"Hey Percy..." The now goddess of architecture spoke as she awkwardly waved her hand. "Can we talk? This'll be quick, I promise."
The demigod wasn't having it though, as he was running late for his work. "I'm sorry Annabeth, but I'm actually running late for my work, can this wait?" He prayed to Chaos that she'll listen to his words.
"I promise you that this is going to be quick!" She didn't budge. "I just wanted to catch up, you know!" The goddess laughed awkwardly as she desperately tried her best to keep appearances.
"If you're just going to waste my time, I'm gonna go. My work is waiting." Percy said as he was not impressed by what he was seeing.
"How's the past few months, Percy? It looks like you've got a job." Annabeth was sure that haughtiness was leaking in her voice, which was something that she can't control. "I just wanted to catch up because I saw you yesterday!" She exclaimed as she tried to remember yesterday's events. "You were walking on Times Square with Zoë, and you guys seemed close." She paused to observe the reaction of the demigod. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"
Percy wished she hadn't asked that question. He even wished that the goddess in front of him didn't see him yesterday. 'Why now?! It's been almost a year! Something must have happened between her and Zhang.' Thought the demigod as he decided if he should answer the question. "Why do you want to know?"
The goddess was not expecting that kind of answer. Surprise was evident in her face as she tried to further question the son of Poseidon. "Just curious. Other members of the seven haven't heard from you in months, and the last time I saw you was back at the... banquet." It was a bitter pill for the goddess to swallow. "So I am genuinely wondering how are you doing these days?"
That was the wrong answer for the son of Poseidon, who was really running late now. "Look Annabeth, can we continue this later? I really want to get to my job as soon as possible as I am very late now. If you want, you can meet me at Little Collins after the sun sets." The demigod then started to walk past the goddess.
The goddess' thirst for knowledge made her feel disappointed due to how their talk turned out. She wanted to know more about his situation and she wanted to know it now. However, the guilt for what happened between them outweighed the hunger for information, stopping her from pursuing for more answers at the moment. 'Percy said that I should meet him at Little Collins... that means he wanted to talk. I'll hold onto his words then.' The goddess now flashed back to her palace, intent on conjuring drawings to waste time.
With our beloved demigod, he was deep in thought as he trudged onto his workplace. 'I should've completely brushed her off rather than making an appointment. She's not entitled to know about how I'm doing, especially with what happened between us. I on the other hand, have the right to know why she did what she did. If there's a silver lining for this situation I created, it's probably going to shed some light to what happened back then.' Too busy thinking, the demigod bumped into another person. "I'm very sp- Hera?" The son of Poseidon was surprised to see the queen of the gods. "What are you doing here?"
The goddess of matrimony answered his question. "I followed you here. I was supposed to go to your place but when I flashed there, I saw you talking to Annabeth. You were walking so slow that I overtook you and when I stopped, you bumped into me." The queens of the gods explained. She looked at the teen with a concerned look. "What really happened back there?"
"Annabeth wanted to catch up." The teen answered. "She was being persistent so I had to relent to make sure I get to my job on time." The teen said as the two of them started walking once more. It was a silent affair, as the goddess was not sure about what to say and the demigod was thinking deep once more. "How did you confront Zeus the first time?" Questioned Percy, breaking the silence between them. "It must be hard right?"
"It was." The queen of the gods replied as the memories about her husband's infidelity came back to her. "I was really angry at that time, but I couldn't go against the man as he was more powerful than me before. That's why I was bitter and vengeful on the demigods." The goddess then gave the son of Poseidon a warm look. "Thank you for making me see the error of my ways Percy." Hera gave him a smile before speaking once more. "I just don't know what I'll do if I find out that Zeus cheated again."
"I don't think he will Hera. I feel like he was genuinely trying to make amends with you this time." The demigod said as he gave her a comforting smile. "Besides, you don't deserved to be cheated on. You're too beautiful for that to happen. If uncle Zeus would cheat on you once more, then he deserves to get beaten and hurt."
Seeing that the two of them arrived at his workplace, the demigod then bid his farewell to the queen of the gods.
Meanwhile with Hestia, she was looking at the TV in Percy's place. She was very confused on what she heard from the primordial. "Say what?!" The goddess of the hearth and home questioned as confusion spread in her face. "You want me to teach you to play video games?"
"Yes." Came the reply of the mother of creation. "I am getting bored staying at my room, and I am very curious on what you guys are doing." She then grabbed a controller that was beside the goddess. "I need this to play right?"
"Y-Yes Lady Chaos." The goddess stuttered as she racked her brain thinking about the game she's going to teach. 'I guess I should teach her what Percy taught me. I'm teaching her Super Mario then.' Steeling her resolve, the goddess then booted up the game of choice as she started to explain to the primordial. "This is Super Mario." She started to explain as the game's title screen showed up. Pressing the start button, the goddess then spoke once again. "You control Mario, an Italian plumber that wants to rescue the princess, which was kidnapped by Bowser." Hestia then gave the controller to the Primordial. She then pointed on the left side of the controller. "This is the D-pad, you control his movement. Press the button on the right to make him move forward."
The mother of creation did just that, making the said character move. "He looks small." Commented the primordial as she fiddled with the controls. She pressed the up button which made mario jump, avoiding the mushroom heading towards him and stomping on it. "That was new."
Hestia was slightly disappointed that the primordial didn't suffer the same fate as she did. "Your goal is to go to the castle, and rescue the princess. There are 8 worlds that have 4 different levels and quirks. Some of them have flying turtles, moving clouds, lines of fire, and bullets." Hestia explained as she watched the mother of creation finish the level. Hestia noticed that the primordial was not listening, so she nudged her on the shoulder. "Chaos, are you there?"
"Yes, yes, I'm here." Came the reply of the primordial as she looked back at the game they were playing.
"You've spaced out Lady Chaos, I think something happened if you did."
"It's probably nothing..." Trailed the mother of creation as she resumed her attention to the game once more. "Okay, I guess I got the gist of it, I think it's time for you to teach me more about other stuff." Chaos said as she gave the controller back to the goddess.
"Remind me again, how in Hades' name did you manage to convince me to come here?!" Was the annoyed question that the goddess of wisdom, Athena, gave. She was questioning her half-sister, the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. "Why do I need to know about what my daughter and Percy do?"
"It's your daughter, of course you care about her." The goddess of the hunt answered back. "Besides, I want to see what Percy would do in this situation." She said as the two of them discreetly sat down a few tables away from the ones they are talking about.
"You sound like his girlfriend or something." Athena fired off, trying to teas the other goddess. When she the instant answer did not come, she was shocked. The goddess would rather fade than be slandered. "No Artemis, don't tell me..." Athena couldn't believe it.
"Did you say something, Athena?" Came the reply of Artemis, who was blushing at her fellow goddess' words. The two of them turned their attention towards Percy and Annabeth.
"I honestly thought you wouldn't come." Annabeth smiled as she saw the demigod sit in front of her.
"Was I not supposed to come?" Percy responded, making the goddess in front of him pout. "I was the one who arranged this meeting, why would I not go?" He said as he looked at the cafe's menu. "So, what do you want to talk about?"
"I wanted to talk about how're you doing." Was the answer the goddess of architecture came up. "What happened after the banquet?"
"I asked for a place where I can stay. Zeus granted it and told that I should call your mother when I found a suitable place to settle with. I got a job working at SevenLeven, and has been working there since." The demigod gave shortened version of what his life was for the past few months. "Now let me be the one to ask questions this time, Annabeth. Why now? Of all the times to be interested about my life, why now?"
Annabeth was silent for a good minute. "I don't know why. I guess it's due what I've seen yesterday. It looks like you are happy."
"That's it? That sounds shallow Annabeth. What happened with you? Is that the result of ascension?" Percy gave her a glare. "Whatever happened between that you chose Zhang over me? I never knew what happened back then! Do you think I deserved that!?"
"I was lonely!" Shouted the goddess as her hands clenched. "You were at Tartarus! It was him that gave me comfort! When you came back, it was hard for me when he chose to go back to Hazel!"
"You were the on I thought about when I was in Tartarus!" Percy matched the goddess' loudness. "You didn't think that I wasn't lonely? I'm the fucking pit for Chaos' sake! There's nothing I wouldn't do to not get any nightmares regarding that place! I saved you from that Annabeth! And how was I repaid? Seeing my girlfriend liplocking another man?!" Annabeth was shrinking as the demigod's power started to leak, making the coffee shop rumble a little. "No Annabeth, you don't deserve to know things about me." Percy noticed the effect of his power, and willed it back inside him.
"I'm sorry, Percy." The goddess of architecture said with tears in her eyes. "I should've at least told you what happened. I hope you forgive me for what happened."
"I already did." Percy replied calmly. "But that's it. That's all I can give you Annabeth, nothing more than that." Percy then stood up. "Thank you for at least letting me know about what happened back then Annabeth, but I gotta go." The demigod spoke as he left the cafe.
"Percy." The demigod then looked at the voice that called his name and saw Artemis.
"Yes Artemis, what can I do for you?"
"Can you come with me? The girls said that there's a monster to hunt." Artemis then doubled down and spoke once again. "Might be a good way to see if you still have what it takes."
"Sure. I guess I do need to vent. Killing monsters is a good way to do that." He held onto the goddess' hand as they flashed into the hunt.
Once in the hunt, Percy was surprised to see that they flashed directly on Artemis' bed. "Ugh Artemis? What are we hunting?" Asked Percy as she saw the goddess give a dangerous glare.
"You." Said Artemis as she licked her lips.
It's a rare occasion to see the queen of the gods in the Camp. It's even a rarer occasion to be able to come up and talk to her since it's widely known that she hates demigods. So, imagine the surprise of the campers when Hera came in the camp and mingled with the demigods, especially the children.
She decided to stop by since she had nothing better to do, and playing with Hestia and others were getting boring.
"Hey! There's a new demigod coming!" Noted one of the campers as the kid was approaching the camp's barrier. Hera rushed to where the said kid was coming in to see who it was. When the child got in, everyone was shocked as to who's the demigod parent is.
Thunder boomed as a top the child's head was a lightning bolt. The child looked like a 7 year old kid.
'No...' Thought everyone as they saw the the bolt. 'Not in front of Hera.'
With the said goddess, her eyes dulled. She flashed out of the camp and into the front of Percy's place.
"ZEUS! COME THE FUCK DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Raged the queen of the gods as she sent a concentrated beam of light upwards.
A/N: Oh no, Hera is mad! Annabeth is left in the dust, and what did Artemis mean when she said you? Find out more on the next chapters of His Place!
Thank you for more than a thousand follows! It means a lot to me as that means this story is at least interesting to many people. Thank you for the huge support!
I guess people really hated Annabeth as majority of the reviews stated that she shouldn't get redemption for what she did. The original way I envisioned her and Percy's encounter was with Annabeth stumbling into his place drunk as hell. That would've been a cool idea but I preferred doing it this way. So, how was the chapter? Let me know your thoughts in the reviews!
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-Jass leaves the room, like a normal person
