Percy had always considered himself a morning person. He could never rely on a parent nor a sibling to wake him up in time for anything, so he learned early on that he had to be strict with his sleep schedule, and give himself plenty of room for error.
Unfortunately, living in a house that was always comfortably warm made it incredibly difficult to want to get out of bed.
He stretched under his flannel blanket, every muscle in his body protesting. It had been almost a week since he had returned to camp, and waking up in his own cabin still felt strange.
Not bad. Just strange. But he was getting used to it.
He yawned as he took some water from the kitchen area and splashed it in his face. He grabbed a fresh set of clothes from the chest of drawers that sat at the foot of his bed and pocketed his key.
The morning air was crisp as he opened the door. The porch faced directly into the sunrise as it rose over the trees, so it took him a moment to realize that someone was crouched at the base of the steps.
Katie Gardner.
She hadn't noticed him yet. She was running her hands through the herbs, deep in thought.
"Talent scouting?" Percy joked as he leaned against the rail.
She yelped, jumping so hard that her feet slipped out from under her and she fell on her rear.
Percy apologized as quickly as he could, hurrying to the bottom of the steps to help her back to her feet. "Didn't realize my plants were that interesting."
Katie brushed her jeans with her hands, waving him off with a scoff. "They are, actually! You've got a great selection of fresh herbs here."
Percy glanced down at them. "If you say so."
Katie crouched back down and ran her hand over a particularly small plant. It grew to full size in seconds. "Any idea why your mom gave you a garden?"
"I've been assuming she wants me to learn to cook. Something something goddess of the home. Maybe it's in my blood, but I've got to be honest, I don't know the first thing about it."
Katie nodded, plucking a stem of something from a particularly dense plant. "What is this?"
"Rosemary, but that's an easy one."
She rolled her eyes and stuck the stem back into the ground, where it immediately took root. "If you say so. I can show you some things, if you want. Children of Demeter are naturals at stuff like that."
"Really? Sure! I mean, whenever schedules work out, I'm down. I've got a little kitchen in my cabin we can work with-"
"A kitchen?" Katie shook her head. "Your mom thought of everything, didn't she?"
"Yeah…"
She turned her eyes back to the plants, shuffling her feet anxiously. "Hey… I've been meaning to ask you something…"
Percy tilted his head. "What's up?"
"Mind if I sit?"
"My mother's not really the smiting type. Go for it."
She gave an airy laugh as she took a seat long ways on the second step. For a minute they sat in silence, enjoying the morning air, before she finally spoke.
"Grover told me that you…" she bit her lip. "That you met my mom?"
Percy nodded. "She caught us after we got attacked by Echidna."
Katie's eyes went impossibly wide for a moment, but she shook her head. "Echidna? Styx, Percy. You really couldn't catch any breaks, could you? Anyway, what I wanted to ask… uhm… gods, this is tough…"
She went quiet for a moment, and Percy rubbed her shoulder. "Take your time."
She clenched her hands together. "What was she like?"
Percy thought back to that morning in the diner. Even two weeks later the interaction was still one of the stranger ones. It still blew his mind that he was apparently fascinating enough for a goddess to seek out to meet in person.
"She was a lot like you, I think," he answered carefully. "Kind of stern, but not in a mean way. In the way that you know she's saying something for your own good. Like how cheeseburgers are unhealthy. And how Ares is a pig." he scoffed and bit his tongue. "Gods, I should have taken that as a warning…"
Katie didn't seem to hear him. She ran her hand across the grass, a flower sprouting from the soil effortlessly in her wake. "Did she say anything about us? Her children?"
Percy frowned, and she had her answer. "She, uh… mostly talked about my mother."
Katie gave something between a scoff and a laugh. "Yeah. Of course."
"Katie, I'm sorry. I should have asked-"
"No, Percy. It's not your responsibility. It's just… I understand the rules. That they're not supposed to interact with us. It just sucks."
"Yeah. It does. It's a dumb rule."
He had a slow realization as Katie picked at the grass. He had spent years wondering if his parents cared for him, and sure, his mother hadn't spoken to him for the first twelve years of his life, but that wasn't exactly out of the ordinary for demigods. And once he finally did meet her, she made their one interaction count. She took his hands within hers and told him, You are the greatest gift I have ever received, while so many others here spent their entire lives waiting and hoping for a single moment of acknowledgement.
"God's seem to suck at expressing themselves," he tried thoughtfully. "Zeus almost started a war because he was too proud to admit he jumped to conclusions. Hades tried to get me to the Underworld faster by sending someone that I thought had tried to kill me two weeks earlier. Even my mother. I know this cabin was a gift. Maybe it was meant to show me that she loves me, but I can't imagine what the campers who haven't even been claimed feel like right now, seeing how easy it was for her to do something like this when some kids never even get claimed. It probably sucks. A lot."
Katie looked up at him, a surprisingly calm look on her face. As if she were used to the disappointment. "Why are you saying this?"
"I'm just saying that Demeter has to care. Right? Maybe she's not the best at showing it, but just based on how she acted in the diner, I don't think it's possible that she doesn't care. She's not like Ares, and even Ares has to care for his kids a little bit. But if you don't want to believe that, then believe me. I care about you. I told Ares to his face that you were my favorite cousin instead of him."
She squinted at him, trying to figure out if he was lying, before snorting and punching his shoulder. "You're an idiot, Percy. But, thanks. You're my favorite cousin, too."
"And, look. If you ever want to complain about bad parents over tea or something, I've got a great place to do it, and a few stories of my own."
From nearby, the breakfast conch blew. Katie stood, dusting off her hands. "I'll keep that in mind. And spread the word, if you don't care."
"Not at all."
"Good. Now, come on. I've got that same bug Annabeth had about her mom. I want to sit at your table and I'm not about to do it alone."
As they walked, a curious glint appeared in her eyes. "Hey… you think it's possible that I could go on a quest?"
Percy glanced up at the big house. After this, he was hoping to never go on another quest again. But he had to admit, it certainly got plenty of attention from the gods.
He charged his hand with a bit of calming energy and patted her on the back. "Katie, I bet you would kill it on a quest."
Her shoulders loosened. "You think so?"
"Honestly. I don't know the full extent of it, but your mother is also one of Zeus's siblings? I think it's kind of disrespectful that Demeter isn't included in that Big Three or whatever it is. I bet if you really work on it, you and your siblings could be a force to be reckoned with. I'm yet to see any of your siblings tap into the goddess of the seasons thing, but I bet it's in there, somewhere."
A proud smirk crossed her face. "Thanks, Percy. Race you to the dining pavilion?"
Before he could even respond, a vine wrapped around his ankle and he ate dirt. He didn't mind. Katie's triumphant laughter was all the victory he needed.
The next couple weeks passed in a blur of training and studying. On the Fourth of July the Hephaestus cabin gathered everyone at the soundside for a fireworks display, but Percy wasn't able to focus on any of it. Grover was preparing to leave for his search for Pan.
"I wish I could take you guys with me," The satyr said over his shoulder as he finished stuffing his backpack with supplies for his journey. "But, you know. Humans and Pan…"
Percy almost had a hard time believing that this was the same kid he had saved from bullies back at Yancy Academy. In the few weeks since they returned to camp he had grown a few inches, filled in his goatee, put on some muscle, and grown in his horns so long that he now had to wear a rasta cap at all times to pass as human.
Thankfully, Annabeth was willing to do most of the talking, because Percy was struggling with the idea of letting go of his best friend. "We understand," she huffed with a pat on his shoulder. "Have you got everything you need? Reed pipes? Tin cans?"
Grover rolled his eyes but embraced her anyway. "I'm gonna miss you guys…"
He shouldered his backpack and eyed the woods, a simultaneously nervous and excited gleam in his eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be back before you even know it!"
Percy gave him a tight hug, wishing him well as he took off into the woods toward Manhattan. The trees swallowed him whole, and then he was gone.
"We'll see him again," Annabeth promised with a firm squeeze of Percy's shoulder. "He's grown a lot recently. I used to worry about him, but I think that you did a lot to inspire him, both in school and on the quest. He'll be fine."
Percy agreed. The fact that not a single satyr had come back alive in two thousand years was impossible to ignore, but he had to believe, just as the satyrs believed in Pan.
Percy adjusted the straps of his backpack as he and Annabeth stepped off the subway and into the sweltering July heat.
"I hate you sometimes, you know that?" Annabeth groaned as she fanned her face with a city map. "It's not fair that heat doesn't bother you."
Percy rolled his shoulders and turned a corner. "I don't think it's my fault. Blame my mother."
Annabeth shook her fist at the sky half-heartedly, then pointed down the street to a little shop tucked between a pizza place and a laundromat. "There it is. I had the camp store mail in the film roll last week, so hopefully they're done developing by now."
The relief on Annabeth's face was palpable as they stepped into the shop. It had one of those window mounted air conditioners, which she immediately stepped over to and held her face in front of.
Percy grinned at the sight as he leaned up to the counter and gave the old man their names.
"We only really took the pictures in Vegas," Percy tapped his knees to a staticky rendition of Don't Stop Believin' as he took a seat next to Annabeth. "What else do you think Grover caught?"
She put a hand to her chin in faux-contemplation. "I mean, he had to fill that roll somehow, right? Just remember our agreement."
"Any embarrassing photos get burned instantly."
"Good. Just for that, I'm buying lunch."
"On camp money?"
"Shush."
The old man returned several minutes later with a thick envelope. "It's all been paid for, so you're good to go."
Annabeth snatched the envelope with a hurried thanks and steered Percy for the door. She was already ripping it open before the door had shut. "Oh, wow," she breathed. "I can't believe how not terrible we look in most of these."
Percy craned his neck over her shoulder as she flipped through the stack. There was one that Grover managed to snap on the back of the Greyhound where Percy and Annabeth were fighting over who had to take the middle seat (it was Percy). The next one was of the son of Hestia riding the Hydra to the train station, wind in his hair and determination in his eyes.
"I'm hanging that one by the Chimera horn," he decided.
Nearing the end of the stack a particularly dark image popped out. It was of Percy and Annabeth sleeping in the back of the grain truck.
Her cheeks went red and she turned away. She shoved it into Percy's arms and he fully expected her to tell him to torch it so it could never see the light of day again, but she simply cleared her throat and pointed to the place next door. "Pizza?"
Percy agreed, taking her silence on the matter as a green light to pocket the picture instead.
The place was as hole-in-the-wall as it could get, chock with linoleum tables stained yellow over what seemed like fifty years of pizza grease stains, a single person working the counter, and a "Lunch Special" that was a single slice of Pizza too big to fit on the paper plate in the image. They ordered one to split.
They took a seat in one of the red booths. Annabeth continued to flip through the photos as they waited for their food. She told him to check one out that was herself posed in front of the Gateway Arch.
"I don't even remember taking this," she hummed. "Looks good, though. My first official visit to a National Park."
Percy asked if she had any plans to visit more, and she explained to him that the National Parks service had these passports and she had a grand plan to get every stamp in one of the books, though he had no idea how she would ever manage that.
"You'd have to get a lot of quests to see every single one," he pointed out, thanking the waiter as he dropped the gargantuan slice of pizza between them.
Annabeth rolled her eyes and took out her dagger to cut the pizza in half. "Nobody stays at camp forever, Percy. Once we're old enough we get to go out and live as close to normal lives as we can."
She chewed on her pizza for a few seconds, then asked, "Speaking of normal, have you thought about meeting your dad yet?"
Percy stilled. He leaned back in his seat and sighed, idly flicking the straw in his drink around. "I don't know. Maybe."
"That's not much of an answer, Percy."
"I don't know what you want me to say. It's weird, I guess. I know that he knows about me, but I'm so nervous about the whole thing… I don't know. What if it's like your family? What if he has a normal mortal family now, and me barging in on that would just throw everything out of balance?"
"You're right. That's a possibility. But from what you told me your mom described, he sounds like a good guy, and I'd hope if he did move on that he would end up with someone at least half as good as himself. I really don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Easy for you to say. You wouldn't have to be the one to explain how, despite your dad never actually getting with your mom, you somehow exist."
Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "I literally had to do that exact thing with my stepmom."
Percy blushed and turned his head down. "I'm sorry. I guess… maybe it's not as difficult for you since you've already given your dad his second chance. You know what the worst thing that can happen is and you don't need to wonder if you made the right choice or not."
"And?"
"And what if I don't want to make that choice? What if I like it at camp, and I want to stay there. Where things make sense. Where I feel safe."
Annabeth took another bite of pizza and swallowed it before chewing enough, so she made a funny face as it went down. "...Is this about Gabe?"
Percy spilled a bit of his drink on the table, cursing and reaching for a napkin. "Maybe. I don't know. With Gabe, I at least knew what to expect. Now I don't, and it's terrifying. I don't want to get my hopes up and then find out the hard way that I should have just stayed at camp."
"That's pretty pessimistic. If you ask me, I seriously think this will be worth it, but- Percy, look at me when I say this- you do not have to go today, or tomorrow, or even in a month. You don't even need to decide if you will go. It's okay to take your time."
Percy thanked her and returned to his pizza. The biggest issue he could think of with waiting was that his ADHD would make him put it off until he absolutely couldn't anymore, but he would face that later. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy lunch.
They returned to camp and settled back into routine. Wake up, eat breakfast, train, memorize plant types with Katie, get knocked on his ass by Clarisse, pretend he wasn't putting off his decision to meet Paul.
It wasn't until the end of July that he was forced to confront it. It was late one afternoon and he had just made it to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting burned. Not like it was an issue if the lava did touch him because it wouldn't hurt him, but it was a nice obstacle to avoid either way.
Annabeth came jogging up from the direction of the Big House with a newspaper in hand. She stared at him as he approached, wiping the sweat from his face.
"I think you should see this."
Percy frowned and took the paper. She had it folded straight to the Obituaries page, and for half a second his heart dropped because he thought he was about to read his father's.
Instead, his eyes met something much more sobering.
Gabriel Ugliano, 43, passed away suddenly in Manhattan apartment.
He skimmed over the rest. Survived by… cause of death, Alcohol poisoning…
His heart didn't speed up. His stomach didn't drop.
Gabe was gone. Just like that.
Annabeth watched him carefully. "Are you okay?"
Percy stared at the paper for a few more seconds, then folded it up. It wasn't as relieving as he expected, but nice. Just a quiet acceptance. A weight lifted from his shoulders.
"I think I want to go outside," he said absentmindedly.
Annabeth blinked. "You are outside."
"I mean we should go somewhere nice." He took a deep breath in through his nose. "Nice day today."
She looked up at the sky. It was the same sunny and seventy-five that it always was in camp.
"Alright," she shrugged. "Where are we going?"
"Dunno. Just… somewhere."
They ended up on the docks of the canoe lake, sitting with their feet in the water and watching the ripples.
"I'm gonna meet him," he finally said. "I'll write him a letter as soon as we get back."
Annabeth turned to him. "Paul?"
Percy nodded.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. You were right. I should give it a chance, and I don't want to put it off until he ends up in the newspaper too."
Annabeth chuckled. "I doubt Paul lives the same lifestyle that Gabe did."
"No, probably not. But you never know."
"No. No, you don't."
She pulled a knee close and rested her chin atop it as she kicked the surface of the water with the other. A couple naiads hovered beneath the surface, looking like they really wanted to spew a jet of water right into her face, but thankfully they held back.
"That's really brave, Percy," she finally hummed.
Percy leaned forward to enter her vision. "You okay?"
She let out a slow breath. "Yeah. You just made me think about something."
He raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
"I've spent so long being angry. At my dad, or my stepmom, or myself for what happened between us. And I know this is probably dumb since I already gave them a second chance, but you're making me want to try again. I think… I think I'm going to write to my dad too."
Percy reeled back momentarily. "Seriously?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to pack up and go all the way back to San Francisco, but maybe… if things go well, at the end of the summer…"
She trailed off and Percy rubbed her back. "It's really brave of you, too. To hope things have gotten better."
"Hey, don't try to butter me up. You can't get rid of me that easily. I haven't forgotten that I said I would keep you company during the off season."
They sat there a while longer. Even when the dinner conch blew, they didn't get up.
It really was a nice day.
It was NOT a nice day.
At least, that's what Percy wished he could tell himself as he stepped out of the subway station and stared into clear skies. A cool breeze snaked through the Manhattan streets, creating such a perfect day that it made him want to march back up to Olympus and curse whoever was in charge of the weather.
It was dumb, Percy told himself, that this was freaking him out so badly. He had faced down monsters that were out for his blood, survived falling six hundred feet from the Gateway Arch, and even sent the god of war himself packing. But this? It rattled his nerves like nothing else had ever managed.
Paul had written back immediately after the first letter, which Percy still cringed at. He was so nervous that he referred to Paul as Father, Dad, and Sir all in one paragraph. Yes, he had a pencil, and no, he did not try to erase.
They exchanged a few messages before Percy ultimately proposed a meeting, in which he learned three important details.
1: Paul was married. A woman named Clara who he spoke very highly of, and who Percy desperately wished would not be here for their first meeting.
2: Paul did remember him. Hestia had, thankfully, told him the reason that Percy couldn't stay with him, and he had been waiting just like she had.
And 3: He had really good handwriting, which made Percy cringe at his first letter even harder. But what else could you expect from an English teacher?
Percy checked the back of the final letter he received from Paul for what felt like the eightieth time that hour. It was a little cafe in the Upper East Side. Paul's suggestion. A neutral ground.
Percy pushed the door open, the jingling bell nearly making him jump. The inside smelled just like his cabin, but it was anything but comforting. Sitting in a booth farther back, in the perfect location to be seen right from the door, was his father. He stood and waved immediately.
He looked almost exactly like Percy remembered from the oracle's projection. Tall, salt-and-pepper hair, grassy green eyes, stubble that made it look like he had forgotten to shave that morning.
The only odd thing was his hair, which had grown a few inches longer. He still looked like an English teacher, but if he was playing one in a movie.
Percy tried to smile as he approached, brushing his clammy hands against his pants. He slid into the booth and waved his hand in the general direction of Paul's hair. "So, uh… midlife crisis?"
FUCK.
For a few seconds Paul stared. Then, the words clicked and he burst into laughter. Just like that, the tension began to fade.
"Thankfully, no," he managed. "Clara watched this movie recently. The leading man had a haircut she liked, so she decided I should try something new."
A waitress dropped off a couple menus and took their drink orders before rushing back to the counter. Percy asked for water, and his menu remained sitting on the table. He wasn't sure if he could eat anything without vomiting.
There was a long silence. Not the comfortable kind that Percy could share with Annabeth while they both read through architecture books, or with Katie while they strolled through the strawberry fields, or even with Clarisse after an intense duel. It was charged, as if they both wanted to speak but neither knew where to begin.
Paul finally broke the silence, thanking the waitress and telling her they needed a few more minutes as she dropped off two glasses of water. "I really appreciate you reaching out, Percy. I know this must be a lot."
Percy bit his tongue. "You could say that."
Paul rested his elbows on the tabletop and clasped his hands together. His gaze was piercing. Extremely similar to the one that Percy recalled Hestia giving him when they met. Like he was trying to memorize every detail. Like this was the only chance he might have to do so.
"You look just like your mother," he said softly. "Though I do see some of myself in you. I must admit, when she tried to explain to me how you would be born, I assumed that I was just meant to be a symbolic father."
"Do you miss her?" Percy heard himself blurt.
Paul gave a gentle smile, a little sad but mostly fond. "Of course. Although I have a different life now, I treasure the time we spent together. I knew my time with her was temporary from the start. Your mother always made sure to lay out her intentions. To ultimately leave me with the final decision of whether or not I would be your father. It was difficult, knowing that I would only be with you two for a few months before you had to be hidden for both of our sakes. But she was right, and here we are."
Percy swallowed. "Yeah. She's very human. For a goddess, I mean. Does… does Clara know about any of this stuff? Gods, monsters, et cetera?"
"Very vaguely. She knows that your mother was somebody important. And she knows about you, of course."
"How does she feel about that?"
"I think she believes that your mother was a spy. That she abandoned her mission to be with me and had to run off when her handler tracked her down."
"That's… shockingly accurate, actually."
The conversation eased into something warmer after that. It was still strange, but not bad. Just like the first few weeks waking up in his cabin. He would get used to it.
Percy wasn't sure exactly how long they talked. It was only when Paul received a text from Clara asking if he was still out that they called it a day. The sun was beginning to set over the skyline and the air was cooling down.
Paul pocketed his phone and pulled out his wallet. "It was incredible to finally meet you, Percy. You've grown into a fine young man."
Percy held out his hand, which Paul readily shook. It was firm. Stable. Something that Percy really liked.
"Would you…" he hesitated, his tongue stopping so quickly it probably left skidmarks.
Paul paused in gathering his things. Waiting. Giving Percy all the time he needed.
"Do you want to do this again? S-sometime? Only if you want! I'd like to meet Clara, if that's okay!"
Paul bit back a full blown grin and patted Percy on the back. "I'd like that a lot, Percy."
Percy nodded stiffly, jamming his hands in his pockets and directing his gaze to his shoes. "Me too."
Paul lingered for only a moment longer, telling Percy that he would be available any time not during the day once the school year started, and to send him a letter with what times worked for him, before wishing him a safe trip back and stepping out of the cafe.
Percy barely remembered the ride back to Penn Station, and even less the trip to Rocky Point, where Argus was waiting to pick him up in the camp van with a proud gleam in his hundred eyes.
He couldn't wait to tell Annabeth just how right she had been.
The final night of the summer session rolled around before Percy knew what had happened. Everyone gathered for one final meal in the dining hall, burning their sacrifices with a particularly loud To Hestia!
At the bonfire, the senior counselors handed out the end of summer beads. Percy finally got his own necklace, which he immediately strung his key and vial on. When he finally got a good look at the bead, he was glad that the red fire light covered his blush. It was pitch black, with a red flame burning in the darkness.
"The decision was unanimous!" Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first, and only son of Hestia, and the perilous quest he undertook to the deepest reaches of the Underworld to stop a war!"
The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Annabeth got shoved to the front of the crowd to share in the applause, and the look on her face told Percy she wished the same thing as him- that they wished Grover was here for this.
The next morning, Percy awoke feeling like the big bad wolf after his stomach had been packed full of stones. He hopped up and got ready as quickly as he could. There were so many people he needed to say goodbye to before they went home for the season.
As soon as he opened the door Katie tackled him in a hug. He stumbled back, trying to laugh and nearly choking. "Good morning to you, too."
She withdrew from the hug, her smile strained. "You're staying?"
Percy almost wished he could say otherwise. "I am. I mean, I've only met Paul the one time so far. He's great, but I don't think I'm ready to live with him. We're gonna stick with visiting for now. Besides, camp feels like home."
"We'll see if you're still saying that when you wake up tomorrow with only five other campers," Katie blurted, then slapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry, that was so incredibly mean-"
Percy tried to laugh. He gave her a final embrace, making her promise to IM every once in a while, before she took off toward her cabin to finish packing.
The pit in his stomach deepened. He didn't regret his decision, but watching all these people packing up, hugging, crying, laughing, it made him sick.
He couldn't keep watching, so he walked. His feet took him to the swordplay arena.
Good, he thought, I need to hit something.
Unfortunately, it seemed like Luke had the same idea. He had five straw dummies set up in a line, and five more that had already been torn to pieces. He was using a blade that Percy had never seen before, but it couldn't have been celestial bronze, nor could it have been one of the wooden practice blades because he was tearing through the dummies like they were out for his blood. One lost its head, others lost their arms, and the final one took the blade to the gut, strewing straw bowels across the arena.
It was only then that Luke realized he wasn't alone. He turned, a wild look fading from his eyes as he wiped sweat from his forehead. "Percy."
Percy apologized. "I, uh… was having a hard time watching everyone leave. Mind if I join you?"
Luke gestured to the rack of weapons with his sword. "Don't see why not. Why don't you show me what you've learned this summer?"
Percy took a sword from the rack and got into position. Luke never said go, but Percy was on the defensive before he knew what had happened. Luke's movements were sharp and precise, as if he were testing him for something much more intense than a simple progress check.
"You've certainly improved," he huffed, jabbing at Percy's midsection a few times. "Maybe you could actually win a fight against Ares now that you've got some practice under your belt."
"I got stupid lucky," Percy heaved through gritted teeth. He went for a slash, and his sword clattered to the ground. "I probably shouldn't have made it out of that fight alive."
"Sure. But fighting a god and living to tell the tale? I don't care who you are, that's talent in one way or another."
He lashed out, and Percy was on his ass before he knew what had happened. Luke reached a hand out, which Percy gladly accepted.
"This isn't very productive," Luke decided. He slid his sword into his sheath and stepped over to his gym bag. "What do you say we go out into the woods? Find a real monster to fight?"
Percy's key hummed against his chest. It wasn't in his head. It was trying to tell him something, and for a moment he felt like a puzzle piece had come loose. He should have been grateful that Luke was being so nice to him. Ever since returning from the quest the son of Hermes had been distant, and Percy still felt unsettled every time he recalled their Iris Message in the car wash.
But then Luke reached into his gym bag and pulled out a six pack of Coca-Cola. How he got them inside camp, Percy wasn't sure. The camp store didn't sell mortal sodas, and the goblets in the dining hall just couldn't quite match the flavor.
He chalked it up to Luke being a son of the god of thieves. He gladly took one as Luke offered it, melting into the sweet taste of processed sugars.
They took off into the woods, searching for what felt like hours for a monster to fight, but they must have sensed the heat too. Not a single monster could even be heard.
They found a shady spot by the creek, a big, cool rock right near where Percy had battled the Ares campers in capture the flag.
"Your sword," Percy finally asked as Luke pulled it out of its scabbard, examining it hungrily. "What's it made of?"
"Oh, this? I call it Backbiter. Half celestial bronze, half tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals all the same."
"Why would you need that?"
"Oh, you never know what kind of danger you'll run into out there."
"I guess that's true… but why would you need it here?"
"I'm not staying here, Percy. I'm getting ready to leave, just like everyone else. I brought you down here to say goodbye."
Luke's hand twitched toward his scabbard, and Percy instinctively closed his fist around Hades's vial.
"No need for that," he insisted, instead reaching into his pocket. "I've just got a gift for you. And a request."
He drew a thin object from his pocket. A silvery pen.
The world held its breath, dead quiet as Percy tried to process what he was seeing. There was no way. It couldn't have been.
"Where did you get that?" he tried to demand, though his voice sounded too wobbly to carry any weight.
Luke ignored him. "This is a peace offering, Percy."
"I'm not asking again, Luke. How did you get Riptide? I lost it in Tartarus. After the shoes that you gave us almost…"
A cloud blocked out the sun and Luke's face darkened. In his time with the Aphrodite cabin, Percy had heard plenty about how handsome Luke was, but in this light he was anything but. His scar looked painfully red as if it were about to open back up and begin pouring blood. His hair turned gray in the darkness, and his blue eyes, for only a moment, seemed to turn yellow.
"After they almost dragged Grover down, yeah," Luke confirmed, sounding almost disappointed. "And yet, you all survived. Guess I underestimated you…"
He clicked Riptide, watching it with a sneer as it grew to full size, then held it out to Percy hilt first. "I'm returning it to you. All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say."
Percy crushed Hades's vial and leveled his spear at Luke. His key was vibrating so violently it almost hurt. It was trying to warn him.
Luke sighed, disappointed but not surprised. "You never did trust me, did you? Come on, Percy. Just hear me out."
"I trusted you until you tried to drive a wedge between Annabeth, Grover and I by suggesting she had stolen the Master Bolt! Are you fucking serious?! You're working for Kronos?!"
Luke gave a dark chuckle, rattling Percy to his bones. He lunged forward, pinning Percy by the neck against a tree. With his forearm.
"A traitor, once trusted, will strike to an end," he hummed, spinning Riptide in his grasp. "Percy, the gods don't care about us. Their precious Western Civilization is a plague upon this world. You saw it firsthand on your quest, didn't you? It's killing the world, and the only way to stop is to overthrow their rule, just as they did to their father, and as the titans did to their father before them. It is our time to take charge."
"My mother loves me," Percy choked out, trying to angle his spear at Luke before the son of Hermes whacked it from his hands. "And yes, you're right! Humans are awful to the world, but that doesn't give you an excuse to destroy them all! That's completely insane!"
Percy tried to kick him between the legs, but he was too fast. He stepped to the side, then hit Percy in the nose with Riptide's hilt, cracking it and knocking the back of his head against the tree.
"I was the lightning thief, yes," Luke admitted. "Kronos got me to steal it. He spoke to you, too. You should have listened."
"He's brainwashing you, Luke."
"No, Percy. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. Do you know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? It was to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides. A poor imitation of Heracles's labor. After all the training I did, that was the best they could think of. And where is the glory in repeating the work of others? My heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the Garden gave me this," he angrily gestured to his scar, practically glowing, "and when I returned, all I got was pity. It was then that I began to dream of Kronos. He told me to bide my time. To steal something worthwhile. That no other hero would be brave enough to take. So, while we were on that field trip at the winter solstice, while everyone else was asleep, I sneaked into the throne room and stole the bolt right from Zeus's throne. Hades's helm, too. I was halfway across New Jersey before the gods even realized they had been stolen from."
Percy opened his hand, reaching for the spear. There was a small tug in his palm, as if the spear were trying to find its way back to its master, but it did no more than shudder against the grass.
Luke's eyes flicked down, and Percy thrashed to regain his attention. "Why didn't you take the items directly to Kronos?"
Luke's smile wavered. "I got overconfident. Ares caught me. Threatened to have me returned to Olympus and burned alive. But, as I'm sure you've realized, Ares is a simpleton. All it took was teasing him with the idea of a war between the gods. Of a scale that none had ever witnessed. He was hooked instantly. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone even knew I was gone. Kronos, he… punished me for my failure with nightmares. Then, he told me a hero would arrive. One that could take the bolt and the helm the rest of the way. From Ares to Tartarus."
He stopped his speech, then loosened his pressure on Percy's neck. "I like you, Percy. I really do. Which is why I wanted to give you a chance to join me. To strike a blow so devastating against the gods, because what would they think if the son of the goddess who holds everything together were to betray them?"
Percy sucked in a desperate breath, coughing as he slumped to his knees. "You- You fucking psycho!"
Luke shook his head. "I knew you would be difficult. A shame, really. Do you not see it? How the gods are using you? Making you feel like you're important, just like they did to me, before they realize they don't care?"
Percy clenched his fists. "Yeah. Just like you? I can't believe you would disgrace Thalia's memory like this! She gave her life to save you!"
Luke whacked Percy across the face with the flat of Riptide. Pain exploded through his cheek and the taste of iron filled his mouth.
"Don't you dare speak of her!" Luke's voice trembled with rage. His hands gripped Riptide so tightly that his hands shook. "The gods let her die! That is one of the many things they shall answer for!"
Percy barely heard him. His whole jaw throbbed as he prodded the impact zone with his tongue. His stomach turned as he found nothing but a bloody gap.
He coughed and spat a glob of red liquid, and something solid clinked against the stone ground. A tooth.
For a moment, Percy could do nothing but stare. Even Luke seemed caught off guard by the brutality.
Percy glared at him. This guy had welcomed him to camp as family. Had gone out of his way to make him feel at home here. And here he was, betraying everything he claimed to stand for.
Percy bared his remaining teeth, stained pink with blood. "You hit like a human."
He flexed his hand, and the spear magnetized to his palm. Luke barely had time to jump back as Percy swung with all his might, tearing the sleeve clean off his shirt and leaving a shallow cut.
Luke stumbled back, patting the cut and examining the beading blood. "Not bad."
He lunged just as Percy tried to spray a flame in his direction, ducking beneath it before rising to wrap his arm around Percy's neck. He leaned in close and whispered, "You should have listened."
He drew a smaller object from his pocket. A tiny vial filled halfway with red liquid. "Took this from Annabeth as soon as you got back to camp. Told her I would dispose of it. She never suspected a thing."
Oh, gods, Percy realized. "N-no!"
Luke yanked his head back, forced his mouth open, and poured the remaining Hydra blood right down his throat.
An image flickered across his vision as his throat began that all-too-familiar burning. The one that the River Styx had shown him, of a silhouette pouring something down his throat. Why? Was it just to punish him? Or was it a warning, and he was realizing it too late?
He didn't have time to process it. His body began to twitch and thrash without command. He tried reaching for Luke, to try what he had done to Ares, but Luke knew better. He stepped just out of reach, and Percy didn't have the energy of a sacrifice to flash forward this time.
Luke didn't move for a moment, only watching as Percy barely kept his footing. "I really am sorry."
He lifted Riptide, and thrust it right through Percy's stomach.
He would have screamed, if not for the pain he already felt being so intense he could barely register the added damage. All he could manage was a strangled wheeze.
Luke drew Backbiter and slashed at the air, creating a rift. "Goodbye, Percy. A new Golden Age is coming, and you won't be a part of it."
He stepped through, and Percy was alone. Poisoned. Bleeding out. Pinned to a tree like a gruesome scarecrow.
He tried calling out for help, but his vocal cords didn't work. Even if they did, he was so deep into the woods that it would be a miracle if anyone found him. The only thing he could do was wonder if the poison or the blade in his stomach would do him in sooner.
He reached out blindly, trying to summon a flame. Something. Anything to keep him breathing just a little longer,
And somehow, something heard him.
Power flickered in his hand, and then the ground shook. A growl emanated from the nearby trees. Something familiar.
Two scaly white heads popped out of the woods, sniffing around. Their eyes locked onto him, and then the sword in his gut.
"L-Lucky!" Percy rasped, though no sound actually came out. The Hydra approached him, nudged him, and then lifted him onto its back. It took off at an incredible speed.
Stay awake, my lord, Lucky encouraged him. He tried, but his body was no longer listening. Darkness began creeping in through the edges of his vision. They exploded into the clearing where the cabins sat. Someone cried for help, and then everything went black.
Percy awoke with a drinking straw in his mouth and the taste of roasted marshmallows on his tongue. Nectar.
His eyes shot open and he would have screamed if he didn't feel like he had been flattened by a steamroller. He hardly had the strength to keep his eyes open.
He was in the infirmary of the Big House, propped up like he had been in a motorcycle accident. Bandages were wrapped so tightly around his midsection that it made breathing a challenge. To his left sat Annabeth, dabbing his forehead with a wet washcloth. To his right, Chiron, who looked as exhausted as he did when he had a late night of grading papers back at Yancy.
"You dumbass," Annabeth muttered, though there was no heart behind it. Just weary relief that he was awake and alive. "You lost so much blood you were turning white when the dryads brought you in. And that's not even mentioning the poison. If it weren't for Chiron's healing…"
Chiron moved to her side and rubbed her shoulder. He was in his magical wheelchair, an uncommon sight at camp. "Now, now. Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit. Not many can survive Hydra blood for very long."
Hydra blood, he remembered, groaning as he tried to stretch his stiff-as-steel muscles. Then, he shot up straight, so quickly he nearly cried out.
"Percy, sit back down!" Annabeth placed a hand on his chest and tried to push him back. There wasn't much he could do to protest.
"Where's Lucky?" he demanded as loudly as he could manage, and Annabeth shushed him.
"He ran back into the woods after bringing you back," she assured him. "Even if someone was dumb enough to track him down, you're pretty much the only person here who would stand a chance. You have to cauterize the neck stumps to kill it. That, or completely obliterate it, but we don't exactly keep that kind of firepower around camp."
That was relieving to hear. Percy sighed and relaxed into the cot. It was still extremely uncomfortable, but he had the feeling that any surface would be irritating in his current state.
"How are you feeling?" Chiron asked.
Percy had no idea how to explain it. He doubted that anyone on earth had ever felt so thoroughly hurt in every manner possible. The only thing he could think to say, which he knew Chiron likely wouldn't approve of, was, "Like shit."
It was almost shocking how readily Chiron laughed at the description. "Apt, considering what you went through. Now, you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened.
Through sips of nectar and intermittent bursts of self-healing energy, Percy tried his best to explain what he had witnessed. Luke's offer. The betrayal. The poison.
The room was silent for a long time.
"I can't believe that Luke…" Annabeth trailed off, her face red in both fury and sadness. "Yes, I can. He was never the same after his quest. May the gods damn him."
She cursed herself under her breath. "I trusted him with disposing of the Hydra blood. Gods, I was such an idiot."
Her voice cracked at the end, and Percy wished so desperately that he could sit up to comfort her.
"Annabeth," he ground out, "don't blame yourself for what Luke did."
"But what if-"
"No. Luke made his choice. He planned it out, and he went through with it. You were just the unlucky one he happened to steal it from."
She clenched her jaw and nodded, though Percy doubted that she truly meant it.
"I must go to Olympus at once to report this." Chiron murmured.
Percy wished he had the patience of either of his parents. The idea that Luke was still out there made him want to hop right out of bed and hunt him down, even though the logical part of his brain told him that one: he could barely walk and two: Luke was a better sword fighter than him, and wouldn't leave without personally ensuring he was dead a second time.
"What can I do?" he asked weakly. The last few weeks of the summer session had been good. Really good. Which made it all the more crushing that it now felt like he had been rudely shaken from a pleasant dream.
Chiron rolled up and placed a hand on his ankle. "For now, you must rest. Heal. You are staying for the year, are you not?" Percy nodded. "Good. My boy, Kronos wants you to fall apart. He wants your judgement to be clouded with anger and fear. You cannot allow that to happen. Your time will come. Until then, we will train. By next year, I believe we can make you into a fine young warrior."
He wheeled himself toward the door, whispering to Annabeth as he went, "They're here, whenever you are ready."
"Who's here?" Percy asked, but nobody answered. Chiron's wheelchair thumped down the steps,
Annabeth bit her lip, staring at the floor. "Do you… um… need anything?"
Percy glanced out the window. It was dusk. "How long was I out?"
"A few hours. Not long, all things considered."
His stomach churned. "So… everyone's already gone?"
"Almost."
Percy sat up a little more, trying to crush the tightness in his chest as he did. "I wanted to say goodbye to so many people. But, that's my own fault, I guess… The whole reason I ran into Luke to begin with was because I was having such a hard time watching everyone packing up."
"It's okay, Percy. Nobody blames you."
"I do."
She flinched. Barely, but as soon as Percy saw it, he knew.
"You're leaving too, aren't you?"
She hesitated, but nodded. "I followed your example. I wrote my dad a letter. I told him I was sorry. That, if he would have me, I would come back for the school year. That we would give it another try."
"Good things come in threes," Percy said thoughtfully. The Big Three, the three Fates, three questers. "Maybe it's a sign."
"Maybe so. I'm glad I'm doing this, but… I'm really sorry, Percy. For not staying. I know I said I would."
Percy tried to hold up a finger to shush her and groaned as his ribs fought back. "It's okay. Seriously. It's really brave of you to try again. And if things don't turn out like you hoped, Argus and I will come get you."
Annabeth gave a trembling smile and agreed, but Percy had a feeling that it truly would be different this time. That he wouldn't be seeing Annabeth until next summer.
"Help me up?" he asked. She tried to protest, but helped him onto the porch regardless.
The camp was deserted. No canoes glided across the lake. No swords clashed in the arena. In the distance the bonfire blazed, low and hot. Around it sat five kids and several satyrs. His only company for the next nine months.
Annabeth kept glancing up at a group of silhouettes standing atop Half-Blood Hill. A man, a woman, and two children. Her family.
She looked like she didn't want to go.
"You don't have to do this today," he offered, just as she had before him, but she made the same decision he had.
She wrapped her arms around him, so tight it was painful, but he didn't mind. "Stay out of trouble, won't you? You had better still be in one piece when I get back next summer. You need to be in good enough condition to hunt down Luke with me. We'll ask for a quest, and if we don't get one we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Sound like a plan?"
"Worthy of Athena."
She pulled out of the embrace, rubbing her eyes as nonchalantly as she could manage. "I should be going. Before my dad thinks I've changed my mind again. I'll IM you when we land."
Percy tried to put on a brave face as she picked up her bags and stepped off the porch. "See you next summer, Wise Girl."
"You too, Cinder Brain."
Percy remained on the porch as she went, her blonde hair disappearing into a silhouette just like her family as she met them atop the hill. She gave who he could only assume was her father an awkward hug, and then they trekked down the other side and into the mortal world.
He stood there for a long while. His hand absentmindedly brushed against his pocket where Riptide now rested. A parting gift from Luke. Or maybe an insult.
Either way, it was his again.
And gods, was it heavier than it used to be.
Percy knew he should have gone back to his cot and sipped on some more nectar, but the idea of sitting alone and in complete silence made him want to knock another one of his teeth out. He spent a minute focusing on healing himself, just enough to dull the aching, then asked Argus to help him back to his cabin.
To home.
The End
I really enjoyed writing this, but I have to be honest I did not enjoy posting it on this website. There were several issues with chapters suddenly appearing as if they had been deleted, so when and if the next installation comes out it is unlikely I will post it here, I will instead only post it on AO3, which is my main platform anyway.
Thanks for all the support, hope I don't have to keep anyone waiting too long, but I am taking my time.
I will post an update chapter to this once I do post to AO3