Yay, new update. So I'll admit, this was one of my favorite chapters to write. In this, we're finally going to see the man behind the curtain, so to speak. The being who wrote Alabaster's spell and serves as his master.

Enjoy, amd remember, everyone who reviews with an account will get a clip from the next chapter.

Percy Jackson and the Master of Magic

When Percy and Annabeth are asked to stop a monster by Reyna, they think it will be an easy last quest before retirement. But when the mission goes horribly wrong, Percy Jackson finds out just what kind of monster he could become.

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or its characters, Rick Riordan does.

Reminder: This story is AU as of The Burning Maze. In this AU, it's been two years, and the defeat of Nero, Commodus and Caligula will remain mysterious save for the fact that Percy and Annabeth participated in the defense of Camp Jupiter. I kinda wanna stick away from Trials of Apollo for the most part, since this is my thing.

Chapter 10: Man in the Wilderness

…

Percy Jackson was exhausted. He had walked for hours from that cabin in Montauk to get back to Manhattan. He had buried his father in the beach, near the ocean. Percy knew that's where he'd wanted to be.

He was holding his father's trident, wrapped in cloth and strapped in his back. Without the Mist, hiding it was a lot harder and people were giving him strange looks.

The first place he wanted to look was the Plaza Hotel. But the moment he entered Manhattan, he realized there was a huge problem with that. The Manhattan skyline was occupied by Mount Olympus, and everyone could see it.

The Plaza Hotel was occupied by dozens of black SUV's and men in suits and FBI jackets. He wasn't getting into the Hotel.

Wait a minute. If Percy couldn't get into the Hotel, that meant neither could Alabaster. Which meant he went looking for a new base of operations.

Percy remembered something Alabaster said.

"I'm sending you to the front seats, to watch the fireworks." Alabaster had said. "Thank you for all of your invaluable help, Mr. Jackson. If we should be unfortunate to meet again, do tell me how beautiful the light show is."

Front seats to watch the fireworks. Tell me how beautiful the light show was. Alabaster would want to be somewhere where he could watch the results of the spell, to ensure it had worked. After all, it had seemed like Alabaster had only just found out about the Last Resort Incantation. Maybe he didn't know for sure it would work the way he had intended it to.

He wouldn't be worried about the helicopters and satellites observing the mountain. With those pearls, he could be wherever he wanted to be if the feds and government came knocking.

Percy looked up at Olympus. The trident vibrated against his back, as if it knew what he was thinking and agreeing with him.

Percy would find Alabaster on Olympus.

…

Percy walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building.

The place was swarming with agents who didn't seem to give him a second glance. Odd.

An agent walked up to Percy. He prepared himself for a fight.

The agent said, "He's waiting for you on the 300th floor."

Awesome. Alabaster had known he was coming. Percy didn't even wonder how. With that dude's magic, anything was possible.

"He might be waiting for me, but he's not ready." Percy assured the agent. The agent didn't respond, or even react for that matter, but his eyes glazed forward, and he walked past Percy, as if he couldn't see the young man anymore.

Percy walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the 300th floor. The elevator doors closed with a ding, and the elevator started rising.

"I can see clearly now the rain is gone." Johnny Nash started singing.

"Very funny, Alabaster." Percy muttered. "Keep laughing."

…

The doors opened, and Olympus was empty. There was no one walking the streets, buying things from the shops, no Muses singing. Olympus was seemingly deserted.

Percy walked the streets and walked down memory lane. He remembered the first time he had come to Olympus. Zeus had wanted to kill him for allegedly stealing his lightning bolt, but Poseidon had helped convince him that war wasn't a solution.

The last time Percy had seen this place so empty, it had been just before the Battle of Manhattan, what felt like a hundred years ago. Things were so much simpler then. There were monsters invading the city, and he had to kill them. Now the only monster was human, and Percy wanted nothing more than to drown Olympus in Alabaster's blood.

The kid had comforted him, used him, and all for this? Percy wondered who Alabaster was working for. That would be another question he would ask him, right before he killed him.

…

Percy walked into the Palace of the Gods and found exactly what he was looking for. Alabaster was sitting on Zeus' throne, at the end of the room. And Zeus himself was chained to the throne, on his hands and knees like a dog. Covered in blood. Red blood.

"Sup, Percy." Alabaster said. He hopped down from the throne he had won by conquest. He smiled, his eyes glittering with menace. "How'd you enjoy the show?"

Percy growled. He unwrapped Poseidon's trident. It was glowing and quivering, as if ready to be speared into Alabaster's chest. Then he uncapped Riptide in his other hand. He pointed the sword at Alabaster.

"I should have never trusted you!" Percy shouted, leveling the trident in Alabaster's direction.

"I couldn't agree more." Alabaster reassured him cheerfully.

"I suppose you're here to kill me." Alabaster continued, still grinning.

"I'm going to wipe that self-satisfied look off your face." Percy glowered. Percy started walking towards Alabaster, and Alabaster sighed.

"Really?" He asked. "This again?" He raised his hand and shouted "STAGNO!"

Percy was frozen again. Damn it! He wouldn't let Alabaster get away from him again. Not like this.

Alabaster was laughing, and there was a ringing noise in Percy's ears. He felt his blood roaring, and the trident in his hand was vibrating and burning. Percy moved forward, slowly. Then he broke through the immobilization spell.

Alabaster stopped laughing. Then he scowled as Percy felt amazed with himself. He broke through the spell. Then Percy looked down at the trident. It had broken the spell.

"God weapons." Alabaster muttered. "Totally unfair."

"A little help here!" Alabaster called out. Thunder struck and suddenly Percy was frozen again. But this time it was different. It was as if time had frozen all the way around him, making a cocoon. His heart wasn't even beating.

Alabaster walked up to Percy and snatched the trident out of his hand.

"Inconvenient thing." Alabaster walked up to Zeus and raised it above the Olympian King's back.

"Wait!" Percy shouted. Zeus raised his head and gave Percy a deep look of resentment.

"Why?" Alabaster asked, curiosity in his eyes.

"I want to ask him." Percy muttered, praying for time to break through Alabaster's spell. He had only ever felt this kind of magic once before, on a boat that belonged to a traitorous old friend.

"Did you have Annabeth killed?" Percy asked Zeus.

Zeus growled. Alabaster whacked him in the head with the butt of Poseidon's trident.

"He asked you a question." Alabaster said forcefully. "Now answer it. I'll admit, I'm curious to know as well."

"No." Zeus answered through gritted teeth. "Hecate's brat was the target. Lamia killed Annabeth because you forced her to."

"Then why wouldn't you help bring her back?" Percy asked hopelessly.

"Because we had hoped that her death would inspire you to stop this one-" Zeus gestured his head in Alabaster's direction. "And his master."

"So you let her stay dead after killing her becuase you wanted me to finish some stupid quest!" Percy accused, tears in his eyes. "Just another damn prophecy."

"It doesn't matter anymore." Zeus muttered, lowering his head. "The Fates are gone. No more gods, no more prophecies, no more fate."

There was complete silence. Alabaster chuckled.

"Well, if that's all." Alabaster called out. He drove the trident through Zeus's back. Blood, red blood, dripped from Zeus' mouth as he turned solid like a statue, glowing bronze before turning to dust.

"It's all yours now." Alabaster muttered to an invisible presence and swiped his hands around the stained trident. It disappeared.

"H-how?" Percy asked shakenly.

"How did I do the little time freeze thing?" Alabaster asked. "Oh, that's easy to answer. I didn't."

"Then who-" Percy started.

"My master." Alabaster said, smiling and sitting back on Zeus' throne, drawing sigils with the dead gods blood on the armrest. "You may be familiar with his tactics. Honestly, he hates you even more than I do."

"No." Percy said, blood rushing to his head. "Kronos is-"

"Alive." Alabaster interjected. "You are absolutely correct. And he's awake. In Tartarus. His mind is reformed, at least mostly, but that's all that's reformed. But it was just enough for him to give this whole war thing another try. They don't call him the Crooked One for no reason at all."

"He gave you the spell." Percy realized.

"Duhhh." Alabaster said. "And my mother somehow knew. She told Zeus, and Zeus ordered her to kill me. He hated Kronos just as much as Kronos hated him. So, my mother sent Lamia after me back in 'Frisco. She had Claymore killed, and in a way, she and Zeus also had Annabeth killed."

"Don't say her name." Percy growled.

"Or what?" Alabaster asked. He pulled out a pearl and rolled it in his hand. "Kronos has you now. Has this building now. He's given me the words, and soon Manhattan will be in smoke. Your precious city. Gone."

"Why?" Percy demanded. "Why do all of this? I know you hate the gods, but Kronos would be so much worse."

"Maybe." Alabaster agreed. "But I don't care."

"Why?!" Percy screamed, hating that he couldn't move and snap Alabaster's neck.

"Because I HATE YOU!" Alabaster screamed. "You TOOK EVERYTHING from me. All I'm doing is repaying the favor. Kronos will return. The Mist was acting as a barrier, poisoning him. Now he's a little stronger. And there are no more gods to stand against him."

"You'll destroy the world." Percy muttered.

"No." Alabaster said. "I'll be remaking it."

"Kronos doesn't make ANYTHING!" Percy yelled. "He only breaks things that have already been made."

"Look who's talking." Alabaster responded. "Thanks to you, the world is primed for His return. He thanks you. Unfortunately, those two aren't as grateful, so, I've gotta split. Catch you later, Jackson."

Alabaster smashed the pearl against his own chest and disappeared in a green orb.

"What two?" Percy shouted as he unfroze. What did he mean?

"I think he meant us." Carter Kane said from behind Percy. Percy turned and got punched in the face by Carter. Percy landed on the ground and groaned. Carter jumped on him and punched and punched and punched.

"Carter, stop!" Sadie screamed from behind Carter as she dismounted from the giant boat pulled by Freak the Griffin, and Percy passed out. The last thing he saw was Carter's fist, covered in blood.

…

…

…To Be Continued?

So, Kronos will be the main villain of this story. As we continue, you'll see that his intellect has only advanced amd not decreased.

Hope you enjoyed it. :)