I Take Candy From A Stranger
"Orion!"
Great, another dream.
This time, though, I was in Artemis' body, which felt just about as weird as it sounded. Aside from the fact that I was a girl, which I'm not even going to get into, there was also the fact that I was an Olympian.
It wasn't my first rodeo being merged with a god at the height of their power—I'd merged with Heket briefly a while back to break Aphrodite's bond—but there was a huge difference between being merged with her and merging with Artemis.
For one, being an Olympian was like being charged with the energy of a thousand lightning bolts. Every nerve in my body tingled with a thrilling, electric sensation. And yes, I could feel every single nerve in my body. Every muscle fiber, each artery. Every pump of my heart rang in my ears like a church bell.
I felt perpetually alert, and my senses were heightened to a supernatural level. I could hear the faintest whisper of the wind, feel the gentlest caress of a moonbeam, and see the world with a clarity that was breathtaking.
I could feel the ebb and flow of the universe, the rhythm of life itself, through the gigantic moon somewhere above me. It was like being connected to an infinite well of power, and drawing from it was as effortless as taking a breath.
I regarded the man in front of me.
Now since I wasn't in his head, I could get a better look at Orion.
He looked like he was ten feet tall, very muscular, and handsome—far more handsome than I'd ever expect any giant to look. Granted, I haven't met any, so there's that. Maybe they're all handsome. I kind of doubt it, though.
His skin was the color of wheat toast, and his dark hair was undercut, swept into spikes on top. For some reason, he looked like he was wearing night vision goggles, which were embedded in his eye sockets.
He was wearing black leather breeches and a jerkin, with a hunting knife on his belt, and a black composite bow alongside a quiver on his back, all of which made him look kind of like Robin Hood's evil, better-looking twin.
The moment I saw him, like really saw him, it was like staring at a living paradox.
He looked almost exactly the same. He still had his same tousled hair, the familiar grin splitting his face, and yet, something about him seemed so vastly different.
It was as if he had become a stranger. Warm tendrils of memories began flooding through Artemis' brain, blurring through so quickly that I couldn't really pinpoint just one of them.
I could get the bigger picture though. Artemis and Orion used to be inseparable, an unbreakable duo, until they randomly stopped hanging out.
Well, not randomly. I could fill in those parts myself based on what I'd seen so far. Somewhere along the line, Artemis created the hunt, and somewhere even more along the line, Orion tried to get her to break her vow and then left her in the dust when she didn't give in.
You know. The usual.
Artemis didn't feel too much warmth toward Orion now. In a lot of ways, I got the sense that she thought he was no longer the person she once knew. His little outburst from before hadn't helped his case, and in the interim—I wasn't really sure how long it had been—Artemis had done more growing and learning. She knew that whatever had happened that night hadn't been okay.
"Artemis," He smiled dazzlingly, holding his arms out. As he approached, I forced a smile, though it felt brittle and forced. I knew how this would go. Orion would try to exchange pleasantries, the kind that could make things seem like they were still normal if they tried hard enough. "It's so good to see you. You won't believe what I've been through in the last couple of months."
"I don't care what you've been up to!" I snapped angrily. Artemis' emotions felt like a forge, a blazing furnace of power and intensity. Her emotions, especially anger, were the bellows, pumping hot air into the flames in a way that sent shivers down my spine. "Do you seriously think I want to talk to you after the last time we saw each other?"
"Oh, come on!" Orion's dazzling smile melted into a poisonous scowl. He pointed his finger at me, and I felt a wave of hurt wash over me. The bond between Artemis and Orion seemed like a distant memory at this point. In its place was an uncharted territory, where they were two people who had grown apart. "You're still going on about that? You seemed like you needed space, so I gave you space! What else do you want from me?"
"I don't know, an apology?" I shot back. Orion's scowl looked like it deepened as the shadows from the trees swaying in the moonlight covered his face. "You tried to make me feel bad about not instantly having an answer for you! After I told you I was figuring this out and needed time!"
"Well, I'm sorry you felt that way!" Orion returned. He stepped closer to me, and I found myself taking a step back. He took a deep breath, "Fine. I shouldn't have pushed you, I understand that. But that's precisely why I gave you so much time to think! I didn't want to bother you. I thought enough time had passed. I can go away for even longer. I'll wait forever for you. I love you, Artemis."
Anxiety gripped me like ice, freezing my thoughts and leaving me trapped in a cold, numbing fear for a second.
Yikes. Artemis was definitely an avoidant type of person. I'd never really been like that—ever since I was a kid, I just kind of felt what I felt and did what I did. I never thought about it too much. It just wasn't worth my time.
Things were different in this dream, though. It was trippy. Being inside of Artemis' body was weird. Could you imagine going to bed as yourself and just…waking up as someone else? Being forced to be inside their bodies yet unable to change anything?
It was like watching a movie but being the protagonist at the same time.
It isn't always this weird, but I can feel how Artemis feels and boy, the way she compartmentalizes emotions is weird.
Instead of just, like, feeling them, Artemis does the emotional equivalent of encasing herself in sheets of protective bubble wrap and letting her feelings soak in, a little bit at a time. Kind of by design, huge displays of affection and emotion didn't mesh well with her.
"Why are you so insistent?" I snapped, rubbing my forehead. The moonlight streamed down me, making my skin glow a bright white. It wrapped around my hands and waist, and filtered in through the gaps of my fingers. "I don't…I don't know if I even want that. With you, or with anyone."
Well, that was a lie. No matter what she was telling Orion, I was inside her head, and if there's one thing I know, it's that you can't lie to yourself.
It wasn't that Artemis had something against relationships—she actually kind of enjoyed them. From afar, though.
Based on what I could tell, the reason that she always chose to observe relationships from a distance was that the thought of being emotionally entangled with another person had always been daunting, a weight that she'd rather avoid. One she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle.
People tried to make those bonds with her, but for reasons I wasn't entirely sure of yet, when someone got too close and when their emotions threatened to infiltrate her well-guarded emotional fortress, she instinctively retreated.
It was a conscious choice, a survival instinct, built upon her ironclad belief in the fact that emotional self-sufficiency was the key to independence. The absolute last thing she wanted was to become codependent, reliant on someone or something else.
But beneath the surface, right under that layer of bubble wrap, it was a dance of contradictions and a quiet longing. And, like I mentioned before, Orion seemed intent on trying to break through the surface.
"I think you do," Orion whispered. His voice was low, like shadows conspiring in the night. "We are bound by fate, Artemis."
"That doesn't mean we're bound by fate like that," I replied, my voice growing angrier. Flashes of heat were exploding all over Artemis' body.
Being this…emotionally vigilant felt weird. It was a push and pull, a constant tension. I had no doubt in my mind that if it were me, I'd be constantly exhausted.
Because the crazy thing is, deep down, behind all the walls and defenses, there's a part of Artemis that craved the warmth of human connection, that yearned to be understood and loved, maybe even more than I did.
She just figured it would never happen. For her, it was always a step back, a retreat, a self-protective measure that she couldn't seem to let go of. Even now, with Orion promising her everything she thought she'd ever wanted, Artemis couldn't bring herself to even consider it.
Relationships, Artemis believed, were as delicate as glass. She understood that they could shatter, become stained, or develop cracks. And, in her mind, no matter what, they would eventually break. Having Zeus for a dad probably didn't help that notion.
To her, being in a relationship meant inviting someone into her emotional bubble wrap, and she felt like that put her more at risk than anything.
She couldn't protect herself from the inside. So, in her mind, she'd rather spend all of her life keeping people outside than even giving them the chance to hurt her from the inside. Orion was no different.
A part of me began realizing why she blasted me off her chariot. Even if it did kind of hurt.
"We are," Orion whispered, his eyes shifting. The whirring of celestial bronze filled the night as focusing rings on his eyes began to spin and click. "I know what's stopping you. Your hunters."
"Back to this again—"
"Yes, it's back to this again!" Orion roared, smashing his fist into the ground. It impacted the dirt roughly, and birds began squawking and flying out of nearby trees. Orion's complexion turned red, and his forehead was slick with sweat. "You keep choosing them over me! Why do you keep choosing them over me? We were best friends! We were an unbeatable pair. You said we'd hunt down every monster in the world together! Now you'd rather do it with your little girl party."
"These girls need me, Orion," I reminded him. Honestly, I felt like Artemis was giving the guy more wiggle room than he deserved. In her defense, I got the sense that they had a pretty long history, and he was lowkey gaslighting her, but still. "You don't need me. Not in the way they do. I'm all they have."
"You're all I want," Orion said, whimpering and grabbing fistfuls of his own hair. Artemis felt a pang of remorse, but I wasn't buying it. The bait-and-switch of being angry and then suddenly being super sad was a classic manipulation tactic. It's the same one Smelly Gabe used to try on my mom all the time.
"It doesn't matter," To her credit, Artemis held strong. The weight of emotions pressing down on her bubble wrap felt physically suffocating. She was so anxious, I was surprised she could even get the words out. "You and I may always remain friends, but no more than that. I have a duty now, and I intend to uphold that duty as best as I can."
Orion's eyes seemed to darken, an ominous shift that made my skin prickle with unease. He was still struggling to control his emotions, but beneath the turmoil, there was something new, something unsettling. He took a step toward me, the celestial bronze rings in his eyes whirring with intensity. It was as if the shadows had crept into him, seeping into his very being.
The moonlight, which had bathed us in its ethereal glow, suddenly seemed to wane, and the world around us darkened. "How can you choose them over us?" Orion's voice was low and filled with a strange, eerie resonance. He reached out, his fingers brushing against my arm. They were cold. "You're just leaving me behind! You won't let me near your hunt, you won't hunt with me…how am I supposed to spend time with you?"
I took a cautious step back, a sense of foreboding settling over me. Orion's demeanor had shifted, and not for the better.
"My girls just need time," I said, my voice steady but laced with concern. "They're scared of men. Your presence would do little to help them. In fact, it would probably reverse all the progress I've made. They're scarred, Orion. I want to spend time with you, but I need to make sure they're okay enough to keep moving before I do. Having them retreat into their shells won't help that."
"You don't say," Orion's lips curled, and the shadows around him seemed to writhe like malevolent spirits answering his call. And then, suddenly, they retreated, and Orion plastered the same dazzling smile on his face. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Arty. Maybe we'll find some time to hunt together soon. I'm sorry for bothering you like this. I just miss you so much sometimes."
I should've done more.
I blinked. Where was that voice coming from?
I failed them, Percy. And now, I've failed them again. Please tell them I'm sorry.
"Late!" I woke up as a splash of cold water yanked me out of my dream. The water didn't stick—it instantly rolled off my face in rivulets, but the sheer surprise of the chill was enough to get me to sit up, ramrod straight. "Honestly, Percy, what would you do without me?"
My eyes adjusted to the light, and I saw Persephone sitting near my feet, wrapped in a dark robe. Her hands were wrapped around a steaming cup. I glared at her and said, "Sleep in, maybe? Enjoy my dreams? Get a good night's rest?"
"That's no way to talk to someone who just made you breakfast," Persephone said as she took a sip. Her hair fell around her shoulders, and the ends glistened with water. Some of the water droplets splattered against my bare leg, and I shivered. "I think the response you're looking for is: thank you, Sephy."
"Thank you, Sephy," I parroted, swinging my legs off the couch. Goosebumps were still dotting my body as I looked for my shirt. I tried to shake off the weird dream I'd had about Artemis. I would've preferred a pleasant dream about her. Or any goddess, for that matter. "What's on the menu? If it's anything pomegranate-related again, I'm just going to skip it."
I'd been living with Persephone for about a week.
After our little talk in the Underworld, I caved in and came to the mortal world with her. I really only planned on dinner—which we had on Olympus with my mom and Hestia. I was really craving the food from last time, and Persephone claimed she hadn't been in a long time, so we decided to go.
It's funny how rolling with two goddesses can basically give you a hall pass to do whatever you want. Some of the other options that were tossed out for dinner were in California, Vegas, and even France. If I was on better terms with Artemis, we probably could've had dinner on the moon.
But, again, Olympus won. Not that I'd ever complain about having the food of the gods. It sure tasted like it.
The guard downstairs almost fainted when Persephone demanded he let my mom come to Olympus. Unfortunately, thanks to my powers, I knew that he definitely peed his pants a little.
Speaking of my mom and Hestia, they were both incredibly angry at me. Apparently, when your entire school gets blown up and everyone you're friends with dies, it's kind of a big deal. I think I spent the first few minutes of the dinner stuck in a hug-headlock from my mom, and the next few minutes being fussed over by her and Hestia.
Your hair is too long now. You need to shave. You have monster blood on you. Why are you wearing a suit?
And then, somewhere between the appetizer and entree, Persephone, of course, had to let it slip that I was on a quest, and things sort of fell apart after that.
My mom forced me to come back home for a while. Yeah, I know I'm a grown man, but Sally Jackson isn't the kind of person you want to piss off. She doesn't need powers for that. Plus, two goddesses were on her side, so even if I didn't care about making her sad, there was divine intervention involved.
Not that it would ever reach that level. Making my mom sad was just about the last thing I wanted to do. Ever.
So, for two weeks, all I did was spend time at home with my mom and Hestia. Triton was there sometimes, too, but my mom had made me promise not to train. It wasn't on the Styx, but she was holding a kitchen knife, so it felt pretty binding at the moment.
I thought I was slick when I tried to go through the motions with Triton when my mom had her early morning ECON class—not technically training, mind you, but we were both pushed apart when a swathe of fire mysteriously exploded between us.
Hestia, who was lounging about on the balcony with a pitcher of iced tea, claimed it wasn't her, but I got the sense that I wasn't going to be doing anything involving training. The iced tea made up for it. Kind of.
Under Hestia's constant supervision, though, I wasn't allowed to do anything resembling training except going for light jogs on the beach and yoga. For some reason, it felt like everyone in my life was telling me to do the same thing: relax.
So, for two weeks, that's what I did.
It was like when I was little and I got those breaks for February vacation or whatever. I'd wake up late to breakfast made by either my mom or Hestia, spend the day surfing or lazing about on the beach, watch some television with Triton, and spend the night playing board games with my family.
It still feels weird to say that. My family.
Anyway, it was awesome.
My mom and I baked all the blue stuff we could—cookies, cake—we even tried to make a blue pizza with some food coloring. It didn't taste good, not in the slightest, but the way my mom laughed when I almost dropped it as I pulled it out of the oven made up for it.
We went surfing a few times, too. My dad must've been in a good mood since we had almost perfect weather every time we went. I'm proud of a lot of stuff I've been able to accomplish in the last couple of years, but seeing my mom lounge about in Montauk year-round is easily the best of them all.
Hestia showed me her new daytime hobby—teaching. She claimed that she got rather lonely when my mom and Triton went to school, so she found something to do. All while keeping echoes of herself at camp and at home, mind you.
Apparently, she'd gotten used to leaving traces of herself at home, just in case Aphrodite swung by. She hadn't done that for a while, though. Coincidentally, the timeline aligned with when I helped her reunite with Jason, but that part of it, I kept to myself.
I got to visit her preschool class during show and tell, and the kids made me macaroni art, so that was something. One of the kids offered me his lunch, but I politely declined. Another one threw up on me and ruined my new jeans.
After everyone got back from their daytime routines, we spent the chilly October nights watching Halloween movies, carving pumpkins, and just overall spending quality time together. We went to a haunted house once, and Triton got so scared that he shapeshifted into a turtle, and I was forced to carry him through.
I think he just does half of this stuff for the gag, honestly. That, and the fact that all the hot girls there wanted to take turns holding him. Actually, that's probably it.
You know, it's funny how life works out. When I was a kid, all I ever dreamed of was growing up and doing all the things I was doing right now.
We were poor, so I dreamed of a world where my mom and I never had to worry about money again. Check.
I felt lonely, so I dreamed of a loving family. The kind everyone at Yancy had—where I could do all the corny stuff everyone else did, like watching Halloween movies and cutting ghosts out of table sheets. Check again.
I used to think about how awesome it would be to drive a car, stay up as late as I wanted, eat ice cream for breakfast, have my own place, and make all my decisions. I was going to travel to far-off places, become a superhero, or maybe an astronaut, and I was definitely going to have a pet dragon. My imagination was limitless, and the future seemed like this boundless canvas just waiting for me to paint my dreams on it.
And, you know what? I did it. I grew up. I became an adult. I checked off all those things on my list. I got a kickass car, I stayed up until the early hours of the morning, I indulged in ice cream breakfasts, I moved into my own place, and I made choices, lots of them.
Some of the choices I made were good. Some of them were bad.
I've been around the block a few times, and the dragons have remained elusive, but I haven't given up on that dream just yet.
Here's the kicker, though: it feels empty.
As a kid, I couldn't wait to have the freedom to do whatever I wanted. But now, as an adult, with all that freedom in my hands, it's like I'm holding this puzzle, and I can't find the last piece to make it complete.
I've ticked off all the boxes on my childhood bucket list, and yet, it's strangely unsatisfying. It's not that those experiences are any less fun than I imagined; it's just that the enchantment has faded. It's like I'm missing that wide-eyed wonder, that unbridled curiosity that used to make every little thing an adventure. As a kid, the world was full of surprises and possibilities, but now, it feels like I've seen it all.
Maybe that's the paradox of growing up. You spend your whole childhood yearning to be an adult, to have the freedom to do anything you want. But then, when you finally get there, you realize that the magic wasn't in the things you could do but in the way you saw the world.
That realization cast a pallor over the rest of my time at home. Everything went from feeling fun and relaxing to stifling and monotonous. I was getting bored. Stir-crazy.
So, to deal with the weird feeling of monotony, Triton and I began going to Rucker Park at night.
In case you don't know what Rucker Park is, it's one of the most famous basketball courts in the world, period.
It used to just be some random court in Harlem, but all kinds of NBA legends hooped there at one point or another. Some of them played there before they became superstars, and some played after, but
Rucker Park quickly became a cult favorite in the sporting world.
We'd shoot around for a bit, get a bite at a bodega, and go home to play some video games. He thought getting some physical exercise and playing my favorite sport would help me. He was definitely right.
Now, in case you're still not sure why Rucker Park is a big deal, it brought the greatest NBA players, hip-hop artists, and celebrities from around the world to the same level as hundreds of young people. You could get home from school, go to the court, and play with an NBA player—granted, if you proved you were good enough.
And, well, I quickly found out I was.
Triton and I became local legends within a week of playing. Thanks to the Game, I was basically beyond the fitness of an Olympic athlete, and Triton was an actual god. While some of the dudes there at night were legit ballers, no question, Triton and I had a blend of chemistry and athleticism that was just too tough to deny.
Sure, we might give up a point or two, but everyone would forget about it when we'd come down the court a second later and Triton would throw me a lob that I'd funnel under my legs and slam home.
And, of course, everyone watching would lose their minds when Triton would just sit by the half-court line and sink every shot tossed his way. The man couldn't miss, and I couldn't be stopped in the paint. It was everyone's worst nightmare.
Twos quickly became threes, which turned into five on five before long. It got to the point where crowds would come and watch us play alongside some of Harlem's finest. One thing led to another, and one of the guys I ran with was on the Knicks.
He thought I was so impressive, he begged the GM to come watch me play. I impressed the guy, but he reminded me that I wasn't eligible for even a 10-day contract since I was still technically in high school.
He couldn't pay me, but he offered to let me come to team practices from time to time. Something about honing my skills and keeping interest.
Somewhere in the midst of all of that, Persephone showed up on our doorstep and asked me to go furniture shopping with her. She got an apartment in the same building as Aphrodite, and because it was so close to the practice arena, I started sleeping over some nights.
"French toast," Persephone said with a smile, breaking me out of my thoughts. I returned her smile, and she patted my shin, "And I made you a protein shake."
"As long as it's not as rancid as my dad's shakes," I said with a shudder as I pulled on my long-sleeve practice jersey. Persephone bounced over to the kitchen, where the table was set with a bowl of fruit, a pitcher of orange juice, and a basket of fresh bread. "If the FDA catches wind of what that dude's up to, he's going to do hard time behind bars."
"Or Hestia," Persephone added. She bit the end of a strawberry and sucked some of the juice that dribbled out. Her lips were unusually red this morning. "I can't believe they're related."
"Yeah, it's hard to believe for me, too," I agreed, brushing my teeth in front of Persephone's sink. My voice came out muffled as I added, "He's not too good at cooking, either."
"You know I hate it when you do that," Persephone groaned from behind me as she set my plate down. "I have a bathroom for a reason!"
"Yeah, where the countertop is full of products," I said, pausing my brushing for a moment. My toothbrush dangled out of the left side of my mouth. "Aren't you a goddess? Can't you shapeshift?"
"It's not about the look," Persephone turned her nose up in the air. "It's about the routine. And, I like the routine."
"Mmhm."
Once I was done brushing, I settled in across from Persephone and began digging in. To her credit, her shake was really good. It tasted like a Milky Way bar. That reminded me to ask, "Are you going to leave some candy out tonight?"
"Huh?" Persephone looked up from her avocado toast. "Why would I do that?"
"It's Halloween," I reminded her. I gestured toward the door. "Didn't you see the flyers everywhere? All the kids are going to dress up and probably knock on your door. You don't want to disappoint the cuties, do you?"
"I won't," Persephone placed her fork down. Her eyes glittered with emotion as if the idea of some little kids knocking on her door and not getting candy was preposterous. "We'll go shopping after you get back from practice."
"Speaking of which," I said, my eyes drifting to the clock above her oven. I shoved some French toast into my mouth and said, "I should get going. Thanks for the breakfast!"
"Bye, Percy!"
After saying bye to the doorman, I began sprinting down the sidewalk. My stomach growled, and I found myself wishing I had eaten more breakfast, but I was already late since I was going to practice on foot today.
Usually, I'd take a cab to the facility downtown, but since it was Halloween, The Knicks were holding practice at an intercity high school south of the stadium. That meant that theoretically I could get there on foot and save, like, thirty bucks, so I'd be an idiot not to do it, right?
I found it a little bit odd that we had practice on Halloween, but some of the guys on the team mentioned that the Halloween fundraiser was always a hit. Something about a bunch of NBA players wearing goofy costumes and chucking candy at little kids really opens up the wallets of investors.
New York streets were a pleasure to run on. Nowhere else in the world would I be able to see two rats fighting over a bag of chips, a hobo passed out on a street bench with clown makeup on, and an important-looking guy in a suit eating a hot dog with a fork and knife, all in the span of ten seconds.
Before I could really hit my stride, though, I almost fell over as I ran into this guy in a trench coat and a balaclava.
"My bad, man," I said, brushing some dirt off my shorts. I offered him a hand up, only to find myself staring down the barrel of a gun.
"Run your shit," He growled as he scampered to his feet. His chest heaved, and his fingertips were gripping the gun so tightly, they turned white.
"Oh, this is too funny," I cracked a grin. I couldn't fully see his expression, but the way his eyes widened meant that he was probably a little bit confused. "Dude, I'm like the absolute last person in this city you want to rob. Do you know how funny it is that out of every single person in this city you could've chosen to rob, you chose me? Boy, you must've pissed off Lady Luck."
"Funny? Nothing's funny around here. Do I sound like I'm joking, homie?" The gun bobbed. I noticed a slight tremor in his hand. Some people who were walking by stopped, and in particular, an old lady looked more frightened than everyone else. "Run. Your. Shit."
"Alright," I raised my hands. I shook my head at him and said, "You got it. I'll run it."
[Time Dilation] flared to life, and the world crawled to a standstill around me.
For starters, I took the gun out of his hands. I slipped the clip out, emptied the bullets, and tossed it somewhere into the alleyway.
Next, I pulled his pants down, tied his shoes together, wrapped his jacket around his arms, and tightened. For good measure, I removed his balaclava and put it back on him inside-out, so he couldn't see anything.
The world resumed, and I pushed the robber backward as he basically floundered up and down like a fish.
"You showed him! Here. A good boy deserves a reward," The old lady's voice sounded like a distant whisper. I turned, and there she stood, like a figure seemingly plucked from an ancient painting. Her porcelain skin contrasted starkly with her coal-black eyes. She extended a frail hand, offering a butterscotch candy. A quick look at her stats showed that she was just human, which was kind of confusing.
Don't be rude, Percy, A voice that sounded like Triton said in my head. Take the creepy old lady's candy.
The golden candy glistened like some of the fruit in the Underworld did. I took it cautiously. My fingertips felt warm as I turned it over in my hand.
"Be careful out there, sonny," She cooed. "It's Halloween, you know. Strange things stir on this night. The veil between realms grows thin, and the shadows hold secrets even the bravest souls dare not unveil." Her words lingered in the air, heavy with cryptic meaning.
I felt a chill creeping over me, one that had nothing to do with the October breeze.
I felt like I was in the early stages of one of those Spooktober Disney movies. If the formula was anything to follow, somewhere in the next half an hour, I'd meet some mirror version of myself and we'd both fight a witch or something.
"Sure, ma'am," I said with a pleasant smile. I'd been so involved with the Greeks lately, I'd all but forgotten that creepy mortals existed, too. There was no way you'd catch me eating the candy she gave me. "I'll be careful."
"You should, dear," She added with a smile. "Samhain was considered to be a moment when the veil between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest. Old gods had to be placated with gifts and sacrifice, and the trickery of fairies was an even greater risk than usual."
"Fairies?" I repeated, keeping my expression pleasant. Someone had to get their cuckoo grandma off the streets! "Like Tinker Bell, ma'am?"
"Mm. I fear that the robber may be the least of your worries tonight, young one," The old woman said, heaving a great sigh. "I sense a shadow clinging to your aura, a specter of guilt. Be mindful of your own inner demons. On this night, the boundary between the living and the dead is blurred. It's not only the past that comes back to haunt us."
"Right," I said as the woman kept looking at me intently. I put the candy in my pocket and gestured toward the school. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm running late for practice, and…"
She waved off my awkwardness. "Oh, please, don't let the ramblings of an old woman stop you! Have a great day!"
"You too!"
The rest of the way to the high school was more or less easy. I did, however, see an actual sea of reporters as I got to the front steps, though.
Flashes of light exploded like wayward fireflies, casting an otherworldly glow that danced around me. A thousand different voices yelled out their questions, merging into a chaotic choir that filled the crisp October air.
"Are you new on the team?"
"Did you play overseas?"
"Is it true that you beat Julius Randle in a one-on-one yesterday?"
I paused at that one and grinned, "Yep. Shut-out. He didn't even score."
The flashes doubled, and it felt like even more voices were talking now. "Are you going to join the Knicks on a 10-day contract?"
I raised my hands and tried to wade through the crowd that was converging. The atmosphere turned heavy with a sense of foreboding. "Not at the moment. That's certainly a discussion for later."
I found myself rooted in place as the reporters surrounded me. "Do you have concrete plans on joining the league?"
"Er, yes, once I'm eligible."
"Do you think the Knicks will take you?"
"I certainly hope I can convince them to do so, yes."
"Why are you forsaking all of the people who are counting on you to save them?"
My blood ran cold. "Wait, what? Who said that?"
"You can't run from your fate, Perseus!" The reporters disappeared from my field of vision as the world turned on its head, and my vision faded to blank.
I appeared in a grand hall.
Double rows of stone pillars held up a ceiling so high, you could've parked a blimp under it with no trouble. A shimmering blue carpet that looked like water ran down the center of the hall.
There was a pinging noise, accompanied by a small message in the bottom right of my vision: WELCOME, [PERSEUS JACKSON]. PROCEED.
Balls of fire floated around like helium basketballs, changing color whenever they bumped into one another. Millions of tiny symbols drifted through the air, randomly combining, and then breaking apart.
"Great," I muttered. The last time I was here, it had been right after Oceanus almost broke my mind. "The home screen. I don't even know how to get out of here. Thanks, Fates. I've always meant 'fighting fate' in a philosophical way, but I might take it more literally, soon."
Between the columns on either side of me, images shifted, coming into focus and then blurring out again, like holograms in the middle of a sandstorm. The first twenty feet or so, the magical scenes cast a golden light across the hall.
And, unlike last time, there was no mythology on display for me. All I could see were other versions of me. Percy Jacksons around the multiverse. There were floating letters near the images, but remembering what happened last time with Monaxia, I kept my distance.
I walked along the side of the hall, hoping that like last time, a way out would reveal itself in either the form of Heket or just the Game.
Some of the frames rippled as I walked past. Some stayed black.
The first interesting one I saw was playing on a loop behind a frame that looked like it was crafted from a polished, gunmetal-colored metal. It was adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to dance like interstellar constellations as I walked past.
At the center of the frame, a masterfully detailed image was captured in suspended animation. A man, dressed in attire that blended ancient mysticism with futuristic technology, stood tall and resolute. He held an orange lightsaber aloft, its blade extending with a brilliant and fiery intensity that contrasted beautifully with the cool blue hues of the frame.
"Star Wars? There's a version of me out there in Star Wars?" I muttered, pausing to read the words on top of the frame. Universe 66. The Maw.
That version of me looked around my age, if not a little bit older. His visage was a portrait of determination, his eyes focused on an unseen adversary. His posture radiated an aura of unwavering confidence. The orange glow of his lightsaber illuminated his features, casting dramatic shadows that highlighted the strength in his expression.
I almost yelped as he turned to face me. It was like my presence activated him.
His lips looked like they were glowing because of his lightsaber, and his eyes bore right into mine. "You don't have to know where you are going or what you are going to do. You just have to find a path forward."
The frame turned to black, and the words on top of the frame glittered. This time, they were followed by: Go to Universe?
Hell no! I've got enough on my plate, and the last thing I want is to end up getting hunted down by Darth Vader, or something! I speed-walked away.
"I hate my life," I groaned as I walked past a frame entitled Universe 176, Promises Kept. The frame rippled for a second, and I saw a pair of glowing, silver eyes that reminded me of Artemis for a moment before the image faded to black. "Come on, fates. If you're going to bring me back here, at least give me some instructions! Stupid old bats."
A gong sounded somewhere off in the distance and the ground underneath me opened up like an interdimensional trapdoor.
"I take it back!" With a yelp, I found myself hurtling down a spiraling tunnel. My arms burned from the sides of it—it was kind of like one of those fully metallic slides in the summertime.
I craned my neck, trying to get a better understanding of where I was. It didn't really help.
I felt like I somehow fell into an abstract painting. The world around me was a kaleidoscope of colors, a swirling mix of galaxies and nebulas, like something out of a sci-fi movie on super steroids. The air around me shimmered with stardust as I tried to get my bearings.
My stomach somersaulted more times than I could count, but the thrill was undeniable. I was grinning like an idiot.
Finally, after what felt like both an eternity and the blink of an eye, the slide deposited me unceremoniously into a vast, featureless sea of white that was flickering with images.
It was like flipping through a cosmic TV channel, each momentary flash switching from fields to a volcano, to a bustling cityscape.
After a while, the white settled on the image of a valley that was so picturesque, it could've been on a postcard.
It looked like it spread several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains, and stretches of forest. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the center and round the perimeter, like a capital G.
The geography could've been anywhere in northern California – live oaks and eucalyptus trees, gold hills, and blue skies. That big inland mountain—-Mount Diablo—rose in the distance, right where it should be, according to a map I'd seen in seventh grade.
In the center of the valley, nestled by the lake, was a small city of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. I could see an open plaza with free-standing columns, fountains, and statues.
A five-story-tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack. Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings—temples, if I had to guess.
Several stone bridges crossed the river as it wound through the valley and, in the north, a long line of brickwork arches stretched from the hills into the town.
About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes. Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers.
A wide gateway opened on the far side of the camp, leading towards the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity: dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armor. I heard the clank of hammers at a forge and smelled meat cooking over a fire.
It was kind of cool and all, but it took about five more seconds for me to realize it wasn't just an image anymore—it was reality. And I was hurtling right for it, like a meteor through the sky.
And then, before I could even blink, I was sprawled on the ground.
"Well, that sucked," I muttered, sitting up. I experimentally moved my arms and fingers. I wiggled my toes. "All good in terms of injuries. Nothing feels broken, anyway."
Shimmering purple warriors stood outside the armory, polishing ethereal swords. Others hung out in front of the barracks. A ghostly boy chased a ghostly dog down the street. At the stables, a big glowing red dude with the head of a wolf guarded a herd of what looked like a horde of unicorns.
The ghosts began to take notice of me. As I got to my feet, the spirits stopped what they were doing and stared at me. A few looked angry.
"Don't mind me," I gave them a nervous chuckle. One of the ghosts went from translucent to an angry red, and I figured it was in my best interest to keep it moving. "I'll just be…yeah, I'm going to go."
Some of the trees were turning varying shades of orange and red. My sneakers crunched on dry leaves as I tried to put as much distance between myself and the ghosts as I could.
I eventually wandered until a point where two wide stone-paved roads met at a T. A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as via praetoria.
The other road was labeled via principalis.
Wherever I was, the place looked pretty clean and orderly. The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy math teacher. Some of the people on the street waved to me, which I thought was kind of weird, but I just waved back and paid it no mind.
The barracks had shady porches, where campers lounged in hammocks or played cards and drank sodas. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals—eagle, bear, wolf, horse, and something that looked like a hamster.
Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armor, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment, and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTI LOCK BRAKES, NO DENARII DOWN!
At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building— a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank. Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.
Even though [Observe] wasn't working, my instincts told me this was probably the place I'd get some help.
"Going for a different look today, sir?" The guard on the left asked. He looked kind of short, but he had a stocky build. Based on his voice, I'd peg him around fifteen. Maybe fourteen. I waited a few beats before replying, but that was enough to send the kid into a frenzy. He squeaked, "Not that your other look is any worse. Or better. It's good. Equally as good. Not that it would've made any difference—"
"Frank," The second guard, who I noticed was a girl, butted in firmly. She was darker-skinned, with curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. She looked younger than Frank— maybe thirteen. Her sword scabbard came down almost to her ankle. Still, she sounded like she was the one in charge. "Welcome back, sir. Reyna is waiting for you in the principia."
"Thanks."
The principia was even more impressive inside. On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of what I guessed was Romulus and Remus under Lupa, who unfortunately looked nowhere near as attractive as I remembered.
The floor was covered in polished marble, but, oddly enough, the walls were draped in velvet, so I felt like I was inside the world's most expensive camping tent.
Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals—military symbols, I guessed. Even if they weren't any symbols I could recall ever seeing.
In the center was one empty display stand, as if the main banner had been taken down for cleaning or something. In the back corner, a stairwell led down. It was blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door.
In the center of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans and candy bars, which seemed kind of out of place, until I saw an in-progress banner that read: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Two life-sized statues of greyhounds—one silver, one gold—flanked the table, where two people were in the middle of an argument.
"—you couldn't. I mean, babe, even I couldn't," A feminine voice said. She sounded tired, but her voice carried an undertone of warmth. I'd wager she was talking to someone she cared about. "He's annoying, but he's useful. Sort of."
"Fine. I still hate the slimy little fuck," I heard my own voice reply, and I almost tripped. "How do you ruin Halloween for the kids? Spouting off all kinds of stuff about how any kids who dress up will be cursed by the gods. Pah! One more prophecy about the Son of Neptune, and I'm kicking his scrawny butt—" The voice stopped abruptly. "Argentum, Aurum. What is it?"
The greyhounds weren't statues, after all, I realized, as the metallic creatures began moving toward me, their glinting noses sniffing the air. Normally I liked dogs, but these ones glared at me with ruby eyes. Their fangs looked sharp as razors.
The two people swam into view as I stepped further into the room.
The girl I'd heard talking earlier was standing rigidly, her hand resting on her hip. She was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armor. Her chest was decorated with medals. She must have been about my age, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair.
The dude sitting at the table? You guessed it.
It was like looking in a mirror. Well, almost.
This version of me had a blood-red eye, and cropped black hair, like pictures of Julius Caesar I'd seen. He was wearing the same purple cloak as the girl. He looked like he was a few inches shorter than me, but his shoulders were broader, and his arms were more defined.
Well, his arm. He was missing his left arm. The shirt he was wearing underneath his cloak hung loosely around his left shoulder.
"Ah," Percy—Zeus, that feels weird to say out loud—said. The girl looked me up and down, and her cheeks turned red, right as her nostrils flared. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon, homie. You look young."
"I'm so confused right now," I admitted, eyeing the other version of me warily. He grinned and grabbed a fistful of jelly beans. "Is this a dream? Some payback from the Fates?"
"Nah, none of that, dude," Percy chuckled, talking around a mouthful of candy. His eye was emanating a weird sense of coldness, not unlike the feeling I got around Khione. "This is as real as it gets."
"Would you care to explain, honey?" The girl asked. I gave her a quick up-down, analyzing her stance. She had the poise of a sword fighter— relaxed yet vigilant, as if ready to spring into action at any moment. The worry lines around her eyes made her look older than she probably was. "Is this one of the pranks you promised?"
"I will, eventually," He waved off her concern. I noticed how she stood closely by his left side, the one where he was missing an arm. Her hand was resting on his neck protectively. There was something intimate about the gesture that made my insides feel kind of fuzzy. "I wish I had planned this, though. This is a good prank. Damn, this is trippy. Am I the first multiverse you've been to?"
"No," I replied instantly. Monaxia's face flashed through my mind. "I've been to…a few others. How do you…"
"I think this is a conversation we need to have alone," Percy said seriously, and the girl behind him tensed a little. It was like someone flicked a switch—Percy stood straighter, and his purple cloak billowed. It had more medals than the girl's. "Reyna. I need the room."
The girl nodded, slowly removing her hand from his neck and walking out of the room, but not before giving me a distrustful look. The door closed behind me, and Percy nodded toward the seat. "Sit. This is going to be a hard conversation."
I took a seat across from my doppelganger. He nudged the candy bowl my way, and I unwrapped a Snickers. "It is?"
"Nah," He smirked. "You just got me with that one, so I wanted to get you back."
"I got you with that one?" I repeated incredulously, biting into the candy bar. "I've never met you before."
"Not you now, but you later. It gets confusing," Percy sighed. The edge of the table in front of him crackled with ice as he drummed his fingers on the table. "I'm guessing you've experienced this before, but to some extent, our powers are multiversal. Think of the greater universe like a bag—all of the possible multiverses are grouped inside of it, like a bunch of tiny little marbles. The Game lets us move between those marbles at will."
I pressed my hands to my temple. The candy wasn't helping me feel that much better. "How?"
"If you have to ask me, I can't tell you," Percy replied calmly. His chair creaked a bit as he stood up, the left sleeve of his shirt dangling by his side. His medals made a loud clink noise as they hit each other. "Not unless you want your ears to be assaulted by the worst noise you've ever heard. You see, alternate realities are separated by vibrating on different universal frequencies, and the Game, without giving anything away, lets us manipulate the rate of our own molecular vibration. There are rules to it, though. I can't give you specifics about things you're not allowed to know, or the buffer that keeps you alive in this reality starts to wane a little, and you begin vibrating all out of sync."
I remembered the horrible noise I'd heard from before, when Monaxia and I met for the first time, "So the noise is just what your universe would sound like to me if the Game wasn't keeping me alive?"
"Essentially. Without it, you'd be torn in shreds, too, so there's also that," His shoulder moved a little as if he was trying to gesture, so I figured the arm injury was relatively new. Percy gave me a tight smile as he noticed my line of sight. "So…what brings you here?"
"You said we met," I interrupted, glancing at him. "How is that possible?"
"To tell you the truth, man, I don't know," Percy admitted. His blood-red eye seemed to swirl a little. "This whole multiverse thing is confusing enough, without the time-travel thing, too. All you said I needed to know was that the Fates bring you to where you need to be, when you need to be there."
"Okay…but if I meet you in the future now, and I tell you all these things, will it be because you told me them now or because I would've said them anyway?"
"None of that is important," Percy affirmed, scratching the golden dog behind the ears. It happily wagged its tail. "You've suffered a loss, haven't you?"
My eyes widened, not that Percy seemed to care. He kept his back to me and continued talking, "Yeah. Same thing happened to me. It's when I met you, actually. I was thirteen, maybe fourteen. I led my first quest, an expedition to Alaska to retrieve an artifact our legion lost long ago. I was cocky. Overconfident. Because of the Game, I was already stronger than most people at camp. I was on pace to become the strongest demigod ever. Long story short, the quest went sideways. Almost everyone with me died. My oldest friend, Dakota, my mentor, Gwen. Even Jason almost died."
I watched my doppelganger pace back and forth behind the table. "Jason Grace?"
"The one and only. He's…alive, but we're not on good terms. He kind of went off the deep end when we got back. Sometimes I think it would've been less cruel to everyone if we just let him die," Percy sighed, leaning over his chair. "I lost myself for a while after that. Didn't eat. Didn't sleep. I just grinded [EXP] by slaughtering every monster in my path and leveled up my skills at the start, but after a while, I couldn't even do that. And yeah, I had [Gamer's Mind] to help me deal with the feelings, but even that wasn't enough after a while. I wasn't hurt, nor was I sad…I just lost the will to fight. My friends were dead and my brother in everything but blood defected to the other side, and my creed to Rome all but demanded I kill him on sight."
"That sounds rough, man," I spoke up.
"It was. That's when I heard this voice, and I was transported into this weird hall, where I met Heket for the first time," Percy bit his lip. "And, then, of course, where I met you. You mentioned that you'd meet me, too, eventually."
I asked what I felt like was the most logical question. "So did we ever figure out why this happens?"
"Kind of. When you're navigating the tricky waters of mythological worlds, you tend to run into a lot of beings who consider themselves all-powerful. It's easy to get lost in the dazzling lights, the celestial powers, and the grandeur of it all. Some claim to be gods, some might even be more potent, but it doesn't change the one fundamental truth I've learned: true power, genuine strength, isn't something that can be quantified by the number of monsters you've defeated or the realms you've traversed. It's all about using it correctly," Percy explained. He exhaled slowly, "And that's my theory for why this…trip…is that it happens to us when we're questioning how to move forward and use our own power."
My eyes narrowed. "So, what, you're here to tell me we can't take breaks? I take two weeks off to relax and suddenly the whole world goes sideways?"
"It's deeper than that, and we both know it. You can't lie to yourself, Jackson," Percy replied firmly. "Breaks are fine, everyone deserves a break. You wouldn't be here if you were just taking a break, though. You're here because it runs deeper than that. You're avoiding the truth."
"I'm not avoiding it," I scoffed. "I am just taking a break. If I keep doing these quests, I'll turn into a killing machine or something. Mom always said that that my humanity—"
"—is your greatest strength, I know. She says it to me too," Percy said with a soft smile. It died, however, as he added, "But I don't think you're thinking this through correctly. Yeah, doing quests over and over can feel robotic at times, but you're still thinking like you're just a random mortal demigod."
"Am I not?"
"Now I know how you must've felt," Percy grumbled under his breath. He walked in front of the glittering mosaic of Romulus and Remus, and we were face to face. "I can sense a deeper power in you, so even in the most literal sense, you're not fully mortal anymore, but even if you were just a demigod, you and I both know that the Game protects us."
"It protects us?"
"Of course. Any other teen in the world would've gone off their rocker if they went through half of the suffering and loss we have," Percy replied. "The Game protects us from that. In a lot of ways, it maintains our humanity despite what we do. People think that to become a warrior of legendary proportions, you need to give up their humanity, or that somehow burning the stick at both ends will break you. It doesn't for us. We're not like other mortals, or even other gods, for that matter. The emotions we feel don't have to drag us down if we don't want them to. Our bodies stay as strong as they were at their peak, even if we go months without training. Humanity isn't a factor for us in terms of waking up tomorrow and becoming evil, or insane, or something. It's the opposite—it's the essence of our humanity that gives us the strength to face the divine and the monstrous. The love for our friends, the empathy for those in need, and the unwavering determination in the face of overwhelming odds—these are the traits that make us powerful. That's why losing your friends made you question everything. Not because you somehow think you're going to go crazy, but because you lost some of what made you fight."
"Have you been practicing that one in front of a mirror?" I joked. "10/10, though. You really drove it home toward the end."
"I'm a praetor, kid. I'm used to rattling off awe-inspiring speeches," Percy replied, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You get it, though, right? Maintaining your humanity is a reservoir of power waiting to be unleashed, not a glass ball in your chest that might break if it's hit hard enough. It's the memories of laughter shared around the campfire, the tears shed for fallen friends, and the unyielding hope for a better world that fuels our battles. I've met a few Percy's around the multiverse, and I'll tell you, straight up—it's what drives us."
"I think you're right," I admitted, sighing. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair. "I have been running a little bit. Just a little bit, though."
"It's understandable. Trust me, we've all been there. I wouldn't have ever gotten out of my funk if it wasn't for Reyna," Percy nodded back toward the door. "Well, that, and the Game was getting harder to hide. It was one thing when I was just pulling out all kinds of moves no one had seen on the mat, but once I got into things like beams of light and flying, things became a little bit hard to explain."
"How did you deal with that?" I asked curiously. "Because I just got my first flying skill, and I'm not too sure how to explain it if people start asking questions."
"Hah, I just lied," Percy chuckled. The silver dog from before trotted over to him and got on its back, and Percy scratched its stomach. "It needs to be a believable lie, though. Like, uh, for me, I said it was when I recovered the eagle for our legion. I made up some lie about how it held onto some of the power of everyone who wielded it before me, and that when I used it for the first time, it fed back into me or something. People were skeptical, but they believed it after a while."
"Damn, I need to find some convenient way to do it, now," I groaned, and Percy laughed. "Thanks for the pep talk, though. I think I learned a thing or two."
"No need to thank me. You did the same thing for me. Or you will, anyway," Percy shook his head and leaned against the desk. "You're probably not done yet, though. I'm probably just step one."
"Yeah, I figured," I bit the inside of my cheek. "Oh, well. I guess I'll try to learn as much as I can before I go back."
"That's the spirit, sport," Percy replied, grinning. He gave me a bear hug. "You'll be alright. I think I've done my part, though, since the skill is back up."
"What skill?" I asked warily, but Percy's grin just grew wider as he snapped his fingers, and a purple portal opened up. This time, glimpses of all tiny little worlds flooded into view, each one the size of a marble.
I felt myself get dragged toward the portal. The wind whipping from inside the portal made my hair flatten against the top of my head.
"Come visit once you figure out how to work things. We can spar a little," Percy remained unaffected as he unwrapped another candy bar. "Just remember to use the Game. More than you are now, for sure. You need to be strong for the battles ahead. See you later, fotisménos!"
Part 2 down. Two more, and more multiverses to go to!
Cameos included in this chapter:
- The Star Wars version of Percy, Universe 66, was graciously included by Manke, who is one of my favorite writers out there right now. I think his Pertemis story has the most promise out of the ones I've seen so far. Specifically, his Percy is from his story called First, I'm not a Jedi. It's a must-read if you're into PJO and Star Wars. A quick synopsis is that Percy ends up floating in the ocean of Kamino with no memories and he's recruited to battle the Sith. I won't say much more, but HUGE shoutout to Manke, again, and please check out his work. He's awesome.
- Universe 176 is, of course, a reference to Starblade176 and Everlasting Promises. He didn't reply to my DM, so I didn't use his Percy, but I still wanted to pay homage to the story that got me into PJO fanfiction, so yeah.
Lots more cameos to come! See y'all soon...