Chapter 7
A/N: Hey guys back with another chapter. Thank you all for reviewing and liking and following. I really appreciate it. Please read the end AN for some explanation regarding the future of the story. Hopefully you enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think, leave a review, a PM I don't mind-let me know your thoughts.
Antfig: thanks for your review. I actually didn't realise I did this a lot. I saw your review, looked back and was like wow I do that a lot. Thanks for letting me know, appreciate the feedback and hopefully you enjoy the rest of the story (without the AN's in the middle)! Any other criticisms are welcome so please let me know!
Usual disclaimer…the Athena part is based off a movie scene from 3 idiots (great film). On to the story!
The sons of Hermes had done it again. No matter how hard Chiron tried to keep the secrecy, it just didn't seem to work. Artemis had told Chiron that the pair of them had not been present in the Big House during their meeting, and even she did not know how they did it.
Chiron had turned down her offer of interrogating the pair of them at the same time using a variety of methods. The Moon Goddess had donned an evil grin as she gave the trainer of heroes a multiple-choice option.
A-take turns turning one of them into a jackelope, and other furry woodland creatures until one of them confessed. B- Use the sharp weapons that the hunter's possessed in very intimidating and painful ways until they would spill even the secrets they hadn't asked for. Or C-give them to the older hunters who could use the gruesome interrogation methods of the past.
Chiron had strictly declined, much to the disappointment of Artemis, and her hunters.
Connor and Travis Stoll had once again seemed to know details regarding tonight's story and were holding the information to ransom from the other demigods. They had gone around camp boasting and bragging that nothing happened in this camp without them knowing about it. Anyone who wanted to know anything about the identity of the storyteller for tonight was told to cough up fifty drachmas and then swear on the Styx not to pass on the information to anyone else.
The thing about the sons of Hermes was, that whilst they had incredible business acumen, they were also pranksters and liars. In fact, they had told everyone who had paid them money a different name. They had kept the identities a secret and outright lied to everyone else, and made money from it. All in a day's work.
However, now that Athena and Ares had arrived to tell their stories, the attention of the demigods had turned towards Connor and Travis. The outrage at having been conned was far more pressing than the story. The pair of them would unfortunately not be part of the campfire tonight and would instead be spending their night in the infirmary.
Once the Stoll's had been dealt with, the attention turned once again to the two deities that had arrived. Two of the council, Athena and Ares stood before the camp. They were an intimidating sight. Athena's cold stare was one of the worst things to be on the end of. And Ares's sheer presence set everyone on edge, as if a mere breath could result in the start of a fight.
Athena was a beautiful and regal goddess, yet somewhat scary. It was clear she was a warrior goddess. Her stormy grey eyes were bright and full of a fierce energy. Her black hair was flowing, much like the grey robes she adorned.
Ares was a huge, muscular man; his face etched in a vicious sneer. He was wearing black jeans, combat boots, a black leather duster, and a red muscle shirt under a bulletproof vest. He wore a pair of red tinted sunglasses to cover up his flaming eyes.
The pair of them looked around before Athena addressed the crowd.
"Demigods, tonight we are going to narrate the tale of the first time we encountered Perseus. Personally, the first impression I had wasn't the greatest but it was an intriguing meeting. It was the time Apollo had come collecting a favour we owed him and…" Athena didn't get to finish, as Ares seemed to have enough and decided to interrupt.
"Listen Owl-head, no one cares about this essay introduction you're starting with here. Get on with your story so I can tell mine. I have a date with Aphrodite tonight and I cannot be late. When that woman is angry, there isn't a scarier being anywhere. I can't believe I lost to you in rock-paper-scissors and you haven't even heard of the game before."
Athena glared at Ares. She hated being interrupted.
"Well, it was simple. Once you had explained the rules, I just had to apply logic. You being the ever-predictable idiot you are were always going to pick the object that most represents you. You prefer brute force over everything else. That eliminated paper as you would never fight with something so mundane. Scissors are not a good enough weapon for you and so therefore rock was the only option you would pick simply because you would love to smash someone's head with a rock. So, I chose paper." Athena shrugged nonchalantly as she finished her explanation, taking great pleasure as Ares went red in embarrassment. That had clearly been his reasoning.
Ares raised his hands in a placating manner. It wasn't worth getting into an argument with Athena. She always beat him. In fact, she always outsmarted everyone.
"Now as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. The first time we crossed paths with Perseus was when Apollo had asked the pair of us to help train his Army so that they could beat Artemis's hunters."
Line Break
A group of fifteen to twenty boys aged between fourteen and twenty sat in the clearing, enjoying each other's company as they laughed and ate. It was midday in the peak of the Grecian summer. Sweltering hot heat with little to no breeze had caused the group to resign themselves to the comfort of the shade.
The Army of Apollo had chosen to rest, pausing during their morning travels to eat lunch. Today was no ordinary summer's day. The ordinary mortal may not notice the change, but it was definitely there. If they hadn't been Apollo's companions for as long as they had, even they might not have noticed the difference.
The Sun burned brighter; the heat being given off was significantly more unbearable than usual.
"Gods," muttered Perseus. "I wonder what Apollo's so happy about that his excitement is causing the entirety of Greece to melt." The others murmured in agreement. Something had definitely happened.
Not even a moment later, the aforementioned God of the Sun arrived. His smile was almost as bright and unbearable as the Sun. His smile was smug, meaning that he was clearly very happy with himself and was even more excited to tell them.
His Army looked at him expectantly. The Sun God was unable to hold his excitement in any longer.
"So, as you all may know, I have been trying to convince a few of the other Gods and Goddesses to train you guys just so we can finally get the upper hand on my sister and her hunters. I did some thinking and finally came to the conclusion that Athena and Ares would probably be the best bet in regards to the quality of the training they would give us."
The boys all suddenly sat up. The prospect of learning from both Athena and Ares was exciting enough to perk them up.
"But they said no. Repeatedly. And rather violently." Apollo absentmindedly rubbed his back, as if remembering the painful rejection. His words were met with groans from his companions, who had begun to look forward to the tutelage of the two Olympians.
"But then, I went to Hermes," Apollo continued. "We're brothers and best friends. And whilst I originally went to moan about what Athena and Ares had done, I realised that Hermes wasn't a bad bet either." The boys were all interested again. Hermes had been around camp before and was on friendly terms with them all and had helped them out on a number of occasions. Learning from him wouldn't be too shabby either.
"He also said no. He was too busy even though he said he'd have loved to." There were more groans this time round, accompanied by more than a few for Gods' sakes. "However, I wasn't above a little begging and pleading and constant pestering. He still said no. But," Apollo continued before the chorus of groans could start again. "He did say that both Athena and Ares owed him a favour and that I should stop bothering him and that I should tell them both that he was cashing in his favours. So, we have sessions with both Athena and Ares." Perseus snorted.
"So basically, you pestered Hermes into giving up a favour he could cash in just to get you off his back. That definitely sounds like you." Apollo smiled wryly at his second in command.
The Olympian deity clicked his fingers, causing his chariot to appear in the clearing. It was a beautiful mahogany chariot, with ornate gold carvings of the story of Apollo and Python. The chariot was being pulled by golden pegasi. Apollo snapped his finger again, causing the chariot to elongate to a size capable of transporting them all.
"Hop in. Athena doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Once they were all seated, the chariot zipped through the air. The landscape flashed by as they made their way towards Mount Olympus, through the hustle bustle of the Olympian marketplace, until the pegasi came to a rest in front of some grand wooden doors.
"Have fun you guys, and remember that the knowledge you gain here is nothing short of gold dust." Apollo started to remount his chariot before he was stopped.
"Aren't you coming with us?" KD asked curiously. Apollo laughed nervously.
"No. Athena is not really happy about the fact that she has to do this. So, when she lets go of her grudge, I'll face her again." With that the Sun God disappeared.
Apollo's men all turned towards their Flagbearer. As the second in command, it was Perseus's job to lead in his absence. They would follow his lead. He shrugged and pushed open the doors.
The doors opened, revealing a grand library. Polished, white marble floors. Strong grand pillars, similar to those found in the Parthenon. There were rows and rows of large thirty-meter-tall shelves, stacked with any and every type pf book in existence. Books on history, language, poetry, battle tactics, wars, arts, crafts. You name it and it was there.
Various statues of the Gods lined the hallways. The walls were covered with intricately woven tapestries of the Olympian council and the significant moments in their history. It was a beautiful sight to behold; one that had the young men staring in awe as their eyes adjusted to the majestic sight.
An impatient cough brought them back to reality as they turned to see Lady Athena staring at them with a cold, grey glare. She was not an enemy you wanted. Her cold, calculating eyes assessed them all individually, judging them. She turned and walked away, clear that she wanted them to follow.
They walked along the hallways for a couple of minutes before coming to an area that contained a slate blackboard. There were several chairs and desks dotted around, with blank books and writing utensils next to them. It was blatantly obvious that note taking was highly recommended in this session. Athena addressed them all as they took their seats.
"As you may all know my name is Athena. You may address me as my lady or lady Athena. I will accept no other alternative. I am a very busy individual and as such I will require absolute concentration. I will not repeat myself. I shall make it clear that I, in no shape or form wish to be here. A favour was cashed in, and whilst I have no joy in being here, I do not do any job half-heartedly." The boys all knew that they were in for a tough session. There was no way Athena was going to go easy on them. It was lecture and learning time.
"Apollo wants you all to challenge Artemis and her hunters and win. That is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. They are skilled. Unbelievably so. I believe a large part of their success is down to preparation and understanding of tactics, weaponry. Their strengths and weaknesses. To counter this you must all gain a deeper understanding of yourselves and each other. What are you best at? How can you be the most effective version of yourself? I shall start by giving you a couple of hours to read through these books. After which I shall hope the information has sunk in as I shall be testing all of you. Feel free to use the blank books to take notes."
In a flash a bunch of books appeared on Athena's desk, with replicas of the books appearing on the desk of everyone present. Percy grimaced. This was going to be predominantly, if not, solely theory based. Surely this was wrong. Of course, he was a firm believer in knowledge being power. But theory was only going to help if they could apply it in practice. Whilst books were helpful, you can't learn everything from them. He shrugged as he opened the first book. He'd decided that he would give Athena a chance. Why not? He was sceptical. How was this going to help improve them?
Perseus was brought out of his inner musings by Athena's voice. Had the time already passed?
"Let's start with the basics." She turned to the slate blackboard and wrote the word weapon on it. Perseus's body cringed involuntarily. That was what he was. A weapon. He had come to terms with his situation; his destiny. However, that didn't mean he was comfortable with these powers that he could only just about control.
"What is a weapon?" Athena looked around at them as she asked. There was silence. It seemed that everyone was too intimidated by Athena to say anything. It was then that Perseus realised that all of his friends were looking at him. They were expecting him to answer. As the Flagbearer, he was expected to set the standard. He sighed as he answered.
"A weapon is anything that can be used on the battlefield my Lady." The frown that came up on the Goddesses' face clearly told Perseus and the rest of them that this is not the answer she was hoping for.
"What is your name Flagbearer?"
"Perseus, my Lady." It was just a simple response, as one would expect when asked of their name. but the way Perseus said his name sent shivers down her spine.
"Will you please elaborate Perseus." Perseus sighed. He stood up as he had always done when asked to explain at school.
"Anything that you can use on the battlefield to your advantage is a weapon. Need to attack an enemy that is far away? Pull an arrow from your quiver and notch it on your bow and that's a weapon. Need to defend yourself from a foe? Draw a shield, that is a weapon. Need to fight an enemy at close range? Unsheathe a sword, draw a spear, wield a knife. Those are all weapons. Actually, we are surrounded by weapons my Lady. Such is the innovation of fighting methods today that you can use anything nowadays." Perseus lifted the writing utensil.
"From this writing utensil, Perseus then stuck his tongue out. "To this tongue. They can all be used as weapons." Perseus sticking his tongue out had the rest of them holding their stomachs in laughter.
Athena was less than impressed. She made her feelings quite clear as she threw the chalk that she had been using to write. It flew through the air and hit Perseus square on the forehead.
"Tell me the definition Flagbearer." Perseus seemed confused at her request. He rubbed the spot that the chalk had hit with surprising strength and velocity.
"I just gave you the definition my Lady." The laughter had stopped and an uncomfortable silence had taken its place. Athena's frown deepened.
"I'm disappointed Flagbearer. Is this how you lead. Is this what you teach the men under your command." She stuck her tongue out, imitating what Perseus had done just moments ago. "That this is a weapon?"
When Perseus had done that, it had caused laughter to run through their ranks. But Athena's version had them scared into their seats, mouths closed, almost as if they'd been sewn shut. Athena scanned the rest of the room.
"Anybody else? What is the definition?" Lethe tentatively raised his hand. He, like the other sons of Athena had been especially eager to meet the Wisdom Goddess. She was intimidating, yet brilliant. Lethe had finally raised enough courage to speak in front of her. All the Goddess's sons had been eager to prove themselves to her. Lethe stood nervously.
"A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used with intent to inflict damage or harm. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, self-defence, and warfare. In broader context, weapons may be construed to include anything used to gain a tactical, strategic, material or mental advantage over an adversary or enemy target." Lethe recited a perfect textbook definition. The smile on Athena's face couldn't have been prouder.
"Perfect. I expect nothing less from one of my own. Please sit back down." Lethe's smile was nearly as big as Apollo's had been earlier. However, many looked confused at what he had said
"My Lady, most of us aren't blessed with super intelligence like Lethe. I said basically the same thing in simple terms." Athena looked positively scandalized.
"If you want things to be simple, then you are in the wrong place. If you want things in simple terms, then go and be a labourer, not a leader. War, battle and strategies is as complex as it gets." It seemed neither was backing down.
"But one should understand the meaning behind things too, right my Lady? I'm not saying books and knowledge is bad. But what is the point of blindly cramming a bookish definition?" These questions only seemed to irk the Goddess more. In fact, the anger in her voice reached a higher octave.
"You think you are smarter than the books?" Athena was livid as she gestured to the multitude of books surrounding her in the library. This is what is written in these books, by experts in their respective fields. And if you want to have even an inkling of a chance at beating Artemis and her hunters, then you will do well to follow these books." The venom in the Wisdom Goddess' voice was clear as day. Her outbursts had caused everyone to shrink further into their seats, away from the furious Goddess, lest they be on the receiving end of her anger next. But Perseus wasn't backing down. He stood firm and looked Athena in her eyes.
"But there are other books that…"
"Get out!" Athena had clearly had enough. This Flagbearer was clearly insolent and she had no idea what Apollo had seen in him to award him this position.
"Oh…Why?" Perseus looked confused. He had no idea what he had done wrong. He had stayed respectful and hadn't raised his voice. Athena was clearly done entertaining this discussion.
"In simple terms Flagbearer; Leave!" Athena had snapped. The vein in her forehead was throbbing frantically. She could feel a headache coming on. How dare he question her.
The members of Apollo's army looked shocked as they turned to look at each other. They didn't know what to do. This wasn't how the training was supposed to go. Their leader had clearly angered an Olympian Goddess and had been kicked out of the library. They didn't know where to look. They didn't know what to say. And they certainly didn't know what to do.
Perseus walked slowly towards the exit.
"Idiot," muttered Athena as the son of Amphitrite walked past her. She turned back towards the rest of her "class". She cleared her throat. "So, we were discussing weapons…"
She didn't get to finish as Perseus had turned back around and was walking back towards his seat.
"Why are you back Perseus?" Athena was about to lose her composure. It was bad enough that Apollo had managed to get her to do this session; she had better things to do than argue with imbeciles.
"I forgot something my lady."
"What?" It annoyed her that her anger had not scared him off and that he had the audacity to maintain eye contact as he disrespected her authority.
"instruments that record, analyse, summarise, organise, debate and explain information in the form of writing or images, that are intended for the enlightenment, understanding, enrichment, enhancement and education of a brain, typically composed of many pages bound together and protected by a cover."
There was another stunned silence. But this time, it seemed even Athena was confused. She let out a frustrated sigh.
"What are you trying to say Perseus. Hurry it up, I don't have all day." Both KD and Lethe were staring at Perseus, imploring him not to piss off the enraged deity even more. He either didn't see them or he ignored them. His sole focus was on the Goddess.
"Books my Lady. I forgot the books. Can I take them?" The vein on Athena's forehead looked ready to burst.
"So why didn't you just simply say books in the first place." She was seconds away from vaporising this insolent demigod.
"I tried to explain things to you simply earlier my Lady, but you didn't like or appreciate it." Perseus's nonchalant tone, caused a few braver members of Apollo's army to snicker briefly.
And with that, Perseus walked back to the chair and desk he was seated at, scooped up the books and walked out, leaving a stunned Wisdom Goddess and an equally stunned army.
"Sorry my Lady." Lethe seemed to find his words again. "Sometimes Perseus has no self-control when he speaks and just says what is on his mind. He means no disrespect to…" Athena raised her hand to stop her son in his tracks.
She had only registered the sound of someone speaking, but had paid no attention to the words. Rather, she was pondering on the parting words of Apollo's Flagbearer. The way he spoke, how he explained it…so simply. Yet it made sense. What he was saying made complete sense. She could see the logic now. His thought process was different. He saw things in a different way to her and stood up for what he thought was right. It intrigued her. Wisdom was her domain, and she could see the wisdom in his words; not just his words, but he himself was intelligent. It had been her pride that had caused a momentary lapse in her judgement. There was a better way of seeing things. Because he had been right.
And she had been wrong. And it was the first time she had been left speechless by the wisdom of another.
Perseus. Flagbearer of the Army of Apollo. He had caught her eye, and she would keep an eye on him. For he was one to watch.
Line Break
Ares was not happy in the slightest. He would rather be anywhere than here, training demigods. Apollo had cornered him and using the favour he owed Hermes, the pair of them had roped him into this inconvenient task. He had cursed the pair of them to Tartarus and back.
The only good thing is that he could vent his frustrations on the demigods. So, he did just that. He put them through two hours of repetitive drills. Stab. Parry. Thrust. Disarm. Repeat.
He constantly berated them too. Getting under their skin as he cursed, swore and insulted anyone who messed up in the slightest. Anyone who messed up badly would go three rounds with him as he released his anger.
He wore an irritating smirk as he put the demigods through extreme pain and discomfort. He wanted them to break so that neither they nor Apollo would ever ask anything from him again.
A part of him had been curious. He'd been hearing rumours that Apollo's men were getting stronger. They were improving and receiving more dangerous quests than before from Zeus. But looking at them now, he knew they weren't at the level Artemis and her hunters were. There was potential in their ranks yes, but it was raw.
Ares wasn't known for his patience. So, he did what he thought was best. He through them into the proverbial deep end. The hardest exercises, the toughest drills, intense stamina training. If they were tough warriors, then they would get through it. Even his children were put through their paces. There was no preferential treatment. If they couldn't overcome this, then they were simply unworthy. So far, he had to give them credit. They had struggled, but not complained. They were determined to see it through, and if Ares wasn't in a bad mood, he may have respected their efforts.
But Apollo's men were tiring. They had been going all day. Sweat dripped heavily from their faces. Their legs wobbled. Many were hunched over, hands on knees trying to recover their breaths. They had reached their limits. Ares was not happy. He wasn't finished with them yet.
"Is this all you are capable of?" He spat on the ground. "Pathetic. You might as well give up now."
The God of War drew his sword and used it to batter those closest to him, causing them to crumple where they stood, the strain of the day's workout taking its toll. Their legs betrayed them, no longer able to work, to flee from the savage War God, who was swinging at anything within his range.
"Enough!" They all turned towards the voice. Perseus stood, sword drawn and raised challengingly at Ares. "I have stood by all day as you hurled insult upon insult. But no longer. If you have any issues. Take them up with me."
Ares's snarl turned into an evil smirk. This would be exactly what he needed. He was going to take out his anger on Apollo's Flagbearer. It was time to see what the second in command was made of.
Without a word, Ares lunged at Perseus, swinging his sword at the second in command. Immediately Perseus was on the defensive. Ares's swings were strong and powerful and it took most of Perseus's energy just to parry.
The Flagbearer had been through the rigorous training beforehand, whereas the War God was fresh. The outlook was not positive for Perseus. His muscles groaned in agony. Crying out for relief. His arms threatened to fall by his sides, but he forced them to stay up, using his sword to block the deities strikes. He had to keep his defence up.
Ares's onslaught continued. All Perseus would do was defend. Blocking and defending blows like his life depended on it. And the way Ares was swinging, sadistic grin adorning his face as he swung, it might've been. Five minutes, ten minutes, half an hour.
"Just apologise Perseus. You don't need to take this punishment on our behalf." Lethe was pleading with Perseus. Apollo had managed to convince two Olympians to train them and somehow their leader had angered them both. His voiced concern was met with a shake of the head from Perseus.
"At least fight back. You are just defending." KD spoke up too. They had all formed a close bond over time and it was tough to see how his friend might fall at the hands of an angry Ares.
"Not yet." Perseus's outburst had caused Ares's roaring laughter to stop. Not Yet? He had been on the defence on purpose? It had been an hour since they started and this half blood had stood toe to toe with him. It was an outrage. He was the God of War. He thrived o fights. And this half breed was on the defensive on purpose, toying with him. Rage built inside him. He growled and flared his aura.
"Apollo should discard you all and feed you to the wolves. All of you are unworthy. It was a waste of my time being here. You are all a disgrace to yourselves, your parents and Apollo himself. Who even are you to stand in front of me?"
Perseus had been silent for the majority of today. Biting his tongue as this deity hurled insults and abuse at his men. All because Apollo had told him to try to let things go in the view that it would help them in the long run. But this was enough. He wouldn't stand by any longer whilst his friends were berated and belittled. He would fight for them. For the respect of the group.
He felt the familiar tug in his gut and this time he didn't fight to control it. He let it loose. He let it free. Maybe it was because Perseus had reacted to the aura of Ares. He didn't know. All he knew was that he had to fight for his friends. To teach this God that they were not to be looked down on. His eyes pulsed with power.
"I am Perseus. Flagbearer of the Army of Apollo." Ares's strike faltered. The authority in the voice had caught him off guard. He had to admit that being able to withstand an hour against him was impressive, but it was like this was a different person. Green eyes, glowing with power. He parried Ares's swing and kicked him away.
Ares watched as Perseus's gaze moved away from him and towards his son KD, who had told Perseus to fight back. A mischievous smirk formed on the Flagbearer's face. He only said one thing.
"Hey KD." KD looked at Perseus. Apollo's men had seen this version of Perseus only twice before. Once against Kampe, and the other when he was trying to control this power during training, when he had single-handedly decimated them all, easily. "Now."
Perseus stalked forward towards Ares. Apollo's men knew that the fight had already had a set outcome. In this state, Perseus was unstoppable. Perseus spoke as he walked.
"I stood by and watched as you insulted and belittled us. We are not to be overlooked. We are a close group and we don't take kindly to being looked down on. You think you are so high and mighty? Then come and prove it."
Perseus stopped a few yards short of Ares, waiting expectantly for the God to rise to his feet.
"You disrespect one of us you disrespect us all. And I don't care who stands before me. Be it you, be it Zeus himself. I will match your respect, but I will top your disrespect." Ares was now enraged as he stood before the demigod who had shamelessly challenged him.
"You have shown a lot of disrespect today God of War. Telling us all what you think of us. Trundling through here with brute force. You want a fight with brute force, then come and get one."
Ares had heard enough and lunged forward, putting everything into his strike. This time, Perseus not only blocked and parried, but he countered with his own forceful strike. For the first time Ares found himself outmatched in the strength department. Perseus's strikes quickly put him on the back foot, and the God had to adjust his footwork into a defensive stance.
"You spent a lot of time telling us what we are. Let me return the favour God of War. You are aloof, cruel, impetuous, proud, and violent; an easily angered bully who seems to care only about fighting." Each word was said alongside a powerful strike of Riptide. "You are narcissistic and foolhardy, an arrogant brute, and that is why you shall not win this fight. Your overconfidence leads you to think you are invincible. Despite being an excellent battle strategist and a fierce warrior, your reckless nature sets you apart from other Olympians like Ladies Athena and Artemis. You rely on strength, well let me show you how outmatched you are whilst I beat the respect into you."
By now Perseus had found several holes in Ares's defence. The God of War was bleeding ichor from several cuts. In an attempt to save face, Ares attempted to use his powers. He didn't stand a chance.
The river in the clearing that had been churning violently since the start of this conflict erupted from its bank and enveloped itself around Ares. Perseus waved his hand dismissively and the water followed suit, launching the God of War into the distance.
Exhaustion overwhelmed Perseus as he fell to one knee, using Riptide to keep himself steady. The events that had just occurred sank in. He had just defeated Ares, and quite possibly made an enemy for life. He groaned to himself. Just a typical day in his life.
Ares crash landed several hundred miles away. He groaned in pain as he opened his eyes, only to see that he had landed by someone's feet. He looked up to see the smiling face of Apollo.
"Well Ares? What do you think? Can we beat Artemis and her hunters?" Ares sat up slowly, shaking off the concussion before summoning some ambrosia. He stood up and looked Apollo in the eye. He had to admit he had been beaten and he always respected a good warrior. He had also learnt a lot from the fight. The words that the Flagbearer had said towards him left him with a lot to think about. He had definitely gained respect for them, even though it had literally been beaten into him.
"They'll get there. Your men have potential. But your Flagbearer is something else. He holds power unheard of. As a group they might not win yet, but they'll definitely pose a challenge. Feel free to send your Flagbearer to me for some sparring sessions. It would be interesting to see what his full potential is." Ares turned to leave before he turned back around. "Oh, and tell him I'm stealing his line about matching respect and topping disrespect. Could really use that line only multiple beings in the Godly World."
Apollo laughed as Ares flashed away. He sighed contentedly. Ares was dominantly experienced and knowledgeable in all military tactic arts, making him a dangerous enemy to cross. He was glad that he wouldn't be holding a grudge. And he knew that despite being bullied, his men will have learnt a lot, because Ares knew his stuff. And above all, as all Godly sons of Zeus felt, they all wanted to beat Athena and Artemis at something.
After centuries of being second best to the daughters of Zeus, they were finally one step closer to besting them. And Perseus could be the key.
AN: and done! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please review-let me know what was good/bad. If you enjoyed etc. I'd really appreciate it.
So quite a long chapter. Athena's part was just under 3000 words and Ares's was just under 2000. Ares's was shorter because I felt he would just get to the point in his story as he wouldn't want to hang around, especially because he had a date with Aphrodite. Whereas Athena would go into more detail. That was just my thinking. Hopefully you all feel I portrayed the two Gods in a satisfactory way.
I have about 7 more chapters before Percy is back into the "main timeline". These chapters are to develop Percy's character and show his development and develop relationships between him and everyone else. This chapter was for showing his intelligence and showing how he stands up for his friends. We also saw a bit more of his power-which came out because the cause he was fighting for was to stand up for the respect of his friends.
I think the pairing is finalised as Zoe. I spent a lot of time mulling over it (I tried to see if any other pairing worked) and I think simply for how the plot I have planned is and a bit for my enjoyment, I'm sticking with Zoe. I will promise though that it is not like any other Perzoe. At least I've never seen one anything like the way I have planned it. So those of you who don't like this pairing, please stick with me-the relationship is only part of the story and I hope you all enjoy the plot regardless of pairing. Let me explain a few reasons why:
I don't write Percabeth-not because I don't ship it but because I don't think I can do this pairing as much justice as it deserves as the actual canon pairing. Percalypso again the whole Leo thing was nicely written in canon and Leo is like 2 years younger than Percy so there is still the age thing slightly-not major but I think my plot doesn't really give much chance for much interaction between the two, let alone a relationship. Reyna-to be honest the plot for post Last Olympian isn't quite finished, but to develop a relationship that late on is quite tough to be honest. Especially because this story is written so that Percy isn't really a camper-he is usually with Apollo and later we will see his interactions with Artemis and her hunt so relationships with campers might also be tough. I hope you guys understand and continue to support the story and continue to enjoy it as you have been doing up to now.
See you guys in the next chapter!