259This is actually the first fic I've written but kept it shelved for months until I rewatched One Piece. I dropped it after the Zou arc, but after months of avoiding it, I decided to just post it and see how it goes.
Might as well spoil that this will mainly be Percy/Calypso pairing set in One Piece before canon. How they will get there will be revealed in future chapters.
This chapter has been edited by Gladiusx. Do check out his awesome works on HP and ASOIAF.
August 17th, evening.
Percy stared out at the sea as he cleaned Riptide with a rag. Normally, he would have just willed some water to rinse and clean it to a shine, but the simple act of wiping the already clean blade with a piece of cloth was cathartic for the barely 15-year-old. It's been a few hours since what is being called the Battle of the Labyrinth, and the funerals for the fallen had just finished. So much death and misery, and for what? He wanted to blame the gods for not taking the threat of the Titans seriously and not sending aid to the home of their children, but… he was far past the point of throwing blame.
The gods will be as the gods have always been, whimsical creatures of unimaginable power. Perhaps the eternity they had lived had changed their perspective on the world around them so much that they had difficulty connecting with their mortal children. Maybe they were used to their progeny perishing after thousands of years, or perhaps the life of a demigod was but a fleeting moment for the divine?
A lifetime for a mortal was comparable to a minute of a god's time, let alone demigods who rarely lived past twenty. Perhaps the long millennia had truly twisted their perception of time? A dangerous prospect for their foe was the Lord of Time himself.
"Heh, since when have I been so philosophical?" Percy whispered to himself with a chuckle. It wasn't like him to ask such deep questions. He only needed to worry about three things; survive another day, make his mom proud by not getting expelled from his latest school, and make sure his friends survived whatever world-ending adventure they found themselves in safely. Not that he seemed to be doing well on that last part, as he had to burn too many shrouds this day.
At least he was doing well in the 'make mom proud' part, which was surprising as he thought he would get the blame for that Empousa attack. He already called his mom first thing after the battle to assure her that he was alive and well and to expect him tomorrow evening.
"I wonder if they will find peace in death? Elysium must be having a large influx of demigods," Percy talked to Riptide, not expecting an answer. "Such random ramblings… I must be getting hungry."
He finally put away the cloth and made his way to the dining pavilion to fill his rumbling stomach.
Dinner was a quiet affair as Percy sat alone at his table like usual. Not many had the heart to talk or joke around, not with all the deaths hanging above them. The battle had been a close one; Percy had lost count of how many monsters he had slain.
If it wasn't for Grover, the losses would have been even larger. The hero of the hour, some called him. A well-deserved moniker, Percy was happy for his friend, who even now could be seen arguing with Juniper about something.
"Must have something to do with the Council of Cloven Elders," a tired voice said behind him. Percy turned to see Annabeth watching Grover as well. "There's a meeting in ten minutes in the Big House. I'll see you there, Seaweed Brain."
She attempted to give a smile, but her face twisted into a grimace instead. Percy nodded back at her, and she walked to the other tables to call the rest of the counselors for the meeting.
He stared at his unfinished meal, half uneaten. Yet Percy had no appetite for more, so he walked to the brazier and was about to sacrifice the rest to his father when he paused. A random thought hit him as he stared at the fire. Could he perform sacrifices for other divinities? The first divine being that came to mind that Percy believed deserved the most gratitude from him was Calypso.
The Titaness had nursed him back to full health and treated him very kindly when she was not obligated to do anything for him. Hades, Percy fought against her father, and she must have cared for Atlas if Olympus decided to punish her with imprisonment. Percy promised that he would help release her from her prison, but he was not sure how to even begin doing that.
He wondered if Calypso would accept offerings? Would they even reach her on her island?
He looked around, it seemed the little girl who usually tended to the Hearth was not here tonight it . He sacrificed half of the remaining meal to Poseidon, "May you watch over me as you always have, Father," and the rest to Calypso, "Hope you like burger and fries."
He could almost imagine the fire burning brighter for a moment before he blinked and walked away, but not before being enveloped by a warm, blissful feeling that made the world seem a tad brighter, bringing a smile to his face.
As he walked through the camp, Percy decided to make a detour to his cabin to freshen up. Upon entering, his gaze was immediately drawn to the pot of Moon Lace he had placed by his bed. The gift from Calypso. Thinking of the pretty Titaness again brought a smile to his face. Sad, yet demure, lovely, and gentle, with a soft melodic voice and a starry beauty greater than Aphrodite. It was not something easily forgotten.
"I did promise to free her," Percy talked to the plant as if it would connect him to Calypso.
It did not.
He sighed, took a shower, and dressed for the meeting. His eyes landed on the additions Tyson added to the cabin a few weeks ago. A metal flock of hippocampi, undersea plants that glow and scrubbed anemones that glowed softly in the dark. Then his eyes landed on the badly dented shield his brother made for him, and he smiled fondly It was thought lost after he threw it at Kampe, but he later found it, albeit badly damaged. Percy hadn't spent much time with his half-brother either. A visit to Tyson was definitely due. He turned the shield back to watch form and strapped it to his wrist.
As he made his way to the meeting, Percy wondered if there was any way to convince the camp to free Calypso.
"We need to figure out what the Titans are planning next! Daedalus may have collapsed the Labyrinth, but that army of monsters is still out there and gradually gaining strength!"
There was no mistaking the demanding voice of Clarisse, Percy looked at her as she fervently urged at the rest of the council as he leaned on the wall. The meeting had been going on for nearly half an hour now, and he was bored out of his mind.
Dionysus was supposed to be attending as well but was delayed in Olympus for some reason.
"We are doing the best we can to figure out where they are rallying, but a more pressing matter is the threat of Typhon awakening," Michael Yew stated.
The newly instated councilor of the Apollo cabin had replaced the deceased Lee Fletcher. As the son of the God of Prophecy, he had the unfortunate job of overseeing scouting quests and divining the future. Which meant praying to his dad for hints and clues. Somehow that translated to other campers expecting him to know the Titan's movements as well as predicting scratch-off results.
At Michael's words, some of the others looked at Percy warily but immediately returned to the topic at hand. It wasn't his fault that Mount Saint Helens had erupted.
Well, not fully, at least…
'A good deflection, though.' Percy thought wryly, as the Apollo Cabin counselor could barely hide his annoyance at all the inane questions that were sent his way.
"What news do we know of Typhon, Chiron?" Asked the soft-spoken Katie Gardner of Demeter's cabin.
Chiron remained silent and stared at Annabeth's open laptop that had a live news feed of Mount Saint Helens spewing smoke and ash.
"The Father of Monsters is stirring, but he is not fully awake just yet. It will happen soon. His powers are far beyond anything a demigod can muster, but worry not - the gods will deal with him, just as they did the last time," the centaur finally spoke up, and his eyes roamed around the room. Percy felt Chiron's gaze hold onto him for half a second longer, but it could have been his imagination. At least his words had calmed most of the councilors. "Now, is there any other topic we need to discuss before we call it a night?"
Nobody spoke up, and Percy even saw some preparing to move away from the Ping-Pong table that doubled as the council table. Annabeth returned her attention to Daedalus' laptop.
It was now or never.
"I do have something to say," Percy spoke up.
All eyes turned to Percy, and he found himself on the receiving end of gazes filled with surprise and veiled expectations.
Even Annabeth stopped fiddling with her laptop. Once he had every eye on him, Percy took half a minute to think how to phrase himself.
"Do we know if Olympus is doing anything to ensure the loyalty of the neutral Titans and the minor gods?" Silence, deathly silence, was all the answer he needed. He drove on, "I am sure everyone here can agree that Briares' aid against Kampe was instrumental for our continued survival," he paused as he looked at his fellow councilors. Plenty of agreeable nods met him. "Briares was forgotten by the Olympians. His two brothers faded away due to that neglect. Shouldn't we make sure the other minor gods and friendly Titans feel that they are still welcome on Olympus and make sure they are not persuaded to join Kronos?"
Some looked askance at him, probably due to the idea of there being friendly Titans. He waited for someone to counter his words but was inwardly surprised to see everyone giving him their full attention.
"We are doing the best we can, but a few Titans whom we have kept watch on have been unreachable lately," Chiron thoughtfully replied.
"What of the other gods?" Annabeth asked suddenly, "Morpheus, Hypnos, Nemesis, to name a few? I know for a fact that they have children here in camp, and many of them have gone missing lately. Have the Olympians approached them to secure their loyalties?"
Unsaid was that those missing demigods had probably joined Kronos.
Chiron sighed and rubbed his beard tiredly.
"I'm afraid not as much as they should be. Your mother Athena advocated for the same during today's meeting but was met with skepticism at best and disdain at worst from the gods." The centaur turned to Percy, "Lord Poseidon assured the Council that all minor gods of the sea are loyal to him, but old foes stirred in the deep. And the landed deities are the responsibility of Olympus, not Atlantis. Rest assured, though, that we are doing our best to secure them."
A few sighs of relief could be heard in the room.
This was good, but it wasn't good enough for his purpose.
"And the friendly Titans? Shouldn't we draw them to our side?" Percy asked loudly, silencing the now-chattering councilors.
"What friendly Titans, Prissy? They were cowards who didn't fight the last time and remained free by the mercy of Olympus. As for those who did, they were beaten once and have been punished accordingly. If they join Kronos, then they will be beaten again," Clarisse declared with a snort, eliciting a couple of chuckles.
Percy frowned, "Oh? Would you like to tell that straight to Zeus and Hades about their mother then?" That silenced everyone. "Or how about Hecate, Titaness of magic? She has absolute power over the Mist that we depend on so much." Annabeth, Silena, and Lee, the three who know the most about the Mist, paled while the rest grimaced. "We need to secure all the neutral Titans to our faction. My father speaks of old enemies. I may not be very good at the history of our Mythos, but didn't Oceanus remain neutral in the last war?"
Annabeth weakly nodded in confirmation. "He did. He and his wife Tethys even fostered and raised Hera when she was young. I'm sure it would be simple to open dialogue with them as Oceanus' realm expanded along with your father's. He gains nothing from joining Kronos, but it doesn't hurt to be certain," his friend finished thoughtfully and returned her attention to the laptop.
"That's all well and good, Jackson, but how do you suggest we even talk to them?" Connor Stoll asked, his brother Travis nodded along. "It's not like we can simply Iris Message them, and they would answer… can we?"
"No, it's not that simple, Mr Stoll," Chiron said. "Both Gods and Titans prefer not to be annoyed with IMs all the time. Aside from specific people who are allowed to IM them, the only way to reach them would be through your father, Hermes, in his role as the Messenger of the Gods."
"Even if we know of their location, we have no idea if they would be willing to talk, let alone help. They might even turn us to Kronos for all we know," Silena Beauregard of Aphrodite's cabin said with a shake of her head, swinging her luscious dark mane of hair around.
The Stoll brothers couldn't tear their eyes off her, much to Percy's amusement.
"I can think of a Titan who would most likely help us, provided we free her," Percy declared, as no one was adding anything new. "Some of you may know that I have been M.I.A. for a while following the eruption of St. Helens and have wondered about my whereabouts during that time." That definitely got all of their wandering attention again. "Well, allow me to clear it up. I was marooned in Ogygia and recovered from my ordeal there."
The Stoll brothers leaned forward so much that they risked falling off while Annabeth gave Percy a knowing look before returning to her laptop, and the rest were looking at him curiously.
"Calypso?" Chiron simply asked.
"Yes, Calypso," he nodded.
And for a moment, it seemed like Pandora's box was opened.
"Did our Percy get seduced?"
"What good would she be in battle?!"
"Is she prettier than Aphrodite?"
Before Percy could blink, Katie and Silena were arguing furiously, looking ready to tear at one another. On one side of the table, the Stoll brothers were dancing a jig as they inflamed the two girls' argument, while Michael Yew and Lee Fletcher were laughing boisterously.
Yet Percy firmly kept his gaze on the pensive centaur.
Eventually, the commotion got too far when one of the Stolls tried to throw his bowl of Cheez-Its at Silena, who had started arguing with his brother, only for Charles Beckendorf to grab the bowl from the air and throw it back at its owner.
"SILENCE!" Chiron's shout quickly brought order back to the council. "I must ask this, Percy, do you want to free Calypso because of some promised aid to Olympus or your youthful infatuation?"
The trainer of heroes had a serene expression, like a still lake. Percy grimaced inwardly, it seemed that his motive had easily been seen through.
"I promised to find a way to free her. If I cannot keep such a simple promise to someone to whom I owe my life, then it just wouldn't be me," Percy simply said. There was no point to lie.
And maybe he liked Calypso. Just a little, tiny bit.
There were some knowing looks from the campers, and most of them seemed agreeable with Percy. Oaths and promises were important to keep, especially in their world.
"What do you know about Calypso, Percy?" Annabeth asked suddenly as she stopped typing on her laptop. "I mean, really know about her. Do you know why she was imprisoned in the first place?"
"Of course I do," he straightened up. "She is Atlas' daughter and fought alongside her father against the Gods in the first war. Out of loyalty for her kin."
"All the Titans who fought for Kronos did it out of loyalty," Athena's daughter said quietly. "He was their King. Yet, all of them were punished regardless." Percy stood there, flabbergasted, but his friend forged on, "But let's disregard all of that. What if she is just using you to free her?" The son of Poseidon bristled at the implication. "You need to understand that Calypso isn't a hapless maiden, Percy. She is the daughter of one of the most powerful Titans, and her mother is one of Oceanus' many daughters. She sowed devastation on the Olympian forces in the last war both on land and sea."
At that, Annabeth turned her laptop around to show images of… well, Calypso. Beautiful as always but fully clad in bronze armor with a deadly spear and shield in one picture and shooting an arrow in another really drove the point home. Calypso was indeed a powerful Titaness in her own right. He didn't even think to question how Annabeth found such high-quality images of something that happened four thousand years ago.
"Even in the tales when she kept Odysseus, it was against his will. He was married, yet she did not care, she desired him and felt entitled to keep a married man for seven years away from his family. What does that tell you of her character?"
"And?" If Annabeth thought this would shake him, she was mistaken. "What of it? This is all in the past. The gods were no different in that era, yet they mellowed out in time. As for her power, you can argue that this is even more of a reason to free her and enlist her assistance."
"It may also lead to her immediately joining Kronos," Chiron added quietly, taking the wind out of his sail. "You weren't there. Calypso truly loved her kith and kin. She cared not for Kronos himself and was quick to surrender when he was gone in return for her sisters' safety. There's no doubt in my mind that if her father could be freed from his burden, letting the Four Pillars bear the weight of Ouranos again, she would take it without a shred of hesitation." Percy paled. "No, better to leave her in her gilded cage until at least after Kronos is defeated. We can return to the subject then."
There was a hardness in Chiron's eyes, the son of Poseidon had to admit that… they had a point. The rest of the councilors seemed to agree with Chiron and Annabeth.
But so what?
"Has any of you seen even seen her?" Percy's words were met with silence, and he shook his head. "Indeed. The Olympians changed greatly in the last few millennia, and so did Calypso. Regardless, I made a promise, and I will stand by it."
Maybe it was the stress of weeks in the Labyrinth fighting for his life, or maybe it was the exhaustion of all the shit he'd had to endure and the earlier battle, but Percy couldn't care less but say what was in his mind.
"Percy–"
"Demigods seem to be joining Kronos and that cunt Luke on a daily basis. Even Gods who owe their loyalty to Olympus are defecting, yet you think it's too risky to start recruiting allies of our own?!" Annabeth looked affronted at something, but he was not sure what exactly. At this moment, he couldn't find himself to care either.
"Percy, that's not–"
"I call it as I see it." Percy interrupted again, his breathing hard, and he could feel a familiar tug in his stomach that was itching to be unleashed, as well as a roaring in his ears that felt like waves crashing on rocks.
He could feel the tension rising very high indeed in the room. Percy knew he was being unfair and that he needed to chill. He tried to calm his breathing and ignore his boiling blood, and he very well might have succeeded, but someone decided to pour oil into the fire.
"Did you fall for the bitch so hard that you are forgetting yourself, Prissy? All that bitching you are making sounds a lot like treason to me," Clarisse growled. The room went silent, and Percy froze. It took him a few seconds to acknowledge that she actually insinuated that he had been hoodwinked! "How was it then? Did she tend to you gently, or was she wanton like a whore as she seduced you to her side?"
"Clarisse!" Annabeth stood up, and several councilors began edging away from the table. "That's enough!"
"Clarisse…How is Chris doing?" Percy asked slowly, trying to suppress his raging fury from erupting.
"What do you mean, Jackson?"
"I mean, how is he recovering after selling us out to Kronos? Do not delude yourself into thinking he was anything but a traitor and should be treated as such," he raised his voice and continued relentlessly without giving her a chance to reply. "Yet you seem delighted to be with him day and night since he was discovered. So, how is he, Clarisse?" A mocking smile found its way to his face, and from the edge of his vision, he noticed that most of the councilors had retreated toward the distant wall while Chiron looked… sad. Clarisse's face was so red it looked like it would explode.
"How is it to find someone actually willing to humor an ape like you, let alone hold you? Surprising how it only took an insensate traitor for you to finally bag a boyfriend. Does he drool when you kiss? Was he even able to get it-"
That's as far as Percy went before Clarisse flipped the table with a scream of rage as she charged at him with her dagger. It was beyond simple for Percy to sidestep her reckless charge. He had mentally prepared, so he grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, grabbed Clarisse's hair, and slammed her head into the wall. Percy slammed her head a few more times for good measure. A sweet feeling of satisfaction filled him as she dropped unconscious on the floor, bloody nose broken and front teeth chipped.
He couldn't even help but marvel at the few dents on the wall; those would definitely need to be repaired later on. It all happened so fast that by the time anyone moved to split the fight, it was already over.
His raging fury bled out like the waning tide, and Percy realized what he had done. Half the councilors gazed at him warily while the other half stared with disapproval. But he couldn't care less.
"Think about my proposal," Percy said as he turned to the door. "Otherwise, it won't be long before half the gods have defected. Olympus knows half of this camp has already done so." He made his way outside, nobody daring to stop him.
Percy slowly made his way back to Cabin Three. The hot embers of anger still shimmered, and his attempt to fall asleep on the bed failed miserably. The scent of the Moon Lace finally calmed him as it reminded Percy of her.
Had he really fallen for the Titaness? Was Clarisse right? A grimace formed on his face.
But no, Calypso had been nothing but kind and gracious. Her offer was fresh in his mind, the gentle Titaness had requested that he stay with her, and not once was leaving Ogygia mentioned in any form. It was Percy who had given the promise. And if Calypso was really so dangerous, would Hephaestus be so courteous to her? Would he gift her so many amenities?
He kept shuffling uneasily in his bed, sleep continued eluding him.
Eventually, Percy opened his eyes and gazed at his watch; there was only an hour to midnight. A sardonic chuckle escaped his mouth, the meeting had started at nine, so he had skulked for nearly an hour.
Giving up on sleep for now, he decided to get up and go for a dip in the Sound.
As he was putting on his shoes, his eyes settled on his empty backpack. His mom expected him tomorrow evening, so he decided it would be prudent to pack his things now. It was not like he had anything else to do. The now-filled backpack was left on his bed, and Percy finally made his way outside.
It was silent in the night. The Harpies were obviously doing night's watch, but contrary to popular belief, they couldn't care less about late-night excursions so long as you didn't try to visit other cabins or make trouble in the forest.
Though the nymphs and satyrs would still get you back, as the Stoll brothers would tell you. It also helped that as Cabin Counselor, he enjoyed certain privileges, such as telling them to buzz off if they felt like giving you a hard time. Still, better not to give them a reason to make your life hard.
Percy was about to make his way to the ocean when he noticed light coming from the Big House's rec room. Probably Chiron is still awake waiting for Mr D.
The son of Poseidon found himself sighing. He was very harsh earlier, and while he did not fully agree with the Trainer of Heroes, Percy could respect that Chiron had the benefit of hindsight and experience.
Maybe an apology wouldn't be remiss? He made up his mind and headed to the hill where the House was built. Percy stuck to the shadows just in case, as he didn't feel like arguing with a Harpy over why he was still awake, regardless of being a Counselor.
As he made his way to the deck, Percy noticed there was a slight light in the infirmary where the wounded from the battle stayed, but the rec room's light had turned off during his trek. Instead, there was light on the deck, and he could vaguely hear a conversation.
It looked like Chiron was speaking with someone on the deck. The overpowering scent of wine and grapes assaulted his nose from a hundred feet. Without a doubt, Mr D had finally returned and was being briefed by Chiron.
Yet, as Percy found himself approaching cautiously from their blind spot, he heard his name mentioned and paused. The clouds were hiding the waning moon, and his position in the shadows was well hidden. He could recognize the voices of Chiron, Mr D, and Annabeth. Curiosity gripped him, and Percy decided not to announce himself and quietly made his way from behind the house to crouch under the deck until he was close enough to hear.
"So Perry finally lost it, eh? Always knew he had a short fuse, but to think it would be over a woman," Mr D said with forced levity, but the drunken God was still upset over the passing of his son Castor.
"Percy brought up some excellent arguments over recruiting allies," Chiron replied diplomatically. "The fact that we do not know the stance, let alone the location of several of our own Gods, is quite concerning."
"Oh, worry not. The Big Man has everything under control. Or so he portrays," Mr D lazily waved and popped open a Diet Coke before gulping it all in one go.
The empty can was absentmindedly thrown on the lawn, where it turned into a strawberry bush that literally ran towards the strawberry fields. The god popped another can of Diet Coke but left it open on the table for now.
"Are things so dire in Olympus, Mr D?" Annabeth asked quietly, her laptop closed on her lap.
"Nah, it's not that bad. Believe it or not, all the points that young Peter brought up were discussed in the council after you left, Chiron. We really are doing our best to make sure our allies remain so." Percy was at least happy to hear this. "It's his infatuation with Calypso that is a bit worrying, but not overly so. Good lass, that one. Doesn't have a bad bone in her body."
Chiron frowned at that. "You were not alive during the war, Mr D. You do not truly know what she is capable of."
"Technically, I was alive, but I was old Hades' kid at the time, heh. If you believe the myths, at least" Much to both Percy and Annabeth's confusion. "Regardless, you have a point. It would not do well for our vaunted prophesied hero to be; what was the term? Led astray from his destiny," the god chuckled before taking a sip from his coke.
His heart skipped a beat. Prophesied Hero? So, it was confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that he was the one? Even if he wasn't, it's obvious that at least Olympus believes it so.
"It's not fair!" Annabeth cried abruptly. "Why does it have to be him?! Why not Nico, o-or maybe another child from the Elder Gods? It could be a daughter of Demeter for all we know!"
Percy was shocked at the outburst. What is that all about?
Chiron looked at Annabeth in pity. "You know as well as I, my dear, that there is no one else but Percy. Nico is too young to be the one, as Kronos' rise is indelible. All evidence points that within twelve months, a great battle shall soon be upon us to decide this war. In a year from tomorrow, Perseus would have fulfilled the second line of the Prophecy by turning sixteen." Percy's heart was hammering so loudly in his chest that he was surprised no one could hear it.
"Yes, poor Perry," Mr D agreed with a completely uninterested tone.
"As for the gender of the prophesied hero," Chiron continued, and he seemed to lose decades of his life in that one sentence, "'A single choice shall end his days.' His not hers." Percy could have sworn he heard something shatter. He was not sure what it was, but it may have well been his mind. He slowly started to make his way from the Deck. "Before Thalia joined the Hunt, we assumed it was just a gender-neutral term at the time, but with her choice, it has become obvious that Perseus is without a doubt the Child of Prophecy."
Chiron looked exhausted, Annabeth was shedding silent tears while Mr D drank his coke as he gazed blankly at the sky.
Percy wandered aimlessly through camp. He didn't even remember how he sneaked away without any of them noticing him. Hades, he did not even remember going back to his cabin, yet he was holding his backpack and the pot of Moon Lace.
The son of Poseidon had no idea what to do. Where would he go?
He was destined to die.
For all the times he would have willingly died for any of his friends, the fact that he was basically raised to be a pig for the slaughter hit very differently than him willingly facing death in battle with his head held high.
Percy did not want to die.
He did not fear it, but he did not want to die! There was so much to do, so much to see. He had to make his mom proud. He wanted to grow old, marry and have a family. Some grandchildren for his mother to spoil. The thought of marriage brought a wan smile to his face as he absentmindedly thought about who would want to marry a monster magnet like him.
Eventually, Percy furiously shook his head and broke out of his stupor. He needed to get out of here. Surely enough, his feet had already led him to the Pegasi stable, and he had to only walk a few dozen yards to reach Blackjack's stall.
"You alright there, boss? You don't look so hot," his equine companion said as he rubbed his head with his own.
"I feel like shit, Jack. Can I ask you for a ride?"
"Sure thing, boss man. Just get me out of here, and I'll take you home."
Percy was surprised at how kind Blackjack was right now and patted his neck as he led him out of the stables.
"Not home Jack," he shook his head. "At least not this late at night. Mom is asleep and has a lot to do in the morning, and I'm not ready to face Paul yet after the fiasco in school."
He saddled Blackjack and hopped on his back. The Pegasus galloped away from the stable and jumped into the air, his great wings flapping powerfully and taking them a thousand feet in seconds. He didn't have any friends outside of camp, and he lost his apartment key when St. Helens erupted.
No, Percy did have one friend.
A friend who agreed to help him in his darkest hour without question. He owed her, but he would have to rely on her aid again.
"Take me to New York, Jack," Percy said, hoping she wouldn't mind such a late-night visit. "Take me to Rachel."
After the battle, the campers were all too tired. Nobody would notice Percy's disappearance until the morning.
You will notice that I have opted to change how the campers talk a bit, trying to have them act like grownups. Or what they think grownups act like. The books were written for children, so Riordan had to be careful with the language. There are no worries here, though, as we all know how much of a potty mouth we had as teenagers.
And now a word from my Editor-in-Chief…
Editor's note: Editing this shit has been wild af.