Chapter Text
Chapter 1: I Hate the Fates and the Fates Hate Me
“Well, now aren’t you a hopeless romantic?” Annabeth said with a smirk as they sank beneath the waves. “I’m honestly surprised, Seaweed Brain.”
Percy chuckled as he motionlessly formed the surrounding water into a comfortable bubble. “I figured it was about time,” he said with a shrug. “No coach Hedge to ground us this time,” he leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around his lover.
Annabeth leaned in as well, resting her head on her boyfriend’s shoulder and relaxing into his warm being. She watched outside the bubble how the water rippled around them as they sank deeper. They came to a stop just before the bubble touched the sandy bottom.
The couple enjoyed the peace and quiet, finally having the peace of mind to afford it. For two wars and countless quests, ever since the ripe age of 12, they had to fight to survive. Any moment they had to themselves needed to be savored since they knew in their hearts, the moment they became comfortable, Fate would pull another crisis out of its ass.
But now they could finally rest. They had won. Kronos, Tartarus, Gaea, it was all behind them now. As far as Percy was concerned, they had earned at least the rest of their lives' worth of peace. Even if the gods came begging for their help, Percy knew he would deny it in favor of the feeling of his Wise Girl resting by his side.
These thoughts drifted through the hero’s mind as he watched the kelp flow in the crystal waters. This was the same spot, the place where they shared the famous underwater kiss. The first truly happy moment they shared as a couple before…
A foreboding feeling tried to creep its way into his heart, but Percy stamped it down. This was their time now, he wouldn’t let anything ruin it.
Annabeth felt her lover’s embrace tighten and she looked up. She saw a look she knew all too well, a far-away look with hardened eyes that marred Percy’s face when he was deep in thought. But the look was gone as soon as it came. His eyes softened as he met her gaze. He leaned closer and kissed her forehead, surprising her slightly with the rudeness.
“I love you,” he said as he lovingly met her gaze again.
Her surprise quickly subsided as she locked their lips, letting bliss wash over her as their tongues fought for dominance. Time seemed to stop as they embraced each other, exploring each other’s mouths. She could feel herself heating up, and something downstairs told her Percy was feeling the same.
They broke apart, slightly short of breath as their eyes stared into their souls. The wars were done, the quests were done, the fighting was done, and now they finally had each other all to themselves.
With the look she was giving him, Percy couldn’t help getting a bit hard down there. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little nervous; they had never done it before… he had never done it before. But he felt ready, and he could tell she was as well. Annabeth must have noticed since she reached out and caressed his cheeks as she spoke.
“I love yo-”
But she was cut off as Percy tackled her into the side of their air pocket.
A projectile of some kind burst through the air bubble, striking the demigod’s back as he shielded his demigoddess. Percy’s shirt was ripped, and he stumbled slightly from the power of the strike, but whatever shot at them glanced off his back and ricocheted back out, embedding itself on the sea floor.
Percy touched his back and felt the rip in his shirt, but felt no blood. His skin was slightly tender, though. The two demigods quickly looked to see what the offending object was and spotted a dagger that looked to be made of stone.
Percy nearly growled in frustration. Someone was getting in the way of a very special moment, and the son of the sea wasn’t feeling very merciful. If her drawn dagger was any indication, neither was wisdom’s daughter.
Several more stone daggers shot down from the surface, leaving a thin trail of bubbles in their wake. But with a wave of Percy’s hand, the water obeyed its master and stopped them in their place, letting them fall uselessly to the sea bed. With their blades drawn, the couple shot to the surface.
Upon their arrival on the beach, they were immediately met by several more daggers shooting their way. The air rang as stone met Celestial Bronze, instincts honed through countless battles aiding them in deflecting said projectiles.
Percy narrowed his eyes as he finally caught sight of their attacker. The figure stood not too far from them, maybe 20 meters, where the beach ended and met the grass. They were humanoid in figure and wore a dark brown tattered robe. A hood cast a shadow over their face, masking any notable features. The only parts of their body that were uncovered were their hands, which were dark brown in color. Strangely, instead of looking like flesh, their hands were crumbly and looked like… dirt?
“Who are you?” Annabeth demanded, but she already had a suspicion. And her gut was proven right when the figure silently summoned two more daggers straight from the ground.
Percy recognized that power. “Gaea,” he snarled. “How is that possible?! Leo killed you!”
Instead of answering the figure threw its daggers again, forcing Percy and Annabeth to dodge. By the time they got their bearings together, the figure charred, another pair of daggers ready to go.
It went for Annabeth first, lunging at her with an x-slash but the veteran demigod managed to jump away in the nick of time. The figure made to pursue but was intercepted by Percy who slashed at its side, forcing it to roll out of the way.
Percy wasn’t going to let up, though. He charged and swung his blade like a madman, trying not to give the figure any chance to breathe. After a series of dodges, the figure finally clashed with the demigod. Riptide ground against the stone daggers, causing sparks to fly.
This was Gaea alright, or at least part of her. It was weaker, but he could recognize that aura anywhere. Calm and collected on the surface, but vile and malevolent underneath. Tartarus and Nyx shared a similar underlying feel but Gaea’s was by far the maddest and most crazed. Even the Hellish pit wasn’t as thirsty for revenge.
It confused him, though. His question was valid. How was she alive? Awake is probably a more appropriate term but still, he watched Leo do it. He felt her consciousness slip away.
Percy narrowed his eyes as they fought for dominance. A god as powerful as Gaea should’ve been able to throw him off easily, but this figure could only match his strength, and he got the feeling he was winning.
The demigod broke the stalemate first, quickly giving out and causing the figure to lurch forward. He rolled out of the way and behind the hooded assailant before whirling around just in time to clash again, only this time, the figure’s back was facing the sea. A small smirk played on Percy’s lips as an idea popped into his head.
“Are you really Gaea? Cause I’m pretty sure I’ve fought hellhounds with stronger hits than yours,” he half taunted and half genuinely asked. Much to his disappointment, he didn’t receive an answer.
Not that he really needed one, he was just buying time after all.
“Percy, now!” he heard Annabeth yell behind him. That was his cue as he once again broke the stalemate and ducked down. The figure didn’t stumble like last time but that didn’t matter at this point. Just as he ducked out of the way, Annabeth came flying over him with her leg outstretched and ready to be planted in their opponent’s face.
It tried to dodge, and very well could have if not for the strands of seawater that held its legs in place. Annabeth’s booted foot hit them straight in the jaw with a dissatisfying thump. Not finished just yet, the daughter of Athena righted herself in midair and brought her dagger straight down into the figure’s chest before they even hit the ground.
The couple relaxed slightly as they glanced down at the body before giving each other a look. Fights were rarely that easy, and there was still the matter of confirming their attacker’s identity. But before they had the chance to breathe, a dark chuckle made them tense and raise their guard again.
Even with a dagger stuck in its chest, the figure didn’t seem to feel any pain as it shuddered from its own laughter.
“How are you still alive, Gaea?” Percy asked, pinning the lying figure with a glare but cautiously staying a ways back. “Leo put you back to sleep, how are you here?!” The idea of his friend sacrificing himself for nothing sat heavily in his chest.
The chuckling stopped and the figure spoke for the first time. “Foolish demigod,” it spat out.
Okay… that definitely wasn’t Gaea’s voice.
“Do you really believe you would remain still drawing breath if I were the great Earth Mother?” It spoke condescendingly in a deep, grating voice. “The fact that children as pathetic as you managed to send the great mother back into her slumber is beyond me.” There was no indication of pain or struggle in its voice, despite the Celestial Bronze knife sticking through its chest. It spoke as if the mere notion of them questioning it was an insult worthy of death.
Annabeth’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re not Gaea, then who are you? How would you explain your identical auras and power over the earth?” The figure laid silent for a moment before another guttural chuckle crawled out of its throat. “I suppose there is no harm in telling even the likes of you… You’ll be dead soon enough.”
Annabeth’s eyes narrowed further at the comment and Percy snorted. “You know you talk pretty big for a guy lying on the ground with a dagger in his chest.” But the demigod’s snark was promptly ignored.
“I am what you may call a remnant,” the figure spoke proudly, arrogance oozing with every word. “While the great mother may remain deep in slumber, a portion of her consciousness and power remains set in reserve. A contingency, for should she truly fall to your filthy, mortal hands, I would awaken to take her revenge.”
Annabeth took a small step back, her brows furrowed. She didn’t like the way this was sounding.
“She should have left a bit more of you then. You barely put up a fight.” Percy said, but this time his tone was stone cold.
Again, that dark chuckle permeated the air. The figure, still lying on the ground, tilted its head up and for the first time, the couple could see its eyes. The eyes were crazed, wide open and glowing a poisonous gold. If this thing had a mouth, there was now doubt in their minds it would be wearing a malicious grin.
Suddenly, the earth began to rumble, almost knocking the heroes off their feet. It felt like it was steadily growing stronger. Percy’s eyes widened as he sensed something. A growing and unstable power emanated from the figure who kept chuckling, unbothered by this event.
The dark chuckling became full-blown laughter as the rumbling grew even stronger, to the point where Annabeth could barely stay on her feet.
“HAHAHAHAHA! I was not created to beat you in a test of skill, no! I am here to see you to your grave! I would say blowing you and your little camp to the deepest pits of Chaos is much more efficient than killing you one by one, wouldn’t you?!”
The couple’s hearts were gripped by shock and fear. He’s a bomb?!
The rumbling grew stronger yet again, causing cracks to form across the land, trees to fall, and waves to lash out. In an attempt to quell the quaking lands, Percy plunged Riptide as deep as he could into the Earth and poured his power as the Earthshaker’s heir into it.
He clenched his teeth and sweat dripped down his face. It was taking all of his concentration to keep the land and sea stable, but it was a downhill battle. His power over the earth was never one of his more refined abilities, only a last resort card for chaos.
The son of Poseidon’s brain was working in overdrive as he tried to think of what to do. Panic began to seep into his heart as the figure’s chest began to glow a molten orange. The force he sensed was growing. After everything, there was no way a bomb would be the thing to take them out, right?
“We need to get him away from the camp!” He heard Annabeth yell, snapping him out of his thoughts. But how would they do that? If it could take out the camp from here, there was no telling how big the blast would be. Especially considering this cackling suicidal asshole was supposedly the leftover bits of a Primordial. The two of them couldn’t do anything to stop it… unless…
Percy gripped Riptide’s handle so hard his knuckles began to turn white. Just when they thought it was all over, just when they thought they could finally have peace, Fate had to pull something like this out of her wrinkly ass. He should have known this was all too good to be true. He made this mistake after the Titans, and here he was, making it again.
The mistake of believing Fate would ever leave him be.
A breath escaped his lips. Whether it was from exhaustion or resignation, he didn’t know.
“Annabeth!” Percy yelled over the chaos as he looked over at his lover. “You need to go! I’ll handle this!” He tried to pour as much confidence into his voice as he could. He had no idea if his plan would work, but from the looks of this, he didn’t have time to run it by his wise and loving editor.
She looked at him like he was insane while trying to steady herself by holding onto a sturdy tree’s trunk.
“HA! And just how do you plan to stop me? My purpose is to erase this entire island!” The figure victoriously cackled but the demigods paid it no attention. They did, however, note the increasing power in its voice.
“What are you talking about?!” Annabeth shouted back, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that she was catching on to what he was about to do. A horrid realization dawned upon her face. “We need to get out of here and warn the others-” she tried to say but Percy cut her off.
“We don’t have the time to argue about this and we definitely don’t have time to get to camp!” His tone was as hard as the look in his eyes. “Do you trust me?”
She nodded instantly, making pride and love bloom in the midst of the storm of emotions in his heart. “THEN GO!”
Percy turned back to the figure and glared hatefully at the cackling mass. It was now glowing like magma and looked like it was almost bubbling. If he could see out of the back of his head, he would see Annabeth hesitate for a moment, heartbreak clear in her eyes, before she turned and made her way in the opposite direction as fast as she could without falling.
Percy tried to convince himself he would see her again. Her stormy grey eyes, her shimmering golden hair, and that look she always gave him when he said something stupid. That roll of her eyes, which couldn’t hide the slight smirk on her lips from amusement. He tried to convince himself he would see her again, but he was almost confident their reunion wouldn’t be outside of Elysium.
Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts, though, cause he needed to put an end to all this or their reunion would be a lot quicker than he’d like.
He let go of Riptide and made his way to the being responsible for his heartache. Each step felt like walking through thick mud. Without anything to hold on to, it was purely Percy’s minimal power over the earth that kept him from falling to the floor and staying there.
One step after another, he finally made it to the fallen figure. It looked up at him with an annoying glee in its eyes, its body now emanating heat and cracking all over. Time was almost up. Percy felt Riptide return to his pocket, providing him with at least a small sense of familiarity in his whirling mind. He guessed this is how those bomb diffusers in movies must feel. However, it took a great deal of strength not to draw his trusty blade and cut the smug look off.
For some reason, he doubted bomb diffusers ever felt the urge to punch their bomb in the face.
“So what will you do, demigod?” It taunted, enjoying the glare being sent down at it. “How will you save those you love?”
Percy glared for a second longer before schooling his expression. He sighed deeply, hoping what he had in mind would work. He reached down and grabbed the figure by the stuff of its cloak. A memory flashed in his mind: his time at Mt. Saint Helens. The first time he encountered both his resistance to burning and the pain of being showered in lava. He felt a similar, gradually growing heat in his palm as he lifted the figure off the ground.
He briefly noted the subtle weakening of the rumbling when the figure lost contact with the earth. Ignoring the pain of the burns appearing on his right hand, he threw the living bomb into the sea.
The sea water violently steamed and bubbled, evaporating almost immediately on impact with the glowing figure. It scoffed and again remained unmoving, this time in shallow waters.
“You thought you could cool me down? You demigods truly are imbeci-” but before he could finish, he was jerked further into deeper waters, as if the sea itself grabbed and dragged him.
Percy quickly jumped in as well and jetted forward. He grabbed the figure by the throat and took off further out to sea. He pushed his speed as fast as the water could take him, dragging the figure haphazardly into deeper and darker depths. With grim determination, he ignored the pain from the heat on his hand. The water would heal him if he got out of this, he hoped.
Meanwhile, despite the current situation, the figure smirked viciously. It was a lost cause; only a few seconds remained. It could feel the power bubbling under its hide.
Suddenly, the two came to a stop. They had reached a level of depth where even with its glowing body, the figure struggled to see much besides the glowing green eyes of the demigod. Even if it were just for a second, the figure shot a curious glance. Had the demigod given up? That was unexpected, but not unreasonable.
Percy stared impassively at the figure in his grasp, but his insides were churning, hoping to the gods and beyond him, that his plan would work.
“I can’t get you far enough away from the camp if what you said was true.” Even underwater, Percy’s voice was clear and ungarbled. He looked into the smug eyes of the suicidal bastard and could just tell it was smirking back at him. “So if I can’t escape the blast, I need to contain it.”
The figure’s gaze faltered, not understanding what the demigod meant. Not that it mattered, of course, it was about time to blow.
In the blink of an eye, Percy let go of its throat and grabbed its shoulders, closing his eyes in concentration. The figure's eyes widened in shock as it felt a new pressure upon its body, one far stronger than the water pressure and one that was increasing with every moment. The fool! This is what he was trying to do? He really thinks that would work?!
The pressure became even stronger, making the figure release a pained gasp, sending bubbles out of its hood. It didn’t even know it could feel pain!
Those were the last thoughts it could produce, however, before imploding with a force that could have leveled the East Coast.
…
Percy gritted his teeth hard enough that he was afraid he might grind them into powder. He felt the tug in his gut as he increased the water pressure, focusing solely on the figure before him. If he couldn’t escape the explosion, if he couldn’t get it far enough away from land, he would need to contain it. He didn’t know if it was possible, and if it was, he wasn’t sure he had the strength to pull it off.
The glow grew brighter, blinding him and for a split second, he felt his grip loosen.
That was all the bomb needed to go off.
For less than a split second, this thought crossed his mind: Did I fail?
But as quick as the thought came, the faces followed. Flashes of his family, his friends, people he loved.
The campers, the rest of the Seven, Paul, and his mother, who was pregnant with his little sister…
Annabeth…
NO! I can’t fail!! NOT LIKE THIS!
Percy tightened his grip, even underwater, the heat of the explosion was searing. It felt like wading through the Styx again while chugging a canteen of Phlegethon firewater.
Percy didn’t care, he was prepared to die, as much as he hated that he would. But what was a little pain if it meant his loved ones got to live another day?
The tug in his gut returned in full force. It felt like it was being ripped out of him, surpassing even his feat at Mt. Saint Helens. He let out a soundless roar of exertion, pouring all of his power and authority over the sea into one command.
And in his gut, he felt something shatter.
The explosion stopped, as if time itself came to a pause. The malevolent fire and power froze, held in a ball by a surrounding vortex of water. It rippled so much that it looked like a black hole, bending space itself. There was no more wrenching feeling in his gut, only pure and painful power as he felt his consciousness slipping away. Darkness began to dance in the corner of his vision.
He forced himself to stay awake, though, pushing his will to its breaking point. Another roar of power exited his mouth, sending a shockwave that tore through the water before pausing and collapsing with even greater force upon both the explosion and Percy.
Darkness took hold, and he saw no more.
The chill wind was the first thing he felt. Then came the smell, a combination of car exhaust, wet grass, and sewage.
Percy’s eyes shot open and he quickly sat up. Much to his confusion, he was on a bench on a sidewalk, not the underworld. He rubbed his eyes, trying to wipe away the sudden introduction of light.
Unbeknownst to him, several people were giving him quite strange looks as they walked past. The demigod stood, patting himself down and sighing in relief soon after. Everything was there: his arms, legs, feet. He was wearing his same orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, jeans, and slightly worn sneakers. None of it seemed damaged beyond that, though. Another wave of relief washed over him when he felt his pen in his right pocket.
Percy looked around, finding a strangely familiar city but he had no specific recollection of visiting it. He continued to observe his surroundings, the people, the cars, the buildings, until his eyes landed on one that stood out. A large structure, one of the most iconic works of architecture in the Western world.
Percy stared up at Big Ben, standing tall and proud in front of the grey English Sky.
Percy blinked. And then panic seized his heart.
What happened to the explosion?! Did it work? Is Annabeth okay?! What about mom?! What about camp?!
The son of Poseidon clutched his chest and took several deep breaths. He needed to calm down.
After successfully managing not to fall back onto the bench, he noticed the clouds were a bit darker than before. Did I do that? Nah, there was no way.
Percy let out a deep sigh, feeling his heartbeat slowly calm down. Okay, I’m still in one piece, good news. Bad news? I don’t know how I got here, what happened, and I’m in freaking London! He pinched the bridge of his nose. “How could this be any worse?” he grumbled to himself.
Thunder roared and rain began to pour.
“That wasn’t a challenge, Zeus!” Percy snapped at the sky, again earning a bunch of strange looks from passers-by. Not that he particularly cared, he had bigger problems right now. And honestly, the rain felt quite nice.
The demigod began to walk down the street, unbothered by his soaked hair and clothes. He could dry himself later. He looked around, maybe he could find a warm cafe of some sort where he could collect himself. He might even make a call if it really came to it. With another sigh, Percy looked up at the dull sky. He didn’t understand what was going on.
He wasn’t dead, first of all. That explosion and the exertion of his powers should have killed him; he was sure of it. Then he was somehow transported to London of all places. He supposed he could’ve drifted here, but that was beyond a long shot. And there was no evidence of anyone finding him at a port and just dropping him on a random bench. Even his clothes were miraculously clean and intact.
An Iris message, either to Annabeth or his mom, would be best, but he would need to wait out the rain for that. And from what he’s heard about London, that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. Percy didn’t like this, not one bit. For the love of the gods, what made technology hate demigods so?!
After walking a bit longer, he caught sight of a small corner cafe with warm lights shining from the windows. His stomach growled, alerting him to how hungry he really was. Problem was, he didn’t have any pounds on him, or any money for that matter. Seems his wallet didn’t dare to follow him.
“Perseus Jackson,” a voice spoke up from behind him. On instinct, Percy whipped his pen out, flicking its cap off with his thumb. In the blink of an eye, Percy leveled a 3-foot-long leaf-shaped blade at the person who spoke. Or… three persons?
Standing before the son of Poseidon were three old women wearing identical, plain grey dresses. They looked shriveled and old, older than time itself. They wore thick glasses, but even through those thick lenses and the rain, Percy could feel the gaze of eyes that saw the rise and would see the fall of mankind. It was a gaze he knew all too well.
“The Fates,” Percy managed to breathe out as he lowered his sword. “Oh, am I glad to see you three.”
“That is certainly a first,” one of them quipped. “It is a shame we cannot say the same about you,” another spoke. Percy suddenly got a terrible feeling in his gut but the last Fate cut him off before he could speak.
She gestured toward the cafe door, “Shall we?”
Percy nervously followed as they entered the cafe. He couldn’t recall a single meeting with the Fates that amounted to anything good, but he guessed he didn’t have much of a choice. He recapped Riptide before entering behind them. “Okay, but you're paying. I have no cash and I don’t want to dine and dash.”
That rhymed his brain popped, but he stamped it down. Now was not the time.
“Understood,” was their simple reply. They made their way to a booth and sat down, unnervingly in sync. Percy sat down across from them but before his questions could begin, a woman came up to them with a smile. “Hello there, welcome to the RollyPolly cafe. What can I get you?”
Percy blinked. He knew he was in London, but he was embarrassed to admit that her accent threw him off for a second.
“Three Earl Greys and a chai latte with extra honey for the boy,” the Fate in the middle ordered. Percy knew they had names but couldn’t be bothered to try and tell them apart. He raised an eyebrow, “How did you know I like- never mind, you’re the Fates, I forgot.”
“Indeed you did, Perseus Jackson,” the one to the left spoke and he could’ve sworn he saw the ghost of a smile on her wrinkled lips. Have they even heard of ChapStick?
“Okay, so can you tell me what I’m doing here? How in Hades did I reach London? And how am I not dead?” He wanted to ask them to just send him back but his curiosity won through. “Is everyone okay?”
The Fates simply stared at him. Jeez, this is creepy…
“To address your last question,” one of them began. “Yes, all who were alive and well before your arrival remain alive and well.” A massive weight felt like it was lifted from Percy’s shoulders. Only for it to be replaced by another before he could even lean back and sigh.
“Except you, that is.”
He paused for a moment and wondered to himself if the explosion had screwed with his hearing. “Run that by me again.”
The three elder goddesses stared at him quizzically, like he was a puzzle they couldn’t completely solve. “Hmmm, yes…” another mused. “I do believe before we address your first three questions, it would be enlightening to recount the event that led you here.”
Percy didn’t understand why they wanted him to retell what happened. They were the Fates, they should already know what happened, right? Regardless, he did as he was told. Skipping his little moment with Annabeth, he told them about the skirmish they had with the supposed remnant, its plan to blow up camp to kingdom come, and how he tried to contain the blast which somehow handed him here.
Once he was done, the Fates all shared a glance. Their expressions remained impassive, but it was easy enough to tell something was off.
“So… how do I get back? I’m not really looking forward to being judo flipped by Annabeth again.” Percy deadpanned. He was hoping the Fates would give him enough money to get back, or better yet, just flash him back to camp.
“Perseus, are you aware-”
“-of how long you have been missing?”
A sinking feeling began to appear in Percy’s stomach. The answer that followed that question was never a good one. Before he could ask, though, the waitress from before returned.
“Here we are?” she said, carrying a tray of drinks. As she placed their respective orders in front of each of them, the Fate on the right asked, “My dear, can you please tell us the date today?”
“Why, it’s November 20th, of course, why?”
“Oh, no reason,” the Fate replied. She pulled a 50 Pound note from behind her and gave it to the girl. “Keep the change as a tip, my dear.” The waitress happily took the money and walked off with an excited thanks, but not before flashing a smile at Percy, which he didn’t notice.
The Fate turned back to the demigod and was met by a shellshocked expression. “It’s been 3 months?!”
“It would seem so,” they spoke as one.
“B-but how the Hades is that possible?!”
The Fates remained silent for a moment before once again speaking in unison. “The exact circumstances of your arrival here are unknown, even to us. We can only assume from what you have told us that the full exertion of your abilities clashed with the remnant power of the Earth Mother, causing certain aspects of reality around you to break. Aspects such as space and time.”
Percy slumped back in his seat as a horrified expression dawned on him. The fates continued, “It should not be possible for a demigod such as yourself to wield such power and live to tell the tale.” They spoke almost accusingly. “However, even we must admit, you have tendency to defy greater odds.”
Something still didn’t make sense to him though. “Wait, you guys are talking like you didn’t know my fight was going to happen.” The Fates nodded, seeing where his line of questioning was going.
“Something you must understand, Perseus, is that some beings are beyond even our power. Primordial beings such as the Earth Mother or the Pit are ancient even to us. We cannot see all that they do.”
Well, there was a shocker. A part of his path that even the Fates couldn’t see. Another addition to the list of impossible bullshit he somehow found himself doing. Percy dragged his hand down his face with a groan. This was all very interesting, but his time of absence was beginning to burn with realization. If he didn’t want Annabeth or his mother to kill him, he’d have to be back 5 months ago!
“I’m sorry to cut this short,” he said as he took a quick sip from his drink. The caffeine probably wasn’t doing his beating heart any favors, but it tasted good. “But I really need to be getting back stateside. I’m really sorry if I caused you any trouble, but is there any way you can help me out?”
Again, they stared at him.
“He must at least know why,” the Fate on the left said to her sisters.
The one of the right nodded, “He is going to spend his time in this world. We could very well let him have his fun while putting him to use.”
“We will need to provide more than just that,” the one in the middle said. “He does not yet know the significance of his actions.”
“What are you talking about?” Percy butted in with a tick mark on his forehead. It was easy to tell they were talking about him, which was really annoying considering he was right there. The way they were talking… he got the feeling he wasn’t going to like the way this conversation ended.
I seem to be getting a lot of bad feelings lately.
“Perseus Jackson,” he flinched slightly, not just at the use of his full name, but also at their tone. It was so… lifeless. “You do not yet understand the weight of your arrival here. When you clashed your power and will against that of the Earth Mother’s you not only broke through reality, you broke through the Veil.”
Before he could ask, another Fate spoke. “The Veil is a barrier, one to separate two worlds so as to avoid the annihilation of one. You have defied Fate by crossing that border once, there is no doing so a second time.”
It felt like someone stabbed him. It felt like someone stabbed him right in his heart and used his soul to clean the blade. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He opened his mouth and tried to speak but no words would come out.
“A-”
“A-Are you saying,” his voice was hushed, barely able to form his question. “I can’t go home?”
Their blank eyes were all one and the same as they stared directly into his.
“Yes.”
His pupils shrank as he gaped at them, not believing what he heard. He slowly reached his chest, feeling his heart beat speeding up once again.
No… no, that can’t be right!
Percy got up, looking like he was in a daze and stumbled out of the cafe. The waitress who served them went to go after him, concern written on her face, but a look from the Fates sent her away without any memory of what transpired.
The demigod walked down the street in a random direction. He needed to get to sea. Percy didn’t care if he had to swim across the Atlantic Ocean and kill every monster in his way; he needed to get home.
The Fates appeared beside him but he ignored them and kept walking.
“Perseus,” one said. Her monotone voice carried as if she were right in front of him. “This is out of your power.” But he kept walking. He needed to find a way to the ocean, he needed to find a way ho-
“Perseus,”
The Fate repeated with more force, practically forcing him to turn around. Of course, they simply appeared next to him again.
Those impassive gazes were really starting to annoy him. He could barely hide his glare, his notably latching sense of self-preservation being the only thing holding his anger back. He wanted to shout at them, he wanted to demand to be sent back home. What did they mean he couldn’t return?!
The wars were over.
The quests were over.
WHY COULDN’T THEY LEAVE HIM ALONE?!
“What do you mean I can’t return?” he managed to ground out, keeping his tone as even as possible. “Why can’t I go home?”
“There is more to that question than you realize,” one said.
Percy was losing his patience. “Then explain it to me!”
The rain continued to pour, but neither party acknowledged it as they stared silently at one another. Demanding something of the Fates, the demigod was becoming bolder with each passing minute. It was understandable, of course, Fate had never been too kind to the boy, and once again, his happiness had been torn from under him by circumstances outside of his control.
Percy was thankful for the rain, as it masked the sweat dripping down his face. He realized too late, a stare down with the Fates was not something he would win. But still, he didn’t drop his gaze. Seconds passed but it felt like hours, until surprisingly… they agreed.
“Very well,” was all they said, nodding at the same time. A breath he didn’t know he was holding came out as a sigh. A chill breeze flew by, sending a shiver down Percy’s spine and it took him a second to notice he could no longer feel the rain. Looking up, he realized why. The rain continued to fall, but the drops above them disappeared several feet before hitting their heads, like there was an invisible dome around them. He also couldn’t hear the cars or the subtle bustle of the street.
“You would do well to pay close attention, son of Poseidon,” the voice recaught his attention. “The information we are about to provide you is the only thing between a race and its extinction.”
And once again, they continued, rudely denying the questions that sat on this tongue.
A heavy pause sat in the air before one began.
“This world is home to many who would be considered supernatural, and you will soon find that you share this world with more than gods and monsters.” She said, followed by the Fate to her right. “There is another race, much more prevalent than demigods. Like you, they too draw power from the divine power that resides within their being. Only they produce their power in the form of magic.”
They paused again, giving Percy the time to try and wrap his head around that. “Wait… magic? Like with a wand?”
They nodded, “Yes, most mortals who wield magic utilize a wand to focus their power. However, other species of magic castors, such as goblins and elves, find no use for one.”
Percy resisted the temptation to massage the bridge of his nose. This was leaving him with more questions than answers. “You said there were more of them… why haven’t we run into any? Where were they during the wars?”
“Perceptive, aren’t you?” One drawled out. “That would be our doing. Many millennia ago, at the dawn of their race, we created a veil to hide their existence from the divine world, and the divine world from them.”
“But why?” Why hide them from each other? He knew about the other pantheons, but how was this any different? Even the Kane siblings knew magic.
“For the same reason we hid the Romans from the Greeks, and the Greeks from the Romans. Two arrogant races who are quick to arms and would stop at nothing to make the other bow, or exterminate if refused.”
Percy’s eyes widened at those words. “Wizarding kind was arrogant from their birth. Although divinity is the origin of their power, those who were gifted with it became greedy and close-minded. They fear anything more powerful than they, leading to inevitable conflict.”
Sounds familiar, Percy quipped in his mind.
“Although magic came from the divine power of the gods, it is laughably weak by comparison. You know as well as anyone, those who challenge the frail ego of the gods will find themselves marked for death. If it were not for the Veil, wizarding kind would have long been rendered extinct.”
That’s nice and all, but Percy didn’t understand where this was going. This had to be a joke, right? Arrogant magic mortals, the gods would wipe out? How was any of this stopping him from going home?
“What does any of this have to do with me?” he nearly begged. It’s just like they said, he never met a wizard, he never met anyone with a wand besides the Egyptians!
“Have you not listened?” Percy winced. It sounded like she was scolding him but her tone never changed.
“Against what was written, you crossed the Veil. As far as anything is concerned, you no longer belong to the divine world. You are now forever hidden from their view, and there is no return.”
The sinking feeling in his gut was beginning to feel like its natural state.
“Y-you mean…”
“Yes, Perseus Jackson,” They spoke as one. “For the rest of your days, you shall reside in the world of magic.”
Thank you all again for reading! Please let me know what you think!