Chapter 1: The Pen to the Ring
A young woman, of about twenty, with an athletic and shapely body, and long wavy blonde hair was kissing a black-skinned man with a bit of stubble and short curly brown hair.
He muttered, "No . . ."
The woman smirked and said, "I would destroy him."
He gasped as he struggled to get away from her.
She snarled at him, "You are an incompetent and dumb fool!"
His body was shaking.
The woman continued kissing that man.
He was breathing shakily.
His mother, Sally, and his step-father, Paul Blofis, were dead on the floor. His baby sister, Estelle, was drowned in the bathtub. The cops reported a serial killer to be the murderer. A serial killer with black skin and short brown hair . . .
Percy Jackson sat up with a start. He was crying silently. He was shaking as he did so. He tried to get up but fell back on the path.
It was his twenty-first birthday today. And he was sleeping on the road.
Laughing silently at the irony while still crying, Percy stood up and went back to his apartment to see if the investigation was still going.
It was.
Sighing, Percy walked to the nearest cop and asked, "How much more time?"
The cop answered sadly, pitying the broken man in front of him, "We were just finishing. We found out that this apartment's rent is not paid and will not be turned over to you, and all the money was stolen from your family."
Percy nodded sadly and walked away to pick up his backpack that held all his stuff. Everything else, he had decided, to donate to charity. Percy did not want to see his sister's favourite teddy again, it would kill him.
"I will destroy you, Jackson. You denied me what you wanted, you denied whatever I want to do, and I will destroy you. Your reputation. Your family. Your life. Everything."
Percy did not know how Annabeth turned out like that, but he did not want to know. For someone like her to fell into such a dark path, Percy did not even want to think how.
Percy walked away from his room and the kitchen. He walked away from the cops and the investigation. He walked away from the apartment and turned away.
He kept walking.
_
"What did you say, punk?"
Percy snarled as he wiped the blood from his upper lip. This bastard could say all he wants but he could not force Percy to surrender to him.
Percy said softly, "I told you to get away from that woman."
He had walked past a man trying to rape a woman. The Demigod had punched the man and told the woman to run away. She did.
But the bastard got a hit on him.
Percy had come out of the shadows silently and punched him on the jaw, his green eyes soaking the light coldly and his shoulders held broad. His long windswept black hair had waved in the air, covering his face, avoiding anyone to see it.
Percy kicked the groin of the wannabe rapist and jumped up to punch his right eye. He spat at the man and walked away from the fainted rapist.
Unknown to him, the woman he saved thought him to be in danger and reported it to the cops. When a cop saw the rapist he was shocked. It was just a minute or so ago, the woman had entered. About a couple of minutes since Percy saved her.
The man had disappeared like a shadow. A Phantom.
_
On Olympus, Perseus Jackson was deemed to be an enemy to the Gods because a Hero of Olympus, Annabeth Chase said so.
While Poseidon, Hermes, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Artemis, Apollo and Hephaestus were wary of this statement, but only Poseidon, Dionysus and Aphrodite denied it.
Though Perseus had disappeared into the mortal world after 'killing' his own mother, the satyrs and demigods were searching to bring him to 'justice'.
No one said anything about his Loyalty, his Fatal Flaw, because he was a 'Traitor'.
Oblivious to all, Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Hermes and Apollo started shifting away from all. They felt guilty for having to betray him.
Nico Di Angelo, Frank Zhang, Leo Valdez and Hazel Levesque left the Camp for the mortal world. No one questioned it because Annabeth Chase said that they were to be treated with caution, having been his best friends.
The Oracle, Rachel Dare, stopped speaking to most, except those that were not blindly agreeing with Annabeth. Everyone assumed it to be her previous jealousy of Percy as she had always hated Annabeth.
Chiron stayed neutral to the whole affair as he did not want to choose between his most favourite of this generation. Of course, Annabeth was as close to his daughter he had so he always leaning towards her side.
_
Over the next two years, mortals and demigods all noticed that crime rates and monster attacks seemed to lower drastically. The Mortals knew of this individual as 'Phantom' as he disappeared before anyone can see him. Though, the Divine side assumed it to be a sign of another war, but did nothing even with the majority pushing for efforts because 'what if it is just an outcome of our victory against Gaia?'
_
Percy lowered his hood as he sat in his shack. He was proud of it, he had built it all himself. From stones and planks. From doors and sticks. It was his.
The cherry on the top was Mrs O'Leary, his loyal Hellhound, and a daughter of Nyx of Cerberus like all Hellhounds. He was happy to see the best part of the past with him.
Not his ignorant father. Not his oblivious friends. Not his backstabbing ex-girlfriend. But Mrs O'Leary.
Of course, there was also Nico. Nico dropped by to give food and money while he studied in the day to get a job and fought the crime as 'Phantom' in the night.
Why did he do so?
Well, once a hero, always a hero. He felt a thrill in saving people, it made him feel proud. That he did something for the greater good of all.
"Percy" Nico Di Angelo, the nineteen-year-old with shoulder-length black hair and obsidian black eyes, said, "Percy, the Roman Camp has joined the Greek Camp at the foothills of Olympus as the Camp Olympia."
Percy rolled his eyes and said, "At least if they are hating me, they are hating me together."
Nico snorted and said, "Father told me that Uncle Poseidon left the Council to give it to Triton. Told shit like he cannot cope with your loss with father now saying that you burn in The Fields of Punishment alongside Sisyphus and Tantalus."
Percy nodded thoughtfully and said in an emotionless voice, which he has been using a lot in the past two years. Half the time, Nico felt, that Percy has lost his humanity. But then, he sees Percy being the Phantom, and he realises that nobody could be more human than Percy.
Percy is just like that.
He is a monster, but he is human.
He is wrong yet he is right.
He is Percy Jackson, the Phantom of the Past.
_
31st August 2014
Black Thunder cackled in the air as Percy moved past an old pine tree. He had just found himself to be named a vigilante by the cops, as 'Phantom'. Perhaps crooked irony will never leave his life.
He was now a shadow of his past. A ghost, just living. He was a Phantom, so why not be the Phantom?
He wanted to help. He will do the right thing even if he is considered to be Gaia's minion because of Annabeth. One day, Percy knows, that he will be outed, then he would make them see that he was right.
And it was not like he had anything new to do, did he?
A huge club hit him on the back of his head. A sword stabbed his gut. Someone kneed him on the right and tackled his legs.
Percy fell.
He opened one eye warily and saw someone who he thought to be dead. It was him. Luke Castellan, the undead son of Hermes and his personal frenemy.
Beside Luke was Kelly the Empousa and Ethan Nakamura, undead son of Nemesis. Alabaster Torrington, son of Hecate, stood there, smirking at him. He held an empty card in his right hand and his left hand held offensively.
"Why?"
Alabaster said blankly, because of which Percy looked at him curiously, "You are a danger. You, Perseus Jackson, would destroy all careful plans of My Mistress. You have to die."
Percy said sadly, "Why? Why me?"
"You have to die, Percy," Luke said in a voice not his own but of a powerful deity. Someone was controlling them.
As Luke's Backbiter came to his neck, the Thunder landed on Percy. The last thing he remembered was a powerful surge of power as the four in front of him disintegrated from a bright golden light.
A powerful female voice said in a dreamy voice, "He looks to be a nice one, doesn't he, brother?"
A light and hard voice said in a snotty voice, "Of course he does, Prometheus was ever so proud when he got Aunt Gaia and us to help him make mortals."
The female said, "Be quiet, he is still awake."
The male said in a surprised voice, "It must have already started then. I am surprised he did it at such a young age."
The female said in a suddenly steely voice, "Grandmother told us that Perseus is a special element. None like him has occurred. Someone so light to be someone so dark. He is alive but he is a ghost. He is weak yet most powerful of his race. He is special and we have orders to help him. Grandmother has ordered it."
The male said, "As you say, sister."
And suddenly, darkness claimed Percy.
_
"You have nothing to fear, Perseus. Remember that you have been helped by my brother and me, and you have to tell none of this to anyone. Be careful, young Phantom, for you are now an immortal."
"Perseus, you are not affected by the Ancient Laws for it was not traditionally that you became immortal. You, yourself, made you immortal. You are too powerful and it has made you more powerful. Remember that."
Percy opened his eyes in a cave and stood up mechanically, noticing that his tan has almost disappeared and his muscles seemed larger.
He walked out and saw a body of water. He ran towards it, and oh he was surprised to move so effortlessly.
He saw himself in that pond. He stood about half an inch taller than before with his dark black hair darker than before. His sea-green eyes had turned a powerful shade of Jade, and his muscles had tightened, looking like he had trained his whole life instead of more than half.
He, now, did not have high cheekbones like his father, nor did he have his face shape. He looked different and could pass as a cousin of his own father.
He looked back at the water and whispered, "A very distant cousin."
He, now, seemed to throw a powerful gold aura that was mixed with olive and brown that produced a transparent rainbow around him like a dome.
And, he felt lighter than he did before. Like he could fly.
He saw a ring in his hand with an emerald in it. He twisted it and his Riptide appeared in his arm. The pen was now his ring.
His reflection turned into that of a swirling black, silver and gold whirlpool and a genderless voice said, with a slight feminine tone, "All Hail Perseus, the Greek God of Time, Earth, Tides, Loyalty, Love, Wildness and Battles. All Hail the Roman God, Draco!"
_
Percy tried to forget being in Greece.
He really did.
But he cannot.
"The Greek God of . . ."
Percy sighed and looked over the buildings of New York. He was watching over it, like a local superhero. Because, he, like every time, wanted to keep it safe.
"Phantom," A solid masculine voice said hopefully.
Percy turned and saw him. It was Apollo, Fred as he called himself seven years ago. The Sun God came to him and whispered, "I am sorry, Perce. I could not help it."
Percy nodded and said blankly, "It is too little and too late. Yet I feel like it is the biggest thing that has happened."
Apollo met his line of sight and asked, "Will I ever meet you again?"
Percy shook his head and said, "Not like before. I wanted to be in the background before, I wanted to keep everyone happy. But I have found that it is just naivety. I was being childish. I have grown up."
Apollo laughed humorlessly, "The forever child has grown up. Oh, how does betrayal change a man! It is wonderful."
Percy said, "It is the truth."
"Truth is the most beautiful and the most dangerous thing. You are talking to the God of Truth."
Percy cocked his head slightly and said silently, "I will meet you, yet I will not. I have changed in the past couple of months. The Olympus turning on me. The Camp turning their back on me. Annabeth's betrayal. My mother murdered by her boyfriend. It all happened too fast. To think that three months ago, these things had not happened."
Apollo said, "I know how you feel. I was not like this. My sister is really good, but once upon a time, she raised me with our mother. She literally carried me. Then, she saw what some men did to women. She turned her back on me. All my scars, it was her that gave me them, including a good number from my enemies and random spars. She still loves me, but now, we are as different as Sun and Moon.
"She swayed away. I told her if she is going away, then I will turn into what she fears the most without her guidance. I did turn into a man whore. But somewhere, somehow, she still pulls me back to what I was then.
"Percy, you may be away. You may have changed. But you are still yourself. You are still a Hero, you are still the kindest person I have ever met."
Percy said, "I am a God now."
Apollo said, "I know. Grandmother Rhea told me. She told me where you were as well. Her grandmother told her."
Percy nodded slowly.
Apollo smiled sadly and said, "I have to go now."
"Bye, my Sun."
Apollo looked back and said, "Did you just call me 'My son'?"
Percy smirked and Apollo just shook his head in disbelief.
Percy stared down Nico, who was shouting at him. He said slowly, "You think this is my fault? Again? You have never grown up, have you? You had a sister, then you had friends, and then your father. You also found a new sister. You found a boyfriend. You found a family.
"I, I went from the looser to the Hero. I had two friends in total, or so I thought. I had no one, except my mom and Paul. My dad, I came to know, cannot come to me, and other Gods were just like that, or they hated me. I was alone, forever, but I never knew. Oh, I had friends, but they do not know me for who I am, they know me as what I am.
"You gained a family, while I was forgotten. You were in the light when I had fallen. So, think again. Whose fault is that?!"
Nico looked down and said, "I know its not yours. But you should have told your friends. Your father. The Gods you trusted. You have family, but you never knew. Remember you are never alone, just different. And every member of the family is different. There are some in the family that are not good and they should be cast out, forgotten, but there are some that are just needed. And you are the one.
"We need you, Percy."
Percy blurted, "No, you don't. They should find me like I found myself. Apollo found me, in December, you know. And now you have found me, just four months after. Nico, if they want me, they should find me. After all, I do not need them."
Nico nodded sadly.
_
"Perce."
Percy nodded to Apollo and said, "What is the news?"
Apollo came to Percy and sat down next to him. He told, "Annabeth and Athena are still building Olympus that was destroyed. Heracles finally got Father to get him to leave for a year and gave it to Nemesis for the time. Nemesis was not very happy."
Percy thought aloud, "Nemesis is Nyx's daughter, right?"
Apollo nodded and then his eyes widened. He said, "You don't think Nyx is rising, do you?"
Percy nodded and folded his arms over his chest. He said thoughtfully, "Nights are longer than the Day, and there are more shadows. It looks like Nyx is forcing Aether and Hemera to stand aside while she tries to destroy Olympus herself."
Apollo mused, "Father always said that Nyx hated the Olympians because they defeated her favourite nephew, Kronos."
Percy raised an eyebrow and said, "I met Nyx once. She was in a total mood over my entrance into her palace. She got Bob killed."
Apollo blurted, "Iapetus the Piercer, you meant?"
Percy nodded sorrowfully and sighed. He looked around the room of his little shack to search for his Hellhound to see her with Nico and then said, "Yeah, I meant him. Bob remembered himself before his death.
"He was a friend."
Apollo said silently, "I am sorry about our hated great uncle, and your nice friend, The Piercer. Father told me that Iapetus liked his ear piercings too much."
Despite himself, Percy snorted and then, the two cousins started laughing. It continued for three whole minutes before Percy looked at the Huntress Constellation out of the window and said silently after blinking slowly, "Zoe, Bob told me to say hello."
Nico let out a whimper as Mrs O'Leary bit his fingers.
19th September 2015
Percy slashed the dummy and then kicked it with his left leg. As soon as it fell, Mrs O'Leary came running towards him and barked loudly.
Percy groaned, "Not another mortal running into me!"
It was getting annoying, how much mortals were trying to get into this forest and discover it. Seriously, how do animals tolerate such invasion of privacy?
And worst of all, it was Rachel Elizabeth Dare's 'esteemed' father who is funding this shit. And Rachel was currently residing right next to this clearing, metaphorically of course.
The Oracle of Delphi was always shrieking at her father, with the right reason of course, but it was getting a bit suffocating living here. It was the fourth time past a couple of weeks now for Tartarus' sake!
Percy sighed and asked himself loudly, "Should I do it?"
He shrugged and then nodded to himself, suddenly with an emotionless face. Percy walked out of his private shack clearing and towards Mister Richard 'Richie' Dare's industrial site. It was clear that they are not giving up.
He shifted his hair from raven-coloured to onyx black and his cornea changed from its usual jade to a bloody red and his sclera changed from white to black.
With his black jacket, white shirt and brown pants, he looked to be Tartarus himself, if only he ever 'lowered' himself to get a mortal form.
Percy consciously deepened his own voice to match the rusty voice of Tartarus as well.
He went to one construction worker and painfully grabbed him up by the neck and said calmly, with his head tilted at the shocked man, "Leave."
The man gasped as Percy left him and went away, fearing his own voice. As soon as he left, Percy removed all the tan from his skin and turned it to Nico's pale olive coloured skin. He has to look 'Agent Devil 1808'.
A man with an athletic structure and rustic red hair, which looked to be more brown than red, and a small goatee, came to him, about ten minutes later. He was wearing a half-sleeved white shirt, and pine coloured trousers.
He came to Percy nervously, clearly by his unique structure, and said in a formal tone, "Sir, what are you doing here?"
Percy shifted his cornea's colour to white for a bit before changing back to red to scare the man. He said like a Corpse, "I am to protect the Earth as it is my domain."
Richard Dare was clearly confused. He said nervously, "Can you please explain, sir? We have purchased this land legally and we have paperwork to prove it."
Percy tilted his head to the left and changed the 'Devil Reincarnate' role to 'Nice Angel' by changing his eyes from red to gold (which was actually easier), and turned his voice normal. He chuckled and said in a heavy New Yorker accent, "Mister Dare, I do not need paperwork. I am here to inform you that a higher power will strike you if you continue destroying the Earth. Mother Earth, if awakened from her sleep, will kill all the mortals and it had been very lucky for Gods to get her back to sleep."
Half-lies, always the trick to manipulation.
Richard sweated as he regarded 'Messenger of God' carefully and suddenly realised that it was like 'Jesus Christ' himself was here to help him. He asked, "But, sir, what else can I do?"
Percy thought for a moment and said, "You can use the lands that you have already bought to make complexes to make shops or residences. Rents and payments will make their way to your bank account."
Percy glowed gold, as a Roman God can, and flew slightly to convince before disappearing behind the Mist. Well, he will not let his shack get destroyed even if he is discovered.
Twelve days later, Nico Di Angelo slapped him with a newspaper with the Headline: 'Jesus Christ helps Robert Dare, family problems solved'.
Apollo slapped him the 'Olympus Daily' newspaper with the Headline: 'A God reveals himself to mortals, Zeus angry'.
They both said at the same time, "Zeus is very angry."
_
29th February 2016
After that incident, not much happened. It was all forced on Phantom to be the Gods' Messenger of course, as he 'revealed' his name then, calling himself 'Phantom'. Phantom did continue saving the humans from 'The End' as well because some, not all, religious zealots are like that. Thankfully, the Divines did not believe a fuck that was said.
Last week, Hera finally got fed up with Zeus, who was honestly better now and left him, disowning her 'Marriage' Domain onto Persephone because Hades is actually a better husband, and getting better, and she actually tolerates her step-children.
Okay, Percy's stepmother, Amphitrite, also got half of that domain since an Olympian left it, but hey, she, while being an awesome and beautiful woman, is just Nereid that just happens to Hera' brother's wife.
So, now Hera is the Goddess of Women, Childbirth, Family and her new domain, Tolerance, with Eleos, the personification of Pity, Mercy and Compassion helping her. Zeus went on a sex drive with at least a hundred mortals for the next hundred hours, according to Apollo, because he told Percy that Zeus did not break the wedding first because he is the King and he has not gotten angry with the marriage and 'I do not want to be the Chicken'.
Percy sighed and slid back as Nico muttered, "I have to go, Will is getting suspicious where I am."
Percy nodded distracted as Nico exited. It would be weeks till he saw anyone except Mrs O'Leary again, but it was good.
'Life is good. All is well' Percy thought as he closed his eyes. Of course, nothing was well in reality.