I was walking dazed towards the elevators simply from the amount of time I spent in my father's company. If anyone were to look upon me, it might have seemed that I was drunk. As I stumbled along the marble pathway, my mind reeled as it replayed the events from the somewhat tense conversation I had with Poseidon.
He had brought me into his palace on Olympus and to say I was nervous would be an understatement. It wasn't every day that a god would invite a mortal to their palace on Olympus and even though I had nothing to be nervous about, my body didn't respond well to me being with a powerful god alone in a giant palace.
I had told my dad everything that happened reluctantly, even though he had sworn on the Styx to never mention it to anyone else. It was unnerving, to say the least. He asked about who I really am, where I came from and most importantly, how I came here. I answered all of the questions to the best of my ability but for whatever reason, I couldn't say who sent me back. It was as if the Fates themselves wanted nothing to do with my situation.
What a bunch of old hags. I hate them more than I hate the Furies.
I hadn't told Poseidon everything. I held some things back because I felt that it was better if he didn't know. Thankfully, he understood and didn't push me to tell him.
The elevator doors closed silently. I barely even noticed the elevator going down. I reached the lobby of the Empire State Building surprisingly quickly considering I was on the 600th floor. Without even looking at anyone else present, I walked out the grand doors and onto the sidewalk.
I called a cab as quick as I possibly could, eager to return to my mum's apartment. Like the past few times I had used a cab, I didn't even attempt to start a conversation with the driver. Fortunately, I had the type of cab driver that tried to stay as quiet as possible and to have as little interaction with his client as possible. I was thankful for that.
Silence engulfed me the whole trip. For some reason, I found it comforting. Maybe it was because of the constant feeling of war in the air that kept whispering to my consciousness before I travelled back. The noise of my paranoia and constant dreams made sure that I never experienced proper silence. And only recently have the screams of my friends plagued my mind.
The sound of crashing metal. A dragon's hiss. Explosions. The godsdamned screams.
For whatever reason, the sounds in my mind had simmered down to a low hum. I wasn't sure what the cause of it was but I was extremely thankful. Not hearing the noises in my head was calming.
A smile crept onto my face when my mum's apartment came into view. Even though her old apartment brought back bad memories, just seeing her again made up for it a thousand times over.
I handed the cab driver some change and hopped out of the vehicle before making my way into the apartment complex. I gravitated towards the door to my mum's apartment, as if I could already sense her presence. My finger pushed down on the doorbell as soon as it came within reach.
The door swung open just as fast. My mother stood in the doorway, the worry and weariness left her face right in front of me. I was quickly embraced in a bone-crushing hug.
'Percy!' she exclaimed in both joy and relief. 'Oh, thank goodness! Oh, my baby!'
I melted into the hug, burying my face into her shoulder. I wrapped my arms around my mother as her hands ran through my messy hair. I can't deny that I was crying, overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of my mother.
She was okay. Hades returned her even after what I said to him.
My mum was telling me all about how she just appeared in the apartment in the morning but I wasn't paying attention to it. I was just happy that my mum was here with me.
I had no idea I was holding my mum in the hallway for but a voice snapped me back into reality, although it was a voice I had no intention of hearing.
'Hey, Sally!' Gabe yelled from the living room. 'That meat loaf done yet or what?'
I swear to the gods, I was so close to stabbing him in the crotch. So close.
I watched as my mum closed her eyes and sighed. 'He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy.'
'Yeah, I know,' I said through gritted teeth. 'I'm not entirely happy to see him either.'
'Percy, please.' my mother pleaded.
I sighed. 'Okay, mum. I'll try, okay?'
'That's all I'm asking for, honey.'
We walked into my mum's apartment and I couldn't help but cringe at the mess my supposed stepfather made. Beer cans were everywhere. The lampshades were turned into laundry baskets and last but definitely not least, the smell.
The smell was almost as bad as Ladon's breath.
Gabe was playing poker with three of his buddies in the living room, which surprised nobody. As soon as I entered the living room with my mum, Gabe's cigarette dropped out of his now open mouth as he stared at me in both shock and anger.
'You got nerve coming here, you little punk,' Gabe said as his face turned redder and redder with anger. 'I thought the police-'
'He's not a fugitive after all,' my mum interrupted him. 'Isn't that wonderful, Gabe?'
Gabe looked ready to blow up.
'Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally,' he grumbled in annoyance. 'Get me the phone. I'll call the cops.'
'Gabe, no!' my mother protested.
'Did you just say no?' he raised a dangerous eyebrow. 'You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro.'
'But-' my mum tried but flinched at the sight of Gabe's raised hand.
I watched all of this with clenched fists and gritted teeth. I found my hand subconsciously slide into my pocket looking for Riptide but I stopped myself. Celestial Bronze couldn't hurt mortals and Gabe was essentially the worst kind of mortals.
I definitely had more colourful words to describe him. Especially after I had found out he had been hitting my mum.
'Mum,' I managed to say through my gritted teeth. 'Let's have a talk in my room.'
She looked at me with pleading eyes but I met her gaze with one of assurance as I tilted my head towards my room door. Reluctantly, she followed me.
'Yeah, that's right,' Gabe snarled as he returned to his poker game. 'You better be gone in five minutes punk. Or I'm calling the cops.'
I had to tell myself not to turn around and punch him right in his tobacco-stained teeth. He was proving it to be harder and harder every second. Trying my very best to ignore him, I dragged my mum to my room, albeit gently.
'Mum.' I said as I looked her in the eyes pointedly.
She sighed in both desperation and hopelessness, something I hadn't picked up last time. 'Gabe is upset, honey. I'll talk to him later. I'm sure it will work out.'
Even as she said it, I could see the doubt in her eyes.
'Mum, you know it will never work out with him here,' I said as my anger diminishes to a reasonable level.
My mum looked like she was a second away from breaking down. 'I can...I'll take you to work with me for the rest of the-'
'Mum, stop,' I said gently as I held her hands in mine, attempting to comfort her. 'It's alright, mum. It's alright. We'll find a way.'
I looked over to my bed. I ignored the car magazines and beer cans that were spread all over it and instead diverted my attention onto the cardboard box that had seemingly appeared on my bed.
Of course, I recognised it. I would have recognised that box anywhere. I was extremely tempted to just pull Medusa's head out of the box and slam it in the middle of the poker table but I knew deep down that I had to let my mum do this herself.
'Mum, I want you to look at that box over there,' I pointed towards my bed. 'Inside is something you can use to get rid of Gabe, just like that.'
She looked at me with wide eyes. I didn't know how, but she seemed to understand what was in the box.
'No, Percy,' my mum said frightened as she stepped away from me. 'You can't.'
'I'm not going to, mum. Trust me,' I said soothingly as I held onto her shoulders. 'I will leave this box with you. I'm sure you know what it can do.'
At her nod, I continued. 'Like I said, I'm going to leave the box with you. If he threatens you again, it is up to you to decide what to do with him.'
'Percy-'
'Mum, that jerk has been hitting you,' I growled. 'Right now, you can do something about it. I trust that you will do what's best for you. You deserve better than this.'
There was still some fear in my mum's eyes but she reeled in her emotions. 'Where will you go, Percy?'
I couldn't help but smile. 'Home.'
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I've never actually said this, but laurel wreaths are itchy. The ones we had to wear when we arrived back at camp alive after a quest made my head itch a lot. I was so glad when I was allowed to take it off during the burning of the burial shrouds the campers made just in case we didn't make it.
Annabeth's shroud was actually beautiful, which was expected since Athena is the Goddess of weaving. Owls were embroidered all over the grey silk and I was glad that I have been given the chance to make sure she would never be burnt in it.
I have been given the opportunity to make sure nobody would meet their untimely demise. Everybody that I had watched die, I was given the power to fix that. To make sure it would never happen.
Not on my watch.
I barely paid attention when the shroud the Ares kids made for me was burnt. I also ignored the angry glares I was getting from said Ares kids. They knew I beat their dad but I had always wondered how they found out. Then again, gossip in camp spread like wildfire and a demigod beating a god in a duel isn't something to brush off or ignore so easily.
The month flew by, our recognition from the quest slowly dwindling down to a tolerable amount. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to see that people cared but having that much attention on me means that there is a higher chance for people to discover who I really am.
Before I knew it, the Fourth of July rolled around and we were getting ready to watch the amazing firework shows the Hephaestus cabin put together every year. They always somehow manage to put together something better than the previous year and it was always a blast to watch.
As fun as the firework show was, the Fourth of July was the day that Grover left on his search for Pan. What he thought was Pan was actually the Golden Fleece. On Polyphemus' island. Where he had eaten other satyrs. Where the cyclops wanted to marry my best friend.
You could say I did not want to let him go off on his search.
As much as I wanted him to stay, I knew I couldn't let him. There was no way for me to stop him from going without revealing what I knew and most importantly, where I was from. I didn't think it would be a good idea nor the right time to tell Grover I was from the future.
So I watched him leave.
I wasn't able to enjoy the fireworks properly with the second quest already in my head. I kept thinking about all the things that had gone wrong during that short time and all the times someone had nearly died.
Annabeth hitting her head on the rocks. Clarisse and Grover nearly becoming cyclops food. Me thinking that I lost Tyson for good. All those weren't exactly good times.
But no matter how many bad situations we get ourselves into, I would be able to go through them with the knowledge I have. I would be able to change things for the better. As much as I dislike the Fates for putting me here, I have to keep telling myself that they have given me the chance to fix everything. That was the only way that I would be able to keep myself sane.
So the fireworks turned the night sky into a beautiful array of colours while I tried to enjoy the amazing display, tuning out the events of the next quest from my mind.
Hours turned into days, days into weeks. Soon enough, the month of July quickly turned into warm days of August. After the Fourth of July celebration, things went by too quickly for my liking.
Capture the Flag never got boring. Keeping the banner out of the hands of Clarisse proved to be one of my favourite pastimes. The climbing wall deemed itself to be one of the things I went to if I was bored alongside sword training.
I remembered very clearly that I had gotten really out of touch with my skills in the time between my first and second quest, mainly because I had gone home instead of staying year-round. Even though I knew I had to get better in order to defeat Kronos, I just couldn't bring myself to stay at camp year-round. I always felt like I would be abandoning my mum, just like how my dad abandoned her. I couldn't do that to her.
So in the time that I had left, I trained. Every single minute of free time I had, I spent it in the arena slashing at straw dummies. Sometimes I would talk to Hestia just for a chat or I would just walk around camp getting to know the people I already knew.
No matter what I did, it just felt like it went by way too fast. I just needed more time.
The last night of summer, like everything else, arrived before I even knew it. Just like every year, everyone in camp gathered around the bonfire for the bead ceremony, something I hadn't gotten to do in a while.
When I received my leather necklace, I immediately put it around my neck out of instinct. Fingering the bead, I admired its design in the firelight. A glimmering sea-green trident engraved onto a full black bead. This was the bead that started it all for me. This was the bead that had made me realise that this is where I belong. Around the people I am proud to call family.
I found myself in the arena - no surprise there - the next day. I had already decided to go home and come back next summer so I wasn't stressing about it too much. I wanted to get some extra training in before I left so there I was decimating a bunch of straw dummies.
My sword couldn't exactly hit the dummies since it was made of Celestial Bronze, which slightly infuriated me. If I couldn't fight like it was real, people would die. Maybe I could get the Hephaestus cabin to make some automatons of some sort I can fight. Or I could just annoy Clarisse enough to make her fight me. Either way works for me.
I was fully absorbed in what I was doing, just focused on performing every movement perfectly. No step was out of place and no strike was ever overextended. Each time I performed an attack on a dummy, I put everything into it as if I was in a real fight.
I lost all sense of time as I kept stabbing and slashing at the training dummies. For every dummy that entered my field of vision, a memory inside my mind would resurface.
Fake-Talos crumpling in on itself. Silver wisps forming a new constellation in the night sky. Explosions in the middle of the sea. And the screaming. The screaming that won't stop.
I wasn't aware of what my attacks were causing. What used to be just plain sword attacks were now violent, calculated strikes. Kicks and punches were added into the mix and the dummies stood zero chance. I hadn't realised how much damage I had done until I was brought back into reality.
'Guess I wasn't the only one who wanted to get in some last-minute training, huh?' a voice spoke from the entrance to the arena, snapping my attention away from the training dummies. 'From what I can see, we're going to need new training dummies.'
Luke walked up to a pile of straw on the ground and nudged it with his foot, 'A shame. I was going to train myself. Wanted to test out this new toy.'
With that, he unsheathed the sword on his hip, revealing Backbiter in all its deadly glory. The flat of the blade caught the sunlight in a way that made the metals gleam dangerously. From where I stood a few feet away, I eyed the blade nervously. The combination of the two metals just radiated danger and the aura was exactly the same as Kronos' scythe.
'Nice sword,' I said as calmly as I could before I uncapped Riptide, returning it to my pocket. The sounds of battle in my head fading away now that I had stopped fighting.
'Thanks,' Luke gave the sword a twirl, making it glint in the sunlight wickedly. 'It's one of a kind.'
'I can tell,' I responded as I tried to steady my breathing, attempting to calm my heart rate from the intense training I just finished. Being in such close proximity to the blade wasn't helping my case. 'I didn't know they made weapons like that.'
'No, you're right. They don't,' Luke tutted as he placed his sword back into its scabbard. 'But there are many more places to get a weapon than just the camp armoury, Percy.'
We descended into silence.
'It's obvious that the training dummies aren't enough of a challenge for you,' Luke said as he nodded towards the destroyed dummies on the ground, an impressed look on his face. 'Say, why don't we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight. Give yourself a bit of a challenge.'
I hesitated. This would end up being the first time Luke would try to kill me and he had nearly succeeded. I subconsciously rubbed my palm where the pit scorpion had stung me as I thought over his offer.
My final decision was made when I told myself I would be fine and unharmed. I already know what would happen and Luke's true intention, so I wouldn't be caught off guard.
Plus, maybe I could try and talk Luke out of what he was about to do.
'Yeah sure, why not,' I forced a smile. 'I need a challenge anyway.'
'Great,' Luke grinned before pulling out a six-pack of Cokes from his gym bag. 'Drinks are on me.'
We made our way towards the woods for something to fight. A hellhound or maybe even a cyclops. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any even after walking around for a half-hour. Apparently, it was too hot for monsters to be out and about.
After accepting our defeat, Luke and I settled down in a shady spot on the banks of the creek. I caught a can thrown to me by Luke and sat down on a rock before popping it open and taking a sip. I relished the taste of the drink as I mentally prepared myself for what was about to happen.
'You miss being on a quest?' Luke asked out of nowhere.
I hid my winch. Unbeknownst to Luke, I had been on way too many quests in my lifetime. Sure, the first few had been exciting, exhilarating even, but there is a point when a demigod would reach its limit.
I passed my limit long ago.
'Yeah, I miss it,' I lied. 'You?'
I tensed up as soon as Luke's face darkened. Luke's face right now reminded me of when he was fighting on the wrong side of the war. His face was weary, like he had been in dozens of battles. Anger was a very prominent emotion displayed on his scarred face and that made him look just that much older.
'I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen, Percy,' he told me. 'Ever since Thalia...you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, "Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life."'
In his bitterness, Luke crumpled the empty Coke can in his hand and tossed it into the creek in front of us. I carefully placed my own can down on the ground before sneaking a hand into my pocket, sensing an upcoming fight.
'The hell with laurel wreaths,' Luke spat angrily. 'I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic.'
'Luke, what-'
'What I'm trying to say, Percy,' Luke interrupted me. 'I'm leaving camp. I brought you down here to say goodbye.'
With a snap of his fingers, a small fire erupted in the ground by my feet. It wasn't even a second before something crawled out of the newly-formed hole. A glistening black something about the size of my hand.
Pit scorpion.
I held my breath as the small but deadly monster crawled closer towards me.
'Interesting,' Luke remarked as he stood up brushing off his jeans. 'I would have thought you would at least attempt to defend yourself. Not that it would matter anyway.'
'Luke,' I stopped him from talking. 'What are you doing?'
'I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy,' Luke said. 'Didn't you feel it - the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realise how useless it all is?'
The scorpion was crawling up my leg now. It was so close I could stare into its beady little eyes and I could see the killing intent it had, which scared me.
'All the heroics,' Luke continued as he looked me dead in the eye. 'Being pawns to the gods.'
'At least we're being pawns to the right people,' I spat back, keeping a close eye on the deadly pit scorpion on my lap.
Luke let out a hollow laugh, 'Are we, Percy? Are the gods really the right people here? How much do you know, huh? How can you say they're the right people?'
I opened my mouth to respond, but Luke cut me off.
'The gods don't care about us,' Luke smiled sadistically. 'We are simply pawns in a chess game, our sole purpose is to die so the king can live. You think the gods mourn the death of their demigod children? No. They don't even bat an eye.'
'That's not true, Luke,' I protested desperately. 'Please don't go down this path.'
'I've been on this path a long time ago, Percy,' Luke stepped so close to me, our noses were just inches away. 'The gods have been in power for too long. It's time for a new era. A new Golden Age.'
Luke stared into my eyes, blue meeting sea green as he seemed to peer deeper and deeper into my soul. When he finally stepped back, he looked down at me and for a brief second, I could see the pity and regret in his eyes before he turned around and started walking away from me.
Luke unsheathed Backbiter before he turned back to look at me one last time. 'Unfortunately for you, you won't be alive long enough to see it.'
With a slash of his sword, he disappeared in a ripple of darkness.
The second Luke disappeared, I turned my full attention to the scorpion sitting on my lap. Without warning, it lunged at me, its stinger aimed straight at my face.
Thinking quickly, I strategically fell backwards off the rock I was sitting in before thrusting my hand out towards the scorpion. The water in the creek responded almost instantly and in less than a second, the pit scorpion was nothing more than a pile of yellow dust.
I stood in the creek breathing heavily as I tried to comprehend what just happened. I had tried to talk Luke out of the control Kronos had on him but it appears that he was already too far down the wrong path. Kronos had entered his mind before any of us even knew it.
What Luke said did get to me. About how the gods didn't care about us. About how we were used as nothing more than disposable living things. I understood that. I understood where Luke was coming from. The gods were far from perfect, so far that I don't think anything could correct that.
But what I did know was that the Titans would be worse than the gods in every way if they took control. A lot worse.
I looked over to where Luke had disappeared, knowing that he was too influenced by hatred and Kronos himself to be saved. Kronos had given Luke something to fight for, and that something was a feeling that a lot of good demigods shared.
The feeling of justice. The feeling of being wanted by the gods. By their parents. The need to be acknowledged in just the tiniest way. A lot of demigods just wanted to go to sleep knowing that their parents knew they existed.
I sat back down on the rock, trying to reel in my feelings. Thinking about how the gods can be better will only lead to uncertainty, and that would soon turn into hatred. I didn't want to turn on the gods. That wasn't a path I wanted to go down.
As much as I didn't want to follow in Luke's footsteps, there was a small part of me that wondered...
What if Luke is right?
A/N: Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo world. I am back with a nice long chapter for you all.
I know it's been a while. To be completely honest, I lost motivation a bit. There, I said it. But fear not, this story will not be abandoned. I swear on the Styx. I stayed up till 2am to finish this for you all. No need to thank me. :)
Anyway, here is chapter fourteen, after like I don't know how many weeks since the last one came out. And thank you all for over 7500 reads! You all are amazing. Each and every one of you.
Okay, final notes. Regarding the last chapter's A/N, after looking at the comments, I decided that SoM will be mostly left out, but BotL will be included in the story. I will add the ending part of SoM because Thalia's resurrection is pretty important.
Anyways, the next chapter is already underway and I swear, it's not going to be another month before you see another.
I swear.
Anyways, peace out folks and as always, I'll see you next time.
~Sacai2005