Whoop, snippet of the KC fic today, just so yall can see it.
Reviews:
The Official Clarisse: You're in luck, it will be at the bottom of this chapter. And I mean, Franks teddy bear hugs are amazing.
Guest: Thank you so much that's ridiculously sweet!
Guest: In Canon Mars doesn't seem to remember Percy at all which is why he doesn't here, even if he sorta knows that there's something familiar about her. And yeah, Hazel knows that Percy's powerful 'cause of Bianca.
Undeath9087: Yeah, he's less of an ass, though Poseidon/ Neptune would want to brutally murder him for being all flirty. And will be posting a snippet, but it'll be a snippet of the first chapter which is finished and I'm like, 11 chaps in.
PJ Fan 285: Percy's just saying she'd rather not see him again.
Percy was willing to admit that she slept like the dead- she hadn't had a safe comfortable bed for a long time. It had been an incredibly long day. She was beyond exhausted by the time she flopped into it.
She had dreamed of course- she always had dreams- though they were usually fuzzy and she could never remember them when she woke up the next morning.
She dreamed she was on a beach- two girls were there, their backs to her. One had long curly blonde hair that was pulled up into a high ponytail- she was wearing an orange tee- and she saw that the other had firey red tightly curled hair pulled up into a messy bun wearing a light green tee- it looked like she was wearing dungarees based on the straps over the back of the tee- she could hear them laughing- she could see that their hands were both resting on a blanket, fingers curled together- and Percy knew them, she knew them and she felt her heart aching.
"Annabeth! Rachel!" Her voice was desperate as she tried to run across the sand towards them, tears falling down her cheeks- and Annabeth and Rachel didn't even turn around, they couldn't hear her. She felt her heart breaking as she kept running- except the faster she tried to run the further she seemed to be from them, she screamed helplessly, "Annabeth! Annabeth! Rachel please!" she was sobbing violently as he foot slipped and she found herself on her knees, trying to crawl towards them but it was useless- and then they were gone and suddenly Percy saw a huge ship in a dry dock, workers scrambling to finish the hull- an achingly familiar guy with a blowtorch welding a painfully familiar bronze dragon figurehead to the prow.
Then it changed again and she was on a different beach, and Ares was stalking towards her, a sword in his hands.
And again, and Percy stood on the Field of Mars, looking up at the Berkeley Hills. Golden grass rippled, and a face appeared in the landscape. A sleeping woman, her features formed from shadows and folds in the terrain. Her eyes remained closed but somehow she spoke in Percy's mind.
"So, you are my daughter in law, the girl who my foolish son called his wife before you killed him. You don't look like much-" and Percy scrambled backwards, panic ripping through her.
"I don't- I don't know what you're talking about-"
"You don't look like much, Percy Jackson. I can't say I see what my son saw in you, but you're valuable to me, despite your traitorous nature. Come North, meet Alcyoneus. My foolish daughter may have had you brought you back and Juno may be playing her little games with Greeks and Romans but they will regret it in the end. You will be my pawn. You will be the key to the gods defeat, just as you should have been all those months ago."
"I don't understand-" Percy screamed the words, and her vision turned dark. Suddenly she was stood in a theatre-sized version of the camp's headquarters—a principia with walls of ice and freezing mist hanging in the air. The floor was littered with skeletons in Roman armor and Imperial gold weapons encrusted with frost. In the back of the room sat an enormous shadowy figure. His skin glinted of gold and silver, as if he were an automaton like Reyna's dogs. Behind him stood a collection of ruined emblems, tattered banners, and a large golden eagle on a staff of iron. The giant's voice boomed in the vast chamber.
"This will be fun, daughter of Neptune. It's been eons since I broke a demigod of your calibre. I await you atop the ice. Perhaps I will succeed where Kronos failed-" and Percy felt a shiver of dread running through her at those words as she stumbled backwards- tripping and falling- she jerked away, stifling a scream as she took a moment to realise where she was. She was safe. She was in Camp Jupiter. She lay in her bunk, staring at the ceiling and trying to control her racing heartbeat.
What the fuck had that been about- she could understand the moment with Rachel and Annabeth, even if it made her heart ache, and she could understand the giant ship- kind of. Clearly someone was building it- the lead guy felt very familiar to her. Like- like he was family. She wondered why they were building the ship.
But- it was Gaea who had reached out to her- she was sure about that. But what has she meant, calling Percy her daughter in law- what son was she talking about? Percy was pretty sure she wasn't married- she didn't have a ring- other than the thumb ring which definitely wasn't a wedding ring.
She remembered a flash of golden eyes, a twisted smirk, hands on her face, a hand tight around her throat, a hand pressed over the small of her back, possessive and greedy- she curled in on herself, choking down another scream as she tried to block it out. Suddenly she wasn't sure she wanted to remember- the threat that Alcyoneus had made- Percy had to assume that was the giant she had seen, talking about succeeding where Kronos had failed- did that mean- but- Kronos- Saturn- there was no way she'd have married him was there?
How would something like that even happen. And fuck but was that suggesting the giant wanted to marry her was it? And she didn't want to be anyones pawn.
"Are you okay?" that was Hazel's voice, and Percy turned her head and saw the other girl- the other girls in the fifth were rushing around, getting dressed and brushing their teeth.
She saw Gwen wrapping herself in a long piece of white cloth- a toga Percy realised. And Hazel was crouched in front of Percy's bunk, a worried look on her face. "You look really shaken up."
"I-" Percy swallowed hard- she doubted that anyone would react well to her asking them if there was a chance that Saturn- Kronos, whatever they called him, had gotten married- and- Gaea had said that she'd killed him hadn't she? But she was pretty sure there's no way she could kill a Titan. She'd have to figure it all out later, on her own. "I'm fine." she gaze a very tight smile, "I had a nightmare. That's all." she could feel Hazel's worried eyes on her.
"If you're sure." Hazel looked sympathetic. "Come on, I was about to wake you anyway, we've got breakfast and then there's a senate meeting."
"Right." Percy's eyes flicked towards Gwen, "Uh, do I have to wear my bedsheets too?"
"No." Hazel let out a laugh, shaking her head, "That's just for the senators. There's ten of them. Elected yearly. You've got to be at camp for five years to qualify."
"And- we're going? But-"
"It's because of the quest. Frank's asked me to come and- well Lord Mars himself said that you had to so I mean-"
"Ugh, for the record I won't be going for him." Percy huffed the words, "I'd go because you and Frank are my friends and I'm not going to leave you guys to struggle."
"You're a good friend." Hazel gave her a grateful look- and they quickly got changed together, Hazel finding Percy a fresh tee and jeans, and when they headed to the mess hall for breakfast they sat together, Frank joining them- and she was very aware of the people looking at her- whispering about the previous night.
"Two gods in one day…"
"Un-Roman fighting…"
"Water cannon up my nose…"
Percy was too hungry to care. She filled up on pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles, apples, and several glasses of orange juice. She probably would have eaten more, but Reyna announced that the senate would now convene in the city, and all the folks in togas got up to leave.
"Here we go." Hazel was playing with a stone that looked like a two-carat ruby. The ghost Vitellius appeared next to them in a purple shimmer. "Bona fortuna, you three! Ah, senate meetings. I remember the one when Caesar was assassinated. Why, the amount of blood on his toga—"
"Thanks, Vitellius," Frank interrupted. "We should get going."
Reyna and Octavian led the procession of senators out of camp, with Reyna's metal greyhounds dashing back and forth along the road. Hazel, Frank, and Percy trailed behind. Percy noticed Bianca di Angelo in the group, wearing a black toga and talking with Gwen, who looked a little pale but surprisingly good considering she'd been dead the night before. Bianca waved at Percy, then went back to her conversation with Gwen
Dakota stumbled along in his red-speckled robe. A lot of other senators seemed to be having trouble with their togas, too—hiking up their hems, trying to keep the cloth from slipping off their shoulders. Percy was glad she was wearing a regular purple T-shirt and jeans.
"How can the Romans even move in those?" Percy hissed the words to her new friends.
"They were just for formal occasions," Hazel said. "Like tuxedos. I bet the ancient Romans hated togas as much as we do. By the way, you didn't bring any
weapons, did you?"
Percy's hand automatically moved to her pocket where her pen always stayed, "Uh, why, are we not supposed to?"
"No weapons allowed inside the Pomerian Line," she said.
"The what line?"
"Pomerian," Frank said. "The city limits. Inside is a sacred 'safe zone.' Legions can't march through. No weapons allowed. That's so senate meetings don't get bloody."
"Like Julius Caesar getting assassinated?" Percy asked.
Frank nodded. "Don't worry. Nothing like that has happened in months."
"Is that a joke? Please tell me that's a joke because I feel like I'd be the one to get stabbed in the back knowing my luck."
As they got closer to the city, Percy could appreciate how beautiful it was. The tiled roofs and gold domes gleamed in the sun. Gardens bloomed with honeysuckle and roses. The central plaza was paved in white and gray stone, decorated with statues, fountains, and gilded columns. In the surrounding neighborhoods, cobblestone streets were lined with freshly painted town houses, shops, cafés, and parks. In the distance rose the coliseum and the horse racing arena.
Percy didn't notice they'd reached the city limits until the senators in front of them started slowing down.
On the side of the road stood a white marble statue—a life-size muscular man with curly hair, no arms, and an irritated expression. Maybe he looked mad because he'd been carved only from the waist up. Below that, he was just a big block of marble.
"Single file, please!" the statue said. "Have your IDs ready."
Percy looked to her left and right. She hadn't noticed before, but a line of identical statues ringed the city at intervals of about a hundred yards.
The senators passed through easily. The statue checked the tattoos on their forearms and called each senator by name. "Gwendolyn, senator, Fifth Cohort, yes. Bianca di Angelo, ambassador of Pluto—very well. Reyna, praetor, of course. Hank, senator, Third Cohort—oh, nice shoes, Hank! Ah, who have we here?"
Hazel, Frank, and Percy were the last ones.
"Terminus," Hazel said, "this is Percy Jackson. Percy, this is Terminus, the god of boundaries."
"New, eh?" said the god. "Yes, probatio tablet. Fine. Ah, weapon in your pocket? Take it out! Take it out!"
Percy didn't know how Terminus could tell, but she took out her pen.
"Quite dangerous," Terminus said. "Leave it in the tray. Wait, where's my assistant? Julia!"
A little girl about six years old peeked out from behind the base of the statue. She had pigtails, a pink dress, and an impish grin with two missing teeth.
"Julia?" Terminus glanced behind him, and Julia scurried in the other direction. "Where did that girl go?"
Terminus looked the other way and caught sight of Julia before she could hide. The little girl squealed with delight.
"Oh, there you are," said the statue. "Front and centre. Bring the tray."
Julia scrambled out and brushed off her dress. She picked up a tray and presented it to Percy. On it were several paring knives, a corkscrew, an oversized container of sun lotion, and a water bottle.
"You can pick up your weapon on the way out," Terminus said. "Julia will take good care of it. She's a trained professional."
The little girl nodded. "Pro-fess-ion-al." She said each syllable carefully, like she'd been practicing.
Percy glanced at Hazel and Frank, who didn't seem to find anything odd about this. Still, she wasn't wild about handing over a deadly weapon to a kid.
"See the thing is it's enchanted or something, it returns to my pockets automatically." Percy explained "So even if I give it to you-"
"Not to worry," Terminus assured her. "We'll make sure it doesn't wander off. Won't we, Juila?"
"Yes, Mr. Terminus."
"Now, a few rules, since you're new," Terminus said. "You are entering the boundaries of the city proper. Keep the peace inside the line. Yield to chariot traffic while walking on public roads. When you get to the Senate House, sit on the left-hand side. And, down there—do you see where I'm pointing?"
"Um," Percy said, "you don't have any hands."
Apparently this was a sore point for Terminus. His marble face turned a dark shade of gray. "A smart aleck, eh? Well, Miss. Rule Flouter, right down there in the forum—Julia, point for me, please—" Julia dutifully set down the security tray and pointed toward the main plaza.
"The shop with the blue awning," Terminus continued, "that's the general store. They sell tape measures. Buy one! I want those pants exactly one inch above the ankles. And tuck your shirt in."
Hazel said, "Thank you, Terminus. We need to get going."
"Fine, fine, you may pass," the god said testily. "But stay on the right side of the road! And that rock right there—No, Hazel, look where I'm pointing. That
rock is entirely too close to that tree. Move it two inches to the left."
Hazel did what she was told, and they continued down the path, Terminus still shouting orders at them while Julia did cartwheels across the grass.
"Is he always like that?" Percy asked.
"No," Hazel admitted. "Today he was laid back. Usually he's more obsessive/compulsive."
"He inhabits every boundary stone around the city," Frank said. "Kind of our last line of defense if the city's attacked."
"Terminus isn't so bad," Hazel added. "Just don't make him angry, or he'll force you to measure every blade of grass in the valley."
Percy filed that information. "And the kid? Julia?"
Hazel grinned. "Yeah, she's a cutie. Her parents live in the city. Come on. We'd better catch up to the senators."
Snippet of the Kane Chronicles AU. It's from the first chapter- it's not the start of the first chapter but from part way through! For context- Gabe is an asshole and Percy wasn't well and threw up in his car, he reacts as a drunk abuser would:
"Shame you're too young." Gabe sneered, "You might actually be useful in a few years."
"I hate you!" Percy clawed at his wrist and Gabe let out a yelp, dropping her, and she yelped as she hit the ground, ignoring the pain as she lurched to her feet, punching out at the spot that Jack had hit Lucas in in school- and Lucas had been crying and Mrs Balsky had told them all that that was a no no spot for hitting- not that they were supposed to hit anyone anywhere but that was a big no no spot.
Gabe let out a shocked yell of pain and hunched over and Percy turned around and bolted.
Gabe was a monster- only monsters hurt people. That was what her mommy had told her.
She wasn't sure how she did it but she managed to get out of the apartment and down into the street and she ran- she ran for what felt like a lifetime- she wanted to find her mommy- she knew where she worked but she'd never gone there by herself before- and it didn't take her long to get lost.
Percy was crying by the time she crashed into the legs of a tall man.
He was big, really tall, with dark skin and piercing brown eyes when he looked down at her- his head was bald and he had one of those funny beards that was just on his chin.
She hit the ground hard, bursting into tears.
"Woah-" that came from a boy by the side of the man- he was older than Percy, with the same dark skin as the man and short dark curls. "Are you okay-"
"What happened to you?" the tall man's voice was surprisingly gentle and Percy whimpered.
"Monster hurt me." her voice shook- and the man stiffened, his eyes narrowing.
"A monster?"
"Y-yeah." Percy nodded as the boy pulled a square of white cloth out of his pocket, crouching in front of her and using it to wipe her tears, it came away with blotches of red from blood- and Percy winced when he touched her eyebrow- it stung.
"I see." The man looked very unhappy at that as he crouched in front of her, joining his son, "Where did it happen little one? How badly are you hurt? Do you need a doctor?"