Percy was Conquest.
Conquest was Percy.
Annabeth sat by the camp fire surrounded by the other cabin leaders. The sun had long gone down and stars decorated the skies like glitter. Thalia and Nico were talking quietly while Clarisse simply gazed into the flames. Jake was sitting on the log next to Annabeth with his head in his hands, anger flaming in his eyes.
Percy was Conquest.
Conquest, Chaos' assassin, one of the world's biggest legends.
Percy.
Questions kept running through her mind like leaves in the fall, when did this happen? When did the sixteen year-old boy she used to know become the adult assassin with more powers than all of the campers put together? He didn't even look like Percy anymore, his blond hair and tan skin contradicting everything she remembered about him. They used to be around the same height, now he towered above her like a skyscraper, she had to tilt her neck up to look him in the eye. He was the tallest of all the horsemen, War only a few inches shorter than him, Famine reaching his chin and Death a few inches smaller than that, and they weren't really short.
When did all this happen? When did he become such a legend? She had seen the way Arabella had bowed to him, with more respect and love in her eyes than Annabeth could fathom, like Percy was some kind of benevolent god. Annabeth had always known he was special, she had always known he was kind and good and wonderful, fair to everyone he met, but an assassin of Chaos? Annabeth couldn't wrap her head around it.
And yet, it was all true. Her heart knew it. She could see the Percy she once knew in his eyes, even though it was faint and hard to notice. He had changed so much, much more than she could have ever expected. Looking back, she supposed she expected him to be just like he was when he left, with no changes what so ever. How foolish she was- she should have known Percy would have had to adapt to survive. She didn't really know what was happening in the outside world today, but she knew it had changed. Still, she hadn't expected him to change that much. To go from a short black haired boy to a full grown man with obvious muscles and sun bleached hair was a stretch. Not to mention at the time he was holding Famine, even though she supposed her real name was Hanna, in his arms so carefully you would think she was the only person in the world he cared about at that very moment. Maybe she was.
Against her better judgment Annabeth began to wonder about their relationship. They said they hadn't met before, yet they were obviously very close already, she could tell by just the way they looked at each other. Who were they to one another? When she thought of the obvious answer, a tight knot of jealousy began to form in her stomach and she mentally wacked herself.
Get a hold of yourself Annabeth. She scolded, Now is not the time to worry about relationship drama. She looked over and Jake discreetly, trying to see in his eyes what he was thinking.
The boy was staring into the small fire with blank eyes, as if he was trying to put together everything that had happened to him. And he was obviously having a hard time. Then again, looking around the small clearing Annabeth noticed that there wasn't a single person who was having an easy time with the development.
Then, as if she could read Annabeth's thoughts, Thalia began to laugh. Heads turned to look at her as she chuckled quietly to herself, and even Nico was looking at her like she had gone mad.
"Thalia?" He asked in a soft voice, dark eyes concerned.
"Sorry," Thalia said, still snickering slightly. "It's just, he would do something like this wouldn't he?"
"What do you mean?" Clarisse asked from her spot on a nearby log.
Thalia smiled sadly, "He would become one of the most powerful people on the planet with a reputation for saving the world, wouldn't he? He could never have just lived a normal life."
Nico smiled slightly, "No. No he would not. This is exactly the sort of thing he would do."
"I'm curious though," Thalia replied, "What happened to Black Jack? Percy said he left with him, so why isn't he here too?"
Nico shrugged, "Maybe he died of old age, it has been hundreds of years."
"That must have been hard." She replied sadly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Next to Annabeth, Jake jumped to his feet, making everyone look up at him. "Stop trying to make Percy sound like this poor innocent soul who hasn't done anything wrong!" he shouted, his anger flaring. "We all know he's not perfect, you have seen what he can do, you still think him to be this big hero? He's not!"
Jake was practically steaming with rage, and Annabeth grabbed his hand gently to try and get him to calm down.
Thalia was on her feet in a second, her eyes blazing like cold fire. "We know that you daft idiot! We know Percy's not perfect, he never was! All we are saying is that it must have been hard to have been alone for so long! Stop trying to read in between the lines when you can't even see the font."
Nico looked up from his spot next to the fire. "She's right. We know he's not a big almighty hero, no one knows that better than us, but we can see that even underneath everything, he's still Percy."
"So you're saying that if he asked you would simply follow him blindly?"
"Yes." They both answered as if it was the simplest question in the world.
"Conquest or no Conquest, I still trust him to make the right decisions, maybe now more than ever." Nico said thoughtfully, "I mean look at him, look at all of them! These people were born to lead, we all knew it when we met Percy, the others are no different. They know what they are doing."
"How do we know?" Jake asked, "They have made it clear that they don't like us, what gives you any idea that they aren't going to just abandon us?"
"Because Percy wouldn't do that."
Jake went quiet, his mouth half open as he gaped at the trust that he saw in their eyes, practically making them glow. Annabeth tugged lightly on his hand and made him sit down once more as Thalia returned to her seat by Nico. Things fell back into an uneasy silence for a while before Nico slowly stood up, catching everyone's attention.
"Nico?" Thalia asked, "Where are you going?"
"To find Percy. Whether he wants to speak to us or not, I want to talk to him."
Thalia smiled brightly and got up to follow, "I'm coming with you."
Annabeth found herself slowly rising to follow but Jake's hand pulled her back down. "Don't."
Annabeth glared at him, mad that he was trying to stop her, but Clarisse joined in. "He might be right Annabeth, Percy's less likely to talk to them if more people are there, especially you two."
Annabeth tried not to let the hurt from her comment show in her eyes, but she knew Clarisse was right. Annabeth was probably the last person Percy wanted to talk to right now.
xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx
"How ironic." Danny said, laughing bitterly. "The Pyramids."
Alice nodded, "Well the good thing is that Egypt is under my care, so I can get us through the desert without much trouble."
"Can you keep us hidden?" Percy asked. Alice nodded slightly and Percy shared a glance with Hanna. "Then I think we should plan a-"
He couldn't finish his sentence for at that moment there was a knock on the door. All eyes slid to the door as Percy visibly tensed. Hanna put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Alice and Danny shared a look before Alice walked over and opened the door a tiny bit, just enough to see though the crack.
"Yeesssss?" She asked in a high pitched and old-lady like voice, making the other three Horsemen laugh and Chaos chuckle.
"Ummm uhhh…." A nervous but familiar voice sounded from outside. "Is Percy in?"
Alice immediately slammed the door closed and turned to Percy. "It's for you."
xxxXxxxXxxxXxxx
Nico jumped back as the door slammed in his face and Death, no, Alice retreated inside the cabin once more. He had been slightly scarred for life when she had answered it in a creepy old voice, one of her blue eyes staring at them from the crack in the doorway.
From inside, he heard some mumbling, smashing, scrambling and even a yell before the door opened once more and Hanna stood on the other side. "Can we help you?" she asked in a sweet, and obviously fake, voice.
"I don't suppose there would be anyway to talk to Percy, would there?" Thalia asked, feeling very intimidated at being so close to the beautiful red-haired woman.
Hanna looked very skeptical for a minute, before a quiet voice sounded from inside the house. "Nico? Thalia?" Percy asked from inside the cabin.
"Percy!" Thalia exclaimed as the man in question walked into sight. He looked tired, his hair ruffled and his eyes dull from exhaustion. He also looked like he had recently been wrestling with someone and found Danny in a very similar state of dishevelment.
At the sight of the two demi-gods, both he and Alice shared a look. They nodded to each other before Alice abruptly started to yawn. "Oh God, I'm tired. I think it's time I turn in. After all it's been a very long day."
"I couldn't agree with you more Alice." Danny said formally, "I too wish to retire for the evening."
"Yes. quite right then." Alice agreed, her natural British accent forming in her words lightly. "I'm off, good night all." With that she slipped out the front door, past Percy's two visitors and into the night air, taking all of forty seconds to vanish into the shadows.
"I'll be seeing you." Danny nodded to Percy and Hanna once and then ducked out as well, leaving the demi-gods confused, Hanna amused, and Percy rather ticked off.
"Cowards." Percy muttered under his breath, making Hanna chuckle.
"Oh no. I think they are right, it is late, we should all get some sleep. We want to be alert after all." Hanna smiled, trying to conceal the mischievous glint in his eyes and failing miserably. "Don't you think, Lady Chaos?"
Chaos smirked, "Yes. I should get going, I need to make sure the galaxies are still running after all." With a small, evil smile and a quick good-bye she was gone, vanishing into a sleek black portal silently.
"Off you go!" Hanna urged, waving Percy towards the door.
"Hanna…" Percy pleaded, widening his eyes significantly.
"No, no, Percy. I'm very tired really; I think it best if you get some sleep as well."
"We both know that won't happen." Percy sighed.
Hanna shrugged, "That is entirely up to you, Percy." With that she gave him a small smile and pushed him out the door, right in front of Nico and Thalia. "Oh! Before I forget!" Hanna turned back to face him and leaned forward, standing on her toes to place a small kiss on his cheek. "That was for helping me today." She smiled softly at Percy's shocked expression before closing the door softly and leaving him to his cousins.
Percy took one look at them, though he didn't really see them, and rubbed his eyes with his palm. "You're here to question me some more, huh?"
Nico opened his mouth but Thalia beat him to it. "Actually, yes."
"Alright." Percy sighed after a long moment of silence. "If you can get to my boat then I will consider answering some of your questions." He said in an exasperated tone, before turning around and mist warping away, landing a few seconds later on the deck of his ship.
The two demi-gods looked at each other nervously before following him, using their individual powers (lighting and shadow) to warp onto Percy's large white sailboat. The instant their feet hit the wood they looked around at this place where it sounded like Percy spent most of his time. It was without a doubt a beautiful ship, the glossy white sail flying high above their heads as the dark wood below their feet gleamed. There was a chair on the deck as well, along with a telescope and the wheel, of course. Percy himself however was just about to vanish below the deck and into the cabin below but Thalia called out.
"Percy! Wait! Please! Speak to us! We just want to talk to you."
Percy stopped then, turning around and looking at them with cold eyes. "Why?" he asked, simply.
"Why?" Nico asked incredulously. "You were gone for over 2,000 years! That's why!"
"So? I haven't seen you in 2,000 years, I'm not bombarding you with questions." His voice had a kind of clipped tone, as if he was testing them.
"We stayed here. You somehow managed to join Chaos' army." Thalia said dryly.
Percy flashed one of his now rare smiles, "You haven't changed a bit Thalia."
"No, but you have." She fired back. "So, care to tell us what the hell happened to you?"
Percy slowly took a step back, away from the cabin door and towards them, but it was small, and his back was still turned. Thalia was about to ask him again when an eerie whinny sounded near the bow of the ship and it rocked slightly, as if something heavy had just boarded. Percy looked up, and turned just as a black and green horse came into view, water dripping off its kelp like mane.
"Ah, Arabella. I was wondering when you would get back."
The kelpie bowed in greeting and speaking to him in her horsey tones. She then turned her gaze to Nico and Thalia, and her posture instantly stiffened. She bared her teeth threateningly and stepped in front of Percy. "Easy girl," he said soothingly "they aren't a threat."
She turned her head back to him and nickered softly, as if unsure, but he shook his head and smiled. "You worry too much, go get some rest, you will need it. The time is near." At his words her eyes lit up from their usual blackness and she whinnied again, quieter this time. "Yep." Percy replied, "We found it, Alice knows how to get us in, but we will need your help to get to Lucious."
Arabella bowed again, this time stomping her hoof and neighing sharply in a way that made Percy chuckle. Then she turned and vanished around to the other side of the ship, as quietly as a shadow.
"Uhhh..." Nico stuttered, his eyes following the kelpie as she vanished behind the cabin.
"Don't let her appearance startle you." Percy voice rose as they continued to watch the last place they had seen the creature. "She's actually much nicer than many of the other creatures I have met in recent years. Sheaka and Kira included."
"Why is she here?" Thalia asked, bringing her eyes back to Percy.
Percy sighed sadly. "Her daughter has been taken by Lucious, the only way to keep her alive was to kill us, but Arabella has instead asked for our help."
"So you'll help her then."
"Of course." Percy answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You haven't changed." Thalia smiled broadly.
"It's my duty. She falls under my protection, being a creature of the sea. Plus, I would never deny help to those who need it."
"So I suppose you would help us if we asked for it?" Nico asked.
"I'm here aren't I?" Percy replied, looking at his cousin curiously.
"I mean, you will help us answer the question of what happened to you."
Percy sighed again, much louder this time, and locked gazes with his much younger looking cousin. Finally, after a very long minute during which he seemed in deep thought, he answered. "What do you want to know?"
"Where did you go?" Nico asked, "After you left, that is."
"The question would be where I didn't go." Percy laughed slightly. "I think I went practically everywhere. England, France, Brazil, Russia, India, there are very few places I haven't been."
"Did you fly there on Black Jack?" Thalia added to the questioning.
Percy nodded, "Yep, we went everywhere together, except for when he had to hide around cities or towns."
"What happened to him?"
Percy's green eyes saddened. "He died, shortly after my twenty-fourth birthday. We were ambushed by a group of monsters in Denmark. They were just random creatures, probably didn't know or care who I was, but they attacked us anyway, and we weren't really at even odds. We managed to fend them off, but Black Jack was fatally injured. He died that night." Percy dipped his head, raw pain shinning in his expression. "It was about a month after that Chaos found me, and the rest is in fairy tales."
"You…" Nico tried to find words, "you were just attacked? Just like that?"
Percy smiled ruefully. "Outside these walls the Greek gods and their children are like myths, and the people who do know about them don't really care enough to make a difference. There are other demi-gods and religions out there. Egyptian, Norse, Hindu, and those are just the popular ones. There are so, so many more."
"You've traveled so far," Thalia mused.
"And seen much," Percy agreed, inclining his head slowly.
"What happened to Riptide?" she continued, and Percy tilted his head to one side, puzzled.
"Riptide?" Percy asked, looking at the expectant faces of his cousins, then something dawned on his face. "Oh, right, Riptide. My old sword."
"You took it with you when you left, but you don't use it anymore." Nico elaborated, wondering how he could forget such an important object.
Percy shook his head. "No. It's somewhere in there I'm sure, in its pen form." He gestured to his cabin. "But I don't know where."
"Well, then what about those swords you use now?" Thalia pressed on, "Are they stronger?"
Reaching up behind his back, Percy removed the two swords from their straps and swung them easily in his hands. "I suppose, they were made from the dust of a dead star by Chaos' guildsmen, so they are certainly powerful, and they work together well since they are two parts of the same star. And, I like using two swords, it's more fun.
"So you were able to leave your life here behind so easily?" Thalia asked, flabbergasted.
"It's not like I had much let here by the time I left. Besides, I realized it wasn't anything personal, what they did to me. They will find someone to replace Jake one day, and then they will replace that replacement. That's just what they do; I don't let it bother me."
While Thalia gaped at his strong words Nico simply looked interested, something like admiration in his eyes.
"Any more questions?" Percy asked, he was getting tired, and really wanted to get some sleep. It had been a long day.
"Just one." Nico spoke coolly, his voice giving nothing away. "How does one join Chaos?"
A wide grin split Percy's face as Thalia elbowed Nico in the ribs. Nico however ignored it, and continued to look at Percy, waiting for an answer.
So Percy gave it to him.
"Prove yourself."