Chapter Two, Our Unexpected Twist

As the weeks went by, it soon became June. And most students were ecstatic to make it to June. As June is when school gets out for Summer. A twelve year old Percy Jackson is included.

"There is a time to fight, and a time to fly, and I hope you never have to do either. If at all possible, when confronted by a problem, make sure to work your way around it. As my niece Athena says, 'Always have a plan and, if necessary, a back-up or two!'" Echo laughs.

Mr. Brunner rolls into the room as Echo finishes his speech towards his students, and being his dramatic self, making it comedicly dramatic... or dramatically comedic.

"Yes Echo. Very motivating." Mr Brunner says, rolling to Echo's desk.

Once all the students leave, Mr. Brunner asks Echo about his "niece".

"No, my sister's daughter is named Athena." Echo snarks.

"Ok, but know that she'll probably attack you with a few owls now, right?" Mr. Brunner laughs.

"Do I look like I care?" Echo snarls.

"No, but you do care for young Perseus." Brunner says.

"His mother and I grew up together. I'm his surrogate father." Echo calmly says. "Do you know who his real father is, by the way?" Echo asks.

"I have a theory, and Zeus is probably going to be pissy about it." Brunner frowns.

"Yeah, old Barnacles. And I know I'm gonna be attacked by a dolphin for that." Echo chuckles as the water on his desk becomes salt water.

"Or you get to drink salt water." Brunner says.

"Well, old horse. What do you need?" Echo asks.

"Percy and Grover are taking a greyhound to Manhattan, do you mind following them?" Brunner asks.

"Not like I don't take the bus ever." Echo smirks.

"Well, even then, just take care of young Perseus." Mr. Brunner asks.

After a while sitting on the bus, and dealing with an ADHD driven youth, Echo feels the bus shudder. Not this. He thinks.

After a moment the dash spews black smoke.

Of course he thinks.

"Jackson, catch!" Echo calls, tossing Percy a Rubik's cube. "Solve it, or at least try until we get the bus working.

"Ok. But what if I do?" Percy asks.

"I'll scramble it again." Grover says.

"Good." Echo says sharply.

The driver limps the bus to the side of the road, and has everyone get off.

"Who here is any good with motors?" The driver asks.

"Let me look." Echo calls.

"Ok, good luck." The driver replies.

"Don't need it!" Echo jokes.

While Echo worked on the bus, Percy and Grover saw a trio of elderly ladies cut a sky blue string, and hear it across four lanes of traffic. Echo heard it too.

Dammit! Echo thought.

"Percy we need to tell Echo about this! It's important!" Grover bleats, sounding a bit like a goat.

"No, he seems to think he can protect me from everything. But he can't! He can try, but he can't." Percy snaps.

"Can't what?" Echo grills.

"Oh jeez, Echo." Percy jumps.

"Again, can't what?" Echo grills, again.

"You can't protect me, all the time." Percy explains.

"Jackson, do you know how much I have done just that? If it weren't for me, you'd be dead about a hundred times over." Echo chides.

"Son of a... really?" Percy asks.

"Yeah." Echo confirms.