Howdy, Im back! sorry about the wait, had like 3 different chapters to 3 different stories all bouncing in my head for the past while. But I got the rest of this one out! and I mentioned before that Percy wouldnt get darker... and it may have been a teensy weensy lie, but I hadnt seen it coming either lol.
chrisdiokno - and it does again! enjoy!
Sha115 - yeah, I said it for the other characters, and it kinda wormed into my mind for Zeus, they all deserve to have more thorough thought processes instead of 'Percy bad!', ykno? and characters can still make mistakes, so im gonna try to keep track of all of it. Hope you enjoy!
AshGMR7 - He might have, if he wasnt cut off. A styx oath could have come out too, given time, but yknow.
FSI - hmmm, not for this court session, at least. Enjoy!
TM - definitely some tension going on, and good ol observant Athena. Enjoy!
SB - Theyre tryin, and so is Percy! Things dont always swing the good way, unfortunately, and I dont like the goody goody hero 'dont start a war for me' Percy. and his friends are just trying to keep Percy alive, they dont really think he would do well in Alaska alone. and the marriage will probably be explained as steadying bonds between sea and sky or something similar tbh.
PrimordialGod9 - glad you enjoyed! and it was one of the longer chapters too, lol
Lunas Banana - I wouldnt call it a dirty dream per se, moreso trauma based. but yknow lol. Enjoy!
c3w - itll come around, dont you worry. and enjoy!
cypher - I would call it fate... enjoy!
Adil - Ill try, and I hope I didnt take to long for you, friend. Enjoy!
Otagema - SPicy indeed. enjoy!
Thoth - First of all, its an honor to have an egyptian god read my story. Second, theyll both be getting something from this, dont worry.
Ladis11 - I havent really heard anythign like that regarding to the oath... regardless, in this story its to avoid marriage. Hope you enjoy!
Bong - Yeah, the blame is moreso on those three, but it cant just fall on those three, it wasnt their oath. just an 'actions have consequenses' deal. Enjoy!
Xerzo - do your boy dirty is kinda a figure of speech, like 'dont wrong me' in a modern way. The Minotaur caught Percy by surprise, and he wasnt being influenced by emotion. And powers are rapidly coming around for him, so he's dialing in. and as for them being together, its a slow process, and itll be resolved. Maybe not the best base for a relationship? certainly, but they kinda have to make do. Hope you enjoy!
Solaris - I mean I could try to go for a consistent upload schedule, but of course you wouldnt get the stuff as soon as I have it. if yall want that, then just ask. sorry to take so long to update, and I hope you enjoy!
Lwod - Why thank you, friend. I cant wait to give it to you. enjoy!
and quick question in general... would yall want like, smut / lemons to go with my fics? whether in the story or posted separately, or not at all? please lmk. I dont have much experience with the stuff but i can give it a shot. anyway, ill leave you to it. Hope you enjoy
-somerandomguy\
Hecate stared at Percy from her position practically looming over him. He only stared back, allowing his friends surrounding him and Annabeth in his lap to send their glares. Privacy would have been nice, but it didn't seem like something he'd get.
"What's your problem?"
She didn't respond at first, instead crouching down to his eye level while maintaining her stare. Her stare made him think of a researcher studying an endangered species (which he supposed he was, in some sense).
"I felt your energy as soon as I stepped on Olympus, and now I understand why. What did you do to yourself, Perseus?"
He almost responded, if not for how rhetorical the words felt. Instead, he gave a shrug and let the goddess stare. His friends did the same, eyes swapping from him to Hecate.
She seemed different from when he last saw her, a bit more eccentric. Atop a tight tunic and leggings, she wore something resembling a lab coat, reminiscent of a mad scientist of some kind. She carefully reached out, slow enough for him to move away, until her palm pressed against his arm.
He let it linger there, awkwardly watching her. He could tell Annabeth was glaring, even if he could barely see her expression.
Tinges of power poked at his mind, catching him by surprise and sending the world around him spinning. The sounds of Olympus faded, replaced with a gasp and a spinning mass of color.
In a blink, the headache-inducing sight changed. A grove surrounded the tiny clearing, trees practically glowing with emerald green leaves. The moon hung bright in the sky, painting everything with hints of silver. The mixing scent of pine and cinnamon was almost headache inducingly strong.
The surroundings were distracting enough that he barely noticed Hecate's iron grip around his forearm, or the only other occupant of the area.
Artemis sat motionless in the exact center of the area, eyes closed and legs folded beneath her. He couldn't even see her breathing.
"Perseus," Hecate whispered, "touch her."
He glanced at the stunned, awed expression of the goddess as her eyes darted around the clearing, an unwanted nervousness bubbling in his gut. The nervousness made anger burn in his chest, creating a horrible mix. He shouldn't be anxious about this.
Despite his anger, his body moved like the air was syrup. His limbs resisted his command, practically shouting for him to keep his distance. The hand clamped around his arm did him no favors.
He was just out of arms reach when his bad luck struck. His foot sunk into some kind of animal den, the entrance hidden under layers of wild grass. Hecate, so distracted by the power that grew the closer they got, couldn't keep her hold. He barely had time to brace before he was crashing into Artemis' form.
The night around them silenced, then picked up after a beat. Animals previously asleep stirred, crying out and shattering any semblance of quiet. His eyes darted back to Artemis' face just in time to watch her eyes fly open.
The world pitched and spun, the night replaced with piercing bright. White and gold and silver searing his eyes. His stomach rolled violently, changing his focus to keeping himself from coating himself and Annabeth in puke.
He heard Hecate stumble backwards with a gasp. Through watery eyes, and plenty of blinks, he watched his friends stare at him in shock.
"What in Hades was that?" His question finally drew them out of their trance. Even then, he could hear a breathy giggle from Hecate.
"Your eyes," Annabeth quickly yanked her dagger to eye level, giving him a peek at his reflection.
Said reflection was mostly normal, his mind already taking in the stubble across his jaw and the bags under his eyes. Eyes that, instead of the usual sea green color he recognized, glimmered with silver. He leaned closer, repeatedly blinking to clear whatever was in his eyes because those definitely weren't his.
While he kept blinking, he watched with rapt attention as the silver vanished a little bit every time it vanished beneath his eyelids. As soon as he was sure the silver had vanished, he peeked around Annabeth to find Hecate, finding the goddess rapidly scribbling into a notepad she pulled from nowhere.
"Hecate! What in Hades did you just do to me!" He barked, carefully squirming from under Annabeth and struggling to his feet with her assistance.
"That was incredible, that was…." She cackled, "You are world changing!"
"Dammit, could you give me an actual answer!"
"You, Perseus Jackson," the goddess whirled around, giddy madness dancing along her features, "Have become something unheard of! Something to rewrite natural law! A living connection to-" She broke off into more muttering, ignoring her demigod audience.
It didn't seem like he was the only one unable to understand what she was saying, all of them leveling the goddess with blank looks. He barely started to speak, interrupted by the throne room doors creaking open and Hecate vanishing in a burst of light. Time was up.
He swallowed the trepidation that crawled up his throat, and steeled himself. Too late to turn back now.
His eyes found Poseidon first, the grim expression on his face made Percy's stomach drop. The despondent expression on Artemis only made the feeling worse. Annabeth pressed closer to his side, fingers interlocked with his.
"You will be married by the end of the week," Zeus commanded, almost knocking the air from Percy's lungs with words alone, "Artemis, Perseus will be your charge until then, I expect him to remain well and to remain close to you. Apollo, I expect you to remain in Camp Half-Blood until a suitable quest is decided. Athena, meet me in the library, we will discuss your discovery further. Council dismissed."
With that, most of the Olympians vanished, leaving them in deafening silence as Poseidon approached. His friends parted, allowing his father to scoop both him and Annabeth into a tight hug.
"I am sorry," He whispered into their ears, "I am so sorry."
Percy couldn't respond. He could feel Annabeth barely shaking, and the tears when she started crying. He didn't know what was going on, the roller coaster of emotion had launched him into nothingness. His body merely felt hollow, shaky and strange. Nothing would come out when he tried to speak, like a dam was holding everything back.
They were having some conversation around him, though he understood it like they were speaking a different language, muttering in the small circle that surrounded him. From there, he was operating on autopilot, almost missing that his hoodie had magically repaired when his father pulled away.
The only thing he could feel was discomfort, as each of his friends pulled him into a hug. Some kind of numbness that lingered even as they all filed from the room, leaving him with Artemis.
He expected nervousness, even if he hated it, only to get nothing. Even as she approached, her eyes glued to the floor, the feeling never came. He merely watched her hand land on his shoulder, before the throne room vanished in a flash of light.
The sight of the hunters camp was far from welcome, a sharp pain in his chest like he was shot. But there was no silver arrow planted in his torso, nor was there so much as a single bow pointed his way.
Everything moved impossibly fast and slow at the same time. One instant, he was watching each huntress turn to look at them, the next Artemis stood before them talking about something. He would have attempted to listen in, if not for the growing ringing in his ears.
A chill shot down his spine when their eyes all shot to him at once, the blame clear in their eyes. It made sense, they certainly wouldn't blame Artemis for anything. Thalia was the only one he could see without sheer hatred in her eyes, confused instead.
It wasn't particularly surprising when one of the hunters stomped towards him, daggers slipping into her palms. He didn't know her name, not that it mattered, but Artemis seemed to call for her.
A buzzing static spread through his body the closer she got, everything else draining from his system. Someone must have said something, because her response was one he could barely hear over the thrumming of his pulse.
"Do you know all that we may lose, all because a filthy male couldn't control itself? It's time he learns a lesson!" She shouted. A tremor ran through his body, practically unending. His hands clawed their way into his hair, grabbing tight fistfuls to stop the shakes.
Control. He needed control. How could he prevent what happened? How was he at fault? What could he have controlled over the last couple days? His eyes shot to the girl, pinning her on the spot in an instant. This was control, he had control. Over himself, over others, he had control.
His temper flared when his hands kept shaking, yanking at his hair harder in hopes the pain would help. His breath came in short, choppy bursts, and his stomach rolled and stirred. His body was his own, and his to control.
controlcontrolcontrolcontrol
He watched the girl fall to her knees, crumpling like the sky sat on her shoulders. Was he doing that? He wasn't so sure anymore. Shouts barely drew his attention, so muted as they were.
"Perseus, stop!" He heard Artemis shout, the girl let out a cry of pain, and the sound of something cracking. The combined sounds brought the world back in focus, if only just.
Most of the hunters had their bows aimed directly at him, the fear in their eyes sending unidentifiable emotions through his body. Artemis had taken several steps forward, one hand outstretched and the other resting on one of her daggers.
Anger rushing through his system, he matched her stare challengingly, the girl stuck in place. He noticed the weak grunts of pain and struggling from the girl, the force pressing on her practically doubling with a thought.
"Percy!" Thalia took a few steps out of the group, "What are you doing!?"
"Perseus," His attention shot back to Artemis, "let her go."
He stared at the goddess, his thoughts traveling to the heat wafting off his skin in billows. Slowly, purposefully, his fist opened. Each knuckle cracked while his fingers straightened, though the standoff remained tense.
As soon as her body slackened, two hunters shot from their ranks, searching for injuries. The bows remained aimed on him, not that he cared. He kept his eyes on Artemis, and she kept her eyes on him.
With a scoff, he turned on his heel, walking out to the woods surrounding them in deafening silence.