"Okay, Okay, I'm coming!" I answer, reluctantly peeling the covers away. I scoffed in thought, 'As if I could ever be late to something nowadays,' I mused. I sat up, realizing I'm already in clothes as I grabbed the bag nearest to me and made my way out. A black-haired teen with striking blue eyes looking me, anxious.
Before we could make our way, a voice called to our attention. "Percy? Laz? It's like 1 in the morning! Why aren't you two asleep?"
Silence ensued, Percy resigning himself to shock until I had enough.
"Sorry Ms, I'm going to excuse myself for a bit." The woman looked at me, shocked.
"Ms?" She whispered back. Hurt. I didn't let myself feel bad by staying and quickly navigated myself to a bathroom. I felt nauseous, I couldn't take it anymore. There were so many voices going off at once in my head. It was overstimulating. I just in the abyss not too long ago than this? I needed to breathe. Once I found the bathroom, I shut myself in. I found the mirror that held all of my answers.
Who was I?
What I found struck me so profoundly I couldn't look away. A large, messy amount of pure black hair. Perfectly crafted features that seemed to gravitate attention. Delicate eyelashes that seemed to invite you into deep and suffocating black eyes. "To think I'd look like this," I mused. I could feel three distinct energies taking direct hold inside of my body. It was like three batteries that never run out of power. I chose to let that be fruit for thought later. I needed to regain my bearings. Percy? As in Percy Jackson? Suddenly, a huge influx of memories took me head on.
I could remember every detail of my life up to this point in this world. I was Percy's Adoptive brother. Sally took me in from a man who couldn't take care of me as a baby before raising me as her own son with Percy. She told Percy and me pretty early in our lives, stating that we both needed to know to protect ourselves.
Then Gabe got into the picture and... well, it didn't turn out well for him. Percy and I were naturally gifted. I mean, super gifted. Prodigies in the arts of swordsmanship, and Percy in his demigod nature. Once we got both strong enough to protect ourselves, it was pretty much game over for the monsters that always managed to find us. Standard fury in a dark alleyway? Handled. Cyclops in the forest? Done.
So Gabe was no more. Percy and I ripped him a new one. Those memories were like a much-needed massage on my mind, easing my anxiety and slowing my breath. Tonight was no different from our usual training trips. Ever since Percy found out he could control water, we were already on a crusade to figure out what I could do. The only thing different about this time is that Sally caught us red-handed.
"Okay, time to apologize to Mom, I guess," I said, exiting the bathroom to find Sally and Percy arguing. Percy was desperate to try to get his mother to listen. "As I said before, I just wanted to take Laz for a training session thats all. I feel like we can really see who his mom is this time. Right, Laz?" he turned to me, his look expectant.
I sighed, gazing at my mom. "I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to be sneaking out without your permission. We always used to do this, and I know that it was wrong not to tell you before." Sally shook her head at my apology, stepping closer to pull me in for a gentle embrace.
"No Laz, it's alright. I know how much you want to know. Your father told me your Mother was divine, but he wasn't able to tell me her true name. It's only natural to find out where you came from. Demigod or not," She exhaled, a smile forming on her face. She closed her eyes in contemplation as we watched her.
Moment of Truth?
"Fine. You two can go." She acquiesced. Percy and I swarmed our mother, yelling thank yous while she just shook her head. "You two are growing up. If there's a day where you two are the safest because of your strength, I would do anything to see that day." She smiled, kissing our foreheads before she pushed us out the door. "Don't be out too long, boys!" She shouted, closing the door behind us. Percy and I looked at each other, shit-eating grins turning into full blown laugher as we climbed up the stairs to the roof.
Percy lived in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It was beautiful at night. An impossibly large city that never allowed for the stars to shine. Constantly active, full of life. We were like phantoms as we traversed the rooftops, moving at high enough speeds that I doubt anyone could see us. I never thought how grateful I was to be born into a world with modern technology. I mean, I could've easily been born into something like Fairy Tail or something. I chuckled to myself. 'Heh, how much would that have sucked?'
Maybe it was because of my reincarnation, or through whatever divine means that God had implanted in me. I felt strong...faster too. My body was powerful as I sprang, completely overtaking Percy, who had eyes ready about to explode out of his sockets. I was always a naturally competitive guy when I was alive. Years of having a younger brother and being in the army made it almost impossible for me to hold back on things. We stopped at a large empty warehouse. It was a good way away from our house. It was decrepit, and it looked like no human had stepped in here for a while.
Percy was breathing heavily, looking up in reaction to my question. "You got your pen?" I asked, curious. Percy only shrugged and brought out a small ballpoint pen. A wicked grin played across his features, clicking it once to reveal 30 inches of rich celestial bronze. I smiled, realizing that Riptide had changed. It radiated an energy source that I recognized. It seems in this timeline, he always had it. This Percy was much older than the one I remembered in the books. He was 16, as I was 15. Which makes him the older brother. It was on his 10th birthday that he got the famous Riptide.
It felt like... Magic.
Percy lowered the sword, his voice bringing me out of my thoughts. "You're faster," he said, pacing back and forth. He stopped cold, looking at me in challenge. "Wanna see if I can catch you this time?" he offered. If he were anyone and if I were a normal human, I'd vehemently reject it and probably run off screaming, but I wasn't. My new body was strong, and for whatever reason, I was reborn. Now with abilities I didn't understand yet. If I can learn more about what I am capable of, this could better prepare me for the future. I'll go with this for now. I couldn't afford to be confused and scared anymore. It's time to keep up. You got this, Lazarus...
"Bring it on... Brother."
[Music Playing: Free Sumo- Glokk40Spaz]
Soon as I encouraged him, Percy wasted no time. Bringing the sword down in a huge arc, threatening to bisect me. I used acrobatics, flipping with my agility to avoid it. Percy clicked his tongue in annoyance, running to my position again to deliver precise strikes once I landed. He was mostly on the offensive as I side-stepped the first slash, trading every attempt with evasion. I used my momentum to avoid one aimed at my head to attempt a low sweep at his ankles.
"!"
This guy jumped out of my sweep, bringing his leg up in mid-air in an axe kick below. In a fraction of a second, I moved. Using my arms, I exploded in a breath of movement as his kick landed in the ground. It formed a crater a little bigger than his foot. I didn't hesitate as I got on the offensive, blitzing in front of him with a kick targeting his torso. Percy grabbed it, throwing me high into the air as I righted my balance.
I acted without thought. Dense, crackling spheres of light materialized around me. I ordered them off as the lights zipped to Percy. Percy only smiled, vanishing as the spheres frantically tried to find their target, imploding in multiple places through the massive warehouse. The exchange kicked up an unbearably heavy amount of debris, making it exceedingly difficult to see. Percy capitalized, appearing behind me in the air in a fraction of a second. I turned, redirecting and grabbing his arm from the punch. I threw him with all my strength.
Percy flew.
CRAASH!
Once I landed, I looked into the cloud of debris that was kicked up from Percy's landing. Percy lay there, seemingly in a daze.
The ground couldn't withstand the massive impact, it's surface caved in from Percy's body. I felt bad. Demigod or not, Percy was still 16. There was no way he was "Just fine" after that.
Assuming it was over, I called out to him. "Hey Perc-"
before I could get it out, Percy's form slowly vanished into mist, his form already falling on mine sword in hand. I immediately tensed. The danger bells rang in my head at the possibility of imminent death. I ran on instinct.
WHOOOSH!
Black lightning stirred in my hand, my soul feeling a yank from a sudden jolt of desire echoed within me. Bright purple motes of light erupted, given form to a beautiful weapon I recognized all too well.
"A Keyblade?!" I exclaimed, my voice cracked. I didn't have time to think about how or why, I just knew what to do. Pieces of the Puzzle were coming together.
[Music End]
Oathkeeper
Twilight Verdict
Oblivion
I had three of them in my possession. Each one has different strengths and uses, but most of all
I had Drive. Forms that could access specific parts of my strengths. One form that had far more than others.
With a snarl, I deflected Riptide, Percy's initial shock turning into a grin. He landed on the ground once again. Percy messed with his hair in exasperation, coming up to inspect my weapon. "Wow, what even is this? It's shaped like a key!" he shouted, feeling the keyblade in my grasp. "If it went up against Riptide, then it can harm monsters and even Gods!" he exclaimed, clapping me on the back. "This is good news, brother! We can protect ourselves more, and who knows what you can do now! That lightshow? you never did that before."
I always thought that the keyblades were more powerful than what was led on. I assumed the keyblades from the games and lore were cosmic in nature, bordering on the divine. Considering that you had to upgrade them with materials from an interdimensional space between worlds in KH3. I could be wrong, but they are wills made manifest from a person's heart.
I had three of them.
Percy was like a ball of sunshine. Considering the cool, breezy personality he showed earlier when we were fighting, he changes during battle. His instincts are exceptional, and his body has downright scary coordination. As soon as we started fighting, it was like a switch had flipped.
This guy would become one of the most powerful demigods in existence, and he was already advanced for his age. I mean, he weaponized the mist to get the drop on me.
How strong would he get in the future?
I was going to be right there with him through everything.
Damn it all.
Maybe this is how he would've been if the supernatural weren't kept from him in the original story. More driven to be the best he can be. I smiled at my brother, my keyblade dissipating into motes of light. "I know what to do now. I'll start practicing on my own now from this point. This means you can focus on your own powers." Percy honestly looked proud, scoffing in response. "The first one back to the house is doing laundry," he suddenly said, sheathing back Riptide as he ran off into the distance, leaping on top of a building. I cursed, taking off full speed as I vanished, suddenly neck and neck. Percy could only smile.