Not Your Hero ✔

-31-

"So... This is where you grew up?" Randel asked. For the first time in about a year, Percy, Randel, and Mystique were in clothes other than cloaks. He was about 51 or so years old now, Percy realized. His younger siblings were older now, Estelle was now 45, and P.J. was 41. He wondered if they were immortal, or if they were aging.

"Yes, this is where I grew up," Percy stated. "Well, are there more of you?" Misty asked. "How can there be more than one dad?" Mel asked. "There can't be more than one me, but there are people like me," Percy said.

Order had dropped them as close to Chaos' soldiers as to not get detected by any one of them, and he remained outside of earth's atmosphere for that same reason.

They were in the forest of Camp-Half Blood, Percy knew, that kid Harley used to have a ball making the campers do those dam relay races.

A young satyr stumbled upon them as the others admired the beautiful thing that Percy knew as nature. Percy was deep in thought. This satyr looked familiar, but he had no idea where he had seen him.

"Hey! I know you! Or one of you..." He beamed excitedly, hopping around. "One of you has to be Perseus Jackson! C'mon, time to 'fess up." He said giddily.

Percy raised his hand when both Randel and Mystique looked confused. "That's so cool! I don't believe that you're the reason the camp kept dying! I'm Chuck Hedge, Chuck as in Chuckle as in Chucky as in Chuck!" The centaur said.

Percy knew who Chuck was, but he would be in his thirties or so, and this was legit a child. "Chuck! What have I told you about going off like... that..." An older Chuck said. In front of him, he saw almost an exact image of Gleeson Hedge. Percy had been around Chuck until he was about two or three, so he was surprised when recognition lit up his eyes which were so much like his father's. "Perseus?" He asked unsure. "How are you alive?"

To be quite honest, Percy didn't really understand his seemingly invincible life string but he wasn't going to question it so he simply shrugged. "I'd like to visit camp, it has been a while," Percy said. "Well yes, it has been a while, hasn't it?" Chuck said uncomfortably. "Follow me," Chuck said, and Percy and his group obliged.

"You know, Annabeth confessed that she lied about you. The camp doesn't hate you anymore." Chuck said after a few moments of silence. Percy hummed in response. He couldn't place his feelings, it was like they weren't there. He just worked it out to be him forgiving them.

The gates of Camp Half-Blood-- yes, the full-on celestial silver gates-- swung open for Chuck. There were tall buildings that towered over the cabins that Percy remembered from his time at the camp.

Finally, they had successfully rebuilt, and Percy recognized two metal dogs running around, which Percy could only guess meant that people from Camp Jupiter were here too.

Percy and the others stepped into the clearing, but no one noticed. Their attention was focused on the hooded figures positioned on the large platform in the middle of the camp. "I am Alpha." Percy heard Luke say.

"We made it just in time for introductions." Misty said the same time Randel muttered, "Alpha my hindquarters." "I'm Celeste," Piper said. "I'm... What's my name... Uh... Something... Con..." Travis started. "Last time I checked, your name was Travis," Percy called.

All attention turned towards him, Chaos' team staring at him in shock.

"That's Percy Jackson!"

"Well, I'll be..."

"He always did seem one step ahead of death."

Whispers from the crowd sounded, at least what Percy would've thought were whispers, they seemed to be amplified. He started hearing less positive remarks though.

"He should've stayed dead."

"Why is he even here? He has no purpose."

"Why the hell is he still alive?"

Feel your anger.

Percy's eyes met murky, dark sea green irises. The other him stared blankly back at him.

Let it consume you.

Percy shook his head slightly, squeezing his eyes shut. "Uh... Maelstrom? You good?" Randel asked. Percy opened his eyes and saw the whole camp looking at him strangely. "Yes. I'm fine, thanks. So why don't you introduce yourselves properly?"

The soldiers shifted as if debating with themselves on what to do. "Oh for gods-- my name is Percy. And your name is..." Percy said trailing off, waiting for them to fill in the blanks.

A voice interrupted Travis when he was about to speak.

She looked the same. She sounded the same.

Annabeth.

Make them feel your pain.

"Yes, Annabeth Chase is it?"

The words left Percy's lips, but soon after the other him was right in front of him, and Percy could feel cold breath on his face.

Make one being of two.

(-_-) (-_-) ( /-_-)/

Percy woke up in the infirmary. He noticed that no light whatsoever was getting into the small medical center. As if the windows were covered by something. Percy's eyes were slit open and he didn't move, just laid there in silence, peering into the darkness. Silence and darkness. He found that he quite liked it.

No one whispering in his head. Percy didn't know what Chaos was playing at, but Order had mentioned Chaos might be using me as a host for their brother Void. And that was not going to happen.

The lights came on, and Percy became painfully aware of the hundreds of pairs of eyes staring into the infirmary. Will had been the one to turn on the light, his hood down and his face bared for all of the campers to see. "Good, you're awake," Will said.

He looked angry, his blue eyes flaring for some reason. "I see you told everyone who you are," Percy said, ignoring the son of the sun god's apparent anger.

"That girl that you travel with, do you know what she is?" Luke came in snapping. Mel was the only girl he traveled with, and with the eyes of Luke flashing, Percy sat upright in an instant and met Luke's glare with one of his own. The temperature dropped, and frost formed on the ends of Percy's hair and appeared on Luke's armor.

"Where is she?" Percy said angrily.

"Relax, the one you call Mystique booked it when Luke--" Will tried to resolve the tension before he froze mid-sentence. "What the hell did you do?" Percy said, off of the hospital bed, face to face with the son of Hermes. "I didn't hurt a hair on her dangerous little head if that's what you are worried about," Luke said, scoffing. "Watch yourself, if she so much as says she thinks you were going to hurt her--" "What, you're going to splash me with some water? Throw a little fire? I have the blessing of Chaos, you can't do anything to hurt me." Luke said tauntingly.

Without warning, Percy landed a hard punch on Luke's face. Randel was in the room in seconds, holding on to Percy and at the same time growling at Luke. "Boss, there are people out there claiming to be your littermates."

Littermates.

Siblings.

And that's the end of this part, what'd ya think? Thanks for reading, hoped you enjoyed,

                      ~Demo--

Percy:*Ahem*

Me: *Sigh*

And Percy says 'hi'.

NOW, until next time,
                           ~DemonsFromAbove