Chapter Text
Percy had always known her dad loved her, he wasn’t present in her life but she didn’t need him to be. Just like mom was a best selling author, but loved living in a small apartment opposite one stinky Gabe Ugliano, it didn’t make sense but it was what it was. Life, her mom told her, was illogical. People didn’t get everything they wanted but that shouldn’t stop them from working towards happiness. Happiness was state of mind, a choice and a lot of hard work. Percy had left the conversation confused but enlightened. After talking to her private tutors, who helped her work with her learning disabilities, she learned people like her mom were called eccentric rich people. Her tutor too, eyed their living situation but was willing to forgo her questions for the sake of her pay check.
So, Percy decided, both her parents were eccentric rich people. Her yearly, lavish, birthday presents alongside the letters praising her school work, and other questionable incidents she swore she told no one about, certainly affirmed that notion. Pearls, gold and silver jewellery, diamonds and dresses fit for a princess were welcomed into her home. Her dad may be absent but he definitely kept an eye on her, and if his letters were to be believed, he was absurdly proud of her admittedly average grades. But, Percy listened to her mother, she didn’t have to earn happiness or their pride but had to work for it anyway. So she threw herself harder into her sword fighting lessons, exams, extra curricular work and learned to enjoy herself. Her peers in private school were in a similar situation, so she made friends and lived her life day by day, joy colouring the pages of her diary until the day everything changed.
She helped a bullied student named Grover, despite her friend’s advice and landed up running from a Minotaur, in her mom’s crazy expensive sports car. They made it to the camp on time but the moment she entered the boundaries her mom disappeared in a flash of gold before the monster could get to her. Percy was inconsolable as it rained and a flashy trident appeared, her ex-teacher, now a centaur called her a daughter of Poseidon before leading her to her cabin. It only took a few days before she understood that this was a completely different world than what she knew, and agreed to take on the quest to save her mom.
Armed with a sword, she and her new friends went to the underworld, fought a god and took back the lightning bolt. Uncle Zeus’ disdain aside, she was relieved knowing her mom would be safe and she had succeeded. Her dad gently led her away afterwards, and she swore she felt a faint pressure like they were being watched. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she started crying when he pulled her into a hug.
Her dad was everything she imagined him to be, he had black hair and green eyes like her and gave great hugs. “I am so sorry for not being able to protect you completely my child,” he sounded truly apologetic as her eyes burned with more tears, and she clung to him harder. She knew there were rules, and he did help her in her quest multiple times anyway, so Percy decided to forgive him. Later, when she was back with her mom, safe and somehow making sense of the new world she was thrust into, she decided she didn’t like King Zeus. Her other uncle, King Hades, kept up his part of the deal and simultaneously kept her mom safe and returned her when Percy helped him get his Helm back. The adventure was over but the thought that she wasn’t actually paid anything by her uncle, kept lingering in the back of her head. Her plans had changed forever with her being a demigod. Getting a normal job was not feasible in the future, not as a big three child. This would be her life and career from now on. The master bolt situation with Zeus… She smacked her lips, was this the legendary scamming the services of workers for the sake of “exposure” and “honour” that she had heard about?
Her mom made it a big deal to show her that proper financial remuneration was important when they were acquiring services from other people. Had she risked her life multiple times, endured slander both mortal and godly and returned the most deadly weapon in the world, all for the low price of ‘letting her live’? No. Percy was not at all content with the status quo. Was this it? Would she keep helping him for free for the rest of her days as long as he let her live?
The thought kept becoming bigger and bigger in her mind, waiting to burst out. She had just asked Clarisse, Annabeth and Grover to leave with the Golden Fleece assuring them she would be safe near the oceans. Percy thought to herself, once again she would be saving the King’s daughter, for no recognition or payment. The fact that Zeus let Tantalus serve as the Activities Director at camp just soured her opinion of him further. Percy despaired, her future looked like Chiron’s, servitude to a set of ungrateful gods and their god-king while living off of her parents. She knew she had to take a stand before things got worse, they didn’t feel bad for treating a twelve year old this way, imagine when she was twenty! Thus, she did the craziest thing till date in her short life, and threw a coin, Iris messaging her half-brother, Prince Triton.
When the call connected, she was surprised that it worked and looking at his unamused face, peering at her unhappily she coughed and quickly explained the situation.
“So you are going to confront this traitor soon.” He said evenly, she was uncomfortable with his tone, but knew it was her who called him for a favour.
“And you want my help capturing him.” Seeing that he was quickly losing interest she added, “Luke is important to his father, Lord Hermes, and isn’t he the good of diplomacy, trade and messages on land?” Something flickered, attention probably, and went away.
Triton, hmmm’ed, “So how does that matter to me?”
Percy then explained her plan to him, properly, “Last year I did a quest to save the master bolt for the King and received nothing. This year, I once again retrieved the fleece to save his now - tree, daughter, and will receive no compensation from him. If Lord Hermes is his emissary, I want someone to negotiate payment for me and the services I rendered for him.”
Triton finally raised his brow, “You think you can negotiate from a stronger position if you capture his wayward son.”
She nodded, “I am technically of the ocean and your subject. Other than our father, you are the only authority that can negotiate with our uncle’s messenger.” An idea flashed in her mind. “Did dad ask for anything other than an apology last year?”
He scowled, “No.”
Percy knew she would have him after this, “Then you can include last year’s quest and negotiate something for the ocean.”
He looked at her suspiciously hearing that, “What exactly do you want then?”
Percy had thought over this extensively, “If it’s possible, a pouch that can hold a lot of my things and weapons and still remain small, a lot of nectar and ambrosia, a few weapons, gold and silver in currency and jewellery. Whatever can measure up to the price of my quests.”
He stared at her for a few moments and agreed. So when the Party Ponies interrupted her meeting and a golden light flashed and handcuffed Luke, she didn’t feel surprised, just vindicated when Lord Hermes appeared immediately after.