Chapter Text
The rain came down in torrents, heavy and relentless, a curtain of water that blurred the highway into a dangerous smear of gray. Sally gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles pale, her heart pounding with every groan of the tires against the slick pavement. The storm had come out of nowhere, sudden and violent, turning what was supposed to be a routine drive home into a nightmare.
In the back seat, her baby boy, Percy, stirred restlessly in his car seat, his soft whimpers barely audible over the thunder that cracked overhead. Sally glanced in the rearview mirror, her heart aching at the sight of his frightened, tear-streaked face.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” she murmured, her voice soft but trembling. “Mommy’s got you. We’re almost home. Just a little further.”
She tried to keep her focus on the road, but the rain made it nearly impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. Her wipers screeched against the glass, useless against the downpour. Then it happened—a pair of blinding headlights appeared out of nowhere, cutting through the darkness and bearing down on her car.
Her breath caught in her throat. The truck, an enormous eighteen-wheeler, was skidding out of control, its tires hydroplaning on the wet asphalt. She had no time to react.
The collision was violent, deafening. Metal screamed as the two vehicles collided, her car spinning wildly off the road and slamming into a massive oak tree. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, and for a moment, everything went black.
When Sally’s eyes fluttered open, the world was a blur. Blood dripped into her vision, warm and sticky, as pain radiated through her body. She tried to move, but her legs were pinned beneath the crumpled dashboard. She coughed weakly, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth.
“Percy…” she gasped, her voice barely audible.
Her eyes darted to the back seat. Through the haze of pain and smoke, she saw him—her baby boy, crying but alive, his tiny fists waving in the air. Relief flooded her chest, even as her vision began to darken around the edges.
“Thank the gods,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. She fought to stay conscious, to focus on Percy, to keep him in her sight.
She turned her head slightly, the effort excruciating. Her lips trembled as she whispered a name, a name she hadn’t spoken in years. “Poseidon… please. Help him. Take care of him.”
The air inside the wrecked car shifted, heavy with an otherworldly presence. The rain outside seemed to freeze in midair, each droplet suspended in time. A deep rumble echoed through the night, like the roar of a distant ocean, and then he was there.
Poseidon.
The god of the seas stepped through the storm, his towering figure both regal and devastatingly human in that moment. His sea-green eyes, usually so commanding, were filled with sorrow as he knelt beside the wreckage.
“Sally,” he murmured, his voice breaking as he saw the state she was in. He reached out, his hand trembling as he touched her cheek. “No…”
Her eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, their gazes met. “Poseidon,” she whispered, her voice so faint it was barely a breath. “Take care of him… Percy. Promise me…”
Tears welled in his eyes, something he hadn’t felt in centuries. He nodded, his throat tight. “I promise.”
A small, bittersweet smile touched her lips before her head fell back, and her chest rose and fell one final time. She was gone.
Poseidon sat there for a moment, his hand still on her cheek, his heart breaking in a way he hadn’t thought possible. The woman he had loved, the mother of his child, was gone. The storm raged on around him, as if the sky itself mourned her loss.
Percy’s cries snapped him back to reality. The baby was wailing now, his tiny body trembling in fear. Poseidon turned and gently lifted him from the car seat, cradling the boy in his arms. Percy quieted almost instantly, his wide, tear-filled eyes staring up at his father.
“You’re so small,” Poseidon murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “So fragile.”
He held the boy close, shielding him from the rain with his own cloak, and stared into the stormy night. His mind raced, filled with conflicting emotions—grief, anger, fear. Sally’s final words echoed in his mind: *Take care of him. Promise me.*
But how? How could he keep Percy safe? The Great Prophecy hung over everything, a dark shadow that would only grow darker now that Percy’s existence would come to light. The other gods would see him as a threat. Zeus would see him as a challenge.
Poseidon closed his eyes, weighing his options. He could hide Percy, keep him far away from the eyes of Olympus. But the Fates had a way of ensuring their will came to pass. If the prophecy was inevitable, Percy would be found, no matter what Poseidon did. And Sally’s death would mean nothing.
No. He couldn’t hide Percy. He had to prepare him.
Moments later, Poseidon stood in the throne room of Olympus, the golden halls shimmering in the dim light of the storm. Zeus sat on his throne, his expression dark and imposing. Poseidon had hoped for a quick agreement, but he could tell from the glint in his brother’s eyes that he would need to tread carefully.
“You’ve been keeping secrets, brother,” Zeus said, his voice cold and cutting. His piercing gaze fell on the child in Poseidon’s arms.
Poseidon stood tall. “You know what this means,” he said, his voice steady despite the weight in his chest. “The prophecy is in motion. We can’t ignore it anymore.”
Zeus's lips curled into a thin smile, but there was nothing warm in it. His stormy eyes narrowed. “So you want me to let you train him? Prepare him to fulfill this prophecy?”
Poseidon didn’t flinch. “We need to. If he is to be the one to decide the fate of Olympus, then we must ensure he is ready. Do you think we can just let him grow up without guidance? If the prophecy is inevitable, then we make sure he’s prepared to handle it.”
Zeus leaned forward, his expression hardening. “And why should I trust you with this? You have interfered with the Fates enough. You think this child will be any different than the others? You think he’s not a threat?” Zeus’s voice was a booming rumble, like distant thunder. “You would have me raise a potential disaster?”
Poseidon’s eyes darkened, but he held his ground. “We don’t have time for your doubts. The other gods will want to control him, manipulate him. I don’t trust them to do what’s best for him, but I will. I will keep him safe from their schemes.”
Zeus’s eyes flashed with anger. “You overestimate your influence, Poseidon. You’re expecting I let you just raise him?”
“I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you what needs to be done.” Poseidon’s voice was firm now, his frustration slipping through. “If you want to protect Olympus, you need to stop seeing Percy as a threat and start seeing him as our opportunity. He will decide Olympus’s fate—our fate.”
There was silence between them, tense and thick with unspoken words. Zeus shifted in his seat, tapping his fingers against the armrest of his throne. His gaze moved between Poseidon and the child, calculating, weighing the potential dangers.
Finally, Zeus spoke, his voice low and dangerous. “I will agree to this, but on one condition.” He leaned in closer, eyes locked on Poseidon. “You will stay away from him. He will not be raised by you. You’ve had your chance to be a father. If this child is to be trained, I will ensure it’s done my way.”
Poseidon’s heart clenched at the thought of never being close to Percy, but he swallowed the bitter taste of defeat. Sally’s last wish still burned in his mind, but he knew he had no choice. Zeus would never agree to raise Percy otherwise.
“I agree,” Poseidon said, the words like ash in his mouth.
Zeus nodded, his expression unreadable. “Then it’s done. Let’s see if your precious son lives up to your promises.”
As Poseidon handed Percy over to a waiting attendant, the baby’s cries grew louder, a small but piercing sound in the vast hall. Poseidon turned away, his heart heavy with the weight of his decision. He didn’t look back as the attendant vanished into the corridors, carrying his son away from him.
But as the winds outside howled, Poseidon whispered into the storm, a vow that would echo in his soul for eternity: “I will protect you, Percy. Even if I must do it from afar.”