Red Tears Middle Ground

by Deadly Thinking

Fate had always been a fork in the road. We have been told that we have only been given two choices. Despite this, I looked past the left and right. I looked at how there were foot steps in the grass and followed. A path seen by few, a choice that no one will know of. No one will know what will happen with this choice. They will never know of the Red Tears.

1. Chapter 1

Red Tears

As I looked over the city of Manhattan, no mortal below walked on the sidewalks. No screeching of tires from everyday and night traffic. No yelling at the taxi that almost hits you when you are the one at fault. Just me. A teenager standing atop of the Empire State Building, waiting for the next day to start. The beautiful hues of orange, yellow and blue. Staring off in the distance, I walked to the ledge and jumped.

All I have ever wanted was a place to be at peace. Since the time I have been born, trouble has followed me. The gods of Greece are still alive today. They aren't just a myth or story, they are the barrier protecting us from the unknown. My mother had caught the eye of Poseidon, God of the Sea. During this time, I had given up on my future. I'm stuck in a school of problem children, had a abusive step father, and was stuck in a smoke stained apartment. A spiral of luck later, I lost my mother and am stuck with a quest to find an object I never know existed. Fight Ares, the God of war, for his betrayal of Olympus. Go looking for the Golden Fleece which was thought to have been lost in time. Make allies within the Huntresses of Artemis and hold the Sky. Save a forever wandering soul. Finally ending a war that had been determined since my birth.

Our little war was between Kronos, The Titan of Time. His forces of titans,monsters, and demigods. And our force of demigods, nature spirits, and huntresses. The battle lasted three days. In the end, the vessel we knew as Luke Castellan, ended the life of Kronos after regaining control of himself. After the gods arrived from their own fight, we held a award ceremony. This is where the Tears started falling.

I don't know what these Marks are under my eyes. But I realized they appeared after the awards ceremony. Despite the amount of love I held for Annabeth, I had to leave her. The memories of what happened in past relationships kept replaying over and over. The awards given that night were what anyone could have expected from the gods. Every wish except for mine. I was given a wish to be used later. Athen had realized that this war could have been avoided if they had just acknowledged their children. The after party was no better. It was just a night of joy for those who managed to stay alive during the whole ordeal. I had slinked off to find my mom and soon to be step-father. I couldn't find them that night. When we arrived back at camp. I acted like my usual self. Happy, fun loving, daring. But behind this facade I felt as though I no longer belong here at camp. Too many faces should have been here but weren't. Too many ghosts that I saw in everyone's faces.

A year later, we discovered bunker like buildings in the woods. We had gone to Chiron about them, but he said he had no input on the situation. After, that conversation, he told us we may only go back if the world falls to crisis once more. No new issues surfaced that year until a child of Zeus had been found. The only one since Thalia. His name was Thomas Knopps. He was a great guy to have around. He was almost the opposite of what a child of Zeus should be. We held a nice friendly relationship. He even found love in our camp three months into being at camp. Annabeth. I was glad, if there were anyone in the camp that I trusted to be able to protect her, it was him.

Two years in, rings of red formed around my wrists. I started wearing hoodies to hide my wrist and makeup to hide the Tears. I still looked like the regular Percy Jackson that everyone knew and loved. But my attitude started changing. I started to seclude myself from the camp. In my isolation, people started questioning my actions. The stories they heard of me being a bright, happy High school Senior didn't match the moody sulking teenager. The first to open up to me once more was Annabeth. At the time, she and Thomas had been going strong for 11 months. Soon to be a full year. She had reached out to me once again. I rejected her hand, I didn't deserve the present I had. I deserved to be in a shack of the dead. The past constantly haunted me. In my dreams, all I saw was the dead. It was around this time that I went out and hunted outside the camp. Taking any offer to find demigods, sects of monsters, demon seals,anything to keep myself busy. I had continued this pattern until we were attacked.

Three years in, we had been attacked by army rivaling the size of Kronos's. To the heroes that had been in the camp, it was no easy feat. But to those who had been new the life of a demigod, it came like a tidal wave. I had been bringing a girl named Kelly up Half-blood hill, just to see on the other side a devastated camp. Thomas and Annabeth both fell in this confrontation. Both doing the job that I had given myself, watch over the camp and protect the future of demigods. A red anchor had made it's way onto my back that night. As I felt all of the despair hold me down to reality. After that night, I was looked at as a outsider. Only those who survived the Titan war looked at me the same way. It was four years in that I decided that I have had enough of this life and I prepared to disappear.

Four years in, my plan was ready to execute. I pulled out Riptide and stabbed it into the fountain. I nicked my finger on the blade and wrote a message for the next person to come into the cabin. With that I left with my stack of letters. I pulled whatever water in the air was to me and fused with it. Thinking about my mothers apartment. I had gone to the receptionist and requested that she delivered two of the letters to her and Paul. I stepped out of the building and started walking towards Olympus, hoping that no one would be in the throne room.

Back at camp

Chiron

Things have been strange since the end of the war. Perseus hadn't been acting like himself since he told Annabeth just leave him behind. Since then, I have seen a sadness in his eyes. I didnt question it expecting to come out himself. Its been four years since I made that observation. Today he hadn't even left his cabin. I decided to check on him, just to see a splatter of red on the ground, Riptide in the fountain, and no sign of Perseus anywhere. As I approached the splatter, I saw a message withing the blood

These Red Tears flowing through my vein

Blood falling down in endless rain

Self hate seeping from my pores

In an endless search of this one door

That will lead me to my own

My kind who has been forgotten and never known

For the dead shall have a new toy tonight

As I follow this new path of plight

In Olympus

I felt a shiver down my spine as my message and finally been seen. I had very little time to lay this out before they finally call for a meeting. I started running for the exit of the throne room only for a hauntingly familiar voice to stop me.

"Percy?"

Hestia

"Percy?"I asked the figure sprinting away. As soon as they heard me, they stopped. They didn't look back just stopped. "Percy is that you?" He finally turned back, and he looked horrid. His face contorted with emotions I couldn't decipher. His eyes didn't shine like they had before. They looked extinguished as though joy was just a trivial objective in this world. The strangest thing was the red marks under his eyes. The next thing I see is him mouthing sorry, disappearing in a mist. I looked around the room and saw that he left packages in front of the thrones of Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Artemis, and Hermes. Finally one last package next to my hearth. I had decided to call fourth a meeting with my family to see what was going on.

Moments later

Athena

I had been reviewing the tactics we had used in the war four years ago my palace. I had a feeling in my stomach that we would be facing chaos in the next few years. It was during this time that I heard the conch calling us Olympians to the throne room. I soon flashed in and waited for the rest of the council to arrive. I pulled out my tablet and continued to review what I had been doing back in the palace. 10 minutes later, the rest of the council arrived. Hermes was checking his phone constantly. Artemis was looking mildly pissed. Poseidon looked around wondering why were called. Ares sharpening his sword. Aphrodite was fixing her make up. Finally Hestia stood by the hearth. As everything began to settle. Hestia started the meeting.

"Earlier today, we had a guest drop by the throne room six packages. I took the liberty of gathering them instead of having them lay down by our feet. The person who left the packages, was Perseus." That had been a name I had not heard in a long time. Hestia had stepped away from the hearth and brought the packages to the designated gods. I opened mine envelope to find a simple letter, and a ring.

Dear Athena,

It has been years since we had held a discussion. So I will keep this to a paragraph. I am sorry for the loss and inability to protect your daughter. I hope that we can someday return to just being a mere mortal to a god, instead of the ex of your daughter. Just pay attention to the details within your family. Maybe you can figure out what will soon happen.

With regrets

Perseus Jackson

I looked around the room to see what reactions the rest of my family would have. And it was not pretty. Everyone who received a package had a reaction that would not be expected of them. Poseidon had tears in the corners of his eyes. Zeus's eyes softened from the paranoia to one that I recognized of when he was not corrupted by the power of a king. My sister had discarded her harsh glare with one of confusion. Hestia however, held a face of neutrality. But you could see in her eyes the despair that didn't belong.

"Okay, so I will start with what my letter says. Sadly, it has the sea spawn's wishes. It is for Hestia and Hades to have a throne here on Olympus. And for us to erase his existence from the mind of all demigods, and ourselves. To those who believe I should go through with this horrendous use of a favor from Olympus, raise your hand." Surprisingly only two hands didn't rise. Artemis's and Poseidon. "Now brother, if you may read what yours says."

Poseidon looked as though he wanted to fade from his throne. Finally with a final breath he started reading.

Dear Father,

How have you been. How has the last four years been. Its been great hasn't it. I just request that you forget that I exist. The memories associated with this world has anchored me to this reality. I finally realized, after four years, that this is not where I belong. I belong somewhere in the land we call nowhere. To forever wander, finding those who are like me. And band together to look for another sunshine. May the Sun and Moon provide you hope, as I have given up and the concept.

Farewell

Your former son

At the end of him reading the letter he dropped it. Unable to contain his emotions he silently cried into his hands. As Hestia walked over to her brother and calmed him down, we transferred our attention to Artemis.

"Artemis my daughter, would you mind reading what your letter says." father requested.

"I'm sorry father, but no. I put my trust in what had been said in this letter, and will not disclose what he has trusted with me."

"Daughter you will listen to me, read the letter." Before Zeus could continue his statement, Artemis fired an arrow with the letter stuck to it towards the hearth. And the letter had now disappeared forever in the flames. Before any punishment could be dealt to her, she flashed out to where ever her hunt was. And before Hermes could be questioned he flashed away, as Artemis had. Lastly Hestia was the only one to show what she had been given. She instead handed it to me to read out as she also flashed out of the throne room.

Dear Hestia

Hope, hope is something you have once you have given up on every other possibilty out there. I now have hope. Hope that you and the rest of the world will forget me. Hope that Olympus will shine at it's brightest once more. I hope that you all will forgive me. Even if after today you will not know who I am.

Perseus Jackson

At the top of the Empire State Building

Percy

As I looked over the city of Manhattan, no mortal below walked on the sidewalks. No screeching of tires from everyday and night traffic. No yelling at the taxi that almost hits you when you are the one at fault. Just me. A teenager standing atop of the Empire State Building, waiting for the next day to start. The beautiful hues of orange, yellow and blue. Staring off in the distance, I walked to the ledge and jumped.

Hello everyone. Deadly here and has it been some time. So I disappeared for iunno how long and I can say, I'm sort of disappointed in what has been going on. Its probably because I haven't searched deep enough, but I haven't found a new story type. Like guardian stories or betrayed etc stories. It's probably just me though. Asides that. I think I am just going to focus on one story, by that I mean I'm probably going to delete EFR and find someone to adopt EoE. So just look at my profile to see when a update might happen. Junior year is a hellish thing. So later readers

D_-T