Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited and reviewed. I published an update yesterday, and there's only 51 views for September which I found odd. Since usually there would be over 100 views every time, I posted an update. I am very grateful to all of you for continuing to read this fic. I never thought that it would be this popular, when I first published it over a year ago. Back then I was only planning on making just one fic. Now, I have plans to write over 10 fics, probably more. HUGE thanks to Monster King for following, favoriting, reviewing, and reading my stories for so long.

Regarding future fics, I have a few original stories (sort of), some reaction fics, a few translation fics on FFN and Ao3, some continuation fics, and other original fanfics, that I'm planning on writing. I am also writing my OC's Bio's on my Wattpad, so you can go and check it out. Once I finish uploading the chapters for the Lightning Thief in a few weeks, I'll upload a sample for the first chapter of Sea of Monsters.

Very Important: I am in EXTREME need of a beta reader, so if you want be my beta reader or know someone who is one, please PM me.

In response to reviews:

Guest: The upload schedule is in my profile so you can see my upcoming fics/chapters.

Guest 2.0: Making a fic like that will be difficult because of all the different time periods and characters. What I was suggesting was that I make 4 different fics that would all be sequels to Fate In Our Hands. 4 fics for the 4 different time periods.

Monster King: Yes, I will, and thank you for continuing to read my fics.

XXI. Good, hard justice

"Is he old enough to drink?" Iris asked when hearing the title.

"I doubt that the laws for drinking age got lowered, looking at the fact how even adults act after drinking." answered back Dike.

"Somehow I doubt that the title has much to do with dirking, it might not be literally only a better way to say I finish up the quest." Helios suggested at which some of the others nodded, this certainly made more sense than Percy having a bar tab.

It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality.

"The mind of normal mortals is rather easy to manipulate, but it is kind of sad to know how much will be forgotten in the future." commented Aletheia as she brushed a lock of her dark hair from her eyes which fell on them when small breeze come up, she did not try figuring out which of the wind spirits it was who made it.

"Unfortunately is change something which is inventible and it lays mostly in the mortals hands what the results will be." Moros seeing how he stood the closest to his sisters the Fates, beside their mother that is, he felt through his property that there would be much hardship to come due to the coming changes and not only for the mortals, but for those of divine being also.

Chiron had told me that long ago. As usual, I didn't appreciate his wisdom until much later.

"Don't worry child, most only appreciate the wisdom of their elders only later after hearing them." Hebe said in a kind tone before she sighed sorrowfully. "We can only hope that father will also understand this." she added in while gazing at the soft grass.

"Preferably before too much damage happens and even more members of this family get hurt one way or the other." Enyo growled from beside her sister, she was still angry how her father and uncles were set up, how her nephews, nieces and cousin were set up and used just like her brother. This was not the time for her father to be stubborn, but to be their king.

According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car.

There was suddenly a hushed silence all over the close vicinity of the palace as everyone stared at the palace if they heard it right before a storm of uncontrolled and hysterical laughter broke out with many divinities rolling around on the ground clutching their stomachs or grasping for air.

"A…hahaha…Ares wi...ha…will definiately…no…not hahahaha…like this…hah…" Enyo managed to get out when it seemed she would be getting an answer to her statement.

WHO ARE THEY CALLING A CRAZY KIDNAPPER!

This of course only increased the laughter and even after ten minutes when Artemis started speaking again were some still trying to get their snickers under control.

He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

"Not sure what they are actually saying, but it sounds rather believable for the ears of one not believing in gods." Eros said as several of the others nodded their heads in agreement with him.

This crazy kidnapper (a.k.a. Ares)

Cue renewed snickers.

"Something tells me that neither Hermes nor Apollo will let him live this one down." Kratos said while biting back a small snicker which wanted to escape his lips, he did not really have much against the god, but knew that he needed to be sometimes cooled off and with those two gods loving to tease and prank others, now they only needed someone who could cool Zeus down. He took the oath on his mother too lightly as did Poseidon which made him flinch as he remembered how the river which his mother had created and resides hidden under its shores will look in the future.

Not fun to hear regards a being who had born you, looking to his side he could see it on the faces of his siblings Nike, Bia and Zelus were thinking the same.

was the same man who had abducted me and two other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror.

"Well, it certainly was a frightening journey, but why do they call it 'odyssey'?" asked a confused looking Techne, stopping for a few seconds her work on vase painting in front of her.

Pelomos who was sitting not far from her only blinked a few times and decided not to wonder why she was doing a vase painting while listening to the book, somehow he knew that trying to figure out why they personification of art and skill is painting at a time like this would not lead anywhere.

"You remember how long it took Odysseus to get home after he offended Poseidon, they may have taken his name as a synonym for a long journey not going close to anything peaceful and careless." Aeolus told her with a shrug, that whole thing would have ended sooner if those foolish men going with the kind could have kept their curiosity at bay and not released the winds in the bag he gave to the man. Well they had brought that upon themselves.

Poor little Percy Jackson wasn't an international criminal after all.

There were several snorts, so now they accept that the boy was innocent.

He'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterward, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus—"Why didn't I remember him before?").

"This mist is highly manipulative and potent in power, could it be your work Hecate?" Tyche asked the goddess curiously, but she only shook her head.

"As you said it is highly powerful and I need to admit that it may be over my own powers, if I may need to think about it, the mist may be a work from those born by Lord Chaos" here she let her gaze wander over the children of Night. "To be more precise I would say this was born from the combined power of Lady Nyx as well of Lords Tartaros and Eros. Unlike the name it carries it seems much like the veil of night Milady uses to draw over the world while it is constant and pulls up immediately even if no one is there to call upon it meaning that someone bound to earth moves it and with the oldest of them slumbering that leaves only one deity powerful enough to control such a power while it does not only influence sight and mind, but also feelings just like love tends to manipulate your views." she explained her reasoning while the others listened silently, her words made sense before they sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the three ancient divinities.

"We are lucky that Lady Nyx and the Lords are so thoughtful." whispered one of the dryads to her friends sitting with her.

"So true and she is also both intelligent and beautiful." another added in with admiring tone, making the others nod.

The crazy man

This time could everyone hold in their snickers, but the smirks of amusement still come through.

"Those mortals had never seen him in his crazy state." Enyo mumbled to herself, not many of the mortals even in their time knew that the ground why in each war she stuck to her brother was not due to her being the Goddess of Destructive War, but because she was one of the only few who could restrain Ares when the bloodshed of war gets to him and he is slipping into a blood frenzy.

had caused the explosion in the St. Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that.

Cue snorts and amused looks, these mortals had never babysitted a baby deity or monster and one should not forget the demigods, age does not matter in their case when it comes to cause destruction.

"Well in a small way they got it right that Percy did not cause the explosion, that was the Chimera." someone spoke up.

"By the way, should we not get Deimos and Phobos?" Anteros asked his siblings.

"I agree with you, I will go and get them." Eros said and was about to stand up, but his brother placed a hand on his arm with a warm smile on his lips which made the other look up confused at his favourite little brother he had in a way received as a playmate.

"Let me go, I will try to drag them out here." he said with a grin on his lips while gesturing for his two youngest siblings to also not move, Phobos was harder to deal with when those two were present, on in the vicinity of his sight and he wanted to convince them as fast as possible. "Leave those two to me to deal with." he said while standing up and stretching his butterfly like wings, smoothing out the soft feathers and making his way to the temples of Fear and Terror.

A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo, and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson (I was beginning to like this kid)

A few could not help themselves to roll their eyes.

had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach.

"And they think that this is a plausible explanation?" Iris asked in slight outrage, if that boy would not be a demigod, but a normal mortal child who had been forcefully taken away by an adult and held for so long as a captive, leave alone that the way they painted Ares would imply that the children were not only intimidated, but also hurt by him, under normal circumates would such a scenario not happen regards a mortal child.

Police had arrived just in time.

"And would have been quiet useless towards a god." Epiphron said sarcastically while rolling his eyes.

"And would have ended up as additional work for our siblings." Moros added in from beside his brother.

"I can certainly imagine that Charon would have given them a serious scolding for the interfering and ending up in front of him." Epiphron replied back with a grin on his lips while his brother smirked.

"You know that you certainly sound cruel for someone who represents thoughtfulness and carefulness in their nature." he told the other who only shrugged.

"The same goes for prudence, shrewdness and sagacity." he reminded his younger sibling.

But in the spectacular explosion,

"Nah, he can do better." come it from Pelomos.

five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred.

At this a good deal of deities sighed in relief.

Percy Jackson and his two friends were safely in police custody.

The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded

A few deities snorted.

and acted tearful and exhausted (which wasn't hard),

This caused even more amusement, seeing what those three had gone through was it no wonder that they were exhausted beyond words.

and played victimized kids for the cameras.

More snickers.

"All I want," I said, choking back my tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again.

A good deal of divinities looked confused at this before Eris broke out suddenly laughing with Nemesis looking also amused.

"I have the feeling that he is about to take revenge in a rather amusing way." Nemesis explained from beside her laughing sister who had explained her acting to their nephew for Morpheus was also on the grass laughing with his aunt.

"I love all the implications." said a grinning Aetna, she was more relaxed now that she felt the Mount Etna calming down, she guessed that Hephaestus got his temper under control now that his brother was out from under the mind control.

The others outside also started grinning and waited eagerly to hear what Percy will pull of.

Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew ... somehow ... we would be okay.

"And of course no one noted how this sentence contradict with itself." Iris said while shaking her head, but the others were still waiting to hear the revenge, if someone beside Kronos, then Gabe deserved it.

And I know he'll want to reward each and every person

Everyone was leaning closer, this was already starting good.

in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store.

Now again broke everyone out in hysterical laughter, they just knew how the mortals would react to getting something for free. The idea was brilliant and would ruin that mortal financially which he certainly deserved.

"Well, if he should not immediately land in the Underworld maybe we can have some fun with him, he certainly is in need to get a good deal of weight down." said Limos who personified hunger and starvation while looking over at Ptocheia and her sister Penia who together were in duty for beggary and poverty.

"Good idea, it is rare that we would enjoy our work." Ptocheia replied back smiling and this was the truth, her work and that of her sisters was often painful, but with this person it would be good for he deserves it.

Here's the phone number."

This made everyone start snickering again.

The police and reporters were so moved that they passed around the hat and raised money for three tickets on the next plane to New York.

"Good, now they need to hurry before a two-way war breaks out between father and uncle Zeus." urged Despoina with many others nodding.

I knew there was no choice but to fly. I hoped Zeus would cut me some slack, considering the circumstances. But it was still hard to force myself on board the flight.

"Understandable." come it from Soter.

Takeoff was a nightmare. Every spot of turbulence was scarier than a Greek monster.

"Gee father, one would think by your actions that you don't even want your Bolt back." Enyo said testily while glaring at the palace.

I didn't unclench my hands from the armrests until we touched down safely at La Guardia. The local press was waiting for us outside security, but we managed to evade them thanks to Annabeth, who lured them away in her invisible Yankees cap, shouting, "They're over by the frozen yogurt! Come on!" then rejoined us at baggage claim.

There were several nods of approval, they had not time to chat around, there was a divine war bereaving which needed to be stopped at all costs.

We split up at the taxi stand.

"Why would they split up?" a nymph asked in confusion, but no one had an answer for her question.

I told Annabeth and Grover to get back to Half-Blood Hill and let Chiron know what had happened. They protested, and it was hard to let them go after all we'd been through, but I knew I had to do this last part of the quest by myself. If things went wrong, if the gods didn't believe me ... I wanted Annabeth and Grover to survive to tell Chiron the truth.

"That was actually a good idea, but I think they will believe him, father can tell if someone is not speaking the truth." Apollonis spoke up from beside her sisters who were nodding beside one who spoke up after her sister.

"Though sadly there is no guarantee that father or any of the other council members will be in the throne room." come the soft voice of Nete which made everyone exchange worried glances.

"Let us hope that someone else is also there beside grandfather." Cephisso reassured while looking at her sister that she please should not cling to that worry.

I hopped in a taxi and headed into Manhattan.

Thirty minutes later, I walked into the lobby of the Empire State Building.

I must have looked like a homeless kid, with my tattered clothes and my scraped-up face. I hadn't slept in at least twenty-four hours.

"That is a normal look for demigods on the last day of their quest." Clio the muse of history spoke up with a shrug of her shoulder. "Don't fret over it to much."

I went up to the guard at the front desk and said, "Six hundredth floor."

He was reading a huge book with a picture of a wizard on the front. I wasn't much into fantasy, but the book must've been good, because the guard took a while to look up. "No such floor, kiddo."

There were several frowns at this.

"I need an audience with Zeus."

He gave me a vacant smile. "Sorry?"

"You heard me."

I was about to decide this guy was just a regular mortal,

"Doubt it that they would place a mortal there, he is either demigod, minor god, monster or automaton." Iaso spoke up.

and I'd better run for it before he called the straitjacket patrol, when he said, "No appointment, no audience, kiddo. Lord Zeus doesn't see anyone unannounced."

"FATHER /UNCLE /GRANDFATHER /GRANDUNCLE/ZEUS /LORD ZEUS!" come the incredulous yells mixing in with the ones haling from the palace.

"He was the one setting the date when he wants that toy back and does not even take the time to inform the guard…that god…" Enyo was boiling from rage, just what was his father doing in this book, seriously her uncle Hades works himself almost to fading while their so called ruler can't even show a small patience to his own demigod nephew. She dearly hoped for him that his excuse for being like this will be not that her uncle Poseidon broke the oath they made, because he broke it first.

"Oh, I think he'll make an exception." I slipped off my backpack and unzipped the top.

Suddenly several deities started grinning, they liked the plan.

The guard looked inside at the metal cylinder, not getting what it was for a few seconds. Then his face went pale. "That isn't..."

The grins grew wider and more wicked as their owners nodded their heads as if the poor guard could see them.

"Yes, it is," I promised. "You want me take it out and—"

"I love this kid." Hybris laughed in amusement.

"You certainly would." come it from Soteria told the other while rolling her eyes.

"Come on dear, a little outrageous behaviour was needed here." come the cheeky reply which made the other huff in annoyance and turn away because she could not argue.

"No! No!" He scrambled out of his seat, fumbled around his desk for a key card, then handed it to me. "Insert this in the security slot. Make sure nobody else is in the elevator with you."

"Good." Iris said nodding her head.

I did as he told me. As soon as the elevator doors closed, I slipped the key into the slot. The card disappeared and a new button appeared on the console, a red one that said 600.

I pressed it and waited, and waited.

Muzak played. "Raindrops keep falling on my head..."

Finally, ding. The doors slid open. I stepped out and almost had a heart attack.

There were several smiles and some amused looks, most tended to react like this the first time they see Olymphos.

I was standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below me was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane.

In front of me, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. My eyes followed the stairway to its end, where my brain just could not accept what I saw.

Look again, my brain said.

We're looking, my eyes insisted. It's really there.

"Not the right time to debate with your senses young hero." a nymph said with a small laugh as others also joined in.

From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gar dens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins.

The last word made the deities flinch, they did not like the implication all to much.

It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.

"Huh, it looks different now?" Selene asked in confusion, a feeling most of the others shared with her, but they guessed that it only meant that it was modernized somewhat, even thought it would loose so much of his beauty.

This place can't be here, I told myself. The tip of a mountain hanging over New York City like a billion-ton asteroid? How could something like that be anchored above the Empire State Building, in plain sight of millions of people, and not get noticed?

Now that they had heard about the explanation of who could have created the mist the divinities felt again a source of respect for the three powerful siblings.

But here it was. And here I was.

"Well, this is a part of your reality." Harmonia said smiling in a gentle way.

My trip through Olympus was a daze. I passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at me from their garden.

The wood nymphs blushed a deep shade of red when everyone turned in their direction.

Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus-TV The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park

Said Muses blushed that he had noticed them.

while a small crowd gathered—satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses.

Cue more blushing while everyone wondered if they will be also in the crowd or not.

Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood.

At this everyone frowned.

"Ugh…don't tell me that only the council knew about the whole thing." Hecate snapped as she glared at the palace from which for a few seconds a dark energy seemed to stream out.

"I would not be surprised if it would be hidden till the last minute, I mean we are not dense to party when a divine war is in front of us." Enyo hissed, this was incredibly irresponsible, it seemed that others also shared her view for they also looked agitated.

"If this goes on will Zeus in the end be the fall of the Western Civilization." Nemesis mumbled to herself and looking at her siblings she noted their agreement, their sisters the Fates did good in allowing these books to be sent to them.

Several of them turned to watch me pass, and whispered to themselves.

"Only the most important quests bring a hero to come to Olymphos and if we really had no clue about the stolen items then we are probably confused about what is going on." Kratos said with a shrug.

I climbed the main road, toward the big palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld.

At this every deity who did not frequent in the Underworld snapped their heads up and looked with wide eyes over at the children of Hades who ignored them, but were intently looking at the palace.

There, everything had been black and bronze. Here, every thing glittered white and silver.

The other divinities were still ignored by the siblings they wanted to know what their young cousin thinks now that he had figured out what no other demigod seemed to have even if they had seen the palace.

I realized Hades must've built his palace to resemble this one. He wasn't welcomed in Olympus except on the winter solstice, so he'd built his own Olympus underground.

The other deities finally dropped their gazes from the siblings and looked uncomfortably at the ground, somehow these words made them feel guilty as they looked back how they tended to react to Hades while inside the palace said god only told his niece is a soft voice that she should please continue reading while avoiding the gazes the others were giving him.

Despite my bad experience with him, I felt a little sorry for the guy. To be banished from this place seemed really unfair. It would make anybody bitter.

"Thank you Percy for trying to understand." Macaria whispered as she put her hands together, her eyes closed, beside her both of her siblings were also having small smiles on their lips due to the words of their cousin while again inside Hades asked Artemis to continue.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.

Room really isn't the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet. Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.

The children of Nyx smiled it had been their mother who had let that be set up.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. The thrones were empty except for two at the end: the head throne on the right, and the one to its immediate left.

This made many sigh in relief, at least was he not alone with Zeus.

I didn't have to be told who the two gods were that were sitting there, waiting for me to approach.

This made them relax even more, it would be troublesome if he would not know which gods he is facing.

I came toward them, my legs trembling.

The gods were in giant human form, as Hades had been, but I could barely look at them without feeling a tingle, as if my body were starting to burn.

There were several eye rolls, someone could not stop being dramatic.

Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstriped suit.

At this looked a few confused, but seeing how till now beside Hestia and Hades everyone seemed to have changed outfits they should not be surprised.

He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well-trimmed beard, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy gray.

Everyone nodded their heads at the correct description.

As I got nearer to him, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.

The god sitting next to him was his brother, without a doubt, but he was dressed very differently. He reminded me of a beachcomber from Key West. He wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it.

Everyone shook their heads in amusement at this, Poseidon had always been the less serious one if it did not come to war and such.

His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like an old-time fisherman's. His hair was black, like mine. His face had that same brooding look that had always gotten me branded a rebel.

Cue snorts, the Sea God was always rebellious.

But his eyes, sea green like mine, were surrounded by sun-crinkles that told me he smiled a lot, too.

More nods.

His throne was a deep-sea fisherman's chair. It was the simple swiveling kind, with a black leather seat and a built-in holster for a fishing pole. Instead of a pole, the holster held a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips.

The gods weren't moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.

"Like usual, so nothing new there." come it from several deities, the two brothers seemed to love arguing with each other.

I approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet. "Father."

"Uh…nice that he does that, but this should have come as second." Eleos said carefully.

"It is an idiotic rule made to boost his ego, it should be normal for a child to greet their parent first, he has enough divine and demigod children to bow to him first." Eris spoke up in an annoyed tone knowing that no one would dare arguing with her, mostly not when her sisters the Keres bared their teeth at the others.

I dared not look up. My heart was racing. I could feel the energy emanating from the two gods. If I said the wrong thing, I had no doubt they could blast me into dust.

"Your uncle usually would not even need for you to do anything for that to happen." one of the Keres whispered to her sisters.

To my left, Zeus spoke. "Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?"

The children and grandchildren of Nyx all rolled their eyes while no one dared to comment to them, they knew their dislike for Zeus as well as the fact what their option was regards family.

I kept my head down, and waited.

"Peace, brother," Poseidon finally said. His voice stirred my oldest memories: that warm glow I remembered as a baby, the sensation of this god's hand on my forehead,

This relaxed the kin of night and even made a few of them smile.

" The boy defers to his father. This is only right."

"Yes, because this is how it should be." Phantasos said determinedly as he appeared close to the Keres who made space for their brother as that folded his wings glistering in bright colours behind his back.

"You still claim him then?" Zeus asked, menacingly.

And the were back to glaring.

"You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?"

"Look who is speaking." Hemera hissed in a menacing tone while Hecate noted the dark energy she felt not long ago and several times before in he palace returning, together with the sound of something breaking inside.

"I have admitted my wrongdoing," Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him speak."

The air was slowly filling with unkind words towards Zeus while the others were either frowning or glaring at the palace, the later mostly done by the children of Zeus who were the option that their father is seriously crossing dangerous boundaries there.

Wrongdoing.

A lump welled up in my throat. Was that all I was? A wrongdoing? The result of a god's mistake?

The glares and muttering grew in volume and numbers, that young hero had done so much only shortly after realizing what he was, oath or not this is not a way someone who nearly died to prevent a three way divine war should be treated.

"I have spared him once already," Zeus grumbled. "Daring to fly through my domain ... pah! I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence."

"I seriously wish to give father a punch." Enyo growled in agitation while Hebe shook in her arms, that demigod went up there to get the Master Bolt back in time, if their father did not wish for him in his domain then maybe he should have flashed to his nephew anstead.

"And risk destroying your own master bolt?" Poseidon asked calmly. "Let us hear him out, brother."

Zeus grumbled some more. "I shall listen," he decided. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."

Cue more growls and curses while a few angered voices streamed out from the palace.

"Perseus," Poseidon said. "Look at me."

I did, and I wasn't sure what I saw in his face. There was no clear sign of love or approval. Nothing to encourage me. It was like looking at the ocean: some days, you could tell what mood it was in. Most days, though, it was unreadable, mysterious.

Everyone nodded, it was not easy to know how Poseidon felt on some days, but they agreed that this was the worst time to be one of those days, his son needed some type of encouragement.

I got the feeling Poseidon really didn't know what to think of me. He didn't know whether he was happy to have me as a son or not.

"Don't worry, I think you are confusing al of us how to truly feel about you, because act unlike most demigods." Macaria said kindly, she decided that she preferred this one over most others who dwelled on the Isles.

In a strange way, I was glad that Poseidon was so distant. In a strange way, I was glad that Poseidon was so distant.

At this looked a few confused while Ariadne smiled softly, she was slowly getting why he felt that, if Lord Poseidon would have acted around him like a father would with whom you have grown up with, or even apologizing for his absence, it would feel fake and not true so the feeling of uncertainty was a type of reassurance for him to deal with the meeting.

If he'd tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled, it would've felt fake.

Ariadne nodded, so she had been right with her assumption, if noting much her own father Minos had teached her this much, he was not the best father, but there were few, small times in which he was a father.

Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around. I could live with that. After all, I wasn't sure about him yet, either.

A good deal of the divinities looked sad and uncertain if their own children felt like this regards them.

"Address Lord Zeus, boy," Poseidon told me. "Tell him your story."

"At least he is allowed to speak." Tyche scoffed in annoyance.

So I told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. I took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet.

There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.

Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it.

As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on my scalp rise.

"I sense the boy tells the truth," Zeus muttered. "But that Ares would do such a thing ... it is most unlike him."

"Father, did you fall asleep while he was telling you the story, our brother was possessed!" Hebe cried out incredulously, she has always adored both of her elder blood-brothers, Ares always protected her from others who as much as made her shiver while Hephaestus always gave her automatons she could play with. She hated the thought that something may happen to one of her two big brothers and their father just ignores it.

"Ssss, it is alright, if he does nothing then we will do." Enyo reassured her little sister while rubbing her back in comfort, they will certainly do something to protect their family from that fiend.

"He is proud and impulsive," Poseidon said. "It runs in the family."

"This family curse has only partially to do with the situation at hand." Helios hissed, his cousins needed to act and that better sooner then later, he may love his parents, but his father could be ruthless most of the times against those he saw as an enemy.

"Lord?" I asked.

They both said, "Yes?"

Many rolled their eyes at the brothers.

"Ares didn't act alone. Someone else—something else— came up with the idea."

The children of the War God smiled thankfully that Percy no matter his option would defend their father and point out that he had also been a victim like many others in this plot.

I described my dreams, and the feeling I'd had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world, and made Ares back off from killing me.

"In the dreams," I said, "the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Ares hinted that he'd been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war."

More nods and thankful smiles for the words Percy had spoken, these words seemed to also calm Hebe down which made Enyo smile in gratefulness for the unintentional help.

"You are accusing Hades, after all?" Zeus asked.

"Sometimes I really wonder whatever Father had done against him for him to be so eager to accuse him for anything." Zagreus growled testily, he had once asked Angelos if she knew the ground, but she had only shook her head and told him that she did not wish to talk about Zeus with which he was perfectly fine.

"No," I said.

His scowl only lessened a small bit at this.

"I mean, Lord Zeus, I've been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to that pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus, wasn't it? Something powerful and evil is stirring down there ... something even older than the gods."

Many nodded darkly while those who had a parent down there or were the few not imprisoned or banished titans looked at the ground bitterly, things will be complicated again and of course in their case would it again not count who wins.

Poseidon and Zeus looked at each other. They had a quick, intense discussion in Ancient Greek. I only caught one word. Father.

More dark nods.

Poseidon made some kind of suggestion, but Zeus cut him off. Poseidon tried to argue. Zeus held up his hand angrily. "We will speak of this no more," Zeus said.

Many felt their yaws drop before the sounds of disbelief from out and inside the palace mixed together. They just could not believe that the threat would be ignored just like that! Zeus could not be serious, after all what he was told and happened was he denying that they were all in grave danger!

"I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

"Maybe we will not allow you to get near there." hissed Alkon as the other Cabeiri who held that island as their domain nodded their heads while the others growled again some unkind words under their breaths.

He rose and looked at me. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"At least he acklovages that." someone said testily.

"I had help, sir," I said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase—"

"To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life.

"And he is back to be a jerk again." Eris grumbled while pulling Morpheus again back towards herself and kept him there.

I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus.

Many narrowed their eyes at this, just what was the ground for the now broken oath by two of three to have been so important to make.

But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."

No one commented, only rolled their eyes, the him not trusting his nephew could be said about almost each divinity, they doubted that Zeus trusted any of them.

"Um... thank you, sir."

"Do not presume to fly again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation."

And many were back to mumbling insults.

"Maybe he needs to spend some time with Mother." Phantasos said testily, Zeus certainly irritated him, maybe he can catch his two brothers and mix together a lovely nightmare he won't forget for a good few decades.

Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

I was alone in the throne room with my father. "Your uncle," Poseidon sighed, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done well as the god of theater."

There were several sound of approval while above the palace thunder rumbled, but was ignored.

An uncomfortable silence.

"Sir," I said, "what was in that pit?"

Poseidon regarded me. "Have you not guessed?"

"Kronos," I said. "The king of the Titans."

Many shuddered as it seemed to become much colder around them, a cold which made even Khione the one responsible for snow shiver.

Even in the throne room of Olympus, far away from Tartarus, the name Kronos darkened the room, made the hearth fire seem not quite so warm on my back.

"The names of some of the more ancient divinities have this power if spoken that it invokes the feeling bound the most to their name." Hecate said while looking at her lap.

Poseidon gripped his trident. "In the First War, Percy, Zeus cut our father Kronos into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father, Ouranos.

"Ah, yes the lovely family tradition, it is truly a wonder that till now Zeus had allowed his sons to live." Moros said as some of the divinities who were such stared nervously at the palace, they did not know that inside someone was knowing the ground why Zeus had till now let his male children live.

Zeus cast Kronos's remains into the darkest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed,

Aetna scowled at the reminder, she was almost also punished only because that thing was built on the place she guarded, she was still thankful to Lady Hestia for speaking up in her defence.

their monstrous allies driven to the farthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, any more than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive in some hideous way, still conscious in his eternal pain, still hungering for power."

Many shuddered at this, fearing for their children who will be born in that era.

"He's healing," I said. "He's coming back."

Poseidon shook his head. "From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing."

"But this time he had also lashed his control out on a god, used magic and almost caused a three-way divine war, I doubt that this had happened before." Boreas said in a stern tone, this was not a normal stirring, but the work of someone who knows that they will soon return.

"That's what he intends, Father. That's what he said."

Poseidon was silent for a long time.

"Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos.

"And risk getting us all killed." grumbled Iris in annoyance, so much idiocy was hard to bear even for her patient self.

You have completed your quest, child. That is all you need to do."

Several of the females huffed angrily.

"But—" I stopped myself. Arguing would do no good. It would very possibly anger the only god who I had on my side.

"Don't worry, you have much more on your side." Melinoe said quietly, as long as this child is at least trying to understand her father she would give him her support.

"As ... as you wish, Father."

A faint smile played on his lips. "Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?"

"Not at all," come it from most of the divinities and spirits as they remembered some of his actions in the book and guessed that there was plenty more to come.

"No ... sir."

"I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained."

His family nodded their heads in agreement.

He rose to his full height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and became the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of me. "You must go, child. But first, know that your mother has returned."

At this several divinities smiled in happiness.

I stared at him, completely stunned. "My mother?"

"You will find her at home. Hades sent her when you recovered his helm. Even the Lord of Death pays his debts."

The three children of Hades smiled triumphantly, now the others had another proof that beside working hard every day their father had also a honourable side and always kept his word.

My heart was pounding. I couldn't believe it. "Do you ... would you ..."

"Sadly he can't." Psyche said while shaking her head, Eros only smiled down sadly at her before turning to look behind them if his brothers should be approaching, but till now he did not see either of them.

I wanted to ask if Poseidon would come with me to see her, but then I realized that was ridiculous. I imagined loading the God of the Sea into a taxi and taking him to the Upper East Side.

There were a few amused looks at the image, but no one laughed.

If he'd wanted to see my mom all these years, he would have. And there was Smelly Gabe to think about.

Everyone growled at the reminder of that guy and hoped that he would be soon out of the picture.

Poseidon's eyes took on a little sadness. "When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room."

Some looked confused while others looked suspicious, they had the guess that it could be the package Percy had sent, those who come to this conclusion suddenly broke out grinning which only added even more to the confusion of the others.

"A package?"

"You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide."

"Does this not in a way sound like some kind of test our sisters would pull of?" Epiphron whispered to Moros.

"Could be, they certainly seem to have a great interest in him if their actions beforehand in this book and the fact that they had sent them here is any indication for that." he whispered back.

I nodded, though I didn't know what he meant.

"Your mother is a queen among women," Poseidon said wistfully.

Some of the gods bowed their heads, only a few of them had been granted to have their mortal lover forever at their side as a divine one, those who did pulled their partners closer or said partner tried not to look embarrassed.

"I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still ... I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic."

All those who had demigod children or favoured heroes nodded their heads in sadness, but foremost the children of Hades who saw those heroes whose lives had ended in tragedy every day and will continue on seeing them.

I tried not to feel hurt. Here was my own dad, telling me he was sorry I'd been born.

Many flinched, that sentence should have been better phrased.

"I don't mind, Father."

"Not yet, perhaps," he said. "Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part."

"Ugh…and this is only making it worse." Phantasos groaned as he drove his hand through long locks of golden-brown hair.

"I'll leave you then." I bowed awkwardly. "I—I won't bother you again."

I was five steps away when he called, "Perseus."

I turned.

There was a different light in his eyes, a fiery kind of pride. "You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."

Many nodded in approval that he managed to get it finally together and the first meeting did not end in a complet disaster, Zeus of course was an unsolvable problem.

As I walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert.

People and satyrs and naiads all turned toward me, their faces filled with respect and gratitude, and as I passed, they knelt, as if I were some kind of hero.

"So now we got informed." Alala said with a raised eyebrow as many nodded.

Fifteen minutes later, still in a trance, I was back on the streets of Manhattan.

I caught a taxi to my mom's apartment, rang the door bell, and there she was—my beautiful mother, smelling of peppermint and licorice, the weariness and worry evaporating from her face as soon as she saw me.

"Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby."

Many smiled warmly at the reunion of mother and child.

She crushed the air right out of me. We stood in the hallway as she cried and ran her hands through my hair.

I'll admit it—my eyes were a little misty, too.

I was shaking, I was so relieved to see her.

She told me she'd just appeared at the apartment that morning, scaring Gabe half out of his wits.

At this some allowed themselves a small grin of satisfaction, served that guy right.

She didn't remember anything since the Minotaur,

"Happens if a live soul gets brought into the Underworld, if she wishes it the memories will return in a weeks time." Melinoe said shrugging.

and couldn't believe it when Gabe told her I was a wanted criminal, traveling across the country, blowing up national monuments. She'd been going out of her mind with worry all day because she hadn't heard the news.

All mothers nodded in understanding, this was a normal reaction from a mother who cares for their child.

Gabe had forced her to go into work, saying she had a month's salary to make up and she'd better get started.

And everyone was back to growling in anger while the voice of the huntress grew hateful, something everyone perfectly understood.

I swallowed back my anger and told her my own story. I tried to make it sound less scary than it had been, but that wasn't easy.

The divinities were not even trying to restrain themselves.

I was just getting to the fight with Ares when Gabe's voice interrupted from the living room. "Hey, Sally! That meat loaf done yet or what?"

"As much as I know that it does not belong here at the moment, but I never know if someone talks about meat loaf if I should feel offended, laugh or head for the nearest shower." Nathan growled while beside the legacies everyone turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Jay asked his son.

"First chapter of the fifth book." he replied, back updating them that according to monsters demigods and thus also possibly the gods smell like meat loaf to them could wait. Not that he was asked further because Artemis continued reading her voice growing venomous with each word, her breathing irregular.

She closed her eyes. "He isn't going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles ... something about free appliances."

Everyone had dark smirks on their lips.

"Oh, yeah. About that..."

She managed a weak smile. "Just don't make him angrier, all right? Come on."

In the month I'd been gone, the apartment had turned into Gabeland. Garbage was ankle deep on the carpet. The sofa had been reupholstered in beer cans. Dirty socks and underwear hung off the lampshades.

Several goddesses and female spirits let out sounds of disgust while even many of the males looked sick.

"Against that place look the temples of these two completely spotless." come the voice of Anteros as he sat back down beside Eros, the scowling and now at Morpheus glaring twins sat down somewhat farther from them.

"I was already growing worried that you had been not back by now." Eros whispered to his brother who gave him a soft smile and scooted closer to him.

"Sorry for making you worry, Phobos was a bit hard to make let go of his bed." he whispered back.

Gabe and three of his big goony friends were playing poker at the table.

When Gabe saw me, his cigar dropped out of his mouth. His face got redder than lava. "You got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police—"

Cue hisses of anger.

"He's not a fugitive after all," my mom interjected. "Isn't that wonderful, Gabe?"

Gabe looked back and forth between us. He didn't seem to think my homecoming was so wonderful.

"Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally," he growled.

"Girls, I think we will be giving Alecto a hand with this one." one of the Keres spoke up as she looked over at her sisters who grinned eagerly at the idea as did many others.

"Get me the phone. I'll call the cops."

"Gabe, no!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Did you just say 'no'? You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro."

"But—"

He raised his hand, and my mother flinched.

For the first time, I realized something. Gabe had hit my mother.

This caused a new round of outrageous yelling and threats from both out and inside of the palace with many of the divinities making memos for themselves to ask Lord Hades to allow them at least five minutes with that mortal in Punishment.

"And people were the option that my father was cruel." Ariadne hissed, as said her father had many flaws, but she had never seen even the smallest evidence that he had dared to raise his hand against his wife or any of her sisters or herself.

It took everyone several minutes and a good deal of deep breaths till they could continue listening to the book, luckily seemed that those inside also needed this long to calm down enough to be able to continue.

I didn't know when, or how much. But I was sure he'd done it. Maybe it had been going on for years, when I wasn't around.

A balloon of anger started expanding in my chest. I came toward Gabe, instinctively taking my pen out of my pocket.

"Saddly it would not work against him." a satyr said in disgust, he would have loved to put this one in the middle of a stampede.

He just laughed. "What, punk? You gonna write on me? You touch me, and you are going to jail forever, you understand?"

"No, it will be you who will suffer for eternity in the realm of our Father." Melinoe hissed while many looked pleased at this.

"Hey, Gabe," his friend Eddie interrupted. "He's just a kid."

"Still the only one of those thugs who has at least a brain." Soteria mumbled distastefully.

Gabe looked at him resentfully and mimicked in a falsetto voice: "Just a kid."

His other friends laughed like idiots.

Many continued growling, hoping that it will end soon, they were having a hard time here to not influence the mortal world with their powers.

"I'll be nice to you, punk." Gabe showed me his tobacco-stained teeth. "I'll give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out. After that, I call the police."

"Gabe!" my mother pleaded.

"He ran away," Gabe told her. "Let him stay gone."

"It will be better when you are gone." Iris hissed in a venomous tone.

I was itching to uncap Riptide, but even if I did, the blade wouldn't hurt humans. And Gabe, by the loosest definition, was human.

"Barely," many muttered in disgust.

My mother took my arm. "Please, Percy. Come on. We'll go to your room."

I let her pull me away, my hands still trembling with rage.

My room had been completely filled with Gabe's junk. There were stacks of used car batteries, a rotting bouquet of sympathy flowers with a card from somebody who'd seen his Barbara Walters interview.

"What a joke." Tyche rolled her eyes.

"Gabe is just upset, honey," my mother told me. "I'll talk to him later. I'm sure it will work out."

"Mom, it'll never work out. Not as long as Gabe's here."

She wrung her hands nervously. "I can ... I'll take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the fall, maybe there's another boarding school—"

"Mom."

"She should listen to him, if he stays he will only destroy her." Nemesis said while shaking her head, one should know when to end something before it is too late to turn back, she had not given up on her bond to Artemis even thought she felt the danger and she had paid for it.

She lowered her eyes. "I'm trying, Percy. I just... I need some time."

A package appeared on my bed. At least, I could've sworn it hadn't been there a moment before.

It was a battered cardboard box about the right size to fit a basketball. The address on the mailing slip was in my own handwriting:

The Gods

MountOlympus

600th Floor,

EmpireState Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERCY JACKSON

Over the top in black marker, in a man's clear, bold print, was the address of our apartment, and the words: RETURN TO SENDER.

Now everyone understood what Poseidon meant and were grinning evily, Celestrial Bronze may not work on mortals, but Medusa's head certainly has no such limitations.

Suddenly I understood what Poseidon had told me on Olympus.

A package. A decision.

Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God.

I looked at my mother. "Mom, do you want Gabe gone?"

"Percy, it isn't that simple. I—"

"Mom, just tell me. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?"

"I think everyone does since the minute we heard about him." Iris said, she hated violence, but that mortal was making her want to just hurt him in that way.

She hesitated, then nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes, Percy. I do. And I'm trying to get up my courage to tell him. But you can't do this for me. You can't solve my problems."

I looked at the box.

I could solve her problem. I wanted to slice that package open, plop it on the poker table, and take out what was inside. I could start my very own statue garden, right there in the living room.

Many grinned while Moros looked together with Epiphron at the palace, waiting if Percy would understand this test just like he did in the Underworld or not.

That's what a Greek hero would do in the stories, I thought. That's what Gabe deserves.

There were several nods of agreement.

But a hero's story always ended in tragedy. Poseidon had told me that.

I remembered the Underworld. I thought about Gabe's spirit drifting forever in the Fields of Asphodel,

"Don't worry cousin, he will not even need the Judges to condone him, he will be right away escorted to Punishment." Zagreus said with a wicked grin on his lips.

or condemned to some hideous torture behind the barbed wire of the Fields of Punishment—an eternal poker game, sitting up to his waist in boiling oil listening to opera music.

"Not a bad idea, but I'm sure that we can find something even more interesting for him." Eris said smirking.

Did I have the right to send someone there? Even Gabe?

A month ago, I wouldn't have hesitated. Now ...

Epiphron nodded his head, the boy was starting to understand.

"I can do it," I told my mom. "One look inside this box, and he'll never bother you again."

She glanced at the package, and seemed to understand immediately. "No, Percy," she said, stepping away. "You can't."

"Poseidon called you a queen," I told her. "He said he hadn't met a woman like you in a thousand years."

Her cheeks flushed. "Percy—"

"You deserve better than this, Mom. You should go to college, get your degree. You can write your novel, meet a nice guy maybe, live in a nice house. You don't need to protect me anymore by staying with Gabe. Let me get rid of him."

There were several nods of agreement at this, she really deserved better then this.

She wiped a tear off her cheek. "You sound so much like your father," she said. "He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea. He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand."

A good deal of deities blushed, they had often said something similar to their mortal lovers and would have done it too while inside the palace Poseidon looked apologetically at his wife who only shook her head that it was fine.

"What's wrong with that?"

Her multicolored eyes seemed to search inside me. "I think you know, Percy. I think you're enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I can't let a god take care of me ... or my son. I have to ... find the courage on my own. Your quest has reminded me of that."

Some of the divinities looked thoughtful while others nodded their heads in an approving way at her words.

We listened to the sound of poker chips and swearing, ESPN from the living room television.

"I'll leave the box," I said. "If he threatens you …"

She looked pale, but she nodded. "Where will you go, Percy?"

"Half-Blood Hill."

"For the summer ... or forever?"

"I guess that depends."

We locked eyes, and I sensed that we had an agreement. We would see how things stood at the end of the summer.

"She needed that push to decide her future." Ariadne said softly from beside Arete who nodded her head in agreement.

She kissed my forehead. "You'll be a hero, Percy. You'll be the greatest of all."

"He is on the good way to prove her right." Nike said nodding her head.

I took one last look around my bedroom. I had a feeling I'd never see it again. Then I walked with my mother to the front door.

"Leaving so soon, punk?" Gabe called after me. "Good riddance."

Many scoffed at this, hoping that Sally would use the head.

I had one last twinge of doubt. How could I turn down the perfect chance to take revenge on him? I was leaving here without saving my mother.

"Hey, Sally," he yelled. "What about that meat loaf, huh?"

A steely look of anger flared in my mother's eyes, and I thought, just maybe, I was leaving her in good hands after all. Her own.

Many started smiling that she will step up now in her own protection towards that brute, his usefulness was gone and now he should disappear from her life.

"The meat loaf is coming right up, dear," she told Gabe. "Meat loaf surprise."

Some of the divinities broke out into grins at this, that sentence was anwer enough of what she had decided and when she would do it.

She looked at me, and winked.

The last thing I saw as the door swung closed was my mother staring at Gabe, as if she were contemplating how he would look as a garden statue.

"Probably just as dreadful as he looks alive, but with the added bonus that she does not need to clean after him, give him her money and the best hear him talk." Eris said grinning happily before looking thoughtful. "Regards his smell I'm not sure though." she said while many of the others broke out laughing, they did not care about the smell only that the mortal will soon face a rather angry looking Lord Hades in the Underworld.

To be continued…