Child of The Road - PJO Fanfic

Chapter 1

Percy Jackson lets his legs take him wherever they want. He will eventually end up at his mother's apartment in Manhattan, but he's got a couple hours to waste before that. Although like always, his brain is hyperaware of his environment, he's allowed himself to relax slightly and appreciate the mundane of New York. All these people unaware of the whole other world that exists around them and has existed for more than 3,000 years. Unaware of the battles, the dangers and the amount of times the world "didn't end". The concrete jungle rises up around him with patches of green dotted around. He knows no nature spirits would call them home. There's not enough natural life here.

Percy is 17 and having returned from the long journey to fulfill the prophecy of the Seven, has returned to New York to finish his schooling. A bore yes, but he knows it needs to be done. He'll be attending Trevor Day School, it being the closest to his Mom's apartment. His Mom says it's a good school that will accommodate his battle instincts, which mortals would understand as being ADHD. He's still got two weeks of summer break left, but he just wants to start the year and get it over with. He's been sitting still, not doing anything for too long now. It's strange how used to the gods using him or sending him on murder errands he has become. The absence of quests makes him anxious. It is what he asked for though. Some peace and quiet. He still doesn't know what he'll do once he finishes school. Annabeth will still have three and a half years left of her schooling, but he'll find something. Or more likely the gods will break their promise and find something.

"I should be able to get through the rest this year without blowing up a school. I think they'd appreciate that," he says quietly to himself. He has the remainder of this year and another to go. His mother wanted him kept back a year on account of him missing so much of his schooling, but the school wouldn't allow that, much to his relief.

His mind wonders to his friends, some of the most important people in his life. Jason and Reyna are both still Praetors at New Rome and Piper decided to go back to New Rome with Jason. Frank and Hazel are both at New Rome too and are getting along fine from what he's been told. Nico is doing Nico things, probably much to Will's annoyance, who's searching for new demigods under Chiron's guidance. Too many satyrs died in the war, so a chosen few members of the Hermes and Hecate cabins are working together to find new demigods and bring them back with the aid of the few Iris demigods at camp. Leo is still lost and even though Percy hates admitting it, the energetic son of Hephaestus is probably dead. He doesn't dwell too much on that thought.

His mind turns to Camp Half-Blood and New Rome. The relationship between the Greek and Roman camps was strengthened by their shared experience in the war against Gaea. That's not to say there is no longer mistrust or animosity, but the two camps are learning move past their differences and work together as one. Percy himself is quite happy about how far the camps have come, being one of a few "ambassadors" between the camps. At least, that's what he heard some of the younger campers call him, Jason, Reyna and Nico. He knows there is a long way to go, but it's coming along. Slowly.

After a while of walking aimlessly, he decides he wants ice cream. He heads to a quaint little ice cream parlour on a nearby corner. It sells blueberry ice cream that makes your tongue proper blue. Who wouldn't love that?! He pays with American dollars, which still feels weird after so long using only drachmas. Sitting on a nearby park bench, he eats contentedly and manages to not get any of the staining ice cream on his shirt. Since coming back to stay with his mother and Paul, he finds himself in parks often, mainly Central Park. Being only about a 10 minute walk away from home, it's the closest he can get to the natural beauty of camp, without actually going to camp. There are a large enough amount of nature spirits too, which is always comforting to him.

The Greek world has been quiet lately, including the gods. Not many monsters are forming, probably on account of the Seven defeating Gaea, so Camp Half-Blood has been focused on rebuilding and training new demigods. Percy has been enjoying the break, but he has a slight feeling of apprehension. Something is coming. But then again, something's always coming, so Percy doesn't let it worry him. He focuses on the calm that is his life now, while it lasts.