Author's Note: Hello and welcome to chapter nine! I'm so excited that I was able to write this and get it updated so soon after my last one!

I wanted to mention something real quick before you all begin reading. As I was proof reading this I noticed that it could be a bit confusing in regards if Edward is able to read Percy's mind or not. I don't want to give too much away, but to clear things up just a tad - Edward can read Percy's mind occasionally. Relating it to a radio with bad reception might be the best way to imagine it - he can hear him sometimes, but most of the time it's fairly broken up.

That's all I needed to say, though! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Things had settled a bit in a span of few minutes.

The only Cullen who was absent was Bella, but he assumed that she had gone inside to keep Nessie company. They were all sort of standing in a circle now - waiting for him to give his explanation. Percy wasn't really sure where he wanted to start. He didn't really like the idea of spewing off his entire life story in front of a bunch of strangers. While some were family, he'd only known them for a small bit of time. It was a situation he would have preferred to avoid, but now that he had been put on the spot, he was going to have to say something.

After another moment he finally broke the silence. "I am being honest with the fact that I really didn't know what I was diving into when I first came here. It was just a vacation to see Charlie - nothing more. But my family… has always sort of been into the whole myths and legends thing. When I started to notice things here I began to become a bit suspicious," He shrugged lightly, "I've met vampires before, so it wasn't a huge shock to me."

It was Sam that raised a brow. "So you already knew of their existence prior to coming to Forks."

Percy nodded.

The other man gestured toward the russet wolf who was sitting near the edge of the woods behind them. The gray wolf was laying near him, her glare still set upon the boy who had Black Fang by his side. "And what about werewolves? You didn't really seem too shocked when those two sprung out."

He had definitely been a bit shocked, but he was just too damn used to stuff like that to get much of a reaction. He honestly was a bit shocked that he hadn't drawn Riptide at all throughout this upon impulse. "I didn't know about werewolves," He admitted truthfully, "but I wasn't too surprised about them either."

"Do your parents know?" Carlisle wondered, merely curious.

"No," He shook his head, "not about Forks and La Push, anyway. But we've had a few run-ins before visiting here so they do know about it a bit."

"So, what - you're some sort of "researcher" of them, then?" It was the mystery boy who spoke and he was looking at Percy with a look of disbelief and a bit of intrigue. "I didn't know there were people like that."

"Not really researcher just..." His jaw set a bit in mild frustration, this "stretching of the truth" was starting to get a bit out of hand, "more like... an individual who's had multiple unwanted encounters with the abnormal." Yeah, that sounded about right.

Carlisle rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's slightly surprising you've encounter our kind and lived. A vast majority of them are not like us."

"Seems a bit sketchy if you ask me." He heard Emmett mutter partially under his breath, "Still doesn't explain this guy with his crazy sword." He nodded toward the other boy.

"Percy doesn't have anything to do with him." Edward stated - he'd been quietly listening up to this point, "He's Bree Tanner's brother."

Everyone seemed to tense up a bit at that name - making him wonder who exactly Bree Tanner was. The person who reacted the most, though, was the boy himself and he turned his glare toward Edward. "Get out of my head." He hissed angrily.

Edward ignored him, turning to look at Carlisle. "From my understanding, he's joined a small band of vampires in hopes of avenging her."

Carlisle frowned, but appeared sympathetic as he gazed at the boy. "If you seek revenge on the those who ended her life; then it may be wise to leave it be while you can. They're not to be trifled with."

Percy didn't understand the situation completely, but he still felt bad for the guy when he saw his shoulders fall a bit. For a brief moment, his angry expression dropped to one of grief. "So you won't help at all." He stated bitterly.

"There's not much we can do, I'm afraid." Carlisle answered not unkindly, "My family and the werewolves here have had their fair share of dealing with them - I'd rather not put ourselves in danger again. What is your name?"

The guy rubbed his face, seeming as if he was trying to compose himself before replying, "Cole," He muttered, the tone of his voice flat. "I'm sorry for troubling you. My friends and I aren't looking for a fight with you guys. I was only in the area because I wanted to see if I could convince you." Cole looked back over to Percy, "And I'm sorry about your accident. I was chasing a rogue around and he made a mad dash at your car for some reason. Probably thought I'd stop chasing him."

"A rogue?" Percy frowned.

"Yeah. At least, that's what I call 'em. They're the ones you've all probably heard about. It's on the news - a serial killer on the loose, all that. They're a new coven - not really a coven to be honest - that don't play by the rules." Cole explained, "I've been taking them down with this," He tapped a finger on Black Fang's hilt, "along with the help of my friends, but I mean, there's only a few of us and a lot of them so we haven't made much a difference."

Of course, you could always help us, Perseus Jackson, Black Fang chose that moment to speak, its voice purred, A demigod would be something they would never expect.

Percy tried not to stiffen, risking a glance at Edward only to feel a touch of relief when he noticed that the mind reader wasn't paying attention. How do you even know who I am? Black Fang didn't answer him, but he heard it cackle in his mind - which didn't really make him feel any better. He was beginning to have a bad feeling about the blade. "Where did you get Black Fang?" He dared to ask Cole.

Cole seemed to hesitate for moment, his brow furrowing. "I... can't remember to be honest. Whenever I try to I just draw a blank."

Everyone was seeming to glance toward Edward, as if waiting for a confirmation, but he was frowning too as he looked at Cole. "He's telling the truth. When Percy asked him, it was as if all of his thoughts went blank."

"All I remember is the name and that it's able to do this," Cole grabbed Black Fang's hilt and almost instantly the sword began to shrink to a smaller dagger - keeping its black color. "But how do you know its name? I haven't even told my friends that." He didn't seem upset about that fact, only curious.

"The sword "spoke" to him and told its name." Emmett replied. His arms were folded and he seemed a bit irritated of how long things were dragging out.

This only appeared to confuse Cole more. "Spoke? Swords can't talk..." Uh-oh.

Everyone was starting to look back at him again with puzzled looks and in the midst of it all, Black Fang chuckled once more at his discomfort.

A little help here? He shot at the sword, growing a bit annoyed of its antics. It's kinda your fault I'm in this mess.

My fault? Hmm... maybe that's true. In my defense, though, you did have a choice of not speaking out loud about me. If the sword had a face, Percy would have guessed it would be smirking right now. And how could I help? I'm just a sword. It added innocently.

I wouldn't have said anything if my mind wouldn't have been read after answering you! Percy retorted, Plus you attacked me without reason - there's that too. Now are you or are you not? Everyone's looking at me like I'm crazy now.

What will I receive in return of my assistance?

Ugh.

He wanted to toss the sword back into a tree. What do you want?

The sword was quiet for a moment - probably mulling over its options, and after a second it answered. Teach Cole Tanner how to properly wield me. He is a fast learner, but with an experienced instructor like yourself, he'll have more of a chance of succeeding in his mission.

Percy could feel a bit of a headache coming on and he rubbed his temples. Okay, fine. I'll do what I can.

It's a deal then. Black Fang gave another unsettling cackle, and before anyone could react a bright white flash suddenly blinded everyone. When he opened his eyes once more, everyone was glancing around, appearing to be a bit confused.

What just happened?

I rearranged their memories a bit, Black Fang explained, now they believe that Cole was the one who gave my name all along. They will remember, however, if you tell them or somehow remind them - so I advise you to be careful. Also if you don't uphold your end of the bargain, then I'll conveniently let them remember again. It stated - sounding rather gleeful. It was almost as if it was hoping he'd try to avoid their agreement.

"I think now that we have a better understanding of what the circumstances are, you two can be free to leave if you wish. I apologize that we couldn't be of any help, Cole," Carlisle broke the awkward silence - sounding very sincere, "I wish we could have done more, but you certainly have our condolences for what happened to your sister. I still strongly suggest that you should turn away from the idea of revenge while you can, but I will understand if you ignore that warning."

Cole made a quiet tsch sound, tucking Black Fang in a small sheath on his hip before putting his hands in his pockets. "It's fine. Didn't really expect you lot to help anyway, but whatever." The kid's "could care less" demeanor was really starting to remind him of Nico when he was younger. "Thanks for finding my sword, I guess. I'm heading out." And with that, Cole began to head back in the direction of the woods.

"Wait," Percy called after him, making him pause, "what happened to the vamp who crashed the car I was in?"

A hint of a dark smile appeared on Cole's face. "I took care of him for you." And with those parting words, he was gone.

"Nice guy." Emmett chuckled. He seemed to be the only one amused by Cole's behavior. The others seemed to be a bit more wary. Percy could hardly blame them - the guy had basically made it known that he was capable of taking down one of their own. It made him wonder if the kid was more than just a human - or if he was getting some sort of power from Black Fang. The latter would certainly make sense if the kid was just a human.

"I'm heading out too." Sam announced gruffly, glancing briefly at the wolves and then nodding to the Cullens before he began walking away.

Esme, who had been one of the ones who'd been quiet the whole time, turned to smile at him. "Would you like to come in, Percy? I wouldn't mind cooking for you. I think Nessie wants to see you again."

Percy was about to reply when his stomach gave him away - growling as if on cue. The timing of it managed to crack a grin out of all of them and eased a bit of the lingering tension. Percy grinned in return. "Sure. I can stay a bit longer."

When Percy entered the Cullens' home, Nessie nearly jumped up into his arms in her excitement. He didn't even have a chance to say hello as she spoke right away. "Hi Percy!" She greeted him happily, "I'm really glad that you know. It'll make things a lot easier!"

"Know?" He asked curiously.

"About us being vampires," She grinned, "my mom and I were able to hear you."

Oh. He only felt a more curious. "So you're one too." He murmured, mostly to himself, but her sensitive hearing was able to pick it up.

"Yes, I am," Nessie smiled as the two of them sat down on one of the couches in the living room, "Only half, though, I'm-" She trailed off for a moment, and then her smile widened a bit, "I'll show you." She said, reaching for his face.

"Wait, Nessie-" Edward began to say, but it was too late. As soon as placed her hand upon his cheek, a series of images began filling his mind. At first it almost was like a movie being rewinded, but then it slowed down a bit and he realized that he was being shown previous events she had experienced.

When she finally did pull her hand away, he was left slightly dazed and had to take a moment to absorb what had just happened. "So your life has been pretty rough." He said after a bit, "Was that your ability?" She nodded.

They chatted for a bit while waiting for his food, and when it was done, as he stood up and began walking over to the kitchen, Edward grasped his shoulder gently - his expression wasn't angry, but it was serious. "Percy - what she showed you… you must keep it to yourself. Don't let even your mother and stepfather know. I would have stopped her if I had the chance, but it could be dangerous if too many people know."

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning to." He reassured him.

It was the right thing to say, because after that, everyone appeared to be more at ease while he was eating. Just like last time, Esme's cooking was delicious - almost better than his mom's, but not quite. His mom would always have first place. He had lost track of time as he mingled with them and when he glanced up at the time he swore a bit under his breath. "Man, I didn't know it was getting that late already." At the same time he remember another important detail and groaned a bit. "And I left my car in the middle of nowhere too... " Hopefully it hadn't been stolen or something. He had the keys, at least.

"You could spend the night here!" Nessie grinned.

Percy looked out the window. It was getting dark - he'd probably still be able to see, though. "I don't know. I would have to see what Paul and my mom are doing." At the thought of him, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He didn't have any missed calls or messages so he took that as a good sign. "Let me text Paul to see how my mom is."

Paul was usually really good at replying so he didn't have to wait to long for a response. Your mom is doing fine. She's just a bit sore. Are you doing okay?

Yeah, I was visiting the Cullens again. I just wanted to check in with you guys.

He looked back up at Nessie who was waiting patiently. "If it's all right with everyone," He began, "I don't mind heading out either. It's not too dark yet."

"You are welcome to," Carlisle smiled, "to be honest, it would make me feel a bit better if you did. After hearing about those rogue vampires, it may not be as safe out there for the time being."

Nessie was bouncing before Carlisle had the chance to finish and he grabbed his hand lightly. "You can stay in my room if you want. I have a couch that folds out into a bed."

Percy laughed a bit at her excitement. "Sure. As long as it's cool with your dad and mom. I might take a shower first, though." He grimaced, looking down at his shirt and pants. They were still dirty from rolling around and nearly getting impaled by Black Fang. "Can I use yours?"

"Of course!" Alice was the one who bounced up. "I can show you where it is," She was looking at his dirty clothes as well, "I can also find something else for you to wear so those can be washed."

A shower was exactly what he needed.

Before he was even finished he felt refreshed and not too long after he stepped out he heard a light knock on the door. Keeping hold of his towel in one hand, he opened the door a crack. Alice was standing on the other side with a shirt and pants. "These are Edward's - they might be just a bit tight on you, though."

"That's okay." She honestly didn't have to do that, but he wasn't going to reject them now and he opened the door a bit wider to take them from her.

Once he was changed, he headed off to the cottage with Nessie - dropping his dirty clothes off on the way, and the two of them set him up for the night. "Do you need any more blankets?" Nessie asked him, "we have more in my closet."

"Nah, I'm fine," He was all settled in the pull out bed and she was tucking herself in.

For a while everything was quiet - he stared up at the ceiling for a bit, assuming eventually that she'd fallen asleep and just as he was beginning to doze off, he heard her voice. "Percy?"

"Hmm?" He hummed sleepily.

"Do you think we're monsters?"

He shifted a bit so he could look back to her bed - the room was dark now and a bit hard to see. "Why would I think that?"

"...nevermind. Thank you for staying the night."

He frowned a bit. "No problem - goodnight."

After that exchange, it wasn't too long until he fell asleep once more. His hopes for a peaceful night's rest were instantly dashed when he felt the familiar feeling of being tugged into a dream. As the scene unfolded, he realized he was back in the meadow. At first, there was no one else around and he had a bit of hope that this was going to be a normal dream after all, but that hope was diminished when he heard a voice. "Huh. So it does work - I wasn't sure if I'd be able to manage it." Percy quickly turned to look behind him. There was a young man standing up against a tree, his arms folded casually. He was peering at Percy with a look of intrigue. His skin was darker and his hair was black - he reminded him a little bit of the people at La Push, but slightly different. The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he regarded Percy, "I think I need to work on it, though. You're going in and out of focus too much."

"...Who are you?" He had been expecting to see some sort of deity or monster, but he didn't recognize him at all.

The man gave him a grin. "What a shame - you've already forgotten me. I'm somewhat hurt, Percy Jackson."

"I'm pretty sure I haven't met you," Percy paused, giving the man a double take, "unless if that's not your usual form. Then maybe?"

The other laughed, seeming rather amused with his confusion, "Very well - allow me to introduce myself, then."

A mischievous gleam sparked in the man's eyes.

"I am Coyote the Trickster."