Hello there, gods, half-bloods and friends, welcome to the next chapter of The God Hunter, hope you enjoy and now on to the review.
Lupuse: Honestly, with what I've written thus far, it could go either way.
And now story time.
According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.
This crazy kidnapper, also known as Ares, was the same man who had abducted four adolescents in New York and brought them across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.
Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all. He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor, and afterward, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus. The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch instead of Matt Hauer.
After all, no kid could've done that.
A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Matt Hauer had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-shotgun on the beach.
Police had arrived just in time, but in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Percy Jackson, Matt Hauer and their two friends were safely in police custody.
At least that's what the news reported, the four of them just nodded and acted tearful while Matt felt he could collapse to the ground and pass out from exhaustion at any moment.
Percy made up some sob story about wanting to see his step-father again, which was a complete lie, but the police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for four tickets on the next plane to New York.
Matt didn't remember much of the take off, because as soon as he finally had the chance to sit down, his body ran out of steam and he felt himself slip away into a very deep slumber.
His eyes shot open as he found himself laying on a familiar couch. The same one back in his home in Queens. In fact he was in an exact replica of it, everything was the same as the last time he had seen it before going on that road trip with his dad, the only real difference was the vague blue hue that everything had.
Utterly confused by his surroundings, Matt stood up as he looked around the place, he walked up to the window only to have his suspicions confirmed that this couldn't be real. Looking out the window, he saw the familiar bright white filled skies with a constant aurora as a massive blue sun was shining its light down on the ocean.
"Welcome back."
He spun around on the spot, there sitting in his dad's recliner, someone who hadn't been there when he woke up and walked across the room. Or maybe she had been and he didn't noticed, really it was hard to tell.
It was a tall, pale toned, androgynous woman, with a slim muscular build.
She wears a black corset with white filigree, showing off her bust and toned stomach. Over her shoulders she wears a long, silver buttoned red coat with three separated coattails, and a high collar over a gold and white top. A black lining runs across the edges of the coat, and a silky, golden flower blossom pattern decorates the inner lining. Each cuff of the coat also possesses five, silver buttoned straps with black lining.
Her black leather pants has white filigree-like designs on the hips. She has a pair of knee-high high-heeled boots with heels of a silver rim. On her head she had long, straight bright silver hair and glowing amber eyes with pitch black eye-white.
Matt didn't know what it was about her, something he couldn't really place or put to words, but something felt... off about her. This was definitely someone you shouldn't mess with, not only because she radiated power, like the air around her was charged with electricity.
"Hello there." the woman said, "Good to see you survived."
"It's you." Matt said when he recognized her voice, "The one who called out to me, the one who helped."
"That was me. I didn't do much to help, all I did was give you a push, a kickstart to your power. The moment you returned to the waking realm, the battle against war god, that was all you." the woman said, gesturing for him to sit down on the couch, "And a spectacular job you made of it. This defeat will be something that will haunt Ares for centuries to come."
"Couldn't have done it without you..." he said as he sat down, "Sorry, but I don't believe I caught your name?"
"Because I hadn't given it." she said as her ankle met her knee, "You may call me... Asherah."
"Right, Asherah." Matt said as he looked around the room, "Where are we? This is obviously not my house. Last I remember, I was on an airplane."
"We are somewhere outside of space and time. A realm beyond realms. Far from the waking realms." Asherah explained as she looked around the place, "As for why it took this form? The same as your living room? I thought it might put you at ease to be in a familiar location."
"Better than a classroom, I guess." Matt said with a laugh.
"I am pleased you approve of my selection of environment." Asherah said with a nod, "You have taken your first step towards the greater power within you. But it's a double edged sword. You got a target on your back now, the gods will be watching you closely. And before you fully grow into your power, your vulnerable. But I can't have you end, and I won't let you."
"Because you need my help?" Matt said, "You never actually stated what you need help with?"
"In your current state, your in no position to help me, Matt. But that time will come, when you are at the zenith of your power." Asherah assured him, "And until then, I will stay with you."
"Stay with me?" Matt said confused.
"I will be there to offer you my council, or if you simply need someone to talk with. You can call upon me anytime." Asherah said, "See it as a surprise benefit to our agreement."
"How would I do that?" Matt said.
"You will know." Asherah said before turning her attention to the window, "But time moves on in your world. Until we speak again, goodbye."
Matt woke up just as they touched down safely at La Guardia. The local press was waiting for them outside security, but they managed to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!" then rejoined them at baggage claim.
They split up at the taxi stand. Annabeth and Grover would go back to Half-Blood Hill and let Chiron know what had happened while Matt went with Percy to Olympus.
Much to their surprise, the RV was waiting there for them. Matt started to think the RV might be sentient to an extend or be magical to appear every time he had need of it, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Matt drove him and Percy into Manhattan and thirty minutes later, they walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building.
The duo went up to the guard at the front desk and Percy said, "Six hundredth floor."
He was reading a huge book with a picture of two wizards fighting a massive snake on the front. Must've been a good one, because the guard took a while to look up. "No such floor."
"We need an audience with Zeus." Percy said.
"No appointment, no audience." the guard said, "Lord Zeus doesn't see anyone unannounced."
"...I'm too tired for this!" Matt said, slamming his hands on the desk, leaving a large hole in it, "We are here to put a stop to the sequel of World War two. I already killed a god who got in my way, so for your well being, you'll best let us through."
He scrambled out of his seat, fumbled around his desk for a key card, then handed it to over. "Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."
"Thank you." Matt said giving him a last glance, "Your gonna need a new desk."
As soon as the elevator doors closed, he slipped the key into the slot. The card disappeared and a new button appeared on the console, a red one that said 600.
Matt pressed it and the elevator began to rise while the two stood facing the door waiting as Muzak played. "Raindrops keep falling on my head..."
Finally, ding. The doors slid open and the two stepped out to a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. In of them front, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky.
From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces, a city of mansions, all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires.
Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. An open-air market filled with colorful tents could be made out, along with a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other.
It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.
"Neat." Matt noted as they began to walk.
"Neat..." Percy said, "We're are at the home of the gods and you find it... neat?"
"Something wrong with that?" he said confused, "What else am I suppose to say?"
Some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at them from their garden, Hawkers in the market offered to sell ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus-TV.
Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood. Several of them turned to watch them pass, and whispered to themselves.
The big palace at the peak was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld. There, everything had been black and bronze. Here, everything glittered white and silver.
Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.
But that might not have been the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.
Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for two at the end: the head throne on the right, and the one to its immediate left.
The gods were in giant human form, as Hades had been. Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well-trimmed beard, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy gray.
As the duo got nearer to him, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.
The god sitting next to him was his brother, without a doubt, but he was dressed very differently. He wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it. His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like an old-time fisherman's. His hair was black, his eyes sea green.
He kind of looked like an older Percy.
His throne was a deep-sea fisherman's chair. It was the simple swiveling kind, with a black leather seat and a built-in holster for a fishing pole. Instead of a pole, the holster held a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips.
The gods weren't moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.
Percy approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet, "Father."
But it was Zeus who spoke up, "Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?"
"Sup, step-dad." Matt said, hands in his pockets.
"You dare." Zeus said with a booming voice.
"I'm sorry." Matt said with a cheeky grin, "Do you prefer step-Zeus?"
"Peace, brother." Poseidon finally said, "That's the reason the boys are here, they deserve some leeway."
"I have spared them once already, the other more than once. Have I not shown enough leeway by allowing Hera's spawn to life?" Zeus grumbled, "Daring to fly through my domain... pah! I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence. The both of them."
"And risk destroying your own master bolt?" Poseidon asked calmly, "Let us hear them out, brother."
Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen." he decided, "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast these boys down from Olympus."
"Perseus. Matt." Poseidon said, "Address Lord Zeus, boys. Tell him of your tale."
And the duo did just that, just as it had happened. Percy took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet.
There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.
Zeus opened his palm, the lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy.
"I sense the boys tell the truth." Zeus muttered, "But that Ares would do such a thing... It is most unlike him."
"He is proud and impulsive." Poseidon said, "It runs in the family."
"Ares wasn't acting on his own." Matt said, "Someone or something else, came up with the idea."
Percy described his dreams, and the feeling he had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world.
"Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams, too." Matt said, "I suspect he was being used to start a war."
"You are accusing Hades, after all?" Zeus asked.
"Hades had nothing to do with it." Matt said, "This evil is something powerful, currently in Tartarus. It's something even older than the gods."
Poseidon and Zeus looked at each other. They had a quick, intense discussion in Ancient Greek. The two boys only caught one word.
Father.
Poseidon made some kind of suggestion, but Zeus cut him off. Poseidon tried to argue. Zeus held up his hand angrily.
"We will speak of this no more." Zeus said, "I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."
He rose and looked at them. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service. Few heroes could have accomplished as much. To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life's. I do not trust either of you. The things each of your arrival means... But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."
"Oh, that's so nice." Matt said with a smile, "Thanks step-Zeus."
"Don't test me, boy." Zeus told him, thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.
"My brother... has always had a flair for dramatic exits." Poseidon sighed, "I think he would've done well as the god of theater."
Matt let out a chuckle followed by an uncomfortable silence.
"I'll leave it to you two." Percy said, gesturing over his shoulder, "Meet you back at the RV. Nice meeting you, Uncle Poseidon."
"It was an interesting meeting as well, Matt Hauer." Poseidon said.
"Best I could hope for, I guess." Matt thought as he walked out of the Throne Room, along the palace corridors.
Before he went to the elevator, he took a seat on one of the stone benches in one of the many gardens. A few naiad spotted him, who waved at him upon seeing him, something he returned.
Suddenly he felt a presence next to him. Looking to his left, it was a tall and graceful woman with long dark hair, braided in plaits with white ribbons. She wore a simple white dress, but when she moved, the fabric shimmered with colors like oil on water.
"Hello there, brave hero." she said, "Stories of your journey have spread around Olympus. After the adventure you had, you must be hungry."
"That's my secret, beautiful." Matt said with a grin, "I'm always hungry."
"Careful with that attitude, it might get you in trouble one day." she said as she waved her hand and a marble table appeared in front of them, with a plater of sandwiches and a pitcher with iced tea.
She served him sandwiches and poured him iced tea, rather like a mother. Matt didn't complain as it was nice being treated for once, as he stuffed his face, the bread was actually pretty good.
"I've wanted to see you for a long time." the woman said holding out a napkin, wiping a few crumbs from the corner of his mouth, "Now with my husband gone, it's finally possible."
"Why would you want to... Wait..." Matt said with a raised eyebrow, "Your husband... Doesn't happen to be Zeus?"
"He unfortunately is..." the woman said with a sigh before turning her gaze to him, "What's wrong, Matt? Don't you recognize your own mother?"
"Your not allowed to call me that, Hera..." Matt snarled, feeling a burning sensation of anger rising to his throat, "That's the name my dad gave me."
"Your father?" she said, "You refer to Jack Hauer?"
"That's the only parent I know." Matt told her, "Speaking of, who is my bio dad? I thought you where the Marriage Goddess... and Zeus obviously isn't my dad. Isn't it his job to sleep around and create a bunch of bastards?"
Hera frowned as she flicked one finger and Matt felt all the dirt disappearing from his face, "No, Zeus is not your father. Because your father knew what he was doing..." she said with a slight dreamy sigh, as she reminisced about a pleasant memory, "But who he is... He's an important man. I wish I could say more but..."
"More important than the gods?" Matt said watching Hera as he stood up, "Super clear, thanks Hera." before walking away from her.
"Matthew, word might have gone around of you being The God Hunter, but you better show some respect..."
"Respect is earned, not demanded." Matt told her, "And why should I respect beings who have done nothing for me?"
But his defiance did not gained the reaction he had expected nor wanted. Hera didn't scold him or turned angry enough to lay the law down, instead she smiled at him, "I think you'll be a thorn in Zeus's authority as long as you live..." she said, sounding satisfied, proud even, "Just like him."
"What does The God Hunter even mean?" Matt said with a huff.
"Some say a curse put upon us by a being who we are indebted to." Hera said, looking to her son, "But you are not a curse, Matthew. You are a blessing. Whatever else you may do, know that you belong to me. You are my son."
"I belong to no one!" Matt shouted before turning his back to Hera, "Least of all you."
When Matt walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert. People and satyrs and naiads all turned toward him, their faces filled with respect and gratitude, and as he passed, they knelt.
Fifteen minutes later, Matt still feeling angry at the meeting of his mother, he was leaning against the RV, waiting for his friend to come down.
Hey Matt.
"The feck!" Matt shouted, getting a few glances, but nobody was standing right next to him for the voice to be that loud and clear.
It's me, Asherah. I'm speaking directly inside your head.
"You are?" Matt said, getting even more glances.
Yes. And you don't have to speak out loud for us to converse.
"That's cool..." Matt thought, "Is this what you meant with staying with me? When I need to call upon you for advice?"
Indeed. But a sudden meeting with your mother, that can be taxing. I wanted to know if you are alright?
"I'm fine." he thought.
That's good. Your mature for your age.
"Some people would disagree with that." he thought, "Are there any side effects about letting you in?"
Aside from kickstarting your powers and the continues boost I'm giving you? I can take control of your body, but you have my solemn promise that I won't do so without your permission. You already place more trust in me than is warranted and I don't intend to betray it.
"Because you need me?" Matt thought just as Percy come out of the Empire State Building.
We need each other.
"Hey kid. Aren't you a bit young to drive an RV?"
Matt's eyes widen when he turned around to see his dad, a gleam of happiness in his baby blue eyes as he had a massive grin on his face.
"Dad!" he exclaimed as he pulled him into a hug.
"Okay... Maybe you aren't my son." Jack joked as he returned the hug, "I'm so relieved to see your okay."
"I'm fine, great even." Matt said with a smile of his own, "What are you doing here?"
"Got a call from a buddy of mine on the force. Told me my RV had been spotted near the Empire State Building." Jack explained, "And I was in the neighborhood on a case anyway."
"Dad, your not going to believe the summer I had." Matt said, glancing over his shoulder to spot an awkward looking Percy standing just behind him, "Oh, dad. This is Percy Jackson, he's a friend."
"You actually made a friend!?" Jack said pleasantly surprised before turning to the young son of Poseidon, "How do you do, Percy Jackson. Jack Hauer.", as he extended his hand.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Hauer." Percy said as he shook hands, "Matt always speaks fondly of you."
"That's nice to hear, and please, just call Jack." he said with a kind smile, "So what's the plan, boys?"
"Back to Camp Half-Blood, I guess." Matt said with a shrug, "Still have to report on the quest."
"I can give you two a lift" Jack said gesturing over his shoulder, "Because my RV is right here."
"That would be great." Matt said holding up the car key's, "Let's go."
"Hey, Mr. Hauer... I mean Jack." Percy said with some hesitation, "Is it okay if we make a quick stop on the way?"
"Sure thing." Jack said, taking the key's from his son, "I'm driving.", gesturing for them to get in.
"Hey dad." Matt said as they got in the RV, "I know who my birth mom is."
"You do?" Jack said surprised.
"Yes, it's Hera." Matt said casually as he took the passenger seat while his dad took his place behind the wheel.
"Hera... The Hera?" Jack said as he started the ignition, "As in Hera, Queen of the Gods, wife of Zeus?"
"Yes, that one." Matt said gesturing with his head, "She was on the 600th floor of the Empire Sate Building this entire time."
"Hold that thought." Jack said as he prepared to stand up, "I have a few words to exchange with her."
"Dad, no!" Matt said in a panic.
It took them some convincing but Jack eventually let it go, before they drove off.
"Oh, before I forget." Matt thought as they pulled out of the parking lot, "Hey, Asherah?"
Yes?
"Just wanted to say... Thank you. For caring."
...
"Asherah? You still there?"
I'm always here. And... Your welcome.
There you go, hope you enjoyed. Many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite, or follows this story.
I kind of regret having Hera actually giving Matt his name, then Matt line about her not allowing her to call him that and that Jack giving him that name would have hit a lot harder.
I wanted to introduce a character like Asherah in a story of mine for a while now. Because most of the story is written from Matt's point of view and she lives inside his head, she can give comments as if the narrator his talking to him.
It's something I wanted to try out for a while now, so let me know if it is confusing or not.
And I promise Asherah isn't going to be some walking Deus Ex Machina.
Also I like to imagine that if Jack had gone up to Olympus to have a word with Hera, she would admit to Matt she had messed up while being out of breath and messy hair while Jack was covered in kisses in the same tint as Hera's lipstick.
Anyways, enough of my rambling. Take care of yourself, get some rest, drink plenty of water and I will see you people next time for the last chapter of Book 1.