Chapter Text
In a field surrounded by trees, a young man with a boyish face, a slightly tan complexion, a punkish hairdo with his bangs partially covering his eyes, and the eyes so blue that they seemed to glow, awakened. He wore a long, black hooded cloak that was unzipped, a blue T-shirt beneath that, a pair of black jeans, and sneakers. Despite the winter air and his light clothing, it didn't bother him.
...
Where am I?
He tried to sit up, but his entire body screamed in protest.
What happened to me? Did I fall out of the sky or something? I feel like I had the great idea of going skydiving without a parachute.
He grit his teeth and sat up, despite his body's reluctance to cooperate.
It...hurts to even breathe.
He looked down at his blue T-shirt, noting the bloodstains. In his hand was a mobile device of some sort.
A Scroll. Wait, there's something on the screen.
'I'm sorry. Good luck.'
... Did I write this? Seems a bit odd.
He closed the Scroll, the screen collapsing between the upper and lower half. He made to pocket it, and pain wracked him.
I think I broke something. Or several somethings...
He then looked at his surroundings, but nothing struck him as familiar. The only thing that he felt he recognized was an oversized sword, single edged sword stuck into the ground
Seriously, where am I? Okay...let's just try and remember what I was doing last, and work from there.
As he tried to recall what had happened, he found nothing came to him. He tried harder, and suddenly, his head seared painfully, making him groan.
What the fuck?! Why can't I remember anything?!
He sighed softly.
Okay...what can I remember? I...I remember my name. I remember my date of birth. And...I'm going to Camp Half-Blood.
He frowned.
Why?
He attempted to remember but was rewarded with another painful headache.
Ugh, I'm not going to get anywhere like this! I should just try and find Camp Half-Blood. I feel like it shouldn't be far.
The young man pulled up his hood and zipped up his cloak, and a shadow darkened to obscure the upper portion of his face. He then stood.
No point in staying here.
He walked up to the large sword and grabbed the handle with both hands before pulling it from the ground. The blade would definitely be heavy for a regular person, but he didn't find it to be.
Well, let's get going.
Percy
You know, I thought that being able to talk to Annabeth would make me happy. I remember a time when it did. Now, I just use it as an excuse to take a break from studying... Gods, I'm terrible.
In his room, the son of Poseidon was currently sitting at a desk, trying to compose a letter for his girlfriend, who had left on a family emergency. Though she sometimes carried a cellphone, a risky thing for a demigod, electronic communication had become completely unreliable as of late. Percy tapped his pen, or sword when he left it uncapped, on his desk.
'Dear Annabeth, I'm fine. How are you? '
That was all he had managed to write, and he didn't feel like putting in the effort to finish, something that made him feel guilty. However, what bothered him more was that it didn't make him feel as guilty as it should've. Instead, he let his mind wander to other things.
I wonder how Jason is doing... I still can't believe that he broke up with Piper. Well, Jason is a great guy, I'm certain that he'll find someone. It's just a shame that he missed that opportunity... It's a good thing we kept in touch and that I stepped in when I did, like any good bro should.
Percy smirked as he thought he put a tied up, kicking, and screaming Jason atop Blackjack, in order to bring him to Camp Half-Blood.
I might've gone a tad bit too far with that. Just a tad, though. Besides, he wouldn't listen to reason. I had no choice.
Jason had screamed at him that kidnapping wasn't okay and locked himself in the Zeus cabin, though he had eventually forgiven him. Percy's eyes drifted towards Annabeth's most recent letter. He had opened the envelope but hadn't read it. Again, he felt like he should at least read it, but he didn't. Part of the reason was because he didn't want to; however, the bigger reason was because he was scared of what it might say. He dreaded reading the letter and finding the words 'What's wrong?'. Once more, he let his mind drift.
Nico and Will started dating last month. On the one hand, I'm happy for him, but on the other...it kinda bothers me. Not that he's dating, no, but I thought that since he decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood, I'd have the opportunity to be a better friend and hang out. Now, most of his time is spent with Will (which is totally understandable), but...I'm kinda jealous. Plus, I had tried to set Nico up with Jason. I think they would've made a great couple, nothing against Will. I suppose that it could be worse. When I first tried to spend time with him, Will didn't like it...and I didn't like that Will was all Nico talked about. Well, Will and Jason. It's gotten better. Will and I are cool now…I hope. Jason, on the other hand... I'm worried about him. Maybe I should invite him over, have him meet my mom and Paul.
"Hey, sweetie," Sally said, walking into the room with a smile on her face, and pulling Percy from his thoughts. "Writing a letter to Annabeth?"
Percy put on a fake smile. "Yep. I miss her."
"I'm certain that you do," Sally replied. "What are you gonna do when you finish?"
The son of Poseidon sighed. "You know. The usual."
Homework... Ugh.
"I know that it's not easy, but I'm very proud of you," Sally commented, making Percy slightly happier.
"Thanks, Mom."
I'll do what I can tonight and get a bit more studying in the morning. I wonder if I'll have nice dreams tonight? They've certainly been...surprisingly normal since the war. You'd think that I'd have some dreams about Annabeth, but they're pretty mundane.
You know, I get the feeling that I have been in this sort of situation before, but I can't remember.
In a forest, in the dead of night, the young man stood surrounded by men armed with assault rifles and equipped with night-vision goggles. Despite his situation, he didn't exactly feel threatened, more focused on his own wounds.
Shit... I'm badly injured. It's probably worse than what I thought.
He carefully observed his company.
Who the fuck are these guys? Are they gonna try and stop me? Even in my current condition, they won't pose much of an issue...hopefully. They might be well trained, but the way they move indicates that they're not anything other than human.
"Is this the one we're looking for?" one of the men asked. A young man with dark curly hair and a face littered with scars stepped out from among them.
He answered, "Yeah, he's the one. His ancestor is one of the greatest heroes in all of history."
I am? Which one? There are so many 'great heroes'. Many aren't even all that great.
"Do I...know you?" the hooded man asked.
It's hard to say. He appears to be close to my age. I really don't remember...well, much of anything. I know my name and that I have to reach Camp Half-Blood, but that's about it. Oh...there's also a certain someone that I think I might find there, but...is he more than just a dream?
The other young man shook his head. "No, you don't know me personally, but perhaps you've heard of me. I'm Lityerses. My friends call me Lit, but my enemies call me Death."
Oh yeah, I've heard of him. The Reaper of Men, deadly with a blade, blah blah blah.
Next, the hooded man asked, "Are we enemies?"
Lityerses raised an eyebrow. "Are...Are you serious?"
"Oh, quite serious, I assure you," the hooded man replied.
Lityerses rolled his eyes and snapped, "No, we're not friends! What kind of question is that?! What kind of person asks that when he's about to be executed?!"
The hooded man shrugged. "I do. I'm guessing that these men are my...what? Execution squad?"
"Oh, my gods, yes!" Lityerses answered, quite clearly vexed. "Don't you recognize danger when you see it?!"
I'm in danger? I suppose that most people would find this situation threatening.
The hooded man shrugged again. "See, that would be intimidating if you were…well, intimidating."
Lityerses' eye narrowed. "What? Are you insane? Do you have not have a shred of survival instinct? Need I remind you of who I am?"
I'm quite sane, I just don't remember anything.
"I'm sorry. I don't see anyone here who poses in viable threat to me. And you..." the hooded man said, planting the oversized sword into the ground, "...you are not worthy as my opponent."
"Kill him!" Lityerses ordered.
The hooded man ran up to one of the men and threw a kick into his side, knocking him several yards away, while the others began to fire at him. He moved with godlike speed, performing a quick series of rolls and flips, knowing exactly where to dodge in order to avoid fire, despite being surrounded. As he turned, he noticed something — the bullets flying passed him.
Can I actually see them? How fast is my perception and reaction time? Maybe this is all part of some fever dream.
As the enemy continued to try and hit him, they started to hit each other with their own bullets.
"We're in each others' line of fire!" one of them shouted.
"You useless idiot!" Lityerses barked. "Switch to close-quarters-combat!"
The remaining men dropped their assault rifles and drew long, glowing bronze swords from their backs.
Celestial Bronze.
As one of the men charged, the cloaked man jumped over over him before kicking him in the head as he dropped back down to the ground. Two more men rushed towards him, and he went into a handstand and kicked both of in the torso, as they had been low to the ground.
This is too easy.
Another man approached from behind, and the hooded figure ducked a slash before standing and elbowing the enemy in the face. As another came at him, he used his opponent's momentum and threw him over his shoulder and into a nearby dead tree, breaking it.
"H-He's too strong!" one of the men shouted.
"Stop attacking him one at a time, morons!" Lityerses ordered.
He's got a point. Why do people do that? This isn't a movie or videogame.
Another shouted, "Retreat!" And then, the men scattered. As one passed by Lityerses, the demigod drew his sword and decapitated him.
Harsh. Also, that'd make that unfortunate soul a demigod.
"That was uncalled for," the hooded man commented, though Lityerses only grinned.
"I have no need for a fucking waste of space. I'm more than enough to kill you."
"I already told you..." the hooded figure said as a purple Xiphos with a golden edge appeared in his hand, "...you are not worthy as my opponent."
"We'll see about that," Lityerses said before quickly closing the gap between them. The hooded man brought up his sword in time to block a strike.
He's not too bad, though I don't think he deserves his title.
The hooded figure quickly countered, striking several times in quick succession, though Lityerses managed to hold his ground.
"Your swordsmanship isn't too bad," the demigod commented as they began to trade blows with increasing speed.
"Funny, I was going to say that yours isn't all that great," the other taunted, sparks beginning to fly from their clashes.
Lityerses scowled, a feat that impressed the hooded man more than his swordsmanship due to the number of scars upon the demigod's face. "You're going to regret having said that when your head leaves your shoulders!" The two locked blades.
"I don't believe your blade is sharp enough to even nick me," the cloaked figure retorted, angling his blade upwards to end the bind and cutting Lityerses in the face, adding another future scar and causing him to quickly back up. The cloaked man then grimaced, tasting blood in his mouth.
Yeah, I know, I'm bluffing. I'm kinda at my limit! Wait…what the fuck am I doing?
The handle of the Xiphos extended and part of the blade collapsed inward, changing quickly into a rifle, which he promptly aimed at Lityerses. The demigod seemed unfazed.
"Do you really think you can intimidate m-…" he was cut off as a shot was fired, though unlike a regular bullet, it froze his hand to his sword. "What the?!"
"Dust," the young man answered. "Nature's wrath crystallized." As Lityerses moved, he proceeded to shoot both feet and sword arm, freezing his feet to the ground and his arm at an awkward angle to his body. "You're quick, but you're not that quick."
"Coward!" Lityerses growled, clearly furious.
The young man raised an eyebrow. "I'm the coward? You're the one who came with a group."
"Release me at once!"
"That's…not really possible at this point. This is where we part ways," the young man replied. He then looked towards where he had planted the absurdly large sword, only to find, to his amusement, one of those who had accompanied the demigod struggling to even budge it. He walked over towards the sword, causing the other person to take a step away from the weapon, before drawing the weapon from the ground.
The lackey backed up further, his hands raised. "S...sorry."
"Leave."
The lackey turned and bolted, and the hooded man place the sword over his shoulders.
"Hey! Hey, get back here! Get me out of this, you idiot!" Lityerses called after his lackey.
Just a bit further... Then I'll rest.
Percy
The son of Poseidon found himself a forest, surrounded by seemingly unconscious people. From their positioning, it looked like there had been a fight of sorts.
Who or what could've done this to them? Do I even want to know?
Percy stepped closer to one of the people, and he groaned slightly.
This couldn't have happened that long ago. Furthermore...I don't think I'm actually here. Meaning that I'm dreaming.
Percy sighed.
Oh, what horrible vision awaits me this time?
The dream instantly shifted as if in reply, and he now found himself staring at a hooded figure walking through the forest. Every now and then, the figured faltered slightly in his footing.
Is he okay? Maybe he's drunk?
Percy then heard something — panting.
Or maybe, this is the guy who did that to those other guys. He doesn't seem to be doing very well right now. That ridiculously large sword he's carrying probably isn't helping
The hooded figure stumbled again and began to fall, dropping the sword behind , despite not actually being there, tried to catch him. Of course, the figure passed right through him, hitting the ground with a pained grunt.
Seriously, what in the world did I think that'd do?
The hooded figure continued to lie on the ground for a moment before pushing himself back up. Slowly, he stood, the task seemingly a Herculean one, before lifting the sword and continuing to walk, this time dragging the sword along.
Percy shook his head and spoke, "Geez, just watching you is making me tired. You should take a break."
The hooded figure suddenly tensed and turned towards Percy with more speed than he would've expected. "Who's there?"
"Wait, you can hear me?" Percy asked, only to be met by the figure looking around and not replying.
Right...demigod dreams are weird. Sometimes, people know you’re there. For all I know, this entire thing might not actually be happening, but based on experience...it probably is.
Something then occurred to the brunette.
If that's the case, maybe I can help.
"You should take a break," Percy suggested.
The figure shook his head and replied, "Must be my head. No...gotta keep going. I have to reach Camp Half-Blood."
If I knew where this guy was, I'd offer him a ride ...That's probably why I keep getting in trouble. For all I know, he could be plotting to destroy the place.
Deciding to continue (and to trust his gut), Percy tried, "Camp Half-Blood isn't going anywhere. Just rest for a few moments. You'll feel better if you do."
The figure seemed to consider the suggestion. "Yeah...Camp Half-Blood isn't going anywhere, and I'll do better if I can recover some of my Aura."
Percy frowned. "What in the world is Aura? In that some sort of Yoga-thing?"
The hooded figure didn't provide an answer as he slowly sat on the ground, frustrating Percy quite a bit, considering that he had a lot of questions.
It's like selective hearing, but worse. Who is this guy? Did he fight those other guys? What's wrong with him? Why is his face hidden? Why is he going to Camp Half-Blood? And what the fuck is Aura?!
Percy sighed his frustration. "Seriously, who is this guy? Can I at least get a name?" Who he was asking, he had no idea.
"My name is-...," the hooded figure started to answered, much to Percy's surprise.
"Percy?" a voice called, interrupting
Huh? Who's talking? Who else is here?
"Percy?" the voice repeated.
Wait a second...is that...Mom?
The hooded figure started to fade, causing the son of Poseidon to panic a bit.
No! No, not now! I didn't hear his answer!
Percy then felt someone shaking him, and he woke with a start, finding his mother looking a bit concerned.
She asked him, "Percy, are you okay?"
Percy sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...a weird dream."
"Something related to you or Camp?" Sally inquired.
"It does involve Camp, but as for myself?...I don't know," he admitted, wanting to be honest with his mother.
"Well, we can hope," Sally replied with a smile. "Anyways, there's someone here to see you."
Percy sat up. "Wait, really? Who's here to see me?"
What are the chances that's it's that hooded guy?
"Some guy..." Sally started, making Percy worry with anticipation.
Is it him?
"...saying that he's Apollo," she finished, instantly souring his mood.
Apollo?
He sighed.
Why?
Everything still hurts. I was hoping some rest would help ... This is what I get for listening to disembodied voices.
That was all he could think as he walked towards the place from his dreams.
Camp Half-Blood. I have to get to Camp Half-Blood...
He didn't let any of his pain show as he calmly strode to his destination. There was an orchard next to him, but he paid it no thought. He was rather thankful that he could obscure his features.
I don't want anyone to stop me, but, so far, m y luck doesn't seem to have a great track record.
He sighed.
Maybe I should stop by the infirmary if they have one. It's a camp, they'd have an infirmary, right? I don't see why they wouldn't. Maybe someone will even be able to tell me...well, about me.
He shook his head in frustration and continued forward. Suddenly, he heard a car swerving, and instinctively, he dodged out of the way of a Prius; it crashed through the fence and between the trunks of two trees.
Damn, my day just keeps getting better and better. I should probably make sure that the driver is still alive.
Jason
In the Sword Fighting Area, the son of Jupiter stood, watching as Jake came over and presented him with a blade with a smile.
Jake proudly said, "I just finished it."
Jason took the weapon and studied it, then raised an eyebrow. "A gladius? This is a Roman weapon."
"Yeah, some of my Vulcan brothers showed us how to 'properly' make them," Jake replied. "In return, we showed them how we forge Greek weaponry. I offered to show them more modern swords, but they didn't seem that interested."
It's good that we're exchanging information.
Jason tested the weapon's grip and commented, "My coin was a Greek weapon. A Xiphos and a javelin. I think you saw it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a replacement."
"Aw, sorry, man," Jake offered his condolences before nodding towards the gladius. "Well, try it out. You might like it."
Jason gave the weapon of few swings.
It's pretty well made.
"Sure, but it'd be better if I had a sparring partner," Jason replied. "When's Percy supposed to get here?"
"This weekend," Jake replied, and if Jason was being honest with himself, he was upset by the answer. He sighed as he walked over to a training dummy, Jake following. "Something on your mind, dude?"
Well...
"I just..." he said, hacking at the dummy's left arm, "...wish that my friend's had a little more time for me. I mean, I get that Nico has a boyfriend and Leo still hasn't come back, but Percy is on Winter Break. He could do more than his usual, 'visit on the weekends'!" On that last note, Jason sliced the dummy's head off, the helmet clattering on the ground.
Jake nodded. "I see. Why not visit his apartment?"
"Because I can't spar with him outside Camp..." Jason mumbled.
Jake frowned and asked, "So, the only reason you want to see Percy is to have a sword fight?"
Jason shook his head. "No, I mean that I can't just go and bother him when he's not here. That'd be incredibly rude, especially since I've never been there before, and he has a girlfriend. Not to mention that he'd probably tease me a lot for it. 'Hey, bro! Did you miss me that much. I knew you couldn't get enough of me.'"
Jake snorted. "So, instead, you're just going to gripe about it? It's obvious that Percy misses this place when he's not here. He says so every time he comes here. He might even appreciate you visiting. I doubt anyone he knows besides Annabeth visits."
Jason huffed. "What, I'm not allowed to gripe? But you know that I'm right about the teasing...Sometimes, I swear that he's flirting with me." The blonde then thought of the times Percy seemed to push the boundaries of their bromance, which given his touchy-feely nature, was already pretty thin.
I've even had people flat out ask if we're in a relationship.
As Jason returned his focus to the training dummy, Jake stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.
"Gods, you're dense," he said as Jason struck the dummy.
"What was that?" the blonde asked, not having heard Jake.
"I said, you seem tense," Jake replied.
"Yeah, a little," Jason said with a shrug, handing back the weapon to Jake as Nico approached. "It's good, just...not for me."
"Hey, guys," the Italian greeted them, causing Jason to smile.
Jake, on the other hand, jumped and exclaimed, "Holy fuck!" He dropped the gladius, which narrowly missed his foot. "Sorry, I just...I'm not used to you being around, Nico."
Nico rolled his eyes. "That sounds like a you-problem."
"We'll talk later, Jake," Jason said to the nervous looking son of Hephaestus. Jake nodded, picking up the sword before leaving. Jason then returned his attention to Nico. "Damn, you don't even have to try to startle someone."
Nico sighed. "I'm not trying to startle people."
"So, what's up? Anything I can do for you, Neeks?" Jason asked, knowing that there probably wasn't any request Nico could make that he'd say no to.
The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Neeks? Still?"
Jason frowned. "Do you not like it when I call you that?"
Nico quickly shook his head. "No, no, it's okay. It just seems a bit...childish coming from you. It's something that I expect from Percy."
Oh, so true.
Jason smirked. "What, I have to be formal and serious all the time? And speaking of, he's probably the reason that I've learned to lighten up. He's a good influence." He then shrugged. "Or a bad influence."
Nico chuckled, shaking his head. "No, definitely a good influence. Percy is just so...Percy."
Jason couldn't help but laugh. "You've described him perfectly. Anyways, is there something you needed?"
"Just checking up on you," Nico replied. "I know that you're probably bummed about Piper and everything."
The blonde suppressed a sigh.
Yeah, I'm a bit bummed, but not because of Piper.
Instead, he asked, "What gave you the idea that I'm still upset over Piper?"
"I don't know. You just seem..." Nico shrugged, "...somewhat distant."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Distant?"
"Like...you're here...alone," the Italian replied. "You know, you're always welcome to hang out with me and Will."
That's the problem...you and Will.
Despite his feelings, Jason managed a genuine smile because he was still happy for Nico. "Thanks, but the whole reason I'm here alone is because too many people ask for lessons later in the day. Besides, I wouldn't want to take away any of your focus on Will."
"Jason, you're just as important to me as Will," Nico insisted. "It's never an inconvenience."
Jason nodded and said, "Thanks, but I'll pass. It just feels...a little awkward."
Nico looked as if he was about to say something else, but Will just happened to approach the two of them, smiling brightly at his boyfriend.
"There you are, cuteness," he affectionately referred to Nico, causing him to blush.
Cute.
"Will~," Nico whined ever so adorably. "I'm the Ghost King, not 'cuteness'."
Will shrugged. "Whatever you say...cuteness."
Jason looked towards the other blonde and said, "Hey, Will."
"Hey, Jason. How's it hanging?" Will asked.
"Erm...I just woke up not too long ago," Jason replied.
"Well, you look great, buddy," Will chirped. "Anyways, Nico and I were gonna get some breakfast. Wanna join us?"
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that not allowed?"
"I can always write you a doctor's note," Will offered, and Jason got the hint.
He's saying, 'It's okay for you to hang out with Nico'.
"I'm fine," Jason lied. "You two enjoy breakfast."
Will frowned softly. "Are you sure?"
Does he have to insist? I know he's trying to help, but...
Jason nodded. "Yeah. Besides, I already ate."
Okay, that's another lie.
"Well...okay," Will relented. "Nico, you ready to go?"
Nico sighed. "Yeah...See ya, Jason."
"See ya," Jason answered before the two walked off holding hands.
...
The son of Jupiter sighed deeply, feeling both happy and depressed simultaneously.
I'm glad Nico's happy. I just wish that I was the one making him that happy...
Will
The son of Apollo started to get frustrated with his boyfriend pushing around his food on his plate instead of eating it.
Doesn't he know how important breakfast is?
Having had enough, he called, "Nico?" The Italian didn't seem to hear him, continuing to play with his food.
Yeah, he's definitely upset.
"Nico," he repeated, only to be met by the same result
Oh, for the love of...
"Nico!" he all but shouted, causing his boyfriend to jump slightly. "You okay? You've barely touched your food."
"Yeah, I'm okay," Nico replied, obviously lying.
Will reached out and grabbed Nico's hand. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"
"I..." Nico started, then sighed. "I'm worried about Jason. He was pretty upset after he broke up with Piper, and it wasn't easy convincing him not to go to Edgraton. Now...it's like he's acting how he did then."
He's not wrong.
"He's probably still adjusting," Will tried, even though he knew the reason. "It's not easy going through what he did, and people grieve in their own way."
Nico gave him a nonplussed expression and asked, "Why do I get the feeling that you know exactly what's wrong?"
...Busted.
Will sighed. "Because I do. Thing is...Jason likes someone. Probably goes a little deeper than that." Based on his expression, Nico was quite surprised to hear that.
"Really? Why doesn't he tell them?"
"Because they're already in a relationship."
Nico sighed and nodded. "Yeah, I know what that's like. It's rough...Do I know the person?"
Will answered, "I would hope so," only to wonder if that gave it away.
Did I say too much?
"I see," Nico replied, worrying the blonde a bit, only to ask, "Who is she?" which immediately relieved him.
Safe. Jason should be the one to tell him.
"You might wanna try again with the gender, babe," Will hinted.
Nico frowned. "Try again. What are you...Wait..." A look of realization slowly dawned over him. "Are you saying it's a guy?!"
"Right on the money," Will answered.
"But, I thought that Jason was straight," Nico pointed out.
"Just because someone's dated the opposite gender doesn't necessarily mean they're straight," Will countered. "Hades, people thought you had the hots for Annabeth."
Nico slowly nodded. "Alright...fair enough. Oh, a bit of a warning, be careful about invoking my dad's name. He tends to listen in when people do. He might even show up.
Right...
Will winced and said, "My bad. Wouldn't want my first meeting with him to because I used his name like that. Anyways, did you want to try inviting Jason to lunch, or would you rather just talk to him?"
"If I invite him to lunch, he'll probably just turn it down," Nico answered rather somberly. "I'll just try asking him."
Will smiled. "Don't worry too much, Nico. I'm sure he'll stick around. He cares about you too much to leave permanently."
Nico finally managed a smile himself. "You really think so?"
Will answered, "I know so. Now eat your breakfast."
"Yes, Will," Nico replied, starting to eat.
I hope this goes well.
Percy
Thank the gods that guy dodged. But now, he's in danger. Thanks a lot, Lester.
The son of Poseidon popped his seatbelt and looked over his shoulder to check on his passengers and asked, "You guys okay?"
One of his passengers, Meg, shoved against her door, exclaiming, "Won't open. Get me out of here!"
Great. Just...great.
'Oh, it'll be okay, Percy. You're only driving us to Camp.'
Percy turned around and rolled his eyes.
Yeah, right... I should have known better.
Percy tried his own door, only to find it jammed against the side of one of the two peach trees.
Fuck!
Suddenly, the person Percy managed to avoid ran up to the front of the car. The son of Poseidon couldn't make out his face, as most of it was hidden by a shadow, but could tell that he was frowning.
He is (understandably) not happy. But it's not my fault!
Something then occurred to him.
Wait...it's that guy!
"It's you!" Percy shouted, causing the hooded figure to recoil as if taken aback.
"You know who I am?"
"Yes!" Percy answered, then realized that he technically didn't. "I mean...no. I mean...it's complicated."
"Enlighten me," the stranger replied.
"Look, I'll explain everything later," Percy assured him. "Just help me get out of here first."
The hooded figure seemed to contemplate the request for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Put the car in neutral."
What's he up to?
Percy decided to do as he was told. "Now what?"
"Don't brace yourself. Relax," the hooded figure answered, and before Percy could ask why, the car was kicked out from between the trees.
"Holy shit!" Percy cursed, along with some other choice words from his occupants.
Wasn't expecting that, though to be honest, what exactly was I expecting?
The hooded figure then stepped next to Percy's side. "Cover your eyes." Percy was about to ask why. "Don't ask why, just do it!"
Bossy.
Percy shielded his eyes with his arm, only to hear the sound of glass shattering. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled through the now broken window of the Prius.
Paul's going to kill me...
"Was that really..." Percy started to ask, only for the hooded man to move his head to the left, then the right. "Erm...what are you doing?"
"Checking for lacerations," the hooded figure replied before releasing Percy and nodding. "You don't seem to have any major external injuries, but you should get yourself checked."
"Yeah, I'll do that later. First, I need to..." Percy stopped short when he noticed a frown. "What?"
"...Percy? Percy Jackson?" the hooded figure asked.
The son of Poseidon was taken aback. "Yes...Do you know me?"
"Yes...I mean, no. I mean...it's complicated," the hooded figure echoed Percy's words from earlier.
"Okay, we need to sort this out..." Percy said, only to see the reason he had crashed approaching, "...as soon as we're safe."
This is turning out to be more than way more than I bargained for.