Rage of a Demigod
UPDATE!: Well, this site has gone to a bit of a weird phase, with the chapters not being seen and all, but not things are seemingly back to normal. So, I give you a slight update on the chapter just in case you ended up missing it.
AN: Hello there, my dear readers! I've decided to finally end the Titan's Curse arc of this story, and this time with an extra-long chapter! I hope you enjoy it!
Now to reviews.
RedHood001: Once again, thanks for the praise. And I'm sure you meant Bianca, not Reyna. And I can tell you right now, no, Marcus isn't letting him go. He doesn't care about broken pride victories.
Crazzytony: Well, here's the next one.
zarmag: Well, he isn't. And I don't see the point in him being his father.
victorsan12345: Yeah, that's pretty much my stance on the Hunters of Artemis. And just a little warning, you might end up a bit disappointed.
10 Revelations Everywhere
"Wait a minute," Percy said. "What is that mountain exactly?" He pointed at the place where Zoe said was her home.
"Mount Tamalpais," Marcus answered. "This is the place where the Garden of Hesperides was relocated."
"And we need to get there before sunset," Zoe said. "The Hesperides are the nymphs of sunset, and if we miss it, we won't be able to pass through the garden until tomorrow, and by that time the winter solstice will end."
"Then we need to get there, and hurry," Thalia said.
Zoe shook her head. "No, we're too slow. We won't make it until sunset."
The others then looked at Marcus, expecting him to give some sort of suggestion as they knew he would, but they found him staring at the mountain with a bit of a far off look in his red eyes.
"Marcus, are you alright?" Thalia asked.
The eldest demigod blinked for a moment before looking back at them. "It's nothing," he said before he spared a glance at Grover, the increased tension in his gaze was barely there but Grover got the message. The young satyr swallowed some saliva before nodding and giving a zipping motion on his mouth that the others didn't see.
"And Zoe is right," he said. "We won't be able to get there in time. However… there is still one thing we can do."
Percy, Marcus, Zoe, and Thalia soon found themselves in front of a house door where Marcus rang the bell. Grover was tasked with leading the Ophiotaurus back to the camp, with the creature being able to easily get there by sea. Percy even offered his cloak made of the Nemean Lion's skin as a tribute to Poseidon to assure them a safe passage.
With that done, they needed to get a vehicle so they could get to Mount Tam faster. And Marcus' solution was paying a visit to… Frederick Chase, aka Annabeth's dad.
"Daddy, I'll get the door!" a young boy's voice said.
"Wait, Bobby, I'll get the door!" a man yelled.
"I'm Matthew! So I'll get the door!"
"Ah, wait, Matthew!"
"Too late!"
The door opened and it revealed a young boy, not even ten years old with a happy look on his face. That look changed to the one of shock as he slowly looked up towards Marcus' face where the boy saw the stern gaze of his red eyes.
There was an awkward tension for a moment before Percy tried to break it. "Um, hi, we're-"
He was interrupted as Mattew screamed, making all of them, except for Marcus, jolt in surprise.
Mattew then ran back into the house. "MOMMY, DADDY! THERE IS A ZOMBIE AT OUR DOOR!"
After hearing that, Thalia and Percy couldn't help but burst out laughing while Zoe only looked shocked and Marcus scoffed.
There was a groan from the other side of the door as a middle-aged man wearing an old aviator's cap and goggles, his shirt buttoned up the wrong way. All in all, the man looked like some sort of weirdo. But it was obvious who he was.
"I am truly sorry about this, young man," Frederick apologized. "But you know how young kids are. And I have to admit, you do look quite peculiar."
Marcus crossed his arms. "Have you looked yourself in the mirror lately?"
Frederick blinked before he realized what Marcus was talking about and took off the goggles before noticing his state of dress. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was working on an important project and I just… well… Anyway, are you by chance here to deliver my airplanes?" Frederick then noticed the Blades of Chaos on Marcus' back. "Though, I don't remember ordering swords."
Marcus groaned. "No, we're not delivering anything! We're here because your daughter is in danger!"
That got Frederick Chase to look shocked. "A-Annabeth? Is she alright?! Did something happen?!"
"Yes, and we need your help," Marcus quickly answered.
Frederick took off his aviator cap, revealing his blonde hair. "Then come in."
The three demigods and the Hunter entered. The house wouldn't give an impression of someone who just moved in which was what Marcus and Thalia said. The toy robots on the stairs, a coffee table stacked with magazines, two cats on a sofa, and the smell of chocolate-chipped cookies in the air all gave the impression that someone lived here for a while.
A beautiful Asian woman appeared from the kitchen, with Matthew hiding behind her. "What's going on, honey?" she asked her husband.
"Annabeth is in trouble, and those four said they need my help," Frederick explained in a serious tone.
Mrs. Chase's mouth hung open for a little while before she gave a nod. "Then help them in any way you can. I'll go and bring you some food."
The group was surprised by the way this woman acted, especially with the way Annabeth spoke about her.
Frederick nodded before quickly going to his study with the four following him.
His study was located upstairs, and it was quite a sight to behold, being filled wall-to-wall with books and a huge table with miniatures of planes, tanks, and people on a miniature battlefield. If it wasn't obvious this man was a military professor, it sure was now.
"So, what exactly do you need…?" Frederick trailed off before face-palming. "Oh for goodness' sake, I never asked you your names."
The four of them soon introduced themselves, a bit uneasy but Frederick Chase did seem like a nice guy. When Marcus ended his introduction, Frederick stared at him for a little while.
"Is there a problem?" Marcus asked sternly.
"No, no, it's just that…" Frederick stammered. "Your last name is Addams?" That got him a nod from Marcus. "Are you by any chance related to Justine Addams?"
That question caught everyone by surprise. "You know my mother?" Marcus asked.
Frederick asked. "Why, yes, we went to college together!" he said. "But then she had to drop out because…"
"She ended up pregnant with me and Maya," Marcus finished.
Frederick then snapped his fingers. "Ah, no wonder you looked so familiar!" he exclaimed before walking over to a stack of old newspapers.
Everyone was surprised to hear all of this. Marcus' mom and Annabeth's dad were old friends from college?
"After she moved to Ohio with James we lost contact, but she still messaged me from time to time," Frederick said as he rummaged through the papers. "We actually planned to meet, and she was excited to introduce me to you. And I wanted to introduce my little Annabeth." His voice was then sparkled with sadness. He took out one of the papers. "Then I… heard what happened. I decided that I would help to look for you two but then Annabeth ran away, so I had that on my mind. But I never stop hoping at least, and well… here you are."
Frederick then handed the papers to Marcus, which was opened on a specific page. There was a picture of his mother, Maya, and him, all smiling at the camera. The title read 'Two children kidnapped after a break-in' with the section below saying: Marcus Addams (13) and Maya Addams (13) became missing after a break-in into the Addams family home which ended with the death of Justine Addams (36). Marcus continued reading, the paper explaining that a masked man broke into their house and killed his mother and almost beat his father to death after which he ended up unconscious but he and his sister were nowhere to be found.
Marcus' grip on the paper tightened as he grit his teeth. Percy then peeked at the paper and read a little, even with his dyslexia he was able to at least make up the bold letters.
"Wait, I thought that your stepdad accidentally killed your mom," Percy said making Zoe look shocked as she was unaware of that piece of information.
Frederick then looked at Percy in shock. "Wait, James did what?"
"That son of a bitch!" Marcus yelled before roughly throwing those papers aside, before tightly clenching his fists. "When I get my hands on him I'll…!"
Everyone in the room was currently nervous about Marcus as they could practically feel the rage coming off of him
Zoe went to speak. "Marcus, if-"
"It doesn't matter now," Marcus interrupted her, a slight edge in his voice before he let out a deep breath and turned back. "We have more important things to worry about. Like getting to Annabeth, and quickly!"
Frederick Chase wasn't sure about what to think of this situation. For years he thought that his friend's children were kidnapped by a burglar, but now he was informed that James was the one who killed Justine.
Shaking his head, Frederick went back to what was currently more important. Saving his little girl.
They explained the situation that Annabeth was in, though there was still something about Marcus' presence that made the room slightly uncomfortable.
"Listen, if Annabeth is at Mount Tam then I'll gladly drive you there. We could get there even faster in my Sopwith Camel at the Crissy Field, but that one only has two seats."
"Enough, Mr. Chase," Zoe said. "We are glad that you are willing to help, but we will only need a car from you. And Marcus is more than capable of driving us there."
"But my daughter is in danger and I-!"
"Would only get in the way," Marcus finished. "Listen to me; you will only be a burden if you come with us. Giving us a car is helping enough."
"I… see," Frederick said. "Well then, I wish the best of luck to all of you. Now, where did I put my keys?"
As he began patting his pockets before he heard a rattling of keys and saw Marcus holding his hand up with the keys in it.
"I saw them on the peg at the front door," Marcus said. "And I took them just in case you refused."
Frederick gave a chuckle. "Like I would ever refuse," he said before the group then walked away. "Please," he said gaining their attention. "Save my daughter. I couldn't bear to lose her."
They gave him a nod before quickly going to the car.
The group drove to Mount Tamalpais in Dr. Chase's Volkswagen, but the traffic slowed them down which got them annoyed. During the whole trip, Marcus drove completely silent, even when someone asked him something.
Percy then noticed something on the sea beside the mountain, a familiar huge white ship.
"Guys, that's Princess Andromeda!"
"Luke's ship?" Thalia asked.
Marcus only spared it a glance before just continuing to drive.
"Looks like we'll have some monstrous company in the near future," Percy said.
They quickly ran out of the road to drive on and stopped the car right in front of a wall made of mist. Getting out of the car, Zoe went into the mist, with her three companions following her. They walked for a little while before exiting the mist, right into a very beautiful garden that was illuminated by the setting Sun. The grass in it shimmered with evening light, flowers of brilliant colors, and in the middle of the garden stood a tree the size of a small building, with the actual golden apples growing from it.
But another noticeable thing was the huge dragon that slept around the tree. It was huge in size, with coppery scales and many heads. However, one of those heads seemed to have been cut off. Though, that honestly didn't take away any intimidation points.
Marcus only stared intently at the dragon, only a nudge from Thalia snapping him out.
'Why is he so distracted all of a sudden?' Thalia thought as he usually didn't lose focus so easily.
Several voices then appeared, singing a very beautiful melody before four women appeared from a pond in the garden, all dark-haired and beautiful, dressed in white Greek chitons.
"Sisters," Zoe called out.
"We do not see a sister," one of them spitefully said. "Only a Hunter and some half-bloods. All of whom shall die."
Percy and Thalia at that moment decided that they already hated the four sisters.
"Wait," another said before glaring and pointing at Marcus. "How dare thee return here, servant of Ares?!"
Everyone's eyes were wide before looking back at Marcus.
"How dost thou know my sisters?" Zoe asked.
"He came here with other cursed half-bloods," another Hesperid said. "He stole one of the Golden Apples and he hurt Ladon!"
"What?" Zoe asked before looking at the dragon that was sleeping, seemingly only now noticing one of its missing heads.
"What are they talking about?" Percy asked.
"Did Luke ever tell you about a quest that gave him that scar?" Marcus asked to which Percy nodded. "I was with him on that quest. At the camp, Maya got an illness that was impossible to heal, so we went to take an apple from the garden so she could be healed, but Luke wanted to prove himself by slaying Ladon. You can guess how well, that went."
Before Percy could ask more questions another Hesperid spoke. "Thou will not steal anything else from us, demigod. All we have to do is wake Ladon and he will devour all of thee."
Faster than they could blink, Marcus took out his blades and glared at them. "Not if I kill all four of you first," he threatened which made the Hesperides look in fear.
Zoe then grabbed him by the shoulder. "Enough," she said in a stern voice, which even surprised Marcus. "Sisters, we only wish to pass to the mountain peak."
"Pass? Thou cannot pass here anymore. Ladon won't let thee."
"I'm afraid they are right," Marcus said. "I'll go and distract Ladon while you three go through the path. Don't worry, I won't fight it for too long."
"No, there will be no fighting," Zoe insisted. "I'll go talk to Ladon, and while he is focused on me, thou will sneak around."
"You're crazy if you think that will go smoothly," Marcus protested. "That thing is nothing more than a beast. You'll only end up devoured."
"Thou don't understand. I was there when Ladon was growing up. He won't hurt me," Zoe said before walking up to the huge dragon.
One of the Hesperides was about to comment on it but a glare from Marcus quickly shut her up.
"Ladon, wake!" Zoe yelled as the dragon began to stir, his many heads hissing before looking up at the Hunter who smiled. "It's me, my little dragon. Zoe has come back."
The three others began slowly sneaking around, with Percy and Thalia sweating in nervousness since the dragon was still really close. They were over halfway there, with Zoe getting closer to the dragon.
"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"
The dragon's slitted eyes glinted for a second, before he suddenly lunged at Zoe, surprising the Huntress.
Then Marcus suddenly appeared, deflecting the dragon's fangs with one of the Blades before wrapping an arm around surprised Zoe's waist and running away from there. The moment Ladon saw who it was, he roared before he began attacking.
"Run!" Marcus exclaimed as he narrowly avoided an attack from one of Ladon's heads, Percy and Thalia quickly running up. Marcus quickly joined them as put Zoe on the ground, the four quickly moving away from Ladon's reach.
Marcus turned to Zoe. "I told you, Ladon is nothing more than a beast. As you saw, it didn't matter if you raised him, he will attack anything."
"I… I never thought he would…" Her voice trailed off before she let out several tears before wiping them with her sleeve. "Let us go. Lady Artemis needs our help."
Thalia and Percy felt sorry for Zoe, having her trust betrayed like that. They understood very well how that could feel like.
They reached the top, which turned out to be filled with blocks of black granite, stone statues, and columns.
"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.
"Yes," Zoe said. "It was not here before. This is bad."
"What's Mount Othrys?" Percy asked.
"In the war between the Olympians and the Titans, Othrys served the Titans' capital," Marcus explained. "And it would seem it got teleported here like Olympus was to the Empire State Building."
"This is also the mountain where Atlas holds- held the sky," Zoe corrected herself after remembering what situation they were in.
"Ah, right," Percy said. "Hey, Marcus, that quest yo-"
"Not now!" Marcus interrupted.
They reached the summit where some distance in front of them the sky seemed to gather in one place, compressing into a single point. And just at that point was Artemis herself, forced into a kneeling position.
Zoe's eyes widened. "My lady!"
She was about to rush over but Marcus grabbed her by the arm. "Don't be stupid, this setup screams 'trap'! You should prepare yourself to fight instead."
A booming laugh followed that statement. "Well, aren't you a clever demigod," came a sarcastic voice from a man who walked up in front of Artemis, with the goddess giving him a glare. The man was bald, dressed in a black business suit, the titan Atlas. At his side was Luke, along with half a dozen Dracanae. Next to Luke was Annabeth, tied up and gagged, with Luke pointing his sword at her throat. Behind them was a golden sarcophagus.
She had a desperate look in her grey eyes, but not directed at herself, but her friends.
"Looks like your little poison didn't work," Atlas told Luke. "This demigod is still alive."
Luke grumbled as he looked at Marcus who didn't look any worse for wear. "Maybe, but I still have a few cards up my sleeve."
"Let her go, Luke," Thalia snarled.
"Good to see you again too, Thalia," Luke said with a somewhat strained smile. "You know, it's a shame Maya isn't here. Then the whole gang would be back together."
That got him glares from Marcus, Thalia, and even Annabeth, with Marcus' being the most filled with rage.
"I must say, that scar looks nice on you, Marcus," Luke said.
Marcus scoffed. "Mirrors yours, doesn't it? Are you still blaming me for the one you got, or are we even now?"
"I never blamed you for it, Marcus. Trust me," Luke said before he snapped his fingers. "But I know who does blame you."
Soon, three more people showed up, but this time they were teenagers dressed in Greek armor and armed with Greek weapons. The group recognized them as demigods.
One was a young man of average height with black hair and brown eyes, but the most distinguishing feature was that a part of his cheek was missing, showing some of his teeth, a sight that made Percy and Thalia feel a bit uncomfortable. The next one was a taller girl with long black hair and grey eyes similar to that of Annabeth, and the last one next to her was a male demigod who was the tallest among them, with brown hair and blue eyes.
All of them had one thing in common, and that was glaring daggers at Marcus.
"Hey there, Marcus," the scarred one said with venom dripping from his voice.
"Do you even remember us?" the girl asked.
"Michael Turner," Marcus said as he looked at the scarred one before looking at the girl. "Elizabeth Foster." He then looked at the brown-haired one. "John Harper."
"Marcus, who are they," Thalia asked as she's never seen these people before.
"Unclaimed demigods. They accompanied me and Luke on our quest for a Golden Apple-"
"And you left us behind!" Elizabeth angrily interrupted.
The group was shocked to hear this. "What does she mean 'left them behind'?" Percy asked.
"She is only whining," Marcus said. "I had no choice."
Years ago, back at the Garden of the Hesperides, Michael, Elizabeth, John, Luke, and Marcus engaged Ladon, the guardian of the apples. Some days ago, Maya has gotten sick with a strange illness that the camp didn't have medicine for, though Chiron had an idea that might have helped, with Marcus immediately agreeing even without knowing what it is.
Chiron explained that a single apple from the Garden of Hesperides would be enough to make a cure that is capable of healing any illness. Luke wanted to join the quest, along with three other unclaimed demigods who wanted to prove their worth.
After days of travel, they arrived in the garden. They tried to negotiate with the Hesperides, but they wouldn't budge and the group ended up fighting Ladon.
Marcus dropped from the tree, with a single apple in his hand. "We're done here! Let's go!"
"No!" Luke yelled as he faced the many-headed dragon. "I'll slay this beast!"
"Luke, don't be an idiot, we can't fight it!" John yelled as he narrowly avoided a bit from Ladon.
Luke didn't listen and got ready to fight. He blocked a bite with his shield, which slowly began to cave in but Luke used the opportunity to stab the head in the eyes, making howl in pain.
The son of Hermes smirked at his accomplishment, but just barely noticed the dragon's spiked tail coming at him. He brought his shield to block but not completely as one of the spikes scratched across the eyes as the force of the tail swipe knocked him back.
Luke brought a hand to his wounded face, feeling the blood dripping down and some entering his eye, making it sting. He gasped when he saw the head he wounded about to bite. Then a slashing sound was heard as the head fell off, making the rest of the dragon heads yell in pain.
"You really are an idiot," Marcus grumbled before sheathing his blades coated with dragon blood and grabbing Luke before tossing it over his shoulder. Before Luke could protest, Marcus said "Sorry, but I can't have you slowing me down."
He then ran towards the exit, the three others noticing and quickly following, wanting to get away from the dragon as soon as possible.
Ladon, angrier than he has even been, saw the demigod with an apple towards the pathway and began following.
Marcus came to a stop as he noticed that the path was blocked with some rocks, no doubt caused by the fighting.
"Fuck!" he yelled and looked back to see Ladon coming. He knew that he didn't have the time to move all the rocks away.
Then there was the sound of a horse's neigh coming from the sky, and Marcus saw a Pegasus descending down. But not just a regular Pegasus, this one was colored brown and had a flaming mane along with flaming wings.
The flaming Pegasus then landed in front of Marcus, who quickly helped Luke mount it before hopping on himself.
"Hey, wait!" Michael yelled as he and the other two ran with him.
Luke then spoke. "Marcus, we should-"
"No," Marcus interrupted. "We'll never make it back in time."
And so the fiery Pegasus spread his wings and ascended into the air with Luke and Marcus on his back.
"No, don't leave us!" Elizabeth yelled with a slight sob, but the Pegasus only got further away as Marcus directed it back to camp.
"I'm surprised you three are still alive," Marcus said.
"Ladon was after you because you had the apple, so we lucked out," John explained.
"And now you're angry and joined Kronos," Marcus said in a mocking tone. "You're just as pathetic as Luke."
"Marcus, why did you leave them?" Thalia asked flabbergasted.
"Because the Pegasus couldn't carry all five of us, and if it could we would have been too slow," Marcus explained. "Besides, who would you rather save? A person you actually care about, or some people you barely know?"
"And where is Maya now?" Michael asked angrily but his blood then ran cold as Marcus glared at him.
"The same place you are going in a short while," Marcus threatened before looking at Luke. "What is this supposed to be? Did you bring those three here for some small chance that I might hesitate? Sorry, but after everything that happened I am not against spilling demigod blood."
Atlas groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "All this drama is getting on my nerves."
"Please, lord Atlas, wait just a little more," Luke pleaded to which the titan reluctantly agreed. "They aren't here for you exactly, but there is one person who is."
The group heard someone grunting and complaining, as one of the Dracanae came into view, carrying a man with her. He was dressed casually, with only a locket dangling from around his neck. The group was confused at first, not recognizing who the monster was carrying, while Marcus looked in shock.
"Why are you bringing me here?" the man demanded as he glared at Luke. "What is all-?" The man stopped talking as his eyes landed on the tattooed demigod. "Marcus? Is that you?"
Marcus didn't respond, only staring at the man, while the rest were dumbfounded.
"Oh, quite a few twists and turns we have here," Luke said. "What's the matter, Marcus? Got nothing to say to your dear old dad?"
Percy couldn't believe what he heard. This was Marcus' stepdad? Thalia also held similar thoughts as she looked back at Marcus.
Zoe watched Marcus intently, wanting to see how he would react to the news.
Marcus lowered his head a bit, his shoulders shaking. Everyone wondered what that meant? Was he sad?
Those thoughts were put to rest as they heard several chuckles come from Marcus, growing louder and louder by the moment before turning into laughter, but not a joyful one but a mocking one.
The rest were shocked to hear him laugh, Luke and Thalia especially. Marcus never laughed. Smile, grin, sure. But never laugh.
"Luke, if I didn't think you were desperate before, I certainly do now," Marcus said as that uncomfortably amused smile still graced his lips. "You seriously went all the way to get my stepfather, and for what? To hold him hostage?" Marcus' smile dropped, his expression once again becoming an angry one.
James Addams couldn't believe what he was seeing. Why was his son acting like this?
"Why in all of Hades, would you think that I had any care for him?! Especially after what he's done!"
"M-Marcus," James stuttered. "I-I'm sorry about what happened. I w-was angry and I didn't mean to-"
"And you don't get to speak!" Marcus yelled, shutting his stepfather up. "After what happened there is no excuse you can say that will ever make me forgive you! My life was RUINED! Maya is DEAD! All while you got away with NO consequences after making up that burglar story!" James gained a sad look in his eyes before hanging his head down in shame, some small tears falling from his eyes. Marcus then looked back at Luke. "And you go ahead. You can kill him for all I care. In fact," he said as his blades caught fire. "I think I might do it for you."
Atlas gave an annoyed. "I think I heard enough," he said before approaching the captured James. "We only wasted time."
James was afraid of what the titan was planning. "What are you-?" Atlas then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him away, with James screaming as he flew.
"No," Marcus whispered as he saw his stepfather disappear over the cliff.
Zoe was shocked, both by what Atlas has done, and what she unintentionally heard Marcus say. So Marcus was only bluffing. "Cease this, father!" Zoe yelled as she narrowed her eyes at Atlas. "How many more people will you hurt?!"
"Wait, father?" Percy said, shocked at yet another revelation this night. Then he remembered that the Hesperides were daughters of Atlas and since Zoe used to be one of them… well, he can put two and two together.
Atlas chuckled. "Sorry, my treacherous daughter, but it would appear that I will hurt plenty of people today. Even you, if you get in my way."
"Thalia," Luke called out. "Listen to me. You can call the Ophiotaurus and-"
"Forget it," Atlas interrupted as Luke looked at him in surprise. "You had your last chance at this, Luke. And so far, you got no results. You failed to kill this demigod. Those three and the kid's stepfather were only a waste of time."
"But, we agreed-"
"We did," Atlas interrupted again. "But from what I've seen, Marcus here will kill Thalia if she chooses to join us. He obviously isn't afraid to sacrifice someone for a cause."
Luke's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? He wouldn't do that."
"Oh, really? With what happened just a minute ago, I think you aren't a good judge of his character." Atlas then looked at the golden sarcophagus. "You put too much faith in the boy, Kronos. This plan was doomed from the start."
Luke bit his lip in frustration. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. He didn't want to fight his former friends. And he knew Marcus wouldn't do that to Thalia but now there was no way he was going to convince Atlas of that.
Annabeth noticed that Luke was too deep in his thoughts, so she decided to act. She quickly stomped on Luke's foot, making him grunt in pain before she slammed her back into him.
"Now!" Marcus exclaimed and the four rushed at their enemies.
Thalia engaged Luke, Percy attacked Atlas who manifested a spear from thin air as his weapon, Zoe went to assist Percy while Marcus went to take care of the Dracanae that gathered around Annabeth, almost instantly turning half of them to dust, and the rest soon followed, Marcus easily dispatching them.
Marcus then quickly sliced her bonds and removed the gag. "Are you alright?"
Annabeth spat on the ground, trying to get rid of the cloth's taste in her mouth. "Yeah, I am."
Marcus nodded before turning away and seeing Michael, Elizabeth, and John were attacking him.
"Get away, Annabeth! They're mine!"
Thalia shot a bolt of lightning at Luke who deflected it with Backbiter. Then she went for a lunge that Luke deflected with his shield.
"Stop this Thalia!" Luke yelled as he blocked another strike. "You can still join us. Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods?! It's time we did more than just talk."
Luke deflected another spear strike, before countering with his blade, but Thalia moved fast enough to avoid it.
"Call the Ophiotaurus, sacrifice it, and become more powerful than the gods! With my ship down there, we can soon storm Camp Half-blood, before going to Olympus itself!"
"I won't join you, Luke!" Thalia said as she deflected a sword strike from him. "I have people I care about, and I'm not going to betray them!"
"And what of the demigods who are untreated unfairly? What of the ones Marcus betrayed?"
Thalia moved away from a slash. "While I don't agree with what Marcus did, I can't say I wouldn't have done the same if you were in that situation. As for other demigods, it's a shame but joining the titans is worse! I won't be a pawn to Kronos like you are!"
"Then you leave me no choice," Luke said through gritted teeth as they continued their fight.
Percy slashed with his sword, but Atlas used his lance to deflect the strike before backhanding Percy away.
The son of Poseidon had to admit, of all the stupid things he had done, challenging a titan was definitely somewhere on top.
Zoe shot an arrow at Atlas but the titan easily deflected it. He then attacked Zoe with his spear, forcing her to use her dagger to defend herself.
"You should really reconsider your actions, Zoe," Atlas said before flicking the knife away. "Fighting me is suicide."
Zoe looked defiantly at her father. "I'd rather die than join you."
Atlas scowled. "Then you force my hand."
He was about to attack but turned around and blocked an incoming attack from Percy. "A persistent one, aren't you?"
Zoe quickly recovered her dagger and joined Percy in fighting her father.
Marcus blocked the attacks sent his way by the three unclaimed demigods. He had to admit that they were better than when he last saw them.
"You'll pay for what you did!" John yelled as he attacked Marcus with his sword, Elizabeth joining him but Marcus blocked both of their attacks.
Marcus growled. These three were really starting to annoy him. He had no regret for what he did and their persistence on the matter was infuriating.
Michael went to stab Marcus from behind with his spear, but Marcus quickly turned around and sliced the spear's shaft, shocking the demigod. But he didn't stay shocked for long as Marcus' other blade cut right through his neck, making Michael drop the remains of his weapon so he could stop the blood from seeping from his throat, though it was in vain.
"Michael, no!" John yelled but Marcus was already upon him. Before he could fully retaliate, Marcus sliced off his sword arm before giving a huge slash across his torso, spilling a lot of blood before John fell down, dead along with Michael.
Elizabeth looked in fear as she saw her friends cut down so easily. Her eyes met Marcus' and a new wave of dread washed over her. She dropped her sword to the ground before running away, not wanting to be the next one to die.
"Oh, now you run?" Marcus asked rhetorically. "You will learn. There is no escaping my wrath!"
"Marcus, stop!" Annabeth yelled, making him turn around to see a frightened look on her face. "Just let her go. You've done enough."
Marcus spared a glance at Elizabeth retreating in fear. He wanted to chase her down, but he didn't want Annabeth to feel any more discomfort. "Fine."
Annabeth gave him a nod before seeing Percy and Zoe fighting Atlas, fear gripping her once again. "Hurry, Marcus! We need to help them!"
Marcus then also noticed the two fighting Atlas and he was about to join the fray, but then he saw Artemis, still holding the sky above her. Despite all his skills, he knew that a god would be a better help.
He swiftly ran over to Artemis who looked up in surprise. "Listen, I'll take the sky, and you stop Atlas!" Marcus then quickly kneeled next to her and put his hands on the celestial mass.
Artemis gave him a nod before moving away from her spot, with Marcus letting out a loud grunt at the sudden weight of the sky. This was easily the hardest thing he ever had to hold. Saying that this thing weighed a million tons wouldn't do it justice, not even close. Marcus admired Annabeth for holding it as long as she did.
The moon goddess stretched her arms a little so she could gain a proper feeling in them. "I thank you for your assistance," she told Marcus. "I'll bring Atlas here shortly."
Artemis then ran over to the titan, who was, unfortunately, gaining upper hand on Percy and Zoe. With a mighty swipe of the spear, he sent both of them away as he smirked. Atlas then turned around to see Artemis free and running at him.
He grumbled before he went to engage the goddess who took out two hunting knives. They moved in a blur, striking and countering each other's attacks with incredible precision. Unlike before, this was an even match.
Percy was surprised to see Artemis here, and then he looked to the side where he saw Marcus kneeling down, with the heavens now on his shoulders.
Zoe also noticed it, made her feel both happy and fearful. Happy that Marcus was the one who saved her goddess, and fearful at how much he was enduring under all that weight.
"Come on, Zoe! Let's help Artemis."
Zoe would have chastised him for not using proper language when addressing her goddess, but she let it slide this time and only gave him a nod. The two then ran at Atlas, who was surprised to see them upon him again.
Now the titan was forced to defend himself from three opponents.
Marcus looked at the battle going on as he began sweating from his new labor. The three were holding Atlas on the ropes, the titan general using all his skill to avoid getting hit.
The red-eyed demigod then got an idea, one he thought was probably not very smart. It would appear that Percy left at least some sort of imprint on him.
He let one of his hands down, letting the other one carry most of the weight. It became harder but Marcus endured. His now free hand reached for one of his blades.
Atlas continued to avoid as many strikes as possible, but being attacked from three fronts definitely didn't make easy. He had confidence he could take out Artemis one-on-one, but this almost became too much. Maybe he needed to make a tactical retreat.
A sudden burst of pain made Atlas let out an audible grunt, with his three opponents looking in shock at what happened. A blade pierced right through Atlas from the back, with the golden ichor dripping down.
Marcus smirked as he saw that his aim was true, piercing the titan through with a Blade of Chaos. "Get… over here!" Marcus yelled as he pulled the chained blade, making Atlas fly right at him. The titan slammed into the demigod and pushing him away, and his hands quickly grabbed unto the heavens.
"No!" Atlas said as he got back into a kneeling position, his wound from the blade already healing as he retook his old burden. "Curse you!"
"No, curse you titan!" Artemis said as she glared at the titan. She looked at Marcus who was getting up and crossed her arms. "That was a risky move."
"But it worked," Marcus said as he stretched his arms.
Thalia and Luke continued fighting, with Thalia pushing Luke to the cliffside.
"You can't beat me!" Thalia said as she drove Luke back.
Luke then went for another stab but Thalia swung her shield, which flung the sword right out of Luke's hands. But the force then made him lose balance, making him move back which also led him right to the edge of the cliff where he lost his footing and fell down.
Thalia gasped, not intending for that to happen. She looked down and saw Luke lying on a rock, unmoving.
"Oh, no!" Annabeth said as she ran next to Thalia, and saw Luke as well.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I didn't mean to, it just… happened."
Marcus walked over to the girls and looked down. He gave a sigh, knowing that Luke would eventually meet a gruesome fate.
"HELP ME!" All of them jolted in surprise. "I can't hold on any longer!"
Marcus immediately recognized the voice as his stepfather's, with the rest taking longer to figure it out. They looked at the spot where the man was calling from and Marcus immediately ran there.
Kneeling over the edge of the cliff, he saw James grabbing unto the rocks but his grip. "Marcus, please-AAAHHHHH!" his hands slipped as he began falling down but Marcus's arm quickly moved to grab him, with his fingers only touching the locket his stepfather had but James was able to grab unto Marcus' hand.
James then hanged over the waters below, a firm grip on Marcus' hand. Looking down, James let out a relieved sigh and looked to his son. "Thank you, Marcus," he said as he let out a heavy breath. "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened to your mother, to your sister, and to you. But I promise I'll make it up to you in any way I can."
The group arrived at the scene, except for Artemis who called for her chariot. Percy thought that this may be a turning point in Marcus' life, a chance to reconcile things with his stepdad, with Annabeth and Thalia having similar thoughts. They knew Marcus deserved it.
Zoe was honestly somewhat surprised to see this. Was Marcus really willing to forgive him after all he did?
"What do you say, son?" James asked, waiting for Marcus' confirmation. But to his surprise, James only saw hatred in Marcus' red eyes, making him feel really nervous. "S-son?"
Marcus then lifted him closer, wanting his stepdad to hear something. "I'm not your son," he told him in a growly whisper, but James was able to clearly hear what Marcus said. Marcus then put a hand on James' shoulder and pushed, yanking the locket off of his neck and making him fall down.
"NOOOOOO!" James yelled before he hit the rocks below, and his body dropped into the water.
Marcus got up and eyed the locket he took before turning towards his team, only to see them all looking at him with wide eyes and mouths hanging open.
Thalia was the one who recovered first. "Wh-why did you do that?!"
"And what did you expect me to do?" Marcus asked. "Did you really think that I would forgive him, after all the suffering he caused?"
"Bu-but… You just killed him!" Percy exclaimed.
Marcus was silent for a moment. "No, you're right," he said. "Maybe I should have turned him to stone before selling his corpse as art."
Percy blinked for a moment, remembering how his own stepfather, Gabe Ugliano ended up. Now that he thought about, he did end up essentially killing Gabe when he gave his mother the head of Medusa.
"But, Marcus," Annabeth said. "He wanted to make it up to you."
"There is nothing he could have done to make me forgive him," Marcus said.
Zoe then looked at the locket that he held firmly. She originally thought that earlier Marcus was worried about his stepfather, but it would seem that this was why he was worried.
"What is this?" Zoe asked.
Marcus then opened the locket and showed it to them. There was a picture of a woman inside it, and they immediately knew who it was.
"After what he did to her, he doesn't deserve to wear it," Marcus said before taking out his pouch and placing the locket inside.
Several Dracanae, Laistrygonian giants, and several other monsters then appeared on the mountain, causing the group to immediately reach for their weapons.
"Ugh, and I was just done with fighting for today," Percy complained.
There was a strange buzzing noise in the air, followed by an appearance of a Sopwith Camel whose machine guns fired upon the monsters, reducing many of them to gold dust.
Annabeth immediately recognized who was the pilot. "Dad?"
Artemis was impressed by this mortal's bravery since not many would go and battle monsters. Then she saw the chariot pulled by her deer arrived.
The moment the chariot arrived, Artemis took the reins. "Everyone, climb aboard!"
All of them obliged and boarded the chariot, which thankfully Artemis could shape in any form she liked so all of them fit nicely in it.
Zoe was last but stopped to give one last look at her father, whose whole attention was now on them. "Goodbye, father," she said before boarding the chariot.
Atlas brought his head down so he didn't look at his daughter. "Goodbye, Zoe," the titan said, not sure if she could hear him.
The chariot then flew off from the new mount Othrys, with Frederick Chase following them in his biplane.
They later landed at Chrissy Field during nightfall, where Annabeth immediately went to embrace her dad. When asked how he killed those monsters, he explained that he was able to turn some of Annabeth's bronze weapons into bullets, weapons that stayed behind after Annabeth… left.
After saying her thanks to the group for saving her, Artemis teleported to Olympus to have the council with the gods at the winter solstice.
A little while later, Blackjack came along with two other pegasi so they could escort them to Mount Olympus.
And that's where they were currently at, standing within the council chamber of Olympus, with all twelve Olympians sitting at their giant thrones.
"The council was notified of your deeds. Now that the threat of Kronos is clear, we have decided to act," Artemis said, now in her adult form. "Apollo and I will hunt large monsters, Athena will check on the imprisoned titans and Poseidon will make sure to sink Princess Andromeda." She explained. "And as for you, nobody on Olympus can deny what you've done."
The praise made the group blush, except for Marcus and Zoe.
"Wait just a minute," Ares said. "Have you forgotten about the prophecy?" He then pointed at Thalia and Percy. "These two runts are dangerous. I say we run both of them through and be done with it."
The demigods looked at Ares in anger, having to pass all of the hardships only for Percy and Thalia to be rewarded with death?
"They are worthy heroes," Zeus said. "We will not kill my daughter."
"Nor my son," Poseidon added.
"I hate to admit it, but Ares has a point," Athena said, surprising even Ares considering how they almost never agree on anything. "Since they are by one of the Big Three, there is a risk in them being alive."
"Mother!" Annabeth exclaimed.
"Thalia and Percy will not be harmed. I insist upon it," Zeus reaffirmed his position. "The question is… what to do with the Ophiotaurus?"
"We should just get rid of it. Simple as that," Dionysus suggested.
"That won't be necessary," Poseidon said. "I will build a special aquarium for it with the help of Hephaestus. We will protect it with all of our power, and it will be kept safe."
Percy gave a smile when he heard that, happy that Bessie won't be killed.
"But there is still a matter of your birthday, daughter," Zeus said. "The prophecy says that the demigod will have to reach sixteen, which for you is very soon."
"Perhaps not," Artemis said. "She could join my hunters to where she would stop aging. And a talented girl like her is always welcome."
Marcus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not only did Artemis manipulate young girls into joining her hunt, but now she was using the situation to have Thalia join to where she couldn't before.
"Think of that choice carefully, daughter," Zeus said in a serious tone.
The group turned to Thalia who stood there silently for a moment.
"Thalia, you can't be seriously considering this," Marcus said.
The daughter of Zeus gave a sigh before looking at her friend. "I know you don't like it, and I'm not a big fan of it either, but we need to make some sacrifices. With this, I will not turn sixteen tomorrow, and the prophecy can be avoided," Thalia said before turning to the moon goddess. "Lady Artemis, I accept."
Marcus didn't like the decision. He didn't want his friend joining the Hunters, but he knew that Thalia would sacrifice herself in order to protect the people she cared for, and if that meant joining the Hunters to delay the prophecy, then Marcus couldn't protest. Despite really wanting to.
Zoe then approached Thalia with an extended hand. "Welcome to the Hunters of Artemis, sister," she said with a smile. Thalia was hesitant at first but she took her hand.
"But the boy is still dangerous," Dionysus said. "What if he becomes tempted by the power."
"My dad will keep the Ophiotaurus safe," Percy said. "Besides, I'm only fourteen. That leaves us with two years."
"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena protested.
"I vouch for my son," Poseidon said. "He is not a threat."
Percy blushed at his dad's assurance in him.
"Well then, all in favor?" Zeus asked, which made everyone except Ares, Athena, and Dionysus raise their hands. "We have a majority. Now, let the triumph celebration begin!"
Soon there was a big party thrown in Olympus. Soon all kinds of music began playing, and along with ambrosia and nectar an incredible variety of foods, drinks, and snacks. Many gods, nymphs, satyrs, and such joined the party, with entire dance floors filled with them.
Marcus wasn't the one for dancing so he just ate some snacks and took some drinks, but the events of the day still playing in his head. He remembered the vision he had, and so far almost every word spoken in it came true. But the last one…
"Hey, Marcus!" Thalia called out. "Aren't you going to dance?"
Marcus shrugged. "I'm not a partying type," he said.
"Shame," Thalia said. "Those two look really happy." Marcus saw her pointing at Percy and Annabeth were dancing together. "Hey, if you don't mind me asking you something," she said. "How were you able to read those papers? Weren't you also dyslexic?"
"Simple, I decided that dyslexia was an unnecessary weakness, so I took as many books as I could and powered through them. Eventually, I was able to read normally."
"That… doesn't sound like the healthiest way to do it," Thalia commented.
"But it worked."
"Right." A brief silence between the two of them followed before Thalia broke it again. "I'm sorry about what happened with your stepdad."
Marcus sighed. "Don't be. He got what he deserved."
"Are you sure that's what he deserved?"
Before Marcus could answer, he was quickly flanked by two familiar faces. Lora and Zora.
"Oh, Marcus, you're alive!" Zora exclaimed as she hugged him tightly along with her sister.
"We were so worried about you!" Lora said as the two of them kissed him on the lips.
Thalia began to feel awkward. "I'm… going to be there if someone needs me," she said before walking away, leaving Marcus to catch up with those two.
Zoe Nightshade enjoyed the party. While not really an often visitor to these types of events, there were things to be entertained with. The music for example.
Zoe took a bite out of a biscuit before she noticed Marcus at one of the food stands, and currently being embraced by two beautiful women, one of which she recognized from before.
Disappointment was written all over her face she looked at those two clinging to him. She honestly just wanted to-
"Zoe!" she heard Artemis call, slightly startling her.
Zoe turned to meet her goddess who was now in her mature form. "Is there something thou need of me, my lady?"
"We need to talk," Artemis said in a serious tone, one that made Zoe feel nervous. "Follow me."
Not really liking where this was going, Zoe followed her to one of the balconies.
"What dost thou need to talk about?" Zoe asked, hiding her nervousness the best she could.
"It's about Marcus Addams." The moment those words came out of Artemis' mouth, Zoe's nervousness increased. "Zoe, what are the requirements of my hunters?"
"We have to be maidens, and we have to reject love," Zoe answered.
"That is correct Zoe," Artemis said. "Which is why I was surprised to hear that you were smitten by a boy."
Zoe's eyes widened as she slowly began to sweat. "What dost thou mean, my lady?"
"Phoebe spoke to me before about this, how you uncharacteristically act towards this particular demigod, like how you let him chastise you and speak up to you," Artemis explained. "I thought that maybe this demigod only gained your respect somehow as Percy Jackson did, but after I saw how you look at him I could tell that's not just it."
With every word spoken Zoe began fearing more and more.
"You love Marcus, don't you?" Artemis asked making Zoe gasp slightly. "You love him despite seeing him with those two women?"
"Well, he did say that his relationship with them wasn't-"
"And now you're defending him?" Artemis interrupted which made Zoe's eyes widen at the realization of what she was doing. "You never defended a man like this, Zoe."
"L-lady Artemis, I-I can explain."
"You don't have to explain anything," Artemis said. "Zoe, you know what I must do."
"B-but, my lady, thou can't-!" Zoe protested. "Thou can't do this! I've been thine lieutenant for over two thousand years!"
"Which is why I was so surprised to find out you had feelings for a man," Artemis said. "Zoe, I'm sorry to say but I can't have you be a part of my Hunters anymore."
"My lady, please don't do this!" Zoe said with a pleading look in her eyes. "If my feelings are a problem then I'll get rid of them!"
Artemis sighed before shaking her head. "I know you're lying to me. I've been with you for so long I can tell when you're not telling the truth."
Zoe's eyes began to fill with tears, not wanting to accept what was happening. Artemis was also saddened to see her in such a state, but she had to do this.
"I cannot make any exceptions, you know that," Artemis said. "So, for breaking your oath, I officially take back the immortality that I've given to you. Zoe Nightshade, you are no longer part of the Hunters of Artemis. Your position as a lieutenant will be given to Thalia from now on. However, you can keep your bow and arrows as a parting gift from me."
Tears streamed down Zoe's eyes as she began sobbing. "My lady, please… don't do this."
Artemis closed her eyes. "It has already been done," she said before turning away. "I thank you for all the years of service, and I hope you can find your future outside the Hunters of Artemis."
And so the goddess left Zoe alone and rejoined the party that was happening. No longer being able to hold it in, she let all the tears begin streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed loudly. She curled at one of the benches on the balcony as she covered her teary eyes with her hands.
What was she supposed to do now? She worked so hard to hide her feelings, and now when they were exposed, the life she knew for over two millennia was over. And the man she had feelings for was currently in the arms of two other women, so she couldn't seek any comfort from him.
Zoe's crying continued for a while as she sat at the bench, with the blaring lights and the music of the party giving an incredible contrast to how she was feeling.
She wondered how Fates could be so cruel.
The next day, Marcus walked within the Big House after a good night's rest. He made sure to put his mother's locket in a special place in his room, and he now decided to go out and perhaps give Percy some pointers in swordsmanship.
Marcus then made a sharp turn as he took out his blades, facing a figure that immediately put its hands up defensively. The man, or creature in front of him was completely black, with some yellow crystals on his chest and arms, with his eyes also being the same color.
"If this is supposed to be some sort of sneak attack, then I've seen far better," Marcus said as he glared at the strange man. "Though, I'm interested in how you got here."
"Be at ease, I mean you no harm," the man said. "I know what's been bothering you, Marcus, and I'm here to help you."
Marcus's eyes narrowed. "And what exactly did you come to help me with?"
The answer came quickly. "To free you of your service to Ares."
AN: And that is it for now! Man, this chapter was a doozy to write but I did it. I'm sorry if I left it on a more negative note, but this is how it came out.
By the way, have any of you seen the new Blood of Zeus show on Netflix? I watched it and it was great. Great action, animation, characters and twists a plenty.
I Implore you to also check out my other stories, they are worth the time. And leave a review, they are great motivators.
Well, Happy Halloween, and see you next time!