Percy left Camp Half-Blood with little fanfare. Knowing that most of the camp couldn't stand him, he knew that he would get no true blessing to leave. He slipped up to his cabin, grabbed his gear, and headed for Thalia's Pine. At the crest of the hill, he stopped for a moment and turned around, catching the camp in the falling rays of light. Somehow, he knew this would be the last time he saw the camp for a long while. As he stood there, he reminisced over his years. He remembered climbing the same hill he now stood on to escape the Minotaur. He remembered countless duels in the arena, numerous trips to the woods, and many friendships forged in every corner of the camp. And all of it had come crashing down around him. As hard as he tried, he couldn't escape silent tears sliding down his cheeks.

After a few moments, Percy took a deep breath and whispered, "I'm sorry, Chiron. I'm sorry that I failed you. I promised to lead them…I promised to lead them…"

Percy felt his voice choke up. He wiped away the tears, steadied himself, took one last long look, and then turned his back on the only place he had ever truly called home.

Percy summoned Blackjack and was soon flying towards Manhatten. He knew that he had to speak with his mother one last time, and he couldn't risk it over an iris message. He didn't want to be tracked. He just wanted to disappear.

A short while later, he arrived at his mom and Paul's apartment building. Percy steadied his voice, told Blackjack to stay, and then headed up. After a few minutes of waiting on the elevator, he decided to walk, not wanting to be anywhere near New York any longer than he had to. He climbed flight after flight of stairs, hardly breaking a sweat. Even if he had felt pain and soreness creep into his bones, however, it wouldn't have phased him. He was lost in his thoughts and almost sleep walking, so distracted that he barely felt or heard anything around him.

A few minutes later, he arrived at the apartment. He gave a couple knocks, but growing impatient, decided to use his key and get in. When he tried to twist the lock, however, he noticed that the lock was jammed. At that moment, Percy began to bang on the door harder, yelling for his mom and Paul. Frightened, Percy stepped back and kicked the door in, apologizing to his mom in his thoughts.

What he found brought him to his knees. The place was a wreck. A struggle had clearly taken place. Percy immediately rushed through the apartment, yelling for his parents and searching frantically. He found nothing.

Percy fell to his knees in the living room and screamed, "WHY?! FATES, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?! WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO SUFFER?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

He collapsed, his head in his hands, as he silently begged his Olympian father for mercy. Percy stayed there for a minute, before he heard a soft voice ask, "Percy?"

Percy looked up, his red tearstained eyes catching sight of Hestia, the goddess of the hearth and one of his favorite Olympians. He immediately pulled himself up to one knee and bowed. "Lady Hestia."

"Percy, I've told you many times, you don't bow to me. If anything, it should be the other way around."

Percy nodded, but stayed on his knee, his head staring down into the ground. The words of Hestia floated around him, but Percy heard nothing. He was in a daze, shocked beyond all measure. Hestia noticed this and put her hand under his chin, lifting up his head. Gently, she asked, "What is it, child?"

Percy felt the tears come back. "Mom and Paul…they're gone."

Hestia nodded. "I see…and you know nothing?"

"I know nothing, Lady Hestia. All I know is that they're gone…and I'm all alone."

Hestia nodded, pondered that for a moment, and then pulled Percy up, taking him over to the couch to sit with her. She then asked, "What makes you think you're alone? You have an entire army of demigods, your friends, behind you."

Percy shook his head. "Not anymore. They've forsaken me."

Hestia shook her head. "That can't possibly be the case. You're their leader. You're loyal and just. You're a good man, Percy. These campers wouldn't simply leave you. To many of them, you are their hero."

"They were played, Lady Hestia. But they all knew me for years! I thought they knew me for who I was…but it turns out all they needed was a little push to turn their backs on me. And now, without them, without Mom and Paul…who do I have? I'm alone."

Hestia nodded sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Percy…what can I do?"

Percy lightly shrugged, his shoulders barely moving as if he was still holding the weight of the sky. "I just want to know why the fates can't cut me a break. All I want is to live in peace. Why must things keep happening to me? I don't mean to be selfish, but…when will enough be enough?"

Hestia nodded and was quiet for a moment, before speaking again. "Percy…the greatest heroes lived the hardest lives. You have been blessed with many gifts, and unfortunately, those who have the most gifts often carry the heaviest burden. You, Perseus Jackson, are the greatest hero this world has ever seen. Unfortunately, that means you suffer the most."

Hestia sighed. "I wish that I could take some of your pain, Percy. You aren't like other heroes. You're not selfish. You're not self-absorbed. You are kind. You have mercy. You are generous. You only care about others. I have never seen someone who has put others ahead of himself like you do. Olympus would have fallen twice over, and this world plunged into chaos, if it weren't for you. You deserve better than this."

Percy shook his head. "Thank you, Lady Hestia, but I get too much of the credit. There were a lot of other demigods who fought those wars. A lot of them didn't make it back. They are the heroes. Not me. I just did my job."

Hestia gave him a soft smile. "I thought you would say that. Percy…there is one thing I can give you."

Hestia held out her hand, a small flame dancing around her palm. "Percy…I want to give you my blessing. This is the flame of hope. It's small, yes, but it burns eternal. A little bit of this can change the world…just like you. Be my champion, Percy. You have been the hope of Olympus for years. Now, I want you to have some of what you gave us."

Hestia reached out and held Percy's face with her two hands, forcing him to look into her eyes. "This will remind you, no matter how hard it gets and how much you suffer, there is always hope."

Percy nodded and kneeled. "Lady Hestia, I'm honored to accept."

Hestia smiled and waved her hand. Percy felt heat within him. it was subtle, but it was there. And in that moment, despite everything he had gone through, he felt a stirring in his soul. It was small, barely noticeable, but Percy knew what it was. He had hope.

He stood up and looked in the mirror. He looked the same, but noticed a subtle change. When he focused on his eyes, he saw the sea green be replaced by dancing flames, then turn back again. "My eyes…"

Hestia nodded. "Fire burns within you, Percy. You'll soon see."

Percy nodded. "I don't know where Mom and Paul are, but I will find them. This I swear by the River Styx."

Thunder boomed, and Hestia smiled. "She was blessed with an amazing son. I hope you know how much I admire the man that you are, Percy."

Percy nodded and headed for the door. "Lady Hestia…thank you. Thank you for being there for me in my time of need. You'll never know how much I appreciate it."

As Hestia dissolved into a flame, she smiled and nodded. After she disappeared, Percy took one last look around the apartment. He grabbed a picture of his mom at Montauk and slipped it in his pocket. "I'm going to find you, mom. I promise."

With that, he slid out of the door, into the night, and out of sight.

The next day, Jack stormed into Athena's cabin, furious. "ANNABETH CHASE!"

Annabeth looked up from her blueprints. The bags under her eyes and the tearstains reflected a long sleepless night, but in that moment, Jack didn't care. He closed the gap in a flash, staring her down, inches from her face. Annabeth looked up, and for the first time in a long time, felt fear. His blue eyes danced with flames of fury, intimidating her further. "Percy wasn't in his cabin. It was cleaned out. So I'm gonna ask this once. What. Happened."

Annabeth shook her head. "He attacked Zander. Knocked him around pretty badly. I told him I didn't like the person he had become…and I told him to leave."

Jack didn't yell. He didn't explode. But his eyes did. The electric blue flames danced in fury, terrifying her. She fell back, covering her face in sheer terror. Jack bent down and whispered, "You had better hope to the gods that we find him."

Jack stormed out of the Athena cabin. Several campers approached him. A small group of teenagers from the Hermes cabin who didn't like he or Percy sauntered up, clearly provoked by Zander, who stood on a rise some short ways away. Their leader was about to level an insult, but Jack simply threw his hand out. The three boys went flying, an invisible force throwing them back with the force of a wrecking ball. Jack pointed up at Zander and threatened, "If you had something to do with this, you'll be begging Hades himself for mercy."

Jack strode into the Big House and yelled for Chiron. A moment later, the old teacher appeared. "Jack? What's the matter?"

"Percy's gone, Chiron."

Chiron sighed. "I never believed he was doing any of this. I saw the camp turn against him. I thought that I should say something, but I didn't believe it to be my place…this is my fault."

Jack shook his head darkly. "It was that son of Zeus. I'd bet my life he was behind all of this. And when I find out…Tartarus itself won't be ready for the things I do."

Chiron let the comment slide, knowing that the young man was venting. He simply said, "We need to call a counsel of the Olympians."

The Olympians, however, were already in counsel. Hestia had called them the morning after Percy disappeared. Zeus, who silenced everyone's daily bickering, asked, "Hestia, why did you call us together?"

"My lord, I thought that the council should know…Percy disappeared last night."

Pandemonium ensued, with Poseidon yelling above all, "What?! Where is my son?!"

The place quieted after Poseidon slammed his trident to the floor, causing the ground to quiver. Hestia quietly replied, "I don't know my lord. But something happened at camp. He said he had been abandoned. Percy was nearly broken, and he arrived at his mothers apartment…"

Hestia's voice quivered with emotion. "…they were gone. His mother and stepfather were gone. It was clear some kind of struggle had taken place."

Poseidon collapsed to his throne in disbelief. "Perseus…Sally…no…"

Hades attempted to console him, saying, "Brother, I can tell you they are not in the Underworld. Your loved ones are alive."

Poseidon, in spite of himself, snapped back, "And what good does that do? Two precious mortals are gone and my son has disappeared into the world!"

Zeus remarked, "Calm, brother. He was trying to help. This is good news. They are alive."

Poseidon nodded and apologized to his brother, who accepted without a thought, as Hades knew the pain Poseidon was feeling. Zeus, however, knew they had missed something in the initial panic. "Hestia, you said something happened at camp?"

Hestia nodded. "Yes, my lord. I don't know what, but it devastated Percy."

Poseidon coldly remarked, "Then let us get the precious campers before us, so we can find out."

Moments later, Chiron, Jack, and all of the head counselors stood in front of the council. All bowed, and Chiron said, "My lords, we were just about to call you. I presume you know, then."

Poseidon nodded and frostily asked, "Can any of you tell me why my son has disappeared?"

The Stoll brothers snapped in unison, "Good riddance!"

Katie Gardener yelled, "That boy deserves what he gets!"

Will Solace coldly remarked, "That piece of Minotaur dung isn't welcome anymore."

Many other insults were leveled, but they were quickly cut off by a furious Poseidon, who rose to full height and thundered, "THAT IS MY SON AND A HERO OF OLYMPUS! YOU WILL SHOW RESPECT OR I WILL OBLITERATE YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

The campers all cowered in fear, with the exception of Jack and Clarisse, who had stayed silent. Annabeth, the bravest, quietly remarked, "But, my lord, Percy changed. He's become the very thing he fought to destroy. He's cruel. He hurts others. He only cares about himself. He's hurt all of us deeply."

Poseidon frostily asked, "And why, pray tell, would he do any of that?"

Zander rolled his eyes and said, "Because he's a jerk! I watched him do all of these things. He thought he could do whatever he wanted as the leader of the camp. As the new leader, I can promise you I will do the exact opposite of Percy Jackson! He was a good riddance. Thank the gods he's gone. Now, I can lead and things will be the way they should be."

Poseidon seemed ready to explode, but Jack beat him to the punch. Jacks eyes danced in fury, as he whipped out his blackened celestial bronze sword and held it to Zander's throat. "YOU DID THIS, YOU ARROGANT FOOL! I SHOULD KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

Zeus immediately stood up and said, "Jack Brewer, you will stand down. Now."

Jack, however, didn't move. The other demigods protested Jack, but Clarisse interrupted. "How can you all be so blind? Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty! Lady Athena herself said that he would lost the world to save a friend! He could never do any of this! You were played. Zander wanted power and you all let him manipulate you and walk all over you to let him have it."

Zeus nodded in agreement, but stood firm, ordering Jack to stand down. Jack still didn't move. His eyes of fury stayed on Zander staring him down, as he responded to Zeus, "And why should I? Your son deserves to die for betraying Percy."

Zeus narrowed his eyes. "His punishment will be decided by his father, young demigod. Know your place."

Jack coldly responded, "I don't have a father. How would I know my place? I stand by my friend, like he stood by me. Your son deserves to suffer."

Zeus nodded. "I agree, young one. But regardless, he is my son, and I will decide his punishment. Now lower your weapon, or I will do it for you."

Jack didn't move for a moment, didn't take his eyes off Zander. But while his gaze remained, after a moment, Jack lowered his sword. Zeus nodded his appreciation and stared down his wayward son. "Zander, you have clearly conspired against a hero of Olympus for no reason other than your own selfishness. You are hereby banished to Poseidon's courts for three full moons, and afterwards, you will return to camp in disgrace. And, if we find Percy, he will have final say on what your punishment will be. What you have done is a dishonor to me. I am ashamed to call you my son."

Poseidon pushed his fury to the side, knowing there would be plenty of time for that in the future, and asked Hestia, "You saw him at the apartment. Did he say where he was going?"

Hestia shook her head. "I'm sorry, my lord. He did not. I gave him my blessing and left. I knew that he needed time alone."

"It didn't occur to you to find out where he was headed?!"

"It wasn't my place, my lord."

Poseidon nodded, defeated. The rest of the Olympians began to argue amongst themselves what needed to be done, but on her throne, Artemis stayed quiet. She had an immense amount of respect for the young demigod. He had faithfully helped her hunters on numerous occasions and had voluntarily taken the weight of the sky from her. He was faithful, just, kind, merciful, and above all, a servant. She interrupted all and said, "My hunters and I will look for them. Lady Hera, if you alert the Amazons, they could search too."

Hermes nodded. "I'll go tell the Romans. They deserve to know. They'll want to help look for him."

The other gods soon pledged their support, and as strategy got underway, Artemis headed over to her uncle's throne. "Uncle…we'll find him. I promise."

Poseidon nodded, looking worn down. "I hope so, Artemis. I hope so."

The demigods of Camp Half-Blood, since learning of how easily they had been tricked and the horror they had done to their friend, had been on the floor, sobbing. All had hundreds of memories of Percy, and all had forsaken them in a moment, without giving him a chance to defend himself. And they knew, even as they had wounded him deeply, he had respected their wishes and kept his distance, once again putting them above himself.

Jack, however, was furious. He stormed outside of the throne room, where he found Zander kicking the ground and muttering about how unfair it was for him. Rage taking him over, Jack stormed over and slammed him to the ground, his arm pressing down on Zander's throat, taking away his breath. "If I EVER hear another word about how unfair this is for you, I don't care what your father says. I will kill you where you stand."

Jacks eyes again lit up with the blue fire of fury, terrifying Zander. Jack picked him up with his powers, choking him in the air as he threw him back and forth across the street, slamming him into buildings and trees. Finally, Jack dropped him and strode over to him, drawing his sword as he did so. He stared into the eyes of Zander and said, "This is the last time I will be merciful. The Fields of Punishment will look like Elysium to you if I ever get my hands on you again."

Percy looked east, back towards New York. A storm was brewing, dark grey clouds circling and covering the sky, wind whipping around. Percy, with his hoodie up, whispered silently, "I'm sorry, father. I didn't have another choice."

He then turned and headed west, whispering to himself as he did so, "I will free you, mom. I promise."

(So that's it! Chapter numero dos. Where is Percy going? Where are his mom and Paul? Why did they disappear? Also, who do you think Jack's dad is? I guarantee you won't guess it. Side note, Jack has powers that are similar to the force from Star Wars. After a few more chapters and plot development, I'll release a detailed list of both he and Percy's weapons and powers. Until then, there are a few more surprises! I can't believe the attention and love this story has already gotten! I'm incredibly thankful. Hope y'all enjoy!)