I would get sick the day I go on hiatus. Well, this is the end of the road, until the sequel. So, basically for this epilogue, I wanted to portray what comes after the finale. You know, most stories have those happy endings, but they never tell you what happens to the characters after everything is said and done. Well, I thought the story should delve into the state of the world and the characters after the battle with Kronos finished. So, that's what this is. It's also the series of events that will lead into the sequel. It's also brings to light the concept of the consequences of someone's actions. As Percy said last chapter, it's like the domino effect. Also, I have no idea when I'll be getting to work on the sequel. I just know that after writing this fic, I want some time away from it before writing that sequel. Anyways, on to shout outs.
RestlessHeart182: I'll sort of miss it. It's been a fun journey.
Luckyducky: Thank you! It was a nice touch, wasn't it. Ha. Well, I shall see you for the sequel.
DarkLove: Thanks so much. I'm sorry if I scarred you for life. It was a nice look into his character. Getting to know he wasn't super evil.
percyjackson: I'm happy to have you on board for the sequel ^.^
Rosabel: Well, I did choose not too. However, I don't feel it would necessarily be breaking the PJO universe if I did. I mean, as much as I hate Percabeth, for all I know they do mess around. I mean, with how things are today, it's not uncommon for 16 year olds to be having sex. I'll try taking a look at those fics.
Bridgette-Daughter of Athena: Thank you :D.
PinkRenegade: Thanks! Well, I sort of needed all them for the sequel. Apollo was a toss up, though. Originally, he was going to die, either in the battle or before the sequel. Well, they might have been powerful, but you also have to keep in mind that they were outmatched. And about Nico, he had already said that Luke was already dead in his eyes. So, he burned that bridge. He probably mourned the loss of Luke in the past. But as you probably noticed throughout the fic, Nico never showed compassion to Luke, giving evidence that he no longer cared for his ex. And I never said Luke and Nico were in love, not that I can remember anyways. So, I hope that helps you get into the head of this Nico a little better. Like the rest of this fic, it's not just black and white, and people aren't always as compassionate as you might think they should be.
Scarlett Dove: Thanks! I'll see you there.
Valdez: Me? Evil? Never. But perhaps this story doesn't have the happy endings that most stories do. That's why I said if you didn't want the sequel to stay at last chapter. I mean, the sequel might end on a happy note, but I don't know yet.
Happykid44: You should like the epilogue. It was in a deleted scene. Haha. Wow. I liked the epilogue, even if it isn't the traditional happy ending. But that's what the sequel is for. Unless I decide to make it a dark ending. That's what a good sequel is supposed to do, take a while to come out and make the people wait and build anticipation.
Make-it-Now: No.
LizziDaughterofHades: I will be checking those out.
HubrisP: Thanks.
So, just making it clear, Percy was not Kronos's son. It had something to do with why Kronos took a special interest in Percy, because he looked like his son. However, considering I visually showed the son die, because you're not going to live through an explosion like that, it's impossible. Now, make sure to stay tuned at the end to get a little info on the sequel. I'm not going to give out spoilers, but I will tell you a title and a few other details. And as a reminder, I will be going on my hiatus once this is posted. Sadly, I can't reply to my anon reviewers because this is the end :(. But, I will be replying to any account reviews once I return. Speaking of anon reviews, where has HeyItsAmber been? Come back to me! Anyways, we can all have cake at the end.
Warning: Character death. I think that about covers it. I know, now you're curious.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot of the fic.
Note: So, you know I had a theme for this fic, right? The song Choke by Hybrid is where the fic got it's name. In all honesty, I'd probably pic that for the theme song, if this was a TV show or movie. Well, the song for this chapter is The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins. It just really goes with the atmosphere of this chapter. So, go find that song and put it on repeat until you finish.
Edit: Just to clarify, since there was confusion, keep in mind that Jason was adopted. That is important. His adopted father died, not his biological one. Zeus was his biological father, Mr. Grace was his adopted father. I did state this before.
Chapter 20: The Epilogue
Percy waited on a bench for Nico to get out of class. He leaned back and let out a long breath. Things had been quiet over the past month. He had abused his telepathy a little and had gotten Nico, Jason, and the others enrolled into college. He opened his eyes when he felt someone tap his foot. Nico smiled down at him. "Enjoying yourself?" Nico asked.
Percy stood up and kissed Nico. "Well, I'm enjoying myself more now that you're here," Percy replied.
Nico rolled his eyes. "You're a dork."
"But I'm your dork." Percy took Nico's hand and the two headed off towards his apartment. Ever since the battle with Kronos, Nico had taken up residence in the apartment, much to Percy's pleasure. They were still keeping their relationship innocent, but it was nice getting to have Nico around so much. Back when this all started, he couldn't even get in touch with the boy unless Nico wanted to talk to him.
It had taken Percy a while to finally relax, but he was starting to come around. He liked that Jason, Apollo, Leo, Rachel, and Lou all still stayed in touch with him. He saw most of them on a daily basis, and they were all starting to adapt to normal life. Leo and Lou would help his parents out from time to time, Leo helping in the lab, and Lou helping Poseidon and Sally make a list of all the Specials in the world.
The only person Percy hadn't really gotten to see lately was Chiron. Percy's father had been true to his word and talked to Chiron about coming onboard with them, but Chiron had turned them down. He said he was ready to retire, and that he had seen enough of organizations and their operations. Percy honestly couldn't blame him. Nico would go to visit him once or twice a week, just to make sure he was ok. Percy didn't think Nico liked the idea of Chiron being alone all the time, considering he was like a father to Nico.
Athena had systematically wiped out the Consortium, hitting them at every angle. With no one to replace Kronos on such short notice, and with the pressure Athena had placed on them, they had collapsed. Chiron said that some might end up at U.N.I.T., but that it was nothing to worry about. While Percy was relieved to learn about the Consortium's fate, he couldn't help but have a feeling of uneasiness about the situation.
They finally reached the apartment, and Percy collapsed onto the couch. Nico shook his head at him and went over to the kitchen to get a drink. Annabeth sat at the table, drawing on a piece of paper. "What are you working on?" Nico asked as he passed back through.
She glanced up and looked up at Nico as if she hadn't heard them come in. "Just some designs for the battle suits. I was going to run them over with Athena when I finish," she replied, returning to her work. Nico peered over her shoulder, but she covered the paper, sending him a small glare.
He chuckled and shook his head, walking over to the couch. He plopped down beside Percy, who had finally sat up. He leaned on Percy's shoulder as Percy turned on the TV. Percy flipped through the channels for a while, until he froze on one. He furrowed his eyebrows. Zeus was on TV again. This had been going on ever since the fight with Kronos.
"Why is he always on TV?" Percy growled.
Nico shrugged. "The U.N. is probably unhappy with U.N.I.T. after our fight. They probably feel that U.N.I.T. is unable to keep a situation under control anymore," Nico guessed.
Annabeth looked up from her work to look at the screen. "He's probably right. The world has been bordering on chaos lately," she agreed. "People aren't that stupid. They know something has happened, but they just don't know what. The U.N. does know what's going on, but the situation has gotten out of hand for them. Your parents beat them to something and ended up taking the credit for defeating, not only Kronos, but the Consortium as well."
"That's too bad for them," grumbled Percy. "Maybe if we're lucky, they'll collapse too."
"Doubtful," mumbled Nico. He squeezed Percy's hand. "How are the sessions with your parents going?"
Percy sighed. "They haven't really gotten anywhere yet. I don't feel crazy, but it is just weird trying to sort out my own thoughts. I sometimes find myself questioning my own conscious, you know?"
Nico nodded. "I'm sorry."
Percy shook his head. "It was my own fault. I shouldn't have stayed in his head."
"You didn't know, Percy."
Kronos's thoughts had become the hardest part of getting back to normalcy for Percy. After the battle, and finding out that Luke, Circe, and Ethan had all been killed, Percy couldn't help but feel a little angry. Not at Nico, for some reason he rational outweighed Kronos's thoughts when it came to Luke's death, but he had been a little upset at the others for two weeks. Sometimes he would find thoughts that weren't his own floating around in his head. Even though Percy had killed Kronos, he had still left a part of himself with Percy.
"Get the job done!" Zeus shut the door behind him to cut off the tirade of angry yelling being sent his way. He tightened his jaw and straightened his tie as he walked forward. It had been two months since what was probably Percy's battle with Kronos. He just couldn't prove it. The only proof that had been around when they had arrived was the destruction.
Percy Jackson was the boy that Chiron had spent two years of his career searching for. A boy like that had to be special. Another sign that Kronos was probably dead was the collapse of the Consortium. That did not add up to him, though. How could Percy manage to bring down an entire organization so easily? He had to have had help. Things like this were just missing for Zeus, and that's what he had always been good at, noticing what wasn't there.
A young man with slicked back light brown hair and hazel eyes jogged up to Zeus. "I got everything you asked, sir," the man said, handing Zeus several files.
Zeus took them, nodding at the man. "Thank you, Janus. Walk with me a moment while I look this over," Zeus mumbled, flipping through the first file.
"Those are the codes you asked for, as well as the list of the known Specials in the world. I just got it updated an hour ago since you demanded that the Trackers work harder in finding as many as possible."
Zeus nodded, eyes roaming the file's contents. "Was there any trouble getting the codes?"
"Hardly any," Janus replied.
Zeus nodded again. "Very good. I'll make well on my promise after this is all over then." Zeus closed the first file and opened the second one.
"That is the list of U.N.I.T.'s agents."
Zeus's eyes darkened. "There is information missing," he growled, slamming the file shut. "Where is the information on Nico, Jason, and Apollo?"
Janus cleared his throat, running his finger under his collar. "Gone, sir. Some other data seems to have gone missing as well."
"And our digital copies?"
"All gone."
Zeus rubbed his beard as he shut the file, moving on to the next. "Tell me this one has what I'm looking for," he barked.
Janus swallowed. "Well, sir, it seems that most of the information on Percy Jackson was also removed."
Zeus's jaw tightened. "And the other thing I asked you to look into?" he growled.
"Well, I'm not sure how you'll take it. There wasn't much I could find."
Zeus's features eased up as he looked over the file on Percy's parents. "That's good."
"Sir?"
"If you are unable to dig up any real information on Percy's parents, I have to question how they are capable of keeping their lives so secret." He flipped through the file. "Percy had to get help from somewhere, and Chiron and the others wouldn't have been able to provide the kind of help that Percy would have needed. So, I have to question what his parents are up to."
"W-Would you like me to send an agent after them?" Janus asked nervously.
Zeus closed the file, placing it under his arm. "No, I believe this requires a...personal touch."
Percy woke up at the sound of a car alarm. He cracked an eye open to find himself alone in bed. He yawned and crawled out of bed. He walked to his door, slowly cracking it open to look into the living room. The car alarm sounded louder for some odd reason. He walked into the living room to find the balcony door open. He dragged himself outside, rubbing at his eyes. Nico stood on the balcony, looking down at the street below. Percy gave him an odd look and shut the door behind him, causing Nico to jump.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Percy whispered, walking up next to Nico. "What are you doing out there?"
"Watching everyone tear themselves apart," Nico mumbled, still looking at the streets.
Percy frowned and looked down into the city. He could see a man hot wiring a car. He gripped the railing and quietly entered the man's mind. The man froze and got out of the car, shutting the door behind him and walking off without a word.
"Why do you even bother, Percy?" Nico asked.
Percy glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"
"The world isn't getting better." Nico finally tore his eyes away from the streets to look at Percy. "What if they were right? What if Kronos was needed in the world?"
"Why are you talking like this?" Percy asked, taking Nico's hand into his own.
"Look at the world, Percy. It's been four months, and everything seems to slowly be getting worse. Annabeth's right, the world is falling into chaos. The Consortium was made up of corporations, and they all fell into ruin when Kronos died. It shook the foundation of the world, and people are starting to panic."
"We'll just have to fix it," Percy proposed.
"What if I don't want to fix it anymore?"
Percy furrowed his eyebrow. He pulled Nico closer to him. "Hey, don't talk like that. Everything's gonna be fine."
"You don't know that," Nico whispered.
Percy's old nightmare flashed through his mind at Nico's words. "I caused this, and I have to fix it."
Nico turned his head to look at Percy. "You can't seriously be blaming yourself for this."
"Yes, I am. I killed Kronos, I helped bring down the Consortium. This is my fault." He paused, licking his lips. "I never told you this, but back when this all started, I had a nightmare in the same night I dreamed about the rooftop event with you and Luke."
"What happened?" Nico asked curiously, eyes darting down to the city again when he heard a car horn.
"It was a horrible dream, but I just brushed it off as a nightmare. I just can't but wonder if there's any truth to it."
"Percy, tell me."
"In the dream a voice told me that, if I went with you, I'd bring about the end of the world," Percy confessed.
Nico pursed his lips as he turned to face the city again. "I'm sure it was nothing. Things are bad, but like you said, it can get better."
"I just-" Percy stopped talking when he heard voices in the streets below. They spotted a mob of people appearing to riot in the street. Percy watched them for a while, debating on whether or not to get involved. They were just standing around holding up signs. A cop car eventually showed up, and two cops got out.
The cops tried to quell the riot, but one threw a beer bottle against the cop car's windshield. The cops retaliated by pulling out nightsticks and beating some of the citizens. One of the rioters pulled out a molotov and lit it on fire. He tossed it at one of the cops, but the cop dodged it. The molotov sailed through the air, smashing through a window of a building.
A few seconds later, flames shot out of the building. The rioters scattered, trying to put themselves out, the cops radioed for assistance, and the building engulfed in flames. Percy watched in horror as the events occurred, unsure of what to do. Nico only wore a blank expression as he watched the fire. "God help us all," Nico whispered.
Poseidon sat hunched over on the couch, studying all the files they had made for examining Percy's condition. He groaned in frustration, gripping at his hair. "Don't hurt yourself, dear," Sally teased, sitting a cup of tea on the table in front of him.
"This is just stumping me. I feel helpless regarding Percy's problems," he explained.
"I'm sure we'll get it eventually. We also have Athena examining the situation for us."
Sally picked up the remote to turn on the TV, but Poseidon snatched the remote from her hand. "I don't want to see the news," he grunted. "There's nothing but bad news nowadays."
"I'm sure something can be done to fix it. The U.N. will probably step in."
Poseidon nodded and went back to looking over their notes. Sally sipped at her own tea, while picking up a file of her own to read. They had been running themselves into the ground over the past five months, trying to figure out a solution to Percy's condition.
And the worst part was the world wasn't getting better. If anything, it was getting worse. The world seemed to be getting close to a state of collapse. The Consortium must have had more control than they had originally thought for its collapse to have this big of a ripple in the world order.
Poseidon sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He sat the paper in his hand back onto the coffee table and picked up his cup of tea. He sipped on it, trying to calm his nerves. He was supposed to be able to fix and take care of all of Percy's big problems, but how was he supposed to get someone's thoughts out of Percy's head?
"Perhaps Athena is having better luck with this," Poseidon said hopefully.
"We'll figure this out," Sally said, squeezing Poseidon's leg.
"If we can't?"
Sally pursed her lips. "I try not to think about it. Percy's a strong boy, though. I'm sure he'll persevere."
"When he's not being rebellious," Poseidon mumbled.
Sally chuckled. She started to rub Poseidon's back. "I think he's moved past that stage now. He knows the truth, and I think he's going to act more maturely."
Poseidon sighed and nodded his head. "At least he seems happier now than he was before, even with all the chaos going on around him."
"Would it make you feel better if we got involved?" Sally asked.
Poseidon scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not sure. We already risked a great deal getting involved with the Consortium, I don't know if I'm ready to risk more." Poseidon let out a long sigh and sat down his tea.
"Perhaps you should get some rest. You're not going to help anyone if you're exhausted."
Poseidon stifled a yawn. "I suppose you're right," he agreed. He stood up from the couch and headed towards their bedroom. He flipped the light switch and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, loosening the collar. He pulled the covers back on the bed and went to the bathroom.
He pulled his toothbrush from its place on the sink. He ran it under the water and then placed the toothpaste on the brush. When he was about to raise it to his mouth, he heard a crash in the living room. He furrowed his eyebrows and sat the toothbrush down.
"Sally?" he called out, but received no answer. He frowned and headed towards the bedroom door, grabbing a taser from his nightstand. He grabbed the door handle and slipped into the hall. He made his way down the hall, finding the living room lights off. "Sally, are you alright?"
He stepped into the kitchen, feeling around on the counter to guide his path. He stopped when his foot hit something on the floor. He felt around for the light switch, but when he finally found it, it wouldn't turn on. He crouched down to inspect what he had found on the floor.
His hand felt soft fabric, long soft hair, and a face. His hand trembled as he felt Sally's facial features. He spun around when the blinds on the other side of the apartment opened. A man was standing in front of the window, looking out at the city.
"This city is a truly amazing sight, isn't it?" the voice said.
Poseidon clenched his fists and stood back up. He walked into the living room, taser at the ready. Poseidon took aim and fired the taser at the man, but the man only laughed at him. He ripped the probes out of his arm and dropped them to the ground.
"I don't think you'll find that very effective," the man informed him.
Poseidon growled and lunged at the man. He grabbed the man by the collar and slammed him up against the glass, cracking it. His eyes widened at the face he found. "You," he whispered.
"You've been meddling in things that don't concern you," Zeus replied.
Poseidon released Zeus and swung at his jaw. Zeus dodged it and Poseidon's hand shattered the glass. Zeus picked Poseidon up and threw him on top of the coffee table. Zeus stood over Poseidon's form and fiddled with his ring. "What do you hope to accomplish, Zeus?"
Zeus smirked down at him. "I don't think that really concerns you, considering you won't be alive to see what I have planned. Poseidon growled and lunged at Zeus, only to receive an elbow to the face. Zeus backhanded Poseidon, sending him to the floor. Zeus stared blankly down at Poseidon. He raised a hand towards Poseidon.
The rain fell heavily as the caskets were lowered into the ground. Percy sat unmoving, as he had through the entire service. He stood up and tossed a rose down on each of his parents' caskets before turning around to walk off. He spotted Nico a few feet away, watching him carefully. Annabeth came up to him, offering him an umbrella, but he shook his head. She pursed her lips and let him walk off.
His eyes flickered over to a woman standing under a tree. He had been aware of her the entire time, as she had barely taken her eyes off him. She had long straightened brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She had a black dress on, and was wearing a necklace with emeralds, complimented by a small hat on top of her head with a veil attached to it.
Percy continued to watch her as he made his way to his boyfriend, her eyes still locked on to him. Percy tightened his jaw and looked over to Nico for a moment, holding up a finger to signal to give him a moment. He changed course and headed to the woman.
She smiled at him as he approached, extending her hand out to Percy. Percy took her hand into his own and shook it, taking note of the green nail polish on her nails. "I'm sorry for you loss, Perseus," she said gently. "Your parents were great assets to humanity, and their loss is tragic."
Percy frowned slightly at her. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?" he asked.
Gaea smiled at him again, her eyes flashing with something undetectable. "I...I'm old friend of your parents. They told me a lot about you."
Percy nodded his head. "I didn't get your name."
She placed her hand on Percy's arm. "My name is Gaea, and I hope that perhaps one day we can have the pleasure of working together." Before Percy could question her further, she opened her umbrella and walked off into the rain.
Percy frowned at her retreating form. He watched her walk up to a limo, the door being opened for her by a tall man. She turned and looked back at Percy, smiling at him one final time before getting inside the vehicle. Percy wondered who she was exactly. His parents had never mentioned a Gaea before.
Percy looked back over to Nico, who had started walking off into the cemetery. Percy furrowed his eyebrows, walking in Nico's direction. Nico had become a little distant over the past two weeks. He hadn't pulled away in terms of his affections, but Percy could sense something was weighing heavily on Nico's mind. He slid his hands into his pockets as he reached Nico.
Nico turned around to look at him. He pursed his lips as he stared at Percy. "How are you?" he asked.
"I don't know how to feel," Percy confessed.
Nico nodded. "I know how you feel."
Percy looked down and let out a long sigh. Nico stepped up to him and placed his hands on either side of Percy's face. He leaned up and touched their lips together in a brief kiss. Percy attempted to give him a smile as they pulled back, but it didn't work very well. He reached up and brushed Nico's wet hair out of his eyes.
Nico fidgeted nervously in front of him. "What's wrong?" Percy asked.
"I-I think I need to leave for a while," Nico told him.
Percy frowned at his boyfriend. "Why?"
"I don't really know what to do with myself anymore. Ever since my family's death, my purpose in life was to kill Kronos, and now that he's gone, I don't know what to do."
Nico tried to step back, but Percy grabbed on to his wrist. "I really need you right now, Nico. Can I not be your purpose? This world has fallen into chaos, and I don't think I can get through this right now without you."
Nico pursed his lips and looked down. He nodded his head. "I know," he whispered. He leaned up and kissed Percy on the cheek. "I'll be there for you whenever you need me."
Percy ran the back of his hand down Nico's cheek. "So you won't leave?"
Nico shook his head. "I know what you're going through, and all I wanted when I lost my parents was someone there to comfort me." He looked up into Percy's eyes. "Kronos took Luke from me when I needed him most. I won't hurt you like Luke hurt me."
Percy gave a small lopsided smile. He pulled Nico into a hug. "Thank you," he mumbled into Nico's wet hair.
"Besides, someone has to watch out for you with all the bad stuff that's going on."
Percy pulled back. "We need to fix this. People need someone to look to. They need someone to save them."
Nico's eyes darkened, taking on a coldness that Percy had noticed more often when Nico watched the news reports on the world's condition. He shook his head at Percy. "No." Percy looked at him in confusion. "You're right, the world is going to cry out for someone to save them, but when that day comes, I'll whisper, 'No'."
Percy stared at Nico in slight disbelief as he turned around and walked off. Percy turned his head to look back at his parents' graves. He chewed on his lip as he stared at the tombstones, feeling a pain in his chest. He let out a sigh and slid his hands back into his pockets. He turned back around and walked after Nico, who had turned back to watch him.
Percy reached out for Nico's hand as he reached him. Nico took Percy's hand, and Percy brought Nico's hand up to his lips to kiss. He looked up at the stormy sky as they walked out of the cemetery. Perhaps all of them were right. Perhaps the world really was beyond saving. The real question was what would happen now? He glanced over and Nico and squeezed his hand. A small smile spread onto Nico's lips. Percy lowered his head back to the ground as they continued to walk back to their place. What mattered now was keeping those he cared about safe, and Percy would do everything possible to make sure that they were, even if they faced extinction.
Well, that's the end, for now. As I said, not the happy ending that people usually expect. But I suppose Choke was meant to be a dark fic. If you look hard enough, you'll see inspiration from The Watchmen. So, the world is slowly collapsing into chaos. Percy still has Kronos's thoughts in his head. Nico doesn't want to be a hero figure. A new character, Gaea, has appeared, what could she be up to? And what is Zeus up to? He killed Percy's parents, and is planning something very big. What could be in store for everyone? You'll have to wait for the sequel. I have no idea when it'll be out. Sometime after I finish Sola Amor probably. I'll see what's going on when I do finish that fic. As far as a posting day, it'll take the place of whatever it is replacing. The name of the fic will either be Extinction or Genesis, so keep an eye out for either of those titles. It'll pick up a year after the epilogue ended. I'm not going to spoil anything beyond that. It will be longer, and you will be getting several new characters. But you'll just have to wait and see what is in store for everyone. Anyways, before I bid you all farewell, I'll have Bragi come back a final time to say his goodbyes.
SoH: So, we are done. Would you like some cake for this celebration?
Bragi: I brought pie. I haven't trusted cake since GLaDOS and I...parted ways.
SoH: Wtf is GLaDOS?
Bragi: You call yourself a nerd and you've never played Portal? For shame! Well, irregardless, why don't you have a piece of my pie?
SoH: Oh...I feel dumb now. I should have known my cake was a lie. What did you put in the pie?
Bragi: It's just a lovely chocolate cream pie, specifically designed to help you relax on your hiatus, here, try some.
Bragi shoves a piece down XSonOfHadesX's throat
SoH: O.o What poisons have you put in this?
Bragi waits patiently for XSonOfHadesX to fall asleep
SoH: I'm just going to spit this out. So, Bragi, what are you going to be doing while we have this hiatus?
Bragi: Pity, the pie really was the way to go.
Bragi chloroforms XSonOfHadesX
Bragi: XSonOfHadesX will be...working extensively on his new fic, as well as his technique as an author, during his hiatus (the length of which is determined by yours truly). Once he comes back, I'm more than certain he will have absolutely wonderful things to show you all, but we have to be going now, see you all in about two weeks! :D
Bragi drags XSonOfHadesX off to parts unknown.