Embrace the Shadows

Ch 25

-Percy-

After the light of the spell had surrounded himself and Rhea, thoroughly scaring Metis in the process, he had called Medusa and Circe in to help explain the situation to the new bondmate and the freaking out Titaness of Wise Council. Rhea had taken the knowledge surprisingly calmly and seemed even gleeful to have something new to use to mess with Zeus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hera. Something that did amuse the Hades out of him though was when Metis complained about not being selected so she could help mess with her ex-husband.

Now though his three bond mates were off having a 'girls day' while he went with Zoe and Damian to Westover Hall. "So how do you think things are going to go down?" Damian asked as they drove, Zoe using a spell to keep Argus from eavesdropping or reading their lips.

"Annabeth is probably going to try the whole 'I'm your big sister so you have to listen to me' card on the new demigods which will freak them out, Paris will act like his usual idiotic self, and Grover will shuffle about nervously in the background.".

"They're so predictable," Zoe groaned "I don't know whether to be glad that our main demigod 'rivals' are idiots as they aren't a big threat or disappointed as the only challenge we get is from powerful monsters or titans anymore.".

"But also keep in mind that it might be more than just the Manticore this time," he warned "our changes will have ripple effects so be prepared.".

"No worries Perce," Damian said with a grin "we got this.".

"Now I'm even more worried." He groaned, ignoring the Damian swatting at the back of his head. "So tell me," he began with a grin "have you two started officially dating yet?".

"I don't know what you're talking about!" they denied in tandem while blushing up a storm, their blushes only growing more pronounced when they realized that fact.

"So the fact that I saw you beat an Aphrodite girl into a mini coma for planning to ask Damian out is completely unimportant?" he asked his sister who blushed in embarrassment before turning to Damian "or how you did the same to an Ares camper who planned on asking out Zoe?".

"I…um…we…uh…I plead the fifth?" Damian stammered out as Zoe nodded in agreement.

"Not really but I'll let it slide this once," he said with a grin as the two sighed in relief "I'll let Silena take care of you when we get back to Camp.".

"You're a sadist." Damian groaned as Zoe whimpered slightly, neither of them wanting to deal with the new goddess of love about their 'not relationship'.

"I'm just looking out for you two." He said with an innocent grin that he knew didn't fool his friends for a second "You both know you're in love with each other so just admit it, kiss each other, and start dating.".

"We're here." Argus spoke up before either of his friends could reply, something to which they both appeared immeasurably grateful. "You guys gonna be able to get back easy enough?".

"Holy shit you can talk!" he yelled in a panic, having never heard the eyeball covered man talk in either timeline.

"Yes I can talk," the man grumbled "I just don't like to do it that much as people usually stare at the eyes the first time they meet me and after that they expect me to be the 'silent mysterious type'."

"So no tongue eyeball?" he asked curiously.

"Do you have any idea how nasty that would be?" Argus asked affronted "With saliva always getting in it and bits of half chewed food or hot liquid?".

"Fair point," he said with a wince "well your secret is safe with us if you want to keep pulling your 'silent man' thing.".

"Yeah, yeah," Argus said waving them off "just get going.".

Nodding he stepped out of the van with Damian and Zoe as they watched the vehicle drive away, "I still can't believe he can talk." Damian whispered in awe before wincing "And that is a good point about the tongue eyeball.".

"You see the stooges?" Zoe asked as they approached the building.

"Over there talking to Thorn," he said with a nod before snapping his fingers to alter the Mist "they're with us Dr. Thorn," he said loudly as they walked over "we got separated when we were looking for some extra supplies for the dance.".

"Well see to it that you don't leave the Gym again." The other teacher, he was pretty sure her name had something to do with Chalk, scolded before shoeing them away to the gym.

"Where the Hades did you three come from?!" Paris snarled angrily.

"My mother." He said in tandem with Damian and Zoe as they saw Annabeth and Paris' eyebrows twitch in annoyance.

"Why are you here?" Paris tried again.

"Chiron decided you three needed back up so he tricked us into coming." He said with a shrug "I'd personally prefer to leave you three out to dry but I owed the old horse a favor and he chose this.".

"Be more resp-"Annabeth began only for Zoe to cut her off.

"Look Blondie," Zoe sighed irritably "we don't like you, your pet goat, or your little boy toy there. We figured that after a year and a half of us telling you this you'd get the damn message but apparently it still needs to be pounded through your thick skull. We don't enjoy your presence, we don't like listening to your self-righteous high and mighty opinions, and in general we just don't like you. So leave us alone and we won't humiliate you every damn day.".

"Guys," he said as he noticed Thorn grabbing the two children of Athena from the corner of the Gym and dragging them outside "a monster is making away with a pair of demigods and probably sees them as brain food.".

"Shit!" the stooges cursed before taking off at a full sprint after Thorn while he sighed and grabbed Zoe and Damian before shadow travelling them to the cliff he knew the Manticore to be going to.

"Hello Thorn," he said as the monster burst out from between the trees, skidding to a halt when it saw the three of them "or do you prefer Manticore?".

"The son of Chaos," Thorn said warily "I had hoped that you would leave or that I would not have to deal with you.".

"So you admit that you cannot beat me?" he asked in genuine surprise, used to most monsters boasting about being 'unbeatable'.

"Not by myself," Thorn said with a nod before giving a savage grin "but with the backup that Lord Kronos sent with me I know I can get away with my new 'prizes'.". At those words about thirty cyclopes stepped out of various hiding places among the trees, all of them staring at him and his friends hungrily.

"Zoe," he ordered "think you can grab the demigods if Damian and I handle the Cyclopes?".

"On it!" the future moon goddess said as she shot forward towards Thorn, one of the Cyclopes attempting to grab her only to get speared by Damian.

"Whoever gets the most kills wins?" he asked his brother in all but blood eagerly.

"You're on boss!" Damian called back as they went to work, Damian stabbing them with a spear while he used his chained blades to decimate their ranks. "Damn it," Damian grumbled "it's a tie!".

"Only because you got a kill in before we could start," he said with a smirk "we all know that I'm the superior fighter.".

"Yeah, yeah." Damian said before they looked towards Thorn, expecting to see Zoe with a new Manticore skin throw rug only to pale when they the fight still going on as every time Zoe attempted to do an attack one of the three stooges, who had shown up during the Cyclops slaughter, would get in the way.

"Zoe!" they yelled, taking off to go help their friend as Thorn snarled and grabbed Zoe when Annabeth's attempt at an attack tripped the daughter of Atlas up.

"If I can't grab the new demigods I'll just bring Atlas his daughter." Thorn growled before taking off towards the cliff and jumping over before they could stop him.

"No!" he roared, trying with all of his might to reach the edge and pull Thorn back up before the Manticore could vanish but it was too late…his sister was gone…he had failed.