Chapter Text
I have been invisible for 18 years. Living in the limelight of two powerful and feared demigods is not for the weak.
Not to mention how frequently they weren’t in my life; they wanted to be, it just that when you’re the Gods favourite, you’re the Gods favourite. Leaving me to raise my two younger siblings for most of my life, while they went out and did the Gods’ chores.
When we were younger, we got left with our Grandma and… I guess Estelle would be our aunt, but she is only five (Ish) years older than me and 16 to my dad so we all count her as our older sister. Oh, and Grandad. But when we were old enough, we went to a boarding school in the week and would come home for weekends to see our parents. And it would be there, where I would have to raise my younger siblings. (Estelle went to a mainstream school as she wasn’t a risk (not a demigod)). To hide them from the monsters that posed to be our English teachers and to fight the bullies that inevitably came to us.
In the summer (when we were much older) we went to camp.
No one expected what would happen to a child of two Demigods when I came to camp, would I be claimed by both Poseidon and Athena, would I be ignored, or would there be a special symbol? As I was the first Greek (The romans had this figured out for centuries; the kids would be classed as ‘descendants’ of their god(s) and subsequently burned in the arm and branded for life, happy times), I was subsequently the guinea pig for future generations.
As I stood there, my ten-year-old self’s hands that were clutching the winning flag were shaking, as I looked up at the end of a capture the flag game, to see two symbols intertwined with each other above my head; a sea green trident and a grey owl.
It was nerve wracking for me as I had hidden my parentage from a lot of kids at camp, fearing if I told them, I would be treated differently. I wanted to be normal. And the looks on everyone’s faces were enough to tell me. I was never going to have my normal life I wanted.
“How is that possible?”
“Is he a god?”
“Wait didn’t Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson have a child ten years ago?”
“What? You don’t mean those people who saved Olympus twice and then through Tartarus?”
As watched these people discuss me like I wasn’t in the vicinity. Bianca came wandering up behind me, followed by Chiron. She was the only one that knew at the time who my parents were, as her adoptive parents were Nico and Will. Her dads brought her over to my house (when it wasn’t the weekday) a lot for play dates as there was no one her age as she spent all year at camp.
Nico and Will set up a schooling system for all year campers for the children who were still legally in education but couldn’t attend school as they were such a high risk, for the kids who’s parents didn’t have the money for private school, and for the kids that didn’t have a family so had to stay at camp all year. Fixing a huge hole that was education at camp.
Since she was four and I was six we have been inseparable, I asked her not to tell anyone who I was, she agreed. Chiron of course knew who I was, he even suggested that I could sleep in cabin 6 or cabin 3 as soon as I came to camp. I dismissed this idea.
After my ‘claiming’ I got treated differently, more people wanted to spend time with me, people who were rude were nice to my face. The most likely reason for this was because my parents were favourites of the gods, and they thought if they became friends with me then they would become closer to the gods (which is a big mistake).
Never become a Gods’ favourite
*****
"LEENA GET OF THE TABLE", mum doesn't get stressed usually but today is different. Her and Dad are going off on yet another quest, leaving me to look after the chaos that is Leena. She jumped of the table, where she had been reaching to catch a spider that was happily living up around the dining room light. With the spider clamped between her thumb and middle finger ran towards mum with her hand that was holding the spider outstretched. She is the youngest and is named after Selina Beauregard, and who acts nothing like her namesake, perhaps when mum and dad were naming her, they hoped she would turn out like her, even her middle name – Zoe who was a calm, firm leader, couldn’t tame the whirlwind that was Leena.
"Charlie, can you come help me with your sister." Dad asked into the living room.
I was standing on the stairs observing the scene below. Leena and Charlie look so alike, Brown hair tanned skin, same nose and mouth, the only difference was their eyes, Lenna’s were storm grey (like mum) whereabouts Charlie had sea green. Charlie was a carbon copy of Dad, he had the personality of his namesake; Brave, timid, strong and courageous, he also seemed to be the only one who got the memo of behaving like the person he was named for – Charles Beckendorf.
I hoped I never turn out like my namesake.
I will never understand why I got named after him. And I hated it. I hated it so much, that I was named after a person who killed hundreds of civilians and demigods to get his way.
I even look like him.
Blond hair, tall and athletic looking.
The only saving grace was my eyes.
Grey, not blue.
Charlie walked into the living room, took one long look at Leena and Mum; Mum was trying to talk Leena out of coming near her with the spider, and alternatively to put the arachnid outside. Charlie looked at me and back again.
“Leena put it outside.” I spoke. She looked up at me, frowned, jolted towards mum, who shrieked. Dad stood up and put himself between mum and the spider. Leena got the hint and walked towards the back door.
“Thanks, you for helping me boys.” She sarcastically said.
Charlie put his hands up in mock surrender, “Leena and Dad are the only ones who can touch those hairy beasts. I will never go near them even with a 10-foot pole.”
“I would rather reincarnate Octavian and serve him than hold one of those things.” I added.
“That’s going a little to far Cast.” Dad said.
“Nuh uh.” I shake my head. “It’s not going to far if it’s the truth.” I counter.
The back door slams shut and Leena waltzes in.
"Hey mum where are you going?" Leena asked
"California" Mum replied. California. Camp Jupiter, does she really think we won’t know. We literary inherited her brains. No demigod just goes to the California, without visiting the Roman camp
"For how lonnngggg" dragged Leena.
"I'm not sure. Lee. Something came up and Frank texted us to come over.” I looked down on the phone he was holding up for Leena to see. It had a VPN in it that was located in Antarctica, I feel sorry for all the scientists that are based there. But at least we can communicate how without getting feasted on, which was nice
“Not sure?? You could be gone days or even months!" I broke, 18 years of playing parent as they went on quests, saying that they will retire and then 5 seconds later going on another life-threatening mission.
They ended up being the parents that they didn't want to turn out to be. This was the last straw. Charlie walked over toward me on the stairs and put a hand on my leg to stop me from rising up.
"Cast. You didn't let us finish." Dad says, "We are taking you to Camp half-blood. So you can stay there."
Great. I love being pushed away yet again.
"But its February, we only go in the summer." Charlie asked.
“Also, can’t you wait two days for us to go to school on Monday.” Leena added
"We don’t know how long we will be so we can’t wait for school to start.” Mum answered
“Why can’t we go to Grandma’s, you normally let us do that when something like this comes up.” I spoke.
“We can’t do that, this time round, but you do know that you can go to camp all year? We just never had a need to send you." Mum pauses then carries on. "Plus, Bee will be there."
*********
And with that we walked out of the house with a large backpack each, carrying our possessions for camp. I helped carry three duffle bags, one for me, Char and Lee. As well as some strange boxes that were for Mum and dad.
“How long will it take for you to get there?” I spoke
“Hopefully 3 days, depending on if we get held up or not.” Dad said.
“We plan to get there in the early hours of Wednesday morning.” Mum added onto Dad
Dad was fiddling with the lid of riptide in his pocket, as everyone bundled into the car, he pulled me aside.
"Cast I want to give you this." He says holding out the blue biro.
"What?" I spoke. Surly he was joking.
"I am serous, i want you to have it. But you can’t tell anyone you have it. I want it to remain our secret."
“What about you?”
“I will be find kiddo.”
And before I argue he presses it into my hands. I look down at it, holding riptide was something I didn't want the burden of holding, there are people out there who will kill and target me just for owning thing weapon. I look up at Mum, who was in the driver’s seat. She looked at me, looked at the pen in my hands and nodded and gave me a slight smile.
"Alright Cast, Lets go".