Chapter 11, Act I - The Supreme Lord of the Bathroom is Crowned.

A few days later, I was sitting in the amphitheater with Hestia. I was updating her about Percy, and it wasn't long before I got interrupted with a shout. "Hey Niko! Come here!" I glanced over, and saw my charge. I waved at him. "Excuse me, auntie. I'll finish updating you later." I promised. She smiled at me.

"I'll be waiting eagerly." She said, amused. I got up, and ran up to Percy and Chiron. "You alright, Percy?" I asked. "Yeah, it's all just a shock. Glad you didn't grow a pair of hooves while I was unconscious." He said, in an effort to make a joke.

"Percy, I've got some bad news..." I said gravely, snapping my fingers behind my back, covering my feet with Mist. I took off my shoes. Chiron and I, of course, saw my socks. Percy, however, saw hooves, and he groaned. "Are all my friends goats?" He complained. "Percy, I'm only kidding. Don't let the satyrs hear you say that, though. They'll fill your bed with berries and nuts." I waved my hand, lifting the Mist, as I smirked.

Hey, maybe it's a lame start for someone who's lived in the Hermes cabin for two, nearly three, years, but don't judge. I didn't get caught up in too much pranking.

He sighed in relief, and Chiron looked at us, amusement visible only in his eyes, and the tour Chiron was providing to Percy continued. I mostly tuned it out until we got to Cabin Three, Poseidon's cabin. Percy poked his head in the open doorway, and Chiron pulled him back.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that. I don't know if Poseidon would like anyone peering in his cabin." He said. I gave Percy a knowing smile. I knew he was drawn to the cabin. It was the call of home he felt.

We continued through, and the two of them started up a conversation about other centaurs, and why Chiron should be dead.

"Oh, look," Chiron said, eager for a topic change, "Annabeth is waiting for us."

The blond in question was busy reading a book in front of the Hermes cabin. I ducked my head in while the three of them spoke. I quickly found Luke, who still stood taller than everyone, which I guess wasn't saying much. It was still April. Most campers would still be in school. "Hey Luke. Brought a newbie with us. Figured I'd warn you." I told him, gesturing outside.

As if on cue, Percy and Annabeth crossed the threshold. Percy started to trip, but a bit of aerokinesis saved him. All the kids started sizing him up, the couple unclaimed just looking away when they were done, while the few Hermes kids started grinning, thinking of pranks they could pull on the newbie.

"Percy Jackson, meet Cabin Eleven." Annabeth announced, waving her hand at us. I waved back at the duo, eliciting a smile from Annabeth. You see, two years melted her previously cold, dead heart, and we became actual friends a month before I left for the school year with Chiron and Grover.

"Regular or undetermined?" Lou-Ellen called out.

"Undetermined." Annabeth replied. There were a couple groans, but Luke stepped forward. "Now, campers, this is what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor over there." He said, pointing to an open space over by my cot. Luke, while not knowing much, did know I was supposed to keep Percy safe, and apparently is letting that influence the spot he chose for his cot.

"This is Luke." Annabeth said. "He'll be your counselor for now."

"For now?" Percy asked. "Since apparently other people won't give a straight answer, I'll do it. Percy, you're undetermined. Once your dad decides to claim you, you'll be able to move to your cabin. Until now, since Hermes, the patron of this cabin, is the god of travelers, we take all the unclaimed campers here." I chipped in, giving Annabeth a look.

Percy reached over to put down his shoebox containing the Minotaur horn, but seemed to come to the realization it would be a bad idea in this cabin. I leaned over to Percy. "I can keep that safe until you want it, if you'd like. I'm not a Hermes kid, I'm unclaimed. I'm not about to steal that when I got it out of the tree for you in the first place." I whispered.

He nodded, and passed it to me. I dropped it in my inventory. I didn't really care, since Lou would cover for me, and Alabaster, the other Hecate kid here, didn't really care enough to question how I do it, so I was fine just dropping things in my inventory.

The Hermes kids frowned at me, but I just gave them a cheeky grin back. "Good luck getting that, y'all." I laughed at them. Percy gave me a weird look. "How long should it be until I'm claimed?" Percy asked. He got a couple laughs, and I answered him.

"It varies. Most of the kids here are unclaimed, and some have been waiting here for years, because they're children of gods that don't have cabins here. There are some that are children of the Olympians here that just haven't been deemed 'worthy' enough to be claimed yet. With luck, you'll get to your cabin soon." I told him, clapping him on the back.

Annabeth was flushed a deep pink, and she dragged Percy out of the cabin. "I'm sorry, Luke, if he seemed ignorant. Chiron apparently didn't show him the orientation film, despite my demands that he see it. I need to go after them before Annie blows a fuse." I apologized to him, and jogged to catch up with the duo.

"You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?" Annabeth demanded. "To get killed?" Percy shot back. "To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" Annabeth growled at him.

"Annabeth, please cool down. Chiron apparently saw fit to not show him the orientation film. Be patient with him. He's new, and he just got thrust into a weird new world. Don't go feral on him." I cut in, before she could confuse him further. She sighed.

"Look, if that thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..." Percy started. "Yes." Annabeth cut in rudely. "Then there's only one." Annabeth nodded at his statement. "And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the Labyrinth. So..." He trailed off.

"Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed, but they don't die." Annabeth said. "Annie." I warned her. She huffed. "Don't call me Annie."

"Percy, they're not mortal like us. They don't have souls, so to speak. You can get rid of them for a long time if you're lucky, maybe even a lifetime. It really varies. But they can't be completely killed. They reform in this place called Tartarus, where they can regenerate and come back to our world." I tried to explain to him.

"Oh. Got it. So, if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword..." He trailed off again. "Alecto, you mean. She's still out there, for sure. She's just mad. She's one of Hades' servants, so she probably regenerated quickly." I confirmed.

"Why can't I stay in another cabin? Why just Cabin Eleven?" Percy asked. "It depends on who your parents are. Or, your parent." Annabeth said, looking at Percy expectantly. "My mom is Sally Jackson. She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to." He said dejectedly.

"I'm sorry about your mom, Percy, but that's not what I meant." She said gently. "I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."

"He's dead. I never knew him." Percy answered emotionlessly. "Percy, your dad's not dead. He's an Olympian god." I told him, ripping off the bandage before Annabeth inevitably made him more confused.

"How can you say that? Do you know him?" He asked me. I shrugged. "Do you want the truth, or the truth, truth?" I asked. "The full truth, please." I glanced at Annabeth, and she looked at me, surprised.

"You look a lot like your dad, Percy. It's not hard to tell who your dad is. I'm not supposed to tell you yet, Percy, but I feel bad keeping things like this from others. Percy, your father is Poseidon, the god of the seas." I told him seriously.

Annabeth laughed. "You're not serious, are you?" She asked in disbelief. "Percy, let me ask you. Has water acted weird around you? What about fish?" I asked him.

He thought for a moment, before smiling softly. "There was one time on a field trip. I pulled the wrong lever at an aquarium, and we took an accidental dive into a shark tank. The shark let me grab its fin, and took me to safety. The class was left behind. I got expelled for it." He offered.

"But he could just be a child of a minor sea god that works with Poseidon, like Triton, or Delphin, or something." I gave Annabeth a look. "Do you really think Delphin could produce a demigod kid?" I asked her, and she faltered. "That doesn't remove Triton from the equation, though." She added.

"I suppose so. But Percy, another question. Have you ever heard a tiny voice in your head whenever a fish is nearby?" I asked him again.

"Uh, I think so? There was a time when my mom got me fish to look after, but I told her that something was weird about the fish. They kept staring at me, I heard a constant buzz in my head, and she told me the next day she gave them away." He said, after some consideration.

Annabeth frowned. "Annabeth, just suspend belief for now, okay? I'll tell you later. It's about the conversation I had with Chiron when I first got here." I told her. Percy gave the two of us a look, but we got interrupted. "Well! A newbie!" A laugh that almost sounded like a bark filled my ears.

I turned to face Clarisse, from the Ares cabin. She was like the camp bully, I guess. "Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Miss Princess, so I can run you through with it on Friday night." She said, and her goons chuckled. "Erre es korakas!" Annabeth called out. Go to the crows, it meant. That's original.

They started blabbering about Capture the Flag this Friday, and I tuned it out until the topic turned to Percy. "Who's this little runt?" She asked rudely.

"Percy Jackson. Percy, meet Clarisse la Rue, daughter of Ares." I introduced the two of them. Percy blinked. "Like the war god?" He asked. Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that, Prissy?"

"No, no, it just explains the bad smell." I snicker at Percy's remark, but quickly hide it with a cough. I didn't feel like fighting with Clarisse and her goons right now. I'd just get dish duty. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy." She told him.

Percy automatically corrected her. "It's Percy."

"Whatever. Come on. I'll show you." She growled. "Clarisse—" Annabeth protested. "Stay out of it, wise girl." Annabeth looked pained, but an understanding seemed to pass through Annabeth, myself, and Percy as he got dragged to the bathrooms.

We followed the group, and I snickered at what Clarisse said next. "Like he's Big Three material." She cackled, pushing him towards a toilet. "Yeah, right, Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid looking." I locked eyes with Percy, and noticed his hand on his pocket. I shook my head. He still had Riptide, apparently.

I leaned over to Annabeth, and whispered. "Watch this, and tell me he's not a Poseidon kid." I grinned, and Annabeth looked sick, watching through her fingers. Percy's head was against the toilet now, about to go in, when there was a rumble. Water shot out of the toilets, the showers, everywhere, making an arc past Percy, spraying everyone. Myself and Annabeth included, if not for my hydrokinesis from Hecate's gift of elemental powers.

Our trio stayed completely dry. Clarisse and her goons got pushed far out of the bathrooms by the water, and I glanced at Annabeth's shocked expression. "I could've sworn he'd be a Zeus kid..." I barely heard her mutter.

"Didn't you see Poseidon at the winter solstice meeting this last winter?" I asked. Annabeth faltered. "I guess he does look pretty similar to Poseidon." She relents. Finally, the water shut off, and I used my hydrokinesis to place as much of it as I could back where it belonged, aside from around Clarisse and her goons.

Percy got up, and Annabeth could only look at him in amazement, quickly faltering as she realized something, and she quickly put up a mask of indifference. "Annie, I know what you're thinking, but he's not that bad. Give him a chance." She huffed at me, but turned to him. "What? What are you two thinking?" He demanded.

"I'm thinking," Annabeth said, "that I want you on my team for Capture the Flag." I groaned. Not this again.