The Big Three (A Percy Jackson and 39 Clues Crossover)

Chapter-4

Dan and Percy got in the backseat of the car and took off for the mansion.

     "So, supposedly, I can control water?" Dan asked.

     "Probably. But you'd have to learn to control your powers or . . . Well, it won't be pretty," Percy replied.

     "Why?"

     "Well, let's just say that with that kind of power, incredible progress can be made or incredible destruction depending on how you use it," Percy said.

     "Let's hope for incredible progress," Dan said. "I know another thing that is exactly like our powers. Incredible progress or destruction."

     "What is it?" Percy asked, mystified.

     "Well . . . um . . .," Dan said then sighed. "Well, you told us about your world, I'll tell you about ours. You know we're Cahills, right? Well, that word's more than just a surname. See, about 500 years ago, my ancestor, Gideon Cahill was working on a cure for the plague. He created a serum that cured people of the plague but also had some unexpected side-effects. The person who drank the serum got totally enhanced in every part of the human body. This was called the master serum. But Gideon divided the serum into four parts, one that gave unlimited intelligence, another creativity, strength and finally tactical-skills, and gave it to each of his kids. Katherine, Jane, Thomas and Luke. Well, eventually they spread out all over the world and gave their enhanced powers to their kids and so on and the four branches were born. Over the course of human civilization, mostly every great inventor, painter, creator, world leader and warrior are Cahills. And over the course of these 500 years, the Cahill branches have been lying, backstabbing and murdering to get the Master Serum. And a year ago, a Clue Hunt took place in which the teams had a chance to win the Master Serum. Long story short, me and Amy won the Master Serum. But we destroyed it since it was too much a power to even think about."

     Percy blinked. "So, you have the Master Serum?"

     Dan hesitated. "No . . . No we don't."

     "So, which branch do you belong to?" Percy asked. Dan thought Percy was taking this Cahill wacko stuff awfully calmly.

     "I'm a Madrigal. The fifth branch of the Cahills descended from Madeleine Cahill. After the four big-shot Cahills scattered around the world, Olivia, Gideon's wife, had a fifth child," Dan replied.

     "And what are Madrigals specialising in?"

     "Nothing. The serum was destroyed after the four Cahills took them. We're not enhanced or anything, we keep the family branches together," Dan said. "But don't think just because we want peace that we're always peaceful or something. Even those stupid Lucians are scared of us."

     "So why's this Master Serum so important?" Percy asked.

     "Dude! Don't you get it? Whoever takes the Serum will be absolutely, completely unstoppable! They'll have the strength of an Army, the intelligence of a hundred Einsteins, the creativity of a rembrandt, Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci put together and the skills of the world's best strategists and world leaders! All rolled into one!" Dan exclaimed.

     "Woah, so a lot of power, then. I can see why this serum would be worth fighting for," Percy said.

     Dan snorted. "Fighting is just scratching the surface." And suddenly Dan's face fell. "Our parents died because of it."

     Percy knew better than to say something cliche and stupid like, "I'm so sorry!" or "My sympathies are with you!" Instead he nodded. "Yeah. Usually the saying is "With great power comes great responsibilty" but I think it should be "With great power comes great misery and sacrifice."