Beta'd by PraetorFable
Co-Written by VanadiumOxide
Chapter IX
The Twenty Fifth of May
Nineteen Days A.B.M
The elevator ride back down was uneventful. As always, he and Nico stood in silence. There was nothing for them to talk about. They both knew everything there was to know about the other's life at the moment to the point that small talk felt like a waste of energy.
As the elevator hummed its way down from Mount Olympus, Percy decided against stopping on Annabeth's floor. Talking with her about it would only add to the stress she was under now. Instead, they headed straight to the lobby.
As they stepped out, the response was as he expected. There was a lot of unnecessary grovelling and a halting of progress. Deciding he didn't want to wait longer than he needed to, Percy went to get the soldiers he would be taking with him to Brooklyn himself. He paid no mind to the two of his vanguard that followed him outside as he left.
Walking all the way to their military base on the west side of Manhattan took a while, but Percy felt like walking through the streets. As much as it disrupted local civilian life, Percy wanted to experience the streets of Manhattan.
Sometime during the trip, Nico had faded back into shadow. His physical presence was needed somewhere else at the moment, no doubt. Percy and Nico were powerful, very powerful, but they weren't gods. They could only physically, with their actual bodies, be one place at a time.
Eventually he arrived at the one static military base they had. The vast majority of the military was still on Long Island doing clean up, so the base was barren, bar his vanguard. Most of them were resting, from what he could sense, though a few were pulling watch.
Percy met no resistance entering his own base, only bows and hails of 'Your Majesty' as he passed by. He quickly approached the nearest barracks he could see activity in.
Inside he saw more or less what he expected. Soldiers playing cards, talking, one or two dozing off, and some roughing around with each other.
The two guards who had followed Percy earlier stepped in before him, and called the room to attention as he entered.
The effect was immediate. One soldier shook awake his neighbor. But as one, every soldier in the room rose to their feet, back straight, standing in front of their bunks. Percy took a moment to observe them. Many of them were former military, or on reserve duty when Percy took over Manhattan, but many had yet to see war. They were drilled the hardest, and had to pass the most rigorous tests to enter the vanguard, but they were not battle tested—not yet. They had taken up the rear in every battle so far, because Percy hadn't seen a reason to lose his most elite troops as meat shields. That would have to change, only the strong and lucky would survive.
Percy halted his observations to speak up. "You all have two minutes to be in formation outside the tent. We have received a mission from his majesty Zeus."
Deciding that would suffice, Percy turned around and walked out of the barracks building, leaving the frantic ruffling and clanging of soldiers getting dressed behind.
Soon enough the squad was amassed in front of him, backs straight. And so, Percy marched toward Brooklyn, a squad of his guard at his back.
The twenty-first nome was situated on top of an abandoned industrial park on the banks of the East River. And by on top, he meant on top. His escorts, uninformed as he preferred to keep them be for the moment dutifully followed behind him as Percy began to scale a rusted fire escape on the north-side of the main building in the facility. Of course, when they reached the top, they saw nothing.
It took a moment of concentration for Percy's eyes to fixate on the large, luxurious mansion complete with dozens of balconies and a pool that lay before him; even with Percy's knowledge of the Egyptian base-of-operations in the region, its magic still resisted his eyes.
Percy gave his orders through a wave of a hand. Fan out, but stay put. A handful of his escorts gave him questioning looks, but nevertheless remained quiet and obedient, slowly fanning out on the ledges, securing their positions while others began setting up equipment. Even though they couldn't see it, his escorts were already subconsciously skirting around the mansion. If he were in a better mood, he might've chuckled.
Instead, he opted to stall no longer. He walked up and knocked.
It was only a few moments before anyone came to answer the door, but when it was, he was welcomed to see a familiar face. Sadie Kane's signature mischievous smile greeted him — for an entirety of two seconds. And then her eyes zeroed in on the squad of soldiers behind him, then up and the crown sitting on his head.
The magician let out a resigned sigh. "Come on in. I'll get Carter, but please, leave your pets outside, would ya'?"
Signalling for his guards to stay put, Percy tried for his own smile as he entered, even though the atmosphere between them had already soured. But despite the circumstances, the magical prodigy of the Kane family was a welcome sight to him. As much as he was dreading why he was here to talk to Carter, it had been a long time since he'd been given a chance to catch up with the siblings.
There was a flurry of activity inside; a dozen or so times more busy than the last time he'd visited Brooklyn House. There were children running around, chasing each other, older kids running about in haphazard fashion to stop anyone from breaking anything, while some adults standing near a grand staircase talking over something he could tell was very serious. Overall, Brooklyn house seemed to be very active, and this was only the main room. Percy guessed he had only scratched the surface of what Brooklyn House had to offer.
He stood by the entryway, against the wall while he waited for Sadie to return. Luckily, it only took a few minutes, with Carter in tow, though those in the foyer had already noticed his presence—uncomfortable glances were thrown in his direction. He couldn't exactly blame them, though. His blood stained armor and intimidating crown didn't exactly make him approachable.
Percy shook Carter's extended hand when it was offered.
"Been a while, bro." Percy smiled at Carter.
Carter nodded back, a look of questioning reluctance reflecting in his eyes.
"I agree. It's been too long since we've been able to talk." He rubbed his hand on his chin in consideration, before nodding in the direction of the stairs. "Let us go find somewhere private."
The three ascended the stairs, where it was considerably more quiet. Carter led them briskly through the halls—much longer than what it'd look like outside—and passing by many residents of Brooklyn house. They walked with so much purpose, everyone they encountered moved out of their way. He suspected, even if these two weren't the leaders of the house, the attention would've still been well deserved. Carter was in his casual wear but with the crown on his head, and his crook and flail hanging from his waist to symbolize his position as pharaoh. Then it was Percy in full armor, half of it covered in blood, with a silver crown atop his head, and then Sadie, who looked like any normal teenage girl who had an odd fondness for combat boots. All in all, they were quite the sight.
When they eventually made it to a quieter spot, a comfortable lounge area with a great view of the East River, they all sat down.
Sitting himself down at one of the two couches, he directed his attention to Carter and Sadie.
"So," Carter spoke up. "What can we help you with?"
Percy shook his head. "No, what can I help you with. I understand there might be some… ruffled feathers over on the Egyptian side of things, I'm just here to make sure that doesn't turn into some unfortunate decisions."
Carter let his face fall into a frown.
"Unfortunate decisions? Percy, you've broken almost every intra-pantheon law since the death of King Hardrada. I'm having to convince my people back in Cairo that intervention would be a bad move, but honestly I'm being more and more convinced every day. So tell me Percy, why shouldn't we march on over to Manhattan and put an end to all this?"
Percy let out his own frown now. "Because it would end very poorly for you."
He hated how confident his own voice sounded in that moment. Even if it was a fact.
Carter scoffed. "The 21st Nome has been keeping track of the events in Manhattan very meticulously. We know that you only have a handful Greek demigods left, and the Romans have their own issues in California to deal with. So tell us, how the House of Life, the strength of hundreds of Nomes, would find it a poor decision?"
Percy leaned forward with purpose. "You forget, that even at their peak, your gods were only worshipped by a handful million people. And until two years ago, they'd been banished for thousands of years. Only the strongest of you could hope to put up a fight against us, and there aren't many of you."
Carter's eyes did not meet his. In fact, for a moment, Carter's grip on his crook might have been too tight for all of theirs' sakes.
"You both are good with numbers, right? Hundreds of nomes? Carter, I have ten million people out there right now worshipping me as a god. Can you not feel it? The power I hold beneath my skin? Hell, if I wanted to I could snap my fingers and this nome would be dust, magic or not. Every nome could be wiped off the map. Trust me when I say, I don't want things to head that direction. If I did I wouldn't have come over on my own two feet."
There was the matter of him bringing twelve or so heavily armed combattants to their doorstep, but thankfully, Sadie decided not to bring that up.
"I came because I want us to work together. I don't want the other option to become necessary."
Carter's grim expression was the exact one Percy had hoped to avoid. He could feel it, Carter's disgust of Percy welling up. Percy had just become the next villain in Carter's life. There had been no avoiding it. As someone who had had trial after trial his whole life, he knew well what that was like.
For Carter's sake, Percy needed to turn that disgust into insurmountable fear.
Aura wasn't a tangible thing you could feel, see, or shape, but it existed in a metaphysical kind of way. Sure you couldn't use an 'aura' to attack someone, but it certainly existed. The freezing pressure whenever Kronos had so much as visited Percy in his dreams or the lowering of room temperature if he was even mentioned; the feeling of combustion Percy's skin would get when he got too close to a god, the petrifying fear a Lydian Drakon could instill if you looked into its eyes. The disturbance created by a being's aura represented its cumulative power, like a venomous snake with bright scales. It basically showed to others 'don't piss me off or I might just end your pitiful existence because I feel like it.'
Percy had yet to try mess with an aura before, but he was aware of the times that when he had felt particularly mad at something, it would feel like spontaneously combusting might just be the better option than facing his wrath. Leo had told him how his hairs had raised and he had been frozen in fear when Percy tackled him on the Argo II.
That was back then, but now Percy was being worshipped by as many people as had existed in all of ancient Greece, and had a primordial artifact on his head. One might've expected his effect on people to skyrocket, but Percy had been holding himself back. He hadn't known how to do this a month ago, but what had Zeus taught him if not how to disconnect himself from the divine energies around him, and as such, disconnect everything divine around him from himself.
After thinking for a few moments Percy decided that yes, he did in fact want to do this.
So, Percy let his shields down, and levelled a glare at Carter.
The effect was instantaneous. To Carter, the temperature in the room dropped, his hairs raised, and he felt frozen in place. It was an indescribable feeling, but it was one of inspired complete and utter fear. His pituitary gland was working overtime, and he began to sweat, his heart rate increasing. His fear skyrocketed to activate his fight or flight response, before blowing past it straight to hoping that if he didn't move, the terrifying thing wouldn't notice him, because if it did he was dead. Deciding after just a couple seconds that he had proven his point, Percy started hiding his aura, and dropped his glare.
Satisfied that he wouldn't do anything stupid in the immediate future, Percy stood up. "Well then, I guess I'll be on my way."
Percy stepped out the door and began to make his way towards the stairs before he felt a hand grab his arm.
He looked over his shoulder to see that it was Sadie, before letting her drag him to the balcony overlooking their pool.
They stood in silence for a moment, both of them leaning up against the railing. Percy opened his mouth to try to explain himself, but Sadie started speaking before he could.
"Don't even try to justify what you're doing. I know you probably don't have much choice, but we both know what you're doing isn't justified."
Percy sighed and looked down. He had hoped things might go better with Sadie.
"But." she put a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked up she was giving him a sad smile. "I know that sometimes we don't have a choice, and I don't want to lose a friend over something they have no control over."
Percy returned her smile. Maybe his friendship with Carter had to end over this conflict, but if it was possible to remain friends with Sadie, then he would hold onto that chance.
"Yeah," Percy looked down at the railing. "I don't want to lose friends over this whole thing either, but I'd rather lose a friend than people lose their lives."
They both knew he was lying, but she decided not to call him on it. "Well, for what it's worth, I'll always be here. Let's try and stay in contact, despite the whole world domination thing."
He nodded. "Yeah, that'd be nice. There'll always be a place for you in Manhattan."
She turned towards him. "So how's Annabeth? I see a lot of you going around, but I haven't exactly seen Annabeth during all this."
"I guess that's a failure on my part then. She was kinda supposed to be frontrunning this whole thing's PR, but she's been too tied down. She's kinda stressed, being the perfectionist she is she won't rest until everything's set up exactly as it is in her vision."
Sadie let out a small laugh. "Yeah, that does sound like her."
Percy and Sadie talked on the balcony for hours, until Nyx had made herself welcome in the sky and Sadie began to grow tired. Percy hadn't realized until now how much he missed having conversations which didn't include deciding the fate of the planet.
He just felt bad for the escorts he had brought which had to stand rigidly outside for hours on end.
The Twenty Sixth of May
Twenty Days A.B.M
Percy woke up late the next day. He had stayed up relatively late speaking with Sadie, and decided on a whim that he would get a full eight hours of sleep that night.
When he woke up Annabeth was already gone, and Nico was standing outside his door as always. Deciding he'd take today relatively easy, he ordered Nico inside to get off his feet before taking an extra long shower and making himself an actual breakfast with his incredibly limited culinary expertise.
Feeling more refreshed than he had in weeks, Percy decided to take a day to finally train himself again. He was well aware that he was more than a match for any mortal force without trying at this point, but he didn't want to fall into the habit of letting himself stagnate.
And so, he and Nico spent that morning on his personal training floor of the Empire State Building, going at it with swords with their incredibly enhanced strength and reflexes, and then dropping their weapons and starting to brawl bare handed, something they hadn't done yet.
After Nico was tired of getting beaten up they took a seat on the floor and began to practice with their powers. Percy knew Nico was more or less satisfied with his control over shadows and wanted to focus on the undead aspect of his abilities, and Percy was more than satisfied by his almost absolute control over liquids, only enhanced by Hydros' crown. And because of that, his abilities as the son of the Storm-Bringer had also been enhanced, as storms were mostly just water vapor making a fuss anyway.
He decided to concentrate on his abilities as the son of the Earth-Shaker.
The whole morning Percy focused on creating different levels of earthquakes across the eastern seaboard. Nothing deadly, but enough to exercise his control over them. Whenever he decided he really wanted to let loose, he let an earthquake hit the middle of the Atlantic somewhere. Sure, it would cause a tsunami somewhere, but Percy would just force that water back into the sea before it hit anyone.
He would have let an earthquake hit the north pole or the middle of the pacific or some such thing, but it wasn't possible just yet. While he was nigh omnipotent when it came to liquids mostly because of the crown on his head, he was still far from that level for earthquakes.
After a few hours of throwing around divine power which could wipe countries off the map like it was snow in February, Percy and Nico decided to call it quits and go deal with whatever they needed to deal with for the day.
"Oh," Percy remembered, catching himself before Nico shadow-travelled away. "That piece of the sword of Erebus Sasha was talking about. She should have an approximate location by now. Talk to her, and get that sword to me."
Nico stood straighter before nodding. He hadn't been present for Percy's meeting with Sasha, but he had heard the whole thing. He had a limited capacity for understanding things, he was only (partly) human, afterall, so he couldn't be aware of what was happening through every shadow on the planet, but he always kept his senses up around Percy, and as such was privy to conversations he had.
And with that, he shadow travelled away.
Most of the rest of his day was spent in Annabeth's office, discussing the structure of their new government system. As much as Percy wanted to leave everything to Annabeth, the entire structure of their government was big enough of a deal that Percy felt obliged to be involved in the process, even if he had little to add personally.
The structure they would use for their military also came up in discussion, and it was decided that they would use the United States chain of command. They were the largest military force in the world after all, and it would be rather easy to integrate their command structure from the very beginning onwards, since they would be the first to be integrated into their new empire. The only distinguishable difference being that Percy would be assigning a military commander in chief.
Who that would be, Percy didn't know yet. Darlton has proven himself competent so far, but Percy wasn't exactly ready to trust him with the soon-to-be largest military force on the planet.
It was early evening by the time Percy had a chance to leave the Empire State Building, and by that time he was famished. Normally, he'd just get something from the cabinet the staff at the Empire State kept stocked, or ask for something from one of the staff there, who would hurry to fulfill his order.
Today though, he felt like going into the city to get something to eat. So naturally, he invited Annabeth and Nico along.
Fifteen minutes later saw them all sitting outside a small restaurant in midtown Manhattan, relaxing with soft drinks and waiting on the old man who ran the small restaurant to bring out burgers.
They made quite the scene on the sidewalk. His guard had advised him to sit inside for his security, but Percy wasn't all that concerned and wanted some fresh air. So of course they sat outside.
His guard had created a perimeter around him through which nobody was allowed to walk. Percy had decided to let those who were already eating here finish their meals though. It would've been rude to interrupt them.
"Ah, your majesty," The frail old man who owned the restaurant approached their table the same way one would approach a sleeping dragon. "My apologies, your meal may be slightly late. There was a problem with the grill. If there is anything I can do to make up for it, please, let me know."
Percy waved it off with a chuckle. "Don't worry, we're in no rush. Take your time."
Their presence had attracted quite a crowd, and hundreds of people stood anxiously outside the perimeter of guards. Taking pictures, staring, speaking quietly. A family was loudly murmuring about the idea that their new ruler was sitting just a few feet from them.
They sat and talked and laughed and had fun until the sun was almost below the horizon. Between tonight and his conversation with Sadie the previous night, Percy was feeling downright pleasant. There was still the lingering sadness and anger from the hand he and his friends had been dealt, but Percy was in a good mood for the first time in a very long time. He decided to cherish these moments.
After all, tomorrow he would go back to work, and he didn't know the next time he'd get an opportunity to relax with his best friend and beautiful girlfriend.
The Twenty Seventh of May
Twenty One Days A.B.M
Percy woke bright and early the next day at just about four in the morning. It was a bit early, but like the previous day he decided to take his time with his morning routine, and for the first time since they had taken Manhattan, forego his armor and just wander about with the usual t-shirt and jeans he wore underneath. He would need to put it back on for the speech to reinforce that whole 'warrior-king' image, but for now he could go sans the armor.
Today was the day they would roll out their new system. He was recalling most of his high command from Brooklyn back to the Empire State Building and announcing the opening of elections. Along with that a full version of their 'constitution' would be printed and distributed. It took the entire constitutional convention 116 days to write the United States Constitution. It took Annabeth a bit under a week.
Of course, it was hardly a work of art. It had borrowed a lot from previous documents such as the US Constitution and Magna Carta, and it was a lot shorter than the US's Constitution. After all, their citizens had far fewer rights.
But all the same, the demands of the gods were simply ridiculous. Hopefully once this new system was laid out most of the work would basically do itself. He knew it wouldn't be easy being the emperor of all this, but at least he and Annabeth wouldn't have to do everything by themselves anymore.
When Percy stepped out of his room a bit before five that morning he found Nico already there, and Percy found himself wondering if he ever slept.
"I have it." Nico greeted him.
Percy raised an eyebrow and extended a hand.
A moment later Nico had laid about a foot of dark black metal in Percy's hand. It looked like the last third of a king's sword reminiscent of Lionheart or Solomon. The blade had two triangular tips on each side which tapered down into the point at the end of the sword.
As it rested in his hand, Percy could feel it sucking at his soul ever so slightly. His hand felt colder, like the warmth was being sucked out of it by sheer proximity. Essentially, it just seemed like stygian iron to him. He could, though it was faint, sense an enchantment of a sorts on it. Perhaps a bit more powerful than the enchantment on something like Annabeth's Yankees cap. All in all nothing to scoff at, but nothing game changing either. But Percy knew better.
"How powerful is it, really?"
"You said your crown is powerful just by virtue of being near Hydros so often, right? Well, I think this is more than that. It feels enchanted. Heavily. It might be nothing to a primordial, but honestly the only thing I can think of which is even close to as powerful is my father's sword."
Percy nodded. "Good. I'll be taking a trip to Atlantis, then. I'll have the master smiths there melt it down and forge it into your sword. Or..." he smirked. "Do you think we could push our luck and get Hephaestus to smelt it?"
Nico, though for a moment, weighing the blade in his hands, before shaking his head. "I doubt even Greek fire could smelt that. Hell, my guess is the master bolt wouldn't scratch it. That thing's indestructible as far as I can tell. I wouldn't try it."
Percy blinked. "Well. Something broke it."
He'd rather not think about what being had that kind of power.
"The remaining part of the sword looks to still be in excellent condition, though. We can always have them forge a sword around it. This thing is too powerful to just leave on the side. So what do you think, cyclops or Heph?"
"I wouldn't push our luck. Go with the cyclopes. Hell, if you can find an Elder Cyclops or two you could probably make something on the level of a big three's symbol of power with how much power we've accrued so far."
Percy raised an eyebrow at that. It wasn't a bad idea, but he didn't even know where to start looking for an Elder Cyclops. "You happen to know where any of em happen to be hanging around?" he asked.
Nico shrugged. "I don't, but Briaries probably does. They were siblings and practically grew up together. If anyone knows where they are, it'd be Briaries. Plus, he owes you more than a couple favors, so I'm sure he'd be willing to give us the information he has."
Percy nodded. It looked like he would be heading to Atlantis to pay a visit to his family sometime soon.
Percy handed the end of the sword to Nico. "You should hang on to this until I'm ready to have it forged. Do me a favor and stop by the command room in Brooklyn in about an hour to call command staff back to the Empire State."
Nico nodded. "So, what's the agenda for today?" he asked.
Percy groaned.
Two hours later, Percy was sitting at a conference table with Annabeth and a dozen of her more prominent aides. Those that specialized in law, agriculture, governance philosophy, and basically everyone they could find that had a very deep knowledge of a specific subject related to governing a nation. They had begun to write—or in most cases steal from the US—dozens of laws to implement before the upper house was so much as formed. Right now most laws were at the discretion of the police in the city, which was a… less than ideal stopgap solution, but was more or less working so far.
They even had the former secretary of transportation at the table, and one of the former governors of the state of New York. Of course, they undoubtedly had far more important people in New York. Billionaires, former secretaries of state, Hades probably a few current members of the cabinet, generals, etc. But Percy had no use for those who wouldn't volunteer their services.
He knew that soon enough, more and more influential people would see that his empire was here to stay and attempt to weasel into a position of power. But to many for now, they were just an extraordinarily successful terrorist group which was occupying most of New York City.
Percy was listening to their expert on power infrastructure and production argue with their expert on education about which buildings should be prioritized in the case of a power outage.
He was about ready to up and leave Annabeth to her fate when a major walked up to a few feet away from the table and stood at attention.
"Report," Percy interrupted the bickering bureaucrats, causing the table to go instantly silent.
The major took a single step forward and gave a crisp salute. "Your Majesty. Your command staff awaits your arrival."
Percy nodded. "Dismissed."
The major dropped his salute, took one step back, turned a 180 on his heel, and promptly headed to the elevator.
Percy stood and addressed the table. "I'm going to attend to military matters. You have—" Percy checked his shield watch "—six hours to finish this up and have it ready for the public."
Someone at the table gave an involuntary laugh and stood up. Percy didn't remember who he was, but he thought it had something to do with paper. "Your majesty. You're asking us to set most of the foundation of a global superpower in a few hours. It's not enough time to-"
"It's the time you have." Percy cut him off with a glare. "Now make it work, or she will." he gestured to Annabeth with a nod.
She stood up with him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll handle things here, you go take care of the military." Percy nodded, before gesturing to two of his guards to stay here with her. He had no idea when things might get heated, and having some heavily armed men with all of the authority of the emperor behind her might help.
With that, Percy began to move to the elevator, the dozen or so other men he had which had taken up positions around the table and the room forming up around him.
Percy sat down at the head of the command planning table, followed shortly by his high command. "Is everyone here?" he asked.
There was a small moment of silence as everyone adjusted to seeing him without his armor.
Darlton was the one to answer him. "Lieutenant Colonel Ferraro has been put in charge of the forces which have remained in Brooklyn while Major McGraw did not arrive at headquarters this morning. Lord di Angelo has told us not to worry and that he is well aware of the whereabouts of the major. Otherwise, all of the command is here, sir, as well as a representative from the Vanguard as you requested."
Percy nodded. "Good. Do make sure to arrange a replacement for the Major," he told him. A few of his staff shifted uncomfortably at the insinuation.
"Today, we'll be rolling out the new structure of our government," he continued "This includes our military organization. We'll be transitioning entirely to the structure you are all most familiar with, that being the US military. As of right now, I'm promoting Colonel Darlton to General of the Army and naming him chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff." He nodded at Darlton.
"For now the position of Commander in Chief will be left vacant. Darlton will report directly to me until further notice. You are responsible for the organization of my military."
"I will not fail you your majesty!"
"I have no doubt of that. The vanguard is being moved outside of the structure of the military and being renamed to the royal guard. All demigods are discharged so that they may fill the house of lords in the upper house."
Clarisse didn't comment.
"Tomorrow we march on Washington. I want every soldier we have ready to mobilize in twenty four hours. The US chain of command shall be folded into our own, and those not immediately willing will be discharged. Those in this room, however..." he looked into the eyes of each of those at the table. "...Have proven themselves loyal, and I plan on rewarding your loyalty well. I expect a more or less peaceful capitulation after tomorrow, but that doesn't mean things will move smoothly. There will be vacancies for those that don't follow and you will fill those new high-level roles. Prepare to replace resigning officers and collapse entire divisions due to a lack of active duty men. There will likely be small scale rebellions across the US as well. It is integral to the continued success of the empire that these are dealt with, as well as the gaps in our command structure in a short amount of time so that we may continue expanding. Any questions?"
He sensed a million questions and concerns but the room remained silent and still.
"Good. See to it that this transition is as smooth as possible." He stood up, immediately followed by everyone at the table. "Good luck." He sent them a smile, before taking his leave.
Percy tuned out the words coming out of Annabeth's mouth. He had heard them a dozen times already, as the past few nights with Annabeth had been filled with revisions and revisions. He was more or less here just to look pretty.
He stood with his arms crossed behind Annabeth. His crown rested atop his head, and he was in full battle regalia. He even had Riptide out in an open sheath on his hip, and his shield out on his back.
They were standing in a studio with a dozen or so odd telecom experts, all bustling over cameras, microphones, and auto queues.
Nico stood just behind him to his right, just barely visible to the camera in the shadows of the room. Percy was standing on a small raised platform to give the impression he was imposing while still giving the impression that Annabeth, who was right in front of him, was relatable. At first he had protested, his pride not wanting him to stand on some platform to look taller, but their experts had insisted. Percy decided they knew what they were doing, and acceded.
Annabeth was giving the speech about the true formation of a new empire in his name, with a constitution and laws and public representation and such.
Percy just wanted to get this over with so he could make sure there were no huge problems, and then shadow travel to Washington. He hadn't made any progress in a few days, and he knew the gods, specifically Zeus, would start to get restless. He would need to make it up to them by completely integrating America soon. He hoped he wouldn't have to get his hands too bloody but knew that was a pipe dream at best.
Percy's attention was drawn back to reality when the cameras stopped rolling and Annabeth let out a loud sigh.
"Go well?" he asked.
She glared at him. "Were you dozing off again? You were here, Seaweed Brain."
He shrugged, noting the many of the aides around the room were making themselves look busy at the informal, almost insulting way she referred to him. He wondered what type of image it cast upon him, being called by such a name. "Sue me, I've heard the speech already a dozen times. I already knew what you were going to say, why would I listen?"
She rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder. "Whatever, just help me manage this whole thing for a couple days."
She passed it off as a casual request, but in reality she was still desperate to delay his crusade to Washington for as long as possible.
He chuckled. "I'll stay in Manhattan overnight, but assuming nothing goes horribly wrong tomorrow I'll be heading to Washington," he said before pausing. "Oh, and I need to head to Atlantis tonight, my father asked me to visit him for some reason."
He felt bad for lying to Annabeth. Horrible, really. They had been through so much, from his first quest to the pits of hell and to the hectic mess that was this war. But it was necessary to protect her, he told himself. He knew that if he was ever discovered to be hoarding primordial artifacts, Zeus would get worried he would overthrow him and kill him and everyone involved in a heartbeat.
Sasha and Nico were already dead in the event of Zeus discovering so much as the true power of the crown he had given Percy. He didn't want Annabeth to join that list.
She looked disappointed, but nodded. "I'll see you when you get back, then."
He smiled and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Don't wait up. Enjoy running the country for the night." He winked, before walking away from the girl swearing her revenge on him.
Nico followed him out into the hallway where he began walking towards the elevator.
"Want a lift to the shore?" he asked.
Percy shrugged. "Sure. But first, hand me the blade real quick."
Nico summoned the said blade to his hand and handed it over.
"I almost forgot, I need to disconnect this thing," he grunted before yanking to disconnect the blade, and almost losing his balance before being caught by Nico. "There, now it should be hidden. That was a bit easier than last time." He laughed, trying to ignore the spots floating in his eyes.
He handed the blade back to Nico. "Hang on to this for a bit longer, would'ya?"
Nico nodded, taking it and once again sending it away to wherever it was he kept things.
A second later Percy was the one being shadow travelled, and they appeared on the shore on the northern tip of Long Island.
"Good luck," Nico told him, before teleporting away. Atlantis was the one place Nico couldn't follow him to. Technically he could still keep an eye on him, after all basically the entire seafloor was entirely covered in 'shadows'. But he couldn't breath underwater, and even if he could the pressure would kill him once Percy got a hundredth of the way to Atlantis.
Putting his thoughts behind him, Percy capped Riptide and transformed his shield back into his watch. There was no reason to have them out anymore. Then, Percy tapped his crown, turning it into a charm on his necklace.
Percy dived into the water and started making his way to Atlantis. It took him about an hour, even moving at mach speed. On the way a few dolphins and whales and the odd shark or fish decided to swim alongside him. He slowed down for a bit to give them company before continuing along.
When he finally saw a luminescent navy glow coming from the ocean floor in front of him he knew he had reached Atlantis. The first place he decided to head was his father's palace. He knew his dad would know something was up if he came to Atlantis and didn't visit him.
Percy let his feet hit the ground just before the palace gates. The guards instantly recognized him and called for the gate to be opened before bowing.
"Welcome home, my prince," one of the guards greeted him.
Percy shot him a smile and waved back before continuing through the gates. A couple of minutes of walking saw him entering the main building in the palace, where his father lived and held court.
When Percy walked in, it was clearly during one of those very moments. The long table in front of his father was filled to the brim with dolphins, mermen, and an assortment of various other different sea creatures he was ashamed to not be able to name. Percy, not wanting to interrupt, leaned up against a wall near where he came in, observing his father holding court.
Triton sat directly to his right, and seemed to take care of the more arduous issues. Not for the first time, Percy was glad he wasn't in Triton's position.
His father had, of course, noticed him immediately. It only took a few minutes for Poseidon to tell Triton to take over for him, and walk out of the room, gesturing for Percy to follow him.
The action did not go unnoticed by many at the table, and Percy received a chorus of different greetings. Percy just waved back.
Percy caught up with his father in the hallway leading out of the room.
"Percy," he acknowledged with a crinkled smile. Percy could tell he was genuinely glad to see him.
"Dad." Percy smiled back.
It was the first time he had talked to his father one on one in person in a very long time. Since the end of the titan war, actually, and Percy was glad to have the chance.
They spent a few seconds in silence before they reached Poseidon's personal office. It was a small thing, smaller than Percy's office at the Empire State, in fact. Percy was surprised, for the ruler of two thirds of the Earth he certainly had a modest office.
Poseidon sat in a cushioned chair in the corner, before gesturing for him to sit in the other. There sat a coffee table in between them, and Poseidon put up his feet.
"So, my son, what can I do for you?" he asked, two glasses of whiskey appearing in his hands. He offered one to Percy, and he decided to take it.
After taking a long sip, Percy responded, "Nothing, really. I wanted to pay a visit to Tyson and Briaries, and thought I would see how you were doing." Percy smiled back easily.
It was clear Poseidon didn't entirely believe this was a social visit, but luckily, Poseidon decided not to press. Instead, he leaned forward.
"Well, whatever you're doing that has you in this area, just be careful. You live on the level of gods now. We may artificially make you bow to us and refer to us with respect, but you are now one of us in every way that matters. The only thing that separates you from me is one bite of an apple, remember that." Poseidon met his eyes. "You have as many worshippers as the most powerful of us now. I actually think my younger brother is getting jealous. That jealousy can turn into fear very quickly, and when Zeus fears something he does not take kindly to it. Remember that, son."
Percy nodded, though remaining silent. Apparently finished with his lecture, Poseidon leaned back. "Now," he said, smiling. "Tell me, how's your mother?"
Percy tensed slightly. He wasn't entirely over what his father just said, but he would have to digest it later. "I… Haven't actually had a chance to visit her, since this whole thing started. I had Nico make sure she would be safe when we initially struck, but otherwise I haven't seen her," he admitted.
Poseidon frowned. "Hmmm, I see. I know the burdens of running a kingdom more than most, but keep those you love close to you. You may not have them forever, or long."
Percy shook his head. "I'm too powerful for that now. I'm powerful enough to stop whatever comes for us, dad. It's part of the reason I'm doing this. Nobody else I care about will be hurt."
Poseidon let out a resigned sigh. "Very well, but try and spend some time with your mother. For her sake, if not yours."
Percy nodded. He did have to admit he'd kind of been neglecting his mom. Everything just happened so quick it was hard to find time for anything.
They spent a few moments in an awkward silence before Poseidon spoke up.
"Oh, I have also meant to give this to you for some time." He got up, and walked over to a chest near his desk where he pulled out two items. Both were very similar, staff type objects. One was made out of a platinum silver that reflected all the light in the room. Near it's tip it had a decoration which was engraved with jewels, mostly blues, blacks, and greens. It was about the size of a small mace. You could hold it in one hand, and it looked like about the perfect size to go seal clubbing.
The other staff was made out of a metallic navy material, almost like a navy tinted chrome. Just like the other one, it had a club-like end, with decorations all over it. This one was thicker, and a bit longer.
"This—" Poseidon handed him the shorter staff. "—Is a scepter. I admit, it might be an out-of-fashion practice these days, but during my day, being granted the authority to hold one of these amounted to a great signature of trust and respect."
Percy observed the scepter, not understanding.
Poseidon continued. "This is a gift not for you to hold, but for you to bestow. For anyone who wields this is to be treated as you, when you are not around. Your second, perhaps. Whomever you trust or value that you wish to grant your authority without you needing to be by their side at all times."
The scepter was cool to the touch, and glowed with the power of the seas behind it. It wasn't all that powerful, and it was certainly nothing that would make a difference to Percy with his current control over water, but he could feel the authority that came with holding it.
"After all, I heard that Zeus gave you your crown, and I know Athena has volunteered to give you your throne room, and Hera the throne. I thought of giving you your scepter."
Percy blinked. "Thanks, really. I think this will definitely come in handy. It's not something I had thought of…" Percy paused for a moment before looking up. "And really, Athena? Is it really a good idea for her to design my throne room?"
Poseidon gave a small smile at that. "Her and I may have our feuds, yes, but I trust her ability and wisdom to distinguish between the two of us." Poseidon paused, with a slow chuckle, in self-amusement. "I also understand she has accrued a certain respect for you. I think all will be fine, you can trust the gods this time. After all, your success corresponds to their success. The other Olympians know well that if any were to interfere with your work, it would only earn them my brother's wrath. He's already invested so much into you, teaching you abilities we haven't bestowed knowledge of in a millennia."
Percy rubbed his neck. It looked like he wasn't as careful with that as he had thought.
Poseidon laughed and clapped him on the back. "Do not worry, it's only natural. I'm just surprised it was Zeus of all people that wanted to have less control over you. Anyway, I'm getting off track. There's a powerful enchantment on your scepter, not unlike Anaklusmos. If you will it, it will return to your hands immediately. After all, it would not do if someone had your scepter without your permission, hm?"
Percy nodded, it was a fair point. If someone got their hands on it without his permission he didn't even want to think about what damage they could do in his name.
"And this," Poseidon said, handing him the other scepter. "Is mine."
Percy took it into his left hand, and felt a very similar sensation to when he grabbed his own scepter as the authority of the oceans and all its domains flooded over him.
Percy nodded, and handed the scepter back to Poseidon, but Poseidon didn't reach out to take it.
"You misunderstand me," he said thoughtfully. "This is my scepter."
Percy stared at his father for a moment, his legs feeling weak. He itched to protest, but his father had already held up his hand in response.
"I can think of nobody more worthy of it than you, my son. Triton would more than likely abuse the power, loathe as I am to admit it, and he is near me constantly anyway. I will not have the time to constantly stamp my approval on anything you need in the future. Take it for my sake, if nothing else," he pleaded.
Letting out a sigh of resignation, Percy just nodded.
Poseidon himself nodded, but now his eyes looked distant, like he was hearing conversations elsewhere. "Now, I best be returning to my court before Triton orders a statue of himself to be erected." He smiled slightly. "But return whenever you like, this is your home, and the people are always glad to see you. There's been a festival in your honor every time you've arrived, not that you've ever stayed around long enough to see one," he teased.
Percy blushed and rubbed his neck abashedly. He forgot what it was like to be embarrassed recently, but he was being reminded more and more as the seconds ticked by.
"Oh, and and lastly" Poseidon tapped the tip of his own scepter, causing it to disappear, before Percy looked down at his necklace to find a small charm in the shape of a scepter sitting there. It was 3d, unlike his crown, but it matched it all the same. "Both of the scepters are enchanted to shrink onto your necklace, like your crown. I didn't think you'd prefer to carry that thing around with you everywhere, so I took some liberties. Now, I really must be going. Tell your mother, Tyson, and Briaries I said hello," he said, walking out the door back to his court with a wave.
Percy tapped his own scepter on it's tip, turning it into a charm before he stepped out of the room and began heading towards a side exit, making his way towards the forge district where he knew he would find Briaries and Tyson.
After arriving at the district and asking around, he was directed towards Tyson's forge. He decided to see his little brother before talking to Briaries, so that if any of the elder cyclopes happened to be in a particularly easy area to get to he could go straight away.
A few minutes later Percy walked into Tyson's forge to see the young cyclops hammering out a gauntlet of some kind. The loud clanging of the hammer masked his footsteps, right up until he stopped to reheat the metal in Greek fire, and Percy cleared his throat.
Tyson looked behind him to see who was in his forge, before his big eye settled on Percy and he lunged forward for a hug.
"BIG BROTHER!" he yelled, probably waking up some people in the city.
Percy let himself be grabbed into a bear hug, and smiled when Tyson put him down. "Heya big guy. I was in the area, and thought I'd pay you a visit."
Tyson had a big grin on his face. "Yes, brother! Good to see you. But cannot stop working. No, no stop. Very important order, dad says. For very important people." His expression dropped, and he turned back to heating the metal.
Percy frowned. He hoped he was just here at a bad time, and Tyson wasn't being overworked. "Alright, big guy. Good to see ya anyway. And dad said hi."
Tyson brightened at that. "Tell dad I said hi too!"
"Will do big guy." Percy said as he left the forge. He didn't have the heart to tell him he probably wouldn't see Poseidon on his way out.
His brief visit to his brother over with, Percy asked around some more for where Briaries was.
He was pointed to a spot just a few forges away. This forge was much bigger than the others, and taller as well. He knew it was to accommodate Briaries's increased height, even when compared to the other cyclopes.
Percy had to duck to avoid a hand filled with some kind of metal flying over his head, and subsequently backed up when three more came flying by him. The room was very loud, after all the equivalent of fifty cyclopes were working in here. This time, Percy had to shout to get his attention.
Eventually, Briaries noticed him, and turned towards Percy. Most of his hands kept working, but there was a very noticeable drop in noise from metal being hammered, and hands holding objects that could take his head off stopped zooming past him.
Briaries let out a large smile. "Young friend! How can I help you?" he greeted. A few dozen of his hands stopped what they were doing and made finger guns pointed at him.
Percy smiled at seeing the Hekatonkheire after so long. "Briaries," He greeted. "I was actually just stopping by at the request of my father, and had an idea. I thought if you were out there imprisoned, your cousins might be as well. Do you have any idea where any of the Elder Cyclopes are?"
All at once hands stopped working and froze, before Briaries sat down and started crying, multiple hands coming to wipe away his tears.
"Oh how could I forget! I am a horrible Hekatonkheire! Why did you rescue me, young friend. Why couldn't it have been anyone else? I forgot about my cousins. Only five thousand years, and I just forget!"
Percy stood back for a moment while Briaries collected himself. "Y-Yes. I heard K-Kampe talking about them. She said nobody would ever get to them. Even more dangerous than Alcatraz, she said. She said they were on the Isle of the Damned. And something about 'Helve Hinsides Havt'. I know I owe you much already, young friend, but please, I will give you everything I have if you can succeed where I failed and help my cousins."
Briaries sniffled again, more hands reaching up to wipe away his tears.
Percy committed the phrases to memory, and patted him on one of his arms. "Don't worry about it. I'd rescue them anyway. That's what friends are for, right?" he reassured.
Percy barely had any time to prepare before a dozen arms scooped him into a hug.
"Oh, thank you Percy, how will I ever repay you?"
After another minute of Briaries crying, hugging, and some awkward conversation, Percy made an excuse and left, being seen off by a hundred hands waving goodbye at him.
It was just after dark when Percy arrived on Long Island. The moment Percy stepped on to the beach Nico was there with a hand outstretched, waiting to return him to the Empire State Building.
Percy noticed with a burst of mirth that a little bit down the beach a young, naked couple were staring at him with wide eyes. He sent them a wink, before taking Nico's hand and being enveloped in shadow.
He reappeared in his bedroom to see Annabeth laying back on their bed, an exhausted look on her face. She was still in her normal clothes and was just staring up at the ceiling, so Percy assumed she had just gotten back from running the small nation and all the hassle that came with it.
He sat down on the bed next to her head as Nico melted back into the shadows.
"So," he asked with a teasing smile. "Have fun running the place today?"
She stretched out an arm and half heartedly hit him in the back. "Shut up," she mumbled.
Percy laughed, before reaching down and picking her up. "Come on, let's get you changed and go to bed."
She groaned and forced herself out of his hands, unceremoniously dropping to the floor on her feet. "I can undress myself, thank you very much."
"But wouldn't it be more fun if I helped?" he asked.
She glared at him, but there was no real heat behind it. She punched his arm, before walking over to her dresser.
"Is that a yes?"
She laughed that time, no longer able or willing to keep up her angry attitude. "Sure." She indulged him with a small smile, pulling her shirt over her head.
An hour later they laid in bed, her head on his chest as it always was, but Percy couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about where the Elder Cyclopes were located. Was it a dead end? Would he have to push his luck and ask Hephaestus anyway? Percy had tried feeling around for them, but had no idea where to begin. For one he couldn't feel everything on the planet at the same time, at least he couldn't actually register all of that information at once. After all, he wasn't a god. So where did he start looking? For all he knew, the Isle of the Damned was in Tartarus. In fact, Percy was pretty sure that's exactly where it was. And he wasn't jumping back down there, Elder Cyclopes be damned.
But even if he could sense everything at once, and it was on Earth, how would he even distinguish between an Elder Cyclopes and just some regular cyclops? It was beginning to seem more and more impossible.
"Is something bothering you?" she asked.
He looked down into her grey eyes. Her beautiful, grey eyes. He lost himself in them for a moment before replying.
"I'm just trying to think of something. I got some hints to a location I need to find today, I just…don't know. I don't think I can find it."
"What were the hints?" she asked, her voice picking up at the promise of a puzzle to solve.
Percy mentally facepalmed. Of course he should ask Annabeth. If there's anybody that would know about some obscure island in Tartarus, it would be her.
"The location of the place is the Isle of the Damned. They also said that there was something about 'Helve Hinsides Havt'" Percy quoted.
Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "You mean Helvede hinsides havet? It's a book. It means Hell beyond the sea in English. It's about Devil's Island. Isle of the Damned is another term for Devil's Island as well. It was a French penal colony which fell out of use about a century ago. What's there?" she asked.
He shook his head. "The Elder Cyclopes, apparently. I stopped by to visit Briaries while I was in Atlantis, and he asked me to rescue his cousins," he told her.
She nodded. "Well, that's another chore for you to do, then. Just promise me you'll spend a day with me when this winds down. We've had no time to relax."
He smiled back at her and kissed her on the nose. "The second we settle in after I go to Washington I'll drop everything for a day. A day for just us, kay?"
Satisfied, she smiled and dropped her head back onto his chest. They both fell asleep in the other's arms.
The Twenty Eighth of May
Twenty Two Days A.B.M
Percy stood on an elevated stage overlooking the exactly three hundred armored soldiers before him. The demigods had all been dismissed, arranged replacements for themselves in leadership, and then went their separate ways. The vast majority either went to Camp Half-Blood or the Empire State Building to apply to be a member of the house of lords, though some had disappeared into the city to lead normal lives away from the chaos of the divine world. Percy let them. They deserved their rest.
Percy had written to New Rome with the upcoming development, that being that the US was about to be annexed. The pegasus would get to them before he even got to Washington, so he wasn't worried about them being caught unaware.
Finally deciding he was ready to speak to the waiting formation, Percy began.
"The men here are the best of the best of those who have volunteered their services. We will only tolerate the best. To be standing with us today, you have shown skill, perseverance, dedication, and most importantly, loyalty, above that of your peers. Some of you may be dismissed. Some of you may be demoted. Know that in order to remain here, in this unit, you must be better than those who come before, and after you. You must seek to prove your loyalty to me if you wish to keep your position."
Percy took a moment to survey those before him. They stood stock still, chins up, perfectly at attention, despite his speech.
"You are no longer a part of the military. This unit is now my royal guard. You serve me, and me exclusively. If you are not prepared to lay down your lives to prove yourselves to me, this is not the place for you. Captain," he called.
"Yes, your majesty!" the guard standing at the very front left of the formation stepped forward.
"You now report solely to me. My protection is now your only priority. You may disregard orders from those in my military."
"Yes, your majesty!" he called, stepping back into formation.
"Today, we will be marching on Washington," he continued. You could hear a pin drop. "There may be those of you who do not wish to serve me in such a capacity, or those who do not wish to march on your former homeland. Leave now and you will be free to go."
Nobody moved.
"Very well. Be relieved. You no longer have lives to lose, they belong to me."
As one, the three hundred men before him shouted back.
"Yes, your majesty!"
Percy let a small smile across his face at their enthusiasm.
"Good. Now, prepare to march on Washington, I will expect you all waiting for me here in ten minutes. Captain, with me. Dismissed."
There was a rapid flurry of movement as the soldiers fell out to make last minute battle preparations.
Percy walked to Carisse's old tent, shadowed by Nico, and followed by the new captain.
He walked in to see a rather Spartan room, not that he expected any different from Clarisse. A rather nice bottle of brandy did catch his eye though. He grabbed the bottle and poured himself a glass, sitting down in the singular chair at the small kitchen table.
Nico stood behind him, and the captain moved to attention before him.
"At ease," he waved him off. The captain switched to a parade rest position. "Who are you?" Percy simply asked.
"Andrew Beason, your majesty. I served in the United States Marine Corps for four years, and left the service as a sergeant."
Percy nodded. "Good enough for me. I know you're good, or Clarisse would have taken care of you, and I know you're loyal, or he would've taken care of you." He pointed a thumb back at Nico.
"You'll be taking orders mostly from him, and reporting anything of importance to him as well." He again gestured at Nico. "Anything else you can deal with yourself. You have a blank check and all of my authority behind you. Abuse of either of those things will result in an unpleasant end for you. And Nico will find out." He stared Andrew in the eyes. "Any questions?"
"No, your majesty," he replied, but Percy could tell something was nagging at him. Perhaps something incredibly small, but Percy wanted him to have no reservations.
"You have a question. Ask it," Percy commanded.
"It's nothing your majest—"
"I told you to ask your question. I will not make a habit out of repeating myself to my subordinates."
He nodded quickly. "It's just that I thought your directive was to report directly to you, your majesty."
Percy nodded. He was right, it really was nothing, but he would assuage his question either way.
"Nico is an extension of my will, and as such I consider him an extension of myself. I would recommend you do the same," Percy told him.
Andrew nodded. "Yes, your majesty."
Damn, Percy was already getting tired of that response.
But, Percy was satisfied for now. "Dismissed. Make sure your men are ready. I'll be joining you in..." he checked his watch. "About six and a half minutes. Oh, and do make sure nobody's too aggressive. As unlikely as it is we do want a peaceful ending here."
He nodded, bowed, turned on his heel, and left.
Percy wouldn't mind going out there now and just waiting for them. But for him to be waiting for them would put much more pressure on them to be ready for him at exactly that moment. The emperor's soldiers awaited him, not the other way around. So because of that, Percy waited inside of Clarisse's tent in silence, nursing her glass of brandy instead of waiting outside where he could observe his men with his own eyes.
Sometimes the perks of being a ruler really backfired.
Percy waited six minutes before standing up and walking outside, Nico in tow.
The morning was silent, and his royal guard was back in formation as if they had never left.
Percy once again walked up to the stage which had been set up before the formation.
"Be vigilant. Today, as before, you make history," was his simple speech, before turning to Nico and nodding.
At once, they were all enveloped in shadow, and reappeared on the White House lawn.
