5. Babysitters United
Whilst the injured were taken care off within the Big House, me and Shannon had led Liam into one of the guest bedrooms. He fell onto the bed at mere sight off it, groaning in delight as he stretched his tired looking body.
There was a knock at the door before either of us could ask him anything. On the other side was a scratched up Jason and Annabeth who was holding a spare set of clothes. At first glance they appeared to fit Percy which would be slightly small for Liam's bigger build.
"We brought these for him." Jason nodded to Liam who gently took the clothes off Annabeth, not even looking into her interrogating eyes. "And also to ask him a few questions."
"That's what we were doing." Shannon said.
Liam swallowed, probably feeling slightly unwelcome. He couldn't really blame us though, he did lead a Hydra straight into the Camp. Removing his torn shirt and pants, he quickly put on the new clothes, tugging on his tight orange shirt as he sat down. I sniggered at the fact his shirt rose up his back whenever he leant over.
"First, I'm sorry about all the people who got injured because of me." Liam said but Jason and Annabeth cut him off with a chuckle. Well mostly Jason but Annabeth blinked twice, after spending most of the week with her I placed that down to her version of laughing around new people.
"Don't worry about it, you were in danger. It wouldn't be the first time we have risked our lives to save another half-blood." Jason explained, reaching out his hand for Liam to shake. "Name's Jason."
"Liam and I am not a half-blood." Liam shook his hand although Jason's end was limp as he was confused just like the rest of us.
"Of course you are half-blood, why would the Lernean Hydra be chasing after you in the first place?" Annabeth asked, folding her arms like a teacher waiting for an answer. "In fact why is the Lernean Hydra even alive?"
"You know why Annabeth, Monsters are never truly killed." I looked at her in disbelief. "You taught me that."
"Yes I know but the Lernean is a different case."
"How so?" Shannon and Jason asked at the same time. I swear if they kept up with that I may start calling them twins.
"The Lernean Hydra was the Monster Heracles had to defeat in his twelve tasks. Throughout history the Lernean Hydra was often confused as THE Hydra, completely different Monsters and in time the Lernean Hydra faded away." Annabeth explained, having a look on her face that told us to take her seriously. "Once a Monster fades away they can never return. Same with a God. So why in Hades was that Monster here."
Everyone was silent. "No idea."
"Well anyway," Liam blinked. "For the last five years I have been living with my Sister and her Husband who was a son of Apollo. Since Monsters was a common occurrence for these two they had to tell me about Olympus and the Gods."
"But what about the fighting?" Jason asked. "Those were decent skills with a sword, scratch that, two swords."
"My Brother-in-law decided to train me in the basics, since Monsters were always attracted to our home. He hid weapons all around the place but my favourite was the five swords he hid behind the sofa." Liam explained, his face going blank for a few seconds. "Anyway things got to rough and I had to come here."
"But you're safe from all of this. All you have to do is live with your parents or something." Annabeth added.
"I can't, I'm an Orphan." Liam shrugged. "My parents died when I was two and I lived in an orphanage for ten years until my social worker found my Sister."
"I didn't know that." I said, suddenly feeling very bad in myself for letting him confess that. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"It wasn't important."
"But how did you get through the Barrier, it stops anything not a Half-Blood from passing through it?" Shannon asked, still looking uneasily at Liam.
"With this." He pulled at a black thread around his neck, something I didn't notice before. From under his collar out popped an oval blue jewel with cracks on it. "One of my Brother-in-law's treasures from his only quest. He found it in a gutter of all places." he laughed before dropping it back under his shirt. "It allows me to see through the misty thing and practically makes me a Half-Blood to Monsters and obviously this Camp."
"I've never seen anything like that." Annabeth gawked at it as it disappeared, shaking her head. "How does it even work?"
"No idea." Liam then turned to me, switching his focus between me and Shannon. "So when were either of you gonna tell me about your godly parents?"
[Percy]
Waking up in the Big House was nothing new, in fact that is what happened on my first day in Camp Half-Blood.
But this time was different. Waking up two days later to find no one in my room, no one feeding me nectar or checking up on me. Not even Annabeth was there and she was usually worried sick in these situations.
Sitting up, the back of my head ached and the side of my body was bruised but the marks were fading due to the amazing healing abilities of the Apollo Campers. I presume it was one of them since they often heal people after a battle.
Seeing a new set of clothes on a nearby chair, I dressed myself and proceeded to leave the room and venture out into the sunlight.
"Percy!" Piper's voice called my name and soon the face of the Daughter of Aphrodite was jumping up in front of me.
"Piper, calm down." I chuckled but she was just so excited I couldn't even speak to her properly. "Tell me why are you so jumpy?"
"I've been babysitting!" She cheered, grabbing my shoulders.
"What?"
"Come with me." she shrieked, clutching my hand and dragging me round the side of the Big House. She must have been talking too Leo and Hazel as they just looked at us both with humored smiles. "You'll love her."
"Her?"
Any questions I might have had were answered quickly when I saw the rest of my friends hanging outside the Cabins, laughing and just being themselves. But the main difference was that the brown haired guy from the Hydra attack was in the middle of them, holding the pink blanket he ran into the Camp with.
I was dragged closer to them and they soon spotted me, getting up and greeting with hugs and hi-fives. Annabeth kissed my cheek before returning back to the books scattered around the floor. I didn't take anything from it since this was her usual behavior. What really caught my attention though was how Jason, Shannon and Natalie were all interested in the pink blanket whilst the dude bobbed it up and down.
"Hey Percy." Shannon said, a mischievous smile growing on her face.
"C'mon, you've got to see her." Piper bobbed up and down on the spot. I smiled at her and followed her lead as she led me behind the others. "Percy, this is Liam Woolf."
"I'm sure that's a dude." I retorted, receiving a punch in the arm.
"I know that." Piper rolled her eyes.
"You must be Percy Jackson." Liam smirked.
"You've heard about me?"
"Not really." he joked, earning a chuckle from everyone. Even Annabeth looked away from her book to smile. "You wanna see something rare?"
"Dude, I have a girlfriend." Piper, Shannon, Annabeth and Frank sniggered, knowing my intention whilst Natalie and Jason looked stunned. Liam just stuck his tongue out and muttered something that sounded like 'spoil sport'.
"Just look." Piper nudged me. Nodding to Liam, he proceeded to open the blanket to reveal the beautiful yawning face of a baby girl. Now I know I've seen a baby before but this one was different, she seemed to glow and in my gut all I felt was that I must protect her, lay down my life for her even. I have only ever felt that for one person so how on all of Olympus was I feeling this for a baby I've just met. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"Yeah." I swallowed, ignoring Liam's half-smirk as he poked the baby's nose. "What's her name?"
"Nikita-Ray or Nikki-Ray for short."
"Wow." Was all I could say.
"Isn't my sister pretty." Piper squirmed, acting goofy as she often did.
"Now I get it, she's a Daughter of Aphrodite." I stated, feeling much more certain with myself.
"And Ares." Liam added.
"No offense, especially to you Frank but she can't be a Daughter of Ares." I pointed out, the image of Clarisse coming up clear into my mind. "She just can't."
"Well she is."
"But wait, how is she Piper's sister then?" I asked, wanting to rip my hair out from all the confusion.
"Nikita-Ray is the child of Aphrodite and Ares." My jaw dropped. "She is a God, Percy."
"What?" was I said. Nikita-Ray opened her eyes slightly and I swear I could see every colour within them. At one point they were blue then they shifted to brown before once again shifting to grey, the stormy grey that looked similar to Annabeth's.
"She's a God."
"Is that even possible?" I asked, dropping to my knees cause my legs were starting to hurt. I must have been still tired for them to be like that.
"The Olympian Gods have not been around since the beginning of time." Annabeth interupted. "True the legends say that Zeus made man from the Earth and that whole ordeal with Prometheus and fire. But remember, the Gods were born from the Titans who ruled the Earth. Then look at the Minor Gods, true they aren't Olympians but they too were born from Gods. It is possible for a New God to be born in our lifetime."
"But what would Nikita-Ray be a God off, they must know?"
"Maybe she is the Goddess of cuteness." Liam tickled the baby's stomach and she squirmed, making gurgling noises because she was too young to start giggling.
"I don't really care to be honest." Liam spoke up, looking down upon the baby. "All I know is that I have to protect her."
"How is she even with you anyway?"
"I don't actually know." Liam frowned. "I just came home one day and my Sister was holding this little thing. It was over a week ago I had to leave with Nikki-Ray and come here."
"Well can't you go home?"
"I don't think I can, especially when I probably don't have any family left." he became solemn. None of us needed to ask him why that was since it was a pretty easy guess concerning the expression on his face. "But I did what I needed to do, that's all."
"I'm sorry Liam." Natalie said.
"It's fine, things happen."
At that moment the baby started to cry, thrashing its arms around wildly. Liam stood up and began bouncing stupidly on the spot, looking rather foolish as he technically squatted. "Its the only thing that can get her to sleep."
"I think its sweet." Piper cooed.
"Good, she's yours for the rest of the day." Liam had already placed Nikki-Ray in her arms before she could protest.
"What in Hades do I do now?" she panicked.