A/N: Sorry I couldn't upload Friday night. Finals coming, work piling, and I think I want to swap to Saturday uploads. I'd rather not post at all than rush through just to meet a schedule with subpar work. This is much better than the progress I'd made yesterday. Hope you enjoy the chapter and review!
Chapter 8: New Gods, Old Memories
An air of unease hung in the throne room of Olympus. It had been a full night since Gaea's presumed defeat, and still, none of the Olympians had heard from Dionysus. The wine god's absence at the Battle of the Acropolis had been strange enough, leaving his twin Banes to be killed by Ares, but it was nothing compared to his continued silence alongside what the gods had found at their return home. The eleven Olympians sat rigid in their thrones, some sending frequent nervous glances, others outright staring at the mound of rubble piled where Dionysus' throne had stood. The U-shape of seats had become lopsided on its left, the top of the orientation a heap of grayed stones.
At the height of their split personalities, the gods had locked themselves in their palaces or retreated to their natural domains to wait out the mind-shearing headaches. And when the Greeks and Romans had united through the Parthenos, clearing the divine disorders, the gods had rushed to Athens for the final battle. It was only following Gaea's resignation to her slumber that they'd returned to their seats of power and found the shattered throne.
Just minutes before the discovery, Zeus had announced a limited awards ceremony for select demigods to be held on the following day. Then, baffled by the destroyed and decolored throne, he'd issued a 24-hour deadline for the truant wine god to appear and explain what had happened.
The deadline had come and gone with no response or even acknowledgement, and the Olympians anticipated that the demigods would walk through the throne room doors any second.
"Any word, Zeus?" Hestia asked nervously, the only non-Olympian privy to the information regarding the crumbled seat.
Zeus didn't get the chance to gravely shake his head before the immense marble doors swung inwards. As the regal gateway came to a silent stop, six demigods entered. Each face was plastered with an awestruck expression as the mortals took in the crown jewel of the home of the gods. But the marveling didn't last long; the remains of Dionysus' throne were on full display as the seat nearest the entrance.
The six demigods froze in place, all eyes finding the discolored stones at the same time. It was then that Hestia noticed the demigods seemed to be standing in two groups. Piper, Jason, Frank, and Hazel more or less moved together, with the daughter of Aphrodite slightly drifting. But a noticeable gap lingered between them and the duo of Nico and Reyna. Obvious tension burgeoned between the demigods, made almost palpable when their anxious glances shifted around the room.
The King of the Gods cleared his throat, pulling their attention away from the rubble.
"Heroes, you have done Olympus a great service. You united the Greeks and the Romans, and were paramount in Gaea's defeat. Beyond, you have played an irreplaceable hand in securing our future," Zeus prided, eyeing the remaining members of the Seven.
He continued his praise until he noticed Nico glaring daggers through him. Zeus paused, raising an eyebrow towards the son of Hades wearing an expression of unadulterated hate. The demigod's black eyes flickered between the god and Jason, and Zeus finally noticed the tension brewing between the "factions" of demigods. The King of the Gods dropped all pretense of being a gracious host after a sideways glance at Poseidon.
"What do you know?" he grated, glaring back at Nico.
The son of Hades should have faltered, been taken aback, at least have looked away. But Nico steeled his nerves and didn't drop his eyes. Some moments of silence passed before the demigod found his rough voice.
"What I know is that for some reason, you had Percy and Annabeth killed," he spat, gaze hard as he traced the surrounding Olympians, "and you didn't do it alone."
To Nico's shock, a small handful of the gods seemed to hang their heads. None did as deeply as Athena, who he'd had his eye on since he'd stepped into the throne room. The Goddess of Wisdom, as lost as she seemed, had looked nervous as if she were concealing a secret. But now, she seemed destroyed. Heartbroken.
Nico shrugged off the wave of confusion that her reaction had created in him, letting his anger regain control. He'd willingly walked into a room of deities he considered enemies; now wasn't the time to sympathize with them. Zeus made it easier for the demigod to single-mindedly focus on his task. The sky god's knuckles whitened as the Master Bolt materialized in his grasp.
"A crude simplification," Zeus began, his body exuding electricity, "but enough to know too much."
The King of the Gods raised his weapon, his expression steel. Only then did Nico lose his nerve, taken aback by the godly javelin aimed at him. The rest of the demigods seemed to share his shock, all but one frozen. Reyna stepped in front of the son of Hades, her body filled with enough determination to outweigh the fear coursing through her. From the hearth, Hestia whispered something into the palm of her hand before she hunched forward, her body tense. But no one had the chance to see the pacifist goddess act because Reyna spoke.
"We've already told Chiron. If we don't return from this meeting, every demigod will know what you did." she said, leveling her voice as best she could.
Zeus paused. Reyna let herself feel relief, and Nico did the same behind her. But it was short lived. The King of the Gods spoke through gritted teeth, his hand still tight on his weapon.
"That would make him an enemy of Olympus as well. I could be on the centaur's front porch the immediate moment after I raze you, and deal with him as well."
The wave of fear returned with a vengeance, and no amount of Reyna's willpower could hold it back as the bolt lifted. Artemis tilted forward from her throne, sharing a glance with Hestia and Apollo, shoulders flexed. But again, no god could intervene as Nico's face fell, seemingly losing an internal battle.
"Thalia knows, too," Nico relented, worrying he could put his cousin in danger.
Zeus' grip on his weapon loosened, but the intensity in his gaze only heightened as it found a new target: the Goddess of the Hunt. Artemis' eyes shot wide, equally surprised by the revelation.
"Thalia ignored my Iris messages both today and yesterday. This must have been why," she thought aloud, leaning back in her throne.
The King of the Gods seethed silently from his throne, but the Master Bolt vanished from his hand. Apparently, only his own children was where Zeus drew the line. Tensions eased by a hair before shadows coalesced behind the demigods. The air chilled as Hades appeared at his godly height in full war armor, his eyes blackened pools that bored through the Helm of Darkness.
"You were going to kill my son?!" he shouted, each hand a vice around a Stygian Iron scimitar.
Zeus climbed out of his throne, Master Bolt reappearing, and the air pressure dropped as blue lightning danced across the god's body. Poseidon stood up just after, hands spread wide.
"Stop this," the sea god warned, "Zeus, this is not a time for war. Hades, what is this?"
Poseidon looked visibly tired beyond his sagging eyes; his gestures were heavy and his voice drawled. As much as she hated his original decision, Hestia felt sorrowful watching the toll his son's death had taken on the sea god. Hades didn't share the sentiment.
"This," the God of the Underworld spat, "is the proper reaction when your child is wrongfully sentenced to death! I will not have my son share Percy Jackson's fate because I was too cowardly to defend him!"
Hades' hateful gaze held no exemption for Athena, and his outburst shocked the council into silence. Poseidon's mouth opened to respond, but his lips had no words to form. He could have explained that it wasn't his fault, or his intention, or his idea, or a dozen other things. But a deity with loyalty so deeply ingrained in his being was not capable of justifying anything to himself after a betrayal like that, regardless of fault. Hestia shook her head at Zeus' pulsating body.
"This would be another line crossed, brother. Please," she asked, warming the hearth against the tense standoff suffocating the room.
The demigods had stayed silent throughout the exchange, comparatively ants caught in the quarrel of boots. Nico and Reyna still stood on edge, feeling the aftereffects of almost being smited twice just seconds apart. Frank and Hazel leaned on each other, their apprehension on the ship dwarfed by their worry in the room, and their worry only eased by their closeness to each other. Jason and Piper didn't mend so easily; the drifting daughter of Aphrodite had quietly moved even further away from the son of Jupiter, now standing between the two groups of demigods. Nervous, Jason hadn't noticed; his jaw clenched uncomfortably tightly as he watched the Olympians stand on the brink of war.
The room's atmosphere of silent unease could have been cut with a knife as Zeus and Hades squared off. No other gods moved, waiting to see which brother would back down first. But their battle would have to wait because ominous green smoke billowed into the room. The armed gods backed away simultaneously, eyes shot wide as cackles erupted from the circumference of the hearth. Hestia also stood, stepping back slowly towards Hades as the Three Fates appeared from within the quickly vanishing smoke.
Stunned, every being in the throne room eyed the trio anxiously.
"Your squabble can wait," hissed Lachesis, the center sister, as she sneered at Zeus.
Even the King of the Gods was not arrogant enough to pick a fight with the Fates, at least in the current setting. He sent his brother a final glare, huffing as his lightning bolt vanished and he returned to his seat. Hades mirrored his scowl before shedding his armor and sheathing his blades.
"Get on with the 'glorious rewards' you promised the demigods, Zeus. We presume you were implying godhood as well?" Atropos, the final sister, cackled.
Zeus turned sheet-white as he righted himself in his throne. The sisters didn't have to say it explicitly; they knew all along that he was using the demigods to subvert their delivered prophecy.
"And the reward is to be offered to all six of these demigods, yes? For their pivotal roles in Gaea's defeat?" Clotho asked, her hollow eyes boring through Zeus' head.
They were baiting him; he knew it for certain. If Zeus said no, he'd have to explain why only some of them were deserving of the 'glorious reward.' The King of the Gods wasn't going to be outplayed so easily, even if he did have to make gods of traitors.
"Yes," he said curtly through a tight-lipped smile.
The trio of hags grinned in unison, revealing disgusting caverns of rotted teeth hanging on by threads of corroding gums. Zeus, alongside the rest of the gods, winced. He shivered as he turned his attention to the demigods.
"Jason Grace," he boomed.
Finally, Zeus felt some semblance of pride during a meeting that was supposed to be about victory, both over Gaea and the doomed future prophecy. He shifted to his Roman form.
"My son," Jupiter began, "You led the team that traversed the Ancient Lands, recovered the Athena Parthenos, and confronted Gaea herself. You have proven yourself a hero time and time again. It is only fitting to bestow you the title as a Savior of Olympus and offer you a place among the gods. Do you accept it?"
Jupiter's voice swelled as he spoke, not taking a moment to mention the friends they'd lost along the way or that the achievements belonged more to them. Jason may have noticed the shortcoming as well, but his blood rushed in his ears as he listened to his father, the King of the Gods, praise him and offer him the greatest gift a demigod could receive.
"I accept, father," he finally said, stepping forward and kneeling at the hearth.
The Fates cackled as they shooed him back to the rest of the demigods. Lachesis procured a black thread from nothing, and Jason felt a chill claw up his spine. The center Fate held his life thread between her hands, and the demigod felt as if he were suspended over a void. The sinking feeling only became worse when the other two pinched it as well, three pairs of decrepit hands touching the only thing tying Jason to the realm of the living. Then they whispered, and Jason knew the words weren't Latin or Greek.
The fine, black thread thickened slightly and Jason felt a stronger, more full, tether to life. But that fulfillment didn't compare to moments later when it shifted color, glowing gold. The son of Jupiter felt immense energy flood through him, shocking his nerves with euphoric strength unlike anything he'd ever felt. Instantly hyperventilating, he doubled over before he caught himself, and he could feel lightning striking through his veins, mirroring the clouds far above.
So this is what it means to become a god, Jason thought, eyes wild as he realized he hadn't even had a chance to truly feel his new strength yet.
He turned to the Fates, bowing quickly as electricity sparked across him.
"All hail Jason Grace, God of Lightning, Winds, and Minor God of Power," the Fates echoed in unison.
"Thank you," Jason said, catching his breath as some of the Olympians lightly applauded.
He didn't get a chance to talk to any of the surrounding demigods before Zeus, returned to his Greek self, thundered the next name.
"Piper McLean," he said as Aphrodite sent a small smile at her daughter, "As another instrumental member of the quest that defeated Gaea, we would like to offer you godhood."
The King of the Gods spoke much more curtly, more satisfaction in his voice than pride, as he awaited what he assumed would be her obvious response.
"No."
"No?" Zeus whispered, sounding the word as if he'd never heard it before, "No?"
"I would like to become a Hunter, Lady Artemis," Piper asserted, her eyes instead locked on the Goddess of the Moon, "I don't need godhood, and I'm pretty sure they aren't traditionally allowed in the Hunt anyways."
Artemis, stunned, waited a moment before she responded.
"As you wish, Piper McLean," the goddess affirmed, carefully not turning her head towards Zeus' seething expression.
Artemis bounded from her throne, graceful as the wind, and landed next to Piper in her human form. It took only a moment, just a touch to the shoulder, and the demigod's form glowed in a silver contour. The silver tracing quickly faded, leaving a garnish that would only be visible in the moonlight. Piper turned back to her friends, meeting Jason's pained eyes before looking away a moment later. Zeus barked the next name.
"Hazel Levesque."
He added no explanation, eyeing the demigod with a glare. She shrunk under his glower, and Hades took a firm step forward before Hestia gave him a barely visible shake of her head. She'd been the one to warn Hades about Nico, and Hades thought it a fair assessment to heed her judgment here as well. He glared back at his brother as he waited for his Roman daughter to speak.
"I don't need godhood either," she said quietly, "I would like my curse over jewels lifted, instead."
Hades stepped forward again, calmly this time, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Black flames licked from his fingers over Hazel's form, harmlessly glancing over her. She shuddered as they vanished, but the daughter of Pluto looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Before she could thank Hades, he leaned in so only she could hear him.
"If you change your mind, I can also make you immortal at any time. Just not a god," he whispered.
She nodded her head, whispered her own thanks, and hugged the God of the Underworld. Hades tensed before he embraced her tightly, a light weight seemingly disappearing from his shoulders as well. When they broke apart, Hades didn't return Zeus' seething glare with the same intensity. He waited as the next name was called by the angry god.
"Reyna Ramirez!"
"Ramirez-Arellano," Reyna corrected, finding her nerve after watching Zeus' implicit offer of godhood be rejected twice while his only option of a response was to sit impotently.
"I don't want godhood either," she said proudly, "I want standard immortality, allowing me to remain Praetor of the Legion for as long as I see fit."
To keep the reward simple, and to silence any brewing argument from her father, Artemis bestowed her own huntress' immortality on the Roman demigod. Reyna knelt before her, thanking her, before she returned to the rest of the demigods and Artemis reappeared in her throne. Zeus was done speaking, deciding to grunt as he nodded in Frank's direction.
The son of Mars stepped forward awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his head as he contemplated his decision. Jason looked at him hopefully, still holding out that Frank would side with him and become a god, as was their original implied promise with the Olympians. But Frank was visibly torn. He turned back and found another sanguine expression: Hazel's. He sighed, steeling his nerves as he made a decision.
"I want the same reward as Reyna. Jason gave me his Praetorship during our quest, and I want to continue to serve the Legion."
Ares rolled his eyes.
"Dumb choice, bub," the God of War grunted.
He strode over to his Roman form's son and sliced a shallow cut in his forearm, leading Frank to wince. Ares held a hand over the wound and whispered in Ancient Greek, a crude tradition he used to bestow his own form of immortality. As Ares returned to his seat, Zeus didn't even dignify the final demigod with a sound. He only glared intensely.
To his agitation, Nico glared back. A new confidence burgeoned inside the demigod alongside a sense of gratitude. After what had happened to Percy and Annabeth, Nico hadn't felt so alone since he'd lost his sister. And then Reyna had accompanied him on arguably the most draining journey of his life, which would have been enough for Nico. But then his father had come to his defense the way he did, something no god or demigod would have ever expected of the Underworld's warden. Still, Hades had done it anyway after seeing the jarring decision the gods had made months ago.
Nico had no choice but to feel empowered by the godly presence beside him as well as the demigod standing beside him. In front of all of the Olympians, he was going to tell Zeus where he could shove his offer. A grin took shape across his mouth before his father barked his name. Nico stopped, turning towards him. He watched Hades give him a nearly imperceptible nod, eyes unreadable. But Nico understood; his unruly outburst would have to come at another time. The son of Hades turned back to Zeus, grin still held.
"Thank you for your generous offer, Lord Zeus. I accept godhood."
The King of the Gods gripped both armrests, knuckles white, as The Fates cackled. Nico felt taken aback that they not only had a sense of humor, but they had to have some deeper inclination towards the dynamics at play in the throne room. The trio unveiled his thread, and he felt the same chill. Six hands, twelve fingers, pinched his life force and the sinking feeling plunged. But then the sparse thread thickened, just as it had before, before it glowed gold.
Nico felt the overwhelming rush as his mortal body became undone, replaced by divine bones, muscles, nerves, skin. He brimmed with power, feeling a fervent anchor to his domain. The shadows of the throne room bent towards him as the rush filled his ears, and The Fates spoke.
"All hail Nico DiAngelo, God of Shadows, Souls, and Hellhounds."
The gods that hadn't clapped at Jason's coronation clapped now, including Hestia and Hades. The quiet applause faded, and the Fates cackled again. With horror, the Olympians noticed that they were turned towards the mound that used to be a throne.
"What a shame that happened to Dionysus," Atropos mused.
The sister materialized a thread in her hands. Technically it was two threads; it was thicker than Nico or Jason's, but blackened and cut in half. Before all of their eyes, it crumbled to dust.
"Wh-what happened to Dionysus?" Zeus stuttered.
Clotho sighed, and Nico swore he somehow felt playful glee emanate from the hollow sockets of her eyes.
"Maybe a coming prophecy will reveal the mystery. Maybe it has already been written, or spoken, and is coming to pass."
"And what if the champion of an existing prophecy is killed? Could that prophecy still occur, or must there be a new prophecy?" Zeus pried, anxiety ensuring that he all but explicitly revealed the truth.
The Fates sneered before Atropos spoke forebodingly.
"Sometimes, when champions are killed, new ones can be chosen. Other times, champions are created. But always, prophecies come to pass. The son of Hephaestus can attest to that. Or even in this room, the Goddess of Wisdom."
Eyes snapped to Athena, and, in that fraction of a glance, The Fates vanished. Zeus spun on his daughter, who sunk in her throne. She'd kept essential information to herself, justifying it because she didn't understand it yet. And it wasn't the right time, she told herself, as they needed to worry about what had happened to Dionysus. They still didn't know his exact fate, but Athena knew she couldn't hold onto what she'd seen any longer.
A sudden, creaking groan relieved her of her father's glowering eyes. At the throne doors, still swung wide open, a bronze dragon descended. Dented, contorted, melted, and broken were choice ways to describe Festus' bronze hide. The dragon shrieked as it careened forward, crashing headfirst into the marble floor and launching its payload off of its back.
Leo flung forward, unceremoniously rolling to a step before the hearth. He clawed to his feet and whirled around towards his friends. Tears instantly filled eyes as they surged forward, but froze at the deathly terrified expression on their newly revived friend. Leo coughed, and blood dripped from the side of his mouth while he caught his breath. Hyperventilating, he launched into an explanation with fearful fervor.
"Gaea's gone… Not me… She almost killed me… Something killed her… Armored monster… Then it killed me," he heaved before he held up a vial, "Physician's cure… Festus injected… Came here…Wind gods…"
Leo's hands went to his knees as he doubled over. Jason and Piper caught him before he lost his footing and sat him down. Hestia knelt and placed a warm hand over his chest, calming his nerves. His breathing slowly evened.
"Th-thank you, Lady Hestia. Even with the cure, it's been less than a day. He… or it… punched a hole through my chest, and I think everything is still repairing," Leo winced.
"It felt like the most evil monster ever. The first thing I thought of when I came to was the prophecy," he shuddered, "a vengeant spirit."
Zeus didn't let the attention slip from his daughter.
"And you? What is your secret surprise?"
"At the battle in Athens," Athena whispered, "I saw an angel. A seraph."
(Line Break)
Percy loved this memory. He continued his silent walk along Long Island Sound. The midday sun beat down on the beach, and that meant high tides. The demigod let the waves lap up past his calves, moving into the sea until the water rhythmically rose to his knees. Careful to avoid the crab caves, he lightly dragged his feet through the soft sand as the voices of the rolling tides filled his ears, his second favorite sound. He heard the first just moments later.
"Is that a real mermaid?" Annabeth shouted, lying back on her elbows several yards from shore.
Percy smirked as he felt a twist in his gut, allowing a channel of water to erupt and launch him to her. She shrieked as his torrent doused her formerly dry blanket, and she shielded her face from the brunt of the ocean spray. Laughing as he landed on his side, he corrected her.
"Merman, actually."
She laughed as she dried herself.
"More like mer-manbaby."
Percy rolled his eyes as she laid back down beside him, the pair quieting as they let themselves simply savor the moment. The demigod cherished this memory above many others. He remembered every moment of it, a beach date they'd had during the few months of peace following the Second Titan War. They were only a mile from camp borders, but that was enough distance to dub the strip of beach as theirs. Still silently staring into Annabeth's eyes, he wished he could stay in that moment forever.
But Percy was used to the sickening twists in his memories. Not numb to them, no; they were gut-wrenching every time. Just painfully aware, and he knew no amount of preparation would make them any more bearable. He'd decided on another approach, which was to pretend it wasn't going to happen. The demigod ignored the certainty that this would become another tainted memory, and just enjoyed it as if he were living it again for the first time. At least that way, he would get a few moments of solace during his "dreams" that let him stray from the reality that came with waking up.
But today's memory felt slightly different. Or different wasn't the right way to describe it. It felt more intense to Percy, just like last night's felt more intense than the one before. It was deeply confusing, overwhelming. Longing spearheaded the feelings that burgeoned him from all sides like an ocean filling a room. Love did too, which he wasn't surprised by. He was looking at a part of his soul, wasn't he? Every time she smiled, or tilted her head deep in thought, his heart filled. And when she spoke, no matter what she was saying, Percy couldn't help but lean closer to listen more intently. She did it now.
"I'm thinking about visiting my dad in California," Annabeth said, her lips pursed, "He's been sending me more letters, and I think I may want to give another shot at us having a good relationship again."
Percy could barely hear her, because the most confusing feeling of all rushed in with the other already-overwhelming emotions: hope. How could that possibly be his? No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he was living on borrowed time in every memory. Where was this impossible thought coming from, and why did he feel it so deeply? It tore through him like a rapid, dousing the malice that threatened to consume him during every waking moment. Maybe it was something about being here, with her, that let him listen to his voice again.
"That's a great idea, Annabeth," he answered.
Percy's voice felt foreign to him; he only ever heard it in his memories now. Awake, there was no reason worth spending it.
"California would be good for you," he continued, remembering their conversation, "We're pretty much done with fixing up camp. Demigods are coming in at crazy numbers, and our defenses have never been safer. If you want to go, I don't want you worrying about camp to stop you."
Annabeth smiled, and he felt the same jolt rush through his chest. He'd already leaned closer without realizing it, as he always did when she spoke, and Annabeth reached out, intertwining her fingers with his.
"Will you come with me?"
(Line Break)
Annabeth waited intently for his response. She could have spent eternity in that moment and paid no mind. She wished she could; it'd let her avoid what she knew was coming soon enough. Just like every other memory she shared with Percy, Annabeth knew this one would be corrupted as well. Something terrible would happen to him, and she'd feel like she was losing him all over again. But until then, she had this, him.
Annabeth quietly looked at Percy lying next to her. She traced his tanned skin, settling on that stupid lopsided smile that she'd latched onto years ago. It irritated her, the calm and level-headed daughter of Athena, how her heart raced every time that half-grin flashed in her direction. But even that didn't hold a candle to what she felt staring into his eyes. The pair of sea green irises that watched her like the world was silence and she was music.
She knew it was only a memory, but the feeling couldn't be more real. Her feelings couldn't be more real. The longing that weighed on her like an anchor to hell. The love that came as endlessly as light from the sun. They were undoubtedly her feelings; one look at him and it was a truth she'd stand against the universe with.
But she didn't understand the hate coursing through her. Was that hers, too? The unending barrage that rushed in her ears, her heart, her entire body. It made her want to scream, to destroy, to kill everything. She couldn't help but feel that it may be something she was locking deep inside her to keep the promise she'd made. She'd felt anger, white-hot rage, at the sight of her mother in Athens, but this was something else entirely. Annabeth's thoughts were addled, almost incoherent, as the burgeoning violence started to overwhelm her and push her away from her memory on the beach.
"I'd love to, Annabeth."
The churning silenced. High tide receded. Annabeth exhaled, and her world narrowed into focus. There was nothing but her and him and a yes and a plan ahead. They'd go to California, just the two of them, and Percy would meet her father. They'd hit it off, so would Annabeth and her step-mother. Everything would get better, and it'd all be perfect in the life they'd make for themselves after all they'd been through. Annabeth moved on her own, bright eyes and a soft smile, as she leaned in and kissed him.
It was then that her fantasy fell apart, as it always did when one of them gave into the other. When her lips met his, and his hands found her back, and hers melded in his hair, it always began. That sadistic timer, as Annabeth had come to know it, that started to tick down the moment her memory became a dream where she couldn't feel more whole. Tears welled in her eyes, knowing her perfect moment was nearly spent. Their lips parted, barely, just enough for Percy to speak.
"I love you," he whispered, but his voice had become hoarse, nothing like it'd been just moments ago.
Annabeth could pay it no mind, though. She sobbed as his lips touched hers again, limp with a familiar metallic taste, and she knew time was up; her dream had become a nightmare running its course.
A/N: Man, I upset myself doing this to my favorite couple. But hey, Leo's alive! This is the only "fake-out" death I'll ever feel fully comfortable writing because it literally happened in canon, and I deliberately ensured the scary evil sword wasn't used or else I wouldn't have thought the Physician's Cure was a believable antidote. Anyways, god I really hope I end up giving Percy and Annabeth a happy ending or this will all be so upsetting. Hope you enjoyed, please review and let me know!
Anonymously96: Why did Percy kill Leo? I mean he was one of those who was against the idea. Seemed a bit unnecessary to kill him off tbh
Surprise! But anyways, I don't think it's unnecessary, even if he does kill him later (no spoilers). Because Percy isn't there to witness the internal turmoil of his "friends." He heard about the meetings from Dionysus, and the demigods weren't having moral discussion with the gods in those secret meetings. Only the reader knows how awful some of the crew feels about their deaths. Percy, as we know, also isn't thinking very straight right now. He's not the same guy we know in many aspects, and I want to portray that with more complex decisions than clear-cut good guys and bad guys.
Djberneman: I'd choose a mortal spot in between my toes. I'd always be wearing protective boots and if something gets through the boots, it will reach your foot from below or from above. The only way to be killed is if someone specifically aims for in between your toes. As well as figured out which two goes to aim between. Not to mention that any attack that is that low would be easy for someone to dodge. Even if someone is trying to torture you, they would stop after realizing that they can't cut off any fingers toes or limbs and go directly for crushing bones. Luckily, there are no bones in between your toes. The other benefit it that you entire foot can be crushed, but no matter the direction the force comes from, there will be an invulnerable barrier before reaching between the toes.
That's smart. If I ever come across an invincible man who I can't seem to defeat, I'll stomp really hard on his feet to make sure he didn't have the same idea. And if he's wearing super protective boots, I'll just stomp even harder.
fugy: given the fact that its tartarus, percy probably has a stronger version of the curse of achilles that doesn't require his mother's blessing and the need for a mortal point because tartarus overwrites the curse part. He probably is overpowered compared to the gods because the primordials are so much more powerful then the gods and the whole point of this is that the only person who could stop percy is annabeth because she wields primordial power and weaponry capable of injuring percy. At least thats the direction that I hope it goes in
Percy and Annabeth are natural "enemies" for sure. I'm not going to make either of them ridiculously overpowered to the point where either could solo all of the Olympians or anything because that would make for a very boring side cast, and I don't really like those stories. But they are going to be exceptionally strong. The primordial power and weaponry will come into the limelight soon enough, but I'm glad we're on the same page for what's coming up :)