My name is Percy Jackson.
I am twelve years old, a student staying at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled children in downtown New York.
Am I a problem child?
Yes. You could say so.
I could point to any point in my short and miserable life to prove it, but things really started to go wrong when our sixth-grade class went on a field trip to Manhattan - twenty-eight kids and two teachers in a yellow school bus, headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at the antiquity of Greece and Rome.
I know—it sounds like torture. Most of Yancy's trips were.
But Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher, was organizing this trip; he had hopes. Mr. Brunner was a middle-aged man who used a motorized wheelchair. He had hairfallingAnd a scruffy beard, a threadbare tweed jacket that always smelled of coffee. You wouldn't think he was cool, but he told stories and joked around, besides letting us play games in class. He also had a large collection of Roman armor and weapons; he was the only teacher whose classes I never fell asleep in.
I hoped the trip would go well. At least, I hoped that for once I wouldn't be the problem.
Dude, I was wrong.
You see, bad things happen to me on field trips. Like in fifth grade, when we went to Saratoga, I had that accident with a Revolutionary War cannon. I wasn't aiming at the school bus, but I still got expelled. And before that, in fourth grade, when we had a behind-the-scenes tour of the Shark Marine World, I pressed the wrong lever in the hallway, and our class got an unexpected bath. And before that... well, you get the picture.
This trip, I was determined to go well. All the way to the city I was stuck with Nancy Bobfit, the freaky, red-haired kleptomaniac, who used to hit my best friend Grover on the back of the head with pieces of peanut butter sandwiches.
Grover was an easy target. He was skinny. He cried when he was frustrated. He must have repeated several grades, because he was the only sixth grader with acne and the beginnings of a beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was disabled. He had a grade excusing him fromPE for the rest of his life because he had some kind of muscular disease in his legs. He walked oddly, as if it hurt, but don't be fooled. You should have seen him run when he had enchiladas in the cafeteria.
Anyway, Nancy Bobofit was throwing sandwich balls that stuck in her curly brown hair, and she knew she couldn't do anything to her because she was on probation. The principal had threatened to kill me.Suspend from school if something bad, embarrassing, or even moderately entertaining happened on this trip.
- I'm going to kill you - I muttered.
Grover tried to calm me down.
- Okay. I like peanut butter - He avoided another piece of Nancy's food.
- That's it - I started to get up, but there was a chain of events that stopped me. First Nancy threw another sandwich ball in my direction, which never arrived because a paper shuriken returned the projectile at twice the original speed.
Had she not ducked at the last moment, he would have hit her, which would have given him incredible satisfaction. When Nancy stood up to see who had dared to throw the projectile back at her, she felt ashamed and blushed.
Since it was our protagonist who threw the shuriken, Naruto was currently dressed in a -simple- way, an open black shirt, wearing underneath a white flannel over which he had the necklace that Tsunade had given him, he had simple gray jeans, black sneakers with a red line on the sole, and on his head where he still had his messy hair, but smoother he had sunglasses.
Many people believed he was pretentious because of those glasses, but for a reason he himself hasn't been able to explain since arriving in this new world, sunlight bothers him a little more; it doesn't blind him, but it does bother him.
But what made the girl blush was that her -crush- was watching her. It was no secret that Nancy liked the blond boy—she and half the campus. Maybe he wasn't the smartest in his class, but he wasn't one of the worst either. He was in the top 10, but not in the top 5; he ranked seventh. But it wasn't his intelligence that attracted most of the other students.
It was his physique and physical abilities; he had proven to be incredibly strong, fast, agile, and resilient, ranking number one in the academy's physical standards, even surpassing the seniors. And the fact that he was handsome in his own right was a bonus.
- Why do you defend Uzumaki? They're not on your level, not like me -
Naruto just raised an eyebrow, then sat back down to look at the scenery, only to be interrupted by Percy who hugged him on his seat.
- Thanks, friend. I don't know what I would have done if she had continued.
Naruto just smiled - You wouldn't have done anything. Besides, Grover would have stopped you. Remember, one more problem and you're expelled - Naruto was one of Percy's best friends because he had approached him with the intention of being a true friend. Not like others who had tried to be his -friends- but it was just an excuse to take advantage of his fame or try to use him.
After that conversation they arrived at the museum, where one by one they all got off the bus, the last 3 being Percy, Grover and Naruto, who put on his sunglasses as soon as he got off.
- You know, I keep wondering, is it necessary?
- You know the sun bothers me, Percy.
-No, not that,- was the quick reply from the green-eyed man. -I mean, coming here? What can they teach us here that they can't teach us at the academy?-
- Hmm… - was our protagonist's comment.
- You know, not that I want to interrupt your very productive conversation - Grover remarked, - but we should start walking -
Heeding their friend's advice, the two began their walk, until they reached the front of the group.
Where the entire museum visit was guided by Mr. Brunner.
He positioned his wheelchair at the front, guiding us through the enormous galleries, past large marble statues and display cases filled with old objects and orange-colored pottery. The thought crossed my mind that these things had survived two or three thousand years.
- You know, I know this is old, but that's what makes it amazing -
- What do you mean by that?
- Think of it this way, Grover. If there were a global catastrophe that destroyed cities, how much would actually be preserved?- That made Grover...nodI understand the point.
- Almost nothing, but despite that, the objects survived -
- Exactly… I don't know, that gives me hope for the future, that not everything we do will be so insignificant -
- Keep going, they've gotten ahead of us again - were the words spoken by Percy.
The group gathered around a thirteen-meter-tall stone boy with a large sphinx on top, and he began to describe what a gravestone, a stele, was like for a girl our age. He told us about the way the sides were carved. I was trying to listen because I was somewhat interested, but everyone around me was talking, and every time I told them to be quiet, the accompanying teacher, Mrs. Dods, gave me a dirty look.
Mrs. Dods was a math teacher who always wore a black leather jacket, even at her age, in her fifties. She looked old enough to ride a Harley. She had arrived in Yancy mid-year, when our math teacher had a nervous breakdown.
From day one, Ms. Dods was smitten with Nancy Bobofit, and I imagined she was possessed. She pointed at me with her crooked finger and said - Now, honey - really sweet, and I knew I was going to get after-school detention for a month. If it weren't for Naruto, who intervened on his behalf.
Despite seeming excited to punish me, she stopped and listened to Naruto's words, ignoring even Nancy, which pleased him, but didn't stop Mrs. Dods from continuing to see him as a walking disaster. It seemed that the only thing stopping her from doing anything was Naruto, who was always with me.
Mr. Brunner stopped talking about Greek funerary art.
Finally, Nancy Bobofit laughed at the naked man with the stele, and I turned around and said to her - Will you shut up? -
It turned out stronger than I intended.
The whole group burst out laughing. Mr. Brunner stopped telling his story.
- Mr. Jackson - he said - anything to say? -
My face was completely red - No, sir -
Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the images of the stele - Perhaps you could tell us what the photo represents? -
I looked at the size and felt a wave of relief, because I actually recognized it. - Isn't that Kronos eating his children? -
-Yes,- said Mr. Brunner, obviously dissatisfied. -And he did it because...-
-Well…- I shook my brain to remember, -Kronos was the king of the gods and…-
-God?- Mr. Brunner asked.
-Titan,- I corrected myself. -And... he didn't trust his children, who were the gods. So, ummm, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus and gave Kronos a stone to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his father, Cronos -
-Eeew!- said one of the girls behind me. Which made me roll my eyes, along with Mr. Brunner and Naruto.
-And that's why there was a great battle between the gods and the titans,- I continued. -And the gods won.-
There were a few chuckles heard in the group.
Behind me, Nancy Bobofit whispered to a friend, -How are we going to use this in real life? Who's going to ask us in a job interview why Cronus ate his children?-
-And why, Mr. Jackson?- said Brunner, -to answer Miss Bobfit's excellent question, 'Why is it important in real life?'-
-Trapped,- Grover muttered.
-Shut up,- Nancy whispered, her face red, even brighter than her hair. At least Nancy was embarrassed too. Mr. Brunner was the only one listening. His ears were like radar.
I thought about his question and shrugged. -I don't know, sir.- Mr. Brunner had a disappointed look, as if expecting a different kind of answer, but just as I was about to say something, Naruto intervened.
- To learn, Mr. Brunner -
- Oh, interesting answer, Mr. Uzumaki. Could you elaborate on your response?
-Well, it's true that in a job interview, they're not going to ask us that question,- he said, making Nancy blush again, -but these myths were created for a reason, perhaps based on false beliefs of that time. This made Grover and Brunner a little nervous. -Although we could also take them as lessons, in Kronos's case, how excessive ambition can lead to our downfall, or that the path you take most often to avoid your destiny is the one that leads you closest to it -
-Excellent answer, Mr. Uzumaki, full point to you and Mr. Jackson. But these myths don't just teach lessons, think about that - This left Naruto and Percy confused. -And to add to the information, Zeus did indeed give his father a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him vomit up his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, cutting him to pieces with his own scythe and scattering the remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the underworld. After this happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dods, may we go outside?-
As the class was leaving, Naruto and Percy were called away by Mr. Brunner, allowing Grover to go ahead.
- Mr. Brunner - was the simultaneous response given by the two apprentices called, one nervously and the other with interest.
- You two should reflect a little more on the proposed question -
-The one about the Titans?- Percy wondered.
Mr. Brunner looked directly at both of us, with his intense brown eyes that seemed to have seen and experienced everything… but that was impossible, he would have to be immortal, and Mr. Brunner wasn't… right?
- No, Mr. Jackson, about real life; and how your studies are applicable to your lives -
- Oh - was the simultaneous response of both of them, it was a recurring joke of Grover's to say that Naruto and I shared a brain.
-What you've learned from me,- he said with an uncharacteristic seriousness -is of vital importance. I expect you to treat it as such. I will accept only the best from you, Percy Jackson and Naruto Uzumaki.-
That made me angry. Try harder? I was giving it my all, but for Mr. Brunner it didn't seem to be enough. No, he wanted Naruto and me to be perfect. That made me leave, muttering something about -trying harder,- leaving Naruto alone.
-Mr. Brunner, I've noticed you have a special fondness for Percy and me,- the conversation began. -But we're already doing our best, especially Percy; and the way you communicate that makes us feel like you're criticizing us -
-No, no, no, of course not, Mr. Uzumaki... I just...- He was trying to find the right words.
- You're just trying to teach us in the best way possible, I understand and appreciate that.effort Mr.Brunner, but sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it - after saying that, the blond man withdrew, leaving Mr. Brunner alone, who turned his gaze towards the direction of the funerary art.
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The whole class was gathered on the museum steps, eating quietly and observing several things at once.
On one hand, there were the people walking down Fifth Avenue who seemed bored with their daily lives; he could understand them, sometimes life seemed to just make you suffer for no reason.
The other -interesting- thing to observe was the weather. It looked like a big storm was brewing, with clouds blacker than any I'd ever seen in the city. I figured maybe it was because of global warming or something, because the weather all Christmas had been strange. We'd had huge snowstorms, floods, and wildfires started by lightning. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was a hurricane forming. No one else seemed to notice. Some of the kids were throwing pieces of cookies to the pigeons. Nancy Bobofit was trying to steal something from a lady's purse, and of course Mrs. Dods didn't see a thing.
But seeing Fifth Avenue brought back a memory: my mother's apartment uptown. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted to take a taxi home. I wanted her to hug me and be happy to see me, but it would be disappointing too. She would send me back to Yancy.reminding me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and that it was probably going to beexpelledAgain. I couldn't just stand there looking at her with that sad face.
My mother's apartment, up in the city. I hadn't seen her since Christmas. I wanted to take a taxi home. I wanted her to hug me and be happy to see me, but that would be disappointing too. She would send me back to Yancy. Reminding me that I had to try harder, even if this was my sixth school in six years and that it was probably going to beexpelledAgain. I couldn't just stand there looking at her with that sad face.
The truth seemed like almost no one noticed it; it was Grover's goat-like scream that brought me back to reality, only to see a scared Grover and an amused Naruto.
-Dude, you really shouldn't joke about that,- were the boy's frightened words.
- Oh come on, dude, just imagine the scene - Naruto said, then coughed and put on an -adult- voice - Little brother Zeus, I knew it was impossible for them to be a rock, see, I told you Poseidon - this time he said it directed at him.
He could only laugh to imitate him - It's not my fault, I just thought that this time our brother was born uglier than you - Percy would say, also imitating an adult's voice.
- Hahaha, very funny Poseidon, but getting back to the topic, come here dear brother Zeus and hug your family full of vomit and stomach acid -
- That's right, come here brother, a hug -
That's what was said.The duo watched as Grover couldn't hold back and started laughing loudly, which led to a collective laugh from all three of them.
After that scene, Percy returned to reality, where he was eating a simple sandwich, while Naruto seemed to have bought a hot dog from the nearby stand. Grover asked him for the apple he had, and to be honest, he wasn't very hungry, so he gave it to him. But sadly, like almost all the good things in his life, this pleasant moment came to an end.
Just as I was about to go back to my sandwich, Nancy Bobofit appeared in front of me with her ugly friends; I guess she had grown tired of stealing from tourists and dropped her half-eaten lunch onto Grover's lap.
Try to stay calm. The school counselor had told me a million times, 'count to ten, control your temper.' But I was so out of it, my mind blank. A wave roared in my ears.
I don't remember touching her, but the next thing I knew, Nancy was sitting on her bottom in the fountain, screaming, -Percy pushed me!-
Mrs. Dods materialized next to us. But that didn't stop me from hearing some murmurs.
- Did you know? -
- If it seemed that the water… -
- He would have gotten up… -
I didn't know what they were talking about. All I knew was that I was in trouble again. As soon as Mrs. Dods was sure that poor Nancy was okay, promising to get her a new T-shirt from the museum gift shop, etc., etc., Mrs. Dods turned on me. There was a triumphant blaze in her eyes, as if I had done something she'd been waiting to do all semester.
- Now, darling -
-I know, I know, I know,- I said listlessly, -a month cleaning the blackboard...--ouch- - was his response when he received an elbow from Naruto.
-Come with me,- said Mrs. Dods.
-Wait!- Grover shouted. -I was the one who pushed her!-
That left our two main characters surprised and confused. Why would Grover take the blame for this? It's true that Percy was one step away from being expelled, but they didn't think this was so serious.
- I don't think so, Mr. Underwood -
- But… -
- You. Stay here. -
Grover looked at me desperately.
-Okay, buddy,- he said. -Thanks for trying.- Grover was about to say something else, but Naruto put a hand on his shoulder.
-Honey,- Mrs. Dods shouted at me, -Now!-
Nancy Bobofit smiled.
I gave him my -See you later- look. But something wiped the smile off his face completely, and that was Naruto's gaze. Even though his gaze wasn't directed at me, I started to feel afraid, because I felt those blue eyes pulling him under, but into darkness. So deep and dark that it was suffocating, not like when you're swimming, more like when you're truly afraid, knowing you have no more hope of survival.
But a scream from Mrs. Dods brought me back to reality, and then I turned around to confront her, but she wasn't there. She was standing at the museum entrance, at the top of the stairs, gesturing impatiently for her to come out.
How had he gotten there so fast?
I have quite a few moments when my brain goes numb or something, and the next thing I know, I've missed something, like a puzzle piece fell from the universe and left me staring at a blank space behind it. The school counselor told me it was part of ADHD, my brainmisinterpretedThings. This time it wasn't that specifically… or so he thought, very well, everything that happened was a trick of his brain.
I followed Mrs. Dods.
Halfway up the steps, I looked at Grover. He was pale, being comforted by Naruto, who was trying to calm him down, which didn't seem to be working because he kept looking at Mr. Brunner and then at me, as if he wanted Mr. Brunner to...noticed what was happening, but Mr. Brunner was engrossed in his novel.
Well, I thought. She's going to make me buy a new shirt for Nancy at the gift shop.
But apparently, that wasn't the plan.
I followed her through the museum. When finally teach We were back in Greece and the Roman section.
Except for us, the gallery was empty.
Mrs. Dods was standing with her arms crossed in front of a large marble frieze of the Greek gods. She was making a strange noise in her throat, almost grunting. Even without the noise, I was already nervous. It's odd being alone with a teacher, especially Mrs. Dods. There was something about the way she was looking at the frieze, as if she wanted to pulverize it...
-You're giving us trouble, darling,- he said.
I did the safe thing. - Yes ma'am.
She tugged at the sleeves of her leather jacket. -You really think you can get away with this, don't you?-
The look in her eyes went beyond madness. It was evil. She's a teacher, I thought nervously. It's not like she's going to hurt me—I...I'll try harder, ma'am—I was trying to calm myself down.
A clap of thunder shook the building.
-We're not stupid, Percy Jackson. It was only a matter of time before you were found out. Confess, and you'll suffer less.-
I didn't understand what he was talking about. Find it out? Find out what exactly?
All I could think about was that the teachers had found the illegal stash of candy that had been in my dorm room. Or maybe they'd realized my essay on Tom Sawyer was from the internet and not from reading the book, and they were going to dock my grade. Or worse, they were going to make me read the book. And that wasn't even counting everything I'd done with Naruto… no, Naruto said no one would ever know that they were the ones who put the laxative in the seniors' food. Or the ones who almost burned down the court with the fireworks, or the ones who released the snake in the teachers' lounge… Okay, maybe they should calm down a little; all that only happened this month.
-Well?- she asked.
- Ma'am, I didn't... - I was going to try to explain that I didn't understand what she was talking about.
-Time's up,- he muttered. Then, the strangest thing happened. His eyes began to glow like barbecue embers. His fingersstretchedturning into claws. Her jacket melted into large leather wings. She wasn't human. She was a wrinkled witch with bat wings and claws, and a mouth full of yellow fangs, about to devour me.
But as if by a miracle, Naruto appeared out of nowhere, punching the thing called Mrs. Dods in the face, but he didn't stop. After hitting the ground, Naruto did another spin and a quick turn, to deliver another blow, this time a kick, which sent the creature flying.
-Percy, are you okay?! Did he hurt you?- were the first words out of her mouth. But I didn't have time to answer, because Mrs. Dods had gotten up and lunged at the two of us, and reacting more on instinct, she jumped aside, taking Naruto with her.
Then, as if that were possible, things got even stranger.
Mr. Brunner, who had been in front of the museum a minute earlier in his wheelchair, was at the entrance of the gallery with a pen in his hand.
-Hey, Percy!- I shouted, throwing the quill into the air.
Mrs. Dods lunged at me again.
But I was saved again by Naruto, who had some kind of short knives in his hands that collided with Mrs. Dods's claws.
Taking advantage of Naruto's miraculous save once again, I caught the pen in mid-air, but when it reached my hand, it was no longer a pen. It was a sword. But when I had the sword in my hands, something seemed to activate within it, and using its legs, it went to deliver a powerful knee strike to Naruto. But he quickly dropped his knives and then put his hands to his chest to cushion the blow.
But I don't know if it was the adrenaline or the fear, butmixedI quickly drew the sword and began to cut her from the shoulder, until I cut her through the middle of her torso, as if she were butter.
Mrs. Dods was a sandcastle in an instant. She exploded into yellow dust, vaporized on the ground, leaving nothing behind but the smell of sulfur, a deathly scream, and a chill in the air, as if those two glowing eyes were still staring at me.
I watched as the wind scattered the mound of sand that was Mrs. Dods, but I didn't dwell on it for long. Naruto was emerging from behind the curtain protecting the statue. I heard him mutter about how he'd gotten overconfident and eased up on his training.
But to this day, I still agree with his words at that moment - Percy… What the hell just happened? - I could only manage to shake my head, I didn't even understand what was happening, but something brought me back to reality, the -sword- in my hand.
But when I turned my gaze back to it, it was once again just a simple pen, looking at the object I rememberedI looked away from the person who had given it to me, and turned my gaze towards the exit/entrance of this area of the museum, only to see no one there.
I was so focused on where Mr. Brunner had been, trying to understand everything that had happened, but I couldn't find an explanation. But I was pulled from my thoughts by a touch on my shoulder from Naruto, so I turned my gaze into his eyes, and I understood what he was telling me; and we started to leave this area of the museum.
Once outside, we realized that it had started to rain.
Grover was sitting by the fountain, with a map of the museum above his head. Nancy Bobofit was still standing there, soaking wet after her dip in the fountain, grumbling with her ugly friends.
When she saw me, she said, -I hope Mr. Kerr whipped you...- She stopped when Naruto looked at her.
But I had a question - Who?
Nancy just rolled her eyes, as if she'd asked a stupid question - Our algebra teacher already -
I blinked. We've never had a teacher named Mr. Kerr. I turned to Naruto, searching for an answer, and he was just as lost as I was; he didn't know who Mr. Kerr was either.
So, looking for an answer, we headed towards where Grover was. I didn't mind getting wet; I'd always felt better in the water, and Naruto just didn't seem to care.
When we got to Grover's, we asked him about Mrs. Dods, but he didn't give us an answer; he seemed confused. This wasn't funny anymore; I was starting to get angry, so while looking for answers, I found Mr. Brunner in his wheelchair, with a red umbrella, reading a book.
As I approached, he quickly noticed me. -Ah, Mr. Jackson, thank you for returning my quill. Next time, you should bring your own writing utensils. Ignoring that, I asked about Mrs. Dods, but his answer left me even more confused. -Percy, there isn't a Mrs. Dods on this trip. As far as I know, there never has been a Mrs. Dods at Yancy Academy. Are you alright?-
I was starting to panic, if it weren't for Naruto, who put his hand on my shoulder again, and looking for an answer I saw in his eyes that he was also confused. What was going on? Who was Mr. Kerr? Why did no one remember Mrs. Dods? Who was Mrs. Dods?
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So… what did you think? Did you like it? What didn't you like?
And well… second year writing stories… Well, sort of, because I don't think I've published anything since the middle of the year.
I apologize for that, but this year has been… heavy and complicated; I've barely had time to write or anything. But I'm grateful to everyone who's still waiting for updates.
Since I know almost no one reads my Wattpad or Inkitt wall, I'll say it here. Toonopolis is on hiatus until further notice. I don't feel up to writing or continuing the story right now, but maybe I'll come back later. And thank you to those who voted in the election for a new replacement story for Toonopolis. The winner was Naruto, father of Asia, Naruto/DxD.
I hope that in 2026 I can update my stories more frequently, which is why I'm leaving Toonopolis. I want to keep up the pace of releasing one chapter every two weeks, maybe less or a little more. But there won't be a month without at least one update.
With nothing more to add, I wish you a happy New Year, and I'll see you in 2026 with a surprise.