"What? You helped them." Pollux asked
"Ah, you know the gods. We aren't talking about demigods here." Percy said
"Fair point. I guess dad also voted against you?" Pollux asked
Percy nodded.
Castor, Pollux and Dakota looked down. Dionysus looked guilty.
Flying was bad enough for a son of Poseidon, but flying straight up to Zeus's palace, with thunder and lightning swirling around it, was even worse.
"Yep." Triton said
We circled over midtown Manhattan…the glowing white hall of the gods.
Zeus and Hera smirked.
"The description is very accurate and very awesome." Travis said
Percy bowed.
Everybody laughed.
Towering at the peak…few of them would like to.
"They won't dare." Poseidon said
Percy grinned.
Hey, if ya don't come back…I looked at the pegasus
"It was a fair question." Nico snickered
Percy pouted at his cousin.
Just a thought, he said…seemed like a million years ago.
"I know right, after so many events that seems like a millennia." Thalia shook her head
And then, side by side…heavens with her bow drawn.
Everybody smiled.
All of the seats were occupied…facing monsters seemed like a picnic.
"It's that scary?" Hermes asked
"Not scary just…intimidating." Percy said
"That's almost the same as scary."
"But more formal."
"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said... looked for permission.
Zeus smirked.
"Go on," Zeus said…staring intently at Thalia.
"I was so nervous." Thalia shuddered
"Don't worry, you weren't the only one." Percy assured her
"Well it was the second time I met you and the first meeting wasn't great." Poseidon sighed
Grover trotted over…He nodded as if to say It's okay.
"That made me feel so much better." Percy grinned at Poseidon
Poseidon smiled at him.
Grover gave Annabeth and Thalia big hugs…We have voted to act."
"Finally." Everybody chorused except Hera and Zeus
Then the room dissolved into snickers.
"Father still voted for not acting." Apollo snickered
Zeus glared at Apollo but the kids met his gaze with their own glare.
There was some mumbling…they can join the Titans' cause.
Apollo and Artemis smiled at each other.
Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons.
Athena nodded.
"Tartarus?" Annabeth asked
Athena looked at her.
"Except that." She said
Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea.
"Yeah go dad." Tyson, Triton and Percy cheered
Poseidon grinned.
"Percy's rubbing off on me." Triton snickered
Percy winked at him.
And as for you, my heroes…his eyes sparking with energy
"You know dad though the suits suit you but maybe you could wear t-shirts at least a couple of times." Jason said
Zeus blinked and then nodded.
Thalia and Jason gave each other winks.
"You know dad, you too. Hawaiian shirts suit you very well but maybe we could try some other t-shirts." Percy said
Poseidon raised an eyebrow nodded.
"Eh why be left out? Dad what about you?" Nico asked
Percy, Thalia and Jason chuckled.
Hades nodded.
"So we're going clothes shopping after the book." Percy clapped his hands together
"After something else, I have to talk to those six." Aphrodite said gesturing to the big three and their wives.
"Why?" Hades asked
Aphrodite just smiled.
Next to him sat a beautiful woman…fire flickering through his whiskers.
"That's kind of cool. You know the fire part." Leo said
Hephaestus winked at him.
The Lord of the Forges, Hephaestus…but he gave me a thumbs-up.
"The meetings are important." Zeus grumbled
"We were able to hear." Hermes said
Dionysus looked bored…glowering at me while he sharpened a knife.
A few people snickered.
On the ladies' side of the throne room…Goddess of the Harvest.
"I'm surprised it's not made out of cereal." Hades snorted
Demeter glared at him and the demigods muffled their snickers.
Nico had a fist in his mouth to stop himself from laughing.
Next to her…blush in spite of myself.
Aphrodite winked at Percy who shook his head.
"I have Annabeth now Aphrodite." Percy said
Annabeth blushed.
All the Olympians in one place…avoid Apollo's poetry.
Apollo pouted at his brother.
"All in favor of not disintegrating them?"… "She has done well."
"Thanks dad." Thalia and Percy said to their respective fathers.
They smiled at their kids.
Thalia blushed…with the other two."
Everybody glared at Athena.
"You know this is just another action that says that we shouldn't help you and that we are nothing more than pawns to a few gods. Many of the gods are trying to change here but a few just remain the same." Chris spat
Hermes looked at Chris in concern.
"You're changing dad." Chris smiled as he spotted his dad's look
"How dare you?" Athena growled
"I do dare." Chris said
"You use us and dump us. That's who you are, you only care about yourself Lady Athena." Clarisse spat
Athena glared at her but every single demigod glared back.
Athena winced when she saw Annabeth glare too.
"Mother!" Annabeth said…fact that I find ironic
"Because it is ironic." Nico said dryly
As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods… such as Thalia and Percy…are dangerous.
"You know this is another example that wisdom is different from intelligence. Prophecies can't be eliminated. They will happen." Lee said
Apollo nodded.
As thickheaded as he is…safest to destroy them?"
"At least he considered not to kill us." Percy shrugged
"I do not pass judgment," Athena said…I will have none of it."
"Thank you." Percy bowed to Artemis
Artemis smiled.
"There's no need for that." She said
Percy smiled and sat back down.
"Calm down, sis," Apollo said…. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"
"I was surprised by the name." Poseidon laughed
"Dad," I said…were to steal it, or—"
"Uncle's getting a little affected by Percy's eyes." Nico laughed
"What eyes?" Reyna asked
"Baby seal eyes." Annabeth laughed
"You can't," I insisted…stared him right in the eye.
"Yeah you stare him down Percy." Connor laughed
Percy grinned.
"Controlling the prophecies never works…It's wrong!"
"You got him there." Triton nodded and grinned
"Bulls eye." Lee grinned
Percy chuckled.
Zeus seemed to consider this…just as the prophecy says."
"A second before you said that you won't kill your daughter. What changed?" Percy asked
"I wasn't going to let them kill Thalia." Zeus said
"Ah so you were going to let them kill me." Percy nodded
Poseidon glared at Zeus.
"You have to trust them"… "Trust a hero?"
"No don't trust us. Please blast to ashes and please fight the wars yourself. We just lost two of our friends to save our own butts. Please blast us and don't come to us when you need a war to fight. We will only fight for the gods who deserve it." Percy said
"Percy. My. Man." Leo said
Percy looked at Leo.
"Sarcasm. At. Its. Best." Leo said
Percy winked.
Zeus was shocked by the demigods' words.
Poseidon put his hand on Percy's shoulder.
"I agree with Percy." Annabeth said
"So do we." The demigods chorused
"Annabeth is right," Artemis said…"You look like you're going to be sick."
"I was about to. I didn't want to lose you." Percy said
Annabeth blushed fiercely. She got up and gave a kiss to Percy's cheek.
Percy blushed.
Aphrodite squealed.
"I shall have a new lieutenant," she announced…Kronos will never tempt me again."
"That was very wise sis." Jason grinned
Thalia smiled at him.
She knelt before the goddess…I turn my back on the company of men…"
"It felt as if ages had passed." Perc shook his head
Afterward, Thalia did something…"I'm honoring a friend," she corrected.
Thalia and Percy got up. They gestured to Nico who got up too. The trio went to the center of the throne room and they gave each other really big hugs. They three of them were wrapped together. They stayed like that for quite some time. Then they went back to their couches, grinning.
The demigods cheered.
Zeus, Poseidon and Hades looked at their kids, wondering how well they got on.
Then everybody got up and jumped on each other. The demigods were in a mega hug.
They all laughed and went to their seats. The gods were smiling warmly at their kids.
I haven't known peace… "I'm proud to be your friend."
"I'm proud to be yours." Percy grinned
"And yours too." He told the demigods
They all grinned at him.
She hugged Annabeth… all-you-can-eat enchilada coupon.
"Wait, did you have a crush on me just because I am a hunter?" Thalia asked
"First, I have a girlfriend. Second, no the magic just hit me, that's why." Grover grinned
Thalia sighed in relief.
Then Thalia went to stand by Artemis's side… Even if we spare the boy—"
"Oh come on dad." Castor sighed
Dionysus grimaced.
"No." I looked around at all the gods… "And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.
"Hasn't he done enough?" Beckendorf asked
Hephaestus grimaced.
"Sorry Percy." He said
"It's quite okay." Percy smiled
"I'm only fourteen," I said… "Mother!" Annabeth said, exasperated.
"It was getting on my nerves." Annabeth sighed
My father stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it."
All the demigods, Hermes and Apollo cheered.
"Thanks dad." Percy grinned
Poseidon smiled at him.
"Uncle is another victim to Percy's baby seal eyes as Annabeth calls it." Thalia laughed
Everybody laughed.
Percy smirked.
He held out his hand… safety of the Ophiotaurus."
Percy hugged his dad.
"You won't take it under the sea!"… in your possession."
Everybody groaned.
"How paranoid could anybody get?" Triton glared at Zeus
"Zeus level and only he can hit that meter or increase it." Percy snickered
The demigods, Poseidon, Triton and Hades roared with laughter.
Hermes and Apollo were trying not to join the demigods but they weren't succeeding.
Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.
"Drama queen." Hades and Nico snorted
They looked at each other and gave each other side hugs.
Zeus grumbled.
"Fine," Poseidon said… Just requests to crank it up.
"That's awesome." Frank said
Dionysus went around growing… for the first time.
The Greek campers and Chiron smiled.
Pollux, Castor and Dakota sighed that their dad didn't stay as happy as that time every time.
Dionysus smiled at the thought of his wife.
Nectar and ambrosia overflowed… "Pan! Pan!"
A few good-natured chuckles.
Gods kept coming over to congratulate me… Hermes got a call on his caduceus and walked away.
"I wouldn't have been able to tell that to him." Percy sighed
Hermes sighed too.
"Thanks," I told him… "You won't let me down, I hope."
"If you mean betrayal then never." Percy said
"I know that." Poseidon smiled
Percy grinned.
I turned and found Poseidon… let the others disintegrate me
"Wait what?" Poseidon asked
"Fear." Percy shrugged
"Of what?"
"Letting you down."
"You have never let me down." Poseidon said
Percy smiled.
"I won't let you down," I promised... "Your former friend Luke," Poseidon corrected.
A few snickers.
"He once promised… "That fall should've killed him!"
Hermes winced at the should.
"I love you guys equally." He assured his kids
They nodded and smiled.
Poseidon looked troubled… would do such a thing.
"I should've known you would do that." Poseidon shook his head
Percy grinned at his dad.
No one in Kronos's army… around like a beach ball
"Poor Bessie." Triton said, though he was having trouble trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.
Be good, my son… I almost called her that.
Annabeth laughed.
"Athena." I tried not to sound resentful, after the way she'd written me off in the council, but I guess I didn't hide it very well.
"No you did not." Athena said
She smiled dryly… "I concede the point.
"Then you don't live." Frank said
"Sometimes it's just about trust." Hazel agreed
You may perhaps be useful
"He isn't born to be useful. We aren't some sort of tool to you." Travis said angrily
And yet…your fatal flaw may destroy us as well as yourself."
"Look at the positive, he is also loyal to his father." Amphitrite said
My heart crept into my throat… Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy
"Noble yet dangerous." Demeter said
You do not know when… that is very, very dangerous."
"Amphitrite is right, the boy has shown extreme loyalty to not just his friends but to his father as well." Persephone said
I balled my fists… that is very hard indeed."
"All your decisions aren't wise either." Apollo said
Athena glared but didn't say anything.
"I hope the Council's decisions prove wise," Athena said… And should you begin to waver in your loyalties…"
"You just said his flaw was loyalty." Rachel said
She fixed me with her cold gray stare… it would not fail.
Athena smirked.
"A bit of manipulation too." Nico added
The demigods nodded.
"Percy!" Annabeth said… "No," I said. "It's…fine."
"It was far from fine." Annabeth snorted
Percy grinned sheepishly.
She studied me… holding Atlas's burden
Poseidon got a streak of gray in his hair too.
There was a lot I'd wanted… friendship with my daughter.
"What did you want to say?" Thalia asked
"That I wanted to be more than friends." Percy said shyly
Annabeth blushed.
Thalia smirked.
"So," Annabeth said… I think I owe you a dance."
"Smooth Seaweed Brain, very smooth." Annabeth grinned
Percy gave her a goofy smile which made her blush.
She smiled slowly… but maybe a little hopeful, too.
"Sounded the same to me." Annabeth said
"They are so crushing on each other." Silena grinned
The pair blushed.
"Done." Demeter said
"I'll read." Hera said
Demeter gave her the book and she started.