Chapter 9.5: Prophecy II
Annabeth
The room fell silent.
"Poseidon? He is my father?"
Holding a breath I couldn't let go, I tried to recall what I knew about the God of the sea, the legends that told of Poseidon's realm over the five oceans. His tempestuous and gentle personality, symbolic of the very nature he had full control over.
"Yes, Percy. He is your father." Sally explained, "You might not believe it, but he's been watching over you ever since you were born. In fact, both of us are under his protection every day."
Instead of freaking out, Percy took a moment to himself after that Godly revelation only to grow quiet all of a sudden, "But why isn't he here with us? Why did he have to go? Where is he now?"
Percy's calm reaction left me tilted in puzzlement.
Doesn't that scare him? To sudden know that he's a Half-Blood all his life?
In contrast, I was the one reeling from the fact Percy was the son of a powerful God, the brother of Zeus, an equal in terms of power, or at least according to the myths about the two rival Gods.
With a sharp exhale, Percy took the news about the identity of his father surprisingly well, which unlike me, who freaked out the moment Thalia revealed the secrets hidden within my family.
Admiration bubbling beneath the surface, I couldn't help but fix my eyes at the boy next to me, the unwavering willpower that kept him going made my cheeks flush a tinge red.
At the same time, Sally's gentle brown eye dulled for a moment. She tried to smile at Percy through the sadness residing briefly on her gentle features, "Your father can't stay, as much as he wanted to. With everything that's been happening, I supposed he is very busy lately. He is an Olympian after all."
It's not hard to tell something was bothering Sally. Her reply sounded almost dejected when Percy asked her about Poseidon. Then out of nowhere, Athena waved her hand and quickly added.
"Lord Poseidon… Your father is working hard to secure our future on Mount Olympus. I doubt it would be long before he's like me, which is why he needed to gather as much ally as he could for the sake of our goal."
"Like you?" I asked, "What does that mean?"
Athena tilted her shoulders uncomfortably. She cleared her throat to prepare herself, "As Lia told you two already, Poseidon and I have very different opinions from our counterparts. For us, we realized the mistake of living in peace for millions of years. With the threat of Kronos's uprising, we had to take certain steps to ensure the world doesn't end. As a result of our decisions, we foresaw the collapse of our immortality, and we both accepted this fate, but…"
She paused. A moment of doubt held her grey eyes, but that uncertainty disappeared as soon as Sally placed her hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay," Sally nodded a reassuring smile for the Olympian Goddess, replacing her doubts with conviction, "I believe you."
Athena clasped her hand with Sally's, gesturing back with an appreciative small nod.
"It's not fair that our children are the ones who had to suffer from our mistake… I want the demigods and demigoddesses to have a better future, to help humanity reach a better path instead of a reality where they have no choice but see the world they lived in fade to ashes. Because of that beliefs, I swore to myself that I'm going to save every last Half-Blood until my last breath."
Last breath….?
"It's why I've built this mansion, why I had to create Camp Half-Blood. I wanted to keep everyone safe in an estate far from reach of the underworld." Athena continued, "To protect us from Kronos's expanding dark army, and most importantly, to protect you two at any cost."
Mom… W-What— What are we really up against that even you, a Goddess, would be afraid of?
"But why are we so important?" Percy asked, "Why would Poseidon and you go so far just to protect us?"
Athena passed a glance at Percy and her expression sank, "You are the child of the prophecy, Percy. I won't say anymore other than that you going to determine the outcome of our entire world. If Kronos or Zeus had their way, this world would have collapsed long ago. It is why I must keep you safe."
"Wait, wait, wait… Did you just say Zeus? Isn't he supposed to be on our side?"
Her expression darken rapidly, "Remember what happened that day? The first time you spent the night here?"
"Yeah, of course. I drove Annabeth back because she couldn't contact you or Owlfred."
Athena narrowed her eyes at Percy, "And?"
Percy gulped predictably and his reaction left me with a sigh. Somehow, I could tell he had totally forgotten about his mom's sudden hospitalization, exactly what I expected from a boy whose head was filled with seaweed. He chuckled nervously while I shook my head at him, " Ahem… Right, haha… I decided to drive over because my mom was…"
The words trailed off…
"My mom was struck by l-lightning-gg…"
Percy paused and couldn't finish his words, but it didn't matter because I connected the dots too. Just as I imagined, a random lightning bolt couldn't have struck his mother, not with the chances being so low. I gasped in return, the abrupt storm clouds and pouring rain that night finally made sense. Beside me, Percy sucked in a huge breath of air. The realization dawned on us like two deer in the headlights and neither of us could make a good response.
"I was protected by a charm your father gave me, Percy," Sally revealed and reached behind her shirt collar, an elegant, ornate silver pendant at the end of her necklace slipped out. It looked beautifully crafted. "Because of this, I was saved when the car exploded. You know the rest of the story, Percy."
Percy had his mouth wide open. I didn't blame him after learning what really happened.
"That's… insane." Percy barely spoke in a whisper.
Athena cleared her throat, "Zeus believed that by trying to hurt your mother, he could draw you out and eliminate you, thus averting the prophecy from fulfilling." She explained, "As always, he was a fool to think that could stop Kronos from rising. It was already a miracle that you and Annabeth got here that night. Given the opportunity, his soldiers from the underworld would have caught up if you decided to stay with your mother, and with both your powers laying in dormant, I don't even want to imagine what would happen if they actually capture you two."
Rendering Percy speechless, I felt him squeeze my hand for support. I quickly tighten my grip, pushing our fingers together. It was a reminder that I'll be with him through it all, and I wasn't going anywhere.
He let out a small breath and seemed slightly better.
"You sent me away to keep me safe…" Percy blinked and kept his eyes on his mom who smiled sweetly back at him with her warm brown eyes.
Loss for words, Sally said gently, "You are my son, Percy. You meant everything to me and to the people who are all fighting here, so of course, I do anything to protect you from harm."
Knowing what I know now, it's scary to think about the danger we were in that night. All alone on the freeway, Percy drove us along while I slept peacefully beside him, no one in sight to help if something went wrong or the car broke down, stranding us in the middle of nowhere.
Shivers ran through my body. Subconsciously, I imagined these Kronos soldiers catching up and trapping us when we didn't know any better. It would probably be more terrifying than tonight.
"That dream…" Percy whispered out of nowhere to himself. Something was bothering him…
I squeezed his hand closer, then I turned to my mom.
"If Percy really is the child of this prophecy, then shouldn't he be the one who's protected all the time instead of me. Why didn't he live here with us since the beginning? In fact, why keep all this a secret if you two know about everything already?"
It was a valid question, but it also brought on an irritating realization. I knew it was too good to be true from the beginning, how abnormally fast my relationship was growing with Percy… Nothing about us was happening because of chance, our fateful encounter that day underneath that coffee shop wasn't stupid luck that brought us together, but through the strings being pulled by some unknown forces of nature.
"That day…. Did you set us up knowing what you know?" It was another question I wanted to ask, but I couldn't. Afraid of the answer, I kept my mouth sealed shut.
But in the end, we did end up together- unofficially- but maybe that's just what my mother and Percy's father wanted all along. Is my relationship with Percy a fake one then? I don't want it to be though… I do love him.
Showing off an uncharacteristic look, my mother knew what I wanted to ask even before I did, then she pressed the middle button on the desk again, except the metaphysical sphere didn't morph into shape, a blue orb I was familiar with blinked into existence instead.
"Yes, Lady Athena?"
Our friendly AI seemed unfazed by the charcoal sphere levitating and rotating slowly beside him.
"Owlfred. Can you bring up the Deax scan for Percy and Annabeth? And put them up for me through Lia, please."
"Of course, my lady."
When Owlfred disappeared, the large sphere disintegrated into smaller pieces, it swirled like a double helix above the desk until it materialized into something else. I couldn't tell what it was at first.
"You are right, Annabeth." Athena admitted, "I could have Percy living here with us since the very beginning, but I didn't because… Well, take a look at this."
I looked up and saw two holographic displays of me and Percy made from tiny grey charcoal marbles. It was displaying all kinds of measuring parameters, graphs, and even a full-scale skeleton structure.
"This is a Deax scan where I could see any Half-Blood's current status. In essence, it displays all the real-time information for the person in question. Yellow blood cells, bone density, muscle tensile strength, mental resolve, their platetium levels, dex augment feedback, the stability of their powers, so on and so forth…"
I gulped, thinking that this is a violation of privacy on so many levels.
"Since that night when Percy first stayed with us, I've asked Owlfred to keep a detailed scan of you and him, and what I am looking for is the genetic code in your bodies."
"Genetic codes?"
Athena nodded and pinpointed toward a triple helix on the graph, "I've been monitoring both of your genetic codes since then. But basically speaking, a Half-Blood has two sets of genetic material when they are born. One from the Gods or Goddesses, and one from the mortal parent. Throughout a Half-Blood's life, these codes get more and more mixed up, intertwined, changing one's genetic make-up until…"
"Their dormant powers are awakened…" I finished subconsciously as I watched the pieces set together on the metaphysical chart.
"Yes. That's correct." She wasn't surprised that I got it right away, "The average age when one received the blessing of our powers usually begins when they are nineteen. Once awaken, it will be increasingly risky to the Half-Blood."
"Why?"
"The more powerful a Half-Blood becomes, the easier they would attract monsters that will seek you out and attack you on sight."
The mention of monsters froze me on the spot. Percy squeezed my hand, bringing me back to reality. I blushed a tiny bit when he kept my hand on his lap. Still, his warmth steady me.
"But because you two aren't close to nineteen yet, and your genetic codes aren't overlapping either, it means the powers you've inherent lay dormant. It also means monsters won't sense who you are and wouldn't be able to seek you out."
"Okay, but what does all this have to do with-"
"Which leads us back to your question, Annabeth." Athena paused, "I didn't choose to make Percy stay here because I know the prophecy wouldn't play out until you two are in high school, and I know monster won't attack because to them, you two are just like regular mortals. He could live safely with Sally and his family, and he did."
I bit my lips… They really have thought ahead with this plan. Just how much of my life was orchestrated from the very beginning?
"But underneath all that, it also means you can live a normal life."
A normal life?
"It's Poseidon and my wish…" Sally shared a brief smile with Athena, "All our wishes that you two can have a normal childhood, going to school, making friends, being a regular high school kid in everyday society, before everything begins to fall into place."
A numb jolt ran through my body.
Athena turned to me and added, "I know what you are thinking and feeling, Annabeth. But I also didn't want your life- both your lives, to be tied down by this prophecy. I want you to know what it means to have a life outside of this cruel fate and harsh reality."
When I spoke, my voice sounded raspy, "But why? If this life is just a lie, then why bother?"
Really, why would they even bother in the first place? Now that I know what's going on- it's so not fair…
"Honestly, why did you hide all this from us?" I repeated and got angrier, "If saving the world is that much more important, then maybe you should have let Percy stay here with his family from the very beginning." I ground my teeth and said harshly, "We should have known about these secrets instead of being kept from it!"
"Annabeth…" Sally interjected, "All Athena and I wanted was for you two to live normal, happy lives before getting wrapped up in something unpredictable. I know you are scared right now, but…"
Sally paused when Athena waved her hand to stop her, "Listen, Annabeth. You can be angry with me. I deserved at least that much, but there is another thing you need to know. Being aware of who you are greatly increases the platetium counts in your body, and once the genetic make-up goes past a certain threshold, there is no going back. Monsters will pick up on your sense, no matter how faint, and they'll do everything they can to try and seek you out."
A stifled gasp caught in my throat and tears stopped pooling at my eyelids.
"And I wouldn't be a very good mother if I let you face all the horror of our world when you are just starting to grow up. Do you understand what I mean?"
Despite the anger inside me, I felt like I understood why they kept this a secret now. It was for our benefit. If we know who we are from the beginning, then it's likely our lives would have turned out very differently. I shivered, imagining an alternate reality where every day I would be looking over my shoulders, vigilant of every moment when dangers might come my way.
"I…" I couldn't say it.
Instead, I hung my head down, unable to find the right words to reply nor could I stay angry at my mother anymore.
"It's okay, Annabeth. You don't have to say it." A regretful smile moved across Athena's lips, "I should be the one who's sorry."
I blinked a few times.
"None of this would have happened if I didn't…" She stopped in the middle, then composed herself and sighed, "You are my daughter, Annabeth. I would do anything a mother could to protect her child, no matter what. Even if it means giving up my immortality."
A chill ran through my body. I snapped my head so fast I almost bit my tongue in the process.
"You said earlier your immortality collapsed. Does that mean you are-"
"Yes." Athena replied candidly, "My decision to have you in this world wasn't one without sacrifice. For you to be born, I have to give up my immortality."
"Why?!" I screamed at the unfathomable decision.
She shared a warm glance with me, "It's my choice, and because I love you too much to give up."
Sensing what I wanted to ask, Athena's lip curled slightly, "Don't worry. I have not lost my abilities as a Goddess. All that means is that I won't be able to live forever like the rest of the other Olympians on Olympus. I can be killed, just like any mortal or demigods in this world."
My mouth went dry.
"In essence, the decisions Poseidon and I made throughout the last two decades disregarded a lot of laws on Olympus. It's why I was unanimously cast out of the palace and stripped of my Godhood."
Athena turned to Percy, "But your father is still an Olympian right now, even if his standing is diminishing rapidly. Sure, he will inevitably end up the same way I am now, but until then, he's working hard to gather allies from all over our world to help us defend ourselves. It's why he left you in your mother's care."
Percy's eyes watered and he made a weak affirmative nod.
"Really, your father helped me a lot… His support is what got us this far, and I wouldn't have done all I did without another God by my side."
"In fact, it's why we've strategically created Owlfred for the sake of defending our home, to withstand that faithful day when Kronos's dark army invade us."
I knew it… Owlfred was always too good to be true.
"But it's not just Owlfred, isn't it?" I asked, "Are you able to use technology in any way you want?"
Her head tilted right and she gave me a small smile, "I wouldn't be much of a Goddess of Wisdom if I can't figure that out, right?"
"Besides, we've gotten get an edge over our enemies if we want to survive the coming wars with the Titans, maybe even with my brothers and sisters… At least, we aren't forbidden from using them. I am no longer an Olympian, after all."
I swallowed a heavy gulped. Just hearing of a coming war with the Titans and the Olympians made me freeze up. Percy instinctively squeezed my hand and I returned the favor.
"In any case, that's about all there is I could tell." Athena said, "Now you know everything we know."
A long moment of silence fell into the room, neither Percy nor I could come up with anything meaningful to say. Looking at our parents with an empty gaze, Athena studied us back with her sharp and analyzing grey eyes, and Sally tried to reassure us with supportive smiles. All I felt was an uncomfortable lump stuck in my throat. I was speechless, didn't know what to say about anything related to what we just learned.
Then finally…
"Okay," A determined voice spoke up.
It was Percy, and he broke the thick ice with one simple question, "So, what now? What are we supposed to do after learning about who we really are and what's really going on with the world?"
"And what do you expect two high school kids who didn't know a thing about this world hours ago to do about the threats that would lead this world to ruins?"
Knowing Percy as well as I did, I knew that's exactly what he wanted to ask our parents, but I also know why he hesitated. He was worried about the answer.
"As I've said, the danger you two are facing right now goes beyond what I've anticipated. I couldn't predict she would… If anything, I am to be blamed for being so careless."
Well, I'd say I am partly the one at fault for tonight too… If I didn't let my curiosity get the better of me when I snuck into her study, none of this would have happened.
"Are you are saying we are already in trouble because of what happened to me and Percy tonight?" I said nervously.
Sympathetic with her gaze, the metaphysical display flowing in the air descent toward the desk. Athena pointed at a bar graph on our Deax scans.
"This shows how much your genetic codes are being overwritten by our genes." Athena said as straightforward as possible, "Before what happened tonight, both your platetium level were fluctuating at around forty thousand. Right now, Percy's fluctuating greatly between eighty thousand and ninety thousand, Annabeth's fluctuating between seventy thousand, and once it passed one hundred thousand, your DNA will have sufficiently bounded with ours, hence your powers will slowly awake and the danger that comes with it will be consequential."
Danger… I didn't even have words for my Godly mother. If their world was so dangerous, then how were we going to survive when we hadn't even gotten a tiny bit of training to defend ourselves?
To think that we survived tonight was already a miracle in its own right…
"So, what are you saying?"
A solemn look moved across her expression and she looked deep in thought.
"Listen, Annabeth. I want you and Percy to keep up a normal life, at least for the time being. That means going to school, hanging out with friends, and going home early. Basically, I want to keep everything we've already been doing the same."
Huh?
That wasn't the grand plan what I expected after learning that the world is going to end and that we were very important to prevent it from collapsing.
"Wait, what?!"
I completely shared Percy's sentiment.
"Shouldn't we be training or something?" I asked, "I mean, you just said-"
"I know what I said…" Despite her Goddess status, she was still my mother, and I could tell she was contemplating something… perhaps something dangerous that she didn't want to reveal yet, "Just believe me for now…"
I bit my lips at her reply.
"Like before, I'd like to have Thalia and Jason accompany both of you for your safety, and I am going to ask them to teach you the beginning of some self-defense technique."
The twin brother and sister of Zeus…
I knew firsthand how powerful Thalia was. If someone could materialize a lightning bolt out of thin air and hold it in their bare hands, there shouldn't be any reason to doubt they are very strong.
"But why? I don't understand, mom. What's the use of going back to school if it's not going to help us prepare? What are you really planning?"
For a split second, I saw her nose twitched.
This was the first time where her expression truly dropped and she looked outright terrified, "Just pray that this omen I am getting is nothing more than a false alarm."
Percy and I grew quiet. It seemed Sally was surprised as well.
"But it doesn't matter." Athena recomposed herself, "All I need you two to do is keep up your normal routine. It's the only way I could ascertain something, and it's not going to be easy if things suddenly change."
"Here." She reached into the side drawer and pulled out two necklaces with a single teardrop crystal hanging on the bottom. The thin silver necklace seemed so fragile, but somehow, my senses told it was unbreakable, "Wear this on your necks. It's a tracking beacon that tells me and Owlfred your whereabouts and location. It also functions as a protective charm, similar to the one that Poseidon gave to protect Sally. Once you have it on, it can't be removed without a spell."
Percy and I took it from her hand.
"My whereabouts… Do you mean like everywhere I go? Like the secret map you have in your table?"
"Yes, that's the idea."
Logic and reasoning told me it was a great idea. After all, we were just beginning to learn about this world, and it would be a relief to have eyes watching over us every second, but I just couldn't go along with this plan because… because…
"Um… what's the spell to take it off then?"
Athena sighed and caught onto my tail, "We are not having this conversation, Annabeth."
"But… I- I can't— How can I feel comfortable if you are tracking me everywhere I go?" I questioned and tried to keep a straight face, "It's already bad enough to know you can see where I am twenty-four seven in the mansion, but now you want to know everywhere I go outside too?"
It seemed I'd annoyed her because her Goddess-like persona replaced her motherly persona. She made a frown and narrowed her eyes at me. Her next words were firm, it was a sign that there wouldn't be a discussion, "If all this fussing is because you are worried about you spending some alone time with Percy, then…"
"Ahhh! W-What the heck are you talking about-t? I- I w…wasn't going for t…that…"
It was so obvious I was lying. My mother knew it, Sally knew it, and for better or for worse, even Percy shook his head beside me before he wrapped the necklace around him and clasp it together.
Shiiing.
Of course, my mother wasn't lying. Once on, I could never unclasp it without the specific spell. Every single second, she would be able to tell what I was doing, where I was going, who I was with, maybe even see what I see, so on and on…
I looked pleading at her, "Please…"
Her grey eyes stared into mine until something weaver. She sighed impossibly and relented to my demand. I was surprised by how easy she back down, but definitely wasn't going to complain about it, "I am making a mistake…"
Materializing a piece of small paper out of thin air, she quickly scribbled a set of Greek alphabet or something similar on it and pushed it up the desk. She spoke the words out loud, and suddenly the necklace around Percy fell off.
"Just say this word and the spell will unbind the necklace, but I've to warn you, Annabeth. Don't take it off unless you are absolutely sure you are safe, and please, keep your hormones in control when you do decide to take it off. I am sure you know what I mean."
Percy coughed awkwardly and reattach his necklace.
I bit my lips, took the piece of paper, and secure the necklace around me as well.
"Good." Athena clapped her hand. The world around us went white, but this time it only took a second before my eyesight returned.
Everything went back to normal.
"Now, go and get back to your rooms, you two." Athena said, "I have to visit and deal with the mess at Camp Half-Blood tonight because of the troubles you gave me, sweetie."
She made a face at me and stood up to face the windows of her study. Her hand reached up to push it open, the night skies decorated with bright stars basked the study with its gentle ease.
"Please…" Athena turned to face us again, "I won't always be there to protect you two, and the twins aren't always going to be able to keep you safe. So, promise me that you two will take care of each other. Promise me that, okay?"
Percy and I nodded at the same time. Our hands still grasped tightly with each other.
She sighed in seeming relief, "This has really been a strange Thanksgiving…"
Sharing a look with Sally, Athena smiled one last time and dove out the window. Percy and I jolted and almost screamed when there was a sudden flash of light behind the window sill. A white owl came out of nowhere and flew beyond, disappearing into the night.
I was shocked.
"Well, let's get you two some sleep." Sally said, not even a bit weird out by what my mother just did, "I need to make sure Paul and your brothers are okay too."
A pensive Percy turned to look at his mom, "Do they know?"
Sally shook her head and smiled warmly, "No, Percy… I couldn't tell them even if I wanted to."
Placing a hand on his shoulder, Sally seemingly ignored all other questions we might have and gestured us for the door, "Go on you two… Get some good rest, okay?"
Leaving us at the study's doorway, Sally kissed Percy's forehead once more before she walked down a different path for her room where Paul, Matthew, and Bobby were presumably staying in.
"Good night,"
It was now five in the morning when Percy and I returned to my room. We sat on my bed, unable to say or do anything…
