Chapter 1
"You actually believe this!?" Percy spit out, his sea green eyes full of hurt and betrayal.
He looked around the room, staring into each individual's eyes. The Gods turned away, avoiding his eyes. He faced his father, pleading for some sort of support. His father looked at him with guilt but didn't do anything. Percy looked down, his raven hair covering his eyes and stopped fighting the chains bounding him. His shoulders sagged and tears threatened to stream down his face.
"You have been accused of treason," Zeus bellowed. "And should be punished for your actions."
His head jolted up.
"I didn't betray anyone!" Percy protested again, shocked by the repeated accusation.
"We have proof of your betrayal, Percy Jackson. Don't even think about lying." Athena said, her eyes hard as stone.
"What?" Percy asked, puzzled. "What 'proof'?"
Athena simply waved her hand and an iris message appeared.
Percy was walking towards the Athena Cabin looking for Annabeth. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. Malcom opened the door and greeted Percy. After learning that Annabeth wasn't there, he walked to the beach. Before he could go near the water, Percy saw two figures sneaking around. He hid behind a tree to spy on the two people. He soon found out that it was Annabeth and a son of Ares. Confused, he followed them. Percy saw something that made his heart drop. His girlfriend was kissing the boy.
The occupants of the room watching the IM gasped in disbelief and looked at Annabeth. She turned red and looked away. The Seven were shocked that their beloved friend even dared to do this to Percy. Aphrodite was offended. Percy and Annabeth were her favorite couple. They reluctantly turned back to the IM.
Percy ran towards the new couple. His face filled with shock and hurt, he walked in front of Annabeth. She widened her grey stormy eyes and grabbed his arm.
"Percy…wha-I-I'm so sorry!" Percy pulled his arm away. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Annabeth- h-how could you...?" Percy muttered, taking a step back in denial, shaking his head. "L-look, Percy, I didn't mean it, okay? It was a mistake!" Annabeth explained, trying to walk closer to him. He looked up at her.
"Look me in the eyes and say that again! LOOK AT ME!" Percy yelled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. Annabeth looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Percy…. I-" She trailed off, guilt shown on her face, answering Percy's unasked questions. He dropped his hands from her shoulders, a bewildered look in his eyes. He took another step back. And another. And another. He turned around and ran. He ran until he couldn't anymore and fell down on his knees, tears streaming down his face. Percy sobbed into his hands, and Annabeth kissing another boy replayed on the screen. He looked at the sky and let out a pained scream. He screamed again and again and again until his throat burned. A hurricane gradually formed around him.
The Gods and the demigods were shocked to hear how broken he sounded. Percy looked down at the floor, not able to watch the IM. Tears spilled down his face and onto the floor.
The Iris message fast forwarded to another scene and Percy looked at it, confusion on his face. The IM continued to play.
It was almost night time by now, as Percy walked through the forest. His eyes were red from crying and he walked slowly, as if he was tired. Not only from walking but from life. He reached Zeus's fist and sat down on it. He drew his knees to his chest and started rocking back and forth. He was about to let out a scream when he heard rustling in the bushes. He pulled riptide out of his pocket and uncapped the pen. Before he could say anything, a figure appeared in front of him.
They pulled down their hood. It was Gaea herself. Percy gasped.
"Gaea!" He whispered, his eyes widening in shock.
"Hello, Percy Jackson," She smiled. Percy took a step back.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, holding Riptide in front of him.
"I've come here in peace." She replied. Percy snorted and narrowed his eyes. "Should I really believe that?" He scoffed.
"I saw what happened with your little blonde." She said. Percy stiffened before raising his chin.
"And?" He said.
"I have come here for a proposal," She explained, walking closer to him. "I know how a heartbreak feels, Percy. Join our side and you will be loved like you have never before. You will have a family." Percy hesitated. Gaea saw that and smiled. "I promise you, you will never feel this pain if you join us." Percy lowered his sword.
"I- ok," He said. "I'll join you." Gaea smirked.
The iris message ended there.
"What?! I never went in the forest!" Percy exclaimed. "This is rigged!"
He glanced at everyone, hoping that they believed him. But they looked at him, their mouths wide open. He looked at his father. Poseidon stared at him, anger clear in his sea green eyes. Percy looked down, not bearing to look at the disappointment in everyone's eyes.
Zeus ignored him. "You will be sent to Tartarus for life as a punishment."
Percy's head snapped up and panic filled his face. He pulled against his chains, trying to move.
"No! You can't do that! Please! PLEASE! Please….," Percy cried. He couldn't go back there. Not after all the trauma he had received from that hell hole. Percy struggled, attempting to break out of the chains holding him back. Tears ran down his face, blurring his vision. "I didn't do it… I didn't do it!"
"All in favor of this punishment?" Zeus asked. He raised his hand. Everyone except Hades, Hestia, Aphrodite, Artemis and Apollo raised their hand. Very few campers raised their hands, voting for him to go to tartarus. He glanced at Annabeth and his heart shattered even more, as if it was even possible, at the sight. She had raised her hand. Percy looked down, accepting his defeat.
Thalia followed his gaze and her eyes landed on Annabeth. Rage filled her mind. She walked up to her former best friend. Percy watched as she raised her hand and struck Annabeth's cheek. A resounding slap echoed throughout the room, silencing everyone.
"How dare you!?" Thalia seethed. "He went through hell and back for you, and this is how you pay back?!"
Before she could respond, The seven walked up to her. They all held sadness and disbelief in their eyes. Piper shook her head with disappointment.
"All the facts prove that Percy did betray us," Annabeth objected.
"His fatal flaw is loyalty, you absolute wench!" Hazel hissed. Everyone gaped at her. Hazel never cussed, even when she was mad. Annabeth took a step back.
"ENOUGH!" Zeus yelled. "It is decided that Percy will be sent to Tartarus right away."
All the people who voted for him to stay protested.
"You can't do that!" Someone yelled.
"Percy won two wars for you, he would never do that to us!"
"Percy is a hero not a traitor!"
The protest continued until thunder shook the sky. They all looked at Zeus. He was red in the face with anger. He calmed down and said, "We just saw him join the other side from our own two eyes. He is a traitor."
"He is not lying," Apollo said, glaring at his father. "I am the god of truth, after all. I can tell when someone is lying."
"You may be wrong," Zeus said. "The iris message was sent by a witness and is proof."
With that, the King of the Gods snapped his fingers. Two cyclops entered the throne room.
They walked to Percy, removed his chains, and before he could do anything, grabbed his arms. He grunted and tried to remove his hands off their grip. Hestia and Artemis ran towards him.
"Father! This is wrong!" Artemis screamed. "Let him go!"
"He deserves this punishment," Zeus said, a surprise showing on his face, when his daughter, who hated all men, was defending the Son of Poseidon.
Nico and Thalia ran to help Percy. Nico was blown across the room before he reached his struggling cousin.
Thalia turned to her father and spit at him, "You bastard!"
Everyone in the room sucked in their breath. Even the cyclops stopped pulling at Percy. Zeus got up from his throne and walked slowly towards his daughter. The room was so silent that a pin drop could be heard.
"NO DAUGHTER OF MINE WILL DISRESPECT ME LIKE THAT!" Zeus yelled.
Thalia walked closer to his father and whispered, "Then I am not your daughter."
Everyone gasped. Zeus drew back, shocked that his daughter would say such things like that to her own father. He then walked back to his throne and sat in it like nothing happened. He snapped his fingers once more and a gigantic hole appeared at the side of the room. The cyclops lifted Percy again and walked towards the pit. He struggled in the creatures' arms, trying to stop them. His friends and cousins tried to run towards him but failed when vines grew out of the floor and grabbed their legs and arms. They all threw a death glare at Dionysus before going back to fighting the vines. The Gods who were on Percy's side went to help him and attempted to stand up. They were stuck to their thrones.
"ZEUS! Let us go this instant!" Hades bellowed, but his brother ignored him. The trapped Olympians turned to the seven, hoping that they could help instead.
Piper tried to charmspeak the vines into letting them go. Next to her, Leo burst into flames, hoping that the vines would burn away. Frank kept shifting into different animals, but the vines still had a firm grip on him. Closing her eyes, Hazel attempted to manipulate the mist, trying to remove the vines from her body. Jason and Thalia, like Leo, summoned lightning to burn away the vines. Nico pushed against the vines and tried to walk to a shadow. Nothing worked.
The cyclops reached the pit and held Percy dangling above the literal hellhole.
"He fought two wars. He has led armies of half-bloods to victory. He risked his life countless times just to save your asses," Jason hissed. "He defeated Gaea. Do you really think that he would betray us?"
"Yes." His father replied coldly.
"You are all fucking stupid."
Zeus was angry now. Both of his children had disrespected and embarrassed him in front of everyone, just because of that Poseidon kid.
"Any last words, Perseus Jackson?" Zeus said, having enough embarrassment in one day.
He looked up. The tears in his eyes were long gone, instead replaced with determination.
"You are all selfish and stupid. None of you respect demigods and that will be our biggest mistake. I am innocent but talking to you, Zeus, is like talking to a brick wall. Those of you who support me, I wish the best for you. To all the demigods who believe me, I am truly sorry you have to fight another pointless war because of these stubborn and impertinent gods," He said, spitting out his words angrily. "You will regret this. I promise you."
And with that last statement, the Cyclops let go.
"PERCYYYYYY!"
His name was the last thing he heard as he fell into the deep pits of Tartarus.
