It didn't remember the last time it had been allowed outside, nor the last time it had spoken. It didn't consider itself a human, rather much closer to a beast or a corpse. It twisted slightly, in vain effort to rest comfortably, before what little remaining skin that stretched between shoulders and waist cried out in protest.

'You are meant for so much more, son of the moon.' the voice whispered in its mind. The voice had appeared long ago, promising revenge and freedom from this hell it was stuck in. Voice blamed its mother for the hell It was stuck in, whispered madness of gods and titans and monsters, of scents and, in Voices words, the repulsive sack of flesh and alcohol that trapped It in this tiny room.

It didn't flinch at the sound of the door slamming against the wall, dully recognizing how rushed those steps were, and the slightest hint of liquid sloshing in some container. She was back sooner than usual, and the way she rushed about made it seem like she was panicking.

It felt something cool spill onto its back, before she moved past it, splashing something on every surface in the room. The task sounded rushed, and before long the room was filled with a strange acrid smell. She was muttering while working, though It couldn't understand what she was muttering. She was standing by the door, from what It could tell, when a scratching sound filled the quiet.

"3...2...1!" At the last number, she dropped the match before she slammed the door behind her.

The fire took mere seconds to begin rapidly spreading, and It knew the end was nigh. The flame was rapidly growing beyond control, and so was the hatred and rage that began to fill its body. That rage brought adrenaline and, for the first time in a long time, defiance. It would not give anyone the satisfaction of its quiet death, it would make them pay.

It, He, scrambled to his feet, ignoring the protest of limbs and the pain of flame licking his skin. He threw himself through the window, from the second story apartment and into the alley beside it. Something, he wasn't entirely sure what, brought his landing to a smooth roll onto one knee.
His body was practically a blur as his instincts brought him somewhere, he wasn't quite sure where until he reached his destination.

'Congratulations, son of the moon, you have begun your journey.' Voice was clearer now, louder. 'But every legend has a name, so choose yours, a title so fierce gods will tremble. Now is your time to leave your mark on the world…' Voice cut off there, allowing his statement to soak in, and causing names to rush through his mind.

When the boy spoke, it was raspy, barely audible and undeniably weak.
"Perseus." he rasped, though he didn't need to speak.

'Welcome to the real world, Perseus. You will bring Olympus to its knees, and lead the world to a greater age!'

~a few minutes later~

Perseus clawed at the ground before him, moving dirt and stones into an ever growing pile, enjoying the growing hum of power permeating the air. The constant buzz soaked into his system, creating a feeling of giddy anticipation that made him dig faster.

'You must hurry, Perseus, a deadly foe has caught wind of us.' Voice was completely clear now, carrying an odd sense of urgency for a disembodied entity. That in itself was worrying, so he continued at a faster pace, occasionally warily glancing behind him. He paused when his fingers brushed against something smooth, and hard. He quickly looked down, to be met with a small box with a golden scythe engraved into the surface.

Perseus heaved the small crate from the dirt, examining the strange box from every angle. The box was perfectly smooth, dark material with no obvious creases or locks. At Voice's request, he placed his open palm against the scythe. He flinched when the box began glowing and hissing, before it began to fold in on itself, leaving two strange round things and a hissing tube?

Voice began funneling information into his head. The snake began to calm, crawling up Perseus' arm as he grabbed the pocket watch and amulet. Both were primarily black with gold accents throughout. The watch had an hourglass on the front, while the back had depictions of grain and snakes entwined on its surface. The inside was almost all black, with silver hands and numerals, and a gold scythe glowing eerily in the background.

The amulet was, upon closer inspection, a snake swallowing its own tail.. Each scale was lined with gold, and the eyes were rubies. It seemed painstakingly made, with no detail or expense spared.

'I must leave, my boy. Hide amongst mortals, blend in and trust no one. With the last of my power, I, Kronos, the Titan of time and harvest, claim you as my champion. May your harvests be plentiful, and your skills sure.' the voice, Kronos, tapered off at the end as power erupted outward from Perseus violently.

The burned portions of his face and arms cooled and itched slightly. He slowly brought his hand up to his jaw, feeling the rough and scarred skin left from his burns. He did not feel the contact on his jaw, nor on the burned portions of his arm he brushed with his fingertips.

The snake's hissing brought his thoughts to the present. He shoved the watch in his pocket and slipped the amulet around his neck, while the snake settled across his shoulders. He absently rubbed its head with his finger, walking out towards the buildings.
_

~Back in Time approximately five minutes~

Artemis stared at the spike of power over the New York skyline. Deep gold in color, the waves billowed upward to the sky. The color scared her, few immortals had a golden aura, and that certainly was not her brother. It was too, as hard as it is to believe, flashy for any stunt Apollo would pull. It was eerily close to the claiming of a demigod, yet it seemed older. The smell of old books filled her senses, and she saw Zoe staring at the aura with a look similar to how Artemis felt.

"What is going on, Milady?" Thalia called from somewhere behind, wiping the golden dust off her spear onto the grass. She was ignored, so she walked forward to lightly tap Artemis' shoulder. That drew Artemis from her thoughts.

"Thalia, Zoe, come with me." she murmured, then pivoted to face the others, "Phoebe, you are in charge, set up camp and keep alert until we return."

Artemis then spun around and began to run into the woods, with Zoe shortly behind and Thalia struggling to keep up.

The moment of reprieve wandering through the streets brought Perseus questions. Who was Kronos? Why was he called 'son of the moon'? Where was Olympus, and why would he bring it to its knees? Who was hunting him? How was he supposed to 'blend in'?

He was brought from his thoughts by a harsh collision that sent him to the ground. The man he bumped into sent a sharp glare.

"Shouldn't you be in school, kid?" The man only gave a quick once over before he turned and hurried away, oblivious to the boon he just gave the boy.

School? Wherever that was, Percy was sure he could make it. He spun to look for another stranger, when his gaze landed on someone sitting in, something. He rushed over as the man opened the door and stood.

He nearly reached the metal box when the world spun around him. The world began to darken and the last thing he saw was the ground rushing to meet him.