The Blue Knight --Percy Jackson Batman Crossover--The Olympian Heroes Book Three

Chapter 39

"Tell me when it's over" Thalia said her eyes were shut tight and her fists were clenched so tight I thought they'd fall off.
"Everything's fine" I promised
"Are we very high?" She asked
I looked down. The mountain peaks were flying by bellow us. I stretched out my foot and kicked snow off one of the peaks.
"No, not that high" I said
"We're in the Sierra's" Zoë shouted
"You did good back there" I said to Thalia "Zeus listened"
I couldn't tell what she was thinking when her eyes were closed.
"Maybe" she said "how'd you even get away from the skeletons in the engine room?"
I told her about the weird mortal girl Rachel Elizabeth Dare and how she could see through the mist.
"Some mortals are like that" she said "nobody knows why"
I nodded thinking.
My mom was like that. That's why she was always so jumpy when I was little.
Alfred was like that too. I remember that day the hellhound attacked and Annabeth figured out my identity Alfred seemed to know exactly what was going on.
"Well that girl was annoying" I said "but I'm glad I didn't vaporize her"
Thalia nodded "it must be nice. To just be a regular mortal."
She said it like she'd given that a lot of thought.

"Where do you guys want to land" Hank asked waking me up from my nap.
"Whoa" I said
I'd seen pictures of San Francisco but I'd never actually been.
It was kinda like a mini, clean version of Manhattan or Gotham.
"There" Zoë said "by the Embarcadero building"
"Good idea" Chuck said "me and Hank can blend in with the pigons."
We all looked at him.
"Kidding sheesh" he said "can't statues have a sense of humor?"
Turns out there was no need to blend in. It was early in the morning and no one was around besides a homeless man that ran away screaming about angels from Mars.
The statues flew off to go party with their friends. And we were left alone not knowing what to do next.
We were talking strategy when I heard an explosion from a block away.
A red blur rushed by followed closely by a yellow one. I smiled and hit my hand into my fist and followed them.
"What was that?" I heard Thalia ask as I left
"Where's Percy?' Grover asked at the same time.
I overlooked the scene. Wally was trying to put out a fire coming from an electronic shop while Barry was trying not to get shot by lightning.
"Well well well" Barbara said "live-wire how shocking"
"Who are you Dick?" I asked
"That's weird last I checked she was in National City locked up" Babs said
"Weakness?" I asked
"Well water could help" She said "or make it worse. Your best bet is getting her to overload."
I smiled and stretched my arms.
"What are you doing?" She asked
"Stretching" I said "I've been flying on a giant statue all night!"
"Well you might want to get in there" she said
"Okay" I said flipping off the building
I grappled swinging just above Live-wire.
"Hola" I said swinging back and kicking I barely missed her and went flying into the cement.
"Owww" I said standing I reached for my bar only to realize it wasn't there. Then I remembered it broke when I was fighting David Cain.
"If it isn't my favorite Robin" Wally said
"Hey Kid Flash" I said "what's up-"
"Boys a little help" Barry yelled
"Oh yeah right" I said smiling

"So" I said once we were done "how'd Live-wire get all the way out here? I thought she was in National City"
"Us too" Barry said "but then we got an alert and ran here. Clark stopped by and apparently Kara is missing"
"What do you mean?" I asked
"Like gone" Wally said
I frowned
"Percy?" I heard Grover call from a street over.
"Um...how bout we have breakfast" I suggested "with my friends"
"Sorry can't" Barry said "we have to get back to Central City"
"Hey Wally" I said as Barry ran off
"Yeah" he asked
"Artemis told me to talk to you" I said
"Yeah...look I don't..." He paused
"Percy" Grover called again closer
"I'll send you a message through Oracle" Wally said "sounds like you gotta go"
"Yeah" I muttered
Wally ran off and I was left alone in the clearing with an unconscious supervillan.

I found the quest group and didn't bother explaining anything. They didn't ask either.
"So....how do we find out what this mysterious monster is" I asked after a few minutes of awkward silence and walking.
"Nereus" Grover said
"What?" I asked
"Apollo told you to find Nereus remember"
"Oh yeah" I said
"Old Nereus eh" Zoë made a face
"You know him" Thalia asked
"My mother was a sea God" she answered "yes I know him. Unfortunately he's never hard to find"
"What do you mean?" I asked
"Come" Zoë said "I will show thee."
I knew I wouldn't like this...

I knew I was right when we stopped at a Goodwill drop box.
Five minutes later Zoë had me outfitted in a flannel shirt and jeans both five sizes to big. Bright red sneakers and a floppy rainbow hat.
"Now take off thy gloves" Zoë said holding her hand out for them.
I frowned glancing at Thalia. She looked at me with sympathy.
I sighed and took them off.
"Don't let anything happen to them" I said
Zoë nodded
"So how do I know which is him?" I asked
"Sneak up, act homeless" Zoë said "you'll know him he smells.... different."
We were on a pier looking down on a beach where a bunch of homeless guys were huddled together in blankets.
"Grab him" Zoë said "and don't let go. He will try anything to get rid of thee."
"We've got your back" Thalia said she picked something off my shirt a big clump of who knows what. "On second thought...I don't won't your back"
Grover gave me a thumbs up
"Gee thanks" I muttered as I went off grumbling about how nice it was to have superpowerful friends.
I stumbled through the groups of homeless people. They all smelled awful but not different.
I passed the homeless guy that saw us land. He was trying to warn the others about metal angels from Mars. He smelled bad. But not different.
Then I saw the guy at the end of the pier. He was fat and wrapped in a bathrobe. His white beard had turned yellow. He looked kinda like Santa Claus....if Santa had been dragged through a lanfill for half his life.
His smell?
It was bad. But not regular bad. Ocean bad like hot seaweed, dead fish, and brine.
I tried not to gag as I sat down by him like I was tired. Santa opened on eye suspiciously. I knew he was staring at me but I didn't look and just started muttering stuff about stupid parents, and school.
I wondered what everyone else would think when I jumped Santa.
"Ahhhh" he screamed as I tried to grab him. He grabbed me instead.
"Help me" he screamed as his steel grip tightened.
I tried to break free. I slammed my head back into his face. He didn't let go but fell to the ground. We rolled back and forth righting for control before my head slammed into a pole.
"I don't have any money" he screamed  scrabbling to his feet.
He tried to run but I grabbed him from behind.
"I don't want money" I grunted as he fought me "I'm a Half-blood! I want information!"
"Heroes" he whined fighting even harder "why do you always pick on me?!"
"Because you know everything.
We continued fighting and got closer to the end of the pier when I got an idea.
"Oh no" I shouted "not the water!"
My plan worked and Nereus gave a shout of triumph and dove off the pier into the water.
He must've been surprised when my grip tightened. But he had some tricks up his sleeve as well. He changed shape until I was holding a black seal.
He changed shape again into a killer whale and plunged trying to drown me.
"Why won't you drown!" He screamed changing back into human form
"I'm Poseidon's son" I said
"Curse that upstart!" Finally Nereus collapsed on a boat dock heaving and gasping for air. I felt great! But I didn't want him to know that. I wanted him to feel like he put up a good fight.
"You got him!" Zoë said as my friends came running down the dock.
"Oh wonderful an audience for my humiliation!" Nereus said "well get on with it. Ask your question"
"I have more than one question" I said
He wagged his finger at me "one question per capture that's the deal"
I wanted to ask about Annabeth. That's what everything inside me said to ask but I knew what she'd say if I saved her and not Olympus. Zoë would've wanted me to ask about Artemis. But Chiron had told us the monster was the most important.
"Alright" I said "tell me where to find the monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."
"Easy" Nereus cackled "he's right there"
He pointed in the water.
"What?"
"The deal is complete" with that Nereus turned into a goldfish and flipped into the sea.