What the sea claims, it will protect

by BlindPassenger

Summary:

The plan was simple. Give Sally the baby. Let her raise him to the best of her ability. Remain in the background and provide support as needed.

Well yeah.

Sally dying of a natural cause? Not part of the plan.

Unwilling to give up Percy to the chaos that the mortal world's foster system would be, Poseidon makes a spontanous decision to raise him all on his own. As a mortal. On land.

No interference rules? Well, he was never good at keeping to his brothers nonsense.

Still, he has to do it in secret. No one shall find out.

Well, he might have sharp teeth, but in this case, he bite more than he could chow.

Other people get involved. Things change.

Camp Half-Blood is not prepared for the result.

OR

My take on a Dadseidon AU

Notes:

Hi there,

so, I read a few of these stories where for some reason Poseiodn raises Percy. But apparently, there ar enot enough of them to satisfy me, so my brian decided the solution would be to write one for myself. ANd to make it extra fun, throw some other gods into the mix as well cause why not? So, here we are.

This is my first attempt on a PJO fic. Lets hope its not getting to horrible.

English is not my primary language. If you find any glaring errors, feel free to yell at me in the comments.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. I love talking with other people about fics. Feel encouraged to share your thoughts!

PJO and its characters aren't mine, they belong to Rick and co.

Some of the gods characterizations have been changed quite a bit to be more of a blend between their PJO and myth versions. I do not claim to be an expert on Greek Religion or culture. Everything that comes up here, is mere pretending. Its all just for fun and no offence is intended. Still, if you find something you absolutely think needs correction, feel free to let me know and I will consider fixing it if possible.

I think that's it? LEts start.

Chapter 1

*

Percy Jackson is a normal child.

Well, maybe not entirely normal. For example, he suffers from severe ADHD and dyslexia. That's not exactly helpful when you're a 12-year-old middle school student.

And, well, there are...other things. But he shouldn't really talk about them because it could cause problems.

But other than that? Yes, his life is as normal as you'd expect.

He lives with his father in a beautiful, large house in a suburb of New York City, near the coast.

His mother, Sally Jackson, died when he was still a toddler. Sudden heart failure due to excessive stress. No one saw it coming.

His father is P. Donovan Jackson, marine biologist and deep-sea explorer.

And besides, he's really annoying when he thinks Percy is dawdling in the morning before school.
Because school is important and all that. Adults say so.

"PERCY, come down already, breakfast is getting cold and if you're late for school again, I won't help you avoid detention!"

Great. But hey, at least there's breakfast? That's something.

Percy comes down the stairs yawning, shuffles into the kitchen and sits down at the table opposite Dad.

Oh, pancakes, delicious!

"Good morning to you too, my son!"
Percy, with his mouth full and not very enthusiastic: "...mo’nin’”

Dad just snorts. He knows his son.

Besides, he'd be a hypocrite if he pressed on. Percy loves his father and has many good things to say about him. But that he's particularly polite or patient in his dealings with people...well, not necessarily.

"So, today is the class trip to the art museum, right?"

Percy groans. Loudly. Did Dad really have to remind him?

He *hates* field trips. He doesn't know exactly why, but something almost always seems to go wrong.

Like that time in third grade, when his teacher decided to take the class to the aquarium. His dad was persuaded to come along as an "expert chaperone."

This was incredibly embarrassing. Dad couldn't resist pointing out and correcting all the mistakes in the teacher's explanations. At the same time, he bragged about how much his son knew about all these things.

Which...isn't wrong. Percy loves the sea and is endlessly fascinated by everything that lives in it. But he definitely hates all the attention and annoyed looks it brought him that day.

And as if that wasn't enough, he almost accidentally sent his class swimming with sharks.

What can he do if the buttons are labeled in a script that is almost impossible for a child suffering from dyslexia to decipher?

Plus, that button just felt...right.
(and they would have been fine anyway? It's not like sharks are out to eat humans. Yes, he really hates that particular movie series)

In any case, this event did not make him more popular with his classmates.

A few years later, during a trip to the historical war museum, their tour guide thought it appropiate to let a random kid (guess who) try out a supposedly inactive historical US Marine cannon.

Well, it's just a shame that apparently no one had checked whether it was actually inactive.

His history teacher had tried to get him expelled for this, but was immediately shot down. Dad had explained that it wasn't Percy's fault if the museum unleashed dangerous objects on students and instead threatened to sue the school and/or the museum for the incident.

Uh...what was the question again? Oh, right.
"Yes, that's today. Do I have to go?"

Dad gives him an unimpressed look.

"Oh come on! It's the Greek myths section anyway. I probably already know everything they want to show us."

That wasn't a lie. Percy's dad was born and grew up in Greece. He's very interested in (read: obsessed with) mythology and has told Percy a ridiculous amount of stories.

What do you mean, Percy finds it interesting too? That's so not the point!

In fact, he would probably be happy about the trip if it weren't for the fact that two of his most disliked teachers are coming along as guides: Mr. Brunner and Mrs. Dodds.

Mrs. Dodds is the seventh-grade students' new math teacher and, according to Percy, definitely the modern-day equivalent of one of the Furies from myth. She seems to hate him and his best friend Grover, as well as everyone else who, for various reasons, isn't so good at math, while she always lavishes praise on the class asshole, Nancy. Why she's even coming along on the trip, he doesn't know. Maybe the teachers held a lottery and she got the short end of the stick?

Mr. Brunner is a Latin teacher and also new to the school. Percy chose Latin as an elective this year because he likes ancient languages—they seem to come easier to him than English, for whatever reason. Had he known what kind of teacher he'd get, he probably wouldn't have though.

This guy is just...really bad at it? He seems to spend 90% of the time he should be teaching Latin blathering on about ancient Greece, heroes, and monsters.

Which...may be interesting, but really doesn't belong in the Latin course? How is Percy supposed to pass the exams with that?

Furthermore, some of the stories he tells are completely outrageous, twisted versions of the myths he grew up with.

Sure, he knows there's no truly true version of events, but his dad still manages to tell things in a way that makes sense. Mr. Brunner...not so much.

As if that weren't enough, the guy also has zero social skills? Like, at all? Once, when trying to cheer up his classmate Austin, he literally talked about how he wasn't "normal." And in front of the entire class. Which... yeah.

It doesn't help that the teacher seems to have a strange, unhealthy hyperfixation on Percy, as if he expects special achievements from him for some reason or other.

(and yes, Brunner definitely knows about his problems with learning, but whatever)

So yes. He's not looking forward to the trip with this teachers’ combination.

Originally, Dr. Lester was supposed to lead the field trip. Dr. Lester teaches history and music (as well as English, though not in Percy's class) and, along with Percy's own English teacher, Mr. Blofis ("Not Blowfish, Percy"), is definitely Percy's favorite teacher. He's usually in a good mood, always has a sunny smile on his face, and always manages to convey historical events as vividly as if he were there himself. Percy is actually good at his subjects.

He apparently also has a medical degree, which is why he offers a first aid course once a year for all interested students.

He also tried to start a poetry club, with...mixed success.

Best of all, he occasionally allows Percy to write his essays in Greek, which he finds much easier than English since he can actually read the language and the teacher has a degree in Greek philology (because, why not? Anyway, no complaints here!)

Percy's dad somehow managed to convince the already super-busy teacher to give Percy and three other students suffering from similar reading/writing difficulties an additional weekly tutoring session. This helped Percy a lot; he's gotten much better at it. (Austin, Fiona, and Kayla too)

So yes, he likes Dr. Lester. Unfortunately, he's on temporary leave for a few weeks, something to do with a family emergency. So the stupid Latin teacher is stepping in instead. Great!

Percy likes this school. He's actually made some friends, and not all of the teachers are terrible. So, could nothing go wrong this time please?

***

Well, it's working...okay.

Nancy is a bitch and throws food scraps at Grover.

The only reason Percy doesn't immediately attack her is because it's only a few days until summer break, and he knows she won't be coming back next year because her rich parents are sending her somewhere else. And because Grover tells him it's okay (it's not, but he doesn't want to get into a fight with the math fury or Mr. Useless right before the end of the year).

He also respects Grover. He's joined to the class at the beginning of the year and is extremely shy. In history class, he was assigned to be Percy's seatmate and project partner, and the two quickly discovered that—despite their quite different personalities—they had a lot in common. They could ramble for hours, especially about environmental protection and how humans are idiots about that.

They balance each other out well. Percy reminds Grover not to put up with everything and to stand up for himself. Grover, in turn, does his best to slow Percy down when his father's temper strikes again.

Dad likes to say he's like the ocean. One moment he's calm and super relaxed, but when something upsets him, he quickly goes from 0 to 180.

It doesn't happen often, but when it does, Percy hates being on the receiving end of Dad's anger. Especially because the fact that they're so similar means that disagreements between them regularly escalate into gigantic screaming matches.

At this point, he almost believes that if his aunt or one of the neighbors hadn't intervened time and time again, the house would have been destroyed or something.

Yes, Percy really does love Aunt Tia. She's the best, and anyone who says otherwise would be an idiot.

She's also probably the most sensible person in his father's family. Even he admits this, albeit with gritted teeth.

(Plus, bonus, she's a damn good cook. Dad tries his best, but his attempts have...mixed results.)

Dad has a large family around. Percy knows he's one of six siblings, but he doesn't really get along with most of them for various reasons. His grandfather was apparently a truly abusive man, and his grandmother has been absent for ages.

Dad says he has more family further away, and when Percy's a little older, he can meet those people someday, but right now "it's not a good time." Whatever that means.

Hmm, could it have something to do with the water stuff?

And how did his thoughts even get there again? Stupid ADHD brain. School trip, focus.

***

The class has now arrived at the museum.

They walk through the Greco-Roman department. Mr. Brunner rolls ahead in his wheelchair, giving endless, boring lectures, while Mrs. Dodds brings up the rear, glaring at everyone.

Percy is out with a group of his school friends. No one seems to be paying much attention.

Still, he's annoyed at constantly having to listen to Nancy and Tasha's gossip. Eventually, he loses his temper. He turns around and yells at them to shut up.

Mr. Brunner promptly turns to him: "Mr. Jackson, do you have something to contribute?"

Great. The girls can chat all they want, but if he says something, he gets singled out. Typical.
"No, sir."

Brunner isn't impressed. "So, would you like to tell us what this sculpture is all about?"

So...sure, why not? At least he knows that.

"The sculpture depicts Kronos, the king of the Titans and Titan of agriculture and, according to some variants, also of time, eating his children."

A mythological classic. Some eyes widen in shock.

Yeah, newsflash: gods were brutal and strange beings.

(Also, the image is flawed from a mythical perspective? ‘cause Kronos didn't devour all his children at once? Oh well, whatever.)

"And why did he do that?"

Really? Well, he can answer that too. Dad would be disappointed if he didn't know his myths.

"So, Kronos became king of the Titans by castrating his father, Uranos, the embodiment of the sky. And Uranos was pissed about it and basically told his son that his own children would one day challenge him for the throne. And the problem was, Kronos desperately wanted children and, well, was married to Rhea, the Titan of Fertility and all. So yeah. But he was also, like, super paranoid and a little too power-hungry? So he decided, since gods are immortal, the best idea would be to eat his children. But after five rounds, Rhea got fed up and hid the sixth child and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead—yeah, I don't really get that either—Anyway, growing up, Zeus was drilled to one day save his siblings, so he grew up and became Kronos's chief cupbearer. And in that capacity, he gave Kronos a poisoned drink (supposedly wine, but that hadn't been invented yet, so that's probably wrong) that forced him to vomit up his children, who in the meantime had all grown up in their father's belly—yeah, don't ask me, gods are weird. Anyway, the new gods were all super pissed about the whole getting-eaten thing, went to war with the Titans, won, and then they chopped their father into tiny little pieces and threw him into the Greek equivalent of Hell. Uh, that covers it, I think?"

Several of his classmates look a little green after this explanation. Uh...oops?

"Dude, really?" Violet said to his right.

"What? He asked!"

Nancy grumbles in disgust, "As if we'd need that for anything. It's not like we're going to be asked at a job interview, 'Oh, by the way, explain why Kronos ate his children.'"

"An excellent point. Mr. Jackson, to paraphrase Ms. Bobofit's question: Can you tell us what real-life implications we can draw from this?"

"Caught," Jeremy smirks in Nancy's direction.

Uh, what? Nancy makes a stupid comment and *he* is supposed to answer the question? Why? Urgh, he really doesn't like Brunner, for exactly these reasons.

"Uh, well, it's about self-fulfilling prophecies? So, Kronos was overthrown by his children because he did things designed to prevent exactly that, but had the opposite effect? Let's say being replaced as ruler by his children is inevitable, so he could have just... raised his children and then abdicated the throne and left it to them? But he didn't, and that's why it got worse for everyone involved. I guess the lesson is that we shouldn't just make negative assumptions about the future and take them for granted, and instead try to promote a positive outcome? And, uh, don't eat rocks, because, really, man, why?"

This earns him a few laughs from the students and a frown from Mr. Brunner.

"A...surprisingly mature answer," says the teacher (but still grimaces as if he had expected more or something different. Yeah, he's not going there.)

"Okay, time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, are you coming?"

***

After that, things don't go so well anymore.

Percy sits with his group of friends at a table outside the museum, next to a bubbling fountain.

He is extremely annoyed after being so picked out by his teacher.

Nancy decides this is the perfect time to continue to annoy him.

She stomps past Percy's table with her food tray, steps on Kayla's foot, spills her drink on Jeremy, and "accidentally" places her sandwich on Grover's lap.

Yes, Percy is angry.

Percy decides not to think about whether this has anything to do with the well suddenly exploding like a giant fountain. Maybe. Who can say?

Seeing Nancy face-first in the well is definitely worth it. Hell yeah!

Unfortunately, Nancy spots Mrs. Dodds nearby and decides it's a good time for slander.

"He pushed me!" she screams.

Of course, the old hag believes her immediately and, with a "Now, darling," asks Percy to go with her so they can talk about "appropriate behavior."

Just great.

***

Let's just say the conversation was extremely annoying and boring, he has to listen to Dodds lecture him about something he didn't do, and he's supposed to go to the principal after the trip.

Then it's back to the bus. Of course, Mr. Brunner was reading a thick book the whole time and didn't notice anything. Great supervisor.

Headmaster Kanagawa listens to Mrs. Dodds' angry rant about Percy, rolls his eyes, and writes an "incident report."

Percy must take this home and have his father sign it. Further consequences will be discussed later.

Well, it could have been worse?

***

Dad is not happy.

Not with Nancy, Mrs. Dodds, Mr. Brunner, or the principal.

Percy? Nah, he's good.

Also, in other news, the class is getting a new math teacher, a young woman named Ms. Kerr.

Apparently, Mrs. Dodds will not be returning to Yancy Academy.

Percy finds it a bit odd that his hated teacher suddenly and unexpectedly quits right before the end of the school year, but he's not going to complain. Nope.

One more week until the holidays.
*

Notes:

So...

I'm not 100% satisfied with how that came out, but I had to start somewhere.

Yes, Sally is dead and believe it or not, its not due to godly intervention. I went back and forth on that but ultimately, decided thats the best way to go here.

Am I totally abusing Percy's ADHD-plagued mind as an excuse to do exposition and worldbuilding at the most random times? Absolutely. Uh...Sorry not sorry?

Also, some slight foreshadowing here and there for all of you to theorize about. I'm probably not all tha tsubtle but...eh.

In case it wasn't clear: Mrs. Dodds, in this AU, is 100% human. Fury!Dodds just...didn't work for this for a number of reasons (and also bc Rick's timeline in TLT is a hot mess on this and i just...can't).

Yes, this is not a Chiron friendly fic. I'm trying not to verge into outright basing and I'm not making him a villain or anything, but I have a lot of issues with the guy and that'll shine through. Percy having a different reaction to him is due to the changes in his growing up and experiences that come with it. If you are a devoted Chiron fan, this is probably not the story for you tho.

There's a lot going on in the background as you've probably guessed. I will occasionally write from other ppl's POV to share some more of that, but I felt this first chapter should be Percy's time on stage.

Lastly, a comment about the pacing: I'm not going to adapt the whole books 1/1 in every scene/aspect/event. Canon divergences aside, that would take me incredibly long and I'm also to impatient to do that. And, frankly, it would be boring for all who know the books and/or have read a ton of excessive rewrite fanfics. So, if events are very close to their book counterpart, the're likely to get skimmed over. I will, however, do my best to summarize things in such a way that readers not familiar with the source material have a chance to get what's going on when we get there. If there are any remaining questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I'll reply to the best of my ability.

I will try to update this once a week. Emphasis is on try. I can be a slow writer and this is my first attempt at a long multi-form project like that. We'll see how succesful I am. What I can say is that TLT is mostly outlined and some rough plans for the following books do exist in my mind.

See you all in the comment section!

Chapter 2

Notes:

Alright, here comes the second one. I'm leaving town for the weekend so you get this a bit earlier than usual but I doubt anyone will complain, heh.

First, Thanks to all who took the time to leave comments and especially to those who shared their thoughts and speculations. I enjoyed them all. Though I want to point out to the two folks who commented in what is either another language or just emojis (i honestly can't tell), that my screen reader is not able to translate these into something coherent. So, if you have something you want to transmit, thats great, but please find a solution to do that I can actually read and reply to. :-)

Since more than one perosn asked about Mrs. Doods, I'll explain it agian: Her not being a monster has no major meaning for the plot background in regards to the whole bolt/helm affair. Its simply a writing choice to not have to deal with a messy timeline form the OG book and also because her presence wouldn't hav eworked well with a Poseiodn who actively makes sure (as best as possible) Percy has no monster problems at school. Of course I could just have cut her completely here but I kept her mostly to mess with readers' expectations and also cause she's cult and belongs into the first PJ chapter. thats it.

NGL, I'm not exactly happy with how this chapter turned out. It feels a bit...choppy? Unround? IDK. ALso, not much plot and some more set the stage things. I wanted to get further but by the time I was done with what we have, the heat wave caught up an dmy brain was fried so...its what it is. Not much Poseidon in this either, but he will get more screen time in the next one, promise!

Anyway, Enjoy!

*

Percy is still a pretty normal kid.

Yes, there are some things in his life that make this claim debatable, but it's not as if they have much of an impact on his everyday life. So, let's stick with that.

(Besides, normalcy is relative, as Dr. Lester likes to point out.)

Unlike last Friday, this morning Percy is on time for breakfast and is fidgeting excitedly in his seat.

Because: Last day of school, baby!

Okay, yes, there are still exams, but hello?! Holidays are in plain sight. Nope, Percy isn't going to let that ruin his good mood.

He finishes his food, gets in the car, cheerfully waves goodbye to his father, and makes his way to the halls of Yancy Academy for the last time this school year.

***

Math isn't going so well. But when you had Mrs. Dodds as your teacher for most of the year , what could you expect?

At least the new teacher is quite nice. So there's that.

English is OK. Percy likes the play Mr. Blofis has been keeping them busy with for the past few weeks. Most of the class complains about too much drama, but he kind of likes it? Must be his Greek side shining trough. His father's old stories are full of all kinds of drama, anyway.

Then comes Latin.

Uh, yeah, this is going about as well as you could expect.

The only thing Percy does reasonably well at is the questions on mythological aspects. And that's probably only because his dad explained to him in detail about the differences between Greek and Roman mythology and how everything fits together, because that seems to be another obsession of his. And a few basic language things work too, as Percy seems to have an innate grasp of them. (Thanks for almost nothing, Mr. Brunner!)

Although the tests cause a collective groan in the class, the teacher doesn't seem at all concerned about the entire class failing the exam. Great.

When Percy is heading to the bathroom after the Latin exam, he walks past Mr. Brunner's office.

He's about to move on when he hears voices from inside. His teacher is talking to... is that Grover?

Percy can't understand much. Something about them being "well on schedule" and when "he should be told."

Grover seems to think this should happen soon. Brunner disagrees, saying that whatever it is should happen without him.

Strange. What was that?

Whatever, he can ask Grover during lunch.

***

Percy meets up with his usual casual group of friends for lunch break. The mood is good; everyone is looking forward to the holidays.

There is chatter about what the various children at the table have planned for the summer.

Violet will be taking a cross-country road trip with her family. Fiona is visiting her grandparents, who have a farm in the Midwest. Kwame will be spending most of his time helping his family renovate their antique shop. Kayla is competing in a junior archery championship. Jeremy has no plans and wants to "chill." Typical. Austin is unsure, something about his mother considering enrolling him in a summer camp designed to develop his special musical talents.

"Oh, cool, I think Grover's going to summer camp too. Maybe you'll meet there," Percy jokes.

"Yeah, sure, as if. It's not like there were dozens of different camps or something.", Fiona points out.

Grover flinches. Hmm.

"And what about you, Perce?" Kwame steers the conversation back to summer activities.

"Oh, let's see. Dad and I are going to Montauk first and have fun on the beach. Maybe he'll take me on another diving expedition, if I'm lucky. It'll definitely be fun."

Murmurs of appreciation.

(Nothing Percy said is technically wrong. He's just leaving out...details.)

The doorbell rings. Oh, now he completely forgot to ask Grover about the awkward conversation. Nevermind, can do that later.

***

The rest of the afternoon passes quickly. PE class has never been a problem for Percy; he seems to be a natural and in excellent shape.

The chemistry lesson is cut short after 15 minutes because Nancy Bobofit manages to cause her desk neighbor Tasha's test tube solution to explode and the classroom has to be evacuated.

Girl is so lucky that today is her last day, otherwise Principal Kanagawa would give her a severe verbal beating for it.

The last class of the day is music, which is... interesting.

Since Dr. Lester is still absent due to "family matters," he's hired a guy named Crest to fill in.

Crest (who tells the students not to call him Mister, he's too young for that) is nice, but also extremely shy. Despite his age, he already has white hair and noticeably large ears.

(The guy is also extremely enthusiastic about ukuleles—more than is probably healthy? Music teachers, man!)

In any case, the sub is completely enchanted by Austin's performance on the clarinet.

The same cannot be said of Percy's half-hearted guitar strumming and Grover's attempts to murder a pan flute.

Percy loves Grover and believes he is his best friend, but his musical skills are...in need of improvement.

Crest visibly flinches and tries in vain (and less discreetly than he'd probably like) to cover his ears with his hands. Must have sensitive hearing.

Luckily, the teacher, Percy, and the rest of the class are saved by the bell.

***

As Percy leaves the school building alongside a bunch of other children, his phone rings.

It's Dad.

"Percy, I'm sorry, but I got held up at work. I'll be home a little late. Why don't you and Grover go ahead, okay?"

(Percy thinks he hears a thunderstorm in the background. Hmm . Maybe just a loud car passing by Dad's window?)

"Kay Dad. See you later!"

Well, a bus ride on the first day of vacation. Joy!

Percy hates buses. They pollute the environment and are always overcrowded. No room to properly indulge his ADHD.

Well, Grover doesn't like them either, so at least they suffer together.

Still, he would have preferred to ride with his dad, who drives an environmentally friendly (yet super-fast) vehicle. Percy has no idea what brand, but he doesn't care about such things as long as it wasn't something that could travel on water.

(What? He likes boats. That’s not strange.)

Grover shuffles his feet nervously next to him.

Oh yeah. Percy remembers. For some reason, G-Man freaks out every time Percy talks on the phone? Which is...weird?

When Percy once asked his buddy about it, he stammered something about "dangerous cell phone radiation."

Percy tried to explain to Grover that his phone is a new, experimental model that's definitely not dangerous (Percy specifically asked Dad). Apparently, his dad got it through connections at work or something? The best part is, it even works in water!

(Yes, Percy tried that out because, duh. You can't say something like that to Percy Jackson and expect him not to do it.)

Somehow, it still didn't calm his friend down. Whatever, everyone has their quirks, Percy supposes.

***

Unfortunately, the bus is as full as expected, but there's nothing you can do about that.

A stupid bully knocks over Grover's crutch because, of course, there always has to be an idiot.

To satisfy Murphy's claim to the law, the crutch does slam straight into the bus's controls and causes a short circuit or something? Anyway, the bus stops for a moment, and everyone has to get out so the driver can inspect the damage.

At least there's a nice little fruit stand by the roadside. Neat. Percy buys some fruit for himself and Grover for underway and waves to a group of knitting women on a bench.

Luckily, it's not far to the Jacksons' house, so the two decide to walk the rest of the way instead of waiting for the bus to be repaired.

They chat about this and that while happily munching their fruit.

As they turn into Percy's street, the two friends are overtaken by Mr. Conrad's ringing bicycle.

Mr. Conrad is the local postman and has been loosely acquainted with Percy and his father for years. He's also a marathon runner in his spare time and co-owns a small gym.

On weekends, he sometimes takes Percy with him to do a bit of exercise and get his excess energy out of his system.

He also sometimes allows Percy and his dad to use the place for sword fighting practice.

Yes. That's true. Dad and Percy do that sometimes. It may sound strange, but Percy finds it relaxing? And it's fun to learn from his dad.

Who doesn't really want to tell him why he's so good at it. Whatever, he won't complain.

A bit of basic self-defense training also takes place there. Dad is a typical American in that regard. Percy should be able to defend himself, and if that requires a bit of violence to deal with idiots... pfft, whatever.

As long as he doesn't attack people for no reason, they're good.

"Sup, PJ, what's up?"

Percy isn't thrilled that the guy still calling him that.

Just because little Percy had a penchant for running around the house and outside in his sea-themed pajamas (what else), and it matched his initials. Hello? He was a tiny kid?

Unfortunately, the mailman just finds his complaints amusing. They have the opposite effect of what he intended.

In revenge, Prcy At some point had started calling the cheeky postman "Con Man".

To his annoyance, the guy actually finds it amusing? And his father had an epic fit of laughter when he first heard it.

Percy just doesn't have any luck in life, does he?

(Dad later told him that, according to rumors, Conrad was indeed involved in criminal activities as a teenager and isn't exactly the remorseful type, whatever that means.)

Aaaand Percy is wandering once more. What was it again...oh yeah.

"Vacation’s up, that’s what. So, mail for us?"

Conrad grins. "Nah, not today. Just for the neighbors."

As if on cue, Mr. Green throws open his front door on the other side of the street.

Mr. Green is the "brooding, lonely old man" type. He hardly ever seems to leave his house and apparently doesn't have many friends.

What he does have, however, is an almost uncanny talent for sensing things. He always seems to know when someone wants something from him.

Or that one time he approached Percy on the way to school and said something about "not eating the pizza."

Which only confused Percy - until he found out that there was actually pizza in the cafeteria that day.

Since he wasn't hungry that day anyway (he had brought the leftovers from dinner with him, Aunt Tia was exaggerating again), he decided against it.

Which was a good choice. Several students suffered from food poisoning, the food hadn't been stored properly, or something.

Yes. Weird.

Green grabs the letter the postman holds out to him, signs his receipt, and slams the door shut.

Yeah, OK.

The children set off again, Percy calling out "Bye then" to the retreating mail guy.

In the next house up the street, right next to Percy and his dad, lives Abigail Cartwright.

She's resided next door to the Jacksons for as long as Percy can remember, and—as far as Percy can tell—she's pretty old (at least over eighty, if not older). But she's in pretty damn good shape for her age.

What really impresses Percy is the fact that she has no problem standing up to his father and telling him her opinion about whatever.

Percy loves his dad, but he can be damn intimidating when he wants to be.

But his neighbor? No, she doesn't take any nonsense and likes to scold him when, in her opinion, he once again "doesn't behave like a decent person/father."

Percy finds the father part kind of funny, considering she's easily old enough to be his grandmother.

Percy's dad sometimes lets him stay with her when he's still out or isn't home for some reason and his aunt can't come over.

As Grover and he walk past her house, Ms. Cartwright ("You know you can call me Abigail or Abby, right?") sits comfortably on her porch and greets them cheerfully.

"Hey boys, I baked chocolate cake yesterday and I still have plenty left. Would you like some? I don't think your dad's here yet anyway."

Percy can't help himself. He asks excitedly, "Is the cake blue?"

Indeed, it is. Sold!

"Cake!" Grover also exclaims enthusiastically. Food is definitely his love language.

That’s it.

"Sure, we'll come around."

*

Notes:

So...yeah.

MAny characters to keep u with. Not all of them will be relevant or anything, but I felt like I can't just have Percy exist in a void like the books (especially the early ones) osmetimes do a bit. This trend is probably going to continue in camp as well.

PERCY during this entire chapter: My life is super normal y'all, nothing weird here.
ME and the Readers: ...yesh sure

PERCY: /is only interested in vehicles that can drive in the water/
POSEIDON: ...well, about that...

So, to clarify: Yes, I'm not doing the FAtes scene here. Mostly because...RR did...nothing with it? Like, at all? We never get back to this scene or get any closure to it, we never learn whose thread was cut and/or why Percy had to see it. There are theories, I'm aware, but there's nothing in canon on it, so I just cut it here. Of course, I could not not include it somehow regardless. So...fruit for the boys it is, then.

So...thoughts? Theories? Rants? Give 'em here and come over to the comment section, I love to hear from you guys! See you over there and until next week! I'm gone for the next few days but don't worry, I'll reply to you when I'm back, so don't hesistate to say something.

(I think I'll set myself for friday updates. That should work out...or so I hope)

*EDIT 7/11*
So, turns out, I was wrong about the fates encounter thing so some extent, and we actually learn what it was about in the end. I tricked myself (and others apparently too) into believing the Luke thing was just fanon, not canon actually. Weird how that happens.
That said...Percy finding that out was at a point where it did him no service at all. So I'll stick to my point and leave it out here. Also, the other reason is that...down that far into the story, several things will probably be canon-divergent to the point the end result might be a different one anyways (take from what whatever you want, no tellsies)

Also, I'm sorry, but no new chapter today. I wanted to, but I'm stuck a bit with this one, this chap fights me. As of right now I've barely written a thousand words and thats not enough for a chapter IMO. I hope to get over this "block" soon and continue so that we can finally get to the camp etc. stuff. (yes, I know, that was kind of a spoiler, but also like...not really?)
Eh. Have a nice WE and sorry again.

Chapter 3

Notes:

I'm finally back! Sorry it took so long, and then I did not even manage to update on Friday. But, to make up for this, here you have an extra long chapter.

Here we get a bit into the other side of Percy's life, LOL. Growing up with Poseiodn has to have some consequences after all.

I'm not entirely happy with this one (the first hal fat least) either, but it had to be done somehow. I feel like now that we get a bit into the actual plot, writing will be smoother going. Lets hope I'm right about that.

One more thing: Yes, Percy is in 7th Grade here, not 6th as said in the OG books. That was an intentional change. Percy is close to 13 at this point. Kids get into school at age 6 or so (depending on when they are born) which means Percy (august baby) would be in 7th grade as a 12 yo unless he has to re-do a class. Which is, to be fair, entirely possible for the canon circumstances. Here however, some things differ, so Percy, while not an all around A-Student, made it on time.

OK enough of the preface, let get to the actual chapter!

*

"So, are you going to the beach with your dad again?" Abby Cartwright asks Percy after the small group has finished eating cake.

Yes, they will. And it will be a lot of fun. Especially because he and Dad can do...things there undisturbed.

So...Percy would admit that maybe he isn't a normal kid after all.

Oh, he is, most of the time. In the sense that his everyday life is pretty normal and unimportant, or at least he thinks so.

And the parts of his life that aren't...are unknown to most people around him.

Percy is what „Avatar“ would call a waterbender.

Or, well, maybe not exactly like that, but it's close, he guesses.

He possesses the seemingly natural ability to do anything with water. He is connected to this element in a way he can't explain. The best comparison he can come up with is that water is like an extra muscle he can move.

It also recharges him with energy. As in, whenever he goes into the water, he automatically feels much better. More focused, more awake.

You'd think discovering something like that about yourself would be a life-changing revelation. And maybe it would be, if it hadn't somehow...always been a part of him.

Percy really can't remember when he started playing around with water, but he was basically born with this connection.

His father always says that the sea doesn't like to be restricted. In a way, that probably applies to his inner water powers as well. They want to be used. Like a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly.

And if he doesn't do anything with it, doesn't learn how to handle it, it can lead to...accidents.

Like, for example, letting an annoying classmate, let's call her Nancy, get caught in a fountain, which may or may not have been an accident.

Percy knows he inherited these water things from his father because, duh. He can do it, too.

He also believes that their connection with water has something to do with the sea. All water responds to him, but the sea has always attracted him the most. Perhaps that's also why his dad works with the ocean professionally; he knows his stuff, after all. Both of them can dive pretty damn deep when they want to.

(Oh, yeah. Because he can breathe underwater. Which is cool.)

He once asked his father if they were merpeople who had to escape to the surface or something like that, like in the Alea Aquarius books. Or like Neri and her people from "Ocean Girl," who hail from a water planet.

...yes, he had a phase—which may or may not continue—where he was obsessed with anything related to fictional sea creatures. The Little Mermaid, Aquaman, H2O, The Man from Atlantis...you name it, and he's probably seen it.

(His dad hates the Disney movie, though, and complains about how it's "mythologically inaccurate" and Triton isn't a king and whatnot. If anything, Percy should at least read the original fairy tale by Andersen, on which the movie is loosely based. Which he did and then regretted. The ending is just sad.)

His father laughed at that. "No, Perce, I can assure you that we are not merpeople, and no, I was not born in the ocean."

Percy pouted in disappointment. That probably meant he wouldn't get a cool tail when he got older. Too bad.

Percy, from an outside perspective, has actually done little research into why his family can do the things they can.

This may seem strange, but remember: For him, this has always been normal, in a way. Just like other children in his class have certain cultural customs that are simply part of their lives and that they don't really question until others do. It's just the way it is.

In fact, Percy hardly realized that being able to do these things was something special until he started school.

("What do you mean, Mr. PE teacher, we're taking swimming lessons? What's there to learn? Isn't it all just...instinctive or something?")

Percy is, to use a fitting analogy, a child who likes to swim with the stream. He just takes these things for granted.

He knows there's probably a story behind it. But he also feels like it doesn't really matter. So, what exactly would knowing the details change about the situation? Not much, he thinks.

And Percy may not be the best at reading social cues, but he gets the strong impression that Dad doesn't really want to talk about it. So he lets it go for now.

It's a cool little secret to have.

Percy knows that life isn't like a comic book, where everyone with special abilities inevitably becomes either a superhero or -villain, complete with a secret identity. That's not how it works in reality.

Not that Percy doesn't like helping people when they need/deserve it, when he can. Or occasionally feels the urge to sink people who pollute the oceans.

(Dad on that: "At least wait until you're grown up, okay?")

Percy isn't quite sure whether he's serious or not. Probably not.)

But he definitely has no desire to lead a double life, lie to his friends, or anything else that would go along with it. Nope. He'd rather be Percy Jackson, the boy who loves his family and friends, gets up to all sorts of mischief, and just lives a normal life—with a few little extras on top.

And, well, Dad's a little paranoid about it. He hasn't explained it in detail to Percy, but the boy can tell his father's afraid the wrong person might find out about his abilities and...do whatever.

Which might even be a legitimate fear. Percy is too young to really care about politics and such, but he knows enough to realize that the government sometimes does a lot of shitty things.

On the other hand, the bizarre thing is that nobody seems to really notice his water shennanigans anyway.

Like, he'll accidentally (or sometimes intentionally) do something, but the people around him never attribute it to him, or at least not in a way that makes sense. Instead, they always find a natural, logical explanation (or at least, more logical than "That kid has water-based superpowers").

Percy sort of understands this. It's not what you'd expect. Still, it confuses him—some incidents were kind of obvious?

Well, people only see what they want to see, he supposes.

He doesn't really tell people. It has little impact on his everyday life anyway, and his friends like him the way he is. He doesn't want to be that kid who's only cool because he can do crazy shit with water. No thanks!

Not many people know about Percy's more unusual talents. His father, of course, is aware, as he can do things like that and helps him gain better control or just play around during the holidays and whenever he has time.

His aunt definitely knows too, which makes sense. After all, she's Dad's sister and would have been there when he developed his own powers as a child. She also always tells him that it's normal for him, a part of him, and that he should just accept it whenever he’s upset about it.

Percy also has the impression that Aunt Tia can do with fire what he and Dad can do with water.

Not that she's clearly demonstrated or said anything, but it's hard not to notice how comfortable she seems with anything involving fire.

Percy didn't ask. She might tell him, or she might not. He loves her, no matter what.

In any case, this is also an indication that the powers circulating in the family could be connected to the elements.

Percy doesn't know for sure, but he has a theory that he might be dealing with more than just water. There was one incident when he was really angry and a sort of mini-earthquake occurred. Because apparently, that can happen.

Sometimes, when his dad gets angry, little miniature storms briefly form nearby, which...yeah.

Maybe they're all avatars or something after all.

Dad tore that theory to pieces too, but said it was at least not completely off the mark and "closer than the merpeople one," for whatever that's worth.

Uh...where were we? Oh yeah, people who know.

Because his neighbor, where he and Grover are currently staying, also knows about it.

She may have seen him do something at some point as a child, Percy doesn't remember exactly. But she takes it pretty lightly and doesn't seem to care for the most part.

Her sarcastic comment: "I'm old and I've seen and experienced a lot of crap. A kid splashing around with water isn't even in the top 10!"

Well, Percy will take it for what it's worth.

Kayla looked at him strangely when the fountain incident happened, but seems to have readily accepted the rest of the group's explanation that Nancy must have tripped.

He's also suspected for some time that Grover knows or has noticed something. But the guy has never said anything about it, so Percy doesn't push it.

Everyone is entitled to their own private secrets, and Grover seems to respect that. In return, Percy doesn't ask him how the other boy always manages to be the first one in the cafeteria on enchilada day, despite his crutches. Somehow, Percy doubts it's just "where there's a will, there's a way," as Fiona likes to say. But it's Grover's choice to tell him about it if he wants to.

Percy would definitely tell his friend the truth about himself if the guy really wanted to know. They may have only known each other for about a year, but Grover has proven his worth as a friend many times over.
Speaking of Grover-

"-cy? Are you still with us?"

Oh. Yes. His stupid ADHD mind has led him astray again.

"Uh, sure. Sorry, G-Man. Did you say something?"

Grover and Abby both laugh. They've known him long enough to be used to this kind of mental drift.

The children say goodbye to Percy's neighbor and go over to the Jackson residence.

Percy's dad is now home, flicking through documents in his office. He seems unusually tense and frustrated. Must have been a rough day at work.

Grover says goodbye, but before he leaves, he gives Percy a business card for the summer camp he is going to.

The card is kind of strange. There's no phone number or email address listed. And "Half-Blood Hill" sounds like something out of an old Western movie or something. (Jeremy's dad has a stupid fixation on those; Percy and his friends have had to watch way too many whenever they visit their friend.)

Percy isn't sure how exactly this will help him reach Grover when he "needs him" or whatever—it's not like he can just drive halfway across New York State—but he appreciates the gesture nonetheless.

"I'll take you outside, Grover. Percy, you can start packing now; we're leaving tomorrow morning! And don't make such a mess again by just stuffing everything into your backpack. Organization is annoying, but helpful!"

Hypocrite, thinks Percy, looking at Dad's messy desk.

"Yes, Dad. Will do."

Percy runs up the stairs to his room and starts packing everything he needs and more into his handy travel bag (a gift from postman Conrad, and really practical too; Percy swears it can hold way more than it should, but he's not complaining).

Two months off from the daily torture called school. He's so ready for a relaxing vacation and fun in the water with his dad!

***

The cozy little beach hut on Montauk Beach is as inviting as ever.

Percy isn't sure who cleans up when he and his father aren't there, but everything is always clean and (more or less) tidy when they visit.

The little family spends the day at the beach and in the sea. They both have a lot of fun in the waves, and Dad shows Percy some cool new water tricks.

In the evening, father and son sit outside the hut and make a small campfire over which dinner is prepared.

Traditionally, Percy's aunt would come over too—she loves cozy campfires—but she texted Percy saying she can't come. Something about having to calm down one of her brothers who's upset about something.

Whatever. Dad's family is complicated, and he has no particular interest in learning the details.

So it's just the two of them having a good time.

Speaking of family...

Percy doesn't know exactly where his sudden thirst for knowledge comes from, but something about the atmosphere makes him wonder.

"Dad, can you tell me something about Mom? What was she like?"

He probably already knows everything there is to know. Yet there's a part of him that hopes there's more.

His father has a dreamy, nostalgic expression on his face, but he is smiling.

"She was kind, Percy. So gentle. But also tough when she wanted to be. She saw through me and challenged me in a way no one had in a long time. That really impressed me back then. I was...you could say I was very isolated, withdrawn into myself. Your mother helped me overcome that, made me curious about the world and the people around me again. We had a lot in common, but also our differences. She challenged me in ways people don't usually do."

Percy finds it fascinating how talking about his mother makes his father admit his own shortcomings. It's something he doesn't do often. He usually gets annoyed by people who don't do what he wants or expects. His mom must have really made an impression.

Percy knows that his parents met here, on this beach. It's one of the reasons they come here every year. Dad bought this little cabin after she died.

Percy remembers his earlier thoughts that day and he must know.

"Did Mom know about...um...your - our - peculiarities?"

Dad nods.

"Oh yes, she did. I think that's another reason why she fascinated me so much. She quickly figured out who—what—I was, and yet she treated me like a normal person. And when we had you...she knew the potential difficulties that such a special child would bring, but she still decided to just take it and roll with it."

He sighs deeply. "She didn't have an easy life, you know? I offered to help her, to make it easier for her, but she didn't want that. She wanted to do everything on her own, this one. People always say you get your stubbornness from me, but I think a good part of that is all Sally."

The mood has become melancholy. It's hard to imagine that Percy's parents actually separated around the time of his birth. From what his dad tells about her, it's clear he still loved her very much back then. And he wants to believe the same is true of his mom. So why? Misplaced pride? That seems like a stupid reason for a breakup.

Ultimately, it's probably irrelevant. Dad was there for Percy when Mom couldn't be anymore. He doesn't even really remember her.

The weather is getting worse. It starts to rain, and thunder can be heard in the distance.

Lost in his thoughts, Percy only now notices how tense his dad suddenly looks.

Percy doesn't really understand why. They both like rain. Because, duh, it's water.

They put away the dishes and go back to the hut.

"Percy..." Dad begins, but then hesitates.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"So, the thing is... something happened at work and... I need to take care of it. I was hoping to resolve the situation quickly, but it's become quite a mess and I need to deal with it in a way that requires my full attention."

"Oooh-kayy..What exactly are you saying?"

Dad sighs again. "Basically, what it boils down to is that I have to go away for...a while, and unfortunately, I can't take you with me."

Wait, what?

"And uh, what does that mean for me? Will Aunt Tia come over then?"

"Unfortunately, not. She's also busy with a...family situation and can't leave her work alone for that long. I would leave you with Abigail, but I really don't know how long I'll be gone, and under the circumstances...that's probably not the best idea for either of you."

What kind of circumstances? What exactly is this about?

He's never been alone anywhere for an extended period of time without his father. This will be strange.

He knows this is probably normal for other children. But Dad can be...a little overprotective. And since he doesn't have much family, it doesn't bother him that much; he's used to it.

"So what's the plan?"

"It's not my favorite solution, but it'll have to do. You remember your friend Grover has a vacation job at this summer camp, right?"

"Sure. What about it?"

"I talked to him about it, and there are still spots available there this year. So you'll be going to camp until I'm done with this mess."

OK, this is kind of...not what he expected, but at least if Grover is there too, he knows someone.

Dad has probably done extensive research, and whoever is running and supervising the camp must be pretty damn good at their job for Ded to consider them trustworthy enough to leave Percy in their care.

It will probably be fun...definitely...a little bit.

(No, Percy isn't sulking because he can't have any more beach days, shut up)

"Oh, and another of your classmates—Austin Lake?—is going too. I talked to his parents and they asked if I could take him along when I drive you over."

Oh, cool. Percy always thought Austin's father wasn't in the picture, just his mother, but whatever. Much more interesting is...

"Oh, that camp for people with special musical talents? He told me about that. But you know my skills in that area are...not so great, right? The substitute teacher wasn't too keen yesterday."

Dad seems to be thinking about what to answer.

"That's the other, somewhat complicated part of the matter. It is, in a way, actually a place for...children with unusual talents. So...even those that aren't...of an entirely ordinary nature."

Wait, is Dad hinting at...?

"You mean they know about...?"

"Not yet, no. But maybe they can still teach you things there, and you could meet other children with unique gifts and make new friends. And—" Dad pauses again, "—there you'll learn more about why...you can do the things you can."

OK, ominous, very.

Percy knows his father. If he doesn't want to tell him more, he won't. So he gives in. But if he promises he'll find out, he'll believe him; Dad has never lied to him. He'll get his answers.

"Okay, when do we start?"

"Tomorrow, early in the morning. Now it's time to sleep. Good night, my son."

"Night, Dad."

Percy is nervous. Wondering what camp will be like? Nevertheless, he quickly falls asleep.

*

Notes:

OK, lots of things to unpack here.

First, keep in mind, Percy is an unreliable narrator. Obviously. He has only bits of the picture and thus his conclusions and assumptions are not always accurate.

Still abusing Percy's ADHD brain for entended eposition. Ah, oops? Well, it should be less in the following chapters of him.

There will be other perspectives as we go so we can get some more of whats going on that Percy is not fully aware of and that would be hard to showcase from his POV alone. In particular, I think we'll get some Grover POV in the next chapter. Poseiodn will definitely get some scenes as well to tell his side of things at some point, don't worry.

Reg. the Sally stuff: Its not a secret that I have a few somewhat unpopular in the fandom opinions about her and the choices she made. I'm not gonna hate on/bash her tho. She's essentially a human bieng who has he rstrengths and flaws as it is. And both Poseidon and Percy are unreliable in this case for various reasons.

PERCY: Well, the counselors/leaders of this summer camp must certainly be good at their job for Dad to think he can leave me with them.
[...
After meeting the two non-adults: ...or not. WTF Dad?

As per usual, if you have questions, speculations, critics, or whatever else you want to comment, feel free to do so in the ComSec. I'm always happy to hear from you.

Sea you next week!

Chapter 4

Notes:

Yes, I know, I said Friday and its Sunday. Oh well. Maybe I should just give up on the friday updates plan alltogether and just stick to once a week and call it a day.

So, got some mixed reactions to Percy knowing about some of his powers. Which is fair, I guess. It was my version of a compromise between "Percy knows nothing" and "Percy is fully aware". The first one seemed impossible for a Percy who grew up with Poseidon, but the second one would have robbed me of the fun of playing with oblivious!Percy so that wouldn't do either. So, a middle ground it is. We'll see how that goes down.

Also, Since multiple folks in the comments asked about that: Poseiodn is not spending all of his time and energy on raising Percy and leaving all his divine duties alone for the time being. Its established lore that PJO gods can be in multiple places at once. This is what Poseidon is doing, and why the majority of Olympians and co. is not aware whats going on. Hope that clarifies some things.

Anyway, here comes the new chapter. THis time from Grover's POV. Admittedly, some parts feel a bit repetative maybe, but I felt like we needed a chapter covering some of the things that are going in the background Percy could not tell about. Don't worry, Poseiodn will get his turn eventually. Also, this shoudl be the last "Intro" chapter, as of next one there should be more dialogues. and such

Anyway, here we go!

*

Grover Underwood is nervous.

One could argue that this is his normal state, and that wouldn't be wrong.

But today is especially bad. Today is the day he gets his second (and last) chance to fulfill his task of escorting a demigod to camp.

And this time it must not go wrong.

The fact that this time there is no child from the big three involved, or a seven-year-old girl who is actually much too young for all of this, helps only slightly.

This time, there's no months-long journey, constantly fleeing from monsters. No indirect violation of orders to take "Thalia and only Thalia." There are parents who actually care about their children and are helpful instead of being a hindrance.

All of this should make things easier for Grover's fragile mental state.

But it doesn't. Not really.

Because it's somehow...too easy?

Not that Grover's complaining. Not at all. But it...shouldn't be this easy. It never is when children of the gods are involved.

And yet...maybe it isn't.

Because the situation of these demigods, especially one of them, seems anything but normal.

Ironically, precisely because it seems so normal, it is not.

Grover likes to think he's a keen observer. He has to be, otherwise he'd be a poor protector and guide.

Still, that doesn't really help him solve the mystery of one Percy Jackson. Or rather, his circumstances.

***

It starts off harmlessly enough.

After four years, Grover finally gets a second chance to try again.

However, after his spectacular failure last time, he isn't given a high-profile target. Instead, he is assigned regular observer duty at a school for children with special educational needs on the outskirts of New York: Yancy Academy.

Given that the seat of Olympus is now in New York City, it is hardly surprising that a disproportionate number of demigods are born and raised there and in the immediate vicinity.

Almost every large school in the area catches at least two or three of them.

It is therefore no surprise to Grover when he finds three of them in the class he is enrolled in with the help of some mist manipulation.

(Okay, they're usually spread out a bit across the grades, but hey, that makes it easier?)

There are, however, some things that are surprising. Like the fact that one of them is so...unrecognizable?

So, demigods basically have an aura, a smell, call it whatever, that clearly identifies them as such to monsters and other beings.

Depending on the level of power and acute awareness, they can be detected from a distance.

Percy Jackson, however...not.

Yes, Grover knew very quickly that he was a demigod. The signs were all there.

But if he hadn't explicitly looked for demigods, he would never have discovered him.

The monsters don't seem to either.

In fact, to Grover, it feels a bit like the mist that affects mortals is wrapped particularly tightly around Percy, holding up a large sign with neon letters: "NO DEMIGOD, NO ATTENTION NEEDED, GET YOUR SNACKS ELSEWHERE!"

Does that make sense? No? Well, it doesn't make sense to Grover either.

So he sends an iris message to Chiron, the camp leader.

Chiron is also perplexed.

He takes this as a proper reason to go undercover as a teacher at Yancy.

This...wasn't what Grover expected. It will make his task, and his ability to focus on it, so much more difficult if he's under constant scrutiny.

From then on, he also has to listen to Percy's rants about what a shitty teacher "Mister Brunner" is.

And he can't even really defend the guy, because from Percy's perspective, it obviously makes little sense that Chiron is so fixated on Greek mythology, or that he's making a special effort to impart as much knowledge as possible to him and the other two demigods in the class.

He's not doing a particularly good job of it, either. Especially not compared to the rest of the school's staff (apart from a terrible math teacher; even Grover trembles before this woman).

So yes, Grover understands, and he has a hard time explaining it to Percy. But he just knows it'll cause problems when Percy inevitably comes to camp.

***

Grover quickly becomes friends with Percy. The two have a surprising amount in common and have a lot of fun together.

Luck is also on his side, as Percy is already loosely friends with the other two demigods in his class, a boy named Austin Lake and a girl named Kayla Knowles.

Grover is pretty sure (based on their appearance and special interests) that both are Apollo children.

It's not uncommon for demigods to find each other and join forces. The situation with Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth proved that (no, don't go there). There's just something instinctual that draws them together.

This time, however, the reason is much more trivial: One of the school's teachers is giving a tutoring class for students with dyslexia. Which applies to pretty much all demigods, so there you go.

And their success speaks for itself. The three seem to be much more capable of reading than is typical for demigods. At least, that's Grover's impression.

Grover likes Percy's favorite teacher, even though he doesn't really appreciate his reed flute skills.

(Grover will admit he's not wrong, he could use some more practice)

And, his segment on Greek culture in his history class beats Chiron's class, so he can't say anything about that.

***

Grover quickly realizes that Percy knows a lot and yet little about "his world."

A lot, because he knows a bunch of myths and likes to talk about them (or complain about how Chiron once again talked nonsense).

Little, because...well.

He seems completely unaware of his demigod status. None of the three, actually. They're cheerful, normal kids who simply enjoy their everyday lives, as best as middle schoolers can.

It definitely helps that monsters have left them alone so far, apparently.

Chiron, who knows more about the mist than Grover, tells him that the school itself...isn't exactly shielded, but is enchanted enough to keep monsters from entering, or at least make them feel like there's nothing to be gained here.

This raises so many questions. But he can't ask the children, because then he'd have to tell them who and what they are, and that can only backfire.

***

Mortal parents tend to fall into two categories.

Those who know and those who don't.

No matter which category the mortal parent falls into, it is almost always common for them to be overwhelmed.

If they don't know, it's because they simply don't understand what's causing the problems their child is facing and can't deal with them.

If they know, it's raising a child who is literally half a god.

In any case, most parents, if they bother and are in the picture, are relieved in one way or another when Camp Half-Blood takes care of their children - for the summer or all year round.

For this reason, parents who actually care and are actively involved in their children's lives are both the best and worst option.

The satyr (in this case Grover) cannot simply take the child and fob the parent off with a lame excuse.

It boils down to actually having to explain to them what demigods are all about and what dangers lurk ahead their path. And you have to convince them that camp is actually the best and safest place for them, but without them being able to see it for themselves, because of the whole "no mortals within the borders" rule.

Just great.

Grover has been a student at a school with mostly stable home backgrounds long enough to realize that Camp has some...serious shortcomings.

So this will be fun.

***

Darren Knowles is not easy to convince.

He seems to know what Kayla is. Which, considering he's one of two fathers...isn't surprising.

He says Kayla is an excellent archer and can defend herself if necessary. He doesn't want his child thrown into a camp full of belligerent demigods.

(Grover really shouldn't have mentioned Capture the Flag or the lava wall, huh?

"Besides, she wants to participate in a competition this summer, and I promised her she can. I'm not going to go back on that."

Well, damn it. At least, since none of the kids seem to be in any immediate danger, he can probably live with trying again next year. Maybe one of the two boys can convince her?

***

Latricia Lake seems to have no idea what Austin is.

Which is unusual. Apollo tends to tell his kids‘ parents, based on experience.

(Maybe he did and she just didn't believe it or dismissed it as nonsense. It happens.)

She is also elusive because she is constantly busy as a college music professor.

Grover finally succeeds in selling her the camp as a place to further develop special talents.

"Sure, if Austin wants to, he can go. We'll discuss it later."

Well, that's...not bad.

***

By far the most interesting encounter is with Percy's father, P. Donovan Jackson.

("What's the P for, Perce?"

"I don't know. Dad never told me. I think he doesn't like his first name or something. Every time Aunt Tia or anyone else who knows him tries to use it, he interrupts them or they do it themselves."

Grover knows that some demigod parents are clear sighted mortals. It's only logical. These would particularly catch the eye of the gods or be curious about the gods who they recognize as such, which can lead to...things.

Nevertheless, he is surprised when he visits Percy and, while he is not in the room, is promptly exposed as a satyr by his father.

"So you know, uh, who...what...Percy is?"

"Of course I know! Percy is my son! And yes, I know he's a demigod."

The man also doesn't seem happy at all that Grover found his son.

"I don't want my son to have to deal with all this madness or become the target of divine drama or whatever. He's NOT going to camp with you. Be his friend if he wants to be, and you too, as long as you don't pull any crap, and if you do, you'll regret it!"

Ouch. Yes, someone is very protective of their child.

Grover asks, now a little more hesitant, "Do you know who, um, the godly parent is? That might help Percy prepare better—"

Mr. Jackson interrupts. "I need to know, and you definitely don't. Percy will find out in due course, but I see no reason to subject him to it now."

Hmm.

Grover, of course, knows that it's not really about him. Perhaps Percy's father had bad experiences with the divine world (unfortunately, far from possible) and now no longer trusts anyone connected to it. On the one hand, that's very smart, but on the other, it makes Grover's job so much more difficult.

(He also believes that Mr. Jackson has a good sense of how dangerous the gods can actually be. Especially if he's actually the one who told Percy all those stories)

Grover really wants to ask him why Percy is so well protected from monsters and the like, but he feels like that would make him some kind of threat in the man's eyes, which would be...counterintuitive. So he lets it go for now.

***

The months pass and before he knows it, the summer holidays are aproaching upon him.

Chiron hasn't made any progress in his investigations. Frustrated, he decides to leave Yancy and return to camp before Dionysos decides to do something stupid.

"We'll find out when you accompany the young heroes to camp!" he simply says.

(Prof. Lake and Austin have finally decided that he will go. Grover still has to tell him that, surprise, they're going to the same camp.)

"Uh, sir, about that...well, so far only one of the three has been confirmed as a new camper. The parents of the others were against it."

Chiron snorts. "Mortals often fail to understand the importance of proper education for young demigods to thrive in the world outside. It is not their choice to exclude their children from their rightful inheritance. Especially not given the...current situation on Olympus and what the consequences might be."

Grover understands what Chiron means, but doesn't fully agree. "So what? I can't just kidnap them or anything. Besides, neither of them seems to have any problems with monsters or their potential powers at the moment."

Chiron is annoyed. "Well, I think Ms. Knowles can handle another year, but Mr. Jackson... The incident at the museum makes it very clear that he's beginning to become aware of his powers, or at least that they're emerging. He must participate. Besides, I desperately want to investigate the strange phenomena around him, and the best place to do that is at camp."

Yep, no, Grover isn't going there.

"With respect, sir, my job is to bring at least one demigod safely to camp, and I will do so. Percy's father is aware of his situation, and from what I can tell, he's an intelligent man. He'll know if intervention is necessary. However, I'll leave Percy a contact option if anything should happen."

Chiron is still not very satisfied, but he has no more good arguments, so he seems to have accepted defeat for now.

***

Grover is surprised when Mr. Jackson takes him aside that afternoon.

Percy's father has thawed out towards him considerably in the last few months and is now generally much friendlier.

"Grover, I've realized that Percy really matters to you. He's really your friend and more than just a job to you, right?"

"Yes, sir, absolutely!"

"Good!" He sighs deeply. "A...situation has arisen at my workplace. I'm trying to take care of it, but it will probably take longer and...I think camp might actually be the best option for Percy as a temporary solution."

Oh, that was...unexpected.

"I'm going to Montauk with Percy tomorrow morning, that's what we agreed on, and he deserves some fun before he gets dragged into this chaos. And I still have to explain it to him."

That sounds fair enough.

"I'll meet you here the day after tomorrow and drive you to camp!"

Oh, that's great, no hours of hiking, wondering how best to get to camp and survive.

Grover wonders whether he should be so bold, but what harm can it do?

"Uh, OK. One more thing."

"Yes?"

"There's another demigod in Percy's class who, ah, is also going to camp for the first time this year. He's also a bit of a friend of ours. Would you consider takging him along, since we're already going?"

Grover knows this isn't a good deal for the mortal Don Jackson. More demigods in one place equal more potential monster attacks.

Surprisingly, his opposite just nods. "Yes, I know. I talked to Austin's parents and we...agreed that I'll take him too."

Oh, great. That makes it so much easier. (Even if Percy's dad doesn't look entirely happy about it, which is probably fair.)

And parents? Does Austin have a stepfather that Grover doesn't know about? Hmm...well, whatever, beside the point.

***

So, here we are, two demigods, a (clear-sighted) mortal, and a satyr in an (environmentally friendly and surprisingly fast) car on the way to Camp Half-Blood.

Grover's kind of glad Kayla isn't coming along. That would have made three demigods. And the last time Grover was traveling with three demigods...it didn't end so well.

He's still half-convinced that something bad is going to happen. Like, dunno, the Minotaur suddenly appears and tries to eat them all.

Instead, it is the absolutely crappy weather that could be the group's downfall.

Especially when a huge lightning bolt hits the vehicle practically straight on.

*

Notes:

So..yeah, mini-cliffhanger, everyone. Heh.

The effort it took to constantly remind myself that I'm writing Grover, not Percy, and thus no sassy remakrs are allowed, lol

Grover talking about the children as if he's an adult...well, Satyr maturity works different I guess. He's biologically 28, but mentally only half that age, still he has all these 28 years of life experience, and satyr culture also works different in some regards. So...yeah. He's in an odd position there.

HEre I try to give a slightly nicer perspective on Chiron while I'm not in Percy's head but the result is...debatable.

POSEIDON about his name choice: Its perfection. If someone accidentally calls me Poseidon, I can totally play it out as them not using my full name that I don't like and they said "Po...sigh..Don". See what I did there? I'm so smart

Aaaand we are on the way to Camp, which we'll get to next chapter, promise.

As always, if you have questions, theories, criticisms, or anything else you want to share, feel free to go over to the ComSec and do just that. Its what keeps the motivation going. See you over there!

Chapter 5

Notes:

Uh...so this was supposed to be up this morning, but then I got invited into watching the new Superman movie with some folks and...yeah. Took me until now to get the proofing done (did I mention I hate proofing? Its literally my least favorite part of the whole fanfic experience, but unfortunately, a necessity.)

Well here we are. Enjoy!

*

They leave the next morning.

Dad is super nervous and has Percy double and triple check his luggage to make sure it's complete.

Percy is also fidgety. Which is admittedly normal for him—ADHD and all—but also simply because this will be a new experience. Being separated from his father, possibly for weeks, with children he doesn't know.

The weather isn't helping either. Dark storm clouds cover the sky, and the occasional flash of lightning makes its appearance.

Percy actually likes rain, but this weather feels...wrong? He can't really explain it.

Hmm. That's strange.

***

Percy actually wanted to use the trip to ask Dad a few more questions about what the camp is all about and how he fits in.

Unfortunately, they are back in New York sooner than he expected and have picked up Grover, who is practically waiting for them on their doorstep.

(Now that Percy thinks about it, he's never been to Grover's house. He actually doesn't even know where the guy lives. Hmm.)

Percy trusts Grover, but he doesn't think Dad would appreciate him blurting out the family secrets to him like that, so he doesn't.

***

Grover's mood is...hard to describe. He seems extremely tense, but also somehow relieved? It's a strange combination.

Dad also keeps looking out the window and up, as if he's expecting someone to fall from above and crash on them or something. What's wrong with everyone today?

Finally, the car arrives at the Lakes' house. Grover volunteers, gets out, and rings the bell.

Austin comes out of the house with a duffel bag, waves goodbye once (presumably to his mother), and the two run back through the rain and into the car.

As soon as everyone is inside, Dad turns around and drives off at a decent speed.

"Allright, next stop: camp."

Austin is a little surprised and turns to Percy. "Wait, you're going too?"

"Yep, must. Dad has a work emergency or something."

"But I thought this was a camp for people with musical talent or something? I don't want to say anything, but you're not exactly...uh..."

"The camp furthers young people with a wide variety of talents, especially those that can't be adequately developed in other facilities," Dad helpfully interjects from the front seat. "There are different cabins, depending on the orientation, so campers with similar abilities live together."

"Ah, okay then."

Percy wonders if Austin also has special (non-normal) abilities. Unfortunately, it's a difficult topic to broach without sounding completely crazy, so he doesn't. He'll figure it out soon enough, right?

A lightning bolt strikes practically directly into the car. Grover flinches, looking as if he's expecting to be grilled at any moment.

Dad curses loudly and then mumbles something incomprehensible about "stupid brothers" or something like that.

Percy really doesn't understand what everyone's so upset about? After all, they're sitting in the car.

Percy isn't exactly good at physics, but even he knows that cars, due to their design, usually act as natural lightning rods. Oh well.

Grover complains a bit about "always the seventh grade." Okay, Percy understands that Grover is very jumpy, but what?

Anyway, moving on. Percy thinks he sees the water washed onto the road by the rain collecting, and the vehicle half driving on it, half accelerating off it? Huh?

Okay, cool trick, Dad. But is that overkill? It's not like they have a time limit? Besides...shouldn't water in the gearbox or something be a problem?

***

Just a few minutes later they pass a sign advertising strawberries and then-

-Dad sets the car to a halt.

"We are there."

Uh...what?

"Um, Dad? We're kind of...in the middle of nowhere? Where is this amazing camp supposed to be?"

Dad sighs. "It's not far now. Just a few hundred meters up the road. I can't really go any further, the road is...not suitable."

Percy is confused. Austin, judging by his expression, is too.

Grover...somehow seems to find this perfectly logical. He even thanks Dad excessively for the ride. So...being friendly is great and all, but what, did he expect them to take the bus all the way or something? Surely nothing runs along this streets anyway.

"Yeah, right. Now make sure you get going and get inside quickly, okay?"

Dad gets out, grabs Percy's suitcase and backpack, as well as Austin's duffel bag (where is Grover's luggage, anyway?), and passes the things to the front.

Then he leans toward Percy. "Good luck, my son! I'll pick you up as soon as possible. And know that no matter what you learn and experience during this time, no matter what others may tell you, I love you very much. This is unconditional, and no one can force you to do anything if you don't want to."

Okay, Dad. Embarrassing? Well, at least he left his favorite beach outfit at home.

(A hug is still in for them. Screw it. They both deserve it, and anyone who says otherwise can fuck off.)

"If there's something urgent, you have your phone with you. I may not be able to reply right away, but I'll definitely get everything you send me eventually."

Grove flinches again. Seriously, what's this guy's problem with phones?

"Sure, Dad. Love you too."

And with that, the children get out and make their way to this summer camp.

***

Yes, the weather is still not great, but Percy is a good walker and the constant rain is giving him new energy.

It's also extremely windy, but that doesn't bother Percy much. On the contrary, he feels as if the storm is pushing them further in the right direction. Well, okay then.

His two companions seem considerably less enthusiastic. He would protect them from the rain, but that'‘d hardly possible, to explain.

They've been walking for almost fifteen minutes now, and there's still no summer camp in sight. Hmm.

Grover, however, disagrees. "We're almost there. Just up that hill, past the big pine tree, and there it is!"

Uh...okay, the sight is a bit limited by the many clouds and the strong wind, but...where exactly is that supposed to be?

Austin isn't feeling any better. "Dude, there isn’t anything there?"

But Grover seems determined to go there.

Perhaps the trio would have continued discussing this, but at that moment, a loud noise comes from the forest behind them. It sounds kind of...like the roar of a wild animal or something.

"Uh...what was...that?"

Grover is now really panicking. "How about we don't find out and RUN?!"

Oh...kay? Well, whatever, Percy's in good shape and doesn't feel like dealing with any wild animals. So then.

They run briskly up the hill. There stands the pine tree Grover mentioned earlier.

The roaring gets louder.

The trio passes the tree and-

BAM!!

Just...what? HOW?!

Percy seriously wonders if he was having a dissociative episode or something. Not that that's typical for him, but he really can't think of a better explanation.

Because, you see, one moment there was nothing but forest and strawberry fields, and the next—whoosh!—a camp that definitely wasn't there before.

Or at least he didn't see it.

Which...doesn't make sense?

And besides...it stopped raining. Just...like that.

No storm, no rain. Instead, bright sunshine.

Except that when Percy turns around and looks past the tree, it's still raining just as hard behind it as before, but on this side...not.

Yeah, that doesn't make sense. That's not how weather works? Or is it?

Also, whatever animal was chasing them seems to have lost interest and has either run away or lain down somewhere. Great.

Percy sees Grover flop down in the grass. He looks quite exhausted, but has a wide grin on his face.

OK, what's this guy so excited about? What Percy has seen of the much-vaunted camp so far isn't all that impressive.

Austin reminds them both that he's still there: "Okay, so...do we need to register somewhere or something?"

Grover jumps. "Oh yeah, sure. Let's go to the Big House. Chiron and Mr. D. will want to see you."

Percy asks: "And who exactly would that be?"

"Mr. D. is the camp director. Try to be nice to him? He can be a little...intimidating, but please don't provoke him. And, uh, Chiron is the activities director and, uh, well..."

Grover shuffles around a bit uncomfortably.

"-yes, let's go."

***

On the way, the group passes children and teenagers of different ages - most of them in bright orange shirts with a bold print: "Camp Half-Blood"

"Seriously? What kind of stupid name is that? And besides, isn't that totally racist or whatever" Percy can't help but comment.

Grover looks a little uncomfortable. "Uh, well, so...there's history behind this? How about you let the camp directors explain it?"

Well, whatever.

They finally reach the building Grover called the "Big House." It's not that big, though, Percy thinks. And besides...Percy likes blue, but this is a bit...extreme.

On the porch of the building, two middle-aged men are playing some kind of card game, and a girl who must be about Percy's age is leaning on the railing, looking interested and somewhat...calculatingly toward the group of newcomers.

So the two card players are the ones in charge here? Aren't they supposed to be supervising the children or something? Percy turns around to get a closer look.

The one guy is a bit chubby and looks like he likes to drink a little too much, too often. Great, so an alcoholic is the camp director? That's a good start. Are the kids so bad that he needs this for his stress level or what?

And the other one...wait.

No. Just...what?

What is *this* dude doing here?

"Oh, Grover, you're back, and with two new campers, how nice! That gives us four players for Pinochle!"

says Mr. Brunner, the useless Latin teacher.

Really now? Man, a heads-up would have been nice.

And how does a wheelchair user become an activity leader at a summer camp full of children?

(Percy isn't discriminating or anything. It's just that he can't imagine how Brunner is supposed to keep up with all those kids running around.)

Or wait. Grover said a guy named Chiron is the activities director. So maybe Brunner is just visiting or something? Hopefully? Percy doesn't really want to deal with him for the next few weeks if he can avoid it.

The guy in the leopard-print shirt—presumably Mr. D.—disinterestedly puts his cards aside and looks in their direction.

"Well, I guess I have to say it: Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, you brats. Sit down or don't, I don't really care either way."

Uh...yeah. And this guy is the camp director? This is just going great.

The three boys (and also the girl with the striking gray eyes) sit down at the table with the two older men.

"Do you at least know how to play Pinochle?"

No, neither Percy nor Austin do. Mr. D. rants halfheartedly about how young people aren't taught anything these days, and that it's a disgrace.

"Well, how nice that you decided to come this summer, Percy!" says Mr. Brunner cheerfully.

"Uh...thanks? I mean, it was Dad's decision. He has work stuff to do, and I needed to go somewhere."

Brunner nods. "Ah, yes, well, it'll definitely be worth it for you. I don't make house visitations often, you know? It had better be worth it."

"Mr. Brunner, I don't quite understand," Austin says. "So, are you visiting schools as some kind of talent scout, or what should I understand?"

Mr. D. snorts into his can of Diet Coke.

"That's...one way of putting it, I guess!" Brunner seems slightly amused. "Oh, and it's Chiron. Mr. Brunner was just a temporary alias, I'm afraid."

Percy tilts his head. "Chiron, like the centaur from Greek mythology who trained heroes and all?"

Chiron smiles. "Yes, exactly."

Well, yeah. Some people have strange taste in names. Percy can't talk—after all, his full name is Perseus.

(Apparently, his mother particularly liked the story of Perseus because, despite his initially difficult circumstances, he had a happy ending and few notable enemies.

Dad, being the myth nerd that he is, was probably only too willing to jump on the opportunity.)

"So, Grover, how was your trip to camp? You all look pretty good, if I do say so myself."

"Uh, good? So, Percy's dad basically took us all in his car and dropped us off right before the border? There was a monster, but we were practically at the doorstep by then."

Monster? Well, isn't that an exaggeration, G-Man?

Chiron looks unimpressed—as if he was expecting a thrilling story from Grover about how the group of new campers had fought their way through trials and tribulations to reach camp, or something like that.

"Well, at least no one was killed, so that's something. The kids can't have a strong attraction level," Mr. D. comments (for some reason, he's staring particularly intensely at Percy).

Yeah, that guy's definitely nuts. Was this really the best camp Dad could find?

He probably chose this one because Grover is here too, he guesses. Still...so far, Percy isn't too thrilled.

Mr. D. sighs. "Alright, Gregory, then it's time to get your assessment. Go on."

Grover stands up and, with a spring in his step, sets off for... Percy has no idea where. He thought Grover was going to show them around or something? Where does he need to go so urgently? And since when is he that fast when there is no Enchiladas involved?

Also for a camp director, Mr. D. apparently doesn't have a good memory for names? Wow, ouch.

Austin asks, "Okay, so how does this work? Mr. Jackson mentioned something about being divided by ability or interest. So do we have to take a test or something?"

Chiron opens his mouth, presumably to explain something, but stops when some kind of... glowing image appears above Austin's head?

Where does this come from? It looks a bit like a musical instrument...a lyre, Percy guesses. Then the image shifts to something that looks like a miniature sun.

OK, weird, but it looks cool.

Mr. D. scoffs. "Well, that settles that for you. Someone's being possessive today. Annabelle, how about you do something useful and go get Vivian?"

The girl—presumably Annabelle, or maybe not, considering—looks like she's bitten into a lemon, but obediently stands up and walks toward what looks like an archery range. (Kayla would certainly like that.)

Percy is still pretty stunned by the whole light-holo thing. Because seriously, what exactly was that?

Maybe—Annabelle comes back to the table with an older girl—she looks about 16 or 17. The older girl walks straight toward Austin.

"Hi, I'm Victoria, and from today, I'll be your new cabin head. You're in cabin 7. Come on, I'll show you around!"

Percy is about to ask if he can come along, but Chiron decides it for him.

"Very well, thank you, Victoria. We'll take care of young Mr. Jackson here in the meantime."

Oh, great. Now all the people he knows and likes are gone.

Well then, time for the fun stuff.

*

Notes:

So...I wanted to get further within this chapter, but after nearly 3 hours of writing and 2500 words, I diclined. Sigh. The fun parts of the introduction have to wait until next weem, I'm afraid.

Yes, I mocked the whole lightning expodes the car incident. Cause seriously, it makes no sense really, unless something is seriously wrong with GAbe's car. And to make matters worse Rick pulls the same stunt a few chapters later with a bus. I was going to just cut this stuff but the opportunity to have fun with it was way too tempting. Sorry not sorry.

Austin throughout this entire chapter: Hey, author, remember you wrote me into this? You have to give me a line/action every now and then.
Me: Sure, fine. But you'll get taken care of so you can fade into the background for a while and let Percy suff...I mean, have the fun for himself, heh.

Poseidon: I can't really drive any closer (because if I do, I might get detected. We don't want this)
Grover: Oh, sure, mortal parents can't pass the border. MAkes perfect sense

Fun fact: I once ran through a (big) city during a major rain session, walked aorund a street corner and whoops, the rain suddenly stopped from there onwards. Its years gone but I still remember this incident because it was so strange. So apparently, it can happen, even without divine intervention.

I was VERY tempted to correct/fix a bunch of stuff at Camp cause...obviously. I had to fight myself hard not to, because thats not the focus of this fic and Camp being as it is, is kinda neede for the perspective and all. No promises for the future though, I might still do some things. I mean, some minor changes are already there as you will see, mostly as part of the ripple effect, but also some other minor things. One being the head counselor situation. I understand why it is how it is in the books to hae na easier time with less characters but it seems highly implausible to me, that the HC's are pretty much the same all of Percy's time (unless omeone dies) as that would also imply the HC's all happen to be roughly Percy's age or younger in the beginning to amek that work which...yeah no. ALso 12yo Annabeth as HC is unrealistic and makes no sense when there area lot of older Athena campers. So, nope, not doing this here. There will be a rotation as this goes on. The current HC's are, for reference:

1, 2, 3, 8: -
4: Leroy Farmer
5: Mark Cosgrove
6: Charity Gainsborough
7: Victoria Hattfield
9: Issac Schuster (final term)
10: Silena Beauregard (first term)
11: Luke Castellan (final term)
12: Castor & Pollux Angevin

As per usual: Any questions, comments, criticism etc. are happily received in the ComSec. See you over there, or next time with more Camp shennanigans!

Chapter 6

Notes:

I'M BACK!! Sorry it took me so long, but after my summer vacation motivation is really kicking back in. Thus, to make up for the extended break, have an extra long chapter everyone! Not that we get very far in regards to plot, but well, we had some stuff to unpack. ALso, being a demigod with ADHD leads to...distractions.

Unrelated: NEver go to do City Trips in Spain in the summer when it has around 40 degrees (C). Not a smart idea. At least, not when you do not have a place to cool down later. Which, to be fair, we had. Beach right at 100 steps away from the door. I got to let out my inner Percy and chill in the waves, so that was def worth it. Given my constitution, its probably a dated hobby so I'll enjoy as long as I still can. Also, got to swim with sea lions!! That was pretty darn cool!

Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

*

Dionysos leans back in his chair on the porch of Camp Half-Blood. This will be an interesting show, he's sure of it.

Not that new demigods are usually that exciting. There are really far too many brats in this camp causing chaos—and yet many of them aren't special enough to make things interesting.

That being said, cramming over 100 adolescent, hyperactive demigods into such a cramped space is definitely its own form of madness. (Good thing it's one of his domains.)

But this boy is...different. Firstly, because anyone with halfway decent eyesight can immediately see who his divine parent is, having met them before. (Anyone who doesn't recognize this is truly living in blissful ignorance.)

And secondly, because his uncle...wasn't as subtle as he'd like to think. At least not if you're a god and paying attention.

Now, many might think that, given his wine aspect, this doesn't apply to him. That's the downside of reducing people to one characteristic.

(Also, being attentive is something you need to be able to do to run a camp like this)

So yes, the conversation should be interesting, and Dionysos is here for it. He is, after all, the god of theater and drama.

The kid—Perry, was it? Peter?—looks a bit worried now that his two friends are gone. Apollo certainly wasted no time claiming his brat, and the satyr... well, Gregory didn't do too badly, but the so-called "council" of satyrs is a challenge in itself. Idiots. If Pan were still in the picture, those nutjobs certainly wouldn't have a say.

At the time, Dionysos thought it a good idea to task the satyrs with searching for and protecting demigods, so they would have something else to do besides constantly chasing their missing patron god. This hyperfixation cannot be healthy in the long run.

"Is Grover, uh, going to be okay? He seemed kind of...not so happy?"

Dionysos makes a dismissive noise. "Ah, sure. He didn't do badly."

Chiron „helpfully“ interjects: "At least you all arrived at camp alive. No one died. That's always the first test!"

Dionysos wants to bang his head on the table. Even he can see how tactless that was. The old horse really has nerve, considering how many of the brats arrive here severely traumatized, often having lost family or friends along the way. That's no way to welcome newcomers.

(Yes, Dionysos also likes to be sarcastic or passive-aggressive, but at least he tries not to intentionally trigger the campers. He doesn't want to have to patch up their minds afterward, thank you very much.)

Judging by the irritated, slightly disturbed look Perry gives the centaur, he seems to feel the same way.

"Rrrright. Because there are so many ways to die on the way to summer camp. I mean, sure, traffic in New York is something else, but isn't that exaggerated?"

"Oh, certainly not, young Percy. At least not if you're...well...like you."

The kid seems offended: "Hey, I'm not *that* accident-prone. Besides, you can't talk, Mister I'm-bringing-a-real-sword-to-class. Tasha Brennan almost impaled herself with it. I'm really surprised Kanagawa didn't fire you for that."

Dionysos snorts. He might actually like this brat. Anyone who messes with Chiron automatically moves up a few notches on his popularity list.

Chiron clears his throat: "Ah, well, what I meant is that children like you... tend to attract all sorts of dangerous creatures. But then something or someone seems to have made sure that doesn't apply to you. What the Mist around you has made possible is... unique. Perhaps you could tell me what you know about it?"

Percy, that's the boy's name apparently (not that Dionysos will remember...or maybe he will, let‘s see) just looks at Chiron with a blank expression.

"...huh?"

Well, that was to be expected. Dionysos himself has...some ideas about what's going on with the boy and who's responsible. But he wasn't asked. And it's much more fun to watch Chiron not get it rather than explaining anything.

Contrary to what most people seem to believe, he doesn't hate his job...well, not always. But he really deserves some fun, he thinks.

"For this reason, I think the usual introductory video might not be sufficient in your case."

The young man looks excited to finally get some information. "Uh, okay, how about we take a look at it, and if I have any remaining questions, I can ask them afterward?"

Chiron looks like he wasn't expecting that. And instead of doing the sensible thing and accepting this suggestion (hey, even Dionysos can make reasonable decisions...sometimes!), he simply says, "Well, maybe later. Let's start with the most important thing."

Before Chiron can continue, Dionysos remembers that there's someone else nearby who really isn't needed for this conversation. This child is far too curious for her own good anyway.

"Annabelle, why don't you go read one of your books or something? Don't you have anything to do?"

Mini-Athena doesn't look at all pleased, but she stomps off toward her cabin, but not before yelling emphatically in his direction, "It's AnnaBETH!" As if he didn't know.

(If she were truly as wise as she believes, she would have long since realized that remembering the "correct" fake names for each person is just as much work as actually using the correct ones.)

Percy snorts: "I think I know now why they only call you Mr. D."

Dionysos puts on a disinterested face. Chiron looks uncomfortable. Oh, this should be fun.

"Ah, and why is that?"

"Well, you obviously can't remember names at all, which is really unfortunate when you have to manage a camp full of kids, so maybe you forgot your own and only remember that it starts with a D!"

Well, yes. That's a new theory he hasn't heard before, and not even completely illogical...without context. "I'm going to let this slide because you don't know what you're talking about and because your satyr friend isn't here to see it."

Percy looks confused: "Satyr? Like the half-human, half-goat creatures from Greek myths? The servants of Pan? What do they have to do with anything?"

Oh, he hasn't put that together yet, has he? Well. "At least Chiron seems to have taught you well."

The child looks unimpressed. "Uh, no, not really. My father is a myth nerd and has told me everything there is to know about it since I was little. Mr. B. over there isn't really that good at it, especially since he was supposed to teach Latin, but he almost never did." He looks questioningly at Dionysos. "Is he better as a camp director than he is as a teacher?"

Chiron's face has gone bright red and he's almost choking on the air. Dionysos has to restrain himself from bursting out laughing. Yes, he's definitely going to like this kid.

(He saves the answer "No, not really." The child will figure that out on his own.)

"So, to answer your question from earlier," Chiron continues as if there hadn't been an interruption, "your friend Grover, he's a satyr."

Yes, the sledgehammer method. That's the way, Chiron.

"Uh...oh...kay? I mean, that would fit his personality, but he...doesn't look like half a goat?"

"Sure, because people aren't really looking and because the Mist also helps," Dionysos sums it up.

"Hmm. That...might make sense. I mean...there are things in my life that aren't quite normal, so why not satyrs? Maybe the ancient Greeks got something right."

Oh, that's an interesting reaction. And more evidence for Dionysos' theory, too.

The child thinks and...yes! He makes the leap of thought!

"So, uh, if satyrs are real, what about the rest of the myths? Any other beings I should know about?"

Well, he's provided Chiron with the perfect transition. Will he take it? Yes. He actually does, oh what a miracle.

"Many indeed, young man. But first, you should know that, among other things, the gods are real and active!"

This actually makes the boy pause for a moment. "So...the gods as in...the Greek gods? Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and so on?"

Ding ding ding, the candidate has a hundred points.

"But wait, it's impossible that all myths are real," Percy continues. Really, a doubter? Dionysos wouldn't have expected that, considering...

But the child continues. "Because, well, there are about a dozen or more different versions of most myths? They can't all possibly be true; that would create so many contradictions. Like, for example, Aphrodite can't be a child of Zeus, but also Uranos and Thalassa at the same time."

Oooh, well, that's a good point. Chiron looks like the kid completely broke him with that statement. It probably wasn't in his script.

Before Chiron can respond, Percy continues: "And if the Greek gods are real, what about other pantheons? Like, I don't know, the Aesir? Or the Egyptians, Ra and co.? Or the Tuatha..."

Okay, this is fun, but the kid needs to stop before he accidentally triggers an inter-pantheon war. The non-involvement with each other rule exists for good reasons.

"Yeah, yeah, we get that you know your stuff, and let's just say that for now, only the Greeks are important because we're the oldest and coolest gods anyway!"

(which isn't entirely correct, the title of oldest probably belongs to the Mesopotamian deities, but that's not important here, stupid details, and Chiron might actually try to murder him if he brings it up now)

Percy seems to accept this for now. The boy is far too willing to simply believe all of this; the usual "you're all crazy" refrain doesn't come up. This only convinces Dionysos even more that the child already knows or has discovered...unusual things.

"Okay, so the gods and other myths are real. How does that fit with the scientific stuff? So is it all just wrong?"

Oh boy, don't go there. Dionysos really doesn't need that kind of metaphysical hangover right now.

"Not relevant for the moment," he blocks the topic.

"Okay, fine, later. But uh, why is all this so important anyway? Is this some kind of cult camp or something? Because, I'm not religious or whatever?"

Chiron seems to be getting a headache. "Believe me, it's affecting you in a very direct way."

"...and why is that?“

"Well, my boy, what were the gods in the myths especially known for?"

"Um...constantly arguing and thereby plunging the world and its people into chaos?"

Dionysos snorts in amusement. "The boy isn't wrong!"

"Mr. D, that's not helpful," Chiron chides him, as if he were a small child. Wow, the disrespect. "So, Percy, would you like to try again?" he asks, as if he were still the kid's teacher at school and the brat had given the wrong answer.

For crying out loud, horsey, just spit it out. If you keep this up, we'll be sitting here all afternoon.

Dionysos likes to let Chiron suffer a little, but his bullshit tolerance has its limits.

"What he's trying to tell you, Peter Johnson, is: Congratulations, you're a demigod!"

The boy looks like that actually shocked him. Okay, so he's not just a good actor. (Not that Dionysos believed that before; acting is his domain, and he didn't notice any acting in Percy.) He actually knows nothing about it. Wow, he wouldn't have thought his uncle would accomplish such a feat.

"Uh...that makes sense...I think? That would explain where I got my rather...unusual abilities from."

Chiron looks far too interested. "Ah, so you've discovered some of your talents already?"

Percy actually grins at that. "Yeah, I'm good at water...stuff. Anything to do with water. So I guess I'm descended from a water deity. Well, that doesn't exactly narrow it down, I guess."

Chiron looks very worried. "This is really not good..."

"Uh...why? What do you have against water gods?"

"Well, um, nothing, but there was an oath the Lord of the Sea swore not to have any more children."

"Well, that's...surprising. Hasn't Poseidon always had a ton of offspring with all sorts of beings? That being said, that's relevant because?"

Chiron gives Percy a "Are you stupid or something?" look. Dionysos thinks it should be directed at himself. Chiron isn't wrong that Percy's existence, if discovered, would pose a problem in the current situation, but Percy is also right. It's truly ironic, considering the truth. But Chiron, just like the camp itself, is far too focused on Olympus and the 12 council members sometimes.

Percy continues, since Chiron hasn't explained anything: "You should know this, but there are literally a ridiculous number of deities related to water. Yes, Poseidon is the most famous, but there are also his wife, his children, their children, the Titans Okeanos and Tethys and their offspring, all the offspring of Pontus and Thalassa, Phorkys and Keto and their children, the lesser Potomoi and sea gods, and so on. The list is quite long."

Chiron's mouth is open like a fish. And the best part: nothing the boy said is wrong; the centaur can't even scold him.

"Well...yes...that's...true. It's...just that most of the children of the sea don't come to this camp."

"Well, if you know so little about these gods, I'm not surprised." Percy pauses, as if he's come to a realization. "Wait, when you say you're Chiron, do you mean the mythological centaur Khairon, the son of Cronus and Philyra, known for training various heroes?"

So...yes. Someone knows what they're talking about. And even has the correct Greek name. Also, the centaur's flinch at the mention of his father...nice. He really hates being reminded of that fact.

"Well, I guess I am."

"Um, but didn't you die? Something about having an injury so bad that you gave your immortality to Prometheus so he could go free?"

"Well, yes. I did. But I was still needed to train more generations of heroes, so I was brought back, and my injury was healed."

"Oh, nice. But uh...where's your horse?"

Instead of answering, Chiron gets up from his magical wheelchair, stretches properly, and is now visible in all his glory, including his horse half.

"Oh wow. Cool. Do you take people horseback riding?"

Chiron gets a violent coughing fit.

"I guess that's a no? Too bad. Okay, and why the name change? Someone likes Latin?"

Oh, that grin is so his dad.

"Well...with the dyslexia typical for demigods, it seems easier to write?" Chiron sounds as if he himself isn't entirely sure.

"Well, then. So, if you're Khairon—sorry, Chiron—then who's "Mister D"? Someone I should know?"

Dionysos takes the opportunity to test the child further. "I think so. I'll give you a hint: I'm a god."

"Hmm," the child ponders. "Well, there aren't many gods whose names begin with D, and considering Mr. B.'s fixation on the Olympians...the only option I can think of would be Dionysos. But...that doesn't really suit you?"

Chiron looks disturbed. Dionysos...blinks. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Dionysos is usually more...younger, handsome, with a vine crown or something? Gods can change their form at will. So if you're Dionysos, why do you look like Mr. Ugliano from the electronics store when he's had too much to drink? I mean, I understand wine and all, but still. Can't you do better?"

Oops, ouch. But not entirely wrong. Still.

"Respect isn't your strong suit, is it?"

Percy grins: "No, not really. Blame Dad."

Well, if the kid wants a demonstration, let him have it.

Dionysos focuses on a shape that is more in line with the boy's ideas (and, frankly, more tasteful).

"So, there. Satisfied?"

The boy looks momentarily stunned by his young, early 20s, somewhat androgynous face and curly hair. Then he grins. "Much better."

Dionysos silently agrees. As much as he enjoys publicly displaying his suffering, he somehow also misses the admiration. All that's missing is—

He snaps his fingers and a glass of wine appears before him. He's about to drink it when—

"Mr. D., do I need to remind you of your restriction?"

Damn centaur. Thunder rumbles.

"Oh, my goodness, old habits. Sorry!" Sigh. "Whatever happened to 'Come Share the Wine' and all that?"

The child is naturally curious. "Restrictions?"

And even though it's really none of the child's business, Chiron naturally spills the story of his suffering. Because *that* is the only thing the hero trainer wants to explain in detail.

"Mr. D. offended his father some time ago by sleeping with a nymph reserved for the king." (because that's obviously a story appropiate for a 12-year-old.) "So, as punishment, he was cut off from his wine domain and appointed as the new camp manager to better himself."

Percy looks quite horrified and confused by this. "But uh...isn't that cruel? Like...gods literally live through their domains, are embodiments of them? So, Dionysos is wine incarnate, so to speak? So if he's not allowed to make and drink wine, isn't that like some kind of amputation or something? How does he get tribute from it then?"

Yes, someone actually got it. Yay for proper background knowledge.

"And besides, Zeus is married to a goddess who wants monogamy? How does that fit with the 'nymph reserved for him'?"

(not at all. Hera was not happy with her husband)

"And uh, aren't orgies one of your domains, too, so that’s kinda...normal for you?"

Yes, Dionysos likes this kid. Absolutely.

Zeus less so, as evidenced by the renewed thunder in the sky.

Then Percy does something Dionysos never expected.

The child's voice can suddenly be heard in his head, like a prayer.

* Dionysos? Well, I don't know if it works that way, but the gods can hear when you think directly of them, or something like that, right? Anyway, so if that works, how about this? When I get home, I'll ask Dad if we can buy a few bottles of wine, and you can have them as an official offering or whatever, so you can drink them. That sounds really bad. *

Oh yeah, this will be his new favorite camper. After Castor and Pollux, of course. And he's also clever, not only figuring out how to "talk" to the gods just five minutes after learning of their existence, but also using it to get up to mischief behind Zeus's back.

Still in „telepathy“, presumably so Zeus doesn't hear, he continues: * The camp thing makes sense to you, though? As a god of hospitality over your wine domain and all? And you were once a demigod, the only one of the 12 council members. And supervising demigod children sounds like a lot of madness, so that fits as well. *

Dionysos nods his head once in Percy's direction to show him that he heard him.

The child isn't wrong either. People tend to forget that wine has many faces, and not all of them are associated with debaucherous excesses. (His father included in that list.)

Percy returns to audible speech: "So, why is a camp for young demigods on Long Island? Shouldn't it be somewhere in Greece? Or is it that there are many branches worldwide because the gods, ah, get around?"

Yes, that would be a practical idea, wouldn't it? Someone should really suggest that at the next council meeting.

Chiron gives a long and, quite frankly, completely nonsensical speech about the heart of the West, how it has wandered throughout history, and the gods with it, until they finally landed in America.

Which... yeah. Dionysos won't touch that. He really doesn't know where the centaur got that from.

Percy doesn't seem to believe it either. "Well, first of all, Greece isn't really a Western civilization geographically, and then it sounds to me more like the gods just go to wherever the most influence, the most power, is currently distributed. So basically, like rich people or politicians."

Chiron looks very annoyed by this answer. Dionysos has to suppress a grin. Yes, the child is being well taught.

"And all this talk about the gods being here because so much of this country is reminiscent of them...uh...no? I mean, sure, there's the American eagle and all, but I mean, in Greece, there are hundreds of places where tourists and such go to learn about ancient times and myths. Hell, even Mount Olympus is still there, and well-visited. Most of the still-believing people in your pantheon probably live there, too. While most people here might know the names of a few important gods, and that's about it. So none of it makes sense?"

"And why did you have to specifically mention that the gods were in Rome? I mean, literally everyone knows that the Roman gods were inspired by, or based on, the Greek gods, Mr. Latin Teacher?"

Chiron flinches violently. "You know about the Roman gods?"

"Uh...yeah? Not because you taught me, but, duh, that's kind of part of it? What did you expect?" Then, turning to Dionysos, "Are you sure that's really Khairon? He seems to have a very...strange view on things."

Yes, immortality was not kind to his mind, that much is certain.

"Unfortunately, yes!" sighs the god over Chiron's disgruntled protests. He's never understood how Chiron could seriously be under the illusion that no one in the camp had ever heard of Roman gods. Like damn, the mortals literally named the planets of the solar system after them. (And why isn't there a planet Bacchus? So rude, no respect!) It's all the more ironic given that Chiron uses his Roman spelling these days.

Dionysos decides that, as fun as it is to watch Mini-Poseidon roast the centaur, he still needs him in one piece and functioning. "So, as interesting as that is, how about showing our new camper around the camp and taking him to his quarters?"

Chiron looks very unhappy with the overall situation right now, but gives in.

"All right. Come on, Percy. Let's go to cabin eleven."

Yes, it will be a very interesting summer.

*

Notes:

So...yeah. We got a Dionysos POV. I was not planning on that, but Dion was...quit einsisting, and who am I to say no to a god?

Anyway, writing him is fun. So is playing a bit with his different domains/aspects. Percy also knows his stuff there. Poseidon totally gave him an extra-long briefing on this particular god. For no reason at all, surely.

Also, you better believe I came up with a short cut for "Dionysos" and replaced them all with the long variant in my document afterwards. Urgh, such a long name, lol

I did not plan to mess with Chiron that much, it just kinda...happened? Is that credible? No? /runs/

Sorry Percy, no chance at watching the introduction video. We can't make it that easy for you.

Me, halfway into the chapter: Wait a second, Annabeth is still here, right? Well, I don't really need her for this chapter, she'll get her time later. Dion, would you plese send her away?

If you are wondering: No, Percy hasn't fully realized the implication that if he's a demigod, one of his parents is a god and not a mortal as he thought so far. Don't blame him too hard, there were too many distractions. He's going to get there soo, don't worry.

The backstory of Khairon/Chiron is a hot mess, and actually a good example to back up Percy's claim that not all myths can be true at the same time. So apparently Kronos conceived him as a horse...in a time lng befor ethey were supposedly created by Poseidon, and then his mom (who was also Kronos niece bc greek myths) was so put-off that she asked Zeus (who was apparently king at the time but Kronos was also there...hmm) to turn her into a tree. I...have no clue how I'm supposed to put any og that into any sort of timeline. Sigh. ALso, him giving up his immortality is kind of a big deal for his myth, and for Prom to be free again, so its weird thats not made a point in the books.

Also, speaking of Chorn/Khairon, a word about my spelling decisions. You might have already noticed, but I'm not following Rick's pattern here to use the "diet latin version" of Greek NAmes (k to c, os to us, ai to ae etc.). It looks weird and wrong to me. Also Rick wasn't consistent about it either (if he were, Kronos would have been Cronus, for instance). So, that's something to get used to here. I'm debating about Apollo vs. Apollon, but I think I've found a solution for that one, too.

Dionysos: Whatever happened to 'Come share the wine?'
Chiron: Mr. D, please remember that this song is about 50 years old. Neither the campers or the readers will be aware of it, nor its backstory. No one is going to get this reference.
Dionysos: Doesn't sound like a me problem, tho.

To be clear, Percy did not know how to 'talk' to a god. He was just playing around and it happened to work. POseiodn is gonna get a heart attack at some point, probably.

I'm probably overdoing Percy being a little exposition tool/mouthpiece? Sorry about that. There's jsut...a lot of wordbuilding stuff that makes little to no sense and had to be sorted out. I'll try to keep it lesser in the following chapters.

I will say now, I'm not going to do HoO for a variety of reasons, but I'm definitely playing with the idea of using some of its characters at some point, so...that had to be adressed.

NExt time: Percy meets some campers, and has some implication realizations.

See you hopefully next week. As per usual, I apreciate all constructive comments, criticism, whatever you want to share. (but please do it in words if you can. My screenreader is not translating "emoji-language" or "non-latin letters" into anything coherent I can decipher)

See you over in the ComSec!

Chapter 7

Notes:

OK, first off, before we start, I want to thank everyone who left kudos and ESPECIALLY everyone who commented and shared their thoughts. You guys have no idea how much this means to me and what wonders it does for the motivation to write this. Without you, I doubt I'd even have made it that far into the story!

I was asked in the comments about the "Dionysos" spelling. The short answer is that this is the "original/greek" spelling, whereas Dionysus is the latinized version. Thats the kind of stuff I hinted at in the AN of the last chapter.

Before we continue, a word on Annabeth: I don't hate her, actually. I do recognize the fact that a lot of her behavior issues are a product of her age and her life experiences thus far. Having lived in isolation in CHB for the last 5 years within a cabin full of competetive/proud children, with no contact to the outside world and no responsible adult in her life, will screw you up. However, tat is not what Percy (or Poseiodn later) will see, neither has that backstory. Plus, it does not excuse all of her actions. So while this will be critical of her, its not a bashing fic, and she might very well get the opportunity to grow a bit at some point down the line, we shall see.

And here we go! 4700 words for you! IDK, I was in a flow there... Enjoy!

*

Percy follows the centaur—because yes, Chiron is unmistakably one and he still hasn't really processed that—through the camp.

Which...is a summer camp. For demigods. Yeah.

And he's a demigod. Says the (formerly) overweight camp director. who's also the literal Dionysos, god of wine, joy, madness, fertility, theater, ecstasy, and sobriety.

Because that's a whole thing.

The crazy thing is: It actually makes sense. For example, it explains why Dad is so keen for Percy to learn everything he can about Greek mythology.

Percy always thought Dad was just obsessed, that maybe it helped him connect with his culture or something.

Now he realizes that it was really about helping him better understand this new world, to have a perspective.

And also-

Percy's brain comes to a screeching halt as he realizes a simple, yet complex fact that he had - consciously or unconsciously - completely pushed aside in all this chaos.

His father is a GOD.

Just...what?!

It's the logical truth. Percy is a demigod, a hemitheos. One of his parents must therefore be a god or goddess. Percy has special powers. His father does too. The result is clear.

Of all the possibilities Percy had ever considered, "Oh, Dad is a god" was definitely not on the list.

It's just so...unlikely that you wouldn't think of it. Also because he doesn't really behave the way Percy would expect a god to—not that he'd ever wondered how a mythical god would behave several thousand years later.

Perhaps Chiron should have asked this question in Latin class, as a mental exercise.

There are still so many things that don't add up. Unanswered questions. Percy is a little annoyed that Dad decided to just dump him here and let these people deal with it, instead of answering all the questions Percy might have himself, let alone having the courage to sit down with him on his own.

(On the other hand, how do you tell your child something like that? "Oh, by the way, I'm a god. What do you want for dinner tonight?"

Yeah, whatever, Dad would probably do that)

The less cynical part of Percy's mind, however, reminds him that if Dad is a god and has to do something so important that he can't take care of Percy himself, it must be pretty dramatic...right? Like, doomsday-level? Or does losing your favorite beach hat count as such a scenario for a god? He really needs to learn more about gods in the here and now...

Percy is completely lost in thought and pays almost no attention to Chiron as the two walk through the camp, passing various activity stations.

A small part of him notices that many of the activities are centered around traditional Greek combat styles—sword arena, archery range, and so on. And is that a damn lava climbing wall? Just...why?!

Oh, and volleyball-playing satyrs. Those exist, too.

Oh yeah: he'll have to talk to Grover, too. A bit like "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" perhaps?

Then a forest area comes into view. Chiron basically tells him that the forest is full of monsters, which Percy is welcome to fight if he wants to.

"Um...You're telling me that around the camp meant to protect and train young demigods, there are creatures that want to kill and/or eat those same demigods, and people with no experience at all are encouraged to play with them?"

Chiron seems a bit dejected. "When you put it that way, it doesn't sound very good. Besides, real-life training is very important. How else can you defend yourself properly? Capture the Flag is also on Friday."

As if that should mean anything to him? And no, he didn't bring a sword and shield, why would he?

This guy is getting on his last nerve. Who thought it would be a good idea to put him in charge here?

They pass a large square with a bonfire burning in the middle. A young girl, perhaps 8 or 9, sits there alone, poking at the flames.

Percy can't quite put his finger on why, but this child seems familiar, as if he's seen her before. He waves to her as he passes.

The fire girl looks in his direction, appears briefly surprised, and then waves back happily.

Chiron looks briefly surprised, as if performing social courtesies was something completely unexpected, but doesn't comment further.

The two reach a group of 12 cabins, arranged in two rows opposing each other, presenting a colorful mix of different styles.

12 cabins. 12 Olympian gods. All right. That wasn't difficult. Even the assignment is child's play for any myth connoisseur.

The first two look far too ostentatious to belong at a summer camp. Both also seem empty—except for the giant, ugly statue in Cabin 1.

Yep, definitely Zeus and Hera. Are these supposed to be Camp's version of temples?

Cabin 3 is Poseidon, the sea motifs and design make that clear. Percy likes this cabin. If he could choose one, he'd probably take this one.

Percy wants to inspect the cabin more closely, but Chiron pulls him on. "You really shouldn't go in there."

"Why? Will the cabin gods kill me if I take a look inside?"

Chiron flinches slightly. Dude, that wasn't meant seriously.

"Well...it depends on the deity, but there have been...some incidents in the past."

Wow, petty. On the other hand: Greek gods. Oh well.

"Okay, so I guess the campers are sorted by divine lineage?"

"Exactly."

"...then why are there cabins for Hera, Artemis, and Athena? Shouldn't they all be childless? And why are Zeus' and Poseidon's cabins so empty? Don't tell me Zeus also decided to have no more children; that would be completely absurd."

A rumble of thunder is heard. Really?

"You'll find out all this in due time. Now let's go to Cabin 11 to get you settled."

Cabin 11, Percy thinks, belongs to Hermes. "Uh...I don't think my father is Hermes? Anyway, how do we find out? Do the gods send an email to register their children or something?"

Chiron fidgets. "Um, well, no. It's...a little more complicated. But your new cabin counselor can explain that much better. We're here!"

Great, once again the guy wriggled out of an explanation.

Percy notices the girl sitting on the steps of the Hermes cabin, reading a book. He recognizes her from earlier today. She was the girl on the porch—Annabeth, was it?

Chiron seems visibly pleased to see her: "Oh, Annabeth, very good. I have an advanced archery class anyway, and I shouldn't be late for it. Could you help Percy move in?"

Wow, thanks. Just dump me like a box of goods.

"Sure, Chiron. Come on."

And with that, Annabeth pushes open the door to cabin 11.

The cabin is pretty run-down on the outside. Hermes could really do something to get his place in shape.

Inside is...a different matter.

The cabin is completely overcrowded. There's literally something on every piece of floor.

Percy doesn't mean to complain, but damn, that doesn't look comfortable at all.

A few children are bustling around the cabin. "Regular or unclaimed?" someone yells from the back of the cabin.

"Unclaimed," Annabeth replies.

Everyone in the room groans collectively. Rude. What did he do to deserve this? And what's that about claiming?

"Now, now, campers, that's what we're here for." A college-aged guy comes out of the back of the cabin and expertly makes his way to the front - which looks anything but easy.

"Hello, I'm Luke Castellan, I'm the head counselor here. And you are?"

"Percy. Percy Jackson. Uh...I'm sorry, but I think I'm in the wrong place??

Annabeth already looks annoyed. Luke just snorts and looks rather amused.

"Yeah, I've heard that before. They probably don't know where to put you yet, so you're staying here for now."

"Oh, because Hermes is the patron god of travelers?"

Luke grins, which looks a bit harsh with his wide scar. "You got it."

"So, how do we find out where I need to go? I can just send Dad a message saying he forgot to tell the camp about this, I guess. Or how else do you find out? Is there a bulletin board and the gods check their children off on it when they come to visit?"

Roaring laughter erupts throughout the locker room. Some sound bitter. Annabeth has that "how can that kid be so stupid" look on her face that some of his teachers had perfected.

What did he say now?

"Um...that's not really how it works, no. Your divine parent has to officially claim you."

"Okay, when does this usually happen and how does it work?" The possibilities are endless when it comes to gods.

"When? It depends. If you're lucky, tonight or in the next few days. Maybe it'll take a few weeks. And if you're a little less lucky..."

"—then it won't happen at all and you'll be stuck here," someone shouts from the crowd. Oh yeah, someone isn't bitter, nah.

"Man, thanks, Chris, for that extremely helpful comment. But unfortunately, he's right."

"Uh...how hard can it be to just get this done? Especially if they're signing up their kids for camp, wouldn't the gods know they still have to do this?"

More laughter and raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, you're a total rookie, I see. The gods don't tend to take care of their children making it to camp themselves." (And why did that sound like there were dark stories to unpack?) "When you're at camp, you're more likely to get their attention. Maybe you're doing something they deem worthy, or they're just having a good day, or they actually care. Depends on the parent. Either way, it's like a kind of glowing symbol you can assign to them."

"Oooh, the other boy I arrived with earlier, Austin, got this. A sun thing and, uh, this musical instrument...a lyre? Oh, so he's an Apollon child?"

A few envious glances. "Uh, yes, that would be him. Apollo is usually relatively quick to claim his children."

"Hmm, makes sense, with him being the protector of youth and all."

Okay, when they're done here, he'll have to text Dad to remember to send up that stupid holo symbol. Which reminds him...

"Okay, so where do the campers who aren't part of the Council of 12 go? Because I haven't found the cabins for the other gods yet?"

Annabeth looks super annoyed again. The rest of the cabin seems rather resigned.

"Unfortunately, there aren't any. Why do you think it's so crowded here?"

Uh, what?!

"You're not serious, are you? How does that even make sense? There are hundreds of other gods, and even if not all of them have children, enough of them will, and there could be over 100 or more, depending. You mean to tell me they're *ALL* in here?"

"Uh...well, we don't have that many, but yes, there are way too many," sighs Luke.

"That's stupid. Is it so hard for the gods to come up with something better?"

"It shouldn't be, no. But...yes. That is what it is."

This makes absolutely no sense, and Percy wonders where all the children of the other deities ended up if not here. Or do only certain children go to this camp? After all, he's only here because his dad isn't available right now. Admittedly, that would lighten the load.

But that also means he'll probably be stuck in this completely overcrowded cabin during his visit, even if Dad sends the claim holo.

"So you're stuck here forever?"

"Not necessarily, there are a few options, depending. Artemis sometimes allows younger girls to stay in her cabin if you ask nicely and under certain...conditions, since she doesn't have any children herself. Her hunters also stay there when they're visiting. Apollo also takes in children if there's space, because of his domains and if it works for the people in the cabin. If you're lucky, you might be able to get transferred at some point, but the cabin is usually pretty full. I think Poseidon made a decree that children of sea deities can stay in Cabin Three, but they're rarely here. Sometimes campers allowed to move into Cabin 12, which isn't full either, because Mr. D. is the camp director and only has the twins, but he's a bit picky about that."

Hmm, so it's either a case of getting on good terms with Dionysos or proving that his father is a water-related god. The latter should be easy enough. Still, it's a stupid system.

Out of curiosity, he asks, "What about Zeus? Isn't he also a god of hospitality and all? His cabin is also empty, except for that stupid statue."

"Yeah, no. I don't think anyone has ever lived there since the Oath."

Well, he really needs to figure out what this is all about, doesn't he?

Percy is about to ask more questions when Annabeth decides she absolutely has to show him the camp. Percy's objection that Chiron has already done so is promptly ignored. Apparently, she wants to be alone with him or something.

Luke promises to clear a spot for him—however he manages that. At least Percy has his own sleeping clothes and everything else he needs with him.

"Will my things still be here if I leave them here? No offense, but Hermes is also the god of thieves..."

Luke gets a hard look on his face: "There are rules about this here, especially for new campers. We'll go over it in detail later. But for now, everything should be safe. If anyone dares to do anything, there will be trouble with me." This last part is said particularly loudly and in the direction of two boys who look almost like twins, sulking at the ground.

"That was *one* time!"

***

The "tour" with Annabeth mainly consists of her telling him little that is new or helpful.

Instead, he is promptly interrogated: "So, you're from New York, right? What will happen at the summer solstice? What do you know about it?"

Huh?

"Uh...we always have a little private solstice celebration, but what's supposed to happen there? I don't quite understand what you mean."

Annabeth sighs theatrically: "You really have to do better than that, Jackson! And here I thought you might be Big Three material."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You really don't know anything, do you? The Big Three are the brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The oldest and most powerful gods—"

"Uh...they're not? The female Kronides are all older, and power can't be quantified like that; it depends very much on the particular area?"

Annabeth isn't impressed by his explanations. What's her problem, anyway?

Percy deflects: "Okay, so, since we're on the subject of them, why don't they have any more children?"

Annabeth beams because she can explain something to the "know-nothing child." "The children of the Big Three are the most powerful demigods."

"Debatable. Achilleus is usually considered one of the most powerful demigods of all time, and he was 'only' a son of Thetis-"

"Don't interrupt me all the time! Anyway, many demigod children of the Big Three were involved in various wars of humanity, and things got really bad in World War II. The children of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—" (since when does Hades have demigod children anyway? That's new) "—fought with and against each other on different sides, and things got pretty bad. There was apparently some kind of prophecy, too. Anyway, afterward, the brothers swore an oath on the Styx not to have any more demigod children."

"Oh, wow, that's crazy. I mean, if they ever broke that...even for gods, there would be consequences. They'd be stripped of their powers and banished from Olympus and/or even put into a coma. One can only hope for their sake that doesn't happen. Although I really have a hard time imagining Zeus keeping it in his pants."

Thunder rumbles again. Wow, this guy is sensitive. Annabeth looks like he punched her in the face for some reason. Hmm, something seems to be up.

Percy tries to change the subject. "So, who is your divine parent?"

Annabeth puffs out her chest proudly. "Athena. The goddess of wisdom."

And a few other things too, but Percy has a feeling she wouldn't appreciate him bringing this up.

But he's curious: "Isn't Athena supposed to be a virgin goddess? So, no children and all that? Instead, she usually has champions, like Odysseus."

"Well, yes, but she has spirit children. If she meets a mortal who particularly impresses her, she can give him or her a child. This is a great honor and blessing that she doesn't grant to many. I was carried in a basket from Mount Olympus to my father by Zephyr, the west wind."

Yeah, first of all, that sounds pretty presumptuous. Are human parents even asked whether they want children or are able to care for them? Shouldn't Athena at least raise the children herself? Accidental pregnancies are one thing, but this is kind of...

Annabeth talks about her father, Professor Frederick Chase, who probably won't win the "Father of the Year" award. Or maybe she just has a distorted view on him. He really can't decide what it is; he lacks a second opinion.

"So, any ideas who your divine parent might be?"

Percy snorts. "Well, it's not like Dad told me beforehand. I'll ask him which god he is, and then I can tell you. Probably a sea or river god."

Annabeth...actually blinks a few times.

"What do you mean, you want to ask him?"

"Well...I can call him or text him or something?"

"Uh, okay, I believe you that your divine parent is a sea deity. Your head is obviously full of seaweed."

Oh, yes, insults always get you further, of course.

"And what exactly, oh wise Annabeth, do you want to tell me with this?"

"Your father—the man who raised you—is *NOT* your divine parent. He's the mortal parent, you idiot! Gods don't raise their children, what do you think they do? They're very busy and have more important things to do."

"Well, they've had enough time for at best a romance and at worst...something else with the human parent, so that can hardly be the problem. Besides, to bring up the example of Achilleus and Thetis again..."

"Oh boy. So, no, gods don't raise their children. Period. Even *if* that may have happened at some point, that's no longer the case."

"Well, OK, maybe it's not common practice, but they might change their minds with certain children."

Annabeth sighs, as if dealing with a particularly severe case of obtuseness. "There's literally a law against it. Gods are forbidden from participating in the lives of their mortal children. They are not allowed not interfere except in rare circumstances and/or in exchange for something, like quests and the like. If a deity were to raise their child, it would be a direct violation of the law, and there would be serious consequences. It's just...it just doesn't happen. Now, do you get it?"

Okay, fine. So his father isn't a god. Was his mother, then? Could she have been the goddess and transferred some of her powers to Dad so he could help him better? Can gods do that?

As if on cue, Annabeth asks, "So it's probably your mother. What do you know about her?"

"That's the thing. My mom died when I was about...one."

"Maybe that's just what your father was made to believe so she could disappear from his life. Sometimes...gods don't tell mortals they're gods."

That sounds incredibly cruel. Would his mother, the alleged Sally Jackson, have really done that to his dad? Percy can hardly believe it.

"I don't know, that doesn't sound right. There are literally pictures of her with me in her arms and everything. And a few with her and Dad together, too, but I think those are from before I was born?"

Annabeth continues to think. "So that would be the obvious solution. But if you believe your mother really existed and was mortal—"

"Why do all of you here always call humans mortals? Demigods, Hemitheoi, aren't they mortal by definition too?"

Annabeth growls. No answers to questions she doesn't like, it seems.

"So, if your mother existed and was mortal, there are other possibilities. One is that she cheated on your father and slept with a god—"

"No, that...can't be right. Everyone always says I look like a small version of Dad, or something like that. We're definitely related." (Besides, he really doesn't want to consider the idea that his dad isn't his dad, that's just...no!)

"Okay, it could also be that your father was the one who...sat with a god or goddess..."

"Um, no? Mom was the pregnant one? There are pictures and everything?"

"There's also the option of a god...with her...in the form of your father...um..."

"WHAT?! That's fucking sick!"

"Well, they're, um, gods. Some...might have gotten a kick out of it..."

Gahh, he doesn't want to think about that. Just...he doesn't.

"Are there no other options?"

"Well, there's always the threesome baby..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sometimes gods can have children with more than one mortal. It...happens."

Percy grins: "Ah, like Theseus, or the Gemini constellation." But why not? Gods are strange.

Annabeth nods. "Yes, exactly. I mean, there are also children of same-sex couples here at camp. Apollo has a few, Aphrodite too. With my mother, Athena, it doesn't matter what gender the partner is, since they're mind children. And I think some sea gods sometimes have children like that too, due to their more, uh, fluid nature."

Well...that's definitely Percy's favorite option. He'll go with that until he hears otherwise, and he'll definitely annoy his dad with it.

Wait. If his parents are both "mortal“, why does Dad have powers???

Hmm.

"Tell me...do demigods sometimes have children of their own who then also inherit divine powers?"

"Well...yeah, it happens, I guess, but rarely? Most demigods don't live to be super old these days, you know? Monsters and all."

Wow, depressing! He considers going along with it and telling her about Dad's powers, but maybe he should leave it alone. Who knows what Annabeth would do with this knowledge. Percy will just have to ask Dad himself.

Also knowing that he has a parent who can't, isn't allowed to, and maybe doesn't even want to have contact with him is kind of shitty.

Instead, Percy asks Annabeth about monsters and learns why being a demigod in the 21st century really sucks.

This is just super depressing.

The cynical part of Percy involuntarily wonders what the point of the camp is if all the demigods die a few years later anyway.

He decides to assume that's not the case and that Annabeth is once again spreading dangerous half-knowledge. She probably just thinks everyone she doesn't see at camp is dead or something.

Yes, that's what he'll assume. Anything else would simply be too gruesome to accept as reality.

Especially since Annabeth also talks about how many famous and/or influential people were actually demigods ("You'd recognize their names") - these two narratives don't really fit together.

Oh, also: Apparently, being the child of a small/weak god doesn't affect you as much with monster persecution. Which, since Percy has never had any problems in that regard, probably means it applies to him. With his luck, the camp might not even recognize his divine parent's claim symbol. Yay.

On the other hand, Annabeth brings up Demeter and Aphrodite as examples of "weak" deities.

Which...yeah.

"Um, you do know that Demeter is one of the Kronides, on the same level as the "big three" you so praised, right? She literally invented winter when the whole Persephone thing happened. And Aphrodite is the child of two damned primordial beings, basically even a step above the Olympians!"

Annabeth seems to want to protest—she can't seem to handle it when people point out her errors in thinking—but she can't think of a good argument.

They are right on their way back to the Hermes cabin when a group of sinister-looking children, all a bit older than the two of them, come towards them from the direction of the fighting arena.

"Oh, what do we have here, a newbie?"

Oh, great, those must be the local tyrants. These exist everywhere. Oh well.

The girl, obviously the leader of the group, barks at him: "What's your name, new guy?"

"Percy Jackson. And you are?"

Annabeth sighs. "Clarisse, why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

Clarisse scoffs. "I'll show you how well my spear works when it's flag time, Chase. Now, Prissy, we have an initiation ritual for newbies like you."

Oh, that won't be fun, will it?

"Is she always like this?" he turns to Annabeth.

"Yes, this is Clarisse, daughter of Ares."

"Funny, I would have thought she was a child of Dionysos, since she seems to be just as bad at remembering names as he is," Percy comments dryly.

Yes, that just made her angrier. Oops?

"OK Prissy, that's it, you’re so done!"

Percy expects Annabeth to do something to help him, or at least get a chaperone (assuming there's such a thing at camp), but she just sighs resignedly, like, "I guess you'll just have to get through this." Great.

He considers how best to handle the gang of bullies. Percy is a good fighter when he needs to be. Dad always thought it was important that he be able to defend himself in case something happens. But against five opponents at once...yeah, that would be difficult.

In addition, he has to assume that these children, as descendants of the god of war, may also have inherited special abilities. This is highly likely. And since he doesn't know exactly what those abilities might be, he can't factor them into a possible tactical decision.

(His ADHD is really annoying, but his hyperfocus when it matters comes in handy. It's basically Percy's version of Elvarion Mode, like Alea Aquarius.)

Then something happens that he hadn't expected, but which plays right into his hands.

The group decides that the "initiation" would be best performed in the camp bathroom.

Yeah, big mistake, folks. Someone didn't do their research.

Percy half-heartedly pretends to fight back, egging the angry mob on even further to distract them: "Five against one, really? Wow, I knew your dad was the god of courage, but this really breaks all records!"

This earns him an angry growl from Clarisse and unimpressed looks from her siblings.

They finally reach the bath, and oh man, you'd think that in a place literally run by the gods, there would be better hygiene. This only makes what Percy is about to do all the more satisfying.

Percy waits until everyone is crammed into the small space and his head is almost touching the toilet bowl. Then he flexes his "water muscles" and grabs.

All the toilets are practically exploding. The same goes for the showers. The five Ares campers are doused from head to toe with dirty toilet water and flushed out of the bathroom. Annabeth gets a fair bit, too. Percy could have spared her from the torrent of water, but honestly, he's still pretty pissed off by her general attitude and the fact that she's just observing the whole bullying session like it's a learning lesson instead of doing anything constructive. Call him petty, but she kind of deserves it, he thinks.

Clarisse and her siblings lie on the ground, panting and puffing. They curse loudly, shout death threats at him, and then struggle to get to their feet. The crowd of campers that begins to gather and witnesses their public humiliation certainly doesn't help.

Percy can't resist adding another point to the insult. "Rule number one when dealing with an opponent: Know your enemy, their strengths and weaknesses. As children of the God of War, shouldn't you know that?"

"Shut your damn mouth, you're so dead!" Clarisse yells at him before disappearing, dripping and stinking, toward Cabin 5.

Annabeth looks in his direction with interest. "I think," she drawls, "I want you on my CTF team on Friday."

*

Notes:

So...yeah! That was a camp introduction.

Poor Percy. HEre he figure dit out pretty much, and yet everyone thrown in things that make him doubt his perfectly logical conclusions, heh.

Percy: Hmm, fireplace girls looks familiar. Why, oh why, might that be the case?

No, the Apollon/Apollo thing is not an accident. We gonna deal with that later.

Yes, Percy not calling the non-Olympian gods "minor" gods is intentional. Cause the way that term was used in the books is...not very accurate, and Percy would know that/wouldn't get the idea to call them that.

LUKE: I love this new camper. He's here for five minutes and already can see all the glaring issues. Should be a piece of cake to get him on my side.
PERCY: Oh, at least that Luke guy seems to be fairly reasonable about the reality of things. A rare thing in this camp.

Yes, a little divergence reg. living options for campers. Some/most of these are consequences of the ripple effect. I could go into more detail here but that might be a little spoiler-y for those readers who haven't connected certain dots, but feel free to ask in the ComSec if you want to know more and I can see what I can share.

I changed the WW2 stuff because...the way RR handled it sucks and I will not go there. It really makes no sense, not even within PJO's own narrative. So no, not doing that here.

Yes, thats what happens to Styx breaking gods. WE'll go over how that got sorted out for Z and P at some point (as they're both around and kicking) though it will probably take a while.

OK, so that might be a hot take but honestly, I feel like Annabeth's view on Frederick and his wife is a bit coloured by her own issues. Which is kind of normal, she's a child and was even younger when all that happens, she lakc sperspective. But also...yeah, not great either.

Ah, poor Percy. Playing who's-my-godly-parent with Annabeth "I have no filter" Chase...well, ouch, heh. HEre he was on the right track and that girl made his mind mel tcompletely with her 'facts', lol

So, the Gemini were Kastor and Polydeukis AKA the "original" Castor and Pollux. One of them was immortal, the other not, yet they were twins. And for Theseus, it depends a bit on the source but its somewhat implied that both Poseidon and the king of Athens who's name I forgot ATM were his father along with his mother so...yeah. Its a whole thing.

Yes, we are probably going to see adult demigods at some point. I just...can't with Rick's lack of worldbuilding there. He wanted child heroes, fine, but like...figure something out about that man. Its just so weird.

Anyways, hope you had fn with this! Next time, more camp stuff, probably. Hopefully, next weekend.

As per usual, if oyu have comments, questions, criticism, or whatever else you'd like to share, feel free to do that in the comments, I alway enjoy to hear from you! See you over there.