Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riorden, therefore I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Also the dialogue from the books are not mine, but all of Luke's thoughts in this chapter are mine.
Lukes POV
After making sure that everything was running smoothly on the ship that Kronos had given me, I started making my way to the Admiralty suite on the Princess Andromeda with Agrius, and sat down at my mahogany desk. "We are doing a good job controlling the prophesy ourselves. The fools won't know which way to turn." I gloated, propping my feet up on the desk contentedly. " You really think the old horseman is gone for good?" Agrius asked. I laughed contentedly. "They can't trust him, not with the skeletons in his closet. The poisoning of the tree was the final straw." We laughed, until Agrius paused, sniffed the air, then hissed at me," Quiet!" then in a much lower voice, so low that I could barely hear, said " There is someone outside the door, and they are not from the ship." I looked at him, disbelief clearly showing on my face. "Are you sure?" "Yes. They are right outside."
I nodded to Oreius and Augrius, and we ran out of the room. Percy, Annabeth and a Cyclops were standing around thirty feet from me, looking like a deer in the headlights. " Well," I smiled, " If it isn't two of my favorite cousins. Come in." Agrius and Oreius pushed them into the Suite, and I shut the door behind us. I saw Annabeth and Percy looking around, a mixture of awe and horror on their faces. I spread my arms, saying, "This is a little nicer than Cabin Eleven, huh? Sit." I motioned to the chairs, and three of them pulled themselves out. None of them sat. Percy began staring at Augrius and Oreius, so I decided to introduce them. "Where are my manners?" I asked myself. "Percy, Annabeth, this is Agrius and Oreius. Perhaps you've heard of them."
Percy looked at me, horror written on his face. He looked like he was about to pee his pants. I smiled to myself. I could use this to my advantage. "You don't know Agrius and Oreius's story?" I asked incredulously."Their mother ... well, it's sad, really. Aphrodite ordered the young woman to fall in love. She refused and ran to Artemis for help. Artemis let her become one of her maiden huntresses, but Aphrodite got her revenge.
She bewitched the young woman into falling in love with a bear. When Artemis found out,
she abandoned the girl in disgust. Typical of the gods, wouldn't you say? They fight with one
another and the poor humans get caught in the middle. The girl's twin sons here, Agrius and
Oreius, have no love for Olympus. They like half-bloods well enough, though ..."
"For Lunch!" growled Agrius. Oreius started laughing like a fool. "Shut up, you idiot!" Agrius growled. "Go punish yourself." Oreius whimpered, but obediently waddled over to the wall, and began banging his head against it. I smirked. At least the fool was obedient. I strolled over to the couch, and plopped myself down. "Well, Percy, we let you survive another year. I
hope you appreciated it. How's your mom? How's school?"
"You poisoned Thalia's tree!" Percy shouted at me. I sighed. "Right to the point, eh? Ok, so I poisoned the tree. So what?"
"How could you?" Annabeth asked me, sounding close to tears."Thalia saved your life! Our lives! How could you dishonor her like that?" "I didn't dishonor her!" I snapped. "The gods dishonored her, Annabeth! If Thalia were alive she'd be on my side!"
"Liar!" Annabeth shouted. "If you knew what was coming-" I started, but Annabeth cut me off. "I understand you want to destroy the camp! You're a monster Luke!" By now we were both yelling at each other, so loudly at least half the ship probably heard us. I shook my head. "The gods have blinded you. Can't you imagine a world without them, Annabeth? What good is that Ancient History you study? Three thousand years of baggage! The west is rotten to the core. It has to be destroyed! Join me! We can start the world anew. We could use your intelligence Annabeth!"
"Only because you have none of your own!" Annabeth retorted. I winced. Ouch, that one stung.
"I know you, Annabeth. You deserve better than tagging along on some hopeless quest to save the camp. Half blood hill will be overrun with Monsters before the end of the month. The heroes who survive will have no choice but to join us, or be hunted to extinction. You really want to be on a losing team …. With company like this!" I gestured to the awful creature by her side. "Traveling with a Cyclops. Talk about dishonoring Thalia's memory. I'm surprised at you, Annabeth. You of all people-"
"Stop it!" Annabeth cried. I felt bad that I had to make her feel this way, but if she wouldn't join me, so be it.
"Leave her alone." Percy protested " And leave Tyson out of this."
I laughed, picking up a pepsi. "Oh, yeah, I heard. Your father claimed him." A look of idiotic surprise crossed Percy's face. I smiled, struggling to hold back my laughter. "Yes, Percy, I know all about that. And about your plan to find the fleece. What were those coordinates, again … 30, 31, 75, 12? You see, I still have friends at camp that keep me posted." My thoughts traveled to camp, where I could just see my spy (AN: I'm not going to say the name, for the sake of any people who haven't read TLO)gathering as much information as possible for me.
"Spies, you mean." Percy retorted. I shrugged. I couldn't care less about what Percy thought of me. "How many more insults from your father can you stand, Percy? You think he is grateful for you? You think Poseidon cares for you any more that he cares for this monster?" I asked incredulously. The Cyclops ground his teeth and clenched his fists. I chuckled. "The gods are so using you Percy. Do you have any idea what's in store for you if you reach your 16th birthday? Has Chiron even shown you the prophesy?" I could tell by Percy's face that I had gotten to him. "I know what I need to know. Like who my enemies are."
"Than you're a fool." I stated calmly. The Cyclops smashed one of the chairs to splinters, yelling, "Percy is not a fool!" then ran, heading straight for me. I glanced at Agrius and Oreius, who nodded almost imperceptibly. They stopped the idiotic Cyclops from killing me. I relished seeing the surprise on Percy's face as his brother failed to kill me. "Too bad, Cyclops. Looks like my grizzly friends together are more than a match for your strength. Maybe I should let them-" Percy cut in before I could finish my sentence. "Luke, Your father sent us."
I almost choked on my soda, but I recovered quickly and set it down. "Don't even mention him."
"He told us to take this boat. I thought it was just for a ride, but he sent us here to find you. He told me he wouldn't give up on you, no matter how angry you are." Percy continued. I had taken another sip of my soda, but I spat it out and slammed the can on the table."Angry? Give up on me? He abandoned me, Percy. I want Olympus destroyed! Every throne crushed to rubble! You tell Hermes it's going to happen too. Each time another half-blood joins us, the Olympians grow weaker, and we grow stronger. He grows stronger." I gestured to the sarcophagus where Kronos lay. I could tell Percy was confused, but then it dawned on him.
"Whoa, you don't mean-" Percy began, but I cut him off. "He is reforming. Little by little we are calling his life force out of the pit. With every new recruit, another small piece appears."
" That's disgusting!" Annabeth exclaimed.
I sneered at Annabeth. Who did she think she was? "Your mother was born from Zeus' split scull, Annabeth. I wouldn't talk." I replied."Soon there will be enough of the titan lord that we can make him whole again. We will piece together an new body for him, one worthy of the forges of Hephaestus." "You're insane." Annabeth replied matter-of-factly.
"Join us and you'll be rewarded. We have powerful friends, sponsors rich enough to buy this cruise ship and much more. Percy, your mother will never have to work again. You can buy her a mansion. You can have power, fame—whatever you want. Annabeth, you can realize your dream of being an architect. You can build a monument to last a thousand years. A temple to the lords of the next age!" I coaxed.
"Go to Tartarus, Luke." Percy said calmly. I sighed. "Such a shame." I picked up the alarm system, and summoned the security guards. "Security," I said, "It appears we have stowaways."
"Yes sir." They replied.
I turned to Oreius, saying, "It's time to feed the Aethiopian Drakon. Take these fools below and show them how it's done."
"Let me go, too," Agrius grumbled. "My brother is worthless. That Cyclops—" "Is no threat." I finished. "Agrius , stay here. We have some important matters to discus."
