The Worst Kind of Babysitter
Percy banged his head against the wall of the room. Aphrodite did not look up from her magazine, but in his peripheral he could see her roll her eyes.
"You know, I'm not some demon goddess here to torture you," she said. Percy cringed at the sound of her nails piercing the surface of the page and turning it slowly. Though he had to admit, there were far worse sounds.
"Aphrodite, it isn't you—"
"'It's not you, it's me'?"
"It's Thalia. My friends. They won't last without me. They don't know what they're up against."
Aphrodite shook her head and sat up, staring at Percy as if he were insane. Snapping her fingers, a holographic display appeared over their heads. It was of the Hunters and the Agents, fighting what seemed to be a giant scorpion—
Wait…giant scorpion?
Finally, Percy understood.
"Why is this monster is trying to recreate history?"
"That's a bit far-fetched, Percy."
"No listen," he interrupted. "Why else would a giant scorpion, of all things, attack Artemis and her Hunters? This has to be why Hephaestus had me relive those heroes' lives. I was supposed to learn something from it. Orion was killed by a scorpion, sent by Apollo, which Artemis never really forgave him for—Aphrodite, the dead can't come back to life, right?"
The love goddess paled. Percy's eyes squinted, pressing the question further, all while she moved away from him to avoid his gaze. Thankfully, she turned back to him after a few moments, struggling to speak, as if afraid to give him the truth.
"There is a place. A place called the Doors of Death. If opened, the dead can…appear again. As spirits, meant to haunt those they deem responsible for their demise. They are not true souls, but angered mockeries."
Percy swallowed hard. "And who can open these 'doors'?"
"Percy…"
"Don't lie to me, Aphrodite. I had amnesia for months and I know who the bad guy is. Tell me the truth. Is Gaea planning to open the Doors of Death?"
Aphrodite nodded. Percy placed his hand over his mouth and punched the bench near himself and the Goddess, breathing heavily from frustration.
"Orion is going to come back. He's gonna haunt Artemis…shit. Apollo isn't a hostage. He's a godsdamn sacrifice. He's the blood of Olympus. This isn't a matter of the prophecy of the monster. The monster is Gaea. And the prophecy in motion is the Seven. Aphrodite you have to send me there, these demigods are going to die."
"Percy I don't know—" Her sentence was cut short by Percy grabbing her shoulders, pleading for her cooperation.
"Aph, you don't understand. Gaea is the monster! And Heracles, betraying Zoe for the sword…they are following a false lead and one of those Hunters or Agents is a plant, meant to lead them astray…meant to betray them, as Heracles had! This is what your husband was trying to say, but couldn't outright blurt. He wanted me to figure this out before Thalia and Apollo are sacrificed to Gaea, so she can wake. We don't have time for your pondering, the world is literally at stake here! Please!"
The Goddess of Love smiled sadly and snapped her fingers a second time, giving Percy his weapons back. "I know they'll kill me for this. But it's so hot when you get all 'save-the-world-y' on me. I'll send you to them."
Percy smiled and gripped his gauntlet, awaiting teleportation.
ZZZTTTTTT!
His arrival was not pleasant, however…a horde of Hunters, Agents, and Artemis were headed straight toward him, with bows and blades at the ready.