Latest Update: March, 21, 2023
Summary: When Sally had accepted the little jewelry gift from her five-year-old son Percy, she hadn't thought anything of it. But gaining a system, an AI who called her madam, and traveling through scenario after scenario, increasing her strength. Sally was genuinely enjoying the game and the challenges that came with it... The lack of monsters trying to kill her son was also a nice bonus. Not that the humans in the scenarios she played were much better, but that was beside's the point.
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37196344?view_full_work=true
Word Count:27k
Chapters:6
Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I don't own anything!
IIIII
"Oh, Percy... What are we going to do?" Sally Jackson muttered softly to her five-year-old son, the boy not hearing her words, too focused on playing with the large toy boat on the playground sand. It had been close to five years since she'd last seen Poseidon, her summer fling and one that she'd probably remember for the rest of her life. Especially after discovering that the supposed man was really a god. But since then, with Percy's birth, losing her job, and them having to be constantly on the move so as not to be found by any monsters. Sally was beginning to feel tired. Not because of Percy. No, she loved her son. It was just the situation and lack of having a safe place that was getting to her. Never knowing if some creature would barrel into their apartment door ready to kill.
So she'd made a decision that she was still questioning if it was the right one. She told Gabe Ugliano, a rather disgusting and unkempt man, that she'd go on a date with him. Not really by choice, but more because the situation demanded it. Sally knew full well that in the long run, something would happen. A monster would find them and attack when her guard was down. But, by finding Gabe, maybe, just maybe, she could use him to cover the demigod scent of her son. A rather odd solution that she wasn't even sure would work. However, for Percy, she had to at least try.
"Mom, look what I found!"
Hearing Percy yell, Sally felt her stomach drop, thoughts of monsters and them finally being discovered filling her mind as her head snapped around the park, looking for the danger. However, after a few seconds and not seeing even another human around in the park. Sally turned her attention back to her son, who was now grabbing her leg, her cheeks flushing a bit as she thought more clearly about what Percy had said.
"What is it, Percy?" Sally asked as she regained her calm, her red cheeks dying down to their normal color.
Smiling happily, Percy held up his hands, showing a cheap black-looking bracelet connected to two small thin chains and a dark muddy ring. "Look, I found it buried in the sand!"
"Look at that, you're very own buried treasure." Sally smiled softly, giving her son a little pinch on the cheek. Knowing these moments were few and far in between and treasuring each one that came. She could only imagine what might happen later if her plan didn't work out and she was forced to send her son to that camp Poseidon mentioned. From her understanding, that was a place she couldn't enter even if she begged. So until that day, Sally was going to treasure every moment she had left with her son.
"It's for you," Percy said as he raised the bracelet and attempted to place it on her wrist. But his hands were too small, and his strength was not enough to get the metal jewelry open. So with a look of immense concentration on his face, Percy stared down at the bracelet, looking very unsure of what to do next before an idea seemed to come to him. "Mom, you do it!"
"Alright, if you want me to..." Sally pretended to sigh, a fake expression of reluctance on her face as she picked up the dirty jewelry from her son's hands. She didn't mind the mud or dirt, but that didn't mean she couldn't play around giving an over-exaggerated performance as she slipped on the ring then connected the bracelet to her wrist. The jewelry fitting strangely well, almost as if she'd had it customized at the jewelers.
Bringing her hand up to the light beside Percy, holding it just low enough for him to see with his small height. Sally felt a small spike of amusement as she realized she'd subconsciously put the ring on her middle finger. Not the first place she would have put it a few years ago when she was a young woman and far more innocent than she was now with dreams of marrying a prince and having a grand wedding. Now, a single mother and no interest in looking for love anymore, it seemed her brain recognized that even if she hadn't consciously thought it.
Ding!
[Initializing system...]
Hearing that sharp bell-like sound followed by a deep metallic voice, Sally once again felt panic grip her. This time picking up her son and holding him tightly to her chest as she tried to find the voice that had spoken. Unfortunately, she had no such luck. The park was still empty, with no one but her and Percy there.
"Mom, what is it?" Percy blinked, looking confused, his face scrunched up as he tried to wiggle out of her grip and see for himself what was going on.
"Just a minute, Percy," Sally whispered, trying to focus her sight on the empty space in front of her in case there was something wrong with her vision. She knew from Poseidon that she was a clear-sighted mortal, but that was it. Sally didn't know if she could lose the gift or if any creatures could hide from it. So until she was absolutely sure it was safe, she wasn't letting go of Percy.
[System initialization complete...]
[Welcome, Sally Jackson, the newest user of the T.A.R.T.A.R.U.S system.]
Mind freezing up in shock, Sally tightened her grip on Percy. Lost on what to do or how this so-called system managed to find its way into her mind. She knew she wasn't crazy, at least she thought so. She also knew that it couldn't be one of the gods or anything like that, or Percy would be dead already as a child of one of the big three. A rule she found more than a little ridiculous when she heard about it from Poseidon, but that was another matter. So all that was left was her son. But he'd never shown any abilities before, so it shouldn't be him either. Which left...
Looking down at her hand, Sally stared at the shiny black bracelet she had just put on her wrist a minute ago, a small part of her mind telling the other part that this was crazy. No bracelet could speak, let alone telepathically into her mind. However, the larger part of her mind was saying the opposite. Pointing out how shiny the metal bracelet and ring had gotten with the mud and dirt gone, the jewelry looking leagues better without all the grime crusted over it.
"...Bracelet? Is that you?" Sally asked quietly, her son Percy staring up at her with a strange look on his face. No doubt wondering what was going through her mind. After a few minutes, and just as Sally's arms were beginning to tire from Percy's weight, as well as doubt her own mind about whether she even heard a voice speak. She heard it once more.
[Hello Sally Jackson, please choose system selection of AI guides.]
[1. Butler (male voice)]
[2. Dumb AI (male voice)]
[3. Smart Aleck (monotone)]
[4. Teacher (female voice)]
Hearing the voice and seeing the semi-black transparent windows popping up, floating a foot in front of her face, Sally almost dropped Percy, getting spooked by the sudden appearance. Then almost a little hesitant, she read the options and lightly clicked on the first one. Finding the whole experience surreal but deciding to follow her gut, it had never steered her wrong so far when it came to raising Percy. As well as any of the other major decisions she'd made in her life. So hopefully, that held up, and she wasn't selling her soul to some monster or anything of that nature.
[Character creation loading... Please confirm character.]
Seeing a picture-perfect 3d model of herself appear in a new window, Sally felt... Shocked? Flabbergasted? She wasn't really sure. What she was sure of was that this system, or whatever it called itself, was amazing. The her in the window was so lifelike yet had an otherworldly feel. Yet, she wasn't, her hair, face, eyes, build, and even her clothes were exactly the same as what she was wearing now. It was incredible.
Seeing the options on the side to change her appearance, Sally clicked on it and stared once again. But this time with disbelief as her eyes went from their usual hazel to a glowing purple. Pressing the other arrows to see what they did, Sally messed with the model's appearance until she couldn't even recognize herself, feeling as if she hadn't even scratched the surface of all the customizable options available.
Done playing around, Sally clicked on the return to default button and instantly felt more comfortable as she found the model of herself returning to normal, brown hair and all. A rather plain look depending on who was asked, but Sally was happy with the looks she was born with. She knew she may not look the most beautiful, but even after giving birth to her son and dealing with the stress of the last few years, Sally thought she still looked pretty damn good for a woman approaching twenty-six years of age. Sure her body wasn't in the best of shape, her stomach at times looking a little flabby from all the sweets she and Percy ate. But that was a minor detail and could be removed with a few months of exercise...
Glancing around herself as if afraid anyone was watching, Sally slowly pressed down on the slider by her stomach and shrunk it until the model of herself had the barest hint of some abs. Then, before she could second guess herself, she clicked the green button at the bottom of the screen, both palms sweaty as she watched the system's loading icon appear. Seeing it begin to fade, Sally immediately felt lighter and knew her body had been changed. A scary thought that probably should have made her more afraid than it did. But it didn't. Instead, she was more focused on what Percy would think with her becoming thinner and silently prayed the boy didn't notice the change. That would be far too embarrassing.
[Loading... Loading... Randomizer complete. Character status now available.]
"Character status? What character status?" Sally frowned, feeling a little confused, skimming over the first part of the text without a second thought as she tried to figure out what a character status was. Luckily, she didn't have to think very hard as another window appeared, answering her question.
Status
Name: Sally Jackson | Lvl.1 - Exp: 0/10
Title: N/A
HP: 100/100
MP: 0/?
STR: 2
VIT: 4
DEX: 4
INT: 6
WIS: 3
LUK: 2
Points: 0
Money: $50.23
"Okay, I understand strength, intelligence, wisdom, and luck." Sally nodded, finding the names to be pretty self-explanatory. "But what are dex and vit."
"Hello, madam, I believe I can answer that question."
Closing her eyes, Sally took a deep breath, calming herself as she tried to get used to the sudden and random appearance of voices showing up in her head. "You can? Great, but first, who are you, and why are you only now speaking?"
"I am Butler, you're personal AI and helper in navigating system T.A.R.T.A.R.U.S and any other help needed. I'm speaking because I have only now been activated."
"...I see," Sally said while mentally patting herself on the back for not choosing one of the other AI. Having an assistant named Dumb AI wouldn't have been fun, especially if it was as the name specified. "So if you're my helper, how did you... Actually, what are you?"
"I do not know, madam. The only memory I can find is knowledge of this system and how to use it. Other than that, my first memory upon activation is speaking to you."
"Okay then, what's dex and vit?" Sally questioned, moving on to her next problem. She wasn't about to get hung up on some mystery that couldn't be solved at this moment in time. It was better for her to find out what she could and see if that could be used to help improve her and Percy's life. Something she hadn't even dreamed of being able to do before, but this strange system was letting her see a potentially better path than Gabe Ugliano, a last resort if there ever was one.
"Those are your stats. Strength is your muscle mass and how strong you are physically. Vitality is your health and how quickly you can recuperate from injuries. Dexterity is your speed, reaction time, and body control. Intelligence is your memory capabilities, mana, and mental capacity. Wisdom is your mana regeneration, thought process, and state of mind. Luck is exactly as the name sounds, affecting everything around you and the situation."
"So... Are my stats good then?" Sally asked once her AI finished his explanation. From the sounds of it, each stat did something different yet also something useful, none of them really having a better benefit or obvious pick among them. Well, that is if she ever wanted to raise her stats. A little feature Butler hadn't mentioned, but Sally had seen the points with the number zero next to it. So she knew the possibility existed even if she didn't know exactly how to as of now.
"The human species has an average of five stat points for each category, with luck fluctuating from person to person."
"Nice." Sally sighed, a little downtrodden to learn she was that far behind other humans. She'd known she wasn't the best at sports, and outside of her occasional gut feelings, she didn't really always make the right decision. However, Sally hadn't thought she was that bad. The only plus about the whole stat thing was that she now knew she was a single point smarter than the average person.
"Moooommmm!" Percy whined, trying to escape her grasp. Causing Sally to come out of her thoughts and notice for the first time since she'd heard the voice in her mind that she was still holding Percy. Apparently, during her time playing with the customization options and talking with the AI, she'd somehow managed to never set him down.
"Oh, sorry, Percy. Here you can go play with your boat." Setting the boy down, she watched as he raced over and picked up his toy to play in the sand again. Looking so carefree, unaware of the dangers that chased them or the risk from being a son of Poseidon might bring him later in life. A detail the god hadn't mentioned much of, but she could read in between the lines enough to know that something was wrong, and she could only assume the situation hadn't changed in the past five years since Poseidon left.
"Madam, if it worries you so much. Why not increase your strength to protect your son?"
"Pfft!" Sally snorted, finding the AI's words a little humorous. "And how would I go about that? I already tried, but those monsters always find us, and I'm still only a mortal. The most damage I can do is take a gun and pull the trigger. But even then, I'd be lucky to hit anything."
"That is true, but after you complete a few quests, fighting monsters may become easier... You may even be able to challenge the gods themselves if desired."
"How so?" Sally asked, ignoring the latter part of Butler's words. She had no desire to challenge the gods. She wasn't stupid. To even attempt something like that was a death sentence just waiting to happen for her or for Percy. No, all Sally wanted to do was keep her son safe. Challenging the Greek gods, a ridiculous endeavor if she ever heard one was an impossibility.
"A simple yet crude way is to go on with your life until you happen to come across an event that activates a quest. It will grant you rewards based on the task's difficulty, and then you can increase your stats, learning new skills as you improve yourself. Another way, and what I recommend, is to choose the global scenario quests. They are optional, and you can choose which to do at will. As an added bonus, they can be started as soon as today instead of wasting ten years of your lifespan waiting for a quest to appear."
"Um, the global option?" Sally said hesitantly. It sounded far better than waiting ten years for something to happen. She doubted they could wait that long.
[Global Scenario's unlocked!]
[Pick one of the three for your first quest, but choose wisely, as once selected, there can be no backtracking. As an added reminder, the difficulty ratings are from D to SSS, with D being the easiest and SSS being the most challenging.]
[Disaster Event: Recommended level (A)]
[Disaster Event: Recommended level (C)]
[Survival Event: Recommended level (A)]
"Is there nothing easier?" Sally asked, her finger hovering above the C-level disaster event. She'd almost clicked it but stopped herself just in time so she could ask her AI. After all, if there was an easier scenario that she could start off doing, then why not go with that instead?
"I'm afraid not, madam."
"Eh, worth a shot," Sally replied, sighing softly as she clicked down on what would hopefully be the easiest C-level event to ever exist.
[Confirmation loading... 3... 2... 1... Complete.]
[Disaster Event: Poseidon]
[Quest: Survive Poseidon's destruction! ]
"Poseidon? Is this a joke?" Sally frowned, unsure of what to feel exactly about a quest connected with Percy's father. The last time she'd seen him was years ago, and she no longer was exactly sure what she felt for the god. When she was dating Poseidon, she'd been a young woman, adventurous and curious about the world and its mysteries. Wanting to do and see everything she could, now though, years later, motherhood having helped her mature far quicker than she might have otherwise. Sally wasn't sure she wanted to see the sea god again, knowing the chances of her memories being tainted by reality now that she wasn't as innocent as her younger self used to be was quite high.
"I think not, madam. By the text's description, no matter how short it may be, it sounds as if Poseidon is a place, not the sea god you're thinking of."
[Teleporting to scenario in 4:59... 4:58... 4:57... 4:56...]
"What!" Sally's eyes widened as she saw the countdown. When Butler had explained the options and that the global one would happen today. She had assumed sometime later in the day, not five minutes after choosing a scenario. She also hadn't thought she'd be teleported anywhere or have no time to prepare or plan anything really in the amount of time she had remaining. Hell, she hadn't even found a babysitter...
"Oh my god, Percy!" Sally shouted, causing the boy to look up at her with his face scrunching up in confusion. "Butler, what am I going to do? I can't just leave him here!"
For some strange reason, after getting distracted by the system. Sally had forgotten about how the choices she was making would affect Percy. For example, her teleporting and leaving her five-year-old son in the middle of a playground at the edge of New York. Yeah, that was a real swell idea that would for sure get her the mother of the year award.
"The only solution that can be done at this time is to take him with you, madam. But be careful. Any scenario difficulties will increase when bringing a teammate, even if Percy is only five years old."
"It beats being left behind here," Sally replied, a wave of relief washing over her at the news that she wasn't about to up and abandon her son, accidental or not. "Can he use the system too?"
"As of now, no. The system is bound to you and can not be removed or changed. But as for the future, that remains to be seen."
Nodding, Sally sat down on the sand next to Percy, watching as her son played. Thoughts and worries flashed through her mind like lightning as the countdown timer got lower and lower until only ten seconds were remaining. Quickly grabbing Percy, Sally pulled the boy into her lap and held onto him tightly as she watched the timer hit zero. Not having any idea how the whole teleport business was going to work, but also not willing to risk the chance of getting separated from her son.
[Teleportation commencing... 3... 2... 1...]
Blinking, Sally felt her vision become incredibly disoriented before she felt her legs wobble and had to sit both her and Percy on the ground. Trying to regain her bearings and figure out where they'd been teleported to. Unfortunately, besides their room looking like a luxurious hotel suite, she couldn't really see any telling details. Well, except for the steel-colored walls and how the room was rocking from side to side.
"Butler, when will the effects from the teleportation wear off?"
"They should have already, madam."
Before Sally could ask her next question, Percy pulled away from her arms, racing to look through a circular window by a sofa, then screamed. Not a high pitch one, or fear for your life, I'm going to die scream. No, this scream was of pure joy and excitement.
"Mom, Mom, Mom! You brought us on a boat! This is amazing!" Percy yelled, jumping up and down excitedly, a huge grin on his face. "This is way better than playing in the sand!"
"... I'm glad you like the surprise," Sally replied softly, having been startled for a second at the news they were on a boat. Which now seemed obvious with all the swaying and rocking she could feel. But Sally was happy to see her son get so excited about it. She knew he loved boats and the water. Hence why their usual spot to travel close to was the beach, but actually being on a real boat was a treat Sally hadn't yet done for Percy, unable to afford the cost. So the most they'd done was watch them sail from the shoreline.
"Hey, Butler, when does the disaster event actually start?" Sally questioned, tapping her chin as she thought over how much time she had to complete the quest and if any could be spared to let Percy have some fun on the boat.
"Unknown madam, but keep in mind that a disaster will occur. It might be in your best interest to prepare so you and your son can survive."
"I know, I know." Sally sighed, fully understanding it was the correct approach to their situation, even if she didn't really want to at the moment. "...But a few minutes couldn't hurt, right?"
"I believe that should be fine."
Grinning, Sally turned her attention back to her son, Percy, who now had his face against a different window. "Percy, come on, let's go. We're going to explore the boat!"
"We are? Cool!" Percy pulled away from the window and practically hopped as he ran past Sally to the largest door in the room, ready to leave and explore.
"Wait, madam, it might be in your best interest to change from your current outfits to one that will better fit in with the rest of the passengers on the boat."
Pausing, Sally looked down at her outfit, a pair of now baggy jeans and a simple shirt with some rock band on it. Percy dressed similarly except in shorts and an identical shirt just in a smaller size. "How exactly are we going to manage that? We have no luggage."
"There may be some articles of clothing in the closet. If not, then it might be in your best interest to stay in this room until the disaster event."
"Percy, wait a moment," Sally told her son before making her way to the closet and opening the doors. Finding two expensive outfits that looked to be her and Percy's size. One a red dress, with heels next to it, and the other a mini child tuxedo. Which was a little creepy, but given that they were teleported here, she could accept some clothes magically appearing in their size.
"Percy, come over here and get chan... WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FACE!" Screaming, Sally stared at the woman in the mirror reflected back from the side of the closet door. Shocked and confused about what was going on. Her brown hair was gone, replaced with an almost unnaturally and very obviously dyed grey ash-colored hair. Her body was slimmer, way more than what she had done with the slider, and she was also a little taller, reaching maybe close to six feet or right under it. However, the most changed part was her face. Her skin had lightened up a few shades, looking healthier, and also very obviously shifted. Her facial structure looked far more symmetrical, ultimately transforming how she looked. The only thing that hadn't changed was her eyes, both of them staying the same hazel shade she'd had previously.
"What's wrong? I think the randomizer had a good result overall. You're quite lucky you didn't get purple skin or neon green hair and teeth."
"How is that an option? Wait, ignore that. You said I did this with a randomizer? That's what that button was?" Sally asked, calming down as she thought over the text that had appeared when she'd made the changes to her stomach. "Can I change back?"
"I'm afraid not, madam."
"Great, just great... ugh, at least I don't look terrible, even it isn't my style... Wait a minute, is there something magical about my changes? Allowing everyone I know to accept them as normal? Why else would Percy not say anything about my looks and how I barely look like how I did a few hours ago?" Sally asked while glancing at her son, Percy not paying any attention whatsoever to her conversation with the air.
"No, madam, Percy saw your changes when they happened while you were holding him. My best guess is that he accepted it, or as he's only five. He might not have cared. You are still his mother after all."
"...I see."
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37196344?view_full_work=true