Chapter 48:

"What the hell do you mean 'I've altered fate'?" Markus asked, understandably annoyed. After all, he was in the process of killing King Asshole, who still laid on the ground pathetically, and then the fucking Fates pop up, and kill his murder boner. One does not simply kill his murder boner, and walk away. Fuck no.

Each of the Fates narrowed their eyes at him. "The Hunter called Adria was supposed to die in Hephaestus' Junkyard, yet you saved her. Zoe Nightshade was supposed to die at the hands of her father, yet you saved her," the middle Fate said.

"You brought the one called Samael into matters of this quest, along with the Shinto demigods," the third Fate continued. "You killed Luke Castellan before his time, who was essential to the Great Prophecy."

"You have done nothing but brought change to fate. This cannot be allowed," finished the first Fate.

Markus narrowed his eyes at them. "Your point?"

"You will cease your actions or suffer the consequences," they spoke as one. "While some things remain the same, other things have changed. Zoe Nightshade was supposed to die tonight, allowing Thalia Grace to become the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. Your meddling with the Great Prophecy has muddled the future. Perseus Jackson is the prophecy child. His duty was to fulfil the prophecy, but your actions have clouded our sight, made fate uncertain."

Markus almost dropped Kusanagi in shock at the news he had received. Thalia as the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis? No way. She hates the Hunters. Not only that, but she would have to swear an oath to keep away from all boys. Already he was completely against it. And Percy... Percy was going to die to save the world. That would never happen. He didn't care what the Fates said. He didn't care about the world. That was never going to happen.

"No," Markus whispered, then he glared at the Fates. "No! I refuse to let that happen!"

"You have no say in this," the middle Fate spoke, as if it was set in stone. "You cannot fight against Fate. It is impossible."

"I don't care!" Markus roared, Olympus shaking due to his increasing power. "Percy will not die! Thalia will not join the Hunters!"

"You will not stop us," the first Fate retorted, her unwavering face pissing Markus off. "You are nothing more than a child, lashing out at those who hurt you. Your actions are destroying Western civilization! Your senseless killing of the Olympians because of your petty grudge is already affecting the world. Ares' death has thrown the world into chaos. Humans have been killing each other for a long time. They seem to be hard-wired towards violence. Evolution probably ensured that all the non-violent humans did not systematically survive to reproduce. Besides tendency to violence, humans naturally evolved a desire to protect kin, and were expected to fight to protect them. Kin developed into tribes, and then villages, and then eventually nations. Populations can't grow without nourishment and reproduction."

"While Dionysus' death doesn't really affect anything, Hera's death affects marriage around the world," the second Fate spoke this time. "Love between husbands and wives are already suffering. Relationships are being torn apart. If you kill Zeus, Olympus falls with it. Olympus will never be able to recover from this, making it easy for the Crooked One to ensure victory. This must stop now."

Markus snarled at them. "No," he said finally. "I'm doing this. Not only because of the Olympians wronging me, but also for the world. I'm not a revolutionist, or suddenly care for the matters of the world, but even I know that leaving the Olympians in charge will ruin the world. Maybe not now, but their actions will soon come to bite them in the ass." Markus' eyes lit up, and he smiled coldly. "You have just given me a new idea. Who knew that you old hags were good for something after all?"

The Fates narrowed their eyes. "You assume that you can can change fate. How foolish. Your actions are ruining every destiny we have weaved. Fate cannot be changed. We forbid it. None can change their destinies. Percy Jackson will succeed as the child of prophecy. Thalia Grace will join the Hunters, and Zoe Nightshade will die. You cannot stop us. It is not your destiny to kill Zeus. There is no power greater than the sisters of Fate."

The Fates gathered their energy and were prepared to release it upon Markus. "Desist this meaningless rebellion, and accept your fate."

Markus just stared at the Fates, contemplating. It was true, he couldn't fight fate. Many people have tried and failed. What made him so different?

You share one aspect of the sea that I can respect: the unpredictability of the sea. Just like how the sea changes tides, so too does your future. Ryūjin's words echoed through his mind, reminding him of his conversation with the dragon god long ago. That was his nature: unpredictability. The sea cannot be contained. Who said that he had to be confined by the boundaries of fate? His very existence defied it. There was no set path for him. His future was his to mold, and no one else could say differently. Not Zeus. Not Kronos. And certainly not the Fates.

Before the Fates could do anything, Markus immediately activated Third Gear and moved almost instantaneously, catching one of the Fates by the throat and pointing the Kusanagi.

"Clotho!" one of the Fates yelled in surprise.

Before the other two could react, he spoke, squeezing Clotho's neck tightly, "You said there is no greater power than the sisters of Fate?" Markus scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. I am above your power. Do you know why? Because it's in my very nature to defy you. My unpredictability is something that you can't account for. You're right, I have altered fate. And I'll keep doing it. My future is my own. My life is what I make it out to be. You have no control over me. Fuck your threads, fuck your words, and most importantly, fuck, you."

"You dare?!" Clotho choked out, struggling to get free. Markus edged his sword closer to her neck.

"You may be the Fates, but I bet you die just like any immortal," Markus muttered. He so wanted to kill the Fates right here and now, but there were two problems. One, he didn't know whether he could win a fight will all three of them. And two, even if he did win and kill them, he didn't know what would happen when he did. The Fates were essential in the cycle of life and watched over the lives of man. The Olympians were one thing, but the Fates? No, it wouldn't do to kill them.

"You are making a terrible mistake, boy," the first Fate spat, furious. "You cannot hope to go against Fate and win."

"Funny," Markus scoffed, smirking. "I've been doing that since I became a demigod, remember? Now, scurry along like the old hags you are, and don't bother me again. Oh, and one more thing." Markus squeezed tighter, making Clotho's pale face turn a sudden shade of gold. "If you interfere with my life, or with my loved ones, or find some way to get back at me, I swear on the Styx that I will find you, and I will butcher you. No more fate, no more destiny."

The sisters screeched in rage, furious with the boy who dare order them, THEM, what to do. The sky boomed, signifying the oath that was made. They could do nothing, however. He held one of their own by the throat. Despite their authority and power, they could still die like any immortal. Granted, they could come back, but then fate would be destroyed and man would be without destiny. That could not be allowed.

Hissing in anger, the two Fates, Lachesis and Atropos, diminished their power. "You have made a grave mistake, Markus Henderson. You may have defied fate today, but do not be complacent. You will suffer for this. No one defies fate."

"Except for me," he quipped, tossing Clotho towards the feet of the other two Fates. Glaring, all three of them vanished in a flash of light.

"Now, where is..." Markus looked down to where Zeus was, only to see an ichor puddle, along with a trail. Looking to where the trail followed, Markus saw Zeus crawl pathetically away. Chuckling, Markus strolled towards the broken god of the sky, reaching up to him easily. He then bent down and grabbed his hair, pulling him upwards to look him in the eye.

"You know, killing you as you are now is pretty... unsatisfying," Markus commented, grinning. "Come on, no arrogant remark, no snark? Make this fun for me!"

Zeus glared with all of the anger and hatred that he could muster. "You will pay for this," he finally retorted. "Even if you kill me, Olympus will not fall today. The remaining Olympians will stand up against you, and you will fall!"

Markus laughed. "And there it is! Defiant till the end. Don't worry, at least when your dead, you'll be remembered as the king of the gods, slain by a mere demigod. Oh, how delightful! Now..."

Markus proceeded to slam Zeus' head on the marble floor, cracking it heavily. The god cried out in pain, his weakened body not able to withstand the pain. A kick to his side sent him flying into the air. Markus vapour-travelled to where Zeus was launched, kicking him downwards and making him land on the cratered ground. Zeus couldn't even recover as Markus slammed his fist into Zeus' gut, making him cough up ichor and crack the ground. "Imma plant me a dumbass tree!" he cried out, grinning. Cracks started spreading across the ground.

Markus then proceeded to step on top of Zeus and stomp down on him. "Got to make sure that the tree gets deep into the soil," he replied, taking absolute joy in his actions. With each stomp, Zeus was dug deeper into the ground.

Done with his stomping, Markus raised his Kusanagi. "Better plant the fertiliser, make sure it gets all the nutrients." He stabbed the god in the chest, the blade sinking into the marble ground with a squelch. Ichor poured and pooled across the ground.

Markus bent down, looking down at Zeus. "Well, Zeus. It's been fun, but... ah, fuck it. I've already done my monologue." Taking out the Kusanagi from Zeus' chest, he then proceeded to behead the god king. Zeus' head flew for a bit, and then landed on the ground in a bloody heap, frozen in a horrified expression.

With that, Zeus' beheaded body disappeared in golden dust, and then scattered away, signifying his death.

Markus sighed, dismissing God Trigger, finally relaxing. "Wow, that was a rush!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I felt so alive, so liberated, so... meh, the feeling's gone." It was true. The euphoria and bliss that he felt at finally killing Zeus for what he had done was fading quickly.

He sighed, putting away his Kusanagi. "Well, that was a thing." Markus grinned without humour. "Guess I can proudly wear the title of 'God Slayer' now."

Opening the Mirror Dimension, he saw the others standing there, obviously worried. Once they saw the portal open, they didn't hesitate to run through it, back into the real world. None of them said anything. They just looked around at the remains of Olympus. The destroyed thrones, the scattered central hearth, the ichor splashed all over the place, the fragments of Markus' false moon, everything. It was a sight to behold for them.

What drove the point home for them was the severed head of Zeus. Percy threw up seeing the head while the Hunters were disturbed. Thalia, however, didn't react, only staring at the head of her father.

Markus walked over towards the head, picking it up and sending it away to one of his pocket dimensions. He then turned to look as the others approached him.

"So," Thalia finally said, getting the disturbing image out of her head, "it's finally over."

"Yeah," Markus nodded. "It is."

"Which gods did you... kill?" Percy asked, looking a little queasy.

"Dionysus, Hera and Zeus," Markus listed off, frowning. "Athena, Hephaestus and Aphrodite are... somewhere. Apollo and Artemis were spared. Dad, Hades and Demeter fled. Huh, for a God Slayer, I really didn't kill that many gods. Only five so far."

"You spared Lady Artemis?" Zoe questioned, puzzled but relieved. "Why?"

Markus scowled, not wanting to admit his reason. "I spared her on a whim. She was already defeated, it'd be pointless to kill her while she was broken."

Not one of them believed a word that he had said. But they didn't call him out for it.

"Huh," Percy said, looking over the destruction. "All of this, and you only killed three gods? Really?"

"Yes," Markus said, frowning. "I said I'd kill the ones who wronged me. Granted, Hera didn't do anything to me, but... well, she was the only one I wouldn't feel guilty for and could kill. Hell, it's like you expected me to destroy the world or something."

"Well," Percy muttered, waving his hand in an 'iffy' gesture.

"Wow. In case you forgot, I live in the world as well. And even if I did destroy the world, I'd destroy the simple pleasures. Like pizza, music, video games... oh, and you guys as well."

"Glad to know that we're at the bottom of your 'simple pleasures'," Thalia muttered sarcastically, crossing her arms.

Markus wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, come on. Don't be like that." Then he flinched, suddenly remember the words that the Fates had spoken.

"What? What is it?" Thalia asked, seeing his flinch.

"Uh... I... have something to tell you." And with that, he told them of what transpired between him and the Fates. When he was finished, all of them looked at him in shock, surprise and horror.

Percy and Thalia stared at him, digesting the information. "S-So, I'm not the prophecy child. Percy is," Thalia said, feeling a mixture of confusion, relief and horror at the same time. "But why? My birthday is tomorrow."

"I think it has to do with your time as a tree," Markus answered, getting looks of confusion. "Think about it: you'd be sixteen physically tomorrow, but chronologically, you'd be... what, nineteen?" At her hesitant nod, he continued. "So maybe the prophecy would consider you to be too old to take on the prophecy."

With that, Thalia nodded. Markus then turned to Percy, who looked like he was going to have a panic attack. He could understand why. When both of them found out about the prophecy, they assumed that Markus was the one the prophecy spoke about. When Thalia came, she was assumed the prophecy child. Now, the Fates themselves told Markus that it was Percy all along.

Markus walked towards Percy, putting both hands on his shoulders to get his attention. "Percy," he said gently, "you aren't going to die. I won't let you."

"But the Fates-" "I don't care what the Fates say. I'll screw whatever plan they have up, and make sure that you don't die. I swear on the River Styx."

Thunder boomed, signifying the oath. The others looked at Markus, wide-eyed.

"Markus, you can't do that!" Percy said frantically. "You don't know whether I'll die or not-"

"I don't care," Markus repeated, looking at Percy deeply into his eyes. "You are my brother. That's more than enough reason to screw the Fates over. I don't care if I have to destroy the heavens, the earth, or the Underworld. I will do anything to save you. To save any of you. So trust me when I say this: I will make sure that you do not die."

All of them were stunned at the conviction in his words. They knew that he cared deeply for his loved ones, but to hear the love, the power, in his tone shook them to the core. All of them now knew how far Markus would go to save them.

Percy was relieved. Logically, he knew that - despite what Markus said - there was still a good chance of his death if the Fates permitted it. But hearing that Markus practically gave the middle finger to fate made him more hopeful and confident in his chances of survival.

"Uh, not to interrupt your moment, but what about the other things the Fates said?" Thalia said, getting their attention. "Like me becoming the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis?" She made a face at that. While Zoe had a resigned look on her face, Adria was on the fence with the decision.

Markus made a sad face. "Why, Thalia. Do I disgust you that much? That you would join the Hunters of Artemis? Oh, woe is me." Markus made a show of fainting dramatically.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Shut up. You know it's not like that."

"Oh, my male pride! I'm wounded! It feels like an arrow through my heart!"

"Is a spot still available?" Thalia jokingly asked Zoe. "I think I may take up that offer."

Zoe's lips quirked up in a slight smile. "Maybe. I would not be opposed in thy decision."

Markus leaned on Percy and cried dramatically. Percy patted him on the back, rolling his eyes. "There, there."

The Hunters and Thalia laughed at this, making the boys laugh as well. The atmosphere was light for a moment, the tension from the bleak news being pushed away for a moment. Then Percy had a slight ADHD thought.

"Uh, where are the other gods?" he asked, curious.

Markus frowned slightly. "Dad probably went to Atlantis. I don't know about Demeter, but Hades went to the Underworld. The rest of the gods I'm not sure about."

"Should we... you know, call them?" Thalia asked. "We can't just leave Olympus like this."

Markus sighed. "Unfortunately, you're right."

"I am?" "She is?" Thalia and the others asked, stumped. They expected him to say no and just leave, but they were surprised at him actually agreeing.

"Of course I am," Thalia nodded. But then she frowned. "But why are you agreeing?"

Markus had a contemplative look on his face. "Simple. The Olympians need to clean up their mess. And I have a perfect way to do it."

Ignoring their confused looks, Markus summoned some water from the Vερό runes on his palms (that he still had, by the way) and coalesced to form a mirror. The figure appearing in the mirror was Poseidon, sitting on his throne. His expression was a mixture of worry, sadness and guilt.

"Dad," Markus called through the mirror.

Poseidon quickly looked up, seeing his son, alive. "Markus! Are you alright?! What happened?! Are you-"

"Woah, woah! Dad, I'm fine," Markus quickly said, calming him down. "I'm alive. I'm fine."

"So Zeus is... dead?" Here, the god looked sad, guilt creeping up on his face. Markus understood why. Zeus, despite his flaws, was his brother. He may have been a pain in the ass, but he was family. Markus felt the need to apologise, and then ruthlessly crushed it.

"Yes. Along with Hera. Athena, Hephaestus and Aphrodite were spared. Dad, I know I'm asking a lot, but I need you to do something for me."

Poseidon sighed. "What is it?"

"Bring the other gods back to Olympus and contact Hades and Demeter. There's something that needs to be done."

Poseidon looked like he was about to argue, but he didn't question him. He sighed, giving into his son's demand. "Alright."

"Thanks, Dad," Markus' face brightened a little. "I'll owe you for all this, I promise." With a wave, the mirror disappeared.

"What do thou plan to do now?" Zoe asked, slightly curious, yet afraid. When Markus made decisions, they usually caused mass destruction or killing people. So she was right to be cautious.

Markus smiled thinly. "Something that might fix things."

"Do we get to know what it is?" Adria asked, annoyed.

Markus only kept smiling, which didn't seem to answer her question.

Soon, blinding flashes appeared across Olympus. Appearing from these flashes were Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hermes and Apollo holding an unconscious Artemis. Of the gods, Demeter and Apollo were the only gods who glared upon seeing a destroyed Olympus and at Markus. They probably already knew the aftermath of the battle, but didn't want to admit it.

Poseidon turned to Hermes, who looked to be fairly healed. "Hermes, locate the remaining Olympians and bring them here."

"But-" "Please," Poseidon pleaded, desperation in his eyes. He could tell that Hermes was hurting but they could grieve later.

Nodding slowly, Hermes went at a slight jog towards the exit, leaving a group of partially wounded gods and demigods in an awkward situation.

"Uh, hey, dad," Percy was the one to speak first, trying to break the silence. "Uh, how are you?"

Markus and Thalia facepalmed while Zoe and Adria looked incredulously at him. The gods just looked at him. Even Apollo wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

Hades turned towards Poseidon. "Why is it that you are able to produce two demigods that are so unalike? One is somewhat likeable, while the other is an idiot."

"... Shut up, Hades," Poseidon muttered as Markus chuckled while Percy called out, "Hey!"

Demeter merely sniffed, not even bothering to comment while Apollo grunted, glaring at Markus.

Hermes came back, carrying some gods with him. Hephaestus and Athena were on his shoulders. Aphrodite stumbled in, making disgusted looks appear on the faces of most of the gods. Markus grinned at seeing that.

Hephaestus merely grunted at the sight of Markus while Athena glared heavily at him. Markus ignored the looks and looked at the remaining gods. Sighing, he stepped up and spoke. "Okay, I'm just going to get straight into it: I killed Zeus, Hera, Dionysus and Ares. There were several reasons for this; largely because I hold a grudge against two of them, and the other two I did because."

The gods were shocked at his blunt speech. Apollo growled. "You think that just because you admitted to what you've done, that-"

"Shut up," Markus interrupted, voice tinted with so much bloodlust that Apollo paused, looking weary. Sighing, he continued speaking.

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness. Frankly, I don't care. I've done what I've did. I'm not ashamed about it. I feel quite happy, actually. But that's not the point." Any mirth on his face was wiped away from his next words. "Kronos is rising. I don't care if you deny the fact, run from it, dread it, whatever. He's coming, and that's the truth. Now, some of you already know this. Which is good. However, what I'm trying to get to sink into your heads is the fact that, if he rises, there is a great chance that you will lose."

Every eye was on him. Markus internally grimaced. He wasn't any good with talking to crowds. He just got shit done. Nevertheless, he had to speak about this.

"This is because of two major disadvantages that I personally believe is all your fault: Zeus' blatant ignorance and your arrogance. One problem has been solved already, now it's time for the other. What I mean by this is that, because of your actions, both demigods and minor gods are being affected. The demigods because of your Ancient Laws, and the fact that you forget some of them." At the guilty look on most of the gods' faces, he continued. "This doesn't mean that you all are at fault, though. Just the majority. This can be solved easily: talk to your kids. Spend some time with them. Try to find loopholes. Do something. Because you are going to lose all your support from the demigods and fight this war all by yourself. And before any of you get arrogant and claim that you don't need the aid of 'pathetic' mortals, think about the Great Prophecy. Think about quests undertaken by demigods that have actually not caused you guys to suffer. Zeus' bolt, retrieved by demigods. The Golden Fleece, retrieved by demigods. Freeing Artemis, done by us."

Markus' voice gained a certain volume, a certain strength to it. "As much as none of you like it, we demigods have basically been doing your work and wiping your asses for you. I bet that you guys wouldn't even be here today if not for the mortals that you sleep with, and us demigods. After all, who would believe in you? You would be forgotten, an entire pantheon, on the brink of fading away, if not for the mortals that you so eagerly dismiss. My point, in all this, is that you need us, just as much as some demigods need you. We are essential, to your survival. The minor gods are also important." Here, Markus had a deep frown on his face, almost snarling. "You dismiss them so easily because you are all Olympians." The word 'Olympians' was spoken with venom. "That is stupid. Just because you are Olympians doesn't make you better, more powerful, or more important than the other non-Olympians. Hestia is the eldest of the children of Kronos and Rhea. She surpasses practically all of you in terms of seniority, wisdom and power. And yet she is cast away. She willingly gave up her place of power for a useless, pathetic drunkard."

Markus pointed at Hades, who looked surprised at being pointed at. "Hades has control over the Underworld. He never wanted the position. He was practically forced by Zeus. Yet he has proven to be good at his job. Petty, he may be-" Hades scowled at that "-but he is at least fair. For there is no fairer judgement than death. Being fair is something that you all fall short of. This whole spiel is basically to pound in the facts into your thick skulls: treat your kids like actually decent beings, give the other non-Olympians the respect they actually deserve, clean up and take care of your shit, or you will fight this war on your own."

"What do you mean by that?" Athena asked, her anger fading away to curiosity.

Markus smiled. He raised his left arm. Near his wrist was a bunch of squiggles and swirls that looked like gibberish. Upon Markus activating it, the figure became red, burning into his skin. Immediately, Percy's, Thalia's, Adria's and Zoe's wrists burned, making some cry out while others inspected their left arms. There, just near their wrists, was the same figures on Markus' wrist.

Each and every one of them were unnerved by his smile, even though it was simple in nature. "This is a fūinjutsu, or sealing technique, that I was able to create. I won't go too much into details, but the general gist of this seal is that it is a space-time technique that transports whomever holds this to a place that I created. Where that place is, you won't know. Just know it'll be a place of that only I know, outside of your sight. So here's my ultimatum: if you don't comply to my demands, not only will you lose this war, but I will transport myself, Percy, Thalia, Zoe, Adria, and the rest of Camp Half-Blood to this place, where they will never return to camp, and you will be abandoned."

The Olympians weren't the only ones shocked by this ploy, the others were shocked also. Thalia stepped up to him and grabbed his shoulder, getting his attention. "And when did you decide to tell us about this?" she asked harshly, annoyed.

Markus managed a smile. "I told you I had a backup plan, remember?"

Thalia scrunched face in confusion, then suddenly remembered. "That... this was-"

"My plan," he finished, turning to the gods.

"When, I mean, how-" Poseidon was stumped at the decision his son was making. He was essentially saying 'comply, or be abandoned to fight.' "Son, why-"

"You know why, Dad," Markus interrupted, looking at him and the gods.

"You're bluffing," Athena finally called out, getting incredulous looks from the gods and demigods. "There's no way you would abandon us. If you do that, Kronos will have defeated us, and then ravage the world in search of all the demigods, satyrs, nymphs and other gods. Not to mention that not everyone would agree with your demands or ideals. It is as I said, you're bluffing." She had a triumphant look on her face, as if she knew that she was right.

Markus' grin became wider. "Well, Athena. You would be correct... if I was to a) care about what happens to the world. And b) listen to opinions of the others. In which case, I don't and won't." Markus enjoyed the goddess' triumphant look morph to shock and horror.

Now the gods were understanding the situation at hand. Either they comply, claim their children and offer respect to the minor gods, or be left alone to fight a war they couldn't win. Their king and queen were dead, along with Ares and Dionysus. while the latter two weren't important in the grand scheme of things, their numbers had been decreased significantly. Againt Kronos, the Titans, armies of monsters and other unknown variables, all without any demigods? They wouldn't stand a chance.

"And just to make sure that you know I mean business..." Markus conjured up water to form a mirror, forming Chiron at Camp Half-Blood.

The centaur blinked. "M-Markus! Are you all alright?! Have you completed the que-"

"Chiron," Markus interrupted abruptly. "I still don't forgive you for what you did, and I'm not here for a visit. I'm just calling to ask; do all half-bloods and nymphs have red markings on your wrists?"

Chiron blinked, looking a mix of sad and shocked. "Actually, yes. The half-bloods, even myself, have all noticed these red bands of markings on our wrists. We don't know what they are, or where they've come from, and we cannot get them to go away. But, why-"

"That's all I needed to know." With that, Markus cancelled the water mirror, the image of Chiron fading away. He then looked at the pale and fearful gods. "I believe this is the part where I win. Again."

"... You, you... had this planned," Athena managed to get out. "All along, you planned to do this."

Markus' grin couldn't have gotten any wider, answering Athena's question. "You still haven't answered my question. Do you agree to my terms, or not?"

"You can't do this!" Apollo was the one to protest, heat and light weakly spilling from his body. "You can't kidnap our children and-and force us into your demands!"

Markus' grin disappeared instantly, scaring the gods and demigods. "I can't force you," he repeated, his venomous emerald green eyes boring into the frightened ones of the gods. "I can't force you?!" Power poured from his body in rage, pushing the demigods and demi-Titan back. The gods were also pushed back by this. "How about how you've forced demigods to go on stupid quests for you, just to increase your egos or wipe your asses?! How about how you force mortals to bow to your whims and demands or suffer?! Simply because they said no?! None of you get the right to complain! NONE OF YOU!"

Just as if more power was going to spill out from him, he took a deep breath and calmed down. His power output disappeared, as if it had never appeared. The demigods and demi-Titan stood, getting their bearings back.

"To answer your response," Markus spoke with a strained tone, looking at a frightened Apollo, "I can and I will. You want to survive? You want to not be suffering under imprisonment for millennia? All you have to do is agree to my demands. Treat the demigods like your actual children, respect every and all decent non-Olympian, not make any more messes due to your egos, etc. Also, allow Hestia and Hades the positions of Olympians. You're going to need it, since your numbers are cut down. Plus, they'll get the respect they deserve." Seeing their stunned faces, he rolled his eyes. "Well, go on. You know what to do. Oh, and also, make sure to swear on the River Styx."

They were silent for a moment, but then Poseidon stepped forward. "I swear that-"

"Stop," Markus interrupted, frowning in thought. "It's just occurred to me that everyone in this family has a problem with oaths on the River Styx. Namely, you mostly break them. And while my awesome self, my badass girlfriend and dimwitted brother are good results from these oaths-" Thalia grinned while Percy scowled at Markus "-the point still stands. Although I don't regret those broken oaths. So, swear on the Styx and your title as an Olympian and god of your own domain."

Markus added that last part to make sure the gods would follow their oath. For a god to swear on their title and domain meant that - to against it - would be stripping yourself of all that made you you. Every experience, every ounce of power, relied on keeping this oath. You literally couldn't break this oath, because it relied on your very being. On the off chance that this oath was broken, a god's being would fight against itself, ultimately destroying a person and causing them to fade. That was why it was essential for gods to keep those kind of oaths. To mortals, it didn't mean that much when broken, since they had no domain or power over something.

Swallowing again, Poseidon spoke this time. "I, Poseidon, god of the seas, the Earthshaker and Stormbringer, swear on the Styx and my title as an Olympian and King of the Seas to uphold the oath my son, Markus Henderson has issued."

Poseidon glowed with an unearthly light, the sky booming in correspondence to this.

The gods repeated the lines, adding their own titles and domains into it. The sky boomed continuously, the sound ringing in everyone's ears.

Nodding, Markus smiled, making the seals on his and the others' arms go back to normal. "Then we have a deal. Olympus will be repaired, and then you guys can think of a way to rally your forces and think of strategies for the war. Camp Half-Blood will do the same." With that, Markus turned and walked towards the others, planning to vapour-travel them to camp.

"Wait!" Athena called out, making Markus turn towards her, eyebrow raised. "How do you expect us to repair Olympus? While we could do it, we ourselves are injured. We can't immediately set up plans if we ourselves aren't stable."

Markus nodded slowly, digesting the information. Athena's point had merit. He smiled, recalling an idea. "I know a girl. She's been eager for an opportunity like this. I'm sure you know of her." With the suggestive look in his eyes, Athena's own eyes widened, knowing who he was talking about.

With that, Markus and the others vapour-travelled to camp.

XXX

The group appeared at Half-Blood in a cloud of vapour. Seeing the Golden Fleece on the pine tree, Markus, Thalia and Percy were glad to see camp again.

Chiron greeted them at the Big House with hot chocolate and toasted cheese sandwiches. Though when he asked Markus why he called him and asked about the red markings, Markus told him not to worry about it. Chiron was annoyed, but gave up after Markus continued to not answer any questions.

Markus, Zoe, Adria, Thalia and Percy sat with Chiron and some of the other senior campers; Beckendorf, Silena (who came up to Markus and gave him a big hug followed by a small kiss on the cheek, something that confused others), Katie (who also did the same thing and got more confused looks), Annabeth - who hugged Thalia, Markus and Percy. The latter two seeing her blush - and the Stoll brothers. Even Clarisse from the Ares cabin was there, back from her secretive scouting mission. They figured she must've had a difficult quest, because she seemed quieter, not her usual self. She had a new scar on her chin, and her dirty blond hair had been cut short and ragged, like someone had attacked it with a pair of safety scissors. She just slumped in his chair next to Silena with a pained expression, who looked at her with a concerned look on her face.

"First off, I would like to congratulate the group that saved Artemis," Chiron said to questers. "Without you, we would've already been at war with the Titans." The group smile at each other. They are glad they delayed the war, enough that they could prepare themselves for battle. They shared glances, though. They weren't sure if they should discuss what went on at Olympus, but decided to keep it to themselves until the gods sorted themselves out.

"Is there anything else to report?" Chiron asked.

Markus stepped forward. "Luke is dead." With that statement, everyone stopped chatting and looked at him, shocked. Annabeth looked like someone sucker-punched her in the gut.

"How did he die?" Chiron asked, a sorrowful look on his face. The news seemed to weigh on him quite a bit.

While Thalia had a sad look on her face, Percy's, Zoe's and Adria's expressions didn't falter. In fact, out of everyone in the room, only the Stolls and Annabeth were the ones upset about the news.

"I killed him," Markus answered simply. Gasps rang across the room as they digested the news. Chiron had a small mournful look on his face.

"Markus, you-" "Chiron," Markus interrupted, glaring. "If those next words are about how I should have spared him or captured him, then I'll just leave." Chiron stopped. "Luke was a traitor. With his death, Kronos' plans are derailed. It was obvious that Kronos had high hopes for him. With him dead, he'll be hesitant, weary, clumsy. We can use that."

"But why?" Annabeth quietly asked, although her voice was heard by everyone. "Why couldn't you capture him, bring him to Olympus and-"

"Because he was a traitor," Markus repeated slowly, annoyance written across his face. "Annabeth, you knew that. Everyone did."

"You didn't have to kill him!" Annabeth now yelled, tears falling slowly down her face.

"Yes, I did," Markus calmly replied, now angry at the fact that Annabeth still had feelings for Luke, even when he turned traitor. "Let me ask you something, Annabeth: do you think Luke would've offered you the same sentiment? No, he wouldn't. He would've captured you, tortured you for information, and then killed you."

"You don't know that!" she sobbed. Thalia went over to her and comforted her, hugging her tightly. Thalia shook her head towards Markus, but he wasn't finished.

"Yes, I do," Markus replied, his tone merciless. "Face the facts, Annabeth. Luke. Is. Dead. He's not coming back, he's not going to reform. He's gone."

Annabeth sobbed even harder, muttering out denials. Thalia took her outside, glaring at Markus. His face didn't even shift.

When Chiron looked to admonish him, Markus retorted, "Chiron, no. She needed to hear the truth and forget that there was any chance Luke was coming back. He wasn't. Now, can we please move on?"

Sighing, Chiron nodded. "There is the matter of Thalia turning sixteen tomorrow-"

"Actually, that's already been taken care of," Markus said, scowling.

"How?" Beckendorf asked. The others looked curious as well.

Markus clenched his jaw, while Percy looked slightly sick. "Thalia is chronologically nineteen years old. She's too old for the prophecy, even though she's physically sixteen tomorrow. I'm sure the prophecy is for either me or Percy."

"But how do you know?" Travis Stoll asked, curious.

There was anger in his eyes, something that everyone could see. "Call it a gut feeling," he bit out, not in the mood to divulge why. Fortunately, everyone saw this, and let the matter go.

"Well," Chiron said finally. "We still have a year or two until the Second Titan War. Kronos' first strike will be here, I'm sure of it." Here Chiron went for a smile. "And on that happy note, meeting adjourned."

The demigods shuffled out of their seats, going their separate ways. Markus caught the eyes of Silena and Katie, and he smiled.

XXX

Markus pushed Katie against the wall of the Demeter cabin, kissing her gently. The daughter of Demeter reciprocated the action, hands trailing across his body. Markus did the same thing, resting his hands on her hips and squeezing them. As he kept kissing her, Markus was able to get the scent of greenery in his nose. Like walking through a meadow filled with fresh trees and flowers. The scent was driving Markus crazy, making him deepen the kiss.

Katie was quickly getting overwhelmed, so she sucked on his bottom lip and grabbed the front of his jeans and his cock. Markus visibly shivered, allowing Katie to take control. Pretty soon, the two had to separate due to air.

Markus panted slightly. "I've wanted to do that for a while."

Katie grinned widely. "You and me both."

Before Markus could move, vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped themselves around his wrists, pulling them down. Markus frowned, pulling at them. He could easily break out of them, but he decided to wait, see where Katie was going.

Katie's grin became wider. "My, my," she said, walking around and inspecting him like a prize. "You know, this is something that I wanted to come true."

"What, me tied up, vulnerable to your carnal desires?" Markus asked, grinning slightly.

"Exactly," Katie answered, ready to begin. They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Growling, she stomped forward towards the door, ready to offer whoever was at the door to a Venus flytrap. When she opened the door, she saw that it was Silena. Her annoyed expression turned into an excited one. "Silena! Good, you're here!"

Now, Markus was slightly worried and excited at the same time. Two of his girlfriends stood before him, while he was bound by vines. He both dreaded looked forward to this.

Silena walked through, eyes lighting up at the sight of Markus tied up. "Ooh, la, la! Oh, this is going to be so exciting!"

"... Silena, babe, you're scaring me," Markus managed to speak, slightly scared.

"But that's the point," she said. Turning towards Katie, she nodded. Then she walked towards him, hips swaying. Markus took careful notice of the fact. Like Katie, Silena then proceeded to walk around Markus, still swaying her hips. Markus craned his neck to take a look at her glorious ass, but a tug from the vines stopped him. Markus glared at Katie, who shrugged.

A finger trailed across his jaw, lifting his face upwards to look at Silena, who was no behind him. She bent down, kissing him. Markus reciprocated, feeling hands lift up his shirt and roam across his body. He groaned, deepening the kiss, only for Silena to end it. This left Markus weakly pushing his head forward, trying to find her lips. She giggled, standing up straight and kneeling down in front of him, joining Katie in kissing him.

Markus was enjoying himself immensely, despite the situation that he was in. After all the drama and killing from the quest, it was nice to relax, rest... and enjoy having his girlfriends pleasure him. It was good to be him.

Done. Wow, it has been a while since I've written a chapter for this story.

Sorry if it's lackluster, but this is the end of Titan's Curse. Not really much to add, anyways.

Next chapter won't be a lemon, don't worry. Reason being, I want to have lemons for the girls individually, before going into anything more. Might take a while, but that's how it is. I only ended it on this scene because both Markus and Katie deserved a reward. Oh, and Katie's officially joined the harem... YAYYY! FINALLY!

So, Markus has defied the Fates - pretty much what everyone was expecting - and found out that Percy is the prophecy child. Along with that, killed Zeus, threatened and bargained with the Olympians, and have gone back to camp. Markus' plan was something that was mentioned in chapter 43, I just didn't say which. It's been something that he's been planning since he came back from his training trip. Nice twist, if I do say so myself.

Just note, since I'm at the end of Titan's Curse, I'm bringing up a question I asked about making a sequel to this or continuing on. This chapter just feels like the one that I could finish a story on and make a sequel. If I do make a sequel, next chapter will just be an update saying that it's up or not. If I don't, I'll just continue like normal.

After this chapter, it'll just be filler/side quest/bonding chapters. Something I'm actually really looking forward to. Got a bunch of stuff planned. Oh, and Camp Half-Blood will find out about the deaths of Ares, Dionysus, Hera and Zeus next chapter. I can picture the chaos that would occur due to that.

Now, review time:

1) As you've seen, the Fates can't do shit to Markus. It probably would be funny for him to call his student 'Boy'. It'd be funny every time. And the Kamui idea is interesting, though since he can phase his body and turn into water, it'd be kinda redundant. But I will think about it, don't worry. Your last point is also a good idea.

2) That is good idea. Also, thanks

3) I can understand your point. The only reason Markus seems OP (and he is) is because I haven't introduced characters that could soundly beat him. I even have each scene and battle planned out. I thank you for making the point. I know you don't mean to bash, your point has merit. Hopefully, I can save the story and make it interesting and not make it too cliche.

4) Thanks

5) Awesome idea for Riptide, Apollyon. I do like the extra tidbit on Toriko. Already watched JoJo, but still appreciate the comment. Maybe add that stuff later on in the story. Love the points that you made as well. As for the Ophiotaurus, I'm leaning towards Kronos stealing the serpent-bull (it'll be explained how later on) and using it for himself. He's going to need it. As for the idea on the DxD comment, (I think I did reply to you about that. Sorry if I didn't) love the ideas on the Sacred Gear, setting and Markus' title. Oh, and I searched up the Heavy Weather bit. Really cool, thanks. Thanks for the Toriko grim bit, also good heads-up on the anime, I needed it. I can see what you're talking about with the DBZ evolution bit, and I might think of him meeting Arale. Markus has a copy of Yamato, not the original. But he will go dimension-travelling later on. I agree with you on the DBZ evolution bit, parts of it was good, others... eh. And I already know about Death Battle. Might study it a bit for the DC bit. My favourites are Dante vs. Bayonetta, Hulk vs Doomsday and Vergil vs Sephiroth. And you're right about Typhon, Markus can't defeat him as of yet.

6) I don't know Spanish, so I don't know what you're saying. Sorry.

7) Thanks.

8) To Anti, thanks.

9) Again, dunno Spanish.

10) Updating now.

Thanks to all those who f,f,r and r the story, along with my others. Love all of you, seriously.

Read and Review!