"I don't know if you know this," Silena muttered as she pulled my hair back into a headband, "But your left eye is a slightly different color than your right one. Like, super minute, don't get me wrong, but now I can't believe I never noticed it."
"Is it now?" I'd never really looked closely enough to notice a difference. Now since she mentioned it though, I kept looking back at it, unnerved by the small distinction. Medusa's eye seemed like it was alive, bubbling and stirring like a green potion, "Damn. Now I can't stop looking at it, either."
"You better stop looking at it and lean back, Seaweed Brain," Piper called out from beside us, popping open a bag of salt and vinegar Lay's, "Or she's going to end up giving you the most uneven haircut at camp. You'll look like Justin from the Heapheastaeus cabin."
"Piper!" Silena admonished, spraying my hair with a bottle. I scrunched my nose as some of the water trickled down from my hair and into my eye, "That's nothing to joke about. That poor boy was almost split in half when the oven exploded!"
"Sorry," Piper said around a mouthful of chips, "I mean if I had to choose between getting a haircut like that and getting burned…I'd probably take the burn. Wait, no, I'd definitely take the burn."
Piper got back to camp yesterday, fresh off her vacation with her dad. I made sure to give her a hard time about how while I was training in the Royal Palace, pushing my body to the breaking point every day just to crawl back and do it again the next day, she was drinking mai tais on a cruise.
In return, she correctly assumed that I was just jealous, and then proceeded to show me pictures. And, to be honest, they were some pretty kickass pictures.
Her dad, who she still refused to say anything about, apparently pulled out all the stops. They went on one of those Disney cruises, with the waterparks and stuff, and she got to do everything from ziplining in Bali to dancing with Mickey on deck under the stars. All of the food was included in their package, and their restaurants and arcades were open 24/7.
There was the occasional monster here and there, but nothing Piper couldn't handle. She claimed to have a 'close call' with a flock of harpies off the coast of Panama, but a small 'appropriation' of one of the ship's anchors and a yard of fishing line later, she was back to suntanning.
We spent the day together, catching up and taking in some of the amenities that the camp offered now.
We hit an early morning workout, followed by some light to medium-intensity sparring and some calisthenics. Again, I understood that training could get a little tough when you're surrounded by a thousand people on a boat in the middle of nowhere, so I cut her some slack and let her ease back in.
We met up with Thalia for some lunch- this time, she took us to a pizza joint on the edge of the town, right across from the rock-climbing wall I dusted Piper on. Spoiler alert: it was just as good as the burrito place, if not better. I made a mental note to visit Hestia and personally thank her for upgrading the food at camp so much.
As we ate, Piper made sure to mention how much of a dick I was during the whole rock-climbing escapade, but I just held up the Laurel of Tyche and let it do the talking. Dick or not, I was a winner, and in my defense, I apologized after! And blamed her mom. Cause, technically, her mom was the reason I was so mean.
That night, I brushed up on my plans for rescuing Hades' kids. Another big part of my training in Atlantis had been the acceleration of what Delta and Triton referred to as my 'leadership qualities.'
According to them, once my tenure on the overworld was up, if I ever wanted to join the Atlantean army, after my two consecutive summers, I'd earned enough field cred for a commander-type position, but they wouldn't just give me it off that alone. I still needed to show certain traits, and improve on some stuff. It was important that, when the time was right, I could consistently demonstrate 'field-ready commander traits.'
Which was fair. I wasn't above criticism, and I could definitely admit I had some stuff to tighten up on the mental side of things. And, to tell you the truth, the one thing I needed to work on the most was my strategic planning. I tended to find making plans involving multiple people difficult. Sure, when it was just me, I had no problem slicing and dicing my way through, but throwing other people in the mix made it kind of hard.
A good commander, according to Triton, needed to be able to think strategically and plan for battles. It was basically a requirement for them to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their own troops and those of their enemies to develop effective battle strategies.
So, that's why I wanted to use this little rescue mission as a trial run. Here's what I found out.
Westover Hall- a military academy in Bar Harbor, Maine, and the place I'd find little Nico and Bianca. Security presence? Zero. I guess since they're a military academy kind of in the middle of nowhere, they don't need one, really.
The principal, mysteriously there for a few months after the old principal took a bad fall on the stairs, was a woman named Margerie Gottschalk and the vice principal was someone named Dr. Kentavius Thorn. I put a little asterisk next to both of their names because I was fifty-fifty on whether they were both monsters or not.
Oftentimes, when it comes to tense, undiscovered demigod situations like this, monsters pose as teachers or students in order to get closer to the demigods and keep an eye on them. For me, it was Chiron as Mr. Brunner and Alecto as Mrs. Dodds, so it only stands to reason that there's probably some sort of a monster or monsters, plural, stationed for them, too.
The blueprints of the castle were fairly simple, not that I needed them. Much like Midtown High, Westover Hall was also having a Halloween-themed dance, and I figured it would be a perfect way for me to sneak in.
Beyond that, the school was conveniently placed on a cliff overlooking the water, so I could, in theory, effortlessly use my powers to transport us out of there as well. Easy as cake.
I'd just about finished up my plans, and was going to meet Thalia for a late-night screening of West Side Story in the atrium when suddenly, a note appeared on my desk:
Hey Perce,
Slight change of plans. My wife isn't super stoked about having the kids here right away, so if you could bring them back to camp for a bit, I'd appreciate it. I know it's asking for a lot, but this means a lot to me- I'll owe you.
Well, more than I already do for the whole Ocean's 11-type rescue mission. While we're on the topic, though, Clooney's great in that movie, right? I think I might try to pull off that kind of look when I meet them for the first time. All gray and suave and stuff- alright, this is rambling on.
Just bring them back to camp. Please! I'll debrief you tomorrow, around lunch. On me!
- Uncle H
Well, that certainly made things even easier. Instead of jetting them all the way to LA, I just had to come back to camp.
The next morning, step two of the plan commenced: look the part.
Obviously, for this, I enlisted Silena- far and away the most skilled makeup artist at camp- for some tips. My white hair had grown down to my lips when it was wet, and I had a decent bit of stubble growing in, so I figured I'd need to shape it up a little bit if I wanted to play the part of a kid going to Westover.
It was also my first time inside the Aphrodite cabin, which was interesting. To tell you the truth, I'd kind of been expecting, like, a life-size dollhouse, with pink walls and white window trim, but no, it was actually pretty modest.
The entire cabin was enveloped in a soft, pink glow- something about Aphrodite's influence blessing the inside of the cabin. The walls were covered in light pink wallpaper with accents of gold, and the windows were draped in sheer pink curtains. The floor was covered in plush, cream-colored carpeting, and the furniture was made of white-washed wood with gold accents.
In the center of the cabin- where Silena and Piper were, there was a large vanity table, complete with a large mirror and plenty of space for makeup and beauty products. The left-hand side of it also had a barber chair, which is where I was sitting.
The part of the table in front of me was covered in vintage posters and photographs, showcasing classic hairstyles and iconic barbershops from decades past. There were also all kinds of clippers, scissors, and products in front of me.
Through a draped curtain were the bunks and stuff, but I didn't really go over there.
"Does it always smell like the inside of a Sephora in here?" I asked as Silena began cutting my hair. "Or is it just me?"
"Nope," Silena replied, biting her lip as she focused, "Not just you. The cabin's always filled with the sweet scent of roses and perfume, courtesy of Mom, and no matter how hard we clean, there are always fresh flowers scattered throughout the space."
"Huh. Is that good or bad?"
"Meh. It's whatever, really, but I swear it's been especially bad the last few months," Silena said, blowing some extra hair off my temple. She tilted my chin up a bit, "Keep it like that for me. But yeah, I swear, the smell doesn't help that impression people have of us. Half the kids in camp expect us to be all: OMG! We're the Aphrodite cabin. We, like, totally match up cute couples at camp! Then we break them apart and start over! It's the best fun ever. Blech."
"It's just the colors, sis," Piper sighed, gesturing around them. "People see all the pink and they think we can't hold a dagger. Lord knows pink isn't manly."
"Pink is totally manly," I disagreed with her. "Pink is my favorite color, actually."
"Please, it's blue," Piper shook her head, "Anyone could tell you that. Everything you eat is blue: the blue pancakes, the blue sandwiches, the blue ice cream. Why are you so obsessed with blue, anyway?"
"Hello, Son of Poseidon here!" I sarcastically reminded her, before hesitating. The real story wasn't anywhere near as cool, but they were my friends. I felt like I could tell them, "Well…the real story behind all the blue food has to do with my ex-stepfather. Once, when I was five or so, he had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. Along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, it was just her way of sticking it to him, I guess."
"I didn't know you had a stepfather," Piper muttered, putting down her bag of chips, "You've never mentioned him."
"Yeah, he was kind of a dick," I replied truthfully. "My mom was only really with him 'cause he smelled so bad he covered up my demigod scent- true story. If it wasn't for her, I probably would've been toast halfway through first grade. Children of the Big Three…we don't really get to live normal childhoods. My mom helped me have one, though, by staying with him."
"You said ex-stepfather," Silena remembered. "What happened to him?"
"Your mom, actually," I chuckled. They both stared at me weirdly, "No, really. Back when, um- basically, I invited her to have some pizza with me, and then she followed me back to my apartment to see what it looked like, and he was there. I don't even really remember the context, but he slapped my mom—"
"He did what!" Piper all but shrieked in my ear, "Your mom is the nicest, sweetest woman alive!"
"Oh, trust me, I was ready to kill him. This was fresh off our—" I gestured between me and Piper, "Quest, so I was feeling some type of way. I think I broke his ribs and shoulder before your mom stopped me and cursed him into a dove and sent him out into the world."
Silena hummed from in front of me, "How's that any better than what you were going to do?"
"That's what I thought, too, at first," I said. "But it's way crueler. I would've just killed him on the spot, but this way, his torture is long and drawn out. You wouldn't know it, but your mom has kind of a sadistic streak from time to time."
"Believe me, I know," Silena muttered under her breath as she continued snipping across my scalp, "Still, I'm sorry. Growing up like that…it's a wonder you didn't turn into, I don't know, a supervillain or something."
"For real," Piper chirped from the side. I couldn't tell from my rigid position, but I got the sense she was frowning, "Well, shit, now I feel bad about making you feel bad when we got back to camp. I didn't know you were going through something like that."
"No need to apologize, Pipes," I replied. "Besides, I wasn't. Really, guys, I'm fine. No need to get concerned about me, now."
"Fine, fine," Silena paused, looking at me, "Still, though. You should talk to someone about that kind of stuff. You never know- you might still be holding on to some stuff without even knowing it. Trust me, wonder boy. I've been through maybe half the stuff you have, and I still see my therapist pretty often. Again, I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I just care about your mental well-being. It wouldn't look good if our resident superstar started toasting people."
"Alright, alright," I placated both of them, "Tell you what, after this quest, I'll go talk to someone just to make sure I'm not cuckoo. Alright?"
"Good," Silena put her scissors down and ran her hands through my hair, "What do you think of the length? You look less like a homeless guy now!"
"Gee, thanks, Beauregard. You know how to make a guy blush."
"Eh, clean up his sides a bit more," Piper interjected, poking the side of my head, "I'd say use a 1 or a 2 guard."
"Yes, ma'am," Silena obliged, powering on a pair of clippers and snapping an attachment onto it, "So, Pipes, you excited for this Fall Ball I'm hearing so much about?"
"I can't wait for the dance," Piper exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I rolled my eyes as she continued, "I heard they're going to have a live band this year! There was a vote for it in school."
Silena nodded in agreement, her long hair cascading over her shoulder as she leaned in. I wanted to interrupt and remind her she was cutting my hair, but I knew I was just being a bit sour about it, "Look at you, girl! Have you already planned your outfit? I think you'd body, like, a long red dress and some gold heels."
Piper grinned. "That sounds amazing! I haven't decided what I'm wearing yet, but I know I want to do something with my hair. Maybe I'll get it styled, for once."
Silena took a sip of her coffee and went back to focusing on me. "That's a great idea! Are you going with Peter?"
Piper blushed a bit, "No, actually. He's, erm, busy, so I think I'm just going to bring Thalia. As a friend."
Silena giggled, her eyes dancing mischievously. "No need to sound so definite. You two would make such a cute couple. Right, Percy?"
"Mmhhm."
"Please, he's just being a little baby about it 'cause he doesn't have a date," Piper stuck her tongue out at me. "Wait, are you even going?"
"Uh, no," I said lamely. "I gotta train!"
"You can train every other day," Piper pointed out. "What's so special about training that night?"
"Fine, you caught me. I just don't think it's a good idea to have that many demigods in a room, you know?" I tried to change the subject, "Adding me in the mix would just summon, like, the biggest, baddest monster around. I'd rather let you guys enjoy your night."
"That's sweet of you," Piper said slowly, frowning, "And it has nothing to do with the fact that MJ is going with Flash, right?"
"She- what?" Silena had to force my face not to move, "She is?"
"Yeah," Piper said from behind me. She was standing over me, making eye contact with me in the mirror, "You didn't know?"
You didn't know?
A lump formed in my throat, making it difficult to speak. I felt my heart beat faster than usual for a second. I was hit with a sudden and intense wave of emotions. My mind kept conjuring up images of MJ and Flash, laughing and smiling, as if they were having the time of their lives without me.
[Gamer's Mind] dispelled the wave of emotion in under ten seconds.
"Good for her," I found myself saying. "She wanted out, she got out. I'm glad she can focus on dances and stuff. Flash, though? She could've at least gone for a dude with brains at the same time, like Nate."
"Nate's dating Liz now!" Piper said, happy to change the subject. "Everyone keeps asking me about you. Ever since you told people we're cousins, they act like I can just summon you out of thin air."
"Maybe someday we'll work up to the summoning out of thin air trick," I winked, dispelling the last of the tension in the room as I consciously activated my [Flirt] skill. "For now, though, texting is probably better."
After the haircut, I went back to my cabin to prepare for the mission.
There wasn't much to do. Over the years, I'd slowly been stocking up my [Inventory] with all kinds of random things I could need on a mission.
Without Chiron knowing, every week, I snuck into the Big House and, um, appropriated some nectar and ambrosia for my personal storage.
Hestia's blessing let me generate my own food, but in the event that I couldn't, I probably had enough soda and nonperishables in there to last a whole city.
As you probably remember from the little forest escapade in Atlantis, I keep a solid amount of medical supplies in there, too. Stuff like bandages, gauze, and antiseptic. I'm very prepared. I'm practically a one-man medical tent! That, and I've seen a few YouTube videos, so you know I'm definitely qualified.
I opened my closet and pulled out the suit Hera had made for me a while back. It was a bit snug, now, but given the fact that I was going to be infiltrating a military school, mid-dance, I figured looking the part was more important than being comfortable.
I sat down at my desk with a sigh, mentally preparing myself, when suddenly, a note appeared:
"hpu tpnf ofxt. nffu bu uif evolt bu 302 boe 5gui. 8qn upspvhi."
I shook my head and pulled out a pencil. The Caesar cipher was a simple encryption technique that worked by shifting each letter in the plaintext by a fixed number of positions down the alphabet. It looked to me like Luke had only chosen to switch the numbers by one. The actual message read: "Got some news. Meet at the dunks at 302 and 5th, 8 pm tomorrow."
I hastily crumpled up the paper as my door swung open with so much force, a gust of wind blasted into the room. Geoffrey, the stuffed hippo Malcolm gave me when I got back, almost went flying off my desk, "Don't you knock? This is a private residence, you know. I make an IM call to my dad- bam, you're a slug, doing slug things."
"Yeah, and I'll spend the rest of my slug years sliming across your desk," Thalia stepped through, giving me an annoyed look. I shrugged it off as I tossed the note in my trash can. Thalia sounded mad, "What's this I hear about you not going to the Fall Ball?"
"Why would I go to the Fall Ball?" I asked rhetorically as I stood up, cocking my head to the side. I'd never say it out loud, but with her ripped jeans, cream crewneck, and piercing eyes, Thalia looked kind of hot when she was mad, "You think having four top-of-the-line demigods in one place is a good idea? Besides, I'm busy."
"I think that's a load of crap," Thalia replied, gliding across the room, and poking my chest. "You're just avoiding it because MJ's there."
"That's not why. I'm over her," I said, before narrowing my eyes at the girl, "Why do you care so much anyway? You're going with Piper! She's the most fun person around! Sometimes in a weird, sardonic way, but still!"
"Please, you and I both know that has nothing to do with it. I know you're lying; I can feel it. And, trust me, Jackson, as someone who literally came back to life to learn that one of my ex-best-friends is a traitor and my long-dead brother is alive, I think I've had enough of that," Thalia muttered, her electric-blue eyes sparkling. I could feel her heart hammering against my chest, "I'm not dumb, Percy. What could you possibly have to do on a weekend night?"
"I have…a quest to do today. I'm getting debriefed on it tomorrow," I said, not technically lying, as Hades was going to debrief me in the afternoon. "It's the same reason I got this whole, stupid haircut. And I mean, you're right that I wouldn't go anyway, but I really do have a reason."
"I think it looks good," Thalia said absentmindedly, slowly running a hand through my hair. Her tone indicated that she didn't really believe me, but I was more than happy to drop the subject, "You look way more presentable now. Is this the quest you're heading out for tonight?"
"Yeah," I nodded, not really minding the closeness between us. Our height difference was way more noticeable like this. Her head barely reached my shoulders, "Top-secret stuff, but I'm sure I'll be able to tell you when I get back. Provided, of course, that everything goes right. If everything doesn't go right, well, you probably won't ever see me again, so..."
"That's not funny," Thalia placed a firm hand on my chest. Her breath smelled like cherries, "You're going to make it back. You have to, because, well, you owe me."
"Me?" I repeated, sarcastically pointing a finger at myself. I even made a big show of looking around the cabin, pretending to see if there were other people, "I? Percy? I owe you something, yeah, okay. Jeez, Thals, I brought you back to life, The way I see it, that covers, like, a few birthdays or something."
"Not what I meant, and now since you mention it, I'm expecting a super-expensive gift from you this year," She said pointedly, before chewing her bottom lip, "But, no, you owe me a dance. You're not going to the ball, whatever, but you still owe me a dance. And you better cash in on it, 'cause I'll be pissed otherwise."
"A dance, fine," I shook my head, "And, right. I'll be dead and you'll be pissed. What a horrible, and equally difficult situation for everyone involved. Plus, you didn't even get me a birthday present! Why would I get you one?"
"Sass, Jackson? You're going to give me sass? Just for that, you're going to buy me lunch, too," Thalia snarked. Her eyes flicked down to my lips for a second, and her voice turned soft. Her fingers slowly encircled my chin. Her thumb brushed the corner of my mouth, "You're right, though. I didn't get you a birthday present. Get back from your quest, first, and then we can talk."
"Holding a gift over my head?" I shook my head. "You're playing hardball, Grace. You're lucky you can pull it off."
"Luck has nothing to do with it," Thalia said seriously, pleasant tingles racing up my arm as she grabbed it. "I'm being serious, though. Don't slip up out there."
"I won't," I promised. "Sheesh, have you been talking to Piper or something? That's twice today someone's been worried about my mental well-being. Am I giving off crazy person vibes or something?"
"No more than usual," Thalia joked, before biting her lip, "We just…we care. And I don't know about Piper, but I…like being around you. With Jason and Piper at school and Annabeth at her internship, I get kind of lonely around here. It's nice having you around…and I…"
I felt a rush of guilt. I guess, somewhere down the line, I became desensitized to how dangerous and rare quests actually were. To me, they were just regular Tuesdays, but to everyone around me, they were harrowing experiences- situations where they weren't sure if I'd come back or not.
It was probably the same reason Malcolm got so sad when I told him I had to go on a quest or the same reason Silena always insisted that I come back and tell her all of the details the second I crossed the camp borders. They cared.
After being alone for so long growing up, only really worrying about my mom and me, somewhere along the way I forgot I actually had a family now. One that was worried about me almost constantly. Seeing Thalia's worried expression made it all too real, though. Even though everyone around me put on a brave face, they really didn't know what was going to happen.
As if on instinct, I lowered my arms around Thalia's waist and pulled her in, almost lifting her off the ground. She tightly wrapped her arms around my neck, and I rested my chin on her head as she relaxed.
"I guess I forget that you guys worry about me sometimes. But, don't worry, Thalia," I smiled into her hair. "It'll be alright. You'll get your dance, and the birthday present, and whatever else you want."
"Let's see what you've got for me," I muttered to myself as I shot out of the water behind Westover Hall, landing on the balcony with a soft thud.
The bitter wind whipped through the area in front of me, sending bundles of leaves swirling around me as I made my way to the doors.
The weather felt unnatural. The wind blew straight through my coat like ice daggers. My breath formed puffs of steam in the frigid air as they plodded on, my shoulders hunched against the biting cold. The tips of my ears and nose were numb, and my fingers, even in gloves, felt stiff and clumsy.
I shook my head and shoved through the doors at the back of the hall, shivering the whole way.
As I stepped inside, I was grateful that I had the presence of mind to look into the blueprints of the school- the place was huge.
The walls were lined with battle flags and weapon displays: antique rifles, battle axes, and a bunch of other stuff. I mean, I knew Westover was a military school and all, but the decorations seemed like overkill. Literally.
My hand intuitively went to my pocket, where I now kept both Riptide and Ilvis. I could already sense something wrong in this place. Something dangerous. Keeping my wits about me, I pushed into the gym.
Here's the weird thing about military schools: the kids go absolutely nuts when there's a special event and they get to be out of uniform.
If I had to guess, it's because everything's so strict the rest of the time, they feel like they've got to overcompensate or something.
There were black and red balloons all over the gym floor, and guys were kicking them in each other's faces or trying to strangle each other with the crepe-paper streamers taped to the walls.
Girls moved around in football huddles, the way they always do, wearing lots of makeup and spaghetti-strap tops and brightly colored pants and shoes that looked like medieval torture devices.
Every once in a while, they'd surround some poor guy like a pack of piranhas, shrieking and giggling, and when they finally moved on, the guy would have ribbons in his hair and a bunch of lipstick graffiti all over his face.
Some of the older guys looked uncomfortable, hanging out at the edges of the gym and trying to hide, like any minute they might have to fight for their lives. A more sardonic part of me wondered if they'd have to.
Bianca and Nico were easy enough to find- they weren't on the dance floor, like the other kids. They were posted up high in the bleachers, arguing about something.
Bianca wore a floppy green cap like she was trying to hide her face. They both had dark silky hair and olive skin, and they used their hands a lot as they talked, a dead ringer for the kids in the file Hades had given me.
Nico was shuffling some kind of trading cards. Bianca seemed to be scolding him about something. She kept looking around like she sensed something was wrong.
I blurred across the dance floor before anyone could see me. I hopped up the bleachers, appearing suddenly in front of them.
Bianca yelped, "Whoa! Watch where you're going, dude!"
"Sorry about that," I said, plastering a smile on my face as [Flirt] activated, shooting my veins with confidence and energy. The effect on Bianca was immediate, as her distrustful expression melted into a smile, "I'm Percy."
"Bianca," Bianca nodded, smiling. She pointed at Nico, "And that's my little brother, Nico. Say hi, Nico."
"Hey," Nico said sullenly, not looking up from his cards. "Nice to meet you, Perry."
"Nico!" Bianca swatted the top of his head. She gave me an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, Percy, Nico is just mad because I told him to leave his game behind—"
"No, no, I get it. Those are some cool cards you've got there, bud," I looked closer at the figurines in his hand. I mentally activated [Observe] and a black line shot out of the cards, illuminating words in front of me:
[Mythomagic Cards]
|| Mythomagic is a collectible card and figurine game that involves trading cards and miniature figurines. It is focused on Greek mythology and has a long learning curve.
These specific cards are arranged in a manner that indicates they're part of a larger, Commander deck. The commander format is all about picking your favorite card and building a deck around them. In this casual, multiplayer format, you choose a legendary creature, god, or hero to serve as your commander and build the rest of your deck around their color identity and unique abilities. Players are only allowed one of each card in their deck, with the exception of basic lands, but they can use cards from throughout Mythomagic's history. ||
"I'm more of a Theseus player," I lied to Nico, as he looked up, his eyes wide, "But I can respect what you've got going on there."
"Wait, really?" Nico said in a confused tone. "He's not that good, though."
"Well, to tell you the truth, I like his lore. My dad's real fond of him," I replied easily. I kept my megawatt smile on as I slowly activated [Serenity Inducement] and said, "That's one of the reasons I'm here, actually! What do you guys know about your dad?"
"Not much," Biana said sullenly. She placed a hand on Nico's shoulder, "We…we've never met him."
"Well, I have good news for you guys! He's actually looking forward to meeting you," I said, as a cold gust of wind pushed into the room. "He sent me here to get you guys. If what he told me's correct, some lawyer brought you here and said to wait for someone, right? Someone who would tell you the codeword: pinecone?"
"Yes!" Nico said excitedly, holding one of his figures up. Ironically enough, he was holding up Poseidon, "That's it! How do you know our dad?"
"He's my uncle, actually. We're cousins," I gestured between us, "So when he asked me if I'd come to pick you guys up, I jumped on the chance! Come on, let's get walking, and I'll explain."
The three of us began walking out of the gym, toward the balcony. I gave them the rundown on how we were related, and I told them about how their dad had actually helped me out a lot when I was younger.
They had a lot of questions: who was their dad? Did I know their mom, too? If we were cousins, how come I never came to visit? Why didn't they know about me? Was I single?
I handled most of their questions, avoiding the first one. I was looking to avoid the whole 'Greek gods are real' thing until we hit the water. By myself, I could've made it back to camp in under an hour, but with them, I'd have to go a bit slower. I planned on using that time to catch them up to speed so they weren't freaked out when we touched down at camp.
"I'll explain more when we get to the balcony," I promised, as we reached the end of the hallway. "Just trust me for now."
As I went to push through the doors, I noticed that the metal was cold to the touch, and a thin layer of frost had formed around it. I gave the knob a tug, but it wouldn't budge. Confused, I leaned closer to the door and saw that a layer of ice had formed around the edges, sealing the door shut. I flared my senses out toward the door, commanding the ice to melt, when, to my surprise, it stayed put.
Something was wrong.
"Get behind me," I commanded the siblings, who scampered behind me as the sounds of footsteps echoed through the hallway. I gave them a reassuring smile, "It's alright, guys. Probably just some stragglers from the dance."
A man and woman marched out of the shadows to intercept us.
The woman was unnaturally pale, the color of snow, but her hair was a lush mane of black, and her eyes were coffee brown. She focused on me with no expression, no smile, and most definitely no amount of friendliness. "Perseus Jackson."
They both wore black military-style uniforms with red trim, and they both walked stiffly like they had broomsticks taped to their spines. The woman's uniform was beginning to steam, as white frost formed on the shoulders and wrists.
"Hello," The use of my real name told me everything I needed to know- my hunch from before was right. I stood confidently in front of Nico and Bianca, "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Ms…"
"Khione," The woman identified herself, giving me a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. She looked at me like I was an especially interesting science specimen— one she couldn't wait to dissect. "The stories don't do you justice. You extracted the two of them without us knowing, and I daresay you would've made it out, too, had we not stationed surveillance around the hellspawn. You truly are a marvel amongst the poor crop of heroes these days."
[KHIONE]
[GODDESS OF SNOW]
[DAUGHTER OF BOREAS]
[LVL]: 258 (XXXX/XXXX)
[HP]: 294,000,000/294,000,000 (BOOSTED)
[MP]: 400,000,000/400,000,000 (BOOSTED)
[FEALTY]: N/A
[STR]: X *
[VIT]: X
[DEX]: X
[INT]: X
[CHA]: X
[WIS]: X
[LUC]: N/A
*As a goddess, Khione's stats are subject to change based on multiple factors, such as her emotional state, the time of day, and countless other dynamics.
[…] Zeus, I hated Khione when Dad first brought her around. She had an ego the size of a Kraken, and would literally preen under Dad's attention. It was disgusting. That, and she used to freeze-dry anyone who looked at her kind of funny. […]
[…] Khione and I shared a great number of years together, though we eventually drifted apart when she did not approve of our first child. She was always quite ambitious and sought to be more important than her father, who she resented. I fear she's quite bitter, now. […]
[…] Khione is the daughter of Boreas, the North Wind, and the Athenian princess Oreithyia, whom he abducted. She was loved by Poseidon and bore him a son, Eumolpus. In fear of her father's wrath, she cast the child into the sea, but Poseidon saved him and entrusted him to the care of Benthesikyme. The Eumolpidae in charge of the Eleusinian Mysteries claimed descent from her, as the mother of Eumolpus with Poseidon. […]
Hey! I got three explanations again, so someone thinks fondly of me! I know the first two are my dad and Triton, though. I looked at the guy next to her:
[MANTICORE]
[MONSTER]
[LVL]: 70
[HP]: 400,000/400,000
[MP]: N/A
[FEALTY]: KRONOS
[STR]: 150
[VIT]: 80
[DEX]: 140
[INT]: 90
[CHA]: 77
[WIS]: N/A
[LUC]: N/A
[…] As far as I know, the only thing you really gotta watch out for when it comes to these things is the tail. My two cents? Bash its head in and break its neck. […]
[…] I have never deigned to fight such a beast in my life. I would simply blast it with my Trident. […]
[…] A manticore is similar to a sphinx, as it has the face of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a scorpion. It can shoot poison spines out of its tail. I would probably avoid those. […]
A plan started hatching in my head as I reread what the Game had to say about Khione. A lot of it had to do with my Mediterranean looks- I'd heard, time and again, that I resembled a younger version of my dad. I knew I could use that to my advantage.
It wasn't that I was scared of fighting Khione or something. I just figured it would be better if I could avoid that, with the two kids behind me and all.
"Thank you, my lady," I replied, thanking my lucky stars that [Flirt] worked on goddesses. I saw the icy expression in her eyes melt- ha- a bit, and I immediately executed the first part of my plan, "Listen…I know we're going to fight, and try to kill each other, and stuff, but can I just tell you what a fan I am?"
"A fan?" Khione repeated slowly, her eyes flashing. Triton's description of her was spot-on, I could almost see her preen already, "Of me?"
"Well, I don't see any other attractive goddesses out here," I said good-naturedly as I laid on as much charm as I could. I sent a mental prayer up to my dad, begging him to ignore what I was about to say next, "My dad always called you the one who got away, you know. And, hello? Son of Poseidon, here. Snow and ice are hands down my favorite forms of water- the gaseous form is so overrated. Meeting you is like meeting a celebrity."
"Oh," Khione said in a small voice, her pale face flushing. "He…he said that? Even after the debacle with Eumolpus?"
"Water under the bridge!" I waved off her concern, "So, yeah! I just wanted to get that off my chest. Then again, I might have a bone or two to pick with him when I see him- even he didn't say you were this pretty."
"That's enough out of you, Jackson," the Manticore snarled, raising his hand. He had an accent— French, maybe. He pronounced his J like in Jacques, so as you'd expect, he completely butchered my last name. He was tall, with a hawkish face. His nostrils flared when he spoke, which made it really hard not to stare up his nose, and his eyes were two different colors— one brown, one blue— like an alley cats. "We've been given clear orders—"
"Silence, beast," Khione said. Her eyes flashed white, and the Manticore yelped in pain. He raised his hand, and I noticed that his fingers were smoking with frost. "Allow him to finish."
"Right, so my question, um, was what exactly are these guys even offering you?" I asked, ignoring Nico, who was muttering something about Mythomagic. "Surely, as the goddess of the coolest domains, you already have it all?"
"The General is offering me my very own palace," Khione replied with an upturned nose, "My father bores me. My brothers are dimwitted. I want my own place, and my own role to play."
"Right, but that would be such a disservice to everyone else! I agree that you should leave your palace, but the world deserves to look at you!" I said, gesturing back to myself, "Plus, the Titans? They want to eradicate humanity, and enslave the demigods! Who will be around to worship you the way you deserve to be worshipped if there's no one left, uh, to do the worshipping?"
I could tell I was at least partially getting through to her. I jabbed my finger at the Manticore, "And, look how they insult you! Placing you with this beast, barely capable of sentience. You see, if it was up to me, I'd give you a way better deal."
"Why you—"
"And pray tell, what would your 'deal' be?" Khione interrupted the Manticore, giving him a warning glare. She looked back at me with an uncertain expression.
"Me? I'd take you back to our camp and build you a whole shrine out of never-melting ice," I said, spreading my arms wide, "And, we have this entire area no one uses- I'd turn that into your very own ski resort, with a big palace right up top! Demigods could come to ask you to use it, but even then, it would all be up to you. Oh, and you'd get all of the statues and whatever else you'd like!"
"Plus, you'd be with me, and not this stupid mutt. I'm Percy Jackson," I said, looking at Khione. "Even with no weapon and a hand behind my back, I'm worth a hundred monsters."
"A shrine," Khione repeated. Her brown eyes glittered, and I got the weirdest sense of appraisement in my life- I felt like I wasn't even a person anymore, I was a Christmas present she was hoping to open. "Demigods would come to worship me?"
"Uh, well, sure. Maybe in return for using your slopes, they'd have to make you an offering- we can work out the details later," I said, "Oh yes, I can see it now. Statues of you around the perimeter. Blowing, freezing winds. It'll be a whole debacle when you descend down, too, and everyone will be able to see how pretty you are."
"You make a very interesting bargain, Perseus," Khione inclined her head. "I accept, on one condition."
"Of course, my lady."
"You verify that your words from earlier were not mere jest," She gestured toward the Manticore, who was glaring at me angrily. "Defeat this beast."
"It would be my utmost pleasure," I placed my left arm behind my back and loosened my shoulder. "At your call, my lady."
I stiffened as Khione stepped closer to me. She placed a hand on my cheek- it was so cold it burned.
"No cheating, now," Khione whispered, her breath like a cold gust of air against my neck. She stirred the air with her finger, and a miniature blizzard swirled around her— big, fluffy flakes as soft as cotton. They coalesced around my left arm, pinning it against my back. "Begin."
I began charging [The Thousand Hand Technique] in my right arm as I stepped up to the Manticore, "Kind of sucks, doesn't it? You got pulled out of Tartarus, just to get sent back by a dude using one arm."
"Do not patronize me! I am far from your average monster, fool. Long ago, the gods banished me to Persia. I was forced to scrounge for food on the edges of the world, hiding in forests, and devouring insignificant human farmers for my meals. I never got to fight any great heroes. I was not feared and admired in the old stories! But now that will change," the Manticore snarled at me, gnashing its teeth. It started hunching over a bit, "I will kill you and drag your body to The General. The Titans shall honor me, and I shall feast on the flesh of half-bloods!"
"Let's see it, then," I launched forward at the Manticore. The Game lit up his weak spots in red- places like his neck, his underside, and his tail. I bounced to the right, jumping off the wall, and sidestepping two black thorns that exploded from the inside of his coat.
[Death Drop]!
I teleported behind the Manticore and slammed it up into the air with a powerful kick, and then followed it up with an enhanced punch to the top of the neck, right in the middle of the warning spot.
[TOTAL] = [THOUSAND HAND] + [DEATH DROP] + [MUSC. TRAIN.]
X = (100 x SEC) + (100 x STR) + […]
+ (100)(30 SEC) + (100)(213)[...]
X = (213)(200) + (213)(100) + (3)(100)(48) […]
[TOTAL] = 104,400!
"I bet those farmers couldn't do that," The Manticore's body slammed down into the floor, and I dropped down next to him. I mentally activated [Chill Out] and a sudden burst of cold air erupted from my outstretched hand, engulfing the monster in a freezing sheet of snow.
As the snow settled on its mane, I could feel my body becoming sturdier, my skin toughening. I grinned to myself- it was a good use of perk points, after all.
I went to hit him again, but [Zeus' Vitriol] chose that moment to resurface, forcing me to a knee as what felt like a billion volts of electricity coursed through my veins.
The Manticore tried to take advantage of it, launching forward with its jaws outstretched. Its teeth clamped down on my hand, and I tensed, expecting pain, but grinned when I felt nothing.
Frost gathered on my arm, and I gave the Manticore a disappointed look, "I know chihuahuas that bite harder than this."
The fight honestly didn't go too long.
In normal situations, I would've loved to pick his brain a bit more, and maybe toss a few more insults in there, but I reminded myself that I was on an official mission for one of the Big Three and that my younger cousins were around. I didn't want to spend too much time here.
I just peppered it with small hits- things like jabs to the side, pats on the nose, and flicks to the face- so I could max out my counter for [The Reaper].
In case you forgot, the third tier upgrade of [The Reaper] basically makes it so that once I reach 100%, my next attack deals 50x the amount of damage it normally would, before resetting my progress back down to 80%.
I dodged a few more of the Manticore's spikes and lunges, before eventually sliding under its underbelly. With a quick motion, my fingers curled around the manticore's tail, and I yanked it back.
The manticore let out a roar of anger and pain, lashing out with its claws. [Time Dilation] briefly activated as I used it to deftly sidestep the attack and drive an enhanced knee into the manticore's side, sending it stumbling. I heard a few cracks, and the Game exploded with damage numbers.
Almost instantly, I sprang forward and tackled the manticore to the ground, using my weight to pin the beast. The manticore struggled, its wings flapping wildly and its tail thrashing about, but I held on tight.
The Manticore had nothing on half the animals I'd trained with in Atlantis. With my newfound strength, I might as well have been pinning down an animal half the size. Er, not that I condone that, of course.
With a grunt of effort, I jabbed my hand into the base of its mane and flooded its body with electricity, twisting the manticore's neck until there was a sickening crack.
"Well, that's that," I panted as I gently got off the now-dead monster's back. "Let's get out of here before some other kids see, or something."
AN: Not much to say here, I just wanted to clarify that yes, Percy is strong enough to manhandle the Manticore in the way he does.
If you don't like it, um, sorry, but you haven't been reading the same story I've been writing.
As early as chapter 8, Percy's alright fighting Ares on somewhat equal ground, and, by 40, Percy is taking on two Titans, an invulnerable demigod, and doing so while protecting Malcolm. Then he goes to Atlantis and gets trained by Poseidon, Triton, and one of the commanders of the Atlantean army.
He pops out and then goes hand-to-hand with Zeus for a while.
All that being said, most of you will correctly assume that I just threw the Manticore in there so you can see his growth, but yeah! Just wanted to get out ahead of that one.
Next chapter? Well…I've been building to it for a long time. LONG TIME. I've replayed it in my head dozens of times, and well, the last part of the next chapter is one-half of why I even wrote this story in the first place…
So, I don't know when it'll be out. It could be out this weekend if it really flows, or maybe next month, if I keep second-guessing myself and thinking about every detail. Just stay tuned, and thanks for the support!
Some things to keep in mind for the next chapter: Who is Amy? Why did Athena tell Percy the Epic of Gilgamesh?
Zarathos 11: Thanks for the catch. The first one was indeed a typo, the second one was intentional. I figured it wouldn't be the smartest thing in the world for them to be going 'Zeus! Zeus! Zeus' so...also, yes! This has little to no plot impact, I just thought it would be the funniest thing in the world if Hera kind of had a crush on Percy but couldn't act on it because of her morals! Also, I routinely change the characters that show up, so you saw them correctly.
insanecoop: That's fair, and I get where you're coming from. I never thought about it like that, but I guarantee that I don't plan on giving out free jumps any time soon. That's another reason I kept the Manticore in; it was a good way for me to show how this Percy deals with the threats that Canon! Percy had.
Tyufvfv: Unfortunately, Bob doesn't exist in this universe :( but you may or may not be right about the rest…I won't tell…
TheHandOfJustice: Ha, ha, I do love my twists, but I'm not going to say anything about your logic. You and Deeznuggets2121 make a very compelling case. Either way, you'll find out next chapter.
meryfcuckery: Nope, no party systems here. I agree with your thoughts completely, and I can say, unequivocally, that I will never feature a party system in this story. Also, from a lore perspective, Heket's only in Percy's head, so it wouldn't even make sense.
KaliYugaFan: BIG HUFF IN THE HOUSEEEEE! THE GAME IS SO FUN DUDE!
'Til next time!
- Maroon