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Percy couldn’t handle it anymore; everything was too much. The gods just kept wanting more, and more, and more. The campers stopped looking at him like one of their own did they ever? Annabeth told everyone what he did in Tartarus, and now no one looked at him the same anymore. He couldn’t take it; they looked at him like Gabe did. It was too much, he felt empty but overloaded at the same time.
He stopped eating, camp didn’t care. He stopped helping teach sword fighting, camp didn’t care. He stopped leaving his cabin. Camp, Didn’t, CARE! Percy was Tired, even with him locking himself in his Cabin the gods kept demanding him of things. He started to ignore their Requests, demands. That got camp to care, barely. He still didn’t leave his cabin long enough to let them get to him; he had enough.
That's why he was currently standing in the middle of his Cabin, in his favorite hoodie (it was his moms) and the biggest sweatpants he owned. A letter sitting on his desk, addressed to anyone and everyone he could think of while writing it, everyone had their own section. Writing it didn’t help him feel any less empty. He thumbed the cap of riptide, staring at drachma in his other hand. He shoved the drachma in his pocket and uncapped riptide, not even bothering to look at the blade as he closed his eyes and pressed the blade against his neck.
He stood there for a long moment thinking about his life, what got him this far, all the mistakes he made, all the trouble he's caused, the misery that fell upon him and his loved ones. He thought about mom, how she had a new family now. About all his friends who are moving on, leaving him behind. He thought about the gods and how they would only care that he wasn't at their beck and call anymore.
“I give up.” was the last thing Percy ever said, before he pressed the blade further into his flesh, dragging it across his throat. He was expecting the pain, but compared to his many previous injuries, it didn't hurt as bad. The blood was spilling quickly, and he was struggling to get any air in through his open windpipe. Percy found himself kneeling on the floor, letting riptide slip from his hand as it had done its job, watching the pool of crimson spread around him with a detached fascination. Succumbing to the blood loss quickly, his vision gaining dark spots and blurring, he thought he saw a figure approach, wings on their back, but he knew it was too late. He was too far gone by now. He smiled as he died, at least it was on his terms for once.
He found himself in front of Charon, the ferryman staring at him. Percy just walked up to the man and put the drachma on the stand. Charon took it without fighting; Percy was dead this time after all. Charon opened the elevator doors and Percy stepped in; the ride was a blur. He found himself smiling softly at the Styx as the boat crossed. Percy stepped off the boat along with the rest of the dead souls, Charon stopping him for a single moment.
“The boss wants you to go straight to him, none of us expected you this soon.” Charon explained, taking his skeletal hand off Percy’s shoulder before Percy walked off. The souls didn’t fight him as he walked through crowds of them, cutting lines. Cerberus didn’t give him any trouble as he passed under the giant three headed dog, Percy for the first time in forever felt happy. He walked through the fields of asphodel easily, his legs phasing through the flowers on the ground.
Percy stood outside of the palace, he saw Nico talking with one of the skeletal guards, Nico’s eyes going wide when he spotted Percy.
“What? Percy? Why, who. What?” Nico stuttered out, grabbing Percy’s hand as tears sprouted in his eyes. Nico didn’t say anything else to Percy as he dragged Percy to the throne room. Hades looked like he was practically shaking Thanatos, no scratch that, Hades was literally shaking Thanatos.
“WHO LET PERCY DIE?!” Nico yelled, tears pouring from his eyes.
“No one, I don't think. He was alone in his cabin.” Thanatos said as Hades released him, a file appeared in the god's hands, flipping it open.
“DAD, WHAT KILLED PERCY!?” Nico’s volume didn’t decrease; Hades went pale. Or well, more pale.
“He did..” Hades spoke softly, looking at Percy with confusion and sadness. Hades beckoned him forward; Percy walked up to the god.
“Percy, I have just one question.. Why?” Hades asked him, setting the file on the armrest of the throne. Looking down at Percy with nothing but compassion.
“I, I'm tired. Tired of constantly being an errand boy for the gods, tired of being constantly told that I need to do this and need to do that. I just, couldn’t take, Anything anymore. It became too much.” Percy explained, Hades' expression softened more. Nico seemed to understand if the sudden hug was anything to go by. The ceiling shook, oh, his body must have been found. That was fast.. Hades snapped his fingers and Poseidon appeared in the throne room in a swirl of water. Why did he even come? Percy was just a mistake, that's always what he will be. A mistake.
“How could you allow my son to die?” Poseidon stalked towards Thanatos, Nico was still clinging to Percy, the hug was nice...
“Ask him, there wasn’t even a monster around” Thanatos defended himself, raising his hands up in a placating gesture, wings twitching nervously.
“Sei” Hades grabbed Poseidon’s arm, and His head snapped to the other god. Of course he’s not paying attention to Percy, even when he’s angry that Percy died, killed himself. How come Nico got a more present dad? Hades had the same amount if not more responsibilities, then Poseidon...
“Talk to your son, it wasn’t a monster.” Hades Explained, vaguely. Poseidon when did he go from dad to just Poseidon? turned to Percy, grief, plain as day on his face. His eyes full of a sadness Percy couldn't fully understand. Where was this side of him when Percy was struggling? When Percy started being ostracized from Camp half-blood? When he first started contemplating killing himself? When he was writing the letter after he tried telling someone, but they laughed it off. Nico was still clinging to Percy, why didn’t he go to him? Nico never pushed Percy away.
“Percy, what happened?” Poseidon asked, Percy couldn’t think of anything that couldn’t be taken the wrong way.
“I did, I happened. I just.. I’m just tired.. Everything got too much, even when I started ignoring the demands, they kept coming, more and more frequently. No one cared, I just… deteriorated I guess.. But then again, I’m just a mistake. Like you said, I'm no hero, just a mistake.” Percy explained, Nico’s hug increasing in tightness he didn’t regret it. He hugged the boy back, trying to keep his emotions in check.
“Percy, you, no. I-” Poseidon had no words, Percy was wrapped up in a hug by his dad, stolen from Nico.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve never said that. I should’ve noticed that you were pulling away, I'm sorry you felt the need to do this.” Poseidon apologized, again and again and again. he could’ve gone to his dad
Percy's throat constricted, he couldn't speak as Poseidon's apologies washed over him, too little too late. He was feeling a lot of things at this moment but mainly he was happy with his decision, he was at peace with his choice.
“Where’s he going to end up Dad?” Nico asked, now clinging to said god after losing his Percy hug privileges.
“Elysium, Seph started the paperwork the moment we got it.” Hades explained, running one of his hands through Nico’s hair. Percy was ready for his afterlife to be nothing like his life, he was ready to relax for the first time in, ever.