Disclaimer: I don't own PJO/HOO/TOA
"Ahem," Zeus cleared his throat, looking around to meet everyone's gazes with a grim expression. Not everyone was physically present in the throne room, of course, but everyone at least had an Iris Message to represent themselves at the impromptu meeting.
"I am sure that everyone has felt the same stirring that I have also felt in the past few months," he began, looking serious. The gathered Councillors all nodded or stated that they had indeed felt the movements coming from the World.
"Yes, and Tartarus is being strange as well," Hades added from his IM. In the distance, a strange amount of noise could be heard from Punishment, even more than usual.
"What do you mean?" Hera asked, looking concerned.
Hades wore a grim expression, heaving a heavy sigh as he answered her. "Monsters are stirring, and Thanatos has disappeared. Spirits have been taking the opportunity to escape. My servants are overrun, trying to keep order. The Fields of Punishment are having riots. It's madness down here."
Akantha shifted in her throne, a memory floating to her from her Roman form.
Hazel Levesque, dead since 1947, had suddenly joined the living again. She had walked out of the Underworld, hand-in-hand with her Greek half-brother Nico, who spent a fraction of his time acting as the 'Ambassador to Pluto' at Camp Jupiter. Given the tragedy of Hazel's life and her horrifying but brave death, delaying Alcyoneus' rebirth, Valeria had said nothing, but she had granted her approval of Hazel joining the Legion. But the way Hades spoke, it seemed more than just a thirteen-year-old heroine had taken advantage of Thanatos' disappearance.
"My Roman son, Jason Grace, has also been taken from his home at Camp Jupiter," Zeus revealed. Akantha didn't dare to glance at Hera's shimmering image, nor did she allow her mind to go to the young boy sleeping in her Temple on Olympus. They planned to take Thalia and put the children in the needed places that night, after the Saviour of Olympus went to bed.
"I fear the worst is happening," Zeus declared grimly. "She is awakening."
The room seemed to darken as a ripple of gasps and hisses ran through the gathered gods. Akantha found herself gripping her sword so tightly that her knuckles had gone white from the force of her grip.
She had known it was happening of course. She had realized that the Earth Goddess was stirring in her sleep decades ago, when Marie Levesque was first possessed in the presence of her child before going to Alaska. But now it seemed so much more real. No longer a possibility, but a guaranteed certainty. The Giants were returning.
"After much pondering on the matter, I have concluded that our overly-active presence in the world as of late has disturbed Her slumber. As such, I have decided that we will no longer have a presence in the world. Not until She is once again deep in sleep, and after that, we will continue to be less involved in mortal matters."
Akantha realized that her mouth had dropped open in shock, and she hastily closed it. "My Lord, please re-consider," she began to beg, as the rest of the gods began voicing their own objections to Zeus' decision.
"Have you lost your mind Brother? This is the worst idea you have ever had, and you've had a lot of bad ideas!" Poseidon snapped from his IM.
Artemis rose from her throne, waving her bow in protest as she cried, "Father, no, what about my Hunters? They need me to guide them."
"Father, I'll go mad stuck in here, it's so boring and the concerts never have any new artists, or women," Apollo pleaded, looking stricken at the thought of being confined to the mountain for an unknown amount of time.
"Brother, please, don't do this, it's not the correct way to deal with Her," Hestia was as gentle as ever in her disagreement with the king.
"Father, if I'm stuck in here for the next few centuries, my messages will get so backlogged, I'll spend a millennia trying to sort through them!" Hermes looked on the verge of a heart attack as he waved his constantly pining phone in Zeus' direction.
"Rats!" One of his snakes, George, added cheerfully.
"ENOUGH!" Zeus thundered, cutting through the cacophony of complaints and dissent. He rose to his feet, glaring around at everyone.
Dread pooled in Akantha's stomach as she noticed the strange, manic light in her liege lord's storm-cloud grey eyes. Whether the others realized it or not, and Akantha guessed that at least some of them had seen the light and understood what it meant, Akantha knew the truth, and would warn them as soon as she could. Zeus had been corrupted by Her insidious power.
"I am King!" Zeus bellowed furiously, still glaring at them all. "My word is law to you all, and you will follow it! You have until tonight to make your preparations and return to Olympus, though Poseidon, his wife and children, and Hades, Persephone and their children may remain in their respective domains instead."
"Oh, thank you for your graciousness, Your Majesty," Poseidon grumbled under his breath. He fell silent at Akantha and Hestia's chiding looks.
Demeter looked indignant, no doubt having realized that if they were still under quarantine when spring came, Persephone would not be returning to her.
"As I was saying," Zeus gritted out, casting a bitter glare at his brother. "While you may leave to make preparations for remaining on Olympus, you must return by midnight and you may not speak to your mortal children, understood?"
The group nodded, and Akantha carefully spoke, knowing she had to word her request delicately, least she anger the enchanted ruler.
"My lord, may I speak to Chiron and Lupa, to alert them to what is happening? I have duties that they will need to take over whilst we are secluded."
He pursed his lips and pondered her request for a moment, before nodding curtly. Then he waved a hand sharply through the air in a diagonal motion. "You are dismissed. Remember, be back by midnight."
After giving them all one last threatening look, he disappeared in a crack of bright lightning. The gods all quickly followed him, Akantha heading straight for her temple to grab Jason so that she could perform the swap. She didn't notice the uncharacteristic look of suspicion Apollo wore as he watched her rush off hastily.
Lupa paced unhappily, a growl emanating from deep within her throat.
The audacity of the Giants and Lycaon's pack infuriated her. The Wolf House was sacred ground! And they dared to take it over. Four of her pack had been killed, several others were badly wounded and they had still ended up losing control of the House. Even worse, several of Lupa's scouts had reported that Lady Juno, the Queen of the Olympus herself, was being held captive in a cage in the courtyard.
And that didn't even take into account that Jason Grace, her best legionnaire and the Praetor and leader of her half-blood pups, had been kidnapped several days prior.
It was a disaster, and pointed to only one conclusion. The Earth Mother was re-awakening, and unlike the last few times that she had stirred, Lupa was certain she would not be coaxed back to sleep by the gods this time.
"Lupa."
The Wolf Mother of Rome tensed at the call and turned. As she had expected, Valeria, goddess of Heroes, Strength, Bravery and Loyalty, stood behind her.
She appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties with long, raven-black hair that had a single streak of grey, done in elaborate curls with a laurel crown nestled in the dark locks. Her eyes were a stunning sea green colour and there was a faint scar going through her left eyebrow. She was dressed in a long silver tunic under Imperial Gold armour and sandals and there was a serious expression on her Roman-esque face.
In her arms, she carried a young girl of about sixteen human years. The girl in the goddess' arms had spiky black hair and a black leather jacket. She had a spray of freckles across her nose, and she was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong. When Valeria put her down, Lupa saw that she wore a pair of skull earrings a Death to Barbie T-shirt showing a little Barbie doll with an arrow through its head.
She had the scent of a child of the Sky God, but, more importantly, she had scent unique to one half of the demigod species.
"Why, my lady, do you bring me a Graecus of all things?" Lupa bared her teeth as she spoke.
She didn't dare to be more disrespectful than that to the elder goddess. Valeria was her friend, and more tolerant than most Olympians. But she was still an Olympian goddess, and expected to be treated as such.
"Her name is Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus," Valeria replied. "She is the one who defeated Saturn last summer. The Greek demigods consider her their leader."
Lupa's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "That does not explain why she is in Roman territory," the wolf growled. Valeria pursed her lips, sea green eyes flicking briefly in the direction of the House.
"When she awakens, which will not be for some months I expect, not until the time is right, she will have no memory," Valeria continued in a low, hurried voice. No doubt she feared her presence being discovered by their enemies. "You will train her, and send her on to Camp Jupiter, as you do for all your children. You will not say a word of her Greek lineage, is that understood?"
"What have you done?" Lupa asked suspiciously.
Her thoughts flashed to Jason. Jason who was also a child of the King of the Gods, and who was the leader of Camp Jupiter. Jason, who had disappeared from inside his own house, inside the protections of Camp. Lupa had feared an enemy demigod managed to slip inside, but now another possibility occurred to her. Gods could come and go from Camp Jupiter whenever they wished.
Valeria's jaw tensed at the wolf's question, eyes flashing warningly. "I asked if you understood my orders," she replied coolly. "Do you?"
Lupa bit back a growl, bowing her head in submission. "Yes, my lady," she agreed. "I will do as you say, and treat her as if she is any other of my cubs."
"Good," Valeria nodded in satisfaction. "There is one more thing," she continued, a frown of displeasure crossing her face briefly before her expression returned to neutrality. "Lord Jupiter has declared that Olympus is closed until further notice. I will not return for some time."
"I see," Lupa replied slowly. She frowned at the announcement. It was both disturbing and illogical. Very out of character for the Roman King of the Gods, though perhaps not so much for Zeus. Maybe the Greek version had managed to influence his Roman counterpart?
Valeria cast another glance down at the sleeping girl, letting out a heavy sigh. "Very well," she murmured. "That is all I have to do here, but I still have tasks to complete. May the Fates be on your side, Lupa."
"And yours, my lady," Lupa bowed her head respectfully as Valeria began to glow.
Akantha materialized on a bus trundling through the Nevada desert. The Mist hid her appearance, and not even the satyr protector sitting at the front noticed her arrival. She adjusted her grip on the unconscious boy as she strode purposefully down the aisle to the back seat, where an elfin-featured Latino boy sat alone, twisting some pipe-cleaners together.
Unfortunately, the plan to have Aphrodite's charmspeaking daughter as one of the Seven couldn't happen. Piper McLean was not yet capable of accepting her demigod heritage. Apollo had warned she would die quickly if she came to Camp before she turned sixteen, two years from now. As such, they had decided to replace her with Akantha's own daughter Lena and used the Mist to keep Tristan McLean from following through with his plan to send his daughter to the Wilderness Survival School.
Carefully, Akantha sat Jason down beside the Hephaestus child and then turned to focus on the remainder of those aboard the bus. She called on the Mist, and began twisting their memories, inserting false memories of Jason in everyone save for the protector and the anemoi theollai.
That done, she turned to cast one last look at the son of Jupiter. "Good luck, Jason Grace," she murmured. "You're going to need it if you want to survive what's coming."