Chapter 7

It was mid-May, and all the students at Yancy were heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a field trip. The idea had been brought up by a teacher, Mr. Brunner, who taught Latin and Mythology. He had talked to the principal back in February and secured permission from the museum for the trip.

Now, I wasn't an idiot. The mist never affected me in any way, so I noticed really quickly when two teachers were replaced in the middle of the year. Mr. Brunner had come first, taking over as the History teacher. Later, the Math teacher was replaced by an old woman named Mrs. Dodds.

Mr. Brunner was this middle-aged guy in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard, always wearing a frayed tweed jacket that smelled like coffee. You wouldn't think he'd be cool, but he told stories and jokes and let us play games in class. He also had an awesome collection of Roman armor and weapons, making him the only teacher whose class didn't put students to sleep.

Mrs. Dodds, on the other hand, was a little math teacher from Georgia who always wore a black leather jacket, even though she was fifty years old. She looked mean enough to ride a Harley right into your locker. She had arrived at Yancy halfway through the year after the previous math teacher had a nervous breakdown. I kept an eye on both teachers and later started watching a boy named Grover who always stuck close to me for some reason.

We were all grouped in threes for the field trip, and I ended up paired with Nancy and Grover. I suspected that the Principal and Mr. Brunner had something to do with it, but I didn't really care. I sat with Nancy, who held my hand throughout the entire bus ride, leaving me a bit confused about the situation. However, I didn't object and let her hold my hand. Grover sat across from us, needing the space for his crutches.

When we arrived at the museum, we were led inside to begin the tour. About an hour later, we stopped in front of a carving while Mr. Brunner continued talking about Greek funeral art. A girl started snickering about the naked guy on the stele, and I turned around and told her to shut up. It came out louder than I intended, and the whole group laughed. Mr. Brunner paused his story.

"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?" I simply shook my head.

"No, sir." Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele.

"Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?" I looked at the carving and nodded because I recognized it.

"That's Kronos eating his kids," I began explaining. "Kronos ascended the throne after defeating his father Uranus, the Primordial of the Sky. Before killing his father, he was warned by Uranus that he would be dethroned by his own son in the same manner Kronos had dethroned him. To avoid this fate, Kronos swallowed each of his children as they were born. The last child, Zeus, was spared because Kronos's wife, Rhea, handed him over to some mountain nymphs as soon as he was born, to be raised in secret, and gave Kronos a rock instead. After Zeus grew up, he confronted Kronos, gave him a mixture of mustard and wine, forcing Kronos to regurgitate all his swallowed siblings. Along with Zeus, they came to be known as the Olympians, and the first Titanomachy began, resulting in the gods imprisoning all the Titans, whether innocent or not."

"Mr. Jackson, you sure know your history," Mr. Brunner said, clearly shocked. The other students were also surprised. Nancy, on the other hand, looked proud and smug as she held my hand. "Full points, my boy!"

"Thank you sir." I stated. though of course everything I had said, was utter bullshit and the real story was that Uranus actually loved his children and had passed the throne to Kronos before going to sleep. Like his father Kronos was a beloved king who loved his children though was betrayed by his youngest son, Zeus. who manipulated his siblings using his powers to change their memories.

Behind me, I overheard a girl mumble something to her friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'"

"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner asked, "to paraphrase Miss Alice's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"

"Busted," Grover muttered.

"Shut up," Alice hissed, her face turning bright red. I just shrugged.

"Myths are as relevant to us today as they were to the ancients. Myths answer timeless questions and serve as a compass for each generation. The myths of lost paradise, for example, give people hope that by living a virtuous life, they can earn a better life in the hereafter."

"I see," Mr. Brunner said, looking proud. "Well, full credit, Mr. Jackson. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"

The class dispersed, some girls holding their stomachs and some guys acting goofy and pushing each other around. Nancy and I were about to follow when Mr. Brunner said, "Mr. Jackson." He gestured for Nancy to continue on her own, and I turned toward Mr. Brunner.

"Sir?" Mr. Brunner had this intense look in his eyes, as if they'd seen a thousand years of history.

"I am glad you take all my lessons seriously," Mr. Brunner told me.

"I have my reasons, Sir."

"I bet you do, Mr. Jackson. What you learn from me," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson."

I nodded, knowing that Mr. Brunner pushed me harder than any other student. He didn't just expect me to be as good as everyone else; he expected me to be better. And I had proven that I could, hence my high score on the recent tournament day when I named 200 Greek and Roman figures.

Mr. Brunner took one last, sad look at the stele, as if he'd been at the girl's funeral, and then he instructed me to go outside and eat my lunch. The class gathered on the front steps of the museum, where we could watch the foot traffic along Fifth Avenue. Overhead, a massive storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than any I'd ever seen over the city. I knew it was almost time, as the weather across New York state had been strange since Christmas. We'd experienced massive snowstorms, flooding, and wildfires from lightning strikes. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a hurricane on the way, but nobody else seemed to notice.

Some of the guys were throwing Launchable crackers at pigeons. Nancy was trying to pickpocket something from a lady's purse, she was good at pickpocketing... way too good. I sat on the edge of the fountain, away from the others, wanting a quiet place to think. Nancy walked over and joined me.

"Detention?" Nancy asked, and I gave her a puzzled look. "Right, you never get detention." We sat there in silence for a while until Nancy nudged me, her expression expectant. Sighing, I reached into my backpack and pulled out a second lunch bag.

"Why didn't you bring your own lunch, Nance?" I asked as I took a bite of my sandwich.

"Because I knew you already planned to make me lunch," Nancy replied cheekily. "Besides, you know how much I love the food you make." I chuckled and went back to eating my food.

I watched the stream of cabs passing down Fifth Avenue, thinking about my mom's apartment, not too far uptown from where we were. I hadn't seen her since I started at Yancy, and I had been too busy to visit her on Christmas, although I had sent her a gift in advance. Mr. Brunner parked his wheelchair at the base of the handicapped ramp, munching on celery while reading a paperback novel. A red umbrella was attached to the back of his chair, making it look like a motorized café table. I was about to stand up to throw away my food when one of Nancy's old friends showed up in front of her, accompanied by some new, less friendly faces. They dumped her half-eaten lunch in Nancy's lap

"Oops," she grinned at me with her crooked teeth, flicking her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder. "You really lost your way, hun; can't believe you're here talking to the school's top nerd. The bully becomes the bullied, how ironic."

"Go away, Sophia, and don't talk about Percy like that. I'm warning you."

"Shut up, bitch," Sophia hissed. "You don't get to threaten me and get away with it." She raised her hand and slapped Nancy hard, leaving her cheeks red. I tried to stay cool, but I was so mad my mind went blank. A wave roared in my ears. I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Sophia was sitting on her butt in the fountain with trash all over her, screaming, "Percy pushed me!"

Some of the kids were whispering:

"Did you see--"

"--the water--"

"--like it grabbed her--"

Annoyed, I snapped my fingers, and a gust of wind blew, making every student now look confused, wondering what happened. Mrs. Dodds appeared next to us and turned on me. There was a triumphant fire in her eyes, as if I'd done something she'd been waiting for all semester. "Now, honey--"

"I know," I muttered. "Let's make this fast. We both have questions that need answering. Nancy, wait here." Nancy wanted to protest, but I silenced her with a look.

"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds said.

"Wait!" Grover yelped, running up to us. "It was me. I pushed her." I stared at him, confused. I couldn't believe he was trying to cover for me. Mrs. Dodds scared Grover to death. She glared at him so hard his whiskery chin trembled. "I don't think so, Mr. Underwood," she said.

"But--"

"You-will-stay-here." Grover looked at me desperately. "It's okay, man," I told him. "Thanks for trying."

"Honey," Mrs. Dodds barked at me. "Now."

Nancy Bobofit watched worriedly. I gave her a wink and mouthed, "Do not worry." Then, I turned to face Mrs. Dodds, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, way at the top of the steps, gesturing impatiently for me to come on. I went after Mrs. Dodds, following her deeper into the museum. When I finally caught up to her, we were back in the Greek and Roman section. Except for us, the gallery was empty. Mrs. Dodds stood with her arms crossed in front of a big marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making this weird noise in her throat, like growling.

"You've been giving us problems, honey," she said. I stepped in front of her and looked her up and down. "Then again, you always liked to cause problems for us, haven't you, young Prince."

"It is great seeing you again, Aunt Alecto." She was in the middle of tugging on the cuffs of her leather jacket as she sighed, before turning to me and giving a soft smile. "And, sadly, you are mistaken; I didn't take the masterbolt, was planning on it, but someone else got to it before me."

"Willing to swear on the styx?" my surrogate aunt asked as she ran her long nails through her hair. I shrug and lean on a pillar.

I leaned against a pillar and crossed my arms. "I swear on the Styx I didn't steal it or have any part in taking it." Thunder shook the building, and Mrs. Dodds seemed to wait to see if I would die, but when I didn't, she looked pleased.

"I see, you were always a weird child, so I am not surprised." Alecto responded. "Now, any chance you can tell me who stole them?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"That is a secret and no worries, I will find the missing Helm, I will retrieve it when I am forced to fetch the idiot's spark plug." I offered calmly, and so far, things were going as planned. "It will take a while, but he can trust that I will help him get his Helm back."

"I have the feeling you will do just as you say." she laughed, her eyes glowing like barbecue coals.

"My father's order?"

"Yes, Lord Hades has been really worried about you and your mother. Lady Persephone put him through the ringer for his action and he really wants to get your mothers forgivness. Also Lady Persephone wishes to meet you."

"I see. I shall talk to mother and my step-father and see how she will like to do it. I shall visit Father and her soon."

"Having been watching you since you were a child you really are a strange one." Alecto laughed.

"Just you wait and see, I will keep getting stranger.," I stated, grinning. "Now, that old horse shall show up here soon; shall we get this dance over with?" Alecto grinned wickedly as she shredded her disguise, and where the old hag stood now was a young woman with the body of a gym girl.

She had a two bat like wings protruding from her back. Her teeth were pearly white and her canines sharp. She had pale skin that contrast with her spiked bronze hair that cascaded down her back. Her piercing red eyes, prominent cheekbones, and strong jawline give her a menacing appearance. She wore a red chiton dress over a fishnet shirt with a golden corset over the dress. She had greek sandles with golden bracers and greaves. All in all I had to say...

"Dang, your really hot." I grinned eyeing her body.

"Tsk, tsk, hey watch your eyes, boy. You shouldn't flirt with your fathers servant." Alecto laughed as she winked. "Now show me what you got."

I lunged forward, my hands flicking forward, shooting ice javelins toward a shocked Alecto. She cut the ice spears in half as she flew up into the air.

"So, you have ice abilities, this makes it interesting." Alecto gave a wicked grin. "But that doesn't matter for—" A blast of wind shot forward, knocking Alecto out of the sky.

"You talk too much," I laughed. Mr. Brunner, who'd been out in front of the museum a minute before, wheeled his chair into the doorway of the gallery, holding a pen in his hand.

"What ho, Percy!" he shouted, and tossed the pen through the air. Alecto lunged at me. Dodging and rolling out of the way, I snatched the ballpoint pen out of the air, flicked the cap off, and the pen transformed into a leaf-shaped sword. Alecto spun toward me with a murderous glint in her eyes.

I breathed slowly as I shifted the sword. She snarled, "Die, honey!" And she flew straight at me. Instinct flooded my body, and I stepped forward slightly and slashed the sword upward. The metal blade hit her waist and passed clean through her body as if she were made of water. Hiss! Mrs. Dodds was a sandcastle in a power fan. She exploded into golden powder, vaporized on the spot, leaving nothing but the smell of sulfur and a dying screech and a chill of evil in the air. I was alone; I capped the sword, and it shifted back to a pen. Mr. Brunner wasn't there. Nobody was there but me. I looked at the golden dust of Alecto and winced, I do hope she will forgive me.

Walking back outside, it had started to rain. Grover was sitting by the fountain, a museum map tented over his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there worried in the same spot, not realizing it had started raining. Sophia was soaked from the fountain and was grumbling to her ugly friends. When she saw me, she smirked and said, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."

I raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Maybe you didn't learn your lesson; want another swim? Your friends can join you; the fountain is big enough."

"S-shut up, freak!" Sophia stammered as she dragged her friends away. I snorted and took off my jacket, putting it over Nancy, who finally noticed me and looked relieved. I walked over to Grover, and after looking at him, I spoke.

"You didn't have to stand up to Mrs. Dodds like that, Goat-Man."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Grover said, pausing first, and he wouldn't look at me. "I don't know who Mrs. Dodds is."

"Hilarious," I told him. "Nancy, stop looking at my jacket dreamily and put it on; it's raining." Thunder boomed overhead as it rained harder. Nancy blushed and slipped my large jacket on and put the hood up. I saw Mr. Brunner sitting under his red umbrella, reading his book, as if he'd never moved. I went over to him. He looked up, a little distracted.

"Ah, that would be my pen. Please bring your own writing utensil in the future, Mr. Jackson." I looked at the pen and then Mr. Brunner before pocketing it.

"I prefer to keep it. No offense, Sir, but it doesn't belong to you." Mr. Brunner looked shocked for a second and was about to demand the pen back but changed his mind.

"As you wish, Mr. Jackson."

"Sir," I said, "Mrs. Dodds... she has left." He stared at me blankly.

"Who?" I shrugged after a minute before looking at Nancy.

"You know, for an immortal centaur who taught the greatest heroes of all time and a Satyr, you and Grover never noticed there was a demigod child of the Norse god Loki in front of you ever since you snuck into the school." I chuckled, slipping my hands in my pocket. "So, be expecting to see her at Camp this Summer; she shall be staying with me."

Mr. Brunner spat out his coffee and looked at me wide-eyed. "What did you say? Percy no, come back here! Hey, stop ignoring me! Get back here young man!" I laughed and headed back to Nancy and Grover.