DISCLAIMER: I don't even see how this is necessary, and I forgot the last time, but my name isn't Rick Riordan, I don't write freakishly well and I don't own PJO!

Livgon

"Three minutes. Think about it."

I retreated to a corner to think. If they joined me, I needed to help them unlock their true potential. Quickly, I ran the Words of Power through my head and began formulating the spell that would bestow my blessing.

There was a lot of deliberation going on. I redirected one of my consciousnesses to listen in while the other fifteen worked feverishly.

They were vacillating. Foolish human indecisiveness.

Three minutes passed. "Well? What is your decision?"

Annabeth raised her hand. I was perplexed and I let it show. No one was forthcoming with an explanation. Strange human customs. I flipped through my databases and found the appropriate entry.

Raising a hand; signal in a classroom from student to teacher that the student wishes to pose a query. Really, couldn't she have just spoken?

"Ask your question." I kept my tone free of the annoyance I felt at Annabeth's lack of understanding. I've been asleep for three thousand years! But there was more than that, huddling behind the annoyance. A strange emotion…curiosity, the infamous feline-murderer? I pondered. Then Annabeth began to speak and I filed the matter away for later.

"Lord Livgon, you are a being of great power." I ignored the compliment, instead diverting some of my consciousnesses to focus on unraveling that strange emotion. Certainly, during my battles with Notox or these past days, I had felt no such thing.

"Why do you seek our aid? How are we to help against Notox, a being of power as great as yours?"

Now I understood. "Your cowardice aside," I began, watching as Annabeth flinched and Percy looked furious, "I am not yet at full strength. My efforts thousands of years ago were great exertions on my energy, and I have yet to recuperate. Furthermore, one gift I unfortunately lack is omniscience. I need allies to assist me when many problems appear at once and I cannot deal with them all." I had another reason, but according to my calculations, it would had a 23% chance of inciting a backlash, and when the fate of my Universe is concerned, that a risk worth taking when there are alternatives, such as withholding information.

Percy didn't look too happy at me calling Annabeth a coward and was evidently about to speak out, but Annabeth stopped him with a little nudge. Barely noticeable by most beings, but, then again, I was not 'most beings'. Annabeth herself did not appear too happy at my explanation, but she let the matter drop for now.

This time, Percy ventured a query. "Who else do you intend to recruit in this effort?

"Whoever I can. Titans, gods, demigods, spirits, naiads, whomever. I cannot allow too many to join Notox, for he will give them great power, but at a heavy price – the loss of their identity. They will become walking agents of death, oblivious to any other calling but the wishes of their master."

"And what if the gods, our parents, refuse to join with you? Will you force us to disobey the will of our parents?"

"Upon my authority, there will be no refusal. I am Livgon; my word brooks no dissent." I said smugly, confident in my authority."

If Percy was agitated just now, he was aggravated to his full anger now. "You treat people like tools! You may have power, but what does it matter if you don't use it with a heart? How can you impose your will on others unquestioningly?" he raged.

I didn't bother with emotion of my own. Extreme emotions disrupt logical and rational reasoning. "Perseus Jackson, since you have the impudence to assume that you can do a god's job, let me ask you a question. What would, or even could YOU do in my place? I have neither time for pleasantries nor placating the gargantuan egos of people. Unless you would see yourself, everyone you care about and this entire world disappear at a single thought from Notox, my cause is the only cause. And I'm running out of TIME!"

"How can you have the insolence to assume that this is easy for me? My recuperation is rudely interrupted by the actions of my creations, the beings I'm responsible for, and Notox is charging at me, hell bent on pure destruction, from across the universe while I'm at a weakened level of power. I have to deal with the ridiculous and completely unjustified superiority complexes of the Olympians, convince a bunch of belligerent Titans to fight, rally godkind and Titankind, a feat everyone has been trying to do for the past three thousand years, in thirty days! Of all the people I wish to recuit, I had the greatest hopes for the demigods! The powers of the gods tempered by humanity's wisdom is what I need, not the brash arrogance of the gods combined with the foolish ignorance of humans!"

"I am the Father of the Universe; all are my children. In a matter of days, I will have to fight and kill many of my children, a number that is almost certain to include Erebus, a being I shaped with my mind! I will have to massacre my children! Do you think this is easy for me? Do you think you can do MY job?" A little more emotion than I had expected went into that little speech and I began to regret it.

By the end of my little display of wordcraft, I had stunned my audience yet again. For the first time today, I pitied them, watching as the full scope of the situation finally crashed down with horrible, horrible force. They had realized at last, how desperate the fight was. Deal with it, I murmured, so soft no one but me heard, as I projected a little of my resolute will to comfort them.

"I apologize, Lord Livgon. I spoke out of turn without considering the burden you bear."

"No need for apologies, Son of Poseidon. I too have done wrong by letting my emotions intrude upon this discussion."

From my limited understanding of human facial expression, I surmised I had pleased them with the apology. How could human emotion be so fickle and fey, to be in the throes of rage one moment and contented in the next? Evidently, three thousand years was a long time even for someone with the mental capacity of the brains of 240 genii. Still, I had more important things to learn, such as the history of the world since I had fallen asleep, learning how to use weapons, analyzing the personalities of so many different Titans and gods, to devote any time to understanding that mysterious enigma that collectively identified as humanity except their most basic philosophies, motivations and emotions. Still, I got the feeling I was missing out – on a lot.