Chapter 32

Greetings readers! I hope that all of you enjoyed the previous chapter!

Bellablowphish245: Thank you so much for your kind words, as an author, nothing makes me happier than to hear that you enjoy the moral complexity and depth in this story because that's what I want to showcase in this trilogy as a whole. And I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed this! Unfortunately, no, I will not be incorporating characters like Leo Valdez or Piper or Rachel Elizabeth Dare mainly because I don't want to incorporate characters without being able to narrate a good character arc. Thank you for your continued support!

Ramencat67: Yes, a gray spectrum of morality is exactly what I was shooting for in the Atlas Arc. And I am very happy

to hear that you liked the deep characterization that I imparted to Calypso and Atlas. And I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed Percy's character arc because that's what I want to do. I want to narrate a good story, with strong character arcs, rather than just blindly following plotlines. Thank you for your continued support!

Divine Protector of Skyrim: Just because the demigods were equipped with weapons, it doesn't mean they were handed everything on a silver platter. It was something I thought was necessary in order to help them in their initial character arcs. And the thing about giving them handguns, I am also absolutely against firearms but this is a story that involves a world where gods and Titans who can destroy continents exist. So in that context, I think it was something that was perfectly possible and I would rather not look at it politically. Thank you for your input!

Mysiwnnnn: Hmmm, to be honest, I don't have time to read all that much nowadays given that I'm working on three stories at the same time. But I will definitely give it a read when the load eases up a little. Also, I am really glad that you have enjoyed this trilogy up until this point and hope you like it even more as we continue! Thank you for your continued support!

Shadowhunter2077: Thankfully, I'm over that brief writer's block and am on full speed when it comes to seeing this through and I am enjoying the journey as much as I did before. Hmm, I could do that brief one-shot sometime after I am done with this trilogy. Thank you for your continued support!

I would like to thank Nice for your continued support!

I would like to thank the emoticon using guest reviewer for your continued support!

I would like to thank Walter Ha for your continued support! I am determined to see this trilogy through and end it on a high!

Guest reviewer: I am very glad that you liked the previous chapter! It was set up more as a way to improve the tone from the previous, super serious Atlas Arc, and the succeeding Final Arc which will be super intense. After all, I don't want to be exhausting the readers with a single trope. Yes, I'm super excited for this Final Arc because there will just be so much going on. It's going to be insane but awesomely insane. Thank you for your continued support!

Fugy: This Percy would definitely make an awesome mentor to anyone to be honest. But I think it's time to retire Perseus Diaboles. At least as a protagonist. He's had his fill of stories and his character arc is basically over at this point. I really don't have any story left to tell with him because his character has come full circle since the first story of this trilogy. But I definitely won't rule out cameos or extended cameos from him in other stories. Thank you for your continued support!

TheGracefulHuntress: I am thrilled that you enjoyed the previous chapter! Yes, it was the closest I've probably written to a pure fluff chapter but I think it was a great way to break the tension and intensity of the Atlas Arc and set up this final arc of the trilogy which will be insanely tense to say the least. Well in this story, Reyna and Annabeth are both Athena's adopted daughters as she doesn't really have actual demigods in this AU. Thank you for your continued support!

Audrey Lucenio Royo: Yes, Percy and Athena definitely deserve a happy ending. I have already written that one. Hmmm yes, I do plan to eventually write a time travel PJO fic. But I won't be getting into that until I am done with this trilogy, now that I already have two more stories going on. But I'll definitely never abandon any story I write. Thank you for your continued support!

Ryan Fowler: I am thrilled to know that you enjoyed the previous chapter! That was a nice but a little dark joke, though I still loved it. Well, I have already come out with two more stories, one is the DC crossover and the other is a tragedy/ angst fic that features Percy as the Central Antagonist. Please do check them out! Thank you for your continued support!

I would like to thank HellRaiderS for your continued support!

I would like to thank Poulpy2003 for your continued support!

I would like to thank Arden2709 for your continued support!

All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.

Theia was in the middle of preparing war plans in her room in a secret base in the Sierra Nevada mountains when she was startled, in an extremely unpleasant way when a dismembered and profusely bleeding Phobos showed up in her room.

"What in the name of Tartarus happened to you?" Theia hissed as she rushed near him, noticing that he had a giant hole in his gut.

"Diaboles…" Phobos croaked out, with Ichor leaking from his mouth.

She thought of calling her sister Phoebe but she decided against it. There was no point in wasting energy trying to save Phobos, who was just a sliver away from losing his physical form. But he was still of some use to her. Without a second thought, she invaded his mind to see what happened to him.

Phobos, along with Deimos and Khione, had been in a race against time these past few days. And that was because Perseus Diaboles was hunting them. He had been hunting them for quite a while. And he was closing in fast.

The past few months had already been disastrous for them, after Atlas' loss to Diaboles. But now, with the latter back and stronger than ever, he had set his sights on the three gods he viewed as traitors. And they had been desperately fleeing in the opposite direction, which had brought them to Death Valley.

Hyperion's base was just a few hundred miles away somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains and they hoped to make it there before Diaboles got to them. He had already caught up to them at a startling rate, and had ambushed them a few days ago near Las Vegas. They had immediately fled but he had been behind them ever since.

They didn't know where he was, because they couldn't sense him. But they knew he was on their trail, he was the world's best tracker for a reason. And they had stuck together because they hoped it would be more difficult for him to subdue them then. Unfortunately for them, they would never make it Hyperion's base.

Percy suddenly materialised in front of Phobos before instantly embedding both his swords into Phobos' gut, carving a hole into the latter and then harshly kicked him away. Deimos and Khione immediately tried to teleport away but they found themselves confined within a metaphysical barrier.

"Did you really think that I would come here unprepared? I knew you slimy, traitorous rats would flee as soon as I made my presence known which is why I set up a metaphysical barrier around here as soon as I found out you were here. And now, it is curtains for you." Percy revealed with a predatory smirk on his face. He didn't bother shifting into his armour. He didn't need it to deal with small fry.

"Lord Perseus, let's not be hasty here. We can be of much use to the gods alive. We know the Titans' plans, we can help-" Khione tried to barter with Percy but he cut her off.

"I do not negotiate with traitors." Percy coldly dismissed. Seeing no other option, Khione and Deimos immediately summoned their weapons and jumped into action, coming at Percy from two different sides.

Percy stopped them both effortlessly, with both his swords before easily overpowering them and slamming his ethereally glowing knee into Deimos. Instantly, the god of terror felt his insides liquefy as he was launched off his feet and into the air.

Percy then whirled on Khione, descending on her with the fury of a hurricane and within a matter of seconds, Khione found herself completely and utterly outclassed as wounds began to rapidly fill her. But she had one last trick up her sleeve.

In a desperate final charge, she took her divine form, catching Percy a bit off-guard by unleashing a primeval blizzard that turned him into ice, halting his rapid offense. Khione knew this was temporary though and sprinted away from him as fast as possible. But it was all in vain.

A few seconds later, Percy burst out of his icy confines and a raging hurricane immediately overpowered and gobbled up the blizzard before dissipating. And Khione screamed in pain as Percy materialised in front of her and impaled her in the stomach.

"This is only the beginning of the end, you filthy traitor, Boreas will deal with you when you reform." Percy harshly intoned before embedding his other sword in her neck, instantly destroying her physical form. He then turned his attention to a panting Deimos who was coughing his insides out.

"This is the end of the road for you, Deimos. Your father groomed you and your brother as his lieutenants. And how did you repay him? By joining forces with our worst enemies. There is no atonement for those who turn their back on family. There is only divine retribution. That's all there is." Percy emotionlessly intoned as he prepared to destroy Deimos' physical form.

However, in a last ditch effort, Deimos took his divine form, and directed it as a pillar of rippling purple energy at Percy, although it was much weaker than normal due to him being just an inch away from losing his physical form. But rather than dodge it, Percy purposefully took the attack head on. The pillar launched him away, sending him skidding backwards as his feet left two huge mud trails for dozens of feet before he finally came to a halt. And he emerged out of the looking unfazed.

"Is that the best you've got? I'm rather disappointed. I was expecting a lot more resistance from the three of you." Percy mused as he nonchalantly pointed at the large bruise forming on the base of his neck.

Before Deimos could say anything else, Percy closed the distance between them and grabbed Deimos' shoulder before rapidly flooding the god of terror's body with seismokinetic energy, causing the latter to turn an ethereal white.

Deimos broke free of Percy's grasp and immediately made a run for it, scrambling away from Percy with a mighty leap. But it was a futile attempt to escape as Percy pointed his sword at Deimos, took aim and fired a small green laser of energy at Deimos. And as soon as it made contact with him, Deimos gruesomely exploded as a monstrous shockwave erupted from within him.

All this while, Phobos was powerless and crippled with fear, and he could only watch as Percy slaughtered the other two gods who had defected to the side of the Titans. He shuddered in chilling fear and started to grovel for mercy as Percy casually walked towards him before squatting down in front of him.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you now. No, I'll let you bleed to death. But before that happens, go to the Titans and show them what happens to those who oppose the gods. Tell them that Perseus Diaboles is going to tear apart each and every single one of them, one by one. Do that and perhaps, I shall be merciful when you reform." Percy commanded with a predatory glint in his glowing sea green eyes that swirled like a hurricane.

Phobos, despite the unbelievable pain, stood up and did as he was told. He walked, slowly and painfully, towards the Titans' base, doing as he was told. He knew that the Titans would not win. He at least hoped the Hero would be merciful with him when he reformed. That's all he could hope for now.

Theia exited from Phobos' mind and summoned her spear before driving it through Phobos' neck, ending his misery. But Diaboles' predatory gaze, those vibrant sea green eyes that glowed with power and swirled like a hurricane, sent chills down her spine. He was coming for them now.

Koios was no fool. He knew that they were losing this war. And they were getting hammered on all fronts. Atlas had been single-handedly defeated and imprisoned by Perseus Diaboles who was now stronger than ever and they had lost two huge armies at the Battle Of Othrys and Camp Half-Blood.

Oceanus had been pushed back in the seas by the House of Poseidon and under siege from all directions, Oceanus had retreated to the deepest parts of the ocean but Poseidon's armies were in hot pursuit. He had half a year left at best before Atlantean Forces finished him off. And once that happened, Poseidon would direct his attention towards the surface forces of Othrys, which had already taken a great beating.

The Underworld had been the only place where they had tasted moderate success but with Perseus Diaboles now wrecking havoc on Iapetus' armies even there, destroying thousands of monsters even as soon as they left Tartarus, they would eventually run out of monsters for their surface armies.

To discuss their strategy, the first twelve Titans, fighting on the side of the Titans, had gathered at their secret stronghold in the Midwest. They were all seated around a war table and at its head was Kronos, inhabiting Luke's immortal, fortified, invulnerable body.

"It's been eight months since Atlas lost, and along with him, we lost half of our armies to the armies of the gods. And what about them? They lost just more than a tenth of their forces, a little over four dozen demigods died, in a combined army of around three-fifty strong. We lost four of our most potent demititans while their six abominations still wreck havoc on us. The Olympians and Artemis' ragged band are hunting us across the surface, smiting every little army they come across into nothingness. Oceanus is on his last ropes under the sea and ever since that accursed Perseus Diaboles took charge of the forces of the Underworld three months ago, all my plans there have bitten the dust. Even worse, I have had to actively evade him. We aren't fighting a war here. No. We're getting slaughtered left, right and centre." Iapteus angrily ranted.

"Iapteus is not wrong. Ever since that blasted Diaboles became as strong as his father and uncles, we have been losing ground continuously. He is our single greatest threat. And yet, we are only waiting for you to attain full power. Because no one else can keep a check on him. Even Atlas failed. And even though all of us other Titan Lords have attained full power, we can't do anything because we cannot win against him. Not alone at least. And even the numbers are in his favour." Koios grimly stated.

"All of you are bloody cowards and weaklings. Atlas failed because he was way too attached to those useless daughters of his. I am stronger than him. I will bring down Diaboles if given the order, Lord Kronos." Hyperion haughtily declared.

"Which delusion are you dwelling in, you flaming monkey? You may be Atlas' equal in power but do I need to remind you of your humiliating defeat at the hands of Poseidon during the previous war. He was weaker than you back then. Still, with extreme effort and due to his elemental advantage, he managed to defeat you. Now, Poseidon has just as much raw power as you. He would wipe the floor with your sorry excuse of a face. And so would Diaboles since he is now his father's equal. The reason Diaboles is rampaging around, killing everyone remotely connected to us is because he knows that in single combat, he can defeat each and every single one of us in this room." Koios harshly responded. Oceanus chipped in before Hyperion could say something else.

"I am also on my last ropes, Lord Kronos. I cannot believe that the tide of the war turned against me so fast. When I first launched the offensive two years ago, I managed to capture more than half of the Eastern seas, conquered the entirety of the Mediterranean, and even gained a strong foothold in the Western seas. Now, I have been kicked out of the Western and Eastern seas, and I am gradually losing control of even the Mediterranean. It's all due to Atlas evading the gods for one year, and it all ended in vain. That made Diaboles focus all his attention on me and this is a result of that. I've already lost to the House of Poseidon once after being cornered by Poseidon and Triton. I barely escaped with my physical form back then. When Diaboles returns from the Underworld, he will turn his attention to me. And that will be the end of me." Oceanus admitted with frustration shining through his cold blue eyes.

"Our surface forces are in shambles. We are constantly on the run. The Hunters Of Artemis and those six blasted demigods are always behind us. And we are quickly running out of weapons. With Diaboles having completely destroyed Triumvirate Holdings around two years ago, we are just running on old inventory." Mnemosyne revealed.

"We have so many Titans and Titanesses. More than we ever had during the First War. But it is not enough. The problem is that whatever we have, the gods have in even greater number. And even having thousands of monsters is useless because all they serve to do is slow down the gods' ruthless hunt and cause demigod casualties, but they don't make any actual dent to the Divine Forces." Theia stated with a troubled look on her face.

"We are in a very precarious situation, Lord Kronos. If we wait for you to reach full strength to launch a full scale offensive, which will take at least another six months, the gods will have gotten to many of us by then and beat us by sheer numbers because they would have eradicated all the monsters and it would not be a stretch to say that even some of us will be hunted down by them. If we launch the invasion now, we will still lose because the gods can rally far too many powerful hitters. Especially if we are meeting Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and Diaboles in open battle, along with the rest of the gods, we stand no chance at winning at your current state of power. We will probably lose out to the gods even if you are at full power, such is their strength." Koios concluded with an air of resignation. A long silence enveloped the room before being broken by Kronos.

"Are you all done whining?" Kronos asked with a huff of annoyance. And he was met with stiff, fearful nods.

"I am many things. But a fool I certainly am not. I saw the writing on the wall the day Diaboles defeated Atlas. I knew that this was a man, who now having awakened his full potential, would be the Bane of Othrys. And I knew that even if I regained a physical form and reached my own peak, it would be too late by then. Because Diaboles' ascension and the defeat of Atlas changed all dynamics. Until then, even with Triumvirate Holdings destroyed, we had stalemated the gods, we had gained the upper hand even, when Atlas demolished Diaboles at the Smithsonian. But when Diaboles came back stronger than ever and he defeated Atlas, with the Divine Forces taking out so many of our surface forces, I knew that we would lose if the war continued in its current trajectory. And that is why, I crafted a plan." Kronos calmly stated before pausing to take a breath.

"You see, while the rest of your have been panicking around like headless chickens, full of dread and fear and bracing for impending doom, I have been making arrangements to free our trump card against the Olympians – Typhon." Kronos revealed and the entire room went silent in shock for a while.

"Lord Kronos, I have never been one to question your decisions, and have always been a loyal lieutenant of yours. But this is the Storm Giant we are talking about. He may be monstrously powerful, rivalling even a Protogenos out of their domain, the one who along with Tartarus, came closest to wiping out the gods three millennia ago but, can we even control him and make him do our bidding? From what I gather, he is as dull as a rock and the only one who could control him was Tartarus, who has joined our father in oblivion. How will we make him join our side?" Koios asked with a fair bit of scepticism.

"Who said anything about making Typhon join our side?" Kronos rhetorically questioned with a dangerous smile on his face.

"How else will he fight for us?" Krios questioned with confusion evident in his expression.

"He doesn't need to fight for us. As long as he fights against the gods, that's enough." Koios answered as he realised what Kronos' plan was.

"Exactly. All we need to do is free the Storm Giant. He was born to destroy Olympus. Once he is free of his constraints, his instincts will take over and he will charge towards Olympus, destroying all those who stand in his way. And obviously, the gods will immediately move to intercept him. I would wager that it will take the entirety of the Olympians Council along with Diaboles, barring Poseidon and Hades, to bring him down. And concurrent to that, while Typhon keeps the Olympians occupied far away from home, we will gather all our surface forces and launch a surprise attack on Olympus itself. At the same time, Iapetus' and Oceanus will launch their own storm offensives, preventing the forces of Atlantis and the Underworld from aiding the Divine Forces. The remaining minor gods and demigods will resist. But we will crush them. And then we will storm Olympus and destroy the Olympians seat of power." Kronos declared with megalomaniacal laughter reverberating throughout the room.

"Not to question your strategic brilliance, Lord Kronos, but how exactly will we launch a full scale assault on Olympus? Or in the Underworld, or even under the sea. We are in a precarious situation all over. The gods have enough advanced machinery as well the numbers to detect and stop our offensives before we get to Olympus. Our forces in the sea as well the Underworld are already depleted. Even if Typhon marches on to Olympus, the gods have enough divine heavy hitters to launch effective counter-offensives for each and every one of our offensives. They can and will exceed our deployment. Typhon alone is not enough." Koios anxiously asked.

"Of course I know that we don't have the capacity to match the gods, in terms of numbers. Even with Typhon rampaging towards Olympus, in a conventional full scale offensive on our part, Poseidon and Hades will defeat Oceanus and Iapteus in a week at worst and two weeks at best. The Olympians, led by Zeus, will definitely manage to hold back Typhon until then. The Storm Giant may be as powerful as a protogenos out of their domain, but even he will only be stalling the Olympians. And Diaboles will most certainly take up an extremely defensible position at Manhattan. And he will hold us off using the army of demigods, the rest of the Divine Council and he will use all of Olympus' fortified defences to hold his position until the rest of the gods charge in and vanquish us. So that's why we need another trump card." Kronos calmly answered Koios' question.

He wasn't as clairvoyant or foresighted as his elder brother Koios. Nor was he a gifted tactician who was an expert at finding his opponent's weak spots and attacking them like Atlas. But what he was good at, was understanding and mirroring his enemies. And he knew Diaboles' war strategy very well by now.

"And if I may ask, what is this trump card?" Koios pressed in a respectful voice. He was sick of Kronos' penchant for dramatics but he had no choice but to put up with it.

"Diaboles' greatest tactical strength, ever since he fought against our dim-witted and draconian brood of half-brothers, to his battle against Tartarus, and his spate of victories against us, has been due to his ability to always engineer the element of surprise to his side. He repeatedly finds a way to turn the tables and overcome all odds by hitting enemies with blazingly fast, shock offensives that come out of nowhere. And that is exactly what we will be using against him." Kronos expounded before taking a deep breath.

"Our final trump card is Daedalus and his greatest creation – the Labyrinth." Kronos revealed with a egomaniacal smile on his face and realisation instantly dawned on the faces of the rest of the Titans. This was their ultimate opportunity to topple the gods once and for all.

The very world around Athena seemed to go in slow motion and her mind went blank as she saw Percy on one knee, a relaxed smile on his chiseled face and the most beautiful ring in his hands.

The ring was made out of the most lustrous gold she had ever seen, and gleaming on its head was a big, dazzling diamond that shone like a star. There were two smaller sapphires, of the purest and deepest shade of aquamarine, on either side of the diamond. And to top it all off, next to each sapphire, were two additional diamonds that were small but very beautiful.

"It's beautiful." Athena breathed out.

"I'm glad you like it. I made it myself. Three millennia ago actually. It was on a beautiful sunny day. Just before the Trojan war had begun. I was certain my life couldn't get any better. And I knew that you were the woman of my dreams. That this was it. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of eternity with you. So, I decided to make this ring myself and propose to you. You made me the happiest man in the world then and you still make me the happiest man in the world now. There was nothing I was more certain about. I wanted to live the dream with you then, and I want it even more now. You were my future back then, and you are my everything now." Percy started passionately before pausing, and his eyes became distant.

"But then, the horrors of war engulfed us. The Trojan War divided our family, it snatched Achilles away from us and I ultimately turned into a vegetable for three millennia. But then, I started to slowly reform. After I was resurrected, believe me, this was the first thing I wanted to do. It was all I could think of the day we were reunited in the throne room. But I didn't do it because I knew I had lost that right. I had just left you for three thousand years. I couldn't waltz back in and act like everything was alright. Because it wasn't." Percy stated with a remorseful sigh.

"I had left you devastated and I could see your pain, I could feel your pain. We talk about an eternity. I left you for an eternity. Civilizations came up and went. Gods changed. The world changed drastically in the time I left you. I was wracked with guilt, I didn't know how to make it up to you. Because I knew, I saw, I felt, that I was responsible for being the one who gave you the most pain in your life. And I felt like I was a broken man. Even then, I was still dealing with my own demons. But you, you supported me, you anchored me. You gave purpose to my life. And our love bloomed once again." Percy sincerely stated, as his voice cracked several times in the middle. Tears were flowing down Athena's cheeks by this point but she didn't dare interrupt Percy.

"Athena, you have seen me in multiple lifetimes, in multiple avatars. We started afar, and initially, it seemed like our destinies were never meant to intersect. But they did. Through episodic euphoric highs and devastating lows, through the quicksand of time and the jaws of fate, our destinies have been forever intertwined. There is nothing that our love for each other has not overcome. And there is nothing it can't overcome. For me, you are Lord Chaos' greatest creation. You are perfection personified. I don't deserve you, Athena, I really don't. But if you give me the chance, I will spend the rest of eternity devoted to making you happy. Because now, only in your happiness lies my happiness. And your happiness means more to me than everything else in this world, put together." Percy poured his heart to Athena and she left out a soft, emotional sob, overwhelmed by the sheer love radiating off of him. Percy gave her a few seconds to regain some of her composure before taking a deep breath.

"This is it, Athena. I love you. You are my everything. And our future is my only goal in life. And I promise you that I will do everything I can and more to make all our dreams come true. To make all your dreams come true. So, will you marry me?" Percy asked, his deep, sea green eyes gently swirling with hope and optimism. And Athena didn't even have to think twice before answering.

"Yes! Yes! YESSSS!" Athena screamed in sheer ecstasy as she held out her hand and more tears streaked down her unblemished cheeks. But these were not tears of sorrow. These were tears of pure joy.

Percy gave her the widest, happiest smile that she had ever seen and immediately slid the ring into her dainty finger. As soon as the ring was securely on her finger, Athena tackled into Percy with a passionate kiss, and Percy responded with just as much passion.

She ran her fingers through his silky hair, caressing it while his hands circled around her waist and pulled her closer to him. They broke apart only a few minutes later, to take deep breaths with their forehead rested against each other and their eyes closed in pure bliss. That's what this was – pure, unadulterated, loving bliss.

"You do deserve me, Percy. You always have. And you always will. And you make me happy. Just being around you. Being able to take comfort in your loving embrace, your soothing scent that reminds me of a warm, salty sea breeze, your deep voice and perfectly articulated words, listening to your roaring heartbeat, being lost in those wonderful sea green orbs of yours, this is my solace. This is my happiness. You are my happiness." Athena softly whispered, pouring all her love for him into words.

Percy responded by pulling her into a loving embrace, with her head resting on his chest, and his fingers gently stroking her luscious hair as he planted tender kisses on the side of her forehead. The two of them wordlessly basked in each other's warmth for a long time, before that silence was broken by a high-pitched squeal, followed by half a dozen others in quick sequence. And before Percy and Athena knew it, they were squished into a giant group hug by their Olympian and Atlantean families.

"Guys, I love that all of you are happy for us but it would be a good idea not to crush us on the night of our engagement." Percy rasped out and the gods sheepishly pulled away. Not for long though because Percy and Athena found themselves the recipients of a bear hug that to everyone's surprise, was initiated by Zeus.

"Finally, I have been waiting for this day since Chaos knows how long. Nephew, I know there's no other person in this world, not even me, who comes even remotely close to you in terms of making my baby girl happy. This is truly the happiest day of my life." Zeus stated with his eyes misty, in a very rare show of emotion, before letting go of Percy and Athena.

"Damnit Zeus. You stole my lines. I was supposed to say all this." Poseidon loudly grumbled before pulling Percy and Athena into his own bear hug. And Amphitrite also took part in it a second later.

"Kids, I knew the two of you were made for each other the day I first saw you truly interact in Atlantis, when both of you lived there for a while. You two thought you could hide it from us but it was so clear, just by the beaming smiles on your faces, that you two were so hopelessly in love with each other. You've stood through so many trials together. If anybody deserves their happily ever after, it's definitely the two of you." Amphitrite stated with happy tears as she planted identical, soft kisses on Percy's and Athena's brows.

"I call dibs on being the godfather!" Apollo suddenly shouted.

"You can't call dibs on being the godfather." Hermes indignantly shot back.

"I can and I just did." Apollo childishly replied.

"If anyone should be the godfather, it should be me. I have been with Percy since he was two." Triton claimed.

"You punks don't have the muscles required to keep the little pipsqueak safe. I'm the only one who has the creds to roughhouse anyone who even stares at the pipsqueak." Ares retorted and the four of them got into an argument.

"Well at least we know who the godmother is going to be." Aphrodite stated, with a self-assured smile.

"Why do I have a feeling that you are referring to yourself?" Artemis asked as she narrowed her eyes at Aphrodite.

"Who else but Percy and Athena's elder sister is the best choice as the godmother for their child?" Aphrodite challenged.

"Their younger sister." Artemis retorted and another argument broke out between the the two of them.

"Well, if you ask me, I love all of you equally and would love it if-" Percy placatingly started but was cut off when six, very, very powerful gods glared at him.

"You stay out of this, Percy." All of them said in unison before getting back to their argument. And Percy, wisely did as told.

"I for one cannot wait for the future. Because these are the emotions that have kept the hearth of Olympus shining as a beacon of hope for millennia. It shines brighter today than it ever has and I am certain that it will shine even brighter in the future." Hestia stated with a wide smile and Percy and Athena couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Also, get ready you two, we have an Olympian Ball to attend. Hecate is up there keeping all the gods occupied while they're waiting for a big announcement. Let's give them one." Hera stated with a dramatic motion of her hands.

"Wait, you guys knew about this?" Athena quizzed. That was the only way they would have been able to plan for and conduct the ball.

"Of course. Percy wanted to do this the old fashion way by asking me for my permission a few days ago. And obviously, I didn't even think twice before giving it to him. Once he had decided when to propose to you, we discreetly sent out invitations for a Grand Olympian Ball. And a few minutes ago, when he proposed to you, we revealed what we were celebrating. Also, we all ensured that your night would be perfect. If anyone deserves happiness, it's you two." Zeus revealed with a warm smile.

"I couldn't have designed a better proposal even if I wanted to. Everything, was just perfect." Athena stated with a watery smile, with a few more tears streaking down her face.

She almost never cried. But today was in exception, it was undoubtedly the best day of her life. And she was very, very emotional. But in a wonderful way. Percy's own eyes were wet and glistening as he planted a tender kiss on Athena's brow. This was it.

A second later, Aphrodite snapped her fingers and instantly, everyone else apart from Percy and Athena were covered in the finest suits and most elegant cocktail dresses.

"Please tell me this is not like one of those super grand balls you guys threw when we defeated the Gigantes?" Percy asked with slight fear showing in his eyes.

"Of course not." Poseidon instantly responded and Percy breathed out a sigh of relief.

"No, this one is even more grandiose." Zeus stated with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a second later, he and Poseidon burst into laughter.

"Oh, now they're friends!" Percy exclaimed with a groan.

"Son, this will be practice. After all, your wedding will be the greatest in all of history." Amphitrite excitedly stated and Percy slowly turned to Athena.

"Can we just elope? I hate these grandiose balls." Percy pleaded, bombarding Athena with his best baby seal expression.

"Hush, Percy. I want the entire world to see how happy I am in the aftermath of our engagement. And I want to do that as I proudly hang at my fiancé's arm all night." Athena lovingly stated as she gently caressed Percy's cheek. And Percy melted on spot.

"Of course, anything for you, my love." Percy chessily stated with a dazzling smile causing Athena to smile radiantly at him.

"Alright you two, I know you can't take your eyes off each other but tone it down a notch because I am pretty sure Arty is just a few seconds away from squealing again." Apollo teased with a teasing smirk.

"I do not squeal!' Artemis indignantly retorted.

"Oh really? Then what was that high-pitched sound I heard from you when Athena said yes to Percy's proposal? Sounded an awful lot like a squeal." Selene stated with a twinkle in her eye and Artemis turned to her.

"Et tu, Aunt Selene?" Artemis asked in a faux betrayed voice and a second later, everyone couldn't help but chuckle. This was what family was. This was what home felt like.

Percy and Athena's engagement ball was at full swing and all the gods, including the couple in celebration of whose engagement this ball was being held, were dressed fabulously. Percy was wearing a perfectly tailored three piece suit, of a beautiful primordial blue colour, with a sea green tie while Athena wore a dazzling electric blue strapless dress that accentuated her features.

The atmosphere was one of buzzing joy and serenity. It wasn't just the news of the engagement that had everyone so happy, it was the fact that they had cornered all the forces of Othrys and seemed to be on the cusp of victory, that made everyone feel at ease.

After an exhausting few hours where Percy and Athena were the centre of attention and had talked to practically every single god or friendly immortal known to them, they finally made their way to the bar where their grandmother Rhea was waiting for them.

"Enjoying yourself, grandson?" Rhea asked with a teasing smile on her face as she noticed how exhausted Percy looked. Athena wasn't that big of a fan of grandiose balls either but she didn't despise them as much as Percy did.

"Oh, Chaos no. I will take fighting Atlas any day over this torture. I have spent the last few hours basically talking to every thing that lives in a hundred league radius. And it's all been in that stupid formal way of speaking that only snobs partake in. Didn't like grandiose balls then. Don't like them now." Percy quietly hissed in annoyance.

"Stop being so dramatic, Percy. And don't make that face. People are looking." Athena gently chastised her fiancé as she straightened Percy's tie a little.

For the hundredth time that evening, she felt a radiant smile blossom on her face every time she remembered that she was engaged to Percy. This felt surreal. And looking at her, Percy couldn't help but smile back, as a very similar train of thought ran in his head. And their happiness didn't go unnoticed by Rhea.

"I can understand your sense of surrealism. Sometimes, I myself can't believe that it's been more than three millennia since I barged into that Olympian Council meeting and debated for you to be raised in Atlantis. If you had told me that day, that the little sea green eyed toddler, who barely came up to my knees, would one day end up giving so much joy to my entire family, I would not believe it. Destiny has been very kind to me, grandson. It manifested all the positive change I wanted in my family, through you. All my dreams, all my ideals, everything I have ever wished for and more, have all been realised through you. I can never thank you enough for making the dreams of this old woman come true. You have given me what I desperately wanted, but never got, for more than eighteen millennia." Rhea emotionally stated, with her voice cracking at the end.

"I should be the one thanking you, grandmother, I wouldn't have been here if it hadn't been for you. In fact, none of us would have been here without you. The Olympians should really be called the House of Rhea. You are our greatest source of inspiration. You are the person who has always tried to do the right thing. I cannot even fathom how difficult it must have been for you to stick to your morals in an era that was ruled by tyrants and heartless monsters." Percy stated with admiration evident in his voice.

"Barring a few instances, especially the horrible periods where Kronos ate our children, my life has not been wrought with much obstacles or trauma, grandson. It's been relatively smooth. Perhaps, it was easier for me to choose the right ideals because of that, because I have never actually been made to stand my ground, except for during the First Titanomachy. And even then, I was never involved in it directly. So I have only ever preached. You, on the other hand, you have always done the morally right thing despite the baggage that came along with it. You have always done the right thing despite the unholy amount of suffering you have gone through. I may have formulated the ideals of family, grandson, but make no mistake, it was you who actualised them." Rhea warmly stated as she pulled in both Percy and Athena in for a hug.

"In fact, I cannot tell you how proud I am of you. Of both of you. To have chosen love. To have chosen happiness. I have seen what power does to immortals. I have seen it saturate Kronos with utter malice and megalomania. But you both heralded in an age of family. You are one of the greatest reasons for our family's increased cohesion. Both of you, look out for us, for your siblings, for your parents, for your family. You don't know how much it warms this old Titaness' heart to have this beautiful sight unfold in front of her." Rhea softly stated with some tears streaking down her face as she planted two affectionate kisses at Percy and Athena's brows.

It really meant the world to Rhea to watch two of her grandchildren find the happiness they so dearly deserved. As a young Titaness, when she had initially been given the domains of family, she had been brimming with hope and joy. Because even though her father was cruel and their mother was manipulative, she had truly believed that the Titans could be one big, happy family.

Then, Kronos had taken over and while it had been good initially, Kronos' megalomania and lust for power eventually got the better of him and the rest of her brothers were just cruel, conceited beings, with most of her nephews and nieces going the same way. Her sisters had either grown disillusioned with that way of life and had retreated, or had adopted the mentality of those they had been wed to.

When the gods were born and defeated the Titans, with her playing an active yet somewhat pacifistic role, she had hoped that her children would be better than their predecessors. While that had been true initially, she had seen them slowly start to resemble the Titans more and more, except for a few who still held on to her ideals, and that had prompted her to give up on the idea of family. She had accepted that her ideals of family would never come to fruition, except perhaps in the House of Poseidon.

So, she had not really thought that a bubbly two year old demigod son of Poseidon would eventually grow into the greatest hero that ever walked the Earth and fulfil all her dreams. And yet he had. He had really done it. And in the process, he had broken down the walls of the granddaughter Rhea had been most worried about, and now, the two of them were deeply in love and engaged. And her entire family was now finally, a family. Destiny had indeed been very kind to her.

A few days after Percy and Athena's engagement party, something catastrophic had just been set in motion – Daedalus had been captured by the Titans and had been taken back as a prisoner to their base.

Daedalus was very afraid, he had just been cornered and caught in the surface world by a brutish looking son of Oceanus who had almost sliced off his arm without a word and had gotten a hold of him. And now, he was chained in front of Kronos, and was more terrified than he had ever been in his entire life.

"Ahh, Daedalus, I have been looking for you for quite some years now. But you're one sneaky little rascal, I'll give you that. It's a surprise that you managed to escape the gods for three millennia, after all, you did earn the unbridled scorn of your mother for killing your own nephew out of jealousy and she did brand you with her mark, declaring you a traitor. You'll find that we have no such foolish sentimental connections to each other here, all of us are here just for the rewards. And I believe that's a work environment you will enjoy greatly." Kronos stated with a disarmingly charming smile.

"I got what I deserved. I should have begged for my mother's forgiveness a long time ago but I was too afraid to do that. But not anymore. Do your worst, Kronos. Before that brute of yours captured me, I had planned to turn myself in to the gods. After all, if they could give Atlas a fair trial, I knew they would give anyone a fair trial. And not just in life, you can kill me if you want, but even in death, I know I'll receive a fair trial." Daedalus retorted back.

"You're sorely mistaken about my intentions, Daedalus. The foolish son of Oceanus who escorted you in will be dealt with harshly, I assure you this. This is not a threat. This is an opportunity for you. I am offering you something that the gods never will." Kronos smoothly stated with a charming smile on his face.

"You can spare me the long monologue. I am not interested." Daedalus gruffly responded.

"Are you sure you want to decline my offer? Even if it means you can resurrect your son and nephew and live out the rest of eternity however you want? Inventing and building whatever you want?" Kronos stated with a grandiose gesture of his hands.

"What you are promising does not exist. Do not take me for a fool Kronos. I am aware of how the Ancient Laws operate. What you are saying is far too good to be true." Daedalus responded, although a sliver of desperate hope could be seen in his eyes, which Kronos caught onto immediately.

"That is what those pesky Olympians want you to believe, Daedalus. The reason why they punished you was not because of your actions. No, it was because they had grown afraid of you. And they saw you as the biggest threat to their rule. So they sought to eliminate you. But you are much smarter and craftier than them. Ancient Laws are just an excuse the Olympians use. After all, they bred Perseus Diaboles, who was and still is, classified as a mortal, to be the ultimate killing machine, violating the most sacrosanct Ancient Law there is. They are all lying to you, Daedalus. I am the only one willing to help you." Kronos masterfully stated, projecting false sympathy.

"Will you really revive Perdix and Icarus?" Daedalus asked.

The more he thought about it, the more he started to feel Kronos was right. After all, the Olympians had forgiven far more atrocities of those of their own kind. The fact that he had been so harshly punished for his own fatal flaw showed how hypocritical they really were. And he unfortunately succumbed to Kronos' manipulations. Little did he know, that was the effect Kronos' very presence had on people.

"What do you want me to do?" Daedalus stated after a long time.

"First, let us get you out of these chains and well rested. After all, we are going to be allies now. Then, we shall unleash havoc onto the Olympians by using your greatest creation – the Labyrinth, against them. It will be magnificent." Kronos stated with a dark smile on his face. The gods could try all they want. But he would win. It was his destiny to rule.

Hey guys! So, finally, after two months and after releasing two new stories, I am finally back to my comfort zone, with this new chapter of Curtainfall. And of course, this chapter directly sets up the final showdown between the gods and the Titans and you can expect plenty of fast paced action and great battles in the coming chapters.

Also, I have released two other stories, one is a PJO x DCEU crossover called The Age of Heroes and the other is a tragedy and angst fic featuring Percy as the Central Antagonist and is called The Tragedy Of Percy Jackson. Do give them a read and let me know what you guys think!

Read and review, I hope that all of you enjoyed reading this chapter! Have a fantastic day!