AN: I'm back already with chapter 2. This is a bit of a filler chapter, but I think I should just clarify something. Pretty much everything that happened in the books up until where chapter 1 kicks off happened before this story. I might change one or two things, but for the most part, it's all still there. As for what comes next, I'll be following Percy in the Underworld for a while, probably becoming friends with Zoe in the process, since I still intend to make this a Percy/Zoe fic. As always, please leave a review with questions, comments, or suggestions. I love to hear what you have to say. Like I said before, the name might change at some point, so be sure to like and follow to keep track of what goes down.

Chapter 2: Rewards

Percy opened his eyes and stood up to look at the throne room, filled with the gods and demigods. Thalia was sitting, with her arm wrapped around Annabeth, who was still sobbing violently. Percy's hand tightened into a fist and he was about to step toward her when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw the man who was restraining him with just a touch. He was tall and muscular, with copper skin and hair blacker than Percy's flowing down his shoulders. He was regal and majestic, and Percy couldn't help thinking that he looked like a god, before it occurred to him that this man might actually be one.

"Who are you?" he asked, but a sinking feeling in his chest told him that he already knew who this man was. The man smiled slightly and extended a pair of gorgeous, iridescent wings that had been folded across his back, glimmering in shades of blue, black, and purple.

"You know who I am, Percy. And you know why I am here." he said in a deep, rich voice that Percy couldn't help but compare to that of Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones. The voice alone radiated power, and Percy knew who was standing before him.

"You're Death; and that means I'm dead. Which also means I can't do anything about her." he said, pointing to Annabeth.

"I am indeed Thanatos, the god of death, and yes, Percy: you are dead and now unable to interact in any way with the world of the living." Death said. Percy nodded slowly and pointed to the bloody body at his feet: his body.

"I think that's a bit of a giveaway," he said, and even managed a small chuckle. "You know, ever since I heard that stupid prophecy, I've been expecting to die; I just thought that it would be Kronos who would kill me, not my best friend."

"Death comes to all, but rarely in the form they expect." Thanatos said slowly. ". . . Although, I will not lie when I say that the manner of your death came as a great surprise to me. I expected your end to come in battle against a mighty foe, not struck down from behind by your closest friend."

Percy tightened his lips at the mention of his demise, but he bottled up his anger until he had some way of releasing it. "Do you appear to everyone when they die?" he asked Death.

Thanatos chuckled and shook his head. "I appear only to those who deserve my personal presence: great heroes. Your friends Charles Beckendorf and Zoe Nightshade were two of those heroes. I judged them personally and escorted them to Elyusium, just as I will do with you."

"Why are we still here, then?" Percy asked.

"I thought perhaps you wished to see what legacy you will leave behind to the gods and your friends. Soon, they will reward your friends, even Annabeth."

"WHAT?!" Percy shouted. "REWARD her? She killed me!"

"I'm afraid they don't know that, Percy, and I am quite incapable of telling them. That would overstep my boundaries. The Olympians are to make their own judgements, free from the prejudice of the dead. We can do nothing but watch." With that, he held Percy's arm and floated them up to the top of the throne room, where they could get a bird's eye view of the council. The three fates themselves collected Percy's and Luke's bodies. Luke was wrapped in a green and white burial shroud, and Percy's body was wrapped in a green silk shroud embroidered with a trident.

Before the Fates carried out the bodies, Hermes opened Luke's shroud and kissed his forehead before murmuring a few things Percy couldn't hear. Poseidon was kneeling next to Percy's body, his shoulders heaving with sobs. Finally, he allowed the Fates to take the body, and returned to his seat, his eyes flashing dangerously, causing even Zeus to avoid his gaze.

After the bodies were removed, the time for rewards came. Thalia was promised aid in filling the ranks of her hunters, Grover was made an elder of the wild, and Tyson was made a general of Poseidon's army and was promised a new stick. Percy paid little attention to the proceedings until Annabeth's name was called. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she still knelt before the gods.

"Annabeth Chase," Zeus started, "you were not the only savior of Olympus, but you are the only survivor of the fight with Kronos. We were prepared to offer a gift to Percy; a gift that has not been awarded to a mortal in centuries: the gift of godhood. As the only surviving savior of Olympus, we offer you this prize in his stead. You shall become a goddess. Immortal. Undying. You will serve as your mother's lieutenant for all time."

Annabeth was shocked, but Percy noticed a look of relief briefly flash across her face. Thanatos snorted; he had apparently seen her look of relief as well. "She doesn't want to be judged," he said. Percy looked at him questioningly before he realized what Thanatos was saying: Annabeth didn't want to die, because when she was judged, her murder of Percy would be brought to light when the judges searched her mind.

"I accept, Lord Zeus," she said.

"Kneel, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Do you pledge your eternal loyalty to Olympus and to this council of gods?" Zeus asked.

"I do."

"Then rise, Annabeth, daughter and lieutenant of Athena; goddess of Olympus!" Zeus thundered. Annabeth's body glowed slightly as she stood, and her battered and damaged armor was replaced by a suit of radiant white robes covered with a new set of godly celestial bronze armor. Her knife still hung at her side, and in her hand she held a beautiful helmet inlaid with images of gryphons and sphinxes, similar to her mother's helmet.

Percy gritted his teeth at the sight of Annabeth, attired in godly clothing and armor, looking every inch like the goddess she now was. Her normally bright grey eyes were dark and clouded as she took her place at the right hand of her mother.

Thanatos nodded his head slowly, obviously unsurprised by the turn of events unfolding in front of him. "Come, Percy," he said to Percy, who was shaking with rage at the honors showered onto Annabeth after her betrayal. Thanatos laid his hand on Percy's arm and they dissolved into smoke, reappearing outside the gates of Elysium. Thanatos waved his hand and the gates flew open. He swept his arm in a panoramic gesture over the green fields and blue waters before them. "Welcome, Perseus Jackson, to Elysium."