In which Julius has to change his plans- and Percy's getting pretty nervous. Also, defensive Carter for all of you! And Currently my plan is for Perachabeth, but I will open a poll.
Percabeth:
Perachel:
Pipercy:
Other: (Say who)
Replies:
Ryan Fowler: Percy, "Hey, Sadie- I have an idea-" Carter, from the other side of the house "I sense something wrong- PERCY! SADIE! NOOOOOOO!" Sadie, "LET'S BLOW SHIT UP!"
The Official Clarisse: Maybe, I always read it more as warnings- Zeus won in the fights and there was no victor at that stage. And yeah, Fuck the Fausts and Julius is sorta up to the same thing- his reasons are slightly different and he didn't want to involve the kids in it- hence his plans to take them home to Sally. And Sadie's acting out because she's understandably jealous- you'll get to see her point of view fairly soon.
JjlovesPJO: She will, it just takes a bit of time.
Guest: Oh yeah- we'll get to see reactions- it'll be very fun. It's just not happening for a while yet. And Sadie and Carter will find out fairly soon- you'll have to wait and see for a lot of it obviously.
Globetrotter: I have no plans for it at the moment.
Guest: I mean I am somewhat open to suggestions- relationships won't be a thing for a while but I can start a poll. And if people want others to be genderbent they will also need to let me know. And I actually have cute plans regarding that.
Guest: I know- and don't worry I love my Luke, but canon Luke is a total dick if we're all being honest. And it'll go very differently- you will all hate Luke by the end of this.

The journey to the museum was a tense one, to say the least.

They stopped at Cleopatra's Needle on Julius' command and he ushered the three children out of the car, Carter wrapping an arm around Percy- it was raining now- and she'd forgotten her jacket- sure she was wearing a nice and thick blue sweater that had been warm enough for the day, but it wasn't waterproof.

As if reading her mind Carter shrugged off his own jacket, draping it over Percy's shoulders as they followed their dad and Sadie, and Julius was stood staring up at the monument, an almost lost look on his face.

Sadie let out a frustrated noise, "God, do we have to stop for every monument dad?"

"I had to see it again." his voice was distant, "I had to see it- where it happened. "

Percy felt Carter shift beside her, his arm still rubbing her shoulder to help keep her warm. "What dad?" His voice was curious, confused, "What happened
here?"

"The last place I saw her." and Percy's eyes widened as Carter stiffened and Sadie stopped pacing, glancing at Carter and Percy with an uncertain scowl on her lips.

"Hang on. Do you mean mum?"

And Julius reached out, brushing Sadie's hair behind her ear.

Percy felt colder than ever, like she was intruding- like this moment wasn't for her. She shouldn't be there. This should be just for Carter and Sadie.

"You're telling us she died here?" Carter's voice sounded smaller than it usually did. "At Cleopatra's Needle? What happened?"

Their dad didn't answer, he looked away, and Percy felt the urge to hug him.

"Dad!" Sadie protested. "I go past this every day, and you mean to say—all this time—and I didn't even know?"

"Do you still have your cat?" Julius asked her suddenly, his gaze focusing on Sadie again.

"Of course I've still got the cat!" she said. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"And your amulet?"

Sadie's hand moved to her neck- and Percy noticed Carter doing the same- she knew that they both had amulets too, Carters was the Eye of Horus and Sadies was a Tyet.

Carter looked surprised when Sadie nodded- though Percy wasn't- it made sense. It was one of the few things Sadie had that would connect her to her father.

"Course I have it, Dad, but don't change the subject. Gran's always going on about how you caused Mum's death. That's not true, is it?"

Percy winced- it wasn't fair that she knew more about Carter and Sadies mom's death than they did- but she did- she knew that they'd summoned Bast, that the cat Goddess was currently Sadie's cat. That the evil they'd been trying to stop from rising when they'd freed her, when Ruby had died, would rise again.

"The night your mother died," my father started, "here at the Needle—"

A sudden flash illuminated the embankment.

Percy let out a sharp gasp, two figures had appeared out of nowhere: a tall pale man with a forked beard and wearing cream-colored robes, and a coppery-skinned girl in dark blue robes and a headscarf—the kind of clothes Percy had seen hundreds of times in Egypt. They were just standing there side by side, not twenty feet away, watching the family. Then the light faded. The figures melted into a fuzzy after image.

"Um..." Sadie said nervously. "Did you just see that?"

"Get in the cab," their dad said quickly, pushing the three kids toward the curb. "We're out of time. Damn it I won't have time to get you to the hotel, they'll catch up with us- I didn't want to do this but I suppose there's no choice. You'll have to come with me."

From that point on, he clammed up.

"This isn't the place to talk," he said, glancing behind them. He'd promised the cabbie an extra ten pounds if he got them to the museum in under five
minutes, and the cabbie was doing his best.

"Dad-" Carter's voice was almost desperate, "Those people at the river-"

"And that guy you were talking to." Sadie piped up, "What's going on. Are they Egyptian police or something?"

"It's them isn't it?" the last run in they'd had with the Per Ankh hadn't gone well- Percy's hand moved to her left side- she didn't have many scars- one through her right eyebrow from the beating Gabe had given her- it was her one clear memory of him, and one on her left side from going flying through a window when someone from the House had caught up with her and her dad.

Julius had nearly killed them he was so angry that she'd been caught in the crossfire.

"Wait?" Carter's eyes widened, "Wait Percy do you know them-"

"No she doesn't." Julius' voice was sharp, "Percy hasn't seen them before."

"Oh come on!" Sadie snapped the words, "She knows something doesn't she-"

"Percy-" Carter looked hurt, "You don't keep secrets from me-"

"Percy hasn't done anything wrong." Julius' voice was sharp "Everything Percy has done has been because I told her to. Do not try and bully your sister into-"

"She's not my sister." Sadie interrupted, "She's your stupid wife's daughter-"

"Hey!" Carter went from curious and confused to defensive in an instant, "Mom-"

"She's not your mum!" Sadie snapped, "Mum's dead-"

"SADIE!" Julius shouted the name, "That was uncalled for. Your mother wouldn't begrudge Carter calling Sally mom and she would be happy- I know that you've had issues with my relationship but now is not the time to argue about it. The three of you are all my children. Yes Percy has been keeping secrets but she did not do it to spite either of you, she did it because she understood the importance of it- once tonight is over I will explain everything to you."

"So she gets to know everything and we don't even though we're you're real kids-" and Percy flinched because that stung. She'd never felt anything other than loved by her dad- and she knew he was her dad in all the ways that mattered- in all ways other than blood. But gods being told that he wasn't her dad hurt.

"Hey!" Carter's eyes narrowed, "That's just cruel!"

"Sadie stop it." Julius' voice was much sharper, and Sadie flinched, her eyes going wide- clearly she wasn't used to him using that tone on her. But then he'd always been soft on the child he rarely got to see- even Percy, who was well aware that he doted on her, had been on the receiving end of that tone more than once- though usually it was during her training or when they were running from agents of the House of Life.

"But dad-"

"You are being unfair- none what is going on is Percy's fault." Julius' voice was incredibly sharp, "I made her promise to keep certain secrets. In some ways I've been much more unfair to Percy than I have been to either of you- and I will explain everything to you. But what we are doing tonight is vitally important." his gaze met Percy's for a second and she swallowed hard and gave a small nod- remembering his words the night before. "And I am going to need all three of you to help me tonight now- I didn't expect them-" he shook his head, "It doesn't matter. The choice has been taken from us. Help me do what needs to be done and I will tell you everything- but if we don't do this..." Julius shook his head,"Then I fear for the world."

"Dad-" Sadie shifted slightly- and she looked about as scared as Percy felt, "You sound kinda-"

"Crazy?" Carter finished, pulling Percy into his side. "What's going on dad?"

"I will explain later." Julius let out a breath, "There's no more time to explain. We're here."

And when Percy glanced out of the window she let out a breath because sure enough they were coming to a halt in front of a large impressive stone building, with pillars and carved fronts that Percy would usually admire, but as they were bundled out of the car all Percy could do was glance around nervously, looking for people ready to attack them- she had a bad feeling that she was starting to figure out what he was planning- and if she was right the House would definitely want to stop them.

"Right children." Julius spoke as soon as they were all bundled out of the car, Percy clutching Carters still wet jacket tightly around her shoulders. "Just follow my lead. And when we meet the curator, act normal."

"Dad." Percy managed a weak smile, "Remember who you're talking to here-"

"Ah yes." Julius' lips twitched, "You know what I mean Persephone, normal by most peoples standards- not like that time in Cairo- I don't think the curator there ever got over the trauma-"

"What?"

"You were with Sally." Julius shook his head, "Percy and I got in a spot of trouble. Now-" Julius leaned into the cab, handing the driver a wad of cash before he glanced at Percy, handing her four small stones with hieroglyphs on them. "Go on."

And Percy flushed with pride at that- at the sign of trust, and she tossed them into the back of the taxi, murmuring under her breath, and she was pulled back quickly as Julius added, "Keep driving, take us to Chelsea." and when the driver sped off Percy felt a rush of pride as she saw four figured in the back of the taxi- and Julius patted her shoulder with a soft murmur, "Good job sweetheart."

"Dad-" Carter's voice was stunned, "What-"

"London cabs don't stay empty very long," he said matter-of-factly. "Come along, kids."

He marched off through the wrought iron gates, and Percy followed him quickly, glancing back when she saw that Carter and Sadie were hesitating.

"C'mon you two."

"What's going on?"

"I'm not even sure I want to know." Carter muttered the words.

"Well you can stay out here in the cold if you like but I'm not leaving here without an explanation, especially if dad trusts the nine year old with it- If she's not scared I'm not."

"Who, me?" Percy snorted, "I'm never scared-" well, she was, very much, but no way was she going to admit that to Sadie of all people. "C'mon. Dad wants us."

"Yeah yeah." Sadie reached Percy, grabbing her arm, "Let's go then- you best not slow us down shorty."

"Hey!" but Percy let Sadie drag her along as Carter took off after them and they followed their dad, who was already at the steps, where two security guards and a man who had to be the curator were stood talking to him.

Percy pulled her arm free and took off quickly, partially because she wanted to be with her dad and partially to make a point to Sadie that she could be just as fast as them even if she was shorter than Carter and Sadie- it wasn't her fault that Sadie was really tall. "Dr. Kane!" The curator was a greasy little dude in a cheap suit. I'd seen mummies with more hair and better teeth. He shook their dad's hand like he was meeting a rock star. "Your last paper on Imhotep—brilliant! I don't know how you translated those spells!"

"Im-ho-who?" Sadie muttered, and Percy answered quickly.

"Imhotep. High priest-"

"And architect." Carter added as he joined them, "Some say he was a magician. Designed the first step pyramid. You know."

"Don't know," Sadie said. "Don't care. But thanks."

"You literally asked." Percy huffed, rolling her eyes as Julius spoke to the curator, thanking him for hosting them on a holiday before he reached back, laying a hand on Carter's shoulder. "Dr. Martin, I'd like you to meet Carter, Sadie, and Percy."

"Ah, your son obviously, and-" the curator paused as he looked at the two girls, "and these young ladies?"

"We're his daughters." Percy piped up- she was used to that- unless Sally was with them people tended to question it- when she was with them they didn't but still- and Percy glanced at Sadie- at least Percy knew that it was because she wasn't biologically related to Carter or their dad- it must be even harder for Sadie having people question it.

The curators stare went blank for a moment and Carter scowled slightly, but he shook himself slightly and smiled widely a moment later, "Yes, yes of course. Right this way Dr. Kane. We're very honored."

As he spoke the security guards locked the doors behind them, and one of them reached for Julius' workbag- but she shook his head with a tight smile- Percy couldn't blame him, she knew he kept his wand and staff in there, it was easier than having to constantly reach into the Duat. "Ah- no thank you." he gripped it so hard his knuckles turned white, "I'll keep this thank you."

And then they were being ushered through the halls, the guards staying in the foyer as they followed the curator into the Great Court. It was ominous at night. Dim light from the glass-domed ceiling cast crosshatched shadows across the walls like a giant spiderweb. Their footsteps clicked on the white marble floor.

Julius' voice was steady, "The stone?"

And Percy felt as if the air had been sucked from her lungs- there was only one stone she could think of that they could be going to see. And Percy swallowed very hard. Well, it was bound to have a fair bit of power in it- and gods but she hoped her dad knew what he was doing if he was planning on using the Rosetta stone to release one of the gods.