Just if you think this chapter is rushed, I've had this whole story planned out since day 1.
Even in a private jet, being waited on hand and foot by hot air hostesses, Percy still didn't like flying. He had to give it to the pilot he made it an exceptionally smooth flight, but still up in the he just didn't feel comfortable. At least on Blackjack he knew Zeus couldn't strike him down because it was one of his fathers sacred animals, but in a plane it was a free for all.
The teenage Demigod would've much preferred shadow travel, but Tony had made him take the private jet. To the stewardess' and the captain he was the nephew of Tony's body guard, Happy. It was a lame excuse, but at least it seemed to be working. Tony had also given him a phone, a Stark Industries phone. It looked more like a sheet of glass then an actual phone, and Percy was afraid if he even pressed on the screen to hard it would break. He had tried to say no to the phone at first, but unfortunately, it was pressed into him.
The jet would be taking him home as well at the end of the day. His mother and Paul could come if they wanted, but Percy wasn't sure his mother would step foot on a plane, even if it was a private jet. The TV played some action movie he wasn't interested in, while the two air hostesses milled around the cockpit, laughing with the Captain about something.
When the plane did land, Percy got off it as quickly as possible, giving hesitant waves to the busty hostesses. On the tarmac he was lead by a man named Jermaine through airport security and to a private car that would take him to the hotel most of the people from the cruise had booked into prior. He hadn't been able to contact his parents, nor the hotel, their lines where always busy.
In the lobby he could see why. It must've been peak season, and along with the cruise ship disaster, the place was packed with tourists. Percy saw so many people wearing Hawaiian shirts it would've put his fathers collection to shame. He worked through the crowds and made it to the front desk.
"Hi, I'm wondering is a Paul Blofis has checked in yet," Percy said as he leant on the front counter.
"Paul Blowfish?" the lady asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Blofis, B-l-o-f-i-s," Percy spelt it out for her.
She clicked away at her computer for a moment before answering "they checked in yesterday, would you like me to put a call through?"
"Yeah, please," Percy said.
"And your name is?" she questioned as she tapped in the numbers.
"Percy Jackson," he replied.
Eventually after she got through to Paul she handed him a card key and directed him towards the elevator. Inside he was trapped between a family that had just returned from the beach, and a bell hop who had a trolley full of luggage. He escaped from the elevator and knocked on his parents door.
"Oh Percy," his mother hugged him tightly in the hall.
"Hey mum," Percy replied, smiling at Paul over her shoulder "I kind of need to breath…."
Sally let him go and lead him into the hotel room. Percy noticed the lack of luggage and figured it had been lost with the ship, or not returned yet.
"How'd you get here?" Paul asked as they sat down.
"Plane," Percy replied, getting distracted by the sounds of the yells from the pool "what happened?"
"A giant squid," Paul still sounded like he didn't believe it "it began pulling at the hull….."
"I knew it couldn't be rough seas," Percy commented.
"The seas where terrible after it started attacking," Sally said "but we're fine, and that's all that matters. How are you? I haven't had a chance to watch the news yet,"
Percy frowned for a moment; "the apartment kind of got caught in the cross fire," seeing his mothers face he tried to cover his tracks "it wasn't my fault I swear! It was the Sphinx. Don't worry though, it's already beign repaired,"
"Where did you get the money to repair it?" Paul asked in Sally's place.
"Tony Stark," Percy said with a small smile "turns out he's not as much of a dick as the media plays him out to be,"
"Percy!" Sally said "language!"
Percy's brow crinkled in confusion "I just told you that I ruined our apartment, and you're having a go at me for saying one bad word….."
"There's some thing people just have to adapt to," Sally smiled at her son "but that-"
His phone began to ring and he picked it out of his pocket, seeing a pre-loaded picture of Tony on the screen he looked at his mother apologetically.
"Is that the Aquaman theme song?" Paul asked with a chuckle.
"Go on, answer it," Sally pressed.
Percy pressed answer and headed out to the balcony.
"Hey," Percy answered, leaning on the balcony to gaze down at the large pool.
"Get your butt back here," the voice seemed to be echoing slightly.
"What?" Percy questioned, flickering a gaze back into the hotel room.
"She decided to attack now, so get your arse back to the Big Apple," Tony ordered, and Percy heard the sound of a repulser being fired.
"It's a four hour flight," Percy gripped his hair with his free hand.
"Your cousin's sending over Mrs O'leary or whatever her name is," Tony said "meet Captain in times Square when you arrive,"
The call ended and Percy quickly tucked the phone away and entered the hotel room again. His mother must've recognised the look because she just gave him a sad smile.
"Do me a favour and don't watch the news," Percy said, looking at his watch, seeing it was only twelve. Their game plan for Hecate had been completely wrong, she shouldn't be attacking during the day, let alone today of all days….unless the whole cruise ship was a way to get Percy out of New York….
Suddenly Mrs O'leary broke through the shadows in the room, just missing hitting a lamp. She was panting happily, and didn't hesitate to lick Percy.
"I have to go," Percy hugged his mother tight "love you,"
"Try not to break a lot of things," Sally said kindly, and Percy laughed.
"I'll try," Percy returned "I'll make sure you get a signal that I'm safe,"
He hopped up onto Mrs O'leary, and in a great bound he was immersed in shadows. It only took seconds, but it still made Percy feel sick. In his room he put on his armour and rushed up to the roof. What he saw there made him take a step back in shock.
The sky was so grey and stormy it made it look like night, the ghostly figures of the wind and sky spirits could be seen flying around creating lightening that shot through into buildings. Iron Man could be seen flying around, fighting of the devilish metal birds that seemed to be in league with Hecate. On the shores of the rivers Percy saw numerous different large creatures coming out, giant crabs, giant squids, giant manta shrimp…..it was easier just to say everything was giant.
But what was in the city was worse. Monsters and ghosts prayed on the mortals below, the ghosts armed with crude weapons and Greek fire, while the aged monsters attacked with skill. He could hear the yelling of the mortals below, and on instinct he drew out his sword.
Blackjack swooped in and Percy didn't hesitate to climb onto him. The Pegasus swooped low on the city streets, and Percy clenched his fists, making the fire hydrants on the street explode. The water seemingly acted on its own accord as it created a large wave that completely cleared one street of monsters.
When Percy landed in Times Square he saw Steve fighting off hordes of ghosts. With slight physical bodies Steve's punches did land, but he didn't have the weapons needed to destroy them. Percy swept in and cut through them easily, in the end they where surrounded by a pile of dust.
"We need you to stay close to the water," Steve ordered "we've got Thalia surrounding the Empire State Building, and Nico's on ghost patrol. Hawkeyes with Black Widow, and Starks got the skies. Make sure none of those monsters get further then a block from the sea,"
"Got it," Percy replied "need a lift anywhere?"
"I'm good," Steve replied.
Percy took to the air and began going towards the bank of the river. He eyed a rather large shrimp, gripping Riptide for the kill. It took only five minutes to rid all of the giant shrimp (that just didn't sound right in Percy's head), but then came a true challenge. A giant crab, three times larger then the one he had fought aboard the Princess Andromeda.
Dropping down onto the street he gazed in at some of the cafes that lined the straights. They where filled with panicking citizens, ranging in ages. At least when Kronos attacked he put the mortals to sleep. It made Percy cringe as he thought about how many people would get hurt.
"Blackjack, fly around him," Percy whispered to his Pegasus, who nodded and took to the air again.
While the large meaty claws where distracted by Blackjack, Percy clenched his fist again and let the water from the fire hydrant scream up into the air. Feeling his gut clench from the force he controlled the water so it spread over the road, before freezing it. Enlarging his shield he took it off his wrist and held it in front of him, before running towards the patch of ice. At the last second before he hit it, he jumped onto the shield, using it as a makeshift board.
Just as he was under the belly of the beast a loud pain filled neighing made Percy falter, then fall off the shield completely. He swiftly stabbed upwards into the soft belly of the crab, before diving out from underneath it. He could feel pain humming through the mental bond he and his Pegasus shared, and brushing off the bronze dust that was now reigning down on him he ran over to where Blackjack was making a slow decent.
He got my leg Blackjack panted as he landed, holding the injured and bleeding leg off the ground.
Percy knelt down near it and gazed at it, feeling sick at the sight of the ruined tendons and ligaments. He was surprised Blackjack could stay that still. Gazing around the city he knew he'd find Mrs O'leary somewhere.
"Go to Chiron, buddy, he'll clean you up," Percy said to Blackjack who surprisingly didn't put up a fight.
Now that he was on foot he had to run down the streets. It was like one giant maze to him, the only landmarks being the amount of damage. He was just about to turn onto a street were he had spotted a rather large snake slithering down when the sound of a familiar voice stopped him.
Even in death Gabe still looked liked a tusk-less walrus in thrift-store clothes. His double chins hadnt gotten any smaller and his hair hadn't gotten any thicker either.
"Think you're some big hero now punk?" his past step father asked. "Just 'cuz you run around with a sword?"
Behind him where about ten ghosts, and two hell hounds.
Percy decided to pointedly ignore that low jab and respond with his own.
"I would say death hasn't been kind to you, but you looked like that even when you where alive," Percy gripped his sword tighter and enlarged his shield "at least the smells gone,"
"I'm going to enjoy smashing your head in, punk," Gabe returned, gesturing for the ghosts he obviously thought lesser then him to go forward.
They where an easy kill, untrained in combat they wielded their swords like sticks. When Gabe sent forth the Hell Hounds, Percy jeered at him;
"Not man enough to fight me yourself?" the son of Poseidon easily destroyed one of the Hell Hounds "wouldn't expect any less from a man who hates on women,"
"That little bitch deserved it," Gabe jeered back, gripping his sword.
Anger swelled up in Percy and with one swift blow he finished off the second Hell Hound. With the fury swelling within him he pounced on Gabe, easily knocking the sword from his over weight hands.
"My mother should be treated like a queen. I've never been happier then the moment she told me she turned your sorry arse into stone," he gripped his sword and pointed it over his unbeating heart "you're just a bastard who wouldn't know a bar of soap if it hit you in that ugly mug of a face,"
"You little runt-"
Percy didn't hesitate to drive the sword into his step fathers chest. He soon dispersed into golden dust like the other, but for some reason Percy felt so much better after that. Looking to the sky he watched as Tony zoomed over head, a flock of birds following behind him.
"Percy, I need you at Grand Central," Nico's voice broke into his ear "Alligators just decided to drop by,"
Percy frowned but keyed in anyway "why can't you handle it? I've got a serpent just a couple blocks away with my name on it,"
"Do I look like Steve Irwin? I've got to handle Melinoe," Nico retorted back.
"Steve Irwin is the crocodile dude right?" Percy questioned as he looked at the bike tied to a pole.
"Now is not the time to be arguing!" Thalia cut in the argument.
"I wasn't arguing-" Percy cut through the chain on the bike (he would return it) and hopped onto the seat "-just asking a question,"
"If you don't stop spamming the feed you'll be asked yourself why you have an arrow shoved up your arse!" Thalia shouted back in return.
"Where would I be without you Thalia?" Percy asked sarcastically.
"I can name a few places you won't be if you don't shut up," Thalia.
"Eye, eye Lieutenant Pincecone," Percy mocked sarcastically.
Reviews appreciated. I'm working on a series of oneshots I'll post after I've finished this called 'Percy's Amazing Stupidity'. A humour ficlet about all the times the Avengers have caught him doing something stupid. ALSO 14,500 views! Thank you!