Book 1 - The Lightning Thief
"Grover," Percy called.
"What are you doing?" Ayden complained. She stared down at her hands seeing the trail of blood. She quickly wiped them on her pants trying to get rid of the blood.
"Someone is making hamburgers," Grover sniffed the air once more. "In the middle of nowhere on a satyr path. Whoever it is they're from our world."
"Grover, that doesn't always mean a good thing," Ayden reasoned as they found a road. Grover led them around the turn seeing a diner. "Aunty Em's." They walked past it seeing statures in the distance. Ayden got an eerie feeling in her gut. "This isn't good."
"Oh come on." Annabeth scoffed.
"What?" Grover asked.
"Aunty Em has a garden on petrified stone folks," Annabeth reasoned as she gestured to one of the creatures. "Yeah, this is from our world alright. Anyone wanna guess what Em is short for?"
"Oh," Grover stopped walking as they stood in front of the big statues.
"Let's get out of here, please, while we still can," Annabeth added as she turned around. Ayden's eyes were locked onto one of the statues. The others turned and stopped as the fury landed behind them. "Ayden." She turned seeing the Fury. Percy passed the box to Grover as he pulled his sword free.
"You should have accepted my offer?" The Fury spoke.
"Offer? What offer is she talking about?" Percy asked looking over at Annabeth and Ayden as she moved forward pulling a dagger from her pocket.
"I'll tell you the same thing I told your sister," Ayden smirked.
"Not today friends," A woman spoke. "Not on my doorstep." The Fury turned covering its eyes with its wing. Ayden and Percy turned seeing a woman come around the statues. She had a hat on that covered her eyes.
"Oh shoot," Grover looked at the ground forcing his eyes shut. Annabeth doing a similar thing. Ayden shoved Percy's head to the ground as she stared at her shoes as well.
"If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I can help?" Medusa offered. "Alecto, will you be joining us?" She paused. "No, well I would think you would. She won't bother you as long as you're with me."
"She won't bother us at all when she's dead," Ayden breathed. Percy glanced at her for a moment as she gripped the dagger in her hand.
"But it's not likely that she'll leave either not if it means she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon," Medusa added.
"How did you—," Percy muttered. His head turned a little but Ayden glanced up at him. The two held eye contact as she shook her head.
"A forbidden child has been claimed. How long do you think that secret would be kept? It's a pleasure to meet you son of Poseidon. I'm Medusa." Percy's head slowly lifted, but Ayden stepped in front of him.
"Percy, don't." Annabeth snapped. Ayden was standing in Percy's line of sight even if he did try to look she would be blocking him. Her eyes were on Alecto behind them. Ayden knew she could kill the creature in moments. "She's a monster."
"We all choose, who we make our monsters," Medusa called. "And right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb and I'm offering you lunch. The choice is yours." Ayden heard her heels click and then stop. "Oh and Ayden before you think of killing Alecto, she isn't as naive as her sisters. She knows what you can do." Her heels clicked once more as she moved behind the statues. Ayden looked over her shoulder seeing her retreat. Percy was staring ahead at Ayden watching the girl's emotions move across her features.
"I think we can trust her," Percy muttered. Ayden turned fast seeing him look at her.
"What?"
"Dude?!" Grover shook his head.
"I can't explain it. I just–I–my mom used to tell me her story. And the point is that she isn't what people think. And I definitely trust my mom," Percy looked at each of them. His eyes settled on Ayden as she gave him a slight nod. "So I'm going in." He looked at Grover and Annabeth. "You both do what you want." Percy moved forward with Ayden just behind him. They walked around the statues seeing the door slightly ajar.
"That's welcoming," Ayden muttered. "Let me go first."
"No, I got it," Percy added as he pushed her back gently. He pushed the door open slowly. Both of them scanned the room. Grover came up behind them as they walked through the first room. It seemed like a pleasant sitting room. The next was a dining hall with plates and platters of food all over the table.
"You must be hungry," Medusa called from the other room. Ayden grabbed Percy's arm making him stop for a moment. "I left some snacks on the tabel while I get something proper going."
"Sorry," Ayden muttered as she released Percy's arm moving further into the room.
"Do you think it's safe to eat?" Percy asked as Grover stood beside him.
"Percy, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm really hungry and I'm ready to take that chance," Grover admitted. Ayden laughed lightly as she moved around the table observing 'the snacks'. A bell chimed as Annabeth walked in.
"Thanks for coming," Percy stared at her.
"This isn't the same for me as it is for you," She shook her head moved over to the other side of the room, and took a seat with Ayden.
"Why?"
"You are concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a daughter of Athena," Medusa came into the room. Each of them immediately looked at the ground keeping their eyes low.
"You shouldn't be. We aren't our parents after all," Medusa poured lemonade into a few glasses. "And you and I might have more in common than you think." She walked around the table pouring lemonade into the boy's glasses. "Please, sit, eat." Percy and Grover moved forward carefully taking a seat. Ayden sat down as well, but Annabeth stood next to her chair.
"If you aren't a monster, then what are you then?" Percy asked as he picked up his utensils and started moving the food around his plate, adding a few things from the center of the table to his meal.
"A survivor," Medusa answered proudly.
"You must be a little more than that. There's a Fury outside that seems terrified of you."
"It's because she knows what I think of her," Medusa sighed. Ayden reached forward grabbing one of the meringue's off the plate and taking a bite. The sugar melted on her tongue. She had always been a fan of sweet things. "I don't like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for." Medusa sat down near the far wall. She didn't take a seat at the head of the table. Grover and Percy both took bites of their food. "The gift that the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore."
"What my mother did to you isn't a gift," Annabeth corrected. Ayden turned to the girl giving her a hard look. They were having a peaceful conversation and she didn't want her to risk anything. "It was a curse."
"You are loyal to your mother," Medusa nodded.
"Yes."
"You stand by her?"
"Always," Annabeth sassed.
"You love her?"
"Of course I do."
"And so did I," Medusa added. "So did I. Do you know the story of how I became this way?"
"I do," Grover lifted his hand as he bit into a piece of chicken.
"Do you?
"Do I?" Grover looked from Percy to Ayden across the table. He had a little bit of jam on the corner of his mouth.
"Athena was everything to me. I worshipped her and prayed to her. I made offerings, but she never answered. Not even an omen to say that she appreciated my love. I wasn't like you, sweetheart. I was you," Medusa explained. Ayden could tell there was a lot of buried emotion surfacing as she spoke. "I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime in silence. But then one day a god came, and he broke that silence. Your father," Percy looked over to her his eyes still on the edge of the table.
"The sea god told me he loved me. I felt that he saw me in a way that I had never been seen before. But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished. Not him. Me." Medusa's words slowly sunk into Ayden's skin as she stared at her empty plate. She hadn't touched any more food as she listened to the story. She'd known of the general story of Medusa, but not this kind. She never heard it straight from anyone's mouth who had lived it. "She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale."
"That isn't what happened," Annabeth snapped. "My mother is just," Ayden looked at Annabeth. "Always."
"The gods want you to believe, that they are infallible. But they want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their shortcomings." Medusa reasoned. Her voice was even and soft. Ayden looked over to Percy. He was already looking at her. The two of them looked at each other constantly for comfort knowing they supported one another's decisions.
"That isn't what happened and you're a liar," Annabeth argued. The pride for her mother was being tested. Medusa sighed and looked to the side.
"Something is burning," She smiled. "Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready." She stood up. Percy looked over to Ayden and then to Grover before he stood up and moved after her.
"Annabeth, you know even though they are gods that doesn't mean they are perfect people," Ayden added. Annabeth stared at her as she stood up.
"Grover, get ready to run. I'm tired of listening to this," Annabeth scoffed. Ayden looked up to her and shook her head. She would try and argue with her, but Ayden knew it wasn't the right place or time for that. Grover stood up after he shoved the rest of his spring roll in his mouth.
"I'm glad I got to eat some things," He grabbed the box from the seat next to him as we moved closer to the doorway.
"She's going to mess with his head," Annabeth added. They stood there in silence trying to eavesdrop, but they couldn't. "Get the shoes out of the box." Grover did as she instructed leaving the box open on the table. The door swung open suddenly as Percy grabbed Ayden's arm and pushed Annabeth forward.
"We have to go now," He whispered as they rushed into the other room. Annabeth opened a door leading down some stairs. They didn't hesitate to run down them leaving them almost in a pitch-black room.
"Does anyone else feel like this is a horrible mistake," Ayden muttered as the door shut leaving them in the darkness. She gripped Percy's hand and Annabeth's arm making sure they stayed close to her. She wanted to keep a hand on them in the dark until her eyes adjusted.
"Yeah, it's a horrible mistake," Grover breathed. The door at the top of the stairs opened lighting the stairwell again. A line of fire moved down the sides of the stairs slowling move around lighting up the room. Ayden turned seeing that it wasn't just a room, it was a massive space full of statues. She collected them. There weren't just monsters down here there were people too. Police officers, campers, hikers.
"Oh shit." She breathed.
"Go, go," Percy urged as they ran further past the statues.
"There are four of us and one of her. If we split up, she can't be watching us all at once," Grove reasoned. We paused letting him tie the shoes onto his hooves.
"I don't think it'd be that simple," Annabeth shook her head.
"It could be," Grover smiled as he stood up. Percy looked at Ayden. She pulled a blade from her pocket looking behind them. She was searching for any movement. "Here's the plan I'll get in the air and draw her attention. As soon as you guys hear me say 'maia' you guys start—oh boy! Okay, um!" The shoes grew wings and lifted Grover off the floor. He flailed his arms out as he floated up into the air. "Up! Down!" He yelled, but the shoes took him farther from the other three.
"We need a new plan," Percy breathed.
"We are not our parents until we choose to be," Medusa called. "You three have chosen." Percy grabbed Ayden's arm as Annabeth let them further into the maze of statues. "A daughter of a self-righteous mother, who chose self-righteousness for herself." Annabeth stopped and pulled her cap free.
"Percy you can hide, she will smell you first. Ayden and I will be watching over you. Remember don't look into her eyes." She put the cap on and disappeared. Percy looked at Ayden. She gave him a reassuring smile. In the distance, Medusa continued to speak about Ayden, but she ignored her words. They meant nothing to her anymore.
"You got this, I won't be far and Annabeth is always close by," She breathed as she teleported away from him a few statues back. She watched him crouch behind one of the crates waiting. Medusa's heels clicked as she walked forward.
"And you, you could have shown your father what it means to stand up for someone you love. You could choose to save your mother instead of doing your father's bidding." Ayden furrowed her brows and teleported closer to Medusa. She paused her snake hissed as she looked in her direction. Ayden teleported to another spot watching Medusa move forward again slowly. "If none of you will help teach these lessons, then perhaps you should be the lessons. When I ship your statues to Olympus, maybe that will get my point across even better. Stand up." She moved closer to Percy. He had his sword free now. Ayden teleported behind Medusa ready to attack her if need be. "Let's have a look at you." Percy stood up breathing heavily as he gripped the sword tightly. He kept his eyes closed as his body shook. Medusa reached forward touching his curls.
"Don't touch him." Ayden teleported next to Medusa cutting her hand as she pushed Percy back making sure to stay between the two of them. Ayden's eyes were on Percy's face as he kept his eyes closed.
"I didn't really think this though!" Grover yelled from above them. He crashed into some crates beside them. Percy and Ayden turned as Annabeth removed her cap putting it on Medusa's head.
"Now!" She yelled as Medusa disappeared. Annabeth had her hand pointed in the air where Medusa was standing so Percy knew where to hit. He swiped the sword through the air. The wet sound of her head hitting the ground and rolling made Ayden's skin crawl.
"Did you hear that?" Percy muttered. He and Ayden moved over to where they thought the head had rolled.
"That sounded gross," Ayden grimaced as Percy used his foot to kick the thing. He handed his sword to Ayden as he knelt down slowly finding the invisible head.
"Augh," He grimaced and picked it up. "Aw, man."
"You found it," Annabeth came over. Ayden looked Grover up and down seeing he was alright after his little crash.
"Hope so?" Percy sighed.
"Let's use it on Alecto," Annabeth added. Ayden shook her head.
"I can easily handle Alecto," She urged, but Annabeth stared at her.
"Use the head, that way she's trapped," Annabeth added. Ayden took a deep breath and nodded. She walked up the stairs first holding the door open for Percy as he came up.
"Are you sure you don't want me to just do it?" Ayden asked once more as she opened the front door. Percy smiled a little and looked at her and then back at the invisible head in his hands.
"I got it."
"Make sure you're pointing it in the right direction," Annabeth reminded as she came up behind the pair. Ayden laughed a little.
"As long as you aren't looking at the head I think it's fine either way, just keep a good grip on the hat," Ayden crossed her arms. Percy's sword was still in one of her hands.
"Thanks for the advice," He laughed. Ayden opened the front door for him as he walked out. She reached forward grabbing the metal as she pulled it closed. Both the girls stood at the screen watching him walk forward. Alecto's wings moved out as she turned. She realized Percy was alone.
When the Fury went to leap for him. He removed the hat and held the head up toward the creature as its body instantly turned to stone and shattered as it hit the road. Percy stumbled back a bit staring at the pieces. He put the hat back on Medusa's head.
He made it seem like it was an easy feat but it wasn't. The top half of Alecto was stone her mouth open and her arm extended toward him. Annabeth walked away from the door moving back down the stairs. Ayden waited opening the door for Percy as he walked in once more.
"Smooth," She smirked as she shut the door.
"Yeah, now we just have to figure out what to do with this thing," He grimaced staring at the blank space in his hands. Ayden grimaced.
"Let's go talk it out with the others, Annabeth probably has some grand idea," She added. Percy stared at her for a moment. "What?"
"Nothing," He shook his head moving forward. "A few of your scars are gone." He mentioned moving toward the door downstairs. Ayden's hand went to her face moving over her cheek. The skin was smoother. It wasn't ever going to be completely even, but it was smooth. She smiled and closed her fist moving after the son of Poseidon.
***
"What is it?" Annabeth asked as the group made it back to Grover. He was staring at a satyr statue in front of him.
"Uncle Ferdinand," He muttered. His eyes never left the statue.
"Oh no."
"Grover, I'm sorry," Ayden breathed as she touched his shoulder. Percy set the head down on a table near them and moved next to her. The four of them stared at the statue.
"This is as far as he got on his quest. We aren't even to Trenton. But look at him," Grover smiled a bit. "He's not like the others, he–he doesn't look afraid." He cleared his throat. "You used, the um, you used the head to get rid of Alecto, or was that you Ayden?" He turned to her smiling.
"Percy did," She smiled. He nodded looking back at his uncle.
"Good. That was the right move," He wiped at his eyes. "Uh, maybe we should get going. It'll be dark soon."
"But what are we going to do with the head?" Percy asked. The four turned to look at the table. They couldn't see the head, but Percy knew exactly where he placed it. "I just took down a Fury and I wasn't even trying. We can't just leave it for someone to hide. Leave the hat on and bury it in the basement."
"Or we could just bury it without the hat and its eyes up, so whoever finds it turns to stone," Ayden offered looking over at Annabeth. She was staring at the statue.
"What if we need to come back for it?" Percy offered. "I say leave the hat on it."
"Sure," Annabeth answered. It was a tight response. Ayden knew she had something more to bring up. "But let's talk about the bigger issue at hand."
"What bigger issue?" Percy asked shifting his weight.
"You could have saved your mother," Annabeth quoted what Medusa had said earlier. Ayden turned to Percy as well. She didn't know what that meant either. "That's what she said to you. Like you had discussed it already. Is your mother still alive?"
"She's with Hades," Percy admitted. His eyes went to Ayden for a moment as she looked away from him. She didn't know whether to feel hurt, betrayed, or get angry, but at the moment each one was threatening to overtake her. "But I appreciate your concern."
"Guys, just please stop," Grover begged.
"Oh I'm concerned," Annabeth laughed a little. "What are you actually doing on this quest? And why did I have to hear about it from Medusa?"
"While we are at it, you should have accepted my offer?" Percy shot back. He was quoting Alecto from earlier. His eyes moved to Ayden. "What the hell is that about? What offer and why did we have to hear about it from Alecto?"
"Enough!" Grover yelled catching each of them by surprise. "The hat was a gift from her mother. It's the only thing that she's over-possessed that connects them. That outta matter to you." Grover spoke to Percy.
"Okay, but how are we going to make sure that thing is safe?" Percy asked.
"That's a later problem," Ayden muttered. She was still staring at the floor. She felt the metal in her hand and handed the sword back to Percy. He looked at the girl seeing her avoid his eyes as he took the blade. It reverted back to a pen and he put it in his pocket.
"And you, really? His mom is alive," Grover turned to Annabeth. "Can you imagine how confusing that must be for him? Feeling like he may have to choose between the fate of the world and the fate of the only person who has ever cared for him?"
"Why are you talking like this?" Annabeth asked.
"Because all day I've been trying to keep this quest on track without upsetting any of you," He let out a long sigh. "But maybe things need to get a little upsetting before they move forward." Ayden shook her head moving away from the group. She would rather not have things get upsetting. "She asked you a question back in the woods, and you never answered it. What are you so afraid of?"
"What are you talking about?" Percy tried to brush it off.
"You know what he's talking about," Ayden sighed as she turned to face them.
"I don't know."
"I think you do," Grover added. He gave Ayden a tight smile appreciating her support. The two of them are the only two actually trying to compromise and put their own issues aside for the better of the quest. "You've been fighting with her, you've been fighting with me, and Ayden—."
"Because the Oracle said one of you would betray me, Okay?!" Percy spoke up. Ayden's expression fell as she waited for him to continue. "You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, and you shall fail to save what matters in the end. That's the rest of what she said to me." Percy looked over to Annabeth. His expression was pained. "I chose you because I couldn't imagine we'd ever be friends," The girl's expression changed as she took that personally. Ayden moved closer to the group again leaning into Annabeth a bit trying to give her some sort of comfort, but she leaned away.
"I chose you because I thought if anyone would be on my side, no matter what, it was you." Percy let out a breath and turned to Ayden. "And you, I brought you because out of everyone you seem to be the only person who has been honest with me from the start. But now I'm feeling so," He shook his head. "Alone." Ayden tilted her head to the side watching him. "I don't know what to think or who to trust." Percy's shoulders moved up and down rapidly as he watched her expression.
"Alecto offered to help our quest if I gave her to you," Annabeth broke the silence.
"And what did you say?" Percy shifted his weight moving himself closer to Ayden.
"That we killed her sister." Annabeth looked at Ayden giving her a slight smile.
"Medusa offered to help me save my mom if I turned against you three," Percy admitted. He looked over at Ayden, but her expression didn't change. She gave him a soft smile. None of them had actually turned on one another. They chose the group.
"And what'd you say?"
"I cut off her head." Ayden laughed a little and looked over to the table.
"You three didn't choose to be demigods," Grover shook his head. "We didn't choose this quest, but we can decide that as long as the four of us are together, none of us are going to be alone." Ayden leaned closer her shoulder touching Percy as he smiled at her. "And if we can't do that then we might as well just head back to camp right now. Cause we won't make it." Ayden nodded at Grover's words.
"I think I've got an idea with what to do with this," Percy added moving back to the table where the head sat. He moved around the table looking at a book. It was an address book Ayden realized as she stood next to him. He flipped the page running his finger over the addresses.
"Hermes Express. She ships these things all over," Percy added. "Some of it does go to Olympus."
"Percy, you can't ship Medusa's head to Olympus," Annabeth shook her head.
"Why not?" Ayden asked.
"Because the gods won't like it," Annabeth and Grover looked at one another.
"At all. At all, at all."
"That's what you do with dangerous stuff. Like batteries, you just send them back where they came from." Percy reasoned.
"Okay, look this is a bad idea. They will see it as impertinent."
"I am impertinent." Percy grabbed the head off the table as Ayden grabbed the box.
"Yes, but we are not," Annabeth gestured to herself and Grover.
"Really, very not." Grover shook his head.
"Look Medusa tried to derail our quest. She's got some serious beef with your mom, " Percy put the head in the box. "When you look at it that way, it seems kind of like a tribute or something, doesn't it? And besides," He reached into the box pulling the hat off the head as Ayden closed the flaps. "A part of your mom is still with us." He handed Annabeth back her hat. He grabbed the tap gun sealing the box with Ayden's help.
"This isn't exactly what I meant by choosing each other. There are actual dangers here that cannot be–." Grover was interrupted as Percy started clapping his hands together. Ayden stared at him confused until she realized he was going to start singing the consensus song. Grover nodded.
"You are going to sing the song, aren't you?"
"Okay," Annabeth looked worried. Ayden couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, Golly! The roads getting bumpy—."
"Whatever," Grover shook his head. Each of them was smiling.
"Consensus!" Percy sang. Ayden slowly moved her hands over her ears as Percy's jaw dropped. "You don't think my singing is good?"
"I didn't say that," She shook her head. Her hands were still pressed flat against her ears making everything muffled.
"Mhmm," He scoffed shoving her shoulder a bit as she laughed.
"Alright, are we going to mail this thing or what?" Ayden asked as she dropped her hands. "I really want Ares to be the one to open it." She crossed her fingers. "Although I doubt he opens his own mail."
"Yeah, I doubt the god of war is sitting in an office waiting for mail," Grover shot back as Ayden mocked him. The group quickly gathered themselves as Percy shipped the box through the Hermes Express.