Chapter Text
"Poseidon, how could you!" Athena yelled, stomping towards him, cracking the tiles of Olympus' great hall's floor. Fury was written all over her features, shield and spear in hand, covered in gold battle armour. Her helmet was off, revealing her short, choppy hair, scars on her nose and lip, courtesy of Typhon, and stormy grey eyes that were staring so intently on her target that she was surprised it didn't kill him.
"Ah, Athena, what are you doing here?" Poseidon asked innocently. His long, black hair flowed down his shoulders, his eyes were ocean blue, his long elf-like ears protruding from his skull like Athena's did. Fins grew out of lower arms and, for once, the God was wearing armour on his chest. He had a clawed hand on his child, Odysseus Percy Jackson. The mere thought of what Poseidon did made her sick to her stomach.
"Don't play dumb with me, I figured it out! I figured out what you did you vile little shit!" Athena shouted, her spear pointed at Poseidon's face, only for her to lower it upon Poseidon raising Percy's face to its tip, gripping him by the neck. Athena was horrified by such an act and, clearly, all the Gods present were horrified too if their gasps were any indication. Athena had to resist the urge to punch the smug, shark-toothed grin off his face... at least while Percy was in the way.
"Go on, do it. Slice him to bits and repeat the cycle. I can just make this boy a new soul and bring him to Atlantis to be raised by me with all the love in the world. Meanwhile, the cycle can still continue for the pathetic coward you thought would be a legendary hero."
"Athena, darling, what is he talking about?" Hermes piped up from behind. The Gods began to form a crowd around the war Goddess and the ocean God. Athena glanced behind her to see the messenger God. He looked nervous and concerned... rightfully so, of course.
"So, you no longer deny it, you bastard!?" Athena growled.
"But of course. Once you figure something out there is no way to lie about it to you. Still, I'm just surprised at how the oh so wise Goddess of war could not figure out my little trick, one that I've been playing for around three thousand years now. Tsk, tsk, not a good look for you."
Athena really wanted to punch him right now. Oh, how satisfying it would be to hear the crunch of his jaw breaking, but as long as he had Percy hostage, she could do nothing. After allowing herself to calm down a little, she finally yelled the truth for all to hear.
"How could you!? Odysseus' family and friends have been waiting in the Underworld for literal millennia to come back to them! Penelope grieves everyday, Telemachus just wants to know who his father was, and this is what you do!? You take his soul and reincarnate him over and over again so he can never reach them!?"
"Hehehe, yes," Poseidon said, smiling widely as his eyes flashed blood red.
Gasps once again filled the entire great hall.
Hermes gripped his caduceus so tightly it would have snapped in half if it had not been made with strong celestial bronze. Hephaestus looked horrified at the implications of what Athena was saying. Ares' glare looked like it could murder Kronos himself. Hera's fists were clenched, her temper threatening to overtake her, which Hermes would not mind if it meant Poseidon getting an ass-whooping. Hades, who was visiting due to divine request from Zeus, looked mortified by what Poseidon had done. Demeter clamped a hand over her mouth and Hestia looked on the verge of tears. Hermes could not blame her, considering her own younger brother, the one she was once closest to, had apparently done something so heartless and cruel.
Then there was the other side. Artemis appeared to not care about what Athena said but was aiming an arrow at her head, clearly to prevent her from hurting a child, who was Percy in this case. Apollo seemed to not in approval at the God's ploy, a grin on his face. Aphrodite, on the other hand, was smiling widely, looking as crazy as Poseidon did. At least with those three, Hermes could understand. Artemis, Apollo and Aphrodite had all fought for Troy and Aphrodite and Apollo had made connections with the people there like Hector, Andromache and Cassandra. Seeing them all die made them livid and it was all because of Odysseus' Trojan Horse ruse. They all hated his guts, and doubtlessly wanted him to suffer, at least Aphrodite and Apollo did. Poseidon joining them in the Odysseus hate group was an addition to their ranks.
"Dad, is this true?" Percy gasped, causing Poseidon to remember how he was gripping him and then, oddly enough, hoisting the boy onto his shoulders as if he were giving him a piggyback ride, causing Percy's face to turn a little red out of embarrassment.
"Yes, my boy, it is. Odysseus humiliated one of my sons and, by extension, humiliated me," Poseidon explained. "I won't tolerate anyone embarrassing me that way."
"So, you took your revenge," Athena concluded.
"Yes, I did. Heh, you should have seen the guy. His eyes when he saw me show up, his fear when I threatened to drown all of Ithica and drag it to my watery depths to make the people my slaves for the rest of their lives. It was all avoidable of course, if he decided to get in the water. He knew he was beat at last. He threw himself into my oceans, allowing me to take him to my kingdom."
Athena's eyes widened out of concern. "What did you do to him?"
"Oh, tortured him for the rest of his life, making him believe that his family had moved on, with Penelope even marrying that guy, Antinous. I can't tell you how wonderful it was watching that pathetic excuse of a hero watch as he lost everything because of his merciful nature. It was... ecstasy."
Athena swung at him, hoping her fist would break his skull into a million shards, only for Poseidon to catch it with ease. Athena's eyes widened in surprise, resulting in Poseidon smirking cockily. "I know my way around war, Owl-bitch. Unlike you, who deals with the wars of mortals, I deal with wars against fellow Gods who would dare try and dethrone me. I was the one who defeated Oceanus and Tethys when they tried taking the oceans back. I was the one, who challenged Pontus, the very embodiment of oceans, a primordial on the level of Gaea, and beat him by taking advantage of his ego. Unlike Zeus, who is too powerful to ever be dethroned, or Hades with a domain no one wants, I fight many Gods for the sake of keeping my kingdom. A battle against you would be simply child's play for me."
Athena pulled her fist from Poseidon's grasp, still fuming. "...Carry on."
"Inevitably, he died. But not before I had Circe reincarnate him into another person. A son of mine. One that possessed Odysseus' original wisdom but with my power. I brought the little demigod he had become down to Atlantis and made him my royal advisor alongside his mortal mother, and the new boy Odysseus had become served me until near death. At which point, I had him reincarnated again, and again and again and again and again. His life during each reincarnation was always the same, birth, grow till twelve, servitude until one hundred, because apparently my demigods can live until one hundred and twenty before experiencing brain deterioration, then being brought to Circe and then reincarnated. A strange thing was that Circe's method was imperfect. Despite the soul's identity being new after each reincarnation, there is still a small grain in the spirit that remembers being Odysseus and is conscious of what I am doing to it. It was unexpected... but definitely a welcome addition to his eternal damnation."
Notes:
You are fifty years old. You have spent the last ten years at war, another three at sea and another seven trapped on an island with a love-crazy Goddess that, thanks to being raised by a dickhead like Atlas, does not understand the meaning of consent and love. In total, you have spent twenty years away from home.
You finally find hope and are near the coast of your old kingdom, so close to reaching your beloved wife and son.
Then, the worst happens. Your worst enemy finds you. They stand before you, blocking your way, asking you to make a terrible choice: spending the remainder of your life being tortured or watching everything you built and everything you love be destroyed before your eyes and being marooned on the shell of the island that was your kingdom. The ocean God cleverly takes away your wind-bag, the last item you had to fight back aside from your sword that cannot even hurt a God. You know either way you are going to lose. But at least one way, those you love can live. And you can always reunite with them in death.
So, you jump in the water and endure the horrific tortures that Poseidon has in store for you. You allow yourself solace in the fact that once you die, you will be able to join your wife and son in the afterlife.
But then Poseidon reveals one, last, terrible trick he has in store for you. He has Circe, a Goddess you thought would be your ally, reincarnate you, therefore erasing who you once were and denying you the rest you wanted. You feel yourself become a new person, feel that person develop their own consciousness and then... you are trapped? Even the ocean God did not see this coming, you are trapped as less than 1% of yourself, reduced to a mere grain in your soul that has all your memories. It is like you and your reincarnation are two separate beings.
Poseidon liked it.
Now, it has been three millennia. You have gone through thousands of lifetimes of being born as the son of your worst enemy and then being forced to work for your worst enemy. And the worst part is... most of you doesn't even know Poseidon is your worst enemy. It is like you've basically been trapped in another's body while they live their life and you are trapped inside their mind, reduced to a mere whisper that comes about every few months.
Still, though, you hope that you will be saved one day, that you will be able to get back to your wife and son. Because even after all this time, you still haven't given up on getting home... even if everyone appears to have given up on you.
You are Odysseus. This is your life now.
Chapter 2
Summary:
And I'm back with the continuation of this.
There are probably going to be a few more chapters but they might take a while since I've started working on my other fics.
............
Yeah, so I've rewritten this chapter.
Thanks to some comments pointing out certain things I didn't think of, I realised that... yeah I have to rewrite this. (Thanks for pointing the issues out btw).
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Athena was left frozen. For once in her entire immortal life, her mind seized to think. For once, she could not process a piece of information.
Instead, her mind was taken back to the one hundredth year of Odysseus’ absence from the Underworld, the one hundred- and fiftieth-year Athena had spent searching for Odysseus. By then, he should have been two hundred, long dead. It was the only solace Athena could give to Penelope and Telemachus as they grew older and died themselves, that they would definitely be able to see their father in the afterlife.
Yet after one hundred years of searching even after Odysseus should have long since died, he was nowhere to be found. It was torture. She was supposed to be the wisdom Goddess, the wisest of them all, yet with Hermes, the God of travels, by her side, someone who should have easily been able to spot her wayward hero, they still failed to locate him.
Athena remembered the despair on Penelope’s face as she broke down, one hundred and fifty years of constantly keeping her hope up despite the ever mounting despair, finally taking its toll. Athena hated it. Penelope should not have been in despair. She should have been having fun with her husband alongside her son, doing whatever they pleased. Unfortunately, the Fates were cruel beings.
What was worse still, however, had been one particular line that could shatter anyone’s heart.
“I’m forgetting Odysseus’ face,” Penelope had sobbed. It was after that, that Athena personally hunted down Mnemosyne and made her keep Odysseus’ face and figure forever in Penelope’s mind so she would never forget, so she would at least have the memory of him to keep her company. Looking back on it now, it was probably a crueller fate than forgetting him. At least with forgetting things, there was the chance of moving onto something else. Instead, Athena had condemned her to constantly remember, preventing her from ever moving on and perhaps doing something else with her afterlife.
Athena had thought little of it at the time. She was the wisest of them all, she would find Odysseus soon enough. Millennia later, however, it was a different story of whether she did the right thing or not.
But now, she had the ultimate, vile truth. The disgusting God in front of her had hurt her mentee… her son, in a way so cruel that it hurt. Poseidon had taken him to his domain, denying him the peace he deserved. Then, he tortured him for the rest of his mortal life and then reincarnated him over and over again, making him his advisor every time, with a small percentage of Odysseus’ soul remembering who he was and constantly trying to fight back, yet always failing. This… this was beyond revenge.
“Dad?” Percy began from atop Poseidon’s shoulders. Athena felt a pang of pity in her heart. This boy Odysseus had just learned that his entire life was dedicated to making an innocent man suffer from inside of him, and that it was done by his father, a man Percy barely knew but wanted to know so badly. She doubted the boy knew how ruthless his father could be. Percy continued, “Is it really true? Am I… a reincarnation of Odysseus?”
Poseidon sighed as he took Percy Odysseus off his shoulders and held the boy in front of him.
‘Coward,’ Athena thought, seeing how he was once again using the boy as a human shield. Yet underneath that look of indifference, she thought she noticed something akin to… regret? It was momentary of course, but it had lingered. Not that Athena thought anything of it. All she could feel was rage so powerful that it could rival that of her brother’s, Ares’, endless tide of anger.
“Yes, boy, it is true. You are a reincarnation of Odysseus,” Poseidon said with indifference. Percy tensed. Athena’s owl was perched right behind Poseidon and through its eyes, she could see the look of horror on the boy’s face.
“So that’s why I hear all those screams in my nightmares! Because they are him screaming for freedom!?” Percy exclaimed, anger now seeping into his voice. It was clear that he disagreed with what Poseidon was doing. At least it made him better than ninety nine point nine percent of Poseidon’s children.
“Screams?” Poseidon and Athena asked at the same time.
“Yeah, I hear this voice scream for a woman named Penelope! I hear it talk to people I don’t know! I hear it just want to die and be free already! That’s Odysseus, right!? That’s him screaming for his wife, him talking to his crewmates and him… just wanting to move on…” Percy trailed off, a sombre look on his face.
Once again, Athena’s brain struggled to process this information. Odysseus was in pain? Her mentee, her friend was suffering! And he wanted to die! Realistically, it made sense that he wanted to. He has lived over and over again, constantly being denied the ability to see his family yet again. That would obviously take a toll, but it hurt so much to hear about how the man who struggled so much to live just want to die already.
New thoughts came into her mind. How much pain was Odysseus in. There was a reason why a soul should only reincarnate thrice every millennium and why it took specifically three reincarnations to try and get to the Isles of the Blest. After three, the process would slowly start wearing down on your soul and cause it agony. So how much did millennia of constant reincarnations hurt? Athena didn’t want to know, otherwise she might break down.
“Yes, brother, I would like to know that too,” Hades butted in from his temporary throne. Everyone turned towards him, staring in confusion. What could he want to know? Hades asked, “I understand now why I was never able to sense Odysseus’ soul, because you kept it from me. That is not what this is about. I wanted to ask why I heard Odysseus’ voice from this boy’s throat scream in agony ‘help me!’”
“What…?” Athena muttered in shock. What did Hades just say? What did Hades just say!? The urge to lose control and strike Poseidon down right then and there was all consuming. She wanted him do die! She wanted him to scream in agony and suffer as much as Odysseus did!
Hades must have heard her as he explained, “The boy came to me, demanding for the Master Bolt to be returned, which I did not have, thank you very much!”
Everyone glared at Ares, who probably only shrunk down a little due to the glare Hera gave him. The woman may be a drama queen, just not in the whole ‘murder Zeus’ demigod kids and mistresses’ way since a few millennia ago, but she is still Ares’ mom, and was the one he inherited his rage from.
Hades continued, “And when Percy Jackson was about to leave, his eyes turned brown and blue and he screamed ‘Help me! Save me, Hades, please! I just want to go back to my wife!’ in a voice that sounded like he was being brutally tortured!”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Poseidon said in genuine confusion. “All of his past reincarnations have never experienced that phenomenon before, and most haven’t even heard him scream in his nightmares. Not since his first ten of course. Unless… oh…”
Then Poseidon burst into laughter. It was a cruel, horrible sound. Percy wiggled in Poseidon’s grasp, clearly trying to break free. Athena ordered her owl to pick him up. The owl descended and instead of tearing him from the ruthless king’s grasp, had to grab him after Poseidon dropped him due to having to clutch his stomach, clearly out of breath. Athena rolled her eyes, expecting no less from that God. An enemy’s suffering was always more important than his child’s life.
“Ohoho, so that bastard pulled one of his tricks did he?” Poseidon chuckled, his laughter finally dying down. “Just as Circe theorised.”
“What are you talking about, Poseidon?” Athena inquired, her voice dangerously low.
“Well, Circe did theorise that the reason Odysseus hadn’t made any attempts to scream for help after his tenth reincarnation was that he was slowly gathering power to fully take over his reincarnated self and become whole once more. Once that was done, one can only assume he would call for your aid, Athena. Heh, if this is all he could manage after thousands of rebirths, he’s clearly still a weakling. Maybe he’s still too cowardly to do what needs to be done after taking over my boy-”
“Shut the fuck up!” Athena yelled. “Odysseus, is far stronger than you will ever be! If what you said is true, then he’s been suffering through all that pain just to gather his power and fight you! He would be a better God than you, sea-shit.”
Six wings of water that looked draconic in nature formed on his back and the crown of golden coral and blue jewels atop his head floated like a halo, reminding Athena of some kind of demonic seraphim. In return, four giant owl wings sprouted from her back and a halo of tiny celestial bronze blades formed around her head.
‘You would dare insult me, bitch?” Poseidon asked, his trident forming in his hand, the weapon glowing blue at the tips.
“She should,” Percy muttered, looking disgusted by his father. At least the boy wasn’t like Poseidon and almost all of his offspring. If Percy were, then Zeus would have probably smote the boy the moment he came back. (Then again, even that was uncertain since Zeus had changed so much after the day she played his annoying ‘God Games’).
Poseidon turned to his son, an angry expression on his face. “You dare to insult me, your own father!?”
“Yeah, I do. How could you do this? I know he killed your son, but putting Odysseus through all this… it’s wrong. I can’t believe I thought you could be a good Dad even for a moment!”
Poseidon raised his trident and angrily brought it down… only to be intercepted by a sword that lodged itself in his lower arm.
“Gah!” Poseidon growled as water ripped the protrusion from his arm. Athena and the others turned to see Artemis, arrow now aimed at Poseidon. And then there was Ares, who looked like he had thrown something.
“Listen well, uncle,” Ares began, marching towards them, battle armour replacing his original biker attire, his helmet concealing his face by making it appear pitch black with two fiery red eyeballs. He soon stood beside Percy, staring daggers into Poseidon’s eyes. “This boy is blessed by me, and I will not see him be destroyed.”
“What!?” virtually everyone in the room exclaimed in shock. Usually, Ares only got to bless his children and mortal partners nowadays due to the restrictions between the human and mythological world. He hadn’t had the inclination to bless someone not within those categories in a thousand years.
“I may dislike Odysseus for his cowardice, but I will appreciate the boy’s will,” Ares announced. “He fought me. He knew he was in a losing battle yet still tried for the sake of his mother and friends. Nor did he rely on tactics that I would not have used.”
“Well, you still cursed my weapon,” the boy muttered.
“Eh, I haven’t gotten around to doing that yet. And I lied,” Ares told him, surprising Percy. “He has proven himself to be strong, determined, loyal and powerful. I will not let you kill someone like him.”
Ares then escorted the boy to Artemis, who checked up on him. He may be male, but he was also only a child, someone that Artemis would protect, as per her title of ‘protector of children’. Ares then took his place at his throne, his battle armour once again turning into biker attire. For a moment, there was silence as everyone tried to process what had just happened.
Then…
“Excuse me, uncle,” Hermes began, his eyes flaring dangerously with Godly power. “Are you implying that you took my great grandson and made him your eternal slave, in a sense. Without consulting me, a blood relative?”
Four hawk wings burst from Hermes' back, the wings on his helmet and shoes grew to large sizes and a halo made from ram horns appeared floating above his head.
“Ah, I knew you wouldn’t care, Hermes,” Poseidon replied with a smirk. Martha and George choked under the force Hermes was squeezing his divine weapon with, his clothes changing for battle armour.
“What did you say?” Hermes asked in dangerously low voice, standing beside Athena.
“Like I said, you wouldn’t have cared, always busy with work you are,” Poseidon remarked. “I mean sheesh, you could have hired some of your demigods to help with the load, or not burdened yourself with everything. Then you could go see them.”
“I- I didn’t want to burden them,” Hermes responded, sounding a little unsure of himself but Athena new her presence was helping still him. She refused to let Poseidon get under his skin.
However, she could never have predicted the sea God’s next words.
“No, you didn’t,” Poseidon began, his smirk widening? “You did everything yourself because you have a self-inferiority complex that drives you to do everything yourself as an attempt to please your dear old dad, Zeusy. And now look where that’s gotten us. Your children dislike you and feel unimportant. Your cabin has become a dumpster for neglected children, making yours feel less than they actually are. You’ve become like a poster boy for how focusing on work causes damage to kids. And, worst of all, your son is predicted to take my own son’s life!”
Six wings of water sprouted from Poseidon’s back and a crown of celestial bronze that was shaped and coloured like coral rising above his head like a halo.
“What?” Percy asked from beside Artemis, who looked finished with checking him to see if he had any injuries.
“Yes, I’m afraid your friend, Luke Castellan, is set to betray Olympus and all he cares about at that Camp Half-Blood, all for the sake of his petty revenge. And I am afraid that you, little one, will be his target.”
“But… but Luke is my friend…” Percy murmured, Athena feeling pain in her heart. She had seen from above how much trust the boy put in the older Hermes child, how Percy saw him as a role model. It must hurt to know that someone you put your trust in was destined to betray you. But there was another reason Athena’s heart ached so badly.
This was Odysseus putting his faith in someone again. This was Odysseus being betrayed by the one he trusted again. This was Odysseus, probably, having to kill someone close to him again. Because Luke to Percy, was Eurylochus to Odysseus.
“And do you wish to know why Luke is going to do this?” Poseidon asked.
“Poseidon, don’t,” Hermes growled yet there was a slight undertone of pleading in his voice. For the God of trickery to let such emotion slip through him, this secret must be severe. Percy looked hesitant, probably torn between his anger towards his father (it felt so disgusting to have to think of Odysseus as Poseidon's son, and his desire to know the truth. Upon getting nods from Artemis and Ares, he turned to Poseidon, looking determined.
“Yes,” Percy nodded in confirmation.
“Very well, the reason Luke will be allowed to do so… is because Hermes did not stop him.”
“WHAT!?” the whole of Olympus, aside from Apollo, yelled, indicating to Athena that he had something to do with this too. Still, rage took its hold.
“Hermes, is this true!?” Athena demanded, wondering how such crucial knowledge could slip through her fingers. She knew she was focused on saving Odysseus but she never let that interfere with her duties either. She had an allocated time to find him and always kept that schedule, otherwise Olympus may have descended into chaos. The only way such a valuable piece of information was if it was kept secret from her.
“…Yes, it is true,” Hermes admitted guiltily. Athena gripped her spear and shield tightly. She had been right… and it hurt. It hurt knowing that someone she could consider a friend would lie to her about something like this. Yes, Hermes was the God of trickery, but he never lied about something so serious as this. Athena sighed, “I presume you and Apollo used your gifts of prophecy to see that this would happen?”
“How did you know about Apollo!?” Hermes exclaimed in shock, causing a few Gods to turn their gazes upon the God of sun and healing and music and… way too many other domains to keep track off.
“Apollo was the only one who did not shout or appear in shock when Poseidon divulged his little tid-bit of information.”
“Of course you would notice something like that, Athena,” Hermes remarked bitterly. He raised his hands in defeat. “Alright, it’s true, Apollo and I kept this from you lot.”
“…Yeah, it’s true,” Apollo admitted, shirking away from the fierce gaze of his sister, who looked ready to brutalise him for keeping such a secret. Apollo then sighed, “But there is more.”
“No, there isn’t!” Hermes exclaimed. Athena raised an eyebrow. What other important secrets could he be keeping?
“Yes, there is!” Apollo reaffirmed. “…Luke is predicted to be the enemy of the Gods. After betraying Percy he will go… to Kronos.”
Gasps filled the room yet again. Athena herself gasped too.
‘Percy was truthful? Kronos was coming back?’ Athena thought to herself fearfully. She knew of the Titan King’s power and the ten year war between the original six Gods: Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter and Hestia, and the Titans. The Titans had held their own against them, despite the six Gods having numerous allies on their side, outnumbering the Titans and their armies two to one. That spoke of how powerful they were. If Kronos were to rise again and cause another Titanomachy, the entire mortal realm could be annihilated.
Apollo continued, adding on an even worse point, “The Great Prophecy is being fulfilled.”
“WHAT?” was the resounding shout throughout the halls of Olympus. Athena, too, could not believe that the two Gods had kept such a secret. The Great Prophecy spoken by the Oracle eighty years ago was not something to be taken lightly, and Apollo and Hermes had been stupid enough to keep this secret from them!?
“WHAT!?” a voice boomed. Everyone froze, not daring to speak. Hermes and Apollo looked like they were seeing death itself, which was probably going to be the case.
Thunder started roaring outside, lightning struck the roof of the great hall, indicating the rage of the God causing all of this. A portal of crackling yellow electricity opened from the throne at the centre of the thirteen thrones, an honorary thirteenth being made for Hades to use. Stepping out of it was a God that was rightfully feared and revered by all. His toga was pitch black, changing from its usually sky blue, indicating how angry he was. His body was perfectly sculpted, being muscular and athletic enough to allure anyone but also not overwhelming at the same time. His hair was made of a cloud, something that was now stormy grey with unbridled fury, his beard was neatly trimmed and was the same colour as his hair. His ears were elf-like yet feathery and eyes were pitch black but with yellow irises.
This was Zeus, the king of the Gods. And he looked furious.
Notes:
For context with this story, Ares does not like Odysseus, but respects Percy He does not like Odysseus because, well, the events of the song Odysseus never happened and, to him, Poseidon just gave up without a fight. To him, Odysseus was a massive coward.
However, he respects Percy due to how much he fought. Despite it being a losing battle, Percy ignored all of that and fought for his Mom and his friends, a character trait Ares respects (I do think he cares about family considering how, despite his and Athena's fight in God Games, he does feel worried about if she died after Zeus struck her).
Poseidon is going to be a complicated character. On one hand, he is the king of the Oceans, a domain where ruthlessness rules and he despises Odysseus. On the other hand, he does care about Percy, just in his own weird, dark way. (I'll probably have to read the fic I based this off by Lavender_Hyacinths again).
In this AU what if timeline, Zeus cares about his kids. He even divorced Hera so she could be free of him and find a better man. He coughed up Metis too and did not bang her for five hundred years, the time when the prophecy of Metis' son was in play. After that time, the prophecy's effects had faded and there is no risk of it coming to pass. Zeus is married to Metis now and the two have an open relationship with one another (and each of them get different partners consensually! No accusing Zeus of r*pe anymore. He is not that kind of guy anymore).
This caring personality came about after the events of the song 'God Games'. Zeus learned the error of his ways and is now a good dad. Even to his demigod kids Zeus is a good dad, despite the constraints of the ancient laws. This also means that his personality will be different from PJO canon but oh well.
(Also, I headcanon Metis is kind of like him in the sense of having many mortal lovers and demigod children. I have no idea why I do this but I am.
Thank you for reading this far. Please share your opinions in the comments section below.
Chapter Text
(Millennia ago)
Athena hated being in the infirmary. It showed a sign of weakness, that she had lost in a battle. She was the one who should be most victorious in conflicts, having both strength and wisdom at her side. The only one she would have considered as an equal was her recently deceased friend, Pallas… who Athena had luckily retrieved from the Underworld.
‘Thank you, Eros,’ Athena thanked the God of love as Pallas, a daughter of Triton, now stood beside her, clutching her hand. Hey, if the love God could show that if you had a strong enough will and got on Persephone’s and Hades’ good side, you could bend the laws of death and bring back someone you love, then Athena definitely could. Pallas was now immortal, having been turned into the Goddess of oceanic conflict, a role that could not have suited her, and her headstrong nature, more.
“You okay, Pallas?” Pallas asked teasingly. Athena groaned. “You’re never going to let me live that down, huh?”
“Nope. I’m never going to forget how weird it was that you decided, with all your divine wisdom, to choose to take my name.”
“Oh shut- ngh!” Athena grunted as pain surged through her body, a reminder of why, just this once, she was allowing herself to let go of her hatred of infirmaries. Burns that looked like streaks of electricity ran down her body and even half her face, her left eye now covered with a bandage. Her hair on her left had also been vaporised, leaving her scalp visible and burned.
Athena could not believe that Zeus would truly strike her like that. Sure, she had called him out on his philandries but that was only to win Hera’s favour due to a game he himself made, which he had ridiculously titled ‘God Games’. Then, she remembered who she was dealing with. This was Zeus, a man who was arrogant and paranoid at the same time, her father from whom she had inherited her weakness of pride. She was more surprised by how his lightning managed to get past Aegis, her shield. It was supposed to be completely invincible and defend her against any damage but apparently Zeus’ Master Bolt was too great for it.
“Can’t believe your dad did this to you,” Pallas muttered. “I should go kick his ass.”
“No, don’t,” Athena wheezed. Gods, was she this weak? She obviously felt terrible but she had no idea how it actually impacted her functionality. It hurt her ego to be this weak but she repressed that feeling. Her pride had taken too much away from her, she refused to let it harm her any more than it already was. “I’ll be fine. I have Apollo himself watching over me. No need to panic.”
“Yeah, well, when my best friend gets herself destroyed by the lightning of her own dad, you worry.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“It was bad enough that Zeus had to catch you and cuddle you!” Pallas countered.
“Wait, Dad did that?” Athena asked. She had passed out when she pleaded for her father to let Odysseus regain his freedom again. She knew nothing from that time and the time from when she first awoke in the infirmary. Still, seeing her father guilty over something was quite a curious thing. She had seen the punishments he dolled out for the stupidest of things and not look remorseful once. If what Pallas was saying was true, then her father was at least feeling guilty about his overreaction.
“he shouldn’t have, though!”
“He is the king of the Gods. He cannot afford to lose, look wrong or weak because it will affect his status across all the pantheons and especially in our Greek one. He’s suffered a rebellion from us before led by Hera and there have been a few mini-rebellions since that time. The only one who hasn’t betrayed him is Hades, and Zeus keeps him at a distance to prevent any further betrayal.”
“Still…” Pallas trailed off as lightning struck just outside Athena’s infirmary-room door, although it was quieted a lot to prevent anyone from being deafened. The door quietly opened and in came Zeus. He looked… worried and afraid? Athena was even more confused. Zeus never displayed such emotions so openly.
“Greetings, Pallas,” Zeus began.
“Greetings, dickhead,” Pallas replied with a growl. Athena stared at her as if she had gone mad, wondering if Pallas was so stupid as to insult the most powerful God of Olympus. For some strange reason, though, Zeus did not vaporise him on the spot. He just winced but nodded in agreement. “I deserve that. May I please speak to my daughter?”
“You’re asking my permission?” Pallas asked.
“Well, you’re probably closer to Athena than I am. And, I am unsure of how much Athena can strain herself so…”
Pallas turned to Athena who nodded in agreement. “Very well.”
Zeus approached Athena cautiously and knelt down beside her, clutching her hand in his. Athena raised an eyebrow. Why was Zeus being this concerned-
“I’m so, so sorry,” Zeus spoke. Athena recoiled, bewildered by such a reaction. Zeus was apologising? She looked deeper into his expression and saw that tears were leaking from his eyes. Did Zeus genuinely mean that he was remorseful. Even so…
“Yeah, I don’t know if I believe you Dad,” Athena told him, wanting to see if her best daughter status still remained in this moment, “considering that you have apologised to Hera numerous times and still cheat on her!”
Zeus nodded. “You’re right. I have been an unfaithful husband, which is why I have recently divorced her.”
“WHAT!?” both Athena and Pallas yelled in surprise. Zeus nodded, “It’s true. I am a single man. If I can’t keep my promises to my wife then I shouldn’t have her.”
“What caused you to do this?” Athena inquired, her voice weak.
“You,” Zeus admitted shamefully. “Once I saw what I did to you… once I saw you beg for Odysseus’ life… I saw me in you. The me from the Titanomachy, who tried numerous times to placate my father from his mad quest of trying to kill my siblings, Rhea and I. I couldn’t hurt that.”
“No, there’s more,” Athena said with a grunt of pain. She knew her father well and knew when he was keeping a secret from her.
“You are right… the other reason I did that was because… I started seeing me as Kronos.”
Athena’s breath hitched, remembering the tales they heard of her cruel grandfather, how his rule was just anarchy disguised as a golden age due to Kronos’ belief in absolute free will. Zeus continued, “I saw Kronos in me when I hurt you the way I did. I saw Kronos in me whenever I cheated on Hera. I saw Kronos in me… whenever I just looked in the mirror. I… I will not let that be my fate. I will not become him. I will strive to be a better man than him!”
“Alright, so you’ve at least done one thing right,” Pallas noted. “But you’ve still got a lot of making up to do.”
“She’s right father,” Athena told him. Zeus nodded. “Which brings me to the second thing I did to prove that I had changed. You can come in.”
“Hey you don’t-” Pallas was about to argue about how Zeus did not have the authority to say that when a woman walked into the room. A woman who had the same grey eyes as Athena and a woman who just looked like a less muscular version of Athena but with weird webbed-fin-ears and blonde hair that was in a similar style to Athena’s.
Athena gasped as she clamped a hand over her mouth. This woman’s presence alone showed to her how committed Zeus was to change.
(Present)
Athena watched as Zeus marched into the great hall, his presence immediately demanding attention. His expression was filled with rage, his eyes were cold and sparking with electricity and his hair had turned from its silvery-white cloud colour to the dark grey of a storm cloud.
Apollo immediately tried his hand at placating the God. “Father, please have mercy, we only did-”
“The God didn’t even get to finish as Zeus’ recently returned Master Bolt flew towards the God and hit him in the face. Had Zeus been who he had been all those millennia ago, the bolt would have obliterated Apollo where he stood. Instead, it gave him a thwack on the head, causing Apollo to fall flat on his butt. Apollo yelped in pain as he clutched his face, golden ichor leaking from a small wound. Artemis dropped her bow and immediately tried to comfort her brother. Athena was surprised at Zeus’ mercy. He was handling his news a lot better than she expected him too. She would have cut his balls off.
Hermes backed away, trembling like a leaf. Athena stepped in front of him in a futile attempt to try to protect him from their father’s wrath. Zeus marched towards them, his bare feet sounding like lightning strikes as they cracked tiles on the floor.
Zeus stared down at Athena, who was shielding Hermes.
“Daughter, move,” Zeus said simply.
“Father, let him explain-” Athena began before she was abruptly interrupted by lightning crashing into a wall from outside, causing a large hole in it.
“Daughter, move,” Zeus said, his tone deep and dark. Athena felt hesitant, fearing what her father would do… but immediately steeled herself. “Fine, but remember how far you’ve come from the man you once were. Don’t become that man again.”
Zeus paused before nodding in acceptance. Athena then willingly stepped out of Zeus’ way.
Hermes looked at his father with fearful eyes. Zeus ignored them as he grabbed him by the neck and he zoomed out of the room with him, the door turning to ashes as he smashed through it.
…………
“Father, please, I’m sorry!” Hermes screamed as he was dangled over a roaring hurricane that would shred him to pieces. Zeus took his master bolt like the hilt of a blade and used it to make small sparks of electricity that zapped Hermes’ feet.
“AAAH!” Hermes yelled as pain overtook his feet but the fear was ever present. He could no longer fly, the lightning eviscerating the shoes Hermes had been wearing, his famous feathered shoes that allowed him to fly. If Zeus were to drop him, he really would be chopped into a million pieces.
“Is it true?” Zeus asked, his voice now thunder itself. “Is it true that the Great Prophecy is being fulfilled and you lied to me about it?”
“…Yes,” Hermes gasped. He wondered how much willpower Zeus was using to not choke Hermes to death. Three thousand years of change had done this to Zeus. Had he been angered this much all those years ago, Hermes would be dead where he stood.
“YOU DARE!” Zeus roared. “You dare keep this a secret from us after all that Poseidon, Hades and I sacrificed!”
“It was the best outcome for the Great Prophecy, father! It would result in no mortal deaths!”
“What about the deaths of our children!?”
Hermes remained silent. It was enough of an answer to indicate what would happen. A lot of their kids were going to die. Zeus roared in fury and threw Hermes to the ground
“How dare you. How dare you put our kids’ lives lower than random mortals!”
“There was a future which would have allowed that… ten years from now there would have been another opportunity for all demigods to live. But it’s too big of a risk. Millions of mortals would-”
“Then millions of mortals should have died instead of our own!” Zeus yelled, his hair now becoming a mass of storm clouds that completely surrounded the duo.
“I could not allow that! Apollo and I… we care so much about mortals. Artemis cares about them too!”
“More than your own children?” Zeus asked in a dangerously low voice. Hermes froze, unsure of how to respond. Especially to someone like Zeus, who took parenting seriously.
Zeus may not appear like it, but he cares about his children, more than anyone thinks. When Athena lost her temper and turned Arachne and Medusa into monsters on separate occasions, it was Zeus who had to placate the other minor Gods who called Athena a barbarian and monster. When Apollo and Artemis slaughtered all of Niobe’s children just because of Niobe’s arrogance alone, Zeus had been the one to quell Hera’s demands to have them exiled. Despite everything that Ares and he himself do, with Ares’ war loving attitude and his love of pranks, Zeus allows them to stay on Olympus, and Zeus still loved him despite all of his pranks because he could see that they were merely pranks, nothing more. As for Ares, Zeus managed to see the qualities that Hermes would miss due to Ares’ overwhelming love of war and death. He saw how Ares embodied a side of war that no one wanted to acknowledge yet it was necessary all the same. And he saw how Ares was the protector of women, how he made sure that, due to the separation of myth and mortal realms, he made sure that each woman who suffered sexual abuse (and did not commit unjustified crimes) would make it to Elysium and live peacefully, and those who would assault them and those… disgusting mortals in the judiciary system who would dare put a woman in prison for killing their abuser, would suffer greatly in the Fields of Punishment in ways that literally made Tartarus, the Primordial of the pit, applaud him.
They were also ways that made Hades piss his pants out of sheer fear.
Then there were the demigod ones. Zeus made Heracles into a God and, through bargaining with Hades, allowed him to visit his wife in the Underworld for six hours a day, which was more than needed. People may call it not enough time but it was definitely not feasible for husband and wife to be together every minute of every day. That would only lead to problems and rifts in the future. Zeus sent Athena and Hermes to help Perseus on his quests. Tantalus and Minos became kings of their regions simply because of them being sons of Zeus and the son of Io became a revered God. Sure, he may have harshly punished Tantalus but the man literally killed his son to serve him on a plate. That hit a little too hard for Zeus and his family, considering his siblings were eaten alive by Kronos and now they were eating another’s son.
Even over the rest of millennia, Zeus still maintained a good relationship with his children, even more so when he and Hera divorced. After Zeus had gone straight, he even bonded with his Godly children and helped them out with whatever problems they were having. He even hosted family dinners, messy affairs that often ended with food fights and chaos but Zeus did not appear to care, even joining in alongside his new/first wife. Despite what myth would like to say, Zeus was a good father… in context of the time it was set in and his restrictions due to the rules placed upon him. And as time passed and morals evolved, Zeus evolved his own morals and became a better man.
So, you can imagine that a father who would do anything for his kids, would be especially pissed at his own son for ignoring his children and also driving one of his children to become the enemy of Olympus. Hermes tried to be with his kids but his work prevented him from doing so. Also… Hermes needed Luke to be the villain of the prophecy, hence why he sent Luke on a quest… only for him to cause his own son to fail in the end.
Hermes finally responded, “For the sake of billions of mortals, who will fall due to Kronos’ rule, absolutely. I would do everything I did again without regret.”
Zeus promptly electrocuted Hermes, causing him intense pain.
“How dare you choose the lives of random people over your own child? And how dare you cause your child to fail?”
Hermes’ eyes widened. “How did you-”
“I am the King of the Gods, Hermes, ruler of Olympus. And I especially keep my eyes on prankster Gods like you in case you, oh I don’t know, dunk dragon dung on everyone in the throne room!”
“…Oh yeah,” Hermes said, remembering his recent prank on Olympus from a year ago.
“You, Hermes, dared to allow this prophecy to continue after all I, Poseidon and Hades have sacrificed. After I was forced to kill all of my children in the 1940s. After Poseidon drowned his own sons! After I was forced to risk my relationship with Hades by killing Maria, Bianca and Nico di Angelo!?”
“…Yes,” Hermes admitted. “This prophecy cannot be ignored, nor will it simply not happen. What examples do you even have to prove this would happen?”
“Me,” a voice called out. Hermes froze as an eagle soared through the sky and landed on Zeus’ shoulder. It then took the form of a woman who looked similar to Athena but with long blonde hair, fish-fin ears and was less muscular. She had the body of a swimmer instead, dressed in a teal dress with black, heeled shoes. Her crown was beautiful, made of silver with diamonds and engravings of owl faces and her necklace had an eagle head with red rubies.
This was Metis, Zeus’ first and current wife, the first sign of proof that Zeus had changed his ways, and the only occasion Hermes could think of when a prophecy was averted. Hermes still remembered Athena’s reaction to Metis’ return. It was as if an inner child buried deep within her had unveiled itself and allowed itself to take reign of her body after decades of suppression. The five century time frame had passed for the prophecy of her son overthrowing Zeus had passed, allowing Metis to finally be free from scrutiny. Gaea herself had confirmed that it would not come to pass anymore. Zeus and Metis resumed their relationship sometime afterwards and proved… how similar they were in terms of relationships.
(Gods, Hermes could not count the number of times he caught Metis with a lover and Zeus with a lover at the same time. Zeus is definitely jealous of Metis’ ability to have more demigod children while he cannot.
Hermes coughed. “Yes, well, this was one time when a prophecy was averted. Most come true and if we deny them, they will only turn out worse-”
“Silence,” both Zeus and Metis spoke, causing Hermes to freeze. Zeus stared at him crossly as he spoke, “Do you have any idea how foolish you have been? You have made, Poseidon’s, Hades’ and my own suffering vain with your actions.”
“You did that with Thalia!” Hermes countered, causing Zeus to… pale. Metis put a comforting hand on him, seemingly grounding him to reality. Hermes immediately realised what he just said. “Oh, oh Gods, father I’m so sorry-”
Zeus looked at him, eyes filled with anger, “I am assuming you understand that my union with Beryl Grace was under circumstances… far less consensual than I would have liked.”
‘Than anyone would have liked,’ Hermes thought, feeling sorry for his father yet again. He remembered how he tried keeping up the façade that everything was okay and that he just pulled a Zeus and had sex with a mortal. Unfortunately, for him, he had changed too much for anyone to believe it. Then, Zeus admitted that he had been… raped by Beryl Grace, and that the bitch had the audacity to try and ask for Godhood. It was behaviour that Zeus in the past would have committed and it is behaviour that Zeus in the now would condemn.
Metis put a calming hand on Zeus’ shoulder. “Darling, please, do not hurt the boy anymore. Do not become like your old self.”
Zeus immediately calmed and regained his composure. “I… I am sorry if I hurt you too greatly, Hermes. And I am sorry if I stirred up memories, my love.”
“No problem,” Hermes admitted, knowing he probably deserved it. After all, he did practically make the sacrifices Hades and Zeus made eighty years ago be in vain by allowing the Great Prophecy of the second Titanomachy to come to pass. Poseidon, on the other hand, was someone Hermes couldn’t care about in the slightest and only barely tolerated at best.
“It is fine, my love,” Metis said, before turning to Hermes. “But do not think that you are off the hook Hermes. There will be a trial held that will decide punishments for you and Apollo, and I ensure you that they will surpass even the worst of Zeus’ wrath. I’m certain that many Gods and Goddesses dislike that you have allowed a prophecy that could doom them to come to fruition when there was the possibility it could have been averted.”
Hermes gulped. “Hehe… yeah… but can we negotiate maybe-”
“No,” both Zeus and Metis, husband and wife, king and queen, said plainly. They both marched back to the great hall, with Hermes following nervously behind. He knew that, one way or another, the least he was going to get was a severe spanking.
…………
Athena stared at Zeus as he had sprung into action. He was talking with Artemis and Apollo. Artemis was to hunt down Luke Castellan and then other monsters. She was only to kill them should they show loyalty to Kronos. Apollo, on the other hand, was to go talk to the minor Gods to warn them of the war and to bring them to Olympus’ side. The glare Apollo got from his father told him to obey, and it was made clear that a punishment was coming Apollo’s way. Zeus then announced that he will take Dionysus off his punishment so he could do the same job as Apollo and Hephaestus was to start constructing more powerful weapons for the demigods. They would be involved in the war, and if there was even a slight possibility of them going up against Titans, then they needed stronger weaponry and armour. Zeus marched to Athena and told her that she will replace Dionysus so that she can aid Chiron in training half-bloods, a job she accepted with honour. Ares was left out, with Zeus still having to evaluate his loyalty to Olympus after his’ collusion with Luke and, therefore, accidental collusion with Kronos. Metis was to be the strategic mind of Olympus and Hera was to act as a guard for Olympus, a task she accepted with the click of her neck and the cracking of her knuckles. Athena knew, from experience, that the woman could beat up anyone.
With that, Zeus teleported away, saying that another meeting would be held the next day and that the demigods would be included.
Athena, despite acknowledging her father’s flaws, always respected when he brought out his leader mode.
Hermes walked in, looking nervous yet accepting of how he messed up badly. Athena was about to go comfort him until she saw Poseidon smirk with satisfaction.
‘I hate this man,’ Athena thought to herself. She saw the look of disgust on Percy’s face, one that was directed at his father, and smiled the moment Poseidon noticed Percy’s expression and tried to change it.
Then Hades vomited.
It was an act so shocking that no one expected it. What was more surprising, was that he seemed to be vomiting some kind of black goop. Everyone stared in confusion as the goop started to take form. Inevitably took the shape of a human, a slim human male wearing a cloak that concealed most of his body. His hood was unfurled, revealing long hair and a face that looked between masculine and feminine. His most prominent feature was a blindfold around his eyes. A staff formed from the black goop and he took it in his hand. Athena instantly could tell who this was.
This was Tiresias. This was the man who revealed what trials Odysseus would go through.
And judging by his appearance now, he was going to do so again.
Notes:
You are the king of the Gods, and you have just made the worst mistake of your life. Up until this moment, your life has been nothing but mistakes, sleeping with women, cheating on Hera and other things, but this one was far worse.
You have struck your daughter, your favourite daughter, the one born from your first and most beloved wife. The one who you swore to yourself would live a good life.
The worst part was that she was only trying to get her friend back, but your own ego kept you from doing so. Then, when you look in the mirror, you do not see your own reflection, no, you see the reflection of your father. You see his cruel golden eyes instead of your own electric yellow and you are horrified as you realise how similar you are to him. He swallowed his six kids, you swallowed your own wife. He waged war with his own children, you just beat your own child. He neglected his family, you neglected your family.
Had you taken his sickle that day, you might have just become another him.
You need to stop this, you need to stop yourself from becoming him. So, the first thing you do is release your wife from yourself, Metis, the one you subsumed into yourself. She kicked and punched you, taking out centuries' worth of anger out on you, letting out all her rage and sorrow and even her fear. She feared you, and you can't help but see your mother's fear of her husband in her. You spend the week before your daughter wakes up explaining everything to her and how he will try to be a better man. She, luckily, has the wisdom to know you have changed... by using Apollo as a lie detector.
When Athena wakes up, you tell her about your devotion to change. You show her, her mother and they have a wonderful, tender moment together.
You quickly become a better man. You divorced Hera already but you also don't sleep with mortals, until your wife does and you understand why you and her felt such a connection with each other.
You rebuild your bonds with your children, you become a better man to your demigod children and you impose laws that require Gods to be at least semi-present in their childrens' lives and remove the laws that prevent you from doing so.
You build cabins for the minor Gods, you fund Camp Half-Blood with better weapons and resources, you help them live.
And as the millennia go by, you are no longer the man you once were. There are still remnants of your old self, like the hints of a bad temper, but you are a far better man than before.
You are Zeus, and this was your story until the Great Prophecy was first uttered.
Chapter 4: No Longer Him
Summary:
Tiresias has arrived and is going to deliver soul crushing news.
Yay...
Notes:
I apologise for the lack of rhyming in the upcoming song. I am not, in any capacity, a song-writer.
Also, as expected, there will be a few changes to the canon as a result of the changes to the characters I have made.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Athena’s relationship with Tiresias was complicated to say the least. In fact, part of her wondered if he hated her deep down in his heart. After all, she did blind him by splashing water in his eyes when he accidentally came across her while having a bath. She had, admittedly and ashamedly, been caught by surprise at the time and, in fright, lashed him with water directly into his eyes.
It, admittedly, was not the best reaction and was one she received countless taunting on. Was it justified, of course. Was it annoying, also yes.
Athena had immediately tried restoring Tiresias’ eyesight upon hearing his mother’s pleas but… the bath-salts she had been using were an experimental kind that were developed by Hecate and they had caused him incurable blindness. Athena had banged her head on her shield a lot that day, hoping that the head of Medusa ingrained into the shield would suddenly come to life and eat her brain.
However, Athena quickly shook those dark thoughts out of her mind, remembering what she had given him instead. She had given him the gift of prophecy, the ability to see between one second to years into the future. Athena recalled how the man’s first prophecy had been that Athena would be taunted for this incident for eternity by her fellow Olympians.
Athena wished he had been inaccurate.
Unfortunately, looking at his grim expression, she doubted this was going to be a good visit from him.
“Tiresias,” Athena greeted the seer.
“Athena,” Tiresias spoke, his voice soft and weirdly feminine. Living as a woman for seven years as a result of a divine punishment from Hera really did something to him. Underneath that cloak, she knew he was wearing a dress. Tiresias continued, “I come bearing-”
“What the heck is wrong with you!?” Hades exclaimed as he grabbed Tiresias.
“My lord, forgive me-”
“Absolutely not! Do you know how disgusting that felt!? Vomiting black sludge is not something I like doing, prophet! You could have just told me you needed to come to the mortal realm!”
“And you would have refused.”
“Damn right I would! You are dead, you have no place here!”
“I apologise my lord but this is more important than your laws!” Tiresias asserted. “This is about repaying a debt to an old friend.”
Tiresias turned to where Athena was standing.
‘Heh, seeing everyone’s futures is like being able to see in general,’ Athena mused, glad to know that the man didn’t hate her.
“You think that is more important than the rules of the Underworld! I should send you back to the Underworld in a ball of black fire!”
“You should, but what would your… now dead children think when they see that their favourite nanny in terrible pain,” Tiresias remarked. Zeus visibly flinched. Athena didn’t blame him, considering he is responsible for their deaths. Athena understood his motivations, the need to protect the world from the terrible Great Prophecy was definitely more important than the lives of three people, even if two were children, but it had still damaged their relationship. It took years for it to recover and it returned to normal when Hades had exacted his revenge upon him through Thalia Grace, which was, unfortunately, a necessary move. Hades gritted his teeth as he spoke, “You have a point. But also, fuck you.”
Then he did something Athena would never expect a God as mature as him to do. He gave Tiresias the middle finger. He then asked, “What is this debt you need to repay about!?”
“I must speak to Athena about her champion. A terrible fate awaits him,” Tiresias spoke. The atmosphere, once mildly light-hearted from Hades’ outburst, now turned cold and filled with trepidation. Athena’s eyes widened.
‘Odysseus? What fate awaits him?’ Athena thought to herself before she asked. “Will this require Zeus’ presence?”
“No, yours maximum. Though I assume the other Gods will want to hear too?” Tiresias asked. Athena glanced around and saw that Tiresias was correct. The other Gods were staring at him with intrigue. Apollo was stroking a non-existent beard as if he were a wise old man, Hephaestus drummed his fingers together and even Poseidon appeared intrigued and… mildly concerned? Poseidon must have noticed Athena looking at him because he immediately hardened his expression.
Then Athena laid her eyes on Percy, the boy who held Odysseus’ soul. He looked pale and terrified. It was understandable. He had, after all, just learned that he was part of a millennia old revenge plot, had the soul of one of the greatest Greek heroes in him, had learned his father was basically a psychopath and now was about to hear about what could be a terrible fate for him. Luckily, Artemis was watching over him and put a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. The woman, naturally, was good with children.
“Come, holder of Odysseus’ soul,” Tiresias spoke, his blindfold directed at Percy, as if seeing him. Percy looked nervous but Artemis squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. Cautiously, he made his way over to the prophet and now stood beside Athena, staring at the oracle.
“Now, listen closely, all of you, for I will only say this once,” Tiresias warned. Athena, Percy and all the Gods nodded, but ones like Apollo and Poseidon scoffed, typical Godly ego surfacing.
“I am the prophet, with the answers you seek,” Tiresias spoke, his voice sounding musical and alluring.
‘Tiresias really does love his dramatics,’ Athena thought.
“Time I’ve unlocked it, I see past and future running free. There is a world where Odysseus comes home, but that’s not a world I know,” Tiresias continued.
Immediately, the temperature dropped in the entire room. Athena paled.
‘No… nonononoNO!’ the words ran through Athena’s head. This couldn’t be! Odysseus had to return home to his family! She was going to save him… right?
“What!?” Athena finally spoke, her voice iced with anger.
“I see him go through his trials again!”
An image formed from gas radiating from Tiresias, green gas like that of the Oracle of Delphi that displayed an image of Percy Jackson… sailing through the Sea of Monsters.
‘No,’ Athena thought, ‘Not again! Odysseus lost so much to that accursed place! He shouldn’t have to revisit it again!’
“I see the sky held back by man!”
The next image showed Percy Jackson holding up the sky, taking up Atlas’ burden. A disturbing detail that Athena filed away to process later.
“I see a deadly maze, a Goddess’ Gaze and a brother turned enemy dead.”
Three images appeared. One of an endless maze, which Athena assumed to be the Labyrinth, the Titan-Goddess Calypso, who was on Ogygia for some reason despite Zeus managing to get her out of it a few centuries ago, and Luke Castellan with evil golden eyes.
“I see you fight to the bitter end.”
The next image showed Percy fighting against the Luke with golden eyes.
“I see you fight the Earth itself.”
The image to show Percy and six others staring down a woman made of rock and greenery. Gaea, the personification of the planet. There were so many disturbing details revealed in this prophecy that it would take Athena a week to process them all.
“And I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it’s no longer him.”
The next image played out like a video… with Odysseus’ soul turning to dust, his identity erased. All that was left was Percy Jackson. Which means that if all of the events Tiresias warned about happened again then…
“This cannot be,” Percy muttered, looking horrified at what he had just seen and the horrors he would go through. Athena felt a pang in her heart for the boy but her main focus was on one thing.
“Please tell me there’s a way in which I can save my old friend from this fate that will cause his destruction!?” Athena pleaded. Percy never expected that Athena would plead to anyone or anything. She must be really desperate.
“Kill the boy in front of you, the one called Percy Jackson. Take his soul from his corpse and return him to those he loves. Or I see the soul of Odysseus finally fade. It will die and Penelope will never see him.”
“NO!” Athena yelled as the image once again showed the last part of Odysseus’ soul that remembered who he was… fading away. All that was left was Percy Jackson.
Then, Tiresias repeated as he showed images of the future yet again.
“I see him go through his trials again! I see the sky held back by man! I see a deadly maze, a Goddess’ gaze and a friend turned foe now gone. I see fight to the bitter end, I see you battle the Earth itself!”
For some reason, the muses had decided to join in as they chorused: “Sea of Monsters! Titan’s Curse! Battle of the Labyrinth! Last Olympian! Fight Gaea! Fall into Tartarus!”
“And I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it’s no longer… him!” Tiresias finished. With that, the green mist faded away and Tiresias’ physical form suddenly dissolved, the black ooze turning into vapour that rose into the air, diffusing into the atmosphere.
There was an overwhelming silence in the room. Every God and Goddess who had witnessed that prophecy was simply too stunned to speak.
Percy paled. Odysseus was going to die. He would live but the part of his soul that remembered that he was Odysseus would perish. He would just be Percy and when he died he would not be the man who had fought for ten years in the Trojan war and fought for ten years just to return home.
Percy felt bad for the guy. He knew that the heroic thing would be to sacrifice himself so that Odysseus would return home and get to see those he loves but… Percy couldn’t. He had people he cared about too. He had people he needed to return to as well.
The son of Poseidon glanced up at Athena, who was already staring back at him. Her glare sent shivers down his spine. From one of Annabeth’s fact rants, Percy knew that Athena’s divine animals were the owl and snake. Her gaze definitely resembled that of a ferocious snake like a saw scaled viper. Her eyes were now snake slits and fangs protruded from her mouth. It looked like she was barely holding back her wrath.
“Uh… Athena?” Percy began before he felt himself be pulled back by someone. It was Ares, his strength sending him all the way back into the arms of Artemis. Percy was glad for that because directly underneath where he had been standing were multiple spears that jutted out from the ground, clearly intended for him.
‘Oh Gods… she’s gonna kill me,’ Percy realised, as he pulled out his own sword, riptide. It didn’t make him feel any better. In comparison to Athena’s power, his blade might as well have been a twig. Ares tried blocking Athena but she somehow zoomed past him and appeared before Percy, her spear dangerously close to his neck.
Luckily, a beam of light knocked Athena away. Percy turned to see that Apollo had shot it, his hand outstretched and steaming. The Goddess of war, however, still persisted, once again running at a speed faster than light towards him but shadows suddenly wrapped around her limbs, binding her. Percy saw Hades with his hands clenched and clearly struggling with holding Athena in place. Fortunately, Ares grabbed Athena’s arms and gripped them tightly. Apollo, Hephaestus and Demeter also aided in the effort, with Apollo and Hephaestus helping Ares hold Athena and Demeter summoning plant vines to wrap around the Goddess of war, helping to keep her in place.
“Let! Me GO!” Athena bellowed, struggling to break free.
“Chill out, sis!” Apollo spoke, trying to placate the Goddess.
“Yeah, calm down!” Ares exclaimed.
“Don’t kill the child!” Demeter told her.
“Yes, that’s insane!” Hades added, still struggling with keeping Athena in place with his shadows like Demeter was with her vines.
“Did you all not hear the prophecy!? Or am I the only one with ears here!?” Athena shouted, having given up on struggling, probably to conserve her strength in case everyone lowered their guard.
“We heard,” Poseidon chimed in. “But I don’t see the problem.”
Percy hated that that man was his dad.
“Oh, you bastard!” Athena yelled as she struggled again, trying to break through the grips and binds of the Gods. To Percy’s horror, she was making progress, ripping through vines and shadows as if they were paper, only for them to be replaced by other shadows and vines.
“Calm down, Athena!” Hermes pleaded.
“How can you be so calm, Hermes!?” Athena demanded. “Your great grandson is going to die, really die, just so that boy can live! He won’t even get an afterlife! How can you be okay with that!?”
Hermes fell silent and his gaze locked on her and then Percy.
“No, wait plea-” Percy began to beg before Hermes suddenly appeared to his side, his caduceus in hand, the serpent heads now dripping with venom. Artemis blocked his blow but Hermes suddenly moved at a speed faster than Athena, so fast that it was amazing Artemis could keep up. She kept appearing wherever he did, trying to block his blows. It wasn’t long, though, until Hermes landed several blows on Artemis and knocked her to the ground. In microseconds, Hermes appeared before him and his caduceus nearly hit him until a wall of fire appeared between him and Percy. Hestia had now joined the fray, her flames keeping Hermes at bay.
Hermes was then knocked to the ground by Hera, Aphrodite and Poseidon, who kept him restrained. Artemis had teleported beside Percy again and was soon joined by Hestia, who still kept the wall of fire around them.
“Get off of me!” Hermes yelled as he thrashed in their grip.
“Calm down Hermes, can’t have you killing my son before the prophecy comes to pass,” Poseidon replied casually, causing Hermes to thrash even more.
“Not helping, brother!” Hera growled.
“Zeus, help!” Hestia shouted towards the sky. Immediately, everyone froze, as if they had gazed upon Medusa’s eyes and turned to stone. Zeus immediately appeared, lightning striking from his teleportation.
“Hestia, what is…” Zeus trailed off as he saw the picture of chaos that had occurred. “…What is going on here!? Why are all of you dogpiling on Athena and Hermes!? What did I miss!?”
“A lot, father,” Ares told him, still holding onto Athena, his arms wrapped under her armpits and around her shoulders. "A lot.”
“…Okay… should I invite Metis to this meeting?” Zeus inquired.
“Yes, do so!” Hestia yelled from behind the wall of fire. Zeus rubbed his temples. “Metis, come help please!”
A long minute later, Metis teleported in. Though she did not come alone.
A woman, sixteen years old with spiky black hair, a light dash of freckles across her nose and eyes glowing the same colour as Zeus’ was beside the Goddess. She was wearing black jeans and a grey t-shirt with a skull on it. She reminded Percy of a female Ares with how muscular she looked.
“You brought Thalia along?” Zeus asked in a strained tone.
“She insisted on coming,” Metis explained.
“Damn right, I did,” Thalia growled. “Why the hell do you keep zapping in and out of the house? It makes the family dinner night a lot harder to have when family isn’t… present…”
Thalia finally took in the sight of what had just happened. She raised her eyebrow in confusion, reminding everyone of her father.
“Why in Hades’ foul pits are Athena and Hermes being dogpiled on?” Thalia inquired.
“Would you finally show respect to your elders?” Hades sighed.
“Nah, gramps, not after you got me killed.”
“I’m not-”
“You use the respect your elders schtick, you deserve to be called old. Now, what the heck is going-”
“You’re Thalia Grace!?” Percy exclaimed. This was Thalia Grace, the girl who was more or less Annabeth’s older sister, the girl who sacrificed herself on half-blood hill… the girl who was supposed to be a tree? Thalia noticed Percy and winced.
“Ah, shit… he wouldn’t happen to be a child of Poseidon and his wife, would he?” Thalia asked while scratching the back of her head in nervousness.
“No, unfortunately not. He is a demigod. Which is why I was hesitant to bring you along,” Zeus explained while pinching his temples.
“Sorry, Dad.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Zeus reassured her before fixing his gaze on Percy. “Swear on the River Styx that you will not tell a soul about Thalia’s current state, or else.”
“But, she’s alive!” Percy reasoned. “She can return to Camp. She can see Annabeth and Grover and Luke again. She could-”
“I can’t go back,” Thalia told him sombrely. Percy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why not? Don’t you want to see them again?”
“I’m really starting to get why Annabeth calls you seaweed brain. Yes, I do want to see them but I can’t. I’m technically in a state between life and death. I’m only a soul given form, my body is still needed to fuel the barrier that protects the camp, and no one wants that gone since it’s somehow stronger than anything these Gods can come up with!” Thalia explained, prompting grunts of acknowledgement from the other Olympians. “There is a second reason, though.”
“What is it?”
“…I’d fuck everything up if I went back.”
…………
Five years ago
Dying was said to be peaceful, a process where you close your eyes and an exhale your last breath, a process where a light in a dark corridor appears and you walk to it, being enveloped by its wonderful embrace. Or, dying could be instantaneous, like when you are shot in the head, a quick, merciful death.
Not for Thalia Grace, though.
Dying was agony, her bones were broken or cracked, her flesh torn apart, blood leaking from every body part. It was unbearable. She prayed for that end, the moment where a monster would just smash her face in or bite her head off, allowing for instantaneous death, or the moment where the light in the corridor would appear and she could go to it. But that wasn’t meant for her. Instead, she was being torn apart by hellhounds, the furies, every possible monster she could think of. Every moment was excruciating.
Subtlety, she felt some change, her flesh change to wood, her body expand and grow into something taller. But she could not focus on that. The pain still persisted. It was like she was locked in a moment of eternal agony, where she could feel and distinguish every single injury in her body.
‘Why can’t I die?’ Thalia thought to herself. Her life had been nothing but pain and misery. Beryl Grace, her mother, had made her first ten years on this earth a living hell with beatings and alcoholism. She had even taken away one of the only things on this planet she cared about, Jason Grace, her younger brother. He was dead because of her, and there was a void in Thalia’s heart that would never be filled. Then, for two years she had been in a constant survival state, hiding from monsters with Luke Castellan and Annabeth Chase, barely keeping themselves alive, something that hadn’t been aided by Luke’s antics. Overwhelming responsibility, guilt and shame weighed down on her like anvils.
Why could death not be an alleviation to this pain.
‘Why, why can’t I just die!? Why is my body on fire!? Why do I feel like I’m constantly bleeding!? Damn you Zeus, damn you Luke, damn you everything, damnyoudamnyoudamnyoudamn-’
Then, she felt herself being ripped from her body. It was strange. One moment, her body was on fire in every possible way. The next… it was like she had no body. She felt… like she was floating. It took her a moment to realise that she was indeed floating, though not as a person, but as a spirit green wisp. She floated higher and higher, far above the clouds. Then she felt herself be pulled to somewhere far. She moved at the speed of light reaching her destination in seconds.
She landed on a soft, leather sofa, with a corporeal form. Her body was different from a minute ago. Her wounds had all been healed and she looked… surprisingly healthy, which was a great improvement considering she had definitely been thin before, bordering on malnourished. There was a glow emanating from her, though it was electric yellow now.
“Where am I?” Thalia muttered to herself as she rose from her sofa. She expected to feel pain shoot through her body but there was none. She felt normal. Something was definitely going on here.
“At one of my palaces, daughter,” a voice called out. Thalia turned to see who it was. It was a man in casual clothes, with black eyes with electric yellow irises, a neatly trimmed beard and slivery hair that was literally a cloud. Thalia knew instantly who this was.
“Zeus?” Thalia inquired, staring down his father. No, he didn’t deserve that title, not after letting her die like that.
“…I suppose asking you to call me Dad is ridiculously out of the question?” Zeus spoke, as if trying to alleviate the tension as dense as ice.
“You could say that. What the hell is going on here!? I thought I died!”
“You did,” Zeus admitted guiltily. “But I saved your soul before it could be dragged into Hades’ realm.”
“Why did you do that?”
“Because… you deserve to live a good life. After all you’ve been through… because I could not accept you as my own, you deserve a good life. You could not have that if you went down to Hades’ realm.”
“Oh, so he was going to torture me for all eternity if I went down there!?”
“No,” Zeus said with resolution. “I know my brother. He is fair amongst all else. He would not cause you to unjustly suffer.”
“Okay. In relation to the good life thing, then let me go see my friends damn it! My real family!”
“I can’t,” Zeus confessed, wincing at how Thalia called Luke and Annabeth her real family. He really had messed up on this one. He had vowed never to screw up as badly as he did with his demigod children as he did in the ancient Greek days. Boy, was he proving how bad of a father he was now.
“Why not!?” Thalia demanded angrily. “Why did I have to die just for me to get a normal life!? Why didn’t you accept me as your daughter!? Why did you… why did you leave me with her?”
Thalia held back tears. She wouldn’t let him see her cry, she wouldn’t let her emotions get the better of her. She couldn’t.
Zeus sighed and reluctantly said. “Let’s start with why I left you with her and why I couldn’t accept you as a daughter.”
Thalia growled and sat down on the couch. This had better be good.
“…I am certain you are aware of what I was notorious for in the days of Ancient Greece, correct?”
“Yeah, Annabeth told me. You had a penchant for raping women,” Thalia noted, recalling the facts Annabeth, her sister in all but blood, would often tell her. It was endearing to say the least.
“Yes, well, firstly, I’ll have you know that I no longer sexually assault women. I was unaware of the sinful nature of that act all those years ago due to the culture of the time back then. Once I did, which was many millennia ago, I stopped. I swear this upon the River Styx.”
Thunder boomed, sealing the vow. Thalia didn’t need it, though. Being the child of an actor and living on the streets and avoiding monsters had taught her to read facial gestures and body language to detect lies, truths, emotions and more. Zeus, judging by his body language, was clearly telling the truth.
“Okay, well get to the point already!” Thalia grumbled, tired of waiting. Zeus tensed and he began playing with his fingers a bit. Thalia could instantly tell that whatever was going to be confessed by him was something deeply uncomfortable.
“For all those acts of sexual assault and rape… I always wondered when karma would finally hit me. Sure, the Fates have dealt awful strokes of punishment but I wondered when I would finally feel the pain of what it is like to be… violated. Your mother was the one to introduce me to that feeling.”
Thalia immediately gasped, her body tensing out of pure shock. Her mother had done that to him!? Her mother had raped him!?
‘She really is a monster,’ Thalia thought to herself. She asked, “So, uh… can I-”
“I would prefer not to give specifics,” Zeus informed her politely.
“No, yeah, of course. No one should have to describe that,” Thalia told him.
“I… I admit that I did try to have you aborted. I knew what fate awaited you if you were born and I would not allow you to suffer through that,” Zeus confessed. Thalia nodded in understanding, even if it did hurt and, admittedly, confused her. “But Beryl was determined to have you. I think she wanted to use you to get to me. I should have gotten her to abort you by using the mist to influence her mind but when I did… it was a violation of consent. And, after what I had been through, I was unwilling to make her do anything against her will.”
Thalia cracked her knuckles. She could see how hard it was for him to talk about that incident, how every word seemed like poison in his mouth. She then asked, “So the reason you didn’t take me with you was because I was born as a result of-”
“Yes… I know I should have not left you with her but making her give you up felt too much like controlling her and I couldn’t even bare to see her face at the time. If felt horrible to look at her. I am sorry, though. I should have helped you-”
“I get it,” Thalia admitted, clearly surprising Zeus. “If that happened to me, I wouldn’t want the kids. You shouldn’t have to deal with… me either.”
It was agonising to know that that was why Zeus always ignored her, why he never came for her and saved her from the cruel woman that was Beryl Grace, but she understood. It just hurt to know that her own father-
“I don’t hate you. I never hated you,” Zeus spoke as if reading her mind. He probably was. “I just couldn’t look at you. But then you lost Jason and seeing you in pain… I felt like I had a responsibility to help you. If you had to be born then I should have been there to raise you.”
“Then why didn’t you?” Thalia asked. “I ran away over two years ago. Why didn’t you come for me.”
“Hades prevented me from doing so,” Zeus admitted. “It was part of his revenge against me.”
“Oh Gods… what did you do to Hades?” Thalia inquired. According to Annabeth, Hades was not an overly aggressive or vengeful God. The only real showing of his rage as far as she knew was against Theseus and that friend of his, which was deserved since they planned on kidnapping his wife and forcing her into marriage.
“I… killed his demigod children and mortal lover,” Zeus confessed guiltily.
“WHAT!?” Thalia exclaimed in shock.
“It was necessary. But actions have consequences and, well, your death was the consequence.”
“How could you possibly justify killing his mortal lover and two kids!?”
“That brings me to your other question, as to why you had to die. There is a prophecy. One which spells the doom of the world should it come to fruition.”
“A prophecy?” Thalia repeated confusedly. “What was it?”
Zeus sighed as he repeated the words that had caused him so much pain:
A demigod of the three ruling Gods
Shall reach sixteen against all odds
And see the world in endless sleep
The hero’s soul, cursed blade shall reap
A single choice shall end their days
And shall determine if Olympus is preserved or razed
There was a long silence after the prophecy had been spoken. Thalia was left completely stunned. Only one thing resounded in her mind, a single logical thought. She didn’t know why but it felt instinctual
“We can’t let that prophecy happen,” Thalia stated.
“I see you inherited wisdom. I wish I had some of that when I was younger,” Zeus joked. “And you are correct. This prophecy cannot be allowed to come to pass. If it did, Olympus would fall and chaos would reign across the world. Gods who aren’t exactly fans of what mortals have done to the world or Gods who are nefarious by nature will sweep across the land and bring terror and destruction to it. In mere days, mortals will be confined to slave camps or brutally tortured or suffer worser fates. This cannot be allowed no matter what. Luckily, this prophecy only has a three-century period in which it can come to pass. Once it has passed, then we won’t have to worry about it ever again.”
“That is three hundred years, Dad,” Thalia told him. “A lot of time for you, Hades or Poseidon to mess up and have a demigod.”
“Hades and I know better. We understand what must be done and make sure not to willingly have demigod children,” Zeus informed her. The ‘willingly’ part caused Thalia to wince. Zeus continued, “Poseidon… well Hades and I have the duty of making sure he doesn’t produce a demigod the moment he sees a stunning mortal.”
“So Poseidon is the-”
“Prick of us three brothers, yes.”
Thalia burst into laughter. “I was going to say problem but okay.”
Zeus chuckled too. The moment felt nice, warm, as if they were a real family. Thalia had to admit that she had always wanted this deep down, a parent who cared about her. Sure, she had Luke and Annabeth but she always felt like the mother of those two, which was especially hard for her since she was only twelve. She never had a chance to be a real kid. This felt like that opportunity.
Unfortunately, her mind decided to make her ask one particular question, “So, I had to die to prevent the prophecy right?”
Zeus nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. Though, I will ensure that you live the fullest life you can as a soul. You will not age biologically but I will increase your age as the years go by because I doubt you want to stay as a twelve year old forever.”
“Yeah, that would suck.”
“Agreed. You’re no longer able to interfere with or even exist in the mortal world and are technically dead so you are no longer a candidate for the Great Prophecy. I may age you up but your physical body is all that matters, and that is now a tree.”
“Yes, I felt that. But… do you believe I would have made the right choice?”
“…I don’t know,” Zeus told her. “But I know I did not want to risk it.”
Thalia nodded in understanding. Zeus opened his arms as if welcoming her to hug him. She just shook his hand in response. She was not ready for that, not yet anyway. She just hoped that Annabeth and Luke would be okay in her absence.
…………
Present
“So, you’ve remained dead all this time because of a what if scenario!?” Percy demanded. “What about the now!? What about the friends who miss you!? Also, you could have made a good choice and chose to save-”
“I don’t know if I would have, Perce,” Thalia told him, surprising the boy. “I always hated the Gods when I was younger. I always wanted to make them pay because I was suffering. I don’t know if I would have made a good choice for the world, Percy. And I am not risking the world for that.”
Percy growled, “I still don’t get it. Annabeth misses you so much that it kills her. Luke misses you a lot too.”
“Do you see!?” Athena yelled while being restrained by five Gods, gaining everyone’s attention. “He would sacrifice the world for those he cares about! Deep down, he knows it’s true! That’s why he must die!”
“Shut up you owl bitch!” Poseidon shouted while still helping to hold Hermes down.
“Fuck you, sea-shit!” Athena retorted.
“Yeah, fuck you, you deadbeat!” Hermes added.
“Okay, okay, we’ve gotten massively off track! Could someone please explain to us what the fuck is going on!?” Zeus bellowed.
“It’s a long story, father,” Artemis informed him whilst still protecting Percy alongside Hestia. Zeus sighed, hoping it was just another one of their petty squabbles gone wrong like when Artemis and Apollo had a war over which was better, hunting or music.
Full song
Tiresias: I am the prophet, with the answers you seek.
Time I've unlocked it, I see past and future running free.
There is a world where Odysseus comes home.
But that's not a world I know.
Athena: WHAT!?
Tiresias: I see his trials repeated again,
I see the sky held back by man,
I see a deadly maze, a Goddess' gaze and a friend turned foe lost.
I see you fight to the bitter end,
I see you fight the earth itself
and I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it's no longer him.
Percy: This cannot be
Athena: Please tell me there's a way in which I can save my old friend from this fate that will cause his destruction!
Tiresias: Kill the boy in front of you, the one called Percy Jackson.
Take his soul from his corpse and return it to those he loves.
Or I will see the soul of Odysseus finally fade.
It will die and he will never see them again.
Athena: NO!
Tiresias: I see his trials repeated again,
I see the sky held back by man,
I see a deadly maze, a Goddess' gaze and a friend turned foe now gone.
I see you fight to the bitter end,
I see you fight the earth itself
and I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it's no longer him.
(Background singers at this final verse by Tiresias (ends before 'but it's no longer him'): 'Sea of Monsters! Titan's Curse! Battle of the Labyrinth! Last Olympian! Fight Gaea! Fall into Tartarus!)
Notes:
And thus, the dilemma begins. Whether to keep Percy alive or dead. If they keep him alive, then Odysseus dies. If they kill Percy, he will cease to exist as his identity is erased and only Odysseus remains. Either Penelope, Anticlea (Ody's mom), Ctimene (Ody's sister) and Telemachus will lose Odysseus, or Sally, Annabeth and Grover will lose Percy.
Which one will be chosen?
Now onto AU facts:
As a result of Zeus averting Metis' prophecy, it has been concluded by the Gods that there are ways of averting prophecies, though the odds of averting a prophecy are highly unlikely. Lore wise, there have been a few occasions where prophecies have been avoided and the time period for the prophecy to come to fruition comes to pass.
Thalia is technically not alive. She is a soul but she is not being brought to the Underworld. Zeus made an agreement with Hades so he could keep her daughter. Hades mostly did this because, as he is the God of the dead, he can see his mortal mates and demigods whenever he likes. The other Gods who aren't connected with the Underworld cannot. Also, Hades kind of feels bad for Zeus. Zeus feels a lot of guilt for having to strike down Maria, Bianca and Nico and believes he ruined his relationship with Hades for a while. Hades was mad but got over it quickly because he understood it was either three people or the end of the world.
Also, there is the fact that Bianca and Nico are secretly alive so that helped reduce Hades' anger. Hades' revenge was mostly Zeus allowing Hades to kill Thalia as a means of doing what needed to be done. Thalia should not, and cannot, be alive or else the prophecy may start to be fulfilled. Zeus simply allowed Hades to kill Thalia as a means of karma.
Thalia also loves her father. Over the last five years, her and Zeus and Zeus' Godly family have bonded and Thalia has grown to see them as the family she never had (of course not discounting Luke and Annabeth). She wishes she could see Annabeth and Luke again but understands why she cannot.
Also, Thalia is very powerful. More powerful than Percy as a result of living amongst Gods, especially war Gods like Athena and Ares. She will always be more powerful than him.
Chapter 5: A Sombre Reality
Summary:
The Trial of Percy Jackson! What will be his fate?
Notes:
Had to edit this after realising there were character inconsistencies in the first version.
Essentially, Zeus cares less for mortals than he does his family. If it came down to it, he would raze the world to protect those he cares about. It is Metis who has to bonk some sense into him and remind him that mortals are important as well and that millions matter more than a few hundred.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It, unfortunately, was not.
“So, let me get this straight,” Zeus began, turning to Hades. “You vomited up Tiresias.”
“Yes, it was an unpleasant experience,” Hades remarked. The glares he got from everyone made him shut his mouth.
“Now is not the time for complaining, Hades,” Metis scolded him. “So, then Tiresias gave a prophecy about the events that will transpire over not just one great prophecy… but two.”
Everyone glared at Hera, who managed to maintain her poise despite the anxiety coursing through her. After they had gotten to the Gaea returning part of what Tiresias had shown them, everyone had assumed that Gaea was going to be part of the great prophecy told in the nineteen forties. Knowing that they could not afford to waste valuable time on worrying about Gaea when Kronos was rising up, Hera had confessed that there was a second great prophecy, one revealed long before this one, only it had been revealed to the Romans instead. Apparently, it was to come to fruition after this great prophecy… and Hera had been slowly trying to bring it to fruition. Needless to say, confessing her plan hadn’t exactly gone well.
“I still cannot believe you hid my own son from me!” Hephaestus yelled furiously. He had always had a strained relationship with Hera but they had mended it. Zeus hoped that this one incident would not undo three millennia of harmony the two had shared.
“I’m sorry, but it was necessary. I knew if I had told you about him you would have never let me carry out my plans,” Hera admitted. “And I needed to make sure Leo Valdez was ready for the prophecy involving Gaea.”
“First of all, has no one paid attention to how Metis and I avoided our prophecy!?” Zeus exclaimed frustratedly. Having two world ending catastrophes kept from him and the rest of the Olympians was getting on his nerves, especially when they could have been avoided.
“I couldn’t risk it. Yours and Metis’ was of a smaller scale, just you being dethroned. This is of a much larger scale, brother. I had to make sure that this great prophecy was manipulated in a way that would favour us!”
“I know your reasoning… but you’ve done a very, very terrible job at doing your part, considering you’ve also lost Leo Valdez!” Zeus boomed. Hera shrunk in her seat. It was true. After the Valdez garage burned down, Leo had been lost to her. She had tried searching for the boy but something was obscuring him from her, most likely Gaea.
“Yes, the reasoning behind your machinations is made ridiculous by how you lost one of the main subjects of the prophecy you were trying to control,” Metis noted.
“I know… I have been searching and searching but I have been unable to find him. Forgive me for my failure,” Hera apologised.
“Well, this would not have been needed had you just told us what you were planning!” Zeus shouted. “We could have helped you. If this prophecy is so vital, then we could have helped you search for the Valdez boy! Instead, now we have to deal with two great prophecies instead of one. …Ugh, I’m going to get such a headache.”
“Don’t worry, husband. I feel your pain,” Metis told him as she pinched her temples, trying to calm herself down. A minute later, they were finally able to focus. Metis asked, “So, this prophecy takes place after the Kronos one, correct?”
“Yes, it does,” Hera told them.
“Alright then, here’s what we’ll do,” Zeus said, taking charge yet again. “We’ll have a few of our forces looking for Leo Valdez and anyone else connected to this prophecy. Who were they again?”
“Piper Mclean, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, on our side at least,” Hera told them.
“On our side, what do you-” Zeus began before pausing, a look of realisation dawning on his face. “Wait… you don’t mean… the fucking Romans!?”
“Yes, I do. This prophecy requires both Greeks and Romans to work together,” Hera told them.
“Wait, the Romans exist?” Percy asked. He knew from Chiron’s history lessons as Mr Brunner that the Romans and Greeks were enemies.
“Dad?” Thalia asked. “Why haven’t you-”
“Okay, okay, enough now,” Zeus said, changing the subject and using the mist to make Percy and Thalia forget ever hearing of the Romans surviving. “Speaking more on this matter would require for us to break ancient laws set in place and vows on the Styx that will cause us great suffering!”
The Olympians collectively ‘D’oh’ ed uncomfortably, knowing what they had promised. If either the Greek or Roman versions of themselves broke their vow of keeping each other separated then the punishment was to experience a pain ten times worse than mortal childbirth for ten full days. Needless to say, it was a good deterrent.
“Alright, back on track,” Zeus began. “So, this next Great Prophecy. Is it guaranteed to come after the Kronos one? Apollo?”
Apollo nodded. “Yeah, I can see that it will take place after the one relating to Kronos. How far in the future is unknown.”
“Okay, perfect,” Zeus said with a small, mildly relieved smile. “So, we will focus primarily on the Kronos prophecy first and then we will focus on the Gaea one. Obviously, a few of us will look for the subjects relating to it but other than that, we should put all our efforts into thwarting Kronos’ plans, whatever they may be.”
The Gods nodded, glad that Zeus was in his commander mode. The King of Gods then asked, “So… onto the Tiresias matter. …Percy is Odysseus, correct?”
“Yep, got that correct, Zeusy,” Poseidon said with a smirk.
“Get that smirk off of your face before I tear out your teeth,” Athena seethed. Poseidon merely stuck out his tongue in response. Zeus was surprised at how much self-control his daughter was showing. After everything Poseidon had confessed to, he imagined she would have done far worse than just tearing out his teeth.
“Enough, Poseidon,” Metis intervened. “So, this prophecy that Tiresias says that Percy Jackson is Odysseus and that by the end of the second prophecy, Odysseus will be destroyed, the very identity of Odysseus erased. Only Percy will remain. However, if Percy were to die before that point in time, then Odysseus will finally be free.”
“We have to kill the boy,” Athena stated firmly.
“What, why?” Percy asked nervously, despite knowing her reasoning.
“Why? You are a mistake, something that should not even exist! You are simply a tool to ensure my friend’s suffering!” Athena yelled angrily.
“I’m not a mistake!” Percy shouted back defensively.
“Yes, you are. Poseidon even said so himself,” Athena retorted, noticing the God of the seas tense at the reminder. She bid it no mind. His emotions mattered little to her. “You are a forbidden child. You should be killed like Thalia Grace for the sake of preventing the prophecy from coming to fruition.”
There were murmurs of agreement between the Gods. Athena continued, “We must destroy Percy Jackson. If we do not then we put the world at risk, leaving it in the hands of this boy. If the daughter of Zeus himself cannot be trusted with this task, a child far more powerful than this boy in every way, then how can we possibly depend on him. Furthermore, my friend, Odysseus, is trapped by this boy’s very being. If we are to allow the prophecy to continue on… he will die. He will never see his family and friends again, his family and friends will never see him again. They will never get to hold him and hug him, never get to give their apologies or speak words that have weighed down on their chests for millennia. They have avoided the pleasure of rebirth for the chance at the Isles of the Blest for all this time, just so they can see Odysseus again. To condemn them to losing someone so dear, someone they have waited millennia for, is unforgivable.”
More murmurs of agreement resounded throughout the council room. Hermes, for some reason, looked hesitant. Percy could pick out that Hephaestus and Demeter were considering having him executed. Hera was also on the side of killing him, alongside Aphrodite. Ares seemed against this, something that surprised Percy considering how he fought and humiliated the God of war. Artemis and Apollo also seemed against his death. Poseidon was too, though Percy knew it wasn’t for love. If he lived then Odysseus died, that was all Poseidon saw. Luckily for him, Percy was also intent on living. He needed to get back to his mother and friends. He couldn’t die here, right?
“Hey,” Thalia whispered to him. “It’s going to be okay. I know you are scared but just know that is going to be okay.”
“…How?” Percy inquired. “You heard her. I… I could destroy the world. I’m a mistake.”
Percy spoke that word with venom. He hated being called that, mostly because of how true it felt. He felt like a mistake all the time. He was a notorious school dropout, his ADHD and Dyslexia making it impossible for him to function in school, and it always put a strain on his mother. She also had to stay with Smelly Gabe because of him. If he hadn’t been born, then she could have pursued her dreams of being an author. Instead, she had to be stuck with that excuse of a human being. He might as well have never existed.
“Don’t call yourself that,” Thalia scolded him. “Your Mom loves you, right? She probably poured her heart and soul into raising you, right?”
Percy nodded.
“Then that just proves that you aren’t one,” Thalia said with a reassuring smile. “She wanted you, Perce. Always remember that.”
Percy nodded, his eyes feeling watery. He sucked it up, though. He wouldn’t let the last memory of his existence be him crying.
It was then, that a glimmer of hope unveiled itself.
“My daughter… there in lies a problem. One which I believe you have purposefully ignored, for you know it would ruin your arguments no matter what they are,” Metis said. Percy’s eyes darted towards her with hope. Athena’s turned to her with betrayal.
“Mother?” Athena asked almost breathlessly and fearfully, as if silently pleading for Metis not to say what is on her mind.
Sadly for her, Metis continued on. “The visions Tiresias revealed to you lot, they all showed Percy during the second Great Prophecy correct?”
The Gods nodded, even Athena did, though with extreme reluctance.
“Then that means that he survived the first Great Prophecy, correct. And he still fights for Olympus if she fights against the likes of Gaea,” Metis explained. Murmurs of agreement rose amongst the Gods.
“That could just be coincidence,” Athena scoffed, though her eyes conveyed that she was lying.
“No, my daughter, it is not,” Zeus said. “Percy Jackson surviving the first Great Prophecy demonstrates that he is the demigod that the prophecy speaks of. He is the one that will ensure that Olympus is preserved, not razed. ...To kill him would be unwise.”
The Gods muttered agreements between themselves. Poseidon just sat there with a smirk on his face. Athena wanted to tear his mouth off. But first, she had to protect her friend, and to do that she needed to be calm. Being violent now would cloud the judgements of her peers and think little of her points.
“So, what you are saying is, that if we kill Percy, then we lose,” Aphrodite began. “But if we keep him alive then we will win and live, right?”
“Yes,” both Zeus and Metis replied.
“Well, then this is an easy debate. We let the boy live so that we can live another day,” Aphrodite stated as if it were obvious.
“Father and mother are forgetting one thing,” Athena said, using all her Godly energy to keep her cool. “If he dies, then Odysseus dies.”
“Yeah, well, we can’t let one mortal life keep us from saving at least fourteen Gods, Athena,” Apollo responded, earning him a deadly glare that caused him to sink into his seat.
“And the world, Apollo,” Ares reminded him. “We let the kid die, the world dies.”
“Ares is right,” Hephaestus added. “We cannot let the world end just for the sake of one mortal. Billions definitely matter more than one.”
"...Yes, you have a point," Zeus added.
"What happened to the Zeus that said 'millions of mortals should die instead of our children'?" Apollo inquired. "And yes, we all heard you. You yelled so loud I had to go down to the mortal world and heal millions of mortals who had gone deaf.”
"Yes, well, while I care more about our family... Metis is the one who reminded me that mortal lives have importance as well," Zeus stated guiltily.
"Yes, my love, mortals do have matter," Metis chimed in. "I understand the importance of family, but we are Gods. We are tasked with maintaining the whole world, not just the lives of our demigod progeny. We can't sacrifice them all for the sake of our own. Also, everyone, are you forgetting that we have the luxury of just going to the Underworld and dragging those we love back from its clutches into the mortal world? It's not like we haven't done it several times before. Heck even Eros, a weaker God in comparison to us, did it."
The Gods mumbled in agreement, clearly embarrassment that they forgot that one key ability they had. Percy and Thalia were shaking their heads with disappointment, with them somehow remembering something that millennia old Gods, who are supposed to be much wiser and intelligent than they are, failed to recall.
"Are you forgetting the laws of death, Metis?" Hades inquired, his eyes narrowed. "They must be respected to. This war will likely have mass casualties. We cannot just revive so many and defy the rules all willy nilly."
"First of all, I never expected you to say 'willy nilly'," Zeus began teasingly. "Secondly, you're right. We cannot just defy death without the full backing of the Gods. So, let's hold a vote. All in favour of reviving our own should they die in battle, which also holds a practical purpose of preventing us from losing those who can fight for us?"
All the Gods immediately raised their hands. Even Hades, after a lot of grumbling, did.
"And there you have it. So, with that out of the way, we can now focus our concerns on the world at large-" Metis began before Hermes said something completely unexpected.
“…He’s right,” Hermes said with resignation. "Ares and Zeus are right. We can't let the world die and us die for Odysseus.”
Athena turned to him, betrayal in her eyes.
“Hermes…” Athena admonished weakly. “He’s your great grandson.”
“I know,” Hermes responded. “And I will grieve him. I will grieve knowing that I caused his eternal death and carry the guilt of knowing that his subordinates, friends and family will never get the closure they deserve with him. But I can’t justify letting one mortal who I am barely related to live if billions will die. I have seen the future, everyone. Apollo has too. Percy Jackson is our best shot at saving us and the world. We can’t kill him.”
“Furthermore, Athena,” Hestia began. “Don’t forget that Percy has other people to return to too.”
Percy’s eyes widened with surprise. Was he really going to live? Was he actually going to survive this trial?
Looking now, Artemis seemed relieved, probably glad that a child’s life was not going to be taken by them. Hera, Hephaestus, Demeter and even Dionysus – all the deities that had once opposed his survival looked eager to keep him alive now. Sure, it was only because he was useful to them but at least he would stay in the land of the living. Ares’ eyes bore down upon the boy but not out of anger, no, but with intrigue. Hades looked neutral, which was annoying considering Percy had saved his damn helmet. Then, he felt something well up inside him, a foolish emotion to feel at this very moment, when the Goddess of wisdom’s eyes were snake slits and stared down at him like he was the most vile thing in the world… bravery.
“Hestia is right,” Percy piped up, earning all the Gods’ ire. He continued, “I have people I need to get back to too. I need to see Annabeth and Grover again and my Mom… Gods she must be worried about me. Please, I need to see my Mom again. I need to let her know I’m okay.”
That seemed to strengthen the Gods’ resolve in whatever decision they were going to make. Thalia gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, letting him know that everything was going to be okay. Percy then made the horrible choice of turning his gaze towards Athena. She looked regal and composed but it was clear that she was angry and… sad and in pain. She looked like she was struggling with so much pain. Percy couldn’t blame her. Annabeth had told him during their quest about how long Athena had been searching for Odysseus, and now that he was so close but unable to save him must be horrible. But Percy had to ignore the pity and empathy he felt. He had to get back to his friends and mom no matter what.
“Boy,” Zeus boomed, scaring everyone in the room, Percy especially. What had he done to piss Zeus off? “Remember something. You will refer to Hestia as aunt Hestia, understood?”
“Oh, right- I mean… Aunt Hestia, right?” Percy asked nervously. Zeus gave a nod of approval.
A while later, after a deferral where the Gods could converse with one another, they had reached their decision.
“Percy Jackson, by order of Olympus, you will live,” Zeus announced. Percy’s shoulders relaxed and he sighed in relief. Zeus continued, “Furthermore, you will receive training and a blessing from a God, and they will become your patron alongside your father.”
Percy didn’t even want to look at his dad. He was disgusted by the man. He wondered what his mother saw in him because, quite frankly, he only saw evil in him.
“Who will be my patron God?” Percy asked.
“Ares,” Metis replied.
“ARES!?” Percy exclaimed. “Why would he want to train me?”
“Because he sees in you what he never saw in Odysseus, bravery,” Metis replied. Ares nodded, “As I said before, your will is strong. You were willing to fight for your friends, unlike Odysseus in the end. All you need now is for your body to be strengthened and sharpened.”
“Oh… thanks,” Percy responded, at least glad he had a God that could go up against Athena on his side. Percy doubted Athena was going to take this lying down.
“Take this training seriously, boy,” Zeus told him. “If Tiresias’ visions are true, you are not just the saviour of the world once, but twice. You must be perfected in mind and body in order to stand a chance.”
“…You know… you’re not what I expected you to be,” Percy blurted out to Zeus, immediately regretting it. Zeus, however, chuckled in response. “I suppose you were expecting me to be surrounded by women, having sex with each one of them, or acting arrogantly and rashly.”
“…Yeah,” Percy said nervously.
“Heh, I was like that. I’m still working hard to prevent myself from becoming that again,” Zeus replied, sounding disgusted at what he used to be. Percy couldn’t blame him. As far as myths were concerned, all those surrounding Zeus at least had one women being raped. The God had been a menace. This version of Zeus, clearly, was not.
“Now, off you go,” Zeus told him. “I imagine your mother must be worried sick… and also concerned about why a slob suddenly turned into a slug.”
“Thanks,” Percy said while grinning, glad to know that Smelly Gabe might have been permanently removed from his and his mother’s lives. Thick air like relaxing, white clothes, surrounded Percy and the next thing he knew, he was in the family apartment.
…………
The court of Olympus quickly dissolved after that, each of them returning to their amazing mansions that reminded Thalia of palaces. She re-joined Zeus and Metis, ready to return to their home so they could finally have their family dinner.
“Finally, I’m starving,” Thalia groaned as she headed for the table.
“You wouldn’t be if you just ate alone,” Zeus stated.
“You’re the one who said ‘we’ll eat as a family and that’s final’,” Thalia reminded him.
“…Fair,” Zeus mumbled as they headed over to the table.
Meanwhile, Athena and Hermes exited the courtroom on foot, with Hermes pointedly avoiding his sister's gaze.
"Listen, Athena... I'm sorry," Hermes apologised.
"You really are the worst father in the world, you know that. I imagine I'm more of a mother to your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren than you are," Athena replied coldly. Hermes wanted to argue back, to say that she was wrong. But as the God of liars and thieves, he could sense when he was deceiving himself.
"Yeah," Hermes admitted quietly, knowing without a shadow of a doubt, that he was a terrible father. Not only had he let Odysseus die as his great-grandfather, but he had also let Luke become a villain when he could have stopped him. Luke was going to become one of the worst people in history and would commit unspeakable acts because he had refused to intervene. Overall, Hermes would agree with the statement of him being a really bad parental figure.
Athena growled and teleported away in a flurry of grey owl feathers, leaving Hermes alone
Zeus and Metis watched as their daughter appeared before them. She had de-aged, looking like someone in their early twenties, and she looked furious.
“Why?” Athena asked. She sounded on the verge of tears. “Why did you have to say all that? Why did you have to condemn Odysseus to death?”
Zeus sighed, knowing this was coming. “Because, daughter, it was the right thing to do for our family's survival.”
“What about Odysseus, hmm? What about his life!?”
“Athena, you know as well as I that the life of one man cannot outweigh that of us Gods, as well as the lives of billions of mortals,” Metis said in a soothing voice. Athena’s age decrease again, now to mid-teens.
“Shut up! You of all people should know how much he means to me! How long I’ve searched for him and now, right when I’ve discovered where he is, you’ve taken him from me! You’re letting him die!”
Thalia looked ready to intervene but Zeus and Metis gestured for her to back away. She obeyed, knowing that she wouldn’t be of help anyway.
“I know,” Metis said calmly. “I know what we did was wrong. I know we’ve done something unforgivable. Zeus and I and the rest of the Gods all know how important Odysseus is to you. But please, think of it logically. Would his life truly be worth the millennia of death and suffering that would come with saving his, should Kronos rise?”
Athena turned away, but Metis could see that she had made her point. Athena was wiser and smarter than her in many ways, and thus knew that the council had made the right decision.
It was then that Athena broke.
She cried, tears flowing from her eyes, centuries of compounded hopelessness now resurging after realising that her friend, no, her son, the one she had desperately searched for for so many years was going to fade from existence, with only the memory of him to haunt her mind for eternity.
“Shh, it’s okay, sweetie,” Metis soothed as she pulled Athena in for a tight hug. Zeus joined in too
“I- I promised them,” Athena sobbed. “I swore to them on the Styx that I would find him and bring him home. Now he’s going to be lost forever. I’ve failed them. They’ve all been waiting for so long, never reincarnating, and I’ve failed them all!”
“I am so, so sorry, Athena,” Zeus apologised, stroking her daughter’s hair in a soothing fashion. For a long while, they stood there, two parents holding their daughter in a tight embrace, comforting her and doing their best to make her feel alright, even if the decision cost her one of her loved ones.
“No, don’t… you’re right. I hate it but you made the right call,” Athena finally admitted sombrely. She was the Goddess of wisdom, she knew what they were saying was true. But Odysseus...
“…Hey, why don’t you join us?” Metis asked. “I’m sure Thalia wouldn’t mind someone else at the table.”
“…Okay,” Athena replied, feeling herself age back up to a woman in her late twenties. Her mother and father gave her warm, reassuring smiles as they led her to the dining room, hoping that their daughter would be okay eventually.
Notes:
You are the Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, intelligence and more categories that relate to your mind. You are also cursed with arrogance, though you have denied it for so long.
Even when you turned Medusa into a monster for being raped by your worst enemy because you were deceived, even as you turned Arachne into a spider monster after humiliating her which would lead to your demigod children being hunted by her spawn, you still kept your pride, excusing those incidents as mistakes. You even tried disguising them as gifts, for Arachne is now a better weaver than you and Medusa will never be hurt by any man again.
But then came the Trojan War, an event that truly demonstrated how prideful you were. You should have found a way to end the war before it even started. Hera was doing it, while Aphrodite was all in for war since she refused to hand back Helen to her husband, Menelaus. You should have been the one to stop it with your brilliant mind. But then Aphrodite insulted your pride... and you fell for it. You wanted war as well.
Little did you know that you had condemned your pupil to the battlefield, far from his wife and newborn son, by doing that. You supported him, did what you could to keep him alive for deep down, you knew it was your fault he was fighting, even as his mother laid on her sickbed.
The Gods were insulting you, though, regarding you as foolish and arrogant, and those comments would eat you alive. They were right, of course, but you are so stubborn and arrogant that they physically hurt you. You refuse to see the truth, that you are flawed like they are.
Ten years later, the war was over, but your pupil was acting incorrectly. He first ended the life or a baby, something which earned you the disgust of all the Gods since he was your student, and now he was being nice and merciful even when he shouldn't be. You gave him a warning, but then he ran into Polyphemus, and left him alive even after blinding him and foolishly yelling his identity to the cyclops.
You were enraged at your pupil's stupidity, and that compounded on top of the Gods insulting you because of your prior mistakes, made you act rashly, your arrogance consuming you. You left him after harsh words were exchanged between the two of you, words that exposed your flaws.
For ten years after that, you sat on Odysseus' words... and realised how right he had been. You were arrogant and stubborn, more so than he was. You were so prideful that you had failed to see the truth, that he had been suffering with demons since the Trojan war, dark things he had been forced to commit that had made him want to try the pacifist route to avoid more pain.
For ten years you worked on yourself, having Dionysus helping you. Thank goodness the God can keep a secret. You did your best to quell your pride. It is still there, of course, but much less than before.
After seeing Odysseus' son and seeing the situation Odysseus is in, you feel extreme guilt. Telemachus and Penelope have been without Odysseus for twenty years and it is clear that his absence has left a deep scar in their hearts. When you saw Odysseus, though, your heart nearly shattered. You had to force yourself not to cry as he screamed your name in a plea for help and you saw how broken he looked. So you aided him, playing Zeus' little game to save his life. A week later, when you had awoken, your mother is returned to you and you are filled with the brightest of joys.
But there is one problem... where is your champion? Why had he suddenly vanished off the face of the earth. Perhaps he had died, a sad fate but not impossible.
A hundred years later, however, you see that he is still not in the Underworld. You realise something is wrong.
So you search. You search and search and search in vain for millennia, never finding your champion. You see his friends and family in pain at the loss of their close/loved one and you keep on searching, remembering your promise to them, how you even swore upon the River Styx. You have to keep it. You have to save the man who you inadvertently failed all those years ago.
Now, you've found him... as the unwilling son of your enemy, and learn that he has been through that terrible fate for hundreds of lifetimes. Worse still, he has been marked for death. Odysseus was going to die for the world to live. You do not grieve. You sob but you do not grieve. You do not deserve to grieve his loss, when it is your fault he has suffered for millennia.
But you know the worst is to come. Soon, you must go to the Underworld... to tell his loved ones and friends about your failures.
You are Athena, and you are burdened with a lifetime of regret, a weight that will crush you for all eternity. But little do you know, you will find a way to save Odysseus whilst in the Underworld.
Chapter 6: "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN!"
Summary:
Welp, time for Gabe to die.
Notes:
I've recently learned that Ares is not officially the protector of women. In fact, it is not described in official sources that he is.
For the sake of this story, though, I am writing that he is under the excuse that he was given the title by Hera as co-protector of women so that he wouldn't follow in Zeus' footsteps.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
‘…I’m home… I’m alive,’ Percy thought as he stood beside the Goddess entrusted with bringing him home, a God he still expected to have to defend against after the man went rogue and decided to strike.
Ares stood in front of the door of the Jackson apartment with him. Smelly Gabe may claim that it was his but he never paid any bills. As far as Percy was concerned, this place was his mother’s. Though, now that his mom didn’t have to hide the Greek world from him, maybe they could kick the man out.
‘If there is anything left of him to kick out,’ Percy thought, nervously glancing at the tall God. Ares was radiating a furious red aura, his eyes were now balls of lava and a spear kept rising and falling from the ground.
After it had been determined that he would live, Percy was teleported home to his apartment building. Once there, the God of War had asked about Smelly Gabe, apparently having heard about the man. Percy had told him about how he was an alcoholic gambler who only used his marriage to Sally Jackson for money, forcing her to do many jobs at once just to keep the place afloat. Ares had then asked if he had ever hit either of them. Percy didn’t know about his mom, but certainly knew about the beatings he had received. Even after he learned about why his mom stayed together with the man, that could not make up for being hit by the grunt.
Needless to say, Ares was fuming. Percy had forgotten that alongside being the God of literal brutality, he was also known for defending women, albeit limited to family according to the myths. Apparently, that was no longer the case as Hera had made him co-defender of women, a method to prevent him from ever following in the footsteps of his father in terms of women. It was a good idea, considering what Percy knew of Zeus’ history with them. (He understood that the man may have changed but he still did have an icky history to say the least). If there was any evidence that Sally may have been abused, then Ares would turn Gabe into mush.
It was then that Percy remembered the Goddess who was also assigned to accompany him. Artemis wasn’t even going for subtlety. Her silver aura was as bright as the sun, ironic, and she was in full battle armour with a bow and arrow in hand. Percy imagined that Gabe would soon have enough arrows sticking out of him to label him a porcupine.
Percy knocked on the door, yelling, “Mom, I’m home!”
A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing the drunk figure of Gabe Ugliano.
“There you are you little shit!” Gabe growled as he pulled him inside, slamming the door behind them, probably not acknowledging the God and Goddess who had grown significantly more furious in the few seconds they saw him.
“You’re in trouble you damn brat!” Gabe yelled as he threw Percy at the couch. Percy landed on it, immediately stepping up. He had always been able to take whatever Gabe threw at him. After discovering that he was part God, he began to understand why.
“Gabe, stop!” Sally yelled, running towards him and trying to pull his fist back. Gabe responded by backhanding her. Before he did, though, Percy saw the bruise on his mother’s cheek and realised something that made him livid. Gabe had hit her. That bastard had hit his mother!
Percy jumped up and then punched Gabe away, sending him into the wall with a loud crash. Gabe groaned, stumbling to get up.
“I’m gonna kill you, brat,” Gabe grumbled. It was then that the apartment door exploded open. Ares and Artemis stepped through the pathway, Ares with his spear pointed at the man while Artemis looked like she was barely holding in the urge to shoot.
“Wh- who are you,” Gabe slurred, clearly still drunk. “Get out of my damn apartment.”
“This apartment never belonged to you,” Artemis growled. Gabe them made the unwise decision of throwing some debris at Artemis, remarkably hitting her in the face. She barely looked fazed by it but the raw fury radiating from her could have melted planets. “So, you have chosen death.”
What happened next was a blur of arrows and gore. Sally pulled Percy towards her, keeping him protected in case one of the stray arrows hit him. Percy merely watched on as the man he hated for so long was being torn apart. After a mere minute, Gabe was reduced to a few piles of flesh, arrows sticking out of each part. The man was as good as dead.
“Wow, that felt good,” Artemis said with a wide smile.
“Yeah, you said it,” Ares replied before turning to see Percy and his mother. The two were covered with the bastard’s blood and looked like they had seen a frightening horror movie.
“…Oops,” Ares and Artemis both said in unison.
…………
It had taken a while for the Jacksons to process that the man who had tormented them for so long was dead. Sally and Percy were both shocked at first but that shock quickly turned to joy and relief. They were free from the monster in human flesh, they would no longer have to worry about him.
Unfortunately, there was the issue of them realising the truth of one another, that they had both been hurt by the man.
Percy had thought that Gabe only hurt him in return for sparing his mother. Sally had thought that Gabe only hurt her in return for sparing her son. What happened today caused those perspectives to crumble.
Sally had pulled Percy into a deep, long hug as she apologised profusely for ever staying with that man. Had she had known that he was hurting him, she would have left her cruel husband immediately, consequences be damned. At least monsters had the notion to instantly end their lives so that they would not be a threat instead of making them drawn out periods of suffering.
Percy had forgiven her, especially after seeing what Smelly Gabe had done to her. What he had seen had made him livid. He thought that he was the one being abused, taking every beating until he was too tired to hurt her. The idea that Gabe had broken that one small promise hurt more than imaginable.
Ares and Artemis had both helped mother and son, Ares focusing on Sally while Artemis focusing on Percy. The two Gods provided them with shoulders to cry on, something they desperately needed in the moment.
“…I’m such an idiot,” Percy muttered as his head was buried in the crook of Artemis’ neck, tears falling from his eyes. “I… I didn’t know he was hurting her. I should have-”
“No,” Artemis affirmed, gently massaging Percy’s back in a soothing motion. “You should never have been put in a place where you were forced to make the decision you did in the first place. You should never have had to choose to be hurt instead of someone else. That man was a monster, a cruel, unforgiveable creature who used your love of your mother to your advantage. Heck, even monsters don’t go as far as what he did. Do not ever blame yourself for what has happened.”
“But my mom only stayed with him because of me! She suffered because of me!”
“Your mother made that choice, do not make yourself responsible for it. She was the one who chose to be with that monster, when she could have left and tried again with another mortal. Do not blame yourself for her actions,” Artemis told him. It did little to console Percy. Artemis understood that she should not disparage Sally too greatly in front of him, despite him and her both knowing deep down that it was Sally Jackson who was the cause of all his suffering.
Meanwhile, Sally was sitting on a couch in the living room, with Ares beside her.
“How… how could I let this happen?” Sally asked herself. “How did I let my little boy get hurt?”
“The man you stayed with was a monster who knew how to manipulate others well. It is no wonder you never knew of the abuse your son went through.”
“Oh, Gods… why did I stay with that man? I knew he was bad but I was too scared. Poseidon… he told me that the man had one of the strongest mortal smells in history and could easily hide Percy. I- I swear that I asked if there were any others the moment I laid eyes on him, prayed to him to see if there were any other candidates. He- he never answered me…”
“Tch, typical of him,” Ares muttered. “Knocks up a woman, gives her the bare minimum of assistance, and leaves her to fend for herself. You are not the first he has done this to, nor, much to my dismay, will you be the last.”
“I- I should have left Gabe. I should have left him the moment he started belittling my boy but I- I was too scared of Percy possibly dying that I- I toughed it out. I thought he was only hurting me, he swore that he was only hurting me!”
“You should never have had to stay with that man,” Ares murmured. “If Poseidon were any good of a father, he would have given you better advice on how to protect your son. But you are also right in the sense that you should not have stayed with that man. If you suspected him capable of hurting your son, you should have left. I have seen your capabilities, you could have easily funded yourself and Percy with ease.”
“I know… but I was just-”
“Scared, I know. Do not mistake me for blaming you for all the suffering you’ve went through. What you went through was equally horrible, having to stay with someone who constantly belittled you and hurt you. Believe me, I know how it feels. I will not condemn you. I only ask that you understand because, in the future, the boy may feel resentment towards you.”
“I know… Gods I know… he’s going to hate me forever-”
“He won’t, not unless you start doing the right things. Turn your life around. Leave this wretched apartment and build a new life for you and your son, a better life. Never allow yourself to be with someone like Gabe ever again and make sure he understands that he is loved and is better than what that human piece of trash made him out to be.”
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Sally stood up and embraced the God.
“Thank you, Ares,” Sally muttered into his chest. Ares stroked her back soothingly, allowing her to let out her tears.
Later on, mother, son, God and Goddess sat together at their small table. Sally and Percy both reconciled, with Sally apologising profusely for ever staying with Gabe and Percy accepting it and even forgiving her. It was small and most likely temporary, but it was a start at healing. It had been determined that the two would seek therapy, both together and individually so that they could continue the healing process and move on from the man who ruined their lives for so long.
It would have been an excellent ending if the two were allowed to leave things at that. Sadly, there were other, objectively worse matters to discuss.
…………
“There was a trial!” Sally exclaimed in shock. Percy, Artemis and Ares collectively winced. They had just finished talking to her about how her son was to be the Great Prophecy child, a fate which she had tried to avoid for him. Now they needed to explain why it was of utmost importance that he was to be that child.
“Yes, Athena hosted a trial to… get your son executed,” Artemis explained. Sally went as white as a sheet of paper.
“What… my boy… why?” Sally asked, her voice a whisper.
“Your son is the reincarnation of one of Athena’s greatest warriors, Odysseus of Ithica,” Ares explained.
“Oh my… he is? I’ve heard of the legend, that poor man. Stopped before he could even see his wife and child.”
“Don’t feel too bad for him, because otherwise this next part is going to be too hard for you to bear,” Artemis told her. She then explained how Odysseus’ soul was taken by Poseidon and was forced through endless reincarnations to prevent him from passing on into the Underworld and how the very essence of Odysseus was to be erased during a descent into Tartarus many years later.
“Percy is… is going to fall into Tartarus,” Sally spoke, her voice quiet, her skin pale and her eyes filled with fright. Even as a mortal who, admittedly, knew little about Greek mythology, even she knew how bad Tartarus was. Ares put a reassuring hand on her, comforting her.
“Yes… he is… and it is imperative that he does,” Artemis told her.
“Why? Why does my baby boy need to fall into a place worse than Hell!?” Sally demanded.
“Because if he doesn’t, Athena will kill him,” Ares explained. He described all that happened during the trial, how Athena had pushed for Percy’s execution in return for saving the soul of Odysseus. However, due to the prophecy Tiresias unveiled showing that he was vital to the success of at least the first Great Prophecy, Percy had to live.
“Right now, him being responsible for the success of Olympus is all that is keeping him alive,” Ares stated.
“He is right,” Artemis chimed in, “My sister has a way with words unlike any other. Had her mother, Metis, not stepped in and told Olympus of how Percy would be important to Olympus’ safety and the safety of the world, he would have been executed right then and there.”
“Didn’t you say that Zeus cares about family? Why would he kill his nephew?” Sally tried, though even she imagined that Zeus keeping Percy alive would never happen, even if he was his nephew.
“Yes, Zeus cares deeply for family. Metis had to frame the whole council meeting around keeping the family safe as well as ensuring the revival of any demigods who died in order to convince him. He would burn the world if it dared to threaten his family. Sadly, as much as Zeus tries not to, he does have a tendency to play favourites, and his favourite is usually Athena.”
“Man, that sounds like it sucks,” Percy muttered.
“Eh, it’s not all bad,” Ares said. “He tries his best to split his time between us all but a. he has all his Godly duties to attend to and b. Athena is his first child from the wife he loved most and is practically his soulmate… especially in how she has several mistresses.”
“Wait, is Metis-” Percy began before Ares raised a hand to stop him.
“Bi, yeah, she sleeps around with men and women. Just like Zeus… yes he’s bi too. I honestly thought the marriage wouldn’t work out but it turns out they really like their open relationship dynamic.”
“We’ve gotten badly off track,” Artemis remarked. “Anyways, since Athena is often Zeus’ favourite child, she has a better sway on him than the other Olympians do. She would have been able to convince Zeus to execute his own nephew if it meant saving her own champion.”
“So… Percy needs to do all that Tiresias said in the prophecy to live,” Sally began, fear and a sad acceptance in her tone. “He must go through all that suffering, all that misery just to survive. And when he does… Odysseus will die?”
“…Yes, the fragment of Percy’s soul that is Odysseus will die, allowing Percy’s persona to live,” Artemis told her.
Percy couldn’t help but feel a gnawing sense of guilt grow inside of him. Seeing his mother react to all of this, his selfish desire to live if it meant Odysseus dying and never seeing those he cared about ever again made him feel terrible. Obviously, he had been from the moment he discovered his fate. Part of him wanted to sacrifice himself for Odysseus yet… he could not abandon his mother. That is unless…
“Mom?” Percy began, “Do you think I’m being selfish? Do you think I should die so Odysseus can survive-”
“Please don’t,” Sally said immediately, taking her son by surprise. Sally elaborated. “I do feel sorry for Odysseus, I really do. And I hate knowing that he will never see his family again but… if you die then I will lose you forever. Your persona will die. I can’t let that happen. If not for the sake of the world then, admittedly, for my sake. You’re my baby boy. I carried you in my womb, I raised you as best as I could, I- I love you. You are the best thing that has ever happened in my life, the one who brings me the biggest joy in the world. I- I can’t let you be taken away from me. It is one of the reasons why I tried keeping you away from the mythological world for so long. Even if it means Odysseus permanently dying I can’t let you die for him Percy.”
“…Thank you, Mom,” Percy said as tears leaked from his eyes. It somehow felt like all his doubts about choosing to live were erased. Because his mother wanted him to live, his mother loved him and his mother didn’t hate him for choosing to live even if it meant another innocent soul dying. That was enough reassurance to him to keep himself alive. Percy stood up, walked towards his mom and embraced her tightly. Sally returned in kind, hugging him whilst crying. The two remained that way for a long minute, just a mother and son crying their eyes out in relief.
After it was over, Percy returned to his seat.
“I- I’m sorry if we made you both uncomfortable,” Sally said after she realised there were two other people in the room.
“No, no, don’t apologise,” Artemis said with a warm smile. “It’s always nice to see the bond between mother and child. I have a Hunt full of women who never had a parent as good as you before so… it’s nice to see moments like these from mortals.”
“…I ask… does Percy survive Tartarus?” Sally inquired.
“Yeah, looks like he does,” Ares explained. “Odysseus’ fragment of the kid’s soul only dies and I saw him running towards the Doors of Death, the exit to Tartarus. Furthermore, if that isn’t enough proof, then take solace in the fact that I will be training him.”
“I’m sorry, you will what?” Sally asked.
“Yeah, basically Ares has been made my personal fight tutor,” Percy explained. “Just so I am as prepared as I ever will be for the day I have to fight Kronos.”
“Yeah, that reminds me kid, I need to give you something,” Ares said. Immediately afterwards, without warning, Ares placed his right palm on Percy’s chest. Percy felt divine power surge through his body, strengthening him. He looked at his arms and saw red veins pulsing with energy beneath his skin.
“What did you do?” Percy questioned.
“I gave you my blessing,” Ares said simply. “As my champion, you are entitled to lots of things. This blessing is just the first of many. It enhances your strength and durability to a point that would make Heracles jealous, your other physical stats like speed and agility and it grants you an aura of invincibility. Unfortunately, unlike the Styx’s weakened blessing, it wears off if you take enough damage and you have to wait for it to recharge.”
“I’m guessing I’m going to be taking a lot of damage then?”
“Ah, relax, it will only fade from damage from say, a hundred meteors thrown in your face or if Hyperion shoots you with enough of his rays of heavenly light, light far more powerful than that from Apollo’s sun.”
“This weakness is definitely going to bite me in the ass one day, isn’t it?”
“If you have really bad demigod luck, probably.”
“Thanks for being so blunt, Ares,” Percy stated with a frown.
“Ah, calm down, I’ll be training you lots from after the summer ends so there is no way you’ll have to worry about that happening.”
“After the summer ends?” Sally started, surprised. “Why not from tomorrow.”
“Well, he’s still got to go to Camp Half-Blood. He’ll also be helping you with moving from this dingy apartment,” Ares said with a sneer, clearly disliking the place. “A hero and his family should not have to live in squalor like this… unless of course you choose to stay here.”
“He’s got a point,” Artemis said. “Aphrodite makes sure all her kids live in luxury and have good lives, as does Demeter. Ares tries with his but due to their idea of being as strong as possible in every way, they choose not to take Ares’ gifts, apart from a divine weapon or two, and live on their own terms.”
“I apologise but we must respectfully decline,” Sally told them. Percy turned to her in surprise. Yes, he probably should have more integrity but Ares and Artemis were possibly offering them mansions to live in or at least something better than this dump of an apartment, an apartment that was beginning to feel like a prison of bad memories. Sally continued, “I don’t want to rely on the kindness of others. I need to be self-sufficient-”
“It’s because we’re Gods isn’t it? And it’s because of the last gift you got from one of us?” Ares asked, cutting right to the issue. Sally was taken aback by his bluntness before, eventually, relenting. “Yes, it is. I- I suppose after the last ‘gift’ given to me by Poseidon” Sally gestured to the pile of flesh that used to be Gabe, “I admittedly have trust issues.”
“I understand. But believe me, we are not like Poseidon. He’s the type of guy that will expend minimum effort on his kids and leave them to their fates, which is often why his Godly children like Benthesikyme have to help them out. We will make sure that you two are taken care of. Also, the area we would be taking you to is one that is far more easily defendable by the forces of Olympus.”
“Wait, so you’re putting my Mom and I in a safehouse!?” Percy exclaimed.
“Yes, a place where we can easily protect you,” Artemis elaborated. “As much as you may not like it, you will have to deal with our presence far more than before. You are the child of the Great Prophecy, the one that gives Olympus the best chance at survival. To let you remain in this place, where monsters could easily sneak into your house and slit your throats would be a horrible decision on our part. Percy’s death could mean the end of Olympus and the world.”
Sally and Percy nodded in understanding, though it was clear that they were both hesitant about the idea. Nevertheless, it had to be done.
“Don’t worry, though,” Ares reassured them. “Your accommodations will be so nice you’ll forget about the whole Godly observation thing.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Percy murmured.
“Oh, and one more thing. If you sense Athena anywhere near you, you pray to me and I’ll step in,” Ares promised them.
“That’s not exactly reassuring,” Sally said, earning Ares’ glare. “No offence, but I know enough about the myths to know that Athena always beats you.”
“…Fair…” Ares mumbled.
“I’ll send some of my most competent Hunters with him,” Artemis reassured them. “Percy is a child for now, and children fall under my purview. I’ll make sure he’s safe too.”
“Then, may I ask that you give him your blessing too?” Sally asked. Artemis blinked and then murmured, “Huh… why didn’t I think of that?”
Yet again, Percy felt the palm of a Deity on his forehead. He felt more power course through him. His senses felt sharper and he felt more agile than before.
“My blessing will provide him with a further speed and agility enhancement as well as making his senses sharper. He is also more accurate than before. I wasn’t able to give him the same blessing that I give to my Hunters because, well, that would make him unageing and it kind of ruins the whole growing until sixteen years old thing.”
“…Thank you, Lady Artemis,” Percy said with a small smile.
“Good luck to you, Percy Jackson,” Artemis said as she vanished in a wisp of silver light. Ares stood up and stared down at Percy.
“Remember, you’ll be able to naturally sense when Athena is near you. Be careful. She’ll do anything to ensure your death.”
With that, Ares teleported away in a blood red light, leaving Sally and Percy alone in the apartment.
“So… how do you feel about moving out of this place?” Percy asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.
“It would feel… freeing,” Sally replied. Percy nodded, feeling the exact same way. As much as both of them wanted to deny it, Gabe Ugliano had forever tainted the place they called home with memories both of them wanted to forget.
“What do you want to do with Gabe’s remains?” Percy asked, staring down at the piles of flesh that were still on the floor.
“Mmm, maybe flush them down the toilet or throw them in the trash where they belong,” Sally replied with a small grin. Percy returned it in kind, rising to his feet. “Well, I hope the mist can hide us while we’re doing corpse disposal.
…………
Percy had experienced awful dreams in the past few days. They had always been about his quest, about bringing back the Master Bolt, Kronos and the Gods warring with one another. Overall, they had been pretty frightening. This dream, though, this one was the most terrifying one yet.
He stood in a stormy grey void, lightning thrashing all around him, like he was in the middle of a thunderstorm. Before him was a warrior. He had brown hair, brown eyes and a clean-cut beard. He appeared perfectly toned and yet had a sort of skinniness that felt right on him. He was Odysseus, king of Ithica.
“So, you’ve decided you want to let me die, huh?” Odysseus asked bitterly.
“…I’m sorry, but I won’t hurt my Mom and friends by dying!” Percy retorted. Odysseus observed him for a moment before nodding in acknowledgement.
“Fair. I understand your choice perfectly. Just know that I won’t go down without a fight. I’ve spent the last few millennia in constant suffering while saving up my own personal power. I will be able to take control of your body and I will kill myself just so I can be freed from this nightmare. I’ve got people to go home to as well. And I can’t keep them waiting any longer.”
“…Listen, maybe I can talk to my Dad. Maybe he could help with this-”
“You and I both know that bastard won’t help. This will only end with one outcome, you or I dead. And I plan on getting back to my wife and son.”
With that, the image of Odysseus faded. For a moment, Percy thought that the nightmare would be over. Unfortunately, he didn’t have such luck.
Athena appeared before him at a height so tall that she was practically mountain-sized. Her grey eyes were directly focused on him, her eyes occasionally turning stormy like Annabeth’s stormy grey eyes.
“Hello, bastard,” Athena said angrily.
“Athena, I know what you are feeling and I am sorry. But I can’t-”
“Silence you pathetic sea-spawn!” Athena growled, her form shifting a little. “Know this. You are now my enemy. I will continue to help Olympus but I will always be in opposition of your existence no matter what. You are damning my champion to a permanent death and I will never forgive you for that. And know his too. If I ever find you betraying the Gods, if I even sense thoughts of hate towards us, thoughts of belief in the idea that ‘maybe Luke Castellan was onto something’, course through even the deepest depths of your subconscious then-”
Athena’s form had completely shifted into something horrifying, a gorgon like creature with pythons for hair with blood red eyes, fangs protruded from her mouth and her eyes turned to hollow pitch black voids. She looked like she could give Hades a run for his money in terms of scariness.
“-YOU’RE A DEAD MAN!” Athena finally yelled, the snake heads also speaking each word, amplifying their effect. Athena suddenly leaned over him and bit down on him with her fanged mouth-
-And then Percy woke up screaming. He could feel the dampness of sweat all over his body and his breathing was heavy and frantic.
Athena was his enemy. Athena, the wisest, most tactical and most brilliant of the Gods was against him. After seeing her hatred of him, Percy knew he would rather fight Kronos and whatever form he took. Because if it came between a Titan who probably barely even recognised him as a threat or a Goddess who viscerally hated him, he would want to avoid the Goddess at all costs.
Notes:
So... Gabe is now dead. Hooray!
Anyways, yes there will be a lot of Godly involvement in Percy's life. Since he is the Great Prophecy child, he needs all the protection he can get.
Also, Artemis does not hate boys. She is unsure about men, adult men, mostly because it is men who have mostly abused her Hunters before they joined her. With kids like Percy, though, she is protective of them, no matter their gender.
Furthermore, yes, Odysseus will try and fight back. Like Percy, he is loyal to those he loves and he will do what needs to be done in order to get back to them. I mean he literally sacrificed some of his own men just to save his hide so he could get back to Penelope and Telemachus. And if you think he was being too much of a prick in this chapter, keep in mind that he has been through countless painful reincarnations for millennia. Man has been through too much suffering and it has changed him.
Finally, Athena really does hate Percy's guts and will do whatever she can to have him killed whilst not jeopardising the safety of Olympus. How will she do it... read on and find out.
Thank you so much for reading this chapter. Please leave comments for your opinions down below.
Chapter 7: A Moment of Grief
Summary:
Yeah, so... I'm back.
Hope you enjoy this chapter.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The food was good, Athena would not deny that. Dad was surprisingly a good cook. Sure, Gods and Goddesses could summon food whenever they wished but Zeus preferred to make his own meals by hand, claiming that it ‘feels more meaningful and delicious to eat something prepared by those closest to you’. So far, Athena had yet to find a reason such a claim was false.
She was also certain that she got her skills in the kitchen from Dad’s kitchen as her mother was a horrible, horrible cook. It led to Zeus creating another valuable lesson for her to learn: ‘food feel more meaningful and delicious to eat something prepared by those closest to you… provided that the person making it doesn’t create burned slop’. Needless to say, Metis had been banned from the kitchen after that awful excuse of a meal that led to pretty much every Olympian having food poisoning for a week. Athena could confidently say that the one week of food poisoning was significantly worse than the long war against the Gigantes.
Today’s meal felt tenser than most. For the most part, Zeus and Metis tried their best to help Athena get her hero out of her mind, bringing up anecdotes from the past and Metis even revealed one or two humiliating facts about Zeus. However, the tension still remained, thicker and denser than the ice of Antarctica. Thalia glanced at Athena awkwardly before turning her gaze away… and Athena was barely holding herself together, the weight of her failure pressing down on her worse than anything else in her life. Normally, she would have so many thoughts buzzing in her head she had to use her Godly power to keep track of them. Now, though, her mind was mostly vacant.
‘I… I failed him… I failed them all…’ was one of the few thoughts that ran through her mind as she mindlessly ate her steak.
After dinner, Athena laid down on the sofa in the mansion’s living room, just trying to make sense of what had happened. She knew what happened, rationally, but it was as if her mind simply couldn’t process it. It was grief, she knew it deep down. It was grief over a soon-to-be fallen friend.
Suddenly, she saw Thalia standing over her.
“Mind if I keep you company?” Thalia asked whilst trying her best to mask her nervousness. On any other God or Goddess but her or Metis and she might have succeeded.
“…Whatever,” Athena mumbled, now in one of the worst stages of grief: depression. Her thoughts were few and scrambled now and she struggled to care about anything. Thalia took a seat near her and the two just sat in silence. Athena loved the silence. She wished it would swallow her whole. At least it would save her from what she had to do next.
“…I’m sorry,” Thalia finally spoke after a few minutes. Athena turned her head towards her half-sister, an eyebrow raised. Thalia continued, “I’m sorry that Odysseus has to die. …But I think the Council made the right choice.”
And Athena went straight back to stage two: anger.
“What?” Athena demanded, her voice dangerously low, thunder rolling in the background and blades starting to rise from out of the ground. Thalia looked afraid but, regardless, she continued, “I think the Council made the right choice. Percy is the most viable candidate for saving us all. He’s the only candidate, in fact.”
“You could have,” Athena growled.
“…We both know why I couldn’t,” Thalia reminded her.
“Well, you should have grown out of your little power-hunger, but no, you are just too weak when it comes to objects of power, and now my pupil is going to die because of it.”
“Hey!” Thalia yelled. “Don’t point out my flaws just because you’re mad!”
“Why you-” Athena rose to her feet and raised her hand mid-way up when she saw Thalia flinch. Immediately, the anger dissipated and was replaced by sorrow. Athena had lived a horrible childhood, considering most of it was spent in her father’s stomach as her mother tried to protect her from the worst of the acid burns. As such, she valued the idea of having a safe place. Over the years, this house has become Thalia’s safe space too. Thalia had lived through an alcoholic, semi-physically abusive mother and had lost her brother due to Godly politics, although, for now, she only knows that her brother is gone and is presumed dead. She deserved a place to feel safe in. And despite her anger, Athena’s rationality always pierced through it, allowing her to have clarity on the situation and know what to and what not to do. Scaring her little sister was definitely on the ‘what not to do’ side of things.
“…I’m sorry,” Athena apologised, offering a hug. Thalia accepted it.
A few minutes later, Athena was back on the couch, feeling miserable. Thalia sat down near her again, took a deep breath, and resumed the conversation.
“I- I know I could have but… I saw the future where I was the prophecy child. It was more likely that I’d rebel against the Gods.”
“How?” Athena asked. “Do you not love us?”
“Tch, of course I love you. For a Goddess of wisdom you are acting really dumb right now,” Thalia teased, earning a small smirk from Athena. Then, the demigod said, “…But I love Jason more.”
“Oh…” Athena trailed off, understanding where Thalia was coming from.
“I miss my little brother. I only had him for two years of my life but he- he was so great. I raised him, you know. When Beryl spent all her money on herself and alcohol, I spent my days trying to raise money just for a little food. I would sometimes sell some of Beryl’s stash of wine for some cash. She hit me for it and told me to kill myself but at least Jason could eat. Jason he- he was such a good little kid. He grounded me, somehow. Gave me something to focus on instead of pain. It sounds selfish, I know, but I also wanted to give him the best life imaginable. I even planned on running away from the house. I don’t know where, but just somewhere else would have been nice. When he died I- I felt like a part of me did to. …I can’t be the child of the Great Prophecy because I- I am willing to sacrifice anything to get Jason back.”
Athena nodded in understanding. She felt the same way about her Godly family, minus Poseidon. If any of her siblings got kidnapped or hurt, she would move heaven and earth to bring them back, and she knew that they would do the same. She had especially observed this phenomenon in Apollo and Artemis, with Artemis always acting like a protective sister to Apollo, even thousands of years after their birth.
“…Father did want to help you, you know,” Athena said. “Deep down, I think he did. But what your mother did to him…”
“I know, Beryl really fucked him up,” Thalia said with disgust. Neither of them would forget the circumstances of Thalia’s birth, how Beryl… raped him and used latent magical talent no God realised she had to keep Zeus bound to earth. Apparently, Beryl had been a legacy of Trivia, the Roman version of Hecate, and one clearly not raised with any sort of morality. Beryl had bound Zeus to earth with a simple threat: if he did leave, then she would abort the baby. Now, Zeus did support those who did choose to abort but he never truly pursued those women. He always went for those who would want to have the children. Still, Zeus refused to let Beryl do that to Thalia because he understood that it wasn’t out of desperation or not wanting a child, but rather out of malice and cruelty. Beryl would only have the baby aborted just to get at him, to kill a child and put its death on him. Zeus couldn’t do that. It took a year for the Gods to finally discover him and get him out of that house. They also made sure that from that point on, Beryl would never have a good night’s sleep, being tortured constantly in her nightmares, never allowed to wake up and escape them until daybreak.
“Still, to say that’s the only reason would be a big fat lie, huh?” Thalia reminded Athena. Yes, that was true too. After a few years of good therapy and learning to move past the ick he felt whenever he found himself looking down at Thalia and Beryl, he had tried to get Thalia out of that household but Hades had stopped him, reminding him of the oath of the Big Three, as well as how Hades is owed blood. So, Zeus could not interfere while Thalia suffered through hell.
“I- I’m sorry, though,” Thalia admitted. “I know how-”
“No, don’t bother,” Athena told her. “You’re right in thinking the council made the right choice, even if I loathe it with every fibre in my being. I just… need to accept it. I need to accept that… Odysseus is lost to me.”
Before Athena could fully register what was happening, tears started falling from her eyes. She blinked in surprise, trying to wipe her eyes clean. She couldn’t help it, however. Odysseus was lost to her. She was never going to get him back. It was only thanks to being a war Goddess and having better senses was she able to sense Thalia approaching her and kneeling beside her, inevitably taking a seat on the couch. Athena allowed herself to bury her face in Thalia’s shoulder, crying her eyes out. Thalia wrapped her arms around her.
“It’s okay, just let it out. I’m here,” Thalia said as Athena sobbed even more. Athena felt a little pathetic but the sheer warmth she was experiencing was enough to counter that.
“I-I failed,” Athena cried. “His family, his friends, they were counting on me and I failed them. I promised them and I failed them. How- how can I face them!?”
“Don’t worry about that for now. Let yourself grieve first before telling them.”
“No!” Athena stated firmly. “I- I cannot do that. I… I need to tell them now.”
“Are you kidding? In your condition, you are not able to face them.”
“My health is irrelevant. They deserve to know the truth. They need the truth.”
“Athena,” a stern voice called out. Athena growled as she turned to see her mother and father.
“You will not be going just yet,” Zeus continued.
“I owe them-”
“No, not yet. In fact you don’t even have to go,” Metis said gently. “I can go in your stead, let you grieve.”
“Mother, I understand where you are coming from but this- this is something I need to do. I assured them all those millennia ago that I will bring their friend and family member back. I can’t just let someone else go in my stead and say ‘oh hey, sorry to mention but the thousands of years you have been waiting for have been worthless as Odysseus is going to be permanently erased.”
“I could convince Poseidon-” Zeus began before Athena cut him off. She knew fully well that Poseidon could easily swap Percy’s soul for someone else’s, perhaps someone about to be reincarnated, allowing that soul to become Percy. Best of all, that soul would most likely avoid the fate that would befall Odysseus’. Still, Athena knew it was a foolish possibility. “No you can’t. It’s why we never brought up that option in the first place because we all subconsciously knew that sea-shit would never do it.”
“…He is such a sea-shit,” Zeus mumbled. “Regardless, I know how people can react to the knowledge that their close one isn’t coming home. I have had to break that news to a few of my lovers in the past. I refuse to let you face that wrath and hatred in such a fragile state. You do not deserve that.”
“Besides, it would be better to give them the news when you are in a better mental state, don’t you think?” Metis suggested. For a long minute, Athena deliberated the options she had before sighing. “Yes, I suppose you are right, mother.”
“Thank you for listening. Now, how about we all get some rest. Today has been long to say the least.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Before anyone could stop her, Athena teleported out of the room and back into the bedroom of her own mansion.
She was surprised at how tired she felt. Then again, Metis had been right. It had been a long day. Also, grief was rather tiring and Athena was back onto stage four of the cycle. Sighing, she climbed into her bed, nuzzled into her silky pillows, and fell asleep.
…………
Athena wished haunting Percy’s dreams that night would feel better, but it didn’t. She just felt like the worst being in the world. No matter how angry she got, she still saw Percy’s eyes. The horror and fear in them… it didn’t feel right.
‘Is this how Odysseus felt when ending the lives of the sirens?’ Athena thought, remembering hearing that particular chapter of his life from them once they got back from Tartarus after being resurrected. For them, the experience with him had been so traumatising that they just stuck to fish from then on.
‘No, what I did was worse,’ Athena reminded herself. Odysseus killed the sirens to teach them a lesson. To make them understand fear so that when they returned, they would never feast on the flesh of mortals again. They had learned what it was like to be the prey and they never forgot it. Even after that generation died, future ones were always told the ‘Attack of Odysseus’, so they would never feast on mortal flesh unless required to do so by the Gods. What Athena did was unforgivable. She had attacked a child, a boy who was barely twelve, in his mind and threatened him with death the moment he did something even the slightest out of line.
Athena tried settling back into bed again but was interrupted by the sound of thunder right beside her. Had she not had the ears of a Goddess, she would have gone death. She found herself staring up at her father, dressed in a black toga, reflecting the colour of the night sky.
“Athena, why did you do it?” Zeus asked, looking pained. Athena felt guilt well up inside her.
“I- he- the boy needs to know his place,” Athena told him. It did little to quell the remorse that was flooding her chest.
Zeus sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Athena rose to a seated position, still wearing her battle armour as she had not bothered to even dress into pyjamas, which really said something about her condition since Gods could change clothes in an instant through their magic.
“I understand where you are coming from, Athena,” Zeus began his eyes soft yet his expression firm. “But what you did was wrong. The boy did not deserve that just because he chose to live.”
“I- I know father,” Athena said, not willing to fight a battle she deserved to lose.
“Good, then don’t do it again. And I expect you to apologise to him for what you did, and give him your reassurance that you will not harm him.”
“Father-” Athena began before Zeus raised his hand.
“I will not accept any argument on this matter. I will not let you turn out like Odysseus.”
“Don’t you dare sully his name!” Athena exclaimed, fist clenched.
“I understand the motivation to get back to his family. I would raze the world if it dared to hurt anyone from our family, but I cannot condone the sacrifice of all of your men just to get back to your wife and son. He willingly sacrificed the last of his followers, those who trusted him with their lives, people who had wives and sons to return to as well. You know fully well what their reactions were.”
Athena winced. She recalled having to tell all of Ithica that the men they sent out for war weren’t coming home… all because of their king. Zeus had come as well and she was certain it had been the presence of two Gods that prevented a bloody uprising and an even bloodier execution of Penelope and Telemachus out of revenge.
“I will not let you be the one to cause another mortal the grief of losing someone close to them. And I doubt Odysseus would want that as well.”
Athena sighed, “I will do as you ask, father.”
“Thank you… and may I advise that you wear proper sleepwear. I doubt sleeping in battle armour is comfortable.”
“It’s fine,” Athena replied, not even caring about that for now. All she wanted was to sleep. Zeus moved over to Athena and gave her a hug. She leaned in, soaking up how warm and good it felt. She hated the moment it ended and Zeus teleported away.
Feeling a little better than before, she changed into her night attire, a simple pair of shorts and a shirt. She lied down in bed, hoping to get as much sleep as possible, for tomorrow would be one of the hardest days in her life. Tomorrow, she would have to go to the Underworld and give the bad news to everyone.
‘Eurylochus, Polites, Anticlea, Telemachus, Penelope… and so many more,’ Athena thought as slumber began to overtake her. ‘Please forgive me. I did all that I could.’
Notes:
Hello, everyone. It has been a while.
Long story short, studies and my addiction to a new game called Expedition 33 has caused me to focus primarily on those two things and not on writing. As such, I've not really had much time to write. I have wanted to but... yeah.
Anyways, this chapter is mostly just a filler one before the Re-Underworld Saga begins. I primarily did it because Thalia is one of my favourite characters and I want to give her as much reasonable screen-time I can. Also, it was to give lore on Zeus and Beryl's relationship.
Long story short, Beryl is a bitch who severely affected Zeus. And, thanks to the oath of the Big Three and Hades' intervention, Zeus could not save his daughter from Beryl and a horrible life.
I'm going to try and adapt the two remaining songs from that saga into this story. I'll try and keep the flow the same so when you're reading the lyrics, imagine it is me trying to follow the same syllables and flow of the original. I am not a songwriter by any means but I will try my best.
I apologise for not updating this story for so long. I will try to give more time to writing as well.
Please leave comments for opinions down below.
Chapter 8: The Underworld
Notes:
The Underworld Saga begins (Athena's journey through the Underworld as she has to give them the unfortunate news that Odysseus is lost to them all).
Will a glimmer of hope reveal itself later on?
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The Underworld’s entrance was cold today. Sometimes it would be as warm as Elysium. Sometimes it could be as average as the Fields of Asphodel. Then, sometimes it could be blistering hot or freezing cold like the Fields of Punishment. The bone-chilling air felt appropriate for today. Every speck of essence in Athena’s body screamed at her to run away, to not tell those close to Odysseus about how he was going to die, but she steeled her nerve. She had to do this. They deserved to know the truth, they deserved the time needed to grieve and move on. She refused to let them be haunted by false hope, hope that would never be met.
She stepped into the building where the Underworld entrance was, seeing that the place was primarily dominated by children. They were spirit green and translucent in colour, something to be expected from the dead, and they all looked morose and afraid. The kids could not have been older than twelve.
She came to the receptionist in front of the elevator, a man in a black Italian suit. It was Charon, the ferryman of the Underworld.
“Lady Athena,” Charon began, “what brings me the pleasure of your presence?”
“…I need to speak to those close to Odysseus,” Athena said, her tone devoid of emotion.
“…Good news?” Charon asked cautiously. Athena just shook her head while replying, “I… Odysseus is lost to us, permanently.”
“What? How? What happened?” Charon demanded. Athena smiled a little. Charon had always been a good listener to her for her quest of finding Odysseus. It had started mostly because she usually paid him many golden drachma coins, a rare sight for him since mortals didn’t have those anymore, so he thought listening to her ramble would earn him more money. But as the years went by, Charon had grown invested in her search for her champion and had been a good shoulder to lean on at times, at times when Athena felt frightened of visiting Odysseus’ friends and family in Elysium, only to report her failure in discovering the one close to them.
Athena explained everything numbly, feeling too empty to cry. Charon’s expressions varied from hopefulness, to anger, to hate, to despair and then melancholy.
“Wow…” Charon began, “that sucks.”
Athena barely reacted, only grinning a tiny bit. Judging by how miniscule it was, Charon knew Athena was struggling and had shut down her emotions to cope. He let her live with the illusion that she could do that here. The Underworld always had a way of messing with you no matter what you were, be it mortal, demigod and even God. Athena would be shown no mercy by it.”
“Are you certain it’s the right time to tell them? Perhaps you could find another solution if you wait-”
“No, there is none. I know there isn’t. The Fates themselves sent a prophecy practically meant to give all my efforts the middle finger. Odysseus will die and I- I will have to live with it. I just need to tell them this news.”
“Good luck with that.”
“They’re all going to hate me,” Athena mumbled in resignation.
“…Maybe for the first few days, sure, but after that period they will understand how hard you fought and how much you tried.”
“Thanks, Charon. Now, I have a special request,” Athena said as she summoned a satchel and emptied it of its contents. It was dozens of drachma coins. “I presume you know what these are for.”
“Yes, I do,” Charon replied before shouting to the waiting souls. “Oi, you lot! Your ferry’s been paid. Looks like you won’t have to wait a month, eh?”
The souls, all of them children, looked just a little bit brighter at the idea that their monotony was over. Athena always did this. Whenever she visited the Underworld, she paid for those who were waiting at the time. It was something she would never have done thousands of years ago, but those close to Odysseus, especially Penelope and Telemachus, convinced her to do so once they died. So, ever since the Golden Drachma fell out of fashion, she had been paying for the ferry ride of souls.
The kids all hurried towards the elevator, which had expanded just enough for them all and Athena and Charon to fit into.
“How did they die?” Athena asked.
“War zone. Missile attack on a refugee camp. No one survived,” Charon informed her. Athena clenched her fist. She knew that war was sometimes necessary, that wars were needed to fight against tyrants like Hitler and Stalin. Still, that didn’t mean she liked them, especially when she had to witness numerous casualties of battle. The ones who were innocent, those who should have been safe in cities before they were bombed into oblivion, were the ones which hurt the most.
Athena followed the ferryman into the elevator and the doors shut behind them. For a long minute, there was nothing but silence. Athena felt something cling to her leg and saw that it was one of the children, a frightened looking girl.
“Miss, can I go back to my mommy?”
Athena’s heart wrenched for the girl. If she could, she would bring back every one of these children but knew she could not. That would require a quest of unsurmountable difficulty, one that currently does not exist, or dozens of different quests, something that would cause her to neglect her duties and cause imbalance to the world. She was not willing to endanger her demigod children either, not for something that would take them years. Finally, most importantly, Hades would never allow it. The laws of death had to be respected in most cases and this one classified as most.
Athena shook her head at the child’s request. “You cannot. I’m sorry. You are dead, having died from an unspeakable tragedy. But know that you will find peace in the afterlife.”
The girl started crying but nodded in understanding, letting go of Athena’s dress.
Afterwards, the doors opened. It was time for Athena to face them.
…………
The usual small ferryboat had been switched for a cruise ship, large enough to carry the hundreds of souls in their own rooms. It was black in colour, armoured with spikes and barbed wire, designed to prevent the souls inside the River Acheron, those trapped in punishment for their crimes, from climbing onto the boat. Sometimes, Athena would witness a ghoul in a white and gold cloak or a Goddess with flowing chocolate brown hair, white clothing and white wings descend into the Acheron and pull a soul out. It was Makaria, Goddess of blessed death, and the ghouls were her workers. The souls being pulled out were those who were deemed to have suffered enough for their crimes and who have changed sufficiently.
Athena tried focusing on them, tried distracting herself with a hundred different thoughts or the prayers of different demigods playing on a constant loop. Yet the Acheron allowed for no such distractions. It only allowed for one thing, pain, in any form imaginable.
And it had a particularly horrible one for her today.
Screams rang through the caverns. Thousands of harrowing, agonising wails. The river forced her to recognise them. They were the screams of those who died in the Trojan war, the screams of both those who she once watched over and those who she once opposed. Screams of the Achaeans, screams of the Amazons, screams of the Greeks, screams of the Trojans. Screams of men, women and children all mixed together in a symphony of woe and pain.
Athena was losing her mind.
“All I hear are screams!” Athena yelled, hands clamped over her ears, yet the screams didn’t care. She could cut her ears off and she would still hear them. “Every time I dare to close my eyes! I no longer dream… only nightmares of those who died. Nothing’s what it seems-”
‘Nothing’s what it seems,’ the multiple voices screamed, as if singing along to her suffering.
“And here in the Underworld, the past seems close behind.”
“This land confuses your mind!” the voices of hundreds of men screamed. Athena tensed, her skin pale. Those voices, she knew them. It couldn’t be-
It was. Souls started rising out of the river, souls of men she knew. They were those who followed Odysseus to Troy from Ithica. They were his six hundred soldiers. The six hundred who died not in war but on the journey home, as if being taunted by the Gods. Athena’s hands were no longer over her ears, but instead held spear and shield
‘When does someone become a monster~,’ the men chorused. Athena knew deep down that this was an illusion. She had personally seen the year before that all six hundred men were in Elysium. These were most likely illusions created by the Acheron to try and drive her to jump into the river. Yet, common sense could sometimes be overridden by panic, and Athena was definitely panicking.
‘Six hundred strong and loyal men, who died due to your neglect,’ the voices continued, skeletal fingers pointed at her. ‘Captain!’
Visions of Odysseus plagued her mind now, visions of Odysseus suffering and pleading for freedom while Poseidon laughed and pierced him with his trident. At one point, Poseidon stabbed the man in the eye, sarcastically claiming, ‘this is for that cyclops kid you blinded.’. Athena reached for him but it was only an illusion. She could do nothing but slowly break.
‘Captain! Captain! Captain! Why did you let the demigod live when you knew your friend would perish?’
…………
Charon stood in the command centre of the boat, steering it comfortably, when she heard Athena’s screams. He used his power and natural connection to his vessel to see that she was in pain, clearly being haunted by the Acheron. He boosted the speed, knowing that if the river was effective enough, then Acheron would claim the life of a Goddess.
…………
‘All I hear are screams!’ Athena shouted, spear pointed at the spirits and Aegis activated, a glowing transparent energy sphere with a grey hue around her and protecting her. ‘Every time I dare to close my eyes! I no longer dream! Only nightmares of those who died!’
Now visions of the gory deaths of the soldiers of Greece and those of troy were flooding her mind. Spear impalements, guts ripped from stomachs, being burned alive, drowned by Poseidon’s waves… it was maddening.
‘Nothing’s what it seems,’ the men yelled.
‘Nothing’s what it seems,’ Athena repeated.
‘But in the Underworld the past seems close behind,’ the voices shouted as suddenly visions of another of one of Athena’s worst moments played in her mind, the death of Astyanax. It was such an avoidable thing. Odysseus could have raised the boy as his own or let one of his allies raise him in a way that would prevent Astyanax from becoming a bane to Odysseus, someone who would have hunted him down and killed him and his family. But, because she had entrusted Zeus with handling Odysseus for that one mere moment, everything had been screwed up and Odysseus had done the unthinkable. She should never have let Zeus be the one to watch over him, she should have done so herself. She should never have taken that night for a nap. That baby’s death was her fault… and it would never leave.
‘I keep thinking of the infant from that night,’ Athena murmured, and it was true. From the night of the baby’s death until now, she had visions of his death, from being dropped by Odysseus from the walls of Troy. She even saw him at times in Elysium. Thankfully, the Underworld allowed souls to age until eighteen, because it would have been very depressing for souls to see dead babies all around. At least it was only an eighteen year old teenager who was mad at her for letting his life be cut short instead of a baby. She could not have handled that. “I am haunted by the infant from that night-”
“This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms,” a voice called out. Athena froze and the visions faded. She knew instinctively that this wasn’t a falsehood. This was a real soul. And Athena knew exactly who it was. She dared to look and there he was. A man with brown, curly hair and brown eyes floated in front of Athena, his bottom legs a whisp. He was Polites, one of the most loyal companions of Odysseus and one who Athena had thought of as weak. At the time, she thought his pacifism and belief in good was childish. She thought Odysseus a fool for following that man’s footsteps over hers. Now, though, she knew why they did what they did. They had been through a gruelling war for ten full years, a length of time not even reached by both world wars. They had been fighting for so long and had seen and done the worst things imaginable, that they wanted to believe that there could be another way, a way that involved no bloodshed or trickery or cruelty. They wanted to believe in good.
‘I wish I never dismissed those views,’ Athena thought. She always wondered what if she had chosen to take the time to listen to her champion and his soldiers, to understand their mental states and help them. Maybe the pain they and Odysseus went through could have been avoided. Athena disregarded it for now. It was a what if question she had pondered for millennia and she could do so again later. Now was the time to face her demons.
“Polites?” Athena questioned. She knew souls could leave Elysium at times to serve Hades and the soul in front of her used that opportunity to see her first year after year. He also used it to visit the river of lamentation and spill out his misery.
‘I taught him that lesson and it cost him all he held in his heart,’ Polites continued, tears leaking from his eyes. ‘It’s my fault he’s lost to us because of my way of open arms. Please return him to us so I can finally apologise.’
With that, Polites zoomed away, leaving Athena in tears. She wished to reach out to the man, to tell him not only that it was not his fault but hers, but also that she could no longer do what he wished.
“…Polites,” Athena murmured, wishing the man didn’t carry all this guilt for thousands of years. She then thought, ‘Curse you Poseidon! Curse you and all your spawn! Curse you-’
‘Waiting,’ a melodic woman spoke.
“No, no please,” Athena murmured. “Not her, anyone but her-”
“Waiting.”
“Curse you fates,” Athena growled, wishing that the woman would not be the one to see her next. This was going to be tough. “…Anticlea.”
And there she was. A woman in her early forties with brown hair in the exact same shade as Odysseus. Souls could choose what age they will be in the Fields of Asphodel and Elysium, otherwise the one in front of her would be old and wrinkly. She had a gentle, warm smile and brown eyes that gave off a welcoming energy. Anticlea was the mother of Odysseus and the last person she wanted to see, because she was the one she felt most bad for. She had waited for years during the Trojan war for Odysseus before dying of illness, she had waited the longest for her son.
“Waiting, I don’t know how much longer it will be but I’ll keep waiting, because I know you would do the same so I’ll keep waiting-”
“Anticlea…” Athena trailed off, her heart going out for the woman.
“Waiting, waiting, waiting,” Anticlea repeated, now face to face with Athena, a pleading look in her eyes, a hope that her little boy would finally come home.
“…I took too long…” was all Athena could say. Anticlea’s expression became more desperate.
“I know you’ll find a way-”
“There is no way-”
“Please bring back my son. It hurts to keep waiting, waiting, waiting…”
With that, Anticlea flew back to paradise.
“…I’ll see you soon, Anticlea,” Athena said, tears now falling freely from her eyes. She thought she had been ready for this but… no, she knew she hadn’t been ready. But they deserved to know the truth… even if it made them hate her forever.
“…All I hear are screams!” Athena wailed.
‘All I hear are screams!’ the voices chorused, returning once again to haunt her.
“Every time I dare to close my eyes!” Athena continued as she felt the illusions somehow tear away her shield and spear. “I no longer dream-”
‘I no longer dream,’ the voices continued, spectres now taking a hold of her.
“Only nightmares of those who died!”
The spectres now tied an imaginary noose around her, five hundred and ninety eight holding it while the last two kept hold of her.
‘Nothing’s what it seems!’
“Nothing’s what it seems! But in the Underworld your past is always close behind!” Athena cried as she was pushed near the edge of the ship, railing gone and she looked down into the River Acheron, seeing the faces of all she failed in there. Maybe she should jump in… suffering felt so enticing at the moment, especially when all her sins were on full display in front of her. “Your past is always close behind…”
She barely maintained control over herself, resisting the force of the illusion. Then they shouted one last line, “DOWN IN THE UNDERWORLD!”
…………
Charon was at the deck now, swiping his oar at the smoke around Athena, dissipating whatever had taken hold of her. The Acheron was truly a cruel thing. Athena suddenly gasped for air, sobbing and breaking down. Charon helped her sit down on a seat he conjured and let her vent it all out.
“Athena, are you-” Charon began but it was clear that she was not.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she repeated over and over again. Charon put a hand on her shoulder in hopes of grounding her, but then he felt the full force of a crushing hug from a war Goddess. Athena wrapped her arms around him, de-aging to a twelve-year-old form. Charon just stood there, holding the Goddess, letting her cry out her pent up sorrow.
…………
It took a long fifteen minutes for Athena to fully calm down. She had returned to an adult age and just sat on the same chair Charon had conjured up, blank and emotionless.
“Athena… this cannot be a good idea,” Charon began. “You clearly are not ready to speak to them yet-”
“I don’t care. I will be,” Athena replied plainly. She had no right to feel as miserable as she did before. She had let him go, now it was time for her to face the consequences.
“But-”
“Charon, please,” Athena pleaded, “don’t make me go back because then… I might have to go through that again…”
She could not go through that illusion again. No matter what, she wouldn’t repeat her suffering like that.
“…Very well, Athena,” Charon said, feeling that this was a bad idea, but knowing that there was no deterring Athena.
…………
After the boat docked and Charon escorted the souls off of it, he and Athena took a significantly smaller rowboat that could fly.
Athena looked down at the three parts of the Underworld. First there was the Fields of Punishment, the place where the damned go and were forced to suffer through the consequences of their actions. It was an infinite expanse surrounded by electrified barbed wire that stretched to the top of the cavernous ceiling of the Underworld. Some souls were being burned at the stake, some having their skin flayed, some being given spankings and some were being talked to by therapists, their sins so minor and so connected to trauma that they only needed that. Once again, white-cloaked ghouls and Makaria descended down here and there and plucked up souls to be carried to the Fields of Asphodel.
Speaking of which, the Fields of Asphodel. Souls who lived average, mediocre lives without doing too much evil would find themselves here. The place was turned into a stop-gap, full of average apartment buildings. In the day, souls would wander from the entrance of the Fields straight forward to the Asphodel entrance to Elysium. Through the night, souls would wait in the apartment building closest to them, eat and sleep in whatever rooms they managed to claim, since they were mostly the same. The longest time it took for a soul to cross from the beginning to end of Asphodel was a year, and that was a really, really lazy soul.
Finally, there was Elysium, where Athena was heading to, a once again infinite expanse but this time it was of pleasure and joy. It varied from modest, comfortable houses to giant mansions and even giant skyscrapers filled with only penthouse suites. It was a place where you could never get tired of the infinite peace and excitement because there was always something new to get happy over. The comforts of Elysium evolved as mortals evolved so there was always something new. It was surrounded by pristine white walls with gold patterns and giant gold gates.
In the centre of it, though, were a cluster of islands that would also grow alongside Elysium to accommodate new souls. They were so indescribably wonderful that even Athena could not put a word to them. The Isles of the Blest, the afterlife for someone who lived through three lives and achieved Elysium each one, the ultimate paradise. Souls could exit there to visit Elysium but souls from Elysium could not enter it. Athena was glad to say that at least one of her champions had made it to this heaven.
She now stood in front of the gates, seeing the golden armoured skeletons ahead of her. Charon gave them a nod and the skeletons pressed a button, opening the gates. Athena walked through, escorted by Charon since no deity associated with the Underworld could legally be there without someone watching them. The pathway was perfectly polished and patterned marble and on each side of her were gardens of perfectly green grass and trees. She saw giant mansions and skyscrapers and even the occasional small bungalow that some mortals just preferred since it had a connection to their lives in the mortal world. She made her way inwards towards an area filled with Ancient Greek architecture: pillars and coliseums and temples that made Athena feel nostalgic.
But upon seeing some of them, the tiny good feeling faded for an all-consuming one of guilt.
The man was young in his early twenties with frizzy brown hair reminiscent of his father’s but had the diamond blue eyes of his mother. He even had the tiny mole she had on the lower left of his jaw. He was dressed in more modern clothing, a white t-shirt with thin blue, orange and yellow stripes and blue shorts. He was Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and the champion of hers who managed to make it to the Isles of the Blest.
Beside him was a man with a bushy beard, black hair and beady brown eyes, a man Athena commonly referred to nowadays as the Homer Simpson of the Greek world: Agamemnon. She called him the Homer Simpson of the Greek age because even nowadays he was still one of the most ridiculous and dumb people she had ever met. If he had not been part of the Trojan war, then it would have been over in half the time, maybe less.
There were other warriors of the past too. Diomedes, with his tanned skin and black hair and sharp grey eyes. Menelaus, someone who looked just like Agamemnon but more intelligent and was wearing golden and red battle armour, who stood alongside his wife Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world with electric blue eyes and long, flowing blonde hair wearing a grey shirt and black skirt (she too had a liking for mortal clothing). There was Hector of Troy, with his goatee and long black hair and sapphire blue eyes. He was built like a tank, wearing a tank top and gym tracksuits. That man was having a fun duel against Achilles, a young man with flowing blonde hair, dark blue eyes and, as a reminder of how he was dunked into the Styx, a black stain on one of his heels where Paris had shot him with a poisoned arrow. The arrow had stripped him of his blessing the moment it hit his weak point and the poison had killed him. Paris, a good looking man with long brown hair and effeminate features, was playing rock paper scissors with Patroclus a young man with curly black hair and green eyes.
It was an amazing sight. Athena remembered the time when they were once all enemies on two opposing sides. Now they were allies, people who let go of the past and were able to coexist.
Telemachus finally noticed her and shouted, “Guys, she’s here!”
Athena kept her expression plain as everyone turned their heads towards her before bowing them respectfully.
“No need,” Athena said. The others stared at her with concern, her tone indicating that there was something wrong.
“What’s up?” Agamemnon asked curiously. He even sounded like Homer Simpson.
“Yeah, why so down?” Helen inquired.
Athena sighed, taking a deep breath. She had to do this now. She wished she could do this with them all together but she was beginning to lose her nerve.
“…I failed,” Athena said. “Odysseus… is lost to us forever.”
Full song lyrics
Athena:
All I hear are screams
Every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream
Only nightmares of those who died
Nothing's what it seems (Spectres: Nothing's what it seems)
And here in the Underworld, the past seems close behind
Spectres:
This land confuses your mind
When does someone become a monster~
‘Six hundred strong and loyal men, who died due to your neglect
Captain! Captain! Captain! Captain!
Why did you let the demigod live when you knew your friend would perish
Athena:
All I hear are screams
Every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream
Only nightmare of those who died
(Spectres: Nothing's what it seems) Nothing's what it seems
(Spectres: But in the Underworld the past seems close behind)
Athena: I keep thinking of the infant from that night
I am haunted by the infant from that night
Polites:
This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms (Athena: Polites)
I taught him that lesson and it cost him all he held in his heart
It’s my fault he’s lost to us because of my way of open arms
Please return him to us so I can finally apologise
Athena: Polites...
Anticlea: Waiting
Athena: No, no please. Not her, anyone but her
Anticlea: Waiting
Athena: Anticlea
Anticlea:
Waiting
I don’t know how much longer it will be but I’ll keep waiting
because I know you would do the same so I’ll keep waiting
Athena: Anticlea
Anticlea: Waiting, waiting, waiting
Athena: I took too long
Anticlea: I know you'll find a way (Athena: there is no way)
Anticlea: Please bring back my son. It hurts to keep waiting, waiting, waiting
Athena:
I'll see you soon Anticlea
All I hear are screams (Spectres: All I hear are screams)
Every time I dare to close my eyes
I no longer dream (Spectres: I no longer dream)
Only nightmares of those who died
(Spectres: Nothing's what it seems) Nothing's what it seems
But in the Underworld your past is always close behind
Your past is always close behind
Spectres:
DOWN IN THE UNDERWORLD!
Notes:
You are the loyal companion to Odysseus.
You have fought through a gruelling, ten year war and it has changed you more than you want to believe. The horrors you've witnessed... they will scar you even in death.
You have seen what the war has done to your friend as well. You see Odysseus struggling with the weight of what he has done and what he has been forced to do for the sake of survival. You don't want to kill anymore and you see that your friend does not either. So, you give him the idea of 'open arms' and faith in the heart and the good of others.
It ended horribly. You died alongside a few others by the hands of a Cyclops. Worse still, you see others arrive in the Underworld, over five hundred of Odysseus' men, all because Odysseus let the cyclops live because of the lesson you taught him.
You are wracked with guilt as it is your morals that have cost Odysseus so much. Worse still, he never even made it to his family, as you learn from his deceased wife and, later on, his son.
Now, thousands of years later, you can only sit and wait for Athena to come home with Odysseus, the guilt consuming you completely, turning you into a shell of yourself. You just want to tell him that you are sorry for making him lose everything. But it seems the Fates won't allow you even that.
You are Polites, and you are a man wracked by guilt.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed my slight redo of 'The Underworld' song for Athena. I tried to keep the original rhythm.
Athena may seem too emotional right now but she is in a very unstable headspace right now, so keep that in mind.
Anyways, yeah the souls in Elysium are all just chilling together now. Friend and foe alike. They are in paradise now, and there is no point in holding grudges. Well, except in Astyanax's case, he still dislikes Athena a bit.
Hope you are enjoying this fic so far. Please leave comments with your opinions below.
Chapter 9: I'll become the monster
Notes:
Hey... so it's been a month. Sorry for taking so long.
I just had a lot of stuff on my plate at the time... but also felt a little demotivated. I'm getting back into the swing of things, hopefully.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Everyone stared at her wide-eyed. There was absolute silence for a long, long minute. Athena turned to the ground. It felt better to look at it right now.
“Ha, ha, ha, good one Athena,” Agamemnon laughed, thinking it was a joke.
“Yeah, good one,” Achilles added.
“Guys… I don’t think she’s joking,” Menelaus pointed out.
“Wait, are you serious?” Helen questioned, eyebrow raised.
“Yes… I am… Odysseus is lost to us forever,” Athena said, her voice empty of emotion. She barely brought herself to stare at their expressions. They looked confused and concerned. Telemachus looked… fearful. Athena hated how much hope she had brewed in the boy, how much belief he had in her. In all these centuries, he had never doubted her. Now all that faith was about to be made worthless.
“Wh- why?” Telemachus asked. “What happened?”
Athena explained everything to them, how Odysseus was trapped in a reincarnation cycle by Poseidon, how he was now a boy called Percy Jackson and the prophecy that would mean Odysseus’ demise.
“So- so you’re saying that in order for Odysseus to live… the world would need to die?” Achilles inquired.
“Yes, I do,” Athena said emptily. She felt like the sky was bearing down on her shoulders. It felt too heavy and unwieldy, like it would crush her. No, she’d rather suffer the weight of the sky than this one. At least the sky would only offer physical pain. Mental pain was so much worse.
“That can’t be,” Diomedes stated, rising to his feet. “There has to be another way. Surely you, my mentor, can find it.”
“I wish I could, Diomedes. I really wish I could.”
“No, there has to be something that you are missing, woman,” Hector of Troy claimed. “Odysseus cannot be lost to us.”
A long time ago, Athena would have been surprised at Hector’s concern, considering how Odysseus had once been his enemy. But she knew that there was respect amongst warriors… and there were few that held as much respect as Odysseus did. The man was one of the sole reasons that the Greeks stood a fighting chance. Yes, Achilles and his Acheans may have used their brutal might to sack most of the areas surrounding the walls of Troy but it was Odysseus’ cunning that allowed them to apply their strength to good use. If it were not for him, Menelaus’ rage would have overcome him and Agamemnon’s stupidity would have caused the deaths of all the Greeks.
In death, his enemies found a sense of admiration for the man. In the end, he was just trying to get home, but he also shouldered the responsibility of ensuring others made it home to their families. During the war, he helped to minimise casualties as much as possible with his strategies and only sacrificed lives when absolutely necessary.
Everyone had felt that they owed Odysseus a great celebration upon his arrival to Elysium, to celebrate how much he had done. Now… now they never would get that chance.
“How can you possibly not have a plan!?” a man called out. Athena turned to see someone who might as well have been a body builder in life. Every part of him was built like a tank. He stood tall at a height of over seven feet with the long, wild hair of a barbarian. He was Ajax the Great, a man renowned for his temper and rage. “You, of all Goddesses, should have an idea!”
“Believe me, I have been trying to think of a solution, but there isn’t! Unless there is another child of the Big Three, besides Thalia, who is alive and can take on the prophecy, I can’t do anything!” Athena yelled. Everyone tensed, not expecting the sudden outburst. From a Goddess like Athena, outbursts could be deadly. She took a deep breath and sighed, “I- I’m sorry.”
“…So it’s true,” a voice called out. Athena found herself staring at Anticlea, who looked more corporeal this time. “My boy… my baby boy… he’s going to die… and he won’t come back.”
Athena shook her head. Anticlea stood still for a moment before bursting into sobs. Diomedes and Menelaus helped her sit onto a picnic chair whilst trying to comfort her but they were struggling to do so. After all, they were grieving their friend too.
“No- but- come on- you’re Athena,” Telemachus tried desperately. Oh, how Athena wished that she didn’t have to deal with him. Not because he was a pain, but because he had believed in Athena the most. Breaking such hope… hurt more than anything else.
“I’m sorry, young wolf. Odysseus is really gone forever.”
Telemachus just stood there, frozen. It was obvious he was struggling to process what he had just been told, that he would never get to meet his father and that his mother would always live with heartbreak. He ran off, tears in his eyes. Achilles and Helen ran after them.
“…Does anyone know where Penelope is?” Athena finally asked.
“Oh Gods… she will be devastated,” Menelaus muttered, guilt in his eyes.
“I know where she is,” another voice called out. Athena looked up and paled upon seeing the man who had spoken. He was between eighteen and nineteen, with black hair in a short fade that drooped over one of his eyes. His eyes were kaleidoscopic like his mother’s, Andromache’s. He had a toned physique and radiated strength and power like his father. He also had this depressing sense around him, wearing dark clothing and some black eyeliner (like an emo). It was Astyanax, the baby who was only allowed to age in death until eighteen years old. After all, having dead babies and children in the afterlife would kind of dampen the mood. Hades hadn’t wanted to see children who should have lived long, happy lives, in the realm of the dead.
“Astyanax,” Athena greeted him.
“Lady Athena,” Astyanax began, only bowing a little to her. “I can bring you to her. She is with my mom.”
Athena raised an eyebrow in surprise. If there was anyone who hated Odysseus more than anything it was Astyanax. Even after so many centuries, Astyanax still felt distaste for him, unable to forgive his past actions. Athena did not blame him. She had held Zeus responsible for centuries for the assimilation of her mother. He was allowed to hate his killer as much as he wanted. Odysseus was the one who had dropped him to his death from the top of Troy’s walls.
“You would help me with something relating to Odysseus?” Athena asked. Everyone else present nodded and muttered in understanding, each of them knowing how much the boy despised Odysseus.
“Hurry up, before I change my mind,” Astyanax commanded. Athena followed on, keeping pace with him.
“Why do you want to help me?” Athena asked after getting far enough away from the crowd.
“I may hate Odysseus… but I don’t hate his family,” Astyanax affirmed. Athena’s eyes widened in surprise. Astyanax certainly didn’t make much of an effort to get to know them. He barely regarded Telemachus and Penelope and often kept his distance from them.
“You’re probably wondering why I don’t hate his family if I don’t make an effort to get to know them, right?”
“You’re a smart one.”
“Well, it pays to have superior intelligence when you are supposed to be the bane of Odysseus,” Astyanax reminded her. That was what Athena always had to remember. Astyanax was born from vengeance and wrath. He was supposed to be Odysseus’ murderer, someone who would follow him to the ends of the earth just to kill him, razing everything that Odysseus loved and cared about even the slightest bit on the way. In a way, Astyanax was somewhat supposed to be the Ancient Greek version of the Terminator, but without the time travel and being a robot. It was another of the main reasons why Astyanax hated Odysseus.
Astyanax continued, “I don’t make an effort to be with his family because, well, they would try and make me see all his good points. I will admit that I am not ready to see those yet, because they may cause me to have a false opinion of him. After all, their opinions are based on the man they hadn’t seen in decades at the time. I need to see Odysseus for myself to see if he is a man I can forgive.”
Athena’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t expected such a reasonable answer. She asked, “And you don’t hate them because…”
“Well, I was born to be an Ody hater. Everyone else is just collateral damage,” Astyanax said with a small smirk. Athena chuckled, savouring the levity. It helped her deal with what she was about to do next.
…………
Penelope’s castle was regal and grand, made to be exactly like the palace she had shared with Odysseus in Ithica. White marble, beautiful pillars and wonderful furnishings, this was a place meant for a queen. Athena followed Astyanax down the hall and she found herself staring into a replica of the original palace’s throne room. Athena felt a pang in her heart as she saw the king’s seat. It had been one that Penelope had had to occupy for the rest of her life from when Odysseus first went to war. She had had to maintain the kingdom in her absence, a noble thing for her to do but not one she should have been forced to do alone. She should have had her husband alongside her to help her run things. She had never had that in life. Now, that seat would never be occupied in death.
They inevitably came to the queen’s chambers. Athena hated how familiar it looked. It had some modern upgrades but other than that it was nearly the same. There was a small, oak table with books on it, another door that led to the en-suite bathroom, and a wall-mounted plasma screen seventy inch television. The familiar loom was also there, though it looked unused. Weaving had once been one of Penelope’s passions. Now, due to depression and the reminders of her husband it brought her, it was seldom touched.
Then there was the bed. It was carved into a tree, looking exactly the same as the one Penelope and Odysseus slept in together for the short time they had together. This room, this palace… it felt like a desperate attempt to keep the last visages of Odysseus alive.
Sitting on the bed were two women. One was Andromache, with her brown hair cut short and spiky, her kaleidoscopic eyes those of her true mother: Aphrodite. She was wearing black jeans, a black shirt, a leather jacket and some golden jewellery like spiked earrings. She really did like the punk/biker aesthetic. She was also rather muscular, her muscles rather defined and the outline of her six pack was showing under her shirt. In other words, she looked like an adult Thalia. After all that she had gone through, it made sense that she would choose an aesthetic that would radiate power and strength. At least she wasn’t in her emo phase anymore.
The woman beside her, however, was the one that Athena was most focused on. She chose a more traditional dress, a purple Greek chiton. She was adorned with jewellery, bracelets, necklaces, anklets and a majestic crown with all types of jewels, truly befitting a queen. Her eyes were those of Telemachus, a brilliant blue and she had mole near her chin. This was Penelope, the wife of Odysseus. And the moment her eyes landed on Athena, they swelled with hope.
“Lady Athena, you’re here!” Penelope exclaimed joyfully, bowing respectfully. Andromache did too.
“So, what brings you here, wise Goddess,” Andromache said with as much respect as Astyanax showed her, which was the bare minimum. Unlike the others, Andromache and Astyanax just about tolerated her presence. They weren’t warriors themselves so they did not hold the same regard for Athena as the others did. Though, considering how her and Hera helped lead a ten-year war against their kingdom which caused the deaths of their loved ones and them, in terms of Astyanax, just because of a spat with Aphrodite… yeah that rage was valid. Astyanax had lost his father and his life to her student while Andromache lost her husband, son, brothers and father to Greece whilst also being made the concubine of Neoptolemus who, despite what the myths might say, didn’t treat her well behind closed doors. Part of Astyanax’s hatred towards Athena was because of the miserable life her mother had led afterwards.
“I- I come bearing news about Odysseus,” Athena managed to get out.
“I am also here, mother,” Astyanax drawled.
“Oh, shut up Asty,” Andromache said as her and Astyanax embraced. It was the type of love only a punk/biker and an emo could have.
“Odysseus!?” Penelope shouted, pausing to collect herself a little. “Is he- is he here? Did you bring him back?”
“…I think it is best that you sit down, Penelope,” Athena recommended. Penelope’s eyes widened with concern as she took her seat. Over the thousands of times Athena has come to her, not once has Athena recommended that Penelope needed to sit down… nor had Athena ever looked so grave.
Athena took a deep breath, knowing that this was going to be bad.
…………
“Shh, shh, shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Andromache soothed Penelope as she sobbed into her hands.
“Yeah it’ll be fine, you’ll be okay,” Astyanax added, handing Penelope a tissue. Athena had just finished telling Penelope the news of Odysseus’ impending, permanent demise. Needless to say, Penelope was bawling her eyes out. All that hope she had held, all those pleas and prayers she whispered into the night had gone waste. Now she was feeling the weight of true grief, the unbearable sorrow that came with knowing her husband wouldn’t make it to the afterlife.
“He’s- he’s g-going t-to die. My Ody is- is going to die!” she wailed. Andromache guided her to her shoulder and Penelope immediately buried her face into it, staining her jacket with tears. Andromache held onto her tight while Astyanax tried rubbing circles in her back to make her feel better. Athena just sad there… feeling terrible. This, this was what she had dreaded. Seeing Penelope like this and knowing it was entirely her fault made the Goddess of wisdom feel terrible. She was tempted to tear up herself but remained calm. This was Penelope’s time to mourn, not hers. Heck she had already done more mourning than she deserved to.
“I am so, so sorry Penelope,” Athena said as she reached towards her. Penelope slapped her hand away viciously.
“You… you…” Penelope growled, her expression morphing into one of anger. “You promised! You promised you’d bring him back! You told me you would! I held onto hope for thousands of years because I believed in you! Now you- you come and tell me that all that hope I had was for naught. That I had wasted all this time believing in a falsehood!?”
“I know I-”
“And he suffered! He suffered for thousands of years, forced to be reincarnated over and over again! All he wanted was to be back with us! How could you not save him!? How could you not rescue him from that horrible, horrible fate!?”
“I- I tried-”
“So it is true then?” a voice called out. Athena turned to see Polites, Telemachus and a buff man with tanned skin, brown eyes, a bald head and a giant sword. It was Eurylochus. Both had their hands on the shoulders of Telemachus, who looked like he had been crying for a while. He still looked on the verge of tears. Eurylochus continued, “Our captain isn’t coming home to us?”
Athena stared at them for a moment before shaking her head. Why were there so many people here? This was becoming too much even for her.
Eurylochus roared in fury as he smashed his fist against the wall. Surprisingly, it cracked, considering it was hard stone.
“Damn that kid,” Eurylochus muttered.
“Damn you, Percy,” Telemachus growled.
“Guys, we can’t hate a kid for living…” Polites said, though it looked like he was struggling to believe in what he was saying.
“Of course we can!” Penelope yelled as she rose out of her seat. “He’s taken him away from us! He’s taken our friend, our family member, away! If he were any bit noble he would- he would let himself die for the sake of the one close to us! The one we’ve been waiting for for centuries, no, millennia!”
No one seemed to bring up the point that Odysseus made a similar choice that caused the remaining members of his crew, including Eurylochus, to die. This clearly wasn’t the time for it to be brought up.
“How could this happen? How could this happen Athena?” Polites asked.
“Yeah… how…?” Telemachus whispered.
“You’re the Goddess of freaking wisdom-”
“I KNOW!” Athena shouted, clamping a hand over her mouth afterwards. How could she get angry now? They were the ones who had the right to be mad, not her.
“Guys… Athena tried her hardest,” Andromache piped up, prompting everyone’s attention. “And she loved Odysseus as much as the rest of us.”
They all started to see Athena in a different light, seeing how she was struggling to keep her composure. Penelope, even in her blind rage, seemed to notice it too.
“…You swear that you tried your hardest?” Penelope asked, sniffling a little.
“I do! I even tried killing the kid the moment the prophecy was spoken,” Athena told them, prompting a gasp from everyone in the room. “I don’t care what you all think of me for that. I had just heard that the only way to bring Odysseus back to all of you was to kill him. I would do it again if I had to, only next time I would succeed.”
“…I can’t say I wouldn’t try something similar in the heat of the moment,” Eurylochus said. “If I had to kill one random person for the sake of bringing back even just one of the men who died because of me… I might have done it.”
“…I guess I can forgive you then,” Penelope said. “And I’m sorry for lashing out at you.”
“You- you don’t hate me?” Athena asked.
“I was angry, but seeing you right now, I can tell you’re hurting just as much as us. I just… I just hate that I hoped for so long.”
“I know,” Athena spoke softly. “And I am so, so-”
“WAIT!” a familiar voice bellowed.
“Agamemnon?” Athena muttered to herself. What is he doing here?
“Brother, stop!” Menelaus shouted.
“Agamemnon, think for once!” Helen exclaimed.
“I am, and I am thinking for Odysseus’ sake!” Agamemnon yelled. Agamemnon came marching in with Helen and Menelaus trying to hold him back. Menelaus alone should have been enough to stop his brother but Agamemnon seemed to have the determination of a hungry drakon.
“Athena I *mmph* I have something to tell you!” Agamemnon announced.
“No he doesn’t!” Helen shouted desperately.
“Yes, ignore him!” Menelaus added.
“THE DI ANGELOS LIVE!” Agamemnon yelled. The room fell silent. Athena stared at Agamemnon, eyes wide.
Suddenly, the shadows shifted and Hades appeared.
“What have you done you oaf!?” Hades exclaimed, his voice sounding like the full fury of the Underworld.
“Do what you need to with me, but as long as Odysseus can be brought home, I don’t care!” Agamemnon retorted.
“Oh, I will- AGH!” Hades exclaimed as barbed spears summoned from the ground lodged themselves into Hades’ private areas and retracted. Hades fell to the floor, unconscious from the sheer pain of the act… and the poison that Athena had the spears coated with.
“What did you say?” Athena asked, her voice dangerously low.
“…The Di Angelos. Nico and Bianca are alive,” Agamemnon repeated. “Maria did die but Hades managed to protect his kids. He brought them to the River Lethe and erased their memories and then put them in the Lotus Hotel and Casino to keep them safe. He hoped that either Zeus or Poseidon would screw up one day and produce an offspring so that his would not have to go to war. Nico and Bianca, two children of the Big Three, are alive.”
Athena stood frozen. It took her a long, long minute to process what she had just heard.
Then… she started giggling.
Everyone around her tensed, not knowing what to expect from her. Athena’s giggling soon turned to laughter and that laughter became maniacal. It was the laughter of relief one had after an experience that had nearly driven them insane and to the depths of despair. It was the laugh of the purest joy.
“Ohohoho, Hades, you sly old bastard,” Athena chuckled madly. “You kept them a secret from all of us. You, who used your kids as ammunition to justify the death of Thalia Grace by your hand, kept them safe and sound, knowing they could endanger the fate of Olympus and the world as we know it.”
Hades finally recovered and rose to his feet. His expression was one of rage, a mask that hid a deeper fear.
“You will not go near my children,” Hades growled.
“Oh, Hades, my uncle,” Athena said. She still felt a little crazy and lightheaded and she was fully embracing that energy. “You think you can do that? Let me remind you of something. I am the Goddess of intelligence, war and strategy. There is nothing you can do that would keep me from those kids. The tightest of security measures are like a child’s puzzle when faced with my intelligence and my power. And even if you try to tell other Gods about them, you don’t know whether they will keep it secret or not. And judging by what is at stake by their mere existence, they certainly won’t. They will tell Olympus and your kids will be killed. And judging by your expression right now, I’m guessing you need them alive, possibly due to a vow on the Styx.”
“…It was a vow to Maria,” Hades hissed. “And what about them, huh?”
Hades started gesturing to everyone in the room. “Do you think for a moment that they will let you go forward with whatever crazy plan you have in mind? Do you think that they will let you destroy the life of children just to kill another?”
Athena paused and looked around the room. It was clear that everyone was at a crossroads. Some were more confident in what to do than others (Penelope clearly looked ready to do anything for the sake of keeping Odysseus alive).
“I- listen, everyone, if I-”
Suddenly, the room turned into a pitch black void. The only things visible were themselves and three elderly women in black cloaks. One was spinning thread, the second was measuring its length and another was holding scissors. Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos, the three fates.
“Come, Athena,” Clotho beckoned.
“We have much to talk about,” Lachesis added. Athena knew that a simple request from them was like a divine commandment. She made her way towards them, seeing the threat they were currently spinning. It was… frayed. It split into two. Athena had never seen such a phenomenon before.
“I suppose you are wondering about the thread, yes?” Atropos asked. Athena nodded, losing the ability to speak in front of such powerful deities.
“Well, it represents a conundrum we are facing,” the three chorused together. Athena raised an eyebrow.
“A conundrum?” Athena asked.
“Yes,” Clotho began.
“As you know, we Fates only guide the destiny of major events nowadays,” Lachesis continued. “There are far too many mortals to watch over and they are mostly of little significance in the world. We mostly do not control how the major event in question, such as a Great Prophecy, plays out. We may only guide it as the events form on the thread and remain absolutely neutral whilst spinning and stretching it.”
“However,” Atropos started ominously, “Sometimes in the course of spinning a thread, it frays and splits into different threads, representing different ways as to how things can play out. This is the one part of fate that we majorly control. We can choose the strand we want to use and let fate follow that route. On every occasion, we choose the one with the most positive outcome, the one that will have the least detrimental impact on the world.”
“And that is where you come in, my dear,” Clotho said with a serene yet frightening smile.
“Because for once in our existence,” Lachesis continued, before holding up the thread to properly see. Her eyes widened as the Fates beat her to the punch, “It has split into half equally.”
Athena could not believe it herself. The string had somehow split down the middle, two separate courses that fate could take.
“What does it mean?” Athena questioned.
“It means that both fates have equal possibilities of turning out positive or negative for us all. It leaves us with a conundrum of which one to cut…” Atropos said with a knowing gaze. Athena’s eyes widened.
“Is- is one of them a possibility where Odysseus can live?” Athena asked.
“Why yes, one is,” the three Fates spoke in unison, holding that strand before her.
“Cut the other one,” Athena said quickly. “Let the one where Odysseus lives be the one that destiny will follow.”
“It is only a possibility that Odysseus will live,” Clotho added sternly. “A fifty percent chance. Though, that is far better than the impossibility of the first.”
“But let me ask you, why should we choose the strand where Odysseus might live?” Lachesis inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Athena immediately knelt before the Fates, eyes downcast. “If you were to choose the option where Odysseus has a chance of living… I would be eternally in your debt.”
“…You truly are willing to do anything for him?” Atropos spoke. “Say, if we made you our slave-”
“Then I will do the most menial tasks possible. I will demean myself in every way for his sake. I will massage the most wrinkled of forms you choose, I will bathe you, clothe you and even feed you if necessary. I will destroy who you ask me to, I will torment whoever you want me to. I will do anything if it means bringing Odysseus back to those he cares about and those who care about him,” Athena said with the most earnest honesty possible, her pride be damned.
The Fates looked between one another and nodded.
“Good,” the three spoke together, Clotho continuing on from it, “Now we know you are serious.”
“…Huh?” Athena said in confusion.
“You have no need to worry about being our slave. Knowing how dedicated you will be is enough for us,” Lachesis added. “Especially if it means spiting that defiler of Fate!”
“…Who?”
“Poseidon, my dear,” Atropos answered. “He is a slippery one. We owed him a favour and he used it to manipulate Odysseus’ destiny.”
“I’m sorry… what did you say?” Athena demanded, her voice low.
“Yes, Odysseus was meant to return to Ithica after twenty long years away from home… but thanks to Poseidon, that fate was altered,” Clotho said with a furious expression.
“He dared to make us defile fate!” Lachesis growled. “We’ve never felt so disgusted!”
“Ever since then… we have been looking for a way to right our wrong but Ananke, destiny and inevitability itself, never provided an opportunity for us to do so. Now, it seems that the Primordial has finally given us this one chance,” Atropos stated with relief. “Thank you for doing this.”
“I would do anything for Odysseus,” Athena said plainly. The three Fates nodded. Atropos took her scissors and, with Lachesis holding it wide, cut the strand that gave Odysseus no chance to survive.
“We will guide you on the first few steps you must make,” the three women said at once. “Hopefully, it will give you enough of a base to carry out the rest of the prophecy in a way that rights our wrong.
Then the room returned to normal. Athena stood there, motionless. Everyone was frozen in place as if paralysed.
Hades was the first to recover.
“I will make sure my children are well defended, Athena. You will not reach them so easily,” he growled.
“…Uncle, you should know that whatever you do, will never be enough to stop me,” Athena responded, finally finding her voice. “And one more thing. If a hair on Agamemnon’s head is hurt, I will reveal what I have learned to the Olympian council and take your kids from underneath your feet. I suppose you would not want them to be murdered for the sole reason of living, correct? And you would certainly not want them with me.”
Hades grunted before shadow-travelling away. Athena turned towards Agamemnon and gave him a crushing hug.
“Thank you, Agamemnon. Thank you so much,” Athena said, tears prickling her eyes. If it were not for this man, then she and the others would have lost Odysseus forever.
“Eh, it was nothing. After all Odysseus did for us, it was the least I could do,” Agamemnon replied. “Also… I’ve seen how much his family has suffered. And I know it is my fault. They don’t deserve to suffer anymore.”
Athena was reminded of how it was Agamemnon who made Odysseus go to war with the rest of Helen’s former suitors by threatening his son. The idiotic man must have felt guilt for the act for so long. For the first time in all eternity, Athena actually appreciated something Agamemnon did or said.
“So- so are you-” Penelope began, her expression nervous.
“Penelope,” Athena began. “I will do exactly as the Fates tell me to do. Odysseus is coming back.”
A wide smile grew on Penelope’s face as she celebrated. Everyone in the room did. Telemachus rushed over and gave Athena a big, long hug.
“Thank you, Lady Athena,” Telemachus said whilst his face was nuzzled into her shoulder. Eurylochus and Polites hugged, Penelope was practically jumping up and down with glee, even Astyanax and Andromache looked relieved at the news of Odysseus coming home.
“Uh, little wolf, I need you to let go, please,” Athena requested.
“Why?” Telemachus whined. Athena smirked at his dramatic nature.
“Because now I need to tell everyone else the good news. And… I need to do something else,” Athena said. Telemachus reluctantly released her and Athena marched out of the room, ready to give everyone the good news… and also to confront herself.
…………
Charon had finished unloading more souls of the Underworld at the Judgement pantheon, ready to head back for more. He felt guilty for Athena, knowing how much she had tried to save Odysseus. Maybe he could do more to-
BOOM!
Charon turned to see Hades’ palace entrance erupt with black fire, the great doors being blown off their hinges and thrown into the River Styx.
‘What’s got him so worked up?’ Charon thought. Then, he heard someone speak near the riverbank.
It was Athena.
…………
If telling everyone that Odysseus would die was soul crushing, then telling them Odysseus would live was soul-invigorating. Athena had smiled widely at their reactions of joy and relief. Achilles and Hector had, respectfully, given her two slams to the head with their shields and had shouted 'NEVER SCARE US LIKE THAT AGAIN!’ Athena had retaliated by beating them in a spear fight. She felt… like she was finally back. Ever since her search for Odysseus began she felt fractured and lost, as if her mind was clouded by a deep, thick fog. Now, for the first time in all those centuries, the fog had lifted. Her mind felt clear. She knew now that she could get Odysseus back and she was going to seize that opportunity.
Still, there was one last thing she had to confront: that lingering doubt. Was she really going to do this? Was she truly going to destroy the lives of children for the sake of one man?
“How has everything come to all this?” Athena whispered to herself. “How can the only way to save him be so merciless?”
She found herself staring down at the River Styx, hatred and malice leaking from it like wisps of smoke.
"How can I ruin the lives of so many innocents? Is this what he felt?” Athena asked herself. Was this Odysseus’ mindset all those years ago, when he decided to become heartless like Poseidon, embracing the vile tenet of her worst enemy: ‘Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves?’. She continued, “I’m surrounded by the souls of those he lost. I’m the only one who’s line I haven’t crossed. What if the only way to save him… is to be a beast?”
As soon as she chose that strand of fate, she tried thinking of ways so that both Percy and Odysseus would live. After all, the poor boy was innocent. And the courses of action she would have to take… they would be despicable.
But there was none. The only possibility she could think of is if Poseidon himself swapped the soul inhabiting Percy, Odysseus, for someone else’s, for only he could do it as the one who started this whole cycle of rebirth and death. Sadly, Athena knew that he would not. He was too petty and cruel to do so. So, that left only one course of action.
“If I became the monster, and throw this guilt away… would it make me stronger and slay who I need to slay?” Athena pondered. She glided across the Styx with her power, the river giving an indication that it was safe to do so for some reason. She felt the fumes of hatred brush past her and embolden her conviction. “If I became the monster, for the sake of their old friend. And if I made sure he got home again who would care I was unjust?”
‘None of them,’ the Styx whispered in her ear. ‘They support you.’
It was true, they did. They knew what had to be done and knew it was for Odysseus sake. It was one life for another. The difference was that that life, the life of Percy Jackson, should not have existed in the first place. All that was holding her back was her sense of guilt.
‘No more,’ Athena thought to herself. “If I became the-”
“Monster!” voices from the river shouted. Athena saw spectres embodying all six hundred of Odysseus’ men and the armies of warriors who fought for and against Troy. They were helping her move past this block.
"Oh ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves,” Athena recited the tenet of that vile Poseidon. She was finally starting to get it.
“Monster!”
“And deep down I know this well!” Athena shouted as the spectres formed images of all that Odysseus had lost. She continued, “He lost his best friend! He lost his mentor, his Mom, all of his men gone this can’t go on! I must get him to Penelope and the rest of them, so if I must go through dangerous odds and enemies, I’ll go where Poseidon can’t reach me and if I’ve gotta ruin the lives of a few so that he won’t die… then I’ll become the monster!”
Now she was floating above the River Acheron… which seemed to be taking away the pain in her heart. For once, the river was not causing it but rather removing it. The spectres helped too, probably divine agents from the Fates to guide her down this path. She didn’t care. This was one she would have taken anyway.
“I will deal the blow!” Athena yelled at the top of her voice. Whilst she was singing, the voices kept shouting ‘Monster’ whenever she said the word. She didn’t care. “And I’ll become the monster, like none they’ve ever known! So, what if I’m the monster lurking deep below! I must become the monster and then he’ll make it ho-o-o-ome!”
She saw the soul of Anticlea again. The woman was floating next to her with a warm, bright smile on her face. Beside her were two other souls who managed to sneak past Elysium’s gates.
“Penelope…” Athena spoke as her, Anticlea and the soul of Telemachus embraced her, tears of joy flowing down their faces. “Telemachus!”
First, Telemachus left, then Penelope and then Anticlea. Before doing so, Anticlea said, “Do what needs to be done to bring my son home. I will not judge you.”
With that, Anticlea finally returned to Elysium, looking happier than she had ever been since her boy had had to leave for Troy.
“Oh ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves!” Athena exclaimed, embracing Poseidon's teaching. She knew it must be done. She must be ruthless to save her pupil and the friend and family member of so many. She landed near Charon, the ferryman looking confused. The spectres shouting ‘monster’ finally dissipated as well. Before Charon could ask any questions, Athena affirmed to herself, “I’ll become the monster.”
…………
“Good night, Dad,” Rachel said as she tucked herself into bed. She was twelve years old, with frizzy red hair, green eyes and freckles. As soon as her dad left the room, she sighed. She hated her father. She hated how he destroyed and polluted the environment unnecessarily, how controlling he was and how he refused to acknowledge her as a person. Her mother wasn’t any better, a woman who insisted she go to all girls academies where people were stuck up and overly-proper. She thought wealth was supposed to equal happiness. From her perspective, all it equalled was neglectful, emotionally and mentally abusive parents, with a hint of physical abuse on her father’s side, few friends, lots of bullies who hated her for her wealth, people who hated her because of her father, and a miserable life overall.
She wished she could have a different life, or at least people who cared about her. She sighed as she settled into sleep, hoping tomorrow would be less miserable than today.
Immediately, she found herself in a nightmare. This wasn’t like the ones she usually had, with her being forced to give up the few hobbies she had and being a porcelain doll for her parents to shape. No, this one was far, far worse.
She felt different, and when she looked down at her hands, she knew she wasn’t herself.
‘You are Percy Jackson,’ a voice in her head rang. She didn’t know why but she instinctively believed it. It felt, trustworthy and right somehow. She turned to her sides and saw others. To her left was a girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail with princess curls and grey eyes. There was also large boy with one big eye. To her right was a boy with curly brown hair, goat hooves and small goat horns. Rachel would have commented on the ridiculousness of all of this, had she not been terrified out of her life.
The sky was dark red and black, with red lightning crackling in the sky. Tendrils of shadows were wiggling about and the sun had turned red.
The worst part, however, was when the monster showed up.
It was… horrifying. So horrifying that Rachel could only comprehend a few details of it. Black, spiky skin… taller than Mount Everest… a red skull of some animal.
The creature let out the most menacing roar in the world, paralysing Rachel in place. She felt fear, true, visceral fear, the type where you were just so terrified that you couldn’t move. Her mind felt shattered. Instinctively, she knew she had to run but she just couldn’t. Then the monster turned towards her and let out the most vile, evil laughter she had ever heard.
“Goodbye, Percy Jackson,” it spoke. Rachel couldn’t even process how its voice sounded like. The creature then licked its mouth and made lunged towards her. She felt herself be swallowed whole and her soul leave her body… slowly being absorbed into the creature.
As her vision went black, the voice commanded, “Save this boy. Save Percy Jackson from this cruel fate.”
“AAH!” Rachel screamed as she woke up, breathing heavily. Her whole body was sweating and her pillow was soaked with tears she didn’t know she had shed. It took her a long, long while but she managed to get herself under control. She somehow knew what to do.
‘I have to save Percy Jackson,’ Rachel thought to herself. ‘I need Dad to believe me so that I can get his help in saving him… or Percy Jackson will die.”
Monster, ala Athena
Athena:
How has everything come to all this
How can the only way to save him be so merciless
How can I ruin the lives of so many innocents
Is this what he felt
I’m surrounded by the souls of those he lost
I’m the only one who’s line I haven’t crossed
What if the only way to save him… is to be a beast
“If I became the monster, and throw this guilt away
would it make me stronger and slay who I need to slay
If I became the monster, for the sake of their old friend.
And if I made sure he got home again who would care I was unjust
If I became the
Spectres: Monster
Athena: Oh ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves
Spectres: Monster
Athena:
And deep down I know this well
He lost his best friend
He lost his mentor, his Mom,
All of his men gone this can’t go on
I must get him to Penelope and the rest of them
So, if I must go through dangerous odds and enemies,
I’ll go where Poseidon can’t reach me
And if I’ve gotta ruin the lives of a few so that he won’t die
Then I’ll become the monster
I will deal the blow
And I’ll become the monster, like none they’ve ever known
So, what if I’m the monster lurking deep below!
I must become the monster and then he’ll make it ho-o-o-ome
Penelope…
Telemachus
Oh ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves
I’ll become the monster
Spectres: (Shouting 'Monster' whenever Athena shouts 'Monster', except for the last time she says it).
Notes:
And so concludes what I will call Act 1 of this story: the intro arc. Act 2 will be for... I don't know how many chapters. Right now my main idea is for Act 2 to be the entirety of the PJO series and Act 3, because yes the changes I make will have major ramifications for the rest of the Percy Jackson universe, will be for HoO. Act 3 will probably be a separate fic.
For once Agamemnon said something useful. Who knew?
I didn't adapt the full song of 'Monster' from Epic the Musical because it had way too many lyrics for what I was going for. I hope it still reads okay.
Rachel cameo. Yeah, she will be important later on, mostly for warning Percy and the rest of Olympus the impending danger that is approaching because of Athena's actions.
Also, Andromache and Astyanax do hate Odysseus. Not in the 'crazy evil villain way' but just in a general way. They hate him for what his plans had done to their home and how it had ruined, or ended in terms of Astyanax, their lives. Andromache and Astyanax won't go out of their way to thwart Athena's plans, nor will they aid in any efforts to make sure Odysseus stayed dead. They just don't like him and cannot forgive him. It's fair, all things considered.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave comments for your opinions below.
Chapter 10: Confrontations of Feelings
Notes:
Hello.
I originally thought I would just update this work every time I got another 1k of hits/reads.
Now I'm realising that is impractical and I'll probably change that strategy.
Anyways, here's another chapter to celebrate over 9000 hits.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It had been a week and so much had changed.
For starters, Luke betraying the Gods sadly came to fruition. Percy couldn’t have believed it. He hadn’t known Luke for long, but he couldn’t deny that he felt close to him. He felt like a role model, someone he could look up to. Now, he was the guy who had tried to kill Percy with a pit scorpion from Tartarus, no doubt delivered to him by Kronos himself. If it weren’t for Chiron dragging him to a river and the centaur’s own healing magic, Percy would have died. It was hard to see Annabeth looking so crestfallen at the loss of Luke. Percy had vowed to himself that he and Annabeth would try their best to bring him back.
The Gods had already confirmed that Kronos had warped Luke’s mind. Percy hadn’t doubted it, not believing a word of Luke’s reasoning for doing something so drastic. Being ignored by your parent is no reason to commit murder. Luke’s mind had apparently been warped so much to the point that it was a miracle there was any Luke left at all. How Luke had been corrupted was still unknown, but Percy knew that he wasn’t going to lose his friend like this. He and Annabeth both vowed to save him from Kronos’ grasp.
For that, though, Percy had to train hard… and training hard he did.
If it weren’t for the blessings Ares and Artemis gave him, he was certain he would have passed out a hundred times from exhaustion. Their blessings had more benefits than he expected. His stamina was significantly better than before, allowing him to exert himself for hours on end without tiring. Ares’ blessing significantly reduced lactic acid build up so he could run for miles on end without stopping and it made him faster so he could easily deflect bullets, line them up and fling them back with the same speed they were shot. The strength and durability were great bonuses, allowing him to tank full force hits from Ares without all his bones breaking into tiny pieces and he could even punch Ares with the same force the God dealt out. He was also able to absorb the kinetic energy from blows and unleash that stockpiled energy on foes. He was thankful he was innately able to know how to not accidentally unleash it, otherwise he might have destroyed his entire apartment building.
Artemis’ blessing was completely different. It allowed him to have a connection with nature and even bend it to his will, allowing him to call upon wild animals and even summon plant wildlife for protection. His accuracy was vastly improved, allowing him to get bullseyes on every shot he made with a bow, as well as allowing him to deflect some of Artemis’ shots which, according to her, were faster than the speed of light. Being out at night also gave him a boost in energy, adding on to the effects of Ares’ blessing and it even allowed him to call upon the moon’s power. He barely needed to sleep anymore, four hours every few days doing more than enough for him.
And the cherry on top was that their blessings enhanced Percy’s original powerset or unlocked abilities he had yet to learn, allowing him to do things like create water out of thin air and change the water’s state from liquid to gas or solid to help in battle.
With all of these effect on his side, Percy thought he was more than powerful enough. Unfortunately, the other Gods did not think so. Kronos was one of the most powerful beings in the universe, not primordial level, but certainly one of the highest in the God and Titan level. Olympus was trying to find more allies, minor Gods who could also give their blessings to Percy since having too many blessings from major Gods was not a good thing. It could overwhelm him and cause him to combust, which would not be good for the world since, according to Tiresias, he was Olympus’ best chance at victory. He could either get two more major God blessings or one more major God blessing and three minor God ones.
‘If only I could have gotten one more, then I would have been like having seven Horcruxes,’ Percy had thought. Sadly, the Fates weren’t on his side for that one.
Now, here he was, doing one on one battle with Ares and barely surviving.
‘Gods, this is hard,’ Percy thought as he deflected another blow from Ares with his sword. Percy knew that Ares was going easy on him and it was, admittedly, frustrating. He needed to be better than this. Kronos was going to be much harder to face than him and Percy needed to be at his full potential.
Fortunately, Annabeth Chase was a voice of reason that pierced through his self-depreciation. She made him logically see that he was obviously not going to be perfect since his training only started two days ago. Percy was glad to have her as a friend.
Ares fought hard despite only using half his strength and Percy did his best to dodge and block and even try land a few hits on him. Ares was more successful, though, landing blows that would have been devastating had it not been for his temporary invincibility. He felt it running out, though, and he needed to take down Ares in this time. It was easier said than done. Ares left no windows for attack, meaning that Percy had to find his own windows. Being a demigod meant that his senses were on overcharge in battle, looking for any possible point of attack and thinking of ways to seize those moments. Ares’ blessing enhanced that capability.
Percy leapt back and had to use water to propel himself over the wall of swords that Ares had manifested behind him, having heard them jut out from the ground.
“Good, you’re able to sense attacks you can’t see and reacting on the spot!” Ares told him. “You’re using your blessing and your natural senses well!”
Percy grinned slightly as he leapt for an attack, summoning water as a shield. Ares easily dispelled the water shield with a blow from his spear and then landed a solid blow on Percy’s head with his shield. Percy felt his invincibility weaken drastically, nearly completely depleted. Then, he felt it fully go away as Ares hit him with a spear that he summoned from the ground. Luckily, it didn’t run through him, otherwise he would have died then and there. Percy focused hard now, managing to summon a shield from the ground. Yes, that was another ability Ares’ blessing granted him, the ability to summon weapons and battle equipment from the ground. Percy charged and threw his shield at Ares. The God easily deflected it and stepped to the side as Percy made a daring strike at him. He managed to graze Ares’ side.
“Heh, not bad,” Ares said before striking with his spear. Percy dodged the blow and tried leaping away but heard swords burst from the ground again, blocking that avenue of escape. The next thing he knew, he was brought to his knees by a shield blow to the head and a spear was aimed at his neck.
“Yield,” Ares told him. Percy sighed, “Yes, sir.”
Percy finally started panting, partially annoyed that Ares wasn’t panting as well. Was he really that easy to defeat that Ares didn’t seem tired at all?
“Nah, kid, I just used some of my remaining power to recuperate quicker,” Ares told him.
“Are you reading my mind!?” Percy demanded indignantly.
“I could practically hear the self-depreciation from ya, Perce. It’s hard not to notice that, especially when, since you’re a God, you’re born with natural telepathy,” Ares reminded him.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. And don’t beat yourself up too hard, alright. You literally started two days ago, remember? Don’t expect so much from yourself after just starting training. That Athena girl was onto something with that.”
“I know but… I beat you once, alright-”
“Kid, no offence, but do ya really think ya had actually won that fight?” Ares asked with a raised eyebrow. Percy sighed, conceding. Ares had a point. In comparison to his fight with him now and the fight with him at the beach, it was clear that Ares had not been putting any of his strength or skill into that fight. The only reason Percy ‘won’ the fight was because Kronos intervened and scared the God of war off. Had Kronos not intervened, Percy was certain he would have been reduced to a bloody pulp.
“Great, so I don’t even have that under my belt,” Percy muttered.
“Hey, don’t focus on the past and focus on the now. You grazed me, Perce, while I was at half power. Do you have any idea how good that is?”
Percy shook his head, prompting Ares to continue, “Most minor Gods can’t even touch me on the battlefield. Out of your ocean family, only your half-brother, Triton, has actually hurt me in the past. The fact you were able to hit me with your sword is an impressive feat.”
“…You’re not lying, are you?”
“I Don’t see why I would. That’d just be pointless and it’d mean you’d not grow any better and believe me when I say that you will be getting better in combat. Ya already are,” Ares explained.
“Yeah… is it bad that it was only because of your blessings?”
“Perce, without em, no demigod would have ever stood a chance against me, let alone Kronos. Well, except Heracles but he sucked on my mom’s breasts to get a power boost so that doesn’t count.”
“I did not need that imagery.”
“Well, it’s in your noggin now.”
“Fuck off.”
“Nah, annoying ya is too funny.”
“…Thanks for telling me that I’m improving… it helps,” Percy admitted, hating how vulnerable he felt.
“So… what’s going on in ya head, punk?” Ares inquired.
“You really sound like Clarisse, you know that?”
“Yep, she’s almost like her dad… but better,” Ares murmured the last part, sounding grateful that she was. When Percy had first met Clarisse, he had thought she was a bully, plain and simple. It turned out, however, that they just had a really brutal aesthetic and a really weird sense of humour. Apparently, the toilet prank was something they pulled on a lot of annoying campers or campers that had angered them. For example, a pompous child of Khione who got humbled by having her head dunked in the toilet. Percy had unfortunately landed himself in the second category by angering Clarisse. After he caused the toilet water to erupt and hit all the Ares campers, that had demanded retribution too, hence why she went after him in capture the flag. Now that Ares had called off the feud, Clarisse was actually a pretty decent person to be around. She was harsh and mean sometimes but she mostly acted friendly and kind, like a gruff yet responsible older sister. He preferred that version of Clarisse to the one who hated his guts. It felt… weirdly comforting to have a sibling guide him in life.
“I’ll ask again, what’s going on in ya head, Jackson?”
“…Gabe…” Percy admitted.
“Oh, that piece of shit,” Ares muttered.
“Yeah it’s… after learning about what he did to Mom I just feel so-”
“Pathetic?” Ares finished.
“…How did you guess?”
“Let’s just say Zeus was neither the greatest dad nor greatest wife,” Ares responded. Percy winced. “Sorry if I brought up-”
“Nah, it’s okay. I know he’s changed and all that, he’s proven that millions of times over the last thousands of years… but abuse is something you really can’t forget.”
“…Will I be able to move on?” Percy asked.
“Yeah, I think so. You’ve gotten into therapy, right?” Ares asked.
“Yeah, thank the Gods that Artemis knows some good therapists,” Percy explained. “I’m supposed to be starting soon but it’s been a hectic week so far.”
“Good. The abuse is something you can’t really forget. You can repress it but even then your body can remember when your mind doesn’t. But know that there is always hope. You can get better, you can grow stronger and you can live a good life. Now, how are you feeling pathetic?”
The way Ares spoke made Percy realise the God had had to confront similar feelings before. He wished the war God hadn’t. No one deserved to go through abuse.
“I just… I feel like I should have known. I should have done something. Now that I know I’m a demigod, I feel so stupid. I could have beaten back Gabe for Mom… and me.”
“Don’t ever blame yourself for being abused, kid,” Ares said firmly.
“I know I shouldn’t! I talked about it with Mom too and she told me that but I was a demigod! I could have fought back! I could have done something to save us! Why didn’t Mom tell me!? Why did she stay with that man!? Why did she-”
Percy gasped, realising what he was saying. “No- nonononono, I- I didn’t mean it! My mom is a good person! My mom-”
“Stayed with him,” Ares finished. Percy’s eyes widened, anger flowing through him. “Hey, don’t blame her!”
“Kid, I’m sorry, but you’re gonna have to confront those feelings about your mom. You’re gonna have to confront how you think she should never have stayed with that man, how you always hated and despised him yet she still stayed with your abuser no matter how much you asked to leave him.”
“…Please… not today I- I can’t deal with that today,” Percy muttered, tears leaking out of his eyes. He couldn’t blame his mom! She had done everything in her power to protect him! She had thought she was taking all the abuse so he wouldn’t. How could he hate someone who had let themselves be hurt for his sake. Not even that, how could he hate his mom when he had been a problem child all his life that contributed to his mom’s stress. He had gotten expelled from school after school, barely making it the full year each time. Now despite the reasons being that he got into fights with people he now knew to be monsters, he should have been more careful. If he had maybe… maybe…
‘It doesn’t change the fact that she stayed with him,’ his mind told him. Percy shook his head. He couldn’t deal with this topic anymore.
“S-sorry for ranting like that,” Percy apologised.
“No need kid. As for feeling pathetic… you were just a kid. No matter how strong you are, fear can always overtake you. I’m actually physically stronger than my Dad but I still couldn’t fight him all those millennia ago. Fear is one of the many weapons an abuser wields and Gabe used it good against you. You were a child, a scared child and that’s okay. It was okay to feel weak and feel incapable of fighting back. And I know his words will cut deep but remember one thing, he is gone. He is dead. You don’t have to deal with him anymore and you can grow stronger. That way, you won’t be the weak kid he said you were anymore.”
“…Thank you, Lord Ares,” Percy said with a warm smile. The atmosphere felt heavy… too heavy. Percy couldn’t take it. He needed to lighten it up somehow.
“Yeah, you’re right. Gabe was a piece of shit. A piece of shit you reduced to pieces of shit and left for us to clean up!” Percy retorted jokingly. Ares’ eyes flashed with surprise before a smirk grew on his face.
“Eh, Artemis and I thought you both would want to deal with his remains. Did you flush them down the toilet?”
“Would have clogged it. We gave him the honourable burial of throwing him in the trash alongside rotting pizza and dog poo,” Percy told him with a mock-serious expression. Ares burst into laughter. “More than the bastard deserved, eh?”
“Yeah, probably but we weren’t really close to any farms so we could sprinkle his pieces with the animal dung,” Percy explained mock-solemnly. Ares laughed even more and Percy joined in too. He didn’t know why, but he felt lighter around Ares. Almost like he was around a…
‘No, not yet,’ Percy thought, having had bad experiences with three male role model figures now. First Gabe, then Poseidon and now Luke. He couldn’t let himself be so vulnerable to consider Ares as a fourth. Still, it wasn’t made any easier by how the God of war made himself so nice to be around.
“Alright, I think we’ve had enough of a break,” Ares told him.
“No-o-o!” Percy whined as they got ready to fight again.
…………
Percy was teleported back to Camp Half-Blood by Ares, who bode him farewell before teleporting away too. Apparently, he had some rogue Gods to hunt down.
As Percy walked by, he noticed significant differences in Camp. One, there were a lot more demigods than usual. Not only kids but adults too, ranging from people in their twenties to even in their 90s. Secondly, there were mortals too. Mothers who were caring for their demigod kids, wives who were held close by their husbands and more. Third, when Percy looked into the open cabin door of the Demeter cabin, he saw that the cabin was significantly bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, big enough to fit over a hundred people.
Ever since it had been declared Kronos was rising the Gods were rushing those close of them to Camp Half-Blood and Camp Legacy (the camp for legacies, children of demigods). The two camps were the safest places for them all right now, or at least were good halfway spots until they were able to create stable portals for easy access to Olympus. Sadly, Olympus becoming a safe place was a long way away, mostly due to how it was currently being heavily fortified and construction was going on underground to make safe spaces for mortals and demigods to take sanctuary in.
The Gods were not going to let Kronos get a hand on anyone close to them because they could easily be used as bartering chips, chips that could be used to make traitors out of their allies. Some potential traitors had already been revealed. Silena Beauregard had nearly betrayed Olympus for the sake of her biological mortal mother, Percy had no idea how that worked since Aphrodite was also her mother, who had been threatened by Kronos. The two of them being kept at Camp Half-Blood prevented Silena from going down a dark path… though it did lead to a spanking from Silena’s mortal mother and Aphrodite for thinking of working for Kronos.
Camp could be weird at times.
Percy made it to his own cabin and, luckily was greeted with the sight of his mother. She was wearing a dress and a cardigan and long hair looked rather tidy. She looked better and healthier than when she was living with Gabe.
‘When she was forcing herself to live with Gabe,’ his mind reminded him. Percy growled at the thought, focusing instead on how his cabin looked. Unlike the other cabins which were expanded by the respective Gods that represented them, his was expanded by Triton, since Poseidon was angry at Percy and refused to do it. Percy really hated his Dad.
“Hi, Mom,” Percy said.
“Hi, Percy,” Sally welcomed him, hugging him. Percy tensed before wrapping his own arms around her. As he looked closer, he saw that Sally’s eyes were red from crying. He hated seeing it. His mother should never look sad… but then again it has been a rather intense week. They had to upend their whole life and move into Camp Half-Blood with the knowledge that their residence here could last for years. Sally had to say goodbye to the mortal world and the few friends she had in it to relocate to a world she was mostly foreign to. It was honestly surprising she was taking it this well.
“So, how was training with Ares?” Sally asked.
“Okay. I’m improving, though,” Percy responded.
“That’s so good, Percy. I am so proud of you.”
Percy smiled and braced for an insult… that would never come. This would be around the time where Gabe would belittle him and make his accomplishments feel worthless. It was strange not having that voice anymore. He was grateful, of course, but Gabe’s belittlement had been a staple of his life for so long. It was something he would have to get used to.
‘You wouldn’t have to if she left him,’ his mind reminded him.
“Shut up,” Percy murmured.
“Did you say something?” Sally asked.
“Nothing, nothing. So… how is life.”
“Confusing, that’s for sure. It’s so weird being here. It’s definitely an improvement from the apartment, though.”
“…How are the other adults?”
“Oh, I’ve met some wonderful ones. I’ve made friends with Charles’ and Silena’s mothers at least and Sophia Fletcher is good too. But don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’m glad your training with Ares went well.”
“…Were you crying?” Percy asked. Sally’s eyes widened. “What- oh Percy I’m-”
“Please, don’t lie to me,” Percy told her. “I’m- I’m tired of lies between us. They’ve hurt us so much. We can’t lie to each other anymore.”
“Well, what if I ask you if you’ve been on a date?”
Percy paused before chuckling a little. “Okay, maybe avoid unnecessary lying. You hiding why you were crying is unnecessary lying in my books.”
“…I was thinking of Gabe,” Sally admitted. Percy winced. That man really was a stain on their lives. Sally continued, “I was thinking… of how I failed you.”
“What!? No, no you didn’t-” Percy tried but the words caught in his throat, what Ares said replaying in his mind about needing to confront his thoughts about his mom.
“It’s true. I have failed you. I’ve failed you so, so badly. I should never have been with that man. I could have left at any time. I was self-sufficient enough to do so but I let my cowardice get the better of me. I thought I was taking all the hits and pain but you were too! I just can’t believe I missed it. I can’t believe how I missed him hurting you!”
“…I hid it well,” Percy admitted. “I kept to myself and made sure you saw none of my bruises and burns-”
“Burns?” Sally inquired, mortified. Percy sighed, “Gabe burned me a few times with cigarettes and cigars when he could afford them.”
Sally looked so, so horrified and ashamed that it hurt. She immediately embraced her son. “I’m sorry! I am so sorry for ever staying with that man! I should have listened to you when you asked me to leave him! I should have known you were being hurt too! I am so, so sorry and I will do all I can to make it up to you. Oh, my precious boy how could I have let this happen?”
Sally stroked his head soothingly and Percy leaned into her touch.
Then the words came tumbling out of his mouth.
“I hated you for it,” Percy admitted. “I- no hate’s too strong. I- I disliked you. I disliked you for staying with him and ignoring me when I asked you to leave him. I disliked it when you supplied that man and his habits. You were- you were so s-strong and we- we could have made it on our own. He was j-just a leech d-draining money from us. I-it made me feel horrible. It made me feel like you loved him more than me. I thought that I was less than him at times, that he was somehow better than me in a way I couldn’t understand, that he could be something for you I could never be. Gabe made sure to rub it in my face every day, reminding me of how I was less to you and how I was a screw up who couldn’t even stick to a school for over a year. I- Gods I believed it.”
Sally hugged him even tighter before letting him go and kneeling down so she was at eye level with him.
“Percy, I need you to remember something for me, okay?” Sally began. “You are my light. You are the thing or person that provides me the most joy in life. I have always wanted a child and you are absolutely perfect. You have always been perfect to me. Your flaws are irrelevant in comparison to all the good inside you and all the happiness you bring me. What Gabe said was absolutely wrong and untrue. He is just a piece of shit that took the form of a human. I truly, truly wished Poseidon could have guided me to a better person than that monster. I can’t undo the past but I will make sure that you will feel love and warmth and joy for the rest of your life. I know that the path you are on is going to be hard but I will make sure that the good days far outweigh the bad ones. And I will accept any blame or anger you direct at me for what I didn’t do. You have every right to be mad at me but I will still make sure you will be as happy as possible. You’re my son, Percy Jackson. I would do anything for you.”
Percy squeezed tighter as tears fell down his face like waterfalls. This was what he needed to hear. These words were precisely what he had needed and they felt so perfect. He felt like a weight as large as a mountain was lifted off his chest and shoulders. He heard his mom cry too.
“Do you still want me to live even if it means Odysseus will die?”
“Yes. I know it sounds horrible but yes. If it means my baby stays alive, I don’t care. You’re my whole world, Percy.”
The two just stood there, crying and letting out all that pent up guilt. Percy felt warm and safe in his mother’s arms. He also felt a sense of resolve. He would do this. He would be the hero of the Great Prophecy and he would be a part of the second one too. He knew it would spell Odysseus’ death but he didn’t care. If it meant he would stay alive for his mom and anyone else he cared about or cared about him, he would do what he needed to.
He supposed it was something similar between them. Both Odysseus and him cared too much about the ones they loved to ever make them sad through their deaths.
…………
“So, couldn’t even be bothered to help out the woman you knocked up, huh?” Ares asked Poseidon. The two Gods were facing each other on the beach and Ares was holding back every urge in his body to punch the sea king into Tartarus. “Had to have your son do it, eh?”
“Shut up, Ares,” Poseidon responded through gritted teeth, his long hair flowing in the wind. He muttered the next part, “It’s not like Sally would have accepted the help if it was from me.”
“What was that?” Ares asked.
“Nothing. How’s training going with the brat?”
“Percy is doing rather well, no thanks to you!”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Make sure he’s trained to perfection. I need him to survive so Odysseus can finally die, ha ha ha.”
“…You disgust me,” Ares said with utmost honesty. “Even with your son’s life in danger, all you can think about is your petty feud with a man from thousands of years ago, a man you’ve tormented for millennia. You’re pathetic.”
Poseidon sneered in response but Ares continued before another sickening word could leave the sea God’s mouth, “I will ensure that Percy is well trained. Not for the sake of your petty revenge but so that he can survive and return to those he loves. Maybe if you had some decency, you would have that as your main reason for wanting him to stay alive.”
With that, Ares teleported away in a bright flash of red light, temporarily blinding Poseidon. He gritted his teeth but then sighed dejectedly. The war God was right. He should care more about Percy’s well-being than revenge, but the brat had dared to offend him back at Olympus so Poseidon’s hands were ties. A king could not look weak and should not support those who were against him, even if they were his own kin. As he entered the water and began swimming back to the kingdom, he thought of his other children, his cyclopes children. He hadn’t thought about them in a while. He’d only had one a few years ago as of recent, choosing to spend his nights in the bedroom with his wife, Amphitrite, instead. Also, he just hadn’t felt interested in sex recently.
He thought of the boy now, probably barely surviving on the streets with his nymph mother. …Maybe he could salvage his relationship with that kid instead.
Notes:
And that's a wrap for this chapter.
Percy does not actually hate his Mom but he does dislike how she chose to stay with Gabe. He partially blames her for all the pain he went through. It's kind of true and Sally accepts the blame fully whilst also striving to be better and making his days filled with happiness.
Also, Poseidon is starting to get the idea of finally being a good dad for once. Will it work out with Tyson... probably not.
Deep down, Poseidon does care about Percy but Percy dares to hate him so Poseidon will not help him. He cannot be seen helping people who dislike him and have vocalised it otherwise it would ruin his image of being a tough and ruthless king. He also regrets ruining Sally's life, finally understanding the idea of 'weight of his actions'. Again, though, he won't show it since he must maintain the image of a ruthless king.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave comments for your opinions below.
Chapter 11: The New Warrior of the Mind
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Hades commanded many creatures and beings as part of his domain, including warriors who lived lifetimes of fighting and battle. He was certain that nearly all of these warriors were assembled now.
First were the legions of dead. Skeletons stood at the ready, posture straight from their time in the military in life. They all wore battle armour and wielded weapons of varying kinds, from spears to machine guns to handheld railguns. Then there were the zombies, hunched over, flesh still clinging to their bodies but the smell coming from them and the state of decay said flesh was in gave off what they were. Ghost floated above them, translucent beings who were a spirit blue colour, souls who were once in Elysium ready to serve the God that granted them paradise.
Then there were the hellhounds, giant demonic dogs with glowing orange eyes like fire and numerous serrated fangs. Some of them had elemental abilities too, their mouths frothing with flame or crackling with thunder. Some even had three heads, an imitation of their father, the father of all hellhouds, Cerberus. Ghouls floated alongside the ghosts, their cloaks black or white, depending whether they were punishers or the ones who brought redeemed souls to Elysium,
And finally, there were the three original Furies, Alecto, Tisiphone and Magaera, three of the strongest warriors who hovered over the Fields of Punishment and tormented those locked away there. Hades could have had some of their children command the legions he had amassed, but for this specific mission he entrusted it only to the best of the best.
This mission was the saving of his children.
“My subjects, you know what you must do!” Hades commanded. “Disguise this operation you are about to undertake as a reaping of all the souls residing in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, finally granting them the peace of death and reuniting them with their loved ones, who have long since passed. Also, relocate any recently acquired victims of the hotel and bring them to their loved ones. But know your main mission. Find my children and bring them here! Go!”
Hades slammed the blunt end of his bident on the ground and a large black portal that looked like it was made of shadows appeared in front of the armies of the Underworld. Without hesitancy, the amassed forces charge through, ready to do their lord’s bidding.
Hades sighed as he vanished into shadows, back into the throne room, where his loving family was waiting for him. There, right in front, was Persephone, his loyal wife who had been with him through so much and still accepted their marriage, despite the challenges they had faced and, admittedly, the weirdness behind it all. Beside her was their first daughter, Makaria, with her white hair that reminded him of snow, and black eyes that somehow radiated warmth. Their son, their second child, had spiky black hair, a red chiton with a skull pauldron, one green and one red eye and a large sword to Persephone’s left. He was Zagreus, their second child and one they somehow reanimated. They would never forget the joy of having their son again. The third and final child was Melinöe, the youngest daughter of the Hades family. Her hair, once blonde had been turned black and was short and slightly fell over her left eye. She was toned and wore a black trench-coat jeans and a black t-shirt.
Then, finally, a member who was not a God but was just as important. Maria di Angelo, an Italian woman with olive skin, dark brown eyes and who wore a black dress with plenty of jewellery.
“Hades, have you sent aid to the children?” Maria inquired. Hades nodded, “I have, they will be safe don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry!? The smartest Goddess in our pantheon has made it her mission to take our children and she also has the power to do so!” Maria countered.
“She’s right to worry,” Makaria admitted. “Athena is ruthless and determined. Even if we were to bring him here, I am unsure how long we could hold her off.”
“Yeah, she’s a scary one,” Zagreus admitted. “She beat my ass in a fight, and I beat you.”
“Same here,” Melinöe added. “She beat me up so badly I had to go to the hospital for a month. …I really should not have joked about liking Pallas. She is surprisingly possessive.”
“Perhaps we should not say these things in front of Nico’s and Bianca’s mother,” Persephone reminded them, seeing the growing worry on Maria’s face.
“Oh,” all three children of Hades spoke.
“I- I can’t- what will happen to them!?” Maria demanded, clearly more frightened than before.
“We will save them,” Hades reassured her, putting calming hands on her shoulders. He hated how he put such a burden on her without knowing it. When Hades and Persephone had first laid eyes on the mortal, they had both decided to have children with her through Hades, a tradition they had carried out with several mortals since Persephone had become infertile after the birth of Melinöe.
They had thought their children and Maria could live normal lives, protected by Hades and the armies he commanded. Maria had even thought the two would go to Camp Half-Blood and get some lessons there in defending themselves and make friends, despite Hades explaining that they literally had billions of dead people and billions of dead warriors. What more could someone want?
Then the Great Prophecy came to be spoke by that accursed oracle. After that, came Zeus striking down the apartment the di Angelos were staying in. Hades knew Zeus regretted it to this day but he had still been furious at his younger brother for doing what he did. Maria had wanted her children to live, to see the world and exist in it. She wanted to watch as they grew older and maturer and see them explore all the wonders in the world. Heck, Maria had wanted to do that too.
Still… it was for the best. A prophecy which threatened their whole family and the world was too much to risk. Besides… Zeus also did what he needed to with his own kids, those below sixteen since anyone over that age was automatically fine. Hades remembered seeing all those children, some mere infants, arrive at the Underworld, slain by their father. He knew that Zeus regretted that decision and visited his children twice a week in the Underworld, more than he would have legally been allowed to get in life.
Despite it all, Hades had managed to keep the di Angelo children alive and, by Maria’s request, place them in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, where they would barely age a day in centuries of time, with the hope that the prophecy would be fulfilled sooner or later or just not come into effect altogether so Hades could bring them back into the mortal world. It had put a great strain on Maria, though, not being able to see her children for over around eighty years. Hades had reassured her that it would all be worth it and that once the prophecy had passed he would revive Maria and let them all lead lavish lives.
Now, though, a certain Goddess of wisdom was threatening to ruin it all, ruin all the effort they had put into keeping their children alive. …The worst part was that Hades knew there was a fifty percent chance that Athena would succeed no matter what. She was the smartest of them all and had won countless other great prophecies for Olympus with her strategic mind. She even managed to mitigate the effects of a great prophecy which basically forced him and Zeus to wage war with one another, ensuring that there were no casualties. She could do anything. And now she was after his remaining two demigod children.
He just really hoped that his forces could get to them in time.
…………
“Nico! Nico where are you!?” Bianca yelled, growing more and more nervous by the minute. She had searched for over an hour now and he was still nowhere to be found. She really hoped he was okay. She had already asked the staff to help search for him but they were still coming up empty. Where was he?
Her mind flashed back to an hour beforehand.
“Why did you leave the room, Nico!” Bianca yelled.
“I- I just wanted to play some games,” Nico replied timidly.
“You idiot! You could have gotten lost! You could have been taken by a bad man! Did you want to be taken by a bad man!?”
“Well then why did you get to leave then!?” Nico demanded.
“I was going to ask the staff for some food!” Bianca replied quickly.
“You’re lying! I know that voice!”
“Fine, you know what? I wanted a break, okay? I just wanted to be a kid myself and I hoped that you could listen to one simple thing I told you!”
“I was scared and I needed to find you…”
“You’re always scared! Can’t you just hold it in!”
“I… I’m sor-”
“Do you know how exhausting it is to be your mother!?” Bianca demanded. “I want to be a kid myself yet I’m stuck here babying you!”
“Put some more trust in me then!”
“How!? You wonder off all the time and barely act a bit mature!”
“Then TEACH ME! IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE MY MOTHER INSTEAD OF MY SISTER THEN TEACH ME! I’m not so pathetic that I can’t learn! Believe that I can grow and maybe I’ll-”
Bianca slapped him, all her pent up frustration roaring out of her. “SHUT UP! I COULDN’T TRUST YOU EVEN IF I WANTED TO! I WISH YOU’D JUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONCE!”
It took too long a minute for Bianca to realise what she did, to understand why Nico was crying. She put a hand over her mouth, not the one she slapped him with and now felt like chopping off.
“N-Nico I- I-” Bianca tried reaching out but Nico recoiled. It was the most painful thing for her to see in her life. Then, Nico took off, running out of their room.
“N-Nico w-wait!” Bianca called out, rising to her feet as quickly as she could once the mental shock of what she had done wore off. She quickly stood up and ran out as well, looking for her brother.
Bianca started biting her nails, feeling more and more guilty by the second. She hadn’t meant to hit her brother, she really didn’t. Sadly, there was no excuse for what she did. Besides, he had been right. She should have taught him how to be mature too, rather than put it all on herself. She needed to find him and make it up to him.
She kept searching, looking around for any place the boy could be hiding… but there was no sign of him. Where was he? Where was he!? Bianca was growing more and more panicked by the second. What if he ran into someone bad? What if someone was hurting him right now? She couldn’t bear the thought.
As she ran around the main lobby, pushing past a few guests, a portal opened up, one that looked like it was made of shadows.
Then Hell entered.
Skeletons, zombies, giant dogs with fire breath and more came pouring out of the portal, performing what she thought was the apocalypse. Death surrounded her now. People were being skewered on spears, slashed to bits by swords, gunned down by machine guns and torn apart by weird electric guns. She became even more frantic than before. She couldn’t let Nico die!
“NICO!” she called out with all her strength. “NICO WHERE ARE YOU!? I’M SORRY BUT PLEASE TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE! SHOUT! SCREAM! ANYTHING!”
She pleaded and pleaded but there was no Nico. Maybe he was huddled up somewhere, scared now. This was all her fault.
Suddenly, the three worst creatures fixed their eyes on her, demonic-looking creatures with large, leathery bat wings. They looked like the demons described in religious texts. And they were coming for her.
“Nonono, please,” Bianca whispered, her voice all but lost to her as she was too consumed by fear. The three demons now landed directly next to her. Bianca screamed in fear.
“Where is your brother?” one of them questioned in its ugly voice that cut through the screaming and death. Nico? They wanted Nico? No! Nonono!
“I- I don’t k-know,” Bianca responded, mustering up all her bravery, “b-but don’t t-take him! T-take me instead! I’ll let you hurt me in w-whatever way you s-see fit. But please, don’t hurt my little brother. He’s only nine years old, please.”
“Agh, grant her her memories back, we are getting nowhere with this!” the second one shouted.
“M-my memories?” Bianca asked, confused. For so long, memory had evaded her. What had really happened in her childhood. All she recalled clearly was that she and Nico were orphans and that she was taken care of her. The other two demons nodded in agreement, the third one asking something to the sky. Was it prayer? Did demons pray?
The third one’s hand suddenly glowed with a dull grey energy and she started walking towards Bianca. Almost every part of Bianca told her to run, but the moment she saw that grey energy she felt… a sort of pull towards it. As if it had the answers to all her questions. A second later, the demon put her glowing hand to Bianca’s forehead.
Then, everything came rushing back.
Bianca felt it all surge back into her skull, her memories, her past her identity. It felt painful yet at the same time so relieving, as if a part of her was made whole. After a long, long minute Tisiphone pulled away, the grey energy having fully seeped into Bianca’s mind.
Bianca remembered it all, how she had had a loving mother who… was sadly dead, her father who was actually the Underworld’s king, how Greek mythology was real and how the three demons she was afraid of just a minute ago… were actually some of the best aunties one could ask for. She felt embarrassed for being afraid of them.
“I- I remember it all,” Bianca murmured. She could have cried out of relief if it weren’t for the mass extermination going on around her… and her embarrassment. “S-sorry for being scared of you-”
“Eh, you were scared of us when you first saw us before,” Magaera stated. “Only Nico was unafraid. He kind of found us cool.”
Bianca remembered it vividly, back when she had been eight and he had been six. Any normal child would have been afraid of seeing the Furies in their demonic visages. Nico had thought they were awesome. …He was a strange kid.
“Speaking of which, where is your brother?” Alecto asked.
“I really don’t know… w-what is going on here?”
“Unimportant, you truly don’t know?” Alecto repeated.
“Y-yes. We had a fight and he- he ran out of our room into the hallway. I- I got up soon after to chase him and… he wasn’t there. I swear it wasn’t that long, maybe a few seconds, and there is no way Nico could outrun me, and not only that, run down such a long hallway without me seeing him.”
“GRAGH!” Tisiphone roared. “She got him!”
“Who got him!?” Bianca demanded, fearful now.
“Athena, she has him. …We’re getting you out of here, come on!” Alecto commanded, quickly ushering Bianca out with her through the portal of shadows, greeting her with the familiar sight of the Underworld. It did nothing to dispel her fear.
“Wait, what does it mean!?” Bianca questioned. “What does Athena having Nico mean!?”
“…Nothing good…” Alecto confessed.
…………
Nico groaned as he rose to a sitting position, opening his eyes.
He was in a place that was definitely not the Lotus Hotel and Casino. He had been taken. One minute, he had been running from his sister, feeling hurt and scared of her, but also angry at himself for angering her so much. The next, he ran into the grey cloak of a woman who looked like she had giant grey owl wings.
Now he was sitting in a giant field of bright green grass, a clear blue sky and a few trees here and there. What was most interesting was the building. It was enormous, a literal castle made from bright grey brick with battlements all around. Well, the outer wall was grey, he didn’t know what the inside of the area looked like, but judging from the gorgeous blue spire that stretched to the sky, he assumed it was rather artistic-looking. It looked flawless and majestic. Nothing looked out of place and yet it looked like a masterpiece only conceivable in art.
“Ah, there is nothing like returning to this place,” a woman called out. Nico turned to see the woman he had ran into, a woman with grey eyes wearing golden battle armour with an owl-head engravement partially protruding outwards. It was a rather menacing owl. Nico had been wrong, though. Her cloak was actually wings, four large majestic owl wings, grey in colour. The feathers looked well maintained yet a bit frayed as if she had been in battle. Seeing this woman, she probably had been. The woman, who Nico honestly thought was an archangel, continued, “You know, I made this castle with my own two hands. Now, being a Goddess I could have just manifested it or created builders from ants to build it but… it didn’t feel the same. I wanted to build it. I wanted to know that I had not only conceived such a masterpiece but also built it with my own to hands. Luckily, being a Goddess, I used my powers to enhance my speed, strength and durability to turn what would have been months of work to a few days. When I finally finished it… I felt so rewarded.”
“…Okay… now who are you? You said you were a Goddess?”
“Correct young one. I am Athena, Goddess of wisdom, war and architecture.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yes, young one, the Greek Gods are real,” Athena told him, thinking it would take a long while for Nico to accept this. If a long while counted as a few seconds then she was technically right.
“The Greek Gods are real!? Really!? Oh my God, or Gods now, I guess, that’s so cool! I have all of you as Mythomagic cards but seeing the real deal… wow!”
“Well, I can certainly say this is going a lot better than expected,” Athena commented.
“Can you bring my sister here too!? She’d love to see you! Well, she might beat you up a bit for kidnapping me and making her worry but other than that-”
“She can’t,” Athena told him. Nico stared at her, confused. “Why not?”
“…Listen, what I am about to explain to will be long and complicated and… make me a bit emotional, but please try and understand,” Athena requested. Nico saw the pain in her eyes, pain from loss and fear. She looked desperate, like she was trying to keep something safe. He nodded, refusing to let this Goddess sit with so much pain. Athena sighed in relief.
…………
It had taken an hour but she managed to tell him everything about his past, his life before his time in the Lotus Hotel and Casino, well, as much as she knew anyway. She wasn’t connected to the Underworld so she could not get his memories back. That would require a visit to Mnemosyne, something that would have taken too long and would have led to her failing to get him in the first place. She had also told him about all that had transpired these last few days, the despair she had faced, the possible loss of her mentee and now this one hope she had of saving him and keeping the world safe… that relied solely on Nico.
“I- I know it is a lot to ask but please help me,” Athena pleaded. In any other situation, she would refuse to sound this weak. In this case, she would sound as desperate as she needed to. “I- I have no other hope. I need you. I need you to follow my instruction and to be the hero of this Great Prophecy. I need you to be my new warrior of the mind.”
Nico looked conflicted. Athena was worried he would say no. She continued, “I will do all in my power to prepare you. I will give you my blessing and I will help you gain a power beyond all others, a power that will ensure you do not die and that only Percy Jackson has to die. I know I am asking you to commit murder for a man you don’t even know existed but please, please help him. Help me, please.”
“…How long have they been waiting?” Nico inquired.
“…Thousands of years,” Athena stated.
“Okay then.”
“…You will?” Athena asked, shocked. She had expected a lot more resistance from this boy. After all, she was asking him to abandon all that he knew for a life possibly filled with peril.
“I trust you. You’re Athena. I know you’ll keep me safe. It’s not that, though… now that I know that the afterlife is real, at least I know I’ll see my mom again. And if Bianca dies I can see her again too. Heck, one of the greatest things about the afterlife is being able to live with those you love in paradise. …I can’t imagine not having that. I can’t imagine going to the afterlife and not having them there, something we are all owed as souls, just because of the plans of the biggest hater in the world.”
Athena chuckled, “Poseidon really is the biggest hater in the world.”
“Absolutely! Seriously man, get another hobby and stop torturing Odysseus! Anyways, based off that, I know what Odysseus’ friends and family have gone through and are going through must be terrible. They deserve to be reunited with him, and Odysseus, even after all he’s done, deserves to be with his loved ones! He’s suffered enough. So I will help, to save a man who deserves peace at last.”
“Th-thank you but… why? You said you would think about it when I told you about your mother’s death but… why would you help me?”
“Because I understand,” Nico stated, causing the Goddess to stare in surprise. “I get why you Gods had to do it. You had to protect your family, the other Gods and the entire world. I- I had friends back then, and I wouldn’t want to be the reason they die. It’s- it’s a hard pill to swallow but… I think of Jesus Christ, you know?”
“What does he have to do with this?”
“He sacrificed himself for mankind. He allowed himself to be tortured and suffer a horrible, gruesome death by crucifixion and he did it all just to allow us to be forgiven for all our sins and rise to God’s eternal kingdom of paradise. I guess that would be something we would have had to do just involuntarily.”
“So… do you hate me?”
“I don’t like you, I’ll admit. I’ve only just learned about this stuff and it’s hard to accept but I still understand and I’m trying to use the Jesus metaphor. And that wouldn’t stop me from saving your mentee. I would still save Odysseus regardless.”
“Even if it means killing Percy Jackson?”
“…Yes, for Percy Jackson’s purpose is to eradicate Odysseus and to make him suffer, a demonic purpose. If it means exorcising a demon to save a soul, then so be it.”
Athena smiled gratefully, tears leaking from her eyes. “Thank you, Nico di Angelo. Thank you so much.”
Nico hugged Athena, sensing that the Goddess needed comfort. The Goddess looked down at him as he looked up at her and for a moment… she saw him. She saw Odysseus as a boy, someone filled with so much light in his eyes and so much glee from being chosen as her pupil. She remembered what she had told him all those years ago, after Odysseus had chosen to listen to the Lotus creatures from their original lair.
‘Don’t disappoint me,’ she recalled. She remembered the insurmountable expectations she had placed on him in that moment, the perfection required from a man who had just been through war and had to kill a baby to protect his family and just wanted to believe in the idea of goodness from the heart. She recalled her mindset in that moment, how she had been angry at him for killing an innocent baby, but only because of how the other Gods had viewed her in that moment, an evil Goddess who had scooped out a man’s heart and left only cruel intelligence. She had been too prideful back then. She hated herself for it now.
“I won’t disappoint you,” Athena promised the boy, ruffling his hair a bit. She refused to let him down like he did with Odysseus. This boy had put his faith in her and she would return in kind. Her new warrior of the mind would have a far better fate than the rest.
Notes:
Yep, so Nico is going to be Athena's new champion. He was the obvious choice since he was only nine and, therefore, she could train him for seven years to prepare him while Bianca was two years older and thus she had less time to train her until she turned sixteen. As for how she will get seven years of training in when there are only 4 years until the events of The Last Olympian... RAFO.
Like with Ares, who I am planning on being a substitute father figure to Percy, I'm planning on Athena being a mother figure to Nico. She will not make the same mistakes with him like she did Odysseus. She will raise him right, to be both a warrior of the mind but also have heart and compassion, the perfect combination of brain and heart.
To be fair, what Athena is doing with Nico right now, will be significantly better than his fate in canon. At least no one he loves will die... hopefully.
Percy better watch out because Athena's raising another wolf.
Hope you've enjoyed this fic so far. Please leave comments for your opinions in the comment section below.
girl_ibuprofen on Chapter 1 Wed 05 Mar 2025 10:39PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 1 Thu 06 Mar 2025 07:42AM UTC
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Babblingbear09 on Chapter 1 Thu 06 Mar 2025 05:10AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 1 Fri 07 Mar 2025 12:31AM UTC
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Topaz03 on Chapter 1 Thu 06 Mar 2025 07:31PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 1 Fri 07 Mar 2025 12:30AM UTC
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Topaz03 on Chapter 1 Fri 07 Mar 2025 09:36PM UTC
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GachSsam on Chapter 1 Thu 13 Mar 2025 04:01PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 1 Thu 13 Mar 2025 08:00PM UTC
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KitsuneNee_chan on Chapter 1 Thu 17 Apr 2025 04:03PM UTC
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Lokitherightfulking (Guest) on Chapter 1 Fri 25 Apr 2025 10:45PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 1 Sat 26 Apr 2025 09:34AM UTC
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Lordcomander on Chapter 1 Fri 05 Sep 2025 03:33PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 1 Mon 08 Sep 2025 01:09PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 08 Sep 2025 01:09PM UTC
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Guest (Guest) on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Mar 2025 06:17AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Mar 2025 06:53PM UTC
Last Edited Tue 11 Mar 2025 01:27AM UTC
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ThePhantomOfMusicalChairs on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Mar 2025 11:25AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Mar 2025 07:04PM UTC
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ThePhantomOfMusicalChairs on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Mar 2025 07:49PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 2 Mon 10 Mar 2025 08:38PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 10 Mar 2025 08:40PM UTC
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Anelim77 on Chapter 3 Sat 12 Apr 2025 07:10AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 3 Tue 15 Apr 2025 11:42AM UTC
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Kmariek on Chapter 4 Thu 17 Apr 2025 02:33PM UTC
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hauntedwizardtree on Chapter 4 Thu 17 Apr 2025 02:40PM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 4 Thu 17 Apr 2025 03:53PM UTC
Last Edited Thu 17 Apr 2025 04:03PM UTC
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Babblingbear09 on Chapter 5 Thu 01 May 2025 07:13PM UTC
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Yui_samidare on Chapter 5 Fri 02 May 2025 03:33AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 5 Fri 02 May 2025 07:56AM UTC
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N3ffy on Chapter 5 Sat 03 May 2025 03:04PM UTC
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Eggswastaken on Chapter 5 Wed 07 May 2025 12:43AM UTC
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IamGreatJK on Chapter 5 Sat 24 May 2025 01:59AM UTC
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Babblingbear09 on Chapter 6 Fri 23 May 2025 03:43AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 6 Sat 24 May 2025 02:49PM UTC
Last Edited Sat 24 May 2025 02:52PM UTC
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N3ffy on Chapter 6 Fri 23 May 2025 04:40PM UTC
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Yui_samidare on Chapter 10 Thu 28 Aug 2025 11:58AM UTC
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FireLord1664 on Chapter 10 Fri 29 Aug 2025 10:54AM UTC
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Yui_samidare on Chapter 10 Fri 29 Aug 2025 03:06PM UTC
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