This story follows my OC, Matt Beckett. It will also heavily feature classic characters like Percy, Annabeth, Nico, Chiron, etc. This takes place a year after the Trials of Apollo.

I will make updates pretty quickly and work on this story everyday until it's done. So expect new chapters to come out at a good speed.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters (except for the OC's) or Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, and Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

Book One: The Son of Hercules

1. I Wrestle An Invincible Lion

It started out like any other day. I woke up and wiped the crud out of my eyes, letting my brain catch up to reality. Monday...school day...ugh.

Glancing over at my alarm clock, it read 7:28

Two minutes before it was supposed to go off. For a second, I contemplated going back to sleep for that precious two minutes, but quickly decided against it. If I laid back down, I probably won't get up for the rest of the day, blaring alarm or not.

I sighed and slapped the top of the clock, disarming it. Thirty minutes is probably not enough time to get ready for school in most people's book, but for me it works. I don't take too long to get ready, I don't have a big grand breakfast every morning, and I live alone. No mom, no dad. No one to take an extra minute saying goodbye to.

Besides, it's like a ten-minute walk to school. Four if I ride the rusty old bike I snatched from the dumpster a month ago, so there's that.

Throwing my legs over the side of my bed, I shift my weight to stand up, prompting a big stretch. I always stretch every morning; in every which way you can imagine for about a minute straight to keep myself from shrinking. And I know what you're gonna say; that's stupid. Well, it sounds stupid, but my mom sort of ingrained it in my head when I was little. If you stretch every day, you'll grow tall, but if you stop, you'll start shrinking.

Obviously, she just wanted me to stay in shape. Pretty useful. And she's a personal trainer, so it makes sense for her to be giving that advice.

Well...she was a personal trainer.

After my stretch, I yawned and looked through the curtains of my window at the dimmed sunlight, able to tell its position to my left in between a few buildings. Another part of my morning routine. Looking at the sunlight as quick as possible to get rid of the zombie face.

I was about to continue on and get dressed...when something caught my eye. A big brown spot at the bottom of the window moving slowly.

I reached forward and pushed open the curtain to get a better look. When I spotted it, my eyes widened.

Prowling the sidewalk below, was a young sphinx. And yeah, I mean the kind you'd see in Egypt. Not the cat, but the creature with the freaky human head. How do I know it's a young one? Well, because I've seen a full-grown Sphinx in action. Not pretty.

They look virtually the same, just a size difference. They have the same lion-like frame, short fur, big paws hiding claws that could slice a bulldozer in half, and of course, like I said, that freakish human face. This one looked like a woman, from what I could see.

I live in a crummy apartment area in New York City, not too far from the Empire State Building. So you know what that means. The streets are crowded, even in the morning. But I knew those people wouldn't be able to see the monster, not like I could. The mist hides it from their view. Right now, they're probably seeing a big housecat or something. Only what their minds can handle.

A couple of people gave it an odd look as they passed, but just shrugged and kept walking. Most of them didn't even notice, too busy with where they were going to even pay attention.

Luckily, it hadn't attacked anyone yet. Right now, it just kept walking, sniffing the air.

I knew why. It was looking for me. They always catch my scent.

And once it loses my scent, it's going to lose interest. Then it'll turn on the mortals. The innocent people that can't even see it for what it truly is.

I nodded and began my other morning routine.

Speeding over to my drawer, I pulled on a pair of jeans, threw on a red t-shirt, some socks, sneakers, and made sure I had on my necklace. That's the most important part, the necklace.

I did, shark tooth and all. It was there.

"Nice." I whispered, out of my room in a flash, darting through the living room and out the door.

The stairs flew by as I cleared them, running down my alley and towards the street, hoping to meet the Sphinx and draw it's attention.

But up ahead, I didn't see it. Just more people...

Crap! I missed it. If it gets too far, the mortals might get caught in the crossfire. I'll have to bait it.

I sprinted out from the alley and into the sidewalk, narrowly missing a man and a woman on their way to work. I apologized absentmindedly, my mind only on one thing.

Where is it? I thought. I just saw it; it has to be here somewhere. A Sphinx could move quick if it wanted to, but I didn't think it would leave so soon, not after smelling me.

Finally, I got my answer, to my left, in between a crowd of businessmen, was the Sphinx, it's butt and tail facing me, walking the opposite direction.

I cursed under my breath. I let it get too far!

Oh well, It'll be harder to bait, but I can't wait any longer.

Sticking my tongue to the roof of my mouth, I whistled the loudest whistle I could conjure.

I'm not the best whistler either, but I got lucky, because that one was perfect. It pierced the air and spread out for several feet. A dozen pair of eyes fell on me with raised eyebrows, including the Sphinx.

I paid no attention to the mortals who were probably thinking this kid's crazy. I only had tunnel vision for the monster.

The Sphinx saw me clearly. It's eyes pointed right in my direction, a tongue coming out to lick it's lips. I knew what that meant.

I pointed to myself, mouthing the words you want me? Come get me!

Then I took off.

I knew since I'd gained its attention, it would follow. Inwardly, I felt pure relief that the mortals were safe. If anything happened to them...well, I can't even think about it.

But now I have to deal with this thing myself.

I ran back inside of my alley leading to the apartment entrance, a ten-foot-wide space between brick buildings, with a couple of green dumpsters and loose trash laying around as obstacles. Once I figured I'd gotten far enough, I turned around to face my target.

And there it was, crouched down at the very end where I came through, growling at me.

"You want to eat me?" I taunted, "Alright, come and eat me. I won't resist."

It said nothing at first, but my goading brought it closer.

And as it got closer, I could see the human part of its face clearly now. It wasn't quite a woman, but it was a girl. Pretty, even, maybe taking the appearance of a fourteen-year-old with brown hair. The...other parts of her body sort of ruined the image though.

She grinned at me, practically drooling from anticipation. "You smell good, demigod! You'll really let me eat you?!"

I smirked. Yep, she was young alright. Naive for a monster. The older ones are much smarter. In fact, full grown Sphinx are known for being intelligent and using tricks to lure their prey in. But this one was clearly inexperienced.

I stuck my right hand out, "Of course! Here, I'll give you a sample of my hand!"

She licked her lips again and purred with delight. Once she got close enough, her eyes dilated into thin slits, her teeth sharpened into fangs, and she leapt at me, ready to chomp my arm off.

But at the last second, I yanked it back and slammed my other fist into her chin as hard as I could. The Sphinx was sent flying fifteen feet in the air, doing several somersaults and flailing about until she hit the concrete with a thud.

I held my fist in position, "I didn't say it was a free sample."

She scrambled to her feet and snarled at me. "You'll pay for that! I'll tear you limb from limb!"

"Try." I beckoned, fingers already on my necklace, ready to draw the equalizer.

She roared and ran at me on all fours, powerful legs working to her best benefit. If I weren't as experienced as I was at this...I'd be in trouble. She was fast.

But this isn't my first rodeo.

At the halfway point, I ripped off my necklace and squeezed it. Once my warmth spread throughout the shark tooth, it materialized into a five-foot-long wooden spear, the shark tooth enlarged to the size of a basketball on the end, it's point sharp enough to pierce iron.

The Sphinx knew she was toast, but it was too late. The momentum of her run already sealed her doom. She decided to follow through with another attack, jumping higher this time to pounce on me and trap me with her claws.

But I had the reach advantage. I lunged forward with my spear and stabbed her in the chest, the shark tooth impaled her with no difficulty.

Her eyes widened and her paws fell limp. For a moment, she just sat there, dead on the end of my weapon. And then faded to golden dust, gone with the gentle breeze.

Like she wasn't even there in the first place.

I looked around to see if any of her friends decided to follow...but nothing showed up. Deciding the coast was clear, I sheathed my spear by tapping the bottom of its shaft, turning it back into the necklace.

I stood there for a second long enough to realize that I had another life to live. School! And crap, I'm probably late!

You'd better believe I turned on my heels and booked it back to my apartment. Bursting through the door, it was a desperate rush to get my backpack, my homework, brush my teeth, put on deodorant, and make sure my hair looked at least somewhat presentable.

At some point I ran in my room and looked at the clock, cringing at what I saw.

7:50

If I left now, I'd have just enough time to make it. But...I hadn't eaten anything yet. Not even a grain of cereal.

Guess I'll have to do without.

So, you might be wondering what the hell is going on. And yeah, I don't blame you. That was pretty crazy, especially for the start of this whole thing.

Maybe I should start over.

First, I should probably let you in on who's telling you this crazy stuff.

My name is Matt Beckett. I'm fifteen years old, and like you heard earlier...I'm a demigod. Or a half-blood, that's another term. Half god, half mortal.

Greek god, specifically. You know, Zeus, Achilles, Olympus, all that stuff. They're real, and just like back in the day, the gods still go around and have kids with mortals. I'm one of them.

Hercules specifically. He's my father.

Yeah, I know, I know. Hercules, the big, bearded guy that killed like every monster a million years ago. It sounds like a big deal, and you might expect me to take some pride in that. Most powerful Greek hero to ever live, so famous he was even offered godhood after he died. On paper, it's great. I inherited his abilities, which means incredible strength, super speed, and a natural fighting ability.

But in reality...it sucks. Being a demigod sucks.

I never asked for this. And if I had to choose, I'd trade this life for a normal one in a heartbeat. Even the most boring, average existence ever would be paradise compared to where I'm at now. Power only leads to suffering, and that's especially true for me. It's the scent that's attached to me that draws the monsters, thus putting more people in danger. Then I'm forced to fight- no, kill them.

It's his fault that I'm alone. Fighting monsters every other day, reclused from everyone for their own safety. He's the main reason why my Mom's in a mental hospital, half the time not even knowing who I am or where she's at, constantly traumatized.

I don't respect my father. How can I respect someone that's never been there for me when I needed him? Never been there for the woman that had his child? I'd even go as far to say that I hate him. Every time I think about him, I get a horrible taste in my mouth, a discomfort in my gut, a big black cloud that refuses to leave, no matter how hard I bat at it or run from it.

And here we go. The memories are coming back. Not exactly the best time, considering I'm three minutes away from the school. But you know, I guess I could recount a bit of it. Just to catch everyone up to speed.

I'll make it quick.

From birth to seven years old, everything was normal. I barely remember it, but the feelings attached to that period are so strong, because it was the happiest time of my life.

Mom would tell me later that I was the happiest, most curious, outgoing kid in the world, ready to explore the entire planet, pole to pole. She was the best. She'd work so hard to make enough money to make me smile, affording little pleasures like renting movies and taking me to Coney Island. But my favorite thing in the world was going to the beach and watching the sunset. I became entranced by them from the first moment I saw one.

Just the way the fiery ball dipped into the sea, the echoes of light painting the clouds with a light orange mesmerized me. I waited anxiously for the next evening to come, begging my mom to take me so I could see another. And she did. She'd just smile and say, "Alright Matt, come on."

Day after day, we'd watch them together. She would look off far into the distance, and I never understood why until later.

"Look at it, mommy! Look at the color!"

She'd giggle. "I see it, Matt! It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I had friends, toys, and big dreams about the future. Everything a child could ask for, pretty much. Except a father. Though at the time, I thought Mom was so great that I didn't even need one. The story I was told was a simple one. He left. Just up and left in the middle of the night. He wasn't a god in this version of the story, in fact, he wasn't anyone special at all.

Until one particular day on the beach.

I don't remember exactly what day or month it was, but I know I was seven at the time, and it had to be during summer. The weather was too nice for it not to be.

It was the weekend. Mom and I were both off work and school, respectively, so we decided to spend the day at Manhattan beach.

I don't remember what I was doing in the sand, but I remember my Mom had her chair out, sitting in front of me, getting some sun. I do remember the screams, though.

A collective cry of people came from behind me. Both Mom and I turned around to see dead bodies floating in the water, people running out with blood all over them, desperately trying to escape whatever was attacking them.

Once everyone cleared the sand line, I could make out a dorsal fin poking above the surface, a big one belonging to a shark.

I remember mom gasping at the horrible sight of the two mangled corpses. I didn't know what exactly was happening, but when I saw the shark pop it's head from the water to bite one of the corpses, I knew this was something terrible. People were scared.

The shark thrashed around, tearing the person to pieces. It made my little brain do something stupid. An invisible force inside compelled me to stand up and start running to the water, right at the shark.

My mom screamed at me to stop, running after me in an attempt to grab my arm, but I was too fast. In fact, inhumanly fast. I cleared the distance between myself and the shark in two seconds, jumping over the water and landing directly on top of its back.

It's fuzzy, because I sort of blacked out from this uncontrollable surge of adrenaline. Like a cornered animal trying to protect what belongs to it. At one point, I slammed my hand through the shark's leathery skin and squeezed at its insides, causing it to let the corpse go and buck me off.

I skidded across the water like a rock, but quickly recovered, virtually unphased. The lack of sand underneath made my head sink under the surface, but luckily mom taught me how to swim the year prior, so I knew to hold my breath underwater and tread it by kicking my legs.

While underneath, I got a good look at the shark's size. It was huge. Later on, I'd learn that it was twice the size of a Great White, abnormally fast and strong too. No ordinary shark.

But at the time, I only saw a monster. Something that hurt people. I kept thinking about the others, including my mom. I won't let it hurt them, too.

It came at me like a torpedo, mouth wide open. A normal person wouldn't have been able to avoid it in time, especially in its home turf, but I somehow narrowly avoided it with a single kick of my legs.

It shot past me and turned around just as quick to come back for more. I hadn't been expecting this, so the shark was able to catch my opening, darting up to me in a flash.

Just before it's jaws could sink into my arm, the strangest thing happened. This is where it all gets confusing, because even I still, to this day, don't know what this is.

There was a flash of red light, like bloody mist that erupted from my body, sending the shark flying back and pushing waves aside, as if a grenade had been set off in the water. That adrenaline I felt had been multiplied by a hundred. I felt invincible, like I could destroy anything with a single blow.

It only lasted for a second. I remember kicking my legs like a frog once and it was enough to send me flying towards the shark like a zipping bullet. I punched it right in the side, below the gills, and the force was enough to obliderate it.

It burst into smaller chunks of shark, each piece bursting out of the water and landing on the sand, all bloody and disgusting. One hit was all it took, thanks to that weird red glowing mist.

And then it was gone. I was back to normal. But the fatigue was unbearable. Whatever that thing was...it drained all I had.

I remember swimming to shore and walking out of the water, greeted with all eyes on me, wide with fear.

What remained of the shark faded to golden dust, leaving only a single tooth. I would later find out that it was a spoil of war. A magical tooth that could transform into a spear. That's how I got my necklace. That shark had been a Greek monster from a long time ago, reformed and following my scent.

Little me reached down and picked it up, admiring it.

I remember right as I looked at it, someone in my peripheral caught my eye, a blurry silhouette of someone dressed in all white.

My head turned to see a woman standing at the very end of the crowd of people where no one could see her. I couldn't make out her exact features at the time, but I knew she wore a white dress, she had black hair, and she seemed intent on staring at me.

Before I could even question who she was, or how I just gained the power to kill a shark at seven years old, I felt my mom's arms scoop me in a hug.

"What just happened, mommy?" I had said.

She had pulled away and locked eyes with me, tears filling hers. I didn't understand why.

"Matt...honey, it's time that I told you something."

That night, I found out who my father really was. I found out who I really was.

Mom explained it all in a way that I could understand. Being a kid, I got the gist of it, and believed what she said about their being gods out there. I didn't have an issue with it...until she mentioned Camp Half-Blood.

She segwayed the explanation into a place full of demigods. The only place on Earth that they're safe from. She explained how once a demigod gets older, their scent gets stronger, and since my dad was who he was, my scent would be really strong. It was for the best that I live at this Camp from now on.

I refused to go.

"But...I don't wanna live anywhere else. I don't wanna leave you."

I was scared now. Scared of what would happen if I left my comfortable little bubble. Mom tried to convince me, but I persisted. I threw a fit, not wanting to go no matter what. I promised that I would be careful, that I wouldn't tell anybody, that I would stay safe and make sure nobody else got hurt.

She gave in. Looking back on it, I should've went to Camp. I was stupid not to.

For a year or so, it actually wasn't that bad. I laid low, I went to school and came home, not talking to too many of the other kids, and being careful about physical contact. Everything was smooth. Only two monsters tried to attack me during that period, and they were nothing. One came on my way to bus one day, and the other came when I got off the bus. Brute force was enough to take care of them. I didn't even need my new spear or that red mist thing.

But things changed once I met Joshua.

Joshua was a kid in my class that I got along with. Eventually, we became best friends. I suddenly forgot what I had to do to keep other people safe, and I got caught up in being a kid. I barely got by from any monster attacks, only because I still just went to school and went home. But one day...Joshua had a birthday party, and he invited me.

I begged my mom to let me go. "Please?"

"It's dangerous, honey. You know that."

"I'll be extra careful, I promise!"

The puppy dog eyes were enough for her to let me go. But that turned out to be a disaster.

The first thirty minutes of the party was fine. All of our friends were there, we played games, had cake, all sorts of fun stuff. I remember we were about to get some of Joshua's nerf guns out and have a war, when out of nowhere, this giant black cloud approached the house.

At first, it looked like a cloud, until it started to disperse into tiny little pieces. Each fragment darting around and circling the sky until they swarmed the backyard.

They were fast, but we could at least tell they were big, black birds. What the other kids couldn't see, was the metal beaks. Right off the bat, I remembered the shark situation. This was a monster attack.

They bit the kids on the arms and legs, drawing blood. At one point, Joshua's parents came out to see what was going on, and they got hounded by the mob of crazy birds. The force of a flock actually lifted Joshua's dad off the ground and into the house wall.

I had sat there, scared to death that they were all gonna die, and it would be my fault. Like before, this fire ignited inside of me. I couldn't let this continue.

I remember arching my back and opening my mouth, emitting a scream that would've pierced a thousand eardrums. It actually shook the ground and echoed for a minute straight, but it had an effect on the birds. See, later on, I'd find out these were Stymphalian birds, Greek monsters that are sensitive to sound.

Once my horrible noise reached them, they squawked in pain and fell to the ground, all at once. A sea of black rained down from the sky and landed on the grass, creating a mass pile of the dead monsters.

And like before...that quickly turned to golden dust.

I remember feeling so awful. So ashamed that I'd caused such a thing. Joshua, his parents, and the other kids had been pecked, poked, and bit in several places, bleeding from gashes that would no doubt require stitches.

Tears had welled up in my eyes as I looked at my hands. "I-I'm sorry..." I croaked.

"You should be."

The voice had startled me. I looked up to see a woman standing above me, the sun behind her. It was the same woman from the beach. Even after a year, I recognized her on the spot.

"Y-You're..."

"Yes, child. You remember me, don't you?"

Everything in the area was frozen. Time had slowed from her presence, causing Joshua and the other kids to move at a snail's pace.

I'll never forget her appearance. She looked to be late thirties, early forties, like a mother that you'd meet at some other kid's house, the kind that all the other moms are jealous of for having her life together, staying in shape, having the most successful husband, that sort of thing. She radiated a sort of aura that sent chills down my tiny arms, which only doubled from her cold stare.

"I didn't mean to do this."

"But it's your fault. If you aren't going to Camp, you need to learn to control yourself."

"I'm trying." I had said.

She paused, then asked a question. "Do you know who I am?"

I shook my head.

"I'm the goddess Hera. Queen of Olympus."

My eyes went wide, jaw to the ground. "So, you're like my dad?"

I remember her vividly scoffing at that, "I'm nothing like your father, fool. You should hope to not turn out like him."

I didn't know what that meant at the time, so I didn't say anything. I just stared at her, hoping that she wouldn't hurt me for what I did.

Finally, she kneeled down to my level and pierced my soul with her eyes. "Any more of this, and you'll be punished. Do you understand me, Matthias?"

I gasped. She knew my full name. Nobody...ever calls me that. Even my mom just called me Matt, and this was a complete stranger.

I had nodded, trying my best to hold back the tears. "I-I understand."

She smiled, but it wasn't out of kindness. It was more like...sick, sadistic pleasure. "Can I tell you something about your father?"

I didn't say anything, so she told me anyway.

"One time, he did something so horrible, he had to go through something called the twelve labors. Fighting the most dangerous monsters, completing impossible tasks just to stay alive. You don't want to do that, do you?"

"N-No."

"Then stay out of trouble. After I leave, these mortals will forget you ever existed. You won't interact with them again."

"But they're my friends! You can't do that!"

I remember her nostrils flaring, and that intense feeling hitting me like a wave of radiation. I knew that if I didn't listen to her...she'd kill me. I didn't even know why she would want to, but I knew she would.

The next sentence came out as a whimper, "Okay! I won't talk to them, I promise!"

Her wicked smile returned. "Good." She stood up and showed me two of her fingers. "I'll be generous and not count the shark incident. This is your first strike. Two more and you'll end up like your father. Got it?"

I nodded vigorously.

She vanished in thin air, and time sped up again. As soon as I heard the other kids start groaning and screaming in pain, I darted off, running as fast as I could from Joshua's house, never to talk to him again. I only saw him at school, and like Hera said...he completely forgot about me.

Once my mom found out, I might as well have been in a prison cell. I talked to absolutely no one unless I absolutely had to. The routine was simple. Wake up, go to school, come home. And on weekends, I wouldn't leave the house unless I snuck out to watch the sunset, which was rare.

You might be wondering how my mom ended up in a mental hospital. Well, I'll tell you. That's the next part of this little tale.

For five years, everything was okay. Okay, as in, I didn't get anyone killed. There were monsters of course, but after the Joshua incident, I used my new free time to train and get stronger. I learned how to use my shark tooth spear, I got better at fighting, and I even managed to hone my strength. The only thing missing was summoning that red mist again, I was never able to do it. But besides that, whenever a monster attacked, I would handle them without too much trouble. Over the course of that time until I turned thirteen, I'd say I killed at least fifty low level monsters.

But with age...comes a stronger scent. Which means stronger monsters come to kill you.

Mom's personal training gig wasn't cutting it anymore. She'd lost a few clients over the years, and money was running really low. So she had to get a second job working night shifts at a coffee shop.

Out of the other two memories I've mentioned...this one is the most vivid. I can think about it right now and remember every haunting moment. It's hard for me to talk about, because it's what's shaped me into who I am today. It's what led to the path I'm on now. A path leading to nowhere.

It was my thirteenth birthday. March seventh. I'd been home from school for about an hour, drawing some superhero on my little sketchpad, when Mom was leaving for work.

"You want to do something for your birthday, honey?"

"What's there to do?" I had grumbled. "Can't go anywhere."

She had looked at me sympathetically. "We can still have fun. Tell you what, how about I bring home pizza? We can rent a movie or something."

I hadn't been in the mood, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I forced a small smile. "Sounds good, mom."

She returned the smile at the door. "I'll be home at eleven. Love you."

"Love you too."

And she left. I sat there for hours, doing nothing of note. But over the course of that time, I thought about how lucky I was to have my mom. Sure, things could be better, but she tried her best to make me happy, despite the circumstances. And if I couldn't appreciate that, then I'd be an idiot.

After a while, I found myself constantly glancing at the clock, getting excited once it struck eleven.

But for five minutes...still nothing. No knock on the door, no sounds of keys jangling, just silence.

I didn't get too worried. She probably got off at eleven, so it would take her a few minutes to get here. That or the pizza place was taking too long. It could've been a number of things. No biggie.

Just as I thought that, I heard a scream.

Right below our building, in the alleyway. It was blood curdling, and I'm sure every neighbor heard it too. I immediately ran out of our apartment and down the stairs to the alleyway, not even thinking it could be her. A monster didn't even cross my mind. The first thing that came to me was a mugging or someone getting stabbed.

So imagine my horror when I found my mom at the mercy of a Chimera.

I cleared the corner and froze, paralyzed with fear. She was all the way at the other end of the alley, leaned up against the brick wall with her legs out in front of her. The beast was hideous, and at the time, I knew what it was. I'd hardly done any research on Greek mythology, disinterested and bitter towards the entire thing. But what little I did study, informed me on the most dangerous monsters. The Chimera was included on that list.

It had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a snake for a tail. Which I know, sounds like the freakiest lab experiment in the world, but it's true. And yes, it was freaky. I'd seen monsters before, but this hybrid thing was unlike any other. It was bigger, and I could tell it was stronger. In the same way I could feel Hera's intent, I could feel the strength of this creature.

However, once it caught a whiff of my scent and turned around, I got a look at my mom.

The Chimera had raked its claws from her shoulder all the way to her hip, leaving behind three long, deep gashes. Her entire body was covered in blood, her insides poking out of her skin. It was the most horrible thing I'd ever seen.

The fear ran quickly from my anger. I felt pure hatred at that moment, completely unafraid of the monster. I only sought revenge. All I could think about was ripping that lion head straight off its body.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

It roared at me, and we charged each other. The Chimera opened its jaws to take me in whole, which it easily could've done, dwarfing the size of a pickup truck, but I was too fast. I weaved to the side and ran around towards it's back, where that snake tail thing was.

The tail didn't just look like a snake, but it actually was a snake. It bit at me, narrowly missing. I caught its neck and shifted my weight, picking the Chimera up off the ground and spinning until I reached a satisfying momentum. Once achieved, I let go and threw it into the brick wall, shattering it.

I stood there, shoulders heaving up and down with each heavy breath. Not out of exhaustion, but of fury. I was pissed off. I wanted to make it suffer, so I decided to draw my spear. Squeezing the necklace, it materialized.

"COME ON!" I had shouted.

It obeyed, jumping out of the Chimera shaped hole and running at me with surprising speed.

I sidestepped its claw and slashed at it with the spear, cutting it just above the left leg. But nothing happened. It didn't turn to golden dust, in fact, I'd only made it angrier.

Guess it takes more to put some monsters down.

The Chimera used its powerful back legs to push me to the ground, pinning me with its front limbs. It would've bitten my face off if I hadn't trained every day for the past few years. The reflexes I'd built up allowed me to block its bite with the shaft of my spear.

I caught it right at the back of its mouth, barely able to push it back. It was strong. My arms were shaking, and it kept pushing with the better position. I had to get out of this somehow. I remember for a moment; my anger was replaced with panic.

Unable to do anything with my arms, I knew I could use my legs. I tucked them in and planted them in the Chimera's gut, effectively knocking it off of me and on its backside. I quickly stood up to get ready for another attack.

The Chimera rolled around on its hooves and paws and growled at me, clearly frustrated. I reveled in the sound, and almost matched it. I wasn't even a demigod then, for a few minutes, I was a wild animal. Unable to speak or think, just acting on instinct and making the most primal sounds imaginable.

With slobber flying from its mouth, it ran at me again. This time, I opted to stop it before it could reach me. Shifting grips on my spear, I tossed it in the air and caught it in a throwing position. With my weight behind it, I threw that thing as hard as I could.

It shot across the fifteen feet of distance and sunk into the monster's eye. It howled with agony, but it didn't stop its momentum.

My eyes widened; it was too late.

The claws were in front of me by the time I started moving. Just as I leaned back to dodge, I felt a sharp pain course through my face. The Chimera managed to scratch me with one of its claws, right on the jaw.

I cried out and grabbed the spot. It was a small wound, but coming from the Chimera, it felt like the stings of a thousand scorpions, like the poison was spreading fast.

But one look at my mom reinvigorated me. I knew if I fell there, she would die for sure, if she wasn't already dead. I had to keep fighting. For her.

I powered through the pain and clenched my fists. My anger reached its boiling point, and for the second, and last time of my life, the red mist appeared.

It was more of a glow now, an outline of intense heat surrounding my body. From every pore on my skin, steam came, which was new. That hadn't happened at the beach when I killed that shark. Now...I was like a train, with white steam billowing into the sky from my entire body, and this red glow was causing it.

Whatever. I didn't care what it was, or how hot it felt. It made me stronger. It was going to let me kill this thing.

After that, the fight didn't last much longer. I charged forward with incredible speed. One dash and I appeared in front of the Chimera, ripping my spear out of its eye and jumping on its back. With both hands on the hilt, I shoved the shark tooth into its fur and spine, digging as deep as possible.

The Chimera cried out in pain, a wounded yelp, like something you'd hear from a dying, hunted animal. Then it fell limp. Dead.

The golden dust came, and my spear was freed. I stood on top of nothing now except solid concrete.

My red glow faded shortly after the fight. Something I still didn't understand, but I didn't bother questioning it. I wouldn't get any answers.

Now my only concern was my mom. I looked at her, the sight nearly bringing me to tears. If she died...I would have no one. I'd be completely alone.

I sheathed my spear and ran over to her, "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead..." I practically slid next to her and felt for a pulse. There was one, but it was faint, and going fast.

I immediately picked her up and took her back to our apartment, setting her on the couch, desperately thinking of what to do.

A million thoughts raced through my mind. The main one being the hospital.

But the mortals. Would they question it? Would they even be able to fix it?

I hesitated, struggling back and forth between the decision. After several seconds of just standing there, I smacked myself on the forehead. "Idiot, if you don't do something now, she's going to die!"

Just then, a memory came to me. Something my mom had told me a long time ago.

"Matt, if a monster ever hurts you, find the bottom drawer in my bedroom. I keep a special food in there called ambrosia. Eat it, and you'll be healed. But you can only use it once, okay?"

I sprinted and nearly tripped over myself to get to her room. Throwing my body on the floor, I yanked open the bottom drawer and found only one thing in it. A Ziploc bag with this square shaped...weird green mush in it. It almost looked like an out-of-date brownie, just the size of my palm. Disgusting, but this had to be what she meant.

Rushing over to her, I pulled the ambrosia out of the bag and prepared to feed it to her, when I stopped just above her mouth.

Wait, I had thought. She said for me to use it. Not her. What if this only makes it worse?

But I didn't have much time here. Not even enough time for the mortal hospital alternative. It was now or never.

So I fed it to her, and the wounds closed slowly, soon turning into faded scars.

I was so relieved at first, but when she didn't wake up hours later, I finally took her to a hospital, carrying her the entire distance.

They treated her, finding nothing wrong. Not even a trace from the Chimera attack. And I didn't tell them for obvious reasons. They would never believe me.

I remember sleeping on the chair in her room, vowing to stay put until she woke up. Luckily, the next day, she did. But unluckily...she had lost her mind.

The attack had left her so mentally scarred and traumatized, she felt like she was in constant danger. She didn't know who I was, she didn't know where she was, and on sight, she screamed at me and told me to go away.

It was heart breaking.

And that's how it's been for two years. She's been diagnosed with extreme PTSD, and she's kept in a mental facility. I visit as much as I can, and it's gotten better. Occasionally, she'll recognize me, say a few words, and then she'll go right back to not knowing who I am. At first, I'd try my best to calm her down and make her remember, but now when it happens, I just leave and let the nurses handle it. I can't stand to see her like that.

I've been staying in that apartment alone, living mostly off of cash savings mom had built up for emergencies. The mist must be blocking out social services or the government in general, because I've never had anyone show up to the apartment trying to put me in foster care. Not once. Which is fine by me. That would lead to other kids getting killed anyway.

So that was a long explanation, I know. But now we're not strangers anymore. You know who I am, and why I don't particularly like my life.

Flash forward to the present. I rode that rusty old bike to school and got here just in time. One minute until the last classes of the year start. Yippee.

The last day of school tends to be the best day of school for most kids. But for me, it's pretty much the same, if not worse. Now I have even more free time to stay cooped up in that apartment, training and training. It's the only thing I really do anymore. I've played all the old video games I have, read all the old comic books, and I don't have money to spare on paying for TV channels, or any luxury really. Just the bare minimum to survive.

But hey, there is a plus to all of this. At least I won't be worried about some monster attacking a bunch of kids at school because I'm here. Which thankfully, hasn't happened once. It was a fear I lived with every second in the classroom, but the streak hasn't been broken yet. Fingers crossed.

I parked my bike on the rack next to the others and made my way inside, along with a sea of other kids.

From there on, it was a zombie walk, straight shot to first period. English. I didn't talk to anyone, I barely looked at anyone, I just sat down and did my work.

It was pretty relaxed since it was the last day before summer break. We just had to do this easy worksheet at the beginning of class, and then the rest of the period was free time.

Time which I used to nap.

As soon as I laid my head down on my arms, I drifted off, and had that dream again.

I stood on a secluded beach under a gray, stormy sky. The wind was blowing like crazy, so hard that I could barely keep myself standing. In front of me sat a vast ocean, with nothing around for miles. We were on an island.

And I say we because just like every other night I had this dream...I wasn't alone.

I could never see the others clearly, it was always a dark silhouette of another guy, and two girls, one taller than the other. The guy held what looked like a sword in his hand, about three feet long, with a slight triangular shape to it at the end.

The girls had weapons too. The shorter one carried two knives of equal size, while the taller one carried a bigger sword than the dude's. Thick, long, and curved. Almost like a pirate's.

The dream usually lasted for what felt like ten minutes. Just me standing there with these unseeable strangers, facing a storm. I'd been seeing the same thing for a week straight, still having no idea what it means. I don't have any friends, and I've never been to an island outside of Long Island.

I expected it to just go by and switch to the next wild dream of the day, but to my surprise...it kept going. Not just that, but new stuff started happening too.

The storm clouds above the sea began to swirl together to take the shape of a bearded face. It's eyes bright with constant lightning. The giant, smoky looking head just stared at us as if it were alive.

Okay, that's never happened before.

"What the hell is that thing?" I blurted, clamping my mouth right after I said it. I could talk here? I've never been able to talk here.

The shorter girl turned to me, her entire body a void of darkness. But with the way her tone sounded, she was pretty annoyed.

"The thing we've been fighting for a week now. Duh."

I shook my head, "No...I've never seen that thing in my life. That's the first time it's appeared in this dream."

I don't know how, but I could practically see her rolling her eyes. "Great, he's got amnesia. Guess we'll have to wing it, as usual."

As usual? "I don't even know you guys. What's going on?"

The guy holding the short sword spoke next, "There's no way we're gonna be able to take that thing down without some serious firepower." He craned his head level to look at the short girl. "And don't joke about amnesia. I had it once...not fun."

The taller girl groaned, interrupting the two. "Guys, knock it off. We just need a plan."

Short girl cocked her head, "We'd better think of it fast. Shark Boy, you got anything?"

It took me a second to realize she was referring to me as Shark Boy. Not sure why that was the nickname she was going with, but okay.

"Me?" I pointed to my chest, "I don't even know where I'm at! Much less how to beat-"

But I didn't get to finish the rest. In an instant, I was lifted off the ground. The wind picked up, carrying me toward the giant face in the sky. I flailed around, kicking and swinging my hands wildly, trying to hit the invisible force pulling me. But nothing made contact.

I was moving through the air at a hundred miles an hour, my eyes watering and the wind whistling in my ears. When I finally reached the face, I got a glimpse of how terrifying and huge it really was.

Both eyes were made of blue lightning, swirling in a circle, as bright as two small suns. When I looked at them, their very essence seemed to reach my soul and pluck it from my body, taking all of the energy from me.

Twin bolts of lightning flashed from the eyes, forming lines in the air straight for me. Just before they could hit my chest and fry me to a crisp, I woke up.

In a sweat. The faint ringing of the school bell could be heard far away, because my ears were still ringing from the sound of that lightning. It all felt so...real.

"Mr. Beckett."

My sense of touch returned too, along with my hearing, to feel our teacher pushing me on the shoulder. I looked up at him apologetically.

"Sorry, Mr. Richards." The class was bustling out of the door, making their way to the hall. At least I hadn't been drooling, that would've been embarrassing.

Mr. Richards looked like he wanted to scold me, but ended up throwing a hand dismissively. "Ah, it's alright, Mr. Beckett. Have a good summer."

I got up and quickly walked out of the room, offering a small "you too," back to Mr. Richards.

Speeding down the hall, my mind raced with possibilities and questions. Who are those people? Why are we facing some...freaky storm man? I've never faced a monster that big and powerful, let alone with other demigods. At least, that's what I'm guessing they are.

Is that something that's gonna happen in the future?

But how? How would I even meet up with other demigods in my situation? How does any of that make sense?

I'd put it off as a stupid dream if it didn't feel so real. And if it didn't show up every night this week. Now I'm actually starting to get worried.

Needing a quick break from the crowded hall, I slipped into the bathroom, thankfully unoccupied, and sat my hands on both sides of one of the sinks.

Each breath slowed to a normal pace, the blood pumping in my ears softened to nothing as I calmed down. Okay, just take it easy. Get through the school day, and think about it later. It's one more day. One more day. You can do it.

I stared at the mirror, making sure I didn't have any sweat on my face. Luckily, I didn't, but I no doubt smelled worse than I looked.

I guess I should take this time to describe myself a little, so you don't have to listen to some blank face complain all day.

I'll start from the top and work my way to the bottom. That should be easy. My hair is chocolate brown, short, faded on the side, but longer on the top, and spiked up in a messy faux hawk. All held together by a spritz from this holding spray someone wasted half of in the garbage. It's been a lifesaver for the past few months now.

I have a long face, defined jawline, thin lips, and luckily, just fairly smooth, tan skin overall. Save for the little scar on my jaw, that's the only rough spot.

My muscles have been coming in way faster now, considering how many monsters I fight, and how much I train. It's about time. I'm not jacked like a bodybuilder, but I'm ripped enough to rival the best athlete in the school.

Then you've got legs, feet, blah blah. I'm just under six feet tall, and all of that is covered with what I said earlier. Red shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The shark tooth necklace is the cherry on top.

I'll be honest, I don't think I'm ugly. I mean, I've had a few girls ask me for my number, seemingly interested, but I always shoot them down. If I can't risk having friends, then I certainly can't risk having a girlfriend. The monsters would have a field day.

Anyway, enough with the fashion show. I'd better get to my next class or I'm gonna be late.

The rest of the day was pretty boring. Class after class went by, some of them offering free time like English, to which I just sat there and counted the lines on my hands, unable to fall asleep because I got plenty earlier.

At last, the final period arrived. And if was also the worst one. Math. I suck at Math.

But since it was the last day, our teacher didn't pelt us with unsolvable equations. She gave us little worksheets and said we could work in groups if we wanted. People huddled up, but hardly anybody did the actual work.

I scribbled something down on question six, when I got this...feeling. Like I was being watched from behind.

No, not from behind. The corner of the class.

I snapped my head around to see a kid wearing a puffy coat and baggy jeans, with his hood on, staring at me. Once I saw him, he ducked and went back to his worksheet.

That's weird. I don't recognize him.

To be fair, I probably wouldn't recognize any of the other kids either if I saw them on the street. But this guy was different. He wore a Rasta cap under his hood. Nobody wears a Rasta cap in this class.

Ah, maybe he was just looking in the general direction. Probably a coincidence.

I turned back around and let it ride. Alright, question seven...

Just as I started to think about the equation, I felt it again. This stare on my back.

I timed it perfectly, waiting patiently to catch him in the act for good. When I thought the time was right, I spun around quickly, and yep, sure enough, he was staring at me.

He whipped his head towards the desk, but I'd already caught him. Alright, once is a coincidence, but twice is something else.

Against my better judgement, I got up and walked over to him. I'm not supposed to put anyone in danger, and even talking to them could do it. But being on edge from this whole dream sequence, not to mention the fact that nobody even looks twice at me...call it an impulsive decision.

"Hey man, do you need something?"

For half a second, he pretended not to hear me. But the fact that I wasn't leaving until I got a response sunk in, and he sighed.

"No thanks."

"Well...you were sort of staring at me."

He looked up at me, and I got a decent gauge on him. His eyes were brown, creamy skin, with a timid demeanor overall. But that didn't really come off as a weakness, it was more out of paranoia than not having a spine. Everything could've passed for a teenager...except the wispy goatee on his chin. That right there made him look older than anyone in this entire classroom, except maybe the teacher.

And that wasn't even the strangest part. Around his neck, he wore this weird necklace with small wooden pipes at the center, like little flutes or something. Maybe he just really likes music?

He gave a small smile. "My bad, I didn't mean to stare."

I couldn't tell if he was being genuine or not. He sounded like it, but that was really weird, to catch him twice like that.

But what could I do? Pick him up and hold him upside down until he talks? That's not gonna fly well. Besides, I've already interacted with him too much. He could be in danger.

"Alright well...cool." I said, awkwardly, and left the situation, going back to my seat.

Not five minutes later, the bell rang, marking the end of the school year. The teacher's voice was completely drowned out by the storm of kids rushing out the door and entering the sea in the hallway. Everyone was so crammed together, throwing papers and items from their bookbags in the air, just causing pure chaos in general. I decided to wait a minute before I even got up.

The guy with the flute necklace was the last to leave. Before he slipped out of the room, I could've sworn he glanced at me from under his hood. Weird. Maybe I'm not wrong about him and something's up.

But again, what can I do? Any interaction just puts him in danger. Maybe it was something stupid, like a bug in my hair or something on my face. Knowing my clumsy self, that's not too far off the parameter.

When the mob died down, I waved goodbye to the teacher and entered the hall. Luckily, it was close to the front entrance, so I didn't have to walk too far before I was free.

Once I walked through those doors and into the sunlight, I saw kids freaking out, having a blast and some even throwing their backpacks in the trash. They were ecstatic to be out of that place, already talking about their summer plans to their friends.

I'm used to it by now, but the feeling will never leave me completely. That desire to be normal. To have connections, hell, anyone to talk to. Even a pet would do, but no, I'd get attached to that and it would get eaten by some giant bird or wolf or something.

As I walked to the bike rack, I absentmindedly glanced around just to see if I saw that kid anywhere. Maybe I had been daydreaming or having another weird vision. Maybe he wasn't even there.

I sighed and reached for my bike handle. Not two seconds after I grabbed it, several of the kids in the courtyard let out a simultaneous scream.

My head darted up to see my worst nightmare, and exact fear that I had been talking about before. Not forty feet from me, a monster had jumped out of the woods next to the school and pounced on a group of kids, tearing one to shreds with it's teeth right now.

"NO!" I shouted, my entire body going numb. It happened again. Oh gods, I did it again.

Everyone began to notice what was going on and started running for their lives, screaming as they went. The poor group that got jumped on was already dead, the giant creature had killed them by it's raw power alone.

I glared at the monster, seeing nothing but red. At first, when I saw its paws and powerful legs, I assumed the Chimera had come back for me. But when my eyes reached its chest, I saw a blood-soaked mane and a big, cat-like head.

It was an enormous lion. As big as the Chimera, if not bigger.

With everyone clearing the area now, I had enough room to sprint at the Lion, unsheathing my spear in the process. I held it in my hand and aimed for a shot right to the forehead, envisioning it going right through the skin on impact. I'd end this in one shot.

I threw the spear with perfect accuracy. It sailed in the air and hit right where I wanted it to.

Only it didn't go through the lion's skin. In fact, it bounced off of it. Like I'd thrown a pebble instead of a special spear formed from a shark monster.

It landed on the concrete with a clank, completely useless.

My lip curled, "What the hell?"

It was then I realized I hadn't stopped running. The Lion saw my momentum and reared its head back, slamming me with it in the next second.

Its nose crashed into my gut and sent me flying twenty feet back, crashing into the school sign. I lay there, dazed and buried under piles of bricks. What was that? That thing completely overpowered me!

This was no ordinary monster. If weapons wouldn't work against it...then I'd have to use brute strength. And that may not be enough.

I thought about my last resort. The red glow. Not much of a last resort if I don't even know how to control it, not to mention I haven't used it in two years, not since the Chimera attack.

But I may not have another option here.

Just as I began to come up with a strategy, the sound of music filled my ears. It was...pipes. Reed pipes. But who would be playing music at a time like this? I thought everyone had evacuated.

I pushed myself up and past the brick, poking my head out of my little crater, I saw something completely unexpected.

The same guy that was staring at me...was fighting the lion.

Well, fighting may be a stretch. Let's put it this way, he was doing something to annoy the lion and slow it down. But I wasn't sure how. The lion kept trying to charge him, but every time it moved its paw, it got caught in some sort of weird vine.

Weird vine...reed pipes...

I think I read somewhere that satyrs use reed pipes. Oh, satyr means half-goat, half-human, by the way, just figured I should throw that out there.

Either way, he was fighting this thing alone. I had to help.

Jumping out of the crater, I ran after the Lion and took it by surprise. Using its distraction as an opening, I charged forward and slammed my shoulder into its side, all of my momentum poured into one hit.

And it thankfully worked. The force was enough to rip the vines off its paws and knock it on its side, making it skid across the concrete until it reached the edge of the woods.

I took what little time I had to talk to the guy, satyr, whatever he might be.

I jogged over to him, and he nodded gratefully. "Thanks for that."

"No problem." I said, "So you're obviously not a mortal. Who are you? A demigod?"

A flicker of confliction crossed his features, as if thinking about lying again. He quickly decided against it though. "I'm a satyr. My name's Grover."

Knew it!

"Grover. My name's Matt. Nice to meet you." The Lion growled from the distance, slowly stalking its way back to the concrete. "Looks like kitty's mad. What is this thing, anyway? Why can't my spear hurt it?"

His explanation came fast. "It's the Nemean Lion. It's fur's impenetrable."

I snapped my fingers, remembering the old story, and literally one of the monsters my father killed a long time ago. How could I not put the pieces together sooner? There aren't many monsters with invulnerable exteriors.

"Got an idea on how to beat it?" I asked.

He smirked, and suddenly that timid, paranoid look faded completely. I could tell this guy had been in a few fights during his day. "Well, it's fur is impenetrable. But it's insides aren't. I've helped fight this thing before, and we just got it to open its mouth back then, leaving it wide open for attack."

I nodded at him. "That's a good idea. Maybe I can get its mouth with my spear..."

Grover was about to say something, but his eyes widened, "Look out!"

We both rolled out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the claws of the Nemean Lion, which looked like they could tear this school to bits with just a few swipes.

Grover and I got up at the same time, but the Nemean Lion turned to me. Must be the bad blood with my father.

We began to circle each other. I put my hands up like I was the Crocodile Hunter taming an animal.

"Alright...nice cat. Nice cat..."

I peeped behind the Nemean Lion's back to see Grover up and playing his pipes again. Once more plants burst from the concrete to wrap around it's paws, it roared back at the satyr, but didn't try to attack him. It still wanted me.

I took the chance to run at it again. Jumping up in the air, I reared my fist back and slammed it down on the snout, pushing it's head into the courtyard, creating cracks in the cement.

The Lion took that easily, completely unphased. It ripped its right paw out of Grover's trap and slapped me with it, right on the shoulder. The force hit me like a truck and sent me tumbling across the courtyard.

My clothes saved me from getting scraped, but that didn't go without a few tears in the shirt. Man, I really liked this shirt too.

The Nemean Lion roared at me, while I glanced back and forth between it and my spear. I need that thing. It's the only chance we have of beating it. I can't just shove my fist in it's mouth and hope for the best, I need something sharp.

Grover's face had turned red from so much playing, his entire body was strained. In between breaths, he managed, "It's...gotten...stronger...since last time!"

"Just keep playing!" I shouted, "I'm gonna get the spear!"

Grover nodded and kept playing the music like crazy. I was impressed, not going to lie. He had to have a killer lung capacity to play those pipes that long.

I darted forward towards my spear, anticipating the Lion's next move. It cut in front of me and jumped on it's hind legs like a horse, trying to knock me down with its front legs. But I knew better than to get caught in that.

I barrel rolled right between its hind legs and out the back, my spear just a dive away.

That's exactly what I did. I dove at it, snatching it up with my fingers.

The Nemean Lion growled in frustration. Almost too fast for me to see, it switched targets and ran towards Grover, who had gotten out of breath and stopped playing momentarily.

"Grover!" I screamed. My legs scrambled to a stand, and I ran as fast as I could, barely tackling him out of the way in time.

We both lie on the ground now, me groaning way I hit the ground, and Grover groaning something about enchiladas. Okay...guess he's hungry.

"Thanks..." He croaked.

"Don't mention it."

Behind us, I noticed the Nemean Lion's golden fur coming back for more. This time, I wouldn't dodge or run. I would stand against it.

It pulled the same horse move as before, but it got smart. It knew my spear was the only way to kill it, so with its paw, it smacked my wrist, effectively disarming me.

Its jaws came down, and I grabbed it with both hands by the top and bottom of its mouth, keeping it pried open so it couldn't bite me.

It was strong, but I was stronger. I strained and pushed it back, stepping forward slowly, while it struggled to keep its footing.

I looked over my shoulder, and saw Grover staring at me, dumbfounded. His eyes were wide, and his jaw was almost to the concrete.

I got his attention. I needed him if I was going to kill this monster.

"GROVER!" I yelled.

He shook his head and exited his trance, frantically playing his pipes again, with a new intensity previously unshown. Yeah, he had obviously been in battle, because an inexperienced fighter would still be sitting there, lost on what to do.

More plants besides grass burst through the cement, flowers and vines wrapped around the Nemean Lion, keeping it still. I let go of it and its jaws snapped shut, narrowly missing my fingers by an inch.

The plants just kept coming, the lion struggled, but it couldn't break free. I took the chance to pick up my spear again and get ready for the inevitable opening.

Sure enough, it came. The lion roared in frustration, and I closed the distance in a second, shoving the shark tooth straight up at the roof of its mouth, which turned out to be far more sensitive than its fur. The spear stabbed through the flesh, almost all the way to the beginning of the wood.

The Nemean Lion groaned, and then turned to golden dust, in the same fashion all the others did.

I breathed heavily and looked around me. We'd done a number on the courtyard...and those kids, gods. There were six of them, all dead, covering bite marks with blood still gushing out.

Horrible guilt washed over me like poison. It was all my fault. Just like with mom, just like with Joshua, just like all the other times. It was my fault.

I sighed, "Thanks, Grover-" But once I turned around, Grover was standing still. Like, too still, in a weird position. He wasn't even blinking.

"Grover?"

Looking around me, I noticed even the birds above the trees had been paralyzed. For a second, my mind was blank, but then I remembered.

I'd seen this before.

"Hera." I said, almost a growl.

"Yes, boy."

Doing a three-sixty, I faced her. She looked no different from the last time we met. Just a little shorter and less intimidating. Same ice-cold stare, same contempt behind her words.

"What do you want?"

She held up three fingers. "That's strike three. You remember what I said would happen, didn't you?"

I started to protest...but thinking about it, I counted. The first was Joshua's house, the second must've been mom, even though I never saw Hera there, and the third must be this.

I didn't even argue. I just threw my hands up and let out a puff of air. "Go ahead. Give me my punishment."

She responded quick, almost too quick, which I didn't let go unnoticed. The last time we spoke, she was very slow and careful with her words, grating each one so they had an effect on me. Now, it was like she was in a hurry.

"Matthias Beckett, son of Hercules and Tracy Beckett, for disturbing the peace of the mortal world, you are sentenced to carry out five labors. About half as many as your father, due to your age. But that does not make it much better. These tasks will be hellish and nigh impossible. Your first task is to kill the Nemean Lion, which I see has already been completed. Your second task is to kill the Lernean Hydra, your third task is to capture the Cretan Bull, your fourth task is to capture the Cerynian Hind, and your final task, the most difficult, is to capture the guardian of Hades's palace. Cerberus."

I processed all of that. I wasn't a huge myth buff, but I knew those were insanely hard. I mean, killing the Hydra? Or capturing the three headed dog that literally guards the Underworld? I didn't even know for sure if he was real! I thought he was an actual myth.

"I can't do all of that. That's impossible!" I tried to stay as respectful as possible, "Please, just give me another chance."

She glared at me, and held out her hand. Wasting no time and words whatsoever. I felt a heat, like a flame come over me, and I flew back on my rear, landing on the concrete. I looked up and saw her before me, her eyes glowing white for a split second.

"What was that?"

"I have placed a death curse on you." She answered, "Complete your labors within two weeks, or you will die. Consider it a time bomb of sorts."

That heat was a death curse? I looked down at myself, eyes wide as saucers.

"Two weeks? But that's-"

She was already gone. Without a trace.

Time sped up again, the birds started flying, the trees started swaying, and Grover could be heard sighing with relief.

I cursed under my breath. Two weeks? No way was that enough time for me to do all of that crazy shit! Especially by myself!

Grover had no idea about my inner struggle. He came over all cheery and excited. "That was...INCREDIBLE! I mean it, man, you were awesome! How are you so strong? Who's your godly parent?"

It rolled off my tongue in monotone. "Hercules."

Grover's face shifted from awe to horror. "Oh...that's not good. That's really not good."

"Tell me about it." But I got the sense he meant something else. "Wait, but why do you think it is?"

He pulled out a flattened tin can from his pocket and started chewing on it nervously, an action that prompted me to scrunch my face up.

"Uh...you good?"

"We need to get back to Camp right now." His tone was serious.

"Camp Half Blood? That's where you're from?"

He seemed shocked, "You know of it?"

"Yeah, my mom told me about it. But why would we need to go there?" Inwardly, I thought this could actually be a decent idea. I could stock up on weapons and armor for this labor business if they'd let me, not to mention it would be the first time really meeting other demigods. I'm anxious about interacting with other people...but my own kind? They'd be the safest, since they've gone through stuff I've gone through.

My brain slapped those thoughts away like whack a mole. You don't have time to interact and chit chat. You have two weeks to do the impossible or you die.

"Because you're the son of freaking Hercules!" He exasperated, "You're like a magnet for monsters! If we don't get out of here soon I'm sure more will show up. You don't want that, do you?"

I looked at those kids again, and I closed my eyes, another wave of guilt hitting me.

"Alright. Lead the way."

He blinked. "Seriously?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Go ahead, lead the way."

He smiled, "Well it's a few miles away, but if you're up for it, we can walk it. But if we're gonna be travelling together, I should introduce myself properly." He stuck his hand out, "Grover Underwood, Lord of the Wild."

I shook his hand, "Matt Beckett."

"Alright then, Matt Beckett. Let's go!"

Kicking his shoes off and revealing goat hooves, he took off into the forest.

I followed. I had no idea what I was getting into, or why he needed me to go to Camp with him, but I knew that it would be a wild ride.

(000)

Thanks for reading the first chapter! Leave a review and let me know what you thought!

Until Next Time.