Battle for Olympus part 3, aka, the Aftermath of Lucy's decision. Enjoy.

Hermes wasn't even attempting to struggle against the chains when they disappeared. When he felt the weight leave his arms, his eyes flew open in shock. He stared at his arms, more specifically at the absence of the chains. Morpheus straightened off the wall, gaping in horror at the freed god.

"Wha—?"

Hermes recovered quickly and leapt off the stone, pinning Morpheus against the wall. Morpheus gasped, clawing at Hermes, but the messenger god's face was grim as he pressed his arm into the other's windpipe. "You first," he whispered coldly, "you'll be the first to go."

Morpheus' eyes widened in terror and he scratched uselessly at his captor. Hermes ignored the gold blood that appeared in thin lines on his face and upper body, just pressed harder. Morpheus was starting to gasp when another presence made itself known.

"Ah, so it worked."

Morpheus twisted, trying to mouth something to his father. Hermes turned his head slowly toward Hypnos. He shot the god of sleep a glare so menacing that a thrill of fear ran down Hypnos' spine, but he hid it well, smiling instead at Hermes.

"It's such a stroke of luck, isn't it, that you managed to escape your imprisonment?" Morpheus gasped for breath, but the other two ignored him. "So fortunate for you."

"I'm going to kill your son first, Hypnos," Hermes said, eerily calm, "then you're next. Don't bother trying to escape. I will find you."

Hypnos suppressed the second shudder of fright. "Wouldn't dream of it. And it makes complete sense. I was going to punish the boy anyway, for being so lax in security. I specifically said not to let anyone go." He directed a disapproving frown at his son, whose expression was now caught between terror and anxiety. "And I suppose it's only reasonable for you to resent me. Though I would think your priorities would be slightly shifted, however you'd like to proceed is fine."

A slight hint of malice in the god's voice made Hermes tense. "What are you talking about?" he asked suspiciously.

Hypnos shrugged casually. "Oh, things here and there." He gestured vaguely. "By the way, interesting how your chains just disappeared, hm? Even my son wouldn't be so talentless at restraining you when you had those chains around you. I wonder how they managed to disappear?"

"So?" He pressed his arm against Morpheus harder and the other god went limp. Hypnos' eyebrows came together marginally before smoothing out again.

"Nothing, just musing." He tapped his finger against his bottom lip in thought. "You know, the war on Olympus is going rather marvelously, if I do say so myself. Quite the bloody battle. Far too dangerous for any mortal. I'm sure they have your mortal secreted away somewhere safe, but I wonder if she could have possibly escaped?"

Hermes stiffened. "What?" His voice was chillingly cold.

Hypnos waved his hand dismissively. "An errant thought, I'm sure. They probably have her quite secure. There's no possible way she could have escaped, perhaps run to a temple and done something rather rash in hopes of being a heroine."

The blood in Hermes' body turned to ice. "What are you saying?"

"Oh, nothing of course, just thinking out loud. You know how some do that. It's harmless, really it is."

Hermes sprang at Hypnos, letting the unconscious god fall to the floor. Hypnos couldn't help but flinch, but before Hermes could touch him, the messenger god disappeared. Hypnos fell against the wall, breathing hard as he recovered. He kicked his stirring son. "Get up, you fool. You ruined everything. I only have the smallest chance to make this work."

Hermes appeared in his suite, where he'd last seen Lucy. He burst into the bedroom, but was greeted only with mussed sheets. He tore out of the palace, too hasty to even remember that he could fly. He dashed down the palace steps, searching the grounds frantically. He spotted Artemis and dived at her, snatching the mace of her opponent and slamming it back into its owner's head. He grabbed Artemis' shoulders and shook them.

"Where is she?" he asked desperately.

She stared at him in bewilderment. "Who?"

"Lucy! Where is she?"

"I don't—Your bedroom? That's the last place I saw her…"

"She's not there." Hermes shook the goddess harder. "Where is she, she's not there!"

"I don't know! I told her to stay there, I made her promise!"

He released Artemis with a frustrated growl. "That wasn't good enough!" He turned and dashed away. She stared after him for a moment before whipping around and shooting an arrow, only part of her mind preoccupied with what that encounter meant.

Perhaps run to a temple and done something rash. Hypnos' words echoed in his head as the glint of a caduceus caught Hermes' eye. He felt a sharp stab of terror. No, not that. Anything but that. His feet moved so fast they were a blur against the ground, but the scenes around him passed sluggishly. It felt like it took hours for him to reach his temple and climb the steps. In slow motion, he pushed apart the golden doors, letting the rich light saturate the inside chamber. He immediately spotted the small figure. His immortal eyes would not let him miss the way it rested against his alter, the dark liquid pool that surrounded it, or the knife lying so close—too close—to it. His heart plummeted. He'd never felt cold before like he did in that moment.

"No, no, Lucy, please, no, Lucy." His throat ached as he stumbled forward, falling to his knees before the girl. "Oh, Lucy, please wake up, please, Lucy." He lifted at the girl with fingers made clumsy from fear. He brushed her hair from her face desperately, holding it between his hands. "Lucy, wake up, please, come on, Luce, wake up." His voice bordered on hysteria. Her body was limp against his movements and her head fell backwards, displaying the vicious wound prominently. He let out a sob, cradling her to his chest and rocking her back and forth. "Lucy, why, why would you do this? How could you do this? Lucy…" He crooned, hot tears falling from his eyes onto her pale cheeks. "Why, Lucy?"

A clatter announced someone else entering his temple and, though he didn't know if it was ally or enemy, he didn't turn around. All his attention was focused on the girl in his arms, the girl who was so terribly mortal.

Light footsteps came closer and then a soft gasp. "Wha—Hermes—Lucy—What happened?"

His voice was choked. "She sacrificed herself. For me. She's dead. I can't—"

Artemis' hand touched his shoulder. "You can't stay here."

He yanked away from her grasp, cradling the girl protectively. "Watch me."

"No, Hermes, it's not safe here. For you or her…body. You have to move her."

This logic got through his clouded mind. His eyes didn't move from Lucy's face, but he started to shift his legs. "Where?"

"Bring her back to your room. That's the best place; it's unaffected by the war."

He stood, his arms folding around Lucy carefully. Artemis touched his elbow and closed her eyes and transported them to his room. He pulled away from the goddess, moving into his bedroom. She followed and watched silently from the doorway as he laid the girl gently on the bed, smoothing her hair and kneeling next to her. The scene was nearly parallel to just hours before, but so much had changed. She let Hermes have the silence for a moment longer before speaking up.

"Hermes, they need you."

He didn't respond.

"There's a reason Lucy did what she did."

He whirled around, scowling. "Don't say that."

She stood firm, her chin thrust out stubbornly. "You know it's true. It was horrible, yes, but at least take what she was trying to give you. She knew as well as you and I that there's a very good reason Hypnos went to such lengths to trap you. You're the key, Hermes, you're the key to ending this. We need you."

He shook his head, tears filling his eyes again, and turned back to the bed. "I can't leave her," he whispered.

Artemis stepped forward. "I'll watch her." His head shot up to look at her. "They need you more than I. Go. I'll keep her safe. Go fight them." She recognized the fire that was starting to flicker in his eyes and knew just how to fan it. "You want retribution, Hermes, you want revenge. And what better revenge than Hypnos? He's why Lucy's as she is. He's the one you should be targeting. He's scared of you, Hermes, that's the only explanation for why he'd want to trap you so badly. Give him a good reason to be scared."

The fire was blazing in his eyes. He stood, his expression terrifyingly flat. She flew to Lucy's side as he started to walk from the room. She watched his retreating back.

When he left her view, she turned back to Lucy. The goddess held her hand over the girl, palm flat and facing down. As she moved her hand slowly over the body, the dark blood disappeared and a clean white gown replaced the clothes so dirty and torn they could scarcely be called rags. Artemis smoothed the curls more carefully than Hermes had, brushing the grime away. She covered the ugly wound with a pristine bandage; while there was no use for it, the goddess of the hunt felt sick looking at the dark slash. She perched on the side of the bed.

"You probably saved the war." Artemis sighed. "It's foolish of me to talk to you. I know you aren't here, you are somewhere in the Underworld. Perhaps you've already forgotten about me and Hermes and everything that's happened to you. But you should know that if we come out victorious, I believe it will be because of you. Only you could make Hermes so angry. For most people, anger is a volatile, hot emotion; one that tends to bring haste and ruin plans. But Hermes…his most intense anger is cold. It lends itself to planning because it makes him single-minded. It's quite terrifying, actually, not that I would ever tell him that. But I do feel a slight pity for the object of his focus." She sighed again and touched the cold arm lightly. "I do not approve of your actions, Lucy, but I must thank you for them. You may have saved my family."

Hermes stalked through the palace, his face utterly expressionless. As he walked, his hand opened slightly and his caduceus materialized. It shined a bright gold, the head heavy enough to crack open a godly skull, the tip sharp enough to spear one. This caduceus was a weapon. It was deadly.

When he made it to the Great Hall, two gods approached him from either side. Without halting, or even slowing, he whipped the staff around. It collided with the first immortal with a sharp crack. He tossed the caduceus to his other hand with a smooth motion, knocking out the other god as he did so. He was walking from the Hall as the other two fell to the floor.

Exiting the building, he cleared a path one god at a time. Hecaterus was speared through the stomach; Khione fell after a blow to the head; Ceto's hand clutched at her slit neck. Throughout it all, Hermes remained impassive, his visage that of deadly calm. Those who noticed him paused in their battles to watch. He located the flashes of lightning and clouds of dark smoke that marked where Zeus and Hypnos were once again fighting. He stepped into Hypnos' line of view, and the god froze. Zeus turned to see his son.

"Let me duel Hypnos." Hermes' voice was flat—not a request, but a demand. Zeus, who would have been indignant any other time, bowed out. Hypnos straightened and the two gods circled, slowly being surrounded by a ring of morbidly curious gods. Hermes lashed out and Hypnos ducked. The caduceus flashed down and slashed his arm. Hypnos hissed and summoned his torch. Again they circled each other, and this time Hypnos was the first to act, jabbing his fiery torch at Hermes. Hermes danced backwards and ripped off his flaming sleeve, tossing it behind him. The crowd scattered and regrouped farther back.

Hermes narrowed his eyes, ducking the next thrust of the torch and sweeping his foot behind Hypnos' legs, knocking the other god to the ground with a loud thud. Hypnos cursed, jumping up again and running at Hermes. The messenger god leapt over the other's head, coming down on his back and slamming him to the ground again. Hypnos rolled over, knocking Hermes down. They both thrust their weapons out and simultaneously shied from the other's. They leapt up and sparks flew as the torch and caduceus clashed together. Hypnos caught the edge of the caduceus and pressed forward, causing Hermes to bend over backwards to avoid the fire. Hypnos leered, and the cold anger surged in Hermes' veins. He dropped suddenly and kicked Hypnos' legs out from under him. The god of sleep fell to the ground, the torch clattering out of his hand and going out. Hermes whirled around and slammed his caduceus into the ground, pinning Hypnos between the two golden snakes.

"You killed her." Hermes voice was still flat, but tinged with anger.

Hypnos still managed to look smug while pinned under a lethally furious god. "Oh, I did not touch her, Hermes. She did that all by herself."

Hermes glared. "You forced her to kill herself. And for what?" He gestured around the crowd with his free hand. "So we could all kill each other?" He looked up, addressing the crowd. "Look at you. Killing your brothers and sisters just because this idiot thought he might try out being ruler of Olympus? Did you ever really believe he'd be any better than Zeus, or Cronos, or Uranus, or Chaos? He wouldn't. He'd just be the next in the line of rulers you'd be dissatisfied with. The only reason you think he'd be any different, the only reason you're doing this, is because he's good with words. He's made you believe that this time will be different, that this is your time. That you'll get any better with him than you have with us." Hermes glared down at Hypnos, who was squirming beneath the caduceus. "What you have now is good. You don't realize it, but compared to his predecessors, Zeus has been exceedingly good to you. You enjoy as much freedom as us; you are as much at liberty as we are to do as we please. We have just as many duties as you do. We must keep the secret as much as you must. So what if more mortals know our names than yours? It's not as if that does anything significant. They're not praying to any of us anymore. We aren't having more children with them. Hypnos has led you to believe that we have some great privilege that you have, that being forgotten is easier for us because we aren't as forgotten as you. He's either lying to himself, or to you, and he's too clever to be lying to himself. So what do you think? What are his real motivations behind all of this?"

Gods on both sides of the battle stared suspiciously at Hypnos. He noticed and stopped squirming, smiling nervously instead. "I was telling the truth, friends, I only wanted to improve our status, give them what they deserve. Come, friends. Are you going to let Hermes convince you? He is the god of trickery, not I. Who is to say that he is not trying to lead you astray? To convince you to change sides, then sentence you as traitors?"

The gods turned to Hermes, angry muttering rolling through the crowd.

"I have no focus right now in anything other than ending the war so that you may get what you deserve. I have no interest invested in anything else. I've already lost everything. You're the one with everything to lose."

The bald truth in Hermes' statement captured the gods' attention and they turned back to Hypnos. The trapped god blanched. "My interest has always been in the good of you, my friends. You must believe me. Hermes would betray his family if it meant getting his mortal back, this I know, but I would sacrifice anything for you…" The anxiety that clouded his speech did little to convince the hesitant gods. Hermes leaned on his caduceus, the tip pressing against the skin of Hypnos' neck. "What do you want?" the trapped god cried out.

"I want you to feel as helpless as you made me feel," he growled. "I want everyone to see what a manipulative sham you are. I want to hear you surrender. I want you humiliated for thinking such a stupid plan would go well. I want you punished for killing the girl I love. And since no punishment could ever satisfy me on that front, I want you to suffer for the rest of your immortal life. I want my life to go back to the semblance of what it was before you got this asinine idea in your head. That is what I want. The others may want something slightly different." He pressed down until golden blood pooled around the tip of his caduceus.

"You want me to surrender? Fine, I surrender! Just stop before you kill me!"

Hermes didn't move, and Zeus came forward. He put a hand on his son's shoulder and pulled him back. Hermes wore a reluctant scowl, but pried the caduceus from where it was embedded in the ground with a tug. Ares stepped into the circle, lifting Hypnos and securing his arms behind his back with golden chains.

With Hypnos detained, Hermes felt a burst of restlessness and shifted from foot to foot. Zeus glanced at his son. "Go, Hermes. I'm sure we can assume what your vote will be."

"The worst punishment available," the god said flatly.

Zeus nodded. "Understood."

With that dismissal, Hermes left the circle, which parted easily for him. He ignored the sounds of Zeus organizing the other gods, trying to figure out which would leave Hypnos' side and which would stay. Hermes brushed the blood absently from his face, feeling the cuts knit as he walked through the palace.

Artemis looked up when he entered the bedroom. She set down her bow. "So?"

"It's over," he said roughly, going to Lucy's side. Artemis sighed and stood, moving away from the bed.

"I should go to the council then."

He nodded but said nothing, and did not turn around when the goddess disappeared. He took Lucy's cold hand between both of his and bowed his head. Hot tears dropped onto the sheets.

"Oh, Lucy."

Mm, now what is going to happen next?

P.S. Just to remind you, the spirit leaves the host's body once the mortal has died. Tyche won't be saving Lucy.