Outsider Chronicles: Storm at Sea
When I was born into the world of Worm, I thought that maybe I'd end up with powers. To be fair, I wasn't wrong, but I never would have believed that I'd get them like this! Turns out, inherited powers are a thing, at least when your Dad is the God of the Seas!
And we're back. Lets get started! Enjoy!
Chapter 2
I think it goes without saying, but it didn't take me long to find myself awake and unable to get back to sleep. I'd seen the fucking Oricle, a being that Chiron was genuinely worried would send Percy insane, possess the biggest boogyman in Earth Bet and deliver what could only be a Great Prophecy to me, despite the fact I was there as an astral projection that basically implied that, if anyone wanted to take down Scion, they needed Godly Blood. Fuck me, this is exactly why I didn't want to be a Demigod! I don't want to be a world saving hero! Hell, I had to find nine other Demigods and I didn't even know where to start! Eventually, I gave up trying to sleep and, on Friday, decided to go for a walk. Sure, it was bit (read, a lot) dangerous to be out after dark, but I could fight and I'd been working on my Hydrokinesis, so I wasn't completely helpless.
After changing into from my PJ's into my running gear, I grabbed my water bottle, snuck out of the house and jogged down the street. I really should have been more prepared than I was.
I'm not sure what it was, but I suddenly stopped when I was a block from home, just in time for a crossbow bolt to shoot past my nose and bounce of the wall. If I'd kept going, that would have buried itself in my shoulder, completely disabling my arm. I turned, just in time to see another arrow shooting towards me. I responded by throwing my bottle at it.
The arrow split the bottle with ease, but considering the liquid was currently harder than steel, it just bounced off that as well. A gesture made the water reform into the shape of a sword, specifically a Xiphos. Because what else would it be?
"And here I thought you were supposed to be using tranqu bolts," I called.
There was a scoff from the darkness as Shadow Stalker stepped into the light.
"Like I give a crap what those weaklings want," she growled, "Besides, this is personal."
I smirked. Looks like she was more angry over the toilet water thing than I thought if she was willing to risk killing me over it.
"Aww, did I make you mad?" I said, "Then again, I guess getting sprayed in the face by a commode is rather humiliating, right Sophia?"
Shadow Stalker jerked back as if struck, giving me the perfect opening to close the distance and jam the pommel of my sword into her gut. It might be made of water, but it was still as solid as steel, so it knocked the wind out of her and sent her flying back. Huh, guess I get a strength boost as a Demigod. Or it could just be the water.
Anyway, Sophia quickly recovered from the blow by turning shadow and backflipping, switching back to solid a moment later to fire a pair of bolts at me. A flex of will turned my sword into a shield, deflecting the bolts as I sprinted after her, deflecting another couple of bots as I did. I slid under the last one, turning my water shield into a Khopesh as I did. I hooked the hooked blade of the weapon around Sophia's legs and pulled, yanking her off her feet before she could react. She let out a yelp as she hit the ground, releasing her crossbows as she did and giving me the perfect opportunity to disarm her, kicking the weapons into the darkness.
Sophia snarled as she flipped back to her feet and pulled out a pair of bolts that she held like daggers and went on the attack. I shifted my water weapon back into a Xiphos (which was just more comfortable in my hand) and met her attack. I'm pretty sure that, from the outside, it probably just looked like a blur of motion as we attacked, countered, blocked and parried in a rapid dance that was accompanied by the sound of metal on metal (somehow) and the occasional grunt as one of us got past the others guard.
Eventually, one of us found the inevitable opening and in this case, it was Sophia. Not that surprising since, talent aside, she just had more experience than I did. She managed to knock my sword out of position and immediately capitalized on the opening by punching me in the stomach, sending me skidding back.
For a moment, we stood still, both breathing heavily as we glared at one another. At some point in the fight, Sophia had lost her mask and hood and she was bleeding from a few cuts on her face and favouring her left leg slightly where I'd managed to nick her hip. I wasn't much better, with a gash on my arm and a long cut just above my eye that was bleeding profusely.
We might have continued our bout, but the moment was shattered by a sound I don't think either of us expected. Clapping. We both turned to see a frankly massive man leaning against an equally massive harley davidson with flames on the tanks, loaded shotgun holsters bolted to the sides and a seat that looked like it was made from some kind of white leather that looked uncomfortably like human skin.
The man himself was somehow even more intimidating than the bike. He towered over me and his biceps looked like they were bigger around than my torso. He was wearing black jeans, combat boots, a black leather duster, and a red muscle shirt under a bulletproof vest and had a large hunting knife strapped to his thigh. His face was handsome, in a cruel and brutal way, with knife scarred cheeks and an oily black crew cut. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of blood red wrap around sunglasses, but I could still feel the heat of his gaze from here.
"Who the fuck are you?" snarled Sophia.
Ares let out a bark of laughter and pushed off his bike.
"I'd be offended at that, but I honestly can't blame you for not recognizing me," he said, "However, I think fish breath knows me."
I twitched slightly, but sucked it up. I did NOT want to annoy him. I'd rather fight Alexandria armed with a toothpick.
"Ares, God of War," I said, "What are you doing here?"
Ares snorted.
"I happen to like this world," he said, "Always so much conflict and plenty of glorious battle! But if your asking why I'm in the City specifically, well, your Daddy asked me to do him a favour. Normally I wouldn't play delivery boy, but since I was looking for my own kid, I figured I'd make an exception. Here."
He tossed something at me and I barely caught it before it smacked me in the face. At the same time, a green trident appeared above my head, lighting up the alleyway.
"Um, thank you?" I said, not sure how to take the fact that Ares was acting as delivery boy for Poseidon.
I was also busy trying to decide if I should be pissed that, yes, I was actually the Son of Poseidon and not some weird anomaly of a Parahuman. Meanwhile, Sophia apparently decided that she didn't fancy living and scoffed.
"God of War?" she sneered, "Don't make me laugh! I bet your just another Cape with a puffed up ego."
I stared at her like she'd gone nuts, before slowly backing away. Ares stared at Sophia for a moment, before he did something I wasn't expecting. Instead of turning her into a prairie dog or something, he burst out laughing.
"BWAHAHAHAHA, you got spunk kid!" he thundered, "Even Clarisse doesn't have the guts to talk to me like that! I think I'm gonna really like you."
I blinked. Why did he… OH HELL NO!
My head snapped around as I looked between the two battle nuts facing off and made more than a few connections. Sophia was strong, much stronger than she should be, she was naturally belligerent and had a head for battle that went even further than most Parahumans. Not only that, but now I looked closer, I could see a fair few similarities between Ares and Sophia. Like that grin Ares was wearing for example. It was the same one Sophia had worn when she had been about to dunk me.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" snarled Sopha.
Ares laughed again and took off his sunglasses, revealing the nuclear explosions he had instead of eyes. Sophia, predictably, took a step back in shock.
"It means that you'd better start believing I'm a God Sophia Hess," he said, his grin widening to terrifying levels, "Cus, while I like my kids to have some bite, that doesn't mean that they get free reign to insult me."
While he was talking, Ares started cranking out an aura that basically screamed 'THIS THING IS SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU, BOOK IT!' at the most primal and base part of me. And I was only affected because I was standing next to Sophia, the actual target. She reacted pretty much as you'd expect. Her eyes widened in absolute terror and I could see that she was shaking. However, she didn't back down and met her Fathers glare with one of her own. After a few moments, Ares let up on his aura and snorted.
"That attitude will be the death of you," he said, "Well, whatever. I've done what I came here for, so I'm leaving. Oh, but before I forget."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a can of pepper spray.
"Here, I got Forge brain to make this for you," he said, tossing the can to Sophia, who just looked confused as she caught it.
"What am I supposed to…" she started, but was cut off as she did something and the can turned into a full sized crossbow made of bronze, "...oh."
Ares laughed.
"Normally I'd prefer my kids use real weapons, but I certainly ain't gonna complain about you being the best with your own," he said, "That won't ever run out of ammo and will return to your pocket if you lose it."
"Um, how exactly did you get Hephaestus to make you that?" I asked, "I would have thought he'd have laughed in your face considering your screwing his wife."
Ares growled.
"Don't push it Percy Jackson," he growled, "Your good, but you don't hold a candle to your brother."
He swung himself onto his bike and roared away, leaving a trail of crimson fire in his wake. Sophia and I stared after him, before I glanced at her.
"So, we gonna keep fighting or do you just want to go home?" I asked.
Sophia glared at me, but stomped away, pausing only to retrieve her mask and normal crossbows as she did. I remained where I was until she was out of sight and had been for a good five minutes, before I relaxed and looked down at what Ares had given me. It was a bundle wrapped in fabric that shimmered like fish scales and contained a bronze wristwatch with a black leather strap and a pen with a trident shaped clip. My eyes lit up and I clicked the pen. Sure enough, it extended into a full length Xiphos made of faintly glowing bronze metal and a word engraved on the blade. I tilted the weapon so I could read it.
"Maelstrom," I muttered, "Awesome."
I turned my attention to the watch and quickly put it on. It took a moment, but I quickly discovered that, yes, it was a bronze, Greek style shield with a trident embossed on the metal. I grinned.
"Thanks Dad," I muttered.
A slight wind picked up and swirled around me, carrying the scent of the sea. My smile widened as I collapsed my shield and sword and slipped the pen into my pocket with the fabric it was wrapped in. I don't think it had any real properties, but it was good quality and large enough to work as a bandana or something similar. Plus, it was from Dad, so I really couldn't complain.
And that'll do. Well, that was fun! I planned right from the start to have him get into a fight with Sophia, but I honestly wasn't expecting it to take a full chapter. On a side note, Ares is oddly fun to write. I might have him show up later…
So, who expected me to make Sophia Ares' kid? Shes actually the one character who I had planned as a Demigod from the start and I originally intended for her to already be aware of her parentage and be the one to confirm that Percy is actually one to.
I somehow doubt that Ares would ever agree to play messenger, but he really likes Bet and takes any opportunity he can get to visit. In fact, most of the Demigods on Bet tend to be Ares kids.
Incidentally, a Celestial Bronze weapon isn't as useless in this world as you might think. True, their useless against Mortals, but Parahumans don't quite qualify. They are actually vulnerable to Bronze, even those who would be invulnerable under normal circumstances. The same goes for the other types of Godly metal out there.
Speaking of which, Shards interact oddly with Godly blood. Although Demigods can Trigger, once said Demigod is Claimed, their power and Shard do all sorts of odd things. I'll reveal the what later on.
And with that, I'm done. Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!