"What do you mean two moons?" Toph asked.
"I mean there are two moons," Percy replied. "I am looking at two moons in the sky right now. One, two. Last time I checked, there weren't two moons."
"Well, I've never seen the moon before but no one's ever mentioned a second one before, so…"
Percy frowned. "Wait, what do you mean you've never seen the moon before…oh," he said, realizing as Toph grinned and waved her hand in front of her eyes meaningfully. "You're blind. That explains a few things."
"What things?" she asked testily.
"Well, mostly why you look like you keep looking past me." Percy then thought back a little and thought of something else. "Wait, how did you catch me when I fell if you couldn't see where I was?"
"You screamed really loudly. You were very easy to pinpoint and grab."
"Ah," Percy nodded. He didn't think he screamed that loudly, but then again he had been more focusing on the fact he was falling to his death and not on how loud his scream was at the time. Still, it had saved his life so it worked out anyway and he didn't have to be embarrassed by it. At all.
He then noticed Toph tapping her foot a little, as if waiting for him to ask her something else. He briefly wondered what it could be but then lost attention as he looked back at the moons. He was staring at them, thinking about where he could possibly be and how he was going to get home, when Toph spoke.
"Aren't you going to ask me?" she asked.
"Ask you what?" he replied, blinking in confusion.
"How I can move around so easily? How I moved the earth? Like this," she demonstrated, thrusting her arms out and forcing pillars of rock to shoot out in response.
Percy hadn't wondered that yet. But now that he was, the answer came pretty quickly to him, which was pretty rare on its own. "If I was walking up along the top of the canyon, you would be able to sense where I was, wouldn't you?" he asked.
Toph blinked. "Uh…yeah. How'd you guess?"
"My friend, Hazel. She's like that. Can sense the earth around her. I'm also kind of like that, just with water. Whenever I'm in a lake or the ocean, I just instantly know everything around me, where it is, what it is. So, I'm guessing it's the same for you. You don't see with your eyes. You see with the earth."
Toph nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's what I do. I 'see' with my feet really. Sensing everything happening around me that way. So, you are a waterbender then?"
"I have no idea what that means," Percy replied. "And I don't care right now. Kinda focused on the two moons instead of one thing." He shook his head. "Maybe we're on one of the Nine Worlds after all."
"The what?" Toph asked. "No. If there really are two moons, then we can only be in the Spirit World."
"The what?" Percy asked. "Is that like that duvet thing from Egypt? Wait, no, that's not how you say it."
"Trust me, we're in the Spirit World," she replied, nodding her head. "I've never been myself, but Aang talks about it enough that I get the picture. It's basically where all the spirits live with a really big landscape that doesn't make sense."
"Huh," Percy muttered, not sure how he felt about that. But it must be that Do- something place Carter and Sadie told him about and that he had seen briefly when he shared a body with Neck-Butt vulture lady. It sounded similar enough. "Alright. Well then, I guess now we just figure out how to get out of here." He tried to remember how Carter and Sadie did it but they hadn't really gone into explanations, all of them a little hesitant to share information about their respective worlds. "Don't suppose this Aang friend of yours explained how to get out."
Toph frowned. "No, all he really did was sit down and cross his feet. Then he meditated."
"Great. Ok, well I guess then we just look around until we come up with something," Percy sighed. This was not how he had wanted to spend his day. But fortunately, it wasn't looking like his gods had abducted him. It was still possible some gods had, but he still felt like they would have tried to explain it to him or at least dumped him in the middle of some battle or bad situation. He was just in a desert with this strange girl. As far as he could see, there wasn't any real trouble around.
The next few seconds just showed him how much the universe loved to prove him wrong.
There was a rush of wind, not a big one but enough to cause the sand to swirl around, that came out of nowhere, ruffling his hair and clothes. Percy frowned and then heard it, the loud smacking sound that echoed across the canyon. He looked around for the source and then felt a second rush of wind, this one with more force behind it, coming from above him. He glanced up and his eyes widened in shock as he saw the figure falling right towards them.
"Move!" he yelled, grabbing hold of Toph and hurling themselves off the boulder a few seconds before the falling figure struck it, completely obliterating it in and sending pieces of rock flying everywhere.
"AHHHHH!" Toph screamed. "You dunderhead! I can't bend if I can't feel the earth!"
But that wasn't a problem for them as Percy saw the bottom of the canyon coming right for them. He hadn't noticed while they were sliding down, but they had been closing in on it. And now, he could see the sparkling river winding through it glittered right at him. Almost on instinct, Percy thrust out his hand and the water instantly responded, rising up to meet him. He held Toph tight as they were grabbed out of the air, the water smoothing their landing to the point where Percy barely felt anything. Then the water carefully deposited them on the riverbank before settling back down, returning to its natural course.
Toph gasped, shivering wet and feeling all over her body in case she was missing something. "What was that?" she demanded. "What just happened?"
"Saw something flying right at us so I jumped us off and then had the river catch us," Percy explained, looking up at where they had been to try and see what had almost hit them. "No bi-"
He was interrupted when a second figure suddenly flew right where the first one landed. He was so fast that Percy needed a few seconds to comprehend what he had just seen. Then, the second figure began punching so hard the very canyon walls were shaking.
"What is happening?" Toph gasped. "How is he punching so hard? It's causing vibrations for miles."
"Yeah, I can see that," Percy said, watching rockslides forming all around with each punch. Then, whoever the first person was suddenly punched back, sending the second one soaring away and then flying after them. "Also they can fly."
"How is that possible?" Toph asked. "Not even Aang can fly, and he's the last airbender."
Percy opened his mouth to reply when he heard another smacking sound and saw the second figure now crashing several yards away, sending up an enormous dust cloud as they did as well as a shockwave that nearly knocked Percy off his feet.
"Stay down," the first figure said and Percy's eyes widened as he saw it was a Black man floating above them in a blue suit with a flowing red cape billowing out behind him and a red triangular emblem on his chest with a golden S right in the middle. "I don't want to fight you."
"Well too bad," the second figure said, getting up and wiping his jaw. He was also wearing a blue suit except his didn't have an emblem on the chest and his cape had red and white stripes so it resembled the American flag. "Because I am going to beat your ass into the ground until you tell me where you got those knock-off powers."
"Knock-off?" the first figure asked, crossing his arms. "I was born with these son. Had them all my life."
"Liar!" the second figure yelled. "I would have heard of you. A supe flying around with my powers. A cheap imitation of the real thing. Well, I'm going to show you who the real Homelander is." He then flew up and threw a punch at the first figure who easily dodged it and threw his own, knocking the Homelander guy back in the air a little.
"What is it? What's happening?" Toph asked.
"Well," Percy said, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "I think this Homelander is mad cause he thinks the other guy is imitating him or something while that guy is just trying to calm him down. Now they're just trading punches. Damn," he muttered, wincing as the guy with S was sent crashing into the side of the canyon, breaking through several rocks, "these guys are really strong."
"Must be some sort of spirits then," Toph told him. "They're immortal so they don't hold back."
"Huh, yeah that makes sense," Percy nodded. They did seem, and act, a lot like the gods he knew. Arrogant and brash, more than willing to beat each other up. Well, as he kept watching, he realized that more accurately described the Homelander guy. The other one seemed to be more reasonable, trying to calm the other guy down. But that didn't stop him from throwing his own punches.
"We should…" Perct started then flinched as Homelander grabbed the other guy by the foot and swung him round in a circle before throwing him into the riverbed not far from them. "We should probably get out of here. I've seen gods fight before and it is not something you want to be in the middle of."
Too late. Homelander spotted them watching and a second later he was hovering right in front of them. Percy flinched back, hand reaching for his sword but before he could even do it, Homelander's hand was suddenly around his throat, pulling him into the air.
"Percy?" Toph asked, swinging her head around. "Where did you go?"
"What are you, blind?" Homelander sneered. He then turned back to Percy. "Now, who the $%&$ are you? And what is this place?"
"I…I-I d-don't know-w," Percy managed, trying to break Homelander's grip somehow but the man's skin was like pure iron. It was like trying to hold up the sky level of strength. "J-jus-st-t app-ppeared-d."
"Hmmm," Homelander eyed him, but before he could say anything, Toph threw her hands up and the rocks beneath Homelander's feet suddenly shot up and slammed into him. Percy felt the grip drop and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He then uncapped Riptide, letting the sword bloom out. Though how it was going to help, he had no idea.
"Percy, you ok?" Toph asked, coming up next to him.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm f-" was all he managed before Homelander was back, now grasping both of them by the throats.
"That was a mistake," he said, glaring at Toph. Percy saw his eyes suddenly go red, as if they had a burning light inside. He swung his sword but it just bounced off, having no effect. He then turned his hand to the water, trying to summon it, but before he could it just exploded out on its own and the other guy arrived, slamming his fist right into Homelander's face, whacking him right into the ground and cratering the earth.
"I was holding back before," the man said. "But you threaten innocents, then I'm going to knock you down."
"Here," Toph said and clapped her hands together. The earth rose up around Homelander, completely trapping him in hard rock. "That's got him now."
"Uh…" Percy started, unsure if it would hold him, but Homelander answered himself by completely destroying the rocks and freeing himself, flying up.
"Oh, never mind," Toph mumbled.
"You really think a bunch of rocks are going to stop the world's greatest superhero?" Homelander snorted.
"I don't know who you are but I can already tell that you're no hero," the other guy replied.
"Well, I'm afraid most of America disagrees with you," Homelander smirked arrogantly. Percy grimaced, already hating that smile. "And since you all attacked me, and it's clear you possess illegal superpowers, I am well within my rights to break each one of you in half."
"The hell kind of America do you live in?" Percy muttered. He'd never heard of this Homelander guy. Then again, he didn't keep up with much that happened in the mortal world these days, but still he felt he at least would have heard of this guy.
"Not mine," the other guy said. "On my Earth, I am President of the United States of America. So, with the full authority of my office and its position, I order you to stand down. Or I'll just keep punching you until you do. Your choice."
"Damn," Percy muttered.
"I like him," Toph added.
Homelander sneered and then flew right at the president who twisted midair and grabbed Homelander by the cape, using it to throw him around, bashing him left and right against the ground, walls, and rocks.
"Gahh!" Homelander yelled and Percy saw his eyes beginning to glow again. This time, Percy saw what happened next. Twin beams of red light burned out from his eyes, vaporizing rock, dirt, water, and everything else they touched, blazing across the landscape as he was flung everywhere.
"Get down!" Percy yelled, grabbing Toph and hitting the floor right before the lasers sliced the air above them, missing them by inches.
"What's happening?" Toph gasped. "I can feel the earth…burning?"
"Homelander has laser eyes," Percy told her.
The president realized the danger quickly, throwing Homelander up into the air and then grabbing him by the throat, making sure he couldn't scorch anything else.
"Burn!" Homelander cried out, and focused his eye beams directly on the president. Percy winced, seeing the beams burn right onto the man's skin. But then, they seemed to slide off, having no effect. The president smiled and then twin beams burned from his eyes as well, matching Homelander's. Except that wasn't true. As Percy watched, he saw the president's beams pushing Homelander's back, his being stronger. Homelander screamed out but still his beams weren't strong enough.
Suddenly, the president stopped, turned his head to the side to avoid Homelander's lasers, then punched the man hard across the face. Homelander fell, struggling to stay afloat, but then the president smashed him into the ground, causing a large dust cloud to shoot up. Percy watched as the president repeatedly punched Homelander in the face, laser-beamed him, and then lifted him up and punched right up into the canyon wall. Homelander let off one last feeble groan before collapsing to the ground and lay still.
"Whoa!" Percy said, not even sure what he had just witnessed.
The president smiled at him, walking over. "Sorry about that," he said. "I hate to take such extreme measures, but there are certain foes who require it." He held out his hand. "The name's Calvin Ellis. But you can call me Superman if you like."
To be clear, yes that is President Superman from DC Comics. He is, without a doubt, my favorite version of Superman and I think it's wrong he hasn't gotten his own series yet. So I put him in here cause if I'm going to use Superman, I'm going to use him.
Anyway, hope you're all still enjoying the series. Please leave a review if you can and keep healthy out there. Til next time.