Percy Jackson: Dawn of New Age

by Arren Bradley

"They are my children too, Perseus. Help me save them?" The dawn has come for the new age. Percy Jackson is now literally back, to save them all. Not just his friends but everyone. You think you know this story? Think again. He got second choice to save them all or did he… "She kept you in dark, Perseus. Do you think you can still trust her? Think again."

9. You should clench your butt

I don't own Percy Jackson or the characters in them but this universe that I am creating is mine so please dont go copying it, its a humble request.

Anyway enjoy the chapter.

A/N: I made some changes in chapter seventh. I realized some plot mistake there so, changed a line at the end when Katie explained to Percy, please check it out but its nothing major.

CHAPTER 9

I was on my way from very tiresome Greek lesson with Annabeth. Tiresome because, first, I already know most of those stuffs and, second, she's been a slave driver. She was all snappy, impatient like she had better things to do than teach me. She would snap at me literally for breathing. This made approaching her friendly very difficult. I was getting impatient and angry with her myself and had to bite my tongue from saying anything sassy. That would have made the situation worse. Only If I was given a quest, it would've made some things easy for me. I thought.

I was on my way to the dinning pavilion for lunch when I saw Grover coming languidly, shoulders hunched as if whole world was on his back, his mind miles away. I could sympathize with that. I know that feeling very intimately.

"Hey Grover!" I shouted, waving my hands, snapping him out of his gloomy thoughts.

His head snapped towards me, bringing him back to reality. He gave me small smile before jogging up to me with his goat legs.

"Hey man." He said, his tone lacked usual zeal.

"Something's bothering you?" I asked, coming straight to the point. There's no point in talking circles with these kinds of things. I was force-fed that many times. We started walking towards dinning pavilion together.

"Mm?" He looked up from watching his goat-legs to me. "Oh…no" He gave his nervous Blaah laugh which he usually give when nervous and he gets nervous while lying. He's like an open book.

"Really?" I asked raising my eyebrows at him and giving him I-know-you-are-lying-to-me-so-don't-bother look. I'm told its intimidating look and you know who said that? Annabeth! The queen of intimidation herself said that!

He sighed, surrendering. I did a little victory dance inside my mind. I still got that look! I thought. Chaos gave a short laugh and I as usual ignored it. She doesn't understand. I reasoned.

"It's council of Cloves, again." He said dejectedly.

You see Grover told me about his unfortunate probation for his searcher's license a week…again, well for me only I guess, after I came to the camp. The council wanted to revoke his license since he wasn't able to bring back demigod safely like he was suppose to. It really isn't his fault that Hades was an ass for coming at Thalia, Luke and Annabeth with his legion of Cyclopes and Hellhounds. Ultimately and unfortunately she had to make the sacrifice in the end, so that they could enter the camp safely.

It was fate's Will after all.

I hate those hags. They made my life living hell.

Since, that unfortunate incident, he was on probation. If he made the same mistake again, his license would be revoked but with his rotten luck and monster's love for me, he wasn't able to avoid that. I really can't blame for him for that. I know he was strong, if you count the fact he turned Hyperion the titan into a tree, but for then he hadn't came to that level yet. With time he would but for then he was just like another Satyr, weak, just like I was.

"They are still on revoking your license?" I knew they were but I had to maintain the act of clueless Percy. I hated manipulating them like that but it was necessary otherwise I would be chucked to demigod's mental asylum, if they had any. I still don't know If they have any mental asylum.

"Apparently, yes. According to them I'm shame for a Satyr and that I would be just another missing Satyr if given the license." He said, his voice dripping with contempt for the council.

Oh Grover. I thought, feeling really bad for him. My coming back changed many things and few of them for no better but worse. If only I came back just in time for my quest of Lightning bolt, it would've made things easier for Grover and my friendship with Annabeth. But for real, I blame the disappearance of Clovis for ruining what could be a better friendship with Annabeth and Luke.

Then I realized those were just futile thoughts. Coming back early was to my best advantage, even though it created few problems but it was for better. I could influence many events and set up few chains of events to my advantage even if it is cost of few things. I could make them better; I had time, knowledge and the brain of twenty years old with me.

[You were still an idiot.]

[Shut up!]

"So…They came to the decision?" I asked.

"Yes, they decided to revoke my license." Grover decided to drop bomb immediately. I stumbled in shock. I turned my wide eyes towards him but Grover just looked at me with amused look.

"What! They-"

Grover just gave a short laugh, apparently, founding amusement at my spluttered expression. I was shocked, my mind going miles an hour, at him not that sad as I expected and at how could council already deciding to revoke the license. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.

"What're you laughing at? It's your dream isn't it? You have to talk to Chiron-"

"Percy, they didn't revoke my license!"

"But you just said-"

"I said, they decided to revoke not that they actually revoked." My mind still wasn't able to make sense of it. I may be twenty years old but I was still seaweed brain, as Annabeth usually put it.

[Was?]

[I said shut up, woman]

"Mr. D decided to intervene with their decision and froze it until later date, said something about 'Fate's Will'." Grover explained after his short bout of laughter. "Sorry man, but you look like a baby seal with that look." He chuckled again, remembering my baby seal look again.

When I thought about it, I realized it was not that surprising to me that Mr. D intervened with council's decision. Dionysus may be a drunker and hates demigod's gut but he is a god. The gods have premonitions about the events before they actually happen, let's just call it 'Foresight'. So, Gods have these 'Foresights' and they decide whether to intervene or leave us to our perils if it's necessary or when needed not to look bad.

I think it's because of the last one. If you ask what I think, I would say that gods are just lazy pompous asses, whom need us to solve their problems. They call these interventions 'Fate's Will'. I think that is just bullshit, that's just excuse for helping at the very last moment.

Well, they are still better than my children or grandchildren. She reasoned.

That's true…but they are still asshats. Period.

"Shocker, I know." Grover said, taking my silence as a silent shock. I just nodded along, not wanting to point out that I already knew. I was not willing to dug deeper hole for myself; I was already on the edge with them.

"Did he tell you what's this 'Fate's Will'?" I asked, as soon as I found my voice.

"He just said, I'll know in time…you know how gods can be evasive with these types of things."

"It's frustrating." I grumbled, thinking of all those time when gods could've informed or helped instead of hiding. Damn Ancient Laws!

'Ancient Law is on you Chaos.' I informed her.

What? Why? They were already there when I was born. She exclaimed. And I already told you that, you wimp.

'Still.' I immaturely grumbled.

So that's how it is, you just want to pin blame on someone and you find me.

'You're the only one I know who's from past timeline.'

She threw her hands up in exaggeration.

You immature pig.

Naturally I ignored her. I know I was being unfair to her but gods just piss me off for no reason and she's the only one I could pin blame on because, as I said earlier, the only one I know from past timeline.

"So, how was your lesson with Annabeth?" He had that sly look on his face when he said that. I just knew then that Katie opened her big mouth and babbled to these guys. I groaned internally.

"It was…fine." It was less than fine. She was being bitch to me all the time. I always got that she's bossy and her hubris is pride but she was taking this to whole different level to me this time. Her snappy and short tempered attitude was grating on my nerves.

I get that she, for some reason, blame me for disappearance of Clovis. So, guess what whole camp does and I don't see them or even Luke behaving like that. I guess I'm babbling right now but she sometimes get on my nerve.

"Just fine?" He gave me what-did-you-do-now Look.

"Hey, I didn't even do anything this time, I swear." I said holding my hands up.

He gave me blank look and raised his left eyebrow as if conveying I-know-you-did-something-stupid look.

"I just want to have a decent conversation with her." I finally grumbled.

"There it is. And?"

"And, she is giving me nothing, absolutely nothing." I said, throwing my hands up in frustration. "She's snappy and angry at me literally for even breathing. She acts like I am not worth her time and had better things to do than waste her time on me."

Grover looked at me in sympathy and patted my back.

"There, there" He comforted "She's like that with everyone."

"Oh please, you've to be blind to not notice she is extra cold towards me as if I ran over her cat or something."

He opened his mouth to disagree before thinking that over and finally closed his mouth seemingly agreeing with me.

"She'll come around….in time." He tried consoling me. I gave him short smile, thanking me for his comfort.

"You'll have your girlfriend, don't worry." He added before running away, laughing. I couldn't make myself being angry with him, not after seeing him laughing and forgetting about his burden even though it was momentarily.

So I did the logical thing and ran after him, and it was then that my eyes fell over three people going back to their cabin discretely.

It's not uncommon for demigod to go back to their cabin but these three figures were being…suspicious to me. I think, one of them making sure not so discreetly that no one was following them, gave them away.

'Should we check it out?' I asked her.

Obviously! Ooh, this is so exciting. We are finally gonna do some spy work. She gushed in excitement. I still couldn't get my head around that Chaos, the creator of universe, acting like a child.

There were demigod roaming around and many of them watched me discreetly daily and it would definitely look suspicious to them if I just stood there listening to them. I didn't want to dig myself a hole any deeper. I came to make things better not worse. With no options left, I decided to leave them for now but reminded myself to watch them.

Chaos was not happy about that.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Percy!"

I looked back seeing Charlie making his way towards me. I was on my way to the Luke's class after having quite delicious lunch in the pavilion. He was waving at me quite enthusiastically. I was feeling quite nervous to be around him after having revelation about my situation, that's why I hoped to avoid him that day but fate had different plan for me that day. I know you would be wondering 'but Percy, didn't Fate's control on you was literally snapped infront of you?' Yeah, they did snap my thread, freeing me from their control and making me a wild card but that doesn't meant that they couldn't manipulate the situation through other people around me and this was one of those situations. I didn't know then what was fate's plan for me, so don't blame me feeling agitation then.

"Hey man." I said, not that enthusiastically.

"I have something to show you, come with me." He said requesting me to follow to his bunker. With nervous shrug I decided to follow him to his bunker. We made rest of our way silently. As soon as we reached his cabin, he closed the door and gestured to last bunk to the left, full of metal trinkets and papers scattered messily around. Although, other bunks were full of metal objects, hammers, papers and blueprint, his was the messiest.

"Sorry about that." He said.

I waved dismissing his apology, "You should see my bunker then." I said, jokingly to cut through the awkwardness.

It worked, making him chuckle. I decided to look around because I never really looked at another bunkers. Yeah, I helped Annabeth to evaluate different bunkers but that's really all Annabeth; I just enjoyed my time with her. That's all I did. So, now when I'm inside the Hephaestus's cabin, I decided to really look at it.

It was typical Hephaestus cabin with all the trinkets, metals, hammers, blueprints and papers lying messily around the bunkers. Few bunkers had posters of few people I didn't recognize above their beds. By the look of it I'm gonna guess they are famous figures in mortal world. They may be demigods but they are still teenagers. That always gives me smile. Even after facing horrors of being demigods so early in their life they didn't forget their humanity.

It was like a cross between Hermes's cabin and Athena's cabin. Hermes's cabin is full of demigods so it's bound to be messy and on top of that they have their own stolen objects and other things so that makes Hermes's cabin the messiest. Hephaestus's cabin gives that kind of vibe with so many numbers of bunkers in the cabin and objects lying around. Athena's cabin doesn't have that many numbers of demigods like that in Apollo, Hermes and Hephaestus's, but with all those books and blueprint makes it quite…full? Plus point is they aren't messy at all. They are all clean freaks and hardcore organizers. So, with all books lying around with blueprint in Hephaestus cabin gave kind of brainy vibe like that of Athena's cabin, I mean, they need plans to make…whatever that they make.

It still muffles my mood that gods have so many children and that they don't even bother to even say hello. If they can't keep it in their pants then they should learn to better take care of their children. Even if they are bound by Ancient Law then, they atleast should claim their children.

Hermes cabin was overflowing with children. There were so many unclaimed demigods. In my past time-line, even after both the wars, gods still didn't learn from their mistakes and even though there were quite less unclaimed ones than before but there still were, after I had to make them swear them to Styx. Since they are immortals, Styx found her way to punish us demigods for not keeping their promises. In the end, we still had to pay for their mistakes. These are few of the things I was back to change permanently. For saving their asses again, they have to pay the price because I'm gonna be pissed if they didn't.

"It's quite messy isn't it?" Charles said, mentioning his cabin.

"Nah, it's just like I imagined." I said.

"Yeah…it feels like home." He said with quite tone, his eyes far distant away, remembering his time with his mom in garage.

"I get that." I said, remembering my time with my mom. It's true your cabin represents what you feel very close to or feel very comfortable with. I always felt good at Montauk beech with cabin there with my mother. Yeah, I'm momma's boy. Say whatever you say, I love her very dearly. So my cabin is similar to the one that of in Montauk. It's…familiar, I guess.

He cleared his throat snapping me back to reality.

"You ok?" He asked, his eyes softening in concern.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" I replied giving him a nervous laugh. I didn't think he bought it as his forehead creased further.

"So, why are you ignoring us this whole morning then?" He asked, coming straight to the point. After few years without him I kind of forgot that he can be quite perspective if he wants to be.

"What? No, I'm…just busy with my classes and other things on my mind." I am not proud to say that my voice pitch was little higher than usual.

"Bullshit, you and I both know that you are definitely ignoring us. Is it something Katie said yesterday that made you ignoring us?" he prodded further.

"What are you talking about; I just talked to Grover before the lunch. I am not ignoring you bro and no it's not about something Katie said." I tried to assured him fruitlessly because I know he's not wrong. I had been kind of ignoring them since yesterday.

I only talked with Grover because I know him and felt ease with him and not worry about him betraying me. He doesn't have a single betrayal bone in him. I would know because I have friends with him for eight years and empathy linked with for seven years.

"Oh so you have not been running away when Selena or Katie are calling you then?" That was also true. I hate doing that but I needed some time to get through all that through my head. I cannot blame them for suspecting me; I mean it's the life of demigod's right? Full of betrayal, who knows who's gonna be the enemy and on top of that Clovis and two other disappeared a week before I appeared. I just needed some space to recollect my thoughts and making some changes in my plans before moving further.

"I…" I sighed heavily and looked out of the window, watching demigods going on with their lives unaware that things gonna change pretty fast soon and it's already started with the disappearance of Clovis.

I just knew then that he wasn't going to let this go away unless he got the satisfactory answer and so I got no choice but to provide him with one.

"Can you blame me for that?" I started after few moments of silence. "I just learned that whole camp is suspecting me with the disappearance of Clovis, including you all. I just needed some moments to gather my thought, that's all." I gave him pitiful shrug, looking everywhere but his eyes.

He was silent for a minute or two. During that, there was so much tension in the surrounding that I could feel it pressing against my ears. You could cut that tension through butter knife, if there's such butter knife.

"You are wrong." He said, looking me with such intensity that I can't help but look him in the eye while he spoke. "We do not suspect you at all. Yeah, I mean when you first arrived, we kind of did but this past month made us, made me sure that you have nothing to do with Clovis's disappearance. I don't know about others bro, but we definitely don't suspect you at all."

That did gave me some form of relief that in this camp some people are sure that I have nothing to do with Clovis's disappearance, I mean not directly.

"I mean unless you really got something to do with it? Did you kidnap Cloves and others, Percy?" That gave me shock as I stumbled back, my eyes got wide in disbelief.

"What? No! I didn't even know him." I was afraid that he somehow figured out that I was somewhat reason for his disappearance.

He gave short amused chuckle, enjoying my dramatic reaction.

"I am just messing with you bro." He said ruffling with my hair.

"Hey! Didn't your mother tell you not to touch anybody's hair?" I said, secretly enjoying it. I was happy to see him laughing like this, free of burden, since last time I started to know him after when war had already begun. He wasn't so carefree like this in my past.

"But it's not just anybody, it's you." He said, still not stopping from ruffling my hair.

I swatted his hands away, "Hey!" but he still didn't stop so I decided to do the only logical thing that any logical person would do, I punched him in stomach.

"Ow!" He screamed dramatically, bending over but I could see mirth in his eyes and I knew he was just enjoying this like I was.

"You pack a hell lot of punch for someone so small." He playfully grumbled. I just rolled my eyes at his childish behavior.

"So how's your lesson going with Annabeth?" He said when he was done faking the hurt. He too had that sly look on his face, just like that of Grover. I again rolled my eyes at him. It was fruitless convincing him that I just want to be her friend but looking, now, at it from different angle, my constant approaching of Annabeth and trying to get her to talk to me friendly just like I remember from past time-line, I could not blame them for landing on that conclusion. If it was someone else I too would've reached the same conclusion.

"Just like I told Grover it was just…fine."

"So she's still giving you nothing then?" He had that small smile on his face, clearly enjoying my frustration. Suddenly I got aggravated and exclaimed.

"Nothing! If anything else, she's being colder towards me. I mean I get that she for some reason like everyone else blames me for Clovis's disappearance, but I don't see them acting like a total dirtbag towards me!"

Charles opened his mouth to disagree on one of that point.

"Except you guys ofcourse." I cut him before he could object.

"I just want to her friend-"

"May be more than that-" I acted like I didn't even listen to that comment.

"-is that so hard to take? But you know what if she's gonna be stubborn then I'm going to be more stubborn. I am not gonna back down so easily. I'm son of Poseidon and we don't back down from challenge!"

I huffed.

"Why do you want to be her friend so bad? I mean we joke around but what's the real reason?" That question made me hitch. I couldn't tell him the real reason ofcourse but there was also another reason why I was being so stubborn about being her friend…because I wanted to change the outcome that changed everything for me. I didn't want that to happen again.

"I…don't know. I just want to be her friend; it's as simple as that." I told him softly after few moments of consideration.

He gave me short nod as if understanding something I couldn't.

"I get it. You just want to be her friend….or possibly even more?" He said first half seriously and then wiggled his eyebrows at me at the last part. I decided to just punch him again like any other logical person would.

"Oh, like you and Selena?" I asked him innocently. I widened my eyes for more effects. It worked as he stopped laughing and gaped at me.

"You cheeky bugger"

He got me on headlock and started messing with my hair again and I fruitlessly tried to swat his arms again. I mean he's bulky and I was just a scrawny ten years old.

"So, you were gonna show me something?" I asked coming to the main topic. He did say that he wanted to show me something.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that." He said, coming to the main topic. "I noticed, you've been practicing with the untrained sword and it's must be straining your muscle, so… I thought I could make you one that would be balanced."

He said, shuffling blueprint, searching for something.

"Oh, you don't have to so that honestly-"

"I know it's not fine. This past month I watched you and in my opinion you are a natural sword fighter but somewhere you always lacked behind. It wasn't that hard to connect the dot- Ah! There it is!"

He exclaimed, finding what he was looking for. He unrolled a smaller paper and handed me. I was confused and little excited. I did wanted to know what he planned to make for me and he didn't disappoint me at all. In my opinion, what I saw was truly majestic. I knew I wanted this weapon. It was not just design but there was gut feeling also that this weapon would gonna help me tremendously. And I was right; she did help me in time of peril and still haven't let me down.

Charles chuckled at my gaping expression.

"Whoa." It was all I could manage to say, looking at it.

"I take it you like it then?" He asked.

"Like it? I love it!" I exclaimed. "Thank you man." I genuinely thanked him for that. He went all the way to provide me with weapon that fits. I was not gonna forget about my beloved Riptide but this weapon of destruction was something else entirely.

"Don't mention it. That weapon would be finished just in time for Capture the Flag this Friday." He said, gesturing the blueprint in my hand.

I handed him paper back, "You know, I don't say it enough but thank you for everything." I was genuinely thankful of him. I mean he went out of his way to make a weapon for me and console me.

"Hey, don't mention it and you're like our little brother. We are always gonna look after you."

My eyes were getting misty, so I blinked them away and hurriedly gestured towards other blueprints and charts.

"Other projects?" I asked.

"You could say that." He sighed dejectedly, "I don't think I am able to finish those. I mean I keep coming to dead ends."

"Can I see them?" I asked, indisputably interested.

"Go ahead." He motioned towards his other project's drafts. I took few of them and when I saw them my eyebrows receded back to my hairline. I was shocked. I was not shocked because they were something unique or something I haven't seen or something like that. I was shocked because these were the projects I knew were successful in future. These were finished by none other than Leo Valdez, our seventh hero from second prophecy.

To know that it was already thought of before and tried already was…shocker. I thought Leo came up and made all that possible on his own but I was clearly wrong. He just modified what Charles had already made.

Then with sudden jolt I realized it could be helpful if Charles could finish them early. So many things would be made easier because of this. Oh man, I knew I had to motivate him to finish these projects.

"Oh you've to finish these, bro." I told him.

"Yeah, I want that too but, as I said earlier, keep coming up at dead end." He said.

"Then find motivation to complete it bro. It does gonna make…many things so much better." I said gleefully. He watched me amusedly.

"Yeah, I'll try-"

"No you've to promise to complete this man."

"Wh-"

"So, what do you say, I'll stop getting bother with their disappearance and you finish these projects." I offered him motivation. I looked at him wide innocent eyes to further the effect.

I held my hands up for him to seal the deal. After few moments of consideration, he finally relented and shook my hands.

"Only if you stop letting them bother you." He added.

"Fine." We made a deal then.

Then I suddenly remembered that I had a class with Luke and he can be slave driver if someone comes late to his class. I didn't want to make few rounds around the camp, so hurriedly made my way out of his cabin.

"Am I gonna know the real reason anytime soon, though?" He asked before I could step out of his cabin. I just turned around and said "In time bro, in time, I promise."

I gave him mock salute and step out of cabin only to run into Selena who was on her way to Hephaestus's cabin.

"Charlie's inside." I quickly answered her unasked question before turning around again and giving him sly smirk. Naturally he rolled his eyes at me.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Luke paired me with Mark for practice session. I knew he did that only to assess me. I wouldn't have known about him watching me if I wasn't twenty years old battle hardened veteran. My body may be young and not experienced like my mind is but I still get that chill when someone watches me ingeniously and just like that I know I was the object of speculation.

But putting those things aside, I was not a fool to take that as an opportunity to teach this guy a lesson for what he did or what would gonna do in future?

This future won't be same. That was your past and what's coming would be you future. Chaos added.

'Then I am gonna teach him lesson for what he already did then.'

That hasn't happened yet…so wouldn't it be unfair to him.

'No, because I remember it.' Just like that I shut her down.

Didn't you move on from her already?

'That doesn't matter, he stole my girlfriend.'

Boys. She rolled her eyes at me.

I was ready with full gear and all. I was full of frustrated energy and I had to take it out somewhere, so what's better than on girlfriend stealer. I mean we (me and Annabeth) did part on good term but that doesn't mean I was ok with him dating my ex just two weeks after breakup. I was devastated and there they were dating and being all giggly. I didn't like that one bit but I had to pretend that I was ok for Annabeth.

"Someone's enthusiastic to get beaten, huh?" Mark taunted but not that surprisingly to me, it didn't have any edge. I was still quite weird with him being quite friendly with me.

"We'll know in the end, don't we?" I fired back. That got him to chuckle in disbelief. He honestly didn't believe that I could beat him at all. Well, as I said earlier, we'll know that in the end.

"Yeah, we'll see, we'll see…" He said in good humor.

I got ready, staunching my shoulder, gripping my unbalanced sword and shield in both hands as perfectly as I could and waited for Luke to start the fight.

"Ok boys, you know the rules, no maiming or anything that could kill you both and also no use of your godly powers." He said the last part looking pointedly looking at me.

I huffed. As if I need my godly powers to beat this goat. I thought.

"Don't hold back." I informed Mark.

"Wasn't planning on it." He replied with big ugly smirk on his face. Honestly I could never figure out what Annabeth saw in this ugly goat.

"Ok then, first one to draw blood, wins." Luke informed before stepping out of ring.

Mark took his stance and waited for Luke to initiate the fight. With his sword loosely hung at his side and casual fighting stance that he wasn't taking this fight seriously. That made me a little ease, knowing that I was about to whoop his ass to the ground. He had no idea what was coming at him and If he wasn't taking this seriously even after my not-so direct warning, whom I was to inform him that. Enemy when ignorant of his future predicament is a very easy target to finish or in this case humiliate.

Small amused smile formed on my face after imagining him eating dirt.

"Ok, boys! Start!" Luke gave the green signal.

I didn't have to initiate the fight because like any other Ares kids, he came at me as soon as fight started. Like father, like kids, huh? Am I right?

He swung his sword at me which I easily dodged. He swung right back, without wasting any time, at my gut which I managed to parry it with my shield. As soon as his sword made contact with my shield, my whole arm shook. I gritted my teeth. I almost dropped my shield; it was very impactful…literally. He might not have brains but I was still a ten years old then and he was seventeen years old buff dude. At that moment I hated being ten and wished that I had my old body with me when I came back. Ofcourse it was futile thought and had no significance at that time.

"Not feeling so big now, huh?" Mark taunted, his big ugly smirk still marred his already goat face.

I didn't say anything. I just adjusted my shield and my sword and again took my stance, this time ready to take him on.

"I'll let you down gently, Percy."

With that he came at me with full swing force of sword, I side stepped it and twisted my body till I was at his back and slammed my shield at his back. He staggered few steps ahead, shocked. Can't blame him, I would be too. I mean who doesn't want to be rammed by an extremely awesome person, right?

(You mean extremely self-centered person)

(You just had to ruin the moment)

("Chaos?" The person asked like it was most obvious thing.)

(Yep)

("Thought so.")

(Chaos huffed moodily and crossed her arms like a five years old.)

(So, back to the story)

I could have ended my fight then and there making small cut at his back but I wasn't feeling so generous then. I did say that he was going to be my recipient for built up frustration and…small revenge.

You should clench your butt too. Chaos decided to gospel her advice right then in the middle of fight.

'What?'

It would look cool.

'Clenching my butt?'

Yes, it's the most obvious thing to do. Every cool swordsman clenches their butt when they take their stance. She said that as if expecting me to already know that and acting offended when she couldn't believe I actually didn't know 'the most obvious thing in the world'. Her words not mine.

'Did I ever tell you're very weird?'

Yeah, like thousand times in past month.

'Then you should work on that.'

You would clench your butt if I do? She sounded giddy. I decided to ignore that. I had Fight to fight and I wasn't going to lose to this ugly goat.

'Got a goat to fight Chaos, not the good time right now.' I told her.

He came back at me wildly swinging his sword at me but his wild swing has some trained edge to it, do you get what I am saying? It looked like he was deliberately doing that. Or I might be overanalyzing things. I thought. I mean he had always been like that even before my jump then there's not the case that he would be better now? Must it be ripple-effect? Nah. I ignored that thought process.

He's still the dumb kid. I thought.

I side-stepped, parried and dodged his advances. He may be the buff dude but he's dumb and I was smart and scrawny. You might ask what so advantageous about being so scrawny. I tell you its agility and being faster. Being buff and strong may have given him advantage over me with strength but I had the advantage of being faster than him. And I was smarter too.

Some attack came too close of drawing blood but I managed to avoid that. Some swings of his sword which I managed to parry it, I came too close to dropping my shield then and there but with some inner strength and will I managed to hold on to it. I still wasn't strong enough then even after so much exercise and training. If I had my trained body then, I would have kicked his ass long time ago. But I didn't and I had to manage beat seven years old older person than me with my ten years old body and strength. Luckily I had same presence of mind as that of my past trained self.

"You can't keep running, bro. Just stay still and make this easy." He said.

As if. I huffed.

He was getting tired slowly. I could see that in his movement and his laboring breath. Just little more dodging and he would fall anyway with fatigue. But I can't let that happen. I still haven't managed to land some shorts on him and I had to create an image for myself.

I feigned untrained moves and stumbling. Its better was he figured I can't fight rather than knowing it. Just like I told earlier 'An ignorant enemy is an easy target.'

He kept coming at me and wildly swung his sword at me but I can't help but notice the way his muscles strained as if it was straining his muscles quite a bit to do so. But why? I deliberated. I mean swinging his sword like that couldn't put strain like that, right? I would know because I taught swordsmanship before. It seemed like it was taking efforts to wildly swing his sword like that…unless he was forcing himself to do that. Was he really that intelligent? I thought.

When he was tired enough to fight I took that as a chance to start my attack on him. I started swinging my unbalanced sword at him to best of my ability. I put as much efforts I could to beat him. I swung, twisted, stabbed etc. This time he was the one to side-stepped, dodged and parried my attack with his sword and shield. Prey had become predator. I increased my speed of attack at him. All that built up frustrated energy was exploding like a volcano right then and honestly it felt good.

Mark was clearly shocked to become the predator. He had not expected to be bested like that. He couldn't find opening in me, so was forced to retreat. I am not boasting but I become a beast while fighting especially with a sword. If I have my Riptide or Strom-breaker with me (which Charles made for me) I would become indestructible. Just ask Ares or monsters or any Titan.

As soon as I found opening, I grabbed that opportunity, I dropped my shield immediately, bended and made the circle with my legs and kicked him behind his knee. It was impactful enough that made him painfully fall on his back. Without wasting any time, I twisted his wrist making him yelp in pain and dropping his sword. I kicked his sword away with back of my heel, still keeping his wrist twisted with my left hand and immediately made a small cut on his cheek ending the fight.

There was complete stunning silence. Demigods watching were stunned, many were in awe, disbelief and stumped having seen me beating him all of sudden. I knew they put hopes on Mark to win this fight because their eyes were wide couldn't believing the complete turnover of the event and few of them even had their jaws hanging.

What was odd that Luke had no reaction to it; he had blank expression on his face. There was no disbelief or awe like others on him just cold blank mask. But his eyes were sharp as if scrutinizing the animal to slaughter and knowing him; he probably was doing the same. Sudden realization came at me about from where Annabeth got same look from.

"Yield?" I asked Mark, still holding him captive. After few moments of deliberation, he loudly sighed and nodded. I released him and helped him get up.

He chuckled and shooked my hands, "I honestly didn't anticipate that at all, Percy."

Yeah, I noticed that too. I thought. I wanted to roll my eyes at him but thought better of it.

Few of them started awkwardly clapping uncertainly for me but that too died quickly, noticing not many were following their example.

"Well, that was an interesting fight." Luke said as soon as he was done deliberating my murder. I assumed he was doing that. I mean it felt weird thinking about him doing other than that just like Mark being friendly with me. We spent many years being at each other throat. This was gonna be an interesting year for me and them too.

"That's an understatement. This one has spirit in him, huh Percy?" He said, playfully punching my shoulder. That does gonna sore. I thought, rubbing my shoulder where he punched me.

He examined me for few moments, thinking some things over, "I wonder how much better you would do with a balanced sword." He said, motioning towards sword that I was holding. That statement brought some bitter-sweet memory; he said that last time too but that time I fought him instead of Mark.

I just gave him shrug.

Luke dismissed his class after giving some few pointers and some suggestions to better my swordsmanship, not like I needed any but I was not objecting. He might have been my enemy but I can't deny the fact that he's an excellent swordsman. He was the one that taught me disarming technique that saved my life countless of times. All in all it was a productive class. I was in upbeat mood after his class because I got to finally extract my not-so-little revenge on Mark. I mean in past time-line he evaded my advances to have a spar with him many times but as I was walking back my bunker, I felt relieved.

Just when I was passing my Hermes cabin I spied two suspicious demigods, from the corner of my eyes, sneaking something to their cabin. If it wasn't for my already honed presence of mind, I would never have seen them sneaking something inside.

When answer came to me, small smile spread on my face.

What got you so giddy? Chaos asked.

'My dear, Chaos, I think-no scratch that, it is time to instigate my masterfully crafted fantabulous plan.' I told her, mentally jumping up and down in barely concealed excitement.

What's with these big words? Are you high?

Just like that she ruined the moment…again.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

LUKE

(I don't exactly know what he thought or acted but according to him this was how it went. It's important for story line perspective to tell his side, you would know eventually. So, this is Luke's perspective. I told him)

("I understand" He said.)

Luke had serious daddy's issue, I mean real serious issue. He wouldn't have joined Kronos rank if he hadn't. But I can't blame him for, with his mom being…delusional because of Oracle's curse and him discovering he had Olympian god for a father who could have done anything to help him or even his mom. He was product of extra-ordinary situation, just like I was and any other demigod in the camp. That's just curse of being demigod.

But Luke promised himself that he wouldn't let that drown him. You've got to admire him, even after all that shit that happened to him, he still didn't let that drag him down in misery. Atleast that's what I thought before he stole Zeus's playtoy to start the war that would result in the death of several demigods. But he atleast he came out as hero in the end right. That's what assured me that, in the end, after all that countless battles and war, family mattered to him the most. That's what prompted him to force Titan Lord down and in the end kill himself to save others, to save Annabeth and Thalia, his only family that was left, that he let down. In the end, he kept his promise to Annabeth to always be there for her and he did, eventhough it all took for knock on the head and few choice words but he did.

Anyways this isn't about what I thought of him, this is about his point of view to that situation after me breaking the reality to make new one when I travelled back in time with Chaos. So here goes,

For Luke, it was getting harder and harder everyday to see faces of demigods going on with their life every day, like nothing out of ordinary hadn't happened. It was grinding on his nerves.

How can they? They just want to avoid it like a bad nightmare, the fools. He thought bitterly.

He could still vividly remember that day like it just happened yesterday. His dreams were plagued with the same thing, about not being able to reach them and failing Clovis. Clovis tried to warn them, warn him that something's going to happen but they just let that go in name of bad-nightmare.

He was angry at himself the most. He should have had took his warning more seriously, he should've done more to save him, save them.

But he couldn't let that something's bothering him show to others. He couldn't afford to see as a weak infront of them. He won't, he would do more to find him and others. He won't rest until he found them. He reminded that himself everyday like a mantra.

Even if I had to go against gods, I would. He vowed.

He petitioned, asked, even begged to go on quest to save them but Chiron just put his foot down forbidding not only him but others also, to go on this quest until later date. But I knew better. I knew Chiron was itching too, to find them and bring them back but Mr. D must've nicely asked to not to.

Fucking useless gods. He cursed.

He was already on the edge to sneak away on his own but something happened that drained his plans right away. The forbidden Groove got restless. They could hear rustling, whistling, crunching, groaning of woods very clearly. It was…unsettling to him. Was this gods work too? Did they found out about what I was going to do? Nah, they don't care but…what? His thoughts tried to make meaning of this situation.

And lo-behold answer came few minutes later in form of Charles, Grover and green-eyed demigod, me, Percy. What I said the next, which I still curse myself by the way, made him immediately suspicious of me. He knew most of them didn't notice what I said in the end, it was muffled by all the muffed sound that broke as soon as I passed out. Chiron, who wasn't there few moments ago suddenly broke through crowd and helped Charles carry me to Big House. Chiron motioned to Apollo's daughter with him to the big house.

Again? He deliberated.

He watched me, his mind deep in thought even after I disappeared inside the old Victorian style house. He stood there deliberating for few minutes when someone tapped him on his shoulder breaking him out of his stupor. He turned around and found out it was the familiar stormy grey-eyed daughter of Athena. His eyes softened seeing her. Faint blush dusted her cheek as soon as he turned and faced her. To her disappointment and quite relief, he either didn't notice or ignored it. Knowing him, he probably ignored it. He's devilish bastard for no reason, after all.

"Interesting turn of event, isn't it?" She asked, softly clearing her throat.

"You bet. First the Grooves then followed by new demigod, it's most interesting thing happened in last two years." He said, giving her his famous devilish smirk.

Instead she narrowed her intimidating grey eyes at him. He was five years older than her and he still felt intimidated when he becomes the recipient of that look.

"You knew that's not what I meant." She growled, almost sounded scolding someone having caught red handed in the act of stealing something.

His breath hitched a little and tensed up a slightly. Did she really notice? That he was gonna sneak out. He thought.

"What do you mean?" He still didn't let that make him look weak. She may be intimidating but he still was five years older than her.

"You exactly know what I mean." Her tone cut through the tension between them, "You were going to sneak away, weren't you?"

Cat was out of bag already. He sighed heavily, his body deflated a little. There was nothing she wouldn't notice. He admired that thing about her but sometimes that would frustrate him to no end, bombing his plans like that.

"Now we can't do anything-" She continued after few moments of silence between them. Something that she said made him look at her confused and little muffled.

"We? Even if I was sneaking out, which is fruitless now, you still wouldn't be coming with me. It's very dangerous out here."

That got her angry. He could feel argument between them approaching.

"You wouldn't have choice, do you? Because we would be sneaking out, not going on legit quest, we would be breaking rules." She fired, crossing her arms.

"No, I would have done anything to keep you in the camp whether it's legit quest or not. You would not be coming with me."

"What! That's completely unfair. I want to find them too-"

"Do you really? Or you just want to go on quest? You don't how it's dangerous out here-"

"You can't keep in cooped up here forever protecting me. What's the use of all these training if I can't even have real experience?!" Her harsh whisper was getting sharper and sharper with every passing argument.

"Quest like that is no time to have experience for first time, Annabeth! You don't even know what-" He stopped himself suddenly, pinching his nose in irritation, forbidding himself from telling her anything from that quest. It was not a story for innocent ears. It still gave him nightmares every time he goes to sleep, he couldn't have Annabeth face that. If it were to him, he would coop her till she's forty or something. But he knew they were just futile thoughts. There would definitely without any doubt come a time where she would go on quest, if she remain persistent like that. But he would protect her as much as he could…till the time she actually went on a quest. He hoped it wouldn't be anytime soon.

"Then why don't you tell me what happened on that quest, where you got that scar?" She asked him softly, seeing him fighting down urge to tell anything more. The thing she hated more than spiders, was not knowing anything or something. It would drive her crazy and there Luke was driving her crazy with all these mysteries.

"I can't Annabeth, I can't. When you're older or something then maybe but till then please don't go all Athena on me with these questions." Annabeth knew Luke was getting very bothered by her deliberate persistent of not letting that mystery go, so, with great efforts she managed to squash that bubbling curiosity down, not wanting to anger him.

She sighed in defeat, "Ok, fine but atleast…inform me before you go, otherwise I would be worried out of my mind and I may sneak out on my own to find you." She said with her cute little voice, not that he was going to say it on her face. He was smart enough to not awake Annabeth devil.

That got him to chuckle a little. Tension dissipated just like that. They may fight with each other occasionally but both knew they cared for each other very deeply and that put them in ease with each other.

"Fine…If only we had tie-breaker, am I right?" He said wanting to make her ease a little more but that only made her remember the third member of their little group which wasn't present with them.

Annabeth got a little misty eyed, thinking about her and about the time they spend together on run. They might not have had lived in best of condition while on run but it was the time spent with her that counted the most.

"Do you still miss her?" She asked with quite voice after few moments of silence, looking towards the tree that was Thalia, their shield and family.

"Always. Not a day goes by when I don't think how it would've been if she was here with us." He replied, getting little misty himself. Then came the sudden jolt of anger remembering the Cyclopes and Kindly Ones that were after them. "If only they helped." He gritted out, losing himself to anger a little.

"Luke?" That broke him out of self-induced angry reality and shooked his head.

"Nothing" He replied, cocking his head towards The Big House, where I disappeared "So, you might wanna check on our new demigod?" He asked her.

"Might as well." She replied, as if it was burden to even check up on me. That's just typical Annabeth response for you but I know better. She would do anything for their loved one although that list is quite short and I would soon include myself on that small list…again.

They made their way to the back of Big House where it opened with view towards the canoe lake. There lay green-eye handsome demigod-

(OW! Chaos smacked me mentally. 'Ok, fine.' I told her and grumbled about her abusing me but she chose to ignore that. Clearly someone was being influenced be me)

(The guy infront of me let out amused chuckle.)

('Laugh all you want, old man. You are not the one being abused.' I told him.)

I lay there on the soft bed cocooned with bedsheet and I am not very proud to admit I drooled a little in sleep. Charlie stood there, checking on Grover, whom was passed out as soon as he helped me to bed, beside me on the comfortable chair.

"Hey" Luke said softly, prompting Charles to check who was there beside him and two unconscious figures.

"Oh, it's you both. " He said, acknowledging them both with nod of his head. "Just a minute guys." He informed them before turning away and adjusting Grover on chair so he wouldn't hurt his neck.

"How's…"

"Percy." Charles informed him my name as soon as he reached them.

"Yeah, how's him?" He asked.

"He's better, I guess." He told them after few minute of considering something.

"Do you want some help with him?" She asked Charles awkwardly motioning with her hands towards me, in courtesy for all those time he helped her since she came to the camp.

"Nah, it's alright." He told her, smiling down at her.

"Oh…" She said, "So where is Chiron?" She asked after few moments of awkward silence between them.

"Oh he went back to the front with Mr. D." He answered her question. After he explained what happened with them on the way here, to say Chiron wasn't stumped and worried enough would be the understatement of the year. He ran back to Mr. D as fast as he could with his horse's leg. Charles knew things were little bad than it appeared to be and somehow, he wondered, I was centered on it. The way I killed the Minotaur gave the sense like I knew what I was doing. Guilty as charged, I admit. To counter this argument, I was high of adreline and too much into the moment.

"Ah, ok…I'll see you in few then." She ran away as soon as she said it.

That got Charles to chuckle, "she's still cute little thing." He said.

"Don't let her hear you otherwise she would have your head for that." Luke told him, smiling in amusement at how fast she ran away from here.

"I wouldn't dare." He said giving him fake shudder. Luke gave him amused smile at his antics.

"So, I see you're pretty banged up already." Luke said gesturing towards the bruises and bandages on his arms and legs. "Monsters?"

"Yeah you could say that." Charles mumbled, his brows furrowed while watching me.

"What do you mean?"

Charles looked lost for few seconds, his eyes confused as if trying to dissect something. Something that happened? Luke thought.

"I don't know. I mean the weirdest thing happened. Two monsters were on our tail, I raced them to the safety to the south of the camp but both of them managed to catch up to us and Lord Zeus decided to drop lightening at us-"

At that clouds rumbled a little. Charles wince a little which didn't go un-noticed by Luke.

"Then there we were almost at the border of the camp, I managed to take out hellhound that was after us and, very surprisingly, Percy managed to kill one-horned dude. I was shocked."

Luke's eyebrows receded back to his hairline. He was familiar with one-horned dude, Minotaur, Pasiphae's son. He never encountered it on his quests but heard stories of him. He knew that Theseus killed him by stabbing it with its own horn when Theseus volunteered to kill it for the people of Athens some few thousand years ago. Hearing that he killed…Minotaur was something he couldn't believe was possible for, by the look of it, ten years old scrawny boy. Luke was in disbelief as he watched me, the sleeping beauty of Poseidon. His words not mine.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know but this wasn't the interesting part I was talking about."

Curiosity got better of Luke as he listened attentively to Charles.

"When we got to the woods, something weird started happening, woods got restless and Percy started hearing things. He started mumbling something incorrigible and ran. We pulled him to the border with quite some difficulty."

It was too much information to take at ones. The rustling of woods and Percy hearing voices all of sudden? This year was getting interesting day by day.

"Did you get what he was mumbling?" Luke asked after few minutes of thinking.

"No, most of the time we were busy running but in the end I heard a little…"

Anticipation was killing him. He leaned forward a little as Charles deliberated whether to tell him or let Chiron explain after Percy decide to tell him. He decided to go with the first one because he knew he could trust Luke. He knew this guy for almost 3 years and went few quests with him. There was one thing he was sure of and it was that he could trust Luke completely. Period.

"Fall of the Ancient One. I don't know whatever that meant." He mumbled. "It's probably nothing." Charles ineffectively tried to reassure him but it sounded like he himself wasn't sure of anymore than Luke was.

"Yeah, probably." Luke mumbled softly.

Time was changing pretty fast. First the kidnapping of his two quest mates, then the disappearance of Clovis and now whispering of woods, clearly something was brewing out there. Three things acting consecutively in a week, wasn't a co-incident at all. Even a blind person could see that. Luke got goosebumps; chill ran through his spine from just thinking about it. Was that Clovis was warning us about? He wondered. It must be. Now the question was what ancient one was Percy, I, was talking about.

Could he be talking about a particular god? He thought. He could almost feel the inevitability of doom approaching in the air. Tranquility blanketed the camp before chaos could rip that blanket apart, he could almost feel it pressing against his ears.

So what did you think about this chapter. Let me know in review section. Please comment or leave a review. My main purpose was so that I could know if I am writting any better because at home I dont have anyone willing to read my stories. So help me write and improve my writting better, so that I could do give you better content.

Anyways, next chapter would be the continuation of Luke's perspective. This is just first half of the main chapter.

And other thing, should it be harem story or not? Leave a review for that. I am fine with either.

Thunderofdeath97- Yeah I know, thats why percy was stumped and hence froze. Gaia belly dancing was just a jab at her, not like she would actually gonna twerk but i appreciate ur review.

Guest- um I don't know about that many and some of them are from kane chronicles which I am not planning to introduce in this saga, so, i dont know about them but about rest i'll see if rest would want harem story or not but thanx for advice by the way.

So until next time, Ciao!