Chapter I: A Million Ways to Skin a Bat
The Yellow Flag was boring tonight. I'd already been drinking when Revy came in.
"Hey Percy!" She clapped me on the back and took the stool next to me. The bottle of Bacardi I'd been working through sat in front of me.
"You seem chipper." I said. Revy gave me a small laugh and leaned over the bar. She plucked a glass from a stack while Bao's back was turned and poured herself a few ounces.
"Dutch said we're going out again day after tomorrow." she said with a smile. Now I knew why she was so happy. We hadn't been out at sea in close to a month.
"What's the job?" I asked. I took a small sip of the rum. My head was already buzzing.
"Balalaika wants us to hit some passenger ship." Revy said, "Small boat, few guards, nothing too fancy."
"Who's the mark?" I asked.
"Some Japanese guy. But it's not him." she said, "He's carrying a disc that Balalaika wants."
"This sounds like a shit paycheck." I said.
"Just think about it though!" Revy said, she punched my arm slightly and bent over the bar, "This guy we're after works for one of those mega-corporations in Japan. The thing he's got is valuable enough to hire us to find him. Therefore…"
"We ransom him." I interrupted, my tone flat like the floor.
"Exactly!" Revy said, she planted a fist on the bar to emphasize her point.
I shrugged and looked into my drink. I was never a huge drinker. Revy said I had a good tolerance compared to other sixteen-year-olds. But in Roanapur the average wasn't very low. I fiddled slightly with the buckle of my gun belt and looked back at her.
"Revy, we can't rely on side gigs like ransoming some salaryman to pay the bills." I said, "What we need is something real. A solid take that will land us bigger jobs."
Revy's eyes thinned, "You think I don't know that dumbass?" she said, "While I'd love to be on tippy top of the food chain here, we have to take what we fuckin' can."
She paused and we both finished our drinks in silence.
"I was gonna run this thing by myself, only you cut in." she said, "You want out?"
I sighed, "I'll help you. Just don't get too attached to the guy."
"The fuck you mean I get attached?" Revy said loudly.
"Benny was a hostage too, remember?" I said, "Then you just had to talk Dutch into letting him join the crew."
"That was different, and you know it." Revy said, "Those mafia wops didn't pay us, and he had the Feds on his ass too."
"Yeah, yeah." I said.
"Besides, he's more than shown his worth." Revy said. I just nodded. It wasn't something I disagreed with. But I think my point got across to her.
I took out my wallet and laid a ten before getting off the stool. Revy followed me outside. The night was like any other in Roanapur. We walked silently towards my mom's apartment. Passing the working girls and their pimps and the johns and the dealers and the cops who looked the other way.
I couldn't help but find a certain charm in all of it. Back when I'd been out here on my own for the first few times it was scary. But then mom taught me how to walk, Revy taught me how to shoot, and Dutch paid me to apply myself.
I hiked the gun belt up my waist. There was a holster on my side, like a classic cowboy's getup. Then there was an offhand holster on my other side. Inside both were customized CZ-75 pistols. Revy had insisted I named them, like she did with her Cutlasses. I called them my Bastards, to keep the sword theme going. But unlike her silver and white components, I went for blue-black metal with bronze furnishings.
The two of us swept around the corner towards the apartment building we lived in. Revy lived separately from my mom and me of course. In our way was a woman whose legs were splayed out across the sidewalk. She was hunched up against the concrete wall behind her. A bottle of something was in one hand, and a needle was in the other. Both empty, naturally.
We stopped in front of the woman, who was moaning in some incoherent language.
"You Polish or something?" Revy asked.
"Whaa?" The moan slipped. She hauled herself up using the wall behind her as support.
"The fuck kinda language were you speaking?" Revy pressed.
"It's all Greek to me." I said casually.
"Fuckin' kids, y'all don't git no education these days." the woman slurred. She sounded like an American tourist.
I laughed slightly, I hadn't been inside a school since last spring. Revy'd been out even longer, given she was 26.
"So, you're a redneck then!" I said, "Whay don youse git off my propahtah?" My Southern impression was impeccable. At least I thought so.
Revy opened her mouth again, but both our hands went to our guns. Behind us stood several men. It was a setup. The two of us were back-to-back, muzzles leveled at one would-be mugger each. The woman had somehow escaped. I could've sworn she had no way out.
"Hey Percy." Revy said calmly.
"Time to dance?" I asked.
"Damn straight baby."
I fired my guns at the same time. One went down. The other ducked when Revy spoke and was only grazed.
Revy and I launched off each other and I dove behind a car on the street as the muggers opened fire. I peeked over the top of the car's hood and levelled my right pistol. The guy I'd grazed was shuffling towards the other side of the car I was at. I fired three times, and he went down.
I glanced at where it all started and the guy I hit first was bleeding out. I could hear the dying breaths he tried to take. The blood filling his lungs offered a good reminder of his bad decisions.
I peeked out into the street next and saw that Revy's share was dealt with.
She stood up first, "Two each huh? Not bad for a night out." she said.
I stood up too and holstered my guns. I didn't necessarily like killing. I only did it when I needed to.
"Sure." I said, "Where'd their decoy walk off to?"
"Right here, Perseus Jackson." A voice from the street called. I whipped my guns out again and leveled them at the woman. She was very coherent compared to her last act.
"You shoulda run cunt." Revy spat.
"I'd advise you do that now, mortal." the woman said coldly, "You might live a little longer."
"Get a load of this bitch Percy. She thinks she's a demon or something." Revy said.
"Revy." I said calmly, "She said my full name just then."
I could almost hear Revy tense up. My thumbs slowly cocked back the hammers on my pistols. I half-cock whenever I holster by force of habit.
But what happened next is something I can scarcely believe even today. The woman transformed from looking like any old junkie into a monster. Her body wrinkled and folded into a hag. Her black clothing morphed into leathery wings. With a single wave, she flew towards me. I ducked just in time as the thing crashed into a car behind me. I could almost feel her claws as they rushed by my head.
I sprung up and dashed out of the way as Revy lit the thing up, "What the fuck is this?" she shouted.
"Some kinda bat." I shouted back as I opened with the Bastards. All our bullets bounced off the creature like Nerf darts. And as we both paused to reload I heard a low rumbling come from the being, as if it were giggling.
"Your copper cannot harm me boy." It said to me.
"Fuck off Bat Bitch." I called out to her she growled and lunged again. This time I was more prepared and dove out of the way again. The monster anticipated my move and got a scratch on my leg.
I fell to the ground and kept my guns leveled. The pain hit me immediately. But I'd felt worse before. I turned to glance at Revy. The monster had been ignoring her for the most part. Behind, I saw the front door to the apartment building open, and my mom stepped out.
She was a tough woman. The toughest I knew. I turned my head back towards the monster as it prepared for another pass.
"Use this!" I heard my mom shout. I couldn't afford to look.
Just as the monster lunged again, I made to dive away again but a wild shining dagger flew into its chest. The thing screeched bloody murder, and I was coated in golden dust as it died. I wiped myself off and turned to my mom and Revy. They were already walking towards the building, and I was waved over.
"What the hell just happened mom?" I asked.
"Not out here." she said.
"What about the bodies?" I asked.
"Leave them for the cops. Looks like a gang fight anyway." Revy said.
"Rebecca's right." Mom said, "Now grab that knife and get inside."
"Sally, just what the hell's goin' on?" Revy asked as the door shut behind her. Our apartment wasn't anything to scream about, but it was home nonetheless.
"Sit down, both of you." Mom said, "This will be a heavy conversation."
Before I tell you about this, I should give you some background on my mom, Sally Jackson. She was a New Yorker born and bred. She doesn't like to talk about her past too much. Apparently her mom left my granddad just after she was born. Then, he got shot dead outside a bar once she reached middle school.
After that she dropped out and worked odd jobs and ran with a gang until she met my dad. After I was born she was left alone again. She told me my dad had gotten lost at sea. Whatever that was supposed to mean. In the back of my mind, I still haven't forgiven him for that. She says all the time that he was the best man she'd ever met. But leaving a son behind with a young girl, barely a woman at that.
Something stunk.
It was by coincidence that she met Revy. My mom was part mentor, part surrogate mother to her while she raised me. I don't remember a lot about what Revy was like back then. By the time my memories kicked in, we'd already arrived in Thailand. But the story was that the gang fell apart. Revy got locked up. Mom and I fled the country. Revy joined us a few years later.
Mom worked for the local organizations when she got here. She became somewhat of a mediator after a while. A neutral party that could investigate disputes and arbitrate solutions. Say a bunch of cartel goons got into it with a gaggle of triad guys. Some bodies drop, she's called in to resolve everything. That leaves the big shots like Chang and Balalaika free to do the real work of running the city.
Anyways, I fell in with the Lagoon crew after I dropped out of the American School in Bangkok. My mom wanted me to keep going but I was going to drop out anyways. The only things I actually tried to learn were languages. I can speak Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, and French decently enough. But reading and writing never worked out for me, dyslexia, the school councilors called it.
The two of us took a seat on the couch and my mom sat in an armchair across from us.
"I'm going to tell you things that I probably shouldn't." she said.
"Well, you can't exactly hide something like that shit." Revy said.
"Exactly." Mom said, "That was a Fury, one of three. If I had to guess it was probably Alecto. She is a servant of the God of the Underworld, Hades."
"Yeah, okay Sally." Revy scoffed, "What's your ma been taking Percy?"
"I'm telling you the truth." Mom said, her tone deadly serious.
"I'm not doubting you mom." I said carefully, "But even with that, thing, on the table. If you're about to claim that gods and monsters exist, I'll need more proof. Revy doubly so."
Mom's brow furrowed for a moment, she sighed and held out her hand. I could tell from her expression she was concentrating. Like she would do when faced with a strong dilemma with the Council. Or when she tried to make the frosting nice on my birthday cakes.
In the middle of her palm a light purple glow formed, and from that a black-lit flame formed, just small enough to see flicker. Revy and I leaned closer to look at it. But mom couldn't hold it for long, she closed her fist and hunched forward. Her face was sunken and her brow sweaty, clearly that took a lot out of her.
"Are you one of those things too?" Revy asked warily.
"No." Mom snapped, "I'm a daughter of Kakia, goddess of vice and wickedness."
Revy looked much more serious now. For my part, I had put two and two together.
"So, if she was a goddess, that's why she left your dad?" I asked.
"Yes, and I'm sure you know what that means?" she said.
I could feel my face go cold, "My dad's a god?"
She nodded, "We're both what are called demigods, or Half-Bloods. We have a fraction of our divine parent's powers. According to ancient laws, they aren't allowed to raise their demigod children."
"So, who's his dad then?" Revy asked simply.
"I was made to swear to not tell." Mom said, "I can't break that promise, I hope you understand." She looked at me.
I leaned forward and looked down at my knees, "I don't, Mom. I don't."
Mom sighed and stood up, "That's okay." she said, "You'll get answers soon enough now that you know. I'll make some tea. I haven't summoned fire in a long time. Besides, I was never told I couldn't give hints."
"Hold on." Revy said, she turned as Mom went into the kitchen, "If you can summon fire or whatever, could he have powers too?"
"I don't know." Mom said, "How's that scratch looking Percy?"
I'd forgotten all about it, I could see a red stain on the side of my right leg. The blood had clotted for the most part. It would be sore tomorrow, nothing I couldn't handle.
"It's nothing." I said.
"Come here." Mom said. I stood up and went to the kitchen. She was holding a glass of water. Revy was behind me.
"Get those jeans off." Mom said.
My face went red, I won't lie.
I took off my gun belt and placed it on the counter, I only showed enough to reveal the wound. I could hear Revy silently cackling at what my mom said. But before I could do anything about it I felt water flow down my skin.
I could hardly describe the sensation. It was like getting stitches done at the ER, anesthetic and everything. But it was being done by the water itself, or invisible hands. And the wound closed immediately, without a scar to spare.
"What the hell?" Revy muttered.
"You definitely take after your father." Mom said as the wound vanished completely. The extra water made me feel lighter too, more awake and agile.
"That also explains why you're good at sailing." Revy said.
"Why do you say that?" I asked.
"The water literally healed you dumbass." Revy said, "Do I need to spell it out?"
I thought for a moment, I knew basically nothing about mythology.
"Your dad is the sea god, Neptune." Revy said.
"Not exactly." Mom chipped in.
"Why not?" Revy said.
"I've already said too much." Mom said quietly, "But if one monster found you, there's more to come Percy."
"More?" I asked, "How did they find me anyway?"
"Every demigod emits an aura. Some call it a scent. The more aware a demigod is of their nature, the stronger it gets." Mom said simply, "It's one of the reasons I brought us here to Roanapur. The vices and evil that lie here cover our divinity well enough."
"You're sounding crazy with all this 'divinity' nonsense." Revy said, "You're just as low-down as anyone else here."
"I never said I wasn't. Or that Percy wasn't either." Mom said. I wasn't sure if I should be offended. "After all, the goddess of vice is my mother, and his grandmother." Mom continued, "We fit right in. But what I don't understand is you, Revy."
"What do you mean?" Revy asked.
"Normally mortals wouldn't be able to see monsters or anything mythological. Yet you killed one just now." Mom said, "I'm wondering if you're a demigod as well, or if you're clear-sighted."
"Clearsighted?" I asked.
"There's a layer of magic called The Mist that converts what would be acts of monsters or gods into something a normal human could understand." Mom explained, "Say someone saw what you two just did, they'd see you shooting down a gang of muggers and their ringleader. Not a Kindly One."
"I guess that makes sense." Revy said, "But what about that knife you gave me? Why did that work to kill it?"
"It's made of a metal called Celestial Bronze." Mom said, "It can harm monsters and demigods, anything mythical. But not normal humans, it just passes through them harmlessly."
"Well, there's a good test." I said, I took the knife out and handed it to Revy. "Try poking yourself."
Revy looked at the knife curiously and Mom nodded.
"I swear to fucking god Sally if I burst into dust or something I'm gonna haunt your ass until the end of time." Revy said. That earned a laugh from both of us.
Revy placed the tip of her right thumb on the point and pressed down. The digit sank into the blade, but no blood came, or any signs of pain from Revy. It was like she had interrupted a hologram.
"That settles that." Mom said. "Percy, I want you to keep that for now."
Revy handed it back to me and I set it on the counter next to my guns.
"It's getting late." Mom said. The clock on our microwave was showing past midnight. "I'll reach out to some contacts I still have in the States, something big must've happened if a monster tracked you here Percy."
"We're setting out day after tomorrow on a job." Revy said, "Is that something he should call off from?"
"No, in fact it's ideal that he's out at sea for now. Especially if he stays moving." Mom said, "In the meantime, I want you two to study up on Greek mythology in case anything else finds you. And I'll go grab another knife for you Rebecca. Those guns won't do a thing to monsters."
She took off towards her room and Revy and I were alone.
"This is pretty heavy." she said.
"Yeah." I said. Truthfully I felt numb to everything. Call it information overload or whatever. I just wanted to get to sleep.
"You're sure you want to go out?" Revy asked.
"Yeah, if mom says it's better than staying on shore, that's the play." I said.
"We'll just have to wait and see." Revy said, "I'll have your back."
"Thanks." I said as Mom walked back in.
She handed Revy a bronze knife and handed each of us a paperback book. The title read, An Introduction to the Greek World by Chiron.
"Please skim these at the very least while you're out." Mom said, "And I think it goes without saying, but don't let Dutch or Benny know what happened. The less they know, ideally nothing, the safer everyone will be."
Revy nodded and took her exit. I said goodnight and hit the sack.
This poor bastard. His shirt was all scuffed up, that cyan tie of his had flecks of blood on it. I'm sure the dry-cleaning bill would be pretty expensive.
"Tell us more, and we'll be gone." I said to him in Japanese. It wasn't perfect, but it definitely got the point across.
"H-hey now, I've told you everything." the man said in English, "I was given that one disc in Shanghai. I was told to hand it off to our office in Borneo. That's all I know."
"Pathetic." Revy muttered, "We could make this real easy guys, two bullets in his knees. Send those corpo-rats a message."
"Cool it Revy." Dutch said, "We've already got what we need. Balalaika didn't pay us to torture the guy."
The man let out a sigh as Dutch turned back towards the crew of the boat who we'd tied up.
"Gentlemen." he announced, "We're leaving you in peace. Wait here for thirty minutes before restarting your ship. If you go any earlier than that, we'll sink this scrap heap with our torpedoes. Follow the rules, you'll keep living."
"Dutch?" Benny's voice crackled on the radio.
"Sup Benny boy?" he responded.
"There's a Philippine Navy boat not too far off. They're gonna clock us if we don't get out soon." Benny said.
"Alright, let's get going." Dutch said. He waved to Revy and me.
The businessman we were holding up not thirty seconds ago let out a sigh of relief, but Revy grabbed his tie.
"You're coming with us dickhead." she said gruffly. He tried to pull away, but I stuck a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sly shake. He wasn't getting away.
Revy shoved him onto the Lagoon, and he let out a cry, "YOU'VE GOTTA BE JOKING!"
"Just what the hell were you thinking?" Dutch asked, "Bringing a hostage on board when it's not even in the contract?"
"You just don't get it Dutch." Revy said, I could tell her temper was already high. I was on the wheel, there was no way I could clam her down and avoid the Filipinos at the same time.
"I think I do. You're upset about the job's pay and you're hunting for some small fry." Dutch said, "I-"
"That bitch Balalaika is only giving us twenty grand for this shit." she yelled, "We're only just breaking even for coming out in the first place."
"How do you expect to cut a deal with this guy's employer anyway?" Benny asked, "We have no contacts or intermediaries to get the ball rolling." I glanced back, the guy was huddled in the corner by the trapdoor to the deck. He was so incredibly out of his depth it was sad. But whatever, he'd end up dead or wishing he was in the next day or so. Such was life.
"Do you wanna die Benny!" Revy screamed. She huffed and I could hear a pistol coming from her holster. "If we can't sell his ass, may as well off 'im."
She started firing wildly at the guy. I clicked the autopilot and got behind her. I brought up her shooting arm and lightly kicked the back of her knee. I held her in a choke until she stopped shooting.
"Percy." she stammered, "I get it Percy, you can let me go."
I sighed and let her out of the hold. I nodded back to the controls to Dutch, and he took over. I shoved Revy towards Benny's room and grabbed the businessman's arm and hauled him to the deck.
I walked him towards the rear of the cabin and sat him down. The dying rays of the setting sun shone directly on him. I could tell he was absolutely exhausted. To be fair, he'd had a rough day.
"I thought I was going to die back there." he said.
"She let you live." I said. I dug out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from my pocket. I shook them and he nodded slightly.
I gave him a smoke and took one for myself. I sat down too, and took in the sea as the sun gave its last hurrah in the West. I inhaled directly from the death stick. Unlike a lot of other Roanapur citizens, I didn't usually smoke. Just when it felt right.
"What's your name?" I asked. It only occurred to me that none of us asked him that basic question.
"Rokuro Okajima." he said softly. That was too long for my taste, he'd need a nickname.
"Well, Rock. I'll be honest with you." I said, "You'll stay in our custody until we figure out what to do with you. Do you think your company will pay for your freedom?"
"I'd like to say that they would." Rock said, "But then again, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. And I never heard of anyone sticking their necks out for someone on my level."
I hummed sympathetically, "In that case, I'll talk to Dutch. If we can't get anything from your company, we'll turn you lose. If you want to stay local, I'd recommend Jakarta, Singapore, or Bangkok. You could try your luck with Japan again, but the scandal from this will ruin your career."
I could hear him almost whimper at the thought.
"It's your choice." I continued, "But for now, I'm just going to read."
I took out the copy of the book Mom gave me that I'd stowed in the pocket of my cargo pants. I was still making my way through the first chapter. It detailed the creation of the world and the Titans from what I could understand. The words kept jumbling up on me. I kept reading for what felt like an hour. I would pass a cigarette to Rock every once in a while to keep him calm.
"Hey, if you don't mind me asking something." Rock said.
I closed my book and looked at him, "Shoot." I said.
"Are you a demigod?" Rock asked. It threw my brain for a loop. There was no way this guy was in the know. I stood up quickly and drew a gun.
"Talk." I said.
"Calm down, I'm not a monster." Rock said.
"What are you then?" I asked.
"I'm a demigod just like you. Son of Omoikane. Please, put the gun down." Rock said.
I thought for a second, "Why wouldn't you be a monster in disguise?" I asked him.
"I don't know how you want me to prove that. But please, trust me." Rock said, "I'm actually glad I found you."
I twirled the pistol back into my holster and he stood up.
"I know that Japanese demigods aren't the only ones out there. I'm assuming you're from the Greek pantheon?" Rock asked.
"Let's say I am." I answered.
"Something bad just happened last month, during the winter solstice. I'm sure you know that by now?" he said.
"How would you know?" I asked.
Rock's expression furrowed, "In Japan, the kami are not very active when it comes to crossbreeding with humans." he explained, "There's only a dozen or so of us alive at any given time. Therefore, we've put our efforts into studying them, and naturally we've wanted to expand into other pantheons. One of my colleagues was trawling for news and reported back before I left on this assignment."
"So, you're like some super society of dorks?" I asked. Behind the mask I was fascinated, but he was still my prisoner.
"That's one way of putting it." Rock stammered, "Think of it more like a collective. We study the kami, hunt down artifacts, and keep tabs on activities that don't seem to line up. It's nothing unreasonable."
"Keep talking then." I said, "What do you want with me?"
"For one, I noticed that book was written by Chiron. Is it true that he exists? Some of the stuff in there is written like it all actually happened." Rock asked.
I didn't know how to respond to that. He was asking questions like I was already in the know on all this stuff. But I couldn't risk letting that detail slip.
"Tell you what Rock." I said after a short pause, "I'm going to take you back to my place when we get to port. I know just the person you want to talk to."
He looked somewhat reassured by that. But I heard the door to the cabin creak open.
"Percy, your mom's on the radio." Benny called.
Revy and Rock seemed to be more compatible than I initially thought. There was a crowd forming around them at the bar. Bao was feeding them half-priced drinks as they went shot for shot. I was keeping an eye on Dutch though, I could just make him out talking on a payphone outside. His posture said that whatever he heard wasn't good news.
Rock slammed down his glass in unison with Revy.
"MORE!" they both shouted, and Bao obliged. Benny slipped the barkeep some cash and the two kept going at it. I checked my gun belt, just in case. Dutch sat down beside me.
"Balalaika says the Japs hired Extra Order to recoup the disc." he said solemnly.
"They were making moves in Africa recently, right?" I asked. I didn't keep up with merc companies too much, just whatever I read in Soldier of Fortune.
"Yeah, but their contract ended recently." Dutch explained, "Not like it matters anyway. They're a big gang. Nasty sons of bitches."
I was disappointed with the news. If we were being hunted, I wouldn't be able to tell Mom about Rock. Only Revy and I knew at this point, and I arraigned to have Rock stay with us for the night before we did the handoff.
"We should get outta here." I said.
"Yeah, just let me finish my drink." Dutch said.
Around then the bottle that Revy and Rock had was just about empty and there was a lull in the crowd's cheering. Through the noise I heard several cars pull up outside, doors slamming shut and boots hitting the pavement.
"Take cover!" I shouted. I got over the bar just as the shooting started.
Bullets flew overhead and I was joined by Dutch, Benny, Rock, and Revy as I heard the screams of the other patrons being torn to shreds. Bao was also crouched under the bar, shotgun at the ready.
Dutch crawled towards the back door and took cover near the exit.
"Friends of yours Revy?" Bao shouted.
"Never met these fools." she said.
"I swear to God if this is your fault I'll weld your asshole shut!" the barkeep threatened.
The shooting died down and the gunmen started coming inside to mop up.
"Revy." Dutch said, "Why don't you show 'em why they call you Two Hand?"
I could see her smirk, "My pleasure, cover me Percy." she said.
Revy unsheathed her Cutlasses and I took out one of my guns. Along with Dutch I blind-fired over the bar and that provided a distraction for Revy to make a play.
She flipped onto the bar and dove off, shooting holes in every man she saw. I stopped shooting to reload and dared to peek over with Rock. He was trembling slightly at the violence. I pulled him back down as Revy started making her way back to the bar, several bodies in her wake.
I laid down suppressing fire as she vaulted behind the bar again.
"I think we should leave Dutch." I said.
"Keep them busy for now. Benny, go get the car started. Rock, I think it's best to part ways here." Dutch said.
"That's not fair! You got me into all this, you should at least get me out!" Rock pleaded.
Dutch sighed, "Fine, but if you're dead weight, you'll get cut." he said.
Revy and I laid down covering fire for Benny and Rock. We eventually heard our car pull up in the side alley and we made our exit. Once outside I kept my guns trained on the door as Revy shoved Rock in the back seat.
"Percy!" she shouted. I turned and caught a grenade she found somewhere.
I pulled the pin and rolled it into the doorway before diving into the car. Benny hit the gas and we sped away as the side door exploded.
I sunk into the back seat and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Revy had her boots kicked up on the front bench seat. Rock was looking back in awe between the two of us.
"Dutch." Revy said, "Bao said he'd weld our assholes if we can't fix this."
"He'll be fine." Dutch said, "Balalaika and Chang usually pay for his repairs. The place is too valuable to lose."
We drove straight to the docks and boarded the Lagoon. We raced out of the harbor, sights set on the Philippines.
Rock's hands trembled on the satellite phone. Benny said his company was calling. And I guess it wasn't good news. I was co-piloting with Dutch and couldn't hear all that was said. He eventually hung up and tossed the phone back to Benny before sitting down.
"The disc has plans for a nuke on it." he said, "My boss's boss just told me to disappear."
Revy looked down on him with pity.
"I'm sorry to hear that." I said, "Maybe you should go topside, get some fresh air."
Rock nodded and went outside along with Revy. With Dutch's piloting and my navigation, we were making good time to Palwan Island. I could hear Rock and Revy arguing about something outside, I really hope they didn't damage anything.
"Guys, there's something tailing us on the radar." Benny said.
"Revy." Dutch said into his earpiece, "Do you see anything out there following us?"
I didn't have my headset on, but by Dutch's expression, she definitely saw something.
"There's a gunship following us." Dutch said, "Looks like a Hind to her."
"Fuck." I muttered, there was no way we'd be able to outrun that.
"It's banking off to the left of our trajectory." Benny said.
"We'll have to evade closer to the Mekong Delta. I could find us a river to get lost in." I said.
"Looking like our only option right about now." Dutch said, "Maybe I can shake him at the river's mouth, keep us moving in the right direction at least."
"Worth a shot." I said. I got to finding us a river. The chopper started doing strafing runs at us and the other two came back into the cabin.
"Dumbass motherfucker tossed a brand new G3 into the ocean." Revy growled as she shoved Rock into a seat.
"That gun's expensive." I commented.
"Damn right it is." Revy said.
"Dutch, I found us a river, should be about five minutes out." I said.
"Got it." Dutch confirmed.
The five of us sat tensely as we were harassed from afar by the Hind. I was really hoping that Dutch's skills would get them off us. Or at least buy some time.
We reached the mouth of the river I'd found, and Dutch took a hard turn towards the mouth. He got the boat close enough to some mangrove trees to obscure our position from above. He continued like that for a few hundred yards before turning out.
The Hind seemed to have thought we were going further in and rerouted itself. For the first time we were taking fire directly to the hull and they used unguided rockets too. Dutch swerved the boat around and I held on as he maneuvered. When it was all said and done we were cruising down the river.
"I did all I could." Dutch said, he leaned his head back and wiped some sweat from his brow.
"It's fine." I said, "We'll find a way out of this."
"Oh, we're gonna die aren't we?" Rock said desperately, "Gonna sink like that ship up ahead."
We turned with the river's path and saw an old oil tanker beached on the shore. The Hind stopped just behind it and let us continue onwards.
"This river ends pretty soon." Benny said, "There's a waterfall in the way."
And sure enough, it didn't take long for us to cruise to the waterfall. Dutch reared the boat around again and let it idle.
"What now?" Rock asked. His voice was panicked. He'd clearly never been in a situation like this.
"This guy's toying with us." I said simply.
"What do you mean by that?" Rock asked.
"Up in that helicopter is a mercenary." Dutch said, "He probably got his start in Vietnam or the Middle East and wants to feel the rush of combat again. He's going to wait just to see how we'll react."
Rock looked even more panicked, "Can't we do something! Let's call the police, or the military, or-" I had to tune him out. His rambling got in the way of my own thought process.
I tuned back in at the sound of a punch. Rock reeled back and Dutch sat down again.
"You aren't helping." he said simply, "We have to stay cool."
Rock resigned himself and sat down again. It was a while before anyone spoke, but when I glanced over at Rock, his demeanor was all different.
"I have an idea." he said.
"Never again." Revy moaned. I was splayed out across the dashboard, better than Revy. She was folded upside down near Benny's room.
"Well," Dutch said, "my head's still on. My glasses are intact too. Amen, Hallelujah, Peanut Butter."
"You good Benny?" I asked while I straightened up.
"Yeah, my stuff's all broken though." he replied.
"How about Rock?" Dutch asked.
"Passed out over there." Revy said as she straightened up.
I looked over, he was bent over on the back of a chair. Even while unconscious I could see that manic smile he had when we launched the torpedo.
"Sure did pick up one helluva guy." I said.
"I appreciate you hospitality ma'am." Rock said. He was sitting on the couch next to me at my mom's apartment. He still needed to find a place now that he was running with our crew, and we had the space to spare. Revy was a hard no when Rock asked her.
"No bother." Mom said as she placed some tea down on the coffee table. She sat down in her armchair.
"Percy tells me that not only are you a demigod, but you're also a Japanese one at that." Mom said. Straight to business, just like her.
"Yes, and like I told him, there aren't many of us out there." Rock said, "But despite that, from our research we believe that the kami control much of East Asia. Ever since Communism took hold, and the old religions died out because of that, there hasn't been much competition."
"I see." Mom said, "And what about the Buddhists and Hindu deities? Do they not have a foothold here."
"From our findings there is definitely a presence, but it's mostly centered in India." Rock said, "Islam pushed many people in Indonesia away."
"Interesting, I've yet to encounter many of these other pantheons." Mom said.
"That's because you probably weren't aware of them before. I've spoken to a few western demigods in the past and many of them assume that Greece is the only one out there." Rock said, "If I may, I'd like to collaborate with you on researching the kami and your pantheon's activities."
"I would be more than happy to help." Mom said, "Percy, however, won't be around here for much longer."
That came as a surprise.
"Why?" I asked simply.
"I talked with some contacts I have in America and there's a situation on Olympus." Mom explained, "Last month during the Winter Solstice Zeus's Master Bolt and Hades's Helm of Darkness were both stolen. They're both blaming Poseidon for the theft and there's talks of a war brewing."
"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked.
"The Fury that attacked you before your last outing was sent by Hades to search for his Helm." Mom said, "I think they ran out of domestic leads in America and started searching globally for the thief. Furies have a stronger nose than most other monsters, which is probably how she found you."
"So why am I leaving Roanapur?" I asked.
"There's a haven for Greek demigods in America called Camp Half-Blood." Mom said, "It's overseen by Dionysus and Chiron. I don't think there's any safer place you could be due to the protections there. I've already bought you a plane ticket."
"You can't just drop this on me now!" I complained.
"I can and I will." Mom said sternly, "This isn't something you can just hide from Percy. I'm chalking it up to luck that you haven't been clocked by other monsters yet. Zeus also doesn't appreciate children who aren't his flying in his domain. While you're still unknown to them, this is the best time to move."
I sighed and thought for a moment, "Fine." I said, "Where is this place anyway?"
"Long Island, by Montauk." Mom said, "There shouldn't be too many other demigods there at the moment. The place usually fills up during the summer months."
"Anything else I should know?" I asked, "I really don't want to go into this blind."
"There will be a guide waiting for you at the airport. A satyr named Grover Underwood. He'll get you to camp no problem. But take this address." Mom said. She handed me a slip of paper.
"This is for a garage I rent there. Inside is a stash of supplies and a car. If you ever need to get out of the city discreetly, that's your best shot." Mom said.
"Always prepared for the worst." I said, "What about my guns? Do I need to leave them here?"
"No, I'll cast a discretion spell on your carry-on bag that should get them past security." Mom said.
"Are you one of Hecate's children?" Rock asked.
"No, Kakia, goddess of vice." Mom said, "My magical abilities almost exclusively relate to crime. Hecate has a more varied skillset."
"Fascinating." Rock said.
"Yes." Mom said. At that, there was a knock on our door, Mom went to open it.
Revy came into the apartment.
"Do you have any spare gun oil Percy?" she asked me, "I just ran out."
"Yeah, I'll go grab it." I said. I could hear mom telling her the situation as I searched my room for it.
When I got back, Revy looked more clam than I expected.
"Thanks Percy." she said, "And I'm going to try and help you with this." she went to our kitchen and found a sticky note. She wrote down something and handed it to me.
Burdon Lane, 600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Suite 799
"This is a guy I used to run jobs for." Revy explained, "If you find yourself in the DC area and need help, he'll follow through."
"Any surprises with a guy like that?" I asked.
"No, we just worked well together. He also taught me to shoot akimbo." Revy said.
"When was all this?" Mom asked.
"This was between me getting out of prison and coming to Roanapur." Revy said, "Shit paid well but I couldn't stick around the States for too long."
My mom hummed and turned to me, "You'd better get packing."
I sighed and went back to my room.
I never appreciated the benefits of having a good coat until now. I was already getting chilly when the plane touched down, and waiting outside was like taking an ice bath in a freezer. My body was simply not used to the cold. Then again, it was February in New York, so what did I expect.
I looked around at the taxis and the other people at the terminal for any sign of this Grover guy. I had my backpack slung over my shoulder and a roller suitcase at my side. Luckily Mom's concealment magic held up. Getting interrogated by the TSA wouldn't have been fun for them.
I was about to move to a new spot when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Percy Jackson?" a guy asked me. He was a lighter skinned black guy with whisps of a beard and a beanie that covered most of his curly hair.
"Grover Underwood?" I responded.
"Let's get you out of here." he said, "Our driver is waiting."
We didn't say much as we went towards the car. Once we got in however, I was struck by something. Our driver had eyes on his hands.
"Let's go Argus." Grover said.
"What's up with him?" I asked.
"That's Argus." Grover said, "He's the Camp's head of security and usually drives for things like this."
"I see." I said. I could feel a faint presence coming from the driver. "No offense." I said. It just dawned on me just how many eyes were on this guy.
Grover and I spent much of the trip silently as we broke our way out of traffic. He didn't open up until we crossed to Long Island. By that time the sun was starting to set.
"So, how was the flight?" he asked lightly.
"It was alright." I said, "I've never been a huge fan of flying to be honest. And that layover in Abu Dhabi was absolutely horrible."
"You certainly look the part of a world traveler." Grover said, "Your mom told me that you worked with a courier service in Thailand?"
"Yeah, the Lagoon Company." I said, "We'll sail anything anywhere for cash."
"That sounds like a fun job." Grover said, "Why move here?"
"I was attacked by a Fury." I said, "Mom said it was likely Alecto."
Grover froze up at the comment, "Please be careful with throwing those names around. In Thailand it's one thing, but here those names can attract all sorts of trouble."
I smirked, "Noted."
"Well, uh, do you have any kind of weapons training?" Grover asked, "If you're a courier, I'd imagine not."
"That's where you're wrong." I said, "There's all sorts of trouble in the South China Sea. Pirates, terrorists, and gangs to boot."
I looked at Grover. His expression read like he was almost confused.
"Let me put it this way." I said, "I was a courier. But sometimes I had to break the law to put food on the table."
"Understood." Grover said. He turned the other way and looked out the window. I studied him a bit, and I could feel Argus's eyes on me even more now. Grover didn't seem to be all that much older than me, and through my reading of him, he seemed a little sheltered. Or maybe that's just my own cynicism showing through.
We kept driving along into the night and eventually pulled into a dirt road off the main path. It led up a hill that was peaked with a stupidly tall pine tree. Remnants of snow were still hanging off the branches.
We crossed by it and Argus parked the car close to the tree. I got out and noticed it was suddenly much warmer. I stripped off my jacket and put it over my shoulder.
"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." Grover said. Down the hill I could see a row of distinctly stylized cabins in a U-shape. I'm sure that's where I was headed.
I took my luggage out of the trunk and Grover waved to me to follow him.
"I'll take you up to the Big House before anything else." Grover said, "Mr. D and Chiron are expecting you."
We went towards a tall four-story house and on the porch I saw a small table lit by gas lamps. At the far side from where we came up was a black-haired man with a beer gut. He was wearing somewhat shabby clothing, and he was focused intently on his cards. Next to him was a middle-aged guy in a wheelchair. Across from him was a girl who looked around my age. The thing that struck me instantly was her blonde hair.
The black-haired man set his cards down first. "Three of a kind, Aces." he said.
The girl huffed and folded her cards.
"Well, Mr. D, I hate to break it to you." the wheelchair man said. He laid out his hand, a king-high straight.
"Damn you Chiron." Mr. D said.
I decided to break the ice, "You mind dealing me in?" I asked before sitting down across from who I assumed was Mr. D.
"Well lookie here Chiron. New kid thinks he's one of the boys off rip." he said.
"Now now, let's not disappoint our newest camper." Chiron said, "I am Chiron, this is Mr. D, and this young lady is Annabeth Chase."
"Percy Jackson." I introduced, "My mother told me a little about this place."
"And that would be Sally Jackson, correct?" Chiron asked as Annabeth dealt the cards and slid me a stack of chips. I tossed in a chip to cover the small blind.
"Yep." I answered.
"She was left unclaimed for the longest time." Mr. D commented, "Makes you wonder who she belonged to."
"I take it you haven't kept in touch." I asked. I peeked at my cards, a jack of clubs and a nine of clubs.
"You mother was a troublemaker." Mr. D said, "I didn't have the time to care about her." That was clearly his attempt at riling me up.
"I think you can do better than that." I said, "Being the god of madness and all that."
"Really?" Mr. D, Dionysus as my mom told me, said. Everyone around the table either checked or called the big blind.
"Let's keep things civil now gentlemen." Chiron said authoritatively. Annabeth gave me a sideways glance as she dealt the flop cards. A king of clubs, a ten of clubs, and a two of hearts. It looked good for me.
"I'm just having a little fun." I said before betting two chips.
"Of course." Chiron said. He called me.
Mr. D looked intently at me and also called my bet. Annabeth decided to fold. I could tell she wasn't a fan of the game. She turned fourth street, and it was a Queen of hearts. Not ideal but still good for me.
"I think we're all going to have fun together." I said. I tapped the table to check. Chiron smirked and did the same.
"Oh, so much fun." Mr. D said. He bet six chips. I called him.
"So did she ever tell you who she was claimed by?" Chiron asked. He folded his hand.
"Kakia." I said. Annabeth was in the middle of flipping the river card and she lost her cool momentarily.
"I didn't know she was able to have kids." Chiron pondered. Annabeth finished her flip, an Ace of hearts.
"She said Kakia is the goddess of vice." I said, "I bet it's hard to find many of her children." I tapped the table again to check.
Mr. D's eyes turned a stormy purple. Clearly he didn't think something added up.
"Just where did you come from?" he asked me. I met his eyes and saw a faint bit of his power. A deep-seated insanity, a great sucking sound encased my soul. I was only broken out of it when I heard Mr. D's stack of chips clatter into the pot. He was all in.
"I'll do the same." I said, piling my chips in too, "And sir, if you don't already know where I'm from. It might be better to keep it that way. My mom only sent me here because of something that you and your friends on Olympus let happen."
I could feel heat radiating off Dionysus. I was toeing the line. He laid out his cards, an ace high hearts flush.
"You would be wise to watch your tongue boy." Mr. D said.
I laid out my hand, an ace-high straight, "Looks like you win." I said, "Guess I learned my lesson."
Mr. D could tell that I was being sarcastic but took his chips anyway. He stood up and went towards the front door to the house, "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, punk." he spat before the door shut.
I glanced at Annabeth. She looked slightly shaken by the exchange. I figured she clearly didn't like challenging authority.
Chiron looked calmer, "Well Percy, you're bound to make an impression." he said, "I'll be eager to see what the other campers make of you."
"How many campers are here now?" I asked.
"About a dozen, some come and go." Chiron said, "Annabeth here can give you a tour tomorrow, but for now, would you show him to Cabin Eleven, Miss Chase?"
"Sure, Chiron." she said. I could tell she'd rather be doing anything else right about now.
The two of us got up and I only noticed that Grover was gone. She led me down the hill and once we were out of earshot of the porch she turned on me. She gave me a slight shove and I lost my grip on the rolling suitcase.
"Just what the hell were you thinking!" she said, "Challenging an Olympian like that? For what!"
"Oh, hi Annabeth, nice to meet you." I said.
"Di immortales." she said lowly.
"So, who's your godly parent?" I asked as we continued towards the cabins.
"Athena." she said curtly.
"Cool, she's the goddess of wisdom and strategy, right?" I said.
"Yes." she growled.
"Chill out Blondie, I'm new to all this y'know." I said.
She turned on me again, "Don't call me Blondie!" she said, a finger close to my chest.
I let go a loose laugh, "Alright, Wise Girl." I said. She was infinitely tease-able.
She sighed, we reached the cabins and walked down through the courtyard.
"I'm guessing that each Olympian gets their own cabin?" I asked.
"Obviously." she said.
"So, which one is Eleven then?" I asked.
"Hermes." Annabeth said.
"I'm pretty sure he's not my dad though." I said.
"Did you not read up on anything?" she asked. We stopped in the middle of the path.
"I was a bit busy. I'm sorry." I said.
"With what? Hermes is the patron of travelers. There's even a citation in Chiron's book about unclaimed half-bloods being put in his cabin." she said.
"Good to know." I said, "And if you're insisting. I weas on a job to find a retrieve a disc of sensitive information for the Russian mob. Then I blew up a helicopter with a torpedo at the behest of a crazy Japanese man. Happy?" She turned on her heel and waved a hand in the air. She clearly didn't believe anything I said. Even though we were both literally half-god.
We reached the cabin, and I liked the look of the place almost instantly. It felt very lived-in. The paint was understated and chipped. The front boards of the porch were worn and sanded down by shoes. And inside I could hear a few people carousing under a warm yellow light. Annabeth stepped up and knocked on the door.
It opened and standing there was another girl. She had long and frizzy black hair and pale skin. She was around my height and her makeup was goth-esque.
"Hey Lou, this is Percy Jackson. He's unclaimed and needs to stay here tonight." Annabeth said.
"Of course! I'm Lou Ellen Blackstone." she said. Lou reached out a hand to me and I shook it gladly.
"Seems like a nice spot you have here." I said. Annabeth started to leave, and I turned back, "Thanks for showing me around Blondie!"
Lou Ellen laughed, "Oh no she probably hates that!"
"For sure but she's so open to be teased." I said. I could tell I was going to get along with this girl at least.
"She's had a stick up her ass for a while." Lou said, "She thinks she'll get sent on some big quest if she just keeps waiting long enough."
"Really?" I said, "Are quests hard to get around here?"
Lou waived her hand, "It's a whole big long process." she said, "More of a headache than it's worth. Anyway, let me introduce you to the others."
I was beckoned inside and saw two other guys. One was on the older side with a scar on his face. The other was a swarthy looking guy, they both stood up to greet me.
"Luke Castellan, son of Hermes." the scar guy said. I shook his hand.
"Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephaestus." the other said.
"Percy Jackson." I said, "Not sure who my other parent is, but I have a good idea."
"Interesting!" Lou said, "Who do you think?"
I smirked, "I'd just be ruining the fun for all of you." I said.
"So, you don't know is what you're saying." Lou said.
I stuck up my hands and smiled, "You got me."
"Figures, but we all have our own ideas before we get claimed." Lou said, "I'm a daughter of Hecate by the way. I stay with Hermes since my mom doesn't have a cabin."
"That seems a bit unfair." I said, "There's plenty of empty space in some of the others."
"Gods are fickle." Luke said, "Hermes is the only one who actually likes guests staying with them."
"Gotcha." I said, "Where can I put my stuff?"
"Just choose an open bunk." Lou said, "Beware that Hermes is also the patron of thieves." she gave the side eye to Luke.
I saw what she was doing, "How much does he owe you?" I asked.
Luke looked away and Lou cleared her throat, "About ten drachma and twenty dollars."
"It's surely not that much?" Luke said.
"Interest pal." I said while I walked down the row a bit.
"See, he gets it!" Lou said. The two kept bickering as I unpacked. I put my clothes and toiletries in a trunk below the bed and I stood there with my gun belt, trying to find a place to put it. I kept my knife in a sheath on my side. There was no way I'd part with it.
"Holy shit dude!" I heard Lou say behind me. I turned and saw her ogling at my guns. "Are those real?"
"Yep, custom made for me." I said. I took one out and unloaded the magazine and cleared the chamber. I did a little twirl before handing it to her.
"A right gunslinger you are." she said as she handled the weapon.
"I take it you guys don't use guns at all?" I asked.
"Not exactly." Lou said, "Hey Charles." she called over her back.
He came over and saw what was happening.
"Percy here might just be the one we're looking for." Lou said. She handed Charles my gun and he looked it over.
"Nice piece." he said, "Solid steel components, bronze inlays. This might work Lou."
"Someone want to tell me what's going on?" I asked.
Luke came over to join us, "These two have been working on a project for the last few months to make guns that are effective against monsters." he explained.
"The problem in the past is that Celestial Bronze is too rare to manufacture ammo with." Charles said, "I brought Lou on board to see what kind of alchemy she could whip up."
"Alchemy?" I asked.
"Yeah, I've been dabbling in it." Lou said, "Tell you what, why don't I give you a camp tour tomorrow instead of Annabeth. I can tell you what kinda progress we've made."
I smiled, "Sounds like a plan. She doesn't seem to like me much anyways."
"Don't mind her." Luke said, "She's had a rough winter with the situation on Olympus."
"I'm still not sure what all happened." Charles said as he handed my gun back, "Chiron and Mr. D are really cagey about it."
"They haven't said anything to you?" I asked.
"Just vaguely that something happened while we were on a field trip to Olympus during the solstice." Lou said, "Zeus and Hades were pissed about something. Poseidon too but not in the same way. It was putting the other gods on edge."
I thought to myself that it might not be a good idea to tell them what I knew. Chiron might have a good reason to keep them in the dark.
"Well, the world hasn't ended yet, right?" I said, "Must not be that bad."
Luke looked a little crestfallen, "This was different than a family squabble, Percy. Something's coming."
"C'mon Luke, can't tamp down his optimism that quickly." Lou said. She bumped me on the shoulder playfully. I could definitely get along with her.
Luke smiled reassuringly, "I guess it's good to have a bit of that these days. We should probably turn in though, before Argus gets on our case again."
We all agreed on that and Charles took his leave, and the others turned into their own bunks. I left my pistols in my suitcase since it had a combination lock on it. I wasn't going to risk them with the son of the god of thieves in the room.
X
Author's Notes:
Heya! Thanks for reading. This fic idea came to me in a drunken haze, and I liked the premise and ideas I worked up so much that I just had to write a pilot. I don't expect chapters to be this long in the future. I'll be shooting for 5k words at minimum going forward.