Day 13- The Council
Demigods traditionally have a love-hate relationship with sleep. On the one hand, they were always sleep deprived, so they got good at sleeping on the go. On the other hand, sleep brought with it demigod dreams. And no one liked those.
However, there was one benefit to working yourself to the bone on a road trip from hades. Those pesky demigod dreams tended to leave you alone.
Percy had slept a solid thirteen hours since Hazel had manhandled him and Stella back to his dorm in New Rome. He didn't remember much after the battle, but he did remember waking up in the Apollo kid's medic tent and making a nuisance of himself until Clarisse threatened him with her spear. Percy grimaced to himself. He probably needed to apologize to her and the medical staff.
Honestly, he could have slept more. But he was quickly awakened to a small but sharp person jumping on his bed.
"Stella, no" he muttered, rolling over and stuffing his head beneath his flattened pillow. "Just, like, one more hour, okay? Turn on the laptop, I think I'm still logged into Netflix".
"Thought you weren't supposed to use tv" Stella parroted, belly-flopping on his back. Percy groaned as she accidentally elbowed a nasty bruise and he could feel her quickly moving away and apologizing.
" 's okay, it's okay. The laptop is Ana..." Percy hesitated, squeezing his eyes shut, "It's special, okay? Just pull up Peppa Pig or whatever".
"I don't watch that anymore" Stella said solemnly, "It's a baby show. I'm big now, so I watch Scooby Doo".
Percy was tempted to roll over just to see the inevitably amusing look on his sister's face, but he was too tired. "That's cool. I'm sure you could watch that for an hour or two while I sleep a little longer".
"Okay" Stella chirped. Percy snuggled back into the covers, intent on getting a few more hours of sleep before Stella added, "But Jason's at the door. He said he needs me to wake you up".
Percy was suddenly very awake. He jumped out of bed, shoved his feet in his shoes, and checked his pockets to make sure Riptide was still there. He kissed Stella on the forehead and bursted through the door, only to catch Jason solidly in the nose. He stumbled back, muttering apologies as Jason waved him off.
"No worries man. I was standing way too close to the door". Jason wiggled his nose tentatively, then nodded once. "Not broken, not even too bruised I don't think. Anyways, let's go. We have a senate meeting in ten".
Percy stopped in his tracks and glared at Jason, "You sent my sister to wake me up for a senate meeting?"
Jason blinked owlishly at him, "Umm, yes? You're an acting praetor. You kinda have to be there?"
"An acting praetor? When on earth did that happen? What happened to Reyna and Hazel?"
"No one told you? Because we have two groups in the camp right now, we have four acting praetors. Just until we can get things settled. Reyna and Hazel from Camp Jupiter, you and me acting as representatives of Camp Half Blood" Jason looked genuinely confused, "I guess that explains why you weren't up then. I thought you just slept through your alarm or something. Though to be fair," Jason paused and looked Percy up and down "You do look like ten-layer crap".
"Thalia said the same thing" Percy grumbled, "And yeah I do. I just waded across the entire country escorting a monster all-you-can-eat buffet. No offense, but I'm going back to sleep. I can't handle the Senate today".
"Please" Jason grabbed Percy's arm, stopping him from heading back into the dorm. "It'll be as quick as we can make it, I promise. We just have a few things to get settled with the Camp Half Blood campers and then the delegation to Olympus. No offense, but while Clarisse is a kick-ass fighter, she totally sucks at dealing with the Senate".
Percy grunted. He couldn't argue with that. "What about Butch and Katie? Or Rachel?"
Jason nodded, "They've been helpful with some of the logistics, but they seem hesitant to make any major decisions. And even though I'm technically a representative, I only ever lived at Camp Half Blood for a semester. The senate won't accept anyone as praetor who hasn't been in the legion and Camp Half Blood won't accept anyone who's first priority isn't them. Sorry man, I know you're wiped".
Percy removed his arm from Jason's grip and sighed, "You have absolutely no idea. Fine. But I'm bringing Stella and you owe me a coffee".
Jason grinned, "Fair's fair. Let's go".
By the time Percy got Stella dressed, wrapped himself in a toga (that quite honestly he wouldn't have bothered with except he figured he could use it as a blanket and take a nap if the meeting got too boring), and stopped by the New Rome coffee shop, they were five minutes late to the senate session. It was a little depressing when Terminus started to berate him, then took one look at the bags under his eyes and the bruises littering his face and waved him through.
Jason opened the door, taking Stella's hand so that Percy could focus on drinking coffee and not tripping. He could hear the commotion even outside of the senate chambers. He drank his coffee faster.
Jason stepped behind him and pinned on a purple cloak, fastened with a trident pin. Percy turned around and raised one eyebrow.
Jason just shrugged, "We never get rid of anything and we're always prepared for everything".
"Even half the population disappearing and a son of Neptune becoming praetor?"
Jason grimaced, "Not the first part, no. But the second part, well, it would be an insult to Neptune if we didn't allow for the possibility".
"Hmm" Percy grinned, hiding it behind his coffee cup as he pushed open the doors of the senate chambers and strode to the front, Jason and Stella trailing behind him.
"Well well, it's good of the acting praetors to deign to arrive" Reyna drawled, pinning Percy with one of her finest glares. It was the "I can' believe you left me to deal with these people" glare, and Percy gladly returned it.
"Yes, well, it would have helped if I had been informed there was a senate meeting. Or, you know, that I was an acting praetor". He flopped in one of the hastily added chairs next to Reyna, waving at Hazel on the other side. The ghosts frowned at him and Stella, who skipped up and sat cross-legged at his feet, playing with a plastic horse Percy didn't remember bringing for her.
The senate stared at him. He stared back, gesturing with his hand to continue and tried to drown himself in his coffee. Jason sat down gracefully next to him. Percy could see the group of head counselors from Camp Half Blood sitting on one side of the room, while the remaining senators and representatives from New Rome were on the other.
"As we were saying, we can't afford to lose any more time. Our contacts on the outside say things are getting worse by the minute. Who knows how long our supply lines will last? We need to take action before it's too late". The representative from New Rome sat down, twisting their toga in their hands.
Reyna stood, "I understand that there's a time limit on these things. But we have more pressing concerns right now. We're trying to merge two camps together and bolster our defenses, not to mention figuring out what happened to the gods and the missing".
Katie raised her hand tentatively, ignoring the ghosts's glares as Reyna called on her to speak, "I've taken inventory along with Dana," she gestured towards a senator with the markings of the second cohort, "We'll be okay if we can harvest everything this fall, but if anything goes wrong, we won't have enough food for the winter. Of course this assumes the exact same population on strict rations during the winter months and that our supply lines do in fact break down".
Hazel stood, biting her lip in concern, "I don't think any of us here like the sound of strict rations or depending on perfect weather and crop growth. What's the solution?"
Katie grinned, "With all due respect, we at Camp Half Blood have more experience with this type of thing. My brother Jeremy and I, our mom is Demeter and we've been tending to the strawberry fields at camp for years. If we can have some manpower and a Roman counterpart, perhaps a child of Ceres?"
Hazel nodded thoughtfully, "Okay. Get with Marcus of the first cohort and Atia from New Rome. They'll find you the best land and manpower. Stay within the Camp's defenses though. We can't afford to spread out too much. Percy, that okay?"
Percy looked at Katie, who nodded once, "Yeah, fine by me. If there's a plant problem, Katie and Jeremy can fix it".
Hazel looked to Reyna and Jason, who both nodded, and the issue was settled. Reyna looked over a scroll sitting on her lap and frowned, "I know we have a lot of concerns here, but there is one I want to bring to the top. My apologies to the campers and acting praetors of Camp Half Blood, but before we deal with the housing, scheduling, and work schedules of our guests, I want to bring the issue of Olympus to the floor again". Reyan gestured to Percy's right, "Jason?"
Jason looked a bit startled but stood up, "It's been thirteen days since the disappearance, Blip, Snap, Dusting, whatever you want to call it. We've heard nothing from the gods. Other than the fact that Iris messages still work, we have no proof that they even are still here. I once again propose we send a delegation to Mount Olympus. We will go in the hopes of petitioning them for both aid and answers".
The senate was silent, other than the sound of Dakota sipping Kool Aid and Stella prancing her pony across the floor. Percy leaned forward, trying to read the mood of the senate. He felt like he'd missed something. The senate had seemed okay with the idea right after the disappearances.
"I don't think we should be sending out a force just yet" Dana stood, arms folded, "We just doubled the population of our camp and released our lockdown. And now we want to send a group of camp leaders all the way back across the country?"
Another Roman senator rose, "How could we not seek the gods in these times? When things are the worst?"
Dakota slammed down his drink and rose to his feet, "So we'll consult with the augers and the oracle and work the problem ourselves, like we've always done".
One of the ghosts waved it's fist at Dakota, who in turn made a vulgar gesture, "I don't care if it's rude! The way I see it, there are two possibilities here. The first is that the gods caused this because they were upset or bored or malevolent and decided we haven't been through enough, in which case screw them! I'm not going to go beg for their mercy!"
Some of Dakota's fellow senators were trying to pull him down, and the Camp Half Blood councilors looked warily at the ceiling, as if Zeus would send down one of his lightning bolts right then and there. But there wasn't even a crash of thunder or a hint of displeasure. Percy frowned. Dakota had been all for consulting the gods before. What had changed?
"No, I won't be quiet! Get your hands off me Silas! The second...Let go! Thank you! The second option is that this Titan from outer space did it all on his own without any blessing of the gods, in which case the gods couldn't stop him and how would they be able to help us now?"
Dakota finally succumbed to the insistence of his fellow senators and sat down, taking a big swig of what Percy was really starting to hope was Kool-Aid and not something stronger.
The senate session was in a mess now, senators and representatives and camp counselors all talking over each other. Hazel and Jason were out of their seats, trying to restore order to the session. Percy looked over at Reyna, who sat in her chair, one hand on Argentum, the space where Aurum would be an empty void on her left. She looked tired, like she'd aged five years in a week.
"What did I miss?" Percy leaned in, speaking so only she could hear him. "This is...a lot".
Reyna rubbed her face, "Dakota left an hour after you did last week. His mom lives in Washington State. Seattle. He's a first generation, and has three younger sisters. His step-dad died a few years back. We'd give him a ride to the city every weekend and he'd catch a train up, work odd jobs and help his mom out".
Percy glanced at Dakota, hunched over in his chair, a puppet with its strings cut.
"He went up there an hour after you and Nico left. His mom and one sister were Snapped". Reyna paused, then looked Percy directly in the eyes, "Some mortal cities did okay with...all this. New York City, Dallas, San Francisco, they're maintaining order and resources generally. Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, they were the worst. His two sisters were trapped in a burning building. Some protestors, or honestly, just people panicking, lost control of an incendiary device. The firefighters were being diverted to the city center and...they burned alive, Percy".
Percy took a deep breath. He couldn't imagine...he'd been so lucky, that Stella was okay and he'd gotten there quickly. But Dakota...his whole family. Gods.
"We need to do this, Percy. Jason needs this, the camp needs it, I need it. If we don't hear anything from the gods, we'll always be wondering. Did they approve or cause this somehow? Or are they gone too?" Reya sat back. "Nico's back. He's here, probably watching from somewhere. He couldn't find his father, but he said things in the underworld are too orderly for him to be one of the disappeared. That and the fact that Iris messages still work is fairly reliable proof that at least some of the gods are still out there. We need to know who is left, the state of things on Olympus, and are the remaining gods friends, enemies, or neither".
Percy nodded. He understood the dilemma. But still, "Reyna, I just got done traveling, no, running across the country trying to get away from monsters and New York and get here. I can't ask anyone from Camp Half Blood to come with me. Hades, I don't even want to go myself...I want to sleep and get us settled and try to process what's happening".
Reyna nodded, "I'm asking a lot. But we need you onboard if we're going to do this. And, well, I think we need to do this". She gestured towards where Jason was trying unsuccessfully to pull a ghost off one of the senators. Percy wasn't sure why he even bothered. Reyna stared at the son of Jupiter, her eyes pools of sadness, "He needs this. He hasn't said it, but he's been wondering if he could have done something. What if he pissed off the wrong god? How could he not see something like this coming? He's pontifex after all".
Percy stared at her, "That's utterly ridiculous. In fact, that might be the most ridiculous thing I've heard today. And the coffee shop was playing news footage of a talking raccoon".
Reyna glared, "Says you, Mr. Everything is Up to Me. I'm not saying it makes sense, but that doesn't matter sometimes".
Damn it. Reyna was right.
"Okay. I'll try" Percy stared at his hands, then stood up, cupped his hands to his mouth, and yelled, "Quiet!"
Katie and Butch sat down and looked towards him, but the rest of the room continued as if he'd never spoken. Percy sighed and looked down at Stella, who was still playing with her horse. He picked her up and deposited her on Reyna's lap, ignoring Reyna's sputter of indignation.
Percy knelt on the ground and closed his eyes, feeling for the drainage system he knew was there. He could feel the tension in the room and knew that if Hazel and Jason had failed at calming the crowd, he wouldn't have any more luck than them. Percy was better than them at being dramatic and causing a scene. His mom had always said to play to his strengths. He could feel the water flowing through the sprinkler system in the Senate House. It came from the Little Tiber and felt as familiar as his mom's blue cookies. He had to temper himself, still feeling the strain from the last week on his powers. He just needed a few drops...
Suddenly, water rained down from the ceiling, leaking through the sprinkler heads at Percy's behest. He controlled the water as it rained down, protecting the front where Reyna and his sister sat. He didn't want to get his sister wet, but he really didn't want to face Reyna's wrath if he smudged her papers or ruined her hair.
He surrendered himself to the moment, shutting off the sprinklers and using the available water, and only sent that back into the sprinkler system once everyone was thoroughly soaked and blessedly quiet.
Jason and Hazel walked down slowly. "Was that really necessary?" Hazel muttered, but she was smiling so Percy figured he was okay. Jason just nodded in acknowledgement.
"If everyone would just be quiet for a minute, we could sort this out," Percy said, gesturing for everyone to take their seats. They made for an amusing group, togas out of place and soaking wet. Percy waved his hand and the excess water rose from the floor and their clothes and returned to the pipes.
"Now then, I know there are some strong feelings about going to Olympus. I'll be honest, I'm not so sure about it myself. I just traveled for a week across the country, through storms and monster attacks. We lost people. Family". Percy looked over to the camp counselors, who stared back resolutely at him. He started to pace, not quite sure where to start and not quite sure where he was going.
"I know how bad things are out there. I know that I was lucky to get what remained of my mortal family into camp. I know that a lot of you weren't so lucky" Percy looked at Dakota, who met his gaze steadily. "We need to remember that we're all in the same boat here. I may not have lost my sister, but I lost my parents, my girlfriend, my demigod brothers and sisters, to the same thing that you all lost your friends and family to. We're on the same side" Percy stopped pacing, and slammed his fists into the lectern out of frustration, "So stop fighting each other! Gods! We can't afford this right now!"
The senate was silent. Even the ghosts had stopped trying to harass the senators for their poor decorum and were sitting, eyes focused on Percy. He had them. Percy looked back at Reyna, who nodded once. She was certain. And when Reyna was certain, Percy listened, because she was usually right.
He sighed, "The praetorship feels strongly that we must send a delegation to Olympus. Not to beg, but for answers. We must know; did they do this to us, or were they caught as unawares as we were?"
Lisa, a senator of the 4th cohort, raised her hand. Percy acknowledged her. "I'm sorry, but don't we know who did this? Wasn't it Thanos? The space alien?"
Her phrasing elicited a few chuckles from the gathered demigods. Percy allowed himself a small smile before answering, "Yes, but where did he come from? They say he's an alien, but what would they call telkhines if they could see them? I really hope that the gods didn't cause this. But we need to know for sure in order to recover and move on".
Lisa nodded. Percy could see other people in the senate nodding along as well. "I know we have a lot of pressing issues at home. Here's my proposal. We send a group of six to Mount Olympus. Three from the Greeks and three from the Romans if possible, but the Greeks have been on the run for the last week now. Volunteers only. If Nico or Hazel is willing, we'll shadow travel directly to the Empire State building and go to Olympus. See what's going on. Best case, we'll get aid and return with presents. Worst case," Percy paused, looking directly at Reyna, "Well...if we don't return within 24 hours after we leave, assume the worst".
"And if they were behind this?" Dakota stood, chin raised and eyes accusing. Percy met his glare calmly with fire burning in his gut.
"Then I'll help you burn them to the ground".
He ignored the whispers and shocked faces around him in favor of turning to the rest of the praetors. "Is this an acceptable plan?"
Reyna stood, moving Stella back to the floor and smoothing her already impeccable toga, "I find this to be acceptable". Jason and Hazel nodded beside her. Percy collapsed into his seat, his work done and happy to let Reyna take over. He zoned out, draining the rest of his coffee as Reyna sorted out the details, until it came time to choose the delegation.
"I think it is clear that Jason Grace should lead this quest. He is not only an acting praetor, but pontifex. Are there any objections?" Reyna allowed time for protest, but no one did. "Excellent. For the last two Roman spots, I nominate acting praetor Hazel Levesque and Aaron Nguyen of New Rome".
Hazel nodded, "I accept the task". A tall man in civilian dress did the same from the senate seats.
Reyna gestured to Percy. He rose, looking into the darkness of the far corner of the room, "I'll go to New York. There's two other spots. Nico, I'd like you to take one if you're willing?"
Everyone craned to look for Nico, not realizing he'd been at this meeting. Nico sighed and stepped out of the shadows in the corner behind the senate seats, "Sure. Why not".
Percy nodded his thanks, then turned to where the camp counselors were sitting, "I meant what I said. Any volunteers?"
Everyone fidgeted in their seats for a moment, before someone rolled their eyes and stood up.
"Alright, no need for all the dramatics. I think we've all seen enough of that today. Of course I'm coming with you Prissy. Someone needs to keep you out of trouble" Clarisse grinned wickedly at Percy, who returned it with a faint smile.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Percy ceded the floor to Reyna and sat back down. The only permanent praetor could take care of the details. He was going to focus on not falling asleep and helping Stella save Pinky the Pony from the clutches of the evil Jason the Conqueror.
Two hours later, the six of them wore their camp t-shirts and jeans, backpacks slung over their shoulders and ready to go. Stella looked at him mournfully from between Katie and Rachel. Percy made a silly face, laughing quietly as she broke down into giggles instead of tears.
"Be careful. Anything looks wrong, you shadow travel back right away" Reyna stood in front of them, hands clasped painfully tight behind her back.
"Yes mom" Clarisse sniped, checking that her Sig Sauer was loaded. She'd disappeared into New Rome with Atia earlier that day and appeared with a mortal arsenal in her backpack. Percy had forced her to leave some of it in camp, but she had a pistol and shotgun strapped to her leg and back respectively in addition to her spear and short sword.
Aaron finished stuffing a medical bag into his backpack and slung his bow and quiver over his shoulders. Hazel and Jason had sheathed swords at their sides, Nico had his sword stashed somewhere in the shadows, and Percy had Riptide secured in his pocket and a week's worth of rations in his backpack just in case.
Nico stepped forward, rubbing his hands together. "Alright, let's get this over with. Aaron, if you haven't shadow traveled before, don't puke on me".
"Inspiring" Aaron muttered, tugging on his bowstring nervously.
"Three" Nico started the countdown, grasping Hazel and Jason's hands, who then grabbed the other's hands until they were all standing in a circle.
"Two. One". Percy felt the now familiar pull of the darkness as they fell in-between worlds. He fought to breathe normally until they dropped out on the sidewalk from a nearby alley. Hazel and Nico stepped forward immediately, while Clarisse, Jason, and Percy caught their breath. Jason offered a hand up to Aaron, who was sprawled out on the concrete.
"How'd we do?" Percy asked, catching up to the children of Hades.
Nico shrugged, "We're here. Unfortunately so is everyone else".
Percy stared at the pack of people lining the sidewalk. Hundreds of mortals stood with signs and banners in front of the main doors. A line of policemen stood in front of the door, riot shields out. Luckily, it looked like there hadn't been any violence yet, but Percy could feel the tension growing.
"What on Earth?" Jason asked, stopping beside them. "Why would they be protesting here?"
Hazel pointed, "Look at the signs. Demands for the truth, for freedom, some very unflattering pictures of what appears to be politicians? But this isn't a government building, right?"
Percy stared up at the building, "They're not here for people. They're here for antennas".
The rest of the group stared at him, "Antennas?"
"Yeah, like, tv and radio antennas? Almost all of New York City's broadcasts run through the antenna at the top of the building". Percy stared back at their gobsmacked expressions, "Annabeth told me about it".
"Oh okay that makes sense" Clarisse said, the rest of the group nodding with her. Percy wanted to be offended, but they were right. He had only heard it from Annabeth because she was redesigning Mount Olympus and couldn't put Hephastus's oversized TV antenna up because it blocked out the mortal broadcasts.
"Whatever. We need to get in," Clarisse eyed the crowd, as if deciding if it was worth it to shoot her way through. Percy put a hand on hers, which was reaching for her shotgun, and shook his head. She huffed and shoved him, but didn't draw her gun.
Jason turned to Hazel, "What about the mist? Or shadow travel?"
Nico shook his head, "I'm still beat from the last couple weeks. If you want me functioning for the trip home, let's avoid shadow travel for now".
Hazel bit her lip, "I suppose I could try something, but I don't know..."
Aaron was suddenly there, digging through his backpack, "Can you make them see something? Like a person or object?"
Hazel nodded, "Yeah, that's what I do when I manipulate the mist. But I wouldn't even know where to begin..."
Aaron slapped something into her hand. They all looked down at it, confused when there was just a plastic figurine.
"My son loves him," Aaron gestured to the plastic toy. "Make something scary and dangerous, then make him. People will scatter".
"But..." Hazel protested, looking at each of them as if they would tell her it couldn't be done. But they all just shrugged. No one knew magic like Hazel. Percy certainly didn't.
"You've done harder" he offered, giving Hazel what he hoped was a comforting grin. Percy wasn't sure it worked but she turned around and started digging into the Mist so that was something.
All of a sudden, a missile shot down out of the sky and landed in between the police and the protesters. The street went silent just in time for the missile to deploy a sickly yellow colored gas. The crowd and the police rushed in all different directions, desperate to escape the fog. Seconds later, a man dropped into the street, grabbed the gas canister, threw it into the air, and launched a small missile into it. The air exploded, people screaming and dropping to the ground.
The Iron Man armor scanned the street, then turned to the police officers, "This area is contaminated. I'd run..that way if I were you". The suit pointed away from the building, and the police began herding everyone away. "Run faster!" the armor yelled, before taking a defensive stance in front of the building.
"The voice, the suit...that's dead on" Clarisse's voice was filled with wonder, and Percy looked at her like she had a screw loose. She glared at him, "What? He blows stuff up on a daily basis. Other than Hulk, he's my favorite".
Hazel took a deep breath and dropped the illusion. The street was no longer littered with rubble or filled with chemical fog. The Iron Man armor was nowhere to be seen. Instead, all that remained were the signs and banners the protesters dropped when they'd run for the hills.
"Impressive" Jason said, then gestured for their group to enter the building. They ran across the street, watching carefully to make sure a police officer hadn't come back to investigate. But they didn't run into any trouble. Even the solid doors couldn't stand against a carefully placed explosive Clarisse pulled out of her backpack.
The elevator in the Empire State Building was unattended, which was unsurprising considering the trainwreck outside. It probably wasn't the priority of the doorman to guard the doorway to the gods when half the planet had disappeared and a mob wanted to rip down another part of the building.
They stood staring at the golden elevators for a minute, before Jason finally punched the up button. The doors slid open immediately, and the group crowded in. An upbeat pop song played as they rocketed to the top, until Clarisse ripped out the speaker.
Jason took the lead, and Percy was more than happy to let him. Percy didn't exactly have the greatest track record when it came to being respectful to the gods, and they really didn't need to cause more trouble for themselves right now. His current goal was to actively avoid thinking about how the gods could have stopped this Thanos character before he could form the words, "Infinity Stones". Because if he started to think about that, he was going to punch a god in the face.
The doors finally opened, and they exited to a ghost town.
Percy was pleased to see that the gods hadn't completely trashed the place, because if they'd desecrated Annabeth's work like that, he'd have definitely punched them in the face. But other than a few broken statues and scorch marks, the place was remarkably intact.
"Do we just..." Jason hesitated, clearly hoping for some sort of invitation. Percy snorted and pushed him forward.
"They're not waiting for us, man. I'd be surprised if they even knew we were here".
They walked through the eerily silent lower levels of Olympus, following the meticulously bricked path up to the god's council room. Percy kept his eyes straight ahead, ignoring the constant reminders of Annabeth as they climbed higher and higher.
Finally, they stopped outside of a set of excessively large golden doors. Per Annabeth's designs (and some grumbling from the gods), there was a small, demigod sized lever they could pull on and open the doors without superhuman power. It probably wasn't a good sign, given the circumstances, that the doors opened easily. He'd expected some sort of supernatural lockdown or godly shield, but when they got a look at the inside of the throne room, he saw why.
Eight of the thirteen thrones stood empty, the black hole of their presence smothering the great hall. The other five held disheveled and morose gods, each preoccupied with their own activities. Percy noticed his father's seat first, empty and cracked down the middle. He felt confirmation in his gut. What he'd suspected since the Mississippi was true. His father was gone.
The same was true for the other seven empty thrones. Zeus, Demeter, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite each sat on their thrones, which seemed to be intact for the most part. Hades' throne (hastily added after the Giant War when Percy mentioned they hadn't exactly kept their promises from the end of the Titan War) stood empty, but it was pristine. That was a pretty good sign that Nico was correct, his father was still around somewhere. A woman stood next to Athena's throne, hand on the seat but not sitting down. The throne clearly had a crack like the other empty ones, and Percy didn't know why until the woman turned around. It wasn't Athena. It was Bellona.
Jason was the first to speak. He cleared his throat, "My lord Zeus, lords and ladies of the council, we have come from the camps of the demigods to gain information and request aid".
Silence. Bellona and Demeter looked at him with interest, then went back to whatever they were doing previously. Aphrodite looked to be nearly in a coma. And Zeus...
A small figure stepped next to Percy, staring at the scene before them, "You won't find aid here, Percy Jackson".
His companions jumped, but Percy merely smiled and bowed to the child beside him, "Lady Hestia. I'm glad to see you're doing well".
Hestia smiled faintly, "I wouldn't say well. But comparatively, yes, I'm conscious and existing. Right now, that's an accomplishment".
"My Lady Hestia, it's an honor. If I may...what happened to them?" Hazel asked, averting her eyes. She hadn't met many gods outside of the battlefield, so it was understandable she'd be a little lost for protocol. Not that Percy ever paid attention to that sort of thing.
"Of course. The snap ripped us in two as it did the mortal world. Half of us Olympians have ceased to exist".
"Ceased to exist?" Jason questioned, "That doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't the sun disappear when Apollo did? Or the seas wash over everything when Posideon vanished?"
Hestia smiled and moved forward and stoked the fire in the center of the hall, "Did Percy cease to exist when his parents did? Did nature fail when Pan passed? It doesn't work like that, young pontifex. But you're right, things are a bit more complicated when an Olympian disappears then when a mortal does".
She turned to face them directly, "There are fourteen of us in the council room. Thirteen thrones and myself. Eight were, what do the mortals call it? Blipped out of existence. Athena is tricky though, as you can see, her place has been filled for the moment by Bellona. That's one of a dozen mysteries I'm trying to solve. Unfortunately for all of us, I have more questions than answers".
She moved towards Poseidon and Hades thrones on the end, "You see, Hades is still alive. His throne is intact".
Nico started forward, "Then he is still alive? I couldn't find him in the Underworld, but things appeared to be running smoothly".
Hestia grimaced, "I dispatched him to the entrance to Tartarus. We have a monster problem, as you might have noticed. Half of them disappeared as well, but Thanatos is missing again, so the barrier between Tartarus and the mortal world is a little more...well, let's say soft right now. Hades is there trying to rebuild some sort of temporary wall".
Nico nodded. He never was particularly expressive anymore, not since he was a kid, but Percy could tell he was deeply relieved. Hestia turned to Posideon's throne, carefully not touching it, "Poseidon, however...his throne is cracked. He was erased, and so his power is unstable. It can't disappear, or the entire function of the world would change. I don't know if that was part of this...Thanos's design, or if the laws of nature on Earth are harder to circumvent than that".
Percy followed Hestia to the throne, resisting the urge to reach out and touch it, "I was once told that if the thrones of the Olympians were destroyed, Olympus would crumble".
Hestia nodded, "This is true. However, there are still five Olympian thrones occupied, six including Bellona if she's able to accept the power".
"Accept the power?" Clarisse questioned, her eyes glancing from Bellona to her father's empty and cracked throne. Hestia nodded, "The thrones are sources of power. There are certain immortals who might, shall we say, fill in. As the power of the throne grows stronger, it might even repair itself. For now, we'll settle for not shattering completely. I believe Bellona is compatible enough to hold the throne of Athena eventually".
"Are they gone? Dead? For good?" Clarisse asked, surprisingly quietly.
Hestia frowned, "Even the Fates don't know that, daughter of Ares. Their names remain, and their thrones are not completely destroyed, so if nothing else, their power lives on. I don't think we can count them as dead, but I'm not sure we can depend on their return. This is unprecedented. For once, we're in the same boat as the mortals. Blindly stumbling through the dark with only a pinprick of light to guide us".
Jason stood up a bit straighter, as if physically accepting the news and bearing its weight on his shoulders, "I'm assuming we can't count on godly aid in the camps right now?"
Hestia shook her head sadly, "As soon as we're functional again, I'll reach out. I don't want to shut Olympus down. The power of each of the disappeared will eventually call out to another to fill it's seat, and if we're closed, they cannot come. But we won't be leaving any time soon either".
Jason nodded, thoughtful, "Is there anything we can do to fill the seats?"
Hestia shook her head, "They will fill in their own time, in their own ways. I think some sooner than others".
Aaron stepped forward, "Lady Hestia, pardon my impertinence, but why wasn't this stopped? Or a quest issued?"
Hestia seemed to age instantly, shifting from a young girl into an old woman, "We are not as all-powerful as we would like to think. You've seen throughout your years as demigods. Oftentimes, we are either too ignorant or too stubborn to seek help when we need it. Lady Hecate sensed something was amiss. The sorcerers, her favored mortals, were on the lookout for objects of great power. They sought to protect them from a man in the far reaches of space. She brought her concerns to the council, but we were already battling the Giants for the second time and focused on Grandmother. After that, well, we had already forgotten. After all, what was a man from the far reaches of space compared to the gods?"
Hestia's voice was bitter and mocking. Percy'd never heard her like this before. "My family, young Mr. Nguyen, has many faults. I love them, but this time, I'm afraid our pride and ignorance is at fault. We've long thought other worlds and other pantheons inferior to ours. This Thanos was no different. By the time he had arrived on Earth, it was too late. My siblings do not make decisions quickly, and in the midst of their argument he brought his plan to fruition".
Hestia sighed, and reverted back to a young girl, "Know this, demigods. We have no power outside of this Earth. But he was here, at our mercy, for precious minutes, and we did nothing because we could not agree amongst ourselves. And now we are broken, perhaps never to be whole again".
The six demigods stared at the goddess of the hearth as she turned away from them.
"I have no quest, nor information, nor aid" Hestia began again, looking them over, "But I have one piece of advice. Don't make the same mistakes we did. Stay together and you will stay strong. I'll keep you informed of any pertinent information as we get it. Continue to pray, for your loyalty strengthens us who remain".
She nodded her head slightly towards the door. Their audience was over.
Jason bowed to her first, "Thank you for your time and your council, Lady Hestia".
Percy bowed along with the rest of their delegation, and turned to leave. He stopped in his tracks as a woman, clearly a goddess, stepped forward hesitantly into the room. She wore a chiton, swirling with different shades of blue and green. Her dark hair streamed down her back in curls like a waterfall and her eyes were the color of the depths of the sea. Percy bowed for the second time today. Jason looked at him strangely but followed his lead, the rest of the group following him.
"Lady Amphitrite".
Her eyes glanced over their group, stopping for a second at Percy before continuing on as if they didn't exist. Typical. Percy resisted the urge to roll his eyes and watched instead as she walked up to Poseidon's throne, fingers grazing the arm rest but not daring to rest completely on it.
"Lady Hestia".
Amphitrite's voice was wrecked, sounding like she'd smoked an entire pack of cigarettes before coming to Olympus. Hestia walked calmly up to the goddess, resting a hand gently on her arm.
"Lady Amphitrite. Poseidon and his heir are gone. Have you come to claim the throne?"
Percy started. So Tritan disappeared as well. That couldn't be good, for the ocean or for his step-mother. The goddess turned sharply toward Hestia, eyes wide and a bit angry. Hestia pulled the goddess aside to explain what she'd just told them presumably, and Percy decided it was past time to go.
"This place is giving me the creeps" Clarisse muttered, tugging on Percy's arm to make him walk faster towards the door, "I'd even prefer the creepy disciplined Roman camp to this".
"Thanks" Hazel commented dryly, but she moved towards the exit as well.
They had barely passed through the doorway before Hestia called out to him again, "Percy? A moment please, before you leave".
Percy waved the other forward, promising he'd meet them by the elevator, and walked back towards the hearth.
"Tell him what you told me," Hestia nearly commanded Amphitrite, who looked as displeased to be here as Percy did.
"The seas are restless. Surely you've felt this" Amphitrite didn't even look him in the eyes, choosing to focus on the wall behind him instead. Percy found he didn't mind.
"Yeah, I have" he answered softly, not trusting himself to say much more than that.
"The throne of Poseidon will continue to ruin" Amphitrite stated, "Unless the seas are tamed once more. More than the other gods and goddesses, the sea needs a steady hand. I can provide this in some capacity. But I'm not my husband, and my son has disappeared with him. Lady Hestia believes the seas may be restrained easier if there is someone to fill in for me when I have to be away. Someone to...share the burden". She spit each word out as if it was acid.
Percy furrowed his eyebrows. He thought he knew what they were asking, but it was so ludicrous that he couldn't believe it. "Okay..."
Amphitrite rolled her eyes, "You will come one week of every mortal month and train in the depths. You must aid in filling the void your father has left behind".
Percy's mouth dropped open, "Umm, not that I'm not honored or anything, but I have responsibilities here. And I'm not a god or even an immortal. I can't imagine I can help all that much".
"That's what I said,'' the queen of the seas pursed her lips, "But Hestia is convinced otherwise, and if I am being honest, there are very few with the blood of my husband left on this Earth. For the sake of my people and my late husband, I will heed her advice. For now".
Amphitrite moved back towards the exit, calling over her shoulder, "Meet me on the shore of your Fort Point in eight days time. I'll teach you the ways of the ocean". And she was gone.
Percy stood there, dumbfounded. Then, the anger came. It was typical, wasn't it? The gods called on demigods like they had nothing better to do and no choice in the matter. He wanted to help the ocean, but Amphitrite clearly hated him, which he didn't blame her that much for, being the bastard son of her husband. But he had other responsibilities in camp and this clearly wouldn't end well and Percy wasn't going to listen to...
"I can see where you're going with that face" Hestia jested lightly, "Don't pass up this opportunity because you're too stubborn to do as you're told sometimes".
Percy whirled around, "You too? Look, I'm not some piece on the chess board, I'm not something to be moved around at the whim of anyone, even if she's my step-mother..."
Hestia stopped his tirade just as it was beginning, "Give her some grace, Percy Jackson. She's just lost her husband and only son".
"She's not the only one who's lost people" Percy spat.
"Percy, she's asking for help, something you know no immortal likes to do, especially when the help comes in the form of a twenty year old boy who was the result of her husband's affair. The seas, well, they're worse than you've feared. If you can do anything to help..." Hestia trailed off. "No one can force you to help, Percy. You don't owe us anything. But, this would not only preserve the legacy and power of your father, but it may end up saving Olympus and the rest of the world".
Percy paused. Hestia's plea was genuine and made sense. And Percy was always more inclined to help the goddess of the hearth than nearly anyone else.
"If that's what you wish, I'll give it a chance" Percy agreed.
Hestia smiled, "Thank you, Percy Jackson. Now, I believe your friends are waiting rather impatiently at the elevators".
Percy grinned and strode out of the Olympian Council chambers, leaving eight broken thrones and six broken gods behind.
On the street, an hour after the demigods shadow-traveled back to Camp Jupiter, two figures stood in front of the Empire State Building.
"This is it," the woman said, looking at her phone and gesturing to the warped doors. "It certainly looks like there was an explosion here, but I don't have any energy readings or traces of a chemical attack".
"And there's no cracks or burns in the concrete" the man stood up, rubbing his fingers together as if he could gain insight from the dirt on the concrete sidewalk. "I don't think this is genuine".
"Their footage was corrupted," the woman agreed, "And they'd supposedly just been exposed to a chemical attack. It could be a mass hallucination?"
"Or someone taking advantage of the current climate to break into the Empire State Building" the man ran his hand through dark, dirty hair. "Either way, he wasn't here".
The woman put a hand on the man's arm, "We'll find Tony, Steve. If he's not on Earth, Rocket will find him in space. We'll bring him home to Pepper".
Captain America smiled at Natasha, but it didn't reach his eyes, "I hope you're right. We all need a win right now".
Day 14- The Castle Gates
The senate was for once, blessedly silent.
Jason was still standing, having conveyed the results of their trip to Olympus and the fate of the gods. The senate took it remarkably well, if not screaming or crying was well.
"Any questions?" Jason asked nervously. Percy saw Reyna face-palm out of the corner of his eye and grinned. For his reputation, Jason really wasn't that great of a senator. He was likable, caring, a good fighter, and clever. He was a great military leader, but none of that really translated to political prowess. That was clear when he opened the floor for questions and every single senator raised their hand. Jason's face paled as he glanced around, unsure where to start.
Reyna, on the other hand, was born for the senate.
"What acting Praetor Grace meant was, are there any questions about the material he just presented that cannot wait until after the session?" Reyna stood gracefully, her toga and cape fluttering to the floor, but her eyes were like ice. The senators lowered their hands.
"That's what I thought. This brings us to our next task". Reyna hesitated for a moment, before plowing forward, "Given the current climate, the praetorship and I have deliberated on this issue long and hard, and have decided to bring it before the senate".
Percy barely avoided snorting out loud. They'd had the discussion last night when they'd returned from Olympus. That hardly qualified as thinking about it for a long time.
"Rome, the Legion, and Camp Jupiter have operated with the same governmental model for a millennia. The senate is a symbol of power, democracy, and prosperity. It embodies the will of the gods, of the people, and of Rome". Reyna paused, and began to move toward the senate. Percy couldn't help but be transfixed, even though he knew what she was leading up to. She was a fantastic orator.
"Even after the fall of Rome, the legion and many other countries have continued this expression of the will of the people". Reyna paused, hesitating for a moment, then dove in, "But these are unprecedented times. We are not just Roman anymore, but Greek as well. The legion is strong in tradition, but it also must be flexible. In times of war, the Roman Senate would shift power to the Consuls, two representatives of the government and the legion who would lead Rome both at home and on battlefields abroad. I propose, in this time of uncertainty, that we adjust our governmental structure accordingly".
The silence in the Senate broke as ghosts and senators alike broke into shouts and protests. The camp counselors of Camp Half Blood looked confused from their seats. Percy caught Clarisse's eye and winked, knowing she of all people was aware of what would go down here. Reyna held up a hand, and the senate quieted.
"I am not suggesting we put power only in the hands of two people. After meeting with the gods and the praetorship, we have a model that we believe is more conducive to not only the continuation of our camp, but reflect and strengthen the Olympian Council".
The senate quieted at that, stunned.
"The praetorship and I propose that we establish a council similar to that of Olympus. Six demigods on a council that will see to the day to day operations of the legion and Camp Jupiter. Each of these members will have an area of focus, so that tasks can be more effectively managed. After the time of crisis has passed, we will return power to the senate".
Reyna sat down, crossing her legs and staring out at the senate, "This is a recommendation, not an order. The senate will need to approve this, or we continue as we have been".
The senate murmured quietly to itself, considering their options.
Percy took the opportunity to stand, "Reyna is right. The decision is up to you. But in my opinion, we can't continue how we have been. It's not sustainable. We need an agile team that can respond to crisis events without an eight hour senate session. Can you really tell me you want to continue like we are? Debating around an urgent issue for hours? Not to mention half of the camp only has honorary, not permanent representation. Admit it. It's not practical anymore".
Dakota stood, "I agree. This is all a waste of time. The senate is a responsibility at the best of times and a burden at the worst. I'm done. Whether this motion is passed or not".
"I don't think that will be necessary," a citizen of New Rome who Percy didn't know stood, nodding down at them, "The citizens of New Rome have long trusted the legion and it's legionnaires with our safety. We will continue to do so. New Rome has no objection".
Clarisse stood, crossing her arms and scowling at the senate, "I hate these sessions and I hate all of you. If I don't have to see any of you again in this building, and some of our people have a say, Camp Half Blood is good with this".
Reyna looked toward the senators in the audience, who were gathered together in what appeared to be a football huddle. One by one, they removed their togas and laid them on the seats. Dana stood for all of them, "The Senate of New Rome steps aside in favor of the Demigod Council. We call Reyna RamÃrez-Arellano, Jason Grace, and Hazel Levesque to take their places on the council. We leave the remaining three spots up to the demigods of Camp Half Blood".
Clarisse looked smug while Katie and Connor mostly looked stunned. Katie stepped forward nervously, "Thank you to the Senate and senators and...New Romans? Yeah. I call Percy Jackson to take one of our spots. I don't know...I don't have any interest in the position but..."
Clarisee nodded, "I clearly don't want to be on some sort of council either as long as when the monsters come, you let me send them back to Tartarus. Jackson? You got someone in mind?"
Percy stood, thinking. He knew the Greeks didn't really work this way, and with Annabeth and Piper gone, there wasn't really anyone else he knew that would enjoy a position like this. Rachel would be good at it, but she didn't have as much experience in demigod matters as the rest of the council. He needed people who would question him, who would bring unique perspectives and be able to stand up to the combined might of Jason, Hazel, and Reyna.
Percy smiled. He knew just the people.
"I call Nico Di Angelo and Thalia Grace to take the last two spots on the council".
Thalia's startled head popped up from behind the last row, while Nico stepped out of the shadows behind the senate floor. Percy sat down, ignoring their accusing faces. Jason and Hazel beamed at him while Reyna nodded in approval.
"We have our six. It is a strong council. Senate, thank you for your service and your assistance during these trying times. We will need you now more than ever as leaders in the legion and community. You are dismissed with honors".
The senators nodded respectfully, then hightailed it out of there as fast as they could. Percy didn't blame them. He'd probably be with them if he could. But they had a job to do now, the six of them, and he was going to try his best to get it right. Pretty soon, only the six of them were left in the Senate House.
"I don't know whether to strangle you or thank you" Thalia admitted, stepping beside Jason on the senate floor.
"We need the power of the big three to stick together" Jason murmured, looking around, "By design or happy accident, we've ended up with a council of almost all children of the big three".
"And a daughter of Bellona, the lender of strength" Hazel looked at Reyna with a smile on her face, "This bodes well. I think".
"As long as we don't argue like our dads, I think we'll be good," Percy said, taking off his toga. At Reyna's raised eyebrow, he shrugged, "Hey, I'm not a praetor or member of the senate any more. I don't have to wear this horrid contraption".
Jason whooped and hurriedly untied his toga, throwing it in the air. Hazel just laughed at them, while Reyna face-palmed.
Percy looked at their council, his family running around the floor of the senate, throwing togas at each other and giggling. And for the first time since Annabeth disappeared before his eyes, Percy sat down and relaxed. Decisions could wait for a few more minutes. This was more important.
Percy watched as a mix of legionnaires and Greek campers built a wall around the caldecott tunnel entrance, with one small door on the left side. "I'm not convinced this is a good idea".
Reyna nodded from beside him, Jason and Hazel to her left, "I'm not either. But we need to focus on protecting our own. Any demigod with a recommendation or family in the camp may enter. No one else will ever find us".
"Supply lines?" Jason inquired, unrolling a map of Camp Jupiter. Reyna grimaced, "A little thinner than I'd like, but stable for now. I'll work with some legacies in the mortal world to arrange shipments. I have a feeling our funds may run a little drier than before".
Nico frowned from next to Percy, "How was it funded in the first place? I've never seen an export or anything like that".
Reyna nodded, "It's a lot like Camp Half Blood, depending mostly on the grace of the gods, but instead of the strawberry export Camp Half Blood had, we have some individual businesses and mostly legacy donations and investments. With Olympus not in any shape to help out and the world economy what it is, I think we're going to have to figure out an alternative sooner rather than later".
Hazel nodded, "Some of the New Rome business students are already working on that. They're supposed to have a proposal for the council in a week or two".
Percy snorted, "Heck of a final project. Come up with a supply line solution or starve to death!"
Jason chuckled, straightening his face when Reyna glared at the two of them.
"Anyways, Katie and Jeremy are working on an agricultural solution for food at least. That won't help with toiletries or medicine or anything, but it's a start," Nico wrinkled his nose, "Worst comes to worst I can shadow travel somewhere and steal something, but it'd be inefficient and I really don't want to resort to stealing".
Reyna nodded, "We're the legion, representatives of Rome and Greece. We won't steal other people's stuff. We'll work the problem for ourselves".
Nico nodded. Percy could see the relief in his eyes and knew he didn't want to steal any more than they wanted him to.
Thalia walked up from behind their group, armed and packed with her six hunters behind her. "We're off".
"Thanks for the assist" Percy gave her a quick hug, ignoring the daughter of Zeus's rolling eyes. "Keep us updated, would you?"
Thalia nodded, "Of course. First things first; we'll make our way to Olympus and ensure Lady Artemis's throne does not fall".
"We'll remember her. You'll keep her legacy alive. I'm sure between us, her throne will endure" Reyna shook Thalia's hand. "You'll have to come back at least every once in a while. We'll keep your seat open for you and Iris message if we have to make an important decision. You are the council's eyes and ears in the mortal world now. Don't leave us in the dark".
"Sounds good" Thalia nodded to Hazel and Nico, then wrapped her younger brother in a hug. "You watch out for yourself. I don't want to hear about any more disappearances," Thalia included Percy in her glare, "We've had enough missing people for a lifetime I think".
They agreed and waved her off, the huntress's silvery bows disappearing through the tunnel before the campers finished blocking it off.
Nico turned to the group, giving them a stoic nod, "I'm off as well. I'll obviously be back more than Thalia, but I need to find my father and figure out what he needs from me. Hopefully we can fix this monster problem at the source".
"Good luck man" Jason clapped Nico on the back. Reyna and Hazel gave him hugs, and Percy nodded and shook his hand.
"Let me know if you need anything".
Nico snorted, "What are you going to do? Swim down to the underworld?"
Hazel placed her hands on her hips and glared at her brother, "You'd best be careful, or I'll start field testing my shadow travel and bring this one with me to drag your podex back to camp" she jabbed her thumb at Percy. Percy was a bit offended to be labeled "this one", but he appreciated the point she was making.
Jason concurred, "Yeah man, you're one of us. The demigod council, Camp Half Blood, Camp Jupiter, all three. You're like, triple stuck with us".
Nico gave them all a small, genuine smile that didn't match his muttered, "I hate everything," then disappeared into the shadow of their new wall.
"Now" Reyna clapped her hands and turned back towards the Camp spread out on the hill before them, "We've got 60 campers to relocate, troops to train, and schedules to set. Let's get to work".
Day 21- The Sea
It was the eighth day after their trip to Olympus, and Percy stood on the shore of Fort Point, waiting for Amphitrite to appear.
He'd arrived earlier than he needed to, having brought along a small crew of legionnaires and Connor, who was driving a stolen semi truck. They'd made a pit stop at the dock where Percy and the rest of Camp Half Blood had docked nearly two weeks ago now, and pulled the shipping container out of the river bed. Now, even though he'd be gone for a week, Stella could have some of her own stuff again. Not to mention the legion and Camp Half Blood could restock their armory.
Percy wanted to be there to help unload and begin training. After a lot of debate, the demigod council had decided that they should train both ways; Camp Half-Blood would learn legion formations so that they could participate in morning drills and camp defense with Reyna, while the legionnaires would get lessons in individual Greek style combat for offensive attacks or in case the legion's formation was broken. Usually it would be him (though Clarisse and Jason would cover for him while he was gone, and they could do just as good of a job as he could). But he'd made a promise to Hestia, so instead Percy shivering on the banks of San Francisco Bay, waiting for his ambivalent step-mother.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous about this whole experience. Percy wasn't used to having responsibility for the ocean other than his normal human duty of "don't pollute" and his occasional underwater sea creature rescues. And he knew that Amphitrite didn't like him. Not that he blamed her, but it was hard to keep an open mind when he was going to spend an entire week with her.
It was even harder when he had to leave this morning. He'd climbed out of his bed and shuffled over to the temporary cot he'd set up for Stella in the corner. Percy made a mental note to prioritize moving to one of the two-bedroom apartments in New Rome as soon as he could. Stella needed her own room, or at least an actual bed.
Stella had been sleepy and compliant this morning, going through the motions of packing her bag and getting dressed until he dropped her off at Frank's old apartment, where Hazel was now staying. When Stella had realized he was leaving her again, this time for a week, she'd started to wail.
Percy felt like the worst big brother in the world, trying to sooth his sister and promise her he'd come back. She shouldn't have to deal with all this, and he shouldn't have to leave her so soon after she'd lost their parents. Hazel was amazing, showing Stella the crafts Percy had dropped off the other day and promising to play dress up later. But as Percy left, all he could see was his two year-old sister with red eyes clutching her backpack with her toys so hard her knuckles were white.
He wasn't entirely sure how long Amphitrite expected him to continue underwater training, but he made a promise to himself and Estelle in that moment: if this week was too much for her, Olympians be damned, he was staying home.
So he wasn't exactly feeling charitable when Amphitrite appeared on the shore. Thankfully, she just pursed her lips mildly disapprovingly and gestured for him to follow her.
He could feel the wrongness the minute he slipped into the ocean. The water was cold and rough, even more so than the rivers he'd come across on his journey. No merpeople waved at him; no creatures swam up to him with stories or songs. Instead, they avoided him and Amphitrite, swimming in a wide loop around them.
He swam in currents he'd never traveled before, Amphitrite leading the way, looking back every once in a while as if to say oh you're still here. Great. Hurry up.
At some point, an honor guard joined them. A merman looked suspiciously at Percy before swimming up to Amphitrite, clearly with some sort of status report. Percy ignored them and focused on the ocean surrounding him. He could see why both Amphitrite and Hestia were concerned. The ocean already felt more primal, more dangerous.
"Perseus, meet Muir. He is one of my advisors for Atlantean affairs. Muir, this is Perseus Jackson. He'll be learning about the workings of Atlantis from you for a while".
Percy nodded, "Hi, nice to meet you".
The merman gave him a half bow, his suspicion not completely gone.
"My lady, the forges have broken down again. Our cyclopes are working double time to get them up and running, but this is going to delay defensive production".
Amphitrite sighed, rubbing her forehead in a very human way, "What of farms? Will we have enough hands for the harvest?"
Muir frowned, "Yes, I think"
Amphitrite raised one eyebrow, "You think?"
The merman's cheeks flushed green with embarrassment, "My lady, we don't as of right now. But if we requisition a portion of the city guard and the students, we might make our quota".
"And I'm sure they'll love that" Amphitrite sighed, waving off Muir's apologies, "No, no. There's nothing to be done for it. Keep me updated on the forges. I will show Perseus around this morning. Meet him in the library in the afternoon for introductory studies".
Muir bowed deeply and swam away.
"Wait! Excuse me, Muir?" Percy called, seeing an opportunity. The merman hesitated, then turned around to face him. "Do you know...well, you mentioned the forges..."
"Spit it out," Amphitrite snapped, crossing her arms. Clearly he'd either breached protocol or she just didn't want to acknowledge him any more than she had to.
"It's just, my brother Tyson works in the forges. Do you know if he made it?" Percy bit his lip, staring at the merman. Tyson was the only person he wasn't sure about still. It was hard enough to talk to him when things were going well. With everything going on, Percy hadn't wanted to read into his Iris messages not going through.
Muir looked hesitant at Amphitrite, then bowed, "General Tyson is one of the disappeared, my Lord. I am sorry".
Percy screwed his eyes shut. He'd had a feeling, but to have it confirmed hurt worse than he'd expected.
"Thank you, Muir. You're dismissed" Amphitrite waved off the merman, then hesitated, "Perseus, I am not going to lie. I don't like you. I didn't like your brother. You both were constant reminders of my husband's indiscretions and inability to keep his word for more than a hundred years at a time".
Percy raised his head, eyes blazing. How dare she insult his brother, right after Percy found out he'd been lost? But Amphirite held up a hand, stalling his attempt to berate her.
"And I'm aware that the misdeed is on the father, not on the son. But still, to give up everything for him and then to be continually reminded of..." She shut her eyes, took a breath, then continued, "But I'll give him this; even his bastard children are a credit to Atlantis. You all have his strength, though it may come in different forms. So I am sorry to hear about General Tyson. He will be missed, particularly in these hard times. And I am sorry for your loss".
Percy stared at her, eyes wide. She'd never spoken more than a few words at a time to him, and certainly never kind ones, even if they came with just as many insults.
Amphitrite sighed, "My sister-in-law believes that the key to restoring balance on Olympus and in the depths is to tap the strength of demigods and other immortals. I am not convinced, but I've promised to give the theory a fair shot. But I need you to do the same. I'm aware of your responsibilities on the surface to your friends and family. That is why I do not demand your constant presence. But while you are down here, no matter our animosity toward each other or distractions from above, I need you to focus and dedicate yourself to the task. Or we'll never know if this is a viable solution".
Percy nodded hesitantly. Amphitrite was spoken of very little in the myths, other than that she was hesitant to marry Poseidon, then jealous of his indiscretions, and was associated with the sea. But Percy could see another side to her now instead of the cold, distant wife of his father. She cared about the seas, and she would do whatever she had to to protect her people. Even if that meant bringing Percy, who was never supposed to see Atlantis, willingly down with her to train in place of her son.
"That's fair". Percy left it at that, not trusting himself to say anything else without putting his foot in his mouth. Amphirite nodded once, then continued into the depths. They swam in silence for a while, each ruminating on their own problems.
"So...lessons? I should warn you, I'm terrible at school". Percy broke the silence. He wasn't exactly scholar material. He didn't know what she expected of him, but if it was administrative aid, there were probably a thousand people more qualified than him.
"You just need to know the basics for now. Most of your training will be with the guard. I'm aware of where your strengths lie. As I said, I'm giving this experiment it's best chance of success''. Amphitrite slowed down a bit, the guard fanning out around them as they crested the top of a seamount.
Percy sucked in his breath. Sprawling out on the ocean floor beneath him was Atlantis. It was looking much better than the last time he was here. There were no Titan's putting holes in the place this time, for one.
The city was nearly as large as Mount Olympus. The palace stood in approximately the center, a glistening circular columned building covered in pearl. The rest of the city gleamed, alternating white and rainbow colors throughout the city. He could see underwater creatures crowding what must have been streets and courtyards, rushing about with their day's business. Small rainbows formed where artificial light shone from buildings, illuminating a training yard, a school of some sort, and what appeared to be a forum or maybe a market.
"It's impressive," Percy said, trying to take it all in.
Amphitrite gave him a small smile, "It is, isn't it? But it won't be for long, if we don't do something about it. Come, Perseus, we don't have time to waste gawking".
Percy hurried to keep up with her. He was a strong swimmer, but her natural pace was much faster than his, "You can call me Percy".
Amphitrite frowned, "Appearances are very important down here, especially now. In public, I must call you Perseus and you must call me Lady Amphitrite or Queen. When you have settled in, and people have become used to you, we can discuss nicknames". She looked uncomfortable at even the thought of nicknames, but continued forward.
"The City of Atlantis is broken into four distinct areas: the palace grounds, the barracks, the marketplace, and the residences".
Amphitrite pointed to the domed structure in the center of the city, "That is the palace. That is where you will meet Muir and myself for lessons. That area," she pointed to the left of the palace, toward a squat building with columns every few feet along the side, "Is the barracks. You'll meet Delphin there every morning and every evening for training. He'll teach you about the Atlantean military as well as fighting underwater".
They swam down the cliff, reaching the outer walls. The walls were a blend of sandstone and living plants, gnarled together into a mess of matter roughly twelve feet tall that looked oddly similar to Percy's collection of electronics cords.
A merman and a dolphin bowed as they swam past, opening a gate made of coral and revealing wide streets lined with glowing pearls. Percy tried not to look like a tourist, but he must not have succeeded because at some point, Amphitrite got fed up and tugged on his arm, giving him a death glare to rival his mothers until he caught back up and kept pace.
"Muir will be teaching you of the history and workings of Atlantis. Delphin will cover military history and tactics, as well as the physical adaptations you will need to make when fighting underwater. I will teach you how to connect with the sea itself".
"Connect?" Percy asked, apologizing as he knocked someone's shoulder in his haste to keep up. He noticed that while the people were clearly respectful, they didn't seem surprised to see the Queen of the oceans walking among them. "I usually feel at peace in the sea, but lately things have been..."
He paused, unable to describe the feeling. "It's like when you've been friends with the same group of people, and then you move and even though you haven't changed at all, you're no longer welcome".
Amphitrite just stared at him, "I do not understand this story".
Percy sighed, "I'm explaining it all wrong. What I meant was, the water was like an old friend. But now when I want to hang out or get a hug, they back away like they want nothing to do with me anymore and I have no idea what I did wrong".
Amphitrite nodded, "Each body of water has a personality. Because of the dominance of your father and his blood in you, you've never needed to connect with it before. It has always jumped to do your bidding. Is that correct?"
Percy nodded, "Mostly. I've had to bribe two rivers before, but before the Snap, I didn't have to try to harness water. Like, it took energy to manipulate it, but now it's like I have to convince it to give me the water first, and then I have to expend the same amount of energy to make it do what I want it to do".
Amphitrite seemed unsurprised, "I'll teach you how to communicate with the spirit of a body of water. Most spirits can be bargained with. This is how it was, before your father harnessed the power of the oceans. Everything was a bargain, give and take. Once they'd submitted to his dominance, they willingly followed the will of his bloodline".
"Are we trying to restore that?" Percy asked. He didn't like the thought that he'd been bullying river spirits into doing what he wanted for years, but he also knew the value of being able to call on his powers without having to first negotiate with an immortal.
"Eventually. The system had its positives and negatives, but I think the good outweighed the bad. But none of us are strong enough to hold the power the way your father did. So, we need to maintain order for now, then worry about that later".
They were approaching the palace from the front, giving Percy an unobstructed view of a mansion made of stone, pearls, and shell. He remembered from the first and only other time he'd been here that the command center was on the roof of the palace, an open air setup similar to the throne room of Olympus but with only two thrones standing in the center.
"It's imperative that the people see you living and learning here, in Atlantis" Amphitrite continued, "To mortals, the world above the sea and below the sky is all they know. To the Atlanteans, the sea is all they know. You must learn to walk between the two worlds, a task that is difficult even for an immortal with thousands of years to spare".
"And you expect me to learn in, what, a year?" Percy asked, struggling to swim fast enough to keep up with her. Amphitrite landed gracefully on the sea floor and started up the steps, her gauzy dress floating behind her. Percy hit the ground hard, cut himself on coral, and almost tripped rushing up the steps to keep up with her. She kindly didn't mention it, instead sweeping through the main gates and to the left, entering a musty library. Percy wasn't sure how they could keep books down here, not until she opened a scroll and the inky words floated in front of them.
"I expect you to try your best and learn what you can in a year, yes" Amphitrite stared at him, "I will push you hard, and you will oblige. I only have you for a fourth of your human months, which seems a blink of an eye to me, though I know it feels long to you".
She waved her hand through the text as if turning the page on a tablet and the ink obliged, rearranging until it formed completely different text. At least, Percy assumed it was. Though his demigod brain told him he was reading a language, it wasn't Greek or Latin. It was like looking at two images superimposed over each other.
"I don't...what language is that?" Percy asked, squinting. Amphitrite sighed.
"It's the ancient language of my people. To understand the present, you must begin in the past. Before Atlantis. Before the reign of Olympus". She pulled out a few more scrolls, setting them on the desk in front of Percy. "Muir will be in shortly. These are in the language of the naiads, the language of Oceanus himself. It is very similar in form to Atlantean. Muir will help you focus your mind to read it".
"I thought I was supposed to be on summer vacation," Percy muttered, quailing a bit beneath Amphitrite's unimpressed glower.
"There are no vacations, not until we fix this" she sniffed, imperiously walking to the door. "I once told Poseidon that his bastard children only hurt his kingdom," she turned around, eye boring holes through his, "Now, you must prove me wrong".
No songs for this part!
Sorry for the long delays in posting. I've got it all written but am editing as I go along, and have ended up with three major life events in the span of three months, so this story had fallen through the cracks. Thank you for sticking with it, and only two more parts to come!