Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson world or characters, or anything related to the Greek Mythology world etc., I'm just a fan :)
Short A/N -
A long one ahead, haha
Enjoy it! It honestly shouldn't be divided, it's a one-read kind of deal :D
Happy Birthday, Twins!
or
Listen to Your Heart
6:30 PM
Penny
When the darkness faded, she was in a shiny-red flying car with an open roof and a handsome driver, grinning at her as the setting sun followed the vehicle.
"Apollo!" She screeched and jumped to hug him.
It was so, so nice to see a friendly face. Percy was... away, her mom was asleep somewhere in the city, her dad and Tyson away fighting the war and Hermes - Anyway, everyone was away. And Apollo was another friend she didn't see in a long, long while. Ever since she had her driving license, their lessons ended and they haven't met in a while.
He hugged her back with a laugh. "Penny Jackson. You see, I knew who to visit. I needed a pick-me-up after that horrible beast temporarily knocked me off -"
"Not you too!" She was horrified, "I had a dream last night of the same thing happening to Hermes -"
"To Hermes, huh?" He smirked, his finger tapping her cheek teasingly, "and you were so very worried about our dear Hermes, weren't you?"
Her smile wiped off. She looked down and was quiet for a few seconds before finally speaking up. When she did, her smile was a bit forced. "Are you okay, then, Apollo?"
"I will be, yeah, but don't change the subject. I… I saw what happened with him in the Throne Room. And with the lot of you in the battles. I even… I mean, my son, Micheal… Life's short, Penny… Too short for abrupt changes in subjects."
Penny looked down, the heaviness in her chest intensifying. "I'm so… sorry about your son, Apollo," she let out truthfully.
He nodded slowly, his eyes watching her. "It's alright, I suppose. Though it's so hard sometimes, Penny, I'm not gonna lie. They think we have it so easy up there, watching from above, but sometimes staying uninvolved is so… freaking hard."
"It must be," she reached out and stroked his shoulder, her face sad, "I mean, I can tell it is. Our dad always seemed as if he's holding himself back with us, and it's clearly a nightmare for Hermes to keep away from Luke."
"Oh, you have no idea…" Apollo shook his head, and then a smile slowly spread on his face. "Well, you might have some idea. Look, Penny, bottom line is keep fighting. I know it seems hopeless, but those are exactly the times you fight on."
"Apollo, I really think some of you should join us."
He shook his head immediately. "No way, Penny, sorry. Typhon is… too much. We are now getting somewhere, thanks to your dad, but we're all needed."
"What about Percy?" She gulped, but the lump in her throat made it hard.
Apollo looked away. "I can't tell you - no -" He stopped her from interrupting, "- not because I'm not allowed to, but because I don't know. The thing about seeing the future, about fate… Well, in times of placidity and unimportance it is quite easy, and things are rather clear. It is also a time when things are more pre-decided. Yes, that ancient question about whether we all have free choice… well, yes and no. Most of the time no. You can call it fate, and you can honestly just call it our personalities and our own judgement and the consequences of our actions, but most things are rather determined and predictable. But this… this Great Prophecy is not. Not even the Fates know. It can really, truly go either way. Just like it did in the age of the Titans. There was, after all, a prophecy to end Kronos' regime, but there was one about Zeus as well and their decisions led to different outcomes."
Penny nodded, her eyes a bit shiny. "I get it. You can't tell me, and my brother might be dead."
"He might be, yes," Apollo nodded slowly, "I'm sorry, Penny."
She couldn't hear that, couldn't process it. Her eyes wandered away from him, out of the window, and she watched the rapidly changing view, the magnificent and wide horizon, shining in all colors in the beautiful sunset the car they drove in created.
What would sunsets be good for, though, if Percy was not there to watch them with her? Even if it was just to roll his eyes and call her "cheesy" for liking them so much. Her funny, loyal, brave brother. Her rock. What reason was there to keep fighting?
Not to mention, who was she fighting for?
"Tell me, tell me something else," she looked down, playing with the fabric of her sleeve, "when they tried to weaken my strength, my willpower to fight for you, they showed me Ares' trial. For killing his daughter's almost rapist, who happened to be my father's son."
Apollo frowned in confusion, but his eyes cleared some in a second or two. "Oh… yeah. Yeah, I think I remember something of the sort."
She shook her head slowly, her despair probably visible on her face. "How could you have been so… indifferent to rape? How could Hermes fall asleep in that debate? How could my father defend his son? Did you… did you all…"
Apollo grimaced, looking away from her and watching the view they flew over instead - from horizon to horizon, her father's kingdom - the deeply blue, ever-changing sea, shining with a thousand little glimmers as the sun set above it.
What will he say?
What could he say?
Did she go too far? Did she insult his pride by implying he was a possible rapist?
"I don't know what to tell you, Penny," Apollo finally said. His voice was quiet and he didn't yet meet her gaze. "Different times don't really cover the entire variety of reasons for it. When…" he sighed deeply, "when you're intimate with more than 10,000 women, well, the lines blur beyond your control. One girl's no is another's yes. One's signal of pleasure is another's signal of alarm. I know it's no excuse…" his eyes met hers again, "We seem so… so human to you," she shook her head slowly but he pressed on, "we do! Don't we? But we're not. I may be here right now, but I'm also healing against a giant rock in Florida. And in times of peace? I'm in a thousand different places at once. You've met Hekatonkheires, right?"
"Yes, I've met Briares."
"Right, he has dozens of faces. Well we, we have just as much, if not more. Dozens of sides to us as. Not to mention… years and years of arrogance, of power, of corruption. None of that is any excuse… but you lose that thing that you, Penny, hold close so dearly. That burning sense of righteousness. You try to do good with your own children and with subjects you feel for. You… can't hurt for every bad thing you see, because by Zeus, Penny, I've seen some terrible, horrible things. Did you hear about that king that cooked his own child and served him to us? You did. Well, dozens of worse things come to mind, and then some! When you exist as long as I do… you become numb. I'm sorry, but you do. Besides… ancient times were hard to live in, hard to know what the right thing was to do. We, the gods, depend on you humans more than you realize. We reflect you. And back then… that was the way to do things. Some gods are more gentle, better than others. It usually doesn't come to that with me, I charm women," he smirked at her and she smiled slightly, "and Hermes, that was never his scene."
"But did he ever do that, Apollo?"
"I cannot be sure. But again, it's not his style. He's not as violent, and power hungry as some of them are. You know that, don't you?"
Her shoulders slumped as she looked down.
"A reflection of society, Penny," he repeated, his eyes serious, "we treat women the way the men of the time treat women. More often than not, the Fates play with us, make us do things just to be able to teach you, humans, a lesson -"
"Sounds awful!" She interrupted suddenly, her eyes wide, "how can you live like that?"
"It's oftentimes… hard," he allowed slowly, "but what can you do?"
"Who says it might not go back to violent times? Will you go back to your old ways if it happens?"
"We're wise creatures, Penelope, and fast learners," his use of her full name made her think he was a bit affronted by her lack of confidence in them, "Some might, but I won't. Hermes won't. Poseidon won't. It's so much more fun when… when she wants you back, just as much, Penny."
She paused to consider this.
"Whoa!" The car stopped abruptly and Apollo looked forward, his eyes widening, even though to Penny, there was nothing there. "Oops, gotta go Penny. Good luck out there, yeah?"
7:30 PM
The conversation gave her nothing.
Nothing about Percy, nothing to solve her inner debate - she should fight on because the gods are complex creatures.
Great.
She bit her bottom lip, her eyes hard, as she walked back to where some of her friends gathered. It was dark already (not a big surprise as she was a part of setting the sun) and everyone there looked at her.
Why were they looking at her?
Screw it all! She didn't want to lead! She wanted to run to her mom and cry her heart out! Who gives a damn about Kronos?!
But of course, her mother was asleep somewhere, and might burn along with the city if they fail. Not to mention her twin, who might be… must have been...
Behind the tall Travis Stoll, just behind his dirty shoes, she could see Pandora's pithos.
Oh, well, that's just…
"Fantastic," she hissed under her breath, angrier than she could ever remember herself being. In the moment of truth she wanted nothing but to find her twin (FIND HER TWIN) hug him and never let go. If the world goes with them… Fine then, bye bye.
She took a deep breath.
Was she so much better than the gods, if she thought about doing that? Better than her father, who loved his son so much he ignored his actions? To wish for the world to burn in exchange for her brother...
"What now?" A daughter of Demeter asked.
She searched for Katie Gardner and nodded to her. "I want your cabin to go wake up the being your mother gifted you."
They nodded, and the seven children of Demeter walked away.
Her eyes wandered then, to where she heard what sounded like the steady steps of a troop, and she saw a surprised Nico Di Angelo, every once in a while looking back at dozens of skeletons walking after him.
"They just follow me around now," he shrugged to Penny, who finally managed a smile as she scanned her friend fondly. His dark hair was messy and dirty around his eyes, dirt was smeared on his cheek and his eyes were a bit wild. But when he looked at her, he smiled back and seemed calmer.
They went through so much together… he was another rock to save her from drowning.
And don't forget who brought him to you.
Yes. A voice in her mind wouldn't let her forget - Hermes tracked her in the Labyrinth, saved her life and then ended her loneliness. Not to mention saving her life again by doing that.
With those complex 12 figures (14 really, Hestia and Hades cannot be ignored) everything truly wasn't black and white.
Damn.
Forcing her desperation down, down, she managed a tight smile, her eyes blazing as she scanned the crowd of demigods in front of her. "What are you looking at me for? We fight on, of course."
They all laughed and cheered, following her back to the Empire State Building.
09:59 PM
Annabeth
Well, she saved the life of her… of Percy's girlfriend.
What an honor.
But well, she didn't want her dead. Just away from Percy.
Well, she saved her life, landed her helicopter and everything (living with her father made her quite well-acquainted with the vehicle) and then Rachel jumped to the ground with shaky legs.
Penny was pale as she approached them. "It's a good thing you got to her, Annabeth. I couldn't think what to do for a second there."
"PENNY!" Rachel shrieked and grabbed the front of her shirt. Penny recoiled visibly, looking at Rachel with alarm, "I must tell you something, Penny, you're not the hero!"
Penny's eyebrows arched. "Not the - not -"
Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you possibly mean by that?"
Penny slapped Rachel's hands away, freeing herself from her grip.
"That it is Percy! That he will soon be DEAD!" She growled then, narrowing her eyes even further, and Annabeth could never remember the daughter of Poseidon angrier. Deep-green eyes tiny slits, brown hair swinging around her head, angry blush coloring her cheeks. She gave them one last hard look and walked away.
Rachel stared at her with tremor, and Annabeth clapped her nemesis' back. "Welcome back, Dare."
11:45 PM
Half of her watched the battle, and the other watched her best friend as she only barely held it together. She grew up with the twins. She saw them scared, nervous, angry. She saw them at their extremes. And Penny was… Annabeth watched her as she stabbed a monster straight in the stomach - it was many complex emotions just then, but something about it just screamed 'despair'. Penny was close to giving up, and the only reason she hasn't yet was probably the responsibility on her shoulders. That, and the fact that it was an hour yet until the passing of another day.
It was about ten minutes to 12 AM that a drakon of over two hundred feet of snake body was released, sending terror through the lines of the demigod fighters.
But the horror didn't even make its way down her body before a greater one appeared at the sight of Penny watching her clock, cursing loudly and then eyeing the drakon with such deep indignation, her eyes shining with bitter betrayal. Then she did what no leader should ever do. Her eyes watching the beast with frustration, and then the clock again - and she turned around, ducked swiftly at a giant trying to hit her head, and walked away, back to the direction of Central-Park. And Annabeth followed her with shaky legs.
11:55 PM
Following her silently, she saw that Penny noticed her. But she didn't utter a word, still walking forward, until indeed, they reached Central Park.
They stood in the middle of a park, just the two of them. Then Penny took an angry step toward her and slammed her clock forward so Annabeth could see.
"12 PM," Annabeth mumbled quietly, horrified. Penny backed away and started to pace back and forth, back and forth.
"This is wrong!" She suddenly called, "wrong! All wrong. The world… the Olympus… it's not preserved or razed!"
"Then -" Annabeth paled, "then Percy -"
"I don't know!" Penny yelled now, throwing her hands in the air as around her, the air started to mist, her face twisted with horrible anger in the middle of the swirling clouds, "I don't know!"
Tears filled Annabeth's eyes. "Then that means - if you're seventeen it must mean that he's -"
"DEAD!" When tears spilled from her eyes, a cloud above her head started to rain, the wind and clouds around her now swirling rings of hot water, "He must have died a minute before his birthday or something! I'm not doing this. Annabeth, I'm not doing this!"
"Penny -"
"We fight on for FAMILY! For those we LOVE! What's left for us if they're gone! What will I do if he's not around, what good will winning the war bring me?! I can't live my life without HIM! Our father should have known better, when he had, when he had TWINS!" And she kicked a tree, a wave of steaming water following her movement and hurled at the grass in front of them, steam evaporating from where it hit the ground, "it was cruel! Twins as the heroes of the prophecy! What the hell did he think?! How could he take the chance of - of -"
"Penny!" Annabeth's voice was filled with fear.
"OF ME OUTLIVING MY OWN TWIN?!" And she grabbed at her hair and yanked, tears in her eyes, before she stomped her leg.
Annabeth felt as if she was watching it in slow motion.
Although she knew Penny's movement was rapid, and brief, it was so long to her as she watched Penny's leg slowly moving toward the ground, and then, and then the force of it, the sheer energy emanating from that movement as Penny's foot made contact with the ground and a cloud of energy visibly spread from the contact -
All Annabeth could do was scream when the two collided and the earth shook with terrible anger.
Thrown off her feet, she clung to the ground as around her, everything shook, the trees shedding their leaves and the buildings shaking, a hot-dogs stall nearby falling to the ground and shattering to pieces -
And then it stopped, as abrupt as it began, and from where she was curled on the ground Annabeth could hear the sound of gallons of water falling to the ground in a great 'WOOSH'.
A minute or two passed, and Annabeth kept her gaze on the ground, staring deeply at the brown soil as she heard Penny's heavy breathing and a constant dripping of water, hitting the ground.
Finally, Annabeth felt it safe enough to look up. In front of her stood Penny, drenched and horrified, her hair dripping water to the ground and her face ashen.
Annabeth was in shock too, she knew. Which explained why, of all questions in the world she could ask, she chose to ask: "why are you wet?"
Her eyes round as coins, Penny turned her head to look at Annabeth. "I… wanted to. I want… I want water. Not earth."
Then she turned around, still wet as she started to walk away. Stunned, Annabeth got up shakily and followed her.
/
They returned to the Empire State Building. The Drakon was defeated, though how, Annabeth couldn't be sure, and Penny gave it one fleeting glance before moving forward again. She passed Demeter's plant and walked determinedly to the elevator leading to Olympus.
"Penny," Annabeth broke the tense silence as they both stood in the elevator. "Why are we going there?"
Penny shrugged, crossing her hands absently and looking away.
Who was this passive, angry girl and where was the sweet, optimistic Penelope Annabeth knew so well? She almost couldn't watch that bitter soul residing in the body of the girl she loved so.
Not to mention her own pain… She watched the floors changing, her eyes watering.
Is Percy really gone?
Tightening her mouth, she shook her head with force.
It's best not to think about it.
In the Throne Room, Penny paced with confidence, her steps echoing in the huge hall. Her chin was held high, her green eyes shone brightly and her hair still dripped water.
"Penny…" Annabeth called after her weakly, "what are you doing?"
She was clearly out of her mind. Losing Percy drove her over the edge. Not that anyone could blame her…
Annabeth moved her head to the deep sea fishing chair, decorated with corals and with a built-in holster for a trident.
Why would Penny call their father again?
"P-Penny, just because it worked with Percy…" Annabeth protested, "besides, you didn't… Styx…"
Penny suddenly made a sharp turn, and to Annabeth's confusion turned her back to her father's throne and walked to one made of gray rock, with ram's heads on the arms and a cushion of goatskin instead.
Annabeth froze in place. "Penny," she uttered out, "your own father might spare you, others won't forgive you so easily -"
"I wasn't SPARED!" Penny spat, "my… my Percy is lost. I'm merely helping him not walk away and make the same mistake!"
"- Him?"
"Help me up, Annabeth."
"Penny, you'll die! He'll burn you alive! Which… which god is it?"
Penny suddenly looked back, and Annabeth took a step back at the sheer rage on her face, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes shining so much it seemed as if they were shooting blisters. Yet her voice was eerily quiet when she finally spoke. "Hermes."
Hermes?
"Why?"
She turned back around and stopped in front of his throne, looking up at it. "He's the only one who can stop this."
"How?"
"Help me up, Annabeth," when the blond shook her head, a fright rising in her chest and making it hard to breathe, Penny turned around again. "Please!"
"Penny, you'll die! I… I don't know what it is you two have, I… I saw it, he cares about you…" Penny fixed her gaze on the wall across from them, "but nonetheless, you'll die! Percy had the Styx' defense!"
Penny kept her gaze on the wall. "Lucky Percy. Help me up."
"Penny…" Annabeth's voice shook with desperation, "if he truly cares about you, how do you think he'll feel if he ends up accidentally killing you?"
It seemed like all of Penny's anger faded away. She looked down, now ashamed. "It's… it's better me than him."
"Him again? Which 'him' is it now? It can't be Hermes, he's immortal."
Penny shuffled her feet against the floor. "Help me up. And… and if I die, tell him to do the right thing. Tell him I 'willingly walked into the fire when death neared'. And, and tell him it is my fault, not his. I choose this, so no one else has to suffer."
"Besides us!" Annabeth glared at her, "me, and your mom, and Tyson, and Nico, and all the other people that love you, that already need to mourn Percy! Not to mention Hermes too! Don't risk it Penny, it's cruel!"
"It's the only way," Penny shrugged as she turned around slowly, "your logical side knows it too. Come on Annabeth. Help me up."
"No," Annabeth shook her head, walking back, "never."
"Annabeth…" there was nothing left of the anger that caused a literal earth-quake now, just tired gloom, "he needs… he needs to save Luke."
"Luke is unsavable!" It was Annabeth's turn to yell, "and certainly not by him! Luke hates him!"
"Family is one of the strongest, most illogical powers in the world, Hermes told me so himself," Penny said, her eyes clouded, as if she was looking at Annabeth but not seeing her, "And Luke… it's tragic, really. There's nothing this god -" and she pointed at Hermes' throne, "- loves more than his kids. And for Luke to think otherwise… One conversation is all it takes."
"Penny, don't make him kill you! It's, it really is cruel!"
"I must walk into the fire knowingly!"
"But not with the price of Hermes killing you and having to live with that! Was it the reverse… Think about how awful it would be! What if… what if I'd do it to, to -"
"To Percy?"
"Yes! What if I had him kill me to revive you? With all the good intentions in the world, it'd still hurt him, wouldn't it?"
Penny bit her bottom lip, her shoulders sagging. "I just… I don't know what to do. I'm so sure this is what the prophecy means."
"Don't attempt to control fate, my young hero," a voice suddenly called to them, and both girls snapped their heads to the side to notice Hestia, appearing as her regular 8-year-old look.
"My - My Lady?" Penny asked in confusion, and Annabeth was relieved to see an emotion besides anger and sadness on her face.
"Hello again, my brave champion," Hestia walked forward slowly. There was something slightly entrancing about the tiny girl; despite her figure being small, her stance was graceful and her aura warm and calming. Annabeth gasped in surprise as she felt all the tension leaving her shoulders. "I failed to mention I helped a lot with your birth."
"My birth, Lady Hestia?"
"Yes. When your mother was pregnant with you, they've decided - more your dad than your mom - that Percy should be born first."
"I… I…"
"It was their attempt to control the prophecy. But it doesn't work like that, Penelope. We do not get to choose our destiny."
"But…" Penny looked lost, "I, I thought -"
"Approach please, my young hero."
Penny closed her mouth and walked forward obediently. Hestia reached up and touched her forehead, and then nodded her head. "You now have the rest of my blessing. You may proceed."
"I…" Penny looked down at her body, "I feel… well, thank you, My Lady. I have no words..."
She blessed her with heat resistance, Annabeth realized.
"You're welcome. And truly, Annabeth was right. Testing out cherished ones in such a manner… even for their own good and for the greater good… is still cruel, and therefore, a bad thing to do."
Penny nodded her head and lowered it, watching the ground.
Hestia nodded once more, and then disappeared.
Penny turned her head to watch Annabeth then and smiled a small smile, though the deep sadness in her eyes left no room to wonder what she truly felt.
"Help me up now?"
/
Penny stepped on her hands, and Annabeth pushed up. Penny leaped onto the throne and sat down, her hands slightly shaking on its stone-made sides.
They've waited a second. Then two.
To their surprise, and unlike with Percy, Penny didn't start to catch on fire. Maybe it was because of Hestia's magic? But no, Hestia's magic protected her from flames, it didn't cancel the flames' existence.
Suddenly, a god morphed next to Annabeth, and she took some steps back as the Messenger God walked forward with his pilot overall and his winged helmet and boots. Silently, he reached up a hand. Penny paled considerably as she looked down at him. Finally, she reached out to hold his hand and he helped the shell-shocked Penny down from his throne.
As soon as she was back on the ground Hermes left her hand and crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed.
She looked back at him, her eyes filled with fear.
They kept that eye contact, and Penny continued to look frightened, her cheeks pale and her eyes wide.
Finally, Hermes looked away and sighed. "Explain, please."
"I'm sorry," she let out and fell to a kneeling posture. "Lord Hermes, I'm sorry."
He was quiet for at least a minute, watching the demigoddess in front of him with conflicting emotions flashing on his face.
Disbelief, anger, confusion, regret... Then he became angry again and looked away.
"I don't like it when you call me that. And when you kneel. Get up."
She continued to kneel, her eyes set on the floor.
"Penny, get up," and he offered her his hand again. She finally used it and got up, but still continued to look away from him.
"I'm…" she breathed out and then gave him a small, self-conscious smile, "I'm glad you didn't obliterate me."
Annabeth felt her eyes widen with surprise when the god smiled back, his severe, angry face softening. "I don't do that. I don't approve of anyone sitting on my throne as the next god, but I… I check first. Besides…" and his hand rubbed his neck, "I felt it was you."
Penny seemed surprised. "How?"
He looked at her quietly, and then turned his head to slightly glare at Annabeth, who took yet more steps back.
First not finding Percy, now this hatred from an Olympian… this day has been nothing but a continuous nightmare.
"Not here, not now," he concluded shortly, and then returned his eyes to Penny. "Why… why," he cleared his throat, "why would you put me in this position?"
"I needed to get you here."
"Why?"
"You're the only one who can… who can save us all."
"Penny, this is false. The prophecy is not about a god. In fact," and his jaw tightened, "it appears to be about you."
She looked away again.
"You risked… you risked me killing you, Penny," and his raspy voice broke a bit, his eyes shining with disappointment, "how could you do that?"
Penny looked to be on the verge of tears, shaking her head from side to side, and Hermes looked away, his hands going through his hair with frustration, the ends of his curls buzzing with static electricity.
"Annabeth and Hestia wouldn't let me," she finally said quietly.
"Good for them," Hermes answered, giving Annabeth a tiny nod. Then his eyes gleamed and he started to shake his head. "I can't - I can't, I can't deal with this thing, now. It's not the - the freaking time! Why did you call me, Penelope? We're in the middle of a war!"
"You must go, and, and prove to him that you care."
"Penny, no!"
"But you do, Hermes!" Her eyes glistened with tears, and he looked away again, clearly uncomfortable at seeing her cry, "you do. So, so much. And he… he has no clue! No idea! Does that look logical to you?!"
"Well, of course not!" He snapped, "but it's out of my hands! I was instructed so by the Fates!"
"It all begins and ends with Luke! He is the one gathering them all, convincing them. He hosts the titan with his body. He is one of their best fighters. And he does all of that because he thinks you don't care. And you care about him and your other children more than you do anything else!"
Hermes closed and opened his fists a few times by the sides of his body.
"Hermes…" and Annabeth took a sharp breath when Penny approached the angry Olympian, her hand reaching up to his cheek. But he allowed that, watching her closely. "Why am I the only one who knows? Does that look logical to you?"
Hermes closed his eyes as she stroked his cheek.
"Tell your family they mean the world…" and Penny swallowed a sob, crying freely now, "before it's too late."
His eyes snapped open, and he gazed at her with warmth in his blue eyes.
"It's not."
Penny wiped at her tears and looked up at him. "What?"
"It's not… too late. For you, that is."
"What do you mean?"
Hermes regarded her quietly. Then - "Percy is not dead. He's not the hero of the prophecy, it truly appears that you are, but he's not dead."
"WHAT?"
And she jumped on the Messenger God and hugged him as Annabeth started to sob hysterically with relief; he's not dead, he's alive, he's not dead…
Hermes smiled as he held Penny to him.
"How do you know that?!" She grinned into his shoulder, "even Apollo said he didn't know!"
"Gods have dreams too," his hand stroked her back slowly, "they plan to use him, as I assume you've guessed. But he's not dead."
"Ugh, I hate him…" Penny smiled tearfully, "he keeps doing this to me! Making me think he's dead and, and -"
"And then you lose your will to live?" Hermes pulled away and watched her quietly.
She shrugged and said nothing.
He sighed again. "If you wish to be a martyr, that's fine Penny. I mean, it's truly not fine to me," and his eyes watched her seriously, "I'd rather you not die, but, but it's worse to make me be the cause of your death! If I was just a slightly more impulsive deity, I would have killed you for merely attempting to sit on my throne, regardless of who you are -"
"I can't handle this thing now," Penny said simply, but she was smiling teasingly as she repeated his words from earlier, "we're in the middle of a war!"
His eyes narrowed at her before a giant smile spread on his face. He shook his head with a chuckle before he bent it and pulled her closer to him, kissing her soundly.
"What's going on?" Annabeth hissed to herself as she rubbed her eyes, not quite believing the sight she was seeing.
A Greek god, an Olympian really, was kissing her best friend, and Penny… kissed him back, as Hermes pulled her closer to him, and closer, his hands circling around her back.
This was, this was the weirdest day of Annabeth's life.
Hermes pulled away shortly afterward.
"I really do like you, Penelope Jackson," the deity sighed, "can you please, please not pull a hero on me and die?"
"That's a weird thing to ask from the hero of the prophecy."
They both laughed.
"Hermes…" and she grabbed his hand, "you need to do this."
Hermes
Her words faded and her eyes watched him hopefully.
Annabeth Chase suddenly got up and left, perhaps sensing like she needed to leave them be.
And now, Hermes was alone with the girl he was possibly harboring feelings for, and he had to admit to her that he was afraid. That was not an easy thing to do.
"Penny, I…" He hesitated heavily, "I can't…"
"Why not? He'd like it so much! It will do you both good!" She really couldn't understand. That was a thing Poseidon and his offsprings were quite often - overly confident in their ideas. Not even with intention. It's just that the girl could not see a fault in her plan, she believed in it with all her might. But her sincere intention to have him reconnect with his son did warm his heart.
"Penny, I'm… I can't," he looked away from her, "what if he doesn't want to see me?"
"He would," she stated with somewhat outrageous confidence, "if only for an explanation. For the conversation you two never had."
"It would break me, Penny," he finally admitted in a tiny voice, "if he won't forgive me, I… I won't be able to move on."
Her eyes widened with fear, but she shook her head immediately. "He… He is so smart, Hermes. And you, you must give him the calm assurance he deserves. Free him from the doubts regarding you."
When she puts it that way… How can he refuse?
"You, you really think it'd do him good?"
"Yes," she smiled sincerely, "even refusing you, if that's what he chooses, would do him good. Would at least show him that you care, that you wish to make amends. You must be strong for him, Hermes," and she was close now, looking straight into his eyes with that feverish faith of hers swimming in her green eyes, and Fates, why were children of the sea so overwhelmingly decisive in everything they thought and felt? First Percy with, well, every impulsive thing he ever pulled, and now her. He could tell that, to this girl at least, this was her utmost truth. And for some beyond reason, as he stared at her, not quite able to look away and slightly gaping, he believed her and trusted her completely.
"Alright," he agreed finally, "alright."
"Alright," she beamed back, standing on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek and then hug him, and well, that helped.
He truly loved his kids more than anything in the world, but, but this sweet demigoddess came pretty damn close.
"So what's the ingenious plan?" He asked her as he pulled away.
She looked down. "The power-starved, violent titan, he thinks that the strongest thing in the world is the power of the fist. Now… it might be the strongest tool, but hunger for power is certainly not the strongest motive."
"It's not," Hermes agreed.
"It's not. Love, in its darkest, most disturbing forms, is. The lengths me or Percy would go for each other… or our mom for us and the other way around… and you for your children… or Annabeth and Percy for each other… when things are happy and calm, love is beautiful. In times of war and horror, love is the strongest, most horrible force, and Luke is driven by… by -"
"Betrayal."
"Yes. And that negativity can only be fixed by positivity. Luke needs to see you, and Annabeth and Thalia, and realize how he truly is loved, and then his entire motive for it all will crumble."
"I agree."
She smiled a brilliant smile up at him, her eyes shining and her face brightening up, and he felt his heart starting to hammer against his chest.
This girl drove him mad...
"You're forgetting two things, though," he added, "one, it is not Luke we're talking about, as the titan is controlling him. And the second is…" and his eyes bore into hers, "somewhere in all of this mess, you're meant to die."
She looked back at him. "We can't control fate. But I'm glad it's me and not Percy."
"He won't feel the same way." And nor will Hermes.
It was an awful thing to feel - to prefer one hero to die over the other.
But it was safe to say that in no scenario would Hermes be happy about Penny being the demigoddess from the prophecy and not someone else.
"No," and she smiled softly as she looked down, "where is he, anyway?"
"Not dead," Hermes continued to insist, "just, er, asleep, you could say. Well, not for long. When he'll be back, he'll be slightly younger than you. Not by much, but just enough to make you older."
Her eyes gleamed. "Cool. I always wanted to be the older twin."
"That's not what you're meant to focus on, now!"
She laughed and then grabbed his hands in hers. When their eyes met again, hers were serious, boring into his. "I'm… I'm sorry to ask, please don't be mad and hate me for it -"
"I don't think I could everhate you."
It was the truth. Hermes could only remember feeling this way towards a girl once, and he definitely didn't end up hating her…
There was fear still, darkening her eyes. "I can't… I can't move on and fight before I set this straight with you. When, when they tried to weaken my will-power, they showed me Ares' trial, over killing his daughter's sexual attacker..."
Shock filled him. His eyebrows jumped up, and sickening, warm shame filled his stomach.
No… of all the things she could think of him…
Of all the things Penny could see -
"No!" He stressed, his eyes wide, "never!"
"But did you - has my dad ever -"
"Don't think about it even!" He was a bit hysterical as he looked down, gulping visibly.
For Penny to think about him that way, for her to judge him that way… How could he ever hope to gain her affections if -
"To judge a god is to judge human history. It's self sabotage," he spoke softly, not without effort. For Penny to connect that version of him, standing in front of her, his emotions towards her probably visible on his face, to the one that dozed off during a rape-trial… "if you search for dirt you'll find it, we've existed for far too long. And if we… if we'll be forever condemned, then there's no room for improvement. For kindness. For," and his eyes met her green ones, filled with doubt, but with hope as well, "for genuine affection."
She nodded slowly.
"It's… it's not my style," he added then and looked down, moving his boot against the floor, the wings on it fluttering uncomfortably, "I'm a businessman, a politician. I have charisma. I don't need… needless force. I always liked to… to have the girls I desired to feel the same way towards me."
"I'm sorry for implying - what I implied," she stepped forward, her palms moving against his chest now slowly, tenderly.
"You had reasons to," he gulped again, filled with self-loathing, "Zeus knows we all did our share of bad deeds. Is Luke not proof of my far-from-pure character?"
"Apollo said you guys are oftentimes the Fate's pawns," her voice was soft as their eyes met again, "that they use you to teach human-kind lessons."
"They often did," he nodded slowly, "it's a known fact. Only thing is… they've taught their lesson, and we were left with the remorse. Hades, Penny, I hate remorse. I hate how consuming it is. I assure you, I may have lived for as long as humanity has, but I spent most of it running away from situations likely to make me feel that. There's a reason no one runs faster than me. I really do - loathe it. Speaks for the reason why I never really wanted to face Luke and see what I caused -"
"That one is not entirely your fault either," she whispered, her hand cupping his cheek as her eyes looked up at him, "it's absurd how much the Fates intervene in our lives."
"There's only one thing we're both free and unfree to choose," he whispered back, wanting her to know that before they return to the battle, "who to love. While who the person is exactly might not be entirely up to us… we're always faced with a choice entirely our own, to love or to walk away. That much is not, and never is, Fate. I just wanted you to know that."
She nodded back, her eyes clearer and happier than he'd seen them the entire night.
His heart constricted painfully at that. The longer he spent in her company… the more he fell for her. And she was to die.
He chose freely to love her, and now she was to die.
First May, who willingly chose to leave him behind, and then went through all she went through... Then Luke, and now her. And all of that in mere 20 years. Twice in his life he met exceptional women he might just completely fall for, and twice in his life they're teared away from him because of fate.
His bitter luck left a sour taste in his mouth as he watched the beautiful, sweet hero, looking up at him with restored faith. To hold her in his arms so close, just to perhaps lose her in a few hours...
"As for, well, if I'm truly the hero of the prophecy… you must go to him. I'm glad you are. This is how I believe it will all be solved."
He nodded back, his eyes savoring her smile before looking away, trying to steel his heart. "Alright. Thanks to your dad we can allow for me to be away from the frontline anyway. Let's go."
Penny
The amount of pain on his face as he watched her…
Sure, he was the patron of smooth-talkers, but to her it always seemed as if he was so good at talking and influencing, so overly exposed to it that he was sick of it. That was her guess, anyway, to why he always felt so damn sincere when he spoke to her. And the pain on his face when he realized that she might regard him as an attacker -
She believed it. She believed that pain. It was the same pain he had on his face when he talked about Luke, and of that pain she was sure. This Hermes, watching her with genuine ache and gloom in his eyes… didn't look like he wanted or could hurt anyone but himself.
They met up with Annabeth again, and Hermes walked forward and bowed his head. "I'm sorry for blaming you when really… I blamed myself. I just knew you had the sole power to influence him."
Annabeth's eyes shone with tears. "I'm sorry too, Lord Hermes. From the bottom of my heart. Know…" and her voice broke as tears splashed to her cheeks, "know that I truly loved your son."
Hermes looked away, his features hardening. He paced back and forth a few times and then returned to them.
"What now?" He asked Penny.
"We need to find Thalia, then the titan… and win the war. Meanwhile, we should go down and help our forces fight the titan's army."
A wicked, not entirely nice smile spread on Hermes' face, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Oh, with pleasure."
/
As soon as the three went down, Hermes' caduceus morphed in his hand, and it was in the shape of a giant, metallic gun.
George and Martha sounded quite pleased with that.
Well, more George than Martha.
'Yesss! We get to kick assss!'
For once it seemed that Hermes agreed with his snake as he smirked.
The doors opened, and as soon as the three went out to the dark street they saw one of Hermes' children, specifically his youngest child, Julia, fighting with a tall, muscular and menacing Lastergone.
The small eight-year-old shrieked and ducked the giant's large palm, not getting close enough to stab the monster with her dagger.
Next to Penny, Hermes' eyes shone dangerously as he strode quickly and without using his weaponry, rather with his bare hands choked the monster, his palms closing on its wide neck and his entire body glowing blue, probably due to his anger.
The monster froze in place, before cracks and slits started to appear in his body as he slowly and surely dispersed to ash, and Hermes cleaned his hands and glared down at where the monster just was.
"DADDY!" Julia cheered with shock and happiness and then jumped on her father, unafraid at the god's obvious show of extreme force, and Hermes immediately hugged her back and pulled her up, sighing into her hair.
Then his eyes moved to Penny, blamingly.
"Why is she here?!"
Penny raised her hands in surrender. "I strictly told her not to come! All those under 11 were not allowed to come!"
Hermes put his daughter back on the ground as around them, the war raged on. "Julia Feingold, why are you here?!"
She beamed up at her dad, unashamed. "I snuck out."
Rolling his eyes, he snapped his fingers. In a second Julia was gone, probably back at camp. Penny and Annabeth laughed in surprise.
Hermes smiled back at them. "I really can't expect my kids to act anyway else, can I?"
/
It was Hades' moment to shine.
The arrival of the Titan Lord himself, in Luke's handsome body but still with those unnerving golden eyes wasn't as scary as it could've been as just then a trumpet call was heard and the Lord of the Underworld appeared from the direction of the park, two skeleton horses dragging his chariot. Behind him a sea, truly, a sea that wouldn't shame her father, of skeletons, dead warriors and monsters of the Underworld followed him and decimated any monster that stood in their way. Next to Hades in the chariot sat his gorgeous wife, Persephone, and turned any monster she saw into a blooming rose.
"He kept his promise," Penny smiled at Hermes, who had an appreciating gleam in his eye.
"Good character is hard to find," he answered vaguely, before frowning with irritation and snapping his fingers to evaporate one Scythian Dracanae that was just short of ending Penny's life, her knife dangerously close to Penny's neck from behind her.
Her eyes wide, she gazed back at where the snake-lady just was a second ago before looking back at Hermes.
"Thanks," she breathed.
He shrugged. "Kind of an awful end to the Prophecy. I doubt that's how they planned it to go down."
"Probably not what they envisioned…" she laughed, her heart still pounding fast.
Everyone had more dramatic endings in their heads, probably, than of the child of the Prophecy dying out of her own carelessness, and by a lesser monster.
Hermes' eyes then moved to Kronos, and his mouth pursed to a thin, white line. He slapped the air, and a troop of Scythian Dracanae melted on the spot into dark black ink.
Messenger God hissed under his breath, his eyes still on Luke's body, and then walked away to fight other monsters.
/
Hades, Persephone and Hermes alongside the demigods, nature-spirits, satyrs and centaurs slowly and surely tilted the scale in favor of the demigods. Next to her, Annabeth swished and kicked and was just an admiring fighter, while Penny herself destroyed more monsters than she could count, and both girls searched the mess and havoc for a certain Huntress.
"There!" Annabeth suddenly yelled and then ducked a jet of green poison hurled her way.
They finally saw Thalia, fighting furiously three monsters at the same time.
"Hermes!" Penny yelled, and ran to grab his hand as his snakes shot matching laser beams and evaporated a group of blue giants.
"Penny?"
"We've found Thalia. And, and Luke has gone up. We must follow!"
He nodded back, and then left her hand and waved it, and a row of monsters flew away, now white doves.
"Messenger pigeons," he explained as he repeated the action, and another group of monsters suffered the same fate and flew to the skies. "Let's go," he nodded to her, and the two joined Annabeth and Thalia who stood by the entrance of the building waiting for them.
The four entered the elevator and went up in tense silence.
Then Thalia turned to Hermes, and with her face filled with unmistakable disdain, she bowed her head, her tone chilly. "Lord Hermes."
Hermes seemed unimpressed as he waved his hand dismissively and looked away from them all, watching the changing floors as they went up.
He's afraid, Penny realized.
He's so very afraid. His lips were clenched, his eyes were turned off and his brows were furrowed.
He seemed as if he was turning himself in for the executioner.
They finally reached the top floor, and the four went out. Penny watched her two friends as they looked at each other and then at Hermes in distrust, especially Thalia.
Deep, bitter regret filled her at doing all of this to Hermes. Forcing him to face his son, exposing him to all of this criticism, not respecting his decisions and his privacy...
In front of her, the titan's havoc was obvious as he left a trail of ruined sculptors and broken marble on his way to the Throne-Room.
She suddenly took a hold of Hermes' hand and stopped him in place.
Unashamed, and unafraid of Thalia's obvious judgment, she nodded to them. "Give us a minute, please."
Thalia glared at her. "Is this really the time, Penny?!"
Hermes' eyes narrowed in anger, and he was probably about to say something very mean, but Penny was quicker and angrier.
"You chose the easier path and left me and Percy the questionable honor of sacrificing ourselves for Olympus. I choose to do so willingly, so please, respect me enough to honor my decisions and the way I wish to fight this war!"
Thalia recoiled visibly, and without another word, she pulled Annabeth with her and they waited a few meters away, out of hearing range.
Hermes watched after them before turning his head to give Penny a small smile. "I liked that. That was… well, that was badass."
"Thanks," she smiled back at him, and his eyes watched her sadly as he stepped closer to her.
"You plan to sacrifice yourself for Olympus?" He referenced what she said earlier to Thalia.
She raised her chin up proudly. "If that's what's needed of me."
He inhaled slowly, and she felt as if his eyes were boring holes in her face. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he held it back, shaking his head slowly.
"Hermes," her eyes softened, "please look at this as you should. It's… it's a chance for you to get it right with Luke. A chance you wouldn't have received otherwise. If it turns out bad… then at least you'll know you did everything you could. You did what was right in the end. You told me earlier you loathed remorse… well this, this is a way to avoid it."
He continued to watch her quietly, his eyes filled with some deep, unreadable emotion as he nodded.
"And," she added, and stepped even closer to him, "you should know I think you are the bravest, most humble of them all, besides my dad maybe," and she smiled, "and I admire you so, so much."
He beamed at her, his blue eyes shining and some color returning to his cheeks. "That's… that's enough for me."
She pressed his hand and then pulled him with her, gesturing to Annabeth and Thalia to join them. "Then let's go."
/
When the four entered the Throne Room, they found Luke, or rather the titan, watching Zeus' throne quietly.
The four stopped in the entrance of the room, and for one, tense minute, everything was quiet.
Then, he turned around slowly, and his golden eyes left no room for questions.
He was Kronos.
"Well, well," Kronos' voice drawled to them from Luke's lips, deep and unnerving, "if these aren't the pathetic ones our dearest Luke lost hope because of… and the person he loathed most."
Penny knew without a doubt which one she was.
"The two little girlies he loved as sisters… his neglecting father, my own little weakling grandson, merely a Messenger boy… and the biggest joke of them all, a pathetic little godling girlie, meant to bring me down!"
"Is Luke still in there?" She asked the titan without fear.
"Not for long," he retorted, Luke's face smiling gleefuly at its own demise.
Hermes didn't look offended the least at the insults his grandfather, the Ruler of Titans hurled at him. As agreed, he moved forward slowly, and watched the titan with a solemn expression.
"I love my son more than anything in the world."
Kronos wanted to appear unaffected, but his expression was telling as it crumpled with confusion at the sheer honesty in Hermes' words.
"Liar!" A different voice suddenly spoke, "all you did always was to fail him!"
"Fate kept us apart," Hermes' voice was still steady, although his eyes shone with frustration and sadness, "but I always loved my son."
"Liar!" The titan recoiled, and Penny stepped forward.
"He's not lying! Family is the most important thing in the world! It's the strongest force -"
"YOU'RE to stay OUT of this!" The titan yelled, and with a wave of his hand she was thrown at the wall.
"NO!" Hermes and Annabeth called, but she got up again, the left side of her body throbbing as she stepped back to the titan. She looked deep into his eyes.
"Hermes loves you more than he does me. For you to think otherwise is absurd."
Luke's eyes flashed from golden to blue for a mere second, but when they were back to golden, they were enraged and glowing in a terrible light.
"Weak, pathetic little girl! I could kill you with a wave of my hand!"
"I choose to die and to save my twin. That's the force I spoke of. Family is above anything else. As Hermes loves his kids more than anyone else, I love my twin more than anyone else."
"Your twin, you say?" Kronos asked with a frosty voice, and with a wave of his hand, a fainted, pale Percy appeared between them, lying on the ground, "is this the twin you're referring to?"
Her heart surged with emotion as it pinched and hammered against her ribcage, and she fell to the floor and hugged her brother.
"As I thought," Kronos sneered above her, "weak. I'll kill you both now. Some heroes to stand against me. Is this the best Olympus came up with?"
"NO!" Annabeth called before anyone else could, her eyes filled with unshed tears, "Luke, how could you?! You promised!"
"I owe you nothing, girlie. After I kill them," and he pointed downward at where Penny was hugging her unconscious twin, "I'll kill you girls and then send my poor excuse of a grandson straight to Tartarus."
"Do it!" Thalia raged as she stepped forward, "the Luke I know was not a traitor! He was honest. You're truly a monster."
"I am him! His fears are transparent to me, and I live off of his insecurities!"
"Then he's truly irredeemable!" Annabeth screamed and threw herself before the twins and pulled her knife out, holding it against him, "don't hurt Percy!"
He snatched the knife from her hand and threw her away against the wall. She slammed against it in a loud bang and whimpered, before fainting, probably still weak from her earlier injury.
"NO!" Penny stood up now, "I won't let you hurt them! I will rather catch up in flames than to let you do that!"
"Be careful what you wish for, young demigoddess," Kronos sneered, and with a snap of his fingers, she was, just as planned, on fire.
It was a funny sensation, to burn and have the flames surround her without actually being affected by them. Instead of feeling the intense, flesh-burning heat, she felt warm, the flames alighting her but not consuming her.
Behind the wall of red, hot flames she could see Hestia's face in the fireplace in the corner, winking at her.
Love consumed her, filled her body for her patron, for her twin lying at her feet, for her friends and for -
"How are you not dead?" Kronos demanded, his golden eyes watching her carefully.
"It is always those the dictator looks down on that become his demise in the end," Penny stated cryptically, and then with her hand still burning with flames, she touched his face.
His body recoiled as he hissed, and then his eyes flashed blue, and this time, to stay.
/
"Annabeth!" Luke's voice spoke from Luke's throat as he ran to her bruised body by the corner of the room. Hermes walked after him, and gently but firmly moved him as he bent down and placed two fingers on her forehead, mumbling an incantation.
She sighed in her sleep and seemed calmer.
"I, I…" Luke looked to the side, confused and angry and frustrated, "th-thank you."
"Don't thank me," Hermes answered quietly, standing up to look his son in the eyes, "I failed you."
Luke looked away and said nothing.
"And he failed us!" Thalia suddenly said as she ran to where they were, Penny joining her after she picked up Annabeth's knife and put off the flames.
Daughter of Zeus kneeled next to Annabeth and hugged her.
"Penny said it right," Thalia said as her electric blue eyes bore into Luke's, "family is the most important thing in the world. And he failed the family he swore to protect."
Luke's face fell in shame as Hermes shook his head angrily and took a step forward. "Which is why I must take accountability!" And then his entire fierce, strong Olympian persona crumbled as he held his son's eye contact.
Penny watched silently as Hermes' agonized face twitched. His features, which were always so amused and full of positive energy were now turned off and gloomy. His forehead crinkled, his brows furrowed, his eyes… watery.
"Luke," Hermes whispered and collapsed to the ground, kneeling in front of him.
They were both silent.
Hermes inhaled deeply. "I longed for us to have this conversation… ever since you were able to talk. Son, all I've ever wished to say and wasn't allowed to, was that I am so proud of you. In ways, you couldn't even begin to fathom."
Luke seemed shocked at the words he chose, his eyes wide.
Maybe he thought he had done too much for his father to forgive, and even if forgive, too much for his father to take pride in.
Which just went to show how little the Fates allowed Luke to get to know Hermes, because anyone else who knew him even a tiny bit knew how deeply he cared for his kids, and for Luke especially.
Luke gulped, and for once it seemed that he wasn't expecting his opponent's next move when it landed.
"My sorrow is… mine to bear, nothing I should burden you with," Hermes added, "but you should know that stepping aside and allowing the Fates to dictate has been the biggest trial I've ever had to endure in my immortal life. I love you, son," Hermes added sheepishly, "there's nothing I regret more than not letting you feel my love until now."
"Why… why didn't you? What stopped you?"
"I was told you were vital to Olympus by the Fates and I was strictly forbidden to help you directly, so I always helped you indirectly. I was ordered to never let you know it was me, never let you know I cared."
Luke laughed humorlessly, his eyes filled with surprise. "Me? Vital for Olympus?!"
But then his eyes widened with understanding and his eyes moved fleetingly to Thalia and Annabeth before returning to his dad.
"Why did you agree?"
"I wasn't in a position to agree or disagree, my son, every one of my moves was watched. Heck, when your mother, Zeus bless her, became crazed, I wanted to take you with me and raise you in Olympus."
"So… so…"
Penny was surprised to notice Luke was flustered. He was always in such control over himself, she never saw him so confused before, gaping and shaking his head helplessly.
Luke's eyes returned to Thalia and Annabeth with a hard look, before he looked down at his hands severely.
Then he sighed, and walked slowly to Penny, silently reaching out and asking for Annabeth's knife. Fear twisted her heart, mistrust and anger, and the sight of him poisoning her twin and standing above of his unconscious body and -
But then her eyes met his, and he had Hermes' eyes.
Light blue like the clearest skies, and bright, and currently warm with an emotion that always lacked in Luke's orbs, and she nodded slowly and handed him the knife.
He nodded back at her. "Thank you. I'm… I'm sorry I tried to kill you and Percy… all those times."
She shrugged. "Many tried that."
He inhaled, his eyes glancing at his wide-eyed father before returning to her face. "I'm sorry that I… that I envied you."
She gave him a small smile. "It's understandable, given the circumstances. But you never had any reason to. He always loved you more, just as I always loved and love my twin more."
He nodded slowly and returned to his father and his two adopted-sisters.
"They knew," he mumbled, now looking back at the knife. "There's only one way to end it, and the Fates knew. They needed me to… to have no family, no parents that support me, so I'll commit to Thalia and Annabeth, so that later when it comes down to it -" and his eyes snapped to his dad, who watched him with absolute horror on his face, "did you know?! Is that why you kept away from me, so that I will sacrifice my life for Olympus -"
"NO! I had no idea why your fate mattered so much and what exactly you'll do. The ways of the Fates are twisted, my son, and what happened to you, and to your beautiful, sweet mom, would always be my own, personal tragedy that I'll carry with me. And… and I'll love you both. Always."
Luke's eyes bore into his dad's, his gaze hard. "You said you cared for me, helped me indirectly. How exactly?"
Hermes bowed his head. "I… I always came to calm your mom when she had her attacks. When, when you ran away, I sent you your first weapon. I sent my employees to keep you company and buy you warm meals. I sent you money almost every week. And, er, when my employees wouldn't do anymore, me and Apollo convinced Zeus to have you meet Thalia -"
"That was you?!" Two voices asked at the same time, and Thalia and Luke looked at Hermes with shock.
Hermes nodded mutely. Then he sighed. "It wasn't enough. It was never enough. Not when the only thing I ever wanted to do was… pull you out of the house or the streets and raise you in my damn office if I have to," his voice was so frustrated it was almost angry, "but, well, as powerful as we gods seem, we are the least powerful of all when it comes to what matters most. You mortals have free will, we… have too many eyes watching our every action."
"Well…" and Luke moved his eyes to watch Thalia, "then you… you did alright in the end. Despite being unable to function as a father to me, you still gave me family."
Hermes looked like he shed dozens of years as he smiled at his son. "Please believe me son. Please believe me when I tell you again, how proud I am of you."
Weight, weight Penny had no idea she was bearing lifted from inside of her when Luke stared at him, and then nodded curtly, seemingly accepting his father's words. Hermes looked elated, his face shedding the sorrow that was so prominent in it and brightening up in ways Penny had never seen before.
They were both quiet now, looking at each other. Luke examined his father's face quietly, narrowing his eyes, before finally closing them and exhaling deeply. "Thank you," he mumbled softly, "thank you, I… needed that. Without even knowing so."
Hermes continued to beam at him as Luke suddenly started to shiver and his eyes gleamed golden before turning blue again.
"We don't have much time," he said quietly. Playing with Annabeth's knife, he sighed. "Soon, the titan will resume his true form, and will be truly unstoppable. There's only one thing I can do."
The smile wiped from Hermes' face. "Luke, no!"
"I have to!"
"I just got you back!" Hermes stepped forward in a clear attempt to snatch the knife away from his hand, "we just had the conversation I always wanted us to have! I, I, we can now truly get to know each other, I can prove to you my love -"
"I'm sorry, dad," and listening to Luke saying that word made Hermes' eyes water as he gaped helplessly at his son, "it's the only way. I'm to die anyway. That way I'll take him with me."
"Luke, no!" Penny jumped up now, horrified by the complete despair on Hermes' face, "it's me! I'm meant to die! And I'll do it so all of you can live!"
"Your death won't help anything," Luke dismissed her, now shaking more violently and clearly fighting off the titan as he attempted to get a hold of him. Then he looked into her eyes. "Don't you see that? You're the child of the Elder gods, your choice was to reunite me with my father, and I am the hero! This is the cursed blade," he raised the knife, "because of a broken oath I made to the girl lying on the floor. Because," and he eyed his father, who watched him with grief darkening his teary eyes, "while you were left with no choice but to walk away from me, and still took care of me and gave me a family, I had a choice," and his eyes moved to a crying Thalia and a still fainted Annabeth, "and I failed them. This is the only way."
And he started to take off his armor, holding the knife tightly.
"Luke, no!" Hermes pleaded, "please!"
"I'm sorry, dad," and Luke watched him again, "it's the only way."
He unlatched the side straps of his armor, exposing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, a place that would be very hard to hit. With difficulty, he stabbed himself.
It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke howled. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook, throwing everyone but Hermes off their feet. An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. Penny shut her eyes and felt a force like a nuclear explosion blister her skin and crack her lips.
/
It was silent for a long time.
The force of the explosion woke up Annabeth and Percy, and they both sat up slowly. Penny saw Luke sprawled at the hearth, and on the floor around him was a blackened circle of ash.
Luke's left side was bloody. His eyes were open - blue eyes, the way they used to be. His breath was a deep rattle.
"Good... blade," he croaked.
"Luke!" Hermes croaked out, glowing brightly, his eyes a manic blue inside his glimmering orbs, "I'll heal you, I'll heal you, you won't die -"
"There's no healing me -" Luke coughed and then watched his father, "thank you for setting things straight. For making it right."
Hermes nodded mutely and leaned back, looking up and closing his eyes forcefully.
Luke gazed at Annabeth. "I'm sorry from the bottom of my… of my heart. I, I love you..." and he moved his eyes to Thalia, "and you. I've loved you both, always…" He winced in pain, his blood dripping on the floor.
"Shhh." Thalia's voice trembled. "You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium."
He shook his head weakly. "Think... rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."
Annabeth sniffled. "You always pushed yourself too hard."
"You'll reach it," Thalia nodded, real, warm and honest emotions swimming in her eyes.
"I'll make sure of it," Hermes added, his voice firm as tears still stood in his eyes.
Luke nodded and moved his head to watch the twins, as they both stared at him.
"You two…" and he winced again and coughed, "your bond… saved Olympus. Again and again."
Percy got up slowly and hugged his sister and Penny hugged him back, leaning her head on his shoulder.
Deep, soothing relief, nothing but deep, burning relief calmed her as she hugged her twin.
"But you're the hero," Percy then answered him as he hugged her back, "you saved Olympus."
And Luke gave him a small, weak smile before he blinked and did not open his eyes again.
A/N
Your thoughts, please? :)
I'm again too tired to reread my responses to the reviews so there might be errors. Sorry in advance :)
123wwww - Well, he's entitled to it, I'd say :)
Haha I actually meant to update today so in a way it is kind of per your request :) But thank you for reviewing twice :D
I'm pretty sure most of your questions were answered, as for it being the last of the battle, yes, but we have two more chapters for book 5 before we can officialy say we're done with the first series :D
Ahhh thank you I'm glad you see it that way! I think Thalia was out of place, but hopefully Penny telling her off firmly enough did the job :)
the8horcrux - Haha I do enjoy it immensely, it's soooo amusing! It's also a great way to know the reactions to each and every part - I write them, so they're never a surprise to me and they're likely less exciting for me than they are to those who don't know what's to come :)
- Honestly the fact that the fandom disagrees with you is bizarre to me... I never thought it logical to break them up (evidence to that is the fact that I didn't in my story haha)
- Hades truly is great. Bitter, yes, but who wouldn't be in his place? And even mythology-wise he's one of the good ones.
- Well I suppose I listened to both of your requests unintentionally :D For me to kill Percy, I'd send Penny into sure depression. Twins are hard that way. Reminds me of the Weasley twins in Harry Potter, and how cruel of J.K it was to kill Fred and leave George heartbroken :(
- I'd love for you to point me to where exactly it's written; I've searched for it and couldn't find it... As for ToA, I never actually got to it, oops... To be honest, as shallow as Apollo can sometimes be, Zeus is ten-fold worse, so turn yourself into a mortal before you do so to Apollo! Apollo truly is one of the good ones, and his arrogance is funny and rather harmless IMO... So I didn't read it and he was never punished in my head XD
- That's true. It's actually one of the most charming myths to exist - a different twist on the whole Forbidden Fruit story with hope thrown in :)
- Haha I shouldn't comment... and yeah, the more I write this story, the less patience I have for emotionless fighter girls. Can someone make them an official trope and then make a video mocking them? I'd like to see that for a change, not just people trashing on characters with flaws and humanity to them...
- Oooooh you have no idea how much I agree with you, and you made perfect sense! The way I see it, they just made feminine characteristics such as empathy, gentleness and compassion bad, and where's the progression in that? Raising us to look down on things that are considered feminine is not the way to go either! Women can win wars too, and they don't have to be a boy with long hair to do that! Besides, where's the fun in that? If we're similar, how is it interesting?
Thank you so much! And again, thank you for always leaving such warm feedback :)
Guest - Yes, as what's important to me is characteristics I try to never shy away from painting a realistic picture, and this was an attempt to do that :) But I do believe they changed, just like society did. They are a reflection of society - if the Western world fell, so did they, and they're always a more powerful, better versions of the heroes we have in our day to day lives (each in their own domain, though). So if society changed quite so much, I'd wager they will too. At least some will - Hermes, Apollo, Hephaestus, Hades...
Anyway, thank you for reviewing :D