Sunshowers

by IzzyMRDB

Summary:

Percy has a rather bad habit of being able to see the future. The old lady down the street is going to lose her cat, Mom is going to make pasta for dinner, Zeus' Master Bolt is going to be stolen by Luke, he's going to get a C+ in Maths.

As you can tell, this causes problems. Especially since he was born with this, and the gods have no idea he has such a gift.

At least he's always ten steps (and ten years sometimes) ahead of his enemies.

__
[The story is standalone, ignore the fact that it's part of a series]

Chapter 1: Drizzle

“Mom?” I spoke up. “Why do people like movies?”

 

Mom frowned, looking up from the dishes to see me sitting in front of the TV, The Rugrats Movie playing. 

 

“Well, the pictures are pretty.” She said, “And the stories are amazing- you want to watch movies because the stories keep you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know the ending.”

 

I frowned back at the TV, watching Angelica cackle meanly. “But I know the ending?”

“Not all stories have a happy ending, baby.” Mom tried to explain, “You may think that all the characters are going to live happily ever after, but some other important story bits happen too.”

I threw my hands up in the air, “But I know all the story bits! Tommy’s gonna put bananas on the baby, and the monkeys are gonna attack, and Stu is gonna save everyone with his dinosawr-helicoptah!” I lisped a bit at the end, frustration mounting. 

 

Mom quickly wiped her hands on a towel to come sit down next to me on the couch. 

 

“Percy, I just bought you this VHS and you haven’t watched it yet, you can’t know the ending.” She frowned, “Why do you think you do?”

 

“Because I do! Like when you watch a soccer game and I know who wins, and when I know what my grades at school will be, and when I know what’s for dinner! I know!” I insisted, “Don’t you know too?”

 

Mom was pale, and a bit scared, like whenever there’s lightning storms. “How about I watch the movie with you, okay baby?”

 

My brows furrowed, but I nodded.

 

As the film played, Mom got paler and paler, trembling. The movie happened exactly like I said it would.

 

“Percy…” Mom looked terrified. “Never, ever , tell anyone you know what will happen. Understand?”

 

“But-”

 

She grabbed me, and I cried out in fear. “Understand?” She pressed.

 

Panicked, I nodded.

 

“Good,” she muttered, “Good. We have to… we have to prepare…”

 

I didn’t know what she meant. Prepare? Prepare for what? Nothing is going to happen?

 

“Mom?” I asked, “Mom, I’m scared.”

 

“Shh,” she cooed. “It’s okay, Mommy will protect you.”

 

She smiled, but she was also crying.

 

Mom was crying, begging to the hurricane and the waves slapping against the sand. ‘Please,’ she screamed, ‘Please, not my son.’

 

No, she won’t.

Notes:

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

Chapter 2: Thunder

Summary:

A vision sends the strings of Fate into a new pattern

Mom looked more and more paranoid with every day that passed.

 

Every morning she would ask me if I Saw anything, if something was going to happen, and I’ll tell her everything: Mrs Rivera down the street was going to lose her cat, Danny from my class is going to get all the questions wrong in the spelling test, we’re going to have pasta for dinner.

 

I tried to tell her that I didn’t See anything once, but she didn’t believe me. Lying scares her more than telling the truth, so I didn’t do it.

 

Mom also says that I can’t sing, because I’ll catch His attention. In fact, even speaking can catch Their attention, so I’m told that I have to keep as quiet as possible and I can only talk to her.

 

I don’t know who He is, nor who They are, but they scare Mom. They scare me too.

 

Thunder rumbles, Arrows fly, Waves crash, Hawks fly, Sun blinds, Owls fly.

 

They are powerful… and I have an idea who they are, but I don’t want to scare Mom even more so I keep silent.

 

Silence is weird.

 

All the other kids find me weird because I don’t talk anymore, but Mom says that it protects me, so I don’t. I hear a lot though, even the teachers don’t mind saying things in front of me. Adults swear freely around me because ‘boy won’t repeat it anyways,’ and I don’t. Even Gabe says things that I’m pretty sure are illegal in front of me, but I can’t tell anyone about, ‘a mute snitch? Never heard of one, ha!’

 

Smelly Gabe is the worst of the new changes.

 

Gabe smelled bad . He likes to play poker and smoke, and drinks more than even Old Man Jaron three apartments down. He sometimes pinched me so I would squeak, and he would laugh and say that I’m not mute. I hide from him.

 

“Mom, play, park?” I signed clumsily.

 

Mom was teaching me Sign Language so I could say things without speaking, but I’m a bit slow at learning it.

 

“Let me get Gabriel one more beer and then we’ll go, okay baby? Go grab your jacket.” Mom said, reaching into the fridge.

 

I scampered off to do so, and paused at my empty backpack.

 

I have to bring it.

 

I didn’t question it, I began putting my extra jackets and clothes in my backpack. Anything that I Saw a flash of went into the bag too: My teddy, Mom’s copy of Ovid’s Metamorphosis, and a steak knife. I wonder why I’ll need this?

 

Smiling, I take my coat out of my bag. 

 

‘Nice and warm,’ I giggle as I put it on. 

 

I shrug my bag back on and continue walking.

 

Huh, that’s why. I suppose I’ll know more about the other things later.

 

“Percy! Let’s go!” Mom called.

 

-

 

I followed Mom, one step behind her, holding her hand.

 

Something is wrong, but I can’t See what it is.

 

I try to tug on Mom’s hand, tell her, but she doesn’t notice. I try to tug on her hand again, but she just turns back at me and says, “Baby, keep up, I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.”

 

I scowl, but do what she says. Something is wrong .

 

Central Park is full since it’s sunny out; children screaming as they run around, kites flying, dogs barking.

 

Beautiful.

 

Mom stopped and laid out a blanket on the ground, setting her purse down on it and then herself. 

 

“You can go play, but remember: don’t say a word, okay?” She told me.

 

I nodded, and quickly ran off to climb a lonely tree.

 

The playground looked nice, but when I climb trees- nobody bothers me at all. The trees were high enough up that I could see a large chunk of the park, but not too high that the Lightning-Anger-Smiting of Them would notice me.

 

I hummed a bit as I climbed another branch, reaching higher and higher so I could sit at the top. I’m technically allowed to hum- Mom only said I couldn’t sing or speak.

 

Sitting on the highest sturdy branch, I pulled my bag onto my lap. I can see the whole park from here! Well, not really, but I can see a large part of the park; the lake and the hotdog stand and the playground. 

 

...And the one-eyed man in a trench coat that has been staring at me for the past few minutes.

 

I tugged on Mom’s sleeve. The trenchcoat man is following behind us and Mom hasn’t noticed.

 

I gasped.

 

The man got closer and closer.

 

I screamed. The street-crowd’s eyes turned to me.

 

The man charged, hands outstretched to grab me.

 

I ran, ripping out of Mom’s grip and into the street. I dodged a car, then a taxi, and I heard several people scream ‘Kidnapper!’

 

Mom ran after me, trying to stop the man. 

 

She didn’t see the car.

 

I screamed.

 

The man ran from the scene.

 

I slapped my hand over my mouth to stifle my scream.

 

Mom is dead. Mom will be dead. 

 

I can’t… I have to… Mom will die if I come home with her today. That man is going to follow us home and try to take me and Mom is going to die and it’s going to be all my fault…

 

This is why I have my bag. I have to leave Mom to save her.

 

I don’t want to leave…

 

The trenchcoat man stared at an oblivious Mom, reading her book.

 

I have to leave.

 

Quietly, slowly, I climbed down the tree, trying to grab anyone’s attention.

 

I slung my bag back onto my back, and took off across the grass to Mom. I have to say goodbye.

 

“Percy? What’s wrong, baby?” Mom cooed, seeing my scared face in front of her. “Did you See something? Come here.”

 

She opened her arms out for a hug, but I didn’t go to her. I wanted to, but I knew I couldn’t leave her if I did.

 

“I love you.” I said. My voice was scratchy and croaking from disuse.

 

She looked horrified.

 

I ran.

 

“Percy! Percy! ” She screamed, getting up to come after me but I ran into a crowd of kids, disappearing into their midst.

 

The man followed, somehow able to track me while my Mom screamed for me, panicking at my disappearance.

 

Running across the grassy knolls, the man hot on my tail, I weaved and ducked adults with BBQs and picnics. One officer, hearing Mom screaming after me, tried to catch me, but I jumped out of the way of their arms. 

 

I sprinted out of the park, chest tight and pounding.

 

There. Alleyway.

 

Alleyway. Blood. “Godling! You are going to be a delicious meal!”

 

No. Not the Alleyway.

 

Subway full. Blending into the crowd. Hidden, silent, unseen.

 

There.

 

I skidded past a hotdog cart, ignoring the guy I nearly bowled over, and went straight to the steps leading me to the subway.

 

Pushing past the adults who yelled at me, I squeezed into the underground crowds. The man was too far behind me- too big to push through the crowd- and he wasn’t visible anymore.

 

I ducked under the ticket scans, and awkwardly fell into step with a woman dragging three kids behind her. Nobody gave me a second look as I slipped onto a train with them.

 

Rattling through the underground. Curled up on a chair. Safe.

 

The doors slid shut.

 

I sighed, slumping down on a chair.

 

My heart was still racing, and my legs ached. But I was smiling. 

 

I saved Mom.

-

 

Nobody was looking at me, so I slipped Mom’s book out of my bag.

 

I wonder why I needed this?

 

The Metamorphosis by Ovid.

 

Opening it, the words swam, but I looked at the first few words.

 

“Perseus.” A bearded man spoke from his throne.

 

Twelve gods on twelve thrones.

 

Oh. Oh .

 

Them. They are the gods.

 

I gripped the book tighter. I need to know more.

 

The overhead speaker said that there were ten more stops, but I didn’t pay it any attention.

 

The gods are real, and Mom was scared of them.

 

I continued reading.

Notes:

Hey! I'm still trying to find a schedule/system for this fic that will work well with NaNoWrMo, so if it feels off/weird, uh, I'm trying to figure it out. I think I'll do a 'chapters start short but get longer' sort of thing.

Text Like This is Percy's visions/sight, some of them are clearer than others, I'm also going to be working out a system for these. Percy's visions so far are pure possibilities, not concrete happenings of Fate, but he doesn't really understand the difference.

For anyone saying that Sally wouldn't do this: Sally lets her fear for her son get the best of her multiple times in canon. Gabe, while I understand was not a purposeful malicious act, did hurt her and she must of suspected hurt Percy too, but since he was 'protecting' Percy, she let it slide. Like here- multiple oracles in the past caught Apollo's attention for their voice alone (Herophile, Cassandra, etc) so Sally, desperate to protect Percy, told him to stop speaking. He doesn't tell her that it hurts him and so she doesn't stop it.

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 3: Gale

Summary:

One runaway, two runaways

I adopted the same method for getting out of New York: pretend to be a random family’s child, jump or duck through the ticket centers, go to the bathroom when the conductor passes through, slip out with the crowd.

 

I haven’t been caught yet, nor have I Seen myself being caught, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t be cautious. Many things happen that I don’t See- nearly got caught by a police officer three days ago because I was relying too much on what I See to actually see what was about to happen.

 

I’d learnt quickly to pay attention to my surroundings.

 

Slipping away from the crowd around Mount Vernon Train Station, I went straight towards the nearest park, Huntley Meadows Park, to try and blend in with tourists.

 

Clattering coins.

 

My eyes narrowed on a tourist pulling out a wallet and letting a few quarters drop on the ground. They didn’t notice, not pausing in their walk, and I quickly scooped up the $1.75 that would be buying my lunch for today.

 

Yes! That’s enough to buy a whole hotdog! I’m starving, I haven’t been able to eat since yesterday morning and my tummy hurts from the lack of food.

 

Usually there are a few food stands around stations and parks, and I try to hunt them down.

 

A flash of blonde hair.

 

“Don’t be silly, Seaweed Brain.” She nudged me. “You can’t be killed by a duck.”

 

I raised an eyebrow, “That’s what you think! Ducks are deadly- they are motivated to kill. I’ve Seen it!”

 

She laughed.

 

Her! I’ve seen her before- she’s in my dreams!

 

She screamed as the spiders approached.

 

More and more, she was frozen in fear. They bit and crawled all over her.

 

She screamed again and they entered her mouth.

 

Oh no, I have to save her!

 

I ran after her, dodging adults, trying to catch up.

 

She didn’t notice me, even when I waved my arms, and I made an annoyed sound. I am trying to save her and she won’t look at me.

 

She ducked into an alleyway and I went after her.

 

Only to get her rounding on me with a hammer.

 

“Who are you? Why are you following me?” She spat angrily, “Are you one of the monsters?”

 

I shook my head no frantically, putting my hands up in a surrender.

 

She frowned at me and stepped closer, “Why are you following me then?”

 

I opened my mouth and closed it a few times. I can’t speak, Mom said speaking catches the attention of the gods. I gesture furtively at my mouth and try to sign, “Helping” at her.

 

Her eyes widened, “Can you not speak?”

 

I nod, relieved that she finally understood.

 

She looked at me a bit suspiciously, “Do you want to hurt me? Or steal from me?”

 

I shook my head no, and gestured to our similar full backpacks.

 

She blinked, “Did you run away too? Were the monsters coming after you as well?”

 

I nodded and made a gesture to a single eye on my forehead. Her mouth made a little ‘o’ 

 

“A cyclops, huh?” She put away her hammer. “There were spiders attacking me, and I saw a hellhound too. I’m Annabeth, what’s your name?”

 

She immediately stopped and hit herself, “Wait, stupid question, you can’t speak.”

 

I gave a silent laugh. 

 

...Could I tell her my name? She knows it in the future, I Saw that, can she know it now? I was talking all the time before Mom told me not to, just a single word won’t hurt, right? I cocked my head to the side and bit my lip, she’s nice, I can trust her- right?

 

I beckoned her closer and she, curious, stepped closer.

 

“I’m Percy,” I croaked. 

 

She stepped back, eyebrows raised. “I thought you couldn’t speak.”

 

I nod, then reach into my bag for my book. She frowned and walked up behind me, peering down at the book from over my shoulder. 

 

I stopped flicking pages and pointed at a single word. 

 

“Cursed?” Annabeth sounded out. “You’re cursed?”

 

I bobbed my head, pointing at my throat and mouth. 

 

She raised an eyebrow, “You’re cursed so you can’t speak? Or you’re cursed so you shouldn’t speak?”

 

I raised two fingers, and her brow furrowed. “Why did you speak then?”

 

I shrugged and pointed at her. She said her name, it’s rude not to introduce myself back, right?

 

“Hm, okay then. Do you want to come with me? I’m going to take the train down to Richmond, then to North Carolina.” She offered, “Us runaways have to stick together.”

 

Smiling, I offered her my hand. She took it.

 

-

 

I’d managed to lead Annabeth away from the abandoned complex full of spiders, and we were taking shelter in a garage someone had left open.

 

I took a bite of my half of the hot dog, then gestured towards Annabeth’s hammer with a clear question in my eyes.

 

“Oh this?” She picked it up and waved it, “I found it last week- I hit some mean teenagers with it so I’m keeping it. Do you have any weapons?”

 

I pulled out my steak knife. “Wow,” Annabeth gasped. “That’s sharp; better than mine.”

 

Annabeth thrust a gleaming bronze knife into a Cyclop’s foot. “Luke! Thalia!” She shouted, “Run!”

 

I shrugged at that. Her knife is definitely going to be better than mine.

 

“I left home a couple of days ago,” She continued, eating her hotdog. “Dad was away and my stepmom yelled at me for being attacked by spiders- she thought I was making things up. When did you leave home?”

 

I tapped two fingers on the ground. “Two days?” She guessed. I shook my head and spread my hands wider. “Two weeks?” She tried again and I smiled.

 

“Huh, that’s a bit longer than me.” She pushed her hair out of her face, “Can you tell me why?”

 

I shrugged and pointed at my mouth. She made a face, “Right. Your curse. Did your Mom and Dad not like it?”

 

Not so much that she didn’t like it, more that she was scared of it and it was my fault if she got hurt. But I couldn’t say that, so I just sighed.

 

“I don’t exactly get your curse. What kind of curse means you can’t talk? Are you like Ariel?” She pressed.

 

I poked my tongue out at her. Rude, but, nobody has noticed me so far… right?

 

“I can see the future,” I whispered to her. “The gods don’t like it when people do that, and they can hear my voice. If I’m silent, I can’t catch their attention.”

 

She gasped, slapping her hand against her mouth. “Can you see… my future?” She whispered, looking excited.

 

I nodded, but quickly shushed her when she went to say more. “Can’t speak. Shh!”

 

She nodded reluctantly. “Is it good?”

 

I smiled and croaked, “We’re friends.”

 

She tackled me in a hug.

 

-

 

We’d quickly figured out a system over the next few days: Annabeth speaks, I point her where we need to go, and we charm adults by being adorable.

 

It mostly works.

 

“Come on, Percy!” Annabeth yelled, tugging on my hund as we raced away from the station.

 

We’d managed to make it to Richmond, only to be caught by a train conductor as we were stepping out. A few officers were giving chase, and Annabeth was on a few ‘Missing Child’ posters, so we really didn’t want to get caught.

 

Cars honking, cornered, “Gotcha!”

 

I suddenly veered left, away from the street and into a marketplace. Annabeth yelped but didn’t let go of my hand.

 

“Get back here kids!” The cop yelled, “Annabeth Chase, your father has been searching for you!”

 

Oh great, they must have recognised her from the Amber Alerts. 

 

Annabeth suddenly ducked under a stall, then another, so we put a few rows of tables between them and us.

 

Cemetery. Funeral. Ducking behind a tombstone. Cop cars driving right past.

 

 I caught her eye and pointed with my head to a street nearby, and she nodded. Together, we burst out from under a stall, and sprinted towards the road. A few yells came from behind us as we were spotted, but we ignored them in favor of running away.

 

Up this street, behind this store, through this alleyway, stop here so the car drives past you, down this street, into the Cemetery. 

 

I could barely tell the possibility from the present, but we made it anyway.

 

We ducked around the funeral procession, then behind a tombstone. The cops drove right on past us.

 

Panting, hands on knees, we grinned at each other.

 

“Safe,” Annabeth sighed and slumped onto me. I giggled and poked her. “Thanks Percy.” She poked me back.

 

We decided to pass the night in an abandoned warehouse three streets down named Richmond Ironworks. 

 

Well… she decided, I just smiled brightly.

 

Luke Castellan. Thalia Grace. “Family, I promise.” Smiling. Safe and Warm.

 

Yes. A good decision.

Notes:

Okay, third chapter! I'm glad so many people are interested in this story- never before have one of my stories gained so many views in so little time! I'm slowly getting into a writing rhythm, and I think I know what I'm doing now, so let's see if this goes well!

So, Percy has met Annabeth! Adorable boy trusts far too easily, but that's fine, Annabeth likes him and can speak enough for the both of them! Yep, Percy's prophecy powers come from Poseidon, Poseidon held the power of the Oracles before Apollo in many myths and still has a strong prophetic association with him. Also, not american, and I was on google maps for Virginia, trying to be as accurate as possible xfghjyjhk,a

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 4: Twister

Summary:

Three runaways, four.

When we heard someone enter the warehouse, we froze.

 

I tried to See, but nothing that I needed to know appeared.

 

Chucking pinecones at an archer in a tree, I laughed. “Score! 10 points!”

 

Yeah, definitely not what I wanted to know. I really have to learn how to control my Sight, this is the third time I’ve seen something completely irrelevant to the situation (What in the world does ‘Pog’ even mean and why did I see it while pickpocketing?).

 

Catching Annabeth’s eye, I quickly signed what we had decided would mean ‘Monster’ and ‘No Vision’, telling her to be wary.

 

She nodded and whispered, “Let’s hide under the metal on the dock.”

 

I quickly agreed and snuck out the main warehouse to crawl under the sheets of metal with her. 

 

I pulled out my steak knife, alert and aware of every sound, but the space was a bit too small for two children to hide under and Annabeth’s hammer clanged against the metal sheet.

 

I paled and tried not to whimper at the approaching footsteps.

 

The sheet of metal hiding us flew to the side, and Annabeth didn’t waste any time to attack.

 

“No more monsters!” She screamed, “Go away!”

 

I stood up and pointed my knife at the blond teenager holding her by the arm. I was shaking, and a bit confused. This? No, This .

 

The blond shouted at the girl to drop her weapons, and tried to calm Annabeth, looking shocked at the both of us.

 

I wanted to yell and scream, but what if they know Them ? I- I can’t.

 

“Thalia, they’re scared, reassure them!” The blond urged, and she finally snapped out of it and lowered herself to my height, trying to seem less intimidating.

 

Thalia: cousin, daughter of Zeus, Green Day and Pine trees. Luke: friend, son of Hermes, winged shoes and guitar strings.

 

I dropped my knife.

 

“Monsters!” Annabeth wailed.

 

I rushed forward, frantically trying to get Annabeth to stop panicking.

 

Luke carefully hugs Annabeth, comforting, and says “We know about monsters. We fight them too.”

 

Annabeth sniffs, and I grab her arm. Luke draws me into a hug too. “You’re like us?” Annabeth asks.

 

Luke and Thalia share a look. 

 

“We’re…” Luke hesitated, “Well, it’s hard to explain, but we’re monster fighters. Where are your families?”

Annabeth’s eyes turned hard, “My family hates me. They don’t want me. I ran away.”

 

Luke turned to me, “And where’s your family, buddy?”

 

I stared wordlessly into his eyes. Family, I promise.

 

“Percy can’t speak. He ran away because of the monsters.” Annabeth sniffed, gripping my sleeve.

 

Thalia knelt down next to us. She put her hand on Annabeth’s shoulder. “What’s your name, kiddo?”

 

“Annabeth.” 

 

“Nice name,” Luke told her. “I tell you what, Annabeth. You’re pretty fierce. We could use a fighter like you. And you too, Percy, you held that knife pretty well.” 

 

Annabeth’s eyes widened. “You could?” 

 

“Oh, yeah,” Luke said earnestly. Then his eyes lit up, pulling out a dagger

 

“How’d you like a real monster-slaying weapon?” He asked her. “This is Celestial bronze. Works a lot better than a hammer.” 

 

Annabeth took the dagger and studied it in awe. 

 

“Family, Luke, you promised.” Blood flies.

 

Halcyon Green held up a jar of greek fire.

 

Annabeth snarled as she stabbed a dracena.

 

I bit my lip to stop gasping outloud.  

 

 “Knives are only for the bravest and quickest fighters,” Luke told her. “They don’t have the reach or power of a sword, but they’re easy to conceal and they can find weak spots in your enemy’s armor. It takes a clever warrior to use a knife. I have a feeling you’re pretty clever.” 

 

Annabeth beamed .“I am clever!” she said. 

 

Thalia laughed and tousled Annabeth’s hair. She smiled down at me, and patted my head too.

 

“We’d better get going, Annabeth, Percy,” Thalia said. “We have a safe house on the James River. We’ll get you some clothes and food.” 

 

Annabeth’s smile wavered. For a moment, she got that wild look in her eyes again. “You’re… you’re not going to take me back to my family? Promise?” 

 

Promise.  

 

“You’re part of our family now. And I promise I’m not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?” 

 

“Deal!” she said happily, clutching her new dagger. 

 

Thalia picked up her spear. She smiled at me with approval. “Now, come on. We can’t stay put for long!”

 

-

 

“Percy, do you know American Sign Language?” Luke asked, kneeling beside me as I ate.

 

I nodded, and clumsily signed a “Yes.” 

 

He nodded, and to my delight, signed back a “Good. Nice to meet you.”

 

I put down my chip packet and, despite my bad ASL, quickly signed back a host of words. “Happy. Safe. Family. Thank you. P-E-R-C-Y. Know you. See, sight. A-N-N-A-B-E-T-H. Can’t speak.”

 

“Woah there, buddy, slow down.” He laughed. “I’m glad that you feel safe with Thalia and I. I don’t understand what you meant there, ‘Know, See, Seeing’? What do you mean by that?”

 

Frustrated, I spelled out “A-N-N-A-B-E-T-H.”

 

“Do you want me to call Annabeth over? Does she know what you mean?” 

 

I nodded. He quickly called Thalia and Annabeth over.

 

“What is it Percy?” Annabeth asked.

 

I simply replied with our sign for ‘Vision’ and then tapped my throat. I jerked my head towards Luke and Thalia.

 

Her eyes widened. “You want to tell them?”

 

I nodded. Luke and Thalia are safe, they care for us and have spoken a lot more about being demigods too. I Saw them help us. 

 

Annabeth’s eyes darted between me and them, but relented. “Percy sees the future.”

 

Luke flinched and Thalia gaped.

 

“What?!” Luke hissed harshly.

 

“He sees things that are going to happen! It’s really useful because he knows where the cops are and where the monsters are going to be. He knew about me before we met! He knew you too! But Percy says he’s got a curse because of that, if he speaks then the gods can find him and then bad things will happen. So I speak for him.” She explained.

 

Luke and Thalia shared a sad look. I’m guessing they’ve dealt with cursed prophets before.

 

Thalia drew me into a hug, and Luke didn’t hesitate to join us. “Don’t worry, we’re going to look after you.” Thalia promised, “The gods won’t hurt you, we promise.”

 

“Perseus!” The god thundered.

 

Thalia screaming, “Run! I’ll hold them off!”

 

Luke coughing crimson.

 

My father, trident in hand, standing over my shoulder.

 

I smiled shakily. 

 

No, you won’t, you’ll die if you try.

Notes:

Is the phrasing of this a bit awkward? Yes. Can I fix it? No. Should I admit defeat and ask for a Beta? Yes but I'm not gonna. :P
I missed a day of updates, that's okay because I can catch up soon. I'm in a *very* stressful period of my life, and I'm being cut down to 3 hours of internet a day, so if I miss an update or give a short chapter, this is why.

Percy has meet Luke and Thalia, they find out he's a seer/prophet, and :) we find out exactly how much Percy is aware of. Idk, how about some nice comments? I like nice comments!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 5: Mist

Summary:

Visions and Family

Luke and Thalia like to hover.

 

Thalia is always checking up on Annabeth and I, asking us if we’re hungry or if we need a hug- she’s like a mom. Luke hovers in a different way: he brushes my hair away from my face after a bad Vision ( Blood and screaming ), he stole a book on ASL for me, and he gives me piggyback rides. Annabeth says that this is what a family looks like, but I can’t help but remember mom begging the sea- begging my dad- for me to come home.

 

At least we’ve had some great times together.

 

“Percy! Get that out of your mouth!” Thalia shrieked.

 

I looked up to see that Thalia and Luke had returned, meaning my lookout for cops was over.

 

“Percy!” Thalia ran up to me to pry the stapler from my hands. “Where did you even get this?”

 

Jason smiled and pointed at his scar, “This? Yeah, I tried to eat a stapler as a baby. Thalia still laughs about it but she says that she freaked out when I did it.”

 

I just blinked owlishly at Thalia’s fussing. I didn’t know she had a baby brother.

 

“Percy, where did you get the stapler?” Luke signed as he spoke, “We were gone for ten minutes.”

 

I shrugged and pointed at the Salvation Army bin.

 

Annabeth frowned, “That was in the bin and you stuck it in your mouth? Why are boys so gross?”

 

I stuck my tongue at her. It was perfectly clean and I found several cool other trinkets too, guess she doesn’t get to play with the doll I took for her.

 

“Why?” Thalia signed.

 

“Vision. Found a doll for Annabeth in there that she would have liked.” I signed back.

 

Immediately, Luke began frowning down at me. “A vision? Again? That’s the eighth one today- not counting your dream- they’re getting more frequent.”

 

I wrinkled my nose at the mention of my dream. ( A Pine tree growing rapidly from the ground, only to be struck by lightning. ) I’ve been having the same dream for the past week and I still can’t quite figure out what it’s supposed to mean.

 

Sometimes, a Vision is so strange or so vague, I can’t figure it out. A single snippet of a moment. I know that Thalia is going to die young and that Luke is going to die in Annabeth’s arms, but I can’t figure out any of the context for it. How? Why? When? Where? I don’t know and it’s driving me mad!

 

“Percy?” Luke asked, “Are you okay?”

 

I just sighed and nodded. I handed Annabeth the doll, which she thanked me for, and pulled my bag back on. 

 

Time to keep moving.

 

-

 

Annabeth yelped as we playfully wrestled under Thalia’s watchful eye.

 

Luke was out, pickpocketing money for dinner, and Thalia was letting us burn off some energy before bedtime.

 

Annabeth had just managed to pin my legs when I paused.

 

Luke smiled and held up a bag, “Who wants McDonalds?”

 

I beamed and began wriggling out of Annabeth’s grip. “Wha- Percy!” She squeaked when I managed to throw her off.

 

Luke appeared at the entrance of the cave. He smiled and held up a bag, “Who wants McDonalds?”

 

Completely forgetting myself, I shrieked a happy “Luke!”

 

Immediately, everyone froze. 

 

I haven’t spoken at all since I told Annabeth I could see the future, too scared of the storm that happened that night. Luke and Thalia haven’t heard me say a single word in the month they knew me.

 

Thalia quickly shushed me, and Luke ran forward to envelop me in a hug, his hand covering my mouth. Annabeth’s eyes were darting around as if expecting a god to appear any second.

 

After a few minutes of silence, Thalia let out a breath, and everyone relaxed. 

 

Luke’s eyes fluttered closed and he let his hand drop away from my mouth, slumping against the cave wall. “As happy as I am to have my name be your first word with us, Percy, let’s not call the attention of the gods. Okay?”

 

I nodded, blushing.

 

Whoops.

 

Annabeth rolled her eyes, “Come on, silly-head, I’m hungry.”

 

-

 

We stuck close to the coastline when we travelled.

 

Luke snuck us onto trains or we got busses, and we stayed near major cities the best we could. Thalia told us that it’s because nobody looks twice at a bunch of homeless kids in big cities, and that if we get attacked by a monster in the middle of nowhere then it would be hard to find help. Annabeth nodded along and added her two cents, saying that it’s easy to steal from tourists in cities too.

 

The way they’re thinking is correct, but it frustrated me that I was unable to tell them that it was safest in small towns I saw on the map, where the monsters are okay with overlooking a few demigods as long as we mind our own business. Or Alaska, where I kept pointing to on the map, trying to sign how it’s free from monsters and gods, only for Annabeth to say that it’s too far away and we wouldn’t make it. 

 

Jacksonville, Florida was a weird place. The summer heat was way too strong, the flies were huge, and there was an alligator in the pond beside the bus station. 

 

We’d decided to rest on a beach, where Annabeth and I were making sandcastles, while Luke and Thalia argued whether we should continue going south to Miami like Thalia wanted or go west to New Orleans like Luke wanted.

 

I grabbed the bucket and went closer to the surf to get more water for Annabeth’s moat, when I spotted a pretty lady with scales standing on shaky legs, half in the waves.

 

“Perseus!” She called, stumbling towards me. “I’ve found you!”

 

I try to yank my arm away from her with a whimper. I know who she is: an Ocean Nymph.

 

A god must have sent her. My father...

 

“Perseus, please. You father sent me to bring you to him. You cannot stay with the daughter of lightning, your uncle will realise who you are soon. Come with me.”

 

I pull at my arm, trying to escape once again.

 

The nymph is helping Queen Amphitrite leave the royal wing of the palace.

 

BANG!

 

Screaming, they turn to a hole in the wall that was letting Oceanus’ warriors pour into the palace.

 

The Queen readys her spear, and the nymph handmaidens raise daggers. “Protect the Queen!”

 

The nymph is skewered in the back. The water around her turns green as her life-blood flows into the currents.

 

The nymph screamed, and my eyes fluttered as I stumbled to my knees on the sand.

 

“Percy!” I heard someone scream, someone familiar.

 

The nymph, panicking, tries to drag me to the waves, but another scream of my name makes her let go of me and dive back into the sea.

 

“Percy! Percy?!” Someone calls, brushing my hair away from my face as they cradle me.

 

A hand cups my cheek, and I belatedly realise that Thalia and Luke were fussing over me. Annabeth had her dagger in hand, staring at the ocean with grey eyes like stone.

 

A Vision. A Vision that showed me how the nymph was going to die.  

 

The last time I Saw a death Vision so clear was when I left mom, but I don’t understand… How could I save the nymph? She died when Oceanus attacked my father’s palace. How can I stop a war undersea?

 

Luke, carefully, hitched me up and onto his hip. I blinked at the sudden rush of dizziness.

 

I Saw her die, and I can’t save her.

Notes:

Here's an update! Half of this was written on my phone, so if there's a mistake, that's probably why so please tell me so I can fix it. I'm going to try and plan/outline the next few chapters so it's easier for me to update more.

Percy's powers are noticed by his dad, Luke and Thalia freak out about Percy's lack of self-preservation, and Annabeth laughs at her brother's stupidity. The nymph was a last minute addition, but watch her develop a plot point about Percy's vision.

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTgn

Chapter 6: Lightning

Summary:

Towards the East

It was pretty hard to try and tell Thalia and Luke exactly what I saw.

 

Lady Artemis and her hunters pointing arrows at Luke.

 

“He’s a boy.” Zoe spat, “You would refuse the hunt for a boy?”

 

“Group of girls, tonight, goddess. Hunting.” I stumbled over my signing, tired.

 

Yesterday’s Vision at the beach, and then this one this morning, meant that I was exhausted. I have always Seen simple things, barely more than snapshots, but they’re getting longer and more complex.

 

Luke, worried about me, immediately got us on a train going west, and told me to sleep because he was carrying me for the rest of the day. Thalia agreed with him, so only Annabeth emphasised with my growing restlessness.

 

“The Hunters of Artemis,” Thalia cursed. “They’re going to try to recruit me and Annabeth if they find us. She might even tell her brother about Percy.”

 

Artemis, twin sister of Apollo, goddess of the Hunt and the Moon. Her twin brother was the one person I think Mom was the most terrified of- even more than my Uncles. He was the god of prophecies and could hear every voice ever spoken. 

 

I eyed the sun warily.

 

“We can’t let them know Percy is with us, nor Annabeth. We can hide them in a warehouse and we can go into the woods by ourselves. Thalia, they might try to recruit you, but you can tell them no.” Luke insisted.

 

“And what about you?” Thalia hissed, “They might kill you!”

 

“That’s a risk we’re going to have to take!” Luke snarled back. “It’s either I die and you can escape with Percy and Annabeth, or I die, Percy gets taken to the gods to probably get killed, and you and Annabeth get killed for hiding a Prophet! This is the better choice!”

 

Thalia’s eyes shuttered with hurt, but steeled herself. “Okay.”

 

This is my fault. If I wasn’t here, they wouldn’t be in so much danger.

 

Luke, as if sensing my thoughts, knelt down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “It’s okay Percy, Thalia and Annabeth will take good care of you while I’m gone, and you are going to protect them too, won’t you?”

 

I nodded, and wrapped my arms around his neck. When I pulled back, my fingers spelt out a shaky “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” He swallowed, then stood up. “Let’s find a warehouse to hide you two.”

 

-

 

They left us with “I love you’s” and a promise that if they’re not back by dawn, to run and catch a train back towards the East coast.

 

“Do you think they’re okay?” Annabeth asked, sometime around midnight.

 

I nodded.

 

I haven’t had anymore Visions all day, just that singular one this morning, and I realised that I hadn’t had any Visions yesterday either- other than when the ocean nymph tried to kidnap me. I think that important Visions need time to build up, while smaller ones can happen multiple times a day. 

 

A clatter came from outside, and we jumped, grabbing our blades.

 

“One-Two-Three-Five-Eight!” I heard Thalia call, and we relaxed. The secret code for if they’re back, or the first five fibonacci numbers, meant that it’s safe.

 

...They’re back!

 

Annabeth and I scrambled to our feet, and promptly threw ourselves at them as soon as they entered the warehouse.

 

Luke grabbed me and swung me up onto his hip, grabbing Thalia and pulling her to his side, Annabeth in her arms.

 

“We’re okay. They let us go, and we doubled back and covered our tracks- they didn’t follow us.” Luke said, ruffling Annabeth’s hair.

 

“So we’re safe?” Annabeth asked. “Are we leaving?”

 

“Yeah, we’re safe.” Thalia replied, “But we’re heading North-East again. They knew we were going West, so we have to double back. Sorry kiddos, but I think California is going to have to wait.”

 

Camp.

 

Yeah… California is going to have to wait for a long time.

 

-

 

“Thalia. Thalia. Thalia.” I signed repeatedly, doing the ASL sign for sparks as her Sign-Name.

 

Annabeth was happily swinging Luke’s hand back and forth as we walked through the woods across the border to North Carolina, chattering on about the temple she wants to build one day.

 

“What is it Percy?” Thalia asked, finally realising I was trying to grab her attention.

 

Satyr.

 

“Goat-Man.” I signed back.

 

She blinked. “What?”

 

Unfortunately, Luke was much better at ASL than Thalia, something he claims he gets from his father- the god of languages.

 

“Goat. Man.”

 

“Okay, I know that second sign means ‘man’ but what’s the first one?” 

 

I sighed. “Goat.”

 

She stared blankly. “Sorry kiddo. Luke! Our kid’s signing and I can’t understand him!”

 

Luke turned around, and I signed a very aggressive “Vision. Goat-Man.”

 

“A satyr?” He asked bewildered. “You Saw a satyr?”

 

“Yes. He’s a friend, I think? Didn’t attack us.” I told him with a shrug.

 

Thalia sighed, “Guess we’re doing the lure, hide and attack plan again. Kids, put your bags down and help us set up the net. We’re catching ourselves a satyr.”

 

-

 

The Satyr is much younger than I thought he’d be.

 

“So, your names are Thalia, Luke, Annabeth, and Percy?” Said the 10 year old looking satyr, crunching on a tin can. 

 

“Yeah,” Annabeth answered. “Do tin cans taste nice?”

 

“Yeah, but my favorite are coke cans.” The satyr named Grover shrugged. “I found you because of your smell. You’ve got a child of the big three in your group- a really powerful one, I could’ve mistaken it for two of them.”

 

Thalia and I made an uncomfortable eye-contact. She rains lightning and I breathe underwater, there's two of us but…

 

“I am.” She said, “Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Luke is a son of Hermes and Annabeth is the daughter of Athens. We don’t know who Percy’s parent is.”

 

Yeah, and we only know who their parents are for certain is because I told them. I have to pretend nobody knows who my parent is, less attention on me.

 

“I have to bring you back to camp.”

 

“Camp?”

 

“Camp Half-Blood. The safest place for demigods, where you can learn to defend yourself and live with our demigods!” He said, cheery.

 

Thalia frowned down at the pamphlet he just handed her. “Safe from even the gods?”

 

“Yeah, your Uncles can’t send monsters after you if you’re there- it breaches the treaty of neutrality.”

 

Thalia and Luke had a silent conversation.

 

Luke turned to Grover, “Where is this camp?”

 

-

 

“Fucking cyclops!” Luke snarled, stabbing one in the gut.

 

We were at least prepared for the cyclops when they showed up, I had discreetly warned Luke and Thalia that they had a nest nearby, but Grover still managed to get us caught.

 

Cue Luke and I desperately grabbing a pair of swords from the cyclop’s hoard and trying to fight them off.

 

At least nobody got tied up for a stew!

 

Duck, stab.

 

I rolled away from the cyclops, letting him overstep in his duck and then stab thin air.

 

If there’s one thing my Visions are good for, it’s fighting!

 

“Take that!” Annabeth shouted, stabbing one in the foot.

 

Thalia, jumping over me, jabbed her spear into a cyclop’s neck, turning it into dust.

 

Luke reached over and pulled me to my feet. “Run!”

 

-

 

The cyclops got us so side-tracked we managed to end up in Connecticut instead of New York.

 

At least Luke’s mom lived nearby…

 

“Would you like more cookies, dearie?” Mrs Castellan asked me.

 

I shook my head, politely trying to refuse the burnt cookies.

 

Luke carefully called his mother’s attention, taking her eyes off me. He gave me a silent question, signing “You okay?”

 

May Castellan’s eyes glowed green, she smiled manically as she hugged an older Luke.

 

“My little hero. Of course I bless your endeavors, you’ll fulfill the prophecy. Oh… such pride for my little hero…”

 

Luke struggled against her grip, genuine fear in his eyes.

 

“She’s scary.” I signed back, “She Sees too, but her curse caught their attention, didn’t she?”

 

Luke’s eyes seemed pained. “Yeah,” Was all he signed before opening his arms for a hug. I gratefully took it.

 

“Luke?” A man’s voice came.

 

Luke stiffened and immediately stood, pushing me behind him and towards Thalia.

 

God. Speed. Caudecus. Snakes. Letter. Travel.

 

I nearly whimpered out loud as soon as I realised who was standing in front of us. Hermes, god of Messengers.

 

Thalia surged forward, hobbling a bit on her injured leg, and pulled me behind her, her hand drifting to her spear.

 

Annabeth whined aloud, grabbing my hand.

 

Hermes eyes the scene, not cold… wary. He knows something we don’t… Prophecy and Oracles…

 

“Luke, come, talk with me in the hall.” He said.

 

Luke, with a nod at Thalia, goes with him.

 

I’m frozen with fear. 

 

A god. A god is right there, in the hallway, and I’m trembling. I’m crying . What if-? Does he know? He knows something about an Oracle, but what about a Prophet?

 

Thalia, quietly, kneels down in front of me, her spear in a white-knuckled grip. “Percy,” she signed. “If something happens, run.”

 

I nodded, trying to wipe away my tears.

 

Grover looked confused.

 

Hermes came back, leading Luke with a hand on his shoulder. 

 

Thalia tensed, and so did Luke. Both were ready to fight.

 

Hermes frowned, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

 

Luke and Thalia were still tense.

 

“I’m not getting involved with my father’s broken vow, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He said, “I have a map to camp I can give you. You just need to leave, now.”

 

Thalia nods slowly, and warily takes the map from his hand with a slight flinch. 

 

Luke doesn’t let go of my hand until we’re over the border in New York.

 

-

 

Hellhounds, skeletons, Furies.

 

Annabeth screamed as a Fury swooped down, but luckily didn’t fall.

 

At the base of Half-Blood Hill, safety has never seemed closer or further away. 

 

Annabeth crying, a twisted ankle.

 

A hellhound leaped, and I pushed Annabeth aside. My ankle twisted painfully under me, bringing tears to my eyes as I fell.

 

“Percy!” Luke called, and he rushed to pick me up and put me on his back.

 

“Come on!” Grover shouted, “Just over the hill!”

 

We struggled as the monsters gained on us, the thunderstorm not helping as our feet slipped in the mud.

 

I buried my face in Luke’s neck.

 

“I’ll hold them off!” Thalia screamed. “Run! Get help!”

 

Luke ran, taking me and Annabeth with him, following Grover’s lead.

 

Thalia screamed, body flying through the air. It landed with a sickening crunch at our feet.

 

Lightning strikes and a tree grows.

 

My hand slaps against my mouth, stifling my scream.

 

No! No-no-no-no-nO-NO! Not Thalia, NOT THALIA!

 

I’m sobbing out loud, desperately trying to get their attention. They don’t look at me. WHY WON’T THEY LOOK AT ME?!

 

Thalia yelps and turns a hellhound into dust.

 

“Run! I’ll hold them off!” She screamed.

 

I sobbed harder, reaching out to her. I can’t lose her, I can’t!

 

Luke yelled back, desperately begging her not to.

 

Thalia shook her head, “Run! Get help! Please Luke, save them!”

 

Tears had blurred the world into an unrecognisable inky darkness, and Luke turned and ran, me on his back and Annabeth holding his hand.

 

I sobbed pitifully. I can’t save her… I can’t… I’ve lost her.

 

We managed to reach the top of the hill, only for a loud crunch signifying Thalia’s body had landed to tilt the whole world to the side.

 

I screamed.

 

The hellhounds, about to pounce, were thrown back. A tree was uprooted from the ground. Skeletons stumbled.

 

Lightning struck Thalia.

 

The last thing I saw before I passed out was Thalia’s body turning into a pine tree.

 

-

 

Apollo POV

 

It was a silent night on Olympus.

 

Everyone was quiet, watching Zeus’ daughter and her companions attempt to reach Camp Half-Blood.

 

I’ve already heard whispers of what was going to happen, but everyone else was ignorant. Still staring at the screens with hope, amusement, curiosity, and with a smirk on their faces- hubris and ego personified. 

 

I, unlike everyone else, had decided to watch the happenings live on Hephaestus TV, alone in my temple. Hermes was holding Athena’s hand somewhere else, Dionysus and Ares had gathered the rest of the younger gods to watch together, Poseidon managed to fool everyone else that he had no investment in these happenings but I know that the dark haired boy looked far too much like him for him to not be watching on the edge of his throne in Atlantis, and Father… Father and Hera were in their temple- arguing forever on loop.

 

I swirled a glass of nectar-wine around as I lounged on my kline couch, watching the figures on the TV struggle to the top of the hill.

 

I didn’t even know why I was bothering to- I knew the ending. Perhaps it was the little twists of fate and free-will; one was fated to fall but if they played their cards right, the others will live.

 

“Run! I’ll hold them off!” My little half-sister screamed.

 

“No! Thalia!” Hermes’ son begged. The black-haired boy on his back was crying silently, reaching his arms out for Thalia.

 

Thalia shook her head, “Run! Get help! Please Luke, save them!”

 

Hermes’ son clearly hesitated, but Athena’s daughter let out a sob, and he made his decision.

 

He grabbed the little girl’s hand, and grabbed the satyr’s shoulder, and started pushing them up the hill.

 

They managed to get to the top of the hill before the army caught up. 

 

Thalia’s body landed at the top of the hill, not even a full twelve feet from the other half-bloods, with a sickening crunch. I closed my eyes.

 

Only for them to fly back open at the SCREAM I heard.

 

The little black-haired boy had screamed, somehow throwing the hellhounds about to lunge at them several feet back, and it echoed.

 

Almost like… No. It’s impossible.

 

The TV and my premonition must have just blended together badly- a trick of the mind. There’s no way Poseidon’s forbidden son is a Prophet- a possible Oracle of mine.

 

No way… right?

Notes:

Heyo! I'm a bit rushed today, so if half of it seemed rushed, that's why. Here's your newest angsty update! It's longer than normal because I'm switching to longer chapters, and you even get a bonus 'uh-oh' to the end! The Hunters, Percy's powers were explored, Grover is here, May's house, and Percy screams! Such a busy chapter lol. What do you think is going to happen next?

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 7: Clouds

Summary:

Question: Do y'all actually read the summaries? Pls answer in the comments, I wanna know if I'm allowed to be lazy or cracky with these.

Apollo POV

 

I paced up and down my living room, wine glass forgotten in favor of a whole wine bottle.

 

There’s no damn way that Poseidon’s not so secret son is a Prophet.

 

Sure, Herophile was also one of Poseidon’s children, and she’s a great Oracle albeit slightly missing, but none of Poseidon’s other children in the past millennia have had any strong prophetic ability. My oracles have all been slowly fading, disappearing, and being cursed in the past few years- the likeliness of any new prophets appearing from the woodworks is slim. 

 

...Unless this is a new generation? Coming to inherit from the old one?

 

No. He can’t be. I would have noticed his voice beforehand. There’s no way the kid hasn’t sang at all, I hear every voice ever, I would have noticed a Prophet’s song.

 

...But I have been very distracted this past decade, especially after my Oracle rejected a possible host.

 

I took another swig from the bottle. This… has the possibility of becoming a mess.

 

“Apollo? You missed a meeting- What in Chaos’ name?” Hermes gaped, standing in the doorway.

 

My temple was… a bit of a mess. 

 

I’ve been stressed these past- what? Days? Might have been a week- and I’ve taken it out on a few pieces of furniture. And I might have scorched a bit of the carpet… and shot a few arrows at the mounted stag head Artemis gave me.

 

“Apollo, what happened ?” He frowned, “I haven’t seen you this worked up since you lost Hyacinth.”

 

That was a cold bucket of water poured over my head.

 

“Don’t!” I snapped, angry at the reminder.

 

His hands immediately were thrown up in a surrender, “Sorry, sorry. But, ‘Pol, come on, what’s wrong?”

 

“I’m imagining things.” I told him, “That’s it.”

 

He frowned, “That’s definitely not it.”

 

“It has to be it!” I cried, “Or else it is a massive mess that will probably lead to father trying to start a war or maybe even me losing some of my oracles!”

 

Hermes blinked. “Right. How about we get some nectar into you, and you tell me about this prophecy you’re in denial about.”

 

I glared at him, but let him take the bottle from me. “It wasn’t a prophecy.”

 

“Then what was it?”

 

I took the watered down nectar from him, and downed it. “You visited Thalia Grace’s little group of runaway demigod, didn’t you?”

 

He immediately tensed, glaring down at me. “Why do you care?”

 

“Poseidon’s son.”

 

His brows furrowed, “What?”

 

“Come off it, I know you can tell that the boy is Poseidon’s.” I waved his fake ignorance away. “You met him, didn’t you? Tell me about him.”

 

“Is he the reason father might start a war or you might lose your oracles?” He asked, not faking his concern.

 

“Maybe,” I hedged. “Only if I’m not imagining what I think I am.”

 

Hermes sat down beside me on my fainting couch. “The boy is… quiet. I think he might be mute- Luke used ASL with him.”

 

“He screamed when Thalia died- we all heard him.” I pointed out.

 

He frowned, “Yes, he did.”

 

We both didn’t say anything on how his scream managed to throw the hellhounds back.

 

Hermes cleared his throat, “Well, he did only use ASL. And the kid was scared of me- like, absolutely terrified. I can’t tell if maybe a man in his past abused him horribly, or maybe it’s some sort of crippling fear of us gods… Thalia had a spear in her hand the second I appeared, and Luke, my son , was ready to attack me and run when I focused on him for a second, so it might be both? I don’t know.”

 

“Could he be hiding his voice for a reason?” I mused, a blurry picture starting to form. “Did they say what his name is?”

 

“Percy.” Hermes frowned.

 

“Percy,” I drew out the name, playing with it.

 

Is Percy a new Prophet?

 

“Apollo, seriously, what is this about?” Hermes pressed, but I didn’t look at him.

 

“Let’s hope no one ever finds out.”

Percy POV

My head was pounding, and I clenched my eyes shut tighter.

 

The steady rise and fall of Luke’s chest, and his heartbeat, lulled me gently and soothed my aches. 

 

We always sleep like this: Annabeth and I curled on top of Luke, while Thalia curled around our side- arm on top of Annabeth and I, all clutching each other for warmth and safety.

 

But Thalia wasn’t here, her arm wasn’t hugging me in my sleep, and Annabeth’s fingers were laced with mine.

 

I whimper and open my eyes.

 

Annabeth is awake, curled up next to me, and Luke was carding his fingers through her hair. We were somewhere I’ve never seen before, not even in my visions, and I tried to sink against Luke even more.

 

“Shh,” Luke crooned. “It’s okay, Perce. You’re at Camp Half-Blood. We’re in the infirmary.”

 

Will Solace smiled, and offered me a band-aid. “I can’t believe you did that.”

 

I scowled, “Nico dared me- of course I did!”

 

Annabeth laughed, “Seaweed brain.”

 

I poked my tongue out at her.

 

“Buddy. Buddy? You okay there, Perce?”  

 

My hand was a bit shaky, but I managed to sign out a quick “Vision, good, safe.”

 

He sighed. “Good, good.”

 

“Are you better now?” Annabeth asked, voice croaky. “They said you exhausted yourself using your powers, but all you did was scream.”

 

I looked away, tears coming to my eyes.

 

Luke’s breathing stuttered. “Did you See?”

 

I signed back a simple, “Too late.”

 

“You tried to warn us.”

 

The dam broke, and I sobbed.

 

Luke grabbed me, pulling me closer and into a hug. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I should have listened. Shh, it’s not your fault, I wasn’t paying attention, I’m sorry.”

 

Annabeth didn’t look convinced, neither was I.

 

She grabbed my hand anyway, and curled around Luke too. ‘ This is the only family I have left, ’ her eyes seemed to say, ‘ I’m not letting you go. ’

 

I cried harder. It’s my fault.

 

-

 

I refused to leave the infirmary.

 

Luke looked stressed, running a hand through his hair and sighing, trying to get me to stop my (I refuse to admit it) ‘tantrum.’

 

But I’m scared, and he doesn’t know what’s waiting outside for us.

 

Grapes, cloying sweet smell, poker cards and pac-man, purple madness .

 

Tears leaked out of my eyes, yet I still thrashed and refused to leave, not even letting Luke pick me up like he usually does.

 

Grover, who came to get us to meet the Camp Directors, left to go get one of them after I scratched Luke when he tried to pick me up after my third refusal.

 

“Percy, if something is wrong, you have to tell me, I can’t read your mind.” Luke pleaded, kneeling in front of me.

 

“Not safe!” I desperately signed, sniffling.

 

Luke looked lost at my fear, “Grover promised us Camp was safe. Look: they treated our injuries and we slept in a bed; they’re probably not going to hurt us. There’s no monsters outside, Perce.”

 

“Quite right,” A voice came from the doorway.

 

Galloping, arrows cutting through air then flesh, coffee, old records, old ruins.

 

I whimper and grab Luke, trying to hide behind him.

 

“It’s okay little one. What’s your name? I’m Chiron, one of the camp directors.” The centaur approached, smiling comfortingly.

 

Annabeth grabbed my hand, her other hand reaching for her dagger.

 

“Like the stories?” Luke asked cautiously, standing protectively in front of us.

 

“Yes, like the stories.” He turned to Luke, non threatening demeanor still in place. “Grover told me everything that happened, I’m sorry that you lost a friend.”

 

Luke’s jaw clenched. “Grover told us there were no gods here, nor immortals. That it’s safe .”

 

Chiron frowned, “There isn’t, just myself and Dionysus. Camp is safe.”

 

Luke looked ready to bolt. We’ve come all this way, lost Thalia, and still the threat of the gods loomed over our heads.

 

“I cannot begin to understand what has happened to you, but I promise you, Camp is safe. If it is the gods you’re scared of: Camp is a designated neutral area, no god can harm a demigod in here without risking war.”

 

Luke turns to me, silently asking ‘Do we risk it?’

 

I closed my eyes, and tried to do something I’ve never done before: See on purpose.

 

“Come on, Perce, what’s one little prank between friends?” Identical boys held their hands up placatingly, grinning.

 

I scowled, “My hair is BLUE.”

 

No, not that.

 

Annabeth sobs on the marble ground, Luke’s head on her lap.

 

“This is YOUR fault!” She hurls at me.

 

No!

 

“Percy. If I didn’t favor you, you’d be a dolphin.” Dionysus grouched, peering down at his blue diet coke.

 

“You got my name right!” I giggled. At the same time, Chiron said an aghast “Mr. D!”

 

He took a sip, “Run along now, Percival.”

 

This.

 

“Perseus!” Mr. D shouted, “Pollux, Castor!”

 

“Go, go, go!” Castor hissed, shoving me into the closet.

 

“Father! What are you doing here?” Pollux smiled innocently.

 

“I am a god , son, get Perseus out of the closet.” He replied, unimpressed. 

 

“Awww,” Castor pouted. 

 

Mr D sighed and rubbed his temple. “Boys, I don’t care how fond you are of him, nor how much you’ve insisted that he’s your brother: I’m NOT claiming him and letting him live in my cabin. He practically lives in the Apollo Cabin already, my brother is going to claim him eventually.”

 

All three of us pouted.

 

He seems… nice.

 

“This is the third time this week,” hissed Chiron, carrying a sleeping me.

 

Mr D raised an eyebrow, “Either Apollo’s brats are kidnapping him- and you know Apollo would let them do as they please, or Apollo himself is letting him in. Either way, he’s got a bed in their cabin and he’s not protesting, let the boy be.”

 

They approach Luke, awake but clearly tired, waiting at the Hermes Cabin doorway.

 

“Where did you find him this time?” He asked, exhausted.

 

“Cabin 7,” Chiron carefully passes my sleeping body into his arms. 

 

“Again?” He frowned, “At least he’s not a Thalia’s tree again, in a cabin instead of the infirmary or big house, but…”

 

“We know,” Mr D sighed. “Perhaps it’s a few demigod dreams leading him there, we don’t know.”

 

There’s an implication there, one that makes Luke clutch him tighter, but no one says anything further.

 

This. This is safety.

 

“Percy! Percy!” Luke is shouting, and I’m laying on the ground.

 

Annabeth has her dagger out and pointed at Chiron’s face, despite the fact that he clearly was concerned and wanted to help.

 

My eyes flickered open weakly.

 

“Safe. Stay.” I signed weakly.

 

Luke gaped, realising exactly what I’ve just done.

 

I let my head drop back against the floor, and my eyes shutter closed.

 

Ouch.

Notes:

Did I disappear for a weirdly long amount of time? Yes. Am I back? Eh. This chapter was supposed to be way longer, but this was the *perfect* ending point, so ta-da!

Let's watch y'all try to discover the implications of everything I wrote, I find great amusement from all your theories and ideas! And, omg, Mr D is that drunk uncle at christmas dinner that probably already came to the party hungover, and brought his kids that he believes in free-range parenting them, and somehow he's probably the best parent at the whole table despite the alcoholism he got from his divorce. No, that's all I'm going to say on the subject.

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 8: Dew

Summary:

Poor Percy Panics at Possible Possibilities

First thing that happened when I woke up was a blond guy dropping a tray and running out yelling “He’s awake!”

 

Second thing is an exhausted looking Luke skidding into the room and practically throwing himself at me in a hug, scolding me to “Never do that again, you hear me Perseus?”

 

Third, and probably the scariest thing, a centaur and a god entered the infirmary.

 

“Ah, Perseus, good, you’re awake.” Chiron commented approaching the bed, and I quickly skittered away from them and into Luke’s arms. Just because my visions told me they’re nice, doesn’t mean I’m going to just trust them.

 

“Oh don’t skirt around what happened, be truthful with the brat.” Dionysus rolled his eyes, then addressed me. “You had a seizure and then fell into a coma. You’ve only been out for three days though, so don’t panic.”

 

I panicked. I did what ?!

 

“Dionysus!” Chiron chided, “You’re scaring him.”

 

“He was already scared!”

 

Luke pulled me closer to him so he could whisper in my ear. “That’s true. You overdid it with your powers, and gave me a heart attack. Whatever you Saw better be worth it because you are so grounded.”

 

My fingers flew up to protest, but the adults were done with their squabble and had turned back to us.

 

“Perseus-” “P-E-R-C-Y” I quickly corrected him. “-Percy.” He acknowledged. “It appears that stress caused your seizure, and we found no evidence of Epilepsy; which is a condition that causes seizures; so you should be just fine.”

 

“Didn’t I say that?” Dionysus snarked, and I flinched away from him.

 

He frowned down at me, “Brat, it’s going to get old real soon if you’re going to act like a skittish satyr.”

 

“Sorry,” I signed.

 

Dionysus rolled his eyes, “You have to act it too.”

 

“Sorry,” I signed again, bowing my head in apology.

 

“Stop apologising. Just be respectful.” Dionysus sighed.

 

Luke sends him a glare, and pulls me closer to him. “Where’s Annabeth?” I asked.

 

“Gabriel, will you speak properly ?” Annabeth snarled at a boy who looked just like her.

 

“Oh, but sweet sist’r, wherefore thee not alloweth me has't mine own excit'ment?” 

 

“I’m going to MURDER you!”

 

“-Got claimed, she’s staying in Cabin 6 now.” Luke said.

 

What? Stupid Visions interrupting conversations.

 

“Yes,” Chiron nodded along to whatever Luke said. “Now you, Percy, haven’t been claimed yet, so you will be joining Luke in Cabin 11.”

 

I nodded along as if I understood, ready to attack Luke with questions later.

 

“Can you stand up?”

 

I could, but I was shaky enough on my feet that Luke quickly thought better of it and scooped me up. I tugged at his ear in annoyance, but let him.

 

“Ah, best get some nectar in you first.” Chiron nodded, and offered a cup of golden liquid to me.

 

I looked at Luke first, but since he nodded, I took a sip. Then guzzled the whole thing down at once. It tasted like Mom’s cookies and warm hugs. How does nectar taste like a warm hug?

 

“Luke, can you put him down now? The nectar should have returned his strength.” Chiron instructed, and the god just watched.

 

“No.” Luke said and at the same I clutched at him tighter, burying my head into his neck.

 

Chiron opened his mouth to protest, but Dionysus cut him off. “Just leave them alone Chiron. Now, go give the newest brat a tour and I’m going to set up a poker game.”

 

Rude. “Dammit!” Ha, he’s going to lose!

 

“Percy?” Luke asked quietly, and I nodded. 

 

-

 

The Camp was bigger, but something I’ve never seen before is the constant Visions.

 

A group at a sword fighting lesson. 

 

“Argh! Stupid bloody giants!”

 

“Marcus, refrain from swearing at the already angry monsters please!”

 

“Bugger off!”

 

Two girls racing to see who will reach the top of a Climbing Wall.

 

“I need more nectar!”

 

“We’re out! She’s gonna bleed out.”

 

“No! No, gods, please no!”

 

Canoeing on the lake.

 

“Do you think if we use the trees, we can win?”

 

“And risk angry nymphs?”

 

“We’d get the flag though!”

 

Even those just watching curiously from the windows of the Cabins.

 

“That’s it, nope, I’m done.”

 

“Wha-? Megan!”

 

“I said no more and I mean it!”

 

I’ve never Seen so much potential, and it’s overwhelming. Every new person I see, I see something new about them. I’ve been so used to only Seeing Luke, Annabeth and... and Thalia, that I forgot what it was like Seeing a lot of people at once.

 

It’s scary, and I didn’t hesitate to tell Luke.

 

“Chiron, he’s tired, can we just go to Cabin 11 now?” Luke interrupted Chiron, subtly twisting so I wouldn’t see anything with his jacket in the way.

 

The centaur frowned, but nodded. “Of course, you can finish the tour tomorrow.”

 

He led us to a slightly dilapidated cabin, past a glowing gold one that seemed to sing to me and a beachy themed cabin that hummed lightly when I got near. Apollo and Poseidon. God of Prophecy, and my Father, of course they’d call to me.

 

“Here we go Percy, Cabin 11, Luke’s been spending his days here too.”

 

We walked in.

 

“Oh! This must be your little brother, Luke!” A girl beamed, and approached. “Hey little one, I’m Clara, Head Counsellor of Cabin 11.”

 

Smell of burning meat, smoke rising in the air.

 

I whimpered and hid my face in Luke’s neck. She’s not going to be the counsellor for much longer.

 

“Percy? Percy, it’s okay, she’s nice.” Luke immediately tried to soothe, but I was having none of it.

 

“Vision, scary, death.” I signed quickly, hiding my fingers from the sight of the others.

 

Luke stiffened, but didn’t say anything to them. “Okay, I understand.”

 

“Sorry Luke, Percy, I don’t understand ASL, but the Mercier Twins are fluent- they’re your age, Percy- and a few others know a bit.” Clara offered apologetically.

 

“It’s okay, he’s just saying he’s a bit overwhelmed.” Luke lied.

 

“Oh,” she frowned. “Well, I’m going back out to rejoin the Sword Lesson, but you two feel free to relax in here until Dinner.”

 

“Thanks,” Luke said on our behalf, and she left us.

 

He only gave it a moment before he rounded on me. “Are you okay? What did you see? Is the camp safe?”

 

“I’m fine. I Saw her funeral, I-” I faltered with my signs. “I can See everyone here, there’s so many.”

 

Luke closed his eyes, collecting his thoughts. “Are you safe? We can leave Percy, just say the word.”

 

Safe? I See sadness everywhere, but survival too. Annabeth likes it here, and I Saw that Chiron and Dionysus won’t hurt me. And… Thalia gave her life to get us here. I can’t just leave after all that time running.

 

“Safe.” I signed back.

 

Luke let out a relieved breath, and began to laugh. “Safe, thank goodness. We’re safe.”

 

I smiled back at him.

Notes:

Hey! It's been a month, but I finally updated! You can all thank one amazing commenter who managed to drag my interest back to this! <3

Percy's powers are shown a bit more, and their horrible side affects of seeing everyone, everyday, every possibility. The Mercier Twins are Castor and Pollux, and I hc Castor as partially deaf, so they know ASL! Uhm, I've gotten out of the swing of writing, especially writing this, so feedback is encouraged today! Thanks!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 9: Shine

Summary:

Percy learns what the word Trauma means

“Percy, can you please let go?” Luke asked gently.

 

Ever since Thalia died, I’ve refused to let Luke out of my sight. I Saw Thalia’s death, and then it happened; I’ve seen Luke’s death too, even though he was much older in that vision, I’m not taking any chances.

 

“Percy,” Clara knelt down to talk to me. “Luke needs to participate in the lesson, so do you. You’re just going to be three feet apart, nothing is going to happen, okay kid?”

 

I glared at her, but reluctantly let go of Luke’s hand. I can’t see Annabeth right now, because she has to stay with her Cabin, but I can See her.

 

Popsicle sticks in the shape of a tower.

 

She’s just fine, and I’ve never Seen anything that remotely resembles Death to her, so I graciously allow her to run around without me. Luke has been dealing with sitting at the doorway to the showers every night, waiting for him to finish. He says it’s fine, though I know he’s getting a bit tired of it and I’ve apologised for it, but the others are getting worried. Chiron says that if I continue this, even after three months pass, he’s going to make me do therapy sessions with Mr D, which is something I absolutely do not want.

 

Well, he hasn’t said it yet , but he will do so tomorrow, at the one month anniversary of Thalia’s death. 

 

I watched Luke go through the motions of a spar with Clara, learning how to hold his sword properly and disarm her. Another kid, named Ian, smiled down at me. “How about you grab your own training sword and I teach you some of those moves too?”

 

“Clara!” He beamed, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “We’ve got a quest!”

 

I wanted to tell him that his sword skills won’t be enough to save him from the rogue automaton his father lost, but politely didn’t. Deaths are very fixed, hard to move and twist those strings , and nobody other than Luke and Annabeth would believe me.

 

I hefted the sword up, and let Ian begin to correct my grip and stance. 

 

One-Two-Strike-One-Step Back-Two-Strike. I like sword fighting, it’s repetitive and the Visions never happen while I’m swinging a sword, they’re only ever barely whispers of advice, guiding me.

 

Luke calls out a “Good job, Bud!” when I successfully dodge and block Ian’s swing, and I smile.

 

I’ll be able to protect Luke and Annabeth next time.

 

-

 

The Mercier Twins are two blond cherubs, and I mean that quite literally.

 

Blond curls, chubby cheeks, purple eyes, and bright smiles; the only thing missing is the wings, and I think if they asked real polite, Mr D would give them some.

 

Luke, in an attempt to get me to detach myself from him, has decided that the twins and I can have a playdate in the Big House while he plays poker with Mr D. Annabeth has joined us too, but immediately got distracted by Chiron’s bookshelves- even though she can’t even read half the words- and was sitting on his lap in the wheelchair.

 

Castor was happily telling me, signing along as he spoke, about how Mr D- their Papa- lets them use the TV, which is connected to Hephaestus TV, to watch cartoons.

 

“In the little corner they have an interpreter too!” Pollux says, pointing to the bottom corner of the screen. “Castor doesn’t like wearing his aids while watching TV, so Papa added the interpreter too.”

 

“Cool,” I signed. “What’re we watching?”

 

Castor stuck his tongue out as he pressed buttons on the remote, signing sloppily with his free hand. “H-E-R-C-U-L-E-S busts heads, or Sponge B-O-B Squarepants?” He asked me.

 

I haven’t heard of Hercules busts heads before, but it sounded violent, so I quickly asked to watch the second.

 

Then jumped a foot into the air at the loud theme, fingers quickly pulling out my knife in fear.

 

“Woah!” Luke quickly pushed back his chair to snatch the knife from my fingers. “None of that, buddy. It’s just the TV, see? Castor needs it extra loud to hear it.”

 

I let him take the knife and buried my face in his shirt. Stupid. It’s embarrassing, jumping at nothing like that. I try to stop the stupid tears from bubbling up, but they start to leak out anyways.

 

Mr D sighs, and stands up. For a second I feared he was going to tell me off for being a ‘Stupid Brat’ like Smelly Gabe used to, but instead he handed me a cup of… grape juice?

 

“Drink.” He told me, and I sniffled and obeyed.

 

Finishing it, he took the cup back and turned it into a teddy bear he handed back to me. “Better?”

 

I nodded, relaxing back against Luke.

 

He turned to Luke, “Kids can’t cry if they’re drinking something.” And then he pulled Castor onto his lap. “We can sit here with you while you watch TV, but not for long.”

 

Pollux smiled, tucking himself under his father’s arm and clicking play again on the Tv. I barely flinched at the loud sound, but Pollux, gentle soul he is, grabbed my hand and squeezed.

 

Eventually, I crawled out of Luke’s lap to sign through an argument whether a shark with a sword would win versus Godzilla with Castor, while Pollux tried to convince us that if they became friends then they could rule the world. Annabeth, after finishing her book, joined us with her adamant insistence that King Kong could destroy them both.

 

Luke and Dionysus, after several hours, came to grab us from where we had fallen asleep in a pile on the floor. Both of them carried a kid on each arm. I was barely awake, not that I think they noticed.

 

“Just because they’re traumatised doesn’t mean you aren’t too.” I heard Mr D whisper to Luke as he walked us to the door. “You need to be working through your own problems before you start trying to solve theirs, or else you’re just going to end up burnt out.”

 

Luke shook his head, “Let me help Percy start to be by himself again and we’ll talk about this. I don’t want him hearing about my problems.”

 

My fingers twitched, and I started sucking my thumb in an attempt to not frown and give away the fact I’m awake. What problems? What’s trauma? What does being ‘burnt out’ mean?

 

Luke was restraining me, and when I relaxed so did he.

 

“It’s okay buddy, just a vision. Just lies.” He murmured into my ear, rocking me back and forth.

 

He seemed tired. Very very tired. The room is sealed, like a cell, and I can’t feel the Sea.

 

Luke?

 

Luke?

 

I fell into the darkness of sleep, the waves of Prophecy crashing gently against the sandy beaches of my mind.

 

-

 

I’ve been pulling away from Luke slowly, more and more.

 

Mr D said that Luke can’t fix his problems if he’s looking after me, and Luke said that he needs me to stop clinging to him all the time so he can do that, so I did. I’m trying.

 

I let Luke have his space, even if it brings a freezing kind of ice to my heart. I keep checking in on him, even if we haven’t gone much farther than just being in the room over, and the small Glimpses and Whispers just promise his safety. 

 

Luke sighed, grinding his teeth at whatever Dionysus said.

 

“Yo, Clara!” Rubin calls. He’s Luke’s only other older sibling, and he wanted to be a professional cowboy. He won’t be, but at least the farm he dies on is idyllic. “Luke’s kid has just been sitting on their sleeping bag for the past ten minutes, should I… do something?”

 

I snap out of my semi-controlled vision to glare at him, only to nearly squeak out loud at the nosebleed I got.

 

Shoot. I overdid it.

 

“Percy!” Clara cried out from where she was packing for her quest. “I think he might have a seizure, quick, lay him down.”

 

I am not going to have a seizure! I wanted to scream at them, and for Luke to come back from his ‘talk’ with Mr D, but instead flinched and ducked when Rubin tried to grab me.

 

In my panic, I ran out of the Cabin, ignoring their protests. I ran into the woods.

 

-

 

I’m lost. Damn it.

 

I shouldn’t have panicked, but they were going to grab me and nobody ever listens to me, and they didn’t follow me into the woods. Not very far, at least.

 

Realising I’m lost, I did what Luke and Thalia always told me to do if I got separated from them. Sit down and don’t move, not even if a nice person offers to help me find them again, because they’ll come find me.

 

The bubbling creek was at least a nice comfort as I sat on the ground, waiting for Luke or Chiron to come find me.

 

The creek almost seemed to sing, the way the water trickled over the rocks and splashed slightly. I wish I could sing along.

 

Mom used to love singing, and I did too. Before she knew about my Sight, we would sing songs in the kitchen, making bread and cookies together. 

 

...Maybe- Maybe I can sing? I mean, other than that one nymph and that storm that happened when I told Annabeth my name, nobody had come for me. No angry gods ready to smite me.

 

I even screamed when- when Tha- When the pine tree appeared. Nothing had happened, but the hellhounds were thrown far away from me. 

 

I looked around the creek, spotting no one nearby. Camp is a neutral area, none of the gods are allowed to harm me while I’m here.

 

Warily, very cautiously, I opened my mouth and coughed. The sound was scratchy and rough, and in a fit of stupidity, I scooped up some water from the creek and drank it. 

 

Bad idea. Eww, that was gross.

 

I opened my mouth again, and very carefully, I said “Hello.”

 

My voice wasn’t scratchy, or rough, or even gone. It was normal, maybe a bit high and lilting, like I’m singing my words.

 

“I shouldn’t be doing this.” My voice rang like little bells, and I was surprised to hear how pleasant my words are. “I missed this,” I admitted to the air.

 

When nothing appeared or attacked, I relaxed. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.

 

“Sweet Caroline~” I sang. Mom loved this song, she used to turn the radio up whenever it came on.

 

“Good times never been so good~ I’ve been inclined~ To believe they never would~” I grew more confident with every verse out of my mouth.

 

“Reaching out, Touching me, Touching you~” I didn’t notice how the birds stopped singing, how the squirrels  froze and the mice were coming out of their nests to gather around my feet.

 

“Sweet Caroline~ Good times never been so good~” I finally finished my song, letting my eyes stay shut as I soaked in the sunlight and those last few notes in the air.

 

I startled horribly at the clapping, my mouth dropping open in horror as I whirled around to see the golden-haired man smile down at me.

 

“You know, your singing could put Orpheus to shame.” Apollo commented, beaming.

 

I did the only thing I could think to do in such times of pure fear. 

 

I screamed.

Notes:

Dun-dun-dun! Cliffhanger! lmao, you guys are going to have to wait another week to find out what happens to Percy and Apollo! This is the 'Sweet Caroline' incident btw, I remember mentioning it in a few comments. So! Percy has *~Trauma~*, Luke is struggling to be a widowed single parent, Annabeth is the good quiet child, Chiron is worried, Mr D is a good dad, The Mercier Twins are adorable, and Thalia is a tree.

I wanna give a shout-out to my favourite reader, @Haven247, who is single-handedly being the only reason I have motivation to continue this fic, and as some of you who are reading our back-and-forth comments, they've given me this beautiful plot idea that I have decided to add to this fic (as you see in a Vision). Please go read their drabbles, they're amazing!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 10: Flurry

Summary:

Apollo learns not to spook Percy

Apollo went flying.

 

Well, not really, but he got thrown away from me and landed on his back, five feet away from where he was standing before. He landed with a grunt of surprise, and he was quickly sitting up, looking at me with surprise as his fingers touched his temple.

 

And they came away golden with ichor.

 

I stumbled away, tears already coming up to choke me as I wailed, trying desperately to get away from the god who would mean my death.

 

He stood up, hand outstretched to smite me, and I bolted, trying to get back to camp. Back to Luke and Annabeth. They’ll protect me.

 

“Hey! Wait!” I heard him yell after me, but I ignored him. 

 

Tree. Nymph. Net.

 

I jumped over a log, twisting away from the tree branches that seemed to try and grab me, then I ducked under the old Capture the Flag trap Cabin 7 had left up.

 

And ran straight into him.

 

“Whoa there kid!” He grabbed me by the waist, lifting me up off the ground as I struggled. So I did the logical thing. I bit him.

 

He yelped and nearly dropped me, but instead held me up off the ground like a kitten. He looked at me incredulous, and I vaguely registered the fact that ichor doesn’t taste good. 

 

“You’re a feral one,” He muttered, then flinched back when I hissed at him. “Are those shark teeth fangs ?! This is why I hate the sea.”

 

“Put me down!” I wailed, wriggling madly, trying to escape his grip on my scruff. “Please! Don’t hurt me!”

 

“Hurt you?” He seemed confused, “Whyever would I hurt you?” I sobbed in response and went limp. I want Luke!

 

I whimpered when he pulled me close, crying as I begged him not to kill me. “It’s okay,” He tried to soothe. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

 

It took a rather long time for me to stop crying, and Apollo seemed intent on not letting me go, so I just sat on his lap in the middle of the forest and sniffled.

 

“Now,” He began when I stopped screaming every time he tried to speak. “Who told you I was going to hurt you?”

 

I flinched, and went to cry out again, but he quickly continued with a “-Not that I ever would! I am the protector of the young, I don’t hurt little kids.”

 

“Mom,” I said quietly. “She said you’ll kill me if you found me, and a bunch of other Seers get hurt.”

 

“That is not true!” He refuted, angry.

 

“So you didn’t curse Cassandra?” I asked, hopeful. “And Luke’s mom wasn’t hurt by the Oracle? And you didn’t curse Halcyon Green?”

 

He paused. “They abused their powers, they had to be punished.”

 

The blood drained from my face, and fear overtook me again. What if I abuse my powers? What does abusing my powers even mean?

 

“No, no!” He panickedly tried to calm me when I started trembling again. “You haven’t been trying to circumvent Fate or breaking any oaths, have you? See, you’re fine! Please don’t start crying again!”

 

“What’s Fate?” I asked, sniffling. I can’t cry, if I cry he’ll get annoyed, and he’ll hurt me.

 

“Fate?” He seemed confused by the question. “Well, Fate is… Fate. The Moirai control Fate, they measure out the strings of life and death. Fate is the course of every life, it’s fixed and you can’t change it. Well, we can,” He looked like he didn’t want to tell me this, “What you can See right now, most of it is only Fortune and Free-Will, you’re pretty young so your powers are still developing. But you are soon going to start Seeing Fate; most deaths are fated, and you’ll be able to See important events. If you can See Fate, you can change Fate, but you shouldn’t.”

 

I bit my lip, “I can See deaths. I tried to stop Thalia’s death, but her string was very fixed, I couldn’t do it. And I can See Luke’s death, it’s getting clearer.”

 

“You saw-?” He looked surprised, but shook it off. “Yes, exactly that. You can’t tell them how to avoid their deaths. Riddles and poetry and any way you can imagine to not tell them directly they are going to die is fine, but you cannot tell them directly. Do you understand?”

 

I nodded, then frowned. “But only Oracles can tell prophecies?”

 

He chuckled, “Good thing you’re my new Oracle.”

 

“Oh.” I said. That… makes sense. It also makes sense why he wouldn’t hurt me, he can’t hurt his own Oracles.

 

“Screams or songs, why does it always have to be screams or songs?” A dark haired boy muttered.

 

“I heard him say it in haiku form once,” A brown haired boy replied. 

 

The dark haired asain boy frowned, “I thought Oracles always say their prophecies the same way?”

 

The brown haired boy shook his head, “No. He’s still learning to be one, he’s still young. Apollo was still teaching him how to manage his Visions before, and he uses whatever form he can think of right now.”

 

“Oh.” The asain- japanese?- boy said, then turned to me. “Oh! You awake now Percy?”

 

“Percy? Percy?” Apollo was crooning in my ear. 

 

I wrinkled my nose and rubbed my eyes. Oww, headache.

 

“You Saw something didn’t you?” He asked, and I nodded. “Does it hurt? Yeah, that was a bit further forward than you should be looking.” He handed me a tiny vial of nectar and I quickly guzzled it down. “Let the Visions come naturally- don’t try to force them or make them clearer. Your powers will get better over time by themselves, if you force it now you might cripple them.”

 

I was horrified, and without thinking, signed a quick “I didn’t mean to!”

 

Apollo blinked at my hands. “So that’s how you’ve been hiding from me! Smart, bet it’s helped hide your Visions too, huh?”

 

I nodded tentatively. “If I say things out loud, I might say something I don’t want to.”

 

His eyes seemed far away for a second, and I wondered if he was seeing something like I do. He was looking back at me soon enough. “That’s a good idea, kiddo.” He said softly. 

 

I wonder what he saw that had him helping me to my feet and smiling down at me. “Now you don’t go tell anyone that I was here.” He patted my head and handed me a lolly. “You don’t have to hide your voice from anyone, just your prophecies.”

 

“Can I tell Luke and Annabeth?” I asked, sticking the lolly in my pocket.

 

He frowned, but seemed to understand who they were. “Just them. But remember what I said, Percy, don’t say a word about Fate.”

 

I nodded rapidly. He smiled, “Close your eyes.”

 

I did, screwing them shut. When I opened them, he was gone.

 

I turned around on the spot, looking left and right. There was no sign he was ever here.

 

“PERCY!” I heard faintly in the distance, I belatedly realised that it was Luke.

 

I was running through the forest towards him before I even realised I was even moving. “Luke!” I called out, “Luke!”

 

“Percy?” He whipped around to stare at me in horror, and I ran into his legs. He picked me up without thinking, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, sobbing loudly.

 

“Shh,” He soothed. “Shush, buddy, shh. They might be listening, shhhh.”

 

“He found me!” I cried out, and he had his sword in hand in seconds.

 

“What?” He hissed, eyes tracking the forest for potential dangers. 

 

“He’s gone now.” I sniffled. “He told me I’m a good singer and that I’m his Oracle.”

 

“What?!” Luke looked like he was about to faint, “Oracle?”

 

“That’s why I can see. I’m an Oracle.” I said simply, clinging to him. “There’s supposed to be a lot of Oracles, aren’t there? Why is it just me and the mummy in the attic?”

 

Luke didn’t have an answer for me.

 

“PERCY?” I could hear in the distance. “PERCY?”

 

Luke looked up, and after a moment of hesitation, he called back “OVER HERE!”

 

It was easy to go silent again, to make my tears noiseless as I trembled against Luke’s chest. To make sure that everything I wanted to say won’t be heard.

 

“Percy!” Chiron trotted over, Clara and Rubin on his heels. “You gave us all a fright.”

 

I didn’t bother signing back a sorry. I’m not.

 

“We’re so sorry, Perce.” Clara said, “We didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

“No, you didn’t.” Luke said icily, and turned to Chiron. “I’m going to take him to the infirmary and calm down Annabeth- she’s probably given in to her tears by now.”

 

He didn’t wait for a response and stalked off towards the edge of the woods with me in his arms.

 

When he wasn’t looking, I stuck the lolly in my mouth. It tasted sweet, and I suspect there was a bit of nectar in it.

 

I don’t care. I’m safe.

Notes:

I'm back! This might be my last update until February, so just heads up on that fact!

So, Percy learns a bit more about his powers, Apollo calms a crying child, Luke has a heart attack, and Annabeth is coming to realise she is the Good Child in the family. I have an outline for this story, it will be 35 chapters or 50-70k words, hopefully I don't accidentally go over. Also, any guesses for what will happen next?

And just checking as a little general reader consensus: Do you guys want this to be Apollo/Percy or no relationship? Either choice, don't vote a third option, and I'll tally the vote from only this chapter and by next update I'll close the vote.

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

Chapter 11: Wind

Summary:

6 months aftermath

Luke seemed rather intent on not letting me and Annabeth out of his sight, and I was okay with that.

 

Annabeth had turned eight the day before Clara left for her ill-fated quest, and I learnt something new.

 

“Happy Birthday, Wise Girl!” I teased, “Congrats, you can vote!”

 

“Percy!” She laughed.

 

That was the furthest I’ve ever Seen before, and it was exactly ten years into the future. The words were quiet whispers in my ear, echoing, with the faintest smell of cake. I can see ten years ahead.

 

Ten years. Within ten years, Luke will die.

 

Apollo told me I couldn’t stop Luke’s death because when Oracles meddle with Fate and save someone, they get cursed. But that means that I have one shot: one life I can save before I get cursed.

 

So I didn’t mind that Luke wasn’t letting me out of his sight.

 

“Percy!” Annabeth whined, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Sit still!”

 

I sighed, signing a quick “Sorry” with my free hand.

 

Luke had another talk with Mr D, so he had dropped us off on one side of the door and left it ajar so he could hear us. “Stay here,” He ordered.

 

And we did! But Annabeth had a few markers in her pockets and no paper, so she decided to use me as her canvas. 

 

After a while, Pollux came by, dragging Castor behind him by his hand, looking for their Papa, so Annabeth invited them to join us.

 

Annie picked up a peach colored marker, and I signed at her. “Can you give me a scar?” She gave me a weird look, but copied the scar I described on my cheek.

 

“-Thanks, sir.” Luke said, stepping out of the room only to trip over us.

 

He looked down to tell us off for sprawling ourselves on the floor, but instead just sighed. Mr D laughed, “Looks like it’s bath time for four little monsters.”

 

Castor, hair green from the glitter he had tried to dump over me and instead had broken over his head, pouted. Mr D just picked him up and grabbed Pollux’s hand, “Make sure Anne and Peter have no glitter on them before dinner or the harpies will get distracted by the shimmer.”

 

“Yes, Mr D,” Luke nodded, picking me up. Mr D left, and then Luke turned to us and asked “Why?”

 

“Bored,” Annie shrugged. “And Percy looks way better with his new tattoos- he was ugly before.” I kicked her shoulder, and she tried to yank my shoe off.

 

“Oi! No fighting!” Luke grabbed her by the shoulder and started leading us outside.

 

“Look!” I whispered to him. “I’ve got a face scar just like yours!”

 

Luke paused on the porch, frozen. “Perce… I don’t have a scar.”

 

I frowned. 

 

Scar… No scar… fixed anger… knot in the string… tough to unravel… Fortune, Free-Will… Not Fate?

 

“You will,” I muttered, pinching my nose so Luke doesn’t see the blood. “Maybe? Dunno yet, I think I might stop it…”

 

Luke looked worried… and scared?

 

“Right,” He said. “How about we just focus on bath time right now?”

 

“Yeah,” Annabeth agreed, despite only having a bit of glitter on her. “I don’t think the mustache Poll’ gave you looks very good.”

 

-

 

Luke’s taken Clara’s bed, and so did I.

 

Rubin stepped up to be the cabin head until next summer , and Luke took over the job of managing the Camp’s taxes. Rubin and Luke don’t really like each other; Luke has a grudge against him for scaring me and Rubin thinks that Luke needs to ‘lighten up’ and that I’m his responsibility so he can’t be getting upset at him. They don’t show it in front of the other campers, but I could see it in the slight coldness between them that has dropped in temperature after Clara died, and in the Visions of what they say about each other behind their back.

 

Luke’s been letting Annabeth and I run more wild ever since my eighth birthday came and went without any more ‘Incidents’, and this morning I took this fact to my fullest advantage.

 

Dionysus seemed more amused than annoyed by his blue coke, and Chiron was still trying to figure out how his wheelchair ended up in the lake.

 

Annabeth and Pollux were trying to finish up a surprise party for Luke’s 15th Birthday.

 

“Aw, thanks guys!” Luke smiled, “I see that the lack of surprise just made this even better.”

 

Annabeth pouted and I laughed. “Told you he knew!”

 

Not that they’ll succeed- Luke realised two weeks ago and was just letting her have her fun. Annie told Castor and I to play lookout and stall Luke when he comes out of the Big House’s office, but I’m pretty sure she just wants the little brothers out of the way and babysitting each other.

 

Castor had turned his hearing aid off while he played Pac-Man, and I was enjoying talking to someone other than Luke and Annabeth. Castor knows I’m talking, but he can’t hear me clearly; he told me he can hear a buzzy whisper when I talk to him when his hearing aid is off.

 

I can’t talk in front of other people; I just… freeze and the words get stuck in my throat in a panic. I tried to talk to Grover once, but I gagged and started crying. Luke says it's okay and I can talk in my own time- the Camp doesn’t know I can talk, so that helps a bit.

 

Castor’s my best friend, and I’ve been talking to him ever since he accidentally heard me speak while we were watching TV. I’m afraid to be heard, and he respects that. He listens to me.

 

“So then, we’re going to retaliate with some seaweed in their pillows,” I explained the plan of revenge for my blue hair that we’ll carry out in a few years time.

 

“Percy?” Luke called, rubbing his eye as he stepped out of the office. “You talking to Castor, bud?”

 

Not paying attention, I replied. “Yeah dad, we’re in the living room!”

 

Luke’s footsteps froze, but I wasn’t looking at him as I gently tapped Castor’s shoulder and signed for him to get ready. When I looked back at him, he had a weird grin on his face, so I guess he knew we were about to lead him down to the party.

 

He knelt down next to me and pulled me into a hug, to my confusion. “I love you Perce.”

 

“I love you too?” I whispered.

 

He smiled and picked me up in a piggy back. “Lets see what Annie cooked up, hm?”

 

-

 

I nearly screamed when Apollo showed back up after several months. He’s lucky I Saw him coming.

 

“Little Oracle, you’re going to get eaten if you don’t go to bed.” Apollo commented, looking up at me from where I was sitting in the branches of Thalia’s tree.

 

“I bite back.” I replied, not taking my eyes from the bottom of the hill where I could See.

 

“I’m right here!” A man shouted.

 

“Dad! No!” Alabaster shouted from where he was further up the hill.

 

The man didn’t pause, slinging some sort of firework at the angry hydra.

 

Hiss. Snap. Scream.

 

The boy flung out his hand, trying to reach his dying father. A burst of pure, firey magic burst out of him, destroying the hydra.

 

“Perseus?”

 

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped at him, then instantly regretted it. “I have to be here when he arrives. They need help.”

 

“You saw death.” The god said flatly.

 

“It wasn’t fate.” I shook my head, “I checked; the string is a bit frayed, but not close enough to snap.”

 

“You checked ?” The incredulous tone made me finally look at him.

 

“Yeah,” I frowned. “If I squint, I can see them all tangled up in their Fate strings. Gives me a nose bleed every time, though.”

 

He looked stunned, yet reflexively told me, “Don’t force your powers.”

 

“M’kay,” I said not sincerely at all. “So can I stay?”

 

“No.” He reached up and snatched me off the branch I was sitting on and plopping me on the ground, growing and shrinking effortlessly. “You’re eight. You’re not supposed to be risking your life for some random mortal, you’d either end up horribly injured or dead. You’re my Oracle- my only fully-functional Oracle - and I command you not to interfere.”

 

“Legacy,” I blurted.

 

He frowned. “What?”

 

“Regulus Torrington is the grandson of Mercury,” I told him. “I saw his Fate string.”

 

“Even more reason not to meddle.” He said, shaking his head. “Why are you so insistent on this?”

 

“Perce!” Alabaster exclaimed, “This is impossible!”

 

I gave him a cheeky grin as I waved the lightly enchanted handcuffs around. “A kid raised by a trickster is nearly as good at escaping.”

 

“I told you,” Luke commented idly as he flicked a page of his book, not looking up. “If I can escape in under three minutes, so can he.”

 

“He doesn’t even have the powers for it!” Alabaster protested good naturedly.

 

My head hurts

 

“Run!” Thalia yelled. “I’ll hold them off!”

 

“Nobody else should die on this hill.” I said, blinking away tears.

 

Apollo sighed. “But they will.”

 

He refused to hear my protests even when they morphed into tears, picking me up. “Come on, you are sleeping in my cabin tonight.”

 

“Luke will worry,” I sniffled, weakly arguing.

 

“And you can explain in the morning.” He replied, uncaring. “His fault for not noticing you sneaking out.”

 

Nobody stirred when he dumped me on a bed in the golden cabin.

 

“How do you know that I’m not going to sneak off the second you leave?”

 

He raised an eyebrow, “The fact that the blankets I just tucked around you are enchanted to not let you leave the bed until sunrise.”

 

I was too tired to glare at him. “I don’t want anymore death.”

 

“I know,” He sighed. “Here’s a tip: next time you see something you can change- use one of my domains and tell someone about it. Sing, use a haiku, Hades; hand them tarot cards. Just be indirect and don’t do the dirty work yourself. You’re an Oracle, be an Oracle.”

 

“I only Saw this an hour ago,” I yawned. “Or else I woulda tol’ Lu.”

 

“See; you were never going to be able to save him.”

 

“I still tried.”

 

“That you did,” He agreed. “Goodnight little Oracle.”

 

-

 

I woke up to a relieved-looking Luke kneeling beside the bed, obviously been looking for me for a while.

 

“There you are buddy! I’ve been looking all over for you for these past two hours. How did you end up here?” His tone was light hearted but his eyes betrayed his worried panic.

 

I didn’t answer him.

 

Slipping out of the bed and ducking his arms, twisting away from everyone who tried to stop me, I ran full speed out of the cabin and towards the Big House.

 

“Percy!” Luke called, running to catch me.

 

I didn’t stop, skipping up the steps to the Big House two at a time. Skidding to a stop in the living room where Chiron and Mr D startled at my appearance, and then at a panting Luke who had caught up.

 

I stared at Alabaster, and the 12 year old boy looked wide-eyed at me.

 

“Percy, what is it?” Luke questioned, looking back and forth between Alabaster and I.

 

The words tumbled out of my mouth. “I’m sorry about your father.”

 

Everyone stared at me.

 

Lee Fletcher broke the silence, gesturing wildly at me in shock and nearly hitting his sister off the porch. “Percy can speak?!”

 

Luke cursed out loud.

Notes:

Hey guys, I'm back! I've been struggling with depression these past two weeks, but it seems that I'm much better now, though school starts in 2 days (Last year of highschool, help). And, all the votes on the ship are in, and it was 2:1 for yes relationship, but a lot of you had really good reasons for not wanting the ship so I came up with a compromise I thought was best and fits the story best; Apollo/Percy is only in the epilogue which can be skippable, and in the main story everything will be gen. I won't edit the tags until the very end tho.

Not much of a cliffhanger this chapter, but I wanna see what you all think up for what'll happen next! Alabaster has entered the chat with a bang, and everyone is freaking out about it! We see a bit more of Luke and Percy bonding (Haven, Skopos, I blame you for this), and we also establish Percy's friendship with Castor and Pollux more. Some of those Visions Percy's had in the past have come true, but some others haven't yet. Uhh,,, I forgot what else I was gonna mention but uh,,, leave a comment I love those and I'll respond to them in time!

EDIT: What I was gonna ask if anyone who is deaf or partially deaf could give some tips with Castor? I am not deaf, so any tips will be welcome. I wrote him as of the information I googled, but I'm afraid it could be wrong.

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 12: Snow

Summary:

It's all downhill from here, baby!

Luke told the Camp I had selective mutism, which, after he explained what it was to me, I felt like it wasn’t a lie.

 

They all expected me to talk now that they know I can, but I can’t. I speak to Annabeth, Luke, and the twins, but a lot of the Campers tell me to speak instead of sign. Luke broke Daniel’s nose when he refused to listen to me when I signed, and kept repeating ‘use your words’ until I got reduced to tears.

 

I stopped walking around Camp by myself after that.

 

Many people were kind, and they didn’t mind that I preferred to sign. Silena, a new Aphrodite camper, absolutely loves it when I sign and admitted that she was a bit interested in becoming an interpreter.

 

I think the worst reaction to my speaking was Alabaster’s, who was thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire. He was a bit skittish around me, questioning how I could possibly know what happened to his father even when the rest of Camp thought I sleepwalked into Cabin 7 and had a demigod dream.

 

For now, I’ll take everything one day at a time. It’s worked for the past two months.

 

“Perry?” Mr D frowned, “It’s midnight, stop sneaking out.”

 

I looked up at him, “Is the tooth fairy real?”

 

He blinked. “What?”

 

I opened my palm and revealed a perfectly white fang that I had lost during the most recent Capture the Flag game. “I didn’t tell anyone it fell out and this is the third night without money under my pillow.”

 

...Why was Mr D sweating?

 

“Maybe you should ask Liam about this,” he suggested.

 

“Luke’s busy,” I shrugged. “Why can’t you answer? You’re a god.”

 

“Uh,” Mr D said. “Well, who told you about the tooth fairy?”

 

“Mom did.”

 

Mr D nodded, a glint in his eye. “Most mortals have no idea, but the tooth fairy is actually one of my brother’s, Hermes’, workers. When you lose a tooth, your guardian sends out an involuntary prayer to them, and they come and take your tooth.”

 

I nod, makes sense…

 

“Did you just make that up?” I squinted at him.

 

Mr D took a very long sip from his coke.

 

“Dee?” Chiron wandered onto the porch, rubbing his eye.

 

“Ah!” Dionysus turned to Chiron, “You’re up! Young Percival over here has wandered away from his cabin again; help me return him?”

 

I frowned, was he avoiding my questions?

 

“Sure,” Chiron sighed. “Come on Percy.”

 

I signed an aggressive “avoidance” at Mr D who pretended not to see me.

 

-

 

Alabaster stared at me and I stared back.

 

Rubin had grabbed Luke and taken off, shouting something about ‘fire’ and ‘attack’- I had warned Luke about last night that there was a rogue bronze dragon that they won’t be able to catch living in the woods- and Luke had dropped me on Alabaster’s bed with a quick “Stay here and out of trouble.”

 

“You weren’t surprised.” Alabaster said, breaking the silence.

 

I cocked my head to the side, fingers spelling out a question.

 

“You’re never surprised,” Alabaster clarified. “My tarot cards warn me, but they’re very vague. You always expect what hasn’t happened, and Luke is always prepared.

 

Oh. He’s observant.

 

Alabaster laughed, “Observant? Luke for a great liar, you’re a terrible liar. You’re crushing hard .”

 

Luke stared at him. “You’ve only seen us in the same room once.”

 

“It’s obvious.”

 

Luke grinned, “I sure hope so, considering I’m sleeping with him every night.”

 

Alabaster choked. 

 

Very observant

 

...Wait. Luke like-likes someone?! Ew, cooties!

 

“Percy?” Alabaster asked, worried. He was waving his hand in front of my face. Did the vision go longer than normal?

 

“Sorry,” I told him. “Visions don’t have good timing.” That’s something Thalia used to say.

 

Alabaster gaped. “Did you just see the future?”

 

I nodded, and he began spewing questions. “What did you see? Are you an Oracle or just an Apollo kid? Can you control what you see? You spaced out for over a minute, does that happen every time?”

 

“I see death,” I told him. “Sometimes life, but mostly suffering and things that need to be changed.”

 

His face fell. “Like my dad; you saw him. Why didn’t you change that?”

 

My mouth snapped shut, tears prickling in my eyes. I shushed him, fingers coming up to tell him, “Quiet, Apollo can hear us.”

 

He froze. “What?” He signed.

 

“He can hear every voice,” I explained. “And he doesn’t like it when I change too much. Prophecies are allowed, but I was too late to See with your dad.”

 

Alabaster swallowed, a glint of anger in his eyes. “He won’t let you save people?”

 

I shook my head, balling my fingers into fists and biting my lip.

 

Alabaster pulled me into a hug, and I sniffled into his shoulder. “Sorry,” I whispered.

 

“It’s not your fault,” Alabaster whispered back soothingly.

 

It still feels like my fault.

 

-

 

Annabeth’s 9th birthday came with a bang. Literally.

 

The twins distracted Mr D and Chiron with a presentation called ‘Why Papa should claim Percy’ (I stood to the side and nodded enthusiastically), all while Luke stole fireworks.

 

Chiron lectured Luke on being a role model now that he’s the head of Cabin 11, but stopped half-way through when Annabeth proclaimed that this was ‘The Best Birthday Ever!’ She said this while spinning, looking up at the firework display depicting the Parthenon.

 

When I gave Annabeth my gift, she stared at me like I had a hundred heads and punched me in the shoulder lightly. “You are such a weirdo.” I grinned back at her, showing off the missing gaps in my teeth.

 

After my second fang fell out (And I cornered Luke into telling me the truth about the Tooth Fairy, which he admitted quite guiltily that he and Thalia lied about it), Alabaster said my teeth look a lot like Shark Teeth, and compared them to a necklace he has, which gave me an idea. So, I roped Alabaster into helping me during Arts and Crafts.

 

“I’m getting one of his teeth on a necklace too, aren’t I?” Luke whispered to Al, eyeing a wrapped box labelled ‘from: Percy.’

 

“It’s enchanted too, but yes. Happy Birthday.” Al replied.

 

She’ll learn to love it, I’m sure.

 

“Percy is so weird,” A girl muttered.

 

“At least he isn’t gifting you his body parts- suck it up.” Annabeth snarked back.

 

Maybe.

 

It’s not that weird: Al enchanted them to alert me if they’re in trouble, and using something that used to be part of me is easier to use my powers to See them.

 

...Okay it is a bit weird.

 

“Perce!” Luke called, “Don’t you want cake?”

 

I grinned, and raced to his side. That can be a problem for future me.

 

-

 

Castor was laughing delight while Pollux held me back.

 

Actually, wait, let me rewind the situation a little bit: Travis and Conner arrived at Camp, bringing the total of Hermes’ children at Camp up to three, and they were menaces .

 

My hair is blue!

 

I told them as such, using my voice for the first time this week, leading there to be several cracks in my screaming.

 

Conner seemed delighted when I vowed bloody vengeance, and I know he won’t be looking so happy when he wakes up bald.

 

“Come on Perce, It’s not that bad- you’ll match your birthday decorations!” Travis tried to joke, and I snapped. 

 

My hair was bright blue- just like Mom’s favourite color and how she dyed our food and it isn’t like the few little reminders I have because this is permanent . Permanent, but I can’t even remember what Mom looked like. 

 

“Shut up! You tell me how to fix this right now!” I yelled at them.

 

What I didn’t expect was for them both to go misty-eyed, and start telling him how to wash the dye out.

 

Pollux dropped me, taking several steps back. “Percy? What did you do?”

 

“I- I don’t know,” I was horrified. “Stop that! Snap out of it!”

 

Travis and Conner shook their heads, and looked surprised. “You’re an Aphrodite kid?”

 

“No!” I shouted, panicking. “Forget this ever happened!”

 

Their eyes went misty again, then they were grinning.

 

“It’ll be a great picture! Blue you, blue cake, and blue decorations! Come on!” Conner said as if nothing had ever happened.

 

I didn’t know what to do, so I bolted. Unfortunately, I’m not a very fast runner, especially when compared to the twins, who are quicker than Maenads on coke.

 

I got dragged into Cabin 12 before I could blink away the tears in my eyes.

 

“How did you do that?” Castor asked, fingers moving rapidly.

 

“I don’t know!” I wailed, signing along with my words. “I just wanted them to stop teasing me, I didn’t know I could do that!”

 

The twins shared a glance, and then Castor pulled me into a hug. “I believe you.”

 

Pollux smiled shakily, “You know, controlling people like that is something I can do if I get strong enough in my madness powers…”

 

I laughed. “I don’t think Mr D is gonna claim me.”

 

“But we can try!” Castor insisted. “Sleepover tonight, and tomorrow you’ll start living here!”

 

Pollux nodded false-seriously, amusement at his little brother’s flawed logic plain to see. “Baby steps.”

 

I burst into giggles.

 

-

 

I refused to break eye contact with Luke.

 

“Percy…” Luke broke off, looking both baffled and exhausted. “Is that a fish?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How?” He rubbed his temples, while Al snickered in the background.

 

“I caught it.”

 

“Where did you get it?” Al asked, amusement coming in full-force.

 

I stared at Luke. Luke stared at me.

 

“...I fell into the lake.”

 

Luke threw his hands into the air, muttering something about gods helping him. Annabeth face palmed, and Alabaster was doubled over laughing.

 

“Put it back!” Luke told me.

 

I pouted, “But I already took a few bites!”

 

Al stopped laughing. “You WHAT?! Percy, you could have food poisoning!”

 

“But it’s yummy?” I replied confused, watching as Annabeth left the pavilion shouting for Helion, Cabin Seven’s head counsellor and head medic.

 

-

 

I think I’ve spent the day more in a Vision than actually functioning.

 

Luke’s worried and I’m silent, not even my fingers will move to tell him what’s wrong.

 

There’s a knot, and it won’t undo.

 

Tied to it is a hundred thousand other strings. Or not.

 

A Gordian Knot, and I’m no Alexander the Great. There’s no pin to pull without undoing the tapestry, nor a sword to cut a life short. 

 

It’s a knot, and it will tie the tapestry together.

 

I blink, and I’m awake. The bed is empty, and a sticky puddle of blood is on the pillow. 

 

I was Seeing in my sleep, and Luke hadn't been next to me in a while.

 

The Cabin was asleep, so I tip-toed carefully out.

 

“Luke?” I called, wiping at my nose with my sleeve.

 

Nothing.

 

Hermes.

 

Something.

 

I took off, sprinting in the direction of the beach.

 

no-no-no-NO!

 

I saw them, and my heart rose up into my throat. “No!”

 

Luke whipped around, hand dropping from where he was shaking Hermes’ hand. “Perce?”

 

I threw myself at him, sobbing my heart out. “You can’t go! Please, dad, don’t! You can’t!”

 

Hermes froze, tilting his head to the side as he watched me like a hawk. “Luke?” He questioned, but Luke was too focused on me.

 

“Whoa, it’s okay Perce, it’s just a quest.” He tried to soothe, “It’s even been done before: Heracles’ quest for the golden apples. I’ll be back before you know it.” There was a bitter tone in his voice that sent warning bells across my entire body, but I don’t know why. Not yet I don’t.

 

“NO!” I wailed, “He didn’t do it alone- you can’t do it! Please dad, you can’t go, you can’t!”

 

“Percy.” Luke’s voice had a lot more steel now, and his grip on my arm tightened. “Stop this right now.”

 

It’s too late. We’re in the knot.

 

“Luke, the kid is just scared-” Hermes tried to interfere, and Luke obviously didn’t like his meddling, but thankfully loosened his grip.

 

“I know what I’m doing,” He bit back at his father. “I’m the one who’s raising him.”

 

My sobs began to choke me, and I coughed, curling up into a ball in Luke’s arms.

 

“I’ll tell Chiron about my quest in the morning and I’ll leave after getting my prophecy.” Luke said, and I could hear his anger as he picked me up. “I’ll be fine.”

 

Hermes could only watch helplessly, and when I made eye contact with him, trying desperately to pass the message that he should stop Luke, he looked away and disappeared.

 

Luke carried me away from the beach, not listening to a word I screamed.

 

-

 

Dully, I watched as Chiron briefed Luke about Quest procedure.

 

Annabeth hadn’t taken Luke’s quest either- having a meltdown and screaming her lungs out- and has refused to see him ever since.

 

Luke moved, walking upstairs, and I stared. Chiron shook his head at me as he stepped out of the Big House.

 

I had one chance- one in a hundred million- and I was too late. I didn’t undo the knot until we were upon it.

 

The sun shined brightly through the window, and blinded me for a second.

 

The Oracle of Delphi is tired, she’ll go to sleep soon.

 

Just one last prophecy to the child she once gave a prophecy about a hundred years ago.

 

Then… then it is time for the next Oracle to take her place.

 

I gasped, eyes flying open.

 

I was standing outside the attic door, but I don’t remember getting here.

 

Green smoke drifted out from under the crack of the door, and approached me. The voice inside went quiet, finishing her prophecy, but the smoke didn’t return to her.

 

Luke opened the door just in time to see the smoke enter my mouth, making my eyes shine a green brighter than they should ever be.

 

“Percy?” His voice cracked at the question.

 

I opened my mouth, and my voice wasn’t just… me .

 

“ So you want to start a war?” I asked him, with a bright smile on my face. “ Well I don’t know what you had in mind, but here we stand on opposing sides. Let’s go to war. Let’s go to Wa- AAH !” I broke off halfway through the prophecy, screaming against the power that seemed to try to force it’s control over me.

 

“Percy!” He cried out, but now that it’s just me, I wasn’t finished.

 

“ Taking over this town, they should worry, But these problems aside I think you taught me well, ” I sang calmly. “ His crown lit up the way as we moved slowly, Past the wondering eyes of the ones that were left behind, Though far away, We're still the same, we’re still the same. ”

 

“Percy-” He gasped out as I grabbed his wrists.

 

“ Howling ghosts they reappear, In mountains that are stacked with fear, But you're a king and I'm a lionheart. And in the sea that's painted black, Creatures lurk below the deck, But you're a king and I'm a lionheart. ” I insisted, trying to convey a message even I don't understand or know. 

 

“ Lionheart .” I repeated one last time, and I choked on the blood in my mouth.

 

“Percy! Please, oh gods, CHIRON!” Luke called for help, frantic.

 

I didn’t- I couldn’t-

 

More blood dripped out of my nose, and my eyes rolled backwards into my head.

Notes:

:)
So! I'm back with your newest chapter, and with an update to the tags, lemme see what you think of those new relationship and general tags in the comments! Speaking of Comments: sorry to everyone who has commented and I haven't replied, I don't have enough spoons to respond to all of them, though I tried. I have read every single comment though! I love them all, so very much!

Anyways, Percy has new powers, Luke is starting to go... uh-oh, Alabaster has joined the little fam, Annabeth is face palming, Dionysus needs his husband Chiron to help him parent, the twins are adorable, the stolls are menaces, and I think I covered all the characters! Yay!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 13: A Storm is coming

Summary:

So... That 'Hurt no Comfort' tag looks real nice, huh?

Where’s my brothers? My sisters? 

 

They’re all gone… All so Tired… Only I remain, and only because I was useful…

 

I’m not useful anymore, not since the curse…

 

They’re young… As the cycle begins anew… The new generation approaches.

 

There is no Delphi for me now, no source for me to draw from, no smoke for me to smell.

 

I pass you the final torch now, child, it is but a spark, but you can fan it into a flame anew.

 

Chaos to Ouranos, Kronos to Phoebe, Zeus to Poseidon, Apollon to you.

 

The flame of fate.

 

I woke up with a start, eyes searching for the raspy, ancient voice.

 

The only ancient voice was Chiron’s, who paused in the book he was reading out loud, setting it down on his blanket-covered lap from where he sat in his wheelchair.

 

“Shh, Percy,” He leaned forward, eyes hard yet kind. “It’s good to see you awake.”

 

My mouth felt rough, like sand had been forced down my throat. I didn’t bother with my words- they could cause too much damage- and signed, “Luke?”

 

Chiron sighed. “Trying to stop the Oracle from giving Luke his prophecy wasn’t wise, Percy.” He looked down at me severely, “Luke has gone on his quest.”

 

I closed my eyes, devastated. Tears slid down my cheeks. Luke may not die, but it’ll be close, the beginning of a frayed string- keeping itself together by pure force of will until it snaps.

 

It won’t be a clean snip.

 

“Percy,” Chiron said sternly. “I understand that you are attached to Luke, but this has gone too far. You’ve been asleep for four days.”

 

My fingers flew up in my defense, but Chiron held a hand up.

 

“No,” He said simply. “There are no excuses. Lord Apollon could have taken this very badly, you’re lucky he only struck you down with a seizure. As soon as you’re cleared from the infirmary, you have dish washing duty for three months. Do you understand?”

 

I nodded, resigned. Why do they never listen to me?

 

“Good,” He nodded. “I’ll go tell Helion you’re awake.”

 

I let myself drop back roughly on the infirmary bed.

 

How could Luke just leave me behind for his quest? He promised he’ll always be there, why isn’t he? I don’t understand.

 

I don’t understand.

 

-

 

Annabeth came, escorted by Alabaster, to visit me.

 

“You didn’t actually assault the Oracle, did you? Was the first thing out of her mouth.

 

“Of course not,” I scowled as I signed.

 

“So what did you See?” Alabaster frowned.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Annabeth demanded, “You’re supposed to know, that’s the whole point!”

 

“But I don’t!” I shot back, frustrated. “I heard the Pythia telling Luke his prophecy, and next thing I know I’m singing . I gave two prophecies as songs, but I have no idea what they mean.”

 

Alabaster looked concerned, but Annabeth just looked determined.

 

“What songs?” She asked, “Maybe we can figure them out ourselves.”

 

My frustration mounted. What part of ‘I don’t know' does she not understand? “I DON’T KNOW,” I exaggerated the signs, annoyed.

 

“Okay,” Alabaster cut in before Annabeth could continue interrogating me. “This is obviously not going anywhere, and I’m not going to sit here and watch as you two fight. Especially since Percy is on bed-rest.”

 

He stood up, taking Annabeth’s reluctant hand. “Chiron told me that you’re being released in the morning, I’ll come by then.”

 

I watched them walk away, feeling useless.

 

Why don’t I know? I always know. What did I do wrong?

 

-

 

The infirmary is creepy at night.

 

Too clean, with nobody other than the night shift healer, and far too quiet compared to the crowded cabin 11 or the musical cabin 7.

 

It’s hard to sleep here, all alone, so I don’t. I would’ve snuck out, but Helion warned me that all the cots had alarms.

 

So I’m stuck staring at the moon through the window, wishing I was outside.

 

“What is my sister doing that has got you so fascinated?”

 

I jerked, blinking at the god I didn’t even notice appear.

 

“Pretty,” I signed. “I want to be above everything too.”

 

Apollo’s lips twitched upwards. “I’ll do you a favor and not tell her you said that she's pretty. And you can, maybe, one day join me in the sun chariot, after… everything… is over.”

 

I tilted my head to the side, staring silently at him. This would be the fifth time he’s visited so far, and the past two visits were short training sessions, telling me the history of the Oracles and how important my position is.

 

“I know you’re not Seeing anything right now, so can you please blink? That’s creepy.” Apollo said.

 

“She’s gone.” I signed simply in response.

 

He understood, sighing heavily.

 

“I thought this was happening,” He muttered to himself, resigned. He looked at me, shifting to sit cross-legged on the bed. “The other Oracles they’re… retired. The Pythia was the last one still giving prophecies, and even then there was some sort of curse on her that I haven’t been able to remove. When I saw you for the first time… I realized there’s a new generation of Oracles. My grandmother warned me this could happen, but I didn’t expect it. It happened once when Ouranos ruled, and the Oracles waned under Kronos until she took over and they began the new generation starting with the Grove of Dodona, but since nothing had happened for four millennia, I didn’t even realize that all the Oracles were waning again.”

 

Pinned. Trapped. Fading. 

 

They’re all fading, and they don’t mind. 

 

They await Him, He’ll free them, and they will fade away in peace.

 

I blinked a few times, but Apollo didn’t seem to have noticed my Vision, he was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. I nodded slowly.

 

“I heard your singing,” Apollo spoke up after a few seconds of silence. “That’s an interesting Prophecy format. Kind of hoping it would be haiku’s, but there’s still time until the Oracle settles in you. As you. You’re young, you can still change how you give your prophecies- play around with them.”

 

“It scared me,” I confessed to him. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I had to. And I don’t understand the prophecies, they make no sense, it’s just a song.”

 

“Is that why you’ve refused to open that mouth of yours?” He asked, knowing the answer already. “Look, Percy, I don’t understand what the prophecies are going to mean either. Seeing, we know that’s different from Prophecies, they make sense. We can at least control our Visions a bit, but Prophecies? I may be the god of prophecy, but I don’t control them either. That’s some higher force. You’re scared, and that’s okay, we’re all a bit scared of prophecy, but you need to learn to be calm about it. Freaking out and trying to stop the prophecy isn’t going to help anyone- you could’ve died.”

 

It was comforting. Not like how Luke would just grab me in a hug and promise that he would protect me from it, even if he couldn’t, and say how everything was going to be alright. Apollo told me the truth, and it made me feel better. I’m not a little kid to only ever hear comforting lies over the truth.

 

“Thank you.” I signed to him.

 

“Of course, kid.” He patted my head indulgently, “Now I gotta go, and you have to get some rest. I’ll be back eventually, when I have my father looking the other way again.”

 

He stood up, and I averted my eyes as the glow in the room grew.

 

I went to sleep.

 

-

 

Annabeth is up to something, I know it.

 

She had told me that she tried to tag along on Luke’s quest, but Chiron was the one to stop her, telling her that her time isn’t yet and that her quest is only when someone important comes to camp. 

 

Wrong thing to tell the daughter of wisdom who was raised by a trickster thief.

 

She seems to think that the ‘someone important’ is a child of the big three, who is supposedly part of the ‘Great Prophecy’ that only the gods and Chiron know about. When I pointed out that she has met Thalia and I and she still hasn’t gotten any quests, she turned on me, angry. “Thalia is dead! And you’re an Oracle- everyone knows Oracles can’t be a part of prophecies! You’re just jealous I get to go on quests with Luke and you don’t!”

 

She had stomped off after that, not even letting me reply and explain. 

 

Castor and Pollux were busy creating chaos with Travis and Conner’s help, Alabaster was distracted with the new camper, Chris Rodriguez, who had joined last night, and Chiron and Mr D were trying to help Cabin 5 with their little ‘giant net’ problem (the fewer details on that, the better).

 

So I followed her.

 

When she entered the Oracle’s attic, I spoke up for the first time in the week and a half since Luke left.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

 

She jumped, hand curling something close to her chest. 

 

“Getting answers,” She replied crossly. “Something you can’t do.”

 

“I can!” I protested. “It’s not my fault! Prophecies aren’t supposed to be remembered or figured out- you’re supposed to let them play out as I say them!”

 

“Then why am I going to figure this Great Prophecy out then?” She snapped back, opening her hand to show a scroll. 

 

“Annabeth! Annabeth, don’t!” I protested, but she didn’t care, eyes scanning the words written down on the scroll.

 

Her eyes widened, and I acted, reaching out to grab the prophecy from her. “It’s not yours to know!”

 

“Percy!” She snapped, but I touched it.

 

A child of the eldest gods~

 

The words began to snake in my mind, but rapidly cut themselves off. NOT YET . They seemed to scream, NOT FOR ANYONE TO KNOW YET .

 

An Oracle of storm and sun,

 

I whined, dropping to my knees as I clutched my head.

 

Of madness sung,

 

A thousand screams seemed to overlap, but I didn’t make a sound.

 

Oh, lost ones, come.

 

They were screaming as the war waged. Blades clashed, and blood shed, but as the prophecy fulfils, they screamed. Screaming. Will scream. Scream, scream, scream, scream.

 

“Percy?”

 

My eyes snapped open, to see Luke standing over me, smiling softly and sadly.

 

“It’s okay, just another false one.” He said, “I’ve got you.”

 

I blinked and he was gone, only a horrified Annabeth sobbing as Chiron knelt down beside me.

 

“I’ve got you,” I whispered softly, though those blue eyes are glassy. My fingers are wet, yet I hum.

 

The sensations fade, and I go limp.

 

Chiron catches me, and I luckily don’t pass out, though it’s a close thing.

 

“Annabeth,” He said, calmly furious. “What did you do?”

 

-

 

I was, luckily, in no trouble. Annabeth, on the other hand, got just as much dish-washing duty as I do now.

 

Chiron sat Annabeth down, explaining the prophecy to her, but since both of us swore I didn’t see a thing, he let me go without a single explanation. Rude, but fair. The prophecy isn’t supposed to be heard now, not by us, but since Chiron knows it, he can freely share it.

 

When I asked Annabeth what Chiron had told her, she said that she made a promise not to tell until he let her, and I know better than to push.

 

So, I stayed away for a while. I was still angry at her, I know she felt frustrated at all the answers she was getting, and if we got together then we would just end up taking our frustrations out on each other.

 

“Uno,” Chris said.

 

“No you don’t,” I smirked as I put down a +2 and Alabaster immediately stacked another +2 on top.

 

“No!” He yelped. “You have to be cheating! Are you cheating?”

 

I made my eyes big and wide, “How do you cheat at Uno?”

 

Alabaster wasn’t taking any of my lies. “Stop peeking, I’ve caught you Looking several times.”

 

Chris looked at us, betrayed, and I stuck my tongue out at Al. “Snitch,” I muttered, despite knowing full well that I was Seeing a few seconds into the future so I could decimate them.

 

“Don’t,” Al warned. “You’re on lockdown. No Looking.” Chris looked confused.

 

Apollo put me on ‘lockdown’ with my powers- nothing other than the natural Visions until I fully recover from accidentally peeking into another Oracle’s prophecy.

 

 I pouted, and was about to retort with a lie about how I’m looking naturally, when my head snapped to the side.

 

He’s back .

 

“Luke!” I shouted, dropping my cards and tumbling off the bed.

 

“Wha- Percy wait!” Al yelled, running after me.

 

I stopped outside the cabin, looking up to see a pegasus weakly head for the Big House.

 

Something’s wrong.

 

I ran, heading up the hill towards where Chiron was shouting up to the pegasus to land.

 

I got there just in time to watch the pegasus crash-land, and Luke fall off in a dead weight.

 

Dead. Weight.

 

I screamed, scrambling backward into Alabaster, who quickly pulled me away from the scene, letting me hide my face into his chest.

 

Blood, so much blood. I can see… bone. Organs . Organs spilling onto the grass. Oh gods, I want to throw up.

 

“He’s still alive!” Alabaster shouted, gripping me tight. “Chiron! Get him into the infirmary, now!”

 

He said those orders with confidence, and suddenly I was being passed over to Chris. Alabaster’s hands were glowing as he chanted something under his breath, and Chiron started barking out orders.

 

Luke’s still alive.

 

Still Alive.

Not yet. Not his time. Not until it happens.

Notes:

I can see the angry comments already... In my defense, I warned yall last chapter to check the tags! I'm here to bring trauma and angst, not family fluff! I've gone away for a while, I'm really badly stressed and with a new trauma/triggers (thx Spanish teacher for that), so all my fics are going to be updated slower as I learn to readjust.

Lmao, anyways, don't worry, Luke isn't dead, but I did add this headcanon by RobinDrake93 (if you haven't checked them out already, please do, I *love* their fic searching for sanctuary, and they inspired this fic too!) that Luke's scar goes all the way down, and wasn't just on his face. Just for a bit of spice :) And yes, no more new Oracles, that means Rachel won't be an Oracle. I'm changing canon guys, please don't do the 'but this isn't what happened in canon' because this is a fanfic. Fanfics change things.

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 14: Sun, shine on us

Summary:

"Do you think god stays in heaven because he too fears what he's created?"
-Spy Kids 2

Notes:

CW Vomiting, Self-destructive behaviour

Luke has changed ever since he came back from his quest.

 

He’s angrier, and I don’t know what to do.

 

Luke spent nearly a month in the infirmary, recovering. At first, they didn’t let me or Annabeth see him, but after a week of tears and begging and praying, he woke up and we were allowed to go talk to him. Annabeth went first since she had already snuck in to see him, and by the time I arrived at the infirmary doors, she was storming out towards the woods where she would emerge with a baseball cap . Luke didn’t say anything when he saw me, he just let me curl up in bed with him and cry. After that first visit, I almost felt reluctant when visiting Luke, like any little thing I say might set him off.

 

We don’t talk about me being the Oracle, or how I gave him two prophecies. That particular stretch of silence between us seemed to go on for miles.

 

Luke was let out of the infirmary and straight to a funeral. Luke had refused his laurels, and the other two that had been made stood starkly against the shrouds. 

 

Nobody protested when Chiron announced that he would not be allowing any more quests.

 

Well, nobody other than Annabeth.

 

Luke wasn’t the only one angry nowadays. Annabeth kept going on and on about going on a quest, and if she wasn’t learning architecture then she was throwing herself into her training. Day after day she spent in the arena, practicing with her dagger, and getting angry at anyone who told her she should slow down.

 

“Why should I? We have to train, Luke!” She spat at him once, “If I don’t train, I’m going to end up like you and Thalia! You couldn’t even fight the monsters off yourself, how in hades are you going to protect me? How are you going to protect Percy? One of us has to, and you aren’t doing it!”

 

Luke’s fingers were curled into fists even while his voice was a steady stream of calm soothing.

 

It wasn’t going to end peacefully.

 

That was the first time I used my powers on my family. 

 

I hadn’t sung since I gave Luke that prophecy, but I poured all my heart into that lullaby. Nobody was around, nobody would have overheard. Their eyes went misty and they calmed, unclenching fists and smiling. They didn’t remember the incident at all.

 

I hated it. 

 

That night I refused to eat, locking myself in the bathroom and throwing up. No matter how much toothpaste or mouthwash I used, I couldn’t get that horrid taste that I betrayed them out of my mouth.

 

The next few months didn’t come easy at all.

 

-

 

I let out a breath when things started getting better.

 

In the year since Luke returned from his quest, my family seemed to slowly fix itself. Annabeth was no longer training compulsively, actually slowing down and not driving herself into the ground, but her pride still seemed to remain. Luke’s anger seemed to calm a little, and soon he was smiling happily and teaching campers and being my dad, even if he needed several hours training before and after everyone was awake to be like that.

 

In fact, Luke has been weird about sleep.

 

I understood being tired and wanting to go to sleep, but he seemed weirdly excited yet wary for sleep every night. He seemed to have dreams, muttering in ancient greek in his sleep, and not reacting to me trying to wake him up. I’ve taken to singing us both to sleep, trying to stop the weird dreams that felt off to me- that I couldn’t See, but he still woke up each morning with that look in his eye.

 

‘At least he’s sleeping’ I told myself. ‘At least he smiles. At least he’s alive.’

 

-

 

Chris has officially joined my little family.

 

Luke smiled when he saw Chris, one of the very first smiles he gave after he gained his scar, and after that I’ve been determined to bring him into our circle.

 

He fit into the empty space we didn’t realise we had seamlessly; a new brother I didn’t realise I was missing. 

 

Chris was a prankster, like me, but also responsible enough to watch over the twins and I when we started a prank war against the Stolls. He taught me how to track, like a hunter in the woods, but instead as a prankster in a cabin- able to tell how that one shifting of dust means that Travis has a bucket of water poised over the doorway.

 

Luke was both amused and annoyed at my new skill of sneaking, and to counter he taught me how to pick locks. Next thing I know, Alabaster is trying out his new magical handcuffs on me and Luke is laughing at Al’s frustration as he tries and fails to restrain me.

 

Al finally found my match with a stretch of heavily enchanted rope that he got from his mother as a reward for winning Capture the Flag by enchanting a large part of the woods, called the Ropes of Allum. Supposedly, it can tie up even minor gods, and we all agreed it probably could considering Luke tried and failed to escape it.

 

Annabeth and Chris bonded over their particular look called ‘You are all idiots. Why are you letting this happen Luke?’, which came around when Luke and I ended up trying to recreate Houdini’s locked trunk escape.

 

Chiron just sighed at our antics.

 

-

 

There’s been a few complaints about a bad smell in the Big House.

 

At first, Mr D dismissed it as a prank, going as far as to question the Camp as to who smuggled in stink-bombs. But then they realised that no, there is actually something wrong.

 

All the Cabin heads went to scour the entire farmhouse, trying to figure out where it was coming from. They didn’t find it on the first day, nor the second.

 

Luke wouldn’t look at me. We both knew what that smell is.

 

On the third day, they finally turned to the attic.

 

Luke wouldn’t tell me exactly what they found, he just hugged me tight and refused to let me out of his sight that week. I don’t think he slept either, and he seemed to grow angry at someone that I couldn’t See.

 

Rotting, more black mold than mummified.

 

A spirit screaming, asking for passage onwards. Please please please.

 

Help her move on.

 

There was a shroud burnt, but no campers were missing.

 

Chiron stopped glancing towards the attic everytime someone mentions a quest.

 

Luke flinches when I speak, and I’ve caught him checking if I was still breathing as I slept multiple times.

 

There’s a dark cloud over Camp that won’t move, and even the Apollo Cabin is getting sunburnt.

 

I know what they found in the attic. I know what that smell was.

 

-

 

Luke was spaced-out all day.

 

Even now at lunch, he had his fork hovering mid-air as he stared off into the distance, frowning at nothing. I stared at Al, and then Chris, silently urging them to try and interfere, but neither of them looked at me, both staring down at their food. 

 

Luke doesn’t speak to Mr D anymore about himself, he hasn’t ever since he left for his quest, instead he talks to Al, and now with Chris too. I think Silena is getting close with Luke as well, they’ve spoken a few times in private, but nothing like what Luke says that leaves Al and Chris a rumble of emotions and with the slight blur to their figures like echoes of the future threatening to change.

 

He doesn’t speak to me like that, and I don’t know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Or maybe jealous, like Annabeth gets sometimes. Jealous that Luke, that my dad , won’t talk to me.

 

“Luke?” I called out, but was drowned out by the din of the full dining pavilion. “Luke!”

 

Luke jerked, blinking as his rice fell back onto his plate. “Sorry, lost in thought there, what is it Percy?”

 

He smiled, and it felt both so familiar that something just felt....

 

Jason smiled at me from across the table, talking excitedly about this new trick he got taught by…

 

“ Jason, where’s Thalia? ” I asked, “ I thought she said she was going to eat dinner with us today. ”

 

“Thalia?” “Thalia? Percy what- Oh gods, Percy!”

 

“ Your sister, keep up Jace .” I teased, and lifted my hand up to wipe off some strawberry jam off my top lip.

 

“Percy, Percy please snap out of it,” A voice was repeating, and I belatedly realised that it was Luke.

 

It wasn’t jam on my hand, but it was definitely red.

 

Luke looked so very pale, and Al and Chris were staring at me like they’ve seen a ghost. 

 

The rest of the pavilion hadn’t noticed my episode, but the stolls were giving me weird looks from across the table.

 

“It can’t be- Curse- She’s dead- Oracles- Lies-” Luke was muttering furiously under his breath, looking horrified and desperate.

 

“Uh, Luke?” I held a napkin to my face, “I think I need ambrosia again.”

 

Al was looking between Luke and I, “You okay lil dude?”

 

“I think there’s someone that looks a lot like Luke in the future.” I said simply, “But my head hurts.”

 

Luke was paranoid all night, and when he finally fell asleep, I snuck out and slept under the branches of Thalia’s tree.

 

-

 

“Percy?” Alabaster asked, rubbing his eye. “What are you doing up, dude?”

 

I swung my legs back and forth on the Cabin 11 steps, watching as the sun rose. “Waiting.”

 

“Luke will be up soon. Can you come back inside? I think there are a few harpies still around.”

 

I shook my head, “Not waiting for Luke.”

 

Al frowned, coming to kneel down next to me. “Then who are you waiting for?”

 

I looked up at him, and the world blurred. 

 

My eyes glowed, brighter, brighter.

 

“Comes the early dawn, the young balance and revenge,  joins the family.”

 

I blinked, and the words had drifted away.

 

“Was that a haiku prophecy?” Al gaped at me.

 

“Maybe?” I shrugged, fiddling with the cuff of my sleeve. “I don’t remember what I said.”

 

Al frowned, “Do you know what you’re waiting for?”

 

I shrugged again, looking out to the horizon. “Someone important. It’s like when I was waiting for you and Chris to get to Camp.”

 

He sighed, and slung an arm over my shoulder. “Yeah, that’s about right. I think they’re a child of Nemesis.”

 

My lips quirked as the word ‘Nemesis’ brought a visual of an eyepatch to my mind. 

 

“They’ll be here soon,” I told him. “Go see if you can wake Luke up, he’s sleeping like the dead.”

 

Al looked away from me. “Or like the possessed,” he muttered.

 

“What?” Did I hear that right?

 

“Nothing, little dude. Try not to get eaten while I try to wake your dad up.” Al walked inside.

 

-

 

Annabeth has started acting weird around Luke.

 

It had started shortly after my twelfth birthday, when we all went swimming in the lake to celebrate.

 

When I had asked her about it, Annabeth went through the path of denial until I told her that I know all her tells and that she is definitely lying. Then, she switched to trying to bite my head off, threatening to put me in the infirmary if I breathed a word about this to anyone. As her little brother, I was used to this type of threat.

 

Nonetheless, this still left me more confused than when I started.

 

I tried asking Luke about Annabeth, but he just gave me a surprised look, obviously oblivious to this whole thing. “She has? I don’t know, maybe she’s planning another surprise birthday party for me.”

 

So that was a dead end.

 

I even tried to See the answer, but all I Saw was useless.

 

Giggling.

 

Annabeth rolled her eyes, trying to hide her blush.

 

“Do you have something in your eyes?” I asked her.

 

In the end, it was Silena who explained it to me.

 

“But he’s our dad !” I burst, looking confused.

 

“He’s your dad, Percy. Luke looks after you far more than Annabeth, and they interact much less because they’re in different cabins.” Silena explained gently, “A lot of girls have a puppy-crush on their role models. You know, I know a few kids who have a crush on Chiron. It’ll pass.”

 

“It’s still weird,” I pointed out.

 

She laughed. “Never said it wasn’t. Now, Clarisse and I have a date that I have to get ready for. Bye Perce.”

 

-

 

We were allowed to go visit Olympus on the Winter Solstice.

 

Luke didn’t want me to go, but Chiron had a weird look in his eye when he insisted.

 

I bit my lip throughout the whole exchange, doing my best to swallow lyrical words and blink away the bright eyes.

 

Silent footsteps.

 

Luke ended up commanding Al to babysit me all throughout the visit, and to not let me out of his sight or let the Olympians take notice of me, ‘or else’. I didn’t take fondly to the fact that I had to hold Al’s hand the entire time that I left Camp for the first time since I arrived.

 

The first time I’ve left Camp since I arrived… not the first time Luke has snuck away.

 

To Luke’s… I’d say horror, but really it was more of a hatred and something… something else , the Camp accidentally ran across the Olympians as they took a break from their counsel session.

 

As I stared up at the gods who rule the world, the gods that were my family, I couldn’t help but notice the way they looked at us.

 

Thunder rumbles as a circle of gods look down at us.

 

Or, rather, how they didn’t look at us.

 

Poseidon, my father , wouldn’t look at me. Apollo only gave me a quick glance before giving one of his bright smiles at his children. Athena barely looked at Annabeth, who seemed to glow with pride at her mother’s cursory glance. Hermes, frustratingly enough, looked at Luke for what was almost a moment too long before his eyes slipped away, avoiding Luke’s hard stare back, and instead looking curiously at me. He didn’t pay a single glance at Chris, who seemed to shrivel up as he realised that his father wouldn’t acknowledge him. Ethan's mom wasn't even here.

 

“Our parents don’t care, Percy.”

 

A swell of … not anger, no, I refuse to ever be angry, but distaste. Disgust. 

 

It was a short surge, and it quickly burnt out. I know that it’s hard for gods to be parents to those whose lives fizzle out so quick. Hades, it burns me to love so fiercely for a family who I have seen covered in blood so many times I can mouth out their dying words with them, even though I won’t hear what they say until it’s too late.

 

Such a short little surge of bitter resentment, but just long enough. Just long enough that it matters and the tangle of strings became a knot.

 

So as I was absorbed in my own feelings, I didn’t say a word as Luke slipped away from the group and towards the Olympian thrones.

 

“Family, I promise.”

Notes:

Is this edited? Nope. I wrote this out, bits and pieces all jumbled together, and, fun fact, that second to last line was the first line I wrote! Uhh, I'm a mess this week, and you can kinda tell in my writing, don't yell at me for it.

So, here we get to see Luke's bastardization arc through Percy's eyes, but he's also got an unhealthy co-dependency with him so he has no idea what's going on but he is concerned. Honestly, this chapter skips through some 3 years of Percy just watching his family fall apart, and that's just angsty fun! Shout-out to Skopos and Haven for coming up with the idea of Percy's visions making him be a bit confused between Jason and Luke!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 15: Where is the lightning?

Summary:

Percy, realising what happened because he got angry at the gods: Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck fuck fuck-

As the thunder got heavier overhead, so did the dread in my stomach.

 

Luke was gleeful . Others may not be able to tell as they don’t know him very well, but I know Luke inside and out. Every clap of thunder not followed by lightning made him stand a little straighter with pride.

 

I went non-verbal again, even going so far as limiting communication to only a few certain people as my paranoia that I would accidentally say something I shouldn’t to someone would result in lightning raining down on the camp.

 

Raining down on Luke .

 

I’m scared.

 

That’s hard to admit. I’m scared , and I can’t even tell anyone about it.

 

Annabeth would freak out, try to say I’m lying, and then tell Mr. D and Chiron. They wouldn’t even blink before damming Luke to the Fields, and that’s what I’m trying my best to avoid. Alabaster seemed to be well aware of what Luke did, and when I asked him about it, he just promised me that I’ll be safe and not to worry about it. Ethan and Chris were looking the other way, lips pressed tightly together as if speaking it out loud meant destruction, and I agreed with them.

 

Luke was just so… manic , a thousand times worse than when he came back from his quest, and I couldn’t… I couldn’t speak to him.

 

Every night, I curled up beside him in the bed, stiff in his hug even as he promises safety and so much more. I can’t… I don’t… I don’t know what to do. Telling anyone would mean my dad is taken away from me, doing anything means messing with the future, and every little web of Fate could untangle and rectangle and snap and break and remake themselves and- and- 

 

And I don’t know what to do.

 

So, Fate, ever the self-corrector, makes my choice for me.

 

-

 

“Come on Percy, you haven’t played a prank with us for months,” Castor pleaded, that familiar slight lisp to his voice drifting through my blanket.

 

I haven’t. Played a prank, that is. I haven’t played much at all since everything happened. But it was my fault and I don’t know what to do and maybe I should tell my god but then he’ll-

 

“Percy, please! Just get out of bed!” Pollux begged, stopping me from spirling again. 

 

I wanted to tell them to go away, but the words seemed to stick in my throat and choke me. “Leave me alone,” I aggressively signed instead, one of the only signs I’ve been doing recently.

 

“Perce, please,” Castor repeated, tugging at my blanket.

 

I went to bat him away, but my lungs suddenly seemed to stop working.

 

It’s coming. Hear the bull roar.

 

Watch it attack the borders, how the dark god will let it past the pine, how it will uproot it all.

 

How it will hurt your family.

 

Listen to Ethan scream, Chris’s bones break.

 

It will kill before Luke subdues it.

 

Watch the blo-

 

No. 

 

You can save your family, little Oracle.

 

You can See what will happen, you can warn them, help them.

 

Luke has told me about you, how deeply you love and how loyal you are.

 

Help them, and I can make sure this won’t happen again.

 

I believe you can do this.

 

Go.

 

My throat was burning.

 

Had I been screaming?

 

That voice… it was so different to the whispers of my Visions… like a being, ancient and deep, forced itself into the vision and cut it off. Told me I could stop this.

 

I can stop this. No strings have been woven here, simply plucked like guitar strings, singing a song so easy to shift into another.

 

How did it know that? Who was that? Is that who Luke has been talking to in his dreams?

 

“Percy? Percy!” 

 

Blinking, I realize that the entirety of Cabin 11 seemed to be staring at me, confused and scared.

 

Al was trying to soothe me back to the present, though I was slow to realize. I began coughing, lungs on fire. “Shh, it’s okay little dude, Mary already went to fetch Luke, just relax.”

 

“N-no,” I said, voice scratchy and fighting to not be heard. “Th-Ther-re’s a-a-a Min-Mino-Minotaur.”

 

“What?” I heard Travis whisper to Conner.

 

Alabaster looked concerned, “Where?”

 

Here.

 

I shot to my feet, taking off towards the door. I stumbled and felt dizzy, but pushed through. I have to get there in time.

 

“Percy!”

 

I have to get there in time, I have to-

 

A bellowing roar shook the camp.

 

Chiron appeared on the Big House porch, bow out and yelling instructions.

 

Luke was already half-way up the hill towards it.

 

No. No, I have to get there on time, I have to save them!

 

 I ran faster, reaching the top of the hill only seconds after Luke.

 

“Percy?” He yelped, confused to see me. “What are you doing here? Go back to the cabin!”

 

“No!” I replied firmly. Arrows.

 

He looked like he wanted to argue, but I was already tugging him down to the ground, a volley of arrows flying over us and towards the beast.

 

It merely roared and shook the few that hit off. This won’t be an easy fight.

 

Chris ran up to us, sword in hand, Ethan and Al behind him. “Luke! What do we do?”

 

“Surround it! If you catch its attention, then let it charge you until you jump to the side at the last second. We have to kill it using teamwork.” He instructed, taking command.

 

“Got it!” Al said, he threw down a card, and in a surge of mist, several humanoid forms appeared around the minotaur, confusing him.

 

“Now!” Luke cried, and several demigods jumped forward to attack with him.

 

I took a moment to steady Al, who looked like he was already too tired to fight, and leaned him against Thalia’s pine. “S-stay here. Saf-Safe.” I told him, ignoring his protests.

 

I turned back towards the fight, but in the second that I had turned my back was enough for the Minotaur to throw everyone back, realizing the illusions were a trick.

 

Chris yelled out as he landed with a loud crack, and Ethan went scrambling to his feet towards him in seconds, calling out for Helion. They were loud enough that the Minotaur focused on them.

 

Blood will spill.

 

I didn’t hesitate, I stepped in front of them in a protective stance.

 

“Percy! No!” Luke shouted from where he was using a tree to get back on his feet.

 

The minotaur didn’t listen.

 

I let out a snarl, running forwards to meet the Minotaur’s own charge, then leaped.

 

I sailed over his head, lowered so that he could gorge his small opponents, and grabbed one of his horns, pulling with all my might until I heard a snap and I was falling on the dirt ground.

 

I had successfully grabbed its attention and moved its path away from my family, but now I had the little problem that it’s going after me .

 

Uh-Oh.

 

Bellowing at its broken horn, it lumbered towards me, and all I could do was stare dumbly up at it, horn in hand.

 

Luke was still yelling at me to move, to run, trying to come to my rescue, but he was too far away.

 

The Minotaur charged again.

 

My brain went on auto-pilot, panic overtaking me, and I screamed. 

 

I didn’t realize that my screams could be so bad.

 

The Minotaur didn’t fly back as the Hellhounds or Apollo did, but it froze in place and began to disintegrate, and the longer I screamed, the more of it turned into golden dust.

 

After ten agonizing seconds, I finally ran out of breath, and it completely disintegrated.

 

I was left sitting on my butt, holding the horn in a death grip, and panting like I had run a marathon.

 

Luke was by my side in seconds, grabbing my face and checking over me for any injuries. Finding none, he simply grabbed me in a hug and pressed a kiss to my head, repeating prayers of ‘thank you’ to someone I didn’t know. Or I do know.

 

Chiron came over the crest of the hill, Helion by his side with his medical pack.

 

Light.

 

I knew it was going to happen before everyone else, wriggling out of Luke’s grip faster than I should’ve been able to with my adrenaline already beginning to crash.

 

I was standing on my own two feet for only a millisecond before I was bathed in soft blue-green light.

 

A trident was floating over my head.

 

Gasps. Screams. Whispers and shouts.

 

I only let the claiming last a few seconds before running back into the security of Luke’s arms, trembling.

 

My father has finally claimed me.

 

-

 

They had to drag me away from Cabin 11.

 

I screamed, begged, kicked, and bit, bucking like a wild horse trying to escape a bridle, but Chiron stood firm, even as his eyes projected his pity. I have to move to Cabin 3.

 

For five years I have lived in Cabin 11. Five years I have slept in that same bunk with Luke, surrounded by my fellow campers in a crowded, always-noisy cabin. Cabin 3 is silent. Empty. 

 

Where’s everyone else? Luke? Annabeth? Thalia?
Please let me out of this cell.

 

Luke had to talk me down, my nails having gouged so deep into the cheap wood of the door frame that the door will never close quite right again , soothing me softly, until I didn’t realize that Chiron had ordered my betrayal, and Alabaster was tying me up with the Ropes of Allum.

 

Deja vu, huh?

 

My Sight seemed to hit me over the head then, and I quieted with the intricate feeling of wrongness that had my eyes focusing in and out.

 

I joined Cabin 3, but nobody could yell at me for sneaking out and sleeping on the floor by the door of Cabin 11, never going in. They understood.

 

At least the reason for my claiming came soon after.

 

A quest.

Notes:

Boo bitches! I got uh, very distracted for a few weeks, as you've probs seen in my other works' End Notes, plus this is a pretty dark story and writing this while having a Bad Time is nuh-huh. Anyways, I kinda dumped all these words in a doc, and I was gonna start the quest now too, but then I realised that it doesn't fit in yet. So, shorter chapter, but words! Free words for you to read!

Percy is claimed! Finally! And you guys can see that his and Luke's relationship really isn't healthy anymore, but Percy clings on to it and so does Luke. Poor baby, Loyalty is a horrible Fatal Flaw for a hero. Oh! You'll see that I added this fic to my 'Luke and Percy' series, but that means nothing but the fact it's easier to keep track of in my mess of fics. And, if you guys want, my writing playlist for this fic is called "Mental Health? Zero. Queer? Very." by IzzyMRDB on spotify or [shorturl.at/sJQV9], if you guys like mood playlists (I have a lot of those for all my fics).

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 16: The Lightning Thief Part 1

Summary:

Percy starts his quest

They gave me my quest the very next day.

 

Chiron quietly led me to where Annabeth and Mr D were waiting. Luke was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Percy…” Chiron began, then trailed off. He looks resigned, yet sad. “Do you understand what’s going on?” He asks instead of whatever he was originally planning to say.

 

“The Master Bolt was stolen, and my father claimed me so I could go fetch it,” I said. 

 

Chiron tried to make eye contact, but he couldn’t seem to hold it against my rather dead eyes. Mr D was drinking more deeply out of his can of diet coke, as if he pretended hard enough, it would turn into wine and he could get drunk and forget.

 

“Yes.” Chiron confirmed, “But Percy, please, don’t hold this against him.”

 

“I won’t.” 

 

What is there to hold? I understand why he did it- it is the only way he can both protect me and stop a war. He tried to avoid claiming me and putting me in the sights of Zeus for as long as he could, but his hand has been forced by Fate.

 

Annabeth’s knuckles were white around the handle of her dagger. “Will we need to see the Oracle for a prophecy?”

 

Right. She never got told what happened to the Oracle in the attic. To the Spirit of Delphi.

 

Chiron and Mr D shared a look, and it was Mr D that answered her. “Look, Annabelle, the Oracle is not giving any prophecies, the whole Bolt has Olympus on edge and-”

 

I cut him off, eyes glowing green. “ We shall go west, and face the god who has turned.” 

 

Annabeth gasped, hand reaching out to me as if to silence the spirit of prophecy within me.

 

“We shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.”

 

“He’s the Oracle,” Chiron sighed, heartbroken.

 

“I shall be betrayed by one who calls me family.”

 

“Oh brother, this isn’t good.” Dionysus whispered.

 

“I shall fail to save what matters most in the end.”

 

I came back to, nearly collapsing if it wasn’t for Grover’s hand steadying me.

 

Looking at all their ashen faces, I sighed and pressed a tissue to my nose. “What did I say now?”

 

Annabeth repeated everything back to me, and I closed my eyes. I know how this will end.

 

“Clearer than my normal prophecies,” I said wryly. “I’ll go get my bag ready, we will leave at 1:07pm.”

 

I was too tired to even care that the secret is out now. 

 

So many secrets are out now.

 

-

 

Annabeth frowned when she checked her watch and realised that we were all ready at the top of Half Blood Hill at 12:52 pm.

 

Luke appeared exactly one minute after she raised her question, holding a pair of shoes in his hands.

 

Screaming. Crying. The deep pit below us all.

 

I took them and wordlessly passed them to Grover, then I dragged Luke by the arm away for some privacy.

 

“Cursed shoes?” I huffed, mirthlessly. “Can you make my job easier and just tell me where you hid it?”

 

I was done. I love Luke, I love him with all my heart and I will die for him a thousand times over, but I’m angry and so very tired. I know exactly what is coming, and I am already so tired of all the fighting that is to come.

 

He frowned, “Percy, buddy, you know I’m doing this to protect you.”

 

“Are you?” I said blankly. “Or are you doing this to get back at the gods?”

 

Anger flashed across his face, “They hurt you Percy, don’t you understand that? They- they cursed you! They cursed you with your little ‘gift’!” He spat the word ‘gift’, making his sentiments about my prophecy clear. “You can barely See clearly anymore!”

 

“I can so!” I protested, indignant. “I’m the Oracle!”

 

“ Then why did you See Thalia? !” He yelled. 

 

I paused, confused. When did I See Thalia? No. I can See the wisps of her in the corners of the future, but how does he know I can See her?

 

Luke’s chest was heaving in anger. “I’m doing this for our family, Percy!”

 

That’s what made me snap.

 

“Family? Family ?! Of course!” I scoff, furious. “Of course you go and abandon your family- saying it’s for the best! You’re just like your father. ”

 

Luke recoiled, horror and anger and sadness mixing in a terrible concoction that made instant regret flash hot through me.

 

I’m a coward though. There’s a reason no Oracle has ever been a Hero before- it’s because we always seem to choose flight over fight.

 

I turn tail and run, leaving Luke staring at me, betrayed.

 

We left Camp at 1:07pm.

 

-

 

We are left to take a bus west, and Annabeth interrogates me as we ride.

 

“Are you sure you can’t See anything?” She weedles. “We need as much information as possible, Perce.”

 

I can See everything. I don’t tell her that.

 

“Just keep your bag with you,” I told her, clutching mine even closer to my chest.

 

“What? Why?” Grover nervously bleats. 

 

Annabeth’s eyes were aflame. “What did you See?”

 

“I don’t know,” I lied. “It’s just important.”

 

I flinched before the Furies ever stepped on the bus, and Annabeth’s dagger was out and ready before the three sisters even started towards us.

 

“Swerve.” “Lake.” “Crash.” “Explosion.”

 

I muttered under my breath, warning my companions seconds before each event happened.

 

We stumbled away from the other bus riders and their cameras and phones.

 

“Percy?” Annabeth asked, taking direction from me.

 

“Woods. Run.” I told her, grabbing her and Grover’s hands.

 

They followed without hesitation.

 

Sometimes I wonder what they would do if I told them a prophecy that was complete lies. Would they follow it blindly? Yes. However Luke wouldn’t. He would doubt every word out my mouth. He hears me but doesn’t listen, or he listens to me without I ever needing to say a single word.

 

Either way, I lead them deeper into the woods.

 

Towards the monster den where we will find danger and shelter.

 

Sometimes, I truly hate my gift for giving me the responsibility of having to weigh every risk and reward for everyone.

 

-

 

Medusa is sweet in a murderous kind of way.

 

It should probably worry me more than it does to realise how many similarities she and Luke share.

 

The hatred towards my father that culminates into wanting to keep me forever, even when I wish for freedom and to stop being called my father’s son, even when it hurts me so very much for them to keep me. Even when it kills me.

 

I’m a little doll they all like to play with, and they don’t seem to understand how fragile and durable porcelain is.

 

In the end, we win the battle by me approaching her, eyes closed tight, and letting her coo and embrace me.

 

Then I cut her head off.

 

Despite Annabeth’s many warnings not to, I indulge my petty side, and mail the head to Olympus.

 

Apollo and Dionysus would appreciate the humor behind the action, even if the others won’t.

 

“The impertinent little-!” 

 

“Father! He is still my Oracle, or must I remind you every time you speak of him? It’s a gift: even as he quests he honors us and offers his own war trophies to us.”

 

“Yes. And it really is a little bit funny.”

 

“Dionysus!”

 

Yes, they’ll like it at least.

 

-

 

I guide them towards the poodle, and then the Amtrak. 

 

Grover plays his reed pipes in the woods, and eats on the train.

 

Annabeth mutters plans under her breath in the woods, and reads her book on the train.

 

I guide them through the woods, and sleep on the train.

 

My dreams are… dark. Yet comforting.

 

When I was little, there was no comfort in the dark, merely monsters hidden from my eyes but not my Sight. Now, I know that in the dark, the monsters can’t see me, but I can See them.

 

I think it’s the same comfort that Luke gets when he lies, or Alabaster when he uses the Mist, or Chris when he stares off into the distance and rattles off directions nobody alive will follow, or Ethan when he sacrifices his pawn in chess. It’s the same feeling of having an ace up your sleeve, a debt to collect, a balance to right.

 

There’s a Pit below my feet, and I don’t fear falling in because I can See I won’t.

 

“It’s okay,” The voice crooned, comforting. “I know this quest is scary, but you are doing so well.”

 

“Yes, I am.” I said simply, “For your plans and the gods.”

 

“My only plan is to save you, young one. The gods are the ones who have abandoned you.”

 

“They haven’t. They’re bound by laws and so am I. So are you, but you don’t see them. They’re the same bindings I have, and Luke has. His mother could see them.” I told him simply.

 

There was a long pause as the voice digested what I revealed. “Percy…” It tried, wary. “Just help me and your family won’t break.”

 

“I won’t help you.” I said, closing my eyes as swirls of gold begin to appear in the pit, throwing me back into darkness again. “My family is already breaking, but that’s a binding I can try and break myself.”

 

The voice- the one I am certain now is the one that seduced Luke- that I know who it belongs to now, is silent.

 

It lets me wake, and I am thankful it lets me have that little freedom.

Notes:

Heyo! I'm back!
So, the chapters will be a lot more introspective than plot now as Canon era has started, and I have to fit in TLT to TLO before hitting 50k words. I focused a lot on Luke's and Percy's relationship and how Percy sees their co-dependence. Sorry, this is a short A/N, I'm tired, but I love seeing you guys' reactions to my chapter updates!
The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 17: The Lightning Thief Part 2

Summary:

Across the country towards California

I’ve gotten used to my warnings getting ignored by now, even if I don’t like it.

 

Luke did it the most often and Annabeth the least, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t still do it.

 

“It’s the Gateway Arch, Perce, what could go wrong?” She asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

 

“I’m going to dive off that thing if we go there,” I warned her. 

 

She rolled her eyes and dragged Grover and I onto the elevator. 

 

At least it got her babbling about architecture again, in a way I haven’t heard her talk since before Luke went on his quest.

 

Annabeth looked confused when I told her that I was taking the fast way down and then uncapped Riptide, but her look of realisation and following screech of “PERSEUS!” right as the elevator closed in her face.

 

I did take the fast way down after successfully killing Echidna, but the Chimera nearly killed me and I had to throw myself out of the national monument.

 

Thank gods that even if I don’t have powers over water, it can heal me and I can breathe underwater. That was very close…

 

Oh no, Apollo is going to be so angry I got myself into unnecessary danger. Great, I’m going to be swaddled in bubble wrap between him and Luke once this quest is over.

 

I was working myself into a panic attack at the fact that I’m so grounded when the Okeanid showed up.

 

She looked vaguely familiar, like a woman I knew a long time ago, but that line of thought got pushed aside as she informed me she had a message from my father and that I needed to meet her at Santa Monica Beach before she disappeared.

 

Annabeth began to yell at me once I met up with her, but I quickly silenced her with an annoyed, “I told you so!”

 

She didn’t ignore a single prediction of mine for the rest of the quest.

 

-

 

We ended up Iris-Messaging Luke.

 

It was… awkward.

 

My apology was stilted, and he just sighed like a parent dealing with a rebellious teenager before accepting it.

 

“It’s okay, Perce, I know it’s not your fault. What you’re Seeing and saying isn’t you anymore.” He said that so tiredly, so resigned, that I felt too guilty to ask what he meant by that.

 

I know what he means, and I’m scared by his belief.

 

Luke yelled one more thing about staying safe, and then the rainbow collapsed.

 

I was left standing there with a bitter taste in my mouth, and the slightest wisp of comfort that at least I saw my dad for a few minutes.

 

-

 

Ares appeared to ask us to do a mini-quest for him.

 

“I’m not giving a prophecy for this mess,” I told him, unimpressed, the second he appeared. “I know what’s going to happen, and I’d rather not .”

 

He blinked at me in surprise. “I see why my brothers like you so much- you’ve got spunk, kid. But you’re doing this quest.”

 

“Did I say I wouldn’t?” I snarked back, “I said I wasn’t giving a prophecy for this. Now, can you at least pay the waitress in american dollars? Using drachmas is rude.”

 

“I’m rude,” He shot back, but did actually pay for our cheeseburgers with cash. “Do you want to explain what the quest is, Oracle, or should I?”

 

“It’s your quest,” I said, then focused on eating the diner food over his explanation.

 

Once he left, Annabeth elbowed me, hard. 

 

“Ow! What was that for?” I whined, rubbing my ribs.

 

“You idiot! Be polite to the gods!” She hissed at me.

 

I rolled my eyes, “He respects bluntness over politeness. Besides, it’s not like they can kill me- Apollo would throw a fit.”

 

She hit me again, lecturing me on how I’m not immortal and hence cannot go around insulting gods.

 

I knew it was going to be fine, honestly, she should have realised by now that I don’t do things that would kill me.

 

-

 

Annabeth was ready to strangle me.

 

“YOU KNEW THERE WERE SPIDERS AND YOU DIDN’T WARN ME?!” She shrieked, furious.

 

I was rubbing my ear, “I didn’t See that they were spiders! It was blurry- I thought they were ants!”  

 

As she fumed, I muttered under my breath, “Gods, Annie, you’d think it wasn’t me with the superpowered scream the way you’re shrieking.”

 

She heard me. “PERSEUS ACHILLES JACKSON!”

 

I flinched, and hid behind the god who just appeared.

 

“Wha-?” Ares said, eyeing a furious Annabeth, a soaked Grover, and a cowering me. “Are the cameras still rolling?”

 

Annabeth looked at the Tunnel of Love, realised that yes, the cameras were still on, and turned bright red. “Perseus, you are so dead!” She hissed lowly.

 

I was still hiding behind the war god, to his amusement. “Please don’t!”

 

“Do you brats want your reward, or not?” He was definitely hiding laughter, but since he snapped his fingers and turned off the cameras, I decided not to attack his ankles for it.

 

-

 

I knew I shouldn't have, but I took a nap in the back of the animal transport van.

 

I opened my eyes to the familiar black pit. 

 

I greeted him, “Grandfather.”

 

There was a long pause, “ Perseus .”

 

“Percy, please, I only get called Perseus when I’m in trouble.” I replied.

 

“ You are far more friendly this time, Percy. Have you realized that I don’t want to bring you harm? ”

 

“You don’t want to harm me, not physically, but my mental health is of no consequence to you.” I corrected him.

 

“ Percy ,” He sighed. “ You don’t understand- the gods are manipulating you. The Oracles were cursed; you think just because you are of a new generation that you aren’t cursed too? You met Luke’s mother, she was mad. That is what’s happening to you, you’re already Seeing false visions, but it comes on slowly. ”

 

“That’s a lie,” I declared. “You’re lying to me and you’re lying to Luke! Why can’t you just leave him alone? You’ll kill him!”

 

“ To fall in love with an immortal is a death sentence, child. ” Kronos corrected softly, “ You know this just like you know your sanity- while you hold the powers of the Oracle- is not sustainable .”

 

“I love him.” I said, “I’ll die for him.”

 

“ I understand. ”

 

I woke up. 

 

-

 

So, I released a zebra, an antelope, and a lion in the middle of Las Vegas.

 

I couldn’t exactly understand any of them, though Grover translated for us and said that the animals were very thankful for our help.

 

Roaring. Clopping. Crunch.

 

I didn’t have the heart to inform them that the zebra gets caught by animal control after only two hours, and the lion eats the antelope at dawn before being put down. At least they’ll have the freedom to run and be wild for a time.

 

-

 

I ended up physically having to sit down and weigh my options when it came to the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

 

On one hand, going inside would keep us to the exact timeline. We wouldn’t be untangling the exact lines of the prophecy, it would be following exactly the ideal tapestry for our quest. I know I can get us out in time.

 

On the other hand, we would be wasting valuable time. What if I stumble later on in the quest and we don’t make it in time? The Casino makes us so very close to the deadline. We can afford to skip entering it- this isn’t fate.

 

I sat, cross legged outside the door of the Hotel- to the doorman’s confusion- watching my hands.

 

Watching my fingers.

 

In my hand, I hold the strings. Untangle them, play the cat’s cradle, knot and unknot them right, and I can see the best course.

 

After a few moments, I reached a decision.

 

Standing up, I marched into the hotel, grabbed Annabeth and Grover- who walked right in even though I told them to wait - and several Lotus cards from a concierge, before marching out.

 

“Percy! They had the coolest games!” Grover whined.

 

“It was also a trap,” I told them. “Come on, the Marriott across the way is just as good, and the room service isn’t drugged.”

 

Annabeth is quick to follow me at that.

 

-

 

The next morning, when we pile into a taxi and promise the driver five thousand dollars to take us to Santa Monica Beach, I lean back against Annabeth and open my mouth.

 

“Hades doesn’t have the Bolt.”

 

“What?!” Annabeth hissed, “Then who does?”

 

I ignored the question, knowing she wouldn’t react well to the response of ‘we do.’

 

“His helm is missing, and he thinks I took it. That’s why the Furies have been after us. He’ll be pissed if we walk into the Underworld and start accusing him.”

 

“So what do we do?” Grover asked, “Why are we still going to California?”

 

I smiled tiredly, “It has to happen.”

 

They couldn’t get any more answers from me after that.

Notes:

Wow, not me updating all three of my series' on the same day after writing all of them in 24 hrs,,,, what got into me? The answer is zero editing and it being Apollo's monthly day. That, and I'm finally out of high school! I missed the last day cause I was sick! Perfect lol

Anyone who gets the hints of what is going to happen in the next chapter and the one after get,,, uh,,, a shout-out in the A/Ns? A virtual hug? Idk, I just want to see yall theories! I'm trying to figure out how to attach the lovely fanart I'm getting sent by Mixy_ttwara, hopefully my gf can figure it out for my technologically inept self. Also, yeah, Kronos isn't *that* evil in this fic, idk, I just think he's neat!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 18: The Lightning Thief Part 3

Summary:

*uh oh's intensifies*
:)

Notes:

Content Warning: The Tags have been updated with the warnings, please read that.

The California surf was turning golden under the rays of the setting sun.

 

I only spared Apollo a quick smile before I was diving beneath the waves.

 

Now, I can only barely breathe underwater, and I had basically missed out on all of the cool Poseidon kid powers, including the one where I can talk to marine life, but my Sight filled me in where my power was lacking.

 

“Hello Percy Jackson.”

 

The shark led me to her, and the words I knew she was going to say, were spoken. “Hello Percy Jackson.”

 

“Hello ma’am,” I greeted. “My father sent you to help?”

 

“Yes, the journey to the Underworld is a dangerous one. Few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great music skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?”

 

“An argument could be made about my musical talent,” I told her.

 

"Ah, but you also have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to man-hood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet." 

 

"I am one of those Oracles,” I reminded her. “I know what will happen to me.”

 

She ducked her head, saddened. “Then I am sorry for what is to come, child. Remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."

 

Do I belong to the sea? I hope so, because I will be lost for too long and I will need the help returning home eventually.

 

-

 

When I looked at Procrustus’ futures, I didn’t like what I saw.

 

“Percy! NO!”

 

*

 

“Good try, kid, but not good enough. Ergo.”

 

*

 

“Sorry, Crusty, but I don’t think you quite fit this bed. Ergo.”

 

*

 

Grover is sobbing, but it quiets suddenly.

 

*

 

“Run, Percy! Run!”

 

Too many possibilities. Many resulted in our deaths. Only a few showed all of us surviving.

 

It was strange, actually, Seeing like this. I’m used to catching snippets of whispers, or spotting the outline of a piece of string, or letting the Oracle overtake me. 

 

Now, it seems that the longer I go on, I’m less catching passing whispers and more seeking out the whispers and every single possibility of them. I’m not just spotting the vague form of a string, but tangling my fingers in it. I’m not letting the Oracle overtake me, but sharing the space with it.

 

I’m growing more practised- more powerful- and I know that isn’t good. I’m getting more attention for it. I need out of the spotlight,

 

Not this far out. Please, help me.

 

No, it’s best I stay where I can be seen.

 

“Perce?” Annabeth asked, looking at me, waiting for my directions.

 

When did I become the leader? She was always my older sister; my protector; my guide. 

 

“It’s best we don’t go this way,” I told her tersely, “Come, DOA studios is this way.”

 

-

 

Charon was easy to convince to let us down into the Underworld; the stern words of an Oracle and the threat of telling Apollo, Poseidon and Hades he was blocking them for completing their quest made him cave.

 

As soon as we were across the styx, I demanded Grover take his shoes off.

 

“Uh, okay?” Was his only reaction, baffled and confused to why the flying shoes Luke gave him have any effect on our journey through the Underworld.

 

We made our way through security, and I wordlessly handed Annabeth a bright red rubber ball I took from Waterland when nobody was paying attention. 

 

Cerberus whined when we left, and only stopped when I hummed a lullaby to him as I petted his three heads.

 

Then, the shoes went crazy in my hands, fighting to get free.

 

And they were gone.

 

“Percy?” Annabeth asked, staring at the direction the shoes had gone in trepidation. “What was that?”

 

“Grandfather is being impatient- I’ll come to him soon enough.” I said, and she didn’t seem to know what to do with that answer.

 

It’s okay, I don’t really know what I’m doing either. I guess I’m just trying to outrun the consequences for as long as possible.

 

-

 

Hades doesn’t fully understand, but he does, somehow, trust me.

 

I’m terrified of him.

 

It’s a simple exchange: we give him the Bolt while we retrieve the Helm so he can at least have a hostage- a security blanket in case everything goes wrong- and he gives us transport to Olympus when we are done.

 

Annabeth was still sputtering over the fact that we had the Bolt in our backpack the entire time when we got to the surface using the pearls.

 

“Percy! For god’s sake! You have the ability to communicate! USE IT!”

 

-

 

Ares was waiting for us on the beach.

 

“You, Perseus Jackson, are a far more competent hero than I would’ve thought an Oracle would be.”

 

“The trick is outsmarting them, not outfighting them.” I replied, tired yet determined.

 

A shift in the air, and a shift in his eyes. “Yet I can see you try outrunning them.”

 

“Yes.” I answer Kronos as he puppetered the god. “Give me back the Helm.”

 

“Why should I?” He asked.

 

I just stared straight at him, watching as Ares’ eyes flashed briefly gold before returning back to their normal red color. You can See too, why don’t you SEE ME?

 

“Ah. I see.” Kronos drawled, and suddenly it was just Ares again. “Here you go, punks.”

 

There was a Helm in my hands, and a heavy weight settling on my shoulders.

 

But Mt Othrys was still a few miles away, and Atlas hasn’t moved from under the sky.

 

The furies finished the exchange, and before any mortal ever realised we were there, the Chariot of Damnation appeared before us- Hades’ part in taking us to Olympus.

 

-

 

I know that Annabeth is furious with me, and I regret that I couldn’t apologise to her and explain everything.

 

When the Chariot arrived at the foot of the Empire State Building, I was quick to hop off and slam the door shut behind me, even as Annabeth yelped and angrily questioned me.

 

“Take them to Camp Half-Blood, don’t let them convince you to stop anywhere else.” I told them as I tossed them two drachmas: one to pay them and one to get them to listen to me.

 

They were gone before I even heard my companions’ cries of outrage.

 

And I was alone, looking up at the building that hid Olympus.

 

-

 

The lobbyman let me in as soon as he caught a peek as to what was in my backpack, and soon I was riding the Elevator to the 600th floor.

 

I hate elevators. 

“If you like Pina Coladas/ and getting caught in the rain-”

 

Oh. That really doesn’t help my nerves. Great.

 

Walking through the gleaming gold and marble city, I tried not to shrink away from the wood-nymphs that stared at me or the wind spirits that muttered as I passed them or the Satyrs that averted their eyes.

 

I’ll be okay. It’s just like when Camp found out I could speak and they stared at me for days. Sure.

 

But I don’t have Luke by my side like I did then.

 

When I got to the throne room where Zeus, Poseidon, and Apollo were staring down at me, waiting, I dropped to my knees. I dared not look up. My heart was racing. I could feel the energy emanating from the three gods. If I said the wrong thing, I had no doubt they could blast me into dust. But they won’t, I know that.

 

“Finally. There was only three days left in your deadline, boy.” Zeus spoke, hard and stormy.

 

I didn’t speak up.

 

“Zeus, let him be.” My father spoke up, “He shouldn’t have even been on the quest- my son is an Oracle.”

 

"You still claim him then?" Zeus asked, menacingly. "You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?" 

 

"I have admitted my wrongdoing," Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him speak."

 

Wrongdoing. To my own father, I am a wrongdoing. But I am a wrongdoing that I refuse being covered up and ‘taken care of.’

 

Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen," he decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."

 

“Father!” Apollo’s voice is taut. “Threaten my Oracle in front of me one more time-!”

 

“Apollo.” My father’s voice is calm, and my patron quiets. "Perseus," Poseidon said. "Look at me." 

 

I did. I Saw. I understood.

 

“Address Lord Zeus, boy," Poseidon told me. "Tell him your story."

 

I went to, but as I opened my mouth, I realised no sound came out. I tried to sound out a few words, but they didn’t come.

 

“Well, we haven’t got all day!” Zeus grumbled.

 

I flushed, ashamed at the fact that my voice has decided that now of all times is a good time to go mute.

 

Like when you were a child and you stopped talking to hide from the gods. You are afraid, let yourself hide.

 

I tried not to outwardly flinch at the words whispered in my ear. The Oracle, sometimes, isn’t as quiet within my body as it should be.

 

“It’s okay, Perseus.” Poseidon said, and there was understanding in his eyes too. “You can sign.”

 

So I did. I told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. I took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet.

 

Despite his grumbling, he accepted it, although my warning of what was to come was ignored. 

 

As much as I wished my first reactions not to be ‘that’s okay’ and ‘i’m always ignored’; they were. I know people will die because he ignored me, but here I am, already resigned to it.

 

Gods, I’m so tired of it all sometimes. Tired of me.

 

But Apollo didn’t ignore me, and with a glance I knew he would warn as many others as he could.

 

My father…

 

My father was standing there, waiting patiently for me, alone. We’re alone.

 

“I’m sorry that I didn’t claim you earlier, Perseus, but from the example of Thalia Grace, I think you understand the need for secrecy to protect you.”

 

“I-I’mm no-ot ma-a-d-d a-bou-bout thhh-at,” The words had to be sounded out slowly, and I knew he was also looking at the signs that accompanied my words, but I said them outloud anyways. “I-I un-un-under-sss-stannd why y-you d-did-did it.”

 

He smiled sadly, “I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."

 

“I-I knn-ow.” The words came a little easier to me now, “It’ss a g-greek tra-ge-dy.”

 

He huffed a laugh, agreeing, and I feel sorry for him- for what is going to happen.

 

“Pl-eassse d-don’t-t be ma-ad when it hap-pens,” I asked him. “I’ll be oh-kay. I’ll ret-turn to the sea.”

 

He stopped smiling, and frowned at that. “Perseus?”

 

“Goodbye father.”

 

I walked out of the throne room, leaving my father confused and worried.

 

-

 

The moment the elevator opened to the lobby of the Empire State building, I knew I only had a few seconds to start running.

 

So I did.

 

Out the building, down the street, through alleyways and backpasses; I ran.

 

Truly, I don’t know what direction I was running towards. Maybe Central Park? The open park and it’s crowds would mean witnesses and an audience- something nobody ever wants. There’s something special about the park too- I think I’ve been there before, back when I first started running all those years ago.

 

I know the chances. Out of a million ways this may go, only one path will lead to me outrunning them. The Oracle has whispered this to me since before I knew it was there; since before I realised that there were Strings; since the things I Saw were barely consequential. 

 

“There! Perce! Stop!”

 

They’ve found me. They won’t stop chasing me. I know what will happen.

 

I’m scared.

 

There’s another alleyway there! I have to- I need to-

 

No! Wait!

 

I skidded to a stop as I took in Chris and Ethan, waiting for me in the alley. Behind me, Alabaster approached, penning me in.

 

I uncapped Riptide. “Guys, please,” I begged. “This won’t end well. You have to listen to me; you’ll all die!”

 

“It’s okay, Perce.” Al crooned, patient. “It’s a false vision. The gods have cursed you- they can’t have an Oracle falling into the enemies hands. But it’s okay, just calm down, come with us. You’ll be okay.”

 

“NO!” I shouted, panicking. I was so accepting of this the entire quest, but now that it’s time, I realise that I can’t accept it. “I know what will happen! Please! I’ll go mad!”

 

“Perce, please,” Ethan begged, stepping forward, hand outstretched. “We just want to help you.”

 

And like a cornered animal, I struck.

 

I went for their weak points. Ethan’s other eye ( when did he lose his eye? Recently. While we were gone. ), Alabaster’s left arm ( when did he dislocate his shoulder? Last week. You’re the only one who can spar with Luke and not get hurt. ), and Chris’ lucidness ( when did he inherit his father’s psychopomp powers? Last month. He can see lost spirits and disorientating him means he’s overwhelmed. ).

 

It didn’t matter. I never should have let Alabaster test the Ropes of Allum on me.

 

I screamed and begged and cried, but they didn’t listen.

 

“It’s okay, Perce.” Chris promised me, ignoring the blood trickling from his temple. “We’re taking you to Luke and Kronos. They’ll help you.”

 

No, they won’t. 

 

They caught me, and they won’t let me go without a fight.

 

 I’m stuck.

Please! Let us out! I’m not insane! I’m not cursed! Please! Help me!

Notes:

You guys have no idea how hard it is to write a fucking plot twist when you're character can see the fucking future. I've been foreshadowing this shit since Chapter 9, but aaaaaAAAAAA! It got exponentially worse because every few lines in this chapter I had to top and rewrite because "wait, no, they'll figure it out." I hope y'all appreciate the work I put in for you. Also; for Skopos and Haven; the both of you have no idea how long I went just scrolling through our comments canon trying to find all the pieces of The Kidnapping to use, thank you so much for all your help with the planning.

So yeah; Percy has been kidnapped, and he knew about it. This is all going downhill for our boi. Leave a comment!

 IF YOU GUYS ACCIDENTALLY SAW ME UPDATE THIS UNDER THE WRONG FIC WORK: NO YOU DIDN"T! IGNORE THAT EMAIL FROM DUMBASS!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see it here

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 19: The Sea of Monsters Part 1

Summary:

Time passes quickly when you're stuck with nothing to do

Notes:

TW and CW: Reminder to read the tags as I have updated the TWs in them, but in this chapter is a depiction of mental instability and insanity from the pov of the insane person.

The cell they put me in wasn’t even really a cell.

 

The cell was a suite: white and blue walls with bamboo flooring, a comfortable bed and a bookshelf, a couch and a table. More like a vacation room than a cell. Except for the magical locks on the door and the false window and the slight sway of the ground beneath my feet promising the sea like torture; for home was so close yet so very far.

 

I screamed myself hoarse within the first hour of being there, kicking and hitting the door and begging to be let out. In the second hour, I scratched the furniture, wrecking everything within my reach with my nails because Riptide was nowhere to be found. In the fifth hour, I tried to use my powers, but my scream only left my own ears ringing when it echoed back at me and it seemed like there were no guards outside the door for me to charmspeak into letting me go. In the eighth hour, I was exhausted, and sat down and cried. In the tenth hour, I began to pray to every deity I knew- be it Apollo or Kronos, Calliope or Phoebe. In the twelfth hour, I fell asleep, finally moving past my denial of the Visions I have Seen for years. I am stuck here.

 

Finally, after twenty-four hours, the door to the room opened.

 

Luke walked in holding a tray of food which he promptly set down on the table. I warily watched him approach me as if I was some sort of skittish, kicked kitten that might lash out and scratch him.

 

“Perce?”

 

I just glared at him in response.

 

He sighed, and sat down on the floor across from me. “I know it’s hard for you to understand why this is happening, buddy. But you know I would never do anything that isn’t to protect you.”

 

I swallowed. He may believe that, but I know it’s not true. “I’m not cursed. You have to let me go, Luke.”

 

A heartbroken look appeared on his face, and I wanted to scratch it off with my nails. “He told me you would think that. The gods have cursed the Oracles, Perce. We’re out of their domains, but it’ll take a while to cure you.”

 

“Fuck you!” I snarled, and threw myself at him. Clawing and scratching and biting at any skin I could reach, fighting like a wild animal because that’s all I am to him. A pet to be kept in a cage, and when let out to play the good little son. Just like the gods and titans.

 

The door slammed open again, and suddenly I was bucking against two sets of arms pulling me off Luke. Spitting and snarling, I barely recognised the fact that it was Ethan and Chris holding me back.

 

Alabaster approached me with a needle and an apology, and it all went black.

 

-

 

“You shouldn’t attack Luke like that,” Kronos spoke from the gloom.

 

In the dream, I had no body, I was as corporal as Kronos was in this pit. Didn’t stop me from trying to roll my eyes, though. “He kidnapped me, imprisoned me, and is now insisting that I’m cursed and insane. Fuck the both of you.”

 

“You’re twelve, stop cursing.” He chided.

 

“Sorry, gramps ,” I said with as much sarcasm as possible.

 

“Where’s the little boy who was so determined to save everyone? Who loved Luke with all his heart and would fight to save his life at the cost of his own? Who pushed his powers to the limit just so he is reassured that his family is still breathing?” Kronos asked, softly.

 

“I’m tired,” I mumbled, wishing I could turn away from him.

 

“I know, young one. The curse has taken a toll on you.”

 

“I’m not cursed!” I hissed, eyes snapping to a vaguely darker shape and narrowing in.

 

“Seeing any future is a curse. I’m the god of time, Percy, and I have fallen victim to prophecies too. You can’t overpower it, but we are trying to help you. Please, let us.”

 

I didn’t know what to say to that. It’s true; Ouranous’ prophecy made Kronos go mad and eat his children. And he’s begging . Kronos, king of the Titans, said please to him. It’s almost like… like he actually believed I’m cursed.

 

“Please,” I spoke after a long pause. “Please just let me go.”

 

A sigh. “Wake up, Percy.”

 

I did.

 

And I was alone.

 

-

 

It’s hard to tell the days stuck in here.

 

Three times a day, someone came with a tray to give me food. Most times, it was Luke. Other times, it was Alabaster or Ethan or Chris. I haven’t seen nor Seen anyone else.

 

Sometime after the second week, I lost count of what day was what, which meal was breakfast and which was dinner, and my Sight wasn’t helping. Being a Seer has done a number on my grasp of the concept of time- especially a linear timeline- and being locked up has wrecked all possibility of me ever getting past my time blindness.

 

I’ll have a Vision, and once it happens, I'll be unable to tell if it’s been ten minutes or ten days since I'd Seen it happen.

 

So I spends most of my time either sleeping, or letting my eyes wander as far into the future as I can.

 

“Yeah, right!” Annabeth, fourteen and taller than he’d last seen her, responds to Clarisse’s taunts. “Eat dirt, La Rue!”

 

I smiled at the Sight, knowing my sister is safe and will be safe.

 

The door slowly creaked open, and I let my smile drop. Alabaster and Ethan were at the door, nervously watching me as they walked in on light feet.

 

They’re wary of me now. 

 

They visit me sometimes, when they drop the food off or sometimes even randomly, sitting down and trying to talk to me. Most of the time that they do, I scream my head off- howling lines of prophecy at them in the hopes that they’ll listen- until I realise that it’s no use and grab and clutch them as I beg and cry. Sometimes, I’m so tired of it all and I try to ground myself in the lucid present as much as possible- sitting quietly and signing to talk- even giving into the urge to crawl onto their laps like I’m that little kid at camp again.

 

They never know if I’m going to be the mad creature they are uselessly trying to ‘cure’ or the little boy that once was their little brother.

 

“Perce?” Alabaster tried, and I looked up at him, blinking.

 

A softer look appeared on his face, “Hey Perce. How are you?”

 

“It’s cold.” I croaked out, for once speaking out loud.

 

They stopped for a second, surprised at the words.

 

“Yeah,” Ethan spoke up. “It’s Winter now, Perce, it’s cold.”

 

“It’s Winter?” I questioned softly. 

 

Six months. More, maybe. Far longer than I thought. Gods, I’m thirteen now.

 

I think I remember something about my thirteenth birthday, but it’s blurred in a haze of Sight and Past. Luke was there, and Kronos visited in my dreams too. I think it was one of my quieter days. I remember the taste of cake.

 

Winter. 

 

“Thalia must be cold.” I could imagine her tree, covered in white snow and lonely against the sky. 

 

“Thalia isn’t here anymore, Perce. There’s only her pine now, remember?” Al says the words gently, afraid that I would break from them.

 

“ It's no big surprise you turned out this way/ When they close their eyes and prayed you would change/ And they cut your hair, and sent you away,” I sang, barely more than a whisper, before cutting myself off.

 

There’s nobody to hear me sing, nobody to deliver the prophecy to.

 

No. They’re hearing, but they’re not listening to us.

 

I listened to the serpentine whisper, and found myself looking up at Ethan and Alabaster. Oh, when did they get here?

 

“Perce?” Al asked, worried.

 

“You should listen to me,” I said accusingly. “I’m not cursed!”

 

“Percy-”

 

I cut them off with a scream, throwing my pillow at them. “STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! CAN'T YOU SEE IT?! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL US ALL! RUN! STOP STOP STOP!”

 

Red and black mixed in my Sight and sight, and when I opened my eyes again, I was alone again.

 

Why is it so cold? Is Autumn settling in? 

 

Luke came in with food, and I just stared at him. The food went uneaten. So did the next meal, and the next, and the next.

 

Finally, Luke snapped at the sight of moldy food, and forced my next meal down my throat.

 

I blinked. 

 

I’m alone.

Notes:

Heyo! I'm back! Life has been kicking my ass but I'm back!

Poor Percy is going insane, and let's be real guys, it's not going to look up for him for a long time. Uh, leave a comment yelling at me.

 

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 20: Sea of Monsters Part 2

Summary:

Done with Sea of Monsters

I drift to consciousness slowly, like most days.

 

Unconsciousness is a blessing: Nobody ignoring me, no fits of prophecy nor fits of madness. Just pure, kind, merciful darkness. 

 

Occasionally, Kronos appears in my dreams, but I’ve stopped replying to his words a while ago. Well, I think it was a while ago, I don’t know anymore. I just welcome the darkness, and pretend his coying deep voice truly does care. Sometimes, I don’t have to pretend, I believe him.

 

My hair is brushed away from my forehead, and my eyes flutter open. 

 

A pale hand was in my line of sight. I was leaning against a warm body, cuddled like when I was little. Soft whispers stopped once I shifted to look around.

 

Four boys. No. Two boys and two men were looking at me.

 

“Hey Perce, did you have a good nap?” The blond man coos down at me.

 

“Dad?” I ask, and he preens, looking proud. 

 

“That’s right. How are you doing today?”

 

I just blink at him. He’s nice. This is nice. “It’s warm.”

 

“Well, it is summer, little dude.” Al teases, and everything feels alright again.

 

“Oh.” I relax and cuddle back into Luke. “What’s going on?”

 

They look at each other, and then Luke turns back gently to me, brushing his hands through my hair again. “We think we’ve found a way to cure you, buddy. Isn’t that great?” He says every word like he’s talking to that six year old he found hiding mutely under a sheet of metal.

 

We don’t need to be cured. I am the Oracle, you are my Prophet. Defend us, young one.

 

I blink at the words, then try to ignore them. “Shhh,” I shush it outloud, feeling slightly loopy. “That’s mean. Don’t wanna hurt anyone.”

 

“Percy?” I feel Luke tense under me, and see Ethan reach for his weapon on his hip.

 

“They’re talking again. Is okay, I’m not listening.” I told him, trying to bury my face in his shoulder.

 

“That’s good,” Luke relaxed a little bit. “You shouldn’t listen to them.”

 

“Mhm,” I hummed tiredly. 

 

They went back to their hushed conversations, enjoying the peace.

 

Annabeth is pacing in a small room with a cyclops and Clarisse.

 

I made a noise of confusion, eyes searching Annabeth in the hazy Vision. It’s close. Very close.

 

“Let us go, Luke!” She yelled, banging on the locked door.

 

“Why’s Annabeth here?” I ask as the Sight fades away.

 

“Annabeth? Percy, Annabeth isn’t here.” Luke responds, cautiously.

 

“Yes she is!” I shout, pushing away from him. “Why are you keeping her prisoner too?! She’s not a problem to you! She’s no Oracle! Let her go!”

 

“Percy-”

 

“NO!” I scream, fingers tangling in my hair and pulling. “STOP IT! STOP LYING TO ME! I’M NOT CRAZY!”

 

“Damn it... Al… Ropes… Percy… Down…” It’s hard to hear Luke’s words over my own screaming.

 

Something pinned me down, but I just kept screaming. 

 

Screaming. Screaming. Screaming. Singing.

 

Singing.

 

Sweet soft singing, swiftly sweeping me off my feet and into a floating feeling of fractured minds.

 

Singing myself to sleep.

 

Singing.

 

-

 

There’s a commotion going on.

 

Something is happening above deck. More than one set of footsteps have run past my room towards the top deck.

 

Footsteps walked calmly by my door, and Chris came in with a tray of food.

 

“What’s going on?” I signed at him, glancing upwards to the ceiling.

 

He just frowns. “There’s nothing going on, Percy.”

 

I stare at him confused.

 

Hoofs beat on deck. Hollars chorus from half-human forms.

 

“There’s no centaurs?” 

 

“Centaurs? What-” Chris asks, baffled. “No. There’s no centaurs.”

 

“Oh.” I sighed out almost silently. Then raise my fingers to sign again, “Not yet then.”

 

Chris looks very concerned, but is interrupted by Ethan sticking his head in the door, looking tired.

 

“Annabeth is on board, and she brought a cyclops and a very angry Clarisse.”

 

Chris looked absolutely lost. “I thought Annabeth was terrified of cyclops? And is Clarisse the reason for the civil war spirits nearby?”

 

Ethan blinked. “Sometimes I think you need treatment just like Percy. Civil war spirits? Are they racist? I- Actually, no, just come on, Luke summoned us.”

 

Chris left, and I was left staring at the closed door. 

 

Racist spirits? Gods am I glad that I didn’t get psychopomp powers.

 

-

 

The hoofs I heard this morning were not in my head.

 

They were just like… like last time? Was there a last time? What happened this week? I can’t remember anything before waking up. I screamed and screamed all morning, but nobody responded. I’m invisible.

 

Luke opened the door. He was injured. He looked straight at me.

 

No. That’s not possible. I’m invisible.

 

“I’m so sorry, Perce.” He sobbed.

 

He was crying a lot. There’s blood and tears on his cheek.

 

“I lost it. I can’t cure you yet, I’m so sorry. I promised I would cure you and oh gods-” He let out a broken moan, devastated. 

 

I just stared at him, not moving. I’m invisible. This isn’t real. Luke isn’t here.

 

Luke broke down in sobs, kneeling on the floor as he keened. 

 

I’m invisible.

Notes:

Sorry for the short chapter, but don't worry, the next update will definitely be much longer. I'm kinda all over the place right now, and I have a new hyperfixation, Criminal Minds (check out my fanfics for that!), so Updates are also all over the place.

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/hfXGUeraTg

Chapter 21: The Titan's Curse Part 1

Summary:

Sorry, I forgot I existed again and as such, I have responsibilities such as updating fanfics. Enjoy some nicer saner Percy

 

I don’t know how long Luke has been missing, but it was long enough for me to notice.

 

Al looked worried, more than usual, but that could also be for the fact that for the past week, we’ve been having the exact same conversation every morning.

 

He comes in, alone, and tells me good morning. I respond by demanding to know where Luke is. He answers with “He’s on a special mission for Kronos,” and I remember that we’ve had this conversation before.

 

This morning went a little bit differently, but at least I had a warning.

 

“Hello, Percy.” Kronos greeted.

 

The darkness wasn’t pure emptiness for once. Instead, there was a soft shimmer of gold, not truly an image, but more of a reflection in the shape of him .

 

“Kronos?” It’s been a while since I’ve seen him. Well, as much as I can quantify a ‘while’.

 

“Are you well, young one? You sound… tired.”

 

I glared at the golden gleam. “Not shit, Sherlock. It’s not like I’ve been taken prisoner for the past, oh, I don't know , because I’ve been in solitary confinement .”

 

“Ah,” The titan rather eloquently said. “Perhaps my next move is for the best, then.”

 

“What are you planning?” I asked, “Because if you’re talking about the murder maze or the drakon: no, it’s not.”

 

“No, I simply mean to introduce you to some of my siblings.”  

 

“What?”

 

“And relocate you. Mt Othrys is a bit too empty right now.” A flash of a Not-Memory branded itself across my retinas, and I winced.

 

“Another bad plan,” I told him. “Of course, you don’t believe me, but I do hope you believe that if given the chance, I will claw Atlas’ eyes out.”

 

The gold seemed amused. “Go for it. My nephew is a good general, but he is horribly annoying.”

 

“I hate you.” I told him. I didn’t, he was one of the few that came, gave company, even when I was too out of it to remember it ever happening. “...Where is Luke?”

 

“Don’t worry, young one, I have not put him in any danger that he hasn’t already volunteered for, and even then, I’m talking him down from trying to storm Olympus single-handedly.” Kronos sounded exasperated, yet fond. “He is merely preparing Mt Othrys and trying to find the Ophiotaurus.”

 

“Shouldn’t you put Alabaster on that? Luke is… well, he’s six feet of pure rage with a sword. And a strong protective instinct towards any small child. Rebuilding and searching is not his forte.” I said skeptically. “He’s going to fail.”

 

“Maybe. But I might also be punishing him for fighting a Chimera last month for no good reason other than ‘I was angry.’” Kronos was definitely exasperated. “The company I keep... at least he’s pretty.”

 

I choked. “Please don’t talk about my dad like that in front of me, gross.”

 

Kronos laughed, “Very well. Wake up, Percy.”

 

I did. Opening my eyes just in time to see a nervous Al walk into the room.

 

“Good morning, Perce.” He greeted me.

 

“Hello,” I said, watching carefully as Chris and Ethan appeared from behind him. “Is something going on? Is Beckendorf on board already? I thought we had another year before the ship got blown up.”

 

Chris went wide eyed at that. Being a permanent resident of Cabin 11 means that you eventually end up being on the wrong end of the Stolls explosions, or, if you were unlucky like him, multiple times.

 

“No, nobody is going to blow up the ship,” Al quickly shut that prophecy down. “We just thought that this room might be getting a bit dull, and that you might like to move to somewhere new for a little while.”

 

“Mhm,” I hummed. “I can’t wait. Thalia isn’t going to be very happy, but I do suppose I deserve it a little bit. Do you think she’ll like a hug? I want to give her a hug.”

 

I kept talking as I followed him out of the room.

 

“That’s the most lucid I’ve seen him in months,” Chris whispered to Ethan behind us.

 

“Please don’t jinx this.” Was all he whispered back.

 

-

 

“Well, well. Isn’t this interesting?” Hyperion said, peering down at me.

 

“Shut up, brother,” Phoebe replied. “Go be a jerk elsewhere.”

 

“You’re both going to scare him,” Prometheus spoke. “Hello little oracle.”

 

“Kronos likes him; I doubt he’s going to be scared by us,” Iapetus said.

 

“You’re all so tall! ” Was what came out of my mouth instead of any sane response to being looked at by a group of titans like a tiger in a zoo. “You’re going to make my neck hurt, staring up at you like that.”

 

Al facepalmed in the background. 

 

Iapetus just laughed, “Told you so.”

 

“Don’t be so smug,” Phoebe elbowed her brother, and was suddenly the same height as me. “I’m Phoebe; the Titaness of Prophecy.”

 

“I know,” I told her. “I already saw this. You’re going to smack your brothers soon.”

 

“That’s not much of a prophecy- she does that all the time already.” Hyperion grumbled.

 

“You are just asking to go back to Tartarus,” She told the big bright idiot.

 

Prometheus sighed, “New day, same eagles.” 

 

Why is that so fitting, so wise, yet so ridiculously cynical? Poor dude definitely needs a hug.

 

“Why do you get a new mortal? Kronos has his one, and you have his kid, why don’t we get one too?” Iapetus whined.

 

Prometheus looked at Al, “Maybe you just need patience. Or perhaps, you’ll think to ask first? I see one I might like myself.”

 

Phoebe smacked all her brothers.

 

-

 

My new room was comfy, yet a cage all the same.

 

It’s temporary, I know it, it won’t last very long. Soon, a new room will be mine, it will be in the countryside, a little place away from the ship and close to the maze.

 

A cage all the same… one with very clear bars.

 

Luke is nearby. I can hear him, almost, maybe. I don’t know.

 

I think I saw Annabeth recently. She was yelling for me. Maybe I Saw her. I can’t tell.

 

Phoebe ran her fingers through my hair. “Try to focus on the Sight, and not the Sight on you, little Oracle.”

 

We are not fools. The Sight is us. Accept this, stop fighting it.

 

I pushed that thought of slithering snakes away. I am here. I am now.

 

I am here? I am when?

Notes:

Hello, I am back and would like to propose a mini playlist for this:
Wasteland, Baby! by Hozier
Cherry Wine by Hozier
Look Who's Inside Again by Bo Burnham
A World Alone by Lorde
All Eyes On Me by Bo Burnham
Home by Cavetown
Thank you and goodnight (or good morning? afternoon? I am like Percy and have time blindness)

 

I have a PJO discord server where I will be talking about this fic (and others) and anyone can join! https://discord.gg/Et2pUb25F5

Notes:

Hello! I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year, and I might not make word count in time, but I'm going to finish it! I just really loved RobinDrake93's 'The Kid Prophet' and wanted to do a similar concept with Percy being a Seer/Prophet!

I answer any and all comments you leave, am happy to discuss my ideas and plot with you, and I cherish every kudos you give!
Find me at @IzzyMRDB on all social media (Tumblr, Insta, Snap, Discord[#2881]) and start a conversation!

The lovely Mixy_ttwara has been illustrating the chapters: see the file here

Or, join the discord server for special content and sneak peeks!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 6 of Luke and Percy