Author's Note:

Welcome again to another chapter, and just let me say, thank you for answering the question I had previously asked. Your answers helped a great deal.

Now, in the next few chapters, we will be officially moving out of Titan's Curse territory. From that point onwards, most of the story, not all of it, but most of it, will be based on my own personal ideas. Like I often say when people contact me personally, or I contact them, don't worry, I have a plan in place. Now we still have a fair amount of story to go yet. I can't say exactly how long this story will go for, but I have a rough idea. I hope you all will enjoy reading in the future.

And also, those story ideas I told you all about a couple of chapters back? Yeah, I got more ideas. I'm coming up with them faster than I can right them. Granted, I still need to weed out the bad ideas, and the ones that won't work, but still. Anyway, let me know if like last time, you want to get an end-of-chapter summary preview for them.

One more thing… what do you think of my chapter titles? I just couldn't leave it at 'Chapter 1, Chapter 2,' etc.

Also… thanks for being awesome. All of you.

Chapter 14

Vote Yes, to not Kill People

"I will be the first to ask the questions." The god at the head of the council asked. He was wearing a pinstripe suit, had a bushy grey beard, and his eyes were the same vibrant blue as Thalia's.

That must be Zeus… her father.

"Tell me my daughter, why… did you sacrifice the monster?" The sky god asked her.

"I, uh… didn't have much of a… choice." Thalia replied nervously. "Everyone had been knocked down… and if I didn't they probably could've killed me. I had to improvise. I didn't go in there intending for it to happen."

"Hmm. And what do you intend to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

A goddess with long dark hair and stormy grey eyes interjected there. "He asks whether you intend to destroy us."

Thalia's eyes widened. "Wha… what? No, NO! I wouldn't do that. That would mean betraying my friends and my family."

Zeus turned the stormy-eyed goddess. "I said I was the one asking questions first, Athena."

"You were being too subtle." Athena replied confidently. "Beating around the bush will get us nowhere."

Zeus sighed, and turned back to Thalia. "You are still the only known child of the eldest gods. And you have the power to sway the outcome of the coming war either way. You can understand why some of the council aren't in the best of moods right now."

Athena jumped back in. "The risk is too high to keep her alive. It would be safer to-"

"Athena! I will not have my daughter destroyed because you think she is a potential threat." Zeus interrupted. "She has done well on this quest, and has helped save an important member of this council. Besides, she doesn't even know how to control the Mark yet."

"Wait… I didn't tell you about the Mark yet. How do you know?" Thalia asked.

"Well, everybody has heard about the Ophiotaurus, and the power it can grant. That part is the truth. Everybody has heard about how it has never been gained before, and hopefully never will be. That part… is a lie."

"Um… you mean…"

"Yes. You are not the first to have sacrificed the Ophiotaurus. Nor will you be the last. But the last time the Mark was gained… it was a long time ago, for mortals such as your friend here."

Percy frowned, and looked around the hall.

Oh.

"We will discuss you next by the way."

Uhhh…

"Anyway, it was not so long ago for us gods. The memory is still fresh for some of us. When the last demigods and mortals who knew of the Marks bearers die, we make sure no one else knew of the Marks uses. And in all likely hood, it is what we will do again this time. If you wish to know more, talk to Chiron at Camp. That is all we will speak on the matter… for now."

I do not, like that sound of that.

Artemis spoke up. "Has you all know… I am in need of a new lieutenant for the Hunt. I intend to choose one tonight. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."

Percy frowned, and turned to Thalia. "Artemis is your sister?"

She shrugged. "Technically. But then again, technically I'm related to all the gods in one way or another. All demigods are really."

"I shall have a new lieutenant," Artemis announced. "If she will accept it. Thalia, daughter of Zeus. Will you join the Hunt?"

Uhh… what?

Thalia seemed stunned, like she didn't expect to be offered the chance at immortality.

A small part of Percy was panicking.

I feel like this is a bad thing.

"Think on this carefully, Thalia. Accepting means you will never be the Prophecy Child. The burden will no longer be yours."

It sounds like it's for the greater good… so why do I feel like shouldn't happen?

Thalia looked directly at Artemis, like she'd made her decision. "I won't accept."

"Are you sure of this? The option will not be open for very long."

"I am sure. I won't saddle this job on anyone else. This prophecy is mine. I have the power to defeat them now, and there is nothing Kronos can tempt me with."

Zeus turned to a god Percy recognized as Apollo, or 'Fred', the god who he'd met on the train out of D.C. "Tell me Apollo, how long until the Prophecy comes to completion?"

Apollo, leaned forward, and rested his chin on his hand, squinting more than he needed to. "Well, being a tree can screw up anyone's age… but I'd say she's fourteen. Turning fifteen tomorrow. This means we have a year until D-day everybody!"

He said it oddly perkily, and all the other gods were giving him weird looks. Apollo seemed used to it somehow.

"One year." Thalia said. "That's… plenty of time." She sounded nervous.

'Well, this being the council, we have to take an official vote on whether or not to dispose of her." Athena said.

Zeus sighed. "Very well. All in favour of destroying her?"

Percy counted four hands go up, Zeus not included, obviously.

"And all in favour of sparing her?"

Every other god raised their hand, except one who was tinkering with some metal scrap pieces, and hadn't even looked up the entire time, making for seven votes to keep her alive.

Good decision.

"Okay," Zeus said. "Now for the matter of the mortal who came with our heroes."

Every single god turned to Percy.

Uhhhh…

"Tell me boy, why did you join these half-bloods on their quest?" Zeus asked.

"I… uh… I… don't really know… sir." Percy replied.

"You, didn't join for any particular reason? How about you tell us why you stayed with them boy? And Artemis tells me you're a Clear-Sighted?"

"Um, yeah, I'm Clear-Sighted. At least that's what everyone keeps calling me. And I stayed with them because… well aside from not having much of a choice… I think I wanted to help them. I think… they became my friends… eventually."

Percy looked back to the others. "I can call you guys friends right?"

They all nodded. Except Annabeth took a second longer, and was frowning, like she still wasn't quite sure what to make of him.

Percy turned back to Zeus. "Yeah, they're my friends."

"You said, eventually... eventually you befriended them?" Zeus questioned.

"Oh… well we, kind of had an awkward start. What with me trying to… um… steal from them, and all."

"YOU WHAT!?"

"Ah… I…"

Thankfully, Thalia rushed forward. "Don't worry… father. He didn't succeed… and all was forgiven."

Zeus was still grumbling, but calmed down, just a little bit.

"I have one last question for you mortal, and you will answer me honestly, and quickly. What, do you plan to do now?"

Percy frowned. He hadn't actually planned that far ahead. He'd just been focusing on surviving these past few days. They were right above New York; he could go back down there.

But back to what exactly? The streets? Hiro, maybe… but he's just a mentor… I think… I think I've made my choice. Hiro would understand.

"I think… I think I want to stay."

Zeus raised an eyebrow.

"I got myself involved in all of this… I've seen things… done things… that I never would've dreamed of before. I have actual friends for the first time in years. I hear that you're all preparing for this… war. This Kronos guy, whoever he is, wants to kill all of you. I… I want to help stop him. I want to help you. You have this Camp right? Where the demigods go? Let me go there, let me help."

The goddess Athena spoke up at that. "You have barely any combat experience."

"I can train… I can learn."

"One mortal will not change the tide of a war."

"Maybe… but something tells you need all the help you can get. And hey… every person counts for something right?"

The goddess seemingly looked at Percy in a new light… something like approval. "The boy has a point. We would be foolish to turn away help where it is offered… no matter how small it may seem. We should take a formal vote."

All the gods sighed, like they hated meetings like this and wanted to be done with it as soon as possible.

"All in favour of allowing the boy to help our cause, to train with our demigods at Camp Half-Blood?"

Athena herself raised her hand. Artemis voted for yes too, and as did Apollo, but he had a… knowing smile on his face. A god wearing a Hawaiian shirt and holding a trident put their hand up. The goddess sitting right next to Zeus raised her hand. There was a god, talking on a cell phone, who raised his hand.

That made for six. Unless another god or goddess raised their hand, the vote was tied, and Percy wasn't sure what would happen then.

But, Percy's luck held for once, and one more goddess raised her hand. He couldn't exactly explain what she looked like, because when he looked that way, her appearance had changed slightly every time.

The most noticeable change? When Percy had first entered the room, she had long curled blonde hair. Now every time he looked around the room, it got shorter and shorter, darker and darker.

"It appears we have a majority vote." Artemis announced, looking back to Percy. "You have been given permission to assist us, and you will travel to Camp Half-Blood with these heroes once the meeting is over."

Zeus sat up straighter. "I do believe, we have covered everything we needed to. And I think it obvious that we will not be destroying these heroes… so let us honour them! Let the triumph celebration-"

"Hold on."

Zeus frowned, and turned to one of the gods seated. The god who Percy had seen tinkering with gears and wires, building something without any tools. He had metal crutch on a misshapen leg, a face only a mother could love, and beard that spontaneously combusted at regular intervals.

He hadn't looked up from his project the entire council, not voting one way or another for anything. Now though, he was looking directly at the group of heroes standing before the gods, but he seemed to be looking at one person in particular.

"Hunter girl, step forward." He said, his voice gruff and coarse.

Bianca stepped forward hesitantly. After a few seconds, the misshapen god grumbled and looked down. Percy could sworn he said something about 'meaning to clean up that place.'

He got off his throne, and shrunk to human size. "Artemis, Apollo. I need to speak with you. Follow us girl." The god said.

Bianca turned back to the others as she walked onwards, giving them a little wave. The others waved good bye, but were confused as to what exactly was going on.

The four of them walked out of the palace hall.

Zeus turned back to everyone in the room. "Now, as I was saying before I was interrupted… let the triumph celebrations, begin."