Chapter Text
PART ONE
THE LIGHTNING THIEF
꧁❀꧂
"Through darkness and shadows that seek to deceive,
the spirit endures, never truly taking leave.
For legends never die and heroes remain strong,
Even when they've sung their final song."
From the found pages of the Histories of Perseus Jackson.
꧁❀꧂
The moment he saw the neon headlights barreling towards him, Percy Jackson knew he was dead. He heard the tires against the pavement - the sound skidding, sending the smell of burnt rubber and gasoline into the air. The car honked, but it was already too late even for Percy’s fast half-god reflexes.
Maybe it was Karma for destroying Gabe Ugliano’s car all those years ago after swearing he wouldn’t get a scratch on it. But the car came racing towards him like it was a bowling ball and Percy was a pin just waiting to get knocked over.
It was rather anticlimactic if he thought about it. Whenever he thought about dying (not that he imagined it a lot), he always envisioned he’d go out in a blaze of glory fighting to protect his friends and family. He’d never imagined it would be so quick and mundane. So… ordinary. Of course, things would never go how he planned.
The moment the car made impact; he was filled with pain. Percy had felt pain before, but nothing had prepared him for the fire that burned throughout his body. It was like he was holding up the weight of the world all over again, only this time he knew he was dying. This time , he could feel that every single one of his bones had been crushed, and it was just his audacity and nerve keeping him conscious. No ambrosia or nectar could heal him. Not even the gods could save him now.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the blue sky above him. It was a cloudless day, the sun burning bright above him. The next thing he was aware of was the screams. All around him, he could hear yelling, and cars honking. He laughed, blood pouring from his lips and his chest heaved. It looked like he was going to be late for his first day of school. Typical. Just another school for him to get kicked out of.
The wreckage of the car was burning ahead of him, glass scattered across the cement streets. Smoke billowed all around him, filling his nose with ash. He saw a body strewn across the streets unmoving. Percy had seen enough death to know a dead body when he saw one.
He couldn't move – could barely even breathe. When he looked down, his eyes grew wide. Sticking out through layers of torn and bloody flesh his bone protruded gnarled and completely snapped. Would you look at that, he’d been impaled.
He would have thrown up if there was anything in his stomach.
Gods, he couldn’t breathe – couldn’t even think of anything except the burning pain permeating throughout his body. He shouldn’t have been surprised he was hit by a car while crossing the street after all.
He was supposed to be meeting Annabeth for coffee before their first day of New Rome University. He’d stopped at a flower shop before and picked up a bouquet of daisies to surprise her with. Now, the flowers laid crumpled on the streets, the petals falling to the ground like confetti.
“I’m so sorry,” a voice yelled. “I didn’t see him. It was like he appeared out of nowhere.” That wasn’t true, Percy had waited for the walk light to turn green despite his New York instincts to jay walk across the street.
“Someone call an ambulance!” Percy knew it wouldn’t help anything. “Someone help him!”
He was dying…After everything, it was a fucking car running a red light that killed him.
“I didn’t mean to,” the voice said again, but Percy wasn’t really paying attention. Everything hurt too much. “I didn’t see him, I swear.”
He heard more voices above him, but it sounded like they were underwater. What were they saying?
“Hey!” a man said, and Percy forced his eyes open to look up at him. “I’m Jake. I’m a doctor, you're going to be alright. Lucky for you I saw everything.”
Yeah, Lucky him.
“What’s your name?” The man said. “We’re gonna get you out of here, an ambulance is on the way.”
Yeah, because that was reassuring. An ambulance was definitely going to help the half god kid who usually healed faster than a normal human.
“Percy!” he heard another voice scream. He recognized that voice – knew it like the back of his hand. Annabeth. Gods, he didn’t want her to see him like this.
“You know this kid?” The doctor said, but Annabeth pushed him away before he could say another word.
“Hey, wise girl,” he said. “Sorry I’m late.” His girlfriend slammed to her knees painfully, pulling him up into her arms. He winced as she moved him. Gods, why did it hurt so badly? Why couldn’t he die quickly?
“Miss,” the man said, and Percy could hear the fear growing in his voice. “You need to stand back so I can help him.”
“You’re useless,” Annabeth said. “You can’t help him.”
“Excuse me,” the man said. “I can-”
Annabeth snapped her fingers, and the universe froze at her command - the mist bending to her will. Whenever Annabeth commanded the mist, Percy couldn’t help but feel mesmerized by her. She was a goddess, more beautiful than even Aphrodite.
“You look alright here,” the doctor said, smiling down at them completely oblivious to the change. “Nothing a good night's sleep won’t fix.”
“Gods,” she said. “Do you have any ambrosia?” Her hands fell to the cuts on his body. If she could put the blood back into his body, Percy was sure Annabeth would have done it.
Percy looked down to his stomach where a giant shard of glass was sticking out of his stomach. “I don’t think any ambrosia is going to be able to fix me, Wise girl.”
“Don’t say that,” she cried. “Don’t you dare say that.”
He held her pale cheek in his hands, pulling her face towards him and kissing her gently. “It’s okay. We all knew it was going to end one day.”
“Perseus Jackson,” she snapped. “Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare leave me.”
“Never,” he said. “You know I’d never leave you.” It was true, he knew. Nothing, not even death – not even all the gods in the world would stop him from being with Annabeth Chase.
Her head fell to his forehead, her tears falling on his cheeks like rain. “I got you flowers,” he said. “A whole Bouquet - Daisies.”
She laughed, tears still falling. “I hate daisies.”
He smiled at her. “I know. I thought it would be funny.”
“Just hang on a little longer, Okay?” Annabeth said. “You’ll be okay. I know you will. You always are.”
He nodded at her, even though he could feel himself fading - feel himself growing colder as every second passed. He didn’t have much longer.
“Annabeth-“She kissed him, stopping him from saying anything more. They’d kissed before – okay, a lot before. But it had never been like this. This wasn’t just a kiss for good luck – this was a goodbye and they both knew it.
If he could put all his words unsaid and said into a single kiss, then he would try. He put all the pain, happiness, and all his love into that one simple touch, willing her to know just how much he really loved her.
“Help him!’ Annabeth yelled up to the sky, pleading to the gods whom he knew would never answer. “Please!”
Almost in response, lightning crashed against the clear sky, sending fountains of colors all around them. The sky opened up, and rain poured down from the heavens, drenching them in moments.
“Please,” Annabeth sobbed. “Please.”
He could hear the ocean roar in his ears, pulling him to rest - sinking him to the oblivion of its depths. He could hear birds chirping - hear the liliting song like voices of people who had long since been buried under the greedy earth.
He didn’t want to…He didn’t want to go.
Perseus Jackson died, the fates snipped their cord, and Olympus wept.
Looking back, Percy wasn’t sure why he was surprised something dramatic would happen. Something dramatic always happened to him. But, Dying and then waking back up was something new, even for him.
He was first aware of the creaking – back and forth, back and forth. It was like someone was pacing, burning their soles into the ground with how heavy their footsteps were. Gods, he had a headache and the only thing he wanted them to do was stop moving for three seconds.
When he forced his eyes open, blinding light poured into his vision. It was so bright that for a moment he thought he was gazing up at the visage of a god. But, when his eyes adjusted to the light, he found that he wasn’t looking at a god, instead, he was back at camp half blood.
The familiar infirmary greeted him, and he smiled. Was Elysium camp? If so, he wouldn’t be so angry about it. He smiled at the same aged hardwood floor, the same uncomfortable beds, and smells. He hadn’t realized until that moment how much he really missed the place. He had barely been the past few years, and everything had been happening to him so quickly that he hadn’t realized how he felt.
But the camp was never the same after the war. There were too many new faces that looked up to him like a hero and not like a friend. And then, there were those that were missing – all the people that he had lost along the way.
“You drool when you sleep,” a familiar voice said, and if Percy wasn’t already dead, he probably would have died again when he heard the familiar voice. It was Annabeth, but…it also wasn’t.
She had the same golden hair, the same gray eyes and tanned physique. But this girl was younger – several inches shorter without the scars of their past, the gray streak to show their age. No, this girl looked like Annabeth had de-aged back to her twelve-year-old self.
What the Fuck?
“What did you say?” he asked. “That’s not- “
“You drool in your sleep,” she said, this time even more earnestly. She pointed to his mouth. “Right there.”
What the literal fuck?
“This is a dream, right?” he asked. “It must be. There’s no way.”
The young girl narrowed her eyes at him in such a familiar way that he almost lost his mind. “Did you hit your head too hard?”
“Yes,” Percy said, remembering how his head crunched on the cement when the car hit him. “But that’s not the point. Is this a dream? Am I dead?”
“Are you crazy?” the girl asked. “You must be crazy.”
Percy shrugged his shoulders. “Probably. Most likely.”
“I should get Chiron,” Annabeth said. “He’ll want to know that you aren’t…okay.”
“Yes,” Percy rolled his eyes. “Tell Chiron to clip clop over here. I’m sure he can fix everything.” He had to have been dead, right? There was no other explanation.
“What did you say?” the girl asked, staring at Percy like he had just been turned to stone by medusa.
“Nothing,” he said. “Just go get Chiron. I’m sure he can figure all of this out.” He couldn’t.
“ Right,” she said, nodding slowly at him. She turned away from him, leaving him alone with only his thoughts, which never was a good idea.
What the hell was happening?
Looking at the weird young version of his girlfriend, he realized how young he had been all those years ago. How could Zeus have thought that he had stolen the lighting bolt at his age? He was a child after all. He hadn’t realized just how much of a child he had been until now.
Before Annabeth could come back with Chiron he tore off the blankets to see himself. There were no broken bones, no gashes - his skin was perfect…too perfect. Something else wasn’t right, all of the scars and muscle he had gained over the years was gone. Instead, the body he had was as flimsy as a twelve year old. That couldn’t be possible could it?
Was it possible that he wasn’t dead, but that he was-
He ran his hand over the unfamiliar healed skin of his arm, staring at it with disbelief. He ran his hand through his untamable hair pulling it down in front of his eyes. He was shocked to find the familiar gray streak he got when he was fifteen was gone.
No, that wasn’t possible. It was ridiculous, and Percy had seen a lot of ridiculous things in his life. He had seen his friend take out a titan with a blue plastic hair brush. He’d seen creatures with a hundred arms, and witches who could turn heroes into guinea pigs. But this? Time travel? No, time travel wasn’t possible.
He heard the familiar tell-tale clatter of hooves on the aged wooden floor and Chiron came into the room in all his centaur glory. “Perseus,” Chiron said, looking down at him with something close to pity. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got hit by a car,” he said. “And died.”
“You’re not surprised?” Chiron asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes that bordered on suspicion.
“Not much surprises me,” Percy said. “Tell me what to be surprised about and I promise to put on my best performance.”
“I’m a centaur,”
Percy rolled his eyes. Honestly, what was happening? “Obviously,”
“You’re a demigod,” Chiron said, and Percy couldn’t help but feel completely confused.
“Really?” he said. “I had no idea.”
“I know this all rather terrifying and new Percy,” Chiron said. “But there is no need to be rude. What happened to you is terrible. I am sure you are still reeling at the news of your mother.”
His mother? Oh…Right. In dream was somehow reenacting the days before he first got to camp. So, Chiron must have been referring to his mother, and that’s why he must have been confused about him not reacting to being a centaur. Honestly, it was making his head hurt far too much. He’d prefer bathing in the Styx to this any day.
“She’s really gone?” Percy asked, putting on the best performance of his life. “I mean this isn’t a dream and you're a really weird, deformed horse man thing.”
It wasn't a dream?
“I’m a centaur, Percy,” Chiron said, and his eyes softened. “You're taking this surprisingly well.”
“Well, I killed a minotaur yesterday, and my best friend is a goat - so I guess you can be a horse.”
Chiron nodded grimly at him. “You’ve met a terrible fate. One I wouldn’t wish on anyone.” His life was one giant terrible fate, but he didn’t need to tell Chiron that - he was sure the man already knew.
If only Chiron knew. If only he knew how terrible his fate had actually been.
“Let's go for a walk,” Chiron said. “You could probably use it I’m sure.”
When Percy pulled off the covers and got up onto his legs he knew it couldn’t be a dream. The wood felt too real - too solid under his feet. He could feel his small legs tiring already as if he had just run a mile.
“You alright, Percy?” he heard Chiron say, but he really wasn’t paying attention. If this wasn’t a dream….
Shit. He time traveled…
Was he alright? How could he be?
“Percy!” he heard chiron say again, albeit much louder.
Percy snapped his head up to his mentor, and tried to control the rapid beat of his heart. Chiron’s face was growing more worried as the seconds passed, the lines on his face sinking deeper into his face.
“I’m alright, Chiron,” Percy said. He wasn’t “I could just use some fresh air.”
Chiron nodded at him slowly but Percy knew he didn’t believe him. Hell, Percy didn’t even believe himself.
“Follow me,” Chiron said. “I’ll show you around camp?”
“Camp?” Percy asked, pretending to be completely oblivious. If he was honest with himself, it wasn’t that hard.
Chiron smiled at him warmly, and Percy smiled back wide and toothy. He opened the large doors of the Big House. They swung open, filling the room with the familiar scent of strawberries and summer.
“Welcome to Camp Half- Blood.”
Percy was home…Kind of.