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Percy Jackson and the Lost God by Momentei

 Books » Percy Jackson and the Olympians Rated: T, English, Adventure & Humor, [Percy J., Thalia G.] [OC, Athena], Words: 247k+, Favs: 799, Follows: 911, Published: Jul 29, 2019 Updated: Oct 31296Chapter 2:The Elderly are Terrifying

People speaking

Percy's thoughts

Adamos in Percy's mind

Adamos speaking through Percy

All characters are owned by Rick

Chapter 2

Maybe The Elderly Are Terrifying

(Percy's P.O.V.)

I slowly found myself listening to the voice in my head. Now I know that sounds crazy, but he's been the only one I can talk to about what happened. Somehow the entire campus has forgotten about Mrs. Dodds. No matter who I asked, the students were convinced that Mrs. Kerr had been our math teacher since Christmas. Any mention of Mrs. Dodds would get me looks like I'm some sort of mental case.

Which I'm not!

I think.

Anyways, other than Adamos, as he named himself, the only other evidence I had on Mrs. Dodds was Grover. He couldn't fool me… I could easily see that he was lying since his eyes never met mine when the subject came up, and he would always hesitate before he tried to deny her existence.

The freak weather continued, which didn't help much with my mood. Although Adamos was very good at keeping me on track with my studies. While he wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know he kept trying to make up for it my training me. Helping me with my school work, writing papers, and even getting me to work out because I was apparently too skinny.

This has been going on for weeks and I can honestly say that this is the best I've been doing in a school yet. I might even be invited back next year if I'm lucky, but I knew better than to get my hopes up. Adamos was a good tutor but he never gave me the answers out right to any questions, just hints.

It was during one of our study sessions while Grover was out of the room that my curiosity about him overflowed.

"Hey Adamos."

"Yeah?"

"What exactly are you?" I asked.

"I thought we went over this Perce. I'm an"

"Ancient all-powerful being yada yada. I know that. What about where you came from?" I speak out loud cutting him off.

"First off there are other beings like me. Very few are as close to my level of power, and even fewer can match it let alone exceed it. Your most likely going to learn about them or maybe meet some of them soon and they would kill you for interrupting them if not less."

"Wait there are more of you!? And why would they want to kill me?" The questions spewing out.

"Yes, there are more of my kind. And some would try to kill you. Whether its because of personal reasons or they might just dislike you because of da…" he stops mid-sentence. "Never mind. Just try not to piss them off."

"Wait! What were you about to say!" I asked/yelled

"Uhm—your—eaking up. I—n't—ear you. Krrck"

"There's no interference when your in my head."

"All right just drop it. You got finals tomorrow and you want to do well to impress your mom, right? I promise I'll explain everything to you when the time is right but for now just study."

"But," I try to learn more only to give up when he starts playing 'Thunderstruck' in my head.

Something was going on and Adamos wasn't telling me the entire truth. Something about the less knowing and curious cats and all that. He promised to tell me more when the time was right but not now. I gave up trying to pry after a while. No point if he can apparently start playing music in my head at a loud volume. Now you may have misheard me, I didn't say he was just singing or humming. No, he can 'play' actual music in my head. You try interrogating someone when you have AC/DC blaring in your head with him singing along. Although he did take requests, and it helped whenever I had nightmares about Mrs. Dodds. But he was sort of right, I did have finals tomorrow and this was my chance to really impress my mother. With that I picked up Cambridge guide to Greek Mythology and studied for my Latin final, trying to ignore the swimming words.

"Stupid dyslexia." I thought. "Maybe if I talked to Mr. Brunner, he could give me some pointers. I don't want to leave him thinking I'm not trying."

Walking downstairs I walk towards Mr. Brunners office door… a voice that was definitely Grover's said, "…worried about Percy sir."

I froze, straining my ears to listen to what they were discussing about me. I moved closer.

"Let him enjoy his ignorance while he still can."

"But sir, he saw her…"— "I can't fail my duty again."— "you know what that would mean."

"You haven't… lets just worry about keeping Percy alive until next autumn—"

Then in that moment either the most unexpected or expected thing happened. My mythology text book hit the floor.

Mr. Brunner went silent. A shadow slid across the glass on his door… holding something that looked like a bow.

Looking around I jumped into the nearest door and slipped inside. A large dark shape paused in front of the door, the shadow easily being taller than my teacher. I pressed myself further into the dark room, trying to will myself to disappear. A bead of sweat trickles down my neck. A few seconds later I hear a slow clop—clop—clop sound getting fainter. Like wooden blocks walking away

"Nothing…My nerves haven't been right since the winter solstice."

"Mine neither." Grover replied. "But I could have sworn…"

"It's best that you get back to your room. You have a long day of exams tomorrow."

I waited a bit longer till I was confident they left. Sneaking back to my room as quietly as I could.

"Adamos. Did you hear what they were talking about?" I thought

"Yeah. What you hear I hear."

"What do you think they meant by the winter solstice.?"

"…"

"Adamos. Tell me, please."

"Alright," he says caving for the first time. "I don't really know what happened on the solstice since they kicked me out, but the solstice is an annual meeting where they discuss important matters."

"Woah really? Wait why were you kicked out?" I questioned.

"Its… complicated. I'll just say that I used to hold one of the highest positions there was, but some things happened, and it led to me getting voted out, end of story."

"oh, ok." I could tell from his tone that that was the end of the story. I knew there was more there but trying to get more out would have to be later as I just made it back to my room. I opened the door to find Grover sitting on his bed, like he had never left.

"Hey, you ready for the test?"

I didn't answer. I turned to face him, keeping a blank expression on my face and getting ready for bed.

From what they were talking about downstairs and what Adamos had told me there was a good reason to believe that I was in danger, or at least a topic of interest for these all-powerful beings. I honestly didn't know how I was supposed to feel about all of this so I decided to just get some sleep.

Line Break

It was the next afternoon and I was just finished with the Latin exam. As some one who can barely sit still in a regular test, sitting for three hours was pure hell. Adamos said that he wouldn't be helping me cheat on this test by giving me answers which sucked. What was the point of having an all knowing, powerful voice in your head if you can't get away with a few things, but apparently, he thinks it will inhibit my 'growth' if I rely on him too much, whatever that means?

Looking at the test and reviewing over my answers didn't help, my eyes were swimming with the Greek and Roman names that I most likely misspelled. After I had turned in the test Mr. Brunner called me back to his desk. For a moment I thought that he found out that I was ease dropping last night, but that didn't seem to be what he wanted to talk about.

"Percy," he said "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's… It's for the best."

His tone was kind, but his words hurt and embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids that had finished their exams could hear him. Nancy smirked at me and made sarcastic kissy face gestures at me.

I mumbled, "Okay, sir." My eyes stung. He was my favorite teacher. Telling me that I was destined to fail the entire time.

"I mean," he began, moving his wheel chair back and forth like he was trying to pick out his next words. "This isn't the right place for you, it was only a matter of time."

He kept saying that he believed in me all year. That he expected me to be better than everyone else.

"Right." I mumbled

"No, no," Mr. Brunner said, "Oh, confound it all. Percy, what I'm trying to say… you're not normal Percy. That isn't anything to be—"

"Thanks," I blurted out. "Thanks for reminding me sir."

"Percy—"

Before he could finish, I was already out the door.

"Wow that could have gone better." Adamas said.

"Shut. Up. I'm not in the mood."

"I don't think that he meant to discourage you. He knows what you are. You aren't like the other kids here. Not really human."

"Oh, great now your telling me that I'm a freak as well." I say getting angry.

"What no! I… Jeez I'm just as bad at this as he is. Ok, ok what I meant to say is that your half human." He tried to explain.

"So, I'm less than human!?"

"No, no actually your more than human Percy. Your better than human. Your half human and half of what I am."

"What are you then!? You said I can trust you, that you'll tell me what's going." I thought to myself as I arrived at my room, flopping onto the bed with the grace of a bag of potatoes. "But so far you've just been telling me to wait, and that you'll tell me when the time was right. When is the right time.!?"

"…," Adamos stays silent for a while before finally speaking. "All right. It's close enough to the time that I can tell you more."

"Wait, really!" I think, quickly sitting up on my bed. I'll admit that I was being childish in how I was talking to him earlier. After all he's done nothing but try to help me since he showed up weeks ago, but I didn't expect him to actually open up more since he's refused to tell me for weeks. To say I was curious at the moment was an understatement. "So… what can you tell me?"

"Tell me, do you remember the Greek Gods that you were studying yesterday?"

"Uh, yeah.?" I responded not really knowing where he was going with it.

"Well, they exist. They are still around and have been guiding western civilization since Greece, and I am one of them."

After having that bombshell dropped on me, I respond in the most intelligent way possible. "Oh,"

"I just shatter your views on reality and the only response is 'Oh'?"

"Uhm, sorry." I think back, trying to fight back the blush of embarrassment that is spreading all over my face, "So if I'm half what you are, does that mean I'm part god? I ask.

"Yes, but demigod is the actual term. It means that one of your parents is a god, and since I know you live with your mom that means your dad is a god. And no, I'm not your dad Percy so don't even ask." He quickly cuts me off.

"Oh. Do you at least know who he is?" I think to him with a bit of hope.

"I have a good idea but it's best not to reveal it because I could be wrong and it's best you don't go claiming yourself as another god's kid. Who knows what would happen if you did? You'll just have to wait until he claims you as his son." Adamos warns.

"Ok got it. Wait if you're a Greek god how come I've never heard of you. You weren't mentioned in the book at all."

"Whether you believe it or not I was actually an Olympian. I was part of the council, but I did something that got me banished from Olympus. And since your you you'll probably going to ask what I did so I'll only give you two words: scorched earth."

"I wasn't going to ask, "I lied. "but what kind of god are you?

. "Well young Perseus—"

"Please just Percy, I hate my full name it sounds to formal for me."

"Nah." He replies not even thinking it over. "Well young Perseus allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Adamos. The first-born son of Poseidon, god of the seas, storms, earthquakes and horses, and Asteria, the Titaness of nocturnal oracles, falling stars, and necromancy. The first god born after the six children of Kronos and Rhea. I am the former Olympian god of earth, destruction and disasters, battle and weapon skills, constellations and stars, falling stars, deep waters, currents, volcanoes, life, miracles, stories, entertainment, knowledge, creativity, exploration, woodcraft and minor god of art, sorcery, waves, and night."

"Wait isn't Gaia the earth goddess?"

"Yes, she is, but so am I. You could say I'm one level down on the list of authorities for the earth domain. There are many minor gods and goddesses that share domains. But many of these domains I do have I also share with other gods. Hephaestus and I share the volcano domain but use it for different things.

"How so?"

"Well Hephaestus uses volcanoes to power his forges, that's usually why they erupt. Mine works with my domains of deep waters, earth, and life to create islands from the seas. That's not to say I can't cause eruptions when I want but that's what I used to use it for."

"Wow. You sound seriously over powered." I thought.

He chuckled. "Yeah I guess so. But some of the Olympians have just as many domains as I do. The just have a less physical impact on the world unlike me. Seriously, have you seen Hermes and Athena's domain lists. They are just as long as mine, just that they represent mostly ideas and concepts instead. The only reason I have so many is because I was born before the end of the first titan war and they needed to fill the positions of the titans that lost the war. That, and the broad list of domains let me do one of my jobs of freely traveling lands and other gods domains documenting any discoveries and historical events that happen in the world. I actually had a book that held most of the collected knowledge of the world in it. Like a godly Google, but that's hidden away somewhere."

"Well what else can you do?" I was becoming more curious about the god that lived in my head, "Wait can I do any of the things you can while you're in me?"

"All right Perce, but that's the last question. You should be able to use many of my godly powers on a smaller scale. Can't have you trying to use my power the way I can otherwise your body would disintegrate from all the energy you're trying to use over powering your mortal half. I can help you out to certain degrees, but again I can't use too much power, or it could kill you. If we threw safety out the window I can match gods like Zeus and my father Poseidon in terms of power for storms a bit before your body is destroyed, but control is another matter. Zeus has better control over lightning while I can summon lightning in a generalized area. Same with floods and tidal waves for my father. But no one is better at land related disasters than me. Father might be the god of earthquakes, but I was the original earth shaker" He finishes with pride in his voice. "Alright you got your info, you happy yet?"

"Come on can't you tell me more?"

"No. Frankly I'm tired of talking about myself and it's kinda bringing back some old memories. Just—go to sleep Perce. You're heading home tomorrow, aren't you?" He had quickly changed the subject. Like before this usually meant that the conversation was over.

"Yeah. Good night." I thought.

"Night." He replied

Slowly I fall to sleep not knowing of the dream that I would soon be experiencing.

Line Break

I open my eyes to see I'm no longer in my dorm. Looking around I see that I'm high up, on a mountain most likely, I could see a large forest at the base of the mountain that extends for miles as well as numerous clouds formed below me. Turning around I could see a beautiful garden built into the mountain. Looking past it was a city of impressive buildings. I'm not really into architecture or really art for that matter but even I could admire the beauty and effort of the craftsmanship. I tried to call out for someone to tell me where I was, but my voice didn't work. I kept trying to get some one's attention until I hear two voices coming my way.

Into the garden walks a young man that looks to be in his sixteens along with an older man that couldn't have been more than thirty, both wearing Greek armor, their bodies well-built and toned yet not overly muscled. They seemed to have a slightly bulkier swimmers build and both standing at a bit more than six foot. The older man had messy raven hair and was sporting a beard that made him seem more distinguished. His sea green eyes were mesmerizing as if the flowed like waves, containing barely restrained power. He had a strong jaw with a slightly upturned nose. There was something about him that just screamed familiar but seemed wrong. As if the grim and stern expression on his face didn't seem natural to him. The younger man bore a striking resemblance to the older man. While his hair was black in color with streaks of glowing silver white running through it, it was longer and almost reached his shoulders. His face was a bit more defined with a strong angular jaw, with lightly high cheekbones and a straight Greek nose. What was most interesting were his eyes however. The iris seemed to shift in color. The outside of the iris was a light oceanic blue that shifted to a sandy golden ring that melted into tropical green before meeting the pupil. To me his eyes looked like tropical islands in the middle of the ocean. Overall either of these men could have easily outclassed any male supermodel or actor in the looks department.

I was broken out of my staring when they started a rather heated conversation.

"I don't understand why you don't let me help you father!?" The younger man said. His voice sounding familiar.

"Because you are to young to face them and you're not ready." The older man reasoned in a calm but authoritative manner.

The younger man just glared back at him. I instinctively flinch at the glare, feeling that his bad side is not something that I want to be on. "How am I not ready? I regularly spar with you and uncle. I've killed their patrols by myself before they get anywhere near our bases or routes. I can fight with you on the battle field." The younger man argues.

"That isn't the point," the older man says pinching the bridge of his nose, like they've had this conversation many times before. "Look, I know your skilled, but this war is dangerous and you're my only son. I couldn't bear it if something were to happen to you while I was there and could have done something. Besides you help plenty in the strategy meetings and leading the defenses of Olympus. And need I remind you that we let you lead a raid on to one of their strong holds earlier this year." The older man's voice becoming more soothing but held a hint of pride in it as he kept talking.

"Exactly what more reason. The war is coming to a close—"

"Son." The older man tries to interrupt.

"so, we need every able bod—"

"Son." His voice getting louder.

"Then we can end this war much earli—"

"ADAMOS!" the older man yells.

The younger man who I now know as Adamos, finally putting a face to the voice in my head, immediately stops talking.

The older man, who I now figure is Poseidon from what Adamos told me earlier, just laughs at Adamos. "Your rambling again son."

"Sorry father." Adamos sighs.

"Don't be," Poseidon says "It just shows how dedicated and focused you are. Now I know you want to be with us during the final battles, but I have a feeling that something will happen when we are away. It would make me feel much better if you were to stay here and protect Olympus while were gone." Poseidon says, placing a hand on Adamos's shoulder.

Adamos tries to keep his gaze on his father before his expression crumbles. "Alright father. If you think that's best." He says with a sigh before he breaks into a smile.

"Come, I heard your Auntie Hestia baked some more of those desserts. I'd like to get there before your Uncle Zeus tries to horde them all." Poseidon begins to walk off. Behind him Adamos shakes his head before jogging after his father hoping to get to the desserts before anyone else.

I watched with fascination at the 'gods'. I had expected them to be all formal and regal. They still were but at the same time they acted more like a family than anything else. It made me wish that I had a father that cared like that.

Then everything fades away.

Line Break

It was the last day of the term and I was trying to shove the rest of my clothes into my suit case.

"You know it's going to fit better if you actually fold them." Adamos suggests. Since last night I haven't asked him any questions. I'm not sure what the dream was supposed to mean but I'll admit that I was a little jealous that he had a father that cared so much.

"Hey! I got them to fit the last time. I can do it again." I retort still having difficulty closing my suit case.

The other guys around me were joking around, talking about their vacation plans. I was half listening in on their conversation, they were talking about Switzerland and other vacation spots that me and my mom could never afford to go to. You see these kids were juvenile delinquents, trouble makers, problem children and a bunch of other labels. The only difference was that these were rich delinquents. Their parents were rich people. You know the politicians, the celebrities, and the company executives. I probably would have felt jealous if it weren't for the fact that according to Adamos my dad is an immortal god. Even if I was still a bit skeptical about all of it, it felt good not to be an unimportant nobody in their groups.

"Hey Percy, what are you doing this summer?"

"Huh?" I was look over at their group.

"I asked what you were doing this summer?" One of them asked.

"Oh, uh I'm actually going back to the city this summer." I reply. I didn't feel like telling them that the purpose was to get a summer job walking dogs or selling newspapers or something. That and trying to figure out where to go to school next year, even with Adamo's help it wasn't enough to get invited back. Maybe I could convince him to just give me the answers to my tests next time, or better yet just take them for me.

"Oh." One of the replies. "That's cool I guess." Then he turns back to his friends to finish their conversation, as if I never existed.

"Hey Adamos, are gods rich?" I think.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I get the feeling a stupid one now that I ask it." I admit feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Hey, the only stupid questions are the ones that we already know the answers to. But for your information Percy, yes, the gods are rich. We either invented or help invent many of the innovations that you use today." He explains.

"Really? Like what?"

"Well Hermes owns FedEx, UPS, and the U.S. postal service, Aphrodite runs eHarmony, and any fashion line. I myself own a bunch of television and movie studios, I even own half of Disney. I'm actually planning on this multi-decade long project of movies that is going to make me billions."

"Really? What's it called?"

"The Marvel Cinematic Universe."

"Is that the one with Batman?"

"No, I've already got Batman covered. If the mortals follow the storylines, I've written up I could make bank. But you know outside influences and producers tend to screw them up."

"So, the gods have done everything for humans and just passed it of as our own.?"

"No, no, we influence civilization from time to time but many of the innovations were made by mortals." He explains.

"Well it's good to know that we all aren't sheep." I think dryly.

"That's the spirit."

Finally managing to close my suitcase I head to my bus to go back to Manhattan. I was actually dreading saying goodbye to Grover. Even if our friendship was a bit strained since the museum incident, but as it turns out he actually booked a ticket on the same bus as me. Maybe we can patch things up during the ride.

Line Break

During the entire bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. I noticed that he's been acting nervous and fidgety ever since we left Yancy, as if he was expecting something bad to jump out. Before now I always thought it was because he did.t want to be bullied or teased, but there was no one we knew on the bus.

I felt control slip from my body. "Looking for the kindly ones G-Man?" Adamos asks. Over the last few weeks Adamos has been tormenting Grover by causing accidents to happen around him to make him jump. For some reason he likes tormenting him but will never tell me why.

Grover nearly fell out of his seat "Wha—What are you talking about?"

"You know what I mean Grover, I mean what else could you and Mr. Brunner talking about late at night?" Adamos drawls in a knowing tone.

Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"

I was trying to wrestle back control from Adamos, but it was only halfhearted as I wanted Grover to come out and admit he had been lying to me.

"So, tell me Grover, what does the solstice deadline have to do with anything."

Grover winced. "Look Perce… I was just worried for you, you see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teacher… And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressing or something, because there was no Mrs. Dodds, and…" he starts rambling.

I barely realized that Adamos handed back control to me until I felt my brow going up, not buying into Grover's talk.

"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar." I said ignoring Adamos's laughing in my head.

His ears turn pink.

He begins to fish around the pocket on his shirt, bringing out a wrinkled business card. "Just take his ok? In case you need me."

On the card was fancy script that was messing with my dyslexia. Adamos decided to read it to me to save time. It was a place in Long Island with a phone number at the bottom.

"What's Half—"

"Don't say it out loud!" he harshly whispers while clamping hi hand over my mouth before removing it. "That's my, um… summer address."

I actually felt a bit betrayed that there was more that he was keeping from me. I never thought that Grover was rich like everyone else.

"Ok," I said glumly, thinking about how much of our friendship was actually real. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."

He nodded. "Or… or if you need me."

"All right." I said turning to look out the window. That didn't seem to calm him down, in fact it just made him fidget more.

"Look Percy, the truth is, I—I kind of have to protect you." It was at the end of this sentence that Adamos began to break down into hysterical laughter in my head. I ignored the laughing and just stared at Grover.

All year long, I'd gotten into fights, put in detention, and kept bullies away from him, I'd lost sleep worrying that he'd get beaten up with out me, and he acts like he's been the one who's protecting me.

"Grover," I said, "what exactly are you protecting me from?"

There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus began to smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and pulled the bus to the side of the empty highway.

After looking around the engine compartment for a few minutes the driver told us to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everyone else. We were on an empty stretch of country road, out in the middle of nowhere. On our side of the road were just trees and litter. On the other side, across the four-lane highway was an old-fashioned fruit stand.

The stuff on sale looked really good: large boxes of blood red cherries and apples, walnuts, apricots, and jugs of cider in a tub of ice. There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.

These socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them, the lady on the left knitted the other, and the lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric blue yarn. All three of the women looked ancient, with pale, wrinkled faces, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses. The weirdest thing was they' were looking right at me.

I looked back to Grover to say something about this until I felt control over my body taken from me for the second time today. Adamos starts walking across the highway.

"Percy wait!" Grover yells, grabbing my—Adamos's? – shoulder only to be shrugged off without a word.

"Hey, you think those socks are for sasquatch or the hulk?" I ask.

Adamos stays silent.

Stopping in front of the fruit stand eyeing the produce. The woman on the left speaks up. "I see that your eying the cherries. But be careful, some of the last batch has come out with 'two seeds."

"Oh really?" Adamos responds, only giving the old woman a brief side glance. "Have there been any 'problems' with these cherries with 'two seeds'?"

The center one speaks. "No, no problems have come as of this time. But it has a way of sneaking up on the buyer when it hides in with the other cherries."

"Well then, it seems that when it's found out it will surprise so many people. I can't wait to see the looks on peoples faces when they see this cherry." Adamos says with a smirk.

Then the right one speaks up. "Hm, yes. But this cherry has a hard road a head of it as the harvester will be looking to dispose of it if found out."

"That sounds about right. Say are there any 'specials' for the cherries?" Adamos asks finally turning to the old ladies.

"Adamos how are you going to buy those we don't have any money?" I ask only to be ignored again.

The center old lady speaks. "Yes, buy half a pound and you'll get something extra."

Adamos nods, placing his palm on the stand. His hand begins to glow and then the glow fades. When he lifts his hand and where it was are a pair of golden coins. Without another word he grabs a bag of cherries and walks away popping one into his mouth. As Adamos makes his way next to Grover, he turns his head to the three old ladies. The middle old lady took out a huge pair of scissors—gold and silver, long bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath from the side.

"Percy get on the bus." He whispered harshly. "Come on!" he hurries prying open the bus doors before going in. I could still see through my eyes, but I felt Adamos wear an emotionless expression. I watch as the old woman with the shears looks directly at me and cuts the yarn. A shiver goes up my figurative spine since Adamos is still in control, not moving or expressing himself in any way. I swear I could hear the snip across the four lanes of traffic. As I feel control slowly going back to me, but I couldn't look away as her friends balled up the electric blue socks. Only to snap out of it when I hear cheering behind me. Turning around I see people getting back onto the bus. Looking to the fruit stand once again only to notice that it was gone.

"Everybody back onboard." The driver yells. I slowly walk back to the bus.

"Percy look in the bag." Adamos says.

"What?" I say aloud.

"The bag Percy, look inside." I look in the bag expecting that he just wanted to eat more cherries. Inside is thin bracelet. It was a simple metal band, black in color dotted white, and had mixtures of bronze coloring. "Put it on."

"What?"

"Put it on Percy. It's important and can save your life." He explains vaguely.

"What could a bracelet do?"

"Just put it on. It belongs to me and since I'm apart of you, you can use it."

"What is it?" I ask walking onto the bus.

"A weapon," he says. "MY weapon to be exact. A godly weapon." He finishes as I put the band on my wrist.

"WAIT YOUR TELLING ME THIS NOW?" I internally scream, but my face is straining to hold the stoic mask as I sit next to a pale Grover.

"Ok, first, volume. Jeez,"

"Sorry." I think sheepishly.

"Second, I put some seals on the weapon so that you don't accidentally wipe New Jersey off the map. Third, the weapon will come back to you if you lose it, or until I take it back. And, finally the weapon is my spear, it still holds a lot of power so try not to accidentally obliterate someone, ok?"

I visibly frown. "Nothing that you said is reassuring at all."

"Just—just use it for emergencies or when I say so got it?"

"Fine."

"What did you see back at the fruit stand?" Grover says making me jump, reminding me he exists.

"The old ladies? What about them? Are they like… Mrs. Dodds?" His expression becomes hard to read, but I had the feeling that the old ladies were some thing much worse than Mrs. Dodds.

"Depends on your definition of worse." Adamos interjects.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, just talking circumstances, don't worry about it."

"Just tell me what you saw Percy." Grover speaks again.

Turning back to him. "The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."

Grover closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it wasn't. It was something much, much older.

"An old nature charm." Adamos says.

"A wha—"I begin to think.

"You saw her snip the cord." Grover says cutting of my thoughts.

"Yeah. So?" I said, but I remembered the sound and it sent another shiver down my spine. Yeah, it's definitely a big deal.

"He talked to them. This is not happening." Grover mumbled. He started nervously chewing his thumb. "I don't want this to be like last time."

"Last time?" I ask but he doesn't seem to hear me.

"Always sixth grade. They never get past sixth."

"Grover," I ask because he was starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me walk you home from the bus station." He says. "Promise me."

"Now all that's missing is the promise of candy on arrival and you've got a grade A creep." Adamos jokes.

"Dude shut up. That's not funny." I scold him while also promising Grover he could walk me home, if for nothing else than to get him to relax more because he was beginning to make me nervous.

"Grover—that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean that someone is going to die?" I ask, only to be replied with no answer. Only a mournful look, like he was already picking out the flowers for my funeral

"Adamos?"

"Yeah Perce, that thread being cut means death. But don't worry that wasn't meant for you." He says trying to reassure me.

"So, who were they?" I ask still a bit nervous. I mean they made Grover this scared and I'm still nervous thinking about them, and Adamos just walked up to them and had a regular conversation like he shops their often.

"The Fates Percy, the weavers of life and death. They don't often show themselves unless it's important. If we see them again let me deal with them unless they ask specifically for you." He says in a serious voice that I take to heart.

"But if their so important and dangerous why were you talking to them?"

"The domains of life and miracles that I have give me so pull with the fates. I can defy the fates a little bit but if they truly want something to happen there's little I can do. In the recent millennium I've been gathering favors from them by nudging civilization in certain directions by influencing key historical events. These favors are what lets me help you. You were originally supposed to do go into the mythological world and do things by yourself, but I pulled some strings—no pun intended—with the fates to let me help you."

"Your doing all this to help me?"

"Well I according to the Fates you're a key figure in a big prophecy that's happening so I'm helping you out."

"Wow—uh thanks man, that means a lot actually." I think, feeling stunned.

"Don't mention it Perce."

The rest of the bus ride was uneventful and quiet.