Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Reading Percy Jackson

Prologue (1)

CHARACTER LIST

Relationships:

• Will Solace/Nico di Angelo.
• Frank Zhang/Hazel Levesque.
• Leo Valdez/Calypso.
• Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson.
• Tyson/Ella.
• Silena Beauregard/Charles Beckendorf.

Gods/Goddesses:

• Zeus.
• Poseidon.
• Hades.
• Artemis.
• Apollo.
• Athena.
• Hestia.
• Demeter.
• Persephone.
• Aphrodite.
• Ares.
• Dionysus.
• Hermes.
• Hera.
• Hephaestus.

Older demigods:

• Percy Jackson (17).
• Annabeth Chase (17).
• Nico di Angelo (15).
• Will Solace (15).
• Piper McLean (16).
• Jason Grace (16).
• Leo Valdez (16).
• Reyna Ramírez-Arellano (16).
• Frank Zhang (17).
• Hazel Levesque (15).
• Thalia Grace (15).

Younger demigods:

• Nico di Angelo (10).
• Annabeth Chase (14).
• Bianca di Angelo (12).
• Zoë Nightshade (14 (over 2000)).
• Percy Jackson (14).
• Will Solace (10).
• Thalia Grace (15).
• Silena Beauregard (15).
• Luke Castellan (21).
• Charles Beckendorf (18).
• Grover Underwood (14 equivalent).
• Clarisse La Rue (16).
• Chris Rodriguez (17).
• Michael Yew (14).
• Lee Fletcher (15).
• Jake Mason (15).
• Austin Lake (10).
• Travis Stoll (14).
• Connor Stoll (14).
• Chiron (no age).

Extra notes:

For those that come from after the battle with Gaia, their names will be normal. However, from the people that are younger (they come from book three: Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse) their names will be underlined. An example:

"Why are we here?" Nico demanded, staring around him at the space they were in. Nico gaped at his older self, turning to look at Bianca with wide eyes, clutching onto her arm. Nico's lips thin when he sees Bianca, turning away from her searching gaze. "Why are we here?" He repeats, voice darker.

Chapter Text

Reading Percy Jackson

Prologue (2)

THE ARRIVAL

“The Fates are connected.” The voice was a whisper, echoing around Mount Olympus, where the gods and goddesses were clustered together in a meeting. Immediately, the arguing that was going on between Poseidon and Zeus, Ares and Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Hera, stopped. Their eyes lifted to where a being was standing, eyes roving over the gods and goddesses.

“Who are you?” Ares growled, brandishing a spear at her. The being smiled and lifted a hand. The spear landed, snapped in half.

“I am no one. And no one is me.” She murmured, taking a step forward. Zeus summoned a bolt of lightning. It crashed down in an arc and the whole room went white and staticky. As it faded, all that was scene was a blank spot with a circle of burning embers. Sitting down, Zeus glowered at the spot.

“Now that that’s dealt with—”

“You cannot get rid of me that easily, Zeus, Lord of the Sky, Son of Kronos.” Zeus hissed, Poseidon and Hades following after. The others born from Kronos winced and grimaced at their fathers name. “I am no one. And no one is me.” She repeated, eyes glowing brightly, like green snake coils. “As such, you cannot hurt no one.”

“Just tell us what you want!” Aphrodite snapped. The deity circled from where she was standing next to Zeus’s throne, gliding a hand along the others gods and goddesses, making them tense.

“What I want? Is for war to end. It is chaos. It is ruin.” Her eyes glared at them. They shrunk away from it. “I have had enough. I do not normally concern myself with mortals. But you have hurt far too many of my chosen children.”

“Chosen children?” Hephaestus questioned. The deity smiled.

“Aye, my chosen. Percy Jackson.” Eyes turned to Poseidon who flashed them a dark look. “Nico di Angelo.”

“Who?” Artemis frowned. The deity hid a secret smile.

“You will know in time. It is why I’ve come into the mortal realm. Demigods will come here. You will read two series of books. One is about the life of Percy Jackson. Another, the life of seven demigods, along with my chosen Nico di Angelo and more. You will realise your wrongs. If you do not, you have more to worry about than a mere god of the Underworld.” Her eyes flickered to Hades, who remained quiet, eyes on the floor. Hades knew who she was talking about: Nico. His son—the one he’d left in the Lotus Casino with his sister. He was scheduled to get them out in a weeks’ time and take them to a military school, far away from the gods and goddesses view.

He needed to keep them moving.

“You will learn from your mistakes. You will change.” Her eyes seemed to glow a deadly green. Then she smiled and the illusion was gone. The deity looked to her left and held out a hand. Liquid white mist poured from her palm and connected and condensed until a range of figures appeared. The mist bled away, revealing actual people; demigods she’d brought forth. The older ones had weapons in their hands and were quick to push them out, standing defensively as if preparing for a fight.

That was the life of a demigod.

“Demigods. I have brought you here for a very important reason.” The deity spoke. That drew attention towards her. Nico di Angelo took a step forward, hand twisted tightly around his stygian iron sword. His eyes were dark as he stared at the deity, not afraid. But he was cautious, wary.

“Why are we here?” Nico demanded, staring around him at the space they were in. Nico gaped at his older self, turning to look at Bianca with wide eyes, clutching onto her arm. Nico's lips thin when he sees Bianca, turning away from her searching gaze. “Why are we here?” He repeats, voice darker.

“You are here to right the wrongs. As I have told your godly parents, you will read two series of books. One is about the life of Percy Jackson. Another is about the life of seven demigods, along with you, Nico di Angelo and many more.” Her voice tilted up into a softer quality. “I have brought many here. All of you are connected to my chosen. Percy Jackson.” Eyes go to Percy. None of them are surprised. “And Nico di Angelo.”

That surprised people. They turn to stare at Nico with wide eyes.

“Why me?”

The deity frowned before she kneeled, placing a hand to his head. Her fingertips touched the back of his head. “You have been done a great injustice, just like Percy. The cards you were dealt were unfair. You are my chosen because despite what you have been through, you have lived. Your morals have not changed. You are my chosen.” She repeated, standing. Nico scowled and walked back over to the group, not liking the explanation. “I shall be back once you have read the first five books. You cannot skip ahead; the pages will be blank until you’ve fully finished the previous one. Things will be revealed, mistakes and … misconducts. In time, all things will come forth.”

She disappeared in a beaming light. Everyone hastily shut their eyes. When they opened them, the chamber was blank of that white light that enveloped the deity. Annabeth stepped forward, eyes going around the chamber before her lips thinned.

“I suppose we should introduce ourselves. I’m Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, aged seventeen.” Annabeth’s eyes widened as she stared at herself. Percy blinked and his cheeks went a bright pink in colour. Annabeth smirked at his reaction as Percy stepped forth, arm going around her waist. Percy and Annabeth were steadily avoiding each other’s gaze now.

“Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, aged seventeen.”

Jason stepped forth, eyes darting around the chamber. He caught Thalia’s eye and hastily looked away. “Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Zeus, aged sixteen.” Thalia’s mouth fell open, and she took a quick step forward.

“Jase? But … you’re dead.” Jason smiled hesitantly at her.

“No, Thals, I’m not. But it’ll be explained in the books probably.” Thalia looked like she was going to open her mouth and ask the question anyway but regained herself and nodded back at him. She stepped back and watched as Piper stepped up next to Jason. Jason smiled and kissed Piper on the head.

“Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite. I’m sixteen.”

An unexpected voice piped up, startling the older demigods. “Leo Valdez. Son of Hephaestus, aged sixteen.”

“Leo!” Jason and the others exclaimed, drawing him into tight hugs. Leo laughed and grinned, smirking at them. “You’re alive.” Jason whispered, eyes roving over his best friend.

“Yeah, Lightning Man, Gaia can’t take me out that easily. Besides, I had to rescue this gorgeous goddess.” That was when everyone noticed her was holding onto Calypso.

“Calypso?” Percy gasped. Calypso glanced at him and smiled sheepishly.

“Hey, Percy. You got your girl, huh?” Percy blushed and nodded happily. He glanced at Annabeth who smiled gently back at him. Calypso giggled. “That’s okay, Percy, I got my man. Surprisingly, he wasn’t what I normally go for.”

“Aw, don’t be mean, Caly.” Calypso laughed at Leo’s sarcasm and kisses him on the corner of his mouth. Calypso turned back to the gobsmacked gods and goddesses and smirked at them.

“Calypso. Daughter of Atlas.”

Will cleared his throat, glancing over at his younger self. “Will Solace, son of Apollo. Aged fifteen.”

“Nico di Angelo. Son of Hades. Aged fifteen.” Nico said, watching boredly as Zeus and Poseidon reared around, growling, and scowling at Hades. Hades just glared back at them defiantly, looking startingly like Nico. Nico smirked at the fearful glances people shot him. Persephone sniffed in disdain which Nico ignored. She’d never liked him much anyways and Nico didn’t like her much either. No lost love there.

“You broke the oath!” Zeus snarled. Nico cleared his throats.

“Actually, Uncle, father was the only one to not break the oath. Poseidon had Percy. Zeus had Thalia and Jason. I was born in the year 1924. When Zeus killed my mother,” people shoot Zeus horrified looks and he glowered back at them, “father hid me and Bianca away in the Lotus Casino, where time passed outside, but not inside. Since it was before the pact was made, father broke no oath. You two on the other hand, is another story.” Nico said. Zeus glared.

“Do you want to get smitted, child?”

“I am the deities chosen.” Nico hissed back. “Do you think she’d allow you to harm me? She said you have to learn from your mistakes. One of your mistakes is blaming my father every single time something goes wrong. Like with the lightning bolt, you thought it was Hades before you found out about Percy and then turned to Poseidon.” Nico told him, grounding his teeth together. Zeus subsides, glaring, knowing he has lost.

Thalia cleared her throat, subsiding the tension created so far. “Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, aged fifteen. I’m one of Artemis’ hunters.” Artemis smiled at the girl, and she beamed back. Zeus grumbled.

“Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto, who’s the Roman equivalent of Hades, aged fifteen.”

“Brother.” Zeus gritted out.

“I was born in the year 1928. I … erm, died. But I was brought back to life. So Pluto—uh, Hades didn’t break the oath.” Zeus scowled and Hades shot her a small smile. Hazel grinned sheepishly back at him. Frank put an arm around her shoulder.

“My name’s Frank Zhang. I’m seventeen. My father’s Mars, the Roman equivalent of Ares.” Ares stared at him for a long moment, measuring, before nodding and turning away. Clarisse shot Frank a dark look and ground her teeth together. Reyna stayed where she was, leaning against a wall.

“Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. Aged sixteen. I am daughter of Belladonna, who is the Roman equivalent of …” She stops and gifts a helpless look to Annabeth. Annabeth frowns.

“I suppose it would be the goddess Enyo.” She said. Reyna nodded and looked back at the gods and goddesses.

“Daughter of Enyo.”

Zöe stepped forth and Artemis beamed at her. She straightened in pride. Percy let out a small, hurtful sound, staring at Zöe with wide, pained eyes. “I am Zöe Nightshade. Lieutenant of Artemis’ hunt.” That was all she said as she stepped back. Bianca stepped forward, dragging Nico with her.

“I’m Bianca di Angelo. I’m thirteen. I am … a daughter of Hades?” She looked to Nico, who nodded. Bianca wet her lips. “And this is Nico di Angelo, my little brother. He’s ten. He’s a son of Hades.” Nico smiled at waved at the gods. He met Hades eyes and waved more enthusiastically, causing Hades to let out a small chuckle that made Nico blush softly. The waving stopped as he looked at his feet shyly, shuffling back and forth. The pair stepped backwards and resumed their place. Percy stepped up in their place.

“I’m Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Aged fourteen.” He stepped back and got elbowed by Annabeth. Percy scowled. Annabeth giggled, making her boyfriend chuckle softly.

“My name’s Annabeth Chase, I’m fourteen, daughter of Athena.” She turned and her eyes went to her older self, and she nodded at her. Annabeth smiled clipped back. Annabeth was unperturbed and took her place back beside Percy and Grover.

“Uh, Grover Underwood, satyr of Camp Half-Blood.” Was the only thing he muttered.

Will smiled at everyone from where he was boxed between Lee and Michael. “I’m Will Solace, I’m ten. I’m a son of Apollo. These are my half-brothers, Michael Yew, he’s fourteen. And Lee Fletcher, he’s fifteen!” Will exclaims, grinning toothily at them. Apollo smirked at his sister Artemis, and she scowled back at him, turning. Her braid slipped over her shoulder as she moved.

“I’m Thalia Grace. Daughter of Zeus. Aged fifteen.”

“Silena Beauregard. Daughter of Aphrodite. I’m fifteen.” Silena smiled. Percy and Piper both had two different reactions. Percy paled and Piper gasped softly. Annabeth squeezed Percy’s hand and Jason pulled Piper tighter into his body, the girl hiding her face in his shoulder until she was ready to look and had gotten herself under control.

“Charles Beckendorf. I’m sixteen. Son of Hephaestus.” Leo inhaled at the sight of the previous counsellor of Cabin Nine. Percy went even more pale. Annabeth’s grip was like a vice around his own now. Jake thumped Beckendorf on the arm. “Right, this is Jake Mason, my half-brother. He’s also a son of Hephaestus, he’s fifteen.”

“Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares. Sixteen.”

Chris nodded at them all, strangely quiet. “Chris Rodriguez, son of Hermes, seventeen.” Chris murmured.

“I’m Travis Stoll and this is my twin brother Connor Stoll, we’re the sons of Hermes and we’re both fourteen.” Travis spoke. His arm was clutched onto by a small blonde boy. “This is Austin Lake. He’s ten. He’s … undetermined.”

“Not for long.” Apollo snapped his fingers and a light floated over Austin’s head, labelling him a son of Apollo.

Travis cleared his throat. “Right, well, son of Apollo apparently.” Austin was dragged into the hug of Will, Lee, and Michael. The two young boys began conversing quietly, their blonde heads almost touching as they grinned at each other.

“I am Chiron.” Chiron spoke finally after a moment of silence. The demigods all smiled at him, and the gods and goddesses merely inclined their heads. They had nothing to say to the centaur. He was looking after their children after all.

The last person finally spoke, a jagged scar running down his face. “Luke Castellan, son of Hermes. Twenty one.”

“You.” Thalia hissed. Percy cleared his throat.

“No violence. Everything will be explained in the books.” Percy headed over to the seats and sat himself down, Annabeth coming over and snuggling into his side. The other demigods followed, young and old alike. “Who would like to read first?” Percy questioned, glancing around himself. Annabeth perked up.

“I will.” She said. Percy nodded and handed her the book labelled one. All the covers were completely clear and blank. Percy sat back and slung an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders, the girl leaning into him and cracking the book open. Then she began to read.

Chapter Text

Reading Percy Jackson

The Lightning Thief

Chapter 1

I ACCIDENTLY VAPORISE MY PRE-ALGEBRA TEACHER

Annabeth took a breath, her eyes flittering over the title of the book.

“Chapter one. I accidently vaporize my pre-algebra teacher.”

“How do you accidently vaporize your teacher?” Leo questioned, looking towards Percy in amusement. Percy grinned at him and shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. Annabeth made a sound.

“I’d imagine it’s because they were a monster. Monsters normally just disappear in a type of light and turn to dust.” She told the others, particularly the young demigods, which were Nico and Bianca. Bianca’s lips thin.

“So we have to fight monsters?”

“You don’t have too.” Thalia said. Her eyebrows were drawn together, hair spiky. “You can stay at the Camp, which is Camp Half-Blood, a safe place for demigods. It’s protected by a small dragon now; no monster can breach it. Most demigods stay there for the summer, going back for things like the school year. Sadly for us, children of the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades—our scents draw much more monsters towards us.” Thalia explained.

Bianca sighed through her teeth, the sound whistling. “So it’s hunt or be hunted?”

“A very huntress way of looking at things.” Artemis said, appraising the girl. She blushed at the look. Nico frowned. Annabeth cleared her throat and shot them a look. Nico rolled his eyes and fiddled with his ring, twisting it back and forth.

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.”

“No one does.” Nico grumbled. Percy made an amused sound and Nico glanced at him, lips thinning.

“Boys.” Piper cut them off before anyone could say anything. Leo and Jason looked like they were going to join in, Leo already opening his mouth. Calypso tinkled with a gorgeous laugh, placing her head on Leo’s shoulder. Leo smirked and kissed her head.

“If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is:”

“Percy’s giving advice.” Annabeth said with slight horror.

“Shut up, wise girl.” Percy grumbled. Jason glanced between them.

“Are they always like this?”

Thalia sighed. “Yes.”

“You’re worse with Percy.” Beckendorf said, smiling in amusement. Thalia glared at him, but Beckendorf wasn’t the least bit perturbed. “I get glared at all the time by Clarisse, your glares are nothing, daughter of Zeus.” Clarisse shot him a glare as if proving his point. Beckendorf laughed.

“Close this book right now.”

“Not bad advice.” Thalia murmured. Percy shot Annabeth a triumphant look and she glared back at him. Percy stuck out his tongue. Athena huffed at the gesture of what she thought was immaturity. Apollo snickered in delight.

“Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth and try to lead a normal life.”

“Still good advice.” Thalia said. Percy smirked.

“Being a half-blood is dangerous. It’s scary. Most of the time, it gets you killed in painful, nasty ways.”

“This isn’t making us want to live the life of demigods.” Bianca snapped suddenly. Nico touched her arm and gave Bianca a type of look that made her recede, deflating.

“He’s being realistic.” Annabeth spoke up. “People might think being a son or daughter of a god or goddess is amazing. What with the strength and the powers we get but it’s not. It’s a … hassle. It is dangerous and it is scary. It isn’t the life I’d want to give my son or daughter.” Some of the gods and goddesses faces were drawn in offense but some were nodding in agreement. Apollo was frowning as he stared at his sons sitting together.

“If you’re a normal kid, reading this because you think it’s fiction, great. Read on, I envy you for being able to believe that none of this ever happened. But if you recognise yourself in these pages—if you feel something stirring inside—stop reading immediately. You might be one of us.”

“Ominous.” Will murmured, chancing a glance at Nico, who’s lips were quirked up in a wry, dry smirk. He looked away hastily and caught Aphrodite’s eyes, who was looking between them with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

“And once you know that, it’s only a matter of time before they senses it too, and they’ll come for you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Who? Who will come for us?” Bianca whispers.

“Monsters.” Thalia answered her.

“My name is Percy Jackson. I’m twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.”

“Troubled kids?”

“Most demigods are seen as troubled kids. We get in bad situations; we have ADHD so we can’t sit still.” Will answered Bianca who seemed to be bursting with questions. Bianca’s face went thoughtful then and Annabeth took that chance to keep reading.

“Am I a troubled kid?”

“Yes.” Several voices exclaimed together. Percy snickered and his younger self blushed.

“Yeah. You could say that.”

“He even agreed.”

“I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last May, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan—twenty eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff.”

“Bit of foreshadowing.” Jason murmured, sharing a glance with Piper, who’s lips pursed.

“A museum?” Annabeth sounded delighted. Percy smiled and placed an arm around her shoulders, drawing her into his embrace.

“I’ll take you there for a date.” Annabeth smiled and kissed him softly. Percy blinked between them and chanced a glance at Annabeth, who avoided his gaze completely.

“Mental case?” Nico asked, looking adorably confused. Will leaned forward and smiled softly at him, making Nico’s eyes go wide, blushing a little.

“People call them crazy. But they’re not, just … different from us.” Will said softly. Nico nodded, looking shy.

“I know—it sounds like torture. Most Yancy field trips were.”

“They were boring, were they?” Athena sneered. Annabeth glared at her mother whilst Percy rolled his eyes.

“No. Because I couldn’t learn anything with twenty-eight kids that wouldn’t shut up and were determined to make everything a bad field trip by annoying others and being general—” He cuts himself off by glancing at the ten-year olds in the room, lips thinning. “And yeah, maybe the field trips were boring but that was because I was a twelve-year-old boy who couldn’t pay attention because people behind me wouldn’t be quiet.”

Athena had nothing to say to that. She just sat back and scowled. Annabeth hastily kept reading.

“But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip, so I had hopes.”

“Thank you, Percy.” Chiron gave Percy a warm smile. Percy grinned back at him.

“You were my favourite teacher.” He told the centaur.

“Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a frayed tweed jacket, which always smelled like coffee.”

“Mm, coffee.” Nico hummed.

“You don’t need coffee, you need sleep.” Will interjected before Annabeth could keep reading. Nico shot him a look.

“If I want coffee, I’m going to have coffee, Solace.”

“Doctors orders, no coffee.”

Nico scowled. “You—”

“Enough.” Chiron said quietly, but it rang loud in the silence after it. Nico crossed his arms and Will’s eyes moved away. Will and Nico were looking between themselves with wide eyes.

“You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had this awesome collection of Roman armour and weapons, so he was the only teacher whose class didn't put me to sleep.”

“You shouldn’t be sleeping in class.” Annabeth murmured. “But you were twelve, so I’ll give you that, seaweed brain.”

“My wise girl.” Percy grinned back at her with a besotted smile. Aphrodite aww’ed at them, making them blush.

“I hoped the trip would be okay. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't get in trouble.”

“You got in trouble a lot?” Leo questioned. Percy nodded.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Boy, was I wrong.”

“Foreshadowing.” Jason said once more. Percy smirked and winked at him, making Jason scoff with a grin on his face. Annabeth chuckled and Piper giggled at their respective boyfriends.

“See, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like at my fifth-grade school, when we went to the Saratoga battlefield, I had this accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming for the school bus, but of course I got expelled anyway.”

“What were you aiming for?”

“Not the bus!” Percy said with an embarrassed blush.

“To be truthful, I wasn’t aiming at anything. I was just curious on if it’d actually work.” Percy explained. Annabeth hummed at her boyfriend.

“And before that, at my fourth-grade school, when we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sort of hit the wrong lever on the catwalk and our class took an unplanned swim. And the time before that ... well, you get the idea.”

“No carry on!” Leo whined. Calypso shook her head in exasperation.

“I’ll tell you some more expeditions later, Leo.” Percy smirked at him. Leo cheered.

“This trip, I was determined to be good.”

“And you were.” Grover said so quietly only Percy heard. He shot Grover a grateful look. Well, and Chiron, due to his hearing, who nodded in agreement, but the two weren’t paying him any attention, so they didn’t see it.

“This trip, I was determined to be good. All the way into the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly, redheaded kleptomaniac girl, hitting my best friend Grover in the back of the head with chunks of peanut butter-and-ketchup sandwich.”

“Ew.” Piper groaned. Percy nodded sagely.

“It was disgusting.” He agreed.

“Peanut butter and ketchup?” Bianca frowned, shaking her head.

“Grover was an easy target. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the start of a wispy beard on his chin.”

“You really weren’t blending in.” Percy grumbled. Grover pouted.

“On top of all that, he was crippled.”

“Jesus Christ!” Will exclaimed. “You didn’t hold back there, Percy.”

Percy blushed but didn’t say anything in reply to justify himself.

“He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don't let that fool you. You should've seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.”

“Grover.” Chiron sighed. Grover flushed.

“He loves enchilada’s.” Percy supplied to the two confused di Angelo siblings. They nodded in reply.

“Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing wads of sandwich that stuck in his curly brown hair, and she knew I couldn't do anything back to her because I was already on probation.”

“Why were you on probation?” Annabeth asked her boyfriend. Percy frowned.

“I can’t remember.”

Percy sighed. “I … um, we I mean, a group of boys were playing soccer. It got passed to us, so we tried to pass it back, but it went throw the window and almost hit a teacher in the face who was teaching a class.” Apollo bursts into laughter that’s later joined in by the demigods. Both the young Percy and older Percy flush.

“The headmaster had threatened me with death by in-school suspension if anything bad, embarrassing, or even mildly entertaining happened on this trip.”

“So he’d blamed anything that went wrong on you?” Poseidon growled. Percy glanced at him and smiled hesitantly at the god of the sea. Percy sighed.

“Yeah, I guess. It was shitty—”

“Ahem.” Chiron cleared his throat. Percy bit his lip, ears going red.

“Right, uh, sorry.”

“Please, Mr Jackson, refrain with the vulgar language.”

“Uh, sure. Sorry, Chiron.”

““I'm going to kill her,” I mumbled.

Grover tried to calm me down. “It's okay. I like peanut butter.” He dodged another piece of Nancy's lunch.”

“In your hair?” Aphrodite squealed in disgust. Silena’s eyes were filled with horror.

“No but I didn’t want Percy to get in trouble.” Grover justified. Percy grinned at him, making him blush happily.

“Thanks, man.” Percy said.

““That's it.” I started to get up, but Grover pulled me back to my seat.

“You're already on probation,” he reminded me. “You know who'll get blamed if anything happens.””

“That’s so unfair.” Will grumbled. Lee patted his hair gently, making Will melt. Older Will looked between them in longing and sighed with grief.

“Looking back on it, I wish I'd decked Nancy Bobofit right then and there. In-school suspension would've been nothing compared to the mess I was about to get myself into.”

“Uh-oh.” Someone whispered.

“It isn’t that much of a mess.” Zeus grumbled.

“Yes, it is, brother.” Hades snapped back. The two glared at each other.

“Enough.” Hestia murmured, eyes roving over them both. They receded at the older goddess.

“Mr. Brunner led the museum tour. He rode up front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass cases full of really old black-and-orange pottery.”

“That sounds amazing.” Annabeth sighed.

“It blew my mind that this stuff had survived for two thousand, three thousand years.”

“Sometimes we bless important things we want to preserve that’re important to us.” Apollo reveals. Percy nodded.

“I suppose that makes sense.” He said.

“He gathered us around a thirteen-foot-tall stone column with a big sphinx on the top, and started telling us how it was a grave marker, a stele, for a girl about our age. He told us about the carvings on the sides.”

“Do you know who she was?”

“No. I don’t recall.” Chiron murmured back at Annabeth, who frowned but sighed.

“I was trying to listen to what he had to say, because it was kind of interesting, but everybody around me was talking, and every time I told them to shut up, the other teacher chaperone, Mrs. Dodds, would give me the evil eye.”

“We’ve found our monster!” Leo jumped to his feet and did a silly dance. Calypso yanked him back next to her and he yelped. Percy snickered.

“Or you found someone who just hated Percy.” Michael spoke up for the first time during the reading.

“Who would hate Percy?” Austin asked, inquiring eyes looking to Lee who smiled.

“Monsters, little one.”

“So it was a monster. See.” Leo said triumphantly. Michael rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as Austin laughed in delight as Leo made a silly face at him.

“Mrs. Dodds was this little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. She had come to Yancy halfway through the year, when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown.”

“Why would she have a nervous breakdown?” Annabeth frowned.

“Because Mrs Dodds is a monster and made the teacher have a nervous breakdown.” Thalia said.

“What kind of monsters makes mortals have mental breakdowns?” Nico asked, looking excited to be included. Or maybe it was the discussion of monsters.

“Every single monsters you can think of, kid.” Luke finally said. Thalia glared at him.

“You would know, wouldn’t you, Luke?”

“Enough, Thalia.” Annabeth snapped. Thalia receded with a small glare in Luke’s glare.

“From her first day, Mrs. Dodds loved Nancy Bobofit and figured I was devil spawn.”

“Typical.” Lee grumbled.

“She would point her crooked finger at me and say, “Now, honey,” real sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month.”

“A month?” Bianca looked horrified.

“Oh, yeah, Mrs Dodds hated me.” Percy told her. Bianca didn’t look mollified.

“Honey?” Will interrupted, looking a bit disgusted. “Who calls a kid honey?”

“A monster.” Nico said, looking bored. He’d pulled out his stygian iron sword and was sharpening it even though it looked deadly enough to skewer someone with no force. People stared at him, and Nico looked in awe, shaking Bianca’s arm in excitement. She patted his hair gently.

“Look, Bia!”

“I know, dolce (sweet one). I can see.” Bianca said in amusement. Nico pouted. Will sighed.

“Could you put that away?” Will asked. Nico looked up at him, eyes dark.

“No.” He deadpanned. Will sighed before a laugh slipped out of him and he turned away hastily. Nico smirked. “Laughing, Solace?”

“No. It’s just … I knew you’d be a stubborn patient.”

“I don’t like hospitals.” Nico grumbled, eyes and face going blank. The amusement was gone, and Will was sad to see it go. It made Nico seem … softer. Younger. Less burdened by the world.

“Because you can sense the death of others that’ve died there. Sense the ghosts, right?” Will said in deduction. Nico looked up; eyes surprised.

“Yes.” He sounded shocked, hesitantly. “No one’s … most people think it’s because … well, they don’t normally get it right.” Nico put his head down and continued sharpening his blade, scowling. Will bit his lip and gestured for Annabeth to continue reading, after shooting Nico a concerned look.

“One time, after she'd made me erase answers out of old math workbooks until midnight, I told Grover I didn't think Mrs. Dodds was human. He looked at me, real serious, and said, “You're absolutely right.””

“So, Grover knows something.” Will said. Grover sunk lower into his seat and avoided everyone’s gazes.

“Spoilers.” Percy interrupted before they could force the answers out of Grover—Poseidon looked ready to do it. Grover gave Percy a thankful look, but Percy just patted his arm in support. “I got ya, man.” Grover grinned, sitting up now.

“Mr. Brunner kept talking about Greek funeral art.”

“I hate funerals.” Annabeth whispers, eyes going distant. Percy placing an arm on her neck brought her back and she continued reading after shivering a little.

“Finally, Nancy Bobofit snickered something about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned around and said, “Will you shut up?””

“Uh-oh, here comes Percy’s temper.” Leo snickered.

“I hope no one heard it.” Piper said though she knew it was pointless to wish. Percy shot her a grin and she knew her hopes were doomed.

“It came out louder than I meant it to. The whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner stopped his story. “Mr. Jackson," he said, “did you have a comment?””

“Why did you single him out, Chiron?” Lee asked. Chiron shrugged.

“I can’t remember.” He said. Lee didn’t look fooled and huffed irritably.

“My face was totally red. I said, “No, sir.””

“You just embarrassed him. That wasn’t going to get you or him anywhere.” Annabeth said. Percy leant his head against her shoulder, smiling.

“Thanks, wise girl.”

“I have to defend my boyfriend, seaweed brain. Even when he can fight them himself. Even when he’s being stupid.” Percy spluttered as Annabeth and Thalia laughed. Leo cackled.

“Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele. “Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?””

“It’s Kronos eating us.” Zeus said, almost whined. “It’s always that picture.”

“Shut up.” Hera snapped back. “I’m listening.”

“I looked at the carving, and felt a flush of relief, because I actually recognized it. “That's Kronos eating his kids, right?””

“You’re actually right for once, brother.” Hades looked surprised. Zeus scowled at him.

““Yes," Mr. Brunner said, obviously not satisfied. “And he did this because...”

“Well...” I racked my brain to remember. “Kronos was the king god, and—””

“God?” Zeus roared.

“Shut up!” Poseidon boomed back. Zeus scowled and sat back down from where he’d leapt to his feet. The di Angelo siblings had shied back at the display.

“Enough. You’re scaring my son and daughter. I won’t allow it.” Hades snarled like a protective lion over his cubs. Zeus and Poseidon looked at the di Angelo siblings and nodded, receding with their tempers. Hades shrunk to his normal human size and summoned another couch, sitting down.

It took a moment for the di Angelo children to figure out what was going on but when they did, Nico lurched towards Hades with a smile and sat on his lap with a big, beaming grin. Bianca hesitantly sat on his right and sighed in content when Hades put an arm around her, drawing her into a side hug. Nico and Bianca shared a happy grin, looking alike.

Hades was staring down at them in fondness.

All the gods and goddesses looked surprised.

“My fathers capable of love.” Nico hissed, glaring at them. “It was why his sons and daughters rallied in an army. They saw the way he was treated and wanted to rectify the suffering he got from you guys. They wanted change and instead, they got slaughtered like animals because they were children of the Underworld, children of Hades.”

Zeus geared up to say something, but Poseidon grabbed his arm and gave him a warning look.

“The child is right. We have made many mistakes when it came to our brother. You’ll be making another by killing his son.”

Nico lurched upwards, sneering. “Why does it matter if he kills me, Poseidon? He’s already killed my mama! Her son won’t matter, will it, Uncle Zeus?” Zeus gritted his teeth. Hades buried his face in his sons hair.

“What?” Nico and Bianca cried. Nico glanced at them, realising what he had revealed. He subsided.

“You killed their mother?” Hera hissed. As the ‘mother’ of the Olympian gods and goddesses, she was more susceptible towards the bond between mother and child. Though with the way she had thrown Hephaestus to his death just because of how he looked, it wasn’t a very solid argument coming from her.

Zeus said nothing and merely glowered at Nico as he took a seat once more, glaring back.

Demeter had no such restrain. “Well, if she was the woman Hades was cheating on with then she deserved her fate. He cheated on my daughter.” She hissed. As soon as she was finished, the ground started shaking, splitting open. A chasm opened and skeletons began rising. Austin screams as one turns to face him, but the skeleton turned to Demeter. They started towards her.

“Brother, stop this!” Zeus roared.

Hades gave him a deadpanned look. “It’s not me.”

“Then who …?” Poseidon stopped, staring at a shaking Nico. He was trembling with rage, eyes glaring into Demeter’s very soul. Demeter was shying back even though she was a goddess. “Stop it, child!” Nico’s eyes snapped to him, and they narrowed. More skeletons rose, taking a step towards Poseidon.

“Nico.” Percy whispered softly. Nico didn’t seem to hear him.

“Son, stop.” Hades said loudly. Nico glanced at him, but he was already shaking his head. “Son—”

“Nico.” Will’s voice made him whip around. “I understand but you have to stop.”

“W-Will …”

“I know.” Will took a step forward. The skeletons aimed their weapons at him, but he wasn’t looking at them and took another step forward. “I know but this isn’t you. I understand but you have to stop. You’re scaring the kids. Not because of your powers but because of your rage. I understand but you have to stop.” Will whispered, reaching out. His palm touched Nico’s face and the dark-haired boy flinched back. Will pressed it harder into Nico’s cold skin but despite that it was still soft.

Nico deflated and fell forward into Will’s chest, breathing heavily. Will lifted him into his arms and brought him back to where he was sitting. He was sitting on Will’s lap, leaning into his chest, hiding his face. Nico’s sword was abandoned on the floor where he’d been sitting. Hades snapped a finger and the skeletons crept back into the cavern and the chasm closed up.

It look like nothing had happened.

Annabeth hastened to read once more when the silence carried on.

““God?" Mr. Brunner asked.

“Titan,” I corrected myself. “And ... he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters—””

“Ew.” Aphrodite squealed. “I’m so happy I wasn’t alive then.”

“It was … an experience.” Hades grumbled. Nico giggled.

““Eeew!" said one of the girls behind me.

“—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans,” I continued, “and the gods won.” Some snickers from the group.”                                    

“Wow. Way to sum up history, Perce.” Jason grumbled. Percy shot him a smirk. Jason rolled his eyes.

“Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled to a friend, “Like were going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, ‘Please explain why Kronos ate his kids’.”

“And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, “to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?””

“Busted.” Leo sang.

““Busted,” Grover muttered.

“Shut up,” Nancy hissed, her face even brighter red than her hair. At least Nancy got packed, too. Mr. Brunner was the only one who ever caught her saying anything wrong. He had radar ears.”

“No just horse ears.” Percy grumbled. Chiron shot him a look and he grinned back at the centaur innocently.

“I thought about his question and shrugged. “I don't know, sir.”

“I see." Mr. Brunner looked disappointed. “Well, half credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?””

“On that happy note?” Lee looked like he was questioning Chiron’s sanity. Chiron shrugged.

“They were twelve-year-old kids.” Chiron said. “They don’t emphasise as well as adults.”

“That’s not true.” Will grumbled, glaring at Chiron. Chiron looked surprised.

“I agree with Will. That’s not correct, Chiron.” Michael said. Lee nodded and Austin followed suit, pouting at Chiron.

“The class drifted off, the girls holding their stomachs, the guys pushing each other around and acting like doofuses.”

“I agree. Boys are doofuses.” Zöe sound weird saying it. Artemis smirked.

“I agree with my lieutenant.”

“Grover and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, “Mr. Jackson.”

I knew that was coming.”

“You did?” Annabeth asked, look sceptical. Percy shot her a look.

“For your information. I did.” Percy snapped back. She glared back at him.

“I told Grover to keep going. Then I turned toward Mr. Brunner. “Sir?”

Mr. Brunner had this look that wouldn't let you go— intense brown eyes that could've been a thousand years old and had seen everything. “You must learn the answer to my question,” Mr. Brunner told me.

“About the Titans?”

“About real life. And how your studies apply to it.”

“Oh.”

“What you learn from me," he said, “is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson.””

“You’re putting way too much on his shoulders, Chiron.” Surprisingly it was Luke who piped up. “This is the reason I went to Kronos. You put so much pressure on our shoulders to fix the gods mistakes and when we make mistakes it’s our fault. We don’t get recognition for what we went through, just that we failed it.”

Chiron had nothing to say to that. The demigods were suspiciously quiet.

“I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard.”

“See.” Luke whispered. Chiron lowered his eyes to the floor.

“I mean, sure, it was kind of cool on tournament days, when he dressed up in a suit of Roman armour and shouted: “What ho!” and challenged us, sword- point against chalk, to run to the board and name every Greek and Roman person who had ever lived, and their mother, and what god they worshipped.

But Mr. Brunner expected me to be as good as everybody else, despite the fact that I have dyslexia and attention deficit disorder and I had never made above a C- in my life. No—he didn't expect me to be as good: he expected me to be better. And I just couldn't learn all those names and facts, much less spell them correctly.”

“I didn’t want to be better.” Percy grumbled. “I just wanted to succeed. Because a teacher finally treated me normally but then didn’t because I had to be better.” It seems he’s finally getting it out for the first time. Chiron sighed, shoulders lowering.

“I’m sorry, Percy.”

“I forgive you.” Percy grumbled. Chiron didn’t look convinced, but he nodded anyway, looking a little relieved.

“I mumbled something about trying harder, while Mr. Brunner took one long sad look at the stele, like he'd been at this girl's funeral.”

“I had.” Chiron murmured.

“He told me to go outside and eat my lunch. The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue. Overhead, a huge storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than I'd ever seen over the city. I figured maybe it was global warming or something, because the weather all across New York state had been weird since Christmas.”

“The winter solstice. When my bolt was stolen.” Zeus said, looking irritated.

“That I nor Hades stole. Nor my son.” Poseidon interjected. Zeus glanced at him.

“This is where you apologise.” Hestia murmured. Zeus sighed like it was torture.

“Fine. I am sorry, Poseidon, Hades. Percy Jackson.”

“Eh, all in the past.” Percy said, shrugging.

Percy crossed his arms. “I don’t forgive you.” Zeus glared at him, but Percy just looked away.

“We'd had massive snow storms, flooding, wildfires from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if this was a hurricane blowing in. Nobody else seemed to notice.”

“Probably because you were a demigod. And a son of Poseidon. More susceptible to Poseidon’s mood.” Annabeth said, looking thoughtful. Percy hummed.

“Some of the guys were pelting pigeons with Lunchables crackers. Nancy Bobofit was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, and, of course, Mrs. Dodds wasn't seeing a thing.”

“I hate when teachers do that.” Will grumbled. Nico was still slumped against him and didn’t seem to be moving any time soon. Will buried his face in Nico’s hair and inhaled softly. “You smell good.”

“Are you flirting with me, Solace?” Nico whispered. Will could feel the quirk of his lips up his neck.

“And if I was?”

Nico didn’t move. “Maybe … maybe I’d let you.”

“Good to know?” Surely Nico could feel his pulse rabbiting beneath his skin.

“Grover and I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others. We thought that maybe if we did that, everybody wouldn't know we were from that school—the school for loser freaks who couldn't make it elsewhere.”

“Don’t put yourself down, Percy.” Grover murmured. Percy shrugged but didn’t say anything in response.

““Detention?” Grover asked.

“Nah," I said. “Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius.”

Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, “Can I have your apple?””

Everyone started laughing. It took a while for them to calm down but when they did, Annabeth continued reading.

“I didn't have much of an appetite, so I let him take it. I watched the stream of cabs going down Fifth Avenue, and thought about my mom's apartment, only a little ways uptown from where we sat. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted so bad to jump in a taxi and head home.”

“I understand that. Your mom’s amazing.” Thalia said. Most of the older demigods nodded their heads in agreement.

“She is.” Percy smiled.

“You’ve met my mom?” Percy asked.

“Oh, yeah, her house is like a safe haven for us demigods. She’s amazing.” Annabeth said. Percy’s eyes lit up and he grinned gently to himself.

“She'd hug me and be glad to see me, but she'd be disappointed, too. She'd send me right back to Yancy, remind me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and I was probably going to be kicked out again. I wouldn't be able to stand that sad look she'd give me.”

“I hate disappointing her.” Percy murmured. His older-self nodded in agreement.

“Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp. He ate celery while he read a paperback novel. A red umbrella stuck up from the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized café table.”

“Oh, I want one.” Piper murmured. Leo grinned at her.

“I’ll make you one.” He said.

Beckendorf and Jake traded a glance. “We’ll make one as well. I think everyone could use one of those.”

“I was about to unwrap my sandwich when Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends—I guess she'd gotten tired of stealing from the tourists—and dumped her half-eaten lunch in Grover's lap.”

“Why? Just why?” Someone whispered.

““Oops.” She grinned at me with her crooked teeth. Her freckles were orange, as if somebody had spray-painted her face with liquid Cheetos.

I tried to stay cool. The school counsellor had told me a million times, “Count to ten, get control of your temper.” But I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears.”

“A wave? Well, if that isn’t a clue, I don’t know what is.” Will murmured. Nico huffed a laugh against his neck.

“I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her butt in the fountain, screaming, “Percy pushed me!””

“No he didn’t!” Austin scowled, sticking his tongue out at the book. Percy grinned.

“Thanks, kid.” Austin blushed.

“Mrs. Dodds materialized next to us.”

“Typical.” Silena sighed.

“Some of the kids were whispering: “Did you see—”

“—the water—”

“—like it grabbed her—”

I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again.”

Percy sighed.

“As soon as Mrs. Dodds was sure poor little Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new shirt at the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dodds turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. “Now, honey—”

“I know,” I grumbled. “A month erasing workbooks.” That wasn't the right thing to say.”

“Persassy is back again.” Leo exclaimed. Percy snickered.

““Come with me,” Mrs. Dodds said.

“Wait!” Grover yelped. “It was me. I pushed her.””

“Aww, he’s so brave.” Silena cooed. Grover blushed in response.

Everyone gave him appraising looks.

“I stared at him, stunned. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death. She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled. “I don't think so, Mr. Underwood,” she said.

“But—”

“You—will—stay—here.” Grover looked at me desperately.

“It's okay, man," I told him. “Thanks for trying.”

“Honey,” Mrs. Dodds barked at me. “Now.””

“Grover definitely knows something.” Beckendorf said. Grover bit his lip.

“Spoilers.” Percy said once more, taking the heat off the satyr.

“Nancy Bobofit smirked. I gave her my deluxe I'll-kill-you-later stare.”

“Deadly.” Chris murmured, speaking for the first time. Clarisse nodded though she looked hesitant and in torture to do it.

“Then I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently at me to come on. How'd she get there so fast?

I have moments like that a lot, when my brain falls asleep or something, and the next thing I know I've missed something, as if a puzzle piece fell out of the universe and left me staring at the blank place behind it. The school counsellor told me this was part of the ADHD, my brain misinterpreting things. I wasn’t so sure.

I went after Mrs. Dodds.”

“You’re right, Mr Jackson. Trust your gut.” Hades said. Percy gave him a surprised look.

“Thank you for the advice, Lord Hades.” He didn’t sound sarcastic at all but actually earnest.

“Halfway up the steps, I glanced back at Grover. He was looking pale, cutting his eyes between me and Mr. Brunner, like he wanted Mr. Brunner to notice what was going on, but Mr. Brunner was absorbed in his novel. I looked back up. Mrs. Dodds had disappeared again. She was now inside the building, at the end of the entrance hall.

Okay, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.

But apparently that wasn't the plan.”

“Nope.” Annabeth stops to say, looking amused.

“I followed her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section.”

“That’s still some strange foreshadowing.” Jason murmured and frowned thoughtfully down at his hands. Piper reached forth and placed her hand in his, making a gentle humming sound that made Jason relaxed.

“It might be foreshadowing, or it might just be a strange coincidence, Jace. Things can be a coincidence.” Piper whispered.

“Let us be allowed a coincidence.” Jason shared a smile with Piper.

“Except for us, the gallery was empty.”

“That is not good. Alone with a monster. Not good.” Will grumbled. He shook his head and frowned cutely.

“You were adorable when you were ten.” Nico snickered, finally peeking out from where he was hiding in Will’s neck. Will huffed, a flush on his sun tanned cheeks.

“Right back at you, sunshine.”

“Don’t call me sunshine.” Nico scowled.

Will smirked. “Don’t call me adorable again.” Nico elbowed him in the gut and climbed off him, sitting back in his previous seat. Will was sad to see him go.

“Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.”

“Growling?” Someone shrieked.

“What monster growls?” Lee frowned.

“Name any. They growl.” Michael sighed.

“Even without the noise, I would've been nervous. It's weird being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dodds. Something about the way she looked at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it ...”

“Pulverise? How quaint.” Nico grumbled. He’d gone back to sharpening his sword. His hands weren’t shaking anymore. They were steady. Will watched them before snapping out of it when he hears Annabeth start carrying on reading.

““You’ve been giving us problems, honey,” she said. I did the safe thing.

I said, “Yes, ma’am.””

“Don’t just agree with things.” Chris murmured, staring into space. “Sometimes you don’t know what you’re agreeing too.” Clarisse reached out and squeezed his hand. Silena bit her lip and Beckendorf reached for her, pulling her into his arms and into his lap.

“It wasn’t your fault. You were led astray. We all forgive you.”

“You k-know?” Silena’s voice broke.

“Of course, I know, baby, you couldn’t keep anything from me.” His smile was soft. “I could see how it was tearing you up inside. It wasn’t your fault.”

“P-Promise?”

“I promise. It wasn’t your fault.” Silena sniffles and nods, leaning back against him. Beckendorf kisses her hair and sees Clarisse look over, nodding at them.

“She tugged on the cuffs of her leather jacket. “Did you really think you would get away with it?”

The look in her eyes was beyond mad. It was evil. She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me. I said, “I’ll—I’ll try harder, ma’am.”

Thunder shook the building.”

“So, the gods know that she’s a monster. They might think you’re working with her.” Luke said, eyeing the book. Annabeth frowned, glancing at him.

“You think … you think that the gods think it’s Hades and Percy was working with Hades to steal the bolt?”

“I’d imagine so.” Luke grumbled. “I mean … ‘thunder rumbling’? Zeus had to have a suspicion. Maybe he thought Percy was working with both of his brothers? Poseidon and Hades. So this monster must be under Hades command.” The demigods glanced between them and looked to the book.

“You sent a monster after my son?” Poseidon seethed, glaring at Hades. Nico and Bianca shrunk back.

“He sent a monster after my daughter.” Zeus said.

“I did not!” Hades snarled at him.

“He didn’t actually.” Thalia interrupted them, glaring at her father. “And you both broke the oath you uttered. I don’t agree with Hades, but he had a reason.” Thalia said. Percy shrugged.

“You were both hypocrites to be honest. If Hades broke the oath, he’d get the most back lash. You too didn’t really.” When Annabeth saw Zeus’s red angry face and Poseidon’s shamed one, she began to read once more.

““We are not fools, Percy Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said. “It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain.”

I didn't know what she was talking about.”

“Of course, you didn’t.” Annabeth grumbled. “Because you didn’t steal anything. You didn’t even know you were a demigod.” She shoots Zeus a narrowed eyed look and rolled her eyes when Zeus scowled darkly at her.

“All I could think of was that the teachers must've found the illegal stash of candy I'd been selling out of my dorm room.”

“Hell yeah, Percy!” Travis and Connor exclaimed, cackling. “We’ll make a son of Hermes of you yet.”

“Sorry, Travis and Connor, I’m happy to be a son of Poseidon.” Percy smiled apologetically at them. The Stoll brothers pout.

“Or maybe they'd realized I got my essay on Tom Sawyer from the Internet without ever reading the book and now they were going to take away my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book.”

“I’ve read it now.” Percy hastily said when Annabeth looked to him in horror. She paused, suspicious before sighing and nodding. Percy snickered at the two of them.

““Well?” she demanded. “Ma’am, I don't ...”

“Your time is up,” she hissed.”

“Hissing.” Someone whispered. “What monsters hiss?”

“It narrows it down.” Luke murmured. “Furies do hiss.”

“You sent furies after my son?” Poseidon lurches to his feet. Hades keeps his mouth shut.

“We’ve sorted it out, dad.” Percy spoke up. When Poseidon didn’t look any better, Percy glared. “Dad, enough!”

Poseidon sat down, looking shocked. Hades met Percy’s eyes, thankful and was surprised when Percy gave him a small smile, nodding at him.

“Then the weirdest thing happened. Her eyes began to glow like barbecue coals. Her fingers stretched, turning into talons. Her jacket melted into large, leathery wings. She wasn't human. She was a shrivelled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs, and she was about to slice me to ribbons. Then things got even stranger.”

“Stranger?” Jake demanded, looking astonished.

“‘Shrivelled hag with bat wings and claws and a mouth full of yellow fangs’. Sounds like a fury.” Luke said before Percy could retort. Percy gave him a look.

“You could be a child of Athena, you know.”

“No.” Luke looked uncomfortable. “My … my mum liked cross puzzles before …”

“I understand.” Percy said before Luke could say anything. Luke looked relieved and smiled hesitantly at him. Percy beamed back. He looked like he could be a child of Apollo with how his face lit up and seemed to glow.

“Woah.” Someone mutters.

“Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand. “What ho, Percy!” he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air.”

“Must be Riptide.” Luke said.

“Another point to Castellan.” Thalia said. She and Luke looked at each other and Thalia grinned softly at him. Luke’s tense shoulders relaxed, and he smiled back even more genuinely than before.

“Mrs. Dodds lunged at me.”

“Not the lunge.” Travis whispers, gnawing at his fingers. Connor patted his head, looking amused.

“With a yelp, I dodged and felt talons slash the air next to my ear. I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, but when it hit my hand, it wasn't a pen anymore. It was a sword—Mr. Brunner's bronze sword, which he always used on tournament day.”

“Mortals could see it through the mist?”

“To them it looked like a plastic one. They did not know how deadly it was. But because Percy is a son of a god, he could see it clearly. And Grover of course, being a satyr.” Chiron explained. Hazel hummed.

“Mrs. Dodds spun toward me with a murderous look in her eyes.

My knees were jelly. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the sword.”

“Don’t drop it!” Several people yelped. Percy began laughing.

“She snarled, “Die, honey!” And she flew straight at me.”

“Right, the wings.” Jake murmured.

“Furies.” Clarisse scoffed. “Nasty fuckers.”

Jake dissolved into giggles, snorting when he put a hand to his mouth to stifle them. Clarisse glared at him.

“Absolute terror ran through my body. I did the only thing that came naturally: I swung the sword. The metal blade hit her shoulder and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. Hisss!”

“Only thing that came naturally?” Frank asked. Percy shrugged.

“She was hurtling towards me. Seemed natural to just … swing?”

“Fight or flight response.” Reyna supplied. Percy gestures to her, grinning triumphantly.

“See, Reyna gets it.”

“It’s a normal thing, Jackson. I’m not agreeing with you.” Percy pouts as the older demigods laugh.

“Mrs. Dodds was a sand castle in a power fan. She exploded into yellow powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulphur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air, as if those two glowing red eyes were still watching me.

I was alone.”

“That’s creepy.” Austin whimpered, shivering. Michael tugged him tighter into his body from where the boy was perched on his lap. Will was perched on Lee’s and was frowning in sympathy, reaching for Austin’s hand, smiling assuredly at him. Apollo was looking between his sons with a proud look on his face and in his eyes. Artemis was staring at them and when she looked at Apollo, she looked proud as well, though she hid it better.

The look was gone when Apollo glanced at her.

“There was a ballpoint pen in my hand.

Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me.”

“That’s weird. Why wouldn’t you stay with him? He was obviously scared and freaked out?” Luke looked raged. Chiron frowned.

“I didn’t want to explain to him. The longer he didn’t know what he was, the longer time he had to not be hunted.”

“He was already being hunted!” Luke snarled. Annabeth looked between them with a torn look.

“He’s right, Chiron. Percy was already being hunted. You owed it to him to tell him why.” Thalia said. Chiron sighed and wet his lips, looking away. Not saying anything. Luke huffed and sat back down from where he had jumped out of his seat, dark look in his eyes.

“My hands were still trembling. My lunch must've been contaminated with magic mushrooms or something.”

“Magic mushrooms.” Apollo murmured.

“No, brother.” Artemis snapped. Apollo pouted.

“Had I imagined the whole thing?”

“No.” Several voices said adamantly. Percy gave them a weak smile.

“You should’ve explained.” Luke whispered; voice rough. Thalia hesitated before reaching forward and taking his hand. Luke squeezed hers tightly.

“I went back outside. It had started to rain. Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head.”

“That wouldn’t do anything.” Jake snorted. Grover blushed.

“I didn’t have anything else.” He grumbled.

“Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaked from her swim in the fountain, grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she said, “I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt.”

“Who?” Annabeth asked.

“I said, “Who?””

“Gods, I just agreed with Percy.”

“Hey!” Percy scowled.

““Our teacher. Duh!””

“No your teacher is Mrs. Dodds.” Michael said.

“Probably the mist.” Luke said, shifting and letting go of Thalia’s hand. He glanced at her and nodded, eyes closing off. Thalia frowned.

“Oh.” Michael whispered, thoughtful before humming in agreeance.

“I blinked. We had no teacher named Mrs. Kerr. I asked Nancy what she was talking about.

She just rolled her eyes and turned away. I asked Grover where Mrs. Dodds was. He said, “Who?” But he paused first, and he wouldn't look at me, so I thought he was messing with me.”

“So Grover knows.” Will said. “And he isn’t telling.”

“And he isn’t a good liar at all.” Thalia giggled, looking amused.

““Not funny, man,” I told him. “This is serious.” Thunder boomed overhead. I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved.

I went over to him.”

“He won’t say anything. It’s useless to try.” Luke’s voice was bitter. Hermes sighed at the negative emotion in his sons voice.

“I’d listen, Luke.”

Luke looked at him and he hesitated before he shook his head. “But you wouldn’t do anything.”

“I’d try my best.” Hermes was adamant.

“Your best isn’t good enough anymore, dad!” Luke shouted. Hermes lowered his face into his hands. Luke inhaled and turned away, clenching his eyes shut. “It wasn’t ever good enough, but I was naïve and thought you loved us.”

“I do love you, you’re my sons and my daughters. Of course I love you.”

“Explain that to all the unclaimed children that’re crammed into the Hermes cabin because no one wants to acknowledge they exist.” Luke whispered; voice strained. “Explain that to the quests we go on and fail, being lorded as failures. Explain that to the scar on my face!” Luke snapped. Hermes looked up sharply.

“You aren’t a failure. You will never be a failure. You are my son. You are mine. I can’t say anything for the gods and goddesses here, but I have always claimed my children and I am proud of every single one of you. I am proud of you. You. Will. Never. Be. A. Failure.” His voice was strong and sure. Luke hesitates before he turned away, shoulders drawn up and tense.

Annabeth clears her throat and continues reading.

“He looked up, a little distracted. “Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson.”

I handed Mr. Brunner his pen. I hadn't even realized I was still holding it. “Sir,” I said, “where's Mrs. Dodds?”

He stared at me blankly. “Who?”

“The other chaperone. Mrs. Dodds. The pre-algebra teacher.”

He frowned and sat forward, looking mildly concerned. “Percy, there is no Mrs. Dodds on this trip. As far as I know, there has never been a Mrs. Dodds at Yancy Academy. Are you feeling all right?””

“Now you’re making him feel crazy.” Travis shook his head. “Now I agree with Luke. You’re not doing him any good.”

Annabeth interrupted them before they could dissolve into an argument.

“That was the first chapter. Who wants to read next?”

Everyone was silent, thinking. Piper sat up.

“I’ll read.” Annabeth handed her the book, and she sat back, leaning heavily on Jason.

“Wait shouldn’t we discuss the first chapter?” Hera demanded. Hades shook his head.

“It’d just cause arguments. Maybe every three chapters? How many chapters are in the book?” Hades asked Piper, who kept a finger between the pages and flipped back to the chapter list, frowning softly.

“Uh, twenty-two.” All the titles of the chapters were blank but there was the numbers beside it. Only the first chapter was in bold, the second faint as Piper hadn’t begun reading yet. She could just barely made out the words.

“So every three chapters. Several discussions. I’d imagine the last chapter is a twist, so that one will probably be a bigger discussion. Probably with lots of arguments. Then we start the second book.” Athena spoke up, wetting her lips. The gods and goddesses nodded in agreement.

“That sounds agreeable.” Will said. The others looked at each other and nodded.

“We’ll do that then.” Annabeth said. “Pipes, if you could …”

Piper looked down, took a deep breath, and started the second chapter.