Book Two: Chapter Eight

Jason had told Reyna about Percy's encounter on the beach, and she had set out to locate him in the aftermath. It took her nearly a week because she kept barely missing him. In a return to his roots, sixteen whaling vessels in the Pacific Ocean were wrecked within two days, three of them completely sunk in the most egregious display of destruction she had ever seen him unleash on, well, anything that wasn't extra-dimensional invaders. After that, a pirate hijacking was brutally put down, with most of the criminals involved crippled for life. Not that Reyna felt much sympathy for them. Then there were the sex traffickers in south-east Asia. That had been…a gruesome scene to come across. Percy's emotions were very clearly in turmoil. The last time she had seen him like this, it had ended with him being possessed by Neptune and nearly dying. She was hoping it wasn't going to be a repeat event. It was only after Percy stormed a research facility in Libya that had been captured by terrorists, being captured on film as he swam away, that Reyna was finally able to find him, and even then, it had been the wildest of guesses that led her to him.

The Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion was only ruins, but she imagined in its prime it had been magnificent. It overlooked the Aegean Sea to its south, and what a view it was. Reyna found Percy sitting at the edge of the temple, simply staring off into the distance. She landed beside him quietly, making as little noise as possible as she sat. She placed her hand atop of his, and he started suddenly, only reinforcing her concern. After Jason, Percy had the best hearing of them all. That he hadn't noticed her arrival wasn't the best of signs.

"What happened?" She asked gently. "Was someone hurt?"

"No." He said, falling back into silence. Reyna was patient, waiting for him to speak again. "I've been unofficially officially banished from Atlantis. By my brother, this time, rather than circumstances. Well, actually, my brother and the circumstances."

"What happened?"

Percy told her. He told her of the attempt on his life, his meeting with the priest, the encounter with the Red Current and his words to the members of the Fifth Tride. What a 'Tride' was, she didn't know, but she understood enough to know that Percy had essentially stood up for a marginalised group and had been sent away for it. Whatever his intentions had been when had gone to them, and she suspected that they hadn't been necessarily good intentions, once Percy had seen them, seen their situation, he had made the right decision. She had talked to him enough to know of his struggles with his place in the world, and she knew that he would have seen his internal struggle reflected in the people of the Fifth Tride. To her, he hadn't done anything wrong—in fact, Percy had acted in the way she knew he truly represented. That of the hero, a person of unbridled goodness. She told him as much.

"I don't feel like much of a hero." He admitted. "Heroes are supposed to win. What have I won? I lost my mother because of what I am. I lost Artemis to my brother because I didn't want to cause problems, and now I've lost my home because I spoke up for what I believe in. I have three friends. Someone tries to break into my home at least once per day. The government is waiting for me to make a mistake so they can sweep me up. There are eyes on me always, and there's always someone ready with a critique of my decisions. I just…don't feel like I'm doing anything. Even Ghost gets better publicity than me nowadays."

"You're lost." She told him bluntly. "Your emotions have always guided you, and right now, you are hurt. So you have attacked all the hurt in the world that you can find—the hurt of sea life, the hurt of human life. But you have ignored your hurt. Start there, and you can heal."

"I don't know how." He said, and the shaking in his shoulders told her that this was a much deeper problem than she had thought. "I don't know how to fix what's wrong with me. I don't know where to start."

"Well…you picked a good place to start." She told him. He glanced over at her. "We are at a religious site for your chief deity—even if under a different name. What better place to start healing than under his eyes?"

"What, like praying?"

"I don't think you're quite religious enough for praying, despite having been possessed by said god," Reyna smiled, "so we will start with meditation."

"Meditation?" She could see the uncertainty in his eyes. "I don't know, Reyna…"

"You do not know how to help yourself," she said, "and I cannot force you to. But what harm is there in trying? At least try. For me?"

He let out a defeated sigh and nodded. Reyna shifted so she was resting on her calves and motioned for Percy to do the same. She laid her sword, which had been resting beside her, across her lap, and he mirrored the action with his Trident.

"We start with breathing," She said. "And that is all we will do. This is not an inherently spiritual activity, though it can be at times. Instead, we will clear our minds. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out."

She heard Percy mutter under his breath, but ignored it, choosing instead to lead by example. She breathed in, held it, then breathed out. And then she repeated it, again and again. Soon, Percy fell into a similar rhythm beside her. They sat there, simply breathing, and before long Reyna found her mind cleared of all unwanted thoughts. There was just peace, the knowledge that she was there, alive, and well. There were no life-threatening incidents ongoing. She was helping a friend. What more could she ask for in life?

After nearly half an hour of such meditation, Reyna became aware of an almost unnatural stillness. That wasn't uncommon when one meditated, but it was unusual considering they were directly above the sea. There should have been the gentle swaying of the waves against the cliff and nearby shore. She cracked an eye open, and nearly lost her focus. As far as she could see, in either direction, the water was still. Not a ripple, not a wave. Furthermore, there was a gathering of sea-creatures in the water beneath them. Dolphins, fish, even a whale all gathered just under the surface, heads angled up towards where Percy rested. She had never seen anything like it. The Trident glowed with power, but it was a dull glow, almost as if it was a mere conduit, and the source was Percy himself.

It took her a moment longer to realise he was the source. Breathe in, hold, breathe out. He kept the rhythm going, fully immersed in his meditation. It was…breathtaking, truthfully. Reyna had seen things in her life, truly wonderful things, but the peace upon Percy's face as he inadvertently stopped the waves in the water around them…It had to be one of the most wonderful things yet. She kept watching him, able to physically observe the tension leave his body. Another half an hour later, and she decided it was time.

"Percy," she said, and almost immediately, the water came to life, waves crashing into the shore and cliff as his eyes opened. "How do you feel?"

"I…" he drifted off. "Warm? Does that make sense?"

"A little. Only warm?"

"No. Warm is…not quite enough." He shook his head. "I feel…oh gods."

"Percy?" She asked in alarm. He had tears streaking down his face.

"I feel like I was just hugged by my mom." He whispered. "I haven't…it's been years. But I felt her, Reyna. I felt her touch. I felt her warmth. It was like she was right here."

"I'm glad." She said softly. "It is a truly blessed thing to remember a loved one as such."

"Thank you." Percy reached across and pulled her into a tight hug. "Seriously."

"You should know, Percy, that I saw something while you were meditating." Reyna said cautiously.

"What, like a vision?"

"No." She replied. "I mean literally. I…noticed the quiet while we were meditating, which is not unusual, but considering where we are, I was a little surprised. So I looked. The sea around us was completely still, and you had summoned all nearby sea-life to the water below."

"I did?"

"Actually," a new, familiar voice said from above them. "It wasn't just the water around you."

Reyna looked up to see Jason hovering above them, his cape blowing in the breeze, and the sun behind him framing his body, making him look almost godlike.

"The entire Mediterranean stopped moving for an hour."

"What?" Percy blinked.

"Yeah," Jason nodded as he landed. "People were panicking a little, but mostly everyone was just confused. Seas don't just stop moving. I went to the moon to make sure there wasn't anything wrong, and when I crossed that off the list, I went to the next item—you. Took me a while to track you down, but now that I've found you, I can definitely confirm you were the source. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I was…I was meditating." Percy said. "I didn't know I could do that."

"This is an old temple." Jason looked around. "Maybe there's some weird magic stuff going on here?"

"No, I would have felt it." Reyna replied. "It was all Percy."

"Well…that's kind of terrifying." He admitted. "The entire Mediterranean?"

"The Black Sea too," Jason said. "And a part of the Atlantic, but only about a mile and a half out of the Strait. And yeah, it's a little terrifying, but I mean, when is what we do not scary?"

"That's a fair point, actually." Percy conceded. "Sorry to cause so much worry."

"Dude, you seem like a massive weight's been taken off your shoulders, even I can see that." Jason placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Whatever you did, it was good for you. Maybe do it more often?"

"I just might." He said, shooting a smile to Reyna. "Alright, we've been wasting time. Something needs doing. Let's do it."

"Nothing that I can think of." Jason frowned. "But then again, I haven't been looking."

"I know. There's a bunch of shipwrecks that are still missing." Percy said. "Their countries deserve to know about them. Either of you know how I might get in touch with the German government?"

"I can arrange something for you." Reyna offered. "It may take a few weeks, however."

"No problem, that'll let me find the proper locations for a few of those wrecks. Thanks, Reyna. You're the best." He grinned.

"I'm well aware. How else can we help?"

"I'm sure I'll think of something," Percy said. "After all, we're superheroes. We always have something we could be doing, right?"

It was the first time she had heard Percy refer to himself as a 'superhero' without a hint of sarcasm or scorn. If she had known that meditation was all he needed to clear his mind, Reyna would have suggested it months and months ago. Perhaps shortly after they had met, even. At the very least, he'd have had a healthy outlet for his emotions.

"Actually…" Jason said. "I think Vulcan was having trouble with a job. He only mentioned it in passing, and I'm not sure if he was just venting or if it was his way of asking for me to offer to help."

"What was the problem?"

"You know Vulcan. He's…well, he's kind of goofy. Terrifyingly powerful, if he wants to be, but he doesn't really inspire fear, you know?" Jason shrugged. "He's been trying to interrogate some cartel goons, helping out the local police, but they wouldn't break."

"Where's he working from?"

"In Austin, this time. With the Texas Rangers. He was pretty stoked about it."

"Yeah, those guys are pretty cool." Percy agreed. "I'll give him a call, see if he wants my help. I'll see you guys around?"

"Our next meeting is in two weeks. I'll be there." Jason confirmed.

"I will not, unfortunately." Reyna reminded them. "I believe I will be in London at that point. Supposedly, their royal family is interested in meeting me."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Percy grinned. "You're easily my favourite royal."

"Flatterer." She grinned back.

"Okay, that's my que." Jason said. "Until we meet again, my friends."

Jason lifted off into the air, before shooting to the west. She was able to track him for a few miles, but then he was gone even to her enhanced vision. Percy, on the other hand, waited until she turned her focus back to him. Then he saluted, leaned backwards, and tumbled off the edge of the cliff into the water below, flipping into a dive, like he was performing. She laughed as she watched him go. It had been a good day. For her and for Percy. She was glad she had been able to help him.

She lifted off the ground herself. Unlike Percy, who had a supernatural sense of where he was anytime he entered the water, or Jason, who could simply fly up into space and then down to wherever he wanted to go, Reyna had to rely on rough estimates of which direction she was heading, and then when she finally reached North America again, road signs. She knew for a fact she was at least partly responsible for a few road incidents at first, as drivers didn't quite know how to react to a floating woman reading the signs on highways and backroads as she tried to work her way to the capital.

But when she finally made it, the sun was starting to set. And once she was in Washington proper, she knew the way to her apartment by heart. She had picked a top-floor apartment with its own private roof for a reason. It was much easier to avoid the paparazzi waiting below if she didn't have to walk past them anytime she wanted to enter her own home. Once she was inside, and far from any windows, she changed from her armour into casual sweatpants and a tank top. Even though all the glass was privacy treated, Reyna knew better than to underestimate the lengths people would go to for information. She was halfway to her living room when she heard a sound. Stopping with a sigh, she turned back around and retrieved her sword before continuing on her way.

"I will have you know, I am armed and have no qualms with dismembering, disembowelling, or dissecting whomever is brave or foolish enough to break into my home." She called out loudly. "Reveal yourself before I find you."

"Be at peace, Amazonian." A soft voice drifted out in accented English. "I mean you no harm."

"Then why do you hide in the shadows?"

"Because as far as this world is concerned, my brother is only one of three." The voice said. "I cannot be seen if I want that perception to be upheld."

"Brother?"

"You know him well, I believe." The voice said. "You were the one who guided him to halting an entire sea, after all."

"…Triton?"

"Ah, so he has spoken of me." From a dark corner of her living room stepped a man. He was tall, like Percy, and had the same green eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. Where Percy was dark-haired and stormy, Triton was light-haired and airy. Where Percy was lithe and sleek, this man was broad and powerful. Where Percy wore Green and Gold, Triton wore black and purple. Even their Tridents were different. Percy's was golden, it's three prongs simple, but Triton's was silver, with the outer prongs fanning into blades, and the middle prong flaring out like a spearhead. "He's been remarkably tight-lipped about you. Most of my information came from Artemis and Chiron."

"And what has brought the king of Atlantis to my home?" Reyna asked, not willing to play his games. "Percy, I presume."

"Partially." Triton confirmed. He seemed to realise that she wasn't going to verbally spar with him rather quickly, and so he had abandoned it. Smart. "I love my brother, dearly, despite of our recent argument. I don't want him gone from our home, yet he had made the decision, again and again, to return to a world that has done nothing but hate and fear him from the beginning. He is, by choice, alone in this world."

"He is not alone." Reyna said firmly. "Without other Atlantean? Yes. But he is not, and never will be, alone, King Triton."

"If he is not with his family, he is alone." Triton countered. "I know well enough that friends, while a balm to the soul, do not match up to the ties that blood brings."

"I am not going to debate the value of friends versus family with you," Reyna said. "You told me Percy was only part of the reason you came here tonight. What was the other reason?"

"I need your help." Triton said.

"I doubt there's very much that I can do for you that anyone in your kingdom can't. Why me?"

"Two reasons. The first is that in this case, no one from my kingdom can do anything to help me. This is a matter that strictly requires outside engagement." Triton held up one finger, and then a second. "The second reason is that in spite of Percy not saying much about you, the little he has said told me enough. You are a noble, honourable person. You hold yourself to a standard not unlike that which we Atlanteans hold ourselves to—likely part of the reason you and Percy get along so well. I do have other options, but I would like your help, because Percy trusts you."

Reyna was silent for a moment as she studied Triton. While he was Percy's opposite in many ways, he was similar to him as well. Raised to be king, he had learned to hide his emotions well, but Percy was good at that as well, and she had learned to read him. There was a quiet earnestness to the king, but there was something hidden there too.

"I will help you." She told him eventually. "But only if you reveal what it is that you will not tell me."

"Ah yes. This is the part you won't like." At least he had the courtesy to look sheepish. "You cannot say anything to Percy about what I am going to ask."

Triton was right. Reyna didn't like it, and she had yet to be told what he was asking of her. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he gave a knowing sigh.

"You are not going to like this even more once I ask it of you, but it is necessary that you keep it from my brother."

"Ask your favour, King Triton. We will see."

He asked.

She didn't like it.

MMXXI

Another chapter down. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out what Triton's up to, but it's nothing nefarious. Next chapter, we'll see Percy helping Leo down in Texas. I think before I mentioned that Leo was based out of El Paso, but going through his wiki page again, I noticed he's actually from Houston, so I decided that he's more of a roving hero, helping out where he's needed. Despite his whole schtick being setting himself on fire, Leo's personality led to him being more accepted by people around him, as his sense of humour, general demeanour, and desire to help people makes him out to be a genuinely good guy. After the Invasion, Leo's pretty much a major hero in Texas, and a lot of different agencies, from federal to local, like working with him, both for better optics and because he can get stuff done. Anyways, that's all I have for now.

As always, leave a review and/or send me a PM telling me what you think. And as always, I moderate guest reviews, so think before you post.

Cheers, CombatTombat