Evelyn and Percy glanced around at their surroundings, a very eerie amusement park that was called Waterland.
"I haven't seen a lot of horror movies but this seems like exactly the kind of place they'd suggest to avoid," Percy stated.
"I haven't seen any kind of movie" Evelyn revealed, she was raised in an orphanage with no devices, then put into a camp also with no devices. "I'll have to take your word for it."
"Any kind?" Percy gaped. "Like, never, never?"
"Never."
"Well if neither of us is dead in a few days, we really ought to fix that, you're missing out big time." Percy shrugged as Evelyn smiled at his suggestion "In the meantime, we should probably get this over with though"
The boy walked in front, towards the metal gate, he began turning the rusty gate, the screeching sound filling the air
"Wait! Percy stop!" Evelyn called out. The top of the entrance revealed some type of machine that was surely a trap for demigods.
"Wait, what just happened?" Percy panicked, looking up.
"Hold still," Evelyn advised. "Just give me a second," She inspected the machine, noticing a very familiar metal in there. "In the mechanism there, I think that's celestial bronze."
"Oh how fascinating" Percy commented, his tone sarcastic. "Eve, what is happening right now?"
"Annabeth told me this. Celestial bronze is what your sword is made of. If you're human it'll pass right through you. If you're a monster or a demigod..." Evelyn explained.
"Well, what's it doing here?" Percy questioned.
"Good question," Evelyn nodded. "I think it's safe to say this is not just some amusement park, a god built this"
"What kind of god builds amusement parks?" Percy furrowed his brows.
"My mom's husband, Hephaestus," Evelyn answered, her eyes narrowing as she studied the intricate trap designed by the god of craftsmanship.
"Why would Hephaestus build an amusement park?" Percy looked back at her.
"Maybe he finds them amusing?" Evelyn jokes. "That's really not funny Eve."
"It's a little funny" the girl shrugged, the machine was still screeching and turning. "Wow, if Annie was here, she'd be amazed."
"Eve!"
"Okay, okay." She sighed and started muttering to herself, "What would Annie do...think what she would do..."
Percy frowned at her mutters, noticing Evelyn tended to doubt herself a lot. Before he could say anything, she spoke louder this time, "Okay! I got it. Just push through."
"Push?" Evelyn nodded, "Yep."
"But weren't you the one this morning who was all worried that the fates said that one of us is going to die and we should take it really seriously?" Percy remembered.
Evelyn was getting annoyed now, "Percy?"
"Yeah?"
"Push through it," Evelyn demanded with charmspeak as he listened to her and began moving the gate and Percy finally passed, stepping into the amusement part as Evelyn heard a ding from his side, there was the number 1 now in place
"What was that?" Percy looked up.
"I don't think it's designed to hurt us, it's meant to scare us. It's a test" Evelyn explained, following after Percy. The same ding could be heard as the 1 changed into a 2. "Hephaestus wanted to know if someone came poking around his playground. So I guess now he knows"
Evelyn sighed as she began walking away and Percy followed after her, "Wait, did you use that charmspeak on me?"
She hummed, "Maybe." She had a teasing grin on her face that quickly dropped as she looked at their surroundings. She didn't know how Hephaestus would react to her since she was a literal child of her one of Aphrodite's many affairs.
"Okay..." Percy dropped the charmspeak subject, "But if this place belongs to the god of craftsmen, what was the god of war doing here? aren't they enemies" Percy questioned, looking at the girl next to him. "Then why'd he split without his shield?"
"Ares kinda has a thing with my mom," Evelyn replied, she didn't like that fact but what can she do.
"Oh, you're kidding, he met her here?" Percy's eyes widened, "In her husband's park? That's so wrong"
"That's my mom," Evelyn shrugged, "They got caught and he had to leave in a hurry" she sighed. "Ares was right about this family being a mess."
Suddenly a pink light started glowing. Evelyn could make out the word love-bingo, "Don't say a word." Evelyn said, not looking at Percy
"I didn't say anything."
Evelyn rolled her eyes, "I can feel you thinking it." She put away her embarrassment, "This is our place, it must be where Ares and my mom got caught, the shield has to be in there" She stated, "We just have to go get it."
Percy sighed, "Sure, let's go check out the scary ghost ride, why not?"
They hopped into a boat, floating into the pink-hued darkness of the love tunnel as the boat gently glided along the water, Evelyn had a feeling that a certain love goddess was giggling and kicking her feet, as she watched her daughter with the son of Poseidon in a love tunnel of all places.
what is love? baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me... a song started playing, startling the two kids, both of them was not expecting that.
"What is happening right now?" Evelyn scoffed.
"I feel like I've heard this before. I think in an orthodontist's office maybe?" Percy shrugged as a light appeared on the walls, a trail going all over the place,
Some sort of story was playing, since there were little figures doing dances and all sorts of stuff.
"Wait I know this," They kept looking at the projection. "It's Hephaestus' story." Percy looked over at the girl but the second their eyes met both of them looked away, "rejected by Hera, rejected by Aphrodite, my mom told me these stories all the time. I remember this. She said..."
"What?"
"She said this is what the gods are like to each other, this is the kind of family they are."
"Why did you wanna say that just now?" Evelyn asked.
"She was trying to keep me away from you guys," he replied as she frowned. "Maybe she should've been preparing me better."
"I think she was preparing you," Evelyn defended, "So when you got to us, you'd be different than all of this," She gestured to the projection on the walls, meaning the family of egotistical maniacs.
All of a sudden the lights went off, and everything was dark as the two came closer to a deep drop. The boat began sliding down while the two kids screamed in horror.
Evelyn kept her eyes closed for most of it, clinging onto the boat for dear life but as the boat started going in a straight line again, she opened her eyes.
The boat bobs along the water slowly. Evelyn felt sick. For a while, the two of them just sit there, still reeling.
"You okay?" Percy asks after he catches his breath.
"Yeah."
He's about to say something to fill the awkward silence when Evelyn's eyes widen.
"There's the shield!" Evelyn exclaimed, standing.
Percy follows her gaze to a golden statue, the shield wedged between its hands. The boat doesn't stop, though. He looks at Evelyn, and then back at the statue.
The two looked in front of them at another steep fall, they widened their eyes and looked at each other in panic. "Jump!" Percy demanded as he got up.
The two jumped from the boat as Evelyn struggled to stay up at the surface, there was too much water flowing in. "Percy!" she extended her hand, they were too far apart. Suddenly, there was a pull and it managed to bring her back to the surface.
Percy had used his power to save Evelyn.
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Evelyn opened her eyes, coughing out the water she had in her lungs, "Did you just pull me out of there with that waterpower stuff?"
"No," Percy responded, he couldn't have done that he couldn't control his power.
"Percy-"
"I don't know, maybe?" Percy cut her off. "I'm figuring this out as I go."
Both of them stood up, looking up at the golden statue holding the shield, next to it there was a shining throne
"How are we supposed to get that thing down?" Percy questioned
"These things are connected somehow" Evelyn inspected the machine, furrowing her brows "It's a machine, but how do you start the machine?"
"It was a gift, with a hidden purpose, Hephaestus offered it to Hera but as soon as she sat in it, she couldn't get up," Percy explained. "All the gods tried but the machine was too smart. It was too strong, even for the gods. Finally, they said if Hephaestus set Hera free, Aphrodite would be his wife," Percy continued, "The chair is the bargain, one of us goes in, the other gets the shield"
One of us...
Oh.
"I'll do it." the girl said immediately, "What? No, wait a minute" Percy grabbed her hand, stopping her from taking another step forward.
"Whoever goes in there isn't coming back." Evelyn declared, her eyes meeting Percy's. "That seems pretty clear."
"I know that's why I said wait" Percy's grip on her hand tightened, as if she would break out of his hold and run to the throne.
"This isn't the arch seaweed brain. I'm not letting you do this" Evelyn asserted.
"Well, I am gonna do this," Percy stated,
"Not this time," Evelyn scoffed. "You need to stay alive, this is your-"
"That's why you're here." He cut her off.
"Excuse me?"
"When I was choosing my team, I chose you because I knew you would always be by my side and would always help me up." Percy said, looking her directly in the eye. "I also knew that I needed someone who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice me if the quest required it and Chiron agreed with me. That person is you, I needed you for this quest." Percy said, not breaking eye contact with her even when Evelyn looked away to stare at the throne.
"Percy, you have your mom to save-"
"I can't believe it but the fates were right." Percy shook his head, "There's no getting around this. We dodged it at the arch, barely, but maybe this isn't something you can't dodge forever."
Evelyn looked back at him again, taking her eyes off the throne. "This is your quest, Percy. The oracle chose you, the gods chose you!"
"Stop, this isn't about that."
"What could it possibly be about if it isn't that?" Evelyn furrowed her brows.
"You're better than this than me, you just are." Percy insisted, "And you know it. People do need you, Eve. I chose you for this quest first." He said, referring to her comment she made back at the arch.
Evelyn shook her head and was gonna protest again when Percy continued, "Believe me, I wish there was another way this quest succeeds," Percy sighed, "I just don't see it."
Her gaze settled on the throne again, how could it have come to this?
Evelyn looked back at Percy as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his pen. Not in its sword form, just the pen.
Percy handed the pen to her, and Evelyn took it. Percy walked towards the throne but turned back, "I need you to promise me something-"
"I'm not leaving the underworld without your mom." Evelyn cut him off as she nodded, clutching the pen in her hands.
"Thank you." Percy gave her a small smile, "I was gonna say when this quest is done, can you maybe swing back here, and try to get me out of this thing."
Evelyn let out a small laugh, "You didn't even need to ask."
"Just making sure." Percy said, as he sat on the throne.
For a moment, nothing happens.
And then—
"This is weird," Percy says. "It's warm."
"This is a bad idea," Evelyn says, her fear filled eyes tracking the gold snaking its way up his leg, smooth and fast, "Stand up."
"I can't." He says and panic rises in her chest, fast and unwelcome. Evelyn's shaking, as she clutches the pen in her hands tightly to her chest.
"Percy, I mean it, get out of there."
"It's okay," He whispered, voice hoarse, his breath coming in short gasps. "I'm okay. I'm... okay."
Evelyn stared hard at his eyes. They're a shining blue. They're afraid.
It's the last thing she sees before the last traces of Percy disappear as the machine's noises fade, leaving an eerie silence.
The shield suddenly fell behind the throne, echoing around the room. Evelyn didn't care about the shield, she wanted her friend back.
She walked over the shield, went to the machine and bent down. Trying to analyze the machine to see if they would budge.
"Can I help you?" A voice spoke up, and Evelyn looked up, noticing a man. "Do you need some help finding your way out?"
A ladder appeared. "Off you go."
"Thank you for your...help. But I'm not leaving here without my friend." Evelyn said, still trying to budge the machine.
"Yeah, that isn't how it works. It's kind of a one-way sort of thing. It can't be undone." The person explained.
"How would you know?" She snapped at him, annoyed with his comments.
"Because I built it." Hephaestus responded, "It's nice to meet you, Evelyn. Even if it's under these circumstances."
Evelyn's eyes widened, her mind racing; this man probably hated her since she was Aphrodite's mortal child.
"I'm not leaving here without my friend." Evelyn repeated, hoping to find a way to somehow undo this machine, "And if you aren't going to lend me your help, then please let me figure this out."
"Despite what your mother or my brother might've told you, I am not someone who'll be talked to like that" The god asserted. "You walk out of here with the shield, and you're a hero on your way to the greatest glory. You will continue to be Aphrodite prized pearl, and all will go back to being as it always has been, always will be... as it should be."
"It isn't how it should be! It isn't!" Evelyn cried out, as she stood up, frustration and grief in her words. "To demigods and gods alike, power and glory is all that matters in the end. For us, it's either eat, or be eaten. Ares is that way, Zeus is that way, Athena is that way, and even my own mother..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence.
Evelyn sighed as she looked at Percy. "But he... he isn't that way, he's better than that. I will never be as capable as he is, but even then..." Evelyn shook her head. "I won't be like all of you. I just won't."
She looked back down at the gears as Hephaestus began playing a tune on his flute again, the gears started grinding as Evelyn rushed to the front,
Percy began transforming back into himself as Evelyn let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, the second Percy became free he looked up at the god and rushed in front of Evelyn in case Hephaestus wanted to hurt her.
"Hey, you're okay." Evelyn held onto his arm as he extended it in front of her, pushing her back a bit.
"Some of us don't like being that way either." the god spoke. "You're a good kid, Evelyn, you truly are braver than your mom." with that he opened the door, walking away and leaving the two alone.
As soon as the door closed, Evelyn hugged Percy for the second time that day, holding onto him as if he might disappear. She let out a sigh of relief that he was here in her arms.
Percy held her tightly, "You did it, lovebug, you saved me." he rumbled into her hair
"I wasn't leaving without you seaweed brain"
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Evelyn and Percy were making their way back to the dinner. Evelyn was holding onto the shield because she knew Ares wasn't expecting both of them to come back; he knew sending them in there meant one would die and yet they're both still alive. The thought of seeing Ares' face brought a small smile to her face.
"So, seaweed brain huh?" Percy broke the silence, "Seems you've thought of a nickname for me."
"Yeah well, sometimes, it's like your head is full of kelp instead of a brain in there." Evelyn shot back.
"I see how it is. I'll stick with lovebug, and you can have seaweed brain." Percy teased.
Evelyn scoffed, "Don't push it kelp-face."
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The bell chimed as Percy opened the door for Evelyn. They walked over to the table where their two friends and the god were sitting, and Evelyn slammed down the heavy shield in front of Ares, the heavy metal reverberating through the room
Ares glanced at the shield and then at Evelyn with a smirk. "Well, I'll be damned, you actually managed to pull it off. I wasn't expecting much from you.
Evelyn shot back with a glare, her tone sharp "You underestimated us, big mistake"
"Seems like the rumors were right and I was wrong about you. You got a little more warrior in you than I thought." Ares chuckled, leaning back and Evelyn looked confused about the rumors, but pushed the thought away.
"Where's our ride" Percy chimed in.
Ares led them outside to some kind of truck, Evelyn scoffed at this, they went through all of that for a not even a bus or a car, but a truck instead.
"You're kidding?" Percy's jaw dropped at the sight.
Ares snapped his fingers and the doors to the vehicle opened up "Get in, don't really don't care but in a few hours, this thing is gonna be at the Lotus Casino in Vegas. Hermes hangs out there, you play your cards right and his personal driver can get you to LA in minutes" Ares threw a black bag at Percy, "Here, clothes, cash, and drachmas to summon Hermes. I'd wish you luck but what good would that do you!"
"We're not gonna fail" Percy stated.
"Don't worry, your dad had plenty of kids he stopped caring about once he lost interest." Ares sneered at Percy, "You'll have lots of company"
"We're not gonna fail. I'm getting pretty tired of you saying it."
"Percy" Grover warned.
"You think you know who I am but you don't" Percy walked over to Ares, "And if you aren't careful...you're gonna find out."
"Percy," Grover pulled him back and looked back at Ares again. "So thank you for the emotional abuse and the cheeseburgers and the ride, we're gonna take you up on that too.
The kids all began to hop in the truck, but Ares called out to Evelyn, "Your mother told me to tell you to keep an eye for anemones, they'll help you out."
Evelyn scrunched up her nose in confusion, but nodded. Look out for anemones? What does that mean?
"Hey, do you think we could get some paper towels or something? It's not that nice in here." Grover questioned, looking around the space, there were animal cages everywhere.
Ares just snapped his fingers in response, making the doors close. "Well, this smells," Evelyn noted.
"If it gets us where we need to go, that's all that matters." Percy shrugged. "Assuming Ares was telling the truth."
"He wasn't." Annabeth said, "Not entirely. At any rate, he was holding something back."
'But how do you know?" Evelyn asked.
"Because I think we got it out of him," Grover gestured to him and Annabeth, "I think I know who stole the lightning bolt."
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I put in some hints of her fatal flaw lmao. Try to guess what it is <3