Chapter Text
WHEN PERCY WOKE UP, he knew it was going to be a bad day.
First of all, he had woken up with no memories of who he was, and only remembered his name. Secondly, he was sitting on a bus going to who knows where with a girl sleeping peacefully on his shoulder. She looked as comfortable as can be, and he instinctively reached out to take off his jacket and drape it over her, like an older sibling would, before his hand paused midway.
Looks like he was familiar with this concept.
The bus jerked as he turned his brilliant sea-green eyes to look out the window. Nothing that he could remember… hm.
He didn’t know what to think of this, and unfortunately, he didn't have time to deliberate on the matter because the girl woke up with a yelp a few seconds after the bump and yawned.
The girl glanced at him, and her eyes and smile both widened. "Did you not sleep the entire way?"
She wore faded jeans, hiking boots, and a fleece snowboarding jacket. Her chocolate brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, with thin strands braided down the sides. She wore no makeup like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn’t work.
He blinked. "I'm sorry, what-"
"'Course he didn't, Pipes." Someone spoke up, and a scrawny Latino boy resembling the long-lost cousin of an elf popped up from the seat in front of them with curly black hair, pointy ears, long, nimble fingers that would not stop moving, and a grin that made Percy want to make sure his non-existent wallet was in his reach at all times.
"It's Percy," he snorted, "he wouldn't sleep before ass o'clock in the night even if his life depended on it."
Elf-boy and 'Pipes' laughed like that joke made all the sense in the world, but Percy blinked like they were aliens. The girl's laughter died down after a while, however, noting the confused look on his face.
"Perce, you okay?"
The bus kept on rumbling along a bumpy road. Out the windows, the desert rolled by under a bright blue sky. Percy was pretty sure he didn’t live in the desert. He tried to think back... the last thing he remembered…
He hesitated, biting his lip, a nagging feeling telling him that he couldn’t tell them anything. Nevertheless, he replied honestly: “No…I don’t think-”
“ALL RIGHT, CUPCAKES! LISTEN UP!”
The guy who interrupted him with a gruff and loud voice was obviously a coach. His baseball cap was pulled low over his hair, so you could just see his beady eyes. He had a wispy goatee and a sour face like he’d eaten something moldy. He would look intimidating…if the guy wasn’t exactly five feet. He heard some kid shout ‘Stand up, Coach Hedge!’ from in front of him and had to stuff his fist into his mouth to keep him from snickering along with the other two.
However, as soon as the Coach’s eyes fell on him, his smile vanished and a jolt went up his spine. Any minute now, Percy would be asked why he was here, and he wouldn’t have any answer, because he didn’t know.
But Coach Hedge looked away and cleared his throat. “We’ll arrive in five minutes! Let me make it clear that if any of you precious little cupcakes cause any trouble on this trip, I will be personally sending you back to campus the hard way.”
Percy ignored the snickers at the coach’s threat and gulped, gesturing for the other two to come and lean in a bit closer, smiling a little internally when they did without even one look at his actions. Apparently, these kids definitely knew what he was like- and trusted him. That thought made him uneasy.
“Look.” He began. “I’m not supposed to be here.”
He was expecting confusion.
Instead, there was this:
“Not supposed to be at the Wilderness School? ‘Where the kids are animals’? Suuuuure, man.” The elf-boy rolled his eyes, scoffing. “No, actually, you know what? You’re right. We’ve all been framed! I didn’t run away six times. Piper didn’t steal a BMW.”
The girl swatted his arm. “I didn’t steal that car, Leo!”
“Oh, right, here’s another one. You talked to the dealer into giving it to you, yeah? Whatever you say, Pipes.”
Okay , Percy thought. Leo. Piper. Those are names. Okay, cool, okay-
“Anyway,” Leo said, interrupting his thought process, “I hope you’ve got your worksheet, ’cause I used mine for spit wads days ago.” He grinned, before pausing.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Somebody draw on my face again?”
“Leo…I don’t know you,” Percy said slowly.
Leo gave him a crocodile grin. “Yeah. I’m not one of your best friends, nor am I your roommate. I’m his evil clone.”
Percy resisted the urge to strangle him. If this guy was his best friend and his roommate, then he wondered how the hell he survived every day.
“Dude, you don’t understand- I don’t belong here– Look.” He threw his hands up, speaking quicker and brushing his raven black hair out of his eyes. “You said that you were here for running away, and Piper was here for stealing,” he winced out an apology when Piper kicked him in the shin, “so what am I here for?”
“Oh, that’s easy !” Leo smirked. “You’re here for-”
He faltered after a few seconds of his mouth hanging open like he was waiting for Percy to throw a chicken nugget in his mouth. That thought made Percy hungry.
Keep pushing, he told himself. You need to know why you’re here.
Cheeseburgers, his stomach replied.
Shut up, he thought.
With fries, his stomach complained.
“Huh.” He said after a few minutes of thinking. “I…I forgot.”
“That- that can’t be right, I can’t remember either,” Piper spoke up, scrunching her eyebrows as she pondered on his question.
“That’s what I’m telling you,” Percy pleaded. “What am I doing here? Where are we going?”
Piper knit her eyebrows. “Percy, are you joking?”
“No! I have no idea–”
“Aw, yeah, he’s joking,” Leo said. “He’s trying to get me back for that shaving cream on the Jell-O thing, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m serious.” Percy shook his head, and then he made a face and stared up at Leo. “Wait, did you just say you put shaving cream in my Jell-O -?”
“That’s not important-” Piper rolled her eyes, trying to put a comforting hand on Percy’s shoulder. It hovered in mid-air as he unconsciously flinched, and he kicked himself seeing her confused and hurt face.
“Sorry–I don’t–”
“That’s it!” Coach Hedge yelled from the front, glaring at the trio. They had gotten so loud that the entire bus could hear the last bit of the conversation and were giggling away to glory. “The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch!”
The rest of the kids cheered.
Hedge looked at them one by one, holding his gaze and squinting at Percy for a time he considered longer than normal. He didn’t think this coach was doing a mental analysis of his physical capability.
Another shiver ran down his spine, and he gulped again. “Sorry about that I, uh– Didn’t mean to get us in trouble,”
But Piper and Leo kept their eyes on Percy, ignoring all the yelling and screaming, like they couldn’t decide whether to be hurt or worried.
“Did you hit your head or something man? You really don’t know who we are?” Leo raised his eyebrow.
Percy sighed, and shrugged helplessly, like he was accepting defeat. “It’s worse than that. I don’t know who I am.”
They were dropped in front of an impressive, red stucco building, looking like one of the most ornate museums the students will ever see in their life…smack bang in the middle of nowhere. A cold wind blew across the desert, which Percy thought was a bit weird. That’s not how deserts worked. He also hadn’t paid much attention to what he was wearing, but it wasn’t nearly warm enough: jeans and sneakers, a purple T-shirt with an odd golden design, and a thin black windbreaker.
“So, because I’m so helpful,” Leo began as they walked into the building, in a tone that suggested what he was about to say would be anything but helpful, “a crash course for the amnesiac. We all started on the same day, you’re in a grade above us two, and this is a field trip for both of those grades at the Wilderness School– you’re here because you’re a ‘bad kid’, and the court, your parents, or whoever decided to send you to this lovely establishment in Armpit, Nevada. Is it all coming back to you or do I need to whack you on the head?”
“Leo!” Piper glared at him.
“Fine fine, we won’t whack him on the head. Anyways, we’re totally tight. You do everything I say and give me your dessert and do my chores–”
“Leo. ” She slapped him on the hand.
“Okay, okay! Jeez, woman. But we are friends.”
“We’ve got to tell someone about your…condition.” Piper winced at her wording. “Like Coach Hedge, or,”
“Who, the Coach?” Percy grinned, trying to refuse the idea without showing off how nervous he was. He glanced at Hedge at the front of the group, barking orders and blowing his whistle to keep the kids in line; but every so often he’d glance back at Percy and scowl. “His solution would be to whack me upside the head with a baseball bat like Leo wanted to.”
Piper bit her lip. “You’re right…so what do we–”
“Yo, Piper.” One of the other guys dropped back to join them as the group was heading into the museum. The new guy wedged himself between Percy and Piper and knocked Leo down. “Don’t talk to these bottom-feeders. You’re my partner, remember?”
The new guy had dark hair cut Superman style, a deep tan, and teeth so white they should’ve come with a warning label: do not stare directly at teeth. permanent blindness may occur. He wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey, Western jeans, and boots, and he smiled like he was God’s gift to juvenile delinquent girls everywhere. Percy hated him instantly and resisted punching the dude as he dragged a very uncomfortable-looking Piper away.
Leo seemed to share his sentiments as he helped the younger up but caught his arm as he walked forward.
“Don’t, Piper doesn’t like us fighting her battles. Besides, he’s not worth it.” He said, looking down at Percy’s clenched fist. “‘I’m Dylan. I’m so cool, I want to date myself, but I can’t figure out how!’”
“‘You want to date me instead?’” Percy cracked a grin, relaxing his hand and speaking in the same voice as Leo. “‘You’re so lucky!’”
Maybe these guys aren’t that bad, he thought.
“Besides, if these guys knew about her dad,” Leo’s snickers died down, “then they’d probably be groveling on their knees and screaming ‘WE’RE NOT WORTHY!’ or stuff.”
His smile faltered. “Wait, why?”
Leo laughed in disbelief. “You’re not kidding? You don’t remember that your best friend’s dad–”
“Look, I wish I did, but I don’t even remember her, much less her dad.”
Leo whistled. “Whatever. We have to talk when we get back to the dorm.”
They shuffled along, and Percy had to resist punching the popular clique and Dylan again on Piper’s behalf before they reached the far end of the exhibit hall, where some big glass doors led out to a terrace.
“All right, cupcakes,” Coach Hedge announced. “You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork.”
The coach opened the doors, and they all stepped outside. The Grand Canyon spread before them, live and in person. Extending over the edge was a horseshoe-shaped walkway made of glass, so you could see right through it.
“Man,” Leo said. “That’s pretty wicked.”
Percy had to agree. Despite his amnesia and his gut feelings, he couldn’t help being impressed.
The canyon was bigger and wider than you could appreciate from a picture. They were up so high that birds circled below their feet. Five hundred feet down, a river snaked along the canyon floor. Banks of storm clouds had moved overhead while they’d been inside, casting shadows like angry faces across the cliffs. As far as Percy could see in any direction, red and gray ravines cut through the desert like some crazy god had taken a knife to it.
Percy got a piercing pain behind his eyes. Crazy gods…Where had he come up with that idea? He felt like he’d gotten close to something important– something he should know about. He also got the unmistakable feeling he was in danger…something about how high up they were. It bothered him.
Why?
“You all right?” Leo poked him on the shoulder. “You’re not going to throw up over the side, are you? ’Cause I should’ve brought my camera."
Percy grabbed the railing. He was shivering and sweaty, and it felt like it had everything and nothing to do with heights. He did feel like he would throw up, but he wasn’t sure if we wanted to give Leo that satisfaction.
A blink, and the pain behind his eyes subsided.
“I’m fine,” he managed. “Just a headache.”
Thunder rumbled overhead. A cold wind almost knocked him sideways.
“This can’t be safe.” Leo squinted at the clouds. “Storm’s right over us, but it’s clear all the way around. Weird, huh?”
Percy looked up and saw Leo was right. A dark circle of clouds had parked itself over the skywalk, but the rest of the sky in every direction was perfectly clear. He had a bad feeling about that and shivered.
“All right, cupcakes!” Coach Hedge yelled. He frowned at the storm as it bothered him too. “We may have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!”
The storm rumbled, and Percy’s head began to hurt again. Not knowing why he did it, he reached into his jeans pocket and brought out a pen—a regular old ballpoint pen you’d find in a pack of 20 for about 5 dollars. The only thing out of the ordinary was the golden clip, glimmering in the light and reflecting brilliantly in his eyes.
“Dang, is that golden?” Leo asked. “You've been holding out on me!”
Percy put the pen away, wondering how he’d come to have it, and why he had the feeling he was going to need it soon. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Just a pen.”
Leo shrugged. Maybe his mind had to keep moving as much as his hands. “Come on,” he said. “Dare you to spit over the edge.”
They didn’t try very hard on the worksheet. For one thing, Percy was too distracted by the storm and his mixed-up feelings. For another thing, he didn’t have any idea how to “name three sedimentary strata you observe” or “describe two examples of erosion.”
Leo was no help. He was too busy building a helicopter out of pipe cleaners, and then the two had taken to get it as far off the edge as possible.
Percy saw the coach looking at him, and his back straightened. He bit his lip, thinking. Glancing up at the storm after a few moments, he finally caved.
“Take the worksheet.” Percy handed Leo the paper. “I’ll be right back.”
Before Leo could protest, Percy headed across the skywalk.
Their school group had the place to themselves. Maybe it was too early in the day for tourists, or maybe the weird weather had scared them off. The Wilderness School kids had spread out in pairs across the skywalk. Most were joking around or talking. Some of the guys were dropping pennies over the side. About fifty feet away, Piper was trying to fill out her worksheet, but her stupid partner Dylan was hitting on her, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her that blinding white smile. She kept pushing him away, and when she saw Percy she gave him a look like, Throttle this guy for me.
Percy stifled a grin and motioned for her to hang on. He walked up to Coach Hedge, who was leaning on his baseball bat, studying the storm clouds.
“Did you do this?” the coach asked him.
Percy took a step back. “Do what?” It sounded like the coach had just asked if he’d made the thunderstorm.
Coach Hedge glared at him, his beady little eyes glinting under the brim of his cap. “Don’t play games with me, kid. What are you doing here, and why are you messing up my job?”
“You mean...you don’t know me?” Percy said. “I’m not one of your students?”
Hedge snorted. “Never seen you before today.”
Percy was so relieved he almost wanted to cry. At least he wasn’t going insane. He was in the wrong place. “Look, I don’t know how I got here. I just woke up on the school bus. All I know is I’m not supposed to be here.”
“Got that right.” Hedge’s gruff voice dropped to a murmur like he was sharing a secret. “You got a powerful way with the Mist, kid, if you can make all these people think they know you; but you can’t fool me. I’ve been smelling a monster for days now. I knew we had an infiltrator, but you don’t smell like a monster. You smell like a half-blood. So- who are you, and where’d you come from?”
Most of what the coach said didn’t make sense, but Percy decided to answer honestly. “Chill out man, I don’t know who I am. I don’t have any memories. You’ve got to help me.”
Coach Hedge studied his face like was trying to read Percy’s thoughts.
“Great,” Hedge muttered. “You’re being truthful.”
“Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words or something?”
Hedge narrowed his eyes. Part of Percy wondered if the guy was just nuts. But the other part knew better. The other part knew he was just as nuts as the coach.
“Look, kid,” Hedge said, “I don’t know who you are. I just know what you are, and it means trouble. Now I got to protect three of you rather than two. Are you the special package? Is that it?”
“What are you talking about?”
Hedge looked at the storm. The clouds were getting thicker and darker, hovering right over the skywalk.
“This morning,” Hedge said, “I got a message from camp. They said an extraction team is on the way. They’re coming to pick up a special package, but they wouldn’t give me details. I thought to myself, Fine. The two I’m watching are pretty powerful and older than most. I know they’re being stalked. I can smell a monster in the group. I figure that’s why the camp is suddenly frantic to pick them up. But then you pop up out of nowhere. So, are you the special package?”
The pain behind Percy’s eyes got worse than ever. Half-bloods. Camp. Monsters. He still didn’t know what Hedge was talking about, but the words gave him a massive brain freeze– like his mind was trying to access information that should’ve been there but wasn’t.
“What monster?” Percy said. “What camp?”
“Just sit tight. Reinforcements should be here soon. Hopefully, nothing happens before–”
Lightning crackled overhead. The wind picked up with a vengeance. Worksheets flew into the Grand Canyon, and the entire bridge shuddered. Kids screamed, stumbling and grabbing the rails. Percy’s internal instinct flared up, screaming: AAAAAAAAAAAAA I’M GONNA DIE DIE DIE-
He grabbed the railing so tight his knuckles turned white.
“I had to say something,” Hedge grumbled. He bellowed into his megaphone: “Everyone inside! Off the skywalk!”
“Coach, I-I thought you said this thing was stable!” Percy shouted over the wind, shivering and resisting the urge to barf.
“Under normal circumstances,” Hedge agreed, turning back and grabbing his hand, “which these aren’t. Come on!”