Percy led Theseus back to the pavilion for dinner, where the daily feast had already been laid out on the table. They joined the line and filled their plates with food. At the end of the line, Theseus walked past the offering brazier in the middle of the pavilion and started looking for a place to sit.
"Hey, you're forgetting something," Percy called to him. Theseus turned to watch Percy mumble something under his breath and scrape part of his plate into the fire.
"What was that for?" Theseus asked.
"An offering for the gods," Percy explained. "You better do it if you don't want to be set on fire or something."
Theseus followed suit, scraping off a portion of his meal into the brazier. "I'd like to see them try."
"You're really new to all this demigod stuff, aren't you?" Percy asked.
Theseus stared at him. "Yes."
Percy took this as an opportunity to explain how the seating worked during meal times and a couple of other camp rules that came to mind. He explained how, because Theseus hadn't been claimed yet, he's welcome to sit anywhere he wants and offered him a seat at the Poseidon table.
"You positive? I'm not going to be blasted by Poseidon himself for sitting at his precious table?" Theseus asked, his tone serious and less sarcastic.
Percy eyed him carefully. "Yeah. You have nothing to worry about. If anything, it gets pretty lonely sometimes. Come on." He took his plate and sat down at the Poseidon table, motioning for Theseus to join him. "Maybe I can fill you in on anything else about camp that you're confused on too."
Theseus took his plate and sat down across from Percy. Facing Percy at the table, he had to admit that it was like looking in the mirror. He wondered for a few moments what their brotherly relationship would look like if Poseidon hadn't locked him up for all those years. Would they become close friends who stuck together 24/7? Would they have fought each other every other day but then make up a few hours later as normal siblings do? Would they have gone on quests together, fighting side by side, defeating the enemy? Theseus grit his teeth at the thought of what he could've had. He took off his backpack and set it beside him on the bench, "I noticed earlier on my tour around camp that some of you clean up around here," he started, trying to distract himself from these unwanted thoughts, "Do we all have chores? If so, that's not something I'd appreciate. I came here to train, not clean up after people."
Percy laughed a little. "Yeah, it kinda sucks, but everyone's gotta do it. Just try and stay on everyone's good side, or you might get stuck cleaning the bathrooms."
Theseus' lip twitched in annoyance, "Tsk. Alright." He took a few bites out of a BBQ hot wing until there was nothing left but the bone. Without warning, Theseus changed the direction of their conversation, "So, what's your mother like? Is she nice?" He set down the meatless wing and picked up another one to tear away at while he awaited Percy's response. Theseus knew he was asking Percy a very personal question, especially for someone he just met, but that didn't bother him one bit. He wanted information and wasn't afraid to be forthright to get it. Growing up, Poseidon never said a word about who or where his mother was. Every time young Theseus brought the topic of her into a conversation, Poseidon would become displeased and annoyed. He expected the same from Percy.
Percy paused chewing and stared at Theseus for a moment. Seeing his own face reflected at him was so disconcerting that the seemingly innocuous question took on a more suspicious tone, especially considering the attention Theseus had paid to the photo earlier at the cabin. Finally, he replied, "She's great? I like her. But she's my mom, so..."
"So? Just because she's your parent doesn't mean you're forced to like them. I've never met my mother. My father raised me, but even then, he was terrible to live with." Theseus inhaled the rest of his wings, leaving his plate empty and full of chicken bones. He felt a chill go down his spine like several pairs of eyes were watching him. Without moving his head, he looked behind Percy and noticed the stares he was getting from the other campers. He leaned in closer to Percy, "This isn't going to stop anytime soon, is it? The staring." He was worried that this much attention might delay his plan, for he's too much of a target right now.
Percy shook his head, looking around at the rest of the campers, many of whom averted their eyes when he met their gazes. "It's not every day someone's doppelganger wanders up to the dining pavilion in the middle of lunch. Usually, stuff like that means something bad is about to happen."
Theseus chuckled lightly, "Don't worry. I'm just any other demigod wanting to find a safe place to stay. Nothing bad about that." He didn't actually find any part of what Percy said funny; he only figured that if he was going to get close to him, he should act like he wasn't a threat. He grabbed the empty goblet that was already on the table before they sat down and looked inside to find it filling up with ice-cold water. He took a few gulps of it to wash out the bbq taste in his mouth. Once he set it down on the table, the goblet refilled itself with more water. Theseus took a liking to this magical object so much that he thought about stealing it for himself for a moment.
The rest of the meal passed without incident. The two exchanged casual discussions until finally, it was time for the nightly campfire. As Percy walked with Theseus to the campfire area, he couldn't keep his mind from speculating about this new camper and his history. Despite their numerous similarities, Percy felt vaguely reassured by his conversations with Theseus that they could not both be sons of Poseidon and that their obvious resemblance was nothing but a crazy coincidence.
There are at least six people in the world who look exactly like you. Percy reminded himself of a fun fact that he was sure he had picked up from Annabeth at some point. Still, something about the situation made him nervous. He hoped that the relaxing atmosphere of the campfire would soothe him, counteract the tension of the scene earlier in his cabin, and hopefully provide some answers.
"You might even get claimed by your godly parent tonight," he whispered to Theseus as they walked up. "That's pretty exciting. You'll finally know who your mom is."
The fire was just starting up when they walked up, and the clearing was beginning to fill with campers. Hazel and Frank sat together on a log and waved when Percy and Theseus walked in. Nico, characteristically, was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh," Theseus mumbled, the posture in his shoulders slumping down with uncertainty. "Can they do that?" he questioned. He wasn't a fan of the idea that Poseidon could potentially know his recent location and therefore 'claim' him, leaving his evil plan exposed to the camp.
"Well," Percy frowned slightly. "They're supposed to, but they don't always do it right away. You can't tell the gods what to do." Percy sighed and clapped Theseus' shoulder in the well-known gesture of it'll be okay, buddy. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. We'll find out who your parent is."
Theseus nodded as he finally understood that not even the other gods have time for their children. However, Percy is a constant reminder to him that there's always the one child that sticks out the most, the favorite, who receives all the attention and support. His lip twitched downward into a frown, "I would rather they didn't," he muttered. He followed behind Percy to the sitting area where two unfamiliar campers sat on a log, waving the two of them over.
"Hey! Welcome new guy!" Frank greeted Theseus by standing up and extending his hand forward for a handshake. He met Theseus' eyes, causing a chill to go down his spine. Something told him that this kid was bad news, even though he looked like their hero Percy.
Theseus looked down at his bulky hand, "Uh, yeah. Thanks." He awkwardly grabbed his hand and shook it, "Theseus. And you are?"
"Frank Zhang. Son of Mars."
"Mars?" Theseus asked since he wasn't up to date with the whole Roman thing.
"Ares. Mars is the Roman side." Frank explained.
"The gods have a Roman side? Every single one?" Theseus asked, genuinely surprised. He wondered what Poseidon's Roman side was like and whether or not that version of him would have kept him locked up for most of his life.
"Yeah, the Roman side is usually meaner and scarier," Percy replied.
"The Roman gods are just more in touch with their warlike sides," Hazel piped up from her seat, giving Percy a disapproving glance. She stood up next to Frank and extended her own hand to Theseus. "I'm Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto. Welcome to camp."
Theseus was more comfortable shaking Hazel's hand, "And Pluto is...?"
"The Roman side of Hades!" Hazel sat back down on the log and patted next to her. "Do you guys have a seat yet? You can sit with us."
"Interesting," Theseus commented as he gladly took the seat beside her. He didn't fully understand the existence of other gods but was able to study up on some of them during his time on the run. "And Hades is the god of the underworld, correct?"
Hazel nodded.
"Super cool guy," Percy muttered, also taking a seat. "We go way back."
"I will admit, he's not really the fatherly type," Hazel laughed.
"That's enough talk about the god of the dead. I feel like he's listening in on us the more we mention him," Frank said, looking around like he'll find Hades staring back at him. "Anyways, Theseus, do you know who your godly parent is?" he asked, wanting to switch the conversation as fast as he could. "Hopefully not Hades."
"Watch what you say, or he might smite you," Hazel joked and kicked at Frank's leg playfully.
"He doesn't know yet," Percy replied for Theseus. "But! We are keeping an open mind that he will find out tonight, right Theseus?" He nodded encouragingly.
Theseus tried to smile but couldn't force one out even if he wanted to, "Yeahh," he dragged out UNenthusiastically. He crossed his fingers, "Hoping for the best," he chuckled awkwardly.
"Don't be nervous," Hazel said gently. "I was kind of shocked to be claimed by the god of the dead, but it still felt better to know for sure, to have some closure. I'm sure it will be the same for you."
"Maybe we can guess," Percy suggested, turning to look at Theseus better. "Do you have any memories of your mom? Or feelings? Or weirdly specific interests or hobbies?"
Theseus shook his head, "As I said, I never met my mother. No feelings, no memories, and definitely no hobbies."
"Maybe we can guess based on looks?" Frank offered, "But I guess that won't really work since he looks exactly like Percy." He thought for a moment, "Are you sure your mom is the godly parent?"
Theseus scoffed, "I wish she wasn't. Maybe then my father wouldn't have been around to screw with my life. For sixteen years of my life, my father manipulated me and locked me up so that I wouldn't see the light of day. He fed me lies. No one knew I existed. The worst part is that I actually believed the things he told me. It wasn't until I gained the courage to go through his things that made me find out the truth. I managed to escape after that, and he hasn't been able to find me since. I've been living on my own for the past two years, and it wasn't until then did I find out I was a demigod." (liar) He finished his sob story, hoping that would be enough to satisfy these people. He didn't want them asking any more questions about where he came from, mainly because he didn't have the energy to come up with more lies. He intentionally tried to tell them personal information to feel too uncomfortable to question him further.
The group was silent for a minute, effectively stunned by Theseus' traumatic story. Finally, Hazel patted Theseus' hand softly and said, "You're safe now."
Theseus looked down at her, unfamiliar with the sudden act of compassion, "Yes. I know." He slowly removed his hand from under hers. He placed it in his jacket pocket, hidden away from any other unsolicited acts of touching.
After the traditional camp songs and general gossiping, the campfire began to die down to just a pile of glowing embers. The whole night, Percy had found himself feeling exceptionally on edge, glancing over every few seconds to check the air over Theseus' head for a radiant, glowing wheat bushel or peacock or something that might give a clue to Theseus' godly parentage. Still, nothing came, and soon the clearing began to empty as all the claimed campers slowly separated to their respective cabins for the night.
Percy showed Theseus to the Hermes cabin, feeling the inexplicable need to apologize for what he assumed was as stressful and disappointing an evening for the newcomer as it had been for him. Finally, he returned to the empty Poseidon cabin and prepared to go to sleep.
Theseus was given an empty cot to claim as his own. After curfew was set in place, Theseus lay awake in bed, waiting for the moment when everyone fell into a deep slumber so that he could slip out into the night unnoticed. A few hours after midnight, the breathing in the cabin became a chorus of long snores, and Theseus deemed it safe to enact his plan. Silently he slipped out of the cabin, careful not to trip over any number of random objects covering the floor.
Thankfully no one was out at this time of night, but still, he kept to the shadows to avoid detection as he made his way to the Poseidon cabin.
Ever since he heard about his famous younger brother, Theseus had felt envious of Percy and the life he led. While Theseus was a mere runaway unaccustomed to life on land in the twenty-first century, Percy was a literal hero, savior of the world, and a prime candidate for immortality. Percy was his full brother. His little brother. That should have been Theseus in his place.
So one night, he made a plan. Remove the thorn in his side and claim the glory for himself. For many hours, he had stared up at the night sky above him, putting an ephemeral cloud of ideas into a coherent masterplan to guarantee supremacy. Percy was Poseidon's favorite, the little hero, but what would he be without his title and the respect it afforded him? What was Theseus right now? An outcast. A villain.
Step one: discredit Percy Jackson. What good is a hero if no one can trust him?
It didn't take long before Theseus stood outside the door to the Poseidon cabin, bathed in moonlight from above as Percy slept inside.
Percy Jackson, he thought, you won't realize it, but after tonight your life will never be the same. He silently tried the door handle, the outcome not surprising him; it was locked. He snuck around the cabin, following the lake, for he remembered how the cabin opened directly into the lake, making the cabin front door locked all the less secure. He scoffed. This is going to be easy, he thought as he carefully made his way around on the ledge of the cabin and leaped onto the wooden dock that connected with the inside.
He took a step inside, the wooden floor creaking beneath his feet. His body froze, and his breathing stopped, the only sound coming from the lapping waves of the lake against the wooden pillars of the dock. Several seconds went by before he deemed it safe to continue inside, his eyes glued to Percy, who was sound asleep in his bed.
He reached Percy's bedside unnoticed, his eyes glaring down at Percy's peaceful resting face. His gaze shifted lower to the beaded, leather necklace around Percy's neck. He silently leaned over him, his face inches away from Percy's, his eyes dark and vacant. I could kill you right now. You wouldn't feel a thing. Theseus taunted. He continued to blankly stare at him as his mind raced with thoughts. You're nothing compared to me. I should be the one who gets the praise, the fame, the glory, all of it. You and our foolish father took any chance I had away from me. For that, you and that fat old man will pay.
Theseus managed to swiftly unfasten Percy's camp necklace and placed it in his pocket. Even though he got what he came for, he couldn't move, his body paralyzed as he stared down at Percy menacingly. I would do you the honor of killing you in your sleep, but that would be too merciful. His eye twitched, and a deep frown appeared on his face. No, he thought, I want you to look at me while I kill you. Before his mind took control of his actions, Theseus pulled himself away from Percy. He would have to be patient. He slowly picked his way back to the dock at the back of the cabin, moving as quietly as he could so as not to wake Percy and be caught now when the heist was nearly over. He took one more look at the still sleeping figure, barely contained rage simmering just below the surface of his calm outward demeanor, and left the cabin.
