Chapter One

Now just a heads up, before reading this fanfic. Percy and Annabeth are around 22 years old in this story. I know they will sound more OC than their actual selves but I thought they might have changed slightly being older and, well, not Demigods. I will try and add as many of their characteristics in as I can later on, just be patient.

As always, these characters do not belong to me.

SLAM.

Percy threw his opponent and half-brother, Tyson, onto the ground from over his shoulder. Percy grinned down at Tyson, slightly out of breath. Tyson frowned up at Percy, massaging his jaw and groaning with indignation. Percy's smiled broadened as he lent down, giving his brother a hand up. Standing side-by-side, no one could believe that Tyson was Percy's younger half-brother. It looked more like Tyson was Percy's older brother by at least ten years.

'Again,' Tyson muttered angrily, shuffling over to the bench and coming back with two wooden training batons.

'Are you sure, bro? I mean, I don't want to beat your arse again,' Percy called to him with a smirk.

Tyson just grunted, throwing Percy one of the batons before attacking him. Percy laughed at the cheap trick, narrowly avoiding getting his ear smothered by a good strike from Tyson. They continued to parry with each other, their blows becoming stronger and faster as they tried to best each other.

Percy blocked all of Tyson's advantages, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Percy didn't have to wait long before Tyson took a wild swing at his head out of sheer frustration. Percy ducked, spinning so that he was behind Tyson. As Tyson turned to face him, Percy knocked the baton out of his hand. Defenceless, Tyson threw a punch that Percy blocked, before sweeping his legs out from beneath him, so Tyson went tumbling to the floor.

Percy smiled down at Tyson, who grudgingly smiled back and let Percy help him to his feet.

'I'll tell you what brother, you can sure dish out the fight but your studying still needs a bit of work,' Tyson told him, gently shoving Percy in the shoulder. Tyson's gentle was far from Percy's definition of the word. Percy stumbled forward a few steps.

'I think my fighting and instinct makes up for that fact, you know,' Percy retorted, grabbing his training bag and heading for the locker rooms. 'The reason Poseidon is one of the top ranked academies is for their fighting ability, unlike Athena who tries to strategize everything beforehand.' Percy scowled as he thought of a particular curly blonde haired Athena student.

Tyson smirked when he saw Percy scowl. 'Just because you can't stand one student from Athena doesn't mean they are a bad academy.'

Percy was the one to grunt this time, pushing open the door to the locker rooms with more force than necessary. He nodded at a few of the other students but continued to his favourite locker at the back of the room.

'They are actually a pretty good academy to be honest,' Tyson continued as Percy began to change out of his training gear. 'It's just because the feud between our bosses is so fierce that we seem to be at each other's throats.'

'And because they think they're smarter than us and more equipped than us and –,'

'Alright, alright. I can see you do not like them at all,' Tyson interrupted with a laugh. 'I'm just telling you that you can think one of them is annoying but still respect them.'

Percy was saved a reply when one of the other younger new recruits came over. 'Percy Jackson, you are … um, wanted by Chiron immediately.'

'Chiron?' Percy repeated with a frown, sharing a puzzled look with Tyson. 'He's head of the firm. What does he want with me?'

'Maybe he's going to give you another assignment,' Tyson suggested with a shrug. 'Must be serious, though, if he's asking for you directly. You should probably head off.'

'Yeah,' Percy said distractedly, still in thought. He looked up to the student gawking at him still. 'Um, thanks for delivering the message,' he told the student, who was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable.

'Did you really go on field assignments when you were only sixteen?' he asked quietly.

Percy sighed while Tyson tried to keep from smiling. 'Yes, I did. To stake out a lady who liked to subjugate her victims to stone. Called herself the Gorgon which then led to rescuing a friend who was kidnapped by someone who could have been related to Tyson; he was that big. Of course, that led me to try and find a way out of a maze. All in the space of a few years.'

The student's eyes grew wider and Percy found it hard not to roll his own. It was true he had become one of the best field agents Poseidon had ever produced but he was only trying to save people who needed his help. With the case of his kidnapped friend, there was no way Percy was going to sit back and let Grover be killed because of him. He never wanted to be dubbed infamous for just helping.

'Well, I'd best be off,' Percy shrugged, fist pumping Tyson.

'Be careful,' Tyson replied, grabbing his gear. 'I was called to work in the construction and engineering lab for the next couple of months. I'll try and talk to you whenever I can.'

Percy nodded, shouldering his bag and wandered away. Whatever it was that Chiron wanted him for, must have been serious, thought Percy.

'Annabeth, you can not be serious!' Thalia cried to the curly blonde haired girl sitting at the desk, going over leaflets. Annabeth looked up to the girl that sat upon the said desk, resting her feet on the back of the chair that was supplied for her.

Annabeth had to hand it to Thalia. She was just as rebellious as she looked. Short, spiky hair, dark eyeliner with multiple ear piercings on both ears and dowsed in a leather jacket with jeans, leathered boots and leather wristbands. The only sign that she was part of the group of elite fighters known as 'The Hunters', was the laurel she was given by their leader herself, Artemis.

'Thals, you know that I had to do this assignment and it could take a long time,' Annabeth began with a sigh.

She had braced for this argument when she heard Thalia had entered the academy. She just hoped Thalia wasn't going to start destroying her room. It was still recuperating from its last decorative fight with her.

'Yeah and you knew this was my only free day before I went on assignment,' Thalia snapped, tilting her chair back and forth with her feet. 'It could be weeks before we could catch up again.'

'I know and I'm sorry but my line of work is important too, just as you know,' Annabeth added pointedly.

'Yes, I know,' Thalia replied with a sigh.

Thalia used to work with the major academy run by a man only known by the name, 'Zeus' but was offered the job with Artemis once she turned eighteen after working on an assignment. She accepted almost immediately, owing thanks in part to Annabeth. Annabeth and Thalia were teamed together for the assignment that got Thalia accredited for 'The Hunters'. Annabeth was offered a spot there also but she turned it down, happy just to be acknowledged for completing her task with near perfection.

'Besides, we are still hanging out together, just –,'

'Not in the way we wanted to,' Thalia finished, hearing this all of the time. Annabeth smiled knowingly at Thalia's tone, going back to the leaflets.

Thalia pouted. 'You used to be fun when all we were doing was kicking arse and we weren't one of the top field agents this firm has to offer.' Annabeth looked up again, her expression chastising which made Thalia laugh. 'Well it's true. I don't know why you're looking at me like that.'

'Just because we don't seem to have as much fun as we used to –,'

'Um, Annabeth?' A girl's voice interrupted them. Annabeth turned as Thalia looked up. A small girl in her mid-teens stood in the doorway of Annabeth's room. She looked shy as she approached the two of them, especially when she looked at Thalia. 'You have a message from Chiron.'

'Chiron?' Annabeth asked, taking the small envelope from the girl. 'He wants me to meet him in his office immediately,' she told Thalia, looking confused.

Thalia looked at the note and with a sigh. She leapt from the desk. 'Looks like we'll just have to hang out when I get back.'

Annabeth hugged her friend before grabbing her jacket and the Yankees cap she wore as a good luck charm. 'I wonder what assignment it'll be this time?'

'I wonder if you'll be partnered with anyone,' Thalia added with a smirk. 'They'll have to be alright with taking a back seat.'

Annabeth smiled at her friend's insult. 'I always get my way, Thals. Don't you worry about that.'