Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.
Story: Danger Within
AN: My first one shot idea, but I just had to write it down when I thought of it.
Third Person's POV
Manhattan, NY – Six years after the Second Giant War
"Have a good night buddy, I love you." Percy said as he tucked in his five year old son. He closed the door quietly as his son, Alex settled into a peaceful night's sleep. Percy stepped out into his living room before he settled down on the couch; it had been another long day at his job in an advertising firm and at home as a single dad.
A knock on the door drew Percy away from his mental recount of the day's events. He sighed audibly before he walked to the door and slung it open. "Hey Perce," a younger dark haired man in a leather jacket greeted him. It had been a few years since Percy had seen his cousin; they parted on not so good terms.
"Hi Nico, why are you here?" Percy asked suspiciously. Nico shifted awkwardly in front of his cousin.
"No rea-reason, can't a guy visit his favorite cousin," Nico replied with just a hint of nervousness, but Percy noticed it easily.
Percy gave his cousin a skeptical look. "Spill it Nico, I want the truth, why are you really here?"
Nico sighed. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."
Percy's face wore a guarded expression. "I'm… we're fine," Percy corrected as he looked back toward his son Alex's room.
"Good…" A knock on the door interrupted Nico's reply. Nico seemed relieved; Percy raised an eyebrow his suspicions rising. Percy stepped toward the door once again and opened it to reveal a blonde haired man about a year younger than the son of Poseidon. Percy forced a smile when he saw the man. "Malcolm," Percy greeted, but his tone was anything but sincere. "nice to see you." Percy gave his cousin a suspicious glare. Nico flinched.
"Hey Percy, can I come in?" Malcolm asked, he looked almost as nervous as Nico.
"Sure," Percy replied, but it was clear that he knew something was up.
Malcolm walked into the house. He gave Nico a knowing look before the two settled on the couch in the living room.
Percy walked over to a chair across from the couch and sat down as he gave the two demigods his best glare, Nico and Malcolm both shivered at the sight. "I'll only ask this one more time. Why are you both here?"
Malcolm gave Nico a pointed look. Nico swallowed hard. "She's alive," Nico said simply.
Percy's eyes widened. "How?"
"We don't really know, but my mom found her, she was beaten up pretty bad, but with a little help from the Apollo cabin she'll be just fine," Malcolm explained.
"Why are you telling me this?" Percy asked, it was clear that he either didn't care or didn't want to.
Malcolm and Nico both looked at him in shock. "She's your wife, the mother of your son," Nico replied surprised by Percy's reaction.
"We're divorced," Percy replied simply. Malcolm glared at the son of Poseidon. "She cheated on me with that bastard son of Apollo."
"Come on Percy, she's been gone for five years, I know you still love her. She wants to see Alex," Nico said. Percy didn't react to the assertion, his expression was emotionless.
Percy shook his head as a disgusted look appeared on his face. "She leaves me and our son to go on some quest, and then I get to see a photo of her and that kid kissing on the beach. I don't want her back."
"She made a mistake Percy. She's truly sorry," Malcolm defended.
Nico ran his hand through his hair. "She has a right to see her son."
Percy laughed; it was bitter and a little disturbing to hear. "I think she lost all rights to that when she deserted us for the gods."
"She didn't desert you," Malcolm protested angrily. Nico gave the son of Athena a warning glare. "The gods aren't to blame here."
Percy laughed. "The gods hold most of the blame for destroying lives, but you're right, in this case Annabeth holds most of the blame." Malcolm shook his head; he wore an exacerbated expression on his face.
"Let's forget about the blame. She wants to see Alex, please let her see him," Nico pleaded.
Percy ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know."
"You don't know what son?" a voice from behind them drew the attention of the three demigods. They turned around to see Poseidon standing behind them in his classic Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts. Nico and Malcolm both bowed to the god of the seas, but Percy remained seated with a frown on his face.
"I don't think that I invited you here," Percy said. Poseidon's ever present smile faded at his son's words.
"I came to see to it that you'll let Annabeth see her son," he responded coolly.
Percy laughed. "I take it that Athena put you up to that." Poseidon frowned at the assertion.
Poseidon stepped closer to his son. "The boy deserves to see his mother. He can't live in this house of misery and hurt. He needs to be raised by both parents. What happened to your loyalty son? What happened to forgiveness?"
Percy laughed loudly; he didn't even care if it woke his son. His tone was bitter and the sneer on his face surprised Poseidon. "Tartarus, that's what happened. The gods forsook both of us to the pit, and then when we get free and I thought we could be happy… she betrayed me as well. No, I want no part of her or the gods. You can all go to Tartarus, if you need help finding it, I can show you the way."
Poseidon just stared at his son in shock and despair. "I'm sorry son."
An amused smirk spread across his face as he gave an indignant huff. "Sorry, like that will change what happened. Like that will bring back who I was or what I felt for you or her. No, don't be sorry. Just stay out of my life," Percy said loudly.
Another knock on the door broke the tension in the room. "What now?" Percy asked. Poseidon walked to the door and opened it. He smiled and whispered a few words before the goddess of wisdom stepped into the living room with a young woman behind her. Percy's eyes never left the blonde haired girl that walked into the room. She had a bandage wrapped around her forehead with a few cuts and bruises along one side of her face. The woman turned and stopped walking when she saw Percy. Her grey eyes started to water as a broad smile stretched across her face, but the smile faded when she saw the sneer on Percy's face.
"Get out," he demanded as he pointed toward the door.
Athena stepped toward Percy menacingly, but he didn't look scared, in fact, he looked ready to rip off her head. Athena shook that thought away for the moment. "She has every right to be here, to see her son."
Percy's green eyes darkened. "She gave up that right when she abandoned us."
Annabeth flinched at Percy's words, but it was the hostility in his tone that was the most heart wrenching. She walked to her mother's side. "Please Percy, let me see him."
Percy stared into her grey eyes, but his face never softened, his glare never ceased. "Fuck you!"
Everyone was shocked at his reply. Athena stepped forward and slapped Percy across the face knocking him to the ground. "How dare you say that, boy?" Athena's face was red with anger.
The room was eerily quiet before Percy began to laugh from on the floor. Everyone looked at him strangely. Why would he laugh at such a moment? He turned around from on the floor. His eyes glowed red. Athena pulled her daughter behind her as Poseidon motioned for Malcolm and Nico to stand behind him. "So much for my cover then," Percy mused, but his voice wasn't sad, in fact, his voice sounded happy, relieved even.
"What do you mean?" Athena questioned. Her voice held a hint of fear in it, but mostly curiosity.
"I'm not Percy Jackson, I never was him. That fool was destroyed in Tartarus," Percy or whomever he was said. Everyone stared on in shock.
Annabeth's expression darkened. She held back her tears as she finally understood. "I thought the pit changed you, but you were never really Percy. Did you make me be unfaithful? Who or what are you?"
Percy or whomever it was laughed, a wild and evil laugh that sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in the room. His body began to glow before his skin turned an ugly rust color, the texture of his skin changed to sand paper and the pupils of his red eyes changed to slits like a snake. Long white fangs protruded from his mouth as a forked tongue moved in and out of his mouth. The gods and the demigods backed away from the creature. "My name isss Regolith, demon of the pit and ssservant of Tartarusss."
"Demon, what have you done?" Nico yelled as darkness surrounded the son of Hades.
Regolith laughed at the demigod. "You do not control or ssscare me, Ghost King. I am the ssservant of Tartarusss, I will crush you with my bare handsss." He flicked his wrist before Nico flew into the wall. Red blood smeared against the white wall as Nico slid to the ground. Malcolm was at his side in a moment.
Athena stepped forward as her spear and Aegis materialized in her hands. "Stay back demon."
Regolith smiled at the goddess. "I have grown quite powerful here. Your daughter was sssuch a good little pawn. Ssshe gave me a lovely child, a ssson to one day achieve what I cannot, the dessstruction of Olympusss."
Annabeth looked back toward the door of the bedroom that housed who she thought was her son. The door opened before a gust of wind blew into the living room. A child that was five years old stepped out, but he wasn't a child, he was a red skinned monster like his father, but his eyes glowed with immense power. Poseidon turned to the child, but before he could react the child raised his hand in the air; Poseidon was lifted off the ground. The boy's eyes glowed red and grey as he began to chant. Poseidon screamed in agony as his body began to steam.
Regolith laughed. "Good my ssson, dessstroy the god."
Athena lunged toward Regolith with her spear, but the demon caught the weapon with one hand before he wrenched the spear from the grip of the goddess. Athena screamed in agony as her shield was ripped from her grasp by an unseen force. She was lifted off the ground before she was thrown out the windows of the apartment, glass shattered everywhere. Her screams echoed from outside as she fell the ten stories toward the ground below.
Poseidon screamed in agony as the child demon turned the heat up on the god's body, blisters formed on the skin of the sea god, as a torrent of agony ripped through his body.
"Stop this, please," Annabeth yelled. Malcolm placed Nico on the ground carefully before he charged the demon, Regolith. The demon smiled before Athena's spear lifted off the ground and flew through the air piercing the son of Athena through the stomach. Malcolm slumped to the floor; he coughed up blood before he passed out from the pain.
"I will not ssstop Wise Girl," Regolith said mockingly. "You're right; I did make you kisssss that ssson of Apollo. I turned your friendsss againssst you, ssso you would go on that quessst. You sssacrificed yourssself, instead of being here to thwart my plansss. Our ssson ssshall pave the way for Tartarusss to take hisss place as the lord of the world."
"No, please tell me, is Percy really dead?" Annabeth questioned as she fell to the ground with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Regolith smiled. "I will let you live child, but yesss, your love is dead. I threw him into the river of damnation myssself. His body, his sssoul, and his ssspirit were washed clean of thisss world, never to return." Regolith smiled showing off his jagged teeth. "You should have ssseen his face before he hit the water, sssuch fear. I almost regretted killing him ssso quickly. I should…" Regolith stopped talking as a sword point suddenly protruded from his chest. The sword disappeared. Regolith turned around before his eyes widened in shock. "You…" He never got to finish his statement as the sword sliced through the air severing his head from the rest of his body. The head fell to the floor before the demon's body faded into golden sand, blowing out the open window.
Annabeth looked up from the ground and gasped, standing before her in tattered clothes with his celestial bronze sword in his hand was the only demigod son of Poseidon. Before she could say anything Percy's eyes shifted toward the demon child on the ground. The child dropped Poseidon to the floor before it stepped toward Perseus. The creature moved his hand toward Percy, but the powers of the demon had no effect on the son of Poseidon.
"I learned a few things in my time in the pit, my time in hell," Percy raised his own hand before the demon shot into the air. The demon screamed in agony before its body erupted into flames; the creature's body burned away into ashes that fell onto the floor. The demon's screams of agony ripped through the room before they faded into the quiet sounds of the room, the wind from the broken window being the only noise audible. Annabeth was frozen in shock.
"Percy," Annabeth finally said as she looked into the vibrant green eyes of the man she loved. Percy rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace, both demigods sobbed in pain and relief.
Poseidon groaned before he sat up. He saw Annabeth and Percy clutching each other. His sea green eyes broadened at the sight of his lost son. He looked at the others in the room before he rushed toward the son of Athena. He placed his hand over the young man's stomach wound before the spear disappeared and the injury closed up.
Malcolm looked up in surprise when he saw the person who helped him. "Thank you, my lord." Poseidon smiled before he nodded.
Poseidon walked over to Nico before he placed him on the couch. A piece of ambrosia appeared in his hand before he fed it to the son of his older brother. Nico sighed in relief before his dark eyes opened. "Thank you Uncle."
Malcolm sat on the couch beside Nico; Poseidon sat between them. "Athena," Poseidon said.
Percy pulled away from Annabeth before he replied, "She's fine." He whistled loudly before a black Pegasus flew into the room with a very surprised and slightly cut up wisdom goddess draped across his back. Blackjack landed only a few feet from Percy. Athena slipped off the back of the Pegasus before her grey eyes locked onto the form of the son of Poseidon. "Perseus," she said still in shock from the ordeal she faced.
Percy helped Annabeth stand up. Her arm was draped across Percy's back. Her head was tucked into his shoulder. "The news of my death was a big damn lie." Nico and Malcolm both laughed at his tone; their laughter eased the tension in the room.
Poseidon smiled. "What happened son?"
Percy smiled. "Hi dad," he replied. Poseidon's grin widened. Percy's expression darkened as he remembered his time in Tartarus. "The demon was right, they threw me into that damned river, but I'm a child of the sea, of water. I willed the waters not to hurt me. I found my friend Bob, you all know him as Iapetus. He helped me hide from the monsters and Tartarus's goons, but it took me all this time to escape. I finally reached Camp Half Blood this morning where I learned that there was another me around as well as the fact that Annabeth had been found. I knew my double was a monster or something, so I came here as soon as I could."
Annabeth hugged him tighter. "You look like crap," she said. Percy laughed. "You don't look much better than me, Wise Girl," Percy replied. They both laughed. Poseidon stepped toward his son, Annabeth pulled away from Percy before Poseidon pulled his son into a bear hug. Poseidon lifted his son off the ground. "Can't breathe Dad." Poseidon chuckled before he placed his son on the ground.
"It's good to have you back son," Poseidon said happily. Nico hugged him next, followed by Malcolm.
"I missed all of you too," Percy said.
"We better get back to camp. We'll see you there Perce," Nico said before he and Malcolm stepped out of the wrecked apartment.
Poseidon smiled at his son one more time before he disappeared into a sea mist.
Athena shook her head at his theatrical exit. She walked to Percy and stared into his sea green eyes. They weren't the same eyes that she remembered. They were deeper than his fathers, full of life like the god of the sea, but also full of more emotion than she had ever seen before. They were beautiful, but also intimidating. "The Council will want to hear your story Perseus, I mean Percy," she said as a small smile graced her lips. Percy smiled at her. "However, I think you and Annabeth deserve some time first."
"Thank you, my lady," Percy said. Athena nodded before she began to glow. Annabeth and Percy turned away before the goddess took her godly form and disappeared.
Percy turned back to Annabeth; the daughter of Athena rushed forward and kissed him. She pulled away a moment later. "I'm so sorry Percy," she said.
Percy gave her a weird expression. "You have no need to be sorry. I'm the one that was replaced by a monster. A beast that took your…" he tried to finish, but couldn't.
Annabeth put her hand over his mouth. "Not your fault. I love you Percy, that's the only thing that matters."
Percy smiled as a tear ran down his cheek. "I love you too," he replied. He looked around the room and frowned. "Let's go someplace else. This place gives me the creeps."
Annabeth laughed. "Where to Seaweed Brain?"
Percy smiled at the old nickname. "Anywhere, but here or Tartarus." He turned back to Blackjack. "Buddy, can you give us a ride?" Annabeth watched as Percy frowned as the Pegasus answered in his head. She smiled, the old horse must have said 'boss.' Percy climbed onto the back of his Pegasus before he pulled Annabeth up behind him. "Blackjack, once around the block, and then to the Empire State Building, I want to get this story finished." Percy looked at Annabeth's face. "I have a beautiful girlfriend to spend the rest of my life with and I want it to start as soon as it can." Annabeth returned his smile before Blackjack jumped out the window and extended his wings; the air beneath the horse's wings lifted them into the air. The two demigods flew off into the afternoon sun, with an old and terrible life to put behind them, and a new one full of adventure and love, ahead of them.
AN: I hoped you all enjoyed this one-shot. Maybe not my best, but this was just an idea that I had regarding events after Heroes of Olympus series. Farewell from the land beyond the gods.