A/N: So guys, it's TripleHomicide here with another chappie. As usual, don't forget to leave a review or comment to tell me what you think, and a vote or kudos if you like this chapter. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish The Titan's Curse section of this story before December ended, like I had planned. I apologize for disappearing. I don't remember half the things which happened before, so forgive me if my characters are a bit…out of character. This chapter won't be long. Just a heads up. Thanks for reading.
-TripleHomicide.
His eyes fluttered open and he looked around him, trying to guess where he had appeared. The last thing he remembered was jumping into that hole in Talos' foot and then he had felt nothing but searing pain engulf him as the giant statue fell onto the power lines and exploded into shrapnel. He had been sure he was going to die. But he didn't seem to have any injuries. He felt fine. Refreshed, even.
Luke Castellan soaked in everything laid before him. The demigod was in a sort of forest—a gigantic one—with trees and leaves converging around him. He could feel the wet earth underneath him and knew that there had been a storm recently. He tried to make sense of everything. How had he gotten into a forest? What was he doing there?
"My son." The voice caused him to turn and he blinked in surprise when he spotted the woman rising out of the earth. His eyes picked up a man, in the shadows of the trees, his arms folded. He wore a full Greek battle armour, which seemed to be made of pure gold. The man stepped out from under the trees, his hands rising to take off his helmet. Luke's brow furrowed as he tried to guess who the man was. He removed his helmet and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He had raven black hair, with dark forest green eyes. He was well built, with well-defined muscles and his face was blank and expressionless.
Luke turned to glance at the woman who had appeared out of the earth. She had a heavenly and regal face, with lush hair as dark as the soil on the ground. Her eyelids were shut and she had a dreamy expression plastered on her face as if she was in the middle of a pleasant reverie. There was a veil of dust covering her face but he could see the cold and distant smile underneath it. She wore a black cloak over a green gossamer peplos, and she seemed to be shifting and churning as if she wasn't really there. The boy could feel the power rolling off her in waves as the woman glided over to the man.
"Mother," The word tumbled out of the man's lips. His voice was deep and hard. Confident, but full of respect for whomever the woman was. He dropped down into a bow. "You are here." The woman had spoken to him in ancient greek and he had responded in the same language. Luke didn't know how, but he understood them perfectly.
"Yes, Perseus," She said, tilting her head to the side. Her dreamy expression didn't waver and the woman motioned to him with her hand. "Rise."
Luke blinked once. Had he heard that correctly? Did she just call him Perseus? If that was Thalia's Titan friend, then the woman was…The Earth Mother, Gaea. Unease rippled through the son of Hermes. He watched, quietly as the man asked, "Is it time?" He sounded expectant and impatient.
"It is," The woman, Gaea, said. "It is time for you to aid your siblings in the battle against the gods."
Perseus took in a deep breath. "Then I shall go, Mother. I will not fail you."
"I know you won't," she let out. Her eyelids were still shut tight, giving him the impression that she was in a deep slumber, and at the back of his mind, Luke was getting confused. How was she speaking to the Titan if she was asleep?
"I shall bring the filthy gods of Olympus to their knees," Perseus was saying, "And The Titans shall reign forever."
The woman nodded. "Go forth, my son," She encouraged. "Destroy them, like you were born to do." Luke watched on as she began dissolving in front of him. Her body and cloak turned to black dust, floating in the air and then landing on the ground. The demigod pursed his lips in confusion. So Gaea was the one who urged Perseus to destroy the gods. He observed as the Titan of the earth clenched his fist and shut his eyes, concentrating. And then his body dissolved into dust, just like his mother's had.
Suddenly Luke was on a battlefield. Around him, Titans, monsters and gods alike paused in their fights, all gawking at the raven-haired man who had appeared in the centre of the terrain.
"Zeus!" Perseus bellowed. The son of Hermes spotted the youngest son of Rhea turn at the other side of the battlefield. Zeus held in his hand a blue rod, sparkling and sizzling with electricity and power. The god looked surprised at first but the expression quickly turned to shock at Perseus' sudden appearance.
Luke's eyes turned wide when the ground at Perseus' side exploded and his hand shot forward, grabbing the golden sword—which had been hurled out of the earth—from the air. He spun it around in his hand, and it seemed as if the Titan getting used to the feel of the weapon.
"Who are you?" Luke could tell Zeus was trying to sound unfazed by Perseus' display of power but his voice betrayed his apprehension. A grin spread across the green-eyed titan's face as he answered.
"I am Perseus, son of Gaea and Titan of The Earth. And I shall be your doom." Underneath him, the ground exploded again. A spire of earth shot out from below him, hurling him into the air. While he was airborne, he raised his sword over his head, letting out a roar that reverberated across the entire battlefield.
It took Luke a few seconds to guess what was happening. He was in a sort of dream or vision. The woman from the forest—Gaea—had said Perseus should go destroy the Olympians and aid his siblings in battle.
He understood.
He had travelled back in time, through a dream, to The First Titan War.
XMX
Zeus blocked Perseus strike with the lightning bolt he was holding and the Titan's body twisted in the air, using the god's weapon to launch himself away from him. He jumped out of striking range and landed on his feet, a few metres away from the god of the sky. The blue-eyed god raised his weapon and above them, thunder boomed. Luke could make out Perseus' scoff.
He knew exactly what Thalia's friend was thinking. Zeus was trying to intimidate the Titan by showing off his power. But he was failing. Miserably. Luke stood, rooted in place, watching with slight awe as the son of Gaea advanced. Around him, Titans, gods and monsters clashed. There were three giants behind the god's army, hurling boulders and rocks with their hundred hands. None of them seemed to be able to see Luke and he guessed it was because he wasn't really there. He was probably still in the junkyard, burning to ashes. When he got out of this dream, he knew he would be going to the Underworld.
Perseus' hand shot out and the ground beneath Zeus gave way, causing the son of Kronos to yell in surprise as he deftly transformed into a golden eagle to escape falling into the embrace of the earth. Luke found himself shuddering. Perseus was smirking, and it sent chills down his spine. The power pulsing off the son of Gaea was unnatural. Perseus took a step forward, and then he was moving forward at unimaginable speeds, swinging his sword as he went. At the last second, he launched himself off the ground again, the earth giving him a boost, and slashed at the leader of the resistance. Zeus reared back, morphing into his normal self and raised his left arm in an attempt to defend himself. Perseus' blow glanced off the god's vambrace and he kicked out with his foot, using the god's chest as a springboard to flip midair and land on the ground again. The young immortal sailed through the sky, slamming into some jagged rocks. The heavens darkened above them. Thunder boomed. Luke felt his skin tingling. Something was about to happen. Above them, lightning flashed. The earth rose to Perseus' assistance, forming a sort of shield around him and the blast of lightning bounced off it.
Luke was amazed. He'd never seen anything stop Zeus' master bolt.
The earth retreated to the ground again and the black-haired deity stood upright.
There was no unnecessary talk. There was no stalling. Perseus charged the son of Kronos, the sunlight bouncing off his sword. He skidded to a stop when he got closer to Zeus, rearing back and then stabbing forward with his sword. Zeus parried his blow, using his weapon as a makeshift sword and attempting to push him back. Luke took note of Perseus' crazed smile. The earth underneath him hardened and Zeus cursed when realising his opponent wasn't budging.
Smirking, dream Perseus spun, pulling away from Zeus for a few seconds, before turning and slashing at the god again when he was facing him. Zeus hissed in pain, backtracking a few steps and clutching at his now bleeding arm.
Perseus let out a laugh. It was hollow, full of malice and animosity, making Luke wince (Well, he would have done that if he was able to move. He'd been in a lot of demigod dreams to know that trying to move in them was futile). The Titan leapt forward once again, attacking Zeus.
Luke didn't know how long he stood there. He didn't know how long the two opposing forces battles. Perseus decorated the god with slashes, hacks and stab wounds. Ichor was flowing like a river from all around Zeus but he was still fighting. He could tell that the black-haired titan was excited. Zeus was taking his beatings, making worthless attempts to defend himself. The Titan of The Earth from the dream fought with a ferocity the demigod had never imagined possible. He ducked all of the god's strikes, blocking all attacks from his lightning bolt with the power of Mother Gaea. He stabbed through Zeus' shoulder once, then spun again, almost slashing through his neck. Zeus ducked under his strike, his hand shooting forward and Perseus grunted in pain when the master bolt grazed his arm.
They both retreated from each other, then began circling one another. Perseus' sword was out, and he seemed to be waiting for Zeus to strike again. When it was certain none of them would move, the Titan took the first step.
He leaned back, then stomped on the ground. The earth in front of the youngest son of Kronos and Rhea rose, forming a sort of wall. Luke understood what was happening immediately. Perseus, using his powers, willed two mounds of earth to rise off the ground, at Zeus' sides. Zeus began to call out and attempted to blast the walls to shreds. Perseus was laughing again, while the lightning bounced right off the walls. He held out his hand, flicking his wrists. Another slab of rock formed behind Zeus, effectively caging him in.
He made a fist with his outstretched hand and the four rock walls obeyed his will. They closed in on Zeus, who was yelling and shouting. Lightning was slamming into Zeus' new cage, trying to destroy it, and Luke did not doubt that it was the work of the god trapped inside his earthen prison. Perseus tightened his fist and the son of Hermes heard the first crunching sound. A yell of pure pain resonated across the battlefield.
Perseus tilted his head to the side, letting his hand fall. Luke frowned. He had never seen anyone so cruel. But he'd heard the story from Chiron. He shouldn't have been surprised. Perseus was ruthless to his enemies. He was unforgiving and merciless. The walls turned to dust and Luke watched Perseus smile in satisfaction when seeing Zeus cradle a broken arm. Pure anger flashed on the god's face.
"Fall back!" The dark-haired god shouted. It looked as if Zeus had some brains, then. He was thinking strategically; he knew he would be bested if he fought on. The demigod snorted, wondering where this version of Zeus had disappeared to. It would be great if young Zeus was still there in his time. Luke didn't take his eyes off the two. He watched as the son of Kronos shifted into a golden eagle once again, and took off. One of his wings was broken but a rush of air kept him off the ground.
Luke didn't understand why Perseus from the dream let Zeus go. As he watched the retreating forces of the gods, he knew, that the Titans had won the battle.
Luke shut his eyes. He was extremely confused. Why was he dreaming about Perseus' life story now? His eyes flickered open to find the Titan Army of monsters and Titans staring at Perseus in awe, bordering on slight fear. The son of Gaea waved. One of The Titans shouldered his way forward. He was huge and burly, with extremely defined muscles and he wore full Greek battle armour. He took off his helmet, making his face come into view. Closely cropped blond hair. Dark and malicious volcanic black eyes. They reminded him of Zoë's eyes, except hers had less maliciousness.
It was The General of the army.
"Perseus?" Atlas' voice was gruff. He spoke in the same language Gaea had used. "You say you are a son of The Earth Mother?"
"Indeed I am. I wish to speak to Lord Kronos."
"Very well," Atlas grunted. "Follow me."
He turned, and the army of monsters and Titans parted as Atlas began walking in the direction of the huge mountain behind them. Perseus followed and then the world folded in on itself and everything faded into dust around Luke.
-X-
He reappeared in a clump of bushes and this time, he found himself in a crouch. Luke let out a sigh of relief when he realized he could move once again. He glanced around. He wasn't in the junkyard. It seemed to be a sort of orchard, so it was obvious that the dream had just shifted location and was still ongoing.
Luke peered out of the bushes when he heard the footsteps. It was a woman, with long, lush caramel coloured hair, braided in a single strand. Her black eyes were bright. Luke had never seen anyone more beautiful. Her chiselled features reminded him of someone. With a start, he realised she looked a lot like Zoë…and Atlas. She was in a white peplos and was barefooted, like most of the people from ancient times.
She came to a stop under a tree with bright coloured fruits Luke had never seen in his life. She was glancing around, brow furrowed as if waiting for someone.
"Calypso," The voice came from behind him and Luke turned, just in time to see Perseus form out of the dust. There was a small smile on The Titan's face as he moved forward, making his way to the beautiful girl under the trees. Luke's eyes widened in surprise. Calypso was the one who aided to gods to fight Perseus.
"You came," Calypso breathed out. They were still speaking in ancient greek. Perseus finally reached her, and Luke frowned in confusion when he gathered the Titaness in his arms. Weren't they supposed to be enemies or something? Hadn't she given the gods the idea to use Olympus to destroy Othrys? After a few seconds of pondering Luke concluded that that hadn't happened yet.
"Of course I did," Perseus chuckled. "You wished to see me again. How could I deny a pretty face like yours?"
Luke cringed internally as Calypso blushed. Perseus wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close as Calypso rested her head around her shoulder. Luke was so confused. Were Calypso and Perseus a thing? Had they been in a relationship before she betrayed the Titans?
That seemed like the most accurate answer.
"I love you," Luke heard Calypso mutter. She looked up and connected her lips with Perseus. Luke gagged, glancing away.
"I love you, too," It was Perseus' voice. The son of Hermes glanced in the direction again, just in time to see them fade into dust.
Well, that was disgusting, Luke thought. I just got to witness the most powerful Titan make out with someone. Yay.
He didn't understand what was going on. Chiron had said Calypso had been with the gods. He didn't understand why he was being shown all this.
All he knew was that this…whatever it was, was excluded from Chiron's story. And it looked like someone wanted him to know.
XMX
The scene around him shifted, and Luke had to blink several times to force away the dizziness which was threatening to make him tip over at any moment. He glanced around him again and jerked in shock as he took in the battle raging around him. Twelve gods of Olympus. The last Titan…the most powerful.
The earth was shuddering, the sky was dark and even though he knew it was just a dream, he couldn't help but gasp in shock as a knife sailed through him. He spun, eyes wide as he soaked in the appearance of the Titan of the Earth for the third time since the series of dreams had begun. Dark raven tousled hair. Deep forest green eyes glowed with murderous rage. A snarl forming on his lips as he slammed his sword onto Athena's shield and cracked it into two. He spun slightly, bashing Athena's head in with the hilt of his sword. His golden armour and sword were so bright they were hard to look at.
"She deserved that." Luke jerked again for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. His eyes narrowed and he took a hesitant step back as he saw the owner of the voice. Morpheus and the Oneirois really hated him, didn't they? He forced a neutral expression onto his face, slipping into a slightly defensive position.
A low laugh came from the being in front of him. "Relax, Castellan. I might not like you, but I'm not going to hurt you or anything."
"What do you want, Perseus?" Luke spoke. He had just seen how well the Titan could fight. He didn't want to be in his bad books anytime soon. He rephrased his question. "How are you here?'
Perseus shrugged, sending him a smile which said Relax. Luke refused to relax. "This is my memory, you know. I should be asking you that question." The sounds of battle around them got louder. There was a crack of lightning and a roar of pain. Ichor flowed like a river and turned the green grass golden. He remained silent as Perseus huffed and glanced at the golden blood forging a path to them. "The others think you're dead," The Titan said bluntly, without looking at him.
Luke hadn't thought he could get more rigid. "Thalia's devastated," Perseus said, finally glancing at the son of Hermes. "Grover's said nothing. Zoë and Phoebe haven't spoken a word most of the trip. It's only been a few hours but San Francisco is still a while away."
"Why are you telling me this?" Luke finally spoke.
"I-" He hesitated. "I don't know. I guess…seeing Thalia like that…" He trailed off. Luke blanched. The Titan in front of him was so different from the man fighting the Olympians behind them. For one, he was far younger than the man handing the god's arses to them. Chiron's tale had been so inaccurate. He hadn't know Titans had hearts. Yet this one cared for his best friend.
"Tell-"
The sudden earthquake around them caused Luke to snap his head to the side sharply to see the battle. Most of the gods were down. Hades, Artemis, Poseidon and Demeter were the only ones left standing. The king of the seas had his hands raised high, and the earth around them was quivering and shaking.
A laugh from the Titan in golden armour. "You think you can best me, Poseidon? I am the Titan of the Earth, you fool!" He held out one hand and Poseidon groaned as his grip on the earth slipped.
"And we have the sorceress on our side," Demeter said, chin up. A caramel-haired woman appeared next to her, forming out of the mist.
"Calypso?" Dream-Perseus faltered.
The green-eyed Titan next to Luke smiled and the son of Hermes frowned at the sadness and hurt he was basking in. "They always leave out the part where Calypso betrays me, don't they?" He laughed, humourlessly.
"What-" Luke was cut off by Dream-Perseus saying, "Calypso, what's going on?" He sounded surprised and shocked. He had lost his composure at seeing his lover with the enemy.
"I'm sorry. The Titans were destroying this world. The gods will be far better rulers."
"Liar," Real-Perseus said from his side, clenching his fists. He finally looked at Luke. "It was Hermes, you know. She was with him. Behind my back. He convinced her to go against her own family." He sounded so bitter, Luke didn't know what to say. "I found out eons later, when…she came to Ogygia."
"What do you mean by that?" Dream-Perseus' voice was shaking. Luke could tell he had been the only one invested in his relationship with the Titaness.
"It means she's with us now," Hades announced. "And your time is up." A surge of power that didn't affect Luke or Perseus burst from Calypso. The earth shook so much Perseus fell to his knees. Calypso's magic was powering Poseidon. Luke watched with shock as the other gods went in for the kill (well, not really, since he was immortal).
"I-I'm sorry," Luke managed. He hadn't known. The gods—his father—had used deceit and trickery to win Calypso over to their side.
"There's no need to apologize," Perseus waved it off. "It's in the past." They were silent as they watched the gods subdue Dream-Perseus. The earthquake ended. Dream-Perseus yelled, kicking Artemis away from him. He punched Hades in the nose and pushed Demeter off her feet. Luke watched in horror as Calypso waved her hands. A golden chain formed out of thin air and wrapped around Perseus' ankle. He glanced at his former lover and Luke could see the hurt and betrayal flash in his eyes. Calypso didn't look remotely regretful.
He yelled out in pain as another chain wrapped around his left wrist. It was sizzling and Luke bit his lip as the Titan screamed. The shackles were draining the Titan's power. He ground his teeth, trying to keep from glancing at the son of Gaea next to him. Luke watched as Perseus slammed his free foot onto the ground. A slab of stone rose.
The golden sword which was about to fall from Perseus' hand was gripped more firmly. He slashed wildly in the air with his free hand to keep the gods away. Glancing around frantically, he raised the sword above his head. And plunged it into the stone.
"That was a bad decision, seeing how it came to bite me in the arse," Perseus commented. Luke understood. Zeus had bound his Island to it. The sky god was greedy. Chiron had said Perseus had declared that when the sword was removed, the Titans would have their revenge. Yet he had still tried to get it out because he was a sucker for shiny swords and trinkets.
"I shall have my revenge," Dream-Perseus thundered as Poseidon grabbed his free hand and Calypso shackled his free foot. "The Titans shall have their revenge." He sounded tired. Weak. He fell to his knees again, and the Olympians closed in. "No one—god or mortal—shall take the Soul Reaper. The worthiest of heroes shall pull out this sword and then, The House of Gaea shall rise again."
"Shut him up," Artemis snarled, slamming a fist into Dream-Perseus' face. Luke winced. He really shouldn't be feeling bad for The Titan. But he had helped him so much already on this quest. And Thalia had told him he wasn't like the stories said.
"Will do," Calypso waved her hand again, and a golden gag formed around Perseus' mouth.
"What do we do with him?" Demeter asked.
"We take him to Olympus," Poseidon decided. "And then we see to it that he's punished."
XMX
"It was nice to finally be able to speak with you, Luke," Perseus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I have to go now."
Luke pursed his lips, nodding. He wondered how the Titan felt, reliving all this. "I'll meet you guys in San Francisco. Thalia knows where to go when you get there."
Perseus nodded, his eyes fluttering back to the now-empty battlefield which had been named after him. He was already fading into mist and dust, and Luke let out a small breath. "And tell her I'll be back. Tell her…" Tell her I love her. He wanted to say it so badly. But he stopped himself before he could. "Just…take care of her."
Perseus' eyes softened and he replied, "I'll make sure she doesn't die. We'll be waiting for you, Castellan."
He disappeared, and Luke shut his eyes as he felt himself dissolve into wind.
-X-
He sat up, eyes wide and brow beaded with sweat. Everything around him was dark but…that was light. Ahead of him. He took a wild guess and deduced he must be somewhere under the scraps of metal. Luke stood, groaning as he did. He hurt all over.
But he had to get to his friends. He had to get to San Francisco.
He had to tell Thalia he was alright.
He took a hard step forward, biting back another groan. He could see the light. It was only a few metres away. He could make it.
-X-
PERSEUS bit his lip, glancing at the sleeping demigods next to him. They had gone through the desert immediately they left the junkyard. Phoebe and Zoë were at the front of the truck thing they had stolen, and Perseus sat in the bed of the truck with Grover and Thalia. Everyone had been quiet the entire drive. None had spoken. Thalia hadn't even glanced at him since they got into the truck. Perseus clenched a fist. If Aphrodite hadn't come to distract him, then he could have used his powers to save the questers the trouble of fighting Talos.
He sighed. And the prick who had been transporting him places had also deemed it necessary to bring Luke into his head and let him watch his memories of the Titan War. He felt sick, seeing her face again. She looked so much like her sister Zoë, except her hair was very different. Calypso had betrayed him, for a god who had just left her later. He sighed, placing his head into his hands. It still hurt him every time he saw her face.
But at least he knew that Luke was alive. He didn't particularly like the son of Hermes, because of his comments when they were still in Camp Half-Blood but he was Thalia's friend. And seeing Thalia spaced out because she thought Luke was dead…well, he wasn't sure why, but he didn't like that.
He wanted to wake her up and tell her Luke was alright. He leaned forward, reaching out to shake her awake. Perseus' eyes flickered to her lips, then her peaceful sleeping face. She was letting out small huffs of air as she slept and he smiled slightly. She was beautiful; even more so than when she was yelling at Zoë. He blinked. What in Iapetus' name was he thinking? He shook his head. He would wait for her to wake up on her own.
-X-
THALIA badly wished someone would wake her up. Kronos was a bastard. And she was sick and tired of feeling his presence every time she stepped somewhere. It was her dream. She had been trying to end it, or at least force the Titan King out of it, but nothing was working.
He kept tormenting her, with flashes of battle and death. She had had enough. She turned again, and the scene shifted in front of her.
She jerked suddenly when a golden sword slid into an armoured demigod in front of her, from behind him. She couldn't bring herself to look at the demigod's face. She already knew who it would be. The person who had attacked Luke drew out the sword and a hole opened up in the ground, swallowing him whole. She knew who that was too.
Luke fell to his knees and Thalia propelled herself forward. She had seen her best friend die at least ten times already, yet the pain only got worse, knowing he was dead in real life too. Annabeth had been beheaded several times already, and it made her shudder every time she saw it. Luke pitched forward just as she got to him, and Thalia grabbed the son of Hermes by the shoulders, propping him up. She had tried not to show how sad she was when Talos had imploded. But she couldn't keep it in any longer. She had known Luke and Annabeth for so long and…having them ripped away from her like this…she didn't like it. Not one bit. And she was going to smash Kronos' face in when she saw him. She knew she would soon do.
"Join me, Thalia Grace," She rolled her eyes at the voice as she felt his presence around her. That was what this entire thing had been about. He'd been trying to ask her to convert to his side for so long now. Telling her she could protect her friends when she did. It was tempting and she wanted to accept it so badly but…he was Kronos.
He wasn't called The Crooked One for nothing.
"Why do you still side with the gods?" Kronos' voice made her cringe. It was like scraping a knife over a sword. "Do you not see the death and destruction that the gods bring?" She didn't reply, keeping her eyes on her best friend beneath her. Blood was soaking his leather armour, dripping out of his mouth, and she forced herself not to shut her eyes.
She had to stay strong.
Annabeth was still alive. Luke would want her to save their sister. To bring her home.
"Thalia…" The Dream-Luke let out. "Help…me."
She glanced away and took in a deep breath. "Do you not see, that you can protect your friends from all this? Join me, Thalia Grace, and the daughter of Athena will be safe. Luke Castellan will be healed and brought back to you." She could hear all the deceit in his voice. Yet it was so so tempting.
She huffed, lowering dream-Luke onto the ground. Blood dribbled onto his chin and his hand found hers. He was so cold…
"You can ensure the safety of everyone you care about," Kronos' voice came from all around her. "You can make your father pay for neglecting you." Thalia gritted her teeth. "Join us, and you'll be able to find your brother Jason with the power I shall give you." Thalia turned rigid. She didn't dare breath.
"He's dead," she shouted. Jason was gone. Hera had taken him, all those years ago.
"Is he?" Kronos' laugh made her feel uncertain. Was Jason dead or not? Did the…did the gods have him?
"Think about my offer, Thalia Grace," The Titan Lord said. "I shall have my answer before you get to Othrys."
XMX
She sat up, eyes wide, chest heaving in panic.
"Hey, hey." It was Percy. She let out a sigh of relief at hearing his voice. "What's wrong?"
Thalia hesitated slightly, then whispered. "Kronos…made me an offer." Percy went rigid from beside her.
"And?" He queried. "What did…what did he say?"
"He told me…he told Annabeth would be safe if I joined him. He can bring Luke back." Thalia tried to keep her voice from shaking. She didn't mention Jason. Kronos' suggestions and hints…they ruffled her. She didn't want to even think about her brother. Not now. Not when she didn't know if he was alive or not. She was so angry. Hurt. She didn't even know what to feel anymore.
"You're shaking," Percy noted. She felt him move to sit next to her. She was glad…glad that he was there. That he was on her side. Perseus wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pressing her into his side. She stiffened, then felt herself relaxing as she caught a whiff of wet earth and green grass.
"Luke isn't gone anywhere," Percy mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Thalia asked slowly.
"He was in my memories…my dreams, or something like that. He survived the blast," He told her. "He said to tell you he'll be back. He'll meet us in San Francisco. He said something about you knowing where to go when we got there?"
"Frederick Chase," Thalia muttered. For the first time since the night before, she was feeling…hopeful.
"Sorry?"
"Annabeth's dad's house," Thalia said. "That's where he wants us to go."
"Then that's where we will go," Percy said. Thalia didn't feel like pulling away from him. The warmth he was emitting made her feel…safe. She was glad he was her friend. She was glad she had someone to support her. She leaned into him slightly, and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
-X-
PERSEUS pulled away from the now sleeping daughter of Zeus. He was supposed to have separated her and Luke from the others by now, and try to turn her. Kronos was playing with her and using her fears and insecurities against her. He supposed that was good, seeing as she would join the Titans faster if she hated the gods. He had contemplated not telling her about Luke being alive.
But she was his only friend. And seeing her look so depressed had made him tell her about his meeting with the son of Hermes. He had no doubt Kronos was the one who showed Luke his memories. He showed Luke how deceitful the gods could be. How they used Calypso to defeat him.
He didn't want to lose the friendship he had with Thalia. If she joined the Titans they would be on the same side. But she probably wouldn't trust him anymore.
He felt bad about lying to her and trying to separate her from the hunters and Grover. But it was his freedom on the line…and he would kill to get it back.
A/N: Alright, so I hope I did well. I hope you enjoyed it. This wasn't much, but I'm glad I was able to write it. Although I probably suck at it, writing is the only thing which keeps me going these days and my parents are trying to take it away from me and…*Sigh* I just want you all to know I might disappear again. But don't worry. If I do, I'll definitely find a way to come back. Don't forget to tell me what you think. A couple of votes and kudos will be good too. Thanks for reading!
-TripleHomicide.