Perseus did not grow up in her time. Instead, she was raised as a Spartan, a fierce warrior woman. When she was eighteen 300 male Spartans marched off to war and all 300 were accounted for as dead…excerpt her. History never knew of the woman that had disguised herself as a man to fight for her city. The gods recognized her as a daughter of Poseidon and a brave hero that fought against the odds and won. That day she ascended into the circle of the gods as the warrior goddess of the air and storms.

Thunder rolled darkly overhead, but the gray sky was void of lighting dancing among the clouds. An ominous feeling knotted itself at the pit of my stomach as the shadow of the Empire State Building loomed up past the structure of New York City. Something was terribly wrong. Tension was building in the air. A man stepped out to impede my approach of the tall building and I met his lecherous grin with a glare. He stumbled away in shock from the intensity of my gaze and retreated back into the shadows. With a deep sigh, I took off running down the deserted streets of the city.

It was frustrating not being able to use my powers, especially during a time like this. I could almost feel it, bubbling deep within the skin, but whenever I reached out to tap into it, it disappeared deeper within me. It had started three years ago when my power had been sealed away by a pocket watch that I had worn as a necklace for a almost as long as I could remember. Now I could barely separate myself from it without a shot of pain lacing through my chest. I had lost my strength as a goddess, but still maintained my status on Mount Olympus as an immortal. But now I was stuck running to the Empire State Building like a mere demigod—never mind the fact that that was what I truly was underneath the divine warrior goddess.

A street lamp flickered above me, casting hazy shadows that bounced along the darkened streets. It illuminated a small alley and I glanced at it as I propelled myself towards Mount Olympus. What I saw brought me to a complete stop. Growling and staring at me with glowing red eyes was hellhound the size of a rhino.

Swearing under my breath I summoned up my sword, Riptide, one of the few things I could manage with my suppressed power. The celestial bronze gleamed eerily in the lamplight and as I grasped the hilt it was almost as if I could feel the essence of past heroes; the might of their faded force remained.

The hellhound leapt at me, its growl ripping through its massive chest. I ducked to avoid a giant paw that nearly took my head clean off and I almost laughed. Let's see you actually do it.

Almost as if it could understand that I was laughing at it, it lunged at me with renewed force. Not expecting it, I jerked back and Riptide clattered out of my hand. The hellhound howled in victory and pounced, raking its claws down my chest. I knew not to expect the pain, nor did any come. I was used to the lack of it and used to the lack of blood. No wounds have touched or marred my flesh since…since a long time ago.

The large dog reared back to take another swipe at me and I took advantage of the lack weight on my chest and rolled out from underneath it. It came down hard, cracking the pavement with its large paws, giving me time to scramble away to grab Riptide where it was lying under the street lamp. Before I could try to readjust my position, the hellhound was on me again. That thing was damn fast.

"I don't have time for this," I growled, dodging its yellow teeth that snapped at me. Instead they connected with the lamppost, breaking the pole like a toothpick. The light, now completely out, teetered delicately before falling with a groan onto the hellhound's back. It howled and bent to roll the post off of it and onto the street. I took advantage of the distraction and swung my sword down upon the neck of the hellhound. It exploded into dust.

I brushed the little particles off my bare arms in disgust. "I hope you have fun in Hades," I muttered, "although I have a sneaking suspicious that he had something to do with this."

Another thunderclap pulled me back to the here and now. Still no lightning. I took off at a moderate jog, almost to my final destination. I was especially late now and someone would be out for my blood. As if in response the sky shook with more thunder and drop of water fell on my nose.

It was absolutely pouring by the time I reached the entrance of the Empire State Building and as I stood in the lobby, dripping wet, the man sitting at the desk gave me an odd look. "Shove off," I told him, wringing out my hair.

"You better hurry," he said. "From what I can tell, Zeus is pretty angry."

The lobby was completely empty save for us two, so I found it rather necessary to let off a string of profanities including Apollo's nether regions and Hades' underwear. Ignoring my swearing, the guy at the desk tossed me the key card for the six hundredth floor. I nodded my thanks and entered the elevator.

One of the worst, yet most interesting parts of having my powers sealed was having to take the elevator to get to Mount Olympus. I mean who doesn't love have "We all live in a yellow submarine," play over and over while they're waiting to reach their destination. Things always got better when I started humming any of the Beatles' songs at the summer solstice.

The doors dinged open, revealing the almost empty streets of Olympus. It was as if the other immortals could feel the tension that lay thickly in the air and had run to take cover. A few wood nymphs in the park stared at me anxiously and I could feel my own anxiety reach out to meet theirs. I was absolutely dreading walking into the throne room, but I had no other choice. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the grand doors open.

Hermes, Apollo, Hera, Zeus, and Poseidon all turned to face me. They were all in their giant forms and their ten-foot-tall figures towered over my small frame.

"Sixteen?" my father asked, referring my appearance of age.

I shrugged. "It was all I could manage."

"Enough!" Zeus's voice boomed across the room, probably traveling to the rest of Olympus and half of New York. I wouldn't put it past him to have even Chiron over in Camp Half-Blood hear his voice.

"Geez," I said, massaging my temple, "I don't think you could've been any louder. You need to cool it, it's just small talk."

That left Zeus absolutely fuming; nobody told the King of the Gods that he needed to cool it. His stormy gray eyes met my sea green ones and I could almost see his anger grow. "My Master Bolt is missing."

"Well no shit, Sherlock," I said, gesturing to the stormy sky. "I haven't seen so much a spark of it. Though I guess it still is rather impressive that you have such a control of the sky without it."

I don't generally dish out compliments but when Zeus is mad, you start kissing ass. Among other things, I didn't want to end up being a Percy-shaped splatter on the streets of New York City. He didn't take it, though, like usual. Although this time, he was spitting mad.

After an awkward, strained minute of silence Apollo spoke up. "Who took it?"

"Who took it, indeed." Zeus's voice was grave as he turned his gaze to my father and then me.

It took only a second for me to comprehend what he was implying. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, raising my hands in a stopping motion. "You can't think that any of us did it. We're all gods here and gods can't steal each other's symbols of power."

"Are we all gods here?" Zeus questioned, staring at me intently.

My mouth dropped open. "No! You must be out of your damn mind! I have every right to be standing here as a goddess, even if my powers are sealed." I jabbed my finger at my chair in the half-circle of thrones. "Does that mean anything for you?"

Apollo quickly stepped between us, holding up his hands. "None of us can deny that you a goddess, Percy. I think what Zeus is trying to say is that-"

"That you are a good candidate to have stolen my Master Bolt!" Zeus bellowed, cutting off Apollo.

"In what aspects?" I demanded. "It can't be proven that I can now steal your Master Bolt, nor would I have the drive to do it. Think about it, why would I want to steal the symbol of your power. It doesn't make sense."

"My brother could give you a reason.

It was Poseidon's turn to be angry. My father turned to his brother, a new fury sparking in his eyes. "You think I did this, brother? Is Hades also a suspect or do you randomly think I would be the only one to have any reason to steal for you?"

Zeus opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. "Zeus, cool it," I told him for the second time that night. "This pointing of fingers won't work out for any of us."

"Pointing of fingers?" Zeus echoed. "I have good to reason to suspect Poseidon after our recent feuds."

"That was several years ago."

"Enough! If one of you doesn't return the Master Bolt soon there will be things much worst than feuding between us."

In a dramatic swish of clothing, Zeus raised his arms and his being shone brightly before he disappeared in a flash of light. I met my father's gaze and he led me out of the room. We both knew that when Zeus had said "soon" he meant by the summer solstice.

As my father shifted back to the normal human size we walked along the streets of Olympus. The residents were beginning to venture out now that they could sense that Zeus's angry presence had left. Their curious eyes followed us as we made our way to the elevator.

"Even though Zeus expects us to give it back, he's going to take things into his own hands," Poseidon said gravely, looking down upon the streets of New York. "He thinks that we had a demigod take it for us and so your children are not safe."

I frowned. "Daphne and Doris should be fine," I said, referring to my five year old twins.

"And the other one?"

"Lysander…he's at Camp Half-Blood now. It was the only place he could go since his father died." I was never one to have an army of children, just one here and there with the right guy. I lowered my voice. "And what about your daughter?"

He shifted uncomfortably. Even though he wasn't the only one to break the pact he had made with his brothers, his daughter was still part of the great prophecy that would either destroy or save Olympus. "She should be around twelve or thirteen. Percy…I haven't seen her since she was little. I have no idea how she's doing."

His face was distorted in the pain and guilt that he felt about leaving the mother and the child that he had fallen in love with so many years ago. I remembered back when she had just been born and my father had known what he was supposed to do; yet it had broken his heart to do it.

We stood on a beach, its crashing waves speaking to us, whispering secrets of the deep. Poseidon gazed to the sea, his face grim. "My brothers will realize what I've been up to if I continue with this."

I hesitate before speaking. "You have to leave them. You're putting both their lives in danger."

He finally broke his eyes away from the surf and looked at me. "She looks like you."

I snorted. "That's crazy. Babies don't look like anyone—babies look like babies."

He shook his head, smiling slightly. "She has this little tuft of black hair and these green eyes that could melt you. Exactly like you."

"If anything, I bet she looks like you."

"No," he said, still shaking his head, "she's special…like you."

"She'll be special one day, that's a definite," I sighed. "Well, unless Hades or Zeus broke the pact before you."

His face lost any hint of laughter. "If they don't get to her before then," he said, his voice soft.

"They won't." I put on a confident face for him—and for myself, too. My resolve intensified and I placed a hand on his arm. "I'll protect her for you."

Instead of helping him, something broke inside. I watched all the determination shatter into a million pieces behind his eyes. His head dropped, eyes searching for the sand. "This was a mistake," he whispered.

"A good mistake."

"Is there such thing?"

I grasped his broken determination and made it my own. "We'll create one then. It'll be the first one ever. It has to work."

The consequences were too high for it not to work. This young child's life was on the line and I was not going to force her to pay such a grand price. And the mother…the poor women had been unlucky to fall for such divine being. It was like that for all the parents of demigods: such misfortune befell them even before the child was out of high school.

"Go," I told him, "I'll take care of everything.

And now I was telling him the same thing. "Go to them. Go to Sally and…I've forgotten her name." I looked at my father, ashamed. How could I forget the name of the girl that I've worked so hard to keep safe?

"You can't forget her name if I never told you it."

What? I had no time to try and figure out the reasons behind Poseidon's secrecy. "I have to go to Camp Half-Blood." We were standing at the elevator now and I stared at it with dread; I was not looking forward to the journey that I had to take.

"Do you need help getting there?"

"You know what," I said. "I think I'm just going to catch a ride with Apollo when it's dawn."

Love it? Hate it? Want to eat it? I'm back bitches! I've been doing some little one-shots (and it wasn't even for Percy Jackson) and now I'm going to do an actual story. This story has been lingering in my head for a while now and I just had to get it on paper. Let's see where this goes.

-Jay