When we left the big house, Annabeth was very silent and wouldn't meet either of our eyes, I mean, I don't blame her.
She walked to her cabin while I walked with peter.
"So, I date Annabeth in the future?" Peter asked looking slightly disgusted.
"Um, uh, ye- yeah." I said, while stuttering a bunch. I don't remember disliking Annabeth, but I probably didn't think of her as an actual girl at the time, if that makes sense.
"Dude, sick tatoo" Peter said with a little sarcasm. "What's it mean?"
"You'll see."
"Oh, come on, this is the coolest thing to happen to me and your not even answering my answers properly." He complained."Of all things, SPQR?"
"Fine, I'll answer everything else, because your literally gonna see what it means in a couple days. So stop being an ass and let's just get ready to leave." He scoffed at this, yeah, I guess I was really sassy back then, I mean, still am but, this boy makes you want to hold him underwater 'till the bubbles stop. Too bad that's not possible for a son of Poseidon.
"Um, how long have dated her?"
"About a year?" I said, was Peter... Interested?
"Do you love her?" He crocked refusing to meet my eyes.
"Yeah, we loved a lot." I said with a smile, reminiscing her features.
"How much do you l- love her?" He stuttered
"We gave a immortality."
"WHAT?" He yelled, eating us even more stares from the campers.
"IMMORTALITY. WHAT THE FUCK." he said and I just chuckled. "That's the CRAZIEST thing I've Heard, EVER."
"You don't know the half of I said." My smile slowly fading, gods I miss her.
Before we left I walked back to the campers alone. I saw Clarisse, she just glared at me. I saw the stolls twins, I smiled at them and they gave back a toothy grin. I saw, Beckendorf and Selina holding hands.
"Hey guys," I said
"Oh, hey, uh, future Percy?"
"You guys look cute together."
"Um thanks." They said looking sheepishly.
I hugged Beckendorf, "Thanks." I muttered, he saved me, I never got to say thank you.
"What for?" He asked.
"For being a good boyfriend." I said to him, I looked at Selina and she was blushing, "Anyways, I gotta go." I said alittle grudgingly. I didn't want to leave. Life was so simple back then, but I had to get back to Annabeth, I needed to.
Annabeth got in the van, Peter sat next to her and Thalia next to Peter, Argus was about to get in the driver's seat when I begged him to let me drive since I was old enough and had a licence, yeah, I, I just forgot it, you know, in the present. Yeah, that's a good explanation.
He looked at me reluctantly before giving me the keys. I smiled and got in the car driving off to our first destination. Piper's house.
We chatted while on the road, they asked a couple questions. I wouldn't have answered all of them but my mouth was working way faster than my brain, as always and my words kept slipping, yep, the timeline is going to die. Stupid ADHD.
**********
We got to the pearly gate and I got in, I knew the password for the gate since me and Annabeth had come for sleepovers after the war. I walked to the big door and knocked. A man answered the door.
"Hello, how many I help you?" He asked in a stern voice.
"Holy shit, is that Tristan McLean?" Annabeth croaked.
"Yes it is, are you a fan?" The man asked but I interrupted before anyone else said anything.
"Hello, I'm looking for Piper." I said politely.
"How do you know her?"
"I'm a friend of her's." I said coolly.
"Ok, I'll go get her." He said eyeing me up and down.
Once Piper came, she looked at us confused.
"Who are you guys?" She asked
"Ok, I'mfromthefuturewhereyourmyfriend
andineedyourhelp." I said in one go.
"Ok, mister, from the future." She said then realized that I looked identical to Peter. "Prove it."
"Well, um, I know you never knew your mom, because she's actually Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty but you hate that people just look at you for your face and not your personality or skills, I know that you have charm speak which you have accidentally used on people to do stuff for you, I know that you constantly get yourself in trouble for attention from your dad because he focusses on his work too much."
She looked absolutely appalled. She cleared her throat and said,"What do you need my help with?" "Just come with us, we need to get the crew back together."
"Crew?" She asked
"Yeah, oh by the way, a boy will be there, his name is Jason, in the future you date." I said smugly as she turned abit red, "so you in?"
"Yes, but not for the boy." She said unsurely.
Peter and Annabeth just watched this play out, they looked very evidently confused.
We all got back in the van and I started driving.
"Annabeth, could you hack into the orphanage systems to see if there is a 'Leo Valdez'? She nodded and I handed her a computer that we grabbed from Piper's room.
After about five minutes Annabeth tapped my shoulder.
"Leo Valdez, 12 years old, Mexican?" Is this him?" She asked.
"Yep, that's Leo alright?" I said.
"He's not in an orphanage, he's at his aunt's house" Annabeth said, I looked at her impressed as she blushed under my gaze. Peter quickly glared at me though and I sped up.
We walked over to the old brick house, we knocked on the door, twelve year old Leo answered with a smile on his face, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hello, what are you looking for." Leo asked.
"Um, Leo, we need your help," with that, he looked at me in confusion. "Help? What kind of help?" I pulled Leo aside to talk.
"Leo, I'm from the future, I need you to come so we can save the world." He just started laughing at my words.
"Oh man, I was having a pretty bad day, that really cheered me up." He said in-between snorting laughter, while slowly opening his eyes. "But seriously what do you want."
He saw my seriousness and said, "Your joking right?"
"Nope" I said firmly.
"Oh, Kay, um, tell me one thing about myself."
"Your baby sitter did some weird stuff to you, you can make fire though your finger, you made a drawing when you were like five of a ship. The ship had a dragon head on it's helm." I said
He looked at me in shock,
"Um, ok, but only cuz I'm bored at home." He said, Leo always tries lightening the mood when things got too serious.
We all got back to the van once again.
We drove for a while, then stopped in Las Vegas, the four seemed to bond quite well through the journey. They were talking like they'd been friends for years at the end of it.
"Hey guys, I have to go somewhere really quick, ok? Please, don't move. Annabeth, your in charge."
"Hey, why am I not in charge, im you, come on, be a little bit baised."
"Because, I'm you, your not in charge. I don't trust myself now, you think I'll trust thirteen year old me? Your funny" I said the last part with heavy sarcasm.
I looked in through the window, I immediately saw who I was after.
I walked into the Lotus casino, i dashed towards the boy and girl as quick as I can carrying each of them in on hand trying not to spent even a minute in there, see, in this casino, time works really weirdly, you could be in there a minute, but an hour has passed in the real world.
I quickly ran out of the casino while they started screaming in confusion.
"Hey, hey, it's ok, your dad sent me." I said reassuringly.
They seemed to calm down a little with that, but they still looked at me unsurely.
I walked back to the van while talking with them.
"Hey, Nico, your dad told me you like Mythomagic, I like Mythomagic too." I said, I noticed Nico grinning from ear to ear. He's never smiled like this before, it's sad how much the kid has changed.
I reached the van, Annabeth talking with Piper cheerfully while Peter and Leo talked casually. They both got in too.
"Guys, this is Nico and his sister Bianca."
I felt my eyes get cloudy, as I saw Nico gripping his sisters hand getting into the van happily. I owe Bianca allot, she sacrificed herself for me. But I won't let her die this time, not again.
"Good job, keeping the heads on these twos bodies, Annie." I said pointing towards Peter and Leo.
"No problem, Percy, I wouldn't let this idiot out of my sight. Also, don't call me that, you know I don't like being called Annie." I chuckled slightly.
"Yeah."
I know it sounds kinda weird but Annabeth was really pretty, back then, why didn't I like her then too? I'm starting to get a little restless thinking of a way to get back.
"One of our last destination, is camp Jupiter, but first we gotta pick up one last guy."
I said with jazz hands.
"I hope it's not too far, I'm starving" Peter said.
I just laughed at this, yep, this guy is definitely me.
"Ok, who wants McDonald's?" I said.
"Cuz we'll be on the road for a looooooong time. To San Francisco."
"Oh come on," Peter said.
We pulled up to a McDonald's and ordered,
"7 cokes, 1 happy mean, 5 McChicken's 1 McSalad, and 7 fries."
"Wow, you knew I was vegetarian, I guess you are from the future." Piper said surprised.
"Wow, your from the future?" Nico asked.
"How am I like in the future?"
"Well, you have a sister," but I was interrupted
"Yeah, I already know, Bianca" Nico said.
I felt the bile rising into my throat.
"Um, no, uh, I- I mean, Hazel, she's your half sister. She can't be with us on this adventure though." I said sadly.
"Why not?" Peter asked.
"Um, traffic?" I said, but it was more like a question.
"Bro, I could tell when your lying." He said unfazed.
I said he'd deeply, "She won't be here. Anyways you guys get some sleep, we'll buy more food as we go." I said.
"But I'm still hungry." Peter complained
"Of course you are." Me and Annabeth said in unison. Which made Leo and Piper laugh.
We were driving past a beach, it was really late and I felt my eyes drooping so I decided to park there. I got out of the car, I breathed in the salty water smell. I loved the beach. Then I walked into it and immediately felt energized.
I stood in the water in silence. Until I heard footsteps. I turned around with riptide in my hands. But it was just Annabeth.
"Hey" she said
"Hi" I replied "Why are you out here?"
"Couldn't sleep. Hey, um, do we, uh, ever, um,"
"Date?" I continued
"No!" She said blushing so hard I could see it in the darkness. "Well, no, um, do we ever save Luke?" She asked.
I looked at her, her grey eyes cloudy, I didn't know what to say. If I told her the truth it would hurt her, if I lied it would hurt her more once she faces him.
"He, he goes out as a good person, that's all that matters." I said.
"Oh, what else? Is there anything to look forward to in the future?" She asked grimly.
"Yeah, you make many friends, you rekindle old friendships, you get a loving boyfriend." I said.
Silence, awkward silence filled the air as I said that last part. Well, our silence was interrupted by a noise.
We both looked towards the noise slowly creeping closer. There it was, an 8ft tall monster, a Cyclops.
It looked right at me, then it raced towards the van, I ran, with all my might but I felt like my feel we're sinking slowly into he sand. I pushed through and intervened the Cyclops, I uncapped riptide and I heard Annabeth shuffle into the car trying to wake everyone up. Then I saw two more appear.
Everyone woke up, Peter walked out of the van, still half asleep, he uncapped riptide and stood besides me,
"Ready to tango?" I asked
"Oh I was born ready." He said smugly.
3V2
We rolled and tumbled, I summoned water to slash into one Cyclops leaving only dust behind. Peter got onto the back of another and stabbed it in the skull leaving more dust behind. And finally, we worked together to defeat the last and biggest one, it towered at a good 10ft, using a combination of attacking it with waves of water and slashing at it with our swords, it fell to the ground leaving, you guessed it, dust.
We fist bumped at the success and looked back to the van to a horrified Leo, Piper and Bianca. Nico looked absolutely ecstatic.
"That's a Cyclops, it has 50000 power points." He said dreamily.
Annabeth too held a shocked face.
"Hey, it's ok. They're gone." I comforted her.
"What. The Fuck. Was That." Leo asked, looking dazed.
"It's a really long story." Peter said.
"Well luckily, we have the time." I continued.
We continued on the road since I wasn't tired anymore. Half way through explaining about the gods and demigods, they all fell asleep. I drove in the silence breathing in that salty air for the last time as we passed the beach.
The sun started raising, I still continued driving while marvelling at the view. I hadn't gotten a wink of sleep but I wasn't tired. I kept on thinking of Annabeth, sleeping without her in my arms felt sinful.
After two more hours of driving, Piper, Leo and Bianca woke up. I checked to see how the others were sleeping, Piper sat near the window, Annabeth next to her, leaning on Peter, Leo, Nico and Bianca sat in the back.
That day went by like a blur. We ate a lot of fast food, got gas a couple times, talked a lot, and at night we took turns staying awake so no monsters can get us in our sleep. I took first watch, of course.
The next morning, I woke up and started driving, I looked to the back through the mirror again, Annabeth still sleeping while leaning on Peter, seriously did I really not feel anything for annabeth back then?
After an hour, they all woke up and we got Wendy's, we talked some more and arrived our destination.
I entered the mansion alone. I told the rest of them to stay in the car. I knocked on the large door, a woman opened it, I'm assuming it's Frank's mother,
"Hello, I'm Percy Jackson. I'm here to take Frank for a quest." I said
"Hello, Percy. Frank will be right with you." The woman said without any questions.
Once she left another woman came to me, I recognised her, she was Frank's grandmother,
"Hello, I'm Percy Jackson."
"Yes, I heard." She said in a cold voice.
"Oh, um, well, I'm here to take Frank to camp for a quest." I said nervously.
"Hmm." She said eyeing me up and down.
"Who did you say your godly parent was." She said with a calculating look.
"Oh, I'm the son of uh, Neptune." Phew saved myself, gotta remember Frank's dad is Mars not Ares and Romans don't like Greeks, yet.
Frank came down stairs, clearly confused.
"Um, what's going on?" He asked his mom.
"This young man is taking you to camp." His grandma said.
"Camp?! Are you letting me go to 'camp' with a stranger?" He said looking panicked.
"Don't worry, he's in great hands Mrs. Zang."
"Son, go with him. He is the help you need." Frank's grandmother said again.
I felt kinda bad for Frank, imagine being a thirteen year old and one random morning a guy takes you and your parents agree.
I ushered Frank to the van, noticing his tense body I patted him on the back.
"Don't worry Frank, trust me, I know you better than you think." I said reassuringly.
"That's a little creepy." He said, looking anywhere but at me.
I just smiled at that. Frank's as a big dude but he acted like a little kid.
We got in the van and finally we were on the road to get to Camp Jupiter.
There were quick introduction and they talked merrily. Well some more than others.
"Valdez please shut up." Piper said.
"Oh come on you know you want to hear my voice." Leo teased.
While frank sat in the corner looking quite uncomfortable.
"Frank, don't worry, we're all friends here." I smiled at him.
"Yeah." he said in a small voice.
We reached the old tunnel, all of the kids eyed me like I was crazy.
"Oh by the way, Annabeth , Peter, don't speak about your godly parent, if especially you Annabeth, Romans don't really like Minerva, peter, if you want to speak about dad say Neptune instead of Poseidon. Got it."
"Ok but please stop calling me Peter, I'm clearly Percy, you should be Peter."
"Hmm, fake it till you make it I guess." I said with sarcasm. Peter just groaned.
I made sure to be first to enter, just in case there are monsters.
Piper came close to me and whispered,
"Um, how does Jason, uh, look like?"
"Oh, you'll know immediately, he's got blonde hair and a tiny little scar on his lip." I said with a smirk.
We finally saw the light and entered the camp.
We were immediately stopped by guards.
"Hey, wow, wow, wow, who do you think you are, I've never seen you here." Said one of them.
"Oh, I'm Percy Jackson, son of Neptune," I said flashing them my tatoo.
"And they are all new comers."
They let us in after seeing the tattoo. I looked around, now the search begins.