Percy Jackson stood before the council of Olympus, broken. After everything, he went through, all he sacrificed to save the world not once, but twice, it turns out one, misunderstanding turned everyone against him, albeit a pretty big one. Even her. Annabeth, the one person who he thought he could count on to always be by his side called him a traitor. Of course, she was gentler than the rest and never said it to his face but the look in her eyes was unmistakable.
In hindsight though he couldn't really remember what happened and the murder weapon was in his hand along with a large amount of Jason's blood covering him. The evidence was really stacked up against him. For a time the only thing that keep him sane was the fact he distinctly remembered getting hit over the head pretty hard the night before, but the injury looked pretty superficial and could have been explained away in the struggle when Jason was murdered. I was set up, he thought, there's got to be some kind of explanation for this.
His only friends throughout the whole ordeal were Nico, and surprisingly Thalia. She came to the small cramped room in the big house where they were holding him chained to a small uncomfortable cot while the others tried to figure out with him. Here eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she looked like she hadn't slept in the whole two days. Electricity was coming off her in small bursts like it took all of her will power to not fry Percy into dust. "Is it true. Did you kill my brother?" she demanded harshly, her voice rough and quavering. She was moments away from losing her control. She had only just got her baby brother back 18 months ago only for him to be taken from her again.
"I told you Thalia it's not that simp-" Nico began trailing behind her but was abruptly cut of by Percy.
"No"
"Can you swear it on the River Styx?" That gave Percy pause. He had been asked the same before by Annabeth when he tried to plead his innocence. The look she gave him when he couldn't answer broke his heart to pieces. What can I say to make them believe me? A sudden blast of lightning brought his attention back to the grieving hunter. He had to think fast.
He was seconds away from being blasted through the wall when he suddenly remembered Leo. Leo Valdez, a son of Hephaestus, had died defeating Gaia only a week ago but that wasn't what concerned Percy. Months ago back at Camp Jupiter Leo had been possessed aboard the Argo II and forced to fire a massive payload onto New Rome which very nearly led to war between the Greek and Roman demigods.
"I swear upon the River Styx that I didn't willingly or knowingly kill Jason Grace." Percy called out before Thalia could blast him straight to the Underwood. Thunder boomed loudly overhead signaling the truth to his words. Thalia stopped and stared down at Percy with a hard look in her eyes.
"What did you mean by that?" Nico questioned with a confused frown covering his gaunt, pale face. He looked older than his 14 years. Then again so did Percy. Two wars and a trip the blackest pit in the known universe age a person horribly.
"I mean," Percy began, "that I think I was possessed or somehow forced to do it. The last thing I remember is walking into my cabin at lights out and getting hit over the back of my head. The next thing I know I'm covered in blood with Riptide in my hand and Jason's body at my feet."
"So you were possessed?" Nico asked.
"Yes, I think so."
"I need to get to the Underwood. This is a start but if I can get to Jason and get what he knows about his death, it might be able to clear you." Nico responded hurriedly, a look of relief settling in his dark, onyx eyes. He shot out of the room into a shadow to begin his search, leaving the other two breathless in his wake.
Thalia stood there quiet for a minute, a look of relief mixing with the sadness and anger. She let out a breath that seemed to lift a weight from her shoulders as she sat down next to her cousin. "I knew it couldn't be true. I knew you'd never betray us like that, but..." She stopped to find the right words.
"But it was a pretty good set up." Percy supplied.
"Yeah."
Then she began to cry. Her head dropped into her hands as gut wrenching sobs racked her body. Percy looked at her heartbroken, unable to find the words to comfort his cousin. His own grief over the loss of his friend and comrade was painful enough. Soon though, anger began to replace his sadness. Someone had used him to hurt his friends and turn everyone against him. I'm going to find who did this to me and rip them apart, he thought darkly.
Before he could say anything else the door slammed open and Clarisse stormed in with two Ares campers following stiffly behind her. "Get up traitor. Olympus demands your presence."
"What do you mean?" asked Thalia while the two meatheads began to unchain him from the bed and gag him before he could protest.
Clarisse looked down at Thalia surprised by her presence. "The Olympian Council wishes to sentence him today after the award ceremony"
Thalia looked shocked, "They're not even going to give him a trial?"
"He was found over the body covered in Jason's blood and had the murder weapon in his hands. There's your trial." Clarisse gave the hunter a confused look, "Why are you even defending him. The traitor killed your brother."
"He said he's innocent. Swore it actually."
Clarisse grew more confused after that. Her face morphed into a pained scowl as if it hurt to think. Children of Ares weren't known for their high IQ.
"His presence is still demanded. Let's go."
*
Percy was taken out of his thoughts when the "trial" was brought to order. The King of the Gods glared at him with as much contempt as ever, but this time it seemed to be focused solely on him. Percy schooled his emotions and kept his face neutral. Something he learned from Lupa before being sent to Camp Jupiter.
"Perseus Jackson, you stand accused of high treason against the Olympian Council, and murder. Both of which are punishable by death. Do you deny it?"
"I do."
"Very well. All those who find the traitor guilty of all charges?" Zeus asked has he raised his hand.
"Wait wha-" Percy began before he was cut off by Athena. Percy wasn't very surprised, after all she was the one to point out his fatal flaw to him.
"Father won't you hear his story before determining his guilt. After all he has done for the gods don't you think he deserves that much?"
Thunder crashed outside and the whole building shook with Zeus's rage as he transformed int to his roman counterpart. "I give him more than he deserves by offering a vote instead of outright banishing him to the pit." roared Jupiter.
Percy paled at the thought of that. He had already mad one trip down into Tartarus and barely made it out. The effects of the pit left him with nightmares and paranoia that would haunt him for the rest of his days. The physical effects were not as permanent though. When he and Annabeth had finally made their way out and shut the doors of death. They looked like skeletons. Percy had lost about 40 pounds and his usually sun kissed tan was gone. Instead, he looked as pale as a ghost. Percy had quickly gained back some of his weight and muscle back and his complexion darkened in the last couple of weeks, but he still looked sickly and gaunt.
It was then that Poseidon stood and faced his brother "I will not allow that to happen. You know my son is innocent of this. Do not let you grief blind you brother."
"Silence," Jupiter bellowed then continued, "Raise your hand if you find the traitor guilty." All but three raised their hands. Athena, Poseidon, and Hermes all at least gave him the benefit of the doubt.
"Very well." Jupiter began but before he could continue Percy repeated the same words he said to Thalia. "I swear on the River Styx that I didn't willingly or knowingly kill Jason Grace." Everyone stopped and stared at him in disbelief. He continued while he had their stunned silence. "The last thing I remember was entering my cabin at lights out and being hit over the back of my head. Then I was standing over his body covered in his blood. I think someone forced me to do it because I would never have done this of my own free will. I would have died for Jason first."
The whole of the Council looked abashed after hearing his words. Well except for Ares. "I say we kill him anyway. I'm bored." That however didn't offend Percy as much as he would have expected. He guessed he was just used to someone wanting him dead for the simple reason that they were bored or didn't like the way he breathed.
Jupiter however looked conflicted. Then The doors to the throne room were thrown open. Nico came dragging in a woman in chains who looked badly burned kicking and screaming with a ghostly apparition trailing behind them. Thalia finally spoke running to meet her cousin and the spirit of her brother. "Jason what's going on. Who is that Nico has chained up?" Then there came a small startled gasp from Piper who stood with the rest of the campers. "It can't be. I watched you die." she said to the prisoner.
"Next time you should stick around to finish the job." The prisoner responded. Her voice sounded smooth and rich. But her face was most definitely not. She had a round heart shape face with high pronounced cheekbones signifying that she was once beautiful but her face was covered with ugly red and black burns. Her nose was completely gone and hair only grew in sort tufts around the top of her head.
Jason finally spoke up to the council after speaking in hushed, comforting tones with his sister. He addressed Jupiter directly, "Father this woman is responsible for my death. She told me herself while I awaited Judgment in the Underworld. She claims to have knocked Percy unconsciousness and then proceeded to feed him potions to make him forgot her and all she made him do then she was able to control his actions though Charmspeak."
"I was in the Underworld looking for Jason to hear his side of the story about his death when I found these two and heard everything that she said and can confirm that all that Jason said is true. I swear it on the Styx." Nico supplied.
"Who is this woman?" demanded the King of the Gods.
"I am Medea. And I only killed your spawn out of revenge for what he and his little whore did to me." The prisoner spoke up but before anything else could happen a large crack opened up under her and the witch fell, banished to the pit.
"It would seem that I owe you an apology Perseus. I acted rashly and in my grief nearly condemned an innocent." Zeus said finally changing back to his Greek counterpart. The apology was entirely insincere however. It was as if he was only saying it so that he wouldn't get in trouble with more of the Council.
What surprised Percy the most however was that he didn't feel angry about the half assed apology. It was like he expected nothing less. "I suppose you want some kind of reward or compensation for recent event. Well go on boy what would you have of the Gods." Zeus continued begrudgingly as he freed Percy from his chains. He received some glares and looks of contempt from his other Council members but couldn't be bother to care as usual.
Percy stood and begun to think about the offer, almost tempted refuse it with the same amount of contempt as was given when it was offered, but he thought better of it. A gift from the gods was nothing to throw away. Zeus began to grow irritated when Percy didn't answer right away. "Well boy speak. What would you have of the gods." He demanded.
"Is there a way you can get rid of my scent?" Percy asked. The Gods began to murmur among themselves restlessly while Zeus narrowed his eyes at the son of Poseidon. "Why do you ask of this?" he demanded.
"Because I want nothing to do with the mythical world anymore and would like to be able to live my life like a regular mortal in peace."
"Son," Poseidon began, " don't you think you're overreacting. I know you are offended but that doesn't mean you should just throw away your life at camp because of a misunderstanding."
"No. I'm done with being a pawn of the Gods. Done with fighting your wars then to be treated like a tool to be thrown away or forgotten when I am no longer of use." Everyone began to protest and argue all at once. Even the campers that all called him a traitor and scum not only hours before began to protest loudly that it wasn't true.
Percy turned and gave them a look of pure revulsion and contempt that shut them up. He tried to avoid her eyes bud failed and met Annabeth's gaze and saw only horror and regret at what she had done. Good, Percy thought, maybe she will learn from this.
Zeus thundered for silence once more before continuing. "I agree to your request boy. We can't get rid of your scent, but we can change it to smell like a regular mortals so that you may not be bothered by the monsters that roam the land. You may also keep your powers if you swear to never use them against the Gods."
"And in return I want the gods to swear to stay away from me, my family, and any friends I have in the mortal world except for those who defended me today."
"Agreed."
Once the oaths were made Perseus Jackson promptly turned around and left the hall of the Gods for good before anyone could say anything to stop him.
*
May 4, 2012
It was about six months later that it happened. Percy was making is way back to his mothers apartment in Queens. He had been staying with her while he worked and tried to get on his own two feet. He was taking night classes with the help of Paul, his stepfather, so he could get his GED. During the day he worked for a cab company, driving tourist around town and pointing out the sights.
He had just passed that ugly new building that Stark had just finished when he heard the explosions going off above him. Percy looked up and saw the portal high above the tower with monsters poring out by the dozen. You've got to be fucking kidding me...