Hello there, gods, half-bloods and friends. Welcome to the next chapter of The God Hunter.
Again wasn't going to update this story this week, but I'm a bit stuck on the PRL II chapter, and I basically already finished Book 1 of this story... Anyways, hope you enjoy and now on to the reviews.
jartra223: I've just started writing this one, so it's a bit too early to think of a second one.
Lucius Walker: Happy I managed to surprise you. Then it's a good think I already planned that far ahead. Not to spoil anything but for how Matt's parents sired him. Well when a man and a woman love each other very much... No, wait. Love isn't necessary for that.
RedHood001: Glad to hear you think so. I usually plan a lot of my stories out ahead of time.
Necros The Saiyan knight: Good guess. I am going to drop some hints through the story and around the parts covering The Battle of the Labyrinth, I'm going to give a definite answer.
Now story time.
Chiron wanted to move Matt to cabin two, being the son of Hera, but Matt was completely happy with staying in the RV, he claimed is was the place he could call 'lights out' whenever he felt like it, and not listen to anybody else. While he could do so as well in cabin two, Matt had a different reason why he didn't wish to sleep in a cabin dedicated to a woman who left him.
But he had to admit, being the only child of Hera did came with some perks. For one he got to at his own dinner table and pick all his own activities.
There also where some downsides, though.
Nobody mentioned the hellhounds or how his hair and eyes had glowed up, but he got the feeling they were all talking about it behind his back. The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that the son of the Queen of Gods was here and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill him. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe, which made all other campers steer clear of him as much as possible.
Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with him after what he did to the Ares kids in the woods, so his lessons stayed with Percy and Luke.
Annabeth still taught Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time Matt said something, she scowled at him, as if he'd just poked her between the eyes.
After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest... Hera?... Dirty rotten... Got to make a plan..."
Even Clarisse kept her distance, which was actually quite pleasant, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill him for breaking her magic spear. He responded by giving her an air kiss, annoying her even more.
Matt woke up one morning, bare chested as he was still in bed in the RV. Looking out the window to see it was morning, but it was still dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills.
"There is a storm coming." Matt muttered, "And it isn't me."
He heard a clopping sound at the door.
"Come in." Matt said, getting out of bed, "Unless your Clarisse, then please kindly feck off."
The door opened, revealing it was Annabeth as she came inside. "Mr. D wants to see you." she told him.
"Why?" he said.
"Better to let him tell you." she said, crossing her arms and looking away.
"Right." he mumbled as he went to get dresses.
For days, Matt had been expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that he was declared the son of Hera, Queen of the Gods, he figured it was a crime for him to just be alive. Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in their direction.
"We need an umbrella or something?" Matt said now dressed in his usual attire as he peeked out the window.
"No." she said, "It never rains here unless we want it to."
"What is that then?" Matt said gesturing over his shoulder.
"It'll pass around us." Annabeth said, "Bad weather always does."
He gave a shrug. In the week he had been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds skirted right around the edges of the valley.
At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.
When Matt and Annabeth approached the porch, she told him to go ahead. Walking up to the porch, Dionysus sat at the pinochle table. Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. They were playing against Percy and Grover.
"Well, well. Our other little celebrity." Mr. D said without looking up, "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because the Queen is your mother."
A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.
"Honestly, I would be creeped out if you did, sir." Matt said, hands in his pockets.
Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered in his seat, his hooves clopping back and forth.
"If I had my way, I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble." Dionysus said, "But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."
"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D." Chiron put in.
"Nonsense." Dionysus said, "The boys wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin or a peacock instead, sending you back to your parents."
"Can I be another sort of bird? One that is more useful?" Matt said, leaning against the railing, "One that can actually fly?"
"If you insist... Oh, all right." Dionysus relented, "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boys are still here when I get back, I'll turn them into animals. Do you understand? And Matthew Hauer, Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."
Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.
He snapped his fingers, the air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.
Chiron smiled at Matt, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Matt, please."
He did and Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use. "Tell me, Matt, what did you make of the hellhounds?"
Just hearing the name made Percy shudder.
"Can't speak for Percy." Matt said, raising his hands, "But they died easily enough."
"Really? Because you'll meet worse, Matt." Chiron said, "Far worse, before you're done."
"...With what?" he said.
"The quest, of course. It could use your help, it needs your help." Chiron said, "If you accept it."
"I need details first." Matt said.
"Well, that's the hard part, the details." Chiron said.
Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. The sky and the sea were boiling together.
"Poseidon and Zeus." Percy said suddenly, "They're fighting over something valuable... Something that was stolen, aren't they?"
Chiron and Grover exchanged looks while Matt had a raised eyebrow.
"How did you know that?" Chiron said as he sat forward in his wheelchair.
"The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft." Percy explained, "And... I've also been having these dreams."
"I knew it. It is his quest!" Grover said, eyes were bright with excitement, "It must be!"
"Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard, "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."
"A what?" Matt said, hands in his pockets, "Please, tell me this is some sort of weapon and not an actual lightning bolt."
"It is. Not just any weapon, one of the most powerful once ever created." Chiron said, "I'm talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives."
"So that's Zeus's master bolt." Matt said.
Chiron nodded, "The symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."
"And it's missing?"
"Stolen." Chiron said.
"By who?"
"By whom." Chiron corrected, "By you."
Matt looked at Chiron confused before gesturing to himself and Percy.
"By Percy, at least that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best', 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters' et cetera. Afterward, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly. That is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."
"But I didn't..." Percy said.
"Patience and listen, child." Chiron said, "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus wasn't sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."
"But I've never even been to Olympus!" Percy protested, "Zeus is crazy!"
Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around them, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over the valley, sealing then in like a coffin lid.
"Er, Percy..." Grover said, "We don't use the c-word to describe the Lord of the Sky."
"So we don't call him a cunt?... Joking, joking!" Matt said, holding up a hand, "Perhaps he's a bit paranoid."
"That's a better word for it." Chiron said, "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty-eight on your final exam...", directing that last part to Percy.
"Something about a golden net?" Percy guessed, "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods... They, like, trapped Zeus and wouldn't let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"
"Correct." Chiron said, "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you've come along, the proverbial last straw."
"But I'm just a kid!" Percy said, "I couldn't steal anything."
"Honestly I can see Zeus point." Matt said, "If I was in his position, with a brother I thought was plotting to overthrow me, something he had already tried, then that same brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath we took after World War II, a new mortal hero who he can use as a weapon."
"Dude, who's side are you on?" Percy said, insulted
"Hey, I'm just playing the devil's advocate here." Matt said, turning to Chiron, "Did Poseidon actually steal the bolt?"
Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That's June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper, something which hasn't helped by Matt's parental revelation, feeding his need to prove himself of his position. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like?"
"Bad?" Percy guessed.
"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon." Chiron said, "Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water-balloon fight."
"So very bad." Matt said.
"And you, Matt Hauer, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."
"What?" Matt said surprised, "But I didn't do anything! Why me?"
"Matt, your the child of his wife from an extramarital affair." Chiron said, "Zeus is... Well, Zeus is a very jealous god."
It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.
"So I have to find the stupid bolt." Percy said, "And return it to Zeus."
"What better peace offering." Chiron said, "Than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"
"If Poseidon doesn't have it, where is the thing?" Percy said.
"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim, "Part of a prophecy I had years ago... well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle. If I tell you beforehand where the bolt is, you will be too afraid to accept the challenge."
Percy swallowed. "Good reason. All right." he said, "It's better than being turned into a dolphin."
"Then it's time you consulted the Oracle." Chiron said, "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more."
The group waited in silence for Percy to returned from the attic. Matt was thinking about reasons why he would be needed, seeing as it was to be Percy's quest. But as his dad would say, when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Maybe that wasn't completely applicable here, the other one his dad would say might fit better, "The most simple solution is most likely to be the correct one."
With him being the son of Hera, it would stand to reason that Zeus would be less than trilled of his wife cheating on him, hypocritical as that is. Perhaps it would move the King of Gods if his wife's extramarital child from would help retrieve his bolt, to spare the life of said child.
Matt was brought out of his thoughts when Percy returned, he slumped into a chair at the pinochle table, "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."
Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can, "That's great!"
"What did the Oracle say exactly?" Chiron pressed, "This is important."
"She... she said I would go west and face a god who had turned." Percy said, "I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."
"I knew it." Grover said.
Chiron didn't look satisfied, "Anything else?"
"No." Percy said, shaking his head, "That's about it."
"He's not telling us something." Matt thought as his eyes rested on Percy.
"Very well, Percy." Chiron said, "But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."
Seems Matt wasn't the only one who guessed Percy was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make him feel better.
"So with that confirmed." Matt said, changing the topic, "Where are we going?"
"You seem pretty perspective, Matt." Chiron said turning his gaze to him, "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain? Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions."
"I would say Hades." Matt said.
Chiron nodded, "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."
A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth, "Whoa, wait. W-What?"
"A Fury came after Percy." Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."
"Yes, but... but Hades hates all heroes." Grover protested, "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon..."
"Hellhounds got into the forest." Chiron continued, "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half-blood before he can take on the quest."
"Well, your popular." Matt said.
"Yay me." Percy said dryly.
"But a quest to..." Grover swallowed, "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."
"Maine? Do you know how fecked up Maine is!?" Matt said, "They got a child eating clown living in the sewers!"
"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt." Chiron insisted, "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I don't pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth with the help from Matt."
Grover was trembling. He'd started eating pinochle cards like potato chips.
"Look, if we know it's Hades." Matt said to Chiron, "Why can't the other gods do something about it?"
"Suspecting and knowing are not the same." Chiron said, "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades, and I imagine Poseidon does, they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they're bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"
"You're saying I'm being used." Percy said.
"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now." Chiron said, "It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you."
"So let me get this straight." Matt said, "We're supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead. Find one of the most powerful weapons in the universe, and get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days. Did I miss something?"
"That about sums it up." Chiron said.
Grover gulped down the ace of hearts, "Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.
"I'm not going to Maine!" Matt protested.
"You don't have to go." Percy told the satyr, "I can't ask that of you."
"Oh..." Grover said, as he shifted his hooves, "No... it's just that satyrs and underground places... well..."
He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt. "You saved my life, Percy. If... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."
"All the way, G-man." Percy said before turning to Chiron, "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."
"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west." Chiron explained, "It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."
"...Is it in Los Angeles?" Matt said, receiving a nod from Chiron, "Seriously!? The City of Angels?"
"Believe me." Chiron said with a dry laugh, "It's no city of angels."
"A city of vampires then?" Matt said dryly.
"You rather go to a city of vampires then one with a single clown?" Grover said.
"Vampires I can deal with, just stake them through the chest. They seem to be allergic to that." Matt said with a shiver, "Clowns just have way too much make-up, are creepy and completely unfunny. Very insulting to women, in my opinion."
"Okay..." Percy said, "So we just get on a plane..."
"No!" Grover shrieked, "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"
He shook his head.
"Yeah, going into the domain of Zeus doesn't sound like a smart idea at the moment." Matt muttered as overhead lightning crackled and thunder boomed.
"Okay." Percy said, determined not to look at the storm, "So, I'll travel overland."
"That's right." Chiron said, "Three companions may accompany you. Matt is one, Grover is two. The third has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."
"I wonder who that could be." Matt muttered.
The air shimmered behind Chiron. Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.
"I've been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain." she said, "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."
"I can't recall their name, but it's on the tip of my tongue." Matt said, tapping his chin before turning to the other blonde, "Oh, Annabeth, when did you get here?"
"Yeah, if you bring Cow Eyes along, your going to need me." Annabeth said.
"The feck you just called me, Storm Cloud?" Matt said he realized what he said, "No wait, scratch that! That's not insulting, that actually sounds cool!"
"I could use all the help I can get." Percy said, "I guess the four of us could work."
"Excellent." Chiron said, "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."
Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.
"No time to waste." Chiron said, "I think you should all get packing."
And there you go, hope you enjoyed.
Many thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorite, or follows this story. And I see you people next time.