A/N: Here is chapter 21, a lot happens here so I hope you like it. The first part of the chapter is me writing in a style I have never tried before, so do forgive me if it isn't that polished.
This is part one of my (two-part) holiday special chapters, so expect what you're about to read to be jam-packed with action, adventure, drama, and lots of danger.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Percy Jackson and related stories.
Chapter Twenty One: Turning Point
Percy could barely make out anything as he walked toward the town in silence. It was a cold winter morning, and there was little to no light illuminating his way as he walked into the darkness.
Anything that he could have seen in the inky darkness of the night, was hidden from him by a blanket of fog that had settled all around him. It was almost unnatural, how the fog seemed to be wrapping all around him, denying his eyes any hint of what might be laying ahead.
Without a flashlight to guide him on his way, the demigod cautiously treaded down the lonely road, its twists and turns disappearing into the thick fog, forcing him to move with careful steps, uncertain of what lay ahead.
The road to Nentis stretched for many miles, it was flanked by dense forests on either side that served as a habitat for a variety of different animal species.
Unfortunately for Percy, carnivorous animals weren't his only concern; the forests were also said to harbor numerous monsters roaming the country in search of demigods, seeking refuge in its dark depths and adding to the dangers lurking in the shadows.
When he was in camp half-blood, Percy had heard many stories of demigods venturing into the forests and never returning. There was a reason those stories existed, there was a real danger hiding in the woods…
Being a powerful demigod himself, Percy's sense of sound was far greater than that of an average human, and every so often, the son of Poseidon would hear a sound he could not explain. The first few times there was that sound, he had chalked it up to his mind playing tricks on him, but there were only so many instances of the same thing that he could write off like that.
Percy avoided walking directly on the road, choosing instead to follow its edge cautiously. He had zero trust in speeding vehicles that could unexpectedly emerge from the thick fog and hit him without any warning. After having fought literal Gods and Titans, being run over by a car was not the way he wanted to go out. Thus, he chose to steer clear of the asphalt.
His steps, trampling through the foliage just off the road, seemed unnaturally amplified in the stillness of the night, the crunching of leaves beneath his feet echoing loudly around him.
Despite the uneasy feeling accompanying him, the demigod did not stop to investigate, he instead kept walking, figuring that the most reasonable thing to do in that situation was to get out of there as soon as possible.
He had been through enough life-threatening experiences to recognize that not everything happening to him was natural, he would have to be naive to believe something wasn't wrong… But there was little he could do other than continue walking until something showed up.
A light breeze forced Percy to stuff his hands inside his pockets, it was unusually chilly that morning… Another cold draft crept through the mist, chilling him to the bone despite his layered clothing. Each breath materialized in ghostly puffs, vanishing into the murky haze that surrounded him.
"Creepy as hell," Percy whispered to himself as he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. It could be the wind, but it didn't feel like that. An unsettling sensation crawled over his skin, a prickling awareness that something lingered just beyond his sight.
But then suddenly, for some reason, everything returned to normal. Though still shrouded in darkness, the thick fog had subsided somewhat—not entirely, but enough to prevent him from losing his way.
Walking closer to the road the demigod continued on his journey.
Everything remained normal for about another ten minutes, but then that uneasy sensation he had been feeling before returned once more. The fog gradually got denser and denser until Percy was once again practically blind.
"This is so stupid," the demigod chuckled nervously as he started picking up those strange noises following him again, this time more closely than before.
By now, Percy had covered enough distance so that the town should have been dimly visible from after, but due to the mist, he could see nothing, no lights to tell him he was any nearer now than he had been when he set out.
Percy had no reason to be afraid of the dark, after surviving the scorching furnace that was Tartarus, a peaceful night was a sight for sore eyes… But there was something off about his situation… He couldn't quite put a finger to it, but something was not right, he had lived through enough life-threatening situations to know that.
Still refusing to slow down, Percy kept pushing forward, by now he had abandoned the effort of walking on the edge, and was instead walking dead center of the road. With how poor the visibility was, he did not want to lose track of the way and end up somewhere unexpected. Plus he was pretty sure he could survive being hit by a speeding car, he had tanked worse blows before.
As Percy continued walking along the desolate road, he heard a haunting melody whispering through the mist, it was a soft and slow tune that sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn't any tune he could recognize; it seemed ancient, somehow laced with sorrow and foreboding. It had come from somewhere close, how close he could not tell, but definitely close.
"Alright that's it," Percy cried in frustration as he pulled out the Riptide and extended it, "This is some horror movie crap now!"
He had had enough, if there really was someone following him, then it was about to find out why he, a demigod, was feared even by the fiercest of Titans.
Turning around to face the direction of the sound, Percy tried to peer through the thick fog. "I don't know who you are, but if you have any idea of who I am, you should know coming after me is not the best of ideas!" The demigod spoke up, choosing to issue a warning.
"Go on Answer me! Is anyone there? Not so scary now, are you?" Percy challenged as he searched the fog for something.
But despite trying his best to locate something, the demigod would ultimately return to the road empty-handed. There was no one there.
Disappointed, and with the Riptide back in his pocket, Percy once again started walking towards the town. There was nothing else he could do.
For a few minutes nothing happened, but then he heard the sound again, this time it was just behind him. Whipping out his sword, the demigod pivoted on his feet and swung towards it, only to see his blade pass through empty air as there was no one there.
"What the hell!" The demigod cried as he held his sword close, his eyes darting left and right to find the offending presence.
It was simply too dark to see anything in the dense fog. He had to do something.
Percy was running out of ideas… Here he was, potentially being chased by some unknown monster, and he didn't even have the most basic idea of where it might be lurking.
Just as the demigod was about to turn away again, a thought occurred to him.
"The Moonblade," he whispered to himself as he suddenly swung his backpack and dug into it to find the knife given to him by Artemis. He had not forgotten the unique abilities bestowed upon the wielder by the blade.
Percy found his gift from Artemis safely wrapped in a spare t-shirt that he had tucked deep inside his bag. Even from that position, the demigod could feel the power radiating out of the weapon, it was truly an artifact meant to be wielded by a god…
"Let's see if you still got your mojo…"
As soon as Percy's palm made contact with the cool metal of the blade, he felt the environment around him transform drastically.
The demigod could suddenly see everything, and he could do so with great detail as his eyes adjusted to the pitch dark. The patterns floating in the mist now stood out more clearly to him as his brain started to operate like a hunter.
As Percy stood there in silence, he noticed for the first time that he could hear far more than before, in fact, he could clearly hear what sounded like a faint heartbeat and someone breathing.
The demigod turned towards the direction of the sound and fixed his vision straight ahead. As his magically enhanced eyes focused he could immediately see the patterns solidifying to form a silhouette.
In the mist, he saw something. It looked about five feet tall, it was humanoid in shape, but it looked unlike any monster he had ever seen before.
The dark figure had skin that was as black as the inkiest of nights, allowing it to easily melt in its surroundings and not be seen. Its eyes were a sinister red, looking almost like dried and congealed blood… But that was not all, rising from the skin of the entity was a thick swirling mist that was spreading throughout the forest, shrouding everything in an opaque blanket of fog.
The thing, whatever it was, was looking straight at Percy with a petrifying glare, its big, haunting eyes sticking out in contrast to the rest of its body.
A lesser man would have found himself shaking in fear, but all Percy felt was annoyance. Annoyance at having his day potentially ruined by the creature, annoyance at his own inability to identify it… There was so much Percy did not like about the entire situation, but the only way out was through.
He was ready to charge at the entity and drive his sword through its heart but before he could do it, he felt a resistance building within him. Suddenly he was reminded of his promise to Artemis, he had promised her that he would be careful.
A lot had happened since the son of Poseidon had first landed in the hunters' camp so many months ago. What had started out as a guarded and cold relationship between him and his soon-to-be wife, had somehow evolved into something so much warmer. Artemis trusted him blindly now, and he could never ever shatter that trust.
Percy did not know what the entity was, there were no monsters in recorded history that matched the description of what he was seeing. He had no idea how dangerous attacking it could be, he had no idea whether by charging into the forest without anyone to back him up, he could be walking into a live trap or not.
So in the end, for the first time in his life, Percy decided to play it safe.
Matching its haunting stare and looking directly into the eyes of the monster, the demigod pulled out the Riptide and pointed it towards the creature's heart, speaking up in a loud and clear voice he warned, "You know I can see you right? I know that you can see me as well. If you have been around for any length of time, you would know who I am and what I am capable of… So here's the deal, you have thirty seconds to leave me alone, go away now and I'll let you live, stay and I promise you my blade will be the last thing your messed up eyes will see today."
The figure remained motionless, offering no response. Seconds ticked by—five, then ten, fifteen. But just as Percy was about to enter the forest, the mist abruptly cleared. The figure had dissolved into thin air, disappearing completely.
With it gone, the weather seemed to improve almost immediately. Within a few seconds, there was no fog remaining, and without the mist blocking his vision, the demigod could also see that the sky was beginning to light up as night started to give way to dawn. Looking ahead Percy could finally see the distant lights of Nentis sitting on the horizon.
Percy released a deep breath, a breath he did not know he had been holding, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. For the moment, he was safe.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
By the time Percy reached Nentis, the sun had already come up. After getting there he quickly made his way to the building where he was staying and locked himself in his apartment.
Throwing his backpack on one of the chairs, the demigod fell back on his sofa. "That… That was crazy," he said to himself as recalled the dark figure he had seen on the way there.
It definitely wasn't a Titan, Percy could say that much with absolute certainty. However, at the same time, it didn't look like any monster he'd encountered before either. Percy did not know how to describe what he had witnessed. There was something unsettling about the creature, something more foreboding than your average monster, and yet lacking the immediate threat of a Titan.
For a moment, the demigod debated whether playing it safe had been a bad idea, perhaps he should have tried to capture it, it would have certainly helped their cause a lot… But he also had to protect his cover, his main mission was much more important.
In the end, he decided he had done the right thing. His promise to Artemis came above all else, he could not do something that would hurt her, not after how much she had come to grow on him.
The demigod had barely gotten any sleep on Olympus last night, so as he lay there on the sofa, his mind wandering here and there, he did not notice when sleep finally caught up to him and pulled him into its gentle embrace.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
And just like that, an entire month flew by…
For thirty long days, Percy had patrolled the town, stopping in every neighborhood he passed and scanning the houses for anything that might indicate a Titan's presence.
The scanning usually took an entire day, sometimes even two, but he left no stone unturned in his investigation, placing antennas and listening devices throughout the town to keep track of his investigation.
It was a sophisticated system that he was working with, years of development on Olympus had produced some of the most cutting-edge technology conceivable… Percy was armed with that technology, operating in secrecy and doing his job for the safety of the world.
By the end of those thirty days, he had covered nearly two-thirds of the town's area.
His listening devices and sensors too had started to occasionally alert him of divine activity around him; they were usually short bursts of signals that appeared very briefly and always disappeared before Percy could reach the location.
That was one of the disadvantages of chasing Titans as a demigod, they could flash away instantly, he could not…
Most surprisingly, the bracelet Percy had received from Zeus, the one that was supposed to warn him of nearby Titans, had also warmed up on two separate occasions… But despite searching the area, the demigod could not find anyone.
By this time he also ruled out a large part of the town as potential Titan hideouts, his search had always been very thorough, and anything he could have missed was bound to be picked up by his sensors sooner or later.
After working late into the next day, one day Percy woke up a little past two in the afternoon. Groggily getting up from his soft and comfy sofa, the hero of Olympus dragged himself all the way to the kitchen, where he made himself a cup of steaming hot coffee.
After sitting down for a few minutes to enjoy his coffee in peace, and feeling much more refreshed, Percy went over to his dining table and cleared it of all the cutlery he had left on it.
When the table was empty, the demigod reached over and rolled out a giant map of the town on its flat surface.
The map was one of the items that Percy had been given by the gods for his mission. It carefully detailed every known feature of the little town. From large supermarkets to small pet stores, it had everything. And it was constantly updating.
During his stay at Nentis, the demigod had been using the map to keep track of all the unusual activity he had observed there. Here is what he had found out so far:
The main residential part of the town stretched from the northern to the southern peripheries along the eastern edge, where thick forests bordered it on two sides. The western part of the town was where all the offices and government buildings could be found, littered with the occasional residential buildings here and there.
At the heart of the town stood a large park, surrounded on all sides by clusters of small shops, eateries, and small businesses.
Percy had extensively monitored the western part and had concluded that there was nothing to be found there. The same was true for the central park.
The part that looked most interesting to him was the region up North, the place where the oldest houses in the town stood. Anytime Percy had noticed something strange, it had always been from that area. In fact, that was where he had fought Asteria all those days ago.
Unfortunately, Percy had only been able to place his sensors in the areas that he had already searched, which did not include this untouched northern region. But the sensors on the roads leading up to the neighborhood did light up a lot, indicating that Titans were frequenting that path.
So Percy had decided to focus his search up north where an old clock tower was located. Running his finger on the map the demigod scoured for an ideal vantage point until eventually, his finger landed on a small uninhabited house that appeared to look promising.
Coming directly from the gods, there was of course more to his map than just the city layout. Percy could see the live status of all properties, and his map told him that the house was being renovated. Which meant there was a good chance it was empty for a good part of the day.
Percy had been awake for only a few minutes now, and yet he was already feeling bored. Desperate to get out and not wanting to waste any more daylight, the demigod picked up his backpack, stuffed it in a few useful items, and made for the door.
On his way out, Percy noticed a few packages resting on his tea table. It was strange and something that struck him because the demigod did not remember putting them there, which meant they could only be from Olympus.
Walking over to the packages, Percy picked one up and read the inscription, "It's from Thalia," he whispered as he recognized her untidy scrawl.
Quickly he unsealed it, and inside he found two envelopes. Opening up the first one he found a small note and an attached photograph.
I hope you are doing well Kelp Brain.
You know I don't support this sentimental crap, but it has been a long time since you left, and many of my sisters tell me they miss you. Here's a photo of us at Camp Jupiter so you don't forget how cool we are.
Lady Diana told us about your mission. Atlanta, Amelia, and Millie ask me to tell you to be safe, but Phoebe and I say you give them hell, cousin.
-Thalia
Percy glanced at the attached photo and couldn't help but chuckle. It showed the Hunters proudly standing with a banner, celebrating their victory over Camp Jupiter in a game of capture the flag. In the image, a few Romans were also visible; Percy recognized Jason and Piper, both glaring at Thalia, who seemed to be gloating about her victory.
'Never change Thalia…' Percy thought of her fondly as he unsealed the other envelope.
His breath hitched as he looked at the picture, it was Diana, dressed in her hunter's attire and looking ferocious as ever. Despite her dangerous look, she was smiling at the camera, and even from so far away, through the barrier of a photograph, Percy felt himself melting under her beautiful smile. How much he wanted to reach out and hold her hands… But it was not to be, it was forbidden, and he knew that very well…
Just like the other picture, this one too had a note, it was from Thalia again.
Now Kelpy, since I am your favorite cousin,
(Don't worry I won't tell Nico), I decided to do you a
solid and smuggle you a picture of my lady.
I took it before our capture the flag game, and I told her it was for our sisters.
If anyone asks where you got it, it was not from me, I would like to remain the lieutenant of the hunt, thank you very much.
You will deny it but I know it's the best gift anyone's ever sent you so you can thank me later.
I suggest you don't let Lady Diana find you with it, or maybe do let her find you with it, who knows, with the way she talks about you these days anything can happen….
-Thalia
"You… You little punk" Percy shook his head in shock as he held the photograph delicately, "This is so wrong…" he ran one of his hands through his hair as he looked at the picture of his fiance.
A part of him wanted to frame the photograph and look at it every single minute, but deep down he knew he should get rid of it, destroy it before it could be found. But he just couldn't make himself do it, so instead he locked it in a drawer and hid the key in his cupboard.
Percy still had a couple of packages to go through but it was starting to get late, so he decided to open them once he returned.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
After leaving his apartment, Percy took a cab to where he wanted to go, it was only a short twenty-minute drive from where he lived so it was not that inconvenient to get there.
Once he reached the empty house and confirmed that no one was there, he used one of the poorly shut windows to get in. It always surprised the demigod to see how careless normal people were when it came to their safety.
After making his way up to the first floor, the demigod found another window with an unobstructed view of the main road and started to set up his instruments.
By now it was second nature to Percy, and it took another five minutes or so to set up his observation deck, but once he was ready, his instruments were making him look like he was straight out of an ultra-modern spy movie.
Fixed on a sturdy tripod and looking out of the window was a very expensive camera with some serious lenses to go along with, there was also a pair of high-power binoculars kept close by and a fully charged quadcopter drone that was so small it could fit in the demigod's palm.
Finally, there were several antennas connected via a USB cord to his computer and fixed to the windows, these antennas would allow him to comb the area for any unusual signals. All of it wasn't human tech, it was made on Olympus, crafted specifically for jobs like his.
Percy's main goal was to sit there all day and observe the neighboring buildings for signs of divine activity, if, by the end of the day, he found nothing, the next day he would move to some different part house and repeat the whole process until he found something concrete to start his investigation on.
The demigod felt horrible about having to spy on civilians, but he had to ensure they were who they said they were. Two Titans in the same town, not counting the one he had captured, was very concerning for everyone present there. Remembering how fiercely Asteria had fought for her freedom, he also knew full well the risk involved in what he was doing.
With nothing else to do other than keep an eye on the area, Percy sat down and started his observations. It was a long and boring process that usually resulted in disappointment, but it was his duty to be vigilant.
Two hours passed and nothing of any interest whatsoever happened there, then before he knew it, two more hours passed and the sun was starting to go down.
Percy was just about to call it a day and leave when he heard one of his receivers buzzing, it had detected someone not human. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw a man walking down the road. He adjusted his camera and zoomed in on the person, turning on the auto-tracking mode.
He was incredibly well built, easily over 6'5, and with the body of a tank. Even from there, Percy could tell that he was not someone you would want to cross. His facial features stood out too, he looked distinctively Greek in his appearance, especially with a divine touch.
On a hunch, Percy switched his camera to a different spectrum and focused it on the man.
The demigod immediately knew he had hit gold. Gods and Titans did not appear like normal humans in the infrared and other spectrums of light unless they went through the extra effort of masking their signatures. Usually, the mist did a pretty good job of changing a god's physical appearance but the same was not true for the body heat they gave off and the occasional bursts of UV and radio waves they seemed to emit.
Wasting no time, Percy pulled back his camera and moved away from the window. Keeping an eye on the man, the demigod waited for him to pass the house and cover some distance.
When the man was far enough, Percy crept towards the window, unlatched it, and carefully slipped the small quadcopter drone he had brought with himself, out of it.
Running back to his laptop, Percy assumed control of the drone and started following the man from a safe distance.
Unaware of the demigod, the mystery man walked straight for some distance, and surprisingly, on his way, he was greeted by many of the neighborhood's residents. Normal civilians who should have nothing to do with a Titan smiled and waved at him as he passed their houses, with the man himself waving back with just as much warmth.
'How strange,' Percy muttered, and it was indeed very peculiar, 'he is sticking to his cover remarkably well,' he thought. It was difficult for the divine to blend so well with mortals, the differences were simply too large to be hidden, but the man Percy was following seemed to be doing a phenomenal job of earning the trust of the mortals.
Being a demigod himself, Percy could of course spot a Titan with much more ease, the build and facial structure of the person was a dead giveaway. But even among the demigods, it was a detail only trained eyes like Percy could pick.
Percy looked with furrowed eyebrows as his Titan turned towards the left and entered a moderately sized two-story house. With the press of a button, the demigod had the location and the video recording of his chase.
Swiftly gathering the items and securing his drone in its case once it had returned, Percy wasted no time in leaving the house. With powerful strides, he set off toward the direction where the Titan had disappeared, he did not want to lose him because he was slow.
Once close enough, Percy hid himself in some bushes and pulled out the antennas again, pointing them directly at the house the Titan had disappeared into.
For ten whole minutes, Percy stayed there, still as a statue, diligently capturing the readings and hiding in silence. He knew he would have to return home to analyze the data and find something useful, because, in reality, there was nothing he could do from there other than record everything for later on.
Once satisfied with what he had got, he carefully pulled back the antennas, stuffed everything in his bag, and proceeded to leave the area before he could be caught.
After about ten-fifteen minutes of walking, he felt safe enough to relax a little. He was far enough from the Titans to not be under the immediate risk of getting caught.
One of the best things about Nentis was its robust public transport system, and Percy reckoned he could catch a bus to his house relatively cheaply.
Approaching the bus stand, Percy quietly queued up, patiently awaiting the arrival of the next bus.
"Percy? Is that you?" A soft voice called after the demigod, almost making him jump in surprise.
The demigod turned around to face his caller, only to come face to face with, "Dareia!"
"It's you, what are you doing here?" Percy cried in surprise as he recognized the kind lady he had met in the park all those days ago.
"Well… I live here," she replied with an amused smile, "But what about you? I didn't expect to see you here,"
After their first day in the park, Percy had met her again on multiple occasions, and each time the two had got to know each other a little bit better. With someone else Percy could conjure up any random story and get away with it, but with her he actually needed to be careful.
Dareia was a fascinating woman, and the son of Poseidon had come to respect her a lot. Over the days he had spoken with her, she had helped him see things differently and a lot more clearly when it came to Artemis. She was sharp as a tack and small details seldom slipped by her.
The demigod's mind scrambled for an excuse that might sound believable. "Um...visiting a friend?" he offered, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.
The woman seemed to accept it as she smiled brightly, but a flicker of curiosity still danced in her eyes showing she knew there was more to the story than he had let on. "That's amazing! I am glad to hear you have finally made friends, who is it then? I know almost everyone who lives here," she said with her same trademark enthusiasm.
The demigod could never wrap his mind around her unique ability to brighten the mood of everyone present there, he had spent seconds talking to her, but somehow he was already feeling better.
"Ah, you wouldn't know him!" Percy waved her off, desperately trying to make her drop the subject. "I walked a very long way from his home to get here, was just exploring the town I guess, plus it's only a friendly coworker, to be honest, I can't really call him a 'friend' friend yet can I?"
"Oh," the woman said, "Well it's a start, I'm sure you'll grow closer in no time,"
"Yeah," Percy nodded with a smile, "I am sure."
Like always, it felt wrong for him to lie to her. She deserved better than his fabricated tales, her kindness met with a web of half-truths. But honesty could be a deadly weapon, and exposing the world of gods and monsters would only paint a target on her back.
"So, where are you going?" She asked, once again back to her bubbly self.
"Ruby Road," the demigod replied, "That's where I live."
"Oh, great! I'm headed to Church Street, and I believe your stop is along the way," she exclaimed. "Look, there's our bus. Come on, let's hop aboard. I cannot wait to hear all about your special lady friend."
Percy couldn't suppress a chuckle at her infectious enthusiasm as he boarded the bus and settled into a seat. Before long, the one beside him was taken by Dareia.
She had never given up on Percy and Artemis's potential love story, for some reason she really wanted his relationship to work out.
"So Dareia," Percy began before she could get a chance to speak, "How have you been?"
"I'm fine, you know, same old same old, but forget about boring old me, tell me about yourself, how are you adjusting? It's been days since we last met…"
"Actually, I'm doing pretty well," Percy replied with a smile. "I guess I'm getting more accustomed to living here now, also I had the chance to meet an old friend the day before yesterday, which is always nice," he shared.
"That's lovely," Dareia smiled, "Did you enjoy meeting your friend then?" She asked.
"Kind of," Percy shrugged, "Turns out it was more of a work visit than a social one."
"Work visit? But I thought it was your friend?" The woman asked with a frown.
"It is… complicated," Percy grimaced, he couldn't very well tell her that every couple of weeks he met the messenger god Hermes outside Nentis to submit a detailed report of the town he was spying on.
"Hmmm…" she nodded, "You know, I know a little bit about your friends now, but you never did tell me much about your family,"
"Oh, believe me, if I started talking about them, I'd be talking forever," the demigod chuckled. "I love my mom and dad, just recently got a little sister. I've got an aunt who's the best in the entire world, along with some amazing cousins... Other than that, it's a bit complicated. Maybe a story for another day," Percy shared with a thoughtful smile.
"What about grandparents?" The woman asked.
Percy frowned, "Would you believe me if I said that my grandfather tried to kill me?"
"I am surprised, but I don't see why you would lie about that… I am so very sorry Percy, it must— it must feel horrible." Daria said as she held his hand comfortingly. For some reason she genuinely looked affected by his words, perhaps it was just her empathetic nature, but the sadness that had crossed her face had been very real…
A shrug escaped Percy's lips. "No big deal. Wasn't exactly pals with him, anyway. Never met either of my grandparents, actually" Percy explained, "Although from what I hear, my grandmother is supposed to be the exact opposite, my aunt tells me she is one of the kindest, most loving persons in the world, shame I haven't met her yet."
"Well I'm sure she is proud of you," she said with a smile, and for a moment Percy thought he could see something else behind that smile, but he blinked and it was gone.
"I really hope so," he found himself speaking earnestly.
"Now, coming to the interesting topic, how are things going with you lady friend?" Dareia asked with the twinkle in her eyes that always seemed to appear wherever she was talking about him and Artemis.
"Umm—" Percy flustered, "Nothing new sadly, you see we haven't met in a long time now, not since I last told you I met her... So one month… Nearly… But as you already know, that time she was very unlike herself but in a good way if it makes sense."
"What is her name, Percy? I have known you for over a month now and I cannot always keep calling this amazing woman your 'lady friend.'" Dareia laughed.
And she was right, with how much they ended up talking about Artemis, it was a surprise she hadn't asked for a name yet… Percy had also been reluctant to share too much when it came to her, perhaps the woman had picked up on this and decided to respect his silence.
The real name hung heavy on his tongue, and Percy debated whether telling her was a good idea, or if he should come up with a lie, but in the end he decided that there was no harm in letting her know, by now Percy was sure he could trust her.
"Artemis, her name is Artemis, though sometimes she also goes by another name," Percy confessed.
"Artemis?" Dareia repeated, intrigued. "Like the Greek goddess?"
Percy chuckled, "Yes, just like the Greek goddess."
"Well, the one from the stories despised men. I suppose you must be lucky that yours is fond of you," the woman joked.
Percy laughed again, "I think she makes an exception for me."
Dareia looked at him carefully, "You love her don't you?"
Her question caught Percy off guard, leaving him at a loss for words. "I— I don't know," he admitted after a full minute of silence. "You know, I did love a woman once, but it ended badly. Neither of us got what we wanted, and we were both left brokenhearted. Discovering Artemis... Has filled that void somewhat, but I guess I'm afraid—"
"Of it ending badly again?" She suggested.
"No, of hurting her. I don't care what happens to me, I just can't see her sad." Percy admitted as the picture Thalia had sent him floated in front of his mind, the demigod knew the woman in the picture was someone who could lay waste to entire armies, she was a being of unimaginable power and knowledge, and yet she looked so harmless, so innocent…
Dareia smiled brightly at him, "Well I think I got the answer to my question…. I am sure you'll find it soon enough as well."
"Dareia," Percy started, "If you don't mind me asking, why do you do this? Why do you help me?"
"That's what I am like Percy…" the woman answered as she looked into his green eyes. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before adding, "Also you remind me of my son a lot, he looks just like you…"
"Come on, your son looks like me? I'm over 20! You can't be that old." Percy laughed, not believing a word of what she said. She looked 30-35 and not a day older.
She just laughed alongside him but did not say anything else.
The remainder of the journey passed swiftly, and before Percy realized it, he bid farewell to Dareia, one of his favorite humans after his mom and sister, and found himself back in the comfort of his apartment.
"Alright then, time to see what I've found," Percy said to himself as he got his laptop out and loaded the recordings he had captured.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
It took the demigod about an hour to process all the readings he had captured out in the city.
High-resolution footage flickered on the screen, as his work started to come together. During this time, he organized every bit of video, photographic, and meteorological evidence he had managed to get using his high-power camera and drone systems, he also included the thermal and UV data before compiling everything into one file and loading it up on a pen drive.
Unfortunately, Percy would have to get the data out of the city the old way round, because Olympus had informed him that all forms of internet were suspected to be compromised and any attempt to contact them wirelessly could result in the information being intercepted and his location being disclosed for all to see.
This is why Percy was going to load the pendrive with everything he had found and post it to Olympus using good old US Postal Services.
After encountering the shadow creature nearly a month ago, the demigod had developed a strange habit of fidgeting with the Moonblade. While immersed in the analysis of the collected data, the gift from Artemis remained within close reach. His hands instinctively sought out the cool touch of the magical blade now and again. Each contact with the blade sustained his hyper-awareness that was linked to the weapon's mystical properties.
As a result, while Percy continued working on his laptop, he could occasionally hear odd knocks and clicks that seemed to be coming from somewhere above him, they were sounds that would normally be too faint for him to pick up: not that loud and almost always infrequent, but they were still present and he could hear them because of the moon goddess's gift.
As the sound persisted, Percy's brow furrowed, his demigod brain bouncing between concentration and irritation. He tried to dismiss it, to focus on the glowing screen of secrets before him, but the sound wormed its way into his thoughts, a persistent itch he couldn't scratch.
Frustration finally got Percy as he got up from his desk and made his way to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, he decided to make himself another cup of coffee so that he could focus on his work in peace.
He did not know what to do with the Moonblade, its effect was just so addicting, but it was also driving him crazy… To be able to hear and see so much more, was not something the demigod mind was designed for…
As the coffee brewed, a flicker of reflection caught Percy's eye through the lace curtains. Through the slightly open kitchen window, he noticed a black SUV parked outside his apartment, sitting on the other side of the street.
The oddest part was, that he had seen the same car standing on the left side of the building about 20 minutes ago, and now here it was, still in the area but parked somewhere else.
Under normal circumstances, Percy would have investigated the situation a bit more… He would never let himself rest until he had confronted his paranoia, but there was also the fact that this was fast becoming very common for him.
This was not the first time Percy had heard knocks he could not explain, and it certainly wasn't the first parked car he had felt suspicious about.
A symptom of Percy's high-stress job was his extreme paranoia. First, there was that sound and now the SUV standing in a place where it did not belong. Together the two creeped him out quite a bit… But he knew it was probably nothing, moments like this were starting to feel like a broken record to him, and the demigod was just about done with them.
This happened to him almost every day now… He used to be just as paranoid when he was hiding in Hawaii, and now, especially after arriving in Nentis, it had returned to him in full force.
Shrugging the event off as another one of his delusions, the demigod picked up his cup of coffee and returned to his desk, his hand reaching out to brush against the Moonblade again.
Surprisingly, the audio Percy had gotten from the antennas still wasn't ready to be analyzed and it was proving to be stubbornly cryptic for him to solve.
It was taking the demigod far longer to develop it than he had anticipated, it was probably because he had captured it from far away and the signals he had received were faint. In the end, it took the very best of Hephaestus's suite of software to get anything that made sense from the jumble of sounds he had captured.
Finally, when it was ready, Percy put on a pair of headphones and started combing through the recording.
Most of the file was just static and background buzz, but deep in there, hidden behind the layers of sound, he could hear broken voices of what sounded like two men discussing something.
"—re he took her?" He heard the first man ask.
"Not yet," the other answered.
"—Is unacceptable— Can't— need to get her back."
"—says— took her to Olympus"
Percy frowned as he listened closer. It was difficult to understand anything, but from the little he could hear, it sounded like the two men were discussing his capture of Asteria.
For the next few minutes, all he could hear was static, but then, gradually the quality of the sound improved a bit and he could surprisingly make out most of what they were saying.
"—does not want him harmed," one of them said.
"It is to be expected, we won't harm him but we need the information, this is why she can't find out about our plan." the other replied.
"So we question him, that's all?" The first one asked.
"Yes, question him and leave him in peace—"
The sound broke off again, causing Percy to slam his fist on the table, "Not now! Damn it!"
For the next few minutes, Percy tried his best to get the audio to clear up again. He tried different frequencies, he tried to isolate the sounds, but nothing worked.
Until miraculously, amidst the struggle to decipher the audio, Percy's ears caught faint sounds once more. Though the quality remained poor and comprehension difficult, a few words hit him with the force of a speeding locomotive, standing out starkly even without additional context.
"Ruby Road"
"Tonight"
Percy pulled the headphones away and slowly got up, "Oh shit…"
That was where Percy lived, the same place he was in right now.
His first thought had been linking the incident to Daeria, as only hours ago he himself had told her where he lived, but as quickly as the thought had risen, Percy pushed it back down when he remembered that the audio had been recorded before he had run into Daeria.
There was no way the woman could be blamed for that.
Suddenly, a surge of realization hit the demigod as he recalled something significant.
Quickly going back to his laptop, he pulled back the drone footage he had captured earlier that day and fast-forwarded it to the part where the Titan had entered the house.
And there it was, parked in the driveway of that house the very same black SUV that had been standing outside Percy's apartment for over an hour now.
The demigod stumbled backward.
There was the sound again, and this time Percy did not ignore it.
He looked towards the locked door, an ugly feeling suddenly upon him.
They knew where he lived… And there was a very real possibility they were already there.
Without wasting a single second Percy closed his laptop and slipped it into his backpack, he did the same with his pen drive and map before swinging the bag over his shoulder.
In a whirlwind of motion, Percy slapped on his shield watch, the metal biting into his wrist with a satisfying clink. In one swift move, he secured the Moonblade across his back, its silver edge gleaming like a predator's fang. Finally, with a practiced flick of his wrist, Riptide roared to life, extending from pen to deadly blade in a hiss of Celestial bronze.
The demigod was about to barge out of the front door and take his enemies by surprise when unexpectedly, he heard a very familiar voice call for him.
"Percy!" the voice echoed, warm and familiar, slicing through the fog of battle-ready adrenaline.
The demigod looked towards the door in confusion, his grip on the sword suddenly feeling a lot more unsure.
With great caution, he approached the door and cautiously peered through the peephole.
Outside the door, he beheld none other than Artemis herself, standing patiently and waiting for his response.
Percy might have suspected a trap if it weren't for the unmistakable sensation of her aura—unchanged and exactly as it had always been. A god's aura was intrinsic to their domains, impossible to replicate. Over the months spent with Artemis, he had grown acutely attuned to her aura, and now, he sensed the moon's presence once more, confirming her authenticity.
"What…" Percy whispered to himself as he opened the door and came face to face with the beautiful goddess who often visited him in his dreams.
"Artemis?! What are you doing here? You can't be here!" he whispered furiously. Even though he had missed her a lot, he was there on a mission and he could not afford to forget that. By being there, the goddess was risking to ruin all his hard work and progress.
"Really? That's how you are going to greet me?" the goddess asked with a raised eyebrow, an amused smile playing on her lips.
Without waiting for an answer, she walked into the house and started observing the surroundings just like she had observed his tent all those months ago when he had first come to her.
Percy closed the door behind her and ran towards her, "Wait! This is not a good time to visit me, they can be here anytime!"
This seemed to get her attention as a serious expression replaced her calm look and she turned to face him, "What do you mean they can be here anytime? Who are they?" she asked in a serious tone.
"Well, the Titans of course!" Percy exclaimed, "Who else do you think I'll be talking about? Listen, your being here can ruin everything, you need to go NOW!"
But the goddess did not seem to care about his concern, instead, she looked occupied with a problem of her own, "Percy this is important, how do you know that the Titans are coming for you?"
Percy looked at her like she had grown a second head, "I am here to… Spy on them?"
"How Percy? How did you find out?" she pressed.
"Well, I managed to identify one of them as a Titan, then I followed him home, got the recordings, got the photos, and then I got the hell out of there." Percy explained impatiently, "I haven't analyzed the full audio but I heard them mentioning this place and then something about them coming here tonight, this is why we need to get out of here right now!"
"I see," she responded, her lips forming a firm, straight line.
Artemis still didn't seem to be taking his concern seriously as she continued questioning him, "And this data you say you got, have you sent it to Olympus yet?"
Percy stared at her in confusion, wondering if he had somehow offended her. Her unresponsive demeanor was unusual, especially since she had never acted that way with him before. At the very least, he had expected her to acknowledge his words…
After a moment's hesitation, Percy said, "No… I didn't get the chance."
A big smile lit up the goddess's face as she said, "Good, you can give it to me then, I'll take it with me to Olympus"
"Umm…" Percy blinked, "I mean sure…"
The goddess nodded encouragingly, "Well go on then, what are you waiting for?"
"Artemis do you mind if I—" Percy said as he quickly and unexpectedly grabbed the goddess's hands.
"Percy! What is the meaning of this?!"
Percy let go of her hands and shook his head, "Nothing, just missed your touch that's all…"
"Oh…" the goddess said, "Well just get the files."
"I'll do it right away, it's in the kitchen if you don't mind waiting for a second…" the demigod lied.
"Yes, whatever," Artemis shrugged.
"Good, I'll be back in a moment," Percy said as he rushed towards the kitchen and outside the view of the goddess.
Leaning against a nearby counter, Percy took a deep breath and whispered, "What the hell."
Artemis's behavior felt entirely unlike her usual self, leaving the demigod almost convinced that she was someone else. However, her aura prevented him from running away— the moon sang within her, an undeniable hum that resonated with his own soul, a trait synonymous with Artemis.
Percy did not know what to do, on the one hand, his instincts were shouting at him that something was wrong, but on the other hand, his powers were telling him to trust her.
It was not usual for the moon goddess to have extreme mood swings and not behave like herself for extended periods of time. What if Percy ran away and she really turned out to be the moon goddess? How would he face her again after having pulled off such a stunt?
The real reason Percy had grabbed her hand was to confirm the distinct sensation he had always felt from Artemis's aura. As he touched her, the sensation indeed mirrored the experience of touching Artemis— there was the same icy caress of moonlight, an unmistakable presence that remained consistent, the echo of the goddess that never faded.
The feeling of the moon was not something that could be stolen or replicated… And yet, while Artemis's touch always had that cold sensation behind it, there was also a warmth to her touch that felt soothing against his skin, the same warmth that had been notably absent today…
Doubt and confusion were starting to fog the demigod's mind, there was something odd about the goodness, he knew it for sure. It was something obvious, something that was hidden in plain sight and yet he could not see it.
"Are you done Percy?" he heard the goodness call.
"Just give me a moment!" Percy called back.
And then suddenly he saw it…
"She called me— She called me 'Percy'…" the realization struck the demigod. Artemis had never, not once called him 'Percy'… It was always 'Perseus,' the other name was reserved for Diana.
That was the confirmation Percy had needed, that was what told him that the person standing in his living room was not Artemis. She just couldn't be.
The demigod's initial plan had been to give his attackers a fight they would remember for the rest of their lives, but he knew he could not do it anymore, no matter how sure he was that she was not Artemis, he would never be able to go all out so long as she looked like her.
It was a weakness, a weakness that could cost him his life…
So very quietly Percy made his way to the kitchen window, he carefully peeked outside to notice that the car was still standing there. Squinting his eyes, the demigod could tell that the vehicle was empty.
He straightened himself once more and listened carefully, the knocking sound had eerily stopped now, and instead, Percy could only hear the fake Artemis pacing in the living room.
From where he stood, there were only ways out of his apartment, the first was his door, but it was not a viable option now, which only left, "The window," Percy whispered.
The demigod again peeked outside, but this time he looked down below.
Percy lived on the second floor of his building, and there was only hard concrete he could land on if he decided to go with his stupid impulsive idea and take a literal leap of faith.
The pacing was getting faster as the woman was no doubt nearing the end of her patience.
He did not know who else was coming to get him, but he was sure as hell that they knew what was capable of…The elaborate ruse to deceive him and their decision to orchestrate an ambush despite his history of defeating foes stronger than himself suggested that they were not taking any chances and would arrive well-prepared. The only reason Percy could even hear them coming was because of Artemis's amazing magic blade.
Shaking his head the demigod cursed in frustration, "This is going to hurt like hell," before opening the window and slipping out of it.
Percy felt the ground rushing up to meet him…. He braced himself, knowing the impact would sting like Tartarus. Twenty feet of plummeting air ended with a bone-jarring thump. Percy's legs protested in agony. But he stood, defiance overriding the pain, his demigod reflexes somehow managing to keep him upright.
Stumbling in pain Percy dragged himself out of the building and towards the parked SUV.
Once there, almost instinctively, the demigod did something unexpected. He seized the driver's side door and, with surprising strength, tore it open, effortlessly wrenching the heavy door from its hinges.
"Didn't know I could do that…" he whispered to himself, stunned by his own display of strength, "Probably some of that goldy transformation is finally paying out," he mused as he casually tossed the door away and reached inside the vehicle.
Inspecting the car for any belongings, the demigod discovered a small suitcase resting on the backseat and some papers tucked inside the glove box. Hastily, he stashed the papers into his own backpack and retrieved the suitcase before exiting the vehicle.
He took a few steps away from the car before stopping and turning back. It was one of those old vehicles that still needed a key to turn on. "I wonder…" he whispered, before suddenly walking towards the SUV and slipping back into the driver's seat.
If Percy's hypothesis was correct and he was indeed starting to see some of the benefits of his goldy transformation, the least he could do was turn a car on without the key fob.
"Um… start please?" Percy tried. He did not expect anything to happen, but it was worth a shot.
And to his immense surprise it did work, the engine hummed to a start as the vehicle obeyed Percy's command.
"COOL!" Percy exclaimed in joy as his feet hit the gas and the car pulled out of there.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
As the vehicle raced down the streets of Nentis, gradually getting further and further from the town's center, Percy finally let go of a breath he did not know he had been holding. It had been a close call, too close for his comfort.
He could not believe what had happened, they had somehow managed to get a fake Artemis, what was more worrying was how she was able to feel exactly like her. Had Percy not grown so much closer to the goddess in recent days, he would have surely fallen for her impersonation.
Cold air was rushing in as Percy drove, and unfortunately, there was no door to protect him from the harsh winter outside. In hindsight, the demigod admitted, ripping the door apart might have been a bit of an overkill, but it had felt right at the time.
Percy drove straight for about another 15 minutes, but as he got closer and closer to the edge, he started noticing something strange.
A translucent wall of purple energy appeared to be rising in front of him, as he looked further he realized it kept going to his left and right without an end in sight, he looked up and saw it disappearing into the clouds, forming a sort of dome around the city.
"Impossible…" Percy whispered as he came to a stop just before the purple dome, getting out of the car he walked on shaky feet and got up close to the barrier.
Hesitantly raising a hand up, he tried to push against the wall only to be met with a rigid and unyielding barrier. "This can't be real, this happens in movies…" he whispered in awe.
It was in that moment that multiple flashes altered the demigod of approaching danger.
The Titan detecting bracelet on his hand, the very same bracelet he had been wearing since day one but had almost never worked, suddenly turned very hot, so hot it was almost hurting his skin.
"Of course…" Percy shook his head in contempt, "Now you work… What a useless piece of junk…"
Percy turned around to come face to face with the last person he had expected to see there.
All the color drained off the demigod's face as he recognized the towering Titan standing in front of him.
"Atlas…" he whispered in disbelief, his confidence suddenly down by a good bit. "But— But you can't— You can't be here" he stumbled on his words. If Atlas was there then who was holding the sky?
"Can't I?" the Titan who was still many feet away from the demigod taunted with a cruel smirk, "And I am not alone either," he said.
As if one queue, from the darkness, emerged another Titan Percy recognized very well, "Did you really think will never cross paths again Percy Jackson?" Hyperion the Titan of light asked the demigod.
That was the first time in a very long while Percy truly felt scared as he realized the true extent of danger he was in. A sinking feeling pulled into his stomach as he found himself outnumbered and without a plan against two of the strongest foes he had ever faced.
"You! Your essence was lost to Tartarus! How are you here?" Percy demanded in anger. He remembered the fate of the Titan well, there was no way he could have possibly returned.
Hyperion clicked his tongue as he closed in on the demigod, "So very impatient… Well, we cannot tell you everything now, can we, Percy Jackson?"
"Stay there," Percy warned the approaching Titan as he held the Riptide in a tighter grip.
"You are running out of time boy," Atlas shook his head, cracking his knuckles as he too started walking towards Percy.
Percy had to do something, and the only thing that came to his mind was attacking their egos, "You know this is really pathetic, you are both far from the strongest enemies I've had to face before, if I were to rank you, I think I will probably only place you somewhere midway."
Hyperion growled in anger as a burning sword shot out of his palm.
"WHAT? It's true! I beat you when I was a little kid. You don't have to admit it but you know you are scared, why else would you be teaming up on me like this? Don't think you can beat me alone, do you?" he challenged.
Atlas seemed to stop and consider his words, and for a moment Percy thought his plan was working.
"No!" Hyperion growled, "There is no shame in admitting defeat! I tried overpowering you once, it did not work. I am not about to make the same mistake again. Your petty mind games, while amusing, will not work on me…"
Percy cursed under his breath as he prepared himself to face the Titans, in the back of his mind he was wondering something, was this how his story would come to an end? Dying far away from home, in a city no one knew about? What would happen to Artemis? How would she take her death?
"There is no escape," Atlas promised, "This time you have no tricks up your sleeves, you will die, Percy Jackson, just like my treacherous daughter did."
That was when the tides of the confrontation first shifted.
Hearing the Titan mention Zoë woke something inside Percy, his fear and apprehension suddenly dissipated and gave way to burning rage and blinding hatred as he was reminded of the empty eyes of his friend. The demigod remembered how those same eyes had been so full of life and wonder, but Atlas took it from them.
A golden aura started surrounding the demigod as he felt everything go still, a humming sound flooded his ears and he felt his legs propelling him forward, he shot towards the Titan with such force that the asphalt supporting his weight cracked underneath him.
Before Atlas could even comprehend what was happening, a powerful punch connected with his stomach, sending the mammoth-like deity flying through the air and crashing several feet away with a mighty crash that shook the Earth.
Pulling the Riptide out, Percy advanced towards Hyperion with such speed that he appeared nothing more than a speeding blur, "And you? Do you have something to say as well?" He challenged.
There was a dangerous look on the demigod's face, and despite his earlier confidence, the Titan on light found himself stumbling backward, suddenly feeling a lot more apprehensive of the situation.
Percy did not wait for an answer, rushing forward he swung his sword towards the Titan but his enemy managed to deflect it just in time. The force of his attack did push him several steps backward though.
Hyperion grunted in strain and tried to overpower the demigod, he pushed back using all his strength with a mighty swing of his golden sword.
Percy ducked under the Titan's attack before it could connect with him. Using the few seconds he had, the demigod thrust the hilt of his sword into Hyperion's waist.
The Titan roared in pain but he was able to hold his ground, instead of falling back he used his massive form to thrust the demigod away from him.
Suddenly levitating a few inches above the ground, the Titan of light glided toward Percy with remarkable swiftness, his sword cutting through the air as he aimed for the demigod's head.
Percy who had not yet recovered his balance saw the flying Titan and jumped out of the way before Hyperion could hit him, the golden sword only grazing against his clothes, but its searing heat managing to burn parts of his skin.
Hissing in pain, the demigod tried to predict Hyperion's next movement as the son of Ouranos once again zipped towards him.
From the corner of his eyes, Percy noticed Atlas getting up and already recovering from his attack. The demigod knew he needed to get the upper hand quick, otherwise, the chances of his survival would be as good as nil.
Before Hyperion's sword could touch the son of Poseidon, the demigod disappeared into a burst of mist and reformed behind the speeding Titan.
A powerful blow on his back threw Hyperion forward as he tumbled like a rock.
Groaning in pain, the titian got back up and faced Percy again. Hyperion started in awe as he witnessed the sheer force of the demigod's attacks, "What is this strength? How can a demigod wield so much power?"
"That is strength worthy of a Titan," Atlas said as he walked towards the two, he had recovered from the attack and was looking meaner than ever before, "I had not expected that, you have indeed grown stronger Perseus Jackson, much stronger than should be possible… I am glad nonetheless, this would make ending your life much more satisfying."
Before Percy could say anything a powerful voice interrupted them.
"You will not touch him Atlas!" Percy heard a female voice command.
He turned towards the source of the voice and what he saw made him question his grip on reality.
Standing there, looking proud and powerful was none other than Dareia herself. The friendly lady Percy had begun to consider a friend was dressed in an ancient-looking Greek armour, and she was flanked on either side by two powerful-looking men, one of them Percy immediately recognized as the Titan he had been following earlier that day.
Dareia whispered something to them and they nodded in agreement before starting to run towards Percy.
Alarm bells were going off in Percy's mind, as he prepared himself to fight a multi-front battle, but to his immense surprise, instead of attacking him, the two Titans crossed him and stood in front of him protectively.
The older man, the one Percy had followed, looked Atlas straight in the eyes and said, "You should leave now, even you can admit you are at a disadvantage."
"Krios" Atlas spat in hatred, "You of all people should know better, you are siding with the wrong people… There is still time, join us."
The name was familiar to Percy, he remembered facing the Titan in Tartarus at the doors of death, he too had been lost alongside Hyperion as he had his essence sucked. Now he was mysteriously back just like his brother but looked nothing like he had before, it was almost as if he was a different man now.
"Oh you ignorant child," Krios shook his head, "Don't you see this is so much more than 'choosing sides' now? I too stood with Kronos the last time, he was always very good at using people's own insecurity to control them, he would promise to make your wildest dreams and imaginations into reality while still appearing to fight for some righteous cause… But this? This is so different. It is you who is making a mistake, not me."
"Enough!" Hyperion intervened, "Atlas… We do not have to listen to him, but he is right about us being at a disadvantage… Let us fight with our brains and not our muscles, there is no honor in losing a battle because we chose the wrong moment to strike."
"Yes, those are wise words Hyperion…" Dareia laughed as she slowly walked towards the standoff, there was something about her presence that just struck out to the demigod.
The regal manner in which Dareia carried herself, the effortless elegance of her presence, and the hidden danger behind her calm demeanor… All of it, together made Percy realise that he had missed something big, he had to be blind to have never suspected her before.
Both Atlas and Hyperion looked uneasy as the woman stared them down, her posture a picture of confidence and control.
"Sister," Hyperion spoke up reluctantly, "I fear you are once again standing on the wrong side of history…"
"Do not lecture me about history," she said, her voice unforgiving in its intensity, "And when it comes to sides, I am sure Krios had made it clear what this is about."
Atlas sighed and looked at Hyperion, they both appeared to come to some unspoken agreement as they nodded in courtesy before disappearing in identical flashes of gold.
Everything was silent for a few minutes, and then the woman turned and walked towards Percy.
"Lelantos, we'll be leaving for the Library in a moment, please make sure we are not followed." The Titaness commanded as she approached the demigod.
"As you wish my lady," the other Titan, the one who had been standing beside Krios responded.
As Percy had noticed before, Dareia was looking very much like a warrior from ancient times, she was dressed in elegant-looking armor that looked like it belonged to a time before the gods, and there was a sword in her hand which she had sheathed before approaching him.
The demigod was at a loss of words, he was truly unsure of what to do next. Were these people his enemies or his friends? How was he supposed to feel about Dareia, the woman he had considered a friend?
The mysterious Titaness stopped before Percy and gently held him by his shoulders, she had grown up the full size of a Titan which meant Percy had to look up to meet her eyes.
"I— I don't understand, who are you?" he asked.
The woman smiled at him just as kindly as she always did, and not for the first time Percy noticed how similar she looked to Hestia, "I am Rhea, mother of the gods, but you can call me grandma."
-End of Chapter-
AN: And there we go, chapter 21 is done.
This chapter was crazy. At 12K words It's definitely the largest single chapter I have ever written, and that too by a good margin.
I had initially planned to post this chapter on Christmas day, but during a last-minute check right before posting the chapter, I noticed several story-breaking inconsistencies that proved very difficult to resolve.
I have also written the majority of chapter 22 as I plan to update again on New Year's Day keeping in line with my tradition of posting a chapter on Jan 1. Since the chapters are connected, I had to go back in and work on both chapters to get rid of the inconsistencies hence the delay…
Anyway, that's it for now. Did you like the chapter? What do you think about the Titans?
I truly enjoyed writing this one, and I can't wait to share the next one with you.
Finally,
Many thanks to all my readers for giving this fic a chance, I still can't believe people are actually reading what I write, I have always found my work to be mediocre at best, but your comments help me feel a lot better about it.
A special shoutout to my reviewers, supporters, and critics for sharing your thoughts and feedback, the fact that you take a moment to tell me what you think means a lot to me and it certainly helps me grow as a writer.
I hope 2024 brings good luck and happiness to all of you. See you on 1st January!