Ch. 25

Perseus reappeared in the hallway of a lavish looking hotel in the middle of New York City. Annabeth and Achilles were on each side of him before Achilles stepped away looking at the hallway in a bit of awe. He looked up at the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and tried to figure out exactly how they worked. They had lights but he had never seen lights like them down in Hades.

Perseus put a hand on his shoulder, "I think you should stop worrying about the lights bro. The world has changed in a lot more ways than that and we have a dinner date to make."

Achilles nodded and turned to his brother, "Where are we?"

"The Hilton Hotel in New York City. I know your knowledge is probably limited but just bear with me and I'll get you caught up to speed. This is a place full of rooms where they rent the rooms to people needing a place to stay for a night or two. I rented us a room down the hall for the night while we get you caught up to speed."

Perseus pulled the electronic key card out of his pocket and made his way two doors down before stopping at one on his right. He slid the key into the door and waited for the faint beep to confirm he could open it. He pushed open the door and saw Achilles looking at his keycard confused.

"Just wait brother, we don't have an excess amount of time and I shudder to think what mom would do to me if I make her think you weren't truly back."

Achilles nodded as Annabeth grabbed his hand and led him into the room. On the bed were three outfits laid out waiting.

"I guess you're better at preparing for dinner than quests?" Annabeth asked glancing at her father who gave her a playful glare in return.

"You just don't know what your grandmother can be like when she gets angry. Minor goddess my ass." He muttered making Achilles crack the first smile since they came topside.

Achilles looked down at the outfit laid out on the bed before turning to his brother strangely, "This is what you expect me to wear? A suit?"

Perseus smirked, "See, you did learn some things in the Underworld. And you're damn right you're wearing that suit. This is the year 2013 brother and you're officially the most eligible bachelor on the planet. After dinner, we're going out and I'm going to show you some of the finer advancements mankind has made with hygiene and female attire." He said before he saw Annabeth's narrowed eyes, "As your wingman only of course. I'm already a happily taken man." He added making his daughter nod approvingly.

"Do they remove the genitals of men these days too brother?" Achilles asked trying not to smirk.

Perseus punched him hard in the shoulder before walking off into the bathroom. He came out a minute later and looked at Achilles, "Get in there. You've been dead for centuries, you need a shower and a shave. You'll find what you need in there. But get a move on or I'll tell mother you went out chasing ladies instead of coming to see her."

Once Achilles made his way into the bathroom, Perseus turned to his daughter who was examining the dress laid out on the bed for her.

"Is it alright?

Annabeth smiled, "You picked this out?"

He laughed loudly, "Me? Gods no. Your mother picked out all three outfits. You need battle armor, I'll pick you out something badass but when it comes to fashion, especially for girls, I'm a little out of my element."

Annabeth smiled, "So where is Mom tonight?"

"Right now she is on Olympus hashing out plans for the coming war. Tomorrow the prophecy will be revealed to the campers so they can start making preparations for a much larger war than we anticipated. But tonight she will be joining us for dinner along with your grandmother."

Annabeth looked surprised, "Mom's coming?"

Perseus cracked a smile, "It is a family dinner, is it not?"

Annabeth's face turned into a soft smile and she nodded as she realized she was going to have her first ever real family dinner, uncle and grandmother included.

-x-

Perseus walked out the elevator of the hotel and into the lobby. He had his arm laced through Annabeth's who couldn't keep the smile off her face. Achilles walked on the other side of his brother. They made their way across the lobby and towards the restaurant inside the hotel where they would be meeting Athena and Thetis.

Achilles was slowly getting used to all the technological changes. He still had no idea how any of them worked but was getting used to ignoring them and focusing on the task at hand. As they walked Perseus glanced at Achilles whose eyes had followed a busty woman with a healthy amount of cleavage visible in her low cut dress.

Perseus grabbed his brother's ear and pulled him along, "Don't stare. Act like you've seen a pair before." He hissed quietly in his brother's ear as he finally let him go.

Achilles shook his head, "What is this, a brothel or something?"

His brother bit back a laugh and shook his head, "Times have changed brother. That is how women of the time dress. That is actually a wealthy and sophisticated woman most likely. Well either that or a very expensive hooker but that's beside the point. Focus on the task. I promise to take you out later for a little pre-war shore leave."

Achilles nodded looking eager before Perseus stopped at a desk located at the entrance to the restaurant.

"Reservations?" The man behind the desk asked.

Perseus nodded, "Perseus, party of five."

The man nodded, "Yes the other two members of your party have already been seated. If you'll follow me, I'll bring you to your table."

The man led the group across the restaurant until Perseus put a hand on his shoulder. He saw Athena and Thetis talking quietly across the room. Perseus tucked a fifty dollar bill in the man's front pocket.

"We'll take it from here. My mother is seeing my brother for the first time in a couple years and I would like to make it a surprise."

The man pulled out the fifty and smiled, "As you wish sir. I will be sure to tell your waiter to wait a few minutes before coming to take your drink orders."

Perseus nodded his thanks before grabbing Annabeth's hand and slowly making their way towards the table, Achilles trailing a few feet behind.

Athena was the first to notice them, her face morphing into a smile when she did. She put a hand on Thetis' arm and gestured towards Perseus and Annabeth.

The mother of Achilles stood from her chair as Perseus led Annabeth aside leaving a clear path between Achilles and their mother. Achilles made his way towards the table as the first tear fell from the minor goddess' eye before she closed the distance between her and her long dead son crushing him in a hug.

She buried her face into his neck to keep herself from crying as she just held on for dear life hoping this wasn't some kind of illusion or dream.

"Hello mother." Achilles said smiling as he hugged her back.

After a moment, the duo broke apart. Thetis wiped her eyes of any stray tears before her face contorted into a happy smile.

"My son. At last I have my son back." She said before turning to Perseus and grabbing his hand as she pulled him into a hug. "Both of my sons. I have my two boys back at last. Thank you Perseus." She whispered in his ear before pulling back and returning to their seat.

Perseus pulled out the seat for Annabeth who rolled her eyes at his chivalry but still smiled as she took a seat beside her mother. Perseus took a seat on the other side of Athena across from Achilles who was still being examined by Thetis.

"Mother, I'm fine." Achilles growled swatting her hand away gently.

Thetis just smiled as she looked across at Perseus, "You did well Perseus. He cleans up almost as good as you."

Perseus cracked an amused smile, "Well, not all of us can look this good mother but by the time I'm done with him, I'll have him looking pretty close."

Achilles rolled his eyes as the waiter came for their drink orders.

Dinner was pleasant for the small little family group. They all tried as much as they could to catch Achilles up on what he missed. He was most interested in his brother's life and how many influential figures in history he had been the one to kill. He was surprised how well his brother managed to influence the world while remaining out of the spotlight. He had heard bits and pieces from Perseus during his visits to Elysium but their time was always limited and now he was able to sit back and get the full story.

Once their meals were eaten and the check had been paid, they all sat and talked about the future and what to expect in the war with Gaea and Kronos. After a bit, a question that had been nagging at Athena since Achilles was resurrected was finally brought up by Annabeth.

"So uncle, are you still invulnerable like Dad?"

Achilles' eyes widened as the thought hadn't occurred to him yet. He looked down at his hand as he thought about the question. Before he could react, a fork was driven into the top of his hand as Thetis clamped a hand over his mouth to stop him from yelling. Athena and Thetis both glared at Perseus who shrugged.

"What? This was the best way to find out. Now we know, he is not invulnerable." He said innocently trying not to laugh at his brother's look of pain.

Thetis poured some water over her son's hand before covering it with her own hand as it glowed with a faint blue light. When she pulled her it free, the wound was healed.

"You're going to pay for that." Achilles muttered.

Perseus smirked, "I'm invulnerable bro. I can so kick your ass now."

Athena elbowed Perseus hard in the ribs, hard enough to make him wince and Achilles laugh.

"Maybe you can but I am quite sure your girlfriend would wipe the floor with you little brother."

Perseus shrugged, "Probably but I think I like that." He said winking at Athena and making her blush and Annabeth to groan.

"Dad, people are trying to eat."

Athena's glared at her lover before Thetis finally stood up.

"I think it's time for this old goddess to return home for the night. I am sure I can depend on you to make sure Achilles doesn't get himself into too much trouble in his first night back." She said looking pointedly at her other son.

Perseus smirked but it vanished under his mother's glare before he nodded, "He will be fine mother. I wouldn't let him get himself killed his first night back."

Thetis nodded, "I will be in Olympus for the next few days. I expect to see both of you in the next day or so."

Both brothers just nodded numbly as their mother seemed satisfied and smiled before making her way towards the kitchen area before she dissolved into mist and vanished from the restaurant.

"So what are you doing for the rest of the night?" Athena asked looking at her lover.

Perseus shrugged, "You know, bars, strip clubs, and some hookers."

Athena nodded, "Sounds fun. I'll take Annabeth back to camp for the night. I believe my children are overdue for a visit from their mother."

"Mom!" Annabeth asked incredulously.

Athena rolled her eyes, "Your father is just being foolish dear. He is just joking around."

Perseus smiled as pressed his lips to Athena's, "You know, I could have been serious."

Athena smirked, "You enjoy being a man far too much to be that stupid." She said pecking him on the lips again.

"I'll be back at camp late tonight Annabeth. Tomorrow we can introduce Achilles to the campers together." Perseus said as he walked over to his daughter and kissed the top of her head.

Athena put a hand on Annabeth's shoulder as she closed her eyes and the pair vanished into a golden light leaving Perseus alone with his brother. Achilles looked around confused. "Did no one else see them vanish?"

Perseus shook his head amused with his brother's confusion, "I need to teach you about the mist. It hides things from mortals, kind of just makes them see something more believable. They probably just saw Athena and Annabeth walk away instead of teleport. Don't ask me how it works, I only know how to manipulate it. I'll teach you to do the same, it comes in handy in the mortal world."

Achilles leaned back in his chair shaking his head, "I thought I had stayed more up to date with things in the Underworld but the truth is this is like a whole different world to me."

Perseus took a drink from his beer and looked at his brother with a bit of concern, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Achilles shook his head, "I don't know brother. I mean some things seem better but some seem so much more complicated. I miss the simplicity of the world we once knew. Don't get me wrong, the food and women seem to be a great improvement but I miss the simple way things were in Troy; just you and me and our brethren, fighting for Greece."

Perseus nodded in understanding, "You were brought back for war brother. If you long for the way things were in Troy then be patient, war is coming sooner than you may wish it to be here."

Achilles sighed and nodded, "So what now? Off to find some women?"

Perseus rolled his eyes, "I said that so they wouldn't question what we were doing. I'm not your caretaker, if I remember correctly you're more than capable of handling yourself with the ladies."

Achilles smirked at the compliment, "Far better than you anyway, well at least I used to. Now you've got yourself a goddess and I don't know if I can compete with that."

Perseus smiled, "Goddess or mortal it doesn't matter. When you find the right one then they rest lose their appeal. It will come for you I'm sure. Now, we've got places to be tonight so if you're done whining about the changes in the world, we should get moving."

Achilles raised an eyebrow, "And where is that?"

Perseus smiled and reached across the table putting a hand on his brother's wrist as they dissolved into mist .

Achilles and his brother reappeared on the shores of the River Styx as Achilles' eyes widened a bit in surprise. He looked at his brother who was staring into the dark foreboding waters of the Styx with trepidation.

"If we are to have any chance to lead an army of teenagers against all the monsters and other dangerous creatures Gaea can throw at us, I can't be more worried about your safety than anything else. I need you to be the same as me out there. I won't be able to focus on battle if I think there's a chance I could lose my brother again." He said finally breaking his eyes from the river and looking at his brother is a deadly serious expression.

Achilles opened his mouth to argue that he could take care of himself but stopped. He knew he would say the exact same words if the roles were reversed. He turned back to the river and eyed it warily. His first dip was as an infant, an experience he couldn't even remember.

"Think about the things that matter most to you in this world. Remember them when you're in there. They will pull you out. Pick the one spot you want to remain mortal and imagine it tying you off to the world above." Perseus said in a calm but serious tone.

Achilles walked up to the banks of the river and stopped as he tried to think about what it was that would bind him to the mortal world.

Suddenly he felt a hand on the back of his jacket as his brother grabbed him in a firm grip and spun him around so they were face to face.

"You will figure it out when you're in there but know that if you don't come out in a few minutes, I'm going in after you." Perseus whispered quietly as he looked directly into his brother's pale green eyes.

Achilles stared back into Perseus' sea green eyes before nodding his head.

"Do it."

Perseus thrust the hand holding on to his brother out towards the river as Achilles was flung backwards, crashing into the River Styx and disappearing into its dark and dangerous waters.

Perseus stared anxiously at the water as he waited for his brother to come out. He knew he had just risked his brother's life but something told him this would be necessary for what they would have to do in the coming war.

Seconds drifted into minutes as Perseus began pacing along the banks of the river, becoming frantic after no sign of his brother. He peeled his jacket off as he prepared to dive into the river after him when Achilles was suddenly spat out, landing at his feet as the color slowly returned to Perseus' face.

Achilles took a few deep breaths before looking up at his brother, "Well, that was, unpleasant."

Perseus let out a relieved chuckle as his brother picked himself up off the ground.

"Thank the gods that worked."

Achilles smirked, "Having doubts were you?"

Perseus shook his head, "Just fearing mother's wrath if that didn't work."

Achilles rolled his eyes as he looked at his brother's jacket on the banks of the river knowing he was about to jump in after him.

"Are you going to ask where it is?"

Perseus stopped, "I wasn't going to but now that you mention it."

"Same spot." Achilles said making Perseus open his mouth to ask why before cutting him off by continuing. "Mother got it right the first time. Together we are invincible. The first time was because we were separated. It won't happen again."

Perseus smiled at the answer and put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Now we just need you to keep your mouth shut about it every time you get your dick wet."

Achilles laughed loudly before stopping abruptly.

"What happened to her? You always refused to tell me when I was dead but I want an answer now. What happened to Brisēís?"

Perseus looked away for a minute before he sighed loudly, "Before I knew what happened and how she betrayed you, I helped her escape Troy with the rest of her family. After the war, when I knew the truth, I hunted her down. I found her after a few months and planned to kill her." Achilles' eyes widened at this but Perseus held up his hand to stop him from interrupting. "I did not kill her. She lived a long life and before being sent to Asphodel?"

"What? Hades put her in Asphodel? That's why I could never find her!" Achilles growled.

Perseus shook his head, "At my request. It was a gift. I planned to ask him to put her in punishment but knew you would be furious."

Achilles narrowed his eyes, "You're going to fix this. She made a mistake and has paid long enough."

Perseus rolled his eyes, "I did. She went for rebirth about twenty years ago. I needed some centuries to forgive her for what she did."

Achilles looked angrily at his brother.

Perseus noticed his expression and narrowed his eyes, "Don't start with me about her. Yes you loved her but she got you killed. She had to pay for what she did. If you ask me she got off easy. Don't preach to me about her either. You died. You weren't left here alone. Yes I have Athena but I needed my brother too. Until now there was always something missing in my life. Annabeth filled most of that void but nothing could fill it completely until today. I get that you're angry but don't expect me to regret what I did."

Achilles was silent for a minute before he slowly nodded. He still didn't look thrilled but he understood where Perseus came from.

"Alright brother. At least she has a new life now."

Perseus nodded, "Let's get out of here. You've spent enough time in Hades." He said before putting a hand on Achilles' shoulder as they dissolved into mist from the banks of the River Styx. They reappeared inside the Big House at Camp Half-Blood where only a few lights were still on.

Achilles looked around confused until Perseus spoke up.

"Camp Half-Blood brother. This is where I've been staying so this is where you'll be staying. We're going to need to get to know our new soldiers and all that."

Achilles raised an eyebrow, "They're kids. How are we supposed to fight a war with kids as soldiers?"

Perseus sighed, "Because they are all that we have. Don't doubt some of these kids, they're warriors. They've lived tough lives, alone, abandoned and forced to take care of themselves and forced to grow up far sooner than they should. They can fight. I saw it first hand in the battle, they will be what we need because they have to be."

Achilles looked unconvinced but his brother didn't waver from his words making Achilles nod. Before he could speak, the sounds of metal down the hallway drew their attention before a loud gasp was heard.

"Di Immortales."

The creaking of metal was heard as Chiron wheeled his way into the light of the room, his eyes wide as he stared at Achilles.

"Gods of Olympus how is this even possible?"

"Funny you should mention those gods, Zeus was less than helpful when it came to this but I promise to explain the entire situation to you before the night is through." Perseus said smiling at the old centaur.

Chiron nodded his head numbly as he climbed out of his wheelchair and stood in his full centaur form.

Achilles smiled, "Chiron, it's been many centuries my old friend." He said before stepping forward and pulling him into a hug.

When the two broke apart, Chiron looked at the pair expectantly.

Perseus smiled, "Get comfortable Chiron, we have much to tell you and even more to discuss."

A.N: A shorter chapter I know but I wanted to publish something since I'm going to Boston for the weekend for a wedding and I won't be able to write anything until I get back. Hopefully this was all right. For those who didn't see, I republished God of Night. I want to do the story the way I had originally envisioned it. I gave the story up for adoption and the author did an excellent job with it but I want to write my version of it as well. So go check it out and favorite and follow it because that would be cool.

So how'd I do with this chapter? I want to hear what you thought, the good, the bad and the ugly.

On a separate note, I finally watched the Sea of Monsters movie… I mean is it really that hard to make it somewhat like the book? Harry Potter managed to do it well enough but while better than the Lightning Thief, it is still so so different. I mean it was alright but seriously, just follow the fucking plot of the book.

Sorry, rant over. Now review and tell me what you thought.