Chapter 25: After the end
Percy's POV
Rachel finished speaking and everyone's head turned to us or more specifically to Liam. I could see Zeus prepare his lighting bolt and some of the other gods prepare their weapons, so my hand went instinctively inside my pocket grasping Riptide tightly. Athena and my dad came to stand in front of us protectively.
"Don't even think about hurting our grandson." My dad said and Athena nodded, both of them drawing their weapons.
"Are you willing to take the chance?" Zeus asked and I got up to join mine and Annabeth's parents.
"Of course we're willing." Athena answered.
"Is it because you believe in him or because he is your grandson?" Hera asked stepping forward.
"What does it matter?" I asked rather rudely.
"You will not speak to me like that, Perseus Jackson." The queen of the Gods said in a menacing tone.
"Stay away from my son and I won't." I said uncapping my sword.
"Who do you think you are boy?" She asked me.
"Just a guy that would like to spend his life with his family." I answered.
"Percy..." Annabeth warned and I could hear that she was getting up.
"STAY DOWN ANNABETH!" Athena, my dad and I yelled at the same time.
"It's just two gods on your side and so many on mine. What are you going to do...?" But Zeus was cut off as Travis, Chris, Nico, Grover and Thalia joined our forces.
"What are YOU going to do dad? What if it was your grandchild?" Thalia asked the king of the gods.
"Thalia, I order you to come here." Zeus said sternly.
"And I ignore your order. If you want to kill my nephew, you'll have to get over my dead body!" She said as lighting rushed through her arms.
"You are still the minority. Just give us the baby and we'll all be fine." Zeus said again.
"Don't think so brother." Hades said. Hades was on our side?
"You are on their side?" Morpheus asked.
"I've put up with your fears long enough. You killed Maria in an attempt to murder my children, but I will not let you do what you please again without fighting you." Hades told Zeus. "You are afraid that Liam will choose wrong, but if he chooses right? Olympus will prevail with one of his decisions. If you manage to kill him now, then he won't be able to make that decision so we are screwed even if he had the chance to make the wrong decision." He said standing next to my father.
"I agree. No one should suffer the loss of their children because of your fears." Aphrodite said seriously. It was the first time I saw her being serious. She even brought out a bow aiming straight at her father.
"Me too! You won't harm this baby." Hermes said coming up next to me.
"You'll have to get through us first." Apollo also said patting my back and I nodded.
"I will have to agree. It could easily be my grandchild we are talking about." Ares said and smiled at Clarisse and Chris before joining our line.
"Percy, helped once and I'm returning the favor now by standing beside him." Hephaestus said and raised his mighty hammer.
"Even if I am not in favor of males, this infant deserves a chance to live. His decisions will seal our fate, but if he is like his father, he will save us. So I'm on their side too." Artemis said, stood in the line and prepared her bow. So now the line consisted of my dad, Athena, Hades, Aphrodite, Hermes, Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Artemis, Travis, Chris, Nico, Thalia and myself. Nine out of the twelve Olympians were on our side, while Hera, Zeus and the minor gods were on the other. Dionysus didn't even bother picking a side.
"You are all unbelievable." Hera said.
"Campers, got to your cabins now!" I ordered and while most of them listened to me, a few of the older demigods joined our protective circle, one of them also being Amber even though she was young. Thankfully, Morpheus put them to sleep so they wouldn't have to fight. His spell didn't work on us though. (We know that couldn't be true, but for the sake of the chapter we had to make that "little" admission, so don't crucify us please...)
"So be it..." Zeus said and right when the fight was about to break out Hades transferred me, the girls, Liam and Amy to the Underworld.
"You will stay here. Zeus can't come here, because this is my domain, so you'll be safe. Percy let's go back." He said and was about to send us back, but Annabeth stopped him.
"Please... Try not to get yourself killed. We need you." She said and kissed me passionately.
"Don't worry. You will all see your guys again. But now Hades and I need to go back." I said and stepped towards him.
The next moment we were back in the pavilion, where the greatest fight between gods and their children had erupted. We quickly scattered and each went their way. I helped some of the demigods who were fighting with some minor gods or their followers, but my main target was Zeus. After fighting a few more minor gods, I finally found him. He was fighting my dad and Athena down the creek. Both my dad and I had whirlpools around our arms. I jumped in between my son's grandparents ready to strike.
"Just a few hours ago, you were congratulating me and Annabeth for the birth of our son and now you want to take him away? You even held him." I said to him.
"I'm sorry Percy, but I can't take the risk." He said and that's when Phobos and Morpheus came to stand next to the king of the gods.
"You took that chance once already with Percy. So why not now?" Athena asked her father right as the three gods in front of us charged. Zeus went for me, Phobos for my father and Morpheus for Athena. We met them half-way, where our swords collided full force. I have been battling a powerful god,but just like when I fought Hyperion, the fear of something happening to either Annabeth or Liam and the need to protect them fueled my strength and I was able to push back against Zeus's powerful strikes.
I have to admit that Zeus was a good swordsman. He swung his sword expertly and fast, but it was evident to me that it had been very long since he last used his skills. I, on the other hand, have been training non-stop ever since I was twelve, so I was better. It took less than a second for our weapons to have an impact and every time a booming thunder was heard.
"He is just a baby. Why do you have to be so cruel? Kronos did the same thing to your brothers and sisters. If it wasn't for your mother, you would be living in your father's stomach." I said as our swords made a X and we pushed against each other.
"Look where my survival got though. I will not let history repeat itself." He said and used more power.
"I survived and saved you with my decision to give Luke the knife. Why can't he have that chance?" I asked pushing back with equal force.
"Because he might choose wrong." He answered.
"Or he might not! But even if he does choose wrong, didn't you hear the entire prophecy or what Hades said? Olympus will prevail with his decision. If you kill him, you will perish." I yelled pushing him away.
Even though I didn't think it would work, I tried the disarming movement I used on Luke in my first sword training ever. The tip of Riptide hit the base of Zeus's blade, I twisted my hand also putting my whole strength into the downward thrust. Zeus's sword was sent flying behind him and mine was at his neck.
"What are you going to do with that, Perseus? You can't kill a god." he said but didn't dare to move.
"I couldn't kill Hyperion either, but his statue is part of your decorations. If you hurt my family, I will make sure that your Olympus will raze... So take your pick. Back off or try to kill my son. The consequences of the second choice will be severe, though." I said keeping Riptide on his throat. There was no move around us. Everyone had stopped fighting and looked at us.
"What will it be, brother?" Hades asked holding on to Hera. My dad had Phobos by the neck and Athena was in the same exact position with Morpheus.
"If Olympus perishes, it will be your fault." He said looking at his brothers, before disappearing. His followers followed soon after and my dad came to me.
"Do you think it's over? Will he stay away from him?" I asked looking at the lighting storm Zeus formed around the camp.
"Even if he doesn't, you will have many people by your side." He said patting my back.
"Nine out of the twelve Olympians to be exact." Aphrodite said skipping over to me.
"Not a bad score if you ask me." Apollo confirmed.
"Hades, why did you join our side?" Artemis asked.
"For the same reason I told Zeus. He keeps deciding what should happen by himself. He was the one to create of the pact of the big three. He was the first to break it since Nico and Bianca were already born when he created the pact. But he didn't even consider killing his daughter, but when it came to first Nico and Bianca and then Percy, he didn't hesitate. I've grown tired of that and for this reason I will protect your son Percy no matter what my brother attempts to do." He finished looking at me.
"And I thank you for that. I guess that was the odd alliances huh?" I tried to joke successfully since we all shared a laugh.
"Although I really like this little gathering, I would really like to see my wife and let her know that we are okay, if you don't mind." Travis said.
"Me too." Chris agreed.
"Do I have to say that I agree?" I asked chuckling.
"No of course not." Hades said also chuckling before disappearing to bring our wives back.
Meanwhile...
Annabeth's POV
I've always believed that history repeats itself, but I would never expect that it would happen so soon for us. Like Percy, Liam will have to decide the fate of the Gods. One decision and the world as we know it will change. Percy's decision was about whether or not he gave my knife to Luke. If we do survive this, I wonder what Liam's decision will be about. But for now, I have to focus on the current situation, which found me, Liam, Amy, Clarisse and Jenny in the Underworld with Persephone. Jenny and Clarisse couldn't stop pacing, Amy was in Persephone's lap crying and Liam couldn't stop crying after his dad left.
"Shhh... Everything will be okay... Shhh..." I kept ranting also bouncing him up and down in an attempt to get him to stop crying.
"You don't know that, Annabeth. Our men are fighting against Gods..." Jenny trailed off.
"You said that they have nine of the Olympians by their side. That raises the odds in our favor." Persephone said also trying to get Amy to stop crying.
"But what if something happens to them? Our children will have to grow up without their fathers." Clarisse pointed out sobbing. I got up then and went to my friends.
"You both have to calm down right now. Our husbands will be fine and if you don't calm down, you might have a miscarriage, so sit down and try to relax." I ordered. When I mentioned the possibility of a miscarriage, their eyes widened and did what I told them to do. We spent the next few hours waiting, having no clue what was going on in the pavilion. Persephone tried to comfort all three of us, since Liam and Amy fell asleep after so much crying.
"Girls..." We heard someone say behind us and saw Persephone ran towards the new-comer with an asleep Amy in her arms.
"Hades, what happened?" She asked the ruler of the Underworld.
"Are they alive?" I asked as Clarisse and Jenny shot up looking at him expectantly with tears in their eyes.
"You'd better come see for yourselves." He answered keeping a straight face.
We hesitantly walked to him, Persephone handed Amy over to Jenny and we grabbed Hades's hand. The next moment we were back to the pavilion with dozens of demigods on the ground. At first I thought they were dead, but then I saw their chest heave, which meant that they were just sleeping. Morpheus had probably something to do with that fact. I was about to turn around to try to find Percy, but I felt someone wrap their arms around me.
"They are just sleeping." He whispered in my ear. I turned in his arms and crashed my lips to his. I still have Liam in my arms so our movement were limited, but the passion incredible.
"Where is Zeus, Percy?" I asked him once we pulled apart.
"Probably on Olympus with his followers." He answered.
"He will leave us alone?" I asked in disbelief.
"Of course he will. Especially after someone put a sword to his throat." Hephaestus boomed looking at Percy. The high tone of his voice also woke Liam up, who immediately reached for his dad. Percy scooped him up from my arms with one of his and the other went around me pulling me close to him. Then Thalia, Nico, Jenny, Travis, Clarisse and Chris came to us. Travis and Chris seemed to be in a pain though, which is probably the reason why their wives were supporting them.
"Are you alright guy?" I asked slipping from Percy's hold and rushed to their side.
"We're fine." Travis said taking a deep breath.
"Just a few scratches." Chris confirmed.
"Just a few scratches? You can barely walk." Clarisse yelled.
"With some ambrosia, we'll be fine. No need to worry yourselves so much." Chris managed to say and Travis nodded.
"Well, we'll take these two morons to the infirmary. We'll take Amy with us too. She's still asleep after all." Thalia said going to help Jenny with Travis as Nico, who had Amy in his arms, went to Clarisse and Chris. I watched them leave and when they were out of sight, I turned around and found my husband, my mother and my father-in-law around my son. I joined them creating a tight circle with Liam as its center.
"Will he really stay away from him?" I asked them looking down at Liam.
"His exact words were: 'If Olympus perishes, it will be your fault'. I think that means that he'll stay away." Percy answered.
"Even if he does come after him, though, we will have many gods on our side." My mom said smiling.
"Ummm... guys, mind if we leave?" Aphrodite asked us pulling us out of our little world.
"No, of course not." Poseidon answered.
"Besides, I'm sure Percy needs to get some sleep after battling my father." My mom said and my eyes widened.
"You fought with Zeus?" I asked Percy in disbelief.
"Why do you think Hephaestus was looking at me when he said that someone put a sword to Zeus's neck?" He asked back yawning.
"Are you okay?" I asked then worried.
"Just tired from blocking his powerful strikes." He said nuzzling his nose against Liam's, who now couldn't stop smiling instead of crying.
"Annabeth, why don't you take your boys to sleep before my brave little cousin collapses?" Aphrodite suggested smiling. All the gods except Poseidon, Athena and Aphrodite, had left.
"I'll do that now, Aphrodite." I said sneaking my arm around Percy. She nodded and followed the other gods' example of leaving.
"Well, we have to go too. Can you handle them by yourself?" Poseidon asked me.
"It's my boys we're talking about. If I can't handle them, who can?" I asked back.
"Once again my beautiful daughter is right." My mom said smiling. "We'll see tomorrow okay?"
"We'll be here." Percy said making them and myself laugh.
After our parents left, Percy, Liam and I headed back to our house. Within the next thirty minutes, we were all snuggled together and asleep. The threat of Zeus was now past us. For how long? Only time will tell. But for now, we will enjoy our time together, because that's all that matters. Almost eleven years, after I met Percy, we could finally lay back and enjoy our family: our son, Amy, Thalia, Nico, Jenny, Travis, their baby, Clarisse, Chris and their baby as well. We started as friends and became a family. We'll see what the Gods have in store for us after this very end.
Final chapter of this great (in our opinion of course) story. BUT... we'll start writing the sequel, so if liked this check out the next one. Thank you for all your reviews and support through some difficult times for us and we hope we didn't disappoint you.
WE LOVE YOU ALL!
Catherine & Tony P.