Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Note: This is a sequel! If you'd like to check out the previous stories, please look up 'It's the Mindset'. Thank you.

xXx

Percy doubted many people could say they'd been on a bus with a Fury at least three times before and lived. He recalled his previous trip to the museum from his former life, then the awful accident at the beginning of his first quest, and now. Really, it was such a shame Alecto hated demigods so much or they'd practically be friends. Although, even as an immortal in the future, she hadn't liked him. Then again, she didn't seem to like anyone who wasn't completely associated with the underworld (his small tie to Tartarus apparently didn't count—not that he really wanted it to).

"Will you stop that?" Nancy Bobofit snapped at him, pointing to where he was drumming his fingers nervously against his leg. He sat squeezed against the window, trying to take up as little space as possible to keep a low profile. Apparently, that wasn't working.

"ADHD," he muttered back.

"Yeah, well, find some other thing to do about it because you're freaking me out."

She could have said it nicer, but that was a fair request. As a twelve-year-old the first time around, he probably would have just snapped back at her and gotten them into a fight. This time around, he switched to tapping his foot and folded his arms. His assigned partner rolled her eyes and turned around to keep talking with her friends behind them.

Percy took the opportunity to peek over the seats at the bus driver. The (barely) disguised fury's red eyes glinted off of the mirror right back at him.

Son of a satyr.

He felt his lips tighten, thankful she probably couldn't see it due to the seat in front of him, and sat back. Yeah, she was definitely there for him. Which probably meant the helm had been stolen along with the bolt again. He'd kind of hoped none of the symbols would go missing, but it was nice to know that Kronos was going through with his original plan. Although Luke… It could have been someone else, he supposed, but was he really that lucky?

Either way, it looked like he'd be going on a quest this summer… probably to the Underworld.

Joy.

If Luke did steal that bolt, he wasn't going to survive long enough to make it to Kronos. Percy wouldn't let him destroy everything again.

But that was all for later. Right now, he had to figure out how he'd survive the current trip. Not that he didn't have the control or power to take on Mrs. Dodds, even if she didn't underestimate him like she had the first time, but he couldn't underestimate her either. She was a Fury, and they had a reputation for a reason. She was not a weak monster, and he couldn't think of her that way. Especially not now when he was mortal again (and would like to stay that way).

If he could talk her down instead of fighting, it would probably be better for everyone. He just had to convince her of that.

Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly and forced himself to calm down. He could do this. One way or another.

The museum trip went pretty well for the first part, even if Mrs. Dodds joined them. She stayed at the back of the group, following them the entire time. Wasn't she supposed to stay with the bus? Or had she twisted The Mist for that?

Well, two could play that game.

Bracing himself, Percy reached out to The Mist around them and twisted it. Mr. Guerrero—the Language Arts teacher (he wasn't anywhere near as good as Paul)—suddenly paused from where he stood at the front of the group and frowned.

"Mrs. Dodds," he called out.

Percy watched the old woman's eyes narrow and shoot over to him for the barest moment. "Yes?"

"Shouldn't you be waiting with the bus?"

She smiled (it was all teeth) and waved her hand. Percy felt The Mist twirl. Well, that confirmed that. "Oh, it's fine. It's completely locked up. I can do whatever I want with the time it's not in use."

"Ah," the teacher nodded and turned around. "Very well then. In here, we have the Egyptian artifacts," he turned into the room they'd been approaching. Percy sighed. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to get into a mist fight with a Fury. Looked like he'd have to do it the old fashioned way.

As they walked through the Egyptian room, he noticed several pieces that had subtle magic attached to them and smirked. No doubt the Nomes had an eye on all of these. He wondered if a magician worked in the museum. Probably.

Then, of course, they moved onto the Greco-Roman section.

The comparison to the first time he'd been there couldn't have been more different. The first time around, it had been a boring trip with a few odd, if interesting pieces. Now… everything spoke to him. Some more than others—mainly the weapons—but also the statues and pottery… even the replicas. Each piece had such history to it. And he could read it all. Prayers, wishes, epitaphs, poems. It almost felt like he'd stepped into another world.

It was amazing. He may have to visit more museums after this.

Percy didn't hear a thing the teacher said as they moved through the room, unable to take his eyes off of the displays.

And then they got to the Roman art. That jarred him. He hadn't been expecting such a sudden change, but he did remember Mr. Guerrero saying it was Greco-Roman, not just Greek. The fact that he could tell so easily—that he could practically hear the history with the Roman works too—surprised him.

He frowned, stopping in front of a statue of Neptune. He'd met his father's other self a couple of times, but Neptune always seemed so… tired to Percy. Tired and annoyed and done with the world. The former god much preferred Poseidon most of the time. Poseidon had a fascination with the world, an adventurous spirit that always added a sense of excitement to anything he did. Even in his calmest moments, there was an intensity there that Percy found inspiring, if extremely frustrating at times. Neptune lacked that. Although if something needed to get done, it was usually easier to go to Neptune. Or at least more profitable. He was still very industrious. It was a Roman thing, apparently.

And this statue had been dedicated to him. He could tell. It reeked of the water's claim. Not the sea, necessarily, just water in general. Huh. That hadn't been exactly usual in Rome. He was glad to see it had happened. He may not like Neptune as much, but that didn't mean he wanted to see that side of his father forgotten.

A sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump and shriek and he almost attacked his teacher, who backed away with his hands in the air.

"Percy," Mr. Guerrero said sternly, his mustache twitching like a fuzzy, black caterpillar as he spoke. "I'm glad you like the artwork here, but we are moving on. We have a lot to see today. And we need to stay together."

Percy blinked at his teacher as if seeing him for the first time.

"Right. Yeah, sorry," he said.

"Troublemaker," said a sickly-sweet voice behind him. He stiffened and looked around. It was just him, Mr. Guerrero, and Mrs. Dodds. The rest of the class was with the other escort—Mrs. Turner, the history teacher of course—on the other side of the room.

Percy grit his teeth and clenched his fist, willing The Mist to bend the way he wanted. Thankfully, Mr. Guerrero frowned at the monster in disguise. "Mrs. Dodds, I do not appreciate that kind of language towards our students. Consider this your only warning. If I hear more from you, we will ask for a different driver, even if we have to wait for one. Am I clear?"

The time-traveler grinned as he practically heard the Fury grind her teeth. "Perfectly."

"Good."

That was one thing Percy liked about The Mist. It didn't actually change people's minds, but it could poke their moral center if manipulated just right. Nothing that wasn't already there, just a nudge in the right direction. He very carefully didn't look at the Fury behind him as Mr. Guerrero began to lead them back to the class. None of them had seemed to notice or care that Percy was gone, which was fine if annoying. Wasn't Nancy supposed to be his partner for that very reason?

Before they got there, though, a taloned arm reached out and grabbed him. The Mist swirled. "Oh, you need to go to the restroom?" Mrs. Dodds asked, "I'll accompany you."

Percy considered bending The Mist again so the others would, you know, remember he was there but ultimately decided against it. She wanted their confrontation now? Fine. Bring it.

He didn't fight as they stomped back to the other side of the room. Other patrons suddenly seemed to remember something they needed to do and quickly hurried out. More mist manipulation. Percy reached back in his backpack and pulled out a water bottle. With a thought, the bottle cap exploded off, the water already forming into the shape of a sword floating in the air. Not a long one, but it would be good enough.

He really needed Riptide. Why hadn't Chiron given it to him last year? Maybe he was waiting for a quest? Well, Percy would ask when he got back to camp. Until then…

Noticing his sudden armed status, Mrs. Dodds leaped away from him spryly. Smart lady. They began to circle each other as her human disguise melted off, revealing leather wings and those burning eyes.

"Where is it?" she hissed at him through sharp teeth.

"Where is what?" he asked, though inside he was cursing up a storm. Confirmation that the Helm had been stolen. Yippee.

He really hoped, for Luke's sake (and Annabeth's) that the older boy hadn't been the culprit.

"Tell me now and I'll kill you quickly," she said. "I won't offer to be so kind again."

Right. She seemed about as ready to talk as she had the first time around. Go figure.

Fortunately, he had an idea. "I swear on the Styx that I did not take whatever you're referring to, nor am I knowingly in league with the actual culprit." Outside, thunder rumbled.

The Fury was not expecting that. She actually froze, staring with large eyes at Percy for several seconds. He didn't say anything, and after a moment, she scowled again. It looked particularly awful on her wrinkled face.

"Did you go to or near the Empire State Building at any time in the month of December or January?"

Inwardly, he cheered. His choice to not go near downtown New York paid off. "No. I swear it on the Styx."

She deflated as more thunder rumbled, and took on her human guise again. "I should kill you anyway," she muttered.

Percy shot her an unimpressed look. "I'm sure my father would be very displeased at the blatant injustice."

"Your father has no love for justice," she hissed back.

"He's not a god of justice," Percy corrected. "That doesn't mean he has no care for it. Especially recently."

Alecto's eyes still burned, and if looks could kill, he'd be a pile of ashes. Good thing they couldn't… at least not hers.

Deciding to throw her a bone, Percy sighed. "What was actually stolen?"

"None of your business!"

"Well I can't keep an eye out for it if I don't know what it is."

She grit her teeth again. "Impertinent!"

He threw his hands in the air, sword and all. "How is that impertinent?! I was literally offering to help, if not go out of my way to do it!"

"Disrespectful brat!"

Percy rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You and I have very different definitions of the word 'disrespectful'. Now, if you're not going to tell me, I'm going back to my class. Follow me or not, I don't care. But if you do attack me, I will send you back to the Underworld the fast way."

She hissed again, but made no threatening advances. Percy took that as a concession and turned to leave. Thankfully, she wasn't stupid enough to try and attack him when he was still armed and not guilty.

"Also, no more mist manipulation," he called over his shoulder. "Or I will retaliate. Maybe you'll win in a magic contest, but I'll make you earn it."

He got back to his class with his water bottle refilled. He'd melted his ice-sword, as he really didn't have an excuse for that and didn't want to expend energy to hide it or leave it to The Mist. With his luck, it would end up putting him in jail anyway. Casually, he re-inserted himself with the group. Alecto never showed up again. When the time came to go back to school, they had a different bus driver and no one noticed, of course.

Even though Percy had to sit by Nancy again on the way back, and she was as awful as ever, he counted the entire outing as a success. Probably one of his best field trips to date. He'd avoided a fight and established his innocence while avoiding killing the Lord of the Dead's right-hand monster. Maybe now Hades wouldn't utterly hate him when he showed up in the Underworld this summer?

Yeah, he wasn't stupid enough to count on that.

xXx

Okay, there straightforward, and then there was ridiculous. Now was definitely the latter. Of course, were Percy the original twelve-year-old from the first timeline, this would probably be terrifying, but… he wasn't. So ridiculous it was.

He folded his arms as his classmates surged in chaos around him, trying to get away from the monsters breaking through the school's perimeter fence while he was in PE (why was it always PE?). His class had gone outside to do some running when the monsters broke through the chain-link fence, yelling and screaming for him. By name.

He sighed. There was no way he'd be coming back to Yancy now. Although… was that a bad thing? He didn't think so. He could try to magic up something with the Mist to keep him there but he'd be staying at home with his mother next year too. He wouldn't mind staying at that one until Goode. And he'd be staying there too, if he could.

Shrugging and figuring he'd deal with whatever happened later when he came to it, he let The Mist do what it would and drew water from the nearby fountain. While everyone else panicked and surged back into the school, he stalked forward with a sharp (literally) grin.

"Hey! You looking for me?"

The group of twelve or so monsters—a couple of cyclopes, some lycanthropes, some cynocephali—all zeroed in on him. Good. That meant no one else would become collateral damage. Which meant he could go all out, in terms of fighting if not power. The fight shouldn't be too hard, even in his younger body. Especially with a water source nearby.

His grin sharpened even more. Within seconds, he had his ice-sword in hand and was charging forward with a yell. The monsters obviously weren't expecting a twelve-year-old to do that and hesitated. That was their mistake.

He'd decapitated one cyclops and two cynocephali before they all managed to get their bearings and jump at him. He was able to dodge underneath some of the diving monsters, leaving several to knock into each other behind him, scowling and yelling curses. So not the most intelligent of monsters. Good to know.

He directed the water from the fountain to spear a couple on the other side of the pack from him while he jammed his sword down into the back of the lycanthrope struggling to get to his feet. One of the other lycanthropes was either lucky or a little smarter, and managed to jump at him as he swung, missing the blow and swiping at the demigod's head. Percy noticed and managed to move at the last moment. The claws raked along his shoulder instead of his face as he tried to duck out of the way, hissing in pain. It wasn't the worst pain he'd ever felt by a long shot, but it still hurt. He didn't let it affect his fighting and kept his sword swinging.

The scent of blood just made the dog-related monsters go nuts, their jaws salivating as Percy continued to fight. They scrambled at him with claws, backed up by cyclopes with hands the size of ceiling fans while he slashed and swung his sword, making sure to keep part of his mind on the van-sized, floating mass of water he was using to corral them on the other side.

One cyclops managed to get behind him, slamming his fist into Percy's ribs. He gasped, but it didn't feel like anything broke, and he still managed to spear the monster through with a water spike, even as he flew through the air. The cyclops poofed into dust as Percy forced himself to his feet. He brought his sword up just as another cynocephalus managed to get his head around Percy's shin, almost snapping his bone in half as his jaws slammed closed. Percy cried out in pain, but stabbed the thing through its head before it could let go. He left the resulting sulfur dust and turned to the remaining monsters. He'd have a harder time getting them due to his leg, but he could treat that later, so he forced himself to push through the pain. Again.

It still wasn't the most difficult fight he'd ever been in.

He and the monsters clashed again, him blocking more swipes and bites, but surprising them all with a smaller ice-blade in his left hand that he'd solidified behind his back. He swiped it across necks and into the bases of their heads.

"Tell the Titan King 'Nice Try'," Percy hissed at the final monster—a cyclops—before driving his sword through the large chest. The body crumbled into yellow dust and blew away on the slight breeze.

As it often did after a fight, silence fell and Percy stood there breathing heavily, weight on one leg and bleeding from several cuts and bites, but victorious. He'd had to work for it, but he'd won.

After a moment, he looked around and saw only the empty courtyard. A couple of people watched from the doorways or windows, but other than him, it was empty. Good.

Tiredly, he willed the water back in the fountain, walked over, and plopped down into it, splashing water all over his wounds. Now, being a school fountain, it wasn't the cleanest thing, but much like the Mississippi river way back on his first quest (that he'd likely be going on again later this year, yay), it was water, which meant it was enough to help him heal. It wasn't ambrosia, but his wounds began closing up almost immediately and his hurt leg (that was probably a hairline fracture, joy) began to ease too, as did his aching ribs.

By the time the cops showed up a couple of minutes later, most of his wounds were fully healed. His leg still ached, as did his chest, but otherwise, his cuts and bruises were gone. He had to twist The Mist so the officers didn't see his ruined clothes and ask uncomfortable questions, but he was still rushed to the hospital, where he was given a clean bill of health except for his leg and ribs. They kept asking him how he got out of that without so much as a scrape. He just shrugged and told them once the guys realized he was willing to fight back, they ran like the cowards they were. The cops didn't seem to really buy it, but they also didn't push it, so he counted it as a win. They'd probably see just what he said on the school cameras later anyway. The Mist was usually consistent in cases like that.

Usually.

Of course his mother was called too. It took her two hours to get to the hospital, and by the time she did get there, he was more or less finished. She hugged him and asked him if he was alright and hovered…. He didn't mind in the slightest.

Naturally, that whole thing would happen a month away from the end of the school year. She almost took him home right then and there, but he wanted to finish at least. Yancy agreed, but also asked him not to return, 'for his own safety'.

Percy just rolled with it. He really didn't care. Although the new respect (and unfortunately, fear) from the students and faculty members was… interesting. He hated it mostly, he'd never been one for attention, but he had to admit it was useful.

When the school year finally ended, his mom wanted to come and pick him up, but he insisted he was fine and he'd just take the bus home. It took a fair amount of convincing, but Percy really was curious as to what Kronos or the Fates might throw his way and didn't want his mother involved more than she had to be. He also had a sneaking suspicion something would happen on his way back no matter what, so he eventually managed to convince her, and the last day of school had him getting onto the bus with his luggage.

At the first transfer, he managed to get all of his stuff and started weaving around the crowds, trying not to run into too many people. It was just a bus stop, but more crowded for some reason than he thought it should be. His paranoia didn't help his clumsiness either.

After running into no less than five people, the last one being a girl about his age who shot him a strange look, he managed to get his luggage loaded and was about to get onto the bus when he heard his name called.

"Percy! Percy Jackson! Thank the gods."

Grabbing his water bottle, he looked back, ready to destroy whatever monster he found. Instead, he saw a familiar face with a scraggly beard under brown, curly hair dragging someone through the crowd.

No, dragging two someones…

The Fates were laughing at him. Again.

Because that was Grover Underwood. And while Percy was thrilled to see his best friend there, it also made him freeze because Grover was leading two very familiar, dark-haired children through the crowd.

Bianca and Nico Di Angelo.

What.

Chapter Text

Grover was cursed. That was the only thing that made sense to Percy.

No, seriously, after everything that had happened, how did the satyr still manage to find all of the big three kids? Admittedly he hadn't found Percy in this lifetime… except he just did…

"Di Immortales," the son of Poseidon muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Maybe Grover was just always meant to become the Lord of the Wild. It would be his luck. Not that he'd been a bad Lord of the Wild, quite the contrary. Or maybe it was his fate.

Yeah, Percy wasn't going to go there. Not right now.

Although, should he do something about Pan now that he thought about it? Sure, there weren't as many wild places in the world left, but there were still some. Canada had a lot of wild land, didn't it? And there were still some pretty amazing wild lands in the US too, from what he recalled.

It was something to think about. He'd have to convince Pan, obviously. But… yeah, later.

"Percy!" Grover said as he hurried up to the time-traveler, who stepped out of the way of the door leading onto the bus. It wouldn't leave for at least fifteen minutes, but enough people wanted to get on. He didn't want to block the entrance.

"Grover! Nice to see you, my dude!" he said. At least that was genuine. "Who are these two?" he asked, turning to Nico and Bianca. They both looked pale and worried, breathing heavily. Probably a monster then. Great.

"This is Bianca and Nico di Angelo," Grover said quickly. Then he paused and looked around. "They're demigods," he whispered. "We were on our way to camp, but a bunch of monsters chased us from the bus. We had to run!"

Percy's smile faded to a grim expression as he looked around for the oncoming monsters. Too bad his bus wouldn't leave in time either. Looked like he'd have to take care—

"I need you to take care of them."

Wait, "What?"

His sentiment was echoed by the Di Angelos.

"I'm going to try and lead the monsters away. You can get them to camp and—"

"Grover," Percy said loudly, stopping his friend's panicked rant. "You're worried and want to help them, I get it, but you're not thinking straight. How will you running off create a diversion? The monsters will follow our scent here."

"I should have enough lingering on me. If I get near the—"

"No," Percy said firmly. "How will sacrificing yourself get these two to camp?"

A frown. "I trust you."

That made Percy smile warmly. "Thanks, man. But if you trust me, then let me take care of the monsters."

"Baa-ah-ah!" Grover bleated. "I can't let you do that! It's my job to get you all safely to camp!"

"Then here," Percy said, shoving a bunch of bills in Grover's hands. "Go pay for tickets for the three of you on my bus, and let me lead the monsters away. I know what I'm doing."

"But…" he looked so worried.

Percy put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You said you trust me, so trust me. You know who my father is."

"Yeah… but…"

"I'll just lead the monsters away, okay? Maybe pick a few of them off if I get the chance, but that's it." Totally a lie, but Grover should feel how Percy was confident at least. "Now, what's following you."

"Dracaenae! They have the ability to call others to their cause! Half-snake, half human! Plus 50 for every Dracaena in play!"

Aaand there was Nico. Percy had forgotten how adorable he'd been as a kid.

"Dracaenae," the time-traveler nodded, then reached out and patted Nico's hair. It would be good to have his baby cousin back. "Thanks, Nico. I need you to stay with Grover and your sister, right? Then you're all coming to my house."

"What?" Bianca asked before anyone else could say anything. "How do we know that's safe?"

Wow, she'd been spooked. Which, fair.

"Do you guys trust Grover?" he asked her calmly. Frowning, she glanced uncertainly at their satyr guide, but nodded. Nico followed her lead. Good.

"Grover, do you trust me?"

"Definitely," he said again without even hesitating. Percy grinned.

"You're the best, man."

"Baa-ah-ah," Grover said, volume on that one much smaller as his face went bright red. "I'm really not…"

"You really are." He noted some strange movement in the crowd out of the corner of his eye. Yeah, they needed to split up now. "Now go ahead and get onto the bus. Be prepared in case any get by me, but I should be able to lead most of them off. And… I know it's unusual, but maybe explain everything to them? I know I appreciated that when my Mom told me."

Grover sighed. "Yeah. I… I don't like you just going off, though."

"I know. That's because you're a good guy," Percy said. "Now go ahead and protect these two until we can get them the training they need to protect themselves." He grinned at the very confused looking siblings, and then shot off into the crowd.

No sooner had he done so, than he saw his first monster. She looked directly at him. Which was fine. Reaching out to The Mist, he twisted it. That quickly, no one around them could see either one of them unless they could see through The Mist. They'd just avoid the general area, and probably not even realize it if he'd done it right. Of course it would take a couple of seconds for everyone to leave the area, but he was pretty confident in his skills. After 300 years of practice, he'd better be decent.

"Hi there!" he said, smile sharp as he reached out for the nearest source of water. A little ways away, a man with a water bottle exclaimed as it exploded and shot towards Percy. He didn't feel too bad. Not with his, Grover's, and his cousins' lives on the line. In seconds, he had a short sword in his hand once again. "Guessing you want to try your luck?"

She didn't even say anything as she lunged at him. It was almost too easy, especially with the space he needed to take her out. Of course, he almost immediately had to duck another one coming at him, and take her out before she ran into a mortal family just a couple of feet away. He managed, thankfully. They wouldn't have even seen it coming, and he wasn't about to let that happen.

Thankfully, no one even turned an eye at them. No, seriously, mist manipulation should be taught to every demigod. This would have made his life so much easier the first time around.

Even if it drained him faster.

He was still twelve, after all. Body wise.

He didn't know how many monsters he took care of, but after a couple of minutes, he realized his bus would be leaving soon. After taking out one last one, he turned and sprinted back to the bus, shoving his sword through the belt on his pants as he did. Then he dove into the crowd again.

He got there just in time to see two dracaenae who were trying to get onto the bus themselves. Narrowing his eyes, he melted the sword, separated the resulting water into two spheres, shaped them, and then shot ice spikes forward. Just before they hit, he reached out to The Mist again, showing the two walking hurriedly away for any mortals watching. The spikes did their job and killed the two monsters pretty easily, even if one of them managed to duck. That just meant the spike hit their head instead of their chest. Eh, not his favorite thing to do, but he'd take it.

He managed to get a hold of the falling spikes with his power and hurried onto the bus, showing the driver his bus pass.

She nodded, and he hurried back, keeping an eye out for any more monsters. Thankfully, he didn't see any. He did see Nico and Bianca on a seat towards the back. Grover sat in front of them, on the edge, ready to jump up and protect them. The moment he saw Percy, he almost melted in relief.

"Hey, G-man," Percy said.

"G-man?" the satyr asked.

Percy shrugged. "I won't call you that if you don't like it."

Grover blinked, but then smiled. "No, that's fine. I like it. G-man."

"So," Percy said as he collapsed into the seat as Grover scooted over. "I figure we get to my Mom's, and then she can get us to Camp." He frowned. "A little early, but it happens." He'd been looking forward to seeing her. But she'd be the first to admit that the Di Angelos' lives were more important. He'd just have to make it up to her.

"Anyway, how far did he get in the explanations?" the time-traveler asked, turning to the two kids behind him. They stared up at him with big, dark-brown eyes.

"Not far," Bianca said, obviously annoyed.

"We're the children of a Greek god?" Nico asked, looking a little star-struck. So different from the angry, grudge-holding man he'd grown into. Percy hoped his cousin could have a happier life this time around. Or at least, a happier first few years at Camp. Will wouldn't even be at Camp for another year or so, and Nico hadn't really taken to many others there. Of course, that could have had a lot to do with him running away and… well, his father.

Yeah, later. For now, he had some explaining to do. And apparently a lot more than he'd wanted. He shot a look at Grover, who held up his hands in defense.

"We were literally running for our lives!"

Percy rolled his eyes. "You're very lucky I'm good enough at mist manipulation that no one else can hear us.

"Alright," he turned back to the others. He… couldn't call them kids, could he? Well, Nico, maybe, but wasn't Bianca twelve? His current age? Weird.

(Also, way too young to die.

Later, brain!)

"Well, maybe I should introduce myself first," Percy decided to start with. "Hi, I'm Percy Jackson, son of Sally Jackson and Poseidon."

The other two stared at him in blatant shock.

"We're getting off the bus, Nico," he heard Bianca whisper to her brother, eyes never leaving the time-traveler. Nico looked torn between exclaiming how that was the coolest thing he'd ever heard and saying he didn't believe it.

Percy sighed and held up his hand. The sphere of water he'd used to kill the monsters (oh, it had some monster dust in it, he should probably do something about that) floated in front of them. They both stopped short, staring in awe.

"Wicked," Nico whispered.

"I don't like you using that word," Bianca said, but she never took her eyes off of the water.

"Billy used it."

Someone in the Lotus Hotel? Or maybe at whatever school they'd ended up in? Was that the slang term to use now? It seemed so old to Percy…

Then again, it would, wouldn't it.

After a moment, Bianca's expression firmed and she shook her head. "No, this has to be a trick."

Percy shrugged, split the water in two, and froze them into seperate shapes. Because it was Nico, he may have had death on the brain, and they suddenly held two 'Day of the Dead' skulls in their hands… because he wasn't about to freak them out with a replica of real human skulls.

"It's cold!" Nico yelped.

"Ice," Percy explained with another shrug. "Because of icebergs in the ocean." It was a simple explanation, even if not entirely true.

Bianca said something in Italian, then seemed surprised she'd done so. After a moment, she shook her head and looked up at him, eyes wide. "You're…. This is real."

Grimly, the son of Poseidon nodded. "Yeah. And… I'm going to say this right now: I'm sorry." He slumped a little. "The life of a demigod… isn't an easy one. And that's without figuring out who your godly parent is."

"This is all real…" Bianca muttered, eyes going distant.

"You know… how about you process that for a little bit," Percy said, recognizing when to back off. "You're welcome to ask questions any time, just let me know so I can manipulate The Mist so no one can hear us talking about it."

"The Mist?" Nico asked.

Percy opened his mouth to explain, but a hand on his arm and a look from Grover, whose eyes shot pointedly to Bianca, had him pausing. Right, processing.

"How about we talk about that later. For now, why don't you guys think about all of this?"

"Do you know who our godly parent is?" Nico asked.

Bianca stiffened.

"No one really knows until you're claimed," Grover said after an uncomfortable moment when Percy didn't know what to say. "And that happens at camp."

Nico opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Percy knew how to distract this young version of his cousin.

"Hey, what are those cards in your hand?" he asked, pointing to the Mythomagic cards.

Nico lit up. Again, it was adorable but Percy mentally braced himself and glanced over at Bianca. He wasn't used to a Nico this… open. And bright. And enthusiastic. But Bianca still needed time. Not an unusual response but Percy remembered being rather overwhelmed by Nico at this age. He really hoped his older cousin appreciated this.

And this time around, she'd be alive long enough to actually recognize it.

xXx

Percy spent the next forty five minutes trying not to dwell on how jarring it was to have a bright, social Nico yapping at him constantly while showing off his cards.

No. He wouldn't get over that.

He did inform Nico to not use a god's name once he started highlighting different cards. Thankfully, he started with Poseidon, so there was that. He didn't have to worry about Hades or Zeus showing up on the bus to wreak havoc in their godly wrath. Or 'stray' lightning bolts. Probably. Hopefully.

Nico was in the middle of explaining Mr. D's card when Bianca seemed to come to terms with everything and interrupted.

"Percy," she said, expression firm as she looked at him. He nodded, showing he was listening. "Okay. We're children of a Greek god. What, exactly, does that mean?"

He smiled softly at her. Just like he would one of his kids in the future.

"Exactly what it says on the tin. You are the child of a Greek god and a mortal.

"Yes, but what does that mean," she pushed. "How are Greek gods even here… in America?"

Well, at least that one, he could answer. "The Greeks were all about innovation. They had some of the most forward thinking ideas of their time. Now, the gods likely came from other places that the world doesn't know as much about because it's just been so long, but at some point, the entire pantheon existed in Greece. That was when it solidified. And because of their innovation and dedication, the gods became connected to that ideal. Today it's called 'The Heart of the West'.

"So, when the Romans came in and more or less adopted a lot of the Greek gods into their pantheon—albeit with some significant changes—they started a chain-reaction of those deities moving with that Heart—the innovation.

"As more and more countries encouraged innovation, the pantheon itself kept moving farther and farther west. Hence the name.

"Eventually, they came here, to America. It's uncertain as to when. The Pantheon can waffle back and forth between countries when there's competition. Aunt Hestia says some came over before the Civil War, but we also know the First and Second World Wars were directly related to demigods, and thus, the gods."

"How?" Nico asked, wide eyes fixed on Percy.

He. Would. Never. Get. Over. That.

Not as long as Nico looked so… innocent.

(He kind of hoped he didn't get over that for a long time.)

"Well, there were leaders on both sides from children of the big three, and they kind of dragged their countries into the wars." That was the simplest explanation. Grossly simple, but hey.

"Big three?" Bianca asked. Percy considered that for a moment. This was getting awfully close to dangerous territory considering their father (that he should not know)… but they needed answers, and it didn't actually give anything away.

"The King of the Gods, the Lord of the Dead, and my Dad. The three sons of the Crooked One. Because their domains encompass so much, their demigods tend to be a bit stronger—or at least flashier—than other demigods."

"Wait… do we get powers?!" Nico asked excitedly.

Percy remembered the literal army of skeletons this kid would be able to raise in just a few short years.

"Yeah," he said, hoping his voice didn't come out a little choked. "Depending on who your parent is. Like cabin eleven, children of the Messenger of the Gods, tend to have speed, thievery, jokes and pranks, among other things because their father has those domains. Cabin seven, children of the God of the Sun, tend to be very bright and outgoing, good at music, or healing, or shooting a bow and arrow for the same reason."

"And your Dad is the God of the Sea, so you can control water," Nico said.

"Among other things, yeah. Although, sometimes someone gets a bunch of domains from their parent, sometimes they only get one."

"Do you have more than just water as a domain then?"

This was just getting more uncomfortable. "Um, yeah. Though I'd kind of like to talk about that after we get to my home. Or camp."

Nico nodded, but Percy knew he wouldn't drop it. Bianca was just staring at him, but she seemed focused, at least.

"You said a name," she finally said quietly. "Earlier."

Percy blinked. "What?"

"You said Aunt…" she gestured with her hand. The time-traveler thought back.

"Oh. Oh! Aunt Hestia. Yeah. She's one of the few who don't worry me. She's amazing. As long as you say her name with respect, you have nothing to worry about." He grinned.

"So… some of them are… good?" Bianca asked.

Well, if that wasn't a loaded question.

"They're gods, Bianca," Nico said, rolling his eyes.

"That doesn't mean much," Percy heard himself say and internally winced. The other two were looking at him expectantly, though. Great. So was Grover. Grover who was just sitting back and studying him intently, and had been the entire time.

Even better.

Percy sighed. "Greek gods are not perfect. Far from it." Didn't he know it. "In some cases, I think they're more human than humans. They're used to always getting their way because of their innate power and… that has had some detrimental effects. They're also tied to the culture that's currently hosting them. They can be selfish, horrible people… but they're not inherently bad, for the most part. Don't expect perfection though. You'll only be disappointed."

He tried not to think of some of the darker stories about his father or the other gods. To his knowledge, of the Olympian men, only Ares had never forced himself on someone. And wasn't that a mind-screw. He liked Hermes most of the time, and Apollo a lot of the time. He loved his dad, but… he knew the myths.

There was a reason he never wanted to be like them.

"Hey, you okay, man?" Grover asked.

Percy blinked and looked around. Right. On a bus, to his house, with Grover, Nico, and Bianca. Distractions were so… distracting.

Grover's eyes narrowed. Grover who could sense emotions, and who would probably want answers at some point about Percy's strange ones.

Right. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Hopefully, much later.

"Yeah," he shook his head. "I'm fine. It's just… been an adjustment for me too."

The satyr nodded knowingly. Well, at least he bought that. "Yeah. You know a lot for only having been in the know for a year."

Or… maybe not.

"I spent a lot of time with Annabeth. And Aunt Hestia. And Luke."

Grover nodded, but Percy could tell he didn't quite buy it.

Thankfully, before they could say anything else, the bus came to their stop. "Right! Here's where we get off," he said as he stood up and got his bags. Nico and Bianca did the same with Grover's help. Within five minutes, they were walking along the familiar streets of New York, dodging people as they hurried forward.

"Wow," Nico said. "We've been to New York before, but it didn't look like this."

Percy winced at how drastically things could change in 70 or more years. But they didn't know about that yet. And he couldn't say anything about it. "Yeah, well, it's a big city. You probably were just at a different spot."

Grover was eyeing him again, but at least Nico and Bianca seemed too distracted to tell Percy was hiding something.

"So," Bianca finally said, "about this camp…"

"Camp Half-Blood," Percy said, nodding. "There are a bunch of kids like us who just need a safe place to stay and train. So there's a place just north of here, on Long Island, where a barrier stops monsters from getting in."

"Why don't we just go there when we're born, then?" Nico asked.

Percy smiled sadly. "Well, let's say you grew up and met someone. You had your whole life ahead of you, had just gotten out of school, were dating someone, and then a child comes along. Oh, surprise, that child is half-god. And your significant other? They're a god. They can't stick around for very long. And suddenly you're left with a child who will very much be in danger the moment they find out about their heritage—because the more they know, the more they stand out to monsters. Would you want to leave behind your entire life to move—sometimes across the country—to some place like that? Where you didn't really know anyone?"

The other two thought about that for a bit.

"No, I suppose not," Bianca finally said softly.

"I would," Nico muttered stubbornly, crossing his arms. Ah, there was a glimpse of the cousin Percy knew.

The time-traveler shook his head. "It's just not feasible for everyone. Besides, I don't think a lot of mortals really understand until the monsters start coming around. Half of them can't even see the monsters."

"What do they see instead?" Bianca asked.

Percy shrugged. "Depends. The Mist is what keeps most mortals safe. It's where most modern-day magic comes from, and it's everywhere—more or less. And what some people see because of it can be… pretty strange. I had a friend who was just attacked by harpies, but everyone just saw birds dive-bombing her." He cringed a little at the memory.

"What's the difference between that magic and our powers?" Nico asked. Percy resisted the urge to shake his head fondly.

"Mainly where it comes from. There is a Titaness—or a goddess—of magic, and she's directly tied to The Mist. But a lot of people can directly manipulate The Mist with enough practice. It's just easier for her children." Right, they were getting Alabaster this year. Percy made a mental note to get to know him and make him feel welcome.

"I want to learn that!" Nico pronounced.

Percy did smile at that. "It takes a lot of dedication and practice. And you'll probably have your own powers to learn to control."

The kid was practically bouncing at this point. "I'm gonna learn it all!"

Percy and Bianca traded a fondly exasperated look.

"Well, let's get you to camp alive, first," Percy said. "Speaking of, here we are!" he pointed to his mother's new apartment building.

"Oh, good," Grover muttered tiredly.

Percy just smiled. "Wait until you guys meet my mom. She's amazing."

With that, he hurried ahead. The others yelped and followed behind.

xXx

His mom had been… surprised.

And then she practically adopted all three of the other kids within minutes. Percy loved his mom. She was literally the best. He would not hear otherwise.

She insisted on making them dinner and setting them all up for the night. The next morning, they'd all get up and go to camp. Percy was glad they didn't go that night. Maybe it was a little more dangerous, but he'd really wanted to see his mom and spend time with her, even if it wasn't much.

They actually had a fun night watching some Disney movies neither Bianca or Nico had ever even heard of. Such a travesty. Percy made sure to stay away from Hercules and The Little Mermaid. Maybe when they had a little more of a grounding in reality first. Mulan was his first choice, actually. A person going to a camp to train for a war that isn't remotely her fault to keep her family safe? Yeah. That was good preparation.

The kids loved it. And the Lion King. Because the Lion King. These movies (unlike some of the later Disney stuff) were classics, and would last through the following decades… and centuries. In the future, he still had his original copy of The Lion King.

Then, after some more discussion and some hot chocolate with blue marshmallows (and Percy had to describe why blue food was the best), they turned in for the night. It was good to be home, and he fell asleep almost immediately.

Surprisingly, he didn't dream.

He also didn't expect to be woken up the next morning by pounding on the door.

Annoyed and wary, he made sure to turn on the water and form a sword before carefully approaching the door.

"Percy? Is that a monster?" His mother asked, coming out of her own room in her robe, also obviously having just woken up. The three guests in the front room were huddled behind the couch. Grover even had his panpipes out already, though he looked just about as pale as the other two.

"I don't know," Percy muttered.

Then, a familiar voice came from the other side. "Sally! Sally! Open this door! I know you're in there!"

Percy didn't often hear his mother swear, but it was more than deserved. His own eyes narrowed.

"Who is it?" Grover asked. "A monster?"

"Worse," Percy growled. "It's Gabe."

Chapter Text

"Did you hear me, you—" whatever Gabe said was drowned out by his pounding.

Percy turned to his mother. "I thought you said you'd handle it."

She shot a dry look at him. "I have, Percy. Let me call the police."

"What?"

"He's violating his restraining order," she said, shrugging.

Percy's eyes narrowed. "Restrain… wait, how often has he come around?"

"Only a couple of times, once he finally tracked down where I'd moved to. It's fine, Percy."

"It doesn't seem fine! I still think you should let me handle him."

His mother's next look was even drier. "You cannot just kill him. He's not a monster."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Percy."

The time-traveler sighed. "Fine. Call the cops. How did he even get in the building?" She sighed and shook her head as she dialed the phone.

"Sally! You open this door right now!"

"Shove it, Smelly Gabe!" Percy yelled to him. Wow. Three hundred years, and that was the best he could do. Trauma and age regression do not mix well.

(He really hoped he could avoid The Pit this time… that would undoubtedly be a monumental disaster.)

"Percy, you aren't helping!" his mother said.

"What did you just say to me, brat?"

"I said go away. You're not welcome here!" Then he turned to his cousins and Grover. "Sorry about this. He's a really awful guy who thinks the world owes him a living. Mom married him because he smells human, but thankfully divorced him. Even after a trial, apparently, he didn't get the memo."

Grover nodded emphatically. "I can smell him from here." His nose wrinkled.

"Who are you talking to?" Gabe yelled. He had to be drunk. This early in the morning? Or maybe it was late for him?

"None of your business!" Percy shouted back.

"You were… just kidding… about killing him, right?" Nico asked, looking suddenly small.

That took Percy back. Again. Because the Nico he knew would be all for it. Maybe that was because future him lived in the underworld, constantly seeing where everyone went when they died?

He looked at Bianca and Grover, seeing the fear on their faces too, before sighing. "Yeah. Of course. Sorry for scaring you."

Nico and Bianca looked relieved. Grover didn't.

Empath. Right. He'd definitely have to talk to his best friend later.

xXx

The morning was a fiasco, ending with Gabe in handcuffs and a bunch of cops trying to take everyone's statements. They didn't get on the road until almost noon.

"I'm so sorry about this morning," Sally said as she turned out of the apartment complex. "Normally, that doesn't happen, I promise."

"It's not like you could help it, Mrs. Jackson," Grover said. "And between Percy and me, we managed to explain most of it to Bianca and Nico."

"Good," his mom said, sounding relieved. "Because you are all welcome at my apartment at any time you need, and that won't happen again. Not if I can help it."

"Really?" three voices asked, surprised. Percy just kind of smirked at the dark undertone in his mom's voice. And people thought he got his dark streak from his father.

That smirk turned into a grin as his mother nodded firmly, looking at the kids in the rear-view mirror. "Really."

They looked so grateful.

Had Percy mentioned he loved his mom?

Thankfully, the rest of the trip to the Camp was relatively uneventful, with the exception of Percy seeing the Fates and their fruit stand knitting enormous socks again on the side of the road. This time, the string was black, with a sort of translucent, oil-slick kind of color. It was very nice as far as life-yarn went.

It wasn't Luke's. He was sure of it.

He wasn't entirely sure what to feel about that. Part of him definitely felt elated and successful. But part of him…

Who had he condemned in Luke's place?

Well, he supposed he'd find out soon enough. By the end of the summer most likely.

He could deal with this. He chose this. And it was better than the alternative of not doing anything.

(He had to keep believing that.)

xXx

Percy bid his Mom goodbye with a long hug before he turned and made his way up half-blood hill towards the big house. With one last wave, they stepped over the ridge, and he got to see the look on Bianca and Nico's face when they saw the Camp for the first time.

"Wow!" Nico said breathlessly. "This is Camp Half-Blood?"

"Yup!" Percy said, grinning down at the horseshoe of cabins surrounded by areas for activities, the beach in the distance, and the forest. Yeah, there was just something about this particular camp. Also, he realized, this was definitely better than their introduction last time. No Manticores, or the Hunt, or running for their lives… or Thalia and her fear of flying while driving the Sun Chariot…

Actually, now that he thought about it, he hadn't had a normal entrance to camp his first few years. First, the Minotaur, and then the Automaton Bulls in his second year, then riding the Sun Chariot into camp and crashing into the lake…

Well, he was happy to start a new tradition. Hopefully.

At the reminder of his other cousin, he glanced to the side, at Thalia's tree. The sooner they took care of that, the better, but it would probably have to wait until the whole thing with the Master Bolt was handled. Unless something came up that stopped him from going.

Yeah, right. He withheld a sigh and turned to the group again.

"So, Grover," he smiled big, trying to make sure he looked as friendly as he could—no sharpness to this one at all (it was surprisingly difficult, and maybe he should look into that), "why don't you take these two to meet Chiron and Mr. D? I want to go put my bags in my cabin."

"W-wait," Nico said, suddenly unsure. Beside him, Bianca shifted nervously.

"You guys are safe here," Percy assured. "As safe as a demigod can be, in any case. And you said you trust Grover. Good decision in my humble opinion. He's done everything he can, and will keep doing everything he can to protect you both, 'cause that's just how he is. If you ever need anything, though, I'm in cabin three. Or by a body of water; we have that lake over there—" he pointed to it, noting that the Athena cabin was just coming back from canoeing— "and then there's the ocean. Sometimes, I may be in the battle arena, practicing or sparring. And I'll be happy to help you however I can.

"But right now," he eyed the Hermes kids currently filing out of cabin eleven, "I have someone I need to talk to, okay?"

The other two still looked uncertain. Which meant Percy couldn't just leave. So he fell back on adding a couple of things he remembered from his time overseeing this particular camp.

"Also, while the introduction movie can be a little… graphic, it can really help. If you can look past its cheesiness. I highly recommend you watch it, just so you have a basic understanding to work from. I'm pretty sure Grover and I have missed a couple of things just because there's so much to go over."

The two exchanged glances. At least they looked a little less nervous. Percy would take that. He nodded to Grover, who took over from there. "He's right. So why not meet the camp director and activity head? Just follow me."

They just needed a little more of a push, so Percy tapped Nico's Mythomagic cards to drive the point home. "Mr. D," he whispered, having explained that earlier. Nico caught on almost immediately and his uncertainty disappeared in a flash.

"No way! That is so cool! Come on, Bianca!" Percy watched his youngest cousin whirl around and make a bee-line for the Big House. His sister seemed surprised, but hurried after him.

"Nico!"

Even Grover had to stumble to keep up. He waved to Percy before bounding after the other two like the half-goat he was.

Percy watched them go, shaking his head fondly. He missed the Nico he remembered, but he could handle this one hanging around for a while. Then he turned and made his own bee-line for the Hermes cabin. They seemed to be heading to lunch, which was perfect.

"Hey, guys!" he called out with a wave as he got close.

"Percy!" Johan, Mara, and Amy all said at once, grinning widely. Chris, Ethan, and the Stolls lit up at seeing him, too. Luke stood in the back of the group, watching Percy warily but calmly. They were leading the new campers to the pavilion. Percy looked them over, smiling warmly (this time he made sure not to show any teeth, just in case).

Just as he thought, there was Alabaster Torrington, along with a couple of kids he'd fought beside but hadn't known well, and even more he didn't know at all. He could still tell their parents more or less right off the bat. The obvious ones were the Apollo kids and one Athena kid who would probably be claimed by the end of the day (still something he had and would always respect Athena for, and one of the few thing's he'd say to her face too). The others ranged from Ares, to Demeter, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and, of course, finishing off with more Hermes kids. The only kid who wasn't a child of one of the main Olympians this year seemed to be Alabaster himself, and the Di Angelos.

"Who is this?" the boy in question asked Luke. Di Immortales, he looked so young.

"Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon," Percy introduced himself before anyone else could. "Just coming to say hi to my friends. Where's Roxanne?"

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Chris asked. "She was claimed by Aphrodite last year, around Christmas."

Percy blinked because no, he hadn't heard that. He'd known who her godly parent was, but hadn't heard about the claiming. It hadn't helped that she'd seemed to grow more and more shy as the previous year wore on, or that Percy had gotten a little side-tracked with Erin and school and the monster attacks and everything. He'd need to fix that.

"Nope. But I'll find her at lunch," he assured. "Though I'd better get my bags put away first. Luke? Mind walking with me to the cabin?" The older boy seemed a little taken back at the request, so Percy clarified. "I'd really like to talk to you about something."

The blond's wariness shot up, but Percy had been polite and mostly friendly (the slightly sharper grin at the end may or may not have been a threat), and he must have decided to get whatever was wrong out of the way, because he nodded, albeit hesitantly.

"Sure. Um, Chris. You're in charge while I'm gone. You know where to go."

"Sure thing," Chris said, grinning. He really did seem happier now that he'd been claimed. Go figure.

"Aww," Travis said, almost pouting, "why not us? I'm older!" He gestured to himself and Connor who looked equally put out.

Luke shot them a dry look. "Because I can trust Chris not to prank every new camper before they get settled. I can't stop you all from stealing everything in sight, but please try and wait a day or two first?"

Percy, and many of the other older campers, laughed at Travis' pout, but no one refuted Luke's claims. Not even the Stolls themselves.

"Alright, everyone! This way!" Chris called out, heading up to the pavilion while Percy turned to trek to his own cabin with a wave. Then he turned his gaze to Luke, keeping the boy within sight until they were walking side-by-side towards cabin three. He only took his eyes off of the son of Hermes when they passed the fire and he saw Aunt Hestia. As always, he smiled and nodded respectfully to her. She nodded back at them kindly, though Percy saw a thoughtful look in her eye.

Speaking of… He sent a mental prayer to her. Aunt Hestia, can you please put up a barrier? Luke and I have to have a talk.

Her smile dimmed, but she nodded solemnly and Percy felt a barrier rise around them. She'd know if any god tried to break through it. Good.

"It's safe to talk," he said.

Luke glanced back at Hestia before fixing his wary gaze on Percy. "So… what did you want to talk about?" he asked slowly.

"You went to Mount Olympus at the solstice, right?" Percy asked, deciding to get right to the point.

The son of Hermes frowned. "Yeah. Like every other demigod here."

Well, at least he'd have a list to work with after he confirmed it wasn't Luke. Because he did have to confirm it.

"I have to ask, Luke: Did you take it?" he asked, tapping into his ability to sense demigod emotions. He didn't like doing it, but he had to know.

Luke looked (and felt) surprised. "Take what? The golden dishes? I mean, we sent them back. We always do. We're not stupid."

Percy took a deep breath, then made sure he calmly opened his cabin door and gestured for Luke to follow him inside. A little reluctantly, he did. Percy could sense his trepidation, and offense, but was that a cover? It could be… even if he didn't know Percy could sense his emotions.

Once they got inside, Luke scanned the room warily, not used to being inside a cabin that wasn't his own. Understandable. Percy closed the door and walked over to his preferred bed, dropping his bags by the side of it before turning to fix Luke with his most neutral stare.

"The Master Bolt, Luke. Did you take the Master Bolt?"

Shock. Shock that showed plainly on the older boy's face. That was genuine. Okay, but was that because Percy had accused him or because he'd figured out—

"That's what was stolen?"

Hmm. Still shock. And incredulity. Which could fit either way. Percy nodded slowly.

"Di Immortales…" Luke whispered, hand coming to the side of his head. "No wonder the weather's been… wait," he paused, expression (and emotion) switching to disbelief. "Don't tell me I was the one who stole it last time?"

Percy shrugged in a 'what can you do' gesture, still watching the other teen carefully. Luke's slowly growing horror still reflected on his face.

"What was I, insane?"

A pause. "No, just… desperate. Didn't help that an ancient Titan had been poking and picking at your fatal flaw for who knows how long."

"Di Immortales," Luke said again, running a hand through his hair.

Percy sighed. "I need a 'yes' or 'no', Luke."

That made the older boy blink in surprise. "What? No!" Offense and still horror… and fear, but more at the situation. There was a distinct flavor to 'being found out' that Luke did not have.

Percy let out a long breath, both relieved and disappointed. Relieved because he'd helped Annabeth's family, disappointed because now he had no idea who else to look at.

"Good."

"I mean, I won't say Kro—The Crooked one didn't try. Ended up with a few dreams here and there, but I told him to go… um…" He coughed, anger and frustration melting back into wariness. "Take a long walk off of a short pier."

Percy snorted. "I was the camp director in the future, Luke. I'm not now. I won't get upset at you for swearing unless it's in front of kids."

"You're a kid," he muttered, though Percy could sense his relief.

The time-traveler shrugged. "With three-hundred years of memories."

"You still look—and usually act—like you're twelve." Petulance and embarrassment.

"You would too if you were shoved in your twelve-year-old body," Percy pointed out.

"Back on track," Luke said abruptly, obviously not wanting to think about that particular possibility (fair, Percy knew what he'd gone through), "why does Kr… um… the Crooked one want the Master Bolt? Can he even use it? I thought it was for… the King of the gods alone."

"It's stronger with him, but anyone can theoretically use it," Percy said quietly, then ran a hand through his hair. "Luke, even out of Uncle Z's hands, it's one of the most powerful weapons that has ever been created. The weapons they have are part of what makes the Big Three, the Big Three. The Crooked One himself has a weapon too, given to him by his mother to destroy his father." He paused, frowning. "Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to have found a new sword recently, would you? One that can kill both mortals and immortals."

Annoyance, frustration, offense, and more horror. Luke took a deep breath. "I get why you're asking this, but again, no. It wasn't me. Not this time. I like to switch up swords to keep me on my toes anyway. I use random ones in the armory. Haven't noticed any new ones."

Truth.

Percy withdrew from Luke's emotions and nodded tiredly. "Yeah. Sorry. Like I said, I had to ask."

Luke returned the nod. "And like I said, I get it."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes until Percy straightened up. "Alright. Looks like we need to start looking for a new traitor. It would help if anyone got a new weapon recently?"

"That… won't be as easy as you think," Luke warned. "Most kids who went to Olympus got something from their parents. Clarisse got a spear, Annabeth got a baseball cap that turns her invisible—for her twelfth birthday, just half a year late," he sounded annoyed and bitter, but not as biting as he had in Percy's memories so he let it slide. "Even I got a magic lock-pick set. Most of the Hermes kids got something along those lines, too."

"Great," Percy muttered. Then he sighed and strode past Luke to the door. "Could you get me a list of everyone who went to Mount Olympus, then?"

The blond studied him for several seconds before nodding and following him out of the cabin. "I'm the senior counselor this year, so I should be able to. I'll ask Chiron."

This time, Percy shot him a real smile as they began to head back to the pavilion. "Thanks, Luke. That'll be a huge help.

"Now, about the two new kids I brought with me…"

Luke didn't groan, but he did sigh. "Do I want to know?"

Percy shrugged. "I did know them in the future. Just know the younger one especially can hold grudges like none other. But if you give him respect, he'll respect you back."

"Why do I get the feeling that they're going to be really involved in things?"

The time traveler shrugged, then waved at Hestia again as they walked by. Her smile seemed warmer this time, more relaxed and relieved. The barrier she placed around them fell and he sent her a quick thank you prayer. She nodded at him again. He should probably talk to her about everything. And his father too, now that he was back at camp and it would be safer to do so. Especially with Aunt Hestia around.

After lunch, though.

"Do you know who their godly parent is?" Luke asked tiredly. Right. Nico and Bianca.

Percy didn't flinch, but it was a near thing.

"Not my secret to tell. Besides, if their parent found out I knew… let's just say, I am not looking forward to meeting them anyway, but this would just draw more attention from everyone and make it ten times worse with their godly parent."

"When you meet them… is that alluding to something that will happen this summer? Or just their nature in general?"

Percy considered that. "Both."

Luke rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This is going to be one of those summers, isn't it." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, probably," Percy said, apologetically.

The older boy opened his mouth to say something, but a shout cut them off.

"Luke!" Both boys paused and turned to look behind them to see a small sea of blond signifying Athena's children. Annabeth was running towards them, though she faltered when she saw Percy.

"Percy."

He hated the wariness in her voice, but chose to ignore it, smiling brightly at her instead. It wasn't difficult to smile warmly at her. Naturally.

"Annabeth," he said.

"Percy was just telling me about some kids he brought with him to camp," Luke said.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. He wasn't entirely sure what she thought of that, so Percy decided to clarify, just in case.

"Well, Grover really found them. They were on their way here to camp when he saw me. They had some monsters on their tail so I helped them out."

"So Grover found both you and them?" Annabeth asked, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

Percy nodded. Of course she would catch onto that. "I was on my way home from boarding school."

"Boarding school?" Luke asked.

"Yeah," the time-traveler nodded. "One of the only schools my Mom could get me into. I… kind of got kicked out of too many others. Weird things happen to me, and of course I get blamed for it. Though the thing with the kids and the shark tank made a lot more sense once I found out about my heritage."

"Shark tank?" Annabeth yelped.

"No one got hurt," Percy said. "Besides, sharks are adorable. Like dogs, but in the sea."

Annabeth joined Luke in rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"It's a Poseidon thing."

"Oh, now you can say names," Luke muttered, though he didn't sound annoyed.

"He's my Dad," Percy said. "And he's a fairly decent one as far as godly parents go." At least Percy could trust him, more or less.

The two blonds exchanged a look, but didn't say anything.

"Anyway," Percy said as they started up towards the pavilion, "I think you'll like these kids, Annabeth." Or, at least she'd like Bianca. It had taken her a while to warm up to Nico, though that was probably due to circumstances—circumstances Percy hoped he could prevent this time around.

"They're not… yours, are they?" Annabeth asked quietly. Luke snorted. Percy shot him a glare before looking back at her.

"No." He'd only ever had two kids. Both with her. Well, another her from another timeline. He needed to remember that. And he usually did, but still…

"Well, then, who's their—" Annabeth started, but shouts and exclamations from the pavilion drew their attention. Glancing at each other, the trio broke into a run. They got to the dining area just in time to see two symbols spinning over Percy's cousins' heads. A curved 'Y' shape with a floating dot in the center, making it look like a wizard's staff. It glowed black.

A claiming symbol.

"Already?" he asked, surprised. Meanwhile, Luke took him up on his offer of not getting upset at swearing while Annabeth stared in open-mouthed shock. Even Mr. D looked surprised. And a bit pale.

Finally, Chiron stepped forward. "The bloodline is determined," he said quietly. "Hades—King of the Underworld and Earth, Giver of Wealth. Hail Bianca and Nico, children of the God of the Dead."

"Well," Percy whispered to Luke as they all bowed, "now you see why I didn't say."

Luke cursed again.

Chapter Text

The entire camp (minus Percy) remained in shock for the rest of lunch. Up to and including the siblings themselves.

Unsurprisingly, Nico got over it faster. Excitedly, he ran up to Percy after he'd finished eating his sandwiches, plopping down right next to him like he didn't even care. Percy decided he really didn't mind, and if his father didn't either, they were fine.

"Did you see, Percy?!" he asked excitedly. "Did you?"

Percy smiled and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I did. Congrats."

"I think Bianca's still… what did you say she needed to do earlier? Process?"

Another nod as Percy took a sip from his blue coke. "Yup. It just means she has to come to terms with it. She's gone through a lot in these last few days, so be patient with her."

Nico harrumphed and began to lay his cards out on the table. "I went through just as much."

Percy looked between the two siblings. Bianca was sitting by herself, kind of staring at her half-eaten plate of food like she didn't even see it.

"She's had to take care of you too, you know," he said slowly. "She's probably also trying to think how this will affect both of you."

Nico thought about that, tipping his head to one side. "Oh! Because she's my big sister, right?!"

Well, he wasn't wrong. So Percy nodded. "So she has twice as much to think about."

"I can think for myself."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You're ten."

"So?"

The older demigod snickered. "You'll get it one day."

"I hate it when adults say that to me."

"I'm not an adult," Percy pointed out. It was true as far as Nico knew.

To his surprise, his cousin turned and scrutinized him with a very nostalgically Nico expression, serious and contemplating. The change was so abrupt, it took Percy back a little.

"Maybe… but your inside doesn't match your outside."

The time-traveler stiffened a little. "What do you mean?"

Nico frowned. "I… don't know how else to say it. But your inside is… older."

That… was probably his demigod power showing through. Still, Percy didn't want to tell this ten-year-old about his background, so he shrugged. "If you say so."

Nico huffed and went back to his cards.

xXx

Percy helped them get settled after lunch. They'd be staying in the Hermes cabin, after all. The camp really needed to get on that whole 'build all of the gods a cabin' thing.

The others in the Hermes cabin seemed a little stand-offish, naturally, but when Percy called them 'cousins' in front of the entire cabin and dragged a couple of the others into talking with them, it got better. Ethan was especially receptive, which was fair, seeing as their respective godly parents had somewhat negative reputations.

Percy found that a little silly. Hades was one of the more fair and straight-forward gods he'd met. Sure, he was grumpy, but who wouldn't be in his position?

They also commiserated about not having their own cabins, which Percy completely agreed with them about. He reiterated that he was going to make sure that changed and would love all of their help. By the end of the night, even Bianca seemed on board. At least she was participating in everything again.

Surprisingly, Alabaster decided to join their little group too, and by the time dinner came around, Percy was sure both Alabaster and the Di Angelos were feeling better about their time at camp, though he would still keep an eye on it. During dinner he watched them sit at the Hermes table and talk with a contented smile.

"You seem awfully happy," Dionysus' voice made Percy stiffen. He turned to see the god floating by his table, drinking from his goblet nonchalantly. "Glad our cousins have found their place?"

Percy went back to his own meal. He still had a fair amount to get through himself, even though he'd sacrificed a lot of it to Hestia, his Father, and Hades. Wouldn't hurt to get on his good side, after all. "Something like that," he said casually, popping some grapes into his mouth.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with your new, personal domains, would it?"

He didn't freeze, but it was a near thing. Instead, he didn't answer, but kept eating. He was almost finished when Dionysus sighed.

"I'm here to take you to Olympus."

That got a reaction out of him. "Wait, what?" Percy asked, almost choking as he turned to stare in incredulity.

"You've been summoned." The god said it so… calmly. Like he didn't care at all. Which was so Dionysus.

"Why?"

The god shot him a dry look over his sunglasses. "Please. Even if I did know, do you think I'd tell you?"

Of course not. That would mean Percy would be prepared, and they couldn't have that now, could they?

With an annoyed roll of his eyes, Percy downed the rest of his drink and then got up, snatching the rest of the food on the plate. He was still hungry, after all.

"Fine," he grumbled.

Before he'd even extracted himself from the table entirely, Dionysus had grabbed him and flashed them out of there. Apparently he didn't care to be discreet. Of course not. So few of the Olympians even knew the meaning of the word.

The next thing Percy knew, he stood outside the Olympian throne room, Dionysus standing next to him in that awful Hawaiian shirt. Because, of course.

At least Poseidon made Hawaiian shirts look good.

Shaking his head, Percy looked around at the white marble surrounding them. It looked so… old-fashioned. Beautiful, but Annabeth's reworking was better in his opinion. He may be slightly biased. He'd almost forgotten what Olympus looked like before the Battle of Manhattan.

Would that even happen this time around? And if not, was that a good thing or a bad thing?

Shaking his head, he glanced over at his godly companion. "So. Will this be a full council meeting then?"

Dionysus shot a suspicious look at him, but didn't say anything. Instead he just opened the doors and strode in, happy to show off all his flabby glory. Percy sighed and took a bite from his remaining roll as he followed the god inside.

Turned out, it was a full council meeting. Even Hades was there. Percy shot him a smile and a wave before he continued looking around the room. Everyone else was watching him intently. His father looked particularly stormy. He met Percy's eyes and nodded slightly. So it was something his father thought he could get out of. Okay. He'd probably still have to tread carefully though.

Once he stood in front of Zeus, he sighed inwardly and bowed. The guy was the King of the Gods after all, even if Percy had almost no respect for him.

The time-traveler also didn't speak until spoken to. He could sass later if they really got on his nerves… which, they probably would.

Some things never change.

"Perseus Jackson," Zeus thundered—literally. Lightning flashed outside with the loud noise. Percy didn't flinch, but he did feel his destructive side perk up. Nothing he couldn't handle of course, but sometimes he really hated how much power names had. Even for him now.

"You stand accused of stealing the Master Bolt! How do you plead!"

Oh, that was so like Zeus. Not even letting him have an actual trial.

Percy glanced at his father, who once again nodded. Then he grinned, knowing it was a little sharp.

"I, Perseus Jackson, swear on the River Styx that I have not stolen the Master Bolt, am not knowingly involved with anyone who stole the Master Bolt, and have not ever even been to Olympus before today in this lifetime. I plead 'not guilty'."

That made everyone in the room freeze. Next to Zeus, his father hid a smile. Poorly. Likely on purpose. He didn't expect much else.

Percy also heard a snort behind him, and glanced back to see Hades on his not-throne also hiding a smile. Right, he'd known because of Alecto. Of course he hadn't told the other gods. Percy shot him another conspiring grin before turning back to Zeus. Who looked even angrier than before.

"Then where is it?!" he practically shouted.

The time-traveler shrugged and took another bite of food. "Probably with whoever stole it." Percy contemplated his options for a moment, then decided to go for it. "Lord Ares should know."

More outraged yells. If he'd been his original, twelve-year-old self, Percy would have buckled under the sheer presences in the room, let alone the fear. As it was, he was able to counter with power of his own, just enough to keep him able to stand nonchalantly.

"You're eating?" Hera raged as Percy took another bite.

He blinked innocently at her. "Well, yeah. My dinner was interrupted."

"Impertinent, disrespectful brat."

Huh. And here he thought Hera had hated Annabeth more than himself. Well, if he could get that scrutiny off of his… friend this time around, then all the better.

"My Lady Hera," he said dryly, with no reverence whatsoever. "Respect is earned. Power doesn't earn respect, it earns fear. And if you want fear in the form of respect, well, that's up to you. I refuse to fear you or anyone though. And for me, the only people in this room who have earned respect are my father—because I know he tried. When it comes to me and mine, he tried. Also, Aunt Hestia." He turned to the hearth in the center and smiled at the girl he found there, bowing in respect. "Because everything she does shows how much she cares, both for the rules and for those around her."

Many of the gods were spluttering now. He loved doing that to them.

"And last, but not least, Lord Hades, who obviously cares for his children and has been one of the most fair and straight-forward figures in Greco-Roman history."

Hades seemed surprised, but no less pleased for it. Percy did notice a couple of flickers here and there when he mentioned 'Roman', but nothing more. He wondered what they thought of his wording.

"Why we should care about a demigod's respect aside," Athena said dryly, "why do you think my brother would know about the Master Bolt?"

Percy eyed her contemplatively, then shrugged. "I have prophetic dreams. Not about the future, but about the present." He shot a look at Apollo, who seemed surprised. Percy took another bite of food.

They didn't have to know that he hadn't actually had a dream about it. He hadn't lied.

"What happened in this dream?" Demeter asked slowly, neutrally.

"Lord Ares ran into someone—I couldn't see who—demanded the bolt back, and then… another presence seemed to… I don't know, seep into him? His head? I'm… not entirely sure. And it… changed—"

"That didn't happen!" Ares roared, shooting to his feet.

"Lord Dionysus?" Percy asked, turning to the Camp Director. "Can you confirm that?"

He was watching Percy with narrowed eyes again, and didn't say anything.

"You dare, you brat?" Ares hissed, a sword appearing in his hand. "You—"

"He's right!" Dionysus said suddenly, sounding shocked. Several other gods turned their gazes on him in surprise.

"And there's Lord Dionysus earning my respect," Percy said with a smile as he took his last bite of food "After all, if this is a trial, I need to come forward with all the information I have, right? Although it would have been nice to be able to come more prepared." Good thing he'd been expecting something like this for a while.

And he also may be acting a little more like he did towards the council in the future, but habits.

"What do you mean?" Zeus asked Dionysus, ignoring Percy completely. Which was, on second thought, probably for the best.

"There's another presence in Ares' mind… or the residue of one."

Percy's father was eyeing him with a frown, not a disapproving one, but one that said he was trying to figure something out. Percy just shrugged, then sent a prayer to him.

Hey, Dad! Yes, this is something I knew from the future. Hope that helps!

Poseidon's eyes widened ever so slightly, but then he smiled again—small but there—and nodded.

Percy turned around and saw Athena watching them suspiciously. He smiled at her and took another bite, just to show how unbothered he was.

"There," Dionysus said, and Ares cried out, falling to his knees. Zeus must have ordered that or it wouldn't have happened in the throne room.

Then the war god let out a string of curse words ranging from Greek, to English, to Latin, and at least two other languages, one of which he couldn't even place.

"What happened?" Zeus asked, almost sounding worried. Huh, there was a first time for everything.

Ares shot Percy a poisonous look. The demigod just kept standing there with a nearly empty plate of food in his hands, quiet and calm… if smug. Then the god looked up at his father.

"I don't know who it was, but that presence was something… powerful. And old."

Whispers ran around the council room.

Zeus ignored them. "Who has my Master Bolt?"

"I don't know," Ares said. "It was… a kid. A boy, I think. Really generic… and I don't remember more than that." He said it through gritted teeth. Huh, he really looked to be in pain. Was it because of his bruised ego or something Kronos did?

Hmm. It took a lot to actively hurt an immortal like that. Which meant Percy did sympathize—empathize to an extent even. However, that didn't mean he couldn't jump on it and use this to his advantage. (He may owe Ares one later… maybe.)

"You don't remember, and I couldn't see them…" Percy said. He didn't have to fake his concern as everyone, including Ares, turned to look at him. He had enough concerning things in his life to draw from, and Kronos was definitely one of them. "Who would be able to manipulate such a powerful and established god like Lord Ares?"

"You give him respect, then?" Athena asked dryly.

Percy shot her an unimpressed look. "It's a fact, Lady Athena. The Olympians have been established for well over two thousand years. It may not be that long to most gods, but it's definitely long enough to be established. Also, all Olympians, especially on the Council, are powerful in their own right. I don't necessarily respect or disrespect Lord Ares as I haven't yet met him outside of this room."

She looked thoughtful. Ares still looked like he was about ready to kill Percy, which… eh, par for the course. Ares had hated him last time too. Of course, last time, Percy hadn't called him out in front of all the other gods. He needed to at least keep that in mind going forward.

"What exactly are you saying, child?" Zeus asked, blue eyes narrowing.

Percy held up his hands innocently. "I was just asking a question. Who could influence the mind of one of the twelve Olympians?"

"It's a fair question," Athena said quietly, still studying him. He couldn't read the look on her face and didn't know quite what to think. When Annabeth looked like that, she was about to go manic on something—a project, or a puzzle, or a goal (or all of the above)…

None of those sounded great when involving him and Athena in the same sentence.

Styx.

Still, he had to plant the seed of Kronos in their heads. The sooner the better. For everyone's sake. He couldn't back down now.

"Please forgive me, Lady Athena, but… could a Primordial be involved?"

Sudden shouts from all around the room had him raising his eyes at Apollo, Hermes, and Artemis, surprisingly enough.

"Highly doubtful," Athena said when everyone had calmed down a little. "Primordials have a distinct flavor, and there would have to be overlap in their domains." She frowned and turned to Ares. "Where did you meet this child?"

Ares looked surprised. "Um… I was in the sky, in my chariot. They were on the ground, in the city."

"Day or night?"

"Er… Day."

Athena turned back to Percy, nodding as if Ares had just confirmed something. "Of the only two Primordials who could have affected Lord Ares, one is dead, and the other is highly unlikely, if only because of how not-subtle she tends to be."

"Hemera?" Demeter asked, sounding intrigued.

"Yes, why don't you just give it away to her," Athena said, annoyed. "In any case, I can investigate, if that is alright with you, Father." The war goddess turned to Zeus, who still looked about ready to stamp around like an angry child. Still par for the course.

"Yes, yes. Now where is my bolt?"

Percy mentally fist-pumped. Zeus may actually listen to Athena. If she figured out it was Kronos, and she had some proof…

Well, it was too soon to plan on it, but he could hope, right?

"We'll have to send someone on a quest," Hera said firmly. "That will be the fastest way to find it. Besides, it would take a demigod to steal a symbol of power." And to steal it back. That was fair enough.

Percy waited for them to assign him to it.

"Wait…" Zeus said. Percy tensed. He didn't like that tone voice.

The King of the Gods turned on his oldest brother. "Hades. Why are you still here? You vouched for this boy and wanted to be here for the trial. We allowed it. The trial has been decided."

Hades frowned. "Merely watching," was all he said, albeit with no small amount of disdain.

Zeus shook his head. "No… no, I had it all wrong. Not Poseidon, you."

Uh-oh, Percy thought, looking back and forth between the two brothers.

"What, exactly, are you accusing me of, brother?" Hades asked, rising to his feet as darkness began to seep into the air around him.

"You just claimed some brats! Brats that were here, in Manhattan!"

"Yes. And?"

"Ignoring that you broke the oath as well," Hera put in slyly. Hades didn't even deign to look at her (probably to tick her off… and oh, look, it was working).

"I was focusing on one of my brothers' whelps. Just, apparently, the wrong brother."

Oh, great. More threatening without any evidence. This was going downhill fast… and Percy had no idea how to stop it.

"You dare?!" Hades thundered. It kind of hurt Percy's ears.

"Of course, I dare! It makes sense!"

"How does it make sense when my own symbol was stolen as well?"

That brought the entire room to a halt and Percy breathed a sigh of relief. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his father, who was also watching the rest of the Council warily.

"You… lost your helmet?" Hephaestus asked, surprised.

"No," Hades practically hissed, "it was stolen."

"And why did you not come forward with this information before?" Athena asked.

The god of the dead snorted. "As if any of you would actually care. You all sit up here on Olympus, ignoring my very existence."

"That's not true, brother," Hestia said, sounding sad, the first time she'd spoken the entire meeting. Hades just glanced at her, and while his expression softened, it didn't seem to do much else.

Then Zeus spoke. Of course. "Retribution."

Everyone froze again.

"What?" Poseidon asked. Percy stepped a little closer to him. If he had to get out of there because the gods started revealing their true forms, his Father would be the best bet.

"Your helm was stolen, so you stole my bolt."

To Athena's credit, she looked like she wanted to strangle someone. Probably her father.

"Your paranoia knows no bounds," Hades said haughtily, a tone of death—like old paper crumbling or the creaking of dry bones—sneaked into his voice. And it was getting hard to hold back the gods' auras with the power Percy currently had. "Please, keep going off on ridiculously preposterous tangents that support that paranoia instead of trying to figure out the real culprit."

"Prove it, then!"

Another pause.

"What?" Hades asked. Oh, he was just getting angrier.

"Prove that you are not the one who stole it! Send your children out to find my bolt! Have them bring it back to me by the solstice, and maybe I won't go to war against you!"

Everyone seemed horrified at his threat. Except Ares, of course. Because Ares. He looked ecstatic.

"Or he could swear on the Styx like I did," Percy interrupted.

"Percy!" Poseidon hissed, but Zeus was already turning to him.

"That wouldn't retrieve my bolt now, would it?"

"I'll do it, then!" Percy said. "I'll find it and bring it back!"

"That wouldn't prove anything," Zeus dismissed. Then he paused. "Although, I should kill you for your insubordination and disrespect."

"Do not dare, brother," Poseidon said, stepping in front of Percy. "He has done nothing wrong."

"Neither have my children!" Hades shouted. He was beginning to glow a little. Percy hid his eyes. Just in case. Attending one of these meetings as a god sucked. Attending as a demigod sucked far more.

"Send one then. I care not which," Zeus said to Hades, even though he didn't take his eyes off of Poseidon. "If they fail, I know you were the one to steal it. If not—"

"Then we have the real culprit, as Lord Hades suggested," Athena said, stepping in. Percy had to give her credit for that shiny, shiny spine. "As for Lord Poseidon's son," he took it back as she turned to them, a sneer of distaste barely coloring her expression. "Send him on a quest as well."

"What?!" Poseidon said, growing larger. Percy pushed more of his own power out, having to concentrate on doing so now.

"I-I'm going with my cousin," Percy got out, but several gods laughed.

"Both of my brother's children, on a quest to retrieve my bolt?" Zeus asked, disdainful. "Please." Great. Then why didn't he ask Jason or something? He should be in the Fifth Cohort by this point in the timeline. Should even have a reputation. But no, he had to send either Nico or Bianca. Nico who was Percy's friend, and Bianca who… had died because of him. He couldn't let that happen again.

"No, I have to go," Percy said, hating how he was beginning to sound desperate.

"Why? So you can save your cousin from my wrath when they are exposed?" Zeus mocked. Percy almost reached out to grab a hold of his ichor and then they'd see who was worth mocking… except he knew that would take more power than he had at the moment. It would kill him or, more likely, force him to ascend. And he couldn't do that. He had too many people he had to help. Too many things he had to do.

So, with some difficulty, he swallowed his anger back.

"You want your bolt back, don't you?!" he said instead.

"So you know where it is?" Zeus asked.

"No! I swore it on the Styx and I swear it again!" Thunder rumbled outside as the King of the Gods scowled.

"Then, for your impertinence—"

"Brother, he is no more impertinent than any other demigod these days," Poseidon said, obviously trying to sound calm, but the rumbling of water falling over itself and waves crashing clearly portrayed his displeasure.

Percy bit his lip. This had gone way too far. He needed to go after Bianca… but they wouldn't let him. Which meant she'd have to choose other companions. And more than three people on a quest made it very difficult to get everyone back alive. That hadn't changed in the future either. He wasn't about to put her in danger again. What if him showing up was what killed her?

However… showing up on a quest and then leaving again didn't really count in that. He'd seen something like that happen hundreds of times in the future. So if he was in contact with her, he could just water travel to her group if she needed help. Yes. That could work. Except that he'd need to be outside of the camp borders, or Dionysus would know, and may try to stop him, like he had before when he'd gone after Annabeth during the quest for Artemis. However, being on his own quest could help him be ready to save her life.

Because he would. He couldn't let Nico down again. Never again. And even without Nico in the picture, he couldn't, in good conscience, let her die without trying.

So he had to go on his own quest. Just as Athena had suggested. She'd likely said it to get on Poseidon's nerves, but it had worked in his favor, so he wouldn't hold it against her too much.

Besides, he knew just the quest.

Around him, the gods were still arguing. He was practically squashed into his father's side at this point—his father who had brought out his trident, and that had apparently gotten both Zeus and Hades criticism because of the reminder that their symbols had been taken…

Really hoping he wasn't making a mistake, Percy took a deep breath.

"I know how to save Thalia!"

Everyone froze and thirteen (no, fourteen with Aunt Hestia, because he could never leave her out) pairs of eyes fell on him.

Finally, Zeus spoke, sounding far more calm, though it could be the calm before the storm. It fit him.

"What did you just say?"

Percy took another breath. "Your daughter, Thalia, right? She's the spirit of the tree on top of Half-Blood Hill, which means she could be in some sort of suspended animation. Right? Waiting to be healed."

Hera looked like she'd swallowed a lemon, and Percy's Father's eyebrows had gotten very near his hairline. Still, the time-traveler pushed on. "I know this because I've had other dreams, about an island in the Sea of Monsters… an island with a golden fleece."

Silence met his words before everything exploded in sound louder than ever. Even as he covered his ears, he knew he had them. He grinned.

Chapter Text

To say Percy was upset would be an understatement, but at least he wasn't about ready to sink an island or two. His father on the other hand…. He hadn't Percy was sure (he'd asked) but there may be a couple of nasty freak storms on the sea tonight. The god paced back and forth inside his temple on Olympus while Percy sat on a chair he'd conjured, watching him. At least his father had erected a barrier so no one with less power than him could listen in without a serious and obvious attempt. Kronos still could, probably, if he could get enough power together, but it was something.

"Dad, come on," he finally said. "It had to happen anyway."

"Next year!" his father said back. "You said it happened next year. So why now?"

Percy sighed. "Because I want to be in a position to be able to help Bianca if I can. And Thalia."

His father paused. "Help Bia… Percy, getting back from one quest is hard enough. Taking on responsibility for her quest could kill you!"

"So?" Percy asked tiredly. "Then I'll ascend. If she dies, she dies. And I can't let that happen to her again."

"Again?" Poseidon looked confused for just a moment before his expression cleared. "She died in the previous timeline, didn't she." Percy looked down, remaining silent. He took that as assent. "Did she mean something to you?"

Percy blinked, surprised. "What? Mean… no. I mean, other than the fact that she died on my watch, and is my cousin, but… she means something to one of my best friends. Also," he sighed, "I'm a—was a god of demigods. It hurt me whenever they died. It hurt me before I ascended. I… can't just do nothing."

Poseidon, in a very human motion, rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Percy, I am more than pleased to have another child join me for eternity. Especially one of my demigods. But the Fates told you your ascension would happen, correct?" Percy nodded slowly, wondering where his father was going with this.

"More or less. There is a chance I won't…"

Poseidon took another breath. "That's still very straightforward for them. They're not usually that clear and open. I fear we are missing something."

Percy opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. His father had a point. Was there another meaning to his ascension? The Fates had used that exact word, so…

Maybe he should be a little more careful until they figured that out.

Still…

"I can't just leave her, Dad. I can't. I couldn't live with myself if I did."

His father just looked frustrated. "How would you help her, then? Your quests go in opposite directions."

"Just like how I helped Erin: water travel to where she is."

"And if she's not by water connected to the sea?"

Percy frowned, but felt his spine straighten. "I have to try, Dad. Only then will I know I did the best I could to help her. Right now I can get involved in quests without all those godly rules getting in my way. I'm going to take advantage of it."

Poseidon sighed again, "Percy…" he started, but faded off when he met his son's gaze. "I can't talk you out of this, can I." It wasn't a question.

"I'm sure you could find a way, but it would likely damage our relationship."

His father looked at him, concerned, but didn't say anything.

Percy let out a long breath. "It's a three-century-old regret, and I have a chance to fix it. I know I can change things so that they're different—for better or worse—but I wouldn't be myself if I didn't try."

Poseidon's expression grew sad and his shoulders slumped. "Where did you get that from? I don't think you got it from me."

The time-traveler smirked. "There's this really amazing woman, I think you've met her. Her name's Sally Jackson."

His father laughed, sadly for some reason, but it was a genuine laugh. "Ah yes, the queen among women. That makes sense."

Percy's own smile widened. "I'll be fine, Dad. I know what I'm doing." It was nice, this time, to talk to his Dad like this, especially as a demigod. He still remembered their awkward first interaction in his last timeline, when his father had basically called him a mistake. He'd explained himself later, saying he hadn't thought of Percy as a mistake, but as the result of Poseidon's mistake—the one who would carry the punishment he did not deserve. Apparently, the way Percy took it hadn't even crossed the god's mind this time.

Currently, Poseidon's smile dimmed at Percy's words. "You say you'll be fine… and I hope so, but I fear you're biting off too much. That can have dire consequences."

The time-traveler nodded firmly. "I can do it, though. I have so much more knowledge and exponentially more resources this time. I can do it." He had to. There was no other outcome.

Another sigh from the god. "Very well, son. Just… be careful. It's been a long time since I had prophecy as one of my domains, but I foresee rough waters in your future."

Percy snorted. "What else is new?"

His father's brow furrowed, whether in worry or confusion, Percy didn't know. Finally, his father snapped his fingers. Something long, ivory, and curved fell into his hands. Percy could see intricate carvings of two-tailed merpeople going about their daily lives carved into the outside of it.

He blinked. "Dad?"

"For you," he held it out to him. "It is a horn made from the tusk of one of the oldest and most loyal walruses that has ever lived. He gave his tusks to me upon his death, though only one was still intact enough to be made into this."

Gently, Percy took the horn, noting how the carvings seemed to move out of the corner of his eye. It was, honestly, gorgeous. He turned his gaze back up to the god of the sea. "For me?" His father nodded. "But… you didn't give this to me last time."

"I must not have sensed it would be needed," Poseidon shrugged. "If you blow on this, especially when in the water, it will strengthen your allies, and only your allies. All who hear it."

"But…" Percy said slowly.

His father smiled, amused. "But that strength will come from you. The more people you share it with, the faster it will drain you."

Percy stared at the textured horn. "I…" He swallowed and looked back up. "Thanks, Dad."

Poseidon just nodded, but it was enough.

xXx

Mr. D was supposed to flash him back to camp once he was finished speaking with his father, but more than one god was waiting outside for some reason. Zeus himself, even. He'd gone on about why did they have a shield up if they didn't have anything to hide and how dare they hide things from him. His father just rolled his eyes and said not even the King of the Gods was entitled to private talks between a father and son. Then, of course, they'd started bickering.

Thankfully, Mr. D told Percy in a condescending voice to follow him away from Poseidon's temple and away from the arguing siblings, so they could get back to camp. Percy followed, but glanced over his shoulder with a shake of his head. He didn't remember things being so… volatile in the future. To be fair, between the rising of a strong enemy and all of the prophecies suddenly being fulfilled, it wasn't unexplained or unexpected at this point in time, but it was still childish. And kind of embarrassing that his father still took part in it. The Olympians were thousands of years old. More than once, Percy had felt like a babysitter trying to keep a bunch of kids in line with no real power to do so. Despite his current status, it still kind of felt that way.

The time traveler and camp director had just stepped out of sight of the bickering gods when someone called out to them.

"Brother! Percy Jackson! Just the pair I wanted to see." Percy and Mr. D turned to see Apollo hurrying towards them in all his sun-touched glory. No, really, he literally glowed in the darkness and otherwise beamed happily. Percy had to fight to not look away. He could tone it down and not blind the mortal in their midst.

Dionysus snorted. "Really?"

"Well, I did want to say something to Percy here."

"Naturally. Whyever would you want to talk to me? We're only family. Have been for how long?" Yeah, that exile was really getting to Mr. D.

"If you want me to stop by more often I'll be happy to!" Apollo assured his brother, clapping him on the shoulder.

Dionysus reached up and removed the arm almost disdainfully. "And what would we do now that I can't drink?"

"Well we could…" Apollo started, but then faded off, puzzled. Percy withheld a snort of his own. "You like games."

"You're terrible at Pinochle."

"Not bad at poker, though."

"I'll pass. Say what you will to Parker, here. Just hurry. I would like some beauty sleep tonight."

With that, he strode away.

"What's with him?" Apollo asked. "I'll have to find a good game, I guess. Anyway, Percy!" the blond turned to the demigod with straight, white teeth showing. "I have to say thank you for what you did for Erin earlier this year."

In the original timeline, that would have taken Percy back; well, before the whole Triumvirate debacle (was that something he should look into now? Hmm, he'd have to think about it). Now, though, he knew Apollo better. The guy wasn't usually malicious (although when he was he could be mean, though Percy thought Artemis had him beat there) and tended to come off as more flaky than he really was. Percy thought he donned that persona so people wouldn't expect so much of him. It only worked so well, but any success meant it was worth it to Apollo. Still, he knew the god cared for his children. Right now, almost as much as he cared for himself. Hey, the guy was narcissistic. But then, name a god other than Hestia who wasn't. He'd wait.

"Oh, er, you're welcome," Percy said, noting how real the god's smile looked for once. Yeah. He cared. And it was nice to see that every now and then. "I mean, I would have done it for anyone I could have, but yeah."

"I know how much work you put into making sure there was a way to Colorado from New York," the Sun-god said. Percy didn't wince, but he had to hold himself awfully still to pull it off. Right. He'd prayed to Apollo, who would have sensed the dedication and preparation behind his actions, even if he didn't know details. It was something any god could hear regarding their domain, or in this case, Apollo's child.

"Well… she told me where she lived. Not many others did. I… wanted to make sure she had backup if she needed it."

The blond shook his head. "You're too modest. Not something I understand, but to each their own. In any case, about your quest… you're going to have to go through some pretty tough trials in the near future." Didn't he know it. "And to pay you back for helping Erin, I spoke with Hermes. It's likely you'll need these."

The sun god held out a familiar bottle, small but sturdy, with small pills in different shapes inside of it: yellow Minotaurs, purple harpies, green Hydras, etc. On the front, it said: Hermes Multivitamins. Percy stared at them. Right. He really was going back to the sea of monsters. It hadn't really hit him before, but… di immortales.

After several seconds, he took a deep breath and reached for them. He almost expected Apollo to snatch the bottle away, but he didn't. Percy's hand closed around the bottle.

"Thank you," he said quietly, sincerely.

And this time they shouldn't be running from Luke and the other traitors. Hopefully that would make it easier. Easy enough to run to Bianca's aid if she needed it. Or whoever else went on that quest.

"Also," Apollo added on, still serious (which was always creepy), "I know you already have the quest, but when you get back, go to the Oracle. Chiron will know what I mean when I say that. Hades' kid needs to, too."

Percy eyed his cousin dubiously.

"I know not many people like prophecies, but they often do lead to the best outcome possible. Not always, but usually. They can be a road map as much as…" he faded off, looking for the right word. A trap? A prison? A death sentence? Percy didn't say any of that. Not when Apollo was helping him like this. "Well… a fate," the god finished, shrugging.

That was still nicer than Percy would have said, but he wasn't wrong. The time-traveler considered the suggestion for a moment before nodding. "I will. Thank you."

"No problem, kid," Apollo said. "I pay my debts."

Debatable. But Percy, again, wasn't about to say that aloud at that point.

"Will you two ever finish, or are you going to take him back to camp, Apollo?" Dionysus called over, obviously annoyed.

"I'm done!" the sun god called back, then clapped Percy on the shoulder. "Good luck."

Percy managed a small smile. "Thanks."

"Now, Paxton!"

"Is that even a name?" Percy muttered as he shot an apologetic look at Apollo, bowed a little (because that deserved acknowledgment at the very least) and jogged over to the much older-looking god.

"What was that?" Mr. D asked dangerously.

"Nothing," Percy sighed.

"Better not be. Now that you're finally here, let's go." With that, he grabbed Percy's arm roughly (it took all of his will to not attack back, that had not been remotely how a god should treat a demigod) and they flashed back to camp, landing on the porch of the Big House.

"Now, go off and—"

"I need to see the Oracle. So does Bianca." Because Percy highly doubted Bianca would let Nico go on this trip, and if she did, Percy would probably step up. "Apollo said so."

Mr. D rolled his eyes and strode inside. "Whatever. She's upstairs. Go on, drive yourself mad. Don't expect me to save you."

Percy shook his head, then glanced up towards the attic. He'd tell Bianca in a moment. Right now, he needed to see a mummy.

xXx

Once he'd become Camp Director, Percy had made sure to clean out the attic, falling back on the skills his mother had taught him, designating places for everything he could and generally organizing it all. He'd made a point to try and keep it that way, even if some of the history connected to these relics were… painful.

He missed that organization. A lot. Currently, the attic smelled of must, dust, and a little rot. He wrinkled his nose and picked his way through the maze of objects.

Finally, he reached the mummy by the window.

It only made him grateful that he hadn't had to deal with a cursed oracle during his time over camp. Although, according to the vision he'd had before the Battle of Manhattan, that should be broken soon. As long as Hades' children were outcasts and as long as he labored under the Great Prophecy, the curse would remain. He couldn't help but think Hades didn't really intend for the Oracle's spirit to die with all the obvious loopholes in that. Still, it had caused a lot of problems.

The biggest problem would be to find a proper body to house the spirit now. Rachel had loved being the spirit of Delphi (and hated it in equal measure at times), but should they wait for her? Or would the spirit simply move on as soon as Nico and Bianca were accepted? It hadn't last time.

Well, either way, he'd like to get his prophecy and get out.

So he swallowed, stuck his chin up, and stalked forward.

Just as before, the mummy sort of jerked, turned to Percy, and opened her mouth. Familiar, green smoke poured out, surrounding both of them. Instead of Smelly Gabe and his poker buddies this time around, he saw something that made his heart skip several beats. It hurt.

Annabeth, Grover, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank sat around the cabin of the Argo II. They were all older, in their late 20's or early 30's… except for Jason, of course.

Grover, at his peak of being Lord of the Wild, turned a blank look on Percy first, "I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask."

Shaken, Percy swallowed his fear and pain as best he could, and forced words out of his mouth: "Right. Yeah. How do I get the golden fleece back to save Thalia?"

He'd only received a prophecy from this oracle directly once. He remembered it—how could he forget it—but had forgotten just how unnerving it had been. And this time was far worse.

Grover nodded once, blankly. "Leave to find the golden fleece, Revive the Thunder child of Greece." Percy wondered why the Satyr had spoken so much? Because Percy met this Grover? No, he'd also met this universe's Annabeth. Perhaps he should wait until he knew what this shade of her would say, but maybe it was because his relationship with Grover currently resembled their old one the most? He'd have to think on it… later, as Leo spoke next, looking completely stone faced, nothing like the energetic demigod Percy remembered.

"But child of pantheons; times,entwined…"

Then Hazel, her normally expressive, empathetic amber eyes dull—like she was dead all over again. "Two ideals and quests shall bind."

Piper was the worst one yet, her eyes a flat gray instead of her normal kaleidoscope of color. "Indecision shall be thy bane."

A stoic Frank who looked more like a statue. "Rely on others once again."

Jason didn't even look at Percy. He wasn't sure if that was better or worse than meeting his old friend's gaze. "One you've saved will turn on you."

Then, finally, Annabeth, as he remembered her in her prime, gorgeous and amazing and… yet, her eyes lacked a spark. This… doll was not his Annabeth. "Your consequences, overdue."

The vision faded as the smoke sucked back into the oracle. As soon as it disappeared altogether, her mouth closed and the mummy collapsed again. Percy swallowed, standing in the space where he'd seen his oldest and dearest friends, all of whom had moved on without him. His chest hurt, as if someone had grabbed his ribs and squeezed.

Eventually, he managed to turn and hurry towards the door, half stumbling over junk in the way. He wasn't running. He wasn't. It was just…

Painful. His friends so blank-faced and uncaring—unable or unwilling to recognize him.

No, he shook his head. Follow the real Hazel's advice and find something positive. It could have been worse. He nodded to himself. It could have been his daughters. Of course, that brought up images that he did not want to think about. Just about then, Percy remembered that the 'positive view' method had worked far better for Hazel than it ever had for him.

He met Chiron at the bottom of the stairs. He didn't plow into the trainer, but he had been hurrying faster than he probably had any right to. The Centaur looked both immensely worried and relieved at the sight of him.

"Percy! What did you… why did you go up there?"

He took a deep breath. "Apollo told me to see the oracle."

The centaur didn't seem surprised about that, just confused. "How did you know where the oracle was? Who told you?"

"Uh… Mr. D said to go upstairs, so I went up until I couldn't anymore and looked around." He made sure to make his eyes as big and innocent as he could, then adding a touch of confusion. Hopefully that masked some of his pain. He'd be the first to admit that he wasn't the greatest actor ever, but he could pull this off.

Chiron let out a sigh and if he knew Percy wasn't telling the whole truth, he didn't let on.

"Okay, Percy, tell me about this prophecy. Please."

He didn't have to. It wasn't a rule, but Chiron did not like that fact. The thing about Chiron was that while Percy respected him, had worked with him for a long time, the centaur had his biases. He didn't like discussing difficult topics that dealt with his own involvement and had particularly negative or positive opinions of certain gods, taking that bias and placing it on their children as well. It wasn't a conscious thing, but… he also knew to take Chiron's opinion with a grain of salt.

Which was why he decided to tell him the prophecy.

"Leave to find the golden fleece,
Revive the thunder child of Greece.
But child of pantheons, times entwined,
Two ideals and quests shall bind.
Indecision shall be thy bane,
Rely on others once again.
One you've saved will turn on you.
Your consequences, overdue."

Chiron didn't speak for several seconds, which thankfully gave Percy the time he needed to finally get his emotions under control. He wouldn't be surprised if a storm had popped up outside. Annoyed, but not surprised.

After a while, he finally decided to speak up. "I had a dream… about a sea of monsters and the Bermuda Triangle."

Silence still.

"You'll need a boat," the centaur finally said. Percy nodded emphatically, relieved his old mentor had spoken.

"Do you know the kinds of obstacles you'll face in the sea of monsters?"

Percy blinked, then nodded. "I've read the Odyssey."

"What's recounted there may not be all you'll meet there in today's world," Chiron warned. Percy bit his lip, but didn't say anything, and the older being sighed. "Do you know who you'll take with you?"

Before, he'd gone with Clarisse (whether she wanted him to go or not) but… that didn't seem right this time. Which sucked because that had been a huge part of her own story and growth, as both a demigod and a person.

But this… this would be personal. There really were only three people he could choose from: Annabeth, Luke, and Grover. And he was pretty sure the demigods would demand to go.

"Annabeth and Luke," he finally said quietly.

Chiron closed his eyes for a moment, then sighed. "Do you think that is the best for the quest, or are you choosing them based on their association with Thalia?"

Percy frowned. "It's their association with Thalia that makes them the perfect choice. They'll have more reason and motivation to complete the quest."

"You do not think they're too close to the situation?" Chiron asked. It was a fair question.

The time-traveler sighed. "Luke… maybe. Annabeth? No. She's methodical and logical. She'll keep a cool head."

Finally Chiron just nodded. "It is your quest. Why don't you go and inform your questmates and I'll find and discuss the situation with Hades' children."

Percy frowned at the way Chiron had said that, not with disdain—nothing nearly so blatant—but with something negative.

"They're good kids," he said. "They deserve to be safe and welcome here."

The centaur paused, looking surprised. "Of course they do, as do all demigods."

"People will be scared of them, because of their dad, right?" Percy asked.

Chiron's expression softened as he nodded. "It's… not unlikely."

"Is there anything you can do to counter that?" Percy asked.

His old mentor blinked down at the time-traveler thoughtfully for several seconds before he nodded. "I will do the best I can."

It wasn't much, but it was something, so Percy nodded. "Thank you. One of them will be left behind. Probably Nico, if I've read them correctly. He'll need support."

"Of course," Chiron said, nodding.

They stood there for a couple more seconds before the older being put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Go. Get as much rest as you can tonight. I'll see what I can do about getting a boat for you. The campfire is over, and it's almost curfew. You have enough time to tell your questmates before you have to be in your cabin."

As if the harpies could hurt Percy. Still, he nodded.

"I'll head to the Hermes' cabin first."

"Then I will accompany you," Chiron said.

Percy smiled.

Soon they were striding down the hill towards the cabins. It had gotten dark and Percy looked up at the stars above them. It was lovely. They had always been there. He didn't see Zoë up there. That thought had him smiling.

"By the way," Chiron said quietly, drawing Percy's attention. "I've been meaning to give you something your father left here a while back."

Percy's heart leaped and Chiron extended his hand with a smile, holding out a familiar pen. Percy grinned.

"This is Anaklusmos. It has a long, bloody history, but it will return to its owner whenever you lose it or it is taken from you. You can only give this weapon away willingly."

"Riptide," Percy said, taking the pen and uncapping it.

"Be careful," Chiron warned, but Percy'd long since known how to hold this weapon. It felt like seeing an old friend again, and one that knew him just as intimately as he knew it. He gave it a few experimental swings, reveling in the feeling of a balanced weapon for once.

"Well, it seems like you're taking well to it."

Percy just grinned. "Thanks. I think this is the first weapon I've ever held that felt right."

"Hmm," Chiron said thoughtfully. "Have you tried wielding a trident?"

Yes. He had. And yes, it felt right in his hands too. But he'd always preferred Riptide. Trident's… weren't his thing. Still…

"I'll think about it," he said. He always felt strange with a trident, because no matter how right it felt, that was his father's weapon, and his brother's.

They didn't speak for the rest of the trek to the Hermes cabin.

Once there, Chiron called for Nico, Bianca, and Luke, who all came outside. Once there, Chiron left with the Di Angelos. Percy couldn't meet their eyes. He knew what it was like to just get to camp and then be shoved onto a quest. They kept glancing nervously at him as Chiron led them away to the big house.

After they were out of hearing range, Luke turned to Percy. "What was that all about?"

The time-traveler took a deep breath. "The gods decided that one of Hades' children needs to go and find the Master Bolt."

Luke blinked, surprised. "I thought that was supposed to be you."

"It was. But we have another quest."

More blinking, and then Luke's eyes narrowed. "We?"

Percy nodded. "Luke, will you help me find the golden fleece so we can save Thalia?"

Chapter Text

Luke stared at Percy in the dim light shining through cabin windows and mixing with the moonlight (no storm, yay!) and the relatively distant hearth—with Aunt Hestia watching them closely, of course—for several seconds. "I'm sorry, what?"

The time-traveler blinked. He thought Luke would jump at the chance to save Thalia. Had he misread something? Or maybe Luke had actually misheard?

"I'm going on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the golden fleece… You know, Jason and the Argonauts? All of that? I know where the golden fleece is. In… my dream," he emphasized the word, so Luke would hopefully pick up on the fact that he meant the other timeline, "it could save Thalia, because her spirit is in the tree right now."

Luke didn't react for several seconds. When he finally did, though, he was obviously calming himself down. Percy frowned at the reaction, waiting for the boy to speak.

"So, you've known all this time that Thalia is, according to you, alive, and you didn't bother to tell me? Or Annabeth?"

Wait…

"I didn't?" He could have sworn he had… Ugh, he really missed his eidetic memory.

"No!" Luke yelled.

"Di Immortales, I'm sorry!" Percy said, mentally kicking himself. "I honestly thought I had. I mean, I was always going to go after the fleece for her. I swear I thought I'd told you."

Luke took several more breaths and turned away. After a moment, though, he let out one long breath. "Is there anything else we may want to know?" He didn't turn around.

Percy rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, probably a lot. But half of it wouldn't be safe to talk about right now and the other half is… a mess. It's not like I have a list to go over. I've been doing my best but I'm kind of winging it. Despite… everything, I'm still just twelve-years-old right now, with a normal, demigod brain. I'm trying to keep you informed, I am, but there's a lot, Luke."

The other boy sighed again. "Fine. I get it." He wasn't happy about it, but he was being honest as far as Percy could tell without tapping into his emotions. He'd already done that enough, thank you. "And you want me to come help you find the fleece?" Luke finally turned around, still miffed but also determined and a bit resigned.

Percy nodded. "It's on Polyphemus' island."

"Polyphemus. As in the Cyclops from the Odyssey?"

A pause. "Yes?"

Luke let out a string of curse words. Then he took another breath. "Anything else about this quest I should know?"

Percy wracked his brain. "Um, anything from the Odyssey or other Greco-Roman works is fair game for us to run into… and maybe more."

"This just keeps getting better," Luke muttered to himself. "Okay, fine. Who is our other quest partner and when do we leave?"

"I wanted to leave tomorrow morning," Percy said, then bit the inside of his cheek. "And… do you really think Annabeth would let us go on this mission without her?"

"What?!" Luke practically shrieked, stalking up to Percy.

He held his hands up, placating. "She went in my dream, and she was fine."

"She's twelve!"

"So am I!"

"That's not the same and you know it!"

"We were both thirteen in the… in my dream. No extra… knowledge—" read 'future memories', Luke should get that, he hoped— "involved. And that was the second quest we went on."

Luke's face was getting red.

"Luke, you can't protect her forever," Percy said quietly. "She wants—needs, even—to go out for herself. And she's up to the challenge."

"She's my little sister," Luke whispered, voice harsh, but he sounded more desperate than anything.

"Even if you could protect her forever, do you think she would like that?" Percy asked. "Do you think she would ever be happy in a life like that?"

Luke closed his eyes, that same sad resignation coming over him.

"I hate this," he finally said.

Percy sighed. "Yeah, I know. I do too. More than you realize. I've watched too many children go off and never come back. It's wrong. But right now, it's necessary. And she will come back. If I have to sacrifice myself to get her back here alive, I will."

"Do you swear it on the Styx?" Luke asked.

Percy blinked, but then his mouth firmed. "Yes."

Thunder rumbled, and that seemed to be the last hold out for Luke.

"I'll hold you to that," he muttered.

"Do you want to go and tell her about the quest with me?" Percy asked.

Luke thought about that, then nodded. "Yeah."

Together, they stalked across the camp towards the Athena cabin, neither one talking. When they got there, Luke pounded on the cabin door. Meghan, one of Annabeth's older sisters, opened the door, looking annoyed, until she saw who was there.

"Luke?" she asked, surprised. "What's wrong?"

"Is Annabeth here?" he asked tightly.

"Luke!" Annabeth asked, practically shoving past Meghan. "What… Percy?" She paused when she saw both of them, looking between them in confusion.

"I've been given a quest," Percy said before Luke could. "Do you want to go?"

Gray eyes lit up in excitement. "Yes!" she said, almost breathlessly. "Absolutely! I've been waiting for this!"

"You don't even know where we're going," Luke said through gritted teeth.

That didn't seem to phase Annabeth. She just looked even happier. "You're coming too! This is great!"

"We're um… going to the Sea of Monsters to find the golden fleece to help with camp's wards," Percy said.

Annabeth froze. Behind her, Percy could see several of her brothers and sisters listening in. "The same golden fleece Jason went after?" The time-traveler nodded, trying not to think of the blond-haired Roman by the same name. "How do you even know the golden fleece is there?"

"Prophetic dream."

Annabeth's eyebrows rose on her forehead. "What?"

"Annabeth, we need to discuss this privately," Luke said, gesturing away from the cabin.

Every child of Athena blinked, and their eyes narrowed. Including Annabeth. It was a little disconcerting, but also highly amusing.

"Very well," she said, stepping out. "I'll be right back," she told her (obviously disappointed) brothers and sisters before closing the door. Luke had already turned to walk away from the cabin, towards Hestia's fire. The two twelve-year-olds followed behind.

"What's going on?" Annabeth asked when they finally stopped, suspicious.

"The fleece can bring back Thalia," Luke said.

Blood drained from her face. "What?" she whispered, voice croaking.

"Thalia's spirit is in the tree," Percy said. "The fleece can heal more or less anything that isn't a chopped limb. It can bring her back."

"Your… dream told you this?" she asked shakily.

Percy tipped his hand back and forth in front of him. "Kind of. It's… a bit more than that, but… remember when I told you you'd be the first to know about me barring extenuating circumstances?" She nodded. "Luke brought up some extenuating circumstances. He knows. But I think it's about time I told you. Just… not here. Or now. I'll tell you on the quest.

"Just know that yes, we can bring Thalia back."

Annabeth stared at him for several seconds before turning to Luke, silently asking him if Percy was crazy.

"It's true," Luke said.

"Di Immortales," Annabeth whispered.

"For now, we need to rest," Percy said.

"You expect me to sleep after that?" Annabeth asked, incredulous.

Percy sighed. "We leave tomorrow morning, and if we want to be on top of our game, yes."

If anything, Annabeth looked even more incredulous, and mildly offended. "You've given me just tonight to plan?"

"I just barely got this quest," Percy said.

Annabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine," she said. "Sea of Monsters. I'm going to guess anything to do with water could get in our way."

"More or less," Percy said, sheepishly. "But I can take care of most of the water stuff."

"I'm still preparing," Annabeth said.

The time-traveler smiled softly. "I wouldn't expect differently."

She didn't seem to notice his expression, too preoccupied with her plans. "What about a boat?"

"Chiron said he'd find one for us," Percy said. "I don't know anything else."

Annabeth nodded, eyes still fixed on the ground as she thought. "I'll have to talk to him. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Around eight," Percy said.

She blinked. "Isn't that too late?"

He shrugged. "Seven then. If we wake up earlier, we can work on getting any supplies we need."

Annabeth nodded. "Good idea."

Then, with that, she turned and just walked away. Didn't even say goodnight. Percy just chuckled and shook his head fondly. Then he turned to Luke, who was watching him with a narrowed gaze.

"What?" Percy asked.

Luke's eyes narrowed more. "I don't care who you are or how powerful you are. If you hurt her, I'll find a way to kill you."

Percy blinked, then laughed. Which, apparently, Luke was not expecting.

"You know, that's one of the best things you've ever said to me," the time-traveler said. It was a relief to know someone else was in Annabeth's corner this time around. Not that she didn't have friends, or her brothers and sisters, or even her mother to some extent, and she certainly had Percy, but… Luke had hurt her in the other life. She didn't need to go through that in this one. And when was more support bad? He went to walk away, but something else occurred to him.

"Oh, if Bianca asks who she should take on her quest, I recommend Clarisse from the Ares cabin and Grover."

"Because of your dreams?" Luke asked.

Percy just shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he walked off towards his own cabin, leaving a very confused and thoughtful son of Hermes behind him.

"Percy," the demigod paused as he walked past Hestia's hearth, still amused. At her call, he looked over at her.

"Yes, Aunt Hestia?"

She shook her head fondly. "Thank you. I love how you constantly acknowledge our connection."

"It makes your family domain very happy?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. Glancing back, he saw Luke still watching them from well outside his hearing range. He wondered if he should do something about that, but almost immediately decided not to worry. It was Aunt Hestia.

The goddess laughed. "I'm not sure if I would have put it quite like that, but you're not wrong." Percy turned back to her, grinning. He knew it was more of the part of their being that needed something to anchor them to life. Losing that—either the connection or what that connection leads to—was what caused a god to fade, so strengthening that was a good way to make them feel alive.

Demigods too, although that wasn't the only thing that tied them to life, so it wasn't as necessary, but either Percy hadn't realized about that connection the first time around, or he'd brought that back with the mindset, because he could definitely feel that now.

"Come, sit with me," she gestured beside her. Percy grinned again and walked over to sit by the fire.

"What did you want to discuss?" he asked.

She shook her head again. "You're so polite with me, but were downright rude to my youngest brother and sister. How is it that I, of all gods, earned your respect?"

He frowned. "Is that really what you wanted to talk about?" he asked.

"Humor me?" she returned. "I've set up a barrier."

Percy chewed on that for a little, then decided 'why not'.

"You know of the great prophecy—the one already fulfilled now?"

"The one you had to fulfill your first time?" she asked. He nodded. "Yes, I do."

"'A single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze'," he muttered, eyes going distant, drawn to the flicker of the fire in front of him. "I was given so many choices that could have qualified. Everyone was convinced I was the child of the prophecy… and I was, to an extent. But in the end, I don't think it was my choice. I think it was… well…" he paused, eyes darting to Luke, who was still watching them.

Hestia wasn't stupid by any means. She glanced between Percy and Luke for several seconds before her eyebrows rose in recognition. "Oh. He… initially?"

Percy nodded, looking down. "Joined your father? Yes. Through lies and trickery, of course."

The goddess sighed and slumped. "Father always was good at that."

"The Crooked One," Percy muttered. "As for the rest of the prophecy, the half-blood of the eldest gods was definitely me. We fought on my sixteenth birthday—fought for Olympus. And for many days before that too. One of those days, I ran into… the Titan who helped Athena create humans."

Hestia's eyebrows rose, and she glanced at the flames again. Prometheus had been the one to give humans fire, after all.

"He gave me Pandora's Pithos. Told me to open the pot when I was ready to 'give up hope'."

His aunt looked flabbergasted. "But… he loved humanity—his creations. Giving up to my father…"

Percy nodded. "I think he got tired of seeing humanity so plagued—so hurt. I think he gave the pithos to me because he'd finally given up hope himself."

"Prometheus…" she muttered.

Percy blinked, taken aback at her saying his name.

"To lose hope…" she shook her head, pained. The demigod wasn't quite sure what was going through her mind, but he wouldn't doubt she and the Titan had more history than the tales said.

"The Pithos kept showing up during those battles, tempting me. Eventually, though, I gave it to you. Because hope survives best at the hearth."

It was her turn to look surprised. "Me? But so many consider me the least of the Olympians."

He shook his head, smiling softly. "No, but maybe the last of the Olympians. You hold the hearth—the reason to fight. Without you, what would we have to come home to once the fighting is over?" She suddenly looked so touched Percy had to look away again. "You helped me out so much in that battle, helping me understand Luke… and the prophecy. I think, by that point, you'd figured most of it out."

"You flatter me," she said softly.

"You deserve it," he replied. Then he met her gaze again. "I look up to you because I think I relate to you the most. You don't want power or prestige… you're just happy fulfilling your domains. That has its own strength. I'm not entirely sure the rest of the gods understand that. Or they've forgotten."

"You might be surprised," she said.

He shrugged. "Maybe. But either way, your type of strength is the one I wish I could have. You don't actively go out of your way to hurt others to try and lift yourself above them… and you care. Of all of the Olympians, I think you understand humans the most.

"I know others try, and maybe our messenger comes close, but… you respect life in a way none of the others can, I think."

She'd looked away, staring at the fire for several seconds. "I have just as many stains on my past as the others do. I fought in wars myself."

Percy shrugged. "Maybe I'm short-sighted, then. Or maybe you're better than you think you are. Or maybe you've just learned from your mistakes. I don't know. But you've always been good to me and mine, and fair when you can be. Of course I'll respect that."

She didn't speak for a long time, but Percy didn't think this was the time to push, so he just sat back, watching the fire and, occasionally, Luke. Eventually, the other demigod turned and walked off into the night. Percy wondered what Luke thought—what was going through his head. And still the silence wore on.

"Who was the first demigod to talk to me, in your time?" she asked.

"The first time?" he asked, then chuckled a little. "Funnily enough, Nico Di Angelo. Why do you ask?"

"I don't need to be noticed all the time," she said. "You are right about that. But… I would like to be noticed some time."

He nodded. "You said something similar the first time… or implied it. Well, both, I suppose."

"You are such an unusual child, you know," she whispered. "Giving respect to those who don't necessarily need attention, and refusing respect to those who do. Being so honest…"

He sighed. "Those shouldn't be unusual, in my opinion."

She shook her head, a fond smile back in place, though this one seemed deeper somehow. Then she held out her hand. In it, he saw a glass jar, fixed on top with some orange fabric. Inside, floated a ball of smoldering coal, about the size of a quarter.

"Aunt?" he asked, confused.

"When you're on your quest, I can't directly interfere."

He blinked. "Yes, I know." He knew that all too well. He could sometimes get around that with his domains, but other gods? Not so much.

"Luke and your other friend, Annabeth… do they know everything? About you?"

Percy blinked. "Well, no." Although he'd definitely have to tell Annabeth about his time travel, as he planned, and Luke knew some of it, but had just said he'd want more info on what was to come and—"

Oh.

Oh.

He already knew that wouldn't be a fun conversation, but how many gods could listen in and hear anything he said? Everything he'd worked to conceal—everything that could possibly give him an advantage—could be leaked. Gods didn't always listen to humans, but that didn't mean they couldn't.

His expression must have shown his thought, because she nodded. "I've been putting up barriers for you, and the others haven't gotten desperate enough to break through them yet, but I won't be able to do that once you leave. Your father might, but I doubt it. He'll want to save any leverage he has for something more… desperate than a conversation.

"This," she held the jar up a little higher, "will help you."

He blinked at her, touched. This was yet another reason why he looked up to her. She'd already thought of potential problems and come up with solutions for them before anyone else had remotely looked that far.

But…

"Nothing comes without a price," he said slowly.

She shot him a sad look that instantly made him feel guilty. "Percy, I thought you knew me better than that."

"Sorry," he muttered, "It's just…"

She sighed. "Fair enough. If anyone asks, you talked to me. You keep talking to me. You're helping my family. I'll support you in that. Always."

He shot her a smile, relieved and grateful. "Thanks, Aunt Hestia."

She nodded, all traces of sadness gone. "Just tap the lid three times. It will give you three shields, and none of them can keep everyone out. If a god wants to hear, depending on their power, you could have anywhere from five minutes to half-an hour."

"But bet on it being closer to five," he said, sighing. "Right."

"Yes, and the closer you are to the jar, the stronger the shield will be."

"So," he muttered, "while there's a chance Olympus won't find out about my secret, it's not unlikely that they will." Joy.

Again, Hestia nodded again, albeit sadly. "It's the best I can do."

Percy shook his head. "No, it's more than I would have had, and you didn't have to even do this much. I appreciate it, Aunt. I do. Thank you." He bowed his head towards her. "If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."

"That's a dangerous offer," she said softly.

He smiled. "I trust you."

She shook her head again. "You are too trusting."

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Or maybe I just have you pegged."

With that he winked and rose to his feet, cradling the jar in his hands. "Is there anything else you need, Aunt?"

"No, you can go pack," she said.

He grinned. "Goodnight, Aunt."

She watched him leave, an unreadable expression on her face he didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care about.

"Goodnight, Nephew. I hope you have chosen well."

xXx

He didn't sleep well that night. Everything started fine, he packed carefully, making sure he had the vitamins and the barrier jar, both wrapped carefully to prevent them breaking, as well as the horn his father gave him. Once he finished with that, he got to sleep fairly quickly, but while he had no prophetic dreams, he was plagued with images of his friends and family.

Annabeth, old and tired, kept showing up, asking why they had to be part of a Greek tragedy (something they'd discussed frequently but had never come up with a satisfactory answer to). He saw their daughters, angry at him for letting their mother die (that had never openly happened, although he'd suspected…). Grover looking at him strangely, asking him why he thought they would be close (because he doesn't know Grover nearly so well this time around). Jason, with a hole in his chest, yelling at Percy and asking why he hadn't been there to help him (he hadn't had that one for a while). Leo and Calypso glaring at him before leaving him behind, no matter how he tried to catch up to them. Rachel looking at him so sadly before drying into a mummy. Piper, Hazel, and Frank watching him with a sort of wary fear they only reserved for gods. Nico's ghost as an old man following him around, warning him he can't tell Percy about the souls that have gone on anymore.

His mother on her death bed, dying to cancer. Paul had already gone a couple of years before due to a car crash, so it was just him and Estelle. His mother smiled up at him, never anything but the loving, amazing person she always was, and then she was gone. In real life, Estelle and him had sort of clung to each other all night before he'd been called to Olympus. In his dream, she screamed at him, blaming him for their mother's death, saying nothing he hadn't already thought of himself. It still hurt.

He saw campers who had come later, all trusting him as they set off on their own quests, never to return, and all blaming him for those deaths. Too many deaths.

He woke far too many times inside his cabin for him to have gotten much real sleep. The last time had been some time around five. Too tired to try to do much of anything else, he'd crawled out of bed and sort of half-walked, half-stumbled to the lake, flopping into it and letting the water soothe him. Muttering for the naiads to please wake him in an hour or so, he let himself finally drift into a decent, restful sleep.

Chapter Text

"Bianca!" Percy gasped, rushing up the hill towards Thalia's tree. Thankfully, he could see three people at the top, and was happy to find Bianca, Grover, and Clarisse. So Luke had spoken to her after all. He felt a weight lift from his chest and reveled in it.

At the top of the hill, the three of them turned at Percy's shout. He slowed as he approached them, breathing deeply as he took them all in for a moment, making sure they were prepared and unharmed and…

Oh. He could sense them all pretty equally. That was a surprise. Apparently his growth through the last year had strengthened his bond to the nature spirits in Camp too, because he could sense Grover far better than he could the year before. Why hadn't he noticed earlier? Probably because he was kind of more focused on getting the Di Angelos to Camp and the upcoming quest (now quests) and their claiming and Luke and Annabeth…

Speaking of which, he could also sense a presence behind one of the bushes that grew nearby, but out of sight of his path and the group's position. He considered outing said presence, but ultimately decided not to draw any attention to them, focusing on the group in front of him instead and pushing the knowledge of an inevitable confrontation to the back of his mind for now. He could deal with that then. For now, he genuinely wanted to encourage Bianca and the other two. It took a lot of effort, but he forced himself to smile.

It had already been a long summer, and he hadn't even been back from school a week. Typical.

"Percy," Bianca said, confused but pleased. It was far warmer than any expression she'd given him in his first life. Clarisse glared at Percy, but not with the vitriol he remembered, so there was that too. Grover just looked… tired. Percy understood that. Grover had confided that he hadn't slept well before their first quest in the other timeline, too. Which Percy could relate to. Bianca looked tired too, now that he looked closer. Clarisse didn't, though Percy would put money on her just hiding it.

"Glad I caught you," he said, annoyed at his body. He'd spent a lot of time fighting recently but not running and he was obviously not used to it. Something he'd overlooked.

It would be fixed. Very soon. One way or another.

"Look, you just got here and are going on a quest, and that sucks," he knew that from experience, "but…" he held out his hands. Brows furrowed, Bianca opened her palms underneath his. He set a prism-maker in one hand and a stack of drachma in the other. Her eyes opened wide, probably at the sight of all that gold. He was glad he'd come up then. She was new and likely hadn't been given a prism-maker yet. That had occurred to him when he'd thought about making sure he had his own that morning.

"Keep this. I know I'm on my own quest. I know I'll be on the other side of the world. But if you need help, please call me. Do your best to get through. One drachma should be enough for a normal call, but if it won't go through, you may need incentive to have Lady Iris break through whatever barrier is blocking you. Or me. I'm going to the Sea of Monsters, so it might take two or three drachmas*. Although, you can give up something of great value to you instead of a drachma as well. The higher you value what you give up, the more she'll work at breaking through boundaries. Though I have heard that children of Pl… um, Hades can sometimes call specific metals or rocks to them, so that might also be an option."

Bianca blinked. "I… just… Percy, what?"

That expression… For a moment, he just saw the girl he'd watched die on the quest to save Artemis—young and scared and confused but also excited at the prospect of finding something new. A pang of pain shot through his heart. He had to accept that she might die before he could get to her, even if she called him and he hadn't even explained that but… she needed to be able to do most of the quest on her own.

And yet, he couldn't just send her off. Not when he could interfere without severe consequences. Percy grabbed her still outstretched hand, trying to get across how much he meant his words. She looked surprised. Probably because she didn't have context. He pushed aside his own annoyance at himself and his 'dive in head first' attitude and focused on what he wanted to say.

"You can do this. You have a strong team. Clarisse can fight just about anything and I'd trust Grover with my life—like I know you already have." He nodded to a surprised daughter of Ares and Grover, who just looked on determinedly and nodded back once. "The thing is, anyone can have a problem on a quest. There's a reason they're so dangerous. If you get into a fight you can't win—and I know it would have to be one Hades of a fight…" he paused, blinking. That had been almost as awkward as saying the exact same thing to Hades himself. Which he really didn't want to think about, so he just cleared his throat and moved on. "If that happens, get to water. If it's connected to the sea, that will be better. I can be there in minutes because of my ability to water travel.

"More demigods can't go on your quest with you—there's a reason only three typically go—but if someone shows up to help, it doesn't tend to trigger that particular problem. So, you do that for me, and I'll do that for you. If I get into a bind I can't get out of, I'll call you, okay? Maybe fresh eyes can help me find a solution. Let's both come home from this."

Clarisse snorted and looked away. Grover looked down, likely worried about losing more demigods and friends (not having that empathy link was… more frustrating that Percy thought it would be). Bianca just blinked in surprise.

Then she burst into tears.

Which was definitely not what Percy had been expecting. He dropped her hand and stepped back. Bianca didn't seem to mind.

"F-for as long as I remember, I've always been the one to take care of everyone. The older sister, the mature one, the leader of the quest." Percy nodded, trying not to look as uncomfortable as he felt. It wasn't so much the crying itself (he was used to campers crying) but more why, and the fact that he really didn't know. For the first time in a while, he was tempted to try and read her emotions, but managed to hold himself back.

That was a slippery slope he refused to approach unless absolutely necessary. Like figuring out if Luke had stolen the Bolt this time around.

"N-no one's ever offered to h-help me carry that burden," she finally clarified.

Oh.

Oh.

"Leadership?" he asked, starting to see where that was coming from.

"Parent," Bianca said. "And… and I think that's different."

Percy winced at the presence he knew was listening in, but once again returned his focus to the girl in front of him. Nodding, he patted her on the back. She leaned into his touch. He was kind of surprised that Grover hadn't said anything at this point, but then he was the empath of the group, so maybe he knew something Percy didn't. Also, he really needed to stop projecting the Lord of the Wild onto this much younger satyr. Was he doing that to the other campers too? He hoped not. He'd been trying to avoid it.

No, focus. Stupid ADHD.

"It is different," he finally decided to say, keeping his voice quiet and supportive as he fell into the familiar role of Camp Director. "Thankfully, this team doesn't need a parent. But it could probably use a leader. Not that Clarisse or Grover couldn't lead," he nodded at the other two, who looked on with varying expressions of interest and offense. "But this quest was given to you. All three of you will be needed to fulfill it, but you will need to lead it. And maybe this is a good time to figure some things out. Your team is here to support you, and, like I said, I know I'll help as much as I can."

She nodded and looked up, a new resolve entering her dark eyes. "Thank you. I'll help you too! And, you're right. We'll all come back from our quests."

Percy felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he returned the nod.

"Yeah, yeah," Clarisse seemed to finally reach her breaking point. "Enough of all this mushy stuff. Let's go, already."

Percy withheld a snort and nodded instead. "Right. Jalbwa, no chingu**."

Everyone looked strangely at him for that, and it took him a moment to realize he'd gone a little too far into his director mode and added on what he tended to for his kids in the future.

"What?" Clarisse asked, blinking.

"Oh," Percy said, shifting nervously. "Sorry. It's Korean. Kind of an Anglified version… ish. It became popular…" no, it hadn't become that popular yet. Not as an actual saying. Sure, anyone from Korea would understand but it wasn't a common phrase right now… he thought. "Um… you know what? It means good luck. So, good luck." It was actually a very informal, heart-felt way of wishing someone the best, but this had already gotten awkward enough.

Bianca looked a little relieved, and awkward herself. Cheeks darkening, likely with second-hand embarrassment. "Thanks, Percy. Good luck to you, too."

"Great. Now let's go," Clarisse said, grabbing Bianca's backpack and physically hauling her past Thalia's tree.

"Uh… bye, Percy!"

"Bye Bianca, Clarisse, Grover!"

He expected Grover to return the call, but the Satyr just waved nervously. So Percy decided to call out, "You got this, Buddy!"

"Go on your own quest, Prissy!" The daughter of Ares called before Grover could say anything. There was the Clarisse he knew. Shaking his head fondly, he watched them go for a bit before turning around and bracing himself for another hard conversation. Sure enough, after only a couple of steps down the side of the hill, he heard a quiet voice.

"Am I a burden?"

Oh, yeah. This would not be fun.

Taking a deep breath, he turned around calmly and faced Nico Di Angelo, sitting behind the bush with his arms around his knees, hands clasping a figurine and a deck of cards respectively.

Percy sighed, mentally apologized to Annabeth and Luke before striding over and sitting down next to his cousin. That wasn't an easy question to answer. Because in a way, every relationship was a burden, but the good relationships were well worth the burden. However, Nico didn't need to hear that. Not in his mindset. The philosophy would probably interest him when he was older, but now, he was a ten-year-old kid who had just heard the one figure he really looked up to talk about… well, that.

The thing was, he didn't want to lie to the kid either.

"Depends on what you mean as 'burden'. A weight someone hates carrying?"

Nico seemed to think about that, not looking up as he slowly nodded.

"Then, no," Percy said. "I think your sister wanted—still wants—to make sure you're safe, but was very young when she had to start doing that all the time. She wasn't prepared, and she tries her hardest, but sometimes she doesn't think she's doing it right, or doing enough, and that gets tiring. That isn't your fault. It isn't her fault either. It's honestly more of a failing of the adults around you who should have helped."

The son of Hades finally looked up, his dark eyes sad but thoughtful.

"What adults?"

Percy slumped a little. "I was afraid you were going to say that. Alright, let's go this way. Bianca mentioned both of your memories are a little spotty. How much do you remember of your life before you came here?"

Nico opened his mouth, then paused and frowned again, this time in confusion. "I… we were at a hotel for a couple of months. And then we were brought by our father's lawyer to school…" he faded off as some pieces clicked. "Oh."

"Yeah," Percy nodded. "Probably one of your father's servants. On that note, do you remember your mother at all?"

The tween bit his lip and looked down, thinking hard, before shaking his head. "No. I mean… there was something before the hotel… but I can't remember what!" He suddenly looked panicked as he turned to Percy. "That's not 'a little spotty'! Why don't I remember?!"

The older demigod held out his hands placatingly. "It's probably something your father did to keep you safe. We can talk to him later, if you want. But the thing is, demigods can't be raised by their godly parent. It's one of the rules everyone in our pantheon has to follow. Especially for us Big Three kids. Being around our godly parent—or any god, though to a lesser extent with others—calls to our divinity. It can awaken parts of us our bodies aren't prepared for, drive us mad, or hurt us badly without meaning to. Gods can be selfish, cruel beings, but very few actively want to hurt their children like that. So your father had to do something to protect you. I don't know the details on what—you'd have to ask him—but my guess? Something happened to your mother and your father did what he could to save you.

"Anyway, back to my point. So… um… the thing is…," he tried to think about how to say what he needed to. "Do you know what 'parentification' is?" he finally settled on. Nico's eyebrows drew together and he shook his head. Percy nodded. "It's taking a child and putting them in a parental role, usually by the people who should be taking care of the children to begin with, often for long or extended periods of time. Children are still developing emotionally and mentally, though, and aren't meant to be in a role like that, so it's considered a form of abuse. You know what abuse is, right?"

Nico's eyes had flown wide in horror, and he nodded slowly. "When a parent hurts their child?"

Percy tipped his hand back and forth. "Abuse isn't strictly from parent to child only. For instance, bullying is a form of abuse, often from peers or sometimes even people younger than the victim. But, yes. It's when someone repeatedly hurts someone else–especially someone they should respect or protect–to get what they want. Do you see why 'parentification' applies?"

Swallowing, Nico nodded, looking down again, his face still twisted in horror. "So… Bianca…"

"Yes," Percy said, not unkindly. "But something you have to realize? It's not your fault."

"But… I'm the one she was taking care of."

Percy shrugged. "You deserve to be taken care of. Everyone here does. That doesn't mean it always happens. And she still wants to see you happy and healthy. That's why you're not a burden. Everyone involved is really doing the best they can with what they have.

"But that's why you're here now. Some people might be scared of you because of who your father is, but even they still want Bianca to succeed. Even they don't want to see you hurt. You can find good people here you can rely on. And maybe you and Bianca can talk about what kind of a relationship you want when she gets back—what will be best for both of you. That's probably why your father sent you here." Okay, Percy had no idea if that had even factored into Hades plans, but he'd give the guy the benefit of the doubt and a positive footing with his son. If the god ruined it, well, that would be all on him.

Nico looked like he was biting the inside of his lip, and shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't… like people," he muttered. "I try to be happy and nice, I do! But… making new friends is hard."

Percy withheld a scoff. That was so like the cousin he remembered. "Yeah, it can be," he said instead. "But you met me, right?" Nico nodded slowly. "And Grover too."

"Um… he just kind of showed up and was a better choice than the monsters following us from school," the smaller boy muttered.

"But you still trusted him." Nico nodded again, albeit reluctantly. "You don't have to trust everyone you meet to begin with, even here. Actually, I'd advise against it, but… maybe give them a chance. Some people will let you down, sure, but you'll also find good people to lift you up too, even if it takes a little while. You just need to meet enough of them. For now, set your boundary of how much time you'll put into trying to make friends, and how much time you need on your own, and you can change that up later if you need to.

"I'm not gonna lie, it won't be easy, but it will be worth it." He held out his hand. "So, are you willing to try?"

Nico just stared at the offered appendage for several seconds before setting the figurine in his right hand down and reaching over to shake Percy's. "Okay. I'll… try."

Percy grinned. "Good. I can see why Bianca's proud of you."

That had just the effect he wanted as Nico blushed. "I… um… what?! Sh-she didn't say that!"

The time-traveler shrugged. "She didn't have to. It's in how she talks about you."

Nico looked down. "You think so?"

Percy nodded. "Yup. One hundred percent." Okay, he was actually maybe only 80% sure, but Nico didn't need to know that either.

"Um, did… you mean what you said earlier?" Nico suddenly asked, changing the subject so fast Percy blinked and leaned away a little.

"What?"

"About helping her and everyone coming home?"

Oh. It was that talk. Joy.

"I did," he said slowly.

"Do you promise to save her?" he asked, pleading. With those bright and hopeful, but simultaneously dark and desperate eyes staring up at him, Percy could remember why he'd had a hard time refusing the first go around. Fortunately, he had more experience this time.

"I can't promise that," he said softly.

Nico looked stung and Percy had to withhold a wince.

"What?!"

"Nico, Bianca shouldn't have been responsible for you like she was. That wasn't your fault, but in an ideal world, it wouldn't have happened at all. You should have had your mother and you both would have grown up with her, hopefully happy. But life isn't always like that, and Bianca stepped up. Was that fair to either of you?"

The son of Hades looked pained when he thought back on their conversation and shook his head. "No."

"Can you see how asking me to take responsibility for her is just as wrong?" Nico cringed and Percy shoved the guilt away. Nico just had a way of making him feel like he'd kicked a puppy sometimes. As he grew older the son of Hades learned how to take advantage of it. It had always been one of his most terrifying traits.

"I wasn't asking you to take responsibility," he muttered.

Percy raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You wanted me to promise to bring her home safely. That's asking me to take responsibility for her. The thing is, I will be across the world trying to keep my own team alive for our quest." He was tempted to ask Nico if they were less important than Bianca, but decided not to, having the suspicion the kid would say yes and then withdraw if he did. So he went with something else. "What I can promise is that I will do everything within my power to help her when she calls me. And that's all I can do."

"But what if she dies?!"

Normally, Percy wouldn't have much of a consoling answer for him… and honestly still didn't, but he did have a point he could make this time, albeit a bitter one. "Then the world will likely end because the gods will go to war and we'll all be fighting each other and trying to survive anyway."

His words had the desired effect of making Nico draw back in shock. Percy didn't feel much satisfaction knowing he'd been right about the kid not looking at the larger picture. He was ten and sheltered. Of course he wouldn't.

Percy still felt like he'd kicked a puppy. Again.

"I can't tell you how to feel," the son of Poseidon said as he stood up, brushing his pants off. He still had to stop by his cabin and grab his backpack, and he was already running late. "That's for you to decide. But I can tell you that I will do everything I can to make sure she survives. I don't know if that will be enough, but it's more than what she had before. If that's not enough for you, I recommend you train to get stronger so you can support her. But just remember, you need to talk to her about what she wants when she gets back. Okay?"

Nico looked troubled. "You said 'when'," he murmured.

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I did. I want to believe we're all coming back, even if that's naive.

"I need to leave but… don't sit here for too long, yeah?"

The dark-eyed boy didn't look happy, but he did nod. Percy smiled and turned to leave. He knew it was time to let the boy stew on his own. If he pushed anymore, it would probably only hurt Nico more in the long run.

Speaking of running… he waited until he was a fair distance away from Nico before he broke into a sprint. His teammates were probably already finished loading the ship—a ship he hadn't even seen yet. He didn't even know where they got a ship. Weren't the Greeks supposed to have navies? Why hadn't he ever seen one?

And also, he really, really needed to work on his running.

xXx

"Where have you been?" Annabeth asked as he came huffing and puffing up to the pier. The pier that had just kind of appeared the night before. Or that morning, he wasn't entirely sure.

He sent a mental thanks to his dad.

The boat at the end of the pier looked… well, a little under the weather. He could tell Annabeth wasn't exactly happy with it, and Luke was walking around said boat, staring at everything with a sort of horrified awe.

Still, they'd obviously been busy with supplies as there wasn't much left to load. Not that they had a whole lot they'd need for a trip that would likely take them a couple of days at most, but this was Annabeth's first quest, and Luke's first quest after his failed one, so it was understandable that they wanted to be prepared.

"I wanted to wish Bianca and her quest good luck," he said, wheezing more than he'd like.

Annabeth just looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

Percy raised an eyebrow in return. "What?"

"You're wheezing and out of breath."

"And?"

"I… guess I just didn't expect that," she muttered, face going red, not with embarrassment, but likely anger. She never had liked to admit she'd made a mistake.

"Wait, did I just hear you went to wish the other quest well?" Luke asked, looking confused as he walked up the pier.

That took the time-traveler by surprise. "Yes."

The other's confusion deepened. "Why?"

Percy couldn't help but be confused at his confusion. "Why shouldn't I? I mean, we all want everyone to come back… right?"

"Of course we do," Annabeth said, a little too quickly.

The time-traveler eyed her. "Wait. Do you… not like her?" He frowned. That didn't quite make sense either. His fellow questgoers seemed to be confused at his actions towards her, not their own.

"No," she said, sounding frustrated. "That's not it."

"Gods don't act like that."

Annabeth gasped. "Luke," she whispered.

"What?" he asked.

Percy shook his head, reaching down for the final bag (potatoes, he thought) and hefted it with more than a little effort. "I told you I'm completely mortal," he said, walking up the gangplank, "no matter my memories". That burden he'd just lifted by talking to Bianca seemed to return ten-fold, and he was suddenly very tired, going on a quest with people he both did and didn't know, who couldn't seem to treat him like another demigod. He didn't need to tap into his emotion sense to get fear, puzzlement, and shock from them at more or less everything he did.

He realized that by telling Luke his past (and by Annabeth figuring it out), they'd stopped seeing him as Percy. Instead, they saw a typical Greek god, just without powers… and he'd really like them to stop. He wasn't that bad.

Was he?

He really hoped not…

He really tried not to be…

Yeah, topic change. Now. Thank you, brain.

Continuing up the plank, he expected to feel right at home the moment he stepped on the boat, like he always had. But… he didn't. It threw him off so badly, he stumbled as soon as he set foot on the deck. Annabeth nearly ran into him standing frozen, reaching out to the ship and only barely getting anything in return.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked worriedly from behind.

Percy frowned. "I've been on boats before… I can control them. But this one…" He could still sense it, but sluggishly. Which made no sense. He'd sailed complete wrecks before, far worse than this; as in they would have sunk (and in some cases had sunk) had it not been for his power. His frown deepened. That development would make this trip far more difficult. Why had it happened, though? He… had a couple of ideas but nothing concrete.

Then again, he hadn't had to use a boat for centuries. Maybe he'd just forgotten?

Or maybe the Fates wanted this to be a challenge. He wouldn't put it past them but… he didn't really get that sense.

"I don't like this boat," Luke was saying. "It's practically falling apart. Whose idea was it to use this anyway?"

"It was a gift… from Lord Ares," Annabeth said through gritted teeth. "In payment to the leader of our expedition for supporting his daughter in going on the other quest."

Ah. That made sense. That really was up Ares alley. The boat was, in truth, likely a response to Percy outing Ares to the council. Well, what was he supposed to do? Just let Ares get away with it all, like he had before? Yeah. No. But the best revenge was always living well and succeeding despite the underhanded behavior. Which Percy could do here.

He shrugged. "I can still control water. Even if we run into problems, we'll be fine." Annabeth and Luke exchanged glances. They didn't say anything, but Percy could practically hear them saying, 'That does not reassure me.' He sighed, supposing he hadn't really earned their faith yet. (Faith in him as a human, not as a god—he doubted he'd ever earn the latter from them, and wasn't sure he wanted to.)

"Do you have any other ideas how we can go on our quest without offending the God of War?" he asked.

Annabeth's face took on a pinched look that plainly stated her displeasure at being unable to see a way around the current predicament. Luke's jaw tightened, but he showed no other sign of frustration. Even now, he was good.

"No," they said together.

Percy nodded. "I couldn't think of anything either. So we take the boat and go. However," he looked to the daughter of Athena, "even if I didn't expect this minor complication, I would have wanted someone on our team looking into what to do if we lose this ship. Can I count on you for that?" She looked surprised, then thoughtful as she nodded.

Percy smiled, then turned to Luke. "Did you happen to acquire a raft when you saw the state of this… lovely gift?"

Luke blinked at him, completely blank faced, then coughed. "Maybe."

Percy smirked. "Thought so."

Annabeth looked surprised at the older blond. "You did? You were only gone for like… ten minutes."

Luke shrugged. "I knew where the inflatable rafts were kept."

The daughter of Athena looked thoughtful and impressed. Also, maybe a little twitterpated. Percy tried to ignore that last thought (along with the jealousy accompanying it) and grinned.

"Okay, so that's backup plan one, but we still need a couple of others, just in case." He had a couple of ideas of his own, but that would depend on context at the time. So he nodded when Annabeth did the same, and then he glanced at Luke again.

"Where are we putting the supplies?" he pointed to the bag over his shoulder.

Luke pointed ahead, looking tired. "That way. There were already some sacks there when we came on, so maybe we shouldn't touch those? Just in case they're another… gracious gift from our war god. They're about as good as the ship itself." He wrinkled his nose. "They smell… off. Like, rotten onion off."

Percy nodded. "Not surprising, so that's a good call."

He hurried below deck, annoyed at the sudden awful smell and the quick change from light to dark, and doubted they had electricity on the piece of junk they were currently putting all of their hope into. He quickly walked over to the corner where they'd put a couple of crates and barrels (actual barrels, they seriously needed to upgrade, though that might save them from taking on the stench), as well as some heavy-duty pottery and burlap sacks filled with food already. The obviously smelling ones were tucked away in a corner, away from the good food. He laid the potatoes next to the good pile, stepping aside to let Annabeth and Luke set their bags down before hurrying back up into the daylight and fresh air (they'd have to deal with that when sleeping in the cabins too… yay). Even after only a couple of seconds, he squinted a little. They'd need to fix that. Maybe he should get an eye patch? Hmm…

"Alright, is that it?" he asked when his two companions came back on deck. They both nodded. "We all have our personal bags?" He pressed, having to check because he didn't want to risk losing one of them to starvation on the seas or something. The other two nodded again, heading over to one end of the boat and holding up a backpack each. Percy had his own on his back, and he'd triple-checked it for the vitamins (as well as everything else). Good.

"Well, let's start this quest then!" With more effort than he would like to admit to—even for his current abilities—he reached out to the boat. It had a motor he started after some focus and concentration (although it sputtered and spit and would likely die on them very soon), and then they pushed away from the shore and were off to the Sea of Monsters. A year early.

That seemed to be a theme in his new life.

Chapter Text

Percy didn't often revel in the wind. It wasn't his domain, or remotely tied to said domain (except maybe the storms and destruction), but there were two exceptions—two times he did revel: One, when riding a Pegasus, and two, when sailing. There was just something freeing about the smell of the air at sea and the feel of the wind and the swell of the waves below. He stood at the front of the boat, pushing the water beneath it and consequently keeping the vessel afloat easily. For just a couple of moments, he could forget everything: the old future (his past), his friends and how different everything was, his potential future; for just a moment, it was him and the boat and the ocean and nothing else.

It was nice, even if it couldn't last. And it wasn't like he'd go back to people he hated. It was just… good to let go of all the pressure for a moment.

"You know," Annabeth said (obviously trying to fight off her obvious sea-sickness), drawing him out of his reverie, "with the kind of time we're making we shouldn't have a hard time making it to the east side and the Wandering Rocks." She looked down at the map in her hands, then glanced over at Percy. He frowned. The other entrance to the Sea of Monsters. He could probably navigate those fairly safely but…

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure I can get us through the west entrance pretty easily too." He'd been thinking about it as they sailed, going through what he could remember of his previous trip through the Bermuda Triangle. Even though it was dangerous to go through the western entrance, he wasn't sure he wanted to go off course for a couple of reasons. First, he'd been thinking up ways to combat what he could remember, and he had some ideas, so he felt more secure going this way. Second, he needed to get to Circe's island and convince Reyna and Hylla to leave. Hopefully without releasing Blackbeard this time. He liked Reyna. She was one of the friends he'd been able to keep long term… until she'd died on a mission gone wrong. Thalia had been devastated. She always was when someone died on her watch. And she'd grown to care for all of her 'sisters'. Still, Reyna's death had been a hard blow for Percy too. At least she'd lived well into her hundreds.

"Really?" Luke asked, half skeptical, half intrigued. "Pray tell, how will we make it past Scylla and Charybdis?"

Percy shrugged. "I can make a bubble around the boat. We travel under the water near Scylla's cliff."

Luke and Annabeth exchanged a glance Percy couldn't interpret (which really bothered him, he knew Annabeth… except not this timeline's Annabeth, he had to remind himself). They didn't look too confident though.

"Here, let me prove it," Percy said, just to put their minds at ease. "I'll have to get into the water though." Mainly to save energy. He didn't want to use too energy just showing them what he planned, but he thought this was worth it if he gave them peace of mind.

Even more concerned glances passed between his two companions. He huffed, frustrated. "Come on. We're here in completely magicless waters. If something goes wrong, wouldn't you prefer we figure it out here than there?"

"The Sea of Monsters is magic?" Luke asked.

Percy blinked, surprised he had to ask. "Well, anything that travels with the gods when they move with the Heart of the West is… theoretically." He scratched his neck thoughtfully. "Or at least that's more or less what Annabeth told me last time."

"Last time?" Annabeth asked sharply. Percy froze, mentally kicking himself and bit down on his lips. Apparently she'd found something to focus on hard enough to work past her weak stomach.

Oops.

Luke shot him an unimpressed look.

"Just a second!" Percy said, rushing over the half-rotten wooden planks, grabbing his backpack, and practically tearing it open. It didn't take him long to find Hestia's jar. Pulling it out, he tapped it three times and sensed a barrier rise around them. He let out a sigh, even as part of the burning coal dimmed and fell to the bottom of the jar.

"What is that?" Luke asked, eyes narrowed.

"A gift from Aunt Hestia. We have anywhere from five minutes to half-an-hour before anyone on Olympus can hear us. So yeah."

"Oh, good. I can call you an 'idiot' to your face and no one will wonder why."

"No one would wonder why otherwise," Annabeth muttered. Which, ouch.

"What?" Percy asked Luke petulantly. "She'd probably figured it out anyway."

"I can't believe you just blurted out confirmation of my top option," she said, annoyed. "I was going to ask if you came from the future yesterday before you sprung this quest on us. Now I guess I don't have to."

"See! You did figure it out," Percy said brightly.

She just rolled her eyes, likely still a little miffed that he'd given the game away before she'd been able to confront him, but also happy she'd guessed right.

After a moment of silence, he thought about showing them his under-water bubble trick, but Annabeth beat him to it.

"How far?"

He blinked at the sudden question, then shrugged, looking back to the front of the boat and the expanse of sea before them. "From the future? About three hundred years, give or take."

A long pause. "But you were born human, right?"

Percy nodded. "Yup. Well, half. Just as demigod as you two. Completely mortal, though."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annabeth look over at Luke, who surprisingly shook his head. Her face pinched into something firm and defiant before looking back at Percy. Luke opened his mouth.

"Annabeth—"

"What happened? In the future you remember?"

Luke let out a long sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Percy would have found his reaction amusing if he wasn't watching Annabeth intently. This could go so wrong in so many ways. Should he tell her? Tell her about Kronos and Gaea and the other Titans and Giants? About his fears and who he may be sacrificing playing god when he was no longer one (and he wasn't entirely sure he should even then)? About their relationship? There was just… so much. And that didn't even get into what happened when they were older.

"I...I'm not sure I should say," he finally said slowly. "Not because anyone's listening in, but… things are already so different. Expectations could be a serious detriment."

She huffed. "You know what's going on, though. About the prophecies? How they were all fulfilled?"

Glancing at Luke, who shrugged, Percy nodded slowly as he returned his eyes back to the daughter of Athena. "By coming back in time, I brought every applicable prophecy with me, fulfilled."

"Because you have knowledge of the future."

"Of a possible future," he emphasized.

She waved him off. "Of course." Then she went into what Percy had dubbed her thinking pose, eyes hard and hand cradled in her chin, blond curls blowing in the air. It was so familiar…

He shook the thought out of his head. Not his Annabeth.

His heart hurt. Again. Would it ever stop?

"You fulfilled the prophecy last time, didn't you?" she asked. Eyebrows raising in pleasant surprise, Percy smiled and nodded. "Did you die but they allowed you to ascend for fulfilling the prophecy?"

His smile disappeared and he glanced up at Luke again. He looked interested but uneasy. Understandable.

Percy would keep him out of this for now.

"I can't say everything—not entirely my story or secret to tell—but…" He took a deep breath.

"A half-blood of the eldest gods
shall reach sixteen against all odds.
And see the world in endless sleep,
a hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap.
A single choice shall end his days,
Olympus to preserve or raze."

Both Luke and Annabeth looked surprised now.

"I fought hard to make it to sixteen. Multiple problems popped up before that: exploding volcanoes, the Labyrinth, rising Titans, but I did it. Though I had a lot of help.

"On my sixteenth birthday, the Titans fought us in Manhattan. Morphius or Hypnos had put everyone to sleep—and see the world in endless sleep—and the armies of the Crooked One had cornered us on Olympus while the gods fought Typhon." Annabeth sucked in a breath, mouth dropping open. Percy glanced at Luke, who was looking away, refusing to meet his eyes and jaw clenched. He went on anyway. "He'd obtained the help of another demigod, using them as a host—a stepping stone from the Pit to Earth that could hold himself together."

"Another demigod? Who would do that?" Annabeth asked.

Percy looked away, this time pointedly not looking at Luke. "I can't say. Just know, I'm doing what I can to take care of it."

"But—"

"Leave it alone, Annabeth," Luke said, voice quiet but firm.

"But Luke—" she started again.

He cut her off. "Let him finish."

She frowned, and it was obvious she would revisit the topic, but she closed her mouth, lips tight and pursed even as she nodded at Percy to go on. So he did.

"I was the half-blood of the eldest gods. The choice I had to make?" he shook his head. "There are two ways to interpret it. The first was that I was the one to make a decision—to hand over a cursed dagger to a potential enemy who had finally realized they'd chosen the wrong side." He sighed, sitting down, suddenly tired. "It wasn't even the blade we thought it would be."

"A hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap," Annabeth whispered to herself. She didn't see Percy eyeing the dagger currently in her belt. But Luke did. He raised his eyebrows in question, glancing at Annabeth pointedly. Percy nodded. Luke looked incredulous, but they both returned their attention to Annabeth when she looked up.

"What was the other interpretation?"

Percy took a breath. "The 'hero's' soul? Everyone assumed it would be the 'half-blood of the eldest gods'. It wasn't. That was the demigod playing host. They chose to be a hero, using the blade I gave them to kill themselves, taking the Titan King with them. By that point, we'd both taken on the curse of Achilles, and only they knew where their weak point was." He looked up at a very pale-faced Luke. "Despite everything they did—all the lives lost because of their decisions, they died a hero, choosing to save humanity. The cursed blade reaped their soul. Olympus was preserved… for better or worse. That was their choice, and I think it was the choice referred to in the prophecy."

"For better or worse?" Annabeth asked, blinking. "What do you mean by that?"

Once again, Percy looked at Luke, who narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. He felt his own resolve harden and hoped Aunt Hestia's shield still held. Because this could get ugly otherwise.

"The Titans will destroy the world if they win, Annabeth. They want to rebuild it to their liking. They are, quite obviously, the worse choice between them and the gods. It's not the first time that's happened, and it won't be the last. Groups keep… kept popping up who had good points but were, in the end, worse choices as leaders of our pantheon. But how long will that last? The gods… aren't great. I say that with insider knowledge. How long until someone comes along who is a better choice? Even if it's more than three hundred years. Maybe it'll be a thousand or two, but… eventually, someone will come along who is a better choice. Choosing them as the lesser of two evils gets very tiring after a while."

The other two looked shocked at his words, neither really seeming to know what to say.

"And yes, to answer your previous question, they offered me godhood after everything that happened in that war. I turned them down."

"What?!" Annabeth asked, more surprise and confusion. Luke looked incredulous.

Percy sighed. "I turned them down, and instead used the wish they gave me instead to make them be the bare minimum of somewhat decent parents. They had to claim their children when a child got to camp or when they turned thirteen. I also made sure camp would recognize the minor gods by making them cabins when a child of theirs arrived at camp. The fact that I had to use my wish for that…" he faded off shaking his head.

"But… but then how…?"

Another deep breath. "I fought in multiple wars, even after that, but I eventually made it to college. I moved in with my girlfriend. We started a family, married once we made peace with the Queen of the gods—"

"You had to make peace with—"

"Names," Percy warned. "You say a name and they may be able to break through the barrier. There's a reason these aren't always used. They're flimsy at best and fairly easy to break through if we're not careful."

"Okay," Annabeth said, nodding as if that made sense, which it did in Percy's opinion. "But why did you have problems with her?"

"Well… my then-girlfriend did. It was the result of a bad run-in earlier. The Queen is a bit of a perfectionist who likes everything tied up neatly and perfectly. Perfect children, perfect spouses, perfect families. She likes to pretend—believe—her family is perfect, but as much as she tries, she doesn't seem to realize that everyone has long-since seen past the facade. The face she keeps showing is a farce of what she thinks family should be with little substance to support it. My girlfriend took issue with that."

Annabeth opened her mouth to say something again, but Percy beat her to it. The faster they got off of that tangent, the better.

"In any case, my children and I were attacked one day when separated from my girlfriend (then wife). In order to protect them, I threw myself into what power I could. It… finished cracking something inside of me and the next thing I knew, I had multiple domains all my own and a connection to all of them. Disoriented and confused, I managed to get the girls to safety before recovering in one of my domains." He paused. "It was the single most painful physical thing I've ever experienced." Including anything in Tartarus.

The other two demigods stared, wide-eyed at Percy, who in turn gazed off into space, lost in memories, some of which he could only barely remember at all due to his change in forms. He really hated that.

"What started it?"

Percy flinched, drawing back suddenly. "What?"

"You said that finished cracking something inside you. What started it?"

"Annabeth…" Luke muttered, rubbing his nose again and looking utterly done.

Percy felt his jaw clench. There were any number of times he felt he'd pushed himself and his power too far. The volcano, sitting on his father's throne, Alaska… but the only other time he really remembered feeling something close to that kind of shattering had been in the Pit… with Ahklys.

He looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"You could answer an age-old question about how to become a god but you don't want to talk about that?" Annabeth asked, incredulous. For the first time in a very, very long time, Percy felt a frustrating annoyance towards this child—this inexperienced twelve-year-old who just wanted to find everything in the universe and understand it, no matter who she had to step on to get it. For that moment, he didn't see Annabeth Chase, he saw Athena. A young, clueless Athena, but Athena nonetheless. An Athena who had stumbled onto a very painful subject.

"No," he said again.

Annabeth opened her mouth again, face settling into her stubborn look and Percy braced himself for a fight because he couldn't… not right now. Not to her.

"That's understandable," Luke said quickly, putting a hand on the younger blond's shoulder. Percy almost melted in relief and shot the older boy a grateful look.

"So, anyway, you were about to show us something?"

Oh, right. The underwater bubble. "Yeah. Give me a sec." He walked to the side of the ship, put a hand on the sturdiest part of the rotten railing, and hopped over it. It took him a moment to splash into the water, but as soon as he did, he felt his fatigue and worry melt away with the waves. Smiling, he shot back up to the surface, not needing to take a breath as he burst through to the air above, he probably didn't make as much noise as they expected because he almost immediately heard them talking.

Percy was about to yell out to them to brace themselves when he heard Luke's words.

"…Know he looks harmless right now, but he's not. We both know it. And we both need to be careful."

He didn't quite know why hearing that hurt. Or why the next words hurt worse.

"Right. Sorry, Luke. I didn't mean to push."

"Hey, none of that," he heard the older boy say. "Just be a little more aware in the future."

His gut twisted.

"I will."

Yeah, he'd heard enough. Using his power to make a large splash, he took a loud breath and then called up. "Okay, you guys ready?" And if he was a little upset, well, they likely didn't know him well enough to tell.

Which hurt just as much, now that he thought about it.

"Yeah!" Luke called.

"Luke!" Annabeth hissed. Percy didn't bother to listen to what she was about to say. Instead, he willed water over the boat in a dome, lifting it gracefully from the sea to swirl around said boat. He may or may not have been showing off a little from sheer annoyance and frustration. Then he dragged the boat down and just like that, they were floating underwater, the bottom of the boat still submerged while the top half enjoyed a spacious air pocket. Percy swam beside them in the water, keeping his eyes straight ahead. He didn't want to hear any more conversation between them. Not now.

Instead, he focused on keeping the bubble intact. It wasn't easy, but it was doable. Going past Charybdis and Scylla would be even more difficult, he suspected, but nothing he couldn't handle. He'd make sure of it.

After about thirty seconds or so, he allowed the bubble to float to the top of the water, keeping it back until the boat floated again. Then he took one final breath and launched himself onto the deck, forcing a smile.

"See," he said, hoping he sounded brighter than he felt.

"That was… amazing," Annabeth said. At least she sounded sincere, if wary (again).

He was getting really sick of that tone from her.

It didn't help that she was starting to look sick again. He didn't know if that was from the seasickness or… him.

"Anyways, I'm going to need to rest before we get there, so I'm going to head down and take a nap, smell or not."

"Yeah," Luke agreed slowly. Annabeth nodded beside him.

And that was really getting on Percy's nerves, too. So he shot them a smile, grabbed his backpack (with the jar carefully replaced) and headed below. The ship wasn't great, but it should be fine for a couple of hours on its own.

He found a room with an old mattress and, uncaring of how dirty it was, plopped on it. Closing the door helped to keep out the rotten onion stench, too.

He wished he could say he got to sleep quickly, but it took far too long to come.

xXx

Bianca didn't really know what to think of everything that had happened in the last week. She and Nico had literally gone from their very boring, military boarding school to running for their lives from monsters, finding out their father was a Greek god (the God of the Dead), and now she was on a quest with two people she barely knew, trusting them to have her back when they were in life-and-death situations.

She glanced at the very intimidating girl sitting on the seat across the aisle from her, light-brown hair pulled back in a pony-tail and a rolled bandanna tied around her forehead. She seemed to have a permanent scowl fixed on her face, and those rare few times she didn't, she looked about ready to kill someone. She had little patience, from what Bianca had seen, and didn't like to talk much, but Luke said she'd be good in a fight, and that Percy had recommend her.

Bianca hoped so.

Then her eyes found the curly head of brown hair in front of her. Grover… She liked the guy. He'd saved her and Nico from the monsters, been welcoming if nervous, and had done everything he could to keep them safe. But now he seemed so stand-offish. He didn't talk to her, didn't seem to want to interact. Apparently finding demigods was different than actual quests because he almost seemed like a different person. Shy and withdrawn… although, to be fair, if they didn't succeed on their quest, they'd likely start a war. She was nervous too. Didn't really feel like talking or planning or whatever.

Which was probably a bad idea, now that she thought about it.

Sighing, she forced herself to think back to the prophecy from that… really creepy mummy in the attic. (Why would anyone keep a mummy in an attic—one that felt strangely familiar though she couldn't place why….)

The shifter's rare child, after dodging fate's sting,
In vengeance doth strive to restore the old King.
You'll chase the trail west, as far as it goes,
Before you can find what is under your nose.

West. That was what she had been given. As far as she could go. There were a lot of cities in the west. Oh, and Hawaii. Apparently that was a state now. She didn't remember it being a state before. But Chiron didn't think the prophecy meant Hawaii, as a child of Hades crossing the ocean or flying in a plane over to Hawaii wouldn't be feasible (good to know) and so he recommended heading to Los Angeles to speak with her father. After all, what else could go farther than the Underworld? Besides, it was as far as she could go.

She felt like they were missing something, but didn't really have much to go on, so she'd agreed. And now they were heading through New Jersey towards Ohio, at the beginning of what could very well be a multi-day trip across the United States.

All to find what was under her nose.

Which made no sense. The bolt couldn't be there in camp, could it? She'd asked Chiron, and he'd just looked concerned—worried even—as he told her it was highly unlikely. But they had no way to really look for it, and he didn't know where to start, so what else could she do but follow her prophecy?

She was beginning to see why Percy hated them.

"Grab your crap," Clarisse's harsh voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Bianca blinked, partially at the crude language, partially at the other girl's obvious nerves. The daughter of Hades hadn't seen Clarisse nervous since she'd met her that morning.

"What?"

"Something's wrong," she said, looking up. Bianca followed her gaze but only found the roof of the bus.

"What's wrong?" she asked, returning her gaze to Clarisse, who was grabbing her backpack.

"Can't you feel it?" she asked, uncaring for the few other passengers on the bus.

"Feel what?" Grover asked, although he seemed to be gathering his things too. Not that he had much, but still. Bianca figured if Grover was following suit, it would be a good idea for her too. She grabbed her backpack and took out the small, Stygian knife she'd found on her pillow that morning. It had a note saying no one besides a child of the underworld could wield it without dire consequences, and it could even send the undead back to the underworld if used correctly.

She wasn't sure if she should be happy she had a weapon that could send undead away or that there were undead to kill… or re-kill?

"Something menacing," Clarisse whispered, still looking up. "Coming in with the clouds. We have to get off this bus. Now."

She grabbed for the emergency brake*. The bus screeched to a stop, throwing Bianca into Grover. Clarisse didn't seem fazed as she braced her hand on the seats lining the aisle and used that to jump over her questmates. With a spear in her hand, even.

Okay, Bianca was impressed.

Or, she would be if she wasn't still on the floor tangled up in a satyr's limbs.

Amidst yelling and screaming of all sorts, the three managed to get off of the bus and to the edge of the road just in time to see a lightning bolt hit the pavement just up the road… likely where the bus would have been had they kept going. The strike was blinding and followed almost immediately by thunder so loud, she couldn't hear anything afterwards. Clarisse still grabbed her and Grover's arms, dragging them into the woods on the side of the road.

Bianca had a hard time taking her eyes off of the crater surrounded by broken pavement, easily the size of a semi-truck tire, with branches zig-zagging out through the road around it. Somehow she didn't think that would have ended well for anyone on the bus and she swallowed.

Later, she would be angry that the king of the gods was happy to kill innocents to enact some form of revenge. She would also wonder exactly how he wanted to get his bolt back if she was dead.

It started to dawn on her where the gods' priorities lay, and she didn't like what she saw.

Gods are not perfect, Percy's words flitted through her mind. She was beginning to wonder if he knew just how much of an understatement that was. She suspected he did, but didn't have the time to really explain it to them on that bus back then. A much safer bus ride than what she'd just escaped from.

Eventually, the trees and bushes blocked her view of the road and she finally turned around, hurrying to keep up with Clarisse. No one said anything as they continued their nervous trek through the woods, hoping to find some other way that would lead them west fast enough to find the bolt and get back on time.

Chapter Text

"Percy?" a firm but cautious voice drew him out of his sleep. He'd been dreaming of Annabeth—his Annabeth—laughing good-naturedly at his attempts to plan, but then applauding him for making progress. Groaning, he opened his eyes, shifting on the stiff material he lay on. It smelled bad… like something that had been left to decay. Not as overwhelming as the stench from the hold, but still disgusting. Though now that he thought about it, the hold-stench was back too.

Turning to the side, he saw Luke standing in the doorway, watching him warily. "We're almost there."

Percy nodded and put his hands under his chest, shoving himself up. Right. The old mattress that seemed to be more dust than anything, in a room that looked about to cave in on itself inside a boat that looked (and felt) much the same. They were probably luckier than he wanted to admit it hadn't collapsed on them while he slept.

"Is…" Luke started as Percy brushed by him, maybe a little too quickly, "everything okay?"

No, he thought. You fear me, and hate the people I relate to the most. Not that I blame you, but… the wrong end of 'guilty by association' sucked.

Huh, Linkin Park was still around, weren't they?

No, focus. Here and now. Good bands with good music later. He wasn't a child of Apollo.

"Yeah. Just tired," he said, not wanting to really get into anything just then. Not if they were coming up on the entrance to their quest.

He stepped onto the deck and into the heat of the summer day. The winds and waves were perfect for sailing, and the heat hadn't bothered him for a long time, even after he'd come back. The only thing marring the lovely day were the cliffs in the distance under what looked like a storm. A perpetual storm that not everyone could see. Because those cliffs, according to every map in the world, shouldn't be there.

He'd asked Hecate once why The Mist showed mortals such strange things sometimes, and she'd laughed.

"It's gained a sentience of its own, Perseus," she'd said. "Even now, it is not something I could ever fully control again. The Mist is The Mist, and it exists on its own whims."

He hadn't much liked that answer, to Hecate's amusement. He was convinced she was a sadist.

As he thought, the storm itself didn't actually exist. Even as they drew closer, it had no effect on the water or winds. It also began to fade the closer they got. Was this how it looked last time? He couldn't remember. That had been a… rough ride, after all. Hopefully this one would be smoother.

He mentally winced. He'd had to jinx himself.

"Alright," he turned to Annabeth. "Keep an eye out for which side Scylla is on and which side has Charybdis. Also, I'm not entirely certain of my stamina in this body, so the closer we can get, the better." He thought he remembered Scylla being on the right, but he could be wrong.

"Of course," Luke muttered.

"Right," Annabeth said sharply, a pair of binoculars held up to her face. She'd seemed to get over her seasickness a little, or she was just too focused again. That was so like her.

"I'm going to get into the water once everything's in sight without binoculars," Percy decided. He'd need the power boost… or at least the stamina boost, because he really didn't want to exhaust himself too much when just getting into the cursed sea.

"Isn't that a little close?" Luke asked.

Percy shrugged. "Probably."

"Di immortales," the older blond muttered.

"For now, secure everything," Percy said. He may not be able to control the boat very well, but he still knew what needed to be done. If they'd been on a sailing ship, he'd probably be scurrying around and fixing the sails. Right now, though…

"Everything below deck is as secured as it can be," Luke returned.

Percy raced over to a coil of rope. Yup, it looked like something they'd brought on board, so probably something they could mostly trust. He held the rope out to Luke.

"Including yourselves."

Luke blinked, just staring at the rope. He looked surprised.

"Look," Percy could tell Annabeth was listening in too, "I'm a child of Poseidon, sure. But so are they. And even with my memories, they are much, much older than me and I am very much a demigod right now. If this comes down to who can manipulate water the best, I don't know if I can win. I can definitely put up enough of a fight to get us through, but I think it would ease all of our minds if everyone was secure. Redundancies exist for a reason."

Luke's eyebrows furrowed, but he still didn't look happy about it. He did, however, nod and take the rope. "Right."

"I'm going to get all the packs. Tie them to you too."

"Just in case," the older boy deadpanned. Percy shrugged and rushed off to get his and Luke and Annabeth's packs. Within two minutes, he was back with all of them. He double checked them, making sure zippers were up and drawstrings tied tightly as Annabeth and Luke tied themselves together, and then to the post holding the ship's helm.

Funny, this wasn't the same ship Percy remembered Clarisse taking on this quest, but it was similar. More modern but more run down too, and still close enough to trigger memories.

Leaving them to prepare, Percy climbed a ladder into a lookout post so he could have a better vantage point. He'd wondered why Annabeth hadn't come up here, but got his answer after his first step almost had the floor giving way underneath him. Still, he managed to get to the front-facing window and knelt on the ledge to give himself something stable to brace against.

He could see the break in the cliffs getting closer… not fast enough, though. Oh, right, he wasn't controlling the ship. Mentally kicking himself, he reached out to the water underneath them and the whole vessel picked up speed. It didn't take much, and they all wanted to get this over with. He heard some shouts of surprise from below, but no one said anything else.

"Scylla's on the right!" Annabeth yelled a couple of seconds later.

"Acknowledged!" he called back, not releasing his hold on the water as he carefully made his way back out of the room and down the ladder.

It took them minutes at that speed to reach a point where Percy felt he could release his control and prepare himself to take them all below

"I'm going in," he called.

"Acknowledged," Annabeth called back.

Percy almost smiled as he dived over the side of the boat. A rush of strength, home, and belonging washed over him and he reveled in it for a moment before he registered something nearby. It was, for lack of a better word, enormous. The power and presence… overwhelming. Unable to stop himself, he turned towards the sea's entrance. Last time, he didn't remember anything like this but now… he could see the rocks in the distance, deep and dark in the water. Light filtered through the gap between them, allowing him to see a massive, well, worm. Like someone had taken the Sarlacc from Star Wars and the sandworms from Dune, mixed them together and made them aquatic. Even from where they were, a relatively safe distance away, he could see folds of skin undulate as the whole body swirled slowly, sucking in the water overhead, sort of dangling there and disappearing when the light stopped penetrating the ocean.

It took him a minute to shake himself out of his surprise and he shot upwards, popping his head out of the water.

"Brace yourselves!" he yelled.

He didn't wait for a confirmation before slipping back under the water and taking a deep breath. Trying to ignore the presence, he grabbed a hold of the water, lifting it over and around the ship, before dragging it down. The giant air bubble certainly wanted to return to the surface, but Percy kept a tight hold on it and guided the ship forward. On the deck, he could see Luke and Annabeth holding onto each other and one of the poles in the center of the fore deck. He approved of them not holding onto the helm itself, even if they were still tied to it. The wheel could and would likely still turn and Percy didn't want them to get hit and hurt.

They approached the gap carefully, but quickly.

Who?

The thought didn't come in words, but intention, ramming into Percy so hard it almost took his breath away.

Percy, he found himself responding before he realized. He kicked himself just before the impression of confusion also slammed into him. Yet, as overwhelming as the presence was—not concentrated like a god's, but still massive—he did not sense anything actually malicious.

He kept an eye on the boat as he mentally pushed it forward, but he turned his attention on the enormous, worm-like being, following the nearly cylindrical body down to where it merged with the depths.

His domain.

He could sense how she connected to the earth, probably for stability, and could stretch her body up or contract it depending on where she needed to be to eat.

And he could feel how she needed to eat.

Who? She asked again, this time more forcefully.

Percy gulped. Around them, she had control of the water, and he couldn't fight that, not without using too much power himself. At least he was below the enormous toilet-like whirlpool… which was strange. Large bodies of water needed undercurrents to make a whirlpool like that. Then again, most whirlpools weren't exactly enormous monsters drinking as much as they could to get as much food as possible… or maybe she was actively not attacking him, and by extension, the boat? But why? Curiosity? Or something more sinister?

Brother, he answered, maybe a little desperately, hoping that wouldn't make her want to kill him like so many others would. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Luke and Annabeth staring at him, saying something, but he couldn't hear them. He still forcefully pushed them on, having entered the trench between the cliffs now. And the currents hit them. He grit his teeth, doing everything he could to keep them on track.

Brother? The surprise in the question surprised him, drawing his attention away again. He could still sense no true malice from her.

And somehow, the rest of the world faded away around him, except for that one, small tie to the boat and bubble. He found himself swimming towards the enormous presence as if in a trance. He didn't know why he felt so drawn to her, but one moment he was several yards away, and the next he hovered in front of her. Somehow unafraid, he lifted a hand, reaching out. She didn't move except to watch him with a giant, brown-green eye he could only see due to proximity. His fingers brushed her skin. It reminded him of sandpaper, but both smoother and rougher at the same time somehow.

With a thought, the water brought him even closer and he brought his forehead down to rest on the strange surface. It tickled.

Sister, he thought. Because she was family. And maybe that didn't always mean something, but sometimes it did, and he could sense no reason why she shouldn't be included.

Brother, the rough impression came back, still confused but pleased. He smiled.

Hungry, she said after a moment, voice longing.

His smile vanished. Right. He remembered how she looked from above, with those rows of teeth and the swirling water around them… with the awful smell and the sound of an enormous, flushing toilet. Of course she was hungry. The thought brought him back to the present, and he sensed the boat with Annabeth and Luke, still moving forward, thankfully.

Sorry, he thought sadly, genuinely meaning it. I can't let you eat my friends or my boat.

A sense of frustration and anger rushed through him, followed by resignation. Understanding.

Lonely. The thought reached him, sounding so heart-broken. He reached back almost immediately, even as he lifted his head back to stare at the blue-gray skin before him. It pulsed and undulated, but it didn't seem like she could move much. Not really.

Scylla? He asked.

Mean. Many heads. All yell at me.

He frowned again, glancing back to the barely visible wall on the other side of the trench. I'm sorry, he said again. You don't deserve that.

A wave of that same sad resignation rushed over him and he found himself drawing closer to her a second time.

How about I come to visit you when I can?

Surprise slammed into him, followed by excitement, and then skepticism.

It might take me a while, he promised, but I will return.

Please!

So polite, even despite her monstrous appearance, size, and nature. Suddenly, he was reminded of Tyson, and how the cyclops wasn't there on this trip as he had been in the past. Percy suddenly very much longed to see his brother.

Pushing that aside, he instead projected his own satisfaction and anticipation to her. Yes, they may not have a lot to speak about, but he still sensed she could teach him something, and he'd love to just bask in this overwhelming but surprisingly calm presence. Then he glanced at the boat and bubble, just barely visible in the distance now.

I have to go.

Stay.

I can't. I have people relying on me to finish this quest.

Lonely.

He leaned forward and put his forehead against her again.

Sister, he said. Always.

She still didn't want to see him go, and he felt guilty doing so, but he still pushed away from her and swam towards his friends. She could have stopped him. They both knew it with the amount of power he'd shown. She could have prevented the water from releasing him, from letting him pass through… but she didn't.

For being so hungry and massive, he was a little shocked to find that she was one of the better Greek monsters he'd ever encountered.

Eventually, he left her sphere of influence and the sense of just water returned, even if it obviously didn't want to bend to his will. Different from normal water in that sense. Usually the waves almost scrambled to obey him. He'd noticed it before, when he'd come, but… not to this extent. Pausing, he reached out to the water trying to sense and understand it. It felt… old. And it reeked of magic. Not anyone's magic, per se, but just… magic in general. It felt like it had a sentience all its own, not connected with his father, or anyone really.

Well, maybe Pontus or Hydros. To be fair, the sea had its own sentience in and above the gods, but not so… disconnected. Almost rebellious. Ancient. Untamed.

And truthfully, it felt refreshing in a way. He was happy to continue to let this sea not actually answer to anyone as a whole, as long as he could use his powers to help his friends.

Speaking of…

He politely asked the sea to let him through. It wasn't instantaneous, but eventually it conceded and he found himself rushing through what the ancient, Greek seas must have felt like. Moments later, he found himself next to the bubble holding the old steam ship inside. It looked fine, although Annabeth and Luke were arguing heatedly with each other.

He frowned and moved the ship upwards. Within seconds, it had breached the surface and he released his hold on it. Almost immediately, tiredness set in. He let himself just drift in the ocean for a couple more seconds before he forced himself to move to the edge of the boat and let the water bring him to the railing and over the deck. He may or may not have stumbled when he set down. Looked like he was due for another nap… and here he'd just woken up.

Ugh.

"Percy!" Annabeth ran over to him, followed by a relieved looking Luke. "What happened?"

Percy blinked. "What… do you mean?"

"You were there, next to us, and then you weren't. You were gone and we didn't know what happened! I was about ready to turn the boat around."

"No, you weren't," Luke said, arms crossed. "We would have continued on."

"Luke—" Annabeth started in her 'I'm right and I'll make you understand why' voice, so Percy cut in.

"Good thing you don't have to," he said placatingly. "And I'm sorry I worried you. I just… Charybdis had a larger presence than I remember. She's far more powerful than I thought and it was hard to focus on anything else."

"You fought her for control of the sea back there?" Luke asked, face paling.

Percy shook his head. "No. I just talked to her."

Silence, then, "What?" they both asked.

"She wanted to know who we were."

"You didn't actually tell her, did you?" Luke asked. Annabeth nodded emphatically.

"I told her my name, and that we're siblings."

More silence. The other two were staring at him.

"What? You both know she's a daughter of Poseidon, too. My father is the father of monsters. And yes, I've asked myself what that means about me many times in my life, so please don't go there." He didn't have the ability to deal with that at the moment. "Not right now."

More exchanged glances, but his fellow demigods said nothing, so he just went on.

"Anyway, she's very hungry and… lonely. I promised her I'd come back to visit."

"You what." Luke sounded so done.

Percy shrugged again. "I'll have the ability to visit whenever I want, eventually." And again, he may or may not have sounded all too bitter about that. Luke didn't seem to notice, although Annabeth frowned thoughtfully.

"You know what," Luke said, "whatever. We got past that. We're good. Great job." He said it as if he were washing his hands of everything. Which Percy really couldn't blame him for.

"Anyway, I gotta go find some ambrosia or take another nap," Percy said, smothering a yawn. "That took… a lot out of me. For now, just keep sailing ahead and try to avoid any islands. Unless there's one with a lot of ships around it. Then come find me."

"What island is that?" Luke asked warily.

"Circe's island," Percy replied tiredly. "Which, normally I'd avoid, but there are some important demigods there I need to at least try and talk to."

"Important?" Annabeth asked carefully.

Percy nodded. "As in potentially very necessary for likely future problems."

"Let me guess, world-ending problems?" Luke muttered.

The time traveler smiled, a little sharply but didn't say anything otherwise. Let them draw their own conclusions. "Anyway, do you two need me for anything before I head below deck?"

They shook their heads.

"Okay. If something happens, wake me up. Otherwise, I'll take over when I wake up. If you two want to sleep while I take night watch, that's fine. Just let me know."

More nods before he trudged over to his backpack and untied it from the line. He rummaged through it and pulled out a cube of ambrosia, nipping off the corner and reveling in the warmth that spread through his body before putting it back and making his way below deck and the dusty room. It wasn't great, but it was something and he could still sleep, so it would have to be enough.

He lay there on the lumpy mattress for several minutes, listening to Annabeth and Luke talk somewhere above him. He couldn't make out words of their conversation, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. What were they discussing? Probably him again. Or maybe Thalia. Or both. Either way, he tried to ignore the ache in his heart for his old friends and eventually managed to drift off.

xXx

He found himself in a fairly familiar wooded area, following two demigods and a satyr as they trudged through it all, looking a little miserable, but also focused.

"This way! Can't you smell that?" Grover asked.

"Yeah," Bianca said, hurrying. Clarisse even nodded excitedly.

"It smells like food," the daughter of Ares said after a moment.

Wait… did that mean…

Sure enough, when the three of them came across a familiar, abandoned-looking diner with a warehouse in back and several statues out front, Percy felt his jaw drop.

Seriously? He really wanted to give the Fates a good reaming. Maybe they just wanted to make sure Medusa was taken care of, but by two twelve/thirteen-year-old demigods and a 28-year-old Satyr?

His demigod domain was not happy right now.

"No!" he yelled out. "Stop it! Don't go in there!"

No one so much as twitched their eyes away from the sight in front of them.

"Come on, guys! Grover, man! Grover!" But the satyr must have been even more tired or frustrated than in Percy's memories because he just kept marching forward.

"Clarisse!" he tried next, but to no avail.

"Bianca! Please Bianca! You can't go in there! It's Medusa!" Just when he thought he wouldn't be able to get through, though, the dark-haired girl paused and looked around, blinking.

Percy felt hope rise inside him. "Yes! Yes, Bianca! Stop them! Don't let them go any closer! Get out of there!"

"Um… guys," she said, still blinking and frowning, as if trying to figure something out. "I think something's wrong."

"It's just your imagination," Grover said almost automatically. Percy frowned. He'd always thought it had been the monster smell that had set Grover off previously, but maybe the magic just latched onto anyone in the lead? Although Clarisse didn't so much as acknowledge that anyone had spoken.

"It's Medusa!" Percy yelled again. "Bianca! Listen to me!"

The daughter of Hades kept looking around, still puzzled. "I… um… guys…"

"It's a diner," Clarisse said. "What could be dangerous about that?"

So much. Percy just focused on Bianca. "Don't listen to them! Come on!"

"I… suppose," the smaller girl said hesitantly.

"No! Don't listen! Bianca, come on!" Percy kept trying, but the three of them wove through the statues and up to the door. "Don't do it! Run away!" But Bianca couldn't seem to hear him after all as all three of them waited calmly (for a demigod) while Clarisse knocked on the door. At least Bianca still looked uneasy.

The door opened and there stood Medusa, sunglasses on and skin covered almost from head-to-toe. She looked older than he remembered too.

"Well, what have we here?" she asked gleefully, looking at the three children in front of her and licking her lips. Had she seemed so creepy before? Percy didn't think so… but had that been the magic back then? Probably.

"Bianca…" he tried again, pushing power through his demigod domain out to her, reaching for her presence. She jumped a little, whipping her head around worriedly. Percy kept pushing until he noticed Medusa's gaze was directly on him. He stopped half-way through calling out again, staring at the monster like a deer caught in headlights.

"You look just like your father," she said, reaching a hand up to her glasses. Percy tried to back away but couldn't really. He tried to close his eyes, but nothing happened. She moved her glasses down ever so slightly, just enough for him to see her eyes, but not the others.

For a moment, he was lost in the gaze there, purple and glowing and gorgeous and… he felt himself begin to stiffen from the tips of his fingers, the sensation slowly spreading up and then—

"Percy!" He yelped and jumped up. Annabeth stood in the doorway worriedly. The boat rocked hard as his power reacted, reaching out around him. The younger version of his wife braced herself as the boat tipped roughly, but settled.

"I'm… um…" he started, not knowing what to say.

"You were shouting, yelling for Bianca."

He closed his eyes, trying not to remember the gaze of a gorgon. Even if it had been in his dreams, shouldn't he be turned to stone? Apparently not. Thank Chaos.

"Yeah. I dreamed I saw her group walk up to Medusa's warehouse."

Annabeth's eyebrows rose. "Medusa?"

Percy nodded.

She bit her lip. "I mean… I'm sure she's okay."

The time traveler just nodded again, then got up. What else could he do about it? If he left now, he might get there in time… but while the forest had been near the river, he didn't know where it was and could he find them? Would it be worth it? Just after he'd gotten into the Sea of Monsters? Could he leave Annabeth and Luke right now?

He concluded it wasn't worth it, but he hated that fact.

Rely on others once again.

He would have to trust Bianca, Clarisse, and Grover. Didn't mean he had to like it.

"You've only been asleep for a couple of hours," Annabeth said slowly, drawing him out of his reverie

Percy shrugged. "I don't think I'll be able to go to sleep after that," he muttered. His fellow questgoer nodded, understanding.

"Demigod dreams."

He joined her nod. "I really hate them sometimes."

"Luke told me to try and get some sleep next, so I'm going to take the room next door." She thumbed over her shoulder.

Percy took a long breath for a moment. Holding his wife for comfort would be very helpful at the moment. But yeah, not this Annabeth. He just nodded in acknowledgment. She returned the gesture and disappeared from the door. Meanwhile, Percy just sat there and breathed, still doing his best to avoid the rotten stench, before he managed to get to his feet and trudge up to the deck.

Chapter Text

Luke turned to watch Percy carefully as he came on deck. The time-traveler noticed immediately and tried (with varying amounts of success) to act nonchalant and unworried.

"Annabeth's going to sleep," he said, yawning and stretching. "See anything up here?"

The older boy shook his head. "Nothing. If I didn't know any better, I'd think we were still on the normal sea."

Percy groaned. "You had to jinx it."

Luke snorted.

"You want to look aft and I'll look forward?" Percy asked.

The other boy didn't answer, just watching him.

"Luke?"

"Kronos showed me more dreams."

"Styx," Percy spat, both for Luke confirming that and the fact that he'd said the Titan's name. Glad he'd brought his backpack with him, he swung it over his shoulder and quickly withdrew Aunt Hestia's jar, tapping it three times. Then he let out a long breath, both tired and relieved as more coal coated the bottom of the jar. "We have five minutes." Because if that didn't draw attention, he didn't know what would.

"It's difficult to argue with what I saw."

Percy sighed. "What did he show you?"

"A volcano eruption. And you."

The time-travler winced. "To be fair, I didn't know I could do that at the time."

"People died."

Percy drew in on himself a little. He knew it made him look vulnerable, but he hated thinking about that. It had been his first real destruction.

"Actually, there were no deaths. The only casualties were injuries," he said quietly. "I looked into it." Though some of those had been pretty severe.

Luke blinked, his frown turning thoughtful. "Oh."

"Why did you think people died?" Percy asked, frowning. "He didn't show you anything like that, did he?"

A moment of silence before the older boy shook his head. "No. Though… I'm beginning to see what you mean by him twisting the truth. He just said casualties, and then insinuated people died." He took a deep breath. "I didn't even notice."

That made Percy feel both better and worse. "Yeah, he does that."

More silence fell between them before Luke spoke up awkwardly. "So… what happened?"

Percy sighed. "Cabin nine's father?" Luke nodded. "One of his forges. We were tasked to go and see why it was active when he hadn't been there recently. We found a couple hundred telekhines—seal-like monsters who are good with forging—making things for their master." He snorted. "They even had a class for monster children there." He shook his head. "It was me and Annabeth. We got found out, but she had her invisibility cap and we needed to get that information out and it was her quest, so I told her to run. Then I distracted the monsters. They cornered me above the main shaft. My father's the Earthshaker. I was desperate. I was reaching for anything I could, and I guess I just grabbed the magma instead of the nearby lake or river I'd been hoping to find. I brought it towards me." He opened his hands by the side of his face, wiggling his fingers. "Boom."

Luke stared at him. "And you did that… as a demigod."

Percy nodded.

"That's… on a whole other level than other demigods. How did nobody see your ascension coming?"

The time-traveler snorted. "Wait until you see Nico's army of undead and shadow traveling, and then we'll talk."

More staring. Percy just smirked.

"But," Luke said, a little weakly, "Thalia couldn't… she…"

The boat rocked a little as Percy leaned back against the door frame with a sigh. "Thalia has a lot of power behind her. She's an excellent fighter and her lightning strikes are downright scary. But she's scared. Honestly, I think that's her secondary fatal flaw. Her father is the king of the gods and lord of the skies, but she's scared of heights. And she kind of hates her father and doesn't want to be anything like him, too, so she's scared of making the choices he'd make. Not that I blame her." he shook his head. "I think her father loves her in his own way, but, like most gods, he's more than a little narcissistic. I'm not sure he can really care about anyone outside of himself. Not his wife, not his children, not his lovers. At least not in and above what they can do for him. Notice how many gods on the council are directly related to him? There's a reason many of the others accuse them of nepotism."

An evening breeze blew by them as Percy looked back at his companion. Luke had an unreadable expression on his face as he studied the other demigod.

"You really did know her."

Percy blinked, then chuckled. "Yeah. I did. We butted heads like none other but there were very few people I'd want to have my back over her."

Luke bit his lip, looking anywhere but at Percy, obviously having something to say. The time-traveler just waited.

"What… happened to her? In your timeline?"

The loyalty and longing behind that statement reached him and he smiled warmly. "She joined the hunt, actually. The lieutenant was… killed," he looked down at that statement, still remembering Zoe's final moments vividly. "To stop herself from ever reaching sixteen, Thalia was offered that place instead–and in memory of the previous lieutenant–the day before her sixteenth birthday."

More shifting. "And… me? How did she… react?"

This time, it was Percy's turn to study Luke. "Do you really want to know?" he finally asked.

The nineteen-year-old paled, but also looked up and met Percy's gaze. "No. But I think I have to."

Percy smiled again, proud of Luke for that, but it was sad. How could it not be? "She thought she could talk you out of your new allegiance, but you and the Titans kept offering her power, poking at her fatal flaw. She resisted, and in the end… you two fought each other and," he paused, taking a breath, "you ended up falling off of a cliff. I know she ended up joining the hunt partially because of you."

Luke's complexion had gone from pale to green.

"She was still alive when I got thrown back here," he finally finished. "Despite me being a male and a god, she was one of my best friends. I valued her friendship more than just about anything else besides the camps' safety." Both of them, but he wasn't about to enlighten Luke to that. Not yet.

The sky continued to darken (a theme with their 'talks') as Luke just stood there, staring at the deck. Eventually, he cleared his throat.

"I… have to go think," he said. "We opened the barrel of apples. It's only half-full, but if you want something to eat, it's there. The other barrel is strawberries. I think Annabeth opened that."

Percy nodded again. "Thanks."

Luke returned the nod, but distantly, eyes not focusing on anything as he turned and made his way around the side of the ship towards the back. The younger demigod watched him go, wondering what conclusions the older boy would come to.

Eventually, he shook his head and made his way across the semi-rotten deck to the front of the ship. He leaned on the railing and pushed his senses out. They were making decent progress, even if he didn't think the ship would make the return trip nearly so well. They'd be lucky if they got anywhere with it. Maybe he could switch it out for Blackbeard's ship once they found Circe's island? Would that be better, though? Now that he was having a hard time controlling boats. That could just be Ares' own power interfering… but there had been a lack of connection there that fed into domains. Maybe because his own domains included the deep more than anything now? Would he be able to control submarines? An interesting thought that definitely needed testing. Lots of testing. And fortunately, Circe's island had other, newer ships too, right? Faster ones he could experiment with? They probably didn't have any submarines.

He couldn't remember.

Although, thinking of, he should probably try and figure out what to say to Reyna and Hylla when they found the island.

And, wait, couldn't he stretch out and sense, even if the water here didn't like to be controlled…

He closed his eyes and reached as far as he could. Surprisingly, he actually sensed several islands or other areas of interest within his influence. Frowning, he focused harder. One was a pile of rocks sticking out of the sea, probably more of a death-trap for ships than anything else. One had a cave on it and something massive and dangerous inside. Percy decided he didn't want to know. The next one seemed pretty good, actually. Nothing dangerous, a little small, but otherwise a nice, calm island. He moved on, focusing on the next one. It was bigger… much bigger. With a lot of boats around the nearest port.

Bingo.

He grinned and poked at the water until he turned the boat in the direction he needed to go, and then let go. He wanted to give Annabeth time to sleep and Luke time to think, so he didn't speed the boat up. They'd get there in a couple of hours at this rate.

Instead, he just stood there, enjoying the smell of the salty air and the motion of the boat. He didn't often feel as at peace as he did just then, ignoring all of the problems that would come his way, and how much his companions didn't trust him, and how few people he felt he could trust himself. For just those couple of hours, it was him and the untamable sea.

After a little while, though, his thoughts strayed back to Bianca. Waving his hand, he created a mist, manipulating it just enough to create a rainbow.

Calling out to Iris, he asked her to connect him to Bianca Di Angelo. When it took a little bit too long to connect, he took out another drachma. "As My Lady deserves more for her hard work, I also offer this," he said, tossing the extra coin into the rainbow. After a couple more seconds, he heard consistent thumps in the background. A train?

"Huh? Percy?" a voice thick with sleep answered him. He could barely see anything in the dark, but he did see the outline of a young head.

"Bianca?" he asked, relieved. They'd survived Medusa.

"You're kind of hard to hear."

Percy sighed and took out another drachma. "My Lady Iris," was all he said this time as he tossed another coin at the picture. It disappeared. "Better?"

"Much."

"That Prissy?" another, familiar (if high-pitched) voice muttered grumpily.

"This 'Prissy' could still take you any day," Percy said, grinning.

Clarisse told him some very unflattering things that made Bianca gasp.

"Oh, get used to it, princess," the daughter of Ares muttered and turned the other direction.

"Are you guys on a train?" Percy asked.

"Yeah."

"Why is it so dark?"

A pause. "We… may not have had the money to pay for it," Bianca whispered.

Percy winced. "Make sure you get off before the station, or you guys could find yourself fighting with humans."

"Doesn't sound too hard," Clarisse muttered.

"Humans twice your height, who may have training, and who could put you in jail where you can't hurt anyone because celestial bronze doesn't work on them. That's in an above how you're supposed to avoid drawing them into our problems."

More silence. "Shove it, Jackson," Clarisse said. Eh, she wasn't swearing at him, so she probably got his point.

"You're welcome. How's the quest going? Where's Grover?"

"Here," a scratchy voice that almost didn't sound like his friend at all drifted through the darkness.

"Missing your enchiladas?" Percy asked, amused. Grover would prefer food over more or less anything. "Or the cans Mr. D conjures for you guys?"

"Um… both?" Then a whisper. "Food?"

"Yes, Grover. Food." Percy rolled his eyes, remembering his first entrance to camp. He leaned closer, whispering to Bianca. "It's his safe place."

Even in the darkness, she looked confused. "Safe place? But… food isn't a place."

Right. 1940's. "I mean it makes him feel safe," Percy explained. "It's a basic need, so it's understandable that when some people eat, they feel safe."

"He's right," Grover muttered, maybe a little bitterly.

Percy frowned. "Been a hard quest then?"

Clarisse snorted. "If you call being attacked by the guy we're trying to help, fighting freaking Medusa, and still not really having any actual idea where we're going 'hard', then yeah."

Yeah, Percy remembered that first quest very well, thank you. He would also throw a fit if Zeus tried to attack any of Percy's demigods while on a quest for Olympus. Because all demigods that came to camp were his.

He felt himself bristle and that destructive side poked its head up. Percy took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm. The last thing they needed was a storm on the sea, or even choppy waters.

"That sounds rough," he said. "We've only had to bypass a giant ocean worm trying to swallow us whole and a many-headed monster that wants to eat us and happens to be lightning fast… and they're both my sisters."

"Your sisters?" Bianca asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Percy sighed. "Daughters of Poseidon. Charybdis is actually pretty cool though. I talked with her while the ship sailed under the sea in a bubble. I mean, it worked." He paused. "Oh, Clarisse, thank your dad for our ship, will you? Although it might fall apart soon and we'll have to find something else, it still got us here."

A pause. "Do it yourself."

Percy snorted, amused. That was so like the Clarisse he knew.

"So, you guys are heading where now?"

"Just west," Bianca said tiredly. "Not entirely sure where."

"Avoid the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas if you pass by," Percy warned.

Bianca blinked in surprise. "The Lotus… but that's where Nico and I stayed."

Oh, perfect timing! "Seriously?" Percy asked. "It's run by the Lotus Eaters. I had a dream about it."

"I'm telling you, an Apollo legacy," Clarisse muttered.

Percy grinned at the comment, but schooled his face when focusing back at Bianca. It was easier to see her now that he'd been squinting for a while. It helped that he wasn't staring into any light seeing as his quest was heading east.

"People who go there don't know how much time they spend there. You could spend what seems like a day there and you end up actually spending weeks or months. Spend months there, and it could be years or decades."

"Wait," Grover spoke up hesitantly, "you're saying Bianca and her brother aren't from this time?"

"If they stayed in the Lotus Hotel, it's highly possible."

Bianca bit her lip, looking down (at least Percy thought that was what she was doing). "I… don't really remember before the Hotel. You and Grover know that, Percy." Percy nodded, assuming his satyr friend did too, despite not being able to see him at all. "But… I think it was a long time ago."

"How long?" Clarisse asked in probably the kindest tone Percy had ever heard from her.

Bianca took a deep breath. "I remember a war. I think we were escaping it."

"As in World War II?" Grover asked. Of course he'd know.

"The one the Big Three made an oath to not have kids over?" Clarisse asked, shocked.

"I don't know!" Bianca said, a touch of hysteria in her voice. "I just remember everyone being scared, and then a lot of traveling."

"If that's true," Percy said slowly, "Hades didn't break the oath at all." More silence only broken by the sound of the train in the background. "Are you going to speak to your father, Bianca?"

"Yes…" she said slowly. "It was the only idea anyone had when going west."

"Ask him about it. He may not be able to tell you, but he might. Just… be careful, okay?"

She sighed. "I don't know if that will actually help—being careful, I mean."

"You'll make it," Percy said. "Like I said, you have a good team, and you're stronger than you know. People fear death for a reason, and you have a certain amount of power over that domain. Well, either that, Earth, shadows, or wealth, but yeah. Maybe something even rarer. Some myths do have your father able to have some power over fire, but it probably wouldn't be…" he faded off, realizing he'd been ranting. A trait he'd picked up from his wife.

"Um… sorry. My point is that you probably have an idea what your power is. Figure it out. Use it. Again, you're more powerful than you realize."

She looked away for a moment. "I… feel the shadows. And darkness," she said softly. "Nico can sense shadows of people and how people work, but all shadows… that's what I sense. All the time. The darkness…" She swallowed. "It always calls to me."

Percy blinked. Oh. Well… he hadn't been expecting that. Sure, Nico could shadow travel, but his domain had mostly been with the dead. He didn't doubt Bianca had some of that too, but…

"Shadows it is then. Though you may have more of your father's domains also."

The daughter of Hades shook her head. "It scares me," she said, shrinking in on herself. "I… feel like if I touch them, then I'll get lost."

Percy could understand that. But still… "I heard of a son of Hades who could shadow travel—travel through the shadows to more or less teleport. He was not from China. He ended up in China a lot. It took him a while to get used to his powers. You'll never get used to them if you don't try, though. We're all afraid, Bianca. It's understandable you are too. It's just up to you as to how far you'll let that hold you back."

She didn't answer for several seconds. Finally, she just whispered, "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," Percy said, sensing he really shouldn't push. "Anyway, I think I see our next obstacle," he said, eyeing the speck on the horizon that had just come into view. "Good luck. I'll call you again when I can."

"Focus on your own quest," Clarisse muttered.

Percy snorted. "Sorry to wake you all up. Go back to sleep."

"Easy for you to say," Grover grumbled. Percy laughed that time.

"May the gods look kindly upon you," he said.

"Um… you too?"

He just smiled wider. "Goodbye." He dragged a hand through the mist, dissipating it and leaving him looking out at the sapphire and silver waves before him. He once again searched the horizon, and found the highest peak of Circe's island. After a moment making sure they'd come to the right place, Percy let out a breath, nodded, and went to wake up Annabeth so they could discuss everything with Luke.

xXx

Annabeth stared at Percy (this time traveling future god who is now a demigod and… this was just so screwed up) and couldn't quite bring herself to look away. Was he serious?

"You want me… to say I'm here on my own, go with them, and more or less do whatever they say?"

"They don't exactly treat men well," Percy said, a little sheepishly. Which just seemed so… surreal to her. Everything about this boy seemed surreal. "Or boys," he gestured to himself.

She really didn't know how to classify this 'boy'. She knew Greek gods weren't great. She'd read the myths, and had always been grateful she was a daughter of Athena, a virgin goddess who focused on wisdom and strategy. She was proud of where she came from god-wise. And she understood why her mother took issue with most of the gods she took issue with. And, consequently, their children. So when she'd figured out Percy was a son of Poseidon… she expected him to be arrogant and cruel, just putting on a nice face in front of everyone. But… he wasn't. She'd seen him as powerful and maybe a little arrogant, but he also came across as one of the most genuine people she'd ever met, despite playing a prank on the entire camp.

Then Luke had told her not to trust him—about how he'd sounded when they'd gone out of camp after the girl he'd dreamed about—and she'd felt like everything she'd ever thought badly about him had been confirmed, so she'd avoided him while still trying to figure him out. And yet, when she'd confronted him, he'd almost seemed… scared of her. Which made no sense. He could supposedly summon storms and used to be a god, and yet he shied back from and wanted to placate her.

He'd given her hints when she pressed, but also let her figure things out, seemed amused with her more often than not, and he hadn't lied to her. Not as far as she knew. Inevitably, he'd drawn her back in… and had apparently done the same to Luke.

But then she'd read the sci-fi books, and all sorts of different theories had come up. Cloning, taking over a body, some sort of avatar… However, time-travel, while bringing up more questions than she thought possible, made the most sense.

He'd just confirmed that he'd lived this life before and… she was still processing all of the implications of that. Unusual for her, but they were just so far reaching. What had happened in his first life (in and above what he'd told them)? What were his true intentions? What were his motivations? She could guess, but didn't know… and that irked her. A lot.

Now he wanted to sneak onto an island controlled by a sorceress who didn't like men and she was supposed to be the distraction? Had this been his goal all along? To get her out of the way?

She considered that for a moment before dismissing the thought entirely. If he wanted her out of the way, he'd already had several points where he easily could have set something up. Although, if he had future knowledge… had she been an enemy before? She didn't think so, with how fondly he looked at her sometimes. So what had she been to him?

It was right on the tip of her tongue, but something seemed to be blocking her from figuring it out, which just irked her more.

"You want her to do that," Luke said, bringing Annabeth back to the present (not that she'd ever let her guard down, but she mentally smacked herself for letting her ADHD get the better of her), "while you sneak onto the island and look for these demigods you think will be so important in the future?"

Percy nodded again. Which both was and wasn't like the gods. He wanted her to put herself in danger, but was willing to pull his own weight too, sneaking onto an island (gods didn't sneak) and putting himself in danger.

"What exactly do you want me to do then?" Luke asked, sounding annoyed. "Hide on the boat?"

"Initially," Percy said. "But after that, maybe sneak off and try to steal us a better boat? Remember I can control them to an extent, but the more you two can do with our new ride, the better."

They both stared at him.

"I know nothing about boats!" Luke said.

"But you do know a lot about stealing. Do you really think you couldn't steal a boat?"

Annabeth watched her pseudo brother deftly as he opened his mouth, face red, then paused and backed down, frowning. Which didn't happen often with him. Luke was one of the most confident, charismatic people she knew.

Would anything involving Percy Jackson ever not be surreal? Or was that just how it was to be around a god, even one who had become mortal.

"Yeah, I can do it," Luke muttered.

"Great!" Percy grinned and how could someone grin so earnestly and yet still look like a troublemaker? It did things to her stomach she did not want to acknowledge. "I'll help you put the barrels back together and we can drag them behind the ship on a line. That should make it easier to take them to whatever ship you decide to steal."

Luke seemed troubled, and a little annoyed, but Annabeth had known him since she was seven and he was fourteen. He was excited about this—liked the idea of a challenge. He wouldn't have backed down otherwise.

"Great. Now," Percy took some bags he'd prepared a bit earlier and held them up. "These have Hermes' vitamins in them. They're pretty strong, so only use them if you really need to stop yourself from being subject to magic."

"Like Odysseus?" Annabeth asked. "Except his were herbs."

Percy nodded. "Exactly like that, I think." He distributed them, smiling after he pocketed the rest of the bottle. "I also think we should leave all of our supplies with Luke. They'll probably be the safest here."

Luke nodded. "I'll take care of them."

"Great! Let's go, then!" Percy said, stepping carefully across some particularly weak-looking planks before striding happily to the stairwell and down below. "I can make a bubble under water for the supplies," Percy said. "And I can probably keep it up even when I'm on the island, but it'll drain me."

"Of course you can," Luke muttered.

Percy shrugged. "It's that or a raft that would be too obvious."

"It's a good idea, Luke," Annabeth said quietly.

The older boy sighed and waved a hand back and forth. "Fine, fine. Let's just get this all out of here."

They spent the next minutes preparing and securing the supplies they'd brought. None of them seemed to want to talk anymore, so they all heard the snore.

"Hey, did you hear that?" Annabeth asked suddenly.

Luke and Percy exchanged glances and nodded. Annabeth didn't seem to notice. She frowned. "I thought someone snorted."

"It is dusty here," Luke pointed out, though he didn't sound too sure of himself.

She didn't look like that answered anything, but otherwise nodded and they kept preparing to pack up the food when Percy heard it again.

"Wait," he said. The other two froze. "There. I was right, it's a… snore?"

The three of them glanced between each other and then the small stack of sacks and boxes they'd brought and even opened. Almost as one, the three of them began moving things around. After a few seconds, they reached the bottom most sack—one they hadn't brought on from camp. It had obviously been on the boat by the smell and dilapidated state.

There were definitely snores coming from said sack. Percy saw Annabeth take her dagger out and he took Riptide out himself. Luke quietly drew his own sword and they approached the bag slowly, carefully untying the top and pulling it down to reveal a head of brown curls and a scraggly beard, barely visible in the dark, but unmistakable.

All three of them backed off in surprise.

"Grover?" Percy asked.

Chapter Text

The three demigods just stood there looking down at a snoring satyr, shocked to say the least.

"What the Hades?" Luke whispered.

"I just called Bianca," Percy said sharply. "Grover's still with them."

Luke's expression darkened and Annabeth spoke up sharply. "It has to be a monster—a shape-shifter or some kind of illusion projection. An impostor."

"Baa-ah-ah… food," the look-alike Grover said in his sleep.

Percy felt himself pale and looked to see pained expressions on the other two. "A very good impostor."

"You two stand back," Luke said, stepping forward, sword still at the ready.

"Are you going to kill him?" Annabeth asked, voice small.

Luke shot her a troubled look. "Not yet." Focusing back on the body in front of him, he took a breath and nudged him with his foot. It wasn't a kick, but it wasn't soft. Percy and Annabeth backed off, Annabeth probably because she was a twelve-year-old used to taking orders from Luke and didn't see a reason not to, Percy because he wanted to encourage and reinforce positive behavior from the other demigod.

Styx, he was getting manipulative. Was that a god thing? Or an age thing? (Or both?)

Before he could decide, Grover woke up. "Encheladas!" He managed to sit up, but had his hands tied in front of him and likely, his legs too by how he moved them. What?

Percy didn't bite his lip, but he did brace himself for whatever would come next. If this monster was that good at impersonating Grover, this… would not be easy.

The satyr blinked, then looked up in the dim, cabin light. With their back to the door, Percy was pretty sure the impostor couldn't see much. Or, if they did, they realized there were three angry demigods standing above them, because they cringed away from the three of them, holding their hands in front of them and squeezing their eyes shut. "I don't know anything!"

"And if you did?" Percy asked, kicking himself when Luke shot him a look. What? The best way to get the truth out of someone, he'd found, was to go along with the lies until they backed themselves into a corner. Maybe he'd dealt with Hermes' kids a little too often in the future….

The Grover impersonator paused, seemed to think, and took a deep breath. "Then I wouldn't say."

So Grover-like. Should Percy have him swear on the Styx? Most people didn't because invoking the name of the Goddess of Death and Hatred often wasn't a good idea for a mortal. He did it because he had little doubt it would actually kill him or make him hate anyone more. At worst, it would start his ascension… and even then, he doubted it. Honestly, he knew invoking the name of the Styx so often could (likely would) have consequences. Making a potential Grover share in that or bring attention to himself? Yeah, no.

Or, well, at least maybe it should be a final resort.

"What are you doing on our ship?" Luke asked, voice harsh.

The satyr turned, confusion obvious on his face. "I have no idea! You kidnapped…" he paused, eyes going wide in the dim light of the hold as he sniffed obviously. "Wait… Luke?"

"What do you mean we kidnapped you?" Annabeth asked neutrally.

"I… I don't know! I was preparing for the quest with Bianca and… someone hit me over the head. I've been trying to be quiet because I thought someone kidnapped me! And I couldn't smell anything because that sack smelled worse than rotten onions!"

"Why would someone kidnap you?" Luke asked.

"We're still not sure it's actually Grover," Annabeth reminded them. "You said you saw Grover when you Iris Messaged Bianca today?" She glanced at Percy, who nodded.

"Baa-ah-ah! That's an impostor!"

Luke snorted. "How do we know you're not the impostor?"

Even in the dim light, it was easy to see the satyr's face pale. "I…"

"Grover," Percy said, "what's the name of my ex step-father; the one who woke us up the other day at my mom's?" He didn't break his gaze with the boy who looked so much like his best friend. Those brown eyes, worried and upset, seemed to take strength from Percy's stare.

"Gabe."

Percy took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

"That's Grover," he said. He could sense the satyr in front of him, but barely, like a whisp. Just what he'd expect given how well he could sense nature spirits inside camp last year… and outside now.

"How did we escape the cyclops before we got to camp," Annabeth asked, apparently wanting her own confirmation.

"Y-you stabbed it in the foot!"

Luke still didn't seem convinced. "Swear it on the Styx."

Well, so much for Percy's last resort.

"I swear on the Styx that I am the satyr Grover Underwood!"

Luke's sword dropped entirely. "Grover?" He finally asked, surprised. "What… how?"

"I told you! I got hit in the back of the head!" Annabeth had already rushed forward, dagger at the ready to cut through the satyr's bonds.

"But why would someone knock you out and put you here?" Luke asked.

"To get him out of the way," Annabeth said grimly.

"Bianca?!" Luke asked, but Percy was already dashing up the stairs. He reached out to the ocean, and it practically exploded in front of the ship. Percy forced it into a mist, already digging for drachma. Shoving whatever he pulled out into the rainbow.

"Oh, Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, connect me with Bianca Di Angelo!"

A window opened… to chaos. That was the chimera! And a very large woman in a polka-dotted dress yelling out encouragements in the background. The chimera was spitting fire at a very familiar girl dodging around cars in a parking lot. An upper level parking lot.

"CLARISSE!" Bianca screamed.

"A little busy!" the girl in question called from somewhere out of view.

"Bianca!" Percy yelled.

She jumped and screamed again, whirling around. "What… Percy?" A stream of fire came at her. She managed to duck and crawl away, rushing between cars. "I can't talk!"

He bit his lip. If he said anything, it could cost her the fight. He knew what a moment of distraction could do. They were lucky him just popping up hadn't gotten her killed. It almost had. She rushed and jumped over a car, only to freeze. Straining to look, Percy realized she'd come to the edge of the roof parking lot.

"Duck!" Percy yelled, noting a flash of color and light off to the side.

Bianca jumped down between the car and the cement barrier marking the edge of the roof. Fire flew overhead and she ducked down behind the tire, screaming. He seriously considered jumping into the sea and making his way over to her right then and there, Hades take the consequences.

Eventually, the fire died down. Bianca looked up and met her cousin's gaze. "Percy?" she said, voice shaking as tears streamed down her face. "I… I don't want to get eaten."

Percy took a deep breath and reached for that part of him that would always be head of the demigod camp.

"Bianca, you remember what I said? About leaning into your powers? You have to get out of there. You said the shadows draw you? Ask them to let you through."

She stared at him like he was crazy. "Ask… shadows?"

"Please… trust me."

For several seconds, she continued to stare at him. She must have found whatever she was looking for, because she nodded, albeit shakily, and took a deep breath and putting her hands down.

"Go ahead, Sweetums!" Echidna yelled in the background, the same sickeningly sweet but somehow still rough voice he could still recall even now—he'd definitely avoided her during his time as a god. "Get her! Then we can kill the other two."

Bianca shuddered.

"Don't listen," Percy said, "just focus. Reach out for the shadows, and ask them. They'll respond."

She nodded and closed her eyes, putting her hands on the ground. The shadows rippled. Above her, the chimera jumped onto the car.

"Focus, Bianca!"

"I'm trying!"

The shadows beneath her hands shuddered again, and rose. The chimera opened its mouth and dived for her.

"Bianca!" Percy yelled.

The shadows converged into a dome just as the chimera hit her. The image cut off. Percy cursed in at least four languages. Larger waves rocked the boat and clouds had begun to gather overhead. He took a deep breath. From experience, he knew the image usually cut off when someone shadow traveled away, but also when someone died, so he didn't know which had happened.

"Call her again!" Annabeth said, rushing forward.

"No use," Percy said through gritted teeth. "Either she shadow traveled away and is safe now, or she's…" he faded off, slowly drawing his lips in between his teeth tightly.

"In any case, even if she is out of her shadow traveling, she's probably still fighting. Interrupting her now could kill her. That was the Chimera and Echidna. She'll need all the concentration she can get." He hated to say it like that, but he knew he'd escaped (ha, she'd just thought he'd splat on the ground below the Gateway Arch… a fair assessment) by the skin of his teeth when he'd been attacked by them. Still…

Please let her have made it. He couldn't help but send a prayer to Hades, even if he knew the god couldn't interfere. After another moment of uncomfortable silence, he forced himself to go on. "We should… focus on our own quest. We'll call her when we're done and find out, one way or another.'

"Are we just going to let her and Clarisse run around with an impostor?" Annabeth asked, scandalized.

Percy frowned. She had a point. "We'll try again in a couple of minutes, but we have to give them time."

Annabeth and Luke both looked relieved. Percy didn't think it would work, though, and didn't know why. His demigod sense? (He would never say that phrase aloud) Or something else?

"Grover," he said, deciding to focus on their current circumstances. He turned to the satyr, who had appeared next to the stairs with Luke, eyeing the semi-rotten ship around them nervously. He snapped his attention to Percy at the sound of his name. "Help Luke find and steal a boat, load it, and prepare to run, please." He pulled out the bottle of vitamins again, opening it and handing one to his friend.

"If you get found out, eat this. That goes for everyone. They're only to be used in emergencies." He remembered that warning from Hermes himself too. Funny what details he'd retained.

"Where are we?" Grover asked nervously.

"Circe's island."

"Baa-ah-ah-ah-ah!"

Percy sighed. "Yeah, I know. But I need to talk to some people here. Okay, does everyone understand the plan?" Nods all around, even if some were reluctant. "Is everyone alright with it."

"Define 'alright'," Annabeth muttered.

The time-traveler glanced at her, eyebrows drawn together. Had he pushed too far? Too hard?

"We don't have to do it my way," he finally said. "If you really don't want to—"

"No, I can do it," she said. "It's a good plan."

"What plan?" Grover asked.

Luke folded his arms. "Annabeth acts as a distraction while Percy sneaks onto the island and speaks to these 'people' he keeps talking about, and we find a better boat."

Grover looked at Luke as if expecting him to burst into laughter. Then he turned back to Percy, eyes wide, when Luke continued to glare. "Who do you need to talk to?!"

Percy felt his lips tighten as he looked between the other two. Luke continued to glare at him while Annabeth looked away. They were getting awfully close to the island too…

Almost as if in response to his thoughts, something tingled at the edge of his senses. He blinked and reached out to the mist. They'd just passed through a barrier… a very strong barrier. One that had been in place for decades if not centuries. The gods couldn't see past that without some significant pressing. He almost laughed.

He did grin. "I'm from the future."

Luke's expression changed to surprise while Annabeth whipped her head around to stare at him.

"There's a barrier around the island, probably due to the mistress of the island herself. Means we won't be able to contact each other without her knowing, but it also means there's a barrier the gods can't crack without some serious effort."

"I'm sorry, you're what?" Grover asked, looking like he regretted being woken up.

Percy smiled at him. "From the future. About three hundred years."

Grover didn't bleat that time, but he did kind of whimper and curl in on himself. Percy hurried up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's a long story we kind of don't have time for right now. Luke?"

The older boy sighed. "Yeah, I'll fill him in." Likely with extra commentary, but hey. It was better than nothing.

"We still need to get that food out back if we're going to do this," Annabeth said, annoyed.

"Good point," Percy said. The island was very close and if someone had spotted them, their gig could be up already. "Let's hurry."

"But…" Grover said, not seeming to know what to do beyond that.

"I'll explain it all," Luke promised. Eventually, Grover nodded slowly and followed them down to finish getting all of their supplies ready.

xXx

They tried to reach out to the other quest a couple of minutes later. Neither Bianca or Clarisse answered. Percy had to point out how that could be due to anything from her new powers to Echidna doing something to the island just not allowing communication out. It… didn't sound too reassuring, even to him. And they were running out of time.

Finally, they all agreed that they'd need to do their best to contact the other demigods as soon as they got away from the island and continued focusing on their part of the plan. It didn't stop them from feeling guilty or worried. Percy didn't need to read them with his domains to know that.

They began to drop their newly resealed supplies into the water after securing them with rope, dragging them along behind for now. Percy made sure to keep them afloat and relatively dry after he got into the water with Luke and Grover, keeping them mainly in a separate bubble.

Eventually, though, the boat approached the dock. As before, a woman (that wasn't anyone he knew, Styx) met Annabeth and asked her questions. Why was she there? Was she alone? What were her allegiances? Etc. Eventually, the woman led a frazzled looking Annabeth away while other women brought the boat in to be anchored. Percy made sure they were all safely under the boat while that happened. He'd expected someone to search the vessel. Circe would be stupid not to, and she may be arrogant, but she wasn't stupid.

No one wanted to talk much, too concentrated on what was happening to think about discussing anything. Eventually, though, Percy sensed the women leave the boat and gestured for a nervous

Grover and grim-faced Luke to head to the surface with the supplies.

"Alright, you guys head out," he said. "I'll be going now."

"This is a bad idea," Grover said.

Percy grinned. "My best kind."

The half-goat sighed in despair as Percy dived under the water again and swam away from the dock, towards a beach he could see in the distance. It looked relatively empty, but he made doubly sure to look around before wading up on the shore, twisting the mist as he did so. Anyone watching should see a girl with Percy's coloring and her relatively short hair in braids walking out of the sea. If they had clear-sighted mortals on the island, he was pretty much doomed, but until he ran into one of them…

He patted the vitamins in his pocket, reassuring himself, and then double-checked his father's horn, on a strap around his shoulder (which he'd made sure to hide). Then, taking a deep breath, he walked out of the waves and onto Circe's island.

xXx

Bianca Di Angelo had never really been scared of dying. Or, more accurately, she'd never been afraid of death. Dying sounded painful and terrifying, but death itself? Meh. For some reason, it had never bothered her, even as it seemed to bother everyone else. She couldn't remember much of her past, but she remembered that. Maybe because it was more esoteric than actual memories?

But that didn't mean she wasn't scared. Everything besides death itself seemed to terrify her. Especially in the hotel. The idea of losing Nico back then had almost made her sick. The fact that she couldn't remember having known her mother at all made her knees weak. The thought of making Nico unhappy or letting him down made her want to pee herself. Now, the thought of letting down her father—the god of the underworld— made it hard to breathe when she thought about it… so she tried really hard not to. Letting her fellow questers down. Never getting back to camp to see her brother. Never meeting her father. Percy Jackson in general, even if she looked up to him.

In truth, Bianca had always been, well, scared. It would be different if she had someone she felt she could really trust in her corner, and to be fair she could trust Nico, but he was ten and acted like it. She may be a little jealous of the fact that he could act like that. She couldn't get obsessed with some card game and ignore everything else. What would happen to both them if she did?

She didn't like to think about it.

Ever.

That didn't mean she didn't think about it, because her mind wasn't that kind to her.

Just like it wasn't kind to her now, as a giant half-lion, half-snake monster (with other animals pulled in just for fun) tried to eat her after barbecuing her on the spot. Then Percy had called and she'd somehow ended up between a car and a cement wall stopping her from a four-story drop. She could hear Clarisse fighting the other monsters that had shown up with the Mother of Monsters and the Chimera, and doubted she'd get any help from there. She had no idea where Grover was.

Percy told her to reach out to the shadows. She did, but they were slippery—like that slime Nico had bought that one time in the hotel. She'd hated the feel of it then, and she didn't like the feel of it now, but she refused to let go.

Ask, Percy had said. Percy who had reached out to her just to check up on them. Percy who cared. He scared her, but she trusted him. So she pushed harder and then begged the shadows to… well, do something.

They rippled. She could feel it. She didn't even think she could describe it except for both strange and welcoming.

"Focus, Bianca!" Percy yelled, panic edging his voice.

"I'm trying!" she shouted back, pushing more of herself down into the shadows, desperate to escape the monster she could hear overhead.

Please, she begged the shadows. PLEASE! She didn't want to die like this! Then, the shadows beneath her hands seemed to agree and understand and they rose around her in arcs. It felt as if an entire other world had opened up to her and she gasped.

"Bianca!" Percy yelled.

The shadows shot higher, gaining speed. She felt them closing overhead, not slowly, but not fast enough. She couldn't help but peek up to see the monster diving for her, mouth open wide, gullet already glowing with light of a fire that would destroy her—

And then she was falling.

Oh look, something else terrifying.

She screamed words she would not let Nico say before landing with a painful (but survivable) oof on pavement. The world faded back into color and she lay there, below the parking garage, just staring up at the ceiling above her in shock. Distantly, she recognized Clarisse screaming her name.

The parking garage had been adjacent to a store they'd decided to try and get some food from when their train had stopped in Kansas City, Missouri. They'd wanted something to eat before trying to get back onto another train, but a bunch of dog-headed people, Echidna, and her son had ambushed them on their way.

Speaking of…

"Sonny?! Where is she?! Where is she?!" That last one was more of a roar and Bianca felt fear zing through her. But more, she'd almost been killed. By that… that… monster!

She shifted to roll over and found herself gagging, suddenly nauseous. She didn't know whether that was because of how tired she felt, or the sensation of actually traveling through the shadows themselves. Both? (It wasn't from her near-death… huh.)

Her whole life, Bianca had known fear. She'd practically been born afraid. After Nico had been born, her mother had been so happy, but then people were acting strangely and there had been people yelling in the streets all the time and…

Wait…

Why… why could she remember that? She hadn't been able to before, but…

She remembered the house in Italy she and her mother and brother used to live in. But then it had started to go downhill and everyone had either been angry or scared. Eventually, they'd had to run, because the war was coming to their town. They hadn't been the only ones chased away, but she remembered there was something different…

"If anything happens to you, take care of Nico," her mother had said, in Italian. "Promise me you'll take care of your brother!"

She'd nodded and taken Nico's hand. That had been the first time she'd really had to fight her otherwise crippling fear. Because Nico was there and depending on her and more important than fear and…

And then there had been a man there. Tall and dark, with worried, black eyes. Bianca hadn't known him then, but her mother had said to go with him. Then she'd run back into the building and… and a lightning bolt.

She remembered screaming. She remembered not being able to see, or hear… then nothing.

It was still vague after that, and everything up until that point was still full of holes, but the hotel… and then the boarding school that suddenly seemed so new and different and…

Why did she remember?

She didn't know.

What she did know was that Grover and Clarisse needed her.

She didn't want to get up and find them. She really, really didn't. The idea to just walk away crossed her mind but… Then what? And could she face the guilt of just leaving them?

It was honestly one of the hardest things she'd ever done to get up and take a step back inside the parking garage. She had four floors to climb… and two people to save.

And then she'd run away. With the others. Yeah. That sounded good.

She took another step.

Chapter Text

Percy double checked his mist disguise for the third time before taking a deep breath and walking out of the ocean as confidently as he could. If his past quests had taught him anything, it was how to bluff his way through situations, and one of the best ways to do so was to act like he belonged wherever he was. He was still glad the girls on the island wouldn't be immortal like those in the Hunt. His mist manipulation had less chance of being noticed by people who hadn't been using it for centuries.

(See, I can be subtle, Wise Girl, he told his wife's memory silently. He could just imagine her rolling her eyes and shaking her head fondly. He wished just thinking about her like that didn't hurt so much still.)

The confident act and image of himself as a girl should be enough by themselves, but he'd added an element to the disguise that should help strangers trust him more to be safe. He didn't like using that aspect through the mist, but he didn't see another way to get onto the island safely, and he had to find Reyna and/or Hylla, if only to talk to them. To be fair, he had no intentions of fighting or hurting anyone, which did assuage his conscience. He still wasn't a fan of outright lying to the islanders.

Glancing around as he walked onto the sand, he only found an empty, desolate beach. He didn't let that fool him. It was being watched. He could sense it.

Once he'd moved past the waves, he paused to consider the growth of forest lining the beach in front of him. It looked tropical and dense, nothing like the deciduous trees and shrubs from the temperate climates he was used to. Although there were enough areas in the United States and other countries he'd been in as a god that he knew some things. Like how walking into dense growth like that was not a good idea. Of course, walking off of a path in temperate zones wasn't always either. Still…

It took him a moment to recognize two pathways leading into the forest near the rocks jutting into the air on either side of the beach. It seemed a little too deliberate to be natural, but he had to wonder exactly how Circe would have changed the landscape when it wasn't in her domains. Was she that powerful in her own territory? He'd have to assume so. Great.

He pondered the decision in front of him for a couple of minutes, wondering which side he should choose. He sensed demigods all over the island, and both paths seemed to have guards, from what he could tell, so he randomly picked right and walked over to it.

Three steps into the path, he found his way forward abruptly blocked by several women in Greek and Roman dress, with various weapons pointed at him: spears, swords, bows and arrows, even some slingshots. More than one had their hands up in a threatening motion, most likely sorceresses themselves. Suddenly far less sure, Percy swallowed and hoped his own control of the mist was as good as he needed it to be. He should have realized there would be sorceresses on the island. It was Circe's Island.

He'd classified the guards as 'women' initially, but as they all stood, facing off, he couldn't help but notice that many of them could have easily been high-school, or even middle-school age. He wasn't entirely sure what to think of that.

"Um… hi?" he said slowly.

"Who are you?" one of the women, probably the one in charge, asked. She had ash-blond hair tied into a braid behind her and cold, gray eyes. Athena eyes. Percy wondered if she was Annabeth's sister…

Then he told himself to focus.

He didn't want to lie to them. "You can call me Paisley. Paisley Jackson." He never said it was his name. "I'm a child of…" he paused, wondering if he should go Greek or Roman. Reyna and Hylla were Roman, but Circe herself was Greek, despite who she let onto the island. He wondered how she'd gotten around that. "The sea god," he finally settled on.

"What are you doing here?" the maybe-Athena child asked, eyes narrowed.

Percy didn't swallow, but it was a near thing. "A female demigod has a couple of choices when she comes of age. Camp," they could specify which one she meant on their own, "either on land or under the sea, the Hunt," a risk because that wasn't necessarily a Roman thing, "Amazons, or… well, here."

The girls all exchanged glances, except for the leader. She just focused more on Percy.

"I don't think your… father would approve of choosing here."

Percy outright laughed. "Absolutely not." He smiled, just a little sharply. "Though some might argue that's part of the appeal."

A twinge of amusement entered the girl's eyes and the side of her mouth twitched. "Well. We'll have to take you to our lady."

Percy tried not to let how he tensed at that declaration show, but she must have seen it anyway, because her eyes narrowed again and any mirth vanished.

"Why didn't you go to the docks? Why the beach?"

The time-traveler shrugged, hoping it looked nonchalant. "One, it's easier. Two… from what I could see, that was all about the face that's shown to everyone. I wanted to see what it was really like here before I made a decision."

Some of the girls shifted uncomfortably, but the gray-eyed girl nodded. "I can respect that. Also, you haven't lied this entire time."

That took him by surprise. "I… what?"

"There's a truth spell on the island. Or, well, it's obvious when someone lies, to anyone tied into the spell." Percy did gulp that time, glad he had decided to go the 'as truthful as possible' way. But this could also potentially help him if he had to reveal himself and/or his future knowledge.

"We still have to take you to Lady Circe, but… we can go the scenic route."

"Lyra," one of the other girls said quietly. She had dark eyes and hair as well as a tan complexion, but was not someone Percy had met before. "Is that...wise?"

Lyra was definitely a daughter of Athena. Especially with how she stiffened.

"I'm facilitating…" she paused, looking at Percy, "Paisley, was it?" He nodded. "Paisley's wisdom. Making an informed decision is wisdom in and of itself."

He smiled. "I appreciate it."

"This way," Lyra said, nodding towards the path he'd been taking anyway.

"So," he said after they'd been filing in a straight line for a little while, "tell me about life here. Do you like it?"

"Lady Circe keeps us safe from the outside world," Lyra said, not looking back at him.

Sirens started to go off in his mind when she fell silent after that. Not loudly, but still there.

"Yet there's your guard," he said slowly when it became obvious she wouldn't say anything more… or anything that actually answered his question.

She shrugged. "Nothing is impenetrable. We just prepare for anything we can."

He thought about that, then shrugged. "Point." Though that also didn't answer any of his questions. "But what's it like? Like daily life, expectations, training, etc."

"We're not allowed to use powers that don't deal with magic," one of the girls said.

Percy frowned. That didn't make sense. "Aren't… all divine powers magic?"

"Specifically sorceress magic," Lyra clarified.

"So, only the Mist?"

"Mainly, although there are other areas people can delve into with Lady Circe's permission." Percy frowned deeper. That didn't sit well with him. It felt… wrong in the parts of him that were explicitly Greek too. And Romans were all about procedure, sure, but that limited? Especially people like Reyna and Hylla….

"You already have some ability with the Mist," one of the entourage said. Percy didn't know who, but bet it was a sorceress. "I can sense it around you."

Percy nodded. "Yeah. It makes daily life a lot easier when on land."

No one disagreed with him, but the previous calm atmosphere seemed a little less welcoming now.

Time for a topic change. "So, where do you all live? Is there a main housing complex, or are there houses for everyone?"

"That depends," Lyra said. "For those who want to live in a community, there are complexes to choose from. For those who would like to live by themselves, we all come together and build a house for them."

Okay, that was something Percy could get behind.

"Nice. And how do you all spend your days?"

"You choose a profession, or are assigned one if you don't know a profession, and that is your job on the island," Lyra said. She ducked under a fallen tree that left some room under it for passage. Percy followed, as did everyone behind him. "You'll still have to work to help maintain the island, but at least it's safe. Lady Circe's magic keeps most monsters away unlike the outside world."

"What kinds of professions?" Because that sounded reasonable.

"Crafting and building, animal tending, farming, food preparation, and, of course, defense and policing." She gestured behind them, probably meaning their little group. "The crafting includes arts. Sorcery is taught on the side, as a hobby."

"People can also work at the spa," yet another girl from the group said.

Lyra glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrowed in a frown. "Yes, but only once someone has proved themselves outside of the spa."

"Unless you're pretty enough," someone muttered behind him.

That tone had Percy's stomach clenching. The silent sirens in his head started blaring again. That had sounded awfully bitter…. He hadn't expected anyone to say something like that. Not in front of a newcomer. Was it his mist manipulation at work? The trustworthiness aspect he'd added in? Or maybe tensions on the island had already built to a boiling point and Percy's spell had sent her over the edge. He winced.

"Maya," Lyra said coldly.

An uneasy shuffle went through the group around Percy.

"What?" the girl said again. Percy looked over his own shoulder at the girl speaking. She had pale skin and dark hair, but blue eyes that reminded him of Apollo. Huh. "It's true. Aurelia—"

"Was killed by an incoming man," Lyra said shortly. "Lady Circe told you that herself."

"Yeah? Well, why do all the Love Goddess girls get taken to the spa then? Doesn't that put them in more danger? And why are they the ones that always end up dying? Or conveniently leaving without telling anyone?"

Lyra's aura darkened, growing more menacing. Percy wasn't the only one who noticed. Still, when she spoke, she had an air of calmness he'd heard from many Athena children in the past.

"Of course, Lady Circe places us where our gifts can be most appreciated, so daughters of the Love Goddess are generally moved to the spa quickly. Some girls are hurt or even die, but that is simply the nature of being a demigod or legacy, even one under Circe's protection. Our lives here are still happier and longer than any Camp could provide, though maybe not so long as being a Hunter would. But I can't see many daughters of love finding that very fulfilling."

True, but something about that—

"They're not the only ones who die," yet another girl, this one with curly hair and dark skin, said angrily. "And not all deaths coincide with anyone new coming onto the isla—!"

"ENOUGH!" Lyra yelled, whipping around to face the girls, gray eyes flashing. So, not as patient as Annabeth, even though she seemed to have a good mind for politics. "How many of you were rescued by Lady Circe?" Awkward shuffling was her only answer. "She has kept many of us safe. That is something you cannot deny." Several girls looked down in shame. "But even she cannot save everyone. Pride, vanity, and resentment have no place on this island, and if you struggle with that, you may go to the temple to pray for improvement, right Maya?"

"And disappear ourselves?" Maya, a girl with a deep tan as well as dark hair and eyes, grumbled.

"Maya, you're relieved of duty," Lyra said. "You obviously have some things to work through. Go to the temple tonight and calm down. Think through everything clearly."

"Everyone who goes to the temple for something like that is… different when they come back!" she argued, blue eyes sparking. Either they'd forgotten Percy was there, or his disguise and mist manipulation was better than he could have hoped. To be fair, though, these were also mostly young teenagers who probably didn't grow up on the island and may have been fairly new to the idea of a professional guard. Still…

"Yes," Lyra said calmly. "That's the point."

"So we can sit here and be brainwashed and controlled—"

It was subtle, but Percy saw Lyra's hand wave by her side. The mist swirled and Maya stopped, blinking like she didn't know what she'd been about to say. Some of the girls, those who were obviously versed in magic, looked away.

"Maya, do you want to leave the island?" Lyra asked softly.

The dark-haired girl looked taken back and backed away, eyes shifting down to stare at her feet. "No. Of course not."

"Then you need to go to the temple tonight, and Lady Circe tomorrow. Talk it out with her."

Percy felt his breath freeze in his lungs as the girl, whose eyes had had so much fire in them before, now seemed dull and confused. She nodded.

"Yes. Of course. I'll… go home now."

The group let her through and Percy watched her walk by, his instincts screaming at him. The dark-skinned girl put a hand on Maya's shoulder, but the girl just shrugged it off. Percy saw the panic in the other girl's eyes, but she didn't make a move to go after Maya.

Percy's mouth had gone dry. He remembered Reyna talking about the island like it had been so good, but… this wasn't right.

"We are a peaceful island, Paisley," Lyra said quietly. "We don't tolerate fighting or dissent amongst each other. We are here to live peacefully. So any dissent is discussed openly. Those who cannot be mature are sent to Circe's temple to calm down and discuss their issues there. Only then can agreements and compromises be reached."

"Right. And… you can leave any time? The Island I mean," Percy asked, hoping his voice didn't sound rough or croaking. He knew Circe could be considered a minor goddess in her own right. Technically a nymph, but far more powerful than what most gods classified as 'nymphs'. Percy, himself, had never really understood the distinction and had simply avoided her like the plague once he'd ascended. Thankfully, she'd done the same.

Lyra's calm demeanor cooled significantly as she looked him up and down. He hoped she hadn't seen through his Mist-disguise yet. "Yes," she said. "Of course. Anyone can leave."

"They just have to know how to sail?" he asked, hoping that came off as lighter than he felt.

"Or they can ask Lady Circe to teleport them to the mainland."

Yeah. That, with the context of what just happened, wasn't suspicious at all. "Right," he said. "Okay then. Let's… keep going then?"

Lyra was looking Percy over again, eyes narrowed and distinctly unfriendly now. "You know, I think Cecilia was right. This is against protocol and we need to take you to see Lady Circe directly."

"But—" Percy started.

"Diane," she said loudly, cutting Percy off. Another girl with golden-blond hair and brown eyes nodded firmly. "I know everyone was curious, but we need to keep to our duties. Please head back to the beach." The girl nodded again as Percy thought through all his options.

"I will lead Paisley directly to the spa. Who would like to accompany me and our guest?"

Several girls raised their hands. Percy was glad to see the dark-skinned girl from earlier was one of them. Lyra nodded. "Very well. Everyone else, go back to the beach."

Great. They'd taken too much exception to the fact that he'd seen the not-so-great part of their little culture on accident. But Percy didn't protest more. It wouldn't do any good if he wanted to keep a low profile. He did, however, palm the jar of multi-vitamins from his pocket. That was the key to his best idea. At least some of these girls were being coerced—forced to remain here via magic. He didn't know how deep that went, but it wouldn't be the first time he'd come across a deity coercing people for their own ends. Even if there was nothing nefarious going on here, and Circe really did mean to protect them, well, the road to Tartarus was paved with good intentions… sometimes. Sometimes it was paved with betrayal and heartache. Other times with madness and sadism. And every now and then, a spider guarding a statue over a drop into the stupid pit. Still, the point stood.

The group walked on. Percy asked more questions, but no one answered. He swallowed. Not good. He still didn't want this to turn into a fight. Which it most likely would if he met Circe face-to-face.

They turned down the next path that intersected the one they'd been walking down and traipsed through the trees towards where Percy could see the top of Circe's spa in the distance.

"Can we take a bit of a break?" he asked, feigning tiredness.

"No," Lyra said shortly. If the trustworthy aspect of his disguise had worked before, it didn't seem to be now.

Well, so much for that plan.

Percy knew he had to stall. He couldn't afford to go head-to-head with a goddess. Not and keep his mortality… He would if it meant saving his friends, but he really, really didn't want to if he didn't have to. As much as he missed the power at his fingertips, if only for the sheer convenience, it wasn't worth immortality. It never could be to someone like him, who cared far more about the people in his life than any abilities he could ever gain.

A root he hadn't seen caught his foot and he stumbled forward. It took every ounce of will to keep the Mist illusion up as he fell.

"Are you alright?" the dark-skinned girl from earlier asked, reaching her hand out to help him back up. Percy took his chance and slipped her the bottle as he rose to his feet, grateful it was small enough for him to be able to do so.

"Yeah," he said. "But… um, what's your name?"

She blinked, surprised, but to her credit, didn't so much as flinch at him slipping her the bottle. "Ebele."

He shot her a wan smile. "Ebele. Thanks, but I think I've seen the truth of this place. I… hope you can too. And everyone." He stared pointedly at her, silently begging her to get his message.

The girl's dark eyes widened, but to her credit, she didn't so much as look down at where he'd slipped her the jar. Smart. Still, she nodded. "Indeed. Now get moving."

She nudged him, hard, and he turned to keep walking forward. Lyra was watching them suspiciously but didn't step in. Instead, the group just continued on.

After about fifteen or so minutes, they came to the base of C.C.'s Spa and Resort. It looked very much like he remembered, white-marble built in terraces around mountains and hills, some leaning out over the sea, with waterfalls and swimming pools and the underwater tubes he could sense…

He could also sense the Mist, but something about it felt off. Reaching out, it responded to his command sluggishly, like a pouting child grudgingly following their parent's order. Great. He still had hold of the Mist holding his illusion together, but he didn't know how long that would last within the spa itself.

"I'll lead Paisley from here," Lyra said. "Cecilia, follow me." The girl with dark hair and tanned skin from earlier stepped forward with a nod.

The girl who had helped him up looked worried, like she wanted to step in, but didn't think that would end well. Percy agreed, so he just nodded at her, then followed Lyra inside a pale archway leading up a stairway built into the side of the mountain.

Well, it looked like this would end in a fight, whether he liked it or not. Unless he could talk Circe down… Odysseus had been able to, but he'd also fathered multiple sons with her and Percy was most definitely not willing to go that far.

Should he take the vitamin he'd pocketed for himself now? He reached into the pocket of his jeans and found Riptide… but no vitamin. His heartbeat picked up. Styx. He pushed his hand down farther and found… a hole.

A. Hole. In. His. Pocket.

The words that went through his mind just then would have made Kym stop and stare. His plans had been entirely derailed because of a hole. Wait, did he constantly lose Riptide and it just came back because his sword was that awesome?

No, focus. What could he do now? Nothing less than his best, but… If he ended up being a guinea pig for the rest of his life, he was going to find a way to take that up with the Fates. See how they liked his small, furry self showing up everywhere, like a bad penny. (That was a current saying, right?)

Still, what was his other option? Knock the two girls out and run away? That would probably cause a fair amount of chaos… and in that chaos, he could find Reyna or Hylla, right? Well, he'd probably have to get out of the spa, unless he was incredibly lucky.

Almost as if in response to his thoughts, a group of girls in white togas and peplos were walking down the hall he and his entourage had just turned into. About half-way down, he saw a familiar, but much younger face of one Reyna Ramirez-Arellano. She was walking quietly, demurely and without the confidence he remembered from her, but it was definitely her.

"You know," he said as he passed them, eyes focused on Lyra, "I'm surprised a daughter of a war goddess would be content to stay here. It's not what I expected."

Was it just his imagination, or did Reyna flinch a little?

Lyra froze. Then she whirled on him, face stony.

"Why is that your business?" she asked. "And how did you know who my mother is?"

He shrugged. "I didn't. I just guessed. You just confirmed it. But I didn't specifically address any particular war goddess." He grinned.

The girls in white had glanced at him, but none had stopped or spoken. Lyra waited until they'd turned into another corridor Percy had noticed a couple of meters back.

"And you're not a simple daughter of the Sea God."

"Nope," he said, smirking. "Though I honestly have no ill will towards any of the demigods and mortals on this island."

"But nymphs and goddesses?" Cecilia asked from behind him.

"Only if they have a problem with me," he said, shrugging.

"You're here to destroy our home," Lyra hissed, fingering her sword.

"I'm not. But if you have to coerce people to stay here, then is it really a home? The sanctuary you claim it is?"

"It's the sacrifice we have to make to keep us safe!"

Percy's hands balled into fists. "Keep us safe? No, it keeps you safe! What about the other girls here! If they aren't making their own choice to stay, then how is that safety? It seems to me your 'lady' only wants a bunch of people around her to answer her beck and call—to make sure everything on the island runs somewhat smoothly! She wants slaves!"

"Well," a new voice said. He'd only really heard it at one time before in his life, but he still recognized it immediately. He also recognized the heaviness of the charmspeak, lower and deeper than Pipers, but just as mesmerizing for it. Percy grit his teeth and slowly turned to face a woman who looked to be in her twenties, wearing a black, Greek peplos under equally dark, silky hair and piercing green eyes. Not a sea-green like Percy's, but more a mix of toxic poison and growth at the same time.

A goddesses' eyes.

He swallowed and put his hand into his pocket again, fingering Riptide.

"What's this?" she asked, amused.

"This girl walked onto the beach, my Lady," Lyra said, bowing respectfully. "She says she's a daughter of the Sea God and wanted to see if this was a good place for her."

Circe looked somewhere between amused and infuriated. "Did she now?" Yeah, she could definitely see through his mist shroud. He gripped his pen tighter.

The goddess must have noticed. "Oh, come now," she said, her voice overflowing with charmspeak. "There is nothing to fear here. It is peaceful."

His head was starting to get light, but he fought off the charmspeak as best he could, pouring his own power into his efforts. After a couple of seconds, he managed to break through the haziness.

"If it's so peaceful, then why do girls go missing?" he asked angrily. "Do you take them as lovers? As slaves? As property you can sell to the highest bidder?" Okay, he may be jumping to the worst conclusions, but he hated people trying to charmspeak him! Aphrodite did it all the time, just to get a rise out of him. He was kind of glad for the practice at breaking out of it now, though. He wasn't sure he could if Aphrodite herself used it on him now.

That didn't sit well with him.

None of this did.

And he may or may not have directed some of his worry and anger about that to the woman in front of him.

"How dare you?!" Cecilia shrieked, not noticing Circe's darkening expression.

"Because that is his nature."

That seemed to take the girl back and it was Percy's turn to wince. Both girls looked between Percy and Circe for several seconds before Percy finally let his disguise drop with a sigh.

"A man?!" Cecilia shrieked. Lyra stepped away, disgusted.

"'Man'?" Percy asked with a scoff. "I'm twelve." Technically.

As if sensing something in his words, Circe pounced. Not literally, but that was what it felt like. One moment, they were standing in the white-marble hallway. The next, they were all in Circe's mirror room with the squealing guinea pigs who kicked up an enormous fuss the moment they appeared. Percy, himself, could only barely notice this as she had her hands on his cheeks, so gentle but firm, forcing him to look into her eyes. They were lovely and deep and soothing and…

And not the storm gray he was used to. There was something off about that…

He tried to shake his head, but her hands wouldn't let him.

"There's something about yourself that you don't like…" she said, sounding so reasonable.

"Not really," he muttered, "it's just different."

"But," she said calmly, pushing him in front of a very familiar mirror. "Isn't there something you'd like to change about yourself?"

Percy studied himself in that mirror, full length, for the first time since he'd come back. All he saw were scrawny arms and legs, wild, black hair, and sea-green eyes. He looked so much like his father and yet… The upturn of his nose just there, and the way his cheekbones sat, the shape of his eyes and how deeply they set into his face. That was all his mother. Sally Jackson.

The very thought almost made him smile. "No. I… wish I could stay just like this." Or at least in the body he saw.

A growling noise drew him away from his own reflection to the woman standing behind him. She looked famil—Oh.

Oh!

"Percy!" Annabeth suddenly came crashing into the room, looking as stunning as she had the first time. Well, for a twelve-year-old. She definitely didn't look twelve now and he could see the beginnings of the woman she would become.

"So, you defied us? Spit on our hospitality?" Circe growled at Annabeth. "And you're strangely resistant to my magic. I wonder why."

That was very obviously a rhetorical question. Or statement.

"No!" Annabeth said. "We're not here to hurt anyone!"

"Lies!" Lyra said from where she stood on the side of the room, already with her sword out to defend her mistress.

"You know it's not," Percy said tightly. "You said so yourself."

"Then why are you here?!" Cecilia shrieked.

"Right now, we just want to get a better boat," Percy responded with a shrug, forcing nonchalance. "The one we were on wouldn't have lasted much longer."

"Thieves!" Lyra said.

Percy rolled his eyes. "You actively take people from their transportation and then turn them into guinea pigs. You don't have the moral high ground here."

"Says the one who broke into our sanctuary," Lyra said.

"I literally walked up onto the beach! I didn't hide my presence at all! Just disguised myself so I had a chance at a peaceful talk!"

"Yes. You come here, to my home, knowing far too much, and think you can win here?" Circe asked, eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Lady, you're on an island. Child of Poseidon, remember!"

"Still mortal."

Percy didn't mean to wince at that… but he did.

"Look, we really met no harm and will leave if you really want us to," he finally said. "I know you don't like to do it, but just let us go! We won't even fight or anything if you don't hurt us."

"It's too late for that," Circe said, snapping her fingers. Out of a side door, another contingent of armed girls came in with Luke and Grover tied up in between them.

"Luke! Grover!" Annabeth shrieked, jumping forward. Several other girls caught and held her though. She didn't stop struggling, but it was obvious she wouldn't be breaking out any time soon. Knowing her, she'd get out eventually, but probably not fast enough.

Percy felt his insides drop as he looked between Annabeth and his other two questmates. How had Luke and Grover been caught? They hadn't even been on the island! They weren't supposed to even be in danger! He stepped forward, but stopped when Lyra and Cecilia's weapons came to his throat and stomach respectively.

"Well," Circe said calmly, withdrawing a dagger, bloodlust in her eyes.

No… no no no….

"I think I'll start with the Satyr. Despicable creatures," Circe said, a malicious smile on her dark red lips as she strode forward.

"Baa-ah-ah!" Grover said, trying to back away only to yelp at the spear points he ran into.

Come on, Jackson, think, Percy told himself. But nothing was coming. Except to draw attention.

"It wasn't their idea, it was mine!" he said. "Seriously, how much do you want for the boat? We'll pay for it!" He held up what was left of his drachma stash.

"Funny how this is the first time you mention it," Lyra hissed.

"You wouldn't let me!" he shot back.

The others dragged a struggling Grover forward. "Four on a quest! I knew this would be bad!" he was saying.

"No, Grover!" Luke shouted, shoving the girl at his side away and making a dash for the satyr.

"Luke!" Annabeth screamed. "No!"

Luke came to a stop in front of Grover, glaring hatefully at Circe. Behind him, Grover shook his head.

"Luke! You—" he started.

"Shut up," Luke hissed, and Percy didn't know whether that was aimed at Grover or Circe.

"Very well, if you're volunteering to die…" Circe said, snapping her fingers again. The girls stepped forward, holding Luke in place.

Any day, Percy! He thought desperately. Although, this was Luke… and while Percy didn't like the idea of him dying, if someone in their group had to…

His loyalty and demigod domain twisted and he grunted. Ugh. Loyal to demigods. All demigods. And—

Once again, he saw the fabric of the world—the ever changing weave of the Fates leading off in two directions. He had a choice here. If Luke died… he saw images of Annabeth angrily leaving camp, of her approaching Olympus with an army behind her… of her golden eyes.

NO! Percy didn't know if he just thought it, or if he yelled, but all of a sudden his gut hurt like nothing else. He grit his teeth, cradling his stomach out of sheer reflex.

Something cracked painfully. He tried not to, but couldn't withhold a scream.

Burning knives stabbing and shattering! Then the shards stabbing and shattering, spreading out to repeat the process.

"P...Percy?" Annabeth's quiet, shaky voice made him open his eyes.

He forced himself to look around, even as he dropped to his knees. Everyone around him stood frozen… except his allies. Up to and including a very shocked Circe herself.

"Why… can't I…" she said, though her jaw didn't seem to want to move.

And that was when Percy realized he could sense their blood, not just peripherally, but like it was his own.

Oh.

Well.

"I—I…" he managed to choke out, but it hurt too much to speak more than that.

"Are you doing this?" Annabeth asked, having carefully ducked under her captors. She was now making her way to Luke, who was trying to help Grover up without actually having any hands to do so.

"Y… yes…" he said, strangled.

"How is this… possible?" Circe asked, eyes wide in shock and horror.

The world was spinning around Percy now. He felt something inside him crack and panicked. He knew what that was.

His mortality.

No… he couldn't let… that break. But did he have a choice? Especially with someone fighting him so hard. Circe? Probably. He couldn't concentrate enough to really make sure, but it made sense.

He had to hold on… didn't he? The pain was making it hard to think.

And then she was there, blond hair in the most beautiful braid, curly wisps framing her delicate face that could also be so strong.

"Come on," she whispered.

"Heh… I really am… a Seaweed… Brain…" he huffed. She practically pulled him to his feet, draping an arm around her shoulder. He just reveled in her presence.

"Come on," she said again.

His mortality cracked further. He hated how he could feel that, despite it not being physical.

"No… I… can't keep… this up…" he whispered. He didn't want to let this all go—let his mortal life go. Not this soon. Not with everyone…

"Just until we get to the door," she said, ducking around some of the terrified looking girls frozen in place. Even the guinea pigs…

Oh. Right. Percy let those go. They all backed away, squealing in terror. He hated that, but the release helped… a little.

"Come on," Luke said, as he moved the girls out of the way, carefully by their arms, of course. Percy noted that somehow and appreciated it.

"I…" Percy said, "I'm trying…"

His legs wouldn't work, dragging across the tiled floor as he leaned heavily on Annabeth.

"How are you doing this?" Annabeth asked, grunting, as they reached the door. Luke practically picked Percy up and he whimpered as he curled into the warmth of the much larger body. He could only focus on the strain… as if his very being was tearing apart. Which… it kind of was.

"Liquid."

"What?" Luke asked as they started jogging down the hall.

"God… of liquid," Percy muttered.

"But you're a demigod right now!" Annabeth said.

"Have… my own… domains. Brought them… back… somehow."

The blood was getting harder to hold onto the farther away the four of them got from the mirror room. Grover was, again, muttering something about how this was why you never went on a quest with four people and why avoiding Circe's island was always a better idea.

Percy wanted to smile, but couldn't seem to bring himself to.

The metaphysical crack inside him split more, leaking energy out and into him. His skin felt hot. Too hot.

"No…" he whimpered, not caring how weak he sounded. "Can't… hold on…"

"Then don't!" Grover shouted. "You're in too much pain already! I can feel you tearing apart!"

Annabeth gasped and Luke gripped Percy tighter… which kind of did and didn't help at the same time.

"Can't… let go," Percy grunted, focusing on the familiar orange around him. He liked the color of the Camp Half-Blood shirts. He always had. Not as much as blue, but orange was blue's complimentary color and—

"Why can't you let it go?" Luke asked through gritted teeth. Oh… Percy could feel his anger. It was almost as bad as it had been when he'd met Luke the year before. Was he always just that angry?

"She'll… follow—"

"So what?! We'll deal!" Annabeth said, racing down more halls. She'd either memorized the place already, or was choosing halls at random. Which really didn't sound like his Wise Girl, so probably the former.

(Not his Wise Girl, a voice in his head whispered. He almost couldn't comprehend it.)

The crack widened. He cried out. The leaking power burned. So much…

No. He didn't want that…

But he had to keep them safe.

"Percy, let it go!" Annabeth shrieked.

He gasped, straining to hold onto the people he'd frozen in place. His connection to them stretched, more and more and more… until it finally snapped.

He screamed in torment as the backlash of power hit him. His hands curled into Luke's shirt, almost tearing the fabric in his agony. Thankfully, as if he'd been prying the crack open with his power, it snapped closed again. Mostly. Something (divinity?) was still seeping into him but… it would heal. He'd felt like that before, after… after Tartarus in the first timeline.

A shudder ran through his body at the memories he tried to push away.

And then he smelled the ocean air.

"This way!" Annabeth yelled. Percy could swear he heard girls cursing and yelling, but he couldn't focus on them, only on his breathing and the sheer torment still drowning his gut.

Then they stopped and he heard something.

"Which one?!" Annabeth yelled.

"Over there!" Grover said.

They kept running. The sound of their footfalls changed to something more wooden. Wooden? And water… the dock? Please let it be the dock.

He didn't even know who he was praying to at that point.

"Almost—" Annabeth started but then they all stopped, practically skidding to a halt.

"You! You dare challenge me? On my own island?!" Circe! Percy forced himself to turn and look at the goddess, practically glowing as she stood there. Wait, had she just let them go the first time? Or had there just been too much chaos? He couldn't remember. He hated how foggy his brain looked… er, felt.

"We didn't want to hurt anyone!" Grover shouted. "And we shouldn't be punished for something we can't control!"

"You were born male, you were born cursed," Circe hissed.

What about her own sons? Did she think that way about them? Percy wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't come to his mouth through his exhaustion.

"You will not leave this island alive!" the woman yelled.

"Just like… all the girls you killed?" Percy asked, more on a whim than anything, but partly because it helped him focus past his pain.

"Ha! Those girls—children of the Goddess of Love—could never truly fit in here! Not with their propensity to love men!"

"Not… all of them…" Percy said, forcing the words out. "How many… did you love?"

Circe's glare hardened even more, eyes definitely a toxic green.

She moved too quickly for Percy to see, but one second, her hand was by her side, the next it was in front of her, extended and empty. Hadn't she had a dagg—

Then he was falling as Luke shouted for Grover and Annabeth. Percy thumped painfully to the dock, gasping for breath, hearing more yells and splashes before he opened his eyes just in time to see Luke, with a dagger in his side, fall to the dock.

Annabeth, from the water beside them, screamed.

Annabeth was in pain. He had to—

The agony in Percy's gut almost faded for a moment as orange fell beside him, thumping dully onto the wood. The light of a demigod's (one of his demigods!) life flickered. For a moment, the world seemed to freeze in place.

Then the ocean exploded.

Chapter Text

Percy felt the dock shudder as Luke fell to the ground, a dagger in his side. His left side…. The world slowed down. Percy could have sworn he was watching the whole scene from a distance.

"NO! NO LUKE!" Annabeth screamed from the water.

The time-traveler almost didn't hear her as he stared. Luke had… the boy who had joined Kronos, who had so much anger and rage in him… he'd pushed them out of the way? And… the dagger… on his left side… so close to his mortal point…

Demigods were hurting. Annabeth was hurting.

"No, Annabeth!" Grover yelled. "Don't get up there! We're safer in the water!"

"I don't care! Let me go!"

She kept screaming. Grover was afraid. Luke was bleeding… and Circe just laughed. Percy managed to turn his head and look at her. She was grinning maniacally and had fire glowing in her hands.

"You may be immune to my magic, but once I let this go, it should burn you just fine," she said. Percy didn't know if she was talking to him or Luke, but… did it matter? She'd try to kill them all anyway.

Kill his friends.

His best friends.

His wife.

His demigods.

A scream of rage tore itself from his throat and the part of himself he'd been keeping at bay, the Destroyer, came forward gleefully, drawing that power out of the crack inside of him, prying it apart again. Percy ignored that, reaching out and grabbing the ocean. Then he pulled. Pushing aside the excruciating tearing in his stomach, he forced himself to his feet, gesturing for the water to rise until he held a several story high Tsunami over the island. It happened in seconds.

"If you even dare try," he said, noting and not caring how his voice echoed with power, "I will destroy everything you have ever made!" Wait? Destroy? Styx! He couldn't let that out (he tried to remember why, but then he always had a hard time remembering when this happened). It took everything inside of him to keep that part of himself in check. He wanted to destroy! To tear down and show her what it meant to mess with him. But Annabeth could still see him. And Grover. And even Luke. Not to mention, Reyna and Hylla and other innocent girls were on that island.

He knew he'd never forgive himself if he didn't stop it, and while the Destroyer fought to release his rage, it hadn't truly broken free yet.

He wouldn't let it. Couldn't. His future self would thank him. Or, at least not hate him.

For a moment, Circe looked confused, and then her face drained of color.

"D… Destroyer…" she whispered. He didn't know how she knew, but he grinned, mouth full of too many teeth.

"You understand then," he shot back. "Now will you let us leave? Or do you wish to fight? I will remind you again that you are in my domain just as much as we are in yours!"

For several far-too-long seconds, where Percy felt more and more of himself tear apart, she studied him and then the dock.

"You're not a demigod."

"Whatever I am is none of your business."

She grit her teeth angrily, but stepped aside. "Don't return."

"Naturally," he growled. The water rippled with the sound of his voice. His gut hurt more than ever. They needed to leave, now, or everyone would witness an ascension right here. That, at least, he felt something about. He didn't want Circe to witness anything that would leave him so vulnerable.

Thankfully, she disappeared. Percy still didn't dare let his wave down.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked, her voice small.

"Hurry… carry him…" he was losing his grip on too many things, trying to use his power and maintain his hold on humanity when he could barely walk.

Soaking wet, Annabeth clambered out of the water, followed closely by Grover. Between the two of them, they managed to carry Luke to the boat as Percy followed behind, concentrating almost solely on that wave.

He'd gone back to burning up from the inside. He could feel the energy leaking out of him again, but he forced himself to walk anyway, slowly, as they made their way to a large speed boat with a sail (weird). He doubted he could go much faster without openly stumbling, to be fair.

"Start the engine!" Percy said when the other two had laid Luke down. The older boy groaned. Percy tried not to wince at the knife still sticking out of his side or how he'd vowed to help Luke. He tried not to remember the floor room of Olympus and the boy lying on it, or Annabeth purposefully not sobbing or Thalia or…

Or himself. Sixteen and scared and still convinced he would die sometime soon as he watched another demigod choose death over being used by the beings more powerful than them.

He got onto the boat, somehow. He didn't remember doing so, but he never lost his focus on that wave looming over C.C.'s Resort and Spa.

The boat rumbled to life beneath him. They began to speed away.

"Luke!" Annabeth said behind him, sounding on the verge of tears.

Percy didn't lose focus. He could feel himself glowing, but behind him Luke was growing weaker. Ironic that they had two opposite problems and would likely loose two people, one to godhood, one to death. If only he could transfer his abundance of energy to…

Wait.

Slowly, carefully, he lowered the wave, making sure to not hurt anyone on that island. It had been a threat, and they were safe now. The Destroyer wasn't happy, but he ignored that part of him. There were more important things to focus on. Like how he could still feel the energy leaking into, and then out of him, bleeding off of him in an aura all could see.

Oh, and it still hurt. Hah, if he went far enough in the understatement category, maybe he'd circle around and hit what he couldn't otherwise describe from the other side?

That thought vanished almost as soon as it happened, swallowed up in the agony that consumed him.

He dropped to the deck with a pained shriek almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, and Grover called his name, but he focused on the horn somewhere near his hip. His hands fumbled, fingers not listening to him, and yet, as he put the horn to his mouth, he knew exactly what to do—part of blowing on a magical horn, he supposed.

With a deep breath, he blew, vibrating his lips in a way he never had before but suddenly seemed natural. A long, mournful moan escaped from the other end and all of his leaking energy changed direction, flowing into his mouth, then out into the air around him. He heard Annabeth gasp and Grover bleat. More, he could sense them—and Luke—in a way he couldn't before. He couldn't describe it. But he also felt a connection to people on the island… Reyna? Hylla? Ebele

"Percy? What are you—" Grover started, but Percy cut him off.

"Water!" he said, gasping when he could no longer blow that horn. "Hurry!"

Then he took another breath and blew his horn again. He tried to focus on Luke's thread, pouring what he could into that, but it only worked so well. Still, the older demigod's energy wasn't fading anymore and while it hurt more than almost anything else Percy had ever done, he wasn't ascending. Not anymore.

Grover splashed a cup of water on his face.

"Grover! Not there! He's breathing!" Annabeth said. She'd taken the knife out of Luke and was feeding him… ambrosia? Yeah, that looked about right.

Percy didn't care, he kept blowing that horn.

The water helped.

"More," he gasped, and blew again.

He didn't know how long he'd been blowing his horn by the time he passed out.

xXx

The boat engine was off when Percy woke next. Night had fallen and he was wrapped in a blanket on the deck of a mid-sized boat next to Luke, who was also sleeping and bundled in his own blanket. Blinking, Percy went to sit up, but his stomach protested.

He hissed in pain and had to force his body to relax.

"Percy?" Annabeth's voice asked quietly. He opened his eyes again and managed to move his head to look at her. He smiled at the sight of her face in the dim moonlight.

"Hi," he croaked.

She looked relieved. "Here," she said, holding out a piece of Ambrosia.

He smiled and reached for it, nibbling on the corner and feeling its warmth spread through his body along with the taste of chocolate chip cookies. He paid close attention to his gut, but nothing happened to the metaphysical crack (at least it wasn't leaking as badly as before), so he took another nibble.

No, wait… if anything, the crack began to close.

Well, there was irony for him. Then again, Ambrosia was supposed to return mortals who could eat it to their basic, healthiest state, in theory. Too much, and it was, again, like shoving someone full of divine energy, but before that level, it could heal even some divine wounds. It made him a little too ridiculously happy that the divine food returned him to peak mortal. It made no sense, but he would take it!

"Can you… explain what happened back there?" Annabeth asked after a couple of quiet moments.

Percy paused in chewing for a second, then swallowed and glanced over at her. "You already have some hypotheses, don't you?"

She huffed. "Of course I do. But I want to hear it from you."

He sighed. That was fair enough. He took another nibble and curled up tighter under his blanket.

"Liquids," he finally said, "include blood."

A gulp—not of surprise (she already knew), but horror. He tried not to let that hurt. He did.

"But… Poseidon—" she started.

"Not his. Can't say more outside of a shield."

"And the wave?" she asked after several uncomfortable seconds.

He sighed again and pointed to himself, holding up one finger for the next couple of words respectively. "Loyalty. Demigods. Water, still. Well, it's deeper than that," heh, too bad she didn't have the context to get his pun, "but yeah. She threatened you. All of you."

A frown. "You were glowing."

"Yeah."

"But the horn stopped it."

He shrugged. "My father said I would need it."

Her face twisted in frustration. "Luke heard it and stayed alive."

Percy blinked, curled up a little more, and sighed. He didn't think Luke would have died from that wound, but… "It takes my energy and siphons it off to all allies that hear it."

"Is… that why I don't need to sleep?"

That had Percy moving to face her entirely, despite the pain. It wasn't nearly as bad as he remembered anyway. "What?"

"I haven't gotten tired, even though it's almost two in the morning. Neither has Grover." She pointed to the other end of the far newer boat they were on, where Grover sat blowing into his pipes quietly. He didn't seem to hear them.

Percy blinked. "Oh. I… uh, don't know? Probably."

She let out a long sigh. "Seaweed Brain."

Percy froze.

"W...what did you just call me?"

She frowned at him. "You just said it earlier, that you're a 'Seaweed Brain'." Her frown deepened. "Why?"

The time-traveler gulped. "I… my wife used to call me that."

Annabeth frowned. "She doesn't sound very nice then."

Percy snorted in sad amusement. "It started out as an insult. As our relationship went on, though, it grew into a reminder of where we'd started—how far we'd come. It helped keep things in perspective. And she wasn't wrong. I'm not stupid, but I do tend to overlook things a lot."

He was shaking a bit now, and to stop from having to talk anymore, he bit off a little more ambrosia than he probably should, but nothing happened and he still needed it. That one didn't help the crack inside of him as much, though. So there was a limit? He almost kicked himself. Of course there was. He'd just thought about it not two minutes before.

Annabeth didn't seem to know what to make of what he'd just said.

"I'm sorry," she finally settled on. "That you lost her."

Percy stared at this look-alike of his lovely wife—his best friend and the most reliable person he'd ever known. It hurt, to see her and know it wasn't really her.

"Me too," he whispered. Then swallowed the ambrosia in his mouth and smiled. "Thank you."

"Get some more sleep. I think your body still needs to heal from your power overuse."

He snorted, but nodded. "I will. Thanks."

"Hmm," was all she said before he turned back over and curled up in the cold. He had half a mind to let himself drag through the water…

Actually…

"Hey, do you mind tethering me and letting me rest in the ocean?"

Annabeth looked taken back. "What, really?"

He nodded. "I can breathe under water. Could since I was eleven. Besides—" he pointed up to the sail above their heads— "this is a hybrid boat, with both an engine and a sail." He didn't need to have his normal connection to boats to know that. "We should be able to keep sailing in the right direction for the rest of the day without my help or use of the engine."

Once again, she just stared at him, but eventually shrugged and began looking for some rope. Grover saw her moving around and came over to help as well. Eventually, they found some in the stuff he and Luke had managed to get onto the boat (not all of it, but a lot of it, thankfully). They tied Percy to the aft of the boat before helping him into the water—after they'd made sure the engine was off, of course. No need to get stuck or sliced into bits by even a small propeller.

Almost immediately, the cool liquid soothed his aching gut and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks," he said again, before disappearing under the waves.

Eventually, even though he was being dragged behind a relatively small boat in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, he managed to drift off.

If anybody asked, it was a Poseidon thing.

xXx

He didn't know whether it was because he'd fallen asleep under water, or because of his own exhaustion and him nearly ascending, but almost the moment he drifted off, he found himself in a demigod dream. Of course. He stood on air over the Pit in the underworld. Face twisting in revulsion (and some terror of course), Percy tried to back away, but he couldn't. Naturally.

He could smell the warm, sulfur-heavy air, feel it prickling at his skin, despite not actually being there. Trying to clam his suddenly racing heart (more difficult in a dream than in real life), he glanced around, unable to help noticing how the 'stone' in the area pulsated slightly, like it was beginning the transition into Tartarus already. Some sort of evil umbilical cord? No, he didn't want to think about that.

Unfortunately, trying to distract himself was not working. He tried to close his eyes and forced himself to not panic. He'd gone over his fear of Tartarus with multiple people and therapists (in New Rome and later New Thebes when they'd established that) even. He was fine.

(He didn't feel fine.)

A deep rumbling and all too familiar voice snaked up from below.

"So, you've returned."

Percy swallowed his fear of the voice, and set his (likely non-existent—he couldn't see himself or really move) jaw firmly, defiantly.

"Hello, Grandfather." And if he sounded utterly unimpressed, well… it was him.

"Tell me, Perseus, do you understand anything about time?"

Percy grit his teeth against the name. "The concept? Yes. The implications? Some. As a domain? Very little."

What sounded (and felt with the wind that came up) like a snort blew past him. "At least you're honest."

"You should try it sometime," Percy returned with a grin. What? Again, it was him. He couldn't not mouth off.

Instead of the outrage he expected, though, Kronos seemed to find that amusing. He snickered. That… made the demigod more uneasy than he'd like to admit.

"You know, Time has far more reach than almost anyone, even gods, can understand. Maybe a truly omnipotent god, like Chaos, could comprehend, but even I, with my domain, can't grasp it entirely.

"And yet, here you are, with your limited knowledge, back in time, and changing so many little things."

Percy rolled his (non-existent) eyes. "Yes, when you step on a butterfly in America, it can cause a typhoon in China. For want of a nail, the shoe was lost, then the horse for the shoe, the rider for the horse, the message for the rider, the battle for the message, the war for the battle, all for want of a nail. I get that."

"So you do understand some, I see." Percy nodded firmly, sure Kronos could sense it. He'd apparently been right because Kronos said: "Then why have you been stepping on so many butterflies?"

It took Percy a moment to realize he meant metaphorical butterflies, referring to his first example of effects in time, and couldn't help that he'd stiffened. If Kronos noticed that, he didn't mention it.

For several seconds, Percy wondered how he should answer. He'd known he was 'stepping on butterflies' almost from the get go. The Fates had told him as much, and with what he'd seen from the other pantheon's weavers…

And yet…

"Why do you want to know?" he asked slowly, carefully.

Another long pause passed.

"Did you not want my scrutiny? The Titan of Time? Surely you didn't think you'd be able to avoid my notice…."

Percy sighed. Of course he knew he'd be getting Kronos' attention. He honestly hadn't expected his reaction to be so… civil though.

"I do happen to have some positions open if you wish to join—" the Titan started. Which, of course he did.

Percy cut him off. "No."

He practically felt Kronos' (also) non-existent eyes narrow. "Pity."

Percy thought about how he could wake himself up. If that was all Kronos wanted, then—

"There is no logic to your actions," Kronos interrupted Percy's thoughts. "I know you hail from the future, bringing back some of my own memories—thank you, by the way." He said it with such malicious smugness, Percy almost dismissed himself from the entire confrontation right then and there (he was sure he'd find a way), not wanting to even bother right now. Then Kronos went back to puzzled; intrigued even. "But you seem to actively seek out ways to change the world around you, giving up all of your power and foreknowledge. If not to gain my attention, then… why?"

Oh, so he didn't understand and wanted to. So badly he was willing to come out and ask Percy. How his pride must sting. Still, something about that—how Kronos had said it—bothered him. None of this conversation seemed normal. Was Percy just seeing the situation through (much) older eyes? Understanding more? Picking up on more? Or was he just… more willing to see something that may not actually be there?

And what something did he supposedly see? Kronos couldn't be reasoned with. He knew that from his encounters with the Titan, from prophecies, from histories and stories. And yet… something in him whispered at him to try. He frowned, but decided to push.

"I… have an answer I'm willing to tell you, but you need to listen to the whole explanation. Swear it on the Styx."

Grumbling, Kronos did so. Percy smiled.

"I step on 'butterflies' because… Well, you created mortals during your time. Did you ever care for them?"

A pause. "Of course." At least he hadn't backed off or kicked Percy out of the dream. He very likely could, despite his oath.

"Convincing," Percy grumbled quietly. "But if you didn't, for argument's sake, they would be (and likely still are) almost nothing to you. Fireflies that blink into existence and out again just as fast—bright and awe-inspiring in their own way, but otherwise useless."

Kronos didn't say anything, but he didn't have to.

"The thing is, those little 'insects' have done incredible things. Look at the kinds of machines humans make and the medical advancements in the last century alone. Their understanding of the world can go so much deeper than most gods realize. And no, humans aren't perfect, but the progress they've made is amazing. And that's worth preserving. So I will fight for them. And if I have to step on a couple of butterflies to give them a better, fighting chance… so be it." Well, his true reasons were more personal, and probably more selfish, but Kronos didn't need to know that.

"Now, if you weren't lying and you did care for your mortals, then perhaps you can understand better why I fight."

He sighed. "Look, I get it. Humans aren't your mortals. You want them destroyed because they're the creation of the gods. Don't deny it." He almost felt the Titan pause in saying something and back off with a metaphorical surrender. "But they're also an existence all their own, beings who don't really understand their own power, but they're working on it. People who deserve a chance to live, and be happy."

Something snapped into place inside him and he blinked, looking down at his chest. What had that been? None of his domains… so—

"People mean this much to you?" The Titan lord asked slowly.

"Humans do, yes," Percy said. It wasn't a lie, per se. He just tended to love certain humans more than others. Namely, demigods. And his family of course.

"Is there nothing I can say to persuade you otherwise?"

Percy sighed. "Not unless you give me a better deal than the gods."

"Ultimate power," Kronos said almost immediately.

A snort made its way out of the time-traveler's mouth. "You don't know me very well, do you." It wasn't a question. "Besides, let's say that was something I craved, what would this 'ultimate' power look like? Serving under you for eternity after watching my entire world be destroyed? Thank you, no. Not only is that not 'ultimate' power—a position I highly doubt you'd give up—but you could only take me so far anyway. And even then, I don't care about power. Not like you do. I realize that's a foreign concept, but the only power I want is to—" save his friends and family, but he wasn't about to put them in the firing line. "Influence my own life," he finally said. "And the lives of humans for the better if I can. And I think I have more than enough for that, right now." A lie, but not unreasonable coming from a twelve-year-old, memories or not.

"Hmm," Kronos said. "You realize this means we will meet in war."

Percy sighed. So much for that idea. "If that's what has to happen."

They sat in silence for several seconds before Kronos spoke again. "Very well. So be it." With that, a large gale blew past Percy from the Pit. Percy threw up his hands to protect his face on instinct, and as he flew backwards with the force of the gale, he heard Kronos again. "Fight. Struggle. But understand; now that I have my memories too. There is nothing you can do to stop me."

He woke up with a gasp to darkness and slowly vanishing stars overhead, the boat rocking back and forth violently for several seconds. Shouts and a couple of thumps sounded nearby and he had to reach out to the sea to calm it.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked, climbing over Luke and Grover to see him. "What was that?!"

He took a deep breath. "Bad dream," he muttered.

"Really?" Luke asked sardonically, "because your little upset just knocked Grover out."

"What?!" Percy and Annabeth yelped at the same time.

Percy scrambled to his feet, rushing over to Grover who lay sprawled on the deck half-way down side of the ship. Annabeth followed right behind.

When they reached the satyr, Percy skidded to his knees, noting the large lump on his best friend's forehead. Biting his lip, Percy reached out to feel his friend's blood. It was pumping well, and not pooling anywhere… He breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's just knocked out. May have a concussion, but I doubt it."

The other two demigods turned to him.

"How do you know?" Luke asked, voice tense.

Percy looked at him for several seconds before glancing down. "I can sense how his blood flows."

Luke just looked at him, face unreadable. Percy had to clamp down on his desire to tap into Luke's emotions. Again.

"Right," the son of Hermes finally said, voice deliberately neutral. "There's a room below, if you want to move Grover." Percy knew better than to move anyone when they're hurt. It would probably be fine, but why risk it?

He shook his head. "Probably better if he stays here."

Luke nodded, face still cautiously blank. "Okay, then how about you stay here with Grover, since you can tell if he's doing alright or not. Annabeth and I will keep a lookout." Percy nodded immediately, more than willing to acquiesce if it kept him on better terms with the other two demigods.

"Sure. Unless Annabeth needs to sleep?" He glanced at her. She shook her head.

"Good," Luke said, standing up. "Annabeth, do you want the front or the back?"

"Front," she answered, though she didn't look happy. Right, her seasickness. Luke nodded, turned, and made his way towards the aft of the boat again. Their much more modern boat. Percy didn't even know its name. It should have a name. He made a mental note to check and see the next time he was in the water.

Annabeth studied Percy for a minute, before she silently made her way to the front, leaving the time-traveler alone in the middle of the boat with their injured satyr, feeling awkward, powerful yet inadequate.

Again.

Story of his life.

They sailed in a delicate silence for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

Luke and Grover had chosen a good boat to take, even if it was a tad small for four people. Percy knew the type: a one-room motorized sailboat (he approved of the redundancies as long as the motor was used sparingly to keep pollution down) and while he hadn't seen the cabin, he'd bet on two beds—four bunk beds if they were lucky, but since he woke up outside, probably not. If they didn't have bunk beds, he'd bet on storage above the sleeping spaces and a small (very small) toilet/shower room. They probably shouldn't use it to shower until the fresh-water tank could be cleaned, though. They didn't know how long the boat had stood empty, and in this climate, any water stored would likely have growth in it, unless the previous owners (he tried not to think of what had likely happened to them) had used a very strong anti-contaminant. Unlikely. There would probably also be a small kitchen or food prep area if they'd been sailing this far out.

Most of that could fit into a fairly small room, so even up top there wasn't a lot of space, but when at either one of the far ends of the deck, anyone would be out of view. After a few moments it almost felt lonely, sitting there on the side with an unconscious Grover.

So, not long after everyone had separated, Percy fished out his prism necklace and flicked it on. Annabeth had mentioned they'd tried to call the other quest earlier, but hadn't been able to get through. He had to check for himself now.

"O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show me Bianca Di Angelo." He tossed two coins into the rainbow created by the prism light, noting he only had two left. How many had he shoved into the rainbow before? Four? He should probably be a little more careful. It had never been a problem as a god.

Captain Reckless strikes again.

Shoving that thought away, he focused on the rainbow with baited breath. He practically melted in relief as a tired Bianca came into view, looking out of a window sadly as scenery passed by outside. She'd survived.

"Um… hi?" he asked, hoping he wasn't bringing too much attention to himself on what might be a crowded train or something. At least it was a small IM window. She whipped around with a squeak.

"Jackson!" Clarisse hissed from out of his view, though it didn't sound angry. He wouldn't have been able to tell when he was twelve the first time, but now he knew enough about her to realize she felt… nervous? Maybe guilty? He blinked. Clarisse? At this age? It didn't seem like her. Or had he just not had the ability to tell? Or the awareness? Maybe he'd been too selfish and self-involved. He wouldn't be surprised.

"Percy!" Bianca sniffed and he noticed dried tear tracks on her cheeks. "Percy, I'm so sorry!"

That took him back. "What? Why?" She was alive. So was Clarisse. Wait… then where was—

"It's Grover!" she wailed, albeit softly. "He got eaten!"

"We don't know that," Clarisse growled. "We just couldn't find him."

"I'm so sorry, Percy! It's my fault!" Bianca went on as if Clarisse hadn't spoken. "It's all my fault! I was the one who wanted to get some food!"

"We were all thinking it, Princess!" Clarisse sounded so done. It almost made Percy smile. Almost. "We needed to eat!"

"But—" Bianca started, however Percy cut her off, loudly.

"Hey! You two! Look!" he pointed the prism image down to show a sleeping Grover on the boat deck (they hadn't wanted to move him for a while, in case of injury). After a couple of moments, he returned the prism pointer to where he could see her face again.

"But—but that's…" she said.

"How the Hades…?" Clarisse started.

"He was here the whole time," Percy said tiredly. "We found him tied up in a sack. And we've already proven that he is the real Grover."

Bianca's (and Clarisse's, she'd squeezed in frame next to her questmate) face paled significantly. She looked nearly bone-white, making her brown-red eyes stand out starkly.

"I… then who…?"

"I don't know," Percy sighed.

"My prophecy," Bianca started slowly, "said something about a 'child of the shifter'."

Well. Styx. The time-traveler frowned. "All gods can change their shape and form to an extent," he said, just as slowly. And mortal children of gods weren't even always human. "It could even be a monster, though there aren't many that can truly change their shape so…" he paused. "Wait. If that…" he thought I… I need to call camp. Just—"

"Guys?" a new voice asked.

The two girls on the other side looked up. Percy blinked. "Who's that?"

"Oh," Bianca said. "We, um, met someone who can see everything."

"Everything? Wait, you mean see through… the Mist?" Percy asked, uneasy and trying to keep up with everything that had happened.

"Yeah," Clarisse grumbled, slumping back in her seat.

"She offered to help us out," Bianca said. "That's why we're on an actual passenger train this time." Before Percy could say anything else, she flipped the prism on her end around and Percy came face-to-face with a very familiar person.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"Oh! Is that how you connect with your… um… camp?" the freckled, red-head asked nervously. She looked so young, not nearly the confident woman he remembered.

"Di immortales," Percy muttered. He really was going to give the Fates a piece of his mind.

"Yeah! This is Percy!" Bianca's voice said.

Rachel eyed him suspiciously.

"Um, hi," he said with a wave. "Nice to meet you… um…?"

"Rachel," she said. "Rachel Dare."

Huh. He wondered when she'd started using her middle name in introductions. "Percy Jackson."

She raised an eyebrow, either amused or unimpressed (he couldn't tell which through the small window). "I know. Bianca has had a lot to say about you, mainly about how she'd failed you by letting your best friend die."

"Well, it turns out he's alive," Percy said placatingly, imagining Bianca wincing at her bluntness. "So we're all good."

"Oh? Good!" Rachel said with a smile, taking a bite out a jerky rope in her hand. She must not have gotten on her vegetarian streak yet. He gave it one year, max. She was already dressed up in her eccentric style of clothing she'd dyed herself.

"Yup," Percy said, sighing. He didn't really want to talk about who the traitor to camp could be in front of Rachel; she wasn't even part of their world. With any luck she never would be, hopefully, maybe…

Yeah, he could dream. It wasn't that he didn't want her around, she'd been a fabulous oracle, and more, a friend. But she'd sacrificed so much for it. And while he trusted few people more, if he could spare her some of that pain, he would.

He had a sinking feeling there wasn't much he could do to stop her from eventually becoming the oracle.

"Anyway, I have to call camp, okay? But I'm almost out of drachma, so I'll have to wait for you to call me back next time, capeesh?"

Bianca, who had turned the prism back around, nodded firmly. "Right."

"Really fast," he said before he 'hung up', "how is your quest going? Any progress?"

She slumped a little. "We're farther west, in Colorado." She very conspicuously didn't add anything else.

Percy winced, knowing what happened in his timeline in Denver. Though they shouldn't run into Ares there… he hoped not, in any case.

"Right. Just… be careful. Okay?"

Bianca nodded. "We will be. I promise."

He sighed. "Good. I'll see you guys later."

"Focus on yourself, Prissy!" Clarisse called out. "We don't need your help!"

Percy just rolled his eyes and dragged his hand through the window with one final goodbye. Then he immediately took out his final two drachma.

"O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please show me Chiron in Camp Half-Blood!" He didn't want to have to use two drachma, but the connection wasn't good. Stupid Sea of Monsters. They hadn't had that much of a problem contacting Chiron when he was with the Party Ponies the first time. Finally, though, he could hear Chiron's concerned voice loud and clear.

"—Ercy! Thank the gods! I'm so glad you're alright!"

He sighed. "Yeah. We're alright. I just got done talking to Bianca, too. Her team's doing okay too."

The Centaur frowned. "Percy, don't forget that you need to focus on your own quest."

The time-traveler nodded. "Right. Yeah, I am. It's just… we have a problem."

Chiron's mouth tightened. "Tell me."

So Percy did, touching on how he, Annabeth and Luke had gotten into the Sea of Monsters, and how they'd found Grover tied up in their hold. Chiron just stared blankly. So Percy went on to say what had happened when he'd contacted Bianca during her fight, and then her just barely surviving. He didn't really have enough time to talk about Circe, so he didn't bother. They could discuss that when they got back.

"Di immortales," the activities director muttered, his eyes distant and haunted. "And now you have four on a quest…" He would focus on that.

"'The Shifter'," Percy said softly, working on what they could do something about without abandoning one of their own. "It's Aphrodite, isn't it."

Chiron sighed. "Likely. The only other god I could think of to give those blessed by him or his children any sort of true shifting power is your own father, Percy." Right. Frank. But he'd only ever been able to take on animal shapes, not human.

"I don't think it's him," he muttered. "Has anyone gone missing from the Aphrodite cabin recently?"

The look Chiron gave him, one of pained worry, didn't fill him with confidence.

"Percy," he said, quietly, "brace yourself. More than half of the Aphrodite cabin has gone missing."

That took him back. "Wait, what?!" He'd personally saved or had a hand in saving at least a half-dozen of that cabin this time around. That only barely narrowed it down.

Chiron nodded grimly. "Silena is currently the head counselor, despite her age, because all of the older ones have disappeared, and many of the younger, too."

Percy held his breath.

"That's not all," the Centaur continued. "They weren't the only ones who have disappeared. Several people from the other cabins have gone as well. A couple of Athena cabin members, three Hermes members, two Ares members, three Demeter members—"

""Katie and Miranda?" he asked, feeling like each number spoken had punched him in the gut. His demigod domain twisted worse with each one.

"No, they're still here," Chiron said quietly. "One younger Hephaestus member, and three Apollo members."

Percy's mouth had gone dry. "Erin? Michael? Lee?" he asked, unable to make his voice more than a whisper.

"No, they're still here. Though Johan, Becca, and Jim were the ones from the Hermes cabin, if you wanted to know." He both did and didn't. He didn't know Becca or Jim very well, but Johan…

"Di immortales," Percy whispered.

Chiron nodded, face pinched in a way that made him look infinitely older.

"This… is really bad," the time-traveler said, kind of hating himself for just stating the obvious. Chiron just nodded again.

"Did we have any shifters in camp?" Percy finally asked.

The centaur shook his head. "Many of the children of the gods have features that change with the seasons or domains, like Lady Demeter's cabin. But even in the Aphrodite cabin, all I knew of who could change their appearance had significant difficulty doing so, and could only manage minor changes to their appearances. A couple of them did disappear.

Percy put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "Of course." Then he took another several deep breaths. "I hate this," he finally said.

Chiron nodded. "I do too. But the thing is, Percy, I reiterate that you have to focus on your own quest. Leave what's going on at camp here."

The demigod winced. "But I—"

"Need to get that fleece. Save Thalia, and then we can fill you in when you get back," the centaur insisted.

Percy wasn't happy about it. He wanted to go back to his camp and help figure out what had happened, but the line from his prophecy stopped him. Indecision shall be thy bane, rely on others once again.

"Fine," he said.

"We'll do everything we can here, okay?" Chiron said, not unkindly.

Percy withheld a sigh. "Yeah."

"Take care of yourself, and Luke, Annabeth, and Grover until then." If this quest hadn't been given to Percy, he would have taken issue with Chiron giving that kind of responsibility to a child, but it was his quest… and he wasn't exactly an actual child, but he still thought the point stood. Which was probably something he should take up with the centaur later. But not now.

"I will," he said instead, meaning it.

Chiron, once again reminding Percy why they were on such good terms, smiled again. "I know you will, Percy. Now, I'll let you go so you can focus on your quest."

Percy nodded. "I'll tell the others about this."

A frown from the older being. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm not keeping secrets from them. Not about the quest."

"Hmm," Chiron said, eyes studying Percy closely. "It is, as ever, your quest, and thus your choice."

Percy nodded.

"Goodbye, Percy," the centaur said with a yawn. Only then did Percy realize it must be early there. Very early. Had he woken the centaur up? His eyes flicked to the Chiron's tail and managed to catch a glimpse of pink curlers.

Oh.

Oops.

"Um… goodnight, sir," he muttered, hoping he wasn't blushing as badly as he thought he was. Stupid 12-year-old body! "Sorry to wake you up."

Chiron chuckled. "You needed to speak to me. That's fine."

"Still," Percy muttered.

"Goodnight, Percy," Chiron said, still smiling as he swiped his hand through Percy's little image.

Percy just nodded and sighed as he slumped back against the side of the boat.

Your consequences, overdue, he heard the Fates say in his mind. He sighed.

"Did you mean that?" Percy jumped and looked over at Luke, who was just coming into sight around the back of the boat. He was obviously still favoring his left side, so not entirely healed, but he likely would be when he could take ambrosia or nectar again. Actually, Percy was glad to see him alive, and so soon after everything that had happened. Earlier, he'd been too caught up with accidentally having knocked out Grover and his disturbing talk with the king of the Titans, but now that he had a little time to regroup, he realized how good it felt to have everyone on the quest still alive.

Luke kept staring at him. Right, he'd asked a question.

"Um… mean what?"

The blond stepped tenderly into view from behind the single doorway leading down into the very small lower deck on the boat. "That you wouldn't lie to us."

Percy blinked. "I said I wouldn't keep secrets about the quest. Everyone's entitled to their privacy and secrets, Luke. Even me. But regarding this quest? No. You're here, so you deserve to know."

The son of Hermes studied him for several seconds, lips pursed tightly. "Then what's going on at the camp?"

The time-traveler sighed. "Better get Annabeth over here."

Luke's eyes narrowed, but he did call out to their companion. Once the two of them had gathered, Percy explained everything going on and then sat, waiting for their verdicts.

"Do you know what's going on?" Annabeth asked quietly.

Percy thought about that. "I have some suspicions, but can't say much outside a barrier."

"It's him, isn't it," Luke said, voice so quiet it was hard to hear him over the splashing of the boat in the water.

The other two demigods stared at him, and Percy nodded slowly. "I think so, yes."

"So, the campers that left…?" Annabeth's voice was small as she curled in on herself.

"Probably," Percy said.

Luke cursed.

"Look," the time-traveler said, "I think Chiron's right. We need to focus on our own quest—on Thalia."

"Says the guy who keeps calling Bianca," Annabeth muttered. Percy looked at her with an eyebrow raised. She looked away with a blush on her cheeks. Was that… jealousy? Part of him asked excitedly. Part of him wondered if that was healthy. Part of him said not your Annabeth and twelve!

He listened to that one, ignoring everything else entirely.

"I don't want to be the one to deliver the news to Nico that I didn't do anything to help his sister and she died," he muttered. "Once was bad enough."

Annabeth blinked, and paled. "Wait… you mean she…?" Percy nodded, not meeting her eyes. "Di immortales."

"Exactly," Percy sighed. Again. And then realized he'd said that in the open, where anyone could hear. Didn't mean they would, but they could, and that was bad enough. He'd even just commented about how they didn't have a barrier up. Di Immortales, he was tired. Nothing he couldn't handle, but he slipped up more when he was tired.

He was also very much done with this line of conversation. Topic change it was!

"Okay. Does anyone need to sleep?" he asked. The other two shook their heads, but he could tell Annabeth was lying.

"Annabeth, I can tell you're tired. Please head down and rest. We should probably take Grover too, but we all need to be well rested for this."

She set her jaw, stubbornly ready to argue, but he held up a hand. "Please try."

She glanced at Luke, who must have agreed, because she huffed. "Fine," she grunted, turning and stomping downstairs.

"Let me help you with Grover," Luke said. Percy nodded. Between the two of them, they got him down and into one of the two beds there. Annabeth was already lying on the other one, back turned to them. Percy looked at her for a second, then glanced back at Luke, who was watching him carefully. Percy just shook his head and headed back up onto the deck.

Thankfully, neither one of them said anything as they split and went to look out on either side of the boat.

xXx

They sailed on for the rest of the morning. Despite not knowing which way to really go except 'east', Percy noted that they passed all the islands he and Annabeth had the first time around. It was the volcano that gave it away, the one they'd sailed far around the first time. (They would definitely do the same here.) Was this a fate thing? A magic thing? Or his absolutely insane luck at play? Some combination? Ugh.

He was especially frustrated when Annabeth came up later looking no better than when she'd gone down, informing them that Grover had woken up, but seemed to still be tired, so she'd told him to rest. Then she traded places with Luke and determinedly didn't look at Percy. He should have asked Luke to rest first. Now Annabeth would be on deck for the island of the Sirens. And he wasn't entirely sure he should avoid too. He could sense a little of what Grover said now, about powerful natural energy, and they were heading towards it. He didn't want to go out of the way if they didn't have to.

Except this time, there was also a storm building in the sky, and they were sailing directly into it. One that he was positive had nothing to do with him. The clouds started gathering a little after noon, and just sort of grew as the day went on. This hadn't happened last time, but then again, they were here a year early…

"Is this you?" Luke asked shortly.

Percy took a deep breath and shook his head, glancing down at the choppy sea below them. "No. I can only do short, local storms right now."

"Your father then?"

Again, Percy shook his head. If anyone was behind it, he'd bet on Kymopolia. But natural, non-godly storms did happen, more than most sea and storm gods would like to admit. "Not unless the king of the gods did something really stupid."

They both thought on that, then exchanged glances and shivered. That wasn't out of the question.

"What should we do?" Luke asked.

Percy sighed. "Can you stay up a little longer?"

Luke frowned. "Yes. I'm fine."

The time-traveler nodded. "Good. Then I'm going to take another nap. When it gets too rough, wake me up and I'll try and use my bubble trick to protect us. Unless we come across the island of the sirens. Then wake me up anyway."

The older demigod stared at him for a moment before putting a hand to the bridge of his nose. "'Bubble trick', he calls it. 'Bubble trick'."

"What?" Percy asked.

Luke sighed. "Nothing. Just, take a nap."

Percy nodded and trudged over to the door leading below deck. He laid down in the bed across from a still sleeping Grover. He tried not to think about how this had been the bed Annabeth had laid on, if only because Luke had too. He told the inner voice whispering that point to him to shut up. The less he gave into that line of thought, the less he would think it to begin with. He could hope.

He also didn't say it, but he was a little concerned about using that 'bubble trick' for longer than a couple of minutes. His gut still ached. It felt more like an afterthought now, but he'd seen demigods push themselves after just barely healing from serious wounds and re-injuring themselves. He'd always advocated for their rest, and yet here he was about to do more or less the same, even if metaphysically.. He was such a hypocrite. But… the quest would need him. And… why did it feel like he had so much more than just his life on the line? Why did his potential divinity feel more dire than that?

Or was he just being selfish again? A selfish hypocrite. Maybe he fit in with the gods better than he thought.

The idea made his stomach turn, but try as he might, he couldn't seem to find a way to refute it.

Eventually, though, he managed to drift off to a restless sleep.

Chapter Text

"Percy!"

The voice pierced his sleep and the time-traveler groaned. Percy didn't feel less rested than when he'd gone to sleep, but it was a near thing. He noted that the waves rocked back and forth a little aggressively, but nothing their new boat shouldn't have been able to handle. He also noted that Grover's bed was now empty. He pushed himself onto his knees and tried to force his muddled mind to make more sense of his surroundings.

Boat. Single room and small bathroom. Two beds… just like he'd thought.

"Percy!" the voice came again. Luke's. Sea of Monsters. Still a demigod. In the past. Right.

"Yeah?" he croaked, but it didn't seem like anyone heard him. Annoyed, he climbed out of bed and had just made it to the base of the small, metal staircase when Luke appeared at the top.

"Per—oh, there you are."

"What's going on?"

"Annabeth says we're coming up on the island of the Sirens."

That woke Percy up. "What?!" He went to take a step and hurry up the stairs, but his still sleep-muddled body didn't process quickly enough. His foot caught on a step, and he found himself with his cheek to the grate of the old stairs. Luke didn't seem to know how to process that.

Percy grumbled as he forced himself to his feet again and scrambled up the stairs.

"How does she even know?" he asked. Wait, how had she known the first time too?

"Demigod dream."

"Oh," he said. That made a lot of sense. A little outside her mother's domain, but it was a quest she was on, and something that interested her to boot.

"She wants to listen to their voices!" Luke growled as he walked towards the back of the ship. "Help me talk her out of this insanity!"

"I couldn't once. What makes you think I can do it again?" It was a fair question.

Luke froze, then turned to Percy, incredulous. "You let her do that?"

The time-traveler snorted. "There is no 'let' involved with Annabeth Chase. She does what she wants. The best we can do is help her make it safer."

"So I came on this quest… in your dream too?" Annabeth asked, suddenly appearing behind Luke. "I thought so."

It took him a minute to realize she meant the future and not the weird Kronos dream he'd had. "I didn't tell you so?" Percy asked, quickly grasping her code.

"No."

"Oh. Sorry." He sighed. "I may want to tell you exactly what happened in my dream from beginning to end."

Her expression went from interested to unimpressed. "Yes. You should."

"There are still some things I can't tell you," he muttered, glancing at Luke who looked on grimly.

Annabeth huffed. "Fine. Whatever. But I already have some wax ear plugs for each of us. I've given Grover his."

Percy's eyebrows rose. "Where did you find wax on this ship?" Hadn't she found it on the pirate ship before? He hadn't realized his memory was that bad at the moment. Or maybe back then? Or both?

Focus.

"Annabeth, this is too dangerous!" Luke insisted, ignoring Percy's question.

The younger blond glared up at her pseudo-brother defiantly. "Not if you tie me up!"

"Tie you… Annabeth, listen to yourself!"

"Actually," Percy said, "it could work if you and Grover watched her while I steered the boat."

"What?!" Luke rounded on him so fast, Percy could only back away with his hands in the air. "You think this is okay?!"

Percy opened his mouth to tell him 'Of course, not.' He was just used to finding solutions to problems presented. However, before any sound came out of his mouth, that sense of the weave of the universe passed through him and he saw one road where Annabeth didn't know her fatal flaw and died within the next year. On the other one, she did know, and lived.

No matter how painful, he knew which one he chose.

"She has to know," he said firmly.

Silence met his words. Percy frowned when he realized everyone else was staring at him. But… why?

"What the Hades was that?" Luke growled.

Percy blinked. "What?"

"Your eyes," Annabeth said, pointing to her own. "They glowed… strangely."

"Strangely…?" he asked slowly.

"I don't know! They glowed but were dark too! Not even green but, like black or something."

"Black. My eyes… glowed black?" A zing of fear shot through him. That had never happened before, even as a god. Not to his knowledge. And the description defied explanation, but he knew it was possible. He'd seen the like before, but only with access to divine powers. And he had no idea what to do with that information.

"It didn't look black," Luke muttered. "Not exactly."

Percy opened his mouth, but cut himself off and took a deep breath. Later. He could figure that all out (and freak out) later. (He was saying that a lot lately….)

"Look, she needs to know her fatal flaw." He knew that as much as he knew anything these days.

"My flaw?" Annabeth asked. "That's what it tells me?"

"You could tell her!" Luke said, practically ignoring Annabeth's question too. She scowled.

"I could," Percy replied. "But I don't think she'd like that." He glanced at the daughter of Athena, who nodded firmly. He looked back at Luke. "There's a difference between knowing," he tapped his temple, "and knowing," he tapped his chest. "And I think she needs the latter." Annabeth looked thoughtful.

"Aarg!" Luke threw his hands in the air. "Fine! But I'm the one who's gonna make sure this tub is going. You're going to watch her in case she gets out!" With that, he stormed past Annabeth and around the front of the boat. Percy didn't argue, even though he didn't think that would be the best idea, mainly because he knew that was the older demigod trying to retain some control over everything. Which was fair, and something Percy could give him. Besides, his idea would still work, and they'd have someone paying more attention directly to the potential storm.

"Okay, so tie me up," Annabeth said, already holding out rope and drawing Percy's attention. Ignoring any adult thoughts regarding that, he just nodded and marched to the front of the ship where they found some viewing seats. Grover was already there, looking nervous, and he helped Percy tie Annabeth down, albeit reluctantly. The time-traveler even remembered to check her boot and remove the dagger there, one pointed eyebrow raised. She just blinked at him, then narrowed her eyes, but didn't say anything.

Meanwhile, the waves were getting choppier. Honestly, Percy was a little surprised the storm hadn't really come on them already. They must be skirting the outside of it. If they were lucky, the bulk of it would pass right by.

He paused, then mentally groaned. He just had to jinx it. Even if he didn't say it aloud.

Then Percy stuck the wax balls in his own ears, shivering at the sensation. He never had cared for the feeling of things in his ears and having something stopping sound altogether put him on edge. Hoping Luke had done the same, he stood by Annabeth, watching her carefully while keeping an eye on the clouds and the waves.

Despite the wind, the fog around the island seemed eerily unaffected; probably a Mist thing. He wasn't going to strain himself more and reach out to see. Rain had started to sprinkle down, but he doubted that would affect the sound of the Sirens. Despite the waves rocking more or less everything, debris still seemed drawn to the island, knocking around like it was all loosely anchored

Percy remembered how much he'd hated this the first time. It would be harder now, he thought. And yes, the moment Annabeth heard the Sirens, her heart rate sped up and she started pleading. He could read her lips.

"Let me go! Let me go, Percy! Please! Grover?! Luke! LUKE! You promised, Luke! You promised! Let me go! Please, let me go! I'll do anything!"

Every word felt like a punch to Percy's stomach, but he set his teeth and watched her. Tears started running down her face, and Percy felt sick, but he didn't let himself move a muscle. The utter agony her face showed as she realized no one was going to release her finally made him turn away. He wanted to throw up.

Come on, he told himself, demigod up.

Taking several deep breaths, he looked back only to see her half-way out of the ropes. Somehow, she'd been able to escape them, slipping out of something too loose! How?! He knew he'd tied it correctly! But… Grover had tied her hands. It hadn't even occurred to him that Grover would tie it too loose! He was Annabeth's friend and didn't want to hurt her… not that Percy did but—

"NO!" he yelled, rushing forward. Annabeth looked up, eyes unfocused, as he reached towards her, and her jaw set in determination as she struck out at him with her free leg and foot. He hadn't been expecting that, and she caught his knee. He felt it crack and cried out in pain, collapsing to the floor. He took a moment to assess the damage—definitely hairline fractures and some torn tendons, great—before looking up at Annabeth, ready to jump after her anyway, but it seemed that she realized he would get in her way no matter what. Despite the glazed look in her eye, her smarts still carried her and her hand jabbed towards his ear. He tried to move away from her, but she was already moving and reached him first.

Her hand somehow found the wax, even in the rain that had begun to fall, and scraped it out. Percy turned his head away, but it was too late. Everything faded to the most haunting song he'd ever heard. It resonated in his soul, bringing… peace. He'd never understood how music could bring peace to someone's soul, but this….

And then a world materialized around him. Sky-scrapers made of living trees and vines, obviously grown that way purposefully somehow. Ahead of him, he saw Annabeth and Grover talking together, working on a new building.

Someone tugged on his hand and he looked down to see Estelle, green eyes sparkling up at him as she grinned, probably about ten-years-old. Percy grinned right back at the sight of her. And then, two other girls about the same age came up behind her… his girls. One had a head of Annabeth's curls with his eyes, the other his own dark hair and her gray eyes.

"Cora," he said. "Silena." His voice didn't actually come out, but he didn't mind. The girls seemed to hear what he was saying anyway and they giggled. Then his mother and Paul came up behind them holding a case of blue cookies.

He went to step forward, towards them, but a pair of tanned arms snaked around his stomach and turned back to see Annabeth and Grover had come over. His wife's chin rested on his shoulder as she hugged him closer. He relaxed into her. Somehow he knew he wasn't a god. He never would be. Olympus was no more, and they would finally get their happy ending, grow old together, then die and go to Elysium.

He turned fully towards her, and his breath caught in his throat when he saw every person he had ever remotely cared about in an enlarged pavilion in Camp Half-Blood over her shoulder. Everyone from the Argo II, all of his campers, even his Father with Amphitrite talking cordially with Athena and Hestia in the background. Triton stood next to the other two gods nodding approvingly while Kymopolia and Rhodes seemed to gossip and giggle beside them, no longer bound by ridiculous rules because of Olympus and Zeus.

Tears came to his eyes. It was just so… perfect. Nothing could possibly be better than what he saw before himself just then. Everyone he had ever cared for, everyone he had ever loved, right there… And then it all froze.

He frowned.

How interesting.

A voice—or several, he wasn't entirely sure because they all sounded the same—flooded through Percy's world, around him, above him, below him, inside him, somehow… and even though he liked the voices, he wasn't sure he liked that. Still, the sounds soothed him, so he let it slide.

We don't normally do this, one voice said, drawing his attention. Haunting and ethereal, it sent shivers of both worry and pleasure down his spine. His frown deepened.

But you… you are strange. Another voice (that still sounded exactly the same) finished the sentence. He wasn't sure how he knew that.

Something stirred in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. This… this was too good.

This is worth the energy it is taking to speak to you before our voices are lost to you. Seconds there, minutes or hours here. Wait… what?

You know so many things… about today, tomorrow, yesterday… yet another voice said.

Your comrades, your enemies… yourself.

Your main fatal flaw. There is truly little we can show you… except your secondary flaws.

Percy frowned. His secondary flaws? Why should he care about flaws? He just wanted to be with his wife and family. Besides, he didn't have a secondary flaw, let alone multiple.

And yet… part of him wanted to ask these enchanting voices.

"What…" he started, practically wheezing out the words, "do you… mean?"

The mesmerizing sounds shook in laughter and giggles, tinkling through the air as if the world was their instrument. Apollo could learn a thing or two from them. Not that Percy would tell him that. He didn't have a death wish… well, not like that.

Do you truly not know?! Several voices asked at once, making Percy jump.

"I… was told… gods… don't have… fatal flaws." Why was it so hard to talk?

You are not a god, one of them sang, teasing.

Yet, another said. Percy jumped that time, because no, he wasn't going to ascend! He was going to be here… with Annabeth and his family and… and they were all frozen, still. That wasn't right… was it? No, he was pretty sure it wasn't.

And yet, you brought so much of your divinity with you! More cackling, and… it wasn't sounding nearly so pleasant anymore. But nothing had changed…

His head hurt.

We see it all!

Your Loyalty!

Your Fear!

Your Wrath!

Three flaws! One for each century!

Mocking… and more cackling. They were hurting him… and enjoying it. Clouds started to roll in overhead.

You fear so much! They shouted. Was it just one voice, or all at once? He wasn't sure anymore. You fear other mortals, you fear yourself, you fear your power, you fear the future, you fear the past… so much fear.

Percy felt his chest clench, but ignored it. Fear? As his fatal flaw? Mr. Recklessness incarnate? That didn't sound right. Sure, he got scared every now and then, but everyone was afraid at some point.

But do their fears drive them so? The voice(s?) asked. He wanted to answer it, but he didn't know how other people felt about their own fears. How could he know? Sure, he'd been able to sense demigod's emotions, and those with a fatal flaw of fear always had a distinctly intense edge to them. He didn't have that…

Did he?

Tell me, son of the future, something zinged through him and he stiffened but still couldn't bring himself to really talk. If the Crooked One offered you your deepest desire—a way for you to die and move on, a way for you to be with your loved ones, would you accept?

Percy opened his mouth to reply that of course he wouldn't, but… if he could make Kronos vow, on Chaos' name, that he wouldn't kill humans, that he wouldn't kill demigods or destroy the camps; if the Titan could offer all of that and Percy's mortality back…

He didn't know. Di immortales, he didn't know!

His mouth went dry. And suddenly he realized he did fear the future. That didn't mean he couldn't face it, but it terrified him. It always had. He'd… he'd known, but he'd pushed that back because he had no other choice, but the idea of an eternity, especially on his own… He felt weak, knees giving out on him. The enchanting voices laughed, cruel and yet still desirable. It didn't make sense.

And your wrath! Yet another cackled. You want to see Olympus destroyed!

Razed!

Obliterated!

Percy's breathing quickened. How did they know that?!

Always waiting for a better option.

But how long will your patience last?

How long do you think your Loyalty will outweigh your Wrath?

"Stop it," he said through gritted teeth. He had a temper. He'd always known he had one. He'd worked on it. It was just another reason why he didn't let his destructive side out often.

Although, when he did…

No, he didn't like to think about that. And now wasn't a good time.

Perseus! Perseus! Perseus the Destroyer!

He clamped his hands over his ears, but it didn't help. The voices continued to cackle and laugh cruelly. It was beginning to hurt. He pushed his hands against his ears harder. He wasn't just a destroyer! He refused to be! He would never—

And then, silence. Water surged around him and he blinked, disoriented. He was in water? The Ocean? What? Why? He'd just been in New York—a very green New York. That… that hadn't been real, had it?

Was that why his heart hurt so much? As if someone had ripped it out and torn it in half in front of his eyes. A sob built in his throat and he had to let it out. Putting his hands around his stomach, he curled in on himself and screamed into the water. A wave shot out from around him as he released his scream—utter despair vocalized.

And then… something above him entered the water. No, someone. What? He… he was in the Sea of Monsters. Right. The….

The Sirens.

Di Immortales. It couldn't have taken more than a couple of seconds for him and Annabeth to jump over the edge of the boat, even if Grover had gotten in their way.

Which meant that the person above him was Annabeth.

She couldn't breathe and was struggling back to the surface and…

No.

Desperately reaching out with the water, he forced it to take Annabeth deeper. She struggled and thrashed, eyes wide in terror until she reached him and he formed a bubble around them. She hunched in on herself, coughing violently. He had to make the bubble bigger, but after a couple of seconds, she calmed down.

She remained silent for several seconds, only heaving great breaths in their bubble while Percy tried to metaphorically put himself back together. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to.

And he'd been tempted to hear the Sirens the first time?

He knew he still had tears running down his own face when Annabeth broke down, sobbing. He winced at the utter heartbreak she portrayed. He'd sympathized before. Now he empathized and wasn't entirely sure that was a good thing. The Sirens had scraped him raw and left him to rot.

And yet, Annabeth needed him.

"Hey," he said, his voice harsh and croaking. She shook her head furiously.

"Hey," he said again, this time softer, as he put a hand on her shoulder. He didn't know what to expect from that, but her head shooting up so fast she may have given herself whiplash as those gray, red-rimmed eyes full of tears fixed on him, looking ready to tear into him wasn't it. He backed away, arms in the air by his face, placating.

"Did you see mine?!"

Percy blinked. "What?"

"Did you see what the Sirens showed me?!"

He shook his head, but she narrowed her eyes.

"In either lifetime!"

His breath hitched. This was what he hadn't wanted to see (what he feared a voice in his head hissed), Annabeth so angry at him. At least only sea gods should be able to hear them. No one else would dare come into his father's realm, no matter where that sea was and how wild it felt.

Unable to lie to her, he slowly nodded. Terror crossed her face for just a moment before it was replaced by that ever present anger.

"Well, I saw yours, too!"

Percy felt himself pale. He'd figured, but hearing it from her…. What had she seen? Did she know…

"What was I to you?! In the future!" she demanded before he could say anything.

The time-traveler winced, thankful they were under the water and alone for this conversation.

That thought passed through his mind distantly as he focused on those ever familiar gray eyes.

"I…" he started, but didn't know how to keep going, so his mouth just sort of kept moving up and down without any sound coming out.

Perseus! Perseus! Perseus the Destroyer! The Siren's words echoed through his head.

"You destroy everything you touch," he remembered the Zeus from the future saying. Percy had very much wanted to prove him right for once.

He didn't want to hurt Annabeth though. Not any Annabeth. If he told her, it would hurt her… but if he didn't…

"Tell me!" she insisted. "I deserve to know!"

She wasn't wrong. And yet… he felt his mouth dry out. He hadn't wanted to tell her—hadn't wanted to put any kinds of expectations on her. She was twelve. He knew that. He'd been doing his best to act and think accordingly.

And yet…

Annabeth did not back down. "You've been dodging questions this entire time! But you can't keep this from me," she insisted, the tears in her eyes just making her anger more palpable, but also highlighting a sort of desperation. She needed to know this… and by not telling her, he would hurt her more than if he did. That made the choice for him.

Closing his eyes and taking his own deep breath, he spoke quietly. "My wife."

Silence.

Your Fear! He couldn't hear the Sirens, but their words wouldn't leave his head.

He forced himself to look up, not knowing what to expect. The utter incredulity and horror he saw there was another punch to the gut and simultaneous stab to the heart. He winced, drawing in on himself.

"Is that really so disgusting to you?" he asked softly, almost immediately regretting the question and mentally kicking himself for voicing something he really didn't think he wanted an answer to. No… he wasn't sure he could handle the answer.

Your Wrath!

"I…" she said, but it seemed to be her turn to not be able to say anything. For a moment, it felt as if he couldn't breathe. This is a child, a twelve-year-old, he kept telling himself. She's not my wife or girlfriend, and I need to be patient. Like I would be with any other child at camp.

Except this wasn't any other child. Even if it wasn't his wife, it was still Annabeth.

"Please, get us away from here," she finally said, looking down. "Us and the boat."

Unable to swallow the lump in his throat, Percy just nodded and reached out, pushing himself, Annabeth, and the boat far away from the island as he could.

People often thought of sirens as creatures of the sea. They weren't. They never had been. If anything, the sky or the underworld had more claim on them. They were Persephone's servants before Hades kidnapped her, sent out to look for her by Demeter and driven mad when they couldn't find her. He used to feel a little bad for them, trapped on an island, luring people to their deaths. Especially in the myths where they were somehow creatures of the sea (though those had come much later).

Now, he found almost all of that sympathy completely gone.

If he never saw that place again, it would be too soon.

And if he did see it…

Perseus the Destroyer!

He wasn't sure the island—or anything on it—would survive.

xXx

Once he deemed they'd gotten far enough away, he got them back onto the ship, both soaking wet for once as they stumbled onto the deck. He hadn't had the presence of mind to prevent that, and the water coating his skin helped anyway.

"Annabeth!" Luke shrieked, rushing forward.

"Percy!" Grover yelled, hot on the older demigod's heels.

Both of them slammed into Percy and Annabeth about the same time, which wasn't helped by the 30-foot waves now rocking their relatively small boat. That storm had decided to turn towards them after all, it seemed. All of them ended up sprawled on the deck or against the lip of the boat.

Percy sensed a massive wave heading towards them. "Get inside!" he yelled over the storm. "Hurry!"

There wasn't a lot of room, but they would have to make do until the storm blew over. He could still keep them relatively safe, but he couldn't do much without tearing at that divine wound even more than he already had. He could still keep control over the water under the boat, for the most part, but much more than that would be pushing it with what he'd already done. "I'll get the deck secured!"

Besides, it would give him time away from a very quiet Annabeth who was now clinging to Luke like her life depended on it.

"Baa-ah-ah!" Grover bleated. "Percy—!"

"I'll be fine," he assured. "I can breathe under water. No one else here can! Get below! Hurry!"

The satyr didn't look happy, and Luke looked somewhere between furious and utterly confused, but they both nodded and made their way to the door leading below, Luke dragging Annabeth in his wake. Percy, meanwhile, hurried to the small room that barely passed for a bridge, and made sure everything was turned off and locked down—he didn't need the boat's own momentum fighting him if he had to keep controlling the sea around them. The sail had already been secured earlier, thankfully, so that was all he really needed to do.

Then he made his own way to the door leading below, locking the door behind him.

Once in the relative quiet, he sighed, leaning his head against the door. The Siren's words still echoed through his head, and it was getting harder to resist.

Not a god… yet.

Your Loyalty!

Your Fear!

Your Wrath!

Perseus the Destroyer!

He grit his teeth. This… was not good.

"Percy?" Grover called.

"Yeah?" he managed to get out.

"What did you do to her?!" An enraged Luke asked, appearing at the bottom of the stairs and looking murderous. Thankfully, Percy was too tired to care.

"What do you mean, what did I do?" He rubbed a hand down the side of his face. "What about the Sirens?"

"They're not named 'Percy'," Luke practically growled. "All she could say was, 'I can't… Percy'."

"Not now, Luke," he said, gritting his teeth. He seriously considered jumping overboard and traveling with the boat from below. Then maybe he could figure everything out. He'd appreciated the quiet that had accompanied his return to demigodhood, but he really missed the sheer processing ability gods tended to have.

"Then when?!" Luke growled.

"No," Annabeth's voice said quietly. Percy looked past Luke to see her holding a jar… Hestia's jar. Except nothing glowed inside it, and the bottom was covered with what looked like coal dust.

She… she'd used their last barrier!

He grit his teeth—his probably far-too-sharp teeth—and snarled. "You'd better be careful. Both of you. Because I'm not holding anything back. If you want your explanations, fine. Let me explain everything."

Chapter Text

"This is a bad idea," Grover said nervously. All four of them sat on the edge of the beds in the single room below the deck. As Percy had thought, on the far side stood a small cooking and storage area. The beds snuggled in next to that, hugging each side of opposing walls with a small table in the middle. Percy sat on one bed with Grover while Annabeth and Luke had settled on the other. Percy glared at them, and they glared right back.

"So explain: What did you do to her?" Luke asked.

Percy took a deep, calming breath. "I told her the truth."

"What truth?!"

"We were married!" Annabeth practically hissed. Percy tried not to let that hurt him… but it did. More than he could say. "In that other life, he said he married me! I was his wife!"

"What?!" Luke asked.

"Be careful, Luke. I told you I wouldn't hold anything back," Percy warned through gritted teeth. "I meant it when I said everything. That's what I'll need to explain for context."

The older blond's eyes just narrowed, but he didn't protest. Fine. Percy had given him a fair chance. So he looked at Annabeth.

"Because when Luke betrayed the Camp by joining the Titans, he set off a chain of events that forced me to go on quests. Major quests. Like, rescuing gods and goddesses types of quests."

Annabeth's eyes went wide while Luke's narrowed even more.

"He betrayed…." She turned to Luke. "You betrayed the camp?!"

"Apparently," Luke said, never taking his eyes off of Percy. "And I'm still deciding whether that was a good choice or not."

Percy felt the hold on his destructive side strain further. Thankfully, Annabeth gasped.

"You'd still betray us?" she asked, hurt.

That had Luke finally turning to her. "Listen, Annabeth. The gods are cruel. Yes, even your mother. Everything is pragmatism and what suits her goals best with her!"

"But…" she started, her voice small.

Percy eased the boat over a large wave outside. The others didn't even notice. Typical.

"You know how cruel the gods are!" Luke didn't yell, but he may as well have.

"The Titans are worse," Percy said coldly. "We've already discussed this. Do you want to end up as a meat suit for Kro… the Crooked One?"

Annabeth squeaked. "M-m-meat suit?!" Her eyes widened more. "Earlier, you said he took over a demigod's body! Th-that was—"

"And how are you any better?!" Luke cut in. "You sit there and preach while only giving what information you deem us lowly mortals worthy of receiving!"

Percy's patience snapped, almost audibly. Next to him, Grover jumped and scrambled back against the headboard, as far away as he could get from his friend. The former god barely registered this, not taking his gaze off of Luke as he shot to his feet.

"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A GOD! I'm not! And I don't know if you've noticed, but if enough information about my future gets out it could literally end the world! So excuse me if I'm cautious with my information! Especially to the man who tried to kill me and both his little sisters enough times it became the norm!"

He stood there, breathing heavily, while the other two stared at him, faces pale.

"Wh… what?" Annabeth asked, voice cracking on the word. Luke winced, looking green. Percy didn't care. He knew he would later, but now… he needed to get this all out.

"Annabeth became my questmate on my first quest… and then friends, especially when she didn't have Luke to lean on anymore. For the next few years, quest after quest, we were thrown together, and chose each other because we knew we would have each other's backs! And then, when I finally survived the great prophecy, we became more than friends." He choked and had to take several deep breaths. "I got shoved into another great prophecy just months later, and I lost all my memories. Except one name: Annabeth. Even the gods couldn't take that from me. That Annabeth was my best friend, my most trusted confidant, my training partner, my lover, and very nearly my whole world! And I was the same to her. I followed her into Tartarus because I couldn't stand the thought of her having to do it alone! That's how much I love her!"

They were getting dangerously pale now, but they'd wanted to know, and Percy didn't know how much longer they had under the barrier, but he wasn't entirely sure he could stop now, no matter who was listening in.

"She became my wife and the breadwinner of our household and was the mother of my only children, both of which were born before I ascended!"

No one said anything for several seconds. Then, finally, Annabeth managed to ask such a her question.

"How… did you ascend?"

It wasn't a demand. It was tentative and cautious, but still so her. Probably because she couldn't process all of the emotion his tirade brought up. Which was disappointing, but fair. He was dealing with a traumatized child coping the only way she knew how. So he decided to humor her.

"My children and I were attacked by an army of monsters all wanting revenge on me. I threw all of my power into protecting them… and it was too much for my mortal body to handle. Because I'd pushed that power to the limit so many times before—under so many circumstances and gradually enough to make it even possible—I basically shed my mortal existence instead of dying."

More silence.

"What… what about me?" Annabeth asked, not looking up at Percy. Then she amended. "Her, I mean. The other… Annabeth."

She would have to ask that. What little control he'd gained over his destruction stretched again.

"She was working at the time or she would have been right there with me. Or if you're asking in general, she… she died at the age of 78, complications from a stroke. One of the oldest demigods to ever live who wasn't given immortality."

"Why didn't you…" Annabeth started, but then stopped when she saw Percy's expression.

"If I loved her so much, why didn't I make her a goddess? Or petition to make her a goddess? Or even just immortal? Oh, believe me, I tried."

"Not hard enough," Luke muttered. Percy could tell it was supposed to be a jab, but not a harsh one. It wasn't supposed to hurt as much as it did.

He didn't care. With that comment, Luke had stamped on his last nerve. His control over his destructive side snapped harder than his patience had.

"Don't. You. Dare." He hissed. Outside, the storm picked up. Yeah, he was definitely helping it along. He didn't really care at the moment. That was a bad sign… too bad, his not caring nullified any emotions that came with that knowledge currently.

Luke must have realized he'd gone too far because he gulped audibly and followed Grover's example, scooting away from Percy.

"I tried everything I could to get them to take away my immortality or make you immortal. They. Wouldn't. let me."

Percy could see tears in Annabeth's eyes as she continued to stare in horror. "What?!" Her voice came out scratchy. "Why?"

"Why couldn't I go back to being a demigod? The Fates said that doing so would doom the world. Don't see how now that I'm back here. Why couldn't you become a goddess? Oh, they had dozens of reasons—all of them more pathetic than our great King's monogamy vows. It wasn't your fate. One new god was trouble enough. I'd ascended on my own, so you would need to also, et cetera, et cetera. The real reason?" His fists clenched at his sides, nails biting into the skin on his palm and drawing blood. He still didn't care. The eye of the hurricane now spinning around their boat outside said as much. "They were afraid of you! Of us! Because together we can do anything! And they knew it!

"So when I heard they wouldn't let us be together—for those absolutely asinine reasons—I almost destroyed Olympus! Part of me still wishes I had!"

Luke was clutching his knees so hard, Percy could see them tremble. Annabeth had covered her open mouth with her hands.

Then the older demigod managed to clear his throat.

"Wait… you… what? Don't you want to save the gods?"

Percy laughed, loud and harsh. "No. We've been over this!" Maybe not explicitly enough? Or because Luke just couldn't comprehend it? Well, that changed now. "I never have—with some exceptions, of course. But for the most part, I would be happy to see them gone!"

Luke still couldn't seem to wrap his head around that. "But…"

"You don't understand," Percy said with a snort. "I had five major domains: Personal Loyalty, Demigods, The Depths, Liquids, and Destruction. You haven't seen me when I get too lost in that domain. I almost did, back at Circe's island, but that was just scratching the surface. Even now, I'm withholding what I can, because I know I would regret it otherwise in the future."

"But… the other gods would stop you," Annabeth said quietly. "From destroying Olympus."

Percy let out another laugh. It wasn't nice. "The others? Stop pure destruction? They could try. And I suppose they'd probably succeed in the end. I'm not more powerful than the children of the Crooked One, especially combined. However, very few things can truly stop that domain. Usually, I hate it. I'm ashamed of it. But when I get lost in it, I stop caring. And how can they stop me when anything that comes within yards of me disintegrates or loses its edge? Are there ways? Oh, yes. Would I make them work for it?" Another very sharp grin. "Absolutely.

"And that doesn't even take into account the gods' reactions to me. Ar… the War God is likely as not to join me when my destruction gets out of hand. Even the Lady Hunter can get caught up in my aura. My father thinks it's exciting, and the Lord of the Dead just tends to accept that several deceased souls will come his way soon one way or another, but otherwise stays out of it. The Love Goddess adored our relationship and was both struck at the tragedy and excited to see the result of it… so she kind of urged me on, and the Sun God may or may not side with me depending on how his father has treated him recently. Mr. D loves it when that side comes out. Says Destruction goes hand-in-hand with Madness and Parties. After seeing one of his parties… I agree.

"The other gods on the council can swing one way or another, but when it comes to power, Nemesis is almost always on my side—says Destruction is the balance of life and building—and as long as I'm not harming the others, they often found it amusing." He paused. "Except for your mother," he nodded at Annabeth, teeth still grit. She gulped and looked down.

He stood there, staring at the other two demigods while they seemed to wrap their heads around that.

"Um…" that came from behind him. Right. Grover. Later, he'd probably feel bad he'd almost completely forgotten his friend was there, but just then, he was still trying to keep his temper under control. "You said almost."

"What?" Percy asked, a little more sharp than he would have liked. To his credit, Grover only swallowed a little.

"Wh-what stopped you? From razing Olympus?"

That… brought Percy up short. He stared at Grover, but didn't really see him.

He saw the walls of the throne room crumbling, not decaying per se, but disintegrating at the molecular level. A good deal of it was somehow turning to liquid. Percy didn't know the scientific terms for it, or how it was possible. All he knew was that the gods were fighting each other and it was only adding to the Destruction—to his domain. He grinned with too many teeth, hard and vindictive, enjoying every single shout as his power continued to pour out of him. He was barely holding his human form, more liquid than not, and with some of his true form leaking through.

He found it funny. He'd kept this place from being destroyed how many times? Only to be the cause of its destruction himself.

Ares rushed around gleefully, fighting anyone who got in his way. Aphrodite spouted lines, some in French, about how this was such a beautiful ending to such a romantic story. Zeus and Poseidon were fighting each other while Hades argued—aggressively—with Demeter. Persephone watched wearily, as if she'd heard their argument a billion times before. She probably had. Neither of the fighting gods seemed willing to let her out of their sight. Dionysus was laughing madly, affecting the gods around him—just adding to the chaos—while Artemis hunched behind him, looking almost animalistic and ready to attack anyone who came near. Nemesis stood still in the background, shaking her head and saying this was comeuppance.

Percy liked her. A lot. Maybe he wouldn't destroy her.

He had no idea where Hapheastus, Apollo, and Athena were. Cowards? He'd hunt them down—he'd hunt all of them down—and most of the rest of the gods seemed to be panicking.

Except for Triton. He just watched Percy with an unreadable expression, standing there and not doing anything.

Percy's smile grew, almost literally splitting his face in half. It wasn't a nice smile. Triton didn't react. Didn't seem to know how to.

Aunt Hestia… sat not feet away from her nephew, cradling Pandora's Pithos, staring up at Percy with tears in her burning eyes. Percy didn't know what he wanted from her—for her to leave? Run away while she could and stay safe? To talk to him? To talk him down? To support his actions? But he didn't want her to stand there, protecting that pithos, watching him like he was a victim. He wasn't!

He was just about to say that when the doors—already half falling off of their hinges—slammed open. There stood Apollo behind, surprisingly, Athena. With a thought, Percy had a sword in his hand. He expected Athena to shout 'enough' and demand everyone stop this foolishness, but instead she met his eyes… and stepped aside. Behind her, Apollo had his hand on the shoulder of one Annabeth Chase.

"Percy," she said, looking so sad.

Everything froze…

"Percy?" The younger version of her said, causing him to blink. Right. Here and now.

"The Sun God," Percy said, voice quieting as he came back to the present moment, "decided to not be an idiot for once, and talked to your mother. They took a huge gamble that ended up paying off."

His softening voice must have lent the others courage because then Annabeth asked: "What did he do?"

Percy managed a very small, if sad, twitch of a smile as he looked over at her. "He got you." It took him a moment to realize what he'd said and he took another calming breath. "Well, her."

"What?!" Several voices asked at once.

He grinned, still sharp but more grimly amused now. He could still feel his temper straining, not to mention that destruction pulsing in the back of his mind, but no longer so overwhelming.

"It was a gamble because by that time, she'd become just about as disillusioned as I was. If she'd come in and cheered me on, between the two of us, we could have done it—torn Olympus and the gods down. It probably would have killed us, but we could have succeeded where so many others failed.

"However, she had her priorities straight, as she always did, and… she knew me too well. She asked me the one thing that made me come back to myself."

"Baa-ah-ah," Grover said, voice shaky. "W-what was it?"

Percy's anger finally gave way to heartbreak. "She asked me what would happen to the demigods."

Silence.

The time-traveler took a deep breath, gaze matching Luke's blue, then Annabeth's gray. "The only reason I didn't actively try to raze Olympus in my time was because of her and that question. Because demigods are my domain too. That's how loyal I am. Because otherwise, I would be just as destructive as any Titan! Annabeth—my Annabeth—directed that destruction! And they knew it! That's why they feared us…" he swallowed. "Feared her.

"Believe me, if I felt any other choice we currently have besides the gods was better to lead our pantheon, I'd join it in a heartbeat." He really hoped his five minutes hadn't been up, but then brushed the thought aside. The uncaring that tended to go hand-in-hand with his destruction had creeped back. Besides, it felt good to get all of this off his chest.

"So… you're not taking over?"

That took Percy so aback, he almost felt the anger and destruction abandon him, allowing his other emotions to come flooding back, or they would have had he not still been in shock. He stared blankly at Annabeth, who had asked that question.

"I'm sorry… what?"

Annabeth's concern melted to a sort of careful sheepishness. "Well, we… um… One theory I had was that you might be… um… trying to take over the pantheon."

So he had heard her right. That didn't make it any easier to process, so he just continued to stare at her, incredulous.

"It's the way you talked about them being the lesser of two evils all the time," Luke said, standing on the still rocking boat and stepping between Percy and Annabeth, probably to draw his attention. Percy's loyalty domain purred in happiness. "How you were turned mortal and really seem to hate some of them but sometimes you seem so loyal to them. It didn't make sense. And other times, it's like you were trying to fix that."

"I am," he confirmed, even as he shook his head. "Trying to fix it, I mean. But that's just the thing: I'd hate being the king of the gods. I hate the power I have now. Whyever do you think I'd want more?" No answer. "No, seriously, why?"

"So, you don't want them brought down?" Luke asked, almost sounding hurt, and very confused.

Another sigh. Was he not listening? Apparently, Percy would have to put it another way. "You've completely written off the entire pantheon. Please believe me when I say I know. It's so easy because they're just… so bad. But that's just it, they can get better. And they do. It's a slow process, but it happened in my memories—in my dream." Just to solidify future comments and confirm the code they'd come up with. "It can happen again. If I have to use every piece of knowledge I possess, I'll start it. I'll make them change, if I have to drag them kicking and screaming to do it, so we don't have to worry about choosing the lesser of two evils anymore." And he meant it too. He put every piece of his determination and loyalty to the demigods behind that… and felt something sort of grow and then click inside him. Again"

Luke's lips pinched in frustration. "How can anything change with them still in charge?" he asked.

Annabeth glanced up at Luke, then put a hand to her chin thoughtfully, like she was solving a puzzle.

Percy had to look away from that all too familiar gesture. "There's a reason I'm waiting for a better option," he said, almost tiredly. "But even then, I only wanted the pantheon destroyed when I got—when I get—too lost in that domain. Sorry about that, by the way." He brought a hand up to his temple, trying to rub away the headache that tended to pop up whenever he got too lost in Destruction. He really wished he—and everyone—could just forget what he'd just said and done in his carelessness.

Luke opened his mouth but nothing came out. Eventually, he closed it, blinking. "You… you really will, won't you. Without overthrowing anyone." It wasn't a question.

Percy rubbed his chest, still focused on whatever that had been, and nodded. Then he realized what Luke had said and focused on the taller blond again. "Yeah. Yes." He felt his determination trickle back. "Yes. I will do everything I can to make life better for demigods. If that means helping someone overthrow the current gods, so be it. If that means making the current pantheon better, so be it." He nodded firmly, even as he continued to rub at his lower chest.

Annabeth must have noticed. "What's wrong?"

Percy blinked. "What?"

"You're rubbing your chest."

Oh. Right. He was…. He looked down and frowned. "I… don't know. Something just… changed. I've felt it before but not like that."

Grover bleated. Annabeth swallowed. Luke looked stoic.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

Percy huffed, frustrated. "I don't know."

"I'll help you," Luke suddenly blurted out.

Percy turned to him, surprised at the non-sequitur. "What?"

Luke seemed to think about that for a moment before steeling himself. "You said I chose the Titans last time." Annabeth stiffened, but didn't lose her thoughtful look. Luke went on. "I chose the side against humanity. This time, I'll choose the gods, but only if they change." He held out his hand to Percy, who just looked at it as if he didn't know what to do with it. "So yeah, I'll help you."

For several seconds, all four of them remained frozen, staring at each other… except for Percy. He stared at Luke's hand.

Then, after a moment, he reached out and grabbed it, shaking it firmly. He wasn't sure exactly how they'd gotten here from where they'd all started… but he was willing to take the offering for what it was.

His shark-like smile returned. Luke met it with a mischievous half-smirk, half-grin of his own.

"Great," Percy said.

"Just to be clear," Grover said, voice shaky, even for him, "that means you're fighting for the gods, right?"

Luke's eyes didn't leave Percy's. "For now," he said.

"Until something better comes along," the time-traveler stated firmly. "Or until we make the pantheon good enough that nothing better will come along."

"That's going to take a lot of work," Annabeth said. Funny, Percy remembered her being proud of her mother and the gods when she was originally this age. Or maybe she still was, but hated the harsher tales and aspects? Nuance and humanity and all. He wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Are you up for it, Wise Girl?" he asked.

She stiffened, but folded her arms and nodded. Percy noted that, but decided to address it later. Meanwhile, he turned to Grover.

"And you, G-man?"

"I don't know, guys," he said nervously. "I mean, I shouldn't even be here. And… and this is kind of blasphemy."

"We're going to fix this," Percy said, finally turning fully to his friend. "We're going to try and make it so fewer kids have to die on their way to camp. None at all will be our goal. We want to have it better for everyone. And maybe we can use someone like you to keep us from going too far overboard. Are you okay with that at least?" Percy held out his hand.

The satyr bit his lip worriedly, but he must have thought of something that sparked that determination Percy was so used to seeing in his friend. "Yeah. I can handle that. For the kids." He grabbed Percy's hand. "Like Thalia."

"Like Thalia," Percy agreed. Then he smiled, far brighter than the other smiles he'd felt on his face that night. They'd started something there, in that ship, on the sea, in a storm. Something had changed. He knew it. And he could only hope that it would be for the good of the future.

Chapter Text

"Don't call me 'Wise Girl'."

Annabeth's sudden demand had Percy jumping and turning to face her. He'd been focused on the boat and the sea, as they'd been driven more or less off course by the storm and he'd been trying to correct that. He still remembered the coordinates from the first time (how could he forget them?) and had steered them back towards Polyphemus' island and was trying to make up for lost time by pushing the boat ahead. Annabeth had interrupted that.

"What?"

"'Wise Girl' was what you called your wife, right?"

Oh. Something squirmed in Percy's gut that had nothing to do with divinity. He didn't answer. He didn't need to. The idea of not calling Annabeth (any Annabeth) 'Wise Girl' really bothered him. But it shouldn't. Because this wasn't her.

How long would it take his brain acknowledging that before his heart understood?

"I don't want you to call me that," she reiterated.

Percy sighed, knowing he had to concede. "That's probably for the best." She seemed surprised. "You expected me to argue?"

"Well… um… other gods… would have." She must have realized how that sounded because she winced.

"Not a god," he muttered.

She seemed to deflate. "No. I suppose not."

He took a breath. "Whether I am or not, I'm still going to ask you to respect my things in the future. You had no right to use the final barrier last night. I could have had something I needed to use it for. If I didn't, it's irrelevant. It was mine to use, not yours." Because if she was asking him not to use that nickname, he had some non-major but still important things to bring up too.

Her face twisted into something between indignation and regret. Finally, regret won. "Yeah. Sorry." She probably wasn't, but she was trying, so he'd give it to her. He nodded.

They sat in that awkward silence for a long time before Percy finally spoke.

"You know, when I found out I was… here, the thought that I'd see you just…" he shook his head, unable to describe the utter elation. "But then I realized you're not her. And with how things have changed, you never will be. I figured that out before I even saw you at camp. I decided I wanted to have a relationship with you the way you are. Whatever relationship you want… I'll stay within those boundaries."

She looked at him skeptically.

He held up his hands. "I promise I thought about it before coming to camp, I swear it on the Styx."

Thunder boomed above.

She shook her head. "You're really bad at keeping secrets, aren't you."

"Only my own," he grinned. He didn't know if the gods had figured him out yet, but in case they hadn't…

Annabeth snorted and looked out to sea. "I… don't want to be part of a tragedy."

Percy's smile vanished as he cringed. She could have hurt him worse, he supposed, but not easily. Mainly because her comment—and all its implications—were fair. More than fair.

"I didn't either," he said quietly, and more than a little bitterly.

She sighed, then looked over at him. "Tell me about her."

That took him by surprise. She wanted to hear… about herself? From the future? His eyes narrowed. "You want to know more about what you can do, don't you?"

It was her turn to wince, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He hadn't said it harshly. Still, she set her arms on the railing. "I can't say it didn't cross my mind, but… I think you need to separate us. Think of us as… sisters or something. Sisters with the same name. And that could help."

He seriously considered that, but eventually shook his head. "I don't think I can talk about that, right now. Not without giving everything away."

"You've already given everything away."

Percy sighed and slumped a little. She was probably right. The gods weren't actually stupid, they just acted like it sometimes. "Not everything." He really hoped not, in any case.

She snorted again, though this time out of amusement. "You're so strange. Different from everything I expected."

She was fingering her necklace and her father's ring thoughtfully.

"You think?" he asked.

"Only demigod of Poseidon, one of the most powerful demigods born, all of your… experience. I was expecting… well, not this."

"Hey, you just gestured to all of me!" Percy said, only half joking.

"I didn't mean it like that," she huffed.

Percy blinked. That had been one of her favorite movies to quote… wait… had How To Train Your Dragon even come out yet?

Time travel sucked, by the way.

"Did you expect someone cruel and heartless?" he asked, deciding to address the topic with the seriousness it deserved. He'd have to if he didn't want to fall back onto the inside jokes he and his wife had cultivated over the years. She would have made him discuss it seriously anyway, so there was that.

"Yes."

Well… fair. Percy followed her gaze.

"You don't think I am?" he asked quietly. "Even after last night?"

She didn't answer for several seconds. Finally, she spoke. "I won't lie, you were terrifying last night."

He winced again. "Sorry."

"No," she shook her head. "I mean, yes but… um…" She faded off, looking frustrated. It wasn't often she didn't know what to say. "You didn't hurt us. You could have. You didn't destroy anything during our discussion, as far as I know. You wanted to."

He had wanted to punch Luke right off of his high horse, but if he had, he very well could have killed the other demigod. In front of Annabeth and Grover? No. Besides, he'd promised his wife he would give this Luke a chance (even if she hadn't exactly been around to hear it). At some point in the future, he'd probably get so fed up with Luke that he'd break and punch him, but only if he knew he could control his strength. Until then? Nope.

"So," Annabeth continued, "are you scary? Yes. Cruel and heartless?" She frowned. "I haven't seen that yet."

Percy looked down at his hand. "You didn't see me at full power."

"Maybe, but I did see someone who is used to trying to hold back."

"I…" Percy started, but didn't know what to say. Because he had been holding back, and not just for himself, even if he hadn't really been able to feel it otherwise. He hated how he became so callous when he went on Destructive kicks.

When he didn't answer, she rolled her eyes. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that I won't be part of a tragedy, but I thought about it and… I think I'm okay with being your friend. Can you handle that?"

To be honest, he didn't know. Being close to her and not touching her had already been so difficult… but he'd promised that he would work with what she wanted—whatever she wanted. So he took a deep breath, braced himself, and nodded.

"Yeah. And I won't call you 'Wise Girl'." He paused. "Or… um… I'll try not to. It might slip out every now and then."

Her eyes narrowed. "As long as it's slipping out and not on purpose."

He nodded firmly.

Then he paused as he saw her put her necklace away under her shirt. "Um… you may want to consider… um, going to your father's this year."

Annabeth blinked and jumped back, surprised at the non-sequitur. "What? Why?"

He rubbed his hands together, he noticed, annoyed at the obvious tell. "My Annabeth did. And, well, she said it hadn't changed enough, but in a couple of years… well… it can, and going now might be important. And… and they really do love you. They just… don't know how to express it."

He could tell he'd gone too far when her face went stony.

"I told you, I'm not her!"

"I know!" he said back, holding up his hands in surrender. "But you said we could be friends, and as your friend, I still want you to be happy. She said she liked where she and her father ended up. I… just wanted to give you the same opportunity."

Her eyes narrowed again, and he was afraid she'd ream him out again, but eventually, she just nodded sharply. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," he said, relaxing slightly.

They sat there, looking out to sea for several more seconds before she finally spoke. "Did she… really end up on good terms with her father?"

Percy peeked at her out of the corner of his eye. She hadn't looked at him. He still nodded.

"I… um… could tell you what he said. About… all of this." He wasn't quite sure if that was his place, but he really wanted to smooth things over between Annabeth and her family, not to mention Annabeth and him.

She looked pained for a moment. Then she nodded, albeit reluctantly. Percy understood, and decided to warn her.

"It's not all pretty."

She snorted. "Of course it wouldn't be."

"You still want to hear it?"

This time she nodded firmly. "Yes."

"Alright," he conceded. "Your father told us that he'd always felt kind of violated." Annabeth looked shocked at that. Percy held up a finger, imploring. "Think about it. He hadn't slept with anyone, didn't even think a child was on the radar. And then, suddenly, this woman he'd brainstormed with, and who had helped him on his project, shows up, shoves a child in his hands, and flies off. His 'child' was made without his knowledge or consent."

"My mother doesn't 'fly off'," Annabeth said, but her eyes were fixed on the waves and her hands had balled into fists.

Percy just raised an eyebrow that said, 'Really? That's what you focus on?' at her before going on. "He also said he fell in love with that child anyway, the moment he saw her in that little, golden cradle. That was why he wanted someone else to take her. He didn't think he could provide a good, stable home for her. He said if he'd had a little more time and preparation, maybe he could have given that little girl the home she needed and deserved. That even after years and years, he didn't really know how to do that."

He could tell she had tears in her eyes, but she still refused to look at him. "He's a good father to my brothers."

"Both of whom are completely mortal and he was able to prepare for," Percy said. "You know your father a little. Does he do well without preparation?"

Annabeth didn't answer for several seconds, and when she did, she sounded small. "No."

"That's not your fault," Percy said softly, grateful for his years at the camp now. It still didn't feel completely right, but he could fall back on all of that counseling at least. "You had no choice in any of this. Your father is smart enough to realize that, but that doesn't mean he can let go of everything he feels about the whole situation, no matter how logical."

She didn't speak, so Percy decided to continue, albeit cautiously.

"Maybe sitting down with him—with your whole family, even—and telling them what you need, what to expect, and what you're willing to compromise on would help? I mean… if you're willing to try and decide to go back."

For several minutes, she didn't say anything. He thought she wouldn't answer, but then, finally, she did. "Yeah."

"It still probably won't be pretty." She nodded. "Or easy." Another nod. "And you might have to figure out a schedule better than 'all year except summer' suddenly, but it might be worth it." It took her a lot longer to nod at that.

It also took her several long minutes to answer. "I really hate this."

Okay, repetition it was. Gently. "I'm going to reiterate this, because it sounds like you need to hear it: but you know it's not your fault, right?" he asked, only daring to bump her shoulder with his.

She sighed. "I know—" she tapped her head— "but I don't think I know." She tapped her chest.

He snorted softly. If she was making references, then she was processing. She'd figure it out. He smiled in relief.

"And that… really bothers me," she whispered. "As a daughter of Athena, I should be able to—" She cut herself off, lips thinning as she pressed them together. "Except… I may not because I'm human. I can't just cut off my emotions, can I. No matter how much I want to."

Percy tried not to beam proudly at her. He really did. It would only incite her more if she saw. Thankfully, she didn't turn around, so he managed to get himself under control and looked back out to sea.

"Maybe all of that is something to talk to your dad about, too. You've always been someone who works better with more information, and I don't think you only got that from your mother."

She huffed, but didn't look upset so much as pained. "You're doing it again. I'm not her."

He shrugged. "There are some things that won't change between the two of you. You both started in the same place, after all." He sighed and looked out to sea again. I'm sorry that I know so much more about you than you know about me.. I know that's a power imbalance. But I'm not sorry at the same time, because I wouldn't give up my memories of her for the world."

More silence fell as he thought back on his wife, her smile, her touch, her laugh… He finally broke the quiet a couple of minutes later when he remembered where and when he was, and who he was talking to. Right. Power imbalance. He wanted to fix that. Or, at least make it as equal as possible.

"I'll tell you about myself, though. Whatever you want to know that won't endanger the future. It's only fair."

She didn't look at him, her eyes taking on a slightly troubled expression. He didn't like that and didn't really understand why. Did she not think she could trust him? Had he said the wrong thing? Was he overthinking it?

When she finally did answer, it wasn't an answer at all. It was a topic change.

"When are we getting there, then?"

Right. He could take a hint. "Probably some time later today or tomorrow morning."

She frowned. "At night?"

She had a point. "We'll wait far off the island until sunrise."

"And then what?"

He chuckled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Actually, I was kind of hoping you'd have a plan."

She turned to him, incredulous. "What?"

He blinked. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No!"

"Oh. Sorry."

"Oh, for…" she started but took a deep breath. "Okay, you have to tell me everything about that island—everything you saw in your… dream."

"Right," he nodded. "Starting with the carnivorous sheep."

She froze. "The what?"

This… would probably be a long night.

xXx

Once they finished discussing various plans, they decided to head to bed while Luke and Grover kept watch, Grover saying something about how he could sense some strong nature magic in front of them. Good.

Percy took the bed Grover had been sleeping on and managed to get to sleep fairly quickly.

He dreamed about Bianca, Clarisse, and Rachel again. They'd apparently stopped in Denver (of course) and Rachel had been happy to buy them food. That was, of course, before they ran into the Love Goddess herself.

At least it wasn't Ares.

She was the one to send them to the abandoned water park, though. Percy didn't even bother to try and warn them. His opinion of Aphrodite did take a hit, though. Not that it had been extremely high to begin with. It was a little strange how the goddess seemed to focus on Rachel and how Rachel just glared back, hands twitching, as if wanting to reach for a weapon or her credit card or something. She must have grown out of that later. But why did she seem to hate the Love Goddess? Because she didn't think her parents loved her? That was the only thing he could think of…

He hated that he could only watch as they found their way to 'Waterland' (still with missing letters on the sign and everything), skipped the abandoned gift shop, and made straight for the Tunnel of Love ride. Thankfully, Rachel stayed away from the trap while Clarisse and Bianca wandered into it.

He didn't want to see this, but he couldn't look away.

They triggered the trap. The mechanical spiders swarmed them, but they didn't have Percy's water powers to reach into the pipes and escape with. Bianca screamed, almost as loud as Annabeth had, while Clarisse yelled and plowed right into the first bronze wave.

"Bianca! Do something!" Rachel yelled worriedly.

"What?!" Bianca screamed.

"Are you dumb?" Clarisse yelled. "You can make shadows move! Are you a demigod or not?!"

"But I…"

Clarisse cut her off with a howl of pain. The spiders, it seemed, had taken a chunk out of the back of her leg. She still whirled on them, but it was obvious she'd get overwhelmed soon.

"Clarisse!" Bianca yelled, then yipped herself when the spiders came near her.

Unable to just watch anymore, Percy reached out for the water himself. He didn't expect to be able to do anything but… then he realized he could. Surprised, he released his hold and blinked (or did the dream equivalent). Then, slowly, he reached out again and confirmed that yes, he could sense the water… and their blood, and the moisture in the air. His gut hurt, though. Just by sensing it.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled at the water. The ground shook, and the pain grew worse with every second. Was he actually reaching out, over all that distance, to help his friends? He shouldn't be able to do that…

Pushing past that thought, he continued to pull anyway.

Clarisse shrieked as she disappeared under a pile of spiders, and while Percy panicked and pulled harder, apparently that was enough for Bianca too.

"NO!" she screamed, and the shadows all around the place spiked. As in grew, into several foot-long spikes, like pitch-black spears skewering dozens of spiders. Then they bent and moved, skewering more spiders, uncovering a bruised and cut, but otherwise alive Clarisse, who blinked in surprise. In the end, those few mechanical spiders remaining intact went scampering away and Bianca stood in the center, still in the boat, breathing hard.

Rachel remained at the lip of the basin, covering her mouth. She looked so pale in the fading sunlight that Percy almost couldn't see her freckles, which usually stood out when she paled. He hoped she sat down before she passed out or something. Clarisse, meanwhile, stood slowly, wincing as she put weight on her bad leg, and whistled as she looked around.

"Not bad, Princess," she said.

Bianca didn't answer. She sat in the middle of the boat, head turned up but unresponsive. Her eyes had gone pure black.

"Uh… Princess?" Clarisse asked, probably more carefully than Percy had ever heard from her.

Nothing. The daughter of Ares picked her way around the still very much tangible shadows towards the boat and slowly reached out. Percy half expected the shadows to protect Bianca or something, but they didn't. As soon as Clarisse's hand touched Bianca's shoulder, her eyes slipped closed and she slumped forward.

Clarisse cursed as she struggled to catch her questmate, and the shadows around them snapped back into place, leaving metal husks of spiders behind. What was worse, they were all being watched by Olympus. Clarisse glared up at the cameras murderously once she realized, but didn't comment. Instead, she carefully laid Bianca down, picked up Ares' shield and Aphrodite's scarf, secured them on her back and side respectively, before carefully scooping Bianca back up and making her way to the side of the pool. Rachel did her best to help Clarisse get them out of the pool, despite the steep sides, but it still took them far too long to get Bianca up and out of there. Eventually, the demigods (and mortal) slumped on the nearby, overgrown grass, not seeming to care about the cameras anymore.

Rachel, still breathing hard, bit her lip. "Did you… know she could do that?" she asked.

Clarisse looked down at their slumped teammate. "Not that much."

Before anyone could say anything else, though, the dream faded out and Percy found himself just floating in his own mind for once.

He thought over the dream he'd had, one he had no doubt was true, and frowned. They hadn't seemed like they'd needed anything to help them continue west, so why had Aphrodite showed up? Ares had appeared to Percy because he'd needed an excuse to foist the Bolt onto them, but Percy had prevented that this time. So why was Aphrodite there?

The Shifter. She who changed her shape subconsciously to match the pleasure of those around her. The Shifter's rare child…

That couldn't be a coincidence.

But what did it mean? He'd never been good at connecting things like Annabeth had been. Ugh, he could really use her help right about now…

As if he hadn't had that thought a billion times since her death.

Pushing said thought to the side like he did every time he had it, he focused on what he knew, trying to go over everything and put the pieces together… without much success. He was so close to making a breakthrough. He could feel it… but by the time he woke, he hadn't had any epiphanies.

He did, however, still have a very much aching gut. Joy.

Frustrated, he went up on deck only to realize it was still night… but they'd arrived at the island.

"So, what's the plan?"

Percy didn't jump. He'd sensed Luke there, but it was still kind of creepy. Not that he'd tell the older boy that.

Instead, he glanced down at where Luke was sitting on one of the observation chairs. "I left that up to Annabeth."

Luke snorted. "Weren't you accused of being one of Athena's children?"

Percy frowned. "That was experience, not natural intelligence."

"And you don't have experience here?" Luke asked.

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Maybe, via my… dream, but that's still one time, under very different circumstances.

Luke shrugged. "Hit me."

Percy blinked, then grinned and punched the boy square in the jaw, shaking his hand as the other boy reeled. That… had been entirely too satisfying. Despite their little treaty, Luke had still been awful the night before. And yes, there had been a lot of pent up anger, but that wasn't entirely—or even mostly—Percy's fault, nor should it be his problem. He'd just been a convenient target for some misplaced aggression.

Luke cursed in Ancient Greek and drew his hand back from his bleeding lips, then turned his glare on Percy. "I meant with the information you have. What are you, twelve?"

"Um… yes?"

"Oh for…"

"No, really. I have the body of a twelve-year-old demigod. I can't change that. Besides, you can't tell me you didn't deserve it after everything you said last night."

Luke took a deep breath, but either decided the argument wasn't worth it, or that Percy was right and he didn't want to say it, so he just stared dryly at the time-traveler. "Any day now."

Percy huffed, half in amusement, half in annoyance, but ultimately decided a fight wasn't worth it. "The island is relatively large, split almost in two by a ravine down the middle, at least a hundred-foot cliff on either side, but biggest defensive feature, besides Polyphemus himself, are the carnivorous sheep. They constantly guard the actual fleece."

"So we just need to get by those, get the fleece, and get out?" Luke asked, still holding his lip, as if that would help it stop bleeding.

"No," the time-traveler shook his head. "Polyphemus is… um… kind of my brother, if a nasty one. He can breathe underwater like most cyclopes, and likely has some control over water… or at least himself in water. I know he's visited the mainland before." Like when he'd chased Grover down. Though, how exactly had that happened, now that he thought about it. "He has to be able to travel fast." That begged the question, though, why hadn't he followed before? Well, he had been injured, but shouldn't water have healed him? Percy didn't know.

Luke's eyes narrowed. "Great." Right, he hated cyclopes as much as Annabeth. That would make bringing Tyson to camp next year difficult… But that was something for future Percy.

"Basically," Luke continued, "we're going to have to fight him."

"Probably," Percy nodded grimly. "And, um, my body still hurts. If I push too hard with my powers now, I could burn up." Or burn off his mortality. Again. He really didn't want to. Had he mentioned that already?

Great, now he was being sarcastic to himself. He only did that when he was particularly irritable.

"Wonderful! This just keeps getting better!" Luke snarled. At least he was matching Percy's tone.

"Why do you think I wanted to leave this up to Annabeth?"

A silence. "You put a lot of faith in her."

Percy sighed at the accusatory tone. "How can I not? I know what she's capable of."

"You know what your wife was capable of."

"I know what this Annabeth is capable of too," Percy shot back, still annoyed and thus short himself. "She'll come up with a plan. You'll see. We just need to give her some time. It's not like we're in a huge rush."

Luke either huffed or sighed, Percy couldn't tell which. "Fine. You going to go back to sleep then?"

"No," Percy said. "I don't think I can." He was far too awake. "But I might go for a swim."

"Whatever. I think I'm going to try and sleep, then. After I get some ambrosia first." He shot Percy a glare.

"Good idea," Percy started, speaking slowly and with his eyes narrowed in puzzlement.

Luke frowned and folded his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "What?" he said after a moment.

"You just seem a little different. Angrier than normal. Even before I punched you." Which had been childish, now that he thought about it. He didn't want to apologize though. Not yet. He probably would later.

Luke froze. "What do you mean, 'angrier than normal'?"

It was Percy's turn to look unimpressed. "Luke, I know your fatal flaw. Wrath. Frankly, the way you hide your anger is nothing short of incredible. Wouldn't be surprised if it was linked to a godly trait, that's how impressive it is. So why are you so angry? I thought we ended on good terms last night."

Luke didn't say anything for several seconds. Then, finally, he withdrew, curling in on himself ever so slightly. "The last 'boss' monster I faced was Ladon, the dragon. I failed the quest and my questmates died. I had to run away and leave them behind to…. I guess I'm…"

"On edge?"

The blond snorted derisively.

Despite himself, Percy felt his own frustration dissipate. "Hey, we'll get through this," he said quietly. "I did it once before."

"In a dream, under different circumstances," Luke muttered, throwing his own words back at him. Which, fair.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Look, if I have to use too much power to defeat the guy, then that's what I'll have to do. I'd prefer to choose that over losing anyone on this quest. You have my word. I'd just… like to find another way if possible."

Luke studied Percy for several seconds, but he must have found what he was looking for, because he nodded. "Yeah, that's fair. And maybe I should start accepting that more from you." He raised an eyebrow. "A little."

Percy snorted, enjoying the banter.

Luke shook his head and rubbed a hand down his face. "Now I'm going to sleep, and you need to take your swim."

"I'll see you just after dawn," Percy said.

"Yeah, yeah," Luke muttered, but he didn't sound angry anymore at least. "Don't forget to tell Grover."

"I won't."

The blond nodded firmly, then trudged to the stairs and descended, favoring his left side. He must still be healing, too. And there was the guilt he'd known would come. Ugh. It didn't help that Percy couldn't push himself as far as he'd like… but they needed to save the ambrosia for later, just in case. He'd forgotten about that until just now.

Stop it, Jackson, Percy thought to himself, going to find Grover and tell him what he'd spoken with Luke about a couple of seconds later. It didn't take him long to find the satyr and catch him up on everything.

"You know," Grover said quietly, once Percy had finished, "I think only three people should go in there."

"Because of the quest numbers? You want to circumvent that by having only three people 'active' at a time?" It was a good idea.

Grover nodded. "Annabeth will come up with the plan, so how about you, Luke, and I go. She's the youngest after all."

Percy snorted. "Only if you tell her that and try to convince her to stay behind."

The satyr flinched and fell quiet. Yeah, Percy thought so.

"Look," the time-traveler said, "I chose Annabeth and Luke for this quest, not because I didn't believe in you—I do—but this is about their sister, and Annabeth has been waiting her entire life for this. Besides, if you go onto that island, he'll probably be able to smell you… if he hasn't already. Probably lying in wait for another searcher to come his way."

Grover's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

"I'm thinking if you stay out here, you might be able to distract him while we sneak up behind him."

"You said he can breathe in water, though… right?"

"Yes."

"What if he comes out to get me? Or us?"

Percy frowned. He hadn't thought of that.

"He can't smell you if you're below the sea. I could set up a bubble for you…"

"But he can still get to me. What if he checks under water?"

Percy frowned. "Are you saying you want to come, despite the unusual numbers?"

Grover sighed. "Having four on a quest isn't a guarantee of death… it's just… not usual." Then he straightened up, looking far more like the Lord of the Wild Percy knew he could be. "If I have to go out on this quest, then I'm going to do it on my terms. Yeah. I'm coming tomorrow."

The time-traveler smiled. "Good. There are few people I'd prefer to have at my back. Though I'd prefer no deaths."

And the shy kid he'd protected from bullies in school was back. "I don't know why. I screw everything up."

"You just need more confidence in yourself. You'd be surprised what you can do."

A long silence passed, and Percy figured it might be time to jump overboard.

"Were we friends… in your dream?" Grover asked suddenly.

Percy blinked, then smiled. "Yeah. You and I met at school in my dream."

"That's why you picked me to help you back to camp last year, instead of any other nymph or satyr, wasn't it." It wasn't a question.

"Well, you were my best friend."

That seemed to startle him. "I… was?"

Percy shrugged. "You have to realize, when I had that dream, I'd never had a friend before. Not really. I was always the weird one, and the trouble maker. Not that I really meant to be, but eventually I just stopped fighting it and kind of embraced it. Then I finally met this kid who's always there for me, always helping me calm down or distracting me or stepping in front of teachers… and it was someone who let me help him and wasn't afraid of me. I felt like I could actually be someone worthwhile around you."

"In your dream," Grover said quietly.

"And in real life," Percy said, smiling. "I won't tell you details about what happened in my dream, but I never lost my respect for you for the rest of your life. And you were around longer than most of my other friends." His smile dimmed, thinking of all the friends he'd lost. "I needed that… I still need that, if you're up for it."

Grover looked over at the time-traveler, face unreadable. But then he smiled. "I think I can handle that. I like having someone rooting for me at my back too."

Percy held out a hand. "Friends?"

"You had to ask?" Grover asked. Percy grinned as they shook hands.

"Great! Now I can teach you the secret handshake!"

The satyr snorted. "We had a secret handshake?"

Percy's grin widened. "Nope," he said, and immediately dove over the side of the boat.

"Hey! Percy!" he heard Grover say before he hit the water. Once below, he looked up to see Grover shaking his head… but he was smiling. Percy would take that as a win.

Chapter Text

Annabeth and Luke were already on the deck when Percy returned to the ship. They, along with Grover, sat on one end discussing something while splitting breakfast.

Percy, feeling much better after his long stint in the sea, smiled and made his way towards them. "Hey! Any left for me?"

All three of them turned to him. Annabeth and Luke still looked a little apprehensive, though less so than the day before, and Grover practically beamed. He held out a plate of food for Percy.

"G-man, you're the best!" he said, taking the plate and plopping on the floor. The rest of them had taken the few built-in seats, but he really didn't care. He stuffed his mouth full of the pancakes and strawberries. It wasn't ambrosia, but it was still good, so he beamed and swallowed. After another couple of bites, he decided to take the plunge. "So, what's the plan?"

Luke and Annabeth exchanged glances before the younger blond took a deep breath. "You said there were both regular and carnivorous sheep on the island, right?"

Percy frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah. They're separated by a ravine. Polyphemus can hop right over it, but no normal—or even the carnivorous—sheep could. Difficult for us demigods too, now that I think about it. There is a rope bridge, but it's usually blocked off when the normal sheep aren't in the cave, and I'm not sure how well it would hold up to more than one or two carnivorous sheep at a time. They're that big."

"And how fast are they? The carnivorous ones."

Percy remembered the deer they'd seen eaten alive and winced. "Fast." Not the fastest monsters he'd ever seen, but nothing to scoff at either. "About the same as the Nemian Lion."

Everyone else exchanged glances. Oh, right. They hadn't gone up against the Nemian Lion. Well, it should still give them an idea, he hoped.

"Okay, then, Maia," Luke said suddenly, and then he was hovering in the air.

Percy blinked. He should have recognized those earlier. He really, really should have.

"I could fly over the gap pretty easily. Will it be fast enough?"

Percy considered that. "How high can you go?"

Luke blinked. "Um, tree-top level? Probably higher. I haven't tried."

"I don't know if the sheep can jump, but even if they can, you should be able to avoid them," Percy said, nodding. "That's my best guess, though."

Annabeth shook her head. "The biggest problem is Polyphemus himself. With both him and the sheep, there's no guarantee even you will be fast enough, Luke. Or that you'll be able to go high enough. We'll likely still have to distract the carnivorous sheep."

Grover bleated. "How? Live bait?"

"You could dress in drag and do the hula," Percy said with a grin. Everyone blinked at him. His smile faded. "Have you seriously not seen Lion King?!" Even in the future, he'd made sure the kids could watch movies every now and then in his camp. It had become a bit of a staple… but now that he thought about it, he did remember implementing it. Styx. They didn't even get how much of a throw back it was to Grover in a wedding dress.

This would definitely have to change. Classics were classics.

"I saw it years ago," Annabeth said. "Before I ran away."

"Same," Luke shrugged.

"What's 'The Lion King?'" Grover asked. Which was beyond ironic seeing as he was the one who actually left camp. Then again, he did tend to focus on his assignments pretty hard… for good reason.

"Anyway…" Annabeth said slowly, "back on track?" She fixed Percy with her stormy gaze. He refused to let it affect him and just stared back. "Polyphemus is a son of Poseidon. Before I talk about any plans, do you have any solutions?"

Percy blinked at her. She did have a point and was likely thinking about Charybdis (very open-minded regarding monsters), which, he was really proud of her for, even if it was only to appease him. He frowned thoughtfully.

Polyphemus wouldn't be like his sister. Charybdis had been a daughter of his father and… Gaea. Which, Really, Dad? She's your grandmother! A full-sister to Antaeus, actually. That… didn't help. He didn't sense anything back from his father at that thought, which was probably for the best, but myth said his sister had been cursed by Zeus. Hmm, maybe he could do something about that….

Later, brain! Later.

Polyphemus, on the other hand, had definitely changed from ancient times. In the Odyssey, Odysseus had really only stumbled across the Cyclops. As a monster, he hadn't traveled and actively sought out people to eat, from what he recalled. (Had he mentioned he really missed his eidetic memory?) Although, hadn't there been other cyclopes on the island in the Odyssey? Could Polyphemus just need some company? He had wanted to marry Grover in the other life.

The time-traveler almost snorted at the thought. So what if he did? How would they get other cyclopes here? Asking Dad for help was out of the question. What would Percy even ask him for? 'Hey dad? Can you, I don't know, find a Cyclops spouse for one of your kids, so I don't have to go kill him while still allowing me to complete this quest? And could it be right now? I'm kinda on a time crunch here.' He really couldn't see that going over well.

Even if Poseidon listened to him, what would that do, now that he thought about it? Would that be a good enough distraction? Or would the second cyclops help Polyphemus? He knew the giant cyclops could get off the island. He'd chased Grover all the way to Miami… Though, how. He didn't have a boat as far as Percy knew. Even if he could breathe under water, did that mean he could somehow travel? Water travel? But then, why hadn't he chased Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, and Tyson the first time? He had thought he'd finally sunk 'Nobody's' ship, but if he'd been able to chase them anyway….

Percy shook his head, there had to be specific circumstances. And while he couldn't think of any off the top of his head, he also didn't have enough information to make a plausible guess. Still… the idea of waltzing onto the island, stealing the fleece (whether it belonged to the cyclops or not), killing him, and then waltzing off didn't sit well with Percy. He had no love for Polyphemus, brother or not, but what if there was something he was missing. He didn't think so, but… how could he make sure? Without putting them all in danger.

Finally, Percy shook his head. "Dad won't get involved in an issue between his children, for better or worse, and Polyphemus will probably try to eat me anyway, brother or not. Some cyclopes are great. I've met them in Dad's forges." Luke and Annabeth exchanged glances but said nothing, so Percy continued. "But some…" he shrugged and left it at that, knowing how they'd finish that thought.

"And if we have to kill him?" Luke asked.

Percy frowned. He didn't like killing cyclopes unless they were attacking him. He didn't see Tyson in every cyclops, but it wasn't difficult to imagine his brother there either. He really wished he'd been able to find him when he'd gone looking for him earlier that year, but either Tyson was avoiding him or something was blocking him because Percy hadn't found him.

Back to the topic at hand, thank you ADHD.

"If we have to, we have to. Though Polyphemus isn't easy to kill."

"You could though," Annabeth said, eyes fixed on him, almost daring. For a moment, he didn't see thirteen-year-old her sitting there, judging him, he saw sixteen-year-old Annabeth surrounded by the dimness of Tartarus, kneeling and begging, eyes wide with fear as she pleaded with him to stop. They'd talked about it later—multiple times—and Annabeth had come to the realization that she'd been scared and exhausted and influenced by Tartarus and seeing Percy with the Death Mist but also so angry and willing to kill a primordial goddess (which, admittedly, wasn't like him) and so she'd apologized for making him promise not to use that power. Especially after he explained how his therapist said he had that power, and it was a part of him now, no matter what, and denying that entirely could have devastating consequences. She'd apologized, multiple times even. It had still taken him a long time to be able to use his 'general liquid manipulation' abilities after that without feeling guilty, and he'd never been able to fully erase that image of her, also looking like a corpse, pleading with him to just stop.

It took a minute for him to realize why he'd related the two instances. She was referring to Circe's island and what had happened there. How he'd frozen everyone by taking control of their blood.

Percy felt himself stiffen. Of course she'd put it together. If he could control someone's blood, he could stop it altogether, or make it expand in certain areas, speed it up, condense it.

He could kill with a thought.

And even if a monster had ichor, she'd likely guessed he could still do it. He knew he could, even now. It would be harder to control ichor, might even start his ascension again, but he could do it. He knew for a fact Polyphemus didn't have ichor, though.

And so did Annabeth.

That was why she was daring him. Would he lie to her? Try to play it off? He knew a lot of gods would. Especially those like Apollo and Demeter who put on facades. What kind of person was he? What kind of god? She wanted to know.

This was a test. One he wasn't sure he wanted to pass, but knew he couldn't afford to fail.

He saw her pleading eyes in Tartarus one more time—the single time she'd been afraid of him. That was what would really set his Annabeth and this one apart in his mind, he realized. This one was always afraid of him.

And he couldn't change that. Not now. Maybe not ever. So why lie?

"Yes."

"What about the sheep?" Luke asked. "Could you use your weird Poseidon powers to just freeze all of them?"

Percy sighed. As a god? Sure. But now…

"It would be too much. I couldn't control all of them at once over that large of an area, especially while confronting Polyphemus." He glanced back at Annabeth. "That's what you want, isn't it. You want me to distract him while you three steal the fleece."

Slowly, she nodded.

"Then you're going to have to implement your plan for distracting the sheep, whatever it is," he agreed. The whole conversation left a sour taste in his mouth and it took all his effort to not huff and sit back. He was too old to pout.

"You said one side of the island had regular sheep on it?" Annabeth clarified, voice steady and pragmatic. That sense of wariness still hadn't left her though. He didn't need to read her emotions to see that.

"Yes. When they're not in the cave, but I don't know how often he just lets them out."

"Wait, we are not using innocent sheep as bait!" Grover cut in suddenly. Everyone turned to him in surprise. He stood firmly, glare fixed on them and arms folded in defiance. He would not budge on that. Percy smiled. That was the Lord of the Wild he remembered. No wonder Pan had chosen him to carry on his legacy.

Annabeth frowned, tapping her chin. "What if we put them somewhere safe?"

"Like where?" Percy asked.

"Behind a wall. How long will your ice last?"

Percy blinked. "As long as any normal ice."

She stared at him, deadpan. "We're in the Bermuda triangle. The tropics."

Right. Percy rubbed his head sheepishly. "Then it depends on how thick I make it."

If anything her expression dried out even more. Grover sighed and Luke covered his eyes with his hand. What?

"Then make it thick, Seaweed Brain."

He winced and looked away from her. Ouch.

"Don't call me that," he said quietly. "And yeah, I can make it thick enough to protect the sheep for a couple of hours."

"Good," Annabeth said, nodding. "We can worry about getting the sheep back to the right side of the island once we have the fleece."

Grover nodded once in satisfaction and sat back down.

"So, we need a way onto the island and a bridge," Annabeth went on. "So the sheep can cross over the ravine and we can trap them there. Can you do that before you confront Polyphemus?"

"Probably," Percy answered. "Depends on how fast we move and how quickly he notices."

"Then I guess we'll have to move fast," Luke said. The others nodded.

"Alright," Annabeth said, standing up and looking at Percy again. "That's our plan. You can get us close to the island without damaging the boat, right?"

"Of course," he said. "And I can even stop him from smelling us, at least while we approach." With that, he reached out to the water, letting it rise around them in a bubble, then dragged the boat below.

Annabeth nodded appreciatively and told him to focus on that while everyone else got ready. So he did.

Twenty minutes later, they'd reached the island and circled around it, fairly certain Polyphemus hadn't spotted them. He let the boat come to the surface in the shelter of the ravine and let the bubble drop. His gut ached a little, but nothing he couldn't push through. Apparently his near-ascension had done wonders for his divine stamina.

He didn't really want to think what that meant.

Building a small dock out of ice wasn't difficult, and once he and his questmates had climbed onto it, Annabeth and Luke shivering a little, Percy pushed the boat back out to sea. Once he was sure it would be safe for a while, he turned to everyone else.

"Thick ice coming right up," he said, reaching into the still wild water and pulling. It rose, higher and higher, freezing into a stairwell all the way up the cliff wall over their heads, zig-zagging back and forth like a fire escape. They could climb like they had the first time, but he didn't see a need to put them in that kind of danger when building ice steps wasn't that taxing. Though drawing a bubble around them to once again stop the smell did make it a little worse. He'd just have to get some ambrosia at the top. Just in case he had to fight.

He didn't think he'd have to.

It took them another twenty minutes to make it to the top of the ravine.

"Show off," Annabeth muttered as she handed him a square of ambrosia. Percy grinned as he took a bite out of it and reveled in his mother's cookies. Rolling her eyes, she turned to Luke. "You go first. You know what to do."

He nodded and peeked up over the side as Percy finally let the bubble fall.

"He'll be able to smell us now," he warned. They probably wouldn't have been seen in the ravine unless the cyclops had been looking directly into it, but now they had a finite amount of time.

"Coast is clear," Luke said. "And that side seems to be the one with the normal sheep. At least, they're not giants." He pointed across from them. Percy nodded and built a bridge from the ice below the lip of the cliffs. It took a bit to draw the water from below, but within minutes, they were all hurrying across the ravine. Percy kept thinking 'the cold never bothered me anyway' but knew the others wouldn't get the reference. Frozen hadn't come out yet, after all. Still a weird thought.

Once on the other side, all four of them leaped up and began to run at the sheep. Predictably, they didn't much care for the newcomers and ran away. Apparently Grover was even talking to them as some stragglers came over to the group, that began to calm down. In minutes, they had the sheep herded.

"That's good enough," Percy said, nearly out of breath. (And he'd even been training!) Pushing that thought aside, he drew more water from the ocean.

"I smell goat!" A voice roared. All four of them flinched. "And demigods!"

"Hurry!" Luke said nervously.

"I am!" Percy said through gritted teeth. After a moment, the water came and he built an ice wall around the sheep, thick enough to keep them safe.

"The bridge!" Annabeth said, already back at the ravine. The Ambrosia had definitely helped Percy, but his gut was starting to ache a little again. Still, this should be the last time he really needed to use his power if all went well. (When did all ever go well?)

"You dare trespass on my island?!" the deep voice boomed again, closer this time.

"Percy!" Annabeth said.

"The water's a long way down!" he rebutted. It only took him a couple more seconds to build and freeze the second, much larger bridge. It would have to support gigantic carnivorous sheep after all.

Once he was satisfied, he turned to the others. "I'm done. I'll go find Polyphemus."

"I can hear you!"

The others looked worried, but nodded, and Percy sprinted off. A couple of the carnivorous sheep saw him and began to hurry towards the bridge.

"Hey! Over here!" Grover yelled, waving his hands at the carnivorous sheep.

"Satyr!" Polyphemus sounded utterly delighted. He must have been down on the other side of the island near the beaches. Definitely out of sight, but that wouldn't last long. Percy raced through the meadow towards the beaches.

He ran almost directly into Polyphemus coming around a large boulder. Not difficult to do as he'd forgotten just how large the cyclops was. In all directions. He still had arms as big around as Percy was… probably bigger as he was twelve instead of thirteen now. And that stench. Yeah, Percy couldn't forget that, no matter how many years had passed. Sure, it wasn't Tartarus level bad, but if so many monsters that smelled like a rotting skunk lived in the other realm, no wonder it had smelled so awful.

Percy probably didn't look like much, skidding to a halt before barreling right into the faded purple shirt that said 'SHEEP EXPO 2001' stretched over Polyphemus' body, especially breathing heavily and sweat-ridden as he was.

"Demigod!" the enormous cyclops said happily the moment Percy came into view, lunging towards him. Percy managed to dodge.

"Hey! I'm your brother, you know!"

What? It was the only thing he could think of. Thankfully, it worked. The large monster paused.

"A son of Poseidon?"

"Yes!" Percy said.

"Sea food!"

Percy scowled. That hadn't been the first time a monster had said something like that to him, but he had just claimed the cyclops as a brother. Expecting it or not, he still felt his stomach sink a little. Polyphemus reached for him again, not lightning fast, but much faster than anyone his size had any right to move.

"Look, dude!" Percy said as he stood from that dodge, taking a couple of steps back, "I'm giving you a chance here."

"Wait… what you doing to my sheep?!" Polyphemus suddenly yelled. Percy glanced behind him. Grover was running with all his might away from the ice bridge as several enormous, carnivorous sheep chased him. Percy wanted to rush after him, but Polyphemus growling drew him back.

"You here to steal fleece!"

Oh, Percy remembered this conversation. He rolled to the side as a frustrated cyclops lunged for him again.

"You stole the fleece to begin with! And you lure satyrs here to eat!"

"So?" Polyphemus asked. "Hold still!"

Percy's destructive side began to bubble with his anger. "They're sentient, sapient beings!"

"They're good eating!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Grover screamed behind him.

"You won't let us go, then?" Percy asked, voice going quiet. Anyone who knew him would be wary of that. Polyphemus didn't know him.

"No! I feast tonight!"

Yeah, they'd had enough of this. "No, you won't."

Percy reached out and grabbed the cyclops' blood, freezing him in place. The ache in his gut that had almost vanished with the ambrosia grew in intensity, but he ignored it.

Polyphemus blinked his single, yellow eye as it went wide in shock. "What…?"

Percy sighed, striding up to the cyclops casually. "I gave you a chance. I was willing to let you go, you know. For Father's sake."

"F-father?" Polyphemus asked, then yelled loudly. "Father! Help me!"

Percy snorted. "He won't get involved. This is our matter to handle."

"Of course he will! I am favorite!"

Another snort left the demigod's mouth. "Cruel, stupid, and delusional. And worse, unwilling to work on any of those. Tell Nobody I said hi."

"Nobody?!" Polyphemus yelled, but couldn't say anything else as his blood expanded rapidly. He burst into dust around Percy, who just stood there, staring at where the cyclops had been. Right then, he felt far more like Perseus and had to restrain himself from taking his disappointment and anger out on the world around him.

Your wrath.

"Poseidon, father of monsters," Percy muttered as he watched the golden, sulfur dust drift away in the wind blowing in off of the sea.

"HEEEEEEEELP!"

Grover's yell drew him away from the pile of dust blowing away in the wind. Apparently, Grover was headed right for Percy. Understandable.

He reached out to the sea, drawing water from the nearest source: the ravine. But he wasn't sure it would reach them in time. He could see Grover's wide, terrified eyes, and the giant sheep behind him opened their mouths fangs on full display.

"Come on," he said, teeth once again clenched as he pulled harder at the water. "Come on!"

"PEEEEEERCYYYYYYY!"

There! The water came into view, racing towards him over the lip of the cliff. Just as Grover flew past him, Percy slammed the wall of water down and froze it. Sheep burst through, and then stopped inches from his face as the ice solidified. He stared at them. They stared at him. Several thumps and loud, angry bleats came from the other side of the ice wall as more sheep piled into it.

Then the five sheep half way through the wall began to struggle, bleat, and gnash their very sharp teeth at Percy. He sighed and drew more water from the ravine to reinforce the wall.

"That… was too… close," Grover huffed from behind him.

"Yeah," Percy said with a sigh. His gut has settled into a steady, if dull ache. He pulled out the ambrosia square from his pocket, taking another bite, though he would prefer to save it in favor of a long dip in the ocean, just to spare their resources. So he only took a nibble and stuffed the rest back in his pocket.

"Come on. Annabeth and Luke have to have the fleece by now. We need to meet up with them." He turned and stalked down the side of the island towards the beach.

"Um," Grover said.

"I need to recover, so we should probably swim for the boat," Percy said. "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

"Why are you so angry?"

Percy froze mid-step, hand on a tree as he'd been about to step down the rocky trail.

He took a deep breath. He owed Grover something at least. "Polyphemus… didn't care. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he still wanted to eat me. We're family and he…. I suspected—knew it really—but…. He liked hurting people. He only had loyalty to himself. Personal loyalty can cover that, but it's corrupted." Oily, slick, slimy, disgusting… that was how it read to him. "If I have power over that, what does that make me?" He chuckled mirthlessly again at the old question. "I'm a child of the Father of Monsters. Always have been. Always will be. I just… don't like to acknowledge it. And I don't like it thrown in my face." He was angry at himself. For hoping. For wanting all cyclopes to be like Tyson. Of course they weren't, just like not all humans were like Ghandi. Polyphemus was a monster. Always had been.

Just like Percy.

With that, he continued to step down.

"You're not a monster."

Percy paused again. It took him several moments to gather the courage to turn around and face his friend. He didn't want to see the fear there. He didn't want to feel hope that he wouldn't find that fear—didn't want that hope shot down.

And yet… Grover stood there, worried and nervous, but also steady somehow. No judgment in sight.

"You don't know me well enough yet," Percy muttered, unsure as to why he was arguing for something he really didn't want to be true.

"Satyrs sense emotions, you know."

Percy frowned. "Of course I—"

"And all I almost ever get from you is relief and happiness. When you're at camp, you look at the campers around you and see them happy and that makes you happy. That's not a monster's trait."

The time-traveler bit his lip, unable to bring himself to believe what Grover was saying, even if he was right about how being at camp put him at ease. How seeing demigods happy and healthy kept a rope inside of him from tying itself into knots that squeezed until something broke.

"Monsters? Gods? In our pantheon, I don't see a difference."

Grover caught his breath.

"I accepted it a long time ago," Percy assured him, trying to force a smile on his face. "It just… is."

They stood there for several seconds, Grover processing what the former god had just said while Percy just waited, watching his friend's expressions carefully. If Grover wanted to distance himself after this little chat, he'd under—

A flash of movement and somehow, the satyr had bounded down the rocks slamming into Percy. His arms wrapped tightly around him, hugging him close.

What?

"If you're a monster," Grover said softly, "then I wish all other monsters were like you."

That… struck Percy more than he thought it would.

"You just saw me kill someone in cold blood," he whispered, hands coming up to clutch at his best friend almost against his will.

"Really? It looked like self-defense to me."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Not this time."

"But—"

"No," Grover stepped back, stern eyes fixed on Percy. "You can't convince me you're a monster just because you're a little powerful right now. And if you think you are, we'll just have to agree to disagree."

He folded his arms again, and once again Percy saw the Lord of the Wild. Not a god, not an immortal, but definitely someone powerful in his own right. He'd lasted the longest of Percy's mortal friends, only having died a couple of decades back. Percy wished he'd been offered immortality at least.

"Never change, Grover," he said, smiling softly—a real smile. The satyr never had changed in the previous timeiline. Not really. And for once, that was definitely for the better.

The satyr blinked, and all his confidence melted away, sadly. "Baa-ah-ah," he bleated. "Um… we need to go… help Annabeth and Luke."

Oh, right! They were probably climbing down those ice steps, but if they'd melted too much, that could be dangerous. And while he doubted the sheep could follow them (too heavy), there was enough of a chance that he didn't have time to sit and rehash old fears and pains.

Percy nodded, and together, they hurried down to the beach. Percy brought their boat back towards them, controlling the water easily. He stayed in the water while Grover climbed onto the boat. The ache in his gut had almost faded again, thankfully.

He made it to the ravine in time to see one of the giant sheep plummet into the water with a splash that made cannonballs look tiny. He blinked at that for a moment before looking up at the staircase he'd made. It was already melting, but Luke and Annabeth were about half-way down. Luke had the fleece wrapped around his shoulders while Annabeth checked each stair before they stepped on it. They could see it dripping and getting slippery.

Immediately, Percy reached out and solidified it. They both noticed and glanced down. He waved almost shyly at them.

"What about the sheep?" Grover shouted from the boat floating a little ways back.

Percy sighed, but less out of a 'why do I have to do this' and more out of, 'get ready' because he'd do just about anything for Grover just then.

Well, he would more or less any time, but hey.

"I'll go take care of it," he said, then reached into the water and lifted a pillar up with himself at the top.

"Taking care of the sheep!" he called to Annabeth and Luke as he ascended past them, up the ravine.

"Wait, Percy!" Annabeth called. He paused. "Be careful."

For a moment, everything felt right with the world, especially when Luke nodded from beside her. He felt a warm smile crawl onto his face and the knots in his stomach loosened.

"I will be!"

He pushed himself up again, and peeked over the edge of the ravine to see that most of the sheep that had been caught in his wall had freed themselves, but were scrambling at the ice to try and get past it. A few may have escaped down towards the beach, a good thing he and Grover had gotten away. Percy frowned. He didn't have time to go hunting, but he couldn't potentially leave the predators there with the other sheep. Frustrated, he glanced around again, saw the ice-pen he'd put the normal sheep in, and got an idea. Drawing more water to him, he shot over the side and then built a pillar on the land and froze it.

"Hey! You! I'm right here!" he called, then built the pillar taller as the carnivorous sheep rushed towards him like a hoard of zombies. He just kept building the column until he was sure the sheep couldn't reach him as they practically climbed over each other below in their struggles to reach him.

"Just like the ants," he muttered, remembering being cornered the year before by the myrmekes in the camp forest.

Shaking his head, he glanced over at the normal sheep ice pen again and rearranged it. He didn't have as much control over ice as he did over water and liquid in general, but he could make do. It wasn't difficult, but it was time consuming, to herd the sheep inside to the ice bridge he made and more or less shove them (gently) across to the empty meadow on the other side. Then he melted the bridge and the ice, leaving the carnivorous sheep on the near side of the island, and the regular sheep safe and sound on the far side. He could sense water over there, and they'd likely have more than enough food for now. It was honestly the best he could do.

And he was getting tired.

So, with that, he glanced down at the ravine only a couple of yards away.

Looked like he was always fated to jump large heights into water far below on his 'first' quest.

At least it wasn't the Mississippi this time.

Taking a deep breath (he still didn't like heights himself), he leaped forward and right into the ravine.

It was nothing like taking a dive off of the Saint Louis Arch. It was a lot like falling into Tartarus. Trying not to panic, he reached for the water below and drew it up to catch him, hearing Luke and Annabeth screaming at him. Was he screaming too? Probably.

Then the ocean caught him, wild but soothing at the same time, easing that ache in his gut that thankfully hadn't been too bad this time. He let out a long breath and relaxed for a moment, reveling in the water and the welcome he felt there. It may not have been under his father's control, per se, but it was still water.

After a couple of minutes, though, he grudgingly realized he needed to get back to the quest and swam to the surface. Luke and Annabeth had reached the platform at the bottom of the stairs and were yelling for Percy. He felt a little bad for making them think he'd been hurt.

"Hey," he said, popping out of the water.

Annabeth yelped and Luke looked about ready to pounce on him.

"You…" Annabeth hissed.

"I knew I could survive," he said. "I've fallen farther than that before." And if his voice got a little dark, well, he was too tired to explain it to them, so they'd have to deal.

"What about that was you being careful?!" Annabeth shrieked.

"Hey, I'm alive."

She spluttered. Luke took a deep breath.

"Polyphemus?" the older demigod asked.

Percy's face fell into something more neutral. "Dead."

"Good."

"And the sheep?" Annabeth asked.

"Safe."

She nodded and sighed, looking far more tired and older than a twelve-year-old really should. He felt kind of bad for being a part of that.

"Can we go home now?" Luke asked, also sounding about as tired as Percy had ever heard him.

"Yeah," Percy said, hoping he didn't sound too tired himself.

xXx

Percy knew the feeling of finishing a quest well: a heady mix of accomplishment, relief, fear, and horror that settled into a haze over his brain. Rarely did even the successful quests end without heartache or some pretty nasty PTSD, after all. He pushed the boat out of the Sea of Monsters in a heavy silence while the other demigods (and satyr) came to terms with what had just happened and their success at the same time. It wasn't an easy cocktail of emotions to process, so Percy just focused on driving the boat as fast as he could towards the Atlantic ocean.

Though, now that he thought about it, he didn't remember much of the trip back to the mortal world the first time. The hippocampi had taken everyone to Miami, and they could swim far faster than he could probably push a boat at the moment (he hoped that changed a little faster this time around, he wanted to be able to swim at mach 5 again). He was pretty sure they wouldn't be getting back within a day this time. No Centaurs to take them and they weren't flying. Then again, they didn't really have a time-limit, so that helped.

"Hey, you okay man?" Grover asked a while after they'd sped away from Polyphemus' island. He probably wanted to continue their talk from earlier, but Percy really wasn't up for it.

He sighed. "Yeah. I just…" Well, his gut ached and he was a little tired.

"You're exhausted," the satyr said, deadpan. Oh. That was not what he'd been expecting.

"I've got to keep pushing the boat," Percy replied, not taking his eyes off of the horizon.

"Dude, we've got a sail, and enough gas for the motor," he made a face, but shook his head and focused on Percy. "If we have to, we'll use that. But for now, go take a nap."

Percy blinked and finally glanced at his friend. Grover stood there, hooves set firmly and arms crossed. His expression dared the subject of his ire to defy him.

No, seriously, Lord of the Wild. How had everyone missed this before? Including himself!

The time-traveler couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips. "You won't take 'no' for an answer, will you." It wasn't a question.

Grover just raised an eyebrow pointedly.

Laughing, Percy held up his hands. "Fine, fine. I'll go get some sleep."

"Good," Grover said.

Shaking his head in amusement, Percy made his way below deck. Thankfully, Luke and Annabeth had taken the seats at the front of the boat, leaving the room below empty. He was more than grateful for that, enjoying the sense of security that came with being alone. (One he'd only picked up long after his wife died.)

Sighing and pulling out a blanket, he settled on one of the beds and fell asleep almost instantly.

xXx

Either Bianca had skipped the Lotus Hotel, or they'd gotten in and out quickly, because she, Clarisse, and Rachel were wandering around L.A. this time. Percy heard them ask for directions a couple of times, to D.O.A. Recording Studio, so at least they knew where they were going, but they seemed to have about as easy of a time of finding the place as Percy had the first time.

Still, it looked like they were heading in the generally right direction, so Percy just watched as Clarisse scared off a couple groups of kids while Bianca and Rachel—who was carrying the single backpack they still had—trudged tiredly behind her.

After a while, they wandered right by Crusty's place without even glancing at it. Percy made a mental note to try and get out there to stop the monster himself, or goad the Romans into taking care of the situation later.

They'd almost walked right by the Studio itself, again not even looking at it, when Bianca stopped them. Blinking and frowning, she looked around. When she caught sight of the building, she jumped, taking a step back. Like she hadn't seen it at all initially. Then she slumped, looking so done and tired at that point, just accepting it as Clarisse hissed and asked where that had come from colorfully. Rachel bit her lip, pale as she stared at the building. That was the Mist for them. They'd better get used to it.

Something about that seemed off to him, but he couldn't put his finger on what.

The three girls walked inside the studio and up to Charon behind the desk. For some reason, Percy didn't follow. At first the psychopomp seemed amused and pleasantly surprised. Then his expression faded to annoyance. Eventually, Bianca said something and Charon visibly paled, to a point where Percy almost saw him flicker to the bone-white of his skeleton form.

Then he bowed.

Oh. She must have told him who she was. Percy watched Charon stiffly lead the way into the back and the dream faded. He drifted awake (unusual, but not unwelcome) to the sound of a motor running in the background. He felt better than he had the entire quest, and a moment later he realized why. Over the blanket he'd pulled on earlier lay the Golden Fleece. On the other side of the room, on the second bed, sat Luke, who was playing with some small, metal sticks. His lock-pick set?

Percy sat up. The movement must have caught the older demigod's eye, because he glanced up and smiled. It wasn't the happiest or most welcoming smile, but it seemed genuine, so Percy would take it.

"Hey," Luke said.

"Hey," Percy replied with his own smile.

"Grover said everything that had happened had taken its toll on you and he suggested using the fleece."

Percy's smile widened as he looked down at it. He could always count on Grover. "I do feel better."

"Good."

"Thanks," Percy said quietly. "For thinking about and considering it." He… hadn't expected that from Luke, to be honest.

"Well, if our motor fails, you are our ticket home."

The time-traveler snorted. "Yeah. Though I bet Annabeth could come up with something. Maybe use the raft as a sail? I know there are myths where Athena is the goddess who taught the Greeks how to sail."

Luke snorted as well. "Maybe. Hopefully it won't come to that."

Percy nodded.

"Did you have another dream about the other quest?" Luke asked after a couple of moments.

"Oh, yeah," the son of Poseidon said. "They were heading into the underworld." He thought back on the dream and frowned. Something really had seemed off. What was it?

"That's where they're going?"

"I didn't tell you?"

Luke shook his head. "But why? Isn't that where you went when you thought Lord Hades had stolen the…"

"In my big dream?" Percy asked pointedly.

Luke blinked and then shook his head. "Yeah. Sorry."

Percy shrugged. "Yeah, that's where I went in my dream."

"But this time, they know who stole it… or who didn't."

"Yeah," the time-traveler nodded, "but he might have more information, or it could be that they'll find their answer on the way. Wouldn't be the first time."

Luke snorted, far less amused than before. "Find the answer in the journey. Yeah, right."

Percy shrugged, but found his mind drawn back to the dream again. What was so off?

"Is everything okay?" Luke asked cautiously. "You keep frowning like something's wrong."

"Something is wrong," Percy admitted, "but not with us, with them. With their quest. I just can't put my finger on… wait…"

Rachel had been surprised at the 'appearance' of D.O.A. Recording Studios. She'd initially walked right by it and been surprised after Bianca had pointed it out. She hadn't said anything but… it was obvious. She couldn't see through the mist. Not like clear-sighted mortals.

Rachel was a clear-sighted mortal.

Just like with Grover, that wasn't actually Rachel.

Bianca and Clarisse had just gone into the underworld with an unknown person… who had been carrying their only remaining backpack.

The last time this had happened, a backpack had held a certain Master Bolt…

"Styx."

xXx

Omake Crack Idea thanks to Fey-Yell:

Percy: Ummmm. Aphrodite? Can you give Polyphemus a love interest to distract him while I go get this fleece? Preferably Not one of us, please, as I want all of us to return to camp.

Aphrodite: What an interesting challenge! Hmm…

Percy: No demigods!

Aphrodite: Oh pssh. You're no fun.

xXx

Omake Crack Idea thanks to Snow:

Will the Real Rachel Elizabeth Dare please stand up! Please stand up! Please stand up! *cough*

Chapter Text

"What is it?" Luke asked when Percy didn't answer him for several seconds.

Save kicking myself for later, the time-traveler thought as he looked over at the older demigod. "They're in trouble."

The older boy frowned. "They… are on a quest. To the underworld."

Percy shook his head. "No. They met another girl."

"The one you mentioned but said she was fine?" Luke asked dryly.

"It's not her!" Percy said, standing and pacing all of two steps before having to turn and pace again. It was just that small of a room.

"Wait, like the Grover they had with them?"

"Yes!"

Luke's confusion was fading to concern. "Um… didn't you say you saw her in your dream?"

Percy frowned. "Yes." And? Wasn't that obvious? What was he talking about?

The son of Hermes rolled his eyes in frustration. "Your other dream."

Oh. The future. "Ye—" Percy started, but cut off as he realized what Luke was getting at. What it meant.

Percy hadn't met Rachel yet. The impostor was most likely working for Kronos.

Kronos knew.

He knew about Rachel Elizabeth Dare… The real one. Because where else could someone have gotten her image from? He had to know. How much, Percy couldn't guess. Maybe the Titan could only 'remember' how she looked and that she was somewhat significant, but he doubted it. They had to work off of the assumption he knew everything. Even if that was unlikely, Kronos had obviously gained more memories since Percy last confronted him.

(Could he get more?

Was Rachel okay? Had she been captured or… worse?)

Percy knew his face had paled. He felt dizzy and tried to swallow the lump in his throat. It didn't work.

"Whoa, sit down," Luke said, leaning forward. "Maybe you need more time with the fleece."

Percy shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I just… This just got a lot more dangerous. And I need to go help them."

"Wait, what?!" Luke asked as the younger boy stood determinedly. "You can't be serious! You can't just leave us on your own quest!"

Percy paused, hand outstretched for the railing lining the stairs that would take him to the deck. Luke was right. What was he thinking? Maybe if they were on land, he could send them ahead. But they weren't even entirely out of the Sea of Monsters yet.

"I can water travel," he told Luke, hoping it didn't sound as weak to the older boy as it did to him. "I can be there in minutes. Less, even."

"And then what?!" Luke asked angrily. "Can you water travel your way down into the Underworld?!"

Well, no. And if it wasn't raining in L.A., which he doubted because it was summer…

"I know where the entrance is." Which was true. It would just take him at least an hour to get there from the beach unless he found another way. The Los Angeles River was still around at this point, right? Yes, he was pretty sure.

"That's great. How will you get there from the Ocean?"

"There are waterways, ditches, and canals all over LA." If he could get up to Griffith park, he could catch a bus within fifteen minutes of the entrance.

"That still doesn't stop the fact that you're leaving us!" Luke shot.

"Wait, what?" Annabeth's voice asked just as a shadow blocked the door above. Percy winced, but almost immediately afterwards, steeled himself.

"We've got the fleece," he pointed out as calmly as he could, ignoring how rougher waves started rocking the boat. At least he hadn't conjured a storm this time. "But Bianca and Clarisse are in trouble! I have to help them!"

"What?" Grover came up behind Annabeth, blocking even more of the light and giving Percy a view of her paling features. Their relationship was still strained, but she was worried for him. Or worried for all of them. Worried for the quest…

Percy swallowed. He knew how this looked. Luke was right. This had 'bad idea' written all over it. In neon-red. Unbidden, the words of the prophecy shot through his head. Indecision shall be thy bane, rely on others once again. But who should he rely on?

He glanced up at Annabeth and Grover, thenback at Luke who looked somewhere between apoplectic and utterly done. Who should he rely on? Bianca and that she can finish her quest, or his questmates? His friends.

Indecision will be his bane. He hated how true that was, because he didn't know what to do and needed to make a decision. Now. He couldn't always just rush in head-first and power his way through everything. Not if he wanted to fix the future and save lives. But he hated this. He'd always been a decisive person. Jason had been the indecisive one. Percy didn't know how his old friend could stand it.

The time-traveler took a deep breath. Think, Seaweed Brain, he almost heard his older wife's voice as he slowly let the air out of his lungs. What would she think about all of this? She'd list the facts. Fine, he could do that.

Fact: his group already had the fleece. They could save Thalia and strengthen the camp as soon as they got back.

Fact: They weren't even out of the Sea of Monsters yet… again. Although, he didn't remember having to go back through the entrances last time, but he had passed out on a hippocampus for most of that. Did they know a better way? Could they guide the boat? Something to consider.

Fact: The journey back to camp may be just as dangerous as the journey to get the Fleece.

Fact: Bianca's quest was definitely more dangerous.

Fact: If Kronos got his non-corporeal hands on the bolt, that could give him a lot more power. Did he need power to reform? Yes, but not that kind… Right? Why did he want the weapon, then? To shore up power against Olympus when he managed to rise? Or could he convert it from pure destruction to something that would build him a body. An immortal body…

Fact: That was in and above the fact that Olympus would go into a civil war without the bolt.

Fact: He couldn't, in good conscience, leave Bianca to potentially die or get dragged into the Pit if he could do something. Not again. Not with his loyalty domain on top of his demigod domain on top of the crushing guilt he'd always felt because of her death and the pain it had caused one of his closest friends. Add on the fact that her death had happened in front of his eyes the first time and…

Yeah, maybe he was being a bit too emotional and less intellectual, but he'd tried. And, he knew his answer.

"I have to go," he said.

"What about us?" Annabeth asked, something in her voice rubbing him wrong.

It took him a moment to connect that tone with her abandonment issues. In his memories, she'd long-since addressed and treated that. It had been a while since he'd heard that tone. But here, she was a kid—not even a teenager—who had been either rejected by or left by multiple people she'd loved and trusted.

"I'll come back," he assured her. "The only reason I'm okay with leaving is because I trust you." He paused, realizing his words were true about everyone on the boat. At least when it came to this quest. Huh. He should probably tell them that.

He turned and met Luke's gaze, smiling warmly. "All of you."

The others didn't know how deep those words went. But Luke did. The expression of shock on his face said as much. For a moment, they just stared at each other. Then the older boy's eyes turned down, but he smiled, something small and uncertain, but Percy still counted it as a win.

Once he was sure the older boy knew what Percy meant, he returned to the topic at hand. "Anyway, I'll try and call some hippocampi to lead you back to the East Coast. They may know a better way than the entrances we know of and with Grover here, he can talk to them and they can help you navigate." If he could, and if they agreed. He didn't think hippocampi had been following them the entire time like last time around. Yet another thing Tyson had added to the quest.

He really missed his brother.

No, focus!

"I'll also do what I can to come back as fast as possible, but if her quest fails, we all go to war! Against each other! You know that, right?" And he couldn't let that happen.

Luke's smile had melted into sickness. Grover looked horrified. Annabeth just stared at him, studying him so hard he didn't know exactly what she was looking for.

He'd know what his wife was thinking.

After a moment, she took a deep breath.

"You'd better keep your promise," she warned him, very much not happy with the situation, but again, he could take it.

"I promise," he said, perhaps a touch too softly. At least he managed to stop himself from calling her 'Wise Girl'.

"Besides," he went on as he climbed the stairwell, "Maybe this will alleviate the curse-of-four on this quest. I mean, I am leaving."

"Not helping," Grover muttered. Percy just shrugged and hurried past them, launching himself over the side of the boat and taking a deep breath of seawater almost immediately.

Hey! Any hippocampi, I need your help! Please!

He called for several minutes straight before he caught the emotions of something heading his way. To his mild surprise and immense relief, several horse-like creatures came rushing towards him, all seeming to clamber for his attention and to be the one who answered their 'lord'. It took him a minute to get them to quiet down and ask them to lead the boat back to the East Coast safely. Thankfully, they were all too eager to do so.

Percy smiled and thanked them before riding water back onto the boat and letting the others know about their new entourage.

"I'll head off now," he said, looking each of them in the eye. "Be careful. I wouldn't trust anyone else as much as you." If only because all of them had a vested interest in getting Thalia back. That and… well, they'd all proven themselves, even Luke. At least in his mind.

"Get going," Luke finally said tiredly. "The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back and make sure we actually make it back to New York."

Percy grinned at him, then jumped in surprise when Grover rushed forward and gave him a hug. "You be careful too!"

The time-traveler relaxed and patted his friend's back. "I will, man."

He didn't say anything to Annabeth, just nodding and smiling at her. He'd already said anything else he could to her just then. He would have said more to his Annabeth, but it was starting to really sink in that this wasn't her. He'd known, but it still hadn't hit him, he thought.

"Good luck," she whispered, holding out his horn.

That surprised him. He blinked down at it for a moment before looking back up at her with an even wider smile. Honestly, at this point, that was a win too. He nodded again and grabbed the horn before turning and launching himself back over the side of the boat.

The moment he touched the water, he reached out, sensing as far as he could. Then he asked the water to let him through and jumped southwest. He kept jumping, rushing right through the Panama canal (surprisingly easily) and right up the Pacific coast. He'd reached L. A. in under five minutes, which was faster than he'd thought but slower than he wanted.

It wasn't difficult to find the Los Angeles river and hop up through it, despite not liking what was in that water. Just as bad as the Hudson in its own way, but shallower. He still didn't hesitate. Not with the memory of Nico's expression when Percy had initially told his cousin about his sister's death driving him.

Twenty seconds later, he climbed out of the river, amidst shocked looks he completely ignored, at the nearest end of Griffith Park. If he'd known the city better, he could have likely gotten to a closer point, but this would have to do. At least he managed to get to a bus stop just in time to catch a bus about to leave for the right area. He'd only had to ask directions twice. He thanked every god he remotely trusted for that one as he fished out some money from his wallet and clambered onto the bus.

He managed to snag a seat, which wasn't a great idea in hindsight as he was too nervous and worried to sit remotely still. More than one person shot him and his bouncing leg annoyed looks. He really couldn't bring himself to care.

It took fifteen minutes (better than an hour, but still too long, too long, too long) to get to the stop nearest to the DOA Recording Studio where he practically shot off the bus and straight-out sprinted down the streets, dodging the mortals living their lives as best he could. Thankfully, he didn't run into any monsters, though he did pass right by Crusty's. He'd really need to come back and take care of the guy.

Later.

By the time he rushed into the DOA studios, it had been almost forty minutes since he'd woken up in the Sea of Monsters. He hoped Bianca and Clarisse hadn't gone too far into the Underworld yet. He didn't remember how long it had taken him, Annabeth, and Grover to get to Hades' Palace the first time, but it had felt longer than an hour back then. Much longer. But was it? That wouldn't be the first time he would have been inaccurate about time.

That thought just made him want to hurry faster.

"I'm dead!" he yelped as he rushed up to the desk, ignoring the gray atmosphere of the studio. "I drowned! Here's my money!" He slammed a drachma down on the counter.

Charon blinked several times in surprise, looked at the coin, then turned a narrow-eyed glare back up to Percy.

"Another demigod? Really?"

"Yes!" Percy said. "And I've paid my way."

Charon did not look impressed. "Didn't you read the sign? No living. It's against the rules."

Percy gripped the horn in his hands, trying not to squeeze it too tightly. He didn't have time for this! "Please, I have to get in there!"

The psychopomp rolled his eyes. "Yes, you all do. Give me one good reason—"

"Hades daughter is in danger! One of her companions is an impostor working for her grandfather—yes, that grandfather—and if you don't let me through to find her, she'll die and we'll all go to war while the Titans rise up and destroy the world! Let's say you get the best case scenario and keep your job if that happens, how busy do you really think you'll be then?! There is literally no scenario where you come out on top if you keep me out here! I swear it on the Styx."

Thunder rumbled and then everything fell into an unnatural silence. Charon's eyes had grown wide and he just stared at Percy.

"You… you just…" Then he closed his eyes, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath. "You know what, fine. If you're that desperate. You know you won't get out, right?"

"We'll see," was all Percy could bring himself to say.

The immortal sighed and shook his head. "Demigods," he muttered before turning. "This way." Before they left the room, he called out, "Same rules apply!" loudly. "I mean it! I like my music and I have to work here for eternity! You all just get to sit."

Percy very carefully did not volunteer to talk to Hades for him this time around.

Having the elevator melt into a boat was just as disconcerting this time around as it had been the first time. Seeing the Styx, with all the broken and lost dreams, made him wince. He did not have the best history with the river (though the river itself and the Goddess commanding it may disagree, he wouldn't know), but it was also the closest thing he had to water.

He really should have thought of that earlier. In the future, he was sure he would have…

Still, he worked with what he had.

"My lady," he said, bowing to the river, "please forgive me, but I need to borrow some water." When he didn't get a 'no' or 'don't you dare' impression, he reached out with his power. The water travel had taken its toll on him, but wasn't anything he wouldn't recover from quickly. It wasn't as bad as traveling up the river to Colorado, actually. To his relief, he felt no resistance or significant drain on his power.

What are you doing?" Charon asked, incredulous, as Percy withdrew a relatively clean bubble of clouded water from the river. It hung before him and he smiled. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw an image of a woman in the water, but she vanished as soon as she came. He sensed a whisper of… something across his cheek. A brush? A kiss? That… that had been Styx. She'd looked so interested. He gulped.

"Preparing," he managed to say

"Wait," Charon started, but they were already near the shore and Percy ignored him, rushing forward—through the ghosts, he didn't think he'd ever forget that repeated iciness that reached to his very soul every single time—before jumping out and landing on the bank of the river.

"Hey!" the psychopomp* yelled. Percy didn't even pause, making a bee-line for the EZ death line, and rushing through, ignoring shouts of protest from the waiting ghosts. He could already tell the security ghouls had caught sight of him, but Styx's water should be helpful there if they did manage to catch him. He hoped.

A loud growl and bark ahead almost made him stop, but he grit his teeth and pushed forward. He'd been considering how to take care of Cerberus, but nothing had come to mind. He didn't want to use his Styx water on the dog. The beast was, after all, still alive, if immortal…

Wait. If he was alive, didn't he have blood? Or ichor? Or something liquid. (Was he alive? Percy really, really hoped so.)

Shouldn't he have something even if he was dead? Probably…

Oh, this was gonna hurt.

He grit his teeth, but didn't let his feet stop as the enormous dog came into view, all three heads turning to glare at him. He'd faced down Titans and Primordials, and this dog was still terrifying. He did note the thick globules of drool dripping from mouths and wondered if he could use that instead, but… he really didn't have the time to spare to try and come up with something. No, his first idea, as much as he hated it, would probably work better in the long run and be less damaging to Cerberus himself (themselves?). Didn't mean he had to like it.

"Sorry!" he yelled, even as he reached out and grabbed the liquid he could sense within Cerberus' body. The dog yelped as it froze, and Percy winced. His gut had gone from almost nothing to yellow alert and rising alarmingly fast, but the demigod refused to slow down. He passed underneath the frozen dog and Cerberus fell out of sight quickly.

He waited until his gut had gone from stabbing pins to stabbing knives before he dared release his hold. Thankfully, the guard didn't seem interested in chasing him. The ghouls did, though. Percy grit his teeth, knowing he didn't have time to hide. But he also knew where to go, and the Ghouls seemed surprised by that. They also didn't seem to be ready to actively chase a fully-fledged, trained demigod because Percy managed to outrun them. Well, at least something was going right

Too many things were going right. He was already up to two in the last hour alone… three if he counted talking his questmates around.

The other shoe would undoubtedly drop soon, and it would probably fit Tartarus. But what could he do other than keep going?

He skirted Asphodel and Punishment, forcing himself to climb any rock formations in record time. He didn't remember it being this rocky before. Too bad for him, he supposed.

In the distance, Hades' palace finally came into view, which meant the drop to Tartarus…

Funny, in all of his rushing head-first into this, Percy hadn't realized he was heading right towards his worst fear. He was running towards Tartarus. His heart skipped a beat and if he couldn't sense the blood in his body, he would have sworn it froze. For the first time since he entered the Underworld, he stopped, breathing heavily. His chest hurt at the thought of nearing that place… and once again, his fears battled.

Indecision shall be thy bane.

He hated that line even more just then.

A shriek above him drew his attention and he looked up to see the three Furies flying around Hades' palace. For a moment, he thought they'd come after him, but when they didn't, he let out a breath. Again, he didn't have time. He also didn't have time to freak out about an old fear he'd addressed so many times he—

"Bianca!" a desperate shout made him whip his head away from Hades castle. That had been Clarisse! Percy took off again.

"Rachel? What—" Clarisse started but cut off. Someone else was talking.

He grit his teeth. He hated being right sometimes.

Who would he face down there? The child of the shifter, one he had saved. He had a minimum of five kids that had disappeared who fit that criteria. (He was not counting Frank in that. Percy had only ever seen him turn into animals.)

He really hoped it wasn't who he suspected though.

Pushing his fear to the back of his mind, he rushed forward.

"You can't!"

"Watch me!" That… hadn't been Rachel's voice.

"Rachel…" Bianca said, voice thick.

"Look, I'm sorry," the second voice said. "But I have to do this."

"Do what?" Clarisse asked, voice desperate.

Percy crested a hill and found the entrance to Tartarus, or at least the entrance to the cave that housed the entrance to the Pit. Before the gaping opening sat Bianca looking dazed and with a hand on her head. Clarisse stood between Bianca and Rachel, spear held protectively.

Except now that he looked closer, that didn't look exactly like Rachel anymore. Her face was longer, slimmer. Familiar in a completely different way.

Had he mentioned how much he hated being right sometimes? It bore repeating.

Hating what he had to do even more, he reached out for the demigod and closed his eyes in confirmation. His heart sunk. At least he'd arrived on time.

"Roxanne," he yelled, voice tight, "don't do it!"

The three girls turned to him, shock on all of their faces. The reaction had consequences. Rachel's features finally melted, red-hair growing out long and silky black, eyes reverting to a deep brown. She was holding the lone backpack still.

"Percy?" she asked.

"Whatever he promised you, he's lying!" Percy said, walking forward slowly, his hands up and out. All he had was the horn in his hand. Well, that and the Styx water floating behind his back (even that twinged his gut now and ow), but she shouldn't be able to see or sense that. He hoped.

"What are you doing here, Prissy?!" Clarisse asked, looking torn between indignance and relief.

"Dream," he said. That would be all he could focus on when it came to explanations. He refused to take his eyes off of Roxanne. Her shock had melted into something colder, angrier.

"Roxanne, please," he said.

"'He lied,' you say?" she asked quietly.

"It's what he does," Percy assured.

She scoffed. "If by 'he' you mean Kronos, then he's the first person who has ever been honest with me."

Percy frowned. "What—?"

"It'll be alright," she mocked. "Everything will be fine. It will get better. It will be better now." She shook her head angrily. "Well, that last one wasn't untrue, but that didn't mean it was good. Being trapped in a camp, away from people, one of a dozen children of a goddess who doesn't care. At least with my father I had uses."

He didn't like how she'd flinched at that last word.

"You never had anything good to say about your father," he said, frowning, remembering when she'd first gotten into the Hermes cabin. Meanwhile, behind his back, he broke the Styx liquid up and thanked his father for ADHD this one time, so he could split his focus at least a little.

"Of course not! He used to give me to random people for days on end to pay off debts! Tell me to be as pretty as I could and—**" she cut off. Percy's heart broke for her. Clarisse and Bianca both stared, horrified, catching the subtext she hadn't said. "What kind of goddess could love a man like that?" she asked quietly. "I went from one loveless situation to another, and Mother—the Goddess of Love—put me there. And I'm not the only one!" She looked up, eyes burning. Literally, they'd turned red. Percy swallowed.

"That's why it all has to go."

"What?" Clarisse's voice sounded rough.

"This world is broken. As it is now, it will never amount to anything remotely good."

"That's not true!" Bianca said, sounding on the verge of tears.

"It needs to burn to make way for something good," Roxanne went on, voice more than a little crazed.

Percy hated how not wrong she was. Most demigods' lives weren't that extreme on the abuse side, but it wasn't an uncommon story either.

"Roxanne," he said calmly, but unable to hide his urgency or sorrow for her. "I know it's awful. And what happened to you was wrong. You didn't deserve it. No one does. But you have family now."

"Family? The gods?" she snarled.

"No," he said, shaking his head, "the demigods. Did you know I grew up with a man willing to steal, cheat, and abuse both me and my mother because only he could cover my smell from monsters? I know a demigod whose mortal family is so scared of her that they don't know how to show her any love, making her feel unloved, misunderstood, and rejected. I know other demigods in similar situations too. We know."

"You can't."

"Some of us can," Clarisse muttered. Percy's heart stopped yet again as he glanced over at her. He'd never asked her background, but he'd known she lived at camp all year round. Why?

He'd have to talk to her about it later… if she wanted to. For now, though, he turned his focus back to the situation at hand.

"Roxanne, family isn't always who you're born to. It's who you choose, and who chooses you."

For one very long moment, she considered Percy, and he thought maybe they had a chance. Then she shook her head.

"No. It's not just demigods who have this problem. It's mortals too."

"Not all of them," Percy interjected. Most people were decent people, maybe a little selfish, but they'd help in an emergency. And some people were amazing.

"Every one I've met," she hissed.

"Then you need to meet my mother," he replied, forcing himself to be calm. "She's not perfect, but she is amazing."

"Well, good for you," she said, almost completely closed off. They were losing her. "Not all of us were that blessed."

"That's not fair!" Bianca shouted, much to everyone's surprise. She shot to her feet and the shadows around them began to vibrate and twist. Percy backed away from them and caught Clarisse's own fear flashing across her face. "You acknowledge that other demigods—and even mortals—have problems, so why don't we get a choice in all of this too? You say we have pain, but then sit there and act as if your pain is the worst! That ours isn't as bad as yours so it doesn't count! But that's not how it works! I watched my mother die for no reason! Just because my uncle didn't like the power we might have! Then we were taken away from our home and shoved into a hotel for 60 years! We had no idea what was going on when we finally got out of that and I had to take care of my little brother to make sure he didn't end up killing himself by accident and I'm twelve! I had no one to rely on!

"Percy might have a great mother, but did you forget about the man he had to grow up with to protect him? To keep him alive? Or Clarisse's comment about how she understood more than you could know because you just assumed?!"

She took a deep breath and the shadows went from practically vibrating to pulsing more slowly. It was only slightly better, but Percy would take it.

"You're in pain," Bianca finally said. "What happened to you was wrong. That doesn't mean you get to take away our ability to make our own choices! That's just as wrong!"

Well. That sounded like it may have been building for a while. At least part of it.

Percy glanced between Bianca and Roxanne for several seconds, but he couldn't say he was surprised when the daughter of Aphrodite shook her head. "No. I've made up my mind. Olympus gets burned—"

Yeah, that was enough. Percy had, as subtly as possible, positioned the Styx water around the backpack over her shoulder. Ignoring the pain in his gut (again, maybe he needed to stop that), he yanked. Roxanne yelped as the backpack tore from her and into Bianca's waiting arms without letting the water touch them. Percy had the water drop the backpack right before Hades' daughter caught it. No need to kill anyone here, even if Bianca was likely resistant. She'd forgotten via the Lethe once, he didn't want to take a chance.

"No!" Roxanne yelled in fear and anger, hand extended after the backpack, but she didn't chase it.

For a moment, everything stilled.

"Roxanne," he said quietly, "I'm not sorry. You have every right to be angry at your—at our—circumstances, but we have every right to fight for our lives and those of the people we love. And we will. We always will. But if you'd like," he held his hand out to her, "you can be one of them. Come back to camp with us. We can work something out." Even if he had to talk to his mom and bring her back to school with him, he would.

She took a step away from them, eyes watering with emotion. Anger, sadness, despair, hatred, fear… none of it positive.

"No," she shook her head. "I'm not going back to that life."

"You said camp was better!" Percy pointed out. "And there are other options, even! Like I said, we'll work—"

"LIAR!" she yelled. "Everybody always lies to me and I'm sick of it! Even…" she gulped, "Even you, Percy."

His heart broke a little more as he shook his head. She was so used to lies, she couldn't see the truth. She couldn't trust—may not even understand how to. But he had to keep trying.

"I'm not lying. I swear it on the—" but before he could finish that, a deep voice from the cave began chanting. Everyone fixed their eyes on the cave entrance. Percy paled. He knew that chant.

"Get away!" he said, lunging for Clarisse and Bianca, pushing them back. "Go now! Hurry!"

"But—" Bianca started.

"No time!" he said. Kronos' wind-spell (or whatever it was) shouldn't be as strong all the way out here, but he didn't know that. Besides, 'not as strong' didn't mean much of anything when they were talking gale forces.

"Roxanne!" he said, turning and gesturing for her to come towards them. "Hurry!"

"No!" she said, taking a step back.

Percy felt his face pale again and he shook his head, desperation amping up. "No, you don't understand! You don't know what that place is like!"

"I'm not going back!" Roxanne yelled.

"Please!" Percy begged. He hated begging, but if that's what got through to her—

Instead of giving in and coming with them, she turned and started running towards the cave. Percy's stomach dropped through the soles of his feet.

"NO!" he shouted, lunging after her.

"Don't!" Clarisse yelled, grabbing his arm before he could build up any momentum. "She's made her choice!"

"No! She doesn't understand what choice she's made!"

"Maybe," Clarisse replied, "but it was still her choice to make! Now come on!"

Percy shook his head and went to run after Roxanne, but the chanting stopped and that dark wind he remembered rushed by him. Yelping, he turned on instinct and fought against it. Beside him, Clarisse had jammed her spear into the ground and was holding on to Bianca, who was clutching the backpack in turn.

Behind them, Roxanne screamed.

In his mind's eye, he could almost see her flying backwards into the hole that dropped, and dropped, and dropped…

The wind died down and the unnatural silence returned. The trio of demigods stared in horror at the cave entrance. A bubble built in Percy's lungs, forcing its way up and out of his mouth in a scream that hurt his throat. He didn't care who heard. He just had to release his rage and frustration and even fear for her life. For all their lives. He didn't stop for several seconds. How could he? His domains hurt. His gut hurt. His heart hurt…

Next to him, Bianca fell back to her knees and Clarisse slumped next to her, sitting cross-legged. Percy let whatever he had left of the Styx water go as he pounded his fists into the dirt. That would undoubtedly bruise, but at the moment he welcomed it. The underground around them shook, but he didn't care.

He'd failed. He was a god of demigods and he'd failed her.

He always felt this way when he lost one of his kids.

One you've saved will turn on you, your consequences, overdue.

Had he condemned Roxanne by saving her? She would have gone to Asphodel in the previous life, if not Elysium. That… that had to be better than… that. And what about the rest of Aphrodite's cabin? He knew some of those who had disappeared from his own timeline, he was sure.

How many lives had he condemned now that he'd saved so many too?

He thought he'd been prepared for those consequences. But he hadn't been. The lump in his throat had turned into a hole, it hurt to breathe—

"Percy," Bianca started. He latched onto the distraction she offered willingly, but she didn't go on. Instead, her eyes had gone wide again, fixed on something behind and above him. Following her gaze, he turned just in time to see three figures land before them. Knowing who it was, Percy sighed. Then he looked tiredly up to see Mrs. Dodds and her sisters standing there in all their wrinkly, leather glory.

"You will come with us," she commanded.

Not really having a choice, the three demigods glanced at each other, and nodded. Even with everything that had just happened, it was time to finish the quest.

He just wished it hadn't cost them so much.

Chapter Text

The three demigods marched along, single file, while Mrs. Dodds led them towards Hades' palace. Behind them, the other two Furies followed along. Bianca clutched the backpack and was the first of the demigods in their little procession along a dirt path. Clarisse followed behind, and then Percy, who kept his eyes firmly on the back of the Daughter of Ares. He didn't like the underworld. He never had. It reminded him too much of Tartarus. A very, very mild Tartarus, but the fact that they couldn't actually see a sky and were surrounded by a desolate, rocky landscape brought back too many bad memories.

Three hundred years, and Tartarus still haunted him.

It didn't help that he'd picked up something in the Pit, something that ascending had only made stronger. He had a tie to his current surroundings because he had a tie to the Pit. A tie he hated and usually ignored. It was very difficult to ignore when in the Underworld.

"You know," Clarisse said, voice low but as rough as ever, "you never answered my question, Prissy. Why are you here?" She paused, but continued before Percy could bring himself to answer. "How did you get here even?

He sighed and rubbed his face. "I had a dream."

"You have a lot of those."

"Yeah," he muttered. "It showed you entering the Underworld, but something about 'Rachel' was off."

"Off how?"

He bit his lip. Nope, he really couldn't say anything about the future here. Not in front of the Furies. If he was going to trust Hades, he would be telling the god himself, not through his servants. And probably not now, on the brink of war. Besides, a lot more people could be listening in down here than under the sea. Well, a lot more people he knew he would never fully trust.

So, lying it was. Yay.

Note the sarcasm.

"I don't know. Dreams are… weird sometimes, especially prophetic ones."

She snorted but didn't press it further, thankfully. However, to hopefully head off any future questions by the furies, Percy went on. He never had known when to keep his mouth shut. Besides, they deserved at least some explanation.

"Anyway, I was in the middle of the ocean, and I know how to water-travel—a way to move large distances while in water—so I traveled all the way here."

"What about your own quest?"

"I left three people I fully trust with the Fleece."

Clarisse stumbled. "You… found it? Already?"

"Dreams."

She snorted. "Apollo legacy."

That tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Anyway, I knew where this was because of the dream, convinced Charon to let me come after you and help. I… kind of had to do a lot to get here after that, but I ran the whole way. Then I heard you call out and… yeah."

The older girl shook her head, never looking back at him. "Fatal Flaw?"

He nodded, despite knowing she couldn't see him. "Yeah."

Another pause. "Bianca or me?"

Percy frowned. "Huh?"

"Who are you loyal enough to come half-way across the world in under an hour to sa—help?"

Good thing she'd changed that last word. He hadn't come here to take anyone's glory or whatever. He wasn't here to 'save'. He was here to help. Thankfully, she seemed to be able to see that. (He was sure her pride had nothing to do with it….)

"Demigods."

Her stride paused slightly before she continued on. "Any demigods?"

He sighed. "Yeah, basically."

Another snort. "Then that back there must have really hurt."

Percy bit his lip and looked down. The dirt beneath their feet looked old, not quite worn—probably not enough people passing through—and faded. Most of the Underworld looked faded and monotone. It smelled of dirt and rot and petrichor with just the slightest touch of sulfur. Not quite Tartarus, but he still hated it.

"Yeah. Yeah, it did." And the upcoming battles would suck even more.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to want to speak anymore and they fell into silence until Alecto (eh, she would always be Mrs. Dodds to him) led them to a large doorway set into the side of the hill. Made of dark wood, it stood out against the drab stone ominously. The Fury didn't even hesitate to open it and lead them into the darkness. Bianca didn't seem to notice the light even changing, simply walking ahead. For the first time, Clarisse paused and glanced at Percy, who nodded. Swallowing, she seemed to gather herself and stepped into the hallway. The time-traveler followed. The ceiling was high enough that Mrs. Dodds could fly over them and land in front to continue leading them.

The passages below Hades palace felt more like a maze than anything. Percy sighed at the realization. He'd gone from flashbacks of Tartarus to flashbacks of the Labyrinth. Joy. Mrs. Dodds seemed to know where she was going, though, as she walked ahead surely, determined. Percy purposefully didn't glance to either side whenever they passed a door. Whatever Hades kept under his palace was his business, and Percy liked not knowing.

The occasional scream or shout of despair didn't help.

Eventually, Mrs. Dodds led them up a final staircase and into a much larger hallway. Then she took them to the throne room, where Hades sat at the head, next to Persephone's empty throne, of course. At least the rest of the room was empty, except for the ghoul guards they passed.

Mrs. Dodds led them to the center of the room, then knelt and bowed. "Your daughter and her…" she paused, sniffing in what was probably disgust, "her friends, my Lord."

Clarisse looked about ready to attack her, but Percy knew she wasn't stupid to really try (or he hoped), so he just watched warily, ready to intervene if necessary.

Their attention switched to Hades when he stood gracefully and practically floated down the stairs in front of his throne. Percy shot a glance over at Bianca, who looked pale enough to faint, her eyes fixed on her father.

Naturally, Hades ignored Percy and Clarisse completely, gliding past Mrs. Dodds to stand before his daughter. No one spoke as he held out his hand. For a moment, Bianca looked confused, but then she glanced down at the backpack still cradled to her chest. Her eyes widened in realization and she handed it over cautiously, snatching her hand back as soon as Hades took it.

Everyone in the room watched closely as the god unzipped the worn backpack and reached inside. Almost immediately, he pulled out a dark helmet of obvious Greek design, practically radiating darkness. A tightness in the god's shoulders Percy hadn't noticed before relaxed. Huh.

It only took a glance from her master for Mrs. Dodds to come forward and take the helmet respectfully.

"Do not leave this room," was all he said as he handed it over. She nodded firmly and stepped to the side.

Hades returned his focus to the backpack. He didn't reach in it again, though. Instead, he held a cylinder-like shape from the outside of the backpack, and peeled it back, revealing a large, bronze tube practically brimming with power. He didn't want to touch his brother's weapon. Valid. If he did touch it, and Zeus sensed it, it could undo any progress they'd made towards stopping the potential conflict. Zeus wouldn't hesitate to continue to accuse Hades.

"Is that…?" Clarisse asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Percy muttered.

"But… how?"

Percy grimaced, trying and failing to steer his thoughts away from recent events. Then he sighed. "Roxanne was the thief. Her or one of the others who have disappeared from camp."

"Disappeared from camp?" Bianca asked, voice shaky.

The time-traveler nodded. "A large chunk of the Aphrodite cabin and a couple of others have gone missing. We don't know how many were by their own choice, but it's safe to say probably most of them. So, either Roxanne or one of the others who disappeared was the thief, and Roxanne was either chosen or volunteered to deliver the Helm and the Bolt to…" he swallowed. "The Pit."

Hades' eyes narrowed and he glanced at Mrs. Dodds, who nodded slightly.

"So that chanting, and the wind," Clarisse started, face going pale.

Percy took a deep breath. "That was Grandfather."

At that, Hades's gaze focused on him, eyes narrowing. "I specifically remember you were sent on another quest."

"Uh," Percy winced, "yeah. We'd just gotten the fleece when I had a dream about… all of this." He really didn't want to explain it all again. The Furies had heard everything anyway (without interfering for some reason—he wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse). If Hades wanted details, he could get it from them.

"So your quest was not complete?"

Another wince. "No, sir."

"You put my daughter's safety over Zeus' child."

Percy blinked. Had he put Bianca's safety over Thalia's? No. He shook his head. "No, sir. They're both my cousins, but… my quest had passed most of the danger." He hoped. "Bianca and Clarisse were being led by someone I—my dream said was off. Into the Underworld. That was definitely dangerous, and her quest would have longer-reaching, devastating consequences if it failed. Besides," he glanced over at her again, "I couldn't stand the thought of Nico dealing with losing his sister."

It was her turn to wince and she looked away.

Hades watched their interaction with a stony face. "Hmm," he said, before zipping the backpack back around the bolt. "So you raced across the country to reach here in time."

Percy nodded, hoping he looked more sure than he felt. Hades had always been intimidating in a way Zeus and even his Father could never imitate. "Yes, sir."

"Hmm," Hades said again, then turned to Clarisse. "And you, daughter of Ares, traveled across the country with my daughter as well."

Clarisse straightened her shoulders. "Yes, sir."

"You protected her."

That, surprisingly, made the older girl falter, even as she preened (how). "I… um, kind of? She saved me as often as I saved her." Percy had always appreciated her honesty. It was funny, she didn't seem to be nearly as much of a bully this time around. Because she got a quest so early on? Hmm….

Hades looked pleased with that answer. "And at the end, you came between her and the traitor."

"Well, yes." She said it like she didn't understand why there would be another choice. Percy's connection to his loyalty domain practically purred again.

The god finally turned to Bianca. "Daughter." She stiffened and looked up warily, obviously not knowing what to expect. Him dropping his stony facade and reaching out a hand to lay on her head wasn't it judging by the shock on her face.

"You have done well. You returned my helm and can now return my brother's weapon of choice. I am proud to call you my daughter." Bianca's face practically lit up.

"Thank you, Father."

Percy appreciated that, he did, but he still didn't like the idea that these children had to earn a right to their parents' love. Still, now was probably not the time to bring that up, so he stayed quiet, albeit reluctantly.

The God of the Underworld turned his attention back to the other two demigods and his smile vanished. "I hate demigods, except for my children of course." He smiled at Bianca again, who had stiffened. She smiled, but it looked a little forced, and she glanced at Percy and Clarisse in concern. "They tend to be pushy, annoying, brash, rude, cruel sometimes, and have a complete disregard for rules—rules that exist for a reason. That being said," he paused and sighed. "You both saved my daughter multiple times. For that, I will allow you to leave the Underworld. This is not a boon I grant often or lightly. So know," he grew large and his dark aura seemed to suck light out of the air, "if you ever come into my realm again without express permission from myself or my wife, you will not leave again. Am I clear?"

Percy nodded, only slightly slower and more calmly than Clarisse.

"Good." He shrunk back to normal human size (which was still at least six feet tall, of course) and handed the backpack back to Bianca. She took it almost reverently and cradled it against her chest again.

"Also, for returning—" he glanced at Clarisse and Percy— "and helping to return my helmet to me, I will grant each of you one other minor boon. It cannot have anything to do with bringing someone back from the dead or killing someone."

Percy cursed in his mind. That would have been perfect for getting Hazel back.

"So, what would you ask of me?" Hades said, sounding tired.

The trio exchanged wary glances, no one willing to go first until, finally, Bianca swallowed and spoke.

"Um, Father… could I have a weapon? One for me and one for Nico."

Hades frowned. "I would have already given that had you asked. You do not need to use your boon for that."

Again, Bianca seemed to light up. "Really?"

Her father nodded.

"Okay then, um… could… well, could Nico and I maybe visit with you? I… would like to know you more and I know he'd love to meet you."

Again, that warm smile that so rarely graced the God of the Underworld's face flitted back for just a moment. "Of course. If you would like, I will work something out with you at the end of summer?"

Bianca beamed. "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Father!"

He nodded graciously and turned to Clarisse. She cleared her throat. "I, um, heard that no one who isn't a child of the underworld can use weapons from the underworld." Hades raised an eyebrow curiously, but nodded for her to go on. "I would like to be able to use them in a fight."

Hades' other eyebrow rose next to the first one. Then he frowned. "I am unsure if you know what, exactly, that entails. To use a weapon from the Underworld, you must have a tie to the Underworld. You are asking for my blessing."

"If it's too big, I can think of something else," she said hurriedly.

Hades shook his head. "It is not 'too big', as you put it. It simply has… repercussions. Many heroes have asked for a blessing from a god for completing a quest." That was actually really good of him. Most gods Percy knew wouldn't bother to warn people beyond some vague 'Are you sure?' question.

Clarisse seemed to think about that. "What kind of repercussions?"

"You will become more sensitive to the Underworld, death, and the Earth in general. I cannot say what domains exactly, that differs with each blessing and each blessed. Is this still what you would ask of me?"

To her credit, she didn't jump to a conclusion right away. Instead, she thought for several seconds. Finally, though, she nodded. "Yes, Lord Hades."

"Very well," he said, sounding tired again. He held his hand out to her. Swallowing, she slowly reached up and took the god's hand. The aura of darkness gathered around her, once again overpowering the light. When it cleared, Clarisse gave off the faintest sense of darkness herself. She looked down at her hand, studying it for several seconds, before bowing.

"Thank you, Lord Hades."

He nodded, then turned to Percy. The time-traveler didn't quite know what to ask for. Anything he really wanted would be too big for a 'minor' boon. Hazel, or maybe to reach out to his old time somehow. He wasn't even sure Hades could do that. He didn't want a blessing to strengthen what links he had to the underworld already. Hades couldn't do much about Kronos on his own, and getting him to try and help spread the word of the Titan's uprising may very well backfire with how the other gods tended to think of him. (Percy kind of hated how that was the case, but he'd have to work within those confines for now.)

So he turned his mind to the immediate future.

"Um… the oracle, at camp. It's kind of cursed—"

"Taken care of," Hades said with an impatient wave of his hand.

"Really?" Percy asked, unable to stop himself from smiling brightly.

"Yes. I don't know how you know that I cursed the Oracle—" Clarisse mouthed 'Apollo' to Percy, who had to fight to keep a snort down— "but it is currently being lifted. My children must be fully accepted into your camp before it is removed completely, so I would recommend holding off trying to transfer the spirit to another mortal currently, but it will most likely be lifted within the year."

Percy beamed. "That's great! Um…" he realized he still didn't have anything he felt he could really ask his uncle.

He forced himself to calm down and think logically, like his wife. What had happened in his past that may change now that Kronos knew so much? Well, Rachel, he supposed, but he was planning on asking his father to check up on her, or Aunt Hestia. Hades likely couldn't do much about getting the rest of his quest back to camp either as that was still within Poseidon's realm, and he got the feeling that asking his uncle to try wouldn't endear him to the god.

Then something crossed his mind. He'd known he may end up having to go back into Tartarus. He didn't like to think about it, but it would be worse if he didn't prepare for the possibility. He wasn't exactly keen on seeing how he'd fare on his own down there—especially as a demigod—and it didn't hurt to ask. Maybe he could warn Hades about the sword, too?

Yes, he had to try.

"Lord Hades," he said about as respectfully as he would ever get, "I… have it on good authority that someone will try and steal your sword in the near future."

The god frowned. "I have no sword."

Percy sighed. "The one that will be forged within the next year or two."

Hades blinked, obviously taken aback. "I… see," he said slowly.

"I just figured you should know," Percy muttered. "As for my boon… a link to the Lethe river."

The god's expression cooled significantly. "I cannot give something so powerful out. Even gods and Titans can forget with enough Lethe water."

Didn't he know it. Percy's mouth tightened. "Then three gallons of Lethe water in something small enough to wear around my neck without notice. I swear on the Styx to not use what you give me on anyone I know to be an ally of Olympus without express permission from the gods." Thunder didn't rumble, but the entire palace shook. That made sense.

Hades studied him, eyes narrowed. "This is about another one of your dreams, then?"

Percy managed a half-smile and a shrug.

The god shook his head and sighed. "Very well." He waved his hand and a small vial hooked to a cord appeared, hanging in the air in front of him. "Three gallons of Lethe water."

Percy smiled as he took the vial and bowed. "Thank you, Uncle." When he straightened, he slipped the cord over his neck alongside the walrus horn still hanging there.

Hades just sighed. "There is your reward and my thanks. Now, let me transport you all back to Olympus."

"Really?" Bianca asked, sounding like she'd melt in relief.

Hades nodded. "The last thing we need is another war between us, which means you need to get back. Maybe this can get my brother to listen to reason." The silent 'I doubt it' tacked onto that echoed through the room.

"Thank you, Father!" Bianca said, bowing. The other two demigods nodded in agreement.

"Although, could I be dropped off at the seaside?" Percy asked. "I still have my own quest to finish."

Hades waved his hand. "Yes, yes. Now, go."

The shadows rose around them, whisking them all away.

When he could see again, the shadows melted away and he found himself on a beach in Miami if the water washing over his feet was anything to go by.

Well, wasn't that convenient? And his gut didn't hurt nearly as much as it had. Huh.

He shook his head and prayed. Thank you, Uncle.

He received a distinct: Yes, yes, don't bother me again.

Still grinning he hurried forward, reaching out to the water and asking it to carry him out to sea.

Moments later, he'd vanished. If any mortal noticed him, they didn't say.

xXx

He searched the coastline from New York to Florida three times before he finally found the boat he was looking for. Actually, it wasn't a boat. It was a raft.

What?!

Cursing to himself, he appeared next to the large survival raft where he could sense his friends.

"What happened to the boat?" he asked as he stepped into the raft.

Luke glared at him from where he sat against the side. "Your sister did."

"We had to go back through the entrance to the Sea," Annabeth said tiredly. "Your hippocampi saved us, but not the boat."

"Baa-ah-ah… so many teeth," Grover muttered in shock. He was wrapped in the fleece, too.

"Thankfully, I still had this," Luke said, gesturing to the raft. "So when the hippocampi couldn't remain because of the pollution…"

Percy sighed. "Right, right. Okay." He took a seat next to Grover, bumping his arm against his friend and the fleece. His gut hurt just a little less. Still not something he was super comfortable with.

"Look, I just got back from the Underworld," he said tiredly. "Can I at least take a nap before I get us back to New York?"

Annabeth frowned, looking distinctly green. "Yeah," she muttered. "That's fine."

Luke just sighed tiredly. "Yeah, whatever."

Percy frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Luke said. "Just hurry up and go to sleep. We'll try to do the same. Though we don't have any rope to drag you along this time."

Percy sighed. Annabeth winced—probably at the prospect of trying to sleep when she was obviously seasick—but nodded.

"Great, thanks," Percy said, feeling a little bad for choosing to sleep instead of getting them back to Camp, but as much as Hades had helped him, controlling a boat for several hours at least did not sound appealing to his gut in the slightest.

So, after a moment, he laid down, head next to Grover's furry legs, and managed to fall asleep quickly enough. It really had been a long day.

Chapter Text

Percy woke to the sound of Annabeth retching and winced. At some point, someone had laid the fleece over him once again and he was feeling immensely better. Definitely a relief, especially if the others were having such a hard time… which it definitely sounded like. He knew there was a huge difference between a larger boat and a life-raft for people not associated with the sea. Depending on how well the fleece had healed him this time, he could probably do something about that.

More sounds of gagging and Luke quietly talking. Percy sat up with a slight wince at the discomfort in his gut to see the older boy gently patting Annabeth's back as she lay half overboard, head out of view.

"Percy!" Grover said happily. "I'm so glad you're up! Please get us out of here."

The satyr sat near Annabeth's other side, watching her nervously when he wasn't forcing a smile at Percy.

"Yeah," he said, then yawned. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. When was the last time he'd eaten? He'd definitely be going for cheeseburgers when he got home. By the time he'd handed the fleece back to Grover and hopped over the side, Annabeth had finished throwing up and had curled up next to Luke against the side of the raft. "How long was I out?" The time-traveler asked.

"Maybe an hour," Luke muttered.

Percy nodded. Truthfully, he'd like another couple of hours, even with the fleece, but he'd already decided that what he'd gotten would have to be good enough. The ache in his gut wasn't too bad anymore, only a mild throbbing at worst, especially here on the ocean. He smiled. Yeah, he could get them back to New York in no time.

"Alright, everyone: brace yourselves!"

"This is gonna suck," Luke muttered. Annabeth whimpered and Grover gulped. Percy winced. He didn't want to make them any more uncomfortable than they already were, but getting them out of there was the priority, even if putting someone already queasy through the equivalent of a multi-hour roller coaster ride was a very bad idea. Still, he braced himself and let out a breath, then he hardened the water under the raft, and pushed it forward, gradually speeding up so as to ease them up to speed.

Behind him, he heard Luke talking Annabeth through breathing exercises and wished he could help calm her stomach or something. He even tried to reach out through his demigod domain, but all he could do was get a sense of utter misery from her, and nothing else. He backed away very quickly (the last thing they needed was two sick demigods) and focused on getting them back to Long Island. Eventually, Grover got the idea to lay the fleece around Annabeth's shoulders, which seemed to help.

Normally it would take a boat three to four days to reach New York from Florida. Then again, people wouldn't normally have a demigod pushing them over the water at well over a hundred miles per hour. He was even able to negate some of the jerking bumps resulting from their sheer speed over the open-water waves, but it was the best he could do and the most he dared push both for his own sake and those of his questmates. Annabeth threw up at least twice more. Grover threw up once. Luke didn't, but he had gone very pale.

It took them almost six hours to get back. By that time, the throb in his gut had returned (it was becoming uncomfortably familiar) and the sun had almost gone down, practically lighting the water on fire. Normally, he would have found it gorgeous. Just then, he wondered where something that poetic had come from. Probably Apollo. He would have shuddered if he'd had enough energy and focus to spare, but he was too busy searching for the coordinates for Camp just then.

Once he saw the familiar beach, he let out a relieved sigh and called out to the demigods behind him.

"Praise mother," Annabeth said over the wind.

"Praise Pan," Grover said.

"Hallelujah," said Luke. Everyone turned to look at him. "What?" he asked.

Percy easily got the water to deposit the raft on the beach. Some campers who had been there for a pre-curfew swim started out towards them, but backed away when a three-story wave, in one long column, left their life raft high and dry. Ignoring uncertain calls of 'are you okay?' and cries to go get Chiron, Annabeth practically flopped over the side, collapsing onto the sand as if she'd found pure gold. Or a library. Grover wasn't that far behind her. Luke was a little more dignified, managing to swing his legs out of the wet raft, only to gently lower himself next to Annabeth. Percy frowned. Had it really been that bad?

"You… are a machine," Luke said.

Percy sighed. "You might think that, but I've regularly pushed my abilities over the last couple of days and I'm paying for it." He put a hand over his stomach. It wasn't what hurt, his divine power was more esoteric than that, but it was close enough. The only reason it wasn't worse was because of his proximity to the ocean for the last six hours, and the fleece before that.

"Fleece," Annabeth said, as if reading his mind, practically face-down in the sand. She pointed to Grover, whom she'd given it back to at some point for some reason Percy didn't have enough bandwidth to ask about.

"It's hot," he whined. He knew it sounded childish, but come on, wasn't he in enough discomfort?

"That or pain," Luke said, leaning back against the raft. Well, he wasn't wrong. So, despite the lingering summer heat, Percy still grabbed the fleece from Grover's grasp and threw it over his shoulders. It helped. But Thalia needed it too. Should he just keep it on as he walked through camp? Maybe that was a little too attention grabbing, but…

"Do you all want to stay here while I take this to the tree?"

Annabeth groaned.

"Just give us a minute to rest," Luke said. Grover bleated in agreement.

Percy eyed the other campers still watching them and the path towards the big house he could see in the distance.

"That won't be for long," he muttered.

"So?" Luke asked.

Eh, fair.

Curling up in the fleece, he collapsed beside everyone else. They had a couple of minutes at least, and where else would he be more at home than on the beach at Camp? Maybe with his mother, but few other places. Even his father's palace wasn't quite so welcoming. He liked the undersea Camp (whose name kept changing for some reason), but he was a… had been a god of demigods, not merfolk or his father's people, so he'd never really found a home there either.

He didn't know how long it took for Chiron—and a fair amount of other demigods—to reach the beach, but the ache had lessened significantly and Annabeth had managed to roll over.

"Luke! Annabeth! Grover! Percy!"

"Hey, Chiron," Luke said.

The centaur pulled up short in front of them, staring down at Percy. "I see you got the fleece."

"Yup," Percy muttered.

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was for Thalia's tree. And the camp."

"It is," Luke said. "He just needs it because he almost burned himself out by throwing us across the sea in a life raft at 200 miles per hour for six hours."

"165," Percy corrected, snuggling down into the fleece. "Or 143 knots." He could already hear the watching demigods whispering. "Give or take," he added on. It didn't help. That life raft had been pretty high quality if it could withstand speeding across the sea like that. One of the Hephaestus kids' brain children? Probably. Why couldn't they focus on that?

"That was after he used water to travel to the other side of the country to help Bianca in the Underworld," Grover said.

"Guys," Percy whined.

"Which happened after he created an ice-bridge that lasted more than an hour in the Caribbean and killed Polyphemus," Annabeth added.

"What about you guys?" Percy asked, sitting up, still wrapped in the fleece. "Annabeth came up with the plan that worked to get the Fleece and had everything completely planned and mapped out from the get go! She's the only reason it worked! You and Luke actually stole the fleece from under Polyphemus' nose and kept it safe! Grover distracted the carnivorous sheep the size of hippos and was the one who allowed you all to follow the hippocampi when I left, which saved you from getting eaten by Charybdis when you got back out of the Sea of Monsters!"

Luke looked amused. Annabeth and Grover looked annoyed and both opened their mouths only to be cut off by Chiron.

"Well, it seems you've had quite the adventure. However, to finish the quest, we do need to make sure the fleece gets to Half-blood Hill," he pointed out.

Percy sighed. "Fine," he said as he tried to get to his feet without unwrapping the fleece from around him. He managed… barely. Trying not to let everyone's staring get to him, he marched right past them and Chiron. Ten minutes later, he'd reached the bottom of Half-blood hill. Hermes kids were calling out encouragement to him, but they didn't approach, seemingly determined to let him finish his quest. He appreciated it.

Sighing, he went to step up the trail leading up the hill when he saw a flash of blond beside him. Pausing, he glanced over to see Annabeth standing there, still absently trying to brush sand out of her hair.

"Well, are we doing this or not?" Luke's voice had Percy whipping around to see the older boy and Grover also with him. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel an immense surety come over him, as if with these people by his side, they could overcome anything.

"Would either of you like to do the honors?" he asked, finally letting the Fleece fall from his shoulders. It hadn't actually been too warm, to his immense relief. His gut still hurt though.

"It's your quest," Luke said.

"She's your friend," Percy replied, then glanced at Annabeth. "Your sister."

Luke and Annabeth exchanged glances over Percy's head (he hated how he was shorter than her at this point), having a silent conversation.

"I think you earned this," Annabeth finally said softly.

Percy smiled at her, then at the others, and took a step forward. He made his way steadily up the hill until he stood underneath the giant branches of the Pine tree. With his short stature, it took him throwing the Fleece up and snagging it over the branch to set it in place. Almost immediately, he could feel the camp perk up. More life energy seemed to flow through it and the borders were definitely stronger. The camp seemed to breathe out in assued relaxation. Percy related.

"Looking forward to meeting you, Thalia," he whispered to the tree before standing back, admiring his handiwork. It looked awful and sloppy, but Percy had never cared for appearances. If something got the job done, then great!

"Well," Chiron said, voice chipper, "that's a quest completed. I've already been in contact with someone who will help me get a guard for the fleece. Until then, well done! We will burn the shrouds tonight and feast and—"

"Just a moment," Mr. D cut in from the side of the tree towards the house.

Like his words had flipped a switch, everyone's smiles vanished. Percy had a bad feeling about this. Just the way the god looked at Percy. His expressions were subtle under the mask of a careless camp director, but Percy had seen him at least once a year, every year, for three hundred years, usually more often. That didn't make them best friends, but he could read the god more than anyone there except maybe Chiron.

He could read Chiron much better, having spent far more time around him. The Centaur's own sudden worry (that likely only Percy and Mr. D could see) didn't help.

"Mr. Johnson," he paused as if waiting for a denial. Percy knew better. Dionysus finally went on. "Congratulations and all that, sure, but you've been summoned to Mount Olympus."

"What!?" Luke, Annabeth, Grover, and many of the Hermes cabin asked in various states of surprise and/or anger.

Percy's bad feeling amped up. "Why?"

Mr. D shrugged. "As if I know."

"Well, it would go a lot smoother if I knew what to prepare for," Percy said, putting on his own nonchalant face.

"Too bad," the god said.

Typical. Percy snorted. "Then be it on you all for not letting me prepare. Remember that."

Mr. D rolled his eyes. "Such drama."

"Remember you said that, too," Percy replied, leaning back against the tree. "So, are we going?" He smirked. It took far more effort and energy to teleport something a god wasn't physically touching. There were more criteria that determined difficulty: a sentient, sapient being was harder than inanimate objects; was the person/object within one of the god's domains? Were they also teleporting themselves? To the same place? Was another being getting in the way with their own power? How strong was that being? What were that being's domains? Etc.

Dionysus shouldn't have any problems teleporting Percy despite being outside of his domains currently (no parties, no wine, though some madness, he supposed), but it would be an inconvenience.

Percy's smirk dimmed a little when the god narrowed his eyes. "Of course, over here," he finally answered, gesturing to his side.

"I'm good," the time-traveler said.

"Percy," Grover hissed, but his warning went unheeded. Percy didn't take his eyes off of Dionysus. It had become a power play, one the demigod refused to lose. The fact that it would delay his sudden meeting on Olympus had nothing to do with it. He expected Mr. D to make demands, and okay, he'd probably have to 'give in', but it would show a lot to the demigods watching. Really watching. Like Annabeth. And probably Luke. It would also drive home that Percy isn't a big fan of the Olympians.

So he was far more surprised when Mr. D said, "Very well," tightly and Percy found himself in front of the giant doors to the Olympian throne room after a flash of light.

What?

"Didn't expect that, did you?" Mr. D asked smugly from beside him. Percy blinked and opened his mouth, but the god cut him off. "Inside. They're waiting."

Percy wanted to say they could keep waiting, but again, the look in the other's eye stopped him. Mr. D was angry. Not surface level, typical Olympian petty angry, but something… deeper? No. Well, maybe, but that wasn't the word he was looking for. And Percy couldn't sense gods' emotions for a clue.

Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the enormous doors swung open and Mr. D pushed Percy inside, none too gently.

"Hey!" Percy said, turning to face the god, but he was already gone, flashing to his own throne.

Angry, Percy shoved his fists into his pockets and thought dark things while shooting a glare at Dionysus as he stepped farther into the throne room. The god didn't seem to care. The enormous doors slamming shut behind Percy didn't cause him to so much as flinch. After a minute, he came to the center of the room and leaned on one foot.

"So?" he finally asked. But he was worried. This was a full council. Why would they need the full council for him?

"Impertinent!" Hera huffed.

Percy shrugged. "I'm his son," he pointed to Poseidon. "Do you really expect anything else?"

"At least he knows how to act in any given situation."

Percy raised an eyebrow at the Queen of the Gods before turning to his father. "Really?"

"Do not throw me under the bus," his father said. With that tone, it was half warning, half amusement. Basically, 'Don't go any farther, but that was funny.'

The time-traveler shrugged and fixed his eyes on the King of the Gods. Zeus looked angry, but different than his normal, general anger. Much like Dionysus, actually. Percy still couldn't place exactly what had changed, though. Was this because Percy was in the past? Had they really changed that much in the future? That both did and didn't give him so much hope, even if he had his work cut out for him.

That strange click inside of him pinged again, like a puzzle piece fitting into place.

"Your trial will now begin."

In his first life, Percy would have been terrified at those words. In this life? He just sighed.

"Great. What are you accusing me of now?"

"Withholding information."

Percy snorted, hoping that covered his fear. Did they know? But he'd been so careful… Well, probably not as careful as he could have been. He had let it slip a couple of times, but unless they were paying really close attention….

Oh.

They totally knew.

Calm down, Seaweed Brain.

Right.

"Last I heard, that's not a crime."

"It is if we say so!" Zeus thundered.

Percy narrowed his eyes. "No, it's not. Because if you make up rules on the fly, your subjects will never know how they should act. At that point, you will only have fear and chaos, and not the good kind. Eventually, you will have rebellion, and they will succeed because they have nothing to lose. Or, you could just prevent all of that and be consistent. So, when, before today, have you announced to Olympus and the Greeks in general that withholding information is a crime? And I can illustrate many stories and instances where every single god here has committed that "crime", so I'd recommend choosing your words carefully."

The entire council had fallen into complete silence, staring at him like he'd grown multiple heads. It was how he'd treated the council in the future, but he wasn't about to change. Not if he wanted to get things done and start on the right foot.

Then Zeus rose to his feet, his aura stretching out over the council ominously. Percy put all of his own power into standing up against the god's aura. The fact that the demigod didn't show an ounce of discomfort seemed to tick the king off even more.

"You dare?!" he yelled.

"Yes! I dare," Percy said.

"Perseus," his father jumped in, nervous.

Percy ignored him, pushing his divine power further. "I dare because it's true! I'm warning you and—"

That same thing that had clicked before did so again, but harder. Warmth flooded his body and he vaguely realized he'd begun to glow as his mouth opened of its own accord.

"Council of hypocrisy
listen and take heed.
Acting above the laws and rules
only doom precedes.

Hubris, sloth, and arrogance,
Apathy and hate,
Ignorance and selfishness,
Your flaws reveal your state

Join, Olympians, arise,
mend thy errs and fight!
Lest time's return, the old king's hate
crushes all beneath its might."

Percy blinked and the throne room had fallen silent. Everyone stared at him again, but he had no answers. He had no clue why he'd said that. It hadn't even been a very good rhyme, but… he'd meant every word. That had been… a domain? Yes. A domain speaking through him. But domains weren't personified like that. At least none of his had been. Sentient? Maybe. But not Sapient. Not to that extent.

And speaking that had hurt, drawn power out of him he didn't know he had. And it was still there. And growing. Just… what?

The gods had begun to get over their own shock. Zeus' expression melted down, well beyond livid now as his hand glowed with lightning. Oh, not good. The other gods had begun to speak or move, talking to each other worriedly. Poseidon's eyes widened suddenly and he lunged for his brother, but not before the king of the gods lifted his arm, hurling lightning at Percy. Time seemed to slow as the white light shot towards him, but he couldn't move. Not with the growing pain and burning freezing him in place. I almost hurt as bad as—

He tried to cut the thought off, but couldn't.

It hurt like his ascension had…

The realization nearly stopped his heart, long before any lightning reached him.

No… no, no, NO! Not now! Not ever! It couldn't happen now!

No! He screamed mentally. No! Please!

He wasn't ready!

(He would never be ready.)

He didn't want to ascend!

To be fair, he didn't want to die either and with the lightning streaming towards him it was probably one or the other at this point. If he'd had more time, maybe he would have broken down in tears, or gasped or something, but the lightning had nearly reached him.

And then someone was in front of him and the world sped up again. No, not just someone, three someones. Each of them held their hands out, creating a shield that redirected the lightning. No one should be able to do that, though! Well, Zeus hadn't used his Master Bolt but… wait, were those the Fates?

"Blow your horn, boy!" one of them managed to yell over the screaming and buzzing of the enormous bolt of electricity.

Desperately, Percy's hands scrambled to follow the instruction given to him, though they barely seemed to work as they tried to close around the horn. His breath had sped up, which just made his body hurt more, which made breathing harder, which made him breathe faster… It was a nasty cycle he wished he could forget experiencing before, but he knew it would forever be burned into his memory. Literally.

He was glad he'd had the horn strapped over his shoulder because he fumbled it no less than five times before he managed to grasp it firmly enough to bring it to his lips and blow. Immediately, the power flowed from his gut to the horn in a stream of energy and sound. He blew until he had no breath, then he filled his lungs deeply and blew again. The burning began to recede.

"Keep going!" Another, very similar voice to the first snapped. He didn't pause to tell them he hadn't planned on stopping anyway. While the burning had lessened, it wasn't going away. He needed it too. Desperately. So he blew harder. His gut still ached and burned, his lungs were quickly matching the pain, and the burning was still there!

The Fates yelled something, though he didn't think it was at him so he ignored them. He did note that the lightning was no longer being redirected, so Zeus had stopped at least. The rest of the council had descended into chaos, screaming and yelling. He couldn't focus enough to make any of their words out.

Some of the gods were glowing, he realized. His father, Hestia (previously unnoticed by—or in—the hearth, she really didn't like attention drawn to her), and the Fates in particular, but Dionysus, Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Artemis too, if to a lesser extent. Hephaestus and Demeter even had slight glows they were both examining curiously.

Athena, Ares, Zeus, and Hera had no such glow.

Was that… coming from Percy? Could ascension energy do that to a current god? Well, at least he knew who his allies were. Useful.

Stupid 12-year-old, ADHD riddled, demigod mind, getting distracted again despite his predicament. He focused back on the horn, pushing any power he had towards it. It wasn't enough. There was too much, the energy coming too fast, burning through his body—

Then, a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up, expecting to see his Father or one of the Fates. To his surprise, he saw an unusually serious Apollo. His glowing had brightened.

"I'm going to draw energy out of you and try to heal what remains."

Percy, who had paused blowing to stare in surprise at the god, nodded. Pushing past the unexpected turn, he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and went to raise the horn to blow again, noting that the burning had increased after he'd stopped.

"I remember what this felt like," another voice next to his opposite shoulder said. Percy whipped his head around to see a young Mr. D there. "I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. You are most certainly not that." He glanced up at Apollo. "Tell me what to do."

Apollo nodded. "Keep blowing that horn, kid!"

Percy immediately went back to the horn, doing his best to ignore the chaos around him. A warmth from the two gods flooded his body, in strange opposition to the burning. Almost immediately, it felt as if a build-up of energy had released, flowing towards the alien energies, following them out and away from himself.

Into the gods next to him.

Oh.

Percy closed his eyes, but his eyelids still lit up, red and pink from the resulting light.

Then it darkened again.

"Perseus," he heard Apollo say gently, "you can stop now."

He was right, the burning was gone, just leaving that throbbing ache behind. Percy let the horn fall from his mouth and nearly collapsed with it. Apollo's too-warm hand caught him before he face-planted, so there was that at least.

"—Is your fault!" one of the Fates was saying, voice harsh. "The boy cannot simply stop his new domain! His warnings are a part of him just as Phoebus Apollo's prophecies are!" Then three voices together. "You cannot deny fate!"

"According to you, he isn't Fate!" Zeus practically yelled back. Percy winced at his loud voice. It didn't help the headache beginning to grow behind his eyes. At least it wasn't burning anymore.

"He is still subject to it!" One of the women said.

"And Fate has declared his domain to be Change!"

"That is Janus'—" Hera started, but the Fates cut her off. Funny, they were normally more respectful than that. The gods must have really ticked them off.

"Not Janus' kind! True change!"

"Deep change!"

"Permanent change!"

Huh? Percy had never had the domain of Change before… His brain wasn't working and couldn't seem to process the complicated information. Well, it seemed complicated to him, at least. It didn't make any sense.

"Are you saying that is what jump-started his… episode?" Athena asked stiffly. "Him claiming an unclaimed domain? By accident?!"

"Yes," the three Fates said together.

That made sense. Too much sense. Then Percy stiffened as the words finally registered. Another domain? He didn't need more domains! But… they were right. He could tell. And he could still feel the new one. He silently cursed in a mix of Greek, Latin, English, Korean, and a couple of African languages just to be thorough. He didn't have enough energy left to say it aloud, though. Pity.

Thankfully, someone else seemed happy to voice the questions Percy wanted to. "That's excluding the strange domains he already has?" Dionysus asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes," the Fates repeated.

That confirmed that the council definitely knew something about his time-travel. Percy groaned. It barely came out of his mouth, but could anyone really blame him? He didn't want to have this conversation with them ever, let alone now.

"Speaking of—" Athena started, but Apollo interrupted her, sounding a little panicked himself.

"Wait, 'If Change arises…' The prophecy is about him!"

Percy forced the black spots creeping in from the side of his vision away through sheer will and strained to turn to the sun god. He wasn't glowing anymore, so at least he didn't blind the single mortal in the room.

"What… Prophecy?" Percy choked.

"Apollo!" Zeus thundered. Literally. The boom shook the entire room, probably the entire mountain.

"If the Prophecy is about him, then he deserves to hear it!" Apollo returned firmly.

"Yes," the Fates agreed.

Zeus seethed. At least from what Percy could see through the returning black spots and pin-pricks of color. At least that was a human thing. He relaxed a little more.

Ignoring his father, the God of Prophecies turned back to the demigod.

“The old fulfilled, the world anew, cannot prevent the crooked two.
Fifteen years must be fulfilled, or see men and Olympus yield.
If Change arises ere their time, above the new, the old shall climb.
The fruit, for love, once consumed, shows awful choices then exhumed.
The world in peril, once again, may thus be saved by gods and men.”

Oh.

Oh, that was… not good. Very not good. He wanted to examine it, find what hidden meanings he could to try and prevent some pain at least, but again his brain wouldn’t do what he wanted it to.

“Actually,” Athena said, her voice sounding distant and fuzzy. “With the new information and theories I’ve come up with, the Prophecy makes a great deal more sense. The old fulfilled and world anew—that obviously refers to him—”

“Athena, not now,” Apollo said. “Perseus is about to pass out.”

“No, I’m not,” the time-traveler slurred. Huh, that didn’t come out the way he wanted. Okay, maybe he was about to pass out. That… actually sounded nice.

It also meant he had one final thing to say. “Don’t… call me… Perseus.”

Surprise as the spots began to win their battle, crawling farther and farther over Percy’s vision.

“What?” Dionysus asked.

“Goes… for ev’ryone,” the time-traveler said, hoping he was at least somewhat legible. “Call me… Percy. Or things go boom. It bad.”

What was he even saying?

He didn’t really know anymore as he mercifully blacked out.

xXx

Omake from Shadow Slayer:

Athena: You are on trial for withholding information!
Percy Jackson, Ace Attorney: *points at Zeus* OBJECTION!

xXx

Omake 2:

Percy: *does something that ticks a random god or monster off… again*
Random god or monster: YOU DARE?!
Percy: Well, DUH. It's my MO.

xXx

Chapter Text

Percy woke to the smell of salt water and brine. He smiled at the familiarity and snuggled deeper into his blankets and pillows.

That… didn't make sense though. Blankets and pillows by the sea? He wasn't under water though. So where—?

Memories came flooding back and he shot straight up. The familiar ache in his gut protested, but it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever experienced, so he ignored it. He was in his father's temple on Olympus. He was sure of it. It had the same feel as when he'd been there last, if not the same look as after Annabeth had redesigned it. The walls surrounding him were encrusted with seashells and coral, and he lay on a bed that his father had likely conjured. There had never been beds in his father's temple as long as he could remember.

"Percy."

Speaking of. The demigod tried not to wince at the pain still in his gut as he turned to his father, who sat in a coral chair by his bedside. That was… nice, actually.

"Hi, Dad."

His father raised an eyebrow, both amused and frustrated. "Do you do anything that doesn't end in utter catastrophe?"

Percy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, I mean, sometimes? Every once in a while? Maybe…?"

Poseidon sighed, shook his head in a 'what am I going to do with you' gesture, and sat forward. "Percy, the council has been waiting for you to awaken. I have to take you back there. You understand what is happening, right?"

The time-traveler sighed and slumped back into the pillows. "Yeah," he muttered. "They know."

"They suspect," his father corrected, "but Athena has a pretty strong case for it from what I understand. She hasn't presented it yet."

Percy groaned and pulled the green-and-blue blanket over his head. It was his father's turn to huff at the childishness.

"I think you should tell them," he said. "It will help them trust you more."

"I don't wanna," Percy said, the blanket muffling his voice. He knew he sounded like a brat, but had he mentioned he really didn't want to tell the council? That he didn't trust them? And he had good reason.

But if they'd already figured it out, was there still a good reason to hide it?

"Percy." His father's voice didn't sound accusing, just… tired. Old. The demigod could relate.

"Fine," he grumbled, pulling the blanket down.

"I think it will be for the best."

Percy wasn't so sure, but he didn't want to argue either. "Yeah."

They sat there in an uncomfortable silence for several seconds before Percy broke the stillness again.

"So I'm the subject of this new Great Prophecy. Again."

Another tired nod. "So it would seem. I'm sorry."

Percy looked over at his father, studying the god for several seconds. He looked like his usual iteration, but older. Not as old as when the demigod visited Atlantis during the Titan war, but well into his forties or fifties. He had streaks of gray in his hair and wrinkles on either side of his mouth, crow feet beginning to form under and at the corners of his eyes.

"Has Oceanus risen up yet?"

Poseidon shook his head. "No. I'm just tired of the fighting. After everything you told me it all seems so… petty."

Percy snorted. "It is."

The god snorted back, a small smile coming to his lips. "It's easier to remember and focus on the petty than the harder things, I think."

"Yeah," Percy said. "But that doesn't make it better."

"No," his father agreed.

"So, the prophecy?"

Poseidon sighed. "We have a little bit of leeway if you'd like to go over it."

"Good," Percy nodded. Because they really needed to. "I barely remember it. The old fulfilled, the world is… new?"

"The world anew."

"Thanks. Pretty sure that means me coming back in time. Yay.

"Cannot prevent the crooked two?"

His father nodded again.

Percy frowned. "But before it was just the crooked one. You know, Grandfather. Unless…" He glanced at his father, who gestured for him to go on. "Unless the prophecy means both Great-Grandmother and Grandfather."

"Or, perhaps, father," Poseidon practically spit the word out and the world around them trembled a little before settling again as the god went on, "and his main minion? Or one of the other Titans?"

Percy sighed. "No way to know, is there." He didn't say it as a question. Poseidon just looked on sympathetically.

The demigod moved on. "Fifteen years must be fulfilled, or see… Olympus yield?"

"Men and Olympus," his father corrected.

Percy nodded slowly. "Okay, but fifteen years of what?"

"Life?" Poseidon asked, gesturing to his son as if it were obvious.

Percy's eyes widened. "You think? Didn't you tell me the Fates aren't straight forward?"

"Well, yes, but sometimes they pull the 'straight forward' line as a trick.

"But it doesn't have to be," Percy pointed out. "It could be fifteen years of punishment, or of sunlight, or under the water or something." He watched his father carefully. His expression didn't change. "But you don't think so, do you."

Poseidon shook his head.

Percy sighed. "So, you think I'll have to reach fifteen or Olympus 'yields'… likely to the Titans?" The sea god nodded thoughtfully, if unhappily. "Great," Percy muttered.

"The next line said something about change arising?"

"If Change arises ere their time, above the new, the old shall climb. I believe that means you again, Percy. You cannot ascend before your time."

Oh. That…

Percy swallowed, mind drawn back to that new sense of both 'other' and 'self' that was a domain within him. Right. Change.

"The Fates practically confirmed it," Poseidon went on. "That's why they showed up to stop you from ascending. According to them, if my brother's bolt had hit you, not only would I have very much gone to war with him, but it would have ensured you either died or ascended, and they had to prevent that. Apollo and Dionysus did the rest." He slumped back in his coral chair. "It seems I owe them."

"Oh," Percy said. "I…" but what was there to say to that? "I guess I do too." He did not like acknowledging that, but bad things happened when one didn't acknowledge their debts.

"Anyway," he continued, not wanting to dwell on that. "Something about fruit next?"

"The fruit, for love, once consumed, shows awful choices then exhumed."

Percy thought about that for several seconds before shaking his head. "There wasn't any fruit last time that I remember. Except for pomegranate seeds, but that was during the Giant war."

"You say that so casually," his father grumbled.

"It happened a long time ago for me," Percy said. "But yeah, I got nothing on this one. Nothing I can remember, anyway."

Poseidon frowned. "Perhaps it will be new to this timeline?"

"Maybe.

"But what was that last line then?"

"The world in peril, once again, may thus be saved by gods and men."

"So we all have to work together to fix this. Good to know."

"And that's it," Poseidon said, still tired.

"Great," Percy muttered. He hated prophecies, especially when he was the center of them. He thought he was done with that. Maybe that had been naive of him, but… had he mentioned he hated it?

Once again, they sat in silence for a couple of seconds.

"Why does it have to be me?" Percy asked, eyes unfocused as he recalled his first life.

He wasn't sure what kind of an answer he wanted to that. His father could have told him it was destined—his fate—or gone off on how it was an honor to be thought so highly of by the powers that be. Thankfully, he must have sensed that would be the wrong thing to say as he simply looked sadly at his son.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"Well, we should probably return to the throne room before my brother has an aneurysm," his father finally said, standing and stretching.

"I know you don't need to stretch," Percy said dryly.

"I like to." Poseidon shrugged, smooth and kingly like always.

"And gods don't have aneurysms."

"Not naturally."

"Dad," Percy said, rolling his eyes, but he couldn't keep the smile from his lips. "If he hears you say that, he'll freak out."

"Good thing we're here in my temple where I have the most power and have set up a barrier then."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah." Then his smile fell as he remembered what they'd be going back to. "We'd better get this over with."

Poseidon nodded, his own face serious. Percy rose from the bed and his father placed a hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes as they flashed into the throne room.

"Finally!" Zeus thundered.

Oh, goody.

xXx

It took all too long for the Council to settle down enough to actually start again.

Before Zeus could say anything, though, Percy decided to preempt him. "Before we start, I have something to say." He looked around the room at every god there, meeting their gaze unflinchingly. "Yes, I am from the future."

Cue utter chaos. Again.

This time, Percy had to stop himself from smirking.

His father, who had flashed to his seat, already had a hand at the bridge of his nose. What? He was the one who wanted Percy to confess. Most of the gods were discussing him, or shouting. Athena was glaring at him, though. What was her problem?

"So, you were right," Apollo said to the Wisdom Goddess.

Athena didn't take her eyes off of Percy. "So it would seem."

"You can't be serious!" Ares said.

"I'm the god of truth," Apollo returned.

"Well—"

"SILENCE!"

Everyone did, indeed, fall silent, thankfully. Zeus fixed his electric-blue eyes on Percy.

"Your claims are… unlikely at best." At least he was trying to keep it professional. "Do you have any proof?"

Percy just stared at him. "Lady Athena has an entire presentation, no doubt," he said, incredulous.

"Poseidon!" Athena practically hissed.

"I was the one who told him to come clean," his father said. Percy didn't like his phrasing. "Of course I knew."

Well, his father had been right in that Zeus looked apoplectic. "Then why didn't you tell us?"

Poseidon shrugged. "He made me swear on the Styx that I wouldn't before he said anything."

"Why didn't you tell us then?" Athena asked Percy.

The demigod raised an eyebrow. "I did."

"You did not!" Hera said.

"Well," Percy held up a hand, "I told some of you. Those I trusted and had personal access to—though that was rough with Dad."

"Who else did you tell?" Athena asked.

"Hestia." He nodded to the hearth, where the figure of a woman could vaguely be seen.

"You don't trust the council?" Hephaestus asked thoughtfully.

"Not really, no."

"Why not?" Artemis asked.

"Other than the fact that I knew someone would try and fry me for no good reason," he said, narrowing his eyes at Zeus.

"I had good reason. Disrespect is good reason."

"Agree to disagree. In any case, to be fair, I didn't have access to most of you, and it was hard enough to get ahold of Dad who had a reason to listen to me. No one else would have believed me."

"Why should we believe you now?" Ares asked, red eyes smoking.

"Oh, for—" Percy cut off, rolling his eyes. Once a proktos, always a proktos*. At least in Ares' case. "I swear on the Styx that I, Perseus Achilles Jackson, am from the future." Thunder rumbled and Ares looked put-out.

"That still doesn't excuse you from telling us," Athena said reproachfully. "This is important information. Why did you swear your father to silence?"

Percy raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you truly not understand the concept of trust?" he asked, knowing he was treading on thin ice, but this was closer to the relationship he'd had with her in the future and something he felt far more comfortable with.

Her eyes narrowed in warning.

"Percy," his father said.

He sighed. "I didn't want the information to get back to those I didn't trust. Putting aside the fact that you wouldn't have believed me—don't deny it, no one here is truly stupid—why should I tell people who would take the information, do with it what they want without listening to any consequences, and completely screw the future up?"

"Ignoring that you assume you know better than us, we had to know at some point anyway," Athena pointed out.

"Unfortunately," Percy agreed, he'd address the other part of that comment later, "but the longer I put it off, the more I could do something about the Titans' rising!"

Gasps.

"Do not speak of such lies!" Zeus thundered. And lightning-ed. Because it definitely flashed on the ceiling.

"I rest my case," Percy said, rolling his eyes. He hated council meetings. Dealing with these overgrown children just…

"I am the King of the Gods! You will respect my judgment!"

Percy laughed. He couldn't help it. "Oh, gosh. Good one."

"Impertinent, disrespectful brat! Give me one reason why I shouldn't destroy you right now?!" Zeus was pouring his aura out again in an attempt to overshadow the mortal in the room. If Percy hadn't known his own power as well as he did, it would have worked. Even now, he struggled to keep up a nonchalant facade, but he did it.

The only muscle he allowed himself to move was a raised eyebrow. "Fifteen years must be fulfilled or see men and Olympus yield. If Change arises ere their time, above the new, the old shall climb. I mean, if you want to actively make sure Olympus falls in the next three years, go right ahead."

Poseidon tensed, glancing nervously between Percy and Zeus. He wasn't the only one, though he was the most obviously worried.

"That could mean anything," Zeus returned, face red.

Percy shrugged, though he hated that Zeus of all people made the same point he had earlier. "Maybe. Are you willing to take that chance?"

The god's grinding teeth could probably be heard on the Earth's surface, but Percy only found some satisfaction in that. Zeus, yet again, wasn't listening. He was stuck in his own little world, and because he was the King of the Gods, everyone had tried to make his view of reality true. But that wasn't how reality or truth worked. Not absolute truth in any case.

"Your impertinence should still be punished!" Hera said.

"Punished? For telling the truth?" Percy shot back, "Isn't that what you wanted? Do you want me to tell you things or not? Make up your mind!"

"You will show us the respect we deserve!" Zeus roared.

"I am!" Percy yelled right back. "I'm giving you the exact amount you have earned from me! You—all of you—seem to have this idea in your head that just being in your position will make everyone respect you. It doesn't! At best, it makes people fear you. And if you want to mistake fear for respect, or settle for that, that's your choice! But I will not just bow down to those who use the same tactics the Titans and Primordials used! Unbound, they have just as much power as the most powerful of you! But guess what, I'll give them just as much respect as I give you until they—and you—earn it: None!"

"You dare?!"

"I will always dare!" Percy shouted. "I dare because you need to hear it! This, right here, is why I didn't want you to know! You don't really want to! You would rather see the world burning under Kronos' thumb than face the fact that he's coming back! And as I've told you, he is! I swear it on the Styx!" Thunder. Also, his destruction was boiling under his skin… he was getting reckless. Well, more reckless. Of course he didn't care. "You would rather no one tell you the truth about your future than face it! So what will you do now that I won't give those who would unjustly hurt me and mine the respect you seem to so want but are unwilling to work to maintain? Kill me? Punish me? Do something to me for trying to save your ungrateful borborópēs**? For doing exactly what you wanted me to do and proving why I made the right choice?! Go ahead, and doom yourself and the world. You'll only prove to everyone once and for all exactly what you are! An overgrown toddler who can't take any criticism because that makes you wrong!"

Zeus was glowing now, lightning seeming to spark off of him like a plasma ball. But he wasn't attacking… which, kind of surprised Percy. He took a deep breath and pushed his destruction down.

"And you know what's sad?" he asked, his voice lower. "You used to be someone who would have my respect. You were raised in exile, away from your parents, and yet you fought. You fought against your tyrant of a father to save your siblings. You did everything you could to tear down an unjust rule. You earned the title of 'God of Justice'." Percy shook his head, looking the god up and down, noting the surprise—and some confusion—in the other's eyes. "I became a god of loyalty. I know you have it and cherish it. So why?" He swallowed. "That's an honest question. Please tell me why you are so close to giving that up over a little extra perceived power? Over a title that's just as cursed as anything on this planet has ever been? Why do you feel that that's the only thing that makes you worthwhile?"

To be fair, Percy had wanted to ask the god that for a very, very long time.

For some reason none of the gods seemed to want to speak after that. Even Zeus was just staring at Percy.

"That's why I'm angry. Why so many of us—demigods—are angry. Well," he had to concede, "one reason. But we know you can be better! All of you. And I've seen it. I've seen you all grow and change. It's slow, but it happens. And the world is better for it. You can all be better, and you're worth far more than you realize…." He faded off, shaking his head. "Not even only your domains, but just as people—as sentient, sapient beings. You're worth more than the power you have. How is it that I, a human born so recently, know this but you don't? I—I don't understand."

Well, he did, but he didn't get it at the same time.

Once again, no one seemed to know how to answer that question.

"So it's true. You ascended," Hermes finally managed to break the silence, his voice firmer than Percy would have expected.

The time-traveler sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. I did." And it gave him such a different outlook on so many things. But that didn't mean they weren't wrong. "And will again."

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" Apollo asked. "The Fates told us our futures depend on you not ascending yet, but… why don't you want to?" He sounded so confused.

The time-traveler's lips pressed together. "I'd prefer to move on. Maybe ascending is good for some mortals," he nodded to Mr. D, just in case, "but it's not for me. It's not what I want. That's all." Because he wasn't going to give them ideas about how to really hurt him and tell them how much it killed him to be separated from his family. It would be easier in Elysium because he'd know or at least have very good reason to believe his godly family was still alive.

"So you will truly ascend no matter what?" Aphrodite asked suddenly, looking entirely too happy. "How… tragic."

Percy glared. "Stay out of my love life or you will regret it." She didn't answer and he felt his expression darken.

"I think we've lost track of why we're here," Ares growled. He really didn't like that Percy had outed him in front of the council, but that was better than what happened last time. The guy was so petty sometimes. "My Lord?" the war god said, glancing towards Zeus. The blue-eyed god was frowning and staring at the ground. When he didn't answer, several glances passed between more or less everyone, even Percy. He frowned. That wasn't like their King.

"My Lord, Zeus," Athena and Hera said at the same time.

He blinked and glanced up, regaining himself and his superior poise in moments. "Repeat the question." He didn't even apologize. He was fine.

"What do we do with the brat?" Ares asked, gesturing at Percy.

Zeus' gaze met Percy's. For several, very long moments, he didn't say anything. Then, finally, "Apollo."

More confused glances as the sun god sat up. "Yes, My Lord?"

"Is the boy telling the truth? Did he make his decisions with the good of our pantheon in mind?"

Percy wasn't the only one whose eyebrows rose nearly to their hairline. Apollo glanced around uncertainly again. "Yes, My Lord."

"You should have him swear it on the Styx," Ares muttered.

"I swear on the Styx," Percy said dryly, glaring directly at him, "that I had this pantheon's best interests in mind when I kept that information to myself." Something brushed by him that he couldn't see. A presence… but before he could identify it, it vanished. He touched his cheek where he'd felt it. That presence had seemed familiar….

More thunder sounded around them, and Percy kept standing there, perfectly fine, if confused. Had that been…

His continued existence, of course, made Ares even angrier, but what could he do about it? Well, get back at Percy later, but he'd deal with it when the time came. Like usual. As if that prospect would make Percy Jackson back down. Never had before.

"You risked your life to save my daughter," Zeus said. "You've risked your life in and above that to save this Pantheon. For that reason, and that reason alone, I will allow you to walk away today."

Outcry from half the council. The other half just blinked in shock at their king. Percy, himself, was definitely in that group. Who was that and what had he done with Zeus?

"However," the King of the Gods held up a hand as his voice echoed through the room, stopping all other voices. "If you ever speak like that to me or this council again, I will make sure you regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Percy blinked and didn't answer for several seconds. That had been closer to the Zeus he knew, but was still… far more fair than he'd expected. Maybe a little more than fair without even a punishment.

"As crystal," Percy said.

"Dionysus will give you a punishment he finds acceptable when he returns to camp."

Well, that was annoying, but still fair. If Dionysus didn't decide to go overboard.

"Father! That's a slap on the wrist for what he did to you!" Ares protested.

"Then it evens out the great service he's done," Zeus said nonchalantly before returning to staring at Percy. "Tell Hestia if anything else comes up. Until then, you are dismissed. The Council has much to discuss right now."

Wait… what?

"Father," Artemis said, glancing between him and Percy subtly, but Zeus cut her off, not cruelly or abruptly even.

"Go," he said to Percy.

"Um, yes… sir," he found himself saying. Because that… that had been respectful. Maybe not perfect, but it was Zeus. Percy would take what he could get at this point.

Still wondering what had just happened, Percy turned towards the doors. They opened for him, and he strode out onto Mount Olympus without seeing it. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his head and arms, but his mind was still thinking back on Zeus' uncharacteristic actions.

The doors clanged shut.

"That was reckless of you."

Percy turned to see his father standing there, disapproving. He must have split himself into aspects and teleported out here while the doors were open.

The time-traveler sighed. "Yeah. I know I shouldn't have yelled like that but—"

"That too," his father cut in, "but I mean when you used your new power on him."

Wait. What?!

"My… I didn't use my power on him!" Why would he do that? It was suicide.

"You did."

Percy just stared in horror at his father. After a moment, the sea god's expression softened. "You really didn't mean to, did you."

"No. I told you, I'm reckless. Not stupid." Okay, maybe a little stupid. Not that stupid, though.

The Sea God's mouth thinned in frustration. At Percy or at the situation, he didn't know. "That could only happen because you didn't mean to, son, and because my brother wasn't looking to guard against it. But you cannot do that to him again. Understand?"

The time-traveler swallowed and nodded. He didn't want to die via smiting.

Poseidon sighed. "I think my question from earlier still stands. Do you do anything that doesn't end in utter catastrophe?"

Instead of answering, Percy just snorted and shrugged, exasperated. He wasn't so sure he did anymore.

After a moment, his father sighed. "Let me get you back to camp. Who knows how long that meeting might be."

"Yeah," Percy said, relieved. "Thanks, Dad."

"Thank me by not trying to fight with your uncle like that again, hmm?"

"If he keeps acting like he did at the end, I don't think that'll be much of an issue," Percy said, frowning. Then what his dad said sunk in and he paled. "Wait, was that because of me?!"

Poseidon didn't answer for a couple of seconds. When he did, he tipped his head back and forth. "I got the impression that you didn't add anything new, rather, you just helped him… refocus. I only noticed because I was watching for something like that. But yes, that likely wouldn't have happened without you."

Percy groaned.

“And we have no idea how long your influence will last. Maybe minutes, maybe forever. But for that reason…” he held his hand out.

Nodding emphatically, Percy took his father’s hand and they flashed away.

Chapter Text

Percy crashed in his cabin that night, right in the fountain his father had made appear again, even if it was a bit of a squeeze. Yes, he'd just woken up on Olympus but with everything that had happened before and since, he still needed a break.

The next morning came way too early. He managed to stumble out of his cabin and to the pavilion, somehow. He barely noticed his surroundings until several people yelled "Percy!" at the same time and rushed him.

Adrenaline had him back-flipping and withdrawing Riptide before he could really think. So when he saw a large group of stunned demigods staring at him, he immediately felt heat rise to his cheeks.

"Sorry," he said, putting his sword away as quickly as he could. "Long night."

"I believe it," Luke muttered, rubbing at his own dark circles.

Next to him, Annabeth looked half-way between crying and murdering Percy. Eh, par for the course. "You didn't come back last night!"

"Not until late," he agreed.

"You worried us!"

He blinked. That… had come from Annabeth. This Annabeth. The one who just wanted to be his friend, but it still warmed his heart.

"Yeah. Sorry. The gods figured out my secret and wanted to confront me."

Luke swore. In Greek and English. He really must be tired if he allowed the Greek to come through.

"What secret?" Bianca asked. Beside her, Nico nodded emphatically, both backed up by the rest of the Hermes cabin.

Percy opened his mouth, but paused when he saw Selina Beauregard staring at them from her cabin's table. Right. Should he say something when there could be spies? Then again, how many didn't already know? Kronos had likely told everyone on his side already, and not telling everyone in Camp would put them at a disadvantage, probably doing more harm than good in the long run. No matter how much his instincts told him not to, he opened his mouth again and sighed.

"I'm from the future. I remember the next several years of my life because I've lived it already." He caught Mr. D's eye. The god was back in his older, more rotund form, but had a keenness to his gaze that Percy did not miss. He did nod, ever so subtly before looking back at his friends, most of whom were staring in open shock.

"Is this another prank?" Connor Stoll asked, a half-hearted smile already forming on his face.

"I swear it on the Styx," Percy said.

Several people gasped as thunder rumbled in the background.

"Wicked," Nico whispered. Bianca had put her hands over her mouth. Clarisse, who was standing at the back of the group, stared in open-mouthed shock. Most of the rest of camp seemed to have similar reactions, except for Luke, Annabeth, and a couple of people at the Aphrodite table. Huh. He'd keep an eye on those.

Drew had been one of them…

Swallowing, he refocused again.

"I don't really want to go into it all, but…" he took a deep breath. "We're on the brink of war."

Lots of yelling and exclamations ensued. Percy held up his hand and waited for silence. Eventually, he got it.

Setting his jaw, he stood on the table bench next to him—Ares. Wonderful. Why was Clarisse at the back then?

No, later, ADHD!

"Some of you may have noticed how I've been pushing myself, and others if I can, to up their skills in fighting and strategy. This is why. Kronos is rising." More yells interspersed with screams this time, but it had felt so good to say aloud and acknowledge. Zeus would probably get on his case later for spilling the beans, but he could take a long walk off a short pier… when he was fighting with his brother.

He needed to work on that imagery.

"In my future," he yelled, "we won. It wasn't easy, but it happened. Things are different now because I'm not the only one who has future memories. So does Kronos."

And the screaming and yelling returned.

Percy was not in the mood.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled. People listened, thankfully. Well, he may have put a little too much power in that voice judging by the winces. So he cleared his throat. "Look, I won't lie and say everything's fine. It's not.

"That doesn't stop the fact that Kronos will have to do everything double-time when he is already severely limited in what he can do right now! He isn't unbeatable. It will be a fight, but it is still a fight we can win! Because we are fighting for the world, for humanity… for our very survival. Kronos will wipe out humanity if he wins. And anyone who thinks they can make a deal with The Crooked One will only find themselves stabbed in the back when it's most convenient for him!

"We have more here than you realize! And we can do this! We can work together in a way Kronos and his monsters can't understand! And when you fight not just for your life, but your very existence and the existence of anyone you have ever cared for… there's a strength in that they can't replicate! Monsters can't know the feeling of existential dread like we can. They'll respawn and that will be that. We can't do that. Which is why we'll fight harder for what we have! And we have so much!" He looked around. "We have each other. And I will do everything in my power to keep this camp safe! It's a lot to ask of you to do the same, but I'm going to do it. Please, help your brothers and sisters and cousins and friends to survive!

"I'm going to ask now, who is willing to put in extra time and effort to learn more skills so we can kick Kronos right back to where he came from?"

For a moment nobody spoke. Percy tried not to let himself falter. Had he lost his touch? He'd been able to reach the demigods from the future, even without… wait, had he tapped into that power? No. He was sure of it. Should he have? This was kind of important… but he still hated doing it.

"I will," Luke said. Everyone seemed surprised he'd spoken up. Percy couldn't see why. He smiled down at the boy who would have been his enemy in another life. "He's right. It's us or them. Starting now will just give us the best chance of winning."

"I will!" Annabeth, Bianca, and Nico said at the same time. All three of them looked at each other, surprised. Something passed between them that Percy didn't quite catch, but they still stepped up next to him.

"Hades, yeah!" Clarisse said, vindictive grin crossing her face. "Ares cabin can show you all how it's done!"

Which, of course, set off Athena's table, half of Apollo's table, half of the Hermes' kids, and a smattering of the others. Ares' table cheered loudly, though, drowning out the complaints. Percy just smiled. Most of the kids would rise up to that challenge, so he'd take it.

He glanced over at the Aphrodite table and saw more than one frown, some annoyed, some thoughtful.

He had a really bad feeling about them. Maybe not going to look for Piper was a good idea at this point? She loved her father, and while she didn't get to see him often, when she did they had a good relationship from what he remembered. Then again, she would probably do a lot of good and help the cabin see reason?

He wasn't sure, and would have to think about that later. Maybe discuss it with someone… Aunt Hestia?

"Alright! Settle down!" Chiron's voice boomed over the din somehow. Percy never had gotten to know how he did that. He'd just smiled knowingly whenever asked. The pavilion did quiet down, and Chiron sent a smile over at Percy. "Thank you, Percy. Now, would you mind sitting down? At your own table, please."

Percy was tempted to say he didn't have his own table (it was his Father's), but he really didn't want to go on about how he'd ascended in the future. Too many questions he really didn't want to think about, let alone answer. Especially not to a crowd of demigods who had just been told they'd likely be going to war.

Yeah, no.

Percy decided to play nice, shot a two-fingered salute at Chiron before jumping down and walking over to the Poseidon table. Everyone else also took their seats. It didn't take them long.

"I'll be happy to help rearrange the schedules for more practice and sparring," the centaur said once everyone was sitting down. "No matter what will or won't happen in the future, my father is not someone to deal with lightly. We must do everything we can. I will be discussing plans with the heads of the cabins later today and we will come up with new training ideas. If you have anything you'd like addressed, please speak with them as soon as possible so they can relay any concerns to me.

"With that out of the way, though, it is time to eat!" At his words, the nymphs came out with trays filled with bacon and sausages, eggs and toast, fruits and vegetables. Percy didn't realize how hungry he was until he saw that.

He sacrificed to his father, Hestia, and a couple of other gods (he was steadily moving through his 'decent half-sibling' list) and then tucked in with gusto. Thankfully, that was all he had to think about for the rest of the hour.

Later that morning, he and the other heads-of-cabins met at the Big House to make plans. Percy described more of what would come, specifically pointing out the entrance to the Labyrinth at Zeus' Fist, and stressing the need for patrols around the edge of the camp. Chiron and Luke had already set up more sword practices; Annabeth had several ideas for classes on unique ways of fighting; Erin, who had taken charge of Apollo cabin that summer, wanted to give lessons on First Aid; Roland, from the Demeter Cabin, wanted to stress survival in desperate situations—what was safe to eat in the wild and how to not get lost, etc. Ares cabin was all for more battles, something Chiron said he'd consider, and Hephaestus cabin had a veritable list of things they could make for demigod support and weaponry. Dionysus Cabin was cheering and supportive of more or less everything. Only Silena seemed unsure.

Percy didn't think he was the only one who noticed, but he'd decided to act long ago and managed to take her aside afterwards to ask if she was alright.

"I don't know," she replied, voice soft. "You know half of our cabin left, right?" He nodded. "What about the rest of us? There's a lot of anti-Olympus rhetoric going around the cabin right now and… I'm scared, Percy."

"Scared that more of your brothers and sisters have already gone over to Grandfather?" he asked quietly.

Stiffening, she nodded, looking down. "They just… they have some points. But so do you! And I… don't know what to do. I don't think anyone in my cabin does."

"Do what will help the pantheon," he said back, smiling encouragingly. "If that means kicking the gods' collective…" he paused at the vulnerable look on her face and remembered she wasn't even fifteen yet. "Collective behinds." What? His camp director was coming through. Maybe a little too hard, but he thought she needed it. "Then that's what we do."

She snorted, smiling, but it faded quickly. "And if it's joining a Titan?"

Percy's own smile vanished. "But is it?" he asked quietly. "Really?"

"The gods aren't good."

"The Titans aren't any better," he said truthfully. "By asking us to join him, Grandfather is asking us to take a huge risk—one we have no guarantee he would follow through with. What would stop him from throwing all modern mortals and demigods into Tartarus when he's done? What if he alters the deal? Because he can. There aren't checks and balances in place to stop him. At least the gods have some. Not nearly enough, but… isn't that better than none?"

"Hmm," she said, looking troubled.

Percy sighed. She obviously needed a little more persuasion. "Look, ask your house what he's promised each of them—publicly if possible. I bet you'll all have different answers. Some may want your mother imprisoned or destroyed." She looked pained but didn't disagree. He really didn't like those implications. "Some may want your mother honored, whether for their own gain or hers or both. It's natural for people to want to take care of themselves and those they care about, but Grandfather's methods don't allow for both of those.

"I wouldn't be surprised if some say he'll fix everything so it's better. But how? He hates anything made by the gods. That includes us."

"He just… sounds so reasonable," she muttered.

Oh, that wasn't good. She was in contact with Kronos. Joy.

Percy sighed again. "Dreams?" he asked. She nodded. "For now, bring it up with your brothers and sisters. Then warn those who listen that he will sound reasonable. But he's not. He's an expert at misdirection. And the biggest thing he has against all of you is encouraging you to not communicate. He thrives when people don't talk things out and that isn't indicative of a healthy person."

She sighed and nodded. "I'll… I'll try, Percy."

He smiled. "That's all I ask. And if anyone can do it, it's you."

She looked up at him, almost shy. "You think so?"

"Wouldn't have said it otherwise."

She looked incredibly grateful and he hoped he'd given her what she needed.

He was pretty sure they both left the Big House feeling much better than when they'd come.

xXx

Percy honestly expected the next biggest event to be Thalia. And, to be fair, he wasn't wrong per se.

He'd been keeping track of the camp's borders now as much as he could, both to probe for weaknesses that needed to be addressed and trying to feel out Thalia's presence. Because he could feel her. At first it had been subtle, but as the fleece did its work, her presence grew larger and more prominent. He knew she would be more or less ejected from her tree shortly. Very shortly. And he planned to be there when it happened.

In anticipation, he'd attuned himself to the boundary so much that when her presence started separating from the camp, it actually woke him up. Around three in the morning. Because of course. He was glad someone would still be there for her, but did it really have to be just then?

Groaning, he forced himself up (he'd really gotten used to sleep again) and made his way out of his cabin. The cleaning harpies should probably not try their luck with him in his mood. He never had been a morning person.

He'd almost reached the bottom of Half-blood Hill when an unexpected wave washed through the camp's borders. Followed by a second and a third in close succession. That felt… physcial. It hadn't come from Thalia. No, it felt more like… a knock.

What?

More concerned—and definitely more awake—than before, he sprinted up the hill, barely breaking a sweat as he reached the top, Riptide in hand. No Thalia in sight, and the waves continued originating from several feet to the right of her tree. Frowning, Percy turned his focus from his cousin's presence to the figure outside of the boundary. He couldn't see very well in the dark, but he could tell it wasn't a demigod. Or a god. Both of those should be able to get through the boundary. That left mortal and monster, and he didn't much care for the idea of either.

Striding past Thalia, he approached the figure, about to call out, when she turned to him.

He froze mid-step, because he knew her. Red-hair, frazzled and sticking up worse than normal; denim jacket and pants covered in artwork, half-torn and stained with blood… among other substances; a freckled face barely visible beneath more dirt than he'd ever seen on her; piercing green eyes that seemed about ready to murder him. She also looked like she'd just crawled out of the dumpster behind a knife-store with all the cuts and bruises on her person.

"You!" She said, pointing at him, accidentally hitting her hand against the shield and wincing as she did.

Percy didn't know what to say. No, he honestly had no idea.

Because that was Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

"I can't believe it's you!" she yelled again. "Why is it always you?!"

Percy pointed to himself in question because what?

"Yes, you!" she affirmed.

"You know me?" he asked, unable to wrap his mind around that possibility. Unless… wait, was that even her? It… it couldn't be Roxanne, could it? But wouldn't the borders have let her in? She was still a demigod, but how would she have gotten out of Tartarus?

He wouldn't lie, part of him kind of hoped it was her because that meant she had gotten out. And yet…

"Of course I know you!" Rachel said, exasperated. Her voice had a creaky quality to it he only had ever remembered from her when she'd gotten particularly bad visions and prophecies. "You've only been haunting my dreams for the last year!"

What.

"But it wasn't so bad until the monsters I've seen every day of my life since I can remember and in my dreams started targeting me. That's never happened before! And according to the memories, it wasn't supposed to happen for a very long time!"

What?

"Thankfully, I knew something about fighting due to those stupid dreams, and had just enough foresight to realize when I needed to avoid something really bad but… I can't do it anymore."

She suddenly sounded so broken and tears began to leak from her eyes, leaving tracks in the dirt on her face.

"Is this how you all live all the time?" she asked. "Running for your life? Dodging monsters that have integrated into everyday life? I can barely go in public these days! I haven't slept for almost three days now! They just keep coming! They don't stop! Some of them said they had to kill me to stop the gods, and at first I couldn't see it, but then I saw the oracle in my dreams and while I'm not everything, they're not wrong and I couldn't let that happen! If they win…" she paused, shuddering.

WHAT?!

A sudden howl in the distance had her whirling around, eyes wide with fright. Then she whipped back to Percy. "Please let me in," she begged.

Percy bit his lip. "How do I know you are who you say you are?"

"I swear on the Styx that I am Rachel Elizabeth Dare! I was born Rachel Elizabeth Dare, am thirteen years old, and I really need to get inside before monsters catch up with me! Please!"

Thunder rolled overhead. And honestly, that was enough for Percy. "I, Perseus Jackson, demigod of Camp Half-Blood, allow the mortal Rachel Elizabeth Dare to come through the boundary." He held out his hand to her. Another howl had her reaching through the borders and grabbing it. Once she stepped to the other side, she looked at Percy for several seconds, and then broke down sobbing, leaning forward and clutching the loose shirt he liked to sleep in.

Well, that was awkward.

"How do you know about the oracle?" he finally brought himself to ask.

She shuddered, calmer but still crying. "I saw it. When… when you came back. And ever since."

Oh.

Oh.

That…

"That's unexpected," he muttered.

"I'm glad," she whispered. "He would have killed me otherwise."

"Grandfather?" Percy asked, wincing internally.

"Yours, yeah," she nodded, fingers still buried in his shirt and head leaning against his chest. Their position was made all the more awkward, because he'd been a late bloomer and they were still about the same height. Next year, he'd gain like a foot, but for now, he was maybe three inches taller than her.

There was nothing about this that wasn't awkward, actually. The time of night, that the two of them were involved, the fact that Thalia was still in the back of his mind…

Percy sighed. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm sorry this was thrust on you."

"It's not your fault," she muttered. "Besides, it'll be hard on you too. Now you have to figure out how to explain a mortal at camp."

"That's not going to be too difficult. You're clear-sighted and were being chased by monsters."

"It would probably help if I was—"

"Could you two shut up?" A new voice slurred. A familiar voice.

Percy whipped around and Rachel leaned to peer past him. There, at the base of the tree, lay a very familiar figure, younger than he remembered, but not by much.

"Thalia!" he said, rushing away from Rachel to his cousin. "Are you alright? How do you feel?"

"Like a horde of monsters ran me over."

"Heh, fair."

A pause. "Who are you?"

Oh, right.

"Um, I'm your cousin, Percy."

Her eyebrows drew together and she managed to crack an eye open, electric blue obvious even in the darkness. "Who?"

He sighed. "A son of Poseidon."

She blinked, literally forcing her eyes open before snapping them closed and groaning.

"Ow. How… old are you?"

He knew why she was asking that. "Twelve. I'll be thirteen in a little over a month." Well, a little less than, but still.

Another groan.

"Or three-hundred, depending on how you look at it."

Another frown. "What?"

"He's from the future," Rachel said.

Another pause. "And who are you?"

"The future Oracle of Delphi."

Wait, what?

"Rachel!" Percy barely stopped himself from yelling. No need to wake the rest of the camp.

"It's my fate," she said softly, looking down, but not in submission. No, more like stubbornness.

"It doesn't have to be. You don't have to do this."

She turned her eyes up, meeting his. "Yes, I do."

"No, you have a choice."

"And I'm choosing this."

He paused. "Are you?"

She took a steadying breath and nodded. "Yes."

"You're not being coerced?"

Rachel bit her lip. "I mean, it's scary. Beyond scary. But if I don't, who else can. Besides," she sighed, "I have half of the powers already, I think."

"But why?" Percy asked, pained. It was her choice. He'd respect that… even if it saddened him. "Why did that come from me? I have almost nothing to do with oracles and prophecies."

"Because time?" she said.

"Wait," Thalia said, struggling to sit up, though Percy could tell she was still in pain. "If you're from the future…" she paused. "What year is it?"

Well, he could answer that at least. "2006."

Another pause. "Has any child of the Big Three turned sixteen in the last five years?"

"No, but because I came from the future, the prophecy you're thinking of has been fulfilled," Percy assured her.

"What?!" she shouted.

"Shh! Don't need to wake everyone up," Percy said.

"But…" she started, but didn't seem to know how to finish that sentence.

"It was me, by the way," he said tiredly, very much longing for his warm bed, no matter how happy he was to see his cousin. "I made a choice to preserve Olympus."

Thalia stared up at him, as if she hadn't understood his words. "And now there's a new prophecy that is very likely about me and we still have to…" He paused, fading off at her tired confusion. "You know what, why don't we talk about that later. For now, let's get you to the infirmary room in the Big House. And you," he turned to Rachel, "we'll have to get you a room for the night." The red-head nodded tiredly.

"Wait," Thalia said as Percy stood, "there were two demigods with me! And a satyr! Are they… did they…?" She couldn't seem to finish that sentence, but her concern for them made Percy's loyalty domain very happy. He couldn't stop his warm smile if he'd tried.

"They're both here and safe, if older."

Her eyes widened. "They—" she swallowed. "Luke's eighteen, now."

"Nineteen," Percy said. "He turned nineteen in March."

She blinked. "It's… summer, isn't it."

He nodded, even if that hadn't been a question.

"And Annabeth…"

"Just turned thirteen."

She said something under her breath that probably consisted of several swear words.

"You've aged a little, too, I think."

"What?! I was dead!"

"No, you were in a tree."

More blinking. "I. What."

"Let's talk about this more inside, please," Rachel said, rubbing her arms and glancing nervously at the border. "I think the monsters are still coming, and I really don't want to see them."

"Fair enough," Percy said, reaching down to help his cousin up. She didn't seem too happy to accept his help, but with how she stumbled and leaned into him, they both knew she needed it. Together, the three of them made their way down to the Big House.

Chiron actually met them at the door, standing in his full centaur glory with his pink curlers in.

"When you said you would take care of Thalia, I didn't think it would be in the middle of the night," he said, more amused than anything.

Percy shrugged. "She came when she came."

"You make it sound like I was being born," she muttered.

"Yeah. Another twice born of Zeus."

"Shut up," she muttered, sticking her tongue out at him. That made him smile. Thalia would always be Thalia. He could use that consistency in his life.

"Thalia, Rachel, this is Chiron, teacher of Heroes."

Rachel didn't seem to know what to say and Thalia looked about ready to pass out, but still.

He looked up to the Centaur. "Chiron, this is Thalia Grace and Rachel Elizabeth Dare, child of Zeus and future Oracle of Delphi—" even if he didn't like it— "respectively."

Chiron rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It seems we have much to discuss. Please, come inside."

And once they were done with that discussion, Percy would be going after the monsters outside, because they were very likely Kronos sent. So much for more sleep tonight. He sighed and braced himself for the long day ahead. For now, he needed to get Thalia and Rachel settled. They could worry about everything else tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Percy sighed as he walked out of the big house. He wasn't feeling too tired, but tonight would suck. Despite everything, Dionysus hadn't let up on Percy's punishment of kitchen duty—that he'd have until the end of camp this summer (his follow up for Zeus). Not that kitchen duty would take that long. Lava was still a liquid… ish. It fell under his domain of liquid and the depths that linked back to his Father's Earthshaker domain, so he could usually get things done quickly, but he knew by that point he'd be dead tired. He'd woken a little after three in the morning, and while he'd taken a swim once he'd gotten back from hunting monsters, and it had invigorated him, he'd have to take multiple swims during the day to keep his energy up.

This was one of the few times he really missed his godly powers and body.

Strangely enough, that thought brought his spirits up, because he was still a demigod, and while having a more durable body and more power would be helpful, it still wasn't what he wanted. The reminder that he was still a demigod and able to meddle as he wanted was what ultimately helped him feel better.

He felt well enough that he found himself waving at the border patrol as they approached from the distance, skirting the camp's boundary. Honestly, it was kind of a miracle someone on patrol hadn't noticed something was wrong with Thalia's tree the night before. It highlighted a flaw in their defense that would change soon. They'd have more people on guard in smaller intervals because he'd brought that point to Chiron's attention himself.

At least the guard around the Labyrinth entrance seemed to be doing alright. The Demeter and Hephaestus cabins were making some rather elaborate traps that could be set off very easily. Percy even had some of the demigods he and Chiron really trusted, examining them all for sabotage. They hadn't found anything yet, but Percy was sure it would only be a matter of time before something went wrong.

He'd also just seen both Luke and Annabeth sitting anxiously in the infirmary next to a sleeping Thalia. They'd both been upset he hadn't woken them to see her earlier, but they also both thanked him for everything he did to bring her back to them. Luke, himself, actually clapped Percy on the back and if there had been tears in his eyes, well, Percy wasn't the type to point it out (unless it was Thalia herself, or Annabeth).

As for Rachel, Mr. D had not been happy with her presence, even unconscious as she'd been (she'd passed out not long after arriving), but Apollo showing up before he could really do anything and claiming her as the newest Oracle potential had put a stop to that. Mr. D had never looked so sour in Percy's memories of him in that form.

Of course, the sun god had vanished after that, making Percy want to sigh. He had kids. He should have gone and seen them.

Still, they'd decided that Rachel would need a couple of days of rest at least before she began taking any steps to become the Oracle (which could take weeks or months depending on how everything went), the first of which would be her meeting Apollo. Which could be trying at the best of times. Still, Percy made a mental note to pray to Hades and ask him to please continue to let the curse break down. His children were still treated carefully, but they both had made friends. Nico had even given Percy a hug when the cousins had met that morning.

"You did everything you could to bring her back," he'd said into Percy's shirt. "Thank you."

Smiling, Percy had patted his cousin on the back. "You're welcome."

That was before he'd gone hellhound hunting, much to Erin's consternation. She'd caught him leaving the boundary, but he'd just smiled and rushed outside despite her shouting after him. She'd also been there when he got back with an angry lecture and some ambrosia.

So, all in all, everything was mostly good, and while he was tired, he had arts-and-crafts scheduled with the Hermes cabin next to relax from a morning of fighting and emotional turmoil.

Sitting with his young friends as they went about making their baskets was the most relaxing thing he'd done all day—in several days, actually—and he wanted to enjoy it. After lunch, he planned on skipping rock-climbing to take a nap, though.

"Hey, Percy," the quiet voice of his best friend drew Percy's attention and he turned from his pathetic attempt at basket weaving (no seriously, the only thing he did worse was archery) to look at Grover.

"G-man! Did you get that license?"

The satyr smiled and reached into his pocket. "Yup. I've had it for a couple of weeks now. Thought I told you." He flashed the card at Percy.

"Nope, but I'm happy for you, man."

"Yeah," he grinned, then put a hand up to his head, sheepish. "It's just… um… I wanted to ask you something."

Oh. Percy thought he knew where this was going. "Here, let's head outside then."

"Right," Grover agreed.

Percy excused himself from the others and led the way out of the arts and crafts cabin. Then he stalked into the forest and up to the stream, which he pulled water from to form a dome around them. He really didn't want to take the chance of Kronos' cronies overhearing them.

Once they got settled, he sat on a rock and faced his friend. "Alright, ask away. I'll answer if I can."

"Yeah. Um… in the future, did we find Pan?"

Yup. He'd actually been expecting Grover to ask him much earlier. Maybe he still needed some encouragement and self esteem? Hmm.

And what should Percy answer? He didn't want to lie, but he didn't want to explain Pan's current state either. Grover would be heartbroken and the Council of Elders (that hadn't been disbanded yet, unfortunately) would be furious. They may very well come after Percy with pitchforks and torches… and some really nasty musical notes he did not want to deal with.

As much as he hated to admit it, he'd probably have to lean into vagueness. Like gods did. Ugh. Knowing why the gods did what they did didn't make it any more fun to experience. Or be a part of.

"Yes."

Grover's eyes lit up. "Wait, really?!"

Percy nodded, trying to stay neutral. "He's a nice guy."

The satyr blinked, surprised. "Really?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm glad you liked him, but he's the God of the Wild. Wild isn't always nice."

"No," Percy agreed. "It's unfettered—unrestrained. My type of guy."

Grover thought about that for a moment, and another grin broke out on his face. "True. But more importantly, we find him! Where is he?"

And there was the million dollar question.

"I… don't think I can say."

He hated how his friend's joy faded before his eyes, ending in confusion and even betrayal. Percy held up his hands preemptively. "I'm sorry, man, but I can't help. You have to find him on your own."

He half expected Grover to get angry, but this was Grover and he should remember that, even if it wasn't quite the friend Percy remembered. Instead, he seemed to fly right past anger and into resignation. "I should have known it wouldn't be so easy."

Percy relaxed a little, but still put a hand on his friend's arm in solidarity.

Another sigh. "But you met him. He's still here."

The time-traveler tried not to wince and thought he succeeded. "Yes."

Grover frowned. "Why does that make you sad?" Stupid empath abilities.

"It's… it's complicated. We met under not-so-great circumstances. It was kind of a hard time in my life." Truth.

"Oh."

He couldn't leave it there, though. Wincing, he searched for the right words. "Also, there are… things I can't tell you—things he needs to tell you himself."

"Like—" Grover started, bordering on panic (hah, see what he did there?) when he seemed to catch onto something. "Me? He needs to tell them to me?"

Percy smiled. "Yup. You're the one who finds him, G-man. Or, at least, you were."

The light had returned to Grover's eyes. "You promise?!"

"I was right there when you did."

"That's incredible!"

Percy nodded. "It really was."

"Come on, man. Can't you tell me anything?" Grover whined, pouring on the big eyes and the sad face and…

Ugh. Percy was too soft when it came to his friends.

"Fine. Here's the only clue I'll give you: You'll need a clear sighted mortal."

Grover blinked. "What?"

"Fortunately, we've just gotten one in camp."

Those brown eyes widened. "We did? You mean that new girl, other than Thalia?"

Percy nodded. "Yup.

"Speaking of…" he allowed the mood of the conversation to switch abruptly (and wanting to change the subject had nothing to do with it). "Have you been to see her lately?"

Grover looked down, scuffing his hoof on the dirt. "No."

Percy sighed. "You know, none of them blame you for what happened."

The satyr snorted and turned his head away. "Bet Luke does."

He… may not be wrong in that. Still… "I think you need to talk to him. To both of them. Before Thalia wakes up, if you can."

"But it's my fault! If I'd had the presence of mind to actually remember the right way and not get us lost—"

"No," Percy said forcefully, folding his arms. "If you hadn't been there, they wouldn't have made it to camp at all. Have you ever thought of that?"

"They needed someone with more experience," Grover protested.

"Maybe. But who's to guarantee that another satyr would have even found them?"

Grover's opening mouth suddenly snapped closed and he leaned back, blinking. "What?"

"If you hadn't gone out when you did, would someone else have taken your place? Another protector?"

The satyr's mouth moved up and down, but no sound came out until he said, "No."

"So another satyr wouldn't even have been there," Percy pointed out. "The fact of the matter is, you were there. No one else was. You did the best you could. You got Luke and Annabeth here."

Was it just him, or did Grover look like he was about to cry? He also still seemed disbelieving, so Percy pushed more despite the potential for tears.

"Besides, you want to know who she asked about when she first woke up?"

Grover just bleated, but didn't say anything, still looking at Percy like he'd seen a ghost.

"She wanted to know how Luke and Annabeth were, and then you. She needed to know you were alright. So I'm pretty sure that's not coming from someone who hates you. Besides, aren't you about to go on your search? Do you really want to risk never talking to them again?"

Grover didn't answer for several seconds. When he finally did, he didn't look up to meet Percy's eyes. "I don't know."

Percy sighed inwardly. With that tone of voice, he'd pushed enough for now. It would be up to Grover to figure the rest of it out. "Just, think about it, okay?"

The satyr nodded.

"Also, if you want someone to come with you…" he let that fade off and then pointed to himself.

"I dunno. Pan and humans…" Grover said uncertainly.

"Even though I was there last time?"

The satyr bit his lip, but after a moment, he took a deep breath. "I'd like to try on my own first, I think."

Which was fair. And progress too. Grover needed more of an ego boost. Some independence may be just what Apollo ordered.

Still, better make sure. "Okay, but maybe that's why no one's succeeded before—because they didn't ask for help."

"Maybe," Grover acknowledged, "but this is something I have to do."

Percy smiled at the answer. "Good luck then, G-man. Maybe you won't need me or a clear-sighted mortal after all. If anyone can find him on his own, it's you."

Grover relaxed and finally met Percy's eyes. "You really mean that." It wasn't a question. Percy's smile just widened.

"Alright. I'll go look for a clear-sighted mortal out there as I look for Pan himself. If I can't find one, I'll come back."

"Sounds good."

And then, Grover's arms were around Percy, squeezing him. The time-traveler blinked. He hadn't expected that.

"Thanks, Percy."

"Any time, G-man. Now go get ready. Say goodbye to Juniper and all that."

To Percy's amusement, Grover squeaked. "J-Juniper?! I… um… how…?"

"Future," Percy pointed to himself. "Remember?"

"Wait… were we… together?" he asked, face going bright red.

Percy blinked. "You're not together?"

"Well, no."

Oh. Oops.

"Probably shouldn't say more," Percy said. "I don't want to mess a good thing up."

"Baa-ah-ah!"

"I'm going to head back to weaving now," he decided, before he stuck his foot in his mouth farther. He let the water around them dissipate back into the stream and began to hurry back.

"Wait! You can't just leave it like that!" Grover yelled after him. Percy picked up his pace. "Percy!"

He had to lose Grover by running to and jumping into the lake. He never did make it back to his awful basket weaving.

xXx

The rest of camp went by without major incident, if no one counted the Stolls' general mayhem major. A couple of demigods came in here and there over the next months and, sadly, one or two more left. Strangely enough, not anyone from Aphrodite cabin, but that only proved to Percy that more people had been lured to Kronos' side than he thought. Honestly, he had to wonder why. Roxanne hadn't been there nearly as long as Luke had, wasn't nearly as respected simply due to her having just come to camp. And he was pretty sure she didn't have any charmspeak abilities. Not that he would dismiss that possibility as it would be the best case scenario. People could break out of even Aphrodite's charmspeak with enough time and effort, though, so without Roxanne here, no one should be under her control.

But if that was the case, was Kronos really getting to so many other demigods? Or had it somehow been Roxanne? Or both?

It didn't help that he felt like a failure every time a demigod left. None of those from the Hermes cabin, thankfully, but someone from almost every other cabin with more than two demigods had gone missing. He didn't know if they left to join the Titan Lord, but he'd been the one trying to bring unity to the camp—trying to help strengthen sibling/cousin ties and help demigods understand their godly parents more. He was also the one talking to Hestia and his father about pushing for change. Realistically, he knew whatever he'd done, he'd only had a year in which to do it, if not less. He knew it couldn't be his fault, but that didn't stop him from feeling like it was.

Still, most of the rest of the summer was spent in relative peace, albeit one in which they were preparing for war, but still. In July, they had a combined birthday party for everyone who had birthdays that month, and Percy gave Annabeth a book he knew she'd enjoy. She'd smiled warmly at him, but had been distant since their return with the Fleece. He knew why, understood even. That didn't stop it from hurting.

He and Luke had gotten much closer, sparring more or less every day they could, and both had seen significant improvement in their fighting.

Percy and Thalia had also taken on a very similar relationship to their previous one, though he tried to be less confrontational to her, with some success. She still managed to push his buttons, because it was Thalia. He enjoyed sparring with her too.

Grover had left camp, but Percy did find a familiar empathy link growing as the year wore on. It made him smile every time he sensed an emotion from his friend. He made sure to send his own encouragement back as often as he could.

In August, they threw another party for everyone who had birthdays in that month. The cake wasn't blue this year, but the balloons were. He figured he could live with that. He also made sure to tell everyone how proud he was of their progress, because everyone had grown leaps and bounds, especially compared to before.

Also, camp was still safe. No one had come through the Labyrinth and they'd gotten all the traps set up. Even with sabotage, if anyone came through, they'd have to work for any ground they gained.

The best thing that happened after that, though, was something he'd asked both his father and Aunt Hestia to help with. Thankfully, they'd come through. It was, surprisingly enough, the satyr Oscar who had gone out to search for one particular child on their behalf. Percy hadn't seen him since, but then Mr. D stood up on the last morning of camp to make an announcement.

"Yes, yes," he said tiredly, "you're all excited to leave. Good. The sooner the better."

Percy put his head in his hands and resolved to have another talk with the god about his attitude and the repercussions of potentially driving demigods away. Mr. D always let him talk, always answered questions, and actually got his name right at least half of the time (the other half tended to be when he felt particularly annoyed or vindictive). Percy figured it had something to do with his nigh-assured ascendance. But the god still never actually changed anything he did. Which made Percy want to try and use his new domain on him… but he never followed through. Said new domain still terrified him and was something he didn't like to think about, truthfully.

"And, of course, as you are all leaving," Mr. D continued, "yet another new year-round camper came in. Louis Vanques, son of Hephaestus. Yes, he's already been claimed."

Percy's eyes widened and he felt a smile crawl across his lips. Did that mean…?

Chiron whispered to Mr. D and he sighed loudly. "Leo Valdez.

"Now, make sure those of you not staying until Christmas don't leave anything behind or it will be confiscated and incinerated. Or used as I see fit. Either way, it will no longer be yours. Now, let's eat "

Percy barely heard the rest of the god's little speech (it wasn't true anyway, he'd left plenty of things over the summer before and had always come back to see nothing touched) instead turning to find a new head of dark-brown curls at the Hephaestus table. Just seeing him made Percy want to coo. He was adorable. Small and shy and trying to keep smiling but obviously nervous. How long had he been moving from foster home to foster home or on the run at this point? He was a year younger than Percy and his mother had died when he was eight? Something like that. So about four years? Yeah, it would take him a while to warm up to camp, but Percy mentally put aside anything else he had planned that day before his mother picked him up around noon.

After breakfast, he actually hurried up to the Hephaestus kids as they, too, left and made their way back to their cabin.

"Hey!" he called out, getting their attention and grinning as they slowed to see what he wanted.

"Percy," Beckendorf said cordially. "What can we do for you?"

"Actually, I wanted to welcome our new camper is all."

"Me?" Leo asked, voice way too high and squeaky.

"Yup," Percy said, holding out his hand.

The kid reluctantly lifted one of his own. It was smoking. Was he holding his fire back? Well, good thing Percy was pretty heat-proof. Leo seemed surprised and relieved as he shook Percy's hand and neither of them flinched.

"Percy does greet most new campers," Beckendorf said thoughtfully, as if he'd only noticed now, or had just put something together.

"Wait, you're the guy from the future, right?!" Leo asked, eyes bright with excitement.

The time-traveler laughed. "Yup, that's me. And actually, you and I were pretty good friends. Still can be if you want." Once they'd gotten the whole Calypso thing out of the way in any case.

"Yeah!" Leo practically cheered before shrinking in on himself. "I mean, um, sure."

Percy just laughed again. "Don't ever change, Leo."

The kid beamed. "You got it!"

Percy eventually let Cabin Nine go and made his way to the fire to say goodbye to Aunt Hestia. After that, he packed his things and made his way towards Half-blood Hill, saying goodbye to different people he met on the way. The Stolls, Katie and Miranda, some children of Athena like Meghan, Erin, Lee, and Michael from the Apollo cabin, anyone he saw from the Hermes cabin. Most people were making their way with luggage towards the border. Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth were already there—they hadn't had to pack—with most of the other year-rounders, saying goodbye to their friends as they left. Percy was sad Rachel wasn't there, but she'd had a difficult time adjusting—apparently she was still getting memories from the other timeline, something he'd apologized for profusely—and didn't leave her room in the big house on days when the headaches got too bad. She had already said goodbye to him, though.

He wasn't sure what their relationship this time would be like. Sometimes it felt like him and the old Rachel. Sometimes, neither one of them seemed to know what to say to the other. It was… awkward, and he hated it, but also wanted to give her space. She couldn't really leave camp, after all. At least he'd managed to bug Mr. D into letting her stay as long as she needed. Apollo still hadn't come by to interview her. Percy gave it until Christmas, and then he'd get involved. Apollo wouldn't like that, he was sure, but then he should probably get his act together and come figure out his oracle.

"So, you've decided to stay this summer?" he asked Annabeth as he approached the group. She looked down with a shrug.

"Thalia's back."

He sighed, but nodded. "Fair." Even if he didn't like it.

"So, you out of here then, Waterboy?" Thalia asked with a sharp grin.

"Yup. Though if any of you guys go on a quest or need me or something, here's my address." He handed them each a card with his name and address written in dyslexia-friendly letters. They all took one.

"Hey, be safe out there," Luke said as he pocketed the card. "Time-traveler or not, someone could still surprise you."

Percy grinned. "Yeah. I'll be careful. Promise."

"You'd better be, Kelp Head."

"Better than you, Pine Cone Face."

Electricity began sparking between her fingers as she leaned down, ready to pounce. "Oh it is—"

"Not now," Luke said. "I think most parents are here."

"It'll make for a good show," Percy shrugged, sending a conspiratorial grin at Thalia. She returned it sharply.

Luke sighed. "At the very least, don't scare the mortals off. Please." He nodded to the top of the hill where several people stood, far away from the new dragon guarding the fleece still on Thalia's tree. It didn't take long for Percy to spot his mother.

He knew he brightened up just by seeing her, but didn't care. He was a mama's boy through and through. So sue him. "Fine. I'll see you guys later! And you all be safe too!"

"Later!" Luke said.

"Good riddance!" Thalia called, though her voice had no bite to it.

"Bye," was all he got from Annabeth. A twinge of pain zinged through his heart, but he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. That was what she wanted, that was what he would respect. He'd told her as much and was determined to follow through, no matter how painful it was. If only continually telling himself that would make it hurt less.

"See you next year!" he called, forcing a grin that turned far more real when he looked back at his mother again. Heading through the barrier he practically barreled into her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hi, Mom!"

His mother laughed. "Hi, honey. How was your summer?"

"Surprisingly relaxing, for the most part."

She raised an eyebrow but wisely decided to either interrogate him later or let it drop entirely. He'd bet on the former even if he preferred the latter so as not to worry her. But as much as he hated worrying her, he wasn't hiding anything from her either. Not this time around. Not when he knew what it was like to have a kid try and protect him from things he really should be involved in or could help with.

Demigods.

(Yes, he included himself in that.)

"So, you ready to head home and celebrate your birthday?" His Mom asked.

He grinned. "Blue cake?"

"Always."

"Let's go!"

Together, they got his things to her car and headed away from Camp. Almost immediately, he began telling her about his summer, starting with the stolen bolt and how he'd had to more or less keep two quests on track.

"So, what impact will you telling the gods about your time-travel have on the future?" she asked as they pulled into their apartment building. "Do you know?"

He shook his head. "There's no way to really say, but at least Zeus listened to me when I warned him about Grandfather."

"Hmm," she nodded. "And what about this new domain?"

Percy cringed. "Er… Change. And I really don't know. I'm not sure why I even gained it." That wasn't entirely true, but denial was its own form of coping. Maybe not the healthiest, but he'd deal with that later.

She must have sensed his reluctance because she just nodded and pulled out the keys to their apartment. "So, Annabeth, Thalia, and this Rachel girl? I didn't realize my son would be so popular with girls."

Percy felt his cheeks burn. "Mom!" She laughed as they got into the elevator.

"What about Smelly Gabe?" he asked as the door closed.

"I haven't seen him in a while," she shrugged. "And the building knows to keep him out anyway. Some pretty harsh reprimands got dished out because they let him in before." She sounded a little torn on that, both vindicated and sorry. Because of course his mom would worry about other people like that.

"Good," he said. "Because one of these times, when I see him, I'll snap."

"Percy…"

"No, Mom. You didn't deserve what he did to you. We didn't deserve it. And yeah, you had reasons for choosing him and all, but that didn't stop him from being the absolute worst human being alive. A human monster, and just as dangerous in his own way."

She sighed as the elevator dinged and they got off at their floor. "I know," she said. "And I am sorry for marrying him. I just… wanted to keep you safe. And with me." She was blaming herself for being selfish again, he knew. Not that he agreed.

"I get it, Mom," he said, placing a hand on her arm when she stopped in front of their apartment. "And I forgave you a long time ago. It's understandable you'd want to keep your child with you. I know love because of you and I can't thank you enough for that, no matter how many mistakes were made. But we need to move past him."

Relief flooded her eyes as she nodded. "I have."

"Good. Because I'm sure there are great guys out there who you can date and marry and have more kids with!"

Sally laughed as she opened the door. "I don't know about that."

"I do."

She paused, turning to stare hard at him. "Did I marry someone in the future?"

He just shrugged, grinning as innocently as he could—which wasn't innocent at all, he knew.

Rolling her eyes, Sally turned and almost ran into a display shelf she had in the entry way. Her arm knocked it and a familiar shape practically fell into her hands. She scrambled to catch it, but then stared at it in surprise. Percy would have burst out laughing at her expression if he didn't recognize the object almost immediately, as if a veil had been lifted from his mind.

That was the apple the Fates had given his mother.

He mentally kicked himself as a line from the prophecy ran through his head: The fruit, for love, once consumed/ show awful choices, then exhumed.

He had a really bad feeling he'd just figured that line out. And honestly, he should have remembered sooner, but sometimes it seemed like their encounter with the Fates flew out of his head.

"Mom… I know I asked you before what the apple did. You said it's supposed to be my shot at happiness, but you're not exactly sure what it does, right?"

She seemed surprised by his question. He was too. Why hadn't he actually asked that before? Had he? He didn't remember. That didn't strike him as good…

"Oh, um… no. It was dipped in the water of the Mnemosyne." She frowned. "Why didn't I remember that until now?"

He swallowed. "The lake in the underworld named after the Titaness of Memory?"

She nodded, troubled. "Yes."

Percy gulped. "Mom, the Mist is pretty passive. People who can see through it aren't immune to magic or meddling by the gods." Or monsters, for that matter. Or Titans… he may have to do something to make sure his mom was extra safe this time around. He'd already set up some protective runes the year before, but maybe he could talk Alabaster or Lou Ellen (if she got there before the Labyrinth) to come and strengthen them?

Could he trust Alabaster?

Great. Another 'Luke' conundrum. He'd have to think about it.

"They didn't want me to remember?" his mother said, her confused voice drawing his attention. "Why?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't know."

They both stared at each other for several seconds, neither knowing what to do. Then his mother nodded solemnly and put the apple back on the shelf it had fallen from.

"One way or another, I think we need to stop dwelling on depressing things for today. We were about to celebrate your birthday after all."

He smiled a little weakly, but he appreciated her words. "Yeah."

"Come on. The cake is in here, just let me grab the candles."

He tried to focus on the celebration for the rest of the day as he and his mother ate cake and cookies and ice cream and binge-watched Disney shows, because they both needed a little happiness right then. But his mind kept returning to the apple sitting so innocuously on the shelf.

And the fact that both he and his mother had had memory issues surrounding an apple dipped in the waters of Memory. It just seemed… ominous, and it gave him the idea that this year wouldn't be nice or easy.

Two more years. He just had to make it two more years and then they would have the best chance at saving the world.

It would be fine. They'd be fine.

If only he could truly believe that.

END BOOK 2

Chapter Text

For those of you who don't know/watch the series, the next book is up! "The More Things Change" and you can find it on my Works page or click 'Next Work' at the top. For those of you who didn't know. :)