"I have a 504 plan," Percy announced cheerfully, almost before he was through the law office door. For once he didn't even care why they were there, too excited to share the good news.
Karen and Foggy both sat up to attention, a grin breaking out across Foggy's face.
"That's great," Karen said earnestly.
"This is why you always bring lawyers into it," Foggy added, nose crinkling with amusement. "What'd you get? That's not rude to ask, is it?"
It might have been, but Percy couldn't bring himself to care.
"I get audio textbooks and a StarkPad for school, for notes and writing assignments and stuff," Percy said, bumping his knuckles together happily. "Most of my exams are supposed to be oral now, and the teachers can't mark me down on handwritten assignments for being sloppy or misspelled or whatever. It's not gonna make me an A student or anything, but it's not gonna suck so much either."
Sally was smiling broadly; her mood had rapidly improved at almost twice the rate Percy's had, leaving both of them in an uncharacteristically good mood. Percy's troubles with school had always weighed as heavily on her as they did him, and even before Percy's first quest, it had been one of their biggest sources of shared stress.
"Thank you both so much for your help," Sally said earnestly, crossing over to Foggy to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "I can't tell you what a relief it is."
"Annabeth was pissed that I didn't have one already," Percy added, plopping down to drum his heels against the floor. "Her dad's a college professor, I guess, so he already knew all this stuff."
"Annabeth?" Foggy asked, pressing a kiss to Sally's cheek in return before he sat back.
"Friend from camp," Percy said, and then amended, "Uh, I go to a summer camp for kids with ADHD and dyslexia. It's where I met most of my friends. And Annabeth is probably the smartest person I know."
"That's an oddly specific demographic," Matt commented.
Percy smiled a little. "It's more common than you'd think."
"I think this calls for a celebration, don't you?" Karen said, sitting up. She'd gained a little color since Fisk had been put away; she looked more relaxed. "Percy, what kind of food do you like? Pizza, Thai, diner...?"
Percy perked up. "Diner's good," he said hopefully, looking at Sally. Sally gave him an indulgent smile.
"I don't see why not, if Matt and Foggy don't mind...?"
"And cut off this constant flow of visitors?" Foggy asked dryly, already getting up. "Have you got a favorite place or you wanna try somewhere new?"
They ended up in a hole-in-the-wall not far from the law office, which both Matt and Foggy were clearly familiar with, though Karen was looking around with some curiosity. Foggy, Sally, and Percy were all on one side of the booth, and Foggy and Sally were clearly playing footsie; Matt and Karen shared the other.
"Annabeth's usually a year-round camper," Percy explained, spinning his fork in his fingers, "but she's trying to go home sometimes now. She wants to patch things up with her dad; their relationship is kind of rough, but he loves her."
"Year-round?" Matt interrupted, brow pinched. "Why would a summer camp have year-round campers?"
Percy hesitated, trying to remember if there was a cover for that. Matt clicked his tongue, as if suddenly understanding.
"Ah, is it one of those outdoor school programs?" he asked. Percy relaxed at the out.
"Yeah, it is," Percy confirmed, relieved. "Annabeth's been going there so long she even helps teach some of the classes."
"It seems like a perfect choice for kids with ADHD and dyslexia too," Karen pointed out with interest. "No wonder you love it. When you put it like that, I'm surprised you don't go year-round."
Percy smiled. "If I did that, I wouldn't get to see Mom so much."
He frowned when a sound made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He turned his head, looking for what had set him off, and soon settled on something outside: a hellhound, sniffing around the glass doors. Sally followed his gaze, and her lips pressed together.
"I'll be right back," Percy sighed, pushing himself out of the booth. Couldn't the monsters leave him alone for just one good day?
He didn't head for the hellhound; that was just asking to be ambushed. Instead, he took the back door to the alley and uncapped Riptide, spinning it idly as he waited for the hellhound to track him. He left the door cracked, and jumped a little when his mom's voice carried outside.
"It's alright," she said, almost too soft for him to hear. "It won't notice you as long as you ignore it. It's looking for Percy."
Startled, Percy glanced back inside. He couldn't see them very well, but Sally was reaching across the table, squeezing Karen's hand. The hellhound was sniffing around their feet.
Well. That was a problem for about ten minutes from now. The hellhound lifted its head, looking directly at Percy, and let out a bark. He took a step back from the door and braced himself.
The thing Percy hated about hellhounds was how blatantly hungry they were. Most monsters just seemed cruel and malicious, even when they were talking about eating him; hellhounds drooled and snuffled at him, and it made him think of the starved bulldogs people used to let out for fox hunts. Except he was the fox.
It was a brief but painful scuffle in the close quarters of the alley. The small space was bad news for him, but worse for the hellhound – it didn't have the smarts to avoid his sword from so close. Still, it bowled him over and sank its teeth into him like a chew toy before he ran it through, and it burst into dust still biting down.
He hit the ground and groaned, more grouchy than hurt, though the hard bite was nothing to sneeze at; he was pretty sure the stupid thing had cracked a rib. And he'd forgotten to grab his bag of ambrosia before he left the apartment. And he was supposed to be with company, and was now bleeding freely into his shirt, hot fluid dripping down his side. Ugh.
Academic accommodations or no, apparently Percy was still a half-blood, and he still attracted trouble everywhere he fucking went.
At least his mom was with him. He dragged himself to his feet, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and trudged back inside. All of them were staring at him, and Matt had clearly started to rise to his feet before dropping back down. The light and conversational mood was gone.
"Mom, do you have food in your purse?" Percy asked, since the table was dead silent and no one else was going to break it. Sally immediately went digging through, coming up with a bag of ambrosia in seconds.
"You're supposed to keep a bag in your pocket," Sally scolded anxiously, reaching out as if to help him sit down. Percy tried to figure out how to apologize for existing without upsetting her.
"I forgot," Percy mumbled. He sat down, broke off a square, and added, "I heard you talking to Karen. She saw the hellhound, right?"
He wished he could go just one day without making things harder on his mom.
"What hellhound?" Foggy asked, alarmed. Percy scowled at him. "What happened?"
"Are you bleeding?" Karen demanded, high-pitched, while Matt's eyes oddly seemed to bore into Percy.
He grunted uncomfortably and ate the ambrosia in his hand, softening as he did. Tasted like the s'mores from camp. The pain in his side lessened, then disappeared, which didn't solve the blood problem, but whatever.
"Can we wait until after lunch to do this?" Percy asked plaintively. "I'm hungry."
"Of course we can," Sally said, before anyone else could. Percy relaxed, settling down more firmly, and pushed the ambrosia back to his mom, who returned it to her purse.
Foggy visibly swallowed his questions, and asked instead, "Is Percy alright?"
"'M fine," Percy muttered. "Chewed on, but fine."
Riptide reappeared in his pocket. Apparently he'd forgotten it in the alley.
"He's fine," Sally repeated, soft and reassuring. "The... food from my purse helped."
"The blondie?" Foggy asked, befuddled, and Sally laughed quietly and nodded.
They got their food a few minutes later, and Percy tried to focus on that. Karen looked distracted, barely touching her fries, and Matt was oddly tense. Foggy was fidgeting, and it was making Sally fidget too, filling the silence with questions about Matt and Foggy's background in law, which they answered in awkward, stilted sentences.
"Our apartment or Foggy's, Percy?" Sally asked softly, when they were almost done.
"Foggy's," Percy said firmly. Easier to get out than kick someone out, if things turned sour. He didn't know what he was expecting to happen, but he'd never tried to explain this shit to anyone before, at least not anyone that wasn't already involved.
They took Sally's car there, through the thick New York traffic, and Karen was the first to break, blurting out her question as soon as the car doors shut.
"You saw the big dog, Sally?"
"The hellhound, yes," Sally agreed, shooting Karen a concerned look. "Have you really gone all this time without a half-blood telling you what you're seeing?"
"I thought I was crazy," Karen snapped, high-pitched and borderline hysterical.
"It wasn't that big a dog," Foggy protested. "It was like, a German Shepherd."
"I'm sorry, Foggy," Sally said, giving Percy an apologetic glance. He shrugged and nodded, slouching against the car door. "What you saw was the Mist – the illusion that hides some of the world's more... unusual goings-on."
"Like aliens?" Foggy asked warily. "Because I saw those just fine."
"No," Sally said quietly. "Like hellhounds, or satyrs, or centaurs. Anything Greek." She nodded at Karen. "You're not crazy, Karen. You're clearsighted – a mortal that can see through the Mist. So am I."
"Oh my God," whispered Karen, and buried her face in her hands.
"Wait," Foggy interrupted, looking faintly panicked. Percy braced himself, scooting away uncomfortably. "Okay. Monsters. Why not. But why did you say it was looking for Percy?"
That- oh. Percy blinked at Foggy, startled.
"Percy?" Sally asked gently.
"It's fine," Percy muttered, and then, to Foggy, "I'm a half-blood, so I smell like tasty seafood to most monsters. That hellhound was probably wandering around hungry and caught my scent by chance." He shrugged. "I didn't think I should fight it in the middle of the diner. That usually gets you kicked out."
There was also the prophecy and all. That was more than enough reason for anything from the Greek world to want to kill him.
"It tried to eat you?" Foggy squawked. "It was a German Shepherd!"
"I mean, not really," Percy said, glancing out the window. "Hellhounds look more like Rottweilers, honestly."
"Half-blood?" Matt asked, making Foggy jump as he spoke for the first time. "Half human, I assume. And the other half...?"
"God," Percy said, and then, hastily, "I mean, little g, god. Like Thor. Not, you know, God god."
"...Sally," Karen whispered, drawing their attention back to the front passenger seat. "Those kids I kept seeing..."
"Demigods," Sally agreed. "It's alright, Karen. Most of them have training to deal with monsters. They were... probably okay." She shot her a strained smile. "But a little help now and again certainly isn't uncalled for."
"Percy," Matt said, voice a little strange, "do all demigods have ADHD and dyslexia?"
"Yeah, it's almost a sure sign," Percy agreed, sitting upright. "Do you know one? It's really important that they're brought to camp before the monsters get to them."
Now more than ever. What if Kronos got to them first?
"Could they survive to adulthood without knowing?" Matt asked.
Percy shrugged. "I mean, I couldn't have. I barely made it to sixth grade. But the kid of a minor god probably could. Their scent doesn't carry as far as an Olympian's does, and it's even weaker if you don't know what you are."
"There are too many conversations happening in this car," Foggy said loudly. They fell quiet, and he exhaled, clearly frustrated. Percy pulled his knees to his chest unhappily. "So. Karen and Sally saw a monster in the diner, and the monster tried to eat Percy. It tried to eat Percy because Percy is half-god and smells like food. Have I got it so far?" Sally and Percy both nodded silently. Foggy scrubbed his forehead for a moment, and then admitted, "I'm trying to figure out what the next step after that is. It's crazy. But. Everything is crazy these days." He paused. "Holy shit. Was your abusive ex a god?"
"Fuck no," Percy snapped, but Sally laughed.
"No, Foggy- goodness, no. No, Gabe was..." Her smile faded. "Gabriel was the only man I could find that was so repulsive that his scent would hide Percy's. Percy is a son of Poseidon; that makes him a particularly alluring target for most monsters." Her voice wavered. "I couldn't think of anything else that might work."
"Poseidon," Foggy echoed blankly, and looked at Percy. Percy frowned back. "That's, he's- what, the ocean?" Percy nodded. "Your father is Thor but for oceans?"
"Kinda," Percy muttered. Gods, if only it was that simple. He pushed his forehead against his knees. Maybe then he wouldn't have to feel so sorry for having ever been born.
"And you only survived because your evil stepdad was stinky?" Foggy almost squeaked.
"Don't knock it," Percy said defensively. "We were desperate. Chiron thought it was really clever."
"Holy shit," Foggy said again, and then, "Okay. And Karen?"
"Some mortals are born with the ability to see through the Mist," Sally said. They were taking the last few turns to Foggy's apartment, finally, and she was slowing down. "Or rather- most children can, and some retain the ability into adulthood. I think I was about fifteen when a half-blood finally explained what I was seeing. I'm sorry, Karen, that must have been terrifying."
Karen laughed. It sounded wet. "A little bit."
"But I promise," Sally added, finally pulling over and into an apartment parking space. "Monsters don't go after mortals. Sometimes they go after other monsters, but most of the time, they're after half-bloods."
"Deadliest thing on the menu," Percy said into his knees. Sally cuffed him over the head so gently that it was more of a disapproving headpat, and he smiled despite himself.
"Okay," Foggy said, breathless and high. "Inside."
They went inside.
"Percy, show me where you got hurt," Sally instructed, almost as soon as they were inside. She sat down next to him, already tugging at his shirt, and he squirmed.
"Mom! I'm fine. I had ambrosia as soon as I got back, remember?"
"Percy," Sally said firmly, and Percy sighed and let her lift his shirt, just enough to see where he'd been hurt. "What happened?"
"It bit me," Percy grouched, looking down. There were a few little scratches of marked skin where the wounds had been, but for the most part, the only evidence he'd been hurt was the drying blood on his stomach and hip. "The alley was too small to move around much, so I kinda had to pick between getting clawed or knocked over. But then it bit me while I was down."
"Oh my God, are you okay?" Foggy blurted out, while Sally was still looking pinched and prodding gingerly at the healed scars. Percy looked up and blinked at him, stared at his concerned face in confusion, and then nodded.
"Yeah. Ambrosia heals half-bloods. That's why I asked Mom for some when I got back."
"And why you're supposed to carry it with you, sweetheart," Sally scolded, and then pressed a kiss to his forehead to take the heat out of it. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Okay, but how did you get rid of an apparently giant hellhound while it was biting you?" Foggy demanded. Percy uncapped Riptide. "Holy shit! I'm guessing that's not really a baseball bat."
"It's a sword," Percy said proudly. "Celestial bronze. It hurts monsters and demigods, but it doesn't hurt mortals." Karen reached forward to test the edge, gasping softly when it passed right through. "See?"
Foggy squinted. "Kinda?"
"Close enough," Percy shrugged.
"Can I try?" Matt asked politely, and barely waited for Percy's nod before nicking his thumb on the blade. And he did nick it, blood beading up from the point of contact.
Percy sat up sharply, eyes wide, and Matt shrugged, rubbing the blood between his fingers, not particularly surprised.
"I had dyslexia before I was blind," he said.
Percy swore in Greek.
"What does that mean?" Foggy demanded, loud enough that Percy couldn't keep himself from flinching. To his surprise, Foggy immediately scooted back and softened his voice. "Matt was a demigod without knowing it?"
"H-he'd have to be," Percy agreed, willing his heart to slow down again. "From a minor god, if he hasn't encountered a monster by now." He shot Matt an apologetic look. "Sorry. You'll have to come by camp soon. Regular weapons don't work on monsters, so you'll need to get something from the Hephaestus cabin."
"You're sure he can't be a son of Hades?" Foggy asked wryly, shooting Matt a look. Even knowing it was mostly a joke, Percy couldn't help the twist of bitter resentment. Gods, if only – Matt was way older than sixteen. It would've been all over before Percy was born.
"He wouldn't have lasted this long without being found, one way or another," Percy said flatly. "Children of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are the most powerful, so they attract the most monsters. Thalia made it to twelve, I made it to twelve, and Nico was ten." At Foggy's look, he clarified, "Thalia is a daughter of Zeus, and Nico probably is a son of Hades."
Foggy opened his mouth, and Sally shook her head at him. He changed the subject. "The camp you go to, for kids with ADHD and dyslexia? Why does he need to go there?"
"It's a camp for demigods," Sally said quietly.
"His scent will be stronger now," Percy added, "so monsters will probably start showing up. Plus I'm around, so monsters would show up anyway, and now they're not going to ignore him."
"Sorry, am I the only one worried about the fact that Matt is blind and can't fight?" Karen asked loudly, pale with worry.
Sally raised a hand to her mouth, horrified, but Matt and Foggy just shared an uncomfortable, awkward look. Foggy stared holes into the side of Matt's head. Matt fidgeted. Foggy stared harder. Matt gave in.
"It's... fine, Karen," Matt said, stilted and strained. Percy winced, tucking his face into his elbow. Percy really did fuck things up for everyone, didn't he? "My senses were... unnaturally heightened, in the same accident that took my sight. I can't see, but I can sense- warmth, movement, something that works a bit like sonar. It's as good as sight for some things."
"Like navigating underwater," Percy blurted out, and jumped when everyone else looked at him. He shrugged uncomfortably. "In really deep water, where there's no light, that's what you use, you know? Heat, movement, sound."
Matt gave him a relieved smile. "Yes, exactly like that."
"Oh my god," Foggy said, looking abruptly very pale. "That's what you meant by 'manner of speaking'?"
"...Yes?"
"I'm so sorry," Foggy said earnestly. "That- I should have listened when you were explaining it, it was all so weird and it just didn't add up and I was already upset and- I'm sorry."
Some of the tension eased out of Matt's shoulders, and he looked relieved. He gave Foggy a small, wry grin. "As long as you stop being mad at me about it."
"Totally," Foggy said. "Promise. Double promise."
"Is this what you were fighting about?" Karen demanded, high-pitched.
"Mostly," Matt said.
"I thought he was lying about being blind," Foggy clarified, covering his face. "And I found out about his senses kind of by accident, and he kept talking about a 'world on fire' and 'yes in a manner of speaking I can see' and I did the 'how many fingers' trick and he could tell me and it just didn't go very well."
"I promise I really wasn't," Matt said, as insistent as if he still thought Foggy was mad at him. "I mean, I could probably pass as a sighted person in some situations, but I had to completely relearn how to live my life. It took years."
"I'm so sorry," Foggy repeated helplessly.
"Do you still need the cane and stuff?" Percy asked, and ducked his head when Matt looked toward him. "Um, sorry, I'm still thinking about the fighting thing. You're gonna need a weapon, and you always have the cane with you, right? Beckendorf could probably make you one in celestial bronze."
"...It would still need to act as a probing cane," Matt said after a moment. "That is, ideally, it would feel about the same. I don't need it, but it definitely makes life easier."
"Beckendorf can do that," Percy said confidently. "There's nothing Beckendorf can't make. He's the best in the Hephaestus cabin."
"You really think this is all it'll take for monsters to start showing up?" Matt asked, with some skepticism. "I've never noticed them before."
"Trust me," Percy said, "you don't want to be stuck facing a Canadian giant without a weapon."
"A what?" Matt asked blankly.
"Laistrygonian, Percy," Sally said, covering her face to hide her giggles, "They're called Laistrygonians."
Percy managed half a smile. "Okay, but I can't say that."
"There was an incident while Percy was in gym class last year," Sally added, smile fading as she remembered it. "He's right. You really don't want to be caught without a weapon. What would have happened if Tyson hadn't been there..." She shook her head.
"Monsters attacked you in gym class?" Foggy asked Percy, alarmed.
"Yeah," Percy said. "We played deadly dodgeball."
"Is he joking?" Foggy asked Sally.
"I wish," Sally sighed. "Really, Foggy, I... couldn't understate the number of monsters that come looking for Percy. Even when he was a toddler. I had to move him from daycare to daycare just to throw them off."
"I don't remember that," Percy admitted guiltily. "I just remember the snake thing."
"I think that was an ordinary snake," Sally said. "Probably."
"Okay," Foggy said, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay. Anything else I need to know? Come on, I can take it."
Sally and Percy looked at each other and winced.
"Oh, God, there is," Foggy muttered.
"We may be here a while," Sally admitted.