"Riptide!"
"Riptide!"
"Percy!" That was a voice he knew. He turned to see Annabeth standing with Helen, Bobby, and Matthew, mouths agape. He winked at them before walking over to Travis.
"Handcuff me."
"Dude, not cool!" Travis hissed, but he did as Percy said. "Why am I handcuffing you?"
"The Sheriff wants to arrest me for interfering in a police operation."
"Oh he's gone."
"Yeah," Percy snickered. "It's going to be really funny. Besides, now you can brag that you're the only law enforcement agent to ever handcuff me. I wouldn't even let the government do it."
"I might actually hate you." Travis moaned. "People are going to riot outside my house now."
"You'll be fine. I'll make a statement to the press in a second." Percy promised. "Besides, Connor's going to be furious he missed out on this."
"Silver linings, I guess." Travis sighed.
Percy just chuckled as he walked over to the line of press.
"Riptide, why have you been arrested?" A young woman asked him, leaning as far across the police line as she could.
"The Sheriff feels that I had no right to interfere in a police operation, which is a crime." He spoke. "He has decided that I am to be arrested for it, as is his right. I would like to stress that the officer that handcuffed me," he held up his cuffed hands for good measure, "is an old friend, and that I wanted him to do it because it'd be funny. Please don't harass him."
"Do you think your arrest is right?"
"It's certainly his choice," Percy shrugged, and the action alone nearly broke the cuffs, so he cut the motion off halfway through. "Whether or not it's right isn't up for me to decide."
"So you're not against this arrest?"
"Oh, I'm against it, but there's no point in fighting it. This is a courtesy from me." Percy said, giving the biggest shark smile he could. "But it is a one-time event."
XXX
Percy drummed his fingers on the metal table in the interrogation room, or questioning room, or whatever they called the room he was in. The cuffs were still on as a courtesy, but he was starting to get annoyed, both because of the incessant buzzing in his head from the Trident and the fact that the Sheriff had decided to let him stew in the room for a while before anyone came to talk to him. Fine, if he wanted to play that game, Percy would oblige him. He was leaning forward in his seat, picking up the pace on his drumming, when his earpiece came back alive. Throw in that he heard someone walk into the room behind the mirror, and his patience was starting to run thin.
"Really, Percy?" Chiron's disappointed tone was easy to hear. "You've been arrested?"
"It's all good. I'm not worried about it." Percy responded, and the sudden shift from whoever was behind the one-way mirror told him that they hadn't expected him to speak. "You got any stories to tell me while I wait?"
"I…you're actually enjoying this, aren't you?" Chiron asked him. "You think it's funny."
"I am, and I do." He confirmed. "So about those stories…?"
"You're on your own, Percy. Try to remember some of the tales you read when you were still my student." Chiron clicked off, and Percy was left to his thoughts again…for all of two minutes.
"Dude, you were arrested?" Jason hissed. "I can't leave you alone ever, can I?"
"Dude, I'm fine." Percy drawled. "The Sheriff is overzealous. I'm not worried about it. Besides, it's not like I can't leave if I really want to. I'm just being polite."
"Uh huh. And what if he takes you to court?"
"Well then I walk out of this precinct and avoid the United States until they need me to rescue them from another alien invasion or I get a presidential pardon." Percy laughed. "That simple."
Whoever was standing behind the glass scoffed, so Percy flipped them off.
"Call a layer." Jason said.
"Don't have one." He replied easily. "Look, I'm not concerned about it, and neither should you. Just get back to whichever of your jobs you're working today. And besides, it's not like—hold on. Someone's…wheeling down the hall? Call you back, this sounds interesting."
The line clicked dead, and a half-second later, the door opened, and in wheeled a beautiful girl with Mediterranean-complexion, a scowl on her face as she dressed down the sheriff.
"Ignoring all the optics of arresting Mister Jackson, you had no actual reason to do so! There was no police operation ongoing, you were sitting around, and as Mister Jackson did not arrest the criminals but instead apprehend them, what occurred was a citizens arrest." The woman said. "So you will take the handcuffs off my client, and expect a lawsuit so large you'll have to sell all your squadcars to pay it off!"
"Ma'am—" the Sheriff tried, but the woman wasn't having it.
"Uncuff him, Sheriff Bobfit, before I decide that a ten million dollar lawsuit will become twenty."
"No need." Percy smiled, before pulling his arms apart. The links snapped like they were made of cheap plastic, and he reached across to break the cuffs themselves off his wrists. "I don't remember calling a lawyer."
"My name is Bianca di Angelo, and I'm the personal lawyer for Will Solace. I was in the city doing some work for him when I saw the news." She said. "Consider this pro-bono work."
"Don't think I can afford you?" Percy smirked. Bianca rolled her eyes.
"We're done here, Sheriff. Expect to hear from my office shortly." She told the Sheriff, who was looking almost blue in the face. "Come, Mister Jackson. I have a car that can take us back to your apartment."
"Sounds good. I need to go the beach first. Gotta get something from the water."
"We can discuss it in the car. Come with me?"
"…sure. I've got nothing better to do." He shrugged, before following her out of the room. She led him through the station, sighing loudly when he stopped to shake hands with Travis and wish him luck in the future. The moment he stepped outside, he was bombarded by paparazzi and reporters, but Bianca handled them with grace, and was helped into the waiting car. A Bentley, he thought, but he didn't have time to get a proper look before he was sitting across from Bianca di Angelo in the back of a town-car with tinted windows. After a moment, he decided to speak up. "I think I've seen this movie before. This is when I'm made an offer I can't refuse, and then when I inevitably do, your driver turns out to be a hitman for the mob who drills one between my head."
"Luckily for you, the di Angelo's were never involved with the Detroit Mob. Well, not since the Thirties, at least." Bianca laughed. "And while my driver is armed, I doubt his sidearm could do any damage to you, based on what I've seen."
"Damn, would have made a good story." Percy sighed dramatically. After a moment, Bianca pressed a button, and a screen rolled up between them and the front of the car. Percy could pick up a faint whine, which he guessed was related to the fact that his comms were jammed at exactly that moment. "Tricked out car."
"The divider?"
"The communications jammer that just activated. I'm guessing your little brother had a look at the tech I gave him?"
"Actually, I did." Bianca said. "Nico is pretty much useless with anything more complicated than a cell-phone. Which your little ear buds definitely are. I didn't recognise any of the technology. Haven't been able to crack the encryption on it either. But I did figure out how to isolate individual signal points."
"Well colour me impressed, Bianca. Why'd you get me out?"
"I wasn't lying. I was in the city doing some work for Will when I saw what was happening. He just happened to call me and tell me to get you out. It isn't technically pro-bono, but no one will be any the wiser." She told him. "Why'd you let yourself get arrested?"
"Because Sheriff Bobfit has had it out for me since I dumped his daughter in a fountain, and I thought it'd be funny to watch him stumble back from this."
"You know he'll likely lose his job." Bianca pointed out. "Or wait, is this one of those places where he has to get elected?"
"Election for sheriff is in a month." Percy replied. "He's been in the seat for…twenty years now, I think."
"So because he wasn't nice to you as a kid, you end his career?" Bianca asked him sardonically.
"No, if that was it, I would have just left. How much of my story do you know?"
"Most of it."
"Not my whole reveal, my life story?"
"Same answer."
"Then you know about my stepfather. Bobfit ignored all the signs, willingly, because Gabe was his friend, and I was the kid who soaked his daughter. I spent years being beaten by my stepfather while Duncan Bobfit came over to play poker every weekend. And when Gabe was arrested, you want to know what Bobfit said?" Percy leaned forward. "He said, 'don't worry Gabe, this'll all blow over. You'll be back home soon.' To the man who beat me and my mother."
"It didn't blow over though."
"He fled the state as soon as his arms and legs were healed. I think there's still a warrant out for his arrest."
Bianca just hummed.
"We're at the pier." She eventually said. "You can recover whatever it is you need. I'm afraid I need to get back to the city."
"That's fine," Percy waved dismissively, "I can swim home."
"I'll be in touch."
"Why?" He frowned. "As far as I'm concerned, you did your job."
"Not nearly." Bianca shook her head. "I'll get a settlement from the city as well as a formal apology from Sheriff Bobfit, and then I'll make sure he isn't reelected. If there's one thing I hate, it's people who abuse their powers."
"I think you and I might just get along, Miss di Angelo." Percy grinned. For the first time, she returned it.
"I hope so, Mister Jackson. Now get out of my car."
MMXXI
THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED EVERY THURSDAY UNTIL I RUN OUT OF PRE-WRITTEN CHAPTERS!
So, the reason I had Percy arrested was three-fold. First, it was to show that despite his image being rehabilitated in the eyes of many, there are still those who don't think he's all that great. The second was to show the dilemma that authorities across the country (and world) now have to deal with in regards to heroes and vigilantes, which is why Bianca pulls the Citizen's Arrest card to get Percy freed. And the third is to introduce Percy to Bianca. As we know from the last chapter in Nico's section, Bianca was Ghost first, and she's actually the person Percy refers to in the very first chapter when he talks about Detroit PD dropping a bomb on a person.
So, Percy and Bianca are going to be pretty good friends, but for those of you who have your hopes up for a pairing, I don't think it's likely at this point. And for those of you really wanting Artemis and Percy to get together, I'm very sorry to say that it will not be happening. She and Triton are going to get married no matter what. That's just the way of it. I have an idea for the pairing, but I'll keep it close to my chest for now.
Kymopoleia, or Kym, is not a child of Poseidon in this story, though I imagine she's like a distant cousin or something. What she is, is Triton's sneaky-stabby-killy person. She made a quick and dirty cameo earlier in the story as well. Pretty much when Triton needs to be absolutely sure about the loyalty of a person, he has Kym watch them, and if necessary, unalive them. Percy knows this, which is why he's pretty miffed that she showed up in the first place.
As always, feel free to leave a review and send me a PM. If you have a question you want answered, DM me, or if you're too lazy to create an account, send me an ask on my tumblr, combattombat. Be warned, it's a mess of posts. Again, I moderate guest reviews, so be mindful about what you say.
Cheers, CombatTombat
