Sorry 'bout the long wait for this chapter, there's been an annoying amount of work piled on me recently. I dislike when people rant though, so I won't bother you with that.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, the next will be out on Sunday at the latest.
I hope you enjoy the chapter.
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"Jackson! Get away from her!" An angry god of the underworld demanded, as he flashed into the silent camp, and witnessed the hybrid walking to the sleeping daughter of Hades. The member of the big three drew his traditional Stygian Iron sword as he approached, also donning his helm of darkness.
"Huh?" Percy turned to the god with a raised eyebrow, tempted to fight him for the sake of finding out how strong he was. The non-god was well aware that his fight against Poseidon hadn't told him much at all about the power of himself, and Purgatory's fight with Zeus was easy; based upon the idiocy that the god displayed in not preparing and just charging blindly at the obviously strong immortal.
But he wouldn't. Bianca, hopefully, would wake up sooner rather than later. If he had kicked the asses of both her brother and her father when she came too, the girl would probably be less-than-happy with him.
'Really? Why's that?' Purgatory questioned him, speaking in the head that they shared.
"Because they're family.' Purge mentally raised an eyebrow at this and replied.
'That didn't stop you, though.' He sent a picture of a fading Cam and a crumpling Poseidon.
'Fine. They're family that haven't betrayed her, and that she doesn't hate.'
'Oh... Okay.'
Percy focused back on the god of the underworld, and opened his mouth to speak.
"You don't need to threaten me, Hades. I have no reason to hurt her. Bianca was always kind to me, after all." He said, voice calm even while he felt the helm attempt to influence him and inspire fear.
"And when wasn't my son?" Hades growled in return.
"How about when he believed my treacherous brother and his whore over me. When I had been just about his only friend for years." He deadpanned. "Or how about when he at the very least let, and more than likely joined in, Jason kick the shit out of me while I was unconscious? How aout when he, along with the rest of you, sent me to Tartarus without hearing my side of the story, after I got his father his throne back?" Percy snarled, voice dripping with power and rage at the end, as his eyes darkened, glaring at Hades. The Lord of the Dead took an uneasy step back at this, before he visibly shook the fear off and tried to think of a viable retort. An attempt that failed.
"You're... We thought you were a traitor, Jackson, you have no right to be testy with me."
"I have every right. You have to be an idiot to think otherwise." Hades froze, as Percy's pupils glowed golden and the irises green and the non-god walked up to the god of the underworld, Nothos appearing in his hand as he approached and his subsequent whisper threatening. "I would have every right to tear the majority of you Olympians apart limb from limb." He spat the title like it was a disgusting insult. Percy pressed the tip of the bastard longsword against the Lord of the Underworld's chest. "You are lucky I don't make you fade." The hybrid immortal growled at his 'uncle', the Blooded-Obsidian blade vanished, and Hades was released, wide eyed at the display of power as he stumbled backwards.
"But you don't have to worry about that." Percy said, sliding back into an entire absence of emotion as he spoke. "Your actions were barely a betrayal after all; you hated me for years. If I didn't make my father, or the whore fade, why would I do so to you? Just... don't insinuate that I would hurt Bianca; one of my friends."
Hades didn't know how to respond to the ex-demigod. He was angry still; he didn't like the lack of respect that he had just been shown, but if he was going to be honest, Hades had to admit that he, along with his family, deserved far more than a threat. Being idiots; they had let their emotions and pride rule; livid that someone would pay them the disrespect of raping one of their number. And for that time, they had considered the new gods to be honorary Olympians for their brief period of being newly introduced, simply because the act of going against the newly made immortals was disrespectful to their decision to bestow them with the greatest gift. For the majority of their number; they had been trying to do the right thins; but why hadn't they listened to Percy? Hades, and everyone else, regretted that for sure. Otherwise they could have been free of that little bastard Cameron centuries earlier, and wouldn't have had to wait for Percy to come back and make the annoyance pay.
Better still, Poseidon and Zeus would not have sided together and prevented their two eldest siblings from being on the council, and Hades would be treated with the respect that he deserved. It may not bother Hestia but he was growing very tired of the poor way the others behaved. Thankfully, now the worst of them had gone, and the god of the underworld hoped that when Percy got Hestia the respect he wanted for her, Hades would likewise gain from the change. He was not kidding himself into thinking that his nephew would in any way campaign for the eldest of the big three's rights.
"Do me a favour," Percy spoke. "Take your brother back to Olympus, he's uglying up the view around here." He spoke in an obvious dismissal of the god, and turned away, back toward Hades' daughter. "Oh, and I'll be travelling to your realm later on today. If you try to stop me, I'll retaliate."
-(_0_)(_)(_0_)-
'Well, how do you plan to wake her then, boss?'
'I don't know just yet. I'm sure one of my abilities can help her.'
'Throw her in the lake.'
'I'd say that's been tried, Purge. I doubt that Nico would still be waiting for her to wake if it was that easy for her to come to.'
'Then shine a light on her.'
'Again, rather simple.'
'Why don't you ever take my suggestions seriously?!' Purgatory complained loudly in Percy's head.
'I do take your suggestions seriously, it's just-' He was cut off by Purge resuming his rant.
'No you don't! Everyone acts like I'm an idiot! Well, I'm not! Sometimes I'-' Percy returned the favour to him at this point.
'Fine! I'll try your methods! But I'm not going to throw her in the lake. How about I splash her with some water actually using the abilities I have? Or do you want me to shine light on her first?'
'Thank you. Water first.' Purge mentally grinned at his perceived triumph.
Percy held his hand out in front of him, palm upwards, and in the blink of an eye a sphere of water, about the circumference of his own head, formed floating an inch from the splayed hands. He flicked his hand, and the sapphire ball floated over his old friend's head, hovering for a few seconds before it dropped. With a splash, the ball soaked her sleeping skull.
Percy waited.
'OK! Now try the light!' Purgatory called to his stronger aspect, giddy for some reason that Percy did not understand.
The immortal raised his hand, and moved the palm to float a few inches from Bianca's closed eyes. Carefully focusing a small trickle of power to his wrist, he called on the more docile of his his abilities gained from Hyperion. The palm slowly lit up, the light gradually growing in intensity until it shone a brilliant gold onto the still shut lids.
'Hmm... OH! Burn her!' Purgatory suggested, proudly.
'No.' Percy deadpanned back. 'Remember the ground rules, too, Purge. No hurting the ones I care about. Got it?'
'Fine, fine.' The other aspect grumbled. 'Then... something with time.' He said, before groaning. 'Ugh. All this thinking's making my head hurt! Can we go kill something?'
"Later." He sighed out loud, in a compromise. 'I suppose that the time idea could work, though... not backwards, I could easily overshoot and turn her into a 4 year old. Unless you want to look after a little kid, that is.' Purge made retching sounds at the notion of babysitting. 'Well then, let's see... So she has the partial immortality still.' Percy commented, to himself, having checked for the feel and found a partial signature of an immortal.' He smirked. 'Which means I can do this.' He channelled his oldest Titan ability, and moved the time centered on the daughter of Hades forward by a year, not needing to look away as another platinum glow almost blinded those watching.
'Ha! That doesn't seem to have worked boss!' Purgatory commented, joyfully. The other aspect was correct; previously there had been a 13-ish girl lying on the bench in front of him; now, though, that wasn't quite true.
'Oh, this is great Boss! Your control isn't as good as you thought, eh?!' The psychotic aspect cackled at his respected alter aspect. While that was true, it was the only fun he could get while Percy was in control.
The violent voice was correct. Percy certainly had overshot his abilities and, most likely, had broken the, already weakened over time, blessing that Artemis had given before the half-blood died. However, that was not the pressing problem. Bianca Di Angelo had... grown up. In the place of a 13 year old girl, there was now one of around 5 years older. And her clothes were not designed for the daughter of Hades' new body.
-(_|-|_)-
Thud.
Thwack.
Crunch.
And various other sounds drifted over to the suddenly uncomfortable immortal from the gathered crowd. He turned, and found the source plain as day.
Apparently more than a few boys had been leering at the now barely covered demigod; and the hunters had taken action to defend their fellow maiden. Now, there was a pile of who-knew how many boys. The hunters hadn't been fussed over who was the offending parties. Not that this surprised Percy. However, there were now more than a few angry pubescent girls glaring at him. That wasn't helped by what happened next.
"Percy?..." A confused, and sleepy, voice murmured. How the hell did she recognise him? He had his bac to her. "It is you! Percy!" She hugged him.
Why did she have to hug him?
-()-
Thalia was torn.
Her amusement was winning mostly, as she saw her best friend, Percy Jackson, pale rapidly as her sisters drew their bows as one, and was happy to be greeted to the rare sight of the powerful immortal raising his hands in surrender. Not that they saw him raise his hands.
But then there was what it was warring against.
Something she couldn't quite recognise, but that she had a sinking feeling she knew. And what she suspected sucked.
The daughter of Zeus shook her head, clearing it for the moment, and focused back onto the scene in front of her. The ugly green beast in her chest growled angrily at the sight of the more-developed-than-her girl hugging tightly into his back.
Percy really should have spoken up; but his eyes were, along with the rest of him, frozen as he looked into the still open Iris message.
This time, Thalia had to restrain herself from bursting into laughter at the sight she beheld. Her goddess was comically red at the scene they were seeing; providing a great contrast between herself and Percy as they had a one-side angry, one-side scared staring contest.
-(_)-
'Um... Boss... Sh-She's not going to remove any parts of our anatomy is she?' Purge stuttered out. That was a genuine fear. While the two of them knew that they were stronger than Artemis, they were more than a little adverse to the possibility of being castrated.
'I'm sure that if we... explain, I should be able to get her to be reasonable..." Percy said, doubt obvious even to himself.
'Riiight. Because Artemis's known for being reasonable, isn't she?'
'Fuck off, Purge.'
Percy focused back onto the problem at hand and, with a voice slightly higher pitched than normal, he spoke to the girl hugging him from behind.
"H-Hey, Bianca?"
"Yes, Percy?" She muttered into his back. Why the hell was she so comfortable with him?
"You know you're very nearly naked, right?"
"What?!" She squeaked out, before leaping away from him. Percy remained facing the same way as before, hands raised in surrender. "Whoa! I'm hot!" Bianca exclaimed.
"Uhh... right, well, if you could find something to cover up, your goddess might just stop trying to kill me with her eyes."
"Huh?" Bianca peered around his broad back, and saw that the two had an audience. With another squeak, she hid herself again. Despite her newly increased stature, Percy was large enough to hide her very well. "H-How do I get more clothes?"
"Well... If Lady Artemis gives me permission I can summon some clothes for you?" He asked to the goddess of the moon. The auburn haired goddess nodded with narrow eyes, and Percy waved his hand.
In front of Bianca, a small pile of clothes appeared on the ground. She tentatively picked them up, and found that they were a set of cargo pants , combat boots and a dark green t-shirt. As she quickly shrugged them on, Bianca found that the clothes were baggy, but covered her exposure very effectively.
"Thank you, Percy." The girl said, with a blush that she covered by tilting her head down as she stepped around, for the watching people to see her clearly. She gave an awkward curtsy-bow to the goddess of the hunt, awkward because she had to hold the pants up, and spoke again. "Hello, My Lady. It is a pleasure to see you again." Artemis' expression softened as she looked at her resurrected hunter, and she responded with a kind voice.
"And you as well, Bianca." She smiled at the girl, before turning to Percy with a frown. "Why, Perseus, did you feel the need to age her?" She asked, with an obvious hint of suspicion at the conclusion she jumped to.
"I didn't mean to, I swear!" The non-god exclaimed, a hint of panic intruding into his voice. "I'm not used to using my abilities outside of combat, nor on non-immortals. I must have overpowered the time passed by mistake, and her getting older was the result!" A confused demigod looked on confused at his mentioning of, seemingly, Chronokenisis.
"If you're lying to me, Perseus..."
"I'm not, I swear!" Percy insisted, almost begging not to lose his genitalia.
"Alright..." Artemis relented, still slightly red faced and frowning. At least what happened next gave her a reason to be so.
"Well, don't you two seem like an old married couple?" Aphrodite interjected, upset that she wasn't the centre of Percy's attention. The goddess of love chuckled at the furious expression Artemis sent her way at the suggestion, though Aphrodite had an inkling that it was less than genuine. "No? So Percy's available?" She asked with a wicked grin, before turning to face the muscular immortal. "Well? Are you up to a night of fun, Perseus?"
"Thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I will have to decline." Percy said, putting on a solemn tone of voice.
"What?!" Aphrodite gasped. "Why not?! Do you not find me attractive enough?" The love goddess was genuinely upset. It had been in her plan quite some time before he was sent to Tartarus to bed Perseus Jackson. Just recalling the passion that he had shown in battle was enough to send a shiver down her spine at the thought of his sculpted body tensed and sweaty as he pounded her into an orgasmic bliss. But now was not the time, and so she shook her head slightly; clearing it as best she could to focus back on the man who had turned her down.
"Not at all." Percy replied, calmly, before he hesitated for a few seconds. "Ah, do I have permission to speak freely?" Unlike his alter ego, Percy didn't go out of his way to antagonise those with influence.
Or, at least those with influence that he liked.
After the goddess nodded, Percy spoke again.
"The... promiscuity that you show is rather off-putting in my opinion, Lady Aphrodite. I'm afraid that I would rather my first time be special."
"First time?" Aphrodite asked, bewildered, before it occurred to her what the hunk in front of her meant. "No... You're a virgin?!" Percy ignored the reactions around him and lifted an eyebrow.
"Yes... When did you think I would have lost it? I was saving myself for marriage while mortal, and didn't exactly have any romantic pursuits in the Pit, especially since Purgatory, who hasn't the capacity for those feelings, was in control for nearly half of my time there." More than one goddess let out a breath, for a reason not one of them could comprehend.
"Oh... right, well... While that may be, I can guarantee that your first time would be special with me." Aphrodite purred at the immortal, not deterred in the slightest.
"Again, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Percy said, shaking his head.
"Okay." Aphrodite said, along with a smile that made it clear that this was far from over. She received more than a few glares after that implication.
"Very well. I will see you later Perseus, Bianca." Artemis said, and the connection mysteriously closed, Artemis growling at the goddess of love being the last sight they saw of the meeting room.
"Huh." Percy voiced slight confusion. "Well, then. I'd suggest you go meet the hunters again. And please explain that you hugged me, and not the other way around." The immortal almost begged.
"Okay." Bianca answered, happy for the chance to actually be a hunter this time. She had perished before getting the chance to actually experience the lifestyle last time. "By the way, how did you wake me up? You mentioned something about time." She with a frown.
"Hmm, that's a long story." Harry said with a smile. "It began like this..."
-()(_)()-
"WHAT?!" Boy, Bianca could be scary.
"Ah... um, what exactly is upsetting you? I honestly believe your brother believed it..." Percy said, with a slight gulp of nervousness.
"Oh, believe me, he is going to get a talking to." She growled. "No, I'm angry that those Bastards for what they fucking did!" That was... weird.
"Swearing doesn't suit you, Bianca." Percy said, with a smirk. "And anyway, what's done is done. I've gotten the revenge that I was aiming for. No need to trouble yourself; just go get to know the other hunters again, I've got some stuff I need to do in the underworld."
"Oh?"
"I promised a friend I would go see her once I got out of the Pit. Purgatory waited for me to get back, and I'd rather avoid putting it off any longer than necessary."
"Right." Bianca gave him a strained smile as Percy vanished in a black flash.
-(_)()(_)-
"Ooph!" Was all Percy Jackson choked out as a black wall of fur belly flopped on top of him. "I-It's good to see you too, Mrs O'Leary. B-ut please g-get off me." He gasped out from under the massive hellhound.
With a happy bark, the so-called devil dog scrambled off, and Percy pushed himself to his feet. With a grin, the immortal extended a hand, and the air shimmered before a metre-diameter bronze shield appeared in it. Flicking his wrist, the disk flew off into the distance and Percy's 'pet' Hellhound bounded off in pursuit.
Percy chuckled to himself, as Purgatory's emotions began seeping in and giving him the slight urge to chase after Mrs O'Leary. Not necessarily to kill his pet, but more to just expend some energy. It was an unfortunate weakness that seeped into Percy as well; Purge had an insane case of ADD, and the aspect himself thought Percy had been far too easy on the betrayers.
He didn't have long to wonder on this urge, before he found something else that he had to focus on instead of the running Hellhound that shook the ground as it happily flew through the underworld. At least he knew that the ever-faithful dog was still happy after Percy had been forced to leave her. She and Cerebus were mates now, apparently; so maybe he would get to meet some Hellhound babies in the future.
Up ahead, he saw Styx in a group with 4 others, all bearing a remarkable resemblance to his friend from the Pit. Percy figured out who they were quickly enough; Styx had told him many stories about her sister rivers in the time she had been able to spend with him in Tartarus.
Maybe he would finally find out what that weird drink he had been given was.
Flashback- In the Pit
"...what is it?" Percy asked, sniffing the odd concoction worriedly. The now uncorked bottle was rather full, and none of the liquids looked particularly unappetising, but that was exactly the issue. There were 5 of them, none of which were mixing with the others. A light blue was taking up the top fifth, a bright red the next, followed by a milky white, then a second blue; deeper than the other, and lastly a black, rivalling the shade of Nothos.
"Does that matter? Don't you trust me?" Styx queried, causing Percy to groan; unable to upset his one friend in the hell that he called home. The immortal sniffed uncertainly at the liquid again, before lifting it to his lips and tipping his head back, downing the odd drink quickly.
He fell to the floor, gasping as his throat burned as though he had taken a swig of the waters of the Styx. As this thought occurred to him, he tilted his head up to see Styx standing there looking guilty.
"What the fuck was that?" He rasped out, clawing at his throat.
"I-I'm sorry, Percy, but I can't tell you yet. I promised to wait until you came to the underworld again."
"Why would you promise that?"
"Because it doesn't just involve me..." The goddess said, sadly. She was worried about Percy being upset with her. She wasn't doing it to cause him pain, honest, in fact it would come in handy in the future.
"Ugh." He slowly rose back to his feet, and continued. "Well, it doesn't feel like it did any permanent damage. Besides, I've had worse." He gave a strained smile to the river goddess in front of him, and shrugged the last of the effects off as his energy replenished quickly.
"Perseus! Meet my sisters!" Styx called, the goddess waving at him in a far from dignified manner.
He met the eyes of each in turn, and was rather unsettled by the fact that one was staring at him while bawling her eyes out. What had he done to upset her sister?
Hope you enjoyed it, and Purgatory so far.
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