Here we are again. A few things to address based on my reviews.
First is Percy swearing an oath on the Styx. The Big 3 weren't punished for having children when they broke their oath, their children were punished. From what I've seen, while something bad might happen, it doesn't affect the god much. As for making Annabeth swear, the gods just didn't care enough.
Second is Apollo being the God of Truth. Alright, you got me. I forgot about that aspect in his domain. I'll try to cover that plot hole later, but right now it's just kinda there. Sorry!
Okay, now that that's out of the way, read, review, and enjoy!
**TRIGGER WARNING: More mentions of rape in this chapter**
OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: I do not own PJO, HOO, or any of their characters. Those rights belong to Rick Riordan
Percy
Deep into the night, Percy was latched to the Palace wall, in full armor. Athena had some good security, but her love for grandiose architecture was her downfall. The building was stupidly easy to climb. On top of that, she was no Hephaestus. With all of the upgrades Hephaestus added to his armor, including infrared (thermal) and ultraviolet (night) vision. He could also zoom in on things he deemed suspicious, due to the high-res camera.
Putting his ultraviolet and thermal to use, he scanned the area. He was already about halfway up the building, that had taken him about an hour to achieve. Athena built this all herself, so Hephaestus didn't have any schematics he could go off of like he could with other Gods. His armor was magnificent. He had the opportunity to look at it in the reflection of a lake after putting it on. All he had to do was say "Phobos" to switch back and forth between his armors.
In "Phobos Form," as Percy was calling it, his armor underwent some change. It went from black and grey to just black, with much more plating. It also appeared much thicker, almost stronger in order to give an opponent the illusion they were up against something big. The plating did not resemble that of ancient warriors, but instead had a more futuristic, cybernetic touch. In the center of his chest, the Greek letter psi (Ψ) glowed red. This letter has become the symbol for psychology, a fact Percy thought fitting because fear is in the mind. His hands glowed red as well, and Percy could stop his hands and the Ψ from glowing at will. This was good for when he didn't want to be detected. (A/N: To see my inspiration for Phobos Armor, search "Iron Man in black by deviationanonymous" on Google)
His helmet was an entirely new innovation. Keeping with the whole cybernetic theme, Hephaestus had gone all out in terms of creativity. The helmet came with a black hood, not unlike that of a hoodie. It covered the back of Percy's head as well as some of the top, yet did not restrict movement or vision. From there, the front of the helmet was made of a bunch of hexagons. There was one in the center of the mask, then another sprouting from each side of the center. From there, more sprouted from each side of those hexagons. Each of those hexagons was a small screen, feeding Percy different data. From the outside looking in, they just looked pure black with grey outlines. In the middle of the center hexagon was a glowing red Delta (Δ). Like his hands and the Ψ, he could stop it from glowing at will. Considering Δ can also mean change, Percy liked this touch. To strips of black metal traced his jawline before meeting at his chin. Small twin blades extended from each of these, looking almost like teeth. They covered portions of his mouth. Where the two strips of metal met at his chin, two small red lights could be seen. This barely illuminated the meeting of the strips, making them look like mandibles because they did not quite meet in the middle. They were still two separate pieces of metal. The helmet met with his armor at his neck, seemingly a seamless transition. (A/N: I think I did a good job, but a picture is worth a thousand words. To see my inspiration, search "Ranger, by Jie Liou" on Google)
In the time I've taken to describe his armor, Percy has made decent progress. He's found a pattern in Athena's defenses, and has made more progress in the last minute than he had in the last half hour. About five minutes later, he was at the top. He scanned the roof for traps, and found motion sensing lasers everywhere but a single spot in the floor. He zoomed in on that spot to find a trapdoor. He laughed to himself.
"Too easy." His voice came out deep and growly, almost more beast than human. He was currently using one of the voice changers from his armor. It disguised his voice in the best way possible, adding a fear factor to the mix. Percy vaulted from the side of the roof and landed perfectly, soundlessly on the trapdoor. Muting the noise, he kicked the trapdoor in. Once again landing softly, he scanned the room for traps. There were none. Smiling to himself, Percy nodded. Too vain. She thinks nobody could possibly break her defenses.
He crept through the palace soundlessly, searching for Athena's bedroom. He checked his internal clock. 1:53. She's asleep by now. After about ten minutes of wandering, he found what he was looking for. Athena's bedroom was surprisingly unprotected. He had underestimated her pride. Now she was just stupid. He quietly opened the door, and with footfalls like a cat, walked in.
There was the majestic goddess Athena, drooling in her sleep whilst completely topless. Once upon a time, Percy would have averted his eyes, but now he just drank it in. The breasts of one of his most bitter enemies were on full display. Muting his voice as not to wake her, Percy spoke into his helmet.
"Hephaestus, are you getting this?"
Heph's face popped up on one of his hexagonal screen. A wide grin was on his face. "You better believe I'm getting this."
Percy matched his smile. "Well save it somewhere because it's about to get better."
Metal spikes extending from his fingertips like claws, Percy raked his hands across the wall, creating a quiet, yet ominous scratch. "Chameleon," he whispered into his helmet. As his armor camouflaged, Percy unmuted his voice. He watched as Athena sat up straight, eyes stormy.
"Who's there," she asked in a haughty tone, obviously forgetting she was topless. Percy scratched the wall again. Athena looked over but saw nothing there.
"I am an Olympian, and a powerful one at that. You don't want to cross me," Athena said in a more worried tone.
Percy smiled and deactivated chameleon. Willing his Ψ to glow red, Percy spoke in his guttural voice. "Actually, I do. It's judgement day, Goddess of War. And you have a lot to pay for." The fear grew in Athena's eyes as he willed his hands, helmet, and Δ to glow red as well. She sent a blast of power at him, but he ran directly through it, his armor taking the hit. The last thing Athena saw was That hexagon filled helmet before Percy's fist hurtled into her face.
Seeing Athena was out cold, Percy nodded, satisfied. He began charging magic into each of his blades, looking to make another unhealable wound. He sighed internally. He wished he could just kill her, but she was still an important goddess, whether or not he liked it. Plus, fear of him would grow if she lived to tell the tale. Percy might have been angry, but he was still rational.
Walking over to the door, Percy found a light switch and flipped it on. Luckily, the shades were closed. Nobody would see. While still charging his blades, he turned to see boobs, completely illuminated by light. Percy laughed to himself.
"For a virgin goddess, she's sure got a pair, huh Heph?"
Hephaestus was practically drooling. "Yeah. She's a bitch, but damn."
He paused for a second before asking Percy a teasing question. "What, have you got some kind of thing for maiden goddesses?"
Percy gave him a sideways glance. "What are you talking about?"
Hephaestus smiled. "I've seen the way you look at Artemis. And I don't think you would have let her off so easy for the whole rape thing if you didn't like her."
Percy sighed. "Look, Heph, now isn't the best time to talk about me finding love. Plus, she's a maiden goddess. Maiden. Oath."
Hephaestus raised his hands in submission. "All I'm saying is that if she cares enough to try and prove you innocent, she might feel the same way."
Percy didn't respond to that. Sensing his blades were at sufficient power, he walked up to Athena. On one cheek, he carved a Ψ with the point of his sword. In the other, he carved a Δ. The magic overcharge caused the wound to instantly be cauterized, keeping it from bleeding. However, the golden symbols in her cheeks would be there for at least a century. Fitting. A fine calling card. Olympus will know fear.
He left the palace the way he came in, through the roof. Unseen, unheard. Perfect.
Artemis
The Hunt had taken the night off. Everyone but Thalia was deflated. She hid it well, but Artemis could tell how excited she was that her mistress was considering the innocence of a man. Artemis still had to step back and think about that. I'm believing a man over a woman in the context of rape. What's wrong with me?
A voice inside of her head answered rather snarkily. Yeah. You're finally seeing Justice.
Artemis was alone in her tent, so she took the opportunity to retreat into her own mind. Her mindscape resembled a forest, one of the places she felt most serene. She drank it in, calming herself.
"It's about time you get a fucking man," Artemis heard a voice behind her. She whirled around to find Diana emerging from the forest. She was a spitting image of Artemis, choosing to take her 16 year old form. (A/N: Artemis prefers her 18 year old form in this fic.) Rather than Artemis's modest hunters outfit, Diana sported a crop top with short shorts. She was a picture of a modern teenage girl, Artemis's carefree counterpart.
"Seriously," she said, walking lazily towards Artemis. "I know I have this whole oath thing too, but I've found ways to get around it."
A few of Diana's memories flashed through Artemis's head. "Don't remind me," she shuddered.
Diana laughed. "Come on, loosen up! A guy's head between your legs would be good for you."
"Stop it. I don't have feelings for Perseus. He's an honorable man, nothing more," Artemis snapped.
Diana smiled. "You know that isn't true. You have feelings for him, and I can see why." She closed her eyes and moved her hips absentmindedly, a lazy smile on her face. "What a man. You shouldn't let me out, I may just pounce on him," she continued, licking her lips.
Artemis's eyes flared. "He is MINE." he growled. Realizing what she had just said, she clapped her hands over her mouth.
Diana smiled and winked. "Yeah, he is. Go get em." She flashed out of existence before Artemis could attack her.
Growling in frustration, Artemis retreated from her mind, back into reality. She lay awake in bed for an hour before finally drifting to sleep.
Artemis, your presence is requested at the Olympic Council.
Artemis groaned, checking her internal clock. 4:00 AM. She groaned again, louder this time. Dressing herself at the snap of a finger, she flashed to Olympus to see the gods panicking. The throne room was in disarray, and she seemed to be the last one to arrive. Zeus called down a clap of thunder after a few moments, and the gods fell silent. All but one that is. Athena was still crying, covering her face.
Zeus began to speak. "About 2 hours ago, Athena was attacked in her room. She describes her attacker as a powerful being, able to withstand a blast of 75% of her power without even flinching. It spoke in a gutteral, beastly voice, and its face was hidden by a hood. The only features she could make out were a glowing Δ on its face and a glowing Ψ on its chest. It knocked her out, and that was the last thing she remembered before waking up and coming to me."
Artemis sat back in her seat in shock. This is not good. What could have so much power to overcome even Athena and all of her security? The other Gods had similar reactions. Some comforted Athena, others just murmured among themselves.
That's when Athena began to speak. "He told me it was judgement day. And that I—" She stuttered. "That I had a lot to pay for." She lowered her hands from her face slowly. Artemis, along with the other gods, gasped. Athena had a golden Delta on her left cheek and a Psi on her other. "He left me with these. I don't know what it means. Change. Mind. I take it that's what they intended with these symbols." She broke down crying once again.
Apollo rushed over, attempting to heal them. He turned back to the group, worry written all over his face. "It's magically charged. Won't be healed for maybe a century."
The gods murmured among themselves for another few moments before Artemis spoke up. "Father, is this meeting purely informational or are we going to do something about this threat?"
Tired, Zeus responded in kind. "I guess the only thing to do is increase security at your palaces. Meeting dismissed, for now. Be careful, everybody."
One by one, the gods flashed away. Artemis was about to flash away when she felt a hand grasp her wrist. Eyes burning, she turned to see who dare touch her. When she saw Hephaestus, the fire was replaced with confusion, then realization. She nodded, and Hephaestus flashed her back to his palace.
(Line Break)
Shock had become a second nature to Artemis in these past few days. Right now was no different as Hephaestus finished Percy's testimony. She immediately searched her memory, coming upon the image she was looking for. Annabeth, lying in Percy's arms. Looked at Percy's hands, then at Annabeth's many bruises. Many small bruises. Artemis cursed herself, coming back to reality. "He's innocent. Annabeth's bruises, they're too small to be from Percy's fists. We need to tell our father—"
Hephaestus shook his head and sighed. "Zeus won't listen. Not now that he knows the power Percy has, he won't stop until he's killed. The rape scandal was a nothing to him. He didn't care about some demigoddess girl getting violated. He only punished Percy to appease you and Athena. Now, Percy is a challenge to his power."
Artemis put her head in her hands. "Fuck."
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"
Artemis tried her best to hold back tears. "I just fucked up. I let my hate for men and bias towards women blind me. I should have looked into it more, tried to help him. I really want to tell him that I'll change my ways, that I won't prejudge men anymore, and above all—" Artemis choked a little. "I'm sorry." She began to cry.
Percy
Artemis was an ugly crier. Percy watched, split between amused, satisfied, and sentimental. After a few moments, he decided to break the silence. "Well, that's touching."
Artemis's head snapped up, seeing his screen. His face paled as her head turned to the side. My location.
He whispered into his helmet. "Heph, you might want to give us a bit of privacy."
The virtual Hephaestus nodded before disappearing from view. Percy just smiled. "The audio and the first person as well."
He could hear Hephaestus grumble into the speaker before abruptly cutting contact, seconds before Artemis came into view.
Percy stepped back, awkwardly. All was silent for a minute before Artemis leapt towards him and caught him in a bone-crushing hug, crying on his chest. Percy hugged her back, gently stroking her hair. "Anaklusmos," he whispered, barely audible. His armor melted back into the gauntlet as Artemis cried.
"I'm so sorry Percy. I'm so—" She choked.
"Shh," Percy rubbed her back soothingly. "It's alright, Arty. You're forgiven. You're a friend. I have so few of those now."
Artemis stepped back, and blinked in surprise. "Just like that? How? I—"
Percy winced. "Loyalty is my fatal flaw. I don't have too many people to be loyal to anymore."
Artemis
"I don't have too many people to be loyal to anymore."
This boy was in pain. He could see it in his eyes. So many friends had been taken from him in the War. So many more taken by this accusation. Even his own father, gone. Who did he have now? Hephaestus? The Stolls? And her. What was she to him? A friend? Enemy? Partner?
She was broken from her thoughts by his voice. "You don't hate me, do you?"
She turned and saw a few tears trickling down his unprotected face. Her instincts (A/N and just a bit of Diana) took over as she rushed him and tackled him in a hug. Before she knew what was going on, she pulled him in, kissing him. She closed her eyes, running her hands through his hair. He tasted like the sea breeze, like salt water. His strong arms wrapped around her as he deepened the kiss. All of Artemis's thoughts were interrupted by pure bliss. After about a minute, she pulled away.
Percy lay beneath her in shock, eyes wide. "Wow."
Artemis smiled. The conflict that was in her before was replaced with acceptance. She loved this boy, this man. Worry flashed through her eyes. "Do—" she paused, out of breath. "Do you have feelings for me as well?"
Percy laughed. "Yeah, I have since the Time incident. I've just been fighting them. I didn't want it to be true because I knew I'd get turned into a jackalope, or that you'd laugh in my face, or that—"
Artemis silenced him with another kiss. She was surprising herself with her enthusiasm. Just go with it.
Inwardly shrugging, Artemis let herself melt into the kiss, humming contentedly. Percy pulled her closer, drinking in the moment. Pulling away, she mustered a breathy sigh. "You don't need to worry about that anymore."
A smile appeared on Percy's face, but it was quickly replaced by an expression of panic. "Your brother!"
Artemis turned to the east to see a rosy sky. The sun hadn't risen yet, but it was close. Artemis swore under her breath. "I wish we had more time . . ." she trailed off. "It's alright. I'll find you when I can. Until then—"
Percy was the one to go in this time, one quick parting kiss. "Until then."
Artemis nodded and flashed away.
Percy
Percy couldn't get Artemis out of his head as he trained. He knew he needed to. Big night ahead of him. He needed to concentrate, yet couldn't wipe this stupid grin off of his face. He was snapped from his stupor by Hephaestus, in the bottom right corner of his helmet.
"Percy, I've been called to Olympus again. Would you like the first person view? Percy smiled, thinking back to the morning. He had watched the meeting through Hephaestus's eyes, laughing at the confusion of the gods, the fear in their eyes, the tears in Athena's. It had been his best experience since the allegation. Until Artemis, of course.
All these thoughts ran through Percy's mind in an instant as he responded. "Sure, I'd like to see what's up."
Hephaestus nodded, and his face was replaced by his line of sight. Climbing into a tree for shelter, as it was now broad daylight, he expanded Hephaestus's view to fit 75% of his screen, and tuned into the audio feed.
"Alright Heph, good to go." He watched as Hephaestus flashed away without a word.
This scene was much less chaotic than the one earlier this morning. The gods were sitting calmly, waiting for whatever news Zeus had. Hephaestus was not the last one there. Percy watched as Hermes, Ares, and Aphrodite flashed in one by one. The gods were quiet, seemingly in a somber mood from the morning.
Zeus was the first to speak. "Apollo? You have news?"
Apollo grimaced. "The Oracle spoke a prophecy just now."
The gods murmured among themselves. "Another prophecy? Already?"
Hephaestus spoke up. "Well, let us hear it then!"
Apollo sighed before beginning.
"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire, the world must fall,
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
A second foe is for the gods,
Who lie defeated, against all odds,
Fugitive and Vigilant must stand, set free,
Enslave love by avenging, as it should be."
Well, they're together! Also, hope my prophecy making skills. We'll see if you guys can figure that one out. I have two questions for you guys. Please leave your suggestions because I'm not sure what to do.
First, should Artemis and Percy really be together just like that, or should it have been in the spur of the moment, something Artemis regrets?
Second, what do I do about Artemis's oath? I need a way to get around that, suggestions are more than welcome.
Finally, I've put a poll on my profile. Diana is going to play a part in this story, but it's up to you guys whether she plays a part in the pairing. I, personally, would love a Percy/Diana/Artemis pairing, it would create an interesting dynamic. But you guys are the readers so it's ultimately up to you. Check my profile to vote on the poll.
Well that was a lot. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, review, suggest, and enjoy!
~A