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thehorsemanofpestilence (Chapter 8): True, but she still isn't a child of Zeus and Hera's marriage so... does that count?

lrbrenneke: Don't we all wish we can kick Zeus in the dick? If Damian did that... he'd probably be the bravest yet craziest kid to do so... and then get blasted to Hades and back.

Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I only own the OC Damian Redgrave.

It was nice, in some strange way, knowing that there were the Greek Gods somewhere out there; you had somebody to blame when things, inevitably, went wrong. For instance, when you're walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you're a half-blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.

So there they were: Damian, Annabeth, Grover and Percy, walking through the woods along the New Jersey riverbank. Damian was leading them through the dim, dark forest. The soft pattering of rain against the leaves made for a calming soundtrack as the warm, auburn glow of New York City seeped past the tree cover as they slowly trudged away from it, the odor of the Hudson swirling around them.

Grover was shivering and braying, his large, goat-like eyes were stretched as wide as they possibly could; he could have passed off as surprised, but his pupils, slitted in fear, betrayed how utterly petrified he was. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."

Percy was pretty much in shock himself. The explosion of bus windows still rung fresh in his ears. But Annabeth kept pulling them along, saying, "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."

"All our money was back there," Percy reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—" Annabeth started

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?" Percy said

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would/ve been fine. "

"I swear to God, shut it both of you!" Damian snapped, silencing them as he glared at them. "We don't have time to argue, we're a team. Percy fucked up, we get that, let's move on. We're all still alive, right?"

Damian then walked ahead and Grover followed. Percy and Annabeth shared a look before following.

After a few minutes, Annabeth fell into line next to Percy. "Look, I..." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave. "

"We're a team, right? Like Damian said."

She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just that if you died... aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world. "

The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind them, leaving them in almost total darkness.

Percy could be offended by Annabeth's accusation that he was going to be the one to mess up the quest, but chose not to. He didn't want to get into another argument. Instead he asked, "You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?"

"No ... only short field trips. My dad-"

"The history professor."

"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half-Blood is my home." She was rushing her words out. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not." She said, her voice wavering only the slightest.

"You'd make a skilled Demon Hunter, Annabeth." Damian called from the front. "trust me, you have the potential to rival possibly me and my dad at hunting demons."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

That made a big smile form on Annabeth's face. A compliment like that from someone as strong as Damian sent waves or pride and joy through Annabeth. She was very quickly beginning to look up to Damian, despite not knowing him for very long. When you were with him, you just had this aura of safety around him, like as long as he was there no one would hurt you. Plus him knowing his Greek mythology caused her to respect him too and his life as a Devil hunter just fascinated her.

Over time, maybe she and Damian could have a brother-sister relationship just like she has with Luke.

The group was quickly bought out of their thoughts when they heard a shrill toot-toot-toot, like the sound of an owl being tortured.

"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a 'find path' song, we could get out of these woods!"

He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff. Damian and Percy chuckled while Annabeth smiled.

After a few more minutes of walking, tripping over and walking into trees eventually they found themselves staring at a neon light sign just up ahead of them. Damian and Grover could but smell fried and greasy food.

They walked closer and by now Annabeth and Percy smelt it to. Annabeth's stomach gave a small rumble, causing her to blush in embarrassment while Damian could swear he saw a bit of drool escaping Percy's mouth.

Through the tree's they found themselves stopping at a two laned road. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for the 90s film Jurassic Park, great movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the greasy fat food smell.

From the billboard alone they all guessed this place was not visited often.

They walked up to the building with the neon light sign and saw it was not actually a fast food restaurant. They all figured it looked more like one of those roadside corner shops that sell cheap souvenirs.

The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign was red in colour and was in cursive English that was murder for the three demi gods to read.

To the three of them it looked like: ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROUIM.

"Any idea what this says?" Damian asked while Percy and Annabeth shrugged. Grover then glanced at it.

"It says Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." He said getting an odd look from the three.

"That is perhaps the most ridiculous name I have ever heard." Damian said while Percy quickly agreed.

"The lights are on. Someone must be in." Percy said while Grover nodded.

"We could see if they could give us a hand. I think there is also a snack bar" Percy said before he looked at Annabeth. "Snack bar?"

"Snack bar." She agreed.

"I don't know this place looks a little weird. I don't trust it" Grover said, sniffing the air which caused Damian to do the same. The place did smell weird. It smelt to much like a reptile house at a zoo which Damian knew could not have been a good sign.

He looked over and noticed Percy and Annabeth had already headed towards the building with Grover following after them.

'I have a bad feeling about this.' He thought before he too followed after.

They headed over and the first thing they saw was all the stone statues. The front lot was pretty much just a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps. The place was just odd and the by the looks of it no one visited in a while.

"Bla-ha-ha!" Grover said excitedly as he began to examine the statue before he bleated. "This looks like my Uncle Ferdinand. That is so weird." he said examining it carefully.

"It does look pretty detailed. Whoever made it must be pretty skilled."

When they finished looking at the statue the group of four went to the front door.

"Do we just knock?" Percy asked getting a shrug from Damian and Grover.

"I don't know but I really don't trust this place. Something about this place is just off. Let's try somewhere else" Grover asked with Damian agreeing but they guessed Percy and Annabeth's hunger was getting the better of them.

"All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?" Percy said looking at Grover.

"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian. When have you ever seen me eat meat?"

"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminium cans," Percy reminded him.

"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are...looking at me."

They didn't listen as they approached the door.

Grover grabbed Damian's shoulder, "You believe me, right?" he asked pleadingly.

Damian nodded. He knew danger when he smelled and sensed it. Fighting demons have caused him to develop danger instincts, and right now his instincts were warning him of nearby danger.

"Be on your guard." Damian warned Grover quietly. "Be very careful."

The door in front of them suddenly creaked open. When the door was fully open standing in front of them was a tall Middle Eastern woman. She was wearing a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled.

She had coffee-colored hands that looked old, but they were well-manicured and elegant. Damian imagined she was some sort of grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady back in her youth. By looking at her perhaps she had been some sort of model and getting old was not something she enjoyed due to the fact that she was completely covered up.

Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern too. "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"They're...um..." Annabeth started to say.

"We're orphans," Percy said, getting Damian to almost facepalm

"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got separated from our caravan," Percy continued. "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"

'For Gods' sake, Percy. Way to be blunt that you want food!' Damian thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

They thanked her and went inside.

Annabeth muttered to Percy, "Circus caravan?"

"Always have a strategy, right?"

"Your head is full of kelp." Annabeth pointed out.

"At least go for something more believable." Damian added, "Like runaways, that's always a tear jerker."

The warehouse was filled with more statues-people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. Seriously, you had to have some huge property to display these things.

Damian's eyes narrowed as he noticed the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow them, and he subtly noticed the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind them.

'Knew it. It's either a monster or some creepy woman that lures children in.' Damian thought.

They finally made it to the dining area at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.

"Please, sit down," Aunty Em said.

"Awesome," Percy said.

"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we don't have any money, ma'am. We can't really pay you anything."

"No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."

"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said before Aunty Em whipped her head around to look at her. When she did, Damian saw a quick look of anger cross her face before she managed to get back under control. Damian wasn't sure if anyone else noticed it but it was a little of putting.

"Quite all right, Annabeth," she said. "You have such beautiful gray eyes, child." She then turned to look at Damian. "Your eyes to, my dear. Such beautiful silver eyes. It's like looking at the moon."

"Um... thanks." Both Damian and Annabeth said in tandem causing them to smirk at each other before Damian realized something.

They never told this woman their names. So how did she know Annabeth's?

The hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before the group knew it, she'd brought them plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.

Percy was halfway through his burger, looking like he didn't even need to breathe.

Annabeth slurped her shake in happiness.

Damian wasn't hungry, no matter how enticing the smell was. So he just drank his shake, as did Grover. Suddenly both heard what sounded like hissing.

"Did you just hear that?" Damian whispered to Grover who nodded and looked glad that he was not the only one who heard it.

"It sounded like hissing." The satyr said, however Aunty Em had heard them.

"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."

Damian watched the others dig into their food but then noticed that Aunty Em wasn't eating and was instead just sitting their staring at Percy. She hadn't taken off her head dress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers with her eyes solely o Percy as if she was waiting for something to happen.

Damian's mind raced and he soon connected the dots. The hissing, the woman's covered eyes, there was only one monster in Greek mythology with these signs.

Medusa.

"Is there a bathroom?" Damian suddenly asked.

"Of course dear." She assured.

"Can you show me?" The son of Artemis asked with a look of embarrassment, trying to milk this acting.

You could see a wide smile under the veil, "Certainly." She told Damian, and got up from her seat.

"Thanks…not!" Damian shouted at the end, flipping the table then kicked it hard into the monster, sending her and the table into some statues, smashing them.

"Damian!" the group shouted.

"Medusa, she's Medusa! Snakes in her hair." The son of Artemis told them in rapid fire.

"I knew she was a monster!" Grover exclaimed, looking happy. Give it a second. A look of horror came to his face, "Medusa?!" he bleated in fear. There it was.

"How did you know?" Annabeth asked, worry prevalent in her steel grey eyes when faced with the thought of fighting one of her cabin's greatest enemies.

"The hissing and the fact she has her eyes covered." Damian said before giving Percy and Annabeth looks. "You'd notice if you weren't thinking with your stomachs."

"Sorry!" Both blushed in embarrassment.

"Never mind that. She locked the door when we entered here, we'll have to fight her." Damian said, his eyes searching around. "Split up! We have to take her out before we leave, do not look into her eyes. Go!"

They split up as the table was pushed aside and angry hissing could be heard.

Damian ducked behind a statue and went silent, hearing the hissing coming closer as Medusa searched for them.

"You know, Damian Redgrave, you have caused quite the stir in the world. To think that the great huntress and goddess who had sworn of men had given birth to a child and broken her oath. To think that the mighty Artemis would have a son. I can only imagine how she sees you. Her own child being very thing she hates the most. To think that filthy huntress would have a filthy child of her own" Medusa said.

This caused anger to flare in Damian and he whipped out Dawn and Dusk, aiming without looking and firing. He heard a shriek of pain and wild hissing, looking to see Medusa holding her side, looking at her wound which allowed him to run and duck behind cover again before Medusa could notice him.

"Batter up!" Grover's voice echoed out from somewhere above Damian, then suddenly there was a loud crack before the sound of stone shattering rang out. Andi used her mirror to see Grover flying with a broken tree branch in hand and Medusa among the rubble of some of her statues, "That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled.

Damian waited, watching Medusa get to her feet before he ran, Judgement in hand, swung...

And decapitated Medusa.

"Decapitation!" Damian sang like Jack Black, even doing the slide onto his knees. He stood and sheathed Judgement, kicking Medusa's head to look away before he closed the eyes so nobody would be turned to stone.

"Damian!" Annabeth came running over with Percy and Grover, the daughter of Athena hugging the son of Artemis. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." Damian said as he held up the head of Medusa. "Got her."

They made it out of the warehouse and back to the dining area.

They found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double wrapped Medusa's head. They plopped it on the now right side up table where they'd eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.

Finally Percy said, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"

Annabeth flashed him an irritated look. "Your dad, actually. Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons That's why Medusa wanted to slice Andi and I up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."

The sea child's face was burning, a tight frown on his face. "Oh, so now it's my fault we met Medusa."

"Actually, it was both of your fault." Damian said seriously, getting surprised looks from Percy and Annabeth. "You allowed the smell of food coming from here to draw you in. Medusa most likely uses that to draw in her prey. We met Medusa because you two listened to your stomachs instead of your logical sense. You don't walk up to random strange places asking for food."

Percy stared at the thing. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS.

The son of the sea was angry, not just with Annabeth or her mom, but with all the gods for this whole quest, for getting them blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. At this rate, they'd never make it to L.A. alive, much less before the summer solstice.

Percy had a thoughtful look on his face and got up. "I'll be back."

"Percy," Annabeth called after him. "What are you -"

He searched the back of the warehouse until he found Medusa's office. Her account book showed her six most recent sales, all shipments to the Underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden. According to one freight bill, the Underworld's billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. He folded up the bill and stuffed it in his pocket.

In the cash register he found twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas, and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. He rummaged around the rest of the office until he found the right-size box.

Percy came back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor,

Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

The son of the sea looked to the son of the moon, "You want in on this?" he asked, a grin on his face, knowing Damian couldn't resist.

Damian looked back and fourth between Percy and the delivery slip. "back in a moment." he said and dashed to where Percy had been. Percy, Annabeth and Grover frowned as they heard clattering and stuff being thrown about before Damian came back, holding... a bright yellow beanie lightning bolt that made a zapping noise when you squished it.

"Where did you get that?" Percy asked between laughs.

"One of Medusa's past victims must've dropped it here before being turned to stone." Damian said. "Figured we should give Zeus a... substitute for his favourite toy until we get the real one."

"Put it in." Percy said opening the box back up and Damian put a small note next to it just for Zeus. When he did, Percy resealed it.

"if Zeus doesn't find humour in it, maybe the other gods will." Damian said.

"You two are crazy." Annabrth shook her head with a smile.

And that's it for this chapter everyone.