Started rereading the books, my brain did its usual thing, and now we have this story. Please review.

Chaos, the First Deity, the Protogenos of the Void, Father of 7 other primordial gods, the most powerful being in Existence… was bored.

Truly, inescapably bored.

The Universe, his greatest creation, took care of itself now. And for all the beauty of nebulae, supernovae, and the stars… it got repetitive after a while. About the only really exciting thing to happen was Life. And even that got repetitive. Intelligent life, though, that was amusing. So many petty squabbles, so many heroic triumphs or calamitous failures, so much theater. No wonder his descendents were obsessed with the mortals.

Chaos considered his options… which were infinite. Being omnipotent was handy like that. He saw everything from his throne in the Void. He'd kept track of the goings on of Earth and Olympus in particular. The latest generation of reigning powers, calling themselves 'gods', did one thing more than any other. They had children with mortals and then used their offspring as tools in their politics and as agents on Earth.

Well, why not give it a try? But if he were going to do this, he'd do it right.

Chaos split off a small sliver of his unfathomable essence and sent it to Earth with the goal of finding him a worthy Consort of Everything.

And when she (or he) was found, they would help Chaos to birth a child that would change the world.

Whether for better or worse, Chaos did not care. He was simply bored.

Chaos bought an ice cream from a vendor, before continuing his walk down the boardwalk. It was hot and crowded and full of people. Perfect for his needs. He was looking for a mate, so where better to look than in a crowd? Using the pitiful fraction of his powers available in this form, Chaos scanned the souls of those around him. He distractedly ate his ice cream as he reviewed those passing by.

Too timid.

Not enough strength of character.

Unfaithful.

He made no distinction between the males and the females. Chaos was only male out of habit. Either way, a child would be had regardless. Even if he was locked as one gender and picked one of the same, his limitless powers would transcend biology to create a baby that was half his and half his consort's. His only task was to find a worthy companion of his divine self and parent to his half-mortal heir. He could afford to be picky.

He paused as he felt one particular aura.

Sweet, kind, uncompromising in virtue. She was… promising.

Chaos tracked down the source of the impression.

It was a young woman, perhaps not even twenty. She was leaning on the railing, staring out at the sea. Chaos could have learned everything about her by tapping into the omniscience of his divine self, but what would be the fun in that?

Chaos sauntered up to the lady, not touching but close enough to notice him. "It's beautiful," he said honestly.

The maiden didn't turn to look at him. "Yes, it is. I don't think there's anything prettier than the ocean. It's so blue."

"There's beauty to be found all over the world," Chaos said. "But yes, the sea has a charm all her own."

The young lady turned to look at him. A half-formed grin on her face vanished when she got a good look at him. "Oh, god!" she shouted.

Chaos frowned. What would cause that reaction? His physical form was flawless, down to the picometer. The only sign he was more than human was… oh. "Is it the eyes?" he asked with good humor.

She nodded, clearly frightened. "It's like looking at an observatory. All those stars."

"Sorry for alarming you, I didn't expect you to see them for what they were."

The woman shifted on her feet. "I've always seen things. Things that other people can't see. I saw a man with one eye and no one believed me. And one time I saw a pegasus flying over Long Island. Everyone thought I was crazy. Hell, I thought I was crazy."

Chaos nodded. "You have a rare and valuable talent, one rarely seen in mortals. You can see through the Mist."

"Mist? What's that?" she asked, still afraid but hungry for answers.

"The Mist is a force that creates illusions around myths and legends and other things touched by the divine. A flaming sword becomes a shotgun, a hellhound becomes a rhino, and my eyes look normal to others. But not you."

The woman nodded. "Um, thanks for the information."

"It's my pleasure, miss?"

"Oh, Sally Jackson."

Chaos grinned. "Nice to meet you, Sally. I'm Chaos."

"Chaos? Really? Is that your name?" she asked dubiously.

"Only one I've ever known."

"So… Chaos. Why did you call me a mortal? As if…"

"As if I weren't one? Because I'm not, my dear."

Sally seemed to grow less scared and more excited by the second. "If you're not a mortal, then what are you?"

"Immortal, of course," Chaos said with a cheeky smile.

Sally snorted. It was a lovely, endearing sound. "Okay, smarty pants. What kind of immortal?"

"A protogenos. You've probably never heard of those. You can think of me as a kind of god, I suppose."

Sally's eyes widened. "Really? Gods come down to the Jersey shore and hit on high school dropouts?"

"What else would we do with our free time? And who says I'm hitting on you?" Chaos asked.

"I don't know, god stuff. And no guy just walks up to a girl and starts a conversation about beauty unless he's hitting on her."

"I'll take your word for it. I must admit, I'm a bit out of touch with all your mortal customs."

She chuckled. "That is such a 'god' thing to say!"

"Well, if you prefer, I can go back to my god stuff and leave you alone," Chaos said leadingly.

Sally rolled her eyes. "Like I'll pass up a chance to talk to a god. Tell me about yourself."

"Your wish is my command. But only if you'll do the same in turn." Chaos returned.

They talked for hours, Chaos explaining how ALL the myths were real, but he preferred the Greco-Roman version. Sally talked about her hobbies and her interests, how she'd had to drop out of school to care for the sickly uncle that took her in when her parents died. How she worked odd jobs and barely could afford to keep the apartment she'd inherited.

They wound up having dinner together. Chaos could honestly say he was having fun! Who knew mortals could be so engaging?

"So, this isn't your real body?" Sally asked.

"No. My real body would reduce you to atoms just from looking at it. This body you see is akin to a puppet that I control to interact with the mortal world."

"But you still have powers and stuff, right? I mean, it's not just a man suit with freaky eyes?"

Chaos gave a smile like a boy about to show off a trick. "You can thank the Christians for this one." And with a wave of his hand, he turned her water into wine.

"Whoa!" Sally gaped. She looked around to make sure no one saw. "You know, I'm not legal to drink alcohol for another few months."

"Then this can be our little secret, or I could make it something else. Any requests?"

"No, I'll try it," Sally decided, feeling rebellious. She took a sip and hid her grimace.

"Alcohol, like coffee and sushi, is an acquired taste, I'm afraid," Chaos explained.

"Duly noted." Sally set the glass aside. "So… why me?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why did you approach me? You're a god, a protogenos. You could have anyone you wanted. So why me?"

Chaos leaned forward, steepling his hands. "I can sense the essence of a person, the shape of their soul, what they're really made of. You were, by far, the purest and most good aura on that boardwalk."

Sally frowned. "So, you talked to me because I'm a nice person?"

"Nice, sweet, seductive, fascinating, glorious, beyond words to describe. An impression you've done more than live up to over the last few hours," Chaos said honestly.

Sally blushed. "You're laying it on kind of thick, Chaos."

"And I meant every word. You have a heart of gold and an iron spirit. I picked you because… you're the kind of woman I'd want by my side."

Sally's eyes all but popped out. "You want me to be your girlfriend?!" she asked incredulously.

"Girlfriend, wife, mother to my children, immortal companion. We can take it slow though."

Sally gaped. And then she threw back her head and laughed. "Did… did you just propose on our first date?"

"Technically, no. When I propose, you'll know it," Chaos said, his cosmic eyes smoldering.

Sally blinked. And then she smiled a smile filled with promises. "Would you like to come back to my place?"

"I'd be honored."

It was a whirlwind romance. They dated, they laughed, they had fun. He surprised her at work with flowers and salt water taffy, which she preferred to chocolates. They visited spots all around New York City, Chaos having created an alias with near unlimited funds. The world was their oyster. And every night, they made love as heartfelt and passionate as they had their first night together.

Within a month, they were saying "I love you."

A month later, he proposed with a five-carat diamond ring.

And after a cruise around the Mediterranean in a private yacht for a honeymoon, Sally was pregnant.

Chaos was over the moon. He genuinely felt true happiness and love for the first time in his timeless existence. He immediately started making plans for the baby. This would not be some demigod child, abandoned by their divine parent and left at the mercy of monsters. His and Sally's little miracle would be trained from the cradle. Chaos could use his divine power to mask their scent. He or she would be trained how to handle whatever powers were inherited from Chaos.

This child would be a demi-protogenoi, the first in history, and Chaos intended for him or her to go down in history.

Eight months later, a baby boy was born in the Master Bedroom of the penthouse apartment the happy couple had moved into. When the hired doctors and nurses finished cleaning and bundling the newborn, they handed him into Sally's waiting arms. Chaos sat next to her on the bed, having supported her throughout the labor. "Do we have a name?" a nurse asked, blank birth certificate ready.

Chaos and Sally shared a look.

"Perseus Jackson," Sally said. Chaos had taken her name, so the last name didn't matter. And Perseus was for luck, so that their little boy might have as happy an ending as his namesake.

"Hello, little Percy. We're your mommy and daddy. And we love you with all our hearts. Yes we do. Yes we do," Chaos babbled down at the first child he'd actually begotten rather than generated from sheer divine will.

Thus, on that day, a child was born of Chaos.

And the world would not be the same.

A 12-year-old Percy stood at the base of Half-Blood Hill, looking up at the great pine tree. His father stood next to him, his mother on his other side. He had a backpack filled with armor and other personal effects, and his personal sword Anarchy belted at his side. The Primordial Platinum blade was unique in that it was doubly protected from the Mist, simply turning invisible to mortals rather than being disguised as another weapon.

"You excited, champ?" Chaos asked.

"A little. Mostly nervous. I mean, I'm like a great-grand-uncle to most of these kids. Are you sure they'll even take me?"

"It's called Camp Half-Blood. And you're half-human. Nowhere does it say what the other half has to be. Besides, this is where they train heroes. And you want to be a hero, right?" Chaos questioned his son.

Percy gave a determined nod. "Yes! I want to fight monsters, save people, protect the family.
And while I'm at it, maybe clean things up on Olympus."

Sally was blinking back tears. "I'm so proud of you, Percy. Remember to call, and brush your teeth, and change your underwear, and…"

"Mom!" Percy cut her off by hugging her. "I'll miss you too."

Sally hugged him tight and then did the hardest thing that a mother could do: she let go.

"Wait here, Sally. I'll introduce him to the head of the camp, then we can go home," Chaos reassured, giving his wife a kiss.

Percy waited for his parents to have their moment, then he walked with his dad up the hill. At the border of the protective barrier, Chaos paused. "Anything special about this tree, Percy?"

Recognizing a test when he heard one, Percy reached out with his senses. "It's the focal point of the protective magic. And it… no, she is alive. There's a girl in there, or the girl is the tree… it feels like a major god's work."

"Spot on. Zeus transformed his dying daughter Thalia Grace into this tree. She watches over the camp now."

"She must have healed by now. Should we let her out?"

"Let's not shock the camp more than we already will. Besides, it could waken the barrier protecting the camp. Wait until camp closes for the summer."

"If you say so, Dad."

The two crossed the border. There was a roar of thunder from the clear sky.

Chaos winced. "Oops. Should have cloaked us."

"Well, we certainly got their attention," Percy noted wryly.

There was a galloping sound and a centaur with a strung bow ran up to them from the big house in the valley. "Halt! Declare yourselves," the aged creature demanded.

Behind the centaur came a line of campers in various states of armor and weaponry. Most of them were wearing orange t-shirts emblazoned with 'CAMP HALF-BLOOD', which Percy supposed was camp uniform.

"Greetings, Chiron. Glad to see you are vigilant in your post," Chaos greeted.

"I said declare yourselves," the centaur demanded firmly.

"Very well. I am Chaos, Protogenos of the Void. I came here to drop my son Percy off for camp," Chaos stated, laying a proud hand on Percy's shoulder.

Chiron almost dropped his bow. "Lord Chaos?!"

"In the flesh. Or the protoplasm, if we're getting technical."

"You haven't been seen in millenia! How can I know you are who you say you are?"

"I could always turn lead to gold or something," Chaos mused.

Percy rolled his eyes. "I, Percy Jackson, swear on the Styx that I am the son of Chaos."

There was a burst of thunder, smaller than when Chaos entered camp but still audible.

Percy shrugged. "There, I'm not dead. My dad vetted for you, Mr. Chiron?"

Chaos frowned. "Percy, we've talked about frivolous oaths on the Styx."

Chiron actually dropped his bow. "Di immortales," he swore.

"Right. So, once again, I'm here to drop off Percy. I know summer session doesn't open until tomorrow, but I didn't want to cause an even bigger ruckus than we already have."

Chiron dropped into a bow, which prompted the campers behind him to do likewise. "Not at all, Lord Chaos! We'd be happy to accept your son into our humble camp."

Percy groaned. "Oh, you, this is as bad as you warned me. Being the closest thing to a capital 'G' god in this mythos means a lot of ass-kissing, doesn't it?"

"Don't say ass," Chaos corrected gently. "But yes, it does."

Chiron rose to stand at his impressive height. "If you'll follow me, Lord Chaos. You and… Percy should meet the camp director."

Chaos and Percy followed Chiron as he led them down into the camp. The other campers parted before them. Most of them were staring at the two of them. Others were running back towards the cabins and other parts of camp, no doubt to spread the news. Not only had a demigod been dropped off personally by their parent, but that parent was THE god.

They reached a four-story barn house with a wrap-around porch. Seated at a table, nursing a Diet Coke and regarding his playing cards,, was a man who looked like he was on the wrong end of a hangover. He wore a tiger-print Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts.

"You see what the big boom was about, Chiron?" the man asked.

Chiron cleared his throat. "A godly parent arrived to personally escort his son here."

"That's a first. Who was it?" he asked boredly, taking a swig of cola.

"Now this is ironic. A former demigod who hates demigods forced to watch over demigods. Is this a punishment for you or for the children?" Chaos asked.

The man looked up, surging into a rage disturbingly fast. "Who the Tartarus are you? You're no Olympian! What minor deity are you so I can wipe you off the map?"

"Mr. D! This is…" Chiron started.

"I don't want to hear it!" Mr. D roared.

"So inconsistent," Chaos muttered. "Look into my eyes, Dionysus."

Percy watched as the ichor drained from the camp director's face. "You… you're…"

"The Creator. The patriarch of your entire family. Lord of the only substance that can destroy an immortal. And father of your newest camper."

Dionysus gaped. "But… primordials can't wander the mortal plane. It's part of the Ancient Laws!"

"Yes, yes. But as the man who wrote those laws, I naturally left a few loopholes for myself. And I decided to see what all the fuss about falling in love with mortals was about. And now the fruit of my loins is ready to join your camp."

"Yo," Percy greeted.

Mr. D seemed to regain his prickly demeanor. "Fine. We can handle another brat. Sadly, there's no cabin or table for him, so he'll be stuck with Hermes' brood."

Chaos focused for five seconds. "Now there are."

"What?" Mr. D asked, looking annoyed.

"There's a cabin for Percy now. And he has a table at the dining pavilion. I'm the one who created everything out of nothing, of course I can manage little things like that."

Mr. D flinched. "Well, good for your son, I guess."

"Yes. Well, Chiron, I leave Percy in your capable hands. Percy, love you. Remember to call your mom and I every now and then."

"I will. Bye, Dad." Percy got one last hug, and then Chaos teleported away, no doubt to pick up Sally before returning to their Manhattan home.

Percy turned to the centaur. "So… can I get a tour or something?"

Chiron regarded Percy with calculating eyes. "Yes, of course," he finally said. "Our usual orientation film wouldn't apply to you, I suppose. Please follow me."

Chiron led Percy around the valley, showing off where the demigods trained and played. When they got to the cabins, Chiron paused. A new, smallish cabin had appeared in the center of the 'n' configuration of other cabins. The walls were painted the purple of the night sky and were covered in stars and galaxies that moved if you looked close enough.

"That's surprisingly modest, not what I was expecting," Chiron said to himself.

"Well, it only has to house one person, doesn't it? Even if Dad makes me a big brother, it'll be over a decade before they come to camp. By then I could be living in the mortal world. And pardon my Greek, but Dad isn't so insecure he has to get caught up in a dick-measuring contest with his descendents," Percy explained.

"I see your point," Chiron mused.

Percy popped into the cabin, which he found to be identical in layout to his room back in New York City. Percy packed the contents of his backpack away, placing a photo of his family at Disney World on his bedside dresser. Keeping Anarchy at his side, never knew when it could be time for combat, Percy rejoined Chiron. They finished the tour, including a visit to the dining pavilion where a small round table had appeared in a similar position as the cabin. They wound up back at the Big House. Chiron trotted inside and came out with an orange t-shirt.

"Wear this with pride," Chiron recommended.

Percy took off his own shirt, and he heard Chiron gasp. His tanned, wiry muscles with barely an ounce of fat were certainly unusual for a boy his age. However, Percy thought it was probably from all the scars. Each one marked a hard-earned lesson. Percy slid on the camp t-shirt and looped his original through his belt loop. At Chiron's shocked look, Percy shrugged.

"Dad trained me well."

"You mean to say he raised you?"

"He doesn't have the attention span of a gnat or countless obligations like other gods. He's stayed with me and Mom for longer than I've been alive." Percy shrugged. "I'm probably the only guy here who can say he was raised by both his birth parents."

"You'd be right about that," Chiron mused. "Well, dinner is in a couple hours, just listen for the conch. You can pass the time until then how you please. Tomorrow is a free day to welcome back old campers. Expect a lot of attention because of your parentage. And the day after that, you'll be on the camp schedule."

"Sounds good. Thank you for your time, Chiron." Percy gave a small bow and then left towards the training arena he'd seen. Had to keep in practice, after all. Plus, might be nice to fight someone besides his Dad or a summoned monster for once.

Percy walked into the arena and saw a group of campers practicing sword drills. An older boy, probably 18 or thereabouts, was walking among them, correcting form and shouting encouragement. As Percy walked towards them, the older camper noticed him. "You new?" he called out.

"Just got here. Chiron told me I was free until dinner. I came here looking for a spar," Percy replied politely.

The older boy walked forward. "You know how to use that sword?" he asked.

"My Dad taught me everything I know."

The young man raised a brow. "Huh. Not a lot of people know how to use a sword these days. So, it's your mom? Your dad give you any clue who she was?"

Percy got an uncomfortable feeling, one he anticipated repeating itself in the future when other campers asked this question. "Um, my Dad's the god. He just… stuck around. He raised me as much as my mom did."

An ugly expression flashed across the youth's face before it was covered with an easy smile. "Really? Lucky you. Well, I'm Luke Castellan. Son of Hermes and camp leader, not necessarily in that order."

Percy nodded. "Percy Jackson, son of Chaos."

Luke blinked. "Wait, Chaos? Like, THE Chaos?"

"That's Dad," Percy confirmed. "We were the cause of all the thunder earlier. So, can I get that spar?"

Luke seemed to recover himself. "Sure. Let's see what you got."

Luke had the campers stop drilling and listen to him. "Alright, campers. Percy here is new. He'd like to spar. So why don't we give him a big Camp Half-Blood welcome and have him pull a train on everyone here?"

There were laughs and chortles from the crowd. One particular group, all having a mean and pinched look to their features, had bloodthirsty grins. Percy guessed they were children of Ares.

"Any first takers?" Luke called.

"I'll take Prissy," called out a big brute of a girl from the Ares group.

Luke clapped. "Okay! Percy vs. Clarisse, one on one, right here right now! Clear a ring, people!"

Clarisse stepped forward, twirling her sword theatrically. Percy merely drew Anarchy and waited.

"So, is this to show me my place in the pecking order or to actually assess my skills?' Percy asked Luke.

Luke had a mischievous grin he'd inherited straight from his father. "Yes."

Percy shrugged. Hazing was to be expected. This was a summer camp. He faced Clarisse steadily, his eyes picking out openings, strengths, weaknesses.

"You're dead meat, Prissy," Clarisse snarled.

Percy cocked his head. "Have I offended you in some way?" he asked.

"Just want to show you that having a famous daddy means crap around here," Clarisse bit out. "We're all demigods here, you aren't anything special."

"Never said I was," Percy said calmly.

Luke cleared his throat. "Okay, standard duel rules. Fight goes to the first to disarm, draw blood, or forfeit. Ready?"

Clarisse and Percy both nodded.

"Go!" Luke called.

Clarisse charged, sword held out in a lunging strike.

Percy reacted.

In three seconds, it was over. Clarisse blinked, the lightning-fast events that just transpired on repeat in her brain. She looked at her hand, which her sword had been knocked out of. She touched her cheek, which had a shallow cut that stung. She glanced at Percy in rage and confusion.

"Thanks for the fight," Percy said without a trace of sarcasm, flicking her blood off his silvery sword.

Clarisse almost went to deck him, but Luck stepped forward. "Okay, Percy's win. Clarisse, go to the infirmary and get that healed before it scars."

Clarisse turned tomato red in fury, but she stalked off towards the infirmary. Percy hoped no other campers got in her way for fear she'd eat them.

Luke turned to Percy. "You got skills."

"I've been training since I was four. I just have a head start on experience is all."

"Still, that was impressive."" Luke looked around. "Who's next?"

With each fight, the campers became less enthused to go against Percy. Rather than showing the new kid his place, it seemed he was handing them their asses and making it look like a warm-up. He took down each opponent with minimal effort like some kind of deadly machine. Finally, it came down to Percy vs. Luke. The defeated that had stuck around rallied, sure that Luke would triumph against the newcomer.

Percy and Luke didn't bother with banter. They let their swords do the talking. They launched at each other, beginning the first of many series of moves and countermoves. It was almost like they were dancing around each other, the deadly weapons in their hands instruments for the music they created together. It was truly a sight to see, two masters at combat testing their strength against each other. It finally ended when Percy misplaced a foot and left himself just the tiniest bit open. Luke seized the opening savagely, knocking Anarchy out of the way before pressing the tip of his sword to Percy's breast.

Percy stepped back and sheathed Anarchy, before bowing to acknowledge Luke's victory. The camp leader turned to the witnesses of the bout, who were cheering madly. "That's training done for the day, boys. Hit the showers before dinner. Percy, stay behind, I want to talk."

Luke waited until the last camper had exited the arena. Then he turned to eye Percy with hard eyes. "Why'd you let me win?" He wasn't mad so much as insulted, Percy sensed.

Percy indicated the direction the campers had left with his head. "Lose the battle to win the war. If some newb swooped in out of nowhere to beat THE Luke Castellan on his first day, I'd have alienated myself as a freak. And the campers might have lost respect for you, and that wouldn't be good for anyone. But, by losing to you, the campers still see you as invincible, and I get the accolades of being the second best swordsman in the camp. That's much more approachable."

Luke nodded as he wrapped his head around the concept. "Okay. I see where you're coming from. But no more freebies. Next time we fight, you fight to win. We clear?"

"We're clear." Percy held out a fist. Luke left him hanging for a second just to mess with him, but he bumped his own fist against Percy's.

They both headed for the showers, sweaty after all the intense fighting. They dried off afterwards and made their way back to the cabins to relax until dinner. Percy finished off the Iliad and managed to get a couple chapters into Plato's The Republic, both in the original Greek, when the sound of a conch shell being blown echoed throughout the valley. Percy made his way out of the cabin, which he was amused to see was labeled as Cabin Zero, missed that detail earlier. Percy waited for the other cabins to line up in order of seniority and then set out up the hill for the dining pavilion. On the way, the satyrs and other nature spirits that called the camp home joined the procession.

Percy noted that they all numbered less than one hundred. Even accounting for the fact that these were just the year-round camp members, the numbers should be higher given how… prolific the gods were in reproducing. Percy sent up a silent prayer for all the innocent kids who didn't survive to make it to the safety of Camp Half-Blood.

The dining pavilion was lit by torches around the borders, and a giant brazier the size of a bathtub occupying the central spot. Percy's table was located just south of the brazier, a small circular table sized for one. Like all the other tables, it had bronze place settings and a pristine white tablecloth edged in purple. Percy noted that tables One (Zeus), Two (Hera), Three (Poseidon) and Eight (Artemis) were empty, whereas the poor kids at table Eleven (Hermes) were packed like sardines. And it would only get worse when the summer campers came in the next day. Percy decided that dealing with the Hermes cabin's overpopulation problem was priority one. Percy noted that one girl about his age at the Athena table was watching him like a hawk.

Finally, when they'd all settled in, Chiron pounded a hoof on the marble floor. "To the gods!" he proclaimed, raising one of the bronze goblets.

"To the gods," Percy echoed along with all the other campers.

Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food, all organic of course. Percy had that uncomfortable feeling he was getting preferential treatment when the nymphs stopped by his table first, allowing him to get first pick of the portions. He assembled a balanced plate and waited, his dad having warned him about the ritual at mealtimes. Once everyone had a full meal prepared, they all got up and formed a line to the brazier. Percy dutifully got in line, and when he got to the brazier, he slid about half his barbeque into the flames. "To Zeus and Poseidon, that you may settle this feud peacefully," he wished. Chaos had warned him that the erratic, phenomenally bad weather across the country since December was not the result of climate change but two Olympians butting heads. Chaos hadn't wanted to spoil the surprise and tell his son what caused the spat, of course, but Percy knew enough to know his prayer was sorely needed.

Percy took his lone seat and began to eat, sipping blue Cherry Coke between bites. His mother had become obsessed with blue foods after Chaos made a joke that there were no foods in her favorite color. Whether naturally or with food coloring, Percy's diet growing up had consisted mostly of blue-colored food items. It was a big inside joke in his family.

When everyone was done, Chiron pounded a hoof once again. Mr. D stood up, looking much aggrieved at the burden of public speaking.

"Yes, I suppose I better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Tomorrow is the start of summer session, which means there will be even more of you whelps for me to keep track of."

There was a cheer from the campers, looking forward to seeing their friends who lived in the outside world most of the year… assuming they survived, of course.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. And I suppose it bears mentioning that we got a new camper today. A Son of Chaos, whoop-di-doo. And his daddy even gave him his own cabin and table. Well, give a wave, Percy Jackson."

Feeling like there was nothing else Mr. D could have done to more effectively embarrass him, Percy gave a small wave at the campers who'd turned to stare at him at the god's introduction. In his mind, he bumped Dionysus to the top of his List.

"Yes, yes, hurrah. Now go have your silly campfire. Go on."

They all headed to the amphitheatre with a cheer, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-a-long while everyone got in line to make smores over the fire set in the fire pit. Percy picked up the gods-friendly tunes easily enough, and was genuinely having fun when the Apollo counselor, Lee Fletcher, asked if anyone wanted to chime in with their own song. Percy raised his hand.

With the eyes of the whole camp on him, Percy stood. "This is a lullaby from Ancient Greece my father taught to me. It's called Odyssey." Percy took a deep breath, and then opened his mouth to sing. He didn't have the best voice, but he made up for it with passion and technique. The Greek flowed from his mouth as easily as English, while everyone there heard the lyrics as if they were in their native tongue.

"Look to the stars,

Beyond the mountains and the wild sea

Follow your dreams

The bravest hearts

The gods will favour those who dare to seek

Courageously

Their destiny

Beautiful island,

Bathed in the rising sun

Fate's hand will guide you

Traveling paths unknown

Back to the warmth of home

Through storms we'll ride

And battles fought under the raging sky

Through watchful eyes

Fearless we breathe

With silent whispers through the ancient trees,

Where legends grow

We're leaving home

Beautiful island,

Bathed in the rising sun

Fate's hand will guide you

Traveling paths unknown

Back to the warmth of home"

Percy finished, and quietly sat down. He'd gone with his gut, but now he regretted sharing something so personal. Chaos and Sally had sung that to him when he crawled into bed with them scared of monsters in the closet. Then there was a clap, and then another, and then Percy was getting roaring applause from the campers.

"That was great, Percy! You sure you're not a son of Apollo?" one of the Apollo campers asked Percy.

"The lyrics were so beautiful, you could feel your heart pouring out with each note," said one of the Aphrodite girls, curling her hair with a finger.

Percy handled the attention as well he could, and was infinitely glad when the Apollo cabin got the sing-a-long going again. About another hour passed, the campfire burned down to embers, when the conch blew again. Everyone filed back to their cabin for bedtime. Percy got to his cabin, changed into his pajamas, and tucked himself into bed. Some might find it concerning that he slept better knowing there was a knife hidden under the pillow AND under the mattress, with Anarchy balanced against the nightstand. Chaos was a harsh taskmaster, and random tests in the middle of the night were not unheard of. Percy prayed for a dreamless sleep and then closed his eyes, exhausted after his first short but eventful day at camp.

Percy was awoken at six o' clock on the dot by his old-fashioned wind-up alarm clock. An antique perhaps, but no electronic parts meant no interference from divine magic or helping to broadcast his scent to monsters. He made it go silent and then did his morning stretches. Sufficiently limbered up, he got dressed in workout clothes and left to get in his morning exercise before breakfast.

He made his way through the camp, silent with the dawn. He got to the training arena and promptly started to warm-up with a 10k run. That done, he did 100 one-arm push-ups per arm, 100 leg lifts, and 100 one-legged squats per leg. Brutal, and hard for a grown athlete to do let alone an adolescent. But Percy wasn't just human, he was also something so much more. Physical feats that defied men twice his age were… well, not easy, but certainly achievable for him.

Soaked in sweat, Percy went to his cabin for a change of clothes and went to the showers. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged squeaky clean and wearing the camp t-shirt. He went back to his cabin to dump his dirty clothes in the hamper and passed the time until breakfast with philosophy books. The conch blew at eight o' clock according to Percy's alarm clock. Marking his page, Percy went to the dining pavilion to get some chow.

Once the offering was made and the food all eaten, Percy went up to the Hermes table. "Um, excuse me? Campers of Cabin Eleven?"

They all turned to look at him. Luke had a curious look. "What is it, Percy?"

Percy felt intimidated now that he had over two dozen sets of eyes focused on him, but he soldiered on. "As you all know, my father is Chaos. One of the powers I inherited from him was extremely sharp senses, including divine senses. If I were to touch each of you and feel your aura, I should, I repeat, should be able to tell who your divine parent is. I can't guarantee they'll claim you once you know, but at least you'll have that question answered. Anyone interested?"

A full two-thirds of the table got hungry, desperate looks on their faces. "Are you serious?" asked an Asian kid who looked almost as old as Luke.

"I'm pretty sure I can do it. Worth a try, right?" Percy said, realizing he'd underestimated the scale of the gift he'd offered to the undetermined. "Though for the record, if your parent is a minor god, you'll still be stuck in Cabin Eleven. I don't make the rules."

"I don't care, I just want to know!" the Asian boy shouted, standing up and running up to Percy. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just… give me your hand," Percy said cautiously.

The boy held out his hand, which was trembling slightly. Percy took hold of it and closed his eyes as he focused all his intention on divining the source of the spark of the divine that burned within the boy before him. Retribution, balance, pain. "Son of Nemesis," Percy stated with confidence.

As he did, a shimmering hologram of a set of scales appeared above the young man's head. He looked like he might cry as he saw the hologram.

"Finally… finally…"

Percy let go of the demigod's hand and turned to the rest of the Hermes table. "Who's next?"

In the end, the Asian boy (who Percy learned was named Ethan Nakamura) proved to be a child of the seven minor gods whose children attended Camp Half-Blood. On top of Nemesis there was Iris, Hypnos, Nike, Hebe, Tyche, and Hecate represented. All the rest of the unclaimed turned out to be children of the Olympians whose parents had simply forgotten or hadn't bothered to claim them. But the gods were apparently paying attention to Percy and his little favor because as soon as he identified the camper's divine parent, a hologram of said parent's symbol of power would appear over their head.

All told, Percy cut the population of Cabin Eleven almost in half. It would still be crowded in there, but no longer resemble a disaster relief evacuation zone or warzone hospital.

Percy waved away those who'd woken up that morning undetermined and their profusive thanks. He made his way back towards the cabins, when he heard the sound of hoofbeats behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Chiron cantering up to him.

"That was a very kind thing you did," Chiron told him, as if Percy didn't realize it himself.

"I saw a problem, I had to fix it. Just the way I'm wired. The real solution would be to build a cabin for each of the minor gods so Ethan and the others could be properly housed, but I'm guessing major renovations like that have to be approved by the big shots on Olympus."

Chiron sighed. "Alas, I'm afraid that's beyond my powers to achieve. Tarnishing the symmetry of the Cabin placements would require a majority vote or the edict of the God of Lightning. Your father only got away with it because he's, well… him."

"I see your point. It just sucks that those kids still have to bunk in Cabin Eleven when they're not Children of Hermes. It's not like the Olympians are the only ones out sowing their wild oats on Olympus."

"This is true. But it's not a problem we can solve at this point, so there's little reason to dwell on it. Now, what were your plans for the day?" Chiron asked with a leading air.

"I was going to try and plough through Plato. Possibly give the climbing wall a try. Why, did you have something else in mind?"

Chiron shrugged. "You're not just any camper, Percy. As you just evidenced with the denizens of Cabin Eleven, you have divine powers far beyond the average demigod. You've been here a day and you've already wrought great changes to Camp Half-Blood. I was hoping that you would join me, Mr. D, and a satyr named Grover at pinochle on the Big House porch. Every returning camper has to report to Mr. D, and you can be there to meet them. Introduce yourself. Explain the new cabin and table."

Percy sighed. "You're very good at masking a command as a polite request. If I don't show up, Mr. D will turn me into a dolphin or something, won't he? So yeah, I'll play. Though I prefer gin rummy."

Percy and Chiron made for the Big House. On the way there, Percy could have sworn there was a figure behind the curtain blocking the attic window. "Should I be concerned that the Oracle is staring at me?"

Chiron glanced at the window and upped his pace. He tellingly refused to answer Percy's question.

Mr. D and a satyr who, accounting for the slowed aging, was probably just shy of 30 were sat around the same table Mr. D had played pinochle at yesterday. Percy strongly suspected that the grounded god spent more time playing cards than supervising the camp. "Ah, Perry Johnson, Chiron. So good of you to join us. I was just about to deal," Mr. D said when he caught sight of them.

Percy wondered if the mangling of his name came from a desire to avoid giving power to his proper name, to imply that Percy wasn't important enough to remember properly, or if the son of Zeus turned Olympian was honestly that bad with mortal names.

They played pinochle for the rest of the day, taking a brief break for lunch. Percy had pleasant conversation with Chiron and Grover Underwood. Percy learned that Grover had been the satyr assigned to bring Thalia Grace to Camp Half-Blood. For his 'failure' in that mission, he was on a kind of permanent probation. He was prohibited from keeping duties, let alone any other career path for a satyr. On the infinitesimal chance that Grover accompanied a hero on a quest and came back alive, he'd have redeemed himself in the eyes of Mr. D and the Council of Cloven Elders. "But that's never going to happen," the satyr said to himself, gnawing on Mr. D's empty Diet Coke can.

"Hey, never say never. If I ever go on a quest, I'll take you along! Never know when I'll need an animal interpreter or some magic panpipes," Percy said with a bold grin.

Throughout the day, a camper would walk up and announce their name and divine parent, almost like a soldier giving their military ID. Mr. D would nod dismissively, Chiron would welcome them back warmly, and Percy would introduce himself and explain why he was so special that he got his own cabin and table all to himself. The responses to learning he was the Son of Chaos ranged from unyielding disbelief to worshipful awe. Percy couldn't help but see the Christ-like parallels: only son of the eldest god and all that. He just hoped none of the campers put him on a Messiah-level pedestal. The undetermined kids each got the same treatment Percy had given Cabin Eleven that morning. Those kids tended to be the ones who acted like they'd happily clean his muddy boots with a toothbrush.

At the conch for dinner, Percy noted how much fuller and more alive the whole camp seemed as everyone marched for the dining pavilion. For his offering prayer, Percy muttered in Greek "May all here live to see another year." He scraped half his plate into the fire to back up his heartfelt plea. He hadn't been that active today anyway, he could afford a small dinner.

Mr. D gave a truly pathetic welcoming speech for all the campers who'd come for summer session, and then it was off to the amphitheatre. Percy was walking casually along with the rest of the campers when the blonde girl from the Athena cabin sidled up next to him. "What's happening on the summer solstice? What was stolen? Why is everyone so scared?" she fired off in a whisper that somehow managed to be bossy.

"Isn't it rude not to introduce yourself before asking for something?" Percy countered, wondering what this girl's problem was.

She rolled her eyes. "Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena. Now answer my questions!"

Percy shrugged. "I barely know any more than you, my dad taught me to figure things out on my own. I can connect the dots though. On the Winter Solstice, Zeus's master bolt, his symbol of power not to mention the most powerful weapon ever created, went missing. For whatever reason he blames Poseidon. I'm guessing the summer solstice is the deadline Zeus gave for Poseidon to return the bolt. If the bolt doesn't turn up by then, Olympus will break out in a civil war. And a war of the gods would spread to the mortal world. It could be the end of life as we know it. Pretty good reason to be scared, don't you think?"

Annabeth's eyes were calculating, as if every word out of his mouth was factored into some kind of master plan. "This is it. This is my chance. They have to call a quest for this."

Percy eyed her bead necklace, which indicated she'd spent five summers at Camp Half-Blood. Given she seemed of an age with him, that meant she would have arrived when she was 6 or 7. "You're a year-rounder. You've never left this camp since you got here," Percy stated rather than asked.

Annabeth nodded sharply. "All I've done for the past five years is train and train and train. I grew up here, I've only been allowed out on field trips like when Chiron took us to Olympus for the winter solstice. I NEED to get out there and prove myself."

Percy decided that, while her people skills needed work, Annabeth had an impressive fire and drive. "Tell you what. If they do assign a quest and it happens to fall to me, I'll pick you as one of my two companions. And if they pick you, you take me. Sound fair?"

"You have a deal, Percy." Annabeth held out her hand and gave Percy's a firm shake when he took it. He used the brief moment of contact to feel out her aura. There was a lot of determination, a lot of cool logic, backed by an incandescent temper, a touch of hubris, and a deep guilt she carried close to her heart. All in all, she had the makings of a great hero.

Annabeth rejoined her siblings in the Athena group as everyone took their places for the sing-a-long. Percy noted with admiration that the Apollo cabin did not repeat a single song from last night. He wondered how long they could go before they had to recycle some of the old tunes. Then again, their father was the god of music, they might just compose new material each night so they never ran out.

The next day, Camp Half-Blood began in earnest. Percy's days fell into a comfortable rhythm. He'd wake each morning at 6 on the dot and get in a morning workout and shower before anyone else was even up. The rest of the day was one session after another of the usual Greek demigod summer camp activities. As the sole occupant of his cabin, Percy learned that he counted as a counselor. So it was up to him to discuss chores, shower times, and the schedule for his cabin with Chiron. Percy scheduled himself so he would have at least one session for every activity available, except for Ancient Greek. He was already fluent in that, so Percy used the free morning slot to wander the forest and have conversations with Grover. The satyr with big dreams of finding Pan was fast becoming his best friend. Grover always looked like he wanted to pinch himself while they talked, as if he had trouble believing that someone as important as the Son of Chaos was interested in pathetic Grover Underwood.

While making sure he was involved in everything from foot-racing with the nymphs to archery to volleyball with Cabin Ten (and wasn't that just an experience. Some of the daughters of Aphrodite insisted on playing in bikinis), Percy prioritized sword training in the arena. He had multiple rematches with Luke, using the convenient out of a time limit so that the campers didn't see Percy actually beat Luke. Luke, while not in a hurry to face defeat, still seemed offended that Percy wasn't taking him 100% seriously. To get back at the Son of Chaos, the camp leader had Percy act as the dummy whenever he taught the campers a new move.

The first week of camp went by in a flash. The start of the second week, Percy suddenly found himself being courted. Capture the Flag was scheduled for that Friday, and Athena and Ares both wanted to get their hands on the Son of Chaos. No one knew what kind of powers he had besides extremely perceptive senses, but he was so good with a sword he gave Luke trouble and he placed in the top half of campers in every other activity. Clarisse looked like she was swallowing raw sewage as she did so, but she made a calculated request for his alliance in the coming game, complete with offers to cover chores and access to key slots in the schedule.

Percy felt like he was doing them both a favor when he replied to the Ares counselor that Percy was siding with Athena for the game. Clarisse would have an aneurysm resisting the urge to stab him in the back the whole time. Plus Percy had a few more talks with Annabeth since that night she'd shook him down for the details on the divine and he considered her a friend. Despite her age, she was counselor of the Athena cabin, so it was with her that he discussed the terms of his alliance.

The Friday in question started out like any other day for Percy. He'd gotten through The Republic and was now tackling Symposium. He brought his copy out to the lake during a free period in the afternoon after he beat his personal best on the climbing wall. He'd almost beat Grover, which was saying something given his goat legs made him practically fly up the cliff face. Grover dipped his hooves in the water, and just enjoyed the quiet as Percy filled his head with the pinnacle of Western thinking.

"You ever wish you were a demigod?" Percy asked when he decided he needed a mental break from all the cognitive gymnastics.

Grover shuddered. "No way. Your lives are so short and filled with danger. I'm perfectly happy being a satyr, yep yep."

Percy chuckled. "Okay, but say you were born one. Which parent would you want?"

Grover shrugged. "Demeter or Dionysus, probably. Same powers I have now, for the most part."

Percy chuckled. "Yeah, but imagine having to call Mr. D 'daddy'. I'd have nightmares!"

Grover couldn't help a chuckle at his boss's expense but he glanced in the direction of the Big House, as if expecting Dionysus to come charging towards them for the slight. "So, what about you? What's it like being the Son of Chaos?"

Percy honestly considered the question, taking a moment to wave at the naiads weaving baskets at the bottom of the lake. "It's pretty awesome, but kind of terrifying at the same time. I got a happy childhood with both parents, but I also got all these phenomenal cosmic powers. Best of both worlds. But it's scary how some people act when they find out. Every single demigod whose parent I named would probably die for me, or at least jump in front of a monster for me. Plus… when you're as far above an ordinary demigod as a demigod is above an ordinary human, you start to wonder where you fit in the grand scheme of things."

Grover gaped. "You're really that powerful? I know you can beat Luke if you really tried. Are you holding back in everything else too?"

"I don't want to be that camper who's good at everything. I don't want to be the model hero. I don't want to be 'that' guy," Percy told his friend, confessing fears he'd kept to himself since he'd arrived.

Grover patted Percy on the shoulder. "You don't have to be if you don't want to."

"Thanks, man. But I may have to be. If it came down to keeping my strength hidden or letting one of my family get hurt, I know which choice I'd make," Percy said resolutely.

They chatted about lighter topics after that. Percy dressed in full armor and belted Anarchy before the dinner conch rang. Capture the Flag would begin right after dinner and Percy had no intention of using any of the mass-produced armor and weapons the camp provided.

People stared as Percy walked to his table. He did cut an impressive figure. Cuirass, a belt of leather straps with steel rivets, vambraces, and greaves over sandals. Everything besides the belt was Primordial Platinum, which was pound for pound both stronger and lighter than Celestial Bronze. He didn't bother with a helmet because he preferred to have a full field of vision. He did wear a Primordial Platinum circlet, which happened to be enchanted to generate a force field that protected against every form of energy except kinetic. Percy could walk through a fire unscathed wearing this thing, but a punch from a giant would still connect.

Dinner was a tense affair, everyone eagerly waiting for the meal to end so the real fun could begin. Once the plates cleared, the conch ran out again. Percy idly wondered who blew it; some unlucky satyr perhaps? Anyway, the Athena and Ares cabins both came running into the pavilion, dragging 10-foot long silk banners bearing the symbol of their divine parents. Athena had an owl in grey silk, Ares a spear and boar's head in red.

Chiron announced the two sides competing. "Blue Team: Athena, Apollo, Hermes, and Chaos! Red Team: Ares, Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus!"

Both sides cheered raucously. Percy reflected that these people might be taking summer camp a bit too seriously.

"Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

Percy stayed still as his companions armed themselves with the array of arms and armor that appeared on the tables. When everyone was prepared for the simulation of warfare, Annabeth roared "Blue Team, forward!" She led them down the path to the south woods, while the other team made for the north.

Percy had already discussed his role with Luke and Annabeth in a strategy meeting this morning. The Son of Chaos was to be bait. He'd be all on his lonesome, guarding one of the major crossing points of the creek. They were banking on Clarisse wanting to settle the score between them. She still hadn't gotten over Percy beating her so quickly. Maybe he shouldn't have added the cut, just disarming her would have been enough for him to win. Eh, hindsight is 20/20. Anyway, while Clarisse diverted herself and who knows how much of her forces to exact revenge, Luke and a couple of his sneaky siblings would slip through the cracks and steal the Ares flag before sprinting back across the creek. Lee Fletcher, the counselor of the Apollo cabin, had raised the concern on whether Percy could handle who knows how many Children of Ares single-handed.

He'd just grinned and assured him Percy could handle it.

Percy took his place and waited for the rest of the team to get into position. The conch blew a few minutes later. Percy shifted weight from one foot to the other, doing his best to remain vigilant without crossing the line into paranoia. Percy sent out a sweep with his senses in all directions… and felt a decidedly monstrous presence lurking in the trees behind him.

Before he could turn and hunt down the monster that had somehow gotten through the protective barrier, Clarisse came charging across the creek with five of her siblings roaring in full voice. "Cream the punk!" she ordered.

Percy simply did not have time to mess around with a summer camp feud gone wrong when a denizen of the Fields of Punishment was loose in the camp. He summoned lightning to his hand and cast it down at the water. All half-a-dozen Ares children were electrocuted as the lightning was conducted through the water and to their armor. All of them moaning and steaming, they collapsed to the ground. Luckily, the creek wasn't deep enough for them to be in fear of drowning.

Percy drew Anarchy and channeled the Void through the bespelled metal. Chaos had forged the blade especially so Percy could utilize the Void without eating whatever weapon he used to anchor it. Percy turned to go hunting for the monster when he heard a voice from supposedly open air.

"I haven't seen anyone do that since Thalia! Are you a Son of Chaos or Zeus?" Annabeth asked, taking off a baseball cap that apparently made the wearer invisible.

"Chaos created everything, and holds dominion over all Creation. As his son, I have some small power over said Creation. Generating raw energy like a lightning bolt is easy. Now, forget about my powers. There's a monster in the forest!" Percy barked.

Annabeth's eyes widened. "That's impossible. The protective barrier keeps everything out… unless someone invited it in…"

There was a huge cheer and Luke came charging across the creek carrying the Ares banner. As he crossed the halfway point, the banner magically changed colors and shape to reflect Hermes. Chiron came galloping over and cheered the victory of the Blue Team.

The cheering ended when there was a demonic roar. Everyone looked up to see a hellhound perched on a promontory of rock. It was a black mastiff with eyes of fire and the size of a bull rhino. And it had its eyes on Percy's family.

Seeing true danger for the first time, Percy forgot to limit himself. He leapt ten feet into the air and stabbed his silvery blade, coated in a shadowy layer of pure nothingness, into the beast's neck. It burst into dust, as all monsters do when they're temporarily 'killed'. This time, though, the dust flowed into Anarchy, or rather the Void layered around Anarchy. Percy landed and cast out his senses to their full extent. Sensing nothing but other demigods, nymphs, and Chiron, Percy allowed himself to relax and stopped channeling the Void.

Annabeth and Chiron and Luke (his victory forgotten), came forward to join Percy. "Percy… what just happened? It looked like your sword was… absorbing the hellhound," Chiron asked.

"The Void claims everything in the end. I just sped up the process a bit. Any monster I kill with Void doesn't regenerate. That particular hellhound is gone, gone, gone, never to be seen again," Percy explained

Annabeth's eyes were wide as coins. "You can actually kill monsters? Permanently?"

"Yeah. Just one of the perks of being me," Perfcy shrugged, trying to downplay his ability.

"Forget how Percy killed it, how did it get here in the first place? That was a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment! What's it doing in the camp?" Luke demanded. Percy silently noted the guilt, dark resolve, and trace of another being on Luke's aura. But now wasn't the time to confront the camp leader with half-formed accusations. As Percy's favorite pirate would say, "wait for the opportune moment."

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said gravely. "Someone inside the camp."

"Practical joke gone wrong, or an act of terror?" Percy posed to the group.

None of them had the answer.