Chapter 2: Freedom… for 3 hours
3rd Person POV
Retribution with his new found freedom traveled around the US with nothing to do. He had no clue where to even begin for rescuing demigods and with no leads on monsters he wandered aimlessly. "Perce where the hell do we even start searching?" he asked to no one in particular. "Come oonn wake up Perce," he continued. "Lazy bastard," he muttered finally with no answers.
So he wandered. His domains that he had claimed were of no help to him in anything but combat, so he hunted instead considering he hadn't really eaten in 300 years. While Percy had full control over the symbols of power he had acquired during his… vacation, he was still too sleepy to grant Retrubution any access. All Retribution could use was Riptide and the powers of the domains, not the symbols themselves.
Considering hunting with a sword was useless, he decided to use his bare hands. He stalked clumsily through the forest until he finally sensed a deer. In a blur of motion, he seized the deer by the neck and snapped it abruptly. He quickly had a fire and crudely skinned and cut the meat with Riptide and ate the entire thing rather savagely.
"Ugh. I'm loath to admit it, but I need to know where the Gods' worthless brats are if I'm to help," he said aloud. "Care to take this one, Perce?... Fine lazy shit," he said and disappeared in his puff of smoke.
He reappeared in the Throne Room that was now empty. A smirk grew on his face and he grew to his godly, err, titanly, err, hybridly height and sent a blast of power throughout the room making a crack appear in everyone's throne. All 14 Olympians flashed in ready to strike only to see Retribution seated in his recliner twirling Riptide in his hand, picking at his finger nails.
"I KNEW IT! HE'S AN ENEMY TO OLYMPUS!" Zeus yelled and poised to strike, but Retribution quickly grabbed his bolt from him. "Get your toga and your head out of your ass. This was our way for calling a meeting," he said calmly and tossed Zeus' bolt back to him.
Zeus was fuming with anger as was Ares and Hera, but the rest of them remained on guard as they looked at the immortal uneasily. Retribution rolled his eyes, "If Percy wants me to help your brats, I'm going to need to know where they are."
Artemis, Hestia, and Hades relaxed at this and the remainder seemed to have a mental conversation. "Quit chatting in your empty heads and just speak aloud to save us the time," Retribution said and the gods grew even angrier, but the immortal just laughed harder.
"We can't send him to Camp. He'll kill our children," Demeter said and Retribution chuckled. "We won't kill them… Well not all of them," he said. "IF YOU DARE TOUCH-" Zeus began, but was cut off. "We dare," was Retirbution's blunt reply.
"THAT'S IT!" Zeus thundered, but was cut off by the flash of three old ladies. Before Zeus could go nuclear, Athena cut in, "Ladies Fate, what do we owe the pleasure?" The middle one lifted a boney finger and pointed at Retribution, "We are here for him." Retribution rose from his seat and laughed bitterly, "When are you not?"
"We have lost our definitive sight with this particular… being. His unpredictable nature has made it difficult to discern his future," they said. "What do you suggest we do?" Apollo asked. "He shall be sent to travel with the Hunt," they stated.
"WHAT?!" Artemis, Zeus, and Retribution shouted together. "Why would that possible be a good idea?" Artemis inquired. "You have the most interactions with demigods in the mortal world and monsters. Think of him as a new… attack dog of sorts," The Fates replied and Artemis turned red in anger. "I WILL NOT LET THIS… THIS THING NEAR MY DAUGHTER!" Zeus yelled.
"I hate everything about Zeus and most of you Olympians, but I'm begrudgingly with him on this one. What are you smoking to think that'll solve anyone's problems and where can I get some?" Retribution said. Artemis narrowed her eyes, "And what's so wrong with my hunters, boy?"
"Well, besides the possible castration from them and the fact that they would rather be at Camp than near me," Retribution stated sarcastically. Artemis grew further red in anger at this, but Retribution didn't let up. "Watch yourself, Huntress. Percy still has a shred of respect for you and your girl scouts for all the good you've done for stranded maidens. If you insult him again, I won't be as forgiving as him."
"YOU DARE-" Zeus began again. Retribution rolled his eyes, "Yes, Zeus. I dare. We dare. I sound like a broken record. Get it through your thick skull and take a seat on that fucking firecracker you call a weapon. The adults are talking." Zeus saw red and attacked the young immortal. In the blink of an eye, Retribution was on Zeus' throne and had snapped his arm, making him drop his Master Bolt as the bone protruded from the skin and golden ichor gushed onto the floor. "That's strike two, Zeus." he said coldly with the sadistic grin on his face.
"Perc-Retribution. Son," Poseidon began and Retribution cackled maniacally. "That's enough, Sea God. I am NOT your son. Percy might be biologically, but when you decided to sit on your ass and do NOTHING as he was cast into Tartarus, you lost all rights to call him that," he roared, the voume increasing with every word. Poseidon looked away in shame and anger.
"He will travel with the Hunt as we have decreed," The Fates said and before anyone could argue, Athena spoke out. "Do you have any better idea, Father? This way we can at least monitor him." she said and got an angry huff in response, but a reluctant nod as well.
"I didn't agree… What?... Oh come on!... Seriously?!... You owe me so big for this you lazy piece of shit," Retribution conversed with himself again and approach Artemis. "Where are you camped?" he asked her. Artemis glared at him and said, "You have to make an oath not to flirt or harm any of my hunters."
Retribution snorted and chuckled humorlessly, but with him it sounded more like a witch's cackle. "I will not, as I am not capable of those feelings. Percy, theoretically could be, but after 300 years in hell even I doubt that. And I won't harm your hunters so long as they pass the same courtesy on to me."
"What do you mean 'capable'?" Aphrodite asked and Retribution rolled his eyes. "I was created to help Percy endure the horrors of Tartarus. I was born to destroy. Live up to the name given to Percy. Kill or be killed." he said and Aphrodite frowned. "And Percy?" she asked. "You know what occured before he was cast in there. You figure it out, Love Goddess," he spat with finality.
Everyone flashed out, save Artemis and Hestia. Hestia received a swift nod from the immortal and he turned to Artemis. "We are camping in Yellowstone. Give me an hour to explain to the Hunt of your… circumstances. Make sure you have a shirt. I won't stand for you to be around my hunters like that," she said and Retribution flashed on a black t-shirt that said "Death to the Gods" on it and gave a two finger salute with a smirk on his face. Artemis huffed and flashed out.
"You better be right about this Perce. You could always wake up finally… Fine save it for your grand entrance to camp," Retribution said and flashed near the Hunt's location.
Artemis POV
I flashed to the Hunt's campsite still angered by the result of the meeting. Thalia ran up immediately with Zoe. "Is everything alright, Milady?" she asked as I massaged my temples. "Yes, Thalia. Gather the hunters. We need to have a meeting," I said and her and Zoe left abruptly.
The Hunt gathered in front of me. We had grown since Perseus was banished and now held about 45 members. Only about a dozen of them were with the Hunt during the war and another two dozen joined in the two years after. They were all seated, waiting for my words.
"Hunters, The Fates visited during the meeting on Olympus and have decreed that a male will be traveling with us." I said and the outrage sprang out immediately. Only Zoe wasn't upset because she probably had an idea of who it was. I held up my hand for silence. "Why do we have to have a male?" Phoebe asked and the rest of the Hunt nodded in agreement.
"The Fates themselves decreed it. I can't go against it. He is powerful, but rather… unpredictable," I said and got a lot of nervous looks from the girls. "I can guarantee that he won't flirt with any of you and he won't harm you so long as you don't harm him first," I said and the girls scoffed. "As if!" one yelled and it was chorused among the rest. "Girls, he took down Ares before any of the Olympians could even blink and snapped Zeus' arm in a simlar manner. He's is likely stronger than the Gods," I said and that shut everyone up.
"Who is he, Milady?" Thalia asked and I threw her an apologetic smile. "He is or was Perseus Jackson… but he's… changed," I said and Thalia started forming tears in her eyes. "What do you mean, Milady?" Phoebe asked again. I sighed, "He was wrongly convicted three years ago for treason and sentenced to Tartarus, but we didn't know time flows differently there so… He's been in Tartarus for 300 years," I said and earn gasps from the Hunt, a scowl from Zoe, and more tears from Thalia.
Before I could continue, a figure dropped from the trees next to me and the hunters drew their bows. "I think I'll take it from here, Artemis," he said and I glared at him.
"Hello. My name is Retribution and it appears I will be traveling with you for the forseeable future."
Retribution POV
"P-Percy?" Thalia asked and I frowned and turned to Artemis, "Didn't you tell them anything?" I asked and she glared harder. "I was getting there," she muttered under her breath. I sighed.
"Again. I am Retribution. I am NOT Percy Jackson. He is far too good to even consider helping you, but he seems to think the Hunt is a noble enough cause so here we are. I will not harm you, so long as you don't harm me. You may insult me if you so wish, but if you insult Percy, I will snap your neck with my bare hands and I promise you I will enjoy it," I said with a sadistic grin.
"Now, any questions?" I asked. "Where's Percy?" Thalia asked. I motioned to my temple, "He's in here just been taking a nap for the last 180 years or so."
"Why were you sent to Tartarus?" another asked. "I wasn't, Percy was. I was born or created there depending on how you view it. And he was sent there because the Olympians, save Hestia and Hades, are completely incompetent." I received a lot of glares for that one.
"What was it like there?" Phoebe, I think was her name, asked. "Lovely! I had loads of fun there. Much more than up here. There was so many things to kill," I said and made them all uneasy again.
"Lady Artemis said you're…'unpredictable'. Should we…" another asked. "Unpredictable, that's a nice way of putting it. Other adjectives might be psychotic, sadistic, manaical. Definitely not sane, I can tell you that much. And no. As I told the Moon Goddess to tell you, I won't harm you unless provoked so," I finished earning a fresh round of glares.
"Why are you here?" another asked. "Percy said I should come here to help. Something about the Gods' brats being innocent for their parents fuck-ups or something. And I was bored."
"Percy said?" Artemis asked this time. "Yeah he's been stirring a little bit. Giving me orders and the like," I said.
"No more questions. I'm bored. Call if you need anything," I said and I flashed out in my puff of smoke.
3rd Person POV
"What the Hades happened to him?" Thalia asked after he disappeared. "Tartarus happened." Zoe said. "He was down there for 300 years and only found and protected me after about a century. I don't know what happened the first century there, but after he found me, he put me in a power induced coma so I wouldn't have to deal with it," Zoe finished and everyone was silent.
"A power induced coma?" Phoebe asked and Zoe nodded. "He's gotten more powerful down there. Far more than Retribution lets on and even Retribution says Percy's even stronger than him. If Percy's stirring, I pity anyone who had gotten on his bad side," Zoe said with finality and the hunters broke for the night to sleep.
Up in the trees near camp, Retribution sat perched; his back against the trunk and one leg extended out while the other dangled. "This better not be boring, Perce. I miss Tartarus already," he said.
AN: Chapter 2! Thoughts are always welcome if you have any ideas please just let me know yo! Until next time!