Well, here we are, people. I love you all! <3
Chapter 50 - And They Lived Happily Ever After... Not!
6 months later...
By now, it was pretty clear that Frank needed to get a life.
He had run out of the money and supplies that his dad left behind, even after harsh rationing. Frank decided that he needed to get a job, so he went to the local diner and got a gig as a busboy.
...Or whatever that was called.
His friends had helped out too, especially Sally. When she heard that Frank didn't have much food to eat, she blamed Percy for not telling her. She had been inviting him for meals and sending food over for a while now.
Things were going pretty well for everyone. Percy and Annabeth were happily together, the anxiety attacks were gone for good and Annabeth's food consumption had been stable for months. Jason's dad seemed to be rethinking putting his son in his place, and Aphrodite wasn't bothering Piper as much anymore. She still almost cut sometimes, but didn't really feel the need to anymore. Hazel was still the sweetest person ever, but the texter was still going strong, though he didn't seem to need anything anymore. Leo got burned badly last month, and Calypso's dad was still on the loose, but they were happy.
Crazy that they were all soulmates with each other. It was like their parents knew... but no one could. So that's one thing even famous people don't have a hold over.
Frank didn't know what he did to deserve such good friends when Percy came two days after the last day of school with blue cookies.
They cried when Reyna and Thalia graduated high school. Reyna had decided to take up dancing again, just as a hobby now. She still wanted to pursue employment in the crime department. She called Frank, scared out of her wits when rehearsing for a show. He told her he'd be there at her show, and when he saw it, he was amazed. Reyna was a great dancer, even when so young, but seeing it again after a long time was really tear-jerking. He wouldn't admit it, but he shed a couple tears watching his childhood friend show everyone how it was done on stage.
Frank didn't really know what Thalia wanted to do, and apparently neither did she. For now, she was going to try out different things at her college.
Speaking of stages, their production of In The Heights went really well. Their friends on the stage performed really well, and... well let's just say the kissing scenes didn't really make a difference anymore.
Anyway, Percy decided to visit with cookies and Frank was grateful.
"Tell your mom thank you," Frank said, biting into a cookie and sighing happily, "These are the best things ever."
"I will, but just know you'll start getting tired of saying thank you," Percy said knowingly, "I swear, I procrastinate so much, but my mother does all these things and still has time on her hands to take care of me alone."
"Alone? What about Mr. Blofis?" Frank asked, "They're an item aren't they?"
"Who... Oh, Paul?" Percy asked, and Frank almost choked on his cookie.
"You call him Paul now?" Frank asked, still coughing.
"Weird right?" Percy grinned, "He's not that bad a guy. I mean, when he realized that I was that same kid with the James Bond joke on the first day of school, he actually laughed and said I was a nice son."
Frank smiled, "Well that's nice of him."
"Yeah, I'm still salty because he told my mom about the James Bond thing even when I told him not to," Percy grumbled, and Frank cracked up.
It was nice, spending time with his first friend of their group.
But he also felt guilty with everything he was helped with. He didn't know how his grandmother was faring, and really wanted to bring her to New York so he could take care of her for once.
"Well why haven't you then?" Percy asked, cocking his head to a side, "Just contact her and book her a flight. You still have her contact right?"
"Yeah, I found it in my dad's phone book a while ago," Frank hesitated, "But I can't."
"Why?"
"The government has to approve a Visa for her before she comes here," Frank explained, "Because she lives in Canada, and they would find out about my dad..."
"Oh that's a problem," Percy said, then thought hard, "Are you sure there is no other way?"
"Other than me going back to Canada?" Frank said dejectedly, "No."
Percy was quiet, and Frank started speaking again.
"I think I'll just call the GCS," Frank decided, "They can take care of this stuff for me. I kinda think they aren't some crazy cult, the government would definitely sniff them out."
"That's true, but-" Percy cut himself off.
"But what?"
"Nothing," he said, "I just have a bad feeling about this, you know?"
"I guess, but what else can I do?" Frank asked helplessly, "I need a caretaker, even though I am technically almost 18."
"Yeah, you should call them," Percy finally said, "They are adults, they probably know better than me."
Frank shrugged, and Percy watched as he called the number that was already set for emergencies on the phone. Percy felt this weird tugging feeling in his gut when the people on the phone asked for Frank's address.
There was something wrong with this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Percy stirred from the couch when he heard a knock at the door.
Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the clock and realized that it was probably some agents at the door. They had told Frank they'd be there in around an hour.
Percy looked around for Frank when he noticed a notification from Frank.
He was at the nearest post office because he was mailing a letter to his grandmother, asking her to come live with him. He would be back in ten minutes or so.
Percy yawned and got up, walking towards the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob and he hesitated, wondering if he should listen to his brain or his gut.
The people knocked and yelled "hello, are you there?" from the outside.
In the end, Percy decided to open the door. Two well dressed adults stood outside, and greeted him politely.
"Hello, and you must be Frank Zhang?" one of the men said.
"No, I..." Percy started, but then got an overwhelming feeling that he, or Frank, was in danger, so he said, "Yes. Yes I am."
"Nice to meet you," the other man said, and held out his hand.
Percy squinted at his face, thinking that maybe he'd seen this guy before. Close cropped sandy blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked like a newly turned adult, way too young to be a government agent.
"Likewise," Percy said suspiciously.
"Mr. Zhang, we'd like to ask a couple questions if that's okay?" the familiar one continued.
"Sure, go ahead," Percy said tightly.
And they asked some questions, personal ones. Probably trying to make sure that he was actually Frank. Good thing Percy knew Frankie even better than his dad, otherwise he'd be found out by now.
A couple questions in and Percy wondered if maybe he said the wrong thing when he decided to impersonate Frank and possibly save him. It would be a federal offense if these people were legit, which they seemed like they were.
And then, the unfamiliar man asked, "And your father is a criminal, correct? We dropped by the station nearby to ask about it."
"Yes, he is," Percy said, and then something occurred to him.
When Frank told him the story of him and Reyna at the station, he said that they had gone to the police station outside the neighborhood, not the one that was near the park. And Frank still had the case file in his room, locked in a drawer. The only way these people could know about that is if...
"You know Mars Zhang," Percy realized, "I mean, my dad. There is no other way you could've known that-"
Percy stopped talking when he saw the expression on both of their faces. They looked ready to tackle him.
"Actually, that makes sense," Percy corrected quickly, "You're from the government. Of course you knew beforehand?"
"Right," the unfamiliar man said, relaxing, "We're gonna need you to come with us to the station. Agent Castellan can take you there-"
"Castellan?" Percy asked, eyes wide, "As in Luke Castellan?"
"Yeah, buddy, any problems?" Luke said, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Yeah, I have a problem," Percy hissed, forgetting about his act on impulse, " Now I know where I recognize you from. Thalia was devastated when you died."
"He's not Frank Zhang," Luke muttered to his comrade, ignoring the sting behind Percy's words, "This is Percy Jackson."
He backed up into the wall and swung his head, looking between the two men, "You guys aren't from the government, I already knew that when you came in. But where are you from? Who sent you?"
"It doesn't matter, we only need one really," the other man said, "That's what the commander said, then the others will follow without question."
The two men stared at Percy and he regretted his impulsive outburst. He only had time to think, Oh, that was absolutely the wrong thing to say, before they rushed him.
Unfamiliar swung at his face, and Percy ducked, kicking out his feet from under him. He tried to get to the door, but the man had gotten up and pulled him back and threw him into the couch.
Percy was suddenly glad for all that martial art training he got when he was younger, but then he was kicked in the stomach, hard.
The man, thinking he was out, hauled Percy to his feet, and that's when he got elbowed in the jaw. Percy watched as he fell on the table, breathing hard. He let himself relax for about 2.3 second before he realized that there were two people.
A large object slammed into his head and he was out cold, his body crumpling to the floor. Luke stood behind, holding a chair. He winced, inspecting the wound.
"That's gonna bruise," he commented, and the other man, who had recovered, got up grunting.
"Doesn't matter, all we needed is to bring him alive," he said gruffly, and Luke nodded.
"I know that idiot," Luke said, but when the other man looked away, he stared at Percy sympathetically.
"Sorry about your cousin," he whispered, knowing the boy couldn't hear him, "I didn't mean to hurt her."
After getting cleaned up, the other man opened the door and walked to the truck parked in the drive. They dragged an unconscious Percy out the door and threw him into the trunk, and Luke got out his phone.
Luke dialed the number that was so familiar to him, and when the person picked up, he spoke into the receiver with no emotion.
"We've got him."
Until next time...
End of Part 2, Book 1
-Blossom ;)