PERCY
Percy wished he could turn back time.
When he accepted the request of Mr. Brunner, he was expecting that they would simply assist him during the supplementary lessons Mr. Brunner would teach to the kids.
He wasn't expecting to provide some sort of entertainment for the kids as well. When he asked Mr. Brunner why, he simply said: 'Incorporating fun and learning makes learning fun', which Percy understood since he doesn't want to stay in school for hours like a prisoner.
Which made him think that schools were some sort of prison for kids - the classrooms as prison cells and detention as maximum security prison cells, the teachers as jail guards with the principal as the jail warden.
So here he was, at Frank's room, planning on what to do for their 'performance' later.
"So," Frank started. "Shall we ditch Mr. Brunner and the kids?" He asked.
Percy scoffed. "No, silly. We just have to entertain kids. How hard could it get to entertain them?"
"Have you ever tried entertaining kids?" Frank looked at him dubiously.
"Actually, no" Percy frowned but his face somehow lit up. "But kids find anything entertaining right?"
"If you're pertaining to those funny videos that they show at the TV, then yes but I have to remind you that most of them include physical pain" Frank informed before lying down on his bed. "Come to think of it, why they even allow kids to watch those videos?" He thoughtfully asked himself.
"Oh" Percy frowned again. "Like clowns 'accidentally slipping' from banana peels that miraculously appeared out of nowhere"
"No clowns, please. They're creepy" Frank sighed. "I guess we have to add pain then. How about I shoot you with my bow while you are running away, eh?"
"How about I shoot you then, huh?!" Percy glared. Frank simply shrugged.
'Only few hours left. What to do? What to do?' Percy mentally thought as he scanned Frank's room, which he noticed was twice as large as his own room.
He noticed the punching bag attached at the ceiling, a pair of bows with a quiver of arrows lying on the floor, a guitar case, a violin case, a keyboard, and a laptop.
A lightbulb went 'Ding!' in Percy's head as his eyes excitedly yet reluctantly darted back and forth between the musical instruments.
"Yes! That could work!" Percy exclaimed.
Frank sat right up on his bed. "I'm gonna shoot you then?"
"No! What's with you and shooting me with your bow?!" Percy glared while Frank nonchalantly shrugged. "I mean we could use these and perform a song!" He pointed at the intruments resting in a corner.
"Oh! Good idea! I guess Annabeth's rubbing off of you now" Frank clapped Percy's shoulder, but he frowned right after. "Only one problem though. We need to find someone who can sing"
"Easy. Call your friends. Annabeth mentioned that Reyna and Nico sometimes helped, right? Plus, I haven't met them personally yet except the banquet" Percy suggested, hoping that somehow one of Frank's friends could sing.
"Nico can't come since he would be having a date with Will which is currently being set up by Annabeth and Hazel" Frank informed. "Reyna on the other hand..."
"Then call her" Percy said.
"Ah, you see. I once accidentally overheard her sing and she had a great voice-"
"Then that makes things more perfect!" Percy cheered, interrupting Frank.
Frank clicked his tongue. "As I was saying, I accidentally heard her sing and you know what she did?" Frank asked. Percy shook his head. "She punched me in the throat and threatened me that if anyone finds out that she sings, she'll throw me off the cliff and make sure no one can find me, ever"
"She really said that? She's not the threatening type of person" Percy wondered. Yes, he saw Reyna at the banquet but he never had an actual conversation with her. Just a simple 'Hello' and 'Good day'.
Frank asked him to come forward. "Dude, don't tell anyone but I'm more scared of her than my grandmother" He whispered at Percy's ear. "If I would rank what scared me the most, it would be fire, then Annabeth, followed by Reyna, my grandmother and snakes. I could tell you more but I guess we don't have much time"
Percy shivered. He met Frank's grandmother earlier and he had to admit but the old lady scared the hell out of him, especially her massive collection of miniature golden Buddha statues and Taoist immortals that grinned at him like psycho clowns. Huh, maybe that's why Frank thought clowns are creepy.
"I guess we had to find someone who can sing then" Percy sighed. He could volunteer - not that his voice is THAT great but he knows he can sing - but he barely sings to anyone.
"The only one I can think of is Piper but she's currently out of the island so I have no other idea who it could be." Frank suddenly looked at him expectantly. "Unless..."
"Oh no! No, no, no!" Percy backed away. "I can't sing!"
"You suggested that we play some song which gave me an idea that either you can play one of those instruments or you know how to sing, maybe even both" Frank smirked.
"That doesn't even make any sense!" Percy countered. Well, Frank's arguments sound foolproof, but he didn't know how.
"Let's put it this way. Your preferences are decided by your options but we decide to choose an option that we are much more comfortable with" Frank explained but Percy simply stared.
He don't know what this guy had to do with psychology stuff but he decided to ignore it.
"Okay, fine!" Percy sighed. "I can both play and sing but I only sing in private! And I can't sing in public! It's embarras-sing. Get it?" He laughed at his own joke.
"So you do sing! That makes it perfect!" Frank clapped his hands together as he ignored the horrible pun Percy just threw at him. "I'll play the guitar and you'll sing!"
"How about I play the guitar and you'll sing?!" Percy glared. He was still reluctant to perform in front of anyone.
Well, anyone would be nervous to perform in front of strangers. He don't even know how performers manage to steel their nerves.
"I can't sing in public!" Frank protested. "Please!" His eyes pleading for total mercy.
Percy narrowed his eyes at Frank. He remembered the day they went out to the beach to celebrate his acceptance in the ARGO. He remembered the hilarious story of how Frank fainted at the sheer thought of embarrassment.
And if Frank gets flustered enough to faint, that would leave Percy doing both playing the instrument and singing.
Which is much more embarrassing than simply singing.
"Fine. I'll sing but under one condition" Percy sighed.
"Which is?" Frank asked quite excitedly.
"You'll owe me a favor. I don't know when I'll use it but you owe me one" Percy said.
"As long as it doesn't involve murder or any violence at all, then sure. I swear on the River Styx that I would grant Percy Jackson one favor as long as it doesn't involve violence and as long as I can do it. There" Frank grinned.
"What the hell did you just do? I felt like you just initiated me to some kind of cult" Percy frowned, scooting away from Frank.
"Ah, sorry. It just stuck. People on this island took oaths seriously so they swear on the River Styx to fulfill that oath since-"
"Since failure to fulfill an oath to the River Styx could end up with serious punishments even worse than death" Percy finished.
"Hey! You know Greek Mythology! You'll fit right in this island!" Frank grinned.
"Well, My name is Perseus so I looked up where that came from then ta-da! Greek Mythology at your face!" Percy laughed.
"Did you also learn how to read Ancient Greek?"
"Shut up" Percy shoved Frank's shoulder. Frank simply laughed.
"Anyways, what song shall we play?" Frank asked.
"They're young kids. Of course we'll play nursery rhymes!"
-X-
When the time came for them to meet Mr. Brunner and the kids, Percy's hands were already sweating.
"Are you sure about this, Percy? I think shooting you with my bow is much better" Frank's hands were trembling slightly.
"Enough with the fucking bow" Percy muttered, not wanting any of the kids to hear him swear.
"Language" Frank muttered back.
"And now, we'll have Mr. Jackson and Mr. Zhang perform you a song. Come on" Mr. Brunner mentioned them to come forward which they followed.
"Hey! You're the one who was hit with a shoe on the face!" A kid said. Percy's eye twitched in irritation.
"Is it true that you drool in your sleep?" Another twitch.
"And you have seaweed as your brain?" Another twitch.
"And -"
Before another comment was said, Percy glared at them. "Lister here, you-"
"I-I think we'll had to have a last minute preparation" Frank smiled at the kids as he gently pushed Percy behind the huge tree.
"What were you thinking?! They're kids! You aren't supposed to shout at them!" Frank reprimanded him in an ushered tone, probably not wanting the kids to hear them.
"I'm sorry if that's how you were raised but back in the hell hole I called -" Percy suddenly paused, his eyes widening for a small fraction.
He almost let the past that he decided to leave behind catch up to him.
The past he and his mom escaped from.
The past they never wanted to return to.
"What?" Frank asked, his eyebrows raised worriedly.
"Nothing. The kids must be waiting. Let's go" Percy pulled Frank who simply stared at him worriedly.
Damn it.
"I'm sorry I got a little fired up back there. Anyways, let's begin. Frank?" Percy called.
"Huh?" Frank asked absentmindedly.
"Guitar" Percy pointed his thumb at the direction where the guitar case rested.
"Oh" Frank snapped out of his thoughts as he grabbed the said guitar.
"So, shall we begin?"
-X-
Percy knew his voice shook during the first lines of their first song - which was a nursery rhyme, don't ask what - but as they continued, his nervousness faded away, only to be replaced by happiness; he felt happy that his talent gave joy to those kids.
He simply waved at the kids - who waved back at him - who were now on their way to their homes.
As soon as heard the lock of the guitar case click, he turned only to see Frank staring at the tree behind Percy.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but is that Leo and Piper?" Frank pointed at the direction where he saw them.
Percy squinted where Frank was pointing and after a few seconds, he saw Leo and Piper trying hard to hide themselves behind a tree. Why they decided to both hide in the same tree, he did not know. But he also noticed a bush of curly red hair and he almost gasped.
"They were supposed to fetch this Rachel girl right?" He asked Frank who simply nodded, his eyes not leaving the tree.
"So, does this Rachel girl have red curly hair?" A nod from Frank.
"Green eyes?" Another nod.
"Freckles on the face?" Yet, another nod.
"Daughter od the CEO of the Dare Enterprise?" Another nod.
"Oh gods" Percy paled. "I think I knew her"
"Everone knows her. She's quite famous" Frank pointed out, his eyes still looking at the trio.
"I mean, I knew knew her" Percy elaborated.
"Huh?" Frank frowned.
"I think we were classmates before"
-X-
It turned out that it really was Rachel Elizabeth Dare, mostly known as RED by her, no, their classmates in Goode.
"I knew Frank played the guitar but I didn't know you could sing, Percy!" Leo grinned.
Frank narrowed his eyes at Leo. "How did you - Were you spying on me again?"
"W-Well" Leo averted his gaze and began to whistle while pointing at the trees. "Wow! That's a big, healthy tree! I think this tree is quite new to this area, don't you?"
"Valdez!" Frank growled as he ran after Leo.
"I'll make sure no blood will be shed" Piper sighed as she followed after them.
"So, this is where you disappeared into" Rachel took a seat beside Percy, who was sitting on the grass, staring at the stunning sunset that started to melt away the blue sky with its warm orange hue. "I heard the news. About you step-father, I mean"
"Rachel, please -"
"I understand Percy, well, not exactly. I know how it feels. The frustration of wanting to be free. I wish I am as brave as you" Rachel smiled at him sincerely.
"I'm still thinking that this is a dream. You know, it's too good to be true" Percy said.
"This island is called Elysium for a reason" Rachel chuckled. "Every year I visit this island hoping that someday, I'll be able to stay here permanently"
"Hey, Rachel. Can I ask you a favor?" Percy sincerely asked.
"Hm?"
"Can you keep everything you know about me as a secret?" Percy pleaded.
"They don't know yet?" Rachel asked. Percy solemnly nodded.
"You know you'll have to tell them soon. Knowing Annabeth, she'll crack you like a nut using a jack hammer" Rachel laughed.
"A jack hammer? Really?" Percy raised an eyebrow at Rachel, who laughed even more.
"When will you tell them about Gabe?" Rachel asked.
"Do they really have to know about Gabe? He's behind bars for fuck's sake!" Percy sneered at the setting sun, as if it was the sun's fault that Gabe became his step-father.
"Just saying" Rachel stared at the setting sun. "Isn't it wonderful? How we appreciate the sun at its rise and fall but not at its peak just like most people? How most people are only celebrated at their birth and their death?"
"That was... deep" Percy commented. He don't know what Rachel meant but he knew it came from the bottom of her heart so he simply decided to hear her out. Plus, this side of Rachel was new to him.
"Ignore what I said" Rachel shrugged.
"Actually, I have a favor to ask you" Percy said. "Can you pretend that you only know me at school as classmates? That you don't know anything about my past?"
Rachel pondered for a moment, starting at the wonderful sunset on the horizon. Percy knew Rachel was pretty but the colors from the setting sun accentuated her beauty.
But Percy can't feel any romantic connection with her.
Because he knew that Rachel deserves someone better than him.
"If that so," Rachel stood up and offered him a hand. "Good afternoon! My name's Rachel. What's yours?" She smiled.
Percy chuckled. "I didn't say you don't know me but I think this will do" He accepted Rachel's hand and stood up as well. "Good afternoon, Rachel. My name's Percy"
-X-
Annabeth informed them to give her a status report so Percy found himself at Piper's place once again - well, after escorting Rachel to her home.
"Retrieval of Rachel Dare and Thalia Grace is a success, baby! Team Leo for the win!" Leo cheered. He danced around in his spot which looked like some sort of ritual for raising the dead.
"Retrieval? It sounded like their body was buried somewhere" Hazel frowned.
"Now that you said it..." Leo's smile faltered.
"Mr. Brunner's request was a success" Frank informed. Percy sighed. Good thing Frank didn't mention his sudden outburst back there.
"If you only heard Percy sing, I'm swear you'll swoon over him. But alas, the McShizzle's voice is far more -"
"Inferior" Piper finished for Leo, her eyes rolling.
"Hey! You heard me sing 'Let it go' yesterday and I have to say that it was way better than his" Leo smirked.
"So you mean Percy's voice is non-existing since I'm sure there's no such thing worse as horrible" Jason tried not to smile.
Leo glared at Jason. "I hate you"
"I had to admit, Percy could sing unlike him" Frank pointed at Leo.
Leo glared at Frank. "I hate you too"
"Honestly, you should hear him sing." Piper added.
Leo glared at Piper. "I hate you too"
"What?! I did not insult you!" Piper sneered.
Leo blinked. "You didn't?"
"Can you sing for us, Percy?" Hazel's eyes twinkled.
Percy gulped. "Uh..."
Annabeth met his gaze and she smiled. "Maybe next time"
Percy mouthed her a 'Thank you' before he smiled.
It could have been his imagination but Annabeth's cheeks slightly blushed.
"Anyways, Will's date with Nico is a huge succeess, as expected" Annabeth beamed.
"You should have seen the look on Nico's face" Hazel giggled. "Now I can blackmail him"
Everyone gasped.
"I never knew you have this evil side, Ms. Levesque!" Leo rubbed his hands excitedly. "Together with the Stolls, we can rule this world!"
"But I don't want to be an elf!" Hazel cried. Leo's eye twitched.
Jason and Piper choked. "Sucks to be you, Leo"
"Why do you even need to blackmail Nico?" Annabeth asked.
"Nico eats all the chicken nuggets, and dad is blaming me! Now I'm banned from the fridge for a month because of him!" Hazel crossed her arms on her chest. "With this, I can force him to admit the truth! Hahahaha!" She laughed liked how evil queens laughs.
"You know," Piper said after a few moments of silence. "Go back to the sweet, innocent lady that you are, Ms. Levesque. Your ears are getting pointy" She pointed at Hazel's ears.
"Really?!" Hazel gasped. "No, no, no, no, no!" Her hands clasped her ears.
"Calm down, Hazel. What Piper said isn't true but the evil persona doesn't suit you at all" Annabeth said. Hazel reluctantly sighed. "Anyways, as we agreed, we'll be joining Percy tomorrow"
"For what exactly?" Percy wondered.
Annabeth glared at him. "You forgot already?! First, you're a seaweed brain and now you have a memory of a goldfish?"
"Excuse you, Annabelle, but I, Perry Johnson, don't have a memory of a goldfish" Percy wiggled his eyebrows teasingly.
Leo shivered. "Whoa there! You remind me of Mr. D"
"Mr. Who?" Percy asked.
"It's Mr. D, not Mr. Who, Aquaman" Leo grinned.
"I mean who is Mr. D?" Percy wondered.
"Tomorrow, you'll see" Annabeth grinned.
-X-
Author's note: I know I said we'll pick things up after Piper's cycle but Percy's cycle important for the plot, especially next chapter.
So I'll have to apologize.
Anyways, I accidentally made Rachel quite philosophical. Oops.
P.S. I had this headcannon that Frank would be good with string instruments since his last name 'Zhang' meant 'Master of the Bow', and bows and string instruments are used the same way: manipulating the string to achieve desired result, so yeah.
P.P.S. This is Percabeth. Ignore the Perachel hints.
P.P.S. I don't know what to add more in this AN. LOL
P.P.P.S. Actually, there is one. This chapter is written with Fanfiction's mobile app so some typographical errors could be present. Sorry.