Chapter 34
Greetings readers! I hope that all of you enjoyed reading the previous chapter!
I would like to thank everybody who took time to review the previous chapter for taking the time to do so. It means the world to me that you guys did so! Unfortunately, due to the sheer amount of reviews for the previous one, I'll not be able to answer any of you but still, all your supports means a great deal to me.
All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.
Kronos had not expected his youngest son to give him this much trouble. He truly had not. Not even the slightest bit. He had expected an arrogant, out of form god whose skills were rusty. But he was facing a Zeus who was just as fierce but much more powerful than the one he had faced four millennia ago. And that sizeable increase in Zeus' raw power was showing in this fight.
It was complicated by the fact that while Kronos was definitely stronger than all his sons, as well as that wretched Diaboles, that was at his absolute peak power in his fully immortal body, which unfortunately was not the case right now.
He was not in his peak power because he was not in his real body. They had launched this offensive against the gods when he was more or less equivalent to the Big Three and Diaboles in raw power. As such, while he was more than capable enough to fight them all on almost level terms, he had no delusions on being able to actually defeat them in this form.
Kronos knew the difference between raw power and skill all too well. He had learnt it rather early into his reign when he had seen his nephew Atlas outclass Titans more powerful than him, when he was but a young Titan. That had made him realise that while being in the same power level as someone helped in fighting them, winning against them depended entirely on skill.
Castellan's body might have taken the same invulnerability, except for that one accursed spot, as Diaboles, and while his endurance had magnified extremely by Atlas' blessing, along with that of many other Titans, all while being enhanced by Kronos' immortal essence, it was still at the end of the day not fully immortal. And as long as it was not fully immortal, Kronos would never be at full strength. And as long as he was not at full strength, his deficit in skill would handicap him.
He furiously slammed his scythe on the ground, and time slowed around his youngest son just enough for Kronos to block a thrust from the lightning tip of Zeus' Master Bolt, and parry back with an attack that caused a big gash along Zeus' arm. But as soon as time flowed normally again, Zeus blasted him with a massive bolt of lightning. Kronos had anticipated it and had managed to deflect it but he still ended up skidding a few feet backwards.
"What's the matter, father? Did you really think this pathetic emulation of Perseus Diaboles would truly make you stronger? You can try how ever much you want but there is only one Diaboles. And you'll never be even a tenth of what he is." Zeus venomously spat out.
"Why don't you crown him already then, since you seem to worship him so much? You disappoint me, Zeus. You have let everybody else eat into all your absolute power. When I was king, everyone else grovelled at my feet. Look at you, getting eclipsed by your own general." Kronos taunted with a sneer.
"Foolish Titan, I long ago accepted my nephew and my eldest daughter's as the inheritors of both my throne as well as my will. And whatever respect I show him, on and off the battlefield, he has earned every single ounce of it. He has been the wall Olympus has needed, but never deserved. And he has time and time again saved both the mortal and divine worlds. He eclipses not just me, but every other immortal to ever lay foot on the Earth. And he is not my general. Perseus Diaboles is the General Of The Divine Forces. I may rule Olympus, but when it comes to protecting it and fighting its enemies, Perseus Diaboles is the supreme authority." Zeus shot back in a calm yet ferocious tone.
"You have let yourself go weak, Zeus. The boy has brainwashed you and turned you into a puppet." Kronos retorted.
"That boy, is my nephew. My nephew who may as well be a son to me. My nephew who taught us all the importance of family. What do you know about the value of family, you sociopathic fool? Your only option has ever been to induce terror because no one wanted to see your ugly mug." Zeus taunted with a smirk.
Kronos knew he was being played it, for Chaos' sake, he had been the one to invent taunting an opponent in battle to make them lose focus. But despite his cognizance of that fact, Kronos could not stop his anger and rage from getting the better of him and instantly attacked Zeus with a blast of golden energy.
Zeus matched it with a bolt of lightning and the two were engaged in a desperate struggle for supremacy for quite a while, but Zeus ultimately won out and the monstrous bolt of lightning smashed right into Kronos, triggering an explosion that blasted him tens of feet away.
It took all his inhuman and divine reflexes to trigger his time spell, slowing down his charging son just enough to give himself some breathing space and the ability to recover his footing as he blocked a stab from Zeus' Master Bolt.
The two of them engaged in another fierce duel yet again and while it seemed like they were evenly matched, Kronos' biggest limitation that kept rearing its head was that even with all his pulsating metaphysical power, he was unable to use it all in fear of overwhelming Luke's body. And the invulnerability, while very handy, came at a terrible cost of stamina. And that frustrated him more than anything else.
It became evident as the battle progressed, with Zeus slowly inching closer and closer to a clean victory. Of course, it wasn't coming easily as even in this weakened state, Kronos was a formidable foe who dealt perilous damage to Zeus. But they both knew it was just a matter of time. All Zeus needed was one slip, one mistake and he could bombard his wretched father to a crushing and humiliating defeat.
He got what he asked for, when one of Kronos' time spell lasted fractionally lesser than it was supposed to, and that moment was all it took for Zeus to land a punishing blow. In a split second, Zeus took advantage of his father's weaker time spell to gather all his elemental energy into his Master Bolt slam hundreds of millions of volts of electricity right into Kronos' abdomen, through his Master Bolt.
With a deafening boom that was followed by a roar of pure anguish, Kronos found himself in a situation of unbearable pain, and it was only his extremely sturdy armour and his invulnerability that prevented him from passing out then and there. But the sheer impact of the attack caused a crater where they stood as Kronos was buried deep into the ground by the attack.
He was groggily and rather violently dragged out of his ditch by Zeus, who was taking ragged breaths to fill some air into his exhausted, overworked lungs. At that moment, Kronos felt just as powerless as he had three millennia ago and he hated it with every inch of his life.
"You old wretch, your terrorising streak finally ends today, after years of your actions causing so much strife and pain to my family, Lord Chaos has finally rewarded me with the opportunity to vapourize you from existence. But no, this is just the beginning of your suffering. When you wake up again after this, all the suffering you caused my family, will be returned to you a thousand fold." Zeus gloated with a vengeful huff as he lifted his Master Bolt with an intent to knock out Kronos.
Before that could happen, he felt the return of the most monstrous presence he had felt in his life, and the sheer trauma of what had happened the last time the Storm Giant had fought the Olympians distracted him for a few seconds. A few seconds, which gave Kronos enough time to use the last of his energy to securely and secretly go back into the Labyrinth using one of Daedalus' inventions, leaving behind a Zeus who cursed himself from getting distracted and not finishing off Kronos when he had the chance.
Athena was in shock. She had not expected this. Not in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that Daedalus would help the Titans awaken Typhon, the dreaded Storm Giant. It took all her will to fight back against and squash the flashbacks that threatened to overtake her at that very moment.
This Storm Giant, this monster, had taken her Percy away from her, for three painfully long millennia. He was the architect of her pain. And instantly, a burning anger bubbled up in her heart and she was about to teleport away to go and confront Typhon, when she realised that Percy would be going through the same range of emotions.
Instantly, her priorities flipped. She got away from her battle with Theia, after kicking the latter away and materialised next to Percy. She saw Hyperion defeated and unconscious near Percy, but she could also see how exhausted Percy truly was. He only had barely enough strength left for a fight with what he hoped was an already exhausted Kronos on his last ropes, not with a Storm Giant as powerful as a goddamn protogenos out of their element.
While the timely intervention of the gods had resulted in the evacuation of all the civilians of New Rome, and they had also repulsed most of the Titans, who were now actively running away and back into the Labyrinth, they all knew that their focus needed to be elsewhere, on Typhon.
It was that split second distraction which was all it took for Theia to sneak up on them and launch a pre-casted time spell, crafted by Calypso, that temporarily slowed the time around Percy and Athena, enough for her to disappear away with the unconscious Hyperion. But that didn't faze Percy and Athena too much.
"We can deal with Hyperion on a later date. I have given him enough of a beating that he's not a threat for now, and won't be one for quite a while. But we need to do something about Typhon. Now." Percy stated with a pant as he stood up.
"We? Percy look at yourself. Even in peak condition you are barely able to hold on to your strength enough to fight off one hopefully already exhausted enemy, with the help of my father. And even your unmatched endurance is running painfully dry after you fought two of the Othryian Forces strongest remaining fighters in quick succession in just a short period of a few hours. You are in no condition to fight Typhon right now. You need at least a few days to recuperate." Athena stated in a staunch voice.
"And I will. The rest of the Titans will retreat back into the Labyrinth. Let the demigods set up shop in Manhattan, once Morpheus and Hypnos have put the entire city to sleep. Get the rest of the Olympians prepared, they will need to deal with Typhon. The minor gods are to all retreat to Olympus and activate the metaphysical barrier to encase Manhattan." Percy stated as he stood up and fed himself with another massive square of Ambrosia before pulling in a large quantity of water from the lake and absorbing it, instantly giving him a massive rush of energy.
"Percy, don't you dare-" Athena started but she was cut off by Percy.
"I will come back. I just need to get Hephaestus and stall for some time." Percy stated in a serious tone, and gave Athena no time to answer, before disappearing in a blue mist, leaving behind a frustrated wisdom goddess who had no choice but to follow. Sometimes she really hated how much of a reckless oaf her fiancé could be.
Hephaestus had been caught completely off-guard by Mnemosyne, who had ambushed him on his own turf. He didn't know how she had done it but unfortunately, she had completely sapped all his attention in battle, so much so, that he had entirely forgotten the reason he had even shifted to this mountain – Typhon.
The rest of their army had somehow found a way to free Typhon of his massive earthen chains while Hephaestus had been completely absorbed in trying to defeat Mnemosyne. And by the time he noticed it, it was far too late, the dreaded Storm Giant had been freed.
The resultant roar he unleashed, followed by the seismic wave of energy that reverberated around the entire world sent chills down Hephaestus' spine. This was not ideal. Her job done, Mnemosyne and the rest of her army had quickly retreated away, leaving Hephaestus as the first god in the way of the Storm Giant.
Typhon immediately tore out of the mountain, causing a cataclysmic explosion. As he burst into the mortal world, ready to rampage his way to Olympus. Hephaestus called for his divine chariot and immediately mounted it, facing off against the Storm Giant. He fired a massive torrent of flames at the monster, but it didn't even seem to bother the invincible Storm Giant. Typhon then noticed Hephaestus and raised his hand to swat the Olympian away. But at the exact time, Perseus Diaboles materialised over them, a Perseus Diaboles who was seething in rage.
Percy was furious. This was the Storm Giant that had cost him three millennia of his life, three thousand years of separation from his beloved Athena, of separation from his loving family. And he had spent that entire time being a goddamn vegetable, of being a prisoner of his own body and he was here to take revenge. He was here to blow back the Storm Giant through the depths of the Earth and right back into the hellish jaws of Tartarus.
"Go to Olympus, Hephaestus. I have a score to settle with this freak." Percy voice boomed across the sky.
"Percy-" Hephaestus wanted to argue but he was instantly cut off by Percy.
"I will stall for time. We all need to regroup on Olympus afterwards to discuss our strategy. Go there. I do not want you getting caught up in the crossfire of what I am about to unleash." Percy added in a steely voice and Hephaestus disappeared after much reluctance.
He didn't want leave Percy alone but he knew that his cousin was going to unleash the most devastating attack in his arsenal, which he wouldn't the able to do with Hephaestus in the background. Plus, this rage-filled and vengeful version of Percy was not one with great self-control and would certainly do whatever it took to destroy his enemies, and was uncaring of the collateral damage he caused.
As soon as Hephaestus disappeared, Percy gathered all the remaining power he had, leaving absolutely nothing on the table, and his swords turned ethereally white as he saturated them with energy. A massive hurricane came to life as Percy channelled every single bit of his energy, drawing into his own immortal essence to amplify his attack. He would destroy Typhon and he didn't care if it meant destroying everything in hundreds of square miles as collateral.
Before Typhon could even realise what was happening, Percy swung his swords in an extremely wide arc and struck them against each other, combining all his abilities into a single, radial bluish-white hemisphere, one that dwarfed even Typhon in size and made of pure destructive power that came crashing down at Typhon.
The sheer recoil of the attack, propelled Percy high into the sky and the resultant hemisphere slammed into Typhon with an explosion so powerful that a shockwave emerged that levelled everything around and slammed Typhon deep into a crater four times his size, as he roared in pain. But it was not enough. Had it blindsided anyone else like it had Typhon, be it Kronos, one of the Big Three, or even Atlas, it would have severely damaged them and immediately taken them out of commission. But not Typhon.
The Storm Giant roared and shook his gargantuan head a few times before slowly rising to his feet. Percy had come to a halt in the air and was even more furious that even his strongest attack had not done extreme damage to the Storm Giant, it would slow him down a little bit for the rest of his destructive journey to Olympus, but that is all it would do.
Percy lost all control at that point and started to draw even more into his immortal essence but a second later, before he could draw into it significantly, Athena materialised behind him and knocked him out with a swift but hard chop to the neck with the base of her spear in one smooth motion, that was a reversal of roles from three millennia ago.
Instantly, Percy's body went limp and Athena caught him and disappeared just before Typhon could retaliate. Athena had promised herself she would do whatever it took to prevent Percy from drawing on his immortal essence ever again, and she was sticking to that promise.
Artemis, Annabeth and Reyna were about to enter the Labyrinth when they felt it. The presence of Typhon – the dreaded Storm Giant. And they instantly panicked, because this was a scenario that they had never imagined would happen. Naturally, Artemis wanted to immediately teleport away but she fought back that impulse. She couldn't leave her nieces without discussing at the very least.
"Aunt Artemis I think you should go, the gods will need you. It will be an all hands on deck situation." Annabeth immediately reasoned.
It was only logical. The last time the Storm Giant had shown up, it had taken the full might of Olympus to bring him down. There was no reason pointing otherwise to say that wouldn't be the case again. And it was made infinitely worse by the fact that they needed to mobilize all the gods they could find, because not only did they have to bring down Typhon, they also had to deal with legions of monsters and multiple other Titans.
"But it's just the two of you, what if there is an immortal, that would put you in too much danger. I know how Percy and Athena will react to this, Percy and Athena will want to hold Olympus with just the minor gods and the demigods, while the Olympians deal with Typhon." Artemis reasoned.
She knew how big of a threat Typhon was, but she couldn't, in the right conscience, let her two nieces enter into something as dangerous as the Labyrinth, on their own. It was too risky, and there was an extremely high possibility of them encountering a Titan, which would only make things a lot worse.
"Aunt Artemis, you know it as well as us, even if Percy has the rest of the Divine Council, apart from the Olympians, along with him to defend Olympus, that is a strategy that will only work if the Olympians manage to bring down Typhon before he meets the forces of the Titans." Reyna answered with a worried look.
"They can bring down Typhon. We brought him down last time when Tartarus was with him, and then brought down Tartarus too. He is far weaker this time. He's only as durable and strong as a protogenos outside their domain. But he lacks everything else." Artemis argued back.
"This time, more than half the fighters won't be fighting him, and three of our four biggest fighters won't be fighting against him. That is a massive handicap on our part as well and not something we can forget. Even having just one more Olympian on their side may play a crucial role in defeating Typhon before he gets to Olympus." Annabeth argued back.
She was not going to jeopardize the fate of civilization so that she and her sister would have a guaranteed chance to live and a divine bodyguard. If they died on this mission, so be it, the fate of the world mattered far, far more than what their individual lives ever would. But before the three of them could argue any further, they got an Iris Message from Athena.
"Artemis, I know you all felt the presence of the Storm Giant, so I will cut straight to the chase, your plans are to remain unchanged." Athena stated in her commander voice.
"Mother, you cannot be serious. You all need Aunt Artemis more than us, we will get the job done." Reyna tried to argue but Athena was in no mood to argue.
"Reyna, Annabeth, I trust both of you very much, but Artemis' involvement in this mission isn't just for your survival. We are on fire from all fronts, Uncle Hades is bogged down by a massive siege that Iapetus has laid, that too right on the banks of the Styx, just outside the gates to the Fields of Punishment. And not even a single Underworld deity can be spared. Uncle Poseidon, is also dealing with chasing down the remnants of Oceanus' armies, and Oceanus himself, who are absolutely wrecking havoc under the sea. And you know how both Oceanus and Iapetus are managing to keep them both occupied? It's through the Labyrinth." Athena explained in a strict no-nonsense voice.
"But how will you hold off Typhon and defend Olympus against the Titan King and a dozen Titans at the same time? You are already so stretched as it is, won't having another immortal help?" Reyna shared her thoughts.
"Niece, what you both are not realising is that our biggest threat right now, are not the Titans who can threaten Olympus directly at any moment, nor is it Typhon, who is rampaging towards Olympus. Our biggest threat is Daedalus and his Labyrinth. That's what is allowing the Titans to bog down both Uncle Poseidon as well as Uncle Hades. And is also what allows Kronos to put extreme pressure on Olympus. So our immediate priority has to be killing Daedalus and destroying the Labyrinth as soon as possible." Artemis answered in a crisp voice.
"Yes, and Artemis is the world's best hunter. If anyone can track down Daedalus fast enough to avert the end of civilization, it is her. As for holding Olympus, you leave that to us. Percy and I can hold Olympus for two weeks, under continuous assault by the Titans. Which is how long it will take for even Typhon to reach Olympus, with the rest of the Olympians slowing him down. Within those two weeks, if you destroy the Labyrinth, we will be able to mobilize the full force of the Seas and Underworld on both Typhon as well as Kronos immediately, and can put an end to both of them. So everything boils down to you three destroying the Labyrinth in time." Athena stated with utmost seriousness and immediately, Annabeth and Reyna's faces hardened.
"Yes mother, we will hunt down that traitor. It is a promise." Annabeth promised with determination blazing in her eyes.
"I know you will. You three are the ones best equipped for this task. More than anyone else." Athena stated with a proud smile at them. She then nodded at them before the Iris Message ended. The three of them looked at each other and without wasting another second, entered the Labyrinth. They had a promise to keep.
The entire Divine Council, excluding Artemis, was having an emergency meeting, one that would last only a few minutes given Typhon was rampaging his way to Olympus. But they had to discuss a plan of action.
However, all the gods were surprised by the state Percy was in. Rather than him being at the front of discussions, like normal, he was suspended in a tank of water, wrapped in golden bandages, with a respirator to his face, which was puzzling, since he didn't require it to breathe underwater.
"Why is General Diaboles suspended in that tank?" Nike asked, a little worried that their most valuable fighter and general was out of action.
"Percy is extremely powerful and has beyond divine endurance. But he's still one man with one heart. He's fought and defeated two of the strongest Titans and has single-handedly slowed down Typhon to an extent all in quick succession. He's thoroughly exhausted. Which is why we had crafted this extremely effective form of super fast healing for him, to magnify his already unbelievable pace of regeneration. The tank is enchanted sea water, the golden bandages are made of a special paste of Nectar and Ambrosia and that mask is feeding him with more of that paste, it is an extremely fast way of regeneration that only his body can support." Athena explained.
"So he's out of commission for now?" Kratos said with some disappointment.
"For two or three days, yes. He needs his rest." Athena stated in a firm voice.
"But he's our heaviest hitter? What can we do without him?" Hebe nervously asked.
"Aren't you all forgetting that you are full immortals who are very accomplished fighters in your own right? Since when did gods hide behind a lone general." Athena taunted them, knowing that she would wound their prides. And that is exactly what she accomplished.
"We are not hiding behind anyone, need we remind you that we have played a crucial part in saving civilization three millennia ago, when Tartarus and Typhon rose. All of us here lost our physical forms in that battle. And you have the gall to say that we are hiding behind a lone general?" Nemesis questioned with a scowl on her face.
"Athena meant no harm, Nemesis. And this is not the right time for us to bicker among ourselves, not when the fate of civilization as we know, is at stake. This is the time that calls for more unity than ever, for if we do not fight as one unit, now, we never will, again." Hestia stated with utmost seriousness. And everyone became silent at that, she was right, they had no time to waste bickering among themselves.
"What is our course of action now, daughter? We need one of your ingenious and excellent plans to deal with this two-front attack." Zeus asked in a deep voice. Externally, he was very calm and composed, but his family could see how worried and anxious he was by observing how tightly he was gripping his Master Bolt.
"We need to split up our forces, father. You and the rest of the Olympians, barring me and Artemis, will have to stall Typhon from reaching Olympus. In the meanwhile, Percy and I, will lead the rest of the Divine Forces to defend the city of Olympus, because believe me, Kronos will attack us with everything he has got, and he has the Labyrinth on his side, so we can only defend Manhattan." Athena explained her plan.
"This is only a plan that can stall the forces of Othrys. For every god we will field in the defense of Olympus, the Titans have one of their own, and a stronger one. Not to forget, the Titan King will be leading the forces, and only General Perseus is capable of keeping him occupied. Even with the Olympians slowing down Typhon, we have at best two weeks before he meets up with the rest of the Othryian Forces." Hecate stated with a look of deep contemplation.
"Where is Artemis?" Nike voiced out what everyone in the room had been thinking.
"Artemis is hunting down Daedalus, in order to put an end to the Labyrinth." Athena calmly replied and immediately, an argument erupted.
"This is preposterous, we are short staffed for immortals here to defend the city and you have attached Artemis as a divine bodyguard to your daughters? What was the point of making them partially immortal if they can't even do this much?" Eris heatedly stated.
"Watch your tongue goddess or I promise you that I will cleave you in two." Ares bellowed as he stood up.
The minor gods had gotten only harder and harder to deal with, thanks to their inflated egos, over the last three millennia, it was high time someone put these upstarts in their rightful place. And he was more than willing to do that.
"Sit down, Ares, like Hestia said, this is not the time for fighting amongst ourselves." Hera stated patiently and Ares gave her a long look. Hera then pinned Eris with a steely gaze.
"It would be good if everybody here waited for Athena to explain the rationale behind her plans, before jumping to unwanted conclusions. She is the best tactician in the Divine world for a reason." Hera supportively stated, causing Athena to shoot her a grateful smile before continuing.
"Eris, you perhaps do not realise the danger the Labyrinth poses to us. It is single-handedly keeping two armies of the Divine Forces occupied, by requiring Uncle Hades and Uncle Poseidon to station far more troops, mortal and immortal, to deal with Iapetus and Oceanus, than necessary. It is also a decisive advantage for Kronos' armies as it allows him to attack us from all directions at Manhattan. Our biggest priority right now, is killing Daedalus and cutting of the Titans the access to the Labyrinth. Once that is done, all it will take is one decisive battle before the forces of the Underworld and Atlantis can finish off their enemies, before joining us." Athena patiently explained her carefully crafted plan.
She knew how dangerous of a gamble this was, she knew that better than anybody else. They had just two weeks with them, at best. That meant that Artemis and Annabeth had to find and kill Daedalus, in a week, for it would easily take a few more days for her uncles to defeat their opponents decisively enough to join the battle on their side. And all of this had to be done before Typhon managed to join Kronos. They were tethering on the edge of defeat.
"Can we really count on no support from Atlantis and the Underworld until then?" Tyche asked in a half-defeated voice. Her questions were answered when Poseidon and Amphitrite materialised in the middle of the Throne Room.
"Percy fortunately managed to decisively defeat Oceanus in their last encounter, enough to to give us breathing room for a few days. Triton, Pallas, Rhode and the rest of the Nereids will chase after Oceanus' forces, we have anyway managed to destroy most of his forces, along with the rest of the Potamoi. Only few immortals and Oceanus himself are left. And until he himself makes an appearance, Amphitrite and I will join you." Poseidon stated with determination blazing in his eyes, and his proclamation left everybody speechless.
"But what will the mermen say, uncle?" Athena questioned, she knew just how much of a political mud fest her aunt and uncle would have to deal with, for this. It would give them a political headache to deal with for decades, centuries even. And it would most certainly leave them with a series of rebellions to deal with.
"I don't care what they say, Athena. Nothing will matter if Typhon reaches Olympus or Kronos breaches through Manhattan. We have enough of an advantage to deal with Oceanus, we have deliberated extensively on this." Amphitrite calmly responded.
She knew this would be a headache to deal with, none of the mermen had been happy with their decision, but that was inconsequential in front of the problem they faced from being excessively cautious. They had enough contingency plans in case Oceanus showed up earlier than expected, or in case he attacked one of their children. Triton, Pallas and Rhode had the full support of her father, her sisters and her mother. At this moment, Percy and Athena needed them more than anybody else.
"That is just the news I was waiting for, uncle and aunt. Our odds are significantly better, with you fighting with us now. Uncle Poseidon, I suggest that you join the rest of the Olympians in slowing down Typhon while Aunt Amphitrite aids us in holding Olympus." Athena suggested her modified plan to her uncle.
"Athena, we both came here to protect and help Percy and you, in dealing with Kronos. What use am I if I am off somewhere fighting a Storm Giant while my son and his fiancé are holding on to dear life fighting the full might of Othrys?" Poseidon asked as his eyes turned to a dark emerald shade.
He had failed as Percy's father far too many times to even count. But not this time, he promised himself. He had seen his son broken and unconscious far too many times to sit and wait for that slimy bastard Oceanus while his second son fought on the ropes of exhaustion.
"Uncle Poseidon, I know you are worried about Percy, but I promise you, he has me and Aunt Amphitrite with him, he will not be fighting alone or to the brink of death, that is a promise. Having you stall Typhon will truly make a gargantuan difference." Athena explained in a soft voice.
"Believe her brother, if she says nothing will happen to Percy, she will keep her word. And besides, Amphitrite will be here. We need you, in order to stall that wretched Storm Giant. And this is also our opportunity to avenge Percy, for what Typhon did three millennia ago." Zeus stated with a determined glint in his eyes. The two brothers held eye contact for a few long moments, before Poseidon tensely nodded his head. Zeus was right. He had finally been given the opportunity to redeem himself of his greatest failure, he would not stumble now.
"Alright then. Now that is settled, everybody knows what their roles are. May the Fates be with us." Zeus bellowed before disappearing in a flash of lightning. And he was followed by the rest of the Olympians, Selene, Helios and Poseidon a second later.
"We will secure Manhattan." Nike stiffly stated with a disciplined nod and the rest of the minor gods disappeared, leaving just Athena and Amphitrite.
"Come on, my dear. We have preparations to make as well. Let us allow Percy to recover fully." Amphitrite stated with a kind smile, as she and her to be daughter-in-law disappeared in a blue mist.
Percy opened his eyes and found himself not on Olympus, as he had imagined he would be on, after his short scuffle with Typhon, but rather, on a cliff that he knew all too well. This was the very cliff that he had stood on and observed the Trojan War for ten long, long years. And it was a cliff that had surprisingly not changed much at all in the past three millennia seemingly immune to the eroding effects of the sands of time.
That was when he heard a voice from behind him –
"Not everything changes with time, kid. And not everything comes with a clock for impending doom. Some parts of the world, are immortal in a way even the protogenoi aren't."
Percy turned around and found himself facing none other than Moros, the protogenos of Impending Doom. He was about to bow but Moros waved his hand, signalling Percy to stop and instead took a few steps and stood next to Percy, with his eyes gazing at the endless, majestic sea.
"All the power in the world falls flat in front of impending doom, Perseus. Impending doom is more powerful than any force that any being in the world can ever muster, except perhaps the Creator himself. Look at Kronos, he never should have fallen, he was so powerful, the odds were so unbelievably stacked on his side during the First Titanomachy, yet he did. Why? Because Impending doom dictated it." Moros recounted in a calm voice.
"I don't know if you've been paying attention to what has been happening in the past few days, Lord Moros. Typhon is loose and rampaging towards Olympus, the Titans have unrestricted access to practically everywhere thanks to Daedalus and the damn Labyrinth, the odds have been flipped completely. It seems like we are the ones racing towards impending doom this time around." Percy stated with a great deal of weariness.
"And how many times has it felt like that in the past, Perseus? Gaia and the Gigantes had the upper hand on the gods initially, and for all practical purposes, would have won if it hadn't been for you. Tartarus and Typhon should have won and the world should have been a desolate wasteland, yet it isn't. The Titans even started the Second Titanomachy on such a strong note, with what felt like such decisive advantages, first it seemed like they would do the most horrific thing and use you against your own family, then they accumulated a numerical superiority in weaponry through Triumvirate Holdings, which they deployed massively along with using all of Atlas' power and skill, yet, here we are. Every time, miraculously somehow, the gods have reversed the course of impending doom, how do you suppose that has happened?" Moros questioned in a composed, measured way.
"It all came at a cost didn't it. Our victories weren't handed to us on a silver platter. Every victory, every battle we won, it came at a cost. I always paid the highest price for those victories because none of those victories were ones you could revel in happily, each and every single one of them was pyrrhic. You know what scares me? It's the fact that I no longer have that selfless streak anymore. Three millennia ago, I would have given up my life for the sake of the world in a heartbeat, and in fact, I actually did give up my life to defeat Tartarus. Today, I most certainly would not make that choice. That is what makes me afraid. That even after I have attained my theoretical peak, I am constrained by the lack of relentlessness that I once had. And I am afraid that this constraint will prevent me from being the determined general I need to be." Percy stated in a sombre voice.
"That is perhaps the most foolish thing I have ever heard from you, Perseus. Your unwillingness to not sacrifice yourself at the first chance has no link to the probability of you defeating the Titans. You know what your biggest problem has been your entire life? It's the fact that you see yourself as the only hero in the world. You believe that if you are not the selfless Hero, the world will be doomed." Moros stated in a voice with traces of pity. And Percy's temper flared a bit at that statement as he whirled on Moros.
"Isn't that what I was created for? That's what the Fates told me. That's what Ananke herself told me. I was created to bring balance. My destiny was set on this path of a hero, you think it was a choice? All this pain, all this suffering? No, I was born like this, I was moulded into this, this is who I am. " Percy growled with his eyes turning a stormy green.
"You see the problem here, Perseus? Yes, the Fates created your string so that you could be a hero, and yes, the fixed points Ananke set for destiny, included you going through what you went through. But you aren't the helpless victim taken along the rollercoaster that you believe you are. The Fates only envisioned your life up to a certain point in the Gigantomachy, from there, it was your choice to be the hero. Yes, you may argue it was your upbringing but that's not a very valid argument. In the context of immortals, upbringing is eclipsed by other environmental factors. You were always the selfless Hero, because you always chose to be the selfless Hero, and destiny swivelled around you in tandem to that belief. You could have stayed with Calypso. You could have chosen to become a god. You could have made a lot of other choices, but you didn't. And for better or worse, those choices have moulded you into who you are. Perseus, you chose to be who you are. And I suggest that you take responsibility for those choices." Moros stated in a semi-strict voice.
"I have always taken responsibility for my choices." Percy retaliated in a harsh tone.
"You have always said that you take responsibility for those choices. But look deep inside, a part of you has always believed that destiny forced these choices upon you. " Moros stated as his dark grey eyes locked with Percy's sombre sea green ones.
"I am not blaming you, Perseus. No, that is the last thing I want to do. You are a paragon of virtue. A man of unwavering ideals. What I want to convey, is that you don't need to be the only hero. Are you extremely well-suited to be one? Absolutely. But you don't need to be. You know why destiny has always swivelled around you, why you feel like you are so tied to it? It's because that is a manifestation of what you believe. Destiny has always treated you like a lone hero, because you have always believed you were one. And that is the gravest manifestation of your own fatal flaw. Your personal loyalty makes you the greatest hero and protector the world has ever seen, but it is also the root of all your pain. You cannot be a hero and not expect pain at the same time, it doesn't work like that." Moros stated in a softer voice, empathizing with the younger immortal in front of him.
"Then what do I do?" Percy asked in a quiet, unsure voice.
"You don't have to do anything, Perseus. You said that you are incapable of making those sacrifices anymore. That is good. That is very good. For destiny to stop seeing you as the Lone Hero, you need to stop seeing yourself as the Lone Hero. This is you finally overcoming your fatal flaw, do not fight it." Moros advised.
"Then how will we win? What if a sacrifice from my side is the only way we can triumph again? What if I cannot make the choice and doom the world?" Percy asked with uncertainty and some fear.
"I cannot look into the future, Perseus. But what I can tell you, is that I don't sense impending doom heading in your direction. Impending doom only approaches when you succumb to your fatal flaw, and you are doing the exact opposite of that here. You don't need to be the selfless Hero to win this war, nor do you need to be a ruthless general. You need to be somewhere in between. And my young friend, I believe you have already found that synthesis, that is why you are the strongest you have ever been. Who you are today, is the perfect amalgamation of all your previous selves. You just need to believe in yourself, and devise a way such that you not only triumph over the Titans, but also achieve the life you have always desired. Believe and find the way, Perseus, and you will have mastered the ability to control destiny. You can do it, Perseus. If anyone can, it is you." Moros stated with a faint smile on his face.
Before Percy could say or ask anything else, Moros waved his hand, shooting a small beam of energy at Percy, and the entire scenery around Percy dissolved. Percy closed his eyes for a split second and when he opened them, he found himself suspended in a tank of water, with golden bandages wrapped around his entire body.
He jumped out of the tank and flexed his muscles, instantly tearing all the golden bandages and with a snap of his fingers, he was enveloped by his signature armour and his two swords materialised in his hands a second later, instantly sending a wave of energy through Olympus to signal that he was back, and that he was back at full power.
Athena materialised a moment later, looking completely surprised. She expected that it would take a few days at the very least for Percy to be back at full power, so she did not expect that he would be back to prime condition in less than twelve hours.
"Since when did you start healing so fast? As if your endurance wasn't monstrous enough already." Athena stated with an annoyed grumble.
"I love you too." Percy stated with a deep chuckle as he pecked Athena's lips and stole a quick kiss, before becoming serious.
"Now, I believe we have a city to defend and an army of Titans and monsters to send back up the Pit." Percy stated in a determined voice that sent chills down Athena's spine.
She knew that tone. This was not her Percy talking, no, this was General Perseus Diaboles at his strongest and most determined. And anyone who came in his way, would be crushed, vapourized into dust and scattered into the air thinner than Tartarus' essence. The battle for safeguarding Olympus, and by extension, the entirety of civilization, was just about to begin.
Hey guys! Sorry for taking so long with this one, inflation has hit everywhere and it's become incredibly hectic to manage a degree and earn a decent enough stifend.
Anyway, in this chapter, I have tried to setup how trauma affects people, the gods, even when they were on the cusps of victory were so shell-shocked by the return of Typhon that the opportunity to defeat the Titans then and there slipped. Plus, I am finally wrapping up all the loose ends of Percy's character arc by showing how he is finally overcoming his fatal flaw. The end of this entire trilogy is very very near now.
Read and review, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! Have a fantastic day!
