[Percy]

Mom practically shoved us into the car.

She had thrown my school backpack and her purse at me, grabbed the car keys, and nearly sprinted out of the apartment.

"Percy, I swear, you better start explaining things in the car!" She yelled, running down the stairs.

"Sure!" I responded, "But can I first kill the monster?"

I could hear Nico's grumbling as Bianca dragged him along, insisting that just one measly monster is no match for the son of Hades. Yeah right, he's exhausted, I'd rather avoid all conflict entirely.

We skidded to a stop in the parking lot, Mom fumbling with the keys to Gabe's Camaro. She pushed us inside. I slid into shotgun, clicking my seatbelt on, and hitching up my new dagger.

We reversed out of the driveway and onto the road. This may be Manhattan, but somehow my mom was able to speed down the street, breaking several traffic laws in the process. I caught the glimpse of the monster in the rearview mirror; hellhound.

I turn in my seat to face Nico and Bianca, "We're being chased by one of your dad's dogs. Think you can deal with it if it catches up to us?"

Nico frowns at me, "Of course."

Bianca immediately sends him a look of doubt, "Sure, but if you can't, I'll try."

I nod in thanks to her, then swivel around to look at Mom.

"Uh, so, I know who my dad is?" I try, but she shoots me an unimpressed look.

"Obviously. Did Lord Apollo just tell you? How long have you known?"

I panic. I have to tell her the truth. "Right, so will you believe me if I told you I'm a time traveller from the year 2016?"

Mom slammed the breaks, jerking us forward, and we swerved onto the highway. "Percy, you better be joking."

Bianca steps in to help, "Unfortunately not, Ms Jackson. I got told this morning about this, and I don't think they're lying."

"We're not!" Protested Nico, "We really did time travel!"

Mom tightened her grip on the steering wheel, "If you've time travelled, why did you come back?"

"I don't know," I admitted, playing with the celestial bronze dagger. "That's what Apollo came here to ask us - he came back too and he's confused."

"The god of knowledge and prophecy doesn't know?" Mom said with confusion.

"He's not the god of prophecy anymore!" Piped up Nico, "Time travel apparently makes all prophecies null."

"Right," Mom muttered, "That's just great."

"Look on the bright side," I told her brightly, "There's no more Great Prophecy for me to almost die in."

Mom shot me a venomous glare as she swerved across several lanes. "Percy, please don't."

I held my hands up in surrender, "Sorry Mom."

oOo

Suddenly, Bianca screamed out a warning. "Look out!"

The hellhound got tired of chasing us and shadow-travelled right in front us. Mom cursed as the car went flying.

"Ow."

We smashed into a light post with a loud 'CRACK.'

"My door is jammed!" Bianca yelled.

I dazedly looked back to her. Her door had crumpled inwards like it was aluminum foil, and she was desperately trying to jerk it open. Nico was more dazed than me, his eyes were unfocused and he was fumbling way too much with his seatbelt to be any help in the fight.

"Stay here," I commanded her. "Protect Nico, he's too drained to do anything without nectar."

I get out of the car, poised to attack with my dagger.

I ran towards the monster, waving my arms to grab it's attention away from the car. "HEY! Bad dog! Over here!"

It turned to me, growling. Oops, probably should have thought this through.

It bounded towards me and I ducked, throwing myself under it, letting it pass over my head. It's moments like these that I desperately wish for Riptide to be in my hands.

"Missed me!" I yell, running away from the car. "Come and get me!"

It barked, a deep sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and began chasing me through the streets.

I ducked and weaved, scratching it lightly on its flank several times, but that didn't do anything other than enrage it. I was nearly 300 feet away from where the car crashed when I finally got an idea.

I spotted a pool of water.

The tugging feeling in my gut was so familiar, I welcomed it with a smile. The roar of a wave echoed in my ears.

In a blink, the hellhound was whimpering; stuck in a huge block of ice. I casually walked up to it, twirling my dagger. With a single swing, I slit its throat.

"Bye-bye puppy!" I smirked.

I only lasted a few seconds after it was gone before I nearly collapsed on the highway. Ugh, the adrenaline has worn off and I'm not as used to using my powers in such an advanced way. I totally understand Nico now.

Mom met me halfway as I limped back towards the car, throwing my arm around her shoulders so I was leaning on her.

"Percy!" She fussed, "Are you okay?"

"Mhm," I hummed tiredly. "Yeah. Think we can get to camp?"

"Not before dark," She told me, opening the passenger side door for me. "If nothing else attacks we can get there around midnight."

I slumped against my car seat, "Great. Wake me up when we get there."

I think I heard Bianca say something, but I had already passed out.

[Apollo]

I fled Percy's apartment almost all too quickly after handing him a weapon.

My newly rediscovered godhood was a pain; I couldn't help them, I had to leave them to their own fate. I could already tell this will become a pain in the future - so many times I could help but I wouldn't be able to with these stupid Ancient Laws. I wanted to find a way to lose my immortality as soon as possible, yet I knew I shouldn't; I could help the demigods better by being the inside man.

My temple on Olympus seems too empty.

It's bright and stylish, the latest fashion. Fancy golden furniture, more comfortable than anything a mortal can create, perfectly styled to my home. The envy of Olympus. Lonely.

In my time as a mortal I had many different homes; my cabin at Camp, Sally Jackson's home, my dorm at university. They were warm, safe, comfortable, alive. That home was mine.

This? This temple is empty and cold despite the millennia of life in it.

oOo

I don't know how long I was sitting there, staring into nothing, before Hermes appeared.

"My son is going insane," he says.

That snaps me out of it. "What?"

Hermes sighs and sits down beside me on the couch. "Luke. When I got to Camp I found him in the infirmary, restrained like some beast, and Chiron trying to tell me he went crazy. I-" He faltered, grief plain on his face. "What Luke described… his dream, it sounds just like what happened to his mother." He looks at me, his eyes pleading. "That's impossible, right?"

I looked back at him. His form was one of his less used, older ones, one that he usually only used while stressed; a thirty-something year old man, greying at the temples. The uncertainty in his tone could have broken my heart - the way he was practically begging me to tell him he was wrong.

Flinging aside all normal godly behaviour, I grabbed my little brother into a hug. "No," I soothed, "It's impossible. It's not like his mother at all."

I could feel the relief sweep through him. "Thank you," he said. "For telling me."

I wanted to tell him it's not something he should be thanking me for, but refrained. "Of course," I said instead. "But you know what you have to do now? That you're going to have to break some rules?"

He drew away, "Yeah. I gave him a phone, connecting directly to me, should help."

I nodded, "I'll help." I promised, "You'll see your kids more often."

Hermes eyed me, searching me for lies. I was almost hurt by this, but I know years of not acting like family does this. It's my own fault if he doesn't trust me.

oOo

"Apollo!" I hear Artemis call, seeing her flash into the room.

She frowns when she spots me and Hermes sitting on the couch, talking. "Hermes, where have you been? Father's been trying to summon you for nearly half an hour!"

I feel him stiffen next to me, and I decide to step in.

"We've just been talking. We put Martha and George on vibrate because they were being annoying," I lied smoothly. "What's got you yelling your head off, little sis?"

She scowls at me, "Father's called an emergency council meeting. With all members."

"What?" Hermes asks, shooting to his feet. "Why?"

Artemis' brow furrows. "Something's wrong. The Fates are in the council chambers, they're saying that the Great Prophecy has just been changed."

A/N

So, Percy just Did That. Apollo is in hot water. Zeusy will not be happy.