Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't own the computer I'm using or the odd socks I'm wearing, and I certainly don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Or anything remotely recognizable.
Zeus sat on his throne and regally surveyed the chaos in front of him. Ever since the gods found out about Hera's little gamble, they had been arguing, yelling, and threatening each other. Ares was going into great detail about all the war and death that would probably occur to anyone who would listen (namely himself), until Hephaestus roared at him to shut up and threatened to shove an anvil up a not very pleasant place. Poseidon was promising to drown all of the gods' Roman forms if a single one of their children so much as dared to insult his son Percy at the Roman camp. Hades had accepted his new place on the Olympian council with gusto and was now attempting to strangle Apollo to keep him from spouting any more god-awful poems (he had unfortunately moved on from haikus to odes). Hermes was nowhere to be seen, which was worrisome. Aphrodite and Athena were arguing over whose daughter was more beastly, and whether beastly was an adjective that could even be used in that sense. The rest of the gods were moping around and giving Zeus sullen glares. Actually, it wasn't all that different from normal, he thought with a smirk.
He was aware that most of the gods didn't approve of his decision to close off Olympus. They all wanted to rush off and help their children, especially Aphrodite and Hephaestus. But Zeus knew that his wife's risky plan would only work if the best demigods of the age settled their differences without divine intervention. Zeus' smirk widened when he remembered that his son, Jason, was going to lead the heroes in this endeavor.
Jason was undoubtedly one of his favorites. He couldn't be seen to pay much attention to his children, but he could watch them from afar, which he often did whenever he wasn't at a Council meeting or a wild party (and Hera wasn't around). He had seen Jason's exploits up to now, had seen his bravery and his leadership, and he knew that this boy would one day earn the respect of all that met him, as any child of his should. Of course, back then, only his Roman aspect had cared about Jason, but now he found himself contemplating his son more frequently in both forms.
He thought back over all the demigod children he had had, dismissing with distaste the recollection of his sea-addled brother announcing to the entire Olympian Council that Zeus' children were so numerous that they could populate an entire country. He admired Thalia's spunk, but she was overconfident and proud, flaws which had almost cost her her life several times. He thought of Hercules and Perseus, Richard the Lionheart and Henry the Great, John Adams and Franklin Roosevelt. These were his favorites, the ones who had become great leaders and made their mark on history. Of course, most of the gods had children who became famous, but his sons were known for their level heads and for taking their duties seriously, not like his brothers' unruly children. Zeus sniffed disdainfully even thinking of some his brothers' spawn, and then reminded himself that he was their leader and must therefore be understanding. After all, he knew that Poseidon and Hades only fought with him so often because they were jealous of his job and the success of his children. He suddenly unwillingly recalled the perpetual smug looks on his brothers' faces after their sons had done so well in the last Titan War. He shuddered.
But then he thought of his son Jason again, and said to himself with a regal chuckle, "We'll see who's smug after this prophecy is fulfilled." Yes, Jason was well on the way to becoming as great as any of his half-siblings, and if he managed to make that Percy Jackson and that Nico diAngelo look bad, well, Zeus might even rank him as high as Hercules. Zeus smirked again, thinking of his poor, deluded brothers, who were basking in their few minutes of glory brought on by their children's meager successes.
He smirked, that is, until he heard the explosion. As the gods finally stopped arguing and looked around to try and find the source of the noise, Hermes sidled into the throne room, covered in ash and whistling innocently. Zeus was about to shake his head and chuckle again, this time in a fatherly way, when he noticed Poseidon pointing at something in the distance and laughing hysterically. That's when he noticed the plume of smoke coming from his palace, from what used to be his bedroom. As he turned to glare at his mischievous godly son, who shrugged sheepishly, Zeus decided that without a doubt all his favorite sons were demigods. They were less destructive.