Frank's POV
Frank hated ding dongs. He hated snakes. And he hated his life. Not necessarily in that order. As he trudged up the hill, he wished that he could pass out like Hazel—just go into a trance and experience some other time.
Like before he got drafted for this insane quest, before he found out his dad was a godly drill sergeant with an ego problem. His bow and spear slapped against his back.
He hated the spear, too. The moment he got it, he silently swore he'd never use it. A real man's weapon—Mars was a moron. Maybe there had been a mix-up. Wasn't there some sort of DNA test for gods' kids?
Perhaps the godly nursery had accidentally switched Frank with one of Mars's buff little bully babies. No way would Frank's mother have gotten involved with that blustering war god.
'She was a natural warrior,' Grandmother's voice argued. 'It is no surprise a god would fall in love with her, given our family. Ancient blood. The blood of princes and heroes.' Frank shook the thought out of his head.
He was no prince or hero. He was a lactose-intolerant klutz, who couldn't even protect his friend from getting kidnapped by wheat. His new medals felt cold against his chest: the centurion's crescent, the Mural Crown.
He should've been proud of them, but he felt like he'd only gotten them because his dad had bullied Reyna. Frank didn't know how his friends could stand to be around him. Percy had made it clear that he hated Mars, and Frank couldn't blame him.
Hazel kept watching Frank out of the corner of her eye, like she was afraid he might turn into a muscle-bound freak. Frank looked down at his body and sighed. Correction: even more of a muscle-bound freak.
Then there was (Y/N), every time Frank looked at the guy he felt as though he was guilty of a crime, that (Y/N) was about to slap handcuffs on him and then blow out his flame, it wasn't a fun feeling, and Frank thought Thanatos's stare must have been a thousand times worse.
If Alaska really was a land beyond the gods, Frank might stay there. He wasn't sure he had anything to return to. 'Don't whine,' his grandmother would say. 'Zhang men do not whine.' She was right. Frank had a job to do.
He had to complete this impossible quest, which at the moment meant reaching the convenience store alive. As they got closer, Frank worried that the store might burst into rainbow light and vaporize them, but the building stayed dark.
The snakes Polybotes had dropped seemed to have vanished. They were twenty yards from the porch when something hissed in the grass behind them. "Go!" Frank yelled. Percy stumbled. While Hazel helped him up, Frank turned and nocked an arrow.
(Y/N) turned around with him, and Frank saw his throw something, his dagger probably, there was a hissing noise that followed closely after that, but Frank couldn't tell if the blade made contact. "Darn" (Y/N) muttered, so Frank got his answer, and tried to help.
He shot blindly. He thought he'd grabbed an exploding arrow, but it was only a signal flare. It skidded through the grass, bursting into orange flame and whistling: WOO! At least it illuminated the monster.
Sitting in a patch of withered yellow grass was a lime-colored snake as short and thick as Frank's arm. Its head was ringed with a mane of spiky white fins. The creature stared at the arrow zipping by as if wondering, 'What the heck is that?'
Then it fixed its large, yellow eyes on Frank. It advanced like an inchworm, hunching up in the middle. Wherever it touched, the grass withered and died. Frank heard his friends climbing the steps of the store.
He didn't dare turn and run. He and the snake studied each other. The snake hissed, flames billowing from its mouth. "Nice creepy reptile," Frank said, very aware of the driftwood in his coat pocket. "Nice poisonous, fire-breathing reptile."
"Frank!" Hazel yelled behind him. "Come on!" The snake sprang at him. It sailed through the air so fast, there wasn't time to nock an arrow. Frank swung his bow and smacked the monster down the hill. It spun out of sight, wailing, "Screeeee!"
Frank felt proud of himself until he looked at his bow, which was steaming where it had touched the snake. He watched in disbelief as the wood crumbled to dust. He heard an outraged hiss, answered by two more hisses farther downhill.
"Not good." (Y/N) commented helpfully, he pat Frank on the back, as if to shock him into moving and said "Run!" Frank didn't need telling twice, dropped his disintegrating bow and ran for the porch. (Y/N) a second ahead of him.
Percy and Hazel pulled them up the steps. When Frank turned, he saw all three monsters circling in the grass, breathing fire and turning the hillside brown with their poisonous touch. One tried to advance cautiously, but (Y/N) punched it and it retreated.
"Ahhh!" He cried in pain, Frank heard a sizzle like burgers on a grill, and looked over, he immediately wished he hadn't, because what he saw was nowhere near as appetizing. (Y/N)'s knuckles were burned with some sort of chemical, almost to the bone.
"Well...That smarts, I hate basilisks" He hissed through gritted teeth. He turned his head to Frank, looking more concerned about Frank's lack of a bow then he was about him lacking flesh, "You okay?" He asked, and Frank could only nod. Staring back at the Basilisks in a daze.
They didn't seem able or willing to come closer to the store, but that wasn't much comfort to Frank, because he wasn't okay. He'd lost his bow. "Your hand." Frank said quietly, (Y/N) shrugged, then regretted moving his arm.
After wincing, he grit his teeth with tears in his eyes and said "Poison won't kill me...I think, she wouldn't make it that easy." He said it as if 'poison' were a person who was after him. Frank was beyond the point of questioning that.
He had bigger worries. "We'll never get out of here," he said miserably. "Then we'd better go in." Hazel pointed to the hand-painted sign over the door: RAINBOW ORGANIC FOODS & LIFESTYLES.
"I was right, they are here, thank the gods. Now you didn't hear this from me, but nobody eat the granola bars." (Y/N) muttered, Frank had no idea what that meant, but it sounded better than flaming poisonous snakes. He followed his friends inside.
As they stepped through the door, lights came on. Flute music started up like they'd walked onto a stage. The wide aisles were lined with bins of nuts and dried fruit, baskets of apples, and clothing racks with tie-dyed shirts and gauzy Tinker Bell-type dresses.
"Yo. Boss lady, you in here?" (Y/N) called out, already wrapping his knuckles with a tie dye shirt. When there was no immediate response, he got worried and quickly picked up the pace, Frank took note of the fact (Y/N)'s hands reached for the sword on his side.
Frank decided it was best to be cautious and did the same, placing his spear at the ready as (Y/N) called out "Fleecy?" Again no response, meaning (Y/N) disappeared into the rows at the back of the shop, and then hopped the counter to go into the staff only area. "Stay here," He told the others.
The ceiling was covered in wind chimes. Along the walls, glass cases displayed crystal balls, geodes, macramé dream catchers, and a bunch of other strange stuff. Incense must have been burning somewhere. It smelled like a bouquet of flowers was on fire.
"Fortune-teller's shop?" Frank wondered. "Hope not," Hazel muttered. Percy leaned against her. He looked worse than ever, like he'd been hit with a sudden flu. His face glistened with sweat. "Sit down..." he muttered. "Maybe water."
"Yeah," Frank said. "Let's find you a place to rest." The floorboards creaked under their feet. Frank navigated between two Neptune statue fountains. A girl popped up from behind the granola bins. "Help you? Did someone call me?"
Frank lurched backward, knocking over one of the fountains. A stone Neptune crashed to the floor. The sea god's head rolled off and water spewed out of his neck, spraying a rack of tie-dyed man satchels.
"Sorry!" Frank bent down to clean up the mess. He almost gored the girl with his spear. "Eep!" she said. "Hold it! Its okay!" Frank straightened slowly, trying not to cause any more damage. Hazel looked mortified.
Percy turned a sickly shade of green as he stared at the decapitated statue of his dad. The girl clapped her hands. The fountain dissolved into mist. The water evaporated. She turned to Frank. "Really, its no problem. Those Neptune fountains are so grumpy-looking, they bum me out."
She reminded Frank of the college-age hikers he some times saw in Lynn Canyon Park behind his grandmother's house. She was short and muscular, with lace-up boots, cargo shorts, and a bright yellow T-shirt that read R.O.F.L. Rainbow Organic Foods & Lifestyles.
She looked young, but her hair was frizzy white, sticking out on either side of her head like the white of a giant fried egg. Frank tried to remember how to speak. The girl's eyes were really distracting. The irises changed color from gray to black to white.
"Uh...sorry about the fountain," he managed. "We were just—" "Oh, I know!" the girl said. "You want to browse. It's all right. Demigods are welcome. Take your time. You're not like those awful monsters. They just want to use the restroom and never buy anything!"
She snorted. Her eyes flashed with lightning. Frank glanced at Hazel to see if he'd imagined it, but Hazel looked just as surprised. From the back of the store, a woman's voice called: "Fleecy? Don't scare the customers, now. Bring them here, will you?"
"Your name is Fleecy?" Hazel asked. Fleecy giggled. "Well, in the language of the nebulae it's actually—' She made a series of crackling and blowing noises that reminded Frank of a thunderstorm giving way to a nice cold front. "But you can call me Fleecy."
"Nebulae. . ." Percy muttered in a daze. "Cloud nymphs." Fleecy beamed. "Oh, I like this one! Usually no one knows about cloud nymphs." "Fleecy? As in the person (Y/N) was just calling for?" Hazel said. Fleecy's chest puffed out.
"Wait. (Y/N), you guys are friends with (Y/N)? Oh why didn't you say so? He's not here at the moment but if you give me a minute, I'm sure my boss could have him here in a-" There was a loud crash and something flew over the counter like a rocket.
Frank, Hazel, Percy and Fleecy could only gawp at it as the chaos swept through the store, sending vegan treats and prayer beads flying. It was only when the object came to rest that they figured out what it was.
(Y/N) made a low guttural noise of pain as his back slammed against the door, and he slumped over. "-Jiffy..." Fleecy finished. Everyone went over to him, and Fleecy looked distraught. "Oh no, he must have found the clever trap I made in the bathroom."
She began trying to flatten her wispy hair as he regained consciousness, "Did anyone get the number of that rainbow?" The moment his eyes fluttered open, Fleecy began ranting. "Oh (Y/N) I'm so sorry, we were in hiding, but I wanted to make sure we were protected if they broke in you see and so I-"
"-Rigged the toilet to explode. Because of course you did...why do you always do this Fleecy? And why the employee bathrooms?" He said, getting up and rubbing his neck with his bad hand, then shouting in pain because of both injuries.
Fleecy flushed with colour, going blue. "Please don't tell the boss, she gets really mad." (Y/N) grinned "Yeah, I'll bet. That doesn't scream 'pacifist' to me Fleecy, and-" "Excuse me. Do you two know each other?" Hazel asked, interjecting.
"Yeah, she's, my colleague." (Y/N) said simply, "Although we're much more than just colleagues." Fleecy said, as Percy groaned in the corner, all but forgotten. "Is she your girlfriend from Canada? Wow. She looks different in person." Frank asked.
"No!" (Y/N) said, Fleecy turned to him, "You have a girlfriend from Canada now? What about the other one? You charmer." "What? Fleecy no, I mean, I do have a girlfriend, and I told people she was from Canada, but no..." He sighed, giving up on explaining.
He turned to Hazel, "She's a friend." Then to Frank, "Not a girlfriend, Canadian or otherwise." Then to Fleecy, "And no, my girlfriend is not from Canada. And what do you mean 'more than colleagues?' Since when?" "We here at R.O.F.L. are a family (Y/N)!" Fleecy replied, affronted.
(Y/N) took a deep breath and looked at the door, Frank realized he was debating taking his chances with the basilisks, then he said, "Fleecy...you are testing me right now. Can you please just escort us to the boss like she asked?"
Fleecy nodded so her hair hit her in the forehead "Oh sure, but please don't tell her about the bathrooms. I don't want to have it come out of my pay-check again." "I think she probably noticed Fleecy"
As Fleecy wrapped her arm around (Y/N), they had a conversation that really worried Frank, "You never got back to us (Y/N), how did that kidnapping go?" She said like it was the most normal thing in the world.
He smiled, "Y'know, it didn't go as planned, but it worked out okay in the end, got a girlfriend out of it by the end of the day. Thanks for your help." Fleecy nodded, Frank shot Hazel a look, she replied with one that said, "There must be a reasonable explanation for this...I hope."
The five of them looked around at the line of destruction leading from the employee bathrooms to the front door, and the shredded stock all around in what looked like a disaster area. Topped off by the two injured demigods in the store.
"Wait...you're getting paid?" (Y/N) responded as he looped his arm around her shoulders, for a moment he before asking "Do I get paid?" Hazel cleared her throat as if to get them back on track.
Fleecy and (Y/N) snapped to it. "Right, sorry, bad customer service, come with me (Y/N)," Fleecy said before looking over at Percy "Dear me, he doesn't look so good either. Come to the back. My boss wants to meet you. We'll get your friend fixed up."
Fleecy led them through the produce aisle, between rows of eggplants, kiwis, lotus fruit, and pomegranates. "Oh, well look who it is." Announced a voice, "Wow, Olympus acts fast, this champion stuff is no joke. I only just sent them a message requesting additional security." It said.
"I told you I don't do that anymore..." (Y/N) groaned, talking to the voice without questioning it, which put Frank at ease "I'm not here because Olympus sent me, I'm just here because I was passing by and got worried. We can't stay long."
At the back of the store, behind a counter with an old-fashioned cash register, stood a middle-aged woman with olive skin, long black hair, rimless glasses, and a T-shirt that read: The Goddess Is Alive! She wore amber necklaces and turquoise rings.
She smelled like rose petals. She looked friendly enough, but something about her made Frank feel shaky, like he wanted to cry. It took him a second, then he realized what it was—the way she smiled with just one corner of her mouth, the warm brown color of her eyes, the tilt of her head, like she was considering a question. She reminded Frank of his mother.
"Hello!" She leaned over the counter, which was lined with dozens of little statues—waving Chinese cats, meditating Buddhas, Saint Francis bobble heads, and novelty dippy drinking birds with top hats. "So glad you're here. I'm Iris!"
Hazel's eyes widened. "Not the Iris—the rainbow goddess?" Iris made a face. "Well, that's my official job, yes. But I don't define myself by my corporate identity. In my spare time, I run this!"
She gestured around her proudly. "The R.O.F.L. Co-op—an employee-run cooperative promoting healthy alternative lifestyles and organic foods." Frank stared at her. "But you throw Ding Dongs at monsters."
Iris looked horrified. "Oh, they're not Ding Dongs." She rummaged under the counter and brought out a package of chocolate-covered cakes that looked exactly like Ding Dongs. "These are gluten-free, no-sugar-added, vitamin-enriched, soy-free, goat-milk-and-seaweed-based cupcake simulations."
"All natural!" Fleecy chimed in. "And only five dollars for three." (Y/N) finished woozily. "I stand corrected." Frank suddenly felt as queasy as Percy. Iris smiled. "You should try one, Frank. You're lactose intolerant, aren't you?"
"How did you—" "I know these things. Being the messenger goddess...well, I do learn a lot, hearing all the communications from the gods and so on." She tossed the cakes on the counter. "Besides, those monsters should be glad to have some healthy snacks."
"Always eating junk food and heroes. They're so unenlightened. I couldn't have them tromping through my store, tearing up things and disturbing our feng shui." Percy leaned against the counter. He looked like he was going to throw up all over the goddess's feng shui.
"Monsters marching south," he said with difficulty. "Going to destroy our camp. Couldn't you stop them?" "Oh, I'm strictly nonviolent," Iris said. "I can act in self-defense, but I won't be drawn into any more Olympian aggression, thank you very much. I've been reading about Buddhism. And Taoism. I haven't decided between them."
"But..." Hazel looked mystified. "Aren't you a Greek goddess?" Iris crossed her arms. "Don't try to put me in a box, demigod! I'm not defined by my past." "Um, okay," Hazel said. "Could you at least help our friend here? I think he's sick."
Percy reached across the counter. For a second Frank was afraid he wanted the cupcakes. "Iris-message," he said. "Can you send one?" Frank wasn't sure he'd heard right. "Iris-message?" "It's..." Percy faltered.
"Isn't that something you do?" Iris studied Percy more closely. "Interesting. You're from Camp Jupiter, and yet...Oh, I see. Juno is up to her tricks." "What?" Hazel asked. Iris glanced at her assistant, Fleecy, and then to (Y/N).
They seemed to have a silent conversation. Frank wondered what (Y/N) wasn't telling them, after a moment, Iris sighed, looking at (Y/N)'s hand "Stop getting blood on my stock!" She scolded (Y/N), he childishly pointed to Fleecy, "She knocked over the prayer beads again."
Iris looked at Fleecy, who nodded, "It was an accident." The goddess sighed and pushed up her glasses, "What am I going to do with you two? (Y/N), there's some nectar and ambrosia in the back, clean yourself up, Fleecy, after your done treating Percy, get the broom and sweep up."
"Oh, that's right. Almost forgot." Then the goddess pulled a vial from behind the counter and sprayed some honeysuckle-smelling oil around Percy's face. "There, that should balance your chakra."
"As for Iris-messages—that's an ancient way of communication. The Greeks used it. The Romans never took to it—always relying on their road systems and giant eagles and whatnot. But yes, I imagine...Fleecy, could you give it a try?"
"Sure, boss!" Iris winked at Frank. "Don't tell the other gods, but Fleecy handles most of my messages these days. She's wonderful at it, really, and I don't have time to answer all those requests personally. It messes up my wa."
"Your wa?" Frank asked. "Mmm. Fleecy, why don't you take Percy and Hazel into the back? You can get them something to eat while you arrange their messages. And for Percy...yes, memory sickness."
"I imagine that old Polybotes...well, meeting him in a state of amnesia cant be good for a child of P—that is to say, Neptune. Fleecy, give him a cup of green tea with organic honey and wheat germ and some of my medicinal powder number five. That should fix him up."
Hazel frowned. "What about Frank?" Iris turned to him. She tilted her head quizzically, just the way his mother used to—as if Frank were the biggest question in the room. "Oh, don't worry," Iris said. "Frank and I have a lot to talk about."
(Y/N)'s POV
"Fleecy, I thought you said you talked her out of converting?" He asked as they helped Percy inside the store room. The cloud nymph sighed, "I did, but then she found Taoism and I had to start all over again, so don't blame me."
After a moment of more bickering, they sat Percy down on a fold out chair. Hazel seemed worried about Frank, but (Y/N) explained that Iris was one of the kindest goddesses he knew, and she settled too.
"How did you meet her?" Hazel asked, (Y/N) sighed, the moment he saw this shop, he knew he would have to explain. Sighing first as he watched Fleecy treat Percy, (Y/N) told Hazel the tragic story of his childhood.
She looked horrified when he told her of Hades involvement at first, so to spare her the more depressing details, he focused more on Iris's involvement, and how he was in the goddess's debt for the support she gave him.
He also tried to gloss over his 'champion of rainbows' title, but Fleecy wouldn't allow it. "He's our security guard." She said proudly, (Y/N) huffed, "No I'm not." Fleecy made a small noise as if to refute that.
As she came over and gave him some ambrosia, which for some reason was made from plant based alternatives. Which made no sense, but somehow still meant it didn't taste nearly as good as it normally did, Fleecy nodded at Hazel, proudly mouthing, "He totally is."
(Y/N) pretended he didn't see it and fought back a smile as the skin over his knuckles healed, knitting together like fabric sewing a cloth together. When Fleecy got to work on Percy's iris message, (Y/N) decided he couldn't be in the room.
He excused himself to the employee bathroom, which was now only a shattered mess of porcelain and bamboo faucets drenched in water that had an origin he considered it best not to think about. He looked in the mirror.
Fittingly, it was broken, some parts were missing and the rest was less mirror anymore, more of a piece of glass that was now simply a spiderweb like crack that was vaguely reflective. Looking into it, he remembered Somnus's warning.
Well, remembered was a strong word, he had a long day, it was something about the army leading him to be found by the shadow. That didn't sound good no matter what way he put it.
He couldn't believe it had come to this, after all this time, he had lost control of it, after years of holding it back, after years of refuting his original wish, it was free and in the hands of a person even crazier than him.
Telling Hazel was a bad idea, it drummed up old memories best left buried, especially now. (Y/N) found himself pressing his hand to his chest, as if he could still feel the scar there. But it was gone.
"Did you take that too?" He asked the face in the mirror, which much to his relief, did not respond. He sat there for a moment, leaning over the broken remnants of the sink and looked at his own reflection.
Taking note of the scars along his wrist, of a simpler time when he didn't need protection like he had back then, when he had his mother to protect him. But it also made him long for a sense of comfort. Likely a different one that Percy was trying to reach right now.
He had come a long way since that day, a long way since his kitchen window shattered and his life along with it. But there were still ghosts from his past coming back to haunt him. It would never be over with.
Everything led back to that moment, every bad decision, every threat, every violent act, even some that were to come, they could all be traced back to that moment. He suddenly felt like punching something.
The spiderweb crack and the condition of his knuckles both got worse when he punched the jagged glass in frustration, the same thought pressing on his mind now as it did on that day.
He needed to know, he needed to know who had caused it, and why. He couldn't rest until he knew. Until he had his vengeance. Who took her from him again that day on Olympus? Was there a1 way Gaea could have or did she knew a way he could find an answer?
To be honest, that thought would have consumed him, he could feel the ground beneath him almost inviting him to sink, until Iris's voice erupted in his head, soft and melodic, calming like one of her chakra aligning crystals.
"So that's what it is." Her voice said knowingly, like she as about to say, 'that's no big deal' though he was pretty sure they both knew that wasn't the case. He waited for her to ask him something, to go and kill the basilisks maybe, but she didn't.
Instead her voice remained comforting. "It's no wonder I didn't recognize you the first time you visited dear, with such a weight off your shoulders." She beamed, "Yeah, and onto someone else's." He said grimly, his hand felt warm as if she took his hand comfortingly, "Small victories dear."
But it didn't feel like much of a victory. He looked down at the shattered mess beneath him and couldn't help but think it was symbolic of something, his life maybe, his soul? Even after all these years he was picking up the pieces.
"Do you want to see her? Maybe it could help" Iris asked kindly, and he knew the moment she did what his answer should have been, he should have said no, but suddenly (Y/N) understood Orpheus's struggle, and couldn't bring himself to say anything but "Yes."
As the rainbow appeared in front of him, he almost couldn't believe it, despite it being at his own request, she was more stunning then even his dreams showed him, perhaps it was just the lighting.
She was surrounded by her friends, and some of his friends, all speaking, all with pleasant smiles on their faces, like they were just content to be there, part of her expression hurt (Y/N)
He remembered being there with her, only vaguely, like a dream long ago in the past that he occasionally recalled, in fact, ever since he came back it had felt like that time was nothing but a blur, a haze before he woke up to reality.
She looked even more happy than he remembered. The sight of her, so far away from him brought him to tears. (Y/N) snapped back into the present and tried not to dwell on it, but it was incredibly difficult.
That golden glow on her skin from the golden light around her made the isle of the blessed look even more tempting. He was thankful that Iris was one of the few deities that could traverse to the underworld, and even more thankful that he had been shown this.
"Do you think she's happy?" He asked, and Iris didn't say anything but he knew the answer, she was in the isle of the blessed, of course she was. He wiped the tears from his eyes and asked Iris. "Do you think I should go back? After all this is done I mean. When my dad's free?"
Iris appeared in the mirror as the visage of his mother faded, and said three words. "Don't you dare." Again the image fluttered and what (Y/N) saw next was all the reason he needed to stay here.
She was reading a book, because of course she was, Jason and the Argonauts, it was a collection of their stories, all translated into ancient Greek, and without skimping on the details like most mortal authors would ignore.
She had read it a thousand times, he had seen it beside her bed before, and admittedly picked it up himself to skim through a few times, but only to make sleep take him faster, the movie was better.
He wondered why she was in bed, sure it was dark, and the windows of the Athena cabin were closed, but she never went to bed this early, especially when she had a project to work on, but never got a chance to ask her. It didn't take long to notice the Iris message.
The colours of a rainbow dancing along the dark, across the back of her book was a clear enough sign. He didn't even have time to announce himself, the shock of seeing her was too much.
Once she did see him, Annabeth beamed. "And what time do you call this?" She asked jokingly. He could barely find his voice in reply, something about seeing her, not exactly in the flesh, but awake, made him both happy and sad.
It was a reminder she was waiting for him, which as far as her was concerned was a good thing, but also it felt like a knife to the chest, because it also told him just how far away she was. Again, as the emotions welled up, to fight back tears all he could say was "Hi."
She lowered her book and raised an eyebrow inquisitively, "Everything okay, what's wrong? Why the message." He smiled, "Just wanted to see you I guess." Again she smiled, this time doing just about the cutest thing ever and letting out a little yawn as she did, as if this wasn't hard enough for him.
"How's it all going? Have you made peace yet? What's going on over at your side of things?" For a moment, he debated telling her everything, about his quest, about the fact he was surrounded by monsters, and the armies marching north. But he fought against it.
She had other things to focus on, the Argo 2, the camp, and probably a hundred other things that he would never understand, so all he said was, "Oh, it's going good. Getting there y'know," she frowned at him, and countered. "What happened to your hand?"
He didn't realize she could see it, but sure enough his injury was clear to see in the Iris message, knowing he couldn't hide anything from her even as healed as it was, he just told her a half truth, "Hurt it doing something stupid." She seemed to find this answer acceptable.
She sighed and shook her head, "Of course you did. What'd you do now?" He went on to explain that he had some trouble dealing with poisonous monsters, she nodded along to his story. Once he was finished, she frowned once more.
"Why would you punch something with your bare hands after just saw it melting through a bow in under a second?" He shrugged, she changed topic after that, almost like catching herself. "Wait, is Percy with you?"
(Y/N) froze, he didn't know what to say to that, and unlike with a phone call or a dream, he couldn't just wake up, or make crackling noises with his mouth to pretend like he was losing her signal. He must have looked like a deer in headlights because she said "I'm taking that as a yes."
With a surprising amount of struggle, she sat up from her bed and said "Can you put him on? I want to show Zoe you aren't a liar, she's been getting really antsy about seeing him ever since this dream she had, I want to put her at ease." Now at this point, (Y/N) would have caved.
He absolutely would have shown Zoe the Iris message, and without a doubt he would have reassured her that Percy was alive and well, probably ruining whatever plans the gods had for them, so as Annabeth began walking, it was lucky someone intervened.
Though (Y/N) didn't feel that lucky when Fleecy arrived, her head peeking in the doorway, gawking at the Iris message and giggling like a schoolgirl wanting to hear the latest gossip. The cloud Nymph sauntered over and got very close to the Iris message.
Gods know what it looked like on Annabeth's side. "Get out of here would you-" He tried to shove Fleecy's head back through the door. "Go away! I'm in the bathroom!" Was all he could think to cry.
"Um...Hello?" Annabeth said, stopping in her tracks to regard the stranger who just hijacked their Iris message, "Who are you?" She said with a polite tone that also hid a sort of evilness that (Y/N) hadn't heard since the last time he had annoyed an Aphrodite camper.
"I'm Fleecy, but you can call me-" She made that weird crackling noise that was her real name, and Annabeth frowned, and with a deadpan stare just replied, "Can I call you Fleecy for short?" The loud Nymph shrugged.
"If you must. So (Y/N), is this that Canadian girlfriend you've been telling everyone about, or the other one?" She said, and (Y/N) could already hear the mischievous glee in her voice. Annabeth again raised an eyebrow, danger signals were going on in (Y/N)'s head as she turned her attention to him.
"Fleecy! GO AWAY!" He insisted, pushing the cloud nymph away and out of the door of the bathroom this time. Before he could turn back a shiver ran down his spine and his blood ran cold, because Annabeth said two words. "Other one?"
He spent the next few minutes trying desperately to explain there had been a bit of confusion regarding her cover as his Canadian girlfriend, and that Fleecy, for all her strengths, was very easily confused and had simply made a mistake.
"Uh huh." Annabeth said venomously, before coughing a little and falling back into her bed. (Y/N) took note of that, but quickly changed the subject to the Argo 2. "So how's it going?" He said, she explained that they were a few days out from getting it ready.
He nodded and suddenly had a stroke of genius. "Hey, I don't suppose on your way here you could make a quick detour to annihilate an army of monsters and a sea giant with heavy weaponry could you?" She didn't question it, but shrugged.
"I would have to ask Leo, but from what I gathered, he wouldn't risk anything but a straight path on our first voyage. Just in case." (Y/N) sighed, "Bad luck." That was about right, for the past few weeks, bad luck was all (Y/N) seemed to have.
"Why are you in bed?" He asked her, "Not that I'm complaining." She rolled her eyes and said "It's night time." he frowned at her, and she grumbled, "Annabeth, no hidden feelings." He smirked.
She frowned at him intensely, knitting her brows. "Don't overreact, it's nothing really, just a cold. I think I caught it from that kid in the Hygieia cabin. Ironic I know. But don't worry. Some ambrosia should fix me up by tomorrow, I'll be as right as rain."
"What do you mean a cold? We're demigods, we barely ever get colds Annabeth." She shrugged, "It's been going around, it's not a big deal, Zoe's taken over my work while I rest up." She explained, but to (Y/N) something didn't sit right.
Understandably, seeing a person he loved bedridden was not an easy thing for him and brought up some memories once more, "Are you sure?" He asked, she nodded brightly, and said, "I best get going. Work to do. Books to read."
He nodded, knowing he couldn't indulge himself any longer regardless after hearing the bell chime of the front door opening. "Okay, love you, don't overdo it." He warned, "Love you too, be safe." The call ended immediately after that.
Frank's POV
Frank would've preferred to go with his friends, even if it meant he had to endure green tea with wheat germ. But Iris roped her arm through his and led him to a café table at a bay window. Frank set his spear on the floor. He sat across from Iris.
Outside in the dark, the snake monsters restlessly patrolled the hillside, spewing fire and poisoning the grass. "Frank, I know how you feel," Iris said. "I imagine that half-burned stick in your pocket gets heavier every day."
Frank couldn't breathe. His hand went instinctively to his coat. "How do you—?" "I told you. I know things. I was Juno's messenger for ages. I know why she gave you a reprieve." "A reprieve?" Frank brought out the piece of firewood and unwrapped it from its cloth.
As unwieldy as Mars's spear was, the piece of tinder was worse. Iris was right. It weighed him down. "Juno saved you for a reason," the goddess said. "She wants you to serve her plan."
"If she hadn't appeared that day when you were a baby and warned your mother about the firewood, you would've died. You were born with too many gifts. That sort of power tends to burn out a mortal life."
"Take my champion for example," She gestured to the room where Fleecy had just led the others, "Too strong for his own good, his life was full of troubles even when he was young, would have ended badly without my help."
"You see he claims two godly bloodlines, that never ends well for demigods, legacy demigods are rarely ever left alone by the fates. Too much power in one place, the fates can't help but push them to greatness...or death...or both. It's why (Y/N) kills everything he touches."
"...What?" Frank said, remembering (Y/N)'s hand on his back minutes ago. Iris didn't elaborate "-In the old days, most were made minor gods just to maintain the balance of power, or killed off in grisly ways."
"But nowadays, things are different, Olympus doesn't hand out godhood like candy now. The grisly deaths are the same of course. But if you live through infancy, we just leave you be. Which leads to people like (Y/N), people like you." She smiled sweetly, as if they weren't talking about infants surviving monster attacks.
"Like me?" Frank inquired, she nodded. "So many deaths, never any lasting peace, a cursed life. These things aren't uncommon. Like I said, most of you are destined to burn out, because you have too many gifts."
"Too many gifts?" Frank felt his ears getting warm with anger. "I don't have any gifts!" "That's not true, Frank." Iris swiped her hand in front of her like she was cleaning a windshield. A miniature rainbow appeared. "Think about it."
An image shimmered in the rainbow. Frank saw himself when he was four years old, running across Grandmother's backyard. His mother leaned out the window of the attic, high above, waving and calling to get his attention.
Frank wasn't supposed to be in the backyard by himself. He didn't know why his mother was up in the attic, but she told him to stay by the house, not to go too far. Frank did exactly the opposite. He squealed with delight and ran to the edge of the woods, where he came face to face with a grizzly bear.
Until Frank saw that scene in the rainbow, the memory had been so hazy, he thought he'd dreamed it. Now he could appreciate just how surreal the experience had been. The bear regarded the little boy, and it was difficult to tell who was more startled.
Then Frank's mother appeared at his side. There was no way she should have been able to get down from the attic so fast. She put herself between the bear and Frank and told him to run to the house.
This time, Frank obeyed. When he turned at the back porch, he saw his mother coming out of the woods. The bear was gone. Frank asked what had happened. His mother smiled. "Mama Bear just needed directions," she said.
The scene in the rainbow changed. Frank saw himself as a six-year-old, curling up in his mother's lap even though he was much too big for that. His mother's long black hair was pulled back. Her arms were around him.
She wore her rimless glasses that Frank always liked to steal, and her fuzzy gray fleece pullover that smelled like cinnamon. She was telling him stories about heroes, pretending they were all related to Frank: one was Xu Fu, who sailed in search of the elixir of life.
The rainbow image had no sound, but Frank remembered his mother's words: "He was your great-great-great-"...She would poke Frank's stomach every time she said great-, dozens of times, until he was giggling uncontrollably.
"Then there was Sung Guo, also called Seneca Gracchus, who fought twelve Roman dragons and sixteen Chinese dragons in the western deserts of China. He was the strongest dragon of all, you see," his mother said. "That's how he could beat them!" Frank didn't know what that meant, but it sounded exciting.
Then she poked his belly with so many greats, Frank rolled onto the floor to escape the tickling. "And your very oldest ancestor that we know of: he was the Prince of Pylos! Hercules fought him once. It was a hard fight!"
"Did we win?" Frank asked. His mother laughed, but there was sadness in her voice. "No, our ancestor lost. But it wasn't easy for Hercules. Imagine trying to fight a swarm of bees. That's how it was. Even Hercules had trouble!"
The comment made no sense to Frank, then or now. His ancestor had been a beekeeper? Frank hadn't thought about these stories in years, but now they came back to him as clearly as his mother's face.
It hurt to see her again. Frank wanted to go back to that time. He wanted to be a little kid and curl up on her lap. In the rainbow image, little Frank asked where their family was from. So many heroes! Were they from Pylos, or Rome, or China, or Canada?
His mother smiled, tilting her head as if considering how to answer. "Li-Jien," she said at last. "Our family is from many places, but our home is Li-Jien. Always remember, Frank: you have a special gift. You can be anything."
The rainbow dissolved, leaving just Iris and Frank. "I don't understand." His voice was hoarse. "Your mother explained it," Iris said. "You can be anything." It sounded like one of those stupid things parents say to boost your self-esteem.
A worn-out slogan that could be printed on Iris's T-shirts, right along with The Goddess Is Alive! and My Other Car Is a Magic Carpet! But the way Iris said it, it sounded like a challenge. Frank pressed his hand against his pants pocket, where he kept his mother's sacrifice medal.
The silver medallion was cold as ice. "I cant be anything," Frank insisted. "I've got zero skills." "What have you tried?" Iris asked. "You wanted to be an archer. You managed that pretty well. You've only scratched the surface."
"Your friends Hazel and Percy—they're both stretched between worlds: Greek and Roman, the past and the present. But you are stretched more than either of them. Your family is ancient—the blood of Pylos on your mother's side, and your father is Mars."
"Why, not even my champion, with all his gifts, has as much potential for change as you, and lets keep this between us. But I think he knows it. You are strong Frank, strong enough to do whatever you want to do."
"No wonder Juno wants you to be one of her seven heroes. She wants you to fight the giants and Gaea. But think about this: What do you want?" "I don't have any choice," Frank said. "I'm the son of the stupid war god. I have to go on this quest and—"
"Have to," Iris said. "Not want to. I used to think like that. Then I got tired of being everyone's servant. Fetch goblets of wine for Jupiter. Deliver letters for Juno. Send messages back and forth across the rainbow for anyone with a golden drachma."
"A golden what?" "Not important. But I learned to let go. I started R.O.F.L., and now I'm free of that baggage. You can let go, too. Maybe you can't escape fate. Someday that piece of wood will burn. I foresee that you'll be holding it when it happens, and your life will end—"
"Thanks," Frank muttered. "—but that just makes your life more precious! You don't have to be what your parents and your grandmother expect. You don't have to follow the war god's orders, or Juno's. Do your own thing, Frank! Find a new path!"
Frank thought about that. The idea was thrilling: reject the gods, his destiny, his dad. He didn't want to be a war god's son. His mother had died in a war. Frank had lost everything thanks to a war. Mars clearly didn't know the first thing about him. Frank didn't want to be a hero.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. "You want me to abandon the quest, let Camp Jupiter be destroyed? My friends are counting on me." Iris spread her hands. "I can't tell you what to do, Frank. But do what you want, not what they tell you to do."
"Where did conforming ever get me? I spent five millennia serving everyone else, and I never discovered my own identity. What's my sacred animal? No one bothered to give me one. Where are my temples?"
"They never made any. Well, fine! I've found peace here at the co-op. You could stay with us, if you want. Become a ROFLcopter." "A what, now?" "The point is you have options. If you continue this quest...what happens when you free Thanatos? Will it be good for your family? Your friends?"
Frank remembered what his grandmother had said: she had an appointment with Death. Grandmother infuriated him sometimes; but still, she was his only living family, the only person alive who loved him. If Thanatos stayed chained up, Frank might not lose her.
And Hazel—somehow she had come back from the Underworld. If Death took her again, Frank wouldn't be able to stand it. Not to mention Frank's own problem: according to Iris, he should have died when he was a baby.
All that stood between him and Death was a half-burned stick. Would Thanatos take him away, too? Frank tried to imagine staying here with Iris, putting on a R.O.F.L. shirt, selling crystals and dream catchers to demigod travelers and lobbing gluten-free cupcake simulations at passing monsters.
Meanwhile, an undying army would overrun Camp Jupiter. 'You can be anything,' his mother had said. "No," he thought. "I cant be that selfish." "I have to go," he said. "It's my job." Iris sighed. "I expected as much, but I had to try."
"The task ahead of you...Well, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially a nice boy like you. If you must go, at least I can offer some advice. You'll need help finding Thanatos." "You know where the giants are hiding him?" Frank asked.
Iris gazed thoughtfully at the wind chimes swaying on the ceiling. "No...Alaska is beyond the gods' sphere of control. The location is shielded from my sight. But there is someone who would know. Seek out the seer Phineas. He's blind, but he can see the past, present, and future. He knows many things. He can tell you where Thanatos is being held."
"Phineas..." Frank said. "Wasn't there a story about him?" Iris nodded reluctantly. "In the old days, he committed horrible crimes. He used his gift of sight for evil. Jupiter sent the harpies to plague him. The Argonauts—including your ancestor, by the way—"
"The prince of Pylos?" iris hesitated. "Yes, Frank. Through his gift, his story...that you must discover on your own. Suffice it to say, the Argonauts drove away the harpies in exchange for Phineas's help."
"That was eons ago, but I understand Phineas has returned to the mortal world. You'll find him in Portland, Oregon, which is on your way north. But you must promise me one thing."
"If he's still plagued by harpies, do not kill them, no matter what Phineas promises you. Win his help some other way. The harpies are not evil. They're my sisters." "Your sisters?"
"I know. I don't look old enough to be the harpies' sister, but it's true. And Frank...there's another problem. If you're determined to leave, you'll have to clear those basilisks off the hill." "You mean the snakes?"
"Yes," Iris said. "Basilisk means 'little crown,' which is a cute name for something that's not very cute. I'd prefer not to have them killed. They're living creatures, after all. But you won't be able to leave until they're gone."
"If your friends try to battle them. ..well, I foresee see bad things happening. Only you have the ability to kill the monsters." "But how?" She glanced down at the floor. Frank realized that she was looking at his spear.
"I wish there was another way," she said. "If you had some weasels, for instance. Weasels are deadly to basilisks." "Fresh out of weasels," Frank admitted. "Then you will have to use your father's gift. Are you sure you wouldn't like to live here instead? We make excellent lactose-free rice milk."
Frank rose. "How do I use the spear?" "You'll have to handle that on your own. I can't advocate violence. While you're doing battle, I'll check on your friends. I hope Fleecy found the right medicinal herbs. The last time, we had a mix-up....Well, I don't think those heroes wanted to be daisies."
The goddess stood. Her glasses flashed, and Frank saw his own reflection in the lenses. He looked serious and grim, nothing like the little boy he'd seen in those rainbow images. "One last bit of advice, Frank," she said.
"You're destined to die holding that piece of firewood, watching it burn. But perhaps if you didn't keep it yourself. Perhaps if you trusted someone enough to hold it for you..." Frank's fingers curled around the tinder. "Are you offering?"
Iris laughed gently. "Oh, dear, no. I'd lose it in this collection. It would get mixed up with my crystals, or I'd sell it as a driftwood paperweight by accident. No, I meant a demigod friend. Someone close to your heart."
"Hazel," Frank thought immediately. There was no one he trusted more. But how could he confess his secret? If he admitted how weak he was, that his whole life depended on a half-burned stick...Hazel would never see him as a hero.
He'd never be her knight in armor. And how could he expect her to take that kind of burden from him? He wrapped up the tinder and slipped it back into his coat. "Thanks ... thanks, Iris." She squeezed his hand.
"Don't lose hope, Frank. Rainbows always stand for hope." She made her way toward the back of the store, leaving Frank alone. "Hope," Frank grumbled. "I'd rather have a few good weasels." He picked up his father's spear and marched out to face the basilisks.
(Y/N)'s POV
He had finally washed the blood free of his hand, and managed to gain feeling back in it, which was not a blessing, he no longer felt like he was sinking, and all his worries had been quelled for the time being, but he had another issue to deal with.
He could hear Fleecy with her ear to the door, still giggling to herself. So to teach her a lesson about interfering with his personal life, he kicked the door as hard as he could, the cloud nymph let out a holler and tumbled backwards as it swung open.
When Fleecy saw (Y/N) stood at the other end of the door, glaring down at her, two things happened, one, she let out an audible gulp, and two, she suddenly dissipated into a puff of cloud vapors. But (Y/N) was ready.
"Oh no you don't you fluffy haired menace!" He snapped, literally, and Fleecy soon reformed in the exact same spot she left, smug expression on her face quickly fading away back to her scared expression. "You are so dead." He said.
Quick as a breeze, Fleecy stood up, and jumped through one of the rows of clothes on racking. Narrowly avoiding sending the vegan cruelty free multivitamins everywhere, and yes, that was one phrase 'vegan cruelty free.'
Hazel and Percy just watched in confusion as the two of them raced by, once (Y/N) got his hands on her. Well...he didn't actually know what he was going to do, but he knew it wouldn't have been something nice.
She laughed like a madwoman, as if she was swinging a chainsaw about, and before (Y/N) could catch her she said "Miss Iris, (Y/N)'s back from his call." Dodging behind the goddess before she could receive any punishment, the smug smirk clear on her face once more.
Either Iris didn't notice that Fleecy was using her for cover, or didn't care. After her conversation with Frank, she walked over to Percy, who looked just as green behind the gills as before. Pun intended.
Iris raised his chin with her finger, Percy looked like he was about to redecorate the store a new shade of green, strangely she asked him, "Are you feeling the need to photosynthesize?" He groaned in response.
"Oh, perfect. Good job Fleecy." The cloud nymph beamed at her, until Iris added, "Now you can go mop up the water in the bathroom and clean the rest of the mess you made around my store."
(Y/N) scoffed in happiness at Fleecy's grin falling off her face, her expression turned cloudy, and she said "Yes boss." She angrily took a mop out of a nearby store cupboard, it was marked the 'Vulcan Mk 1472.'
She didn't even plug it in, there was a sound like a jet engine, and all of a sudden, the store was entirely empty. Fleecy quickly put it back and began willing a new row of stock into existence. He was always jealous of that.
"Where's Frank?" Hazel asked as Iris looked her over, the goddess just smiled, "Not to worry dear, he's outside fighting the basilisks alone." Like she was telling her that he was in the back brushing his teeth.
Hazel, (Y/N) and Percy all jumped up, "What!" Percy slumped out of his chair and fell to the floor groggily. "We have to go help him" Hazel insisted. But Iris shook her head, "Oh no dear, I'm afraid that would be quite foolish."
"He's our friend. We have to help him!" (Y/N) protested. "Oh, no I don't think any urgent action is needed, Frank is strong enough to deal with this, in fact, I'm pretty sure he was the only one of your that could without serious injury."
"I'm going to help him." Hazel said, grabbing her spartha, ignoring Iris's warning, the goddess sat her back down gently, "Are you that worried my dear? Well, in that case, it's a good reason I hired security."
(Y/N) didn't like where this was going, and his feeling only got worse when he heard Fleecy giggling from the front of the shop. Iris turned her attention to (Y/N) who didn't like the look in her eye.
"(Y/N), go help Frank would you? After such a wonderful pep talk, it would be a shame if he were to die out there." "But you just said he's the only one who can-" Before he could even protest, he was outside. He sighed and thought "I need to hand in my resignation. Being a ROFLcoptor is going to be the death of me."