Danger Noodle

The Kirtimukha glared at me, hissing. Without thinking I charged at it. I had no plan. I did not care for I was filled with rage. I unsheathed my dagger and jumped at the serpent, digging the blade into its flesh. The cut healed itself as fast as I made it. The Kirtimukha roar-hissed. It opened its mouth displaying the huge fangs. It wiggled, throwing me off of its body. My dagger flew out of my hold. The serpent shot up in full height, opening its mouth wider probably to fit me in. I tried to drag my way out, but it was shielding all the exits. The serpent had curled its body in close ties around me.

By this time, Annabeth reached at the top of the cliff too. She did not at all look tired from the climb. Drawing her weapon she immediately charged at the monster. Her blade slashed at the serpent's neck. She continued slashing it all over its body. The knot around me loosened. I climbed my way out. Picking up my dagger I joined in the fight.

Oh wait. Why was I fighting?

I cursed my silly immortal mind.

Knowing the powers I could use, I summoned lightning. It hit the serpent. Much to my surprise the monster didn't even twitch.

It only glared at me. Chills ran down my spine. Nothing was working on it!

Ok! Just this last trick (to confirm that we are really damned).

I fished out two hand guns out of thin air and shot the monster immediately. I wasn't very good with aim. But the Kirtimukha was so huge, aim wasn't a thing to worry about. The pistols were imperial bronze. Moreover they were Hephaestus's work. So yeah, I don't have to describe more than that I guess. Because, if it's Hephaestus, it is awesome!

The monster rolled its eyes as if it was judging my stupidity. Ughhh, the guns didn't work!

Annabeth charged at it from behind. Of course, no good.

Why wasn't anything working! How did they kill it before? Somebody must have!

"Delilah!" Annabeth yelled. "Order it to eat itself!"

"What?" I asked, thinking I had misheard.

"You are a goddess, you can do that."

"But... What?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shiva did so. It will only listen to a god!"

I had to give it a try at least. "Kirtimukha! Eat yourself!" I yelled.

It only hissed back at me. Oh hold up!

"It won't work Annabeth, since I don't know what I am the goddess of yet. The monster just doesn't consider my divinity already!"

"Then do something! Anything!" She shouted.

I felt stupid. I had no clue! Why did I have to be like this? I was always so clueless. I always created problems. I made so many suffer because of me. Moreover, I was good at nothing! There was literally nothing that I was good at. These hundred and two years all I ever did was be useless. I could not control wind. I was afraid of deep sea water. My aim was bad. I was bad at craftsmanship. I couldn't even steal properly! I had one job. And I had failed it miserably. A warm tear trickled down my cheek. Why couldn't I be normal? Zeus forbid me from attempting almost everything. He probably knew I'd be a havoc, creating scenes everywhere I go. Everywhere I'd step. Why did I have to be such a jerk? Why couldn't I be a normal goddess? Why am I so different!

Anger burned through me. "EAT!" I shouted, choking back tears. "EAT YOURSELF! EAT!!"

I fell to my knees. "Eat, please. Please."

I don't know what happened after that. I looked at the serpent. I couldn't see properly through the tears, neither could I believe what little I was seeing. Kirtimukha was eating itself tail first. But how?

I glanced at Annabeth who was as confused as me. She was staring at the ground. When she looked at me I saw terror in her eyes.

I tried to call out to her, but I couldn't. My voice just wouldn't leave my throat. Annabeth quickly turned around putting her fingers over her eyes.

I did not know what was going on. But I knew that Annabeth knew. She wouldn't look at me. I looked down, at myself.

HOLY SUGAR HONEY ICE TEA! I CAN'T EVEN DESCRIBE WHAT I WAS SEEING. Am I hyperventilating?

I was in my true self. My true form. I had never seen this before. Maybe that is why Annabeth wouldn't look at me, fearing her body will disintegrate. Bright silver glow spread around me illuminating in the dark. Oh my...

Wait. Wait wait wait wait wait.

Gods can only possess their true form when they are sure about their divinity. Does that mean, that I know what I am the goddess of?

No can't be. Because I still don't know. Oh wait. Maybe... Just maybe, I know!

The glow faded away as fast as it had come. I was back in my disguise. Annabeth stole glimpses before she fully turned to face me. By now, Kirtimukha had eaten itself, leaving only the glorious head (as named by Shiva: kirti = glorious, mukha = face). For some reason, I felt more powerful now. The rain had stopped.

"Delilah!" Annabeth called out, smiling.

I shrugged.

Then it hit me. Aaron. I rushed towards him, falling on my knees. He was lying on a little grass patch, which was probably the only grass patch on the entire cliff.

Percy and Nico somersaulted their way to the clifftop.

"Aaron?" I fumbled. "Aaron."

He wasn't moving. I shoved him on my lap. A luminous silver glow surrounded him, shimmering in the dark.

Nico gasped. "Delilah, does that mean..."

"Yes I know. I am not sure but maybe this is it."

Annabeth frowned. "I think your touch is healing him. Bob did the same."

I pulled my son into a hug. Immediately his eyes shot open. He pulled away. "W-who are you? Where am I?"

Nico knelt beside us. Aaron recognized him, "Nico."

"Aaron," Nico said. "Remember the old Greek myths we shared. And how you wanted them to be real. Well, this is like your dream come true..."

"And become a nightmare," Percy blurted.

We stared at him with serious faces.

"When you complained you were an orphan, what did I tell you?" Nico continued.

"That I'm not."

"Right. The Greek goddess who you liked the most. The mighty one who'd slay monsters with a flick of fingers. The one who would do anything to save the ones she loved the most..."

"Goddess Delilah," Aaron said.

My whole world turned upside down. This whole century while I was least worried about Aaron, Nico was making the difference. He was telling Aaron about all the good stuff I did, just so he wouldn't hate me later like other demigods hated theirs. Those were just small things I did, but for Aaron they seemed to mean a lot. Tears struggled to come out. I didn't let them.

What did I do to deserve a friend like Nico!

"You liked her because you thought she was the most relatable," Nico added. "You wanted her to at least be a distant relative. Well, you are related to her." He smiled.

I expected Aaron to say: 'Lol stop kidding already.'

Instead he said, "Oh."

"You know who she is?" Annabeth said, gesturing at me.

"I am Delilah."

"Aaron," Nico said. "You are her son. She is your mom."

Aaron looked at me. I knew what he was thinking. He was reliving his past thinking of all the times he felt lonely assuming he was an orphan...

"Cool!" He beamed. That was unexpected.

"Do I have magical powers? Can I fly like batman? Why didn't you tell me this before, Nico?"

"I---"

"This is so cool! Do you people live in a secret underground colony?"

"No---"

"Is there..."

He was filled with numerous questions. He was too excited to care about all the negative points. He didn't even ask why his mom was a fourteen year old.

I remembered the day Nico and Bianca were discovered. Nico had the same reaction as Aaron. To forget about the bad stuff and just live for what you love. The ten year old mind of Aaron only wanted the myths to be true, just to escape from reality. And here it was, his favourite goddess for a mom. Sure he was not like the other demigods. In other circumstances a demigod would have hated his Godly parent for almost everything. But Aaron didn't even show a sign of hatred. And I knew exactly why.

~

We spent the night just playing around on the cliff. Kirtimukha's face was still lying on the ground. Aaron was jumping around continuously asking questions mainly to Percy. Percy's expression was a mix of frustration and joy.

Annabeth and I were sitting by the edge of the cliff, facing the ocean. Our legs were flailing in air. We weren't talking, but just being there awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," Annabeth said breaking the silence.

She was apologizing. That was a strange thing to come from her. "For what?"

She shifted. "Being rude to you, earlier."

I stared at her. Of course I was not going to say: 'It's okay Annabeth. I wasn't hurt.' I was hurt. And if she was really apologizing, then I'd say: 'Yes Annabitch, you should be sorry.'

"I mean, I was just jumping to conclusions. I did not know what you were going through..."

"It's over now. And Aaron is safe."

"Right."

We sat there in complete silence. The distant cheer of Aaron asking numerous questions filled the early morning sky. Nico was peacefully sprawled over the grass patch. The sun was coming out.

"Isn't it weird though," Annabeth said.

"What?"

"Aaron doesn't hate you."

"Why would he," I laughed. "He is different. Different than the others. I am different."

"Does that mean...?"

"Right. I am the goddess of 'Different'. Or 'Weird', however you put it."

Annabeth laughed. "Is it just me or does 100% of the prophecy makes sense now."

"I know, right?"

"Is that your crown?" She asked.

"No no it's Neptune's."

Oh crown, I prayed. Please return to your owner. It vanished.

I sighed. "Annabeth, take Aaron with you, you know, to camp."

"Why, where are you going?"

I looked up at the blue sky. There were no clouds. Ocean breeze blew my hair to the left. "To where I belong."