Chaos' husband was right about one thing. The pain was horrible. The worst thing Percy's ever experienced. He'd rather get tortured by Lucifer himself than endure this again. Percy screamed for 3 days straight. So much so, that he lost his voice about thirty-six hours in, and only what sounded like choking coughs came from him. He felt larger, maybe six-foot-six now, more muscular, but the most noticeable change was the power he felt. He remained tied to the same chair, however, whenever his mortal captors entered the room, he felt as if he could snap their necks without looking at them, but chose not to.
After the third day, when the pain started to fade away, Percy finally slept, only to awake in the same room where he originally met Him.
It hasn't rejected you, clearly.
"Unfortunately. I think I'd rather choose death than endure that again."
Do you feel the power running through you, Perseus? All of it, so much. Nobody will ever cross you again.
Percy looked down and sighed. "But is it enough to save the one I love most?"
You can do anything you wish now, child.
Anything, thought Percy. He looked towards the darkness, and felt immense sadness.
"There's more war, more pain, more power to come, isn't there?"
War never ends, my boy. And unfortunately, with your power, comes equal pain. Nothing shall ever stop that, other than your death. And yes, I do sense more to come. You're too weak to fight the Great War, however, in time, you will be stronger.
"Do I have to train harder? What must I do?" Percy begged, almost crying at the thought of losing more of his friends.
Do not worry, child. For once in your existence, time is on your side. I believe something connects you and… He paused.
"Me and whom, sir?" Percy knelt, looking up into the darkness.
Nobody. Do not worry about it.
"I just- I'll do anything to protect her. Anything."
How much would you be willing to lose, young Perseus?
"I'd sacrifice the world if it meant I got to live with her forever."
I have foreseen that. Your loyalty goes unmatched, Perseus, your fatal flaw. Do not let it consume you, protecting her.
"It won't consume me. I won't let it."
But you will. Every deity with forethought have seen it. You, slaughtering everything to get to her. Demigods, Olympians, Gigantes, even Me.
"I would never have the power to kill you! I'm too weak, I let all of them die." Visions of the battlefield versus Gaea stormed his mind, the Demigods dead, he let it all fall on himself.
You're too doubtful of yourself, young Perseus. Throughout this war, you'll grow so strong, so much stronger than me, Chaos, that those Olympians will look like bugs under your foot. Do not forget where you came from.
"Poseidon? Sally? Why would I ever forget them?" He laughed back at Percy.
No, silly child, you came from me.
Percy woke with a start, and realized he was still strapped to the chair. He felt out, for that untapped power, and he felt it. All of it. With a thought, the bands on his wrists were unstrapped, and the ties on his feet vanished. He stood, and stretched.
"Another meal, pri-" the mortal froze still, and looked up at a six-foot-seven Perseus Jackson.
I have to get to Reyna. I have to see her again. He thought, before kicking the metal bar-cell door open, and throwing the mortal aside as if he were weightless. He walked up the stairs, and opened the door into a living room, which was empty. Percy took no chances, and ran for the front door, before busting his way through it. He was where he found Reyna, how they swapped places, he doesn't know. He recognized the streets of New Rome, and ran towards the senate house, where he assumed people would be. It was midday, and people were all around Percy, standing, staring at him. He was huge now, taller, more muscular, longer hair. As he ran, he started to gain speed, and he assumed he grew in physical capability. Maybe he could dunk on Jason and Nico now, he thought. He got up the hill, and to the doors of the senate house. He heard voices, talking about him. His disappearance.
"We will continue to search for Centurion Jackson. He is a great man, a brother, a lover, a warrior. We cannot afford to give up on him." Percy heard Jason command.
Percy opened the doors, and peeked his head in, before completely entering the building. He didn't realize until after he was in the building that he was completely shirtless, with only shorts and his vans on. Everyone looked his way.
"Where is she?" Percy asked, staring directly at Jason.
"Coordinating a search party for you, at Camp Half-Blood. Long Island, New York." Jason said, nodding respects towards Percy.
"Who are we talking about here?" a senator from a top row asked.
"Nobody, mortal." Percy responded, not looking the senator's way. He heard a scoff from the senator.
"I have been told, by beings greater than Jupiter himself, that war is coming. The rest of the Protogenoi are gathering together to create an overthrow of rule. They're upset over the defeat of Gaea, and are attempting to ascend to power over the Olympians again." Gasps all around.
"How do you know this, Perseus?" Michael, a Centurion of the fourth, asked.
"Where do you think I have been for three days? Learning. Enduring pain beyond anything you can imagine, so I can gain power far beyond belief, I will not let anyone else I love die in this war." Percy snapped his fingers, and a white long sleeve t-shirt appeared on him. He heard sighs of defeat from behind him.
"I suggest we increase recruitment tenfold. We will need everyone we can get. Anything. I will lead these armies into battle, I have been destined." Percy announced, walking towards the Praetor chairs.
"Jason, please listen to me. If you do not take action now, we will be eradicated from the Earth."
"There's more to something that large than just giving the command, Percy." Jason said back, sadly.
"Then make it happen, I don't care about finances, the gods, just make it happen. Rome has to militarize heavily, and now. There is nothing that will be able to stop the true might of Rome, as it once was." Percy said, turning back towards the rest of the house. "We have lost enough, but we will lose more, all in the good favor of our future. You must believe me, this threat is larger than any faced before. Larger than the original Giant war itself. I heavily suggest you hold a vote, or a discussion on the militarization of Rome."
"Spoken like a true leader." Praetor Kacey said from behind Percy. Percy turned, and nodded respects.
"And where are you going, Jackson?" Octavian asked.
"I have a girlfriend to find." Percy said, before walking out of the senate house. Silence remained there, until Jason cleared his throat.
"All in favor of it?"
x
Percy appeared on Olympus, walking into the throne room, startling Neptune.
"Son, what are you doing here? You should be enjoying your time off."
"Not now, father. I have been warned of a threat I will inform the council of later. Where is Camp Half-whatever?"
"Camp Half-Blood?"
"Yes, that one… I think…" Percy didn't know the name of the Greek camp.
"I'll take you there, my son." Neptune said, flashing them both to a creek in the middle of a forest.
"This does not appear to be a demigod camp." Percy looked around.
"You're a 3 minute walk away from it. Just follow the creek southeast."
"Thanks, dad."
"You've grown since I last saw you… and you seem… stronger?"
"All in good time, I promise you. It will all work out in the end." Percy put his hand on his dad's shoulder, before pulling him into a hug.
"Do you remember my mother?" asked Percy.
"Better than any woman in the world. She was amazing, Perseus. The most loyal, caring, and beautiful woman in the world. Only right she gave birth to you." Percy looked down.
"I wish I got to meet her."
"I wish you did as well, son. You would've made her proud. I know it." They hugged once more, and Neptune flashed away. Percy walked along the creek, southeast, before emerging from the forest to a big field, where he saw twelve cabins in a U shape, an arena, and a cafeteria. Percy felt the power of the Greeks. It was something unmistakable. Less disciplined, so much different from Rome. He felt out of place immediately. He kept walking forward, before running into two demigods.
"Dude… watch where you're going." one said.
"My apologies. Do you know where I can find the daughter of Bellona, Reyna?"
"That hot girl that showed up like a day ago? She's staying with the Ares cabin, I think." Percy growled. He didn't appreciate that disrespect, but let it slide under the fact that he was in the territory of the Greeks. The two demigods kept running past him, towards the cafeteria, but Percy walked towards the cabins. He looked at them all, until pausing on a cabin numbered 5, with a war hog's head on the front, and barbed wire lining the roof. He walked up, and knocked on the door.
A burly girl opened the door, before staring up at him, confused.
"What do you want, Punk?"
"Where's Reyna?"
"Uh, I think she just left for training in the arena. Muttering something like wanting to get Percy off her mind." His heart jumped.
"Thanks." and he nodded, before jogging towards the arena. When he got there, he found Reyna dueling a bigger boy, but not as big as Percy. Percy decided to take a seat in the stands, and watch. When Reyna flipped the boy's sword over her head, and kicked his knee, asking for a yield, Percy knew it was over. The boy got up, and Reyna turned around, but the boy grabbed Reyna's wrist. This caught Percy's attention, as he quickened his pace as he neared the center of the arena.
"No, Rob, I won't go on a date with you."
"Please, why not? It's not like you're dating anybody." he said, rather suggestively. Percy was really getting angry.
"I am dating someone. He's the entire reason I'm here. I'm searching for him."
"But he doesn't have to knoooww…" said this Rob, dragging out the word.
"You've asked me five times in two days. No." Rob sighed, and turned around, spotting Percy.
"If you're here to hit on her, she's got a 'boyfriend.''' Rob said, rolling his eyes, smiling.
"That's rather unfortunate. I was hoping she was as single as you are." Smiled Percy. Reyna's head perked up at the sound of the voice. She saw the man enter the arena, but the man was much taller than Percy was… could it really be? Percy walked past Rob, and towards Reyna, whose back was still turned.
"Reyyy….." Percy said in a high pitched voice.
"What." She answered sternly.
"After battling through Tartarus, I don't get a welcome back kiss? Only a rude 'what?'" Percy smirked. Reyna turned slowly, and looked up into Percy's eyes, before sighing, and hugging him. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.
"I missed you." she said. He could feel the tears through his T-Shirt.
"I told you. Nothing could keep me from coming back to you. Not even Chaos herself."
"You're so dumb." She said, smiling up at him.
"I'm your kind of dumb, so that means something" he kissed her. Percy heard a wolf whistle from behind them. He turned to face Rob, who was still there.
"You're ruining this, Rob." Percy said.
"Yeah, I know. I got to go eat lunch anyways, but it was fun sparring with you, Reyna!" he said, before skipping off.
"I've had visions, Reyna, and I've been told that there's a war to come, The Great War, he called it. All of the protogenoi, gathering to overthrow the Olympians. He told me that I am the key to winning it all, that… in time, I can save you, save us… we can be together forever, Reyna." She looked up at him, almost a scared look in her eyes.
"What has happened to you?"
"My loyalties have changed. I no longer want to fight for the gods, I want to fight for you and for Rome. I love you more than anything in this entire world, and I've been so paranoid… my dreams have shown me… horrific things."
"Like what?" Reyna said, nearly whispering at this point.
"You… dead, and there is nothing that I can do to stop it. I would never live with myself if I let you die, Reyna. I couldn't bear it." a tear fell from his cheek. "I don't want to lose you. Never again." She pulled him down, and they hugged.
"I love you more than anything in the world Percy. I will fight this war with you, and after, we can see what our futures have in store for us." He held her some more, before teleporting them back to their house outside of New Rome, where he laid her down on the bed, and removed his shirt.
"When did you grow?" she said, seductively into his ear.
"benefits of the pain." he mumbled, more preoccupied with her neck.
X
Reyna woke with the usual soreness, and got dressed, went downstairs to find Percy shirtless, with only shorts on, overlooking New Rome.
"The militarization has started." was the only thing he said. Reyna continued, walking to the coffee machine.
"I don't really care right now, Percy." He turned to face her.
"Why's that?"
"Why should I be worrying about Rome when I have you? You're all I'll ever need." She said. Percy walked to her and hugged her from behind, before lifting her into the counter, facing him.
"I love you." was all he said, and they kissed. Reyna's hands crawled up and down Percy's revealed torso, just relishing in her boyfriend. Just as the kiss really heated up, as Percy was about to pull her shirt off, someone cleared their throat behind them.
"I really hope this house I've gifted you is not just your sex pad." Chaos said, sitting on their couch.
Reyna immediately got off the counter, blushing profusely, and straightened her clothes.
Percy snapped his fingers and the same white long sleeve t-shirt appeared on him.
"Hey… mom! What are you doing here this morning?"
"I have a very short message. He cannot send it to you in person for reasons only you know, but my husband is weakening. The Curse he bestowed upon to you has weakened his strength. He is old. He will fade, soon enough."
"what does that mean for me?" asked Percy.
"When he fades completely, all of his power will be available for you. You will not directly inherit it immediately, but you will be able to occasionally tap into it, using it only slightly, before it deems you worthy. Only then, will you fully inherit it."
"Is there any way… I can speak to him?"
Chaos shook her head, sadly. "No, unfortunately. He does not have the will to summon a meeting with you. He wishes for you to know that he loves you, and that no matter what choice you make, he'll support it." Percy was confused. They met a mere week ago, how could he love him already?
"You two are more connected than you realize, Perseus. Do not let what you think is your ancestry cloud your vision." He had an idea what that meant.
"Is he really…"
"Yes." Chaos disappeared.
Percy could not believe it. First news of the war, and now this. His headache grew.
"I need to take a nap."
"You just woke up, idiot." Reyna scolded him
"I know, will you join me?"
"Stay in bed with my immortal killing boyfriend, or go deal with annoying politics… I don't think I have a choice." Percy smiled before walking back upstairs.