Chapter Text
It all happened so fast,Will still was struggling to process it all. One moment he was helping check up on one of the Demeter kids after a explosive arrow incident a week prior,next Micheal Yew was running up to him almost frantically.
"We're heading out." He urged, a look of both seriousness and confusion Will hadn't seen before"Now."
Will looked up in similar confusion, looking between Michael and his patient.
"Now- what you mean-?" Will started.
"We're packing up and heading towards Manhattan. Pack what supplies you can and meet by the border. Primrose, Katie needs you."
"Right!" She rushed off, still leaving him a bit confused.
Will stood up, glancing towards Michael who was already heading off somewhere else. Perhaps to tell the others? Will guessed,but he didn't give it much thought as he raced towards the infirmary.
From battles to stupid fights with Aries cabin they had very little time to clean the infirmary much anymore. Other then sanitizing it looked disorganized. Wasn't dirty per se, but it was difficult to find everything where they had been before. Hard to keep track of supplies you're using constantly.
Will couldn't help the uneasiness fall in his chest as he gathered as much supplies as he could carry. What were they walking into?He barely had been here for, what? 3 years? He never just had to pick up and move out. Even the Battle of The Labrynth they were more prepared.
Thinking on that, It felt so long ago and so short all at the same time. He had decided to stay year round after last year's battle, he even had called his mom in a mess of tears to tell her. Surprisingly she seemed to understand, he could still remember the loving but sad gaze she gave him as she reassured that it'll be fine.
He shook his head, if he thought too much on that he know he'd just start crying again. Heck, just a early as last night had he broke down crying thinking about Lee. Based on Micheal, Will figured he didn't have the time to have a full emotional breakdown right now. So instead he grabbed what he could carry and scurried off to the border to meet the others.
When he got there Clarisse and Michael were going at it again, though this time they weren't in each other's faces thank goodness. Will wasn't sure it really was any better though.
"You got to be kidding? Are you seriously gonna be that petty?" Michael challenged, glaring up at Clarisse La Rue. He was so much shorter than her, though Will sometimes wondered if he had just as much a temper.
Been worse since he's became councilor. Will thought, swallowing the sorrow in his chest that threatened to push out his throat in a sob. He told himself not to think about it, and so he pushed it to the back of his mind.
Michael's and Clarisse's yelling broke him from those thoughts, making him cover his ears as he went to join his siblings not too far behind Micheal.
"It's about pride!" Clarisse growled.
"This is about our life!" Michael snapped back.
"I've made my decision!"
"Fine! Just fine!" Michael threw his hands in the air before turning to join the others, yelling some very choice of words that Will didn't think he was allowed to repeat.
He settled by Will, seeming to be trying to calm himself down.
"Is she not coming?" Will heard one of his sisters, Eva, asked.
"No, the whole Ares cabin is staying." Michael scowled "Don't know what's going on but we need every camper we can manage and she's not budging even with handing the chariot rights over. "
If Michael had been a cat Will could certainly imagine his tail would been lashing and fluffed out. His whole body seemed tense and agitated,his frustration hit Will in waves nearly making him waver.
"I'm sure they just need to cool down." Will offered, gently placing a hand on his brother's arm. He could feel how the tensing of Micheal's shoulders were causing him to ache a bit.
Michael seemed to soften a bit at that, sighing softly.
"Maybe, but we shouldn't count on them if we're going into something bad."
"Wouldn't have to if the others hadn't left…" He heard Kayla grumbled beside him, Will lightly elbowed her.
"Hey!"
"Not the time. " He huffed.
Micheal didn't react to Kayla's comment, though a unreadable look shadowed his face.
Did he also blame them? Will frowned. Yeah he was upset too,but surely everyone didn't think they left cause they didn't care about them…right?
The sickening feeling in his chest moved down to his stomach, part of him said the opposite. They joined the other side, fully knowing they might have to face us.
He quickly pushed that away.
Kayla was still grumbling, though Will didn't really feel too upset at her. Just the beginning of this summer one of their eldest sisters had left in the middle of the night.
Cycna Archer was just a year younger then Micheal, and Michael had depended on her to teach archery when he was much too busy with the infirmary. She had taken Kayla under her wings like Micheal had Will when he first arrived.
However, Cycna made the decision to leave for Kronos' army, she had toyed with the idea of everyone going that morning to Kayla but the 12 year old archer simply thought she was being hypothetical.
That night Cycna went to leave and ended up with a argument with Michael outside the cabin. Kayla and the others had slept through it, but Will still remembered listening to fight why staring at his sheets.
Will never told anyone he heard it, but remembering it made him want to pull closer to Kayla. He didn't want to confuse her so he kept where he was, staring at Micheal as he started to load everyone up. A fear tug at him, would one the others do the same?
No. He chided himself. Cycna made her choice, weather she actually cared about them or not he wasn't gonna dwell on that. Not now.
"What are we gonna do when we get there?" One the youngest brothers asked, leaning on Eva who tried pushing him off.
"We'll see what Percy has to say. Sure we'll find out pretty fast. " Michael noted.
"So we're going in blind?"
"You're gonna be more then blind if you don't get off of me Eoghan!" Eva whined.
"Do ya'll hear- GAH!" The van erupted to laughter when Eva push Eoghan onto the floor. He pouted but he didn't seem mad.
"Alright, alright you two. " Micheal chuckled softly "Before Eoghan knocks himself out."
"Hey!" He pouted at Micheal as he was pluck up into his feet. Alaunus chuckled softly as they got him balanced.
"Do we need to remind you that you just got out from a week of being stuck in the infirmary?" They laughed.
Eoghan's face grew as red as his hair as he looked away.
"No…you don't-" he mumbled, falling back against the van's wall.
The whole ride went like that, it almost felt like final moments of rest before whatever Percy called the whole camp for.
One of the Aphrodite girls had leaned over and was trying to flirt with Eva, who's ears went as red as Eoghan's hair as well.
Eoghan seemed to distract himself by talking with a Aphrodite boy about what type polish would look better on him. He didn't seem to notice the boy was staring.
Will kept back, normally he'd have a talk with one of the Aphrodite girls his age on certain music they liked. She didn't seem to be interested in flirts or advances from others, and Will was more then happy to be the one of few that didn't try. Most found it odd she wasn't as flirty as her siblings, yet it wasn't a shock to Will when she had decided to join the Hunters of Artemis. Even if it broke the expectation of what a child of Aphrodite was.
Although, most of the time the overly flirty Aphrodite kids thing was just a dramatization,a way to appear less a threat.
Will learned not to underestimate them.
"We're here, there's Percy." Silena Beauregard announced as they slowed down.
Will looked up, looking back down however when he felt someone grabbed his wrist.
Kayla was staring out as the van doors opened, looking almost hesitant to move as she watched the others pile out,Annabeth Chase marching directly to Percy from her van.
"Are we really prepared for this?" She asked, looking up at Will with wide blue eyes.
Will glanced towards Michael for a moment, who had already gotten out and was assisting the others.
He bit his cheek and turned back to Kayla.
"We'll be fine. We just gotta stick together. Just listen to Micheal and try to stay calm. We might not need to fight but even if we do,we got this." He reassured his sister, though it was obvious he was nervous too.
Kayla hesitate for a moment before looking at Will again.
"Right, right yeah we got this. " She smiled, maybe comforted that she wasn't the only one worried. She let go of Will's wrist before following Alaunus out of the van with the others.
Percy, Annabeth and Chiron were talking at the center, the other Head Councilors in the front near by. Everyone looked as nervous as Will, which was reassuring as it had been for Kayla.
"But you're our leader." Percy was looking at Chiron who gave a almost knowing smile. Percy seemed to be voicing everyone else's thoughts.
He isn't just leaving like this, is he? Will frowned,scooting closer to Micheal.
His older brother patted his shoulder, giving a reassuring smile before looking back at Percy and Chiron, becoming focused on the two again.
The centaur only smiled. "I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader." He stated so easily, Will could see the hesitation in Percy's face as he seemed to not be too fond of the idea.
Everyone moved their gaze to the son of Poseidon, they all seemed to come to the same agreement.
Chiron's out, you're the only one who knows where to go from here.
Will did not envy Percy's position, not one bit.
Percy straightened up, taking a deep breath.
"Okay, like I told Annabeth on the phone, something bad is going to happen by tonight. Some kind of trap. We've got to get an audience with Zeus and convince him to defend the city. Remember, we can't take no for an answer."
Will felt his head spin. Were they seriously saying this? Was this a normal thing? He knew Apollo sometimes interacted with his siblings(he had yet to even try, he wasn't sure he was ready for that can of worms yet) but-
"Are we just gonna.. ask? Is that how it works?" Will asked "I mean, I've never heard Zeus describe as…flexible with being told what to do. " Will noted.
His younger siblings looked at him in surprise, though Will couldn't really tell exactly if their expressions ment for him or the situation. He found it too hard to read what they were thinking sometimes.
"Maybe." Micheal shrugged, which wasn't reassuring "But I'm pretty sure Percy has a reputation of telling stubborn gods to do something without thinking of their reactions. " he snorted slightly.
"That seems stupid and dangerous."
"Yeah ,that's about right for Percy."
That did not make Will feel any better.
"Thrilling."
Will had never been to Olympus, most demigods hadn't, so walking into the Empire state building with the intention to ask to go up to Olympus and talk to the literal king of the gods seemed alien.
"Six-hundredth floor." Percy addressed the man at the desk.
The man looked up, examining the group. Will wondered if he was mortal or not. If so this was gonna be very awkward.
"There is no six-hundredth floor, kid." He held his gaze on Percy, looking over the rest of them again making Will shudder "Move Along."
He didn't have to look at us like troubled kids. Will pouted.
Percy leaned over, speaking softly towards guard with a serious stormy look in his eyes. Like the messy waters before a hurricane.
"Will they even know how to let us in?" Will asked, his siblings mumbled in agreement.
"Don't worry. " Michael ruffled Will's curly blonde hair.
"They know. "
"Right." Will stared at his older brother before looking back to Percy and the guard.
Apparently whatever Percy had said had worked. The gate was opened and Percy made one more bit of conversation before throwing a Drachma and heading in with a pleased smile. That didn't last long as it turned focused again once they made it to the elevator.
Will looked to it, his stomach twisted as his nerves rose. He tried to distract himself from the anxiety building up.
"Hey…if it's the six-hundredth floor what are the rest of the four hundred and forty-eight?" Will asked, looking back to his brother.
Michael gave him a look, Will felt anxiety rise in his stomach. Was he getting annoyed with Will? He was trying to keep it all anything, anything, but quiet, the silence made him too tense. But the last thing he wanted was to get on his brother's nerves.
"Think they just skipped those. Though maybe try keep the questions back once we get up there." Micheal chuckled but part of Will was screaming at him that it was just a mask for his frustration.
"Right…" Will spoke softly, deciding it was best to keep quiet from now on.
Micheal frowned a bit as if noticing Will's change in how he held himself, however before he could say anything the doors opened again, signaling for their turn up.
Whatever song was just playing(Stayin' Alive?) had just changed, fading into what Will recognized as one of his mom's songs. One she had wrote when he was born.
Will wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not. Maybe it just happened to be on whatever playlist they had going in the elevator. But found it too perfect to just have been a lucky chance. Here he was going into what could be anything ,maybe even his last day, and the last song he hears as he rose to the unknown was his mother singing about him. Almost every nervous knot in his stomach seemed to loosen at her voice. He felt like a little kid again, his mother singing him to sleep after a nightmare.
Maybe it was something good, maybe a good omen? He wasn't sure, he never interacted enough with his father or any god to know what counted as their version of sending "Good Luck". Yet, if it was anything Will imagined it would be this.
Hesitantly he sent a silent prayer to his father, he doubted it would reach him but it was worth a go.
I know I've never done this- Just-Let me make it to talk to my mom one more time. Even if it's just to say I love you, that'd be enough.
He took a shaky breath. He wasn't sure how good that was gonna do…
"Here we go.." Micheal's voice broke him from his thoughts as they left the elevator, his eyes trained on Percy before them.
Percy muttered something to Annabeth before he headed up through Olympus.
Will didn't know what he thought Olympus would look like, but didn't think any theories would prepared him for the breathtaking look of it. White and gold mansions, terrace gardens, smoke from the braziers that reminded Will of fall nights at Austin where you could smell campfire smoke in the crisp cool air even if you didn't see any. It all seemed untouchable in a way.
"Look!" Pollux cried, pointing toward the horizon with wide violet eyes. "What is that?"
Will looked up, blue lights streaked the sky over the horizon towards Olympus. They seemed to come from all angles over the white and gold city. Though as they got close they seemed to fizzle out.
"Like infrared scopes," His older brother muttered. "We're being targeted."
Will couldn't help the whimper that escaped his throat at the thought.
Micheal squeezed his shoulder gently in reassurance but even that didn't seem to help the rising anxiety that returned to his stomach.
"Let's get to the palace." Percy frowned.
They made their way into the main Olympian palace. Will felt a shudder pass through him, he wanted to mention how grand yet hollow it looked even under the constellation ceiling but he quickly remembered he was supposed to be quiet.
Though it was very hard not to talk about the serpant cow in the tank as well, was kinda cute.
"Don't stray from the group. And probably let Percy, Annabeth and us do any talking." Micheal noted softly "we gonna be facing Zeus best to keep as little of us talking as possible."
"Don't wonder off on the vast never ending looking throne room. Got it."
Eoghan was immediately elbowed hard in the ribs by Eva. Will winced as if he felt it.
The throne room was huge and looming, Will could almost imagine the gods themselves looking down from their thrones judgingly. He wasn't too comfortable with that image.
He wondered if he'd see Apollo, though probably not considering everything with Typhon.
It be nice though. He thought, looking up at what looked the most like Apollo's throne. "Be quite a way to meet my father for the first time." He rubbed his arm nervously at the thought. Maybe he was still not ready for that can of worms.
In the center of the throneroom, stoking the hearth was a young woman in a simple brown dress. She smiled at Percy.
"Hello again, Percy Jackson. You and your friends are welcome." Her voice was kind, making him think of his mother again. Like home.
"Lady Hestia." Percy bowed.
Everyone else followed suit, even Micheal who lately did not seem to be the bowing type.
Hestia looked familiar…had he seen her at camp? Hard to imagine another god at camp other then Mr.D, but he swore he seen her in passing.
The goddess seemed to glance Percy over "I see you went through with your plan. You bear the curse of Achilles."
What? Will stared wide eyed at Percy, even his brother seemed confused.
She's not referring to-
"Achilles? That's the arrow in the heel guy right?" Eoghan muttered
"I think he did more then that." Austin muttered back.
"Didn't he pout about something and refused to fight, kinda sounds like the Ares cabin right now." Eva grumbled.
"Hush." Alaunus chided, their amber eyes glowed even in the moon light. "Not right now."
Micheal gave them a appreciative look before looking back to the scene before them.
Everyone jolted when Percy suddenly fell back in a daze, Annabeth catching him.
Micheal tensed, almost ready to rush over if he needed help.
"How long was I out." He mumbled, which only made Will worried. Had he hit his head on the way down?
Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "Percy, you weren't out at all. You just looked at Hestia for like one second and collapsed."
Percy seemed to process this before stumbling back, balancing on his feet.
"Um, Lady Hestia," he said hazed, "we've come on urgent business. We need to see—"
"We know what you need," a new voice said, making Will jump. Eva and her twin brother, Levi, grabbed onto him in shock. Austin and Kayla had hid behind Micheal and Eoghan held onto Alaunus like his life depended on them.
Will regarded the new god, salt and pepper hair, military pilot suit…but what took his notice was the staff intertwined with with two serpants.
"Hermes." Will muttered, which only seem to make the twins hold onto him tighter.
"I'll leave you now." Hestia spoke softly before leaving into smoke.
Gee, thanks.
"Hello, Percy. " the messenger god did not seem happy, seeming annoyed with the son of Poseidon.
"Lord Hermes." Percy awkwardly bowed, Will could tell he was walking on eggshells for Hermes. He couldn't tell if that was just how the god was or if Percy really done something to upset him.
His gazed flickered to the moving snakes on the staff.
"Hello, George. Hello, Martha."
They made soft hissing noises that Will assumed was them talking.
"Um, Hermes," Percy started. "We need to talk to Zeus. It's important."
"I am his messenger, may I take a message. "
Will choked back a snort. He sounded like an desk clerk. Did Zeus have him say it like that or was that just the best way he could put it?
Everyone shifted around nervously, Micheal shared a looked with Katie from the Demeter cabin. Levi hid his face in Will's shirt.
"This is not going to plan." He whined.
"Yeah…" Will swallowed, pulling the twins close. "We'll just work with what we got right?"
Levi didn't seem too thrilled at the idea. He never liked changes to anything.
Percy looked to the others, Will couldn't read his expression.
"You guys," he said. "Why don't you do a sweep of the city? Check the defenses. See who's left in Olympus. Meet Annabeth and me back here in thirty minutes."
"But-" Silena frowned
"That's a good idea," Annabeth said. "Connor and Travis, you two lead."
The two brothers seemed ecstatic to be put in charge in front of their father, beaming.
"We're on it!"
Micheal rolled his eyes as the Stolls ushered then out, Will was surprised he hadn't snapped Travis' head off.
No one was really happy leaving the two alone with an upset god, but it was clear they could be better help out of the palace.
"What we do first?" Jake Mason looked to the Stolls who didn't seem to have thought too much of this ahead.
"Well-" Travis thought a bit.
"We look through Olympus first? Each take a section and meet back up. Then look over the city for any trouble." Connor bounced on his heels.
"Reasonable enough. " Katie crossed her arms. Everyone began to group together to discuss where to take it from there.