Arcane Chaos

by Kronium345

A boy who leads a dark path, different than his siblings. Cut off from familial ties at a young age, he seeks power. Power to protect himself and those he cares about. This ambition, this greed, will drive him to great lengths to attain this power and become a maelstrom in the world of gods, monsters and demigods. Son of Poseiden! OC. Harem. Somewhat Dark!/Grey OC. Godlike! OC

49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49:

Markus had woken up pretty early, much earlier than any of the other campers. After his... 'activities', he was surprised that he even woke up pretty early. He crept silently, not wanting to wake anyone up as he walked towards the pier. He watched the rising sun with a small serene expression on his face. This... was definitely what he needed. While he and the others had arrived safely to Camp Half-Blood, the drama of their quest still clung to him. So he decided to go towards the pier, letting the ocean calm him down.

And it was working. He breathed in the ocean scent, feeling right at home. Just as he was about to fully relax, he felt someone approach. Turning, he saw that it was Zoe. She wore her usual silver attire with her cloak hood up, slightly obscuring her features. Her face held a neutral expression, which Markus found odd. When she looked at him, he'd expected her to either lash out in anger or something. But he couldn't seem to get a read on the Hunter.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, before Markus spoke. "I thought that the Hunters would've left by now. Don't think you'd like any boys contaminating your presence."

Zoe turned to look at him, frowning. "Lady Artemis has yet to arrive," she said.

Markus nodded, humming. "I thought that you'd be angry at me, after all I've done."

"Oh, I am," Zoe nodded in response. "I am fuming at you. I still feel like killing you... only I don't." She turned to look at him. "Why did you spare Lady Artemis?"

Markus sighed, knowing that lying wouldn't get him anywhere. "I did it... because of you and Adria." Turning to see that she had an eyebrow raised, he continued. "I could see how much you desperately wanted to save Artemis. You stopped at nothing to save her from Atlas. I didn't want to take away the person that you fought so hard for, and cared for."

Zoe continued to look at his face, as if searching for something. Finally, she said, "Thou are an enigma to me, Markus Henderson. Part of me wants to kill you, and yet... a part of me doesn't. I admit, I am struggling to decide on which side to settle on."

"Pick the 'wanting to kill me' side," Markus offered with a smile. "It's much easier. I mean I have."

Zoe smiled. An actual smile. "If that is easier."

The two continued to stare off across the ocean. There was another comfortable silence between them for a moment, before Zoe spoke again.

"I am not happy with how thou did things on Olympus," Zoe started, looking at him in the eyes. "But I do appreciate the results. Maybe this war will not be lost."

Markus nodded. "It needed to happen." He thought about what he wanted to ask Zoe. "Are you going to tell anyone about your heritage?" Seeing Zoe's shoulders slump, he sighed. "You don't have to if you don't want to. Do it when you're ready. And don't worry, I or the others won't tell anyone of your heritage unless you deem it okay. And remember," Markus smiled a little, "it doesn't change how I look at you. You're still a bitch to me, Zoe. But you're loyal to the Hunt and Artemis. I respect that."

Zoe looked at Markus, before smiling again. "And thou are still an arrogant pig. But... you're a slightly decent male. Probably the only one I can tolerate."

"... You've been smiling a lot. You sure you're alright?"

Zoe sighed. "And my respect for thou had gone." Markus chuckled. He raised his hand and clicked his fingers, confusing Zoe. He sighed. "I've lifted the curse I placed on the Hunters. Their tattoo will disappear when they've healed it properly."

Zoe smiled again. "As the lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis, I thank thou Markus Henderson, son of Poseidon," she said, offering her hand to him. "On behalf of the Hunters, thank you for saving my Lady. If you ever need my bows or blades, ask and thou shall have it."

Markus smiled, taking her hand. "You're welcome, Zoe Nightshade of the Hunt. If you ever need my help, ask and you also shall have it. And whenever you're in a bind..." he gestured towards the seal on Zoe's wrist "... think of me and I'll be there."

Nodding towards each other, the two parted ways, Zoe to the Hunters and Markus out of camp.

XXX

Thalia yawned as she got out of bed, scratching her now scattered hair. "Should've kept it short," she grumbled.

She got out of bed, ignoring the shattered statue of Zeus that was now rubble. Ever since Markus killed Zeus, the cabin had seemed much colder, as if the power had been sucked out of it. Truthfully, she wasn't bothered by this, especially the statue being destroyed. What teenage girl wanted a statue of their father where they slept?

She got changed and dressed into her usual leather jacket and ripped jeans. She rubbed her eyes, getting the sleep out of them. Comforting Annabeth had taken a lot out of her. The poor girl was crying into her pillow, still refusing to accept Luke's death. While she agreed that Annabeth needed to get over Luke, Markus could've at least delivered it a little easier. Eventually, she had to leave her to Malcolm, who promised to look after her. Something she was grateful for.

As she opened her cabin door, suddenly voices screamed out, "SURPRISE!"

Thalia jumped, about to pull out her weapons when she saw who was in front of her cabin; Percy, Annabeth, Grover (who had an eyepatch and was covered in bandages), Silena, Katie, the Stoll brothers, Will, Beckendorf, Castor and Pollux.

Thalia blinked, staring at her grinning friends. "Uh, guys? What's going on?"

"Don't tell me you forgot," Percy said as everyone chuckled.

"Forgot wha- oh..." She suddenly remembered. It was her birthday.

"Finally, you remembered," Annabeth croaked, eyes red from crying. Nevertheless, she still smiled at Thalia.

"Y-You guys remembered..." Thalia felt a well of emotion in her chest, doing her best to stop from crying. "B-But how? Annie, I know. But the others-"

"That'd be because of me, princess," Markus' voice called out as the others parted. Markus walked through the crowd, holding a blue and white cake with sixteen candles on it that were alight. Written across it were the words were 'Happy Birthday, Thalia!' with blue frosting. There were several designs of lightning bolts across it and the names of several bands she liked.

Thalia smiled widely as Markus presented the cake. He grinned as everyone sang 'Happy Birthday' to her. At the moment, she didn't mind the tears the fell down from her eyes. It had been so long since she had celebrated her birthday. Usually, she would celebrate it with Annabeth and Luke while on the streets, eating some burgers. Now, she could celebrate it with her friends. And her amazing boyfriend.

The group finished singing as Thalia blew out the candles, making everyone cheer.

"Okay, enough clapping," Percy announced. "Let's eat!"

"You're only saying that because there's blue in it, Blue Boy," Markus said, but smiled. Pretty soon, the Zeus cabin was filled with campers. The group ignored the destroyed statue of Zeus (though some did question it). The girls and boys separated, with the girls gossiping and the boys staying to the side, doing their own version of gossiping.

Markus helped serve the cake as Thalia smiled at him. "Did you make this?"

Markus smiled. "Yeah. I had to run to Percy's mum's apartment. Turns out that she's awesome at making cakes. Though I kept on adding blue to everything time, so there was that."

Thalia leaned forward and kissed Markus on the lips, drawing some gasps from the others watching. "Thank you, Markus. This is honestly the best birthday I've ever had."

Markus scoffed. "Woman, the day is just starting. You'll love it, trust me."

"Right," Thalia grinned. "There's Green Day."

"Uh huh," Markus nodded. "Along with something else."

Pretty soon, everyone had cake. Percy was planning on eating most of the cake, but Markus stopped him. Annabeth came to Thalia to talk to her about the kiss with Markus, while the others enjoyed themselves. Markus quickly went out and brought some other stuff with him, like juice, pizza (of course), chips, and other party essentials.

All in all it was a good small party where people just sat around talking. Today was already starting to look like a good day.

After a few hours, Thalia came forward, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone, I'd like to thank all of you for coming," Thalia said, smiling happily. "It's been... really cool. You guys are the best."

Everyone cheered slightly, either hugging or clapping Thalia on the back.

Markus leaned forward whispered something into her ear. Smiling, she spoke to everyone again. "Hey, guys. Me and Markus need to... go somewhere."

"Is it to make out?" Will asked, causing the others to laugh.

Markus scoffed. "Trust me, Will. I'd do it right now if Thalia wasn't so embarrassed by it." She hit him on the shoulder. "See?"

"Anyways," Thalia said to get back on track, "we're going out of camp to do something."

"Wait, you guys need Chiron's permission," Annabeth asked, frowning. "Not to mention that it's dangerous to go out of camp-"

"Annabeth," Thalia interrupted, looking at her friends. "Markus told me he got Chiron's permission. Besides, we can handle a bunch of monsters." When it looked like Annabeth was going to protest, Thalia looked her in the eyes. "Annie, please."

Annabeth scowled a little, sighing. "Fine."

Smiling, Thalia hugged her while Silena and Katie sent both Thalia and Markus knowing looks. Markus winked at the girls as Thalia and him wished the others thanks while they went outside.

"So, how are we going to do this?" Thalia asked, looking at Markus.

Smiling, Markus decided that they'd go out first before meeting Jason. "We could go to the mall first. Then we get to the surprise afterwards. Followed by Green Day."

Thalia shrugged. "Sounds good to me. But how-"

"Leave that to me," Markus said. He picked Thalia up bridal style as he coated her in a small sheen of his magic. It was hardly noticeable to the naked eye. Then he went off in a sonic boom, exiting camp.

Thalia screamed, holding onto Markus for dear life as he ran. She still wasn't used to his speeds yet. Her hair flew through the wind as Markus carried her. It felt like hours as he ran, but for Markus, it was only minutes. He came to a stop, skidding on the ground, near the Manhattan Mall. The two were covered in the Mist, so no mortal looked at them funny.

Markus dropped Thalia as she stumbled slightly. Markus' magic protected her from the high speed, so her hair wasn't ruffled. Still, she had to hold onto Markus for support. "I don't think I want to travel like that again," Thalia mumbled.

"Noted," Markus said, smiling. "You okay?"

"A little dizzy, but I'll managed," she said. She glared at him. "If I puke my cake out, I'm spewing all over you."

Markus chuckled. "Oh, joy."

With that, the two walked into the mall, taking in the sights. The two of them had never actually been to a mall for a casual day. Well, Thalia had, but it wasn't a casual day for her. She had to escape from a bunch of monsters. So this was nice for the couple. They could finally act normal, like a average couple. It felt nice for the two of them.

The floors were marble with a black and white pattern. The walls were covered with a chrome cover and the lights were bright neon white, illuminating Markus' and Thalia's path into the wall.

While Thalia only saw all the glamours lighting and the pretty stores Markus surveyed the sights, drinking it in. The edge of billboards had been used and the marble floor had scratches on it from the numerous people that had walked on it before.

The store themselves were okay. To their left was a women's accessories store called Everyday Fashion, which Thalia seemed almost allergic to due to the store's liking for the colour pink. Markus thought that it was something Silena may like. He didn't know for sure.

To their right was a Victoria's Secret store that caught Markus' attention. The posters along the store windows featured very beautiful women wearing very sexy lingerie. Markus grinned, having a great idea. "Thalia-"

"No," Thalia shot down.

Markus pouted. "Please! I'll buy it for you!"

Thalia looked at the store, unsure. "It's not my style."

"Yeah, but it's natural for women. If you buy it, I'll do anything you want for a day. And no, today doesn't count." Thalia pouted at getting caught.

"Damn. Fine, I'll buy it."

Markus fist-pumped the air, reaching into his jacket to take out money. He gave some to Thalia, who looked at Markus' wide grin. Sighing, she walked into the store while Markus waited patiently for her to come out. A few minutes later, she came back with a small bag in her hand. Before Markus could say anything, she dragged him towards the next shop.

They ignored a nearby Starbucks. Actually, Thalia ignored it. She just kept on dragging Markus because she did not want a repeat of what happened on their last quest. They did go to a store that sold leather jackets. Thalia bought a number of them, each different shapes and sizes. Markus laughed at some that looked to be too big for her, while appreciating the ones that suited her.

They left the store and moved to another store that Thalia really wanted to go to.

"You want to get a tattoo?" Markus asked as they stood outside a tattoo store. Why there was even a tattoo store in a mall was confusing, but whatever.

Thalia nodded with a smile. "Yeah. It's something that I've been into."

"You're really going for the punk look, aren't you?" Markus asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yep. Plus, you look sexy with your tattoos, so maybe I should try it."

"While it's true, you don't need tattoos to be sexy, princess. You're already sexy to me." Markus kissed the top of her head, making her smile.

"Thanks, but I still want it."

"That's fine," Markus shrugged.

Thalia looked at him, eyebrow raised. "You're not going to lecture me not to do it?"

Markus looked at her with a deadpanned look. "Thalia, I'm your boyfriend, not your parent. I'll stop you from doing stupid stuff, true. But getting a tattoo isn't counted as stupid stuff. It's your business and decision to get one. Plus, I have them as well, so I can't lecture you about it."

Thalia smiled, kissing his cheek. "Thanks. So, tattoo?"

"Tattoo. But are you going to get one with rainbows and sunshines on it? Maybe a cute little pony- OW!" Markus rubbed his head. "Goddammit, woman! I was joking."

"Then don't," was all she said. With that, the two walked inside. Thalia talked to the tattoo guy about what type of tattoo she wanted, and where she wanted it. The guy was questioning her about her age, but Markus just used the Mist to convince him.

Thalia laid down on her front, her smooth back exposed as the tattoo guy did her tattoo for her. Markus wanted to stay, but Thalia told him that she wanted it to be a surprise. After roughly thirty minutes, she came out.

"So, what'd you get?" Markus asked Thalia once she came out.

Grinning, Thalia turned around and lifted her jacket and shirt, exposing her back with her new tattoo on display. It was a black sword with angel and devil wings framing it. "Wow, that looks badass," Markus commented, touching her back to inspect it. Thalia shivered at the contact. "But why did you choose it?"

Thalia shrugged. "It felt right to me."

Smiling, the couple walked off to enjoy the rest of their date. Markus saw a video game store that he liked. After seeing this, Thalia sighed, allowing him to buy what he wanted. Markus kissed her deeply before rushing into the store, practically salivating over the games that were there. Eventually, he purchased some, while discretely putting them into one of his pocket dimensions.

Just as they were about to continue, they heard a slithering and hissing sound. To some, this might've been their ears playing tricks on them. But for two trained demigods, this wasn't a trick. The two of them turned to see a diamond-shaped hydra emerged from one of the shops that looked particularly like a donut shop.

Both of them brought out their respective weapons, surveying their surroundings. Mortals ran around, some claiming that there was a break out in the pet store, releasing a horde of snakes. In a way, they weren't wrong.

"So much for a smooth date," Markus muttered.

Thalia glared at the hydra as it glared at the two. "No," Thalia glared, pointing at the thing with her spear. "I'm having a really good day! Don't you dare!"

"I don't think it cares," Markus said, ignoring the glare Thalia gave him at that.

The hydra spat out a glob of acid at them. The demigods rolled out of the way, allowing the space they were previously occupying to melt and hiss, the floor being corroded.

Thalia's eyes sparked as she glared at the monster.

"Now, Thalia," Markus cautioned. "No need to get-"

She pointed her spear at the hydra, a blast of lightning shoot from the tip and zapping it. It screeched and recoiled.

Thalia charged at the hydra, Markus quickly following after her. "Thalia, hold on! You can't charge in recklessly!"

"I'm not!" Thalia yelled back. She jumped, the wind aiding her and granting her a boost. She soared over the hydra and allowed gravity to do the rest. She speared one of the heads in its jaw as it tried to devour her. The head screeched and roared, acid spraying all over the place.

The rest of the heads converged onto Thalia, who was now weaponless apart from her shield. Holding her Aegis out and planting it onto the ground, the terrifying image of Medusa caused the heads to retreat, though only barely.

Just as she was about to continue her attack, nine storm lasers were shot simultaneously, punching right through the heads in an explosion of blood and gore. A larger, more powerful laser was aimed for the body of the hydra, disintegrating it with an explosion.

Thalia waved away the smoke and turned to a smiling Markus. "I had that."

"I know you did," Markus said. "But I did want to get this date back on track. Can't have it ruined, after all."

"... True," Thalia nodded, using the wind to bring her spear back to her.

Just as the two were about to continue their dates, a howl reverberated across the mall. The two looked behind them to see dozens of hellhounds approaching them, saliva dribbling between their teeth as they snarled.

"Nope," both of them spoke. Looking at each other with a grin, the two raised their hands and shot lightning from their hands, incinerating each hellhound and making them disappear in clouds of darkness.

Thalia sighed in relief, stress gone. "I needed that."

"Pretty obvious," Markus noted with a smile. Thalia punched him slightly on the arm, but she smiled as well. The two continued their date after that.

"You want to eat something?" Markus asked, hearing Thalia's stomach rumble.

She blushed a little, but nodded. "Yeah. Looks like the cake wasn't enough for me."

"That's fine," Markus said, shrugging. Looking around at certain shops, he smiled at seeing one he liked. "Chinese?"

"Chinese," Thalia nodded. The two sat down and ordered what they wanted. Markus got three large bowls of noodles, spring rolls, shredded chicken and beef with rice. He would've eaten more, but he didn't want to ruin the date by pigging out entirely. Thalia just ate two bowls of large noodles.

Once they finished, the two exited the shop, satisfied. "So, you have fun?" Markus asked.

Thalia nodded, a smile on her face. "Yeah. Got a tattoo, bought some stuff I liked-"

"-Got some sexy underwear," Markus interrupted with a grin, getting Thalia to elbow him.

"Anyways," Thalia continued. "I had fun. But it was kind of..."

"Boring?" Markus offered, getting Thalia to nod.

"Yeah. Not that I didn't enjoy today. I really did. It's just... I think I'm so used to the craziness of our lives. All the fighting, the drama. I didn't think I'd like it, but it just... sticks to you."

"I get what you mean," Markus nodded. "Things were a little slow today. Not that that's a bad thing." Markus leaned forward to kiss her gently. "Sometimes you need to appreciate the things that you enjoy."

"What? You have a notebook of witty one-liners you could use to woo me?" Thalia asked, rolling her eyes.

Markus scoffed. "Of course not. I'm just honest with what I say. This is all me."

"I can imagine," Thalia said jokingly. Still, she enjoyed hearing that he was honest with what he said. "So, are we going back to camp?"

Markus had a contemplative look on his face, confusing Thalia. Then he smiled. "Actually, we're taking a detour," he said finally. "This is a special surprise that I have for you. Something that you'll love."

"More than Green Day?" Thalia asked, skeptical.

Markus gave a knowing smile. "Better than Green Day."

"Alright, lover boy," Thalia said, smiling. "Impress me."

Looking around discretely, Markus carried Thalia bridal-style again and surrounded them in a dome of magic. With that, he sped off towards a certain direction. He ran towards California, to Camp Jupiter. To both of them, colours blurred in their eyes as Markus ran. Thalia's heart raced at moving at such speeds, afraid they were going to crash into something. Markus swerved past any cars, trees and statues, always narrowly escaping to give Thalia a scare. If her screams were any indication, it was working.

Markus skidded to a stop, causing pebbles, dirt and rock to fly. Caldecott Tunnel was right in front of them. He dropped Thalia, who turned around and slapped him on the face. "Ow!" Markus yelled, cradling his face. He glared at his girlfriend. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For being an ass!" Thalia yelled, trying to get her heart to stop jumping. "We almost crashed several times back there!"

"Okay, first, I am an ass-man with a nice ass. We've been over this," Markus said, getting Thalia to blush and sputter at his words. Grinning, he continued. "And secondly, I've been running for roughly over two years. Apart from accidents at the start, I never crashed into anything. I would not start now."

"... Still, though," Thalia grumbled. Markus smiled, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her deeply for a few moments. He separated, enjoying Thalia's happy face. "Don't worry, princess. I'd never do that. Now, I need to get your surprise."

"You going to tell me what it is?" Thalia asked, impatient. While she did enjoy a surprise, this was eating at her.

"I can't," Markus answered. He continued quickly, seeing Thalia about to say something. "I mean I literally can't tell you. Took an oath on the Styx for it. I can, however, show you."

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. "If this is something that you can't tell me, why show me? Isn't that still breaking your oath?"

Markus smiled. "It's not against the oath. And even if it was, I'd still risk it." He winked. "Now wait here. I'll be back quickly." With that, he dashed into the tunnel. Just as he was about to cross the bridge, he disappeared in a cloud of vapour. He spread his vapour body out rapidly, passing the statue god Terminus, who looked around as if he'd sensed something.

A neat little trick he'd realise with vapour-travel: he could stay in his vapour body for as long as he could (which was several hours) and spread out his incorporeal body. This had the effect of practically masking his power as a demigod. He could only be sensed if he was practically standing in front of beings who could sense him, like gods and nature spirits. And since he'd spread out his body before coming in, Terminus couldn't sense him.

Markus spread his senses out, searching for Jason. While he had a basic understanding of the layout of the camp, he didn't know exactly where Jason would be. After a few moments of circling his essence around the camp, he was able to pinpoint where Jason was. His vapour body closed in on where he was.

Through his... well, not eyes, but- screw it, eyes. Through his eyes, he saw that there was a young boy in the arena. He was just a few inches shy of Markus' own height, with broad shoulders and dressed in golden armour. (A.N. - Again, I'm assuming that he's not praetor yet, so no purple cape). His face was handsome, his features rugged and slightly stern. Golden blond hair covered his head and electric blue eyes shone as he swung his golden gladius in his hands. His eyes were so similar to Thalia's own that Markus stared for a moment, before recollecting himself.

He watched the boy demolish several training dummies set up. Markus was impressed with what he saw. Jason was deadly with a sword. He'd bet that he could probably fight Percy on even footing. Although both fought differently, so the outcome was something he was unsure about.

As Jason finished, he wiped sweat from his brow, panting. He removed his golden armour, revealing a purple T-shirt underneath. So the colour schemes of this camp were purple? Well, it was a good colour. Certainly no orange or green.

Thinking of how to get Jason's attention, he smiled as he came up with an idea. He gathered enough vapour to form the lower part of his face, showcasing his mouth. Putting power into his voice, he called out, "Jason Grace."

Immediately, Jason whirled, sword at the ready at his vapour-body. His stern face was replaced with a confused one, then narrowed back into stern again. "Where are you? Show yourself!"

Forming more vapour so that he could see an outline of his body, Markus continued speaking. "I've been waiting for you, Jason."

"Who are you?" Jason demanded, sparks dancing along his sword. "Enough tricks!"

While he couldn't blame him being cautious and weary, he didn't have time for that. He spread his divine energy out, stunning Jason. The son of Jupiter almost dropped his sword, his instincts screaming at him to run away. This... this had to be a god!

Jason dropped down to one knee, sword lowered. "My apologies, my lord! I didn't think I'd receive any visits from the gods."

Markus was stunned. Sure, he wanted to scare the kid, but he didn't think that he'd think he was a god. Well, he was, but he didn't want anyone kneeling to him. Now that he thought about it, what was he? He was a demigod, and yet could turn into a god. So... what? Quasi-god? Demi-divine? He was getting a headache from this.

"I am not... actually, forget it. Stand up, Jason. No need to bow," Markus said, trying to ease the tension.

Jason still remained on one knee, confused. "You do not want me to bow, milord?"

"Stop calling me 'milord'," Markus snapped, getting Jason to flinch. He sighed. "Sorry. Listen, I am the person that told Reyna that I'd be visiting you."

Jason stood up immediately, eyes wide with excitement and hope. "Is it true? You know about my sister? Where is she? What is she like? How-"

"Calm down," Markus interrupted, and Jason did so, but was still visibly excited. "I do know your sister, very well in fact. And she is close. As for what she's like... that you'll know yourself. I swore on the River Styx to reunite you with your sister, and I shall do so." Markus willed his right hand to become corporeal, stretching it towards Jason. "Take my hand, Jason, and you will see your sister."

Jason hesitated, unsure if he should trust this mysterious being. Did he really know where his sister was? Was he lying to him? He shook his head. He swore upon the Styx. That alone was enough to guarantee that he was telling the truth.

Jason slowly reached out, touching Markus' hand. As soon as he held his hand, the son of Jupiter disappeared in a cloud of vapour, exiting Camp Jupiter.

Thalia was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for Markus to reveal this 'surprise'. If he was playing a prank on her, she was going to kill him. Suddenly, he appeared in a cloud of vapour, startling her. Just as she was about to yell at him, she realised that he wasn't alone.

Thalia's jaw dropped as she stared at the teen. The blonde hair, the blue eyes, the familiar cut around his lip... No. No, this... this was a dream. It had to be.

"It's not a dream," Markus said, as if reading her mind. He smiled lightly. "I'd never do that to you. It's him. It's really him."

Thalia's blue eyes misting slightly, biting her lip like she wanted to keep from crying. Jason followed Markus' gaze and when his eyes locked with the older girl's, he felt something akin to familiarity. As a tear rolled down the raven-haired girl's cheek, Jason felt the urge to make her smile.

"Jason Grace," Markus said, gesturing towards his sister. "Meet, Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus. Your older sister. Thalia, meet Jason Grace, son of Ju-Zeus. And your little brother."

Jason and Thalia stared at each other for a moment before one of them moved. Jason nearly fell over when Thalia bowled into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, and tears falling down her cheeks. Jason failed to speak as Thalia cried while hugging him and kept on repeating two words:"You're real."

"Y-Yeah..." Jason finally managed to say as he hugged her back, tears of his own starting to form as he choked out, "I-I'm real."

Markus smiled at the scene, happy at the scene in front of him. Both of them deserved this. It wasn't fair that the actions of Zeus were the cause of all of this. Now, they were reunited.

Thalia's closed and tear-stricken eyes opened and locked eyes with a smiling Markus. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, before settling on anger. Forcing herself out of Jason's grasp, she walked towards Markus with a glare.

"You knew," she whispered, a boom of thunder sounding across the sky. Markus' eyes went to confusion and then understanding. "You knew about Jasonand didn't tell me!"

"Actually, I only knew Jason existed for about... what, two days?" Markus narrowed his eyes in confusion. "And before you explode, let me explain. I would never do this to you without an actual reason."

Thalia's eyes grew stormy, but she managed to restrain herself. The sky was turning dark, thunder crackling softly. "Explain."

"After you first told me about Jason," Markus started, "one thing you said struck me as odd. Zeus visited you and your mum a second time, and came back stern and speaking Latin. I already knew about the Ro- another camp that was similar to Camp Half-Blood that had links to Latin. So I put two and two together, and visited a friend who knew about Jason. I arranged for you guys to meet after the quest."

"And why didn't you tell me Jason was alive when you found out?" Thalia's voice was calm. Scarily calm. Jason edged away from his sister, slightly scared.

"I made an promise on the Styx to not reveal anything of the Roman camp to anyone in Camp Half-Blood and Olympus," Markus answered. "Dad made me do it. And so I couldn't tell you anything. I could, however, show you your brother."

Thalia nodded, losing some of her anger, understanding dawning in her eyes. Jason, however, was confused. "Uh, my lord-"

"Markus," Markus said, rolling his eyes. "I told you I'm not a god. Actually, I am, but I don't like being called 'lord'."

Thalia looked at him incredulously. "Why did Jason call you 'lord'? And really?"

"He calls me that because I scared him and he insists that I'm a god." Thalia glared at him, making him hold his hands up. "Okay, bad idea, but I didn't mean to. And I'm not wrong. Let me have some arrogance."

Thalia rolled his eyes as Jason still looked confused. "Okay, but what do you mean by Zeus? Don't you mean Jupiter?"

Markus turned to Thalia. "You want to take this?"

"Fine," Thalia sighed. She turned to Jason. "Jason, the truth is... Greek gods exist, just as the Romans do, apparently. Don't worry if you're still feeling confused, I just found out myself." She had a reassuring smile on her face, but then frowned. "I still don't know why I believed you died."

"I assume that it was because of Zeus," Markus offered. "Greeks and Romans don't mix well. Last time they did, things got bloody. The Mist was used to heavily separate us. Now," Markus clapped both children of the sky on the back, "you can have your history lesson later. I brought you both here for a birthday gift. So enjoy."

"But, Markus-" "Nope," Markus interrupted Thalia, smiling. "It's your birthday. You have your brother back. Enjoy yourself. Talk. Say where you want to go and I'll take you there, let you guys talk and reconcile. Do keep in mind, though, that Jason does have to be back soon. Oh, and there's Green Day. You can visit him when you want-"

Thalia grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him towards her, kissing him hard. Markus reciprocated, wrapping his arms around her. The two made out fiercely, eyes closed. Jason blushed watching this. He didn't feel comfortable, especially since it was his long-lost sister kissing a... god? He never did get who this guy was.

The two were still going at it, tongues intertwined and dancing. Both of them found that there was no other place they'd rather be than right here. After a few minutes, the two separated, grinning stupidly.

"I love you," Thalia whispered, leaning forward and kissing Markus again. "So much. I love you."

"I love you, too," Markus said, holding her gently. "Now, go meet Jason. And ask where you want to go, please. I'll pay for everything."

Smiling, the two were taken to an ice-cream store in New York. Jason was nervous, afraid of being discovered by the gods. Markus assured him that it was fine. The two reunited siblings ate ice-cream, just content with talking with one another. They didn't move or go anywhere else. They just... talked. About what happened in their lives. About what they had felt when they lost each other. About... everything. There were more tears, a lot of laughs, and a lot more happiness.

Markus watched close by with a smile on his face. Thalia looked so happy, even more happy than before. She was positively glowing. And that was meant literally, as her body lit up with electricity. Jason was also happy. Which was a good thing, since the kid looked like he'd never had any fun. He wondered how he'd react when he told him that his dad was dead.

Eventually, Markus walked away, getting a can of soda from a nearby dispenser. As he drank, he caught sight of a familiar man, sitting at one of the tables. Finishing his drink and tossing the can in the trash can, he sat down on the same table as the man. "So, I suppose that you didn't come to say 'Happy Birthday' to your niece?"

"No, but tell her I said 'Happy Birthday'," Poseidon said with a sigh. Instead of his usual Hawaiian shirts and beach get-up, he wore regularly jeans and a blue shirt. For all intents and purposes, he looked like on of those dads who were trying to look cool. He somehow pulled it off.

"Just so you know, I'm not breaking my oath," Markus said quickly, looking at his father. "I'm just... bending the rules."

"Yes, by doing it dangerously," Poseidon warned. "You were lucky that young Jason and Thalia were related. If anyone else found out-"

"They won't," Markus assured. "At least, not through me. This was a one-time thing. Something that needed to happen."

Poseidon sighed, but had a knowing look in his eyes. "Yes. Family is very important. Younger siblings may be annoying, but we still love them all the same."

Markus shifted in his seat a little. "Dad-"

"Don't, Markus," Poseidon interrupted. "Just... don't. I know why you did it. I'm not angry at you. I don't agree with what you did, but I see why you did it. If anything, some good things did come from it, even though I don't like the method."

Markus nodded, seeing a waitress come up to their desk to take their orders. She blushed, seeing the two handsome beings before her. "C-Can I-I get you t-two anything?" she stuttered, her face tomato-red.

Poseidon smiled, making her blush even more. "No thank you. I'm fine."

"I'll have a strawberry sundae," Markus ordered with a smile. With a fast nod, the waitress walked away.

"So, when did you get your own harem?" Poseidon asked, making Markus choke on his spit.

"H-How do you-" Markus started to ask, but Poseidon waved his hand nonchalantly. "Oh, please. I just know these things. I do watch you and Percy. So?"

"Uh..." Markus blushed, not sure how to properly respond. "Well, I got my first girlfriend roughly two months ago, Silena Beauregard, who's a daughter of Aphrodite, to agree to the whole idea. This all started because one of my fatal flaws was greed, and I... wanted more girls," Markus said, blushing. "Okay, that makes me sound like a pervert. And then Katie, a daughter of Demeter, got interested in me. And then I fell for Thalia and... the rest is history."

"I see," Poseidon said, grinning. "Anyone else?"

Markus blushed even harder, images of Annabeth popping into his mind. "I'm not answering that."

"You dog," Poseidon teased, chuckling. "I'm proud of you, son. You're following in your old man's footsteps. If you need any tips, I can-"

"No," Markus denied instantly. "While your sexcapades usually result in awesome things like me and Percy, I still don't want to hear about it. Not to mention that you're losing your touch."

"Hey!" Poseidon pretended to be offended. "I'll have you know that I'm still popular with the local nymphs. Besides, who else would you go to for advice?"

"Considering I'm forming a harem all on my own, I think I'm doing alright," Markus said with a smirk, causing Poseidon to laugh. He would've said more, but the waitress came back with his sundae, along with a napkin. As he took his sundae, he saw the waitress wink, before turning away. Curious, he looked at her retreating form, before looking at the napkin and saw her number. Sighing, he crumpled it and threw it away.

Poseidon chuckled, seeing this. "My, does your charm cease to amaze me?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Markus said, rolling his eyes. The two had a comfortable silence between the two of them. Then Markus said, "Percy's the prophecy child."

Poseidon's mirth disappeared, slowly replaced with worry. "What?"

Sighing, Markus revealed his encounter with the Fates. Poseidon was silent for a moment, before speaking.

"That was reckless, Markus," he said finally. "Reckless, stupid and foolish. I could keep going until the sun goes down. Threatening the Fates doesn't work for anybody. I-If the Fates permit it-"

"Percy's not going to die," Markus interrupted sternly.

"But-" "Fuck the Fates," Markus snarled. "I don't care about a stupid prophecy. My baby brother isn't dying anytime soon."

"None can defy the Fates, son," Poseidon said sadly.

A fire lit in his eyes. "Then I'll be the first to do so."

Poseidon stared deeply into his eyes. "You're serious. You realise that the Fates will be after you, trying to halt you at every corner that you take."

Markus nodded. "I know. And I don't care."

Poseidon sighed deeply. "Do you get a kick out of screwing with immortals?" Markus chuckled at that. Poseidon was silent for a moment, before he spoke. "Even though I know it's impossible, I still find myself believing in you. Just... protect your brother. Please."

"There was no need to even ask me that," Markus smirked. At that moment, Thalia and Jason walked up to him, chatting amicably. The two siblings looked at Markus and who he was sitting with.

Recognising who it was, Thalia bowed slightly. "Uncle." Jason quickly copied the same action.

Poseidon chuckled. "Peace, niece. I don't need you to bow to me." He then turned to Jason. "Nephew."

"Lord Neptune," Jason greeted, bowing his head.

Poseidon hissed, holding his head slightly. His face shifted from Greek to Roman, and then to Greek again. "Just Poseidon will do for now."

"Oh, yes. Apologies," Jason said, blushing.

Markus coughed, muttering 'suck up'. Thalia whacked him upside the head, making him yelp. Poseidon looked amused.

"I hope you are enjoying your time together, though I'd advise that you wrap things up. Some gods might take notice of your presence with young Jason."

Thalia looked a little downtrodden, but nodded in understanding. "Right."

"I can do my best to stall," Markus added, trying to get the two to spend as much time with each other as possible. "The Mist can do its job to conceal you."

"Yes, but the Mist can do only so much," Poseidon countered, getting Markus to glare at him.

Thalia smiled. "No, it's fine. I'd like to spend as much time as I have with Jason. Besides, I can visit him any other times."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, smiling lightly. "I'm just glad to finally meet my sister. Thank you, Markus."

Markus nodded. "You're welcome."

Smiling lightly, Poseidon stood up. "Well, I'll leave you three to enjoy your day. Happy Birthday, niece." With that, he disappeared in a cloud of vapour, leaving behind a sea breeze.

With that, the children of the sky went to different places, from amusement parks to the park, even to the place where Thalia originally thought Jason had 'died'. She didn't know why they went there. Possibly for some closure.

After a while, it started to get dark. The two siblings were brought back to near the entrance to Camp Jupiter, just outside Caldecott Tunnel.

"So... this is it," Jason said, feeling a little sad. He'd just met his sister after years of almost not remembering her, and now that he'd found her, he didn't want to leave her.

Thalia nodded, afraid of saying something. If she did, she'd break down crying.

Jason smiled. "At least we can see each other again."

"Yeah," was all Thalia had said, happiness swelling in her eyes.

Shuffling his feet, Jason decided to talk about something else while they were still here. "So... Markus is your boyfriend?"

"Yeah," was all Thalia said. She didn't want to tell him about the whole 'girlfriends' situation. She didn't know how'd he react.

"That's... nice," Jason said, not sure what to say. He coughed awkwardly. "I-I mean, that's good! Uh, congratulations!"

Thalia laughed at how Jason made it sound. "Jason, it's fine, really. You don't have to try to act happy."

"But I am happy for you," he responded. He struggled to form the next few words, but he managed. "Is he... good to you?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, considering the question. She smiled moments later. "He is. He's... a lot to deal with. He has his faults. But, honestly, I wouldn't have him any other way."

Jason sighed with relief. "Good."

"Why, were you going to be the protective brother?"

Jason sputtered. "N-No! I-I just, uh, wanted to make sure you were okay! That's all!"

The daughter of Zeus rolled her eyes. "Relax, Jay. Let me be the overprotective sibling. That's my job. Speaking of which," her voice gained a teasing quality to it, "are there any girls I need to shock?"

Jason blushed, sputtering wildly. Thalia laughed at his expense. After a while, Jason joined her.

The two stopped, realising that they had to leave. Jason stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "I'll miss you."

Thalia returned it fiercely. "Me too." She kissed the top of his head.

They slowly separated, fighting the urge to cry. Markus stepped forward, grabbing Jason by the shoulder and dispersing into a cloud of vapour, heading towards Camp Jupiter. A few moments later, Markus appeared in front of Thalia as he hugged her. Thalia returned it, finally letting the tears fall. Only, these were tears of happiness.

"Thank you," was all she said. Markus nodded against her, just holding her.

After several minutes that felt like hours, they separated. Markus grinned. "The day's not over yet."

Thalia grinned widely, vibrating in excitement. "Green Day?"

"Green Day."

A quick trip to Madison Square Garden in Midtown later, the two had arrived just in time. They saw that the entire hall was surrounded by people. Most were trying to get in, some were trying to buy tickets off others, and a few were caught sneaking in.

"Woah," Thalia said, looking around in awe. "Everything's so different now."

Markus raised an eyebrow. "You've been here before?"

"Yeah, with my... mum. Everything looks so much brighter, much clearer."

Markus nodded, looking at the line of people. "Well, let's go."

"How are we getting in?" Thalia asked as she looked at the people. "There are so many people."

Markus smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two platinum passes to the concert. "What, you didn't think that I wouldn't get the tickets, did you?"

Grinning, Thalia followed him towards the entrance. Standing at the front was a large black man in a tight fitting black t-shirt and trousers. He had a ear piece on his side and he looked down as the two approached. "What do you two want?"

Markus rolled his eyes. "A lap dance. What do think we're here for? We want in."

"Tickets," was all the man said. The two of them handed over their passes and the guard scrutinised them. He nodded and gave them back before stepping to the side opening the door for the two. "Have a good time."

Nodding, the two of them walked inside, pushing past several people. They walked down the corridor and after another check point they walked out onto the concert hall. It was packed, people filled almost all the seats. The lights were bright and colourful, and the people were abuzz with excitement.

"Looks like Green Day is still popular," Markus noted, looking at all of the excited fans.

Thalia looked at him as if he had asked a stupid question. "Of course they're popular. They're an awesome band."

"Uh huh," Markus nodded, rolling his eyes. A punch to his arm was what he got in response to that. "Ow!"

"That's what you get for dissing an awesome band."

The two tried to find their seats. It seemed like having platinum passes gave them front rows to the stage. Markus saw a few fans eyeing their seats and then looking around, as if to see if anyone was going to sit there. Thinking quickly, Markus grabbed Thalia's hand and the two moved dashed to their seats, landing in a heap on them.

The fans groaned and moaned as both demigods smirked, their seats secure. Soon, the lights went down and Billie Joe Armstrong came on stage, all dressed up.

"Ladies and gentlemen are you ready to rock?!" he shouted.

Markus was tempted to shout something funny, like 'Three Days Grace' was better or something, but refrained as everyone got off their seats and shouted, "Yeah!"

"Then without further adieu, let's get this show on the road!" The lights exploded revealing the rest of the stage. There was a guy on guitar, one on bass and one on drums. Billie Joe was singing, and the moment he began, everyone cheered.

The first song was 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams''. Thalia kept on yelling, "I love you!" at the top of her voice.

Markus watched, listened and shouted, throwing his hands up. He admitted that while Green Day wasn't his favourite band, they were still admittedly good. He smiled, enjoying himself. It was nice to just enjoy simple things like a concert. Took his mind off the craziness of his life.

The crowd roar in happiness, singing along to the song. The music was like a drug, and everyone was high. Some fans tried to jump onto the stage and failed. Others had T-shirts with the singers' faces on them. Others just kept shouting.

The song was over now and new one began. This one was called "Holiday" and it blew everyone's mind the moment they started playing.

Markus looked towards Thalia, who's face shone with happiness. Seeing this, Markus smiled, having a great idea. Once "Holiday" had finished, Markus took Thalia's hand and pushed most of the crowd out of the way.

"Markus, what-" Thalia was about to ask, but Markus kept on moving, throwing a quick smile over his shoulder. Once they reached the stage, Markus jumped up, pulling Thalia with him. She tried to pull her hand from him, but he held on.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Jason White yelled out, stunned.

The crowd started to boo at the demigods for interrupting the concert, but Markus turned to them and shouted, "Shut up!"

Surprisingly, the crowd quickly closed their mouths.

Turning to the stunned band, Markus grinned. "Hi."

"Uh, hey," Billie Joe waved his hand in greeting. "Listen, we've got a concert to finish and-"

"Oh, I know," Markus interrupted. "It's just that-" Markus pulled Thalia towards the band members. She was fidgeting and shuffling nervously, "-I wanted my girlfriend to meet her idols. And also for her to sing a song with you."

"What?!" Thalia exclaimed in shock. She whirled around to Markus, who continued to have a smile on his face.

Mike Dernt raised an eyebrow. "And what makes her different from all the other fans? It's great to meet a fan but-"

"But it's her birthday," Markus said with a smile. "You wouldn't want to disappoint a fan on their birthday, would you? Plus, she's been wanting to meet you guys for years."

The band members looked at each other, before looking at Thalia. Then they looked at Markus. "You got balls, kid," Billie Joe said finally, grinning. "Plus, we can't let down a fan, can we?"

"Y-You mean..." Thalia managed to say, smiling.

"Come on, kid!" Jason White gestured, passing a spare microphone to her.

Thalia looked like she would die of happiness. She gently grabbed the microphone as Markus jumped down into the crowd.

Pretty soon, the band started to play again, but not before singing 'Happy Birthday' to her. "American Idiot" started to play, and Thalia played along. She probably sounded pretty bad, but her voice was overshadowed by the band's voices and the cheering and the crowd, so it was okay. At most parts, she looked like a deer in headlights, but at other parts, she looked like she was having fun.

The concert ended after a couple of hours, each band member congratulating her and wishing her happy birthday. She even asked all of them to sign her bracelet. How she managed that, Markus had no idea.

The two headed towards the exit, Thalia still vibrating with excitement.

"You have fun?" Markus asked with a smile.

Thalia nodded. "Yeah. Thank you, so much."

Markus smiled. "As long as you're happy," he pecked her on the lips, "that's all the thanks I need. Now, you want to head to the after party?"

"There's an after party?" she asked. Markus nodded, getting her to hum in thought. After a while, she nodded. "Okay, let's go."

Smiling, the two decided to walk there. Along the way, they passed several fans and annoying and somewhat shady people. They were just enjoying their time when a loud SMACK sounded through the air. Thalia stopped, wide-eyed. A whistle came from one of the shady people. He wore dark clothes and had a smirk on his face. "Damn, that was a nice ass. Hey, babe. Ditch the loser and come with a real man."

Markus took about two seconds to process what had happened. One dumbass just slapped Thalia's ass. Before she could possibly kill the guy, Markus turned towards him, eyes a crimson hue.

"So you're the dumbass who slapped my girlfriend's ass," Markus said with an 'innocent' smile.

The man laughed cockily. "Yep, that was me. What are you going to do about-"

The man didn't get to finish as Markus grabbed his wrist and snapped it, making the bones break. He didn't even get to scream as Markus grabbed his front and slammed him into the ground, back first. Markus kept on innocently smiling, although his demonic gaze spoke differently.

"Glad to hear that," Markus whispered. Standing up, Markus stomped down hard on the man's crotch, getting him to squeal like a pig. A loud pop rang through the air. "Pop goes the weasel," he sang with glee.

The man passed out, foam forming at his mouth. Nodding, Markus turned to Thalia, who - like the others - looked wide-eyed at the scene.

"That... was something," Thalia said finally.

Markus raised an eyebrow. "And what would you have done?"

"Oh, burnt him to a crisp."

Markus nodded. "See? I put the fear of God into him and destroyed his chances of getting laid. You would've fried him as he stood. We're perfect for each other."

"Yep." Stepping up to him, she kissed him on the cheek. "My hero."

"It was an honour, my princess." Markus performed a mock bow, getting her to laugh. The two continued to the after party, thankfully not bothered by anyone else.

The two quickly arrive at their destination. The place looked like a local pub but was surrounded by people trying to get in. Markus and Thalia had to wait in line for five minutes before they managed to get in. Inside was filled with people all drinking, dancing and having a good time. Most were dressed up in leather jackets and jeans. However, most had their hair dyed and a piercing or two.

"So, what do you want to do?" Markus asked.

Looking around, Thalia pointed at the band standing on the centre of the room. "There." There wasn't any fancy lights or any fancy sound systems. They were just playing, and people were just having a good time.

Shrugging, Markus followed and managed to push through to meet the band. They greeted Thalia with smiles and hugs, playing music as everyone watched. It was nice, just sitting down and talking. It made everyone calm down slightly from the hype of the concert.

The couple then made their way towards the bar, both getting some water. They didn't plan on getting anything alcoholic, as they knew the troubles that came with it.

As the two talked and chatted, a busty blonde girl sat next to the two, wearing tight leather pants and a crop top, showcasing a pierced belly button. She had a sultry expression on her face as she eyed Markus. "Hey there, hot stuff."

The two demigods stopped talking and looked at the blonde next to them. Thalia immediately snarled and Markus sighed, before turning to face the girl. "Yes?"

The girl kept on smirking, leaning forward to showcase her tight breasts. Markus, to his credit, didn't look down. "Won't you be a dear and buy a girl a drink? I'm sure I can reward you for good behaviour?" She puffed up her chest.

Before Markus could so 'no', Thalia butted in. "Won't you stop acting like a slut and take a hint?"

Immediately, some of the people at the bar 'oohed', while the girl glared at Thalia. "Get lost, kid. Why wouldn't want he want a more 'mature' girl instead of a brat?"

The forming crowd continued to 'ooh' as Thalia glared. "Maybe because I'm his girlfriend and your nothing but desperate and cheap?"

By now, the crowd had bought out their phones to record the scene.

"Listen, you little brat!" By now the two were standing up. "Why don't you take your pathetic little ass and fuck off."

Thalia smirked. "You first." With that, she slapped the girl in the face, hard. The crowd winced as Markus saw lightning crackle across her palm. Markus smirked. He was so proud.

The girl fell backwards, landing into a black-haired girl wearing similar clothing. She glared. "That was my friend, you bitch!" By the slight slur of her voice, they could tell that she was drunk. She tossed the bottle of vodka that she was drinking at Thalia. Markus moved Thalia downwards, letting the bottle shatter against a large man's back. He turned around, glaring at the shocked girl. "You bitch!"

With that, he tackled the girl off her seat. Pretty soon, it turned into chaos after that. Bottles were flung through the air, people were pushing and jostling each other, and some drunks laughed and joined in on the madness. There was a lot of shouting, swearing, and cries from getting hit, kicked and punched. A pool table fell to the floor, having collapsed after someone was tossed into it.

The two demigods crawled on the floor to escape the madness, moving quickly to avoid any flying objects, be they bottles or people. A few bottles headed their way, but Markus caught them and tossed them away. Any bodies that landed on the ground, they crawled around.

Eventually, they managed to get out of the bar, looking at each other for a second, before laughing loudly. The very chaos that had occurred didn't bother them. Just the very idea that something from a simple slap to a full-blown bar fight occurring was just funny to them.

The two finished laughing, wiping tears from their eyes. "Ah, I'm so proud of you," Markus said with a grin. "Slapping bitches, causing bar fights. Frankly, that was amazing."

"Uh huh," she nodded with a proud smirk. "Not many can say that they caused a bar riot on their birthday."

The two continued laughing, before Markus transported them to camp via running. Once back at camp, the two made it to Zeus' cabin, everything being cleared of all rubbish.

Smiling, Thalia sat on her bed. "Today... was amazing. Simply the best birthday ever." She leaned up and kissed Markus on the lips, before separating.

He smiled. "You're welcome. Really, it was nothing."

"But it was for me," Thalia insisted. "I got to act like a normal teenage girl, find out that my brother is still alive, and got to play at a Green Day concert. You don't know how much this means to me."

Smiling gently, Markus leaned down and kissed her, this time going for a longer time. The two wrapped their arms around each other, falling onto the bed in a heap. The two continued to lip-lock, hands roaming each others bodies. They didn't separate for a long while. When they finally did, they were panting, looking deeply into each others eyes.

"... I think it'd be a good idea to sleep here tonight," Markus decided.

Thalia nodded. "Smart boy." With that, the two continued to make-out, sleep far from their minds.

This was a nice chapter to write. A little funny as well, but that's just me.

Wow, the title of 'God Slayer' is winning. I really wanted Leviathan, but meh. Still happy. I'll leave the poll open until next chapter. Also, I'll keep the story as it is: long with no sequel. Gave it some thought, and decided I liked the story long.

Thalia won't meet Jason regularly, just often enough so that they won't get caught. Eventually.

Now, since there's nothing big to comment on, guest review time:

1) I think I might have him steal his friends' strings, though I'm not 100% yet. Using a Titan or a monster for rituals is a good idea, since I plan on Markus performing another ritual soon. Sealing beings into a moon... that could work. Hell, I like it! And there are other pantheons that are bothered by Kronos, but I will have a solution as to why most (I say this because this may change later on in the story). Thanks.

2) That's true. Only Greek and Romans are affected by the Fates. If they tried otherwise, they'd fuck up.

3) Apollyon: i) When he goes to DxD world, he won't push Issei at all. Most likely screw with canon, kill some guys and girls, etc. ii) You are a godsend. Not only do I find about a BAMF that I've never heard of before, but I could put it into the story. Garuda makes Typhon a baby in comparison. He keeps sounding perfect. THANK YOU! iii) I do plan for Markus to get into the Kane Chronicles. And Markus sounds like a perfect Host for Set. For the Sharingan illusions, I did have a countermeasure, but Set works too. And they would more than likely give Markus a run for his money, primarily due to magic. Damn, Set sounds like a perfect partner/being for Markus to Host. Thanks a bunch. (Thanks for the suggestion on the 'Chaos Files). iv) While the Egyptians joining forces with Kronos is a good idea, I'm on the fence because he has some Shinto and Hindu allies. But I won't say no, so we'll see. v) You don't need Facebook. Well, you can if you want to, but you don't. Just make an account with Google, Facebook, etc. if you want. vi) True, due to the facts you stated, the Egyptians are looking to be stronger than the Olympians.

4) That view is true. I intentionally made Markus out to be a hypocrite for him to realise his fault and flaws to change. The change will be slow, and he'll be too deep into power to notice. Thanks for commenting on it!

5) While I'm trying to see how the demigods can be enhanced, Kronos and the Titans will definitely be enhanced. For Kronos, it'll be through the use of the Golden Fleece and the Ophiotaurus, along with some other enhancements to truly give Markus a proper challenge (especially when I get to The Last Olympian). The other Titans will be through me actually making them stronger. Reason being is that they're older and more powerful than the Olympians, and I'm of the opinion that we didn't see how powerful in PJO. Percy defeating Hyperion was awesome, but apart from that, I feel that most of the Titans were downplayed quite a bit. So I'm rectifying that. And the minor gods are definitely getting a lot more attention in the story, due to Markus' actions. And Zoe and Aphrodite are still in the harem, it'll just take a while to join.

6) Kampe will definitely receive a power-up, now that you bring it up, and the Daedelus bit is a good idea.

7) I do agree with you that all the gods in the Riordanverse are empowered by belief. Like you said, it's blatantly obvious. Stories and faith/belief are practically keeping them alive. And Percy's bit in the first book was true, but I guess that the gods wouldn't accept that.

Think that's it. Looking forward to next chapter. Celestial Ascension is getting updated soon, so be on the lookout. All my love goes to those who f,f,r and r the story.

PEACE!