Ch3

Athena had heard Frederick's prayers. She honestly didn't know how to feel about the situation, in a way she felt sorry for him. She knew parenting was not an easy thing, especially when raising demigods. As she had heard her former lover's prayers and petitions for weeks on end, begging her for her guidance and help she decided to answer.

Well he is persistent, that is a part of the reason I fell in love with him .Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I raised a child Mortals didn't live long and had to take care and raise their offspring unlike Gods who usually did not interfere or in some cases do not care about them.

She looked down to where her daughter and cousin were at. The two were huddled against a building looking as if they had not had warmth in a while. She sighed as she looked at them being a hero is not easy. She swore to Frederick that she would protect and help them, the only logical place for her daughter to go was to Camp Half Blood.

Her cousin on the other hand she gripped her staff in her hand. She had promised Frederick that she would help both of them, but even at a young age she could tell that he was a demigod; just not a Greek one. He is a son of the north she thought as she saw his cold aura around him.

She knew her daughter cared a lot for him and she had watched him protect her and get hurt for her despite being younger. The northern Gods raised strong men, they had to in order to survive the tough terrain of their land. Scandinavia was cold and inhospitable in comparison to the Mediterranean and many children of the Norse came down to raid Europe for both pleasure and survival.

Memories of the battles between the children of the Greco/Roman world against the Norse played through her head. In the past, the Greeks and Norse pantheons were bitter rivals as they fought for territory. The British Isles, Germany, and even Eastern Europe were always points of contention between the two pantheons who vied to be the dominant force of the Western World. The other pantheons of Europe from the Slavic to the Celts often chose sides and even played them against each other; though to be fare all feared the Norse Gods and their children in those days and Olympus looked like a better place than Asgard to most people.

Athena remembered the cries of her children as they were murdered by the Norse in their raids or sold into slavery. Her father was so furious that he managed to convince the launching of various crusades against the Norse to Christianize the Norse. The Sons of the North fought to the bitter end but in the end, we became sort of friends she thought. While Olympus was the supreme pantheon of the west, they still split territory with the Norse and the two pantheons had a friendly rivalry.

Olympus had New York while Valhalla had Boston, two cities that often were rivals that reflected the rivalry between the two pantheons. The Norse were stronger up north around New England, the Mid Western US, Canada, and Alaska in addition to their native Scandinavia. While Olympus had free reign elsewhere, the two pantheons usually stuck to their turf but allowed each other to visit and meet mortals in each other's areas so long as they did not cause trouble or get too comfortable in each other's turf.

Though despite that the Norse are perhaps our closet friends in away. Their children often mixed together and protected each other and even some Olympians had friendly interactions with the Norse once in a while. In fact places in the New World such as the Mid-West were areas where both pantheons and their children often came into contact with each other.

She thought of the best course of action, Annabeth will most likely not want to leave him but at the same time if something were to happen to the boy it may cause a inter pantheon incident even if he did go to Valhalla. Suddenly a memory entered her head, the sons of the North were great fighters and made great guards during the Byzantine years. She recalled how some of her children and the sons of the North fought together and protected each other during the Byzantine years.

Well there is a precedent she thought as a smile spread across her face. Camp Half Blood was made for the protection of all Half Bloods and in the past children of different pantheons came to learn our ways and assimilated well she thought. It had happened a few times in the past, occasionally a child of another pantheon would be allowed to enter the camp for their own safety and occasionally act as a bridge between Olympus and other pantheons.

Well if father complains I will talk sense into him. I doubt Annabeth would want to leave him she thought as she sighed, as a mother she had a strong desire to protect her children and Annabeth was special to her. She knew Annabeth would do great things in the future and she could tell that the boy will have a great future as well.

She then decided to reveal herself to the two children. When she appeared in front of them in full glory they both appeared dumbstruck. "M-Mom," Annabeth said her eyes wide while her cousin stared at her with eyes wide open.

"Hello Annabeth and Magnus," she said with a smile while nodding at her cousin who stared at her in awe. "Your father is worried about you both."

"I don't care they hate me!" Annabeth screamed. "They don't believe me and they hate me," she said with a sob. Her cousin patted her back and comforted her.

Athena sighed, "Your father cares deeply about you both."

"He does not care about us," Annabeth said while her cousin just remained silent. "He only cares about his normal family, not us," she said as a few tears fell from her eyes.

Athena sighed, "Well if you both insist on not returning I recommend you go to a safer place. It is far from here but I can help you both if you wish."

Annabeth and her cousin stared at her their eyes appearing shocked that she wasn't going to bring them back to their home. "Wh-Where is it?" Annabeth asked softly.

"Far, but I will guide you along the way. Do you wish to go?" Athena asked.

"Yes," Annabeth nodded. "But I want Magnus to come with me."

Athena let out a sigh, "Fine Magnus was it?" She asked staring at the young boy. The young boy looked back at her; his eyes full of defiance as he nodded. "Do you wish to go with your cousin?"

"Yes," he said firmly.

"Be aware that the path of a hero is not easy, and for you it will be harder. Are you still up to the challenge?" She asked

Magnus's eyes did not appear to waver. "Yes, I want to protect Annabeth."

"Good, then you shall guard her with your life," Athena said. The boy's eyes did not appear to waver and he only nodded. The Norse were tough from a young age they were taught how to survive this one appears no different.

"Know this Magnus Chase you will face many unique challenges and it shall not be easy. In some ways you will have it harder than your cousin. Do you still wish to follow in her footsteps and to protect her?" She asked looking the boy in his eyes.

"I will do anything to protect her," Magnus said firmly his eyes unwavering.

"Good then you have my blessing," Athena said looking at Magnus who stared back at her with an unwavering look. "Be aware Magnus Chase to follow the path of the heroes it is not something taken lightly. You will have to work twice as hard. I expect you to put in all the effort in order to protect my daughter."

"I will do all I can to protect her," he said firmly.

Athena smiled at the boy, "Good now I have gifts for both of you," she said as she summoned two objects in her hand. She gave the baseball cap to Annabeth and the watch to Magnus. Annabeth tried on her cap and turned invisible while Magnus put on the watch and tapped the side button. The boy's eyes widened as a round purple shield appeared. Painted on the shield's surface were two battle axes underneath the sigil of a golden double headed eagle.

"Wow thanks mom!" Annabeth said with joy.

"Thank you," Magnus said politely as he looked at the shield.

"You are both welcome. Now how about we go to someplace more private to talk," she said. Annabeth and Magnus nodded as Athena changed her appearance to something more modern.

She brought the two kids to a hotel and quickly had them washed and changed while she ordered food for them. The kids did as they were told while Annabeth looked over the plans she had made for them. She considered many options, one of which was to fly them to New York directly but she decided that they chose this path and that they should follow it regardless of difficulty.

The next morning she checked them out of a hotel and gave them each a small suitcase full of stuff. "I will get you both on a bus out of town," she said as she told them about the contents of the suitcases. The suitcases had clothes, food, and some cash in it. However, for Magnus she also gave him a book on studying Ancient Greek Norse demigods usually learned it slower than their Greek counterparts but it wasn't impossible for them to learn it; in fact in the past, many Norse demigods along with children of other pantheons learned it well. Though if he assimilates well into Camp he should learn it fairly well, the Norse easily adapted to other cultures well learning their languages and customs. She also gave him a celestial bronze hatchet to use and told him to only use it for emergencies and that he should learn Ancient Greek as soon as possible.

Both of the kids thanked her for her help as she checked them out of a hotel and brought them to a bus station. She ordered tickets for all three of them even though she wouldn't be staying on the trip. Once they got on the bus she stayed with them for a bit before she said goodbye to them.

"By mom," Annabeth said with a smile. Athena smiled at her, she is going to do great things.

"Goodbye dear take care of each other now," she said. Magnus and Annabeth nodded in their seats as Athena looked around and she quickly returned back to Olympus.

"Annabeth and Magnus both of you will have interesting futures," she thought with a smile. For a second she considered telling Magnus about who he really was but decided it wasn't her place. Besides, the fates have something special in store for him I know it.

Magnus still dreamt of the wolves. Each night he still saw them in his head and he relived the day his mother was killed. He feared wolves ever since that day and now traveling alone and living in a camping tent did not make it easier. He would constantly have panic attacks every time he heard wolves howl in the distance and he would be taken back to when his mom was killed.

Annabeth was the only person who was keeping him sane and would comfort him when the wolves howled. I still can't believe we are doing this he thought as he got up and got dressed. They were currently somewhere in Virginia far from his Uncle's place and he had not seen Athena since she visited them.

He still wrote to her dad (in secret) to let him and his wife know that they were ok, but he never left a return address. The one time he tried to convince Annabeth to write to her dad she yelled at him and said no and did not speak to him for the rest of the day. Thinking of his uncle who took him in always brought a pang of guilt in him, if I wasn't around Annabeth would still be with them. They were only fighting because I was there he thought bitterly as. As much as he loved his uncle for taking him in he felt guilty for the trouble he caused, he knew that he and Annabeth were a strain on his life and he honestly wanted to leave himself. He remembered hearing the fights at night between his uncle and aunt, if I wasn't around they would not have been fighting or if I ran away sooner she would have probably stayed.

But Annabeth had other plans he thought as he went to Annabeth and helped her with breakfast which was a few granola bars. Living on the streets was not easy but he managed to protect her. He would do anything for her and to keep her safe. He was grateful for the supplies Athena gave him because it would mean that he could protect her more.

He lost count of the countless fights they got into with other monsters and homeless people. Since he was a kid he failed horribly but Annabeth had her invisible cap and would help him. Speaking of invisibility I will need to borrow it again he thought as he eyed the cap which Annabeth had on her at all times. He had used it a few times to steal food for them and by a few times, he meant often.

He didn't tell Annabeth how he did it and he knew that she would be mad but they didn't want to starve. Besides I always make sure to not leave a trail he thought, at first he was super nervous at stealing but after a while he got used to it and secretly found a thrill in it. All he had to do was wait for the store to be full of people, walk in with the cap on, and put the stuff they needed in his backpack before leaving and running out the door and no one notices.

"So Magnus what did you want to do today?" Annabeth asked as she ate her granola bar.

Magnus looked up at her and smiled, "I was thinking we could visit the library again."

Annabeth pouted, "Its not fair that you can read and I can't."

Magnus smiled at her, "Yeah but you are still a better fighter than me." He still remembered when his uncle had told him the truth about his cousin and demigods. At first, he thought his uncle was crazy but then he saw the swarms of spiders that attacked his cousin every night, and then he met her mom who was an actual goddess.

I wonder who my parent is? He personally didn't care too much; he still loved his mom and Uncle Frederick was like a father to him. However, part of him was still curious, his uncle and Athena had explained demigods and they had definitely met their fair share of monsters. He may not be as hyper as she was and to the surprise of his uncle he could still read. Yet there was one thing he did notice; monsters were very much aware of his presence as his cousin.

Despite his best efforts, he was not the best fighter, especially against the monsters. While he did his best to hack and slash at them he often came back injured and close to death on multiple occasions. However, for whatever reason he healed quickly a though at the pleading of his cousin they decided to change strategy, she would become invisible and attack them while he worked from the sides. They made a good team actually and since he could read and write he was able to help her too.

After breakfast, he and Annabeth clean up their trash and packed their stuff. They then walked around a nearby park a bit and enjoyed the outdoors before the library opened. Once the library was open they brought their stuff to the library and Magnus went off to search for a book to read while Annabeth drew some pictures.

He read a few books before reading a graphic novel with Annabeth. It was one of the few things she liked since she would look at the pictures and he could tell her what was happening. He read to her also but found it more fun to read by himself.

They ate lunch at a nearby park and afterward, they looked up some places where they could stay for a bit before returning to the library. He then got out his Ancient Greek books and began to study them. It was a little difficult but he was starting to get used to it even though for Annabeth she picked up the basics a little quicker.

During the late afternoon, he decided it was best for them to leave. They bought some food for dinner and brought it with them to a place Magnus had heard about. "Magnus where is this place?" Annabeth asked as they walked toward the outskirts of the town.

"It's a place I heard about. I hear it is abandoned," Magnus said as they approached a large abandoned building. The words Ironworks faded but overall the place looked abandoned. "This place is abandoned we can rest here a while before we continue."

"I don't know," Annabeth said as she looked at the place with worry.

"Don't tell me you are scared?" He said with a cocky look on his face.

"No I am not," Annabeth said with a pouty face as he let out a laugh. She followed him into the factory, Magnus broke the chains to the entrance and got in.

"Ok lets find a safe place," Magnus said as he turned on his flashlight. They searched the place and found it eerily devoid of monsters. Magnus heard a crackling sound and looked down to find a used food container. Hopefully, other homeless people aren't here he thought. For a moment he considered checking out the place with Annabeth's hat but he could tell that she was nervous.

"Here Annabeth this room looks good," he said trying to sound as confident as possible. Annabeth nodded as they found a big room with an abandoned desk in it. They set down their stuff and unpacked and that was when they heard a noise.

"Magnus what was that?" Annabeth said nervously.

"Probably just the wind," he said trying to reassure her. That was when he heard a pair of footsteps walking down the stairs. Crap he thought as he quickly went over and locked the door and turned off the light.

He heard the footsteps walk down the stairs and down to the hall. There are at least two of them he thought as he went and grabbed his hatchet. "Annabeth put on your hat I'll try and fight them."

"What? What are you talking about?" Annabeth said in a worried tone.

"They won't see you if have it on. I'll try and take them out of something but if things get ugly run," he said as he gripped his hatchet. He heard the footsteps get louder as they approached the door. He could hear two voices, both human. Maybe I can reason with them he thought as he gripped his hatchet.

"I won't leave you," Annabeth said in a whisper.

"Ok fine just put it on," he said as quietly as possible.

"I swore I heard something," said a female voice. "Did you lock this door Luke?"

"No I didn't," said a male voice.

Magnus activated his shield as he saw the doorknob twist. He looked at his cousin who gave him a worried look. He signaled for her to put on her hat which she reluctantly did. "Here let me pick it," the male said.

Damn it he thought as he activated his shield. Hopefully I can scare them off or something he thought as he gripped his hatchet in his hand. He heard the door unlock and his stomach clench as he saw it slowly open.

He didn't even give them a chance, as soon as it was wide enough he charged at them with his shield. There were two of them, a boy and a girl older than him or Annabeth. They appeared surprised as he charged at them.

He felt adrenaline rush through him as he charged at them. However, much to his horror they had weapons of their own. Are those swords he thought as he felt the shield crash into the sword of the guy. He had blonde hair and his female friend who had a long wooden spear had black hair.

The girl lunged her spear at him but he blocked it with his shield while the guy who regained his focus attempted to fight back. Magnus swore as he swung his hatchet and tried to attack them but they were both more skilled it appeared. They blocked his attacks and easily knocked the hatchet out of his hand.

That was when he heard his cousin. "Leave him alone!" A metal road slammed onto the blonde knocking him to the ground. The girl was surprised by it and it gave him an opening to push at her with his shield. He used all of his strength and pushed knocking the girl to the ground.

"Wait Wait!" The blonde guy said holding his hands up. "We aren't here to fight we are just surprised that there were people here."

Magnus was breathing heavily as he looked at the guy beat him, hurt him or he will hurt your sister a small voice said cruel voice in his head and for a second he wanted to listen to it but as soon as Annabeth took off her cap the thoughts left his mind.

"Who are you guys?" He asked cautiously.

"I am Luke and this is Thalia," Luke said pointing to the girl. "We thought you guys were monsters."

Monsters? Are you demigods too?" Annabeth asked.

Luke nodded as he and Thalia slowly got up both of them trying to appear as peaceful as possible. "Yeah we are who are you guys?"

"I am Annabeth Chase," Annabeth said.

"Magnus Chase," he said not taking down his shield just yet.

"Well I take it both of you are demigods too," Thalia said with a sigh.