The Next Heroes: Apollo's Undoing (Percy Jackson Fan Fic)

Avery

THE NEXT HEROES: APOLLO'S UNDOING

AVERY

HER PARENTS HAD gone on their share of quests in their day. Wether they were planned or not planned- as most of them were not- it seemed to Avery that they didn't want her to go on a quest.

Avery understood the logic behind it; she was their child. Parents, in most cases, do not want to see their children be in danger.

But Avery was in constant danger. At least, lately she has been.

Sure, the Gods granted her parents a relaxation from monsters, but Avery was dangerous as well. She had that dark and dangerous secret.... Nobody knew of it. Not even her parents or Blake or Hannah. It was between Avery and the voice.

Avery wasn't proud of it, and that was to be expected. She did it years ago, but it still haunted her every single day. It was her fault that he was dead.

When Avery was eleven, there was a boy by the name of Corey Henderson. He was probably one of her best friends, but the Voice spoke to her for the very first time.

She was to kill him.

At age eleven, she had no idea what would happen if she disobeyed. She had no idea what would happen if she obeyed, either.

Avery killed him in the forest near his house. It was then that she began to obey the Voice, but it didn't show up in her mind again for years later.

She left him there. Avery had not used a weapon, but instead she found herself being able to lift the water from the creek nearby and splash it into his mouth, making him unable to breathe for an ungodly amount of time. No evidence of her being there was found.

That night, Avery made her first cut on her arm. It felt good, and she knew that when the Voice returned that she would do it again.

Avery pushed that out of her mind.

As she sat on one of the bunks in the Poseidon cabin, she looked around the area.

She didn't get to do so for very long, because soon enough, her mother sat down next to her on the bunk.

"Avery," she began, "I don't want you to go on that quest."

"But I have to, mom. It's my quest. The prophecy came out of me. And besides... I'll have Hannah... and Blake."

"Blake is who I am worried about." Her father said, coming in and sitting on the bed across from hers.

"What? Why?"

"It's obvious that he likes you, and what if something happens on the quest?"

"Nothing will happen. One of four shall perish in the night. I really hope it's part of me," Avery admitted.

"What?" Annabeth asked her.

"Part of you? Are you being possessed?" Percy asked, concerned.

Avery shrugged.

"The Voice better go. It needs to... Everything... It's been my fault from the beginning. I should not have listened to it when I was eleven. Maybe Corey would be alive..."

"Corey? As in Corey Henderson?" Percy asked his daughter.

She closed her eyes and nodded. It was time to confess.

"I killed him, dad. I was scared to disobey the Voice, and I needed to obey it. Now everything is my fault!"

All was silent except for sobs coming from Avery.

•••

The next day, Avery, Hannah and Blake loaded themselves with weapons.

It was a good thing that they were taught how to fight, according to Chiron.

Blake took a spear and an extra tool belt that he found in the Forge; his father had made another one, according to Jason.

Hannah took a dagger and a sword, each one balanced in her hand. She took after Jason and Piper, her parents, this way.

Avery, however, took three bows and an excessive amount of arrows. She also snuck a knife into her bag.

Much to Percy's amusement, Avery found herself being the only one of the three to take a shield with them.

In their bags they had food and water, ambrosia and nectar, sleeping bags and toilet trees. An extra pair of clothing was at the bottom of each of their bags.

Avery and Hannah found themselves having a few items in their bags that Blake did not.

For an example, they both had an assortment of pads and tampons and ten pairs of underwear. Blake did not, and he didn't need to know of this.

However, in each bag they all had drachmas and some mortal money.

They said their good-byes and went down the hill, getting inside of the Camp van driven by Argus. He drove them all to the local airport before letting them out on their own.

Their quest had begun.