1. No Gods, No Masters

Seventeen boring years.

Perseus Jackson had lived his life for seventeen agonizingly mundane years. He knew that many teenagers went through angsty phases. Hormonally speaking, it was a natural part of growing up, reaching adulthood. Perhaps it was some form of tribulation, a rite of passage that everybody had to go through. If that were the case then he was sure there would be no award for him.

His body hummed with excitement. With the monster before him, how could it not?

The seventeen years wouldn't become eighteen.

For too long, he'd waited for something―anything―to happen and prove his mother's words right. He needed validation that he wasn't living his life for no reason. The grip of nihilism was not easily shaken when one's very existence was supposedly impossible. After all, Perseus was a half-blood; equal parts human and deity.

According to his mother―who in turn received her information from his father―it was natural for him to feel angsty. It was an innate part of who he was, etched into his biological code, his very genetic structure. He was built to destroy and ravage, which was fitting when one took his name into account. There was an urge, one that tempestuously shifted beneath his skin, telling him to act as he pleased.

He was almost always restless, which some people might have attributed to his attention-deficit-hyperactive-disorder. Apparently, both his ADHD and his dyslexia were just another part of being a half-blood. The former prepared him for being in the heat of battle, while the latter wired his brain to read Greek and Latin. Unfortunately, while such attributes might have been useful for an Achaean warrior, Perseus lived most of his life as a civilian. A civilian who still required an education by law.

With that said, all forms of school were basically hell for him. The teachers didn't treat him too differently when they were told of his… deficiencies… though many of his peers weren't quite so understanding.

For years he'd endured the constant snickering when he failed to read what was written on the board. Or how he was always the last one to finish a test because the words just never clicked.

Children were naturally inclined towards innocent cruelty, which he learned very early on in life. He, of course, was no different, although he figured that his form of callousness was a bit more… vile. It was less that he was ignorant of his actions' consequences and more that he really couldn't bring himself to care all that much.

The first person he punched was a ten-year-old girl. Her name was Leticia, a bully who thought that because she scored high grades, it entitled her to mock and disparage those who didn't. For five months, Perseus endured her remarks about his poor grades, her remarks about him not knowing the difference between left and right gradually building his anger.

Eventually, he'd proven to her that he indeed did know the difference, by proceeding to slam his tiny fist into her cheek, pointing out that he used his left hand. Since they were alone, nobody saw what he'd done. Leticia herself hadn't come out and accused him either, no doubt afraid of what he could do in the future. In that moment, Perseus felt vindicated. His anger had swelled up after months of belittlement, and though he lost his cool, it worked out perfectly in the end.

Soon, nobody bullied him at school. Rumors flew that he was dangerous, a violent delinquent. He never bothered to try and fix his image during elementary school.

From the day he was born, people would judge him based solely off of his appearance. After all, his hair was naturally two-toned. Many of his bangs were gray, from the front of his windswept locks the gray sprinkled in with the black that filled up the rest of his head. Everywhere from the hair by his ears, up across his temples and to his forehead, one could easily see the salt-and-pepper effect.

Perseus wasn't one to be vain, and while he liked the look, it certainly made it hard to be taken seriously. Too many adults inferred that he was an attention-seeking youth, when in truth, he just didn't care to dye his hair so that it would look normal. In the end, he settled for telling people it was a rare genetic mutation.

The irony of such a claim was not lost on him.

A year after the incident with Leticia, his mother pulled him aside to ask if his teacher's suspicions were correct. Too many children who once mocked him ended up sporting bruises, never again taunting Perseus, instead seeming quite fearful when he was around. The educators had become rightfully wary that it was Perseus who was causing trouble.

He'd admitted it to his mother, not wanting to lie to her, also stating the reasons for his violent outbursts.

It was then that his mother gave him the information about his heritage. Most of the information, at least. She refused to reveal who Perseus' father was, something which irritated him to no end. Either way, she wouldn't budge, which he could grudgingly respect, even at eleven years old.

Something that fascinated him, though, were the monsters she warned him about. When he'd learned about the monstrosities who wanted little more than to rip the meat from his bones, he didn't cower.

Far from it, in fact.

He welcomed the wonderful world of terror that his eyes were opened to. Even at a young age, his tedium with regards to the life he led was palpable. If excitement found him in the form of blood-thirsty monsters… well… beggars certainly couldn't be choosers.

Yet, nothing came of it. There hadn't been a single monster attack in the five years since learning of his bloodline. Perseus had waited patiently, preparing himself for the day by joining a few sports clubs during middle and high school. True, basketball and track weren't exactly useful when fighting monsters, but at least they conditioned his body a fair bit.

He supposed it wasn't quite fair to the normal teens, though, since he was gifted with a superhuman condition. He wasn't extremely competitive, especially when he could put the minimum effort into a sport and still outshine everybody else by running faster, jumping higher, and reacting quicker than a normal human.

If he'd wanted, it would have been trivial to surpass everybody else and become a prodigy at his age. While that certainly would have broken the boredom, in the end, nothing truly exciting would come of it. Perhaps a career as an athlete, but little else.

No, Perseus wanted more than that. He needed more.

"And apparently the gods have finally seen fit to give me the chance."

The monster―a Chimera, if he was remembering Greek mythology correctly―circled him predatorily. Three heads, one of a lion at the front, a goat in the middle, and a snake for a tail, all leveled their fierce eyes on his form. For a moment, Perseus was tempted to run away. He didn't know if the creature would chase him out of the park and into the streets, but the idea was disregarded nonetheless. The moment had finally come for him to fight, to earn his place and to prove to himself that there was a reason for his continued existence.

Perseus looked around, noting how oddly vacant the park was. Considering the time, there should have been far more humans around. For years, he'd crossed the very same park to get home. Since it was late-February, basketball was over and track wouldn't start until March, meaning he'd been going home to rest.

At least, that had been the plan.

Perseus cracked his neck, eliciting audible pops as he rolled his head. He was fairly confident that the fight would end in his favor. After all, even though he didn't know who his father was, it really didn't matter. Bellerophon killed the Chimera long ago without any fancy abilities. A brick of lead and a flying horse were good enough. Perseus was far from defenseless, even without an object in hand.

Rather, he was the weapon.

For a brief second, both of them tensed as they prepared to attack.

Without further hesitation, the Chimera sprang forward with its powerful hind legs. Its mane rippled in the wind as Perseus ducked underneath its soaring form. He managed to roll his head just enough to dodge the snake that nearly bit into his nose.

Narrowing his eyes, he stood up from his crouch, taking a few steps back. The Chimera snarled at him, spittle dripping from the lion's teeth. The goat-head bleated for a moment before it spat a stream of fire. A scathing heat nearly engulfed his back as he jumped away. From the corner of his eye, he caught the monster lunging, claws aimed for his face.

Perseus slapped the paw away from him, though at a cost. A few bloody gashes were opened up on his right forearm due to his reckless action.

The Chimera was about to pounce on him once more, only to be stopped when Perseus raised his uninjured arm.

He snapped, thumb and middle finger slipping away from one another.

Immediately, the paw which had been slapped exploded in a shower of blood and fur and bone. A low screech of pain left the Chimera's multiple heads when its appendage was crippled.

While the wound was grievous, the paw remained somewhat intact. Less than half was gone, though a fair chunk had been shredded away and left nothing but a bloody, mangled mess. The monster glanced down at the injury, then back up at Perseus, who was frowning.

"Hm, that was supposed to take off most of your leg…" he muttered suspiciously. "It must work differently for monsters then? That's news to me. Too bad… I put quite a bit of power into that one…"

The monster lost some of its vicious enthusiasm in the face of his ability.

It was an understandable reaction, he figured. His power―no doubt due to his lineage―was not one to be overlooked. He had spent years trying to learn what his special ability was, since according to his mother, most half-bloods were gifted with a few. Usually, they were based on a child's parentage. Examples included children of Poseidon controlling water, children of Zeus had their lightning, and children of Hades could summon the dead.

At the age of fifteen, after four years of searching, Perseus discovered his ability. Most organic material he touched, could be opened. As long as it could be conceptually wounded, it was free game to be opened. Not in a pleasant way, either. It was a violent rending instead of tender coercion. His power was about tearing, piercing, shredding, ripping, and breaking whatever may have resisted. It truly depended on how he wanted to use his power.

If he wanted a neat hole, then one would be pierced on what he touched. If he wanted a jagged slash, then his power would tear.

It was quite useless in his day to day life. His ability had no subtlety to it, instead opting to use brute force to accomplish its means. Additionally, it could not be used on inanimate objects, only useful against that which could be hurt. In a way, Perseus felt that it suited his personality.

Unfortunately, it was also taxing on his mental and physical stamina. The more damage his ability inflicted, the more drained he felt. He supposed no power came without cost. That was in addition to his fairly bare-bones understanding of what his power was. He was sure there was more nuance that he just couldn't feel.

Perseus shifted his weight when his opponent growled loudly. The Chimera, choosing not to move with a fresh wound, reared both its lion and goat heads back, then belched out more jets of fire.

With twin streams rushing his way, Perseus moved behind a tree. He hid for a few seconds, knowing that his cover was practically useless in the situation. Soon, the tree was on fire, leaving him no choice but to abandon it.

With no time to stop, he kept crouched and moved around the edges of some nearby bushes. His foe couldn't seem to pinpoint his location, though it was intelligent enough to know that he was still alive. The three heads constantly swiveled back and forth, trying to find where he'd gone.

Biding his time, Perseus slipped his backpack from his shoulders and waited. As soon as all three heads were looking elsewhere, he made a dash toward the Chimera, leaving the bushes and alerting his foe. Years of training his speed worked in his favor as his muscles exploded with vigor, sending him forward in a burst of speed that surprised the monster. After the fourth step, he reached his target.

Striking out with his hand, Perseus caught the snake head as it tried to lash out at him. Using his forward momentum the teen pulled sharply. Hearing a wail of garbled pain, Perseus skidded to a halt and smirked as he held up the serpent in his hand tauntingly. Black blood leaked from where he'd ripped the snake free, dripping down and splattering onto the ground.

With the Chimera missing its tail he figured it was about thirty-three percent less dangerous. Dropping the serpent, Perseus got into a basic boxing stance, much like he'd seen in movies. Without warning the monster leaped at him. Sidestepping the attack, he rammed his fist into his opponents hindquarters, just barely missing the opportunity to punch its chest.

The Chimera was knocked away by the strength behind his blow, flailing pitifully through the air for a second before crashing into the ground. When it stood, Perseus only shook his head and snapped once more. Blood erupted from the beast's back thigh, making it falter on wobbly legs.

Again, the wound was far less serious than it should have been. Even so, it would slow the Chimera down enough to where Perseus would have no further problems. The injury on his arm was beginning to bother him, and he was eager to finish off his already beaten foe. Moving on bouncy feet, he closed the distance between them. Avoiding the lion's snapping jaw, he swiveled and backhanded the head away. Instead of stopping, Perseus planted one foot against the monster's ribs and jumped up, smashing his fist into the bottom of the goat's jaw. A few teeth were knocked loose from the head, staggering the Chimera back several feet.

"Well, it was fun for a little while. Maybe if you'd known what I could do… and maybe if you were just a little bit smarter… you might have gotten me," he said, wondering if the Chimera could understand what he was saying. Shaking his head, the young man lifted his hand and prepared his final blow. "From what I understand, though, your kind doesn't really need to fear death. Come back and try again when you reform."

With a resounding snap, the final two heads spurted black blood and brain matter. The beast shuddered for a second, quivering vigorously before it slumped and fell to the ground with a thud. Perseus blinked as the monster dissolved into a shimmering gold dust right in front of him.

He stared curiously and knelt down to run his fingers through the substance. It was fine and silky, far different from sand. Perseus didn't particularly like sand. It was coarse, rough, irritating... and it got everywhere.

The smell of smoke soon filled his nostrils, bringing him back to reality. With his adrenaline slowly petering out, he looked at the burning park around him. A few trees crackled as their wood was torched, the flames encroaching upon his position. Cursing, Perseus grabbed his backpack from the bushes and ran, hoping that the police wouldn't be knocking on his door later that night.

[[AaMT]]

Sally Jackson wouldn't describe herself as a 'helicopter mom'. While she worried about her son like any good mother would, she tried to give him a childhood that was not bathed in her shadow. She loved Perseus more than anything else in the world, that much was true, however Sally would have been damned if she ever became overbearing.

They were two fundamentally different people. She was a human, fully mortal, although with the added benefit of being able to see through the Mist. Her son, on the other hand, was a half-blood. There were going to be problems in his life that she simply couldn't help him with. He would need to grow on his own, into a person who would manage himself with confidence in the supernatural world. Her desire to see Perseus grow into his own was one of the reasons she'd told him about what he was at the age of eleven.

That given, Sally was still a loving parent, so when she saw her son walk into the house with two long and bloody cuts on his arm, she just about began to cry.

"What happened!?" she asked as Perseus threw down his backpack and sighed heavily. "Nevermind, don't answer that right now. I'm going to clean that up and then we're going to the hospital. On the way there, you're going to explain everything that happened, do you understand?"

"Yeah, sure," Perseus replied noncommittally. His lackadaisical attitude would have rankled Sally more, had there not been blood leaking down his arm, falling to the tile floor below.

Rushing into the bathroom, Sally rummaged through several cabinets as she searched for gauze. Perseus stepped through the doorway not a moment later, turning on the faucet and washing the wound casually, although Sally caught a grimace cross his face every now and then. She peered closer at the injury, seeing that the cuts weren't too deep, although they would probably scar over nonetheless.

"Here, let me see that."

Taking her son's arm, she moistened a washcloth and began to tenderly pat the damaged area. Her eyes never left Perseus' forearm, a melancholic grip slowly tightening its grasp around her heart. It squeezed, sending chills through her entire body, as she realized that her fears were bearing fruit. It had been a long time coming. Looking away from the cuts, she stared at her son's sickly green irides.

She'd always found those eyes odd. She certainly didn't have green eyes, nor did Perseus' father. Neither of Sally's own parents had green eyes as far as she could recall. In the end, she figured it was a recessive gene or something similar. She was no geneticist, after all, so her knowledge on the subject was rudimentary at best.

Having cleaned his wound, Sally began to apply the gauze straight from the roll, wrapping it around her son's arm. Ripping off the end, she tucked it into the bottom layer that was secure on Perseus. After finishing with the gauze, she applied some elastic bandages to hold the cotton in place. When the bandages were fastened properly she stepped back and sighed.

"Alright, let's go. We'll discuss the situation in the car," Sally said softly, cupping Perseus' cheek. Leaning forward, she placed a quick kiss on his forehead. "I'm just glad you're okay for the most part."

"When wouldn't I be?" He asked genially, though his eyes held real affection that set Sally at ease. More often than not, she would hear his overly amiable tone, which she was quite used to, when he spoke to one of his acquaintances. Seeing the collected edge in his eyes and general countenance, though, she felt quite relieved that he was not directing his artificial attitude toward her. Usually, her son would only bring those expressions out when he felt secure. They were far more genuine than anything he allowed himself to show in public.

Sally had always worried that her son never made any good friends. Of course, she could understand why that would be. He certainly wasn't normal.

When it came to standardized education, he wasn't exactly a good role model. However, he actually tried to improve his grades. When it came to sports, he was exceptional by all standards. In that aspect, though, he really didn't care too much. She was sure that his demeanor was confusing and infuriating for his peers, especially when it came to his general behavior.

Undoubtedly, some people might have seen him as warm and friendly. Those were the ones who met him when he first started high school. Much to her chagrin as a parent, her son tended to disregard the artificial acquaintances that surrounded him. There was another group who knew him a bit better though. Since Perseus stayed in the same school district as when he was younger, there were some students who must still have remembered him from his brasher, more violently inclined days.

"Let's just go," Sally intoned with exasperation.

Holding his hands up in mock surrender, Perseus followed her as she picked up her keys and pulled on a coat. While it seemed that the wound wasn't giving him too many troubles, Sally could say that he would definitely need sutures. They moved into the car, a used 2003 Acura TL that Sally bought some time back. Though it was six years old, she really did feel like it was a reliable vehicle.

Once they were on the road, Sally glanced at her son from the corner of her eye. "Alright, what happened?"

He scratched his nose and hummed to himself. "Something exciting, at least…"

"…Perseus…"

Sighing, the teen leaned his head back and covered his eyes, using his uninjured arm to do so. "I was just walking through the park―you know, the one I always cut across―minding my own business when the Chimera came out of nowhere. It was obviously hungry, so I decided to indulge it. Ended up mangling its paw, ripping off the snake tail, blowing out a chunk of its thigh, then killed it. I would've liked to fight for a bit longer… but the Chimera looked so pitiful… I just decided to put it out of its misery. Did you know that monsters dissolve into gold dust when they die? It kinda surprised me."

Sally clutched the wheel tighter when she heard that the Chimera attacked her baby boy. Certainly, said monster was one of the most terrible to ever live in Greek myth. Originally, Bellerophon killed the Chimera before the time of Heracles. The story which depicted the fight was fairly lackluster, and Sally doubted that it was as simple as it all sounded.

"Chimera… well… that's quite the feat…" she muttered to herself, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "Alright―okay―yeah―that's… I mean this day was sure to come… I just hoped that it wouldn't. I held naïve hope that you could just live a normal life, no monsters or anything crazy putting you in danger. I guess it was pretty stupid of me to ever believe something like that could happen."

Perseus put his arm down to glance at his mother. "We both knew that eventually something would come along to ruin the peace. It was only a matter of when not if. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for a break from the mundanity, I just always thought I would wake up one day and say 'This is it. Today will finally start the rest of my true life.' Instead, I got up this morning expecting to go through my regular, tedious routine again. The attack was surprising, though not unwelcome."

Letting out a strangled noise, Sally felt like slamming her head into the dashboard. Her son was surely an odd one; what with his constant search for something to spice his life up. It was strange that he never brought home any girls in order to do just that. After all, a good fling was something that could revitalize a person.

Why Perseus couldn't be a normal teenage boy was beyond her. Sally would have much rather preferred he seek the company of young women instead of fights to the death against legendary monsters.

Her heart could at least handle dealing with a few teen girls here and there. She idly wondered if it was too late for her to impart some sexual advice. Perhaps then it would get him thinking with his lower head and not his… borderline-nihilistic brain.

Sneaking a quick glance at Perseus' clavicle, she managed to catch a hint of silver. "You still wear the necklace I gave you, right?"

The teen reached up and held out the silver necklace. "Of course. You told me that it was a family heirloom. I wouldn't stop wearing this for the world... since you're the one to give it to me." He wouldn't meet her gaze as he spoke, though she could see a tinge of red coloring his normally collected countenance.

"Oh, I did say that didn't I?"

"Were you lying or something?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sally thought about the question. "Not really. It is a family heirloom, though it doesn't actually come from my part of the family. It was your Dad's. He gave it to me so that I could, in turn, give it to you. He knew that half-bloods start giving off a scent to monsters when they enter adolescence. That necklace is enchanted by his own power, which he said should keep you safe for the most part. Only monsters that were literally right next to you should have been able to smell you, meaning that you just had really bad luck today with the Chimera."

"Ah," he replied coolly, twisting the necklace in his fist. "So it was from him. Motherfucker…"

"Perseus… language…" Sally said shaking her head. She bit her bottom lip at hearing the disdain in her son's voice. It was clear from a young age that he held his father in low opinion. When it came down to it, Sally couldn't rightfully blame him for thinking such either.

"Don't you think it's time that you told me his name."

At that, she faltered a bit. Once half-bloods learned the truth about their heritage monsters typically hunted them even more doggedly. If a half-blood were to learn the actual name of their divine parent, that only put their scent at an even higher level. If she were to tell Perseus who sired him, undoubtedly he would need to leave her. She would need to say goodbye to her only baby and send him to the camp.

A tense silence pervaded the suddenly cramped quarters of the Acura. Neither spoke for several minutes as they watched the traffic pass. Feeling her lips chapped, Sally licked them before she spoke.

"I'll tell you."

Perseus turned to her in surprise. "Really? If all it took was me getting attacked then I should've gone monster hunting years ago!"

"I'll tell you," Sally reiterated. "Just… give me a week to get things ready. Once you learn, you can't stay here, untrained and unprepared for a world full of other dangerous monsters. You have to go to a camp nearby which takes care of half-bloods. A home away from home, if you will."

"A camp? Like… summer camp or something?"

"More or less. Your father didn't say much, only that this place would train you and get you ready for whatever may come. He hasn't been around, Perseus, but he cares for you. He told me all these things to make sure you stayed safe, that we both stayed safe," she explained quietly. "He told me just about all he could regarding the way things might play out regarding you. Like I said, that necklace was meant to keep you safe for the most part."

Perseus made a noise that sounded similar to a grunt of annoyance. "So he gave me some magic jewelry and that makes it okay for him to completely forget about us? If he's some kind of super-powerful god, why can't he stop by every now and then? Not even a letter, a note, another gift. One present for me when I was born and then he washes his hands of us… like he just fulfilled an obligation to help… not because he actually wanted to do it. If you ask me, that sounds like a real dick move."

The car slowly stopped in front of a red light. Once again the awkward quietude came back and engulfed the both of them.

Sally pursed her lips, replaying the words in her mind. "You shouldn't be so harsh on him," she finally said, glancing at her son tiredly.

Giving an indignant snort, he looked out the window and crossed his arms. "I still can't understand why you defend him. I mean, what has he ever done for us, Mom? Did he even love you? Or were you-"

"Enough, Perseus! Don't say anything else, I'm tired of hearing you talk about it," she cut him off before he could continue. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white under the tension. She knew that it wasn't exactly his fault for believing what he did. It was her own fault for not explaining anything about his father, in fact. If she'd taken the time to tell him more about their relationship, and perhaps why it wasn't possible for him to stay around, Perseus could have accepted it.

The traffic light turned green.

She supposed that telling him more wouldn't hurt anything. After all, he was leaving soon anyway. Giving him more information was only right.

"I'm sorry for snapping," Sally said carefully. "Your father and I… we didn't… just meet one day and suddenly decide to have a baby. Nor were you a mistake, Perseus. We met when I was in my sophomore year of college. I already told you that my parents both died in a plane crash, while my uncle died a few years later from cancer, just after I graduated high school. Well, thankfully, Uncle Rich left me everything he had, along with an endowment policy that'd accumulated a decent amount of money. It was enough to help me pay for parts of my university tuition."

Perseus nodded along with the explanation. "Yeah, I remember you told me about that. Rich really held in there. Didn't let you drop out of high school like you wanted to, even though he knew it was so that you could help take care of him. He was a good guy."

"He really was… anyway, like I said, I met your father my second year at university. I was actually out shopping with some of my friends at the time. We met in an antique store, literally bumping into one another. I actually pushed him into something―accidentally, by the way―and broke a few random knick-knacks. So, of course, he had to pay for them. Well, in the end, I made it up to him by buying dinner for the both of us."

Sally paused, smiling at the recollection. "He was quite interesting. The entire time we were talking, I knew that there was something different about him. After that, I asked him if we could meet again. He said yes… and so we started dating. We were together for two-and-a-half years. I moved out of the dorms after my sophomore year and into an apartment, so he came to live with me. For a deity, being domestic with a mortal is almost unheard of. For him to stay with me like that, to always make time for me, to celebrate when I got good grades and to go to summer blockbusters with me… it was definitely something special. When we learned I was pregnant… it was the first time I ever saw him looking… insecure."

Glancing at her son, she noticed him staring at her in rapt attention. He abruptly tried to play off his interest in the story by averting his eyes, though Sally knew that he was still enraptured by the story of his father.

They were nearing the hospital, giving her incentive to finish telling Perseus what he wanted to know. "He was definitely scared of being a father again. He'd never actually sired a mortal child before, only divine ones."

She pulled the car into the hospital's parking lot and turned to Perseus. "I'll tell you the rest later, before you leave for the camp. You should know that even though it was his choice to leave us, it wasn't exactly because he wanted to. His past was catching up to him, a very dark past that he just didn't want to burden us with. If his brothers found out about the two of us… they would have used our lives to guarantee his compliance in their plans. Apparently, there's another war brewing for the Greeks, and a Great Prophecy was delivered some time ago. Lines are being drawn, and his relatives aren't exactly known for their compassion. He needed you to become stronger so that you could face what was to come. That's why he left."

For some time, Perseus stared blankly at the dashboard, driving Sally's anxiety up a few notches. She looked at his arm but saw no blood. Just when she was about to check for a fever, he turned to her with an incredulous expression. His next words only proved that her son was smarter than most people gave him credit for.

"My Dad's a Titan?"

[[AaMT]]

Perseus cautiously ran his fingers over the two lines of sutures on his arm. The thin black thread neatly pressed the four separated sections of skin together, allowing for his body to heal them as best it could. The areas around his wounds were a dark-red color, and overall they were unpleasant to stare at for too long. With the thread in, his injuries actually looked to be infected, even though he knew that wasn't the case.

A week had passed since the 'Chimera Incident', as he'd deemed to call it. He supposed another appropriate name could have been 'The Day His Life Changed For The Better, Not That He'd Ever Tell His Mom That'. While the latter was a fitting title, Perseus felt it a bit too long.

As she'd promised, his Mom was sitting across from him, preparing to tell him everything else he wanted to know. He wasn't sure why, but they'd traveled to Sonoma, which was about an hour from where they lived in Richmond. Soon after arriving in the town, they found a place to eat that would also double as a revelation ground.

His mother hadn't said much while they drove, though he'd occasionally caught her glancing his way. It was clear that she was sad with him having to leave her. In a way, he felt guilty about doing so as well. They'd been all the other had for seventeen years. Perseus supposed that he was being selfish in the long run.

Sighing, he looked around the medium-sized French restaurant. They had both already eaten and paid, only remaining so that they could speak in relative privacy. From the corner of his eye, the young man saw his mother pull a small wooden box out of her purse. She glanced around before sliding the box over to his side of the table.

Since they were seated near the back corner of the restaurant, it was unlikely that anybody would have seen them. Even so, Perseus quickly took the box in hand and brought it onto his lap. There were no decorations on the object. Only a small, golden-yellow latch on the front which he presumed opened the lid.

"What's this?" He asked, running a thumb across the latch.

"Your father told me to give it you once the time was right. He said I'd know when that was, and that he trusted me to make sure you got it," Sally replied, shaking her head. "I've never looked inside of it, though. He said it was yours, a gift, so I decided to let you be the one to open it."

Perseus gave her a look. "You aren't curious?"

"Oh, I am. That's why I'm hoping that you open it in front of me, so that I can finally put my mind at ease after seventeen years of wondering," she chuckled.

Slowly moving the box back onto the table, he bit his lip. His mind raced at the possibilities of what his father left him. His fingers glided over the clean, polished wood, suddenly feeling a weight settle in his stomach. He wasn't even sure what he wanted after so long of not having a father. Idly, he wondered if the gift would be able to give him a sense of content, though he had strong doubts.

Eventually, he slid the latch out of place. Pulling the lid up, Perseus stared at the contents of his gift.

Inside, there were only two items. One was a folded piece of paper which sat neatly at the center of the box. The other was a silver toothpick. Blinking at the rather bland objects, Perseus took both of them and narrowed his eyes. Sighing, he placed the toothpick in his mouth and rolled it around for a few moments. He carefully unfolded the paper and was miffed to see less than ten words written down.

Perseus,

I'm sorry.

Sincerely,

Your Father.

Closing his eyes, the young man took a deep breath and set the paper down, sliding it away from himself. He was surprised that his father had apologized, if he were being honest. In his mind, he'd been expecting some kind of attempted justification. He'd expected to see a long paragraph in which his father tried to give reason to his actions. Instead, there was an apology.

Perseus recognized that his father was admitting his guilt, and that nothing he said could truly absolve him of guilt.

In a way, the teen could respect the courage his father had shown.

It was clear that the man was prepared to bear his son's anger and resentment for the rest of his immortal life, perhaps even accepting that one day Perseus might try to kill him. Yes, his father surely had some form of courage… or arrogance.

Suddenly, he felt a hand touching his own. Perseus' eyes opened, and he noticed the grim smile that his mother wore.

"Unlike you, he was never one to beat around the bush with things," Sally explained, motioning to the letter. "He was a fairly straightforward kind of guy, trying to wear his heart on his sleeve. In that way, you and he differ like night and day. You try so hard to act normal… so that you aren't out of place… because it's a challenge for you. It's a way to break from the boring days that pass you by. Other people might see the funny, smiling, handsome Perseus Jackson, but I know the other side. The Mr. Hyde to your Dr. Jekyll. The cold, aloof nature that you rarely ever let out. Those are two extremes that you drift toward, though, and I know―I know―that somewhere inside of you is a boy just trying to find some genuine to grab onto."

Perseus looked down at the box in front of him. "For some reason, it hurts hearing you say that. You make me out to be some kind of…"

"No, I will never see you as anything less than my son," his mother stated vehemently. The grip that she had on his hand suddenly tightened a bit more. "You are and always will be the baby boy that I brought into this world, the one that I carried for nine months, the one that I love more than anything else in this world. I just want to see you safe and happy in the future. This is your way to pave the road, Perseus. The camp is for people like you, so it's my hope that you won't have a reason to use your false persona."

A lump started to form in Perseus' throat as his mother spoke. He could feel a sting in the corners of his eyes, and he refused to meet her gaze, knowing that if he did there would be tears.

It would always be Sally who made him cry. Nobody else could rip at his heart more effectively than the woman he loved unconditionally. Clearing his throat and blinking a few times, the half-blood regained his composure.

"So… this camp, where is it exactly?"

"Your father said that he didn't know its exact location. All he knows is that it's near the Oakland hills," Sally said. "The reason we came here, to Sonoma, is because before you can get into camp, you'll have to go to another location first. The Wolf House."

"The one that Jack London built? How does that work out, isn't that place just a burned ruin?" Perseus asked, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

Sally took a sip of water still left over from their meal. "It's supposedly hidden well from mortals by the Mist. I can't say how it works, that's just how it was explained to me. What you should know, is to be prepared to meet your first goddess there."

Lifting an eyebrow, a spark of excitement passed through Perseus' body. While the Chimera had been a short but sweet fight, he certainly hadn't been all that satisfied. A goddess, on the other hand, would no doubt prove to stand stronger. Perhaps he could finally scratch the itch that took residence in his mind, begging him to fight.

"How do you know all this? Or rather, how did my father know about this? He's a Titan, right?"

With a frown, Sally shrugged. "I assume that he just did his research so you could be slightly ready. Either way, he told me that this would be the best place to leave you, and that it was your job to get to the Wolf House. This… this'll be where we part ways for now. Promise you won't do anything crazy."

"I swear it. On whatever deity might be listening."

They sat in silence for a minute. Perseus processed what was happening, having already come to terms with the knowledge that he was leaving for an indefinite amount of time. While it was somewhat difficult, the drive inside of his brain kept him looking at the horizon. It wouldn't be long until he was properly introduced into a world that could finally give him what he wanted.

Sally stood up motioning for Perseus to do the same. With a nod, he followed suit and exited the restaurant, trailing behind his mother a few steps. Stopping in front of her car, the two shared a tight hug.

Perseus felt a kiss being placed on his cheek, prior to his mother whispering what he'd yearned to hear for over a decade.

"Iapetus. Your father's name is Iapetus the Piercer… Titan of the West. The one true Titan of Mortality."

A/N: Man, you'd think that with the main plot outlined I wouldn't get writer's block with Burden of the Curse. Well, I did, and this story idea was nagging me. I decided to write this in my off time, and this chapter alone took me a few weeks to write out. Oh, and yes, Burden is still ongoing, with another chapter in the works as I type this.

So, this is obviously an AU story, where Perseus isn't the son of Poseidon. That means that he's gonna be OOC, though I'm gonna retain some of his original personality. I won't keep calling him Perseus, he'll get his nickname a bit later into the story. A few things are gonna change, as you've probably realized by now. Great Prophecy isn't about Percy. That doesn't mean that he won't play big roles in the war to come. Percy is also two years older than in canon, though he was still born on August 18th. I chose to do this age, because it feels like a good mix of nearing maturity, while retaining some of the emotional problems that adolescence can bring.

I gave a reference in the story, what with the Acura being six years old and a 2003 model, but it is February of 2009. That means the Greek Battle of Manhatten and the Roman storming of Mt. Othrys are only six months away.

More will be revealed as the story progresses about Perseus' general demeanor.

Pairing for romance is undecided. It'll be a single pairing though, in case you were wondering.