Work Text:
“Olympus is in quite a stir after Hypnos was admitted into Apollo’s infirmary. Broken knee, dislocated wrist, and a hole pierced in his cheek, not to mention a stab wound from a knife it seems.” Hecate states, her head tilted to the side as if looking at an especially nuanced spell rather than a demigod.
“Surprised you fucks pay attention to anything besides yourselves.” Percy bites out. “But if I wanted to insult gods you don’t make the top of my shit list, so I’ll get to the point. You helped Hera put me to sleep, so did Hypnos and Morpheus. Morpheus because he’s a vengeful dick who’s pissy he lost last summer and Hypnos because he was duped into it. You did it for Alabaster.”
Percy glances at her from the corner of his eye while he says it. The goddess seems taken a back.
“What did you think I didn’t know about your kid, or Ethan, or any of the other demigods that defected?”
“I turned down immortality to ensure every demigod had a good life, and I’d do it a thousand times again. Every demigod, even the ones that stood against us deserved a good life, deserves a good life. I cut my fair share of them down, yeah, and that haunts me every time I close my eyes. But you’re dead wrong if you think I don’t care about other demigods, even the ones outside camp.” Percy stared off into the Little Tiber as he said it, a distant look gracing his features. Then like a switch was flicked Percy squared his shoulders and looked at Hecate.
“You put me under to save Alabaster’s life, to make sure Lamia didn’t serve him up on a platter. I can respect that. But you see I’m torn, on the one hand I’d do much worse for the people I love, I don’t blame you. On the other hand, I know Annabeth was losing sleep, searching non-stop, until she crashed from exhaustion trying to find me. I know that my mother was crying and worrying in silence wondering if I was even alive. Not to mention what might’ve happened to Grover because of our empathy link.”
Percy’s voice changes until it’s a thick New York accent, one he only has when he’s well and truly pissed.
“That plan risked my best friend’s life. That plan made my mother cry. I’m not letting that go unanswered.” You’d think it was the most nonchalant statement ever with how he said it but there was an edge to his voice that promised pain.
“You summoned me into my own temple to threaten me. A bold choice, even for you.” Hecate says, eyebrow raised as if challenging Percy’s status as thinking human.
“You yourself saw how Hypnos turned up, we both know you aren’t gonna be able to beat me in combat. As for your magic, well, children of the seas never react quite right to magic not from the sea, do we? You don’t have any other options but fleeing, and as someone who stopped Hermes dead to nuts, I can grab you quicker than you can run.” Percy tells her, completely unconcerned with threatening a goddess.
“Even with all your feats you can’t stop an immortal flashing away” Hecate claims, eyes narrowed as she puts her entire focus on Percy.
“I can’t but then you need to deal with dad, who I can assure you would gladly take vengeance against you, and not just on my behalf. I seem to remember something about the War of 1812 and you getting his daughter killed?” Percy shrugs, unconcerned with one of his father’s many feuds.
“With all the stories of your rebellion and disrespect towards anything godly, I didn’t think you would hide behind your father.” Hecate goads him.
“I’m not, I’m using him as security to ensure we have this discussion. See, the old man never really liked the Romans. So, when I became accepted as the only son of Neptune in New Rome, I got permission from him to burn that shed they called a temple to the ground.” Percy tells her as he flicks his pen, one Hecate identifies as the infamous Anaklusmos, back and forth between his fingers.
“Since it was his shrine it’s imbued with his power, including the ashes. The amount of power is of course diminished, but wherever the ashes lay would still technically be his holy ground.” Percy looks over at her, making sure she’s still listening. “So, if someone were to be inside a circle made of said ashes they’d be on his sacred ground. The diminished power level of the ashes makes it more difficult for him to pick up on intruders. Unless they expended massive energy, say I don’t know, godly teleportation, then, well I’m sure I don’t need to explain how defensive our family gets about holy areas.” Percy finishes with a sharp smile directly at her.
“You purposefully weakened your father’s power in New Rome, solely to entrap me?” Hecate blusters, baffled at the sheer determination of this demigod.
“The only power he ever got from the Romans was fear, and I can assure you there’s still plenty of that.” Percy says bitterly, the rapid demonization he faced after his claiming popping into his mind.
“Everything I’ve heard has said that the Athena girl was the brains of your operation.” Hecate, recovered from her previous shock, says, looking at him with an analytical eye.
“Congrats, you fell into the same trap every other person did. A drop in the bucket of underestimation everyone applies to me.” Percy deadpans to her, sarcasm layering his voice. “Either way I’ve given you plenty of time to think your way out of this, and you’ve got nothing. So, either I put you in a bed next to Hypnos, or you give me your oath and a physical representation of the debt you owe me for the suffering you’ve cause my family and friends.”
“It appears dating the architect has rubbed off on you. Blackmail is such an Athenian tactic Perseus, what would your father think?” Hecate asks her eyes glowing with power, energy leaking from every pore of her body.
“Extortion actually, I’m from New York you think I don’t know how this works? My Pegasus talks like he runs with Scarface for fucks sake. I grew up in a shitty neighborhood and learned how to throw my weight around.” Percy stares at her as he says this, his supernaturally bright green eyes pining her in place. Not unlike an angler fish wowing its prey with a bioluminescent light.
“So, what’ll it be?”
Tension fills the air as Percy and Hecate continue their stare down. Hecate’s godly energy clashing with Percy’s demigod aura. Just as it seems the temple might burst from ambient energy it vanishes; Hecate pulls an elegant knife from her belt. Gilded handle contrasting with the stained blade, worn and discolored from years of potion work. Reaching up she grabs a strand of her hair and quickly cuts it off. The lock of her multicolored hair loses its glittering quality that the rest of her seems to have, almost like a light bulb flickering before going out.
“From what little Lou’s told me there’s a lot that can be done with a lock of hair.” Percy states, his voice level, his accent vanished as quickly as the tension in the air did.
“Consider it a show of trust, I owe you a debt for my actions Perseus, I swear it upon the river of Styx. Thunder booms in the background sealing the debt between the goddess of magic and demigod son of Poseidon. “It has been quite some time since a demigod has interested me, and I’ve never seen a new method of magic be developed in quite a way. I look forward to future endeavors together.” Hecate smirks as she says it, as if already planning her next move and future partnership with Percy.
“Then until we meet again, Torchbearer.”
“Indeed Hero.”
Hecate turns around and calmly walks out of her temple. Making sure to take a wide step over the ring of ashes before she vanishes into nothingness. Percy turns back to stare into the Little Tiber, lock of hair in his back pocket and a war to fight on the horizon.