"And your tattoo is done. That'll be $50.00." The man wearing a blue T-Shirt said. Honestly, the shop has a lot of colors and was really bright, as opposed to what Nico originally thought it would be like. It was a small shop and was mostly different shades of blue with a Little Green, Gray, and Purple around here and there. And for some strange reason, the man looked oddly familiar, he couldn't name why though. Maybe it was the fact that he reeked death, so he thought of familiarity? Yes, that could be it. But still, he had this nagging feeling at the back of his mind, telling him that he knew this man. He absentmindedly let his eyes sweep over the tattoo. It was a small sun, and really, it was not all that special.
"Do you accept credit cards?" He hoped so. Well, after he took care of this guy (Read: Give him a 1-way ticket to The Fields of Punishment with Thanatos), he was going to get it removed. Will might just panic and accidentally call his father, or get a matching tattoo himself, which he did NOT want to.
"Of course I do. By the way, You should probably keep it." Nico freezes. What? As long as Nico knew, He did not tell him about his plans to remove the tattoo. He lifts his head to gaze into the man's eyes. Wait a second…
"Why are you looking at me like that?" He tilts his head like a baby seal. Now he knows why the man who reeked death looked familiar. His eyes. And even if the man had Snow white hair with Blue, Purple, and Green streaks, those eyes could only belong to one person.
"You-you are-" The man only raises an eyebrow at him. Seriously, who does he think he is?
"The guy who blew this up, or blew this up? Yeah, you can say that I blew up a lot of things over the years. I assure you, it was for a good reason, though." That was all he needed for the proof. But this man's death-aura brought him back.
"You are Perseus Jackson, The only mortal son of Poseidon alive." The man- No, Percy's eyes widened.
"Yes, Indeed I am, but the main question here is, who are you?" He tilts his head again, suddenly not looking like an innocent baby seal, but more like a Shark looking at a fish. He had first-hand experience, and it was not a good experience. It included a lot of Fish, mentions of cannibalism, and a very offended Poseidon.
"You smell like… death, you look like an emo, you dress emo… Well, it certainly narrows it down to one certain person, that person, being you. You are Nico Di Angelo, The only mortal son of Hades alive. Also, my cousin, who I built this place to repel." Emo?
"Well, anyway, I suppose I could let you go. Don't let any demigods come in here, or tell anyone that I am here… yeah, just leave, the tattoo is free." That was… weird. Percy Jackson, his cousin, former crush, and friend, who also went missing a few years ago, was standing in front of him, telling him to leave, not tell anyone that he finally found the legend who defied the will of god and disappeared off the radar of everyone for four years at this point. Percy Jackson, who reeks of death, and his father personally asked to give him to Thanatos, if he did not want to get his hands bloody.
"Yeah, sure… See ya." He quickly gets out of there.
"Did that just happen?" He spoke, not planning on receiving an answer. He sadly did.
"Yes, My dear hermanito, who you saw, was Percy Jackson." He looked up and felt his eyes widening. Not that he didn't like her, but why was the whole band here?
"Also known as our resident Cannibal. Or Kelp Head. Whatever you prefer." Nico did like her too much to be all buddy-buddy with her, but he had kinda gotten close to her too, over the course of four years.
"Or Seaweed brain or killer or murderer or idiot or demon or monster or- you get the idea at this point on what I'm called, don't you?" It was Percy, in his all brightly dyed-hair glory.
"And hey! Death Breath, did you call the Hunters Of Artemis here? That's like, really, really rude Y'know?" What? Why would-
Oh. The Hunters of Artemis, or specifically Reyna said that they had been hunting a 'monster' who was really different from other monsters, and they would have to be careful with them since he is almost human-like and takes the face of someone they know. But why is Percy the monster? Sure, Percy had gone missing for 4 years, and reeks of death, called himself a killer, murderer, demon, and monster, but that doesn't have to mean anything does it? A maniacally laughing cousin, an angrily yelling cousin, and a really mad (and positively looking murderous) pseudo-sister brought him back to reality.
"Jackson. You are testing my patience. Confess now, or come with us to Mount Olympus, confess your crimes there, and receive your punishment." Thalia said.
"Now just why exactly should I do what you say?" Percy asks, narrowing his eyes. Playful-insane demeanor now gone, and replaced with that no-nonsense tone that he used to use on campers who would misbehave. It's been a long time since Nico last heard of it.
Thalia just raises an eyebrow and a bronze shield with the visage of Medusa springs to life, along with a spear, which, if Nico remembered correctly, could channel lightning. Gods, He needed to reconnect with his demigod side of things again.
"You better do it because, We've been tracking you for months at this point, and only a few weeks ago I found out that the 'monster' our whole group was tracking, was one and only Kelp head. Who, I found, is also a fucking cannibal. And honestly, the only other choice for you is to die, and I don't think you want to die yet, so sure, go on, try to resist, and we will have to restrain you, and bring you to Olympus for Justice." Thalia growls and takes on a defensive posture.
"Since when were you so big on this whole Justice thing again?" Percy asks as he tilts his head again.
"My father is the God of Justice, and what you have done is practically unforgivable. Killing people, cutting off their body parts and eating them? That's plain barbaric and disgusting." Thalia practically rolled her eyes. Then added "Kronos, Dionysus and whoever else might have invested in cannibalism will not count, because I don't care about them as much as I do about you, which, to say at this current moment, is not much. So please come nicely with us, or else I will have to use force." It honestly looked like Thalia was pleading, but her tone did not make it like she was pleading much, or pleading at all.
"Alright, first off, keep your views about the subject out of it, second, Zeus was mostly portrayed as the villain in ancient myths, give me one time when Zeus was fair and I will receive a fair judgment, and lastly, I am actually surprised that you care about me." At the last statement, Percy put up his hands in mock surrender and looked like he was going to burst out laughing any minute now. Some Hunters looked terrified, while some others looked like they were going to burst from anger now. Seemed like it was something personal.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past Percy's right ear with an astounding amount of speed.
"Looks like someone's holding a personal grudge here~" Percy sang. A girl with dark skin, Black hair, and silver eyes with crescent moons as pupils came forward.
"Artemis? Wait-"
"Gods and Goddesses can take whatever forms they would like to assume, Nico di Angelo." And that being said, she jerked her chin towards Percy, Huntresses formed a circle around him and nocked their arrows at Percy. Percy was trying to watch everyone at the same time. They might have been a pack of wild prepubescent girls who ran around with weapons and bashing the heads of monsters and men, but they were a force to be reckoned with when they had some murder weapons.
"Well, Perseus Jackson, this ends today."
"Your crimes against the-"
"My crimes against what? Humanity? Mankind?"
"Mortals. Your crimes against Mortals, and your mortal family." Percy's eyes darkened and the air suddenly felt arider than before. Nico suspected that it was Percy sucking the water out of the air.
"Blame your stepmother for it, Artemis. She was, is, and will be the reason I was in this position today." Percy said, his voice practically dripping with venom
"You leave me with no choice then, Perseus."