Chapter Text
Percy Jackson was a troubled kid.
Not that he didn't know that.
He lived under a bridge in a small homeless community in Manhattan, New York City. He had strange powers, sand carrying his mother's will to protect him, and strange dreams. None of it got better as he got older either.
Admittedly, he wasn’t exactly normal before either.
But it got worse he was seven and was jumping from foster home to foster home he'd only find sand in places where sand wasn't supposed to be. In his hair when he had stayed inside the entire day or in his shoes when he hadn't worn them in weeks. His dreams used to be normal too, no prophetical nonsense or godly messages.
Oh, yeah he was a demigod. Or that's what the lady (a goddess from her proclamations) in his dreams said.
Usually, Percy wouldn't trust or believe strangers. That's one of the only things he could still remember his mother saying, but in this case, he assumed it was fine. Listening to the lady in his dreams saved his life multiple times. It got him out of bad foster homes, let him find safe places to sleep, and even led him to a strange gourd bottle that seemed to hold an infinite amount of sand.
It was useful when monsters attacked and he needed to defend himself, but as of late monsters were attacking him more frequently. Ever since winter, when the weather got weird and natural disasters were happening left and right, he found himself fighting for his life much more often.
Though at the moment, he was currently running for his freedom trying to distract himself from the pain in his lungs and the searing pain in his body. The police decided the homeless community he was currently staying with was 'disrupting' the peace, and they should be apprehended.
Percy hadn't eaten in days, and moving his body felt like trying to move 100-pound weights. He didn't have the energy to run, the only thing that kept his body moving was the will to not have to escape from another foster home. It wasn't exactly easy running from adults either, even if they were wearing riot gear.
"Kid, come on! Run faster!"
Percy looked at the older man annoyed, he was pretending to care but in reality, the man only used him for pity points when they begged for money together. That was fine though, Percy was using the man too. The man had a tent that was good to protect himself from snow and wind during winter.
However, winter was nearing its end and spring was around the corner. Percy didn't need the man anymore so he tripped the guy, and took a sharp turn.
He kept his head on a swivel, keeping tabs on the officers behind him. Most of them seemed to follow everyone else so only one female officer was tailing him. If Percy had to guess she'd be about fifty years old, but not one of the nice fifty-year-old ladies. She looked mean enough to knock his lights out. Luckily, officers like her didn't tend to be fast.
If his body wasn't in so much pain Percy would have sighed in relief.
Turns out it was better he hadn't sighed in relief just yet because when he turned his head back to the front as he ran into an alley the same officer was standing just across from him.
Percy stopped in his tracks.
Fuck that's a monster isn't it, Percy thought as he opened the gourd that he always kept on his side.
Percy smiled nervously, "Hey, we couldn't happen to be able to talk this out right?"
"You've been giving us problems, honey," the cop said.
"I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about lady," Percy said as he drew out a bit of sand from his gourd.
"Do you really think you'd get away with it?"
Percy shrugged, "I get away with a lot of things officer..." Percy squinted his eyes trying to read her name tag, "...Alceto."
Thunder shook the skies and the officer's eyes seemed to glow with a blazing fury.
"We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Alceto said. "It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."
Great she knows my name. Definitely a monster, Percy thought.
Maybe she was talking about that time he helped rob a drugstore. Or that time he mugged someone, but calling it a mugging was a stretch. The old lady just gave him a ten-dollar bill and left. Or was it that time he broke into a bakery? Or that time he accidentally lit a firework indoors? Or was it when…no that couldn’t be it. No one knew he was there.
The point is Percy had done a lot of illegal things in the past few years, but it almost never ever ended bad enough that an officer or a monster would look that angry.
Maybe he killed a relative, if monsters had relatives that is. She did look ready to kill him.
"Well you shall die then," Alceto said as her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shriveled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she lunged at Percy.
How great, Percy thought as he attempted to roll out of the way only for Alceto to change directions and smash him into a wall. Her eyebrows furrowed as Percy's 'skin' cracked and sand leaked out instead of blood.
"Where is it!"
"You know, you should really be more careful touching me. My mom doesn't appreciate it," Percy said with an evil grin as the sand he summoned mixed with the sand seeping from the cracks in his 'skin' formed into the shape of a woman that grabbed hold of Alceto's wings ripping them from her back.
Alceto screamed in fury, "You impudent half-blood!" The monster tried to tear the sand construct into pieces but it kept on reforming. While she was distracted, Percy summoned more sand and formed it into a spike. He didn't quite have enough fine control to form anything else, and the lady in his dreams wasn't exactly specific on how his powers worked.
Nevertheless, it was more than enough to plunge it into Alecto's chest as she was distracted.
Gold sand seeped from the cavity in her chest.
"My Lord will have your soul," she said furiously.
"Sorry, but I have places to be and people to meet. I sort of need my soul for that," Percy said matter-of-factly as he pulled the spike out of her chest.
Alecto disappeared in an explosion of golden sand that Percy commanded to spread out. He didn't exactly know if it was dangerous for it to be concentrated but he wasn't taking any chances.
Percy yawned as he expended all his energy with all the running and powers. He sat down as the woman of sand put his head on her lap. His eyes closed and he drifted to sleep.
"You are in danger Perseus Jackson. It is no longer safe for you in the world. The Lord of the Dead sending Erinyes after you prove it. He will send more and more monsters for your soul. "
Percy sighed and looked up at the dream lady.
She stood gracefully on a pristine sandy beach, with gentle waves lapping at the shore behind her. Her feet were bare, with anklets of tiny shells and seaweed.
Her long, hair the color of sunlit sand, adorned with small seashells and starfish flowed despite the lack of wind. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue. Her skin had a sun-kissed glow, and she wore a flowing dress made of delicate seafoam green and soft beige fabrics.
Percy knew the Lord of the Dead had to be Hades.
"When has it ever been safe? What's different now? Is he who I think he is, and what is an Eryinyes?"
The goddess frowned.
"I have told you Perseus names are powerful. Using a god or a monster’s true name is dangerous, invites them to witness your conversations. I trust I have taught you enough to know who Lord of the Death is, and Erinyes are the Furies. I cannot tell you what has changed, child. Even contacting you puts you in danger, Olympus is in turmoil and the gods are preparing for war."
"What does that have to do with me?"
The goddess's frown deepened.
"More than you know…You know of the godly world, have an idea of your heritage, and you use your powers. I taught you to keep you safe but I fear I put you in danger. Your scent is too strong. There is only one place you can go now, however, that comes with its own dangers. Yet, I can no longer keep you from there."
Percy laughed nervously, "You make it sound like I'm going to die either way."
The goddess said nothing.
Oh .
"At least explain what's going on!"
"I cannot Perseus, but trust me. Go to Long Island, there is a camp for children like you. Safe for children like you. You will learn to fight, to survive in ways I cannot teach you. However, there is no turning back."
Percy didn't say anything for a few minutes. He didn't really know what to say. What could he say?
"...You've never put me in danger before. I trust you. I'll go."
The goddess smiled, "Then it is time you learn my name. I am Psathme, the goddess of sandy beaches."
Percy tried to say something, but he found himself awake in the same alley from before, both sore and tired. His head was lying in a pile of sand.
Groaning he forced himself up, he had places to go today. It was Saturday after all and that meant he had someone to meet and food to collect. Walking to Central Park he sat on a bench and waited for a few hours before company showed up.
A thirty-year-old man, with long salt and pepper hair, wearing a brown jacket over a black t-shirt sat next to Percy and handed him a bag of food.
"There's a bagel egg and cheese sandwich in there with a banana, apple, a few baby oranges, and a coke."
Percy smiled and dug into the food.
"Thanks, Paul! You're the man!"
Percy and Paul had known each other for a few months at this point. They had run into each other during winter when Percy was sleeping on the bus bench Paul was talking to a class. Paul couldn't just let Percy stay like that so he decided to miss class that day, and treated the kid to a meal and a new pair of clothes more appropriate for the season.
He tried getting the kid to some help, but every time Percy would run.
Paul eventually gave up on forcing him to go to a homeless shelter, or to a foster home and now they meet up every Saturday to share some breakfast and for Paul to hand Percy some cash. He could at least do that much.
He didn't particularly know why he was doing so much for the kid, but it was like fate was telling him this kid was his to take care of as best he could.
"Your clothes are torn. What happened?"
Percy shrugged as he finished the sandwich and moved on to the banana.
"Police raided my bridge last night so now I have to find a new place to stay. Spring is pretty much around the corner so it shouldn't be hard now."
"I really wish you would let me help you, Percy."
"You help enough. You give me cash and food. That's more than most of the guys out here get."
"Most of the guys out here are adults. Kids like you shouldn't be on the streets."
Percy groaned and pointed the half-eaten banana at Paul.
"I can take care of myself Paul. Did it before I knew you, and trust me the streets are much better than any foster home or government facility I've been to."
Paul paused. He wanted to offer Percy to stay at his home, but he didn't know if the kid would be offended and avoid him. Then that would make everything more difficult. Financially, he couldn't do much more either. He lived in a cramped apartment barely able to make bills meet with his current salary as a new teacher.
"...Just be careful alright. It'd suck if something happened to you."
"About that...some things happened so I didn't think I'm going to be able to come for a few weeks...maybe months."
Paul blinked and then immediately started berating Percy with questions.
"Are you ok?! Do I need to call someone?!"
Percy laughed.
"No I just need to go somewhere, but I don't know for how long. Maybe for a few weeks, maybe forever. I'll try to keep in touch, but I'll make no promises."
Paul looked at Percy with concern written on his face.
"Don't die kid."
Percy just smiled in response while adjusting his glasses.