Coming of Age Ch. 30 (Percy Jackson) (Patreon)

A/N: Percy tells all.

-x-X-x-

“… You had sex with the Nereid?”

Percy tilts his head to the side, a little surprised that out of everything he’d just told his three companions, that was what Annabeth chose to focus on. Then again, neither Clarisse nor Grover were actually speaking up either, so it seemed they were focusing on it as well. Grover in particular looked a little… strained.

“Uh… yes. Yeah. Sorry?”

Annabeth shakes her head at that.

“No, no need to apologize. I’m just jealous. Though I’m not sure if I’m more jealous of you or the Nereid to be honest…”

Percy blinks at that. Was Annabeth saying…? Aaaand now he was picturing her and the Nereid going at it. Kind of hot, truth be told. A light flush begins to spread across his cheeks when Clarisse bluntly butts in.

“I could fuck you underwater. I-If you wanted…”

She loses some steam there in the middle, seeming to realize what she’s saying as she blushes and averts her gaze. It would seem Clarisse is also jealous, but more of the Nereid then Percy. She’s also probably recognizing that there are limitations to what she and he can do together sexually. Then again, Percy feels like as a Son of Poseidon he could probably figure out a way to make it work…

Grover stays quiet. He looks a little distressed, but he doesn’t say a word, even as Percy finds himself starting to wonder if telling his companions everything that happened down there might have been a mistake after all. But he’d figured they should know everything, including about the sex, because they were more aware of the greater world than him and maybe they could have told him if the Nereid was trying to slowly transform him into a merman or something or setting up some diabolical thing for later.

… Yeah, in hindsight Percy didn’t really know what he was thinking. Either way though, it seemed like it was up to him to get the group back on track here.

“Guys? Uh, there’s the rest of what the Nereid and I talked about as well. The part where she told me that we needed to go to West Hollywood and find DOA Recording Studios? We have to go to the Underworld here. I mean… do we even have a chance?”

At his worried tone, Annabeth and Clarisse snap out of it at least, the former nodding sharply and the latter focusing up.

“Right, the Underworld. I mean… it’s like the Nereid said. There have been others who survived the Underworld. It’s not easy though. Not by a long shot. But… what other choice do we have?”

Not exactly the ringing endorsement that Percy was hoping for, but Annabeth was right. What other choice did they have? He’d even considered it back there at the edge of the sandbar. Leaping down, abandoning his quest, and joining his father in his kingdom. But doing so now was no more viable than doing so then had been. If they didn’t do this, then Poseidon and Zeus were going to war. And that was bad for everyone involved.

Of course, Annabeth isn’t done being the bearer of bad news now that she’s not quite so focused on his underwater romp with the Nereid.

“Those pearls, Percy… no gift comes without a price.”

Aha! See, this is why he told them everything! So they could help him out like this!

“What do you mean?”

Annabeth sighs.

“It’s that old saying. ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’. Most people don’t know it, but that’s ancient Greek saying that just so happens to translate pretty well into English. There will definitely be a price attached to those pearls… even if you don’t ever use them.”

Taking the four pearls out of his pocket, Percy narrows his eyes in thought as he stares down at them for a moment. The milky sphere rolls in his palm as he thumbs them and sighs.

“Well… we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it I suppose.”

Annabeth furrows her brow.

“Isn’t the phrase ‘cross that bridge when we get to it’?”

But Percy just gives her a crooked sort of grin.

“I know what I said, Wise Girl.”

At his term of endearment for her, Annabeth colors a little and huffs, crossing her arms over her chest while rolling her eyes.

“Seaweed Brain.”

That felt more applicable than usual given he just got done having sex with a Nereid surrounded by seaweed. The experience was phenomenal but Percy does wonder now if it was a mistake… or if maybe the pearls will turn out to be the mistake. Either way…

“Nothing for it, is there? We go to DOA Recording Studios. We go to the Underworld. We try to find the Master Bolt.”

His confident tone gets to them all, causing them to straight up more and more with each sentence he speaks. When he’s done, all three of his companions have more determined looks on their faces and they all give him decisive nods when he meets each of their eyes. They were as ready as they ever would be… and so was Percy.

-x-X-x-

Though, being ready and actually finding this dumb place were two different stories apparently. To be fair, night had fallen shortly after Percy left the Nereid behind and returned to his friends, so they were trying to navigate Los Angeles in the dark. Still, it was irritating to try and find their way through the city all the same.

There were some weird people that came out after dark too, the sort that had Percy on edge, his eyes narrowing as he kept his head on a swivel. Fortunately, between him and Clarisse, they had some visible firepower in the form of tough, muscled bodies. And Clarisse’s spear on her back, while wrapped up, was still kind of obviously a weapon. His Riptide was less so, but his time as a swimmer had done him a lot of favors.

There was one group of kids that looked like they were trying to play at being a gang, but after eyeing him and his companions up for a moment, they seemed to decide they wanted softer targets and moved on. From there, Percy and company continue on their way as well. The only thing noteworthy to happen for a good while is that they pass by a store called “Crusty’s Water Bed Palace” just after finally figuring out that they’ve arrived in West Hollywood.

Needless to say, the bed store is the kind of place Percy would never willingly go into in a million years. The place just gives him the heebie jeebies, and that’s saying something considering he’s literally the son of a water god.

Regardless, after that, they actually find DOA Recording Studios only a block away. Fortuitous? Maybe, but it didn’t feel right to be all that happy about it when it also felt like they were marching to their doom if Percy was being honest.

Standing there looking up at the golden letters etched into black marble, Percy’s miniscule sense of satisfaction at finding where they needed to go only withered even further as he shifted his gaze downwards to the words stenciled into the Recording Studio’s glass doors.

NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.

Even though it was bordering on midnight at this point, the place was still open. But then, Percy supposed that made a terrible amount of since. This was an entrance to the Underworld after all, and death didn’t wait for you to be awake, so why would its caretakers either? The lobby is brightly lit and filled to the brim with people, and even from outside, Percy can see a no-nonsense man with sunglasses and an earpiece sitting behind a desk.

“Alright… are we all ready to go?”

“As ready as we’ll ever be, I imagine.”

“I’m ready.”

“… Yes, I’m good to go.”

Having received confirmation from all three of his companions, Percy lets out an explosive breath, belatedly realizing part of him had hoped one of them wouldn’t be ready so they could procrastinate a little longer. But at this point midnight was ever approaching and if they weren’t going to go in tonight, they might as well find a motel and come back in the morning and- no. No, this was it.

Firming up his resolve, Percy walks forward, bringing his companions with him as he enters the lobby of DOA Recording Studios and makes his way right up to the front desk. His eyes glance down at the nametag that the guard manning the desk is wearing for a moment, only for Percy to do a double take at what he sees. Wait, the guy’s name was Chiron?

Percy almost blurts that out loud but manages to hold his tongue at the last second. Instead, clearing his throat, he gets the sunglass-wearing man’s attention.

“Hm? Yes? What can I do for you?”

“We’d like to go to the Underworld, please.”

‘Chiron’ lifts his eyebrows at that.

“’We’d like to go to the Underworld, please… sir’.”

Seriously? Then again, it wasn’t like being respectful was going to cost Percy anything but a tiny bit of time. Bowing his head in a nod, he offers a hopeful smile.

“We’d like to go to the Underworld please, sir.”

Humming, the security guard considers them all for a moment.

“Bit surprising, that. Most of the time, nobody wants to go. It’s all ‘but I was too young’ and ‘I can’t die now, I had so much left to do!’. Tell me, how did you lot kick the bucket?”

Percy looks back at his companions, but they’re as caught off guard by the question as he is. Thinking fast, he finds himself looking back on all the ways they ALMOST died so far on this quest and…

“Lightning Strike.”

Annabeth’s palm hits her face as ‘Chiron’ gives him a confused look.

“All four of you?”

Percy just smiles wanly.

“We were all on the same bus. And a lightning strike hit it.”

The guard’s eyebrows raise higher at that, before finally he snorts.

“Damn. Not a fun way to go. Surprised you aren’t all more burnt up and charred from the experience though. But no matter. I don’t suppose you lot have some coins for passage, do you? Normally I’d just charge your credit cards or add it on to your last electricity bill… but none of you seem to have one of those…”

The man’s eyes narrow in suspicion at that and it’s in that moment that Percy finally realizes his dyslexia had been fucking with him. Not Chiron like the centaur, but rather Charon… as in, the boat keeper for the Underworld. Mouth suddenly dry, Percy realizes what they need to do and hurries to unzip the duffle bag that Ares gave them.

“Will these work?”

Spilling four golden drachmas onto the counter causes Charon’s eyes to light up in shock, wonder… and most importantly of all, abject greed.

“Oh-ho! Well now. Drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I haven’t been paid in those in an eon…”

He hover hands the coins, looking downright desperate for them. For a second, Percy feels hope rising in his gut. This is actually going to work! And then Charon pauses and flashes them all another look… a deeper, more probing look. Then… he leans forward and SNIFFS them of all things.

“You lot aren’t dead. You’re demigods. Tch. Should have known.”

Percy grits his teeth, not even bothering to look to his companions for support this time.

“We need to get to the Underworld and we can pay. I don’t see a problem here.”

His insistence earns him a growl from Charon though, which causes the entire lobby of the DOA Recording Studios to come alive with activity. The lobby was full before, but most definitely NOT lively. Now though, all of the people waiting for their turn get up and start moving around, very clearly agitated as Charon snarls at him.

“Leave while I still let you, godlings. I’ll take these and forget I ever saw you.”

But Percy isn’t having that. He snatches the four drachmas back off of the counter before Charon can go for them and shakes his head.

“No. No service, no payment.”

This time, Charon’s growl is bone-deep… nay, soul-deep. The people in the lobby, or rather the spirits of the dead, start banging on walls and doors. Not aggressively, Percy realizes, but in fear. They’re trying to get away from him. But Percy stands his ground. Ares wanted them to get to the Underworld at the very least. That much is clear now. That’s why…

“Shame, I’ve got this whole bag of drachmas here in fact. Could all be yours if we got where we needed to go.”

Charon’s eyes snap to the pouch as Percy makes a show of pulling out a fistful of drachmas before letting them drop back into the bag and out of sight one… by… one.

“… How much you got there, exactly?”

Percy huffs and gives Charon a self-deprecating smile.

“Demigod, remember? Numbers aren’t my strong suit. But it’s a lot, as you can see. And I bet you don’t get paid nearly as well as what we’re offering.”

Just a shot in the dark really, but Percy isn’t sure Charon gets paid at all, at least not by his employer anyways. And the amount he’s charging souls to crossover into the Underworld is probably piddling.

“Heh, I can see what you’re doing godling… but you’re not wrong. Fuck, I haven’t gotten a pay raise in three THOUSAND years. Can you imagine?”

Percy nods immediately, jumping on Charon’s bellyaching.

“You deserve better. So much better. You deserve… good pay.”

He sets the entire pouch on the counter but doesn’t remove his hand from it. Charon looks between him and it thoughtfully, clearly very, very tempted by the offer.

“… Fine. Boat’s almost full anyways. I might as well add you four and be off.”

He reaches for the bag and Percy doesn’t fight him on it, letting him have the drachmas as he looks to his companions. They look about how well he feels. They’ve succeeded in getting past Charon… but that means they’re still going to the Underworld now.

“Come along now you four. No dilly dallying or I WILL leave you lot behind, money or no.”

Together, they hurry forward through the lobby’s waiting spirits, who all start trying to grab at them and speak to them. But their voices are just as wispy as their hands and not only can they not find purchase in his or his companion’s clothes, but he also can’t make out a single thing any of them are saying.

Finally, they reach the elevator alongside Charon, who shuts the doors as soon as all four of them are inside. Producing a key card and sliding it into a slot in the elevator’s control panel, Charon stands at the front as the elevator begins to move.

And with that, they start their descent into the Underworld.