chapter one; mrs dodds and the stygian iron.

Guardians are non-existent.

For almost three millennia guardians of half god and half mortal parentage roamed Earth to protect the most sought after demigods, ensuring their safe arrival to Camp Half-Blood. Some demigods saw it as a right of passage, many saw it as an instant death wish but the few who succeeded were labelled heroes.

Since the disappearance of the last guardian who went missing somewhere in Las Vegas in the early nineties, there hasn't been another. Chiron, Camp Half-Blood's activities director and the famed trainer of heroes, declared that it was far too dangerous and the task was almost forgotten as generations came and went.

Now, Marie Becerra understood the dangers and as the daughter of a minor god she had a better chance than most of attending college and surviving past her twenty fifth birthday and if the very dusty hardback book titled, 'the Guardians of Olympus' hadn't quite literally almost knocked Marie out as it fell off a shelf in the Big House, Marie would probably be doing just that.

"What you see here, they are not fictions. They are not fantasies," Marie stood at the back of the class keeping an eye on the students as they, well most of them, listened to Chiron (or Mr Brunner as the students knew him as) intently as he spoke about the large Greek statues that stood around them in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The ones that weren't listening, earned a pointed glare from Mrs Dodds, which abruptly ended their whispers.

Marie glanced up at the statue of Perseus, he held Medusa's depicted head up in the air, showing off his victory. Marie wondered how many times she heard the story of the villain being slain by the hero. They were the most famous stories still told.

"What you see here are the truest and deepest parts of yourselves," Mr Brunner continued, "Friends... the gods... the monsters, the heroes," Mr Brunner's gaze met Marie's, "you see here in this room are reminders of what we are capable of," A small smile tugged at Marie's lips, "Now, on your worksheets, I want you to choose one of the subjects you see here and describe it. Not just how it looks but how it makes you feel. If you need help, Miss Becerra-" Mr Brunner gestured to Marie, "and I are happy to lend a thought or two".

If you're wondering how a nineteen year old who didn't finish high school is a teacher at a private boarding school, you aren't the first. When the idea was brought forth to Marie just before Christmas she thought the same but the simple answer which is far from simple is The Mist. The tricky magic didn't just convince the entire school that Marie was equipped to teach Latin for three days a week, it also somehow concealed Chiron's horse body inside a wheelchair which he assured was rather comfortable.

The students spread out to begin their tasks and Marie looked around at the statues. There were marble and ivory statues of most of the gods and heroes that many mortals believed not to be real. Besides Perseus and Medusa, the museum housed statues of Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite and so many more but Marie couldn't help but notice that her father was not amongst them.

One day, Marie thought.

"Mom?".

Gold sand that sparkled in the bright museum lights dispersed above Percy Jackson's head. He had been daydreaming, reminiscing a childhood memory of when he and his mother had visited the museum and stood in front of his namesake. Marie only caught a glimpse of his dream but it was enough to feel the warmth of his mother's smile as she turned into a speck of dust.

"I'm right here, sweetie!" Nancy Bobofit spoke in a higher pitch. Her friends snickered, some of them hiding their faces behind their clipboards, "Mommy's here!" Percy turned away from Nancy as she and her friends laughed at him.

"Mr Jackson," Mrs Dodds stood with her arms crossed over her chest like the impatient teacher she posed as and the black, shiny ring that wrapped around Marie's right index finger buzzed restlessly. "You will learn to control yourself, do you understand me?".

Percy defensively pointed at himself with his broken pencil, "Me?" His voice was raised with confusion. He hadn't done anything.

"Do you understand me?".

Mrs Dodds's words sounded like a threat. At worst, Percy probably assumed she'd give him detention again. Marie flexed her hand, keeping her thumb away from the ring on her index finger, the threat was much worse than the blonde boy realised.

"He can't help it, Mrs Dodds. Percy's special," Nancy taunted him and her friends chuckled.

"That's enough!" Mr Brunner rolled the wheels of his chair and stopped in front of Percy. Nancy and her friends went back to their work and Mrs Dodds smiled a bone chilling grin at Marie as she walked away from Percy. "Pay them no mind," Mr Brunner told him. Percy sighed, glancing down at the ground, "When you're ready to hear what the gods have in store for you, they'll tell you. I believe in you".

Chiron's words sounded similar to something he had said to Marie at the Winter Solstice. Four weeks later she arrived at Yancy, wearing clothes that made her look older and using all her knowledge from Camp Half-Blood (with the aid of The Mist) to provide the students an education while Chiron attended camp for half the week after learning about the stolen Master Bolt.

"And I believe you'll be needing this," Mr Brunner reached into his blazer pocket and retrieved a ballpoint pen. Percy took it from him, unaware of how unique the boring black pen really was, "Hang on to that. 'Tis a mighty instrument". Percy stared at the pen for a moment and Mr Brunner made his way to Marie, leaving Percy to get on with his work. "Miss Becerra, a word about lunch?" Chiron raised a brow, beckoning for Marie to follow him.

"Yes, of course-".

They spoke about lunch and their plans to sit outside of the museum as they moved to a quieter section out of earshot of the students but still close enough to Percy Jackson who was shortly accompanied by Grover Underwood — his Satyr friend who'd been assigned to keep the boy safe at the start of the school year.

"Do not let her tempt you," Chiron switched the conversation suddenly from sandwiches, confusing Marie, who's brows furrowed, "Mrs Dodds," Marie shifted uncomfortably, "She knows that if you make one mistake, such as drawing your sword in front of these students when she has not attacked, I will be forced to send you back to camp".

"That's a stupid rule," Marie muttered.

"Maybe," Chiron agreed with a half nod, "Tell me, Marie, what is your weapon made of?".

Marie glanced down at the ring on her finger, it buzzed again, eager to be activated. The letters engraved in tiny font read 'ὄλεθρος' — Ólethros, or as Marie had named it; Bane.

"Stygian Iron," Marie answered.

Chiron hummed, "We cannot risk the safety of mortals," Chiron reminded Marie, "The time will come and if the boy needs your help..." Chiron glanced over to Percy and Grover, "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that".

     Lunch arrived shortly and the class moved outside of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts to eat their packed sandwiches.

Marie sat beside the water fountain, joined by Isla Dune, a brunette, brown eyed girl who'd joined Yancy in the middle of the semester and was yet to make any friends. There was something familiar about the young girl. Something that made Marie warm to her instantly.

She confided in Marie not long after her arrival that it was her step father's choice to send her to Yancy after they had moved to upstate New York. Her mother had no say in where Isla went, Iain Dune was paying so his voice was the only one that mattered.

"What's your dad like?," Isla interrupted the silence that surrounded them, her curiosity getting the better of her. Marie glanced at the girl on her left, "I don't know my dad and my mom doesn't talk about him," Isla bit into her sandwich, realising that she may have overstepped with her teacher. Was she even allowed to ask her teacher personal questions? Isla had no idea.

"He's-" A god... Yeah, Isla would think Marie was insane if she said that. "He's great. I don't see him often, he's busy with work but he checks in a lot," Work was the simple and mortal way of saying that Marie's father spends his days casting dreams upon the sleeping world.

Isla sighed. Her brown eyes became big and sad. "I wish I knew my dad," Isla mumbled.

Iain was no father to Isla. There was no care in their conversations or comfort in his hugs. He only loved Isla's mother and even his love for her was questionable at times.

Marie went to talk about the gods — Greek Mythology was a subject that Isla could speak about for hours if given the opportunity to — but before she could open her mouth, Nancy Bobofeit flew into the fountain and water splashed over Marie and Isla, soaking their clothes and their lunches.

"Percy pushed me!" Nancy screamed, she sat up in the fountain, blinking away the water that blurred her vision.

Her friends rushed to her, asking if she was okay while the word that Percy had pushed Nancy into the fountain spread amongst the students.

Isla glanced over her shoulder to Nancy and then back at Percy. He stood too far away to have 'pushed' her and by utter confusion on his face, what Isla had seen out of the corner of her eye made no sense to him either.

"He didn't touch her," Isla's voice was drowned out by the splashing of water as Nancy huffed and stood up. She was wet to the bone, with her clothes clinging to her skin and Marie shoved her ruined lunch aside to offer her hand to Nancy.

As much as Nancy deserved it, Marie was technically still her teacher.

"I didn't do anything!" Nancy took Miss Becerra's hand and stepped to the edge of the fountain. Some students, including a few of her friends laughed at her, "He pushed me, Miss. Percy pushed me!" Nancy shouted.

"And it will be dealt-".

Marie's hand slipped from Nancy's and the curly haired girl fell backwards into the fountain for a second time with a scream.

Mrs Dodds was no longer the greying woman she'd pretended to be for months. Her long leather coat turned into large bat-like wings, red and black feathers covered her body and talons for feet. She stalked towards Percy, demanding answers the boy didn't have and lunged at him before Marie could push past the students and draw Bane.

Percy was knocked to the floor and Alecto knelt over him, her claws inches from his face. She studied him and he stared at her with nothing but fright in his eyes.

Marie pressed her thumb against the ring on her finger and within a blink of an eye, a sword that darkened the city with a thick shadow appeared in her hand. The weight was balanced between the Stygian Iron blade and the handle that had been forged perfectly to fit Marie's hand. It reeked of destruction.

Sensing the weapon that had been drawn, Alecto turned her attention away from Percy. The anger in her eyes faded, she cowered but with a gasp of breath and a shriek she turned to ash as a celestial bronze weapon pierced her feathered skin.

She'd be back. Maybe in hundreds years if Percy was lucky. However long Alecto was in Tartarus reforming, she'd spend every moment seething and plotting against the young demigod until she could strike him again.

Authors note!!
Hello!! It took me a while to get this first chapter out and I apologise. I was going back and forth with different plots but I have decided and I am so ready for this. Marie's storyline is very different to what it was originally, obviously... and Isaac won't be introduced for a while (I miss him but the storyline I have planned for him is just too good to change).