𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐥𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐞

𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

"𝐘𝐎𝐔 must be hungry," Medusa called from another room "I left snacks on the table while I get something proper going" "thank you" Birdie replied, loud enough for her to hear.

Birdie and the two boys looked at the food spread out "you think it's safe to eat?" Percy whispered, looking at it with inspecting eyes "Percy, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm really hungry, and I'm ready to take that chance" Grover responded, staring at the food as if it was the love of his life.

The bell chimed again and Annabeth entered the room, Birdie smiled when she saw her sister join them. "Thanks for coming" Percy said, Annabeth looked at him with her usual judge "this isn't the same for us as it is for you" Annabeth said, nodding at Birdie "why?" Percy asked as Medusa walked through.

"You're concerned I would hold a grudge against you two simply because you are daughters of Athena? You shouldn't be. We're not our parents after all. And you and I might have more in common than you think" Medusa said, walking around the table and filling the glasses set in each place for each child.

Birdie sat down in one of the chairs, Medusa smiled "please, sit and eat" Percy and Grover followed those orders, sitting in the seats following Birdie's, while Annabeth remained standing. The three in seats began to take food and put it on their plates "so, you're not a monster, what are you then?" Percy asked and Birdie paused.

She had heard the story of Medusa. Not just the tale of the cruel monster who terrorised people and turned them to stone. The one where she was a gorgeous girl who was taken advantage of.

"A survivor" Medusa answered "you must be a little more than that. There's a Fury out there that seems terrified of you" Percy said, Medusa sighed "because she knows what I think of her. I don't like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for" she said, sitting down.

"The gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore" "what my mother did to you wasn't a gift, it was a curse" Annabeth said, as if Medusa was an idiot "Annabeth" Birdie shook her head as a warning to her sister. "You are loyal to your mother" Medusa said, not to Birdie, to Annabeth "yes" Annabeth answered "you stand by her?" "always" "you love her?" "of course, I do" "and so did I."

Birdie turned back to Medusa, her previous fear had turned into the feeling of safety somehow. Safety with Medusa. And with that feeling, she was prepared to hear her story. Her story.

"So did I," Medusa repeated with a nod "do you know the story of how I came to be this way?" "I do" Grover said while chewing "do you?" Medusa asked before a bell tolled. A loud one. "Do I?" Grover questioned himself, Birdie looked at the table, she didn't like this story but she also did like it. She hated what happened to Medusa. She hated her mother for how she responded.

"Athena was everything to me. I worshipped her, I prayed to her, I made offerings... she never answered. Not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love," Medusa began, she paused and looked at the two Chase sisters "I wasn't like you, sweetheart," there was no clarification of who she was talking to, but Birdie knew it was Annabeth "I was you. I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime.. in silence. But then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence. Your father," she looked at Percy "the Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he had saw me in a way I had never felt seen before. But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished."

Birdie closed her eyes, she could see that her mother would be angry with her for believing this story over the one she had told.

"Not him. Me."

Birdie could feel an anger rising in her. Not with Medusa. With her mother. And with Poseidon. And a small part of her was even angry with Percy.

"She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale."

"That isn't what happened," Annabeth said, her anger was with Medusa. She believed Athena's story. She always believed Athena's story. "My mother is just, always" "the gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings" Medusa responded, Birdie looked up at her sister "that is not what happened. And you are a liar" Annabeth spoke. Birdie wished she didn't. "Stop it" Birdie whispered.

Medusa stayed silent, she shook her head "something's burning," she sighed "would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready" she stood from her seat and left. Percy tapped Birdie's hand as he stood, she looked at him with a confused face. He tilted his head in the way of the kitchen. He meant 'come with me.'

It took Birdie a moment to realise what he meant. Once she did, she stood and followed him the way Medusa had went.