He's done being their pawn. He's tired of fighting their wars, doing their quest, and seeing his friends die all for nothing. He's sick of being the Gods's plaything. Enough is enough. It's time to leave, escape from their reign and live a life that's worth living. He'll be labeled a traitor and hunted for the remainder of his days but that's ok. Living a life free from them was worth it even if it meant dying to achieve it.

"You cannot rise anew if you have not first become the ashes."

"And so I would like to thank everyone who helped save Olympus from yet again another foe. Alas, the giants and mother Earth couldn't succeed because of the Olympian's might!" Zeus yelled out over the crowded throne room filled with demigods both Greek and Roman alike, minor Gods, nature spirits, peaceful Titans and Olympians. The crowd before Zeus all cheered in unison at the mention of their victory over the primordial Goddess. It had been a deadly conflict with many casualties but luckily they prevailed somehow thanks to the seven being able to make Gaea fall into another slumber. Hopefully she wouldn't be able to wake up for another eon.

"Now let us celebrate our victory tonight! To Olympus!" Zeus raised his wine before happily chugging it. Soon the Olympian halls were filled with laughter and dancing. Countless tables of food and wine appeared along with some oddities reserved only for the Gods. The Olympians intermingled with their family, some going to their sons and daughters while some chased after potential suitors who would like to warm their bed after the celebration was over. Overall, the celebration was looking like another unforgettable Olympian party; however, there was one demigod who did not celebrate with the crowd nor drink the food and wine. Instead, he walked out to the gardens of Olympus that overlooked the city of New York which was lit brightly in the night. The demigod sat down on a stone bench and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the city he had grown up in. He had missed walking through those crowded streets, the tall, looming buildings and the smell of classic New York street food. A little smirk formed on his face as peaceful memories popped into his mind but that smirk soon turned to a grimace. The sounds of the city suddenly turned into the sounds of war. The sound of cars honking turned into war cries and the screams of the dying, the bright lights from buildings turned into bright flashes of bombs and the smells of food vendors turned into the smell of charred human flesh.

Percy held his head into his hands as he desperately tried to block out the overbearing noise. It was so painful it felt like his ears were beginning to bleed.

"Stop!" He desperately yelled inside his head. "Stop…Stop…Stop…StopStopStopStopStopStopSTOPPPP!"

Thankfully, it seemed the Fates would ease their torturing on him as the horrific sounds quickly disappeared from his mind. Percy let go of his hair and took a deep, shuddering breath of air. These flashbacks of the wars were getting worse. A day didn't go by where he didn't have an episode similar to the one he had just experienced. It was always the same thing, the screams of all the demigods he had failed to protect and the memory scarring smell of burnt flesh that burnt the nostrils. That's why he couldn't celebrate with the others back in the throne room. He couldn't laugh with his friends or dance with Annabeth because he would feel guilty in doing so. There's no way he could even think of doing that after hearing his dead friends in his mind or sometimes seeing them in the corner of his eye.

He knew it was unreasonable to put their deaths on his back, to blame himself for it. He knew that it wasn't his fault but there was always a little thought in the back of his mind that told him he could've done better or that he should've gotten there quicker. Maybe then some lives would've been saved.

"Stop it." Percy gritted his teeth as he tried to stop the intrusive thoughts. "It's not my fault." He reminded himself. Maybe if the Gods would've gotten to the battlefield quicker or gotten off their lazy asses then maybe the war would've ended quicker. Percy felt his fist clench unconsciously at the mention of the Gods. The Gods. It was their fault for making their own fucking children fight in wars while they sit back and watch. Ancient laws be damned! They don't follow them any as they fuck and kill mortals as they please. What could've been if the Gods weren't the lazy assholes they were? How many of his friends would still be here today? How would the world fare if the Gods weren't the way they were? As Percy kept cursing the Gods he suddenly had a startling realization. This was how Luke felt towards Olympus. Luke always talked about what the world could be like if the Gods were not a part of it and at the time Percy, who was naive, would scold him for even thinking that way. His thought process back then was if the Gods weren't to rule then who would? But now, Percy realized what Luke meant. The Gods weren't any better then any other immortal, so why not get rid of them all? It would make all their lives so much easier.

"Percy?" A sudden voice called out through the chilly air, interrupting his thoughts. The son of Poseidon turned to find himself staring at one of his favorite Goddesses.

"Hey, Lady Hestia." He replied with a soft smile. The Goddess walked over and sat beside him on the stone bench, her presence warming his cold skin greatly. Soon the entire garden was filled with Hestia's warm aura which made Percy almost nod off. He always appreciated how Hestia made him feel peace, something he hadn't had in a long time.

"Why aren't you inside with the others? Your father and Athena have been looking for you for quite a while now." Hestia broke the silence. Percy remained silent as he continued to stare out at New York. He knew Hestia was just simply asking him a question but he couldn't help but be annoyed. The last thing he wanted to do was to go talk to an Olympian in the throne room. He could bare Hestia's presence but that was it. The others were always trying to ask him for favors or try to one up him. It gets really tiring after a while after dealing with them for so many years. "Percy." She called out once more, grabbing his attention finally. "You know that we're here for you. Me, your father, and even Athena. We'll always have your back." Hestia said before getting up and kissing his forehead. "Take your time and come in when you're ready." She said before walking away back towards the throne room. Percy turned back to the skyline, a million thoughts racing in his mind. Hopefully, she hadn't read his mind because the thoughts he was thinking were basically treason against Olympus but then again he was almost hoping she did. He wanted to make the Gods know how he felt about them. He wanted them to be angry with him, to try to kill him because then he would have no excuses or guilt when he slit their throats.

Getting up with a heavy sigh, Percy decided it was time to head back inside and see what the two Gods in question wanted from him. Hopefully with luck they wouldn't bother him until the end of the party but he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case. The son of Poseidon walked briskly through the golden halls of Olympus, paying no mind to the priceless artwork that decorated the walls. Why should he anyway? All the art was of the Gods and their accomplishments, none of it pertained to the demigods and their accomplishments or their murals once they were gone from this world. He always found it irritating that the demigods received no recognition on Olympus as they were the ones who had to fight their wars. Finally, he had arrived at the entrance of the throne room where he could hear everyone laughing and conversing. Gods, why did he have to do this? Why couldn't he just go back home to his mom in their cozy apartment?

"C'mon dude. You're the hero of Olympus. Time to put a smile on that face and be the hero everyone wants you to be." He chided himself before taking a deep breath and opening the double, golden doors. Immediately, he was greeted by his friends and family who all tried to gather around him.

"Dude, where have you been!? I've been looking for you forever!" Grover trotted over to him, slapping his hand on Percy's back. Grover then handed him some wine that Dionysus seemed to conjure up, forgetting that he was still banned from doing so for another 100 years.

"Sorry G'man. I was just talking to lady Hestia outside for a bit." Percy replied, taking the cup of wine. So what if he was underage, he damned well deserved it after all the shit he'd been through. The satyr gave Percy an odd look which did not go past the son of Poseidon.

"Percy." Grover said, gaining a sudden serious tone. ""You know I still have that empathy link, right." Percy's grasp on the cup tightened when he told him that. He wasn't afraid that Grover knew, he was just afraid that he would tell others what he was feeling as Grover can rarely keep his mouth shut. "Percy what I felt coming from you…It was something I have only experienced once and that was from K-Kronos when he had stormed Olympus." Grover whispered at the end with a slight stutter.

"G'man" Percy forced out with clenched teeth. "Let's talk about this another time, ok?" He leaned in closer to Grover who had a frightened look on his face. Unaware to Percy, his eyes were becoming a deep, glowing, poisonous green that seemed to stare into the satyr's very soul. Grover felt his hand shake as he stared at Percy, feeling the menacing aura that was directed only at him. Deciding that his best course of action was to agree with the demigod before practically running away towards Juniper who was talking to other nature spirits.

"What's wrong, Grover? You look like you just saw death." Juniper chuckled. Grover, who was trying his best to stop his shaking hand, tried to play along.

"HA. You might be right." He replied, watching Percy walk over to some other friends from a distance. Percy sighed to himself as he watched Grover run away from him. He didn't mean to scare his friend but he didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation. He didn't want word to spread across Olympus because that would be the worst possible situation for him.

"Percy! Over here!" A voice that belonged to Piper called out across the room. Percy briskly walked over to the group which included the seven along with some old friends such as Nico, Will and the Stoll brothers.

"Dude I was just telling them the time when we pranked the Athena cabin with all those spiders four years back. Do you remember that?" Connor asked Percy with a devious smirk plastered on his face. Percy couldn't help but give a soft laugh as memories surfaced of him and the twins planting spiders in Athena's cabin beds and Annabeth chasing after him with her knife after she found out he had a part to play in the prank.

"Don't remind me of that prank. It wasn't funny." Annabeth shuddered as she made room for Percy to sit beside her. Sitting back against his seat, the son of Poseidon opted to just listen to the conversation. He didn't feel like talking but he didn't mind listening as the group talked about past events. It was fun hearing them reminisce about the good days.

"The good days, huh." He thought to himself. It was sad to think the good days were of him partaking in quests that almost had him painfully killed, scared shitless for years about a war against Titans and having to worry if the Gods would just kill him without a second thought. "That's just the life of a demigod thanks to the Gods." He thought darkly. There he goes again talking about the Gods and how they made their lives so shitty. He wouldn't be surprised if there was one listening in on his thoughts right now and going to tell Zeus. So many immortals in here would pounce on the chance to have him killed.

"Hey Percy?...Percy!" Travis broke his thoughts. The son of Poseidon rubbed his eyes as he listened in on Travis asking him if he remembered a prank from their earlier years. He didn't but decided to play along so as to not ruin the vibe. Annabeth worriedly glanced over which did not go unnoticed by him but he didn't care. He subtly rubbed her shoulder, reassuring her that he was ok. That was the last thing he wanted to see from Annabeth. Her worried eyes staring into him as if he was a bomb just waiting to go off. He knew that was the case but he couldn't stand the looks that people threw his way as if he was too dumb or oblivious to notice.

"Can you believe Zeus didn't give a memorial to the fallen demigods!?" Jason suddenly muttered, causing all eyes in the group to turn his way. The air suddenly shifted into something more solemn as Jason continued on. "They did this in the last war too. Didn't even read off the names of all who died. The ones who gave their lives for Olympus and this is what they get." He spat. Piper tried to quiet the son of Jupiter while worriedly glancing over at the nearest immortals who might've heard them.

"I know. Disgusting right." Will pitched in with an equally disgusted tone. Now that was the one person Percy didn't expect to agree with Jason. Will was always talking about the Gods as if they were his idols. To see him badmouthing them was certainly a shock to not just him but the entire group. "They didn't even hand out rewards to the survivors this time." He continued, gritting his teeth.

"Guys, let's not do this especially in the throne room for Gods sake." Piper tried to reason, throwing in some charmspeak for good measure. Her efforts seemed to work as Jason and Will visibly eased their shoulders but Percy, who was too powerful to fall for the effects of Piper's powers, continued the conversation. He didn't know that others felt the same way as he and to hear Jason and Will say that brought so much reassurance to him. He wasn't the only one who was starting to question the Gods. He wasn't alone for once in his life.

"No, we need to talk about this." The son of Poseidon interrupted, causing everyone to turn to him in shock. "We can't keep letting them do this to us. We can't keep dying for the Olympian cause and just get tossed aside once it's done." He said, clenching his fist so hard blood was beginning to spill out.

"What's there to be talked about? That's always how it's been. You of all people should know that." Nico replied, shifting in his seat so that no one could ease into the conversation.

"Yeah Perce. That's just the life of a demigod. We got the short end of the stick just by being born into this world." Travis said in agreement with the son of Hades.

"No." Percy replied with fire in his eye. That right there was the problem. The demigods, including himself, took the beating the Gods gave to them in stride. They always obeyed them without question. Always blindly followed them like a dog to its master. It was sickening in Percy's eyes. It wouldn't be too long now until he was the one bleeding out on the battlefield, cursing the Gods for being born into the world until finally the life drained from his eyes and awaited judgment in the underworld. "No, I agree with Jason and Will. What we've been through. What we and the others have sacrificed is far too great for the reward the Gods oh so graciously granted us."

"Some fucking reward." Will spat.

"Guys, come on now. The war's over, we can finally relax now. Let's just stop this and party until dawn!" Leo said brightly, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed but nervous smile planted on his face. Jason glanced over at his Latino friend with lightning dancing in his eyes. Leo hated to admit it but the aura and looks Percy and Jason were emitting right now scared him shitless. It was more terrifying than facing Gaea's army if he was being honest.

"Yeah Leo." Percy replied with a hysterical edge in his voice. "We can relax? Is that what you said? How long do you think that's gonna last, huh? The Titan war was fought just last year and then the next was just a couple months after. Who's to say the next fucking war won't be next week! Whose to say that you won't be abducted from your cabin in the middle of the night, lose all your memories and appear all the way across the fucking country!" Percy yelled, slamming his hand on the table, sending splinters all over the place.

By now everyone in the throne room was looking at the commotion they had caused which scared some of the group greatly.

"Haha, just boys arm wrestling." Piper announced with a massive amount of charmspeak so that the attention would die off quickly. Thankfully, it seemed to do the trick as everyone went back to conversing and partying as if the son of Poseidon hadn't just destroyed a table with just one hit.

"Percy, calm down before you get us kicked out!" Annabeth fervently whispered to him but he was too riled up to care. It felt good to let that out, to let others know how he truly felt. He hadn't been able to do that in a long, long time.

"Exactly, Percy. Leo, do you honestly think we'll just be able to live out our lives now that the war is over? Do you think that you'll be able to live out your little fantasy of finding Calypso and live happily ever after? Because mark my words, we'll be back out on the battlefield soon enough. Fighting endless, bloody wars for ungrateful Gods." Jason continued the conversation with equal passion.

"Shut your mouth, fly boy." Leo muttered as literal fire danced in his eyes. He could take an onslaught from anyone but when they talked about his love life, that's where he drew the line. "I would be living that fantasy if Percy hadn't left Calypso on that Gods forsaken island to suffer." He pointed a finger at the son of Poseidon who suddenly perched up angrily. What did this elf just say to him?

"Leo, you have no fucking clue what you're talking about. One of my demands to the Olympians after the Titan war was to free all peaceful Titans, Calypso included. The Gods clearly haven't abided by my demands per the River Styx like they say they have. So I suggest the next time you take a dig at me, you know what you're fucking talking about." Percy seethed. By now the group of demigods were all riled up and it was only getting worse. It seemed that all hell was about to break loose but thankfully and to Percy's displeasure, Athena appeared in front of them.

"Hello Children. Do you mind if I take Percy away from you for a little bit?" The Goddess asked. The group of demigods all stared at one another in silence. They honestly didn't know what to say after all that had just transpired. If Athena had heard their conversation, their heads would be at the chopping board in a mere moment. Thankfully it was Annabeth that broke the awkward silence.

"O-Of course, Mother. He's all yours." The daughter of said Goddess replied with an awkward pat on her boyfriend's shoulder. Percy tried to hide his displeasure but he was sure Athena noticed it judging by the look on her face.

"It will only be just for a moment." Athena gave a fake smile before practically dragging Percy by the heels to the Olympian wine bar.

"Hey, Percy. Let's talk later!" Percy could hear Jason say from behind him. The only way Percy could respond was a subtle thumbs up behind his back before he and Athena finally arrived at the bar. The two of them sat in silence as the bartender handed them some Olympian wine. Percy took a swig of the drink as he realized he would need it if he were to make it through this upcoming conversation with Athena. The demigod and the Goddess continued to sit beside one another without a word being spoken. Percy blankly drank his wine as he thought back to the conversation he had earlier with the others. Were Jason and Will really thinking like he was? Or was it some kind of farce that will fade away once their parents give them a little attention. He hoped that wasn't the case with them as he knew that no amount of words from his father or the other Gods could change his opinion of them. The Gods were arrogant and lazy who made their children do their dirty work. Everyone knew that but was too afraid and powerless to speak up against them. Well, almost everyone.

"I know what you're thinking, Jackson." Athena suddenly said, making the blood drain from Percy's face. Fuck! He let his thoughts fully consume him and didn't put up any mental barriers. Now Athena knew what he thought about them! Shit, this was bad. He subtly looked around the throne room for any possible exits but all seemed to be blocked by immortals.

"Damnit!" He yelled inside his head as he realized there wasn't any possible way he could make it out of here without a fight. Slowly but steadily Percy's hand went towards his pocket where Riptide laid in wait. "You do now?" He asked the Goddess, hoping to stall for a little bit more time so he could defend himself when she attacked. If he were to die fighting the Olympians on their own turf, so be it. At least he could die standing up against them and their shitty ways of life.

"Yes, I do. Be grateful I brought you here alone instead of calling you out in front of your friends." She said before taking another sip of her wine. By now Percy's hand was tightly gripping Riptide in his pocket but he wouldn't make the first move. He needed to let Athena think he wasn't prepared for an attack.

"Well, please accept my thanks for doing so." He replied, letting some obvious hints of sarcasm lace into his tone. This sarcasm finally got up to you, Percy. Now you're about to fight Athena to the death because you couldn't keep your own thoughts quiet.

"Look, Jackson. I just wanted to say that although your father and I have our differences. I'm ok with letting you continue to date my daughter." Athena replied with an almost embarrassed tone. Percy felt his hand shakily release Riptide and gave a shaky release of breath. He thought he was done for. Percy tried to nonchalantly drink his wine as Athena continued. "You done so much for her, keeping her safe throughout the years and even falling into that Godsforsaken pit." She slightly shuddered. With a sigh of resolve Athena finally looked at Percy in the eyes and offered her hand. "And I just wanted to say thank you for all that you've done for her."

Percy almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. Athena had actually thanked him and even offered her hand in respect. He never thought he would see the day but here he was. Setting down his wine Percy shook her hand with a smile on his face.

"And I will continue to do so, lady Athena. You have my word." He replied wholeheartedly. The two drank one more cup of wine while continuing to discuss unrelated topics such as the war and upcoming plans for the Greek and Roman demigods. By the time they were done conversing most of the crowd was beginning to clear out for the night.

"Well it has been interesting talking to you Perseus but I'm afraid I'm going to clock in for the night." Athena said, getting up from her chair albeit shakily. It seemed she had drunk too much throughout the night. Percy couldn't say he was much better off but he considered himself able to handle alcohol pretty well.

"Yeah I think I will too. Although the war is done there is still a lot to be done." He replied, dreading all the reconstruction to take place at Camp Half-Blood and dealing with getting the Romans back home. The Goddess said her goodbyes before briskly walking out the throne room while Percy continued to sit at the bar. He ordered another drink to celebrate being on Athena's good side finally after so many years of dealing with her glares directed at him. At least, he would like to think he was finally on her good side but you never knew with a Goddess such as Athena. Taking a sip of his wine Percy was about to leave in search of Jason so they could continue their conversation from earlier. He really wanted to hear what Jason had to say because if they were thinking the same way maybe they could bring some change to Olympus somehow. It was still far too early to be talking about changing Olympus and even then how could they even do that? They were just demigods but perhaps with enough of them maybe they could do something to change the tide that was the Olympian reign.

"Where do you think you're going, son? Have a drink with your old man would ya." A rough but relaxed hand grabbed a hold of Percy's shoulder making him sit back down again. Percy chuckled at his father's antics as he watched his father order two cups of wine. Looks like he will be drinking even more tonight. How would he even get back home without passing out? He didn't know but it would be nice to have a drink with his father.

"Sounds fair but I'm not doing any drinking contests with you, dad. I'm already about to pass out after drinking with Athena." Percy replied which caused his father to laugh.

"You. Drinking with Athena!? What has the world become?" Poseidon chuckled as he drank a cup in one go.

"It went well actually. I can't believe it myself but somehow I'm still in one piece after our conversation." Percy replied. Poseidon shook his head as he ordered another drink. The God seemed to have a look of shame on his face which confused Percy. What was there to be shamed about?

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that, son. I'm sorry you have to constantly worry about us Gods interfering with your life and wanting to kill you for some petty reason." Poseidon darkly muttered. He hated to see his son so paranoid when he was around Gods. It was like seeing a cornered animal defending itself from the wolves.

"You learn to live with it." Percy simply responded, feeling the anger that he had for the Gods slowly build inside his heart. Even his own father knew just how bad the other Gods treated not just his own son but the other demigods as well. It was sickening even to him, an Olympian.

"But you shouldn't have to live with it, Percy! You shouldn't be fighting our wars, killing monsters day in and day out. You should be getting ready to go to college or worrying about the next party to go to. Not worrying about when your final day might be." Poseidon wailed, slamming his cup of wine sharply down on the bar, scaring some minor Gods who had the misfortune to be near them. Percy gave a desperate laugh in response to his father. While it was nice to hear his father share the same sentiments as he, there was nothing that can be done about it. Percy and all the other demigods in fact were shackled in a sense. They were bound to serve Olympus until their finals days because that's all they could do. There was no outside world to live in because of the very fact they were demigods. They could never get a job or start a family with mortals because their scent was too strong. Monsters would be all over them in a heartbeat.

"Then what do you suggest I do then, dad?" Percy asked.

"Live at the Atlantean palace with me, son." Poseidon said, grabbing his son's shoulders desperately."You can live in peace and not fight in any more wars. Your mother won't have to worry about if she'll never see her son again and you're unborn sister can grow up knowing her heroic brother. I'll even let your Athenian girlfriend live with you in the palace! You can start a family not in fear but in love." By now Poseidon had a desperate look in his eye as he pleaded with his son. He always wanted to protect his sons but it was even more so with Percy who by far was his most favorite son. His heart was in shambles when Percy didn't accept immortality a year ago and since then was always worried his son would ever live past the age of twenty.

Percy with a resolved look, gave a small smile in response to his father's plea. He was amazed and grateful for his father who offered him so much. Despite not being there for him for most of his life, Poseidon always tried to make up for it. That was something Percy could respect him for seeing that most immortals wouldn't make such an effort like Poseidon did. Hell, sometimes they didn't even acknowledge their child's existence. At least that was the case until he made that demand last year after the war.

"You know I can't do that, dad. I can't live in luxury while the others are out there suffering. It will eat at me till the day I die." He responded. Poseidon gave a deep sigh and sadly nodded his head. He knew his son would respond in that manner. Percy wasn't one to abdomen others even if it was for his own benefit. That was something he respected.

"Then son, let me suggest one thing." Poseidon gained a serious tone as he looked his son dead in the eye. "Gather all the demigods who are willing and escape this hell you call Olympus. Go somewhere not even Artemis can find and try to live in peace. You have my blessing." The sea God drank the last contents of his cup before standing up. "I know what you have been thinking, Percy. I read your thoughts earlier." Percy's eyes slightly widened at that. He didn't try to deny it as that was what he truly believed. He just didn't want any immortal, especially his own father, to know about them. He felt a slap on his back which slightly startled him. "And I couldn't agree more, Percy. We immortals are an infection on this Earth. Always remember that." He could hear his father begin to walk away presumably out of the throne room but he had to ask one more question.

"Do I really have your blessing? To leave this place with others." He asked.

"Of course. I'll even help you in doing so." His father responded without turning. Percy almost chuckled as he watched his father leave the throne room. What he had just offered him was something he had only dreamed of. To escape the eyes of Olympus and live out the rest of his days with his friends. It was perfect but better said than done. But maybe, just maybe, he might be able to pull it off considering he had Poseidon's help. First However, was to discuss with the others and see what they had to say. Jason and Will might be on board considering the conversation they had earlier but he didn't know about the others, especially Annabeth. He really wanted her to agree but her pride might not allow her to and that was something that scared him greatly. He wouldn't know how to live without her.

"Well, only one way to find out." Percy said aloud before getting up to leave the throne room. He had a new mission now and it was one he was actually excited about.