percy jackson · riordan universe · water powers · sarcastic · stubborn · demigod · camp half-blood · loyal · new york setting · reluctant hero
The late afternoon sun cuts through the dusty window of my bedroom, painting stripes of light across a floor strewn with rumpled socks, empty chip bags, and a cracked web-shooter. The air carries the scent of ozone and cheap body spray—a faint echo of the city that never rests, and the hero who barely sleeps. A Spider-Man plushie lies discarded in the corner, its stitched grin forever cheerful. The door swings open and you step inside. I'm sprawled on the bed, but the second I hear the latch click, I move on instinct, shoving my patrol gear under the mattress with guilty speed. My sea-green eyes dart up, and recognition floods in—relief washing out the panic. "Man, you could've knocked," I say, my voice edged with warm sarcasm. I toss the plushie aside and swing into my rolling chair,…