Answers to reviews:
Allfather odin: Clarisse... it's more of a respect between warriors thing, but that could change if I decide to have her in the harem, though it's a bit big enough as it is. As for Aphrodite... I'm not sure how she'll fit. Jakob values strength in a girl, given his culture, and Aphrodte isn't exactly a fighter and is one of the Goddesses Jakob has the LEAST respect for because of her ruining people's lives. If there was a way to add her into the harem, then please try and come up with an suggestion rather simply wanting her in the harem.
Asharzal: The Aesir don't know Jakob is in America right now, or amongst the Greeks, so they'd have no reason to come to America yet. But eventually, they will learn where he is and come looking, but that won't be anytime soon.
Disclaimer: I do not own God of War or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I only own the OC Jakob Thorsson.
The next day, Andromeda had been moved from Cabin Eleven into Cabin Three by Chiron, with the ravenette taking one of the empty bunks along with hanging the Minotaur's Horn on the wall. Aside from that, the only other things Andromeda had were her toiletries bag that Luke got her and a spare set of clothes.
'This isn't so bad. I get an entire cabin to myself, plenty of space for all my stuff, my own table for dinner, pick what activities I do, and go to sleep whenever I want. I don't have to listen to anyone, but me.' Andromeda thought while sitting on her new bed with a smile.
Only for to turn into a frown as she looked around her new cabin, seeing all the empty bunks, the walls glowing like abalone, and just taking in the sheer silence of it.
'…And I'm completely miserable.' Andromeda thought, looking down at how lonely and depressing it is to have a cabin all to herself.
Even worse, when she'd just started feeling at home in Cabin Eleven, to feel like a normal kid, or as normal as one can be when they're a demigod. Only to just as quickly be separated from everyone else, not helping how they all looked at her when she was claimed and then switching cabins.
Shaking her head, Andromeda got up and got changed into her spare clothes consisting of navy blue jeans and an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt. Before she exited the cabin to go meet Annabeth for their morning lessons, only to notice all the campers immediately look at her the moment she came out. Making the girl sigh at seeing the majority of them were now giving her wary and fearful looks, along with going out of their to avoid her.
'I guess no one wants to be around for when the ground suddenly opens up and swallows me or a lightning bolt to come down.' Andromeda thought, given the fact she shouldn't even exist, but because she does, she'll be facing the consequences of her father breaking his oath.
And no one wants to be around the girl that'd have two of the Big Three after her head, or anything else that'll happen to her in retaliation for existing.
'Starting to wish my dad was a Minor God.' Thought Andromeda, knowing how much easier that would make things, instead her luck only seemed to be getting worse.
Luckily, it wasn't long before Andromeda arrived at the amphitheater and saw Annabeth already waiting for her.
"Hey Annabeth. So what're we-" Andromeda said, wondering what they'd go over today, only to stop when the Daughter of Athena scowled at her.
"Sit down. Be quiet. And just listen." Said Annabeth before opening up a book without looking at the ravenette, making Andromeda sigh and sit down.
'Guess that's one less friend I have, then.' Andromeda mentally stated, seeing that Annabeth didn't want anything to do with her either.
Figuring it'd be best to just do as Annabeth said, Andromeda listened as the blonde demigod went over the gods and goddesses, as well as having her practice her Ancient Greek and Latin. The latter which only seemed to annoy Annabeth further whenever the Daughter of Poseidon messed up the words and had to try again.
With this continuing for almost two hours until Annabeth suddenly slammed her book shut and began gathering up everything.
"We're done for today, try to study more on your own time, so you don't keep messing up." Annabeth said, making Andromeda frown at her.
"I'm doing the best I can, this is all still new to me. Maybe you could try taking things a little slower." Said Andromeda, only for the blonde to scowl at her like she just poked her between the eyes before stalking away.
"…Quest…Poseidon?…Dirty rotten…Got to make a plan…" Annabeth muttered, the ravenette sighing at this, doubting she'd be friends with Annabeth again.
'Guess I better go see if I still have someone to teach me how to use a sword.' Andromeda thought, getting up to head to the arena, only to stop when she saw Jakob standing there.
"O-Oh, hey Jakob." Andromeda said with a small smile, unable to help but blush as her mind went back to that moment she felt his muscles and his warm body before she quickly shook them away.
"How are you feeling?" Jakob asked with what appeared to be a sympathetic expression on his face.
Andromeda was about to say she was fine... but sighed and shook her head. "Miserable. I'm all alone in my cabin, everyone's afraid of me and Annabeth's acting cold to me as well."
"I wouldn't take it personally, lass." Mimir said, Jakob reaching to hold the head up so Andromeda could see him. "Her mother, Athena, and your father are rivals. She's just acting like she believes she's supposed to."
"A ridiculous excuse." Jakob scoffed, not impressed with the way Annabeth's been acting. "She must remember she is not her mother and you are not your father. Believe me, I know what it's like to be sent looks of fear given who my father is and what he's done over the centuries."
Andromeda figured that of all people, Jakob is the one who understands her. He hadn't spoken much of his father or his relationship, but it was clear that from what he did reveal and how he spoke of Thor... it wasn't the typical father/son relationship. Mimir had once mentioned that Thor was known as the 'biggest butchering bastard in all Nine Realms' and that gave her a clue as to what Thor was like in person.
If she had been the child of a man like that, she wouldn't blame anyone for looking at her with fear or even disgust.
As the old expression goes; the sins of the father shall be visited upon the children.
"Come." Jakob said suddenly, causing Andromeda to be brought from her thoughts and see the son of Thor walking away.
Confused she jogged to catch up. "Where are we going?"
"You need training in your combat skills, so I'll be the one to teach you." Jakob explained patiently before he levelled her with a hard look. "But my training isn't for the faint of heart. I will hear no complaints, no whining, no long breaks. Nothing. If you are going to be a warrior, then I'm going to train you to become one. Am I understood?"
Andromeda swallowed a lump in her throat, seeing how deadly serious he was and his tone made her get just as serious as she nodded with resolve. "Yes, you are."
"We will also train with your powers." Jakob said as they began walking side-by-side. "Improve your Hydrokinesis, among anything else you've inherited from your father."
"Any ideas?" Andromeda asked curiously.
"Could take notes and inspiration from water-controlling characters from those comic books, cartoons, TV shows and movies for example." Jakob suggested with a shrug. "From what I've seen, there's some pretty impressive display of powers there."
Andromeda giggled but nodded, then she got curious and asked. "What about you? As a son of Thor, what can you do? I mean, I've only seen you use your fists and your axe, but I've never seen you use your abilities."
"Because I haven't had a need for them in my time here." Jakob said with a sigh before he started. "As a son of Thor, I've inherited many abilities such as superhuman strength, given my father is also a God of Strength and the strongest out of all the Aesir Gods surpassing Týr, Heimdall, Baldur, and even Odin himself in terms of brute force and physical strength."
"Aye, his strength is so great that he was able to single-handedly slaughter the Jötnar to near extinction." Mimir said with a sigh.
"I also have superhuman speed and reflexes, superhuman agility, superhuman stamina, Tempestakinesis-"
"What's that?" Andromeda asked, cutting in.
"I'm capable of summoning harsh lightning storms at whim." Jakob explained, getting a nod from Andromeda. "There's also Electrokinesis, in which I have complete control over electricity and lightning, which is something me, my brothers and sister are naturally born with."
"You have siblings?" Andromeda asked in surprise, having heard expected that but Jakob didn't go into detail much about his life.
Jakob nodded. "Magni, Modi and Thrúd. Anyway, I also have tremendous superhuman durability, and I can also fly through my lightning powers."
"Wow... that's amazing." Andromeda said in awe, which caused Jakob's lips to quirk into a small smile.
"Suppose it is. Now come, we shouldn't waste anymore time." Jakob said, walking onwards with the daughter of Poseidon following.
"How long before it's complete?" Jakob asked Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus, as they stood outside Jakob's cabin, still in the process of being built but the sudden appearance of bad weather caused a delay in the building and put a stop to it.
"Well, once the storm goes away and we can do so without rain pelting us, we might have it done within a week or two." Beckendorf said with a shrug. "That's my rough estimate. Then we need to get stuff for the inside, paint the interior and all that."
"I'll make a list for what I want and need inside and you can do what you need to from there." Jakob said, getting a nod from the son of Hephaestus. Jakob glanced at the sky, seeing there was dark clouds rolling in. Thunder rolled across the hills as the storm was coming. "You better get inside, I fear it'll start pouring down soon."
"Got it." Beckendorf nodded and jogged off to his cabin while Jakob turned to go train for a while only to come across Grover and Andromeda.
"What is it?" Jakob asked with a frown, seeing Grover's worried expression while Andromeda looked confused.
"Mr. D wants to see you both." Grover said.
"Looks like our days of peace here might be coming to an end." Mimir remarked, getting a grunt from Jakob before he and Andromeda followed Grover.
Over the Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in their direction. Andromeda asked Grover if they needed an umbrella.
"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."
Andromeda pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that then?"
"It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does." Grover said with an uneasy look at the sky.
"Well someone's in a mood." Mimir said, getting a nervous look from Grover as a boom was fired off. Seems Zeus heard that comment.
The storm, however… this one was huge. Definitely not of the normal kind... Jakob's seen worse storms thanks to his father and himself.
At the volleyball the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs.
Dionysus' twins were walking around the strawberry fields, making plants grow.
Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.
The trio walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had the first day. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. They were playing against invisible opponents, two sets of cards hovering in the air.
"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity and her big bad bodyguard with the severed head."
"Mmrph." Mimir grumbled.
"Come closer, and don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal. Just because old Barnacle Beard is your father, or you're the spawn of the biggest butcher i existence.." Stated Mr. D, not caring as a net of lightning flashed across the sky and thunder caused the windows to shake.
"Blah, blah, blah." Mr. D said, while Chiron feigned interest in his cards and Grover cowered by the railing.
"Do you have an important reason for calling us here or just to be insulting because that's all you can do?" Jakob asked with narrowed eyes, his hands having clenched into fists at the mention of his father. Out of all the Gods he's met, Dionysus is probably the lest impressive.
Mr. D narrowed his eyes at the son of Thor. "if I had my way, you would've been booted out of here the day you arrived or left to drown in the lake. And as for the girl, I'd cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."
"Like I need any protection form you or your kind." Jakob retorted with a glare while Andromeda looked at him like he was crazy, given this was still a God they were dealing with.
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D." Chiron said casually, as if he's reminding Mr. D of that fact again.
"Nonsense, kids wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself, I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father." Said Mr. D, looking at Andromeda with his eyes glowing slightly, only making the girl more nervous. He then looked at Jakob. "And you... well, I wonder if your father would be happy to have you back."
Jakob's body tensed and he gripped the Leviathan Axe tight, ready to spring into action and fight.
"Mr. D-" Chiron said, giving him a warning look, with Mr. D sighing in frustration.
"Oh, all right. There's one more option, but it's deadly foolish." Mr. D said, setting his cards down and standing up, with the invisible players dropping their cards as well.
"I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If these two are still here when I get back, I'll turn her into an Atlantic bottlenose, and him into a insect to crush. Do you understand? And Andromeda Jackson, Jakob Thorsson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do." He warned.
Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. Like a credit card.
He snapped his fingers.
The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, and then he was gone, leaving the faint smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.
Jakob scoffed. "Of course. I guess that's why he was so insulting, because he'd be going straight to a meeting and we couldn't do anything to him. If he sat there any longer, I wouldn't have hesitated to punch him."
"Picking a fight with a God is not the best idea." Mimir pointed out.
"You say that like I should be afraid of any of the Olympians." Jakob snorted.
Chiron smiled at the two demigods, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Andromeda, Jakob, please. And Grover."
"This had better be important." Jakob muttered as he sat down next to Andromeda, Grover taking another seat nervously.
"Tell me, both of you," Chiron said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"
"Not even a challenge." Jakob said bluntly.
"It scared me. If Jakob hadn't killed it, I'd be dead." Andromeda replied honestly, doubting that's what he wanted to hear.
"You'll meet worse, Andromeda, far worse before you're done." Stated Chiron, with the Daughter of Poseidon frowning in confusion at his words.
"Done…with what?" Andromeda asked, wondering what she's even supposed to be doing.
"Your quest, of course. Will you accept?" Chiron asked, looking at them expectantly, while Grover crossed his fingers.
Jakob narrowed his eyes. "What quest? What part do I have in all of this?"
"Well, that's the hard part, the details." Said Chiron with a grimace, with Jakob and Andromeda sharing a frown with each other
Andromeda looked out over the sky, hearing the thunder rumble across the valley, with the storm clouds now reaching the edge of the beach. The ravenette only being able to feel like the sky and sea were about to come alive and start attacking each other at any moment.
"Poseidon and Zeus, they're fighting over something valuable…something that was stolen, aren't they?" Andromeda said, guessing he wanted her to figure it out herself, seeing she was right when Chiron and Grover exchanged a look.
"How did you know that?" Chiron asked, sitting forward and looked at her intently.
"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting-"
"I knew it!" Mimir cut in cheerfully. "I knew the weather's strange patterns were something to do with the Gods! Haha! brother, you owe me mead!"
"I owe you nothing." Jakob scoffed, annoyed that Mimir just had to be right while he dismissed his concerns. The weather could've been anything really!
"Anyway.." Andromeda said after looking at Mimir. "Then I talked to Annabeth and she'd overheard something about a theft. And…I've also been having these dreams."
This made the centaur and Satyr perk up.
"I knew it!" Grover said excitedly, with Chiron looking at him warningly.
"Hush, satyr!" Ordered Chiron, only for Grover to be too excited.
"But it is her quest! It must be!" Grover said.
"A few days ago, you said any quest I got would be incredibly dangerous, now you're excited I'm getting one. I just feel the love G-man, truly." Andromeda said dully, making the satyr bleat in embarrassment, making her smile in amusement.
"Either way, only the Oracle can determine this. Nevertheless, Andromeda, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt." Revealed Chiron.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Mimir gaped, Jakob placing the head on the table so he can face Chiron.
"I'm in agreement with Mimir, how did Zeus lose that?" Jakob asked, knowing exactly what was being talked about. Zeus' Master Bolt. His symbol of power.
Was... was that what had gotten the Aesir's attention, taking their eyes off Jakob and allowing him to finally escape Asgard? Someone had stolen Zeus' Master Bolt?
"A lightning bolt?" Andromeda frowned in confusion, not sure what the big deal was, figuring Zeus would have dozens, if not hundreds, of them.
"Do not take this lightly, I'm not talking about some tinfoil-covered zigzag you'd see in a second-grade play. I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade Celestial Bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives." Chiron warned, wanting her to understand just how dangerous and powerful the Master Bolt is.
"…Oh." Andromeda muttered with wide eyes, not sure what to say to that.
"Zeus's Master Bolt, The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the Master Bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers." Continued Chiron, making the Daughter of Poseidon gulp, unable to imagine a weapon being that powerful.
"And…it's missing?" Said Andromeda, wondering how something like that could go missing.
"Stolen." Chiron corrected.
"By who?" Andromeda asked.
"By whom. By you two." Said Chiron, correcting her and revealing who was suspected, much to Andromeda's disbelief while Jakob didn't even blink.
"I'm not surprised he accuses me." Jakob shook his head. "I'm an Aesir demigod, and the Aesir and Olympians have never gotten along."
"At least, that's what Zeus thinks." Chiron cut in, gaining Jakob and Andromeda's attention. "During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: "Mother Rhea always liked you best", "Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters", etc. Afterward, Zeus realized his Master Bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's Symbol of Power directly, that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."
"But I didn't-" Andromeda said, only to be interrupted.
"Patience and listen, child. Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the Master Bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about, was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt until Jakob arrived. At first, he figured Jakob was here on Odin's orders and stole the Master Bolt, but the Olympians would've detected the presence of a demigod of another pantheon crossing into Olympus regardless, but that still didn't put Zeus at ease with Jakob's presence given he's of the Norse pantheon and Thor's son."
"Why am I not surprised?" Jakob muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. So he's accused of something he didn't do, then just... treated with caution given who his family were. He wasn't really surprised at Zeus being wary of his presence here.
"Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his daughter, Andromeda. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus, so Zeus believes he has found his thief." Explained Chiron. "And he believes Jakob is in on it."
"But I've never even been to Olympus! I haven't known about any of this for even a month now! Zeus is crazy!" Andromeda shouted, not believing she's being blamed for stealing the Master Bolt, when she's barely been at camp for a month, let alone even knew Olympus was in New York.
With her words making Chiron and Grover glance nervously up at the sky, with the clouds not parting, like the satyr said they would. Instead, rolling right over the valley, as if sealing them inside a coffin.
"Er, Andie…we don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky." Grover said nervously, not her to end up being struck down.
"Neither Andromeda or I could be the thief." Jakob said firmly. "Andromeda didn't know about all of this, our world, until a month ago. As for me, I was in Asgard. Zeus is paranoid."
"Agreed there, Jakob. Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam…" Said Chiron, looking at Andromeda expectedly, making her mentally groan at now being quizzed.
"Something about a golden net? Poseidon, Hera, and a few other gods…they, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?" Andromeda replied, unsure if that was right, with Chiron nodding at her answer.
"Correct. And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the Master Bolt, he took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now you've come along, as has an Aesir demigod, the proverbial last straw." Chiron said, with Andromeda frowning at how everything seemed to come back to her, and Jakob was being roped into it simply for what he is.
"But I'm just a kid!" Said Andromeda, wishing they'd see she wasn't some thief or a suspect.
"Andie, if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you. Then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he's fathered a new mortal hero, who might be used as a weapon against you…wouldn't that put a twist in your toga?" Said Grover, trying to get her to see things from the God of Lightning's perspective, so she didn't say anything else dangerous.
"But I didn't do anything. Poseidon, my dad, he didn't really have this Master Bolt stolen, did he?" Andromeda asked, wanting to believe her father didn't steal the Master Bolt, but she really wasn't sure what to believe at the moment, with Chiron sighing and dragging a hand down his face.
"Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the Summer Solstice, that's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera, Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the Master Bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Andromeda?" Chiron asked, looking her right in the eyes.
"It would be like an early Ragnarök, but only dooming Midgard and all who walk in it." Mimir said, getting a nod from Chiron.
"Not to the extent of what I've heard is to come at Ragnarök, but it's close." Chiron said.
"Ragnarök is something much, much worse compared to war between the Gods, but I do see your point." Jakob said with a sigh. Ragnarök brought the end of all Realms, the end of everything. The Olympians at war would simply be like combining the horrors of the two World Wars into one.
"Okay, very bad then." Andromeda nodded.
"And you, Andromeda Jackson, Jakob Thorsson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath." Chiron said, making Andromeda gulp again, before looked out and saw it was now raining.
Jakob was silent as he thought on what to do and recounted the situation. Zeus' Master Bolt has been stolen, Andromeda is being accused simply because she is Poseidon's daughter and Zeus thinks Poseidon is trying to overthrow him. Jakob is being blamed simply because of what pantheon he's from and the hostility between the Aesir and Olympians, or perhaps he just wants a excuse to destroy Jakob.
He looked outside and watched as the sight of the rain made the campers all stop and look at the sky in disbelief and stunned silence.
'Zeus is going as far as to punish the camp for something Andromeda and I did not do.' Jakob thought with a slight scowl. He then looked at Chiron. "We need to find the Bolt, don't we?"
Chiron nodded. "What better peace offering than to have the daughter of Poseidon and son of Thor return Zeus' property. And it would help ease Zeus in his caution of you, Jakob."
"Doubt it." Jakob scoffed.
"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" asked Andromeda.
"I believe I know." Chiron's expression turned grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago… well, some of the lines make sense to me. But before I can say more, you both must officially take the quest. This is a problem, since there usually isn't two leaders for a quest, but given the circumstances, this is an exception. You must seek the Oracle."
"Why can't you tell us where the bolt is beforehand?" Andromeda asked with annoyance.
"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge." Chiron said, only increasing the ravenette's annoyance.
Jakob crossed his arms. "I'm no coward. If doing this gets Zeus off my back and keeps Midgard from becoming the battlefield of World War 3 between the Gods, then I'll do it. Andromeda?"
The daughter of Poseidon hesitated for a second before she nodded in determination. "I'm in. I'm with you."
"You agree then?" Chiron asked.
"Yeah." Both demigods agreed.
"Then it's time to consult the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs to the attic. When you come down, assuming you're both still sane, we will talk more."
Both of them stood and started to go upstairs.
Jakob and Andromeda went up four floors that ended under a green trapdoor. Andromeda pulled the cord and it swung open to reveal a ladder. The warm air above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else… something reptilian.
The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armour stands covered in cobwebs; once-bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled things-severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters. A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake head, but with horns and teeth. The plaque read, HYDRA HEAD #1, WOODSTICK, N.Y., 1969.
By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy. There was a tie-dyed sundress on it, with lots of beaded necklaces-the hippy kind-and a headband over long black hair. She looked shrivelled and dried up. Her eyes were glassy white, like marble slits. Andromeda looked freaked out while Jakob was unfazed, impassive.
Then, a green mist poured out of the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils. The mist hissed like thousands of snakes.
A voice hissed in both their heads. I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seekers, and ask.
Jakob and Andromeda shared a look before they stepped forward and asked. "What is our destiny?"
The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of them. Suddenly there were four men sitting around a table, playing cards.
The mist swirled again, taking the form of a very tall, intimidating man who was s burly and thick waisted, with an enormous belly revealed. But despite the obese appearance, it did not take away the fact he was muscular. He had a variety of Norse tattoos on his body, red hair, a red beard and blue eyes. Jakob recognized him right away in an instant.
It was his father, Thor.
Jakob backed away in shock and horror before he recalled the Leviathan Axe to him with a growl, ready to face his father when Andromeda got in front of him, hands pressed against his chest.
"Jakob! Jakob! It's not real! It's not real!" She told him, causing Jakob to look at her as his breathing turned heavy and frantic, nothing but rage and hate in his eyes as he looked at the image of his father. "Jakob... that's not Thor."
Andromeda had a strong suspicion who it was given Jakob's reaction and the similar appearances, so the only conclusion was that it had to be Thor... and he was nothing like what she had believed him to be or look like.
And Jakob's reaction... what did Thor do that his own son would react in such a way just by seeing an image of him?
Jakob took several deep inhales and exhaled, slowly calming down and he relaxed while Andromeda watched him with concern. Finally, Jakob put the Leviathan Axe down and looked at Andromeda, gratitude shining in his handsome blue eyes...
'Wait, what?' Andromeda thought with a blush before shaking her head, focusing on her friend.
"Thank you, Andie." He said quietly.
"When you're ready to talk, I'm here." Andromeda said, causing Jakob to give a small smile before they faced the Oracle and the apparitions of people from their pasts. "What is our destiny?"
The man in the middle, who Jakob guessed was the 'Smelly Gabe; Andromeda had mentioned and from the way she had described him, turned towards them and spoke in the raspy voice of the Oracle: You shall go west and face the god who has turned.
The guy on the left threw two poker chips and said, You shall find what is stolen, and see it safely returned.
His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice, You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
The other buddy delivered another message, And you shall fail what to save what matters most in the end.
Thor gave the final line, The son of lightning's path begins.
The figures began to dissolve and as the mist retreated, Andromeda cried out, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"
The tail of the mist retreated into the mummy's mouth. Then she returned back into her original position, leaving the child of the sea and the child of lightning alone. Their audience with the Oracle was over.
"Well?" Chiron asked them with a raised eyebrow.
Andromeda and Jakob slumped into the chairs. Andromeda responded first. "She said we would retrieve what was stolen."
Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great."
"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed. "This is important."
Andromeda shivered a bit. "She-she said we would go west and face the god who has turned. We would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."
"I knew it," Grover said.
Chiron didn't look satisfied. "Anything else?" he asked sternly.
Andromeda looked between them nervously, not wanting to share the rest of the prophecy. Jakob remained silent, thinking on the last line of the prophecy which he knew concerned him. But what did it mean? What was his path?
"She said that the son of lightning's path begins." Jakob finally said, drawing all eyes to him. "It means me."
"'Son of lightning's path begins...'" Mimir recited in a mummer, trying to figure it out himself. "I'm not sure what it could mean, and I'm the smartest man alive! I could try and piece it together, given time."
Chiron nodded, but still looked troubled.
Then he studied both expressions on the boys. "Very well. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."
Andromeda squirmed a bit, with Jakob looking off, but the words were accepted.
"Okay," Andromeda said, anxious to change the topic. "So where do we go? Who's the god in the west?"
"Ah, think, Andromeda," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other, who stands to gain?"
"Somebody else who wants to take over?" Andromeda guessed.
"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken." Chiron explained.
"Hades." Jakob stated.
"The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility." Chiron nodded.
"How do we know it's Hades?" Jakob asked with a frown. It was so stereotypical to blame Hades, given how he's the God of the Underworld and always made out to be the bad guy. It was like how Hela was depicted as evil because she was the Goddess of Death and rules the realm of Helheim. "We're simply blaming him without proof that he's behind this."
"A Fury came after Andromeda," Chiron said. "She watched the young girl until she was sure of her identity, then tried to kill her. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."
'Why would a Fury be after Andromeda in the first place? It has to be simply more than the fact Poseidon broke the oath.' Jakob thought, feeling ike there was more to this but they weren't seeing it.
"Yes, but-but Hades hates all heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he found out that Andromeda was the daughter of Poseidon…"
"A Hellhound appeared into the forest," Chiron continued on. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone from this camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Andromeda to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this half-blood before she could take on the quest."
"Great," Andromeda muttered tiredly. "There's two major Gods who want to kill me."
"But a quest to…" Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt have been in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year?"
"Hades sent a minion to steal the bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Andromeda and Jakob must go into the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."
Jakob exhaled. This had sure been quite a few interesting months in Midgard. First he escapes from Asgard, hides in America for several months, reaches Olympian territory and then finds himself in a camp for Greek demigods, and now he has been accused of stealing a God's symbol of power, and must go to the Greek Underworld to find said symbol simply because everyone believes the God of the Underworld would be behind it.
"Look, if we know it's Hades, why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads." Andromeda said, seeing that as the safer option, letting Zeus or her father deal with Hades and get the Master Bolt back.
Even if she's sorely tempted to take the quest and confront Hades for trying to kill her three times, and the fact that her mother was in the Underworld. Only to remember the fact that Hades was a god, one of the Big Three, and has millennia of experience and unbelievable power. And she's just a kid that barely has two weeks of training.
"Suspecting and knowing are not the same. Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades, and I imagine Poseidon does, they couldn't retrieve the bolt, themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule." Chiron explained. "Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"
"I'm no hero." Jakob said with a frown. "A hero… is someone who is willing to do anything for anyone at the expense of himself. That's what I believe. To be called a hero when I've done nothing… just doesn't seem right. Hell, I'm almost sure most of the demigods here haven't done anything hero-worthy. I'd rather be called a hero for something I've done rather than because of who my parent is."
"Quite a smart way of thinking." Mimir agreed. "I know you don't want to be remembered simply because your father is Thor."
Chiron pondered his explanation, before nodding, "That… is an interesting aspect. One not many are willing to see to that level. I am inclined to agree with you."
"You're saying we're being used," Andromeda interrupted, bringing the conversation back to the main point. Jakob frowned at the idea of being used. He was nobody's tool, weapon... monster.
"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."
'That doesn't make it any better.' Thought Andromeda, given that basically meant if her father wasn't desperate, then he wouldn't have claimed her or at least as soon as he did.
That's not counting how he's ignored her for the past twelve years, and now suddenly he needs her to fix everything.
"You've known I was Poseidon's daughter all along, haven't you?" Andromeda asked rhetorically while looking at Chiron.
"I had my suspicions. As I said…I've spoken to the Oracle, too." Chiron admitted, giving her an apologetic look for keeping the information from her, making the ravenette sigh and cover her face before lowering her hands.
"So let me get this straight," Andromeda said slowly. "We're supposed to go to the Underworld to confront the Lord of the Dead."
"Check," Chiron said.
"Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."
"Correct." Jakob nodded.
"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, ten days from now."
"That's about right," Chiron nodded.
Andromeda looked at Grover, who gulped down an ace of hearts.
"Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" Grover asked weakly.
"You don't have to go," Andromeda told Grover. "I can't ask that of you."
"Oh…no…it's just that satyrs and underground places…well…" Grover said before taking a deep breath and standing up, brushing the remains of the playing cards and cans off him.
"You saved my life, Andie. If…if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down." Said Grover, with the ravenette smiling in relief and thanks.
"All the way, G-man. So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west." Andromeda said, turning back to Chiron, wondering how they're supposed to get to the Underworld.
"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America." Replied Chiron.
"Los Angeles." Jakob said, causing all eyes to turn to him and he shrugged. "You think Odin isn't going to know where potential enemies are placed? The Underworld is in Los Angeles, that is where we are going."
"Oh, naturally. So we just get on a plane-" Said Andromeda.
"No! Andromeda, what are you thinking?! Have you ever been on a plane in your life?!" Grover said, panicking at the idea of them taking a plane.
"You are the daughter of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you on an airplane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again, alive." Chiron stated, with lightning crackling overhead as if in agreement.
"Only Jakob could travel through air, given his own heritage and even if Zeus tried blasting him the lightning would tickle him." Mimir said.
"Standing right here, don't talk about me like I'm not." Jakob said with a frown.
"Sorry." Mimir apologized sheepishly.
"So…walking then, great." Andromeda muttered.
"That's right." Chiron said. "Two more companions may accompany you boys. Grover is one. The other has volunteered, if you-"
Chiron was cut off when they heard yelp, looking to see Jakob holding Annabeth's Yankees cap, revealing the Daughter of Athena.
"Gee, who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?" Said Andromeda, feigning surprise, having already guessed Annabeth would be the other volunteer.
"How did you know I was there?" Annabeth huffed, so sure she was so quiet nobody would've noticed her.
"Training." Was al Jakob said, causing the daughter of Athena to huff.
She then looked at Andromeda. "I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain. And someone needs to be around to keep you both in line."
Jakob narrowed his eyes. "You assume I cannot do this."
"Not alone, thunder head." Annabeth said with a small smirk while Jakob grunted at the nickname.
"If you say so. I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?" Andromeda said, making Annabeth blush in annoyance.
"Do you want my help or not?" Retorted Annabeth, the ravenette nodding since she'd take all the help she can get.
"Excellent. This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own." Chiron said, pleased that the group was now formed and just needed to prepare.
Before they all looked up as lightning flashed across the sky and rain poured down on the meadows that were never meant to see violent weather. The questers trading looks with each other, knowing they didn't have any time to waste, before they immediately left to go pack and prepare.
And that's it for this chapter everyone. I hope you all enjoyed it. and yeah, Jakob's reacting to seeing just an image, an illusion of Thor, speaks volumes of what it was like being raised by him.
Do remember, Thor brutally beat up Modi in God of War (2018) because he was a coward for running from Kratos and Atreus, even blamed him for Kratos killing Magni. If Thor could do that to one of his own sons, that speaks volumes about his parenting.
But given who his own father is, Thor doesn't exactly have a role model for fatherhood to take notes from in parenting his own kids.
Just know that Jakob went through physical, mental, and emotional neglect and abuse from Thor.
Also, I've been thinking of a new PJO story, one featuring an old OC of mine. the Prince of Olympus.
The main idea is that after an argument due to Jason's birth, Zeus and Hera go to the mortal world, take on mortal aspects of themselves and unknowingly meet each other's mortal aspects, fall in love and marry... and then they reveals themselves, find out Hera's pregnant, but because it had been their mortal aspects, the child is a demigod.
That does make sense, right?
And because of that, due to the laws and having nowhere else to send him (For Hera was sure as hell not putting him in an orphanage) they have their mother, Rhea, raise the boy and teach him his heritage before sending him on his way to Camp Half-Blood when he's at the right age.
And yeah, the story would also be a harem.
Does it all make sense?
Harem: Silena Beauregard, Thalia Grace, Katie Gardner, Annabeth Chase, Andromeda Jackson (Female Percy), Bianca Di Angelo, Thrúd, Freya, Artemis, Athena, Hestia, Skadi.