[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian and the others finally reached the top of the Gateway Arch, but the silence between them was almost deafening.
"When you say punish..." Grover raised a finger, slouching slightly.
"I wasn't talking about you, Grover," Lucian said, rolling his eyes. "As for the punishment, I was thinking of something like an inconvenient curse."
"An inconvenient curse?" Thalia tilted her head, confused.
"Yeah, like making both sides of their pillows feel warm whenever they sleep, or making them constantly aware of their blinking every 20 minutes. Or, better yet, they'd always feel a sneeze coming but never actually sneeze."
"By the gods, you are sadistic!" Annabeth exclaimed, looking at Lucian as if he were a monster.
"What is wrong with you?" Thalia asked, eyeing Lucian with concern.
"You... you don't actually have the power to do that, do you?" Percy asked, laughing nervously.
Clarisse blinked deliberately, already annoyed. "Great, now I'm aware of my blinking, thanks…"
"Awesome, now it's happening to me too," Percy muttered, blinking slowly.
"I thought you said I was safe!" Grover cried, covering his eyes.
"Oh for gods' sake, Lucian, now I'm aware of it too!" Thalia groaned.
Annabeth grumbled in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes.
Lucian shook his head, eyes closed. "I'm not gonna lie, I got myself with that one too. Backfired big time."
"Let's just go look at the view. Maybe we'll forget about it," Annabeth suggested, rolling her eyes.
Everyone agreed and headed to the observation deck, where they got a perfect view of the city below.
"I would've made the windows bigger… And these floors? Totally see-through," Annabeth commented, listing all the changes she'd make to the Arch. Her thoughts were enough to distract everyone, allowing their blinking to become automatic again.
"You know what would be funny…" Lucian started, glancing out of the observation deck.
Thalia sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Oh gods, Lucian... I hate that I know you well enough to guess the messed-up thing you're about to say. You're seriously disturbing."
Annabeth's shoulders slumped too. "Why would you even joke about something like that?"
"I didn't even say anything yet!" Lucian protested, looking offended.
"What was Lucian going to say?" Percy asked, curiosity piqued.
Annabeth sighed. "He was probably going to pretend to jump off, fake a suicide."
Everyone turned toward Lucian, who chuckled sheepishly. "Am I that predictable?"
They all stared at him, disturbed. "Do you like dark humor because you're from the Underworld or something?" Clarisse wondered.
Lucian shrugged. "Could be."
"And for the record," Thalia added, "it wouldn't have been funny."
"You're right…" Lucian smirked. "It would've been hilarious."
"Oh, for gods' sake," he muttered as his eyes suddenly glowed faintly red.
"What's wrong?" Annabeth asked.
"Guys, we've got company!" Thalia exclaimed, pointing ahead.
A giant swarm of Stymphalian Birds was flying toward them. From afar, they looked like shadows, but their unmistakable wingbeats and pigeon-like coos echoed through the air.
"What the hell is that?" Percy asked, tilting his head.
"Stymphalian Birds," Annabeth explained. "They've got Celestial Bronze beaks that can tear through flesh, and they shoot their feathers like arrows at their prey."
"Isn't that... way too many?" Percy asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.
Lucian's gaze turned cold as he extended his hand, a ball of purple electricity forming around it. Suddenly, the birds screeched to a halt mid-air.
"Their beaks could be useful," Lucian muttered, motioning for the birds to come closer.
"What are you planning to do with them?" Thalia asked, summoning her own ball of electricity. "Just say the word, and they're fried."
Lucian smirked. "Actually, I'm going to release them, and Percy's going to battle them."
"Huh?! What?" Percy exclaimed, staring at Lucian as if he'd lost his mind. "Why the hell would I do that? Is this because of what happened in the elevator? Are you seriously punishing me for that?"
"No, you idiot. It's for practice," Lucian explained. "You're one of the strongest demigods, Percy. Among the children of the Big Three, especially as Poseidon's son, you've got the most potential."
"Eh? Shouldn't that be you? You're insanely strong," Percy replied, confused.
Lucian shook his head, his expression serious. "I'm in a different league. When I say you have the most potential, I mean among normal demigods. You've even got more potential than Thalia."
"What?! Get out of here! He does not have more potential than me!" Thalia scoffed, clearly not believing it.
Lucian gave her a knowing look. "When it comes to the children of the Big Three, Poseidon's kids always have the most potential."
"Why is that?" Clarisse asked, voicing everyone's curiosity, except for Lucian and Annabeth, who already knew.
Annabeth answered solemnly, "Because Poseidon's powers can touch the domains of both Zeus and Hades."
Lucian nodded. "Poseidon is known as the Stormbringer, controlling the sky and storms like Zeus. But he's also called the Earthshaker, touching the domain of my father."
"Is my father seriously that powerful?" Percy muttered in disbelief.
"All three gods have some potential that separates them from each other. For example, let's take him," Lucian said, motioning upwards toward the sky.
"Although he doesn't encroach on the domains of others, lightning is one of the strongest elements in the world. Lightning is all about power, and him being the god of it means his strength is unparalleled, one of the strongest."
"As for my father, although he doesn't command other domains like Percy's father or have the same unfathomable power as Thalia's father, he's all about being deadly. That makes a world of difference when used properly. It's also why my father is the most feared and hated among the gods," Lucian explained.
Lucian's words left them all in stunned silence.
"I see what you mean now," Thalia began. "I have the most raw power, you are the most deadly, and Percy has the most potential."
Lucian nodded as Annabeth continued, "But for him to reach that potential, he'll need proper training. It won't matter how much potential he has if he can't wield it properly."
Percy looked down at his own hands before slowly turning his gaze to the Stymphalian Birds. 'All this adventure has shown me is that power is everything. If I want to do things right, I'll need all the power I can get. It doesn't mean it isn't still scary, though,' Percy thought to himself.
He then nodded toward Lucian. "I'll do it. I'll fight them and train."
"How about this... If it makes you feel any better, fight them by a water source—like the river down below. You'll have a better chance there," Lucian advised, noticing Percy's nervousness.
"Yes, please!" Percy replied, almost a bit too enthusiastically.
"Can we stay and enjoy the view for a few more minutes, though? We just got here," Annabeth pleaded slightly.
Seeing that Annabeth had a point, Lucian and the others nodded in agreement. Lucian pushed the birds away, allowing them all to enjoy the scenery one last time together.
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