Children of Chaos [What if? version]

An 'Errant' Myth

When Percy came closer, he realised that Error was about half his size, despite his brain telling him that it loomed over the campers. He gently picked up Blue, who was surprisingly light, and began to lead Error to the infirmary.

As they walked, Percy asked a question he'd been dwelling on for a while. "What... Gods, this is gonna sound weird... What pronouns do you use?" Instead of getting offended or angry, Error smiled. "1'm MaLe, 4nD u$e MaLe Pr0n0uNs. Th4nK y0u FoR a$k1nG. Wh3r3 1'm Fr0m, Mo$t Pe0pLe 4s$uMeD tHaT s1nCe 1 w4s 4 $aNs, 1 w4s 4uTom4t1c4lLy 4 b0y. Wh1cH 1 aM, bUt Th4t'$ n0t Th3 p0iNt. Th3r3 aRe Pl3nTy 0f FeMaLe $aNs3s-"

"Sorry, but what's a 'Sans'?" Percy interrupted. He immediately backpedaled. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"YoU'r3 f1n3, d0n'T w0rRy 4b0uT iT," he said, waving off Percy's concerns. "4 $aNs... 1 sUpPo$e Th3 b3sT eXpLaNaTi0n 1s Th4t 1t'$ a TyPe 0f PeRs0n? 1 c4n'T r3aLlY eXpLa1n 1t WiTh0uT eXpLa1n1nG a LoT oF oTh3r $tUfF, wHiCh 1'm To0 l4zY t0 d0 r1gHt NoW."

They arrived at the infirmary, where Will was tending to an unconscious demigod that had fallen off the climbing wall. He glanced over when he heard the door open. "Percy, what did you do this-'' Error stepped in, holding his leg. "...time..." After a few seconds, he walked over to them. "Will, son of Apollo, lead medic," he said. Error tilted his head. "ErRoR, 1 gUe$s 1 w0uLd Be Th3 cHiLd 0f De$t1nY?"

Will frowned. "You aren't a demigod," he pointed out. "At least, I don't think so. Apollo is my godly parent." He guided Error over to a cot as he spoke.

"YoU'r3 r1gHt," Error chuckled, "1'm NoT a DeMiGoD." He didn't elaborate, leaving Percy and Will to figure out why he found that so funny.

Will examined Error's leg. The tibia and fibula had snapped from excessive force- falling from several hundred feet in the air, according to Percy -and it would definitely not be an easy fix. Maybe some nectar or ambrosia? But Error said he wasn't a demigod, so he would probably burn up. Then again, he certainly wasn't human. Maybe not even mortal, seeing as he survived a fall from that height. "Hey, Error?" Will decided to ask. "If I told you that I had this food I could give you, and it would heal your leg, but there's a chance you'd, uh, disintegrate if you ate it, would you eat it?"

Percy frowned, but before he could say anything, Error nodded. "1 c4n'T d1e 4nYw4y$, aNd 3v3n WiTh My $tRiNg$, iT w0uLd TaKe FoReVeR t0 h3aL mY l3g, $o Ye4h, DeFiNiTeLy."

"So you're not mortal?" Percy asked.

The skeleton rolled his eye-sphere-things. "1 jUsT $a1d 1 c0uLdN't Di3."

Will put his leg back on. "Could you hold it there while I get the ambrosia?" he told Error. Error nodded, summoning strings from his eyesockets and wrapping his leg as Will looked for the ambrosia. "I swear it was right here- ah! Found it!" Will turned back to Error, noting with surprise that his lower leg was wrapped in thick, light blue threads that radiated power. He held out a square of ambrosia, and Error grabbed it, popping the whole thing into his mouth before Will could stop him.

A huge burst of power almost overwhelmed Will's- and every other demigod within 100 feet's- senses. It reminded Percy of the fights against Kronos and Gaia, but even more powerful, and definitely not dread-inducing, like Tartarus. Instead, it was soothing, like a soft lullaby, but mischievous. Error grinned. "1 f3eL b3tTeR tHaN 1 h4v3 iN m1lLeNi4!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating. His scars were glowing softly as they healed. Even his strings left scars that lasted forever, but this magic lemon-square made them vanish. "1s Th1s Wh4t BlUe f3eLs LiKe Wh3n He 3aTs $uGaR?"

Speaking of Blue, he had apparently been woken up when Error ate the ambrosia, and was now in front of Error. "RuRu, I have so many questions," he began. "But first, I need to make sure you don't literally destroy everything. Come on." And he dragged Error out of the infirmary, Percy and Will trailing behind. As Error's hand brushed the doorknob, the entire door spontaneously vanished. Blue sighed and dragged him faster, while Error muttered a glitched apology to Will.