But Your Honor, Free Bird was Playing! - Chapter 1

The story of two Self Insert in the PJO world with a very specific murder-oriented goal.

===x===

Warmth.

That was all I was conscious of. A feel of safety, warmth and a quiet comforting buzz under my skin. Or the buzz was my skin, I'm not sure.

Movement.

And then...

Light!

I breathed for the first time again.

Again?

Wait, that's right, I am...

"He's... not making any noise." Said a timid uncertain voice.

Who's not making noise? Should someone be talking?

"Let me see him." Said a soft commanding voice. It was warm and happy somehow. It sounded like where I belong.

"I think I should call back the doctor. This was all so abrupt, ma'am. I don't know if I did anything—" More stuttering and worry. Man this lady is annoying. I hope she's not my mom.

Oh.

Right. Mom. I died.

Yet, I'm alive again.

Okay, reincarnation is a thing and I'm still myself again. My mind is coming back faster with more time, thoughts are clearer. So if I was just born, then then that worrywart is the nurse, right?

What's she worried about? Oh wait, no noise. Is that me? Should I start crying now, or it would look weird?

"Give him to me, now." The soft voice became authoritative, and I was moved instantly.

I was dropped into large arms, and as the light adjusted in my eyes, I finally saw a face.

Oh mama!

No wait, can't lewd her. Unless this is an anime world.

Although with that snow white hair, maybe this is an anime world. No really, this wasn't grey white, or off white, but literal pure white hair. She doesn't look that old, yet her hair looks naturally white somehow.

Her golden eyes held a lot of joy, happiness and... anger. Huh?

Somehow I could tell. There was a lot of this subtle—No. Just contained. Hidden. Weaponized.

Wrath. Pure and focused. Yet somehow intertwined with love. As if the two somehow were one and the same in her.

She looked at me with love and vindication.

...Wait, why can I tell that? I wasn't exactly the most insightful person in my last life, but this one I'm hitting insight check after insight check from the word 'Go!'...?

So your talent and intelligence is all dedicated by your brain, and is just something genetically decided before you were born? MOTHERFUCKER!

Okay, okay, no need to be angry, last life is this last life. This life is this life.

I hope to god she's not some crazy bitch that wants to use me as a weapon for something, rather than just love me like a normal mother.

"Wait, his, his eyes are actually focusing on you. His eyes are already working? Is that normal?" We ignored the nervous nurse.

My mother suddenly started giggling before laughing out loud, like she heard a funny joke. Thankfully she doesn't sound unhinged, just laughing at something really funny.

"Yes, your monologue is very funny, my son." She said and stared directly at me.

...Wait a clown chuckle fucking minute. She can hear my thoughts? You can hear my thoughts?!

Oh god, this is hell, I'm never gonna be able to get away with shit! Forget about finally trying pot for the first time, I won't be able to even be lazy around her.

Mom laugh louder.

"No. And forget about drugs all together. In videogame terms, this is Disgaea and you're gonna be EXP and Levels every second of every day." The obviously crazy woman said to me.

Unless this world has a game system power, in which case she's the most sane person there is.

"M-Ma'am, what are you talking—"

"Hush, I'm speaking to my son."

Yeah Nurse Kobeni, we're having a serious discussion over here.

The woman snorted.

"Good one. Anyways, go back to 'Mom'. I'll even accept Mommy or Momma." Those feel sexual somehow when you said them. I think I'll stick to 'Mom' thank you. Another snort. "Maybe. Don't worry I'll wait till your balls drop from the Ara Ara."

AY YO! WAS I BORN TO FUCKING DIDDY?! I'm scared over here.

But also wondering why she's entertaining that?

She laughed some more.

"Don't worry, I'm just joking."

Lady I can feel that iota of lust within you before it was gone. Although maybe that's just normal human intrusive thoughts.

"I suppose I should tell you who I am and name you."

I would appreciate it.

"Your name is Kairos. Kairos Fulmen, my little Kai." She smiled warmly. "Oh and that's 'Fulmen', not 'Fullmen'. One 'L', not two."

Oh thanks for the clarification.

The name sound pretentious though, like someone that went hours through google to come up with their OCs name. But also kinda cool.

I hope it doesn't have a lot of expectations.

"Oh but I'm afraid it does have a lot of expectations." She nodded with that playful pouty look parents have when delivering sad news to really young children, but they themselves don't see it as a big deal.

Mom, I'm telling you right now. School isn't that fucking important. Being the number one nerd in the country isn't something I want to dedicate myself for, and it's not important in the real world, or my feeling of fulfillment in life.

"Oh honey," she shook her head ruefully. "You're gonna wish school is your biggest concern."

And suddenly I feel in danger.

...Actually I do feel danger, that is fucking weird. Do I have a danger sense? Why the fuck do I have a danger sense!?

"And of course interruptions arrive." She sighed.

The door to the hospital room opened.

"Now then, let us see the cute little baby and give him a check-up—" A doctor entered the room with a clipboard in hand that she was reading.

I felt something off about her instantly. There was just...feel like I couldn't see her clearly. Also she felt like being hungry with no food around, and being sick.

In the next instant my mother removed one hand from me, reach into the pillow she was sitting against, and brought out a golden double barreled shotgun.

BANG!

Nurse Kobeni screamed in startled fright.

"AAAAAAAAAH! YOU BITCH!" The mythical dust vanished and showed an ugly lady with pug-nosed, have furry faces, and leathery wings. She also had her chest caved in and half her face missing. She looked like she was on her last leg as she began to disintegrate.

"Correction, my boy. It's Celestial Bronze." Mom devilishly grinned.

BANG!

In the next instant there was no longer a monster.

Alright, great. Also fuck me, we're in Percy Jackson & The Paranoid Fucking Egotists.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING—"

"Sleep." Mom put the shotgun down on the bed, waved her hand Jedi style and the nurse crumbled to the floor.

Hope she didn't hit her head.

"She didn't." Mom said as she began to get up, surprisingly quick and spry for someone that just gave birth. "Now we need to get out of here quick, that bitch Hera isn't gonna us time. Also, you are just like me, and that is wonderful and I love you more for it."

Awww, thanks. Also you're giving yandere vibes.

"You're welcome, and thanks, I worked really hard on it." She gave a bashful smile.

That's not something to be proud of.

"I'm going to be anyways."

Mom then just grabbed her backpack, the celestial bronze double shotgun, then put on some running shoes—She took them off the magically knocked out nurse. I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that. It's for a good cause—then put me in this weird strap to hand onto her chest. Weirdly it didn't feel uncomfortable. Felt like being on a cloud.

Also I could swear I feel some kinda swirly energy.

"That's the protective barrier, don't worry about it." She told me.

Well, can't say you're not prepared.

"Oh I've been preparing for the fucking apocalypse these part ten months."

Uuuh, excuse me? I'm pretty sure pregnancy is only nine months?

Mom giggle was disturbing this time.

Without another moment wasted, we high tailed it outta there.

"I didn't introduce myself yet, did I?" Mom said as I moved through the hospital hallways with quiet confidence, looking around and noticing everything like some professional spy or something. "My name is Metis Oceanus."

Fucking excuse me, ma'am?!

"Government name and magically so too. Yes, I legally changed my name to 'Metis Oceanus'." She said with a smile of someone proud of themselves. "It wasn't easy I tell you."

Really? Changing your legal name was harder, than changing it magically? What does that even mean?

"It means down to my soul, my identity is 'Metis Oceanus'. Sure I don't have her powers, but I'm seen by magic and Fate—yes capital 'F'—as such." She stopped in the middle of the hallway to look at me, smiling.

Wait. Then that means—!

"Yes, that means for all intents and purposes I am Metis, and you my son, well, I'm sure you can figure out who your father is."

Oh fuck, we're doing this then.

OH FUCK! WE'RE DOING THIS THEN!?

And so for the first time in my new life I cried. Full on baby scream.

"Hush, little baby, don't you cry~." Metis actually sang.

I stopped because her just bursting into song was bizarre.

"Now, now. It's not time to cry yet. We still have a lot of killing to do to run away." She smiled cheerfully.

Okay. Seriously. What the fuck happened to you, Lady?

"Mommy or Momma! What did I say?" She scolded with a pout.

No, we're sticking with 'Mom'.

"We'll get into my backstory in a moment." She said, as she changed her walk to brisk walking.

"There she is!"

Metis didn't look back, she just ran, going on a certain route to somewhere.

"Heading to the parking lot, Kai."

Oh, thanks for the exposition.

"Hehe."

We went around another corner, and at the end found three monsters at the end of a long hallway with a window behind them. Two empousai and one cyclops.

"Baby demigod!" Cheered a cyclops. He stood two heads of the flaming women. No really they had fire for hair.

Shit, weren't cyclopes a big deal in PJO? Wait, shouldn't he be bigger? Or would this be the equivalent of a teenage cyclops?

"Baby actually." Mom confirmed.

"HA! Found you, Witch! Hand over the baby now and you might survive Hera's wrath—"

BANG!

Empousa exploded into golden confetti.

People began running and screaming.

"GABBI! YOU BITC—" The other empousa began shouting; her voice was grating. God, she needs to shut up.

BANG!

Thank you!

"You're welcome, honey. And honestly how rude of her, there are children here." Metis said with a wild grin, then locked eyes (or eye) with the cyclops.

"You killed my friends!" He cried out. Metis ran towards him. "I'm gonna...! Wait, wait. You're suppose to run away scared. You're not suppose run at me. You're not suppose run at me!"

The cyclops cried out in panic as something that didn't fit this tiny mind was happening. He even brought his hand up to shield his head.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I never mentioned it till now, but serious, every shot feels like a shockwave in the air. The force of it, should really be affecting me. Guess the barrier is handling that.

The cyclops kept stepping back again and again, till he was backed against the window. His arms looked like Swiss cheese pouring blood from the holes, like cranberry juice bottle left open and fallen to its side. His screams were ugly.

As mom neared, he seemed to finally regain his courage, spread his arms and his roared with his chest open.

"Aspis!" Metis shouted with a grin, as she brought her wrist out. The bracelet on it shined and giant energy shield formed looking like an ancient Greek round shield. On point I suppose since she did say 'Shield'.

Metis and the shield impacted the cyclops and smashed him through the window with us on top of him—HOW MANY STORES ARE WE FALLING!? WE'RE GONNA DIE!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The cyclops screamed.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Mom laughed.

CRASH!

Almost like a cliché we fell on top of a car and flattened it. Cyclops, baby or not was fucking heavy.

Somehow I didn't feel anything. The sling was some good barrier.

Mom moaned though.

Hey, you're okay, right? You didn't do something stupid without a plan, did you?

The cyclops groaned in whimpering pain under us.

"I'm fine." Mom groaned. One of her arms were twisted and her legs had some bones sticking out.

WOMAN, YOU'RE NOT FINE!

"Yeah, I will be." Mom sat up, that devilish grin still in place, shotgun point blank in the monster's face.

"W-Wait, Grub is sorr—"

BANG!

This shot was somehow weaker than thought before. Blew up the cyclops eye and knocked him out.

Mom put the shotgun down, and with her good hand grabbed the monster's face. Magical energy flared from her body.

"As Oo-seer khar, kah em ar pen. Ankh khoo der-tef, ashp shep-ee. Em ab-t khet-em, weh-hem ab-ee. Aakh-oo ba-ee, khep-er nekh-et-ee neh-heh!"

My mind glitched, then it translated: "As Osiris has fallen, rise in this rite. Life's essence yield, ignite my might. Through sacrifice sealed, renew my core. Empower my soul, become my strength forevermore!"

What the shit?

Then the cyclops was eaten.

That's the only way I can explain it. he withered away as energy left him and went into mom's body.

Bones cracked and reset back in place. Blood went back into her body, and wounds were undone. The cyclops finally died, broke down into gold dust and devoured by Metis' body.

Devoured, not absorbed. Somehow I could tell. It wasn't some merciful integration process, the cyclops was broken down, and it's power and essence, was taken by Metis and made into her power. Hers right and true.

"Alright." She stood up, shotgun in hand, examining her other healed one. She clenched her fist and smacked the car we were on. The metal burst from the impact. "Good, all worked."

The fuck was that?

"Given that I have birth to a baby today, I devoured another baby and took in essence and potential." She explained as she jump off the crushed car, and run out of the parking lot.

Huh. What a coincidence that we'd meet a baby cyclops today or all days?

"Naaah~." Metis sang out. "The Fates basically have my back. As long as I don't overstep, or be hubristic," that's not a word. "Shut up, yes it is. They're basically my co-pilots on this crazy plane ride that is now our lives."

Like Jesus?

"Amen!"

The moment mom got to the street, she took out a gold coin from her pocket.

"Stêthi 'Ô hárma diabolês" She said and threw the drachmas into the street.

Oh, the familiar "Stop, O' Chariot of Damnation" phrase. Neat.

The moment the coin disappeared into the ground, I heard the sound of a loud engine getting closer.

And immediately a familiar cap I read about appeared.

"Passag—Oh damnation no. It's you!" One of the old hags, the one driving, said with a look of horror.

"Not again!" Cried out another another in dread.

Wow, mom. You famous or something?

"Something like that." Metis said.

"Give us back the Tooth!" Shouted the last hag. "We haven't eaten in months!" She cried out.

"Deino, Perso, Pemphredo." Metis greet, then took out said Tooth from her backpack. And wow that thing is grotesque. It looks like it could be used as the tip of a spear. Or to open coconuts. "Give me the Eye and scoot to the backseat or the Tooth gets it." She pointed her shotgun at the Tooth in her other hand.

Uhh, mom? You do know you will likely shoot your hand off, right?

"Hush, adults are negotiating." Metis said with a smug smile.

"Listen to your son, he's just born and is already wiser than you!" Said I'm guessing Wasp.

"You know we can't do that! We can't drive out of our boundaries!" Cried out Anger.

"In all of history, we've never been hijacked before!" Dread whispered loudly.

Danger Sense Ping!

"Welp get I'm starting new myths, like my baby boy." Mom raised the shotgun to the air and fired.

BANG!

Was that a bir—That's a harpy.

"Screeeeeee—"

BAAM!

It smashed into the ground like a falling airplane. Cool.

"Eye. Now." Metis was done joking.

"How do we know you'll give it back?!" Shouted Anger.

"You already know that I do." Metis said, in a no-nonsense tone.

Reluctantly Anger hands mom the Eye. The single eye shared between the Gray Sisters.

Mom threw the Tooth into the backseat, and the sisters jumped into the back to scramble over it

Metis got into the Chariot of Damnation in the driver seat.

She held the Eye in a fist, closed her eyes, and brought her fist to her right eye.

"Óðinn, auga-gefi, heyri kalli mínu! Fjǫlkynngi auga, set í holu, bundit stund. Vinna megin, sjá speki ok leyndarmál. Sjón skarp, fyrirvíti fjenda, vitr sem þú. Til dagmáls, losna, friðr ok friðr aftur."

It took a hitched moment for my mind to translate: "Óðinn, eye-giver, hear my call! Magical eye, set in socket, bound for a time. Gain power, see wisdom and secrets. Sight sharp, foresee enemies, wise as you. Until dawn, release, peace and peace again."

The eye glowed, light shined through the gaps in mom's hand, then she pushed her hand over her palm meeting her face. As she pulled her hand away, the Eye was now in her right eye.

It looked like it could see though Eternity.

"Huh, so that's what it looks like." She said to herself almost in a daze.

Mom, you okay?

She blinked and seem to come back to herself. She looked at me, gold and swirling grey eyes looked back at me. Her smile widened, love and pride in her gaze.

"My perfect baby boy, thank you. I'm here."

Okay, you're... welcome?

"Right, time to do this!" She grinned and grabbed the wheel.

The ground rumbled, and I could hear the roars of distance monster that were leaving the hospital building.

Metis slammed onto the accelerate. Tires spun in place, white smoke rose form them.

And we blasted off.

And I do mean blasted.

You know those movies were people in spaceship go into hyperspace, and you see the stars from the window or bridge (don't remember what's called) become light streaks?

I was experiencing that physically.

"AAAAAAAH!"

"SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN!"

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!"

Mom swiveled right.

"Woops! Thanks for that, Dread."

Mom swerving left to avoid in coming traffic.

Thank god.

BY DRIVING SIDEWAYS ON THE BUILDINGS! AAAAAAH!

SCREEEEECH!

Is that Griffin flying with us?!

BANG!

"Not anymore he's not!" Metis shouted, arm out the window holding her double shotgun.

"Give back your eye!" Shouted Dread.

Oh yeah, I forgot about them.

"Rude!" Called out Anger.

"You need to go right to the Pelham Bridge! That way you can avoid the birds!" Said Wasp.

"Quiet form the peanut gallery!" My mom shouted. "Also you're not allowed to give out spoilers anymore for this trip. Bad or good."

"Why?" Said Anger.

"Oh come on!" Called out Wasp.

"Nope! You don't get permission to read my son's mind, to try and incite us with some future knowledge bullshit. So no information from you, period."

"Pleaaaase! Just let us do our bit!" Dread begged, which sounded as disturbing as one might expect of a mythical hag whining sounded.

You know what, forget the death, destruction and monster. This is what's traumatizing me.

I'm traumatized now.

"Boy, stop being rude!" Called out Wasp.

"QUIET!" Metis called out as she swerved left.

The sisters cried out.

"NO, THE CHARIOT!"

I don't know what they're crying about now.

I saw it on the horizon then, and then it was visible.

Horde of flying birds. Stymphalian Birds. Shit. That's why we should have gone right?

"Hey, Kai. Check this out." Mom pressed a button on the handle of the shotgun, then leaned out of the driver window, pointing the gun at the horde of monster birds.

Have you ever seen a shotgun act as a machinegun?

Well now I have!

Metis pressed the trigger, and the double shotgun was firing hundreds of rounds a second.

The disturbing thing was seeing each and every shot hit a Stymphalian Bird. It's like mom had some fucking aim bot on!

"That's what the Eye is for, Kai." Metis grinned.

"Stop using it for something paltry like that!" Whined Anger.

"No." Mom kept firing, that by the time we reached the bird, there were only a handful, five or so left.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

They all smashed into the wind shield and broke like balloons of blood, that turned to gold dust. The Gray Sisters cried again.

We reached the Pulaski Bridge.

The bascule bridge was open all the way up.

"Oooh, I always wanted to do this." Metis grinned.

I was able to look into the rear view mirror to see hordes of monsters that looked like dogs, horses, and giant birds after us.

Welp. Cowabunga it is.

The chariot slammed up the bridge and blasted off into the sky.

"WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" Metis scream in exhilaration, the Graeae and I laughed the loudest I've ever felt in both lives.

While basically flying in the air, because that's what the car was doing at that point, up above us, I was able to see Apollo on his chariot. Well Cadillac or whatever model his chariot had been modernized into.

BANG!

Mom fired at his wheels making it swivel a bit. Oh, guess she doesn't like him.

I gave him double middle fingers while still shouting from the hype.

The Sun God had a stunned look on his face. I could see him mouthing 'what the fuck?' in ancient Greek.

We felt it, the moment we cross some kind of invisible boundary that was the Greater New York city.

Like the car lurched mid-flight.

Their was a sound. A roar that pierced through the air, even with how distant it sounded. It was cruel and full of dark joy.

""Nooooooo!"" The trio hags whined while huddling together.

Wonder what their problem is?

"The 'Trio Hags' as you called them—"

"""HEY!"""

"—Have prophetic abilities as they are known for. Every wonder why not everyone goes to them for prophecy stuff?"

Because they only work in New York?

"And why do they only work in New York?" Metis asked like a teasing teacher.

"Because the Thunderer is paranoid." Said Dread.

"Because Sun Boy doesn't like the competition." Anger added.

"And now our sister has free reign to act as she pleases to punish us." Wasp said with finality.

Sister?

"Echidna." Metis answered.

"You do not understand the armies she will create from this permission. They will hound us to the ends of the earth." Anger exclaimed.

"Demigods everywhere will be hunted even more fiercely! When they expect one monster, they'll find ten." Wasp said.

"Oh, I understand, but we both know you'll outrun them all, and the moment you're back to New York, you'll be safe again." Metis said with an apathetic look. "And as for the Demigods? What of it? Their lives won't be any different."

...Okay, mom, that's a bit too cold.

"See! Even the boy is frightened by your harshness." Wasp said.

"Callous. All for your revenge." Anger said.

Revenge? ...I'm starting to piece together a picture I don't like, but it makes sense for a lot of things.

Metis frowned but kept her focus on the 'road'.

"The gods will return things to the status quo. They can't afford for all their Demigods to perish. Other pantheons will pick up the slack too. In the end, the Fates will just make a few more heroes than usual to deal with this, or empower the grand important, capital 'H', Heroes more earlier."

Mom... what happened to you?

The car eventually began to descend, the moment it did, the front bumper began to catch on fire.

"She was approached by the Lord of the Sky." Spoke Wasp.

We landed into a building piercing through it and avoiding the screaming people.

"The God of Hospitality wished to court her." Anger continued.

Crashing out of the building and onto the top of another building, then launching from top of a building to another, till we crashed into the street below.

"And thus she was graced by him." Dread finished.

The more the hag trio spoke, the more I felt ice in my heart.

Oh, mom...

"And now she seeks to bring low the gods." Wasp cried out.

We landed on top of drakon that just burst out of the ground, and smashed the car on its head.

A giant fire engulfed the chariot but it seemed preformative since we felt nothing, and the car just burst out of the smoke like devil escaping hell.

From the signs around, we landed in Kentucky.

"I wasn't 'graced' by fucking anything!" Metis growled. "I was Raped. Capital 'R'. No 'ands', 'ifs' or 'buts' about it. There was no single fucking point in which I started to 'like' it. Fucker broke my jaw and arm from how much I was fighting him."

My eyes widened as she recounted her story, my rage sparked in my heart, replacing the cold.

"I was born Clear Sighted. Unfortunately I caught the bastard's eyes. At first he did his usual shtick. Tried being charming and all that. I refused him. Because I'm not an idiot and I don't want to deal with this hole shit show of a pantheon. He kept trying. Kept bringing gifts, or talk and be smooth with me. I refused it all. I immediately just left the country at that point, because after the two times I said 'no', I knew he wasn't gonna stop.

"He followed me. Even as I went into places that would be trouble for him. I went to India, to China. Fucker kept following, even while laying low. Kept the nice act up for a good few months, then just got tried and raped me."

Dread and rage kept me locked in place. You never imagine hearing about these things to someone you know. You never know what you might actually feel or say in the moment, but I think I know what my mom planned to do.

And as much fear and dread filled me at the idea, how pissed off I was overrode any survival instinct.

She looked down at me and smiled. Metis gave me a quick kiss on my head.

"Thanks, Kai. It's you and me against the world now, literally."

So you want me to usurp Zeus?

"I genuinely don't care about what happen to that throne or Olympus. Do you even want to rule that dump?"

Fuck no.

"There you go. No, the plan is very, very simple. Train, get strong, grow up, and kill Zeus and Hera."

The sky rumbled, Looking into the rear view mirror I saw hordes upon hordes of monsters coming at us and failing to catch us.

"And why the Queen Bitch too, you might ask? Because I'm not gonna take shit from that eternally cucked whore just because she can't take her anger out on her husband."

The Gray Sister snorted and laughed.

A gigantuous hydra was in our path.

"Let's do this!" Mom cried out and I cheer. As much as a baby can.

Mom swerved and rose up the side of a building.

The car launched into the air, one of the head lunged to each up.

BANG!

The head exploded and was on fire. The chariot landed on it's neck and mom rode the car along the neck like it was a rode.

Other hydra heads came at us.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Over and over mom evaded, dodge and drifted from neck to neck, while blasting their heads of. And because the stumps were burned, no new heads grew.

Finally mom drove the chariot along the massive hydra's back and launched off its tail back onto the road.

Only one head was left. It ran after us roaring, while the other necks wiggled from the movement.

Heh, it looked so silly.

Mom pressed another button on the shotgun handle, and pointed back out the window at the monster.

The pressed the trigger but nothing happened.

A moment passed, then another, and another. A whirling sound like heat or energy gathering came from the celestial bronze double shotgun.

BOOM!

A miniature sun exploded from the barrels, heading right for the monster, and blasted it's top half completely off.

The hyper hydra died then and there, disintegrate into dust now.

Holy shit, where did you get that? Did it just charge up like Megaman's Buster Cannon?!

"It's called the Mega Buster and yes!" Mom said with a grin.

"A boon is always given to Zeus' conquests." Wasp answered.

Metis lost her grin.

"Fucker usually gives his victims extra beauty if they don't say anything to him. As if that's a fucking consolation prize. I had enough of a mind to demand a weapon. I was specific on what it was, since I dreaded but expected what ended up happening. So I asked for this gun that shoot unlimited ammo, with the ammo being Celestial Bronze." Mom chuckled. "Thunderhead thought he was clever when he had Hephaestus make the gun too strong for a mortal to shoot without breaking their arm from the recoil. He never expected I'd just get stronger or use magic to make myself strong."

Awesome.

"I know." Mom grinned, and then when the open field came, the chariot unleashed its full power.

I screamed, the hags screamed, and even mom scream.

Sound shattered around us multiple times.

Scenery just passed by us in fast forward. I just saw colors I wasn't sure what object or building they were. Yet mom did, as she swerved around, jump, ducked and spun the car like we were in a Speed Racer track.

In less than an hour we reached our destination.

Palm Springs, California.

The place where I will live and train for the coming years.

Metis stopped in front of a Temple of Diana.