Chapter 10: My Mum's old boyfriend's Ex-girlfriend

"Everyone is an atheist until they clog the toilet in someone else's house"

Sun Tzu


Percy slapped himself in the face.

Stupid, stupid idiot, he told himself. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. Had he seriously abandoned his friends because he couldn't take some criticism? Percy wanted to kick himself in the back.

It'd been about half an hour since he ran away from Annabeth and Grover. But that was long enough for his common sense to kick back in and realise how much of an idiot he truly was.

Annabeth had been right. He'd let Mrs Dodds get to him, let his anger get the best of him and because of it, he shot some lightning that had entirely destroyed his supplies. He remembered Chiron's words. About how he had his father's short temper, could easily be winded up, and how easily he let himself get out of control. What would his mother say if she knew what he'd just done?

He swallowed a sob as he thought about her. He didn't want to believe what Mrs Dodds had said to him, but he needed to get there fast if Hades was torturing her. And to get there, he would need Annabeth and Grover's help. He needed to find both of them fast.

Besides, he owed both of them a huge apology.

The problem was Percy had no clue where he was. He wasn't exactly paying attention to where he'd flown; he'd kind of just let the winds carry him off.

Swish

Percy whipped around. He'd just heard a scuttling noise, and knowing his luck, it was possibly a monster.

Swish

He turned around again. The sounds came from all around him. He couldn't quite pinpoint where exactly it came from. He rubbed his ring, and his spear shot into his hands. He flexed his left hand, and the shield Luke gave him willed into existence.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw a slithery length of darkness pounce straight at him. He barely had a moment to react as it coiled itself around his body. He looked down to see… a snake?

"Well, well well. The hatchling of the lord." it rasped in his ears. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Lord?" Percy asked. "Who are you talking about?"

"Never mind that little one. We've been waiting years for your awakening. Now, you are aware of the truth of this world. The realm hidden from mortals. Do you really wish to stay there?"

"What on earth…." Percy struggled against the snake as it tightened its grip around him. "...are you talking about?"

"The quest of course," it hissed in his ears. A shudder involuntarily ran through his back at the cold hissing so close to his ear drums. The slimy creature had a tight hold of his body, unwilling to let Percy free. "Why barter with those deceitful, backstabbing gods? They see you merely as a tool, a pawn to carry out their bidding whilst giving you nothing in return. Why serve them, the very people you're supposed to oppose?"

Percy frowned in confusion. "Supposed to oppose?"

The snake hissed in a weird three-part harmony. Percy suspected it was some kind of laugh.

"Of course, look at your blood. Your parentage, your father. See your own nature. Why defend the gods, child? They are the natural enemy of the being whose essence is in your veins. Find the lightning bolt child. But, do not return it. Why waste its power. It's destructive energy. Bring it to the depths of the Erebos. Claim the unknown power destined for you. Destroy the gods. Strike down the seat of power. They have done nothing but blame you for their petty reasons. They want you dead for simply existing. Show them the power you possess. Make them kneel at your feet. Use it to bring back your mother from the gates of the underworld. You can give her a fresh chance. A new life, one of a queen. She would never need to suffer again."

Percy faltered for a moment. "My mother? She'll never suffer again?"

"Of course. And you'll know vengeance. Hades and Zeus will learn to never underestimate you. Poseidon will regret ever abandoning you and your mother."

Percy's mind was whirling with everything being fed to him. "And what about the demigods?"

"What of them? Do you truly feel kinship to them?" the snake replied, slithering past the back of his neck. "Children of the gods they are. They'll never truly accept you. Blood of the titans are their natural enmity. At the slightest notion of hearing you being related to one, they instantly turned on you, did they not? Refused to acknowledge you at all. And just recently. Did the daugher of Athena not mock you condescendingly. She defied you for using your rightful powers against the Furies, a servent of the god Hades. What right does she have to challenge you? You, the son of a king. Make them submit to you. Either they accept your power, or you remind them why they should learn to fear you."

Percy's mind turned with all the information that the snake told him. Some part of him, a darker entity inside him, agreed with what the snake said. How dare they question him? What gives them the right to question his almighty power? How could they turn on him just for who his father was? And his mother? He could give her a better life. She deserved to live like a queen, in peace, without any problems. But then he remembered what she'd told him before this whole madness started.

"Promise me that no matter what, you'll never give into the darkness, you'll never let your anger consume you. You'll choose to do what's right. Promise me Percy."

His mind cleared. What happened on the bus was his fault. He lost control and destroyed it. And despite shunning him, quite a lot of them still came to wish him luck on his quest. They may not have been in the right at the beginning, but was he either? They all had their own flaws. And the gods? Well, he would always face problems from them, but he had family up there as well. Family who were willing to step up for his sake. He couldn't just leave them hanging and oppose their efforts.

"You can shove your annoying offer up your butt. I may have my problems with the gods. But at the very least, some of them care for me. Get off me!"

With that, he wriggled his right hand free. Then, gripping his spear, he angled it downwards, and with all his strength, he stabbed the tip against the snake.

The good news, he managed to kill the snake.

The bad news, he underestimated his own strength. The spear didn't stop at the snake. Instead, it swung right past and hit his shin.

Percy let out an earth-shattering roar of pain. In that moment, he understood what Chiron meant, that stygian iron could absorb an essence. He could feel the spear go colder, and his muscles shrivel against the tip, almost like they were being sucked into the spear.

His brain went into overdrive. He needed to get the spear out quickly before it caused damage to his bones or, worse, his internal organs.

He bit his tongue to prevent another yell of pain. With trembling hands, he gripped his spear, and with all his might, he lodged it out of his legs. His vision dimmed momentarily as intense waves of pain rumbled through his body. The cold bite of the Stygian Iron kept his mind awake as he considered options to heal his wound. He didn't have his supplies nor any medical items. He needed to do something to slow down the injury till he could properly treat it. He retracted his spear and flipped his coin, summoning his bow. He wasn't in a situation to fight, but at the very least, he could use his hands to draw an arrow if there were any other threats nearby.

He rested his left hand on the earth below him, trying to steady his body and breath. His heart was racing at impossible speeds, and he could almost hear the blood rushing.

"I need to slow down my injury," Percy thought, closing his eyes in concentration. "Somehow."

Slowly, the earth reacted to him. Small vines from the trees near him extended towards his shin. His eyes widened as he gripped his bow, ready to defend himself from another attack. But instead, it caressed past his skin and gently wrapped itself around his legs, tightening the skin around his wound. Within a few moments, there were a few feet of earthly vines wrapped around his body tightly. The pain lessened a bit. It was still prominent, but at the very least, he could walk on it without cursing out loud.

Percy didn't understand what had happened. Somehow the soil around him had reacted to his pain and had helped him. But how? He didn't have power over the earth and soil? That was Demeter's thing. And vines didn't exactly come from the underworld unless Hades had started redecorating.

Percy smacked himself.

Kronos, Titan of Time and Agriculture

Agriculture

Hence where Demeter claimed her powers from. And why she also wielded a scythe.

He doubted he had enough control to actually bend the earth; that wasn't even Kronos's domain. That belonged to his psychotic mother, Gaia. But vines? That was simple enough.

Percy groaned. He hated relying on his father's powers, but so far, they were the only thing that had kept him alive the past two weeks. Ironic

"You shouldn't fear his power."

Percy almost yelped in fear as he drew his bow. He found himself face-to-face with… a woman?

He studied her closely, trying to determine whether she was a threat to him. She was a gorgeous woman. Her face looked like royalty, with long black hair flowing down her shoulders. Definitely not someone who would be walking around in the woods. She looked very similar to Hestia, but there was enough of a difference to separate her from the other goddess. Besides, he couldn't see her face too clearly as the trees cast a shadow over her eyes. Still, he felt like he knew her.

"Who are you?" Percy asked, trying not to tremble as he knocked an arrow.

"Really Perseus?" she chided him. "You don't recognise your own sister? Considering I convinced my husband to not kill you, I'd expect a bit more gratitude than an arrow aimed at me. Besides, that won't do anything except mildly annoy me."

"Sister?" Percy asked, trying to connect the dots. "You're one of the…." He gasped as he saw what she was wearing. She wore an elegant dress covered in a light fur jacket. A diadem rested on the top of her head. But what gave it away was the plumage of feathers flowing beside her arms. Peacock feathers.

"Lady Hera." He instantly dropped his arrow and tried to kneel down, not wanting to offend her. Well, technically, he was already on one knee. She raised her hand, gesturing for him to stop.

"You've got yourself in quite the conundrum already, considering it's your first day on the quest." She smiled as she bent down slightly and placed her index finger above his wound. He felt some warmth enter his legs as the pain began to recede.

"Did you heal me?" Percy asked as he managed to stand on both his feet somewhat easier. She shook her head.

"Merely relieved the pain. You'll have to figure out how to fix the damage you've caused to your body. As you're aware, godly interference isn't exactly going to make Zeus happy."

"So, what are you doing here?" Percy asked. He must have sounded a bit too cautious as Hera narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know I didn't have to help you. What have I done to earn your mistrust already?"

"Well," Percy considered how to voice his words. He didn't want to offend the goddess, especially since she'd just helped him, but he remembered Chiron's warning. "You can't blame me for being a bit cautious. You're not exactly known for helping heroes. The myths show your hatred for many demigods."

Hera let out a sigh, her anger changing into… sorrow? Looking at her, Percy couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for her. "Because of the whole thing with Hercules? Honestly I get so much bad PR because of it."

"PR?" Percy asked incredulously. She carried on.

"But imagine being me. I can't have any demigod children as my promise when marrying Zeus. Nor can I have anyone to guide or help, or bring honour to my name. Every one of my fellow Olympians have some form of mortal being to carry forward their will. Can you blame me for my bitterness against heroes?"

Percy could see where she was coming from. Being alienated from other people was something he could understand. And being married to someone who loved you but still fathered other children could really grate on someone.

Hera continued. "Also, you're family. A child of our father makes you our brother. It's why I wish to help you; why I want to ensure your success. I'm the goddess of family Perseus. And you're my brother. Believe it or not, but I'm simply here for your benefit. It's why I gave you the very bow you hold in your hands right now."

Percy looked back at his bow. He remembered that in its coin form, it had an engraving of a peacock feather on one side. A gift by Hera. Hera strummed the bow lightly. "A worthy weapon if I do say so myself. My son, Hephaestus, aided me in constructing it. It'll serve you well on your travels."

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I truly am. But I'm new to this… world. I've been chased by your own family and I'm not even sure of half the things going on. And because of my own anger, I've managed to abandon the two people who volunteered to help me. Wait what did you mean, don't fear his power?"

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm aware, Perseus. That's why I'm here. You have conflictions against using the power of your father. I see why. You hold many of his mannerisms, his violence, his paranoia. But, just like you can't escape those traits, you can't escape his powers. They're a part of you, whether you like it or not. It's in your blood and will constantly call you to use them. You can either learn to control them or let them consume you. Don't fear it. You've been given extraordinary abilities no other half-blood has ever imagined in aeons. Regardless of where they came from, they're a gift. Use them properly, and you'll realise your true potential. You are capable of many things. I hope as you learn more, you are able to unite our family."

Percy spent a moment to take in her words. They didn't make much sense to him, but if he'd learnt anything from Grover and Chiron, nothing in the godly world made sense until later. He glanced above, realising night was slowly settling in. With horror, he remembered he needed to get to his friends as soon as possible. He turned back to his sister.

"Milady, can you please guide me to my friends? I need to meet with them to find Zeus's bolt."

She pointed ahead, "Follow the path ahead. Your friends will find you in due time, when you need them most. And you'll find what you need."

She turned, letting the darkness consume her. Percy sighed. Not that he wasn't grateful for her help, she had helped him in his injury, but he would've preferred a straight answer. Then again, he remembered what Hestia had told him. The gods couldn't interfere. He suspected that Hera relieving his pain, was already pushing the limits. Any more than that, and he had a feeling that Zeus would get angry. And that was the last thing he needed.

Well, she had given him a hint. Follow the path. He trudged ahead, still limping slightly.

He kept walking until he saw a deserted two-lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed-down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990s movie, and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.

It wasn't a fast-food restaurant. It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that. The main building was a long, low warehouse surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for him to read because if there's anything worse for his dyslexia than regular English, it's red cursive neon English.

Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving as if they were about to get their picture taken.

He crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers. He was famished. The lights were on inside, so someone was there.

The front lot was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, and even a cement satyr playing the pipes.

He stopped at the warehouse door. Knocking on a random place's door didn't feel right, but he needed to treat his injury. Also, he wanted food.

Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of him was a tall Middle Eastern woman—at least, he assumed she was Middle Eastern because she wore a long black gown covering everything, but her hands and head were completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all he could make out. Her coffee-coloured hands looked old but well-manicured and elegant, so he imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady.

Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Child, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"Oh, I'm an orphan," he said.

"Orphan?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dear! Surely not!"

"I got separated from our caravan," he said. "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told me to meet him at the gas station if I got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, I'm lost. And I'm a bit injured. Can you help me?"

"Oh, my dear," the woman said. "You must come in, poor child. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

He thanked her and went inside.

The warehouse was filled with more statues—people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. Percy's eyes narrowed. Having entered the warehouse, something didn't feel right about the place. But he felt his senses lull down as he smelled the burgers.

All he cared about was finding the dining area. And sure enough, there it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast-food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater, and a nacho cheese dispenser. Everything anyone could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.

"Please, sit down Percy," Aunty Em said.

"Thank you," he said. He didn't even realise that he hadn't told her his name.

The hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before he knew it, she'd brought him plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes, and XXL servings of French fries.

He was halfway through my burger before he remembered to breathe.

Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her headdress, even to cook, and now she sat forward, interlaced her fingers, and watched him eat. It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at him when he couldn't see her face, but he was feeling satisfied after the burger and a little sleepy, and he figured the least he could do was try to make small talk with the hostess.

"So, you sell gnomes," he said, looking interested.

"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."

"A lot of business on this road?"

"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. So I must cherish every customer I get."

His neck tingled as if somebody else was looking at him. He turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket. The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues. But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled or even terrified.

"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."

"You make these statues yourself?" he asked.

"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so genuine that he couldn't help feeling sorry for her. Something felt off, though.

Two sisters? That story felt vaguely familiar. Something in the back of Percy's mind was warning him to not get comfortable. Something was wrong. But the rest of him ignored it.

"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."

He wasn't sure what she meant, but he felt terrible for her.

Then his leg issued another wave of pain, reminding him of his predicament.

"Aunty Em, do you have any medical supplies? I need to patch my legs."

"Of course," she said. "Follow me. I've got just the thing."

Behind them, he heard the door creak. It was barely noticeable, so he shrugged it off, thinking he was just hearing things. He got off his seat and prepared to follow her.

He allowed Aunty Em to lead him back out the front door into the garden of statues. Another alarm began to ring in his head. Something was definitely wrong with this place. There was a stone satyr? Just like the ones on her front porch. How did she know about satyrs? Was she interested in Greek Mythology?

Aunty Em directed him to a park bench next to the stone satyr.

"Just a moment Percy, let me have a look at the wound, so I know what I need to get to help you."

Aunty Em stepped back as if to admire his injury.

His instincts were buzzing like crazy, but he was fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.

She began to unwrap her head when Percy heard a familiar voice yell.

"Look away from her Percy!"

He felt some invisible force grab him by the collar and push him straight to the floor. Then he heard a strange, rasping sound. His eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which had turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails.

He almost looked higher, but Annabeth screamed somewhere off to his left, "No! Don't!"

More rasping—the sound of tiny snakes, right above him, from ... from about where Aunty Em's head would be.

"Take that!" Grover bleated. He heard Grover racing across the gravel. He must have landed a kick right to her face.

"Daughter of Athena!" Aunty Em roared. "I'll kill you, cursed child. You'll pay for your mother's crimes!"

Percy wanted to injure his other leg for his stupidity. Aunty Em.

M

How was his luck that bad?

How did Medusa die in the myths?

But he couldn't think. He remembered in the myths, Medusa had been asleep when she was attacked by his namesake, Perseus. She wasn't anywhere near asleep now. She could take those talons right now and rake open his face if she wanted.

"The Gray-Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, and she didn't sound anything like a monster. Instead, her voice invited him to look up, to sympathise with a poor old grandmother. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."

"Don't listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted somewhere in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear Percy, you need not suffer."

"Hell no," he shouted. He tried to make his legs move...

"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue. Less pain. Less pain."

"Percy, move!"

He turned to see Grover holding a wooden bat (where the hell did he get that from?), running straight for them, his eyes shut completely.

"Duck!" he yelled again. "I'll get her!"

That finally jolted him into action. Knowing Grover, he was sure he'd miss Medusa and nail him. He dove to one side.

Thwack!

At first, he figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage.

"You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I'll add you to my collection!"

"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.

He scrambled away and hid in the statuary while Grover jumped to the side.

Right next to him, Annabeth's voice said, "Percy!"

He jumped so high my feet nearly cleared a garden gnome. "Jeez! Don't do that!"

Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible. 'You have to cut her head off."

Looking at her, a fresh wave of guilt surged through him. "Annabeth I'm so so sorr–"

He was cut off by a yell from Grover as he landed another shot at Medusa. Annabeth shook her head, but he could see a slight smile twitch on her face.

"We can apologise to each other later, Percy. Right now, let's get out of here alive. Medusa is a menace. She's evil. I'd kill her myself, but..." Annabeth swallowed as if she were about to make a difficult admission. "But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I'd never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You—you've got a chance."

"That's all well and good, but I've got an injured leg." He gestured to the roots strapped around his injury. Annabeth stared at it momentarily, and he could see the gears turning in her head.

"I don't exactly know how I can help you with just a knife."

Percy thought for a moment as an idea came to him. He flipped his coin and gave Annabeth his bow and a celestial bronze arrow.

"Find an opening from the side. As soon as you can land a shot, I'll go in for the kill. Would this be a good situation to use Stygian Iron?" he asked. He didn't want to risk messing with that metal till he could properly handle himself. Annabeth shook her head.

"I'd recommend the sword. Not because of the metal, but beheading someone is easier with a sword."

Percy nodded but then frowned. "Wait, how do you know that?"

Annabeth gave him a smirk. "You think it's the first time I've beheaded someone? Get moving Percy. Here."

She grabbed a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. "A polished shield would be better." She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of—"

"Would you speak English?"

"I am!" She tossed him the glass ball. "Just look at her in the glass. Never look at her directly."

"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above them. "I think she's unconscious!"

"Roooaaarrr!"

"Maybe not," Grover corrected. He went in for another pass with the tree branch.

"Hurry," Annabeth told him. "Grover's got a great nose, but he'll eventually crash.".

He took out his pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide elongated in his hand.

He followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa's hair.

He kept his eyes locked on the gazing ball so he would only glimpse Medusa's reflection, not the real thing. Then, in the green-tinted glass, he saw her.

Grover was coming in for another turn at bat, but this time Medusa had caught on. She grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"

Medusa was about to lunge at him when he yelled, "Hey!"

He advanced on her, which wasn't easy, holding a sword and a glass ball, and a damaged leg. If she charged, he'd have a hard time defending himself.

But she let him approach—twenty feet, ten feet.

He could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it wasn't really that ugly. The green swirls of the gazing ball must be distorting it, making it look worse.

"You wouldn't harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you wouldn't."

He hesitated, fascinated by the face he saw reflected in the glass—the eyes that seemed to burn straight through the green tint, making his arms go weak.

Annabeth came through. Realising that Medusa was solely focused on Percy, it was safe for her to aim her shot. With insane speed, she knocked the arrow without opening her eyes, and it lodged itself in her shoulder.

Medusa screamed in pain.

She lunged at Percy with her talons.

He slashed up with his sword and heard a sickening shlock! Then a hiss like wind rushing out of a cavern—the sound of a monster disintegrating.

Something fell to the ground next to his foot. It took all his willpower not to look. He could feel warm ooze soaking into his sock, little dying snake heads tugging at his shoelaces.

"Oh, yuck," Grover said. His eyes were still tightly closed, but he guessed he could hear the thing gurgling and steaming. "Mega-yuck."

Annabeth came up next to him, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. She said, "Don't move."

Very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, her voice trembling.

"Yeah," he decided, though he felt like throwing up his double cheeseburger. "Why didn't ... why didn't the head evaporate?"

"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."

Grover moaned as he climbed down from the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves.

"The Red Baron," he said. "Good job, man."

Grover managed a bashful grin. "That really was not fun, though. Well, the hitting-her-with-a-stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? Not fun."

Percy recapped his sword. Together, the three of them stumbled back to the warehouse.

They found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double-wrapped Medusa's head. They plopped it on the table where Percy had eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.

Looking at them, Percy remembered what had happened earlier on. Even after everything he'd said and done, they came to rescue him and saved him. Without them, he'd be joining Medusa's statue sales commerce.

Finally, he said, "I owe both of you an apology. A big one."

A smug smile formed on Annabeth's face. "Could you repeat that please?"

Percy glared at her, but he knew she had every right to feel smug. He pushed down a flash of irritation bubbling in him. Percy realised that those negative feelings were just his own paranoia. He needed to learn to get past it.

"I'm sorry," he said. "To both of you. You were right Annabeth. I was reckless and let my anger get the best of me. I… I'm trying to get past it, it'll take some time. But I won't abandon you again. That's a definite promise."

Grover patted his arm sympathetically. "We get it man. I was there with you during Yancy. You have your father's issues. Just you know, remember that you're not your father. We're your friends. No matter what, we're by your side." He looked at Annabeth as though signalling her to say something. She sighed.

"Apology accepted. And I'm sorry for shouting in your face. I know you were shocked at hearing about your mother and me yelling at you probably didn't help. Grover's right. We stick together, no matter what happens."

Percy smiled. He felt his guilt slowly trickling away as relief spread through his body. He had a feeling that Grover had probably talked to Annabeth based on the look he had given her, but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Then a thought occurred to him.

"How did you guys know I was here?"

"Uh, well, I didn't quite lose everything in the bus," Grover said, pulling out his reed pipes. "Plus, I told you. You kinda smell. Satyr nose and tracking song. Well it wasn't too difficult to find you."

Percy grinned at him.

"Also," Grover asked. "What happened with your leg?"

Percy glanced down at his damaged leg. "I'll explain later. First we need to figure out what to do next."

He stared at the plastic bag. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said: WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!

"She weirdly didn't want to kill me," Percy noted. "Well, not as much as you two at least."

"Probably because of Poseidon," Annabeth answered him. "Remember, she had an affair with him. She's probably still sweet for him."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Like Chiron said, you really look a lot like him," said Grover. Percy raised an eyebrow. "Seriously Percy, it's weird. Your hair, face, even your skin. You look like a carbon copy of him. Maybe it's because he sired you. Or maybe it's genetics. But you could be mistaken for the Sea God. You probably reminded Medusa of him a lot. She would've wanted to preserve you."

"Real sweet of her," Percy muttered.

As much as he tried not to, he was angry. More than just angry, he was infuriated. Especially at the gods (maybe less so at his sisters) for this whole quest, for getting them blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. It felt like everything he was doing was purely for their entertainment. At this rate, they'd never make it to LA alive, much less before the summer solstice.

What had Medusa said?

"Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue."

He got up. "I'll be back."

"Percy," Annabeth called after him. "What are you—"

He searched the back of the warehouse until he found Medusa's office. Her account book showed her six most recent sales, all shipments to the Underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden. According to one freight bill, the Underworld's billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. He folded up the bill and stuffed it in my pocket.

In the cash register, he found twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas, and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. He rummaged around the rest of the office until I found the right-size box.

He went back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor

Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERCY JACKSON

"They're not going to like that," Grover warned. "They'll think you're impertinent."

He poured some golden drachmas into the pouch. When he closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a pop!

"I am impertinent," he said.

He looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticise.

She didn't. She seemed resigned to the fact that Percy had a significant talent for ticking off the gods. "Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."

"Wait," Percy said. He stared back at the statues.

"What now, Percy?" Annabeth asked. He studied the multiple statues. Each one of them was lured by Medusa. Their only crime was not being able to realise who 'Aunty Em' really was. They'd been mistreated and left hanging out for display. He felt pity for them. He knew all about unfairness, that'd been the theme of his life for the past two weeks. He glanced at the satyr. Grover had called him Uncle Ferdinand. A pair of statue lovers, a man and woman, had arms around one another.

As he focused, he could sense the souls in the statues. Souls that yearned to be released and sent to rest. Was this the power he'd gotten from the underworld? He dropped to one knee.

"Percy," Grover cried, thinking Percy was about to collapse. But, instead, Percy could feel the buzzing in his ears. What had Hera said?

Don't fear your power. It's in your blood and will constantly call you to use them.

He could feel the power of the Underworld respond to him. He concentrated on the souls surrounding him. The ground swirled around in the middle of the garden as a black hole emerged. The statues began to fade as he saw spirits slowly extract from them. They floated for a moment before shooting towards the black hole. One of them glanced back at Percy.

"Thank you for freeing us milord," the voice whispered.

Then they all disappeared through the black hole, and it simply disappeared.

"What… what just happened?" Grover asked.

"I… I think I just released their souls and sent them to the underworld," Percy responded.

"Percy, that was incredible," Annabeth said after a moment. "Did you know you could do that?"

"I think that's what Hera was trying to tell me. At least I think that's what she was trying to say?" Percy questioned, more to himself.

"Hera?" Annabeth asked.

"Come on," Percy said. "I'll tell you about it on the way."


Author's Note: 6815 words. Now that's a good chapter length. Hope it keeps you people satisfied for the time being. Sorry couldn't get this out by Sunday, I got a bit held up with other work and lost track of time. But I made up for it by combining two chapters into one. Let me know what you think. Annabeth and Grover save Percy's ass just in time. And you get a glimpse of Percy's underworld powers and a little meet with Hera. This conversation is vitally important as it begins to set the tone for the kind of relationship between the two of them. There'll be times when she saves him, and times when she genuinely annoys Percy. It's important for both their character developments.
Also Percy leaving his quest mates is an important key detail to remember. It'll affect him deeply in the chapters as he realises how irrational and stupid he had been. But it also highlights the struggle he has for trusting people, despite his genuine willingness to protect people. Just a small thing to note about him.

Also sorry for the lack of responses on Discord, currently got some issues on my account which should be sorted out tonight hopefully.

Now for the reviews
UU TWO: You're not wrong, Annabeth is a bit condescending, but I wouldn't place all the blame on her; a good amount of fault is on Percy for losing control and wrecking their supplies. Partial blame goes to both of them, and it's mainly to highlight both their flaws and some arrogance underneath it all. No worries for the nickname, I'm sure something will come to me sooner or later hopefully. I'll probably keep Wise Girl though.

Anaklusmos404: Thank you. I'm definitely keeping 'Doctor Who' as a nickname from Leo, that's an incredible one. Love that and I'm storing that in my notes. And yeah, not making him OP or spiteful, but instead I'm trying to show the war inside him when reflecting on his duality: Gods or Titans.

skotos07: Thank you. And I always take suggestions, because readers are what make the story entertaining and I always am willing to take fresh ideas from others to make my stories better. Your suggestion of having Percy interact more with the immortal side is definitely going to happen. This will mainly be shown in Sea of Monsters, Titan's Curse and one of the extra stories I release in between the series. It won't be more than the mortal demigods because his friendship and reliance with Chiron and Annabeth is one of most important factors about Percy's story and the prophecies I'll be releasing later in the books. But most definitely, Percy will have a lot of interactions with immortals, Olympus and also Rhea. There is actually in one of the extra books, a few dedicated chapters on Rhea and Percy (originally I wasn't sure whether I'd put it or not, but I'm taking your suggestion and putting it in). Percy isn't 3/4 ichor and 1/4 mortal (at the moment :D) but still 1/2 and 1/2 but don't worry, this will be delved on as well. Glad you're enjoying it.

Lord Kronos1950: Angry Percy is fun to write because there's a lot of room for write what I want to.

Death Fury: Excellent chapter here as well :)

HPJ19: Thank you. Yeah, son of Kronos was a weird one for me to think about but the more I planned it, the better it became so I started writing it. Also with Annabeth, like I said in the other review, Annabeth does have a good amount of blame to pin it on Percy, but a good amount of the fault is on Percy as well for losing complete control of the situation. Glad you're liking the story.

ImNobodyImportant (you're important as you're a reviewer :D): Glad you're liking the story

titus5: Thank you. Hope this chapter adds better depth to the characters.

JoJo 'Perlia' Jesus: Ahahhaa obsessed indeed. Ah yes, problems with the FF app isn't uncommon, I'm quite used to dealing with it so I know how to avoid them. No worries though, I'll take whatever review you give me. Glad you're enjoying the story my friend.

Guest: "Well, that could have gone better. With his luck, Percy will probably run into Medusa before Annabeth and Grover catch up! Keep up the great work and stay safe from the coronavirus!"
Thank you. Percy did indeed run into Medusa before the two caught up but they saved him just in time. Glad you're enjoying it, stay safe as well.

That's all the reviews for last chapter, please keep them coming. I do love reading them every morning.

Any more suggestions etc. send them through, I'll take all of them into consideration. And if someone has a good nickname for Percy, please send it as well. I'd appreciate it a lot.

Discord Server: VUMM3Sb

See you all in the next chapter

SpiritsOfTheWorld