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goldencherriess · 6 months ago

Text

My brother buys us cheeseburgers.

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Fem! Reader

Summary: Y/N finally meets her older brother and she realises that having Percy in her corner is not that bad.

Word count: 13.4k (oops!!!)

Warnings: angst and lots of yearning

Previous part || Series masterlist

The raw grass tickled her feet as she wriggled her toes in the dirt. A giggle escaped her lips as she twirled around, losing her balance and swiftly falling on her bottom. A ray of sunlight sneaked through the pine trees and onto her face as she peered up at the swaying laundry hung between the trees. The dark silhouette of her mother hummed behind a white sheet. Another soft giggle escaped her lips as Y/N got up, her eyes shining with mischief. There was a tall pine tree in front of the cabin that she was always curious to climb. Trees had always entranced her. They reached the skies when she couldn’t.

Tiptoeing through the mud, she peered behind her shoulder. As if sensing her, the stern voice of her mother reached her ears. “Y/N, sweetheart, I hope you’re not about to do what I think you’re about to do.”

Her face flushed in embarrassment and she remained rooted on the spot, her toes now sticking deep into earth. “No,” she mumbled. Her mother had never agreed with her climbing up trees. Or anything high, for that matter (“What if you crack your head open? What will I do with myself, then? Who will I have to love, if not you?”)

“Are you sure?” her mother replied, stretching the last word as she drew back a white sheet blowing in the wind.

Y/N nodded her head, hiding her hands behind her back. Her mother cocked an eyebrow. Y/N had a feeling she saw right through her. She always presumed her mom had a built-in lie detector. She always did seem to catch her red-handed. Like that one time she snuck in the kitchen during the night to greedily lick a bowl full of chocolate cream, which her mom was saving for her birthday cake. She was soon turning five years old.

A small smile brightened her mother’s face, dimples adorning her cheeks. “Alright. But don’t go too far, honey.”

Y/N gave a solemn nod, waiting for her mom to disappear behind the laundry again, before she skipped towards the pine tree. It was scraping the sky proudly and Y/N almost giggled at the sight of it. She raised her little hands at the level of her eyes. She was well aware that she was too small and the tree was too tall, but there was mischief twinkling in her eyes and a smile pulling at her lips. She let the palms touch the bark, before she reached towards the lowest branch. With a grunt, she heaved herself up, raising her foot and climbing on it. A playful breeze ruffled her locks and she softly giggled, reaching towards the next branch, gazing towards the crystal skies. Her foot slipped, a splinter cutting into her skin and drawing blood, and she let out a scream as the hold on the branch slacked and gave away. The top of the pine tree was shrinking as Y/N heard the distanced cry of her mother.

Then a delicate, cool breeze hugged her from behind, ruffling her hair and encircling her arms. It gently lowered her on the ground and Y/N blinked upwards at the skies. The footsteps of her mother thundered on the ground as she came into her vision, her face suddenly pale. She picked her up, holding her against her hip, while worriedly checking her injuries.

“Mommy, did you see that?” asked Y/N, pointing towards the branch she fell from. “I flew, the wind played with me, mommy. It didn’t let me fall.”

Her mother sighed, looking her in the eyes. “Yes, I saw, sweetheart, but we can’t always rely on the wind, now can we?”

“But, mommy, it took care of me.”

Her mother softly smiled at her, caressing her hair. She leaned over her forehead, planting a gentle kiss there. “I know. The wind loves you.” She hugged her daughter to her chest. “The wind and the skies love you. And someday, you will understand why.”

A tear slipped down Y/N’s cheek as the memory flashed before her eyes. She let out a shuddering breath as chill raked her arms. She was falling much like she did that sunny day, back when she was still living in the cabin in the woods with her dear mother. Back when the sun seemed to always shine between the branches and the leaves of the forest.

Growing up, she was never afraid of heights. She used to climb trees taller than the cabin in hopes of reaching the skies. She wasn’t afraid of climbing them, not even when her hands and feet slipped. Because if she did, somehow a gust of wind embraced and let her down gently.

But now, when she was rushing towards the earth, she had realised that maybe, just maybe, she should have listened to her mother. Maybe, just maybe she feared falling from the sky. And that maybe, just maybe she would meet her doom all the way down.

She squeezed her eyes shut, wind whistling past her ears, whipping her hair around. She was suddenly reminded of that night four years ago when she first arrived at Camp. When she stubbornly opened the door to a moving car and jumped out. She wanted to shriek at the memory, to forget the rumbling storm and icy rain drops, but no sound escaped past her lips. She was pretty sure she could taste them if she opened her mouth. She was more than ready to meet her demise when a gentle breeze hugged her from behind, righting her in a standing position. Her hair had fallen back and she opened her eyes when she felt her feet touch the ground.

She knew it then.

She breathed out and raised her gaze towards the sky in a silent thank you. A thunder rumbled, but as fast as it came, it went. Her skin still pricked of energy, goosebumps raking her arms. She gulped, moving her gaze away from the clouds towards the Arch. Smoke billowed in the wind, swirling towards the sky and hiding the top like a veil. She flexed her hand once she realised she lost her bow and arrows forever.

A siren wailed in the distance and she whipped her head around. The police and an ambulance were rushing down the road, towards the Arch in flashing lights of red and blue and Y/N quickly came to the conclusion that a child like her could raise questions near a smoking and wrecked monument. Taking a few steps backwards, she let her eyes roam around her surroundings, and seeing no sign of Percy, she took off towards the Mississippi river, her heart thundering in her chest.

The sun was now clearing away the clouds, throwing golden rays onto the river. Her soles burned against the pavement, inside her Converse. There was a knot in her throat as she searched the surface of the river.

“Percy?!” she croaked out, a few strands of hair falling onto her face. “Percy, can you hear me?”

A splash resounded from somewhere to her right and she whipped her head towards it, the knot now falling down into her chest, squeezing her beating heart. Her feet carried her away, closer to the water and she came to an abrupt stop once her eyes caught sight of a soaked Percy standing in front of her and blinking in the sunlight. The knot came undone and she sighed in relief, before a surging anger travelled through her veins. “You!” she yelled, pointing at him.

“Hello to you too,” he replied nonchalantly, a small smile pulling at his lips.

“You— you idiot!” she added, marching up to him, a frown darkening her features.

“I thought I was a seaweed brain.”

“You moron!”

“I honestly prefer seaweed brain.”

“What were you thinking?!” she said, shoving him in the shoulder.

“Ow! That hurt!”

Y/N froze, her furrow falling from her face, a genuine concern replacing it and simmering in her eyes. “Does it still hurt?” she asked meekly, thoughts of the Chimera poisoning her mind.

“No. But it’s nice that you care,” grinned Percy.

She scoffed, disbelief washing over her features. “This is no laughing matter! I was worried! We all were actually–”

“I know.”

“I thought that you had died–”

“I know,” he sighed. “But I’m fine. More than fine, actually. Things are different now,” he replied, smiling down at her, the blue in his eyes resembling the ocean at the sunrise.

Y/N blinked, her eyebrows twitching. “Different how?”

Percy moved his gaze away from her towards the river beside them. “My dad… He saved me.”

She followed his gaze, furrow softening. The little waves were catching the sunlight and the water almost seemed golden. The sky was now crystal clear and Y/N could have basked in the tranquility of it all if she ignored the fact that she was in a race against time. She turned her gaze back on Percy. His eyes were shining in the sun, the pool of his ocean reflecting the depth of the river. A few drops of water rolled out of his hair, trickling down his forehead and Y/N watched it glisten.

“He healed me,” continued Percy softly. “I breathed.” He turned to look at her. “I could breathe underwater.”

“I was really worried,” replied Y/N, meeting his gaze.

“I know, I’m sorry.” He fully turned his body towards her, a few drops of water sliding down his temple at the movement. “I’m really sorry, but I had to do it. Nothing gets past you, you’re so stubborn and I couldn’t let you, nor Annabeth fight that thing, so I–”

Y/N huffed before she jumped, letting her arms encircle his neck, bringing him into a hug. He smelled salty. Y/N had never gone to the ocean, or beach for that matter, but his scent strangely reminded her of that. He was cold and his soaked clothes sent a shiver down her spine. She felt him hesitate before he gently put his hand around her middle. “Never do that again,” she ordered, but her tone was soft.

He didn’t reply, a silence interrupted only by the sloshing of the river and the whirring of a distant helicopter falling between them.

“I’m glad you’re alive, fish face,” whispered Y/N.

“Fish face?” furrowed Percy as he stepped back from the hug. “Just how many nicknames do you still have left?”

She shrugged “I don’t know. I’m not counting them.” A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. “Unlike you.”

He opened his mouth to reply, his eyes twinkling with mischief but Annabeth’s strained voice cut the air. “Y/N! Percy!”

Y/N turned on her heels, her heart beating out of her chest. She squinted against the sun as Annabeth’s worried face morphed in the sunlight. Her eyebrows were raised in disbelief and her eyes shone with a worry Y/N hadn’t seen before. She let her gaze slide toward Grover who was slightly panting. And Y/N figured she had scared him a bit too much when she took off running down the stairs. An apologetic smile started to flourish on her lips.

“Hi,” she heard Percy say beside her and she almost scoffed at his nonchalant tone. “Look, I’m sorry about shoving you in the stairwell. Shoving both of you”, he added as he glanced at Y/N, who just rolled her eyes in response. “Even hearing myself say that sounds really bad, but I just– I knew none of you would never agree and there wasn’t enough time–”

Annabeth reached them in three long strides and pulled both of them in a bone crushing hug. Y/N yelped, almost losing her footing before she melted into the group hug, letting her hand fall on Annabeth’s back. A warmth travelled through her body, making its home in her heart and she smiled. She met Grover’s gaze over her friend’s shoulder. He softly smiled back at her, just like he did all those years ago when they first met. She closed her eyes, basking in the quietness of the moment, well aware Percy’s shoulder was touching her own. An electric energy, now familiar, caressed her skin and she smiled at the feeling of it.

“So… you’re not as dead as we thought you’d be,” voiced the satyr, pointing at them and smiling slightly. There was a note of relief in his tone.

Y/N stepped out of the hug and met Percy’s eyes.

“Surprise,” he said, smiling.

Confusion pulled Grover’s lips into a frown. “But– but you’re not wet, Y/N. How did you–?”

The girl felt her best friend’s steady gaze on her and she shuffled her feet, a heat creeping up her neck.

“If Poseidon didn’t save you, then who did? continued Grover, watching her.

“Zeus,” replied Annabeth, her voice sure. “Zeus saved her.”

“What?” exclaimed Percy, as he turned his full body towards her.

Y/N scoffed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. “There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

“But that means–”

“Yes. I’m a forbidden child, seaweed brain.” Her eyes locked onto his. “Just like you.” A look of understanding passed between them, as Percy’s eyes turned a darker shade of blue. They were both different in ways others would never understood. Y/N suddenly remembered her first Capture the Flag. She remembered how a gust of wind seemed to appear out of nowhere and hit Clarisse in the chest. She remembered how there always seemed to be that eagle in the sky, closely watching over her. How every time she touched the bark of Thalia’s pine tree, an almost familiar energy welcomed her, pricking and tickling her fingertips. How she always seemed at peace near her tree, despite never having met her. How that one lightning saved her from the two-headed dog all these years ago. How it saved her now.

Percy mustered a soft, encouraging smile and Y/N let her hands fall to her sides.

“What happened?” asked Grover.

She shifted her gaze onto him and inhaled a breath of air. “I killed the Chimera.”

Surprise overtook Grover’s features and he babbled. Y/N let a laugh escape her lips. “Someone wasn’t too happy about it.”

“And short version, we need to go to Santa Monica” added Percy, blinking a drop of water out of his eye.

Y/N’s eyebrows shot to the top of her head and she met her friends’ gazes, exchanging looks of surprise.

“What, like now?” asked Grover.

Percy just nodded, shifting his gaze between the three of them.

“We’re supposed to head towards Los Angeles, kelp head,” said Y/N.

“And we will. But first we need to make a stop at Santa Monica. My father’s gonna meet me there. He’s gonna help us.”

Y/N detected a note of hopefulness in his voice, a light, airy confidence striking sure words and a straightened back posture. She raised her eyes to the skies in a silent question, waiting for a response, for a sign if they’d ever meet. The sky was crystal clear but she could have sworn she saw a lightning flash in the distance.

“Okay. Uh, just one problem with this plan,” said Grover as Y/N pulled her gaze away from the horizon. “The police think we crashed an Amtrak train and then did that.” He pointed towards the Arch. Black smoke raised towards the skies, undulating like an inky veil.

“Th– the cops are after us?” asked the blond.

“Yeah.”

“Great, I’ve always wanted to be a fugitive,” voiced Y/N, rolling her eyes.

“Isn’t that gonna make it hard for us to get on a train? Or a bus? Or really anything you need tickets for?”

“We’ll just have to walk,” replied Y/N as she shared a look with Annabeth. Athena’s daughter nodded, a twinkle of determination shining in her eyes. “And be careful not to be seen.” She turned to look at Grover and Percy as she squared her shoulders and took in a breath. “Come on, we have a long way to go.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Sweat trickled down Y/N’s temple as the sun beat down the crown of her head. She huffed out a breath as she watched her shadow stretch on the pavement. It walked ahead of her with steady, albeit tired steps. It collided with Percy’s shadow and she glanced up at him before she moved her gaze away. A bird cawed in the distance and with a heavy heart Y/N realised it wasn’t an eagle’s cry.

“Hey, guys,” voiced Percy. “I think this quest might be harder than we thought. I’ve been thinking.” Y/N glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “I didn’t steal the master bolt. You guys didn’t steal the master bolt. I mean, why would you? Y/N didn’t even know Zeus was her father until a few hours ago. We’re pretty sure Hades has the master bolt, but he couldn't have stolen it himself.”

“You’re quite the Sherlock Holmes, aren’t you?” asked Y/N, a smirk tugging at her lips.

The blond rolled his eyes, but there was a grin threatening to blossom. “I mean, we don’t even know who actually stole the thing, or why, or how deep this goes.”

Silence stretched on for a few moments as Y/N exchanged looks with Annabeth and Grover.

“I’m the last person to realise this, aren't I?” continued Percy, looking towards Y/N. She only smiled.

“Yeah,” answered Athena’s daughter.

“Okay, so…” he sighed, lowering his gaze. “Maybe when we started, my head wasn’t fully in this, but since the river…” His voice faded as he raised his gaze towards the horizon. “It all feels different somehow. He saved me. My dad. I guess I just never really thought that’s something he’d do for me.”

His words echoed back to Y/N and she found comfort in them. She glanced at her hands and for a split moment she was sure she saw purple crackling energy enveloping her skin. But as fast as it came, it went.

“So, maybe I gotta take things more seriously now.”

A revving engine cut through the air and the four of them stopped in their tracks. Y/N threw a look over her shoulder, squinting.

“Car,” said the satyr.

Y/N frowned, blinking. It didn’t sound like the engine of a car. She knew what a car sounded like. Her aunt used to drive her to school everyday. She couldn’t pick her up every time, though. Sometimes she worked two shifts, other times she struggled to juggle two jobs. There was never enough time. So, Y/N either walked home or took the bus. She hated both options. She’d rather teleport back in her room, under the covers, waiting for something to change.

“That’s not a car, it’s a bike. Just let it pass. Come on,” voiced Annabeth, as she pulled her by the hand.

They hurried to hide behind a stone barrier stretching along the empty road, cowering as they did so. Y/N took a seat on the dusty ground, squeezed between Annabeth and Poseidon's son. Her shoulder was touching Percy’s and she shifted slightly away.

“I’m saying, we’re not just trying to retrieve a thing,” he continued, looking between them. “I think we might need to be detectives here, too.”

“Yeah,” replied Annabeth, her tone even.

Y/N glanced at her. It wasn’t often when Annabeth was on edge. The only time she ever saw her that way was when the Chimera was hunting them down. But this time, Y/N could feel her worry and nervousness in cold waves. There was an alarming look in her eyes as she looked at the ground in front of them, moving them as if she was searching for something. And then, Y/N knew. Her friend was trying to make sense of something, to find some answers, some logic, to predict something. Or to prevent it.

She let her hand fall on her friend’s and Athena’s daughter moved her gaze onto her. Y/N tipped her head to the side, her eyes softening. A question was forming in her eyes, but Annabeth only sighed.

Percy’s voice cut the silence. “Why are you being weird with me again?” He was looking over Y/N’s shoulder at Annabeth, an eyebrow cocked. “I thought we weren’t doing that anymore.”

“I’m not being weird,” replied Annabeth as she pulled her hand away from her hold.

“Yes, you are. You’ve been weird since we left the Arch.”

Annabeth sighed as she met Y/N’s eyes.

Percy’s mouth morphed into a perfect “O”. “Oh, I get it” He shrugged, still looking at Athena’s daughter. “It doesn't have to be a thing, you know. That you hugged me.”

Y/N almost huffed in surprise. A heavy weight settled on her heart as she moved her eyes between her best friend and the blond, before she shook the thought away, frowning in confusion at herself.

Annabeth sighed. “Oh, boy.”

“I mean, we’re like friends now,” nodded Percy. He let his eyes fall on Zeus’ daughter, the ocean in them turning a lighter shade of cerulean. “And anyway, it was a group hug. Y/N hugged me too. That seems like a thing friends do.” He blinked and moved his gaze away from her. “At least, I think they do.”

“I saw the Fates.”

Y/N stiffened and she snapped her head towards Annabeth. “What?”

“Back at the Arch, I saw the Three Fates, and I saw Atropos cut two pieces of thread.”

“And that’s bad or…?” questioned Percy as he looked down at Y/N.

“Well, it’s not great,” she replied, a shiver running down her spine.

Grover gulped. “The Fates weave the life strand of every living thing. When you see a string cut–”

“It means death,” interrupted Y/N, her throat closing in.

“It means two of us are going to die,” added Athena’s daughter, her hands clenching her knees, knuckles turning white.

Y/N let her head fall against the stone barrier. It was of the most scorching heat and she let out a silent breath. She wasn’t a stranger to death. She first looked into its eyes at the raw age of six. They bore the warmth of a mother and the empty depth of no tomorrows. Y/N blinked and the pain of the memory subsided, leaving in its wake the heavy weight of a silver necklace. She felt a gentle nudge from her right and she turned to meet Annabeth’s reassuring gaze as if she already knew what she was thinking of. She always knew. Y/N sent her a grateful, small smile before turning away.

“We’re all gonna die eventually,” voiced Percy.

“Some of us leave too soon,” Y/N replied wistfully, gazing into the distance.

“I’m sure it’s not the case here, thunder girl.”

Upon hearing the nickname, she spared him a glance. He was bearing a slightly crooked smile, his eyes still clear as day. They strangely reminded Y/N of the river from behind the cabin she was brought up in. Much more blue, but equally crystalline, shining. “Yeah,” she breathed out, taken aback.

He shrugged. “I’m sure no one’s gonna die. At least, not now.”

“Soon,” said Annabeth, a tremor hidden well in her tone. “It’s a warning, an omen.”

The approaching revving of an engine reached Y/N’s ears and she backed more into the stone barrier. She turned to shush Percy once he started to sigh, but he just ignored her, turning to look at Grover. “Okay. Guys, we need to talk about this whole fate thing.”

She huffed out in annoyance as she tugged him on the arm in an attempt to silence him. He only jabbed her in the side. “Three old ladies with a ball of yarn can’t know what’s gonna happen. What I choose to do changes what’s gonna happen, and I choose to do anything I…want.” His voice faded in a question as silence fell between, the revving of the engine no longer filling the air.

Y/N frowned, her hold on Percy’s arm going slack.

“Need some help?” a hoarse voice cut the air like shards scratching concrete.

She shared a look with her friends, starting to shake her head once Percy began getting up. She tugged on his arm once again, that familiar knot settling in her throat for the second time that day, but he just helped her upwards. She sighed through her nose, throwing him a short glare before Grover’s gentle tone caught her attention.

“Beg pardon?”

“I asked if you could use some help,” the stranger repeated.

Her eyebrows twitched. He was dressed as one of those characters from the show her aunt used to watch late into the night (after she tucked her in, she used to tiptoe all the way into the living room and click on the TV to watch some biker soap opera. And Y/N used to listen in until she fell asleep). But the sight of him, for some reason, ignited a searing fire through her veins. Red flashed before her eyes as she gritted her teeth in an unexplainable anger.

“Nope. No. We’re– we’re good. Appreciate you asking, though. So long,” replied Grover in a meek voice.

Y/N felt Annabeth pull her by the hand back behind the barrier and she fell in her seat, the shade cooling the fire in her veins. A single drop of sweat trickled down her chin, falling on the concrete with a deaf splash.

“You don’t seem too good.”

She sighed. “We were fine until you came, actually,” she yelled out. “Just leave us alone.”

“We don’t want anything from you,” added the daughter of Athena as she peeked over the barrier.

The biker let out a laugh. “You sure? Because you guys are so behind schedule.”

Y/N froze. She shared a look with Annabeth before she slowly got to her feet, the others closely following suit. “Say that again?” she frowned.

“You are so, so behind schedule. And someone isn’t very happy about it,” he sang, with a grin stretching on his lips. As if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance, the sun now hiding behind grey, heavy clouds. “I mean, summer solstice is just a few days away. And as much as I’d love to see a good war pop off, as your big cousin and brother, I feel like, maybe I wanna give you a hand.”

Y/N’s breath hitched and her hands fisted, searching for the familiar curve of her bow but coming up empty.

“Cousin?” inquired Percy.

“Ares,” responded Y/N and Annabeth in unison.

“Ah, yes, my little sister. I looked forward to meeting you, but I gotta say, so far you haven’t given me a warm welcome.”

Y/N scoffed, crossing her arms. “How did you even–?”

“Come on, I thought you were smarter than that. An unclaimed kid shoots lightning out of her hands and kills the Chimera? I’d say it’s pretty obvious. And you know how fast news travels.”

Y/N moved her gaze away, her blood boiling.

“And you must be Athena’s kid,” continued Ares, a note of disdain surfacing in his tone. “Always gotta be the wisest one in the bunch.”

“Why would you help us?” asked Annabeth. “How do you even know about what we’re doing out here?”

“Because I’m doing exactly the same thing as you.” The god’s eyes panned onto Y/N. “Zeus sent all of his kids out looking for the master bolt, too.” At the mention of her father, she met his eyes with a furrowed gaze. “Listen, dummies. I’m hungry. There’s a halfway decent diner up the road. If you want my help, you’ll meet me there. But don’t dawdle. Won’t wait forever.” He smirked, nodding at Y/N. “Wanna hop on, kid?”

The girl felt Percy stiffen beside her and she raised her chin. “Thanks, but I’d rather walk,” she replied, wearing a strained smile.

“Your loss,” he said as he put on his eyeglasses, despite no sunrays dancing in the skies. The engine came to life once again, he threw them one last smile and he revved down the road, his coat flapping in the wind. Dust swirled upwards in his wake and Y/N almost coughed.

“That’s my cousin?” questioned Percy in disbelief.

“And my brother, apparently.”

“What kind of family is this?”

“A twisted one,” she replied as she watched the retreating form of Ares disappear into the horizon.

“Come on,” waved Annabeth as she started down the path, as a few shy, golden sun rays started to peek through the clouds. Y/N followed her without looking back.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The door opened with a cheerful chiming as Y/N stepped into the diner. She was immediately hit with the appetizing smell of fried food. The rich aroma filled the air and she gulped as her stomach grumbled. She turned around and held the door open for Percy, who sent her a small smile in thanks. She hesitantly smiled back.

She let her eyes roam around the whole room, quickly realising that the restaurant was a faithful image of the one her aunt worked at for a long amount of time as a waitress. Y/N recalled how sometimes she would hang around there when her aunt used to take two shifts. She would try to do her homework, but would give up after the words jumbled stubbornly in front of her eyes (English was the worst of them all, but for some odd reason she used to excel in Ancient Greek. Now she knew why).

She caught sight of a small family taking lunch together and a warmth blanketed her heart. The father gave more of his fries to his small daughter, before sending a knowing wink to his wife, and suddenly the warmth was replaced by green envy and Y/N had to swallow the sigh that almost escaped her lips.

A roaring laughter filled the air and Y/N whipped her head around. Ares was sitting alone at a table for four, with two filled plates of fries and cheeseburgers, holding his phone in his hand as he tipped his head back in laughter.

“Guess this is the right place,” voiced Percy.

Y/N pursed her lips and followed him to the table, the soft pattering of shoes telling her the others were close behind. Ares shook with a jittering chuckle as he typed something on his phone. He spared them a glance. “Gimme a second, I’m just starting a fight on Twitter here.”

Y/N sighed as she squeezed in between Percy and Grover.

“Nothing makes me happier than a good-old fashioned, burn-it-down fight,” the god snickered. He threw his phone on the table. “Ah. Okay, done.” He leaned on the table, smiling as he watched all four of them. “So, your quest… is going to fail. Ask me how I know.”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. For a split moment she had the urge to kick him under the table. Instead, she simply scowled.

“It isn’t going to fail,” affirmed the son of Poseidon.

A scoff turned chuckle escaped Ares’ lips. He picked up his phone and held it out for them. “For starters…”

Y/N frowned as she leaned closer to it. A man in his forties was headlining the ABX News. There were a few tears rolling down his cheeks and into his moustache but his lips slightly tugging in a satisfied smile betrayed him. “Percy was always troubled, but I never thought he was capable of something like this.”

Her eyebrows shot to the top of her head and she turned to look at Percy.

“Wh– who’s that?” she heard Grover say.

“My stepdad. What’s he doing?”

“Wait for it,” grinned Ares.

“And in addition to the destruction at the Gateway Arch you believe he may also have had something to do with your wife’s disappearance?” a static voice filled the silence between them.

“A kid that messed up? What wouldn’t he do?” replied Percy’s stepfather.

Disgust twisted Y/N’s gut. “Idiot,” she mumbled. Ares must have heard her, as he sent her a small smirk.

“What?” exclaimed the blond.

“Wild, right?” responded the god. “The FBI is already spreading your picture around.”

Y/N inhaled through her nose, as she furiously stared at the screen.

“It’s a Camaro. I really– we really loved that car. So much,” sobbed the stepfather.

Y/N’s lips curled in disdain. “He’s an idiot,” she repeated.

“I’m gonna kill him,” voiced Percy, clenching his jaw.

“I knew I was gonna like you,” said Ares, pride coating his words. “But that’s not all.” His finger slid on the phone screen and a new video played. Y/N started once she saw the concerned face of a woman speaking into the microphone a reporter had thrusted into her mouth. By the looks of her red eyes, she must have cried. She absently heard Percy asking her who the woman was, but all Y/N could focus on was the unshed tears and the eye bags under her eyes.

“Is that your mom?”

“No, she’s–” Y/N blinked and swallowed. “I don’t–”

“Aw, so emotional,” cooed Ares. “It’s been a long time since you’ve last seen her, isn't it? Unfortunately, she’s currently being questioned about why her niece wrecked the Arch, along with a boy wanted by the FBI. So, you know, it isn’t a pretty picture.”

“No, she’s a good kid, it’s not her fault. I know her. My Y/N would never do this,” her aunt’s voice trembled.

He turned off his phone, the screen turning black. Y/N found it hard to tear her eyes away from it.

“Safe to say, the chances of you four idiots hitchhiking the rest of the way to L.A. without getting arrested are slim to none.”

“Why are you sitting here then?” questioned Annabeth, her tone harsh. “If you’re supposed to be looking for the master bolt, too, shouldn’t you be out there looking for it?

A small laugh passed Ares’ lips. “Hm, there’s no fear in you, is there?”

The girl only shook her head in reply.

“Doesn’t matter. Whether the bolt’s retrieved or not, Zeus is going to war with Poseidon.”

Y/N stiffened. She gulped as she shared a look with Percy. She suddenly realised that if she was a child of thunder and lightning, and him one of the waves and sea foam, a war would pull them to different shores and that thought alone sent a shiver down her spine.

“No. The Oracle said if we return the bolt there wouldn’t be a war,” he frowned.

“Is that what she said? Or is that what Chiron said she meant?”

Silence fell for a few moments between them.

“You’re new to the family, young one, so let me fill you in on how we work,” voiced Ares, his gaze locked onto the blond. “See, years before I was born, my grandpa Kronos ate my aunts and uncles.” He leaned closer, the look in his eyes blazing. “Yeah. Then my dad made him puke them back up, then chopped him into a million pieces and chucked ‘em into a bottomless pit, so that kinda set the tone right outta the gate. Olympians fight. We betray. We backstab. We will push anyone down a flight of stairs to get ahead.” A grin stretched on his lips. “And that’s why I love my family so much. My dad knows he’s not getting this bolt back with quests or goose chases. He knows there’s a war coming. And in reality, I think he’s okay with that. I think he feels it’s just time for a war, so we’re gonna have a war. Isn’t that great?”

“You’re sick,” spoke up Y/N. Her stomach churned as she looked at her supposed brother. His presence alone awoke in her a deep rooted hatred and a fire that burned her from inside out.

His gaze panned onto her, still grinning. “No, sweetheart, I’m loyal to the family.”

She sarcastically smiled back. “Really? Could’ve fooled me. How’s Clarisse doing?”

The grin slowly fell from his face as he stared back at her. He gritted his teeth, a habit that Y/N realised they had in common when getting mad. He cracked a bitter smile. “You have daddy’s temper. But then again, it does run in the family.”

“Does ugliness run in the family too?”

Ares went to open his mouth but Percy’s firm voice cut the air. “We’re completing this quest. We’re stopping this war. You said you can help.” He raised his eyebrows. “Can you?”

The god moved his gaze away from his sister and onto Percy. He softly sighed. “Okay, so here it is. There’s an amusement park up the road. I left my shield there. You get me my shield back, and I’ll get you to the Underworld by lunch tomorrow with a plan to invade Hades’ palace.”

“You left your shield? Like, forgot it on the merry-go-round?” inquired Annabeth, raising an eyebrow.

Ares’ gaze hardened and he leaned on the table. “Okay. The chirping was funny to me for a minute, but it is getting old.”

“What, like you?” sneered Y/N.

“You have quite the sharp tongue, kiddo.”

“You have quite the ugly face.”

The god breathed out through his nostrils, much like an angered bull would. “So do we have a deal, or am I killing all four of you so I can eat in peace?” he said in a raised voice.

Y/N backed into her seat, her thigh grazing Percy’s.

“Okay,” the blond agreed after he took a look at her.

A grin illuminated the god’s face and he leaned back. “Great. One catch. I really do need that shield back, so I’m gonna keep the satyr here as collateral so you don’t run off,” he pointed a finger towards Grover.

Y/N jumped in her seat, a frown darkening her features.

“What? No,” protested Annabeth.

“Okay,” interjected the satyr.

“Grov, no,” pleaded Y/N, looking at him, starting to shake her head.

He reassuringly smiled. “It’s okay.”

“No way,” interjected Percy, turning in his seat. “We don’t split up again.”

“It’s okay,” repeated Grover, sending him a slight smile. It fell from his face as he turned to look at Ares. “If he wanted to kill us, we’d be dead by now.”

Y/N searched the god’s face for any hint of deceit. She found none as he looked into her eyes, bearing that conceited smirk of his. She felt her rage spike up and she scowled his way.

“Can I just walk them to the door?” asked Grover softly.

Ares only sighed and waved them out. Y/N burned holes into his forehead once she saw him picking up his phone back again, a laugh rumbling from his chest. In a fit of fiery rage, she kicked the leg of his chair when she passed it, making it tumble forward into the table with a resounding smack. He turned around, searching for the culprit, that blazing, crazy look back in his eyes. She only smiled and shrugged innocently.

“Okay, look. Don’t engage with him,” declared Annabeth once they reached the door. “He’ll wanna get you riled up, get in your head and you can’t let him.”

“It’s okay. really,” replied the satyr, mustering an encouraging smile. “I know what I’m doing.”

“We know you do, Grov. Just–” Y/N sighed. “Just be careful. Don’t let him get to you.”

The satyr nodded. “Don’t worry. Go. Get the shield. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Y/N hesitated for a moment, looking back at her friend before she stepped forward to hug him close. She felt him quickly hug her back, his warmth enveloping like the most awaited sun shining after a heavy winter. When she stepped back, Annabeth’s hand met her shoulder. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” responded Y/N, throwing Ares one last glare. “Let’s do this.”

The door closed with a ding after the three of them and a tug at Y/N’s heart told her they would find more than they bargained for.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Darkness fell as Y/N’s Converse scuffled against the dusty path. She breathed out as she gazed ahead, into the hidden horizon. There was a chill just settling into her bones when she heard Percy speak.

“Did you really come back for me?”

Y/N blinked, sharing a quick look with her best friend, but Annabeth started quickening her steps, leading them into the tar-like air. She sighed in frustration.

“What?” she replied, not meeting his eyes. She could feel them steadily on her, watching her every move. A shiver went down her spine. She blamed it on the cold.

“At the Arch. Did you come back for me?”

She spared him a brief glance before she sighed. “Yes.”

“Why?”

She finally braved her trembling heart and turned her head to look at him. His eyes were shining with the light of hope, as if he was waiting for a certain kind of answer. He searched her face for any clues, any crease of eye, any tug of lip to betray her well hidden thoughts. But her face remained devoid of emotion. “Because it’s the right thing to do,” she replied, her tone even.

His lips parted. “Right,” he muttered.

Y/N pursed her own lips before she rushed to Annabeth. Her ears picked up on Percy falling into step with them and a heat pricked up her neck. She felt Annabeth look at her from the corner of her eye and she was suddenly a small child being judged for stealing a candy from the dentist’s counter.

She straightened her back once she saw an open gate, as if it were waiting for them for some time now, on which “Welcome to Waterland” was written in bold and enormous letters. “That must be it,” she said, as she pointed towards it. She stared up at it, letting her gaze take all of it in. It seemed abandoned. There were no fairy lights or merry-go-rounds. Or any joyous children’s laughter. There was no sweet aroma of cotton candy hovering in the air. She would have preferred to pay it a visit during the daylight, but between fighting the Chimera for lunch and retrieving a shield at night, she’d choose the latter. At least she wasn’t alone.

The wind picked up and ruffled her locks, an eerie silence howling beyond the gate.

“I haven’t seen a lot of horror movies, but this seems like exactly the kind of place they’d suggest to avoid,” voiced Percy, stopping in his tracks.

“Very encouraging, fish face. It helps a lot, thanks.”

He sent her an apologizing grimace.

“I’ve never seen any kind of movie. I’ll have to take your word for it,” said Annabeth as they started walking through the gate.

“Never? What do you mean never like, never-never?” asked Percy, looking at her over Y/N’s head.

“Is there another kind?”

“Well,” breathed in the blond, “if neither of us is dead in a few days, we really ought to fix that. You’re missing out. The four of us could go to the cinema or have a movie night.”

Y/N briefly looked at him. An image of the four of them sprawling on her aunt’s favourite carpet in front of the TV sharpened itself in her mind. Her aunt would bring them snacks and fawn over them. Eventually, she would start narrating embarrassing stories about her niece (which, alas, weren't that many, as they only met once her mom got too sick to take care of her on her own). A warmth blossomed in her chest and she softly smiled at the thought. She could pretend she was a normal child, for once.

“In the meantime, we should probably get this over with, though,” added Percy as he stepped forward to a turnstile. It was rusty at best and Y/N hesitated as she watched Percy push the gate open. Screeching metal reached her ears and she winced.

“Wait, Percy, stop!” exclaimed Annabeth, reaching out.

The boy flinched, stopping abruptly between the bars, stuck in the middle of the turnstile. Clinging, furious metal filled the air from somewhere from above. Y/N raised her gaze, every fiber in her muscles tensed as she took a step forward.

“Wait, what just happened?” asked Percy, panic trembling in his tone.

“Just hold still,” continued Annabeth, her hands still held out. “Gimme a second.”

Y/N frowned as she caught sight of the flicker. The metal was shining bronze in the moonlight and it wasn’t rusted. It looked clean and sharp and familiar. She started as she fisted her hand, almost feeling the ghost of her lost bow and bronze arrows. “Is that–”

“Yeah, I believe so,” sighed Annabeth, turning to look at her. “But why would–”

“Hey, is it what, exactly?” yelled Percy, his voice strained. His eyes were glued to the metal screeching above him, his jaw clenched. Y/N recognized the fear. It was reflecting in the way he stood upright, tensed and on edge. As if he were helpless, as if he couldn’t do anything about it. He turned his head to meet her eyes, looking for help and answers.

“In the mechanism there, that’s Celestial bronze,” clarified Athena’s daughter, wonder twinkling in her gaze as she stared up.

“Oh, fascinating,” he spat out, sarcasm coating his tongue, as he shifted his gaze away from Y/N and onto Annabeth.

“Celestial bronze is what your sword is made of.”

“What my arrows were made of,” added Y/N as she stepped closer to the turnstile. The past tense on the verb and the felt absence of her weapons left an ache, a hole in her right hand. She flexed it as she studied the mechanism. She wished she still had her bow and arrows. They would have been no use, but at least she would have felt that she had some control over the situation. The metal creaked and she winced, inhaling through her teeth.

“If you’re human, it’ll pass right through you,” continued Annabeth. “If you’re a monster or a demigod…” Her voice faded, the rest of the sentence weighing heavily in the air between them.

Percy gulped, still eyeing the mechanism. “Well, what’s it doing there?” he asked in a raised tone.

“That’s a great question,” voiced Annabeth. She let her eyes roam around, through the darkness and beyond the gate. “Safe to say, this is not just some amusement park.”

A chill ran down Y/N’s spine and she turned her head, searching in the dark. She had the odd feeling as if someone was watching her. Spying on her from behind.

“A god built this,” she heard her best friend say. A breeze picked up and raked her arm, goosebumps lying in its wake. For a split moment, she almost thought she heard a whisper. She took a step closer to Annabeth, the warmth of her body immediately calming her down and grounding her into the moment.

“What kind of god builds amusement parks?”

“Hephaestus.”

Y/N gulped, looking over her shoulder one more time before she pinned her gaze ahead at Percy. He was still gazing upwards, slightly shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Y/N recognized the flight-or-fight response in him and she shuddered as another cold breeze ruffled her hair.

“Why would Hephaestus build an amusement park?”

“Maybe he finds them amusing?” suggested Annabeth, slightly shrugging.

“That’s really not funny, Annabeth.”

“It’s a little funny.”

Y/N would have cracked a little smile at the joke if it weren’t for the hoarse whisper travelling to her ears on gusts of wind.

“No hero…”

She snapped her head around, eyes scrutinizing the jet black darkness, past the bushes and in between the skeleton-like trees. She saw nothing but leaves dancing in the wind.

“Did you guys hear that?” she spoke, taking her best friend by the elbow. She was warm to the touch.

“Hear what?” replied Annabeth, following her gaze. “There’s nothing there.”

Y/N frowned. “I just–”

“Could we, maybe, hurry?” snapped Percy, stress seeping into his tone.

Y/N whipped her gaze at him, eyes flashing in lightning strikes. “Could you, maybe, lower your voice?”

“Easy for you to say, thunder girl.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“Oh… oh, look at that,” said Annabeth as she nudged her best friend. Y/N followed her gaze. Her lips parted once she saw how the mechanism rearranged itself in a cluster of metallic tongues and shining running wheels. It strangely reminded Y/N of that one old clock her mom kept in the living room. It always broke but she somehow put it together with just a screwdriver. Y/N always thought she was handy at pretty much everything. Her aunt, on the other hand, always called the block’s administrator every time something broke in the apartment. He was a chubby, red-faced old man who always brought her a mint.

“That’s cool,” voiced Annabeth, her eyes twinkling.

“Girls!” called out the blond.

Athena’s daughter sighed. “Just relax. I’m on it.” She inhaled as she squinted her eyes up at the mechanism. “Okay. I get this. Just– just push through it.”

Y/N looked at her best friend but Annabeth just nodded in reassurance.

“Push?” heaved Percy looking at both of them from the corner of his eye.

“Yep,” nodded Annabeth.

The blond hesitated, turning on his heels, hand reaching out to the rusted bars before he stopped. “Cause weren’t you the one this morning who was all The Fates say one of us is going to die and we should take it really seriously?” he asked, one eyebrow arched.

“Percy?”

“Yeah.”

“Just push.”

Percy let his gaze slide away from Annabeth and onto Y/N, confusion and uncertainty simmering in his eyes. Y/N pursed her lips, before nodding. “Just do as she says. It’ll be fine.”

The boy only thickly swallowed before throwing one last look at the mechanism, a small sigh escaping his lips. He pushed the bars, his shoulders squared and tensed, until the tip of his Adidas touched the pavement from the other sighed. A relieved breath escaped his lips as a ding filled the air. “What was that?”

Y/N glanced at Annabeth, who urged her to go next. Her trembling hands caught hold of the bars. They were rough at touch. If there was something that she could compare them to, it would have been the bark of a tree. But the bark wasn’t red and that hurtful. It didn’t dig into the skin as rust did. Grinding metal filled the air and Y/N winced at the sound.

“The machine wasn’t designed to hurt us. It’s meant to scare us. It’s a test,” explained Athena’s daughter as she watched her best friend reach the other side.

Another ding chimed in the air and Y/N tilted her head upwards. A vintage-looking panel illuminated the number two in bold characters. A screeching metal reached her ears and she snapped her gaze back on her best friend once she heard her say “It’s stuck.”

“What?” Y/N frowned, rushing towards the gate.

Annabeth was pushing the turnstile, her knuckles turning white on the crimson bars, a frown stretching on her face. “It doesn’t move,” she heaved.

Percy hurried next to Y/N, his eyebrows pinching together in confusion. “What? How’s that possible?”

Annabeth paused, the hands on the bars going slack. “It’s a quest only for two.”

Y/N’s lips parted, a surging anger travelling through her veins. “But Ares–”

“He knew.” Annabeth raised her head and met her eyes. “He must have known.” She nodded towards the amusement park, looking over her friend’s shoulder. “And Hephaestus wanted to know any time one of us came poking around his playground. I guess now he knows.”

“But–” Y/N shook her head.

“I’ll be fine,” interrupted Athena’s daughter in a firm voice. “I’ll just go back to the diner.”

Y/N blinked, her heart clenching on its own as she looked at the darkness stretching behind Annabeth. That eerie voice echoed in her head again and a lump clawed up to her throat, making it harder to breathe. She shook her head once again as her hand took hold of one of the bars separating the two of them.

“I’ll be fine. It’s just down the road,” repeated Annabeth, this time gentler. She let her hand fall on Y/N’s and gave her a smile. “And anyway, I’m a tough girl. You said it yourself.”

Y/N let out a watery laugh as she remembered her own words from back at the Arch. “Yeah, I know. The toughest.”

Her best friend squeezed her hand before she nodded at Percy. “Good luck.”

Percy mumbled a thanks as Y/N mustered a small smile. She backed away, her hand falling to her side before she turned to follow the boy into the unknown. She threw one last look over her shoulder but Annabeth had already disappeared.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Y/N’s Converse scuffled against the cracked pavement and she hugged herself once a breeze picked up.

“Are you cold?” she heard Percy say from beside her.

“No,” she replied in a harsh tone, not meeting his eyes.

A silence stretched on between them. Y/N averted her gaze from him, letting her eyes squint against the darkness, at the abandoned rides around them. They were rusty, childish in nature, but she recognized the intricate mechanism on all of them. A soft smile blossomed on her lips. “Annie would have loved this place.”

“I don’t get you,” voiced Percy, his tone sharp and cutting.

Y/N whipped her gaze at him. “What?”

His eyes were a tumultuous sea storm and Y/N choked on her own words.

“I just don’t get you. I thought we weren’t doing that anymore.”

“Doing what?”

“You going distant and cold on me. Since the Arch, I–”

“What?” inquired Y/N, her frown falling slightly.

Percy hesitated, blinking and licking his lips. “I thought we were friends.”

Her lips parted, her arms falling back to her sides. There was something so sincere in Percy’s eyes that reduced her to shambles, crumbling her walls down, tearing her brick by brick. She felt vulnerable every time he set his steady gaze on her. She now started wondering if she was easy to read, if he could see through the cracks of her being, get a glimpse of her broken heart, of her soul. She never despised him, not really. She had despised the idea that he had everything she ever wanted but never really got.

She started shaking her head when a playful melody filled the air in sweet musical notes. Y/N jumped in fright as a pink light blinded her. She blinked as she turned her gaze towards the source of it. In cursive, glitching rosy letters, the words “Thrill ride o’ love” invited them to enter a tunnel in a chipped boat.

“Lovely,” Y/N said, a sarcastic smirk pulling at her lips.

“That’s not the word I would use,” replied Percy, shuffling his feet.

“Well, the shield must be in there. It’s pretty obvious.”

“But why? I mean–” His lips pulled into a straight line. “Aphrodite.”

The girl only nodded in reply, studying the entrance to the tunnel.

“But that’s so wrong. He met her here? In her husband’s park?”

“Yeah, well, many things are wrong with this family.”

Percy fell silent and Y/N could feel his stare on her once again. He sighed. “Sure, let’s go check out the scary ghost ride. Why not?”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The low tunnel lights were flickering in the reflection of the water, almost resembling twinkling stars as they did so. The boat was moving on its own, leaving small waves behind. The water was sloshing against the boat and Y/N was throwing looks over its edge every now and then, wondering how deep the water was. She scooted closer to Percy, her thighs touching.

A sound thudded in the distant and Y/N’s body tensed, her hands flexing onto nothing. No amount of lightning and thunder could replace her old bow and arrows. She knew how to control those, they were sure into her hands. Steady. But she didn’t know how to get control of her newly discovered powers.

She remembered the electrifying rush she felt back at the Arch. It felt natural, as if it wasn’t the first time. As if it was how it was supposed to be all along. She stared at her hands, willing for a spark of lightning to appear but none came.

She absently heard Percy inhale a short breath as if he was preparing himself to say something, before another melody filled the air. Y/N snapped her gaze up, frowning, her ears straining. The song seemed to come from everywhere and her eyebrows raised once the voice of a man started singing.

“Wow,” she said, taken aback.

What is love? Baby, don’t hurt me…

“Feel like I’ve heard this before,” voiced Percy, straightening his back. “I think, from an orthodontists’ office, maybe?”

The tunnel lit up with colours as a string of light flooded the walls. Y/N looked at Percy. He was watching the light twist playfully in forms of lively shades of white, blue and pink and for a split moment she thought that his eyes were a pair of crystal diamonds, mirroring the light. She blinked in confusion at herself.

What is love?

Shadows of figures appeared on the wall, a mother and her baby dancing to the beat of the song.

“Wait, I know this,” said Poseidon’s son.

“You do?” asked Y/N, trying to catch his gaze but he was still studying the story depicted on the wall.

“It’s Hephaestus’ story,” he nodded.

What is right and what is wrong? Give me a sign.

What is love?

He turned and met her gaze and Y/N’s breath hitched in her throat.

“Rejected by Hera. Rejected by Aphrodite,” explained Percy, not taking his eyes off of her. “My mom told me these stories all the time. I remember this. She said–” He stopped abruptly, turning his gaze away.

Don’t hurt me, no more…

Y/N’s eyebrows twitched. “What?”

Percy huffed in slight frustration. “She said this is what the gods are like to each other.” He met her eyes once more. “This is the kind of family they are.”

Y/N pursed her lips in thought. Growing up, her family was her mom and auntie. She had never known her father. Now she knew who he was, but she still didn’t know what he looked like. If he had a favourite colour. If he missed her mom just like she missed her. He only had a name, but not a face.

“She was trying to keep me away from you guys,” continued Percy, pulling her out of her own mind and into the present.

Don’t hurt me…

“Maybe you were right all along. Maybe she should have prepared me better.”

“She was preparing you, kelp head,” she interjected, slightly turning in her seat, a sudden fire crawling up her neck, heating her skin as she looked back at him. There was something about him in this light that was throwing her off. “You’re–” She gulped. “You’re different than this.”

Percy’s lips parted, slightly frowning. A moment of silence fell between them, the song still playing in the background in a white noise. “What about your mom? You never bring her up.”

Y/N froze, a million needles piercing her skin all the way to her heart.

“Was she the one on the news?”

The girl sighed, turning away from him. “No. No, that wasn’t her. That was my aunt,” she replied in a soft voice.

“I don’t understand.”

Y/N inhaled before licking her lips. “My mom tried to protect me in a way. She wanted me to live a normal childhood. Or at least as normal as a demigod can live.” A ghost of a smile stretched on her lips. “She raised me in a small cabin, hidden from prying eyes. In the woods. I loved it there. It wasn’t much but it was home.” The smile ran away from her face and she let her eyes fall onto rippling water, on how light reflected in the small waves. “But then she got really sick and we had to move with auntie to Manhattan. I hated it there. I think I still do, I don’t know, I haven’t been home in four years now.” She inhaled a weavering breath. “And then she died. And all that illusion of normalcy she tried so hard to build died with her.”

Her voice faded and shame creeped up her neck and into her hair. She didn’t dare meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she heard him say.

“Thank you,” she managed to reply.

“I think once all of this is over, you should go home. To your aunt.”

She raised her head, smiling softly. “I think so too.”

Percy mirrored her smile, eyes crinkling.

Baby, don’t hurt me

Don’t hurt me, no more. What is love?

The lights went out suddenly, basking them in inky darkness before the boat started speeding up down the tunnel. Y/N gripped on her seat as splashes of cold water sprayed on her face, her hair flying behind her. She let out a yell and when the boat stopped abruptly a shaking breath escaped her lips. Her heart was beating against her rib cage and she turned towards Percy who started pointing at something in the distance, at her left. “There it is. Ares’ shield.”

She followed his gaze before she caught sight of a bronze, enormous shield. It was held by a statue behind a golden throne, which was glinting and throwing specks of light. The boat shook and Y/N gripped its edge until it hurt, until her knuckles turned a deep, hurting white. Thunder rumbled and she gasped upon seeing the boat in front of them free-falling though lightning and storm.

“Jump!” shouted Percy.

She snapped her head towards him, her eyes widened in fear. “What?! No, no, no. I can’t swim, I’m afraid of water and I–”

“Just jump!” he repeated, taking her by the hand and dragging her into the water with himself.

She fell in with a loud splash, freezing water piercing her sides. Her hair floated in front of her face, obscuring the little vision she had of Percy’s golden hair. Her hand slipped from his and in panic she screamed, water flooding her mouth. She kicked her feet and flapped her arms, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t reach Percy’s fading hand.

And then, she felt currents enveloping and raising her to the surface. She gasped, sweet oxygen filling her lungs and she took a moment to herself to cough it all out. Her throat felt as though someone scratched her from the inside with long and sharp nails. She blinked the water out of her eyes and she turned to her right, taking in the sight of a drenched Percy, who was doing much better than she was. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said that he just had a sunny and fun day at the beach.

“Did you just use water powers to pull me out?” she heaved, her throat still sore.

“No?”

“Did you just–”

“I don’t know! Maybe? I’m figuring this out as I go.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “You saved me,” she added softly.

Percy tried shrugging it off but Y/N cut him off. “You did. Thank you.”

She could have sworn she saw a dusty pink colouring his cheeks. “You’re welcome. I’m sure you would have done the same thing.”

“No,” she replied curtly before getting up. Her knees wobbled slightly, wet clothes sticking to her skin. “I would have let thunder strike you in the head. Maybe then you wouldn't have had a seaweed brain anymore.”

She heard him huff, but she ignored him nonetheless, insteading choosing to take in the sight of the golden, sparkling throne ahead of her. The statue behind it was more imposing up close and to Y/N it looked like a soldier made from metal. It was gripping onto the shield, blocking it between steady metallic hands.

“How are we supposed to get that thing down?” asked Percy, getting up and coming near her.

Y/N drew her lips into a thin line, shaking her head. She let her eyes slide lower and took in the intricate details of the throne. Peacock feathers were carved, swirling gracefully into the gold. At the base of each arm, two peacocks stood proudly, almost as if they were standing guard.

“Look,” she voiced, taking him by the elbow and pointing towards the throne. “Those are peacocks. You know whose symbol those are?”

She watched as Percy’s face morphed into one of realization, his shoulders falling. “Hera.”

“Exactly,” she nodded. “So, it means…”

“It was a gift!” exclaimed Percy, fully turning towards her. His eyes lit up, struck by knowledge. He lowered his voice. “It was a gift with a hidden purpose. Hephaestus offered it to Hera, but as soon as she sat in it, she couldn’t get up. All the gods tried, but the machine was too smart. It was too strong. It was too much. Even for them.” He inhaled a deep breath. “Finally, they said if Hephaestus let Hera free, Aphrodite would be his wife.” He slowly turned to look at Y/N, frowning as he did so. “The chair is the bargain. One of us goes in, the other gets the shield.”

Y/N searched his face before she nodded her head. “Alright.” She started forwarding towards the throne before Percy pulled her back.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

She broke free from his hold. “I’m not letting you pull that stunt from the Arch again.” She shook her head, her jaw clenching. “Not this time.” She turned on her heels, taking a step forward before Percy caught onto her wrist.

“Wait, hold on a second–”

She whipped around, eyes flashing. “Let go of me.”

“No.”

“Let go of me, Percy.”

“No!”

She sighed in frustration. “Don’t you understand? I’ve got to do this.” Percy opened his mouth to interject but Y/N cut him off. “One of us has to and it won’t be you. It’s your quest, Percy. You’ve got to see it finished. It has to be to you.”

The blond shook his head. “No–”

“Listen to me–”

“I’m not letting you do this,” said Percy, his voice now taking a sharp tone. There was a note of finality in it that fired Y/N up.

“Yes, you are!”

“You’re being bossy again!”

“You’re being an idiot again!”

He huffed out in frustration. “Look, you still haven’t got claimed. You haven’t met your father. That’s what you want.”

Y/N let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, well, we don’t always get what we want.” She struggled in freeing herself from his hold. “Just let go of me, Percy.”

“You were right,” he replied, now in a much calmer voice. “You and Annabeth were right. I can’t believe it but the Fates were right.”

She stopped, her chest heaving and her arm went slack in Percy’s hand. Her eyebrows twitched in remorse as she looked back at him.

“There’s no getting around this. We dodged it at the Arch, barely, but… maybe this isn’t something you can dodge forever.”

“The Oracle chose you. The gods chose you!”

“Stop it! It isn’t about that!”

“It’s your quest, Percy. It is about that!”

Percy shook his head, a few drops of water sliding down his temple and Y/N was suddenly reminded of this morning when she found him after the incident at the Arch. And she thought fate to be ironic and to have a wicked sense of humour.

“You’re better than this than me! Better than everyone. You just are. You’re determined. You know what you want. I’ve seen you in action, you’re–” He fell silent as his eyes roamed her face. They quickly softened into a look of apprehension and regret. “The point is I’m the one who stays.”

Y/N felt him gently put something into the palm of her hand and she looked down, at where he was still holding her by the wrist, just a touch of a feather. Riptide in its pen form was now in her palm. A simple pen, but she felt its weight tenfold. He closed her palm around it and she raised her gaze up to him.

He thickly swallowed. “Believe me, I wish there was another way this quest succeeds. I just don't see it.”

Y/N wanted to say something back but her words were stuck somewhere in her throat. He mustered a soft smile before he let go of her wrist, turning around. She watched as he swiftly turned back on his heels. “I need you to promise me something.”

She inhaled, willing her throat to open and for the words to finally spill out. “I’ll make sure your mom is safe and sound. You can count on me, kelp head.”

His eyes turned watery and the soft smile on his lips stretched lightly. “I know. Thank you.” He paused as he took in the sight of her one more time, small and frail, clenching onto a pen that wasn’t his anymore, but holding a kind look in her eyes. The kindest he had seen so far.

“I was gonna say, when this quest is done, can you maybe swing back here and try to get me outta this thing?” he said, his voice breaking.

She let out a breath. “Do you really think you need to ask?”

“Just making sure,” he smiled.

Tears gathered in Y/N’s eyes as she watched him turn his back to her and take a seat on the golden throne. The now familiar metallic clinking of a mechanism reached her ears and she inhaled.

“This is weird,” voiced Percy, looking at the arms of the throne. “It’s… warm.”

Y/N’s eyes widened as strands of gold swirl around his legs and engulfed him whole. She took in a sharp breath of air. “Stand up.”

By now, the golden threads reached his shoulders and Percy met her glistening gaze with one of his own. “I can’t.”

“Just listen to me this once and stand up!” she yelled, taking a step closer to the throne.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“Please, stand up,” she choked.

“I’m okay, I’m–”

Y/N gasped. Perseus Jackson was now a statue of gold staring back to her and breaking her heart in a million pieces. Soon the clanging of metal falling to the ground startled her. Her gaze snapped to the commotion and she recognized the shield lying face down, abandoned on the ground. She ran to it. She kneeled beside it, turning it upwards and regarding it for a moment. She wanted to scream and to throw it into the water behind her. She pushed it away from her and got to her feet. Red, hot anger flashed in front of her eyes and she gripped onto Riptide. She looked down at it before she put it in one of the back pockets of her pants. Her lips twitched as she turned to study the throne.

There must be a way to deactivate it, she thought. Everything in this godforsaken amusement park was a machine. And every machine had a mechanism. And any mechanism could be destroyed. That familiar electrifying rush came back to her, wind picking up. She hurried to the back of the throne. A myriad of small wheels stood still, mocking her. But she knew better. She could better. She raised her arm, her eyes glowing purple as lightning flashed in the palm of her hand before a voice spoke up.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you.”

She whipped her head around, her arm falling back, still crackling with energy. She caught sight of a bearded man wearing glasses and a blue jumpsuit. He was looking down at her and leaning on his cane from an upper floor. Something in her gut told she knew who this man was and with a scoff she raised her arm back up, summoning flashes of lighting. “You let him out now. Or your dear machine gets it.”

The man arched an eyebrow before he whistled into a small flute. Immediately stairs broke through the water’s surface, ready to be climbed upon.

“Off you go,” the stranger urged her.

“I am not leaving without my friend. So, you either let him out willingly or I’ll melt this throne to the ground.”

A bitter smile tugged at Hephaestus’ lips. “In spite of what our brother might’ve told you, I am not someone who’ll be pushed around.”

“Well, I am not either. I said I am not leaving here without my friend.”

“I know our father ignored you your whole life and just recently recognized you. You walk outta here with that shield… and you’re a hero.”

That damn whisper echoed in her mind, as if she could hear it again. “No hero…”. Y/N scowled and bolts of thunder boomed in her hand.

“He’ll be proud and you’ll finally be claimed. Isn’t that what you want? Everything will go back to normal, to how things should be.”

“But this isn’t normal!” she yelled, eyes flashing purple, wind now raging around them.. “Why should I go on a quest to earn a parent’s love and affection? Why should anyone win glory in order to be remembered? It isn’t normal, brother. And you know it. It shouldn't be like that.”

The god hesitated. He let his hand fall onto the banister.

“Please, let him out. He doesn’t deserve any of it. He isn’t Hera. He is good. He’s better.” A tear slipped from her eye and down her cheek as her voice broke, a storm now howling in the room. She watched through the purple haze as Hepahestus whistled one last time onto the flute. She let her arm fall back down and rushed to the front of the throne. The golden strands retracted, retracing their path back down.

Percy heaved, opening his eyes, and Y/N almost cried at the sight of him breathing again. The storm died down and she hurried to meet him halfway once he stumbled up. The question “Are you alright?” was stinging her tongue but the god’s voice resounded through the room before she even had the chance to open her mouth.

“I do know it, Y/N.” He regarded her for a moment. “Well, aren’t you quite the thunderstorm? I’ll put a good word with our father for you.” And then he limped away, leaning on his cane, disappearing through the door he came in.

Y/N swallowed before she whipped around towards Percy. He was already looking at her, shock and exhaustion lacing his features.

“Are you alright?” she finally asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m– you stayed.”

“Yeah,” she breathed out.

“Why?”

“Because that’s what friends do,” she smiled up at him.

A grin broke on his face, eyes fully shining.

“Oh!” exclaimed Y/N, digging into the back of her faded jeans. “I believe this must be yours.” She handed him Riptide and he took it from her hand with his gaze still pinned on her, grin stretching and fingers brushing.

“Thanks.”

“Anytime, seaweed brain. Anytime.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The door opened with a ding and Y/N stepped past the threshold seething. She was dragging the shield after her, back straightened and chin raised. The diner was empty except for Ares and her friends. Upon seeing Annabeth safe and a sound, a part of her rage dimmed down.

She dumped the shield onto the table, meeting Ares’ eyes and crossing her arms. “You sent Annabeth with us even though you knew it was a two heroes quest?” She tilted her head. “Just because she’s Athena’s daughter? Jealous much?”

The god clenched his jaw and sat up from his seat. “I wouldn’t take that tone with me, little girl.” He towered over her, a fire burning in his eyes. “Or do you forget who you’re talking to?”

Y/N scoffed. “I’m very much well aware of who I’m talking to.” She uncrossed her arms and looked up to him with a steady gaze. “A coward.”

Ares inhaled through his nose, grinding his teeth.

“Where’s our ride?” interrupted Percy as he got between them.

The god moved his gaze away from Y/N and onto the blond. He waved them to follow him out the diner as he took hold of his shield. It disappeared once it reached his hands and Y/N blinked in wonder. She stepped out of the diner, the bell chiming once again, and she frowned upon seeing a truck await them at the front.

“You’re kidding,” voiced Percy in disbelief.

Ares snapped his fingers and the back doors of the truck opened soundlessly. “Get in, don’t. I really don’t care. But in a few hours, this thing is gonna be at the Lotus Casino in Vegas. Hermes hangs out there. You play your cards right and his personal driver can get you to L.A. in minutes.”

Y/N breathed out through her nose, annoyed by his mere presence alone.

Ares threw out a backpack to Percy. “Here. Clothes. Cash. Drachmas to summon Hermes. I’d wish you luck but what good would it do you,” he shrugged.

“We’re not gonna fail,” said Poseidon’s son.

A grin stretched on the god’s face. “Don’t worry. Your dad had plenty of kids he stopped caring about once he lost interest.” He panned his gaze onto Y/N. “Isn’t that right, little sister?” He almost spat out the words as he said them and Y/N had the urge to wipe that grin off his face with physical force and rage alone.

“You’ll have lots of company,” he continued, looking back at Percy.

“We’re not gonna fail,” repeated Percy. He absently handed the backpack to Grover before he advanced towards Ares. “And I’m getting pretty tired of you saying it.”

“Percy,” worryingly called out Grover.

“You think you know who I am, but you don’t. And if you aren’t careful… you’re gonna find out.”

“Percy!”

The god looked at him with an impressed glint in his eyes, before he gazed at Grover.

“So, thank you for the emotional abuse and the cheeseburgers. And the ride! We’re gonna take you up on that too.”

Y/N threw Ares one last glare. “Bye, big brother, she said, spitting out the last word. “See you at the family dinner.” The god met her with a charged glare of his own but she ignored him, following her friends into the truck, grunting as she climbed in.

“Hey, do you think we could get some paper towels or something?” softly inquired Grover. “It’s not that nice in here.”

Ares only smiled before snapping his fingers once more. The doors closed on them, engulfing them in complete darkness. Immediately, a foul smell hit Y/N and she scrunched her nose. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought to be in a not cared-after stable.

“Well… this smells,” said Percy.

“Charming,” she added, advancing further inside.

“If it gets us where we need to go, that’s all that matters,” replied Annabeth.

“Assuming Ares was telling the truth,” voiced Percy.

“He’s not that good of a liar. His own rage and pride betrays him,” said Y/N, crossing her arms.

“He wasn’t,” interrupted the satyr. “Not entirely, at any rate.”

“What?” asked Y/N, arms uncrossing.

“He was holding something back.”

“How do you know?” said Athena’s daughter.

“Because I think I got it out of him.” Grover looked between all of them. “I know who stole the master bolt.”

Y/N’s lips parted in shock. The lightning thief was exposed. That meant a step closer to finishing this quest. That meant a step closer to her father. A step closer to Zeus. To the skies.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

𝐀/𝐍: Hello! It's finally here! Really sorry for the long wait, life has been pretty hectic lately. Thank you so much for your patience and I hope this chapter was worth the wait<3

I just want to add one more thing. The Zeus in this fic is a bit different than the one we're used to. Mainly because I really do think that he cares for his children in his odd way. He's still very much a proud and neglecting father, he just doesn't show his love directly. I also think he's the kind of father that puts pressure on his kids. And I can't wait for Y/N to finally meet him. Cause she will. And it will be angsty.

I will also delve a bit more into Y/N's parents' relationship. Because there's history there. And an interesting one, might I add.

On a lighter note, the rivals turned friends and the slow burn is finally burning (but let's be real, Percy was smitten from the start).

That's all. Lots of love and thank you so much for reading xx

Main tag list: @bohemianrhapsody86 @andreead @asgards-princess-of-mischief @islayhawkin

Series tag list: @mynicknameisgasoline @constellation-archive @leptitlu @br3nt-12 @utterlyunawarewriter @spidermansfangirl @zomb-1-egutzz @legallyatheaterkid @fratbrochrisgf

#percy jackson x reader #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson and the olympians #angst #pjo x reader #pjo #fluff #fanfic writing #writing #my writing #masterlist #laura writes #storms

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