Percy Jackson & The Four Horsemen
Chapter 1: And So It Begins…
To Percy, Camp Half-Blood seemed just as bright and cheery as it did before. Thank the gods (though not really), his amazing mom had actually let him go to camp this one last time before he and Annabeth moved to New Rome.
Percy sat near Thalia's Pine and pat the giant snout of Peleus, the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece hanging on the branches. He was sitting so close to it that he could feel its magic flowing into him, relaxing him from the stressful pile of schist that was his midterm exams. Taking in a deep breath, Percy went down the hill to meet up with his old friends. He couldn't wait to talk to Katie, the Stolls, Will, Nico (he had heard rumours over Iris-Messages that they were dating now?), Clarisse, Rachel, Grover and of course, Annabeth.
He still remembered her blonde hair, curly and flowing down her back like that of a princess. He still remembered her beautiful grey eyes, clouded over like the sky during a thunderstorm when she was angry (mostly at him but sometimes the monsters). He still remembered the fierceness she had with only her drakon-bone sword as they escaped Tartarus. He still remembered the pure terror that encompassed her zombified features when he almost poisoned Akh-
"No. Don't think of that, Percy. Anything but that."
He shook his head, trying to rein in his thoughts, but they always came back to the fear in his girlfriend's eyes, the stuff of his darkest nightmares. Except, this time, there was something different. There was a voice, whispering to the ear of his soul. "She's afraid of you, Percy. But you shouldn't be. Embrace the power of Olympus given to you." And with that, Percy freaked out and ran, sprinting past surprised newbies that he almost bumped into, running past old campers that almost killed him before recognizing that mop of black hair, before finally reaching his destination, the Big House.
"My boy, you must realize that you have gone through more terrifying things than anyone who has ever lived. And not to dissuade you from the chance that someone is trying to speak to you, but it is much more likely that the voice is just a manifestation of the powers you unlocked down there."
Even just the mention of Tartarus sent shivers down Percy's spine. The kindly voice of his mentor Chiron was filled with his calming presence, something Percy had come to appreciate. After all, the old centaur still managed to remain calm despite being the activities director of camp, a place filled with hyperactive demigods who had an unusual tendency to get themselves into trouble (especially him). And what Chiron was saying did make sense after all. Who would speak to him through his mind and try to manipulate him specifically just for their own purpose?
"But Chiron, Gaia spoke to me in my mind during my quest to release Thanatos? So maybe this is some other dude trying to make me their 'pawn'!"
Chiron sighed.
"Percy, do you really think someone other than Gaia or Kronos is going to attempt to take over the world a year after the previous one? The only malevolent people I can think of are either disposed of already or too weak to match the strength of the Olympians. Typhon is still in chains in your father's demain. The Pit cannot escape his own domain. The other primordials are too powerful to be concerned with us mortals. There is no way any of them are attempting to mess with you."
Percy wanted to argue, but he really couldn't. Chiron was making sense. And why was he… well, not wanting, but hoping for another calamity. The camps barely got past the last two without heavy casualties. A lot of his friends had died. Yet, for a lack of a better word, he was bored. Bored out of his mind. The most exciting thing that had happened in the past year or so was when Jason and Piper called and told him that Leo had crashlanded Festus into Piper's Malibu mansion. The call didn't even end in a monster fight!
Percy got up from his seat and pet Seymour, the resident stuffed leopard head, which reminded him of someone.
"Hey, where is Mr. D.? Isn't he supposed to be here?"
"He's on some 'official mission from the gods'. I take it you know what that means."
"So Mr. D. is off fu-"
A new and familiar voice spoke up from behind him.
"Mr. D. is here, Patrick Jane."
Percy turned around to see the pudgy visage of the once-beautiful wine dude.
"Lord Dionysus."
"Chiron."
"That's a new name. I'm surprised you have the braincells to think of anything except Peter Johnson and Perry Jörgenson."
Mr. D. flared his nostrils, telling Percy that he'd already succeeded at annoying him.
"I'm surprised someone hasn't smote or transformed you yet, son of Poseidon. Maybe this'll be the year."
"Milord, have you already forgotten that you have sworn an oath to not cause any harm to the demigods under you?"
Chiron sighed even louder at the imminent trainwreck of a conversation that always occurred between the two and clopped out of the living room.
"Hmph. You insolent demigods. I wish we could turn back time, to the good old days, where everyone prayed to us and gave us respect."
Mr. D. sat down on a recliner and summoned a Diet Coke. Then, he gave a sideways glance at Percy.
"You haven't developed any chronokinesis, right?"
"What's chronok-"
"Alright, good, just checking."
After a few more minutes of Mr. D. watching re-runs of 'The Wineries of Napa' and silence, Percy popped the question in his mind.
"If I have developed never-heard-of-before powers, what would be your godly opinion, Mr. D.?"
"In my godly opinion, Johnathan Presley, you would have been struck with a lightning bolt and sent off to your uncle."
"Have you ever heard about sons of Poseidon controlling other liquids?"
At this, Dionysus laughed.
"HAH! I was actually worried for a bit. I'd have to report you to the council if you did have those powers, but you obviously don't. Imagine if you could control the Coke inside this can."
Dionysus laughed harder.
Percy grew a little worried at the mention of the council, which could only refer to the high and mighty Olympian Council of Gods. But what Dionysus said had given him an idea.
And so, it was that idea which led to Percy leaving the Big House with a big grin and Dionysus covered in Diet Coke which "he must have shaken around too much".
The counsellors warned the demigods against going into the woods unless you were actively looking for a challenge. The forest was, after all, chock-full of monsters that the camp stocked just for those few brave/stupid demigods. In Percy's case, however, he was visiting the forest to meet his friend Grover, and of course, he had zero clues as to his former protector's whereabouts.
The first red flag should have been the recently excavated pile of rocks that was formerly known as Zeus' Fist. But all the rocks thrown by Briares, the last Hekatonheire (and also his brother-in-law?) during the Battle of the Labyrinth had been extricated leaving what resembled the original Fist. Percy thought nothing of it of course. Chiron and the rest of camp's staff could have merely cleaned it up.
Percy stood there staring at the rock formation. A lot of bad memories had happened in this area. Just nearby lay the creek where he was claimed. Another outcrop of rock was where he stood as he, Annabeth and Grover concluded that Nico was the son of Hades. And close to where he was standing was where he fought against Kampê, and before that, learnt of Daedalus' two-facedness. He was brought out of his nostalgia by a small sneeze.
In a bout of déjà-vu, he drew his faithful sword Riptide and held the sneezer at swordpoint before he noticed who it was.
"Jeez, Percy, do you always draw your sword when someone sneezes?"
Percy was quickly reminded of his first interaction with a certain redheaded prophetess.
"It wouldn't be the first time, Juniper."
"Where's Grover?"
Percy sat on a trunk near the juniper tree, the life source of the dryad.
"He's in Southern California, if you can believe it. He's trying to stop the wildfires there, but it's no place for any nature spirit, let alone a dryad. He's so brave…"
Her expression was dreamy, as if she could go on and on about how Grover was braver than a deer facing a pride (her words), Percy just did not want to hear it despite him agreeing to the overall sentiment. Also, how is a deer facing pride brave unless the deer's fatal flaw is hubris? Desperate to change the topic, he brought up the recent renovation of Zeus' Fist.
"So, um, when did they clean up Zeus' Fist? Last I remember it was just a pile of rocks."
"It still is a pile of rocks…"
"But cleaned up?"
"I guess. And what do you mean 'they'? It was just one dude. He was there because Chiron wanted to reopen camp's entrance to the Labyrinth now that it was no longer evil."
At this, Percy frowned. For one, Chiron would have never wanted to reopen the Labyrinth for any purposes. Two, the Labyrinth was almost definitely still evil. His friend Hazel Levesque confirmed it.
"Juniper, did you get a good look at this person? Are you sure he's a camper?"
Juniper turned to him with a vacant look. "He's a camper, isn't he? He had the nice orange shirt you're wearing, and the leather necklace too. He was nice to me. Not many people even realize I'm here."
Somehow, Percy was unnerved by this unknown camper who disintegrated a bunch of heavy rocks. Juniper was giving valid reasons too. Yet, there was still something off. Something more sinister. The reopening of the Labyrinth had to be a bad sign. Although, this was the second time today his instincts had acted differently compared to what Chiron and Juniper had said. Maybe if he found out who this camper was-
"Prissy."
Well, shit.
AN: This has been a story that's been circulating up in my mind for some time now; and while the title may not seem related to the plot being developed, trust me, it will.
On another note, yes, I describe this as a betrayed!Percy fic in the summary and most of the stories here tend to do the betrayal in the first or second chapter itself. I wanted to do something different, and have a valid reason rather than saying "oH bOy, nEw SiBlInG wHo Is JeAlOuS aNd HaS wEiRd pOwErS lIkE mInD mAnIpUlAtIoN." Also, I did not want this story to have Percy get unthinkable new cool powers like chronokinesis and shit. Also, Percabeth is the ship of this story, like it or not (even though Annabeth may or may not die). :)
-Scythe7137