Flash Flood (A Percy Jackson / Flash Crossover)

Chapter One - Percy

Percy stepped off of the train and onto the platform, his parents right in front of him with their luggage. He had his own bag, a duffle, in his hands. "This is the last chance you have to get rid of me," he warned as he walked beside his mom.

Sally shook her head. "Now I'm starting to think that you don't want to be here," she said in a teasing tone, a light smile playing on her lips.

In a place that had a black hole looming over it a few months ago? Percy thought. He was tempted to reply with that answer, but thought better of it. "Of course I want to be here, mom. I'm just worried."

"Well, stop worrying," Percy's step dad, Paul, advised. He continued, "Everything will be fine. Besides, we're here to have a good time and to celebrate with your mom."

The last few books Sally had written and released had done remarkably well. She'd earned the attention of quite a few people and publishers. She had decided to attend an author expo, where she could participate in a panel with other authors and could do a book signing, so she could meet some of her fans. That was why they were in Central City. It was where the expo would be taking place over the next few days. Percy was proud of his mom. She'd worked hard to get to where she was now and it was paying off. And he DID want to be there. He was just worried about what would happen if any monsters showed up. Hopefully, he hadn't angered any Greek gods or spirits lately, so they wouldn't send any after him.

"Okay," he breathed, trying to loosen up. "So, do we know how far away the hotel is?"

"Not too far," Paul answered as he walked, pulling his suitcase along. "It's about five blocks away. We'll get there in a few minutes."

Together, they walked out of the station. Percy hailed a taxi and they all got in. "What days will you be at the expo?" He asked. He knew that she'd told him at some point, but couldn't remember off of the top of his head. Better to ask than to get it wrong.

"Friday and Saturday," Sally answered from beside him. "That gives us a few days to get used to the city and look around. Who knows," her eyes shined as she spoke, "maybe we'll get a glimpse of the mysterious Flash."

The Flash. Right, Percy remembered Paul learning about the red blur right before they left Manhattan. Not much was known about the speedster. He liked red though, apparently. Normally, Percy would dismiss it as a hoax, but after dealing with Greek gods, three-headed dogs, and man-eating horses, he was more open minded. A speedy superhero could be possible.

They talked more about Sally's schedule and things they wanted to see the rest of the car ride. Paul really wanted to get a look at S.T.A.R. Labs, even though it was a quarantine area and, most likely, had high amounts of radiation around it. Percy, of course, wanted to see go to shore if at all possible. Sally just wanted to walk around, take in the sights. Hopefully, they'd have enough time to do all of that. They had a little over a week. It was Sunday and they would leave next Monday.

As they got closer to the hotel, Percy noticed his mom's behavior changing. It was only tiny things, but he knew her well enough that he spotted them. How she would glance at him, then quickly look out the window. How she seemed to be controlling her smile. Percy couldn't tell if anything was up with his step dad, since Paul was sitting up front in the passenger's seat. It was hard to judge if they were up to something or just happy. Still, Percy was suspicious.

When they reached their destination, they got out of the taxi and took their luggage out of the trunk. Paul paid and tipped the driver, then led the small family into the hotel. While the two adults immediately went to the check-in counter, Percy wandered off a little ways to look at the fish tank that was in the lobby. Immediately, all of the fish swam over to the side of the tank he was on, chattering excitedly.