I'm sorry, I've not written for a long time. I took a little break. A Christmas/New Year/Sherlock/Game of Thrones break. In short, I got sidetracked.
But, yeah, here I am. Back again. Also, thank you for 10,000 views. I'm still as surprised about it as I was when I first had 100 views. Thank you! xx
PERCY:
His arms ached. So did his legs. He had been driving since forever, until Nico or Jason reminded him that it had been hours since he stopped. Then they would go out, stretch their legs, go about their business, buy anything they needed and go back to driving again. Most of their road was isolated but after a couple of miles or so, there would be a few little shops.
He had made himself comfortable in one of Nico's tshirts which had been in his satchel. When he fit snugly in the Led Zeppelin tshirt, only then did he realize that Nico wasn't much shorter than him.
Then again, he wore clothes too big for him so that gave Percy a headache.
He had to keep driving as Nico and Jason couldn't drive.
This sucks, he thought to himself. He was tired.
But he would go on because his friends need him too. Also, he had to get back to Annabeth.
The thought gave him a burst of energy and he accelerated faster and almost shouted aloud.
Jason was asleep at the back seat and Nico was in the passengers seat looking out of the window.
Whenever he looked at him, he felt a tingle deep inside him. He didn't know what that was but it was the same kind of feeling when he had realized he could breathe under water. Except this had more excitement. The tingle made him queasy.
But what was the tingle about?
He just wanted to run away somewhere and curl up with Annabeth. But he couldn't. Because his friends needed him. Because this wasn't just about him and Annabeth anymore. He had a responsibility. He couldn't let Gaia destroy the world.
He wished Jason was awake. He would've kept talking casually whereas Percy had no idea what to say.
"So", he started, "Where'd you learn to fight?"
Nico gave him a look that suggested Percy was nuts.
"Well, I practiced with the ghosts", Nico replied smoothly, "Ancient Greek and Roman warriors"
Percy nodded, "So you must have a lot of experience"
"Yeah, well, once I practiced with Achilles", Nico said casually. "But usually I don't have the strength to fight as well as I should. There's something wrong with me"
"That's because you hardly eat anything", Percy replied, but it came off a bit too harshly.
Nico looked at him with steely eyes and suddenly Percy felt cold.
"Uh, that's not what I meant. I meant you should eat properly. You're a growing kid", Percy rushed, "I mean, you look fine. Even your skin colour isn't as pale as it used to be. It's returning to it's normal shade of that pretty olive tone that..."
Percy wanted to stop talking but he couldn't. He didn't know how the son of Hades would take it. Percy couldn't stop himself from blabbing. He seemed to have no control over his mouth.
Nico turned red, darker than his Italian skin tone. "You look better in that tshirt than I ever did", he muttered but Percy heard him.
"Yeah, all this complimenting is really lovely, like fifth grade students and all but it's making me hungry"
Apparently Jason had heard them too.
"How do you know, you've never been to fifth grade", Percy retorted.
"I'm still hungry , fishface", Jason pointed, "When are we stopping?"
"Ain't any McDonald's left, disgrace?", Percy asked, "Only when we need to be shopping"
Nico winced. "Please tell me that was coincidently rhyming, because that was truly terrible"
"Haha, Jackson", Jason replied sarcastically, "All you could do was a pun with Grace. So unoriginal"
"I think the road trip is kinda killing us", Nico sighed.
"What do you suggest, Ghost King?", Percy asked looking at him.
He thought the son of Hades looked happy.
Nico rolled his eyes.
"Well, I suggest you keep your eyes on the road and not on Nico", Jason suggested as Percy turned his head and barely dodged another car.
The other driver honked angrily and sped past them, muttering indecent things.
They were silently speeding by again when the road in front of them branched towards a mud road.
Percy had no intentions of turning at that point but something took over the car. He wasn't in control anymore.
"Uh, fishface, what are you doing?", Jason asked uncertainly.
"Percy, what's going on?", Nico asked sounding slightly panicky.
The car turned itself into the mud road and into a huge field. A mansion stood at the centre of the field.
"Guess we'll see", Percy replied, more calmly than he felt.
He pulled Riptide out and held it firmly in his left hand and clenched his jaw.
He could feel the tension in the car, as they pulled up in front of the mansion.
A woman stood on the front door. First thing Percy noticed was that she was gorgeous. She stood in a dark blue sundress with her golden blonde hair falling around her shoulders in the slight tussled way models kept their hair. Her dark eyes sparkled as she gave them a dazzling smile.
The car doors flew open and Percy, Nico and Jason were thrown out.
Literally, because the seats sprang up and pushed them out.
"Oww, I think I broke my tailbone", Nico muttered.
"No you didn't, you've got a lot of cushioning on that butt", Jason replied wincing as he patted his ass.
Percy just stared at them. Were they flirting?
The woman looked unfazed. "Get up, heroes", she said, grinning flirtatiously.
Percy got to his feet as his backside throbbed.
"He's been waiting for you for a really long while", she said, winking at Jason. Nico still seemed to be patting his butt.
They went in through the hall, to the living room. The rooms were furnished very well, in a futuristic style.
They followed the woman to an outdoor swimming pool.
A guy was swimming towards one of the ladders at the corner of the pool.
He walked out of the pool and picked up a towel and started drying himself.
He looked like a model, ever ready for a photoshoot.
"So you're finally here", he said in English but it was heavy with accent.
"Who are you?", Nico asked him, his face a mask.
Percy wondered if Nico was checking this guy out.
Then he mentally slapped himself for being such a jackass. Nico probably had a theory about who this guy was and was just mentally checking for threats.
The guy shot Jason a dirty look and studied Percy and Nico. "I'm Jason of course"
The three demigods stood open mouthed, confused.
"Uh, dude", Jason started, "I'm Jason"
The guy snarled, "I'm the original Jason, you halfwit"
The only similarity between the original Jason and their Jason was that they were both well built. Original Jason's eyes were green and he had dark hair. His features were sharper and he was overall prettier. Percy wondered if the latter part was due to makeup.
"You came back from the dead too?", Percy asked, his heart sinking. How many people and monsters had escaped before they closed the Doors of Death?
"Of course I did", Jason the Original replied, "How could I resist? Ever since my pathetic demise I have been waiting for a chance to prove myself again"
"Pathetic demise?", Percy asked, before the could stop himself.
"Yeah, he died disgraced", Nico replied quietly.
"Son of Hades, eh?", Original Jason asked, twitching his nose checking Nico out, "I know the aura. I've been in the underworld long enough"
"Uh, so well, nice to meet you", Jason said flatly, "But we'll be leaving now"
The original Jason laughed harshly, "Leaving? Oh, honey, no one is leaving. Especially not you."
Percy wondered what the original Jason could have against their Jason. Was he going to kill them because their Jason stole his name?
"What happened to you isn't his fault", Nico interrupted stubbornly. "It's your fault you left Medea and lost favour with Hera. You can't kill us for that"
"Well", Original Jason said thoughtfully, "I have all the reasons to kill you and especially him."
Him being Jason, who he was baring his teeth at.
"Dude", Percy gritted his teeth, "There are far bigger problems right now."
Jason stepped up as Original Jason found a shirt and put it on, "Your time is over. Stop interfering in our work. Do whatever you've been doing ever since you came back. Just don't meddle."
He would've sounded dangerous but original Jason just laughed dryly. "Hera favours you now, you've got a beautiful girlfriend (At this the blonde woman raised her eye brows at Original Jason but he didn't even look at her), you've built a better ship than my Argo, the Greeks even found you with one shoe!"
"What are you implying?", Percy asked confused.
"Stop copying me! You've taken everything I had", Original Jason shouted. "YOU EVEN STOLE MY NAME"
Jason looked uncomfortable.
"Well, you weren't that smart, were you?", Nico asked and Percy thought Original Jason would strangle the little kid with his bare hands, but Nico continued. "You had it and you lost it. You're done for. It's his chance now."
Original Jason seemed not to waver. "We'll, no, it isn't. I plan to take it back"
"What do you want?", Percy asked stupidly. He felt rather out of his depth here. He didn't understand much of what was going on. But he was becoming to understand what the original Jason wanted. He hoped it wasn't what he thought, because what he thought was crazy, but then again, Original Jason did seem crazy.
He smiled at him and jutted his hip back and stood in ridiculous pose, as if for a photoshoot for swimwear. He ran his fingers through his hair.
"Well, I plan to kill Jason, take you both as hostage, take over your ship and take his girlfriend for my own. Then I will take over your quest and save the world and win my honour back."
"Oh, that plan seems fool proof", Nico replied sarcastically, "How do you plan to save the world?"
"By serving Gaia of course. She's going to make the world a better place"
"Yeah, that sounds very honourable", Nico snapped, "Come on, we're leaving"
Percy really hoped Nico wasn't pushing it too far. That kid would get himself killed with his sharp tongue.
Jason shot a last look at the original Jason and turned to walk away. But Percy wasn't that comfortable turning his back on an enemy. Greeks didn't trust that easily.
That might have been a good thing because just then Original Jason clicked his fingers and four guards in grey suits stepped up. There was something horribly familiar about them but Percy couldn't remember why.
One of the guards picked up Nico like he was a little kitten and held him up.
Nico struggled to reach for his sword but the guard just tossed the sword aside.
Percy had already turned his ballpoint pen into Riptide. "Put him down", he snarled.
"Or what?", Original Jason asked laughing.
Jason drew his gladius, "You made a lethal mistake, Jason", he spat the last word. "What you don't realize is that I have something you never had"
Original Jason studied him and then smiled, bit this time, the smile was pasty, "And what is that?"
"My father is Zeus", Jason said dangerously, the sky rumbled and the fighting broke out.
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