Chapter 25
Greetings readers! I hope that all of you enjoyed the previous chapter!
In response to Mysterytrident14's review, yes, some parts of this trilogy, especially the personal relationships are based on certain events of my own life. This trilogy has never just been some hobby for me. Every time I sit down to type a part of this trilogy, I try to infuse a part of myself into it, in order to give it life, if that makes sense. And while this story is certainly harder to write and plan ahead compared to the other two, requiring longer chapters and more detailed plot lines, I am determined to see it to the end. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Shadowhunter2077's, thank you for your very kind and supportive words. You are right, stuff like this is just a part of life. Yes! That's exactly what I want the readers to feel about Calypso. What she is doing is not right. But you can't help but feel for her. I mean, anyone in her position would probably have done something similar. I agree, I feel like character development is really important for a story. It's just as, if not more important than a good plotline. Otherwise, I don't really see any point in a story. If the characters aren't progressing, the story isn't really going anywhere. And I very glad to know you agree with that!
Yes, while having so many pantheons did give us more of Rick's awesome work, I did get a bit confused to be honest. I do agree with you. How can so many pantheons, all consisting of arrogant super-powerful immortals who think of themselves as the undisputed rulers of the world not only coexist peacefully but also share domains? It sounds nice but without elaboration, it just feels a bit messy. However, it would be really nice if Rick could come up with a good explanation for it. Thank you for your continued support!
I would like to thank mrhunterjdavis for your continued support! It's great to be back!
In response to ItsYaBoi325's review, it is great to have you back on board! Yes, I guess basing some of the relationships of this trilogy on my own does make them more powerful, and allows me to let the emotions flow through interactions. I like to think this is my way of giving life to these characters to ensure that they're not just some random fictional characters. The big bad(s) for the demigods are going to be demititans and to a certain extent, even Luke. But I'll go into more detail about that in the coming chapters. Thank you for your continued support!
I would like to thank MegaRayquaza8121 for your continued support! It's great to be back!
I would like to thank HellRaiderS for your continued support! I really look forward to updating more regularly as well!
In response to fugy's review, could I know what exactly you mean by normal? Percy is definitely going to get more mentally resilient and stable but the thing is, he will never be able to return to exactly how he was before. He will eventually adapt to a new normal, and the process for that has already started but he's definitely a changed man. He still has the same core values but is different around the edges. And this is something I will go into a bit more detail in the rest of this arc. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Ryan Fowler's review, it is very sad to hear that your aunt passed and I can only offer my deepest condolences to you. Your father sounded like a very wise man. Of course, it's really hard sometimes but like all times, bad times pass as well. Thank you so much for your kind and compassionate words and once again, I offer my deepest condolence. Thank you for offering a chance a to talk to you. You are right, it definitely helps to sometimes have someone to talk to! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to DaoGodPrimus' review, I am doing much, much better than I was a few months ago. Of course, it never is quite really that simple to come away from such events but it's good to work on my passion and hobbies as they allow to connect with the good parts of my life. And writing is definitely one of those. Of course, I have every intention of finishing this trilogy. The only thing is that it's taking a bit longer than expected. Thank you for your kind words as well as for your continued support!
In response to the guest reviewer(the one who reviews frequently), yeah, Luke has no chance of convincing Thalia in this continuity but that's his way of holding on to at least one thing from his past. You have made a very acute observation with regards to Luke and Old King Cannibal but for the sake of not spoiling the story, I can't say anything :)
Actually, Calypso training to beat Athena is very much inspired by that Doctor Strange What If episode. I was really, really impressed by it and realised that it has a great chance of being integrated with this story. There are definitely many differences as well as other things that I based it on but I did take inspiration from the concept. Yeah Kym has a rough patch ahead. I guess love life troubles is the easiest way to put it. But it doesn't matter anymore, I don't want to let one part of my life hold other parts of it hostage and prevent me from doing what I love. And writing is definitely one of those things. Thank you for your continued support as well as for your kind words! P.S. It's great to be back!
In response to TheGracefulHuntress' review, rather than lust, I would say Calypso's obsession with getting back with Percy is more down to the crushing loneliness and suffering that she had to go through when Percy left her. And she had already been suffering for a millennia before that. So for four thousand years, Percy had been the only source of happiness for her, that too in a fleeting moment of just two years. So she naturally thinks that she can be happy only with him.
This is actually modelled after a real life psychological problem and I feel like this makes Calypso a sympathetic anti-villain at worst and a wronged anti-hero at best. So this makes her maybe the greyest character in this alternate universe and this is something I feel really makes the readers think and feel. Calypso is very strong in this AU because since she is Atlas' firstborn, as well as a daughter of Tethys, that makes her extremely powerful in this AU, given how Atlas is comparable to one of the Big Three in this continuity. Plus, as you'll soon see, her versatility in abilities is practically unmatchable. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Jubby1905's review, it's fantastic to be back and thank you so much for your kind words! Of course, I too hope to have my ideal ending and maybe I will get that one day. If I have learnt something in the past few months, it is to never give up hope. I am so, so glad that this trilogy has given you some happiness! As a reader, that's the only thing I want. I want the people who read my story to get lost in it. I want them to feel and think about it. And once they're done with it, I want them to have a smile on their face and think that was a good story. And I am extremely happy to hear that you are enjoying this trilogy! I am very happy to hear that you enjoyed the interaction between Calypso and Selene in the previous chapter! Thank you for your continued support!
I would like to thank Arden2709 for your continued support!
I would also like to thank godric777 for your continued support!
All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.
Percy hated Kymopoleia. And he hated her with an intense passion. It was very unusual for him to hold that much rage and hate for one person but Kymopoleia was one of the very few individuals who could provoke such a disdainful response from him.
"Kymopoleia." Percy venomously spat out, his tone catching Kymopoleia off-guard.
"Hello brother. I see you are still stuck with the dirty duty of the House of Poseidon. Always cleaning up their mess. You were always a gullible pawn incapable of-" Kymopoleia tried taunting Percy but she was interrupted, rather strongly, when Percy closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye and hit her at point blank range with powerful radial shockwave that immediately blew her away.
"You slimy little traitor, you don't have the right to utter the name of father with that backstabbing mouth of yours. And you don't have any right to call me your brother after you betrayed us and gave me to the Titans. I have been waiting for this day ever since I was resurrected." Percy commented, in a voice that showcased the unbridled ruthlessness in his voice.
Rather than waiting for Kymopoleia to heal, he roared in anger and dashed towards her, with a spear thrust aimed at the centre of her forehead. She only blocked it in the nick of time, with her trident. But even then, the sheer force behind his strike sent her skidding backwards.
In the meanwhile, Athena broke Phorcys and Keto out of their stupor by firing two beams of stormy grey energy that blasted them dozens of feet away. She sent a telepathic message to Percy asking him to deal with Kymopoleia quickly while she took care of the other two. She didn't wait for him to acknowledge the message as she charged towards the other two gods.
On the other hand, Kymopoleia was already struggling to keep up with Percy's furious assault. It was simply impossible for her to keep with him because he completely outclassed her in every physical attribute. She made use of her agility to twist her body and avoided a stab from his spear, but she was squarely slammed in the side with the edge of shield with enough strength to a crack a rib.
Percy gave her absolutely no respite as he slammed his knee into her gut, causing her to reel over. He then slammed his ethereally glowing shield into the back of her head and into the ground. The strike was so powerful that it caused the ground under them to crater and broke a dozen bones on her face.
She barely recovered to roll out of the way to avoid a deadly downwards thrust from his spear and shot a beam of sickly green energy that propelled Percy into a tree, temporarily halting his crushing offensive. But that did not keep him down for long.
Within just a few seconds, he was back at her and it took every single bit of Kymopoleia's strength and skill to just keep up with him and not get turned into jellyfish fillet. He blocked a stab from her trident with his shield and parried with a slash of his spear, one which Kymopoleia just deflected with the butt of her long trident. But it still grazed her neck, eliciting a hiss from her.
Elsewhere, much to the frustration of Phorcys and Keto, Athena was managing to hold both of them off at the same time. Of course, she was fully on the defensive and it was taking all her effort to not only ward off their physical strikes, but also their elemental attacks. And she knew that this was not sustainable.
Thankfully, at that moment, Percy broke through Kymopoleia's guard and embedded his spear into her shoulder. She screamed in pain but was quickly shut up when Percy hit her with a linear shockwave that sent her into Keto's back with enough force to send both of them into the sea.
This distracted Phorcys enough for Athena to slam her shield into his neck and that had a choking effect on him as he collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. But Athena offered him no mercy as she kneed him in the face, breaking his nose with a sickening crunch.
In fact, she hit him so hard that he was lifted off the ground and into the air. And seizing on that opportunity, Percy imbued his shield with his seismokinetic powers, giving it an ethereal glow and then threw it like a frisbee, aiming at Phorcys' back. And as soon the shield connected, it unleashed a shockwave that crushed the Ancient sea deity's spine and sent him into the ocean with enough speed to kick up a giant geyser of water.
"I hope you are still in control of your emotions." Athena commented with a twinge of concern.
"Yes, yes, relax. It's just that I have a rather strong distaste for traitors." Percy waved off her concern as he cracked his neck. Unlike his rage induced pummelling of Nero, this beating was fuelled by nothing but objective ruthlessness.
On cue, the three sea deities that they had kicked into the ocean, rose from it in giant pillars of water, with the worst of their injuries healed. And a moment later, dozens of sea serpents and other hideous aquatic monsters rose from the sea, rearing their heads at Percy and Athena.
"And you're supposed to be a tactical genius? You just sent us into our home element. Even if you are stronger than one of us, how do you hope to defeat three sea deities, and dozens of the most powerful sea serpents, with the help of only a daughter of Zeus." Kymopoleia scoffed.
She regretted her words a moment later when Percy ripped away her control of the water and used the very same pillar of water to engulf and choke her. She used all her innate abilities, a painful knot in her gut as she tried to wrestle back control of water. But she failed.
She would have suffocated if it weren't for Phorcys and Keto coming to her rescue, and the combined efforts of the three deities was barely enough to free Kymopoleia and when her soaked head finally meet emerged from the water, for the first time in her long, long life, she feared her own element.
However, Percy had not been idle in that time. His spear and shield were vibrating with power as they turned white with all the seismokinetic energy he poured into them. His shield also was covered in what seemed like a small hurricane while his spear had a sea green, pulsating sphere of energy at its tip. And then, he disappeared before rematerialising in front of Phorcys. Immediately, he angled his shield at the old sea god and struck its centre with the tip of his spear.
Instantly, a monstrous funnel shaped shockwave erupted from the point of contact, immediately followed by a raging hurricane and a cone of energy shaped in the same way. A fraction of a second later, the three attacks combined to form ragingly swirling bluish-white conical monstrosity that was the very embodiment of destruction.
Before Phorcys could even react, he was engulfed and vapourized by the cone. Kymopoleia and Keto managed to put up their own barriers in the nick of time but even then, they only barely managed to protect themselves. However, the sea monsters they that had gathered to aid their parents were not so fortunate and most of them were vapourized along with their father.
The few that did survive, escaped to the darkest, deepest and most secluded parts of the sea, to never be found again and in a bid to escape the natural disaster known as Perseus Diaboles. Kymopoleia seethed in fury and tried to retaliate by summoning a raging hurricane but once again, Percy ripped control of it from her.
"Kymopoleia, you should have known better than to challenge me at sea. You may be the goddess of violent sea storms but for you, the sea is just a domain. It is a tool for you to exploit and misuse. You have merely adopted it for convenience." Percy stated as battered Kymopoleia and Keto with the arm of the hurricane.
He knew that he was expending far, far more energy than required but he had a point to make and a traitor to subdue. In the meanwhile, Athena pounced on the disoriented Keto and started to overwhelm the old sea goddess, hitting her repeatedly with punishing strike after punishing strike.
"But I was born in the sea. I was moulded by it. I have spent decades fighting to keep it and the life it nurtures safe. For me, it's not just a tool that I use to fulfil my selfish, immoral goals. No. For me, it is the all-powerful, benevolent, living entity that empowers the House of Poseidon to uphold its ideals. And by violating the greatest of its ideals, you have sentenced yourself to the greatest punishment that can be mustered by me." Percy roared with a calm, yet chilling ferocity and for a moment, his eyes shifted to a primordial oceanic blue before reverting back.
Kymopoleia knew those eyes all too well. They were the same colour as that of the protogenoi of the sea. And an all-consuming terror engulfed her as Percy formed a fist of solidified water the size of a small mountain and brought it down on Kymopoleia.
The backstabbing daughter of Poseidon tried her best to slow the fist and call the sea to her aid but it refused to respond and she heard a voice in her head – "Traitor." A moment later, the fist of water smashed her into the ground with enough force to trigger a small, localised earthquake that submerged a part of the beach.
Elsewhere, Athena had cornered Keto, who was on her last ropes and was full of gashes, bruises and one deep wound at the base of her neck. For her part, Athena only looked a bit scruffy, affected by nothing more than what looked like paper cuts and minor bruises.
Finally, Athena got the opening she wanted when Keto left her guard open for a counterattack after trying to maim Athena's head. And Athena gladly took the opportunity as she deflected Keto's trident with her shield, knocking the goddess even more off-balance and without missing a beat, Athena impaled Keto through the neck with her spear, destroying the latter's physical form in a relatively painless way before retracting her spear.
"That was messier than expected." Percy casually commented as he strolled towards Athena.
"You didn't have to go that overboard. Look at how much of your elemental energy reserves you used up. We could have defeated them in a more controlled way while conserving our energy. But I have to say, I am impressed that you didn't destroy her physical form." Athena gently chastised before sharing her observation.
"Athena, her fate is for father and mother to decide. And for that matter, it is also your right to decide her punishment. Because while she did kidnap me, you were one of the people most affected by it. So I want you, along with father and mother, to decide what to do with this traitor." Percy answered with a distant look in his eyes as he pointed at the unconscious and broken form of the Kymopoleia.
"I am sure Uncle Poseidon has an appropriate punishment planned for her." Athena coldly stated as she glared at Kymopoleia's unconscious form.
Percy nodded and waved his hand and a moment later, Kymopoleia disappeared in a blue mist. She would materialise in the Atlantean Throne Room bound in Celestial Bronze chains, facing impending doom in the form of the Atlantean Royal Family.
"I am so proud of you, Percy." Athena stated with pride and relief dancing in her eyes as she returned to her civilian clothing, consisting of a blue floral pattern sundress and made her way towards Percy.
"Athena, I know that you are the goddess of warfare but you don't need to get all excited like Ares whenever I smack someone around. That would be weird. And a tiny bit worrying." Percy joked with a cheeky smile on his face, as he shifted to a Hawaiian shirt and beach shorts.
"That's not what I was talking about, Percy. And stop making me sound like a sociopath." Athena stated in an exasperated voice as she whacked the back of Percy's head, but she could not hide the fond smile on her face.
"Hey! You could have said that in a nice way." Percy indignantly complained.
"Oh really?" Athena asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh huh." Percy impishly nodded his head and a moment later, both of them burst into laughter before Percy put his arm around Athena and pulled her closer. For her part, Athena leaned into his warmth as they walked barefoot on the pristine beach.
"But seriously, I am so happy that you are showing restraint, Percy. I thought I had lost that Percy but what you did right now, shows just much you have matured as a person. This is the balanced, restrained, merciful Percy that I fell in love with. And I am so glad to have him back." Athena beamed at Percy with a radiant smile on her face.
"Well, he got a bit lost but thankfully, he had a certain goddess of wisdom who managed to guide him back into the right direction whenever he took the wrong path." Percy stated with a grateful smile and after a very long time, Athena could see the same mirth in it. And that's all she wanted.
Zoe was tired, confused and exhausted. The past few months had been very hard on her, emotionally, physically and mentally. When she had heard that her eldest sister – Calypso had conspired against the man who had given Zoe a second lease of life, it had shattered world view.
So, she had willingly thrown herself into a gruelling hunt to track down her father and sisters, being the only hunter to match Artemis' zeal in this regard, in an attempt to run away from her emotions. That brought her to her current situation, as she sat on a cliff overlooking the river, after a long day.
That was when Zoe heard a voice from behind her that could only belong to her mistress - "It's peaceful here, isn't it?"
"My lady." Zoe turned around and bowed in respect.
"Zoe, how many times must I tell you to just call me Artemis. To an external observer, I may be your mistress. But that's only a formality. You girls are my family. I think of all of you as my younger sisters." Artemis stated with a small smile on her face as she took a seat and patted the spot next to her, urging Zoe to sit there, which Zoe dutifully did.
"I know. All the girls here have faced some sort of abuse in their lives. Many of them lose hope after that. But you are always there for them, guiding them, protecting them and most of all, giving them a family." Zoe stated with a grateful smile on her face.
"Who knew that when Percy suggested this idea to me, it would turn out to be one of my greatest sources of pride and joy. It gave so much purpose to my life, Zoe. To be able to help young maidens and to be able to protect innocent mortals by hunting down monsters, it made me feel like I was doing some good." Artemis shared with a contented expression on her face.
"I didn't know that it was even possible for one man to have such a positive effect on so many lives. Tens of thousands of people have benefited from Percy's actions. And yet, there are those who call him a monster. I never thought that fate could be this ungrateful to a man who always strived to do better for others, sometimes even at his own expense." Zoe revealed with a frustrated sigh.
"Fate has always been like this to him, Zoe. It has never been kind to him. It has repeatedly tested his resolve only for him to come roaring out of every challenge, every obstacle, every hurdle thrown his way. And this betrayal by Calypso is unfortunately just another in a long list of pains." Artemis answered with a deep sigh.
"She was not like this, Artemis. I find it so hard to believe that the kind, caring, pacifistic and cheerful Titaness, the person who for all intents and purposes, was more like a mother to me and my other sisters, than an elder sister, is capable of such actions. She was such a gentle soul. And now, we hear from so many sources about how the Sorceress, as she is now called, leaves nothing but a trail of vengeful destruction in her wake. Despite being the strongest of all of us, she was always the one with the most restraint and was always the most peaceful one. Yet, today, she does things that are diametrically opposite to her nature." Zoe freely spoke as she expressed all her suppressed thoughts.
"People change, Zoe. Sometimes, unforeseen things happen to them. Or they themselves do things that are not right. And they pay the price for that. Calypso was no different. She tried to manipulate and seduce the General of the Divine Forces. She tried to exploit the compassion of the greatest hero to ever walk the Earth, knowing full well that his heart belonged to someone else. Misguided actions like those never go unpunished. And rather than tread back on that path, she went down even further, partnering with the likes of the Titans who are nothing but very powerful vile, humanoid monsters. With such company, it's no surprise that she has also turned to the dark path." Artemis answered with a small sneer on her face.
"But that was only recently. What about three thousand years ago? Perhaps, if she had at least been given the chance to have a relationship with Percy and had not been abandoned on a deserted island for three thousand years, her downward spiral could have been avoided. Her lineage did not have to automatically make her an enemy." Zoe argued with a subdued voice.
"Don't tell me you actually think that we are responsible for this? Because that would be a very wrong line of thought. And also, her lineage is not what made her an enemy. You know better than anyone else that we don't judge people based on their lineages. It was the fact that she helped the General in the First Titanomachy that led to her punishment. I don't need to tell you how big of a butcher he was. And she was indirectly responsible for all those deaths." Artemis strongly refuted what Zoe had subtly implied.
"Hadn't she already suffered enough by the time Percy landed on Ogygia three millennia ago? She deserved some happiness. If external circumstances had been better, maybe she could have lived happily ever after with Percy." Zoe suggested and immediately, Artemis' eyes narrowed a little.
"Zoe, that feels awfully close to an accusation." Artemis stated with a hint of steel in her voice.
"You mistake me, my lady. I do not mean to disrespect to you or any of the Olympians." Zoe quickly and respectfully clarified. And Artemis' eyes softened at that.
"My apologies, Zoe. I did not mean to intimidate you. It just feels wrong to think about Percy and Calypso ending up together because Percy and Athena seem like they are made for each other and I cannot imagine Percy with anyone else. But you may be right. Perhaps, we did play a part in Calypso's downward spiral. Maybe, if we had been a bit more flexible, a bit less vindictive, we could have prevented her from degenerating to this. But in the long run, I think that would have come at the loss of Percy's psyche. From what Aphrodite has told me, I can wager Percy himself would not have been very happy with their relationship and would have felt suffocated after some time." Artemis stated with a distant look in her eyes.
"What makes you say that, Artemis?" Zoe intently asked.
However, she received an answer from someone else. The answer came from a certain goddess of love who had just materialised –
"Because she always represented a choice for him."
Artemis and Zoe were a bit startled by Aphrodite's appearance but nonetheless, recovered fast enough to greet her.
"Forgive me. I did not come here to intrude. I just came here carrying some news from Olympus which I had to share with Artemis and when I materialised here, I happened to hear your question." Aphrodite revealed the purpose of her visit.
"Milady, could you please elaborate on what you said earlier?" Zoe politely requested.
"Deep down, Percy always knew that at that time, it would be impossible for us and Calypso to co-exist peacefully and harmoniously. It was a different era back then, Zoe. None of us, barring his Atlantean family, were as trusting or understanding back then. While he had already earned our respect by that point, our dynamic with him, or for that matter, with each other, then is not even comparable to the one we have now. And the close familial bond that exists between us now didn't exist back then either. Or at least, it was still in its nascent stages." Aphrodite paused for a moment before continuing.
"We were also far more vindictive and arrogant than what we are now. So even though he tried his best to fool himself, he knew that if he permanently brought Calypso into his life, it would mean nipping his rapidly developing dynamic with us right in the buds. That would manifest in the form of him either staying back in Ogygia, or fighting for her freedom after the end of the war. He knew that this would in turn undo all his hard work of uniting us under one banner." Aphrodite elaborated in detail.
"This is so unfair. I cannot believe he had to make such hard choice." Zoe muttered, in a morose voice.
"It crushed him. But in a twisted way, it was for his own good." Aphrodite answered, surprising Zoe.
"Let me explain. On a subconscious level, he would not have been happy with Calypso. Their time in Ogygia was wonderful because it was set in the perfect world with no external interference and because they were poles apart in terms of personalities, there was an instant spark. So that allowed love to blossom and thrive. But those very same differences, in most ideals, would lead to a lot of strife if their relationship ever moved to the real world." Aphrodite expounded.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you deduce this, milady? I know that you are the goddess of love but did Percy tell you something specifically about this?" Zoe asked, with a twinge of suspicion, although she masked it very well.
"Along with being like an elder sister to him, I am also his therapist, Zoe. When he first left Calypso, he used to have long therapeutic conversations with me for hours, seeking my advice. And during my countless conversations with him over the decades, I realised that on some subconscious level, Percy had recognised that their ideological differences would be an irreconcilable issue and that had played a part in his choice. And it was primarily because he knew gaining Calypso meant losing us, and that was something he didn't want. I don't think we deserved such loyalty from him, at least not back the. But this decision ultimately set him and us off on our current path." Aphrodite calmly answered.
"What do you mean?" Zoe asked, with a confused expression on her face. It seemed that every explanation by the goddess of love only roused more questions.
"Percy has always been a good man, Zoe. But during the initial stages of the Gigantomachy, especially after the Earth Mother hurled him from Olympus, he developed a bit of a brutal streak. He was young, angry and reckless then. And he followed more of a ends justify the means philosophy. An ideal very similar to his father's brand of personal loyalty. But what happened to him with Calypso changed him forever. It filled him with empathy. And that was the thing he had lacked his whole life. That in turn gave him mercy and broadened the scope of his compassion. Up until that point, he had simply been unable to comprehend the concept of loss, due to living like and being surrounded by immortals. But that choice was an eye opener and I would say that is what humanized him. And that humanization had an effect on us as well." Aphrodite patiently replied.
"Aphrodite's right. Percy was a very different man during the first half of the Gigantomachy. His intentions were always noble. But he was not someone you could call a true hero. He was a general then. Someone who unflinchingly believed that in order to protect himself and his family, he had to destroy anyone who posed a threat to it. While that edge still exists within him, now, it is tempered by restraint as well as empathy. And we had a lot of respect for that mentality of his. But it was not until he became more human, empathizing with others, trying to help them through their problems and offering second chances to even enemies, even if they did not deserve it, that we actually grew close to him on a personal level. Earlier, we respected the warrior. Later, we respected the man." Artemis continued, with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"So, while we do have a part to play in Calypso's downward spiral, the truth is, if Percy and Calypso had ended up together, the world as we know of it might not have existed. It would be a much darker, harsher and crueller one." Aphrodite revealed with a small sigh.
"I don't see how Percy and Calypso ending up together turns the world into a dystopia. Surely, that must be an exaggeration." Zoe voiced her opinion.
"Zoe, I wish I was exaggerating. But without Percy making that fateful choice, he would never have learnt to empathize with others' pain. Without that empathy and of course, due to him choosing Calypso over us, he would have never been such a positive influence on our lives and perhaps, we would have also turned into nothing more than a shadow of the Titans. Even worse, Percy himself might have been pushed even further down the black hole of apathy, due to never being at complete ease with the fact that he had sacrificed his family. And without that event changing Percy for the better, who knows how many people, those who directly or indirectly benefited from this positive change in him, would have suffered." Aphrodite listed off and one by one, the gears turned in Zoe's head.
As Aphrodite's words slowly registered in her head, she realised that without that event irrevocably changing Percy's life, he would not have been able to convince the Olympians to give Peleus a second chance to prove himself in order to wed Thetis. That would mean the Olympians would never give a challenge to Peleus to prove himself.
In turn, Percy would not have come to the Garden of the Hesperides that fateful day when Heracles exploited her and her father banished her. Even worse, that would mean that Percy would not have been there to save her from a cruel, horrifying fate. And finally, that would mean that the reason for starting the Hunters of Artemis would not arise. The thought that her life was built on her eldest sister's and Percy's pain made her feel sick.
"It makes me feel nauseous. The very fact that my entire life is built on the excruciating pain of someone else, especially that of my eldest sister's and a man who gave me a second chance at life, makes me feel sick." Zoe stated with a completely demoralised look on her face.
"That is the brutal reality of life, my dear. All of our strings are intertwined and together, they form the river of fate. And fate is not always kind to everyone. Sometimes, where it closes a door for one person, it opens up another for another person. But that does not mean your life is built on suffering." Aphrodite stated with a hint of resignation in her voice.
"Exactly. Zoe, you weren't the reason why Percy made his choice to leave Calypso behind three millennia ago. And neither did you have any influence on Calypso's choice of turning over to the dark side. So I would advise you not to beat yourself over it. You did nothing wrong." Artemis reassured Zoe in a calmer, gentler voice and Zoe nodded at her, albeit with a fair bit of uncertainty and reluctance.
"Now, it's already late, you better go have some rest. It's been a long and exhausting day. And I am afraid tomorrow will be the same. So I want you to go and get as much rest as you can. Good night, Zoe." Artemis warmly ordered, in her elder sister voice.
Zoe then respectfully bid them goodbye before retiring to her tent. Once she was out of earshot, Artemis turned to Aphrodite.
"Thank you, Aphrodite. I honestly did not know what to tell her. This conflict with Atlas and Calypso, is clearing weighing on her conscience very heavily. And while I have no questions about her loyalty, I am afraid that no matter how much she tries to suppress her markedly different opinions about Calypso and to an extent, even Atlas, they will ultimately surface at the wrong time and get in the way of her own safety." Artemis shared her concerns with a deep sigh of resignation.
"Zoe is a strong woman, Artemis. Stronger than you think she is. And besides, she will be safe because you will always be there to protect her. And believe me, you won't be alone." Aphrodite comforted as she placed a palm on Artemis' shoulder. But her face then took on a more serious expression.
"Today, Leo and Annabeth found traces of Atlas' energy signature in Bar Harbor, Maine. And when they followed a trail, it lead them to a place called Westover Hall, which seems to now be Atlas' new headquarters. And the Elder Olympians had a meeting on Olympus and after getting into contact with Percy and Athena, who succeeded in their latest mission, they came up with a plan of action that involved the Hunters and the DSS agents aiding the two of us, Percy and Athena tomorrow night in assaulting the base. What do you think?" Aphrodite relayed the important message to Artemis.
"It's a good plan. It would have been better if we had more time to prepare but we cannot afford to let this opportunity slip through. This may be our only chance of catching Atlas and his army off-guard. But even with the four of us, it will be hard to pull a victory, especially if Atlas is back to full strength…." Artemis trailed off. She didn't need to finish that sentence for Aphrodite to understand what she wanted to convey.
"It will be an uphill battle. It would have been nice to have one of the Big Three with us, since they're the only force that can match an Atlas who is at his peak. But Poseidon and Hades are busy fighting wars in their own domain and your father's arrival will be far too noticeable for us to pull a surprise attack. And once we do attack, I am certain that the first thing Atlas will do is set up a metaphysical barrier." Aphrodite grimly agreed and a temporary silence enveloped them.
"Good night, Artemis. I will set up my own tent near yours and we will tomorrow depart at dawn." Aphrodite politely greeted before starting to walk away but she was stopped by Artemis.
"Aphrodite, wait." Artemis called out, with a little hesitancy, and Aphrodite stopped and turned towards Artemis, who then decided to speak.
"Thank you for everything, sister." Artemis stated in a quiet voice with a grateful smile, causing Aphrodite to joyously beam back at her before walking away.
They had become very close over the past few millennia. But this was the first time Artemis had said that out aloud. It warmed Aphrodite's heart to see how far they had come. And she had a certain Hero of Olympus to thank for that.
Leo and Annabeth had been observing Westover Hall for a day and had been sending in reports to the rest of the task force that was supposed to meet up with them. They had conducted a deep survey of the construction as well as the topography surrounding the Hall.
It was made out of grey stone, eerily reminiscent of the one used in Mount Othrys. It had towers and slit windows and it sat on the edge of a rocky, snowy unwelcoming cliff overlooking a large frosty forest at one side and very steep, harrowing drop to a deep canyon which had a frozen stream at the bottom.
This extensive research had been made possible by their Aston Martin DB11, which had a built in invisibility feature, as well as other excellent stealth features, that made it impossible for anyone to locate them unless shared by Leo and Annabeth.
The two of them had taken advantage of this, as well as the specially designed periscopes that were a part of their war chariot's RADAR, to chart the movements of their opponents from what some would call a dangerously close distance. In fact, they had even monitored the situation throughout the night, taking alternating shifts to let the other person get rest in the safe confines of their car.
"I hope they realise how risky this will be. We are detecting around two hundred and fifty monsters and at least two immortals – Atlas and Calypso. And even their essences we only managed to catch during a small blip due to how powerful they were. There's also a very good chance that there may be more immortals in there." Leo stated with a hint of anxiousness in his voice.
"Relax Leo. I'm sure that Percy and mother have managed to come up with an effective plan of attack. Jason, Reyna, Nico and Thalia are going to be joining us, along with the Hunters of Artemis. Not to mention, Artemis and Aphrodite are going to be here as well. This a very committed and thoroughly planned assault." Annabeth reassured Leo by placing a palm on his shoulder.
Suffice to say, their relationship had evolved a lot in the past few months. Of course, due to the nature of their job, as well as their inexperience in any sort of romance, they had not spoken about it. But there was an undeniable spark which both of them knew was mutual.
"I know. But this a guy, who at full power is supposed to be as strong as the Big Three. And Calypso, from what the RADAR picked up, should easily be on par with the younger Olympians. Not to mention, there are plenty of unknowns out there. And I just have a bit of a bad feeling about this." Leo shared his reservations. And that's when Percy popped into the conversation, mentally.
"I agree with you, buddy. I am not too comfortable with this plan either but you have to understand, this is our last chance to take the fight to Atlas on our terms and with the element of surprise on our side. If we don't take this chance, the next time we face him, it will be on an open battlefield and that will be an all-out battle. And that battle, will claim a lot more lives." Percy stated after a healthy amount of contemplation.
"You're right, Perce. We have to take this chance." Leo finally agreed. He was still not at complete ease with this plan but he was going to trust Percy and Athena's tactical intuition.
"Since you are at ease now, I wanted to inform both of you that Naomi and Celyn will take your places in a few minutes. And along with the four other hunters who have taken the place of the other DSS agents, they will provide air support to us. You two are better suited for the ground based assault." Percy switched to what they had dubbed as 'general' mode as he issued orders.
"I've shared my location with you. Meet me there, we will sneak in together. Jason and Reyna are with Athena while Nico and Thalia are with Artemis. Our three strike teams will infiltrate the base from three different sides while the hunters, led by Aphrodite, will encircle Westover Hall and once we engage the immortals inside, along with my warship and the other war chariots, there will be a full scale aerial assault. Now get here as soon as the hunters get there." Percy concluded before going silent.
Sure enough, just a few seconds later, there was a gentle knock on top of the car and once they handed over control of the vehicle to the two hunters, Leo and Annabeth suited up for battle and quickly made their way towards Percy's location. There was no time to waste.
Annabeth couldn't help but marvel at the architecture of the hall. While it was marred by the fact that monsters saturated it, it still was decorated with antique war paraphernalia: battle flags, old rifles, and medieval weapons that enhanced the Château like properties of the Hall.
They had managed to sneak into the Hall rather easily and thanks to their excellent espionage skill, their strike team had already managed to make their way to the floor from where they sensed Atlas' presence, the guns in their hands already having destroyed a dozen and a half monsters.
"Atlas is in the last room on this hallway. Athena has located Calypso. And Artemis has found that there are two more Hesperides here as well. Aphrodite, you will need to get involved to help Artemis deal with the Hesperides as well as aid me in fighting Atlas, if he is at full power. Once we engage the immortals, the assault begins in earnest. Thankfully, there are no other demigods or demititans present here, which means that demigods and hunters only have to deal with the monsters and mortal mercenaries. But be cautious and coordinate your attacks with air support, because the enemy outnumbers you eight to one." Percy issued his final orders before splitting with Leo and Annabeth after shooting them one final look.
After a short walk, he found himself right in front of Atlas' chamber and embedded four bullets into the heads of the four Cyclopes guarding the door. Then, he immediately armoured up, his shield and spear materialising in his hands as he barged into the room.
Atlas was sitting alone on his desk and was working on some battle plan when he saw Perseus Diaboles burst into room. And before he could react, the Hero of Olympus struck his ethereally glowing spear and shield against each other, unleashing a lethal radial shockwave that propelled Atlas through a series of walls before bringing down the roof on him.
He was given no respite as Percy was on him a moment later, releasing a linear shockwave that slammed Atlas through numerous floors before bringing his painful journey to a rough halt on the ground floor, with the impact cratering the ground underneath him. Percy was above him a second later once again but Atlas unleashed a Titanic wall of force that propelled the General of the Divine Forces back by a few feet.
In that time, Atlas stood up and his shining brown, Celestial Bronze Spartan armour enveloped him along with an intimidating horseplume helmet which had an alternating pattern of volcanic onyx black and blood red, representing the current colour of his eyes as well as the killing intent in them.
"Diaboles." Atlas roared in anger as he charged at Percy with his spear in tow, fully intent on impaling Percy through the heart.
Percy met his charge midway and the scale of their collision caused a shockwave that leveled everything within a few dozen feet but Percy found himself pushed back by a few feet. Unperturbed, Percy then aimed his shield at Atlas' neck but Atlas twisted his spear and deflected Percy's shield with the pommel of his spear.
He then freed his spear and tried to stab Percy's neck. Percy stopped the blow with his own spear but the sheer force behind Atlas' strike sent Percy skidding backwards. And Atlas then descended on Percy, peppering him with a ferocious assault.
Percy twisted his body to avoid Atlas' large fist. Then, to catch Atlas off-guard, he deflected and reused the recoil from the vertical slash from Atlas' spear with his shield, to successfully throw Atlas a little off-balance. He then parried with a thrust his own spear but Atlas expertly shifted his footing to evade the thrust before brutally kneeing Percy in the side faster than the latter could react.
The raw power behind the attack knocked the air out of Percy's lungs and left a small dent his armour as it sent him bursting through a series of walls before tumbling to a halt. And just a second later, he brought up his shield above his head to block a two handed overhead slash from Atlas.
Even though his shield absorbed most of the energy behind the attack, it caused his knees to slam into the ground and cratered the ground beneath him. He quickly recovered to swipe his spear at Atlas' legs and when the Titan jumped, Percy aimed and threw his shield at Atlas' neck. Atlas managed to deflect it in the nick of time but the shield released the recoil from his own previous attack which sent him crashing into a giant ballista, giving Percy some breathing space.
"You are a little too late, Diaboles. You may have caught me by surprise, but you don't have what it takes to even fight me on equal footing, let alone defeat me." Atlas stated in a deep, confident voice as he stood up and dusted himself off, with power rolling off of him in waves. And Percy immediately knew that this would be a very difficult battle.
Hey guys! I know, I know that this is a week later than promised but at least this break wasn't as long as the previous one. I will try to make the update time shorter though! On the bright side, content-wise, this is my biggest chapter yet so I hope that justifies the wait.
It was also one of my favourite chapters to write because how well-rounded I think it is and was just a joy to write due to me being able to write action, some fluff, some humour, emotional and character development and finish it off with action and some tension to boot. This also signifies the start of the final part of the Atlas Arc which should end in a few chapters.
Read and review, I hope that all of you enjoyed reading this chapter! Have a fantastic day!
