Percy let out a sigh as he pulled his hood off, running his fingers through his messy black hair as he walked out from the transport hub. As cool as those things were, it was definitely warm in them and it was always a relief once a mission ended. He took a step to the side as the doors to the hub opened again, this time, letting through a 2 metre tall metal containment capsule on an automated trolley. He peeked through the glass panel on the front, scrutinizing the silver armour sealed within. Once he was satisfied, he waved his hand past a sensor and the trolley let out a blip.
He then continued down the corridors, he trolley now following behind him. Uniformed personnel strutted back and forth through the halls, busy with paperwork or carrying some form of logistics equipment. But in spite of their business, they all took the time to give a respectful nod or some form of acknowledgement to Percy as he walked past. Percy, of course, returned the gestures, though he would never admit that the respect stroked his ego quite pleasantly.
As he walked past one particular door, he heard the buzz of machinery inside suddenly go silent, followed by some haphazard crashing noises before a hispanic boy slightly younger than himself came tumbling out. He caught his footing quickly and opened his arms in welcome, a playful grin on his face.
"Percy! I see the mission was a success!" he chirped.
Percy, however, backed off slightly.
"Gloves! Leo, your gloves!"
Leo paused for a second and looked at his hands, each of which was clothed in an oil-covered glove. He blinked twice before nonchalantly ripping them off and tossing them back into the room resulting in an unceremonious crash and some questionable cat cries, but Percy decided not to question it.
"Better," he shrugged. "How you been buddy?"
As he said that he grasped Leo's hand in a solid handshake before they pulled close for a chest bump.
"So far so good, been working on a new arm-mounted flamethrower recently that makes use of Titan blood as a fuel. I think i've just about got the fuel mix proportions down!"
Percy frowned.
"Titan blood? Isn't that kind of, i don't know, dangerous?"
"Because of corruption and voices and all that? Yeah, it would be, but thanks to the distillation process the team here developed it purges and genetic material from the substance, so no Kronos whispering in your ear or anything."
"Uh…. If you're sure i guess."
"Don't worry about it, we got it covered."
Leo patted Percy on the back rather roughly, but before their conversation could continue, the trolley blipped with relative alarm, almost as if annoyed with the chatting demigods. Percy and Leo chuckled slightly at the sight.
"Guess i should get this thing to the vault for assessment." Percy said.
"A suit of armor this time was it?"
"Yeah, they called this one the 'Green Armor' even though it's silver. Either way, its supposedly impervious."
"How'd you guys pull it off the guy wearing it then?"
Percy smirked.
"The spear of Eden."
"The norse one?"
"Yeap, the one they called Gungnir. Allastar just levitated the armor off the guy and teleported off with it."
"Are you serious?" Leo laughed. "That sounds glorious. Wish i was there to see it."
His voice seemed to sink at the last sentence, prompting Percy to lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Ah, your first action mission should be sometime soon. Allastar is probably just waiting for the right opening."
"I hope so."
"Anyway, i'll see you around."
"Yeah, catch you."
With their conversation concluded, Percy continued on his way. Following the signs would normally have worked wonders, but unfortunately nothing had been done about his dyslexia just yet. So after a few wrong turns and some sloppy footwork, he finally arrived at a large metal door with the sign 'Vault' hanging over it. He hit a button on the intercom on the side and waited for a couple seconds before someone picked up.
"Who is it?"
"Percy Jackson, authorization code 1808."
"Confirmed, what is your purpose?"
"Depositing a piece of Eden."
There was a short pause after he said that and he heard some chatter in the background before the doors began to whirr open.
"Please proceed, you know where to send the stuff."
"Thanks buddy."
Once the doors had opened enough, Percy strutted in with the armor in tow. The room behind the door was like a lab out of a sci-fi movie. Almost everything was a glossy white and most of the equipment handlers within were equipped with protective gloves and suits. In the centre of the circular room, though, was a series of monitors and control panels and the most stereotypical scientist figures you could imagine huddled over them, categorizing, researching or calculating things that Percy didn't even want to begin thinking about.
Ignoring most of the room, he brought the armor straight to a staff member in front of a large claw machine and keyed some information into a panel on the side. The staff member gestured for him to step back before the claw reached down and plucked the containment unit off the trolley and the room came to life. Panels started opening along the walls of the room, revealing rows upon rows of containment units lined up along the sides. To the far left he could see Gungnir sitting in its spot, the first piece Allastar had found for the order. The gauntlet Drakontas had used, Imhullu, was also several rows down. The claw then deposited the new addition to the far right before everything began to return to their original positions, leaving the room the same empty white void he had seen when he had walked in.
The staff member tapped vigorously at a keyboard for a few moments before he looked up, giving Percy a thumbs up and a smile. Percy nodded in acknowledgement, returning the gesture before he stuck his hands in his pockets and turned to leave.
As the vault doors clamped shut behind him, he let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he had been holding. No matter what stage of his life he was in, rigid places like those just made him feel unsettled. He brushed the feeling aside quickly, though, and made a beeline for the elevators.
Once he entered, he hit the button for the twelfth level and took a deep breath as he slumped to the cabin wall and crossed his arms. He was feeling strangely unenergetic and he wasn't quite sure why, but the prospect of a warm shower seemed especially enticing at the moment.
A muted 'ding' sound was his signal to prop himself back up as the elevator doors opened to his destination, the residential level. He stared for a moment into the empty lounge, the sofas neatly aligned in the centre and along the sides, coffee tables flanking them and vending machines at every corner. It seemed quite lonely, but Percy knew that at this hour most of the residents were busy at work. There were several corridors leading to and from the lounge, most of them to the regular rooms. But as soon as he exited the elevator cabin he turned for the leftmost pathway, straight into the VIP lodging.
It seemed like a quaint little corridor, less than 30 rooms and less than 20 occupied, as opposed to the hundreds that lined the other rows. But the people these few rooms housed were considered the elite in the brotherhood, the few deserving of the rank Master Assassin.
Percy's room was towards the end, an arrangement made by Allastar especially for him. And he was grateful for it. The minute you walked in it was easy to understand why. Each VIP room had 2 levels within, one underground and one on ground level - the exposure being why they were reserved for the upper ranks. But unlike the others, the second deck of Percy's abode opened right onto the beachside. A view that Percy found himself staring at now that he had returned to his room.
It was a pleasant place, taking the appearance of a private beach lounge to those on the outside. In every corner sat a mist manipulator, demigod tech that was developed by the brotherhood to avert the eyes of curious mortals, and had thus far successfully led them to dismiss it.
He gazed out at the waves, watching as they lapped gently at the shore. Seagulls scampered about the shore, scavenging about for scraps left behind by beachgoers to fill their bellies. As he watched the ocean's surface, he couldn't help but wonder how his father was doing. Part of him wanted to speak with him now, but he knew better than to call upon him. He gazed to the side of the window, where a single shelf sat. Atop it were a few miscellaneous items, a broken minotaur horn, a single potted Moonlace and of course, a neatly ironed orange T-shirt hanging below the shelf on a hanger. The pattern was faded from years of wear, though through squinted eyes the words "Camp Half-Blood" were visible in block letters.
The sight of the shirt drew a sigh from Percy. Things had been changing so quickly since the end of the Titan war. One moment he had turned down Godhood, and the next he was part of the brotherhood. Knowing what he now knew, he feared for his friends. If left unchecked, he had no idea how many of them could be turned against him before he next saw them. With a fatal flaw like his, he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that situation. A glint from the drachmas on the shelf caught his eye and all of a sudden the fountain behind him looked like an excellent place to toss one.
He reached out for one, but before he could grasp it, a glowing rune appeared on his palm causing his hand to snap back. He took a moment to shake off the thoughts on his mind before bringing his hand to his ear, where a small magic circle formed.
"Perce." a voice called.
"Oh, Allastar." he replied. "What's up?"
"Could you report to my office? There's something I need to discuss with you. It's rather important we speak in person."
Percy frowned slightly.
It sounded serious.
"I'll be right over, give me a moment."
"See you then."
With that the circle dissipated and Percy immediately turned to the door, backtracking his steps all the way to the elevator and going down a few levels. He strutted swiftly through the busy halls until he came to a central room with large mahogany doors. He knocked and pushed the doors open, revealing a spacious office with shelves lined with books and a coffee table several feet in front of a large desk. It was the epitome of a formal environment. Or it would have been, if not for the multitude of anime posters that lined the walls and figurines in display cases in every corner. That and the fact that there were quite a few artifacts, all of which probably quite dangerous, lying about haphazardly. From behind the desk, a chair swiveled around revealing the bespectacled leader of their group. He fiddled around with an object in his hand as he faced Percy.
"Ah, nice. You're here!" he chirped. "How is Mr Valdez doing?"
"Oh, Leo said something about completing the next prototype for his Titan blood flamethrower. I told him it sounded a bit dangerous, but - wait a minute how did you know i spoke to Leo?"
The whole sentence came out so seamlessly it earned a chuckle from the mentor. In response, he held up the item he had been fiddling with moments before.
"I was testing out the Eye of Horus." he said, gesturing to the golden artifact. "I wanted to know the range of the vision it grants."
"And what did you find?" Percy asked, intrigued.
"Well, so far enough to tell you that your mom is doing well."
Percy raised an eyebrow.
"But we're in Australia."
"Exactly."
"That's impressive!"
"I know, right?" Allastar exclaimed. "I can even see into the girl's changing rooms by the beach."
"For real?"
"Oh yes."
"You gotta let me have a go with that thing. I'll just bring it to my room for a couple days if you don't mind."
"Of course not! Just wash it before you return it. I wouldn't want to catalogue something sticky."
Both men burst into laughter, what semblance of pretense they had thrown to the wind entirely. Percy smiled to himself, relishing the liberation from his heavier thoughts. He never knew how, but Allastar always seemed to know how to help everyone unwind. Despite the pleasantness of the moment, though, Percy forced a more serious look back onto his face.
"So what did you call me here for?" He asked. "Couldn't just be to ask me about Leo's projects."
Allastar pursed his lips and intertwined his fingers, fidgeting with slight discomfort.
"You would be right." he said, taking a deep breath and avoiding the young half-blood's gaze. "But you may not like what I have to tell you."
Percy frowned, Allastar was being unusually tense.
"Why, what's going on?" he asked with concern plastered on his face.
Allastar continued to avoid his gaze, sighing.
"I'll cut right to the chase." he replied. "I need you to go back to Camp Half-Blood."
Percy's look of concern melted away and in its wake discontentment morphed into the forefront. He stared in disbelief at Allastar, who simply rubbed his temples and rose to his feet. He took several steps forward and placed a hand on Percy's shoulder.
"I know the feelings are still sore Perce, but the fate of the world hangs in the balance."
"Oh great." Percy grumbled. "As if having to deal with one great prophecy looming over my head wasn't enough."
"Percy…"
"You know how much I suffered when Zeus and Hades were out for my head. I don't exactly want to be around for another one."
"It's exactly that." Allastar said solemnly. "I have my suspicions about the nature of the second great prophecy. And I fear that it may place your friends in danger."
The son of Poseidon's head snapped back at that statement..
"What do you mean?" he asked. "In danger of what?"
Allastar took a deep breath as he stood up, walking several steps towards his office window and looked out where he was offered a clear view of the activities taking place on every floor. He paced back and forth for a moment, biting his lip before he finally spoke.
"Percy. You know how everything changed after the incident?" he asked, not looking at Percy.
"The incident? You mean the Chest of Eden?"
Allastar nodded.
"I've explained to you how the Pithos of Elpis that Prometheus handed you during the climax of the Titan war was simply part of the piece of eden we call Pandora's box, right?"
"Yes, i remember that." Percy responded. "You said that it was opened during the events of the war, so none of the gods took notice to its opening."
"Indeed. And doing so activated the maps of Eden and changed the nature of the war between the Assassin and the Templar forever." Allastar mourned, staring at the Eye of Horus he held. "As you know, the race to the pieces of Eden is now more feverous than ever."
"And we now we wield them as extensions of ourselves yada yada, yes I know." Percy snapped. "What does that have to do with the prophecy?"
Allastar hesitated for a moment, but quickly composed himself, the look in his eyes deathly grim.
"The Templars seek the fall of Olympus, and everyone associated with it."
Percy looked like someone had just smacked him with a brick.
"What?"
Allastar shook his head.
"Recently some of our spies have informed me that the Templar are now aware of the Olympian's existence and blame them for the chaos that has shrouded humanity for the past millennia and seek to destroy them."
"Go on, that alone doesn't seem like a very Templar-like goal."
"Spot on." Allastar said with a snap of his fingers. "They want to destroy the Olympians and take their places as a new order of gods to lead humanity."
"Enslave humanity you mean?" Percy spat. "With their whole father of understanding bullshit."
"We can call it whatever we want, the facts remain the same. They wish for the end of Olympus, and i believe they may be collaborating with forces we have not yet identified, though i have my suspicions."
Percy clenched his fists as he strove to stay calm.
"If I were to make a guess, they'll try to turn whatever demigods they can and kill those who remain." he suggested.
Allastar nodded.
"We both know they've already started, now we know why." he stated. "We need to act on this before the tide turns against us."
Percy punched a wall and lowered his head, prompting Allastar to steal a glance and ensure his posters were intact before turning away again. He let out a frustrated grunt as memories of that night on the beach filled his mind, the night that led him to dedicate his service to the brotherhood.. It made him so angry, yet he knew without a doubt that Allastar wouldn't have asked if the stakes weren't dire.
He paced back and forth, throwing his head back and grunting before finally, he let out a defeated sigh and held his hands up in surrender.
"When do I leave?" he grumbled.
"In five days. There's a war council meeting on Olympus and the gods will be occupied. You can walk back in and no one should ask any questions until you're settled in."
"Alright then." Percy groaned. "I should go pack my things then."
With that said Percy turned to leave, his steps heavy and his posture slumped. He had barely gotten to the door when Allastar called out to him.
"One last thing." he said, reaching below his desk and pulling out a wristwatch before holding it out to Percy.
Percy who stared at it for a moment before his eyes widened. He recognized the craftsmanship at a glance and practically snatched it out of Allastar's grasp. He strapped it around his wrist, knowing exactly what to expect as he hit a button on the side, triggering plates of Celestial Bronze to spiral into existence before interlocking into a large circular shield.
The shield itself was ornately decorated with images he recognized as himself, five of them along the circle. One of him holding a lightning bolt and the next of him holding the golden fleece. Then one of him supporting the sky, of him in a maze and finally of him and a golden-eyed figure locked in combat.
Percy looked over to Allastar, who simply smiled.
"How?" he asked incredulously, the apprehension from before now gone. "And why?"
"Well, we feared some of the gods may too wish for Olympus' downfall, so i took the precaution of approaching a few i knew we could trust to discuss the situation." Allastar explained. "During our discussions I asked if there was something they'd like delivered to you and this is the result."
Percy smiled slightly at the story as he looked over his new shield, once again staring in awe at the details and designs on it.
"It may still be a few weeks away, Percy. But happy 18th birthday." Allastar said. "Tyson put a lot of work into it, so I hope you like it."
Percy hit a button and the shield reduced itself back to a wristwatch.
"I love it. Tell them i said thanks." Percy said with a smile.
"Tell them yourself when you see them again." Allastar replied.
"I guess I will."
Once again, though this time with a smile, Percy reached for the door and clasped the doorknob, prying it open. He had one foot out when his head cocked backwards.
"Hey Allastar?"
"Hm?" the man mumbled as he walked back to his desk.
"About the Eye of Horus…."
"I'll have someone send it to your room."
"Sweet."
And with that, Percy stepped out and shut the door behind him, leaving Allastar to snicker to himself as he stared at the artifact sitting in his palm.