Chapter 15 - Lockdown
The alpha demigod stared forlornly at the clock, counting down the seconds until he could leave and get back to his apartment. He started packing his things half a minute before the final bell rang, blatantly ignoring the teacher. Percy rose from his seat the instant the bell started and was the first out the door.
The past two weeks, since Kronos had managed to get himself expelled on the first day for almost murdering a student, Paul hadn't wasted time at Goode when there was a potentially-bored Titan sprawling in their apartment.
As such, Percy only had to wait for a few minutes at Paul's car before he spotted the English teacher hurrying towards him and the still-dented Prius.
"Bye, Penis," that jerk of a mortal alpha called as he trotted by, some odd contraption still around his neck. Turns out, Kronos had partially crushed his throat.
Percy glared at him, but then shoved his pack into the back of the car and settled himself down. Paul glanced at him. "Seatbelt," he said even as he reversed and peeled from the parking lot in a move that likely took several years off the life of the poor Prius.
"Right, right," Percy quickly agreed, despite the fact that he had the Achilles Curse and was kind of invincible. Apparently, as evidenced by the events two weeks prior, Percy could still break bones. Fortunately, Kronos had been happy enough to help him snap his nose back into place and laugh about it after.
As usual, the drive back to the apartment seemed to take far too long.
Their fears were completely unfounded. Percy barged into the apartment, Riptide raised just in the event that a flying dagger came at his face – it wouldn't be the first time around Kronos. But, fortunately enough, no sharp objects met him at the door.
"It's clear," he said to the not-invulnerable stepfather waiting outside.
Paul sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the gods."
Percy grinned before capping Riptide and making his way into the kitchen, and then hunting in the living room when he didn't find the Titan omega. His eyebrows furrowed at he stared at the TV. "What are you watching? And why isn't the sound on?"
Kronos shrugged.
Percy sighed, making his way around the couch that the Titan was sprawled out on. He hunted down the remote and turned up the volume as he settled on the arm, since Kronos – the asshole – wasn't leaving him any room to sit and didn't look like he was going to move any time soon.
"The Fringe," Percy read. He quirked an eyebrow. "Interesting."
"Interesting," Kronos echoed. "Yes. Sure, it's very interesting. More interesting than staring at the ceiling all day at least."
Percy noticed Paul creep out of the room and into the kitchen, mouthing I'll get something to eat. Percy rolled his eyes, and Kronos' eyes narrowed.
The alpha sighed, prodding Kronos' feet until he grumbled and shifted around on the couch. When he stopped moving, he was still sprawled out, but there was a place for Percy to settle on the edge of the couch next to Kronos' torso.
Percy pressed his lips together. "Sorry," Percy murmured to him.
"Forgot it," Kronos tiredly said, pushing himself up so he was sitting upright, but his legs still stretched out over the couch. He crossed his arms, frowning down slightly. Percy would never call it pouting – never to Kronos' face anyway.
Percy scanned the Titan over briefly, rather worried at the dimming of his glow. His eyes – golden again – were almost rusted over, less bright than they had been before. Faintly, Percy recalled a lesson from Chiron about the nature of immortals. That imprisonment of any kind will harm them and block their divine powers. Percy had been trying to keep Kronos from going insane from the sudden mundanity of his existence, but Kronos couldn't leave the house without the alpha by his side. It was obvious from his lacklustre appearance that Kronos considered it to be a form of imprisonment. His eyes were shadowed and hollowed out, and was it Percy's imagination or was he slimmer too?
The alpha pressed his lips against the side of Kronos' jaw. "I'm sorry," he repeated quietly, letting Kronos take a moment to hesitate before pressing his lips against the others. Kronos sighed when Percy pulled back, so the demigod smiled and pressed his lips against his again.
"I have food!" Paul announced.
Kronos didn't even twitch. "I'm not hungry," he murmured.
Percy sighed, casting a hopeless look over the back of the couch at Paul.
Paul shrugged at the demigod. "Well I'll leave it here anyway."
Not for the first time, Percy wished that the gods weren't so strict with the sanctions they'd imposed on the Titan. There wasn't really much that Percy could do either, considering he was only a mortal. Kronos had sworn an oath to cooperate, to not start another uprising against the gods.
Paul had taken to Kronos' presence with a remarkable calm, all things considered. "You sure?" He asked, waving one of the specially-heated blue cookies so its smell wafted around the room. "They're warm."
Percy hummed, crossing the room to grab the plate. "I'll have them." He retreated back to Kronos, purposefully bringing the plate within Titan reach. Paul winked at him.
"Please?" He questioned, waving the cookie beneath Kronos' nose.
Kronos' nose crinkled up in distaste, but Percy knew he didn't mean it. He was just doing it to be an ass. The Titan relented rather quickly for someone claiming they weren't hungry, and the first cookie soon disappeared. Followed by the second and third.
Another week continued much the same way, with Percy and Paul rushing home expecting the house to be burnt down or an explosion to have gone off.
Eventually, they came home to police sirens and cars surrounding the house. Percy's eyes widened in horror. "What the Hades?"
Paul looked equally as horrified as Percy did. "Oh no – what did he do?"
"Hey – hi," Percy said, "sorry, coming through." He squeezed his way through the crowd forming outside their door.
"What's going on?" Paul demanded.
"The house is under lockdown," an officer from the NYPD told them. "If you could please stand back?"
"Lockdown?" Percy demanded. "What for?"
"Murder," the officer said.
Percy glanced back at Paul. Of course, he'd noticed that Derek – that stupid mortal after Kronos on the first day – had been missing. But Kronos wouldn't… who was Percy kidding? Of course he would.
"I'm sorry – look, there must be some mistake," Paul said.
"I don't think so," the officer said.
Behind him, closer to the house, another yelled, "Come out with your hands up! You have thirty seconds before we come in!"
Shit. Percy was under no illusions as to what would happen if the mortals went into the house after the Titan. Kronos would slaughter them.
"Hey," Percy said, "let me talk to him? I can convince him. Trust me, you guys don't want to-"
"Twenty seconds!"
"- you really don't want to go after him. Trust me."
"Does he have a gun?" The officer asked.
"What? No, but-"
"Then we'll take our chances." He glanced back at another officer, but Percy grabbed him and swung him back around, intent on making him understand. "Arrest him too."
Percy's eyes widened in horror. "What? Why?"
"For obstruction of justice."
"That's bullshit," Percy snapped, but didn't lash out as his hands were cuffed behind him. Instead, Percy's eyes flicked up to the apartment as Kronos stepped out, lingering in the door.
"Let him go." Kronos was obviously struggling with the effort of keeping himself calm. "It wasn't me. I've been at that bar downtown all of last night. You can check there."
The officer looked rather suspicious, but nevertheless he had one of the other police check it out. When the information came back in confirmation, the officer deflated. He waved a hand at Percy. "Un-cuff him."
Percy immediately shot the officer a fierce glare, before bounding up the steps after Kronos' disappearing back. Paul forced his way through after them, and Percy grabbed Kronos' arm and swung him around. "What the fuck did you do?"
"Perseus-"
"Don't," Percy snapped. "Just don't bother, Kronos." Percy shut his eyes, rubbing at his forehead. "Okay," he breathed out. "Okay." They listened as the police cars peeled away. "Gods," Percy groaned, dropping onto the couch. "You did it, didn't you?"
"How?" Paul questioned. "He was actually at that bar. You heard the police."
"Immortals can be in two – or more – places at once. Technically, Kronos likely never even left the apartment." Percy sighed. "Kronos?"
The alpha turned, the Titan lingering in the doorway. Even over the past week he'd slipped even further, eyes growing dimmer. "Yes."
"Yes you did it or just yes?"
"Yes, I did it," Kronos said flatly. "You obviously weren't going to."
"Murder has penalties these days, Kronos," Percy groaned. "You can't just go around killing people!"
Paul was pale as he retreated from the room, only for Sally to burst in through the front door. "What happened?" Percy's mother demanded. "Who's hurt – was it monsters?"
"Of a sort," Percy said stiffly, causing Kronos to wince. It was a low blow, but it was true. That kid had only been Percy's age – sixteen – and Kronos probably hadn't killed him quickly.
Sally's eyes flicked between Percy and Kronos. Percy's jaw tightened slightly. "Kronos, go upstairs."
Kronos bristled, eyes narrowing sharply.
"Now, damnit," Percy growled.
Kronos retreated from the room, recognising Percy's mood and the order from his alpha.
Percy sighed heavily and flopped back so he could stare at the ceiling. "I don't know what to do, mom," he whispered. "I… he's killed someone. How… if he stays it'll just keep happening, I know it will."
"Percy, answer this for me," Sally murmured. "Is he happy?"
"No," Percy said immediately. "No. He's not. Even a blind man could see that. He's… wilting." It was odd comparing Kronos to a flowering plant, but in this instance it was true. The Titan was wilting.
"Sometimes, Percy, when you really care about someone, their happiness matters to you more than your own."
"No, mom, no-"
"- If you really love him, then set him free. Let him walk out, let him run."
"The gods, mom, they won't stand for having him loose-"
"- If he comes back, he's yours. If not… you two were never meant to be," Sally quietly said. "As for the gods… I think that if Kronos didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be."
"But… what if he goes and he never returns?" Percy whispered. "What if I never see him again?"
"Didn't you tell me that you want to trust him?" Sally questioned. "Maybe this is a good time to start."
Percy stared at his mother for several long moments, before he slowly nodded. "Right," he whispered. "Okay." He shut his eyes, trembling slightly as he stood. The thought of his omega never returning to him sent shivers down his spine.
Nevertheless, Percy was determined as he strode up the stairs to his room. He grabbed a flask of nectar from under his bed, causing Kronos to frown slightly as he watched. Percy glanced back at the omega. "You coming?"
Sensing that something was about to change, Kronos moved slowly yet deliberately. "You're upset," he noted, frowning slightly.
"Yeah. Well done for noticing," Percy muttered. "We're going out," he tossed over his shoulder at the Titan.
Central Park wasn't overly crowded, but there were enough mortals that Percy and Kronos weren't easily noticeable. Percy pulled Kronos to a stop beneath Hyperion's maple tree, smoke lazily curling up from the trunk.
The alpha slapped the flask of nectar into Kronos' hand. "Here. Take it. Use it."
"Percy?"
Percy's jaw tightened. "Go," he ordered. "Get out of here."
Kronos' eyes widened slightly. "The gods-"
"I'll think of something," Percy said. "Just go, Kronos. You don't belong here. Go back to your brothers, your siblings. Hades, for all I care, find your disintegrated army. Just go."
The omega hesitated. "The oath-"
"Won't be broken, will it?" Percy shut his eyes. "You made sure of that. Yeah, I noticed your wording. I'm not that stupid." When he opened his eyes again, they were fierce. "You can't live here in the city. Not if you're just going to kill mortals whenever they piss you off. So get going."
"But-"
"NOW!"
Percy's yell caused several dozen pairs of eyes to turn to them. Kronos' hand closed around the flask of nectar, his own jaw tightening. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then shook his head slightly and backed up. Kronos let Percy have the last word.
When Percy turned his eyes back to the Titan, he found the space he'd occupied bare.
Empty.
Kronos was gone.
Is Kronos an idiot? Yes. Yes he is. Is he gone? Yes. Yes he is. Is Percy an idiot? Yes. Yes he is.
Matt : Thanks. Playing both sides is just a one-shot I don't have any plans to update. The TW and PJO is on the back-burner while I finish my other stories. Monsters... is having a re-think.
ShadowsClaw: Yup. Kronos and school = not a good combination. Kronos and civilisation also = not a good combination.
That Weirdo Writer: Thanks :). Eh, Percy would've snapped and broken a water pipe somewhere a flooded the school. No bigie.
ghostfall: Oh that line was completely intentional. Sorta stole it from spiderman... Penis Parker. So... Penis Jackson. Percy's new nickname.
