Garrett~

Finally, senior year at Goode! But senior came with a few surprises to say the least...

A few weeks ago, everything turned upside down...the Greek Gods of Olympus...that is to say...Poseidon, Zeus, Hades, Apollo, and others...really exist. Real.... And the Greek Monsters. And demigods. Everything from the myths are real.

This revelation was strange, but the still stranger thing, to me at least, was that one of my best friends, Percy Jackson, disappeared last year, during winter break. No phone calls, texts, nada. Nothing. It was like he disappeared off the face of the Earth.

My group of friends included siblings Carson and Caitlyn, as well as Jamie, Tyler, Percy, and me. But Percy is MIA. We have all been worried sick, but his mother, Sally Jackson, couldn't tell us anything.

....

"Hey guys," I smiled at Carson, Caitlyn, Jamie and Tyler. "How has your summer been?"

"Mine's been okay," Carson said. "But to be honest, it is still extremely hard to believe. Gods...real gods...exist. Monster and demigods too. It's crazy."

"Yeah-" I started to agree when something caught my eye. Or someone. He had unruly jet black hair with a grey streak. Tan skin....and sea green eyes.

"What is it?" Jamie asked.

"Could it be...?" I said, mostly to myself. They looked in the direction I was staring at, and their jaws dropped.

"Is that.....Percy!?"

He turned his head, and it was him! It was Percy freaking Jackson. But something was different. He looked...ripped, might be an appropriate word. He looked older, and there was subtle differences, but you wouldn't understand unless you saw him yourself.

He looked at us, licked his lips, and started over to us.

"Wow..."

"What happened?"

"Missing..."

"Kidnapped...?"

Muttering followed him, and people, mostly girls, were staring at him transfixed.

"Hey, guys." He said. There was something about his voice that was different...and his eyes...something was different.... "Long time no see."

"What happened to you, man?" I asked while Caitlyn embraced him. I think she had a crush on him. "You were missing for a long time!"

"Yeah." He nodded like it was no big deal. "I don't really want to talk about it, though."

We respected his wishes, instead getting caught up, but all of us were still curious. How could we not be?

"My father is Zeus, the King God!" Sean, a popular jock announced to all who were in the hallways.

Everyone was looking at him with awe, even Carson, Jamie, Tyler, Caitlyn, and I.

But Percy snorted, which got Sean's attention.

"What are you laughing at, mortal?"

"You," Percy snickered. "You are a comedian."

"Listen, punk! My father is Zeus, the all powerful god of thunder!"

"Actually, he is the God of the Heavens, or the Sky. All powerful, my ass."

Everyone gasped. It was bad enough challenging a demigod, but badmouthing a god...

"You...you..."

"If you really are a son of Zeus, which you aren't, call some lightning, huh, tough guy? Summon lightning. C'mon, strike me down."

"Percy, what are you doing?" I hissed. Percy just smirked and licked his lips again.

"I would, but I don't want to destroy the school," Sean huffed.

"Why don't you-"

Percy didn't finish. Alarms wailed, and a voice came from the loudspeakers.

"Monster! Monster! Everyone gather to the auditorium!"

Then, it was mass panic, everyone was scrambling in a sea of high school students. I was separated from my friends, but found them all again in the auditorium.

Everyone gathered in the back, away from the doors. Then, a giant dog...a hellhound burst into the room, roaring, and people screamed in fear. My heart was beating out of my chest.

Then Percy stepped forward, as if to challenge the monster.

"Percy! Stop! You'll die!"

My screams caught everyone's attention, and everyone was staring at Percy, who was walking forward to the hellhound, ignoring me.

The monster growled.

Then Percy did something unexpected, and took out his ballpoint pen that he always carried around. Everyone was silent, but scared for Percy. What did he think he was doing? What would a pen do?

Then, he uncapped it, and everyone gasped. Percy now held a glowing three foot bronze, leaf shaped sword.

"Percy....?" Caitlyn said hesitantly.

Percy turned around for a split second. He was smirking.

"Come on, mutt." Percy taunted, but the hellhound growled at the sword and pounced.

There was a flash of bronze, and golden dust.

All was silent. No one said a word.

Percy turned around grinned.

"Yeah," he said to everyone. "I am a demigod."

"Who is your godly parent?" I asked in awe.

Percy smirked more. "My name is Perseus Jackson, and my dad is Poseidon, one of the Big Three, a son of Kronos and Rhea, God of the Sea, Stormbringer, Earthshaker, Creator of Horses."

No one spoke. Percy laughed.

"Everyone seems so surprised. I am personally shocked that when the mist disappeared, and everyone found out about the gods, that no one guessed. All my absences, ADHD and dyslexia, my first language is Greek... You people sure are slow."

Everyone continued staring at him in awe.

"And Sean, you aren't a demigod, much less a son of Zeus. There was a pact of the Big Three, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades that they wouldn't have demigod children because of the Great Prophecy where a demigod of the Big Three would make a choice to save or destroy Olympus.

"A half blood of the eldest gods, shall reach sixteen against all odds, to see the world in endless sleep, cursed blade shall reap, a single choice will end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze.

"I was the prophecy child, and one of the Seven in the second. I faced titans, beat Ares the god of war in single combat, retrieved Zeus' Master Bolt, sailed the sea of monsters and recovered the Golden Fleece, held the Sky, beat the Nemeon Lion, I wandered the Labyrinth, and I bathed in the River Styx. I led a small army against the Titan Lord Kronos, and fought him, along with Hyperion. I defeated the Minotaur twice, once without any training or weapon, and the fury Alecto, and Medusa, and hundreds of other monsters. I am a leader of Camp Half Blood, and a Hero of Olympus. I was even offered immortality, but declined.

"Recently, when I was missing, it was because I was part of Hera's exchange. Hera put my to sleep for eight months, and I was on my own, with wolves, and beat the gorgons. I freed Death, and recovered the Legion's Eagle. I am a Praetor of Camp Jupiter, a camp for Roman demigods. I have been to the Underworld three times, offended the Lord of the Dead and lived....and I have survived Tartarus, the deepest, most horrible part of the Underworld........I faced many things....in there....saw Tartarus himself...horrible....and I faced many Giants, and destroyed Gaea, the Earth Herself!

"I am a Hero, and the Savior of Olympus. And I am Immortal, as are the rest of the Seven demigods in the second chapter, the second prophecy."

My jaw dropped, along with everyone else's.

"And since I would never get treated normally again by any of you, I am going to go." He whistled, and and hellhound appeared, and everyone screamed.

"This is my pet hellhoud, Mrs. O'leary. Her original owner, the Daedalus, passed her on to me when he died three years ago."

Then, a pure black....Pegasus flew into the auditorium.

"And this is my faithful steed, Blackjack. And since I am the only Son of Poseidon, I can talk to underwater creatures, as well as all related to horses, which includes Blackjack, here."

Percy smirked. "And since you all know who I am, and what I am....I will show you my power..."

Water began to swirl around him....(Where did the water come from?), and formed a icy hurricane around Percy.

Some people gaped at him. Some screamed. Some gasped. Some were so shocked, they couldn't move. I was one of the latter.

"I am also the most powerful demigod that has ever lived, and the best swordsman in 300 years!"

"Wow." Carson said.

Percy smiled, a genuine smile, not a smirk, a smile. "And, Garrett, Carson, Tyler, Caitlyn and Jamie...come visit. I could introduce you guys to some of my cousins and friends. You guys are still my friends, so don't be strangers, all right?"

I numbly nodded...and he disappeared...leaving behind a sea breeze...