the great wave | percy jackson

𝑖 - perseus

Percy may not know who the boy standing in front of him was, or where he came from, or why he looked like he was about to piss his pants as he took Percy in, but what he did know was that some way, some how, he was familiar. It wasn't because he looked anything like Hazel, no. The boy was pale, with messy black hair and dark eyes ringed in purple shadows that were nothing like his sister's luminous golden ones (which was a really pretty color, Percy thought). He was scrawny and dressed like an emo kid, with chains and skulls all over. Definitely son-of-Pluto vibes.

They shook hands, and Percy's eyes zeroed in on the ring sitting on the shorter boy's right knuckle. His skin tingled as it made contact with the dark metal, a similar feeling as to when he touched the chain around his neck, which he found himself doing absentmindedly a lot. His brow knitted in concentration.

"I--I know you," he decided.

Nico raised his eyebrows. "Do you?" He looked at Hazel.

"Um..." Hazel said uncomfortably. "Percy's lost his memory." She explained what had happened since Percy made it to the Caldecott Tunnel.

"So, Nico..." she continued carefully, "I thought... you know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before or..."

Nico scowled and Hazel backed off. The message was clear: Drop it. Kid certainly had a glower, Percy would give him that.

"Anyways, uh," the older boy spoke up. "You're a son of H-Pluto, right?"

Nico nodded.

"Maybe you can help me with something. When I woke up, the only thing in my head was the word Asphodel. Does that mean anything to you?"

Nico winced. Percy got excited, he obviously knew something. Hazel looked at Nico with a panicked expression, to which he imperceptibly shook his head.

"Um, well, the Fields of Asphodel are a region of the Underworld. Where the not-good-not-bad people go." He side-eyed Hazel cautiously. Percy wondered what was with them looking at each other like that, however too consumed by his thoughts to question it any further.

"Fields... Fields..." He mused. The phrase sounded so familiar. Fields and Asphodel obviously went together, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it meant something more to him. He wondered if it had anything to do with the angel he'd been seeing in his dreams. Maybe...

"Could it... could it be a name?" He asked, expression brightening. "Like a person?"

Nico shuffled from side to side, eyes wandering to anything but Percy. "Well, I suppose. Would be a pretty weird one, though."

"What about your sister?" Hazel piped in. Another one? "Couldn't you ask--" Percy jumped as Nico yelped, cutting her off, and shook his head violently before quickly changing the subject. "This story about Gaea's army. You warned Reyna?"

That was an effective diversion from Percy's building migraine, head aching with the strain of memory. They discussed the threat of the Earth Mother and the giants for a while, Hazel and Nico skirting around their real problem: Death was chained and his doors were wide open. For some reason, the idea scared the shit out of Percy, as if it threatened something at the core of his very existence. Just as Hazel was working up the courage to mention it, Frank interrupted them by shouting from down the hill.

When he reached the shrine, he greeted her brother. "Hey, Nico!"

"Frank," Nico smiled.

"Reyna sent me to get Percy," Frank explained. "Did Octavian accept you?"

"Yeah." Percy pouted. "He slaughtered my pillow pet." He knew it was dumb, but he really liked that fluffy old sheep. It was comforting.

"He... Oh, for the augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. But you're in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster."

The sun was just getting low over the hills.

"You're right," Hazel said, "We'd better--"

"Frank," Nico interrupted, "why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I will be along soon."

Hazel tried not to look nervous. "That's--that's a good idea. Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up."

Percy looked Nico over one more time, still trying to place the memory. "I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling--"

"Sure," Nico agreed a little too quickly. "Later. I'll be staying overnight."

"You will?" Hazel blurted.

"Go on, Percy. Settle in." Finally, he turned towards Hazel. "My little sister and I need to talk."

₪₪₪

An hour or so later, Percy, Hazel, and Frank were sitting at the Fifth Cohort's table discussing dyslexia.

"I wish I was ADHD or dyslexic," Frank sighed. "All I got is lactose intolerance."

Percy grinned. "Seriously?"

The burly boy pouted, shoulders slumping. "And I love ice cream, too..."

"Do you want a Lactaid?" Percy asked out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Both Hazel and Frank blinked at him.

The son of Neptune patted his pockets and produced a beat-up looking white packet triumphantly. "A-ha!"

"Why do you have this?" Frank marveled, taking it from him gratefully. No way was he actually going to use it, the thing looked old and crusty af, but he appreciated the gesture.

"I always have some on me," his new friend said enthusiastically before frowning. "Huh. I... I don't really remember why."

Hazel, who thought this whole interaction was unbearably cute, smiled gently. "Maybe someone you know is lactose intolerant," she offered. "A family member, perhaps, or a significant other?"

Percy perked up. "Yeah! That could be... hmmm." He looked down at his bowl, which held some kind of vegetarian noodle dish that Frank had identified as Vietnamese. For some unknown reason the hot sauce on top formed a janky heart, which for some unknown reason also made him really happy, like the blue soda.

"Do I have a girlfriend?" He mumbled to himself, not really intending for the other two to hear, but they did. Frank and Hazel exchanged a sad look. They may not know the answer to his question, or where he came from or who he was, but it was clear to see any which way the wind blew that Percy Jackson was missing someone very, very badly.

And so they spent the rest of night trying to cheer him up, and it worked, and he appreciated it, and so on that day, a new little family was formed.