Percy pulled up to the art museum in his car, and nodded to Nico in the passenger seat.
"Are you sure that Hera is here?" Nico nodded.
"Has to be. My dad swore the next meeting was here." Nico stepped out first, and Percy followed. They walked freely up the steps of the great museum, and inside, where they were instantly greeted by a whole lot of art. Percy looked around, and didn't spot much security. They went further inside the Museum, until they found a great room, where there was an almost dancefloor, and there were a lot of wealthy people on it, some of whom Percy recognized. They appeared to arrive just in time, as someone tapped a glass with a knife, and people quieted.
"Here, may we toast, to the next coming of the Council, and our future of wealth, and greatness." Percy walked around the pillar, looking into the dancefloor. He saw the woman toasting. It was Hera. "Soon, the world of assassins and hit men will be under our control, and they will have to do our bidding. The amount of power we'll have is exceptional, and we will be eternally stronger than anybody else." There were cheers. "We can throw that garbage of a man Hades down the dumpster, with all his alliances and all of his corespondents." Hera finished, taking a sip. Percy brought out his gun from his jacket, moving onto the floor. Nico followed alongside him. They were back to back, and Hera caught sight of the two, and if on queue, the crowd parted, so the woman before them had a clear look of the two. Percy turned to fully face her, his face stone cold. She laughed.
"Perseus Jackson, and Nico Di Angelo. Two of the best assassins in the world, have come here to kill me! What joy, I must say." Percy raised his gun, and fired, but Hera ducked, and ran. Guards ascended from the pillars and outside the floor, and Nico and Percy mowed them down, headshot after headshot. One crept up on Percy, and Percy grabbed his arm, and flipped him over his back. Nico and Percy looked at one another, nodded, and moved forward.
Hera was running out of the backside of the museum, and quickly. She had two guys flanking her, both with their guns drawn. One of them radio'd 'he's here.' and there were now waves of people running the opposite way, wanting to kill the two people chasing her. She brought out her phone, still stomping quickly, and called Zeus.
"Hera?"
"Zeus. Perseus Jackson and Nico Di Angelo both attacked me at the Council meeting today. Double Perseus's bounty, and extend it to that brat Di Angelo. NOW!" Hera growled, hanging up.
Percy and Nico moved forward quickly, shooting down guard after guard. Percy ripped one's shoelace off, and choked him out with it. Room after room, guard after guard, they all fell, with bullet after bullet, until Nico and Percy came to a fork in the road, with two hallways. Percy nodded to Nico, and Nico took the right one, Percy took the left. Percy moved forward with his gun drawn, mowing people down. He ran out of bullets, and punched a guy in the throat with the bottom of his pistol, and beat his skull in with the gun. He grabbed the guns and magazines off people. He was on a rampage.
This was what Nico was talking about, becoming Perseus. He'd been not himself for a while now, but he was now ascending to what he was to be; Perseus Jackson. The legend all came forward, everything about his movements seemed flawless, up until he reached a doorway. He opened it, a stairwell, that only went down. He moved down, and reloaded, opening the door to another floor, a basement, that was a new section of the museum. He saw Nico through a mirror, and nodded once to him. They walked forward in unison, both holding out their pistols, ready for anything. There was a large hall, dark, like a maze, and Percy could hear the scuffling of the people in front of him. He growled.
"Hera!" he hollered, and the steps stopped. "You wanted me back, and I'm fucking back."
"Nobody wanted you back, Jackson! I'd prefer it if you stayed dead." Hera called back. Percy rushed forward, through the mirror maze, with neon lights brightly glowing across the glass, he could see every angle, and every angle could see him. At the end of the hall, there were handle less stairs, leading downwards, into more of a mirror maze, and Percy descended. At the bottom of the stairs, another hallway, and Percy pushed forward, gun ready. He ran into one guard waiting, and the guard shot at the mirror, not seeing Percy, and Percy hit the guard in the head, flipping them, slamming him into the ground, and putting him in a chokehold.
"Go… to… bed…" Percy said with anger. The guy died in Percy's arms, and Percy shot up, moving forward. He reached doorway, and kicked it open, and in there sat Hera, and her son, Eris. He raised his weapon, but Hera's hands shot up, reaching into her bag, and pulling out a silver coin with a Kraken on it. Hera opened the center part of the large coin, and on it was a bloody thumbprint. She smirked at Percy.
"You still owe me, Perseus."
"I owe your husband, not you." He spat, and she recoiled slightly.
"Me and my husband are one. I am going to use this favor, and tell you to let me go." Percy smirked.
"Done deal." Percy raised his gun, and shot Eris in the head, and the man dropped dead on the ground. "Consider it a professional courtesy." Percy said, and he walked out.
X
Reyna Ramirez-Arellano walked into the restaurant expecting nothing more than a locally-owned, run down Japanese place, and it's what she got. It was empty, which benefited her. The man working the register looked familiar, but she didn't care. She threw down a black and gold coin, and the man's eyebrows shot up.
"I wasn't expecting the Council so soon." Frank Zhang said, acknowledging Reyna. She nodded in response.
"There have been mountains of men killed over a-"
"Car. Yes I've heard. Your bosses laid a multi-million dollar bounty on his head, and you expect me to not know?" Frank asked, smirking. Hazel Levesque, a gold-eyed, brown-haired girl emerged from the kitchen, frowning at the sight of Reyna.
"You didn't tell me we had guests, Frank." Reyna said, pouring three glasses of wine. She offered to Reyna, who accepted.
"The council wants your help especially in killing Perseus Jackson." Reyna started, and Frank reluctantly swallowed his wine.
"Why's that." he stated firmly.
"People fear him."
"Rightfully so."
"He's defied the Council, and we want his head." Reyna said calmly, taking a seat. Frank cut a piece of fish. "And the heads of everyone who's helped him. Specifically, Nico Di Angelo, and Hades." Frank didn't look up, unbothered, instead, kept cutting.
"I'm interested." Frank said, and he placed a piece of sushi before Reyna, who ate it.
"I have served, and I will be of service." Reyna nodded to Frank, who bowed in return, and she walked out.
X
Percy was back in the Continental, sitting across Chiron, the manager of the hotel, and a high-ranking member in the assassin world, a crime lord. Percy took a drink of the alcohol, and Chiron smiled.
"I can't believe you're back, Perseus. I believed you to be retired, in love, even." Percy looked away.
"Once. I am back now." Percy said, and Chiron nodded.
"You're always welcome here, Perseus. It feels like yesterday you were just a teenager, wanting membership, apart of this world." Percy smiled.
"The good old days." Chiron nodded.
"I can't imagine these days in front of you are to be much better." Percy smirked.
"They were never good." Percy sighed. "Chiron, may I ask your advice?" Chiron nodded.
"Anytime, Perseus."
"Do you think I can retire?" Chiron grimaced.
"Frankly, no, Perseus. But I believe you to have the skillset so you can survive on your own. If you want to be free of this world, be free, but remember; There is always something that will rope you back in, especially for someone of your stature. The best assassin in the world can't just walk away."
"Do you think I can live a normal life?"
"Define normal, Perseus." Percy sighed.
"Like, having friends, or, going to college, something like that." Chiron chuckled.
"You sound like a broken young boy, Perseus, very unlike you." He cleared his throat. "Yes, I think you can do whatever you wish. You've made enough money, and you've proven yourself to be good at whatever you put your mind to. If you wish to do it, do it. But know, as long as there is the Council, they will always come for you. Zeus and his family are too prideful for you to just… walk away from them." Percy almost snarled, thinking about the thought of that bastard.
X
Hera approached Chiron angrily.
"You let him LIVE?" she almost screamed, snarling at Chiron, who merely raised an eyebrow.
"Who do you speak of?"
"Perseus Jackson." Hera spat.
"He has not broken any rules or laws that I'm aware of-"
"He's wanted by the Council. THE COUNCIL! You are to remove his membership, I demand it!"
"You demand nothing from me, Hera." Chiron spat, standing now. "He has done nothing deeming himself unworthy of his position, and nothing that deems it valuable to revoke his license. You are just wanting it done out of sheer greed. Kill him yourself, if you wish him out of your life." Hera growled.
"I've tried, more than you know, Chiron, and it's failed. He's too strong to do that, you know it. I demand you revoke his-" Chiron held up a hush.
"He's listening, you know." Hera looked up, and on the balcony stood Percy, looking down at them, his face monotone. He walked down the stairs, so he was at an even level with them.
"Hera." was all he said, pouring a glass of vodka.
"Perseus." she spat, and he recoiled slightly.
"Calm your attitude. You recognize where we are?" Percy said, smirking slightly. Hera growled.
"Do you know who I am?" She said quietly, and Percy shrugged. "I am Zeus's wife. He is the leader of the Council, and we have the entire world under our fingers. We are above the laws, and if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead." Percy laughed.
"You couldn't kill me if you felt like it, Hera." he chided, sitting. Chiron smirked slightly. Hera snarled.
"You have no idea who I have working for me?" Percy laughed.
"Your adjudicator? What's her name? Reyna? She was apart of my class in the Academy. Mind you, I was valedictorian. She was not. Think about it." He nodded to Chiron once, who tipped his glass in return.
"You'll be dead by the end of the week, Perseus. Know it." Perseus tsk'd twice.
"So much 'you,' so much accusation. Calm down. I know my place, you don't know yours." Percy started calmly, taking a sip of his drink. "I don't care about the council, about your stupid alliances. They're all pettiness and weakness to me. Someone else doing your bidding." Percy said, smirking at Hera, who fumed, and stomped out of the lounge of the hotel. Percy turned to Chiron, who nodded.
X
"Someone told me you were back in business, Perseus." Percy turned, and Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood in his doorway. He frowned.
"Who let you in?"
"Myself." Percy smiled.
"Of course."
"Do you remember when we were young, Percy? The ambition we had… the lust and the want we had for our freedom… now we're both relegated to pawns, useless tools in this world." Rachel said, sitting on a chair next to Percy.
"I'm nobody's pawn." Percy growled.
"Oh, but you are. Zeus is merely using your presence as an excuse to get everyone else off his back. People hear Perseus is hunting him, and immediately give up want. You're giving him an advantage, by just existing." Rachel said, moving from her chair, and forcing herself into Percy's lap. He growled at the gesture, but Rachel didn't care. She smirked.
"Imagine we were young again, Percy… how wild we were." she whispered, leaning over and kissing his neck. His face remained stoned. He thought of anything to not give in.
Then Annabeth entered his mind, and he knew this was wrong. He forced her off him, far too roughly, and she fell to the floor.
"I don't give a rat's ass about you, Rachel. Get the fuck out of my room." he spat, and she recoiled slightly, tilting her head.
"That ten million looks awfully appealing, Perseus." She walked up to him, and whispered in his ear, "Watch your back."
X
Percy was back in his apartment, alone, thinking about his next moves. He didn't have an exact plan, for he was biding his time until the Christmas ball, where the truth could come out. He wiped his knuckles clean from the day, and headed into the shower. He took his shirt off, the blood sticking between his broken-stitched scar and the shirt itself, and his pants. He got into the shower, the cold water washing down the thoughts of the day, the thoughts of his future, the thoughts of everything. He stood in the cold, just staring into the blank wall, nothing on his mind. His face was stone cold. For once, he wasn't bothered.
"Percy?" Or so he thought.
He turned, and there she stood, beautiful as ever. He looked her up and down, and as their eyes met, green clashed with gray, his eyes shooting through hers, and hers shooting through his. The sweatshirt she wore was his, he recognized it quickly, and she had some spandex shorts that hugged her lower body amazingly. He'd missed her gaze, her presence, the attractiveness, the addictive nature of it.
"Annabeth." he said quietly, and she walked forward, but the water didn't touch her. Nothing ever did. She was unbothered, perfect, in his eyes. "You let yourself in?"
"Yeah." she said, sorrowfully.
"What do you need?" he said, voice still deathly quiet. She stared into his eyes, and he could feel the sadness running through her. He wanted to help her, to comfort her, but he chose not to.
"You." she said, still sadly, but there was regret, too. Percy could feel it. He sensed hope, as well, in her. He wanted to kiss her so badly.
"I'm afraid to give that to you." She nodded once.
"Rightfully so." still quiet, an understanding among them.
"Can we talk when I'm not…" Percy started, and she blushed, turning and walking out. He stepped out of the shower, and dried himself off. He put on underpants and shorts, no shirt. He walked into the living room, where she sat on the couch, hands between her legs, and leaning forward. There was nothing comfortable at all about her. He sat across her, in a chair. He was much more relaxed, leaning back, spreading his arms around the chair, and she hated it. She hated how he knew he had the power, and she was at fault.
"I know you're scared to give that to me, Percy, but please give me another chance." She whispered, and he frowned.
"Why should I do that?" he was still quiet.
"Because I messed up once, and I know it. I accept my mistakes, and the pain it's caused you. It's caused me infinitely more pain, being without you. I lost you, and now I don't know what to do with myself. I believe I'm nothing right now without you." Annabeth said, a tear dropping at the last word. Percy sat forward. He looked into her eyes.
"I'm making hard decisions right now, Annabeth. Decisions that'll impact my future greatly. I shared my darkest secrets with you, things I wouldn't even tell Nico, or my father, and you tossed them behind you like they were nothing. Why do I know you won't do it again?" He asked, and another tear dropped. His face remained monotone, and he thought of Nico. This was his split personality. He was becoming Percy, and leaving behind Perseus. He crumbled, and he knew Percy was here, under that damned spell of love again.
"I don't want to love you again, Annabeth." Percy said, standing, moving to sit next to her. "But I'm afraid I am doing it again." He wrapped his arm around her, and her head tilted to rest on his neck. "I can't guarantee you safety, Annabeth." She nodded. "But I love you too much to not try." He said, and he kissed her cheek. He pulled away, and she looked at him. Those eyes, again, were putting him in a trance. He leaned forward, and their lips met, and he was back in the spell, the trance. It was fiery, the kiss, and she immediately climbed on top of him. Her hands went to his hair, his hands to her waist, and he was back in it. He remember every spot, every curve of her body, and how it felt in his hands. His lips moved from hers to her neck, her jaw, her chest. His hands went up, lifting her sweatshirt up, and she raised her arms, accepting the gesture. He knew she was wearing no bra before he saw it, and the sweatshirt dropped to his side. His hands went back to her waist, as he picked her up and led her to the bedroom. He lied down first, and held her on top of him. He knew he was making a mistake, but he didn't care. His hands lowered, caressing her thighs, as he sucked on her neck, she let out a moan. He smirked against her skin.
"I love you." she whispered, hotly into his ear. He didn't respond.
might not post for some days- thanksgiving n shit. sorry bout it - but this is a pretty filler chapter, which sucks, because I hate writing shit like this, but I was really braindead, and I wanted to put something out. hope u enjoy it. :
review or dm if u want me to keep writing this. i thinki have some other ideas like a highschool AU maybe... we'll see. i'm fucking bored out of my mind atm.