Down to the Riptide - Goushen - Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2024)

Chapter 1: Windows 11 Update

Chapter Text

Not in a subway.

Percy squinted slightly. The words on the subway were killing his dyslexia- were those actual words? He blinked twice. Work brain, work!

“Aw, sh*t.” Slipped out of his mouth involuntarily. Someone next to him– a brown-haired woman– looked at him slightly in askance. Percy felt he was a little justified though. He literally did not know where the hell he was.

First: the scribbles. That was Korean if he placed it correctly. Was it bad he called the words ‘drawings’? Was that racist? He's dyslexic and disoriented, he’s trying his best. Was Percy in Korea? There wasa suspicious lack of diversity on this subway and everyone was quiet or talking lightly.

Nothing like the New York lines. Percy once had to fight a harpy in broad daylight in a car. No one had batted an eye, even when Percy had been kicked by the harpy into a window. Those legs were strong.

The train passed under a tunnel, the dim light of the outside washing away from the faces of everyone present. Percy pat himself down, some of the twisting feeling in his stomach settling when he felt the familiar shape of Riptide in his pockets.

Percy glanced around, checking his environment over with a careful eye. No visible monsters. Nothing out of the normal, really. It’s a little odd– the subway line in New York is infested. He's both talking about the rats and something else.

He was still tense when the train car shook a little, nothing abnormal, except the subway abruptly slammed on the brakes. Percy braced on the floor, hands digging into the seats to keep himself from flying. Others weren’t as lucky. One unfortunate man flailed and hit the ground, a bruise he’d likely feel later.

The woman on his left dropped her phone with a yelp, her elbow digging right into Percy’s side. The man on her other side slid into her, elbow driving further into Percy's ribcage. “Lady!” He yelped, forgetting momentarily that not everyone could speak English. “Your elbow!”

The woman rightened herself, the man on her left talking to her in worried tones. “Sorry!” She told him in English, accent thick, before turning to her companion with a pale face.

The speakers in the train crackled to life, someone yelling into the microphone. Percy winced, tilting his head. He didn’t understand any of it, but the panicked and freaked-out tone suggested nothing good.

Maybe it was just a really big deer on the tracks, and they didn’t want to hit it. Maybe an extra large rat.

Percy turned his head abruptly, reacting fast to a sudden flash.

Red lighting crackled across the train car, searing past Percy’s face in blistering heat. He raised his hand, the bright light sending dots scattering across his vision. Who installed the new Elgato ring light? That was way too bright.

[The free service of the 8612th planetary system has come to an end.] A voice spoke in Percy’s head. He flinched, hand tightening around Riptide. The voice sounded like it was speaking Greek and English at the same time– yet not as well. [The main scenario will begin now.]

Percy stared upwards as a monster crackled into being, floating at the front of the cabin with a cheerful grin. It wasn’t one he easily recognized, though the horns and general fur made him think of satyrs. It was… kinda cute? Cute in the same way you’d label animals like pugs or something.

The people around him shuffled in anxiousness, people pointing and balking at the creature.

It spoke, a mess of words that made sense and didn’t. Its fangs shined in the subway’s dim lighting, giving it a slightly eerie look. Percy twitched slightly, staring the creature down in the middle of the crowd.

“Testing, testing!” The creature’s voice crackled like a radio, tuning in and out before settling. It raised its paws to its face, like a speakerphone. “Can everyone hear me? The language patch was malfunctioning, but it should be alright. Can everyone hear me?”

Its speaking the weird English-Greek thing again.

Someone spoke up. Percy couldn't understand it, but the annoyance and impatience in the tone told him enough. Some of the people here didn't think what was happening was real– everyone seemed to be, except for a plain-looking man, who had recognition and understanding in his eyes.

Another demi-god? The guy looked normal, but his parent could be a Korean god. Though, most demi-gods had a little uncanny appearance. This guy was decidedly average. Percy eyed him but didn’t rule the demi-god option out quite yet.

“Oh, an audition at this hour? Haha!” The monster laughs, crossing its arms. “I guess I should’ve done more research. They told me I would have the most customers if we put the paywall at around 7 pm.”

The prior speaker talks again, questioning in their voice. This will go poorly, won’t it?

“Okay, everyone. Please calm down and listen, I have something very important to tell you all!”

Percy’s foot jittered slightly. This ‘important’ thing was not going to be good, was it? Was it going to be a quest? For everyone in the train car? Most of the people here seemed to be normal mortals– it’d be like herding stray cats.

The people around him are getting angry, clamoring, and yelling at the monster.

“Haha, it sure is noisy in here, isn’t it?” The creature put its paw over its face, voice falling. Percy gripped Riptide tightly, his heart pounding in his chest. It was mad. “I sure told you all to–”

“ Be quiet. ”

Blood splatters across the cabin. Percy jumped out of his seat, one finger on Riptide’s cap. The mortals were too close! Percy can’t strike, can’t push himself forward against the panicked crowd of people scrambling away from the corpses. He grunted as a panicked person elbowed him in the kidney, flailing slightly when another grinded a heel into his foot.

Multiple people die in a shower of blood, heads exploding gruesomely over the cabin. Brain splatters on the ceiling, before slowly unsticking and dropping the floor in a wet squelch. The silence rang thickly through the air, terror starting to waft through the cabin as people registered the deaths. No one moved, too stunned and too shocked.

“All of you have had a pretty cushy life so far. Able to eat, able to breathe, able to reproduce with paying the costs. Ha! Do you really think everything is free? That life is no more because nothing is free in life!”

Percy wished he lived a ‘cushy life’.

Someone stepped forward from the crowd. It was a businessman, dressed in a striped suit. He looked greasy, sweat falling down his face. He spoke, his stance nervous and fearful.

“Hmm? So you’re offering me money?” The monster listened to the man’s response, expression almost considering. “Money is good, it symbolizes an intersubjective agreement between humans.”

What use would monsters have with money? Percy snorted inwardly, imagining a monster grocery shopping. Nothing like dropping by the local BJs, huh?

The man’s head exploded. The first row of people were hit directly by the splash; squeals and cut-off sobs ringing through the cabin.

“You’re really stupid, aren’t you?” The monster sneered, snatching the money from the air. It lit the paper on fire, watching with cold eyes as it burned. “Money is only valid in the confines of your space-time. It has no value in the macroscopic dimension. If any of you follow after him, you can expect to join him.”

“Ha, this is taking too long. Your debts are climbing higher by the second.” The creature pinches its.. Nose-bridge? “I won’t bother explaining, it’ll be faster if you earn money yourselves.”

A blue window opened in front of Percy’s eyes. Oh god, who installed Windows 11 in his brain?

[The main scenario has arrived!]

[Prove your worth]

[Kill one or more living organisms.]

Percy tensed further, a feat in itself.

At least he didn’t have to spend five minutes trying to read the window, Percy thought hysterically.

Percy stared into space for a good few seconds, waiting for the panic to settle in. It hit the remaining crowd like a truck, people screaming and crying. Percy can’t stop himself from staring at the body of the businessman with glazed eyes. Unnecessary deaths, he could've- he could've.

Riptide is white-knuckled in his hand. Percy ran his fingers over it, tracing the lettering of the weapon’s name.

People in the train car were rallying around a man, watching him as he held out a military badge. There was another scramble as someone shouted something out, everyone reaching for their phones. Percy caught a glimpse over a man’s shoulder. Some sort of broadcast.

The weird voice speaks again. [As an added penalty, if the first death does not occur in the next five minutes, all living organisms in this cabin will be terminated.]

Blood splashed against the train door windows. Percy’s gaze flicked quickly, watching the blood seep down the glass. Someone had clearly killed someone in the train car behind them.

The creature made an example to them.

Percy had to watch as kids– not that much younger than him– scrambled through their school as their heads exploded. Only one survivor came out, despair swimming in her eyes as she clenched her hands around the throat of another student. She looked into the broadcast’s camera, gaze dull and full of grief.

Percy’s teeth creek.

The people in the train cabin go mad. A teenager loomed over an older woman. He striked out, sending her sprawling to the floor.

Percy couldn't watch this. In a flash, he’s shoving his way through the crowd. The next blow the teenager does is blocked, Percy grabbing onto his wrist and throwing him backward like he’s throwing a bug.

The teenager– who has white hair, weird– stumbled, crashing into the train seats. Percy stared him down, forming a glare. The teenager flinched, defiance filling his features even as he was being glared down by a larger predator.

“Respect the elderly.” Percy snarks. “I dunno how you were raised, but normal people generally don’t push around those who can’t defend themselves.”

The teenager stared at him. He said something. Percy didn't understand.

“Eng-grish?” The guy says. “Eng-grish 만?”

Percy nods.

The guy groaned, spitting vitriol.

“Watch your mouth,” Percy said, bemused. “You talk to your mother like that?”

The guy kept talking, addressing the crowd now. He was riling them up, angry murmurs breaking out as people exchanged glances with their neighbors.

“Hey buddy, quit that,” Percy said. “Just because I can’t understand Korean doesn’t mean I can’t understand your rude tone. I oughta go find some soap for you. Subway bathroom dispensable soap would work just fine. You really want to taste Subway bathroom soap?”

The guy tried to attack the old lady again. Percy had many practices of keeping away from young campers with pointy weapons, so it was a little easy to whirl him around and send him stumbling away. Right to the spot he was in before.

“You wanna try that again?” Percy ticked up his glare, tone still light and almost friendly. It’s easier than herding his campers. It’s like herding his neighbor’s yappy little ancient white dog.

The teenager spoke again, pandering to the crowd. More people take hesitant steps forward. Percy turned his glare on them, and they quickly backed off. It seems they’re not brave enough, the lot of them.

The teenager was getting more heated with his gestures. He threw his hands up before he jumped at Percy, teeth bared. Percy dodged the first blow, then the second, before retaliating. He slid closer, then away rapidly, hooking a foot around the teenager's ankle.

The teenager hit the ground hard, mouth open as all the air in the boy's lungs rushed out. He wheezed, looking dazed. Percy stood a bit away, still guarding over the old lady. They’re all going to die anyway, Percy wouldn’t mind going out fighting even if it's meaningless in the end.

Then the train car with the blood-splattered windows f*cking explodes.

The rush of light and wind sends the possible demi-god man sprinting across the train car. Percy bemusedly watches him rush, hopping back a little as he comes zooming past. Everyone is in a frenzy amongst themselves. The man gunned for a little boy.

Percy twitches before he’s away from the old lady in a flash. He grabbed the man’s shoulder, death staring down. Hurt that little boy and I’ll end you. He glares darkly, hoping his meaning is conveyed properly through the language barrier.

The man’s face paled before he shouted something in Percy’s face. The tone came off as urgent and coupled with the glances at the boy– or rather, what the boy’s holding. He grabs at Percy’s hand but doesn’t try to pry it off. It was a plea if anything.

Percy tilted his head before he let him go with a nod. He was back over to the old lady before the white-haired teenager could peel himself from the ground.

Even the white-haired teenager is listening, stumbling to his feet. Percy watched him push his hands into his pockets. Percy’s eyes trailed down, before narrowing. The teenager had a weapon, small in size. Likely a knife.

The teenager spoke, aggression painting his tone. He was talking to the man now, grin as sharp as the knife in his pocket.

The man says something that visibly takes the teenager back, as well as the people around him. Percy switches his attention and spots the grasshoppers.

Living organisms. Not human beings.

The people in the train car charge forward, hands reaching for the man and his box of precious goods. The man stumbles backward, before overhanging the box into the air. Percy tracks the motion with a steady eye, snatching a bug out of the air before it even hits the ground.

It crunches in his hand.

[You have killed a living being!]

The window cheerfully declares, rewarding his kill with some ‘coins’. Percy checks the timer, staring at the three minutes left.

He crouches down, propping the old lady up. She’s unconscious, her nose crooked. Percy tries a trick, pulling water from the air. It gets a little drier in the area, and there's a tiny pool of water floating over Percy’s hand.

Percy carefully pours the water over her face, a twisting feeling in his chest intensifying even as her features slightly relax.

You can’t save everyone. He tells himself, checking on the crowd. Some are still scrabbling around for bugs, but the faces of three tell him that they’ve already crushed them. The man and the teenager are fighting now, the pocket knife he noticed earlier out and slashing.

Percy pulls the old lady into the seat before he’s moving forward. He uncaps Riptide, letting the leaf-shaped blade form into being.

The teenager and man both look at his approach, eyes widening at the sight of his sword. Clear-sighted mortals? Or something else now?

“Nuh-uh.” Percy tsks.

The timer ticks down. The kid is getting more desperate. He strikes first, screaming something that probably is something along the lines of 'f*ck it'. Percy blocks the blows with ease, pushing backward with each block to send the teenager further away from the man. Interestingly enough, each blow is coated with black energy. It’s probably dangerous, so Percy doesn’t let himself get hit.

The timer is in single digits.

Percy sighs, pushing hard into a block. The kid goes sprawling, desperation written on his features as he stares up at the timer. He screams at the man behind Percy, pupils dilated. His knife clatters to the ground, black energy fading into the air.

He’s on his knees, shuffling forward to try to grab Percy’s jacket, at the man. Percy hates this twisted game-like setting. He really really does.

0:00

Percy can’t save everyone. Sometimes, there’s really nothing you can do.

He really can’t explain the twisting feeling in his chest, staring down at the headless corpse of someone similar in age to him. The rest of the bodies that litter the train car twitch in the wake of death. Percy’s jaw hurts from his clenched teeth.

Riptide gleams in the subway lighting, the celestial bronze stained with small droplets of blood from being in the splash zone. Percy turns slightly to glance at the rest of the train compartment. The small boy, the man, the woman who was with him before sh*t went down, and the military-police dude.

Percy rubs a hand over his face, trying to smooth out the furrow in his brow. His mood is a little down– the headless corpses of the subway will be featured in his nightmares, alongside the desperation of the teenager. He's so excited about it, can't you tell? Nothing like another pile of corpses in Percy's already laden wagon of guilt for him to shuffle along.

“Well, isn’t this interesting!”

The monster is back.

The train starts up with a rumble, pulling out of the dark tunnel. Percy watches as the dark stone turns into an orange sky. Multiple sea serpents roar over the city, coiling around as military planes fly above their heads, fruitlessly shooting at the monsters.

The serpents remind Percy of the few Poseidon keeps at Atlantis, named ‘Lobster’ and ‘Oyster’. These serpents act nothing like the monsters Percy is used to.

The subway passes over a river, a sea serpent rising up and past the subway car. It casts a massive shadow, frightening the woman. Percy grips Riptide harder, eyeing the river below. Having some space for food would be really handy at this point.

The monster floating at the front of the car is in his own world, staring upwards at shimmering stars hovering above his horns.

[A few constellations are interested in you!]

[A few constellations are impressed with your scenario!]

[You have been sponsored 750 coins.]

What is with these coins? Is Bitcoin back in action? Percy scowls slightly, squinting at the blue screens.

“You… alright?”

“Thanks for letting me know.” Huh, that was interesting. “Nice to meet you both, Ms. Sangah, Mr. Dokja.”

Both tilted their heads before turning to each other and speaking rapid-fire. Percy watches them, amused. Did he do something weird? They don't seem to be angry, just a little concerned and confused.

American lost in foreign country, you loved to see it.

“Wow, did you all prove your worth? There are quite a few survivors!” The monster gleefully says, finished with its marveling. “Oh my, oh my! Thank you for the sponsorship, my dear constellations! I can’t believe there are so many of you!”

Constellations? Percy blinked, eyes flickering towards the ceiling even if he couldn’t see the sky. What does that mean? Was big bear Ursa about to come down and rock his sh*t?

Percy considered it. He wouldn’t mind fighting Hercules. It would be prime time to see if his title of ‘Supreme Lord of the Bathroom’ could best the patron of heroes. What he wouldn’t do to give Hercules a swirly.

A small movement in the corner of his eye causes Percy to turn– it’s the little boy. His expression is flat, he looks a little tired if anything. He’s staring down at a corpse, hands folded in front of him.

“Hey, kid,” Percy calls, catching his attention. The military guy also looks up. Percy makes the universal sign signaling for the boy to approach. “C’mere.”

The kid is in front of them now, blinking two large brown eyes. He’s young, maybe ten or eleven years old.

Percy turns away as Kim Dokja talks to him, watching as Mr. Military approaches. He’s huge, built like an Ares camper. “Hi.” He says simply.

“Hello.” The short-haired man says, standing next to Yoo Sangah. “I am Lee Hyunsung.”

“Percy Jackson. I’d say it’s a pleasure, but I’m sure nobody would agree at the moment.”

“A ton of interesting things happened today!” The monster narrates to thin air– or maybe to the ‘constellations’? “The guy in the cabin next door was a nutcase as well!”

“I’m quite impressed with all of you.” The monster is talking to them now, Percy tightens his grip on Riptide. “I didn’t have expectations for this cabin, but quite a few of you survived! You’ve proven that even bugs deserve to survive!”

Does Percy look like a bug to you? Does he look like he has an exoskeleton? Percy refuses to look at the corpses on the ground. He knows that if he sees them, he'll automatically compare them to crushed bugs.

“Of course, every hardship deserves a reward! That reward is that you now qualify for sponsorships! Sponsors from our constellations themselves, exciting, isn’t it?”

Is this a f*cking stream? Percy frowns slightly. Is he about to get sponsored by like… BetterHelp? Peta?

“What’s this? None of you seem all that excited!”

Percy raises an arm, letting out the flattest ‘woo!’ he can possibly do it. The monster stares at him.

“Ignoring that shoddy attempt at enthusiasm, I’ll explain it to you all, because I’m so incredibly nice!” The monster says, peering down at all of them. “You’re all weak!”

Excuse you! Percy has exploded one too many bathrooms to be called weak.

“If you moved to the next scenario, you’d be wiped out in an instant by a ground rat! Luckily for you, there are greater beings in this world that pity you and wish to sponsor you! Understand?”

No? What is going on?

Lee Hyunsung speaks, holding his hand up like he’s in a classroom. The kid bumps into Percy’s side, Percy looking down to meet big brown eyes. Percy, against his better judgment, offers the kid Riptide to hold. Sure, give the child a weapon. Percy was not much older when he got to use Riptide for the first time, in his defense. It's also the apocalypse, why not let the kid get a feel?

As he expected, Riptide held solid in the kid’s hands. The rules of this world operated differently than the ones he was used to. It's a little heavy for the kid, Percy can see his arms shaking.

“Gosh, you really are hopeless!” The monster laughs at Lee Hyunsung. “There’s no point in explaining it again, why don’t you all just experience it yourself?”

With a snap of the monster’s fingers, the blue window pops up again with a ding. Riptide is back in his hand as the kid focuses on his own invisible window.

[Sponsor Selection]

• Select a constellation
• The selected constellation will be your reliable sponsor!

1. The Huntress
2. Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea
3. Hearth of Empyrean Flame
4. He of the Paion
5. Encircling Vulture of Eternal Protection

Percy squints. Who? What’s with the weird titles? Are these gods or something? Should he just try connecting the dots like that?

The first one Percy recognizes pretty easily. Isn’t that Zöe? He remembers she was turned into a constellation, but that was back in… Back in wherever Percy came from.

The second one. Jesus? Or wait, was that Moses? Whoever parted the sea. That guy. Did he have a spear? Percy wasn’t well-versed in the bible, this was hard. Percy paused for a quick second. If Egyptian gods were real, was Jesus real?

He shook his head. No time for thinking about that topic.

What’s an ‘empyrean’? Is it Hestia? There is the hearth and flame part of the title.

What’s a ‘paion’? A vulture?

Yoo Sangah and Kim Dokja speak in the background, Percy absentmindedly tuning in despite not being able to understand.

[The Sponsor Selection has ended.]

[The Huntress puts her face in her palms.]

[Several Constellations laugh.]

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea is in shock.]

[You have been sponsored 300 coins.]

Percy made a face. It really was a stream, complete with a f*cking twitch chat.

Chapter 2: Mean Guy isn't that Mean, actually

Chapter Text

Percy scrambles out of the train car, throwing glances backward. Nobody had explained anything . Kim Dokja had just started panicking, which in turn made everyone else start panicking. Before Percy could ask a single question, he’d been grabbed at and pulled out of the carriage. Lee Hyunsung literally pried the doors open, wrenching apart durable metal with sparks of gold flying from his body.

“Run!” Kim Dokja tells him, lagging slightly behind as Percy and Lee Hyunsung pull to the front.

“Why?” Percy says, confused as hell. “What’s going on? Why are we running?”

“Run!” Kim Dokja repeats again, shoving at Percy’s shoulder.

“Thanks for telling me everything!” Percy complains, starting to put more effort into sprinting. He runs side by side with Lee Hyunsung, Riptide held tightly in hand. “Dump Percy in a country where he can’t understand anything! Haha! Entertainment! Stream my life troubles to Apocalypse Twitch, why don't you?”

[He of the Paion laughs at you.]

Percy swats the blue window out of his face. Shut it, Twitch Chat!

“Gosh, I knew this would happen.”

Percy slides to a stop, staring up at the monster. It stares down at them, face wrinkled in irritation and annoyance. Its red eyes look particularly menacing, especially with the backdrop of the orange sky.

“Earlier, I told you to stay put.” It grits out. “Damn it! I’m not done preparing the next scenario!”

“Hah, I guess there’s no other choice. You’re all very lucky.” It snaps its fingers, the now familiar window appearing in front of Percy’s eyes.

[The Second Scenario]

…Get across the collapsed bridge? Percy has a bad feeling about this, and his bad feelings are usually correct.

Yoo Sangah seemingly feels a similar bad feeling, raising a question to Kim Dokja. Kim Dokja says something back, before tugging Percy along with another command to run.

This bridge is going to collapse when they’re on it, isn’t it? Percy scowls, trying to remember how high the drop was. It’s over water, which means he’d easily survive it. The problem was the mortals he was accompanied by.

He could catch them with his water powers?

Someone yelps, Percy instantly looking in the direction of a sudden presence. A positively massive sea serpent rises from a whirlpool, glaring down at them with beady orange-red eyes.

“DISGUSTING! ” It roars in their faces. Percy reels back partially from the smell, face distorting. For some odd reason, it’s British. The voice is a little familiar too. “THIS RIVER IS f*ckING DISGUSTING! ”

Percy opens his mouth to reply, but Yoo Sangah pushing at his back has him distracted. “Go go go! 달리다!” She yells, eyes wide and face pale. The presumed goal isn’t that far away, everyone is anxious to be ‘safe’ under cover and away from the monsters.

“It’s no fun if the game is too easy.” The monster’s voice rings from above. Percy can’t see the little asshat, but the mirth in its voice does not suggest good things.

“I find easy fun! Let’s keep it easy! In fact, why don’t you set it to peaceful!?” Percy yells, almost stumbling on a subway rail. Heh. Minecraft.

“What’s the fun in that?” It snaps its fingers, clean and loud despite the chaos. “Everyone getting to safety just like that isn’t entertaining at all! Let’s shake things up, shall we?”

Percy wished his grades rose as fast as the scenario rating.

“f*cking zombies?” He groans, risking a glance backward. Sure enough, yards behind, the bodies of the dead rise despite the lack of Happy Meals. When he looks forward, more zombies claw themselves on their feet. Apparently, their goal location had its own share of corpses.

A shadow looms over them.

Percy instinctively drops to the floor, Kim Dokja yelling over the groaning of the zombies. The Sea Serpent tears into the bridge, biting down with powerful teeth. It crumbles the stone into dust, before raising its maw to roar.

“ DIRT! ”

Percy is on his feet in less than a second after the monster raises its head. He hops backward twice until he’s next to Kim Dokja and Yoo Sangah, both still on the ground. They have a few scratches, but nothing more than superficial. His ears ring slightly, but he's otherwise fine.

“Up!” He urges, using his spare hand to shove at Kim Dokja’s uninjured arm. Yoo Sangah is already pushing herself up, stumbling a little. Kim Dokja crawls up seconds after, disoriented. “Everyone alright?”

“Okay!” Yoo Sangah says, grim faced. Kim Dokja echos her, hand pressed to his temple.

Percy turns his head, staring across the broken bridge. Lee Gilyoung, the kid, and Lee Hyunsung have made it across, shouting at them. Percy can hear what they’re saying, but it doesn’t matter much.

[Someone has received the blessing of a Constellation.]

[Deus Ex Machina]

A shimmering bridge forms over the gap.

“But–”

Percy lunges forward, celestial bronze swinging in a deadly arc. The body flies backward, almost split in half. The clothing of the teenager flaps in the wind, electric blue eyes glaring from the floor.

The wound sticks back together. It’s gross-looking, with long strands of black… goop and blood.

“Cross!” He snaps, watching with a wary eye as more zombies approach.

“I have a plan!” Kim Dokja shouts in his ear, just behind Percy. “I will… can stay!”

“What sort of plan can get you out of this?” Percy swipes Riptide again, clearing three zombies. The teenage zombie is still stitching itself back together, but it’ll be up soon. “There’s no way for you to survive if you face off against these! You’re mortal!”

Kim Dokja doesn’t say anything, confusion radiating from him. Yoo Sangah says something to him as Percy fends off more zombies. He whirls into a kick, sword slicing and dicing. One blow knocks a zombie’s head clean off, and it doesn’t get back up.

Decapitation works, it seems.

The teenager is back up again, lashing at Percy with pointed fingertips. His attacks ramp up in aggression, a pace Percy easily keeps up with. Percy smacks the pointed hands away with the flat of his blade, knocking him off balance.

He goes for the head, but the zombie twists at the last second. It’s not a complete decapitation, the zombie teenager stumbling backward and falling behind other zombies. It’s stronger than the other zombie Percy killed, which means it needs to be taken care of before it becomes an annoyance.

Percy chases after it with a single-minded focus, dispatching the living corpse with a solid swipe.

“Are you sure?” Kim Dokja says slowly behind him.

Percy decapitates three zombies, watching as the heads fly to one side as the bodies slump. “I’ll be okay, I’ve got an idea!”

[Demonic Judge of Fire applauds your bravery!]

[Secretive Plotter is impressed.]

[You have been sponsored 300 coins.]

“f*ck off Twitch Chat!” Percy hollers, kicking in a zombie’s knee. It’s decapitated seconds later, head hitting the ground with a disconcerting squelch. He pauses, looking at the coins. “Wait, give me more money.”

[Some constellations find you amusing.]

[You have been sponsored 100 coins.]

“There is another… person.” Kim Dokja struggles to find his words. “He is not an… nice person. You could walk with him. If he is not nice, take your way out.” He follows his English with a Korean statement.

“Do not die.” Yoo Sangah translates. “We will wait until we cannot for you.”

Both of the adults cast worried glances at Percy before they stumble across the bridge. Percy is honestly glad they listened, his short showcase of combat skills must’ve convinced them. The mortals, at least Percy thinks they are, don’t have as much experience as him.

Percy fights for a few minutes, slicing here and there. The zombies that aren’t the teenagers are slow, practically falling over their fellow zombies. Percy saw one take a graceful step off the side of the bridge. If the sea serpent liked rotten flesh, it’d be having a feast.

Percy’s ears pick up distant sounds of violence. His head snaps up, listening carefully as footsteps draw closer. Is this the other person Kim Dokja mentioned?

It’s a man, tall and well-built. He’s quite handsome. Percy eyes his clothing. They were on a subway before the apocalypse, Was he just riding around wearing something like that? Is that a choker? Dude.

Percy makes eye contact, blinking at the sight of yellow eyes.

He says something, something like surprise filling his features when he spots Percy and Riptide. He looks a little angry, glowering right at Percy.

“Sorry, I don’t speak Korean.” Percy shrugs. A zombie gets a little too close for comfort. Percy decapitates it quickly, stepping away from the corpse. “I’m a foreigner.”

“Who are you?” The man gruffly says. His English is smooth, with only a slight hint of an accent. He's not attacking, but his stance suggests he's ready to at a moments notice.“How did you survive?”

“Name’s Percy,” Percy says, eyeing him warily. “I killed a bug?”

The man looks to the side, spotting the decapitated head of the teenager. His eyes narrow in on the body before he switches his attention back to Percy. His glare intensifies, face cast in the setting sun.

“A bug? Did you kill Kim Namwoon?”

“Yeah, kiddo on the train had a little cage of them.” Percy shrugs. “A guy threw it into the crowd. I caught one and killed it. Yada yada my value and everything in a non-human-homicidal way. Living organisms and whatnot. Who’s Kim Namwoon?”

The man is silent, even as the zombies draw closer to him. His eyes flash gold. Percy jerks backwards. A feeling– like his soul is getting exposed to the warm air– causes chills to run down his spine.

His attribute window opens without his command.

“Hey!” Percy yelps, “What was that? What did you just do?”

[Name: Perseus Jackson]

Age: 17

Constellation Support: N/A

Attribute: Unreliable Narrator (Common), Prince of the Sea (Rare), Absolute Loyalty (Rare), Heroic Spirit (Legendary), One of Seven (Myth)

Personal Skills: [Sword Fighting Lv. 7], [Exceptional Adaptability Lv. 5], [Instinctive Combat Lv. 7], [Shield Fighting Lv. 5], [Quick Wit Lv. 9], [Monster Slaying Lv. 7], [Mental Defense Lv. 2], [Absolute Slayer Lv. 4], [Mist Lv. 3], [Gut Instincts Lv.7], ... (Omitted)

Stigma:

Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 21, Strength Lv. 23, Agility Lv. 21, Magic Power Lv. 31

“What was that!” Percy repeats, smacking at the close button at the window. The feeling of his soul being looked at snaps away the second the window closes. He can’t help the glare he sends at the man, lips threatening to peel back into a snarl.

The man’s eyes, which had been moving like it was reading something (Percy’s window-soul thing), widened. He looked like someone had just closed a book in front of his face… which Percy had just kind of done. Was that how it worked?

The man’s mouth dropped slightly open, before closing and opening again– kinda like the weird fish Percy spotted in the ocean one time. Thinking back to it, it was a sunfish. Weird fish, those things.

Sunfish man visibly pulls himself together, eyes setting as he decides on something. “Let’s get to the subway,” He said gruffly, batting away a zombie that had drawn too close. “We can talk when we’re undercover.

“You’re not gonna try and kill me when we do, right?” Percy raised an eyebrow, hand on his hip. He still remembers Kim Dokja had said this man was not a ‘nice person’. Also, the man hadn’t phrased his second sentence as a question. They were, apparently, going to talk.

Percy looks the man up and down, ignoring the way the man tensed. Percy usually got a pretty good read of people. As someone who took the god of war down at twelve, Percy can totally win. He’s in his element! There’s an entire sea literally under this bridge!

“No.” The man says, eyebrows scrunching slightly at Percy’s words.

Percy shrugs before turning around, Riptide gripped in hand. “Well, let’s go.”

He starts walking, heavier footsteps following behind him. The sea serpent coils through the water, head poking near the bridge as it eyes them with beady eyes.

“FILTHY. ” It grumbles, huffing out a hot smelly breath. Percy’s face scrunches at both the smell and heat. “SEA’S PRINCE. WATER FILTHY.”

Percy waves at it, uncaring of hiding his abilities. A mortal literally pried open subway doors with his bare hands. A random bridge formed. Let Percy talk to the f*cking fish.

“I’ll toss a few sand dollars in later,” Percy tells it. “Be patient, Ramsey.”

Yeah. He named it. Sue him, he needs an emotional support serpent every once in a while.

The Sea Serpent nods, blowing a hot puff of smelly air that sends Percy’s hair flying from his face. It slides away, sinking back into the depths of the sea.“ SAND DOLLAR.”

Percy keeps strolling, ignoring the eyes boring into the back of his head. Sunfish man had been staring long before Ramsey– now he was staring hard enough Percy’s skeleton might pop from his skin and perform the tango.

Walking through the barrier at the end felt like passing through a wall of hot air. Percy grimaced slightly at the sensation, jolting slightly as Yoo Sangah and Kim Dokja jumped at him. Both adults fussed at him, guilt written on their faces.

“It’s alright, it’s alright!” Percy smiled at them, holding his hands out. “Look, no scratches or anything. Don’t feel bad, I told you guys I was gonna be alright.”

Lee Gilyoung and Lee Hyunsung were a little further back, but the slight relief on their faces was evident. Trauma bonding with strangers, fun!

The man passes through the barrier, only to stop in his tracks at the sight of everyone. His face twitches, surprise falling into a flat expression quickly.

Percy turns to look at him, catching a quick glimpse of Kim Dokja’s face falling into a poker face. “Oh yeah, what’s your name?” He asks. “I forgot to say something on the bridge. You probably know my name, hand yours over.”

The man hesitates, eyes flickering between the five people present. “...Yoo Joonghyuk.”

Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk both disappear at some point. They’re both gone for several hours, hours that Lee Gilyoung spends glued to Percy’s side and hours that Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah worry about.

Yoo Joonghyuk shows up first, annoyance and anger clear on his expression as he leans against the wall Percy’s sitting against. It’s nearly unnoticeable, but he’s favoring his right arm. He’s soaking wet, dirt rubbed on his coat and hands.

Kim Dokja jogs back in after, out of breath and slightly pained. Percy narrows his eyes at the ring of bruises around his neck like someone had strangled him. They’re fresh, only slightly discoloring his skin. He’s also soaking wet and smells slightly. Like fish, actually.

“What did you do?” Percy tilts his head back, staring at Yoo Joonghyuk.

Three days ago, they filed down the subway, walking until they hit a station crowded with panicking people. Percy had already broken up three fights forcefully, bringing Riptide out one point to make them back down.

Lee Gilyoung and several other children had been sleeping.

Yoo Joonghyuk does not look at Percy. He kinda reminds Percy of the younger campers, which is weird, because Yoo Joonghyuk is at least twenty-five. Grown ass man, here. “He provoked me.”

Kim Dokja plops down on Percy’s other side, delegating Percy as the firm barrier between him and Yoo Joonghyuk. Still closer than someone who was freshly strangled would sit to their strangler. “His saying is not true.”

Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja start exchanging words. Percy watches the conversation like a ping pong game, completely lost. Yoo Joonghyuk’s face gets tighter and tighter and Kim Dokja’s eyes glitter in amusem*nt while his shoulders are tense and set.

Lee Gilyoung eventually walks over to settle between Percy and Kim Dokja, sticking his cold fingers on their arms. Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangah follow after, Lee Hyunsung sitting down back facing outward and Yoo Sangah settling down ext to Kim Dokja.

Percy thinks it’s crazy, honestly. He’d literally met these people almost three days ago, and they were already quite comfortable around each other.

Not trusting. Percy eyes the bruises again. Not yet.

He fidgeted with Riptide, spinning the pen around in his hand. Travis and Connor had taught him little dexterity tricks, bored during a slow summer day. He’d fumbled around for days before finally getting the pattern down.

Percy forcefully stops thinking about camp. For the sake of his mind.

Lee Gilyoung spoke, staring at Percy’s spinning pen. Yoo Sangah translates for him, her English cleaner than it was before. She’s improving at a rate that is abnormal, that much Percy can tell. “He is asking where your sword went.”

“My sword?” Percy says, giving Riptide another spin. “Still got it. Where it is, is a secret for me to keep and for you to find out later.” He gives Lee Gilyoung a grin, tucking the pen back into his pocket.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s finger twitched. It seemed he wanted to know where the sword went, too.

A new wave of people pour into the station, scrabbling and twisting over each other. Percy makes a face, watching a man push another to the floor in anger. It’s getting awfully crowded in here, and some people are starting to get ideas.

Their tones tell Percy most things, while their expressions tell Percy everything else.

Case in point, the guy over there has the same look on his face that Percy sees on the New York City rats. Smart despite their size, shrewd looking. Big ears. Percy doesn’t like how he looks at women, it reminds him all too much of a different man.

Percy thinks about flooding the bathroom.

“They’re talking about making people earn their place here.” Yoo Joonghyuk says suddenly, looking down at Percy. His yellow eyes are dark in the cold subway light. “They plan on sending out the minor group over there for resources. They’ve already sent a few out.”

The man tilts his head. Percy looks in that direction, eyes widening before narrowing. It’s a group of women and children, for the most part. One or two feeble-looking men linger with the group, throwing glances at the big, shady, group.

From the time Percy’s been on self-appointed watch duty, a big shady group has been harassing them.

Percy scowls.

The last time the shady group had tried to approach Percy’s little group, he’d scared them off with a wolf glare. The group was throwing glances at them again, but Percy had a feeling it’d be a good bit before they tried to talk to them again.

Scary dog privilege can only keep people away for so long before they brave a bite, it seems.

And the outside. Percy had only caught a glimpse before the haze had set in, but apparently, there was poison floating around outside.

Percy glances around. His group isn't exactly low on supplies. Yoo Joonghyuk had disappeared for two hours on the first before tossing a 7-11 bag at Percy, filled with startlingly American products. Nothing like a whole bottle of A1 sauce for consumption.

Mmm. Sauce.

Percy turns his gaze to the exit, eying it.

Kim Dokja blithely replies. Lee Hyunsung’s eyes widened and Yoo Sangah’s mouth slightly opened. Lee Gilyoung’s head swiveled to look between Kim Dokja and Yoo Jonghyuk, nudging Percy slightly in the side with his elbow.

“Well?” Kim Dokja turned to Percy with a grin, bright and cheery.

Percy is so incredibly confused.

“...Alright?”

Percy stood up, cracking his bones. His knees groan, which he frowns at. Not even an adult yet and his bones hate him, what a life. He snags his half-bottle of drinking water from the floor, tucking it into his hoodie pocket.

The walkout is silent. Stepping out of the main area into the tunnel up reveals a group of men hanging around. They stare at Kim Dokja and Percy as they walk past, hands gripping pipes and baseball bats.

They don’t pounce.

Percy stares at the cloudiness outside, lips pursed. He could do that, couldn't he? It would prove quite useful. Kim Dokja stands slightly behind him, also staring out into the cloudiness. What he’s thinking, Percy has no idea.

Percy takes a step out, breathing in clean air. The poison parts around him like an invisible shield protects him. Kim Dokja follows after him a beat behind, Percy grimacing slightly at the eyes boring into the back of his head.

A notification pops up in front of his face. [ This area is highly contaminated!] It reads, [ Get underground!]

Percy flicks it away.

[Several constellations blink in surprise at your abilities!]

[100 coins have been sponsored.]

It’s arduous. Percy sweats terribly, needing a small swig of his bottled water ever so often. It doesn’t help that the outside smells terrible, with rotting fruits and meat stinking up each store they walk into. Trash litters the street, rotting corpses dotted here and there.

Occasionally, Kim Dokja tugs at Percy’s arm until they hide away. Monsters rampage the vacant streets, fighting each other, and dealing property damage.

The first store they check is picked clean, only a few meters away from the subway exit. Percy keeps heading on, checking store after store until they chance upon one with supplies still stocked.

Well, not just supplies. A woman, one that Percy can remember seeing before on the first day, collapsed on the floor, face pale. She looks strained, sweat staining her face as she pants. Percy sweeps a hand out, expanding the bubble so it fits all three of them now.

Kim Dokja crouches by her as Percy plucks an unopened bottle of water from a nearby shelf, checking her condition. Percy gently splashes her face, wishing he knew how to heal others with water. It really sucks that it only works for himself.

She cracks open her eyes but closes them seconds later. From the glimpse Percy got at her pupils, she’s woozy and half-dead.

“Grab the…” Kim Dokja motions around to the store, grimacing. It seemed he found the language barrier just as irritating as Percy. “I can bring her.”

Percy nods, scrambling to grab plastic bags to shovel as much snacks and food as he can. Kim Dokja grunts slightly as he maneuvers the woman onto his back, legs quivering slightly as he stands up.

“I can carry her.” Percy offers, eyeing the thinness of Kim Dokja’s limbs.

Kim Dokja’s eyebrows furrow, before he speaks into the air. Abruptly, his limbs stop quivering and he stands a little straighter. In fact, from what Percy can see, his muscles are slightly more defined.

Percy tilts his head, confused. What just happened?

“...Money.” Kim Dokja said after catching Percy’s confused look. “Use money..?”

Money? Percy pats at his pockets, coming up with nothing.

“Not that.” Kim Dokja shifted slightly, a faint grin on his face. He tilts his head in the air, motioning at the blue window that floats around them.

[Several constellations watch with amusem*nt.]

[100 coins have been sponsored.]

“Coins?” Percy blinked, opening his information window with a flick of his wrist. “Is this like a video game? Can I upgrade my stats or something?”

Kim Dokja tilted his head.

“Let’s just get Yoo Sangah to translate later.” Percy shrugged, motioning Kim Dokja to follow after him. They dash back towards the tunnel, plastic bags swinging in Percy’s grip. The woman breathes shallowly, but she’s still alive.

The doors are shutting just as Kim Dokja and Percy make it back. Percy moves a little faster, shoving his hand underneath the metal door before the men on the other side close it. A bad idea, now that Percy thinks about it, but give him a break. He panicked.

With a quick heave, Percy pushes it up. The group on the other side scrambled away, eyes wide. It’s the same group Percy spotted on the way out, though lower in number and well, weaker looking. People lower on that group hierarchy, likely.

Kim Dokja hurries inside, motioning for Percy to shut the gate after. He crouches in front of the lady, fussing slightly at her. Percy stares at her too, thinking about the poison probably in her lungs. He could…

No, too dangerous.

A shout brings Percy’s attention up. The group has returned more numbers. One, asshole-looking guy, takes the lead, sneering across his face. A flashlight beams Percy right in his face, Percy ducking away slightly. It does little because whoever is holding the damn thing follows his movement.

[Constellation Prisoner of the Golden Headband frowns at the appearance of the unwelcome company.]

Lead dude shouts, flashlight still beaming in Percy’s face. He stands with his hands in his pockets, acting cool. He looks rather lame, as weak as the rest of his cronies.

“Kim Dokja.” Kim Dokja suddenly declares.

Are they introducing themselves? “Percy Jackson.” Percy followed Kim Dokja’s example, still confused. This gang had let them out without a fight, but now that they want back in it’s a problem?

Lead dude drawls out an oily sentence, eyes on the plastic bags behind Percy and the woman Kim Dokja is supporting. His laugh is stereotypical and about as ugly as his physical appearance.

He keeps talking.

Percy takes several glances at Kim Dokja, whose eyes are narrowed. He looks angry and a little defensive. Dude, cue him in. What’s the deal, here?

[Several Constellations are angry about the injustices!]

[A bounty has been generated.]

Percy blinks at the new window, slowly reading it as Kim Dokja stands up. The man stands in line with Percy, face still and ready. So, they’re fighting now?

He takes another glance at the window. He can get money from this, actually. However, a few of the words kind of ick him. Eliminate?

The men across from them are starting to rile up, the lead dude bringing his hands from his pockets. Percy’s eyes catch on the gleam of metal: knuckle dusters. Well-used ones, based on the scruffs.

Five minutes to fight. Percy considers the crowd. How do humans compare to monsters in a fight?

Percy frowns. He doesn’t want to kill humans.

Kim Dokja taps at Percy’s hands, balling his own hand into a fist as an example. Non-lethal force? Alright, Percy could do that.

Percy is flying across the tunnel before Kim Dokja takes a single step forward, knee planted solidly in the leader’s face. It cracks under his blow, sending the man flying backward.

He lands deftly, legs sweeping around to knock the people around him to the floor. Percy adjusts his strength in real time, holding back more as he deals damaging blows. Kim Dokja sends another man flying, blood splattering across the floor. His form is rough, unused to fighting.

He's, however, holding his own. If it was just Kim Dokja fighting, Kim Dokja would’ve won without Percy’s aid. The man’s blows strike faster and hit harder than everyone other than Percy.

Percy wipes another three people out. The lead guy is standing, face bruised and bleeding. Kim Dokja targets him, eyes narrowed and angry. Percy watches him go, tilting his head as he dodges around metal pipes.

What did they say?

Kim Dokja is beating the ever-loving sh*t out of him. Percy covers his mouth with his hand, eyes wide. Oh sh*t! That’s got to hurt!

Percy catches a metal pipe solidly, wrenching the guy holding it around and sending the dude flying into others like a bowling ball. He shakes his hand at the slight sting, standing still as people pause in targeting him to watch their boss beat to hell and back.

“Cheoldu!” Someone shouts.

Percy hops back, once, twice, until he’s back where the lady is. She looks a little more aware and alive, watching the proceedings with lidded eyes. Percy fishes a bottle of water from the plastic bags, offering it to her.

She nods. Percy crouches next to her to help her drink.

“Done.” Percy raises his head, Kim Dokja blocking out the light. The man looks tired, something dark swirling in his eyes. “Let us go.”

Percy picks up the plastic bags, trotting after Kim Dokja. The woman clings around Kim Dokja’s neck, dazed eyes reflecting the subway light. They brush by all the goons crowded around the leader, heading back into the subway.

The first thing Percy notices is that Yoo Joonghyuk is, surprisingly enough, still there . Based on the man’s dislike of Kim Dokja and the crowd that hung around the station they were taking refuge in, Percy thought he would’ve jumped ship a long time ago.

Percy picks up his pace, grinning slightly as he holds up the plastic bags to display his fruitful bounty. Their little group (besides the sunfish) brightens up. Supplies are always useful, it’s good to have extra in case their current supply runs out.

“We’re back.” Percy sets the bags down, reaching to ruffle at Lee Gilyoung's hair. The kid has already attached himself to Kim Dokja’s leg who was busy setting the woman they found down against the pillar.

Percy tosses the kid a chocolate bar, picking out a bag of chips for himself to snack on. The poison control he did had tired him out– using demigod powers was one way to burn calories fast. The chips are… cucumber flavored? That’s something Percy hadn’t known existed.

“No injuries?” Yoo Sangah fusses, hands ghosting over Percy’s sleeve. “All okay?”

“Yup.” Percy smiles, popping the bag open. He angles the open bag in her direction, inviting her to take a chip. “All ok. Some people tried to stop us from getting back in though, weird.”

“Weird.” Yoo Sangah echos, taking a chip. She makes a slight face at the taste, but she also goes in for a second one. She hands a chip to Lee Hyunsung, who makes a similar face after tasting it.

Percy tries it. It tastes exactly like the packaging suggests, which makes it weird for how accurate it is.

Percy, being a nice person, offers the open package to Yoo Joonghyuk. Yoo Joonghyuk stares at the bag, then at Percy. A pause, and then the man reaches in to take the smallest chip Percy has ever seen before.

A shout rings through the subway, the sound of multiple footsteps sprinting through. Percy turns his head quickly, the chip bag slightly crunching in his hand as it involuntarily tenses.

People shove their way through the crowd until a ring of men wielding crude weaponry surround Percy’s little group. Yoo Sangah startles, backing slightly into Percy. Lee Hyunsung is on his feet in a flash.

Yoo Joonghyuk, almost languidly, climbs to his feet with a bored expression. Was he expecting this?

They both withdraw, looking at each other. The tension in the air drifts, clearly there but unnoticeable to those who aren’t as observant. Predator recognizes predator, yada yada.

“He’s saying that Kim Dokja and you brought food back for the people here.”

“What?” Percy balks, gaze lighting on the amount of people in the subway. The amount of food they brought back was sufficient enough for their little group, but not for the entire subway. It’s selfish, but Percy doesn’t really want to share.

Dude, Percy was aware there’d been some weird politics going around, but he’d kind of been scaring off most people who tried to approach them.

“You’ve been placed in the Minor group.” Yoo Joonghyuk tells him, glaring at a guy who draws too close. “Since you’ve aligned yourself with a group that has both a child and a woman. You’ve been left alone for the most part, but now you’ve returned with goods they won’t ignore you anymore.”

Minor as in… Percy’s confused. He’s a minor, sure.

“Major and minor.” Yoo Joonghyuk elaborates after Percy’s extended silence. The man has more patience in him than Percy expected initially. “The separation of the strong from the weak.”

People are dissipating, and the initial conflict is over. Kim Dokja looks a little annoyed, a little angry. Everyone else from their group, besides Yoo Joonghyuk, looks worried. Lee Hyunsung looks like he’s about to cry. Lee Gilyoung has an impressive poker face, but his eyes are worried.

Yoo Sangah sits back down, taking one of Percy’s plastic bags to rest on her lap. Lee Gilyoung holds the other, the third one tucked behind the woman’s feet and the fourth one still in Percy’s hand.

“This is Jung Heewon.” Yoo Sangah tells him, pointing at the woman. “I spoke with her while you were sleeping one time.”

Jung Heewon has closed her eyes again, sleeping silently against the wall. Yoo Joonghyuk settles back in one of the chairs, a brooding expression on his face again. Exhausted his social battery, that one.

Percy turns to check on Kim Dokja, who’s chatting with the guy from before with Lee Hyungsung standing behind him. Percy approaches on his other side, bag swinging slightly with his steps.

The air around them freezes suddenly after Kim Dokja speaks, tone sharp. The guy has a dark look on his face, his smile having too many teeth and eyes a little too curved.

Percy glances between Kim Dokja’s face and the guy. He does not have good vibes from the guy, not all, and Percy’s gut is usually right.

Both groups back off, the guy leaving but not after sneering some words at Kim Dokja.

Kim Dokja motions Percy back to where the rest of their group is, conversing with Lee Hyungsung. Everyone settles down, more wary than they were before.

Percy pops another cucumber chip in his mouth, trying to chew as quietly as he can. Why is chewing chips so inappropriately loud when you don’t want it to be?

“Percy.” Kim Dokja says, suddenly. His pronunciation of Percy’s name is a little off, but better than it was three days ago when Percy had been repeating his name for the group to try and say. “You do not also want to share the food, yes?”

Percy blinks, deciphering the grammar of that sentence in his mind. “Ye– yeah?” He affirms, offering a confused smile. “No, I don’t want to share?”

There’s a pause as both Kim Dokja and Percy struggle with English.

“We will not share.” Kim Dokja tries again. “Yes?”

“Yes!” Percy agrees quickly, the sentence easier to understand.

“Yes.” Kim Dokja echos, smiling awkwardly at Percy.

Percy returns the smile. God, this sucks.

Okay, so payment is how this was going to work.

… How was this going to work?

Percy had gotten the breakdown of the situation from Yoo Joonghyuk. Odd guy, hadn’t Kim Dokja told him Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t that nice? He certainly was gruff, but he wasn’t horribly mean .

So. Kim Dokja would be selling the goods that Percy had gone out with him for. That Percy had parted the poison for. That Percy had done most of the hard work to get.

[A few constellations frown at the scene.]

Percy’s head spun slightly. Sure, he felt a little ticked off, but what on earth was he supposed to do? Drown him? Percy risked a glance at the older man, only to blink when he saw him looking back.

And oh, Percy knew how to read people. Kim Dokja looked guilty but knowing in his gaze. The older man likely knew something Percy didn’t, and was preparing for it.

Kim Dokja scooted closer to Percy, visibly trying to pull together words. The man held up his hands, opening his mouth like he was going to say something. Nothing came out, but his hands motioned around like he was talking.

Percy gave him another minute.

“I will give you your money from the–” Kim Dokja gestured at the people, face scrunched up as he tried his best to convey words in a language he was not fluent in. “It’s important, tomorrow. Big–?”

He spoke to Yoo Sangah, who listened and nodded. “Big event tomorrow.” She translated. “I will give you your fair share. It is good to get rid of supplies between now and tomorrow.”

Yoo Joonghyuk sat up a little straighter, eyes hard. Kim Dokja stared back, a smile playing on his lips. I know something , it said. And I know you know I know something .

Percy leaned back, trying to get out of the way of the glares.

“Alright,” Percy said slowly, turning his head to look at Kim Dokja. “Sure. I’ll… trust you on this for now. Don’t make me regret it.”

“I will not.” Kim Dokja replied.

[A few constellations clap their hands at the expression of trust.]

[150 coins are sponsored.]

There was a brief lull as Kim Dokja stepped away, chatting with the other adults in the group. Only Yoo Joonghyuk remained with Percy and Lee Gilyoung, gaze pointed in the direction of the subway tracks.

“Are you sure?” Yoo Joonghyuk abruptly spoke up, turning his head to glare at Kim Dokja’s back.

“Yeah.” Percy shrugged, biting slightly at his lip. “I’ll trust him for now. If he does something sh*tty I’ll… I’ll follow him around and blow up every urinal he tries to go in.”

Not his best threat.

The subway station began to quiet as people settled down. Percy caught a fair share of people throwing glances at their little group, eyeing the plastic bags that sat on the chairs and under Percy’s legs. His fingers curled around Riptide, a comfortable weight in his pocket.

Percy opened his attribute window, eyeing his coin count. With that last donation, It reached 3000 coins in total. It was apparent that some of these Constellations liked him, or at least he thought so. He had no idea if his current count was truly high or not.

Kim Dokja had mentioned something about leveling up his stats, didn’t he?

Percy’s eyes moved down to where his stats were listed, rereading them.

[Overall Stats: Stamina Lv. 21, Strength Lv. 23, Agility Lv. 21, Magic Power Lv. 31]

Does he have to speak out loud? He saw Kim Dokja tapping at the air for a bit, but Percy didn’t even know where to start.

“How do I level my stats?” Percy mused, resting his chin on his hand.

“Don’t.” Yoo Joonghyuk raised his head to peer at the younger. “Your stats are currently sufficient for the scenarios. Save for now. Maybe during scenario 3 you can afford the spendage.”

Percy looked at Yoo Joonghyuk, and then at his window. “You sure?” He asked. This guy's kinda like Kim Dokja: knowing information that the average person doesn't know.

“Positive.”

Percy remembered how easily he’d stomped through the group earlier, and how Kim Dokja had mentioned a ‘big event’. Maybe it was safer to save money? Most demigods were physically stronger than mortals, so it’d be okay for now.

He yawned, a jaw-cracking one that ended with him blinking slowly at the bright subway lights. Kim Dokja returned to the chairs, motioning Percy over to where Jung Heewon and Yoo Sangah had settled down.

Percy stood up from the seat, dusting his pants off. Lee Gilyoung also jumped out of his seat, pattering after Percy. The teen took a seat next to Yoo Sangah, peeling off his hoodie as he went.

Percy opened his arms, motioning Lee Gilyoung over. From his experience as a camp counselor, Percy knew how to deal with kids. Some were as physically affectionate as Lee Gilyoung, which meant Percy had a good amount of practice in gently cradling kids to sleep while making sure they were comfortable.

Soon enough, Lee Gilyoung was out cold, Percy’s hoodie covering his upper body and the top half of his legs.

“You are good with kids.” Yoo Sangah commented, stroking Lee Gilyoung’s hair. “Siblings?”

“I’m a camp counselor.” Percy sighed, leaning his head back. “I’ve dealt with plenty of kiddos, many much more rowdier than Lee Gilyoung here.”

Yoo Sangah smiled a short one that disappeared as she shut her eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Percy leaned back against the subway barrier, shutting his eyes. These few days have been tiring. It was like being on a quest, the constant stress settling over Percy like a second skin.

Percy missed his mom.

Chapter 3: Don't Mine at Night

Chapter Text

The air in the underground station was so tense Percy could cut it with a knife.

Percy leaned back in the plastic subway chair (thankfully non-sticky), eyes roaming across the crowds. One hand rested in his pocket, thumb running up and down on the cap of Riptide. The people glaring daggers at him weren’t scary, no, but it was the sheer amount of people that made him slightly… apprehensive.

He chewed slowly on one of those chocolate breadstick things, plastic packaging wrinkling under his hands. It probably tasted nice. All Percy could taste was the dust and ash, senses on overdrive given the unexpected situation he’d found himself in over the course of a few days.

He missed his mom. He missed his comfortable bed. He missed his girlfriend .

Percy shifted his gaze. On the other end of it, Jung Heewon and Kim Dokja stood.

Another unfortunate happening: the stress was getting to the members of the small group Percy had found himself in.

Jung Heewon’s posture was aggressive, impatience in the way she gripped her sleeves, anger in the way she spoke. The way her head kept tilting towards a select part of the crowd indicated she was ready for a fight, grievances finally building past her exploding point.

Kim Dokja seemed as cool as ever. The man’s posture was relaxed but ready, confident glint in his eyes matching the same confidence that Annabeth had when she’d put all the clues together while everyone else was left behind.

Jung Heewon abruptly cooled down, confusion crossing her features as she registered what Kim Dokja was saying. Welcome to the party, Percy had been feeling that emotion for the last few days.

Kim Dokja’s posture shifted, head angling as he turned his attention away.

Right on cue; lightning exploded across the subway.

The hair on Percy’s arms stood up, not unlike when Thalia got angry. The lightning rippled around, stinging and biting at anyone who was too close as the monster swirled into existence. People scrambled away, makeshift weapons held at ready as fear descended on the masses.

Percy jumped to his feet.

The monster was different from the one prior– a different color, more nervous, more unsure– but with the same maliciousness hidden under unassuming talk. It raised a hand, a demented grin flashing on its face.

And… oh!

Hey! Percy yelped slightly as his chocolate breadsticks were yanked from his hand. Hey! He was going to eat those!

Startled and angry exclamations rang out as everyone’s food was pulled from their hands, rising into the air and disappearing with another crackle of lightning. The monster unashamedly grinned, gums and fangs on full display despite the creature’s nervousness still being present.

Amusem*nt deriving from cruelty came easy to these creatures.

…Was that speciesist of Percy to say? He’d only seen two so far.

To add injury to injury, the monster introduced a new mechanic. A survival fee, by what the window in front of him read. One hundred coins a day until the second scenario was cleared, whatever that thing was.

This apocalypse was already pay-to-win, now he had to pay to live!?

“Ugh.” Percy murmured in distaste, lips curling away from his teeth in his annoyance. He had a good amount from Yoo Joonghyuk’s recommendation, but it didn’t mean he was willing to give up his coins just like that.

His gaze flickered. It seemed Kim Dokja was right about that ‘big event’.

The monster had long vanished into another swirl of lightning, leading the station to erupt in chaos. Shady dude clapped his hands, drawing his henchmen and goons around him as he called for the attention of the public.

Percy stared blankly. He was literally Jared, 19.

The crowd broke out in fevered murmurs at whatever the dude said, exchanging glances amongst each other. Percy watched the proceedings, looking toward his own companions to see if he could gather any information from their expressions.

Everyone, besides Yoo Joonghyuk, crowded around Kim Dokja. Anxiety was written on their features as they nervously stared at the crowd. Kim Dokja seemed just like before, relaxed and confident, one hand placed on his hip.

As the man shook his head in response to something Lee Hyunsung said, he gestured for Percy to join the adults. Lee Gilyoung brushed past Percy, trotting up to the man while the demigod trailed slightly behind.

Behind him, Yoo Joonghyuk hovered. Within the boundaries, but still far away from the others.

Kim Dokja opens his mouth. Percy flicked his eyes across the faces of the others, only seeing shock. He frowned in annoyance. When was Google Translate going to unlock? This was getting really old.

Yoo Sangah, bless her, noticed his confusion. “Monster hunting.” She said, pointing at the train tracks. Nice lady. Her English had been getting better at an abnormally high rate.

Oh, monsters in the train tracks? Percy squinted as if that would clear the darkness, raising one hand horizontally across his eyebrows as if that would help in the slightest. Ho, he’d seen enough horror movies to where this was going.

When would they have to fight a clown? Would Percy be throwing hands with the Chuck E Cheese himself?

Percy followed the group as they began to make their way to the train tracks. He still wasn’t sure what was going on, but better to follow the flow of things than to get left behind. Perchance.

The demi-god hopped off the platform, deftly landing on the rough stone. The teenager turned around to help Lee Gilyoung down, Yoo Joonghyuk hopping down smoothly on his other side.

Sure, Lee Gilyoung probably would have been able to land it. Even then, the platform was the same height as the kid. Sue Percy for seeing one too many a skinned knee.

“I’ll need to continue on.” Yoo Joonghyuk quietly told him once Lee Gilyoung had run off, looking notably at Kim Dokja, who was discussing something with Jung Heewon. “There are things that need to be done ahead.”

“Alright,” Percy said, confused but otherwise friendly. He wasn’t quite sure why Yoo Joonghyuk was telling him. Honestly, he’d expected the guy to bolt a long time ago. He had this whole lone wolf energy about him. Percy could tell .

Shady dude– still with his eyes closed– peered down from the subway platform, almost mocking in his posture. His smile was a touch too wide, a touch too leering and amused. Percy brazenly stared back, as if he could blow the man up with his mind.

Percy watched the ensuing conversation between shady dude and Kim Dokja like a ping-pong match, head bouncing back and forth despite his lack of understanding. In the end, a goon got pushed down to join the adventuring group, looking very much like he didn’t want to be there.

Ooh, unfortunate. Congratulations poor guy, you’ve been sacrificed!

With a last word from a shady guy, they’re off; venturing into the darkness.

Percy speedwalks to the front of the pack. Not to distrust Lee Hyunsung’s muscles because that man is beefy , but he doesn’t exactly want two office workers to take the lead of a dangerous venture. Few people could wrestle monsters to dust with just their bare hands.

Percy was one of them, but he digressed.

Stepping over a corpse with a slight grimace, Percy uncapped Riptide with a quick sleight of hand trick. The leaf-shaped blade glowed with its otherworldly appearance, bronze lighting the dark surroundings.

Yoo Sangah pulled out a flashlight, further illuminating the tunnel. Her gaze– and the rest of the group– glanced occasionally at Riptide and Percy, touches of curiosity from the recurring appearance of his mysterious blade.

Percy could feel Jung Heewon’s eye boring into his back, her bafflement and confusion flooding the tunnel. The goon was no different, though the heavy scent of fear weighed heavy. It was an interesting note that no one besides the goon was fearful, even though he was literally just some foreign teenager with a sword.

The apocalypse removed most common sense, who knew?

As nothing happened while they continued down the path, idle conversation started up. Percy glanced backward, making eye contact with Yoo Joonghyuk, who brought up the rear of the pack. The man dipped his head, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Percy was starting to think Kim Dokja’s initial assessment of the man was wrong. He seemed pretty nice. Though incredibly edgy. And surprisingly immature at times.

Jung Heewon clicks her tongue at something Lee Hyungsung says. A quick call from Kim Dokja caused Percy to come to a stop, turning smoothly to look at the transpiring event.

They were all looking at Lee Gilyoung, who was kneeling on the ground with his palms flat. Percy stood there awkwardly, unsure of what in the Gods’ name was happening.

Oh cool, string! Percy followed the string end with his gaze, only to twitch reflexively when it lit up a co*ckroach. Of course, those bugs would be able to survive in the apocalypse, they were unkillable.

The group starts shuffling again, giving Percy absolutely zero context. He forlornly glanced back to the co*ckroach, only to twitch again when the spot was completely empty.

Quiet footsteps continue. Percy took the lead, Riptide held in front for both light and readiness. A black wall stretched ahead, a void into which the subway continued onward and onward, connecting the city.

Oh wait– that was literally a black wall.

Percy poked at it with Riptide.

The system window popped open, scaring a good part of the group, Percy totally not included. The goon was the only one that screamed. Everyone carefully avoided eye contact as the awkward silence persisted, the scream echoing down the tunnels.

The second Percy’s eyes light on the last word, the black wall dissolved.

His body was moving before he even registered it, Riptide a deadly slash through the air. The purple dinosaur, because those were a thing now and in the subway tunnels, screamed shrilly as his blade tore through its skin like butter.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s coat flashed by his face as the older man sprung for a dinosaur further away. The black-haired man seemed to have no qualms throwing hands with a monster, slamming it again and again to the floor until it squealed a dying cry.

Percy dealt with the last monster, skillfully driving his blade through the creature’s skull. He huffed slightly as he tugged his blade free, swinging it in an attempt to get the blood off. Percy didn’t like that . Monsters didn’t bleed. Or leave corpses.

These did.

Percy didn’t know how he felt about killing Barney’s demented cousins.

“You’re pretty good at this.” He said casually to Yoo Joonghyuk, forcibly switching his train of thought. The older man stood up from his opponent, dusting his hands off. “Got experience?”

“Something like that. You’re skilled as well. Got experience?”

“Something like that.” Percy parroted, lips quirking into a teasing smile. He caught a quick flash of Yoo Joonghyuk’s tiny amused smile before the older man turned his head.

Percy looked backward, watching as the rest of the party recovered from being left behind in the dust. Kim Dokja pulled himself together the fastest, already moving forward by the time Jung Heewon picked her jaw off the ground.

The man stopped near the corpses, eyes looking appeasingly over it. He then turned to Percy, motioning for the teenager to draw closer. “Percy, could you…” He made a quick slicing motion with his hand before pointing at the dinosaur.

Percy blinked, tilting his head. “I’m not a hundred percent sure what you’re asking me to do but confidence is key.” He said, squatting down to make a slice he was totally confident was right.

It seemed he did just fine, given Kim Dokja immediately reached inside the gash to yank out one of the creature’s ribs. Percy did not like the crunching sound it made.

“Dude!” Percy gasped, staring in disgust at the gore clumped around the man’s hand. “That’s gross!”

“He’s making weapons.” Yoo Joonghyuk supplied, drawing up behind Percy’s left shoulder. The man crossed his arms, watching over Kim Dokja was an unreadable expression on his face. Percy got the impression he was begrudgingly impressed as Kim Dokja broke the rib into sharp edges.

A basic blade made from the rib was handed to Jung Heewon before Kim Dokja was back at the creature’s bones again.

“Oh jeez.” Percy scrunched his face as he watched the older rummage through the creature’s ribcage, occasionally making cuts where the man indicated.

Soon, everyone had makeshift weapons. Even Yoo Joonghyuk begrudgingly claimed one, yanking a makeshift sword out of Kim Dokja’s hands after a witty remark from the man, growling gutturally from the back of his throat because that was what mature grown men did.

Looking at the weapons reminded Percy of the first spoil of war he had gotten.

Eyeing the rough blades, Percy snagged the one Lee Hyunsung was holding. The teenager, under the watching eye of the larger man, sharpened the rudimentary blade with his own. Jung Heewon and Yoo Joonghyuk drew closer, visibly curious over Riptide.

Jung Heewon, when Percy wasn’t moving his blade, took the chance to tap a finger against the side. She exclaimed something out loud, surprise on her face.

Percy, on the other hand, was also surprised. Her finger hadn’t gone through the metal– it had actually made contact. Weren’t mortals unable to touch celestial bronze because they lacked worthiness?

What made them worthy now ?

[Several constellations applaud at your primitive abilities.]

[100 coins have been sponsored.]

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea looks on proudly.]

[He of the Paion laughs at their fellow constellation.]

Percy read over the messages curiously as the members of the group talked. Paion… Paion sounded so incredibly familiar… That was Greek, wasn’t it? Paion. Paeon.

“Ah.” Percy hit his palm with his fist, eyes lighting up as he came into realization.

[Several constellations sit upright in anticipation.]

“Παιών!” He blurted. “Apollo! Dude!”

[He of the Paion yells excitedly.]

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea wilts slightly.]

[The Hearth of Empyrean Flame pats their sibling’s arm in pity.]

“Apollo?” Yoo Joonghyuk questioned. He was the only one next to Percy, the rest of the group discussing something a few steps away.

“Oh, I just realized who he was.” Percy laughed, scratching at the back of his head. “Some of these modifiers I don’t really understand. [He of the Paion] – that doesn’t sound like him at all! Well, it does but like– y’know it’s not as… not as… argh–”

[He of the Paion slams their table in excitement.]

[500 coins have been sponsored.]

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea continues to wilt, not unlike cooked spinach.]

“Monsters incoming,” Percy warned, shifting his body into readiness. The group behind him shifted slightly, aware of what the words meant after Yoo Sangah had translated.

Distant sounds of tapping echoed through the tunnels, Percy’s enhanced senses catching them faintly. He listened carefully, trying to assess how many monsters were approaching.

Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja flanked both his sides, keeping Percy a firm barrier between whatever little spat they had going on. Percy inwardly rolled his eyes. Sure, use the foreign teenager as your blockade.

Several weapons clicked to awareness as the tapping drew into mortal hearing range. As the monsters drew closer, Percy counted them using years of experience from fighting and questing and well.Surviving.

“Fifteen.” He called out, his free hand going up to show his index finger, pausing, and then extending all five digits out.

Quite a large hoard, given the first bunch he and Yoo Joonghyuk had fought had only been three. Percy threw a glance behind himself, looking over the others.

Yoo Joonghyuk could handle himself for sure. The guy killed a dinosaur with his bare hands, after all. Kim Dokja was also somewhat skilled. He seemed pretty steady against the gang he’d fought previously.

Everyone else? Percy had no idea. Lee Hyunsung could pry open subway doors and he was a military guy, so maybe that guy had a few things going for him. If anything, the goon was going to be deadweight, given he kept jumping at everything and nothing.

The monsters’ tapping grew faster. Maybe they’d caught a whiff of cologne le Percy . Or the scent of human flesh.

“Incoming.” He called out.

The creatures melted out of the shadows, silent movements growing loud as they shrieked, claws aiming right for gooey fleshy bits.

Percy needed those gooey fleshy bits. He proceeded to decapitate the one aiming for his bits smoothly.

In the weirdest way, these monsters are… easy to deal with. They’re extremely vulnerable to his sword, flesh caving like butter under his blows. They’re slow, clumsy, and really just dumb creatures in general.

Percy kicked a dinosaur, watching as it hit the tunnel wall. Lee Gilyoung scrambled after it, makeshift bone weapon raised high to smash down. Yoo Sangah followed after the young boy, concern written on her features as she gripped her weapon.

Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon were doing fine. The latter seemed to actually have a little bit of experience using swords given the confidence in her stance. Her actual movements weren’t as steady though, unused to real combat.

Lee Hyunsung was brute forcing his way through the fight; all strength and zero technique. It was a little impressive.

Percy finished off another two monsters, wincing at their dying squeals. From the corner of his eye, he sees Yoo Joonghyuk kill the last one, yanking his bone sword out of a monster fiercely.

The teenager let his muscles relax, rolling his shoulder in a quick stretch. Conversation picked up, the group congregating together while looking over their kills.

After a few words, Jung Heewon flashed two fingers. Following her, Lee Hyunsung flashed two, and Kim Dokja held up three. Lee Gilyoung held up one, a proud look on his face as Yoo Sangah gently ruffled the kid’s hair.

Killcounts? Percy hazarded a guess, raising his hand to show four of his fingers.

Yoo Joonghyuk remained quiet. If Percy’s math wasn’t as bad as his grades claimed, the older would’ve killed three of the monsters.

Kim Dokja looked a little caught off guard, namely at Percy’s kill count. At the same time, he looked as if his expectations had been confirmed. His gaze then switched to look at Lee Hyunsung, eyes moving as if he were reading.

Percy, with Lee Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah, poked at one of the creatures. They didn't look edible at all, the flesh all saggy and rancid looking. Percy felt like eating one of those would taste the same as eating a New York subway rat.

Not that he’s ever eaten one before, but the comparison is important.

The air in the tunnel suddenly tightened as whatever conversation that was happening grew stiff. Percy tensed, turning his head slightly to assess the situation. All eyes were looking at Kim Dokja, an event that seemed to happen very frequently.

The man paused as if he were thinking. In the back, the goon wandered further from the group.

Percy lunged forward. His hand looped around the goon’s ankle right as a dinosaur melted from the shadows to grab at the man’s clothing. Percy grunted, caught off guard at the sudden burst of strength from the creatures that seemed so weak.

He yelped slightly, vision dropping as the monster dragged both him and the goon into the shadows. A particularly strong pull caused him to lose grip, as well as flinging him.

Percy hit the ground with a tumble, rolling deftly to his feet. Riptide glowed in the dim cavern he found himself in, lighting the monsters staring at him with beady eyes. “Ooh, boy.” He muttered, risking a glance backward. No group members in sight.

It’s a weird cavern– large with something weird on the walls. Dirt tunnels branch off, likely how the monsters were traveling not just within the subway tunnels.

A dinosaur lunged for his body, Percy dodging to slice its flank open. More monsters peel from the shadows, surrounding him before attacking.

Percy ducked under another attack, kicking one creature into another. He vaulted onto one of the monsters, driving Riptide through its skull while avoiding the pointy spines. Percy jumped, continuing his barrage on the monsters.

Killing these things isn’t hard– the sheer number of the monsters was troublesome.

At least the goon seemed okay. The monster from before had dragged him toward the wall, where he was now trapped in what seemed to be roots.

Percy grunted, decapitating a particularly aggressive monster. He was getting a little annoyed with this never-ending fight.

Percy felt eyes on him.

Spinning around while fending off more monsters, he spotted the source: Kim Dokja, Yoo Sangah, Lee Gilyoung, and Yoo Joonghyuk all crouched in one of the tunnels. None of them look particularly concerned about his circ*mstances, which Percy understood given his own capabilities, but, could they look at least a little worried?

Thanks, that’d be cool.

Well, Yoo Joonghyuk looked ready to join the fight, though a hand on his arm from Kim Dokja prevented the man from leaping in. Kim Dokja’s free hand swung back, throwing something through the air with incredible speed.

It flew over Percy’s head, before embedding into the wall. Percy couldn’t help but snicker slightly. Nice aim.

Percy jumped heel landing on the pommel of his sword. It went straight through a monster’s torso, Percy remaining steady and upright with a balance he didn’t even know he had. Ooh, he bet he looked so cool right now.

The cavern shuddered as the wall cracked. Ominous, and not good at all. Maybe not a nice aim.

A massive figure stepped out of the cracks, distorted hissing echoing through the cave. Percy craned his neck upwards, eyes widening at the size of the new monster. Okay, really not a nice aim.

It had a wrath-like appearance, with several withering tentacles behind its back. It was ugly, with a skull-like face covered in a thin layer of blue skin. The stench of sulfur flooded the area, stinging Percy’s nose.

“Kim Dokja!” Yoo Joonghyuk roared in rage, appearing in a blur by Percy’s side. His crude weapon was held ready, eyes warily watching the new monster. The man snarled something, intense anger in his voice.

Kim Dokja stumbled behind them, freeing the goon from the wall with a pocket knife. He approached the two soon after, ignoring the goon scrambling to his feet. He was silent.

They were incredibly close to the monster, yet it wasn’t attacking. It seemed almost muddled, yellow eyes slowly surveying the cavern.

From where Percy stood, he could see Lee Gilyoung leaning against the wall, face pale. Yoo Sangah was slowly picking her way over despite the fear washing over her features.

“ Etur! ” The monster shrieked, sudden and loud. A wave of fear washed over Percy, flooding his instincts in a pulse of runrunrunrunrun . His mind went blank, fingers loosening slightly around the handle of his blade.

[Mental Defense Lv. 2 has activated.]

The fear abruptly receded. It wasn’t entirely gone, but Percy could now think. What the f*ck was that?

Percy shook his head, trying to shake his shivers off like a dog shaking off water.

“Etur!” The monster yelled again.

“Steady.” Yoo Joonghyuk murmured, hands tense around his weapon. The man looked a little pale but regained his color quickly.

Yoo Sangah came to a stop, pulling just next to Kim Dokja and the goon. She muttered something, something that caused everyone who understood her to throw her startled looks. She stepped forward before–

Speaking directly to the monster?

The monster didn’t seem to take it well. Its tentacles lash furiously as it opens its mouth. “ Kalidu .” It hisses. “ Kalidu!”

It points a bony finger at the goon.

Percy’s sword flashed through the air, instincts kicking in at a sudden movement.

One of the monster’s tentacles flies through the air, thudding to the ground with a squelch of black blood. The monster roared in anger, its other tentacles swinging forward in its rage. They’re incredibly fast, but not so fast Percy couldn’t deflect them.

Percy fell into a rhythm of blocking and slashing. Fast the tentacles were, strong and resilient they certainly weren’t. Kim Dokja, in the defense that Percy created, scrambled away from the group, gunning for a purple box Percy hadn’t seen previously.

Yoo Joonghyuk, after a pause, goes after him. Despite Kim Dokja’s initial head start, the other man caught up with ease. The two scrabbled over the box before Yoo Joonghyuk shoved Kim Dokja away, kneeling before it.

Percy sliced another tentacle off, watching Yoo Joonghyuk open the box from the corner of his eye. Purple light shined, quick flash as the man reached into the container.

Yoo Joonghyuk pulled out a sword.

What? That box was not big enough to fit that.

Percy ducked under a strike, slicing the tentacle off as it whistled past his head. The second proceeding blow he countered quickly, lopping that one off too. It had a pattern, he realized. Two attacks and then a pause.

The teenager shifted his weight onto his forefeet before taking off in a burst. The first blow– countered and deflected. The second was sent flying into the air with a splash of blood, the tentacle already pulling back with a bubbling wound.

In a flash, Percy was in the monster’s personal space. Riptide was so close that its glow lit up the wraith’s face, illuminating the fear that Percy could sense from it. It shrieks, trying to gain distance to attack.

Percy pulls his arm back before–

““Don’t kill it!””

Percy abruptly switched his footwork, adjusting his swing to slice through the monster’s shoulder instead of the neck where he was originally aiming. The monster roared in pain, collapsing backward, heaving and hissing.

The teenager hopped backward, eyeing the shouters. Both Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk sprinted towards him, Yoo Joonghyuk’s new shiny blade held aloft while Kim Dokja had a… broken sword?

Kim Dokja said something, a smirk playing on his weary features. Whatever he said Yoo Joonghyuk snapped at him for it, aggression and annoyance still prominent on the handsome man’s features.

Not that Percy wasn’t a little annoyed either. The throw to disturb or summon the creature had been intentional.

“Sorry.” Kim Dokja said. Percy’s annoyance slightly eased at the genuine apology. “If you…” He motioned with his broken blade toward the monster, explaining the best he could given the language barrier. Yoo Joonghyuk made no attempt to help. “I would have… kill?”

“Yeah, but give a guy a warning next time, would you?” Percy sighed, throwing a glance at the monster. It still breathed, small grumbles of pain occasionally sounding.

“Don’t kill it.” Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly said. “You’ll get cursed.”

“What?” Percy blinked. “Like… I’ll grow warts or something? Oh no, even worse– tentacles? ”

“The Demon King in charge of the Sentinel will pursue the person who dealt the final blow until their death.” Yoo Joonghyuk explained, frowning at Kim Dokja still.

“Oh, cool, cool,” Percy said, giving Kim Dokja a major side-eye. “So uh… How do you guys know this? Was there some kind of manual I didn’t read? A game tutorial? Help out the noobs, would you?”

Both Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja didn’t say anything, though Kim Dokja tilted his head so Percy probably spoke too fast for him to understand.

Oh Gods, this was like figuring information out during his first week at camp again, complete with getting thrown into a quest out of nowhere.

Unsteady steps. Heavy breathing. The sound of a blade driving through bone.

Percy, Kim Dokja, and Yoo Joonghyuk turned as one.

“Dude!” Percy exclaimed, free hand jerking towards the side of his head in distress. “ Dude! ”

The goon had killed the monster and was now ranting almost deliriously about something.

“Oh my Gods, you guys probably saw that coming, didn’t you.” Percy looked accusingly at both Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk, who avoided his gaze. What were they, children?

The goon suddenly froze before collapsing to his knees.

“ Dude .” Percy said softly, with feeling. “That’s so messed up.”

The trek out of the cavern is certainly an awkward one. Neither Kim Dokja or Yoo Joonghyuk would look directly at him, the former discussing something with Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung, the latter brooding.

Kim Dokja’s new shiny sword was gripped in his hand. Yoo Joonghyuk slid his into the loop of his pants. The goon followed just behind Percy’s heels, a cloud of misery and depression on the poor guy.

They all followed behind Yoo Sangah, who walked confidently through the darkness, a golden thread in her hand. The situation felt familiar to Percy, though he couldn’t quite place it.

[Several constellations whistle in the awkward silence.]

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea attempts to comfort a certain incarnation.]

[He of the Paion makes terrible cricket impressions.]

[Pure Hunter of the Moonlight eyes one of the incarnations before hitting their brother.]

[100 coins have been sponsored.]

A crackle of lightning tore through the darkness, lighting everyone’s faces and sending clothing rippling from wind. The white-furred monster– from the bridge and the train car– popped into existence with a swear.

“f*ck! That damn bastard messed with– ah, hello everyone! Have you been good while I was away?” The creature winked, looking awfully cute for a monster that had previously committed several atrocities.

“No. I may or may not have exploded the sun.” Percy scowled, tapping a finger irritably on Riptide’s hilt.

[He of the Paion yelps.]

“Someone’s cranky.” The creature frowned, features distorting. “You’re kinda disrespectful. I don’t–”

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea makes a warning sound.]

[Pure Hunter of the Moonlight smiles thinly.]

[Master of the Skywalk sits upright in anticipation.]

The creature cut itself off. “Haha, never mind!”

Chapter 4: Supreme (Land)Lord of the Bathrooms

Chapter Text

Percy had never claimed himself to be a hero. Not after who he couldn’t save, not after what he’d done in the depths of hell, not with the pyrrhic victories achieved under the swing of his blade.

He’d felled monsters, made gods kneel, had gone against the Earth, and survived. In the same moments, he’d also left a good man behind, broken the ground beneath another, and watched teenagers die for love.

His fatal flaw was loyalty. His support was supposed to be unwavering, his strength unfaltering. He, like the other demigods of The Seven, were the tethers between mortal and god, between the human and the inhuman, between those who bleed red and those of gold.

Half-god Percy was. His blood flowed red, had flowed that bright dangerous color down his chin to reawaken a calamity.

“I just– just don’t understand!” Percy threw his hands up, pacing back and forth in the dimly lit subway. His steps sounded loudly through the empty section of the station, the previous occupants having scattered after a strong glare from Yoo Joonghyuk.

The aforementioned man leaned against a wall, watching Percy with his arms crossed firmly over his chest. His face was completely unreadable.

“Why did you just… let that happen?” Percy scratched at his head, eyebrows furrowing in frustration as he spun to look at Yoo Joonghyuk. The other met his gaze cooly, expression unphased and stone.

The girl sleeping against the wall near them stirred slightly before settling down.

She was the girl shown in the high school example on the train. Her eyes were shut tightly, her features pale with eyebags not just from lack of sleep. She half-leaned against Yoo Joonghyuk’s leg, silently breathing tiny puffs of air in and out.

Yoo Joonghyuk had said Lee Jihye was her name. She was a year or two younger than him.

Percy gritted his teeth, taking deep breaths that did little to ease the ache in his chest and the pit in his stomach.

“That man made his own decisions.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice was understanding of Percy’s plight, but resolute in his own opinion. The man’s golden-black eyes shined darkly in the light, already immersed deeply in the apocalypse they’d all found themselves in. “He chose to kill the sentinel, who am I to stop him?”

“It was his greed that led him to kill the monster.” Yoo Joonghyuk said. “The reward offered was great, but the consequences even greater.”

“But–”

“Don’t try to be a hero.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes shifted, a blue window opening in front of Percy’s face as the man’s eyes glowed a faint yellow. “I know you have a heroic spirit attribute, but it won’t end well for you. Heroes don’t live happy endings.”

Percy would’ve gotten angry if Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice had been full of righteousness and warning. Percy would’ve gotten angry if Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice hadn’t been filled with rough understanding, not pity but not compassion either.

Yoo Joonghyuk, from what Percy had seen within the days he’d accompanied the man, was not the most emotionally intelligent. Still, he was here. He was trying for Percy, a total stranger that he’d met on a bridge filled with undead.

Percy knew that the man had his eye on his abilities. There was no way he didn’t know– not with how quickly the man had cooled down on the bridge. Not with how he and Kim Dokja seemed to face this bizarre apocalypse with practiced ease.

“...I never claimed to be a hero,” Percy said, running a hand through his hair. He bit his lip. “I don’t know why that’s my attribute– I can’t save everyone, I can’t save the people who matter in the moment, I just–”

“Percy Jackson.” Yoo Joonghyuk said.

Percy stared at the man, hands clenched loosely at his side. Almost too loose for the turmoil swimming through his head. He tensed them, before letting them completely relax. He eyed the cursed blue window, pursing his lips at the Heroic Spirit (Legendary) looking back at him.

“How are you already so… familiar with this?” Percy asked, half-defeated. Through several battles he’d fought he’d never gotten used to the loss of life. Wasn’t that a good thing? Here Yoo Joonghyuk– Kim Dokja– was, playing with lives as easily as moving a pawn in chess.

But those people on the subway– he truly couldn’t have done anything, right? Even then, what made him more deserving to live than they did? What made him more deserving than the grasshopper he had crushed within the palm of his hand?

His heart thudded in his chest, an indescribable feeling welling in his gut.

Yoo Joonghyuk was right. Percy expected to feel anger, to feel hate at the realization. Nothing changed. It was just him and the resignation sitting low in his stomach.

This world, this apocalypse, was a dog-eat-dog world. People were fighting to survive and Percy was no different. How hypocritical, he scoffed to himself inwardly, scrubbing at his face.

Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t say anything.

Percy looked away, biting his lip again. His mind swam in different directions before suddenly snapping together. He laughed inwardly to himself, rubbing his palm on his face.

Percy’s fatal flaw was loyalty– to his people, to his home.

To his values.

“I can’t save everyone.” Percy started slowly, more to himself than to Yoo Joonghyuk. “But I can save those who want to be saved. And I will– I will.”

Percy hated how he was essentially picking and choosing who got to live and who died. But– what was he could he do? What should he do? What should he do?

Percy had been killing monsters for the last 6 years of his life. It was a different situation now. Killing these monsters– these humans– either directly and indirectly weighed heavily on his stomach.

Percy knew how monstrous humans could be, how monstrous he could be.

Those who embraced and thrived in a dog eat dog world did not wish to be saved– they reveled in the gore. Those who could be saved were those who had still had hope in them. Percy had already failed that hope multiple times. Still, a person saved was a life continuing to live.

“If that is how you wish to live.” Yoo Joonghyuk closed his eyes. “I cannot stop you.”

Yoo Joonghyuk’s shoulders hung heavy, as he’d already lost more than he could stand, but had no choice but to keep forging forward. They hung heavy, more than the man himself likely realized.

Percy stared at him. Then, as slow as a turtle, the teenager made his way next to Yoo Joonghyuk, leaning against the same wall.

Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t look at him, face still straight with his eyes closed.

“My full first name…” Percy started hesitantly. “Is Perseus, like the Greek hero who killed Medusa.”

“It means ‘destroyer’, but what mattered to my mom was that–” Percy frowned. He missed his mom. “What mattered to my mom was that Perseus was one of the only Greek heroes who had achieved a happy ending.”

Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t say anything, but the air lightened. Just a little.

If that guy tried to tax Percy’s right to use the pisser, he was going to blow up every single toilet in this subway station and then every single one in Korea to be petty.

Percy stalked down the subway hall, scowling at the sight of the bathroom being crowded around again. It was as cramped as the school bathroom during passing periods, and just like the school bathrooms, everyone was gathered outside and not actually inside.

Though… Percy narrowed his eyes before speeding up.

At Chungmuro station where he was now– Yoo Joonghyuk had attempted to teach him written Korean only to give up after Percy told him he was illiterate (dyslexic, same thing) and just told him the station name– parts of the station were separated in ‘green zones’.

By being in a green zone while having permission from the zone owner to be there, one could guarantee themselves safety from danger. They were incredibly valuable to those who weren’t strong enough to defend themselves– from monsters– and were limited in quantity.

Given the terrible nature of some of the mortals who have survived this far, it was no surprise to Percy that people would try and find a way to extort those who were weaker who sought safety.

Out of all the green zones in the station, the largest one was occupied by… by– Percy didn’t know his name– but he looked like a real estate version of one of Gabe’s poker friends, and was therefore dubbed ‘landlord guy’.

Unsurprisingly, not unlike actual landlords, landlord guy was a douchebag.

So– the largest green zone was occupied by landlord guy. Unfortunately for literally everyone with remaining human dignity in the station, that zone completely encompassed the bathrooms. Landlord guy didn’t let anybody in, not for free, at least.

Landlord guy had stolen Percy’s title of Supreme Lord of the Bathroom.

Every time someone uninvited intruded on the guy’s green zone, the entire thing would flare red and signal every douchey-looking guy in there. They’d congregate and extort every coin out of the unfortunate intruder, and the intruder had no choice to pay up– not unless they wanted to get shot.

Shot by what, you ask? Machine guns. Yeah. Machine guns.

Percy hadn’t been aware there were other Americans.

He’d experienced the guns himself at one point, when he’d gone with Lee Jihye to the bathrooms after the other teenager had tugged on his arm with a grim face. Birds of a feather piss together, as they say.

The bathroom situation had been Lee Jihye’s last straw because she’d proceeded to go on an one-woman rampage on Landlord guy and his group until they’d given up, something that Percy had stood back and watched because she clearly needed to get something out of her system.

Back to the current moment, Landlord guy’s zone was almost as red as Percy’s English tests, shouting and muttering breaking across the crowd as they all staggered backward. Someone had clearly intruded.

Percy’s eyes narrowed in on the tiny figure he could see kneeling on the floor in the zone, staring upwards at one of Landlord guy’s goonies. It was a kid– one that Percy recognized.

His speed immediately increased, Percy moving from the average New Yorker walking pace to a full-on sprint. He blasted through the gaps in the crowd, skidding to a halt behind the kid just as someone else pushed their way into the zone.

Kim Dokja came up on Percy’s right, staring firmly into the face of the goon. Percy glanced at him, slightly pursing his lips before relaxing his body.

He still felt a little pissed but he understood. People adapted to situations in different ways and had different values. It didn’t mean Percy wasn’t going to be a little curt with the man at times.

Percy readied his fingers on Riptide’s cap, scowling past the goon and at the shadowed figure of Landlord guy. Lee Gilyoung scrabbled backward to hide behind Percy and Kim Dokja, a slight tug on the back of Percy’s shirt to alert him of the kid’s presence.

The goon jolted. It was clear he recognized Percy’s face from the time he and Lee Jihye had accompanied Yoo Joonghyuk on the man’s one-day rampage to terrorize every single sleazy-looking occupant of the station until they cowered under the man’s glare. And that time Lee Jihye had absolutely demolished them.

Percy shifted his gaze. Landlord guy was preoccupied with the latest news, it seemed. Dunno what that was about, there wasn’t anything big going on at the moment other than the apocalypse, but little stories needed coverage sometimes too, right?

“Hey there. You don’t mind picking on someone your own size, don’t you?” Percy grinned, all sharp and wolfish. The man clearly didn’t understand him, but the look in his eyes told Percy that his slightly murderous intent had gotten across.

[Several constellations cheer.]

[500 coins have been sponsored.]

At some point, they’d taken a few steps out of the green zone. Percy glanced backward quickly, spotting Lee Hyunsung coming up behind them while Yoo Sangah hung in the rear carrying Jung Hewon on her back.

Looked like the whole gang, sans Yoo Joonghyuk and their newest addition, was here.

Kim Dokja’s posture shifted, a crafty expression crossing the man’s features as he looked the goon up and down. Percy tuned out the discussion, opting to make uncomfortably long eye contact with a different goon, who he very much remembered getting kicked in the nads by Lee Jihye.

Kim Dokja moved. calling out cheerfully in a tone that seemed ill-fitting for the tension. His body language completely shifted from what it was a second earlier, taunting and playful almost as he sauntered forward.

The man approached the green zone, looking around exaggeratedly while the goonies made jerky and confused motions to stop him.

When the man’s foot crossed the line, the entire zone flashed red once more. Several machine guns shimmered into existence, muzzles snapping to aim right at Kim Dokja, who continued on as if nothing were happening.

He whistled lowly to himself. The man had balls.

Lee Gilyoung’s grip on Percy’s shirt tightened. Percy reached back and jerkingly ruffled the kid’s head. “He’s fine, he’s got a plan.” He murmured. “...Probably.”

Kim Dokja walked with a confidence that smoothly conveted he was looking for a certain prey. The way he’d brushed off the earlier guy indicated he knew the man wasn’t the leader of the pack.

Percy wondered how he knew.

Landlord guy’s newspaper twitched before lowering, just the slightest amount to let the man’s eyes peak above the top. Of course, he acted all cool and pretended he was still reading, but Percy could see the minute twitches in the guy’s eyes.

He hadn’t spotted Percy yet.

Whatever ensuing discussion Landlord guy had with Kim Dokja quickly grew heated, goonies breaking out into stressed and angry murmurs at whatever the latter had said. Lee Gilyoung bumped into his back, accidentally herding Percy into the green zone to pull slightly behind Kim Dokja.

The entire green zone flashed red. Landlord guy squinted his eyes.

Percy figured now was a good time as ever to stick his head out. Y’know, before the guy decided to start shooting.

“Hey there,” He popped his head out to Kim Dokja’s right, letting his casual crooked grin flash on his face. “It’s been a while– y’know, like a couple of hours since I last saw you?”

Landlord guy visibly flinched before glancing around with an urgency that was barely hidden. Looking for Yoo Joonghyuk or Lee Jihye, was he? When the man couldn’t see either, he relaxed, fingers slightly unclenching from his pants.

Percy felt a little insulted.

He barked something out causing Kim Dokja to make a humming sound. Kim Dokja responded a sentence that included ‘Yoo Joonghyuk’, causing Landlord guy to regain the tension he’d just lost.

Percy slinked forward a bit more, wolfish in his expression and body language. Several people flinched, which meant Lupa’s training was working great.

[Pure Hunter of the Moonlights looks over your act with an approving eye.]

[200 coins have been sponsored.]

Landlord guy grew even more tense. Kim Dokja’s mention of Yoo Joonghyuk as an intimidation factor could be a bluff, but Percy, who Landlord guy had seen accompanying Yoo Jooghyuk was clearly not. Percy could see the calculations running through the dude’s head.

All the greater was Yoo Joonghyuk’s immediate appearance afterward, Lee Jihye by his side as he glared straight into Kim Dokja’s soul.

Landlord guy looked immediately frightened and Yoo Joonghyuk’s walking slowed down. The man continued to glare at Kim Dokja, tension filling the air as Kim Dokja smiled cheerfully back.

The entire area was silent, save for Kim Dokja’s light-hearted remarks piercing through the quiet space. Percy side-eyed the man.

Yoo Joonghyuk made to talk, only for Kim Dokja to cut him off. The air sang with a tension that Percy could cut with Riptide as Kim Dokja and Yoo Joohyuk looked at each other, the former smiling cheerfully and the latter stone-faced.

Percy finally snorted when the taller man drew his blade.

“You know,” Percy said as he watched Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja talk to each other. Whatever Kim Dokja was saying clearly annoying the other man. “I wish I could understand whatever is going on right now.”

Percy was talking to himself so he jumped when someone replied.

“Why are you here?” Yoo Sangah asked, coming up on Percy’s left. Her English was startingly fluent, a complete change from what it had been since Percy had last seen her. What even…?

“Uh?” He said, fluently and smoothly. “Like, why I’m in…Korea? Hey wait, hold on– how come your English is so good?”

She looked amused. “One of my skills.” She said both shyly and proudly. “And yes, to your question.”

Percy whistled. He bet Yoo Sangah could beat the Duolingo owl.

“I kinda just woke up here.” Percy shrugged. “Which wasn’t really cool cuz I’m from America and can’t speak Korean. Totally… cool situation to be in when you can’t speak. Or read. Or understand. Or write. Y’know.”

Yoo Sangah laughed before turning her gaze to Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk. She didn’t ask about how he ‘just woke up here’.

“They’re talking about ‘Gong Pildu’, the man from earlier, and why Yoo Joonghyuk is letting him stay alive.” She explained, face scrunching a little.

“Bathroom guy?” Percy’s face also scrunched up. Also, what was it with those two and murder?

“I think so.”

Kim Dokja made a motion to punch Yoo Joonghyuk but dropped the gesture a moment after. Seemed like discussions were going well.

Yoo Joonghyuk turned abruptly, barking out a command that Lee Jihye quickly responded to. He strode toward Percy, pausing a few feet away.

“With me?” He asked, voice short. Lee Jihye peered from behind him, tossing Percy a small wave.

Percy tilted his head. He considered the man, and then the rest of the group who were not moving.

Kim Dokja knew what he was doing, but the rest of the group was as clueless as Percy was minus the combat skills honed from fighting monsters from old myths. He’d yet to see anyone besides Kim Dokja fight, which bode well for the overall combative capability of the group.

Percy shifted his gaze back to Yoo Joonghyuk, who was waiting patiently for Percy to collect his thoughts. He didn’t seem like he would get mad if…

“I’ll watch over them for a bit,” Percy said, slowly to gauge Yoo Joonghyuk’s reaction. “Y’know, in case something happens I can help them fight.”

Yoo Joonghyuk was silent.

“Cuz like, you know, you’re strong and you know I’m strong but we haven’t seen anyone besides Kim Dokja fight and–” Percy rambled, ignoring the way Yoo Sangah was side-eyeing him. Lady, give him a break, he wasn’t good with adults.

Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. Though he seemed a little miffed about something that wasn’t the fact Percy was staying behind. “Yes, tell me if anything of interest happens.”

Was he asking Percy to spy on Kim Dokja? Weren’t they of the same group?

Percy glanced back at Kim Dokja and then recalled the period when the older men had disappeared for a few hours only to come back wet and tattered from fighting something.

There was a strained tension between the two that came from both sides of the relationship having very different attitudes towards said relationship.

“Sure,” Percy shrugged, deciding to just be casual. Whatever was going between those two was between those two. “Where you and Lee Jihye going?”

“Hunting.” The man said gruffly, casting a glance at Yoo Sangah. “Lee Jihye needs to grow stronger and there are a few items I’m looking for.”

Percy co*cked his head, before nodding. Stronger for what? What was going to happen in the future?

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea watches over you fondly.]

[500 coins have been sponsored.]

How in the Gods’ name was Percy supposed to explain this situation to Yoo Joonghyuk?

As with most things nowadays, it started with the furry little demon thing popping up to ruin absolutely everyone’s day.

[Main Scenario #3] kicked off with an unhealthy amount of bloodshed, the people of the station fighting left and right for safety. According to the window, monsters were going to rampage at midnight, safety only within the borders of a green room.

Everyone had already realised the rules of the game. Green rooms were limited in quantity. Nothing stopped humans from entering someone else’s green room to claim it for themselves using violence.

Percy scowled at the blood splattered across the tile from when a man had stabbed another in the thigh, then at the scenario window floating in front of him.

Kim Dokja looked as calm as ever. Had Yoo Joonghyuk known this scenario was going to happen?

The furry demon opened its mouth and Percy immediately started dissociating.

[The Huntress sighs.]

[50 coins have been sponsored.]

He came back after it vanished, blinking at the rest of the group while they looked at him.

“Huh?” Intelligently came out of his mouth.

“We’re going to see if there are any green rooms left.” Yoo Sangah said, face nervous. She glanced several times at Kim Dokja, who still looked unbothered. “We’re splitting up, Kim Dokja says you can look with him.”

Percy blinked. “Yeah, alright.” He said awkwardly, still embarrassed he’d missed most of what the furry demon said. The thing was one of the few things he could understand. He just blanked out the second it opened its mouth.

Everyone but Kim Dokja and Percy scattered, heading in pairs toward different sections of the subway station. Percy watched them go, turning his head to glance at Kim Dokja to see if the man would start moving.

He did not and pulled out his smartphone.

Percy reflexively took a step away from the man. Technology and demigods didn’t mix, not unless it was specially made and the phone Kim Dokja was most definitely not specially made.

The teenager switched his gaze, surveying the subway station. People fought bloodily, mutilating and murdering for the safety of a green room. Percy watched it happen distantly, digging his nails into his palms.

He made to step forward, only for Kim Dokja to hold out an arm, gently stopping Percy from interfering with the mess.

The man made eye contact before shaking his head. Percy scowled, a brief unknown emotion crossing Kim Dokja’s face before he shook his head again.

There was no translation needed.

Percy watched a man stab a glass shard into the eye of another. The man’s face was distorted with a grin, one full of hysteria, fear, and animalistic rage rather than joy. The other man fought back, just as brutal, just as monster-like.

He stood by Kim Dokja blankly, the man still using his phone. Time passed slowly yet quickly, ticking down until there were only 30 minutes left until the scenario would begin.

Not far from them, a boy pointed his knife at them. His face was completely white, terror swimming in his eyes as prepared to guard the green room he’d won by killing others.

Footsteps sounded behind them, Percy turning to meet Lee Jihye’s eyes as she approached. She twirled her sword skillfully, speaking to Kim Dokja with a careful eye.

Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t with her, Percy noted.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Yoo Joonghyuk stalked towards them, eyebrows furrowed in a way that Percy only saw when Kim Dokja appeared or opened his mouth.

He said a few words to Lee Jihye, the girl dashing off elsewhere. Yoo Joonghyuk turned to Kim Dokja, narrowing his eyes as they spoke to each other.

“He plans on fighting the monsters.” Yoo Joonghyuk told Percy, who blinked. “Lee Jihye’s green room has room for two people, you should follow after her. The amount of monsters incoming is no easy fight.”

“He plans on fighting the monsters?” Percy repeated, eyes wide. “Uh. The amount of monsters–? What?”

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at him. “Lee Jihye’s green room has space for another. Kim Dokja’s group will not survive the wave.”

“If Lee Jihye has space I’d let Lee Gilyoung take it.” Percy said. It totally wasn’t because he had a soft spot for kids. “I don’t think he can contribute too much to a fight at the moment. Wait a minute, where are you holing up then?”

“I have a space in mind.” Yoo Joonghyuk said casually, revealing absolutely nothing but his large ego. “Are you sure you’re going to fight?”

“Yeah.” Percy shrugged. “I’ve pretty well rested and I just dropped a few coins into my stats. I can do it.” He had no idea what kind of monsters were going to push through. Percy, despite his bravado, was nervous.

Percy would not be taking the easy route of murder to get a green room. If fighting all night through monsters was the other option, then so be it. Percy had experience, it wouldn’t be all that bad.

The rest of the group emerged from the subway hallways, frustration and resignment on their faces as they gathered around Percy, Kim Dokja, and Yoo Joonghyuk. Each person shook their head, looking down at the floor darkly.

Yoo Joonghyuk spoke, shifting his gaze around the entire group. His gaze lingered on Lee Gilyoung as he finished, the other adults exchanging glances as they thought about whatever Yoo Joonghyuk had said.

Then Yoo Sangah nodded, gently pushing Lee Gilyoung’s back forward. Kim Dokja ruffled the kid’s hair as he stared up at all of them, Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon waving as the kid left with Yoo Joonghyuk, headed off to Lee Jihye.

“Do you have a plan?” Percy asked Kim Dokja, “I plan on fighting, what are y’all going to do?”

The adults gathered together, a quick conversation that Percy watched blankly. At one point, they turned to look at a green room with exactly five spaces, an idea that Jung Heewon shut down and Percy made a noise at.

After the discussion, Yoo Sangah quickly translated for him as they made their way down into the subway tracks.

“Kim Dokja told Jung Heewon, Lee Hyungsung, and me to run towards the incoming monster and to look toward to left wall.” She said softly, casting glances at the dark subway tunnel. A red barrier faintly glimmered over it, preventing any of the station’s occupants from leaving.

“He wants you to stay with him because you have high combative abilites.”

Percy nodded.

The time ticked down. When it reached five minutes, Percy uncapped Riptide. When it reached two minutes, Percy dropped some of his coins on raising his strength stat. When it reached one, Percy raised his weapon into ready position, forcefully relaxing his muscles to be ready to fight in a second’s breath.

The gleam of Riptide shown brightly in the tunnel, otherwordly glow amplified as the metal reflected the subway lighting. Percy cracked the fingers on his free hand before shaking it gently, activating the gift that sat on his wrist.

His shield unfolded from his watch, another gleaming object that caught the attention of the people around him. Percy adjusted his stance, breathing calmly and steady while the people around him shifted nervously.

Nobody had time to ask or say anything. The entire subway shuddered as if an earthquake struck, the red barrier blocking the tunnels shattered with an ear-piercing shriek. The entire tunnel was washed with red light, ominous and threatening.

In the red light, the green rooms glowed brightly, illuminating the terrified faces inside.

Percy smelled the monsters before he saw them. As the rumble grew closer, Kim Dokja abruptly shouted. Lee Hyungsung, Jung Heewon, and Yoo Sangah both bolted forward, heads turning desperately to look left.

An odd thing to say at the time, but Percy was glad he wasn’t one of the ones running towards to the monsters. Not because it was scary but because Percy forgot his left and rights 60% of the time.

If people saw him doing the hand trick before he got torn to shreds by a monster, Percy was pretty sure he’d get kicked out of Esylium for the negative aura points alone.

All three of the adults entered a green room just before the monsters overwhelmed them. Lee Hyunsung had a close call that almost had Percy sprinting forward but Yoo Sangah and Jung Heewon managed to drag the large man to safety.

“Ready?” Kim Dokja murmured beside him.

The monsters stared at the three adults in the green room but made no move to attack. Instead, their heads turned quickly to snap onto Percy and Kim Dokja, a new red light filling the monsters’ eyes as they started to snarl once more.

“No choice but to be.” Percy shrugged.

Kim Dokja quickly tugged Percy backward, Percy following the flow. A few ground rats skittered after them, one biting Kim Dokja on the thigh as they scrambled toward an unknown goal. Percy dealt with them quickly with skilled slashes, forging forward despite not knowing where he was going at all.

As they drew near the exit tunnel, the monsters caught up.

Percy abruptly ducked, catching the claws of a bear-like monster with his shield. In the second that the bear was open, Percy shoved his shield as hard as he could, slashing his sword through the opening that had appeared.

One bear down. A few dozen more needed to follow.

Good news: the monsters were easy to defeat. They had predictable attacks and actions, dying under one or two strikes of Riptide. His sword glided through fur and flesh like butter, occasionally killing more than one monster with just one slash.

The coins he had invested into his stats clearly showed. Percy fought faster, and harder, finding himself with way way more energy than he thought he would have. Hard contact with the floor-cracked concrete, a shield bash could send monsters flying.

(It kind of scared him.)

Bad news: the large amount made fighting incredibly difficult. Percy had to manage several things at once– which, while he was good at totally not because of his ADHD– there was a point where it was too much.

For Percy’s brain, not his instincts. He was trying to kill monster by monster but sometimes in the middle of combat a different monster would show up and Percy would abruptly switch targets.

[The Huntress scowls at your attention span.]

[50 coins have been sponsored.]

Percy killed a ground rat through a sword in the brain, immediately whirling back to defend Kim Dokja’s back from one of the monster bears. The man was pushing forward with a clear goal, trying to slash and slice his way through the overwhelming amount of monsters.

When they both leaped over ground rats, Kim Dokja stuttered to a stop. Outrage flashed briefly on the man’s face before vanishing. Percy followed his gaze, only to blink when Yoo Joonghyuk looked moodily back.

[Green Zone 1/2] floated right in front of the man’s face, who remained unphased despite the insults Kim Dokja spat out in a fury.

“Oh damn, was this your spot?” Percy frowned, batting away a ground rat with his shield. It squealed pathetically as it flew away, slamming into some of its brethren and knocking them down like bowling pins.

Kim Dokja yelled another insult.

Percy sighed before using his full strength to just shove Kim Dokja. The man went stumbling, almost face-planting into the wall the green room sat against. Yoo Joonghyuk made no attempt to help the man, instead looking at Percy with an appeasing eye.

“If you feel tired, switch out with me.” Yoo Joonghyuk said gruffly, still ignoring Kim Dokja who had recovered and looked like he was about to punch Yoo Joonghyuk.

[Hearth of Empyreon Flame smiles gently at the interaction.]

[200 coins have been sponsored.]

Percy didn’t doubt if he hadn’t been there, Yoo Joonghyuk would’ve shoved Kim Dokja out of the zone like a playground bully. The guy was all soft on the inside– except when it came to Kim Dokja it seemed.

“Quite kind of you,” Percy remarked, decapitating a bear monster with the flick of his wrist. He leaped upwards, bouncing off the heads of a few monsters before launching himself full force at a different monster and giving it the worst concussion ever with his shield. “Don’t worry old man, I’ve got this!”

“Old man?” Through the glimpses between the fight, Percy caught Yoo Joonghyuk making a truly interesting face. “I’m 28.” Kim Dokja was also making an interesting face, gaze switching between the whirlwind that was Percy and Yoo Joonghyuk.

“How was the Great Depression!?”

“...I’m Korean.”

sh*t, Percy didn’t know anything about Korean history.

“Doesn’t matter!” Percy shrugged mid-fight. “You’re older than 19, which must mean you’re on the verge of death. That’s how turning 20 works, yeah!?”

“...No.” Yoo Joonghyuk said flatly.

Percy landed deftly in front of the green room, staring deeply at Yoo Joonghyuk. “I think I see some gray hair there.”

Yoo Joonghyuk raised an eyebrow. “An entire lock of your hair is grey.”

“Ehhh.” Percy tilted his head, hopping back a one-two to dodge the bears attempting to double-team him. Percy decidedly did not talk about the grey streak in his hair. “Y’know, Lee Jihye taught me a word earlier. Should I be calling you Ad–uh, Adjussi now?”

“Absolutely not.”

[He of Paion can’t hold back the laughter.]

[300 coins have been sponsored.]

Why a 28-year-old man was having banter with an 18-year-old was slightly beyond Percy but he rocked with it.

The fight felt good, a way to unleash Percy’s pent-up frustration and anger built over the day.

Time began blurring, a haze of blood and fighting completely taking over Percy’s thoughts. He moved purely on instinct, banter stopping in favor of annihilating more monsters.

Distantly, like he was looking at the world through a filter, Percy vaguely thought about the [Instinctual Beserker Lv. 4] skill tucked near the bottom of his list. Oh, yeah, that was starting to make sense.

Percy bisected a monster, skidding on the floor from a rough landing, head snapping up after the kill to look for the next enemy. His breath sounded heavily in his ears. He suddenly felt tired, a feeling that hadn’t been there a literal second ago.

No monsters appeared. Instead, a blue window opened in front of his face. Percy’s rough breathing began to slow down as he took deeper breaths. He squinted his eyes, trying to read the text but his brain decided illiteracy was what he needed at the moment.

“What?” He murmured to himself before casting a glance around the tunnel. Dissolving monster corpses piled in heaps, some still leaking blood from a fresh kill. Percy himself was absolutely covered in putrid-smelling blood. He plucked at his shirt. “Oh. Oh great.”

[Master of the Skywalk expresses condolences for your clothing.]

[200 coins have been sponsored.]

Footsteps sounded behind him. Yoo Joonghyuk approached, Kim Dokja slightly behind him. Both adults looked over Percy’s rampage, the former looking impressed and the latter shocked. Percy ignored the calculating look in the man’s eyes. He’d deal with that later after he cleaned up.

Shouts came from the other side of the tunnel, Yoo Sangah, Lee Hyungsung, and Jung Heewon scrambling after the green room after the scenario ended for the day.

Yoo Joonghyuk stopped in front of Percy, looking the teenager up and down. “How about we get you to the restroom to freshen up?” The man said roughly like he was pretending he didn’t care. If Percy wasn’t so damn tired, he would’ve laughed.

“If Gong Pildu tries to stop me from going in, I’m going to blow up the entire bathroom and reclaim my title.” Percy declared.

[Spear that Parts the Boundaries of the Sea crosses their arms and nods.]

[500 coins have been sponsored.]

Gong Pildu did not stop Percy. Being drenched in monster blood worked wonders for his intimidation factor.