Chapter 12-I Ruin Everything

I had no way of explaining to Gabe how I'd suddenly appeared in my room.

It was the middle of the night, but he was awake playing poker and drinking beer. (Big surprise). When he heard a crash in my bedroom, his 'office', he thought a burglar had come in the fire escape. He'd taken his burly friends, a kitchen knife, and come to drive the thief out.

When he burst into the room and found me, I don't know who was more surprised. Our superintendent, Eddie, however, was definitely the one who screamed the loudest.

My mom came running then, and upon seeing me, tried to convince Gabe that his friends should leave. Gabe didn't like that. He reached out and smacked her across the face.

I'd been angry when Zeus called me a thief. I'd been angry when Clarisse tried to give me a swirly. But that was nothing compared to the anger I felt when I saw Gabe hit my mom. I didn't stop to think; I pulled Riptide from my pocket. Eddie shouted, "Kid, put the gun away. This doesn't have to get out of hand!"

I turned to look at my mom. Her lip was twitching. I knew she could see my sword, she knew what it really was. She knew what I wanted to do. But she shook her head. She didn't want me to do something I'd regret. Besides, Chiron said celestial bronze went right through morals. I'd get myself arrested for attempted murder and it wouldn't even do me any good.

I put Riptide back in my pocket. But of course that wasn't enough for Gabe. He shouted, "Give it here you little psycho. I'm calling the police. You can't keep that in my house!"

I clenched my fists, but handed Riptide over. Once I did, Gabe studied it and then tossed it onto the bed, "Just a freaking water-gun."

Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but it didn't last long. Suddenly, Gabe's gaze turned dark, "You think you can threaten me, kid? You think you're a tough guy? Well I'll show you tough."

He punched me right in the gut.

I wasn't expecting it and doubled over in pain. I'd been hit far worse with a sword, but then I had armor. Then I was expecting it. This was just a low-blow, a grown man wailing on a 12-year-old boy. My mom screamed. Eddie reached out and grabbed Gabe, probably before he could hit me again. "Gabe, lay off, it was just a stupid prank."

I'm not proud to admit it, but if Riptide would have worked on Gabe… he would have been dead. I don't even think I would have even hesitated. But his utter mortality protected him, and there was nothing I could do. I knew I'd only make things worse if I punched him back. Gods how I wanted to, but considering how much trouble I was already in with the gods…

Eddie reached into his pocket and pulled out a few wads of bills. "Here, Sally. Why don't you and Percy go somewhere else for the night. Let everyone cool down."

My mom scooped up the money and moved towards the door, Gabe glared at her, but didn't try to stop her leaving. I went to follow her and Gabe spit in my face. If Eddie hadn't been right there… I don't know what I would have done. I'd gotten a lot stronger at school, but Gabe was still a big guy.

My suitcase from school was in the kitchen, and my mom quickly stuffed a bag full of her things. We didn't say anything until we were out of the apartment. Once the freezing air signaled we were free, my mom grabbed me and promptly began to sob. And I have to admit, I did as well.

It wasn't just the encounter with Gabe. I cried because if Gabe had hit my mom once, then he'd certainly hit her before, and I'd done nothing to help her. I remembered Zeus's bitter accusations, the terrifying realization that it didn't matter that I was innocent, the gods would kill me anyways. And I remembered my father's blank face as he looked at me. He really didn't care at all, did he? He never had.

Silent tears froze against my face. I wiped them away the best I could. If my mom knew how upset I was… She didn't need that. She didn't deserve any of this. It was all my fault. Who could blame my father for wanting nothing to do with me when all I brought my mother was grief?

Finally she managed to get herself together. Her breathing steadied, and though she shivered, I could tell it was from the cold, not from fear. I whispered to her, "Come on, let's get something to eat."

Best bit about New York City? No one questions the woman with her twelve-year-old going into a diner at three in the morning. The waitress just took our order and then let us be. If she could see the tear stains on my mom's face… well she didn't ask.

Finally my mom spoke, and her words break my heart, "Percy, I'm so sorry."

"Mom…" My voice cracked as I tried to find something to say. Was it my fault? Was it Gabe's? I honestly didn't know who to blame. A part of me even wanted to blame my dad. If he'd cared about my mom, how had she ended up with Gabe? He was the Lord of the Sea; surely he could scrounge up something for the mother of his child.

Finally I settled upon the only thing I did know, "Mom, it wasn't your fault. Gabe's a jerk and I… I'm always trouble."

She must have sensed that things were even worse than she knew. Voice low, she asked, "What happened?"

I didn't even know how to explain, but the words tumbled out. I told her about how I'd snuck onto Olympus, how Athena found out. I told her how much fun it had been until Zeus dragged me out of bed to execute me. And I told her the truth, that Poseidon had claimed me, that he'd threatened war against anyone who accused me of stealing the bolt.

By the time I was done talking, our waitress had returned, laying two plates of blueberry pancakes in front of us. My mom sat silent for a moment, processing my words. I ate nervously, trying to focus on the taste of the pancakes and not everything which had gone wrong. Finally, my mom reached across the table, and squeezed my hand, "Percy, your father warned me that someday this would happen, but I am so sorry it did. I cannot imagine how frightening that must have been."

Frightening didn't describe it, but I didn't want my mom worrying about me. This threat- it wasn't about to go away anytime soon. Actually, it would just get worse. Zeus thinking I'd stolen his lightning bolt was bad enough, but it was Hades who'd sent monsters after Thalia. He'd probably know about me in the next few hours, and then he'd send monsters after me too.

Which meant I had no choice, I had to go back to school. I remembered my dad's words- if you care for your mother's safety, you will return to Chiron's school immediately. Annabeth and Luke had almost died with Thalia, and at least they were demigods. My mother was mortal. If, no when, Hades's monsters came for me… she'd just be in danger.

"Mom, I need to get back to school. Until this is settled, Hades or Zeus might use you to hurt me… to hurt Dad. If I don't leave, you'll just be in danger."

My mom pursed her lips, and not because of her bitter coffee. "Percy, you might not have to. Gabe's smell… it hides you. He's so repulsively human monsters can't possibly find you."

A lump formed in my throat. A terrible theory, "Mom… Did you marry Gabe for me? Because you thought he would hide me from monsters?"

She closed her eyes, and I worried she'd start crying again. But my mom was strong, and she nodded softly. "Percy, I would do anything to keep you safe. If that means being with Gabe. If that means never seeing you again… Your safety is all that matters to me."

I didn't need another reason why I'd ruined my mom's life. But now, it seemed, I had one. But instead of making me angry or sad, I felt a strange peace pass over me. For a moment, I felt a lot older than twelve. I reached across the table, grabbed her hand, and squeezed it tight. "Mom, look at me." I waited until she did. Tears glistened behind her eyes, but a smile was there as well. "Mom, you don't have to protect me anymore. I've learned how to fight. I need to go back to school until we find Zeus's lightning bolt, but I'll come home after that and I'll protect myself. You can't stay with Gabe any longer, not for me. Not if he's been hitting you."

My mom bit her lip, "Percy, I'm your mother. It's my job to protect you, not the other way around."

But I hardly heard her. I was thinking about another night, the night I'd looked at the stars, and promised them I would save my mother, just like Perseus saved Andromeda. I wasn't going to fail in that now, not even as the cards stacked against me.

"You'll take the first train to Long Island. Isn't there someone at that school you can call to pick you up?"

Though she wasn't supposed to, I knew Annabeth had a cell phone. I didn't know the number though, and it wasn't like I could just call the school office and ask for a ride. So far as I knew, we didn't have a school office. If we did, it was staffed by Mr. D, and I already had enough gods who wanted to kill me without angering him too.

"I'll call a cab. I'll be fine, Mom. I promise."

Was that a promise I could keep? No way. Zeus wanted me dead. By now, most likely Hades, the god of death, wanted me dead too. There was no way I would be fine, but I didn't need my mom worrying. I'd brought her enough troubles. Gods, I still couldn't believe she'd married Gabe for me. It made me sick just to think about. So I had to push the thought from my mind.

We ate in silence for a little while longer, but finally my mother sighed, "Alright. Well, tell me some more about your friends, at least. If I won't see you for another few months I want to know who you'll be with. Make sure I approve."

I smiled softly. My mom's ability to turn everything positive was unbelievable. I loved her for it. "Well, my best friend is probably my roommate, Luke. He's a senior but he's really cool. He and I sword fight most days… just for fun, I mean. We're not trying to hurt each other. But I've learned a lot from him. Luke… Luke's great. And then in my grade there's Annabeth."

"Annabeth?" My mom's eyes lit up, and I blushed deeply. No! It wasn't like that. Why would she think that! The sheer thought of me liking-liking Annabeth… it was horrible.

Wasn't it?

"She's a good friend. She's bossy and annoying sometimes, but she can be pretty funny when she wants to. She and Luke have been friends for years, so the three of us hang out a lot, and Annabeth will help me with my homework. Her mom's Athena, so she's really smart."

I continued rambling from there, telling my mom about the kids on the swim team, and some of the kids in Hermes House. As I spoke, I grew almost excited to go back to school. I'd miss my mom for sure, but it really hadn't occurred to me that for the first time in my life, I liked school. Oh I didn't like my classes. But I wasn't failing, and between swimming and capture the flag and sparring with Luke, I wasn't half-bad at anything. Besides, people at AA liked me. Not everyone- I made a point of not telling my mom about Clarisse- but most of the kids were pretty chill. If there was one thing I knew, it was that I belonged at AA. It was safe. It was home.

So I wasn't terribly upset when the sun rose and we took a cab over to Penn Station. My mom was smiling as she bought my ticket, so I wasn't all that upset. An instrumental version of "I'll be Home for Christmas" played in the background, and it didn't feel painfully ironic. I was leaving my mom, but at least I was going someplace good. That wasn't something I'd ever been able to say about my schools before.

But of course things couldn't stay as they were. No, that would almost be fair.

I had the feeling I was being watched, a certain tingling on the back of my neck. It made my hand go to my pocket, and I turned around. But when I looked, I didn't see anything out of the usual. It was two days before Christmas in Penn Station. The place was packed, families dashing about, trying to visit relatives. Commuters trying to go in for work, cursing the kids on vacation. I spotted a boy, probably two years younger than me, standing in a suite next to his father looking polite and calm. Nearby, a five year old girl was screaming her head off and hitting her mom with a Barbie doll. Beyond that were three women, perhaps fifty years old, all dressed in matching black suits. They looked like lawyers, and were pouring over a newspaper. I wouldn't have paid them any attention had one not looked up at that exact moment and smiled.

Chills ran down my spine. Something about them was wrong; I just knew it. I ran through all the myths I knew. What monsters came in three and looked like lawyers? Not any I could think of. Annabeth surely would know though. Luke too. I made a mental note to pay more attention in Ancient Greek. It was one of my better classes, but it was easy at school to forget that knowing my myths could mean life or death.

I looked away from the women immediately, reaching into my pocket and grabbing Riptide. There was certainly a chance that they were perfectly normal women. Lawyers could be pretty wicked; maybe that was all I was sensing. But as soon as my mom had my ticket, I shuffled her away. Luckily, the women stayed in line. A few minutes later, I was almost able to forget about them.

But then we were standing on the platform, and I saw them again. My heart pounded. I tried to keep the nervousness from my face, but my mom must have noticed because she turned around. When she saw the women, she went still. "Percy, when the train gets here, get on. Don't hesitate, no matter what."

My stomach dropped. If my mom knew something was wrong, then it wasn't just my overactive imagination. "Mom, what about you?"

"I'll be fine, Percy. I promise. Just get on the train and get to school as quickly as you can. Then… then find a way to call me, just so I know you're safe. Alright?"

"The 49 East Train to Long Island is now approaching. Prepare to board the 49 East Train to Long Island." A voice called out over the speaker. I could distantly hear the train approaching.

The three lawyers folded up their newspaper and started walking towards me and my mom. My mom stepped in front of me, but I wasn't about to let anything happen to her. I pulled Riptide from my pocket. The three women stopped five feet away, frowning. The one in the middle saw Riptide in my hand, and frowned, "Now honey, there's no need to cause more trouble. Give it to me now, and we won't have any problems."

I uncapped Riptide just as the train pulled in besides me. People started to board, skirting around us, completely oblivious to the sword in my hand. My mom pushed me towards the train, "Go, Percy. Now."

I wasn't going to leave her. Besides, these women were clearly monsters sent to punish me for stealing the bolt, and there was nothing to stop them from following me right onto the train. Better to make my stand out on the platform where I had the space to move.

"I. Am. Not. A. Thief." I told the ladies through gritted teeth. "I don't have the Master Bolt! But I do have a sword, and I know how to use it."

Without giving them another warning, I jumped in front of my mom, slashing Riptide across the body of the middle woman. She was so surprised by my rashness she didn't have time to react; she vaporized on the spot. Her two friends didn't like that very much. All of a sudden, leathery bat wings sprouted from their backs, their eyes began to glow, and huge yellow fangs appeared in their mouth. They hissed cracking whips I hadn't even seen appear in my direction. Wishing I had a pencil that turned into a shield, I did my past to knock their whips away with Riptide, but one caught my leg. It burned upon impact, and I stumbled. Behind me, my mom screamed.

Before I'd regained my balance, one of the monsters swooped towards me, whip flailing. It probably would have killed me had my mom not stepped in the way, spraying pepper-spray right in its face. It didn't kill the monster by any means, but it distracted it long enough for me to stab it with Riptide. It vanished into the air.

I didn't get a chance to celebrate. The other creature had been tearing through my suitcase, looking for the bolt I guess, but when its sister vanished, it turned upon us with an unholy scream. I raised Riptide high, ready to defend myself. But the creature didn't come at me. Too late I realized its claws were reaching next to me. It grabbed my mom in its claws, scooping her up. I swung desperately, but the creature was out of reach. Instead Riptide went right through my mom, and she disappeared into thin air.

I don't think I screamed; I was too shocked. I knew Riptide wasn't supposed to hurt mortals, but my mom was gone, and all I could think was- I've just killed my mom.

Rage boiled within me. I wasn't thinking anymore. I leapt into the air, slashing furiously at the creature. It didn't stand a chance. It vaporized and I crashed to the ground panting heavily.

I looked around, pleading with the universe for this to all be some joke. A part of me was convinced that it had been a trick of the light, that my mom had just fallen somewhere else and I couldn't see her. But the platform was mostly empty, and there was no sign of my mom. Besides, in my heart-of-hearts I knew the truth. She was gone. She was dead. I hadn't saved her; I'd killed her.

Mind numb, I turned towards my suitcase. The monster had completely wrecked it, tearing all my clothes to shreds. I must have been in shock, because for a second I didn't think about the fact that my mom was dead. I just imagined explaining to my teachers that a monster ate my homework.

A voice yelled out, "Last call for 49 East! Last call for 49 East to Long Island."

I looked back around once more, but my mom was still gone. I knew then that she would always be gone. That was what happened when someone died. My mind spun, but I somehow managed to stumble onto the train. I guess, after everything I'd lost, I wasn't about to let my mom's sacrifice be in vain… Or maybe I just knew I'd end up eaten by some other monster if I didn't get back to school quick.

I didn't cry. Not because I was some macho guy. Macho guys cry. No, I was just in shock. I couldn't bring myself to be sad because I couldn't bring myself to believe what had happened. So as the train pulled out of the station, I just sat there, staring out the window into the nothingness.

Fifteen minutes into the ride, an older teen, maybe fourteen crutched down the aisle of the train. He seemed nervous, and like he was looking for something. Immediately my mind woke up. I still wasn't safe. I might very well die along with my mom. Maybe this kid didn't look like some monster, but then again, neither had the bat-lawyers at first. I had every reason to be nervous-especially when the kid paused right next to me.

I gripped Riptide in my pocket, but didn't draw her. There was something about this kid, maybe it was the shadow of his goatee, maybe something else, but he didn't seem very frightening. Not even when he asked, "Percy Jackson?"

I gritted my teeth, and hissed, "I didn't steal anything, but I don't have anything else to lose. Don't try me."

The kid's eyes grew wide, but he slid into the seat next to me, "I don't think you stole anything… or well Chiron doesn't. He sent me to find you as soon as Luke told him what happened at Olympus. I'm Grover."

I bit my lip. It felt kind of stupid to trust this G rover, but I guess I just didn't have the emotional capacity for fear at that point. If I felt anything at all, it was going to be crippling grief, and I wasn't ready for that. So I let it be. Honestly, if this Grover killed me, at least I would be with my mom.

I didn't say anything to him, just turned and stared out the window. For a few minutes he was silent as well, but then he sighed and said, "Look, Percy, I'm a satyr, a protector. Chiron wants to make sure you get back to school without… without…"

"Without getting killed and turned into a tree? Yeah, well thanks, I guess. I hope I don't get turned into a tree too."

Grover went very still, and said nothing more. I felt bad, but I didn't know why he was so upset by my words. Still, after a few minutes of sulking, my conscience won out. I knew my mom would be furious at me for being so rude, and honestly, I didn't like it myself. So I turned back to Grover and said, "Look, Man, I'm sorry. I'm glad someone cares enough to help. But I know how this story ends. Zeus wants me dead. Probably Hades too by now. I don't stand a chance."

Grover still looked very sad, but he tried to look cheerful for my sake. "Don't talk like that! I'm not going to let anything happen to you, and really, if anyone ordered your death your dad would probably destroy California so…"

I gave Grover a look which roughly translated to *seriously dude? Not making me feel better.* Yet it strangely did. Not because it made me feel good to know my dad would destroy the western seaboard if something was to happen to me, but because Grover was just so utterly dorky it was funny. He reminded me of all the kids I'd befriended at my old schools. I could practically picture him with peanut butter in his hair as some bully tried to give us both swirlies. It made me smile.

The silence which fell over us now was a lot more peaceful, but it was hard for me to relax. Though I did suddenly realize how exhausted I was. That made sense. Zeus has ripped me out of bed to accuse me of thievery; I was running on like 4 hours of sleep.

Grover saw me yawn, and gave me a sympathetic look, "I've checked the whole train for monsters. You'll be safe if you want to sleep."

Sleep was tempting, but I worried what I would dream about. I doubted they'd be very pleasant. My mom was dead, after all, and I may-or-may not have been dreaming about Kronos for weeks. There was no way my dreams would be restful.

"Thanks, but I'll stay away. Demigod dreams… sometimes it's more restful not to sleep, you know?"

Grover nodded. Then he flushed bright red, and reached into the bag next to him. I got nervous for a second, but he just pulled out a pair of reed pipes. There were a few satyrs at school, though I'd never really known what they did. Now that I thought about it, though, I'd seen them in the strawberry fields with Mr. D, playing the reed pipes. But was Grover trying to make me grow? Because that would be weird.

"My momma goat, she used to play me this one song whenever I had a nightmare. I've used it before on demigods. Of course Annabeth was only seven then but…"

I was vaguely surprised that Grover had known Annabeth when she was a kid, but it was usual for kids to come to AA so young, so I suppose everyone knew her. It was actually a cute thought, little Annabeth listening to a lullaby to keep nightmares away.

I yawned once more, and left my pride behind. Grover said there were no monsters on the train, but we might very well run into some once we got off. I could use a few hours of sleep if I was going to fight. "Alright. It's worth a shot."

Grover's song didn't sound much like a lullaby at first. It was rough, high-pitched, and made my head hurt. But I forced my eyes shut, and it must have worked, because I fell asleep and didn't even dream.