The Promises of Percy Jackson
Long story short, as voted, Percy will join Chaos. First, some business needs attending to.
By the way, this chapter mentions no names, but the identities are obvious.
When Olympus crumbles beneath Gaea's feet…then you have my permission to die.
The words rang through the boy's eardrums all the way to his destination.
"I want answers," was the only thing the limp man heard as the doors to his forge swung open.
"I assumed you would," he replied begrudgingly, "Hero."
"Where did you get this design? And don't lie to me because I'm not afraid to bring this forge down on the both of us."
"Calm, boy, your questions will be answered in time."
The limp man struggled his way over to a desk, where he sat adjacent to the young hero standing before him. He twiddled his thumbs and sorted a few blueprints that need not be sorted, all in an attempt to try to find the perfect way to say what he needed to say.
"I admit that the designs are from you. So what do you care?"
"I don't," the boy said in a determined voice. He placed his arms down on the desk in front of him, in a relaxed position of thought. He relished the feeling of his new outfit as its ribbing eliminated the fatigue in his aching, albeit protruding, toned arms.
"I just want to know why the Hunters scattered my friends. What about Artemis? Thalia? Are you implying that they've turned against us?"
"No boy, merely…out of their hands. Well, Thalia is anyway. Artemis is doing it for a cause that is bigger than the grudges she holds against the male population."
The boy thought until his epiphany became apparent. "The monster…and Gaea?"
"Ah, very good, lad. However, there are other factors involved. Thalia has gone missing, we believe in searching for you, and Chaos, I hear, is recruiting for something."
"And you know what that something is, don't you?"
The limp turned again, unable to bear the truth of things. How was he to tell this boy, merely at the age of sixteen, his impending doom? Surely, what did he care? He was the lame God that no one wanted. So why, when he looked at the boy's famous eyes that shone the deepest form of sea green, did he feel a level of compassion that he so wished for from his own family?
For reasons unexplainable, he wanted to protect this boy from harm. Did he deserve, after all? All of the lives he saved, and the joy he brought to his family and friends on a daily basis? It was all worth something.
But life, even for a human as powerful as he, is never fair.
He looked into the lame man's black eyes. He knew, deep down, that the shade of dark that he saw was from pain and not anger or evil. After all, how would he feel, if his family shunned him on looks alone.
He could see. He saw the beauty underneath the beast, if you will. It was not a feeling of love, which was too weird for him, just admiration.
He could still go one with life.
Maybe he does it on purpose. The "ugly" look suits him and only him because the soul that lies beneath the surface is so gorgeous, it outweighs, dare he day it, even the Goddess of Beauty. This makes him the perfect specimen in a sense. How, if his dysfunctional family could look past the physical flaws, they would find a golden boy.
Sometimes, he finds more of a father figure in him than his own. After all, he, without saying a word, taught the boy that no matter what, he could be himself and still find love.
Ha. A joke, really.
He wants to tell himself that is true. Nevertheless, he cannot. In a world such as his, you must be handsome, you must be dapper, and you must win to get love. He knows it. Before he saved the Gods themselves, he was a nobody to them. Moreover, as soon as his work of five years was made into light in a matter of one day, he is now Mr. "Superstar."
It makes him angry. When a man such as the one before him deserves so much glory, so much appreciation, for his soul and his work, and he gets none. He feels, ironically, that his "world-saving" act is not as important anymore. Rather he humbles himself than bask in the adoration of women, children, and men who wish to live up to him.
Then he did something he partially knew he could not do.
"I want you to give me promises," he says. The lame man looks at him skeptically, eying him with suspicion.
"Promises? Like what?"
"Five promises that I cannot break. I swear on the River Styx to all of them." On cue, as always, thunder boomed.
"Why must I do this?"
"It keeps me humble…gets the job done. If I'm going to feed into Chaos' little game, then I need to make sure I have no room for corruption."
The lame God looked at his and tried not to give him a fatherly smile. Maybe, contrary to popular belief, this boy really was different from other heroes.
"First promise: Never lie, cheat or steal," the cripple said with the most serious of faces. "Second promise: Never commit murder."
The boy took a mental note of this. Those two things would not be hard for a boy with loyalty as evident as his.
"Third promise: Never give in to the temptation of alcohol."
"What?"
"We men try to drink all of our problems away. It is not healthy. Fourth promise: Accept no rewards: humble yourself as a hero."
The boy took more mental notes as he noticed the cripple rise slightly for the last promise that was to be delivered.
"You must not hurt your loves. That is the final promise."
"You're kidding right?" the boy questioned, but he fell silent once he received the coldest of stares.
"Ms. Chase is a delightful specimen. She gives you the one thing she has that she knows you can so easily break: her heart. You must not test her faith. She doesn't wish to harm you, and as you very well know, it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, lad."
The boy smiled in agreement. Thanking the God, he left to join the Creator. However, the lame man knew better. No hero can keep a promise for too long. It was not possible; they always betray the Gods and the people they love. This was true of them all.
And Hephaestus feared that even the great Perseus Jackson was no exception.
A/N: Yeah, no voting this time. But I just wanted to let you guys know that these so-called "promises" play a key role in this story. Do not worry, next chapter, another vote will be up! Read and Review!
– Chris
