Recharging Grace

Chapter 4: The history of the cage

"Where is Hephaestus?" Percy Questioned.

Dionysus's body finally dissolved into nothing.

"You killed Mr. D." Said Clarisse, just before Percy coughed and leant forwards slightly.

Percy slowly enter a fit of coughing, before he straightened up, "Sorry, the bastard had been consuming my grace, a little bit at a time. Smiting him took more out of me than I thought."

Ares slowly relaxed, Aphrodite looked at him and then back at Percy.

"Is there a reason you're scared of him?" Asked Aphrodite, making Ares stiffen, "you've been sweating ever since he arrived."

Percy let out a small chuckle, "That's because a Seraphim is of equal rank to a pagan god, An Archangel would've been able to wipe out the entire room without a problem." Said Percy, "That and I kicked his ass back in 1586."

Aphrodite was silent, her eye brows raised, Percy looked down and started patting the wolf that knocked Dionysus down.

Thalia looked at Percy, he had gone from a terrifying force to an idle gossiper in the span on a few seconds and after seeing what he did to Dionysus, she didn't want to insult him. Across the room, Persephone was having a non-verbal spat with Hades. Eventually, Hades huffed and reached into his pocket, from it he drew a sea green feather that had strange markings on it, with it, a small box, a sword and two slips of paper.

"Seraphiel," Called Hades, before throwing the items at Percy, "catch."

Percy caught the items, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the feather, "I didn't realise you still had these."

Percy rotated the feather, before it dissolved into a white light and vanished, Percy looked around the room again and spoke, "I'll ask again, where's Hephaestus?"

"He's in his temple, said he had to do something." Said Athena, making Percy whip around and look Raphael dead in the eye. Suddenly, both were gone in a flutter of wings.

RG

Percy and Raphael landed amidst chaos, tools and benches were toss haphazardly across the various rooms. Percy ducked his head into every room, before finding the broken remains of Hephaestus, his face no longer recognisable. Percy looked over the lifeless corpse, before he turned back to Raphael.

"Since we're alone, I'll ask you a question." Said Percy, his tone leaving no room for argument, "What, if our fathers name, were you and Michael on when you decided it would be a good idea to throw the apocalypse?"

Raphael was silent, so Percy continued, "You would've need the agreement of each and every Seraphim and Grigori before even contemplating the idea."

"We are tired, Seraphiel." Said Raphael, "We do not even know if he is still alive, we just want the pain to end."

Percy sighed and shook his head, "We're shepherds, Raphael, in Adriel's case literally, we are only meant to guide them. What if Lucifer beats Michael, or the vessels refuse to give consent, what then?"

Raphael was silent, Percy silently thanked god that he had a strong enough standing to question an archangels motives, "A new prophet would have to be appointed, and Kevin Tran is not old enough for the role yet."

"A prophet has been appointed." Said Raphael, quietly, "Chuck Shurley."

Percy was silent, before he looked Raphael in the eye, "Raphael, Chuck Shurley isn't amongst the names of the Prophets."

RG

Percy quietly landed in Hera's temple, Raphael had gone off to heaven to inform Michael of the latest information. Percy quietly ducked his head into each room, before finding Hera sitting at a desk, crying, "I don't suppose offering you a slice of cake is going to help." Percy ducked as a mirror was thrown at him.

"You, vile and twisted monster," Screamed Hera, "You dare show your face after what you did?!"

Percy quickly hid behind a chair, as various objects were thrown at him, "In my defence, it takes two to tango."

A bottle of brandy smashed over Percy's head, before the chair that he was hiding behind was thrown at him as well. "Hey, you were the one who came to me, not the other way around."

Hera tried throwing a punch at Percy, which Percy caught, "Look, as long as Zeus has a bigger problem, then he won't be bothered." Hera glared at Percy, before she took a deep breath in.

"Fine." Hera ground out, "But when Zeus finds out about our little 'relationship' and you 'relationships' with Artemis and Athena, you're on your own."

"The best odd I've ever been given." Said Percy, before grabbing Hera's shoulder and teleporting to the throne room.

RG

Thalia jumped slightly when Percy landed in the throne room, his hand of Hera's shoulder.

"Find Hephaestus?" Thalia asked, before Percy sighed and looked down.

"I found what was left of him." Said Percy, "Which mean Lilith is ahead of us."

Hera suddenly whipped around and stared at Percy, "You mean to tell me, that my son is dead?"

Percy was silent, before looking around "Well, he went out fighting, if that's any consolation."

"Why?" Asked Hera.

"Most likely because if the hand he had in creating the cage." Said Percy, sitting down on a step.

"The what?" Asked Ares, leaning forwards, "and what has that got to do with his death, sure he was a bastard at times, but none of us actually want him dead."

Percy sighed, he'd been doing that a lot over the past few days, "The cage is a prison that was created shortly after the rise of you lot, the Archangel Michael sent a Seraphim and a Grigori to each black smith of every pantheon, to create a cell that would and could hold an Archangel. The Norse provided the runes, the Egyptians the fire, the Romans the metals and Hephaestus combined each and every ingredient into his furnaces, you know that super volcano in Asia? That was set off because of the creation of the cage." Said Percy, his head hanging, "Once it was complete, the cage was placed below what you would call the Biblical hell, in a never-ending void and then, the other Archangels cast Lucifer into the cage, looking him away with over 600 seals to keep him in there. Now, Lilith, the current ruler of hell, is seeking to break those seals."

"Well, with over 600 of them, keeping the devil in there should be easy." Said Athena, leaning forwards and resting her elbows onto her knees.

"Lilith only has to break 66 of those seals, two of which have already been broken." Said Percy, "A righteous man becomes condemned to hell and sheds blood, and a member of the highest grace falling to the lowest disgrace."

"When was the second one broken?" Asked Thalia, leaning backwards.

"It cracked when Anna dragged three Angels down from heaven and if fully broke, the day I fell into Tartarus." Said Percy, "So, quite literally, a member of the highest grace, a Seraphim who was the keeper of the weapons of heaven, falling to the lowest disgrace, falling into Tartarus and spending an age in there before busting ourselves out. That is the lowest anyone can go, shy of becoming a demon."

"And the righteous man?" Asked Artemis, fondling her bow.

"The day Dean Winchester went to hell, after making a deal to bring his brother back from the dead." Said Percy, "The vessel of Michael going to the pit."

Percy suddenly gripped his head and groaned. There was a fluttering sound behind him, Percy turned and came face to face with Raphael, Zachariah and another Angel.

"Seraphiel, I see you've briefed them." Said Zachariah, "I hope you don't mind us putting our two cents in."

Percy frowned and waved his hand, "Knock yourselves out."

Zachariah turned and faced the Olympians, "You've been notified on the creation and purpose of the cage?"

Zeus nodded, signalling Zachariah to continue, "I'm going to enlighten you on the history of Samael or, as he's known now, Lucifer."

"Lucifer was the second eldest of the Archangels, one of the most powerful too," Said Zachariah, "He grew jealous of the love for humanity that God held, and decided to take a human soul, Lilith, and carve her into a demon, he did the same with Cain, Alastair and some Angels that were turned into humans because they followed him."

"After Hephaestus finished the cage, Michael and Raphael sealed Lucifer away, I ensured that the seals were created and maintained, only the Seraphim and the Grigori know what and where they are," Said Percy, "The final seal being Lilith, I think."

"You think?" Asked Athena, leaning back, "What do you mean, you think?"

"Not all of my memories have returned, just the ones that have been deemed most important." Replied Percy.

"Oh, yawn!" Came a voice from behind the Angels. Everyone whipped around and caught sight of a young woman with copper coloured skin, brown eyes and hair and a slightly up turned nose. Percy narrow his eyes, before an angel blade dropped into his hand.

"Zoe!" Exclaimed Artemis, jumping to her feet in her excitement.

"Not Zoe." Said Percy, "Not anymore."

Zoe only laughed, before her eyes turned black.

"So, the rumours are true," Said Zoe, "The hero of Olympus is an angel and Lord Lucifer is being raised from the cage, shame that the cage is going to be destroyed."

Percy's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Zoe and her state as a demon.

A/N: Percy doesn't remember much, Zoe is a demon and Percy and Hera once had some hanky panky, you know for kicks.