As the sunshine peeked through the windows of the apartment Percy Jackson stood at the door hugging his mother with Professor Dumbledore standing behind him smiling at the moment. He gestured for Perseus to follow him. He grabbed the boy's arm waving his wand and they both disappeared with the blackness of the night.

Apparating, Percy mused was slightly worse than shadow traveling in the sense that while shadow traveling felt like he did a triple loop-de-loop followed by a one hundred foot drop at fifty miles per hour apparating felt like he had been vacuumed in to a tube of air stretched until he was ripped apart and quickly smashed back together. In short it was awesome.

Just as suddenly as they had disappeared in to the air they reappeared landing in England. Percy stumbled upon landing falling down on his stomach in to the dirt. He heard a small chuckle behind him and with red cheeks quickly stood up and dusted the dirt off his clothes.

He looks up from his clothes westwards towards the now setting sun. His brow crinkles in confusion considering it was just noon when he had left.

"Percy," Dumbledore called startling him out of his thoughts. He turned towards him and Dumbledore gave a small nod of acknowledgment. "Come along my boy we must go to meet everyone."

They walk down the hill eventually reaching an old rundown neighborhood.
They stop in front of an open field in between two houses and Percy glances around in confusion. "Um I don't mean to be rude," he starts "but isn't there supposed to be a house here."

Dumbledore stares at Percy before realization settles on to his features. "Thats right you haven't been trained at all in magic. There is something there but you will have to look a little closer. Imagine the magic that shields the truth from your eyes is slowly being lifted, like pulling open curtains or lifting a brides veil, and what we seek should soon appear before your eyes."

Percy glances at the empty field once again before closing his eyes. He imagines clarity something akin to looking down in to the clear waters of the ocean. He imagine curtains opening allowing the window and the picture outside of it to be seen. He imagines honesty the look of trust and truth that exist in the eyes of many people around him who open their eyes, bodies, and souls to the world. Something presses against the back of his skull and there is a tingling sensation behind his eyelids. Suddenly it feels as if something is lifted from his face as if someone had draped a thin opaque cloth over his eyes and they finally decided to remove it. This is like trying to see through the mist he thinks.

He opens his eyes and before him stands a large pitch black house. It reminds him distantly of Hades' castle in the underworld. The outside is black and dreary and almost creepy with the sun setting and the shadows creeping up on the edge of the walls. The building itself is huge and windows are scattered across the house. The door, like the rest of the house is pitch black and the door knocker is twisted in to the shape of a silver snake with ruby red eyes.

Dumbledore walks towards the door pushing it open and it creaks with age. He gestures for Percy to come and the both hurry inside.

The inside is (surprise surprise) also black. The opening they stand in is dusty and covered with enough dust to make a nose less person break in to a sneezing fit. Paintings cover the walls and the wood below there feet creaks as the walk and the eyes of the paintings follow them. On one wall hangs a thick black velvet curtain. They hurry past that and come towards a solid ebony door engraved with a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Dumbledore turns back towards Percy and gives him a blinding smile. "Well Perseus," Percy scowls muttering that his name is Percy to Dumbledore who pointedly ignores him, "Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix." His brow creases and he stares at Dumbledore with a mixture of confusion and skepticism. "Order of the Phoenix" he echoes as if hearing the words in his own voice will shine a light on their meaning. Dumbledore only smiles in the same way a teacher does when they expect a student to learn the answer without their help and gestures for him to open the door.

He pushes the door and it creaks open revealing a large flock of people who stare silently at the grandson of Voldemort. "Hello, I see everyone has gathered here safe and sound," Dumbledore greets as he walks through the door. "As you can see I have brought the child," he says earnestly emphasizing the word child. "Please all of you introduce yourself starting with you Percy."

Percy's eyes scan the room at the unfamiliar faces feeling as if he was the new kid introducing themselves on their first day at a new school. He takes in a small gulp of air and breathes out giving a small smile and a wave towards the gaggle of people. "Hi I'm Perseus Jackson but I prefer Percy."

No one says a word choosing instead to continue staring at the boy. A man who looks eerily like an older version of Nico walks up to Dumbledore and gestures towards the door. Dumbledore nods his head looking around the room. "Everyone would you please follow me outside Sirius has something he would like to discuss with us all.

One by one all the members of the Order of the Phoenix file out the room leaving Percy standing alone in the middle of the room. Awkwardly he glances around at the empty room spying a chair and plopping himself down in it. He tugs his bag close to him opening it up slightly and digging through it to pull out an old mp3 player and headphones. Why he has this when demigods can't use technology is that he simply chooses to ignore that rule. He just couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

He turned on the device putting the music on random. He sits back in the chair as the song "Welcome to my Life" by simple plan filters through his headphones. A small tired smile spreads across his face as he listens to the lyrics and begin opting to sing along softly as he closes his eyes and remembers.

Do you ever feel like breaking down?

Yes, he thinks all the time every day. But I can't I can't break down I have to be strong I have to be sane I have to be okay. I know what happens if I'm not I end up like Luke. I can't let that happen.

Do you ever feel out of place,
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you?

Percy almost laughs of course he feels out of place he's the only son of Poseidon how does he not. Everyone else had someone Nico has Hazel, Thalia has Jason everyone else has their siblings and who does he have, no one he's alone. We'll he is now it wasn't like this before.

Do you ever wanna run away?

Thats the problem he can't run away where would he go what would he do. This is all he knows what else is there for him. He's stuck forever.

Do you lock yourself in your room
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you're screaming?

Would they care if they did. Would they understand if he could. Screaming crying he doesn't know if he can anymore. He just felt, felt numb.

No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me

To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

Its all just to much. He's tired so tired.

Do you wanna be somebody else?

Could he be. What would be like to leave it all behind and be at peace. For once in his life he wants to know what it feels like to be okay. Just to be okay.

Are you sick of feeling so left out?

Sick. That word feels right. He's going to be sick.

Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?

He wishes there was more. He's stuck. Always always always and forever.

Are you stuck inside a world you hate?

No he's not and thats what scares him. He should hat this but he doesn't. He doesn't even notice anymore. The betrayal, the lies, the secrets, he doesn't even care anymore. When did he become so content being someone's puppet.

Are you sick of everyone around?
With their big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you're bleeding

He has no right to be selfish and think its only him who struggles. He can see it in everyone at camp. The seven even the children who came after the war. The toll they had to pay for just living. The death that follows every single demigod around like the plague.

No, you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels all right
You don't know what it's like
To be like me

The gods don't understand. They think its such a honor to serve them like their loyal knights on their own personal chess board. They don't understand because their immortal. They'll never understand and they'll never change for the better. Is a life like this the fate of all demigods.

To be hurt

Luke

To feel lost

Thalia

To be left out in the dark

Nico

To be kicked when you're down

Leo

To feel like you've been pushed around

Hazel

To be on the edge of breaking down

Annabeth

And no one's there to save you

Every single demigod. Who will help them.

No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

You don't you really don't know.

No one ever lied straight to your face

Do they know how many times he's been lied too and how many times he's been the one to lie.

And no one ever stabbed you in the back

If they knew how many times that little voice told him to just give up. To just leave it all behind.

You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay

They don't know.

Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work it was always there

It was handed to them on a golden platter. The endless victories in which they barely lifted a finger.

You don't know what it's like, what it's like

They don't understand.

To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one's there to save you
No, you don't know what it's like (What it's like)

Its impossible for them. If only he could give up.

To be hurt

They're pain is invisible

To feel lost

They're path is broken

To be left out in the dark

They're lights have been blown out

To be kicked when you're down

They've been abandoned

To feel like you've been pushed around

They've been used and tossed away like rag dolls.

To be on the edge of breaking down

And they are breaking

And no one's there to save you

Why won't somebody hear them. Why won't someone listen. Anyone.

No, you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

Welcome.

Welcome to my life

To. Our.

Welcome to my life

Fucking. Lives.

Percy grits his teeth together as the final notes of the song play in his headphones. He wipes angrily away the tears that threaten to roll down his cheeks. His chest hurts and his eyes burn. His faces falls in to his hands and he swallows down an urge to scream which bubbles inside him. He feels like laughing at something. The irony of his life, of his situation, the fucking song just something.

He glances up as he hears the door opening and watches as the Order files back inside. Everyone goes back to their original places and a burly man with a peg leg and glass eye stands in front of him eyeing the chair he is in. Percy jumps out the chair and rushes towards Dumbledore's side with his head turned towards the ground. People whisper to each other as he walks by and he tries to walk faster.

Dumbledore clears his throat setting the attention of the people in the room on him. "Now that the earlier matter is settled will you all please introduce yourselves to the guest."

They go around the room one by one introducing themselves to Percy. Some smile others look cautious but most glare at him. He follows the introduction scanning the room before his eyes land on a few familiar faces. His eyes narrow in to slits and he stares at them hoping they understand that they will all talk later.

Dumbledore smiles brightly when the introductions are done. "Now then," he chirped " as agreed I will begin the meeting and inform you all of Perseus." The crowd mumbles in agreement nodding along to his words. "Oh and before I forget Perseus," he turns towards the boy "there is something you must agree too before anything truly begins."

Perseus looks skeptically at Dumbledore before giving a small nod, a signal for him to continue. "We require you to aware your loyalty to this Order and to swear to aid us in the defeat of the Dark Lord."

Percy bites his lip in thought turning the promise around inside his head. Should he really aid these people, people he doesn't know and people who seen to despise his very existence. He could go home. He could forget about the existence of wizards and finish highschool. He could go to college in New Rome with Annabeth like they planned. He could try and live a normal life.

Sighing Percy looks Dumbledore in they eh and smiles. "I Percy Jackson swear on the River Styx to aid the Order of the Phoenix in their battle against the Dark Lord." Thunder rumbles in the distance and the members of the order glance around in confusion at both his words and the our of place rumble of thunder.

Percy's posture slumps as he resigns himself to the fact that he is going to have to help these people now, not that he wouldn't in the first place. He just can't leave people who need help alone.

Dumbledore chuckles beaming at Percy with that oddly familiar glimmer in his eye. "Well now that thats settled we can move on to the next stage."

So I bet you felt like something was missing in the story well here it is the third chapter which I had been editing for like a year *shrugs* what can I say I'm lazy af. On the bright side its longer and better written. Anyways on to the next new chapter both edited and written

2547 Words
Edited and published July 5, 2017