I want to focus more on Aaron and make him more selfish, I am tired of reading and writing about Heroes... I want a more human character and this is what Aaron is going to be.

This chapter changed not a huge amount but enough that it works. It was one of the best chapters before so it didn't need much. The next chapters will be very different. Look forward to that... also watch the Originals for some perspective on the ideas I have for Mortal magic and how I will be working with it in this series.

"I'll ask again, what the hell is going on" The words slipped out, like soap or honey, startling Sally enough that she swerved slightly to the right slamming Aaron into the side of the car. " Sorry, I just... A satyr, a real life satyr..." He sighed. "I feel like I am going crazy... but I can't deny what I'm seeing."

The Goat boy just looked at him. " I have a name, it's Grover... your taking this really well."

"That or accept that my mind is finally cracking, the choice was easy." He wasn't sure why he felt so suddenly cold but he did, and a little angry that he was being dragged into whatever the hell this all was.

A shock of lightning radiated through the world, it's light revealing the hooves and furry legs. It was a startling sight, but one he was coming to embrace. For whatever reason that odd feeling, where his eyes were trying to ignore the supernatural image, seemed to be fading with each lightning strike. It was like his mind, soul or whatever was coming to fully accept what he was seeing, and even began to embrace it. The Lead around his mind fully melting to free whatever was locked inside. There was even an odd calm peace about it, despite the manic events and terrible storm.

"So, you and my mom... know each other?" Percy's voice was small, but it drew everyone's attention even Sally's though barely as she was keeping a firm eye on the room.

Grover, the genuinely adorable and afraid Satyr, seemed startled as he looked toward the rearview mirror. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we've never met in person. But she knew I was watching you." He gulped and turned to Aaron. " Not you, but Percy... sorry."

"Watching me?"

"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn't faking being your friend," he added hastily, guilt clear in his eyes. "I am your friend."

"Urn ... what are you, exactly?" Percy asked. "

"That doesn't matter right now." Grover's voice was sharp, but there was a pain behind it.

Who's after us?"

"Just the Lord of the Underworld and all of his bloodthirsty minions-"

"GROVER!" Sally's voice bellowed out, pained and commanding enough to fully stop any further conversation from anyone/

For a moment anyway, as with a beautiful defiance Percy looked at his mother. ""It doesn't matter? From the waist down, Mom my best friend is a donkey-"

Grover let out a sharp, throaty "Blaa-ha-ha!" Like the goat he was, Grover made a very familiar sound. "Goat!" he cried.

"Satyrs are goats Percy, not Donkeys. Though Silenus was supposed to ride a donkey... " Aaron words caught there, a wave of something washed through him sending cold heat through his spine. "Wow, what the hell?"

Sally turned to him for a moment. "Your learning to see past the Mist, it prevents us from seeing the magical world. Names have power and your starting to feel that. Be careful." Her words were still sharp but less commanding, more empathetic.

"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like" Percy's voice turned the conversation back to him. "... Mr. Brunner's myths?"

"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?"

"So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodds!"

"Of course."

"Then why-"

"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you'd attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly obvious to all of them, even if made no sense to Aaron. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you'd think the Kindly One was a hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."

"Who I-wait a minute, what do you mean?"

The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind them, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on their trail.

"I think he means that whatever you are was dormant before but knowing what you are is helping you see past this Mist thing... and it is making your traceable. Bout right?" Again he was amazed by how utterly calm he was despite being pissed that he was drawn into this dangerous crap. A numbness was starting to wash over him" Wait... Fruit stand... you said there were three old lad...ladies." Whipping around he almost threw himself out of his seat, to the fear of Grover. "Did he see the Fates?\"Is he going to die?"

He may not know Percy very well, but he seemed nice enough. The idea of him dying was... not quite painful, but it wasn't comfortable either.

Grover and Sally both turned pale but where Sally turned her fear into hardness, pushing on the gas even harder, Grover started sputtering out nonsense that did nothing to dissuade him.

"No, no, nothing like th-"

"Percy, Aaron, please calm down." Sally was near tears, but her voice was strong, "There's too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get to safety, for Percy's sake." She turned to him, and he knew she was looking for his help.

He nodded and without saying a word he gave that help. He would stop antagonizing the situation. For her, for Percy.

"Mrs. Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?"

He couldn't see where they were going, fixing his eyes on Grover, but he felt Sally take a sharp turn.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked, his tone more and more tight and contrite. He was not happy and it was impossible to blame him.

"The summer camp I told you about." Her voice was hard, pained and this side of tears and panic. "The place your father wanted to send you."

"The place you didn't want me to go."

"Please, dear," Sally, to the shock of everyone, begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You're in danger."

"Because some old ladies cut yarn."

He had no choice but to intervene, it was clear that Grover was not good with panic and would just make things worse. Turning more fully to look Percy in the eyes, Aaron looked at him with soft passion. "The Fates Percy, the Goddesses of Life and Death. Even in myths they only appear if someone is going to die. They were a warning and one we need to listen to unlike Meleager's mother. She was warned that her sons' life was tied to a piece of firewood but still she was the one to kill her son by throwing it in the fire. We need to listen and we can be safe... I hope." He was, again, grateful for the weird calm that had settled in his brain, otherwise he might be as panicky as Grover.

Sally pulled the wheel hard to the right, and finally Aaron got to see their pursuer once again. It was massive, taller then the car was long, with many rounded features. Whatever it was, it was terrifying and that was just it's sillouete.

"What was that?" Percy asked, but no one responded.

"We're almost there," Sally chanted, desperate more then ever. "Another mile. Please. Please. Please."

There was a moment where finally no one spoke... then it ended with a massive-

BOOM!

And everything went dark.

...

"-operty line," Sally's voice echoed through the darkness, and Aaron's eyes fluttered open. The world was spinning in the rain, his face a dull ache and he struggled to breath for some reason. He felt her warmth and she helped him stand. He struggled out of her grip, seeing Grover on the other side. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door.

"Mom, you're coming too."

Spitting up blood, appreciating how the rain was washing off the blood that was on his face for some reason. He started to cough, more blood spewing from his lips as he collapsed, pain and dizziness swirled in his head. He ripped his arm, slowly, from Sally's panicked grasp.

"Get up, you have to get up. He'll kill you."

Shaking his head he coughed more and the pain radiated through his nose.

He didn't know how, or why, but he passed out again... the world flitting between swirls of grey and torrents of fuzzy rain soaked images. A hard something rubbed against his back, a warm furry something against his side. Grass, long and sharp brushed against his skin...

Struggling to stand as the memories returned, he tried desperately to see through the rain and blood on his face, but all he could see was a blur of yellow light that filled the world for a moment, and when it faded he heard a haunting word.

"NO!"

It was Percy and he knew, concussion or not, that Sally was the cause. He would have done something, anything but he was too hurt to help, coughing up more blood and actual vomit, he collapsed into the soaked grass. 'Damn, sorry Percy, but whatever happened to me... it's too much, I can't help you.' Then he stopped, his thoughts clearing as something obvious occurred to him. 'Fates... if they exist then... If there are gods, help Percy. Or help me to help him, something. I want to live damn it. I have been through too much.'

He almost faded again when he felt a warm arm on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Percy's voice echoed, like he was sonar underwater, nothing was clear.

Shaking his head, much to the agony of said organ, he spoke. " No... I..." He puked again, collapsing in his own sick.

Percy, who had been the speaker, helped him up and did the same to Grover, who he had been leaning against. "Let's go. I won't let you guys die, random step brother or barnyard animal aside."

Sweet as the sentiment was, within minutes of walking Aaron screamed out as he slammed into what felt like a wall. "I can't..." He reached out, pushing and pushing against something. Percy turned to him, shocked to see his skin actually being pushed away. "It's a barrier of some kind... get help Percy, I'll stay under the tree just.. go..." He turned and walked to the tree, sitting against it roughly as more vomit made it's way up.

How much more did he even have in him?

The world went black as he started to cough, and this time it stayed that way... for good as blood loss and dehydration and concussion took full effect and adrenaline utterly vanished from his veins.

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a lot of fun...

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.