Heyo

Sorry I've been inactive for months. Life just got in the way, and I couldn't update at all. I'm not saying that's changing or that I'm updating new chapters every week. I'm just here to tell you that I haven't forgotten about this story and will finish it. I can promise you that it will be complete before 2023. That is a promise I'll hold myself too. For the next chapter, we have Percy vs Thalia coming up and it will release June 15th, 2022. This chapter has been sitting on my computer for months, but I just wasn't happy with it and then writer's block was birthed right after. That's over now and the chapter is ready to go. After that chapter we have a solo Hazel chapter in the works. I don't have a solid date on that so bare with me.

Now, I would like to clear up some confusion over the last chapter. Some people thought that the last half of the said chapter was in Percy's POV. That is no true and I would like to apologize about that as well. I didn't make it as clear as I wanted. That last part of the chapter is in the perspective of an unknown character. The true villain of the whole story who will make their appearance known soon enough.

I'll leave you all with that part of the chapter again so you can see for yourself that it isn't Percy speaking. Thank you for reading my story and I hope you'll stick with me for the rest of the year!

? POV

In woods of Oakland late at night.

Standing on top of the highest hill within the forest was a dead giveaway, but how could I not enjoy the view? Sure, it gave me a taste of the battlefield and helped with my strategic planning, but the view itself was stunning. I saw it all. The Caldecott tunnel, the barracks, the Via Principalis, and the cohorts in view. However, none of those places matched the coliseum when it came to a pretty sight. The Romans definitely had style.

It's the little moments like this I enjoy. When I'm all alone. I've been up to my gills with monsters following my every command and Goddesses at my beck and call for weeks. It was tough work, but it had to be done. Gaea failed when she left all the heavy lifting to all to her children. Her big, ugly, and stupid children. Her grand plan of creating a demigod civil war failed spectacularly and her awakening lasted just as long as her reign. For a primordial being, that's gotta be embarrassing.

Don't even get me started with Kronos.

They all got it wrong. If you want to win, you skip the theatrics and go straight for the jugular vein. Forget invading the dreams of demigods and deciphering prophecies. I rather move in silence. I got one target and that's the Gods of Olympus. The campers enjoying themselves can continue doing so. I just hope they don't get in my way.

Light shined brightly behind me, and an eruptive sound came to be. I turned when it was over and saw Victoria with the look of a psychotic murderer on her face. Oh, she hated my guts.

"I did everything you asked! Free me from your curse!" She screamed.

She created a little dust storm with her appearance, and I pushed through the smoke.

"First off, stop with the godly form thing. You're not impressing anybody with that, you know?"

Victoria was about to speak, but I put my hand up. Having control over Goddesses will never get old.

"Second off, did the campers take it well?" I asked.

I put my hand down and allowed Victoria to speak. The veins forming on her head was never a good sign.

"Only one objected to the top 8 prize, but he won't be a problem."

Wow, I was surprised. There was a demigod who wasn't a bootlicker of the Gods. Go figure.

I waved Victoria off and tried to return to my tent, but she got in my way again. She seemed like she was waiting for something, but I had no clue.

"I'm done with you for now." I spoke. "Go do what goddesses do and bother some poor mortal." I said dismissively.

Victoria wasn't having it. "Do you know how difficult it was to gather the Olympians together for one night? Having them at Mount Olympus is one thing, but at a camp? Camp Jupiter no less."

She got up close in personal, which I didn't appreciate one bit. She was no Aphrodite, that's for sure.

"Jupiter is one thing, but Neptune? The Romans don't respect him whatsoever! Pluto was the hardest of them all to convince. If Proserpina and her mother didn't owe me a favor, then he would've never even thought of leaving the underworld! Even for one night!"

I didn't flinch at her words. "Are you done? The gods can appear in multiple places at once. The only thing that's real is their divine form. The rest is just their essence scattered in different forms. Don't act as if your job was difficult.

I pointed to her chest and pushed her back. She didn't like that one bit.

"Victoria may be here right now, but where is Nike? You scattered your divine essence so no one can harm you. The Olympians do the same, but that's not an issue. I just need the gods to make an appearance for my plan to success, divine form or not."

"And what is this wretched plan you hold so dear to your heart!" Victoria screamed. "I already know of you informant within the coliseum's walls. Do they hold the keys to your success?"

How the hell did she know about that? She was crafter than she led on. She had no choice but to bend to my will, but that doesn't mean she didn't have free will. She was still trying to defy me in her own little and insignificant way.

I didn't skip a beat in my response. I controlled her, but I couldn't let her get in my head.

"They'll play their part just like you will. I'm not done with you yet." I said adamantly.

I walked up past her and smiled. "Besides, you love being victorious, so what if the gods fall because of your actions? It's just another victory, right?"

Victoria sneered at me. If she wasn't in my control, she would've attacked me before I could even open my mouth. Teasing a Goddess and getting away with it gave me rush of adrenaline.

Our conversation was interrupted by a group of Empousai carrying one of their own. She was hurt badly and was fading. Her cheerleading outfit was cut apart and destroyed. All you could see underneath was her leather reptilian skin. How disgusting.

One of the Empousai spoke out. "We found her, my lord. She was the one who took some of our troops and attacked the camp without your permission."

I walked up to her slowly. I watched her as she failed to keep eye contact. She knew what was coming next and wasn't prepared for it

"Kelli, that's your name, right?" I asked.

She still failed to make eye contact and pleaded. "My lord please. I can't go back there. I've been there so many times. I may not return again."

I was tired of the nonsense, the infighting, and their pride. I couldn't bear to hear another word come out of her mouth. Her one mistake could've costed me everything. All that planning, the sneaking around, and getting my collection of monsters ready. It would've all gone up in smoke because of her. If it wasn't for our own concealment, that band of teenaged girls calling themselves hunters would've found us.

"Who told you to attack the camp? It wasn't me surely."

Kelli continued to squirm until I grabbed her face and forced her to meet my eyes.

She took me serious now and screamed out her intentions

"We had to attack. I had to get my hands on Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase. I couldn't wait any longer. I had to make them pay!" She screamed.

I had an iron grip on her chin. I kissed my teeth in frustration.

"You know, you monsters aren't so different from the Gods. The amount of pride you hold so dear matches the length of your immortality. You're just like them"

I pulled out my sword. The crowd of monsters watched in horror. Knowing that the same could happen to them if I so choose to. Fear in the eyes of monsters. Who would've thought?

"When you reach the Doors of Death, tell everyone that they have no need to fear the gods anymore. A brand-new era is taking place soon enough."

I cleaved her head right off as she turned to dust. As her head rolled, I imagined the heads of the Olympians doing the same.

One more day. One more day till their heads roll right in front of me.