So life works in funny ways and I was hella bored during a trip I went on, so I decided to rewrite Antithesis, but from Percy's POV. So here it is. It's 16k words, so it's much longer than Annabeth's POV, mostly because there's some "deleted scenes" in here. Enjoy!
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There's always times when something feels right or when something feels wrong. For Percy, that was when he woke up in a bed that definitely wasn't his. A guy was sitting at a desk a few feet away, crutches leaning against the wall. Percy looked around wildly, not recognizing his surroundings.
"Where am I?" he asked. The guy jumped, clearly as confused as Percy was. A look of realization overcame his features.
"Aw fuck," the guy said. "Why did it have to happen today?"
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"Where are you taking me, again?" Percy asks. Grover looks through the rear windshield of the taxi they're in, then at the driver, as if he's making sure that no one is watching or listening. He leans in close to Percy.
"It's called Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place on the planet for someone like you."
"What do you mean, someone like me?"
"You're a demigod, Percy. Half human and half god."
"God. Like Jesus God?"
"No, that's different. You're the son of an Olympian god."
"Olympian? Like, Neptune? Or Jupiter? Those guys?" Grover frowns, but nods. Percy isn't sure where the names came from. His memory is gone.
"Those are their Roman names, but sure. Poseidon, Zeus, Athena, Ares." The taxi stops at the foot of a hill and the driver opens the partition.
"This the place?" he asks. Grover nods and hands a wad of cash over.
"Keep the change," he says and gets out. Cautiously, Percy follows Grover, his senses screaming at him to go away, turn back. He hears the driver say something about damn crazy kids always wanting to come out to the middle of nowhere before the taxi drives away. Grover leads Percy up the hill where a massive pine tree is waiting, a pile of gold around the base.
Suddenly, a loud bark comes from behind Percy. He whirls around, his hand instinctively pulling out a pen and clicking it. A golden sword rests in Percy's hand and he swings it, slashing at the massive black mass lunging towards him. It explodes into a puff of golden dust and inky shadows. Percy stares at the sword in wonder. It has a word engraved in it, Amnis, as well as a trident. Behind him, Grover curses in a language Percy doesn't recognize.
"I knew we were being followed!" he says, half to himself. As Percy watches, Grover throws his crutches aside and kicks off his shoes. Cloven hooves take the place of the red sneakers and Percy nearly faints.
"You have donkey legs?!"
"Goat!" Grover yells. "Look out!" Another black shape is barreling towards Percy. Quickly, he sidesteps, stabbing his sword into the side of the monster. It too dissolves into golden dust and shadows. More of the monsters melt from the shadows of trees, their red eyes glowing against their black fur. They're giant dogs, easily the size of pickup trucks. Percy's sure he's fought these before, but can't remember where. The effort hurts his head.
"Move it!" Percy yells, focusing on the fight at hand. "I'll hold them off!" As one, the dogs howl and charge. Percy focuses on protecting Grover, who's started to play soft music that puts him at ease and causing the grass around the dogs' feet to grow quickly or make them headbutt one another. Percy yells at the monsters, forcing the to look at him. He risks a glace backwards to check on Grover and sees a crowd of people watching him. The pile of gold is also apparently a dragon. As he looks over the faces in the crowd, he makes eye contact with a very pretty blonde girl. Her jaw drops slightly and Percy frowns. Did he do something wrong?
Percy falls onto his back, but he jumps up quickly, just in time to drive his sword up to the hilt into one of the dogs. He's angry now and he channels that anger. Sensing the blood flowing through the monsters, Percy concentrates. Each monster that charges him is stopped and swiftly dispatched. The effort grows to be too much for him and he collapses. Through the haze of approaching unconsciousness, he sees the blonde girl kneeling over him, yelling orders. Percy blacks out.
A flurry of images whirl through his mind. A pack of wolves circling him, their eyes glittering with intelligence. A small city bustling with people. A sea serpent charging him as people with fish tails watch in fear. An army of warriors clad in golden armor charging up a mountain, a massive being with horns standing over him, holding a sword as big as his body, a black throne falling over and shattering. Being raised on a shield among a cheering crowd of bloodied and battered soldiers with another person, a girl with black hair.
Percy blinks awake. He sits up and there she is. The blondie from the hill. They make eye contact. Her eyes are gray, a normally boring color, but her's shine with intelligence. It's kind of scary.
"You drool when you sleep," she says. Percy frowns, making a mighty effort to form a thought. When a winged horse glides by, Percy forgets trying to think and passes out again.
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When Percy wakes up again, there's someone else there. He introduces himself as Will.
"Where am I?" Percy asks. Will flips through some papers on a clipboard.
"Camp Half-Blood," he answers. "Can you sign here?" Percy stares at the paper. There's a bunch of stuff about patient liability, terms and conditions ("The infirmary staff is not responsible for any accidental spontaneous combustion that may occur during an overdose of nectar"), and other medical jargon. Percy writes his name. Will nods, satisfied, and leads Percy outside onto a porch.
At first glance, it looks like any normal summer camp. There's a cluster of cabins, volleyball and basketball courts, an amphitheater, an open air dining hall, and a lake with canoes. Then Percy realizes that there's stuff that a normal summer camp shouldn't have. The climbing wall is shaking back and forth with lava spilling down it. There's a massive patch of plants with a bunch of goat-people like Grover walking through it, playing pipes. A blacksmith shop has the sound of hammers ringing on metal echoing across the valley. The architecture of the amphitheater, blacksmith, and dining hall are all Greek, down to the polished marble and column design.
"Annabeth, this is Percy. He's ready for the tour," Will says. Percy looks to where Will is facing. It's the blonde girl yet again.
"C'mon new boy," she says, heading down the steps to the lawn. Percy follows suit, jogging to catch up.
While Annabeth is leading him around and explaining stuff, Percy can't shake that feeling he felt yesterday, before he started fighting the dog-monsters. It's the feeling that he really shouldn't be here. He starts to panic. Annabeth notices his expression.
"What's wrong?" Percy meets her eyes.
"I'm not supposed to be here."
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It's been almost a week and Percy's slightly more comfortable. He's taken over Cabin Three after being officially confirmed by Neptune (or Poseidon). He'd discussed his apparent lack of memories, even going to meet some kids of the sleep god, Hypnos, where he learned that some god had taken his memories, probably on purpose. The only thing he can remember is his mother. As much as he'd like to find her, he can't remember where she lives. He can only remember her smile.
Even with his lack of memories, Percy does remember how to fight. Which he is very good at.
He's dueling Annabeth, sword against knife, and he can tell that Annabeth is having trouble. So he backs off a bit, but it still feels good to be good at something. On a whim, he tosses his sword from his right hand to his left and immediately slashes at Annabeth. She's not ready for it and the blade skims across her shoulder, cutting open a gash. Annabeth drops her knife and immediately clamps her other hand over it to try and stop the blood. Percy quickly reacts, glancing at the cut, and grabs a water bottle. He empties the contents over the wound, Annabeth's blood mixing with the water. Percy puts his hand over it and concentrates. He feels the water in Annabeth's skin and guides it back together. The injury knits itself back together, with no trace of a scar. Annabeth looks at the place where it had been, then picks up her knife, sheathing it.
"How'd you do that?" she asks. Percy thinks about that. He truly doesn't know how he did it, but he knows he's done it before, after that massive battle he'd dreamed about. Sheathing Amnis, Percy shrugs.
"I don't know," he says, wishing he did. "I remember nothing. Except for my mom." Annabeth puts a hand on his shoulder.
"You'll get your memories back. I promise." She says it so confidently, Percy believes her.
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As more time passes, he and Annabeth get closer. They become friends and tell each other everything, Annabeth more so than Percy. He tells her what he can about his mom, while she tells him about the demigods she found a family in, Thalia, Jason, and Luke. Her voice breaks when she mentions that Luke had died after becoming the host of Kronos around eight months ago, when he and Jason had dueled. Luke had been invulnerable until he allowed his guard to slip so Jason could stab his weak spot. He died on the spot, taking Kronos with him. It was after Luke's death and Thalia joining the Hunters of Artemis a few months before, that Annabeth and Jason found a renewed trust in each other, promising they wouldn't leave. But even Jason had disappeared just before Percy had shown up.
"Did you ever see a blonde guy in an orange shirt?" Annabeth had asked. Percy shook his head.
"The only person I met was Grover."
Percy starts to realize that he's picked up little things from Annabeth and vice versa. His fighting becomes more instinctual, acting with his gut, instead of thinking about where to strike while Annabeth becomes a bit more analytical. Once, he caught her rubbing the back of her neck, the same way he does when he's nervous (which is a lot around Annabeth). Percy also starts to mess with his hair when he's sitting around and bored, resulting in tiny little curls around his head.
In what Percy can tell is an incredible display of trust, Annabeth tells him about the Mark of Athena and how she's supposed to go on a potentially fatal quest to retrieve a symbol of Athena's might.
One day, he asks about the bead necklace. Annabeth explains that each bead commemorates a special event that happened during that year. When she asks about the weird tattoo on his wrist, Percy blanks.
"I'll tell you when I remember."
That same day, a younger camper, maybe eight years old, innocently asks the two of them if they're dating. Percy turns red and says no, they're not. He catches Annabeth blushing and can't help but wonder what it would be like if they did.
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Percy learns the hard way that Annabeth can be sneaky when she fights. She flicks sand into his eyes, which gives her the upper hand and forces him to yield.
"I win," she says, her knife at his throat.
"Only because you cheated!" Percy yelps, rubbing at his eyes, trying to get the sand out.
"She always cheats, newbie. Get used to it." Percy takes a water bottle from Annabeth and splashes it in his eyes, willing it to collect the sand and get it out. The Ares cabin is at the entrance, Clarisse La Rue at the head. She's looking Percy over, seeing if he's worth fighting.
"Word around camp says you're quite the fighter, Jackson. You don't look like much, so I'm not sure what the fuss is." Percy shrugs.
"I may surprise you." He watches as Clarisse shifts her footing, so he clicks open Amnis. Clarisse lunges at him with a snarl, her spear humming with electricity. Percy dodges and she follows with another swing.
The first clash of blades results in a flurry of sparks. Percy watches as miniature bolts of electricity arc up and down his sword. Gritting his teeth, he pulls away and swings low. Clarisse dances away and stabs down. Percy rolls to the side, trying to get a grasp of how the daughter of Ares fights.
After a few strikes, Percy gets it. Each strike is to kill. He can work with that.
Clarisse is strong, but each blow always took more time to recover from. Percy easily avoids and parries each strike, biding his time. Finally, he sees an opening. He feints, causing Clarisse to overextend, and kicks her hand. She lets go of the shaft and Percy follows with a strike to the top of the spear, knocking it out her hands. He charges and rams into Clarisse with his shoulder, knocking her onto her back.
"This isn't over, punk. I'll pulverize you later." Percy smirks and gives a mock salute.
"Can't wait for it,"
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Three weeks after Percy beats Clarisse, two new arrivals show up. Their names are Leo and Piper. Leo is a son of Hephaestus and Piper is a daughter of Aphrodite. Their first day is very weird, even by camp standards. After a few ad hoc counselor meetings, which Percy has to attend because he's the only person in Cabin Three, and a prophecy from Rachel Dare, their local Oracle, Percy leaves on a quest to rescue Hera with Leo and Piper. Annabeth's worrying her head off, right up until the quest leaves. She hugs Percy tightly.
"Please don't do anything dumb that'll get you killed," she says.
"No promises, Chase," Percy says and climbs onto Leo's dragon, Festus.
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After a particularly tense negotiation with Boreas, a harrowing few minutes where Percy thought for sure he was going to die from Cyclopes only to be saved by Leo, a remote, and maniacal car robot arms, the quest finally has a chance to relax. They're in the car factory where Leo had saved them from the Cyclopes.
"So, Percy, you really don't have any memories, do you?" Piper asks. Percy stares at his tofu taco.
"Kind of? Like, there's some coming back to me, but for the most part, there's nothing. I remember my mom. I remember how to fight. I can remember some faces… from my past. And there's other things too," he clicks open Amnis and hands it to his friends. "Take a look at my sword." Leo holds the sword gently.
"It's not the bronze I've seen in the forges. This is something else. I dunno what, exactly, but it's not from camp."
"And the name on it. That's not a Greek word," Piper says. She focuses on Percy. "When we were in Quebec, Boreas changed into a different form and spoke to you in a different language. I've noticed what's on your wrist, too. You're not from Camp Half-Blood, meaning you're not Greek. But you still recognize the Olympians but in a different way. You also have a Mediterranian look, too."
"Trust me, Annabeth's told me what she's thought of." He takes Amnis back from Leo and stares at his reflection in the gold. "She thinks I'm a Roman demigod, not a Greek one."
"Which means there's a Roman camp out there." Leo reasons. "Ma Gasket said something about a son of Mercury with a purple shirt."
"Mercury is Hermes," Percy says. "And I was wearing a purple shirt when I got to camp." Piper nodds.
"It all adds up," she says. "You're a Roman son of Neptune." Percy nods and clicks away the sword.
"By all logic, the entire camp should be against you, Annabeth in particular," Leo says. "But that's not happening. I'm new to this, but my guess is Hera did this on purpose, to bridge the gap between Rome and Greece. Gaea's rising and she's gonna try to destroy the world. And as sucky as this world is, we live here. Hera's the goddess of family, right? It makes sense that she doesn't want both sides of her family tearing themselves apart." Percy's quiet, deep in thought. Piper puts her hand on his shoulder.
"Roman or not, you're our friend, Percy. Annabeth too. We will help you get your memories back. If I have to threaten Hera at knifepoint to do it, I will." Leo nods in agreement. Percy smiles, tears pricking at his eyes.
"Thanks guys."
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The last thing Percy remembered what a light so bright and a pain so intense, he thought for sure he was burning up. Then he hears his name being called. A face shimmers into view. It was Annabeth.
"Please don't do anything dumb that'll get you killed," she says. Percy frowns. Was he dead? Even worse, did he just break his promise to Annabeth? Unacceptable.
Percy gasps and his eyes fly open. When he sat up, he saw Leo and Piper kneeling next to him, a goddess standing over them with a goatskin cloak over her shoulders.
"Juno." Percy says, standing up, depending on his friends for support.
"Perseus Jackson. You've done well."
"I don't want your bullshit praises or whatever. Give me my fucking memories back. Now. Please?" Juno's expression remained neutral, a sort of regal haughtiness.
"I cannot return what you already have," she said. Percy knew she was right. He was starting to remember things. And it scared him. "Now, your friends await." The goddess waved her hand and the world spun, dissolving around them.
When the world reforms, they're back at camp. In the dining pavilion, to be exact. Percy looks around for Annabeth and immediately sees her. She smiles at him and relief washes over Percy.
"Hi," Leo says.
The quest and counselors gather in the Big House a few hours later for a debrief. Leo and Piper recount the events of the quest. Percy interjects occasionally to tell certain details, but stays quiet most of the time, going back through his memories. He catches Annabeth's eye. She raises an eyebrow in question, giving a thumbs up. Percy shakes his head and tilts his own thumb down.
At the end, Rachel confirms that the Prophecy of Seven has officially begun. When Will asks of the other two questers, Piper says that she, Leo, and Percy would go.
"And if this Jason guy is at the Roman camp, he probably has two buddies, too."
"If I know Reyna and the legion, they wouldn't risk sending more than necessary," Percy says. "We need one more from here." Annabeth speaks up.
"I'll go. Jason's my friend. Besides, the quest is gonna need someone responsible." Percy locks with her gaze and understands the message she's sending him. There's no way I'm letting you go without me.
Later, Percy's in his cabin when Annabeth knocks with their special pattern. When he opens the door, she immediately has a question.
"Why'd you give the thumbs down?" she asks.
"I got all my memories back."
"Which god took them?"
"Juno."
"Of course she did."
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Leo unveils Bunker Nine to the camp, as well as his pyrokinesis. He enlists the help of Annabeth and Percy to help finalize the design of his ship, the Argo II.
The final design is a Greek style trireme, but it's three times the size of a normal one. Leo incorporated Festus' head into the design. With the design finalized, Percy and Annabeth decide to leave Leo alone for the night. They hike through the woods, the evening light filtering through the tree branches, dappling the forest floor with light. Percy looks behind him to make sure Annabeth's keeping up and his heart leaps into his throat. The light's woven around her, making her look like a goddess. To make matters worse, this isn't the first time Percy's thought she's looked like that.
Eventually they make it out of the woods. Campers are going about their daily schedules, playing volleyball, practicing archery, getting whipped into shape by Clarisse, or trying to forge their own weapons. They make their way to Cabin Eight. It's abandoned, probably because Malcolm is leading the arts and crafts activities and the rest of the cabin are out doing things. Percy looks around at the inside of the cabin. The bunks are all shoved aside to make room for bookshelves, desks, and other smart people things. It feels cramped to Percy. He would hate living here.
Annabeth's rummaging around a drawer of maps and pulls out a map of ancient Rome.
"What's this for?" Percy asks.
"I'm hoping I can figure out the location of the thing I have to find."
"What do you have to find?"
"The Athena Parthenos." Annabeth says the name like there's supposed to be a thunderclap. When there isn't, Percy's a bit disappointed.
"What's that?"
"It was a forty foot tall statue of Athena in the Parthenon in Athens. It's literally the most powerful symbol of Athena. If I can find it, it could give us a huge edge over Gaea's forces."
"Huh. What happened to it?"
"It disappeared."
"And how the fuck does a forty foot statue of a super powerful goddess disappear?"
"I'm not entirely sure myself, but a common theory among mortal historians is that the Romans stole it. Mortals may be naive, but sometimes they're right." Percy manages to recall a legend the previous praetors had told him and Reyna.
"I think that might be right. When I was a praetor, there were some stories the previous praetors told me and my partner. One of those was about the Parthenos. It's definitely somewhere in Rome. Admittedly, I don't know where, but it's there." Annabeth sighed.
"Thanks. But Rome is huge. It's been around for ages, too. It could be anywhere. Traveling over land is already risky as it is, but in the ground? That's even riskier. I don't know what to plan for. I have some idea of the final challenge, but..." Annabeth starts to sniffle. "It scares me, Percy." She stands and holds out her arms. Awkwardly, Percy closes the gap and hugs Annabeth. Her forehead rests on his chest and she lets out a shaky breath. Percy silently swears that he'll help Annabeth where he can.
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On the sixth day of shipbuilding, Percy marvels at how quickly the ship's come together. It wasn't as fast as the Romans could do it, but it was still built quickly. It's break time, so Percy and Annabeth are sitting on some scaffolding, watching everyone relax. Annabeth has a bit of food, which Percy was grateful for.
"I wonder what the gods think of this," Percy says, somewhat abruptly. "Like, are they proud of us? You've met your mom right?"
"Yeah, a few times." Annabeth says. A hint of jealousy bites at Percy. He's never met Neptune, only the nereids under his control.
"Has she ever been proud of you?" Percy whispers. Annabeth's silent for a moment.
"She was," Annabeth admitted. Percy was quiet, letting her continue. "After the Titan War, me, Jason, Grover, and Thalia were in the throne room and all the gods were there. It was… intimidating. They gave us our rewards, yadda yadda, lots of pomp and circumstance." Percy snorted. "Athena pulled me aside and told me how proud she was. That I gave all children of Athena a good name. And that was it. But it made me so happy, y'know, to be noticed like that." Percy considers that before speaking.
"At Camp Jupiter, they have a hill with shrines and temples for all the major gods and goddesses. Neptune has a temple there, if you could call it that. It's like a little toolshed with a rusty trident duct taped to the front. The Romans aren't too fond of Neptune. They respect him, sure, but he scares them. Probably because of how he didn't take the side of Troy during the Trojan War. But that fearful respect gets shunted onto me. I didn't have a lot of friends there. Hazel was my friend. So was Reyna, and Bobby, and Larry." He glances at Annabeth. "We're the same." Annabeth tilts her head.
"How are we the same?" Percy chooses his words carefully.
"Respected but feared. We're at the top because we're scary."
"I'm not feared…"
"Oh c'mon, the first time I saw you, I wasn't sure if you were gonna kill me or the hellhounds." Percy says matter-of-factly. It was half true. He was more concerned about the hellhounds. "Think about it, Wise Girl." That was a surprise. They'd never used nicknames before. Annabeth raises an eyebrow.
"Wise Girl?" she asks. Percy blinks.
"Uh, yeah? You're smart and you're the daughter of Athena. Wise. Girl."
"Okay, well, uh, you're… a Seaweed Brain!" Percy laughs and stands up.
"What kinda nickname is that?" He asks. Annabeth turns red with embarrassment and he thinks it's the cutest thing ever.
"It's the best I could come up with, okay?!" Percy snorts and offers his hand.
"Okay, okay. Let's get back to work."
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Percy finally works up the nerve to ask Annabeth about Jason. She's told him a bit, but most of what he knew about the demigod was from bits and pieces he's gotten from talking with other campers.
He's at the bottom of the lake, pondering it when he senses four rocks splash in. Willing the water to push him up, Percy resurfaces and sure enough, there's Annabeth.
"Who's Jason Grace, exactly?" he asks immediately. He can tell the question is a surprise, since Annabeth seems caught off guard.
"He was the best of us, our leader." Percy thinks about the way she's talked about him in the past.
"Were you two a thing?" he asks, sort of regretting it. But Annabeth laughs it off.
"No. People shipped us like crazy, gods, you should have seen what the Aphrodite cabin did. Even my mother tried to insinuate we should be together. But we wouldn't have worked out. He was like my little brother, especially since he's younger than me by a year. But I do care about him, especially since he became a sort of leader being the son of Zeus." Percy knows what she's talking about. The same kind of thing happened with him and Reyna
"Huh. Anyway, do you like waffles or pancakes?"
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Percy can hardly believe it, but after six grueling months, the Argo II is complete. He looks up at the masts, the white sails fluttering in the morning breeze. Festus' head turns to watch the questers climb aboard. Gleeson Hedge, a rough and no-nonsense satyr was assigned to be the "responsible" chaperone for the quest, but Percy's fairly sure that he'll end up being chaperoned instead.
"Good luck and may the gods be with you," Chiron says. "We will await your return." Percy nods in farewell to the centaur. The camp cheers as Leo gives to order for the ship to be released and the Argo lifts into the sky.
As they're flying over the Appalachians, Percy's sitting up in the crows nest when Annabeth joins him. They sit in silence for a bit, listening to Leo argue why Mulan is the better Disney princess over Cinderella.
"Percy?" Annabeth asks, breaking the silence. "Are you scared?" Percy thinks about it. Of course he's scared. In fact, he's terrified, but he reminds himself to be brave. For Annabeth.
"Of what?"
"Of seeing your friends again." Percy looks up at the stars.
"A bit," he admits, glancing at Annabeth. The darkness turns her gray eyes almost black, while the stars shimmer in her irises"I have changed, I will admit that. But it's pointless to worry. Romans don't worry. We don't get our prophecies days before they happen. We get them a day or less." He smiles, trying to reassure Annabeth. She moves closer and rests her head on his shoulder. Percy inhales quickly. She's never done that.
"I'm scared. A lot," she whispers. "I've planned for every possibility, but so much can go wrong. What if a god messes with us? What if Jason doesn't have all his memories back?" Her voice cracks. "I lost so many friends in the Titan War, Percy. I'm not ready for it to happen again, against a bigger threat. We're going up against the oldest goddess in creation. Not even Zeus can stop her."
"Zeus is a lil' bitch." Percy immediately regrets saying that. A distant thunderclap rumbles and Percy lets out an involuntary sigh of relief. "We'll be fine, Wise Girl. I've got your back."
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Percy and Leo are at the helm, plotting a course for Camp Jupiter. Piper and Annabeth are below deck, fixing up the spare rooms.
"You and Annabeth?" Leo asks. Percy glares at his friend.
"Fuck off."
"So there is something?"
"Leo, I swear to the gods I will throw you overboard."
Percy's in his room when he hears Hedge yell, "Camp ho!" Clipping the purple cape around his neck, he makes his way up to the main deck and takes his place at the bow. Piper is pacing the deck behind him, rehearsing her lines. He sees Camp Jupiter and New Rome below, the horns sounding and he's suddenly very nervous. Amnis is in his pocket, ready to be used at any moment. Turning to Annabeth, he offers a nervous smile, trying to be reassuring.
"Ready?" he asks.
"Truthfully, no."
"Don't stress yourself out. We'll be fine."
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When the ship landed in the Field of Mars, Percy had to admit that he was proud of his old legion. They'd turned out in full armor, pila polished, shields ready. He saw Reyna first, her expression hardened and neutral, but hoping to see him. When she saw him, her expression softened the slightest bit. When Leo asked Reyna if she was single, he almost pulled him into a headlock, but Piper managed to get him to stop. The sights and sounds of New Rome greeted Percy and he remembered how much he missed it.
He didn't miss the Senate meetings though and when the brief session was convened, Percy was glad. As everyone was filing out and heading for the Forum, Percy waited for Reyna. Percy sticks his hand out, but Reyna pulls him into a hug. It catches Percy off guard since Reyna was never one for physical contact.
"I thought you were dead," she says. Percy pats her back.
"I'm too stubborn to die." They pull apart and follow the crowd. "What happened while I was gone?"
"Well, Jason showed up being chased by Medusa's sisters and subsequently blew our minds by calling down a lightning bolt and frying them, after which Juno herself showed up and said he was her favored. Then Mars decided to pop in and give us a quest to Alaska to stop one of Terra's giant sons Alcyneous and free Thanatos. Octavian shit his pants at that 'cause Mars threatened to toss a godly grenade at his feet if he didn't accept the prophecy."
"Two gods in one day? That's a lot."
"Yeah, the legion was very on edge. Anyway, Frank Zhang led the quest-"
"He was the Asian guy right? Son of Mars?"
"Yeah. He led the quest, probatio directly to centurion if you can believe it."
"Whoa what? How'd that happen?"
"Gwen was killed in a war game, but came back since Thanatos was captured by Alcyneous. She decided to retire after that. So Frank took her spot in order to lead the quest. Anyway, they succeeded and brought back a fuckton of Imperial Gold weapons and equipment."
"I noticed that the eagle is back."
"Yeah, they got that too."
"Sounds like you guys were busy."
"Oh we were. Especially when Porphyrion the giant king showed up. He was an ugly motherfucker."
"I had to duel Polybotes. That guy throws basilisks everywhere. He uses them like freakin' Pokemon. How'd you kill him?"
"Jason used the winds to blow him over the Pomerian Line."
"I bet Terminus was pretty pissed about that."
"You have no idea."
After the Argo takes off without incident, Percy's discussing the course with Leo one more time.
"Remember, we're trying to avoid land as much as possible, so water is a necessity. If we can sail on it." Leo nods, and scribbles it onto a note. Jason walks by and snorts.
"A Roman who likes water. Despite being a Roman demigod, you're not very Roman." Percy frowns, but puts it out of his mind.
Later on, he catches Annabeth in the hallway.
"No offense, but Jason's kind of a dick," he says. Annabeth frowns.
"What do you mean?"
"I was talking to Leo about having to sail on the water and he overheard it and said 'Despite being a Roman demigod, you're not very Roman.' Like what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Annabeth just shrugs. Percy leaves her, still wondering what Jason's deal is.
He was fully prepared to at least try and get along with the guy, but so far, Jason's just been annoying.
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They stop in Kansas because Piper had a vision from Katoptris that meant they would hopefully get some godly help. When they land, Hazel goes with her. Of course, Jason decides to say something.
"Sending two isn't a good idea," he says. "Too much can go wrong. I should go with them." Percy rolls his eyes at the remark.
"Of course the son of Zeus wants to go with the beautiful daughter of Aphrodite," he yells, hoping to call Jason out on his bullshit. It has the opposite effect. Jason clenches his fists and turns towards Percy. Everyone on the ship tenses up.
"Actually, no. Three's the best number for a quest," Jason narrows his eyes at Percy. "Or are you oh-so-honorable that you'd rather hide behind your wall of shields." Percy scowls, his grip tightening on the railing. He's not a hider. Annabeth mutters something to Jason.
"If you had any honor, then you would be in the middle of the fight, hearing your comrades, your friends dying around you." Percy says angrily. How dare Jason say he's a coward.
"Oh, believe me, Fish Face, I have."
"And yet your ego is still as big as the throne your daddy sits on."
"I don't believe Poseidon is the king." Percy's had enough, but he doesn't want to resort to fighting. He slowly stomps down the stairs and stops as close to Jason as he can without sucker punching him.
"That's Neptune to you, graecus." Overhead, the sky darkens and thunder grumbles quietly.
"You wanna do this now?" Jason asks. Percy really doesn't feel like it, so he turns.
"No. I won't waste my time with a child." As he walks back up to Leo, he hears Jason yell, "I guess all of Neptune's bastards are cowards then." Percy freezes, barely containing his rage. It slips out. He turns.
"I changed my mind." Percy pulls out Amnis and clicks it open. "I'm going to pulverize you." Jason flips a coin and with a flash, he's holding a sword.
"Guys, now is not the time!" Annabeth yells, but Percy ignores her. Jason yells and charges. Percy easily sidesteps and delivers a stinging blow with the flat of his blade. He looks down at the son of Zeus and realizes too late that his sword is sparking.
Percy's neck hairs stand up and his mouth tastes of metal. A blinding light and a deafening thunderclap throw him backwards against the mast. Dazed, he sees Jason lunging impossibly far. Quickly, he rolls away as Jason's sword digs into the mast. Jason swings behind him, but Percy catches the blade and pushes Jason away. He uses the humidity in the air to create a powerful blast of water to throw Jason to the deck. Jason gets up, soaking wet and sparking.
"Let's keep this fair," he says. "No powers." Percy shrugs and readies himself.
"I don't need water to kick your ass." They charge and Percy feels the ship shake when their blades meet.
Jason's fighting is like Clarisse with a bit of Roman mixed in. He seriously knows how to use a sword. Each strike is insanely fast and precise. Percy notes that he's not striking to kill, however. Neither of them are, in fact. They're just trying to beat the other.
So Percy lets Jason play the game, because it's the same as his. He's not entirely sure if he can soundly beat Jason and vice versa. He's about to suggest that they stop fighting and try to work it out when a shrill whistle pierces the air.
Coach Hedge is standing a few feet away and Percy has never seen a more murderous look in anyone's eyes. The satyr is bright red.
"Both of you, drop the godsdamned weapons right fucking now!"
They end up doing planks in silence for three hours and by the end, Percy's core is in agony, he has numerous splinters, and a healthy respect for Hedge and Jason.
After the morning meeting, Annabeth sits the two of them down.
"Whatever is going on between you two needs to stop," she orders, leaving no room for argument. "I will admit, it's not entirely your fault, since your parents are rivals and there's the whole…" she waves her hands back and forth. "Rome versus Greece thing. But you both are better than this. Overcome it. Gaea's counting on us not being able to work together." Percy notices Jason regarding him. He wonders if they're thinking the same thing. Finally, Percy offers his hand. Jason looks up and down a few times before taking it. Percy hears Annabeth sigh in relief.
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It's a bit hard working with Jason, but they manage. The pinnacle of their teamwork comes when a storm hits the ship and they work together to make it dissipate. Percy's glad to see the rest of the crew slowly coming together and trust each other. There are small instances where the Greece versus Rome thing is obvious, but it doesn't really affect their overall cohesion.
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After a quick stop in Charleston, South Carolina to secure a cache of Imperial Gold weapons, they're finally sailing across the Atlantic. Annabeth had gotten a map that would guide her on her quest for the Mark. She'd also apparently had a run in with Aphrodite that had shaken her pretty badly, but she refused to talk about it.
While the ship slowly but surely crosses the ocean, Percy and Annabeth are in the storage area, sorting medical supplies. Percy wonders why it wasn't done before. Probably because it's dark. He's struck with a sudden memory of his mother helping him clean up a mess of bandaids that Percy had caused when he'd scraped his knee.
Don't be afraid to cry, Percy, she'd said. It means you have feelings. Unbidden, Percy's throat closes up and a tear leaks from his eye. He sniffles.
"Percy? What's wrong?" Annabeth asks gently, rubbing his back. Percy wipes the tear away and tries for a smile. Unable to hold it, he drops it and hangs his head.
"I miss my mom. I haven't… I haven't seen her since before I was taken to Camp Half-Blood. I called her from the camp phone, but…" he draws a shaky breath. "I just want to see her." Annabeth steps in and wraps her arms around him. Percy returns the hug, grateful for the comfort.
"You'll see her again, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth says. "I swear on the Styx."
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The crew gets waylaid by a skolopendra, which they manage to defeat by chucking a few vials of Greek fire down it's throat and by Percy forcing all the water out of its body.
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A few days, the Argo sails into some fog. Percy stands as far forward as he dares. He doesn't want to get tossed overboard by a sudden stop or collision. Which is unfortunately what happens.
Something tugs in Percy's gut, but before he can yell at Leo to stop, the other ship rams into the Argo so hard, Percy tumbles overboard. He falls into the water and looks up. Dark shapes jump onto the Argo. He can't hear what's happening, but it's probably not good. Quickly he swims to the surface, next to the other ship. There's a rope ladder hanging over the side, which Percy uses to climb aboard. He takes out Amnis, the gold blade shimmering dully in the fog. Sneaking towards the bow, Percy hears a voice that sounds like the speaker had gargled acid and gravel.
"Where is Perseus?!"
"I don't know!" Annabeth yells. As Percy gets closer, he sees a figure clad in golden Greek armor. The rest of the crew is being held by strange dolphin-human hybrids. It's weird, but Percy turns his attention to the gold armored person. He'd reasonably well defended, his armor even fully covers his back. Percy spots an area where the armor doesn't cover. He feels the boats creaking up and down with the waves and counts to himself. After he gets a feel for the way the waves are moving, he waits.
When the enemy boat heaves up, Percy jumps impossibly high. He sails through the air and extends his arm to stab the guy in the back of the neck. Somehow the gold armored person senses Percy and spins around, swinging his sword. Quickly, Percy pulls Amnis in to avoid being disarmed and hits the deck, rolling. He jumps up and with one swift stroke of his sword, he cleaves the person's head from his shoulders. The gold helmet clangs to the deck, sending the head inside arching to the ocean. The dolphin-men scatter, leaping into the ocean.
The crew stares at the gold helmet on the deck. Percy kicks it into the water with a plop.
"Let's keep moving."
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They finally reach the entrance to the Mediterranean. The sun gleams overhead, glittering on the sparkling blue water. Annabeth's standing next to Percy and he worries if he stinks since they'd been sparring with no shade.
"Well, here we are," Frank points out. "Welcome the Ancient Lands."
"I don't know why you cupcakes are so bummed out!" Hedge yells from the helm, dancing around. "Monsters here are stronger, which means better fights! I'm pumped!" Percy rolls his eyes at that. Of course the satyr is the most excited about fights.
"Coach, you have a wooden club." Jason says. Percy suppresses a snort.
"So?"
"That's, uh, not the most effective weapon." Percy says. Hedge glares at the demigod.
"Not effective, huh? We'll see about that when I take down a Cyclops!"
When the Argo lands, Percy decides to accompany Annabeth through Rome. Well, he does until two gods show up and basically tell him to fuck off. It takes him at least an hour to get back to Jason, Piper, Hedge. and the Argo. When he finally does, he can tell there's been a battle. Monster dust is blowing away and Coach Hedge is unconscious.
"What happened?"
"Some Cyclopes decided to show up," Jason says, sheathing his sword.
"Did Hedge get any?" Piper snorts.
"He tried to take on the biggest one. Got thrown against the side of the ship." Percy chuckles.
"Is that all I missed?"
"Pretty much," Jason says. "Leo, Frank, and Hazel left not too long ago to track down Hazel's brother." As Jason says this, Piper is looking at Katoptris. She gasps and drops the blade.
"You good, Pipes?" Percy asks. She shakes her head.
"We need to go. Now."
"What, why?" Jason asks, picking up the dagger.
"I saw Leo an' Hazel 'n' Frank. They're trapped somewhere. I don't know where, but I'm guessing it's up to us to get Nico." Percy nods.
"Any idea where?" Piper looks at nothing in particular, thinking.
"I saw an image not too long ago. It's underground, but should lead us to Nico. And the giant twins."
"How do you know it'll go to them?" Jason asks.
"There was a door with skeleton hands coming out of it. Nico's the son of Hades, right?"
"Where did you see this door?" Percy asks. He's trying to narrow down possible locations and the options aren't great.
"It was in a big area of ruins. If I had an overhead map of Rome, I'm sure I would know it." Piper says. Jason quickly flies up to the helm and returns with a map of Rome. Piper scans it and points a finger in the middle of the map.
"It was there." Percy reads the name and sighs.
"The Forum. Great."
"Why's that bad?" Jason asks.
"It's a very important place in Roman culture. I'm fairly sure that the Lares there wouldn't be too happy with two Greek demigods traipsing around," Percy explains. Jason bits his lip and Percy wonders why there's a scar there.
"We have to. For Nico. I've known him for years. And if Piper got a vision, he has to be important."
They carry the still unconscious Hedge into his room and leave a note, telling him to not panic and not to unleash the ballistae. Percy tells Festus to keep the ship locked down. The dragon confirms the order with a squeak. Once they confirm everything is locked down, the three of the gaze around the city to locate the Forum. Piper finds it first.
"I'm not sure if I can fly all three of us there," Jason says, squinting his eyes at the distant ruins. "And I'm not sure if we want to walk either. Time is of the essence." Percy thinks for a moment.
"I have a ride."
A few minutes later, Percy's old friend Blackjack streaks in for a landing.
Hey, boss. The pegasus says. Kinda pissed you haven't called on me in a while. Didja forget about me?
"Aw, dude, you know I'd never forget. Listen, I need a ride," Percy says, rubbing Blackjack's nose.
Hmm. Do you have any sugar cubes?
"You know those are bad for you."
Yeah. You have some, right? Percy sighs and smiles.
"Here," he holds out his hand, three sugar cubes in his palm. Blackjack snaps them up. "Listen, I need a ride."
Whoa, that's some good shit. 'Course you need a ride.
After Blackjack leaves, Percy, Jason, and Piper start looking around the Forum ruins for anything that might lead down into the ground. Percy finds a word carved into the base of a column and beckons Piper and Jason over.
"What is it?"
"It's literally just the word for down." Percy says, smiling. He unsheathes Amnis and taps the golden blade to the inscription. It flashes purple briefly and a small hole opens up. Percy peers into the darkness.
"I'll go first. Then you guys come down if I say it's clear."
It was clear at first. Then it wasn't. There'd been Lares that showed up and had only cleared out after Percy promised to tell Nico to lay their souls to rest. The spirits had seemed happy enough with this, so they showed the trio a passageway to where Nico was.
When they arrived, the giant twins, Otis and Ephialtes, were there along with a massive jar that turned out to be holding Nico. Percy and Jason decided to attack the giants, which probably wasn't the smarted move on their part, and nearly died. Then Bacchus showed up and forced Percy and Jason to fight in the Colosseum for the his amusement. When the giants were finally defeated, in part from a sudden deus-ex machina by the Argo, Percy wasn't the happiest camper.
"Where's Annabeth," he growled, grabbing Bacchus' toga and holding his sword at the god's face.
"Do you really want to threaten a god?"
"I don't care what I do. Just tell me where the fuck Annabeth is."
"Find the Emmanuel Building. The rear parking lot should be a good place to break through."
After tracking down the Emmanuel Building and blowing open a hole in the parking lot, per Bacchus' advice, Percy was the first one off the ship and immediately pulled Annabeth into his arms.
"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. I'm so glad you're safe, Annabeth," he says, stroking her hair. Annabeth just sobs into his chest. And for the moment, all Percy cares about is that Annabeth is safe. Suddenly, Annabeth is ripped from his arms.
"Her ankle!" Hazel yells from behind them. "Cut it!" Percy looks down at Annabeth sliding towards the edge of a chasm, her ankle wrapped in some sort of ropy material. He lunges, grabs her hand, and pulls back with all his strength. It's not enough and they go over the edge. Swiftly, Percy unsheathes Amnis and slams it into the rock. They stop, but Percy can feel something pulling at them from below the darkness. Percy looks up at the Argo, impossibly far above them, where their friends are frantically trying to stow the Athena Parthenos so they can help. Nico's head pokes over the edge. Percy hasn't known him for that long, but he trusts Nico to do the right thing.
"Eripus. You know what you hafta do." Nico nods grimly. Percy can see he's terrified of the task ahead of him. He almost pities the kid. Percy looks down at Annabeth and steels himself.
"There's no way I'm letting you go without me." He taps the pommel of Amnis and they fall.
The air howls around them, threatening to tear them apart. Percy pulls Annabeth close, the only bit of comfort he's going to have for a while.
"I'm sorry, Wise Girl. You don't deserve this," he says into her ear, shutting his eyes as a tear works down his cheek. He feels Annabeth's thumb gently brush it away and her hand cups his face. In the back of his mind, Percy wonders if it would be okay to kiss her since their foreheads are touching and her lips are maybe an inch away.
"It's not your fault, Seaweed Brain."
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When they finally get their first glimpse of Tartarus, it's from the waters of the Coctyus. Unfortunately, Percy's never controlled an ethereal river made from the anguish of damned souls, so it's pretty draining. Annabeth has to drag his half-conscious ass to shore, which turns out to be made of jagged glass. Then Arachne decides to try and ambush them, but Percy manages to kill her, nearly passing out for good.
They fumble along the banks of the Coctyus until Annabeth has the wonderful idea to drink literal liquid fire to sustain them. At that point, Percy's body decides to give up and he actually does pass out briefly. After getting a mouthful of spicy Phlegathon water ("Sounds like a race to spit the most spitballs." "Oh my gods, shut the fuck up."), Percy comes to.
The going is tough, but when Annabeth remembers the name of a friendly Titan named Bob, who used to be Iapetus, but after getting his mind wiped by the Lethe, became a janitor in Pluto's palace, it becomes much easier. And in a stroke of luck, Bob somehow remembers a shrine to Hermes. Percy's grateful for the Titan's help, but he can't help but wonder if being in Tartarus will regenerate Bob's memories. Annabeth has the insane idea to send a note to Camp Half-Blood by burning it on the altar after eating the burned offerings from the campers.
After resting at the shrine, they leave with a plan: convince Akhyls to shroud them in the Death Mist so they can sneak to the Doors of Death without being murdered by the inevitable horde of monsters. Of course, the Fates love dunking on demigods.
They're trudging through a forest without Bob (who apparently couldn't go the way they were and had to go sideways?) when the first hag appears.
It looks like a grandma mixed with a bat. The skin is stretched tight across her bones, and the bony fingers end in long talons. It's teeth are jagged and yellowed, stained with past meals. Percy steps in front of Annabeth and brandishes Amnis.
Perseus Jackson. We have waited for you.
"We?" Percy looks around, taking his eyes off the monster for a second. He hears Annabeth gasp and turns back. Instead of one, there's now a hundred times that number.
We are the ari Spirits of curses, the embodiments of the words uttered by those who would wish damnation upon you. We are numerous, endless. You cannot kill us all.
Percy weighs his odds. On one hand, an endless horde of monsters who embody every single curse anyone who's not liked him. On the other, him and Annabeth, both tired, out of energy. Percy tightens his grip on Amnis. He's done this before. All that matters to him is that Annabeth stays safe. He doesn't take his eyes off the ari, but grabs Annabeth's hand.
"Wise Girl, no matter what happens, don't let go of my hand." Annabeth tries to reason with him.
"I know what you're thinking. Don't do it. Wait here. Please. For Bob to help."
"No time. It's now or never."
"Percy, no!" As Annabeth says that, an ari lunges. Percy lets go of Annabeth's hand and swings down, slashing off the daemon's head. Instantly, his sword arm feels like it's going to fall off.
A weak curse, but an effective one.
"What did you do?" Percy asks, gritting his teeth through the pain.
We have done nothing. It was Kroios.
Percy recalls his battle against the Titan on Mount Tamalpais. He'd cut off Kroios' sword arm before killing him. And this was the Titan's revenge. It was then that Percy realized the direness of the situation. He's pissed off a lot of people. And every single curse ever was here.
Percy charges anyway, sword raised, with a feral cry of anger and desperation.
The ari die so easily it's almost funny. Percy is like a storm of destruction, carving through the monsters. Some talons or teeth get through, cutting his skin, but those don't matter. All that matters is that every single ari is killed. Unfortunately, Percy remembers too late that the curses could be deadly and eventually, he's forced to his knees, body wracked with pain. He coughs and the rocks below him are speckled with blood.
He will spontaneously combust. The ari say.
No, he will dissolve into a puddle.
Hopefully he just dies. Percy snorts at the hilarity of it. The monsters are betting on his death. That's new. He looks over at Annabeth, who's sprinting over to him, when an ari lunges at her. Somehow, Annabeth catches one and suplexes it to the ground, it's neck breaking with a sickening crunch. It dissolves, leaving a long talon behind. Swiftly, Annabeth scoops up the bone and brandishes it, prepared to take down another monster. When Annabeth starts running towards Percy, it's like she's running in slow motion.
"What did you do to me?!" she yells.
You took too long to help. And so he cursed you. Annabeth frowns before the truth dawns on her.
"I- I didn't take too long! How could I have?! I didn't know where he was!" Percy realizes what the curse is and who it's from. Jason. He cursed Annabeth for taking too long to find him. Annabeth continues moving, but Percy staggers to his feet. "Look out!" Annabeth shouts. Percy spins around and slays another ari. He remains standing for a moment before he feels talons rake across the back of his neck. It erupts in pain and when he reaches back, his hand comes away red.
"Oh no," he says and collapses, all control of his body lost. Amnis clatters to the ground next to him and as much as Percy wants to, he can't reach it. It's like his head has been removed from his body. All he can do is breathe.
The curse of Chrysaor. Do you feel his pain, Perseus?
Annabeth finally reaches Percy after what feels like forever and sinks to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She takes Percy's limp hand in hers and presses it to her cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Percy. I told you that you would see your mom," she says as the ari close in. Percy gathers the last of his strength and lets out one yell.
"Bob!" The name stops the ari for a moment, but they continue. Until a massive silvery giant drops out of the gloom. And Percy passes out.
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"Annabeth, you go!" Percy yells as he slashes at a Cyclops.
"I am not leaving you here, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth responds as she ducks beneath an Earthborn's multi-armed attack.
"Annabeth, you go. You hold the crew together better than I do. I'll hold the button," Percy says and Annabeth shakes her head.
"Perseus Jackson, I am not leaving you. Either you go or I stay here with you." Bob appears, golden ichor leaking from dozens of small cuts. His broom handle is caked with golden monster dust. The silver spearhead gleams in the darkness. Small Bob roars his challenge at the horde of monsters, causing them to hesitate.
"I will push the button. You are mortal and will not return. I will. I am a monster. But I am a good monster," Percy's heart drops. A hellhound leaps towards them, but Bob calmly stabs it out of the air. "You must survive. Stop Gaea. I will not forget you. I forgot who I was, but you helped me to remember. I am Iapetus, but I am also Bob."
"Bob… you have to come! You need to see the stars!" Percy says. Bob shakes his head, his silvery Einstein hair waving back and forth.
"I can remember the stars just fine. They are pretty. You must see them again. Go." Percy tries to step forward, to join Bob in his last stand, but the Titan blocks his path.
"Percy. Go." Percy screams in anger, not caring that tears are running freely, as Bob pushes him to the Doors. Annabeth takes Percy's hand and pulls him in. Bob gives them a final smile as Damasen joins the fray, riding the drakon. Small Bob backs up to Bob, his hackles raised and hissing.
"Say hello to the stars for me," Bob says, giving one last smile. Percy lunges for the opening one last time, but the Doors slide shut and Percy lets out a scream born from the heartbreak of knowing he left a friend behind.
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After Reyna, Nico, and Hedge leave with the Parthenos, the Argo gets underway again. Percy still can't believe that he and Annabeth made it back alive. While in Tartarus, being back in the mortal world seemed like a hopeless dream. Percy still thinks he's dreaming, but the soft breeze and the feeling of the wooden railing beneath his hands are very real. Annabeth is standing next to him in silence, probably thinking about the inevitable final battle. Their shoulders are pressed together and Percy's glad that she's still at his side.
Percy had been thinking about how Bob and Damasen and Small Bob had been left behind in the pit, to be eternally hunted by the monsters, damned to that fate by him. Then he thinks about how that could be avoided again, how he could just leave and turn his back on everything. It scares him how easily that thought comes to mind, since every cell of his body is Roman. It would mean turning his back on Rome itself. But that doesn't bother him. The more he thinks about it, in fact, the better it sounds. The only problem is he would be leaving Annabeth.
"Do you ever wanna just… run away?" Percy asks.
"What do you mean?"
"Like, what if we just left. Packed our bags and dipped. What if we turned our backs on all this. No quests, no gods, no monsters, no bullshit," he explains. Annabeth is silent for a moment.
"Truthfully, yeah. I have," she admits. "But it doesn't make sense. We're demigods. Monsters would still come after us, the gods would know where we are." Percy had expected that answer, but his response is surprising.
"Not in Alaska they wouldn't. Not a lot of monsters there either."
"Seaweed Brain, are you seriously suggesting we move to Alaska?" Annabeth asks. Percy honestly likes that idea.
"Maybe I am."
Percy goes to bed that night, still thinking about moving to Alaska with Annabeth, setting up a whale-watching business for tourists somewhere while Annabeth becomes a teacher or a librarian or a city planner. It's not a bad idea.
He has a nightmare that night. Nightmares aren't new, but this one is terrifying.
He's on the beach at Camp Half-Blood, facing inland. An earthquake splits the ground and monsters pour out of the resulting crack. Percy tries to run and help, but he's rooted to the spot.
"This is the future, Perseus," A voice says next to him. "But it can be prevented." Percy turns to see Gaea standing there, sandy robes undulating around her body. Her eyes are closed, but her lips still move. It's creepy. "I will not spare your brethren, but I will allow Annabeth Chase to live, if you do what I ask. I understand that you love her. All I ask is that you turn your back on your foolish quest. Run, run away. I know that you wish to flee to Alaska. I assure that you will not be harmed. You and Annabeth can live out your days there, together."
"What if I refuse?" Percy asks. Gaea's expression remains neutral.
"If you refuse, I will cast you into Tartarus, where you will be tortured for all eternity. You will be alone. All alone, except for the pain." The ground beneath Percy splits open and he falls into darkness.
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A few days later, Annabeth wakes Percy up in the middle of the night. She's breathing heavily, clearly having just woken up from a nightmare. Percy rubs the sleep from his eyes.
"Hey, Wise Girl. 'Sup?"
"Can I sleep here?" she asks. Percy takes a moment to process the request.
"Uh, why?"
"I had a nightmare where you died in front of the Doors." Annabeth whispers.
"Okay, c'mere," Percy says, scooting over.
They do that more and more. Sometimes he goes into her room. They always lay awake, not really talking but grateful for each other's presence.
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Percy had forgotten how much getting stabbed hurts. When Michael Varus rammed that gladius through him, Percy's first thought was "ow, fuck". Then he collapsed, which seemed to be happening more and more. He hears Annabeth go absolutely nuts on the ghoul, which is insanely hot to him. After dealing with Varus, she kneels over him, examining the wound.
"Oh gods oh gods oh gods," she mutters, clearly unsure of what to do. Piper grabs Annabeth's shoulders and stares her in the eyes.
"Annabeth. Calm down." The charmspeak flows over Percy and Annabeth visibly relaxes. "Now, focus on the first problem. What is it?"
"There's no adequate medical supplies here," Annabeth says. "Those are all on the Argo."
"So how do we get Percy from here to the ship?"
"Frank," Annabeth says. "Do you have a mirror?"
"Annabeth, I'm in a toga."
"Right. Good point." Annabeth looks around and picks up Amnis. "Use this to signal to Leo. Short, short, short. Long, long, long. Short, short, short." Percy remembers the two back up plans. If things had gotten dicey, they were to send up a flare, which would let the Argo know to come in with ballistae blazing. If they were signaled with an S.O.S, that probably meant that someone was hurt and that Frank should fly in with a premade stretcher. Annabeth kneeled next to Percy.
"For some reason, you're not bleeding," she says. "Not sure if that's good or bad."
"Is it smoking?" Percy asks. Annabeth nods. "Figured. I'm just gonna… pass out." Annabeth tries to keep Percy awake, but he passes out anyway.
When Percy wakes back up, Hazel is standing over him. There's bags beneath her eyes.
"Thank the gods," she says, relieved. Percy feels pressure around his midriff and looks down. He's all bandaged up.
"How long was I out?" he asks.
"Not long. Maybe a few hours. You're going to stay in here and that's an order," Hazel says. Percy tries for a smile.
"Last I checked, legionaries don't give praetors orders."
"Last I checked, I'm the one who bandaged you up. You are staying and that's final." Percy sighs.
"Fine. Where's Annabeth? Is she good?"
"Well, when we got you in here, she tried to help. I told her to go away so she didn't worry herself sick." As if on cue, the door slams open and Annabeth sprints in.
"You're okay," she says. She's about to throw her arms over Percy but remembers that Percy's injured. She settles for taking his hand. "I was so worried."
"I noticed," Percy says, smirking. Annabeth rolls her eyes, but there's no hostility in it.
After a few days of being in the infirmary, Hazel finally lets Percy go.
"You can go, but don't do anything that would mess the bandages up!" she says. Annabeth snorts as Percy gives a mock salute.
"Aye aye, ma'am. Annabeth, you wanna spar?"
"Jackson!" Hazel yells. Percy laughs and runs back to his room, Annabeth close behind. They flop onto Percy's bed, out of breath and smiling. Percy's side quickly becomes engulfed in pain and he winces at the discomfort. Annabeth looks at him, concerned.
"You good?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Really wishing I hadn't been stabbed, though." They fall silent until Annabeth speaks up.
"You're an idiot, you know," Annabeth says. Percy snorts.
"Yeah, but I'm your idiot." He turns toward Annabeth in time to see her rolls her eyes.
"You could have died, Seaweed Brain."
"But I didn't."
"But you could have."
"And yet I'm alive." Annabeth turns to face him and places her hand over the bandages. Percy's skin tingles beneath her touch. He remembers how he'd watched a legionnaire slowly wither away from a wound like his across days, screaming in pain the entire time. Percy tries to lighten the mood.
"Hey, Annabeth, listen. I'll be fine. When I was thirteen, both my legs got cut off." Annabeth blinks, then lightly hits his shoulder.
"Shut it."
"I gotcha for a second there." He laughs at her embarrassment, but starts to couch painfully. When it stops, Percy feels like throwing up. Annabeth pulls him in, gently, and he buries his face in the crook between her shoulder and neck.
"I'm scared, Wise Girl," he confesses.
"I am too, Percy."
0000000
Percy's never been to the Mediterranean, but he's pretty sure that storms this bad don't happen. It's like the sea decided to make the Argo's life as miserable as possible, which given what's happened so far, isn't hard.
Percy's sleeping below decks and wakes up to the sound of Hazel dry heaving. He rolls out of bed and stumbles through the halls, which is bouncing up and down. Hazel tries to get him to go back to his room, but Percy shakes his head.
"I'll be fine."
When he makes it to the deck, he's not sure if it's night or day. The clouds are pitch black, occasionally lighting up from the bolts of lightning streaking through the darkness. Rain seems to be falling sideways and it feels like he's getting pelted with paintballs. The remainder of the crew is doing their best to hold the ship together.
Frank's scrambling through the rigging, shifting through different forms, sometimes a nimble chimpanzee, other times a gorilla, trying to tie down ropes. Leo lashed himself to the control panel with a few bungee cords. It probably seemed like a good idea, but now everytime a wave washes over him, he gets smacked around like a Ping-Pong ball. Annabeth and Piper are running around tying stuff down and tossing whatever they can into small storage compartments. Annabeth catches Percy's eye and yells something that gets lost in the wind, either "Are you crazy?!" or "Are you okay?!" Percy just waves her off and makes his way to Jason, who seems to be having the best luck with keeping the ship together, which isn't much but still something.
Ropes of wind extend from either of his hands, knocking away venti that swarm the ship. Whenever a big wave is about to swamp the deck, a blade of air slashes through it, breaking it into smaller waves. Percy puts his hand on Jason's shoulder who nods in greeting. Percy's grateful that Jason doesn't order him back below. He seems to think that as long as Percy's on deck, he's good to go.
"Thing… there! Stop it!" Jason yells.
"What?" Percy asks. Jason points to himself and Percy, then makes a diving motion. "You want to go down?" Jason shrugs, as if to say "Can't hear you!", then lashes a venti, wrapping it around him and leaping into the ocean. Percy looks over at Annabeth, who's staring at him like he's crazy. He gives a thumbs up, then leaps overboard.
Jason's waiting for him at the edge of a drop off.
"Hey,"
"Hi. How the Hades are you doing that?" Percy asks. Jason shrugs.
"I dunno." As he says that, a green light lances through the gloom of the water. "There. That's what's causing the storm."
"Do you know what it is?" Percy asks. Jason snorts.
"You're the water guy. This is your gig."
"Touché," Percy says and swims for the light, Jason close behind. As they dive deeper, Percy sees ruins slowly rise from the sand. They stop in what seems to be a courtyard and they're not alone.
A woman is sitting cross-legged, spinning a bronze wheel, laughing like a dolphin with each spin. Her hair looks like jellyfish tentacles and her skin is a bright white, as if she's glowing.
"You've finally come down," she says, smiling coldly and unearthly, like she's watched humans smile, but hasn't perfected it. The bass of her voice makes Percy's eyes vibrate in his skull. "I was beginning to wonder."
"Are you making the storm?" Jason asks.
"Why, yes, I am, little cousin. And that is only a fraction of my power."
"You're a daughter of Poseidon, then?" Percy asks. "Does that make you my quarter sister?" The goddess frowns.
"I'm not sure, but Hera could answer that. Regardless, I've been wanting to meet you, brother."
"Ah huh. What's your name?" Percy asks. The goddess sighs.
"Of course you don't know my name. I am Kymopoleia, goddess of violent sea storms."
"And I thought the Romans had pointless gods," Jason mutters.
"You dare call me pointless?" Kymopoleia asks, her eyes flashing. Percy moves ahead of Jason.
"Apologies for the unintelligence of my friend, Kymopoleia. Can I call you Kym? He was simply commenting on the lack of… uh… your lack of pointy weapons." Kym doesn't seem to be appeased.
"I know what he meant, Perseus. I don't blame him for not knowing of me. Even my parents cast me out. They found me… destructive." As Kym says this, she spins her wheel and a section of a ruined wall collapses.
"Can't imagine why," Percy mutters. "Anyway, I don't suppose you'd stop if we asked nicely?"
"Oh, I don't plan on stopping, little brother. Besides, it was not I who wanted your attention."
"Hello again, Perseus," a new voice says. Percy turns around to see Polybotes swimming by, trident and weighted net in hand. An oily black cloud of poison billows from the giant's skin as a few basilisks swim in and out. "You've sorely tested my patience. I tracked you across Tartarus and now here you are, in the ruins of your father's old home."
"So this is Atlantis?" Percy asks. "I thought that was a myth."
"Dude, our dads are myths," Jason says.
"Yeah, but I thought that one Greek dude invented Atlantis just to sound smarter."
"To be honest, so did I." Jason said.
"I assure you, Homer was not lying. How symbolic however! I will destroy Neptune's favored son in his old domain!" Percy blinked. He was Neptune's favorite? He glances over at Kym, who seems rather bored.
"So you're just here for a grudge match?" Jason asks, flipping his coin into a sword. "We won't let that happen."
"Jason Grace. I've heard of you. This does not concern you." A basilisk surges through the water, faster than either demigod can react, and slithers into Jason's ventus. Jason yelps and swings his sword, but the basilisk is in too close. On its own, the ventus drops down, surprising the basilisk and smacking it against a rock. Unfortunately, Jason's back is turned and Polybotes hurls his net, ensnaring Jason and taking him down. One of the weights hits Jason on his head with thud and knocks him out.
Polybotes doesn't waste any time and waves his arm, sending a wave of inky poison at Percy. Fortunately, it doesn't move quickly, so Percy's able to control the water around it to split it. Polybotes counters by lunging with his trident. Percy darts inside the giant's guard and slashes his thigh. The giant growls in annoyance and twists, smacking Percy with the butt of his trident. Percy's ribs ache as he retreats. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Kym yawn, quite bored with what's happening.
"Kym, why exactly are you working with Gaea?" He asks, dodging another attack from Polybotes. A basilisk swims at him, but is sliced in half.
"Gaea promised me that mortals would fear me," Kymopoleia says. "Who am I to turn away an offer?"
"You do realize that mortals are terrified of sea storms, right?"
"True, but is my name spoken is hushed whispers?"
"No, but-"
"Then save your words, brother."
"Gaea intends to destroy the world. She doesn't plan on leaving any mortals behind."
"Stop talking!" Polybotes roars, sending another wave of poison towards Percy, who moves out of the way. Kymopoleia wrinkles her nose and waves her hand and the cloud dissipates.
"Kym, I know for a fact that you're more feared now than if Gaea rises. In fact, I've noticed that a lot of minor gods are pretty pissed at the lack of representation."
"Are you calling me a minor goddess?"
"I wish I didn't have to!" Percy responds. He really wants to wrap this up this up partially because Jason can't breathe underwater and partially because the Argo is still getting smacked around. And also Polybotes is an asshole. "You could be feared by literally every demigod! Just help me kill Polybotes."
"Kymopoleia, Gaea will give you unlimited power! So many mortals to fear!" Polybotes yells, trying to catch Percy, who slashes a deep cut into the giant's side. He decides to use the ace up his sleeve.
"Kym, I'll throw in an action figure for your troubles! A limited edition!"
"No, not merchandising!" Percy darts behind the goddess just as Polybotes swings his trident like a baseball bat and slams her in the chest. "Get out of my way!" He roars. Kym's eyes narrow.
"So I'm in the way?"
"Did I mention the trading cards? Mythomagic, to be exact." Kymopoleia turns to Polybotes.
"Consider Gaea's offer null and void." She hurls her disc like Captain America and the edge slices through Polybotes' neck. Golden ichor clouds through the water, dissolving the poison left behind. Percy swims over to Jason and cuts the net off. He puts his hand on Jason's forehead and concentrates, guiding Jason's blood away from where the weight hit it and relieving his headache. He hoists the unconscious demigod across his shoulder and turns to Kymopoleia.
"Thanks for the assist."
"I did not do it out of the goodness of my heart, brother. I hold you to your oath."
"Don't worry. I fully intend to keep it."
0000000
A few days later, they decide to anchor at Delos to consult Apollo and Artemis with the next course of action. While Leo, Jason, and Piper head for the island, Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, and Frank are left behind to guard the ship. There's not much that disturbs them except for a particularly inquisitive sea serpent, but Percy tells it to scram.
He and Annabeth are sparring, mostly to help Annabeth get used to her new sword. She feints to the left, but Percy anticipates, steps inside her guard, and grabs her arm. Both of them are breathing heavily, drenched in sweat. The sun is setting and the golden light turns Annabeth's hair into a cascade of fire. Percy's staring into her eyes when she leans forward and presses her lips to his.
Her lips are warm and very soft. Percy wonders if his breath smells.
In his daze, Percy forgets that they're still technically sparring and he ends up on his back, Annabeth's sword at his neck.
"I win,"
"Only because you distracted me," Percy says, trying to save some face. Annabeth laughs and offers her hand.
0000000
Their friendship gets to the point where they're both oddly intimate with each other. They sleep and cuddle together at night, obviously, but they start doing more. It's small things, like resting hands on each other's backs, holding hands beneath the table in the mess hall, or just fleeting touches when they pass by each other in the halls. Percy kind of likes it, but it's agonizing at the same time.
He tells Piper about his problems one day.
"I really like Annabeth, Pipes."
"I've noticed."
"And I want something more to come out of it, but I'm not entirely sure if she likes me back," he says. Piper snorts. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing. Listen, if you really feel that strongly about her, just tell her my guy. Worst that happens is she shuts you down."
"But I don't want to ruin our friendship. I'm fine being friends with her even if, y'know, I want more."
"Talk to her about how much you don't like sand. Maybe go kill some Tusken Raiders."
"Fuck off, Piper. I'm trying to be serious."
"Sorry, sorry. Just tell her. Grow a pair, Jackson."
0000000
The subterranean tunnels beneath the Parthenon are cold and smell slightly of mildew. The gemini that had lead them retreated back to their caves, leaving Percy, Annabeth, and Piper alone. Piper had gone ahead to scout out the rest of the way, leaving Percy and Annabeth behind. Percy's been able to deal with his ADHD most of the quest, but now, when he's just sitting, it starts to act up. He unsheathes Amnis and taps out a rhythm against the stone floor.
"Can you not?" Annabeth asks.
"Sorry," Percy mutters and starts tapping his foot instead. From across the cave, he hears Annabeth gasp and say something.
"What?" He asks, looking up. Annabeth's running her hand along three massive lines in the rock.
"These marks. They're where Poseidon created the salt water spring for the people of Athens." Annabeth explains as Percy stands and walks over. He reaches out and touches the ancient scars, remembering the legend
"So this is where it started," he whispers.
"The rivalry," Annabeth says.
"Yeah." Percy thinks about how their godly parents are heated rivals, sworn enemies because of what happened at this place. Then he thinks about how, despite not only that but also the Greece and Rome rivalry, their friendship persisted.
"Fuck the rivalry." He says and presses a soft kiss to her forehead. Annabeth turns around and meets his eyes. He can tell she's about to say something, but Piper shows up.
"Let's go."
0000000
Nosebleeds are a much larger problem than Percy remembered. He hadn't known he was bleeding until the Acropolis shuddered with the waking throes of Gaea. Of course his luck had to be that bad.
With Leo trapped on the Argo, the rest of the demigods gather in a loose ring in the ruins of the Parthenon. The giants, outnumbering them at least five to one, sneer at the puny heroes. Porphyrion towers over all of them, his spear glinting harshly in the sun.
"You demigods are tenacious, I'll give you that. But you are foolish. The gods have locked themselves in Olympus. Your friends are doomed. You cannot possibly win now." Percy adjusts his grip on Amnis, preparing to fight to the bitter end.
A bright light, nearly as bright as Juno's godly form, blinds Percy for the briefest moment. When he can see again, he looks around and sees the gods, hovering above them, dressed for war. One god in particular stands out. Neptune. Or Poseidon. Whichever.
The god is clad in armor that looks like scales, rippling with green and blue. His trident is held at his side, a massive weapon of war, each bronze spike easily as long as Amnis. His chariot is also blue and green, led by two huge hippocampi. Percy catches Neptune's eye and the god nods, his eyes twinkling.
When the gods charge, Jupiter throws his master bolt at Porphyrion and the impact results in a thunderclap that shakes Percy's teeth. Jason lets out a war cry and charges the giant king. Percy winks at Annabeth, but she's gone, running towards Enceladus, her mother at her side. Neptune appears next to Percy as he sprints towards Otis and Ephialtes.
"Hello, Perseus," the god says. Percy blinks.
"Hi,"
It's the first words they've exchanged and Percy hopes he has the chance to talk more with his dad.
Neptune doesn't waste any time and drives his trident through Otis' gut, so Percy decides to take on Ephialtes. Neptune quickly aids his son and summons a geyser to boost Percy up to Ephialtes' head. He slashes Amnis and opens a gash across the giant's cheek. When he lands, Ephialtes stabs down with his spear. Percy throws himself to the side and Poseidon intercepts the giant's next attack. With Otis down, slowly healing, Ephialtes is worn down much quicker. Neptune uses his trident with ease, parrying Ephialtes at nearly every opportunity. Percy acts like a gnat, zipping around the giant, annoying him.
Percy manages to drive Amnis deep into Ephialtes' side just as Neptune slams his trident into the giant's throat. With a dying cry, Ephialtes bursts into ash, drifting away on a breeze.
"Brother!" Otis bellows, now recovered enough to charge Neptune and Percy. In his anger, he seems to forget who he's attacking and as one, Percy and Neptune stab him in the gut yet again. Otis suffers the same fate as his brother and the Alodae are no more.
The giants are cleaned up much quicker than Percy had expected. Once the last one is dealt with, Percy and Neptune are alone for a brief moment.
"Perseus. I'm sure you are angry at me. And you deserve to be. It's already hard enough communicating with demigods as it is, but as Neptune, I am even more restricted." Neptune says. "Jupiter has this idea that we are to be feared, as Roman gods. Not entirely sure why, but there's not much I can do to argue. Had you been a Greek demigod, I would have contacted you at least five times by now. This may be the only chance I have for awhile to talk with you, but know this, my boy. I am very proud of you." Percy blinks. His father is proud of him. Neptune. His dad. Proud. Before Percy has the chance to say anything, Jupiter calls a brief council.
"You've done well, heroes," the god says.
"Yes, you've all exceeded my expectations." Juno smiles as if everything is okay. Which it's not. Percy's hot, tired, and incredibly mad. Jupiter is about to say something, probably a long-winded speech about the bravery of the gods and how they defeated the giant threat, yadda yadda. Percy decides to cut in.
"Spare us the monologues, we need to get to Camp Half-Blood. Gaea's there, not here. And it'd be nice if you guys went there too." Everyone is silent. Jupiter narrows his eyes, as if contemplating how best to destroy the little demigod before him. Percy wonders if that was the best idea. A bark of laughter splits the silence. Percy turns around to see Neptune, and presumably Mercury, doubled over with glee, while Pluto grins.
"He got you there, Dad!" Mercury says, barely able to speak. Neptune smiles at Percy and Percy grins back.
"You've got your mother's spirit, I'll give you that, my boy."
"He speaks the truth," Pluto says, an uncharacteristic smile on his face.
"Indeed he does. Our presence would be enough to cause Gaea to hesitate." Minerva says. Jupiter frowns, evidently not used to being interrupted.
"We cannot assist. I am sorry heroes, but that is the law," he says gruffly. Percy's about to say something but Jupiter continues. "But I can transport you there much quicker than you could sail there. Good luck." He waves his hand and everything fades away. When the world comes back into view, Percy recognizes the area. It's Camp Half-Blood. Then he sees the battle on Half-Blood Hill.
"For Olympus!" Percy yells, rallying the Seven. He charges, Annabeth at his side.
"See you in a bit," she says. Percy grins.
"Always."
Percy fights like he's never fought before. Each strike of Amnis is a kill, monster after monster bursting into golden dust. He summons water geysers, high-pressure jets of water, or causes miniature earthquakes. Sometimes he's alone, other times he's with a few demigods, some of his old friends from the legion or campmates from Camp Half-Blood. Dakota and Reyna appear at his sides at one point.
Dakota nods in greeting.
"Ave, Praetor!"
"Hey, Dakota."
"Nothing for me?" Reyna asks, skewering a telkhine.
"Nope. I like Dakota more." Percy says. Dakota laughs as Reyna spares Percy a glare.
A few minutes later, Percy and Clarisse are back to back. The daughter of Ares is decked out in Spartan style armor.
"Jackson," she says. "I was hoping you woulda died."
"Good to see you to, La Rue."
Percy eventually finds Annabeth and he feels complete. They work as one, like they've know each other for years. Percy catches a glimpse of Annabeth out of the corner of his eye and he stares. She looks like a warrior princess. It's kind of hot, in an intimidating way. She notices him staring.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Then get back to fighting, Seaweed Brain!" They continue destroying monster after monster until the ground shakes and Gaea rises a few dozen feet away.
FOOLISH HEROES. I AM THE EARTH. YOU CANNOT STOP ME. Her voice emanates from the ground, as if Long Island are her vocal chords. Percy concentrates and feels a tug in his gut.
"Shut up!" he yells and the creek explodes in a tidal wave, crashing over the goddess. It's sort of satisfying watching her get ripped apart, but when the water washes away, mud and sand come together to form Gaea once again. She looks at him. Her eyes are an unnatural green, as if someone turned all the plant life on the planet into a smoothie.
PERSEUS JACKSON, SON OF NEPTUNE. I OFFERED YOU A CHOICE AND YOU TURNED IT DOWN. I OFFER YOU THE SAME CHOICE. THE GIRL YOU LOVE WILL BE SPARED.
Percy stares at the goddess and everything quiets around him. This was an impossible choice. Flee to Alaska and have Annabeth alive or refuse and be sent to Tartarus while the world burns and Annabeth dies. Just as he's about to make his decision, something soars overhead and Gaea's gone. Percy looks up to see Leo astride Festus, carrying Gaea higher and higher. He recalls the line from the prophecy. To storm or fire, the world must fall.
He'd always thought about the storm part, since there were at least two people that he knew of that could create storms; him and Jason. But he never considered the fire part. Leo was a fire user. His heart sinks when the clouds turn orange and green. For the second time, Amnis slips from his grasp.
0000000
Percy joins the search party for Leo, diving deep into the water with Frank, searching for any part of Festus or Leo's body. There's nothing except for some wreckage of the Argo. Percy grabs a bit or flotsam drifting by. It's a polaroid of the quest a few days after reaching the Atlantic.
Hazel looks a bit uncomfortable as Frank smiles, pulling her close. Piper is trying to tell Hedge how to use the camera while Jason stares at her. Leo is laying on the deck, hands on fire and giving the peace sign. Annabeth is on his back and they're both looking into the lens, smiling. Percy smiles sadly at the memory, letting tears fall down his face. The sadness turns to anger and Percy lets out a yell of rage and anger, cursing the Fates for letting Leo die.
"He didn't deserve it, you hags!" The water around him spirals into a maelstrom and above the water, a hurricane grows stronger and stronger. Percy doesn't care. He keeps yelling, letting out all his anger.
How long he's down there, he doesn't know. A hand grabs his shoulder and Percy looks behind him. It's Annabeth with scuba gear on, Frank in dolphin form. Percy summons bubbles around them and Annabeth takes off her mask. She gives Frank a thumbs up and he swims back to the surface. Once he's gone, Annabeth pulls Percy into a hug.
"He's gone, Annabeth," Percy says.
"I know. God above, I know."
0000000
A few nights later, Percy has a nightmare.
He's back in Tartarus, in the forest. Annabeth is running towards him and one of the ari flies at her. When Annabeth kills it, her body starts to contort. When she lifts her face, it's the face of an ari. Leathery wings sprout from Annabeth's back and she transforms into one of the monsters. With a screech, she flies at Percy and raises a taloned hand.
Percy wakes up in a sweat, breathing heavily. He looks at the clock ticking above the door. It's almost twelve thirty. Taking deep breaths to calm down, Percy gets up and pulls on a shirt. He opens the door, breathing in the cool night air. Unsure of what to do, Percy starts walking
As he's passing the Athena cabin, a door creaks open and Percy freezes. Annabeth peers around the corner and when she sees him, she frowns and walks over.
"What are you doing?" she whispers.
"Nightmare. What are you doing?"
"I woke up from a nightmare and heard you," Annabeth explains. Percy isn't sure what to say, so they're silent for a bit.
"Wanna go to the beach?" Annabeth asks. Percy nods. He needs to be near the water.
They sit a short distance from the edge of the tide. Small waves gently break over the sand. The moon illuminates the scene with a silvery light as stars glimmer against the black sky. Annabeth breaks the silence.
"When… Gaea said she gave you a choice, what was it? Did she try to recruit you?" Percy remembers the dream and shakes his head.
"She told me to stay away. She wanted me to turn my back on the quest. To not get involved," Percy explains. Gaea had been a bit late on that.
"And the girl? Who is she? What's she like?" Annabeth asks quietly. Percy shakes his head, clearing away all thoughts of Gaea. He smiles.
"She's amazing. I think I'm in love with her. Whenever I'm around her, I just… feel more like myself than when I'm alone. She makes me braver, stronger, like I could climb a mountain. I would put my life on the line for her." It's all true. Percy knows it's torturing Annabeth, not knowing who this girl is. But he's on a roll. "She's not only awesome, she's beautiful. Whenever Venus visits me in my dreams, I see her face. Her eyes are so… deep. I could get lost in them. Her hair is the softest thing ever and I love playing with it. And when she touches me, even if we hug, it's like an angel." He remembers a dream he had a few days ago, when Venus had shown up, looking exactly like Annabeth. She'd told Percy to trust his heart.
"Is… is it Piper?" Annabeth asks. Percy can't stop the laughter.
"Gods, no! She's got a thing for Jason. Besides, Piper can't compare to this girl."
"Who is it, Seaweed Brain?" Annabeth asks angrily. Percy smiles and looks at Annabeth.
"It's you, Wise Girl," he says. Annabeth blinks, confused.
"What?"
"Annabeth, it's you. Whenever we would spar or cuddle or hug, I would think 'I could get used to this.' I'm not one for soulmates or destiny or fate, but we match. You're like my other half," he says. When Annabeth turns away, his heart drops. He knew it. She doesn't feel the same.
"Can I be honest?" she asks. Percy's heart rate quickens.
"Sure," he says. Annabeth turns back to him, her eyes flicking over his face. She's thinking. The sea breeze picks up her hair and flicks it behind her. Her eyes reflect the moonlight, turning them a bright silver. Finally, she breaks the silence.
"I'm in love with you," she says. It's Percy's turn to be confused and while he's trying to process what just happened, Annabeth kisses him. It's nothing like how she kissed him when they were sparring that one time. It's full of meaning and love. Percy kisses back, trying to convey every single emotion he has for Annabeth. It's funny, really. On paper, they should be the worst possible enemies. Athena against Poseidon, Neptune versus Athena. Greece and Rome, sworn enemies. He's a praetor of a Roman legion. She's a counselor for a mythological summer camp.
Percy's defied odds for most of his life. Why stop now?
0000000
As one of the ranking Roman officers, it falls to Percy to oversee the funerals. He knows each of the dead by name. It's even more than that battle against the Titans. One of the hardest goodbyes is Bobby, Hannibal's caretaker. Percy remembers when the kid first joined. He'd gotten into the Third Cohort and nearly knocked over all of his fellow legionaires during marching exercises.
He joins Annabeth when Leo's pyre is burned. It's nothing more than a bundle of tools, gears, nails, and wires. Piper tearfully lights the cloth and it burns brightly. Percy remembers how Leo had attempted to woo the goddess of snow. Khione hadn't been happy about that. Percy vows that the legion would never forget the son of Hepheastus.
After the funerals, there's a three day celebration between the two groups of demigods. Romans and Greeks migle freely. There's a few fights that Percy has to break up, but everyone seems to be getting along. The Romans even get their own bead necklaces, expertly made by Leo's siblings in Cabin Nine, and all the Greek campers are made honorary members of the legion.
Unfortunately, the day comes when it's time for the Romans to leave. Percy wakes up that day to a chunk of red coral on his nightstand. There's a note written in fancy cursive.
For her to remember you.
Percy smiles.
"Thanks, Dad."
Annabeth comes by a little later to say goodbye. Percy stuffs his shoes into a suitcase and zips it up.
"I wish you didn't have to leave," Annabeth says. "I'm going to miss you."
"Actually, that reminds me…" Percy reaches into his pocket and pulls out the coral, wrapped in tissue paper, and gives it to her. "Open it." When Annabeth does, she gasps.
"Percy… it's beautiful," she says, threading it onto her necklace. Percy presses a kiss to her lips as a conch sounds.
0000000
"I miss Annabeth," Percy says, his head on his desk. It's been almost four months since leaving Camp Half-Blood and while Percy's glad to be back at Camp Jupiter, he feels restless.
"She's gonna be here in two months, dingus," Reyna says from her desk.
"But I want to see her everyday, Reyna. I can't wait six months to see my girlfriend."
"I know. And I have a solution to that."
"Does it involve inducting her into the legion?"
"The opposite, in fact." Reyna sets down her pen and laces her fingers together. Percy sits up and faces her.
"What do you mean?"
"Percy, you've changed. A lot."
"Yeah, it's called character growth."
"You're not as Roman as you were. You're still Roman, of course, but you'd be better at Half-Blood." Percy realizes what Reyna's getting at.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you seriously suggesting that I leave Camp Jupiter? And the legion?" Percy asks. Reyna nods. "I can't do that! Who's gonna take over? Octavian?" Reyna snorts.
"Gods no. Praetor elections are coming up and I'm fairly certain that Frank will win. Besides, I think Half-Blood will be better for you. You've always been a loose cannon, despite all the drilling you had to do." Percy snorts, remembering how the Fifth Cohort always had to do drills because of him. "Think about it, Jackson." Reyna says, turning her attention back to the paperwork.
0000000
When the first ship lands and Annabeth steps off, Percy's sprinting towards her. They hug and kiss deeply. Percy's in Elysium for a moment. It's perfect. They break apart and Percy smiles.
"I missed you, so much."
"Me too, Seaweed Brain."
The new arrivals are a part of an exchange program worked out between Chiron, Percy, and Reyna. Every six months a group of demigods from each camp with go to the other for two weeks to help connect the two groups. Annabeth's group is the inagural delegation.
It's great, spending two weeks with Annabeth and showing her the ropes of Camp Jupiter. Everyone is well aware of the ordeal they went through in Tartarus, but it doesn't stop some less than favorable rumors from spreading around camp.
Eventually, the day comes when it's time for the Greeks to leave. Percy finds it funny, he forgot to tell Annabeth he's coming, so he tells her to meet him at the ships. Percy looks around the small building. It's all tidied up for the next resident, which he hopes is Frank (he's thinking about asking Pluto to send some monsters to attack so Frank can get raised on a shield). As he's leaving, he looks at the top of the doorframe around the front door. Carved into the wood, right in the middle, is a P and an A. Percy smiles and touches the carving. He reaches behind him and shuts the door, closing a door on one part of his life.
As he walks along the Via Praetoria, he looks around Camp Jupiter. It's silent, save for the Lares who nod in greeting. He passes by the Fifth Cohort's barracks. It's sort of sad. He'd lived here for seventeen years and he's leaving it.
When he reaches the Field of Mars, Annabeth is saying goodbye to Frank, Hazel, and Reyna. She sees him set down his suitcase.
"Seaweed Brain, what's that for?" She asks. Percy rubs the back of his neck, slightly embarassed.
"I forgot to tell you, but, uh, I'm gonna be staying at Half-Blood. Like, probably forever," he says. Annabeth looks over at the other three Romans.
"But you'll be down a praetor."
"We have elections coming up soon. And I'm fairly sure Frank's got this," Reyna says and Frank blushes. Annabeth turns to Percy, a huge smile on her face. She hugs him tightly.
When they get back to Camp Half-Blood, everyone is surprised to see Percy. When he tells him he's staying, they all cheer wildly. Percy gets to Cabin Three with Annabeth at his side. He pushes open the door to the cabin and opens a new door on his life.
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So yeah, that's that. Drop a review, make this a favorite, whatever floats your boat :)
Notes:
-I toyed around with Percy being the one to defeat Gaea, but then I realized I didn't have any way to revive him since I took out the whole physician's cure thing. I thought about Percy's soul floating above the battlefield, seeing Thanatos, but then the god just kinda ignores him. Idk, I thought it was dumb.
-I also wanted to expand more on some scenes in Annabeth's POV that were shorter. I think I succeeded there.
Peace, Love, and Donuts: 8Ball3
