Four Days Earlier
"Percy!"
The demigod looked back towards the shore at the sound of Aika's voice, calling his name from the beach.
It was nice to get a small break. They had just escaped Dolos by the skin of their teeth, and were making their way westward. But the beach access they had stumbled across, on the shore of Lake Volvi, was simply too good to pass up.
He needed to relax, anyway. Dolos had been a painful thorn in their journey thus far, the battle sticking out in Percy's mind as the most difficult obstacle.
Yet, at least.
Percy swam towards the sand. Aika crouched by a plant, making herself stand out less against the horizon. He recalled her fear of open places - no wonder she tried to minimize herself on the water.
"Hey, what's up?"
Aika smiled at him. "Just wanted to relax with somebody else."
"What about Zoë?"
"I don't think she does," a knowing smirk on her face. She gestured over her shoulder, where Zoë could be seen practicing her archery, the lone tree on the nearby hill turned into an archery target. Percy could see six arrows in a tight cluster, roughly head height up the trunk. No doubt she was picturing Heracles as she shot.
Percy chuckled. "Fair enough."
The gentle waves lapped against the shore, a warm wind breezing over the surface of the water. A mother duck, her ducklings close behind, passed just feet from Percy in the shallows. A gull cried out above, scanning the ground for possible food.
"Want to come in?" Percy gestured to the lake. "It's warm."
"What? No!"
"Why not?" Percy asked, smiling. "I'll protect you."
Aika hesitated.
"Come on, I promise!"
A devious smirk slowly grew on Aika's face. "Ok. But only if I can make you fly."
Percy gulped, but nodded. "Yeah, alright. Here, take my hand."
Aika stepped gingerly forward, toes dipping into the water, shoulders tensed. Percy took her hand, guiding her slowly into the shallows. She winced initially, but Percy did his best to make the water more comfortable, calming the waves, clearing the water of cloudiness.
Slowly, Aika reached the shallows, kneeling down to the soft sand underneath. Aika took a deep breath, a small smile now visible. Her shoulders relaxed, and she sank into the warmth, a bit more relaxed.
And so they kneeled there, sun beaming down onto the two demigods. Aika sent Percy a grateful smile.
"So, how are you feeling about… everything?" Percy asked.
Aika shrugged. "I mean… It's a… it's a lot, you know? This whole time, I always felt like my dad was out there…" She trailed off.
"Now you have proof," he offered.
"Yeah, exactly," Aika said. "Part of me had thought for a while that it was a fool's errand, to be frank. But there was a small part of me that never let me rest, that always kept me moving forward." She smiled, looking down at her suddenly divine hands. "But now there's proof, you know? I wasn't wrong, I wasn't crazy."
"That small part won."
"Exactly," she nodded, satisfied. "It's… well, liberating."
"I bet."
The ducks swam up to Aika, quacking and paddling over the blue. She laughed as a couple of them ducked underwater, their tails shaking in the air.
"Do you know what you would've done if you had decided to rest?"
Aika sighed.
"There was a… a time I almost did. I was west of Syracuse, over in Magna Graecia. I… there was this cliff, overlooking the sea, real secluded. Tons and tons of these tall trees, right up to the cliff-side." Aika looked off into the distance, wistful.
"I sat there for hours, just looking off at the horizon. I watched Apollo give the sky to Artemis, and the reflection on the sea… I fell asleep there. One of the most peaceful places I've ever been."
"It sounds beautiful," Percy said.
"It was. I was so close to staying," Aika put her fingertips nary a millimeter apart. "Almost started building a damn house right then and there."
Her eyes had closed, reminiscing in the memory.
"When I find my dad, that's where I'm going next. To the cliff-side." Aika turned towards Percy, opening her eyes. "Want to join me?"
Percy smiled.
"Absolutely."
Aika returned his smile.
And so they floated in the water, their worries leaking away temporarily.
Free.
Present Day
Percy couldn't sleep.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. No matter how long he closed his eyes, he just couldn't focus. Or relax.
"Fuck!"
Percy punched the fiberglass hull of the speedboat. He had been laying down for ten minutes at this point, desperately trying to fall back asleep, to go back in time and save Aika from Hercules. Theoretically. At least this time he wouldn't be caught fully off guard, right?
This time, if only he could get back to that time. He didn't trust Heracles at all.
He needed to save Aika.
Damnit.
He punched the fiberglass again, the boat shaking even amidst the calm waters they floated in. Dents from his Styx-fueled knuckles riddled the interior of the hull. Desperation was on display on Percy's countenance; the tear ducts had run dry already.
He needed to save Aika.
He needed to save Aika.
The sentence was like a drum, beating against the walls of his skull. A mantra that constantly made its presence known.
"Percy… what is happening?"
Percy whipped his head around. Frank was there, standing almost protectively in front of Hazel. Neither had taken out a weapon yet, but Percy figured it wouldn't be long. He imagined his waking from a day-and-a-half-long coma into near-insanity wasn't something they were used to.
He'd feel bad later. Right now, he just needed to find his way into sleep.
His eyes were wild. Desperate. Percy knew he looked like he just came from the madhouse, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Knock me out."
Frank sent him a blank stare, dumbfounded. "What?"
Percy shifted upwards, sitting facing his companion. The boat rocked slightly, but Percy willed it still.
"I need you to knock me out, Frank. Turn into a gorilla or something, I don't know. Just knock me unconscious."
Frank and Hazel exchanged a befuddled look. "Percy, we - what? I'm just… No! Why would I do that?"
"Frank," Percy spoke hurriedly, sounding a step away from the scrawl at the end of medicinal commercials. "I can't tell you until we're on the ground in Alaska. But I need you to knock me out, I need to be unconscious. It's the only way."
The archer snorted. "Right. The only way. For what, Perce?"
Percy clenched his jaw, shaking his head. "Trust me, Frank, dammit. I need to do this!"
"For yourself?" Hazel asked. "Is this, like, some weird sex thing?"
"What? No! It's to save her!"
"Her? Who?"
Percy punched the cold bench in frustration. "I am being serious when I said I can't tell you guys, I promise! But for Christ's sake, I need you to knock me out!"
He was yelling at this point, New York accent clear in his speech. Frank seemed to wilt slightly, shrinking into himself instinctively. Hazel wasn't much better.
But Percy was too frustrated to care.
He needed to save Aika.
Frank took a wobbly step towards Percy, taking his shoulder in his grasp.
"Percy… I'm not going to knock you out. If you need help, you can talk to us, you know that - "
Percy swatted Frank's arm aside.
"Fuck off, Frank. I don't need any damn help."
Frank's attempt at a smile drooped down in disappointment.
"Percy, we want to help you! I've trusted you, and I still do - remember our conversation on the train?" Hazel said. "I know you'll tell us when you're comfortable, but… but this is too far. I'm not going to hurt you, Percy. Never."
Percy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wanted to tell them, he really did.
But Poseidon was listening. And he didn't have enough of his memories to know whether he was somebody he could trust or not.
"Alright, Perce. Have it your way. We'll be here, we promise."
"Always," Hazel supplied.
Percy rolled his eyes, uncaring of their attempts. He just needed to lose consciousness, to lose oxygen -
Oh.
He rubbed his eyes. He really needed to spend some time and practice his powers. Especially the ones Lelantos had given him… via ichor consumption. Yuck.
But those were the key.
The key to his battles.
Percy sat on the far bench, facing out into the open seas. He took a deep breath, before focusing inwards, connecting with the nature of the powers he had assumed. He focused wholly on his inner self - he could feel the blood pumping through his veins, feel the rise and fall of his chest, and the air from his breath seemed magnified.
Percy focused on his powers over air, over the very oxygen he needed to breathe. He'd need to practice more, but the target method continued its usefulness.
This time, the target was his own head.
As Percy lifted his hands from the bench, palm facing the darkness of the night sky, a bubble appeared. It hovered over his head - despite not being fully visible to everyone, Percy could feel its presence. There was a barrier between the air within and the atmosphere outside.
Percy took one last deep breath, and closed his eyes.
With the twitch of a finger, a hole opened in that barrier.
With the flick of a wrist, the air rushed out of the hole.
Within just twenty seconds, Percy was passed out cold.
Unconscious.
Asleep.
He was going to save Aika.
There are good people who are dealt a bad hand by fate –
Percy opened his eyes to a blinding light.
He instinctively reached up to shield his eyes, but his hands didn't get past his waist. A clang echoed as his arms felt resistance, severe resistance, that couldn't be broken.
Golden chains held his hands down behind him. His initial response was to try and break them with water or air, but he could access neither - the chains must have contained some kind of power dampener.
They were anchored into the marble floor behind him, short enough that he couldn't even stand up. He was effectively immobile, forced on his knees in front of…
Shit.
Stretched out in front of him was the throne room of Mount Olympus.
White columns, alternating between corinthian and ionic and doric types, lined the edges of the massive oval room. Windows, larger than any humanity could picture, let streams of light into the room, giving it a paradisal nature. The ceiling had thousands of images etched in gold, telling tales of Olympian triumph over their forefathers and enemies.
Lining the room in a semi-circle were the Olympian thrones. In the center, dwarfing the others, was Zeus's solid platinum chair, lightning bolt decorations dancing along the armrests. To the left of Zeus sat Hera's, a similar design but made of adamantine and with peacock designs.
To their wings sat the rest. Poseidon's was grander than what Percy felt it was… maybe? Perhaps it will change in the future. This iteration was a rocky throne, polished deepsea stones inlaid onto a stone throne that looked like a sea-worn rock jutting from the ocean. It was certainly more imposing than what Percy expected.
Demeter's was made of grass tree branches woven together, nearly the opposite of the skulls built into Ares' attempt at scaring his guests. Athena's was a sturdy silver, not too complicated but nonetheless sleek. The gold and silver thrones of the twin archers sat opposite each other, while the mechanical chair of Hephaestus contrasted oddly with the seashell-inspired Aphrodite throne. Rounding out the final Olympians, Dionysus sat on the end, grape vines and rock the materials for their thrones respectively.
But the most imposing part?
Those that were in the thrones themselves.
All of them were either furious or emotionless.
Hera and Zeus were the angriest, in Percy's estimate. If life was a cartoon, they'd probably have steam rising from their ears and nostrils. But wherein Hera's anger was a cold, simmering anger, Zeus' was expressive - eyes narrowed, veins popping, face a bit red.
There were only a few others present. Ares sat in his throne, a mean mug on full display. Aphrodite clearly wasn't paying attention, leaning over to try and flirt with Ares - he was seemingly ignoring her, although Percy doubted that. Hephaestus sat in his throne, fiddling with some metal cube, not paying attention to the proceedings. Dionysus was sipping wine - he might not have known what was going on. But the others were focused on the center of the throne room.
On the person there, panting, a sheen of sweat and blood glistening.
"Aika!"
The attention in the room immediately swapped to him, their eyes boring into his own. It was intimidating, to say the least - seven of the most powerful beings in existence, glaring at him as if he had personally killed their favorite pet.
Hopefully he hadn't.
"Ah. Hello there… traitor," Zeus said.
Never mind.
"You can go now, son." Zeus spoke over Percy's shoulder, to a figure Percy assumed had to be Heracles. The door swang closed.
But what really stood out to Percy was Zeus' voice. It rang in his ears like a clap of thunder. It belied the immediate regard of the room, channeling power and authority beyond anything Percy could remember hearing.
No wonder Zeus was King.
But Percy wouldn't give him the satisfaction of owning his awareness.
Aika never left his eyesight. He was zeroed in on her, desperately hoping for her to be healthy, let alone alive. But he knew… he knew… that wasn't likely given the situation.
Zeus' voice boomed down from the great heights of the throne room, projecting downwards onto Percy.
"You dare not show Olympus respect?"
Percy ignored him. He called out once more.
"AIKA!"
"Percy…"
Percy watched in horror as Aika turned around, slowly. Painfully.
He couldn't see any noticeable marks on her skin - no bruises, no cuts. There was some redness, but nothing besides that.
But she was shaking.
There was a noticeable tremor, far more noticeable than any natural process. Her right arm especially seemed limp, swinging with her turn's momentum before anything else. She lurched to face him, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar.
She was in pain.
It didn't take long for Percy to put two and two together though.
She had been electrocuted…
Percy's eyes shot up, meeting Zeus' eyes with anger clear in his eyes. His fists balled up even tighter, knuckles white as they pulled against the chains. Percy's voice was like venom, trying his hardest to channel his hatred into one sentence.
"You sick motherfuc-"
Zeus twitched his finger.
A bolt of lightning struck Percy right on the temple, sending his head to the right with sickening speed. It wasn't enough to electrocute him on the spot - just enough to send a warning blow.
Percy straightened as much as he could with the chains, but still wobbled against the marble floor.
"You will respect this House, boy."
The booming voice made Percy wince involuntarily, but he collected himself.
Zeus continued speaking, though.
"For a millennia, I've ruled these lands. Generously, mind you! And all I get in return is people trying to return to power." Zeus scoffed. "You're a fool if you think Lelantos is cordial or polite. He's just using you, you morons."
Percy stayed quiet.
"Did you think he isn't? Did his tales worm their way into your heart? Of emotion and deception? Listen to me, and listen to me well," Zeus announced. "There is not a truthful bone in that body. He's plotting to overthrow me, I know. And the will of Olympus will not let that happen."
Resentfully, the demigod raised his head, staring at the almighty King of the Gods. He didn't say a word, mouth set in a thin snarl, eyes pulsing with disgust.
Zeus smirked.
Slowly, he put a finger to his lips, gesturing for Percy to be silent.
The lightning on his throne had grown a bit more active, the color darkening slightly. Like the clouds before an oncoming thunderstorm, ready to sweep into the valley and flood the streets.
Zeus moved his head back to Aika, moving almost mechanically. It was eerie. The rest of the present council followed his shift, and Percy was left alone once more.
"Where is your father, girl."
There was a stoic, calm timbre in his voice now, familiar to Percy. He could've sworn he had heard that sound before, the voice of command that just begged to be answered.
And suddenly, Percy was deluged by a torrent of realizations.
His dreams.
The ones where Aika was being tortured by some mysterious, shrouded figure. The dreams that Percy hated the most.
It was a prelude to this moment.
This was it.
It was the Olympians all along.
Wait… did this mean all those dreams were premonitions? Did he actually jump off a destroyed Olympus? That seemed rather… extreme.
Aika stared upwards at Zeus, standing thrice her size, not saying a word.
The god tilted his head.
Aika was thrown into the air. He flung her past Ares' throne, straight into one of the columns, a sickening crack echoing through the expanse. Percy winced.
She was dragged along the marble floor, seemingly by nothing. Percy had to assume Zeus had some kind of wind fist, holding on to Aika's ankle.
Her slide ended directly at the foot of Zeus' throne. In an echo of his previous dream, Zeus leant down, grabbing her hair and pulling her face up to force eye contact.
"Speak. You wouldn't like what happens instead, girl."
His voice was just… intimidating.
The chains around Percy's wrists rattled as he pushed, trying and trying to break their hold. Hera shot him a small, conniving smile.
Zeus raised his head, staring at Percy's vain efforts, Aika's hair still in his hand.
"You're not a hero. Don't try to be."
Zeus raised his Master Bolt, previously concealed in a massive holster on his thigh. Pointing it straight at Percy.
Before Percy could even react, an arc of electricity erupted from the end of the weapon, streaking through the air before it blasted into Percy's skull. The force of the blast sent his brain spinning, the whiplash strong against his skull…
– and bad people who live long, comfortable, privileged lives.
…and straight back into the motorboat's benches. His head bounced off the wooden bench, cracks forming a spiderweb in the plank where the impact was felt.
"Shit!"
Percy raised a hand to his forehead, trying to assuage the unpleasant, concussive side effects of the violent attack.
"Uh, Percy?" Hazel asked tentatively, no doubt confused beyond belief. People don't simply… wake up like that.
The son of Poseidon winced as he clumsily got to his feet, ringing still present in his ears. Zeus was easily more powerful than any he had faced - Dipsioi and Dolos didn't hold a candle to him.
It must've been the worship levels. Ancient Greece was Zeus' home turf, his power at its peak. He would likely never be stronger, especially in the modern world.
But Percy had to try.
Frank's burly hands grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Percy, are you alright? Are you ok? What happened?"
He swept the archer's hands off his shoulders, stumbling slightly as he moved back to the bench. "I got knocked out."
As Percy sat back down, Hazel's brown eyes met his, concerned. "You knocked yourself out, Percy. I don't know how, but…"
The demigod shook his head. "Zeus. I've got to try again."
With that as his final word, he summoned the power of the Titan of Air, Lelantos' magic coursing its way through his blood vessels, along his veins and capillaries. He closed his fist, air bending to his will once more, his head the target.
Percy couldn't hear the questions that followed, but he could clearly see the confusion, worry, and sadness present on his friends' faces. He felt bad, truly. He wished he could talk to them, tell them the truth, without having to worry about different deities listening in.
Once more, the bubble formed, and as Percy willed it, the air rushed out once more. The vacuum formed.
And within twenty seconds, he had slumped back into the fiberglass hull, boat rocking with his sudden fall from consciousness.
A small twist of fate can save or end a life…
Percy's eyes opened.
He laid on his side, chains still holding him. The impact of the blast had rocked his body backwards. Given his position, he wouldn't be surprised if the Olympians had assumed he had simply died.
Not many survived a direct hit from the Master Bolt anyway.
"You know why we have to do this, girl. We can't let… your kind… just plot against us freely." Hera's icy voice lashed through the air, sounding damn near the opposite of motherly.
Another crack echoed through the throne room.
The golden chains rattled as he straightened himself upwards, bringing himself to his knees. The clanking drew the attention of Olympus once more, but this time, the general consensus was that of confusion and even slight amazement, not annoyance or anger.
"How is he awake already?" Muttered Dionysus, quiet but still audible.
Percy faltered at the sight of Aika's broken body. Her right arm hung limp, bones broken. Arms weren't supposed to bend in three different places. A cut had opened up on her forehead, blood gushing down the left side of her face. She kneeled as well, but Percy couldn't tell whether that was by choice, by godly force, or by injury-fueled necessity.
He snarled at Zeus and Hera, hatred only growing.
"Why." Percy spat the word out with abhorrence.
Zeus' throne shrank into the background as the god stood. The air seemed to tense, the rising air imitating the weather before a supercell, like an artificial calm as the dark clouds rolled along the prairie.
He loomed over Percy, thrice his height and with an aura of intimidation.
"Because doing it is to do what I must, demigod. You wouldn't understand, and you don't need to."
Hera joined her husband standing. "It is the will of Olympus."
Percy spat onto the marble floor. "Then to hell with Olympus."
That was met with the lightning equivalent of a slap. Right across his cheek struck the bolt, a ringing sensation rippling around his head. Percy cursed at the impact, which although it didn't leave any permanent damage, thank Styx, it certainly made up for it in power.
"You do not dare take that tone in my house, insolent boy."
"Fuck you."
Another lightning punch, this one straight to the ribs. Percy could only grunt, taking the full force of the Master Bolt to his unprotected chest. It felt like a train car was launched full speed out of a slingshot, straight into his ribcage.
He struggled against the chains. He just needed… one damn opportunity…
As Percy panted, desperately trying to redistribute and diminish the pain throughout his body while simultaneously looking for his connection to his powers, he felt something grab his chin. He opened his eyes as the fingers wrested his chin upwards, finding himself eye-to-eye with Zeus.
"Where. Is. Lelantos." The god rumbled, barely controlled fury seeping into his tongue.
Percy snorted. "If you haven't found him, you never will."
This time, Zeus didn't bother with the lightning. Punches rained down like hail, bodying Percy into as submissive of a pose the chains would allow his arms to reach. Body blows. Uppercuts. Devastating right hooks.
It was like the sky had decided to exact its revenge.
But all Percy could think of was Aika. Hoping she was alright. Hoping Zeus raining hellfire down upon him would only lessen the punishment on her.
He was going to fight for her. No matter what form that took.
Zeus's onslaught finally stilled. Percy took some heavy breaths as the god stepped backwards, running a hand through his black hair in frustration.
Without warning, Zeus suddenly surged forward once again, grabbing Percy and locking eyes. "How about I test your little girlfriend, huh? You think she'll tell me? Or maybe it'll just hurt you more, huh?"
Zeus took away his hand hastily, Percy's head lolling downwards. He could only get his voice barely above speaking level, coughing in between syllables.
"No… Aika…"
The god of thunder didn't care. He sauntered over to Aika, unfazed by the sheer amount of bruising and blood leaking from Aika's skin.
"How about it, girl. Where is your father? I might even let you go if you tell me."
She shook her head. No.
"Alright. Your loss." Zeus shrugged.
A bolt hit Aika, right at her feet. She was blasted upright, feet clearly already burned from the lightning strike. She flopped like a rag doll, her strength not all that there. Percy hoped none of that damage was permanent, but…
It didn't look good.
"Don't you fucking dare hurt her again!" Percy yelled.
Zeus and Hera transfixed him with twin glares. But he didn't care.
Percy struggled with his chains, desperately trying to break the links. He pulled with both of his arms as hard as possible, feeling like he was trying to do a bicep curl for a literal ton.
He grit his teeth, grunting, desperately trying to get a foothold on the marble floor. Sweat poured down in buckets, his arms taut, veins popped, face crimson. Percy could feel the power reserves in his body start to surge, responding to his command.
Hera stood, walked up to her husband, and whispered something in his ear.
Zeus straightened up, adopting a slightly more slouched posture. It was like something had changed in him - his hair became more grayed, from a deep black to a salt-and-pepper shade. His had changed too, ever so slightly; it seemed to shrink a bit, appearing slightly less imposing against the marble backdrop.
Percy's confusion halted his attempts at breaking his chains, baffled by the new countenance before him. But he didn't miss the look Hera sent Zeus, a look of expectation, of assumption.
"Who and what?" Zeus asked.
Hera pointed at Percy, still stuck on his knees, breathing heavier than usual.
"That one. Let's say… full power."
"As you wish, my lady." Zeus responded with a slight grin. "For us."
And with that, Zeus dashed an extraordinary lightning punch right into Percy's face, the full-fledged power of the Master Bolt on display.
Percy was flung flat on his back, feet losing contact with the throne room floor, head hitting the…
…Random chance is a permanent, powerful player in each of our lives,…
…side of the motorboat, nearly tipping the boat with the sudden weight distribution change.
"Woah!" Hazel shouted, surprised.
The boat rocked, calm waters suddenly disturbed. Ripples echoed across the still water.
Percy jerked his head away from the boat rim, subconsciously soothing the speedboat's rocking as he stood up, once more getting his bearings.
"Percy?! What is happening?!"
He groaned, massaging his head. There was a… pressure, in his head, one that just wouldn't dissipate. He could barely see straight, and he winced away from the light, hand raising to block out the sun.
Percy sunk into the speedboat, back pressing up against the hull. His headache was brutal. He was minutes away from vomiting, too - he held his stomach, shutting his eyes, desperate for the feeling to be over.
But he couldn't rest.
Aika needed him to get back. He had one jump left in him, at least.
He reached for the gunwale, groping for a handhold. He missed twice before finally grasping it.
"Percy, stop, stop."
Frank and Hazel sat on their haunches on both sides of him, staring at him with a cross between confusion and pity. Hazel took Percy's shoulder, lifting up his eyelids. He winced again at the sunlight, shining off of something huge and reflective in the distance.
She peered into his eyes.
"Shoot, Percy, your irises are two different sizes."
"A concussion? How the hell, Percy?"
"Nec…tar…" he croaked.
"We don't have any, Percy, remember?" Frank asked, concerned. "We lost our bags in the plane crash."
Percy made a noise in the back of his throat, shutting his eyes again.
"Grab him some water, Frank."
Soon, Percy felt a stream of freezing water get poured onto his head. The pain ebbed away, ringing in his ears replaced with the sounds of seagulls and crackling ice. His pupils corrected size, and his headache slowly started to fade.
But he knew if he faced multiple hits like that…
Permanent brain damage might not be far behind.
One more jump.
"I'm sorry, guys," he muttered, hoping they could hear.
And one more time, he straightened his back, clenched his fist, and formed the bubble.
And one more time, the air escaped the bubble, the vacuum held…
And Percy sunk into unconsciousness.
…and in human history as well.
Jeff Greenfield
Percy didn't dare move a muscle.
He awoke on his back, staring at the wondrous ceiling, silver and gold paintings almost reminiscent of frescos. He could see baby Zeus being nursed by Amalthea, Kronos fighting Zeus mano-a-mano, Zeus defeating Typhon…
Maybe it was just a shrine to Zeus.
This place really was his enemy. He needed to be careful. Any motion, any sound… it would set off the gods' attention.
It was quiet in the throne room. So quiet, it was as if the world had taken a collective breath. But it was a tense quiet - Percy knew the room wasn't empty.
And then it wasn't quiet any longer.
Aika screamed in pain.
The sound reverberated off every single structure in the throne room. The oval shape of the room created terrible echoes, the marble almost amplifying the noise. Or maybe that was just Percy, the horrifying situation creating an incredibly unpleasant feeling in his ears.
It took every bit of willpower in Percy's blood and bones not to cry out, to leap up, to try and race towards her. To shout her name and say everything would be alright. Every ounce of fortitude in his stomach, courage in his chest.
He knew this was almost certainly his last chance. He couldn't blow it.
Even if Aika was hurting.
Percy blocked out the horrific sounds of the throne room, desperately trying to do some form of meditation. It wasn't a peaceful meditation, no - it was one of urgency, of desperation.
He breathed.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
The marble sank behind his vision, eyes flickering behind his eyelids.
Percy focused on that feeling he got, whenever he used his powers. The clench in his stomach, the will to succeed, the stinginess. There was a pulse, something within him that only proved he was on to something.
He searched his body, imagining the flow from the source to his stomach to his hand, the energy path his water flowed through. Straight upwards, following his spine, before traveling down into his fingertips. The path was there - he just needed the source.
There!
It had mixed with his heartbeat, blending into the sounds of his blood flowing, but it was there. The pulse of his powers, originating right… there, right there after a heartbeat. It might not have been an extra organ, but Percy knew that somehow, that pulse was it.
That pulse was the divine power in his body.
His total divine power: the blessing of a god taken forcefully, the blessings of a god received willingly, and the blessing of a god from birth. They all coalesced within him, mixing into one energy source.
Percy took a deep breath, muscles tensing. He tapped into his reserves, pulling as much as he could to the surface. His mind and soul were one, filled with one purpose. The energy flowed through him, like the controlled output of a dam, exploding out of the spillway of a dam.
For Aika.
In a blink, Percy surged upwards, ready to fight. With a clank, the chains stressed to their limit, resisting, before Percy broke free. The golden chains slumped to the ground with an echoing clang, the links snapping behind the might of Percy's energy.
This was it.
The showdown.
The Olympians whipped their heads around, surprised at the sudden intrusion. But they were too late. Zeus reached for his Master Bolt once again, while Dionysus and Hephaestus immediately flashed out of the throne room.
Percy threw his hands outwards, channeling the air of the atmosphere and the saltwater of the seas through his palms. A massive bubble of the two, swirling and twirling with each other, extended outwards, expanding with a speed even surprising to Percy. The bubble stretched out towards the Olympian thrones, finally slowing its assembly just feet from the thrones themselves.
Ares slashed at the bubble with a massive, blood-red longsword, but the winds nearly shook it from his grasp. "Bah, what the hell, kid?"
Zeus stared him down, an apoplectic look of fury on his face. Hera too, a look of cold, icy anger, lips pursed and eyes narrowed, evaluating the situation.
But the most important thing was Aika.
She was in the bubble.
Percy slowly walked towards her, marching forward, the pressure from the bubble weighing down his arms and shoulders. It was like a lighter version of holding the sky…did he hold the sky?...and so he had to ensure every step was firm and planted, no slipping whatsoever.
Zeus fired a shot with the Master Bolt into the bubble, testing the waters. The bubble shuddered, but it held - the energy had been redirected, lightning rippling over the surface. But it held, for now.
Aika was deeply in pain, bleeding from a thousand cuts, left arm and right leg barely solvent enough to keep her from falling to the ground. Her right arm, broken, hung limply, as did her left leg. Her right eye was glued shut - Percy didn't want to think about what had caused that injury.
All the work of the Olympians.
Percy stood over Aika, bending protectively over the girl he wanted, the girl he loved. The girl that had stolen his heart. The bubble shuddered, another lightning strike trying its hardest to break through. The golden flash illuminated the bubble.
"Aika!" Percy called.
Her left eye blinked, seemingly calibrating her surroundings. "...Percy? How?"
"I freed myself. We have to go, Aika. We have to go, now!"
"Percy… I… I can't."
Percy fixed her with a pleading look. "You have to try, Aika. I can't keep them at bay too long!"
"Percy…," Aika said sadly. "I can't even stand up."
"No, no, Aika, you have to try!" Percy rambled, desperation evident. "Please, Aika, please…"
"I'm sorry…" Aika coughed. "You can still save yourself. Go."
Another strike. The bubble shuddered. Percy dropped to one knee, just next to his love.
"I'm not leaving you!"
"Go, Percy."
"I'm still going to fight, damnit."
She smiled sadly. "One day, we'll…" Deep coughs reverberated through her body. "The cliff, in the woods, near Syracuse. We'll build a house there. Start a… maybe start a family."
Percy started crying.
"Always, Aika. Always."
"Thank you." She gave a soft smile, as soft as she could. "I can't… I can't wait."
Percy could see Hera whisper to Zeus, who raised his Master Bolt once more in his right hand, while reaching for the bubble in his left.
Zeus was going to actually use his domain, wasn't he?
Shit.
"I'm going to drop the bubble, and push you to the side. Are you ready?"
Aika gave a weak nod.
Percy breathed out.
"Here goes nothing."
With a roar, he clenched his fists shut, the bubble closing up. Throwing his left arm out, he imagined a rope tugging Aika along, dragging her waistband as far as he could away from the center of the throne room. She spun across the marble floor, sliding at unbelievable speed towards the row of columns.
As Zeus threw his Bolt, Percy raised up his right arm, blocking his face. He needed to survive one blast, just one - then, he could go on the offensive.
Percy underrated the Master Bolt.
Zeus' attack made contact with his arm, which luckily went unburned and unbroken, Styx coming in clutch.
But it completely disoriented him.
The power behind the blast dwarfed any of his previous blasts. Percy was sent flying backwards, straight into a column next to the entrance gates. He didn't just hit the column - he got sent through it, the entire column cratering around him. The room shuddered slightly as Percy flew into the main wall of the oval, cracks splintering through the wall.
Percy groaned, picking himself up off the ground. He dug in his pockets for Anaklusmos, uncapping the pen and bringing it in front of him. He might have had a concussion, but he was ready.
His opponent stood in the middle of the room, standing tall. The Bolt was held in his right hand, almost in such a fashion as to suggest a military portrait. It seemed almost stereotypical Zeus, like the image sculptors would use as a reference in their later work.
Percy hoped it wasn't.
"Do you truly think you can face me, little demigod?"
"I can damn well try," Percy muttered. "To end your tyrannical, illogical rule."
With that, he charged.
Percy charged, Anaklusmos held in his right hand. He shoved forwards with his left hand, a wave of air and water launching towards Zeus, testing his defense.
But Zeus held a hand up, the wave of air stopping where it stood. But the water continued on, the shot striking Zeus right in his cheek, a slap right back.
Percy sprinted towards Zeus, swiping Anaklusmos at his Achilles tendon. But with no luck - Zeus stepped slightly forward, avoiding the sword. Without even hesitating, the god kicked backwards, the massive foot impacting Percy directly in his stomach.
Flying back, the son of Poseidon was shoved straight into Apollo's throne. It was molten hot, even despite the unassuming golden nature of the throne. It felt like the surface of the sun.
"Fuck." Percy spat out, scrambling away from the throne.
He faced back towards Zeus, who was taking his leisurely time.
"Do you think you stand a chance?" Zeus bellowed. "I am the King of the most powerful pantheon in the history of the universe. I have defeated all who stand before me, any monster, any Titan. Why do you think you could be any different? Don't get cocky, demigod."
"Fuck you." Percy wiped the sweat from his brow.
Anaklusmos straightened upwards, pointing towards the sky, held out in front of Percy. He couldn't use his air powers, that much was obvious: how could he compete with the God of the Sky?
But his water powers were fair game, damnit.
With a diagonal swipe of his sword, a wave of water erupted, a thin line of liquid shooting towards Zeus. The god tried to block, slashing downward with the Master Bolt, but didn't account for the second jet of water Percy had shot, a thin bullet of saltwater.
The jet blasted Zeus right on his shoulder. Percy had put as much force as he could into it, and Zeus sunk back from the impact, absorbing the hit and spinning around. He staggered slightly.
Percy pressed his advantage. Diving, feet boosted by air, he slashed at the god's foot, this time successfully severing the skin. Golden ichor started pouring from Zeus' ankle.
He growled, slicing down towards Percy with his Bolt like a sword. Percy raised Anaklusmos to counter it, sparks flying at the strike. The blade held, somehow - Percy knew it would, but he had no idea how he knew. Anaklusmos was special.
Percy shot another water blast, aimed at Zeus' left leg. But Zeus successfully disengaged Anaklusmos, the Master Bolt swinging down to deflect the attack.
Then, Zeus growled, swinging the Bolt straight at Percy, like a baseball bat.
Percy shoved the air in front of him, trying to fling himself out of the way, but the Bolt still caught his side. He spun into the air once more in a shower of sparks, landing with a thud against Dionysus' chair.
He struggled to his feet, before something caused his blood to curdle.
"Per-!"
Aika's exclamation was cut off. Percy spun, terrified.
He had a right to be.
Hera had Aika by the neck. Holding her over a pit.
The Pit.
Manifested in the throne room was a small pit, barely the size of a single throne. But the destination at the bottom could only have been Tartarus - the noxious fumes rising above the hole was proof enough of its true nature. An ominous red glow came from below.
Hera was going to send her to Tartarus.
"Fine. I guess if she won't talk, we won't let her live."
"AIKA!"
Percy lunged for Hera, desperately boosting himself with a newly-created wind at his back. But Zeus pinned him down, his heavy boot smashing Percy into a column, holding him there.
"NO!"
Aika fixed him with a sad smile, eyes pleading for him to leave.
It broke Percy's heart.
They stared at each other, a world of understanding passing between them.
This was it.
This was as far as they would get.
"I love you," Aika mouthed.
The tears started flowing. Percy shook his head.
"No, no!"
Aika was choked up, sobs wracking her body. But she managed four more words, echoing through the quiet chamber.
"I'll find you, Percy."
"I love you," Percy breathed, not even daring his voice to carry.
But Aika knew.
She knew.
Hera dropped Aika, straight down, a cold smile on her face. Aika dropped into Tartarus, out of sight, accompanied by Percy's sobs.
The hole was closed by Zeus before he could even try and make a rescue attempt, before he could try and lift her up or sacrifice himself. Before he even knew what had happened.
She was gone.
He was shut out of Tartarus.
Percy banged on the marble floor, tears streaming from his eyes. He sobbed, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"AIKA!"
It couldn't be over.
It couldn't be.
Fate is ultimate, young one. Nobody can change fate.
Fate is the truth. None can hide or run from it - it is as inevitable as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening.
Something snapped inside of him.
From stress.
From agony.
From pain.
From suffering.
From a lost friend.
From a lost partner.
Percy screamed, and he snapped.
His brain burned.
And the memory block was cut wide open.
Percy passed out, and all of his memories rushed back to him.
A/N: Hahaha. I'm evil.
100k words. Holy shit. I never thought I'd get this far. I want to thank y'all for your patience, I know these past few chapters have taken some time to get out. But I want to make y'all wait after cliffhangers :)
Special thanks to JustASimpleWriter1, Walter Ha, TheDesertFox12, Kronosbluehairbrush, Ferdiad, Theo, and all those who comment, favorite, follow, and continue to read this story. Every time I get a notification of any interaction, it really makes my day and encourages me to continue writing.
I think I'm going to release these next two chapters simultaneously, or at the very least less than a couple days apart. Those memories have a lot to show… ;)