Detroit: Meet Percy Jackson *Complete*

Chapter 12: The Art

November 5, 2038

Percy arrived at the Manfred house carrying a plate of his mothers famous blue cookies, he was invited over because according to Markus, the older gentleman could use some social interactions that aren't part of opening some exhibits.

So, Percy was coming over for late lunch and staying until it was time to leave for the opening of a part of Carl's museum that he and Elijah had been invited to.

As Percy approached the door, the recognition system scanned him in no time and let him in without any hassle, him having been included in the system to allow to freely come and go from the house.

"Something smells good," Percy commented as he walked through the entrance way for the house and to the living room/dining room.

"Markus has made some wraps and salads for us to eat. What do you have in your hands?" Carl asked curiously as Percy set the wrapped plate on the table.

"Mom made some cookies. Thought I'd bring them over," Percy explained the excused himself from Carl for a moment.

Carl gave him a knowing smirk and waved him out of the room as he went toward the piano in the corner of the room.

Percy escaped from Carl and the teasing look in his eyes as he went to the kitchen where Markus was adding the finishing touches on the sandwiches and salads.

"Hey, Markus," Percy said as he leaned against the counter top.

"Hello, Percy. Glad you could make it," Markus honest reply made Percy smile at the android.

"Thanks for the invite. So, what should I expect to do at the Museum? Never went to one myself."

"Carl will be introducing most of the works before letting people explore the art themselves and make their own interpretations of the work. Will you be okay?" Markus asked concerned as he realized their friend didn't know much about art.

"I suppose I can figure something out," Percy replied as he tried to reassure his friend.

Markus didn't look convinced, and after some more small talk between the two, Markus lead them out of the kitchen and to the dining room.

Percy sat down and forced Markus to sit as well as Carl finished his song and joined them. "Might be a bit weird if you don't eat but you're still part of this weird family Markus, so you get to sit at the dining room table too."

Markus shook his head in exasperation, but because Carl seemed pleased with his friend and didn't courage him, Markus sat down and waited for conversation to start.

After a few seconds of digging into the food, Carl asked, "So, Percy. How is your mother and sister?"

Percy paused for a few seconds before replying. "Well, mom is still very much grieving. Between my dad, my first stepfather, and now Paul. I think it's hard for her. Few weeks ago after she got back from Paul's relatives, she came to me talking about taking a bit of a trip around the world. We had an argument from there," Percy admitted.

"About what?" Markus asked concerned.

"Well, she wanted to take Estelle with her. Should she have been younger I would've been all for it. But with her own grief mixed with school starting soon I told Mom it probably wasn't the best idea to take Estelle with her. Maybe if she wanted to do it for a few months when school got out but not when it was starting. We think we found a solution, Estelle would stay with me for the few months. The only reason I don't fully say no to the whole thing is because Paul's death is hitting her really hard and I agree that she could use some time away from Detroit. Seeing the world was something she always wanted to do, I won't discourage her. Estelle seems okay with the plan, we've been asking her if she's sure for the last few weeks. It mostly depends on how she acts on Mom's departure day if Mom really does it or not," Percy explained.

"What will Estelle be doing after school while you're working?" Carl asked curiously and a bit worried.

"She can hang out with me at the aquarium or Lucas can hang out in the apartment with her. We've been thinking it over a lot and with a bit of bringing work home, we think we can manage the place where it's just either Lucas or I covering each others shifts. If it gets too much then I might buy a nanny android but I don't particularly like the idea after Daniel's death that contributed to Paul's."

"Sounds like you're going to overwork yourself," Carl pointed out concerned, remembering what happened last time when the aquarium was just getting started. How Percy had overworked himself so much he slept for fifteen hours and ate a meal that had the whole day's calories in it.

"Maybe in the beginning, I mostly think it's just finding the middle ground and maybe having some of my workers pick up a bit more shift. I know they won't mind, they get paid by the hour and some of them have been taking on others shifts when they cancel for more hours. It also doesn't help that some of my workers moved from Detroit, so I'll have to see about getting a few workers but that'll take a few weeks to begin with," Percy explained as he drank some water.

"As long as you don't overwork yourself," Markus said worriedly.

"I won't," Percy promised with a sheepish, but grateful smile.

"Oh! Have I told you yet that Markus has made his first painting!" Carl said excitedly and Percy was instantly distracted by the small blue coloring on Markus' cheeks.

"No, you haven't," He said distractedly, wondering how long the android would feel embarrassed.

"Come, I'll show you it," Carl said as both humans had already finished their meals.

Excited, Percy followed Carl to his painting studio where the painting was standing proud against the side of the wall, waiting to be hanged up.

In the image, there were two hands waiting to grasp one another. As the darker, almost black robotic one reached down, the Caucasian skin reached up. They're hands were close to touching, as if showing that soon they would grasp one another and accept one another.

It was an image of hope, as the sun blared down on them from the top right corner, shooing the shadows keeping the hold of humanity and making them fade away into the bottom left corner.

Both hands had a past, one of abuse and destruction, but as they reached together, there was hope that even when damaged, they will live together in the shining light of the sun.

"Wow," Percy whispered looking at the image with pride. "Markus...this is...this is amazing," Percy whispered, feeling his heart swell as he turned to Markus who looked somehow uncomfortable with the praise but seemed proud in any case.

"Thank you," Markus murmured, a light blush on his cheeks.

"You really captured the hope in the painting," Percy said softly, his eyes met Markus and seemed transfixed with them.

Catching himself though, Percy glanced away from Markus with a light blush and tried to banish the unwanted thoughts that quickly invaded his mind. His eyes caught Carl who was smirking at him, rolling his eyes, Percy looked around the room and blinked at the giant painting that Carl had been working on for a long time.

"You're painting looks great too, Carl," Percy quickly said as he looked at the art in front of him.

The shading of blue seemed to capture the hidden thoughts of the face that was painted on it. Percy assumed it was a male, at least looking at the jawline he thought it was. In truth, he didn't think it was more focused on the person in the image, but rather how they were a deep shade of blue. That their personality showed something hiding underneath it.

At least, that was his interpretation of Carl's art. "Are you going to show this one?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know yet," Carl replied as the three gazed at the art.

They were shaken out of their thoughts as Markus got an alert. "We will need to leave within the next ten minutes if we want to make it to the opening on time," Markus announced.

Carl sighed, and quickly excused himself to get changed, Markus followed him obediently in order to help the old man when he needed it.

Percy waited from where he was, glancing at Markus' art once more, he had a feeling that Markus will change the world. He didn't know where it came from, but just looking at the picture, the hope that was resonating off of it, Percy knew that Markus will change the world.

He just didn't know how true his prediction would be.