Reading is Fundamental

II - Percy - Making Friends

Warnings: None

Reyna marched outside, leaving Percy alone with Hazel and Frank.

"They're coming down right in the forum," Frank said nervously. "Terminus is going to have a heart attack."

"Percy," Hazel said, "you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, Octavian is going to kill you. You know that, right?"

Percy smiled. He knew the stakes were high. He knew this day could go horribly wrong. But he also knew that Annabeth was on that ship. If things went right, this would be the best day of his life.

He threw one arm around Hazel and one arm around Frank.

"Come on," he said. "Let me introduce-"

A shock of blinding white light exploded around him, cutting off his words. When his vision started to clear, he warily scanned his surroundings. He was on Olympus somehow; not his favorite place to be teleported to, but not necessarily an immediate danger. Someone gasped and he looked over to find a very strange group of people staring at him.

A familiar face pushed her way through the crowd.

"Percy!" Annabeth demanded, running over to him.

"Annabeth, oh my gods!" Percy exclaimed, laughing a little as she wrapped him in a hug. This wasn't quite the reunion he was expecting, but he would certainly take it. "Hey Wise Girl," he said, "did you miss me?"

But then Annabeth pulled away. She held him at arms length by his shoulders and quickly looked him over. "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

Percy smiled at her lovingly. "I'm fine, barely hurt at all," he said.

Annabeth took a full step back, relieved but angry. She brought a hand up, and slapped him across the face. "Where the Hades have you been?" she yelled.

Percy doubled over a bit. He grabbed his cheek and let out a pained laugh. "Styx, Wise Girl, you can pack a punch."

This time when she reached out, Annabeth pulled her boyfriend into another hug. "Oh you Seaweed Brain," she sighed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Annabeth."

Someone coughed, and Percy let go. He glanced back to see the entire olympian council looking his way.

"Uhh, hi," he said meekly.

No one replied.

Nico approached quickly, his shoes echoing in the silent hall. "What date is it?" he asked, rather abruptly.

Percy looked at him strangely, still holding an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Uhh, Wednesday? I don't know, I've been a bit busy..."

"No," Nico interrupted, "like, month, year."

His confusion only increased. "It's June, dude, like early June, and uh.. 2010."

"Oh," Nico said, looking a bit surprised. "Sorry," he said, taking a step back, "just- for a second I thought you were the one from my time."

"'From your time'?" Percy repeated. "What do you mean time travel or something?" he laughed. None of the others joined in.

"Actually, yeah," Nico said, perfectly serious.

Percy's eyes widened for half a second. He glanced back at the council, appraising them, but his eye caught on a few decorative pillars that he very clearly remembered being smashed to dust during the fight with Kronos. "So then, this is the throne room from...before," he said, sending a pointed look at Nico, and then Annabeth.