Been having trouble lately, so I've been avoiding writing, but I decided to use it as an escape. Let's see how this goes.

Percy

It had been 6 months since I had come home and found my parent's murdered. It was a traumatizing thing, to see that, to stare at that horrific scene. I had immediately called 911, and when they showed up, they all had no idea about what to do with me. Eventually they had called someone from social services to come and get me. I'd been staying in a foster home since then, and it was becoming horrible.

There was a little gym, and I was in that gym for at least 8 hours a day, pushing weight and hitting the punching bags. There was another kid in here that also worked out. His name was Bruce, and he was 3 years older, and benching almost as much as I did. He was built like if Herakles had a kid, and I was starting to wonder if he was Herakles' kid the way he was benching. What surprised me was that I was lifting more than him. We often spotted each other, and we started wrestling with each other as well, getting in a few sparring matches. We often ended in a tie, but I had gotten the upper hand a few times and pinned him down.

He didn't talk much, and neither did I, so we often just blasted music and did our training. I didn't know if he was a demigod or just some strong ass mortal like Sampson. Monsters didn't come and attack either one of us. I was just walking out of a sparring match, making Bruce tap, into my room when I was met with the sight of the goddess from 6 months ago. Her baby blue eyes stared at me as I froze.

She gave a small smile. "Hey kid. Long time no see huh?" I couldn't stop the frown from forming on my face. "While you had taken me, my parents were killed. I could've been there to stop their deaths. I could have saved them." She looked at her hands, looking genuinely upset. "You would have died with them if you had been there. There was someone at work, someone wanted you dead. So, I stopped it and I've been hiding you from the divine for the past 6 months. But the magic is wearing down, so now is the time kid."

I noticed she didn't even apologize for my parents' death. She didn't try to save them. "Why should I help you? You haven't done anything for me." She finally looked up, and then a shoe box appeared. She opened it up and I walked closer to look. Inside the box was my dad's bowie knife, my moms treasured necklace, and a shit ton of polaroid photos of me and my family. Some of them looked to be from a outsider's point of view which was kind of creepy, but I enjoyed it. A tear formed in my eye.

"As a goddess, I understand loss and heartbreak. It's a rare emotion, but I know it nonetheless. I'm sorry about them kid, but you have greatness ahead of you, and they'll be cheering you on from Elysium. You want to go make them proud?" She asked, her hand on my back, rubbing it soothingly.

I closed the box, walked to my closet and I grabbed my coat. "Where to, milady?"

Timeskip-

I ducked under the swing and swung upwards, rocking the automaton off its feet. Another closed in and I waited for it to make the first move. It sliced downwards with its sword, which I caught in between my hands in a clapping motion, before I tugged it out. The automaton drew up a new fighting stance, before sending two swift jabs at me. I tanked them with my arms up before countering with a feint, before swinging through with my right. My fist punched straight through its body, leaving a massive hole. It backed up, circling, with me mirroring it. I decided to move first, aiming a kick at its head. It ducked, but when its head came back up, I had a knee waiting for it. I knocked its head clean off it's shoulders and the robot finally shut down. I looked around at the 11 other robots laying on the ground defeated in some way or another.

A clap from behind me alerted me to the presence of a familiar goddess. Hebe walked in from the doorway. "Well done. You've completed level 10. I think you're ready to start your quests now Percy." She said, igniting hope within me.

"You mean it? I've been waiting for this! What's my quest? Where am I going?" I asked her, almost bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"Hold on my dear, we're going to have dinner first and then you'll head out tomorrow ready for your quest."

I grinned. It was about time I was able to go. I'd been beating these robot's butts for 4 months. I was almost 12, I want to start being great. I dropped off my gear and hopped in the shower. The hot water was a warm sensation, but soon I turned it into the cold side. I wondered why my ice powers hadn't manifested. I had been trying to meditate and practice moves that might help me manifest the powers, but nothing worked. Hebe told me I was probably just a late bloomer, but I thought having powers would be cool. So far, I was just strong and could run for a really long time. I was constantly getting stronger, so much so that Hebe wondered if I was a legacy of her not so lovely husband Herakles.

As I finished up my shower, I headed downstairs to the kitchen, where I found Hephaestus sitting at the bar. "Hey, Uncle H, this is a surprise!" I gave him a hug. I had met him when I first got here, and he often studied my fights to improve his robot's so they could fight me better. Hebe had requested training dummies, but he decided I needed to learn against opponents with actual skill.

He also had been trying to make me a weapon, but nothing had seemed right. Everything he gave me was uncomfortable in some way or another, and he had gotten excited, telling me he couldn't wait to make the perfect weapon for me. For now, he put an enchantment on my father's knife so that it acted like Thor's hammer, flying back into my hands whenever I willed it. Pretty badass.

I grabbed some pasta from the cupboards, took out heavy cream and butter with parmesan and cream cheese, and seasonings. I prepped my chicken and began making one of my favorites, chicken alfredo and garlic bread. Heph put on a movie in the background and I got to work.

An hour later and everything was ready. Hebe showed up as I was plating the food and we all sat down.

"So Percy, what do you know about the Golden Fleece?" Hebe shot my way. I thought about it for a second.

"It's a magical artifact that heals right?" She nodded.

"You are correct, but it's actually so much more than that. It is one of the grandest things ever made. Its magic is so potent that it can revive elder curses and bring souls on the brink of death back to life. It can cure any ailment, heal any wound save a beheading or removal of the heart. It is literally life."

Hephaestus gave in some words of his own. "The golden wooled, winged ram Chrysomallos was a creature so divine that it takes millennia for it to reform. It has recently been spotted in the divine world, meaning that it would be the second time we have seen it. We assume it will have the same powers, but this time we want something different. Last time, it was skinned alive, and the fleece was imbued with the divine power. This time we want it to be in the flesh, to be consumed."

I frowned, thoroughly confused. "Why do you want to consume it?" I asked, wondering what the purpose is.

"Well think about it Percy. If the fleece can heal anything, if you had that power inside of you, you would be able to heal from any wound. In theory. But that is your first quest. To hunt Chrysomallos, eat its flesh, and report what the outcome is."

I smiled. I hadn't been taught much in the way of hunting, but it was a challenge I look forward to. I went to bed after dinner, happy to see what the world holds for me. I was going to take fate and make them my bitches.

The next morning, I woke up, showered, and pulled on some fitting clothes. By fitting, it was literally an all-black body suit that Uncle H had modified to have camouflage and extra durability, and some decent boots that were light enough to run in, but flexible and durable to last a while. Last was a ski mask, to hide my face from the world of the divine. Hebe and Uncle H were worried about someone finding out about my identity. Apparently, my bright white hair looks eerily like my mom's. Who would've thought huh.

I met them in the front room. Hebe had a bag of supplies for me. Inside was a bow and a quiver of arrows, a folded-up hammock, containers of endless nectar and ambrosia, and finally a lighter. After a round of hugs and wish of good luck and that they would be watching over me, they flashed me to Northern Minnesota, where the ram had last been seen. Well, time to learn how to hunt. And use a bow. And how to camp. And how to make a fire. And a shit ton of other things. Well damn, I should start figuring this out.