Chapter.4
As Percy arrived home, he surveyed the familiar surroundings of the throne room, expecting to find his parents there. However, their absence prompted him to explore the castle in search of them.
His intuition led him to their bedroom, where he detected muffled sounds emanating from within, confirming his suspicions. With a knowing smirk, Percy rolled his eyes, understanding the scenario playing out behind closed doors.
Deciding to give his parents some privacy, Percy retreated from the bedroom and made his way back to the throne room, opting to wait there until they returned.
After a while, Percy's parents returned to the throne room, visibly surprised to find Percy seated in his throne, appearing somewhat bored.
"Percy, you're back already?" Nyx expressed her surprise, her eyes widening in astonishment. Percy nodded in response. "Yeah, our visit got cut short due to Mars appearing. Zeus's bolt has been stolen."
Nyx's astonishment deepened, and she turned to Erebus, who mirrored her expression of shock. "How long have you been here?" Erebus inquired, his tone reflecting his surprise.
"I've been back for a bit, I came to find you guys but you were preoccupied so I came back here to wait," Percy replied with a smirk, thoroughly enjoying the reaction he elicited from his parents.
Their faces turned cherry red in embarrassment, prompting Percy to burst into laughter. "Anyway, moving on," he continued, trying to regain his composure. "Percy, the gods will most likely issue a prophecy to find the bolt. Can you shadow the quest to make sure they accomplish their goal?" Nyx asked, attempting to hide her blush.
"Of course, mother. I'll try not to spook the demigods while I'm at it," Percy responded with a grin. Nyx chuckled in response and waved as Percy vanished from the throne room once again.
Upon emerging from the shadows, Percy found himself on a hill overlooking the Greek demigods' camp. He couldn't help but feel a bit of disdain as he compared it to the grandeur of New Rome.
From his vantage point, he observed a centaur, presumably Chiron, conversing with three young demigods before dismissing them. As the trio approached the hill, Percy quickly melded into the shadows, ensuring they wouldn't spot him before they reached his location.
"Well, this will be fun," the boy grumbled, his black hair and sea-green eyes marking him as a son of Poseidon.
The girl retorted, "Come on, Seaweed Brain, let's meet up with Argus at the main road." She had blonde hair and stormy gray eyes, indicating she was a daughter of Athena.
The third kid nodded before following them down the hill. Percy observed his gait and the small horns emerging from his head, confirming him as a satyr.
He watched as they got into a van and drove away from the camp. Standing up, he turned and faded into shadows to track them.
He kept track of them as they crossed through the city until they exited the van, which pulled away and headed back in the direction of camp.
When they eventually reached New Jersey, he followed them as they entered a statue garden that he quickly realized was the lair of Medusa.
He stepped into the shadows before appearing in the garden building, just in time to see Medusa reveal herself.
"Theo, look away, it's Medusa!" The girl yelled, causing the boy's eyes to widen as Medusa opened her eyes to attempt to petrify the boy.
Percy, noticing Theo wasn't going to look away in time, swiftly used shadows to wrench Theo's head sideways before he ended up as a statue.
Medusa growled in anger before slowly advancing on Theo. To his credit, Percy appreciated Theo's unwillingness to back down as he pulled a sword out.
He watched impressed as the girl used her knife as a mirror to try and find a way to kill Medusa. The satyr was wearing winged shoes he got from somewhere and was taking flying swings at Medusa with a stick, much to Percy's amusement.
"Annabeth, any ideas?!" Theo yelled across the room. Annabeth looked around before seeing a shield on the wall, running over to it before grabbing it and throwing it to Theo.
"Use the shield as a mirror and aim for her neck!" Annabeth yelled. Percy silently used his shadows to wrench her arms away when Medusa got too close to the demigods.
Medusa swung around to see who was doing it, giving Theo a perfect opportunity to leap forward and slash his sword through her neck, causing her to explode in gold dust.
Her head fell to the ground with a thunk, to which Theo cheered as the satyr landed next to him.
"Grover, that was awesome," Theo said, laughing. Grover smiled before tossing the stick aside.
"Guys, did you see that?" Annabeth asked skeptically. Theo and Grover shook their heads.
"Every time Medusa got close to Theo, her arms were pulled away by shadows. That's why she turned around, to see who was doing it," she said, confused.
The boys looked shocked before looking around the room. "We didn't see anyone else here, perhaps a god was helping us?" Theo asked.
Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, the only god I know of who uses shadows is Lord Hades, and I don't see him helping us."
The boys shrugged before they headed out of the room after looking around for anything that could help them, with Annabeth close behind.
Percy noticed they left Medusa's head on the ground, so he quickly wrapped it up in shadow before sending it to his mom as a joke, knowing it wouldn't hurt her but would definitely scare her for a moment.
Fading back into shadows, he reappeared just in time to see the trio hop on a bus. Quickly melding back into shadow, he trailed them along the forest edge until the bus slowed.
The bus screeched to a stop, and Percy watched as the trio burst out of it, the vehicle struck by a lightning bolt moments after the last mortal stepped off.
Sensing the presence of the Furies within the burning bus, Percy wasted no time. He swiftly wrapped them in shadow, dragging them back down to the Underworld. He knew it wouldn't stop them indefinitely, but it would certainly slow their progress.
Following the bus incident, he trailed them as they traversed the country, eventually arriving at the St. Louis Arch. There, Percy quickly altered his appearance to that of an 18-year-old, seamlessly blending in as he shadowed their ascent up the arch.
At the summit, Percy sensed the looming presence of another monster, and his suspicions were confirmed when he spotted the kids huddled at the far end. His gaze narrowed as he observed the adult woman, her furious tirade accompanied by a subtle transformation that sent a chill down Percy's spine.
Echidna, mother of all monsters. What could this boy have possibly done to incur such wrath? Percy pondered silently, his mind racing with possibilities. His concern deepened as he witnessed Theo's futile attempts to defend himself, only to be overwhelmed by Echidna's pet, morphing effortlessly into a fearsome chimera.
Rushing forward to aid Theo, Percy halted abruptly as he witnessed Theo's daring leap through the shattered window, vanishing into the depths of the river below. Trusting in his resilience within his father's domain, Percy shifted his focus to Annabeth and Grover, assessing their situation with urgency.
As Echidna lunged towards the pair, her trajectory halted abruptly, freezing her mid-air. Annabeth braced herself for the inevitable, her eyes tightly shut in anticipation of death. Yet, when she cautiously reopened them, they widened in astonishment as she beheld the monstrous figure suspended by shadows.
She scanned the scene before her, her gaze meeting Percy's, his eyes ablaze with the strain of containing the monster. In that silent exchange, Percy conveyed urgency, his message clear: "GO!" Annabeth snapped out of her stupor, nodding in understanding. Without hesitation, she seized Grover's arm, propelling them both towards the elevator door.
Meanwhile, Percy strode purposefully towards Echidna, his grip tightening around his summoned Scythe. With a swift, decisive motion, he swung the blade, severing Echidna's head from her body in one fluid movement. The frozen chimera met the same fate, its monstrous form crumbling under Percy's relentless strike.
Lowering his weapon, Percy approached the shattered window, his eyes tracing the path to the river below. Just in time, he witnessed Theo emerging from the water, unscathed. Relief flooded through him as he watched Theo's safe return.
Stepping back from the window, Percy dissolved into the comforting embrace of the shadows.
Tracking the kids to a nearby diner, Percy observed as they entered and settled at a table, engaging in conversation with a waiter. Sensing their predicament, Percy approached just as Theo voiced their financial shortfall.
"I'll handle it, my dear," Percy interjected warmly, drawing the surprised gazes of the kids. The waitress, catching his eye, turned around with a smile, acknowledging his assurance before nodding and bustling away to attend to their needs.
"Who are you?" Theo inquired, curiosity etched on his face.
"I'm simply a friend here to help you on your quest," Percy replied with a reassuring smile.
Annabeth's eyes widened with recognition. "You're the guy who was holding Echidna in place so me and Grover could escape!" she exclaimed.
Percy chuckled softly, nodding in affirmation. "Yup, that's me," he confirmed. "My mother sent me to shadow your quest, ensuring your success. We're not interested in any wars."
Their conversation paused momentarily as the waitress returned to take everyone's orders before retreating once more into the bustling diner.
"Who's your mother?" Annabeth inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Percy offered a cryptic smile before answering, "A very powerful woman."
Annabeth huffed in frustration, yearning for more clarity but refraining from pressing further, mindful of the potential implications if Percy indeed turned out to be a god.
"Do you know where we're supposed to be going?" Theo interjected, eager to steer the conversation back to their quest.
Percy nodded decisively. "LA. The entrance to the underworld is there," he confirmed.
Percy surveyed the surroundings, his attention snagged by the approach of a rumbling motorcycle. Letting out a resigned sigh, he motioned swiftly for the waitress who was en route with their food.
"Here, my dear, take this," Percy instructed, pressing a couple of hundred-dollar bills into her hand. The waitress's eyes widened in astonishment before she nodded fervently. "Go ahead and clean up, but stay in the back," he added, his tone urgent yet reassuring.
Perplexed, the girl nodded, hurrying off to the rear of the diner. "What was that about?" Annabeth inquired, her brow furrowed with curiosity.
Percy rolled his eyes in exasperation before waving his hand. A shield wrapped in leather materialized next to the table.
"You're about to have company. I need to leave before he notices I'm here," Percy murmured urgently, his form dissolving seamlessly into the shadows.
The group nodded in understanding as Percy vanished from sight. Moments later, a man exuding an aura of simmering anger strutted into the diner, clad in a leather jacket. He sauntered over to the kids' booth with an air of swagger.
"Sup punks," the man greeted casually as he slid into the booth next to Grover. "Who are you?" Theo inquired, eyeing the newcomer warily.
The man's grin widened as he revealed his identity, "I'm Ares, boy. I have a job for you."
"What could we do for a god?" Annabeth questioned, her voice tinged with skepticism.
"Something a god doesn't have time to do himself," Ares explained, his tone laced with a hint of urgency. "I need you guys to retrieve my shield from the water park down the street. If you do, I'll provide you with supplies and a way to Nevada."
"One step ahead of you, my lord," Annabeth responded, surprising Ares as she produced the shield from seemingly thin air. With a swift motion, she handed it over to him. Ares's expression shifted from shock to approval as he accepted the shield, deftly manipulating it until it transformed into a sleek jacket in his hands.
"How did you get it already?" Ares inquired, his brow furrowing in confusion.
Theo shrugged nonchalantly before responding, "It was already here when we arrived."
Ares's confusion lingered momentarily before he dismissed it with a shrug. "Well, that just makes things easier then. Here, take this." With a casual toss, he lobbed a backpack towards Theo, who caught it deftly.
Theo unzipped the backpack and peered inside, discovering a mixture of mortal currency, drachma, first aid supplies, and a pack of Oreos.
Before Theo could voice any protest, Annabeth interjected smoothly, "Thank you, my lord." Ares grunted in acknowledgment before turning on his heel and striding out of the diner.
The demigods observed in silence as Ares drove off into the distance, leaving behind a lingering sense of unease. Moments later, Percy materialized beside them, his expression contorted with disdain.
"I hate that god," Percy grumbled under his breath, prompting surprised glances from the demigods.
Without another word, Percy marched to the counter, his footsteps echoing with purpose. "My dear, it's safe to come out," he called out, his voice carrying a reassuring tone.
The waitress emerged cautiously from the back, her eyes wide with trepidation before softening as Percy offered her a warm smile. "You're good to close for the night. I'm taking my nephews home. Thank you for dinner," he informed her gently.
Returning his smile, the waitress nodded in gratitude before turning to attend to the task of clearing the table where they had been seated.
As Percy led the way out of the diner, Annabeth's voice broke the silence. "Ares said he would give us a way to Nevada," she remarked, her tone tinged with skepticism.
Percy rolled his eyes, a knowing expression crossing his features. "Of course Ares wouldn't uphold his end of the deal," he muttered under his breath.
With a flick of his hand, Percy conjured a car. The demigods watched in astonishment as the vehicle materialized before them. Percy ushered them into the car with a nod, sliding into the driver's seat with practiced ease.
Once the kids were settled in their seats, Percy started the car, the engine roaring to life. With determination etched on his face, he maneuvered the vehicle onto the road, the scenery blurring past them as they embarked on their journey to Nevada.