Hestia sat at her hearth, poking it with her long and ashen steel rod poker.
The gods were bickering as usual about the stupidest things. Who was older, Apollo or Artemis? Who did Mother Rhea love more, Poseidon, Zeus, or Hades?
Hestia would be at her throne but she didn't feel comfortable there. Not without Percy in her world. It was, after all, his gift to her.
Zeus had called a council meeting three weeks after Hera, Hades, Aphrodite, and her sent Perseus on his way to the new dimension.
Finally, after a couple of minutes, Zeus slammed his master bolt onto the marble floor, silencing everyone.
"I have called this meeting to discuss the unusual amount of energy summoned earlier this month," he said in his 'mightier than thou' voice. "As well as the domain troubles of Poseidon."
Zeus nodded to his brother and Poseidon began to speak, "The sea has been fighting with me as of late."
"How is that possible?" Apollo asked. "Could it be Oceanus?"
"No," Poseidon replied. "Oceanus has been imprisoned after the titan war. No, this started when I disowned Perseus."
Suddenly, a flaming poker embedded itself onto Poseidon's throne, inches from his face.
Hestia was livid with anger. Her eyes were small flames as she tried to contain them. She now stood, her face was beyond fury.
"You. Did. WHAT!" Hestia screamed. She couldn't believe it. Poseidon was his father. He should be there to protect him. Not abandon him. "How could you?"
"Brother," Hades spoke. "I must agree with my sister. You are the boy's father, you cannot just abandon him for no reason."
"I had a reason!" Poseidon bellowed. "He killed one of my citizens. A merman by the name of-" he did some noise none of them understood- "He was a good person."
"And you believe Percy was the murderer," Aphrodite mused quietly. Unfortunately, the entire council heard her.
"I know he did." Poseidon said. "I watched it through an Iris message."
"Let us see, shall we?" Hestia spat. She turned towards her brother Zeus and asked, "Could you please summon Iris, brother?"
Zeus nodded, not saying that he was against this. He hated the sea spawn. But he summoned Iris, hoping not to incur Hestia's wrath. Or is wife's, judging by how she dared him with her eyes to say no.
Iris appeared, looking sad and grieving. She was not alone. A girl was there in a uniform with a name tag that read, 'Fleecy'.
"Lord Zeus," Fleecy said bowed. "How may we be of assisstance?"
"What is wrong with Iris?" Zeus asked. Despite her being a lower goddess, he had quite a bit of respect for her. Without her, Hermes would be running around twenty-four seven.
"Lady Iris a-and I have lo-lost a friend a couple w-weeks ago." Fleecy stuttered and then broke down into tears.
Hestia, who knew what- or rather who- they were talking about, guided them to the hearth while they both openly sobbed and grieved. Quietly, Hestia whispered, "He's not dead."
They both stopped immediately and looked at her in suprise. Fleecy whispered, "But it's been six weeks..."
Hestia shook her head and whispered, "No. I saw him this two weeks ago."
They looked at eachother then broke into huge grins. They hugged eachother and cheered.
Someone cleared their throat. Zeus had grown impatient. He wondered who this 'friend' was but he honestly didn't care.
"Lady Iris," he thundered. "Perseus Jackson has been accused with the murder of a mermaid. The accuser has told us he viewed this action through an Iris message. We hoped you may clear this up for us."
Iris was shocked. Percy a murderer? No way. But she did what Zeus asked and combed through her mind to find such a message.
She furrowed her brow. "Lord Zeus," she said. "There is one of a murder of a mermaid."
Poseidon shot Hestia a smug look which she returned with a glare.
"But," Iris continued. "It is not Perseus."
"Who is it?" Hera asked. She was on the edge of her seat, ready to thrash whomever destroyed Percy's life.
"Your husband's son, Kevin James."
LineBreak
The gods flashed down to camp HalfBlood, Hestia and Hades in the lead looking murderous. Poseidon followed sadly behind them.
How could he have been tricked so easily? He was one of the big three. An Olympian. He was not supposed to be weak minded.
The camp saw the flashes of the Olympian gods and were excited. They hadn't seen the murderer of their friends in six weeks! Could this be good news to see if he was finally dead?
The camp, with Chiron in the lead, went up the hill to meet. Chiron was the opposite of his campers. He looked like he aged twenty years and looked grim.
Six weeks ago, just when his favorite student and son-like person disappeared, the niads came to him with news. They said that Percy ordered them not to tell him unless in extreme circumstances.
Apparently this was one. They told of the campers changing and turning to hate Percy. How they would corner him and beat him until the brink of death and he would crawl to the lake and dump himself in.
Chiron was horrified. His campers did that to the Savior of Olympus?
He met the gods and noticed Hestia and Hades in a fury. He mused if they too, had somehow found out about the beatings.
"Where is Kevin James?" Hestia hollered. Chiron was suprised to find the pacifist goddess to be so... violent.
Kevin appeared looking smug. Annabeth was in the back of the crowd, wondering if they were going to punish her too for driving Percy away.
"Olympians," Kevin called in a sing-song voice. "Welcome to my humble abode."
"Kevin James," Hades said, "you are under arrest for murder of a citizen of Atlantis and the framing of Percy Jackson."
There was an audible gasp, but none louder than the one given by Annabeth. When Poseidon claimed that Percy did that- no matter how much he said he didn't- Annabeth just assumed that he had reasons for doing what he did. Now to find out he didn't actually do it? Annabeth felt horrible.
"What!" Kevin cried. "Jackson killed that mermaid. Poseidon even said so."
"Poseidon was tricked," Hestia said accusingly. "Do you know how that happened?"
"Of course I don't!" Kevin exclaimed. He turned to the crowd. "Right guys?"
The crown yelled in agreement. The gods themselves were confused at how one man can get the entire camp behind him in little over two months.
The question was answered for Zeus when he saw a small spark dance around the base of Kevin's skull.
"KEVIN JAMES!" Zeus screamed. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!"
Everyone turned to Zeus in shock. Kevin edged away from his father in fear.
"What do you mean father?" Artemis asked, eyeing her half-brother warily.
"Long ago," Zeus explained. "When I first got my abilities, I noticed I could influence minds by using the electrical currents than ran through a person's body."
All the gods, except for the eldest (Hades, Hestia, Poseidon, and Hera) gasped. This was new.
"I realized that that is exactly what my father did," Zeus continued. "Influencing minds against there will. I was power hungry but I had enough will power to swear on the Styx and Chaos to never use it."
Everyone was speechless. Hera had been there when he made the vow. She had found him with his head in his hands crying. After much needed counciling he made the vow. They were happy after that.
"I had hoped every day that one of my childeren wouldn't get it. Thalia was close... but she was t- too messed up...after the tree incedent." Zeus said and he lowered it in shame.
He suddenly snapped it up. "We must find Perseus."
"Wait," ordered Hera. She turned to the old cenataur. "What is it Chiron? Something is on your mind."
Chiron sighed. He was afraid that his face would give something away. "Could you remove whatever mind control Kevin has put on them?"
Zeus nodded. He glowed a sky blue and so did the campers. All except Annabeth.
After the glow died the campers looked at eachother in horror. Most began to cry while others, like Annabeth, remained emotionless shells.
Hera grew confused. "Chiron," she called. "Why are they like this?"
"They are facing what they have done to Percy." He replied.
"What did they do?" Apollo asked.
"Horrible beatings as I've been told." Chiron said.
Hestia grew worried. "What kind of beatings? Who told you?"
Chiron let out a low whistle and five niads came up from the river some ways down.
They proceeded to tell the worried Hestia, Hera, Aphrodite, and Hades about the beatings they saw him walk- or sometimes crawl- out from. Then they got to the last one they saw.
"What is it?" Hera demanded. They told them of what they saw. The word 'Murderer' carved into his side, just beside his belly button.
The four gods glanced at eachother as Zeus declared a search party for the lost hero. They came to a silent agreement: they would not bring Perseus back until they absolutely had to.
(Sorry for the short chapter. But I really want to go back to Percy)