When Things Fall Apart

Chapter Twelve

Percy Jackson was hiding somewhere in Washington. He avoided everything. He tried not to touch anything, as it could start off a whole series of events and lead to that "breaking of the universal fabric". No one saw him. As far as he could tell, no one was looking for him.

When he did need to do things, such as eating, he took a very calculated approach. He only ate wild berries and mushrooms, which was a gamble on his own. Also, he noticed his invincibility was gone as well, leaving him quite susceptible to anything.

As for his future, he didn't have any idea what he was going to do. He thought about living alone, like a hermit who was never seen again. However, he hated the idea of that. He wondered if he should just keep eating the mushrooms until he found one that ended his life. Hopefully that would spare him from this misfortune.

So he kept walking in the forests. He tended to sleep during the day and walk at night, hoping to avoid anyone even looking at him. He didn't know how much damage he could do. However, that came at a couple of costs. He had trouble finding his way through the forest. When he was with the hunters, they seemed to do it easily. However, he kept tripping and skidding his legs on rocks and branches.

But that wasn't the only reason going at night was miserable. Every night, he had to look up to the moon for guidance. And that reminded him of Artemis. He would always think back to the moment before he jumped into Tartarus. Would it have been so bad? Hyperion would have been down there, but it's not like he could have enjoyed it. He could have left with Artemis and have the chance to talk to her, at least. The face she made when he let himself fall haunted his memories. She was so beautiful, yet scared and concerned. And he fell away from that. And now he was never going to see her or anyone else again.

He walked up by a large mushroom growing in the ground. He hadn't seen this one before, but he was willing to take the risk. He plucked it out of the ground and was about to eat it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Percy looked around quickly. His heart immediately started to pound heavily in his chest. If this person interacted with him anymore, they could lose their destiny, and then either spread it, or... he would have to prevent that from happening.

"Go away, now. It's for your own good. Pretend you never saw me, go!" he called into the darkness, not knowing where the voice came from.

The voice just chuckled a little bit and laughed. "Ha ha, there's nothing to be afraid of, Percy. Not with me, after all."

Percy backed into a tree, looking around him. He started to reach for Riptide. "Please, just go. I don't want to cause you any harm."

The voiced snickered some more. "Oh Percy, don't be afraid." Immediately, something... rather, someone, flashed in front of him. It was a man, wearing all white. His skin was pale, it seemed to match his outfit. His hair was brown and about the length of Percy's. In his right hand was a staff of some sort. On the wrist of his other hand was a watch that Percy had never seen before. It had all of these different movements, and a skeleton body, so all the gears could be seen.

"Who-who are you?" Percy asked, with a bit of fear laced in his voice. He was in a vulnerable position after all, without the curse of Achilles.

"You and I probably shouldn't get along, that's for sure," the man joked. Percy looked into his eyes and was amazed. They looked like galaxies.

"After all, I am the stability of the universe. And you, well... it seems like you are destroying that, Mr. 'Defying Fate'," he quipped. Percy just stood there.

"It's alright though. I've always had sympathy for the Earthlings, especially the demigods. You guys have it rough. You're like mortals with more responsibility. Like gods with more weaknesses. And that's not including being their play things. I knew things would go bad when you performed that fading spell. Because you are not in line with fate, whoever you meet will be encountering a 'loose cause', and be thrown off of their trajectory. Hmm, I believe Aristotle called that the telos. Clever guy, Aristotle. Plato was too, but Socrates was my favorite for sure," he mused to himself.