Chapter 41

I followed Remleon and Zoe pass the corner of the street, and was met with the sight of one of the largest buildings I had ever seen.

Palms place.

"There it is." Said Remleon, coming to a stop. We all gazed up towards the building, and I was sure we all felt the distinct presence.

He grunted. "Might as well just get this over with." And with those words, he walked forward, leading our group.

My hand never left my sheathed blade, because broken or not, I was ready to use it. I wasn't going to get caught off guard, not anymore

"Your ready." Asked Zoe behind herself.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I replied straightforwardly. She went quiet for a moment before speaking.

"I know your dead set on doing this, Perseus, but all I ask is that you don't die a needless death." She finally said.

I raised a brow. To hear the hunter concerned for me was not something I would get used to.

"I won't die, don't worry Zoe." I replied, and something told me she didn't believe me. I barely believed myself.

Though, she didn't respond, and those were the last words we spoke before we reached the front of the building.

There was no doubt that the building was more imposing up close. I looked up the entire thing in awe, slightly intimidated. The fact that there was a god at the top didn't help.

Remleon turned back to us both as his hand hovered near the door handle.

"Are you two ready?" He asked.

Zoe took out her bow and nodded. I unsheathed my broken blade and held it by my side.

Zoe frowned. I realized this was the first time she had seen the blade since she had given it to me.

"You broke my blade?"

"Well, Logus did, but yes, it is broken."

"That sword was given to me by Artemis herself once I joined her hunt as a replacement of my old weapon. I've had it for over a millennia." She said, and I immediately felt bad.

"Look, I can get it fixed." I started. "And if you want, you can get it back-"

She held up a hand and stopped me.

"If it has saved your life, then it has served its purpose. Keep the blade, and use it well. Let it serve as a reminder of what your fighting for." She said, holding eye contact.

I felt myself get red and quickly turned around.

Remleon nodded, and the three of us prepared to enter. With a push, the wolf burst through, and we found the lobby filled with people, to my surprise.

I quickly sheathed my blade, and Zoe did the same. Mist or not, it was risky to walk around with weapons out.

"Remmy?" I asked.

The boys nose twitched a bit, and he took longer then usual to respond. After a second, he spoke.

"A couple floors up. I don't know who, or how many, but there's something."

I nodded, before scouting out the room. I quickly found the elevator and made my way towards it, ignoring the mortals.

I waited for it to open, and walked into the empty space with my two companion. I let Remleon decide which floor, and after a second, he chose.

The wolf clicked floor 11, and we started our ascent.

"All this machinery, to think gods have hidden out here." Mumbled Zoe to my side.

I didn't reply, but I was honestly surprised by how quick she had adapted. Couple of hours ago, it seemed like she couldn't even stand the city, but now she was acting more or less the same.

I sighed and cleared my mind. This was not the time to get distracted. There was a task at hand, one that needed all my attention.

Just as I had fully locked into the mission, I felt a sudden shift in the room. "Wha-?!"

Remleon scowled. "Brace yourself!" He yelled, but it was only after the entire room started to shake, making use all lose balance. My vision went out for a second I opened my eyes to find myself on the floor with a soft cushion.

I looked up to see the night sky, covered with a thick mist.

I shifted a bit on my cushion, but froze up when I realized what exactly it was. My eyes slowly scanned upwards to see Zoe looking down at me with a face filled with red.

It took less then a second for us to both get up and separate, creating distance between us with Remleon in between.

"Ahem." I said.

I was going to try and change the subject, but was stopped as I realized where we were.

"The ruins." Breathed Remleon, and I immediately felt my stomach drop.

Last time we were here, a massacre ensued, and right now, we did not have the numbers or the strength to fight like that.

"Percy Jackson." I heard a voice call out behind me, and immediately all three of us whipped around.

"...and company." She finished. The being was none other then Ate, standing above us on a ledge a couple of feet off the ground, her staff in hand."

"Ate." I said with spite. "I don't have time for this. Just send me to Noir, and we'll be gone."

I didn't know how a fight with Ate would go like, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ate wanted to finish her business with me. After all, she was the first Androktasiai I had officially fought

However, what she did next truly surprised me.

The goddess smiled. "If you wish to speak to Pseudea, then I will send you to him." She said. "Right here, right now." As the goddess spoke, the air next to her shimmered, and a a door of light appeared.

I raised a brow. It couldn't be this easy.

"But, demigod, I must warn against this. If you go to meet my brother, I'm afraid you will die." She said. "If you were to turn back right now, I can guarantee your safety for the rest of your life."

I hesitated. A way out, I wondered. If I was to accept right now, I could leave all of this behind me.

"No!" I said to myself, snapping out of it. Though a couple of weeks ago, I may have agreed to simply be left alone, I couldn't now, not yet.

I almost laughed. Look at me now, trying to be the hero.

The fact that Pseudea was even offering this meant he was afraid of my power. He knew what I was capable of.

"I decline, Ate!" I yelled out, probably surprising the two behind me. I wondered what they had been thinking, but they said nothing.

The goddess shut her eyes as if she had facepalmed. "I guess I can't say I didn't expect it, though.

"If you truly plan on going through with this, then I cannot stop you." She said.

The glowing doorframe seemed to get a little closer, but it was still too close to Ate for comfort.

I sheathed my weapon and walked forwards. The entire time I kept eyes locked on Ate who didn't say a word. I noticed she looked younger, a lot younger. I didn't know if that was a way to lure me in, but I stayed on guard.

Once we reached the door, I stuck my hand out and opened in, revealing another elevator on the other side.

"One more chance demigod. Think about your friends, is this all worth risking your lives for?"

I scowled, but before I could respond Zoe spoke. "We've made our own choice, goddess, there's no changing our mind."

I nodded in appreciation, while Ate only shook her head. With a step forward, I walked through the threshold into the elevator and out of the ruins.

I let out a sigh as the pressure of the gods domain let off my shoulders. I turned around to talk to my companions.

"You felt that too?" I asked.

Zoe nodded. "No doubt that the prescience there is something different."

Remleon looked annoyed. "I'm starting to really dislike this human body."

He said as the door started to close.

I was about to respond as the door closed, but I felt a sickening feeling in my gut. Apparently the other two didn't sense it.

"It seems like-" Zoe didn't finish her sentence as there were movements behind her and Remleon.

"What?" Said the wolf as he tensed up. Before even he could react though, the two side doors opened up, revealing two larger then average golems behind it.

The golems grabbed the two from the back, pinning them both between there large arms. I watched with eyes as I whipped out my broken blade, though I didn't know exactly what it would do against their stone bodies.

Before I could make a decision though, the elevator opened once more, revealing the smiling face of the goddess Ate.

"Ate! You said you would let us go!" I called out.

"Don't be foolish demigod. Did you really think I could let all three of you face Pseudea alone? Do not worry though, your friends will be safe, hopefully, but I cannot say the same for you."

I scowled. I raised my blade and lunged forward.

"Oh what's this? Cmon Perseus, you have much more important things to worry about then lil ol me!" She said with a smile.

Before I could leave the elevator, the door shut, leaving the room ringing with Ate's laugh.

"Perseus!" Said Zoe to my side. "Do not worry about us. Finish what you started!" She said, and before I could respond the two side walls closed off, leaving me alone in the elevator.

I immediately slouched down and dropped to the floor.

My mind didn't know what to do, though I didn't have much of a choice.

Could I really take on Pseudea alone? A week ago I would've said yes, though now, after meeting people who were actually stronger then me? I wasn't so confident.

I spent minutes on the floor, deep in thought before I sighed.

I forced myself to my feet and gazed at my blade. I scanned every intricate part of it, studying it intently.

I would have to be comfortable with it if I was going to use it to defeat a god. I noticed ever little detail of the blade, focusing on each and every little symbol

It was a beautiful weapon, one that fit Zoe.

Wait hold up, that sounded a bit wrong. Zoe was pretty and all, but I wouldn't describe her as "beautiful". Only because I feared for my life.

I though about how after all this, I would like to get to know a little bit more about Zoe, but realized that she would probably go back to her hunt as soon as she could.

I sighed. I was here for a fight, not to make friends. Specially not with a huntress.

I was lost in thought as there was a ding! as the elevator door slid open, beckoning me forward.

I walked through to find myself in some sort of indoor balcony. There were pool tables near the side with a tv facing it on the other wall. There were multiple couches around the room with a bar all the way at the back.

I could tell that I wasn't alone, but there was no one in sight.

After a moment of silence, a presence entered the room. I waited for the energy to take the form of the god Pseudea wearing an all white suit with his monstrous sword at his hip. Honestly, the thing was the size of my entire body.

The god looked at me with his fierce yellow eyes.

"Perseus Jackson." He said in his ancient voice. "A pleasure to to finally properly meet you."

~Meanwhile~

Remleon was dragged by the golem farther into the ruins, sitting there patiently as he was unable to do anything in his human body. Though he retained some of his god like speed, he got nearly none of his strength in return.

Eventually, the golem reached a large cliff in the ruins, and with a heave, he threw him off deep into the fog below.

The wolf looked down below, unable to see anything in any direction.

After a moment of falling, the concrete floor of Vegas came into view as he was nearing the surface. Before he could reach the mortal world again, he was tackled mid air by an unseen being, launching him into the side of the cliff side.

Well, he that that was so before he realized he had landed in a cave of sorts. Though they were surrounded by rocks, the ruins "sun" was visible through a massive hole in the roof.

Also flowing from the hole was a large waterfall that emptied out in a lake surrounding the right side of the stone platform Remleon on was on.

The wolf's eyes shifted upwards to see the one who had brought him here.

Makhai.

He laughed out loud.

This was definitely not apart of Ate's plan, instead Makhai acting on his own accord. He sighed and took out his blade.

"You really are persistent. But if you want a fight, I'll give it to you! I'm done running."

The wolf threw away his weapon as his hair started to turn silver. It was time to unleash the wolf. The boy smiled, showing off his canines, but the god didn't react, only meeting Remmy's eyes with a blank gaze. With lava flowing through his veins, the god raised his sword, and the two charged.

~With Zoe~

Zoe tumbled down a rocky hill as she was thrown by her golem capturer. After a moment, she recovered and scowled at the cuts across her body.

She quickly scanned her surroundings to find that she was somehow in a completely enclosed area, despite the fact that she had come from a hole in the roof.

She scowled. Ate's ruin was the perfect trap. Wether or not Zoe could kill her didn't matter as she probably wouldn't even have a chance to see her again.

After a moment of thinking, Zoe noticed a opening in the wall in front of her. She walked forward to see that it opened up into a collection of hallways that all intersected.

A maze. Zoe wanted to punch something.

It was obvious that Ate's plan wasn't to kill her and Remleon, but to simply keep them occupied while Perseus met with Pseudea.

She hated it, to be honest. Wether or not she liked Percy didn't matter as it was her job to protect him, no matter how strong he was.

Besides, some part of her disliked the idea of Perseus dying, though she didn't know why.

She sighed. She sheathed her blade as she was pretty sure she wouldn't need it from this point forward. With great annoyance, she trudged forward, trying to keep herself entertained as she explored the ruined maze.

Quick note, I just want to clear this up real quick.

The Androktasiai are technically gods, but they're not much stronger then a powerful nature spirit. They are essentially spirits with domains, just wanted to make that clear.

A monster with the same difficulty level would be something around Arachne or the Chimera's level. Pseudea is probably around the same level as Chrysaor. I dislike having to directly state this, but I also want it to be known that minor gods like Eris and Thanatos are leagues stronger then the Androktasiai.

With that said, Percy is still honestly really strong for a demigod (especially for a son of a minor god).

He trains more then Luke (someone who is really strong despite his parent not being much of a fighter), and he used to have a nearly god-like weapon.

The whole reason I wrote this is because of a review that found it weird that Percy would lose to the og son of Poseidon Percy, yet he's able to beat gods. Just reminding you that Eris and Deimos are minor gods who continuously smack Percy, so yeh.

He's still stronger then the average demigod.