Chapter Text
Percy was pissed.
He didn’t even want to go to a boarding school to start, much less Yancy Academy. And then, he was dragged to a museum field trip. Like really, a field trip? Have they not seen his record? I mean, when they ignore something so substantial it’s bound to repeat again.
In third grade, Percy went on a field trip. Sounds like something any third grade class does, right? I mean, nothing bad could happen at the zoo, surely? Well, it did. After Percy was nagged to death by The Voice (did he forget to mention, he hears a voice in his head at all times?) to release some random vultures, the vultures got out by themselves. They then swarmed his teacher, and he was somehow blamed for releasing them when he didn’t touch the cage!
Seriously! He didn’t!
And then in fourth grade, his class takes a trip to Marine World Shark Pool, which is honestly the start of Percy’s downhill life. He got mocked for liking the sharks, which is ridiculous because sharks are so cool. While taking a tour backstage, The Voice convinced Percy to pull a lever and drop his whole class into the swim tank to get back at them. Honestly, Percy thought it was hilarious to watch is classmates thrash around terrified because they were in the tank with sharks (nurse sharks are practically harmless to people, and these ones were nice!). He didn’t mind The Voice that much, at least at the time. The Voice hated Smelly Gabe, which made him ay-ok in Percy’s book.
Now, The Voice isn’t exactly an ‘imaginary friend.’ Percy heard him, all the time, but he couldn’t see him. Except that didn’t mean The Voice wasn’t real. He annoyed Percy to high-hell continually. The low voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere haunted him, making him think he was going insane when he was younger. Presently he could tell only he could hear it (so maybe he was going insane?).
Getting back on track, still in fourth grade, the aftermath of that field trip was astronomical. The kids couldn’t get enough of ‘crazy Percy’ who heard voices in his head. Hilarious, at least to them. And both Percy and The Voice had enough. Now, Percy would say it was The Voice’ fault. Percy wasn’t naturally inclined to fight, that was just, The Voice yelling at him inside his head to kill the kids. So, Percy beat the kid up. A lot. Broken nose and some teeth. Obviously, Percy was expelled, Gabe was…mad, and Mom was disappointed. On the good side, he got to start martial arts, which helped him feel like he was burning off the restless bitterness and made Gabe more wary of him.
And of course it doesn’t end there, because the same thing repeats in 5th grade. Percy wasn’t aiming for the school bus—I mean it was a bonus it got blown up, but not his fault, really. Who gives 5th graders canons?
Which all leads to now, why Percy was so frustrated. He was on a field trip, in a museum. And of course some annoying little prissy would pick on him and Grover. He could just feel the malicious energy forming.
She’s weak…. and despicable..get rid of her before she harms Grover. Go for the throat!
Percy shifted a bit uncomfortably while eating his food. He kind of agreed with The Voice on the beginning of that one. Grover was crippled, and Nancy liked to throw food pieces at him. But he had promised his mom that he wouldn’t listen to The Voice anymore. Even if all The Voice wanted most to do was help Percy get rid of Gabe to protect his mom.
Percy didn’t see why that was so bad. He didn’t like Gabe in the slightest, Gabe made his mother cry.
Grover and Percy were sitting at the edge of a fountain, a little away from the other classmates eating lunch and watching the abominably slow traffic of New York. New York was rather depressing to Percy, with the grey skies and large skyscrapers taking up all the space. He would much rather go somewhere west, to a coast perhaps. Maybe dabble in surfing, even if he didn’t think he’d prefer it to his skateboard.
The stone beneath him was cold, and seemed to seep the little energy that Percy had since this morning right out of him. Percy wanted to see his mom. All he had to do was take a cab, and head to their apartment, and he could see her. But, his mom would be disappointed. And worst of all….. then Gabe would be there.
Abominable man…
Percy allowed his attention to wander, wondering for possibly the millionth time what would happen if he listened to The Voice. If he… killed Gabe. Not that Gabe didn’t deserve it, but… Percy wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to follow through with that certain idea of The Voice. He… just didn’t want to be that type of person. He didn’t want to become like Gabe, even if it meant giving Gabe what he deserved. Even if he thought privately that Gabe deserved to rot in the worst depths of hell for all that he did to Percy’s mom.
Grover nudged Percy’s shoulder, “you good man?”
Percy shook himself out of his thoughts, turning and giving Grover an upbeat smile—or at least as much of one as the 12 year old could manage. Grover knew about The Voice, and his smile gained a plasticity whenever Percy mentioned him. His school teachers knew too, but they would always pull his mother aside for hushed conversations about “Schizophrenia support” and “hallucination clearing rituals.” None of them understood. The Voice was real, and he was powerful. Sometimes Percy could swear he got dreams and saw The Voice, but during those he could feel his heart racing in what he assumed was fear.
People (read: therapists) always asked Percy why he would listen to The Voice when all The Voice offered was violence and needless agitation. Percy would try to explain that The Voice cared about Percy’s mother and best friend as much as he did, but they would shoo him off, and then go back to talking to his mother about medication. Medication that never did anything but make him get all hot and sweaty when he slept, make his dreams more vivid and pictorial, and make sleeping a horrible time.
(And they spent so much time and money on that, they never focused on his ADHD or Dyslexia, which were arguably the bigger problems for school. How was Percy supposed to understand the questions when he couldn’t even read the questions?)
KILL HER!
Percy startled to looking up, in time to see Nancy trying to dump her half-eaten lunch in Grover’s lap. Something in Percy seemed to snap. He grabbed her wrist and pinned it behind her back, exactly as how he had imagined doing to her before. She looked shocked, but gave a sharp and derisive laugh.
“Awwww…. Now the crazy one wants to fight? What… you gonna kill me, you psychotic Mama’s Boy?”
Make her pay.
The Voice demanded, and Percy obliged. He kicked her down into the fountain, and lunged on top of her. In some part of his mind, maybe he was picturing her as Gabe. In some part of his mind, perhaps he begged and pleaded that this was not right. Water was soaking into his clothes, weighing them down, but he felt more energized than he ever had in his whole life. He felt like electricity was running through every one of his veins, like he could live forever. Like he would bleed gold. No person would ever be able to come close to this power but him. He knew distantly that he was probably laughing and grinning like a maniac, as he pinned her down and water rushed over her. She was panicked, wide eyed with terror evident in every struggle she made. But The Voice wanted more.
YES! Make her bleed.
He picked her up slightly, and slammed her down again, hardly aware of his own power. He then hit her in the face, a solid cross that laded against her jaw.
Not enough power. That will barely bruise.
He went to hit again, when he felt hands pulling him back. Rage ran through him, how dare they?! But he was not strong enough to fight them off. As soon as he was pulled clear of the water, everything came surging out. He was suddenly exhausted, every ounce of fight dripping out with the water. His arms felt heavy and his brain was murky. He could faintly feel Mrs. Dodds grabbing him by the arms and dragging him into the museum, but he could’ve sworn she looked like the Devil while doing so (big wings and horns and all).
Well, she was a math teacher.
When she pulled him into the building, she thankfully gave him a minute to re-establish a connection with the living world and rest. He was confused, trying to think of what had just happened to him. He had felt so… alive. So free. But he hadn’t been hitting anyone that deserved it, so he felt guilty. Nancy would never have done any permanent damage to Grover, and he could have broken her jaw. That was why his mom had told him never to listen to The Voice. Percy was scared, scared of the need for that electricity that he felt a minute ago. The craving for any form of power. Scared of the control he already had. Had The Voice given him that power?
Mrs. Dodds pulled Percy by the arm to continue further into the gallery, towards the Greek and Roman exhibit they were in just before lunch. That feeling of another horrible field trip returned, pulsating in Percy’s stomach, making him nauseous.
“You’ve been giving us problems, honey.” Something in the way she said it, sickly sweet, made Percy think she was trying to be comforting but was failing. It made his skin itchy, and made his anxiety induced stomach pain grow.
“Yes ma’am. I didn’t mean to ma’am.” Percy replied, sticking to the safest possible route. He was definitely getting expelled today.
“Did you really think you could get away with it? Confess now, Perseus Jackson, and you will suffer far less pain.”
Percy had no idea what she was talking about, but he was scared. Was it about what had happened just moments earlier? And why wasn’t The Voice shouting at him now? the Voice had never been so quiet. Something was wrong. Percy slowly backed away from Mrs. Dodds, heart pounding and nearly hyperventilating. He knew this field trip would go wrong. Mrs. Dodds looked down at Percy like he was prey caught in a snare, transforming into something bigger with wings and sharp claws and teeth and glowing eyes.
“Your time is up.”
Run.
Percy bolted. He ran through the room, trying to dodge statues to prevent knocking them down and getting his mom sued for damage. As he ran past one of the Greek god statues (some dude with a bird and a spear), he swore he saw the eyes watching him. As he ran through the room, he saw the second strangest thing that day. Mr. Brunner, who had been at the entrance of the museum just moments earlier, was sitting there and holding out a pen to Percy.
Percy grabbed it, and sprinted to hide behind a statue. When he looked back, Mr. Brunner was gone and Percy felt his chest tighten with worry. He liked Mr. Brunner as a teacher, he was one of the best at Yancy Academy.
Kill her!
How was Percy supposed to kill anyone with a pen? He felt like the pen was important—but it was just a ball point pen. How the hell was that supposed to help him now. While fiddling around with it he uncapped the top of it. He let out a startled shriek as it turned into a fucking sword.
It was shiny, and looked expensive. It almost seemed to appear to be made out of a bright gold, but upon further inspection would be more likely to be bronze. It was in an Ancient Greek style, and he instantly liked it. It felt.. slightly wrong, like he should be holding something longer, thinner. But this would do.
Unfortunately, he had just given his location to Mrs. Dodds. She came charging at him, and while he stumbled through the museum he swiped awkwardly at her with the sword. It was heavy, and was throwing his running off balance.
And then the worst happened. He was backed into a corner. Heart pounding, head hurting, wishing that he was hallucinating this whole nightmare, he swung at her with the sword with his full strength. It clipped her shoulder, but Percy swung again and managed to get her stomach. It passed through her like water—which unsettled Percy greatly—and she exploded into a poof of yellow dust. Standing there shocked at what had taken place, he looked to his hands to see a ballpoint pen. He was covered in yellow dust. Had that really happened?
Or had he finally gone crazy?
Good Work. You finally finished the job.
Kind of concerning that The Voice was… Percy wanted to say proud but he hoped that that wasn’t it. Regardless, it was concerning. He stood up, catching his breath before heading outside. His stomach still ached. He stumbled outside, seeing that it had started to rain. He was a bit wary of the water, seeing as what happened in the fountain, but he stepped outside hesitantly anyways.
“I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt. And I hope you know you’re going to get expelled.” Nancy’s nasally voice came through. At least she wasn’t too hurt from earlier.
finish her off….
"who?” Percy asked, trying not to seem too clueless. He had no idea who she was talking about, and didn’t really have the mental capacity right now to try to guess.
“Our teacher, duh!” She rolled her eyes as she said it, laughing with her friends about Percy’s stupidity.
He decided not to ask her again, simply sat down next to Grover and asked him where Mrs. Dodds was.
'“who?”
Something was wrong with that statement from Grover. He wouldn’t look into Percy’s eyes, but Percy got the feeling that Grover wasn’t messing with him.
“Come on, dude.” Percy said, visibly getting agitated, “This is serious.”
Thunder boomed outside.
Grover wouldn’t answer him. He simply continued to look away, ignore Percy’s bitter stare. Seeing as he was no help, Percy looked around and spotted Mr. Brunner. Mr. Brunner was sitting outside, not appearing to have moved. Had Percy finally snapped? Percy walked over there, hoping he would get more answers from him than from Grover.
Mr. Brunner looked up, “Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson.”
Percy felt like this was some sick joke. Obviously they were all messing with him. He wasn’t crazy. They had a teacher named Mrs. Dodds, he was sure of it. Nonetheless, he handed Mr. Brunner the pen.
“Sir, where is Mrs. Dodds?”
Mr. Brunner stared at Percy blankly, “Who?”
“The…other chaperone, Sir. The Pre-Algebra teacher.”
Mr. Brunner now looked at Percy, outwardly concerned. “Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds in this trip, nor at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling alright?”
Percy was, surprisingly, not immediately facing expulsion. A teacher had backed him up (really shocking) that Nancy had been bothering him for a while. Instead, he was sure they wouldn’t be allowing him back next year, as they always eloquently put it. And worse, no one remembered Mrs. Dodds. They thought that a little blonde lady had been teaching them the entire year. The only one who Percy knew could recall Mrs. Dodds, was Grover. Simply because of how weird he got whenever it came up.
“Hey, is Mrs. Dodds ever coming back?” Percy questioned while making his bed.
Grover hesitated, avoiding Percy’s eyes for a minute and clearly thinking the question over before saying, “Who?”
So Grover definitely remembered. Which made it even odder that he denied it. Something had happened at that museum. Something only Percy and Grover (and maybe Mr. Brunner, he had a sneaking suspicion of that) knew about. But why couldn’t Nancy and all her friends not remember Mrs. Dodds. Nancy was her teachers pet, something that didn’t carry over to Mrs. Kerr.
The bell rang, signaling them to head to class. Grover still avoided Percy’s eyes, and when they passed by Mr. Brunner, Percy could feel Grover turning a gaze to Mr. Brunner. Grover was worried for Percy, but the only way he could help Percy was to tell him that Mrs. Dodds had been real.
Percy wasn’t doing well in his classes. The D’s had turned to F’s quickly, and were still going down. His mood matched the weather, which was also worsening rapidly. The largest tornado had been spotted in Hudson Valley, only 50 miles away from Yancy Academy. Percy hoped it would come through and knock it to the ground.
Nancy had at least stopped bothering them since the incident at the museum. Which in turn, made Percy hear The Voice less and less. Percy wished that meant he was getting better, but with the whole Mrs. Dodds situation he wondered if his brain was just cooking up new things to terrorize him with.
And terrorize him it did. He had nightmares, almost every night. Of large bat-humans, with leathery wings and sharp teeth and glowing eyes that stayed with him even after he woke up.
~This is an authors note. Below is almost exactly the same as the book, besides a few details that aren’t exactly necessary. If you don’t want to read it, skip down to the next line break.~
It was official. Percy would not be returning to Yancy Academy next year. He was happy to leave the school, but disappointed that this was the 7th in 7 years.
And, he supposed, he’d miss Grover too.
Percy was walking through the hallway, shuffling slowly. He had a Latin test soon, and it was the only subject he actually cared about at the moment. Thus, he tried his best to study. Except the words were swimming in front of his eyes, and he was getting another one of his headaches. As such, he had devised to walk down to Mr. Brunner’s office and ask about help. Or at least apologize about the big fat F he was about to score on his exam.
For some reason, Percy didn’t want to leave Yancy without Mr. Brunner thinking he had done his best.
As he came closer to the faculty offices, he could see that only Mr. Brunner’s had a light on and the door ajar. And he could hear Mr Brunner… and Grover (???!!) talking. And, because Percy was curious, he stopped behind the door to eavesdrop.
“…worried about Percy, sir.” Grover muttered, uneasiness in every word, “…alone this summer. I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Now that we know for sure, and they know too—”
'“We would only make matters worse by rushing him.” Mr Brunner’s voice was calmer than Grover’s, “We need the boy to mature more.”
“But we don’t have that time, especially with how he’s an Ares—”
Mr. Brunner sighed.
“Grover. The summer solstice will need to be resolved without him. Let him enjoy his ignorance now.”
“Sir… He saw the Kindly One. And that voice in his head—”
“His imagination,” Mr. Brunner insisted, “The Mist over the students and staff will be enough to convince him of that.”
“Sir.. I-I can’t fail my duties again.” Grover was chocked up, and emotion was seeping into every word he said, “you know what that would mean for me.”
“You haven’t failed, Grover.” Mr. Brunner said kindly, “I should have seen her for what she was. Now, let’s keep him alive till next fall. And, preferably out of trouble—”
Percy’s mythology textbook fell out of his hands. Immediately, he picked it up and backed our of the hallway, ducking into a teacher’s office. Sweat forming, heart pounding, he held his breath inside the office. A shadow slid across the floor, suspiciously taller than Percy’s wheelchair bound teacher and holding something that looked like a bow.
The next minute, a slow clop-clop-clop uttered through the hallway, like muffled wood blocks. The shape stopped right outside the door Percy was in, but then walked away.
“Nothing.” Mr. Brunner murmured from somewhere in the hallway, “My nerves haven’t been right since the winter solstice.”
“Mine neither..” Grover whispered, “but.. I could have sworn..”
“Get back to the dorm. You’ve got a long day of exams tomorrow.”
“Don’t remind me.”
The lights went out, and both Mr. Brunner and Grover disappeared.
Percy waited a few minutes, before slipping out into the hallway and heading back to his dorm. When he got there, Grover was lying in his bed, studying the latin notes.
“Hey,” Grover said, bleary eyed and clearly tired, “You going to be ready for the test?”
Percy didn’t answer.
“You look awful.” Grover frowned, worry creeping in, “everything ok?”
“Just..tired.”
Percy turned on his bed, facing the wall (which conveniently meant Grover couldn’t see his expression). He didn’t believe what he’d heard downstairs. He didn’t want to believe it. Grover had lied, and let him believe he was going insane.
There was no denying it, though. Mr. Brunner and Grover were talking about Percy behind his back, worried about some danger and a ‘summer solstice.’
Grover had booked a ticket to Manhattan, so while Percy was leaving Yancy and heading to New York on the train he had a friend. Although Percy wasn’t so sure he could forgive Grover for lying to him.
make him pay…. to never underestimate you again…
Grover was fidgety, as he always was when we left Yancy. Percy was getting annoyed this time though, still mad at him for lying.
“Looking for Kindly Ones?”
Grover jumped out of his seat, before sitting down again. “What—- what do you mean?”
Percy shrugged, “Well, I eavesdropped on your conversation last night. What did you mean about me being ‘an Ares’?”
“Uhh— that’s not important right now, how much did you hear?”
Percy suddenly had the urge to pick a fight with Grover. Why wasn’t he answering his questions?
hold his fleet to the fire…
Yeah Percy would.
“Not much. What’s the summer solstice?”
Grover flinched, looking guilty, “Look.. Percy, I was just worried about you. I mean, hallucinating math teachers and The Voice?”
Percy stared at Grover, frustrated quite a bit.
Make him pay!!
No..No Percy wouldn’t do that.
“Grover. You’re a horrible liar, you know?”
Grover’s ears flushed pink, and he pulled out a grubby business card from his front pocket.
“If you need me.”
Percy took it, although begrudgingly. It had fancy swirly font that was practically murderous to his eyes, but he eventually made out something.
Grover underwood
keeper
Half-Blood Hill
Long Island, New York
(800)009-0009
“What’s Half—”
“Don’t say it aloud!” Grover cried, “That’s my, uhm, summer address.”
Percy frowned. Of course Grover would have a summer address. His family must be rich for him to go to Yancy, like everyone else.
“Ok.. so like if I ever want to come visit your mansion.”
Percy definitely said that a bit glumly, and Grover seemed to sink in on himself just a little bit before replying.
“or… or if you need me.”
Percy laughed, “why would I need you?”
It came out harsher than he meant it, but he still stood by it. Why would he need Grover. Grover was the one who was constantly picked on. Did Grover think Percy was weak?
Show him….
No, no, no it wasn’t that. Percy shook his head rapidly as if it would get rid of the thoughts of fighting Grover. Grover, who was looking at Percy concerned.
“Is.. is it The Voice again?”
Percy nodded, taking a breath and leaning his head back without saying a word.
“Look… Percy, the truth is I kind of.. have to protect you.”
show him that you don’t need protection…. that you’re not WEAK
Percy laughed. He did kind of want to bash Grover’s head down. I mean, Grover protecting Percy was a laughing matter to him.
Suddenly there was a grinding noise, and black smoke billowed through the bus. The bus pulled over, and everyone stepped off onto the side of a country road. On the other side of the highway, there was an old fashioned fruit stand. Something about it… made Percy uneasy. He didn’t feel that it was right to be there.
The stuff on sale looked pretty good, aside from these three giant socks that three little old ladies were making. They just might have been knitting the biggest socks Percy had ever seen. The women looked ancient, and surely they shouldn’t be sitting out there in the sun like that.
They were looking straight at Percy.
Percy looked at Grover, but Grover was blanched white, all the blood drained from his face.
“Grover—”
“Tell me they aren’t looking at you. They are, aren’t they.”
He sounded desperate, “we’re getting on the bus. Come on.”
Grover tried to tug Percy along, but Percy stared at the little old ladies. The third one brought out a pair of shears, and while looking straight at me, snipped the yarn. The snip echoed across all four lanes of traffic, right to me.
Just as the snip faded away, the engine to the bus started up again. Everyone cheered, shouting things, but Percy wasn’t paying attention. He stared at the old ladies balling up their socks, before turning and stumbling onto the bus.
Grover looked pale, teeth chattering and clearly getting sick.
“Hey—Grover you ok?”
Grover sat there, pale and staring off, muttering things Percy couldn’t hear.
“Grover, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Percy, what did you see at the fruit stand.”
Percy thought this was pointless. So what if he saw the ladies snip some yarn?
“The last lady, she snipped the yarn.”
“and you saw her?”
“Well, yeah. Why?”
Grover simply stared off, muttering something about it ‘always being 6th grade.’
A chill suddenly went down Percy’s spine.
“Grover… does that snipping of the yarn mean someone’s going to die?”
Percy wasn’t sure where he got that idea, but with the way Grover turned to him mournfully, he thought it was right.