______________________________________________________________

ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀ Qᴜᴇꜱᴛ (ᴘᴛ.1)

______________________________________________________________

The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three.

I only had to share it with Astrea. I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur's horn, one set of spare clothes, and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at the basically empty dinner table with my sister, Astrea picked all our activities (thank the gods) and called "lights out" whenever she felt like it, and I didn't have to listen to anybody else except her. 

And it was great and all. But i also felt miserable.

Just when I'd started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid—or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood—I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease. And as much as she tried not to show it, i could tell that Aster wasn't happy about this. And it hurt.

"You know that I wasn't unhappy about you actually being my brother right?" Astrea questioned Percy, a guilty look in her eyes

"I know that now. Don't worry sis"

Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back. The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.

The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I'd done to the Ares folks in the woods, so my lessons with Luke became one-on-one. He pushed me harder than ever, and wasn't afraid to bruise me up in the process.

"You're going to need all the training you can get," he promised, as we were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper-beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions."

"Well that definitely came in handy" said Will while looking at Percy who shrugged

Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she scowled at me, as if I'd just poked her between the eyes.

After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest ... Poseidon? ... Aster.....prophecy... Got to make a plan ..."

Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.

"Really? I'd rather be ignored than get into fights" spoke Luna. She was sitting next to Will and had her head on his shoulder.

"That's because you're better than everyone else Little Moon" said Astrea as she leaned across Will (who was on her right) and held Luna's hand in hers.

The Lovegood girl just beamed at her future step-mother.

I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the New York Daily News, opened to the Metro page. The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.

ʙᴏʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ꜰʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴄᴀʀ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ

- ʙʏ ᴇɪʟᴇᴇɴ ꜱᴍʏᴛʜᴇ

ꜱᴀʟʟʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏɴ ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ'ꜱ ʙᴀᴅʟʏ ʙᴜʀɴᴇᴅ '78 ᴄᴀᴍᴀʀᴏ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴄᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴀᴛᴜʀᴅᴀʏ ᴏɴ ᴀ ɴᴏʀᴛʜ ʟᴏɴɢ ɪꜱʟᴀɴᴅ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏꜰ ʀɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʀᴏɴᴛ ᴀxʟᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀ ʜᴀᴅ ꜰʟɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴋɪᴅᴅᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴇᴠᴇʀᴀʟ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴇxᴘʟᴏᴅɪɴɢ.

ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴏɴ ʜᴀᴅ ɢᴏɴᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡᴇᴇᴋᴇɴᴅ ᴠᴀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏɴᴛᴀᴜᴋ, ʙᴜᴛ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ʜᴀꜱᴛɪʟʏ, ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴍʏꜱᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜᴍꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ. ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀʀ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴇᴄᴋ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɴᴏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱɪɢɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴꜱ. ʀᴇꜱɪᴅᴇɴᴛꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴜʀᴀʟ ᴀʀᴇᴀ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅ ꜱᴇᴇɪɴɢ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴜɴᴜꜱᴜᴀʟ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ.

ᴍꜱ. ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ, ɢᴀʙᴇ ᴜɢʟɪᴀɴᴏ, ᴄʟᴀɪᴍꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴇᴘꜱᴏɴ, ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ, ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇᴅ ᴄʜɪʟᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴋɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ɴᴜᴍᴇʀᴏᴜꜱ ʙᴏᴀʀᴅɪɴɢ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀꜱ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴄɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ.

ᴘᴏʟɪᴄᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴀʏ ᴡʜᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴏɴ ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ɪꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴜꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴜʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ꜰᴏᴜʟ ᴘʟᴀʏ.

ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴀʟʟʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ. ᴘᴏʟɪᴄᴇ ᴜʀɢᴇ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛᴏʟʟ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ-ꜱᴛᴏᴘᴘᴇʀꜱ ʜᴏᴛʟɪɴᴇ.

The phone number was circled in black marker.

"That fucking prick"

"I swear to the gods i will kill whoever put that in your cabin"

"People are just so mean"

Astrea came in as I was reading the paper. She took it out of my hands, looked at it once and wadded up the paper and threw it away. I gave her a grateful smile then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.

"Lights out," she told me while switching them off.

That night, I had my worst dream yet.

I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.

About a hundred yards down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green.

 They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

I had to stop them. I didn't know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back, until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.

Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, Give it back! Give it back! 

Like a kindergartener fighting over a toy.

"That describes them so well" Blaise Zabini said while nodding his head and everyone at the Slytherin table agreed

The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.

I yelled, 'Stop it! Stop fighting!'

The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood toice.

'Come down, little hero', the voice crooned. 'Come down!'

"Horrible as he may be, you have to admit that our dear old grandad has amazing power" Astrea said out loud, voicing her thoughts.

Some agreed with her, while others just stared in disbelief because that is what she was thinking about at the time 

The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the centre of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.

I woke up, sure I was falling.

I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. I hadn't dreamed that.

I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold. I waiting for Aster to say something but I heard only silence. 

I looked towards her bed but she wasn't there. The sheets were clean and the blanket was folded as if no one had slept there. Guess i was alone.

"Come in?"

Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you."

"Why?"

"He wants to kill... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."

"Yes Grover. Go on and tell the boy someone wants to kill him just because his father claimed him."

Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.
For days, I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that I was declared a son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who weren't supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.

 The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish me for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their verdict.

Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella.

"No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."

I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"

He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It'll pass around us. Bad weather always does."

I realised he was right. In the week I'd been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I'd seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.

But this storm ... this one was huge.

"That's because father was throwing a massive tantrum" Hermes joked and the others all laughed along with him.

At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs. Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.

Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. 

Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day. Chiron sat across the table
in his fake wheel-chair. They were playing against invisible opponents--two sets of cards hovering in the air.

"Well, well," Mr. D said without looking up. "Our little celebrity."

"Snape vibes" muttered Harry Potter at the Gryffindor table and all those there in his year nodded in agreement. Even after 4 years, they still remembered their first potions class clearly.

I waited.

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

Poseidon glared at the younger god but his daughter burst out laughing

"Barnacle Beard! Gods that's the funniest one i've heard yet. I'm telling Triton" 

"Please don't sea star" the sea god pleaded, knowing that he would never hear the end of it if Triton had been told.

"Tough lucky daddy" Astrea said and smiled back innocently. Not that anyone believed the look on her face. (this is not in a sexual way, get your heads out of the gutter people! I can literally smell the comments from here if there are any)

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Is it though?" asked a Ravenclaw 

"Yes it is Damon"

"Shut up Stefan"

"Whatever"

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Clues for the future" Luna said with a far off and dreamy look in her eyes,

"Mr. D—" Chiron warned.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. 

"I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

"Does seem like a better option now"

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. 

A credit card? No. A security pass.

He snapped his fingers.

The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

"Okay? So what happens next?!"

"We're gonna find out relax dude"

______________________________________________________________

Sya Notes !

What did you think of this chapter? It's not much ik but i wrote it during my exam time cause i got bored of studying.

Either ways i hope you enjoyed as always!

Stay safe, healthy, and take care of yourselves :) <3

______________________________________________________________