Chapter Text
"Hey," He woke up from the sudden voice that called out to him, but he didn't want it to disturb his peace. He felt oddly comfortable in his current position so he kept his eyes closed, not wanting to let the feeling go away. He didn't know where he is, but that could wait later. For now he just wanted to rest here so for a little bit.
"Hey." The voice called out to him again, he squeezed his eyes shut harder and turned to his side.
"Come on wake up bro." He felt an arm tugging at his shoulder. Oh for gods sake. He turned to lay on the ground and opened his eyes, the sky was a clear blue with a mix of clouds covering the sun. But there was a boy standing over him. He had blond short straight hair with a scar visible on his lip that made him remind of a person that he remembered but he couldn't place where. His eyes were a piercing blue, sort of lighting in a type of way, like a son of Zeus maybe and he looked like he was in his late teenage years almost like him.
"There you are," He said, a small smile grew on his lips. "Had enough sleep?"
He sat up, and realised he was lying down on a hill overlooking a bustling Greek styled city, the buildings glittered under the sun and people were walking amongst the streets. Around him, kids around his age and adults alike were walking around or were having a nice chat with one another, he could spot one Mom alongside with her son playing a board game together, beneath a tree. Why does he get the feeling that… that he.
"Where am I?" He asked impatiently "And who are you?"
"The name's Jason," The boy said, "and welcome to Elysium."
"Oh."
"Wait, Elysium?" He asked, unsure why he was here. He was dead that for sure, but why was he here? Elysium is a resting place for the greatest heroes and others alike. Surely he didn't do anything that amazing to earn a place in Elysium. Wait how did he know that?
"Yeah, it's a bit complicated." Jason said, starching the back of his head. "But you will understand sure enough."
The both of them stayed silent for a while, he was unsure of what to do right or where to go. He didn't even know his own name or how he died, it was like his memory was wiped clean and he was going in this new place blind and confused. The silence between the two were too heavy, eventually it looked like it got to Jason first.
"Would you walk with me?" Jason asked, he offered him his hand.
He looked at his hand, and considered it for a moment. "Sure," He said, grabbing his hand and rising to his feet.
"Hey, do you remember your name?"
He was about to say no but suddenly he remembered who he was. Perseus Jackson. Son of Poseidon. That's explains how he knew Elysium so well.
"Yes." He nodded, "My name is Perseus."
Jason shifted to a expression that was a mix of sadness and pity all at once, but that quickly disappeared. "Would you mind if I called you Percy?"
"Percy.." He thought about it his head, Percy. That was a nice name and it fitted him too. "Percy sounds nice."
"Great to hear," He smiled, "Come with me, let me show you around the city."
He started to walk towards the crowd of buildings, Percy followed suit deep in thought trying to get a sense of why he was here and how did he get here. Jason walked him through the city, dodging through the crowd of people spending their day.
He accidently bumped into someone, "Sorry."
"Perce?"
He turned to the person he bumped into, he was bigger than him and had an apron covering his shirt. If he had to guess he was a child of Hephaestus. He wasn't alone though he was with a girl too, her hair was long and silky going past her shoulders Percy could recognized that she looked like a daughter of Aphrodite. Both of them looked at him like they seen ghost. Percy had seen them before but dam it he couldn't figure out where.
Percy squinted "What-"
"I'm sorry but we have things to do." Jason said as he grabbed Percy's wrist and continued walking
"Hey! Wait-" But the boy voice was muffled by the on going crowd passing through them
Eventually he led him to a park of some sort. Flowers grew everywhere and there was people walking about or chatting on the benches. In the middle of the park however, he could spot a mix of firefighters along with men with desert fatigues playing a game of football against Greeks soldiers and girls wearing sliverly parkas.
"So… are you okay?" Jason prompted, sitting down on the wavy green grass. "Sorry, I mean like do you remember how you got here? Or what you did to get here?"
Percy shook his head and sat down beside him, bringing his knees up to his chest and looked over to him. "No, it just… It like my mind is blank."
"Been there before, but don't worry it always like that for newcomers."
"Really?" Percy asked. "Then what do they do after they remembered?"
Jason went silent for a moment. "Usually they try to move past it and spend their time here, playing football, basketball or some other sport. There's an arena not far from here." Jason pointed to his north, "its only for sparing though. However other than that its all up to you."
"Hm." He nodded, then realising that he was lightly scratching his arms, huh weird. He quickly stopped it.
"So how did you die?" He asked dumbly, without realising it may or may not be a sensitive topic for Jason to handle. "I-I mean-"
"No no it's okay." Jason interrupted with a simile, he looked over to football game that was currently going on. "Well, I was on a quest with a god, Apollo that turned mortal along with my friends. Apart of his whole trial to be a god again."
Percy tilted his head but he still continued, "Anyway we were on Caligua's boat, wait you do know whose Caligua right?"
Percy nodded, "Okay good so my friends were taking a beating and I decided to stay back and cover their escape. But then a um spear was heading towards one of my friends so- I um… yeah"
He paused for a brief moment "And that how…" He trailed off, clearly still shaken by it. "That how I got here." He said in a soft voice.
"Oh," Percy said, silently "So how long have you been here?"
"About 4, 6 months ish. It hard to count when there's no days or time here."
He nodded and silence fell between the two once again. Percy didn't want to ruin his mood anymore he had asked enough question and that particular one regarding death was already too much for him to answered. He stare off to the horizon, the sun already making it way for the moon to takes it place.
"Sorry if I can just ask." He broke the silence. "Jason why didn't you try for the isle of blest?"
Jason thought about it. "Well, I heard it was great and stuff but if I'm being honest, I wanted to wait for my friends-"
"Percy?" A feminine voice called his name, he looked up to see a girl standing to his side. She was wearing a sliver parka along with a bow slung over her back just like the ones that were playing football earlier. Her black hair was braided to her side and she had a tiara on her head. A huntress of Artemis. He remembered now, but he don't recall ever seeing a girl like her.
"Wha-what how are you-"
"Sorry do I know you?" Percy interrupted, trying his best to remember ever seeing or talking to a huntress of Artemis but his mind gone up blank. The girl seem to be taken a back, going back a step. She opened her mouth but closed it, almost like she wanted to say something but she was restraint from doing so.
"Uh, sorry its nothing." She finally said. "I mean- Jason, can you give me and Percy a moment please?"
Jason seemed to understand and nodded, "Of course, I'll be at the pitch if you need anything." Jason got up and gave Percy a reaffirming look as he headed off to the already resuming match. The huntress took Jason's place, sitting down with her legs crossed on the grass.
"I'm sorry if I startled you," She said weakly. "I thought that you already remembered."
"Remember what?"
"You will know when the time is right, but for now you can rest. You earned it."
"Earned what?" Percy snapped, he had enough of the secrets. He wanted to know what these people are hiding from him. Do they know how he died? Or where his mom and his family is? He wanted to spill those questions out to the girl infront of him but she looked like she doesn't have the answers. "What did I do that made me end up here? Was I that good?
"Percy-"
"And why you act like you know me but yet you won't tell me a single thing about me!"
He breathed in and out. "What are you hiding from me?" He says weakly.
"I'm sorry," She said sadly, looking at him with pity like the rest of them. "It's not my place, you will have to find out on your own."
Percy turned to stare off into the distance, defeated and tired with the mysteries. The sun is already being halfed, casting a warm yellow on the grass and his surroundings, "Then how will I remember?" He asked softly.
"Time," She stated. "You will remember with time or if Hades is in his right mood then something will trigger it."
"Okay."
Silence fell between the too, it wasn't as uncomfortable with Jason but it's still there.
"Tell me something Percy." The girl asked, "Your family. Do they know your here?"
"I think so." Percy replied, remembering vividly that he had a mom that was supportive and meant the world to him, there was a girl too, blonde hair and the eyes of Athena but it was just all fog "I mean it's only my mom and this other guy I think but I don't know if they know I died or not."
"Thats good, atleast you can remember your family that mean your making progress already."
"How about you?" He asked, "If your wiling of course."
She let out a breath, "They don't care, my father is a Titan and last I've heard of him he was still confined to his punishment."
"My mother is gods know where, but she long has been dead."
"I'm sorry that must be hard." Percy said softly.
"Yeah it is. But they've been treating me like that for 2000 years so I grown numb to it."
"But still, you shouldn't had to go through that. Your were just a child."
"Yes I was, but what could anyone do about it now?" She said, her voice went soft and quiet.
"Nothing I suppose."
There a moment of silence, the sun already went down and the moon took its place. Showcasing the stars brightly and marvelous for all of Elysium to see.
"I just realised." Percy said, "I never gotten your name huntress."
She complemented this, "My name is Zoe Nightshade, former lieutenant of Artemis huntresses."
Zoe Nightshade?
Zoe?
Zoe.
He's a joke.
He let her down.
Stars, he could see the stars.
Stars, stars they so beautiful.
"Percy?" Zoe called out, but the sound of ringing muffled her voice out.
His hands started shaking, why were they shaking? He kept staring at the stars above.
The scene shifted before him, Zoe was lying down next to Artemis, blood pooling out of her that spread across the ground, and seeping through channels in the ground. Percy looked to his hands soaked with blood of his failure, along with his jeans, clothes already stained with blood. He watched as she gaze at the stars above and when they came to claim her from the earth. And before he knew it she was gone, already becoming a constellation and a memory.
"Percy, come on stay with us." Jason's voice, the one that he so used to hear. He looked down to the grass, no,no,no,no,no,no.
Jason Grace.
His best friend.
Jason.
He died because Percy didn't want to do a stupid quest.
He lived as Roman, while Jason died as a Greek.
The scene shifted once again, he was standing on a beach starring off to the ocean and admiring it's beauty. Then he felt it, a body hitting onto water. He could feel how his blood was slowing seeping out of him and into the water turning it into pink. His life was being pulled away from him and into the grasp of Thanatos. Percy suddenly realised. It was Jason, no it couldn't be. He still alive he still alive, he still alive, he still alive He stood there, his heart pounding against his ribcage and his hand trembling as the feeling eventually went away and replaced by reassurance. He still alive. He isn't, he's dead.
"Percy? Zoe, Jason what's happened to him?" Familiar voice, Beckendorf's. His old voice, so familiar that it feels strange to hear it now.
Beck.
His friend the one he looked up to before…
"He remembered," Zoe said. "Once I've told him my name he remembered,"
"Shit." Jason said quietly.
"Hey, Percy." Silena's, voice. Soft, sweet, kind.
His surrounding changed, it keep fucking changing. He was in the water, staring off to the destroyed cruise ship. He should've been there, he should've died. But no, Charlie had to instead. Charile who had a whole future with Silena planned out after the war, the one that made the Hephaestus cabin whole and together and the one that has been his friend through it all. Debris from the ship landed inside the water, Percy wondered if he made it. Maybe he did. No, not a single soul could survive that explosion.
Then it's Silena who-who.. fuck-shit no- Get him out of here. Gods please no,no,no,no.
He failed all of them, he failed all of them, he failed all of them, he failed all of them
He felt a hand placed on his shoulder, real and solid and warm and-. It shouldn't be like this. He shouldn't feel Jason hand, he's dead but.. but he's here too.
His vision keep tunneling, shifting between, Zoe's death, that dam fucking beach, the explosion and the stars. Meanwhile his four dead friends were talking to each other about him maybe, but he couldn't hear them. Because he shouldn't hear dead people, but he's dead too.
"Please Percy you're safe, we're here." Silena pleaded, grabbing his hand and clasping with hers. So warm and soft. Innocent.
Safe.
He was safe.
He made it to Elysium.
He's safe.
He looked up to Silena, to the rest of them, all of them were infront of him, crouching down to his level. Percy could see them. Real and alive. He convinced his hand to move, reaching out and poked Jason on the shoulder, his finger touches. They're here. He's not dreaming.
The four of them smiled, "We're here." Silena spoke softly.
In that moment, Percy wall's finally broke. He buried his face in his hands, his body wrecking with sobs. He felt hands being wrapped all around him, so he leaned into the touches and lift his face into Silena's shoulder, making a mess on her clothes. He cried for what felt for hours, each sob describing his pain, his guilt and hatred of himself. He finally calms down and pulled back, taking in their faces to confirm that this isn't a dream and they really here.
"It's really fucking good to see you guys." He said, his voice cracking.
"You too," Beck prompted with a smile. "But you must be tried, why don't we talk somewhere else hm?"
Percy complemented it for a while. "Yeah okay, sure."
"You guys go ahead." Zoe said, placing a hand on Charles shoulder, "My huntresses are probably worried sick of me right now."
"Alright we see you later. Don't be stranger." Jason said.
She nodded then turned to Percy, "Percy, I'm glad your here."
He gave her a smile, and she returned it back then headed off to attend to her duties. "You guys want to coffee shop nearby?" Silena asked to everyone, as they began walking off from the park and into the cold and peaceful city. "It's just opened up but I've heard their coffee's were good."
"The one run by Robin Williams?" Jason asked, with one eyebrow raised. "I didn't know he was good at making coffee."
"Well then your been living under a rock for the past months Jace. Mr Williams just got that talent for everything you know?" Silena remarked.
"I don't know. What if people are just saying it's good because he's a famous actor."
"Do you think that they would deliberately drink coffee that would make them wanna kill themselves again and give him a 5 star rating?" Charles joined in on the side of Silena.
Jason gestured with his hands. "I mean… Percy help me out here!"
Percy lightly chuckled at their conversation, "Why don't we just go there and see it for ourselves, okay?"
The bell rang as they entered in the coffee shop, there were a few people here and there. Scattered around and tending to their own passions or having a nice conversation in the early morning. There was music in the background that reminded him of the type of music that would play in a shopping mall or a clinic.
"Hey you four." The barista said which was probably Robin Williams. "Come, come take a seat I bet your guys are hungry right now." All of them took their seats at one of the random tables.
"So," Mr Williams said, filliping open his note pad. "What you kids want on this fine morning?"
"Can I have one latte?" Silena asked, like she was a usual here.
"And add one cappuccino." Charlie added.
"One decaf espresso for me." Jason said.
"One decaf, latte and cappuccino…" He said, as he took in their orders in his notepad. "And for you young man?" He looked at Percy.
"Do you have blue milkshake?" Percy asked, if this was Elysium surely they have blue milkshake right?
The old man smiled, "We do kid, I add that in as well."
The man left, leaving the four of them in awkward silence for a while. Percy had a lot of questions and it seem like they did too but he didn't want to ruin the mood and asked a dumb question.
"So Percy," Silena finally said through the silence. "How's everyone down there?"
"Well," Percy started, his memories had all come back to him at this point but his death still remains a mystery. "Classire is off at the University of Arizona, Connor have already went off to collage and Drew had taken the position head counselor of Aphrodite cabin but there was a new girl, Piper McLean that challenged her and took the position of head counselor."
"Yeah she got what she deserves anyway" Jason said, "Sorry I mean-"
"No its okay," Silena interrupted, "I can imagine that she was alot to handle after I died, it wasn't her fault really. She looked up to me like a big sister and that must of messed her up a bit." She said softly,
"Anything else?" Beckendorf asked, changing the topic quickly. "Uhmm me and Annabeth started dating after the war."
"So I've heard," Silena added, leaning forward. "And I must say finally! Gods, 5 years of you two glancing at each other and having feelings for one and other made me crazy. I thought that you two were too dumb to realised it, after the labyrinth I was beginning to think that Percabeth wasn't going to happened."
"What? Percabeth?" Percy asked, confused.
Charles chuckled, "Yeah Percabeth, hell all of camp started to call you guys that and we were secretly betting on whose gonna confessed first."
"Glad to say that it was you right?"
He nodded, feeling heat beginning to burn on his cheat
"Ha! knew it!" Silena said.
The both of them started to laugh, along with Jason whose was trying to keep his laugh as silent as he could. Gods these three, but- Wait, Annabeth. Oh gods his mom, his friends, Annabeth they must be heartbroken, shit. But yet he still didn't know how he died gods dam it. Fuck he left all of them especially Annabeth alone, he wondered if she was okay or not.
"Hey?" Jason nudged him by the side, the laughter had quieted down and all attention were directed at him.
"What oh, sorry it just that…" Percy said softly. "I left them all behind, Camp Half-blood, Annabeth, my mom, and I don't even know how I died yet."
The three of them gave him a sad look, "Still can't remembered how you died?" Jason asked.
"I mean all I could remember was I was in a bathroom but thats only it. What if I will forget about it forever?"
"No it won't," Charles said, with a determined look on his face. "Everyone eventually will remember okay Percy? You just have to let time do its course."
He nodded, "Time is just so slow." He murmured.
A knock was heard on the door, all of them snapped their heads to the sound, "Hey excuse me." A figure said, as he opened the door lightly. It was Odysseus. The man whom spent 20 years away from home.
"Is there a Jason in here?" He asked, his eye scanning through the shop.
"Yes," Jason said, as he stood up and bowed to Odysseus, "I'm Jason, your highness."
"Oh no, no please stand up properly." Odysseus reassured him, "I don't really do that anymore, anyways your friend is back asking around for you."
"You mean the son of Hades?, Nico di Angelo?"
"Yes and he brought along a friend-"
"Excuse me," someone said as he passed through the King of Ithaca, and entered into the cafe.
"Ah there they are right now." He said, as he walked out of the cafe. "I leave you three to it."
It was Nico and Annabeth, both of them stopped and looked at him, their eyes looking like they've seen a ghost.
The both of them looked tired and seen liked they've been crying for weeks or days. But Annabeth looked worse, worse than Tarta- that. She was thinner, and had grey circle below her eyes, all because of him. All because he died to some monster or something, gods he wanted to fucking know. She shouldn't be like this no, it hurt him that she was like this but he was dead so.
He stood up from his chair, "Annabeth?"
She didn't say anything, she slowly walked towards him. Eyes trained on him almost like she was afraid that she would lose him if she blink once. She finally reached to him, and she reaches out but when she tried to put her hand on his wrist it just passes through.
"Shit." She muttered.
"Hi." He said, and that when she finally lost it.
"Shit," She laughed hysterically, going back a step.
"FUCKING SHIT" She grabbed a coffee cup from a nearby table, and threw it at him but it passes through and scatters against the wall behind him. "YOU FUCKING IDIOT." Her tears flowing down her cheek.
She turned and pushed over a table, where souls of two police officers and one soldier from Ukraine was eating. It passes through them all of their food and drinks scatters against the floor, leaving a spill that remind him, of…
She stopped, and looked at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, and the tears has become a stream of heavy tears.
"Why." She choked out, "Why did you have to do it."
She fell to her knees, and cried in her hands. Percy went over her and tried to hug her in his arms, to let her know thats he's here and he won't be going anywhere but his hands only passed through her. He could only watched as her body begin trembling and she began weeping away at his death. He couldn't stop his tears too, his emotions got the better of him but wait, Nico.
"Nico.." He said, his voice cracked. He looked over to the son of Hades, he too has been silently crying. He wanted to hug them both and tell them it's fine. "Ho-How did I die?" He asked softly.
Nico stared at him, his body was on the break of trembling and sobbing. "You-You killed yourself."
What?
Oh gods,
Now he remembers.
This again?,
Fuck, no no no-
Percy was standing before his bathroom sink, staring himself in the mirror. Gods what happened to him? He looked different, worse infact.
His hair was all over the place, his eyes were sunken and tried. His body was covered of scars, some from monsters others from when he couldn't handle it. Now that the case. He looked to his hand, a bottle of sleeping pills. Two is safe for children, five is safe for adults anymore than that then it would be peace. He already has placed letters on his desk, incase his mom, Annabeth or Paul ever come across it. Each of them is dedicated to all of his failures, all of the deaths he could've prevented and to his friends.
He needed this, he couldn't take it anymore. Tartarus, the gods and their stupid quests. No no more. He wanted to be over all of this to be over. His hands shook as he twist open the bottle of pills and propped pills in his mouth he didn't counted but he couldn't care less. He was tried, too tried to care.
He sat down on the cold floor of the bathroom, his back pressed against the wall of the room. He wondered who would find his body. Annabeth? Gods he hoped not. She would be devastated, more devastated than Luke, but she eventually be okay. Finding new people and moving on from him, he wished that he will become a distant memory for her, just a name that floats around in her mind. Sure around August or Christmas maybe she would remember but he hoped not, he was just another person in her life.
His vision is getting blurry, good its working. His mom will be okay too. With Estelle and Paul they would be at peace, no more demigod son she have to worry about anymore. No more worrying about monsters or gods threatening to destroy her all because she has a idiot of a son. Just a normal family, but he will still be there deep in their minds reminding them of his misdeeds and how he wasn't brave enough to keep on living anymore.
He could feel his heartbeat slow down, and his eyes was feeling heavy. Finally, he could be at peace. He hoped that Annabeth, and his friends can forgive him for this. He wasn't as strong as Nico or Annabeth, they survived Tartarus and the both of them were slowly started to heal. But not Percy. There was no healing for him, he was beyond repair. Elysium was waiting for him, Jason, Zoe, Charles, Silena all of them were waiting for him to be in their arms. Before he closed his eyes, he offered a prayer to the gods. Maybe Hades or his father would hear it. Help him to ease their pain, help them ease his loved one memories. Just one request.
A sudden figure appeared before him, from the shadows. Thanatos, he was waiting to collect him. To bring him into the grasps of Hades, and so Percy didn't hesitate. He didn't exhilarate any restraint and he closed his eyes.