The Bane of Asgard

Chapter Three: Percy

The city wasn't particularly busy, as far as early morning New York City goes. Percy was used to the bustling crowds of tourists who had no idea how to walk the streets if his city, and the regular citizens who were just too rude to be bothered with moving out of the way for a sad, distant looking teenager.
Percy finally reached his apartment, where his mother had ordered him to be every weekend instead of staying at Camp. She couldn't make him go to school, he'd lost the motivation to go-it was rare for a demigod to make it to college, anyway, so he wouldn't be a rarity. He preferred to stay at Camp Half-Blood rather than his mother's, for while he was there she constantly pestered him about his scars and of course his attitude.
When he shuffled to the door, it opened before he could knock.
"Hey, sweetie," Sally smiled, hugging her son around the waist. "I was making some waffles, you want some." It wasn't necessary to point out that they were blue-it was sort of implied whenever she mentioned food.
He almost got a full meal of silence as he stabbed the second to last piece of waffle with his fork, but that's when his mother spoke up.
"How are you doing?" she asked like always.
"Fine," he answered, like always. And-like always-he was lying. He tried it every day in hope that soon it'd work, but that day was yet to come. Sally continued to ask him questions as though he hadn't answered.
"How's Rachel holding up?" Sally swept the dishes away, one plate still topped with Percy's last waffle bite. He looked at the sugary blue mess and watched it go down the drain, rambling an answer to his mom's question. Perhaps Percy Jackson was very deep in depression, but he couldn't find it in him to starve himself. He didn't see how people did it. He loved food far too much.
Percy quickly used the seconds of silence his mother gave him while she washed the syrup off the plates to think of a question to ask her.
"Have you been seeing monsters around here?" he asked.
"What?" Sally turned off the sink and whirled around. "Monsters? Waltzing around New York?"
"On my way here last Friday, I met a flock of giant ravens that tried to peck my eyes out," Percy said nonchalantly, because this really was an everyday thing for him. "They tried to attack some mortals, too. I killed them, and i was going to tell you about them, but with all that happened..."
Percy let Sally sit for a moment in the quiet he'd created, hoping he'd made her feel guilty about what she'd done to him last week. She'd ripped his sleeves up, pointing at the newfound scars and screaming at him. Percy knew now that she did it because she was scared, but back then he was the one who was scared.
"Well, I'll be careful," said Sally. "I think I can defend myself."
"Just be more alert, alright?" Percy told her. "After Gaea, they're probably looking for a new master. They aren't usually wandering the city streets."
"Don't know what they expect to find, though," Sally smirked. "Are they going to get employed at the bar and poison people's drinks?"
Percy half-smiled as his mother kissed him on the head.
"Do you mind if I go meet Thalia downtown?" Percy asked. "She's only going to be here for a while."
"Go ahead," Sally said, trying to play it cool. She thought interaction with his friends would heal him or something. "I know you can handle yourself, Mr.-"
"If you call me Mr. Save the World one more time I might go out the window instead of the door," Percy said, and his mother laughed. He picked up his backpack, said goodbye, and again trudged through the doorway.