The Awakening

Is That Your Boyfriend?

Sophie's POV

"Zeus and Hades will be here any moment to go to a meeting with the Elven Council," the dude in the Hawaiian shirt started. "But, I wanted to see my kids first. Sophie, I'm Poseidon, your biological father."

"Nice to meet you," I said awkwardly. Percy laughed at my side and I scowled at him.

"I've been watching you your whole life, Sophie. I've seen you attend your senior year of high school at twelve years old, move to the Lost Cities, bottle Everblaze, face many Tribunals, be kidnapped by the Neverseen, and fight the Neverseen numerous times." I wanted to say something like, Yeah, that's not creepy at all. But, I figured that I probably shouldn't say that to a god.

Percy saved me from an awkward reply by asking, "You were a senior in high school at twelve years old?! How come I'm not that smart?"

"Sophie is a bit more of an elf than you. Besides, you've always been the school troublemaker," Poseidon joked, which made me laugh.

All of a sudden, a bolt of lightning struck from the clear, blue sky. At the site of the strike, the man in the navy blue pinstripe uniform appeared, scowl still on his face.

"Poseidon, let's go!" he shouted, angrily.

"Where's Hades? I don't feel comfortable going with just you," Poseidon said, a smile still on his face.

"Don't worry. I'm here," Hades hissed from underneath a tree. He walked out from the shadows, his black, purple, and green cloak billowing around him.

"I'm afraid I must leave you here, children," Poseidon said sadly. "Good luck on your quest. I have no doubts that you will succeed."

And with that, Poseidon stepped back into the spring, Zeus disappeared with another blast of lightning from the sky, and Hades slipped back into the shadows.

"Am I going to get cursed or something if I say that those three are weird?" I questioned Percy, still staring at the spring where my father disappeared.

"Nope, I say that all the time," he said, grabbing my hand and leading me back up to where my friends stood in a half circle. The shock on their faces would have been funny if I didn't wear the same expression on my face.

"Well, I guess you guys just met my dad," I said, giggling nervously. I explained Poseidon's involvement in Project Moonlark, and Percy being the control while I was the experimental. They all looked confused by the end, but nodded their heads in agreement.

Most of my friends went back to training, Percy included, but Keefe came up to where I was sitting in the grass. I was plucking pieces of grass from the valley, trying to gather my thoughts all the while.

"What'd that grass ever do to you?" he joked, claiming the spot on the ground right next to me.

"Sorry," I muttered, releasing the grass and wiping the small pieces off of my palms.

"No, I get it," he said, looking me in the eyes. "You just found out yet another secret about your life. I would probably take my anger out on the grass too, or maybe a training dummy."

I laughed, glad to always have Keefe at my side when things are tough, to make jokes and lighten up my mood.

"If it's any consolation, your brother is super cool," he said, gesturing to where Percy stood in front of the spring, practicing his water control.

"Yeah, I know," I said, gazing in wonder at my twin brother. I was glad to have such a powerful and chill sibling. "Honestly, Percy is the best thing that came out of this whole situation."