Author's Note:
Finally, the next chapter. Trust me when I say, I have been working on this, but progress was just so very very agonizingly slow.
Anyway something I should have mentioned before, but really should be obvious by now. This is an AU. Percy never knew his mom in this one, so she never took him to the Smithsonian, and he doesn't have an obsession with blue food, as sad as that is. Percy will be just a little OoC, but that's just to be expected.
Also, if you remember from one of the previous chapters, Grover (currently known as Scrawny-Boy to Percy) pointed out that Percy is just your average clear sighted mortal. Why? Well this days I see a lot of fics coming up with ways to make Percy more powerful. Maybe they give a sword with magic powers. Maybe he's a demi-primordial. Maybe, and rather stupidly in my opinion, he gets adopted by Chaos (not to offend anyone who writes those stories... it's just... well they just keep coming and coming, and they always make Percy so Uber-powered that he's never at risk of losing a fight, which really ruins the suspense). So anyway, I decided to make a story where Percy is less powerful is most ways, but just a little bit better in one or two ways.
Anyway, enough of my prattling on, enjoy the chapter, and tell me what you think. (Also, tell me what you think of the cover for the story, do you like it, do you not? Let me know).
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO
Chapter 3
There's Your Punch Line
Percy stood on the top floor balcony with the group of teens inside some kind of air and space museum, each of them looking at him straight faced, despite the insanity of what they had just explained to him.
Percy was not amused.
He looked each of them in the eye one at a time, looking for any hint of mischief that would say Ha! Fooled you didn't we! Of course we aren't on a quest to rescue a goddess! Of course we're not half-gods!
Except, he found nothing of the sort. The younger Hunter-Girl even looked at him with something bordering on sympathy, as if she'd been the situation he was in now.
And that situation was: a group of people, all of them telling him one thing with complete determination: except the impossible.
But of course, he couldn't.
Percy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, ha ha, you've had your fun, now spill. What's the real reason for this cross-country trip of yours?"
The scrawny boy looked like he'd seen this reaction before, which worried Percy. Did these guys go around recruiting for a cult or something?
"Look, you can deny it all you like," the Punk-Girl said matter-of-factly, "but it's not going to change the truth. You don't have much choice either. You've got nowhere else to go, you'll have to come with us, and when you do there are going to be some things you won't be able to deny... no matter how hard you try."
She said it unflinching and with such conviction that Percy had the ridiculous sudden urge to believe her.
He pushed the thought aside. "Look, maybe you're just trying to fool me, or maybe all of you are utterly insane…"
They all scowled at that.
"…but this has to be a joke," Percy crossed his arms, "now I'm just waiting for the punch line, so tell me when it gets here."
Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl looked ready to strangle him. She stepped forward and went to, most likely, berate / throttle him, when the sound of a few adults screaming came from below.
It was followed briefly by the screech of a delighted kid, "Kitty!"
That was when a giant lion the size of a pickup truck bounded up the ramp they'd come from.
Before Percy even had time to process the giant golden lion in front of him, words like Nemean Lion, impenetrable fur, Celestial Bronze, came crashing through his head like a tidal wave.
He didn't know what any of it meant, but the words seemed to come by instinct.
The massive metallic lion lifted its head high, and let out a massive roar that drove Percy back a few steps.
"Hey buddy…" the Punk-Girl said from behind him, "That the punch line you're looking for?"
The lion turned straight to Percy, and seemed to analyse him for a second, before it raised one massive paw and went to backhand him across the room… except the lion's paw passed right through him, like it was a giant ghost lion.
Or it had already killed him, and he was the ghost.
Percy was confused for a second, and was rooted to the spot. Partly because of the absolute unbridled terror. Partly because he was wondering what the hell was going on.
The lion quickly put an end it that. Instead of backhanding like it had before, it went in for a simple swipe. This time, the lion's claws shredded through his left arm. White hot pain leaped inside his arm, and there were deep furrows, slices and cuts already bleeding heavily.
It was only a glancing blow, yet the force had sent Percy sprawling. Behind the veil of fiery pain, Percy was vaguely aware of someone yelling, "The Nemean Lion! Separate!"
A volley of arrows went flying over him, hitting the lion but reflecting of its fur, each with a small spark and dull 'ting'. Percy knew, nothing would penetrate that fur.
What Percy didn't know, was why despite nearly having his arm sheared off, and despite the unreal horror standing before him, he had picture perfect clarity inside his mind.
At least, when looking at the lion he did.
Percy, clutched his ruined and bloody arm in the other, and stumbled to his feet.
The lion had obviously decided he wasn't worth the time, and turned its attention to the group of four.
The hunter-girls were standing on top of a space capsule, launching volley after volley of arrows with steadfast accuracy. Not that it was doing any good though.
The Scrawny-Boy was… playing a set of reed pipes, okay then.
Only the Punk-Girl seemed to be having any effect on the lion, standing toe-to-toe with the beast, holding a shield and spear that she didn't have two seconds before. Whenever the lion stepped forward, she raised her shield and the lion roared and recoiled.
Percy could see the lion getting angrier, and then it started crouching, tensing its leg muscles. He'd seen enough cat fights in the streets around New York to know the lion was going to pounce.
Running as best he could with one mutilated arm, Percy rushed forward as the lion leaped. He tackled the Punk-Girl out of the way and to the floor as the lion went flying overhead. It went over the railing of the balcony and landed on the wing of some aeroplane.
The cords holding the plane began to groan.
Percy and the Punk-Girl had gotten up by now, had Percy had, for some suicidal reason, came up with a plan.
Percy stooped over to pickup two of the arrows that'd reflected off the lion's hide, one in each hand. Its point was an oddly bright bronze colour.
If what the group of teens had told him was somehow true, then this arrow was not made of normal metal.
Percy tried to ignore the pain in his arm, and started running, toward the lion. He jumped onto the railing then leaped of that into the air, straight to the plane the lion was standing on. The lion jumped straight up and snapped at him, but Percy went right over him onto the other side of the plane.
His landing was not as graceful as it could have been. He fell in a heap when he hit the aircraft, but was quick to get up. Just as the lion tensed to pounce, Percy jammed the arrows into the two wires holding up his end of the plane.
The arrows cut through them startlingly easy, and Percy almost fell off the plane. But, as the plane swung like a pendulum, he grabbed the wing of the aircraft. The lion slid down the wingspan of the plane and roared in surprise. The swing took Percy right back to the balcony. When the plane had swung as far as it would Percy swung himself of the plane's wing, and just barely grabbed the balcony railing.
His left arm slipped from the railing, and Percy looked down as it happened. That fall would put him in a wheelchair.
Just as the rest of his grip was failing two hands reached down and grasped his wrist. Percy looked back up, and saw the Punk-Girl standing there.
"You waiting for an invitation? Come on!"
That snapped Percy out of his stupor, and they managed to haul him up over the railing.
Below them the lion was lying on the floor on its side, roaring in anger. It was nowhere near dead, but at least it was hurt.
During its fall, the lion had dislodged the Hunter-Girls from the space capsule. They were still above the lion though, one the second floor balcony, arrows nocked and bows ready, aiming straight at the monster.
The Punk-Girl leaped down from the balcony, evidently not worried about the prospect of spending the foreseeable future with legs that don't work.
Percy, deciding not to risk it, instead rushed down the stairs. He and the Punk-Girl now stood on opposite sides of lion, and it had finally gotten up onto its legs. Though whenever it stepped forward on its left leg, its face grimaced and it had an obvious limp.
Eye for an eye you bastard.
The lion evidently decided it was after some payback, and limped over to Percy. The lion swung its good leg and Percy dodged back a few steps. The lion kept on swinging and lunging, but Percy dodged back every time with moments to spare.
While he was doing this he saw the Scrawny-Boy herding the kids away from the fight.
Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl seemed to have an idea and yelled from above, "Boy! Use this!" and promptly dropped one of her silvery hunting knifes down. Percy didn't see how it would do any good, seeing as how every how every other weapon they tried failed miserably.
But, he rushed and picked it up anyway.
Percy held the knife in his good hand, and waited for an opening. Just as he thought he saw an opportunity the Hunter-Girls dropped down from above. They stood with the Punk-Girl and talked to her, but Percy couldn't make out what they were saying. The younger one beckoned the Scrawny-Boy over, leaving Percy in front of the lion, with its undivided attention.
Percy had a horrible feeling for a moment.
They're not going to run are they? They wouldn't do that. They can't!
They did run.
Towards the lion, not away from it.
The Scrawny-Boy started playing his reed pipes again, and then weeds and vines sprouted from in-between the tiles on the floor, wrapping themselves around the lion's legs. They were weak, but they grew back as quick as they were shredded.
The three girls all slammed into the lion's side. Their combined force and the weeds trapping the lion toppled it back over onto its side.
They did their best to hold it down, but the lion was already roaring and struggling.
"Now boy! Strike the killing blow!" Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl shouted.
Percy rushed forward and knelt by the lions head. He suddenly understood her plan. He held the knife backwards, and tucked it inside his sleeve.
Then he extended his hand, and it passed right through the lions head. It seemed to find this aggravating, and its struggles become more violent.
His forearm inside the lion's head, he flicked the knife out from his sleeve, and jabbed forward. The knife broke through something thick and hard, then imbedded itself in something soft and… squelchy.
The lions struggle stopped immediately.
Percy just knelt there his arm still extended. What in hell just happened?
He snapped back to reality, and realised that a giant pile of golden sand and dust lay where the lion had just been.
His arm was covered in the stuff.
He suddenly surged to his feet and stumbled backwards. "Wha… what in… hell just happened… wha…"
"We have already told thee," Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl interrupted, "so does thou still think we are insane?"
The thought came slamming down on Percy. If what they told him was true, that the four people standing before him where half god… the idea hurt almost as much as his arm.
Wait a minute… my arm.
He looked down at his arm and saw a lot of blood staining it. Some was still fresh, and running all the way to his fingers.
He suddenly felt very dizzy.
"Da… damn it," He stumbled, "…I liked this jacket."
"We must leave now; there might be more monsters around." Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl said.
The Punk-Girl turned to him. "Don't worry; we'll fix up your arm soon."
Percy nodded, but he was looking at the security guards around the place. They were running around with no direction. A couple just ran into walls repeatedly. One of them was lying on the floor, spinning around in a circle.
Then, Percy noticed something in the dust that used to be king-sized lion… its pelt. He wasn't sure if he could pick it up, seeing as how he passed through the lion like a ghost before. He tried anyway, and was surprised to find that he could indeed touch it. He rolled it up and carried it under his good arm.
It startled him how quickly he was adjusting to all this madness.
Together they ran out of the museum.
The Hunter-Girls were up the front of the car, and Percy was down the back, the Scrawny-Boy wedged between him and the Punk-Girl.
Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl was driving like a madwoman, going thirty miles over the speed limit, weaving in-between other traffic. Percy couldn't blame her.
He would drive the same way if there was a black military helicopter flying after them.
If it was loaded with guns or rockets, no one wanted to find out.
"Maybe the military will shoot it down," the Scrawny-Boy said hopefully.
No one answered. Percy doubted it would happen.
The Punk-Girl closed her eyes and seemed to be praying. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now? Please?"
If this girl's dad really was a god, then Percy saw no reason why a lightning bolt couldn't rain down on the helicopter, and make everyone's day better.
Well, except for the helicopter pilot, but screw that guy.
But, sure enough, nothing happened.
"There!" the Younger-Hunter-Girl said. "That parking lot!"
"We'll be trapped," Ye-Olde-Hunter-Girl said.
"Trust me." The Younger-Hunter-Girl replied.
She did trust her, enough to drive straight across two lanes of traffic and into the mall parking lot at one hundred miles per hour. She pulled the handbrake and drifted right through the laneway, and neatly into a parking space.
As everyone got out of the car, Younger-Hunter-Girl spoke. "Subway entrance. Let's go south. Alexandria."
No one argued.
She led them down some steps.
When they went to buy tickets for the subway, Percy remembered he didn't have any money on him.
"Don't worry, I've got you covered." The Punk-Girl said, and paid for his ticket.
He said a quick thanks, and a few minutes later they were on the train, riding away from the station.
As the train pulled out, Percy remembered the words the Punk-Girl said to him, what, half an hour ago?
You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, do you?
"No… I guess not." Percy mumbled, though much less sarcastically than the first time.