Chapter 12
"You will certainly not die," the serpent whispered to the woman. "For #### knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will know good and evil, as he does. Go, eat, and awaken. Free your creator from his burden. Free him of yourself."
-Genesis 3:4-5 [A heretical re-telling of the Serpent and the Woman]
She still remembered it.
She remembered it well.
Their first meeting was unforgettable.
It was part of her.
That meeting long ago.
At the top of Mount Sinai, she had watched the dawn of a new day.
Father had sent her there.
It was her first time away from Heaven.
As the sun finally crested over the blurry horizon, burning in all its orange glory as light spilled over the Earth, one of her brothers descended from on high.
She had never seen him before.
Father had created her only a few cycles of the moon ago. She had been one of the first.
But she knew this brother of hers was older.
And she knew he was of immense strength.
He only bore two wings, unlike her twelve, still the purest white. His eyes were unlike her's and Michael's.
"Do not be afraid, sister," he spoke, "for you have found favor with our father."
At this, she was shaken. "Brother, what do you mean? What favor have I found with Father?"
"You will act as his revealer. Look upon this world. Here, you will utter his word. Here, you will be his voice."
"Father wishes me to be his voice?"
"He does. And so shall it be. From now until the end of time."
Until the end of time.
Suddenly, a great responsibility had been placed upon her. So very suddenly.
"Come," her brother said, "we must go."
"Go? To where?" she stammered.
"To wherever my work takes me. Your role does not leave room for foolery. I will teach you. You will learn through pain. When I blind you, your eyes will be opened. When I deafen you, the world will never have sounded so clear. When I break you, sister, you will be whole. I will be your trial and temptation. Father will see you become mighty, and then I shall rest."
And so it was that Gabriel met Samael.
And so it was that Heaven loved Samael.
And so it was that the world lost Samael.
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Gabriel mulled over what Percy had just finished telling her. It hadn't been much at all—he definitely seemed confused—but there was still plenty for her to work through.
A long-lost member of the Lucifuge family was now the leader of a rogue organization and had some sway over the most intelligent type of grand undead. It sounded like the start of a joke, but Gabriel didn't think she'd like the punchline. Something about the timing also made her wonder.
Could it be that the boundary of death had been purposefully frayed by Nilrem? Unsealing or creating a grand undead would require it. How could they have possibly gone about it, though? There was no way she could imagine. But it was too much of a coincidence otherwise. Not only had Nilrem managed to locate the hidden tomb for this type of imperishable, but judging by how much strength the creature had recovered, they must also have unsealed it almost as soon as the boundary became less distinct.
It unnerved her. The tombs Father had created for those imperishables never stayed in one place for more than a few days. That way, even if somebody did want to free those horrid things, the chances of them knowing the location of a tomb while the boundary of death was weak would be greatly diminished.
Did that mean this was an imperishable that had been sealed before her time?
No, impossible. It had known about her. These monsters had been ancient by the time Father went about creating her.
Had it been sealed in a less secure manner by other gods?
That seemed most likely.
She rolled her neck and looked at the ceiling. They were in a storage room beneath St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, where the burial vault had been emptied and repurposed as a logistical complex for the Church's exorcists. It was still about as musty and dank as an underground crypt could be, but it was cleaned often and had many strong wards lining its structure, which was about as much as one could ask for.
Percy leaned back, accommodating himself on the wooden storage box he sat atop. His face was vaguely dour, which she'd noticed was his default expression. It made him look like he was always brooding about something. She thought he looked much better when he smiled.
"So, what are you thinking? Get anything useful from me?" he asked. Despite his projected nonchalance, tension ran abundant in his posture.
"Well, that depends," Gabriel said. "What do you consider useful?" There were probably a lot of things he wanted to hear for reassurance. As much as she wanted to grant him that comfort, unfortunately, the reality of the situation had already been made clear, even if her understanding was only shallow.
"At this point? Anything, I guess. I'm completely in the dark here." He chuckled humorlessly. "I'm used to that, though."
Gabriel rubbed her hands together. She was aware of the clock ticking on her moment of reprieve. Other matters definitely required her attention but they would have to wait. "I wish I could give you good news, but there's not much to unpack here. Euclid Lucifuge is revealed to be the leader of Nilrem, and we now know he has some level of control over a grand undead. Very basic stuff. Surface level."
Percy didn't look happy with that answer. Not that she could blame him. "Okay… So, what exactly is Nilrem?"
"Nilrem is a magicians' organization founded a century and a half ago. In the grand scheme of things, they're relatively new compared to organizations like Golden Dawn and Grauzauberer. It's good to keep in mind that Nilrem doesn't have as many restrictions regarding magical conduct as the more respected groups, so a lot of disenfranchised magicians join Nilrem."
"Euclid takes the misfits. Geez. What's that guy's deal anyway? He's a legit evil megalomaniac." Percy sounded more than a little put off.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Up until today, I hadn't heard mention of his name since the end of the Devil Civil War. Euclid didn't participate in the war itself, and when it ended, he abandoned the Lucifuge family, leaving it to be all but destroyed by Sirzechs Lucifer. Honestly, I forgot he even existed." Gabriel scratched her cheek and laughed sheepishly. "Time hasn't stood still for my people or me. Not when our duty is to watch over a species so intent on relentlessly running through time. Oh, um, no offense!"
"None taken. He's been gone that long, huh?" He glanced at her with an indecipherable frown. "Wonder what he's been doing all this time. The Devil Civil War ended centuries ago, right?"
"Yes. I suppose he's been fine working from behind the scenes within Nilrem."
"The puppet master." Percy rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Man, I really don't like puppets."
"Ventriloquism is so cool, though!" Gabriel protested. All art demanded respect. It was galling to imply otherwise. She almost felt a pain in her chest to imagine that Percy would argue otherwise. That betrayal might be too much for her.
"No. Nope. No way. Puppets are weird. Especially those really detailed ones… And speaking of puppets…"
She knew where his train of thought had stopped. Her mood dampened. "The imperishable. Heaven classifies it as a grand undead, though it falls into a lot of different categories, imperishable being one of them." She twiddled her thumbs idly. "More specifically, this was a secondborn of blood and Earth. They're an old species. Most of them were sealed by the primordial and Neolithic gods. By the time Father created me, only a handful remained free."
"You mentioned you'd locked a few away."
"Father disliked the secondborn. They have an ever-present hunger for human souls. Father had us find and seal any secondborn around Judea in cooperation with some Canaanite, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian gods. Human souls are the secondborn's main source of energy, but they've eaten plenty of gods, too; that's why our West Asian neighbors joined forces for a time."
Honestly, maybe she had made their campaign against the secondborn sound too impressive. They had only sealed three of the monsters over the course of several centuries. The last one had been after many Mesopotamian deities had been eradicated by Samael.
"They've eaten gods, too," Percy repeated while furrowing his brow. "Why are humans their favorite food, then?"
"That's a good question. I'm not really sure why. We've never had a proper chance to ask. Maybe we'll get a chance now that one has come out of the shadows. Though, that does raise other questions—more troubling questions."
"I don't even want to know…"
Gabriel shook her head. "Not important for us right now, luckily. What you need to know can be broken down easily: secondborn are undying. Father called them 'immortal archetypes.' They straddle the immaterial and material plane."
Allowing himself a distant smile, Percy said, "Immortal archetypes. That brings back memories. These guys are pretty bad news, then."
"In some ways. They aren't overly powerful. Most fall within the category of 'ultimate tier' beings when it comes to destructive capabilities. Unfortunately, as I said, they cannot die. As long as Earth remains, the secondborn will persist." At least, that's what Father had theorized. What that meant, of course, was that the secondborn would be around for longer than any angel, devil, or god. They would only have dragons as company at the end of time.
"Wait, so that means if we blow up the world, the secondborn go kaput? Where's the dynamite when you need it?"
"Even though I know you're joking, technically, that's the truth," Gabriel said, smiling. "Unfortunately, we can't destroy Earth without destroying everything attached to it as well. You know the question of the chicken and egg, right? Well, Earth came first, and things like Heaven, Mount Meru, Asgard, and the Underworld all came after. If the Earth blows up, those places are all kaput too. Gods can't survive in space, you know? They can just barely enter the mesosphere. Same goes for us angels. And have you ever heard of space dragons? I know I haven't."
"Wait, seriously?"
"Seriously! You should have seen Michael's face when Korabl-Sputnik 2 returned to the surface in one piece. And when Yuri Gagarin made it to space?" She pantomimed her head exploding, adding a little pwaaah noise for extra effect. "Crazy! Then the moon landings? Don't even get me started! I hear some of the moon gods think it was all staged."
"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."
Gabriel laughed at how bemused Percy's face had become. "Anyway, we got off-topic." She smoothed some wrinkles out of her robe. "All that being said, the secondborn are dangerous."
"So we really can't kill these things?"
"People greater than us have tried."
"How do we beat them, then?"
"Sealing them away with strong magic is the best we can do." Gabriel pushed her hands down. "Then we bury them in the darkest corners of the world and just kind of hope nobody finds them."
"Can't we just punt them into space?" He swung a leg up to emphasize the merit of his idea.
"Gods have tried. The secondborn always reappear back on the planet. You may have noticed their knack for instantly avoiding harm."
Percy furiously rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I definitely noticed. That sucks. Doesn't leave us many options."
She raised an eyebrow. "Us?"
"I'm already involved. Euclid decided to attack me in the middle of my city. I've gotta do something about that," he said, announcing his intention as casually as he would talk about the weather.
They stared at one another, blinking every so often in anticipation of something. Gabriel reminded herself that this was the same person who had arrived in Heaven with his sword drawn and poised to strike. Recalling that singular intensity sent electricity down her spine.
Really, she found the dichotomy interesting in its own right. Talking to Percy revealed him to be about as normal as a person could be. He was charming and quick-witted, and very easy to hold a conversation with, thanks to how willingly he participated. He was mostly polite and well-spoken. There was a certain air of civility about him.
But, earlier, after having just caught the last few seconds of his battle against the secondborn, she knew he could fight as hard as any cornered animal. In that way, Percy reminded her of a young Vasco Strada. There was certainly a disparity in their physical strength—and wielding the holy sword Durandal, Vasco gained destructive capabilities in spades—but Percy's swordwork was top notch.
Not for the first time, Gabriel wondered about Percy's past.
What circumstances had led to the creation of the person she knew today? How similar would his story be to the best exorcists she knew of? Was the human experience able to be categorized, labeled, and filed away so easily due to the limited number of words and ideas available to her? Would she be doing him a disservice by even trying to see past the person he clearly wanted people to see?
Moreover, she wondered about his current circumstances. When they'd last spoken, he'd had a devil in his home. What had he gotten mixed up in? Did it have anything to do with Euclid Lucifuge? His recollection of tonight's encounter didn't lead her to believe so, but maybe he forgot something about the conversation. Equally possible was that Euclid hadn't broached the subject for a reason.
"Gabriel?"
She gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry! I was totally spacing out, huh? I was just trying to understand what you meant. What do you want to do, exactly?"
"I guess find him, for starters."
"Why do you want to find him?"
His mouth thinned, and he looked down at his hands, now clasped tightly in his lap. Every ounce of tension he'd shed over the course of their conversation seemed to sink back into his bones. Suddenly, he'd become cemented on that box, rigid and cold.
However, when their eyes met again, she saw more than a statue. She saw uncertainty.
"Percy?" Why was he hesitating now?
"He's too dangerous to be left alive."
Ah, so that's how it was. "Is defeating him not enough?"
"How will I know he won't ever try to pull something stupid again? Attacking me is one thing. Look, I get it; I'm a popular punching bag for every jerk out there; I don't care." Percy closed his eyes. "But he wasn't just attacking me. He did it out in the open with people behind his stupid barrier or ward or whatever. What would've happened if that barrier broke? The secondborn could have destroyed half a block. I don't want to kill people... but I'm not letting that happen to my city. Not ever again. I'd rather just take the fight to them. Choose the battleground, so to speak."
Gabriel nodded along. It was just sound martial tactics to dictate the terms of engagement. She understood where he was coming from, but she still had her misgivings. "Even if you found Euclid, could you defeat both him and the secondborn? And every magician he would put between him and you?"
"Yeah." He leaned toward her, voice just above a whisper. "I could."
The confidence with which he spoke almost infected Gabriel. She struggled to keep from falling under his spell. The intensity almost thrilled her. "How can you be so sure? The secondborn can't die."
Immediately, he replied, "Euclid can, though. If I get rid of him... I dunno... maybe the secondborn won't have a reason to attack me? Besides, that thing was tough, but I wasn't exactly one-hundred percent. I am with water. I'm better. A lot better."
"But if you go to him, there's no guarantee you would have that kind of advantage. He could be setting a trap for you as we speak." Gabriel hoped he could see her reasoning. "Please, I'm not trying to be argumentative. I just don't want you to die."
"Then I'll set my own trap. Lure him to a good place."
"That would be a better plan, for sure, though there's no guarantee he'd fall for it. And, no offense, but there still is no guarantee you'd live."
He shrugged. "Gotta take the good with the bad sometimes. If it works, it'll have been worth the risk. I'll just need to make sure we aren't putting mortals at risk." The way his jaw tightened spoke volumes in and of itself. "I know you think I'm being stupid or reckless—and yeah, maybe I am—but I've seen what happens when the powers that be don't take threats seriously. That's why I won't ignore the warning signs. I'll do what I can when I can."
Gabriel felt her heart ache for him. She wished she could understand how he felt. But that wasn't her purpose. There were others who would be able to truly connect with his mindset. Many of her brothers and sisters had walked that same winding path after Father's death.
But not her. She could not.
Her eyes had been opened.
Her ears heard the truth.
Her heart was whole.
"I'm not one to disparage a high-minded remark like that… I just hope you know your limits." Gabriel gave him a sad look. "There's only so much a single person can do."
"I know. Gods, believe me, I know." He ran a hand through his hair. "And I'm not trying to make big promises. I just want to feel like I'm doing the right thing. Just that much."
If nothing else, Gabriel found his earnestness captivating. Nothing could have put a bigger smile on her face than the raw honesty he exuded. "You have good intentions. I want to help you..."
"But?"
She grimaced. "But Euclid Lucifuge being involved means I have to go through the right channels before endorsing violent action against him."
"Politics?"
"I'm afraid you're spot on." She laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. It wasn't much of a laughing matter, but when there was nothing else she could do, humor would have to work. "Unfortunately, we still stand on a knife's edge with the factions we once waged war with. Small missteps can have larger ramifications if we don't take care. And restarting a war that nearly destroyed Heaven isn't on our agenda right now. Especially not now."
Not after they had spent decades attempting to finally bring peace to the three factions. After a thousand years of battle by proxy and brinkmanship, they were so close to bringing the devils and fallen angels to the negotiating table.
Soon, hopefully, the Great War may finally end in an official capacity. What a price they had all paid to see its resolution. She sent a silent prayer for her brothers and sisters, who traded their lives for the commodity of time. Not all of them would want to see peace, she knew, but the alternative was unacceptable.
Percy's response was about as on-brand as Gabriel could have imagined. He waved off her justifications with a lazy hand and said, "No big deal. I don't want to cause trouble for you and Michael."
Gabriel bit her lip. She would have to ask Michael if there was no way they could help Percy. After all, her eldest brother certainly seemed to have a soft spot for Percy, no doubt owing to how Father's ever-obtuse system had allowed him not only a miracle but also to reside within Heaven.
That counted for something in both of their eyes. They were meant to continue Father's work, and neither of them would willingly or gladly shirk their responsibilities.
What that meant for Percy, though, was still unclear. Perhaps only time would tell.
But… she still didn't like the idea of waiting for too long. Percy was a good fighter, but against both the secondborn and a potential ultimate-class devil, would it be enough? He needed a leg up on the opponent to be victorious.
Ah…
Victorious?
Well… Maybe there was something she could do…
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Sun Wukong bent down and dug his hand into the wet sand. The beach was empty except for one other person, who just so happened to be the young man he'd been expecting to find. A weak trickle of rain fell from dark clouds overhead, and cold winds blew from the estuary in front of them.
The young man stood knee-deep in water. His life force felt sturdy. More than sturdy, actually. It felt as massive and striking as the world's ocean but also calm and welcoming. A good-hearted warrior, then. Adaptive but essentially steadfast.
This was certainly the one Gabriel had told him about.
But, as the young man didn't so much as turn to face Sun Wukong, there really was only one course of action left to him. He pulled his hand out of the ground.
A ball of wet sand flew toward the young man.
Less than a second later, they stood face-to-face, a glimmering three-foot sword angled between them.
Sun Wukong smiled indulgently. Without his battle-sense active, he had hardly been able to see the young man move. All he'd seen was a swirl of water and metal.
"Who are you?" the young man demanded. His eyes were tired and wary. If he was in any way confused about Sun Wukong's appearance, he didn't show it.
"Well now, isn't that a fine greeting. I journey this far, and yet you don't have the slightest inkling of who I am? Who else travels to the west looking like I do, lad?" Sun Wukong pointed at his face and then gestured to the rest of his body. The top of his head only reached to the young man's stomach, and he was covered in golden fur. He had chosen to forgo his typical attire for only a pair of simple cloth trousers. "Tell me, lad, what do I look like to you?"
"A monkey."
"Very good. And how many famous monkeys do you know about?"
"None. No, wait, I lied. Donkey Kong."
"How enviable! Those blessed with ignorance sure are a treasure these days!" Sun Wukong laughed heartily. The young man didn't join him. "Ah, very well, the serious type. Fine, fine. I have many names, but you can just stick with Sun Wukong. Now, what's your name?"
"Percy."
Yes, Sun Wukong already knew that. Percy Jackson was the person Gabriel had asked him to evaluate, after all. "A man of few words, I see."
"Who sent you?"
"Does that matter?"
The young man raised his eyebrow upon hearing as much. "It matters to me."
Sun Wukong nodded thoughtfully. "Just as well. While I'm not a big believer in trust having to always be earned, I won't deride a very reasonable way of thinking for the sake of argument." Picking at his ear, he continued, "Who sent me? I sent myself. Nobody coerced me to come. I'm here because I want to be and because I was meant to be."
That didn't seem to sit well with Percy. "What do you mean you were meant to be here? What's your game, Baby Kong?" he demanded.
Game? Now there's an idea.
This was where he would have to ad-lib. Gabriel had merely asked him to meet with and evaluate Percy. She had said nothing further, leaving the specifics entirely to his discretion, which served to frighten him a little. Just how much trust did this angel have in him to make the proper judgment? Wasn't she absolutely putting too much pressure on him? He didn't want to disappoint her, but he also didn't want to betray his own code of conduct.
Well, regarding both of those things, the young man was really the deciding factor. Sun Wukong could already tell that there was something odd about the boy. He didn't know exactly what caused him to feel that way, but the more he focused on the sensation, the more off-kilter he felt himself become.
Was the Tao affected? Was it affecting him? If so, what did that make this person called Percy Jackson? Was he an affected or an effector?
Utilizing the discipline he'd cultivated over centuries, Sun Wukong looked more deeply into this feeling. He saw the very start of the Way at his feet.
The universal Tao, it was not. It was his immanent Tao. And connected to it was…
Nothing.
Did that mean… Sun Wukong's Tao… had harmonized with Percy more than the universe? Had Percy's immanent Tao managed to somehow override the truth of the universal Tao, pushing that truth toward Sun Wukong for his initial impression?
His own arrogance had blinded him to the possibility. No other explanation would satisfy him. Now he saw. This was the universe opening his eyes. There could only be one way to go from here.
Sun Wukong returned to himself eagerly. He took a moment to recall Percy's question, then answered, "What do I mean? I mean what I meant, meaning we were meant to meet."
"Are you trying to say this was fate?"
"Call it that if you want. I don't. You were acting of your own free will while I followed the path laid out to me by the universe, which led me here. You could say we were not fated to meet, yet, regardless, we would have met because of my will to be will-less. This is but one point of interest in the universal Tao."
Percy stared at him with his mouth slightly ajar. "What?"
"Have you heard of the Tao?"
"No."
That wasn't a lie, Sun Wukong felt. Well, he hadn't honestly thought the boy was walking the Way, but it was good that he had verified it for his own peace of mind. "That's just as well, for now. It's a hassle to explain, and I doubt you'll have the patience to let me, so we'll skip that step and move straight to the next." When Percy narrowed his eyes but stayed silent, Sun Wukong took that as his signal to continue. "I have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you, lad. Let's call it a game. Competition is conducive to success in most endeavors. Take it from an old geezer like me."
"A game? You came here to play a—" Percy cut himself off in sudden realization. He shook his head and glanced toward the city proper. "Nevermind. That really doesn't surprise me. You godly types are all kinds of weird. What, are you going to turn me into a lizard if I refuse to play your game?"
"Now, now, there's no need to be so hostile. I have absolutely no intention of turning you into a lizard. In fact, I didn't come with a single thought of harming you in any way." He doubted Gabriel would be all too pleased with that.
Percy eyed him for a solid moment. Making a face and shrugging, he said, "If you say so. I guess you would've made a move when I had my back turned."
"I'm glad you have a sense of reason. Will you hear me out?"
"All right." The young man took a few steps back and finally lowered his weapon, adopting a more relaxed stance. But Sun Wukong could see through it. He was sure Percy was still completely guarded.
"Thank you. The game is actually quite simple, and aside from building character and being risk-free, there is even a prize involved."
"Risk-free, huh? Sounds like you're just trying to rope me into a timeshare."
"What I'm offering is rare. Invaluable, even."
"If that's the case, then basically you're just saying you want to give me something in return for nothing," Percy said.
"Yes, that's basically what I'm saying," Sun Wukong agreed.
"So that all leads to the really big question: why?"
"Because it is my duty. One day, it will be your duty to do the same thing I am. This cyclical nature is all that we are in the end. We are no more than the sum of our parts. Long ago, somebody saved me. That became part of me, and I'll pass it along to you. There's only so much a single person can do."
For the first time, Percy's face eased. His guard fell. Slowly, he lowered his glowing sword so that the blade dipped into the water. "I don't need to be saved."
Sun Wukong smiled. "If that were true, I wouldn't be here right now."
Percy tilted his head back to look at the clouds. He closed his eyes to block the drizzle. "Did Gabriel send you?"
Strange. What had given him away? It must have been something he said. The boy was much sharper than he'd figured. And to think, Gabriel had asked him to keep her involvement a secret. Her reason being that she assumed Percy would reject any kind of assistance she tried to provide.
Well, if the cat was out of the bag, there was hardly a point in lying now. Even if he denied it, Percy probably wouldn't believe him. Sun Wukong nodded. "She did."
"I didn't ask for this," he said softly. "You should go. I don't want her to be in a tough spot because of me."
"Unfortunately, I'm not here for her anymore. She only asked me to evaluate you. Nothing more." Sun Wukong tapped the side of his head. "Gabriel isn't stupid, lad. She knows what she's doing, don't let her demeanor suggest otherwise. She asked me for this favor not only because it allowed her to stay at arm's length but also because she understands me a bit too well. I came for her, but I remain for me."
That, of course, was a lie. There was no "him." Not really. Sun Wukong had no true will of his own, meaning one could hardly say he had a "self." All he ever did was allowed by the Tao. He was, essentially, empty, as necessary for any buddha.
After a moment of contemplative silence, Percy lowered his head and opened his eyes again. He tousled his hair sheepishly. "If Gabriel trusts you, guess that means we're cool. Sorry about earlier."
Sun Wukong chuckled. "Don't worry about it, lad. Now, seeing as how we're on better terms, how about we end pretenses and get right along with it. Percy, one of the biggest reasons I'm still here talking to you is because there is something different about your… well… let's call it your essence. The crux of your being, so to speak."
"Different in a good way or a bad way?"
"That depends on who you ask. Personally, I think it's good, but believe me when I say there's bias involved in my assessment. I can't very well explain this different aspect of yours to you without you having some specialized knowledge beforehand."
"Is this about that Tao thing you were talking about?" Percy asked.
"To an extent. And this is where I'd like to make a selfish request." Sun Wukong took a breath and reined in his nominal pride. Suitably humble, he bowed his head. He would have kowtowed if not for them standing in water. "Allow me to pass along that knowledge to you so that you can understand what I mean. This existence of ours is not how it seems."
Percy reacted as most others did. He gave Sun Wukong an odd look and asked, "Not how it seems? I knew it. We do live in a simulation."
"Hmm." Sun Wukong scratched behind his ear. "You're not far off the mark, lad. Not far at all. Regardless, there's more to it than you realize. The truth is oftentimes as difficult to grasp as fiction. That's why I'd like to teach you. Undoubtedly, you'll have questions, concerns, and confusion. Everyone does. And not everybody can follow the truth to its ultimate conclusion. Those who do, though, are considered mighty. Not only in their knowledge but in their patience, humility, and compassion. I offer to walk alongside you on this path. No… I beg that you allow me the honor of guiding you. Please."
Now their Way would be decided by Percy. This was his first test. The universe had already chosen this for them, so if Percy turned against it, he'd be anathema to the Tao.
Obviously, though, Percy would accept because there was no other option.
In doing so, he would—hopefully—allow Sun Wukong to complete his duty.
How scary, though. Gabriel's foresight and ability to understand people were no less than damn well frightening. If she were to ever put that strength to work against the best interest of the world…
Thankfully, she was only the best parts of her father.
Should her character ever stray, Sun Wukong would mourn the loss of humanity's greatest ally.
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Hades met them on the steps of his temple. "Zeus, Poseidon. How nice of you to visit."
His brothers swarmed him and clapped him on each shoulder, booming with laughter. Zeus pounded him a few times in the ribs. "Hades, you little scoundrel. How've you been? We haven't seen each other in ages, right, Poseidon?"
Poseidon slapped a few inches above his coccyx. "Ages! Hades, you never call or write. We don't talk much anymore. You ought to visit Olympus more often! We'll catch each other more often that way, right, Zeus? Even if one of us is away—"
"The other will likely be there to greet you!" Zeus finished happily, jabbing him with an elbow.
"Stop hitting me," Hades said. He pulled away from them and cracked his neck. These two, he swore, had once secretly agreed to make his life as difficult as they could. Normally, they would squabble and grumble about each other, but when Hades was involved, they could put any grievances aside in a flash for the chance to irritate him. Idiots. Both of them. "What do you want?"
"Come now, where is your hospitality? We are family!" Poseidon grinned in his uniquely stupid way. "Let us feast before business! Wine first, as I always say."
"No," Hades said blandly.
Zeus pointed at him, eyes blazing. "You're right. Wine second. First, we need fine servers! Only the most beautiful creatures will do for the three of us. I shall call my Ganymedes. Poseidon, go find a woman to bring. For what good is gorging our gullets without also feasting our eyes, eh?"
Hades rubbed his forehead. "That isn't what I meant and you know it."
"Again, you're right, Hades. But you seem to be in a foul mood. What's wrong?"
Was their goal truly only to irritate him? They couldn't have picked a worse time. "Nothing. Now, if you're quite done pestering me, leave my realm. I have work to do."
They looked at each other. Poseidon shrugged. "Well, if you're too busy, I suppose we can leave you be. All we wanted were some in-depth reports on the status of this new soul-spread. If you have other things to do, though, we'll settle for talking to your lieutenant." He crossed his arms, suddenly stony. "Call Thanatos to us. We must speak with him."
"What?" Hades felt his fingers twitch.
"Call him," Zeus pressed. "Now."
"He is indisposed. I'll have Pluto give you your reports."
"No."
"No?" Hades drew up to his full height. They knew. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so insistent on backing him into this corner. Who had tipped them off? Who all knew? Nyx and Orcus. He doubted they would tell. Jackson and Tiamat. Those two were unknown variables. They hadn't gone to the Olympians, had they? "Who are you to question my decisions here. You may be king on Olympus, but you hold no power here, brother."
"Authority. I hold no authority here." Lightning danced through Zeus' eyes. "Rest assured, I still have power aplenty. You may have more, especially here, but you are far from invincible."
"Why do you think the two of us came together?" Poseidon said. "Now, tell us, what happened to Thanatos?"
Hades would have sneered if this form allowed. Since it didn't, he instead chose to scoff at them. "It sounds as though you already know the answer to your own question. Don't waste my time, if that's the case. I'm busy, unlike you."
It was a fast blow. The back Zeus' hand cracked across his mouth, and Hades lost several of his teeth while electricity raced deep into his bones. It could have been worse, Hades knew, but apparently, Zeus only wanted to send a message rather than deal serious damage.
Still, time had slowed Zeus. Softened him. A thousand years ago, Hades would have been picking up his skull from the ground. Pity. The king had fallen far.
Popping his jaw back into place, Hades stared at Zeus. "That was unnecessary. Do you want to die?"
"Thanatos is dead. Think twice before threatening me, brother. You would be making an enemy of Olympus at a bad time for the Netherworld."
Poseidon nodded. "Do try to recall why you remain in control of this place despite the numerous challenges posed by Osiris, the Lords of Xibalba, and the first Devil Kings. Your power alone was not enough to dissuade them. Only with our support—your family's—have you been able to keep this realm. We can just as easily remove our protection. The rulers of other afterlife realms would be pleased to hear that, I'm sure."
"I don't fear them."
"But you can't beat them all."
"You put very little faith in me." Hades tilted his head.
"We're realistic. We're right," Zeus said.
Needless to say, they were right. Hades had power enough to destroy the world and doom them all, but he was not omnipotent. Individually, he was among the strongest in terms of destructive force, but battles were not won solely based on arbitrary numbers. How many terajoules he could release with one magical blast hardly mattered if someone blasted him away first. And despite popular belief, gods were not too difficult to harm.
That was especially true when their guard was lowered. When gods took physical form, they made themselves vulnerable, just like the humans they mimicked. A trap set, hubris exploited, a dagger in the back; everybody had their weaknesses. Everybody could be defeated by something small.
"Who told you about Thanatos?" Hades asked.
"Not important," Poseidon replied instantly.
"Why do you care what happened to him? This is a matter limited to my realm."
"We all know how wrong that is, Hades. Worse, it comes off as willfully ignorant. You, of all people, know how important it is to keep balance."
"You only care that I have one less keeper to mind me. If you want answers, then ask the one who killed him."
Zeus crossed his arms and grunted. "We will be sending somebody for this so-called Percy Jackson. First, I want to know what you have to say for yourself. Your own actions led to their encounter. Why did you allow this to happen?"
Only one person knew Hades had set Jackson on the path to Nyx.
That damn goddess had actually gone to them.
If she was going to make his life more difficult, he would have to repay the favor one of these days. Even if the Olympians delivered justice, Jackson was not the ultimate goal. He had only been Hades' revelation. And if Nyx wanted to interfere, well, pruning thorns where necessary was simply common sense.
Author Note: I'm no expert on Taoism or Buddhism, and I'm just sharing my interpretations of the doctrines, much like I've done with just about everything else.
I know the official Yen Press translation of the light novels is now using "demon" rather than "devil" for the species but I'm gonna keep using devil. After 30 volumes of fan translations, I'm in too deep.
Thanks for reading.