Fun fact, the documents on which I've written the chapters for my stories on and Ao3 are separate. I haven't touched this one ever since I ran away. December 2018. Now it's April 2020, I'm older, most definitely not wiser and have two new stories to worry about. So, four in total. Should I keep them on separate platforms? To those new to my story, hi! This is a reboot, if it wasn't obvious enough. I hope that it's up to standards. Let's begin.
In the grips of the Minotaur, fighting for her life, Sally Jackson was prepared to die. She had been from day one of interacting with the world of Greek Gods. From the day she realized that the people and things she could see weren't as common as she thought they were. She learned to keep her head down, avoid whatever spawn of Tartarus was roaming the streets, hunting for those with ichor in their veins, no matter how diluted it was. Sometimes, she wondered whether her life would have been easier if she was born without her gift(her curse) of sight. But, as with most of the dark thoughts that flitted across her mind occasionally, she always managed to find things that made it worthwhile. Without her sight, she wouldn't have met her lover. Without her sight, she wouldn't have had Percy. One might argue that the things she had gone through to make sure he stayed safe(and she grimaced as her thoughts briefly went to the slimeball she had been forced to call her husband), outweighed whatever joy she could have gotten from his existence, but she would gladly sell her soul just to make sure Percy continued living, continued smiling. Even if he never understood what she had sacrificed to keep him safe.
She choked on nothing as her air supply got cut off, the Minotaur barely exerting any effort to increase the pressure on her throat. Percy was watching with a look of sheer terror on his face, struggling to shoulder Grover's weight as the semi-conscious satyr babbled aloud, all but a few of his words inaudible over the sounds of thunder and the heavy breathing of the abomination that was about to kill her. As her vision began to fade to black, she felt a shift and a temporary release on her airway allowed her to take a much needed gulp of air, she almost wished that she hadn't as her vision cleared. The monster had shifted the grip on her neck in order to raise her up, and from what she could see, it was about to smash her into the ground. She felt fear coil around her spine. She didn't know what it was like to get smashed into the ground by a half-human, half-bull, but something told her that she was about to find out. Swallowing down her fear, she met Percy's eyes and forced a smile onto her face. If this was going to be the last time she saw her son before hitching a ride on Charon's ferry, she didn't want his last memory of her to be tarnished with pain and terror. And as she felt the switch in movement, the beginnings of her descent to the ground, she hoped that she had done right with her life.
"I'd prefer it if you stepped away from Jackson-san." a familiar voice interrupted her last thoughts, and a welcome figure appeared in her line of sight. She had half a second to wonder why he was here before her world blurred. One moment she was about to introduce herself to the ground, the next moment she was on her feet behind a cloaked figure. The Minotaur no longer looked so intimidating without an arm(and she noted the sudden large amount of golden dust covering her and the earth). The white-haired figure of her saviour stood in a loose stance, relaxed despite the threat in front of him. He gently placed down a metallic briefcase and rolled up his sleeves, revealing pale, unmarked skin. At least, one first glance. Just because she was in such close proximity with him(and this being the first time she had seen him without long sleeves), she noticed the thin lines tracing his arms, creating an almost invisible patchwork pattern. Sally filed that information away for later use. Right now, she had more pressing concerns to address.
"Ken? What are you doing here?" he gave her a sheepish smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes(the usual Ken then) and returned his attention to the silent beast. It watched him, eyes gleaming with something akin to intelligence, but with an unhealthy amount of rage. For the first time since it had attacked her, the Minotaur seemed more human than beast. It snarled, clutching the stump that was once an arm. Not very surprising. What was more shocking was the fact that Ken snarled right back. The monster recoiled from the mortal that had prevented it from killing her, as startled as she was by the sound. Turning her head to look at Percy, he gestured from the man standing in front of him to her, raising an eyebrow and mouthing "what the hell". She smiled despite the situation, mouthed the word "later" before returning her attention to the situation. This was a surreal scene, a mortal staring down a monster from long before his time, unarmed except for a strange briefcase. And yet...how had he taken the arm from the thing that had grabbed her?
"Have you forgotten what I told you when we first met Jackson-san?" he cracked a knuckle, a sound that made her shiver. Ken was a mortal, dwarfed by the sheer size of his opponent but also the man who had just saved her for the second time with nothing but his bare hands, destroying one of its arms. As usual, Kaneki Ken was a walking mass of contradictions. He had been ever since she first met him. He began walking towards the monster, briefcase left in the grass, as it straightened in response to the challenge. Despite the height difference, he looked far more threatening as compared to the one that opposed him. Sally felt a mixture of emotions, cycling through fear, anger, doubt and finally settling on frustration. At her own inability to protect her child. At having to cower behind the back of someone who probably saw the Minotaur as a regular beast instead of a fusion between human and bull. A man who would surely die if he was hit. As she prepared to make a run for it, Ken's next words were like a splash of cold water to her face, drawing her out of her thoughts. Both the words and the tone in which they were spoken.
"I told you that I would protect you. Whether it be that prick that was putting his filthy paws on you...or a washed up half-human reject that should have just stayed dead the first time I killed it." He can see through the Mist? Wait...he killed it before? How? His tone was ice cold, brimming with rage and yet completely in control. Like someone had harnessed the force of a hurricane and bent it to their will. Not for the first time, a stray thought crossed her mind. He's dangerous.
The Minotaur roared again, swinging a fist towards the mortal that stood in its way. Ken responded with a punch of his own. The two fists made contact. If this was a movie, this point would last for an eternity, slowed down to see exactly what happened frame by frame. However, this is real life. And somehow, Kaneki Ken was much stronger. One second, the duo were connected by their fists. The next, the Minotaur had a matching stump. Completely unruffled, Ken dashed forward and in a shocking display of agility, kicked off the chest of his armless opponent and backflipped, both legs smashing into the chin of the monster and separating its head from its shoulders. The moment he landed, rather gently, on the ground, was also the same moment for what remained of the once Minotaur to burst into golden dust. It may have just been her imagination, but the dust seemed to settle everywhere but on Kaneki Ken himself. The victor dusted himself off lightly and tugged at his sleeves to readjust them, walking back to face Sally and picking up the briefcase along the way.
She stared in awe at the mortal who had just brought down one of the Greek monsters, a feat heard about only in past legends. He gazed right back, eyes flicking from her face to her neck, then to her son and the still semi-conscious Grover. Then Ken smiled, and this time it reached his eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder and seemed to deflate with the contact. He tilted his head down to look at the ground, and she could feel the minute trembling coursing through the arm in contact with her. Suddenly pulling her into a one-armed hug, Sally yelped at the sudden motion before relaxing and returning it. For a brief moment, she felt safe again. Ken always gave the best hugs.
"You saved me."
"I thought I was going to be too late, Jackson-san. I had a bad feeling so I went to look for you. Almost had a heart attack when I saw the burning car."
"I must be really lucky then."
"Please don't do that again. I've broken enough rules just by being here." it was her turn to look down at the ground(or rather, over his shoulder), self-hatred from earlier resurfacing with a vengeance. Of course, Ken must have been a demigod. How else could one explain the ability to see through the Mist and the supernatural strength and agility? Demigods rarely survived till they were adults. To have done so, Ken must have been extremely careful about keeping a low profile. And he had thrown that out the window the first time she got into trouble with the godly world. Somehow sensing her thoughts, he tightened the hug.
"Don't apologize. I'm just glad you're safe. I've spent too long hiding anyway. Judging by the looks your son keeps directing at us, I believe we have somewhere we need to go?"
"We?"
"Did you think that I would just let you leave after what happened? I've broken so many rules, might as well break a few more." Ken disengaged from the hug, much to her disappointment. Beckoning to Percy, he gestured for the satyr that he had draped over himself like a sack of potatoes. Percy gave him a suspicious glance, then directed a silent question at her. She nodded, which made him give Grover to Ken before running towards her and hugging her as well. She ruffled his hair, whispering apologies as he shook in her embrace. They stood like that for a couple of moments before a hand tapped on her shoulder. She looked at Ken, who had managed to sling Grover over one shoulder with what seemed to be no effort and he tilted his head. She gently broke the embrace, still holding one of Percy's hands before using the other to point towards Camp Half-Blood. He readjusted his grip on his new luggage and began walking, Sally and her son following soon after. They walked quickly, her instincts prickling with each clap of thunder as they climbed up the hill(which was not fun in the rain). Upon reaching the lone pine tree on the hill, Ken paused to run a hand almost reverently across the bark, a brief look of fury crossing his face. It was quickly snuffed out when he noticed her watching, so she averted her eyes, redirecting them to the man in a wheelchair getting pushed by a blonde girl(and making another note to question him later). The man inclined his head as a form of greeting and she saw his wheelchair flicker for a moment to reveal equestrian legs. Ah. A centaur.
"Hello Ms Sally Jackson, Percy and… who are you, may I ask?" the fake smile on the centaur's face(she heard Percy mutter something about a teacher) could rival that of her saviour. The two sized each other up, a thoughtful glint emerging in Ken's eyes. He hooked the briefcase onto a finger, extending his now free hand in greeting, a small smirk gracing his face.
"Ken Kaneki, sir. I prefer to be called Kaneki, everyone calls me Kaneki, apart from Jackson-san, who refuses to use that name. Can we come in, or will I have to force my way in?" the girl pushing the wheelchair gave a derisive chuckle at the implied threat, but quickly sobered at how the centaur paled with Ken's words. Composing himself, the older male took his hand and shook it briefly.
"No need for threats, Mr Kaneki. I, Chiron, permit Ms Sally Jackson and Mr Ken Kaneki to enter the camp. Could you pass Grover to the teenagers waiting behind us? He looks like he needs medical treatment."
Ken didn't reply, choosing to step through the camp borders without a second thought and gently handing the satyr to a group of boys with a stretcher. Sally tugged Percy along when he didn't move, trying to process what was going on. Chiron(the Chiron?) brought up the rear with his helper. She checked over Percy to make sure he wasn't injured, before gesturing to Chiron. He hesitated, then shrugged and began to pepper "Mr Brunner" with questions. Ken stood at the edge of the camp borders, staring at the dark sky with a blank face. She brushed past the small group that had formed, all watching him, joining him at his side. They stood there, watching the skies and ignoring the whispers behind them. It was a peaceful silence, broken abruptly a few minutes later by a large dog. Well, a Hellhound. It raced up the hill and slammed into an invisible barrier, growling and resuming its attempts each time it bounced off the shield. Ken watched its efforts. She could see the gears turning inside his head as he gently set down the briefcase and flicked the latches. Not quite understanding, she wondered why a Hellhound would hammer at a barrier that was impenetrable. That was until she saw the small horde of monsters gathering at the base of the hill, moving closer with each second. Chiron had also noticed the threat, calling for everyone to step back from the camp borders. Nevertheless, the duo stood their ground, one mesmerized by the chaos, another hesitating before an unlocked briefcase. As the Hellhound made its tenth attempt to break the barrier, a dome of ethereal light flickered into being around Camp Half-Blood. Cries of alarm began to permeate the air as it grew dimmer with each hit, visible cracks webbing from the impact. Before the camp's protection could fail(why was it failing?), the Hellhound ran onto a sword instead of into a wall. It let out a gurgle before bursting into dust and revealing what had pierced it. A Japanese looking sword, glowing red and pulsing, held by one Ken Kaneki. The man no longer looked so uncertain as he patted Sally on the shoulder before stepping outside the failing wall. Facing the horde.
"Mr Kaneki, I do not know who you think you are, but please get back inside the camp! The borders will be strong enough to hold, they always have been! You will die fighting them alone!" Chiron shouted as his fake legs shifted aside and he stood in his true form, already reaching for a quiver of arrows and a bow that a teenager handed to him. Sally was about to utter a similar line of thought before Ken looked at them. His eyes blazed silver, and for the first time since she had met him, the man with eyes older than his form looked alive.
"If you didn't already notice, these impenetrable walls are going to break soon. I can't just let that happen. Not when I have someone here to protect." his eyes shifted to meet hers and he offered a small smile. She watched, entranced as he turned his back on them, drawing a line in the ground with the sword. The horde reached the top of the hill as he finished doing so, the leaders of the pack being none other than three demonic looking ladies. The Furies. Joy, they had angered a god. One raised a hand and the monsters stopped their charge, looking almost with a human-like curiosity at the person that stood in their way, one man in front of an army.
"Step aside, mortal. We do not have any grievances with you. Give us the boy and we will leave." Sally felt Percy tense behind her. So they had figured it out. Ken took a long look at the army of monsters, then to the three Furies themselves. He radiated an aura of contempt. He made no sound. The Fury who had spoken waited a few more seconds before snorting in disdain.
"So be it. You will be the first to die." and with that, the Fury lunged at him, claws outstretched and ready to tear him to ribbons. Part of her heard the sounds of horror coming from the impromptu audience that believed they were about to watch someone die. She felt disconnected from her body as her eyes were inexplicably drawn to the line in the dirt. As the Fury passed it, Ken moved.
As with his previous fight, one moment his opponent was there, ready to claw his face apart and the next, she was sliced into three. The parts continued past him and bounced off the camp borders, which would have been almost comical if there wasn't a look of terror on the severed head that was clearly still alive, mouth opening and closing in a silent scream. Ken caught the head as it returned, dropping it to the ground and grinding a heel into it hard enough to cause the Fury to burst into dust. He no longer looked so little before the monsters he faced. The remaining two Furies did not move, and neither did those behind the man, too shocked to react. He took a step forward, and the Furies took a step back before catching themselves. The sword pulsed more furiously as he raised it to point at the general direction of the horde. Ken now radiated an aura of power and bloodlust, not unlike a wild animal. Only this wild animal was an enigma with a sword just as mysterious as its owner. In the silence, a knuckle made an ear splitting crack.
"You're next."
Well, that's the start of my reboot. How did you find it? I've decided to take a slightly different route this time round. Anyway, let me make one thing extremely clear before I continue. Well, two things. One, Kaneki will be seriously powerful. I'll explain that in a chapter further down the road. Two, my update schedule may be a little off considering I now have three stories, soon to be four. I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time.