This is my attempt to make an original 'Percy sent to Tartarus' story because I can not be the only one tired of the same old story done in the same old way 1000 time with no variation or even a smidge of originality. There is so much you can do with this plot line and it's so tragic to only see it written in one or two different ways. Like literally the only thing that changes in these Betrayed or Tartarus stories is the name of Percy's Half brother and the name that Percy goes by when he joins Chaos. That's it.
They all happen the same way:
Percy's half brother comes to camp
Despite doing literally nothing, the camp inexplicably starts to hail him as a hero
Percy is ignored
Sometimes the brother will spread rumors or do things and claim that it's Percy to get the campers to turn against him'
Poseidon will sometime disown Percy in favor of HiS nEw FaVoRiTe SoN( insert SpongeBob meme here)
Percy finds Annabeth cheating on him with his half brother(ugh)
Percy runs away from camp
He either joins chaos or -sigh- become guardian of the hunt (UGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH)
Or
Zeus suspect Percy of being a traitor with no proof whatsoever
The whole camp believes Zeus and turns against Percy
Poseidon will sometime disown Percy
Percy is sent to Tartarus
Sometimes Chaos, other times surviving in Tartarus
Percy escapes
Uh oh Gods and campers, look out! He's back and he's madder and meaner than ever
Yeah. I'm sick of it. So here's my attempt to introduce a little variety into the mix.
Warnings: None
Pairings: Dunno yet
Zeus, Lord of skies, Wielder of the Master bolt, and ruler of the Gods, was many things.
He was father, a husband (albeit not a very good one) and a brother.
But above he was a King.
And as a king, it was his duty to protect his Kingdom from all that would threaten it.
For Zeus was not a foolish God and he did not simply spend all his time smiting and bedding mortals.
No, he plotted and planned and listened and learned. He was not an idiot who relied simply on his Master Bolt. Athena had not been born from his mind the goddess of wisdom by some fluke, after all.
Through his observations and strategies, uprisings, wars, and revolts by upstart minor gods who thought they had a right to sit at his side were all dealt with by his hand.
Zeus languidly ran his hand along his precious Master Bolt recalling all the threats he had encountered and overcome.
Hades had been one, long ago. The fates had won him that battle. As Kronos's eldest son, by right, Hades could have demanded the sky, the sea, and the earth and no one could have challenged that claim. He could have sat above all but Hestia, and ruled without sharing any of his domain. But years inside his father stomach and the war that followed had temporarily taken the fight out of his eldest brother, so desperate was he for light, for freedom, for peace that Zeus had easily been able to manipulate his brother and propose the drawing of lots. His other siblings had been far too eager to go along with their savior, and his domain had been assured.
When he was young and naïve, he had felt immense guilt over banishing his brother, usurping his place and cursing him to spend eternity catering to the dead, but now, now that he was older, wiser, he knew he had made the right choice. Hades had not had what it took to be the King of the Gods, so reclusive, so bitter and selfish, believing himself so much craftier and cleverer than his siblings, hoarding the precious metal beneath the earth as if it was his right. No, he did better rotting amongst the dead, tucked away in his faux pitiful little replica of Olympus, believing that he had only himself.
Hestia had been another dangerous threat and a very annoying obstacle for a time. As Kronos's eldest child, and a carbon copy of their beloved mother, his siblings held her in higher regard than any other, including him. She had raised them, comforted them while in their father's stomach and established herself as their second mother. Yes, he had been their savior but she had been their hope.
It had been infuriating. To think that such a pitiful little goddess, in charge of nothing more than a pitiful little flame, had been held in higher esteem than him, the defeater of Kronos, Master of the Skies and the King of the Gods.
He could not very well act out in anger against such a beloved goddess no matter his station, so for centuries he had been forced to hold his temper around his sister, as she challenged what she viewed as his most extreme decisions with the full backing of his brothers and sisters.
But finally the solution had come in the form of Dionysus, his wine loving disappointment of a son, and Hestia's own fragility as well as her status as the Goddess of family.
He smirked smugly as he lazily ran his fingers across the sleek surface of his Master bolt.
That had been some of his best work. Playing on her weakness, purposely turning their little family into a warzone that not even Ares could achieve.
Oh, how he had plotted and planned, inciting fight after fight, argument after argument, clashing with his siblings, his children, and his wife, smiting the demigod children of his brothers, bedding mortals, letting Hera take care of the rest. It had been long, hard, messy work, relationships were irrevocably broken, grudges formed and hatred festered like an open wound, but it had all been worth it to see the fire in Hestia's eyes dim a little more with each passing council.
When Dionysus had come to Mount Olympus and Zeus proposed making him an Olympian, Hestia had practically handed him her throne.
And thus, one more obstacle had been removed from his path.
Over the millennia he had carefully placed more and more of his children on the council, securing more power through those he knew would be loyal to him. He was not foolish enough to believe he ruled on popularity alone. Each year he watched his brothers get a little more bitter, watched his wife get a little less forgiving, watched the minor Gods get a little more wrathful, but the backing of those who were loyal to him would almost always ensure him a majority vote.
Yes, every threat he had ever encountered, every obstacle, every nuisance had been dealt with by his expert hand.
Except for one.
The Master Bolt stood strong and firm in hands as his grip became tighter, and thunder rumbled throughout the empty throne room at the mere thought of the new bane of his existence, as electric azure eyes faded into a stormy cobalt blue.
Perseus Jackson had quickly more dangerous than any other threat to his throne.
Normally, Zeus would not even entertain the idea that a mere halfling could be any less than a minuscule annoyance, but Perseus was different.
Almost overnight, that scraggly, scrawny, disrespectful little sea urchin had been hailed a hero by both camps, established himself as Poseidon's favorite son, and won not only the favor of quite a few Olympians but also hundreds of minor gods with his pathetic little sympathy play to get them their own cabins.
Zeus eyes narrowed and his lips curled.
'Their Savior' was what he heard those pathetic little halflings and wanna be gods call him.
Their savior indeed. A dangerous title for a dangerous boy.
A savior could start a cause, and a cause could turn a savior into a challenger, and a challenger to his throne was something Zeus could not tolerate.
If this had been the days of old, Zeus could have merely smitten the little upstart, no question, no fuss, and been rid of him. But that was out of the question now. He would not risk open war with Poseidon for killing his precious son without provocation and Zeus had no illusion that it would come to that is he acted recklessly. Poseidon (along with Hermes, Apollo and Hades) had always loved his children more than necessary. The only reason he was able to kill Hades's wretched mistress and attempt to kill his corpse spawn was because Hades held no regard amongst the other Olympians. No one would have come to his aid should he had tried to incite war. But Poseidon… he was a different story.
If Zeus acted against Perseus in the same way he did Maria di Angelo, Poseidon would move Heaven and Earth to get his vengeance, and he would do so with many allies on his side.
No, Perseus had to be handled delicately. But how?
Sending a monster after him was as out of the question as attacking him directly. Monster attacks were Hades's specialty. If he were to send a monster after the boy, heads would immediately turn in Hades direction, and while the idea of framing his dear olderbrother was tempting, he doubted his hand in the matter would go unnoticed.
The boy (and his wretched mother) was too smart to fly in his skies. No chance to strike him down there.
A growl rumbled low in his chest , as he grit his teeth in frustration.
He had to think of something.
The boy was too powerful.
He had to many allies.
He could take his throne.
Dark clouds formed, thunder rumbled menacingly, and the nervous eyes of confused mortals looked up at the sky in fear as these three facts repeated played through Zeus's mind.
The boy was too powerful.
He had to many allies.
He could take his throne.
Zeus could not let his reign end. He could not let his throne be taken. IT WAS HIS! HIS BIRTHRIGHT! WHO DID THIS LITTLE PIECE OF FILTH THINK HE WAS TO THREATEN TO TAKE HIS THRONE, TO THINK HE COULD CURRY FAVOR BEHIND HIS BACK, TO TRY AND OVERTHROW HIM.
Zeus cursed the treacherous, loathsome son of Poseidon! He cursed him straight to Tartarus-
Zeus's eyes suddenly widened in surprise before narrowing in consideration, as he leaned back into his throne, his hold on the Master Bolt lessening, the beginnings of a plan starting to form.
A wicked smile full of teeth spread across his face as stormy cobalt eyes morphed into a twinkling sky blue.
Sometimes the simplest solution really was the best solution. If he played his cards right and covered his tracks … yes. It could all work out in his favor.
He would unfortunately have to dirty his hand and consort with a few minor 'Gods' to get his way, but it was a necessary evil to get rid of such a huge thorn in his side.
The maelstrom he had created faded until the skies were clear and sunny once more.
He could get rid of the boy, while appearing to be a just and stern king only concerned about the well-being of his Kingdom, and do so in such a way that Poseidon not could possibly threaten war.
Filled with brand new resolve, Zeus flashed out of the throne room.
He had some… friends to visit.
ooOoOoOoOoOoOo
Unbeknownst to Zeus, a lone figure sat, tucked quietly away in the corner of the throne room, unseen, unheard, diligently and eternally stroking the flames of the hearth.
Eyes usually wreathed in the warm fires of home and hope, were now filled with tears of hopelessness and despair.
Over the millennia she had endured many horrible things, experiences she didn't like to think about, horrors she didn't like to relive. But no matter how horrible, no matter how painful she always remembered.
Hestia remembered a time before the titan war, before the countless battles, the constant paranoia and the lust for power tore her family to shreds.
She remembered her father, Kronos, and a time before.
She remembered how the kind smile of a father morphed into the twisted sneer of a tyrant.
She remembered the look of awe, of wonder, as he held each of her new siblings in his arms, fade to hate and fear as he lifted each one of them to his mouth.
She remembered the warm hands that would draw her into strong arms, clutch her tight, so she couldn't escape, so she couldn't break free.
She remembered the warm and soft face of her mother Rhea, so beautiful, so kind, stricken with terror, desperation and grief.
She remembered when eyes filled with the warm twinkle of love darkened into simmering pools of madness.
And now sitting in her dark corner unseen by all, Hestia saw that very same glint of madness, that had drove her father to eat her and her siblings reflected in the bitter, blue, power hungry eyes of her youngest brother.
Hestia remembered when those blue eyes were alight with happiness, as a bright and vibrant young king ascended the throne, a beautiful, glowing bride at his side, determined to rule with a stern but fair hand, determined to be a better ruler than their father.
And she wept, because she knew what would come, knew what would happen.
And she knew just as with her father before,
There was nothing she could do to stop it.
And the end. I hope that was different than want you usually see. Also I know Kronos ate Hestia pretty much after she was born but I took some artistic license( with Hades and the line of succession too). Also, do not think that I have nerfed Hestia. She could take Zeus's bitch ass over her knee at anytime if she so pleased.
Rant time: I never understood why people think Zeus just acts rashly %100 of the time. Yes, in canon he can be a blowhard, and let's not even get started on the Greek mythos but think of all the people who have grudges against him, how he's managed to keep in control despite how hated he is, think about how Athena was born from his mind alone. I want to portray him as a master tactician, someone who knows how to retain his power and influence while still being a huge piece of shit. That's why he didn't just go "AH Percy is evil let put it to a vote". I wanted to portray the thought process behind banishing Percy since most people rarely do. I also have special challenge for myself is to turn him into a horrible, infuriating absolutely hated character and then…. Redeem him. Let see if I can do that.
Also: SALLY AND PAUL WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT DIE IN THIS story. I love them far too much to kill them.
Next time: Zeus calls a secret meeting. Plots are hatched and Percy is approached by an unlikely source.