His eyes stared into those of a blonde girl whom he didn't know.

Percy shuffled up in his bed, back pressing up against the wall as the pillows folded beneath him. A slight bit of drool hung at the corner of his mouth, although it was quickly wiped away. He felt miserable, as if he was waking up after a battle. A furious battle.

He looked around the room he was in. He was clearly in a hospital, or something similar - he lay on a thin bed, white sheets up to his chest, while cabinets took up nearly an entire wall to his right. He saw signs attached to them all, written in Ancient Greek - one was labeled bandages, another prescription medications. A small drawer had "The Good Stuff" written and underlined. Cotton balls and swabs were in the hundreds in clear jars on the countertop, next to a sink.

The room was a clinical white. Even the curtains, despite blocking the sunlight, had a glow of their own - one of an unusual, shining white that nearly blinded Percy.

The girl sat on a stool next to him, looking at him concerned. She held one of his hands, something he was reciprocating. She had gray eyes - an unusual color, Percy thought. A beautiful color nonetheless.

The girl opened her mouth.

"Come back to me, Percy."

She kissed him on his forehead, her gesture full of love. He was clearly hers, and she was his.

"Come back to me. Please. I need you."

She sat back onto her stool, squeezing his hand, a tear coming from the corner of her eye, dribbling down her cheek. All he could do was stare at the white curtains and the blonde girl. Just stare.

Having seen that, they turn towards the astounding temple of Fame, a temple enormous and imposing in size and shape, whose door on its left side is white from ivory steps with shining horn on the other half. Disturbing nightmares are conveyed by false rumour on the vain gates of ivory, while true dreams of horn are sent by trustworthy rumours.

- Basinio of Parma, Hesperis

Percy was getting sick of the snake ladies.

Ever since Lupa had booted him from the Wolf House, Percy had been on the run. He had minimal directions, even less food and water, and fully lacked any money. He had been forced to steal a wallet he found left on a bench, for the sole purpose of ensuring he didn't go hungry. And man, that hot dog tasted amazing.

All he knew was to head south - at least, that's what his instincts told him. He didn't know what he would find, nor did he know if there was anything to find in the first place. But he hoped.

He hoped that whatever he may find might help him get some answers.

Then the Gorgons found him in Vallejo, and it all went to Hades.

He narrowly escaped their first attempt on his life, where they cornered him inside of a Napa Bargain Mart - one constantly talked about their Cheese 'n' Wieners, while the other clearly held a distaste for her sister. As they bickered with each other, Percy had sliced the heads off of both.

He heard them behind him as soon as he left the front doors, and it had been a nonstop chase ever since. He had slashed them to death twice in Pinole before they finally got the jump on him in El Cerrito - that had taken some quick thinking with a lamp and a meat grinder.

He didn't know how they kept reforming so quickly - Lupa had explained to him that monsters never truly died, but to reform in mere minutes was something else completely. He hadn't been able to sleep in 36 hours, and he barely had time to get a snack down before he had to run. He sorely needed some sleep.

And he really needed to have some time to settle down to figure out what the hell was happening. One minute, he's fighting for the fate of Athens besides some girl - Aikaterina - before getting knocked out. Now, he's on the run from Medusa's sisters with only the most vague instructions from a wolf goddess. And his only memories were from both of those experiences, and some random encounter in a hospital with a blonde girl.

Percy was really confused.

He didn't know if he was dreaming. Obviously, he had to have been dreaming at some point, but he just couldn't figure out when. He knew he got knocked unconscious by Aikaterina, so maybe he was currently dreaming, and he'd wake up soon?

But why did the world feel so real?

You aren't supposed to feel hunger in a dream, right? That seems cruel.

The other vision seemed far too short to be his true reality. And he didn't remember falling asleep at the end.

Right?

Why couldn't he keep track?

Where were his damn memories?

Who was he beyond his name?

Percy's teeth grinded together. This situation was already so frustrating, and that's without mentioning the monsters on his tail.

"There you are!"

Percy spun on his heels to face the newcomers. His hand was already clasped on to the handle of his sword, a work of art with the word Anaklusmos imprinted on the side. Riptide.

It didn't take him too long to discover why he always had a pen in his shorts, although it certainly threw him for a loop. He held it out in front of him, settling into a comfortable stance.

He cursed as he took in his surroundings. He had been moving on autopilot, his attention occupied with the chaos going on inside his mind, and he had unknowingly been backed into a corner. Literally - a wall stood to his right, a long cliff-like slope behind him, and the Gorgons advancing from his front and left.

He doubted Aikaterina would be backing him up with an arrow either. Different dream… or timeline… or whatever was happening.

The one to his left, Euryale, smiled, forked tongue darting out from her mouth. "Come play with ussss, demigod! A mosssst rewarding capture you would be!"

The other, Stheno, piped up. "Try one of our luxury ssssnackssss!" She gestured towards him with her tray of Cheese 'n' Wieners, which she still had for some reason.

Percy was getting sick of this routine.

"Why won't you just leave me be?" A fair bit of spite leaked into his voice. "Am I that big of a prize?"

Euryale chuckled, a grating sound that instantly raised the hairs on Percy's arms. "Why of coursssse, demigod! You're exactly what we need to please her!"

Stheno stepped closer to him. "Aren't you hungry?"

Euryale slapped her sister. "Sssshut up, Sssstheno! We don't work there!"

Stheno hissed. "But it really issss a good deal!"

"Don't you want to avenge our ssssisssster? He'ssss the one who killed her lasssst! This is our chance, Sssstheno!"

Percy was also very confused by that. He didn't remember killing Medusa - that seemed like something you wouldn't just forget, anyways. He told them that, multiple times, and yet he never got any sympathy.

"Come on now, guys. If I had killed her, she would be back by now, right? You guys take no time at all to come back."

Euryale hissed. "That was before, demigod. Thissss issss now. A new era! One where we can finally live without fear, without the pit. A beautiful world."

She spoke earnestly. Percy didn't like that.

He needed an opening to escape, and he needed to create it. He eyed the Cheese 'n' Weiner lady, and came up with what he had started to term a "Percy Plan." It was usually pretty stupid.

"So… Theno, right?"

Stheno hissed angrily. "It's Sssstheno, idiot!"

Percy nodded. "Right, right. I actually am really hungry, and I could go for some of those, if you don't mind?" He waved at the platter.

Stheno's face suddenly brightened up. "Oh, of coursssse! You can get one for $1.29 each, or a combo of three for only $2.99, and you can even - "

She was cut off from a slap by an enraged Euryale. "Would you sssshut up for once! That was a front! You're making us look like idiots! We need to be feared, not the weaklings!"

Stheno hissed back, and Percy saw his opening. He dove for Euryale, Riptide slicing clean through the nape of her neck, decapitating her. Her body collapsed to the ground, turning into golden dust as it fell - but Percy could already see particles starting to stick to each other, whirling on the ground. He needed a quick exit before she reformed.

Stheno roared. "How dare you?!"

She raised the plate of Cheese 'n' Wieners, which somehow stuck to the tray, before getting knocked back with a punch. Percy grabbed the tray, wrenching it away from her, before slamming her to the ground. He straddled her, sword tip just millimeters away from Stheno's neck.

"You mentioned me as a capture," Percy said. "Why are you capturing me and not killing me? Who wants me? Who is bringing you into a new era?"

Stheno's eyes bulged, staring down the blade at Percy. "Don't you know? The Earth Mother issss rissssing, and there'ssss nothing you can do to sssstop it. It will be glorioussss."

Percy nodded. "Thanks."

He finished her off with a slice. He grabbed the tray with his left hand, capping Riptide before putting it back in his pocket. He only had minutes to spare, and if he was going to put any distance between him and the monsters, he had to choose a way that wouldn't be easy to follow.

So he jumped down the hillside, serving-tray-turned-makeshift-sled underneath him.

That was a bad idea.

It was steeper than it looked, and it hurt.

He tumbled down the hill, tray forgotten quickly as it flew out of his grasp. He flew uncontrollably, body bouncing off of grass and stone, head over heels as he desperately tried to find a handhold to slow his fall. He barely dodged a tree that could've taken his head off.

"Fuck!"

It really, really hurt.

Percy finally ground to a halt, body slumped against a fence at the base of the hill. He felt bruises all across his torso, and blood trickled from cuts on his forehead, biceps, and calves. His clothes were in tatters. He looked up and saw the glint of the metal tray, nary a third of the way down. He sat there, breathing heavily as he rested from the hell his fall was.

Percy groaned as he picked himself up - he knew he couldn't rest, no matter how much his body or mind wanted him too. As he stood up, his leg collapsed beneath him, and his breath was ripped from his body. Pain erupted across his body until his mind could only concentrate on stopping it.

He gasped for air as he took a knee. He definitely had at least a few broken ribs, and some issues in his left leg, at the bare minimum.

Gods, he wished he was invulnerable. Wouldn't that be a nice luxury?

As he struggled to get up, he heard hissing over the drone of the traffic, and on a second glance upwards, he caught a glimpse of the coral-snake hair of Euryale. Already reformed.

Percy cursed again.

He needed to get out of here. Now. He had probably… three minutes? Tops? Those idiots had started picking their way down the mountain, at a much slower rate than he had.

And he could barely move.

He uncapped Riptide once more, thrusting the tip into the ground with his right arm as leverage. Using his sword as a walking stick - what could be a more embarrassing use of a sword? - he pulled himself to his feet, wincing in pain. His nerves were screaming at him to stop moving, but he knew he would be dead in minutes if he did.

This sucked.

He limped towards the highway, each step costing him a precious gasp of air. His internal compass was going wild - like he was right on top of what he needed to find. He scanned his eyes back and forth, vision tinted red, desperate for a savior.

As he limped, he came upon the chain-link fence separating the highway from the surroundings. He used Riptide to cut open a gap in the chains, and was greeted by the screaming pain from his left arm, which was being used to hold the fence for stability.

There's another broken bone. On top of the numerous cuts and slashes across his body.

Fuck.

Percy's vision swam as he limped forwards, towards the highway. He scanned the area, desperate for a car to slow down and help, before he saw it, in the wall between the two tunnels, right next to a door.

Two people, guards, dressed in a mix of Roman armor and athletic wear, each wearing distinctly purple shirts. The left guard, a stocky guy from what Percy could tell, had a bow in hand, a quiver of arrows leaning up against the wall to his side. The guard to his side, darker-skinned from what he could tell, held a sword lazily to her side.

He shouted to try and get their attention, but they didn't hear him. It was tough to actually shout with multiple broken ribs, that much was for sure.

He glanced one look back at his pursuers, who were nearly down the mountain at this point.

Cars were probably safer than gorgons, right?

Percy limped into oncoming traffic, eliciting honks from numerous swerving cars as they tried their best to avoid him. Luckily, it was rush hour, and traffic was at a crawl. Still, multiple drivers slammed on their horns at him as he limped to the divider. The sound was enough to draw the attention of the armed Roman guards, and they started to rush towards him.

Percy sent a prayer to whatever gods were responsible for road rage.

He saw a small puddle laying in a ditch in the divider, and he reached for it with his good arm, fingers curling up in a fist. He brought the water up to his leg, encasing it in a makeshift leg wrap, hoping to minimize and stabilize whatever damage was done there. He could already feel the soothing nature of the water accelerate his healing, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Die, sssscum!"

As he turned towards the source of the threat, he heard the hiss of the gorgon snakes, and he raised his sword, a gasp escaping from his mouth. The pair were gliding towards him (when did they have wings?), teeth bared. Percy closed his eyes and let out a breath. The duo of guards were still too far to help him this time… he was going to have to do this himself.

He closed his eyes briefly, and a sudden rush of knowledge came to him. Battle plans and attack ideas. Concepts he had yet to even consider since he woke up at the Wolf House, and yet they all were laid out in front of him.

Percy had an encyclopedia of attacks available to him immediately, and he had no idea where it all came from.

He was grateful for the ideas though.

Through the pain, he shot a grin at Euryale, whose face instantly contorted into mild confusion, before they widened. Percy took the water from his leg into the air, layering it onto the edge of his sword, extending well beyond the furthest reaches of the blade. A slight tug in Percy's gut was felt as he concentrated, the water blade freezing into a rigid ice, one sharp enough to rival that of the actual celestial bronze itself.

The ice sword was nearly ten feet long, and Percy had no issues controlling it.

He swept it through the air, neatly dissecting both gorgons in flight. It was a clean hit, and he barely felt any impact on his arm, the ice serving to not only extend the blade, but help Percy handle the impact.

Percy grinned at the move. But seeing the dust already start to swirl and coagulate, he started limping towards the tunnel door, the guards nearly on top of him.

The girl reached him first, golden eyes creased in worry and concern. And a hint of suspicion, if he detected it correctly.

"Are you okay?" She spoke with urgency. "What the hell was that? That was crazy!"

The other guard reached them then, face contorted in worry. He knelt down.

"Are you seriously injured?"

Percy shook his head.

"Ok good. Let's get you to Camp." The guard took Percy's left arm and hung it around his shoulder, while his fellow guard mirrored his actions.

Percy glanced behind him, already seeing the feet formed of Euryale.

"She's not going to be dead long. We have to go, quickly."

The guards paled, nodding.

The trio rushed as quickly as possible to the tunnel entrance, slamming the door behind them. It just looked like a plain service corridor to Percy's eyes, but he was sure there was more at the end.

Percy slumped to the ground. He'd have to be smarter in coming fights, and especially in coming escapes. Strategy was just as important as brute force, especially in a scenario where the opponent doesn't stay dead. That was ridiculous, to be honest.

His back against the now-locked service door, he panted. The other guards clearly noticed.

The burly guy spoke up. "Hazel, go run to the cohort, get a medic and some transport. He isn't making it there on his feet. Go!"

The girl, Hazel, sprinted off.

Percy felt a trail of blood trickle down his nose from the cut on his forehead. His head sagged, hand clutching his sword as the other held his arm up. He was hurt, and exhausted. He hadn't slept in 36 hours… and boy, that would feel good…

The other boy crouched down, eyes shining with worry. "You're gonna be okay. People are on their way."

Percy nodded, a small smile making its way to his face as he started to drift off.

The boy chuckled. "I'm Frank."

"Percy."

"Nice to meet you, Percy. Hang in there man." Frank's voice was starting to get quieter as unconsciousness claimed him.

"I've got unfinished business… I ain't dying yet."

The last thing Percy registered before he succumbed to the darkness was the sound of heavy footsteps, running down the corridor.

He wondered which time he'd find himself next.

"And thro' the Iv'ry Gate the Vision flies."

- Alexander Pope, The Dunciad

He awoke next to a small campfire, if his ears weren't mistaken by the crackling of the wood. The fire roared, while the smell of meat drifted into the dark sky. Fir trees, tall and green and plentiful in number, rose high into the night. The stars shone overhead, glittering against the dark void of space, like heaven fighting back against hell. They were so bright - Perseus could've sworn he had never seen stars as brilliantly as they appeared to him now. Even the full moon looked especially beautiful tonight.

Perseus smiled.

Peace. Finally.

Maybe this time, whenever this was, he'd have the time necessary to truly settle his brain, which already felt like it was at its breaking point. He needed time to sort through his memories and experiences, time to figure out what the hell was happening.

Suddenly, a face came into view, and Perseus recoiled in surprise. "Ah!"

The face smiled. "Welcome back."

It disappeared from view once more.

Maybe next time he woke up, he'd get the chance.

Perseus blinked, before sitting up from his spot on the makeshift bed, fully rising from his slumber. He rubbed at his eyes before looking around the campsite, taking stock.

As his vision focused, his first instinct was to put the face to a person, and he scanned the area before making eye contact with the girl, sitting on a log next to him. It was Aikaterina, the same girl who he found himself with last time he was… with Athens?

She also knocked him out. Can't forget that one.

Perseus spoke first. "Why did you bring me here?"

Aikaterina sat still, staring into the fire. "I need you. And frankly, you had a death wish, wanting to go confront the gods there. But I do respect the sheer magnitude of your ego to think you'd come out of there alive."

Perseus snorted, recalling the anger Euryale and Stheno held towards him. Well, mostly Euryale. "From what I can gather, you're not the first person to tell me that."

Aikaterina laughed.

Perseus took in the rest of the campsite. It was small, entrenched in a small clearing in a forest, the trees stretching as far as Perseus' eyes could see. Some wood, hastily cut, was thrown in a pile and lit ablaze, while what looked like venison cooked nearby. Their armor was strewn about nearby each makeshift bed, while some clothes were hung up to dry within range of the fire. Perseus realized at that moment that his shirt was among them, and that he was currently shirtless. He blushed a little bit.

Aikaterina's bow and quiver lay beside her, propped up against the log. His own sword was there as well - it certainly made sense for her to take away his weapon, even if he had multiple more powers at his disposal. And it really was a poor sword. Perseus needed something more akin to Anaklusmos - he felt weaker without it.

He looked back at Aikaterina, her black hair, blue eyes, and sharp features were consistent with his memory of her - this time, however, she had foregone her armor, wearing instead a vaguely form-fitting tunic (a peptos, something told him) that seemed to give her flexibility without getting in her way. Her blue belt remained on as well. She stoked the fire with a stick, rearranging the wood, but her attention was mostly on himself.

Perseus gulped. She certainly cut an imposing figure.

"Here, take some meat." She gestured towards the cooked meat, held in a wooden plate. It smelled delicious, and Perseus happily grabbed some in a bowl Aikaterina provided..

"Beef?"

"Venison, actually. Killed it a couple hours ago."

Perseus nodded, taking a bowlful. He threw a bit into the fire, sending a quick prayer to whatever gods were looking over him at the time. It tasted amazing - he couldn't remember the last time he had actually eaten. And this was a delicious way to break that fast.

He had eaten his entire bowl in five minutes. Could have used a little extra salt, to be honest. But it tasted amazing.

Perseus shot an appreciative glance to Aikaterina. "Thank you."

Aikaterina looked over at him. "Of course. Can't let the meat go to waste."

He nodded. A gentle silence fell over the campsite, until Perseus looked back towards his… captor? Partner? Who knows.

"Aikaterina… where are we?"

She shot a surprised glance at him. "I guess I did tell you my name, huh."

Perseus nodded. "I'm Perseus."

"Perseus," She tested his name on her tongue. "Son of the sea god, I presume? How else do you explain the time you spent underwater."

Her stare made Perseus a bit uncomfortable, but he nodded nonetheless.

"We're in a forest, if that wasn't obvious already. About… three hours north of Aegospotami? I just picked you up and ran away from the battle."

Perseus leaned forwards - finally, some information. "Aegospotami? Where is that? Who were we fighting?"

Aikaterina sighed. "You were heavy too. A thank you would be nice."

Perseus snorted.

She continued, regarding him with a bit of suspicion. "We were Athenians, fighting the Spartans, across the Aegean sea. Like we have been for years; I don't know where you came from, it isn't exactly a secret."

"I… can't remember."

Aikaterina didn't move. "You… don't… remember?"

Perseus nodded. "I really can't. I wish I could. I barely even know what time I'm in, whether I'm dreaming or not. This world feels too real to be fake, but too fake to be real. I remember fighting archers with you, being in a hospital bed with some girl, and fighting Gorgons working for some 'Earth Mother.' That's all I have, aside from my name and my godly parent. I just… I'm so lost right now."

Aikaterina's eyebrows had raised throughout his tale, especially when he mentioned the Gorgons, but she didn't respond. The words hung heavy in the silence that followed.

Perseus sighed. He didn't know what to think. He wished he knew what to do, where to go, who to talk to. He had no goals right now, and he didn't have enough information to try and set any goals. He was frustrated.

But, Perseus assumed, the only way was forward. Maybe Aikaterina was the answer. He eyed her, staring into the fire, and realized he didn't exactly know much about her.

"Are you a demigod too?"

She looked away. "I certainly have some godly blood in me."

"You don't know?"

Aikaterina leveled a sad stare at him, one that made him look down at the ground.

"No. That's what I'm trying to figure out. That's why I need your help."

Perseus looked back up at her, slightly confused. "Is that why you said you needed me? How can I help?"

Aikaterina shrugged, looking up to the stars, before she let out a sigh. "All I've been looking for, for ten damned years, is any clue to my parentage. Any at all. My mother told me it was a god, but she never even hinted as to who it could be."

"Think it could be Ap… the sun god? You have his archery skills."

She scoffed. "Look at me, do I look like one of his kids? No chance. And I haven't been able to figure anything else out. I've got to think it's a minor god, none of the council members resemble me at all."

Perseus nodded. "That sucks, honestly. I'm sorry."

"Thanks." She seemed genuinely appreciative. "But that's why I saved you… or prevented you from dying. You're a tangible link to the gods. You seem like you know them - why else would you just try and go talk to one of them, right?"

"I guess. Again, I really don't know. But it felt right to try and contact them, so that must count for something."

Aikaterina nodded. "Tell you what. You help me try and find my father, and in the process, we'll try and find a way to fix your memory."

Perseus looked into the fire. He honestly had no reason to decline. He had nowhere to go, nobody to see, no plans of any kind. Aikaterina had been generally nice to him, too. Something still felt… off about this whole thing. Maybe it was just his paranoia given the status of his brain. He pushed that feeling to the side, focusing on the here and now.

He looked back at her with a grin. "Why not… Aika?"

She scowled back. "Oh, shut it… Percy."

He laughed, and the world seemed just a little bit brighter.

A/N: Most of the writing for this chapter took place between midnight and 3am the past few nights - it ain't healthy, but it really does help me feel at peace before I sleep. Hope you enjoy today's chapter! Gonna start the next one soon :)