Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction based on the Percy Jackson universe. All recognizable characters, plots and settings are the exclusive property of Rick Riordan
The First Demigod
Chapter: 3
Be Careful What You Wish For
He was completely surrounded. Enemy eyes looked at him from all sides. They stared up at him with hatred. Rightly so, as he had already defeated so many of their comrades. They were all lying on the ground somewhere behind him. In the dirt.
He alone was in the center of attention.
The man looked up at the sky. Dark clouds veiled his view. It looked as if it would rain soon. A storm was coming. Resulting in the ground becoming wet. The present dry earth would become muddy. This would mean a deterioration in mobility. A disadvantage. For his opponents, as they would not be able to flee from him fast enough.
With a confident smile on his lips, he raised his sword.
Sparkling emerald eyes stared into the faces of his opponents. They seemed to note every single movement, to analyse every single emotion. Nothing and no one could hide from them.
The opponents became restless. Their earlier determination turned to apprehension. Those emerald eyes seemed to bore into their souls. Something about them was just inhuman, something seemed wrong.
A bellowing battle cry escaped the man's lips. He charged wildly and leapt towards his first opponent. With incredible strength, he swung his sword down at him from above. Shocked by this speed, the opponent stood frozen. Only at the last moment did he seem to come to his senses, but by then it was too late.
Panic-stricken, he jerked his sword upwards, but this attempt was not to be of any use to him. The sword broke in two with a clang. One part fell dully to the earthy ground, while the other now remained useless in his hand.
The man with the emerald eyes took his chance and swung his sword again.
One opponent less.
He turned around and realised the mistake he had made. He had concentrated too much on only one opponent. He had forgotten about the rest of the enemies.
He silently cursed his carelessness, but he could not let it harm him anymore. With a jerk, he pulled his sword out of the corpse lying on the ground.
He would have to act quickly. While his opponents had the advantage of superior numbers, he was more than outclassing them technically.
Thunder rumbled above him. The storm clouds had finally reached him. The rain poured down on him.
As he had foreseen, the ground became muddy. His opponents had noticed this too. They frantically tried to find solid ground. Useless.
Their chance of victory had been non-existent since his arrival.
He looked at the muddy ground one last time. He watched the rain fall to the ground and make the earth muddy. A brilliant idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
The man closed his eyes. He emptied his mind. Tried to leave everything behind. The rain drenching him, the battle and the soldiers. For this to succeed, he needed absolute concentration.
He slowed his breathing. He could feel his heartbeat calming.
He focused on the mud.
Only a few more seconds, then he could...
"Percy Jackson!".
A small boy of just nine years old startled. His emerald green eyes looked around in panic.
"How many times have I told you that it is forbidden for you to go into the forest".
His eyes widened as he realised the implications of his actions. He had once again sneaked into the forest without permission.
Of course, this was not Percy's concern. Rather, it was the realisation that he had been caught doing it again.
After all, what could he do for such illogical prohibitions? What was the big deal whether one ran into the forest in the middle of the night or not. It wasn't as if anything would happen to him. He was able to take care of himself. After all, he was already nine and had successfully been expelled from school more times than the police allowed.
No, really. He already had a conversation with the police to check if he was alright and if his behaviour wasn't supposed to express something.
Who did they think he was. Shakespeare?
If he wanted to say something, he would just say it.
"If I see you playing with that stupid stick again, I promise you a punishment that even your great-grandchildren will remember".
No, she must not find out that he had sneaked back into the forest just to beat branches with his stick. Cursing inwardly, he stared at the remains of a branch he had split in two.
What could he do for not being able to fight the desire to fight that always overcame him. Again and again he crept into the forest at night and laughingly hit the branches of the trees with his stick. He imagined himself fighting against heavily armed opponents instead of branches and twigs.
He was the glorious general. With his incomparable sword techniques, he was victorious over any opponent and even if. He still had his abilities that allowed him to do previously unseen things. For example, he could manipulate water or cause lightning. Just like Perseus... or was Theseus his name? No matter, just like one of the two.
A few years ago, he had for the first time discovered this small clearing in the forest. Hidden by the trees growing in a circle around the clearing, it was actually very difficult to find. It was one of the reasons why Percy liked it so much. But most impressive was the large oak tree that stretched high into the sky in the middle of the clearing. It alone symbolised the strength and survivability of the forest. Nothing could harm it. Any attempt of Percy's to bring the tree down was useless. He hit its branches with his stick and managed to knock some of them off, but the trunk remained stubborn. Only a few quirks had been left by it over the years. But he did not let that stop him. Every night he wandered down and set to work. For in this way the oak had become a reflection of Percy's life. Only when he could overcome the oak, the symbol of the power of his origin, could he leave his present life, because then he would be strong enough for a new one.
Far behind him, Percy could suddenly hear the crunching of a branch. He hastily spun around. It seemed he had only seconds before he would be discovered. He quickly threw his stick into the grass in front of the tree and frantically tried to get the leaves and dirt off his clothes.
The last leaf fell to the ground just as her silhouette appeared from the forest...
7 years later
Yancy Academy
History Lesson
Yancy Academy tried its best to maintain its reputation as an exemplary educational institution for children from wealthier families, but a single glance into the classrooms was enough to reveal the truth. Each classroom was filled with a horde of boys and girls who all shared the same lack of interest in the lessons. Thus, the school's reputation, which had been sinking for several years, was now truly beyond repair.
Even a highly advertised programme to integrate several orphans, was not to prove good enough to regain the positive eye of the public.
However, one of these "lucky" ones who were given the chance to attend such a high-class private school sat in the back row of the classroom of the history teacher Mr. Brunner. But while the rest of the class merely gazed disinterestedly out of the window, the boy in the last row snored quietly to himself.
Only one student tried to pay attention during the lesson. The seat neighbour of the currently sleeping boy. Grover Underwood. A boy with brown eyes, brown hair and a scruffy beard that on some days even Gandalf would have been proud of.
He now tried to wake Percy unseen with his elbow. But his attempt backfired. Instead of waking his friend, he merely snored loudly once.
A fatal mistake.
Because of the sudden noise, their history teacher Mr. Brunner stopped what felt like an hour-long monologue about the importance of the Greek gods to investigate the origin of the noise instead.
His gaze fell directly on the sleeping figure of his pupil. His head lay covered by his half-length black hair on the wooden table. It seemed as if he had dozed off in the middle of the lesson and simply dropped his head on the table.
Mr Brunner's shoulders slumped briefly in disappointment. His eyes darkened for a moment, as if he had expected more from Percy. With a loud sigh, he made his way in his wheelchair to his sleeping pupil.
He energetically snapped his fingers in front of his face.
A low grumble was all that came out in response. Mr. Brunner gave a resigned sigh.
BAM!
As if stung by a tarantula, Percy startled and almost fell off his chair. His heart was beating wildly from the shock. He looked around in panic and recognised the familiar walls of a classroom. To his right was still his buddy Grover, to his left was the window overlooking the schoolyard. Everything was as usual, but why were all his classmates suddenly staring at him with evil grins?
And only then did he realise the annoyed Mr. Brunner sitting in front of him in his wheelchair. Brown eyes stared intensely into emerald green ones.
Percy drew in a sharp breath and instinctively leaned back a little. He did not see the all too familiar anger or the annoyance so often seen in his other teacher's eyes, only that disappointment, as if Percy could be so much better, so much more. Percy let his gaze wander down to the table, on which he saw his teacher's clenched hand. He had probably banged loudly against the table to wake him up.
Percy truly did not like this school and had it not been for Grover and Mr. Brunner, he would have given up on this private school long ago. They alone were the reason why Percy walked the long way to school every morning from the orphanage. Grover because he was his only mate and Mr. Brunner because he was the only teacher convinced of his supposed hidden potential.
"Mr. Jackson," the history teacher began slowly. "I have noticed that you do not feel the need to pay attention during my lessons. Although it could be so important, especially for you." Mr. Brunner paused deliberately here. "You wanted to continue with this subject, am I not right?".
Percy just nodded his head. He was puzzled by his teacher's strange pause. It was almost as if the first sentence had a completely different hidden meaning.
"Then please enlighten your classmates about the god of lightning, sky and thunder".
Percy cursed inwardly. How was he supposed to know? He thought feverishly, but the expectant look on his teacher's face made him more than uneasy.
"Uhh," Percy began. "I think there was Thor, as well as..., what was his name again, Rahin, no..., oh yes Raijin".
Mr. Brunner's eyes widened in shock and he briefly looked out the windows up at the sky in panic. Grover, meanwhile, cried out in surprise and almost dived under his table. A loud thunder from nowhere suddenly made the building tremble. But just as quickly as it came, it was gone again.
This was also true of Percy's history teacher. His previously shocked expression had been replaced with that of an old disappointed man. Only his eyes looked different. The previously warm brown eyes had been replaced with ones that looked older than time itself. They sparkled with a wisdom that could only be gained after many years.
In a heavy voice, Mr. Brunner began again. "Mr Jackson. We are currently dealing with the Olympian gods. Therefore, the correct answer would have been Zeus. The king of the gods and ruler of heaven."
Percy desperately tried to talk his way out of it. He always found it horrible when the only teacher who saw him as more than just a publicity project was unhappy with him.
"But there are numerous other myths and gods, aren't there? What difference does it make then?". But this sentence did not seem to help his cause. Instead, it only seemed to make it worse.
"You will soon realise what a difference it makes, Mr Jackson..., at the latest when you sit in the exam and have to name the Olympic Council to me".
Something was different in his old history teacher's tone. As if he were talking about something completely different again. And there was also that damned pause again. What did Mr. Brunner mean by that, what was he not telling him?
His history teacher turned to face the class again. "I expect you all to write a multi-page essay on the Olympic Council and for you Mr. Jackson to explain how this knowledge can help you in life. Oh yes Mr. Underwood, please stay in the classroom for a moment. I would like to make sure that everything is alright with you".
With these words Mr. Brunner ended the lesson. The students grumbled and packed their things and rose from their seats. But meanwhile, a multitude of students stared at Percy in more than just anger. As if he was personally to blame for the homework. Percy groaned, inwardly. His reputation would soon reach the depths of the Mariana Trench.
The sun was high in the sky when Percy finally left school.
Another normal Friday was over. This was always followed by the weekend until finally another week would begin. This was then repeated fifty-two times multiplied by sixteen and you would get the life of Percy Jackson.
He was dragged out of bed early every morning, then had to make his way to school to endure the same petty crap in the same classrooms. He hated this continuity.
It was only a few months ago that he was pulled out of this loop, when suddenly, without any warning, Mr. Brunner, as well as his first real friend Grover, stumbled into his life.
The latter was currently next to him and tried to talk him out of his bad mood. For how could he forget. The end of the school year was just around the corner and his classmates were already excitedly discussing their future holiday destinations. One was going to Rome, another was going on a cruise across the Pacific and yet another would be in Dubai for several weeks. They were all travelling, with their families, their mothers and fathers.
And what about him?
He would spend the long weeks alone in his far too small room in the orphanage or beating on branches in the forest. This was the only thing he had left. This habit of sneaking into the forest at night had become something sacred to him. Because he didn't have much else.
Ever since he was little, he had pursued this activity. He had long since lost his former childlike naivety and creativity, but it still seemed to calm him down in bad times. It was something he was used to, something familiar. Something that was only for him to know, a retreat that was only meant for him and where he could escape from his everyday life.
Only two people had ever been there apart from him. The old witch of a teacher where everyone was happy when she finally retired and the little girl with the mouse-brown hair and orange-red eyes.
What may have happened to her?
"Hey Perce," his friend's voice interrupted him. "I'd come over to meet you tonight, have some friends to introduce you to. Would that be okay with you?".
Snapped out of his thoughts, he merely managed a quick, "Of course." Grover gave him a thoughtful look for a moment before a wide smile crept back onto his lips and his brown eyes sparkled with delight. "I promise you, you will not regret this. We can go for a few laps then, maybe go to the lake?".
"Yes," Percy began, his mood really improving. "Definitely better than being yelled at by Mrs. Dodds again for some trivial thing". Because swimming was truly one of the few things he actually enjoyed. It just felt good to be in the water. It was one of the few sports he was quite good at.
"That's the spirit," Grover exclaimed loudly, punching him playfully in the shoulder. "I promise you, you'll like my friends, they're just like you!".
Percy frowned and looked at his friend again. This was yet another one of those recently increasingly moments when Grover would say something completely strange. And each time he would wince in shock, as if he himself would only realise his mistake after he had made it.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" asked Percy suspiciously.
"Uhh," Grover began to stammer. "You'll see, Perce. You know, I have to leave really quick now. We'll just pick you up tonight, don't do anything I wouldn't do until then. Best start on Mr. Brunner's assignments. See you around."
And with that, Grover disappeared from Percy's sight abnormally quickly. "Have a nice day, too," he grumbled, annoyed by the sudden disappearance of his friend.
It seemed the time had come for another visit to the oak.
Forest
A hard blow hit the thick trunk of the oak. But apart from a small dent in the bark, the blow did no harm.
Percy Jackson stared angrily at the oak, as if he could force it to fall with his thoughts. For several minutes he had been beating the damn tree, just to let out all his pent-up frustration.
Alone, he stood in the meadow, shut off from his regular life.
Percy's whole day had gone miserably once again. What a miracle! It wasn't enough that he had fallen asleep during class, it wasn't enough that he would be bumming around alone again during the holidays, no, of course this stupid tree had to stand around all the time as if it was laughing at him.
Something seemed to be building up inside of him. His long pent-up anger, hidden deep in his heart, seemed to be coming out into the light of day again. His bitterness about his life, the situation he was unwillingly forced into. Growing up alone without parents, rotting in an orphanage, watching everyone having fun with their friends and families while he, the strange one, was cut off from everything. His hatred for Mrs Dodds. Who was always happy to monitor him in the most meticulous way and who hated him for seemingly no reason from the first second she saw him. At Joe, the bully of the orphanage. Who also had nothing better to do than to make his life more difficult.
His face reddened and with a loud roar he let those feelings out of him as he lashed out with his stick for the last time, slamming it against the tree trunk with all his might.
A loud crack was heard in the clearing as the stick broke in two, striking Percy more than painfully in the face due to the strength he had used. Caught so off guard by what had happened, Percy stumbled backwards a few steps, causing him to fall to the ground due to his inability to hold his balance.
Percy shook his head in disorientation and rose from the earth with a groan. He grabbed his face and touched the spot where the piece of wood had hit him. It was a little bruised, but not too bad. Much worse, however, was that he could not feel his necklace.
He hadn't lost it, had he?
He knelt down in panic and searched for it on the floor with his heart pounding. His only piece of property that meant anything to him, the only thing that connected him to them.
Percy exhaled with relief when he finally found the cold black metal. He gently lifted it from the ground and examined it for a brief moment. A completely black necklace, with a few white symbols, such as a circle from which many arrows went in all directions.
Calming down, he pulled it back over his neck and hid it under his clothes. It would do him no good if others knew about it.
Percy took one last look across the clearing. His gaze lingered for a short second on the oak tree and the stick lying in front of it. For years he had artfully decorated it, had spent hours with it just wildly pounding on the trunk and the branches. Such an ending just didn't feel right to Percy, yet he couldn't bring himself to care.
He was just done with the day.
He would hang out with Grover's supposed friends for a few hours now and then just sleep. Because then the day would at least have the potential to end halfway properly. After all, what else could go wrong?
Orphanage
A bed, a wardrobe and a table. This was the sparse furniture Percy's room had. Some would call it spartan and they would be more or less right. But for young Percy Jackson, this was the place where he had grown up. He did not have the privilege of two parents who loved him. Instead, he had to settle for Mrs. Dodds nagging him in the latest way. She was truly a creature of hell. She never let him out of her sight for a moment and always found new ways to punish him for the most insignificant little things.
But this was only topped by Joe Bob. A bully who was as shallow as his name made him seem. His brain was as useful as a lamp by day, but he compensated for this with muscles as wide as tree trunks and an ego big enough for the entire orphanage.
And it had to be that this particular person blocked his way to the exit. He stood wide-legged with folded arms in front of the door that would lead him out of the orphanage. A malicious grin adorned his face and his eyes sparkled with anticipation. It seemed that Percy's day could get worse after all.
He stopped several metres in front of Joe in resignation. Sighing, he asked him, "Could you maybe, you know, move a little to the side so I can get out?". But Percy's already minimal hopes of getting through the day unscathed vanished into thin air as the grin only grew.
"I suppose you would like that Jackson, but today pay day has finally arrived. For a long time, I had to wait, had to stay in this stupid orphanage to be sure. But you're the one. The crooked one has sent us all on a mission. Should terminate the danger he told us. And I'm the lucky one who found you.
My lord will reward me generously for your death".
Percy, meanwhile, kept backing away. He had no idea what kind of stuff Joe had taken this time, but they were probably a bit too good. No halfway sane person could come up with something like that. He gradually put one deliberate foot after the other backwards.
"Yeah Joe, you know..., it looks like you need a little rest and I really don't want to bother you, so..., I'll just be off". With the last words, Percy turned on the spot and began to run aimlessly away.
But he wasn't three feet away when he was thrown to the ground by a sudden explosion.
"Why, Percy. Don't you feel like playing a game of dodgeball?".
Author Notes:
Hey, the next chapter is out!
It took a little longer because I have too much to do, but who cares? By the way, I'm still looking for a beta, so if you're interested just drop me a message and I'll have a look at it.
As you may have already noticed, I'm going to skip the events of the 2nd book. Furthermore, I have already made big changes in comparison to canon. And I'm not going to stop there. Moreover, I have decided to keep my main character with Percy Jackson or Perce as normal. Because it is important to understand that Perseus is more or less an OC while Percy is the normal Percy Jackson from the books with several changes I have made. These could also possibly be a bit bigger...
Therefore, I would be very grateful for your opinions on the current chapter. For this I still need a good commentary on the arena scene, or rather the fight scene. That would be of great interest to me as an orientation, how it was received by you.
Team5dsforever:
The problem is the balance. About 100% of the fanfiction I read simply ignores the fact that the gods, titans have a true form and are in themselves invincible to a mortal with their divine energy. I, on the other hand, have an idea how to wrap this up in a reasonable way. But it will take some time to get there. In the end, Perseus will definitely be strong as he is the antagonist in the 1st act, but this will gradually become more and more balanced. I'm still working on it at the moment, especially because I really have a lot of different things planned for Act 3.
Yessenae:
No problem. I'm glad about everyone who reads my stuff. They truly won't see each other that often, so after a bit of a settling in period, there shouldn't be much of a problem.
Mongoose9:
I have absolutely no idea how you came up with the Perseus connection from the Greek myths. My Perseus is an OC who is based on the actual Percy (foreshadowing)...
Juxshoa:
Not for the first act..., but he is more than just a static character.
Until next time
Rezurex