Chapter Text
A bright, piercing light shot through his eyelids, forcing them open, and quickly shut again.
The teenager grunted, shifting to cover his eyes with his hands, blinking spots out of his vision.
"Oh, you're awake."
A voice called, to his left. It sounded dull, angry.
Safe to say, the teenager flinched, looking over at the voice with the best vision he could muster.
A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes stood before him, scowling down at him.
"Lee?"
The teen croaked. Lee furrowed his brows further.
"Luke."
He snapped back, tossing a baggy of ambrosia squares at the teen.
Luke blinked down at the food, looking back up at the medic in confusion.
"Um, what's-"
"Stop talking. Eat. I'm going to tell everyone that you're awake."
And with that, Lee stomped out of the room.
Luke was blearily eyed, and confused.
What had happened?
Why was he in the infirmary?
Where is Anna-?
The memories shot through him like a gun.
Percy, the betrayal, the andromachi, Atlas, and Kronos.
Kronos, who wasn't speaking in his mind anymore.
Kronos, who wasn't anywhere around here.
Oh gods, where did he go-?
Percy.
No.
No No No No No No No No No-
"Wait!"
A shrill voice shouted.
Percy was holding up the sky, breathing heavily, Thalia and Luke were fighting. Luke was winning.
Percy was bleeding, cursed by Ares, he couldn't fight even if he wanted to.
The sky was weighing heavily on both his body and his mind.
Zoe and Artemis had frozen in the fight with Atlas, the titan himself also looking at Percy in confusion.
"I- I accept!"
"What?!"
Annabeth shrieked, stopping her attempt to pick the locks of the chains. Thalia snapped her head to Percy, eyes blown wide.
"Percy, what the Hades are you-"
"I knew you would accept, dear friend."
Luke grinned, lowering his sword, but not sheathing it. Thalia grit her teeth, hissing at Luke, despite currently being on the floor, bleeding.
"No, no! I'm not allowing you to take him!"
She shouted, but Luke just shoved by her, beginning to walk to the boy.
"I accept Kronos' offer."
The grin dropped, the teen stopped.
Artemis completely tensed, eyes staring into Percy's very soul.
Zoe almost dropped her bow, running to the boy in a rare moment of kindness.
She was blocking Percy from. . .everyone, really.
Luke, Kronos, Atlas, everyone was either staring in horror, or trying to get to him.
"I accept being his vessel."
"Stop, please!"
Annabeth cried, tugging so hard on the chains, they were cutting into her very skin.
Her legs kicked up dirt as they flailed, trying desperately to get to her friend, to stop him.
Zoe slapped her hand over his mouth harshly, hissing for him to stop.
"Did you hear that, you old bat?"
Percy continued, his voice muffled, but still audible.
A laugh, deep, ancient, echoed throughout the corridors. Kronos.
"I'm glad you've come to your senses, grandchild."
Artemis could be heard growling from miles away, her arm hair raised like a cat's would. But she couldn't fight, she barely had the energy to fight Atlas, she had just finished holding up the sky.
Annabeth began to crawl, but her body was too weak, she collapsed on the spot, hand still raised to help her friend.
Thalia too, collapsed, backbiter having hit her in the side, she was poisoned.
Zoe pressed her hand further to the boy's mouth, eyes glancing around wildly, trying to find the monster that wasn't yet visible.
"Percy. . ."
Luke whispered, shock replacing any pain he once felt.
The boy looked up, and met his eyes.
"I promise-"
Luke messed up.
He messed up.
Oh gods, he messed up-
Annabeth was crying into the dirt, chains wrapped around her, Thalia was army crawling to her friend, gasping with pain, and Percy-
Percy was accepting the deal he foolishly asked.
Percy, fourteen year old Percy, would become the vessel that Kronos needed.
Oh gods.
Luke thought again, his hands trembling so badly, he dropped the sword.
What have I done? What have I done?!
What have I done-?!
.
.
.
Atlas had been pushed back under the sky, according to plan, but instead of Luke being taken back, it was Percy.
Everyone fought, but it was futile, no one had enough energy.
Zoe had been healed by Apollo, and everyone had come to Olympus.
Everyone except Luke.
Because Luke, trying to grab his friend, who wasn't even fighting back, got knocked out by Kronos.
There was a vote, a vote to find Percy, to kill him.
Annabeth blew up, screaming at the gods, especially her mother. Only Grover could console her, but even he was angry.
It ended with Zoe stepping down as the lead huntress, Thalia taking that role, and the kids, with Artemis, Mr.D, Apollo, and surprisingly enough Poseidon, storming out.
The camp was in chaos. The kids, who had begun to look up to Percy like they did Luke, broke down, while the ones who didn't really like Percy, cried.
Chiron was horrified upon hearing the news.
Sally Jackson had not yet been told, but she would know soon.
Luke was stuffed into the infirmary. No one liked that.
And he understood why.
He had allowed this to happen.
And now Percy was gone.
Luke curled up in the stiff bed, the thin white shits clinging to his sweaty frame.
He sobbed.
Because Percy jackson was no longer a hero.
He was no longer a hero.
Was he ever a hero?