A/N - Finally, chapter two! Please point out any mistakes or canon things that I got wrong other than the obvious stuff that I changed for the AU.
If you had asked him how he got into this situation he would be able to tell you exactly how. It had all started that Saturday morning, at 5am, because that's how all bad days start. Waking up two hours before your alarm, and then not being able to fall back asleep once it happened.
He had been merrily completing his daily tasks. Brushing his teeth, washing off the grim of the last night from his body. Just emerald practicing the correct levels of personal hygiene. And seriously, some people needed to go back to when they were being potty trained, because their parents missed a few lessons.
Then again, not like he was one to talk about such things. He was more than aware he had his own few screws missing and he took it in stride. Because why the hell not, if you're gonna be a fuck up at least own up to it. Fly your freak flag high is his motto.
But he had been peacefully preparing his morning when it happened. The light in the bathroom went out while he was standing in the shower. Naked, covered in soap and now standing in darkness he would have killed for another bulb to miraculously appear. But alas, things such as that did not form out of thin air to save poor orphan boys from having to make a naked dash to the supply closet across the hall for a new bulb.
Most people with common sense would have finished rinsing their hair, and then retrieved the item wrapped in a towel from down the hall. But he is not most people, nor does he have any common sense. As will be demonstrated every time he goes outside, he needs to be kept indoors for his own safety.
Post naked dash to the closet, he realized something horrifying. His razor was gone, and the two day old stubble on his face wasn't going good things. It made him look a little more like the inherent Troy or maker he was. Not that he did it on purpose or anything. It just happened enough that generally association with the boy named Percy Jackson meant that people watched you to make sure your complete lack of anything needed to survive wouldn't get you killed.
It was sad to say that that was not the first time he'd had to make a naked dash to the hall closet.
Mostly meaning that he had a reputation for bad things happening. Last week one of the lady's at the check out counter at his job had projectile vomited all over his clothing. That coupled with a really shitty morning had caused him to have a small breakdown. And it wasn't even the normal kind of shitty morning.
So yeah, people mostly didn't talk to him at all. Being nonexistent was how his life had been the past four years. People pitying from far away, not even knowing the truth of the situation. A small shiver went through his veins. He didn't want to think back on that, those times had passed. He left that Percy Jackson behind sitting in that coffee shop three hours ago when she gave him the proposal.
And that was why he was sitting here, in a closet, in the high school. While they were out there fighting whatever the fuck that thing was. Honestly he didn't care at this point in time, just glad to be hiding somewhere where it wasn't.
A loud bang, crash and suddenly the person he had come to know as Charles Beckendorf opened the door. And a large, ages old math textbook was thrown into his face.
"I am so not doing math right now." He stated, bored, voice flat.
"Toss it at that thing if it comes near you, but for now we have to go meet Silena and Katie." And he was off again. Hand latched around his arm and pulling him along the hallway.
Their footsteps reverberated. Making echoing sounds in the corridor and he fully believed this was some drug induced illusion. Nothing in the world could be this fucking weird and still make some amount of sense. They somehow had a logical answer for every single question of every single what the hell thing he encountered these last three hours.
With another sigh he pushed it into high gear. The sounds of growling coming from the distance. Along with clanging metal, a hissing sound and yelling in an odd language that apparently were some not so nice insults in Greek.
He so did not mean to sign up for this kind of shit.
He was staring at it. And he fully believed that was all he was capable of doing at the moment. Because out of all the things that had taken place, for some reason, his mind decided that this would be the one that would break it.
Honestly he would laugh at himself if he could. But he found it uniquely hard to get any words out. And they were unable to stop laughing while sending him mildly concerned looks. Though he was now intent to ignore them.
Laying on the ground before him was a pile of golden dust. A large pile of golden dust that had once been a monster almost the size of the school gym that they were in. He guessed that it would be more logical to wonder when the police were going to get here and find four best up kids wearing Greek armor staring at a pile of dust on the floor. But he couldn't bring himself to do that.
"You alright, man?" He wanted to scream at him. Did he look okay?
"Yes." It passed his lips without any sort of permission. And he silently berated his disobedient body. It was a traitor to the mind for answering their question.
"What're you thinking about?" That was Katy, he knew that voice. It sounded like honey, her hair was the color of caramel and her eyes were the same green as healthy vegetation. A sweet girl that he did not mean to say that too. But he had never had much self control even at the best of times.
"Oh, just thinking about building a time machine in my floating orgy house." As he replayed it it got worse and worse. Who says stuff like that? Well, apparently Percy Jackson does and he also has no apparent regard for the consequences of those actions.
And all the stuff that he has seen has improved his ability to mouth off to anyone talking to him, with no regard for the consequences. It insisted upon making it as vulgar as it could as well. Forcing him into the much coveted role of the douchebag who insulted pretty much everyone at the same time. That's how it's always been and shock doesn't seem to change it at all.
This is why he has been contemplating his life choices. It is also the reason why he was wondering what the hell he was, or if he was in the mood to be honest, wasn't thinking at that time. When he should have been paying attention to them and kissing their asses because seriously they could skin him alive.
"Percy, we're heading to where Argus is going to pick us up now." Her voice is soft, a small amount of annoyance that is outweighed by amusement.
"Uh, yeah, lets go." He pauses for a second, and thinks, who is going to have to clean up that giant mess they left behind. He must have said it out loud, no filter his kind helpfully supplies and they are giggling and assuring him that it will fade away on its own and won't hurt anyone at all.
And he wants to believe them, he really does. So he doesn't question it and follows them towards the now broken down gym doors. He's still holding that textbook, he never did use it. But somehow he can't bring himself to drop it on the ground. It's the first thing that someone has given him since she died and the thought of throwing it out like trash, even if it seems to have not been used since the 70's, it just does not sit right in his chest.
Then he tugs his backpack off his shoulders and stuffs it inside. He pays no attention to the odd looks that he gets from the others. They wouldn't understand if he were to tell them, which is why he won't.
There's suddenly a weight in his chest at the thoughts. And he knows what kind of night tonight is going to be. He's learned to feel when it's going to start and to make sure that no one else notices something is wrong. Because once the depression and the nightmares come so does everything and he can't risk them finding him in the middle of one of his vivid flashbacks.
Shame burns through him. And then he knows that he won't be able to have anyone touch him for awhile. The memories are right below the surface again and he needs to keep them at bay for as long as possible. Nobody needs to know what it happening inside of his head.
When Percy first sees Argus he has to do a triple take. Another thing that he is yet again certain is unique to the phenomenon that is Percy Jackson. Or it could just be that the man in question is covered in eyeballs on every single part of his body. And Percy almost asks him is he has one in a rather important below the belt place before thinking better of it.
He's almost positive that the guy knows it as well. Silena and Charles are making a quiet conversation in the background and Katie is talking to Argus. Attempting to make some sort of small talk with the usually quiet man and he's standing there, terribly out of place. But this in and of itself is not unusual.
Grasping the edge of his navy blue sweatshirt sleeve he tugs at it a bit. Feeling more awkward than is probably required in this situation. But he can't really help himself, he's starting to realize just how in over his head he is.
This is why he's unprepared. Charles claps a hand roughly on his shoulder and he has to reorient himself. Take a moment to breath and prevent himself from getting dragged back down. He wants the hand off his shoulder and he wants it off now. It's too dangerously close to the memories he wants to go away.
Feigning annoyance he shrugs off the hand. Hoping that they believe that he just doesn't want it there. Because that is the last meager defense that he has and he can't afford to lose it now. Not when he's finally so close to something that could be better than what he was so convinced was meant to be his life.
He shivers slightly. Thinking of the things he's done in dark alleyways. Where garbage stinks and it's hard and dark and deep and broken all at once. Just searching desperately for a way to keep the shitty roof over the heads of the two people living there. Not that the other resident ever counted as a person. A last ditch effort of survival at the sacrifice of dignity.
He sees Argus reach for the heat. The cars other occupants are talking to him animatedly but he is tuned into everything around him. But the look in the eyes on the back of his neck says he sees more than he lets on.
He struggles to keep the small distance between himself and Charles. The locked door in his mind close to coming undone and any physical contact that isn't instigated by himself might result in something bad. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
And he's sure that Argus sees this. That's why when he turns the heat up, and asks in sign language at the next stop sign of one of them wants to sit in the front seat he jumps at the chance. Learning that maybe sometimes, even though he doesn't know the exacts and hasn't been given any information, some people just know things.
He's curled into himself. The itch crosses his skin. Tearing at the seams holding his self control together. Leaving the ever present urge to dig the pencil sharpener blade sitting in his back pocket into his skin deep enough to bleed. The thought is comforting but at the same time slightly terrifying. He knows what he his arms look like without the sleeves.
The jagged lines from where he was to lost in his own mind. To freaked out to try to cut neatly. Where he tore his own skin out of desperation and the need to make something hurt as bad the pain settled within his chest.
There are others. Black spots where he burnt it, needed the outside to feel like the inside. Defeated and burning and falling down below anything that the world could ever heal. Just the primal urge to destroy what someone had used to hurt him. To mutilate it beyond the point of where anyone would want to ever do it again.
There's also more. Straight and controlled lines. Ones made specifically so that they would hurt. Deep enough that they would bleed and scar and leave him with the reminder that he is alive. That no matter what happened he's a person and ultimately he can give away what was taken no matter how numb he is. Today is feeling like it's going to be that kind of day.
He thinks that Argus might understand this somewhat.
The scenery that they pass is something that's not normal. His entire life he's grown up in the city. Where it's all bustling people, noisy cars and slamming doors. Smoke clogs the air and the never ending glow of the lights drowns out the stars in the distance.
He's got his headphones in. They block out the awful country music station Katie insisted they turn on before she promptly fell asleep. Leaning precariously against the door, leaving him worrying that she will somehow fall out and manage to hurt herself despite the lock being throughly engaged.
Silena and Charles are in the middle of a rather intense conversation. Something to do with the summer ending in a few weeks, monster attacks and a great lack in numbers. It seemed like it was mostly tactics information but somehow they didn't seem to be planning a raid within a video game to him. It was almost like they were trying to come up with ideas to fine tune a plan for an actually battle. So he dutifully ignored them as they continued the heated whispers that he wasn't supposed to hear.
The thump of the music in his headphones helped distract him. They had been driving for several hours and they were obviously nowhere near their destination. The scenic route did make for at least a certain amount of something worth looking at though.
The trees tall. And dense brush made up for the spaces between them. Creating a rather eerie setting despite the light of the moon and stars overhead. It seemed like something akin to what would go on in a horror movie. Though that might not be too far off when you took some things into consideration.
Argus was the worst one of the bunch he had decided. The man as a whole was not a bad person and he was easy to converse with. But when he wasn't talking or had lost apparent interest in the conversation he would go quiet. And you would see the eyes watching you and his ears listening at the same time. They didn't seem to mind it but he personally thought it was a little unsettling.
The silence would have been suffocating if it hadn't been for his headphones once everything settled down. The soothing, well, maybe soothing wasn't really the right word. But it calmed his nerves. The lyrics from One For The Money by Escape the Fate washed over him. He almost wanted to let them lull him to sleep where he wouldn't have to deal with the slight snoring of Katie, the hushed giggles of Silena, Charles quite humming and the ever present watchful Argus. But he didn't quite trust that these people were who they said they were. He vaguely wondered what that meant about his state of self worth that he would go with them without knowing. But chose not to dwell on that train of thought for long.
'It's one, one for the money
It's two, two for -' his headphones were pulled out of his ear. Katie was leaning forwards and saying something he had previously missed.
"There's the camp, the place I told you about." And sure enough, a large hill with a quite large pine tree resting on top was within his view. He didn't know when the road had changed from gravel to dirt but he was almost positive that they were less than two hundred yards away. And he supposed that if they were going to kill him they would have done it by now. He hadn't seen anyone else on these back roads since around two hours ago. That was saying something in a place as big as New York, people were usually tripping over each other.
Argus parked the minivan at the base of the hill. The brakes screeched and he hues tires for everyone to exit the vehicle quickly. So Percy did what he does best and tripped getting out, getting a rather not refreshing face full of dirt and weeds from the hillside.
Grabbing his meager amount of belongings, a backpack and a rather small duffel bag, after he denied help off of the ground he followed them. Argus had backed up and taken another side road that seemed to lead even deeper into no where. He guessed the only way to go was up the hill, to whatever laid beyond the horizon.
The three who were several yards ahead of them were met at the top. But the way of arrival was not one that he had expected. The slender, but muscular boy with messy black hair standing there had come out of the shadows. His black sword was hanging at his waist, and it somehow managed to go startlingly well with his black skinny jeans with holes in the knees and, ironically enough, an Escape the Fate t-shirt.
It wasn't until they started to point at him that he saw the boys face. And hot damn did he ever want to pull down both of their pants and fuck him against the tree right then and there.
His black hair was just long enough that he had to push the strands out of his eyes to see. A barely perceptible smile was still there from when he was speaking with his companions. His skin was tanned, not in the I spend a lot of time in the sun sort of way, but the naturally darker skin kind of way. The brown eyes were the same color as that fancy Belgium fudge his mom used to buy whenever she got a bonus at work. Melted and gooey, but hot damn did it look like they had a steel rose right down the middle of them. This boy screamed dangerous and he loved it.
"Percy, meet Nico." Once he had reached the group Silena beckoned towards the boy. It was then that Percy noticed he couldn't have been taller than five foot seven, the same height as Silena herself was.
"Hi." The accent was there, not as prominent as the Italian couple who owned the snazzy joint back in upstate New York, but still there.
He was unable to form words. All he was able to give was a nod. He found himself staring at the ground, another sudden weight in his chest. He couldn't pursue a relationship with anyone, no matter how good looking they were. He would be unable to give them things that everyone wanted from a relationship. And in order to explain why he would have to divulge his biggest secrets which he was unwilling to do.
So when Nico reached out his hand Percy grasped it. His handshake was firm, and he knew that kind of shake. It was the kind that someone did when they were trying to impress. Trying to show that hey, I'm stronger than you. But somehow it managed to not seem like that, almost like he had just been doing what he normally did.
"Percy Nico is going to show you around camp since we have to give the report on what happened to Chiron." It was Charles this time, the way it was stated was more of a question. Like he was silently asking if he was okay with this.
"Okay, see you soon." It was then that Nico gestured for him to grab onto his hand. He stared at it as if it were a foreign substance. Until the boy finally rolled his eyes, grabbed Percy's hand and said.
"Hold onto your assets and your bags, this is gonna be disorienting." And he wasn't kidding. For a spilt second Percy felt like he was being invaded by the cold air. A shiver passed through and it was dark, almost like the shadows were moving around him in a liquid form.
The next thing he knew he was bending over in a bush and hurling his guts out onto the ground. Listening to people yelling in worry and Nico curse everything under the sun in a blend of Italian and English profanity.
When he came too the world looked remarkably like a clinic. That what when e guessed that he was in whatever wound treatment place this camp had. And his mind was blurry, spinning in and out of coherent thought.
He would almost that it was the sushi he ate for lunch yesterday. That had to be the cause of this sudden bought of sickness. It had always been a prime rule of his mothers, don't eat sushi from the guy at the corner of 5th street and Randolph drive, but he had gone and done it anyway and it's cussed some sort of reaction.
That was when the whole flying through darkness came back. That kid was something else. Who the hell just grabs someone and transports them to another place without their permission. Oh! Maybe that was the issue. He doubted most people's stomachs agreed with inter dimensional travel.
He should count himself lucky that he didn't end up with his organs on the wrong sides of his body. Or maybe turned completely inside out with his muscle and bone exposed to the elements. In hindsight, that was not the worst that could have happened.
"Good, you're awake." His head turns to the side so fast he's genuinely worried he gave himself whiplash.
Standing there, dressed in the same clothes from easier. Is a more tired looking version of the Nico kid who had done this. He looked like he had been watching Percy sleep, but seriously, creepy as fuck much? While eating the plate of ravioli that looked very much like it was homemade and not from a makeshift teenage camps assembly line of meals.
Maybe he could cut a deal. A couple of favors for one of those plates. Because that shit smelled like heaven brought down to earth.
"Food please." Was what he settled with letting come out of his mouth. Getting something in his stomach was top priority at the moment. He didn't even care if he sounded like a Neanderthal.
Nico let out a snort. Saying something about Silena telling him that he'd be like that. Not to be offended and that he should give you the food. That it was only once your appetite was sated that you become a functioning member of society again. "Apparently when your hungry you become like an invalid in her eyes."
"I resent that." He said simply. Grasping the plate filled with the same heavenly food as the person before him. And he dug in without any semblance of stopping to do more than nod his thank you towards him.
His outlook on life was drastically impacted once he tasted it. The moan he he that he released made the boy before his raise an eyebrow. Which he steadfastly ignored in favor of the plate of food. However he was soon to discover that nothing stays silent for long around wherever he was.
There was a loud explosion. And he couldn't help but look around as though it had happened two feet away. His fork was paused an inch from his mouth and he was suddenly concerned. What kind of summer camp had things blow up at random times.
It was followed by three more explosions of a lesser degree. And then the door to the infirmary opened about five minutes after it stopped. He was still stuck with his fork almost in his mouth when Nico, that's his name, he reminded himself snapped his fingers. Dragging his attention back to the present moment.
"The three people that had come in where all by the bed. The shorter, obviously Latino boy was sitting on the bed, holding his forehead in his hands. A blond girl, who he noted was holding a textbook, specifically the one he had been carrying, seemed to be lecturing the boy. And the third, another blond, this time a boy, was checking over the Latino while the girl just kept going on with her scolding.
"That is why we don't have hand grenades here Leo. I shouldn't need to remind you this often." Ah, so not a first time offender. But still, how often does he build hand grenades that she needs to tell that too him.
"I thought I had it right this time Annie." He was trying to look sorry and failing at it spectacularly. The blond, Annie apparently, just heaved the loudest sigh he'd ever heard and marched away. Muttering things about how insufferable the boys at this camp were.
The Latino gave them a smile and two thumbs up. Looking like someone had just given him the jackpot. Or maybe that was just him celebrating getting out of several more minutes of lecture.
"Are they always like that?" The question came out before Percy could stop his track of thought.
"Yeah, that's how things are around here." Was the response. The black haired boy looked just as amused, if not more so than the Latino and Percy himself at the girls frustration.
He had a feeling he was going to like it here after all.
