"Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus," Thalia shook his as Edward smiled.
"My pleasure little lady," he said bring Thalia's hand up to his lips and gave it a little kiss, "I must admit the punk rock look is really working."
Thalia blushed as she pulled back her hand. Percy scowled, shotting Ed a dirty look. He didn't know why, but he felt angry and..... Jealous? Percy shook his head and slammed down Gamer's mind.
"Maybe we can continue this inside," Percy grumbled out.
"Right, please come in," Ed moved aside letting the three questers inside. The room was small but comfortable for a single person. There was a big flat screen TV on the wall and Ed's bag was left open on the bed. Percy saw that other than clothes Ed had also brought plenty of books and files along with him, guess even Ed had a thing for knowledge.
"Okay Ed, what's the plan?" Percy asked.
"So," Edward began, "the plan is this. The auction is tonight, I'm attending and so are you."
"How are we going to get in?"
"Simple, you three are my bodyguards," Ed said, "that reminds me, we need to get you guys appropriate clothes. The event is black tie, so...."
Percy nodded, "right. So what? We go in, stick with you until the party ends and if the Agent shows up, kill him?"
"Well maybe not kill, but yeah, don't let me die," Edward nodded, "right, so now let's go and get you all suited up!" Edward smiled as he grabbed his coat and began to walk out.
Just then Percy interrupted, "where do you think you are going?"
Edward looked confused, "ah....I'm going to help you guys shop?"
"Oh hell no! I still remember last time Ed!" Percy all but screamed, "we stayed in that shop for an hour!"
Ed shrugged, "it was to get you a good suit, and what happened to that away?"
"I still have it," Percy said grumbling, "though I probably outgrew it."
"And that's why we need to get you a new one."
"B-but-"
"-Oh relax Percy," Michael said with a smile, "what's the worse that could happen?"
Percy grumbled, "fine."
Michael smiled as he put an arm around Edward's leading the man outside, "by the way, you are going to pay for this right?"
Two hours later;
Percy grumbled as he took a sip of his coffee mug. They had in this tailor store for the past two hours. They first spent one hour picking out what material to make the clothes out of and the next hour getting their sizes taken.
This would have been so much easier if they had just bought a ready made store suit, but noooo, Edward had to have them wearing handmade clothes.
Sometimes Percy wondered whether Ed was actually just a shopaholic and loved to play dress up by using them as models. The theory actually fit with the way the son of Hermes acted, plus Percy wouldn't be surprised if it was true.
Edward came up and sat next to Percy. They both were right now in the waiting area in the front of the shop.
"Michael is getting his suit done," Edward said with a smile, "these are going to come out so great!"
Percy rolled his eyes, "you sure you're not a son of Aphrodite?"
Edward smiled, "my mom was a fashion designer, I learnt a lot from her when I was young."
"They why didn't you follow in her footsteps?"
"I have the worst hands," Edwards said showing his skinny slender fingers, "totally not what a tailor should have."
"They seem pretty okay to me," Percy said taking another sip of his coffee.
"Yeah sure they do," Edward smiled, "anyway that's enough about me. Tell me about that Thalia girl."
Percy narrowed his eyes. He had to strain himself to not allow the Bloodlust to show when he spoke up, "what about her?"
"How long have you had a crush on her?"
Percy coughed almost dropping his coffee, "w-what?!"
"How long have you had a crush on her?"
"I don't-"
"-Oh please, it's clear as day. Well maybe not for most teenagers, but as an adult I can tell these kinds of things. They way you growled when I kissed her knuckles, hell even just now. So....how long?"
Percy sighed taking another sip of his coffee, "a few days. I mean.... I think a few days. It just kind of happened."
"What happened?"
"We were out last night. Went to a concert. She got a little bit wasted and.....well she kissed me. And I kind of kissed back."
Edward nodded, "and the problem is that you don't like her?"
"What? No. I like her.....it's just... I didn't realise I did until it happened. Sure I talked to her before, and we do have our moments, plus she is hot. But you know I never had.....it's not like my feelings were obvious from the start. So I'm worried, is this real? Do I actually like her? Or you know...am I just imagining things?"
Edward stayed silent for the longest time before speaking up again, "Percy....love is.... complicated. It's not like in the movies where those big romantic gestures always win the girl's heart and it's not like in the books where someone sees someone and knows they are in love. It just happens, and that's a good thing. Love shouldn't be predictable Percy, and you don't have to be in love before to make something matter. I know it seems strange but when you grow up, you will realise that love, is just two people who want to be together, being together."
Percy thought on that when Michael came over. They waited for a few more minutes before their suits were ready for wearing.
Percy's was similar to the first one he wore, only this time he had a black shirt underneath the black suit and a bright blue tie around his neck.
Michael and Edward both wore tuxedos, but for some reason Percy didn't like them, it was something to do with the bowties, so lame.
Percy looked at himself in the mirror, the suit looked very form fitting. It was smooth and also very flexible, Percy won't have any trouble moving in this if he had to fight. Plus he looked far older than he actually was. If he was to guess, he looked 16 rather than 13, which while not that much of a leap was enough for people to not look at him funny.
Percy walked out of the changing room and looked at Michael and Edward, both very finely dressed. Michael looked a little stiff in his tux, but Ed looked like he was born to wear it. Percy even saw Edward's serious side for the first time in a long time which reminded Percy just why the man standing before him was in fact 30+ and the oldest demigod he knew.
"I look so hot," Edward smiled.
Percy sighed, 'he may look old, but that guy is as mature as a third grader.'
"Okay I don't like this at all," Thalia's voice came out behind them.
Percy turned and suddenly every single nerve in his body short circuited causing him to be paralyzed in shock. His eye's widened comically and his heart was beating so loudly that Percy was afraid it would burst out of his chest.
Thalia wore a tight midnight black dress with a heart shaped dress line over her breats and a long gown that was cut at the side to give view of her long slender legs. Her hips filled out the dress well, stretching them out to be form fitting while her chest gave a modest view of her cleavage. There was a thick blue line flowing down from the sides till they meet in the front joining together like the bottom tip of a heart. The blue matched her eyes, and Percy's tie.
'Ed so did that on purpose,' Percy realised as he gained control of all coherent thoughts again, "Thalia you look.....you look...ah...."
"Hot!" Michael yelled out, "holy shit girl! I didn't realise you could pull of a dress like that!"
Thalia blushed but smiled, "thanks arrow head. Though I still think it's a bit to much."
"Nonsense. The blue matches your eyes and the black matches your hair. Plus the cut in the side will help you move better," Edward said with a nodded, "yup, I still got great taste."
Thalia groaned, "you act like a child of Aphrodite."
Edward laughed, "yeah, that's what Percy said."
Thalia then looked at Percy, "do you like it?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Percy's mouth was still wide open in shock, "I...ah, I-I....I think you look beautiful."
Thalia blushed a little but smiled, "thanks fish head."
"Hm, but I can't help feel like you're missing something," Michael commented rubbing his chin, "like the dress and all looks great, but something's missing."
"Yeah," Thalia said looking down, "my neckline feels empty."
"You need a necklace!" Edward said, "maybe we can find one for you."
"No," Percy said suddenly, "I-I think I have just the one." Percy then opened his inventory and pulled up his jeans. He searched in it's pockets and pulled out a necklace of a skull with red eyes and a set of crossbones behind it.
Percy put away the pants and presented the necklace to Thalia, "I got the last night from Billie Joe."
"What?!" Thalia asked in shock and amazement, "he gave you his necklace?! He did give you it right? You didn't steal it right?"
Percy smiled, "no, of course not. He gave it to me when I told him a story. He said he liked it so he just gave the necklace as payment."
Thalia's eyes were sparkling now. She looked at the necklace and immediately turned around lifting her hair, "put it on me."
Percy gulped but did so. He put the necklace around Thalia's neck and locked it in place.
The daughter of Zeus turned around and smiled running her fingers over it, "thanks Percy."
The demigod of the sea blushed and nodded, "no problem."
Michael looked at Percy and then at Thalia. He looked at the two over and over before suddenly a proverbial lightbulb went off in his head.
"Holy shit," Michael whispered out, "Percy likes T-"
Edward put his hand over Michael's mouth shutting him up, "don't ruin the moment kid."
After the shopping spree the four demigods all got into a car that Edward had rented and they were off. Michael sat in the front seat bugging Edward about what he did for a living while Percy was in the back with Thalia next to him.
"So....you really like me dress huh?" Thalia asked in a teasing voice.
Percy sighed, "yes, I do. And stop that."
"Stop what?"
"That."
"What?"
"That voice you're doing."
"Really? Okay.....by the way you know something?"
Percy sighed, "what?"
"You think I'm beautiful," Thalia teased again.
Percy smiled, "I never said you weren't."
Thalia's smile dropped as a blush overtook her face. That was obviously not what she expected Percy to say.
"S-shut up," Thalia mumbled.
"Make me," Percy smiled.
Thalia and hims remained silent for a long time before Thalia spoke up again, "so Percy...I was just wondering, ah, about last night..."
'Shit!' Percy started to panic but Gamer's mind came in and crushed the panic down, "yeah, what about last ki— I mean last night?"
Thalia looks suspicious at Percy's slip up but ignored it, "I was just wondering, ah...what happened?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Percy asked surprised.
"No, sorry. It's just, well you have been avoiding me all day, and well I don't remember what I did last night. So if I did something that made you angry at me or something I just wanted to say-"
"-No, it's fine," Percy stopped her, "you just got drunk last night and I had to carry you back to your cabin. And ah... yeah, that's all."
"So nothing happened last night? Nothing?"
"Nope."
"And the reason you have been avoiding me?"
"When did I avoid?"
"Today at lunch. You just zoomed away when I called out your name."
"Oh, right. Well I really had to go to the bathroom, so..."
Lie success!
"Right. Got it," Thalia crossed her arms and looked out the window.
Percy figured she must be mad at him for some reason or another, maybe she remembered the kiss and was testing him? Percy shook his head, no, no if that was the case his lie detection skill would have noticed it. But then again the lie detection skill isn't really full proof.
The two of them remained silent as they drove to the place where the auction was to be held. Edward stopped in front of a building on 7th ave, a place called, 'The Writer's den.'
Percy and the other got out while a valet took the car away. They entered an elevator and Edward began to speak.
"The auction is being held within a political gathering," Edward explained, "on the top floor there are the New York richest and among them, members of the Abyss. We go up and fit in. We wait in the normal party and when it is time for the auction to start I'll bring you guys along. But there is a very high chance that the assassin will be hiding in plain sight in the party, so keep your eyes open and be carefull."
They checked their dresses and their equipment. Percy could feel both Riptide and Waverider in his pants pocket waiting to be used. Thalia had her Aegis bracelet on and inside her small purse was her spear disguised as he can of mace.
Michael however was weaponless, a bow and quiver isn't exactly fitting in. So Percy leant him Riptide and the son of Apollo promised to take care of it.
The elevator opened and everyone got out. Edward lead them into a ball room where he and Michael went ahead. Percy extended his arm for Thalia to hold.
The daughter of Zeus raised an eyebrow, "really?"
"Hey we look cool," Percy admitted as the demigoddess chuckled wrapping her hand around Percy's.
Percy smiled, 'maybe Edward was right. Maybe this could work.'
They entered the room and immediately the entire feeling of the place changed. There were people dressed up with the most expensive jewelry and clothes. Even the bodyguards, who Percy could easily pick out, were dressed in silky suits.
"It's a good thing Ed insisted on these dresses, or else we would have stuck out like sore thumbs," Thalia admitted as they both walked up to Ed and Michael.
"Alright here's the plan," Edward spoke, "me and Michael will be around, I have a lot people to talk to and make deals with. Why don't you and Thalia try and spot something out of place or strange in this place."
Percy nodded, "got it." He and Thalia went away walking hand in hand as they looked around the place.
There were caterers walking around all over the place serving wine and expensive food like caviar and fresh lobster served on flatbread. Thalia's eyes looked around in wonder at all the beauty, but Percy could only focus on the statuses he saw.
Everyone here was around level 10 or something with many sharing the same title, 'Politician' or in one case, 'Asshole'. But there was also the few that had higher levels, some were level 30 while some being level 47. Percy could feel their power flowing through the room. Most of these people were human, while some were part of Abyss.
Percy saw Edward talk to someone familiar, someone....wait...is that the mayor of New York? Percy was puzzled at the way Ed spoke to the man, it was almost like they were old friends.
