[Third Person's PoV]
Medusa couldn't help but laugh when she saw Lucian's exasperated expression. "Hehehe, I didn't know Medea got around like that."
"Can we please move on? The last thing I want to discuss is my mother's sex life," Lucian replied, clearly irritated by her amusement at his misery.
Medusa grinned, then shifted her tone. "So tell me... what were Medea's last moments like?"
Lucian, who had been cooking with the skill of an experienced chef, paused for a moment. "I'd like to say happy, but I really don't know how she felt at that moment. I can tell you this, though—she passed with a beautiful smile on her face," he said, a soft smile touching his lips.
Medusa's eyes softened as she muttered, "That's good. She deserved at least that much."
Lucian turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "You still haven't answered my first question. I'm curious—how did you and my mother meet?"
Medusa leaned back, thinking. "Hmm... it was a long time ago. I was hiding out in a cave, far from people, craving solitude. It was my only comfort back then. Imagine my anger when this young woman barged in like she owned the damn place."
She chuckled darkly, reminiscing. "I remember the hatred I felt for her. And some of it... I'll admit, was because she was so beautiful. I resented her for that, especially after what had happened to me."
Lucian listened intently as she continued. "I attacked her, of course. We fought for an entire day. And yeah, I lost... badly. Looking back, she went easy on me. Her spells never aimed to kill, just to maim. When it was over, I was lying on the ground, waiting for her to finish me off, send me back to the abyss to be resurrected again. But she didn't. She spared me."
Medusa's eyes glazed over slightly as she remembered the conversation. "I called her a naïve fool for showing me mercy. But I'll never forget her response."
Medusa smirked as she mimicked Medea's voice. "'Bitch, please. I could kill you anytime I want. The strong determine the fate of the weak. And the fate I've chosen for you is mercy. Appreciate it before I change my mind.'"
Lucian let out a low whistle. "Now that's a badass mother."
Medusa scoffed. "She just loved the sound of her own voice, if you ask me. After that, she wouldn't stop talking. Followed me around my own home, yapping on and on. I wanted to bash her head in just to shut her up, but... well, she was stronger than me."
A rare smile appeared on Medusa's face. "Eventually, she wore me down. I responded with something snarky, and that was the start of it. She'd visit occasionally and even brought me these," she said, lifting her glasses slightly.
"Then she stopped visiting. It's been about... thirteen, fourteen years now."
Lucian nodded thoughtfully. "That's probably because she got pregnant with me. I'm turning thirteen in a few days."
"Ah, that makes sense," Medusa replied. "Motherhood does tend to consume your time."
Lucian blinked in surprise, then his eyes widened. "Holy crap, I forgot you're a mother too!"
Medusa stared at him with a deadpan expression as Lucian, realizing his blunder, awkwardly shrank back. "Uh... I'll just take these plates out," he said, hastily grabbing the prepared dishes with his shadow tentacles and scurrying out of the kitchen.
As Lucian disappeared, Medusa's stern expression softened into a smile. 'He's her son alright, they both don't have any filters, do they?' she thought, picking up the remaining plates and following him into the dining room.
Lucian soon called out to the others, "Food's ready!" he said with a grin, giving two thumbs up.
Everyone began heading to the dining room, with Annabeth and Thalia lingering near the back with Lucian.
"So, do you fancy her or something?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lucian rolled his eyes. "She knows my mother and is friends with her."
Both Annabeth and Thalia's eyes widened. "Really!?" Annabeth asked in surprise as she had already figured out who Medusa was.
"Yeah, I felt my mother's magic in her glasses," Lucian explained as they arrived at the dining hall. Before them was a large table filled with a lavish five-course meal that tantalized their senses.
Medusa stood at the head of the table, her hands interlocked, smiling warmly at them. "Please, everyone, have a seat."
The group stared in awe at the spread, and Grover sniffed the air excitedly. "Lucian, is that your vegetarian enchilada I smell?" he asked, his puppy-dog eyes fixed on Lucian.
"You know I always got you, G-man."
As they all sat down and began serving themselves, they expressed their gratitude to Medusa for the food.
She shook her head with a smile. "I didn't make all this alone. I had some wonderful help," she said, giving Lucian a playful wink.
Grover, already stuffing his face with enchiladas, mumbled through tears of joy, "Lucian, I love and appreciate you so much."
Medusa's gaze swept over them curiously. "So, what brings so many demigods together?" she asked.
Percy, Clarisse, and Grover nearly choked on their food, and Clarisse shot Lucian a glare. "You told her!?" she hissed.
"She literally has natural pink hair. Tell me what part of her looks even remotely mortal. She sensed us. I didn't have to say a word."
Before anyone could respond, Medusa interrupted, "Wait, before you answer, I haven't gotten your names."
One by one, they introduced themselves. When Percy introduced himself, Medusa gave him a look that didn't go unnoticed by Annabeth and Thalia but said nothing at first.
"So, back to my question. What are so many demigods doing together? As far as I know, quests are usually carried out by groups of three. I'm counting six," Medusa observed, her sharp gaze taking in the group.
Annabeth took a breath before answering. "We have two different quests. Percy, Clarisse, and Grover are on one, and Thalia, Lucian, and I are on another. Our paths just happen to overlap, so we're traveling together."
"I see…" Medusa said, her gaze lingering on Annabeth for a moment. "Your eyes," she started, "they remind me so much of your mother's."
She then turned to Percy, her tone colder than before. "I could say the same about yours. They remind me of your father's."
Lucian inwardly groaned. 'This can't be good,' he thought. He didn't even need his precognition to sense where this was going.
"Eh? You knew my father?" Percy asked, surprised.
Annabeth shifted uncomfortably, already sensing the tension. Lucian had long since told her the true story of Medusa, far different from the one taught at camp.
Medusa scoffed. "Oh, I knew him. I knew him *very* well."
Percy, curious but cautious, pressed on. "So… what's he like? Can you tell me anything about him?"
Medusa's face darkened. "For one, he's arrogant and narcissistic. He takes whatever he pleases, without a care for how his actions might ruin the livelihoods of others."
"What?" Percy asked, taken aback. That wasn't at all what he expected. "Do you… not like my father?"
"'Not like'? I *loathe* him. I despise his very existence, down to the core of my being," Medusa replied, a cold smile spreading across her face.
A heavy silence settled over the table, the only sound being the scrape of Lucian's cutlery against his plate.
'Get me out of this mess,' Lucian thought desperately, staring at his food. 'Is a quiet, peaceful meal too much to ask for?'
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