A/N: Alright guys, so before you read this chapter, I feel like I have to make a few things crystal clear since some of you asked me about this. I realize that in my previous chapters, it seems ambiguous/unexplained, so let me tell it to you straight.

1. Zeus did NOT order the monsters to rape his own daughter. He sent monsters yes, but that was all. He had no idea what would happen next. You can 100% bet your ass that he regrets that deeply. In fact, remember the 3rd chapter(the one titled 'Thief')? Zeus actually is haunted by that. It is still his own fault though, because he's the one who sent those monsters.

2. Some of you are probably wondering why the Olympians can't just dogpile Zeus and overthrow him now. I mean surely its possible right? He doesn't even have his Master Bolt right now. You guys would be correct if this was canon. HOWEVER, this is an AU. In this universe, due to the Eternal Crystal, Zeus does have some special kingly abilities. He can strip away the godhood from any of the Olympians, and stuff like that. So no, even all of them together can't do anything. That is why Poseidon/Artemis/Athena are placing their bets on Percy.

Actually, Zeus has these abilities even in canon. He has taken away Poseidon's and Apollo's godhood. The second time, he even turned Apollo into a pure mortal. So I don't know man. Maybe even in canon, the gods combined can't actually do jack shit to Zeus.

That's all I think. Read on and enjoy.

Double Agent

(Approximately Five Months Later. June 3, 2006)

Percy. Please listen to me. You're not ready yet. I promise I will tell you everything when you're older.

"YoU'rE nOt ReAdY yEt!", Percy mimicked Artemis, putting as much ridicule into the tone as possible.

The twelve year old demigod had a scowl on his face as he picked up a stone and threw it at an inclined angle.

Splash. Splash. Splash.

The small pebble seemed to glide as it hit the water's surface, bouncing back and skipping along the surface without stopping. Impressively, it went the entire length of the lake and even reached the other side, embedding itself into a large rock.

The rock cracked, and crumbled into pieces from the sheer force of the throw.

Still scowling, Percy sat down, dipping his legs into the lake. Taking a deep breath, he stared at the forest canopy.

"Damn it!", Percy swore. "They're treating me like a child … and Athena! Lately even she's agreeing with them!"

Previously, Athena only told him that she would not tell him anything until Artemis told him. But for the past six months or so, she had actually said he needed to grow up!

It hadn't been so bad at first, but the frustration was starting to get to Percy. And he hated it. He hated that he felt so annoyed at the few people who cared about him.

Big sis had her own hunters to take care of, but she was here with him almost the whole time. His dad came to see him every month, even though his wife might find out. Athena taught him everything he knew, and he was very grateful to her.

But still. He couldn't help but feel slightly mad at them for refusing to tell him anything. It was like he was some little princess they needed to take care of.

Splash.

The water jumped slightly as a blue haired nymph emerged from under the surface. She glided towards the demigod, having a playful smile on her face.

"Your Majesty …", the water nymph gently spoke. "At least trust your father. I'm sure Lord Poseidon knows what he is doing."

Percy sighed, his legs kicking back and forth, making splashes in the water. Tadpoles hurriedly swam away. The Lord was agitated. Best not to annoy him any further.

"I just wish they'd tell me. Whatever they're hiding, I know its big. I've seen them discussing stuff in the dining room so many times. They always shut up when I'm in hearing range though."

Reaching to the side, the demigod found another small, round pebble. With a flick of his wrist, the pebble skipped across the water, reaching the other side of the lake and embedding itself into a large rock formation the size of a small house.

Bam!

The large rock formation crumbled into pieces.

Percy stood up, scowling. "Damn it. What could be so bad that they don't wanna tell me even after I've been asking for so long?!"

Two hundred meters away was a shimmering transparent barrier. It was dome shaped, covering an area of nearly ten square miles. So it wasn't as if Percy ever felt boxed in. Not physically anyway. He definitely had a lot of room to move around in.

And of course, there were times he had been allowed to leave the barrier. Of course, either his father or big sis or Athena accompanied him. Although, Athena had only come with him that one time, when she took him to a library. Usually, it was his dad who took him out. Big sis loved the forests a bit too much to go out into the cities.

So it wasn't as if he was some wood elf who hadn't ever seen civilization. He did frequently go out. Frequently here meaning about once a month or once in two months. His dad had taken out time to go to the movies with him, eat burgers and pizza, and of course, bowling.

Even so, they would never ever allow him to go out on his own. He was fine with that at first. He was a child according to mortal standards. (He really was still a child in every way, but the demigod would hardly admit that).

But later on, it became more unreasonable. Big sis was too nosy. She wanted to know everything he did all the time. His dad wasn't much better. They had even wanted to put a tracker on him. It was absurd! Was he a prisoner on parole?

The worst part was that they never told him why. Long ago, he had confronted big sis about it. She had promised … promised to tell him on his next birthday, when he would turn seven. But she lied. It had hurt, a lot. Big sis promised something and went back on her promise.

He wasn't seven any longer. He was twelve. And big sis still kept things from him. His dad had never promised in the first place. He directly refused to speak about it. Plus, Percy saw his father only once a month, and most of the time, he didn't want to spoil what little time they had.

Six months ago, Athena had promised him. Promised him that they would soon allow him to go out on his own. But again, they didn't follow through. Both his dad and Athena were gone. Big sis said Athena had some work to do. And his dad hadn't visited yet either.

Percy's scowl lightened. He looked resigned as he skipped another pebble across the lake. This time, there was no rock, but the pebble smashed into the dirt, creating a large crater the size of a large bedroom.

"What the heck is that prophecy anyway … Aria, you know what it is? Ever heard of it anywhere?"

The aqua haired water nymph froze. The question was sudden and unexpected to her. She had never thought that His Majesty would ever ask her that. She hadn't thought of any response, and she thanked the gods that he was not looking at her. His gaze was directed at the lake.

Percy turned to her. "Aria?"

The water nymph forcefully smiled. "N-No, Your Majesty. I haven't heard anything."

Percy frowned. 'Again she started with that 'Your Majesty' crap.'. But he didn't bother correcting her. Gods knew he tried so many times already, but the water nymph fervently insisted on calling him that.

It hardly made sense to him. Even disregarding the fact that he didn't like such titles, his father was the King of Atlantis, not him. If she really wanted to use formalities, shouldn't she say 'Your Highness' or 'My Prince'? Why use a king's title?

Speaking of his father …

"Hey Aria."

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Why hasn't dad come yet? It's been so long …"

His dad usually visited him at least once a month. At worst, he'd miss a month and come once every two months. But this was too much. He hadn't come since the last six months. The last time Percy had seen him, his father looked agitated and on guard. As if …

"Aria … you think he–"

"Of course not, Your Majesty. Lord Poseidon is the God of the Seas. Such things are impossible to happen to a god like him. But Lord Poseidon is away due to other issues."

"What issues?", Percy asked.

The water nymph looked uncomfortable. She was going to be in so much trouble if she said anything, and she knew it. "H-He didn't say."

Like a squirrel that found its acorn, Percy could easily see through her poorly constructed lie. "Come on, Aria. You've never hidden anything from me before. You're the only one who didn't lie. Please, you don't start as well now."

The water nymph gulped, swallowing her guilt. She had lied already. A lot. She knew the Great Prophecy of the Eternal Crystal. But that was necessary, she told herself. His Majesty was still very young, foolish and naive. He might have done something rash.

Trying not to look at the big, sea green eyes staring at her with anticipation, Aria hesitated, before relenting. She wasn't about to tell him about the Great Prophecy, so it should be fine, right?

Still, Lord Poseidon had warned her not to speak a single word about the theft of Zeus's bolt, and he had definitely warned her to keep her mouth shut about the prophecy that was issued recently. A prophecy related to the Master Bolt.

Percy could feel his heart growing heavier. So … even Aria was keeping things from him now. In this whole world, he had thought he could at least trust the aqua haired water nymph to tell him the truth. But it seemed he was wrong.

Percy frowned. He didn't want to do this. But Aria was the one who kept calling him 'Your Majesty'. "Fine then. Aria. I command that you tell me why my father has been away for so long. What is going on?"

The water nymph was startled. Her eyes widened slightly and her hands shook. Percy Jackson's sea green eyes were like stormy hurricanes, tearing through her facade of feigned ignorance. Those eyes were royal and godly, commanding respect and fear.

After all, she was just a water nymph, nothing more.

But the weight on her shoulders lightened. She could tell Percy anything now. After all, he had commanded her to do so. She would have even told him about the Great Prophecy if he had asked about it.

For the first time, Aria looked at the demigod differently. Although it had remained slumbering for so long, the royal aura emerged for the first time, and one could actually believe he was the Chosen King, born to rule the world.

She would have knelt on the ground if she wasn't already half submerged in water. The water nymph bowed her head. "W-Well, its like this, Your Majesty … Lord Zeus. His divine weapon, that is, his Master Bolt was stolen six months ago. And … ever since then, he blames Lord Poseidon for it."

Percy looked taken aback. "What? Why?!"

The water nymph stood silent, and Percy's face scrunched up in thought. 'That's so stupid. That doesn't even make any sense! How did it even get stolen? And why would he blame dad? That's so dumb! Dad doesn't even use lightning!'

"That's so retarded!", Percy exclaimed. "Why would dad even want a lightning weapon?! And even if its lost, why can't he like … summon it back? Or find it? I thought big sis and Apollo can look upon the whole world from their chariots right? Its been six months!"

"Your Majesty, that isn't possible. There's been a– mmph!"

With a sudden movement, Aria's own hands flew to her mouth, trying to silence herself.

Percy stood there with crossed arms. "Aria …"

"A … a … prophecy.", she completed finally, looking deflated. What had she done?

"About what?", Percy asked with curiosity. How could a prophecy stop gods from doing things? Like finding their own weapon.

Aria sighed, feeling like sinking into a hole. "… About … a demigod. Finding the Master Bolt."

"Huh …", Percy muttered. "A demigod … finding the Master Bolt. As in … this is a quest."

The water nymph cringed upon hearing that. She knew exactly what this boy was going to do now. She should have kept her mouth shut like Lord Poseidon had told her to. Why did she blurt it out like that? Now Lord Poseidon was going to kill her for sure.

An excited look came upon Percy's face. This was his chance. His dad, Big sis, Athena. They all treated him like a child who couldn't even wipe his own butt. They never allowed him to do anything on his own, and they kept insisting it wasn't safe for him to leave. But why?

Now, he would show them that he was capable of handling himself. He would finish this quest and retrieve Zeus's Master Bolt. He would prove that his dad did not steal the Master Bolt, and he would prove to everyone that he wasn't some weak liability that they needed to keep safe.

"Aria! Tell me! What's the prophecy?"

The water nymph cringed further. "Please … Your Majesty. Y-Your father–"

"I'm gonna get dad out of this mess by finding the Master Bolt. Now tell me, Aria."

The water nymph closed her eyes, sighing. At this point, even if she didn't tell him, he would go running in a random direction. At the very least, the prophecy would guide him. "Your Majesty … please follow your father's guidelines."

The demigod rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah I know. No using my powers. Now come on, tell me the prophecy."

Aria sighed, her heart heavy. She was dead. Lord Poseidon. Lady Athena. Lady Artemis. Especially Lady Artemis. They were going to string her up and toss her into Tartarus for this.

But they were already going to do that. And if Percy was going to run off anyway, he should at least have a guide, however senseless the guide sounded. So she told him the prophecy.

Percy frowned. "This … makes no sense."

The demigod repeated the prophecy.

"You shall go west, and find the unburned.
The thief shall regret, repent and be turned.
With time, the darkness stirring.
In the end, discover lightning."

Percy scratched his head. "I mean, I guess I should go west first … and find the unburned, whatever that is. The thief will be turned … so I guess he or she will help? Third line makes no sense. And I guess the last one says I'll find the bolt? But … why is it so vague?"

Aria shrugged. "Prophecies are always like that, Your Majesty."

"Okay. Thanks Aria!", Percy called out as he walked towards the bungalow. He needed to get ready. There was a lot for him to do.

The water nymph waved back, feeling disheartened and feeling as if she had made a terrible mistake.

As for Percy, a smile adorned his face for the first time in months. He had been in a literal lockdown for so long, cut off from the outside world. But now, he had a quest. And, it was important too. He had to prove his dad's innocence.

(Camp Half-Blood)

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves. Criss-crossed shadows of maple leaves decorated the dry, dirty entrance of Camp Half-Blood.

A massive shimmering domed barrier protected the Camp from outside forces such as monsters, and there were demigods and legacies posted as sentries every few hundred meters along the perimeter.

Outside the barrier and at the foot of the hill was an asphalt road that would lead straight to New York City. And it was on this road that a van was parked.

"Aaah. How long is Luke gonna take?", Annabeth groaned.

"Shut up, wise girl. It's been five minutes since the last time you asked.", Clarisse mocked. The daughter of Ares tightened her drakon leather armor. The scales looked almost demonic, matching the bloodlust of the demigod.

Both demigods leaned on the scratched up white van. Clearly, this wasn't the first time the van had been used for demigod business.

Annabeth played with a Yankees cap, throwing it up and down. "Hey Clarisse, you think Luke's been acting a little weird lately? Like … distracted?"

Clarisse scoffed. "This girl, I swear …", she muttered. "No, I don't think so. Luke's been a sore little shit ever since that failed quest of his. What makes you think otherwise?"

Annabeth frowned. "I don't know … just a feeling, I guess. Luke … he's different. Colder, I guess. Been like this for a few months. Ever since he visited his mom I think."

"And you're bringing it up now? To me?", Clarisse raised an eyebrow.

Annabeth sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Luke won't talk about it. Gods knows I've tried."

Clarisse snorted. "He won't talk about it to you, you mean. A hundred drachmas says he'll spill everything after a talk with Silena."

"W-What? Luke wouldn't!", Annabeth said hotly, her cheeks turning red.

Clarisse raised an eyebrow. "I meant charmspeak, Annabeth. Gods, what goes on in that dirty little mind of yours?"

"Hmph. Whatever. I'm sitting inside.", Annabeth declared, sliding open the door of the van and getting inside.

Sighing, Clarisse glanced at her watch. "Where is Luke?"

.

Within the Camp barrier and inside the empty Hermes cabin, Luke Castellan sat on his cabin bed in his own room. Being the leader of the Hermes cabin meant that he had several perks. Like his own room. His feet were flat on the ground and he was bent forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His head limply balanced on his fists.

Had any demigoddess or even some demigods in the Camp seen Luke, they would have fallen head over heels in love. The son of Hermes was practically the dream of every girl.

But he himself was living in a nightmare.

Luke's eyes were bloodshot. From a distance, his sclera looked entirely red, contrasting with his blue irises. His sandy blond hair was untidy, as if he had stopped bothering about it. One would think he was a drug addict rather than a demigod.

There was a quest to retrieve Zeus's Master Bolt. And he was forced to be on it. But he didn't look like he was in any shape whatsoever to participate in a quest.

Involuntarily, he reached into his pocket, taking out the object within. A small hourglass filled with golden, shining sand. A scythe was carved onto the top and bottom.

'What the fuck was I thinking when I joined Kronos?', Luke swore at himself.

If he could travel back in time, he would've punched his past self in the face. Repeatedly. When they say 'Hindsight is twenty-twenty', Luke had not been prepared for that.

He had been betrayed, plain and simple. After he had stolen the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness, he had nearly been killed. That android bitch. No, more like, her master. Kronos's ally.

Perhaps the only solace was that Kronos himself had not betrayed Luke. The Titan Lord had been completely unaware of his near-death at the hands of Unit A1. Kronos himself was furious with his so-called ally.

In fact, it was because Kronos had not betrayed him that Luke was still alive now.

Athena … she had caught him red-handed.

No. She had followed him. He was a fool to think he could have slipped past her gaze. In fact, she was not supposed to be there in the Throne Room.

Still, Athena saved his life. Even now, the conversation with her haunted him.

FLASHBACK

Bweeeeeee. The sound of an electric horn blared loudly.

"Gah!", Luke shot awake. His body jerked, but a sharp pain forced him to stop. His arms were strapped to the armrests of the chair, and his legs were tied to the legs of the chair. The chair itself wasn't a fancy one. Just a metal chair that could be found anywhere.

In front of Luke was a metal table, hard and firm. The desk itself had no space underneath, so there was no hiding anything. The walls, ceiling and floor were colored with an unnaturally monotone gray, as was the desk and chair.

And on the opposite side of the table, sitting in a chair was a black haired woman with sleek rectangular glasses. Stormy gray eyes stared at him, seeming to pierce through his mind. The woman swept her hand in front of his face once. "Time to wake up."

Luke struggled. "Agh!", he groaned. What were these things made of? They looked like regular leather straps.

"Don't bother.", the woman coldly said. "That's reinforced drakon leather sizzled with acid from the Hydra. The harder you try, the more it hurts."

Luke stared at the woman. Stormy gray eyes. Just like … Annabeth. But there was no warmth in her gaze. And her hair was different. It was black.

"You're … Athena."

A wry smile made its way onto the wisdom goddess's face. She clapped lightly. "Well done, Lucas. Perhaps you're expecting a treat for that?"

Luke glared at her. This goddess. He couldn't recognize her. Couldn't even sense her. Demigods and gods always exuded a divine aura. The stronger you were, the stronger the aura was. But Athena … she was emitting nothing. It was a total blank, as if she was a mortal. What kind of ungodly self control was this?

"I'll tell you nothing.", Luke spat. Athena could do what she liked. He wasn't about to help the gods of all people.

Athena's lips turned horizontal. "Oh please."

The goddess made a motion with her palm, hovering it over the table. Grayish light emitted from it, forming a black cubic object on the table. It was the size of a fist, but there seemed to be intricate machinery within as it whirred to life.

Beep!

The black box made a light sound, and an aperture opened up at the top. Bluish light shone out of the aperture, creating a small interactive hologram in the shape of a human brain.

A feeling of dread crept into Luke's heart. Was this what he thought it was?

"I have already mapped every neuron in your brain.", Athena declared. "This mind mapper has a complete copy of your entire brain up till the point you were nearly killed. Even the flashes of your dreams can be extracted. Even the things you yourself cannot remember, I can find out."

Luke gulped. What was this? What kind of horrible technology was this? This was insane. This was crazy. Glancing to the sides, Luke wondered if he could escape.

But there were no doors or windows or even a ventilation system. Just a gray room with a table and two chairs.

Athena smiled slightly. "Would you like a demonstration?"

"Lucas Castsellan. Known as Luke Castellan. Born in Westport, Connecticut to May Castellan and Hermes. You ran away from home when you were nine. Your mother is insane, frequently having fits, thinking that she is foretelling the future."

Athena glanced at him almost mockingly. "Tch. How sad."

The chair rattled as Luke tried to move. Hot anger filled his chest. How dare this goddess speak of his mother that way?!

Athena continued, seemingly not bothered at all by the provocation. "Afterwards, you were on the run for two years until you met Thalia Grace. You helped her hunt down Amaltheia, who led the both of you to a copy of Aegis."

'Copy?'

Luke stared at the wisdom goddess. On her back, he could see the edges of the real Aegis. The fearsome shield was not even facing him, but it still filled him with dread.

"You then had a harrowing experience in the mansion of Halcyon Green. Afterwards, you found Annabeth Chase."

As the goddess spoke more and more, Luke could hardly believe what he was seeing and hearing. This was Annabeth's mother? They couldn't have been more different. Athena's tone and voice were cold and unfeeling, resembling more like the android Unit A1 rather than a living goddess. Even more frightening was the sheer apathy Athena held when talking about anything, even her own daughter.

Even when Annabeth's name came up, Athena's gaze, her tone, her voice did not change whatsoever. It was as if she was talking about a line of code.

Even Kronos showed emotion. Whenever the Titan Lord spoke to Luke in his dreams, he was angry, vindictive or sometimes pleased.

But not Athena. It was jarring and unnatural how the wisdom goddess spoke and acted. Like a puppet on strings. Oh of course her lips curled into a smirk or a smile, but her eyes never changed. Her voice never changed. It was all so fake. Like as if the wisdom goddess was trying to imitate emotions, and failing.

Athena continued onward, detailing Luke's entire life story to him. "Hmm. Later, you were aided by Grover Underwood. A junior satyr who was tasked with bringing the three of you to Camp Half-Blood. Unfortunately, Thalia Grace was killed by monsters."

That same apathetic tone. White hot rage filled Luke's chest. Thalia's screams rang in his head. "Killed?!", he shouted. "If that was only all that happened! I know who sent those monsters! It was Zeus! Wasn't it?! That piece of shit! Do you hear me, you bastard! Rot in Tartarus! And you as well! And all the rest of you!"

Despite the sudden outburst from Luke, there wasn't a trace of emotion on Athena's face. The wisdom goddess seemed to be least bothered by it. Any other god would have turned Luke into atoms by now, but the wisdom goddess seemed to have an infinite amount of patience.

She raised an eyebrow at Luke. "Had I not ensured a secure location for this conversation, you would have just signed your own death warrant just now."

Luke glared at her. He really wanted to punch her in the face. That faux smile and fake expression pissed him off to no end.

"Later, you were sent on a quest to retrieve a golden apple. You failed."

"I injured Ladon. Name a demigod alive who could do that!"

"Meaningless excuses. You failed the quest. You started to grow bitter and angry. You thought your father sent you on a suicide mission for nothing. You were right."

"What?"

Luke's mind turned blank. He had been expecting all sorts of justifications. But this?

"Well, you are half right.", Athena corrected. "Hermes had this idea that such an accomplishment would help you. To soothe you. When you grieved for Thalia Grace, when you were hurt, he felt hurt."

An unfamiliar emotion crept into Luke's heart. "H-He did? Hermes? My father? That's why …"

It was moronic. Idiotic. Why would Hermes think that such a thing would help Luke? What on earth gave him that idea? But … he had thought about it at least. He tried.

Athena continued. "After that, Kronos made contact with you in your sleep. Atlas must have conveyed the information to him."

Luke frowned. "Atlas? How?"

Athena smiled coldly. "I suppose you did not notice the Titan of Endurance holding up the skies? Maybe not. I suppose you were preoccupied with Ladon. But in case you don't know, the prison of Atlas is very near the Garden of the Hesperides. Naturally, Atlas must have been at least slightly impressed with your display, and he conveyed as such to Kronos. Which is how the Titan Lord knew to look for you."

"Kronos then poisoned your already damaged psyche. The Titan Lord poured oil into the fire of your hatred. And eventually, drove you into attempting the biggest heist of your life. First, you stole the Helm of Darkness from Hades' Palace. This was easy. You used my gift to Annabeth to sneak past the guards and take it. Then, you used your hourglass amulet to teleport out of there."

Luke blinked. This goddess. She really wasn't lying when she said that every piece of his brain was recorded onto that thing. Goddess or not, no way she should have known about the exact methods he used.

"Afterwards, you entered Olympus via a magical portal. Hmm. Hecate. I'll have to look into that. From there, it was easy to make your way to the throne room. After all, Olympus is not very active nowadays. Once there, you stole the Master Bolt. I helped you by getting Zeus's attention elsewhere."

"Bullshit!", Luke exclaimed. "You directly alerted him."

Athena smiled. "Luke Castellan. You are a fool if you think Zeus would not have realized his divine weapon was moving away from him. Had he been calmer, Zeus would have pinpointed your location by the time you got even ten feet away. What I did was get him into a furious state, to scramble his concentration, giving you a few precious seconds to escape."

Luke sighed, not answering.

"After that, you brought the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness to a Celestial Bronze lined bunker. Good. Artemis might have located you with ease otherwise. And once in the bunker, you handed over the weapons to an android named 'A1'. A1 then proceeded to fatally injure you, and left. Soon after, I arrived. And here we are."

Luke sighed. The dreadful feeling in his heart had yet to vanish. He could only imagine what was going to happen next.

Athena smiles slightly. "Another time perhaps. Now, Luke Castellan. You have stolen the Master Bolt and the Helm of Darkness. I will hand you over to Lord Zeus. Most likely, you will be thrown into Tartarus to suffer for eternity."

Luke sighed again.

"Or …"

'Wait.', Luke thought. Hope stirred in his heart. 'She can't be serious.'

"You can work for me. I can arrange it so that Lord Zeus will not punish you. You will be able to continue living in Camp Half-Blood. You think of my daughter Annabeth like a sister, yes? And your other friends? Your fellow siblings in the Hermes cabin? Isn't it selfish and inhumane of you to abandon them to die? To force them to grieve for a pathetic thief? For a traitor?"

A mixture of anger, guilt and realization filled his heart. "Why? What's in it for you? I doubt you'd go to such lengths just for the feelings of the Campers."

Athena smiled. "Of course not. Their feelings do not warrant even an iota of concern for me. But they do for you. And I need someone like you. It is quite clear that Kronos himself is not involved in betraying you."

"He's … not?"

"The hourglass pendant you are carrying? There is a remote connection to the Titan Lord. Had he wished, he could have just exploded it, killing you instantly. There would be no need for all the hassle of luring you to an abandoned bunker in the middle of nowhere. It seems like the Titan Lord himself has been betrayed by his own ally."

"Oh.", Luke said dumbly. What was there to say about that? Realization hit him that he had been caught up in a scheme that was aimed against Kronos. This 'ally' of Kronos probably wanted to hurt Kronos' revival prospects by killing one of Kronos's main subordinates.

Not that it was any different now. Luke had fallen into Athena's hands. And he could guess what she wanted him to do.

"Luke Castellan. You will become a double spy. I want you to report to Kronos and continue reporting as if everything is normal. Moreover, you will tell him that his ally has betrayed him and that you were almost killed. To make it seem realistic, I have purposely kept you here for a month. That should be enough for a demigod to heal from a life threatening injury."

Luke frowned. "I've been here a month?!"

"Sleeping. You awoke today. It is February by the way. Camp Half-Blood thinks you have gone to visit your mother."

"What?"

"Moreover, the reports that you give Kronos must have genuine intel. The only difference is, you will be giving me intel about Kronos as well. You will also tell me everything you tell Kronos."

For a few moments, Luke thought about it. Considering his situation, it wasn't bad. There was only one issue. He hated the gods, and he would rather die before helping them. But Athena was right … if he died now, he would die for nothing. Maybe he could find a way to alert Kronos later. But for now…

Athena smiled. "There is no need to think, Luke Castellan. This is not an offer. This is not a request. This is a command. You will do what I say. Your only other option is eternal suffering."

Luke knew he had nothing. There was no other option. "I ... I accept."

"Very good. And oh, one last thing. If you even think about revealing any of this to Kronos, then I will immediately and personally drown you in the Phlethegon. Is that understood?"

Luke sighed. "Yes."

FLASHBACK END

Music was blaring in the background, but Luke hardly paid any attention to it. The only thing he noted was that it was one of Thalia's favorite songs. 'Never Fade Away' by a Swedish band called 'Refused'.

To be honest, it was really fitting for his situation at the moment.

Reaching across to his bed's nightstand, Luke grabbed a small glass bottle. Taking off the lid, he poured several small multicolored tablets out onto his palm. After staring at them for a few moments, he swallowed them.

"Ssss.", Luke hissed, feeling the sudden, sharp spike of pain in his forehead. His vision swam, dancing wildly. Colors swapped senselessly and the world seemed to become a rainbow.

Closing his eyes, Luke enjoyed the few minutes of distraction. His thoughts were pushed to the side, and he leaned back on the wall, breathing deeply and simply enjoying the music.

"Thalia …", he muttered. "You always did have an excellent taste in music."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"LUKE!", A shout came from outside the door. Annabeth.

The son of Hermes shut his eyes, cringing. "Shit.", he muttered. He slowly got off his bed, his head spinning and his vision swimming with colors.

"Come on Luke! We're late already! Argus has been waiting for an hour now!"

"Coming!", Luke hollered. "Gimme a few minutes."

"Quickly! Clarisse and I will be waiting at the van!", she shouted back over the loud music.

Luke sighed, looking into the mirror while his hand held the bed frame, keeping him balanced upright. Making a quick decision, he popped a square of ambrosia into his mouth.

The sudden relief brought by the divine food cleared his mind. Although he still felt weak, his eyes were no longer bloodshot. Quickly, he combed his hair properly, and stuffed some toiletries and clothes into a backpack, along with ambrosia, nectar and a lot of drachmas.

Perhaps the only silver lining out of being a double agent for Athena was that she did not skimp on the drachmas. Every month, a hundred golden drachmas were somehow inside Luke's room. Let it never be said that the wisdom goddess was a miser.

Finally, Luke grabbed a black bomber jacket, wearing it over his orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Lately, the weather was a bit cold. A little bit of covering wouldn't hurt.

It was for his shoes that Luke stopped. He had gone to grab his usual sneakers, but his hands froze.

Flap. Flap.

In the corner of his wardrobe, a pair of classic black and white sneakers sat there, collecting dust. But there was something special about these sneakers. On either sides of the sneakers, two tiny wings flapped, making the shoes float slightly.

These were the flying sneakers he had stolen from his father's palace a long time ago. Hermes had never come looking for it, and so Luke had taken it as a green light. He had used it only once. When he had tried to retrieve a golden apple. These sneakers were the only way he could fight Ladon.

Luke's eyes flicked between his usual sneakers, and the flying sneakers.

For a few moments, Luke's hand inched towards his regular sneakers. He should just take those. He should just take his regular sneakers. Using his father's shoes … he shouldn't. Luke didn't want to acknowledge Hermes anything but a sperm donor. He didn't want to use anything that belonged to him.

But he couldn't do that. Athena's words came to mind. "When you were hurt, he felt hurt."

The son of Hermes gritted his teeth. "Damn you, dad."

"Fuck.", Luke swore. His hand changed direction, grabbing the flying sneakers instead. Why he decided to do that, he had no idea.

Quickly, Luke wore the shoes before he changed his mind.

Flap. Flap.

The sneakers flapped their tiny wings happily, as if they were waiting all this time to be worn.

Luke took a deep breath. There was a long, long way to go. But a small portion of the weight on his shoulders vanished.

Raising his hourglass pendant towards his mouth, Luke pressed the side button. The golden sand in the hourglass started to glow.

"Luke Castellan here, My Master. I am about to leave Camp Half-Blood in search of the Master Bolt and the Helm."

For a few moments, nothing happened, but then a deep voice emerged, like the sound of a thousand knives scraping against stone.

"Good. Give me an update once you find them."

"Yes, Master."

Keeping the hourglass pendant in his pocket, Luke grabbed his backpack, heading outside his room. For the first time in months, he looked awake.

Within his empty room in the Hermes cabin, a golden light shone. As it faded, a black haired goddess with rectangular glasses was standing there.

She smiled as she saw the flying sneakers missing. "As expected. Your move, Kronos. Let us see to whom Luke will be more loyal."

Athena's smile could even be mistaken as sinister. 'This 'ally' of Kronos. A rather interesting fellow. He wanted me to make Luke Castellan a double agent. Which means, he is trying to undermine Kronos … interesting. It seems that the enemy is not very united at all. Or is that a trick? A facade? Let us see. After all, Luke Castellan is hardly my only card to play.'

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A/N: I'm fairly certain there will be questions after this chapter. So fire away guys. I'll answer the questions in an A/N at the beginning of the next chapter. Thanks for reading and to my fellow Indians, stay safe, wear masks and keep your fucking distances from each other. Shit is hitting the fan hard here with covid.