Hero Within, Monster Without Chapter 21 The End/Maybe Idk

You ever stretch so far... So out of the norm that when your spine, shoulder, hips and ankles pop all at once, you think your skeleton is literally trying to climb out of your body?

Yeah me neither, but I felt something alike it when I was woken up after another long session of sleep. 

"Holy shit... That feels good." I thought as I kicked myself up to my feet and with a harsh cracking noise I shifted. But instead of shifting my entire form, I merely shifted my soul and internals to match a Planeswalker.

I held up a hand as I gazed down at the still-mastered form of Panacea that was getting up to put me back to sleep. But I was fully healed... And frankly fuck this universe!

"Fuck you Wildbow! You a bitch ass cuck!!!" I screamed with elation as I fell backward into a portal I instinctively opened behind me that would take me into the Blind Eternities.

I was done with this terrible crapsack of a universe! Cauldron my homies could fix the rest of that shithole!

Swirling unseen colors I could only see in inhuman forms filled my eyes, I could smell dry clouds, the gravity was like the wind and constantly shifting.

But in between the void between universes, I was free! I just willed myself forward as I knew that standing around in the Blind Eternities was a terrible idea.

And with time itself having no meaning in the void between universes to my overwhelmed senses it was only but a couple of moments before I walked into a new universe.

I blinked as I came out of the Blind Eternities. "Now... Where the hell am I?" I muttered as I took in my surroundings and I tilted my head to the side and with a flex of my will I discarded my Planeswalker Spark as it wasn't like I had any connection to any planes or lands.

I took on the aspect of the Jumper to pick up an easy teleportation power and seeing as I had landed inside an alleyway all too similar to how I landed in Worm, I did a quick teleport that brought me up to a nearby building.

Looking around with an actually good vantage point... I grimaced as I recognized where I was as I could see all too many landmarks.

"Los Angelus... Did I trade one hell for another?" I muttered to myself before with a flex of my will I traded my jumper essence and with a deep breath, my human form was lost as I took on the form of Son Wukong.

I sat on the edge of the building and exhaled through my nostrils with my senses expanding outwards at high speed before I stiffened. My gaze snapped downwards in a scowl as but a couple dozen miles away from me was... What looked like a fire-breathing giant of some sort was chasing some kids who were running away from them.

Jumping to my feet I flipped through the air using Wukong's immortal arts and with my front flip, I front flipped through dimensions and it was odd... There was more dimensional weight then I expected when I did the flip but I came out with my hand palming the monster's head.

"Die." I stated flatly as I kicked upwards with my feet creating chi blasts above me to slam the giant's head into the ground with a mighty crashing noise that shattered the concrete beneath me.

But even as the dust shifted, I shifted again this time keeping the Sage Equal to Heaven's powers even if it would take more energy to use them as but allowing me to keep my human form as I came out of the dust pile to check on the kids.

"You kids alright?" I asked as I took out Ryu Jingliu Bang with some annoyance and staked the monster through the chest after seeing it refusing to die even though I had mulched its spine and brain matter.

And the monster exploded into a pile of gold dust making me blink as a timid. A wary voice hit my ears. "Who are you... Are you a god?!"

I blinked and looked over towards the kids and took them in more detail, and now that I was so close and not ignoring the details in my hurry to get to them. I realized something as the sage's thoughts past through my mind.

'A demi-god girl born with the power of lightning... Another girl with grey eyes, and a typical blond pretty boy.' I thought as it all fucking came together.

I had fucking gone from Worm, straight to the universe of Percy Jackson. And it seems like I had come too damned early in the timeline with how they were still kids.

But I looked upon the two kids and I smiled. As I was free now. I could be whoever the hell I wanted quite literally.

I bowed my head with a hand going to my chest as I grinned all too wide making the kids stiffen at the inhuman smile. "Oh... You could say that. I am indeed a god of sorts. Soooo..." I drawled out as I took in the children and saw how... Dirty and unfed they were.

I clapped my hands together and the children jolted as I used a little immortal magic to clean their clothes and bodies before I said. "Now, follow me. I will be feeding you lot before I send you on your way to where you belong." 

Turning around I prepared to just walk out of the alleyway but a voice snapped. "Who are you first? Which god are you?" Luke Castellan demanded and honestly...

He had spunk, and frankly, ninety-nine percent of gods were fucking assholes so wanting to know which god was going to fuck you over was the right move honestly.

I looked back over my shoulder and using my store of being all to interested in mythology and my own powers, I said. "Aha, Egyptian god of joyful combat and children." 

And I could see Annabeth's eyes light up as she whispered. "He is an Egyptian god!"

I nodded and then look down at the pile of gold dust where the monster I killed was and idly picked up a finger. "My domains literally cover children so I will not harm you lads so long as you don't insult or challenge me. So come on, I will feed the three of you and send you on your way." 

With that, I put my hands into my pockets as I walked out of the alleyway, and with a bit of my foresight as Wukong walked over to a burger joint down the street.

Even as the three little duckies 'demigods' followed me after a minute of hushed discussion. 

Once I got to the burger joint, I ordered... A large order for the kids who quickly squeezed in, into the other side of the booth I took while I amusedly looked at Thalia the son of Zeus as I realized she had her lightning-imbued spear brace under the table to stab me in the stomach and groin.

"So, whatcha guys doing in California. Your kind should be on the East Coast frankly." I spoke as I munched on the first burger I have had in literally months.

Annabeth was the one to speak as Thalia and Luke were ravenously eating the food between us. "They... They were trying to move north up from South Carolina. But a very powerful hellhound dragged them into a shadow travel that led them here to California where they met and saved me from another monster." 

I nodded and made a humming noise before I said slowly. "I see. So, one rule we have here. No naming other gods. That gets their attention you see. It like making a prayer to god and that's how you get their attention, to invoke a name is the best way to get any entity's attention after all."

All three children nodded in understanding with Luke wearing a clear grimace. So with that, I continued. "Alrighty, so you three are children of the Greek gods, yes other Pantheons exist, before you ask. But either way, you three belong in the Greek- Demi-God camp of Camp Halfblood where the gods protect and make you their favored tools for their inane quests." 

"Can, we like. Not be chased around by monsters and be the tool of the gods?" Luke asked bluntly and I shrugged and replied honestly.

"Sure, plenty of ways to go about that in fact. Becoming immortal, plenty of ways to do that with most if not all Pantheons being a thing and that makes monsters steer clear and gods bored of you after losing your spark of mortality. There is also just becoming so powerful and dangerous that the gods and monsters steer clear of you... Queen of  Dún Scáith style basically." 

Even as I said that though... I felt a shiver run down my back as in the faint distance I heard a crow cawing.

'Ah fuck... No naming deities titles even with such a powerful mortal soul Jake. Don't fucking do it again dumbass.' I mentally screamed as I realized I was literally divine catnip with how powerful my soul was.

Me saying Scathach's title alone was like me holding up a giant sign saying. [Soul worth a couple of billion followers here! Come adopt me into your Pantheon please!]

That was how powerful my soul was after eating Scion and digesting all the power he had from a great many of his Shards.

Either way, even the three children paled as I smiled wryly and said. "See, even using a title for a god like me can get the attention of other gods and immortals. Anyway, you three need to get to Camp Halfblood so you can grow to be big strong demi-gods and all those lovely bits." 

There was a pause as we continued eating and then Thalia spoke up. "Why don't the Greek gods who are our parents help us then? Why are you even helping us?"

My lips twitched and I replied frankly. "I refuse to see a trio of children being eaten? That's simply it honestly. But as for the Greeks... Look at it this way, the gods do not have human minds, not at all really. For example, for a certain sea god when they have the ten-thousandth cyclops child, they don't see much of a difference between them and any human demi-gods they have." 

I shrugged and then added on. "To say nothing of that monster issue that is the children of gods going after their mortal children and not wanting to get between them. There is also the fact that the gods themselves have bound themselves in oaths to that effect in not getting too involved with their children's lives." 

With my large burger having been devoured and a large soda also downed I looked at the three children... And then a devious thought filled my mind.

I looked at the three children and I held up my hand with golden hairs floating in my palm that glowed before shooting into the chests of the three children.

The three gasped while I chuckled and said. "There... I decided to bless the three of you. And just to be truly ironic I gave you three the ability to transform into the sacred animals of your divine parents."

As the kids gawked my inhuman grin with far too many and large teeth stretched too far from ear to ear as I added. "But not mundane sacred animals... No that would be quite boring. Thalia Grace, you have the form of the Native American, divine Thunder Bird. Little Annabeth Chase, you have inherited the form of the Spirit Owl."

And then my double ruby eyes of Wukong landed on Luke and he stilled knowing I was... Just so far above him it wasn't even funny. "You... You have suffered young man, you suffered more than you needed to even for a demigod. So call me a bit of an ass, but you get the three sacred animals your deadbeat of a father is known for."

"The dragon turtle to replace a boring old tortoise, Heidrun the divine mead maker Ram of the Norse to replace the boring old ram, and of course for the hawk... I gave you the form of a Firestorm Hippogriff."

There was a pause as the young kids, not even teenagers yet felt the forms in their minds. I had engraved the very transformations into their very souls using Wukong's nature as a Buddhist Sage and nothing could remove that ability unless they reincarnated.

I now had power in spades... And honestly, taking the name Aha, was both an idle thought. And a new leaf for myself. It was time for me to have some real fun.

But Annabeth tilted her head to the side and spoke in confusion. "But a Hippogriff has an eagles front body right?" 

I just gave Annabeth a look and chuckled. "That's the best part. It spits in the deadbeat gods face even more haha!"

"Thank you... Thank you truly for these gifts, but what do you want in return." Luke spoke calmly with a core of surprising steel.

I gave Luke a firm look and after a moment I said with surprising calmness. "When things get hard... Don't give up, do not fall into the abyss. Honestly, there is nothing wrong with just throwing in the towel after dealing with nothing but assholes and fucking off to where the grass is greener." 

And I also added with a small cackle. "Also... Tell all that you are champions of mine, the members of the Laughing Troup of the god Aha, the god of laughter!"

With that, I stood up as I felt the pressure of a divine gaze landing on our forms and I said. "Speaking of which... It's time I get you three home. I personally don't give a shit about the Olympians games so I am going to be doing something... A bit more special." 

With that I pressed on the minds of the mundane making them blank out as I formed a pillar of golden gently glowing flames and then with a snap of my fingers the children were levitated... And then yeeted the three children into the pillar of flames where they were then deposited inside of Camp Halfblood as they shot out of the main campfire.

Almost as though Hestia herself dragged shot them out of her flames.

And with my sage senses... I could feel the chaos rising as the hint of Wukong in my mind cackled at the 'divine court' of the Olympians freaking the fuck out at the child of Zeus just showing up in camp so blatantly cheating the monsters who hungered for her flesh.