Chapter VIII
Annabeth
There she is. I thought, watching as Bianca roughly polished the sword, her eyes narrowed with concentration. I winced, knowing that this would be a huge invasion of her privacy but what can I say? She turned around, humming peacefully then she looked up and her expression was startled for a moment, then it cleared and she smiled warmly at me. "Annabeth! Is there anything you need help with?"
I bit my lip and nodded. "I... uh... yeah, there is actually." Bianca's expression became curious and I swallowed. No going back now, Annabeth. Brilliant. "Did Percy ever have a son? That may or may not have gone missing?" I blurted out. Bianca looked up, her eyes wide and I winced. Not the best way to put it. Now she's going to think you're crazy as well.
"I... how did you find out?" Bianca whispered, her expression strangely broken and I came to a full stop. Whaaaaa'? So she doesn't think I'm crazy? "Only Nico knows of Samuel." She continued and I felt my eyes widen.
"Wait, only Nico- why!?"
She rolled her eyes, obviously slightly annoyed, and maybe a little amused. "He is his uncle, obviously," her voice was accenting again. "And he is the primordial of fate and destiny."
...uncle? "Wait, so... you and Percy had se-" she blushed deeply and that was enough of an answer for me. I groaned and covered my eyes, exhaling heavily. "Right. That's perfectly normal."
Didn't stop that jealously from rising though.
"Anyways, we named Luke his Godfather, and Zoe his Godmother." Bianca carried on quickly, a slight blush still on her face. "But after four months... he was kidnapped." Her expression was suddenly blank and I felt guilty for being jealous. Gently, I sat down next to her. "I found out that I could have no more children..." she sighed, looking sad but resigned. "...and we became friends." I nodded, biting my lip, and she smiled wanly at me. "How did you know about Samuel?"
I ran my hand through my hair, unconsciously copying Percy's movements. "It was an accident, actually. Well, to some degree. I met Sam about half a year ago, when Percy was in Ashguard." I was so proud of myself; I was finally learning their strange names. "I had no idea who he was though, until yesterday, when Alpha said I could go out and take him with me."
I bowed my head, waiting for anger but none came. Instead she sighed and looked at me. "It wasn't your fault, you didn't know. I just have to warn you about one thing though; if Samuel is truly alive and that boy, Sam, is our son... then you might have your hands full once Perseus realizes it."
I gaped at her, and she smiled briefly before leaving me alone in the gym.
Percy
I watched the streets as they bustled with human activity, just like I had so many other times before, but this time, there was a new purpose to it. I wasn't just trying to figure out who I was, or what I am (I knew I wasn't like Annabeth, or Nico, or Luke or any of the others), I was trying to figure out why I am who I am. And who that kid was. He seemed to be so familiar to me, as if I knew him from somewhere, and maybe I did. But why would he trigger that memory? There was no other explanation for it, my imagination couldn't dream up something as morbid as that... I hope.
I did use morbid, because it was sinister.
There was just no way I was a father.
Whoa. That was a really weird thought. Time to move away from it.
There was just no way that he was my son. Who would I have been with? There was no way it would have been Annabeth- I knew that she had not been with me, and I had no idea what I felt toward her, it was just a huge blob of confusion.
A huge sticky blob.
I knew I cared for her, a lot, that much was certain, but I had no idea how much. I never had had a sister before, although I imagined that they would be a bit like Zoe or Bianca.
Suddenly, Bianca's eyes flashed in front of me, and I saw Sam grinning and I stopped dead. Wait, what if Sam is Bianca's son? But then, who is the father? She had never mentioned being together with someone... I felt a flash of anger toward whoever had left her, she did not deserve that!
Then I felt an unexpected surge of guilt and I looked outside again, and somehow my gaze narrowed in on Nico, even though I was five stories above him. He looked so tiny, from up high, although I knew he was anything but as he talked animatedly to Thalia, gesturing wildly.
When one is compared to the world, we are nothing, in fact, we're barely ants. My gaze turned to the thick crowds and I frowned, tilting my head slightly in puzzlement. But in numbers... we can be powerful. I frowned, staring at the cloaked figures and I felt unease stir in me. I knew those cloaks... one of the faces looked up and I froze, black eyes stared at me coldly and I knew that the person knew that I was up here.
Hello, Forgotten Warrior.
My eyes widened and I backed away from the window, I knew that voice. Who are you?! I shouted mentally and I felt amusement enter my mind and I felt my power stir. I shoved it down; I did not need to blow something up- again.
I am your past, your present, and your future.
I bit my metaphor tongue, I did not need to make a sassy remark as I uncapped my pen and the most deadly and shiniest three foot long stick to ever be known in Vanguard (okay, the deadliest-shiniest stick that can turn into a pen) appeared in my hand. I did know that person...
Then suddenly a light clicked on in my head, and it seemed like a dam had broken. Like water, the memories burst through the dam, roaring down the river.
Gods of Olympus, he is my son.
That was my last thought before everything exploded.