Chapter 18:
The two boys made it back to Manhattan. Percy said they were going to take a detour before heading back to Camp Half-Blood. Markus guessed that he was going to see his mum. Markus also wanted to see the new living arrangement Poseidon had set up for him.
After hearing Percy constantly worry about his mother, Markus felt a little jealous. He could still remember seeing his mother's ghost in the Underworld. He never wanted to see her in that state again. Percy was lucky he still had his mother. But Markus didn't hold it against him.
When they got to the apartment and knocked on the door, Percy's breathing had hitched when none other than Sally Jackson answered it. Her eyes went wide when she saw Percy.
"Mum!" Percy all but shouted as he lunges towards his mom and wrapped her in a hug as Sally did the same. She whispered soothing words into her son's ears as Percy got a little teary at finally getting his mum back. It just showed how much Percy had truly missed his mum.
Markus stood a little ways off letting them have their moment and had a smile on his face as he watched the mother-son reunion. He felt a little sad that he didn't have this but he wasn't too bothered by it. He was a big boy, so he could survive. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt a little.
Once both of them were done with their reunion, Sally turned to Markus curiously, wiping some tears from her face. "Hello. I don't believe we've met before. I'm Sally Jackson, Percy's mother. I assume you're Percy's friend?"
"Brother, actually," Markus corrected. "Half-brother to be exact. I'm Markus Henderson, son of Poseidon, like Percy. It's nice to meet you, ma'am."
"Just Sally is fine," Sally said, a smile on her face. "And any friend - or relative - that's close to us is perfectly fine to me."
Markus could see why Percy talked about his mother a lot. Sally Jackson was an amazing person, both from hearing about her and meeting her.
So Percy and Markus talked to Sally about all that happened, almost giving her a heart attack. They told her all the ups and downs on their quest, and Sally listened to it all. Both boys were about to get to the part about Ares when a man's voice interrupted the conversation.
"Hey, Sally! That meat loaf done yet or what?"
It came from inside the apartment. Markus scowled. So that was 'Smelly Gabe'. Markus had a feeling that he would instantly hate him, even more so than Mr. D.
Sally also didn't like him either, because she scowled also. She turned to address Percy. "Gabe's being a bit difficult. What, with all of the phone calls we've been receiving. What are these 'appliances' and 'charges' that are being talked about?"
"Uh..." was Percy's reply, as he looked to Markus for help. He just shrugged, indicating that Percy was on his own. Percy then turned to his mother. "See,m the thing is..."
Sally just shook her head. She walked to Percy, resting her hands on his shoulders and looking him in the eye. "Just don't try and make him angry."
"Would you like some help, ma'a - I mean, Sally?" Markus offered. He still wasn't used to calling her Sally yet.
Sally shook her head. "No, that's okay, Markus. You don't have to get involved in this."
"I insist," Markus stated firmly. Sally made to interject, but Percy clasped his hand on her shoulder, making her look towards him. He shook his head, telling her that it was pointless to argue. Sally sighed, and turned to Markus. "Well... you can try."
"That's all that I need to do," Markus said. With that, the trio walked into the apartment.
When they went into the living room, Markus could see that the floor was covered entirely of filth and junk. Sitting on the couch and seemingly the cause of all it was Gabe. Damn, Percy really wasn't exaggerating when he talked about him. He was wearing a filthy tracksuit that barely seemed to cover his fat frame. He had three hairs combed over his scalp, making Markus shudder slightly. Percy was spot-on to compare him to a tuskless walrus, because he looked exactly like that. Markus wasn't like one of the Aphrodite kids at camp, who would judge you on your appearance. But he had to admit, Gabe probably had a shitty personality that reflected his appearance.
Markus could also see that he was playing poker with a few other men as well.
Gabe finally looked up from his game and looked at the trio. Upon seeing Percy, his face morphed into one of anger. No doubt it was about to get ugly.
"You got a lot of nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police-"
"Gabe just let this go please. He's already come home. What's done is done and let's just put it in the past." Sally said. This got raised eyebrows from Gabe.
"Put it in the past? Do you expect me to forget all the trouble this brat has caused me over the last few weeks. And now he's brought another wandering stray with him. Probably abandoned by his mommy and became too broke to live properly."
"Gabe!" Sally exclaimed loudly, but he wasn't having any of it. He raised his hand, making Sally flinch. Both boys saw this, and immediately put the pieces together. Gabe had hit Sally before. This revelation made both boys equally furious, Percy because it was his mum, and Markus because of what Gabe said about his mother, and the fact that Sally didn't deserve the shit coming from this scum. Making up his mind, Markus stepped forward, fist clenched.
Seeing this, Gabe just continued to mock the boy. "Aw, what's wrong, boy? Gonna cry now? Touch me, and you'll join brain boy in prison. You understand me, ya little shit? Your parents aren't gonna save you. Then again, they probably le-"
Gabe didn't get to finish his taunting as a fist sailed towards his nose, breaking it with a loud crack. Roaring, he grabbed his nose, trying to stem the now pouring blood that came from his nose, but to no avail. He looked up, eyes mad with fury, but flinched at the identical look in Markus' eyes, only his were glowing.
"You done fucked up, you disgusting piece of shit," Markus growled out. He looked ready to breath fire like a dragon. "I just met you, and you already sicken me. I can only imagine how Percy and Sally can deal with your filthy ass. I pity them."
Gabe's poker buddies made to stand up, but Markus waved his hand, a white substance dancing on his fingertips. Immediately, the men had dazed looks on their faces, their eyes blank. They sat down, their movement stiff like zombies.
Percy didn't comment on Markus' skill with the Mist. He didn't have to, it was already shown. But he kind of feared what was going to happen to Gabe, even if he was eager to see it out. He knew how Markus got when he was angry. You wouldn't like him when he was angry. The statement rang true even if it was a little funny.
"You brat! I'm gonna make you pay for this! You hear me?! I'll make sure you never see the light of day when you're in a prison cell! You, brain boy, and that bit-"
He was interrupted again when Markus punched him in the jaw, adding his earthquake powers into his arm. The result was that Gsbe's jaw snapped to the other side almost comically, a crack echoing across the room, even louder than when Gabe's nose was broken. This time he screamed in agony as a couple of his teeth were spat out, bloody and broken. He probably had a couple more lodged down his throat. His cries turned to whimpers as he held his jaw tenderly, blood leaking out of his mouth and pouring on his hands and tracksuit, joining the previous stains from his broken nose. But Markus didn't care.
Peering down on the broken man, Markus snarled, anger clouding his features. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt? Did I cause you pain? Well, just imagine how it was for Percy and Sally to deal with the shit that you gave them! Now I'm going to do even worse to you." At the last part, his snarl turned guttural, like that of an enraged animal.
Raising up his left hand, with the Mist swirling around his fingertips, he pressed it against Gabe's head. After a few moments, nothing happened. And then Gabe started shrieking. The sound startled both Percy and Sally, surprising them and making them wonder what Markus was doing to him.
Markus' fingertips glowed brighter with the Mist as he kept pressing against Gabe's forehead. Soon, he started convulsing, as if he was having a seizure. Blood started pouring down from his eyes, presenting s gruesome sight for the trio. But Markus didn't stop.
Foam and spittle started appearing out of Gabe's broken mouth, while his form started convulsing even more. His eyes rolled back into his head, leaving them blank. Markus had enough sense from his rage-induced mind attack to listen to Percy yelling at him to stop. Quickly, his hand moved away from Gabe's forehead, the Mist disappearing from his hand. Soon after, Gabe's form stopped convulsing. He just kept still, as if he was dead. Blood continued leaking from his nose, mouth and eyes.
Markus stepped away from the body, his body shivering. He noticed out of the corner of his eyes that Percy and Sally were looking at him fearfully. This made his heart ache. He didn't want his brother and his mother to look at him like that. It made him seem like... like a monster.
Just now he realised what he had done. Looking at Gabe, he winced. He didn't even know if he was alive. While a small part of him was celebrating his death, a larger part of him also felt guilty. Not for Gabe, but for how he went about it. He could've just roughed him up a little with some punches and knock him unconscious. But no. He had to do... do that to him. Hell, he didn't even know what he'd done. Maybe he'd mind-raped him, or broke him mentally. Or even somehow chocked him to death or something. He didn't know.
Markus was no stranger to death. He'd seen a lot of it on the streets, even if he wished he hadn't. Drug lords, thieves, prostitutes, he'd seen them killed in cold blood. But this was different. This was done by his hand. Markus had done the deed of killing him.
It just occurred to Markus that he felt something sticky and on his hand. Looking down, he saw a smear of blood on his palm. It must've been from Gabe when he was having his 'episode'. Seeing it caused him to breath in sharply. It just occurred to him that was hyperventilating. His eyes dilated sharply, his breathing shortened, and the blood started to scare him a little.
Seeing this, Sally stepped forward, putting her hand on his shoulder. Upon feeling contact, Markus turned and faced Sally, who looked a little shaken up also. There was also a bit of fear in her eyes, which was understandable. He did just turn someone into a vegetable, after all. Nevertheless, she smiled towards Markus, trying for his sake to calm him down. And it was slightly working. "It's alright," Sally said soothingly, though her voice sounded strained. Markus admired her for keeping a straight face. "Markus, it's not your fault. Do you understand? Y-you tried to save us. W-we don't blame you for what happened, alright? Look at me. Look. Even if I am scared, I'm still thankful for what you'e done."
Nodding slowly, Markus replied. "A-alright. T-thank you, Sally." He understood that she was trying to keep calm so he could do the same. The thing that warmed his heart was that he was a complete stranger who had just possibly messily lobotomised someone. Yet she still tried to comfort him. He would have complimented her more if it didn't just occur to him that there was still blood on his hand. And that Percy and Sally might need some time alone with each other.
"I-I'll just leave you two," Markus muttered quietly. "To give you two some time alone."
"Are you sure?" Sally asked, concerned. "If you like, I can-"
But Markus just shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'll be fine. Percy is your son. You can attend to him. Really, it's not necessary."
Sally still held her concerned face, but at Markus' prodding, she eventually relented. "Alright. But if there's anything you need help with, just tell me."
Markus nodded, and with that, he left the apartment, patting Percy on the shoulder as he went.
As he exited the door, he sighed silently. He took out a water bottle from his bag that he still had, surprisingly. Using it, he washed away the blood on his hand. When the water made contact with his skin, he felt a surge of strength from it, and he almost felt relieved.
Then the image of what he'd done came to his mind, and he shuddered. He didn't really feel guilty for what he did, but he didn't like how he went about it. Gabe deserved what he got, with no mercy. But what he did was definitely overkill. Markus wondered how he even went about it. He never used the Mist like that before. He guessed that it was because of his rage that he could even do it. He knew that anger was dangerous, and if he wasn't careful, he may do something he'll regret.
Fifteen minutes later, Percy came back, a small smile on his face. Then he looked towards Markus, and his smile fell a little. "Uh, hey Markus-"
"Don't," Markus interjected. He didn't want to discuss what happened there. He didn't want to ruin Percy's mood. "Just forget about it. What's done is done. Just be glad the shit stain won't bother you again."
Percy nodded and with that, the two boys walked to the corner to see Markus' apartment next. As they walked, Percy turned to his brother. "Markus," he said. "Thank you. You saved me and my mum. We can't repay you enough."
Markus nodded, but didn't say anything. But Percy saw the small smile on his face.
XXX
The two boys got dropped off at Park Avenue, near Central Park. They didn't know where Markus' new apartment was, or how the cab driver knew where it was. As soon as they were about to ask taxi driver, he quickly got out of the taxi and was replaced by a new driver. They were about to ask why there was a change in drivers when the new driver looked towards them. They saw that his face shimmered a little, showing a large blue eye in the centre of his forehead.
Immediately the two of them knew that this was a cyclopes sent from Poseidon. This was confirmed when, in a gravely voice, the driver said, "Markus Henderson, 200 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, on orders from Lord Poseidon."
With that, they were dropped of at where they were. The cyclopes got out of the taxi and indicated that they should follow him. Both boys we wary of following a stranger, even if he was sent from their dad. Nevertheless, they followed him anyway, having no choice.
They went inside a large apartment block, astonished at the huge buildings and crowds of people they saw. They clearly weren't used to this kind of environment. And Markus was going to live here?
They passed the reception office, the cyclopes showing a card at the table. Immediately, the man at the desk nodded and typed something in. Five minutes later, the boys and the cyclopes were allowed up in an elevator.
As they went ahead, Percy and Markus looked around, seeing large paintings and people in suits talking on phones. It was a surreal experience to them. Hell, Markus never saw a large crowd of people gathered around unless they were trying to fight for their next meal on the streets.
As they arrived on the 17th floor, they were blown away. A large room, filled with a side kitchen with a fridge and a cooker, as well as living room with two chairs and a small round table. They looked inside and saw a giant TV on the wall, with a remote lying on top of it. (A.N. - If you want a better image, look up '200 Park Avenue 17th Floor', and look at the second image under 'Images').
Markus almost squealed with joy. He was going to live here? Talk about an upgrade. From roaming the streets to living in style? Damn. Poseidon did good work. He was actually thankful for the first time to his dad, which was something new to him.
He probably would've explored the place for the whole day, but Percy tapped his shoulder. "Markus, as much as I'm jealous of your new house, and I know how much you want to explore it, we have to get back to camp. Annabeth and Grover might get worried about us."
Markus pouted, but he understood where Percy was coming from. Plus he could always visit it later. Reluctantly, he joined Percy in leaving the apartment, and heading towards the taxi for camp.
XXX
They were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated them as if they'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, they wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in their honour, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where they got to burn the burial shrouds their cabins had made for them in their absence.
Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful - grey silk with embroidered owls - Percy told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched him and told him to shut up as Markus laughed.
Being the son of Poseidon, Percy didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bed sheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.
It was fun to burn in Percy's opinion.
The Ares cabin wanted to do Markus' own, but the Aphrodite cabin insisted on it, and they backed down eventually. It was hot pink satin with baby blue trimming and it had an embroidered pegasus and trident on it, along with a splash of green around the laurel. Markus was grateful for it, and gave Silena a hug since she came up with the idea. She returned the hug, even if she blushed a bit and received teasing from Cabin Ten.
Markus was almost sad he had to burn it, even if there was pink on it.
As Apollo cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, Percy and Markus were surrounded by their old Hermes cabin mates, Annabeth's friends from Athena, telling about the quest, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders.
The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."
The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabin mates, whose poisonous looks told both Percy and Markus they'd never forgive them for disgracing their dad.
Oh well, haters gonna hate.
Even Dionysus' welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen their spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have even bigger heads. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday..."
On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions.
They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colours.
As Annabeth, Markus, and Percy were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell them good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.
"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know."
"Great goodbye speech, Grov," Markus said, earning him a punch from Annabeth.
Percy was both happy and sad to see him go. Happy he got his license but saddened to see who he considered his oldest friend leaving.
Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.
Markus patted him on the shoulder, wishing him luck and to try not to jinx himself so he didn't get into trouble.
Percy asked him where he was going to search first.
"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..."
"We understand," Annabeth said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"
"Yeah."
"And you remembered your reed pipes?" she added.
"Jeez, Annabeth," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."
But he didn't really sound annoyed.
Markus gave him a manly hug, which he returned. He also gave a hug to Annabeth. Then he gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway - nothing like the little runty boy that Percy would defend from bullies on the playground.
"Well," he said, "wish me luck."
He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.
Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean Lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.
"Hey, Grover," Percy called.
The goat boy turned at the edge of the woods.
"Wherever you're going, I hope they make good enchiladas."
Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.
"We'll see him again," Annabeth said.
"Obviously. He'd be lost without us," Markus snorted, though there was no malice behind his words.
Percy wanted to believe them, but he was still worried. No searcher had ever come back in like a thousand years or something. But he just had a feeling that Grover would be the first.
Markus was busy training with the Hecate kids in magic. He didn't have a dream from Hecate like last time, but he still wanted to train in his magic. He showed Alabaster the rune book he recovered from the book shop on his quest, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he saw it.
When he studied it, along with several other Hecate children, it was discovered that the book was several thousand years old, filled with magic they hadn't studied yet. Needless to say, they were ecstatic. They acted like the Athena kids when they discovered something new. Markus couldn't blame them, though. Even he was interested in the book's origin.
Since then, he was taught by several Hecate kids on battle magic. Specifically, defensive magic. Markus complained that he wanted to get straight to offensive magic, like shooting bolts of energy from his palms, or summoning monsters to aid him. But Alabaster told him something: what's the point in learning how to attack if you couldn't defend yourself? In the end, Markus agreed that learning defensive magic was important before offensive magic.
From his lessons, he could summon small blue magic circles to his palms as defence. Alabaster told him that that was one of the most basic defensive magic spells, and that its effectiveness increased with training and experience. Markus was determined to master this magic (A.N. - Think of the magic circles Dr. Strange has in the Dr. Strange movie, only blue and smaller).
Along with that, Markus was also learning Grecian runes. From looking at the book, there were tons of runes to learn that were categorised into different languages. So he was learning Greek first, for obvious reasons. The Hecate children never learnt runes before, so the book Markus got was a godsend. In fact, one of the most famous users of runes that was a child of Hecate was Merlin, who was real.
How Grecian runes worked was that he inscribed Greek letters or words on a surface with ink. A runemaster could write out a rune out of his or her magic on anything, even air. Then the rune would take effect, if magic is put into it. It sounded simple in theory, but was actually hard to perform. Writing out Greek was easy. But he had to put the correct amount of magic into the rune for it to take effect. Too much and the rune would overload. Too little and the rune wouldn't work. So magical control was necessary.
Markus was taught to simply start writing out letters from the Greek alphabet from beginning to end with ink. This was so he could learn to write runes quickly and efficiently. It was gruelling work, but he was determined to learn.
He was taught this along a girl named Lou Ellen. She was around the same age he was, with brown hair and emerald green eyes, like Alabaster. Both of them bonded through their training. Markus found out that Lou, like all Hecate children, had a deep interest in magic, and was eager to learn about runes when he brought the rune book to camp.
On top of that, Markus also learned different spells outside of battle. Spells that had him grinning in anticipation. He couldn't wait to try them out at Capture the Flag. Even better, he could prank the Stolls and get even with them on different occasions.
Aside from his magic training, Markus also upped his weapon training. He went to Beckendorf and was able to fashion his fang of Lamia and Chimera horn into knives, with handles forged on them. He wasn't really good with knives, so he went to Annabeth for help, since she was the only knife user he knew. She accepted his plea for help and helped teach him different stances and ideas for knife-wielding.
He also wanted to get some Mist training in, but felt hesitant. After his episode with Gabe, he was always cautious in using the Mist. Not that he feared it, but now he was aware of the capabilities the Mist had. On the plus side, his new attack he dubbed 'Weapon Barrage' was freaking awesome once he successfully performed it. He also remembered that he used it in the archery range and finally got a bullseye on the target. He smugly remembered showing off to the Apollo kids who made fun of his archery skills. They became instantly jealous of his ability, and he had no trouble rubbing it in their faces. They deserved it, the smug bastards.
Markus and Percy joined in several games of Capture the Flag. Percy helped come up with new strategies that were used, while Markus used his jacket's invisibility and new spells to successfully get the flag. Needless to say, Markus became one of the most sought out people for CTF.
Percy also informed Markus on the state of his mum. Apparently, Gabe was still alive (unfortunately) but was sent to a mental asylum as he was reported to be muttering gibberish every time he opened his mouth. As he was sentenced there, he was to remain there for a number of years. Sally even informed Percy that Gabe suffered a little 'accident' during his stay there. The caretakers reported that he was assaulted by other inmates, and was brutally murdered. Despite Sally not being a vindictive or cruel person, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't pleased by Gabe's death. The same could be said for Percy and Markus. Markus was just thankful that Gabe didn't die by his hand, as much as he sometimes regretted that thought.
Percy also told Markus that there was the option of living with each other, an offer Sally had no problem with. But he sadly declined. As much as he was thankful for the offer, he already had a home. Besides, he didn't want to be a bother to the two living with each other, since they were all each other had. Percy was a bit sad, but later relented.
The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.
The campers had one last meal together. They burned part of their dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads.
Markus and Percy got their own leather necklaces, and when they saw the bead for their first summer, both sons of Poseidon couldn't help but grin at one another. It was a pitch black bead, with two green tridents crossed crossed over the other.
"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Sons of the Sea God at this camp in decades, and the quest they undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"
The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares' cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause too.
Markus wouldn't admit it, but he felt really happy at the moment. After all these years of living on the streets and being alone all the time, it felt like he had a home. Despite his initial feelings of loneliness and not wanting any new family to lose, the camp managed to worm their way into his heart. It felt like one big family, with a baby brother to boot. He kind of felt sad that he was going to leave them in the morning. He cursed the fact that demigods couldn't use phones, otherwise he could keep in contact with them. But he knew he wouldn't forget them.
The next morning, Percy and Markus found a form letter on one of their bedside tables in Cabin Three.
One that had Mr. D written all over it, literally:
Dear Perry Johnson and Marcie Holding,
If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.
Have a nice day!
Mr. D (Dionysus)
Camp Director, Olympian Council #12
"Glad to see that he won't miss us dearly," Markus said sarcastically.
Percy scoffed. "Bet he would have all us shipped on a plane, ready to take off."
"Yeah, he's lovable like that," Markus muttered, chuckling.
Then he remembered that he had to go get something. "Oh, shit! Silena wanted to give me something before she went, and I forgot!" With that he moved, putting on a T-shirt and some shoes that he had lying on the floor.
"Whipped," Percy commented, smirking.
Markus whirled to glare at his brother. "Shut up."
With that, he bolted out of his cabin, sprinting towards Cabin Ten, getting nymphs and campers to look at him funnily. As he reached the eyesore of a cabin, he knocked, breathing heavily.
The cabin door opened, and Silena showed her face through the doorway. When she saw his face, she pouted. "I thought I told you to arrive earlier, like ten minutes ago."
"Sorry," Markus apologized. "I got held up with... stuff. Anyway, you needed me for something?"
"Yeah." With that, she reached into her pocket and brought out a slip of paper, which she gave to him. "Here. This is my Skype details."
Markus looked at the piece of paper, and then back to her. "You use Skype?"
At his question, she frowned. "What's wrong with that?"
"Who uses Skype nowadays? Only old people use it."
"Well, you don't see me use a phone because of monsters, so I have to make due."
"With Skype? I don't even have Skype!"
"Well, get it!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Excuse me for trying to come up with a way to keep in touch with each other."
"I don't even have a computer!" Though he could easily buy one with his LotusCash card that he still had, but he didn't tell her that. "I'm not going to go get a computer just to use Skype. Use another method!"
"I don't want to because that's all I have!"
"Well, have you tried using letters, because I think I'd prefer that over using-"
"You will use get a Skype account and try and message me when you're away." She said this part strongly, putting emphasis on her words.
Markus was about to argue, but found that his mouth wouldn't open. In fact, he even found himself wanting to listen her, to get a computer and set up a Skype account. Strangely, he even found himself nodding.
Silena smiled when she saw this. "Good!"
Markus glared, this time able to open his mouth. "Do you have to use charmspeak everytime you're in an argument? It's not fair!"
Silena shrugged. "It's easier to win arguments that way."
"Cheater."
"I call it 'playing to your strengths'."
"You still cheated."
"Oi, save your flirting for later. Some of us are trying to pack here," yelled one camper, dragging his suitcase behind him. Other campers nodded in agreement, though a few looked at the two of them in amusement.
Both Silena and Markus blushed, not paying attention to now gathered campers. Turning to face her, Markus decided to ask her something. "So, uh, you want to, uh, hang out until we leave?"
Silena got rid of her blush, and nodded, smiling. "Sure."
So they just walked around the camp, wandering aimlessly, just chatting with one another. Silena told him about her dad, and how she managed living with him. She also told him that she came to camp when she was eleven. Markus told her about his new apartment and how he planned on spending money to buy some new stuff for himself and his cabin, if he could manage it.
It felt nice for the two of them. However, they had to ignore the teasing looks some nymphs, naiads and campers sent them. Markus planned to get revenge on them at some point, no matter how long it took.
The two of them didn't know how long their walk took, but they soon found out when they heard Chiron's conch horn blow. This caused them to look up in surprise, their eyes looking upon the sky.
Silena was shocked that they spent so much time walking. Markus, however, looked around and turned to see Chiron rushing Percy to the Big House.
Markus wasn't sure what happened, but he had to check on Percy. He turned to Silena. "Hey, Silena. Sorry to cut it short, but I have to check on Percy."
She waved her hand dismissively. "No, don't worry. It's okay. Go check on him."
Nodding in thanks, Markus dashed after Chiron to check on his brother.
XXX
Markus was tapping his foot impatiently as she sat in a chair on Percy's left, Annabeth was sitting on his right, holding a cup of nectar to the boy's mouth and dabbing his forehead with a washcloth. Argus was sitting guard in the corner.
When Markus arrived at the infirmary, Percy looked like he was almost half-dead. Chiron though had managed to heal him.
Percy stirred and mumbled, "Here we go again."
"You idiot," Annabeth said, but despite her harsh words she looked overjoyed more than anything.
"Glad to see you awake, baby brother," Markus said, just as relieved as Annabeth.
"You were green and turning grey when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing ..." Annabeth trailed off.
"Now, now," Chiron's voice said. "Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit."
He was sitting near the foot of the bed in his wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale.
"How are you feeling?" the centaur asked.
"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved," Percy commented.
"Sounds like a pleasant experience," Markus muttered sarcastically. Probably unnecessary, but he was worried. He always was sarcastic when worried.
"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom." Chiron nodded, "Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."
Between sips of nectar, Percy told them the story. Luke was the thief that had stolen the master bolt and the helm of darkness. He was going to give them to Kronos since he wanted to destroy the gods and all of Western Civilization.
When Percy was done, the room was quiet for a long time.
"I can't believe that Luke ..." Annabeth's voice began strongly but quickly faltered, her expression turning angry and sad as it did. "Yes. Yes, I can believe it. May the gods curse him. He was never the same after his quest."
Markus was silent, pondering on what he'd heard. Luke was nice, he helped him when he first arrived at camp. And continued to be helpful throughout. But after this? He didn't know how to feel. He didn't feel as betrayed as Annabeth, since he wasn't as close to him as she was, but his betrayal left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured. "I will go at once."
"Luke is out there right now," Percy said. "I have to go after him."
"Not like that you aren't," Markus said firmly.
Chiron nodded in agreement, "Markus is right, Percy. The gods-"
"Won't even talk about Kronos," Percy snapped. "Zeus declared the matter closed!"
"Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."
But when will we be ready, Chiron?" Markus asked. "You're not telling us anything. Neither are the gods. How are we supposed to prepare if we don't know what's going to happen or when it's going to start?"
Chiron had a look on his face, like he agreed with what Markus said, but still reluctant to say anything.
Percy gritted his teeth, but he must have known that Chiron was right, it was obvious that he wasn't going to be sword fighting anytime soon. He gained a bitter look as he locked eyes with the trainer while asking, "Chiron...your prophecy from the Oracle...it was about Kronos, wasn't it? Was I in it? Or Markus? And Annabeth?"
Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Percy, it isn't my place-"
"You were ordered not to talk about it, weren't you?" Markus interrupted, frowning.
His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You two will be great heroes, children. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..."
Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.
"We can't just sit back and do nothing," Percy tried to argue.
"We will not sit back," Chiron promised. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to become unravelled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."
"Can't really prepare ourselves if we don't know what's coming," Markus remarked bitterly. First Zeus not even wanting to mention Kronos' approach, now this? If this was how things were going to go, they were doomed.
Seeing their expressions, Chiron put his hands on the Percy's ankle and Markus' shoulder. "You'll have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice..." Both boys got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise him. "But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision. The same could be said about your living arrangements, Markus."
"I'm going," Markus said firmly. "I know you want me to train at camp, Chiron. But don't worry. I can do that myself. Hecate can help me. I'm going to get stronger. I'm not going to just wait until Kronos comes. Because he will."
Nodding his head happily, Chiron turned to Percy, who didn't give an answer yet.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you." Then he glanced at Annabeth. "Oh, and, my dear...whenever you're ready, they're here."
"Who's here?" Percy asked curiously. Markus was also curious.
Nobody answered as Chiron rolled himself out of the room.
Annabeth studied the ice in the drink as Markus looked at her expectantly.
"What's wrong?" Percy asked her.
"Nothing." The blonde set the glass on the table. "I...just took your advice about something. You...um ...need anything?"
"Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside."
"Percy, that isn't a good idea."
Markus scoffed. "Like that's going to stop him."
Percy grunted, but didn't deny it.
He slid his legs out of bed. Annabeth and Markus caught him before he could crumple to the floor. His face turned green.
Annabeth said, "I told you-"
"I'm fine," the boy insisted stubbornly.
"Stubborn as a bull, this one," Markus said.
Percy turned to him. "Pot, meet kettle. Sound familiar?"
"Oh, so you can tell a joke. I thought you just had a stick up your ass."
Percy spluttered in embarrassment as Markus smirked, winning this round.
"Boys," Annabeth muttered.
He managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Annabeth and Markus as they helped him walk. Argus followed them outside, but he kept his distance.
By the time they reached the porch, Percy's face was beaded with sweat and he looked like he was having stomach pains. Still, he had managed to make it all the way to the railing.
It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.
"What are you going to do?" Annabeth asked Percy.
"I don't know."
When Annabeth turned her head to Markus, he just answered, "Training. I'll try and get Hecate to teach me some magic when I have some time. I know I could do the training in camp, but I doubt Hecate would just pop into camp almost all the time. She'll try to contact me with dreams or visions. Plus I also want a life outside camp as well."
Percy told the two that he was sure Chiron wanted him and Markus to stay year-rounders, get more individual training time, but he was still confused on what he wanted to do. He also admitted that he felt bad about leaving Annabeth alone with Clarisse for company.
At this, Annabeth pursed her lips, then quietly said, "I'm going home for the year, Percy."
Percy stared at her. "You mean, to your dad's?"
Markus also looked surprised. He didn't know she was going to her dad's. He was thinking that it might not be a good idea, but left it for Annabeth to decide. It was her decision, and he couldn't change that. It wouldn't be the right thing to do.
The blonde pointed toward the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted: two little children, a woman, and a tall man. They seemed to be waiting. The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one Annabeth had gotten from Waterland in Denver.
"I wrote him a letter when we got back," Annabeth said. "Just like you suggested. I told him...I was sorry. I'd come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided...we'd give it another try."
"That took guts." Percy commented.
Markus nodded, feeling slightly proud of her. Annabeth pursed her lips at Percy. "You won't try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least ... not without sending me an Iris-message?"
"Annie, you wound me!" Markus gasped dramatically. "How could you leave me out?" He then dodged a punch from her while laughing. "And that's why I don't plan on calling you," Annabeth grumbled. "Don't call me Annie."
"Well, when you tell me not to say it..." Markus said mischievously, ignoring the burning glare the girl was giving him.
"I think I'm going to miss you the least."
"Nonsense, you love me." With that, he gave her a big hug. She tried breaking out of it, but gave up after he just held onto her, since he more physically stronger. After a moment, she returned the hug. "Fine. I'll miss you."
"Ditto."
With that, both of them separated. But not before Annabeth gave him a jab in his stomach, making him almost double over. "And that was for calling me Annie."
Percy laughed at the byplay between the two. Then he turned the conversation back to where it was before. He managed a smile. "I won't go looking for trouble. I usually don't have to."
"When I get back next summer," the blonde said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"
"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena." The boy smirked.
"I second that," Markus replied.
Annabeth shook her head and held out her hand to Percy that he gladly shook. She did the same with Markus.
"Take care, Seaweed Brain, Squid Head," Annabeth told them. "Keep your eyes open."
"Same to you, Wise Girl," Percy said. Markus just waved his hand for goodbye.
With all the goodbyes done, Annabeth walked towards Half-Blood Hill.
Annabeth walked up to her father and gave him an awkward hug. She looked at the valley one last time and turned to Thalia's tree and placed her hand on it. With that, she descended down the crest of the hill and into the mortal world.
As Annabeth disappeared from sight with her family, Percy suddenly looked thoughtful as he turned to look out at Long Island Sound.
"I'll be back next summer," Percy suddenly said. "I'll survive until then. After all, I am your son."
"Yeah," Markus said in the same direction as Percy. "We don't plan to die so easily. We'll survive. Look out for us, will ya?"
Both boys went to Cabin Three, so they could pack their bags for home.
Markus was walking with Percy as they ascended the hill with his bag in tow. His mum was waiting for him at the bottom with a taxi.
Percy turned to his brother. "Good luck."
Markus smiled. "Yeah. You too."
With that, they shook hands, and parted ways: Percy heading to his mum, and Markus drifting off to the hillside downwards.
Before he disappeared down the hills, he turned in the direction of Camp Half-Blood. As he looked on, he wondered about how he was going to defend the place that became home to him. He wanted to get stronger. Strong enough to protect his home and his friends. But because of Zeus and Chiron's hesitance, they were going in blind. How were they going to prepare for Kronos' rise when they didn't even know this so-called prophecy? When the King of the Gods was in denial? With the way they were going, they were going to be killed before they were even prepared.
As Markus pondered on his thoughts, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. When his hands touched something cold. Taking it out of his pocket, he saw that it was the dragon pendant Ryūjin had given him on his quest. He thought about the dragon god's offer for advice, and he decided that he would take up his offer. If the Greek gods weren't going to help him or tell him anything, why not go to the Shintos instead? It wouldn't hurt to try.
Right there, Markus made a decision. He wasn't going to be held down by anyone. Not Zeus. Not Chiron. No one. He was going to carve his own path. He'll gain strength. He'll become so strong that whatever force Kronos sends, he'll crush them, so they won't harm what he holds dear. He wanted strength. He wanted power. And no force on Earth was going to stop his pursuit. Not Poseidon. Not Zeus. Nobody.
"I swear on the Styx that no one will stop me from gaining the power to protect myself and my family," Markus swore, and lightning boomed over the sky, signifying that the oath was made. Yeah, it may have been grave. It may have been rash and stupid. But he didn't care. He planned to become the strongest that he could be. Or die trying.
And just then, part of the prophecy he'd been given by the Oracle, which felt like years ago, came into his mind. Specifically, the part about him: The mystic son of the sea shall make a decision. One that will affect him gravely in the future.
Hello, everyone! Glad to write to you guys again. And I just want to celebrate something. I FINALLY managed to finish the first book. Thank God! It feels like almost a lifetime to me when I started writing this. This is a great milestone for me, and I'm going to enjoy it!
...Okay, celebration over. So, I hoped you liked the new chapter. About the part with Gabe. It was something I put down because I wanted to make the story serious and a bit gruesome. If I did poorly, review to me. Constructive criticism is good for me.
Hope you liked how the part I added from the Oracle tied in at the end. From here, the story will deviate from canon, focusing on Markus' progress on magic and other stuff, which you can find out next chapter.
Thanks to all those who favourited, reviewed, and followed the story. You guys are a big help to me. Thanks so much. Love you guys.
Read and review!