Project Percy (Kotlc Meets Percy Jackson)

Chapter 19

The whole school had physical education together every Tuesday and Thursday morning, the only session that wasn't one-on-one. Percy had always been a disaster at anything physical.

The locker rooms were outside, sandwiched between a huge field of purple grass and the amphitheater that looked like a domed Colosseum. As soon as he set foot through the door, hundreds of boys stopped talking to stare at him.

He managed to keep his cool as he rushed to what he assumed was his PE locker. Instead, the door led to a personal changing area, complete with a shower and a vanity. His uniform hung from a hook near the door: blue tunic, black leggings, black sneakers. Finally, something without a cape. He changed fast and headed into the amphitheater with the other boys. Right in time for Clarisse and her minions to sweep past.

"I give the new boy six months before they ship him off to Exillium," she said, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"That's about how long you're going to last at this rate," Percy muttered to himself.

"Take that back," Clarisse snapped.

"I will when it stops being true." Percy sauntered off with the other Level Two boys as Clarisse shouted idle threats.

"Nice job," Thalia called from where she was standing with the Level  Fours. "Clarisse thinks she's so special since her dad has this rare special ability. I can't wait to watch you put her in her place."

"Wait, I'm going to put her in her place? Me?"

"Of course you! You're the new kid with the mysterious past who probably has all these weird powers. Just look at your eyes.'

"I'm not special. Trust me."

"Whatever. My point is, none of us have been able to take Clarisse down, not even Piper's annoying friend, Silena. You're the new variable, something no one expected, so you get to end Clarisse's reign of terror. Everyone's waiting for it."

"Miss Grace! Mr Jackson!" Sir Frank yelled over them. Percy realized that the entire amphitheater had gone silent. "You may continue your discussion at lunch."

"Are you ready for this?" Leo grumbled.

"Nope," Percy.

Each of the six grade levels had two mentors, one for the boys and one for the girls. Sir Frank and a woman named Lady Darna informed the Level Twos that they'd be working on channeling.

"It's about focusing your concentration," Leo explained. "Mind over matter. Don't worry. It's super easy."

It wasn't.

Percy was supposed to channel the strength of his mind to different parts of his body: jumping to super heights, running at super speeds, crushing things with super strength. But no matter how hard he tried, or how much Sir Frank helped him, he couldn't do anything better than he normally did, which was unimpressive. He could only imagine the type of report Mars would get.

After several failed attempts he noticed a few prodigies watching him. Then a few more, and a few more after that, until all the Level Twos and a few of the Level Threes were watching.

"I take it back," Clarisse said. "He won't last six weeks."

This time, no one came to his defense.

To embarrassed to face the cafeteria after PE, Percy used his lunch break to find his next session.

Hydrokinesis training required a special room in the Level Four wing. His bright blue uniform shone like a spotlight against the emerald green walls, so he was glad he found the room before the end of lunch.

"Sorry, am I too early, Lady Kymopoleia?" he asked.

She adjusted her blue cape. "Of course not. Call me Kym. If you're living with Mo- Sally and Poseidon, you're basically my brother." She winked.

Percy relaxed slightly. "I've been wondering where you were."

She shrugged. "I've been staying with my friend Persephone. All this stuff with you, it's sent rumors flying about her sister, which has put her in a...not great mental place. I'm trying to smooth over stuff. I'll be back in a bit."

Percy looked around the room. Other than two silver chairs that looked like they belonged on a spaceship, the place was bare.

"Uh, should I sit?" he asked.

"Probably," she said.

They sat awkwardly.

"Well, uh..." Kym fidgeted with her cape. "I've been listening to Persephone. If her theories are right, you're going to be the most powerful Hydrokinetic ever."

"What are her theories?"

"I can't say."

"Thanks. Very helpful."

"You're welcome."

Percy added talented in the fine arts of sarcasm to his mental file on Kym.

"Do her theories say that there's something wrong with me?"

"I have no doubt you are exactly the way you were intended to be."

That phrase was usually reassuring, but something the way she said it made the hairs on his arms stand up.

"Well," Kym said. "I guess we better get started with that lecture on ethics."

Poseidon was outside when Percy leaped home to Cerulean Stables, holding a thick cord that attached to something in the water.

"What are you doing?" Percy asked.

"Giving Niamh some exercise. How was your second day?"

"Fine."

"Just fine? Wanna talk about it?"

He seemed so much like Percy's human dad at the moment, it felt like his heart dropped into his stomach. "Well-"

"Step back!" Poseidon yelled. A kelpie leaped out of the water, landing gracefully on the grass.

"So, what were you going to say?" Poseidon asked as he led Niamh to her enclosure.

"Nothing, really. I'm awful at Phys. Ed, and Hydrokinesis was...intense."

"I'm guessing Kym gave you the ethics lecture."

Being a Hydrokinetic had a lot of rules. He wasn't supposed to flood anything. He was supposed to not give in to the water unless he was sure he could control it. He wasn't supposed to control anything that wasn't water unless he had the Council's permission. He'd asked what the limit on Hydrokinesis was, and Kym just shrugged and muttered something about mind over matter. She also mentioned that he wasn't supposed to block his mind, especially from the authorities, which was a problem considering he didn't know how he was doing it, much less how to turn it off. Kym warned him that his impenetrable mind might make it hard for people to trust him, since it would be so easy for him to hide something. Which made him think about Nike's "joke" about him being a Keeper. Did the Council really think he was hiding something?

"It's a lot of stuff," Percy said.

Poseidon nodded. "Hydrokinesis is one of the most volatile abilities, so the lecture is pretty long. There's hardly any restrictions for Empathy, for example. Or Technopathy. Or Conjuring. But everyone gets an ethics lecture. Manifesting a special ability comes with great responsibility. Not everyone gets one, you know."

He did know. He'd already learned that having a special ability was a big deal. In fact, while he was in his Hydrokinesis session, Jason and all the other prodigies who hadn't manifested were taking ability detecting in the hopes of discovering their talent. If a prodigy hadn't manifested by Level Four, they might be expelled. And even if they stayed at Foxfire, they couldn't take the elite levels, which meant they'd never be nobility. Most ended up working class.

It seemed unfair, but Percy was too busy with life to question it.