Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Percy:

CRACK!

My eyes snapped open as the deafening explosion of thunder roared overhead, rattling my cabin-as well with my bed frame violently. A lower, but still furious grumble of thunder followed quickly behind. The wind screeched through the night, howling its anger, nearly tearing the covers from my bed.

The Lord of the Skies was in a foul mood.

He wasn't the only one. I'd been having such a good dream. The details were hazy, but I knew it involved Annabeth, an evening out in New York and pizza. No better way to spend the day, if you ask me.

Sighing to myself as thunder grumbled in the distance once more. Shifting under the covers, I sank back into my pillow, closed my eyes and willed myself to return to sleep.

For a few fleeting moments I was back in that dream. Walking through Manhattan with Annabeth, hand in hand, not a care in the world. Her dragging me to the New York Public Library, persuading me to join her in sneaking into a restricted area, only to use her Yankees cap to escape security when they caught onto us. Me, in the hotel, dragging her to come and try out the pool, only to push her in as payback for abandoning me in the library. I smiled to myself. Maybe I'll suggest we do that for real next weekend. I thought. Only a few more weeks left at camp until we go off to college, may as well make the most of it.

Zeus, evidently, didn't like that plan. The heavens opened up once more and began to scream with renewed vigour, rattling the foundations of my cabin, almost knocking me out of my bed.

"Gee, thanks, Uncle." I muttered sarcastically. "That's not annoying at all." In response, as if to spite me, three more echoes rang out, each louder and more ferocious than the first.

“Show off…” Too wide awake to fall back asleep but too tired to leave bed, I lay there, listening to the peaceful crescendo of waves as meeting the shore, trying to tune out the ever growing roar from the heavens. A cool ocean breeze washed over me, bringing with it the reassuring scent of the sea. For a moment I was back with mom at our cabin in Montauk. Mom. I need to visit her, it’s been too -

The sky rumbled overhead with further fury, followed by a brilliant flash of light so bright I sensed it even with my eyes closed. Following it close behind was a thunderous crack so loud they'd have heard it all the way over in New Jersey.

“Fine!" I conceded aloud, rising from bed, throwing the covers off my body. "I’m up!" Ensuring I said my curses to Zeus as I did for waking me up at this undemigodly hour.

I navigated my way through the bedroom in almost total darkness, relying on the regular flashes of lightning brought on by the ever intensifying storm to light my way. Just as I neared the door to the communal area of the cabin, my foot snagged a pile of clothes I'd put off moving for a few days, sending me tumbling into something solid. I felt a heat in my hands as the barnacle encrusted wall made contact with my hand, drawing blood.

Cursing to myself, I got back to my feet, kicking the pile aside in frustration. Gods. I thought. I never imagined I'd miss having the Curse of Achilles. Being invulnerable did have its benefits, one of which being, no cuts, no grazes. Still, it wasn't that deep, nothing a hot shower wouldn't heal.

With my non bloody hand, I opener the door and made my way towards the living room in the centre of the cabin. Thankfully, with all the windows left wide open, visibility in here was decidedly better. On the couch to my left, I could see the remnants of a several days old box of monster donuts Annabeth and I had shared together. I'll clean that up tomorrow.

I made my way toward the fountain in the centre of the room. Made of grey sea rock, coral and shells, it was a perfect centrepiece for Cabin Three. Sat atop it, overlooking the whole room, was a multicoloured fish that Tyson had affectionately dubbed, "Mr Fish." Though Annabeth simply called him annoying, owing to his constant need to spout water from his mouth 24/7. Not even I could stop it flowing, Poseidon obviously had a strict vision for this fountain, one he didn't want me tampering with.

I reached the fountain rested my hand slightly atop the water's surface, closing my eyes and focusing on gradually heating it until. Slowly but surely, a rainbow formed. I smiled to myself. Despite having done this hundreds of times by now it never got old. I rummaged through my pockets and dug out a few drachma, tossing them through rainbow. After all, I might as well give my friend a tip, the gods were many things, but generous employers they were not.

“Hey Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me my brother Tyson, most likely in Poseidon’s Ocean forges.” I looked at the mist expectedly, but nothing happened.

“Sorry Percy.” A familiar warm female voice said in the back of my mind. “I can’t find him right now, he’s probably just busy with work. You know how it’s been lately.”

I sighed, sadly I knew all too well. What with his new wife. Ella, his tasks in the forges, and his demanding job as the commander of Olympus’s troops, Tyson rarely had time to answer my Iris messages anymore.

“That’s okay.” I said, biting my lip in frustration, causing the metallic taste of blood to fill my mouth. “I’ll try again another time”.

"Thanks for the tip though, it really means a lot to me. You're the only one who does that, you know.” She said sweetly, hearing the happiness in Fleecy’s voice lifted my spirits somewhat.

“You’re welcome,"I said. “You deserve it after all the help you give me, I’d never remember everyone’s birthdays if it weren’t for you always reminding me.” I thought back to a couple of months ago when I’d almost forgotten Grover’s birthday, had it not been for Fleecy throwing a present through the mist at me that morning I’d never have remembered. Stupid ADHD. I thought to myself.

“Anytime.” She said brightly. “Somebody’s gotta make sure you Demigods keep track of your birthdays. They’re rare enough as is, you guys don’t get many of them, they should be celebrated properly.”

“That’s… morbid,”

“Hey!" Fleecy said indignantly. "I’m just saying, make the most of them, a mortal life is short. Don’t shoot the messenger”

“Fair enough.” She was right of course, demigod birthdays were rare, especially over the last few years. “Thank you for reminding me Fleecy, I don’t know how I’d ever remember anything important without your help”.

“You’re welcome, Percy”. Fleecy said cheerily. "You know, there’s another birthday coming up very soon. A big one at that.” I could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke.

“Who’s?” My mind raced, I thought with Fleecy’s help I’d been keeping track of them better. “Thalia’s?”

“No, Percy.” Fleecy replied with a giggle. "Thalia’s is a few months away.”

“Who’s is it then?”

“Ugh, you’re hopeless. Here”, she said as a small wrapped box flew out the mist, hitting me squarely in the face.

“Ow’” I exclaimed, rubbing my tender cheek, once again missing the curse of Achilles. I looked down, noticing the writing on the box. For Percy. “Wha-“

“It’s your birthday you idiot. It’s 3am.”

“Oh, I forgot it was today.” No one, not even Annabeth had said anything recently so it had completely slipped my mind. Not that I cared, birthdays had become a source of dread for me. An uneventful, boring one was well overdue.

“Well I didn’t, Happy Eighteenth Birthday Percy”. Fleecy said warmly. “Any plans for the day?”

“Well I didn’t know until two seconds ago so I’m not sure.” If Annabeth isn’t busy maybe I can finally convince her to come rowing with me. Thinking about it, it wasn’t like her to forget anything. Let alone my birthday. What gives? I thought to myself.

“I know what you’re thinking, Percy”. Fleecy said. “That girl doesn’t forget anything, especially when it comes to you.”

“No, I don’t mind -“

“You do,” Fleecy interjected. “But Annabeth hasn’t forgotten a thing. How about you go and have a shower, you need one.”

“Hey!”

“No hey. Go and get ready, birthday boy.”

Get ready? I wondered. Ready for what?

“Percy.” Fleecy said firmly. “Stop thinking, start showering. You’ll find out why soon.”

“Okay, okay. I’m going”

“Good! But before you do, open my present”.

“Of course, sorry Fleecy I-“

“Forgot? Of course you did." Fleecy said teasingly. “Now open it”.

I sat back down on my bed, present in my lap and began to open it. I had no clue what present mystical Cloud Nymphs bought for their friends but I was excited. I tore the last strands of paper off and revealed the present.

Soap.

I could hear Fleecy trying to suppress a giggle.

“Soap? Fleecy I do not smell”.

“Percy, monsters can smell you from miles away. You smell”.

“Wait… so does this soap suppress my scent or something? Will I be invisible to monsters?"

“No, Percy, it’s just soap.”

“Oh”.

“Happy Birthday, Percy." Fleecy said, giggling once more as the line was cut.

Soap. Well at least it’s a practical gift. I headed towards my bathroom, taking great care to avoid the pile of clothes as I cut through my bedroom. Stripping off my clothes, I entered the shower. No buttons in here, this was a bathroom built for children of Poseidon, as such everything from sinks to the showers could only be controlled by a child of the sea. I closed my eyes for a moment and willed the shower to start, flinching slightly as the shower head opened up, and piping hot water began to rain down on.

Thanks to the water, I began to unwind, all my thoughts and stressing washing away. I felt the water envelope me, coiling around me, rinsing my body off. Perk of being a son of Poseidon, the water would do all the work for me, I just had to stay still. I closed my eyes for a moment and began to drift off.

Eventually I fell into a deep enough stupor that my connection with the water waned, cutting the shower off. I awoke, sighed to myself and braced to meet the cool night air. I stepped out the shower and immediately lunged for a towel. I could, of course, simply will myself to be dry, but I liked the novelty of using a towel.

Once dry I walked over to a dusty old closet that smelled like rotten coral and pulled on my orange camp T-shirt and a pair of jeans older than the Earth Mother herself. Next birthday, ask for some new clothes. I thought to myself. These jeans were suffocatingly tight. I felt my pocket. Yep, Riptide is still there. Of course, I knew it always would be, but I could never break the habit of checking.

Breaking the silence of the night, was a sudden, frantic series of knocks at my door. For a moment I questioned if it was the wind, but with the storm waning, that seemed unlikely.

I cautiously approached the front door, uneasy about the late-night visitor. Be it the Stoll brothers with another one of their late night pranks, or a monster wanting to send me on a way one trip to the underworld. A visitor this late at night could only spell trouble.

I crept cautiously toward the front door, trying to keep the element of surprise, treading carefully to not to let my late-night visitor hear even the faintest sound of my footsteps. I'd almost made it successfully to the door when-

CREAKKKKKKK

That stupid creaky floorboard! Ever since Tyson dropped his "Stick" on it, it creaked at the slightest bit of pressure. Oh well, perhaps whoever's outside didn't hear-

"Percy?” The voice of Thalia Grace asked cautiously from just outside the door. “You awake?”

"Thalia? What are you doing here?" She was still supposed to be in Zambia, working with Artemis to track down poachers.

“I don't have time to explain, you need to come with me now. It’s Annabeth.” Thalia urged in a tone that made my hair stand up on end in a way her zapping me never could.

I pulled Riptide from my pocket and hurled myself out the Poseidon cabin ready to face down whatever was waiting for me. I was greeted with… nothing. There was nothing out here. Nothing but a… tree.

That wasn’t there earlier. I thought. Oh gods. Thalia! Not again, Zeus and Artemis are gonna kill me.

“Thalia?” I said in a hushed tone. Uncapping Riptide as I approached the Thalia trees unsure if she would, or could respond. “Thalia? Please tell me that’s not you.”

Silence.

“Thalia? If that’s you, give me a sign.” I begged.

The tree stood there stubbornly swaying in the gentle night breeze, ignoring me.. Hmm. I thought. That could be Thalia after all. Snapping me out of my train of thoughts was a faint rustling noise from behind me. Immediately I whirled around and raised Riptide.

“SURPRISE!” Several voices yelled from the darkness. In an instant all the torches by the cabins were set ablaze, illuminating the campground. I spotted Leo to my right, a waning flaming still dancing lightly in his palm. He met my gaze and gave me a wink. Tables from the dining area had been moved into the centre of the camp, on them were many blue cakes, fountains full of blue cherry coke, blueberries, blue candy. Everything seemed to be blue I noticed. Even the pizza seemed to have blue cheese on it somehow. Maybe I’ll avoid that. I thought to myself. The scent of freshly baked cookies lingered in the air, reminding me of home. To the side of a table I spotted a… was that a Naiad acting as a soda dispenser? I made a mental note to talk to her at some point.

Around me, each cabin had a banner in blue writing saying “Happy Birthday Percy”. Each cabin, aside from the Ares cabin that is. Written in messy red ink their banner read “Happy Birthday Prissy”. I smiled to myself as I read it. I looked up, in the air were balloons, trident balloons, fish balloons, even one that looked like Riptide”.

Movement out of the corner of my eye brought me looking back down as people began to step into the light of the campsite, I was met with familiar, smiling faces. Jason, Clarisse, Piper, Juniper. A few hunters donned in silver. One of them looked familiar, a butch ginger girl with a hard face and a permanent scowl. Phoebe. To her left I spied Thalia Grace resting lightly on a tree stump in the moonlight, a victorious grin painted on her face. I made a mental note to get her back for this one day.

A flurry of shadows glided in from the forests as Nico Di Angelo materialised. He nodded to me curtly before joining Will on a nearby bench. I gave him a cautious wave. Things were never going to not be awkward between us it seemed. It could be worse. I thought to myself. At least we’re on speaking terms.

I continued to scan the crowd. No Annabeth. Knowing her she was either lost in a book, or invisible, standing right behind me, ready to attack… I whirled around but as I did my momentum was caught and shifted, my world spun as I was flipped onto my back, I felt a lighter weight follow me and land right on top of me, knocking the breath out my lungs. The air shimmered as a familiar, and rather smug looking daughter of Athena revealed herself.

“Hello Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth whispered in a tone that made me melt. “Happy Birthday.” She leaned in close and brushed her lips against mine, electrifying my body in a way Thalia’s lightning never could. We stayed that way for what felt like forever, but in reality was far too fleeting. Finally we separated and got to our feet, Annabeth immediately put her arms around me again before I even had the chance to dust myself off.

“I love you, Annabeth.” I said as I kissed her forehead.

“I love you too, Percy.” She said back instantly. It was a reflex at this point, after all we had been through together saying those three words felt natural. I looked at Annabeth and smiled, hugging her tighter and kissing her on the forehead once again as she rested her head against my chest.

“Hey Jackson. Don’t make us throw you in the lake again.” Clarisse huffed at me, crossing her arms as she tried her best to keep up her facade of toughness, though even she had a slight twinkle in her eye. Evidently she noticed this too as she immediately spun around and punched one of the Ares campers beside her in the stomach. “Get me a piece of steak.” She barked sharply. The boy, who couldn’t have been much younger than Clarisse herself, immediately sprinted away towards Cabin Five clutching his stomach. “And make it raw!” Clarisse yelled after him.

Thalia, who’d also been watching the spectacle, walked over looking amused.

“Please tell me I’m going blind and that you weren’t talking to the tree Kelp Head” The color rose to my cheeks as I realised the entire camp must have seen me talking to a tree.

“Possibly.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “I can never be too sure with you Pine Face.” She gave me a look like she was about to punch me but then - “Come here you moron.” She pulled me in and hugged me tightly. She held me for a few moments before realising she may have actually been acting too nice. “You smell like dirt.” She said gruffly before punching me on the arm.

“Ow.” I replied sarcastically, rubbing my arm mockingly. “You know, if I were still fourteen that might have actually hurt.” I replied sarcastically.

“Watch it kelp head. Don’t make me zap you on your birthday.” I decided not to aggravate her further. Last time she zapped me I couldn’t taste anything for a month.

“So, what’s with the tree then?” I asked. “That wasn’t there earlier”.

“That was me”, Annabeth added. “This part of camp has too many tree stumps, not enough trees”.

I looked down at her quizzically. “How did you move it? That’s a full grown tree!”

Annabeth pulled away from me and eyed me down in a way that made me shift my feet. “Are you saying I’m not strong enough Percy?” She asked dangerously.

“Yes, no, I… yes?” I stammered.

Annabeth’s scowl faded as she grinned. “I’m messing with you Seaweed brain. Tyson moved it for me.” She glanced behind me as the ground began to shake. “Speaking of…”

“BROTHER!” I heard a deep voice yell as I tasted dirt for the second time thay night, I felt like I had just been hit by an eighteen wheeler. “Happy Birthday brother!” The voice boomed again. I looked up and saw Tyson beaming from lopsided ear to lopsided ear, his one eye was as wide as it could possibly be.

“Tyson… heya I missed you too-“ I managed breathily, still not fully recovered.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Tyson yelled, interrupting me as he pulled me into a hug that would make an Anaconda jealous.

“Woahhh big guy. Watch the ribs.” I mumbled. But clearly my voice was smothered by Tyson’s flannel shirt as he only tightened his squeeze. Finally, just before my eyes popped out my sockets I was released. Gaspinh for air I looked at Tyson as he grinned at me toothily. He’d grown a lot since I’d last seen him, he had to be well over eight feet tall by now. He was wearing an assortment of flannel shirts hastily seen together into one loud purple and brown flannel shirt fit for a Cyclops. He had a dark steel heavy duty belt strapped around his waist and on its side the most incredible looking stick on the planet. Drenched in… Was that blood? I thought to myself. No. It has to be Kool Aid, probably...

Just as I was about to get a closer look, Tyson pushed past me towards my rapidly panicking girlfriend. She knew firsthand how deadly a thing Tyson’s legendary death hugs were. “ANNABETH!” Tyson cried and lunged at Annabeth, scooping her up like she weighed nothing and lifting her high into the air. She opened her mouth to protest but just managed a low hissing noise as the air was forced out her lungs. She looked at me, panic growing. I was about to intervene but before I could Tyson released her, lowered her to the floor gently and began sprinting towards a terrified looking Nico.

“COUSIN!” He yelled. Nico, for his part, immediately burst into shadows. “Awww…” Tyson moaned before spotting the Hephaestus cabin. “FRIENDS!” Their eyes collectively widened as they began to sprint away in different directions unnaturally fast for children of the crippled god. Evidently, they too had heard the legend of Tyson’s death hugs.

After several moments of watching Hephaestus campers run screaming for their lives I turned my attention back on Annabeth and smiled.

“Thank you for this. You have no idea how much this means.” I said as I put my arms around her once more. She grinned, kissed me on the cheek and led me towards the mysterious tree that wasn’t Thalia after all. “So, where’d you get the tree?” I asked. “It doesn’t look like the ones that grow around here.” It really didn’t. This tree radiated life in a way I’ve never felt before. It didn’t look that dissimilar from a regular tree I’d see around camp, but I could tell it was special.

“My mom gave it to me.” Annabeth replied. “ It grew from a seed from the tree of Hesperides.”

I looked at her quizzically, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, that tree of Hesperides Percy.”

A million thoughts raced through my mind. Why did Athena give it to Annabeth? So she could become a god? What does this mean for us? Do I have to eat fruit now?

“I’ve been doing some thinking, Seaweed brain. About us. About our future.”

Uh oh. Annabeth thinking, that's never good. What does that mean? I thought to myself.

Annabeth continued. “I talked to Reyna. She found a place for us to stay while we’re at college at Camp Jupiter. She spoke to Hylla and arranged for a safe place where she could keep it for us. And one day…One day… Not now… Gods… Not even anytime soon… But one day.” She steeled herself. “I’m gonna eat one. But only if you do too.” She said quickly, quashing any doubts I had that were threatening to surface.

I looked into her eyes and I saw the fear in them. It was the same look I had the night I thought I’d lose her to the Hunt. I’ve already turned down godhood. I thought. But this isn’t the same. One look in her eyes and I knew what I would say.

“I want you Percy. Now and forever. I know that’s cheesy but it’s the truth. I just…. I just love -“ I cut her off with a kiss.

After a few moments I broke it, but kept my forehead pressed to hers. “I love you too, wise girl.”

“So that’s a yes?” She said expectantly, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed slightly and in its stead she gave me one of her doe eyes looks she knew I couldn’t say no to.

“When do we go?” I asked.

She gave me a smile that made everything else go away. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow we start our new life. That’s if you want to, of course.” She said. It was clear what she wanted me to say.

“Fine.," I said. Feigning reluctance. “But don’t think this means I’m gonna start eating apples on a regular basis.”

She smirked and punched my arm playfully. “When you’re immortal you can eat whatever you like. Until then I’m keeping my Seaweed Brain healthy.” She said jokingly. My Seaweed Brain. My. I like the way she said that. 

“Yours?" I asked nonchalantly.

“Of course. You’re mine, Seaweed Brain. And I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon.” Annabeth said as she grabbed my hand reassuringly and pulled me towards the festivities.

We walked around for a few minutes before I spied the rather reluctant looking Naaid acting as a Soda dispenser. The sugary blue liquid pouring out of her hands into the cups of sugar addicted campers. Within seconds I was one of them. I allowed the cup to fill to the brim. After all, I was the son of Poseidon. I could control any liquid on the planet so what’s one little cup against me. I looked at Annabeth and grinned cheesily.

“Tonight… We feast!” I said sluggishly. Raising the cup above my head and spilling soda all over my shirt. “Oops.” I said sheepishly as Annabeth and the Naiad giggled at my clumsiness. My orange Camp Half Blood t-shirt was now an ugly red that ironically now simply said Camp Blood.

“Fitting…” Annabeth muttered into her cup as she tried not to laugh again. Behind me I heard a strange sound that sounded like a weird blend of splashing and laughter. I looked over at the giggling Naiad and she immediately blushed. “Sorry Perry.” She said looking down in embarrassment.

Annabeth snorted. “Perry? His name is Percy?”

The Naiad looked up, confused. “No? Lord Dionysus told me specifically to call you by your name. Perry Johansson. He said people are always forgetting your name and he said he didn’t want you to feel forgotten on this special day. Your eleventh birthday.”

Annabeth almost choked on her drink while I turned a crimson red that almost rivalled my shirt. I looked at her for held but she simply looked down at her drink, ignoring my silent pleas.

“He was pulling your leg.” I muttered. “My name’s Percy Jackson not Perry Johansson. And do I look eleven?”

“No Lord. You most certainly do not.” The Naiad said. Looking me up and down in a manner that immediately made me uncomfortable. Annabeth noticed this too and glared at her.

I quickly tried to change the topic. “So how did you end up as a soda fountain for my birthday party?”

“Lord Dionysus chose me himself”. The Naiad replied proudly. “He said I was perfect for the job.”

“Why’s that?” I asked.

“My name is…” The Naiad started, a deep purple blush darkened her cheeks. “Coca.”

“Ohhh. That’s a… Unique name. I like it though.”

“Thank you Lord.” Coca said. Fluttering her eyelashes and edging forward towards me. “I’m glad you like it.” She was uncomfortably close to my face. So close I could smell the sick sweet smell of soda now.

Annabeth, who was seemingly done with her drink after all came over and wrapped herself around my left arm, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, she was close I could practically feel her lips on my skin. I looked down at her. She mouthed to me. “Let’s go now.” And she began to pull me in the direction of my cabin.

“It was nice to meet you, Coca.” I stammered flusteredly.

“Yep," Annabeth added dismissively. “See ya Pepsi!”

“Coca”. The Naiad replied, looking hurt.

“Whatever”. Annabeth muttered.

“I’ll see you round!” She gave me a sad wave and turned to fill another camper’s cup with a scowl.

“It’s a bit too early to sleep, don’t you think Annabeth?” I asked, stopping right outside my cabin door.

She rolled her eyes and dragged me inside, slamming the door behind us. “Yeah well I'm not planning on sleeping Seaweed Brain.” I looked her in the eyes and saw the mixture of nerves and hunger that lay beyond their grey exterior.

“Are… Are you sure we should?” I stammered, nerves getting the better of me.

“We’re eighteen Seaweed Brain. We don’t need to worry about Chiron anymore.” Annabeth whispered as she pulled me in the direction of my bed.

“It’s not Chiron I’m worried about…” I said. “If your mom finds out she’ll probably turn me into a Percy sized Hellhound treat. That’s if I’m lucky.”

I looked down at Annabeth who was eyeing me expectedly, then the bed, then Annabeth again. Suddenly I didn’t care. I wanted this. We waited long enough. We locked eyes and I knew she understood.

“Then we better make tonight worth it...” She whispered. “Now let's get you out of that shirt…”

Hours later we were curled up in bed together. Laying together just listening to the waves. It was much more enjoyable now I wasn’t alone. I watched as Annabeth slept on my chest, as peaceful as she was beautiful. I love you. I thought to myself as i watched her. Tomorrow we start our new life together. She began to snore lightly. Her little flutters of breath tickling my chest. Gods, she’s adorable. Eventually, as I listened to the peaceful sound of her breathing I drifted off.

I awoke hours later in an empty bed to the sound of screaming.

“Get help!”

“Where’s Chiron! Get Chiron now!”

I stumbled out of bed and walked over to the door. I was too tired for yet another prank on the same day. As I stepped out I heard the familiar voice of Thalia Grace screaming out at me. “Percy! Help! It’s… Oh gods… It’s Annabeth.”

"Come on Thals. I’m not falling for that twice in one day -“ I turned the corner and stopped dead in my tracks. The earlier serene and joyful campground had been completely washed away. The banners, still adjoined with my name hung lifeless from the cabins. The tree Annabeth had planted had died. No, died wasn’t the right word. It hadn’t rotted, it hadn’t fallen apart. It was just empty. The colour had been replaced by a blueish tinge of grey. It was simply gone. It was nothing more than a shell now. A memory of life.

Pain, hopelessness and misery hung in the air, so strong I wanted to fall to my knees and cry. I could smell it in the air. I felt a void grow within me, a void so deep that all that I was was replaced by one thought. Why. Life was so pointless, why try so hard when it all ends in pain. Why drag it out. Why even try.

“PERCY!” The sound of my name snapped me back to reality. “Percy get over here. Help!” Thalia cried desperately.

I looked over at her, she was at the base of the tree, kneeling over the still figure of a woman, holding her hand. Thalia’s eyes were streaming with tears.

“Percy, I-“ she started. “I’m sorry, I came out and she was like this. I don’t know what to do”.

Blood roared in my ears as I approached, every step felt like an eternity, my feet got heavier as I drew closer.

I reached her and everything stopped, time itself seemed to freeze, my world stopped spinning. Around me I could hear the screams get more frantic as more campers came streaming out their cabins, I ignored them, nothing mattered anymore. My world ended here. The ground began to rumble, cracks forming in the ground, winds began to howl. I heard screams, whether it was the wind or the campers, I didn’t care. All I saw was grey, a cold, lifeless grey. Eyes that had once been so full of life, so many thoughts, hope and dreams. Eyes that were a gateway to such an incredible soul. Now there was nothing beyond them, all they held was my reflection.

I was looking into the empty eyes of the daughter of Wisdom.

Chapter Text

Artemis:

Zeus was not a happy god. While he was a grumpy, vindictive man with a thunderous temper at the best of times. Recently he had truly spiralled in a way that had not been seen in a long, long time.

Hera said he’d been having dreams, seeing things and hearing voices. He’d frequently wake up screaming, so frequently the goddess of marriage herself had vacated their marital bed. This lead to his already overwhelming sense of paranoia growing tenfold, now believing everyone, even his own wife, is plotting against him. Apollo, being the healer he is, tried repeatedly to aid him, but rather simply brushed him off. Insisting that no does not require help from a junior Olympian. Apollo stopped offering to help after that which only fuelled father’s paranoia further.

Slowly, over the previous few months Zeus had withdrawn further and further from society. His weekly dinners with Rhea and Hera became monthly, then ceased altogether. He had completely stopped with public appearances. His vacant box at the theatre being a standout for all of Olympus. Even in the darkest of times Father made time for the theatre.

Even his beloved council has felt his absence. Previously, Zeus, being ever the authoritarian, insisted on being the first into all council meetings, no matter how trivial, he always wanted to be there, to say piece, make his decision. His grasp on power was absolute. But recently he’d been sporadically absent from the weekly council meetings. On the rare occasion he did make an appearance, he was moody, disinterested and would depart with haste the moment the opportunity presented itself. He cared little for the issues discussed, or what way the council swayed. He either would overrule everyone and demand his word be final, or he would completely tune out and refuse to even participate.

So, when he called an emergency council meeting I was surprised to say the least. Whatever the reason for it was had me concerned. What concerned me even more is I had absolutely no clue what the reason in question was. If there is one thing I truly hate, it’s being clueless.

Apollo. I realised. While my idiot younger brother was often clueless, this was an area in which he may have some insight. As much as I loathed to admit it, his contacts in the wider world were far beyond mine, and as such information travelled to him before most gods, aside from Hermes of course. But he wasn’t an option, I could never trust him to be honest with me. I sighed and resigned myself to the fact that if I didn’t want to walk into this meeting blind, I’d need my brother’s help.

I walked through my palace hallways, ignoring the rows of paintings that covered the walls. I’d hand little say in the design of this place, I hated it here. My home was the wilds, not cooped up in a stuffy palace. The sooner I leave here the better. I thought. I’d been here far too long now, normally I capped my stays on Olympus at a couple of nights, but I’d been here for five moons now, Zeus’s absences had meant we had all had to shoulder the burden his absences created. A reality I hated beyond words. I detest politics.

Finally, the tedium of hallways ended and the exit neared, I went through it and entered my gardens. Despite the ever looming stress, I allowed myself to smile. I’d not had the chance to come here since arriving on Olympus. This was the one place on this infernal mountain that I didn’t loathe. While nothing compared to the wilds, this at least came close. To my left was a small forest of pine trees, modest in size, but beautiful nonetheless. Within it was a small stream that sustained all the life that grew here. Everything from common grouse to unicorns could be found here. These woods were special, and as such all manner of animals spent time there.

I breathed in the scent of pine trees before turning away and approaching the centrepiece of my gardens. The fountain. Usually beautiful, but today an eyesore, basked in an obnoxious orange glow as the sun harshly bore down on it. Well at least I know he’s in his chariot. I thought to myself. I waved my hand, summoning the mist. “Iris, show me Apollo”.

Silence.

I tried again. “Iris, show me Apollo”.

Still nothing. 

I sighed. “Where is he?”

“He’s on do not disturb, My Lady. He cannot be reached.”

Oh I’ll reach him alright. I thought to myself as I drew my bow and glared at his stupid, over indulgent ball of gas in the sky.

“Thank you, Iris. That will be all.”

“Would you like me to try again?” 

“No, thank you, Iris. I’ll make contact with my brother myself.”

“Very well. Good luck, My Lady.” Iris said, before cutting the connection. I turned away and looked up at the sky once again. Squinting my eyes, I zeroed in on the sun. I notched an arrow, dropped to one knee and aimed upwards.

“Coordinates.” I said simply.

“λ 0 07' 12. φ 0 04' 06. Milady. Target distance, 93 million miles. Target speed. 483 000mph.” The bow replied.

I drew the arrow back, anchored myself and waited. Any second now… I followed the movement of the sun, subtle though it may be, I could see it just fine. There. I thought to myself, releasing the arrow. Within seconds it would be in orbit, seconds after that it would have gained enough speed to hit my idiot of a brother square on his stupid forehead.

Wait for it. I thought, grinning internally.

“ARTEMIS” I heard a panicked voice shriek from somewhere in the sky. And there it is. 

“Hello brother,” Distant though he may be, once I had his attention the idiot could hear me just fine from anywhere in the world “I need to speak to you at once”.

“Yes Artemis, I got that”. The aforementioned idiot muttered from behind me. I spun around expecting yet another retina frying grin. Instead Apollo greeted me with a rather unpleasant sight. Possibly the tackiest tracksuit I had ever seen. It was black, gold, yellow and purple, a mash of colours smattered together with no regard for taste. To top it off it was somehow baggy and tight in all the wrong areas, it looked highly uncomfortable, I had seen more classy outfits on Aphrodite. This tracksuit was simply... wrong. Thankfully it appeared his stupid Gucci sunglasses had not survived my arrow, as they were conspicuously absent from his face. I thanked my lucky stars for that blessing.

He spoke again, causing me to finally stop eyeing his vile costume. “That was not funny sis. I was driving. I could have crashed.”

I merely shrugged. “You didn’t though.”

“But I could have”.

“But you didn’t.”

“But I could have”.

“But you didn’t. Want an ice pack?”

“I’m the god of the sun, Artemis. No, I don’t want an ice pack.”

“You sure?” I said teasingly, holding it out for him. “That’s a nasty bump, can’t be going into a council meeting covered in bruises. God of healing and all, just looks shoddy.”

“Hmph”.

“It’s got nectar in it.” I added.

That got Apollo’s attention. “Fine,” he conceded reluctantly. “Give it here”. Snatching the ice pack from my hand with a scowl. “But this stays between us sis.”.

“Mhmm. Just like Santorini stayed between us?”

Apollo’s scowl flipped upside down as he flashed me an annoyingly punchable grin. “Hey, I was drunk. I take no blame for that. Plus you were the one who-“

I raised my hand to cut him off. “I know what I did. But your drunkness is no excuse, you’re always drunk”.

“Am not”

“Are too”.

“Am not:”

“Am not." I said, mimicking him.

“Are too”, the fool replied. Falling for the obvious bait. He frowned. “Wait…”

“Anyway,” I interjected, cutting off what was sure to be more childish quips. “Now that we’ve established you are an alcoholic. Let’s discuss the reason I called you”.

“You shot me."

I shrugged. “I tried to call you too”. Apollo glared at me but stayed silent so I continued. “Father has called an emergency meeting.

All traces of fun and games vanished from Apollo instantly. “Did he say why?”

I shook my head. “No. I was hoping perhaps you knew something.”

Apollo looked troubled. “I felt… something. Hours ago when I last crossed the east coast. But I don't think that would be reason for father to summon us."

“What did you feel?”

“I don’t know how to describe it sis… sad? I just felt empty? It’s why I was on do not disturb. I needed some time to think, it was very confusing.”

That’s concerning. I thought to myself. My brother is many things, but depressed and hopeless he is not.

“Any idea what caused it?”

He shook his head. “No clue, sis. Whatever it was, it’s gone now. I feel fine now”. He flashed me a reassuring grin which concerned me even further. While Apollo wouldn’t outright lie, he’s not above keeping things from me. It was rare, true, but on the seldom occasion it did happen, it was a bad omen. Whatever caused this, clearly had him worried. I decided to park the issue for now and focus on the matter at hand. Zeus hated tardiness, we had little time left until the council met, being late was unacceptable.

“So brother. I think we’ve wasted enough time, we have a meeting to get to.”

Apollo nodded, tossing the ice pack aside. The ugly bump on his forehead was now gone. “Race you there?”

“Sure”, I said. “You’re on. Wager?”

“If I win, can I have a Hunter?”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Not only was that disrespectful to me, my Hunters and women worldwide but well over half my hunt were Apollo’s children, though I sometimes suspected he’d long forgotten that. “Ugh, no Apollo. You are foul."

“Okay how about-“ he began.

“No.” I cut him off. “No wager. No race. You’ve ruined it. We’ll walk.”

Apollo threw his arms up in defeat. “Okay sis, whatever you say”. He took two steps forward and then began to sprint away as fast as he could manage in his poorly fitted tracksuit. To his credit, he made it further than one would expect in such a restricted set of clothes, eventually though, gravity won and he fell face first into the dirt. “Fine..." He muttered, truly defeated now. “We’ll walk.”

I raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Is that so?”

“Yes,” he replied sadly as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off. “Let’s go.”

I grinned victoriously. “I’ll follow your lead then, brother. Set the pace, I’ll follow you.” I said, gesturing for him to walk ahead of me.

Apollo looked like he wanted to say something but he begrudgingly sighed and began to trudge towards the Hall of the gods.

We made it to the meeting in good time. Only Hera and Athena had arrived prior to us which was to be expected. Hera, as Queen and an elder Olympian, was obligated to to set a good example and Athena was, well Athena. On time is late as far as that woman was concerned.

Apollo and I took our seats and waited. I for my part, kept good posture but Apollo, being Apollo slumped into his throne and began fiddling with a loose shoelace on his equally hideous shoes. How had I not noticed those before? “Nice shoes, brother” I said sarcastically.

Apollo beamed so widely the whole of Olympus lit up. “You like the Jordans? Thanks sis!! DJ Khaled designed them.”

I looked at the shoes once again in disgust. I had no clue who this Khaled man was but he deserved Tartarus for creating such an eyesore.

Apollo continued. “I managed to get every pair in the store! I got lucky, no one had snatched them up yet! I don’t know why”

Athena broke her silence and spoke. “Yes Apollo, it is truly a mystery. Though not one this council has been called to solve so perhaps we can refrain from delving down this fascinating road for now?” Athena said in a tone that made it very clear it wasn’t a question. Hera nodded in agreement and the four of us fell back into a silence, waiting for the others to arrive.

Thankfully we didn’t have to wait too long. Hephaestus arrived next, followed by Hermes, Demeter and Dionysnus. Four left. I wonder what’s keeping - the arrival of Ares and Aphrodite snapped me out of my thoughts. The love goddess' hair was a mess, his neck was covered in scratches. The pair of them were caked in sweat. Subtle. I thought in disgust. Judging by Hephaestus’s expression, he echoed my thoughts. Though he kept them to himself and merely grumbled to himself, refusing to look at either of them.

With everyone but my father and Uncle now seated, talk began. I paid little to heed to it at first as it was clearly just gossip, more talk about Poseidon ignoring his summons. Rather dull talk given that Poseidon, like the sea, was unruly at the best of times, he danced to his own tune. If he felt the matter was important, he'd have been here.

Dionysus mention something about an incident at Camp Half Blood got my attention. Some of my Hunters were there, anything that happened to them was my business.

“Dionysus”, I said loudly, cutting off the chatter in the room. “You spoke of an incident at your Camp? What happened?”

The rest of our fellow Olympians turned to face him, causing the wine god to shift uncomfortably in his seat. “I am not sure, I’ve heard conflicting reports but haven’t been down to check for myself yet.”.

Athena raised an eyebrow at this. “Reports? Do go on, I’m sure we’re all curious.” She said, gesturing around, at which several members of the council nodded their agreement.

Dionysus nodded quickly and continued, while he’d never admit it, Athena had always intimidated him. “I don’t know all the details, but I do know that many have died. Some kind of mass suicide in the night.”

At this, the hall fell silent, we were all thinking the same thing. Mass suicide carried out by Demigods? Depression rarely had a chance to fester within them, their lives were so brief and so chaotic that they rarely had time to stop and process their emotions. Though recently they’d had nothing but time.

Athena spoke again, snapping me from my train of thought. “Was this a… natural phenomenon?”

Dionysus shrugged meekly. “I don’t know, but I struggle to believe it could be. I know my campers, this is unimaginable. Just last night they were celebrating-“

Ares cut in. “You know your campers? Really Dionysus. All you know is the bottom of a bottle, though you cannot even seem to do that right these days”.

Dionysus glowered angrily at the god of war. "Don’t push me Ares, I have limited patience for your buffoonery.”

“Oh?” Ares grinned arrogantly, sensing a challenge. “And what if I keep pushing?” In answer to his question. A barbed grapevine wrapped around his ankle tightly, breaking the skin. Ares drew his sword, sliced the vine and grinned, moving to stand from his throne. “Well come on then. Bring it punk.”

Thankfully, before things spiralled further out of control, Aphrodite cut in. “Ares, shush.” Sitting him back down in an instant. “You can continue your little macho measuring contest later.” Dismissing the idiot of a war god, she turned to Dionysus. “Do you know who’s died?”

Despite my distaste for her character, behaviour and general personality. I felt for Aphrodite in the moment, despite her best efforts, she was a good mother, and she loved her children. A look of worry painted her features, a look she very rarely showed for fear of wrinkles.

Dionysus shifted in his throne. “I’ve yet to be properly briefed, but from what I've heare the death count is high and some bodies are not... easily identifiable so I do not possess all the names. But I know some. Chris Rodriguez and Travis Stoll, both sons of Hermes.”

My eyes darted to Hermes, who simply clutched his Caduceus tightly and stared blankly straight ahead. Poor man, he's lost far too many children in recent years. God or not, it never got easier.

Dionysus continued. “Katie Gardner, daughter of Demeter.”

“Oh…” was all Demeter managed. She, like Hermes, didn’t show much, but we all knew how much she loved her children. She isn’t going to take this well. I thought to myself. Her wrath will come later. She would not let this go lightly, no woman who would render the earth barren would.

Juniper, a Dryad”. Dionysus trailed on listing names. A Dryad. What a loss. I thought solemnly. They were a beautiful, pure expression of nature, the loss of even one was a huge blow for the wilds. “Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena”. I heard Dionysus say, refocusing my attention.

At the mention of Annabeth’s name my eyes snapped to Athena, she just remained in place, her face not giving away a thing. Though her body language betrayed her as she gripped the armrests of her throne so tightly I could see the whites of her knuckles. Her reaction was understandable, Annabeth was one of the greatest demigods of recent times, instrumental in not one, but two Great Prophecies. I’d always been upset that she rejected my offer to join the Hunt, she would have been a fine addition, but I respected the girl for taking her own path.

My Hunters. My mind instantly went back to my girls. “Dionysus,” I said quickly. “What of my Hunt. Thalia, Phoebe, Aleka and Katerina were all there last night.”

“You can relax, Artemis,” Dionysus said. “From what I’ve heard, they’re all fine and have been assisting with the… clean up effort”.

Relief washed over my body. Thank the gods. I’d been separated from my girls for too long, I was not ready to lose them permanently so soon after just getting them back. As soon as the opportunity presented itself I would collect them myself. Whatever was happening down there, I wanted them as far away from it as possible.

Athena broke her silence. “Well Dionysus, I’m glad you can relax. But I’m not hearing much in the ways of what your plan is moving forward. They are your charges, the camp is your responsibility.”

Anger flickered in Dionysus’s eyes. “I am well aware of my responsibilities, Athena. I do not need reminding from the likes of you. I take this matter more seriously than you’d know.”

“Oh please,” Athena said airily, rolling her eyes. “It’s been millennia since you’ve taken anything truly seriously. Spare us.”

“Has it ever crossed your mind, Wisdom Goddess," Dionysus muttered, the anger is his eyes growing tenfold. “That if father knows I care, he will cease to see my presence at the camp as a punishment. Don’t mistake my apparent apathy for a lack of caring, you are not alone in your grief. They are my responsibility. I feel each and every loss acutely.”

There was a stunned silence for several moments before Athena found her voice. “Then… forgive me Dionysus, I spoke out of turn. Emotions are… charged today.”

Dionysus nodded, his rage subsiding. “I am sorry too, for your loss.” He turned and looked around the whole council. “For all our losses-“

He was cut off by a blinding flash of light, followed by a loud series of crashes. Father had arrived.

“Thank you all for waiting,” Zeus began, taking no time for small talk or pleasantries. “So kind of you all to begin without me.”

“Husband… we waited quite some-“ Hera began, speaking for the first time.

“SILENCE!” Zeus roared. “I am speaking, wife! Do not interrupt me.” An uncomfortable silence enveloped the room, evidently there was trouble in paradise. Hera shuffled in her throne, inching as far away from her husband as she could manage.

“As I was saying…” Zeus continued. “Given that you all saw it fit to call this council into session without me, I’ll dispense with the pleasantries. I trust you have all been informed about what occurred at the demigod camp last night?”

An awkward series of ayes rang from the rest of the council.

Zeus nodded. “Good. Then I’ll get down to the matter at hand. I have it on good authority that Perseus Jackson is behind this.”

“Who’s authority, father?” Athena asked, seemingly sceptical.

Zeus sighed in frustration, closing his eyes for several moments, going completely quiet, almost as if he was listening to something. He briefly mumbled something under his breath before opening his eyes again. I don’t like this. I thought to myself. Looking around the room, I wasn’t alone in that sentiment. Nearly everyone looked alarmed, this was decidedly not normal.

Finally he spoke aloud. “My authority, daughter. Which is absolute. Are you questioning it?”

Athena, to her credit, seemed unfazed. “I am not questioning you, father. Merely the source. The idea that Perseus would harm any of his friends, let alone my daughter is very difficult to believe. The boy is loyal to a fault.”

Thunder rumbled overhead and Zeus grew visibly more frustrated. “Athena. I am certain. The source is someone I trust implicitly. You have your spies, I have mine. We are not here to debate the validity of my information, merely to decide a reasonable course of action. Personally I’m for blasting the boy from here, summary judgement.”

“This is irrational, father. At least listen to what he has to say first. You cannot -“

Zeus eyed Athena down, silencing her, for a moment I could swear his eyes, usually a vibrant electric blue, were a deep black. But when I focused my vision on him they appeared normal. “I can do whatever I like, daughter. Do not forget yourself”.

Athena held his gaze. “Out of respect for all the boy has done for us, for you, father. I implore you. Let us not rush this decision. We can bring the boy here. I can bring him here myself. There is no logical reason to simply destroy him without so much as a conversation.”

“Athena speaks with reason”. Hera added, finding her courage to speak once again. Much to my father’s displeasure. “He has done much for us and asked for so little in return. Surely giving him a chance to explain himself won’t-“

Zeus raised a hand to silence her, causing her to flinch. “I was speaking with my daughter, wife. Not you.”

Hera, albeit flustered, found her voice once again. “I am on this council just as much as-“ Zeus cut her off with a look.

“This matter is between my daughter and I, stay out of it.” He hissed.

“I am involving myself in the matter as you are being irrational!” Hera replied.

“IRRATIONAL!”

I decided to interrupt before this escalated dangerously out of control. Father was clearly unable to think rationally here. “Father…” I began gingerly. “With respect, are you certain that-“

“I am fine”. Zeus replied coolly.

I carried on. “I’m just... concerned. You have not been yourself recently, we’ve all noticed it. And what with your dreams…” I faltered, this was a dangerous path to go down and in truth I was nervous. Nevertheless I continued. “I’m worried that your haste to destroy the boy is influenced by something else.”

His eyes met mine, his gaze made me alarm bells ring in my head. It was like I wasn’t there at all, his eyes were locked onto mine, but it felt like he was looking through me. If looks could kill, I’d be dust in Tartarus now.

“Daughter”. Zeus said slowly, anger bubbling at the surface of his words. “I am not influenced by anything or anyone.” The rest of the council looked uncomfortable at his words. He was beginning to sound more and more like a dictator with every word. “It is time you realise this area of discussion is over.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Athena, wife. I will grant your request. I will hear the boy out before executing final judgement. Artemis, seeing as you are so desperate to involve yourself in this situation. You can bring the boy here.”

“Yes father.” I said quickly, not wanting to fuel the fire further.

“Good. Do not take no for an answer, use whatever force is necessary. His condition upon arrival is of no concern to me."

Zeus caught Athena’s eye, who was glaring daggers at him. “Fine, daughter. Fine! Artemis, if the boy protests, you may use force. But do not harm him. And will someone please bring Poseidon here, now is not the time for one of his little boycotts, I have questions for him too.”

Hermes rose to his feet. “I will fetch Poseidon at once, father.” Hermes bowed quickly and flashed out of the throne room.

I made to stand. “Very well, father. I will leave for Camp Half Blood now.”

“I will join her.” Athena added quickly. “I too wish to speak to the boy.”

Zeus shook his head. “You may speak to him once he is brought here.”

“He will be more receptive in private. I am going father, I was not asking.” Athena replied simply.

Zeus’s form flicked briefly, the thick stench of ozone filled the air.

“Fine, fine, Daughter”. Zeus spat. “I will acquiesce to your request for the simple reason that these discussions tire me. You may accompany Artemis and speak with him briefly, but not alone. And you are not to interfere further, the boy is to be brought here, today. Have I made myself clear?”

We both nodded quickly.

“Very well, I need to be alone. Notify me when the boy arrived.”

“Yes father.” We said in unison.

Zeus nodded before disappearing in another flash, thunder quickly following his wake.

I turned to Athena. “Are you ready?”

Athena paused for a moment before replying. “Actually, I would prefer that you stay here, at least for a short while.”

I opened my mouth to speak but Athena cut me off and continued.

“Artemis, I do not ask for much here. Give me an hour. I just need to see my daughter, and speak to the boy before you take him. He is more likely to be honest if is just I alone, and not you. An hour, no longer. Please. I give you my word, no longer than an hour.”

I looked into her eyes. Athena, usually impossible to read, was a colouring book in this moment. There was no scheme here, no master plan. She was hurting, and it was clear she was being truthful.

“Fine,” I replied. “I can give you an hour, no more. It isn’t up to me, you know this. I will wait outside the camp, father will sense me if I remain here”.

Athena nodded her understanding. “Thank you sister, truly. I will not forget this.”

“Of course. We should go now then. Father’s patience runs thin”. Proving my words true, thunder rumbled overhead.

“Very well, I’ll see you down there”.

“One hour, Athena. No more.”

Athena nodded once again and flashed away. Moments later I followed, appearing atop Half Blood Hill. I was instantly met by the loud roar of a dragon. Evidently he was still quite young. He was large, but clearly not fully mature, his scales had not yet hardened and if his roar was anything to go by, his voice hadn’t broken yet. I smiled and looked up at him.

“Hello there. You must be Peleus, Thalia’s told me about you.”

The dragon huffed and approached me cautiously, I held an outstretched palm and beckoned him closer. Warily, he tapped his head to my palm before shimmying away backwards, never breaking eye contact. I chuckled to myself. Dragons. Despite all the legends, they were very skittish creatures most of the time. He grumbled to himself as he curled up into a ball, still eyeing me, warily.

“That’s okay Peleus, you stay there. I’ll stay here? Deal?”

Peleus huffed once before closing his eyes, I could sense he was still on edge, likely not used to an immortal presence so close by. No matter. I thought. He means me no harm. I turned away and made my way to a part of the hill where the dragon has not dried out all the grass from his heat and sat down.

I wanted to enjoy the grass and the breeze on the hill for a while. Despite the events of the last day, it was beautiful here. While no part of the world was truly untouched by man anymore, this was a nice place. I could see trees for miles, I could hear the gentle splashing of the creeks deep within the woods. The animals foraging nearby, deer grazing, a mother bear returning to her den, the birds overhead, watching the world for miles.

Even the mortal roads around here hadn’t fully overrun the wilds, they were few and far between, only made for necessity, not indulgence. Excess had yet to poison this land, nature still held on here. I closed my eyes and tuned the world out. Becoming one with nature and enjoying a peaceful moment to myself, I lay back and let the breeze wash over me, carrying with it all the scents of the wilds. I smiled. Peace.

Chapter Text

Percy:

Falling. That’s the last thing I remember. Falling into a pit of nothingness. All I could hear around me was the rushing of the wind. I saw Annabeth’s face next to me looking deathly pale but she looked at me reassuringly. “I love you,” she mouthed, her voice ripped away by the harsh winds of the abyss. I tried to speak to her but my voice refused to obey. I looked down and saw what looked like a river below us. We reached the end. Yelling at it in defiance and frustration I pulled Annabeth close as the blackness rushed to meet us, holding her as tightly as I could.

I hit the water alone.

Around me, the river burst to life, cold liquid invading my lungs in an instant, forcing its way through my body. Panic washed over me, I could feel myself drowning, this was a new feeling. Whatever this water was, it was not friendly. I tried to control it but it fought me every step of the way, every push I made countered by a pull at least twice as strong. I felt its coldness work its way through my bloodstream, climbing up through my body. My brain went cold and my thoughts were numbed as the currents washed through my mind itself.

The depression hit like a tidal wave. “Just give up,” a gentle voice said softly. “I am all that awaits you. Why fight the tides of change? Embrace me.”

No. I thought to myself. This isn’t real, whatever this is, this isn’t real.

“I am very real, child. Now open your eyes and see the truth.” 

I felt my eyes being forced open, I had no say in the matter. All around me I saw the faces of all those I failed. Bianca. Zoë. Calypso. Beckendorf. Silena. Micheal. Ethan. Luke. There were so many names, so many faces, I could see them all so clearly it was as if they were truly with me. However one face stuck out above them all. Annabeth. 

I saw her leaving my bed in Cabin Three, kissing my forehead and pulling the back sheets over me to keep me warm. She walked towards the front door and threw it open. Outside was a tidal wave of shadows. I watched as they tore through her and into her, pulling her far away from the cabin and into further darkness. I watched as she thrashed around, clutching at her throat, gasping for breath, fighting for her life. Quickly, her thrashing become twitching, then she was still. The shadows receded from her body and melted into the night.

I felt my legs drive me towards her body, within seconds I was there, cradling her head in my hands.

“No, Annabeth, stay with me. I’m here, I’m here. Just stay with me.” I knew she was gone, she was too still, too cold. But I pleaded anyway.

“At least it was quick”. I heard her say. I whirled around, looking for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

I heard her laugh, such a warm, happy sound. “What are you looking for, Seaweed Brain. I’m right in front of you.”

I looked back down at her body. This wasn’t her. This was just a shell, a memory, a-

“A remnant,” I heard her say. “Just cold flesh and bone”.

Pulled her body close to mine and hugged her, she just lay there loosely, nothing more than deadweight.

“I’m so sorry, Annabeth,” I cried. “You needed me, I wasn’t there…”

“You failed me, Percy.” She whispered harshly.

“You failed all of us.” The voices of all those I failed said as one.

“No I-“

“If you had just been faster. If you had noticed my wounds.” The voice of Zoë said.

“If you hadn’t got us captured. If you hadn’t left me! I’d still be alive. Silena would still be alive!” The voice of Beckendorf bellowed.

“No… No I… I didn’t.”

“If you had truly been the hero. You could have stopped Kronos. I wouldn't have died!” The voice of Luke roared.

All around me I saw them stand and fall, each and every one of their deaths played out in front of me for spectacle again and again. Like dominoes, one after the other, they all fell. I reached desperately out to try and intervene but a strong set of arms held me in place.I turned to face my attacker and was met with my own cold eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked. Pleading with myself to let me help.

“I am you,” it responded in my voice. “This is what we do, this is all we ever do. We watch, we let the others take the fall for us. Time and time again. This is us.”

“No!” I yelled defiantly, shaking myself free and surging upwards. I broke the surface of the water and gasped for breath. I thrashed around in a panic desperately trying to reach the river's edge, to pull myself to safety. I tried to once again force the currents to obey me but the more I pushed for control, the more helpless I felt. I scanned the riverbank and spotted a startled looking man with silver eyes dressed in a janitor's uniform sitting near the river’s edge. Bob. He looked like he was… fishing? 

I waved to him to try and get his attention. “Bob! Bob help me!” I pleaded desperately. I could feel the raging current beneath me, clawing at my ankles hungrily, desperate to pull me under again.

Bob looked towards me and his eyes narrowed. “You left me Percy. You left me behind. Again.” He said in a broken tone.

“No! I didn’t want to, I had no choice!” Even as I said the words I knew that wasn’t true. I could have taken his place, I just chose not to. I chose the quest over him, I chose myself over him.

“I brought you through Tartarus himself to the Doors of Death and how was I repaid? You just left me. You left us.” Bob hissed in a whispering echo of what was once his voice.

To his right another figure stepped out of the shadows. As wide as a truck and as tall as a giraffe, he easily towered over the silver Titan. Damasen. His once kind eyes were now empty voids of blackness, transfixed onto me.

“We died for you,” They hissed in unison. “You ran and we died.” 

“No.” I managed. “I didn’t run, I had no choice.” I lunged for the river's edge in one last desperate attempt to escape but they were there in an instant, blocking off my avenue of escape. With that final effort. I leaned back and let the current take me. I couldn’t fight anymore, I hadn’t the will for it.

“He awaits you, Perseus, he awaits us all. You cannot fight the call to the void.” They chanted. Bob gave me a mocking wave and Damasen tilted his head and smiled at me as I was pulled back into the darkness again.

I clamped my mouth shut desperately trying to keep the water from forcing itself into my lungs but it was too strong. The current was like a pair of hands, it took hold of my jaw and violently opened my mouth and flooded back within me. The murkiness of the waters cleared and I could see clearly. There. Just below me was… Annabeth. I swam as fast as I could to reach her but the closer I got the faster she was pulled down.

“You will never reach her. She is beyond you now." I heard a voice say. It was a deep rumble, its sound carried in every direction. Something about it was deeply unnatural, instead of the sound being projected outward, it was like the sound was being pulled back in. A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered where I’d heard such a voice before. Tartarus. 

“Yes, little demigod. I told you once before, you had earned my attention, now it is undivided. You stole my wife, my children from me. So I will take your future. Every dream you have, every ambition, every hope, I will be there. That pit in your stomach, that little seed of doubt in your mind. That is me, always and forever. I am not my wife, I do not play games, I do not tease, I do not relish this. I simply am, I will always be. You can run, you can hide, you can fight, you can cower. I will be there all the same.”

I couldn’t speak, my body was frozen in terror, my mind blank. Just the presence of Tartarus was overwhelming. There was no fighting this, I was simply a spectator in front of him, all I could do was watch.

“Percy!” I heard a girl’s voice yell. I just tried to ignore it. I couldn’t listen to any more of this.

“Percy!” The girl’s voice shouted again.

“No…” I mumbled. “No more, no more.”

“Oi, Kelp Head! Wake up!” My world went numb as a sharp shock pulsed through my system, I felt my body regain control of itself and my senses returned to me.

I sat up, blinking groggily as I tried to focus. My surroundings felt familiar, but my vision was too blurred to make anything out clearly. Then, I noticed something above me… watching, tracking my every move. Eyes. Piercing grey eyes.

“Annabeth?”

Chapter Text

Percy:

“Annabeth.” I stammered, shocked. Blearily opening my eyes, blinking to try and focus my vision. I was in some sort of cabin. The ceiling slowly came into view, adorned with large figurines. Hippocampi, suspended and swaying gently in the breeze above me. I could smell the salt of the ocean, and hear the rhythmic lapping of the waves as they crashed onto the beach. My hand brushed the wall, its surface rough with seashells and coral. Cabin Three. I was still in camp, still in bed. Was it all just a dream? No. It all felt too real to have just been in my head, I'd had enough dreams to know the difference.

“Thalia”, I heard a woman say. “Could you give me a moment with Percy here. Go and get some rest, you’ve done enough for today. I’ll send him back to you once my business with him is resolved.” The way she spoke, there was a quiet authority behind every word, she didn't come across as demanding, yet you felt compelled to obey her regardless. She sounded familiar...

“Of course, Lady Athena.” Thalia replied. Athena? She had to be the last person I expected to wake up to. Maybe I'm still dreaming after all? I heard Thalia murmur something else, and Athena replied, matching her volume, though I couldn’t make out the words. My mind continued to race. What was Athena doing here?

I heard the sound of a door slam shut, and the sounds of footsteps rapping on the wooden floor. The silhouette of a woman appeared in my peripheral vision, my eyes darted to face her head on.

Those grey eyes, Athena really did look like Annabeth. If it weren’t for her raven hair, she honestly could be mistaken for her daughter. Though as I watched her move, the subtle differences became more apparent. She moved with a grace no mortal could ever hope to. Poised, regal and with a quiet confidence that emanated from her in droves. She moved to the edge of my bed and settled down on it lightly.

“Hello Percy.”

“Athena?” I managed weakly, still groggy.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, gently placing the back of her hand on my forehead to check my temperature, she frowned slightly as she made contact. I could guess why, my head felt like it was a million degrees. 

“Fine,” I said breathily, not wanting to show weakness in front of her. “Just a little… queasy.”

“Yes. You do look rather pale. Have some of this, it will help.” Athena said, offering me a tankard filled to the brim with some liquid I couldn’t quite identify, my vision still too blurry to see little details.

With great effort, I pushed myself to sit up and shook my head. “No, I don’t want nectar. It will just make me throw up.”

Athena laughed, it was a genuine, pleasant sound, it took me by surprise. “It’s water, Percy. Don’t be stubborn, take it.”

“Oh. Okay.” I quickly grabbed the tankard and began to gulp the water down. Until now I hadn’t realised how thirsty I was, but I was parched. 

Athena sat silently, observing me as I drank. Being under her gaze was like being watched by a bird of prey, I squirmed slightly in discomfort. Athena, noticing this of course, broke the silence. “That was quite some dream you were having, Percy. Would you like to talk about it?”

My mind flashed back to the river, the drowning, how powerless I felt. Watching all my friends die, hearing their desperate pleas for help. Hearing Tartarus taunt me. A cold shiver ran through my body as I remembered the sound of his taunts.

“No,” I said shakily, trying to inject strength into my voice. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Athena grabbed me by the shoulders, forcing me to lock eyes while her owl-like gaze pierced right through my soul. I just stared emptily back at her, I wasn’t sure what to expect. She was impossible to read. I definitely wasn’t expecting her to hug me.

“I’m so sorry, Percy,” she whispered softly as I fell into her, still partially in shocked. “I know how you loved her, and I know she felt the same.” I tried to speak but shock and grief overwhelmed me, I broke down and just slumped into her arms. How long we stayed like that, I don’t know, it could have been five seconds or five minutes. Time didn’t seem to work properly anymore.

Finally, at last we separated.

“Percy, I found this by Annabeth’s bedside, I feel that it’s only right that you have it.” I looked at her hands, choking back a sob as I realised what it was. Annabeth’s Yankees cap. “She’d want you to have this, I know she would.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. Are you sure you don’t want it?”

Athena shook her head. “I am certain, it belongs to you. Please, take it.”

I reached out and took the cap from her hands and pressed it to my face, breathing in. It still smelled like her. For a moment Annabeth and I were still in bed together, her head on my chest, not saying a word. Just enjoying the moment together.

“Thank you,” I whispered at last.

“Of course, Percy,” Athena replied simply. “Now, I wish I could say I were here simply for pleasantries but unfortunately there are other things at play here. You’ve been summoned to Olympus. For reasons beyond my understanding, my father has decided you are somehow behind last nights… incident. You are expected to meet in front of the council and face judgement.”

“I… what? I didn’t-“

“I know,” Athena replied simply. “You are loyal to a fault, and I know you would never have harmed my daughter. You would not be here right now if I thought otherwise.”

A chill went down my spine, she said that so offhandedly. We’d been talking so normally I’d almost forgotten that this was an immortal, all powerful goddess who could smite me in an instant if she felt like it.

“But if you know I’m innocent, why bring me to Olympus? I asked.

Athena sighed. “The situation on Olympus is… precarious, I fear if I defy my father on this matter, things would spiral even further out of control. He is not in his right mind at the moment.”

I shuddered, Zeus was an intimidating presence at the best of times. I could only imagine what his version of 'not in his right mind was like.'

Athena, noticing this, placed her hand on mine reassuringly. “I will not allow you to come to harm, Percy. I promise you that. I will make my father see reason.”

“And if you can’t?”

“I can.” Athena said resolutely.

“But-“

“Percy,” she said firmly. “I need you to trust me here. I have spent lifetimes counseling my father, I know how to handle him. All you will have to do is remain calm, answer truthfully and avoid provoking him. I will handle the rest. Understood?”

“Yes.” I said.

“Good.”

“So… don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you being so…” I hesitated, questioning whether I should push my luck here.

“Being so, what?” Athena asked, setting her piercing gaze back on me. I shuffled nervously, Athena had a way of looking straight through a person that would make even the most confident of extroverts wither.

“Nice..."

“Percy, I’m aware we may have gotten off on the wrong foot, to say the least-“

“You voted to have me destroyed.”

Athena nodded stiffly. “Yes, I did. But that was then. It was what I felt was the correct course to take at the time, I told you once that I believe I may have been wrong about you..”

“Yeah… I remember.” Thinking back to that conversation, exactly two years ago on Olympus. “You burned my shirt.”

Athena continued. “What I’m saying… what I’m trying to say. Is that I was wrong. Loyalty may be your fatal flaw, but I also believe it is your greatest strength. You would let the world burn to save a friend, but you would also save the world to save a friend too. The latter of which you seem to have a remarkable habit of doing consistently. You have a pure heart, a trait my Annabeth shared. Over the years as I have watched over her, I indirectly watched you too, and as such I’ve come to know you in a way. There is no doubt in my mind that you were the only man suited for my daughter and I take solace in the fact that she died knowing what it is to love, and truly be loved.”

I was stunned, speechless. Of course, Athena, being Athena, noticed this immediately.

“Forgive me, Percy. This has been a trying day. I did not mean to overwhelm you.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s okay. I just didn’t expect… that.”

Athena nodded stiffly. “Well, hopefully you now believe me when I say I will keep you safe. My daughter loved you with all her heart, you are the living embodiment of that love. I will not allow you to come to harm.”

“I do, I believe you.”

“Good. Now, I hate to do this in haste but time is not a luxury we have been granted today. Artemis is waiting for us outside camp, we have less than an hour until she will come for you. Before she does, if you would like, I can take you to see Annabeth. To say your goodbyes.”

“Where is she?”

“She’s in the infirmary, Percy. I’ve had it emptied for you, to allow you a moment of privacy.”

“How… how does she look?”

Athena smiled sadly. “She looks like she’s sleeping, Percy. If you don’t feel you can handle it, you do not have to.”

I shook my head. “No, I can do it, I need to. I want to say goodbye.”

The walk to the infirmary was a quiet one. The camp was as quiet as a library, not even the birds dared make noise. In the distance I spotted campers, rushing to and fro, busying themselves with the clean up effort. But no talking, no laughter, everyone worked in silence.

Before long we reached the entrance, beyond it I could sense the stale atmosphere. I braced myself and took a deep breath as I stepped towards the door.

“I’ll be right outside,” Athena said. “If you need me, I’ll be here.”

I nodded my thanks and stepped inside.

If I thought the campgrounds was quiet, it was nothing compared to here, you could hear a pin drop. It was stale, the colour all around me seemed faded, death hung in the air. All the beds were vacant, all that is, except for one.

Gods. I recognised the bed, it was the same one I woke up in six years ago when I was first brought to camp. The first time I thought my world had ended. Where we first met. I thought to myself. No, that's too much. I shut that thought out my mind, steeling myself, I walked over to her side.

Athena was right, from a distance she did almost look asleep. Though as I neared, the truth became more obvious. Her skin looked sickly and pale, with a blueish tinge to it, the color drained from her lips. Her fingers, half curled up into a ball. She was so still, so quiet. I sat on the bed and leaned over towards her, looking at her face.

“I’m so sorry Annabeth,” I’m so sorry.” I pressed my head to hers, shivering slightly as I felt the coldness of her body. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me and cried. She hung there limply, unmoving and cold. I allowed the tears to flow for a few more moments before releasing her, she slumped back in place. In that moment I wished more than anything I could swap places with her. I took her hand in mine and kissed it.

“I’ll see you again, one day. I promise. In this life or… the next...”

A shiver ran down my spine as the devil on my shoulder began to whisper in my ear, an idea forming in my mind. Annabeth may be gone from this world, but her soul lives on in another one. A world that if Athena was telling the truth, Zeus was more than willing to send me to. Nico. I thought. I have to find Nico. 

I looked down at Annabeth’s body and clenched my jaw. This isn’t going to be how we end. You deserve better than this. 

I pulled off my sweatshirt and placed it over her, she always liked to sleep in it and had always joked I better bury her in it if she dies. I’d always told her she’d have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. After all, it was my favourite, and only sweatshirt I owned.

“Look after this for me will you. I need to go now, but I’m coming back for you and when I do, I’m taking my sweater back.” I kissed her forehead and stood up. “I love you, Wise Girl. I’ll see you soon.”

I stepped out of the infirmary and took a shaky breath, bracing myself for what was to come. “What you have to do,” a voice in the back of my mind whispered. I calmed myself and pressed on. I can do this. 

Athena, hearing my footsteps, turned around to face me. A look of concern painted across her features. “Percy… how are you feeling?”.

“I’m okay. Thank you for giving me a chance… to say goodbye.”

“Of course, Percy.” Athena said solemnly. “Now, my sister awaits us. We should-“

“Actually,” I said quickly, interrupting her. “Before we do, I need to speak to someone.”

Athena shook her head. “Sorry, Percy. Both my father and Artemis take deadlines very seriously. Things are chaotic here, no one knows where any one person is right now, we do not have time to search up and dowm the camp.”

“Please, Athena.” I said pleadingly. “I just need to speak to Nico, it will only take a minute.”

“Oh, the Di Angelo boy? Then perhaps you are in luck, he walked by moments ago. Though you may not want to dally, he appeared to be in quite the rush.”

“Which way?” I asked quickly.

Athena gestured towards the woods. “He was heading in that direction. Go, now. But be quick, my sister will come looking for you if you delay too long. Meet me back here when you are finished.”

“I won’t take long. Thank you.”

I turned and sprinted as fast as I could towards the woods. Knowing Nico, he’d be near Zeus’ fist.

“Percy!” a familiar voice shouted as I raced through the clearing. Nico’s voice. “Where are you going?”

I spun around to face him. “Nico! Thank the gods, I’ve been looking for you.”

He frowned, confusion written all over his face. “Me? Why? What’s going on?”

“Hold on,” I gasped, doubling over. “Just… give me a second… to catch my breath.”

He looked perplexed but nodded. “Sure man, sure. Hey look… Percy. I’m really sorry about Annabeth. If there’s anything you need-“

“Actually, Nico…” I interrupted, my breath finally steady. There is. You still have influence over the Judges at the Judgement Pavillion, right?

Nico eyed me warily. “Yes… why?”

“When Annabeth arrives in the Underworld I need you to take her straight to Elysium. No judgement, just straight to Elysium.”

“What? Percy… there’s no need. She was a hero, and died like one. She more than qualifies, even Minos himself couldn’t justify anything other than-“

“I know,” I said, cutting him off. “But I can’t risk it, I need you to make certain she gets there.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why?”

I sighed. “You know why, Nico.”

“Percy… that’s impossible, you can’t bring her back.”

“I know.”

“Then what-“ Nico’s eyes widened. “Percy, no. If you do that, you’ll be trapped forever. There’s no undoing that.”

“I know, but I’ll be trapped with her at least.”

“Percy…”

"Nico," I said firmly. "I’m doing this. There’s no changing my mind.”

Nico stared at the ground quietly for a few moments, nervously shuffling his feet as he fiddled with the handle of his sword. “So there’s nothing I can say to change your mind?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

Nico sighed. “Okay, Percy. Okay. I don’t like it, honestly I hate it. But okay, I’ll make sure she gets Elysium.”

A wave of relief washed over me. “Thank you, man. Thank-“

“No, don’t thank me,” Nico said sharply, cutting me off. “I don’t want thanks for this. This is your decision, not mine.”

“Okay,” was all I managed to say. I felt bad, I really did. But I had to do this.

We watched as Clarisse, with the aid of a Hunter, carried a large, dark haired boy on a stretcher through the woods. Clarisse’s face looked puffy, her eyes red and bloodshot. She looked like she’d been crying.

“That’s Chris Rodriguez”. Nico said. “He died of his wounds an hour ago.”

Oh. I thought. That explains why Clarisse looked like she'd been crying. She and Chris had been dating for years now. I knew how she must have been feeling.

“So,” Nico continued. “When will you do it? And how?”

Thunder crackled overhead, almost in response to his question. Fitting. 

“I don’t think I’ll need to do anything. Zeus thinks I’m behind all of this.” I said, gesturing to the campers cleaning up in a distant clearing. “Athena seems to think he’s a few wrong words from blasting me, so I just need to provoke him. He’ll do the rest for me.”

Nico bit the inside of his cheek, still shuffling his feet nervously. “Well,” he said after a few moments. “That will definitely do it.”

“Yeah…” I said meekly. “Should do the job.”

We stood awkwardly in silence together. Finding the right words was hard. Was there even a right way to say I’m going to get my insane, immortal uncle to blast me with lightning so I can be reunited with my dead girlfriend?

“Well,” Nico said, breaking the silence. “If this is it then.” He stepped towards me, offering an outstretched hand. I accepted quickly and shook his hand.

“Thank you, Nico.” He opened his mouth to protest but I continued. “No, not for this. Just… for everything. I know we haven’t always been on the best of terms, but you’re a true friend.”

“Yeah…” Nico said gruffly. “Same here, I owe you a lot.”

“No Nico, we’re-“ the sound of footsteps behind me silenced my words. Athena was here.

“Forgive me, Percy.” She began. “But I’m afraid we are out of time.”

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” Nico said. “Percy, good luck.” He bowed. “Lady Athena.” Athena acknowledged him with a nod as he disappeared into shadows.

So,” Athena said. “Did you get what you need?l

“Yeah. Yeah I did. Thanks for waiting.”

“Good. Then let’s go and find my sister.”

“I’m here”. A voice called from the trees. Moments later, a blur of silver dropped gracefully to the ground, landing without a sound. Beautiful wouldn’t be doing her justice, she was ethereal. I caught my breath as she turned to face us. Her hair was up into a ponytail, not a strand out of place. Donned in black leggings and a silver tunic, carrying a bow on her back which looked built for someone easily twice her size, yet she moved like it weighed scarcely more than a feather. She was tall, at least five foot nine, and looked to be about 20. The most striking feature of all were her eyes, they were a striking silvery yellow, sharp and piercing. Meeting her gaze was like staring down a predator, instantly stopping you in your tracks, freezing you like prey. She had an aura about her, she radiated nature. Seeing her here, in the forest. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Artemis. 

My mind raced. How long had she been here? What had she heard? 

She regarded me coolly, if she had overheard anything, her face certainly wasn’t giving it away. “Percy, good to see you again. I’m sorry it’s under circumstances such as this.”

“Thank you, Lady Artemis.” I stammered, unsure what to say. If she’d overheard Nico and I, my entire plan may already be unravelling.

“So, sister.” Artemis said curtly, her face stoic, turning to face Athena. “Father awaits us, are you ready?”

Perhaps she hadn’t heard anything after all?  

“I am,” Athena replied. “Percy?”

I nodded nervously. “Yeah… yeah I’m ready, we can go.”

Athena gave me a reassuring look. “Good. Then take my hand.” Holding her hand out to me, I reached out to it, the second I made contact a brilliant flash of light engulfed us, my world spun. Once the light faded I took in my surroundings. The summer breeze and peaceful forest had been changed to something that could only be described as heaven. With golden palaces, lush parks, and streets bustling with minor gods, godlings, nature spirits and demigods. The smell of nectar and ambrosia was in the air, the sound of chatter and laughter filled my ears. It was a lively, happy atmosphere. Paradise. At least… almost. In the distance I could see a storm brewing, dark clouds slowly began to advance overhead, bringing with it the unmistakable sounds of thunder. Evidently Zeus was not feeling patient.

“Welcome back to Olympus,” Artemis said. “Let’s not delay, the council is waiting.”

Chapter Text

Poseidon:

Atlantis was on edge.

The tides of change were approaching rapidly. At first the signs were small. Fish, usually confined to one region of the world, began miraculously turning up in distant waters. Seals, typically prey to sharks, roamed in gangs and were hunting them down with unexpected ferocity. Schools of fish even began forming unions to bring down fishing boats. A rogue sperm whale even took down a tourist submersible, led by a rather foolish son of Hephaestus who was showcasing the wreck of the Titanic to some potential investors. When the whale was questioned on his motives, all he could say was “the sea told me to do it.”

Strange happenings like this were rare, and as such, easy to overlook. But now, with half of Atlantis’ minor gods gone without a trace, mermen bandits carrying out raids on the outskirts of Atlantis and long lost monsters returning from the depths. The signs were impossible to ignore, something was coming. Atlantis was on a war footing, preparing for this fate. I allowed and encouraged this. Though I, privately at least, knew it mattered very little. Fate, being the inevitable reality that pursued us all, cannot be altered or reasoned with, what would be would be.

Still, if my people insisted on preparing, then prepare for it we would. Standing in my bedroom, situated in the tallest tower in Atlantis, I gazed out over the sprawling city below. To the east, I saw Briares laboring alongside a group of Cyclopes, standing in the ruins of what had once been a grand school, now an unsightly consumption site. The building had been a marvel, towering like a titan, as tall as a modern skyscraper and as wide as a small island, with majestic columns that spiraled like coral reefs, winding up toward the sky. The stone façade had been adorned with intricate carvings of sea creatures and wave motifs, blending Greek architecture with the essence of the ocean-columns that resembled giant conchs, and archways shaped like the curves of waves crashing against the shore. It had truly been a sight to behold, a monument to knowledge that not even Athena could have envisioned.

Unfortunately, like many other buildings, it fell during the Second Titanomachy. Oceanus hated schools, he saw education as a crutch for the weak minded, and as such it was the first target of his wrath. Despite the devastation, Briares and his crew were making remarkable progress, and it seemed likely that within the year, the building would be back to its former glory, and its grand hallways would once again be filled with the sounds of children laughing.

The clash of blades drew my attention to a nearby training camp, nestled in yey more ruins. Once, the site had been home to the so-called “Hall of Great Thought.” A building commissioned by the Court of Atlantis, a pompous assembly of twelve self important fools. Fools that I unfortunately had to watch over and work with on a daily basis.

The Hall had been conceived as a place for devising great ideas. A sanctuary for the elites of Atlantean society to push forward innovation and progress. In reality, the structure stood for little more than a bastion to the court’s collective ego. Its lavish halls hosted endless banquets and parties, while the true work of governance was carried out in the Atlantean Courtroom with my palace. No one wept for its loss, not the least of which me. I used it as a perfect excuse to turn it into something of actual use, a training camp for the warriors of tomorrow to hone their skills.

My gaze shifted to the garden at the heart of the city - my magnum opus. A vast expanse of soft coral lawns stretched out, their gentle hues swaying with the currents, while elegant white marble pavilions rose gracefully from the seafloor, their columns carved with flowing motifs of waves and sea creatures. Even now, in these trying times, it teemed with life. I could make out the faint, joyful figures of families playing, merfolk leisurely strolling with their dogfish and adolescents sneaking their first, clumsy shots of nectar from behind the cover of coral groves. This was my pride and joy, it stood as a symbol of all that had been built here, a testament to the endurance of our people. And as such, it was the centrepiece and lifeblood of the city.

Overhead, a pod of dolphins streaked past, their sleek forms cutting through the water as they clicked urgently to one another, racing toward the western bank. In the distance, the urgent clanging of alarm bells broke through the otherwise tranquil hum of the city. Another bandit raid. This was the third one this week alone.

The rhythmic clash of hammer meeting steel echoed from the forges below, pulling me from my thoughts. The Cyclopes were hard at work, their labour filling the water with a steady, metallic cadence. I could hear the foreman’s booming voice barking orders, urging his men to work harder. In response, the tempo of the hammering quickened, each strike ringing out, slightly shaking the floor below me.

That’s peculiar. I realised. The forges were not supposed to be running today. As a matter of fact, I was certain I had ordered them closed, the Cyclopes had been working overtime for weeks, with little time to rest. If they pushed themselves too hard I feared they would get injured, or worse. Yet the unmistakable sound of hammer on steel continued regardless.

Before I could dwell on the thought any further, a searing flash of white-hot lightning tore through my mind, leaving a trail of blistering pain in its wake. Five simple words followed, echoing over and over through my mind.

“Meeting. You have ten minutes.”

Zeus was calling the council into session. Though after his last “emergency meeting” turned out to be simply him summoning the council to complain about a nectar shortage we had no involvement in. Needless to say, I wasn't eager to endure another of his theatrical temper tantrums. With a heavy sigh, I pushed his irritating little summons from my mind. A faint ache began to creep into my temples. Speaking of nectar...

I moved to my nightstand, grasping a nearly empty bottle. The golden liquid sloshed lazily at the bottom. Bah, running low again. Always running low.

I threw my head back and downed what remained of the bottle, my eyes watering slightly as the taste of my favourite beverage, a four hundred year old bottle of rum found on the Queen Anne’s Revenge, gifted to me by my son, hit the back of my throat. As I lowered the bottle, my eyes caught my reflection in a nearby mirror. I looked every one of my ten thousand years. Those years, especially of late, had been anything but kind. My hair, once thick and dark, was now thinning and touched with grey. The muscle in my arms had thinned, my cheeks had sunken and the healthy colour that once graced my skin had faded to a sickly pale.

I reflected the state of my realm, Atlantis was deteriorating and growing weaker by the day. Therefore, so was I. I approached the mirror and stared at my reflection wistfully, regretting the days where I took my form for granted. Complacency was a sickness even we gods were not immune to.

A powerful ripple surged through the calm waters of my bedroom, breaking the stillness. In the mirror, I caught sight of a grey haired merman. Donned in a deep blue suit that shimmered like the ocean depths, with intricate silver patterns of fish woven into the fabric that caught the light as he moved. His face was solemn, marked by the weight of his many years, with sharp features softened by age. His eyes, a kaleidoscope of colour. Mytilenian. My faithful attendant, chief of staff and loyal friend of over five millennia.

We locked eyes in the mirror and I nodded to him, inviting him to speak.

“Forgive me, My Lord, for the intrusion but Lord Triton has requested your presence in court. He says it’s urgent.”

Another summons. I thought in frustration, the life of an Olympian was a busy one.

“I thought he said he had it handled, Mytilenian. What happened?”

Mytilenian’s expression darkened. “Consus happened, My Lord. Some business about a shark.”

I sighed. Consus. One of the first Merpeople. Shrewd, conniving and stubborn to a fault, a politician through and through. Admittedly though, his brilliance was undeniable. However in recent months he’d thought it prudent to challenge me at each and every turn, becoming something of a thorn in my side. My patience for him was wearing thin.

“Shark business?” I asked.

“The topic itself is of very little importance, he’s simply filibustering, My Lord. He hopes to bait you into a discussion on his terms.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And, despite that, here you are, bringing me to him.”

Mytilenian nodded grimly. “Yes, My Lord. But this cannot go on, Lord Triton and I cannot reign him in alone and day by day, the rest of the Court are beginning to fall in line with him. I fear that if you do not step in soon, he will bring us all down.”

“Very well,” I relented. “Let’s go, we wouldn’t want to keep Consus of all people waiting.”

Mytilenian smiled shrewdly and followed my lead as we headed towards the Court of Atlantis.

We reached the entrance to the court, where two massive doors made of Atlantean steel stood. Flanked on either side, stood two merfolk warriors, each wielding a trident and net. The Retiarius, the courtroom guards. It seemed things hadn’t spiraled far enough to warrant their intervention. Not yet at least.

From beyond the doors, a voice rang out. “Quiet, boy. The adults are talking here.” A smug tone laced his words. Consus. 

“I’m almost as old as you, Consus.” Another voice spat in anger. My son, Triton. “And unlike you, I’m not so easily killed.”

“And there it is!” Consus replied with glee, clearly not intimidated by the threat. “There’s that youthful rush to violence. Come now, young Triton. Where is your spirit for open debate and reason?”

Before Triton could reply, more voices began to yell, both defending him and attacking him. I needed to get in there before things escalated further. My son was many things, but a calm man he was not. If he let his temper get the best of him, blood would be spilled.

I raised my trident high and threw the chamber doors open with a force that reverberated through the room. A sudden silence descended like a thick veil, every pair of eyes snapping to me as l entered.

The courtroom was vast, its high seashell walls adorned with intricate carvings that told the history of Atlantis. Victories, defeats, and gods long faded. In the centre of the room my throne stood proudly. A fine bit of Atlantean craftsmanship. Casted from marble, painted grey, green and white, it stood out over the other plain grey chairs in the room. Anointed in coral, it was a fine symbol of my reign, a seat of power from which I could oversee it all. Twelve members of the court sat in their designated places around the room, their expressions uneasy.

I took in the scene before me, my eyes scanning the room. Consus was to the right, his face painted with self-righteous indignation as he glared down at my son. Triton sat directly in the center, beside my throne, meeting Consus’ gaze with a calm intensity that spoke volumes of his control. It was clear I had arrived just in time. Had I waited much longer, Triton would have let his anger consume him, with Consus likely paying the price.

“Well,” I began. “Seems like you all have been having quite the debate. What, pray tell, has gotten you all so animated.”

Consus, not wanting to pass on the chance to speak, opened his mouth. But I raised a hand to silence him. “No. Consus. You stay quiet, from what I heard out there, you’ve had more than your fair say already.”

Consus glowered at me, but remained silent. Triton grinned at him victoriously before reclining back in his throne.

Neiriordan, one of the more reasonable members of the court, stood and spoke with a measured respect. “A shark off the west coast of Australia is reporting a hostile work environment, My Lord.” A few snickers broke out around him but he pressed on. “This shark went after a surfer and now the Australians have closed the beach. He’s threatening to move to Cape Town unless they reopen before the summer season begins.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration, already dreading the answer. This shark sounded all too familiar. “And what is this shark’s name?” I asked, my voice tinged with exasperation.

“Bruce, My Lord.”

I sighed. My suspicions were confirmed true, I was all too familiar with this particular shark. “I thought he went vegan after that Amity Island business?”

“He did, My Lord.” Neiriordan replied simply. “He just hates surfers.”

I was beyond words. Days such as these made me miss those few years where I was rendered mortal. No Olympian duties, no Atlantean Court, no diva sharks. Mortal life was so much simpler. I gestured for Neiriordan to sit, and turned to my assistant, who was doing his best to stifle a grin. “Mytilenian?”

“Yes, My Lord?” He asked, a trace of laughter in his words.

“Make it clear to Bruce that unless he wants to spend the rest of his life as a tadpole, he is to stop with this surfer eating business immediately. This court has worked tirelessly to lobby against shark poaching, this is the last thing we need.”

The rest of the Atlantean Court murmured their agreement.

“Understood, my Lord,” Mytilenian said as he moved from the side of my throne and towards the door. “I’ll have Delphin send word to him immediately.”

I nodded my thanks to him as he left and turned to face the court once more. “Good. Well now that’s settled, is there anything else on the agenda for the day?”

A hand went up. It was, of course, Consus.

“Yes, My Lord, there is… one other matter I’d like to discuss.”

I moved from the centre of the court over to my throne. If I was going to endure this ignoramus talking, I at least wanted a comfortable seat.

“Very well,” I sighed. “Speak.”

“Thank you, My Lord.” Consus said, his voice laced with sarcasm as he pulled a large binder out from under his seat. “I would like to propose that we make some amendments to our preparation efforts. We are slipping behind schedule.”

I rolled my eyes, we were making rapid progress, and he knew that. Still, I let him continue.

“I propose we double the guards in the western bank, shut down the park and use it as a staging ground and move Briares east.”

“But the school-“ Neiriordan began.

“Can wait.” Consus said firmly, cutting Neiriordan off. “I’ve already reopened the Cyclopes’ forges to prepare weapons for him. All that’s left to do is redeploy him.”

“So, you’re the reason the forges are operating today?” I asked in outrage. A member of my court going behind my back and defying a direct order was unheard of.

“Yes, I am.” Consus replied calmly. “Those beasts live to work, they were more than happy to reopen.

The walls around us trembled with a deep, guttural shudder as I fought to contain my growing temper, the sound of grinding stone echoing through the chamber. Seashells, dislodged by the force of the tremor, cascaded down like rain, clattering against the floor and scattering in every direction. The air itself seemed to thrum with the intensity of my frustration, the very palace itself shared in my agitation. “Consus…” I began carefully. “Was I not clear when I said I wanted them to have adequate rest. They’re our people, not slaves.”

“Yes, yes, of course. I never suggested otherwise. But the brutes don’t mind the long hours. Gods, if we took away their clocks I doubt they’d even know when to go home! We are on a war footing. We cannot waste time with niceties. They’re a tool, and we need the forges to operate round the clock or we are all surely doomed.”

“They are people! Not simply a resource for you to use to your liking. Not to mentioned they are my sons-"

“Exactly!” Consus exclaimed, brazenly interrupting me, much to the shock of everyone around him. “Your sons. Your love for them blinds you from seeing them for the chattel they are. I made the right decision, you just cannot see it.”

I gripped my trident tightly, it was taking everything within me to not smite him down on the spot. “I am in charge here… you do not get to make calls without my say so. And I was very clear on this matter.”

“You were,” Consus said dismissively. “But I thought differently. You’ve been away, Poseidon. I was the one making decisions while you and the rest of the Olympians had your little identity crisis’. I made a call, the right call. You should be thanking me, today alone they’ve produced almost four hundred new blades to serve our cause.”

“You dare-“ Triton began, baring his teeth at the smug fool. The sight of my son losing his temper was enough for me to reign in my own fury. His rage was a reflection of my own, I had to be better than this. I willed myself to focus, knowing I needed to remain in control.

“It’s okay son,” I said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Palaemon has been asking for your assistance with preparations on the western front. Go to him. I will tend to this matter alone.”

Triton hesitated, his eyes locked onto Consus with an intensity that could melt stone, his fists clenched so tightly around the armrests of his throne that his knuckles turned white. His entire body trembled with barely contained fury, and for a fleeting moment, I feared he might lunge at Consus. But, ever the dutiful son, Triton took a slow breath, visibly forcing himself to regain control. With a final, venomous glare, he rose from his throne and left, flanked by his royal guard of dolphins.

I turned to Consus, his face a mask of arrogance, every feature carefully composed to project confidence. Yet his eyes told a different story - behind their facade, fear flickered like a candle in the wind, betraying the cracks in the carefully curated composure he’d spent millennia mastering. He’d vastly overestimated his position, and he knew it.

I spoke calmly. “Consus, in recognition of your years of service, I will allow you to leave my court with your life. However from this moment on, you are hereby banished from Atlantis, and stripped of any titles, riches or property that were bestowed to you in your time here. No child of the sea will take you in, no cave will grant you shelter, you will know nothing but open water. Your remaining days will be spent as an outcast.”

Consus sneered. “Oh please, are you that afraid of me, Poseidon? That afraid of the mere challenge to your ideas?” His words dripping with arrogance, he continued. “You have not been yourself in a long time, Poseidon. I remember a time when you would lead charges against Titans. Now here you are, losing your temper over the simple matter of Cyclopes working hours.” He chuckled to himself, but there was no humour behind his eyes.

Chattering broke out amongst the Atlantean Court. I could not stand for this, such a direct challenge to my authority was high folly, and the court knew it. Consus had pushed this too far now, if I were to keep ruling effectively, I could not tolerate having my leadership questioned so brazenly. Consus needed to be put in his place, once and for all.

I rose from my throne, slamming my trident into the ground, silencing all chatter. The room became so quiet that Consus’ elevated heartbeat could be heard.

“You are right, Consus. I have not been myself recently. Perhaps, given my current form, you forget who I am. And perhaps… you are due a reminder.” I moved to the centre of the room. “All rise.”

At my words, all members of the court, Consus included, rose from their seats. I paused and observed the nervous merman. Relishing in the clear discomfort that radiated from him, all pretence of confidence was long gone. The taste of fear was in the water, a taste so strong the sharks outside the palace began to circle.

“Consus,” I continued. “My brothers and I were once presented with a similar dilemma with our father. We tried to reason with him, but he was so consumed by his one track mind, he refused to hear us out. He forced our hand, and as such we had to make an… example out of him. Now, this was well before your time, of course. But, being the proud historian that you are, I’m sure you remember the tale?”

The colour drained from Consus’ face. “My Lord, I-“

“Quiet,” I said sharply, silencing the fool. “You’ve talked enough.” I snapped my fingers and eleven scythes materialised on the greystone floor, one for each member of the court. I turned to them, their eyes wide with horror as they took in the sight of the gleaming blades. Realisation set in over them like a cold shadow as they understood what was coming. “You know what you must do.” I said to them simply.

“My Lord, surely you aren’t serious? One member of the court whispered warily. I turned towards the speaker - a slender merman, with raven hair of coral and vibrant blue eyes, a recent scar ran down his cheek. Aita. A new addition to my court. At only a few hundred years old, he was practically a newborn. Well known for his courage in battle, it was of no surprise that he be the sole member to speak up.

“I am. Consus’ insubordination has me questioning the intentions of the rest of this council. Put my mind at ease, show me where your loyalties lie.” Yet still, they hesitated. Eyes flicking nervously between one another, doubt festering in their hearts. “Do it, or unite your fate with his.” I continued icily. With that threat in the open, one by one, each member of the court picked up a scythe and began to form a circle around the now trembling Consus.

Consus fell to his knees at my feet, clutching my robes. “My Lord, I am truly sorry. I see the error of my ways now.” He pleaded. “Please, forgive me.”

I pushed him off me roughly, looking down at the pleading old man with disgust. “This is not a matter of forgiveness, this is a matter of setting an example.” I stepped back, allowing the rest of the court to completely encircle Consus.

Aita, being the sole warrior amongst them, led the assault. With one swift, practiced strike of his blade, he cleaved through Consus’ back, sending a torrent of crimson through the water. With that first barrier shattered, the rest of the court advanced towards their prey, each of them driving the blades into old Merman’s body. A terrified shriek escaped from his lungs, a desperate, primal sound - a creature’s final cry when they knew its end was near. He writhed around, curling into a ball, raising his arms to shield himself. But with that many attackers, and that many blades, it made no difference.

In seconds, a cloud of arterial red filled the chamber, raising the pitch of Consus’s screams tenfold. Through the swirling chaos, I could only make out the vague shapes of blades rising and falling, each strike more brutal than the last. The scene became a grotesque symphony, the water thick with blood and the air heavy with the sound of his ever weakening cries.

“One thousand pieces,” I said, as I watched the cloud darken to a deeper red. “I want one thousand pieces, not one less.”

The attacks resumed with a savage intensity. Aita, standing near the head, brought his scythe high before bringing it down on Consus’ neck, silencing his screams for good. He turned to me, his eyes wild, looking at me expectedly. I shook my head. “Keep going.” A flicker of hesitation shimmered across his face, but resolutely, he nodded and turned back to the mutilated body. With a guttural cry, he brought the scythe down again, then again, each strike fueled by anguish and resolve.

Before long, Consus’ body was reduced to little more than chum in the water. The wet, sickening sound of blade slicing flesh gave way to the dull scrape of steel meeting the seafloor, echoing in the sudden stillness that followed.

Aita was the first to step back, his scythe slipping from his trembling grip. One by one, the rest of the court followed suit, their wide eyes fixed on the shredded remains floating aimlessly around them. The weight of what they had just done began to settle over them, their faces etched with a mix of horror and disbelief.

Lesson learned. 

“Am I… am I interrupting?” A hesitant voice called from the near chamber doors. I turned to face it. Hermes. He would not bring myself to my palace uninvited unless it were truly important. I watched as he cautiously swam toward me, his eyes drifting to the gruesome remains of Consus and the bloodied scythes still clutched tightly in the Court’s hands. A flicker of shock crossed his face. Though, to his credit, this was quickly suppressed. His composure returning as he stopped a few feet from me

I fixed my gaze on Hermes, holding it just long enough to silently signal for him to wait. Then, I turned to the remaining eleven members of the court. “Leave us,” I commanded, my voice cutting through the room like a blade. “This court is adjourned for the day. I wish to speak to my Nephew in private.”

Wordlessly, one by one, each member of the Atlantean Court laid down their scythes beside their slain comrade’s remains, the metallic clang reverberating through the chamber, each sharp sound making several of them to flinch.

“No,” said firmly. “Take the scythes home with you, mount them to your walls. Let them stand as a reminder to you all of what happened here today.”

For a moment, all members of the court hesitated, uncertainty flickering in their eyes. But one sharp look from me was all it took to quash that. Without a word, they each retrieved a scythe and swam away as fast as their tails would carry them, their departure accompanied by the faint murmur of hushed conversations echoing down the corridor. I remained silent, waiting, listening, as the noise faded into nothingness. Finally, when only the soft creak of the closing doors lingered in the water, I spoke again, breaking the silence.

“Hermes,” I said curtly. “I certainly wasn’t expecting a visit from you today.”

“It’s about your son,” he replied, his tone grim. “He’s in trouble.”

“Triton?” I asked, my mind racing. Wondering what trouble he’d gotten himself into this time.

“No,” Hermes said, shaking his head as his fingers tightened nervously around his caduceus. “Percy.”

The ichor in my veins went cold. “Is he-“

“No,” Hermes said hastily. “No, he’s not dead. But I worry if you don’t get to Olympus soon, he will be.”

“Is he there already?”

“No,” Hermes shook his head quickly. “According to my children, he’s still at camp. However he’ll be on Olympus any moment now.”

“What happened? Today is his birthday. He can’t have gotten himself into too much trouble, surely?”

Hermes looked at me with a sad expression. “Something happened at the camp. Many campers died, and many more were injured. Father seems to think Percy is responsible, though he refuses to explain why. Personally, I find it hard to believe. His girlfriend was among the dead. And I saw the way he treated her. Gods, he fell into Tartarus for her - he’d never harm her. It goes against his very character.”

Oh Percy. That poor girl, I’d met Annabeth a few times now, and had come to know her rather well. Percy had insisted I allow her to come to Atlantis, saying how she loved architecture and how it would “blow her mind” to see the city. I was wary, given that she was a daughter of Athena, but eventually I relented. I was glad I did. She was a delightful young girl, a bright spirit full of many ideas for improvement. After all she’d endured, she deserved so much better.

“Poseidon?” Hermes asked cautiously. I realised I’d gone completely silent.

“So, I presume my brother sent you?” I asked, reigning in my emotions, my tone blunt, but measured.

“He did,” Hermes admitted. “But I’d have come anyway. I owe Percy that much. He risked his life - more than once - trying to save my Luke. Coming here was the least I could-“

The sound of the chamber doors opening silenced him.

“Forgive the intrusion, My Lords. But this is urgent.” Mytilenian stammered as he entered the room, his eyes wide, face pale. Ever the stoic, it was highly unlike him to be so visibly distressed. “Lord Pontos has requested your presence immediately.”

At the mention of the Protogenoi, Hermes’ face darkened. I could hear the sound of serpents hissing coming from his Caduceus. He was shuffling nervously, like a thief caught red handed. Down here, he was quite literally out of his depth and he knew it.

“Sire?” Mytilenian asked again.

“Tell Pontos I will meet with him upon my return, my son needs me.” I replied quickly, my voice low. Hermes looked deeply uncomfortable, but remained silent. A tension lingered in the water around us. We all felt it.

“Sire…” Mytilenian began, choosing his words deliberately. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

I wasn’t. Pontos was not someone you told to wait, the sea was not known for its patience. But this was my son. I couldn’t allow him to die.

“I am, tell him I’m sorry, but this is truly a matter of life or death. I have to be there for Percy. I will meet with Lord Pontos as soon as I return.”

I could hear the oceans’ displeasure at my words, the waters around us churning with relentless, primordial energy. Their words were invisible to Hermes and Mytilenian, for they lacked my deep connection to the ocean itself. But I could hear them clearly. “Mistake,” they hissed, their voices a chorus of a thousand drowned souls. “A fatal mistake.”

Mytilenian, oblivious to their words, simply inclined his head respectfully. “Very well, My Lord. I will await your return. Lord Hermes.” He said as he bowed to the messenger god. Without another word, he left the courtroom and swam down the corridor, disappearing through a nearby door that led towards a nearby reef. I could tell he was nervous, I didn’t blame him. But I had little choice here, I’d be damned if I let my idiot younger brother vaporise my only living demigod son over some fiction his ever growing paranoid mind had concocted.

“Well then,” Hermes said nervously. “It seems we’re out of time, we should go.”

I nodded, summoning the currents to take us away. Moments later we were in the throne room on Olympus, I looked around. Percy was nowhere to be seen. The only vacant thrones, besides the ones of Hermes and myself, were Artemis’ and Athena’s. Presumbly they'd been sent to collect my son. Oh Percy. I thought to myself, a wave of worry washing over me. What have you gotten yourself into? 

A low electric crackle brought my attention to the centre of the room. I met my younger brother’s eyes as he regarded me with open disdain. “Well, Brother.” Zeus spat, his master bolt at his side chattering hungrily. “So kind of you to finally join us.”

Chapter Text

Percy:

Being led to your execution is a funny feeling. Taking a step, knowing it’s one closer to being your last, breathing, knowing that each breath is limited. It’s weird. This was not my first time on Olympus, it wasn’t even the first time I thought I’d die here. But knowing I was going to die was an entirely different feeling, and it doesn’t exactly feel great. I’d made my peace with the fact I had to die, but I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the process ahead I'd need to go through to get that way.

As I followed Artemis and Athena towards the door to the throne room, I felt my heart begin to race. Athena, sensing this, gave me a reassuring smile.

“Percy,” she asked. “Would you like a minute?”

“No,” I shook my head. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Athena nodded, allowing me to take the lead as we walked towards the doors. As we neared, they swung open. The throne room was a far cry from the bustling streets and laughter outside beyond the doors, in here you could hear a pin drop. It was as if all the life had been sucked out of the place.

The ceiling, typically a vibrant tapestry of shimmering constellations set against a bright azure backdrop, now loomed dark and foreboding. Its hue had deepened to an almost impenetrable void, swallowing the room in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. The stars that once danced across it had been snuffed out, leaving only shadows in their wake.

The air, thick with tension, felt thin and hard to breathe. I forced myself to take a deep, steady breath as I made my way towards the hearth at the centre of the room. It burned low, its usual warmth absent, Hestia was nowhere to be seen. Her absence leaving the fire lifeless, and the room eerily hollow.

I spotted my father sitting on his throne, nervously rapping his fingers along his trident. He looked different, older, but I would recognise him anywhere. We locked eyes and he gave me a reassuring nod. I could sense the ocean emanating off him, bringing with it a peaceful sea breeze. His presence calmed me and my panicked heartbeats slowed.

I considered moving towards my father, but Zeus, almost as if he could read my mind, shook his head and gestured with his master bolt for me to step in front of his throne. The casual way he wielded the weapon made several of the Olympians flinch; the master bolt was not just a symbol of his power, it was a weapon even gods feared.

I stepped forward and stood before the king of the gods. Zeus, seeming to relish in my discomfort, took his time before finally speaking.

“Thank you, daughters, for bringing the boy here.” Zeus said, nodding in thanks to Artemis and Athena. “Now, we may begin proceedings.”

“Good,” Ares muttered. “I’ve been waiting to put this little runt in his place for six years now.”

“Unfortunately,” Athena began. “You’ll be waiting quite a while for that day, Ares. Percy is innocent.”

“Hmph.” Ares said, disbelieving. Visibly annoyed that operation blast Percy wasn’t going how he’d hoped.

“Daughter, if you have a theory, by all means, the floor is yours,” Zeus said, his voice weighty with authority, motioning for Athena to speak.

“It is more than a theory. I spoke with Chiron, he allowed me to examine some of the dead. Each and every one of them had a symbol carved onto their flesh, right behind their ear. It is something of a brand, a mark of possession. Powerful, ancient magic. There’s no mistaking it.”

Zeus looked uncomfortable, like a thief caught red handed, scratching the back of his head, drawing a raised eyebrow from Athena, though she said nothing of it.

“Athena?” Apollo asked warily. What was the mark, what did it say?”

“Ahem,” Athena said, clearing her throat. She spoke in a harsh, sharp tongue. The words sounded ancient, a remnant of a bygone era, a time perhaps older than the gods themselves. Even my Ancient Greek tuned brain couldn’t understand. The noises scarcely sounded like words at all.

The council shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Whatever Athena had said, clearly had them worried. All of them that was, except for one.

“Nonsense,” Zeus said dismissively. “What Athena suggests is impossible. Tartarus cannot walk the earth, powerful though he may be, he is confined to the pit.”

“It is the only explanation,” Athena said simply. “I was at the camp, father. I know what I sensed, the call of the void is undeniable. We’ve all spent time in his domain at some point in our lives, I know many of you can sense his presence too.” Several members of the Olympian council shuddered. Zeus remained motionless, simply observing his daughter, stone faced.

“Are you certain?” Poseidon asked. “I obviously do not believe for one moment this was Percy. But this is… unheard of..”

Athena looked at her long time rival stoically. “As certain as I am that you are sitting right in front of me, Poseidon.”

“I felt it too,” Artemis added. “As soon as I passed the boundary to camp, I felt his presence, it was so strong even a mortal would sense it.”

Zeus let out a low, irritated sigh, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. “That… may be so. But it does not exonerate the boy. If what you say is true, then dark forces are indeed at play, and as we all know, demigods make fine instruments for violence. Why, we have used the boy to that end ourselves many times.”

A murmur of agreement rippled from the Olympians.

“Father!” Athena exclaimed. “Why are you so determined to deem Percy guilty of these crimes? As you have just admitted. He has served our cause countless times.”

In a display not seen in millennia, Poseidon, speaking for the first time, agreed with the wisdom goddess. “Brother. I’m inclined to agree with Athena. I see no evidence of his guilt. After all Percy has done, this is not right.”

Zeus scowled. “I do not dismiss the service he has rendered to us in the past. For which, let us not forget, this council rewarded him generously. However, he is one of only three mortals - two of whom still live - who have survived the pit. How are we to know what happened down there, the sole other witness is dead.

“He’s got a point,” Ares drawled. “Mortal minds are fragile, pit boy and that Annie kid could have easily lost their noggins in the hole.”

“Annabeth,” Dionysus muttered, regarding his half brother with loathing. “Her name was Annabeth.”

“Whatever,” Ares said. “I still say we destroy him.”

Athena eyed the god of war down. “We are not destroying the boy.”

“I lost three of my kids because of the little punk!”

“And if you touch my son, you will lose the rest of them.” Poseidon said coldly, staring down Ares, daring him to challenge him. Ares refused to meet his gaze.

“Enough!” Zeus roared. “Poseidon, Ares, Athena… enough! I have a simple solution here then, young demigod. Swear on the River Styx that you are innocent. Swear it, and I will let you go immediately.”

The Olympians all looked at me expectedly, but my eyes were locked on Zeus in horror. His form flickered, cold demeanour vanished for a moment, instead being replaced by a look of pained confusion. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same unfeeling expression. Something was wrong, I'd seen this before, Zeus was being possessed. 

My blood went cold as I realised who I was looking at. The devil on my shoulder, the insidious voice that had haunted my thoughts, whispering ideas of reunion with Annabeth. It had been him all along. Tartarus. 

I didn’t want to be here, I didn’t want to die. I just wanted to be at home, to see my mom.

I looked around at the council desperately, silently pleading with them to notice what was standing right in front of them. But it was hopeless. Tartarus’ presence loomed over them all like a storm cloud, preying on their baser selves. Aphrodite became enamoured by her own reflection in a spotless mirror she held in her hand, while Hephaestus, ever the longing husband, pined after his wife with a look of silent despair. Apollo and Artemis were locked in a heated sibling squabble, their voices rising as they traded barbs. Across the room, Hermes, true to his nature, was fiddling with the clasp on Ares' Rolex, the war god too engrossed in a loud argument with Dionysus to even notice.

The only gods seemingly untouched were the elder Olympians and Athena. The latter of which sat silently observing, her wide eyes darting from one Olympian to the next as all around her, the council descended into chaos.

I turned to my father, behind his eyes, a tidal wave of emotions. Tartarus had a way of weaving his lies into your thoughts in such a way that seemed like your deepest truths, for who doesn’t trust the sound of their inner consciousness? From the way my dad was looking at me, I could tell Tartarus was whispering to him right now, twisting his thoughts, planting the seeds of doubt. It was no wonder he’d been so uncharacteristically silent through the proceeding, he’d been having an entire conversation in his mind.

A shiver ran down my spine as I realised just how powerful Tartarus truly was. Here he was, not even in his true form, and he had Olympians eating out of his hands. I felt so vulnerable, I’d never felt so alone, so hopeless.

Slowly, he raised an open palm and silence followed. Gods. The level of control he has over them. It was more than mere power, it was domination, a power that bent even the strongest of wills to his whims.

“Well, boy? Prove your innocence.” Zeus- no, Tartarus said mockingly, a ghost of a smirk dancing on his lips.

I tried to reply, to say anything in response, but my voice betrayed me. It was like my throat was being clamped shut by an invisible force. I was powerless.

“Why so quiet? Cat got your tongue?”

I felt a stabbing pain in my skull, as a voice, my own voice, spoke to me silently. “Just confess. Confess, and I will grant you peace. The alternative is far messier, you have lost enough loved ones. Confess, and you will be the last death.”

I felt the invisible coils around my throat loosen, their grip on my voice finally gone. “I want to confess.” My words came out hoarse, barely more than a whisper. “I did it, I killed Annabeth and the rest of the campers.”

An array of reactions rippled through the gods’ faces. Aphrodite and Dionysus looked heartbroken, Ares and Apollo exchanged surprised glances, Hermes looked furious, I didn’t blame him, he thought I’d taken more sons from him. Hera and Demeter, ever composed as elder Olympians, remained stoic. Artemis looked like she wanted to shoot me. Athena’s sharp eyes bore into me, disbelief written across her face, as if she couldn’t reconcile what she’d just heard. Poseidon just sank into his throne, hurt painted all across his face at me blankly, my heart sank to depths not even he could reach.

Zeus' features twisted into a grotesque smile, Tartarus' glee spilling through like a puppet master yanking the strings. “The truth will out. There we go then! Now, I think we’re all in agreement about what to do next, no need to waste time with a vote.”

“No!” Poseidon bellowed. “If my son is truly guilty of these crimes, then I agree, he deserves punishment. But I ask you brother. No, beg of you. I am his father, allow me to question him myself, he may still know something that would be of use to this council.”

I could see the conflict in his eyes, he was still hurt, but doubt lingered within him. A part of him still believed me, or at least desperately wanted to.

I heard Tartarus whisper in the back of my mind once again. “Convince your father, else this will get messy. I have already claimed Zeus, Poseidon will be no obstacle.”

Panic wracked my body. Zeus seemed so empty now, nothing more than a shell, an echo of who he once was. I couldn’t let my father end up like that. “Dad,” I stammered, the words catching in my throat. “I’m sorry… but I did this.”

“Swear on the Styx,” Tartarus whispered in my head. “The river goddess will not move against me. She will overlook this one broken oath today.”

I processed his words. Even if he was deceiving me, it made no difference. I was going to die here, it was just a matter of who else would have to join me. I couldn’t let that happen to anyone else I cared about. I looked at my dad, desperately wishing I could tell him the truth. But for his sake, I couldn’t. He needed to believe the lie.

“I, Percy Jackson, swear on the River Styx that I… killed Annabeth Chase and the rest of the campers.”

I could see Poseidon’s heart break, the flicker of hope that danced in his eyes, snuffed out in an instant. “Son… why?” He said weakly, his eyes watering.

Tartarus watched as Poseidon’s head fell into his hands, his face remained stern, but I could see the subtle shift in his posture. He was smiling internally, having finally convinced my father of my guilt. I watched as Tartarus rose to his feet unsteadily, his movements jerky and unnatural, like a marionette pulled by unseen strings. His face flashed with a feeling a being like him was not accustomed to. Pain. Zeus was still in there somewhere, defiant as always, fighting hard for control. But then, just as quickly, he was gone. Tartarus had regained control. He stood tall, his composure eerie in its elegance. With unsettling calm, he leveled the bolt at me. He tilted his head slightly, smiling. He was enjoying this.

Athena remained still, clenching her jaw, her piercing gaze fixed on her father. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she began to put together a theory. Poseidon stayed where he was, head in hands.

The smell of ozone filled the air as the master bolt crackled to life, making my hair stand up on end. I could hear the bolt whispering to me, promising me a thousand deaths, aching with trepidation to erase me. It was more than just a tool in his hands. It was the storm incarnate, a sentient tempest, alive, aware and hungry.

A bright light engulfed my vision, I felt a burning heat fill the room, my body went numb. Athena let out a silent scream, rising from her throne, summoning a spear and rushing towards Tartarus. And then… nothing.

Chapter Text

“Number 101982005 you’re up!” A ghoulish voice barked over a strange speaker somewhere above me. “Move it blanky!” I felt something smack into me from behind and I shuffled forwards towards a pair of towering metal doors, they looked to be crafted from some kind of strange, dark iron. I wasn’t sure where I was or where I was going, I wasn’t sure of anything. All I knew was that I was Underworld resident number 101982005 and I was up next.

Two Skeleton guards strapped with M16 Assault Rifles took a hold of each of my arms and led me into a makeshift courtroom. It was a musty old room that smelled like the inside of a church, damp and poorly lit, its only light source being a strange red light emitting from somewhere miles above us in the clouds. At the end of the room sat two men in flowing black robes elevated above the courtroom of bones in midnight black chairs. They appeared to be playing a game of catch with a gavel made of human bones. Noticing me, they composed themselves, putting on their serious faces and turning to look at me.

“Name?” One of the judges asked. He was a balding man who looked like he smelled awful when he was alive. His clothes were unnaturally brown rags pieced together sloppily. He looked bored but there was a sparkle of intelligence somewhere behind his eyes. He was William Shakespeare, famous playwright, poet and of course, Judge of the Dead. Naturally I didn’t know this. I didn’t know anything, not even my own name. I just looked up at the two men, vacant and emotionless.

“Oh for the love of… Thomas! This one is still blank!” Shakerspeare exclaimed impatiently.

The judge to his left - a wrinkled old man with long, white hair - peered at me curiously, his sharp eyes narrowing as he examined me. Presumably, this was Thomas Jefferson. “So it seems, Guard!” he barked, his voice surprisingly strong despite his frail appearance. “This one’s still blank. Put his memory back in!”

One of the Skeleton guards came over and his jaw began to rattle as he spoke to Jefferson in a strange chattering language.

“Again? Seriously Cadaver? I’m disappointed. I expected this from Carrion but not from you. Go to the server room and get the backup.” Cadaver went down a shadowy hallway while the second guard, presumably Carrion, looked down at the floor in shame.

Jefferson looked at me apologetically. “Sorry about this, it appears our staff have lost your memory. Not to worry, we have backups just in case. Cadaver will be back soon and we can get started. Gods… This keeps happening. Ever since that damned Charon got his pay raise, our security teams have been on strike demanding equal pay for all. They’re skeletons, what would they even spend the money on.”

Carrion’s chattered something to him, causing him to pull a face. “No, Carrion! You don’t need your teeth whitened again!” Thomas sighed and turned back to me. “As you can see, the few staff that remain aren’t exactly the brightest bones in the coffin. We’re down to nothing more than a Skeleton crew now...” Jefferson looked down for a second, thinking about what he had just said before a slight smirk painted itself across the old man’s face. “Ohhh that’s a good pun actually! Write that one down, William!”

Shakespeare nodded eagerly and began to frantically write on a piece of parchment, the sound of quill scratching on paper filled the room.

Wait…” The playwright said. “How do you spell, skeleton? With a one C or two?”

Thomas sighed heavily, rubbing his temples in frustration. The two of them began to bicker. I stared emptily ahead, listening to them squabble as I waited for Cadaver to return with my memories. I stood like that, blank and motionless for some time. Abstract thought was impossible right now, let alone grasping the passage of time.

After what could have been ten seconds, or ten hours, the skeleton returned holding what looked like a flash drive made of human flesh. He prodded me in my ear and my memories came flooding back to me all at once, it was almost overwhelming, my head that was once deathly silent was suddenly filled with an orchestra of thoughts all screaming to be heard at once. It was deafening. I fell to my knees as my thoughts consumed me. Jefferson and Shakespeare turned away from me unconcerned and began chatting idly, clearly this was just another day at the office for them.

I saw the Princess Andromeda explode. I saw Luke fall to the ground in agony. I heard Annabeth cry out for help as she lay in the dirt, dying, I saw Zeus raise his bolt and I watched myself burn. Every forgotten memory, every trivial thought, every emotion I’d ever felt all hit me at once. A whole life lived, processed in a second.

I fell to my knees, clutching my head, screaming in pain. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, celebrate or mourn. I felt everything at once and it was overwhelming. I felt a bony hand grab my hair, sharply yanking my head up as another flesh drive was inserted in my ear. Suddenly… calm. A strange feeling of acceptance passed over me, a feeling of tranquility. I was dead, and that was okay, I was at peace with everything. I held no grudges, had no pain, no lingering resentment. I’d lived my life and now it was over, all that mattered was the here and now. Whatever it was they’d injected me with was a hell of a drug.

Having gotten a hold of myself, I felt the skeletal hand release me. Shakily, I rose to my feet and looked back up at the judges. That’s when I saw him. A pale man draped in a flowing purple toga. His eyes, though faded with age, were still strikingly blue. He had jet black hair combed to perfection, though it looked oily. His features were undeniably regal, high cheekbones, a proud jaw and a skin complexion that could only be the result of generations of royal inbreeding. It was clear this man was a king, or at least thought of himself as one. Almost as if to prove my point he took a seat half a foot higher than the other two judges. Both Jefferson and Shakespeare scowled as he sat on his chair… no, throne. 

The feeling of calm I’d had moments ago was replaced by one of impending doom as I realised I knew him. I was looking at the not so honorable judge King Minos himself.

“Name?” Minos asked in an uninterested tone, clearly not having clocked who I was just yet. Maybe he’s forgotten me?

“Perseus Jackson,” I said quietly, swallowing the lump in my throat. Minos’s head shot up instantly, his stern features broke into a twisted smile. The Ghost King couldn’t believe his luck.

“Guilty!” Minos exclaimed, eyeing me with glee. “I move that we send him straight to Tartarus. Put him next to Koios, he gets bored down there. Let’s give him something to toy with.”

“For what crime?” Thomas Jefferson asked, Minos’ demeanour evidently confusing him.

Minos gave me the evil eye before pulling a device that resembled an iPad out from below his desk. It had a shadow like smoke for a screen and where there would normally be an apple logo, there was a logo of a silver fury instead. I shuddered, for a moment I thought I could hear the flapping of wings overhead.

Minos began to swipe right frantically as he searched for something evil I had done in my past that could justify damning me for eternity. “No. No. Boring. Nope. Crap. Seen it. Done it. Ohhh…” Minos said, grinning from ear to ear. “I have a note from Perseus' teacher here!”

My heart dropped. If anything were to justify sending me to Tartarus, it would be a note from a teacher. I was not exactly a model student.

“Everyone turn to document three, article seven.” Minos ordered. Jefferson nodded meekly and began to swipe on his tablet in boredom. Shakespeare just sighed in frustration, cursing the impracticality of modern technology as he gestured frantically to Minos for help.

Minos looked over at the playwright and rolled his eyes.

“Gods above, William. You really need to learn how to use a Deathpad.” Minos peered over Shakespeare's shoulder and groaned. “No, William. That’s Angry Birds. Just hit that button.” There was a dull thud as Shakespeare brought his fist down on the tablet. “No, William, I didn’t mean actually hit it! You just need to tap the screen. Nope, that’s the off switch, not the screen. Argh!” Minos sighed in exasperation. “Just give me the Deathpad William.” Snatching the tablet from Shakespeare, the ghost king scrolled for a few moments before handing it back. “There we go William. Now, just… don’t touch it alright? Good. Now, where were we? Ahh yes! A note from Perseus’ teacher.” Minos rubbed his hands together with glee as he cleared his throat.

“Here we go, Perseus Jackson has repeatedly shown himself to be undisciplined, disrespectful and severely lacking in work ethnic. His juvenile antics have not only affected his grades but the grades of his peers as well. Since Perseus has joined Yancy Academy our school's GPA has fallen by a whole two points. On top of that he has been caught on multiple occasions bullying one of our school rising stars. Nancy Bobifit. I have even caught him physically attacking her on one occasion. I’m beginning to worry for her… As well as our entire school’s safety. Just last week on our field trip he attacked me with a pen.”

Minos started scrolling down quickly reading out the highlights of my letter. “Fights… Missing teachers… Stolen lightning bolt… Why, this note reads like a rap sheet. Need I go on?” Minos continued to scroll, savouring every word he read. Eventually he reached the bottom and he burst out laughing.

“Why, this note is from Alecto herself!” Minos cackled giddily, he looked like a child who just found out Christmas came early.

“Perseus Jackson.” The ghost king said. “Step forward please.”

I stared at Minos in defiance, silently refusing to move. If he was going to railroad me, I couldn’t stop him. But I wasn’t going to let this creep boss me around. Minos eyed me down for a moment before sighing and waving his hand, an invisible force dragging me along the cold stone floor towards the feet of his desk. Behind me I could hear amused chattering from the skeleton guards. If I hadn’t been a ghost, he’d have broken my nose. Still, it hurt.

“How do you plead?” Minos asked, almost breaking into another fit of laughter as he watched me stumble to my feet, scowling at him.

“Well… I…”

“That’s enough from you Perseus.” Minos said as he silenced me.

“But I never even...” I said in confusion.

Minos cut me off again, raising his palm at me with a look of disgust. “See Thomas. Look at this blatant lack of respect he shows to our prestigious court. I think we’ve heard enough, don’t you?” Minos asked, nodding his head quickly and speaking again before his colleagues could even open their mouths. “I propose eternal damnation in the pits of Tartarus for the crime of… What does that say, William?” Minos asked, showing his screen to the playwright.

“Tardiness.” Shakespeare said, rolling his eyes. “It says he’s been given detention for tardiness.”

“Thank you, William. Sorry, Perseus.” Minos said in a tone that was clear he was anything but sorry. “Alecto doesn’t have the greatest handwriting in the world.” Somewhere overhead I heard a furious shriek, making all three judges jump out of their skin. “Sorry!” Minos said quickly. “Sorry Alecto. I’m sure I’d struggle with a pen as well if I had claws for fingers as well.”

Thomas peered over at the note on Minos’ screen.

“She typed it, you just can’t read.” The poet muttered with a scowl.

Minos waved his hands dismissively. “Semantics my dear Thomas, semantics. Now, let’s return to the matter at hand.” Minos snapped his finger and raised a piece of yellowed parchment up and pretended to read from it with great conviction. “Perseus Jackson. For the grievous crime of Tardiness I sentence you to eternal detention in the pits of…”

“No!” Jefferson said loudly, cutting off the King. “This is not justice, I will not stand for this!”

“But it would be good theatre.” Shakespeare replied. “Koios is a wonderful showman, I’m sure he would make good use of the boy. I agree with Minos.”

Thomas scowled. “He has the right to a fair trial, the sixth amendment is very clear-“

“Your silly bill of rights doesn’t apply here, Thomas. “Minos interjected. “How many times must we go over this!”

“But it should, the constitution is the greatest collection of words man ever put to paper!”

“Hey!” William exclaimed, genuinely looking offended. “I wrote Hamlet!”

“Enough!” Minos said sternly, silencing them both before they began yet another debate. “If we can’t agree, we will simply put it to a vote. All in favour of sending the boy to Tartarus, raise your hands.” Minos raised his own hand, Shakespeare followed suit.

“But-“ Thomas began, before being silenced with a sharp look from Minos.

“Sorry. Thomas.” Minos shrugged, raising his gavel and eyeing me with glee, the corners of his lips curled up into a cruel smile. “Seems that it’s two against one. Take him away!”

I turned towards the skeletal guards, bracing myself for a fight. But it didn’t come, the skeletons remained still.

“I said take him away!” Minos screeched. “Obey me! Don’t make me bring your union rep down here again!”

“Uhh, Minos?” Thomas began.

“Not now, Thomas.” Minos said dismissively, staring at the undead guards furiously. “What are you fools waiting for! You may not have ears but I know you can hear me!”

“Minos?” Thomas asked again. “You might want to look at this.”

“What?” Minos sighed exasperatingly. “What do you want?”

“This,” the Founding Father said, handing the Ghost King his deathpad. “It says he’s been reserved.”

“Reserved? Reserved by who?” Minos growled, peering down at the screen. When he saw what it said he erupted into laughter. “Why, you’ve been reserved by Lady Styx herself!”

William scowled at the mention of the river goddess. “She has zero appreciation for fiction.”

“That is true, William. But something tells me Styx has some fine theatrics in mind for young Perseus here.”

At the mention of theatre, Shakespeare grinned. “Can I watch?”

Minos smacked the deathpad to the back of William’s head. “No you fool! We have a backlog the size of mount etna to get through, I don’t know about you but I’d like to go home sometime this century.”

“But-“ William said sadly

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Thomas said smugly, much to the ire of William.

“Hey! That’s my line! Take that back or I’ll take you to court.”

“We are the court.” Jefferson replied simply.

Minos rolled his eyes. “Both of you, quiet!” He turned to me, glee painted all over his features. “Well, I may not get to carry out the sentence myself, but I will rest easy knowing you will suffer all the same. Lady Styx takes a broken oath very seriously”.

Above me, I could hear the sound of flapping wings getting closer.

Minos smiled, baring his teeth at me mirthlessly. “Seems our time, or rather, yours, is coming to a close.” He leaned forward slightly, savouring the moment. “Goodbye, Perseus Jackson.”

Out of nowhere Alecto dropped from the sky and grabbed me with her gnarly claws. Minos turned away from me and gestured to the gun wielding skeleton guards to bring in their next subject.

“You ready, Honey?” My former math teacher screeched, spreading her wings wide, casting a long shadow over the room. With one flap of her wings, we were airborne. Another flap, then another, and suddenly the courtroom was nothing more than a shrinking speck far below, swallowed by the vast, churning sky.

We continued to climb until we reached the murky grey clouds that formed the oppressive ceiling of the underworld. The dense, churning vapor seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy, and as we plunged into it, I instinctively held my breath. Whatever these clouds were made of, they didn't feel like anything I should risk inhaling.

Minutes stretched endlessly as we pushed through the suffocating haze. My lungs burned, the pressure mounting with every second. Just as the edges of my vision began to blur and darken, Alecto finally emerged, gliding just below the swirling clouds. I gasped for air, the acrid but breathable underworld atmosphere rushing back into my lungs like a lifeline.

“We’re here!” She screeched, her shrill voice cutting through the silence.

I looked down and my blood turned to ice. A river, a dark, churning monstrosity of relentless power. Its current surged forward with an unstoppable force, heedless of any obstacle. The surface, a foul mosaic of pollution: crumpled chip packets, rusted car frames, shattered dreams, lost hopes and forgotten memories, all swirling together in the murky depths.

The River Styx. I felt a cold tingle in the small of my back. I may have lost the curse of Achilles, but my body still remembered the river, and it didn’t like it.

“Have a nice swim!” Alecto squawked, releasing her hold on me. With seconds I hit freefall speed, as a child of Poseidon, the air was not my domain, I was powerless here, all I could do was wait. Father. I thought, praying he could somehow hear me, that he’d somehow even want to help me now. Give me the strength to escape this. I looked down and screamed in defiance as the river rushed to meet me.

Chapter Text

Artemis:

I was trapped. My body moved as though it were a puppet, somewhere in the recesses of my mind a voice whispered, tugging at invisible strings to make me dance like a marionette. While words spilled from my lips in my voice, the words were not my own. I met Apollo’s gaze and I could see the same struggle reflected in his eyes. He too was nothing more than a pawn, ensnared in this little game.

Like rats in a trap, we were stuck. I’d never felt so powerless. Gods, I had borne the weight of the sky and felt more in control than I did at this moment. A heavy presence had descended over the room, thick and oppressive, suffocating any hope of resistance.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as I realised I’d felt this presence before. It was unmistakable, the kind of dread that crept into the deepest corners of an immortal’s mind. All of Olympus knew it, the force that haunted even our sleepless nights. Each of us had fallen at some point, our essence torn apart and forced to reform in the suffocating depths of the pit. We all knew the suffocating, inescapable weight of Tartarus’ presence.

Yet none of us has sensed him until now. Twelve of the most powerful beings in existence, yet we were blind to this insidious intrusion. None of us had seen this coming, none of us that is, except for… Athena.

I looked down at her smoldering form, laying motionless on the cold floor next to Perseus. She was the only one of us who had been able to resist his influence, the only one who’d tried to fight him. She would wake eventually, but my father’s master bolt is not something one simply shrugs off, even as an Olympian.

I locked eyes with Aphrodite. Her usual playful, carefree demeanor was gone, replaced with visible distress. She was unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of someone else’s compulsion. Her hand twitched - a subtle, almost imperceptible movement - but to me, it was as clear as the moonlight breaking through the dark of night. She was beginning to escape.

I scanned the room, all around me gods and goddesses were talking with each other as if everything were normal, but their eyes betrayed them. They were all prisoners in their own minds. All that is, but one. Ares, he sat slumped on his throne, either unaware or unbothered by the scenes playing out around him. Drumming his fingers on the hilt of his blade, his head occasionally tilting towards the direction of Aphrodite’s chest, not so subtly admiring her form. Look at her eyes you ignorant fool, I thought in disgust. How can you not see what’s happening? Silently cursing him in my head, I cast the frustration from my mind, it had no use here.

My gaze moved to Tartarus himself. He stood in the centre of the room, looming over the bodies of Athena and Perseus. Despite his outward postering and bravado, there was an unmistakable sheen of sweat on his forehead, his hands were trembling and the second by second, his domineering presence over me felt less and less acute. Such displays of power so far outside his domain must be draining him, I realised. Even the Protogenoi, mighty as they were, had limits to their strengths. He was waning, he couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

“Ares, son. Come here.” Tartarus said, his voice noticeably breathier than before.

Ares rose from his throne and sauntered over towards Tartarus, not a hint of concern on his face. He’s tricking you, you idiot, I thought as I watched my foolish half brother take the bait.

I noticed Aphrodite’s growing panic as she watched her lover so casually approach, unaware of the mortal danger he was meeting. She was visibly fighting now, vying to break loose. I saw her foot twitch, then her fingers. She was almost free.

Ares approached Tartarus, who placed a hand on the war god’s shoulder. “Hand me your blade, son. I need you to do something for me.”

For the first time, Ares hesited. But, ever the dutiful son, handed over his blade without question. Zeus held it, admiring the craftsmanship, reading the inscription that ran along its side.

"υποκινητής πόλεμου." Warmonger.

Ares shuffled his feet uncomfortably, he hated being unarmed. “What do you need me to do?” He asked, his voice tight with unease.

Tartarus’ voice was deathly calm as he spokes “Pass on a message.” At a speed not even my senses could follow, the blade whispered through the air, piercing Ares’ flesh and driving deep into his chest, plunging into his heart.

“Father… why?” Ares gasped, his body trembling as he sank to his knees, staring down at the sword embedded deep in his chest.

Tartarus went to one knee himself, grabbing the back of Ares’ head, forcing their eyes to meet. “Relax my boy, relax. I will ensure you reform quickly, I have a job for you, one that you cannot carry out from up here.”

“I… what-“ Ares managed before coughing up ichor, his life slipping away with each laboured breath, he only had moments left.

“Hush now, hush.” Tartarus whispered softly. “All will be revealed in time. Save your strength, you’ll need it for what comes next.” With a sharp twist of the blade, Ares’ face contorted in raw agony. He made a fist, swinging it weakly at Tartarus’ face, a final act of defiance. The blow barely grazed its target before Ares’ form shimmered and erupted into a cascade of golden dust, the sound of his sword hitting the ground echoing like a death knell in the silence that followed.

I saw a single tear run down Aphrodite’s cheek, her hands balling up into fists. I silently prayed that Tartarus wouldn’t notice, she was our best chance at escaping his control.

Tartarus rose to feet, breathing in deeply. “He is with me now.”

By now, his control over us had diminished enough that the theatrics ceased. We all sat motionless, still paralysed, but his hold on our actions was broken. The silence in the room was palpable, with every god and goddess now a spectator to their own fate.

Tartarus paced the room, his eyes lingering on each god as he observed their reactions. Stopping before Poseidon’s throne “Angry are we, little Sea God?”

Poseidon, his eyes a tidal storm of fury, looked upon him with hatred, still unable to speak. The throne room trembled in his rage as his strength began to return to him, it wouldn’t be long now. Tartarus, now sensing his grip on us slipping, seemed wary. He took a light step back from Poseidon and continued walking around the room.

He stopped in front of me and tilted his head, looking straight into the depths of my soul. It seems the young Huntress has finally caught on! Took you quite a while, your senses may be refined, but you lack your aunt’s intuition. She was the first to notice me for who I am. A pity… I abhor unnecessary violence.”

Hera’s eyes widened in outrage. Tartarus, noticing this, smiled. “That’s right, wife. I have your sister too. Do not worry, the flame of Olympus still burns, she is a resilient one. But even hope itself can only withstand me for so long.”

Hera let out a low hiss, still unable to speak, that was all the sound she could muster.

“SNAP OUT OF IT, ALL OF YOU!” A voice, Aphrodite’s, cried out. Her voice shrill, but forceful, laced with enough charmspeak to convince armies to turn and run.

Tartarus looked around as the rest of the gods stirred, realising his spell was broken, he turned to Aphrodite and smiled. “Such power, little niece, such raw power. Perhaps you are more like your father than I gave you credit for…” He mused in admiration.

For a moment Aphrodite seemed flustered, like a deer caught in headlights. She opened her mouth, her voice wavering momentarily before she spoke again. “Leave Zeus’ body, return to the pit.” She commanded.

Tartarus hesitated for a moment, almost as if he were considering it. Then he broke out into laughter, it was a strange sound, his body convulsed with laughter, but the sound itself was coming from below. Far below. “A good effort, you’re very convincing. I commend you, truly.”

“Now!” Aphrodite cried out. Responding in unison, Poseidon's trident materialised in his hand, its gleaming prongs aimed unwaveringly at Tartarus' throat. Hephaestus retrieved a strange, mechanical weapon from beneath his throne, its barrel glowing faintly, while Hera summoned her staff, leveling it at Tartarus’ chest. Apollo and I stayed at a distance, perched on our thrones, bows drawn and arrows trained on Tartarus' forehead. The rest of the gods watched on warily.

Tartarus, regarded the pointed weapons with amused disdain. “Go ahead, strike me down, mighty Olympians! But remember, this is not my body, I will not be the one to pay the price for your wrath.”

“Leave my brother’s body.” Poseidon said sharply.

“Or… what? What will you do, Poseidon?” At this, Poseidon faltered, lowering his trident, though his guard remained up. Tartarus smiled, a forced, twisted contortion. “I thought so,” he said. “You’d never risk one of your own. Such weakness…”

“Bold talk,” Hera said dismissively, not stooping to bite on Tartarus’ taunts. “But you’re running out of time, aren’t you? You are your domain, leaving it must be exhausting for you. How soon until you return to your slumber, Tartarus?”

Tartarus’ eyes fell onto the Queen of the gods, looking upon her with pure, unbridled hatred. “Quite the lip on you, little wife.  Where was this courage when we were alone?”

Hera flinched at his words, the staff in her hand shook as she began to tremble, she looked terrified. What had he been doing to her? I thought to myself in horror. I’d seen this behaviour before with a few of my girls, all of them had suffered horrific abuse at the hands of men.

Tartarus continued. “You are right of course, little wife. Soon I must rest. But before I do, I have one final task ahead of me.” He turned to Poseidon. “I’ll be sure to give your son my regards. Something tells me I’ll be seeing him again very soon.”

As soon as Tartarus finished his sentence, Zeus’ body went limp and crumpled towards the ground, Poseidon tossed his trident aside and lunged for his brother, catching him just before he hit the floor.

Zeus lay unmoving, cradled in Poseidon’s arms for some time. We gathered around and looked on in trepidation. Finally, after what felt like eons, Zeus stirred and opened his eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief. The warmth in his eyes had returned, he seemed frail, but there was no doubt it was my father in there.

“Brother,” Zeus managed, his voice scarcely more than a whisper. “Forgive me, I tried to fight him, I tried to stop-“

“It’s okay, little brother,” Poseidon said firmly, taking his brother’s hand reassuringly. “I don’t blame you. You did not do this.”

Zeus sighed deeply in relief before turning to his side, his eyes widening in horror as he saw Athena’s broken form sprawled lifelessly on the cold marble floor. “Daughter. Is she-“ His voice was overtaken by a harsh, racking cough.

Apollo rushed to Athena’s side, placing a hand to her forehead, chanting something under his breath. Her chest rose sharply, drawing in a strained, deep breath before falling still again.

“She’ll be okay,” Apollo said solemnly. “She’s in a lot of pain, but she’ll recover within a day or so.”

Relief washed over the room, though it was fleeting. There was still much ahead of us to overcome.

Finally Demeter broke the silence. “In that case I’ll take Athena home and watch over her for the day.”

Apollo opened his mouth to protest but Demeter silenced him with a look. “Don’t argue, Athena’s injuries are physical, that is easy to treat.” Her eyes shot to Zeus and Hera. “Your talents will be needed elsewhere.”

With Apollo nodding in understanding , Demeter flashed Athena away.

“Could you take me home too?” Aphrodite asked Hephaestus glumly. Before he could reply she added softly. “Please.” 

“Fine.” He said gruffly, interlacing hands, they both flashed out.

“Artemis,” Zeus rasped, pulling my focus back to him. With a trembling hand, he beckoned me closer. “Tartarus has Hestia, I do not know exactly where, but I know she still walks the earth. Find her.”

I took his hand in mine and bowed my head. “I will, Father. I will not rest until she is returned to us.”

Zeus nodded gratefully, too weak to say anything more.

“Hera, take Zeus away.” Poseidon instructed. “He needs rest.”

Hera hesitated momentarily, she seemed afraid. Perhaps the prospect of being alone with Zeus still unnerved her. Either way, after one reassuring nod from Zeus, they both vanished in a flash of divine energy.

Hermes spoke from beside me, looking at Perseus’ broken body with sorrow. “I will go to the camp, they need to know what happened here today.

“No.” Dionysus said sharply. “The campers are my responsibility, Percy was one of mine. I will go and break the news to them.”

Hermes looked surprised. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” Dionysus replied firmly, ending the conversation abruptly by flashing out, presumably headed to Camp Half Blood.

“Well then…” Hermes said in surprise. “In that case, I’m going to go and see if I can find any leads on Hestia. Someone, somewhere must know something.” He too flashed out. Leaving only Poseidon, Apollo and I behind in the now eerily quiet throne room.

“I will go and see Father.” Apollo said, breaking the silence. “Possession takes… a toll. He won’t ask, but I know he needs me.”

“Of course,” I replied quickly. “But Apollo… talk to Hera too, please.” We locked eyes, exchanging a thousand words in a blink of an eye. “Okay sis. I’ll check in on her too, I promise.”

I let out a quiet sigh of relief. While Hera and I didn’t always see eye to eye, every woman who had endured abuse deserved compassion and support. Apollo may be a fool, but he was an empathetic one who could likely aid her. As he had done for many of my Hunters in the past.

“Before you go, Apollo.” Poseidon began. “Tend to my son’s wounds.”

Apollo looked at him, dumbfounded. “Poseidon… I, he’s dead, I’m sorry. Not even I can bring him back, I wish I could.”

“I know he’s dead, Apollo.” Poseidon said sharply, taking a deep breath to quash his rising frustration. “But if I am going to bring him back, his body must be repaired. In his current state he’d die again as soon as I returned his soul.”

“That’s impossible,” I said quickly. “Hades would never permit it.”

“I don’t care,” Poseidon said dismissively. “Tartarus is going after my son, I will not abandon him. I have already failed him once, I will not fail him here. I’m going to get him back, nothing will stand in my way.” He added, looking at Apollo as he spoke.

“Okay,” Apollo relented, not wanting to enrage the sea god. I’ll take Percy to my palace, I’ll do what I can for him. But I can’t make any promises, the damage is… bad. The heat from the bolt alone likely fried his organs. It would take a miracle to reverse that.”

“I’ve seen you work miracles many times, Apollo. Work one here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get my son back.” With a brilliant flash of sea green, Poseidon vanished, leaving only the echoes of the ocean in his wake.

Chapter Text

Percy:

I hit the water hard. In an instant, a powerful current seized me, dragging me into the Styx's murky depths.

I shut my eyes and braced myself for the searing pain, for the river's hunger to tear me apart - but it never came. Instead, I remained suspended, locked in place by an unseen force as the water churned around me.

I opened my eyes, looking around in shock. “Wha- how am I not?”

“Dead?” A woman’s voice hissed. “You already are, child. My waters are toxic to the living, but to the dead, this is simply water.”

“Lady Styx?” I asked incredulously.

The waters before me stirred, shifting and solidifying into a shape, a woman’s. She was tall, almost impossibly so. With sunken cheekbones that housed eyes darker than night itself. (Who I’d met, so I would know) Her hair, flowing with the river around us, was a deep obsidian black. She wore a robe of liquid shadow, so seamless it was impossible to tell where fabric ended and flesh began.

“Perseus,” Styx said, her voice marred with hatred - not towards me, but woven into the very fibre of her being. There was no anger here, it was simply how she spoke. I made a mental note not to enrage her, if this was her normally, I’d hate to see her mad.

“Why am I here?” I asked the goddess cautiously, making sure to keep my tone flat and respectful.

“You know why, oathbreaker. You swore a vow, invoking my name. You lied. By right your soul belongs to me now.”

“I had no choice,” I began warily. “I was-“

“Forced. Yes, my child. I know.”

“Then why am I here?”

“Irregardless of the circumstances surrounding your oath, the fact is you made it and as such, you are bound to its terms.”

How is that fair? I thought to myself. All desire to remain diplomatic left me, I’d had more than enough of being blamed for things out of my control. “You’re working for him, aren’t you? Tartarus. That’s why I’m really here.”

Styx sneered in disgust at the accusation. “How dare you. I have been loyal to Olympus since the time of the Titans, I have never faltered in that loyalty, not once.”

“Then why help him?”

“I did not bring you here to serve Tartarus, child. I am here to warn you, one child of the ocean to another.”

“Warn me of what?”

“That your execution has little to do with you, it was merely a means to draw out who Tartarus is truly hunting.”

“Wait what? Who-“

“You know who, Perseus. Who do you think is both mad and powerful enough to come to Hades himself and demand your return?”

My blood went cold. “Dad?”

Styx nodded. “Yes, your father. As we speak he is on his way to the Underworld to retrieve you.”

Despite the situation, my heart soared. After how things had gone the last time I saw him, I didn’t know if he would ever want anything to do with me again.

Styx, somehow reading my expression flawlessly, shook her head. “No Perseus, regardless of what you may believe, he is your father. He loves you beyond measure. A fact that Tartarus is counting on.”

“Then I need to go to him, now.”

Styx shook her head. “Not so fast, Perseus. I am not done with you yet.”

“Fine, do whatever you want to me. But you need to warn him now!” I said urgently, frustrated at how casual the river goddess was being about all of this.

“I cannot warn him, child.”

“Why?” I said furiously, anger truly getting the better of me now. “You claim to be loyal to Olympus, prove it.”

“I am loyal,” Styx said indignantly, glowering at me. “But this is not a matter of loyalty, simply self preservation. The river runs through the heart of Tartarus, he would see such an overt move as a direct move against him, I will not spark his ire. Besides, Poseidon would never listen to me. He is here for you, he will not leave or change his course without you.”

“Then let me go!”

“Such loyalty…” Styx remarked. “I admire it, I truly do. I want to help you, Perseus. But letting you go is not as simple as simply granting you release from my waters. Your soul is tied to here, to me. If I were to release you, I’d have to release you from death itself.”

“Can… can you do that?”

“I can, but such an act demands a high cost.”

“Please,” I pleaded. “I’ll do anything.”

“Be careful of your words, Perseus.” Styx said dangerously. “Words, especially here, carry great weight. Do not utter them lightly.”

I nodded stiffly, with that warning said aloud, I was reluctant to say more. Styx, noticing this, gave me a reassuring smile and spoke again. “My ask is simple, any single request, at any moment I deem appropriate.”

“Just one request?” I asked, stunned. Surely it couldn’t be this easy?

“Yes, child. Just one. But before you decide, remember, I do not make this offer lightly. If you agree, there is no going back.”

The way she phrased that made me uneasy. I had no clue what kind of favour she wanted from me, but something told me she didn’t simply want me watching her dog for a weekend. She’d want something big.

What would Annabeth do? I wracked my brain, trying to picture her in my shoes. Knowing her, she’d probably ask a million questions and run through every scenario possible. I didn’t have the smarts for that, but a question or two couldn’t hurt. “Why me?” I asked. “Why do you want a favour from me?”

Styx chortled, making the waters around us ripple. “I’d heard you were humble to a fault, it seems the stories are true. Fate still walks hand in hand with you, Perseus. The Moirai still have great plans for you. Having you in my debt could prove most useful.”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously, this didn’t sound good. “I’m not sure…” I began.

“Then we can forget it,” Styx said dismissively. “I have no interest in pressuring you, child. A deal must be made in good faith. I’ll send you to Asphodel-“

“Wait, wait!” I exclaimed desperately. Good faith? This was the opposite of that, Styx had me cornered here and she knew it. Eternity in Asphodel while my father suffered some horrible fate trying to save me wasn’t an option, I had no choice here. “Fine, Lady Styx. Fine. I agree to your terms.”

“Then we have terms. From this moment forth, our agreement is binding.”

A weight set over me as our deal took hold, I’d just set something into motion that I couldn’t take back. Something told me this would come back to bite me one day. “So what now?” I asked.

“Now?” Styx said questioningly. “I do what I promised, I’ll restore your life to you. Brace yourself, this will be unpleasant.

Styx’s form melted into the currents, leaving only the churning river around me. I closed my eyes, steeling myself for whatever was coming next.

Unpleasant was the understatement of the century. This was agony in its purest form. Moments after the goddess vanished, the waters consumed me. I may have been dead, but every nerve - every shred of my existence - ignited in unbearable pain. I had no flesh, but the river didn’t care, it was trying to dissolve my very soul itself.

As the rivers began to gnaw away at me I found myself back at my mom’s apartment. She and Paul were in the kitchen together making waffles. Blue waffles. I smiled, I could almost smell them, they looked delicious. I tried to cry out, to get their attention but they just kept their backs to me as they continued cooking. They couldn’t hear me.

“He’s not coming, Sally,” I heard Paul say. “You know what teenagers are like, he’s too busy with his friends and new girlfriend to hang out with us, it’s nothing personal.”

“It’s his birthday,” My mom replied. “We always spend birthdays together, he’ll be here.”

“Maybe,” Paul said, he didn’t seem convinced. “Maybe we should give him a call?”

“I tried earlier, he didn’t pick up. He’s probably busy, let’s try later, I don’t want to ruin his big day.”

Ruin? I thought, the pain in my soul growing tenfold. I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry. I’d been a terrible son recently, I hadn’t even thought to call her.

Her apartment faded, and suddenly, I stood atop a cliff, bathed in moonlight. Far below, waves crashed against jagged rocks, the sound a distant roar beneath the howling wind. The gusts battered me, relentless, as if urging me forward. But they didn’t need to. The pull was already there, the desire to jump, to end it all was overwhelming.

“Do it,” a voice in my head whispered soothingly. “No more pain, no more heartbreak.”

I don’t know… I thought uneasily. I’m not sure I-

“Want to? Of course you want to! Even if you get out of here, what happens next? You father is doomed, spare yourself the pain of seeing him suffer. Let go.”

Maybe the voice was right, what was I going to be able to do that my dad couldn’t, if Tartarus was coming for him, I couldn’t stop it, I couldn’t save him. I couldn’t save anyone.

“Exactly,” the voice said again, it knew just what to say to me. “Just give in, let the current take you, become one with the water.”

I stopped trying to fight, the pain grew so intense my senses began to numb. Every thought, every feeling, every memory I had began to fade. Every part of my being was being washed away.

“Percy!” I heard a voice say sharply, Annabeth’s voice. “Snap. Out. Of. It.”

“Annabeth?” I asked incredulously.

“Who else?” She replied warmly. “You’re in the Styx… again, you idiot. This is what it does, it eats away at you, you need to push back or it will consume you."

“I’m so sorry, Annabeth… I failed you.”

“You didn’t fail me, Seaweed Brain. You couldn’t if you tried. This is the Styx talking, not you. You need to fight it."

“I don’t know if I can anymore.”

“You did it once before.” She retorted.

“But that was back when-“ I didn’t finish my sentence, I didn’t need to. She was my lifeline, now she was gone.

“When you had me? Percy, you will always have me. I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Yes but-“

“No,” Annabeth said firmly. “No buts, I’m putting my foot down. You’re not letting some oversized puddle beat you. Fight it.”

“I don’t know if I can do this alone.”

“Then we’ll do it together. Keep your eyes closed, take my hand.”

“I-“

“It’s okay, Percy. Reach out, take my hand.”

Slowly, I did. My fingers brushed against a familiar feeling hand. It really was her.

I made to open my eyes, but Annabeth, reading my mind as she always could, stopped me. “No, Seaweed Brain. Keep them shut, don’t ruin the moment.”

Our fingers interlaced and my strength returned to me, the pain from the acidic waters still there, but I didn’t care. Pain just showed me I was alive, that I still had reason to go on. The intensity of the rushing current had died down, the river became wary, sensing that perhaps I wasn’t the easy prey it took me for. I could feel the goddess lurking all around me, I sensed her surprise, even a slight tinge of fear from her as I took control of the waters. This may have been her domain, but the water was my home, and it would obey me.

The sensation of weight returned as my soul fused back into flesh and bone. I opened my eyes and looked down at myself. I was alive. A surge of power coursed through me, electrifying every fibre of my being, I couldn’t help but grin.

“Congratulations,” I heard the voice of Styx muse from all around me. “Most impressive, in truth I wasn’t certain you would survive.”

“Wait what, so I could have died? What about our deal?”

“Our deal was I would bring you back to life, and in return you’d owe me. If you had perished here, you’d have faded from existence itself. There would be no deal to uphold in that scenario.”

“Oh great…”

“It matters not,” she said flippantly. “You survived, for that I congratulate you.”

“Thanks? I guess?”

“You’re welcome. Now begone, I wish for peace.”

“Yeah sure, I’ll-“

Before I could finish my sentence, the waters coiled around me, sending me surging towards the surface in a blue. The river spat me out, sending me flying high in the air, higher than any son of Poseidon wants to go.

“Oh sh-“ I said aloud as I saw what I was flying towards. Rocks, lots of rocks. 

I hit them hard, knocking the air from my lungs, tearing open my newly regrown flesh.

Ouch. I thought, groaning and clutching my stomach. That hurt. I really should have asked Styx to give me the curse of Achilles back. I was kidding of course... mostly.

I rolled onto my side and started crawling off the jagged rocks, dragging myself toward the softer dirt ahead. Every movement sent pain lancing through me, but I pushed forward. My limbs felt like they weighed a million pounds, I still hadn’t fully adjusted to being alive again.

My pocket hitched on the point of a rock, as I dislodged it, I felt a strange sensation that made me pause. I reached down, putting my hand in my pocket, fingers closing around something familiar. I had Riptide back. It was a small comfort down here, but it was something.

After some more crawling, I made it to the soft dirt. I turned to my back, panting. Exhaustion crashed over me like a tidal wave. Gods, I was tired. I felt my eyes close, too heavy to keep open.

Just a few minutes, I thought as sleep rushed to envelope me.

I awoke to the sound of cheering. Groggily, l rolled onto my side, trying to get my bearings. I was lying on a dune, the ‘dirt’ I’d crawled too was actually the most perfect pillar of sand I’d ever seen, me soft and white, almost too flawless to be natural. Below, a river stretched out before me, though this one was nothing like the Styx. The water was impossibly blue, shimmering under a light being cast from somewhere above, radiating warmth and something that felt an awful lot like happiness. Wherever I was, it was a far cry from where I’d just been. This was paradise.

Just beyond the river was the pearly gates of Elysium, the whole place looked just as stunning as the last time I’d seen it. A bustling city where it’s always sunny, with a sprawl of Georgian style mansions, Roman villas, castles and huts by the ocean. It was like the ultimate seaside resort, but it somehow felt like home. My stomach began to rumble as the unmistakable scent of my Mom’s blue pancakes wafted over to me, almost as if Elysium itself were beckoning me to enter. My eyes darted to the source of the smell, a large banquets table, though table may be the wrong word, it was as long as a freight train and as wide as a city block. It had every kind of food you could imagine, and even more you couldn’t. The ultimate feast, fit for only the most worthy of people. I looked down at the groups of people sitting around the table. Laughing and smiling, talking and reminiscing. They looked so happy, so truly fulfilled. They’d lived good lives full of purpose, they had no worries left. They were truly at peace.

Beyond the feast stretched a vast field, filled with more people than l'd ever seen - and I'm from New York, so that's saying something. There had to be millions down there. At the front, a stage flashed with a kaleidoscope of lights, as if they were throwing some kind of undead concert. Center stage, a man clad in all leather danced and sang with reckless abandon. Was that Freddie Mercury? The lights pulsed with his every move, causing the crowd to glow in a dazzling array of colors. It was mesmerizing. And somewhere in that sea of faces was... Annabeth.

No, I thought firmly, quashing any fantasies of rescuing her before they festered too deep. I need to find my dad, I can come back for her later. But I will be back, I told myself. I wasn’t going to leave her there alone.

But maybe I should? I wondered. Elysium seemed so happy, so homely. Would she even want to leave? Would anyone?

Before I could dwell on that thought further, a low shiver down my spine ran down my spine - danger. Instinct took over. I rolled to the side, drawing Riptide as I did. Thank the gods for my reflexes, I thought as a sword arced through the air where my head had just been moments before.

I sprang to my feet, putting space between me and my attacker, Riptide raised and ready. Then I saw him.

“Ares?” I asked, shocked. He was the last person I expected to run into down here.

His biker leathers were in tatters, ripped to shreds. His face was gaunt, his forehead slick with sweat. Dark purple veins bulged along his arms. He looked ill - really ill. The flames that danced in his eye sockets were gone, leaving nothing more than a dark void in their wake. Still, I could tell his gaze was firmly locked onto mine.

“I’ve gotta say,” He spat as he sauntered toward me, his voice lined with hatred. “You’ve gotten better, kid.”

“Yeah. Six years of practice will do that to you.” I quipped back sarcastically, backing up as I spoke. I wasn’t going to let him throw another cheap shot. “Well? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to fight.”

Ares grinned, baring his crooked teeth at me. “C’mon then, punk. Humour me.”

I lunged forward, swinging for his neck, he moved his blade to meet mine, at the last second I shifted, changing course, aiming my blade between his ribs. There was no way he could react in time-

CLANG!

The impact sent a shockwave up my arms, rattling my teeth and forcing me back a few steps. My ears were ringing. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision, and refocused on him.

He’s faster than I remembered, I thought through gritted teeth. Though I could have just gotten slower, my limbs still felt heavy.

I tried again, this time feinting low and then aiming high. Ares didn’t even bother using his blade this time, he just slipped out the arc of my strike and then stood there, watching me, waiting.

“Better,” Ares said thoughtfully as I approached once again. “But still not good.”

I continued my attack, but to no success. Every strike I threw was parried, every feint read expertly, his defence was flawless. He wasn’t even trying to attack me, this wasn’t a fight, he was toying with me.

With a sigh, I capped Riptide and took a step back. Fighting him was pointless, I wasn’t going to win. The only way to be him was to just not engage him at all.

“Oh,” Ares said in disappointment. “Are you done already?”

“Yeah,” I sputtered, gasping for breath after throwing everything I had at him. “I’m done.”

“I thought you had more fight in you than that, how disappointing.”

I didn’t rise to his challenge, this was what he wanted. “Nope, you win.”

Ares’ expression stiffened. “Okay then. Well, I thank you for providing me with a modicum of entertainment.”

Huh? Since when did Ares talk like that? Any word with more than two syllables in it seemed to be beyond him.

“I must say,” Ares continued. “Fighting is a new sensation to me, I try to avoid taking physical form, but this was most… enjoyable, despite how crude it is. I can see why you mortals do it so much.”

Oh.

“You’re not Ares, are you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“No…” Tartarus answered as Ares’ form flickered dangerously. “I’m not.” As he spoke, the ground beneath me trembled. With every breath he took, the air around us seemed to inhale and exhale with him, as if the entire Underworld was breathing in sync with his presence. “Be honoured, boy. I told you once before, few are worthy of my personal attention. You are in prestigious company.”

Yippee for me, I thought sarcastically.

Tartarus turned and looked down on Elysium, as he did I noticed a strange branding on the back of his neck, some kind of writing, I didn't recognise the language. Ares didn’t have that last time I saw him. 

“No,” Tartarus said aloud, answering my thoughts. “He didn’t. The mark is of my making, it is far beyond the understanding of a simpleton like Ares, your so-called god of war.”

We stayed silent for a few moments as I did my best to not think, I didn’t want him probing around my thoughts.

“It’s beautiful up here, isn’t it?” Tartarus remarked. “I’ve always loathed the boundary between myself and the earth, but I cannot deny it - it is a place of profound beauty.”

I stared at him in shock, unsure what to say. This was not what I expected.

Tartarus turned to me. “I have spent eons in the pit, boy. Do not forget that. This is all new to me.”

“So,” I said, finding my voice at last. “Is that why you’re here, just to admire the view?”

Tartarus laughed, it was a hearty, genuinely amused laugh. It was a disturbing sound. “Of course not. We’re waiting.”

“For?”

Tartarus didn’t reply, he just turned back to Elysium, watching the crowds below dance joyfully to the music. He almost seemed… wistful? We stood in silence for a few minutes, just watching the world go by.

Eventually I broke the silence, it was too weird and the awkwardness was getting to me. “So, are you going to kill me?”

Tartarus peeled his gaze from Elysium and looked back at me. “Kill you? Now why in the name of my good wife would I do that? I am in your debt.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

Tartarus smiled, a twisted, depraved grin. “You brought your father to me! You have proven to be most helpful!”

My blood ran cold. “What do you want with him?”

Tartarus sneered. “With Poseidon? Nothing.” He spat in disgust. “He’s nothing more than a gnat, a pale imitation of a true god. But his absence will serve me greatly, with oceans in disarray, my brother will be forced to finally show himself again.”

“Your brother? Who?”

Tartarus waved a hand airily. “It is beyond you, I will not waste my precious time explaining ancient history to a child.”

Wait, I realised, dread setting in as I did. Dad. What did he do to him.

“I have not killed him,” Tartarus replied, once again answering my thoughts. “If that is what you were wondering. Poseidon lives, and will continue to do so for as long as I see fit.”

I shuddered at his words, the casual way he stated he hadn’t killed my dad made me realise he probably could, and very easily.

“I could,” Tartarus whispered in the back of my mind. “All fallen immortals end up in my domain, they reform or fade according to my will."

“Do not worry though,” Tartarus continued aloud. “Poseidon remains unharmed, he took little effort to restrain.”

“How- how though? You’re here!”

“I am everywhere, what is before your right now is a small expression of my greater being. Your father is with the rest of me. Believe me, you are getting the better part of me.”

I shuddered at that. “Why tell me all this?”

“Because you cannot stop it.” Tartarus replied matter of factly. “What harm would it do.”

In response, I uncapped Riptide, levelling my blade at him once again.

“Oh please,” Tartarus said with a sigh, not even looking at me. He clicked his fingers and Riptide disappeared from my hand, seconds later I felt a familiar sensation as it returned to my pocket.

I thought about reaching for it again, but one look from Tartarus made me think different. There was no fighting him, it was pointless.

“I’ve been asked to keep you alive,” Tartarus said. “But I am not a patient man. Do not push me.”

“Asked? By who?”

Again, Tartarus ignored me, his gaze fixed back on Elysium. This time, he watched the banquet table as the dead feasted and toasted each other and their great deeds. The smell of pancakes hit me once again, and with it came the thought - what food would Tartarus smell, if any. Did he even eat?

If Tartarus was still listening to my thoughts, he didn’t show it. He just kept watching in fascination, his nose twitched slightly, almost as if he were smelling something.

Finally, he spoke again. “Well, I think it’s time, don’t you?” Tartarus said in a questioning tone, joining me in looking down at the dirt, I looked up at him, confused.

Why was he asking me a question? Quickly, I got my answer, he wasn’t asking me. 

The ground beneath us began to shake with an unholy amount of force. A demeaning rumble echoed through her air, like tectonic plates shifting, as the Earth itself spoke in a long- forgotten tongue. The sheer volume alone was so intense that blood began to stream from my ears, the force of it knocked me onto my back. After a few terrifying moments, the rumbling subsided, leaving me staring at the dirt around me in terror. I never thought I’d feel that presence again. Her presence. 

“Very well, my love,” Tartarus said with a genuine smile, looking down at the Earth around us lovingly. He then turned to me. “My wife wants to speak with you.”

The rumbling returned with a vengeance. I desperately tried to scramble away, but something hurled me painfully into the ground. The soil beneath me twisted and swirled, pulling me into its grasp. I felt the dirt run up my body before solidifying, I was trapped within the Earth. The ground began to shake with such force all around me the ground began to crack sporadically, opening up endless canyons that led into the dark void below, somewhere from within that void I could hear the poetry of the Earth and the Pit, laughing joyfully in unison. I closed my eyes as the shaking began to concentrate around me as the ground swallowed me whole.

Chapter Text

Percy:

“My wife wants to speak to you.” Tartarus said with a smile as I was pulled into the abyss, I felt the Earth shake as Gaea laughed in glee at my helplessness. I tried to curl up, tried to hide but Mother Earth was a cruel mistress, she would never allow that. There was no sanctum within the dirt. The ground took a hold of me and pried open my eyelids, forcing me to look at the rushing barrage as I was pulled deeper into Gaea’s clutches. The message was clear, there was no hiding from her .

The endless tons of earth rushed with such force I feared they’d crush me. Sandwiched between two impossibly heavy walls of dirt, one pushing, one pulling, I barely had enough space to flex my fingers as the Earth dragged me down into the depths, every time I breathed in, the dirt rushed to envelop me, forcing me to take shallower and shallower breaths with each frantic gasp. I desperately tried to blink as tears welled up in my eyes, dirt pouring into them, causing constant irritation. No matter how hard I tried to shut my eyes, I couldn’t. All I could do was watch as I was pulled further and further into the depths.

Hours crawled by in this suffocating prison, each time I tried to shift, tried to get comfortable, the walls around me tightened, smothering me, I was drowning in the Earth itself. Just when the pressure became unbearable - just as my vision began to dim - it would ease, only to return with a vengeance moments later. The brief reprieve offered little solace; if anything, the anticipation of the next crushing wave was almost worse than the sensation itself. 

Sweat trickled down my forehead as a dull ache began to fester behind my eyes, I felt my temples begin to pound as a swelling headache set root in my mind. A faint warmth licked at my back, though it was rapidly growing hotter and hotter with each inch I descended. Wherever I was being taken, it was hot, unfathomably so. Soon, the sweltering heat and the suffocating pressure proved to be too much. Darkness danced in the edges of my vision as my body gave in, slipping into unconsciousness. Yet even as my mind faded, the eyes remained pried open and I was forced to watch as my world went dark.

I awoke in the mouth of a cave, panicked, gasping for breath. I’d dreamt that the Earth had fully consumed me. Thankfully I was still alive, for now at least . I took in a few deep, slow breaths and I felt myself gradually calm down. There was a strange taste in the air, it was thick and oppressive, it felt old and recycled, causing the whole cave to smell like a bad case of morning breath. It was still a struggle to breathe but it was a luxury compared to what I had to suffer through before, at this point I’d take whatever little victory I could.

I took in my surroundings, I was in some kind of strange underground fort, all around me were the cracked remnants of once regal marble pillars, thick tall war ravaged walls lay in ruins all around me. I had no idea where I was but at least I was back on solid ground. A shiver ran down my spine as the memory of the constant suffocating rumbling resurfaced. I brushed that thought aside and pushed forward through the ruins. I had a horrible feeling that I was being watched.

I reached the centre of the fort. No, not a fort, a palace. One that looked strangely familiar yet I was certain I had never been here before. Its walls seemed to climb forever, its ceiling matched the height of the tallest skyscrapers. The colour, once beautiful and full of life, was now faded and lifeless, shrouded in a thick layer of dust. 

All around me were statues, massive looming figures standing twenty feet high that cast shadows even larger still. Were those… The gods? I looked around me and sure enough I saw the familiar faces of the six eldest gods, these were the first statues I’d seen of them since the Athena Parthenos that truly captured their likeness properly. Hestia’s kind eyes. Zeus’ stormy gaze. Hades’ facade of calm. Hera’s twisted maternal smile. Demeter’s winter sorrow. 

And finally… My father . He was dressed in a toga that looked far too formal for his tastes, but it was undoubtedly him. As I drew near, I could almost smell the ocean. I smiled sadly. The small may be comforting, but down here, it only served as a reminder of how out of my depth I was. 

I left the statues behind me and moved deeper into the ruins, the ground began to shake lightly, kicking dust up into my eyes, causing my eyes to water. Sighing to myself I blinked repeatedly as I tried to regain my sight. I was still partially blinded as a hot wind passed over me in a low slumbering rhythm, the Earth rose and fell in sync with the wind. Was that just my eyes playing tricks on me? I wondered. No. The Earth was breathing. My blood ran cold. That could only mean one thing. Gaea.

“Hello Perseus.” A familiar sleepy voice whispered, it sounded lower and more distant but it was definitely her.

“Gaea. How are you still here? You were killed…” I asked quietly.

"I was. Yet I was consecrated to the Earth before I could truly fade. I languished in the depths, further and deeper than I ever thought possible, lost in the darkness for almost a year. And that’s where my husband found me. He restored my essence.”

“That’s impossible! How-“

“How indeed. Tartarus achieved something I thought impossible. But love it a great motivator, as you are well aware. We can do impossible things to save those we treasure the most. The ordeal almost broke us, but we endured. And I live on—weakened, but very much alive. Day by day, my strength returns to me, I will be back to my old self soon enough.”

Her voice even sounded tattered, as if her vocal chords had been torn to shreds and then hastily reconnected. She clearly wasn’t lying about still being scattered, this was only a weak echo of the true Mother Earth, yet that alone was terrifying in itself. Even now she radiated pure primordial power, a power perhaps only rivalled by her husband. 

I thought back to the Seven and I had endured—lost memories, lost time, lost battles… lost friends. We’d all given everything to stop Gaea, yet here she was. Had it all been for nothing? 

As I looked around, it sure felt that way. 

We fought so hard, and where did that get us? Annabeth was dead and I was… wherever this was.

“Why so quiet, Perseus?” Gaea whispered mockingly. “Silence is quite unlike you.”

I ignored her, I didn’t know what to say. The earth mother continued. “Do not despair, little demigod. You all made a valiant effort, you came closer to succeeding than anyone before you, your father and his siblings included. I commend you, truly.”

At the mention of my father, my gaze drifted once more to his statue. It really did look like him. Whoever the sculptor was, they had skills that would make Medusa herself envious. 

“Old world architecture,” Gaea said appreciatively. "Masterful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…” I muttered. “Wait— if you’re already awake, why haven’t you just killed me? Why bring me here?”

“Fate looms over you like a dark cloud, Perseus. You’re spoken for, you do not die here.” Gaea replied simply.

“Spoken for?” I asked. “By who?”

“That is not for me to divulge.”

“Then why am I here?” I demanded.

“To talk.” 

“So talk.”

The ground trembled as Gaea let out a soft chuckle. “ There’s that sharp tongue I remember,” she mused. “I always admired how direct you are. In truth it was the only thing I ever liked about you.”

“You ever going to get to the point? This is fun and all don’t get me wrong. You’re very scary. Terrifying. But it seems like you went to a lot of effort to just waste it on small talk.”

Gaea laughed once again at my bluntness. “ You’re right of course, Perseus, I didn’t bring you here for idle chit chat. However, before we get to that. Do you know where you are?”

I looked around the at the ruins and shrugged. “No clue, though I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.” 

“You are standing amongst the ruins of Mount Olympus… the first Olympus.”

“How… how is it here? We’re underground.” I asked in confusion. This place was about as far removed from a mountain as you could get.

“I already told you once. Everything returns to the Earth in time… kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, I am the only constant. Everything that touches the ground is a part of me, Olympus is no exception. I saved it, taking it within me before it was lost forever.”

“I’m confused… why would you save Olympus?” I asked suspiciously, none of this made sense. “You hate the Olympians.”

“This was to be the start of a new world, a better world. I simply couldn’t bear to let it go.” Gaea replied plainly. “ And no, Perseus, I never hated my grandchildren, I do not dismiss the past conflict, but they are my family. Do not forget, without me they would never have escaped Kronos.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, growing more and more confused by the second.

The ground rumbled again as Gaea laughed humourlessly. “How little you know, child. It was I who saved Zeus from being devoured along with his siblings. I who provided him with shelter for years. I who allowed him to grow in strength in order to overthrow my son.”

“Why? Why would you help the Olympians?”

“Because my daughter begged me to. Rhea and I share the same curse, we love all our children with every fibre of our being. It is a privilege, but it is also a heavy burden. Kronos was cruel, he promised her a beautiful life, one filled with love and family. Yet when the children came, he took them from her, one after the other. I could not stand by and watch her suffer. And do not forget Perseus, the Olympians are my family too, and they were children. I abhorred what my son did to them.”

I wasn’t sure what to think, what to believe. I didn’t trust Gaea, and it was hard to imagine that she was even capable of caring about something, but I had a sense she was telling the truth here.

“If what you’re saying is true, if you really did help the gods, then why did you turn on them?” I asked cautiously, unsure how the earth mother would react.

“Because they betrayed me, they betrayed all of us. I had made my peace with the reality that my son, like his father before him, was lost. He had to be stopped. But they didn’t stop at Kronos, they made an example of every Titan who had stood against them, and they did it with cruelty I thought only Ouranos himself was capable of. I knew this would only further the cycle of violence that plagued our family, so I went to Zeus and pleaded with him to show mercy, to make him see reason. But that kind little boy I once knew in Crete was no more, I saw nothing but his father within him. Zeus took my pleas as a sign that the remaining Titans that were still free were plotting against him. And as such, he had the all neutral titans rounded up, and they too were banished to Tartarus. Their only crime? Being my children. This was too much for me, I could not bear more loss. And so, I fell into the deepest slumber of my long life.” Gaea sighed to herself sadly, sending a blast of hot air passing over me, she seemed genuinely upset.

I felt something almost close to sympathy for Gaea. Almost. But I knew what she was truly, an ancient evil that loved no one and would harm anything that stood in her way, this was all just some elaborate fairy tale. The ground grumbled indignantly in reply to my thoughts.

“I am not some evil fairytale villain, Perseus.” Gaea hissed angrily. “ Evil… by its very definition is subjective. All I have ever wanted is for my family to be together, reunited as one. Does that sound evil to you? No. You’ve lived believing one side of history. Perhaps I should show you another.”

Her words echoed in the back of my mind and my world began to spin, I looked around me as the ruins of Olympus were pulled into the shadows, twisted and spat out, I closed my eyes as the Earth around me began to roar as it reanimated itself piece by piece. 

Finally, once silence fell once more and the world stopped spinning, I opened one eye cautiously and took in my surroundings. I was on the side of some kind of misty hill in the middle of an empty wasteland, it seemed to climb for miles upon miles, making even Everest look like nothing but a simple dirt mound. And beyond it.. nothing . This place was unnerving, it was too quiet, too still, too empty. Noticing a faint path outlined by years of footsteps, I cautiously began to follow it, slowly advancing up the hill. Distance— or perhaps time— seemed to follow different rules here. As with only a few steps, I’d seemed to have travelled miles. I glanced around warily, eyeing the surrounding darkness. It was crushing, carnivorous even. I don’t know how I knew, but I could tell that if it got a hold of me I would cease to exist. Memory or not, the threat within that darkness was very real. 

“Uhhhh… Gaea?” I asked nervously.

“Keep going, Perseus.” She whispered back from somewhere within the dark. “You won’t be harmed if you stick to the path, only a few more steps.”

I had no choice but to trust her, so I continued walking. As I got closer to the peak I got a better look at this hostile environment. The darkness seemed to go on forever, the world was shrouded in a constant colorless darkness, I wasn’t sure if dark was the right word, light just didn’t seem to exist here. I caught something out of the corner of my eye as I looked up, a splitting headache instantly tore through my mind. A voice in the back of my head told me to avoid looking anywhere near that thing. Whatever it was, it radiated infinite power, power beyond anything I had ever felt, Tartarus and Gaea felt like ants compared to this thing. It was existence itself. It was everything that ever had been, would be or could be. I’d felt something similar over a year ago, when Annabeth and I had stood near the void of Chaos. I knew I was in its presence once again, but this still felt different. I felt so isolated in its presence, so desperate for comfort. I realised that perhaps the emotions I was feeling weren’t my own, but perhaps they belonged to the owner of these memories. 

I carefully averted my gaze from anywhere close to the void, and that’s when I saw it. A house. 

What was a house doing in a place like this? I thought, utterly bewildered. It looked so out of place here. Who could live in a place like this? I trudged warily towards it, for some reason I felt like it was going to attack me. It’s a house, Percy. My inner voice whispered reassuringly. Don’t be stupid, it can’t harm you. I couldn’t argue with that logic. Shoving aside the feelings of doubt, I cautiously wandered over to the front door and rapped my knuckles lightly on the door. 

The second I made contact, the door the house flickered slightly and half of it just vanished, I stepped back in shock. What in Hades name was that? I looked at where the half of the house had been. In its place was… nothing, it was like it had never even been there at all. It simply ceased to exist. 

“What is the place?” I asked incredulously. 

“This was a place I once called home.” Gaea replied sadly. “I miss this place.” 

“ Why not just bring it back then?” I asked.

“There are some things even I cannot bring back, some things are too far gone. My home was consumed by the void, now all that’s left is the memory. Yet even that is fading.” Gaea sighed sadly.

I stepped away from the house and continued down the path towards the edge of the hill. It ended so abruptly that  I nearly fell into the void below, barely catching myself in time. 

I looked down, again… nothing. 

The best way to describe this place was incomplete, it was like a placeholder for the world that was to come, an empty foundation of a planet. It reminded me of one of Annabeth’s early building sketches: the structure was there, but there was so much left unfinished.

The true remoteness of where I was finally hit me, this was the loneliest place that ever was, or ever could be. 

Where the hell was I? I wondered to myself.

“This was Earth, my Earth. In a time before time itself.” Gaea said, answering my unspoken question for me.

Are you in my head? I thought, praying for no response.

“No, Perseus. You’re in mine.”

Oh. That’s way better. I looked around, the darkness wasn’t quite so layered over here, I could just about see the vague silhouette of a dense forest of trees. It was comforting. The forest was something to look out for within the vast nothingness. The trees may not be sentient but they were life. That was something . I felt slightly less lonely in that moment. Safer. I watched the trees a while longer as they swayed to and fro in the illusion of wind. With thick trunks and thin branches from a distance they almost looked like very large people, like they were a crowd of people waving happily to me.

“That was by design."  Gaea murmured in the back of my mind. “I was alone. The first child of Chaos, I had nothing and no one. I tried to create sentient life but I was too young, I lacked the strength. In its stead I created this. The forest became my sanctum, my one solace, my first and only constant.”

I stayed quiet, words were unnecessary, I knew exactly how she felt, I’d only been here a short while and already it was overwhelming. I couldn’t imagine this being all I had ever known. 

I could have stayed there forever, thoughtlessly watching the endless shapes of trees waving happily to me but a sigh brought me back to this harsh reality. I turned sharply and found a woman standing there, gazing into the forest, sorrow in her eyes. 

She was deathly pale, the kind of pallor only possible for someone who had never known the sun. Towering over me—so impossibly tall that I barely reached her stomach—she wore a flowing black dress that clung to her weightlessly. Dark raven locks framed her striking hazel eyes, a beauty both ethereal and sorrowful. And then it hit me—I knew her.

“This is-“ 

“Me,” Gaea murmured sadly. “This was my existence for billions of years. I’d come here and watch my forest. It was all I knew, all that I could do to keep myself out of my own mind.”

“Billions?” I asked incredulously? The idea of spending that much time in isolation was impossible to wrap my head around, no wonder she was insane.

“Yes, Perseus. Billions.”

The woman, Gaea walked to the edge of the cliff and waved gently to the trees, her broken features formed into a slight smile as the branches waved peacefully back at her. Her face smile quickly faded and was replaced with a look I knew all too well. Longing. It was the same expression Annabeth wore when she heard the Sirens sing all those years ago.

I sat there watching Gaea as she stared blankly into darkness, she truly was the embodiment of the Earth, her expression was as blank as the barren wasteland around her, it was her. Even still I could sense the sadness that lay beyond the shallow facade. It was impossible not to.

Rapidly, Gaea’s blank expression morphed into one of helpless desperation, she fell to her knees shaking uncontrollably and let out a low moan of pain. The ground shook mournfully with her as its mother mourned. The forests were fading, quickly being replaced by the empty darkness that cloaked us. 

Gaea looked up and let out a low choking sound, she looked like she wanted to cry but hadn’t learned how. So she just stood there, a broken goddess looking at the emptiness that had consumed her single happiness. 

“What happened?” I asked slowly, my voice shaking slightly as I spoke.

"Eventually even my forests succumbed to the darkness.” Gaea spoke mournfully, as if the memory was still painful. “ I was truly alone, young and terrified to face existence alone again. Soon after I fell victim to my own power. Without knowing it I pushed myself beyond my limits while trying once again to create life, this time I failed and fell into a deep slumber, the first of many to come. When I finally awoke the loneliness simply became too much, I could no longer stand the isolation, I asked Chaos for one last gift. Family. Thankfully, my wish was granted. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to be truly happy.”

“So that’s what you’ve always wanted? Family?” I asked as Gaea’s empty world faded around me and the ruins of Olympus returned. 

“Yes, Perseus. That is all I have ever wanted.”

“Then why are you trying to kill the Olympians? They are your family!” I was angry now, after what I had seen I felt I could understand Gaea, at least to an extent. But I still couldn’t understand this. 

“You speak true, child. As much as I am loath to admit it. The actions of my past only helped to continue the cycle of violence that has plagued my family since its inception.”

Huh? Did Gaea just admit she was wrong? 

The goddess continued. “I realise now what I should have so long ago, the lust for absolute power, for dominion over all others will forever be the undoing of this family. For there to be true peace, there must be unity. I wish to reunite my family. My entire family. Titans, Olympians, Gigantes. This is the only path forward.”

Gaea may have changed, but she was even more insane than before if she actually thought what she was saying was possible. “That will never work,” I said. “Even if the Olympians agreed, which they never would. There’s no way the Titans or Gigantes would.”

“They will.” 

“How do you know?”

“Because my husband will ensure they remain obedient. My children may defy me, that is their nature after all. But all immortals fear the pit. They will fall in line, or they will fall, for all time.”

“So you’re working together then?” I asked quietly, anger beginning to build up within me.

“He’s my husband.” Gaea said simply, as if that was a proper answer.

I felt my temperature rise as my blood roared in my veins. If Tartarus and Gaea  were working together, then that meant she was behind everything. My father being taken, my friends dying… Annabeth. Instinctively, I brushed my hand against my pocket, checking that Riptide was still there, thankfully it was. Good, I thought. I might need it. 

“So it was you. You’re behind everything, you’re the reason Annabeth is dead.”

“Whatever do you mean, child?” Gaea asked softly, feigning ignorance.

She was mocking me.

“You know exactly what I mean,” I roared. “Campers, my friends, my girlfriend. Your husband killed them.”

Gaea remained silent.

I continued, my anger growing with each word. “I don’t understand, if you wanted to draw me out, there were other ways. You didn’t have to kill anyone.”

Again, silence.

“Why?” I asked weakly. “Just… why?”

“I do not know, Perseus.” Gaea said at last. “In truth, you have caught me off guard. I knew nothing of this.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You may believe whatever you like. But ask yourself, after everything I have shown you, after all I told you. Do you truly think I would do what you accuse me of?”

She had a point there. As much as I hated to admit it, Gaea seemed different, at least somewhat so— and she had no reason to lie.

“So, if it wasn’t you…”

“No, I have grown tired of needless death. I would never sanction such a thing.”

“Then why would Tartarus-“

“I cannot say,” Gaea said, interrupting me. “My husband marches to the beat of his own drum. Though needless violence… that is not his way.”

“So many demigods dead…” I muttered in disgust.

“How many?”  Gaea said, a hint of urgency in her tone. In a rare first, she seemed truly unsettled.

“Twenty three.”

“I see…” Gaea remarked, sounding more and more troubled by the second. “That is concerning.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Killing children, young and innocent, so much life ahead of them. There is tremendous power in that.”

“What kind of power?” I asked.

“I have my suspicions, but I cannot be sure. To know for certain, seek out Hecate. Magic is her domain, she will have greater insight on this matter than I.”

“Okay… what about my father?”

“What about him?”

“While I was being held by Tartarus, shortly before you appeared, he told me he took my father.”

“Your father?” Gaea truly sounded confused now, a rare thing to hear from someone who usually seemed to know everything. “Perseus. Tell me exactly what my husband said to you.”

“He said that if my dad was gone, his brother would be drawn out.”

“I see…” 

“He didn’t tell you that, did he? You took my dad without telling you.”

Gaea didn’t reply so I continued. “Who’s his brother? Why does he want to draw him out?”

Again, silence. 

“Trouble in paradise?” I said mockingly. “It’s never too late to divorce you know.” As I said it, I immediately regretted my words. Down here, I was powerless. For some reason, Gaea didn’t want me dead, but if I pushed my luck, I’d end up as a Percy sized mud puddle. 

“Sorry?” I said sheepishly, hoping that would be enough. 

“Humorous,” Gaea said dryly. It was clear she didn’t find any of this the least bit funny. “Unfortunately, you are correct. Tartarus did this without my knowing, I would have never permitted such a foolish action. It only serves to undermine what I hope to achieve. What I had thought he too hoped to achieve.”

So Tartarus isn’t as loyal to Gaea as she thought he was. 

“I know what you’re thinking,” Gaea said, in reply to my thoughts. “Tartarus is not loyal to anyone or anything, he is loyal only to his emotions, I have always known this.  His love for me runs deep, but his sense of hatred runs deeper.”

“He must really hate his brother then.”

“Indeed he does.” 

“Why?” 

“Family is complicated.” Gaea replied simply. It was clear that whatever the backstory was here, she wasn’t interested in sharing. Whatever. My dad was my focus anyway, primordial family drama didn’t matter.

“Where’s my father? What’s Tartarus done to him?”

"I truly do not know. Wherever he is, he’s beyond my reach, I cannot sense him.”

“So he’s not on the ground.” I said. “That narrows it down at least.”

“I suppose so… regardless. You will not find your answers down here.”

“Then let me go.”

“You are not my prisoner, I told you already, I brought you here to talk. You are free to leave.” Gaea said coolly. 

I was surprised, but I wasn’t exactly going to argue with her. “Then I’d like to leave. Now.”

“Very well, you may leave. But before you do, a word for the wise. You may be a child of the sea, but right now the ocean may not welcome you. Pontos, like my husband, is ruled by emotion. He is… unpredictable. You would do well to avoid him.” 

Pontos. So that was his name. I made a mental note to do some research on him when I got the chance. If only Annabeth was here, she probably knew everything there was to know about him. I felt a pang in my heart, but I forced it aside. I couldn’t think about her right now. Especially not down here.

“Got it,” I said dismissively. “Avoid the ocean, will do. So, can I go?”

Gaea didn’t reply, opting to remain silent. Instead, a searing ray of sunlight pierced through the gloom behind me, casting long shadows over the ruins. I flinched, shielding my eyes—after so long in the darkness, even the faintest daylight was blinding. After a few moments, my eyes adjusted and I dared to peek again. A tunnel. And beyond it, the faint, but unmistakable sound of birdsong.

A way out.

I grinned, I was finally free. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been down here, probably hours, but it felt like years in my mind. With a wide smile on my face, I headed towards the light.

I trekked up the tunnel for hours, with each step, drawing ever close to freedom. I’d be walking for so long now my legs were screaming out for relief, the relentless climb up draining every ounce of strength they had. At last, I reached the tunnel’s end. The evening sun blazed in my eyes, but I took it all in anyway. I collapsed to the ground, chest heaving, utterly spent, but smiling. I’d made it. The air was filled with birdsong and the crisp scent of pine, and, in the distance, the gentle trickle of running water from a distant stream. It was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard. 

I pulled myself to my feet, still wheezing, and took in my surroundings. I was in some sort of campsite. Silver tents were dotted around a clearing in the forest. I saw several girls dressed in identical silver uniforms sitting around a bench staring at me in shock. The moment our eyes met, they bolted to their feet and sprinted off without a word. 

“Intruder! We have an intruder!” I heard a girl’s voice cry out. I heard several more voices yelling urgently to each other as the sound of heavy feet thundered towards me. I tried to shout out that I meant no harm but before I could a horrible familiar feeling began to crawl down my spine, I’d felt this only once before, back in New York when Ethan was about to stab me in the small of my back, I whirled around to face the threat, drawing Riptide as I did. Before I could move to strike. Two silver arrows thudded into my chest in rapid succession, soaking my shirt in warm blood instantly.

“Oh.” I managed weakly as I slumped to the ground. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Thalia Grace, her face set in grim determination, bow drawn tight, another arrow nocked and aimed at me. Then, nothing. 

Chapter Text

Artemis:

It was a sweltering summer afternoon, the sun bearing down on me relentlessly, wherever I stepped a blinding ray of sunshine seemed to follow. Recent summers, thanks to humanity’s wanton pollution of nature, had been brutal, but this one had been particularly unforgiving. Heatstroke had claimed several of my Hunters, forcing us to hold camp here for a few more days whilst they recovered. Thanks for that, Apollo . I squinted up at the sky, glaring at it in disgust. The sun flickered slightly in response, almost as if it were winking at me. Knowing my brother, that was exactly what it was doing.

Fortunately, we had at least chosen a good spot to beat the heat. We’d made camp atop a mountain in the Cascades in southern Washington. The height provided us a good vantage spot, from up here you could see every direction. Any potential threat would be spotted miles before they’d pose any real danger. Not to mention they’d have quite the uphill battle just to get to us. 

As I took in the view, the world stretched out before me—rolling hills, dense forests, and winding rivers. Beautiful, untouched nature, right at my fingertips. Of course, nothing compared to the old world, but I could hardly complain. Still, I longed to continue on the path, I was not built to stay in one place for too long. 

I took a deep breath, taking in the warm afternoon air. A gentle breeze overtook me, bringing with it the comforting smell of the forest. Pine, my favourite scent in all of nature. Despite my lieutenant's vehement dislike of pine trees, I’d always held a fondness for them. They reminded me of my youth, spending my days in my mother’s forest stalking my first prey—my brother. I smiled as I remembered his screams when he first realised he was being fired upon from the treetops. To this day, I’ve yet to hear a more high-pitched squeal. 

“Milady?” A familiar voice cut through my reverie. I turned to face the speaker— Phoebe. My eldest huntress, she’d served loyally by my side for well over three millennia now, though she’d seen better days. Fresh scars marked her face, the toll of the past few weeks etched upon her skin. Her ordinarily neat ponytail, shaved evenly on the sides and back, had unravelled into an unkempt, tangled mess of ginger. Her once-spotless silver uniform was now streaked with mud, a souvenir from this morning’s failed deer hunt. She had bags under her eyes, she needed sleep— then again, we all did. Even though we’d been holding camp for days, there had been little time for rest.

“Artemis,” Phoebe said, puncturing her words with a sharp prod to my arm. “Helloooooo,” she waved a hand in front of my eyes, grinning. “You in there, Milady?”

Despite her brazen disrespect, I couldn’t help but return the smile. Phoebe had always been this way. Outwardly, to strangers she put on a tough front, which was to be expected given her past. Yet beneath the cold exterior, lay a warm heart and a playful spirit. Though admittedly, sometimes she was too playful.

In truth, I didn’t mind it. Sometimes, I even enjoyed it. One of the most tedious aspects of being an Olympian was the constant pleasantries, the bowing, the tiresome political theatre. It bored me, as did those who played within it. That wasn’t the case on the ground with Phoebe. To her, I wasn’t some high and mighty goddess beyond reproach, I was her friend, her sister, her family. 

Still, I had to remind her of her place, and I knew just how to do it. “Dish duty for a week,” I said sternly, doing my utmost to appear serious.

Phoebe’s smile dropped. “Wait… really?”

“Two weeks.” 

“But-“

“Three weeks.”

“I was only joking-“ she looked truly desperate now.

“Should we make it four weeks?” I asked, trying to stifle my ever growing grin, I was only teasing her. I had no intention of actually punishing the girl for a simple joke.

“Boooooooo.” Phoebe jeered, finally catching on. “That was cruel , you don’t joke about dish duty.”

“Would you rather I was serious? After all, you were extremely disrespectful—blasphemous, even. Perhaps I should send you on a hunt in my honour, have you sacrifice the spoils as an offering to me, penance for your disrespect.”

“I’m gonna give you a skunk as an offering…” Phoebe muttered in reply. 

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you, would you like to say that again?”

“Nope.” Phoebe said, feigning innocence. “I’m good.”

“I thought so… anyway, did you want me for something?”

“Oh!” Phoebe’s eyes lit up, remembering why she’d approached me in the first place. “Yeah, so… it’s not about me. It’s about Amelia, again. She’s been on watch duty since before dawn, it’s a hundred degrees out and I haven’t even seen her drink a thing. Can I go and relieve her for the day? She needs rest, we can’t lose more Hunters.”

I sighed. Amelia—a daughter of Athena. Capable, brilliant and fiercely determined. Like many new additions to the Hunt, she was keen to impress, to prove herself as worthy. From day one, she’d volunteered for any and all jobs. Everything from night watch to cooking, she attacked all tasks the same way, at nothing less than one hundred percent. I admired her enthusiasm, but like many children of Athena, pride was her downfall. She refused to accept help, never wanting to show weakness. She still had yet to learn that being a good Huntress wasn’t about standing out, but was instead about knowing how to fit in. This latest incident exemplified that perfectly. 

Teenagers. I thought, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. I’d overcome many foes in my time, yet none had proved more unyielding than a teenager’s stubborn nature. 

“Thank you for informing me,” I said, doing my best to suppress the irritation festering within me. “Tell Amelia she’s dismissed for the day, make it very clear to her that this is not a request, and she is not to do anything but rest for the remainder of today.”

Phoebe nodded gratefully, the tension in her shoulders easing. “Aye, Milady. I’ll tell her.”

“Thank you, Phoebe. That will be all.”

She hesitated, opening her mouth slightly as if to speak again. Clearly something was still on her mind.

“What’s got you thinking?” I asked. 

“What do you mean?” Phoebe said, her eyes levelled to the ground, shuffling her feet. She was a terrible liar, she always had been.

“I know you, clearly something is bothering you. What is it?”

She sighed. “It’s just… Do you ever think we’re making a mistake taking so many new recruits?”

Of course, I should have known. I mentally slapped myself in frustration. Ordinarily, we’d recruit one or two new members a century, if that. But these last years had been trying, desperately so, we’d lost more girls than ever before. Phoebe, preceded them all and as a result, sometimes struggled to adjust to the new additions. In time, I had no doubt she’d come to see them all as family, but change was something she struggled to come to terms with.

“She’s young, Phoebe. We all were once, give her time.”

“I know—I get it. It’s just… it’s not just Amelia, we’ve accepted so many new recruits, they’re all like her. They don’t know anything. If we face a real threat, they won’t make it.”  

“Then that’s all the more reason to teach them. You’re right, Phoebe. They’re young and they’re ignorant. But they’re willing to learn, they want to learn, we must have the grace to allow them to do so.”

“I get that… I’m just worried they’re going to get one of us killed, I’ve lost enough sisters.”

“They are your sisters now, Phoebe. There is no ‘one of us’—only all of us. Like it or not, for as long as you are bound to me, you are bound to them. I understand so much change so soon is difficult for you, but I beg you, don’t write them off so early.”

“Okay, Milady. I’ll do better. Forgive me,” Phoebe said, bowing her head

I waved a hand airily. “It’s quite alright. No need for all that. I know you mean well.”

Phoebe nodded stiffly in thanks and began to walk away, as she did a breeze wafted over her, bringing with it a strange scent— something foul, putrid even. Ah, I realised, recalling Phoebe’s earlier threat as the smell grew stronger. I examined her uniform, noting a strange bulge in her left jacket pocket, it appeared to be wriggling.

I sighed. “Phoebe?” 

Phoebe turned back to face me. “Yes, Milady?”

“Is that a skunk in your pocket?”

Phoebe looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Umm… no.”

I scowled. “If you even think about giving that poor creature to me as an offering, Leto help me I will make sure you drown in dirty dishes. Sisyphus himself will weep for you. Am I understood?”

Phoebe paled. She’d faced down all manner of foes in her life. Gigantes, Titans, monsters so horrid they’d make Ares himself turn and flee, yet nothing scared her more than the threat of domestic duties. 

“Understood.”

“Good.”

“What… what should I do with it then?” She asked, gesturing to the bulge in her pocket. The skunk began to struggle even more frantically, I could hear it chirping angrily, clearly it was unhappy in its present conditions.

“Release the poor creature, it must be terrified.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust before I continued. “And when you’ve done that, do everyone a favour and dispose of your jacket, no amount of cleaning is getting that smell out.”

Phoebe’s face fell. “Is it that bad?”

“Worse.” 

“I’ll throw it out.” 

“Thank you.” 

Now alone, I headed downhill toward the sound of running water. Sweat slicked my skin, my hair clinging to my forehead—I needed a break from the heat. I removed my bow and quiver and waded into the river, flinching slightly as the cold rushed to my legs. Goddess of the wilderness or not, I was still a daughter of Zeus, and as such I’d never felt truly at home in the water. Still, in this heat, there was little choice but to brave the discomfort. 

I reached waist height, briefly dunking the rest of my body into the water. The cold shock was brutal, yet also rejuvenating. I pushed the urge to leave the water from my mind, allowing the gentle current to wash over me. I closed my eyes, retreating into the depths of my mind. It was remarkably quiet down here, no wonder Poseidon had always preferred to stay within his realm—beneath the surface, the chaos and drama of Olympus didn’t exist. No endless bickering, no power struggles—just silence, peace. I could stay down here forever-

A sharp equine whinny shattered the tranquility, yanking me from my thoughts. With a single leap, I was out of the river, water trailing from my limbs. I landed silently behind the source of the noise—a Pegasus. It had a coat as black as Nyx herself and broad, powerful wings spanning nearly thirty feet. It was tall, taller than me—a stallion. He was undoubtedly strong, yet his laboured breathing and faint heartbeat told me he was exhausted. Clearly, he’d flown quite some distance, and at quite some speed. 

He sensed my presence and turned to face me. Upon spotting me, he let out a nervous neigh, trotting from side to side as he avoided my gaze. He bowed his head slightly—evidently, he recognised me.

“It’s alright,” I said soothingly, summoning an apple to hand, extending it toward the wary animal. 

The Pegasus took a few steps back, eyeing me warily. I halted, careful not to startle him. I kept my hand outstretched, noticing his eyes dart between me and the apple in my hand. He was nervous, clearly, but he was also hungry.

“I mean you no harm,” I soothed “What’s your name? I’m Artemis.”

The Pegasus neighed in reply, a little more confidence in the sound this time. 

“Blackjack? That’s a nice name, I like it.”

Blackjack whinnied proudly, raising his head high into the air. Evidently, he enjoyed compliments. 

“Would you like some more?” I offered, already knowing the answer. Pegasi were famous for never being able to turn down snacks, a fact that the shareholders at Monster Donut were most grateful for. 

Blackjack huffed and nodded enthusiastically. I laughed and fed him another. He truly did justice to the saying ‘hungry like a horse.’ He was ravenous. Blackjack ate another, then another after that. Before long he’d consumed an orchard’s worth of apples. He must have been flying for some time to have worked up such an appetite. 

Now Blackjack was closer, I was able to examine him properly. He was in immaculate physical condition, strong, lean and powerful. His mane was neatly groomed, his coat brushed spotless. Clearly this was no wild Pegasus. What are you doing out here by yourself? I wondered. Something must have drawn him out here, or perhaps someone. 

“Who do you belong—”

High pitched screams tore through the calm afternoon air, shattering the moment, cutting off my words. The sudden shift in volume startled the Pegasus, he reared onto his hind legs, his eyes wild, his breath coming in short, panicked huffs. Then, with a powerful beat of his wings, he was airborne. A few more, and he was nothing but a dark speck against the clear blue sky. 

“Intruder! We have an intruder!” Phoebe’s voice rang out sharp and urgent. Ordinarily, she was quiet, a woman of little words—but when she wanted to be heard, she could make ears bleed.  

I summoned my bow to hand, notching an arrow as I sprinted toward the sound. The unmistakable scent of demigod blood filled the air, spurning me on. In a matter of seconds I was by Phoebe’s side. My eyes darted across the campsite, scanning for the threat. Fortunately, it appeared to have already been neutralised. 

The fallen demigod was male, Thalia stood over him, bow in hand, eyeing him warily, watching for any threat he may pose. It was for naught—he wasn’t harming anyone in the state he was in, the arrows embedded deep within his sternum saw to that.

I marvelled at the precision of Thalia’s shots—her aim was constantly improving. About time. In the past she had been far too reliant on that silly spear of hers, ranged weapons were far more practical. 

“Is anyone else hurt?” I asked urgently, frantically examining all my nearby Hunters for wounds.

“No, Milady,” Phoebe replied quickly, mirroring my tone of urgency. “We’re all fine.”

Relief washed over me. Leto, thank you. “Good shot, Thalia,” I remarked, approaching my lieutenant. “Your aim is improving.”

“Yeah,” Thalia said, grinning proudly, waltzing victoriously towards her vanquished prey. “Live target drills with Phoebe have really-“ Her words died in her throat. The bow slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground as she fell to her knees, pale as a ghost.

“Oh my gods… Percy?”  Thalia’s voice shook as she cupped the boy’s face, tilting it up toward her. His eyes—glazed over and unfocused—didn’t meet hers. He was completely still, unseeing, Unconscious. 

Perseus Jackson is alive? I’d watched him die—his presence here shouldn’t be possible. And yet, with this much of his blood soaking the ground, the scent of the sea was undeniable. There was no mistaking it. Perseus Jackson was alive and… well, alive was the most optimistic way to describe his condition. He was deteriorating rapidly. Each breath came shallower than the last. Blood seeped into the earth, staining the grass beneath him. His time was growing short. He had minutes left—if he was lucky.

I rushed to Perseus’ side, gently moving Thalia aside so I could assess the boy’s wounds. My breath hitched. Thalia’s aim was even better than I thought. All three arrows had made their home deep within the boy’s heart. What remained of it still fought to beat, but time was drawing short. Perseus was beyond even Apollo’s help now, there was only so much the mortal body could withstand and his wounds went far beyond those limits. 

“Is there anything you can do?” Thalia asked frantically. “Anything.”

“I’m sorry… there’s nothing that can be done.”

“What about Apollo?” Thalia pleaded. “Could he-”

I shook my head sadly. “No. There is nothing anyone can do for him now. It is his time.”

Thalia slumped, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. I knew her pain. As the rest of my girls moved in to comfort her, I realised we all did. All of us from different backgrounds—different millennia, even—yet loss was something we all knew far too well.

Perseus took one final, sharp breath before his chest fell still. A heavy weight settled over me as I watched him breathe his last. In a cruel twist of fate, it was not so different from the burden he had once freed me from. I still owed him a great debt for what he did on Mount Tamalpais. I’d watched him die once before; I took no joy in being forced to do so again. 

“I killed him…” Thalia whispered, her voice hollow with despair. She stared at her fallen friend in shock, as if she were desperately willing him to move—to prove her wrong. 

My chest tightened at the sight. My heart ached for her—I wished I could take away her pain, to ease her suffering. But alas, that was beyond even me. 

We had to move Perseus. The scent of cadaver tissue was sure to draw any nearby monsters out from the shadows, he couldn’t stay here. 

I locked eyes with Phoebe, who gave me a grim nod of understanding.

Before she could step towards the body, a murmur of concern rippled through the ranks of my Hunters, their voices tinged with unease. Instinctively, they closed ranks, drawing together to brace for whatever had them so alarmed. I drew my dagger, eyes sweeping the vicinity, searching for this threat.

Then I saw them. 

Three women. They were ancient, their faces lined with the passage of countless years. Hunched backs, silver hair—clad in dark cotton dresses draped over their bony frames. 

The Fates. 

Their presence was a rare and ominous sight—if they were here, it had to be important. They did not make appearances without cause, and something told me the dead demigod on the ground was that very reason.

I stepped forward cautiously, placing myself between the three sisters and my nervous Hunters. “My Ladies Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, to what do we owe the honour of your visit?”

They set their eyes on me, and I did my best to mask my discomfort. Technically, we were half-sisters, though there was no sibling bond between us. From the day we’d first met, I’d given them a wide berth. All immortals did—the knowledge they possessed was terrifying. Only Father himself showed them no fear. Yet even he treated them with a healthy respect. 

“His string remains uncut,” they spoke in unison. “He does not die here.”

Lachesis extended a bony finger toward Perseus, levelling it at his heart. With a jolt, life returned to Perseus’ body. He gasped, before steady breathing returned. Thalia sobbed, her face falling into Perseus’ chest, weeping with relief.

I locked eyes with Atropos and my world spun. 

Suddenly, I was atop a cliff, overlooking the crashing waves below. Then I was running down a corridor, chasing a giggling little girl. I could feel myself holding back, allowing her to think she was escaping. With each step she took, her laughter grew in magnitude. She was young— far younger than any of my Hunters—yet the connection I felt to her was the same, perhaps even deeper. 

Then, I was on the ground, ichor pooling beneath me, a spear embedded in my side. All I felt was pain.  A dark shadow loomed over me—a man’s. He stood tall and proud, postering over his fallen prey. His face was obscured, but I knew I’d seen him before. 

Then, in the blink of an eye, I was back at camp. I looked around—nothing had changed. And yet, in a way it felt like I’d just lived an entire lifetime.

What was that? Clearly it was some sort of premonition, I wasn’t a stranger to them—I’d had many before. But none had ever felt so vivid, so real. There was an inevitability to it that made me feel so… hopeless. 

Apollo, I have to speak to Apollo. If anyone could make sense of this, it was him.

“Delphi awaits him,” Clotho said, her voice recentering me. “Take him, goddess. Ensure he gets there safely.”

“I will.”

“Very well.”

And with that, they were gone.

The evening air was still. The breeze had died, the birds had gone silent, even the sun seemed to have retreated in the Fates’ wake—leaving only myself, my Hunt, and the sleeping son of Poseidon behind.

We all stood around him in silence. No one spoke, no one knew what to say. The sudden appearance of the Moirai had unsettled all of us—it could only be a harbinger for things to come. 

My mind was still grappling with what I’d seen. The final vision was seared into my thoughts, so vivid it lingered behind every blink. That looming shadow over me, how powerless I felt, the inevitability of it all… I shuddered to think what it was that could have caused me to feel that way. I had to find out.

At last, the impatience of youth won out. One of my newest Hunters, Adara, spoke up. “Well… what do we do now?” 

“We do what is asked of us,” I replied simply. “We take Perseus to the Oracle.”

Several of the girls scowled, I understood their reluctance, but we had little choice here. The Fates themselves had ordained this and I dared not defy them, regardless of my own personal feelings on the matter. 

“Phoebe,” I said, catching my eldest huntress’ attention. “Take Perseus to my tent.”

“Aye, Milady.” Mindful of the fact Perseus may still not be fully recovered, Phoebe carefully took the boy in her arms, making sure to support his frame evenly. Once she was satisfied he was secure, she marched at pace towards my tent, unburdened by his weight. Thalia followed quickly behind in silence.

As I approached the entrance to my tent I heard a faint choking sound from within, I pushed open one of the leather flaps of the entrance and stepped inside. The room was cloaked in darkness, save for the dim glow of an old silver lantern—rusted with age. It had long since needed replacing, but it was a gift from my mother, I hadn’t the heart to discard it. 

In the shifting light, I caught sight of my Lieutenant, her features shadowed and sullen. As the canvas flap fell shut behind me, Thalia looked up, noticing my arrival.

“Hi, Milady,” Thalia said meekly. 

“How’s he doing?” I asked gently. 

“He’s alive,” she replied with a shrug. “That’s something I guess.”

I stepped around the live grizzly acting as floor decor and approached the foot of the bed. A mountain of fur blankets rose and fell with each breath, and I realised—amused—that Perseus was buried somewhere beneath them. With the sheer number of covers piled over him, he might soon be joining the rest of my heatstroke-stricken Hunters in the infirmary. Thalia sat watchfully on a couch beside the bed. I settled next to her, silently observing the blankets rise and fall.

I took her hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. From this close, I could hear the thump of her heart—it was racing a million miles a minute. She was still on edge. I followed her gaze down to the sleeping form of Perseus.

“Are you sure you gave him enough blankets?” I asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood.

“That wasn’t me, that was Phoebe. She said he’s too skinny and-”

“Skinny people get cold easily.” I finished for her, bemused. “I suppose, if we weren’t in the middle of a heatwave, that would make sense.”

Thalia shrugged. “Percy’s a guy. She’s probably just messing with him.”

“Perhaps. Regardless, he seems comfortable, we’ll leave them as is for now.”

Thalia didn’t reply.

“You can’t blame yourself. You acted to protect your sisters—you didn’t know it was him.”

“Yeah,” Thalia said glumly. “I guess. But still, I did it. I killed one of my closest friends, who does that?”

“I’ve done that,” I said quietly. 

“Oh yeah,” Thalia muttered. “Orion.”

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Orion! No, I wasn’t referring to that imbecile. I relish in the memory of that day—I only wish I had known what I was doing. I’d have made sure to take my time…”

“He is pretty fun to shoot,” Thalia added helpfully. “But… if you weren’t talking about Orion, who were you talking about, Milady?”

I thought back to a time—a person even—I’d kept buried for eons. Buried so deep I dared not even retrace the memory in my own mind. Polyphonte. My greatest shame.

“Hm.”

“Too much?” Thalia liked to push, but she knew when she’d reached a limit.

“Too much.” I replied.

“Well hey,” Thalia said lightly. “At least we’ve got something else in common.”

I smiled at Thalia’s joke, despite the poor taste. “I suppose we do.”

With a flick of my wrist, two goblets filled with water appeared in my hands. I handed one to her. “Cheers to that.”

Thalia eyed the goblet thirstily, squinting at the liquid in the dim light. “Wine?” she asked eagerly. 

I rolled my eyes. “You’re worse than Dionysus. It’s water.”

“Aww,” she groaned. “You’re no fun.”

“Drink,” I commanded. “You need it.”

“I’m not even thirsty.”

With one stern look from me, she caved and began to gulp down the water. Within seconds the goblet was empty. 

“More?” she asked sheepishly.

“I thought you weren’t thirsty?”

In reply, she swiped my goblet from my hand and chugged it down before handing it back to me with a cheeky grin. 

“I’m not anymore. Thanks, Milady!”

Teenagers.

We fell into comfortable silence, fractured only by the occasional sleepy grunt from Perseus. I glanced down at my lieutenant—she was staring blankly at the bed, rhythmically tapping the brim of her empty goblet, deep in thought. I could practically hear the cogs whirring in her brain.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, breaking the silence.

Thalia sighed. “I just keep thinking about what could have happened… if the Fates hadn’t saved Percy. I really would have killed him.” 

“Remember what I always tell you?”

“That the moon landing was sacrilegious?”

I smiled. “It was. But no, not that. There’s no use fixating on the what-if—”

“—Focus on the right now,” Thalia finished.

“Exactly. Perseus is fine. A night of bed rest, a few shots of nectar, and he’ll be back to his old self.”

We fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by Perseus grunting in his sleep. I watched him in amusement—he was a surprisingly animated sleeper. Then I noticed something… something rather disturbing.. 

“Is… is he drooling on my pillow?”

Thalia smirked. “He does that.”

I shot her a look. “You could have told me that before I had him brought to my tent.”

“If it’s a problem, Milady. I can put him up in my tent. I don’t mind.” 

“No, absolutely not. He’ll be fine where he is.” I replied firmly. 

Admittedly, I wasn’t thrilled about having someone—let alone a male someone—in my private quarters. But there was no chance I was going to let him stay near my girls. 

I glanced down at the demigod, now thoroughly soaking my cushions with drool. “However, if he ruins my favourite cushion, I may just turn him into a jackalope.” I frowned. “Are you certain he’s not brain damaged?”

“No, Milady. That’s just Percy being Percy.” Thalia murmured, doing her best to stifle a yawn. 

“Get some rest, Thalia.” 

“I’m fine here,” she said stubbornly. 

“That wasn’t a request. You looked exhausted. You’ll be no good to anyone if you run yourself ragged. Go to bed—I’ll wake you if I need you.”

Thalia looked like she wanted to argue, but exhaustion won out over her stubbornness. “Fine,” she relented. “But if anything happens-“

“You’ll be the first to know. You have my word. Now get some rest.” 

“Okay. But no funny business you two. I’ll be checking with Mister Bear in the morning.” She grinned, gesturing to the grizzly bear sprawled on the floor. 

Mister Bear let out a low growl in reply. Clearly, he didn’t approve of her joke—nor did I, for that matter. 

“That is not funny, Thalia,” I said indignantly. 

With an exaggeratedly sarcastic bow, she bade me goodbye. “G’night, Milady.”

Then, still cackling to herself, she slipped out of the tent. Leaving me alone with Perseus. I turned to the mountain of blankets piled up on my bed, and the boy nestled beneath them. 

“So, Perseus. What am I to do with you?” I mused, looking at the unconscious boy. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t reply.

I sighed. “It seems that for better or worse, we’re stuck with each other for the time being.” 

Perseus groaned.

“I know, I know,” I said dryly. “I’m not wild about it either. But the Fates will it, so it must be.”

Perseus didn’t make a noise. Clearly, even he knew how pointless it was to try and defy fate. Hades knows he’s tried.

“What is it about you?” I wondered aloud. “Why is it always you?”

Perseus muttered something into his pillow, shifting restlessly. Whatever he was dreaming of, it had him animated—his brow furrowed, his face tight with unease. Sweat clung to his skin, though whether that was from the dream, or the pile of blankets, I couldn’t say. 

“What are you dreaming about?” 

“Delos,” he murmured sleepily. “It awaits me in Delos.”

My head snapped to him. “What did you just say?”

Silence. He didn’t stir.

Delos—the place of my birth, my first home. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Everything, great or small, happened for a reason. Perseus had appeared in my camp. The Fates had instructed me to bring him to the Oracle. If he too was having visions… perhaps they were linked to my own.  

I had to know what he was dreaming about.

Slowly, so as not to rouse Perseus from his slumber, I moved towards the bed and took his hand in mine. A gentle pulse of energy flowed from my fingers into his veins—reaching, probing. His body trembled under the strain of accommodating an immortal presence. After a few moments of searching, I found what I was looking for.

I saw myself—or at least, a version of me—standing at the edge of a cliff, the waves crashing far below. I watched myself turn, and our eyes met. My lips moved, forming words the winds stole away, then I saw myself laugh. I took in my surroundings. This was the same clifftop I’d seen in my own vision. Perseus had been there too. 

Everything spun, and suddenly, I was in an apartment. The first thing that hit me was the smell—warm, sweet, inviting. Freshly baked muffins, cookies, waffles—the air was thick with them. It was intoxicating, and made me feel right at home. 

I took in my surroundings. The apartment was modest but lived-in, every worn piece of furniture infused with the quiet charm of a home well-loved. Nothing in here was extravagant, yet everything had a purpose, everything felt as permanent, like it had been a part of this place—this family—for years.

Speaking of which…

Curled up on the couch, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun, a little girl slept peacefully. My breath caught—the same little girl I’d been chasing in my own vision. In this light, I got a better look at her. The shape of her cheekbones, the arch of her nose, the strands of dark auburn hair catching the light just so—

No. That wasn’t possible. 

I reached deeper, searching for answers, but the moment I did, I felt Perseus’ heartbeat weaken. His life force flickered, he couldn’t handle much more of this. I released his hand, severing the connection. As much as I desired answers, pushing for them when Perseus was in this state would burn him up from the inside out.

What was that? I thought, trying to make sense of what I’d just seen. None of it felt possible. And yet, like my own visions, it all felt so inevitable. So—

“Found what you were looking for?” a hoarse voice hissed.

I looked down and locked eyes with Perseus Jackson, who was very much awake—fury dancing in his eyes.