Reading Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief - Chapter 12 - HadrianPeverellBlack - Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2024)

Chapter Text

Travis began reading the chapter, looking extremely proud of himself.

Dakota frowned. "Why did you decide to ruin a bus?"

"I didn't like the service provided." Percy muttered in response, making the others laugh.

Her mother, noticing her expression, whispered to her. "What happen?"

"I seem to forget something," Percy murmured, playing with her pearl necklace. "I don't really remember what."

Aphrodite grimaced at the thought of a single change of clothes, but didn't stop reading.

"I was putting the last few things in my backpack when I heard Luke's voice. 'How much money did they give you?'"

Chiron glanced again at Percy, who smiled in return.

"I looked up, relieved when I saw him. I had been afraid that, since I hadn't chosen him to follow me in the quest, he might resent me. Instead, the smile on his face was the usual one."

The demigods glanced at Percy, noticing her busy fiddling with a strange pearl. It wasn't one of the camp.

"'Two hundred dollars and a bag of these.' I picked up the bag of gold coins Chiron had given me, saying they would be useful for non-mortal transitions, whatever he meant. 'Maybe they are Canadians?' I muttered, not recognizing them. 'Or Chuck E. Cheese, I don't know.'"

"Those are drachmas." Grover sighed. "Not Canadians or Chuck E. Cheese."

"Boring." Percy replied.

"Luke chuckled, walking over to me with a box in his hand. 'They are gold drachmas.' He explained to me. 'Dollars for the human world, drachmas for the mythological one.' He leaned even closer, giving me a gentle smile. 'Don't confuse them.'

I smiled awkwardly, still feeling grateful that he had bothered to explain to me, once again, something that had been taken for granted."

Chiron and the demigods fidgeted nervously.

They hadn't given Percy much reason to trust them. Luke, on the other hand, had done nothing but help her.

"He handed me the box. 'I brought you something.'

I gave him a curious smile, before putting down the bag of drachmas I was holding, and sitting on the edge of the bed to open the box he had handed me. As I opened it, Luke sat down next to me, starting to braid my hair."

Silena sighed. "You shouldn't have needed another braid. The tie should have held up."

"Oh, he didn't use the super strong tie the time before." Percy replied. "This time he used it, and I must say it held out until the end. The only thing I had in order."

Silena shot her a look, but Percy smiled cheekily.

"I opened the box, raising an eyebrow at the sneakers that were inside, a pair of converse that were absolutely normal, even in smell.

'Well, they're... interesting.' I said, giving Luke a smile.

Luke chuckled. He reached over and picked one up, holding it up to his face and humming. 'Maia'.

I was absolutely amazed when I saw a pair of wings appear on the side of the shoe. A smile appeared on his face.

'Really interesting.' I commented, knowing that even if they were just an ordinary pair of shoes, ill-fitting and clearly male, I would still love them. They were a gift from Luke, and that made them perfect."

Hermes smiled at Percy. “I'm glad he gave them to you.”

"Me too." Percy smiled. "Although..."

“I know they must be a gift from me.” Hermes nodded. "But I'm sure you'll make good use of it."

"'A gift. My dad's.' Luke explained, a wistful look on his face. 'He gave them to me for my mission, but now I'm not using them much... I'm sure you'll make good use of them in your quest.'

I smiled as Luke put the shoe back where it belonged, after making the wing disappear with another 'Maia'.

With one hand I fixed the tuft of hair that was too short to fit into the braid Luke had braided for me. I knew I didn't have to explain myself, but I did anyway. 'I had been thinking asking you.' I said, looking him in the eyes. 'Before Anthony or Grover. I wanted to ask you, but...'

'Grover is stronger than you think.' Luke smiled. 'You chose well, Percy.'"

Grover smiled. At least, Percy wasn't the only one who thought Grover was strong. And, moreover, Luke never blamed Grover for Thalia's fate. That was something Grover always appreciated.

"'I was afraid.' I admitted.

I looked back at Luke, who looked hurt. 'Of me?' He asked me."

Chris smiled. Luke really cared about Percy. He didn't want to hurt her. Chris was sure that, if Percy had asked him, Luke would have follow her in the quest.

"'I have a chance to save my mom from Hades. I don't want to be stopped.' I said, as Luke nodded in understanding. 'And I fear that if the undertaking was hampered, Anthony would have done so.' I paused before saying. 'And you told me you would always be on his side and...'

'All right.' Luke interrupted me, stepping forward and taking my hand. 'I understand you, really. Protect each other.'

I nodded, smiling gratefully at him.

Luke took a deep breath. 'Anyway... I wanted to thank you for your sword, with the family symbol. I have something for you. As protection, I mean.'

'Luke, you don't have to...' The protest fell from my mouth when I saw the pendant he was holding out to me. 'How...?'"

Anthony blinked. Then he glanced towards Percy, seeing her playing nervously with a pendant. The Mati. Protection.

Percy still wore it.

"'I didn't steal it.' He told me. 'I just teamed up with Charles to do it. The Greeks call it Mati.'"

Charles smiled. "He was so cute when he asked me help with that. He blushed."

"Really?" Percy asked, looking at him.

"Yes." Charles nodded. "And I just told the general rules. He did that on his own."

"'A lucky charm.' I murmured, looking at the pendant with a smile. 'Blue, also. You really do know me.'"

"The blue is his only colour." Apollo muttered, looking at the pendant on Percy's necklace. She still wore the gift from a traitor? Why?

"Luke chuckled. 'Well, Mati shouldn't be bought, or made for yourself, but only given as gifts. And they are protected from curses and spells. They should protect you from any kind of harm.'

'Thank you.' I said, 'I really appreciate it. Again, it's blue. How can I not love it?'

'I'm not surprised that blue is your favorite color, you know?' Luke told me, smiling. 'It is a spiritual color, symbolizing the protection of sea water, truth and purity. Furthermore, it talks about loyalty and honesty. It represents you well.'"

Sally smiled. "He's right. It suits you."

Percy blushed.

Silena exclaimed. "Oh my gods, it's so true! You are exactly like that! You never lie, you stay pure even in this world, and you are loyal!"

"Thank you, guys." Percy muttered, seeing how all the demigods agreed.

"I blushed, before asking. 'Can you help me put it on?'

Luke did so, moving aside the braid he had done, before closing the lace.

'I would have actually asked you to help me, if I didn't know that you would hate to do any god a favor, which I will end up having to do.' I whispered.

Luke swallowed. 'You're amazing, Percy. Don't let this world ruin you.'"

"Yes, don't, please." Poseidon whispered.

He also saw the Mati still on his daughter's necklace, but he wasn't mad for that.

His daughter was loyal to her friend, to the Luke that was there for her when she needed him the most.

Poseidon hoped that his family won't ruin his daughter.

"Anthony was bringing his magic Yankees cap . He carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when he got bored,"

"Got bored on a quest?" Reyna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was my first quest." Anthony blushed. "I didn't know what to expect."

"and a long bronze knife, hidden in his shirt sleeve. I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector."

"Did you have a weapon?" Jason asked, worried.

"Not in that moment, but I got it before leaving." Percy shrugged.

"Grover wore his fake feet and his trousers to pass as human. ... both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes."

Grover grimaced towards Percy, who simply shrugged and smiled.

"I waved goodbye to the other campers, before heading where I knew Chiron was supposed to meet us.

Chiron was waiting in his wheelchair. He caught my arm, saying. 'I'll accompany you where Argus is waiting for you.'

I nodded.

‘I should have trained you better, Percy,’ he said. ‘If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason – they all got more training.’"

Percy looked at Jason, sighing. "Ah, I see how it is. Give him more training, uh?"

Jason sighed, while Thalia, Nico and Bianca laughed.

"I don't think he was talking about me." Jason answered.

"But?" Percy asked.

"I had more training." Jason admitted.

"See?" Percy sighed. "Preferences."

"‘That’s okay. I just wish –’ I stopped myself because I was about to sound like a brat."

Many looked at Percy.

She hadn't asked for anything for herself, yet when she did she thought she was a spoiled brat.

"I was wishing my dad had given me a cool magic item to help on the quest, something as good as Luke’s flying shoes, or Anthony’s invisible cap."

"That's not stupid." Poseidon said. "I wished I gave you something as well."

"You kinda did." Percy muttered.

"‘What am I thinking?’ ... ‘Gee,’ I said. ‘Thanks.’"

Many giggled.

"‘Percy, that’s a gift from your father. I’ve kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was
waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one.’"

"Anthony already said this!" Connor smiled.

"I remembered the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, .... It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand."

Reyna looked at Percy. “Is this the only sword you can fight with?”

"I can fight with all weapons, actually." Percy grimaced. "Not the bow."

Thalia giggled, and Percy threw a pillow at her. "You're only good because Artemis blessed you when you became a Hunter."

"I am better than you." Thalia smiled.

"In one thing." Percy retorted. "And the only reason I'm not capable is because the Fates realized that if I could do that too, no more demigods would be needed."

"Your ego is showing." Jason chuckled.

“I'm just being objective.” Percy shrugged.

"I'm sure Percy could fight even with a trident." Amphitrite said.

Percy shrugged. "I've never tried."

"I can teach you." Triton offered. “I'm sure we can get you a trident of your own.”

Percy gave him a look, before saying. "Maybe at the puasa for dinner. Before the movie." She pointed out, glancing at Zeus who sighed. "I promised, didn't I?" The god said.

“Just checking.”

"‘The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into,’ Chiron told me. ‘Its name is Anaklusmos.’
‘“Riptide”,’ I translated.
‘Use it only for emergencies,’ Chiron said, ‘and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword wouldn’t harm them in any case.’"

"Yes, you shouldn't try to kill mortals, Percy!" Rachel said with a smile. "You heard that? Only against monsters."

"I mean, don't scare me when I am running away from monsters." Percy pouted. "It's on you, really."

"On me?!" Rachel scoffed. "You are the one that tried to kill me!"

"Why you tried to kill Rachel?" Chiron asked, blinking.

"She had a cold, and I was afraid I could take it." Percy answered, making the demigods laugh.

"Percy?" Sally asked.

"I didn't actually try to kill her, mom." Percy answered her. "She was just in the wrong place at the right time."

"It isn't 'wrong place, wrong time'?" Reyna asked.

"No, definitely right time." Percy nodded. "She saved my life."

"Anytime." Rachel smiled.

Poseidon smiled at the mortal girl, making her blush.

"I looked at the wickedly sharp blade. ‘What do you mean it wouldn’t harm mortals? How could it not?’
‘The sword is celestial bronze. Forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It’s deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they don’t kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill.'"

"Hey!" Rachel looked insulted.

"Are you not happy to be alive?" Leo asked, with a smile grin on his face.

"I am happy to be alive, but I am important! My importance doesn't depend if my parent is a god or not!"

"Yes, you told them!" Percy smiled. "And I think you are extremily brave and smart. Also, very important."

"Thank you, Percy." Rachel blushed, making Anthony raised an eyebrow.

Poseidon sighed. Why everyone had a crush on his daughter?

"I mean, not important enough to have your name on the book, but..." Percy grinned.

"Shut up." Rachel laughed, trowing a pillow at her.

"And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable.’"

"Yes!" Leoapplauded. "Twenty reasons to be happy you're a demigod!"

"If you get to twenty," Percy said, smiling in amusem*nt. "let me know, will you?"

"For now I have: we can be hurt by twice the weapons, we have enemies inherited from the monsters that our parents wronged, we have enemies inherited from the gods who have rivalries with our parents." Leo counted.

"Don't forget the monsters who resent us for the name we have." Jason snorted.

"Don't tell me about it." Percy shook her head.

“We also have a low life expectancy, our medicine could literally kill us, our parents have no interest in taking care of us, mortal parents either die, or go crazy, or don't want us at all.” Chris snorted.

"How many are we?" Thalia tilted her head. “And have we already counted: the parents make deals and their children pay the price?”

"No, but we should." Percy snorted. “I think we're at nine.”

“Can we also count: our parents abandon us the moment we need them out of pure personal pride?” Anthony growled, glaring at his mother.

"Of course we can, Anthony." Percy smiled, clearly angrier at Athena than Anthony. “Let's see… can we include that our camp isn't really as safe as we want to think?”

"I hate to say it, but she's right." Clarisse nodded. "It's too easy to summon a monster into the Camp."

Percy nodded, mentally wondering why Luke hadn't simply summoned Kronos' army into the Camp instead of looking for Daedalus.

"The gods cannot interfere to help in quests, but they do just to make the said quest more difficult?" Piper proposed.

“Excellent point.” Percy nodded. "I would also add that we can't use phones or electronic devices. Doing research for school is becoming impossible. I sit down to write something, and a monster appears and tries to kill me."

"We're over ten." Leo smiled. "I'll let you know when I get to twenty."

The gods shifted awkwardly in their seats. Was it really that horrible to be their child?

"‘Good to know.’
‘Now recap the pen.’
I touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. I tucked it in my pocket, a little nervous, because I was famous for losing pens at school."

"We are all famous to lose pens." Clarisse shook her head.

"They just disappear!" Leo exclaimed.

"It's kinda annoying." Chris nodded.

"‘You can’t,’ Chiron said.
‘Can’t what?’
‘Lose the pen,’ he said. ‘It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it.’"

"Okay, how did you know?" Piper asked. "Can you read our mind?"

"No, I am just very used to demigods and their way to think." Chiron smiled.

"Are you used to Percy's way to think?" Thalia asked.

"Not really." Chiron admitted. "When I think to know what she'll going to do, she always manages to surprise me."

"Let's hope I am doing the same with Him." Percy muttered, looking over Thalia, who nodded. "I am sure you are."

"Thank you."

"I was wary, but I threw the pen as far as I could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.
‘It may take a few moments,’ Chiron told me. ‘Now check your pocket.’
Sure enough, the pen was there.
‘Okay, that’s extremely cool,’ I admitted. ‘But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?’"

"She will call me weird." Percy pouted, glancing at Rachel.

"Don't try to kill me." Rachel scoffed, hiding a smile.

"Chiron smiled. ‘Mist is a powerful thing, Percy.’... ‘Our destiny... assuming we know what that is.’"

"That's not really important." Jason shrugged. "Just, do the right thing when you had to choose, and that's it."

"Yes. Something easy." Percy snorted.

"I sense some sarcasm in there." Thalia laughed.

"Congrats." Percy nodded. "There was."

"Then, I found Grover. 'Argus?' I asked, after Chiron, in his horse-man form, held his bow high in salute.
Just your typical summer-camp send-off by your typical centaur.

'He'll wait on the SUV.' Grover muttered, looking something.

I followed his eyes, founding Anthony with his hand on a tree.

'He'll really miss that tree, eh?' I asked, blinking."

Thalia looked at her.

"I didn't know you were that tree." Percy muttered. "No one told me, you know?"

"Right."

"Grover looked away from Anthony and towards me. 'When Anthony arrived here, with Thalia and Luke, monsters were chasing them. They were agents of Hades. Sisters.'

'The Erinyes.' I muttered, feeling an ache in my chest from what had happened to Thalia. My cousin, now that I thought about it.

Then, I frowned. 'Professor Dodds?'

'Exact.' Grover nodded. 'Alecto was the mathematics teacher'

Then, he looked back at the tree. 'Thalia wanted to fight, to give her friends more time. Her guardian satyr tried to stop her, but she didn't listen.'"

"Like someone I know." Grover muttered, looking at Percy.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Percy shrugged. "I always listen to you."

"You don't." Several demigods replied.

"Whatever."

"The pain in Grover's voice made me stop, but my friend continued with the story.

'At the last moment, Zeus intervened to save her life and changed her form.'

What did the gods have with turning their loved ones into vegetables?"

The demigods began to laugh.

Zeus looked offended, while Poseidon and Hades didn't even try to contain their amusem*nt.

"'The best idea the most powerful being in the universe had to save his daughter's life...' I paused, before asking. 'Was turning her into a tree?'"

Zeus narrowed his eyes at Percy, but Thalia nodded. “I've wondered the same thing, honestly.”

“I mean, you were a very cute pinecone.” Percy chuckled.

"I wonder what plant your father would turn you into." Thalia tilted her head.

"I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a vegetable, more like a sea creature." Percy replied. “Or something he can keep tabs on all the time.”

Poseidon looked thoughtful.

"No, patros, you can't." Percy sighed. “I can't even believe I have to tell you that you can't turn me into an animal or object.”

"'She was the bravest demigoddess I have ever met.' Anthony said, having finished greeting the tree. 'She fought bravely and she met an heroes fate.'

'She met a pinecone fate.' I muttered, pointing to the nearby pine tree."

Travis burst out laughing as soon as he read the sentence, while Thalia stared at Percy with narrowed eyes. "Percy..."

The girl jumped up, narrowly avoiding Thalia's approach.

"Okay, sorry!" Percy raised her hands, starting to run in circles around the chairs and couches, Thalia chasing after her. “In my defense, I was making fun of your father, not you!”

“Is that your defense?” Clarisse asked, her voice incredulous. “I was mocking a god?”

"If the god in question is less scarying than his daughter, sure!" Percy replied. "Come on, Thalia, it's not that I'm not.."

"She met a pinecone fate?!?!?" Thalia squealed, "Really?"

"Sorry, I'm extremely sorry, but if you think about it, the hero' fate is only tragic and ends in a painful, or young, or a young and painful death. The pinecone fate allows for resurrection like you did! " Percy exclaimed. “You couldn't have returned if you hadn't met a pinecone fate!”

The demigods continued to laugh.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "Next break, I'll kill you."

"But not now?" Percy checked.

"Not now." Thalia confirmed. "Before dinner, I'll take you out, though."

"At Dinner or with murder?" Percy asked, tilting her head and slowly returning to her seat between her parents.

"It depends on my mood." Thalia shrugged.

Travis, seeing that no one was in danger of dying anymore, continued reading.

"Anthony had to hold back his irritation, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Grover look shocked by my joke. All I was thinking was how to convince my father not to turn me into a plant when I died. Of course, that's assuming he gave a damn about me in the first place."

Thalia looked at her, suddenly feeling guilty. Percy was terrified of going out of the Camp, and Thalia knew that her difense was sarcasm. She was just trying to cover her fear.

Poseidon blinked. Percy told him she had bad thoughts about him, but they still hurted.

"'Forbidden children are always in danger.' Anthony told me. 'Even the strongest, like Thalia. And you're not Thalia.'

I had also just discovered that I was a demigod, but that was lost on the great and powerful idiot in front of me."

Anthony looked away, ashamed. He was awful with Percy at first. No wonder she said that thing, after Medusa. He deserved that.

"'Do what I say and maybe you will survive. I've been clear?'

Anthony turned and headed down the hill, reaching where Argus would be waiting for us.

I turned to Grover. 'He thinks he's in charge.'

'Who did you think would be in charge?' Grover asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

'I thought we would do it by raise of hands.' I commented grumpily, nudging Grover lightly with my shoulder as we walked."

"Raise of hands?" Thalia asked. "Seriously?"

"Now I decided that it is Nico." Percy nodded.

"It makes sense." Clarisse agreed. "I mean, he is the only one that you listen to, so, since you are our leader, Nico is the one in charge."

Nico smiled. "Bow down, losers."

"'You really thought so.' Grover smiled amusedly, before looking at my necklace, confused.

I shrugged."

"Why were you confused?" Percy asked.

"It wasn't of the Camp, and you never wore anything before." Grover shrugged. "I didn't know you were so close to Luke at that moment."

"Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. ... ‘Ten miles and not a single monster.’"

"Don't say it!" Thalia shouted. "Why would you say something like that?"

"I was new to that!" Percy said back.

"Well, don't!" Thalia said.

"He gave me an irritated look. ‘It’s bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain.’
‘Remind me again – why do you hate me so much?’
‘I don’t hate you.’
‘Could’ve fooled me.’
He folded his cap of invisibility. ‘Look... we’re just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals.’
‘Why?’
He sighed. ‘How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena’s temple, which is hugely disrespectful. Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her.’
‘They must really like olives.’
‘Oh, forget it.’
‘Now, if she’d invented pizza – that I could understand.’"

"What about... olives on pizza?" Will smiled.

"No, they suck." Percy shivered. Then she looked at Triton. "I'm sorry for what I'll say next." She said.

Triton frowned, but he nodded.

"‘I said, forget it!’ Anthony scoffed. 'The point is: your father didn't show any kind of respect from my mother.'

'You really think this is the reason between their problems? A city full of idiots that preferred food instead of a gift full of a divine essence?'"

"You know it's not?" Poseidon raised an eyebrow.

"I thought it was because of her..." Percy looked again at Triton, who suddenly understood why she was apologising. She mentioned Pallas.

"You're right." Poseidon nodded. "That fountain was full of my divine essence. It would allow them to make incredible things." He smiled. "It's in Atlantis, if you ever wish to see it."

"I would love it, patros." Percy smiled. "Thank you."

"I scoffed. 'What about Pallas?'"

'My mother's name?' Anthony raised an eyebrow."

"That wasn't your mother's name!" Amphitrite yelled.

"I am sorry." Anthony said back. "I am truly sorry for this, it's just... that myth isn't allowed in our cabin."

"Why?" Michael asked.

Anthony shook his head, and Percy said. "Probably because it's not good for Athena's image."

The gods and demigods looked at Athena, who was very red.

"'My niece, Triton's daughter.' I said. 'Read a myth. You'll find what Athena did to her.'

'That wasn't my mother's fault.' Anthony said, blushing. 'It was an accident.'"

"It wasn't an accident." Triton growled.

"'Tell my brother that.' I replied. 'Or my father.'"

Percy hugged Poseidon,before reaching out to squeeze Triton's forearm.

The god smiled at his sister. "Thank you." He whispered to her.

"'They lost her, even if it was an accident. And they offered your mother a place where to be safe. This is how she repaid them. By using their daughter or granddaughter name for herself.' I looked out. 'Don't talk about these things, if you don't know what you are talking about.'"

Anthony looked down.

He didn't really know the myth, but when he read it, still fresh from their quest, he couldn't help but think.

Athena and Pallas were friends who trained together, and Athena had killed Pallas. Poseidon, in response, had saved Anthony's life. He hadn't thought about the past.

When it was his mother's turn, however, Athena had chosen her pride over her son's life, and had seen Percy's actions as Anthony's fault. Medusa was right, and that hurt Anthony.

Except Medusa was wrong about Poseidon. The god knew how to fight for the people he loved. Like he had done for Percy.

Athena didn't know that devotion and that love.

"Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.... I ripped it down before Anthony and Grover could notice."

"We saw it." Grover grimaced.

"I guessed that." Percy sighed. She really hated Gabe.

"Argus unloaded our bags, ... ‘You want to know why she married him, Percy?’"

"Satyrs can read minds?" Piper asked.

"Why are you focused on reading minds?" Percy asked. "No, they read emotions, not minds. I mean, they are kinda very similar, because from the emotions, they can deduce your thoughts, but... not the same thing."

"Got it." Piper smiled.

"I stared at him. ‘Were you reading my mind or something?’"

Piper laughed. "Are you obsessed with reading minds, Percy?"

"You have no idea." Percy grinned, winking at Piper and making her blush.

"‘Just your emotions.’ ...‘Where’s the nearest shower?’"

Several giggles in the room.

"Somehow, I don't think it'll be that easy." Dakota muttered.

"Not really. The smell went away after this quest." Percy frowned. "Maybe a little later."

"‘You should be grateful, Percy.'"

"I am so sorry!" Grover yelled, looking at Percy. "I didn't know... You shouldn't be grateful to him."

"Grover, relax, it's okay." Percy said, smiling at him. "I am grateful to my mom. You were right about that."

Sally hugged Percy, a smile on her face.

"Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod...'..I wondered if Grover could still read my emotions, mixed up as they were."

"Yes, I can." Grover nodded. "It's easier when the satyr is close to the demigod in question."

"So... you can read my emotions easy because we are friends?" Percy asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Yep."

"I was glad he and Anthony were with me, but I felt guilty that I hadn’t been straight with them. I hadn’t told them the real reason I’d said yes to this crazy quest.
The truth was, I didn’t care about retrieving Zeus’s lightning bolt, or saving the world, or even helping my father out of trouble."

"Technically, I knew." Grover chuckled.

Percy shook her head. "You can see I wasn't thinking correctly." Then she leaned over her father, whispering. “Even now I have quite… not good thoughts about you.”

"It's okay, Percy." Poseidon smiled at her. "I only care that I managed to show you how much I love you."

Percy blushed, looking away.

"The more I thought about it, I resented Poseidon for never visiting me, never helping my mom, never even sending a lousy child-support cheque. He’d only claimed me because he needed a job done."

Poseidon pulled back in embarrassment, a sense of guilt washing over him.

“It was a good cause.” Percy whispered to him. "And I was mad because of what happened to mom. Besides, I really thought you didn't care about me, patros. I was wrong."

Poseidon gave her a shaky smile, but Percy added, lowering his voice. "You showed me how much you love me, it's true, but also how much I love you, patros."

Poseidon broke into a huge smile.

"All I cared about was my mom. Hades had taken her unfairly, and Hades was going to give her back."

"Yes, it's a bad habit my brother has." Demeter growled. "Taking things that don't belong to him."

Persephone and Hades sighed, but Percy intervened. “I think your daughter is the only one who can complain about her situation, yet I always only hear her complaining about how she has no choice in how much time she spends with her mother and how much time she spends with her husband. A husband who loves her and respects her." Percy shrugged. "At least she is the real queen of the Underworld. Her subjects respect her as their queen." Percy glanced at Hera, who sighed. "She has a faithful husband, who respects her and would start a war for her."

Persephone smiled at Percy, while Demeter frowned, looking thoughtful. "How can you be sure?"

Percy started giggling, and Persephone said. "She probably spent a few moments with us in the Underworld, mother, and had her demonstration. Especially if she decided to defend one of my husband's children with her life."

Percy smiled. "He wasn't even the first one I adopted."

"I adopted Tyson, honey." Sally sighed.

Paul clicked his tongue. "I just understood Percy's explanation when she said Tyson was her brother and her adoptive brother."

“He's both.” Percy shrugged, smiling at her brother over Poseidon's shoulder.

"You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend, the Oracle whispered in my mind. You will fail to save what matters most in the end.
Shut up, I told it."

"It's a sign that you're going crazy if you start talking to the voices in your head." Thalia commented.

"Is this the first sign of madness you've noticed?" Percy asked, looking at her curiously.

"No, just thought I'd let you know."

"The rain kept coming down....He tried to apologize, but Anthony and I were too busy cracking up."

Anthony and Percy were cracking up again.

Grover sighed. "No respect for the elders."

"Finally the bus came. ....‘Maybe it’s nothing.’"

"Have no distrust of your senses, Grover." Dionysus told him. "They are your greatest weapon."

Grover nodded.

“Well, he was pretty scared at the time.” Percy noted. "He's gotten better, though."

"The best satyr there is." Thalia smiled.

"But I could tell it wasn’t nothing. I started looking over my shoulder, too."

Hermes and Dionysus looked interested at the girl, who raised an eyebrow at them.

“You get along well with Grover.” Hermes noted. "His feelings affect yours too."

Percy frowned, before asking. "It's not normal?"

"No." Dionysus shook his head. "It's safe to say that Pan must have taken a liking to you."

Hermes smiled. "My son has always had great taste in people. He's a nature spirit, he senses these things."

Percy smiled, nodding her thanks to the god.

Apollo narrowed his eyes at Hermes.

Poseidon was also staring at the god, before shifting his gaze towards Apollo as he realized the look his nephew was wearing.

He didn't like it. Especially considering the speech Percy had given a few chapters earlier about which god would make a good match.

"I was relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. We stowed our backpacks.

I was less relieved when I realized we were positioned close to the bathroom. 'We could have booked a plane. If it's that important.' I muttered, trying not to breathe in the nauseating smell."

"NO!" Several demigods yelled.

"Yes, okay, I got it now, I didn't know at the time." Percy rolled her eyes.

"Why not?" Jason asked.

"Well, if I take a plane, you father, the almighty drama queen, will kill me." Percy smiled.

"But..." Jason blinked. "I can go in the sea. Nothing happens to me if I enter in your father's domain."

"That's why we had a cool uncle and Percy and Nico doesn't." Thalia explained.

"Uncle H is cool." Percy protested.

"Yes, we already talked about that." Thalia rolled her eyes. "He isn't cool in my opinion, since he tried to kill me."

"And? He tried to kill me too, and you don't hear me complaint all the time." Percy shook her head.

"Sorry," Gwen said, smiling when Percy looked at her. "but if you couldn't use a plane, why you asked for it?"

"Oh, no one told me that." Percy shrugged. "So I didn't know at the time."

"Ah." Reyna frowned. "Why no one told you of this danger?"

"I don't know." Percy shrugged.

"Seriously, what did people eat?

'Sorry, I thought they told you.' Grover murmured, looking at me.

I looked between him and Anthony. 'What?'

'Not only monsters will try to stop us.' Grover told me. 'You are a forbidden child. Zeus himself may decide to strike you.'

I looked down, trying to understand the logic of killing someone who was on a mission to retrieve something for him."

Hades, Demeter, and Poseidon were the loudest in laughing, but they were not the only ones.

“You're not wrong there.” Apollo chuckled.

Artemis murmured. She really hated the idea of not being able to have Percy as a member of her Hunt. She would make a splendid Hunter, the goddess was sure of it.

"'The sky is his kingdom.' Grover sighed. 'Flying would mean serving yourself to him on a silver platter.'

I shook my head, trying to hold back my anger. 'Yeah, no one told me.' Luke would tell me, I couldn't help but think. He would tell me about this."

Percy grimaced, feeling her chest tighten.

It hurted.

"Finally, we arrived at the rest stop, and I had a strong desire to get up and get out of that bus.

'I'm going to get something to eat.' Anthony announced, standing up.

'I come with you.' I said, trying to get up, but Anthony looked at me. 'No, you stay here.'

'Why?' I pointed to the bathroom behind me. 'It smells terrible!'

'Monsters can't smell you.' Anthony explained to me. I remembered what Grover had said. Gabe was there to hide my scent. As well as the nauseating bathroom behind me.

Was it really that easy to fool monsters?"

"Spoiler alert," Percy muttered. "It's not."

Sally blinked. "What do you mean?"

Gabe was useless? She put her daughter in useless danger?

"The bathroom did nothing to hide my scent." Percy explained, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Sally sighed in relief.

"'Let's put it to a vote.' I said. 'Who thinks we should come down and get some air and buy our own snack?'"

"Why?" Thalia asked.

"I didn't want to lead the quest, because I had no experience." Percy explained. "But no one of us had really any kind of experience and I didn't want to stay on that bus."

"Anthony snorted. 'There's no voting. Chips and drinks for everyone?'

'You can't decide not to vote.' I protested.

'How sorry I am.'"

Artemis growled. "I don't like your attitude, son of Athena."

Anthony looked away.

Sally shook her head. Percy never told her all those things. She knew about Luke, of course. And she knew what Anthony and Grover did for her, saving her life. But Percy didn't mention what was bullism against her.

"'Let's vote if you can decide not to vote.' I said."

The demigods chuckled.

Apollo frowned. “He doesn't really seem open to discussion.”

"No, he was not." Percy shook his head, before saying. "But I wasn't very open to him either."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"Not a very nice prophecy." Percy explained.

"Okay." Leo nodded. “It has more of a sense of rivalry between absentee parents and sexism.”

"Real." Percy nodded.

"'Grover, please, can you help your friend?' Anthony said, rolling his eyes."

"Your friend?" Thalia repeated, raising an eyebrow at Anthony. "This isn't good."

"I know, I was wrong." Anthony said. “But… we worked all that out.”

"Did you do it?" Thalia retorted, glancing at her cousin, before saying. “Or did you just stop arguing about that and start arguing about something else?”

Anthony looked down, before looking at Percy and muttering. "Can we talk?"

"After this chapter we can take a short break." Percy murmured. "At least us hyperactive young people can run around and have fun destroying Olympus, I mean, exploring it."

Hades and Poseidon chuckled, while Zeus sighed tiredly.

"Grover then started clapping his hands."

"What are you doing?" Jason asked, and then he saw Percy clapping her hands the same.

Travis smiled. "You sing this part, Percy?"

"Absolutely!" Percy smiled, before singing the consensus song.

"'Oh gol the road's getting bumpy cuz I got me some friends who just can't get along oh dear when the team's getting grumpy the trick to get through it is singing this song'"

"What the hell is that?" Leo asked.

"Consensus song!" Percy smiled.

Thalia sighed. "I hate this song."

Grover shook his head. "I'll never sing it again."

"Hey!" Percy pouted. "It is a very good song! So... good."

"Wow, that's profound." Thalia sighed.

"I looked at Grover. 'What are you doing?'

'Consensus song.' He said, as if that explained anything. 'The second verse urges us to say nice things to each other. A second round and you'll be amazed at how any disagreement…' His voice grew weak as he realized how we were looking at him. 'fade away.'

'Okay for chips and drinks?' Anthony requested.

'As you like.' I said.

'Yes, certainly.' Grover nodded."

"You made them stop fighting, at least." Piper laughed.

"I was too shocked." Percy muttered.

Grover pouted, and then Percy hit him with a pillow.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Percy replied, receiving a pillow on her face as answer.

"Anthony got off the bus and I sighed. 'Our voting system doesn't work.'"

Several giggles.

"Yeah, I wonder why." Thalia laughed.

"Now I have a different system." Percy said. "I do what I want."

"And?" Jason asked.

"Nothing. I do what I want. That's my system."

"Grover frowned at me.

While we waited Anthony, Grover sighed. 'Why are you this...?'

'Hey, I wasn't the one that started.' I protested.

'Yes, but you had to mention Pallas' death?' Grover asked. 'That wasn't nice at all.'"

Triton raised an eyebrow towards Grover, who sighed. "Percy knew a lot of myths. She had an altar for Pallas in our room at Yancy. And I know she had one in her house as well. It wasn't like her, that's it."

"You have an altar for my daughter?" Triton asked.

Percy shrugged, blushing. "It felt right, that's it."

"Thank you." Triton smiled. "I appreciate this."

"'He behaved like if my father was the only one that made bad things.' I shrugged. 'And this is the whole point of this quest, isn't it? My father is blamed for something he didn't do, and I am blamed the same because I am his daughter and a forbidden kid.' I sighed. 'Athena made mistakes as well, and... I lost a parent and I am suffering, Grover. Can you imagine what Triton must have felt when he lost his daughter?' "

Sally and Amphitrite smiled proudly at Percy.

Poseidon looked confused. “You hate me and yet you defend me?”

"I didn't hate you." Percy protested. “I was hurt, it's completely different.”

"Right." Poseidon nodded, smiling at his daughter.

Triton was holding back tears. He missed his daughter. His sassy, brave, kind and compassionate daughter. The little girl who helped the sea creatures when they needed help, and cared for the young with all her heart and power. The little girl who would become the best warrior in all of Atlantis given time.

Triton looked at Percy. He knew what to get his little sister.

"Grover sighed. 'Okay. But, with my consensus song, you should be able to discuss about this thing between you two without fight!'

'I' m not against consensus, Grover, but I'm just not sure the song is doing what you think.'"

Several giggles.

"'Guys!' Anthony was back. 'You need to open that window, now!'

'These windows aren't suppose to...' I stopped. I saw why he was so scared.

My old professor was there, and with her two others kind old ladies. "

"Oh my gods!" Thalia exclaimed again.

"It doesn't work." Percy said, looking at Anthony.

"Yeah, I wonder why." Anthony sighed.

"Try to use the consensus song." Leo proposed.

"No, it doesn't work like this!" Grover sighed.

There wasn’t one. Even if there had been, it wouldn’t have helped.The driver decided we had our break, and the bus started to move once again.

‘They won’t attack us with witnesses around,’ I said. ‘Will they?’"

"Ah, poor innocent young and naive girl." Percy smiled. "Oh, those years of innocence. Gone forever!"

"Are you done?" Thalia asked.

"No, I am Percy." Percy frowned. "I don't know any Done."

Leo, Travis and Connor laughed,along with Nico, Apollo and Hermes.

Thalia sighed. "You're not my cousin."

"No, in fact I'm Percy." Percy nodded, smiling.

"Still not funny." Thalia rolled her eyes.

Percy turned, seeing that Bianca, Piper, Jason, Dakota, Persephone, Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Paul were laughing too.

"Well, many of the people here are laughing."

“They have pity for you.” Thalia snapped. “Now let me freak out in peace, will you?”

"Okay." Percy shrugged. “Have fun freaking out about a near death that happened years ago.”

"‘Mortals don’t have good eyes,’ Anthony reminded me. ‘Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist.’
‘They’ll see three old ladies killing us, won’t they?’
He thought about it. ‘Hard to say. But we can’t count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof...?’
We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.
Mrs Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she’d rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: ‘I need to use the restroom.’
‘So do I,’ said the second sister.
‘So do I,’ said the third sister."

"Yes, they really are good actresses." Percy nodded. "Give them an Oscar!"

Hades sighed.

"They all started coming down the aisle....‘You’re a daughter of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering.’"

“This is a smart plan.” Artemis nodded, glancing at the boy.

Anthony sighed.

"I don't think Percy agreed." Thalia said. "It's not like her to leave her friends in danger."

“She agreed to the plan.” Anthony said. “That doesn't mean she left us in danger.”

"‘I can’t just leave you.’"

"Told you." Thalia smiled.

"No one said nothing against your thought." Jason rolled his eyes.

"‘Don’t worry about us,’ Grover said. ‘Go!’....Their faces were still the same – I guess those couldn’t get any uglier –"

Some giggles.

"Only you." Thalia chuckled.

"but their bodies had shrivelled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat’s wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips. The Furies surrounded Grover and Anthony, lashing their whips, hissing: ‘Where is it? Where?’"

"It?" Dakota repeated. "Percy isn't an it."

"Yes, I am not." Percy nodded. "Guys, learn from this: always careful of what they say to you."

"You weren't." Anthony pointed out.

"I was too busy figuring out a way to save us three." Percy replied. "Without permanent damages."

"That's a very important job." Leo nodded.

"The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. ...What I did next was so impulsive and dangerous I should’ve been named ADHD poster child of the year."

"Were you?" Leo asked.

"No." Percy pouted.

"The bus driver was distracted, trying to see what was going on in his rearview mirror.
Still invisible, I grabbed the wheel from him and jerked it to the left. Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right, and I heard what I hoped was the sound of three Furies smashing against the windows."

"It was also the sound of two kids smashing against the windows!" Anthony said.

"These young kids." Percy shook her head. "So hard impress them."

"You are the youngest!" Grover exclaimed.

"So hard."

"‘Hey!’ the driver yelled. ‘Hey – whoa!’...Another great idea: I hit the emergency brake."

"Please, don't have any other ideas during this quest." Thalia begged.

"I had another great idea right after this." Percy said. "And I still think I did the right choice."

"We almost died." Anthony said.

"Yes, but when we'll read it, you'll see why I think this." Percy promised.

"The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet tar and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him. I stepped into the driver’s seat and let them pass.

The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Anthony while he waved his knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans.
I looked at the open doorway. I was free to go,"

"Come on, go." Poseidon whispered.

"I couldn't leave them." Percy ansered.

"I know." Poseidon sighed. "I am just worried."

"Why? You know I survived." Percy pointed out.

"but I couldn’t leave my friends. I took off the invisible cap. ‘Hey!’"

"It's the second time where Percy attracted the attention of a monster on herself to save Grover." Dakota pointed out.

"It's not the last time she did it." Grover sighed.

"The Furies turned, baring their yellow fangs at me, and the exit suddenly sounded like an excellent idea."

Several giggles.

"Mrs Dodds stalked up the aisle, just as she used to do in class, about to deliver my F- maths test. ...‘Perseus Jackson,’ Mrs Dodds said, in an accent that was definitely from somewhere further south than Georgia. ‘You have offended the gods. You shall die.’"

"How?" Leo asked. "The only god you talked with was Mr D, and he didn't seem so insulted."

"Oh, I existed." Percy answered, a straight face.

"How bold of you." Leo replied.

"‘I liked you better as a maths teacher,’ I told her...She obviously didn’t like seeing it again."

The demigods laughed.

"‘Submit now,’ she hissed. ‘And you will not suffer eternal torment.’"

"Nice try." Thalia laughed.

"‘Nice try,’ I told her."

Percy and Thalia high fived.

"‘Percy, look out!’ Anthony cried...As soon as the blade connected with her neck, she screamed and exploded into dust."

The demigods cheered.

"Well, Luke trained you well." Reyna commented.

"He really did." Percy smiled. "The best teacher I could have asked for."

"Anthony got Mrs Dodds in a wrestler’s hold and yanked her backwards while Grover ripped the whip out of her hands.
‘Ow!’ he yelled. ‘Ow! Hot! Hot!’
The Fury I’d hilt-slammed came at me again, talons ready, but I swung Riptide and she broke open like a piñata."

"You killed two Furies on your own?" Jason asked, impressed. That was a demigoddess with a week of training. A girl who was dealing with her mother's loss and a father that wasn't there for her.

"Yeah." Percy shrugged. "Kinda. Anthony gave an hand with one of those."

Anthony nodded. He helped, but Percy was the one that killed them. All of them.

"Mrs Dodds was trying to get Anthony off her back. ...‘Zeus will destroy you!’ she promised. ‘Hades will have your soul!’"

"Amen." Percy said, making the demigods laugh.

"That's not really the right religion." Apollo smiled.

"Right..." Percy frowned. "You have a special word?"

"No." Hermes shook his head. "The prayer must begin with the god you are praying to, but there isn't a special ending."

"That's a shame." Percy sighed. "So sad."

"‘Braccas meas vescimini!’ I yelled."

"Why Latin?" Dakota asked. "Anthony was yelling in Ancient Greek."

"I don't know." Percy shrugged. "It was just natural."

"Well, Percy studied Latin with Chiron." Grover said. "And Ancient Greek with her mother. Probably she didn't want to use the Greek with one of the servants of the god who kidnapped her mom."

"That's so profound." Percy sighed.

"What does it mean?" Travis asked.

"I wasn’t sure where the Latin came from. I think it meant ‘Eat my pants!’"

"Yes, that is exactly what you just told a Fury." Jason sighed. He really couldn't see how they would behave on the Argo II together. Hopefully these books will gave them answers.

"Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of my neck.
‘Get out!’ Anthony yelled at me. ‘Now!’ I didn’t need any encouragement."

"Zeus..." Poseidon warned.

"We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, ‘We’re going to die!’ A Hawaiian-shirted tourist with a camera snapped my photograph before I could recap my sword.
‘Our bags!’ Grover realized. ‘We left our –’
BOOOOOM!"

"Yeah, I don't think you'll get them." Leo sighed.

"Another important lesson, kids." Percy said. "Don't leave your supplies back."

"Gee, thanks for the advice." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"You're welcome." Percy smiled.

"The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. ...We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us and nothing but darkness ahead."

Travis smiled, closing the book.

Chiron looked over Percy, before saying. "We'll make a little break for... clear the air."

Anthony looked at Percy who nodded and they were the first ones to leave the room.