Gold Heart - Chapter 4 - gardengalaxy (2024)

Chapter Text

Percy can’t tell up from down. He had been so good at making himself disappear from the place supposed to be his home, that he had forgotten Gabe was the very first monster that hurt not just his mom, but him .

The shock, fear and pain overwhelm him.

He doesn't care, he doesn’t!

Really !

But.

Kronos does .

It feels like being flung through Kronos’s sands of time, a soul ripped from a body so dead it had turned to ash with the entire future, only the two of them on a last hope and a prayer to no one but themselves into the past, with a time-travel power Kronos hadn’t even known he’d had.

What power .

Percy feels, rather than sees time stop.

The dripping faucet droplet stops, stretched out like that one painting Rachel showed him, ‘ The scream ’. The taxi below is stuck in a left hand turn seconds from flattening an alley-cat. The fridge stops humming. An airplane is frozen overhead.

The world freezes at Kronos’s rage like an animal playing dead.

A deer in the headlights.

Gold drips everywhere like splattered blood , like Ichor .

Apollo dragged and painted across the heavens.

The world stops and pulls back like the way the ocean recedes from the beach when a Tsunami is imminent. It goes silent like crickets do when monsters are nearby. When the air itself paused, the Pit prepared to inhale and pull Percy and Annabeth down into hell .

Like if it stays still long enough, the predator that was the Titan of Time would have mercy on it.

There is not a single part of the universe untouched by Kronos’s rage.

Not a single part.

Except Percy.

An oasis of love in a desert of Kronos’s creation. Percy now understands why Primordials themselves fear him.

Gabe is frozen mid strike, fist out-stretched and red handed.

Time restarts

Like with Ouranos, like with the Gorgons, Kronos is so enraged it feels like a quasar. Percy’s body steams, gold beams from his eyes like a lighthouse and he feels like he is watching himself in third person as Kronos gets ready to smite Gabe.

Gabe is in a puddle on the floor.

He can’t seem to believe what he’s seeing. He babbles, pants stained, floor spilled with beer.

“-hat are you, what! Am I-I drunk? His- it’s f*ckin eyes -”

Percy sees his reflection in the spilled amber liquid.

He looks like Luke rising from the Sarcophagus, an insane Kronos mowing down his own demigods and camp’s alike. Like every nightmare he had leading up to the great prophecy all at once. His skin cracks from the weight of his grandfather's might, even weakened as it is.

But this does not scare Percy.

What scares him is that Gabe is not clear-sighted.

He is not Sally. He is not May Castellan. He is certainly not Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

Gabe cannot see through the Mist.

And Yet .

“-Y-You little monster -”

Percy flinches.

He gasps and that fuels Kronos’s fire.

How can Gabe see him like this ? Being called a monster, by this monster , after running from monsters his whole life, convincing others he means no harm, hurt him even more than his breaking body.

And Kronos feels it.

“You wretch .” His grandfather speaks pure poison, and Percy would know. The very noise makes Gabe’s ears bleed. “You, given the chance for family, for fatherhood, lay hands on the child you promised to protect? My Grandchild? There won’t be a soul for my son to judge by the time I’m done with you, and I’ll make sure you understand, that you see everything I do to you !”

It makes sense now.

Percy realizes that Kronos has cursed Gabe with the ability to see through the Mist in order to understand just exactly what Kronos was going to do to him.

Kronos roars. Gabe’s skin begins to shrink and shrivel, like he’s aging rapidly. His power soars like Hestia’s firewall slowing Olympus’s fall, the smoldering as Backbiter was cast into her flames and melted.

And this is what finally scares him.

He can see the healing of the last several days come undone. The divine strength of Gaia’s strongest child finding his loose thread and pulling .

His terror is a tidal wave. Percy’s progress with his dad’s domains simply isn’t strong enough to handle Kronos’s full possession. This surge of Percy’s fear directed towards Kronos, not out of any concern for himself, not fear of his grandfather, but of Kronos’s devastation if Percy burned, is what snaps him out of his wrath.

Because his love for his grandson will always be bigger than anything else.

Kronos freezes.

He looks at his hands, at Percy’s hands, trembling and cracking.

“This wasn’t my-I didn’t mean -”

The guilt, the self-loathing, the desperation for Percy to be okay, for Percy to know that he would never do this on purpose-something Percy already knows-makes Percy flinch.

Kronos takes this as Percy being scared of him .

“Don’t be scared of me-” Kronos begs, begs !

“- Please precious, I- oh , by the Primordials, NO !”

Percy comes back into himself trembling on the cool tile floor, wrist aching from supporting himself, spilled ice the sweetest relief against skin burning up with divine fever.

Kronos doesn’t even dare whisper. He holds his breath, metaphorical hands hovering like they could pull Percy back from Unraveling as they both watch Percy teeter over the edge and it’s bizarre , because if he doesn’t do

Something,

Anything ,

Right now , then Percy would almost be indirectly killed by him again. Percy hears his grandfather start to beg silently. Percy can’t stand to hear his loved ones pain.

Hope sings.

It whispers, threads like Fate, and he knows .

He saves himself with Prophecy .

The only domain besides Poison held at arms lengths for Percy’s relief, Kronos interfering with his dreams to prevent terrible nightmares. The only domain that Percy and Kronos both have in common. The domain he chose to let his grandfather know that Percy would choose him ,

Every time,

Always!

The domain that originally drove Kronos insane and doomed him, the very domain Percy now uses to save them both !

Kronos hears these projected thoughts, and sways .

His father's and grandfather's pseudo-domain reinforces and integrates into the godly half of his soul, and solders his thread together and Percy feels the eyes on himself.

Kronos snaps into place.

“Oh my Heart, oh thank you for everything!” Kronos is so relieved that Percy gets the mental picture of the Titan King himself bowed in prayer.

To his mortal grandson .

Dreams, visions, nightmares held at bay by Kronos for his grandson’s peace of mind, runs to the front in such a confusing jumble that Percy fully collapses to the floor, his now horribly bruised cheek pressing against the tile and making him whimper in pain, a noise that has a sun-like corona flaring in the back of his mind like a Kraken.

Enchanted apples, a girl wearing a bandana, a fiery red painting with a green core, braids, a long walk up from deep underground, a beautiful new flower, the moon pulling tides into a crescent hair clip, a terrible drought, feminine eyes like whirlpools, the Big 3 Symbols of Power, sparring with his silver-eyed friend while papa watches-

If Percy is confused by this, then Kronos is completely lost.

“What am I seeing, grandfather?” Percy slurs his words, one eye trained on Gabe’s unconscious figure.

“I cannot say. I can't see dreams the way mortals can. I can only help you with prophecy, and beg for your forgiveness.” Kronos weeps quietly as Percy crawls to his room, too weak to stand.

It’s been exactly fifty minutes since he’s collapsed and had weeks worth of prophetic Demi-god dreams crammed into his head. It will take even longer to purify them into something they can understand and act on.

Percy imagines Kronos watching helplessly that whole time as he did now, and his heart aches for his grandpa. Kronos explains like his dad had a lifetime ago on Olympus after his first quest, that he used to haunt the nightmares of men for millennia from Tartarus, but for all that he could shape dreams, he couldn’t dream himself, couldn’t see the end result of most of his work, only influence the effects of prophecy on dreams.

“Wasn’t even angry with you to begin with!” Percy gasps. “Not scared!”

Kronos’s essence twists with bittersweet love and horrible guilt.

“I hurt you, as that- that scum did.” Kronos grinds out bitterly.

He contains himself almost instantly, sending feelings so Percy knows it’s because his grandfather does not want Percy wasting his precious energy comforting Kronos instead of feeling better.

“Not the same.” Percy squeaks. “Not on purpose.”

“I should have better control.”

It’s low tide.

Percy feels it in his achy bones.

He sits on the counter because he’s still small enough to do that and too weak to stand.

Percy tries to wash his face with water, to maybe heal the bruise before his mother wakes to see what looks like Gabe-looking several years older-collapsed in a drunken stupor for the millionth time. But freshwater has less of an effect, he can’t draw a full bath without risking increasing their water bill and the wrath on his mom, and the distance of his dad’s domains and the Ocean getting to low tide-at exactly 8:46 am- means his face refused to knit together.

Percy can only stare with his kaleidoscope eyes, and see both of their pain in them.

“...How long, Perseus?” Kronos asks, his voice carefully even.

Percy can’t answer, but his silence is telling enough. His wrist throbs.

“This whole time?” Kronos whispers in horror.

Tears trails down Percy’s face, both of theirs.

“Dearest. I-”Kronos cuts himself off. “I never wished for you to know this kind of pain. I thought I was bringing you back to a time where you could be happiest.” He’s devastated .

Percy nods fiercely.

“You did!”

“I delivered you into harm's way.” Kronos’s voice is unforgiving towards himself. "Did you carry this burden all by yourself, little one?”

Percy trembles.

“How did I not realize? How did no one realize? Not even…”

“False impression.” Percy croaks, and Kronos understands. Percy had explained how awesome Paul was, including Percy being best man at their wedding, and he described becoming friends with people who were enemies, like Clarisse.

It was his fault.

Percy’s lip trembles and Kronos rushes to comfort him.

“None of this is your fault. Do you understand dearest?”

“Is!” Percy says stubbornly. “I didn’t tell you how bad it was, cause, what if you thought I was too weak to handle it?” Percy’s voice raises hysterically at the end and he finally, finally , bursts into aching sobs.

“It smelled like him !” Percy howls, and it’s only the fact that their ancient apartment building had thick concrete walls that he does not wake everyone.

Gold curls around his shoulders, the closest thing Kronos can get to a hug as Percy falls apart.

“Ambrosia and Nectar t-taste like what food brings you the most comfort you know? Like Home!” Percy tells Kronos, who most definitely does not know, through sobs, “T-Tastes like Mom’s cookies for me, but in the pit, it's the opposite, it smells like your worst fear-it smelled like him !”

Kronos freezes.

The world becomes fuzzy as Kronos fights his own emotions, knowing if he lashed out again Percy wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Each second that passes is the literally calming breath of Kronos.

Kronos steadies.

He croons at Percy.

He does not call Percy weak.

Or shame him for his tears.

Or expect him to be a pillar like he had to be for Camp Half-Blood, for New Rome.

“So strong, so brave. You did well to reach out for…for Prophecy to save yourself. I am so proud of you, dearest. I know you don’t feel that way right now but I know you can feel me, and you know I mean this.”

That was true.

He could feel Kronos’s emotions, and for whatever reason, his mastermind grandfather seemed to really believe this.

And maybe…

Maybe Percy could too, one day?

Hope flutters like butterflies in his breastbone.

His salty tears finally help his face clear, the ocean-like droplets carving a path of healing through his battered face like a river cutting a canyon into bedrock.

“I’m gonna get stronger! I’m gonna train!” Percy says stubbornly.

“We will train together. As always, your persistence inspires me.”

“What would you need to train for?” Percy asks in surprise. His grandfather was the best!

Kronos sighs, the barest hint of a shake in it.

“Both times I’ve tried to help you, you’ve nearly died. It shouldn't have happened once . A Titan and a God are both immortal, but Gods tend to be more…refined. And being scattered twice then time traveling has reverted much of my control. We shall train and learn together, dearest.”

Percy nods. He’s proven that accessing his Dad’s domains and reinforcing his soul lets him handle Kronos, he just needs to get stronger.

And as he gets stronger so does his scent.

And therefore they need…

Kronos senses his train of thought and the gold darkens to a dangerous copper-bronze.

“I don’t want him here grandpa!” Percy complains. “I don’t but I’m not strong enough yet, even if I will be one day!”

Kronos sours.

Because he too knows Percy is right.

“...I am so sorry, precious. I…I wish I knew what to do. I don’t like the idea of you living under the same roof as that-” Kronos cuts himself off again, unable to say Gabe’s name from his pure hatred, and Percy thinks it’s funny that Kronos can say ‘Tartarus’ despite millennia’s of torture, and yet can speak the name of a detested mortal. “-But I understand your mother did it for your protection. She is trapped too, isn’t she? I can’t see any other possible reason why….”

Percy really hates how hopeless, how disappointed Kronos sounds.

“She's doing her best!” Percy says defensively.

“Are there any other options? What of camp-half blood?”

“I don’t want to leave her and if she knew I knew I was a demi-god-” Percy bites out.

“Would it be so bad with your fellow half-bloods? I’ve seen her put your safety above all else, if she knew -”

“No!” Percy wails, crying again. “I just got her back! I-I want my mom if I can’t have my dad, and he won’t claim me at camp! Mom can’t know I know about the Gods! You know from Luke how bad it was, is !”

Kronos quietly comforts Percy through another bout of tears. Percy is getting energy back as the sun creeps over the horizon and the moon tugs the tides with it.

“-And most of my friends aren’t there yet, and the ones that are won’t know me!”

Kronos hums and rocks Percy through it. The motion reminds Percy of gentle flights with Blackjack, trotting with Rachel’s family horses, of being on a boat moving with waves.

“Alright, dearest. I understand. I won’t let that filth lay another hand on you, he who was supposed to protect you, but you realize you will have to go to camp eventually. They don’t know you yet, but they will.”

Percy hiccoughs, nodding. His face is throbbing and tingling from the intensity of his tears.

He gathers his thoughts.

“....Grandfather?”

“Dearest?”

“You realize I’m going to be getting hurt for the rest of my demi-god life.” Percy’s voice is small like that could soften the blow, but also steady with acceptance. “Either it’s monsters like Gabe, or actually monsters.”

Kronos twists in on himself like he could hide from the pain Percy’s words cause. His brightness dims. Percy gets the impression of a man's forehead pressed to his, of tears not his own plinking onto his shirt with the Rainbow fish on it.

“I know.” Kronos croaks. “I have. Known. I-guiding you, and watching you move through life will be the single hardest and most rewarding thing I will ever do. I need to accept this.”

“Won’t that be defeating your dad again?” Percy asks in confusion, brow furrowing.

An invisible pair of lips smoothes it over. His grandfather's emotional, rumbly chuckles would have lulled him to sleep, except he is terrified of the nightmares he’ll now have with Prophecy unlocked.

Commotion.

Kronos is instantly on guard.

They hear the boots of paramedics, and faint snatches of conversation.

“-ave fallen and hit his hea-”

Kronos is briefly smug.

This goes on for a few minutes, with Sally talking to the paramedics. She’s more concerned over being late for work than Gabe, which makes sense. They only have a few more minutes before she comes to check up on him. Percy had called through the door he was okay before Sally had been pulled away to talk to the paramedics.

Percy readies himself.

His face is still purple, the now healed hairline fracture in his cheekbone, one to match the old, poorly healed one in his wrist, throbs.

He takes a deep breath.

He begins to knead the Mist.

Like bread.

Like clay.

Percy feels the power like soothing ice on his overheated soul. He swears he can feel it cording with the fibers of his soul, making it whole again.

“I…I know this isn’t what you're teaching the Mist me for.” Percy says guilty. He will have to do what he did for the damage from the gorgons. Being able to see through the mist was a sliding scale. Rare humans could, some unaware demi-gods were tricked by it, and a strong Mist manipulator could fool gods.

“I teach you for your benefit and skills. For your safety. So one day you needn’t hide anymore.”

“...I know.” Percy says quietly. “Can you forgive me for using it this way then?”

He lifts his hand.

He feels Kronos’s confusion and alarm.

And then his shock.

His sadness .

Percy uses the Mist like their mask to hide the damage Gabe caused.

“ ‘M sorry grandfather.” Percy whimpers in guilt. His face now looks spotless, Mist caked on like clay, so thick that he could probably get away with burying his face in the pillow when his mom comes in to check on him.

It would fool a God.

Kronos is speechless.

It takes the titan of time several seconds to collect himself. His grandson being forced to use the skills he taught to Percy to free himself used instead to cover up harm from Gabe evidently being too much.

Kronos sends feelings that let Percy know he had nothing to apologize for.

“One day.” Kronos echoes “...I hate you are forced to do this.”

Percy says nothing.

“But I can at least do this for you, dearest.”

It is Percy’s turn to be confused, and then awed. The throbbing, sharp pain in his face tingles, and then fades as Kronos takes it upon himself to feel it instead of Percy.

“Grandfather…!” Percy gasps. Percy is sharply reminded of Kronos first rising with Luke as his host, when Rachel nailed them with a hairbrush, and for a brief moment of that pain Luke shined through as Kronos forced him to feel the pain instead.

It’s the opposite here.

His grandpa willingly embraces the mortal agony if it meant he could spare Percy even a sliver of discomfort.

Percy is so ridiculously touched his emotions flood over the levee to his grandfather.

What did he do to deserve his grandfather?

“I often feel the same.” Kronos says softly.

…

…

…

Sally goes to work after the ambulance leaves. She will have to pay the transportation bill. She had to be torn away to go to work because Percy is coughing .

His throat is dry and cracked like a desert, no water or ocean in sight. It feels like he might cough up his lungs.

Kronos is oddly distant from her, letting Percy front with the exception of blocking the pain in his cheek and chest. It feels like a warm hand cupping his visage, and Percy nuzzles into it and his pillow after he promised his mom he’ll be alright at home alone. She had leaned in to kiss him, and Percy frowned; she left a makeup smear on his forehead.

Those rotten bosses of hers! They wanted the servers to look pretty but it meant his mother struggles not to sweat through the makeup on busy days behind the ovens.

Percy needs to go to sleep.

It’s low-tide now.

It happens twice per day, as does high tide.

Prophecy hovers at the edges of his vision, waiting for him to slip into sleep. He wonders what world-ending things he will see and feels fear.

“Stay with me?” Percy begs. His shoulders rise and fall rapidly like a baby bird.

“Always.” Kronos promised.

“...In my dreams?”

“I can’t dearest. I can guide Prophecy to you, but you must ride the wave in the way only a mortal can.”

“Do immortals dream differently?” He tries to distract himself.

“We do. Dreams…they are startlingly mortal. Something you do when you recover from a long day, something you do when the Fates know a mortal's soul is much more flexible, less defined than a Gods-and full of potential. After our conversation with the Fates I now understand that dreams, and even nightmares represent a Mortals’ ability to effect change, to have Hope .”

“You sound like a Disney princess.” Percy grumbles as Hope flutters again.

“I don't know this Disney princess. Is this a myth we haven’t read yet?”

Percy immediately makes a note to watch The Little Mermaid with Kronos and the thought of Triton's face when they had finally gotten close enough for Percy to show him was almost enough to make him forget.

But…

“...No nightmares?” Percy knows he needs to face Prophecy now, that his grandfather could keep blocking it…it’s putting them on the back foot. Already strange instances with monsters are happening, and they aren’t any closer to finding the scythe.

Kronos could keep blocking his prophetic nightmares. But it would only create worse ones down the line.

“Not from me.” Kronos' voice darkens. “Not for you , dearest.” He sounds like he has plans.

Percy hums warily.

And drifts.

It’s the deep sort of sleep you’d expect from a coma. The dreams are no less confusing and Percy wished Clovis were here to dream walk with him, or that he was an Apollo or Brizo kid where their godly parent would help with their prophetic dreams.

It’s a flood.

Percy dreams of three’s. The three fates, the three Graeae, the big three. He dreams of apples, of mourning so fierce he feels his heart breaking like glass, a joy so inspiring that he flies and even Zeus approves, he dreams of that girl again with a bandana, fishing with a net, weaving her hair like she's been doing it her whole life in a beauty shop.

It’s overwhelming like the River Styx.

He’s awash in a surge of prophecies caught only in snippets.

He dreams of sickness, of giving the most profound gifts, of oaths kept and broken, of pearls, of a flower he’s never seen before. He dreams of a crescent hair clip with a beautiful seashell hilt. He dreams of a monster Kraken at a lighthouse, appendages bigger than trains streaking through the hurricane towards him.

He’s losing himself.

Drowning .

Percy never thought he’d fear water again.

“-ake my hand? C’mon, it’s like a handshake except you hold onto it seaweed brain!” Annabeth laughs.

Percy’s heart stops.

Then her face shifts into Grover’s, into Leo’s, and Jason, Rachel, Campers, Reyna, Tyson, Triton, Amphitrite, his mother, all his friends and family, like Aphrodite except Percy sees all the love he has ever felt at once and more!

Gods,

So much more!

“I won’t burn you, doubt I can after seeing what Tyson can take!” Leo cackles, wiggling his fingers, the same fingers that had lit the several dozen candles on Nico’s birthday cake.

Every dream, every breakthrough, every realization that took him from a dark place. That first sword fight with Luke when he doused himself with water and realized that maybe he did have a place here. It’s his father saving him in St. Louis. It’s the nymphs who saved his life from the pit scorpion, his mother taking Medusa’s head delivered from Poseidon to deliver them from Gabe. It’s that first flight with Blackjack. It’s getting into college.

“Take my hand, I know the sand can trip you up, but don’t worry baby, you’ll get your sea legs yet!” His mom, holding hers out to him at Montauk.

Percy is no longer drowning.

He’s floating.

In suspense.

He could lose his mind, chase memories of everyone he will never get back.

Or.

The last, and final face isn’t a face at all. It’s shifting and empty.

He can’t tell who.

It then warps from an empty heart shaped face into gold, and he knows .

“Sweetest, Let me help you up. Do not lose yourself upon these memories. You will make more, just as beautiful as you are.”

“Don’t wanna leave them.” Percy whines.

“You brought all their Hopes back in your heart. You keep them safe. Come back to me, to everyone you had to say goodbye to, to everyone who you will still yet love. Who do love you. Take my hand.”

The water rises.

He can’t tell if it will lift him up or sweep him away.

Percy takes a leap of faith, and reaches out.

Percy wakes with ocean tears trailing down his cheek the way his dad’s fingertips had during his last goodbye, hand stretched up and reaching out in front of him ready to take all of his loved one’s hands in his.

“Welcome home.” Kronos murmurs.

It’s 5 hours later.

They have one hour until high-tide and he feels it in his bones.

Percy coughs, glad his mom isn't home to hear it. He had been getting better!

Until…

His fan is on, the music player has an ocean nature documentary softly playing. A morning Dove croons late. Drizzle plinks outside, the wooden wind chime from Pansie clunks. The wind rustles the origami paper and pages of his many books on his desk. The afternoon light caused the window waves Percy and Kronos painted by manipulating water colors to oscillate rapidly and give off the impression of being underwater, resting in a warm sand bank at a coral reef, safe under his father’s surface. The room smells like the pina colada candle and the blueberry dessert from last night.

“Time passes quickly when you’re dreaming.” Percy whispers, unable to call them nightmares. His first tango with Prophecy had gone…not well, but he survived.

Kronos hums, He feels grimly satisfied, but in an empty way.

He’s sad .

“Astute, dearest.” Threads brush away the tears. “You will find that time does indeed depend on perception, speeding during enjoyment, slowing during boredom or distress. What tidings did your dreams bring?” Kronos asks, having never stopped blocking the pain in his cheek.

“I...don’t know. A lot. It’s gonna take years , grandfather.”

“I can imagine no greater joy than bringing them to fruition with you.” Kronos says earnestly. His energy seems gone, he seems…hopeless.

He’s sad !

Energy traces his hurt check like the pad of a thumb, not painful when it should be, but comforting. Forlorn.

“Grandfather, you’re sad!” It’s meant to be a question but it comes out like an accusation. Percy says ‘sad’ instead of ‘hopeless’ because the very thought of that is too much.

“I am, dearest. Not of your doing, but of the circ*mstances for you.” Kronos assures tiredly.

No.

That simply won’t stand!

What Kronos needs right now is some Hope .

Said spirit flutters in his chest.

“...When is Gabe coming back?”

Kronos flares.

“Not for several days.” He promises coolly. “He’ll find his hospital stay to be less restful than he hopes.”

It’s a bitter, hurt, directionless sort of anger. Kronos has not forgiven himself yet.

Before they leave, Percy does watercolors. A trick picked up from many late night study sessions in Rachel’s cave. Occasionally her eyes would turn into green beams of light and she’d pick up a paintbrush and put her prophecy to paint instead of words.

All these images came true.

A few notable ones had already happened and these were new perspectives or revealed events that had been lost to history or a lack of ears.

Percy paints.

Everyone he lost in swirling pigments that come to life with the practice of the past several weeks, the tutelage of Rachel, his inherent grasp over water, the same creativity that inspired his father to create horses from the tumbling, running waves over sand.

The past is remembered.

The suspended colors, light twinkling like Zoe’s stars through the animated waves, is almost enough to make him believe they’re still alive.

The future is several dozen wrinkly pages of drying abstract art.

In one of these is Gabe and Kronos’s awe sours.

Percy moves to leave through the fire escape.

“Wherever do you plan on taking us? A low profile would be best after my episode this morning.” Kronos is the closest he’ll ever be to sheepish, as his grandfather can’t bring himself to regret lashing out against Gabe.

Percy knows he is right.

Percy felt the eyes on them, straining to see through the Mist and Fate when Kronos once again stopped time.

“We need this.” Percy whispers.

“I trust you dearest.”

Percy tears up again

“Really? Even though I lied to you?”

“You had reasons for keeping this from me. How dare I fault you, for being young, for being so beautifully human?”

“...Like how I couldn’t be mad at grandma?”

“Yes! So clever. Learning through time and experience, what a privilege for me to witness. I understand your trust is something I must earn.”

“You have it! It’s me! I don’t trust me!” Percy croaks. This seems to stun Kronos, who trusts Percy as openly and freely as a clear ocean horizon.

Percy has to shake a few tails on his way to the Soho art gallery. The longer he is outside the more suspicious, misty figures they have to shake. As Percy gets more energy he gets more attention. He sees an empousi in a boutique inhale deeply, almost following Percy outside. Kronos is wound up like nautical rope.

They both absorb the art in awe.

Percy remembers being here with Chiron on a field trip. He had pointed to the Greco-Roman inspired art, calling a Roman piece with ‘Saturn’ in it a representation of the greediness of the Titan, an almost hurt expression on his face from his Hephaestus made wheelchair.

Well.

Saturn was his father. Or a version of him.

Percy reads the Latin description perfectly and it startles Chiron.

“Splendid, Percy!” He wheels towards Percy, giving the state of Saturn and oddly enough, Neptune an suspiciously wide berth.

“It was all your Latin classes, Mr. Chiron.” Percy mumbles, ears turning hot when Nancy whispers it’s cause he’s just such a ‘special’ guy. Grover sniffs at her.

“My dear boy, I believe you don’t get enough credit! It seems you have a …natural talent.” At the time, that emphasis had upset Percy, but now he realizes it was Chiron figuring out Percy was a demi-god.

He wonders if he will have him for Latin class again.

“I was here on a field trip with Mr. Chiron.” Percy speaks softly. Kronos sparks with interest. All of his children outside of the main 6 had been made after he had been felled by the Big Three, from grains of himself interacting with the world. Chiron was one of them, only ever interacting with his father in nightmares. Percy feels Kronos’s deep pride that his distant son and dearest grandson had become so close is only overshadowed by regret and guilt.

Percy prepares himself.

“That's not the only thing that happened here.” Percy says. Hope cords through the syllables, reaching his ears and Kronos’s, who finally rouses from his funk with curiosity, knowing something profound was about to happen.

Percy shares the Memory of the only time his mom and him acknowledged Gabe’s existence after murdering him with Medusa’s head. Coming to look at his forever petrified figure in this gallery.

Kronos’s essence sings .

He turns the vision over in his head in awe, like Percy on the beach finding a particularly beautifully smooth stone or sea glass, or seashell on his little treasure hunts.

His grandfather blooms with new hope, the belief that things can get better!

“His day will come. And it will be my mom who does it!” Percy prophesied.

…

…

Percy makes plans to train with his mist-caked face. He threads some in his hair, Kronos helps by braiding it. Seriously, where did he learn to do that? Percy is almost good enough to move the mist like water through the strands they way he used to when dying hair.

He goes to the park while he still has energy.

He notices some Dryads struggling, and they notice him noticing them struggling and they both briefly freak out until-

“Oh! I know you! The dark-haired navigator, Kyantos!” She shrieks and makes them both jump. “You scared off those bullies pouring alcohol on our roots! And cleaned up the park! And helped the Naiads clean up their water! And planting new trees! And help those Dryads grow!”

…What ?

Yes, they had done those things. Sometimes they were left with no choice but to train in the park, but Kronos always covered his face with mist. Percy had worked on his purification abilities by cleaning the water but was disappointed when it wasn’t as powerful as his dad’s sand dollar. And he also directed nutritious water to the roots of sickly dehydrated trees as irrigation was another of his dad’s domains. He also made an effort to clean up with Pansie, mist covering his face even then just in case.

The two of them had even taken to doing cold stratification in their fridges after Pansie brought it up, sprouting apple and pear seeds among others and planting them all over New York.

But to have a reputation!

A nickname of all things!

Totally crazy !

“I’m your biggest fan! And I heard you're the one that smells like… him .” She whispers reverently, locks of willow branches give her a cute fringe.. Other Nymphs and Naiads are now literally coming out of the woodworks to gawk at him in awe. It reminds him too much of when Poseidon first claimed him.

Percy resents the fact that he smells!

He does!

But it’s impolite to say it!

“It’s so strong right now even we can smell it and our scents are barely above mortals! It’s so wild- you have to be him!” His apparent fangirl, or fan-nymph swoons.

“I wish a Satyr was here, they have way stronger senses of smell!”

“Do we know it’s a ‘him’? The wild does come in many forms, maybe they’re a girl!” Another nymph says, and Percy does a double take.

He supposes his kid-frame was gender neutral and Kronos had sculpted his face to be fluid and as average looking as possible to whoever was seeing him, like a Aphrodite knock-off. He genuinely might look like a girl for all he knows!

And more importantly…

Percy… didn’t hate that.

“I think they smell kinda salty.” A Naiad says thoughtfully and Percy leans back, heart hammering at being called ‘they’ but not a bad hammering. Now is not the time to be having revelations about himself!

“Makes sense, the sea is wild and chaotic! The last frontier! Humans know more about the moon than the oceans’ depth!”

Percy had known that, actually. He knew a bunch of nerdy ocean facts.

“He smells a bit strange, not…not quite like a fully living thing should.” This makes Percy’s heart skip. “Like…dual-toned. Deep underground, like he’s in both worlds. A strange Nymph says. She reminds Percy of some of the plants in Persephone’s Garden.

“Of course you’d say that, you're a Lampades!”

“-Yeah! The Underworld entrance you used is right there if you want to go back-”.

“-All the more reason to think he’s not a normal spirit, he must be Haliplanktos !” The fan-nymph insisted.

Several nymphs scream in excitement and fear.

The Nymphs may have been speaking in tongues but the distant groaning of a monster is loud and clear to Percy.

Percy skedaddles.

…

…

…

Percy feels his energy lagging as the tides wash away. He grips at his golden necklace and wishes for Riptide.

He forgets how scary this is. He thinks of a vision he had of a 7-year old Annabeth lunging out to attack and squeaking ‘no more monsters!’ as she meets Thalia and Luke.

And then…

The monster loses his scent.

It’s so bizarre that Percy stops in his tracks, partly out of shock, partly out of exhaustion as his powers fade, turning to stare at the confused, mist-soaked horror. Percy briefly wonders if he is also a mist-soaked horror with his covered face. It sniffs, but despite Percy being right in front of it, it’s like it’s gone nose-blind.

Hm…

This…has some implications , as Annabeth would say.

He decided not to question his good fortune despite feeling Kronos thinking up a storm.

He kills the monster in its ignorance.

He goes home sleepy as Clovis, not followed by anything.

…

…

…

Training begins in earnest.

He looks left and right like he’s crossing a dangerous road, but he’s actually just meeting at the confluence of the East and Husdon rivers. Same thing. He figures the two of them hate each other enough to avoid this area.

Kronos and Percy have been masking his face ever since the Nymphs of a few days ago-who were still searching for and chattering about him. He had to be careful when playing with Pansie now.

His power is nowhere near what it was, but he had tentative access to several domains.

He needs to strengthen them like a muscle. The now undeniable pattern of the ebb and flow of his strength is now apparently linked to his scent too.

The waters surrounding New York were more river and estuary compared to the pure ocean at the end of the island at Montauk and camp.

Percy is currently using his imperial gold necklace and trying to weave it into a net to practice underwater with, but it’s way harder than he thought. He tries to lasso a fridge someone dumped at the bottom of the confluence of the East and Hudson to no success.

Kronos soothes Percy as he throws a fit, water lashing around him, scowl obscured by his mist-mask as he crosses his arms.

Kronos chuckles.

“Your enemies would tremble before you.” He croons.

Purification next then.

Arguably the most important domain Percy needed back. He wouldn’t be able to sift out his grandfather's golden grains otherwise. He knows Kronos wants him to focus on other domains first, his concern any more of his power in Percy would burn him up.

He’s correct.

“Perseus…”

“I know! Worrywart! I’m not trying to get grains yet, but strengthening this domain will get me stronger too!”

The rivers were actually worse than in the future, as Percy was aware the work of activists like his mom was still ongoing, and Percy didn’t have his dad’s sand-dollar. He briefly thought of the petrified seashells he used to clean the horse poop from the stable, but he’s fresh out of those too. And besides, they’d created a saltwater spout that wouldn’t mix well with brackish estuary water, which was a mix of the Appalachian freshwater and the Ocean.

His lasso gleams and catches the dim rays that make it to the river's bottom and past the shadows of boats and thickened polluted water like a disco ball.

He moves through the steps of a ribbon kata Odette had shown him.

A rope, a currant, almost an arm like a big octopus tentacle emerges from his chest and wraps around Percy and snakes through the water like Odette’s ribbon. Purity radiates from it like burning, cleansing light, and Percy pulls back in fear of harming the microorganisms in the water even as he zaps away spilled gasoline and rotting food.

And then Percy feels a presence.

He only had a few seconds to get to the surface. Percy is above the water on old wooden mooring posts, surrounded by rocks and carrying trash bags filled with old glass. He removes his mist mask and pretends to be any other kid as the East and Hudson river gods appear, scratching their heads in confusion.

Or at least East tries to do that, but it’s hard with flippers.

“Now I swear I felt a powerful ocean presence here, some no good meddler no doubt.”

“Maybe you’re imagining things again, East. We’re still freshwater. No ocean here.” Hudson has moved to scratching his algae beard. Percy sadly agrees.

This is not the Ocean.

He misses it desperately.

“Like you imagining you’re the better river, Hudson?”

“Or you imagining you're less polluted?”

“You wish that little mystery guy was helping you too! He knows I’m the best, and heard he hates polluters too!” East crows, and Percy feels his heart stop. “Wait, you think it was him?”

“Of course he’d help you first, you are more polluted.” Hudson says.

“In your dreams are you less polluted than me!”

“Gods don’t dream like that, moron.” Hudson growls, and that insult seems to be the final straw for East who pivots to attack.

It puts Percy-doing his best to look innocent on the surface-in his sight.

He is now aware of how suspicious it looks for him to be holding a bag full of trash, away from most boat-traffic and poised over the rivers.

“Say, Hudson. You see that?”

“Hard to see through your polluted waters, but I do.”

“Looks like he’s polluting both of us.”

“Sure does.”

“We might not be able to find that mysterious ocean purification source, but at least we can take it out on a polluter!”

Percy is suddenly aware he does not have the curse of Achilles, that it’s approaching low tide and the few powers he can access are waning with the moon, and that the East and Hudson, minor gods they may be, are the first deities Percy will meet in this time outside of the Fates.

Kronos gets ready to rumble.

A boat breaks through the waters and scatters the two gods.

“Hey-!”

“Wait, do you think this boat is his, the ocea -”

. Its name is in shimmering green font Percy can only read with Kronos’s help, called the ‘Sea-dog’. It has a faded mural of a merman-it took forever and Triton’s fang-clenched intervention for Percy to stop calling all Mers ‘mermaids’- who looked like he was shouting upwards at the boat deck.

“Well I’ll be!” Says the man on board. He’s chewing on some herb-grass, and has a few more near the cabin. He’s dressed like a New England fisherman with a coast guard vest, and docking to offload his catch. His legs have braces. “Not often I see anything other than fish out here! What’s your name, youngin? You can call me Gilbert!”

Percy blinks widely.

He clutches his trash bag.

“Was cleaning!” Percy says defensively. He wouldn’t dare do something as stupid as littering! A Nereid below hums with laughter below in the wake of the boat, having been drawn over in curiosity from the Gods.

She looks familiar, but after her eyes rove over his exposed face-must to their extreme unease-she seems to realize something and leaves before the brackish water becomes too fresh.

“I know, had a feelin that was the case. It’s quite the catch young man!” The man smiled kindly. His hand goes to rest on a woven bracelet with childish charms. “My daughter does the same, beach clean ups! She says she could do it forever! I’ve got to doing it too.”

The bracelet his daughter made for him catches the sun as he gestures to a trawl filled with garbage. A radio buzzes with chatter from the coast guards and startles Percy.

“Ope! Never mind that, I’m part time coast guard, listen to the broadcasts just in case any other fisherfolks or swimmers need help. Speaking of, why don’t you hop on and I can take you to the nearest dock?”

Percy hums, gripping the glass filled trash bag and his golden rope-now misted over to look like normal boat nylon.

Percy shimmies up the side.

“Wow! You’re a natural, not your first rodeo, huh?” Gilbert's eyes are deep, considering blue, and almost sad looking at his words.

Why is Gilbert sad?

Does he miss his daughter?

The same way Kronos misses Hestia?

“I foresee stronger currents than usual this summer too!” Gilbert says as he listens to the weather forecast. His tone is upbeat but his face is worried. “I hope my daughter knows, It’ll be hard on her considering how much she likes the beach.”

Kronos is really unhappy but knows facing two angry river gods is inadvisable even if he can wipe the floor with them. It’s too much attention when judging by the East’s words, he had enough on himself already! Ever since Gabe hit Percy, Kronos has been prepared to-perhaps literally-bit the head off any man that approaches him. Although maybe Percy shouldn’t think of it like that, given Kronos’s immense guilt for eating his kids.

Smite any man that approaches.

Yeah.

That's more like it.

Percy is honestly more worried for Gilbert than himself, who seems to be a nice, normal mortal. The way he rambles on about his daughter reminds him of Paul and Estelle, and the thought makes his heart jump in longing.

Something about this man also reminds Percy of his dad, and he wonders if he is destined to see Poseidon in every man who is kind to him.

“Say, that's your rope?”

Percy holds the transformed golden lasso closer to himself.

“Yes, a gift.” Percy mumbles.

“You know, my daughter loves working with rope. She’ll weave anything! Ropes, nets, hair, especially the other kids in fancy up-do’s.”

“You have more kids?”

“Not at the- no , it's just her!” Gilbert laughs suddenly, then becomes more serious. “I remember how hard it was when I was in her shoes…rough work. No, I’d like to focus on her. You’re a good kid, reminds me of my daughter.” Gilbert finished sadly.

“Do you miss her?” Gilbert startles, like he’s used to looking out for others but not others looking out for him.

“I-well, yes. Yes. I do, she's the pearl of my eye. I… miss fishin with her but I understand she needs to be with other kids like her and grow over the summer.” Gilbert says, eyes shining. “I love every letter she writes to me though!”

“By hand?” Percy asks.

“Yes! She even puts ‘em in a bottle for me.” He puffs up proudly. Kronos seems to have finally softened, guard still raised but neutral.

“I'm sorry she’s not here. I think we would be friends. ” Percy says honestly. His throat gets soothed and soft like he swallowed a lot of Camp’s artisan honey, singing healing hymns with Will and Alice where every note matched with theirs is healing made into music. Breathing becomes like flying, his words whistle and chime, and he swears it adds buoyancy to the boat.

“But I think you will see her again. I think she knows how much you love her, and I think she feels blessed.” Hope dances in his words like light through water, like it has a mind of its own, and the nereid finally making her way to the ocean in the distance, throwing one last look at Percy.

Gilbert looks like one of the fish he’s caught, opened mouthed. His eyes are teary and he turns away to dab at them with a bandana.

“‘Got a way with words to ya, small fry. I…first time I’m feeling hopeful to see her again soon! I just, had a bad feelin , and ya learn to trust your gut as a sailor, ya know? But now…” Gilbert grins, thumb brushing the bracelet, tying his bandana tighter around his head.

Would you like to learn how to make fisherman's knots like she can?”

“Yes!” Percy says, completely swept away with excitement. All those books Dr. Palaska let him borrow are coming in handy now!

…

…

…

There was a time when Percy had been excited.

Excited to be like other kids who had a dad. For one moment he had dared to hope that it could have been Gabe.

“If you’ve scratched my car with your stupid skating crap I’ll beat the sh*t out of you.” Gabe rasps. His eyes are bloodshot like a beached fish. He looks like he’s aged several years in the several days he’s been in the hospital. He’s currently eyeing Percy back from skating at the park with Pansie and his mortal friends.

There was a time, not too long ago, where Percy would have frozen in fear .

But…

Kronos simmers like magma in a caldera.

Percy sees the brief flicker of gold in the reflection of the car windshield and he sees Gabe wince, then look confused as to why he did that.

“Broke your wrist falling too?” Percy says softly. His eyes hold warning.

Do it again.

I dare you.

When Kronos had thrown Gabe back in divine rage, he had broken his wrist among other things. Percy hates that they now have that in common.

Unfortunately those thoughts leak over to Kronos in Percys rage.

And he wanted to know what Percy meant by ‘again’ and ‘too’. Gabe lets him leave without further argument. Percy can feel Kronos’s immense confusion and need for answers, and knows it’s time to tell him.

Percy introduce Pansie to Gilbert and they get along like a house on fire, or a boat on fire in this case. They learn Gilbert fishes and rescues all over, on the west coast, that he often does ‘the great loop’ which is boating from the Great Lakes, to the Gulf of Mexico, to the Erie canal which Percy thinks is the coolest thing ever!

“Can I do that one day?” Percy wonders and Gilbert smiles. The crinkle reminds him of Poseidon but he knows it isn't and Percy clamps his jaw shut to keep his lost calls from pouring out.

“Don’t see why not. You’ll have to say hi to my sister for me! Lives up in Lake Superior, fancies herself the queen of it, ha! Her daughter and mine are best friends-like two pearls in a clam!”

“And you said your daughter had a boyfriend.”

Gilbert sighs.

“Yeah. Got something planned with those two soon actually!”

Where Pansie learns the fisherman's knots, Percy struggles due to his wrist, like he had struggled and almost died from the Gorgons.

“Old injury?” Gilbert asks in concern and Percy nods. “A bit young to have an old injury.”

Yes.

About a year old. Percy looks in the distance at the Statue of Liberty. Daedalus' ultimate automaton, made with tech inspired by the Hepestus’s, the very ones that killed Bianca and held the sky back a few seconds longer.

“I hate people! Wouldn’t it be better if they were all just gone!” Pansie says in frustration as they scoop up garbage.

“Hm, don’t know about that.” Gilbert says. Neither of them have noticed the way Percy has frozen in horror, staring at the statue of Liberty, Pansie’s words on a loop in his head. “Not all of this is everyone’s fault equally.”

Gilbert picks up an empty infant formula bottle.

“A single ma trying to feed her baby ain’t on the same level as a real estate developer. I’m an environmentalist and what most of em get wrong is buying into the enemy's ideas.”

“...How?” Pansie asks.

“Polluting humans like to think of themselves as apart from the environment in that they’re above it and therefore ain’t got no responsibility to it. Some environmentalists, by painting all people as evil are unintentionally reinforcin that idea, that humans aren’t a part of the natural world. Ya are! You are a part of it! Animals of this planet with just as much right to exist as anything else, it’s just a powerful few steering it all wrong!” Gilbert taps the steering helm for emphasis.

“And accusing the powerless of being evil ain’t gonna make them like you, and you might be hurting the feelings of those who are trying to help.”

That makes sense to Percy, who is calming at Gilberts words, Kronos wrapped around his heart to keep it from shaking too hard. He hadn't liked it when the two river gods tried to kill him. Again.

Pansie’s words had shaken him deeply.

But it seems Pansie is also pretty hurt.

“But then what do I do!” She bursts out. “Does it even matter? Who do I get angry at! Me and grandma were all that's left who spoke our language and now she's gone and it’s just me, and mom’s trying here in New York at the university to work at the national parks but it’s just me! She said we had to come here because there were more people like me but I didn't see anyone! We were so small we didn’t even get a Rez! I don’t have a dad that loves me like you love your daughter!”

Percy cowers in the corner of the boat as Pansie coughs and cries.

Gilbert’s leg braces blend in with his fishing gear as he walks like he’d be more comfortable swimming into the cabin, and then back out with a bandana.

“My girls. She outgrew it. I taught her to weave it, first one she ever wove herself.”

Pansie sniffles.

“I can’t imagine what you're going through little lady, but I know my girl struggles to find her place, especially with her Ma in all. Like my daughter, you also have a good heart that cares for the world around ya. I’m sorry that things are so hard, but whatever happens, you’ll always have a place on the Sea-dog. ”

He really seems to believe that, and Percy wonders if Gilbert has hope in his heart too.

“It must be hard being one of a kind.” Percy sniffles. He knows that too well, but even he has Kronos with him!

Gilbert’s expression softened as both of them calmed down.

“He’s right!” Percy says hopefully, the feeling weaving into his words like fishing rope. He sees the way Gilberts eyes get glassy like he’s seeing his daughter in front of him, like Pansie seeing more people speaking her language. Percy is overwhelmed with the feeling that Pansie will find her place, that Gilbert will see his daughter.

He thinks it might be a combination of Hope and Prophecy.

“I’ll show you youngsters the best spots to throw netting into Yacht propellers.” Gilbert offers, and it makes them laugh.

…

…

…

Percy is by the abandoned fountain where he first accessed the ‘Earthshaker’ domain when he tells Kronos. Or rather, shares the memory with him.

It’s short.

From last summer.

And it shows how Percy broke his wrist.

Not from a fall as Percy had told everyone, people quick to believe it due to his adhd forgetfulness and clumsiness.

No.

Gabe broke it.

It takes hours for Kronos to calm down enough to go back to the apartment. He whispers assurances the whole time, even as his rage heats up the fountain and boils the water. As Percy sleeps that night Kronos stands guard like the most fearsome monsters did over his sarcophagus, and Percy can distantly feel Kronos once again haunt the dreams of men-or one in particular.

Tomorrow they will keep training.

And then they won’t need him anymore.

…

…

…

Pansie douses Percy with water from her flask.

He gasps, eyes closed, feeling every droplet on his face. Kronos threads gold through his lungs, trying to help him catch his breath after running, and in the early heatwave.

Several ragged coughs tear themselves from his throat anyway. It’s only by the grace of Kronos and Pansie he stays up. He isn’t being actively harmed right now but this is deep damage taking a long time to heal.

He had chased after someone who threw a bottle out of a window at them. Kronos had slowed town time ever so slightly, and Percy had sped up to the point where he chucked it back, it shattering all over the back.

The cops had seen that , of course, and then they had to run or Sally would be working even harder to pay his juvvie bills!

“Hey, maybe they’re friends because they’re both sick?”

It’s one of the wealthier kids that go to the park with their friends.

“I thought it was because they were both… special .”

Percy stands up so fast it startled them, and they drop their food and scream.

“No littering!” Pansie says, voice a bit off as she tries not to cry.

“Just this once?” Percy asks croakily. He stands up and has no weapons but his fists. “Some of their teeth are looking a bit loose. Could help ‘em out?” Percy is startled by how cold his voice is, but Kronos seems to approve. A harmless lesson like this could save these kids from being cursed by nymphs or angry river gods.

They run.

…

…

…

Percy dreams that night of red.

Red battle aura, red of eyes, red blood that turns to red hair, and he feels a grief, a longing for a dear friend. And a Hope. The realization that he will see her again.

He wakes up with the watercolor painting of a red shape with a smaller blue and green shapes in it with green eyes already drying, next to the sea. Percy feels his feet take him there.

Percy swims in the water, into the brackish bay. He frees too far inland dolphins trapped in netting, cutting it the way Gilbert had shown them.

“Thank you thank you little lor-”

“Shhh!” The other dolphins cackle and trill, dancing crazy circles around him, poking his tummy with their snouts and pulling giggles from him.

Percy can’t help the way his heart picks up, the first acknowledgement, no matter how cut off, of his godly parent.

“Simple and pure creatures such as these sacred and under your fathers domain, among others, and would inherently know your parentage, but would keep your secret from other gods.” Kronos explains.

“Thank you for saving us! We are always grateful for it!” She says, and Prophecy tints purple and the dolphins dance away.

He collects more glass to put away in the Jackson’s storage, following the hints of prophecy at the corners of his eyes.

Spitefully, he takes some of the netting and swims to the fanciest boat of all out in the bay, frowning thoughtfully as he approaches the metal turbines. If people were gonna think of him as a no good future criminal then he might as well start early!

“You are not bad, dearest.”

Percy hums.

Something was pulling his attention this way, the knowledge he was going to experience something here.

A little sea-monster bites his ankle.

Percy startles so badly he is briefly tossed in the waves. It’s not often he gets attacked in his dad’s domain, despite this being more freshwater, but this was a monster , no matter how seemingly harmless.

One little demon becomes two. They distinctly look like Piranhas.

This really upsets Kronos.

The next few minutes are a mess of bubbles and Gilbert's filet knife as Percy fights to not be stripped to the bone. His booby-trap long since discarded. He is just about to collapse, finishing off the last of the monster fish when he is saved.

Yet again.

A Nereid, the same one from the rivers confluence-the very same one Percy realizes saved him in St. Louis too- scoops him bridal style into her arms.

He’s so awed by her beauty, overwhelmed with happiness at seeing her again and knowing who she was, that he doesn’t even think, just hugs her back. He’s small in her arms even for his age, as he is with all Merfolk. Deep-sea gigantism at work combined with Olympian show-boating.

The water circles his bitten ankle, almost like a gentle pair of hands. It reminds him of when he was even smaller than now, his mom helping him put on his winter boots and lace them.

She laughs like his step-mom, which makes sense as one of her handmaidens.

“Momma?” Percy asks unthinkingly, sleepy with near unconsciousness.

Her face softens.

“Little one, you’re far out from your mother.” she says gently, and Percy feels his face fall.

Not ‘little prince’ or ‘little lord’

No.

‘Little one’.

She must be hiding his parentage from him and everyone else too, like the mysterious dolphins. Even despite his clear waters powers at this point, weak but functional. They must be trying to get him to think he’s the son of another minor water god.

“My mom would approve. I’m helping the environment. Do you know her?” Percy leans forward eagerly, clumsily pressing their foreheads together. It instinctually feels like the thing to do.

A strange purring is present in the back of his throat, like a whistle, like he could sing from sheer hope .

Her face melts .

She hitches her arms upwards and he wraps his around her shoulders. His head lulls with sleep. He can feel her weaving the mist, but refreshingly enough, it’s benevolent.

“Yes, I do recall she was quite…exuberant as well.” The Nereid’s lip twitches in amusem*nt, staring at the netting and clearly aware of what he was getting up to.

Exuberant too?

What was that supposed to mean?

His kind mom doing something like this?

Yeah right, and Percy was the lightning thief!

But…

She had killed Gabe, hadn’t she?

“Who are you to me?” Percy wonders, words slurring with the strangeness in his vocal cords, one that existed ever since he spoke with hope. Kronos and him were calling it ‘hopespeak’ for now, but he was sure they could do better!

“Guardian angel?” Percy tries again, and jokes, “My other mother?” and she laughs like bubbles.

Bubbles that pop .

“No, pearl. I…I am a trick of the light on the horizon. A part of your sweet dreams.”

She kisses his forehead and he knows peace.

…

…

…

He wakes up on the deck of the out of place rich ship he had sabotaged earlier, and Prophecy sings at a fever pitch behind his teeth.

It yearns .

It reaches !

The boats dead in the water, surrounded by the dropped spoils of the many Piranha he had fought earlier. It was sharp scales that Percy knows from his step-mom can be woven into armor, if you have the patience and skill.

He hadn’t before.

They hear voices.

Percy sneakily moves to pick up the sharp, glimmering scales, scales that would simply look like sea-foam to mortals.

He hears a shaky exhale.

He whips their head around to see no one other than Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

She must have been watching this whole time, painfully young face tear stained, one hand clutching the netting, looking at his formerly bitten ankle, the bag full of scales. She’s clutching her blue hairbrush, her little overalls are stained with paint. She has deep bags under her eyes that tell of many sleepless nights.

Her other hand is holding a painting.

“I had a dream to go on the water today. Was gonna meet something. My daddy’s so worried about me he said yes.” Rachel says. “Thought I was just being crazy again, but-” She bites her lip, eyes sad , eyes hopeful .

Something threads in her words too.

“I was worried about you! But you-no normal person heals like that!” Rachel whispers fiercely. Her eyes aren’t a ‘normal’ shade of green either.

Percy wonders if people can tell when he is being possessed by Hope like when Kronos makes his eyes turn gold, when the Oracle turns Rachel’s green.

“Are you real?” She whispers. Percy feels he should be asking that.

She reaches out.

Percy might be one of Medusa’s statues.

She takes his hand in hers and Percy feels his eyes slide shut, overcome with a terrible joy at the warmth and softness, the stickiness of paint.

“Been having so many of them lately. Nightmares.”

“Me too.” Percy says quietly and startles Rachel. She surges with earnestness now that she had a response from Percy, green eyes shining.

“ Please tell me I'm not crazy.” Rachel whispers.

Percy’s heart breaks .

How long had Rachel wondered?

Struggled?

Questioned her Sanity?

‘You’re brilliant. And you're my friend! I’ll explain it all, Rachel.” Percy whispers fiercely. He puts his free hand in his pocket and pulls out his own folded watercolor painting.

As one, they hold them up.

Percy is a dark green-blue with a gold center in Rachel’s painting and Prophecy chants in the back of his mind like whale-song. Rachel chokes on a sob when she sees his matching painting of her, and they give up on distance, embracing in a mess of curls and color away from the top-deck.

“You are not alone.” Percy sees Hope shine back in Rachel's eyes, the words like soothing honey. “Never again.”

…

…

…

“It brings me great joy for you to surround yourself with old and new friends, especially ones able to help you sort through prophecies, but…be careful of these ‘ brushes ’.”

The way Kronos said ‘brushes’, looking at the tote bag full of paint brushes, with such suspicion, and-dare Percy say it- an undignified stink-eye, after he had initially reared back at Rachel’s blue hairbrush, makes Percy laugh so hard he cries.

He’s seen Kronos give less scrutiny to actual monsters!

Rachel looks at him curled up and giggling.

Kronos tugs gently at his hair.

“Another godly vision?” she asks eagerly.

Her fear over being clear-sighted has turned to excitement. They were currently painting prophetic visions together. Mostly a mess despite their painting skills, but sometimes there would be an image of startling clarity. Rachel had painted the chair that would be in her Oracle cave.

And Percy…

Well.

What does a seashell mean when he has so many?

The Nereid was barely a dream in Percy’s mind, their conversation forgotten to him and misted over beyond even Kronos as she was a creature of the Ocean. His knowledge of his godly parentage, with his dad still considered unknown to him and everyone except Poseidon, made him want to be honest.

He’s told Rachel everything except his parentage and time-travel. Their shared powers over Prophecy means he has an incredible amount of wiggle room, and her status as purely mortal means this knowledge wouldn't increase her scent.

Finally.

A friend he can’t put in danger!

Rachel isn’t even mad Percy flooded their boat after they docked!

Which is good.

Because it will happen again!

“No, not a vision. I was just thinking, maybe we should go see that new Tristian McClean movie?” Percy asks, and his heart jumps thinking of Piper.

“Awesome!” Rachel crows. “Maybe your mom could bake us cookies to sneak in again?”

“Your Dad said you already ate though?”

“Oh please, your mom would love any chance to tick him off!” Rachel laughs, and so does Percy, but his has a dazed quality to it.

Mr. Dare had called him mom from work. He had seen Percy-who had forced himself to be sopping wet- and had to his credit immediately contacted her. A recurring theme unfortunately, but trouble finds Percy!

When Mr. Dare had seen Sally, his mouth dropped open like Gilbert’s catches, gum falling out, before his teeth clenched into an obviously fake grin, fancy mobile phone breaking in his grip.

“If it isn’t Sally Jackson . It’s. Been too long.” Mr. Dare grits out.

Wait.

What !?

Percy and Rachel are both open-mouthed in shock, and Kronos takes Percy's frenzied grabbing and shaking like a champ.

Their parents knew each other?!

“It was meant to be!” Rachel whispers inaudibly with stars in her eyes.

Sally’s face had gone through a similar metamorphosis. Her tired, worried face became serene and sharp like glass.

“Just Mrs. Jackson is fine!” Sally says in the customer service voice she reserves for the customers she can’t stand. Her previous overworked state is gone. “I’m glad you found my son alright.”

“I am too. Just as wild as his mother.” Mr. Dare grins. It is not friendly.

Sally laughs falsely.

“Yes! Speaking of finding things, did you ever find out who poured sugar in those engines?” Sally asks, and if Percy couldn’t see the glint in her eyes he’d think it was genuine. “I know that must have been a setback, first us activists, then your development gets hamstrung…

“Well, we all get busy in life.” Mr. Dare says, resting a hand gently on Rachel’s head, and it is the softest Percy’s heard him.

Sally’s face softens too, Looking at Rachel and Percy standing together.

“Thank you.” she says sincerely.

That had been the start of the Jackson-Dare correspondence. Percy and Rachel often had hair days together where Rachel would teach him curly hair care.

After one of these days, The Dare’s new lawyer was driving them home. A mysterious man with sunglasses that oddly reminded Percy of Argus. His name is Cecil.

“Just a quick detour, kids. Need to check up on one of the properties.” His voice is familiar too and Percy wonders if they had met in the future. It’s an older home of one of the Dares. Apparently the neighboring train yard wasn’t up to code with their cattle cars or something.

…

…

…

Pansie is with her mom. Rachel is with her parents.

Percy is with his parents.

Or he would be.

Hopefully .

He squirms nervously in his seat.

But right now, a stranger that he loves with all his heart is right in front of him and does not know him.

Paul Blofis.

“I heard from your mother you're a very smart guy who likes his books? What do you like to read about?” Paul asks. He had noticed Percy’s squirming, and in his very Paul-like way, had checked in on Percy without calling Percy’s nerves to attention.

The fresh college grad sits worriedly but oddly calm. It’s the air of a man who is confident with his path in life and worries more on behalf of those under his care. The few years of age between Paul and Sally had never been more apparent.

“You love this man like a father.”

“He was.” Percy whispers.

“I didn’t quite catch that?”

“They say life came from the sea.” Percy says quietly.

“Ah yes, the primordial soup!” It’s the exact nerdy sh*t that makes Percy’s heart ache with grief, that made Sally laugh and laugh.

Except.

She’s not laughing.

She twitches, arm held ever so awkwardly-Percy struggles to control his temper when he realizes the bruises are from Gabe-hands clutching the school’s tuition at Paul's first school, a private one and not the one Percy went to with him.

Above all, she eye’s Paul’s hand warily.

Paul.

His parent .

The right person.

At the wrong time.

Would there ever be a right time, in this timeline?

“I…think I might need to pick up a few more shifts for this!” Sally finally laughs, but it is awkward and strained. Percy is then hit with the second realization that his mom was so absent this summer because she was working to afford school.

For him .

Kronos realizes it too, if his contriteness is anything to go by.

Percy leaves that office, but not before Paul catches him.

“Hey, I do have a tutoring group at the library, and I heard you mention Dr. Palaska? We work together on it. We’d love to have you?”

Percy sniffles.

He throws his arms around the man to the shock of all three adults.

Paul awkwardly but kindly pats his back, and it fills some of the space left by Poseidon.

…

…

…

“Stay still, stay silent. The monster may be unable to smell you with this refuse.” Kronos murmurs.

Percy is pinned in an alleyway. Again.

Some monster is currently at the other side, searching.

Percy’s lip curls.

He was getting stronger every day, and therefore more monsters tracked him down. There also just seemed to be more monsters, period. Percy was usually able to lose or kill them with enough trickery, but he was left exhausted afterwards.

They were starting to notice a mysterious pattern to this fatigue…

The monster moans.

It sounds… sad ?

Percy curls up deeper into the crevice, smirking when the monster whines in frustration, what sounded like claws or long fingernails scrabbling at the concrete. It stumbles around stupidly, almost childlike.

It sounds familiar .

There's a crash.

He sees something sit heavily, having ripped a ladder out from brick trying to lift itself up and Percy gulps . He expects the monster to rage. To yell. To maybe take it out on passing mortals to force him out. Why was it still even in this alley?

But that doesn’t matter, because it’s clear the monster can’t find him. It sniffles, desperately trying to pull in more scent past it’s clogged nose. But Percy’s scent is masked, and furthermore, weakened in the undetermined ebb and flow.

But instead it begins crying. And speaks.

And Percy’s blood freezes .

His heart stops .

His body locks up like he’s been zapped with Zeus' bolt.

“Daddy, where?” Tyson cries.

Tyson !

“Did I dream wrong daddy? Daddy!”

Not an ‘it’.

He!

Percy’s baby brother !

“Where is he daddy? You said he was kind!” Tyson wails. He smears dirt on his face from the alleyway floor trying to wipe his tears and Percy scrambles to get out.

“HERE!” Percy screams at the top of his lungs, hope-infused voice breaking into coughs that catch at the back of his throat, lungs still achy from earlier in the month.

Tyson stands from where he had been slumped in defeat, Hope filling him with second wind.

He wishes he hadn’t hidden so well now, because he can't get out, and Tyson can’t see him!

“Where?” Tyson calls out heartbrokenly, “I can’t see you!” like the child he is, and Percy can only start crying too, unable to lift the pallet from on top of him.

He wants his brother!

Right now !

Kronos lights up gold, so brilliant Percy can see it shine out.

Tyson has the pallet off him in seconds.

Percy holds his arms up and out, little sobs bubbling out of him to match Tyson’s, and his brother has Percy in his arms, and they’re hugging and crying, Kronos crooning gently all the while.

This Tyson is so young.

And so incredibly adorable even under all that dirt.

“I’m right here, and I always will be for you!” Hope sings in his voice, clangs like Tyson’s hammer, and Percy can feel the wave of optimism wash over Tyson like a cool ocean breeze on a hot summer day, because he stops shamefully hiding his single baby-seal eye in Percy’s shoulder.

“Nobody wants a monster!” Tyson wails.

“You’re not a monster. I love you!” Percy declares.

“You are kind!” Tyson shrieks in delight. Right into his ear. But that's what water healings for!

“Who told you?”

“I prayed in my dreams and Daddy said to find a kind friend here!” Tyson sniffles for the last time.

Percy’s heart jumps.

He tilts his face back and just lets them feel this embrace.

Poseidon called him kind . Knew Percy well enough that he sent Tyson to him years early. Had the dolphins told the other sea creatures? Had the Nereid? Had Poseidon felt the pull on his powers, like Percy felt the pull of the tide?

He had trusted Percy enough, knew enough and paid enough attention to him to send Tyson to him for protection like the first time around.

But…

Friend.

Not brother .

Percy holds Tyson a little tighter and refuses to feel down.

He will be claimed eventually, he just needs to be patient!

…

…

…

Percy is in the park, helping the Naiads water the Dryads during the heatwave. Pansie, Rachel, and even Tyson are all busy. Percy had shown Tyson the seaglass and he and Rachel had begun making jewelry from it. Percy would have brought them but the nymphs were a bit nervous still despite Percy working on it.

The naiads freak out.

“Get in the water! Hide!” They whisper. Percy does, his Mist-mask firmly in place. A bunch of underworld monsters had been swirling around here, literally sucking the life out of the nymphs. Percy had been fighting them off too. It was part of why the Lampades was here apparently, but Percy knew that wasn't the whole story.

Was it monsters?

No.

It’s campers

Or would-be campers.

Kronos has to take over because his breathing is suddenly uneven. He watches them from the water, aches to join them, to be with others like himself. To sing campfire songs, to race canoes, to make awful clay busts of his dad!

They’re resting.

The leaders are two teenage campers and a younger looking Coach Hedge. His heart leaps in his throat, but he pulls back when he almost alerts the 4 kids being escorted. Percy learns the older boy and girl are Wilbur and Lilith. The three girls are Arilane, Maria, and Penelope or ‘Penny’. They don’t know the name of the boy. He tucks his face into Lilith’s shoulder whenever someone tries to ask him. Lilith leans over and speaks Spanish to Maria.

Some of them look familiar.

Coach Hedge and Wilbur set up a perimeter and were clearly looking for monsters.

“Is it Lilith’s scent?” Wilbur grunts.

“ Can it, kid. Don’t even joke about that. And if you hadn’t been so eager to pick a fight and prove yourself we wouldn't be so delayed in the first place.”

This shuts Wilbur up.

Lilith calms the kids around the makeshift campfire.

The three girls only a bit older than Percy are all asking questions and clearly annoying the teenage boy. The little boy can only shake, clearly traumatized and clinging to Lilith.

“He’ll be okay, he’s just mentally shaken.” Maria says, and as she rests her little hand on his curls he visibly calms.

“So, who are your godly parents?” Arilane asks like she’s trying to thread a needle-carefully, almost nervously.

“Ares.” Wilbur puffs out. “Lilith is unclaimed .” He says suspiciously. Coach glares, Lilith’s face looks like she’s been petrified by Medusa.

“When will we be claimed?”

“Maybe never.”

The four kids get nervous.

“If you aren’t claimed, you all can stay with me in the Hermes cabin. He takes in all travelers.” This makes the girls happy, but the boy seems only more upset.

“But I thought you said camp would be our new home .” The boy whimpers. “Are we just travelers to camp?”

The clearing goes silent.

The three girls gasp at hearing the boys' voice.

Lilith’s jaw clenches as she tries not to cry.

“So he can speak!” Wilbur laughs. “You haven’t said a word the whole time we knew ya but suddenly you want a cabin? You're worse than Glimmer and Maris!”

“Be nice Wilbur!” The teenage girl says hotly, rocking the boy gently.

“Of course you’d defend her .” Wilbur scoffs, clearly referencing something. “They’ll never grow up if you coddle them, Lilith. You’re not doing him any favors.”

“...The monsters aren’t our fault Wilbur.” Lilith says quietly. “It’s not like with Thalia.”

Percy’s heart lurches .

Kronos learns forward in interest at the mention of his demi-god granddaughter and Percy struggles with a stab of insecurity. He hopes Kronos is not like Chiron in this regard.

“Except we don’t know that as long as you remain unclaimed! What else could piss the gods off so much? Everyone knows how upset The two elder gods were over Thalia’s existence, and Lord Zeus’s anger when his daughter died, and they’re taking it out on everyone else!”

“We don’t even know if it’s them!”

“And these three, I can’t tell who their godly parents are. We could have a trojan horse of some big three kid coming into camp-”

“And so what?” Wilbur turns to look at Lilith.

He seems to be thinking hard and Percy would be tempted to tell him not to hurt himself, if his heart wasn’t pounding so hard that Kronos had to step in and hold it together, gold like branches.

“Why shouldn't we just split from you Lilith, be safe over sorr-”

“I didn’t think a child of Ares was a coward!”

Wilbur lunges.

Coach Hedge uses his bat as a shield.

“That's enough! Nobody’s getting left behind. Should I have left Clarisse behind then since her scent was strong too?”

Wilbur’s face shows the first hint of softness at the mention of his baby sister.

“Let's settle down for the night and figure out a plan.”

Wilbur snorts.

“Of course you want to stick around here, with all those rumors-” Coach shoots Wilbur another withering glare and the teenager’s teeth squeak with how hard they clench.

They set the kids around a makeshift campfire and Percy watches as Lilith whispers a minor sleep spell on them, one associated with Hypnos for its chthonic elements. Percy see’s Coach Hedges throat bob, a Satyr’s instinctual fear of anything Underground and lacking wilderness, and Wilbur sneers.

There is fear in it.

“Your fancy tricks won’t save us if they think your big thre-”

“Shut up!” Lilith hisses. “Are we just speaking openly about this now? We kept quiet about it so long at camp and now you’re run-”

“-You know, I noticed quite the lack of underworld monsters despite Luke and Glimmer’s group having to fight them off.” Wilbur says casually. Yes. Percy had worked very hard to kill them all.

Coach Hedge snaps his jaws on an aluminum can Percy missed.

“Don’t even joke about that Wilbur.”

“But can you prove otherwise? Maybe it’s not even the scent of all these kids, maybe it's you Lilith. That Sea monster in New Jersey almost killed Henry! We used our last godly food on him!” The half-bloods are looking worse for wear. Maria is clearly nursing a sprained wrist that should have been healed with ambrosia.

Percy’s heart jumps, thinking of his own close encounter. He had only started to fear the water after arriving at Camp Jupiter, where it was a common fear. Even his father Poseidon hadn’t shifted much, and honestly, not at all into his counterpart.

“I thought you didn’t care about him.”

“I care about my reputation. I’m not gonna be the loser that can’t get everyone back to camp, especially not with that priss Luke and right now I need to know if your scent is-”

“It’s not.” Coach Hedge barks.

“I thought you said it smelled of death here?”

“That happens when you’re right by the entrance to the underworld.” Lilith says dry as bleached bison bones in the desert. The Lampades that had used it to climb up from the underworld shifted uncomfortably under the willow. She had been staring at the kids, hovering by Penelope with a peculiar softness on her face.

The two males pause.

“Seriously?” Coach asked.

“Yes. And I can’t tell if the scent effects monsters from finding us.”

“Coach?” Wilbur asks

Coach hedge takes long drags of air.

“I smell monsters. But it's…” His brow furrows and Percy sees traces of the older dad in him, and his heart jumps, because it reminds him of his dad’s smile lines. “The nature smells strange around here. Sea-like, musty too.”

Well excuse him!

“...The nymphs have been oddly quiet.” Lilith says.

Yes.

Because they’re hiding Percy.

“Not this again!” Wilbur rolls his eyes. “All this ‘second-coming’ of Haliplanktos, or ‘Kyantos’! Can you guys figure out who it is already? Better yet, can we focus on our mission and get back to camp?”

“Watch your mouth kid, we haven’t felt nature energy like this in centuries-no matter how…decayed.” Coach Hedge says, lip curled in unease. “I ain’t those wishy-washy youngster satyrs believing in this ‘searching’ nonsense, but even I gotta admit something’s up.”

They fall silent.

Percy notices Penny sigh contently in her sleep.

“...I tried Irising the three Graces, but they’re busy with other groups. So are Argus and the Harpies. I know Maris had success with using the Taxi to get back to camp.” Lilith says, face breaking into the first smile Percy’s seen on it, her finger playing with half of a charm on her necklace, out of place with the other beads, yet fitting perfectly over her heart.

“And how did Glimmer and Luke get theirs to camp? By boat ? Are you sure Maris wasn’t using water too and you aren’t just covering for her?” Wilbur says suspiciously.

The smile is gone.

“Not this again Wilbur!”

“This can’t keep up forever, in fact they might dust off the Oracle and issue-” Coach Hedge’s mouth snaps shut.

“...You really think so?” Wilbur asks greedily. “We haven’t had one since -”

“-Exactly.” Lilith cuts him off. “Focus on our mission . You wouldn’t be chosen by the Oracle or the directors anyway.”

“...Not you either.” Wilbur sneers. “You think your godly parent would care enough to turn you into a pine tree too? I respect Thalia’s last stand, but everyone thinks it’s a good thing she didn’t make it into camp. What kinds of monsters could slip past the barrier if she was inside instead of reinforcing the border? Chiron had high hopes for her being the one of prophecy, but the rest of us-”

“Why don’t I tell Luke you said that?”

Wilbur pales, but doesn’t back down. Percy doesn’t know if it's stupidity or bravery.

How dare he say that about Thalia!?

“Calm, dearest. I despise this talk as well.”

Wilbur opens his mouth to say something but his head snaps to look at the water. Too late Percy realizes it’s starting to turn choppy and froth with his rage. The worst part is, Wilbur almost has a point! The whole reason that Chiron sent him on his first quest-where he was stunningly accused of being the lightning thief-was because a Hellhound had managed to get past the barrier with Luke’s help.

“Coach?” Lilith snaps.

“I see it, wake the kids in case we need to run. I heard from Luke there are cyclops in New York, and I can even smell ‘em faintly. Last thing we need!”

The water calms with Percy, a struggle as he then wrestles with the image of the coach sniffing out Tyson and Wilbur killing him. Coach and Wilbur might be fooled, but Lilith clearly had some minimal mist training.

The kids are all awake and after a few minutes begin asking more questions about camp life. It’s interesting to hear what camp was like years before Percy arrived.

“Is it fun at camp?” Maria asks eagerly.

“I did a corn maze back at home if you guys grow that.” Arilane says. She looks vaguely familiar.

“Maiming during capture the flag is what we play!” Wilbur boasts.

“But doesn’t that hurt?”

“Yes, but the Apollo Cabin has the rare ability to heal others, and we have food of the gods, Ambrosia and Nectar that can heal too.” Lilith explains.

“Like how it pulled me back from death tasting like poppyseed bread?” Penny asks.

“Yes, but it tastes different for everyone, like food tied to memories of love and safety.”

“Will I get my own beads?” The little boy asks. Everyone, even Wilbur, seems delighted that he’s speaking. He’s covered in freckles on warm skin, curly dark-red hair, and matching autumn eyes. Everyone stared at him, clearly unused to hearing his voice.

“You will, every summer.”

“Where does the clay come from?” Henry asks again.

“Well they, I-uh, don’t actually know?” Lilith says. “Coach?”

Coach Hedge had stopped mid-chewing on glass.

Wilbur, who seemed uninterested in anything outside of being suspicious and maiming even looked curious.

“Huh. Not sure. Great question, kiddo. They also make the dishes from it, but, how the hell don’t I know that?”

“I know we bake it in the kiln.” This excited the boy further.

“I like ceramics.” He says.

“I like campfires!” Maria crows. “Super festive! I can’t wait to sing songs and make s’mores!”

The boy kicks his feet in agreement, shyly playing with Lilith’s necklace, the half-charm. Wilbur sees him in Lilith’s lap and rolls his eyes.

“They’ll be coddled enough with Glimmer and Luke. Those two love-birds are disgusting.” Wilbur grumbles and coach laughs, ribbing the son of Ares.

Lilith opens her mouth to respond.

So of course, monsters attack.

“Take the kids and run, I’ll lead them away!” Lilith shouts, running fast as a race horse towards the underworld entrance.

“To where?!” Wilbur bellows. Lilith gets the monsters to follow her as Coach, the kids, and Wilbur retreat much to the annoyance of the son of Ares.

No.

Percy refuses to hide any longer.

He bursts from the water.

“Follow me!” He tells Coach Hedge his retreat with the kids guarded by Wilbur with Lilith gone. The Lampades is trying to help Penelope and Arilane-who is weaving through the maze of branches, and Maria is rubbing the back of the hyperventilating boy.

“I-Is it really you?” Coach Hedge gasps.

“He feels like the in-between.” Penelope says, brow furrow. “He’s stuck somehow!”

“Smells like it too!” Coach croaks again. “No, it, your scent is strong , but…not right!”

“Don’t trust him!” Wilbur roars, stuck in combat as he tries to get his spear from the zombies ribcage.

Percy’s heart pounds.

This is not good.

If they don’t trust him they will die here!

“I can get you through the park safely!” Hope sings on the tip of his tongue, cutting through the sounds of fighting, the monsters torn between Lilith and the kids. Percy tries not to sound desperate, hurt and cut to the bone by their words.

Was there really something so wrong with him?

Kronos sings to him.

“Why should we trust you when you hide your face?” Coach Hedge clearly wants to believe something , but can’t seem to let himself have hope .

“Because I can help you, but only you can let me! Please! You can all make it back to camp!” His words howl like the wind in a hurricane, but the effect is the eye of the storm. Speaking their greatest hope, to arrive at camp safely, reaches them.

Percy leads them through.

They don’t know what to make of him, but as he whispers gently with Hopespeak, he sees it echoes in their hearts and eyes, and even the boy, the youngest among them, calms down.

And then takes Percy’s hand.

He feels Percy startle.

“I trust you.” This boy, nervous the whole time, hurt, the most scared, trusted Percy.

It’s so incredibly brave of him.

Percy feels his throat close up, partly himself, partly Kronos' joy on his behalf.

“I am so proud of you.” Kronos whispers and Percy nods in response to both of them.

He won’t let them down!

“What about Lilith? Please make sure she’s okay, she’s the only one that understands us!” Penny whimpers, clutching Arilane.

“I will, she’ll be okay, you’ll be okay!” Percy says.

He moves to go back for Lilith, giving Wilbur and the baffled and awed Coach Hedge a wide berth, but the boy’s hand refused to let his go.

Percy stares deeply into autumn eyes.

“Will there really be a home for us at camp?” The boy whispers. And Percy…

Percy can’t lie to him .

“I don’t know what camp is like. But there will be others like you, others you can relate to, who could be your family.” Hope hums instead of roars.

It is enough.

“Thank you for making me brave.” The boy breathes deeply, and lets him go. Percy decides he loves him.

Percy goes back for Lilith.

…

…

…

Percy skitters at the steps of the entrance.

This is what Lilith had meant.

She had been able to locate, open, and lead the spirits down .

Showcasing powerful chthonic abilities. No wonder rumors swirled…

He takes a deep breath.

And walks down the cold stone steps. He almost trips when he nearly takes a wrong turn into an entrance to the labyrinth in the upper levels on the side of the stairwell, the symbol illuminated by Kronos’s glow. He had made a makeshift torch, the same kind often carried by lost spirits under Hectate’s domain, and her Lampades handmaids.

Percy feels…

Wrong .

“Dearest, I know you want to help Lilith but you must turn back soon.”

Percy feels a flash of frustration.

He hears rapid footsteps.

Lilith nearly runs into him, pulling back at the last second and drawing her sword.

“Wha-I thought all the monsters were behind me!” She gasps, dripping sweat.

“ Not a monster!” Percy stamps his foot to hide his hurt.

The corridor shakes .

Lilith pauses.

Her dark eyes gleam with realization in the light of the gold in his hand.

“A spirit. I-I didn’t mean to leave the door open for spirits to follow me up .” She says.

“I’m not dead either!” Percy shrieks in frustration and no small amount of fear. Kronos proves this by soothing his fear-filled heart again.

No.

He wasn’t dead.

Not anymore.

….Right?

“Chthonic beings can…you are the mystery hero then? A lost soul? A reincarnation?”

“I am clearly still alive! And I came to rescue you!”

She pauses again. Her face is torn between gratitude and fear.

The groaning gets louder.

Percy steps to the side and she darts up past him. She’s clearly injured, and if not for Percy picking off monsters behind them she might not have made it. They both stagger to the top but Lilith stops and looks sadly down at him. Her face is the picture of conflict and Percy’s stomach drops like a rock.

“Lilith?”

Too late, he had been counting himself as one of them. A kid-like thing to think!

“We’re already in enough sh*t without an undead nature spirit escaping the underworld. I don’t know if you’re some godling, some nymph, or some monster that refuses to stay in the pit -”

Percy keens in pain.

Kronos surges forward.

This scares Lilith so much she slides the door shut further, leaving barely any room to get past.

Percy will be trapped here!

“Please!” He begs.

One second.

Kronos could slow down time but Percy wants this to be Lilith’s decision.

“All you’ve ever wanted was to be accepted, can’t you do the same for me? I-I know I’m not normal, but do I deserve to suffer for that? Even though everyone always has something to say about me, I’ll never give up, and I’ll never give up on others like you Lilith, it’s why I came back for you, cause I always believe there's another way!” Percy shouts. Hope is in his voice like the sweetest burning pain.

Oh how he wishes he could give up!

But he can’t.

He doesn’t want to!

He’s too damn stubborn for that!

His hand grips the stone, he stares into the beam of light Lilith stands in.

She steps back.

She looks at her shaking hands in shock and disgust.

With one last look at Percy, she turns and runs, leaving the entrance free for him.

Only to run into Wilbur.

He was covered in blood, both his and the monsters.

“Wilbur, it’s not what you think-”

“ You got Into the underworld? You dumbass, how has Hades not killed you yet!” Wilbur shrieks with fear when he had laughed in the face of the diseased Zombies. “After Thalia ? And you let that thing back up to?” Wilbur adjusts his stance, getting ready to attack, and so does Percy. He’s really had it with this guy!

“I don’t care if the kids wanna give you a chance. We’ve got too much going on to take risks.” Wilbur says.

And attacks .

Percy ducks.

Lilith holds the perimeter from the monster in the treeline.

Kronos sits coiled like a snake. He has faith in his grandson, but Wilbur is a powerful demi-god, even by the already high standards of a child of Ares.

But Percy is still a son of Poseidon !

He leaps back, spins his lasso, and swings Wilbur into a tree so hard the Nymph comes out to shake her fist at him.

“Cyclops!” Lilith shrieks.

Percy shifts his stance, half expecting to see the one that had been stalking him since daycare, but to his immense horror, it’s Tyson !

Tyson!

Who charges and swats a lunging Wilbur to the side like a fly.

Lilith catches him, face now betrayed as Tyson blubbers incomprehensibly as he looks over Percy, able to tell it’s him from scent-something Lilith picks up on.

“Couldn’t find you!” Tyson wailed. “You smell went away then came back! Though you left me!”

“Knew we couldn’t trust him. Look. He’s working with a mons- !”

Lilith gets Wilbur in a fireman’s carry and runs.

Percy stands up.

Kronos croons at him and cradles him and Percy laughs and laughs and laughs .

Because he did it!

Hope sings like Nereids, runs like wild horses, rolls over him like a Tsunami and Percy watches the demi-gods escape safely and head to camp.

He had fought off the monsters on the way up, used his dads powers for the past few weeks, and was able to handle Kronos’s power.

He was strong enough!

…

…

…

“You don’t have to put up with him anymore mom! You saw how happy we were here when he was in the hospital!”

“Percy…”

“Mom! I can take care of myself, but only you can take care of us!”

Kronos had been giving her dreams. Borrowing Hope from his heart with Percy’s permission and using it to give her visions of the future, the future that died, where they were happy without Gabe.

One question remained.

How should they kill him?

“We don’t have to put up with him hitting us-”

Sally’s face goes white .

She freezes like she has the power to stop time.

“...Us?” Sally whispers.

“Um, I-yes? He’s been hitting us ! And I don’t like it-”

Sally falls to her knees.

Her hands shake and hover in front of him, tracing invisible bruises.

“He’s been hitting you?” Her voice is breathlessly squeaky and Percy feels like Grover’s using the panic scream in his ears.

His face is hot, his vision blurs, his hands are sweaty and shaky.

He feels his heart break.

He feels Kronos bow his head.

“...You didn’t know?”

Sally choked on a sob. Her tears come hard and fast, so heavy they wash away her makeup to reveal the bruises underneath, the same way the mist had hidden Percy's. Her hands hover like Kronos’s had, like she wants to hug her son but is now worried to touch him.

He had always wondered why it went on for so long.

They had never talked about it. When Percy gave his mom Medusa's head it had been a wordless understanding on par with what Kronos and Percy could achieve. Percy had let her know he knew Gabe was hitting her, gave her the tools to free herself that Poseidon had given him, and let her take it from there.

“No, No !” She moans, a confirmation and a denial of this terrible reality.

This whole time she hadn’t known .

Percy whimpers.

And a part of him that never healed from his first life, scabs over, mends, and becomes fresh, golden scar tissue.

Percy steps forward and throws himself into his mothers arms and forgives her for everything.

“It'll be okay mama!” Percy cries tears of joy . Hope speaks effortlessly and his mom looks like it pulls her away from the edge. “He’ll be gone soon!”

…

…

…

They plot.

But Kronos and him have to do it without revealing they know about his divinity, or else Sally will send him to camp-halfblood. Percy points out a sickly Gabe was already a good case for a health incident.

Sally looks like she’d rather strangle him with her bare hands.

That night, Percy sleeps on his bed curled in his mothers arms, and as Kronos haunts Gabe’s dreams, he answers Sally’s prayers whispered into a sleeping Percy’s growing curls. When Percy wakes in the morning, the hourglass of Gorgons blood that nearly killed him is gone.

And so is Gabe.

…

…

…

It’s the sort of quiet that heralds a new age. Sally immediately kicks all of Gabe’s poker buddies out and changes the locks.

Mr. Dare’s lawyer comes to them of his own violation, wearing aviator shades.

“I offer my services free of charge for your life insurance case.” Cecil says.

Percy is hidden in a crack in the wall.

Hiding for the last time.

He had gotten very good at hiding in his own home, better than Sally realized.

Sally looks around to make sure he isn’t there. She had been watching him very closely for signs of monster attacks. During their plotting, they had managed to keep his awareness under wraps-but only just barely. It was clear Percy knew something, but how much was in question.

“Why?”

Cecil lowers his shades.

Kronos takes over to keep him from gasping in shock.

Sally lunges with her Sweet on America deluxe knife.

It shears off a bit of Cecil’s hair before he redirects her wrist. The strands sizzle and fry with the remnants of gorgon's blood on the knife’s razor sharp edge.

“So you poisoned him with gorgon's blood, and put the rest on the edge of your knife. Clever. Percy is in good hands.”

Sally’s face twists.

She clearly disagrees with that.

“I let a monster into his life, and I still am! And apparently have been since Percy was a baby, because you’re the cyclops, aren't you!” she waves her knife at Cecil, the cyclops who had been stalking Percy since he had been in Daycare, that freaked out Odette!

But why not kill him?

Cecil chuckles.

“Of course. I was sent by our father to watch over him. And I was sent here to answer your prayers. No need for Percy to know about that part. He’s safe in the ignorance of his parentage.”

Percy’s jaw drops further. Kronos watches in delight over having another grandson to spoil, except this one was a grizzled, battle hardened lawyer. Percy was confused why a good cyclops, defender of the Wild Sea, would work for someone like Mr. Dare.

“Now, let's talk life insurance settlement. We'll have to get medical records proving your case.” Cecil grins, and his sharp teeth cut right through the mist.

…

…

…

Percy stands on the edge of the fountain. The one he fixed all those weeks ago with the Earthshaker domain, and told Kronos about his wrist.

The world has gone silent.

“Perseus!” Kronos whispers in awe.

“You’ve felt it.” Percy laughs so joyously he can’t tease his laugh apart from Hope anymore. “My connection to my dad, my thread healing, you know it’s time .”

Gold burst from him in the pattern of a flower, the tallgrass rolling at his ankles, little waves over the Lake’s water.

The Nymphs are silent with sleep mist, the ones awake have already sworn their undying loyalty to ‘Kyantos’, despite Percy not asking them to.

But it’s ironically fitting.

Because that's exactly what Percy’s doing right now.

Even if Kronos doesn’t know that yet. Percy is so excited to surprise his Grandfather!

The nymphs must sense he has something planned because they watch with wide eyes.

“Yes, I-you are growing so fast!” Kronos voice quakes with pained pride. “Whatever do you have in store? Dearest?”

“I’m excited! It’s alright grandfather!” Percy comforts him.

“I know sweetest…are you ready?”

“I’ve been ready the minute I first called you grandfather.”

Another spring of hope bursts from him, this time from Kronos. The water in the fountain is now restored and crystal clear, and when Percy drinks from it he feels like running at a full gallop!

The nymph gasp and titter. The fan-nymph-named Willow-takes a sip, and the wilting willow leaves of her hair fill with life!

He feels Kronos' curiosity as to how Percy will collect the first grain in this timeline.

He knows exactly how.

Percy had always wondered how he could ever live up to Luke Castellan. He had wondered this when leading revolutionary reforms in New Rome, when become the sword instructor at camp like Daedalus and Luke before him.

And now.

He becomes the first Demi-god to swear an Oath of Loyalty to Kronos.

He recites the ancient words like Ethan Nakamaru.

Kronos bursts with overwhelmed honor and love.

He sings them like Apollo, and the nymphs join in, a choir of Hope and beauty, to welcome the Lost Lord of Time to his second chance. His harmony echoes gold, the music bends reality towards him.

Percy dances, and splashes, humming with Kronos’s power but not burning up with it, hands little and reaching for his grandfather.

And his grandfather finally-

- finally -

Reaches back !

He cries tears of pure joy !

A golden grain lays cupped in his hands more precious than anything, soaked with his joyful tears. Percy wraps the Ocean around his grandfather, feels the glow grow brighter, so warm the heat is in the shape of a loving pair of palms on his face.

His chest opens once more.

The Nymphs gasp and shriek and sing in awe.

Percy sees his reflection in the purified fountain, his heart on display and beautiful, Hope snugly inside. The Nymphs weep like they believe.

And Percy sees Kronos.

Not all of him. Just as no immortal could see the full form of Hope. For the life of him he can’t make out a shape except the pure color itself and the concept of time, of wheat, of power . Percy brings the grain to his chest and watches as the smaller grain merges with the humming pulse of Kronos.

His chest closes once more.

He falls to his knees, the oath settling into his bones and reinforcing them. His Grandfather presses the whisper of a kiss to his forehead, a stronger impression than before, and falls into a light slumber to absorb the new power.

And Percy glows with Hope .