[Third Person's PoV]
Out in front of an unassuming apartment building stood a rather peculiar group. Leading them was none other than Lucian, striding forward with his usual swagger. Trailing behind him were Thalia, Annabeth, Nico, Bianca… and a very disgruntled Clarisse.
Clarisse crossed her arms and glared daggers at Lucian as they ascended the front steps. "Did you really have to kidnap me from my own home? My mom's going to freak out, and let's not forget—it's barely been two days since we left the camp."
Lucian simply shrugged, completely unfazed. "Sorry, can't help it. Kidnapping people is kind of my thing. It's practically in my blood."
Thalia glanced around at the group, her expression thoughtful as her eyes narrowed. "You know… now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure Lucian's kidnapped every single person here at least once."
Annabeth furrowed her brow. "Wait—when did he kidnap you? I know he kidnaps me when I ask him to, I remember Nico and Bianca during that whole casino mess, that's obvious. And Clarisse—well, that just happened. But what about you?"
As she spoke, Nox peeked out from her hair, eyes wide with embarrassment. He ducked back in immediately, not ready to face Lucian so soon.
By contrast, Lucerna perched in Lucian's hair was laughing uncontrollably, pointing at Noclx and slapping Lucian's head repeatedly as if replaying a private joke only she understood.
Thalia turned slightly pink, averting her gaze. "During our date…"
Annabeth's eyes widened. "That counts as kidnapping?!"
Lucian, unbothered by the conversation, stepped up to the front door of the apartment. He placed a finger on the handle, his shadow creeping up the surface. It twisted and morphed until it formed a sleek black key that slid perfectly into the lock. With a soft click, the door opened as if it had always belonged to him.
Bianca blinked in disbelief, staring at Lucian as he just casually opened it like he lived there his whole life. "Do they even know we're coming?" she asked hesitantly as they followed him inside.
"Not a clue," Lucian replied with a grin, already heading up the stairs. "But I find life's more fun that way."
They ascended past the first and second floors, each step echoing softly in the narrow stairwell. On the third floor, Lucian stopped before a door and knocked casually, as if it were a daily occurrence.
After a moment, the door creaked open. Sally Jackson peeked out, blinking at the crowd on her doorstep. Her eyes widened as recognition hit her.
"Hello!" They all greeted her with cheerful smiles.
Sally's surprise turned to delight. "I take it you're all here for Percy?"
They all nodded, a mix of anticipation and mischief dancing in their eyes.
"Did he know you were coming?" she asked, one eyebrow arching in curiosity.
All of them shook their heads in unison.
Sally laughed and stepped aside, ushering them in. "Well then, come on in. I was just finishing up. PERCY! You have guests!"
"Huh? Guests? Who would—" Percy rounded the corner and froze mid-step, his eyes landing on the group of familiar faces standing in his living room like it was no big deal.
"Yo," Lucian said with a smirk.
"Happy birthday, Perseus!" they all chorused.
Percy's jaw dropped slightly, blinking as the words sunk in. "Wha—Wait, woah… Uh, thanks?"
"We come bearing gifts, birthday boy," Lucian added, lifting his hand as his shadow rose beside him, forming a sleek black gift box that materialized in his palm.
Annabeth pulled a slim rectangular box from her own shadow. The others raised colorful gift bags, each decorated differently, revealing their varying degrees of wrapping effort—or lack thereof in Clarisse's case.
Sally's heart swelled as she took in the sight—her son, who once sat alone on his birthdays, now surrounded by friends who had traveled miles just to be with him. Her eyes misted over, and she wiped them quickly.
"If I'd known you were coming, I would've made more food," she said with a smile tinged with regret.
"Don't worry," Lucian replied smoothly, "we've got it covered. We came prepared for that exact scenario—"
"Wait," Percy cut him off, narrowing his eyes. "Did you make the food?"
Lucian rolled his eyes and gave a lazy thumbs-up. "Yes, I made it."
Percy's serious expression broke into a grin as he raised a fist and silently shook it.
Lucian's shadow rippled outward across the floor, and several shadow clones of himself emerged, each one carrying trays and containers of neatly packed food. They moved wordlessly, setting the dishes down beside the spread Sally had already prepared, as if this was all part of a well-rehearsed ritual.
The others quickly began to make themselves at home, and soon, the birthday party was in full swing. Annabeth's summoned spirits floated gently through the room, helping Sally hook up the last of the decorations she had bought—balloons, streamers in sea-green and blue, and a glittery banner that read: Happy Birthday, Percy! Sally smiled warmly at the help, quietly impressed with the magical assistance.
Thalia, who loved chaos and making the most of the moment, smirked and looked over to Percy with a mischievous glint in her eye. She leaned back on her seat with a grin and asked loudly, "So, does your mom know the two of you are dating?"
Percy's eyes widened in horror as he waved his hand furiously in front of his neck, silently begging her to stop. 'No no no—cut it! Cut it!' he mouthed desperately, but it was already too late.
It was as if a silent alarm had gone off. Sally's head snapped toward him with astonishing speed, her eyes narrowing into a glare that would have impressed even Medusa.
"Perseus Jackson!" she exclaimed, voice sharp and full of disbelief. Percy flinched visibly and slowly turned toward Thalia with a glare that promised revenge.
"You really had to drop that on my birthday?" he asked, exasperated.
Clarisse, who had been leaning back casually, raised a brow as she crossed her arms. "What? Are you embarrassed of our relationship or something? Too ashamed to tell your mom?"
Percy sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "No," he muttered, now fully resigned to the situation. He turned to his mother and straightened up, trying to sound more formal than he ever had in his life. "Mom, let me properly introduce you. This is Clarisse La Rue, my girlfriend. And Clarisse, this is my mother, Sally Jackson."
Clarisse gave a small nod and offered her hand. "Greetings," she said, surprisingly calm and composed. The tone caught everyone a bit off guard—she actually sounded… polite?
Sally's expression softened. She reached out and took Clarisse's hand gently, giving it a light shake. "It's lovely to meet you, Clarisse. I'm happy someone sees the good in my son. He's a wonderful boy, but definitely a handful. Please, take care of him."
Clarisse's ears turned red as she glanced aside, nodding. "Uh… Sure," she said, almost sheepishly.
"They grow up so fast…" Lucian whispered dramatically, pretending to dab at imaginary tears with his sleeve, drawing amused looks from the others.
"Actually," Annabeth said as she looked around, "I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves either…"
Realizing the oversight, everyone quickly stepped forward, offering names and handshakes in turn.
Sally smiled graciously. "Alright, let's see if I got this right—Clarisse, Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, Bianca, and Lucian."
As she spoke Lucian's name, her eyes lingered on him for a moment before her smile widened knowingly. "You know… I've actually heard a bit about you from your mother."
Lucian's entire posture stiffened. "Wait—hold on—" he said, eyes narrowing.
Suddenly his expression shifted to exaggerated outrage as he pointed at her dramatically. "That's right! You just reminded me! How could you?! You ruined me in the worst way imaginable! You—you told my mother about school!"
Everyone blinked in confusion. Even Percy was staring at him blankly.
Lucian dropped to his seat with a groan, clutching his head. "Do you know what you've done?! Because of you, she actually made my father enrolled me in that… that torture chamber!"
Sally chuckled softly, utterly unbothered. "Well, I'm glad she took my advice. School is important, Lucian. You can't just be spending all your time in camp. A well-rounded education is vital, especially for bright young man like yourself."
She clapped her hands. "Now then, I'll get back to preparing your plates."
As she walked off, humming happily, Lucian watched her with narrowed eyes and twitching brows. Slowly, he turned toward Percy.
"Percy?"
Percy, still reeling from the earlier chaos, blinked. "What now?"
"Did your mother… enjoy her visit to my father?" Lucian asked, sounding sincerely curious.
Percy tilted his head. "Not that I'm aware of… why?"
Lucian's expression darkened as he slowly stood up and summoned his scythe into his hands. "Because it sounds like she wants to go back and see him again."
"Lucian, no!!" the others cried in unison as they lunged forward.
They tackled him before he could take a single step, wrestling him back into his seat as he thrashed dramatically, scythe clutched in hand.
********************************************
+10 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3