Pandemonium

As the footsteps drew closer, Matt hid Sally near a dumpster in the alley and stood, batons raised, in the middle of the road, waiting for the man to get closer.

Matt heard Sally come out of her hiding place and sprint to the approaching man, but Matt did not stop her, because he could hear the steady thumps of the heart beat, calmer than they had been when she had been walking with him. She clearly knew the man who had come, trusted him, even. But he had appeared out of thin air, Matt could sense strong muscles shift as he ran, footsteps deceptively light and purposeful. Matt did not trust him. Not until he sobbed with relief and called out to his mother.

Matt Murdock knew that it had been many years since he met the Jacksons, but hearing the deep and powerful voice of Percy Jackson made him extremely self aware of his age.

Percy had become almost unrecognisable. Now in his mid-thirties, from what Matt could guess from sensing his physical appearance, it had been a good ten years at least, since he last saw Jackson. But such a drastic change was incomprehensible.

He was tall, lean and had swimmer style muscles. He seemed to be extremely fit and healthy. From a person who ate cheeseburgers at every given chance, that was quite an improvement. Matt remembered sensing scars and lots of injuries, past and new ones from all the times he had met Percy, but he couldn't sense any injuries on him. Not one. And all his scars were just that, bumps on his skin.

Matt had been so busy analysing Percy that he hadn't realised Percy had turned to address him.

"Daredevil." He said with a soft smile and a nod in his direction.

Sally wouldn't have told him his identity yet, Matt would've heard. But somehow Percy knew who he was. Matt could feel it.

"Mr. Jackson, I presume?" Matt asked. To see if Percy admits to knowing his identity or to see if he had been mistaken.

"Cut that shit, Matt. It's been too long." He said, spreading his arms out for a hug which Matt warily accepted.

"You've grown." Matthew commented.

"And you've grown old." Percy retorted.

"I'm still in my late thirties, Percy. That's not old."

"Not for a normal man, it's not."

Sally cut into the conversation right then. "I'm assuming from your attitudes that we aren't in any immediate danger? But Percy," she said, turning to her son. "You need to...see it. Somehow, I think it pertains to you."

Matt sensed her lie in the second half of the sentence. It most definitely was related to Percy somehow. She knew it. But she didn't seem to have guessed that Matt might've heard it too.

"Follow me. I know the area well." He simply offered.

Percy and Sally followed him unquestioned.

Sally was considerably relaxed but resolute in her gait. Percy on the other hand, walked like a soldier to a battlefield. It was a big change from his usual carefree attitude. But he had seen snippets of the soldier even in the early days. It was just way more intimidating now that he was so healthy.

It was a short walk back to the warehouse. Even when he was last here, he could sense some powerful force pulsing in the air around the building, but this time it seemed magnified somehow.

He could hear Percy's heartrate speed up as they neared the building.

As soon as they reached the site though, they were in for a shock.

There was nobody there.

Not one of the amateur soldiers was to be seen.

Matt probably hadn't noticed because he was so concentrated on Percy. But even before Percy had reached, nobody had gone to or from the building.

Matt's day was just getting more weird by the minute.

He was so busy noticing the missing men that he hadn't noticed Percy stuck at the entrance. His heart was beating frantically.

He seemed, terrified.

Sally went up to him. "You ok, Percy?"

That seemed to bring him back to the situation. Matt knew they had kidnapped her for something related to Percy, and Percy's reaction showed that he knew what it meant and it was anything but good.

He blinked for a moment.

Then he asked, "Mom. How long did they have you?"

"A couple of hours."

"And you were conscious the whole time?"

"Yes. The sedative was mild. I was conscious by the time they entered the building."

"Mom. You know what day it is?" Percy's heart rate was picking up again.

Even Sally seemed wary now.

"Wednesday?" She asked.

"Mom, it's Thursday, today." Percy said, immediately switching to a more soothing tone.

Matt wasn't understanding the implications here. It sounded like she had lost time, or she was really confused about which day it was.

"We need to get out of here." Percy all but ordered them out.

This time, Matt wasn't sure what he had expected.

Percy walked them out until they were well outside of the powerful force that the building was emitting.

Something seemed to shift in the atmosphere around them. Sally seemed to hold in a breath, her heart rate increasing.

The whole thing felt wrong to Matt somehow. He fumbled for his phone and clicked a couple of buttons.

"7:58" The electronic voice of his phone said.

It couldn't have been more than an hour since he left home, and he had left at around a quarter after four, he'd estimated. This. Whatever this was. Was proving to be the weirdest night of his life.

And then it only got even weirder, because suddenly another set of footsteps seemed to come out of thin air and new guy was approaching them.

He seemed to be just like Percy, perfectly healthy. But unlike him, this man had more height and more muscles. He seemed to be wearing his hair in a short ponytail.

Matt tensed out of habit at the approach of an unknown man, but Percy and Sally seemed to know him and they didn't seem to consider him a threat.

"Sally," he said, sounding relieved. "We were so worried." His voice gave Matt some serious reason to consider whether he was actually dreaming or not, because he had only ever heard one person with such a silky smooth voice. It seemed to make him want to seek comfort and take refuge at the same time.

The music icon, Apollo (there was no way that voice belonged to anyone else) walked up to Sally and gently took her hands in his. Something must have happened, because Sally seemed to relax significantly and was a lot less worn out than seconds ago.

Then he went and repeated the same thing with Percy. Unlike Sally though, Percy was hesitant. Both his and Apollo's heart rates spiked as Apollo walked closer to him, but instantly relaxed when Apollo touched him.

Their hands seemed to linger on each other a little.

Matt was intrigued.

Apollo turned towards him.

"Daredevil." He acknowledged, and turned right back to face Sally and Percy again.

"What happened?"

"I have some theories." Percy said. "I'd like to show you in person. But first let's all get home."

"Yes. Yes. Ofcourse." Apollo agreed.

"Thank you, Matthew." Sally turned to him again. She had a paternal air to her. He'd always found her to be a very pleasant person.

He cracked a smile in return and said sincerely, "Anytime, Sally. I'd better get going."

He gained grateful nods from both Percy and Apollo. Freakin Apollo. Damn. He's dreaming for sure.

Climbing up to the nearest terrace, Matt watched as the trio disappeared into thin air.

He really needed to wake up from whatever this was.

-

Reappearing in the living room of the Blofis residence, Estelle's squeals announced their presence.

She ran up and hugged her mother, crying into her shoulder.

Percy went to talk to Paul and explain the situation to him. Apollo was content with watching the family share their relief. He made to leave, feeling like he was intruding on a very private moment. But Percy stopped him. His palm on his forearm, feeling more like a brand. He has sensed something had deeply troubled Percy. He had thought that the temporary truce was until he was sure his mother was safe again. But Percy's eyes and the grip on his arm told him otherwise. He's been shaken up pretty bad by whatever he had seen.

Apollo placed a tentative hand over Percy's and gave him a small smile, trying to soothe him a little. Percy smiled back, although it looked pained. Apollo's heart skipped a beat.

Then Percy walked up closer to him.

Apollo's heart was thundering in his chest.

"Come with me." Percy whispered to him, and soon they were back in Hell's Kitchen, near an abandoned warehouse.

Percy didn't have to explain to him, because Apollo had felt it. The force that hid the warehouse from the radar of the Gods. The stamp of ancient magic. He had only felt the same power signature once before, and he understood exactly why Percy was so terrified.

Their grandfather was back.