Olympus was magnificent as always.
Before the Titan War, it was one of the most beautiful things a mortal could ever see in his life.
After the Titan War, it was undoubetly the most beautiful thing any being, mortals and immortals alike, would see, thank to the splendid work of Annabeth.
Oh yes, Annabeth.
Every time Percy's mind went back to Annabeth, his blood went cold. The memories overwhelmed him and his mind. And seeing her work in Olympus... it was difficult to swallow it. He had dealt with it for three years, but that was something he could never overcome.
So much so that she didn't even notice the moon goddess snapping her fingers right in front of his face.
"...rth to you! Wake up!"
Percy blinked underneath the mask. He saw Artemis glaring at him with annoyance. Along with three other gods that were gazing at him. Zeus and Hera were sat at their thrones with confusion stamped in their faces, while Hestia was at the Hearth, as always, having a knowing look on her own face.
"Idiot." Artemis muttered and went to her throne, growing to her godly size.
Zeus seemed like he was the one that was confused the most.
"Daughter, who is he?" he asked.
Artemis snorted. "I would like for the Council to be called so I can answer this question." she answered.
"Why is this subject so important that the Council needs to be summoned?" the king questioned.
"Brother."
Hestia called from the Hearth, and Zeus immediatly glanced over to her. That's new.
"Call the Council." she didn't order it, but her words were firm enough for Zeus to acquiesce despite some grumbling. He soon fired his bolt onto the ceiling, signaling a meeting.
The gods one by one flashed in, and Percy waited for a few seconds before he could open his eyes. Most of them looked the same as always. Apollo had a different vibe to him, without the playboy façade. That was very evident.
Soon enough, all of them were stationed at their thrones, waiting for Zeus to start the meeting. The god of lightning waved one hand to Artemis, as if he was saying "go on".
The moon goddess began speaking. "Answering your question, father, this is an extremely dangerous individual that me and my Hunters managed to capture earlier. He is known as... the Butcher." she explained, and it earned immediate reactions from some of the gods present at the meeting. Apollo and Hermes had their eyes widened. Dionysus placed one hand beneath his chin, as if he was thinking. Athena looked at Percy with suspicion.
However, the rest of the gods still were confused. Percy assumed that only the gods with the most ties to the mortal world had a clue about what was he talking about.
"So...?" Zeus asked, clearly not impressed.
"I honestly thought he was a myth, father, but..." Apollo started, but was interrupted by Percy.
"Likewise." the Butcher said with a lot of sarcasm. Apollo ignored him, but he could feel the glare of Artemis onto him even if he wasn't looking at her direction.
"For the last three years the monster population began dropping like flies. They even started walking in groups. What Hermes here," he pointed to the god of thieves as he spoke. "managed to gather was that this Butcher was the responsible. He has been named as such by the monsters themselves because of how brutal they are."
"And I've been watching him for months now. I am 100% sure that he has... the power to control the blood of other beings." Artemis added, and this earned a lot of eyes being widened, the attention of the gods being drawn onto him, and a sea god choking on the water that he was drinking.
"He has the WHAT?" Poseidon bellowed, gripping his trident.
"Easy there, brother." Zeus adviced. Fancy for him to play as the level-headed and composed one. He turned his attention to Percy, who was still in the middle of the throne room. "Who are you, truly?"
Percy cleared his throat before speaking.
"I shall not reveal that." he stated. Zeus was clearly not happy with this development.
"If you shall not reveal your identity, we will destroy you, since you pose that much of a threat." the king of the gods threatened.
Percy simply shrugged.
"I do not fear death."
The gods were silent for a moment.
"Do you possess the ability to control the ichor of immortals?" Athena dared to ask. There was no answer to that from Percy, but the silence was revealing enough.
"You could just swear your loyalty to us. And we would leave you alone." Hera argued, earning a chuckle from Percy that made the gods even more nervous.
"Is that how are you doing things nowadays? Demanding loyalties on the Styx?"
Zeus was by now furious. "Our methods are of no importance to you, mortal! If you are not going to swear your loyalty, you shall be destroyed!"
Percy just stood in place, without any signs of fear.
"Destroy your most valuable asset, then. I dare you to do it."
In other times, Zeus would have blasted him out of Olympus with with his bolt by just how insolent he was being. But the Butcher's first statement caught the god of lightning by surprise.
"Valuable asset?" the king asked, absolutely confused.
"Indeed. I'm afraid I cannot keep the anonymity anymore, as one of you already figured it out." the Butcher noted, nodding his head to Poseidon. The god of the seas seemed like his eyes would pop out of his face, just by how widened they were.
"What do you..." Zeus started, but stopped talking, as the Butcher had just removed his mask without warning. The face of Percy Jackson almost shone in the direction of the Olympians. But there was something different about it. His eyes looked... feral, and wild. And not like Poseidon's eyes in anger, when they resembled a sea storm. Percy's eyes resembled the ones of a beast, not the caring and hopeful bright eyes that he had before.
To say the Olympians were shocked to see a ghost in front of them, would be an understatement. Poseidon looked like he was in the verge of fainting. Athena glared at him with intensity. Artemis was even more shocked than Poseidon was. That brutal beast that she was tracking for months was the Hero of Olympus all along? The other gods either seemed shocked or even happy that he was alive.
"You..." Zeus muttered. "We saw your grave... How...?"
"Hades probably knew." Athena claimed.
Percy shook his head. "I didn't tell him to cover me. Although he probably did knew, he just did not care enough to warn you."
Silence resonated after he proclaimed these words. Poseidon managed to compose himself enough to speak.
"Percy... Why did you disappear? I... I couldn't even believe that you died. I sent squadrons to search for you, but no success. Why?"
A lapse of guilt flowed through Percy, but it quickly went away. His father was a god. He saw countless children of him dying. Even if he was in some way special, he would get over him eventually if he was actually dead.
"My mother died. Annabeth died." he grimaced heavily as he proclaimed those words. "I did not. I roam around on my own. Isn't this enough?"
Poseidon once again seemed taken aback by this. Percy did not why, but the answer would come very soon.
"Sally is dead?!" he exclaimed. Percy closed his fists, the anger starting to boil inside of him.
"She d-died three years ago, during childbirth. You didn't even know?!" his tone was enmeshed with anger. He looked absolutely murderous.
"I-I..." Poseidon started, but Percy raised one hand to interrupt him, bringing the other to his face.
"Forget it." he said as he rubbed his face. "It won't change anything anymore. Can I go already?"
"Oh no, you can't!" Artemis shrieked, livid at him. "You need to explain your... bloodbending!"
"Artemis is correct." Zeus agreed." Specially since you undoubtedly possess the ability to control... ichor."
The gods moved in their seats, unnerved at the thought that a demigod could just squeeze the life out of them, perhaps without even the chance of them managing to fight back.
Percy chuckled, but it did not make the Olympians any less nervous. In fact, his smile reminded them, specially Artemis, of a monster analyzing its prey.
"Do I have any reason to go against any of you?" he asked.
Some gods felt like breaking out in a cold sweat. Some were considering violating the Ancient Laws and smiting this gigantic problem out of Gaia, but then they would have to deal with the ire of Poseidon. A handful of Olympians had done something to the Butcher in the past. Some more than others. Percy looked around and let out a humourless laugh.
"Maybe I should correct myself." he said.. "I don't have any reason to burst your veins and arteries and send you for a trip to Tartarus. I wouldn't recommend it myself. I am not a threat, unless you make me one." he added with a grin.
"Well... thank you, nephew." Zeus replied with caution. The tension in the Throne Room was immense. "But it is still very dangerous to let you wander around with all of this power. And before you can argue with me," he added to an already glaring Poseidon. "I do not wish for him to be killed, but to... accept becoming an immortal."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Father," Artemis called, and not just Zeus, but every other god in the room changed their glance to her. "I have a feeling that this option won't work, and that he will refuse godhood. Again." She said, glaring at Percy.
Percy grinned.
"Glad to know I'm that predictable." He commented with a small bow.
Artemis ignored him. "As such, I recall something he said earlier today, that since he is a hunter, he falls under my jurisdiction as the goddess of the hunt. So... I could take him to keep an eye on what he's doing." She suggested.
Zeus scratched his well-groomed beard. "You're suggesting for him to join the Hunt? As a Guardian, for example?"
The previous tension in the Throne Room evaporated as the gods snickered at Zeus last statement. The king himself only noticed his mistake after wondering why even Hera was chuckling at what he had just said. Even the Butcher had one hand at his face, shooking his head in exasperation.
Artemis's left eye was twitching in an allarming rate, but she took a deep breath, closing both of her eyes. As soon as she opened them again, she started talking.
"With all due respect, I am going to pretend that those last words never happened." she stated firmly. "But no, he cannot join the Hunt. It's a woman only group. What he can do is be my personal companion as... others were in the past."
Percy knew that she was refering to Orion and Hippolytos, both of which were tragic incidents for her. It didn't sound like a horrible deal, compared to being blasted out of the 600th floor, or being turned into a god. But it still wasn't that thrilling to think about, specially if he had to be close to the Hunt.
"I say that the most prudent decision to make is that we bring this proposal into a vote." Athena suggested.
"Agreed." Zeus said. "All in favor of Artemis's suggestion?"
Zeus, Hera, Artemis, Athena, Ares, Demeter and Dionysus all raised their hands their hands immediatly.
"Una..."
More hands got up, this time from Aphrodite and Hephaestus.
"...ni..."
Now it was the time for Apollo and Hermes to raise their hands.
"...mou..."
That only left Poseidon. The god of the sea snorted, but raised his hand reluctantly.
"...sly." Zeus finished. "Percy Jackson, as a compromise, we will place you at Lady Artemis's side by her own request. Do you accept this position?"
Percy shrugged. "I don't see how I have much of a choice in this matter. I accept."
Zeus nodded. "And so it is decided. Council dismissed."
Most gods quickly flashed out, although a sizeable number still remained. Poseidon quickly shrank down and hurried to Percy, hugging him. The Butcher was taken aback by that sign of affection, not to mention the lack of such of a contact for the last three years, but he reciprocated the hug.
"Son, I am deeply sorry about Sally, I had no clue about her fate." Poseidon apologized as soon as he let Percy go from the embrace.
"It's fine, father. What is done cannot be undone." the Butcher replied in a serious, but not formal tone, and neither was it hostile. Poseidon hugged him once more and flashed out.
Next in line was Athena. "You are incredibly reckless." she said without much context.
"It is one of my most notable traits since I've entered this mess of a world." Percy replied coldly.
Athena kept glaring at him. "Was Frederick the one to cover you up?"
Percy nodded in reply, with a mischievous smile. "Precisely."
Without saying another word, she flashed out. Of course, his line of gods who wanted to talk to him was not over yet, as both Hermes and Apollo approached him.
"Evening, Lester. Hermes." Percy greeted with a grin and a nod. Apollo tried to smile, but he failed. Hermes patted Percy's shoulder.
"Good to see you back, Percy." the god of thieves said in a simple, but genuine way.
"I'm sorry about your mother. To know she died only two months after I saw her..." Apollo started, but Percy interrupted him.
"You were a sack a meat at the time. Not able to do much. You're not the one to blame."
"Are you done yet?!" a voice called from above. Artemis was still at her throne in her godly form, with an impatient expression.
"He is all yours, sis'." Apollo said, and shook Percy's hand before flashing out. Hermes followed suite, leaving only three beings at the Throne Room. Percy walked up, not to Artemis throne, but instead to the Hearth.
There sat Hestia, glancing at him curiously. With her always appearing as a child, the look that she gave him almost appeared innocent. Almost, if it wasn't for the weight that those millennia old eyes visibly held.
"You knew." Percy claimed. It wasn't a question.
Hestia nodded.
"I did. Odd for the others to not suspect anything. You still care for our family."
"Fair enough. You were always very perceptive, Lady Hestia. Farewell."
Hestia waved one hand at him, and brought her attention back to the Hearth. Percy just now walked to Artemis's throne, with the goddess herself already in human height. It was still funny to him seeing a twelve year old looking so angry. Percy brought his hand to the side of his head, and in a second his face was covered by the mask. Before the goddess could say something, which she most likely about to do as she had already opened her mouth, he extended his hand so they could get out of Olympus already. Annoyed, Artemis complied, closing her mouth and holding his hand. In a second, only a lone goddess of the hearth was present at the Throne Room.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I've decided it will be Pertemis, but that's not a surprise. Spot the Death of Stalin reference in this chapter. Also, keep sending reviews, your feedback is extremely important. Specially regarding your suggestions and potential minor spelling mistakes. Farewell, readers of mine!