DISCLAIMER: You don't read it, why shall I write it?
Oh, right. The Legal stuff...Sigh. I don't own Percy Jackson. Would I have been writing fanfictions then?
Chapter 3: Meeting and Explanations
The Meeting in the Throne Room of Olympus was not in motion yet, as the Gods were waiting for one of the Olympians, Artemis.
To pass the time, Apollo seemed to be trying to compose another Haiku; Hermes was moving his hands dexterously on his i-Pad. Ares was humming a tune to the theme song of the game "God of War". Zeus seemed to be trying to practicing a new stern look. In short, there was nothing useful going on.
Well...imagine their surprise when they found Artemis and Hestia flashing into the Throne Room with Percy Jackson in tow. Apollo immediately fell down from his throne in surprise. The biggest noticeable change came over Poseidon. His face lit up with a smile that would put Apollo's smile to shame. He moved over to tightly hug Percy.
"Yes dad, I am happy to see you too...but I can't breathe", said Percy with a chuckle.
"Where have you been all this time, my son?" Poseidon asked, curiously. Before he could answer, the Throne room was swarmed with questions and voices of the gods, each one trying to be heard over the others.
"Silence!" Zeus roared, while thunder crackled ominously in the outside sky. All the Gods concealed their excitement at that and calmed down. He looked at Artemis and said, "Artemis, report. Where did you find him?"
Artemis recounted his tale as accurately as possible, leading up to the part where they were getting overwhelmed, Percy's subsequent arrival and his use of strange abilities.
"Yes. Your Hunters finally had to admit defeat and ask for a male help. Percy, you're my Hero." Saying, Apollo reached for a high five, but was caught in an awkward position when he found nobody approaching his raised hand. The others were intelligent enough to realise that it would not be wise to invoke the ire of the Goddess of the Moon and Hunt; not then, not ever.
Artemis however was confused at how Zeus' face had changed its expression during the course of her story. It had turned rigid and during her description of the finale, he seemed to tremble with some sort of barely concealed rage. Artemis could feel the Lord of the Skies barely holding back his immense powers at check. She had no idea why.
"Perseus, I would like to have a chat with you. Alone. Right now." Thundered Zeus.
Percy seemed unfazed by the request, smiled and said "Yes Lord Zeus, I would be happy to clear up any matter for you. However, I would like Lady Hestia to accompany us during this meeting." Percy's voice had hardened during the last part, asserting his will. Zeus looked at him stiffly, and realised that he wasn't going to give any ground. He seemed to make a split-second decision and nodded, "Very well. Sister, you shall accompany us."
"Brother, where are you taking my son?" enquired Poseidon, holding his Trident tightly in his hands. He had just gotten back his son and wasn't going to lose him, or let any harm come to him, even if it involved the sea and sky going into another war.
"Trust me, dad...this isn't a conversation which you'd like to hear." Percy said with a look at Zeus, who nodded and motioned Percy and Hestia to follow him. As Poseidon watched them go, he couldn't help but feel a bit scared for his son.
-oOo-
"So, Perseus; did the events take place exactly in the manner Artemis described?" At his nod of assent, he flew off in a rage and shouted, "Do you have any idea what you have done? Do you know anything about the powers you have now? And, more exactly, where did you acquire them from?"
"From Arjuna. Yes, I have a very good idea about what I am now, and what I am capable of doing. Moreover, I am also aware of the things that you tried to keep buried."
Zeus' voice was a whisper, "Do you mean..."
"Yes, dear brother. Perseus here is aware of the Great War that took place between the gods of the two pantheons. The battle which made the destruction of the world seem imminent. The War, which was won by no one, but took its toll on demigods from both sides. The War, which both sides agreed, was to be forgotten for the times ahead and about which mortals must not know, ever. It was truly impressive of you, brother, to increase the length of the Trojan War for 10 years, and make it appear that all the deaths during those time were due to that war itself...but anybody, who analyses the war, if not hindered by the Mist will find that the death toll were far more than the amount of soldiers involved in the war. Of course, the knowledge of that war's events were passed on to the mortal poet by your daughter Athena herself, so you were further free to manipulate the events and fill in the gaps which didn't add up. The potion that you forced Hecate to make was also pretty impressive. It really made the War non-existent in our minds for quite some time. But, dear brother..." here Hestia seemed to be smirking,"you forgot that the potion took its strength from you, and you could only fog the events for so much time. When Perseus here approached me with his tale, I managed to recount the events with little difficulty. It also didn't hurt that I was a silent observer, and much of my mind wasn't affected."
Zeus stared straight ahead, not really viewing anything. Then he stated in a broken voice, "So, Perseus; if you know these events, you must also be aware of what I must do." He seemed almost sad; who would believe that the mighty Lord could feel sad for a demigod?
Percy nodded, "Your oath?"
"Yes. During the war, I went mad with bloodlust for a time. I promised myself that so long I am capable, no ally of the Indian gods would reach Olympus again; they shall be killed by my own hands. Even if I want to, I can't circumvent around my oath. I am sorry, Perseus."
He would have expected many reactions from the demigod, but not a smile. Percy turned to Hestia and said, "My Lady, it seems you were exactly right." Turning towards Zeus, Percy smirked, "Lord Zeus, do you know about conflicting oaths?"
"What do you mean?" Zeus enquired, curiously. It looked like they weren't without a plan.
"You did take another oath, didn't you, when you ascended the Throne of Olympus? To protect all those who prove their loyalty to Olympus?" Here, Percy seemed to become sombre, and announced in a clear voice, "I, Perseus Jackson, wish to prove my loyalty to the Throne of Olympus. It is my humble request to let the King of the Gods judge my pledge and consider my worth." He then turned over his hands to show a tattoo engraved in his hands: S.P.Q.R.
"Lord Zeus, you expressed your wish to know where I have been all this years. I haven't been sitting idle. You will soon know, if you don't already, that History is about to repeat itself. The second Great Prophecy will come to be fulfilled sooner than you had hoped. Moreover, another demon is also stirring, which will require the might of whole of Olympus to destroy. It is not like any enemy you have seen before, but let me tell you that it was the staunchest oppose of the Indian gods. We will not survive this war without assembling all our strength. We need the help of our Roman brothers."
Zeus wasn't too surprised that Percy knew about the Romans. The thing was: you should be surprised if Percy Jackson failed to surprise you. However, he was still a little stumped that he despite being a Greek, referred to the Romans as his brother.
"So I decided to go to New Rome as a Roman demigod. I resided there as a patron of Vesta and was managed to attain the rank of a praetor, as well as make a few good friends like Jason Grace."That name was spoken with special emphasis. "I am confident that when the Giants attack, we will be able to get the aid we require from them. I have also been on the move, recuing the odd demigods and helping them reach the Camps, as you may have ascertained. Tonight, I have also served the Hunt and stood with them in a battle. So, I hope this shall be a proof of my loyalty to Olympus; along with my help in defeating the Titan Lord five years back." Percy finished with a slight bow.
Zeus stared straight ahead at Percy. Finally he said, "Very well, Perseus. However, I shall require a final proof. I need you to lower your mental shields so that I may be able to judge the truth of your heart and your mind." Zeus was hoping to get a read on him, unannounced, but that was impossible. His mind was literally a solid slab of wall.
No sooner was the command issued than he felt Percy agreeing to it. He felt many things in his mind, a deep pain; a yearning to be free of the burdens of this world; a sense of responsibility that went beyond his age; and, above all, the greatest courage he had ever seen in any warrior. His words were true, and there wasn't a shred of doubt about his loyalty.
"All right, then...tell me more."
After Percy had disclosed everything he knew, Zeus frowned. He put a hand on his chin and said, "So, what do you suggest? As far as I feel, it would not do for you to sit cramped in either of the Camps. You need to be in the forefront of this War, after all, as you yourself told."
At this part, Percy's face soured to a great extent, while Hestia smiled softly. She explained, "Well, we have already worked it out..."
"You worked it out. I didn't agree." Percy argued, being childish.
"Hush, Perseus. As I was speaking; we must explain Perseus' story to the Gods. We do have to make convince some of them why Perseus knows about the Romans, why he was absent and why did you felt scared...alright, uncomfortable on hearing about his skills. We will tell them that Percy was thrown to an unknown land, where he battled some ferocious monsters and acquired his abilities when they fell. Finally, when he returned to this country, his memory was damaged, so he seeked out the closest shelter he could find and stumbled upon the Roman Camp. Although he regained his memories sometime soon, he decided to stay there and work in the spirit of co-operation; which is even true. He decided to return today as he had had enough of hiding from us. But, here is where you come in. As most people would agree, you are terribly paranoid," Zeus' glare had reached monumental proportions by then, "you refuse to believe that everything he has told is true. You want some Olympian to oversee Perseus' works, and..." she paused for an effect, "You assign him to go on missions alongside the Hunt. This way, you say, Artemis can keep a close eye on him, while in reality Perseus would be free to move about and try to put out the small flames before the fire, and stall the inevitable. He would also be able to direct the Hunt in areas of monster infestation, provided they listen to a single word he says," Here Hestia winced, not quite believing her own words, " and even you cannot argue brother, that some of the monsters are stirring whom we have never witnessed before. Perseus here is best suited to deal with them due to his knowledge."
Zeus could see holes in the story. He blurted out, "But...the other Gods will realise that his memory has never been tampered with if they ask Hera to check his mind."
"Well, she would not find it very easy to get into my mind; and we kind of forgot to mention it to you that she already knows about this. Where do you think I got my mind abilities from, then?"
"Okay...just how many gods of my council were in league with you? And how on Earth did you get Hera to agree to your demands?"
"Well, it was not easy, but I managed to prove my worth to Lady Juno on a mission for the Roman Camp. I also had to perform a quest for her, and make a little sacrifice. She is not actually that bad once you show her the proper respect and request her assistance; actually, even Dionysus helped me on one of my quests for Camp Half-Blood, and do you think anybody can be more unhelpful than him?"
Zeus decided to ignore the jibe against his son and store this conversation for future blackmail materials. He asked, "And what could that sacrifice be?"
"Um...I kinda lost my Achilles' Curse on trying to help her cross the River Tiber."
Zeus frowned, that was a disadvantage. "And how do you propose to explain that you also know about the rise of Giants here, even before we were assured about their rise, and when it has not been revealed to any of the two Camps?"
Percy chuckled and tapped his head, "Well; we could say that I had a vision. Demigod dreams are unstable after all, and my dreams show all the weirdest stuff due to my link with the sea."
Zeus could see that the story seemed to be in order and there was quite a chance of the Gods buying it. He had one last question, "Perseus...are you sure you would want to spend time with the Hunt, and not go on solo missions?"
"I don't terribly like the idea, Thank You...But we don't have a choice. We can't alter my cover story too much, and even I require help. Plus, Thalia's in the Hunt. I hope she can save me." Percy stated, not very confident, but certain that he would also have to evade her wrath for turning up out of the blue and running out again.
"Very well son. You are quite brave." Zeus, at that moment, strangely resembled a caring grandfather, and that freaked Percy out. He would only be more worried if Apollo started to sprout philosophical advices.
-oOo-
"What? Father, I must protest against this. Why can't he go to his father's place under the see where he can keep an eye on him, and we all are left in peace?" Artemis snapped.
Zeus tiredly rubbed his hand on his head. He so did not like this conversation. "Artemis, I have explained; his father may favour him and shield his activities. Moreover, you also require help. According to your own admission, you were getting overwhelmed today, wasn't it?" Seeing that she was about to open her mouth yet again, he thundered, "I am the King. My word is Law. You must abide by the Law." That killed the conversation.
Meanwhile, Poseidon was catching up with Percy. He was the happiest he had been in years; knowing that not only his favourite son, but Sally was alive as well as was the most beautiful present for him. Percy explained how he had saved them from the monster horde and relocated them. Poseidon chuckled on realising that it would have been very difficult for Hades to locate them in the Underworld if they were still alive.
"Dad; I think it's time I should leave." Percy noted, as the council Meeting was over and most of the Gods had gone their ways.
"Very well, son. However, you shall also have a gift from me." Saying, Poseidon touched his hand on Percy's forehead as he glowed for a second. Poseidon explained, "I have expanded your abilities to include vapour travel, namely to teleport using moisture. A word of advice; don't try it in a desert."
"Wow, dad. That's seriously cool." Percy exclaimed, and then vanished from the room to land...right on top of a fuming Artemis.
"Ouch!" Both of them exclaimed, rubbing their sore spots. Percy thought with a groan, "Now I realise why the movies say it's not wise to teleport without seeing."
Percy jumped up and extended his hand to help out Artemis. However, she brushed aside his hand and stood up angrily. Percy noted that today he was doing a record in angering a godly being.
"Well; do you have to say anything for yourself, right now, before I execute you?" She looked scaringly angry, and Percy couldn't help but note that she looked really cute like that. He instantly smacked himself in his mind for such a thought. He would probably tell her that one day; when no bows, arrows and knives were in sight, and every part of his body was invulnerable again.
"Yes, there is. Now, Lady Artemis, I truly and sincerely apologise for all the events that occurred today and my blatant disrespect towards you."
"You already did that."
"But that wasn't real." He quickly explained, "I can't tell you much, but I think you have guessed there was more to my story?" At her nod, he went on, "Well; it was necessary for you to have angry towards me. I thought it would convince Lord Zeus that you are not aiding me, or embellishing any fact. I guess it actually didn't matter; Lady Hestia's arrival only made you too confused to be angry, and Lord Zeus was convinced of my story without resorting to look into your mind."
She realised he was being sincere. She shrugged her shoulders, "Alright; I guess I would just kill you later." Then she smiled like a predator, "You will move alongside the Hunt, right? Well, we would be heading towards California the day after tomorrow. I guess you should move to our Camp today."
"Err...I was kinda hoping that I would join the Hunt on the D-day?"
"No, no. You must adjust to your new home, after all. Plus you don't want your cousin to keep from meeting you, do you?"
Percy nodded, resigned to his fate. He knew the whole womankind were evil. Before the duo vanished from the spot, Percy only prayed that he made out of this ordeal alive.
A/N: Well there you go, some explanations. Percy would go on missions alongside the Hunt, but his time won't be spent 24/7 with them. Obviously, they wouldn't be thrilled to see him, and can you expect anything else. However, be prepared to meet yet another monster in the next chapter, which would be new to many of you. Please review if you liked the chapter.