LAST TIME

"For an intelligent boy, you are quite oblivious, Percy Jackson. What happened was to balance the scales of power. Your friend unlocked her true power. The one that had been suppressed by her last stint with death."

I blinked.

"You said that I was too powerful…" I said slowly. "And Thalia is on my side. How is this… balancing the scales?"

Nemesis's eyes shone like obsidian crystals. "You have no idea of what is coming, demigod. I do not even have a concrete idea of what is coming. But dark times are ahead of Olympus. Titans are just a part of it. Remember, demigod, balancing the scales for a small event by upsetting the balance on a greater scale is no balance at all. In times like this, one demigod, however powerful, won't suffice."

"You mean there is a greater threat than Titans coming?" I blurted.

"Greater threat? Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't know. Another threat? Definitely. But, I see one thing clearly. You, Perseus Jackson, are going to be at the center of it all. That is why I was here today. To see you for myself and ensure that you don't upset the balance to save a friend who doesn't need saving… well, she won't, if you get her to Apollo in time anyway. Farewell."

Before I could even open my mouth, Nemesis dissolved into a shadow, leaving us alone with Thalia.

#We will talk about all of this later. A lot has happened in this fight. Get Thalia to Apollo for now. As my sister said, she may have stabilized her but she is still in dire need of medical attention. Everything else can wait.# Alexander declared.

Ch.31 Addressing Concerns

PERCY POV

Stars twinkled in the night sky above Olympus. The city of the gods was silent in the night, but loads more beautiful. In the distance, Artemis's silver palace glowed faintly despite the absence of the moon in the sky. Behind me, the palace of Apollo was blanketed in complete darkness though, bar the pinpricks of light coming from the curtained windows of the palace.

A cool wind blew down the mountain, prickling my skin pleasantly as if trying to soothe my worries for my cousin.

Apollo had taken Thalia into the Operation Theater a few minutes ago. He had made the call as soon as he had taken a look at Thalia. Two other healers had come rushing through and went inside barely a few seconds after Thalia and Apollo had disappeared into the room, leaving Artemis and me alone outside the Operation Theater.

Artemis herself had flashed away a minute ago, going back to her hunt, leaving me outside Apollo's palace with instructions to stay on Olympus till she returned.

#Percy, we need to talk.# Alexander's voice cut through my numbness, drawing my attention.

'Yes… I was too weak.'

#Weak? Coming from the boy who skewered two titans and almost defeated a primordial not even half an hour ago. Talk about the irony.# He snorted dryly.

'Phoebe and Menoetius were barely a challenge and I caught them both by surprise.' I replied. 'Also, I used trickery and not skill.'

#Trickery is a skill in its own right, Percy. And, that was a master move you pulled out there. Athena would be proud.#

She would indeed.

Athena might be a war goddess herself but she always stuck to the fact that words and intelligence were the greatest weapons that any being could wield in a battle. Nothing compared to those. Turning your enemies against each other. in her eyes, would be a master-class use of it.

'Efficiency is what matters. And defeating your enemies without lifting your weapon is efficiency at its finest.' Athena's words rang in my head.

'Still, there is nothing to be proud of. I couldn't help Thalia when she needed it. What is the use of all of this power if I cannot save the ones I love? What—'

#Percy, you failed to help her, not out of your inaptitude but rather the meddling of Nemesis. Nemesis is powerful, kid. And you ain't coming in her league unless you become a god. She is a Primordial. Minor or major doesn't matter. And the chains she used? They would've trapped any god or titan… and even most Primordials. Even I wouldn't have stood a chance against those things. Her resorting to using those chains on you is a compliment to your power.#

Irritation swelled in my chest.

'The crux of the matter—'

#Is that you did whatever you could. You gave your two-hundred percent, Perce. It. Is. Not. Your. Fault.# Alexander reiterated firmly.

I could feel the pulse at my temple, just above my right ear as I sighed.

'I still need to get stronger.' I commented.

My fight against Nemesis had been an eye-opener. While she had not been toying around with me, she was not completely serious during the spar either. I could tell that from the amount of force she had been putting in her strikes. I had no doubt that the strikes of her sword could've been much more forceful if she had wanted them to be.

Alexander sighed in my mind.

#Percy… You are already doing all you can. Daily exercise, daily spars, lessons with Athena, Artemis, and Ares… and whatnot. Your divine powers are also progressing. You are holding storms for over forty minutes already, kid. You are using Greek fire as no one has. Like… if you do any more, your body won't handle it.#

'That is the main problem. I feel like my body—'

#Is restricting you?# Alexander completed. #Of course it is! You are a mortal, Percy. Your body is mortal. Albeit, a much better one than others, but still mortal. If it hadn't been, there would be no difference between powerful demigods and gods.#

'So is there any way to—'

#No. As in… what do you even want to do?# Alexander asked in a befuddled voice.

'I don't know! Maybe a ritual or a… magic potion or something might help enhance my body to take the godly strain.'

#Percy…# Alexander groaned. #There is only one thing that can do such a task and it is immortality, which is not an option for you right now.#

I paused. Immortality was not an option even if I had a whole Golden Apple of immortality lying in my bag. I couldn't be the prophecy child and immortal at the same time. I needed to become sixteen to fulfill the prophecy and remain a half-blood while doing so.

'There could be something else.' I told him. 'Like… maybe bathing in some river or spring… springs of Pontus! Those are—'

#While I do not know what happens by bathing in the spring of Pontus, I am pretty sure it doesn't include body enhancement.# Alexander cut in dryly. #But, you are welcome to try if you ever find it.#

'How about the rivers… the Styx! It gives—'

#ABSOLUTELY NOT!# Alexander yelled in my head, making me flinch. #Styx is a bad idea, Percy. An EXTREMELY bad idea.#

'Okay, okay. Let's abandon that track of thought.' I placated hurriedly.

#Good. Remember, Percy. It is called the curse of Achilles for a reason. It is always a last resort and one I will ask you to refrain from.#

'Yes, yes. I will keep that in mind.' I replied.

#Good. Now, let's discuss the other important thing. The part that Nemesis said. Dark times are ahead of Olympus. And the Titans are just a part of it… And it goes in tandem with what the fates have told me. About you being more important than I thought.#

'A bigger threat than the Titans?'

#Another threat other than the Titans. Perhaps more than one. Bigger? We cannot tell.#

'The other threat can be the Giants though. If a second titan war is coming, why not a second giant war?'

The slight sound of the soft breeze and the never-ending traffic of New York rang in my ears as Alexander paused. I could tell that he was collecting his thoughts. Evaluating, as he called it.

#Giants can certainly be put on the list of plausible 0threats. But, other options are not to be discounted.# He said, finally breaking the silence. #It could be some primordial, ancient deity, or even mortals.#

'Mortals?' I asked.

#Don't underestimate them, Percy. You never know what will happen if the mortals are made aware of our existence. And their weapons are nothing to scoff at and their sheer population outnumbers the number of monsters in Tartarus.#

I gave him a mental nod, as I slumped back on my chair, humming something to myself. The eternalness of the city of gods laid before my eyes but I was too deep in thoughts to enjoy it. I didn't know what was happening to Thalia, even if Nemesis had stabilized her to an extent.

My cousin had come a hair's breadth away from death and I had been too helpless to do anything. Too weak to overpower Nemesis, and still too restricted according to what Alexander said.

The scene of Aura driving a sword through Thalia played time and again in front of my eyes whenever I closed them.

The scent of ozone burned my nostrils and my eyes snapped open as I felt a presence appear next to me. I turned my head and found myself face to face with the King of Gods once more, who seemed to be admiring his kingdom this time.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Olympus?" He asked.

"Uh… yes," I replied lamely, making him turn to face me.

"We meet again, Perseus Jackson. I hoped it would've been in a better circumstance than waiting for the news of my daughter's health, but here we are."

"It is good to see you as well, Uncle."

He nodded at me before turning to face Olympus again.

"You know, it is not your fault."

"Excuse me?" I asked sharply.

"My daughter's condition. It is not your fault. I can feel your turmoil. It reflects through storms, much like your father's and mine. It is only because of the power of Olympus that it has not begun to rain all over the mountain. But I can feel the energy coming from you. The storm is trying to mirror your turmoil, but just unable to form."

"I am sorry. I didn't know—"

"It is perfectly okay, Son of Poseidon. Even the best of us fail to keep our powers in check when in turmoil. Emotions have an innate connection with divine powers. But no harm done. This is Olympus. Even I can rage all I want in here with my powers but be nothing but a minor inconvenience to the resident gods. It takes substantial power to cause normal rain here as well. Makes Demeter most upset for the crops in her gardens. Something about natural rain being good for crops."

"Why? I mean, you are the ruler of Olympus. Why can't you just will the weather to change as Dionysus does at camp?" I asked.

"This is the city of gods, Perseus. Not a place built temporarily on the mortal plane. This city is held by the power of the Olympian Council, Hestia, and all the deities residing here. It is meant to be the perfect city, and that it is. I can change the weather, but it takes substantially more power to do it along with its conscious use. And that was mainly made in such a way because of the exact thing you are going through now."

"The power I am giving out subconsciously?"

"Yes. Just think what would happen if the weather was to change over the city with every mood swing of a god or goddess."

"That would be bad."

"Precisely. Thus, the weather on Olympus is much harder to influence than in the mortal world. Remember that. It may help you someday."

I didn't know what he meant, but I nodded in response.

Suddenly a thought flashed in my mind.

"Sir, I wish to speak to you about something. Something that Nemesis said today."

Zeus turned to me, his electric blue eyes boring into me curiously.

"Yes?"

"She said that dark times are on Olympus. And… the titans are just one part of it."

Zeus sighed, turning back to look at the city.

"Let us deal with the problem at hand first. If another war is coming, it will come regardless of whatever we do. Remember, the more you try to avoid fate, the harder it hits you. It is, after all, inevitable."

"But we can do something to prepare for it."

"Prepare for what? Time is a fickle thing for gods. What is a lifetime for you, is hardly anything for us."

"But she said that I would be in the middle of it like I am now. So, it should happen in my lifetime, obviously."

Zeus smiled. "You still never know, Perseus Jackson. Seldom does a mortal or a demigod do enough to gain the passing interest of more than a single god. You have turned the divine world on its head with your presence. There might not be a single God, Satyr, Dryad, or Nymph in all of Olympus who doesn't know your name."

"What… are you trying to say?" I asked slowly, mulling over the words.

Zeus stared up, gazing upon the starry sky in response. After a minute of complete silence, he finally spoke.

"Heroes of great caliber who have gained more than passing attention of a god are more often than not, immortalized in some form or the other. It is through myriad ways, the most awaited of which is the highest honor any demigod can receive. Godhood."

I sucked in a sharp breath at what he was implying.

"What I am saying is that it is not far-fetched that you will be awarded it, especially in the light of your accomplishments. To be honest, had it not been for the war looming over us, that would've already been done. And, I can for sure say that you will be offered the honor of doing it, once the prophecy passes, and then, even a hundred years later, you can be the center of this danger Nemesis spoke of."

"But I do not want to be a god."

Zeus turned back to me with narrowed eyes. "Do you mean to say that you would say no to the highest honor that the council bestows?"

"No offense, sir, but godhood, as such, is not something that appeals to me. Especially when it means that I have to break all ties with the mortal world and be bound by this… set of ancient laws and sit watching helplessly as someone I love gets killed. I have seen Artemis, sir. I have seen her, knowing she would be helpless to help her huntresses more than a certain limit during battles. I don't wish to end up like that."

Zeus steepled his fingers before turning back to look at Olympus. His eyes grew distant for a moment before coming back to focus.

"My point just is, you shouldn't put too much weight on Nemesis's words. There is always some enemy or the other. A man once said to me… One doesn't get to be on the top without having enemies who constantly try to bring you down."

#Hey! That was my line.#

"Anyway. That is not why I was here. I require your services, Perseus Jackson."

"Yes?"

"It is for my daughter. In her fight against the Titaness, Aura, she lost the spear I had gifted her. But she still managed to win against her and kill her. For that, I wish for you to deliver her a gift from me. A reward, more like it." Zeus said, holding out his hand.

Lightning arced from his palm, cackling perpendicularly against his hand.

For a moment, I thought that he was summoning his master bolt, but instead, the lightning morphed into a double-sided ax. The weapon was about four feet in length from tip to tip, made of what looked like Celestial Bronze and Adamantium. Lightning arced between the upper tips of the ax, which extended above the main part of each blade, giving it the ability to stab as well as slash.

"Here. Give her this from me. I feel she will find it a much better improvement than her spear."

"It certainly should be," I whispered, taking the weapon from Zeus.

As soon as Zeus took his hand off it, the arcing electricity between the blades ceased to exist, but its faint hum still emitted from the weapon.

"It is made of Celestial Bronze, Adamantine, and Olympian silver. It is blessed by me and will allow her to channel her powers efficiently through it. Better than the spear she had before anyway. And, it is unbreakable."

#The weapon is about as powerful as the Riptide. Better than her spear anyway, which was just good craftsmanship with a concealing enchantment rather than a powerful weapon. Just a better-than-normal spear made of Celestial Bronze and Adamantine. But this… is quite an improvement.# Alexander commented.

I gave him a mental nod before turning to Zeus. "Does it have a concealed form, sir?"

"No. But Thalia will be able to summon it at will like I did just now. If in sight, it will fly back to her or teleport back to her hand as it did now."

"Cool. I will tell her that." I said, placing the weapon against the wall of Apollo's palace.

"Also, keep an eye on the camp in the summer. Of course, Chiron is still there but Dionysus won't be. Not as frequently as he used to be anyway."

"He has gone to have talks with minor gods, hasn't he?"

"Among other things, yes. But, that was not my point. We gods are currently arranging several things for you demigods including the delivery of raw Celestial Bronze to forge weapons. I am also arranging a team of six master cyclopes to come to the camp in the summer and work with Hephaestus's children to forge necessary weaponry and armor for the campers."

"I thank you on the behalf of the camp."

"That's not all. Apollo will be sending one of his lieutenants to teach healing. Athena and Ares are creating a set of algorithms for Automatons to be programmed on so they can act both as dummies and when finally needed, soldiers."

"I do not think Athena would need help to create that." I mused.

"But I needed to put Ares on some work till the actual fighting starts," Zeus waved me off. "Hera, Hestia, and Demeter are working with the nature spirits. The camp might get a dozen or so new demigods this year to train next summer."

"That is good."

"Certainly. Now, one last thing. Go back in and see a healer. You are injured."

"I already ate ambrosia. It is healing." I replied.

A sharp stab of pain stung me across my shoulder as a reminder of my injury.

"It is not an option. I am telling you to do it. Now, go in. You have a room booked till tomorrow evening in Apollo's Hospital. A Nurse Nymph will be available to tend to your injuries. Sleep. Rest. Heal. And remember to give my daughter her gift. Farewell."

With a crack of thunder, Zeus disappeared, leaving me alone once more.

#Well, there is quite some good news in today's happenings it seems.# Alexander commented.

'Excuse me?'

#Well, Thalia unlocked her true potential, didn't she? And she got a new weapon. And, all of that aside, there is good news for you as well. Your Storm-Rider has gained sentience of some sort due to the power in it.#

'What do you mean?' I asked sharply, eyeing the band resting on my arm.

#Today, you just told it to go and help Thalia before throwing it. By the throw… it shouldn't have gone more than a few feet away at the best. But it soared through the air toward Thalia and would've reached her if not for Nemesis.#

'Oh, right… so, what does this mean?'

#It means that you have to be careful while using it. Especially when sparring against other demigods. I don't think anything should happen but… if it feels that you are in danger, it might react on its own to protect you. But, that is a damn good thing in real battles.#

'Oh… cool. I will use my storm tamer during spars with demigods. The same way I used the Riptide.'

#Fair enough. But do not channel your divine powers using it. Because, if you get into a habit of using a certain quantity of power, and you channel that same through the Thyella Kalvalris, the effects might be devastating. You might end up bringing down a building instead of a wall.#

'Okay.'

#Now you should follow Zeus' advice and go in and get yourself checked. Even if you will be perfectly fine till midday tomorrow, you should go and visit the nurse just to be sure. And also have a good night's rest.#

'What of Thalia?'

#There is nothing you can do for her. And she is in safe hands. Just send a prayer to Artemis that you are staying in Apollo's palace for the night.#

I sighed. 'Alright.'

#Wakey, Wakey sleepyhead,# Alexander's voice from my own head made me snap my eyes open, before I immediately closed them again and groaned out loud as the sunlight assaulted my eyes.

Now, you may be wondering what it is like having a personal human-alarm clock in your head. Let me tell you, it's not fun. It is like a part of your own head telling you to wake up while the other part wants nothing more than to lie in bed and go back to sleep.

But then, the other part is incessantly nagging and you have to get up or get a mother of all headaches for the rest of the morning.

As I said, not fun at all.

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in Apollo's 'Medical Guest Room'.

Now, don't get me wrong. Apollo's awesome and the room his assistants gave me was nice, cozy, and comfortable. But the problem was the sunlight. The room was flooded with it even though the curtains were drawn. And the Nymph had specially put those on the windows before I slept, just because I was mortal. I could now gauge the reason as to why she said that.

Had it not been for the curtains, I would've been blinded temporarily, if not permanently. Seriously, Apollo needed to tone down his 'Sun-godliness' a bit.

With another groan, I regrettably kicked off the comfortable blanket and got out of bed, heading straight for my bag which was lying in the corner. I fetched my basic-necessity kit from it and proceeded straight to the bathroom to get ready.

After a shower and other daily rituals, I put on a pair of gray jeans and a red t-shirt that had STAR WARS written on it in black, big, bold, block letters.

With a snap of my fingers, my armband, watch, and ring materialized on my wrists and fingers respectively, from the bedside table I had laid them on.

I glanced at my wristwatch. Twenty minutes past eight. That meant I could easily be in time for Athena's spar sessions after checking on Thalia and having a good Breakfast.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and picked up Thalia's ax before walking out of the door.

Over the night, my shoulder and ribs had healed, thanks to whatever the Nymph gave me. I was still feeling a bit tired like I had just run a couple of dozen miles, despite not doing anything.

With a last look at the room, I pulled the door open and walked outside, heading straight for the Satyr who sat at the reception.

On the way, I saw Artemis coming my way with Zoe following her.

"Percy," Artemis greeted. "Glad I found you here. How are you feeling?"

"Fine now, after the medicine and stuff the nurse Nymph gave me. I was just on my way to check on Thalia."

Artemis frowned. "Her room is that way, Percy. And why are you holding an ax?"

"I… didn't know it was that way," I said. "And for the ax, it is her reward from Zeus for killing Aura."

"Ah, cool. Let's go and meet her then. Apollo said that she regained consciousness a few hours ago." Artemis said, walking down the corridor from where I had just come out.

"That's good. By the way, if you and Zoe are here, who is taking care of the Hunt?"

"I brought the whole hunt here, on Olympus. So… no worries. I also got your car back." Artemis informed. "We are living in the moon palace right across the street."

I nodded as Artemis led me further down the corridor before stopping at a wooden door.

SPECIAL–CARE PRIVATE ROOM

019

Artemis knocked on the door before pushing it open and immediately loud rock music assaulted my ears, making me cringe as I put my hands over my ears. Zoe and Artemis did the same beside me.

"THALIA TONE THE TV DOWN!" Artemis yelled and immediately the music was cut off.

"Hey guys, I didn't see you." Thalia greeted from across the god-sized room.

She was lying on a king-sized bed, wearing a black sports bra and leggings. Golden bandages were wrapped around her abdomen while her left hand was in a cast. A golden bandage was wrapped around her forehead as well.

"You look like shit," I commented looking at her.

"Aura fucked me up bad. But I will survive." Thalia commented, waving me off.

"Multiple lacerations, four totally broken bones, a dislocated shoulder, dislocated elbow, concussions, twenty-seven hairline fractures, complete divine exhaustion, sprained muscles, torn ligament, internal bleeding, serious damage in the right abdominal area." Zoe read from the pad lying on the coffee table in front of the sofa set.

"That is not to mention the bruises," I commented, eyeing the blue-black spots over her arms and the one on her cheek.

Thalia just shrugged with her right shoulder, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't say I am hungry as well."

"Order something from room service," Artemis said. "You have the phone right next to you."

"I did. They are making my order. Something about them not having mortal meals prepared." Thalia sighed. "Anyway, how are you guys?"

"Loads better than you… even with all our injuries combined," Artemis said dryly.

"Well, good for you. At least none of you are confined to a bed for a week or having to take yucky liquids and stuff."

I winced sympathetically. With the amount of ADHD Thalia had, it was going to be pure torture for her.

"Well, I have something for you from your dad," I said, holding up the ax in my hand.

Thalia blinked. "My dad?"

"Yep. He's proud of you." I said, holding out the ax.

As soon as Thalia touched the ax, arcs of electricity wreathed the weapon, traveling down Thalia's arm. Thalia moaned in delight as she closed her eyes. A moment later, they snapped back open, glowing with electricity.

I left my hold on the weapon, allowing her to take full possession of it.

A few seconds later, most of the lightning receded Thalia's body and the ax, leaving the smell of burning ozone in its wake.

"Damn… that felt good," She breathed. "Thanks, dad."

There was no response, but I had a feeling that Zeus had heard it regardless.

My attention was drawn away from Thalia as a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," Artemis called and the door opened, admitting a Nymph pushing a food trolley toward Thalia.

I choked on my spit seeing the amount of breakfast ladened on it.

Piles of pancakes, a foot tall each, along with loaves of toasted buttery bread, plates of eggs, and bacon were laid on the table. Not to mention, the huge jugs of fruit juices along with it.

"Enjoy your meal, Miss Grace," The nymph smiled. "But as you are our new customer, we must ask, would you like to pay the bill now or would you like us to open a yearly tab for you?"

"W-what?" Thalia stuttered, still staring at the breakfast.

"Put it on my tab," Artemis waved off the Nymph and she bowed before walking out of the room.

"What the fuck? Did she give me the breakfast for the whole fucking week?" Thalia cursed, eyeing the food on the table.

There was indeed enough food to suffice Thalia for more than a week and that was saying something as we demigods had much more appetite than a mortal.

"Did you, by any chance, forget to mention that you needed a demigod-sized meal?" Artemis asked dryly.

"I didn't know that there was any such thing! I just called and said that I needed pancakes, eggs, and bacon with buttered toast and fruit juice. Single serving. I mentioned those words specifically"

Artemis sighed. "Yeah, when you order like that, they just assume it is a standard Olympic-sized breakfast."

"Don't tell me you all eat that much," Thalia goggled.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Thalia, usually we are in our three-meter tall sizes while on Olympus. And we are gods. Of course, we need this much breakfast."

"I have never seen you eat that much," Thalia commented.

"That is because my lady stays in her mortal form. Thus she needs breakfast equivalent to that of ours. Plus, our sacrifices are added to it as well." Zoe said. "Anyway, no harm done. There are four of us here. And at least my lady and I are yet to have breakfast. I don't know about Percy."

"I am yet to eat as well," I replied.

"Cool. Dig in, then." Thalia said, pushing herself up gently. I wondered for a moment about how she was doing that so painlessly before I realized that she was probably on some god-level painkillers and all sorts of other medicine.

Within moments, Artemis and Zoe prepared four plates, on the table along with glasses of fruit juice, filled three-fourths each. Bending down, Artemis pulled out a small bucket from underneath the trolley table.

The bucket was full of ice along with bottles of water and golden bottles, filled undoubtedly with nectar. Uncorking a golden bottle, Artemis poured the nectar into the fruit juice, making the orange juice get a golden hue.

She picked up a plate and glass and carried it herself to Thalia, laying it out for her on the small table she had conjured for her.

"Tell us whatever you need. We are right here on the sofa." Artemis told her.

"Thank you, Lady Artemis," Thalia said as I picked my own plate, cutlery, and glass and so did Zoe before we moved the sofa. I sat next to Zoe, near the curve on the sofa, and pulled the table closer, so all three of us could use it to keep our plates and glass on it.

With relish, I dug into the food, soothing my starving stomach.

Half an hour later, I found myself in the arena of Olympus, waiting for Athena as I tapped my foot impatiently.

It was unlike Athena to be this late. In all my time that I had known her, I knew that she was punctual. Extremely punctual. She always arrived right on time, or a bit early to our session. It was only seldom, like only a couple of instances so far, that she had been late. That too was only a couple of minutes here or there, and not her tardiness.

#You… should really go and check her palace. It is unlike Athena to be so late.# Alexander said, making me nod.

I immediately walked out of the Arena and jogged toward Athena's palace. I would've just teleported, had it not been for the nurse-nymph who had told me to refrain from using any divine powers for the day unless it was an emergency… which this didn't really qualify as.

After a few minutes of walking, I stood in front of her palace. Her palace was the epitome of Greek Architecture mixed with the touch of modernity. Six huge, intricately carved marble pillars held up the Dome-roof over the gates of her palace. The roof itself was made of colored glass, making it look ethereal.

I walked forward and pressed the bell next to the huge, three-and-half-meter tall marble doors, both with intricate carvings of Greek letters and other Greek figures through history, depicting glimpses of the reign of Olympus.

A moment later, before I could admire more, the doors swung open and Athena stood there wearing a rumpled t-shirt and jeans. Her hair was a mess and there were bags under her eyes.

'What the hell?'

I had never seen Athena like this. She always looked prim and proper, dressed either formally or in a white Greek chiton without a single crease on her clothes.

"Good morning, Perseus," She greeted tiredly. "I thought you were supposed to be in Apollo's care."

"You look like you need it more," I commented dryly.

"I am just a bit tired. Working on things. Come in." She said, walking back into the palace, making me follow after her.

Instead of her library, she led me to a huge room that looked organized in a messy way. There were looms, sewing machines, printers, speakers, robotic arms, computers, and a dozen other things spread out across the room on huge work tables.

"This is my workshop," Athena said, moving to take a seat in front of the table ladened with half a dozen computer screens, all of which were running some program or the other. One had an Excel sheet of sorts, four had some codes running on them while the last one was a schematic diagram of a robot.

"You are programming the automatons Zeus asked you to make," I stated.

"Indeed," She agreed as she typed something on… one of the screens. (I couldn't understand which.)

"Tell me, Athena. When was the last time you slept?" I asked, looking at the jar of pitch black coffee on her table.

"A… a week or so, I guess," She replied as her fingers flitted across the keyboard before she glanced at the calendar on the wall. "Nine days and… sixteen hours to be precise."

"That is not healthy, Athena. You have to get some sleep."

"I am a goddess. And this is nothing I haven't done before." She said dismissively.

"Athena…" I said, doing my best imitation of Hestia.

"I have to get this done as soon as I can, Percy," She sighed. "What I am creating will be programmed into Automatons that Hephaestus is building. They will defend Olympus when the time comes."

"So, how far are you?"

"Not far enough. On top of the standard Automaton program that was already in existence, I've put up to five training levels out of seven. All shielding formations. A hive communication and a self program which will allow them to fight as a single force as well as solo. High-level aiming program to handle both Archery and modern guns. I've added a complete self-care program along with driving and piloting skills… That's all."

"Alright… So, like in normal terms, how well can they fight?"

"In terms of comparison… for melee fighting, they won't be able to match my or Ares's children… or maybe any well-trained demigod. Archery though will be on par with the children of Apollo because of the top-class aiming system. The problem is, it won't have the 'human factor' despite whatever I do. If I tell it to aim at monsters, it will begin shooting one arrow after another at monsters. It won't see which monsters to aim at first to say… save someone. They will shoot the first monster they detect and then go on shooting the next one."

I nodded in understanding. The human factor as Athena put it, was always important, especially on the battlefield where most decisions had to be made in the split of a second.

"Why is there such a difference for melee fighting though? For Archery, you say their shots will be on par with some of the best archers of the world. For melee, you said they won't even match a decently trained demigod."

"No, I said, any well-trained demigod," Athena corrected. "To be honest, we cannot compare like that. Take my son, Malcolm for example. He has been at the camp for three summers so far. He is not the top most fighter at the camp by a long shot but I think he would hold his own against half-a-dozen of these Automatons in melee."

"But he is your son. You are a war goddess."

"Precisely. A child of mine might take one of those down without any training. An eight-year-old Annabeth would've for sure."

"So… basically, they are useless in melee combat," I concluded, making Athena groan.

"What?" I asked irritatedly.

"You are being short-sighted, Perseus. While they might be easily defeated one-on-one against a demigod, six Automatons or say, ten against a single one? That's quite some tough fight. And, they are Automatons. We can build them in bulk and if they are destroyed, we rebuild them or reuse them."

"You want to make them a… first line of defense for Olympus?"

Athena pursed her lips as she continued to type on the keyboard, her fingers nearly a blur on it. Her eyes moved, reading as words appeared on the screen rapidly scrolling down.

We sat in silence for nearly a minute before she spoke again.

"I have not thought of what role they would play. I… cannot see the future, Percy. I am just creating this. It is logical that in a war… in any war, numbers always play a role. Even someone like us would be confident if we have an army of thousand standing behind us rather than standing alone. Won't you?"

"Maybe."

Athena stopped typing and turned to me. "Excuse me?"

"My powers, Athena. They are destructive. Earthquakes, storms… I would get limited while using them. Also, if I am alone, I do not have to worry about anyone getting hurt."

"Oh, of course," She said softly.

"Your sleep deprivation is kicking in. The Athena I know would have never needed to ask this question."

Athena looked away before rubbing her eyes.

"Percy, you do not understand."

"Then explain… though I do not think there is anything to explain. You are a wise one, Athena. You are the wise one. You know that a fresh mind will help you work better."

"No, Percy. You do not understand the urgency of creating this. I… am creating this for you and all the demigods… and Olympus."

"Speak what's on your mind."

Athena's shoulders sagged. "I do not think that the crooked one will face you demigods and us Olympians together. I… do not think we will be fighting shoulder to shoulder against the titans, Percy."

"The titans and their army of monsters against Olympians and the demigods. The math is pretty simple."

Athena scoffed tiredly. "If you hadn't noticed, he is running particularly short on divine allies at the moment. Especially with you, Thalia, and Artemis finishing four of his titans mere hours ago. And that is not to mention Coeus. Also, some have faded over the centuries. And, let us be honest here. The Titans failed against the Olympians when any of the second Generation Olympians didn't even exist. I wasn't even born back then. What chance do they stand now?"

"So you are saying that he will take the Olympians out of the equation to… take over Olympus?"

"He will send a distraction. Someone, something… I am not sure what or who though."

"Typhoon?" I asked remembering how many of the Olympians had fled from the father of monsters when he had first spelled terror on Greece.

"The terror of gods. Maybe. He is asleep for now and in chains. I checked on him about two months ago. Then there are Kratos and several other monsters we haven't faced in centuries. Monsters taller than skyscrapers and resilient to most divine attacks. The Ophiotaurus has resurfaced after more than three thousand years. And it is not a good sign."

"So you say that the Olympians would be drawn away?"

"Likely. If I was in his place, I would've done that. Divide and conquer. One of the oldest yet, most efficient strategies of battle. Also, you are the prophecy child. It is going to come down to you to take the final call. You and you alone."

"That is why you are preparing things like these."

"Precisely. Us gods cannot leave Olympus to only a handful of demigods, can we?"

"So, when it comes down to it, it is still gonna be us demigods who will defend Olympus?"

Athena smiled. "Perhaps all of Manhattan. In a week and a half, Aphrodite and I are going to the fortress of Aeolus and attending the council of the wind gods to negotiate with them to protect Olympus. It shouldn't be tough to convince them as they have always been on the side of the Olympians. We just need to negotiate the terms."

"Wind gods… to block direct teleportation into Olympus and aerial attacks, I presume?"

"Yes. The only way for the titan forces to come to Olympus is through Manhattan via the elevator in the Empire State building."

An image of a dozen monsters filing into the elevator in an orderly manner and going to the 600th floor while listening to elevator music played in my mind, making me almost laugh aloud.

Alexander certainly did.

"So… these Automatons…"

"If what I think happens, they will be yours to control. Or someone else's in case you don't want to… say my daughter, Annabeth, or your friend, Beckendorf. And, fighting is not the only task they'll do. They can do manual labor as well along with basic weapons care. I have already made those programs before. Plus, as I said, shielding."

"Cool. How many are going to be produced?" I asked.

"A hundred for camp half-blood. All will be under Chiron's control and will do as he designates. That is the top priority as the summer will begin in less than three months. For Olympus, it is two-hundred and fifty till the same date."

I hummed in response as Athena continued to type codes on her computers. Lines of codes appeared in seconds on the black screen in white letters and numbers. I couldn't make sense of what she was writing beyond a few words here or there but I supposed that whatever she was doing was way out of my educational league.

"You are saving your work, right?" I asked, eyeing Athena as she yawned, her eyes drooping.

"It gets autosaved every five seconds. Why?"

"Cause I am going to give you ten seconds for you to shut them down or I am gonna pull the plugs."

"You won't dare."

"Are you challenging me, Athena?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"Percy…"

"Ten."

"No! What?"

"Nine."

Athena groaned, putting her head in her hands.

"Eight."

"Alright, alright."

"Seven"

"I am going to sleep! Gimme—"

"Six"

"—a moment."

"Five."

"Percy, it will go blank on its own after ten—"

"Four"

"—Minutes. Let the computer stay on." Athena pleaded.

I stopped counting, and narrowed my eyes.

"Why?"

"So I don't need to open a dozen documents and apps again," Athena shrugged. "I will listen to you and go to sleep."

"I will check on you tomorrow. If I find you like this, I will knock you out and leave you with Hestia."

Athena rolled her eyes. "Yes, mother."

"Good girl," I said, patting her head.

Athena scowled before slapping my hand away, making me grin cheekily at her.

"Speaking of rest, you should take some too," Athena said out of the blue as she stood up from her seat.

I frowned. "I just woke up about two-and-a-half hours ago, Athena."

"Yes, I deduced that but what I mean is a break. A few days off from training and other stuff. A vacation, if you will."

#That is a wonderful idea!# Alexander exclaimed. #You should totally do it.#

"Umm…"

"Don't think of it. Do it. Take a few days' vacation and go somewhere. Miami is wonderful at this time of the year. Go there with your mother. Spend some time relaxing."

"But with all that is happening—"

"Please, Percy. Don't underestimate us. Your absence for a few days here isn't going to spell doom for Olympus. We are pretty capable." Athena said exasperatedly.

"Yes, I know that."

"Then go. Take a week's vacation. No training. No usage of powers unless it is for some emergency. Give your body and powers time to cool. To rest. It is necessary for you as it is for me."

"Then you come as well."

"I would love to but I have to finish this before the end of this month so Hephaestus can start integrating the program into the Automatons," Athena said remorsefully.

"Okay. I will go after the trials for the captured demigods take place. And if you need anything, just IM me."

"For sure."

"Now go to bed."

"Yes, mother," Athena said, rolling her eyes.

AND… Done! I hope you all enjoyed it.

I had said I would update on the 1st of September and here I am, thankfully having finished this chapter just in time for my beta to work on it.

That being said, a huge thank you to I_amaSWITCHbot for betaing this chapter.

.

TheHarbingerOfDeath: Yes, I am indeed from India.

Kyllix: Umm… sorry but it is a bit too late now. I cannot change that 31 chapters into the story.

MrTurnt: … I think you are misunderstanding something here. Nemesis was NOT on Percy's side. She holds no obligations or anything to him. I am not making the personal loyalty as a bad thing. You should reread chapter 12. And, tbh, he is the champion of Hestia. Family first before everything is kinda her motto.

Elephantsoup: Umm… Percy is not on any restraints or anything. His Storm Rider is.

Anvith Mithra: Sorry mate but I won't be doing a PJO-HP crossover fanfic.

.

Also, join my server, House of HPfanfictioner66, to interact with me directly, and also, I will be posting pictures of the characters there, so you all can get an idea of how they look.

Link: discord . gg / 4qfP3fxdQ4 [Remove the spaces please]

.

As of this moment, I have five main stories. They are:

1. The Rise of the Last Potter: My Novel length Harry Potter fic which is already 300k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly.

2. The Legend of the Son of Poseidon: A Novel Length Percy Jackson fic which is already 250k+ words long and it is a work in progress. Updated Regularly

3. Loved Ones Skipping Stones and Ice-cream: A fluffy Haphne one-shot. It is completed obviously.

4. SECRETS: Another romantic one-shot I published recently. Complete as well.

5. Agent Potter: The Wizard of W.A.N.D. - My new spy!Harry fanfic which I implore you all to read!

.

Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66