Chapter Text
"Hey," Percy reached out to grab Grover's shoulder.
Grover turned to her.
"If something happens to me," she began, but Grover bleated.
'If something happens to you, something happens to me," he shot back.
She rolled her eyes.
"Tell me friends, from Goode?" she asked, "Explain. I know that it will hurt Grover, but I need you to do this. Please."
He stared at her, soft brown into stubborn green.
"Nothing will happen," he said.
She looked at him. Hard.
"Fine." he said.
She grinned at him, then turned and jogged off.
He watched her go. Watched her form disappear.
Worry curdled in his gut.
Gods, he hoped nothing would happen to Percy.
He didn't think any of them could survive it.
Percy leaned her head against her mom's shoulder.
She was catching up to her now. In height, at least. She offered her mom a weak smile as Paul Blofis came over.
Percy watched as her mom's face lit up.
She had never seen her this illuminated.
Percy fidgeted with her short hair. The grey streak taunting her. Tucking her hair behind her ears, shoving the distraction away, she offered Paul a smile too. He was kind. And he made her mom happy.
That was all Percy had ever wanted for her mom.
"Hey Percy," Paul grinned, the smile lines by his eyes crinkling. Her mom really has a type.
"Paul," she nodded back, fidgeting with her jacket.
When she had come back after-after Mount Tam. After Thalia had-.
She had thrown out almost every single piece of green and blue clothing. Yellow too. Her mom had asked why she wanted to donate so much of it.
Percy had dodged the question.
Apollo's face when he had caught sight of her flashed in her mind.
She had been wearing blue, a silver Hunter's puffer jacket on top. His eyes had widened. Tracked her features. Artemis had frowned at him. The lapse was momentary, but obvious to Percy. He didn't look at her again. Avoided her existence. She had seen the flinches the gods had done when she stepped forward at the Winter Solstice.
Her father had winced. W i n c e d.
Proving that he had meant it when he had said he wished she had never been born.
Athena had gone pale.
Apollo had pulled down his sunglasses. Zeus had glared at her.
Dionysus had merely buried his face in his wine.
They were all so pathetic.
She cut her hair anyway. Threw the clothes out. Changed her look. Went skateboarding. Drew monsters to her. Just to feel like less of a failure.
Zoe and Bianca had died.
The gods had hardly blinked. Artemis just offered Thalia the position. Offered her a way out.
Percy shook her head to clear it as Paul turned back to her.
She pulled the zipper up and down, toeing the combat boots Silena had given her. Grey turtleneck, tucked into dark navy jeans. Black puffer jacket. Second-hand. But she felt good in them.
"So Percy,' Paul asked, shoving his hands in his pockets, "Excited to meet everyone?"
She cracked a smile at that, and watched his face light up. Gods, he was like a puppy. He really wanted this to go well for her mom.
"Sort of?" she offered, "Nervous, I guess?"
He grinned at her.
"There are a few new students this year, I thought you might like an introduction."
Percy glanced at her mom, who nodded encouragingly.
"Sounds good."
Paul led her over to a group of four students. A red head, blonde, a kid who looked vaguely familiar, his dark skin catching the autumn sunlight. Another person with- green hair?
Percy blinked at that. Huh.
"Hey guys!" Paul exclaimed, with all the enthusiasm of an English teacher opening a new novel, "This is Percy Jackson! She's new too."
They all turned to look at her.
She waved.
"Hi."
"Are you the kid who caused the national manhunt?" the green haired (girl, boy?) asked.
She shrugged, "Yep."
"Cool. I'm Alex." the green-haired kid offered.
Percy offered her a smile.
Then caught the red-haired girls face.
'Rachel Elizabeth Dare?" she exclaimed.
Rachel raised a brow, "Hi Percy Gotta-Go."
She laughed at that. A real laugh.
The two other kids, huddled closer together took a step forward.
"I'm Sadie Kane," the girl pronounced, with a sound British accent, then elbowed the boy next to her, whose face Percy just couldn't place.
"This tongue-tied dork is my older brother, Carter."
"Hi." She tried.
Alex shoved her-their hands into a pink parka.
"So is your name really Percy Jackson. It's a cool name, and all, and trust I'm in no place to judge." they shrugged.
Percy winced.
"It's Perseus Leia Cordelia Jackson. Sort of a mouthful."
Sadie nodded thoughtfully, "It fits the whole mysterious I-look-like-a-goddess-and-hate-it thing you've got going on."
Percy paled.
No. No. No.
"Sadie," Carter hissed, his voice sort of soothing, "Gods, I'm sorry, she has no filter. That's Sadie-speak for you're ridiculously pretty."
Percy blinked at him, her hair swishing a little. She noted his use of the word "gods." Beth would be interested in that. From the way Rachel's eyes narrowed, she wasn't the only one.
"You think I'm ridiculously pretty?" she blurted.
Alex snorted.
Carter blushed, the tips of his ears going red as he stammered, "No! I mean yes- of course you're pretty, it's not that you're not not pretty-I mean models wished they looked like you- I mean!"
Sadie, seemingly taking pity on her brother, stepped on his foot.
"Ignore the junior professor."
Percy just grinned.
Paul came over again, "Guys, orientation starts, you better head in!" Disconcertingly, his enthusiasm was sort of contagious.
The Kanes nodded and followed after him, and Rachel darted over to Percy, grabbing her arm.
"Explanation." the girl demanded.
Percy gulped.
Alex walked behind them, a smirk forming across her face.
Maybe school would be interesting this year.
Apollo replayed the Winter Solstice in his mind. Her face, over and over again.
He painted it, and then burned those paintings.
The girl's resemblance to her grew more and more every year. Apollo hated it. Hated this feeling in his gut of longing and self-hatred.
He blamed the demigoddess for it, but still watched. Maybe he just enjoyed torturing himself. Her snarky responses. The not-quite loathing in her eyes.
Watched as she blushed when the dark-skinned magician, Horus's latest favourite stumbled over his words.
It burned.
He watched anyway.
Loki hummed as he saw the demigoddess who is-was-will be-will never be a goddess walked with her-his daughter. Felt the swirling change around her. The longing for choice.
For freedom.
They-she could offer it.
Freedom.
The one thing that he-they craved the most.
He watched and flowed. She cackled as her daughter grew closer.
The pieces were settling into place. And although he flowed like a river, all rivers were drawn to the sea.
Time would flow.
The game was set.
They were ready.
Horus watched in his favoured mind as the demigoddess approached. Wearing battle and war as bravely as she did anything.
He approved. A strong match.
His favoured liked her.
Whatever that meant.
Carter Kane was more complex than most of his favoured. Perhaps that was why he liked him so. But this Percy Jackson would do great things. He could feel the Loyalty wafting off her.
He nudged his mother, making her look to the Duat. See the glow that the girl radiated.
"Strong." his mother agreed.
"Sadie likes her," she continued.
He sent Carter's feelings over to her.
They both mulled, pushing to the back of their favoured's minds.
They would not interfere. They would allow time to run its course.
"We must watch for the Truth. For Sunlight." his mother warned.
Horus nodded.
The gods of the Greek Pantheon were possessive of their own.
Even as they hated the girl, they loved her.
They would need to be careful.
Carter laughed as Percy linked arms with Sadie.
Very, very careful.