CHAPTER 30: The truest form of Prophecy
If such a child exists, I fear that we are doomed. For while I hope I am wrong, this could spell disaster for the years to come.
- Poseidon's Notes, Page 34, On the creation of Atlantis.
Percy barely held onto his footing the moment the world stopped spinning around him. Whatever had happened, had been nasty enough that he felt the need to throw up. Next to him, Nico and Annabeth weren't so lucky, as Percy could hear them losing their lunch in the corner of the dark room.
"Where…are we?" he asked to the darkness.
"New Rome," Hades said, who seemed to be the most composed of the group. "I can feel the protections set by Hecate. Where exactly, I couldn't say, but I do know we're somewhere underground."
After a few seconds when the group got their wits back, Percy could hear sounds echoing somewhere outside of the room, and after a few moments, a door opened and light burst into the room.
"You made it." a voice said, and when Percy's eyes got used to the light he was able to make the blonde hair and figure of Luke. "I was so worried."
"Luke!" Annabeth said, rushing towards her boyfriend, she was about to kiss him when she thought better and hugged him instead. "I don't taste really good right now…"
Luke laughed. "That's normal when you phase between places. Hecate is a genius for coming up with the idea." Luke turned towards the rest of the room, taking in the sight. "Wow, you guys look like you've been through hell." he took a few steps into the room, bowing to Hades. "Lord Hades, it is an honor."
"Castellan. I've heard about you." Hades said frostily, and Bianca shrunk behind him, "We don't have much time to waste. I need a few minutes to collect my bearings, but in the meantime, look for Hestia."
"Lady Hestia is currently in the council room. Zeus is preparing something, and the Lady is with him." Luke hugged Annabeth, "When we heard that Underworld was breached…"
"I take it Athena has informed the council, or what remains of it, of what has transpired?"
"She has, and I have to say, she made a really good case against you, Lord Hades."
"Of course she did." Hades said darkly, "Then take me to the council, I shall deal with Zeus myself."
"In a minute, Lord Hades." Luke turned to Annabeth. "Do you have it, my love?"
"I…yes, Luke, I did as you asked, but I think you were wrong, I—"
"Give it to me," Luke said quickly, before taking a deep breath. "Annabeth, please."
Annabeth hesitated before she took the ring on her finger and spun it on itself. The scythe dropped into her hand, causing Hades to let out a growl.
"Why do you have that?!"
"I…I worked with Percy to get it out of Tartarus…we thought that no one would suspect me to have it, and I could turn invisible…Atlas fell for it." Annabeth turned to Luke, "Luke, I understand what you said, but…I don't think Hades is untrustworthy. Surely the council no longer intends to use it to hold Hades hostage? He just lost his kingdom!"
"What?" Bianca said coldly, and Percy felt the coldness of the three members of the House of the Dead next to him. For his part, Percy felt a pang of anger as a bitter feeling began to swell in his throat.
"What is the meaning of this, Annabeth?" Percy asked, "What do you mean that they want to use it against Lord Hades?"
"I…Luke, I'm telling you, the council is wrong. Lord Hades does not want to go against Olympus if we use this against the Titans—"
"The Titans." Luke said quietly, "Do you ever wonder, Annabeth, why we even fight?"
"What?"
"Think about it. Monsters, the ones we were trained to fight, are just mortals who have access to enlightenment. They abuse their powers, bringing pain and death and utilizing them for their gain, but how is that different from the Olympians? We have the power to stop it, to end it all, and yet we must wait for the council to approve missions. We just have to trust that they know best. They live a completely different life than we do, Beth, they sit on their stone chairs, in kingdoms like New Rome or Underworld or even Olympus Academy and decide on who deserves to suffer and who deserves to be freed." Luke's eyes turned to Percy, and Percy noticed a dark gleam in them, "Tell them about your mother, Percy. Gabe Ugliano, remember him? We could've stopped him, but the Olympians thought him a minor threat. Tell them what he did, everything he did, and then you will begin to see the hypocrisy of our mission."
"You walk a dangerous line, boy," Hades said carefully, his voice boiling with barely contained rage, "You talk about things you don't understand. The world of enlightened and darkened exists in an incredibly thin balance. If you upset that balance, catastrophe is all that remains. How long will it take the nations of the world to narrow down the fact that the worst atrocities are committed by those with Enlightenment, and how long do you think it will take them to begin hunting us down? Monster or hunter or Olympian, it won't matter so long as we have access to the powers to subdue them."
"Then you're a coward, Lord Hades. You're more afraid of your death than you are about those who suffer."
"And you think the Titans do?"
That seemed to shut Luke up, and suddenly a horrible picture began to draw itself in front of Percy. Annabeth, however, seemed to have gotten there too.
"What have you done, Luke?"
"What was necessary, my love." Luke stepped towards Annabeth, taking her face into his hands and kissing her deeply, "What was necessary to ensure peace." He took the Scythe between his hands, and a smile was drawn on his face. "With this, Lord Kronos can begin changing the world."
"You're a traitor," Nico said, voicing what Percy was trying to say but was too scared to. "You've betrayed Olympus."
"OLYMPUS BETRAYED ME!" Luke pointed towards his scar, "Do you want to know how I got this scar, Di Angelo? I got it from a monster, a real monster, not the fabricated creatures you've been fighting, nor the pathetic excuses of humans we're taught to hunt. I got it from someone who was sworn to protect me and my mother, someone who I was expected to look up to but betrayed all of that the moment it was convenient for him!"
"Do you mean—" Annabeth was cut off by Luke.
"Hermes came to our house, after abandoning us to our luck! He pumped his seed into my mother and was too afraid of the repercussions so he left. He came to visit me at my twelfth birthday, hoping that we could reconnect, but how could we? What he did to my mother…Lord of the house of thieves indeed, he stole her, got her pregnant, and discarded her. She never recovered, you know? She swore that he would return, that he would come back, yet I waited. And waited. And waited. And eventually, when the time came, I confronted him. He wanted me to be his heir, to come and train at Olympus Academy and follow in his footsteps. We fought, but an untrained brat like me couldn't take on someone as powerful as the newly ascended Lord. To his credit, he didn't fight me directly, but he commanded that blasted staff of his to hold me back. This scar was given to me as a result of that scuffle." Luke chuckled sadly, "I realized then a grim truth. I was weak and at his mercy. I spent twelve years thinking of what I wanted to say and do to my father when I met him, yet I was completely at his mercy. He had power, I had nothing. He used that power to show me the difference between each other, tell me, how is that not the action of a monster? How is he different than all those others?" Luke's anger returned. "So I bid my time. I promised to be a dutiful son, someone who would make a father proud, and it seemed he bought it. I realized then where my true powers were, and the way I could take my revenge. The House of Thieves is fast, quick-fingered, and sharp, but people forget that before my father came to its head, it was known as the House of Lies. During one of my missions, I was nearly killed at the hands of a titan, but those same skills saved my life once again, and so I learned of Lord Kronos and his plan to remove the Olympians from power."
Luke turned to the group, a smile on his face that made him look mad. Annabeth took a step back.
"The time is here. The age of the Olympians and their hypocrisy is at an end. The Titans will usher in a new age where only those powerful enough will rule. No more politics, no more squabbles. Only power. Join me. Let us build a world that is worth us and worth our skills. Let us remove the monsters from our society and finally bring the peace that we've been taught to seek. The Titans won't bother us if we help them. They can keep this cursed land, the land of the Olympians, and the darkened world will be ours to rule as we see fit." Luke extended his hand, "Annabeth, Percy…join me, and let us take revenge on the real monsters: Our parents."
Silence was his only answer. Annabeth stared at him with wide eyes, Bianca and Nico were speechless. Hades himself was shaking in rage, and Percy… Percy swallowed. Somehow, at some point, Luke's speech had begun to make sense.
Why should he remain with the Olympians? They had allowed Gabe to abuse his mother. They were responsible for driving his father away. His father had abandoned him, allowing for Gabe and his acts…and they had allowed Percy to live for years between streets and alleys, nearly dying at several points. He could be free, work with Luke, and make sure no more women had to suffer the fate of Sally Jackson, and no more boys had to suffer his fate. All he had to do was reach out to Luke and—
A hand clasped his own, and Percy turned to see Bianca, whose eyes were filled with tears.
She didn't speak. She merely looked at him, and at that moment Percy knew what he had to do.
"We won't join you, Luke," Percy said, looking at the blonde boy. "We have been wronged by our families, and by those we are supposed to look up to, but the answer to that is not bitter revenge. We can change things when we take our places atop the ladder, just like our parents did."
"You think they will let you sit as a Lord, Percy?" Luke asked him, mockingly, "Your father is the most feared hunter alive. So long as he lives, you will be a target, and Zeus will rather die himself before he allows the House of the Seas to rise again. No, I…I can give you the power you seek, Percy, make you uncontested Lord with the power to rival Zeus, all you have to do it join me."
"What are you talking about?"
"The scythe," Hades said, glaring at the boy. "You intend to kill Triton with the Scythe."
"The Scythe of Saturn, one of the Pillars of Enlightenment." Luke awaited some sort of reaction, but sighed in disappointment when he didn't get anything, "I take it, Lord Hades, you haven't educated your children on the pillars?"
"No one is supposed to know about them. Not even you."
"I have stolen more than just information, my lord. I know exactly how to use this legendary weapon."
"What…what does it do?" Annabeth asked.
"Why, it steals enlightenment, of course."
A chill ran down Percy's spine at Luke's confession.
"It takes only a nick, but the moment the cursed blade touches your skin you will feel the Enlightenment leave your body. If you are slain with it, the blade shall absorb your enlightenment and those who wield it shall have their own boosted by its power. It is how Lord Jupiter slayed Lord Saturn, by using his power against him after stealing the scythe. However, what people don't know is that what is taken can be given. The enlightenment that the Scythe steals can be stolen and granted to another, so long as the scythe recognizes you as a true child of Enlightenment."
"For the supremacy of those to come."
"You know the words." Luke said, impressed, "Yes. That is the mindset you require to steal enlightenment from the Scythe itself. Supremacy. Such a fickle concept, but a powerful one."
"And how does Triton factor into this?" Bianca asked.
"The prophecy…" Annabeth said, and Percy's head snapped to her. "The seaborn's ace…"
"What prophecy?" Percy asked, "Annabeth…what. Prophecy.?"
"The prophecy that saw Poseidon leaving Olympus…" Hades said, his eyes widening.
"And so we come to the final act of our play." Luke smiled, "I shall ask one last time. Join me and help me reshape this world, or stay and suffer the fate of those who oppose us."
"We shall never join you." Percy said, "We will stop you."
"Annabeth?" Luke asked, no, begged.
"I…I don't know who you are anymore…" Annabeth said, "You're not…Luke."
Luke's eyes darkened.
"So you chose him, then."
"What?"
"I should've seen it coming. The sisters warned me…" Luke shook his head, "No matter. I shall do what I must, the son of the sea will not be a problem anymore."
Luke turned the Scythe into the ring, and on his hand, a long pure gold spear materialized in a flash of light.
"Masterbolt." Hades said with a growl, "It was you!"
"A good thief is always two steps ahead," Luke smiled, "and he always has an escape plan."
Luke's eyes glowed bronze, and Percy felt a pressure on his chest as tendrils of darkness pushed him back. He heard Bianca and Nico scream, and a wet sound. When Percy's eyes focused, he let out a scream.
"I truly am sorry, Lord Hades, but you are more worthy to us dead than alive," Luke said as he pushed Masterbolt deeper into Hades' chest.
"I…it doesn't matter…" Hades smiled, his eyes glowing, "I have done…my duty. You are fast…but not fast enough."
Luke screamed as Hades touched the boy's chest, strange reddish tendrils connecting the skin of the Lord of the Dead with that of the traitor. Luke took out his blade, and slit Hades' throat in a panic, making Bianca and Nico scream. The last thing Percy saw of the Lord of the House of the Dead was a look that was sent towards him. Percy didn't know if it was forgiveness or blame, yet he cursed himself as he saw the man fall to the floor. Dead.
"LUKE!"
"Maia," Luke said as Annabeth's shoes spurted wings and she was slammed roughly against the wall. "Those were never intended for you, but you never knew how to keep your hands from my stuff, did you, my love?"
"RAH!" Nico yelled as he rushed Luke, but the older boy merely dodged him in a burst of speed and whispered something into his ear. Nico's eyes glowed silver, and he turned towards Bianca, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
"Nico." Bianca said, her voice full of fear, "Fight it! He's lying to you!"
"He's too full of rage to listen." Luke smiled, "Ah, Bianca. Truly, I am sorry for what I did. It wasn't my intention to lead you on, but you simply were too…dull." Luke looked at her sadly, "If you weren't so scared of your powers, perhaps things would've been different…"
"Nico…" Bianca said as Nico tackled her, holding her in place. "Nico, please." Nico grabbed her by the shoulders and began slamming her head onto the stone, stopping only when Bianca had passed out and a pool of blood had begun to grow around her head.
"And now you," Luke said, turning to Percy. Percy cursed himself, standing up on wobbly legs, but the exhaustion of the day had finally caught up to him and he struggled to hold himself up. "I mean it, Percy. Together we could change the world."
"Traitor…" Percy said. He hated traitors. "I will find you, and make you pay."
"What were your words, Percy? That we can't solve anything with bitter revenge? See how quickly you turn into a hypocrite?"
Percy lunged at him, his sword missing him by a margin.
"I thought Nico taught you better." Luke smiled as he slammed a knee into Percy's gut, making him scream in pain. "But this is better, it will be easier to sell the lie if you're exhausted and beaten up." Luke kicked his face, and Percy felt blood fill his mouth. "Yes. Percy Jackson, the lightning thief, killed Hades after the House of the Dead had offered him sanctuary. He kidnapped the daughter of Athena, manipulated the daughter of Hades, and got into the good graces of the son of Hades, and backstabbed all of them after his betrayal was discovered. Lucky for him, the honorable Luke Castellan, demigod, had given Bianca a way to escape. He managed to find them, but too late. What a pity."
"No one…no one will believe you…"
"I told you, Percy, I am the heir of the House of Lies, inheritor of the silver tongue. What I say is truth, and with my influence, nobody will question me." Luke looked down sadly at him, "Zeus is not known for his mercy, so I suggest you prepare yourself. The next few days will be hard. And by the time anyone realizes my lie…well, I shall be long gone."
Percy fell to his knees, heaving and feeling his eyes closing.
"I am truly sorry things turned out this way, Percy. Perhaps we could've been friends if I had been the one to find you. Just another way in which Olympus has meddled into our lives." Luke began to walk away, "I will make sure to tell them that you're the only responsible one for what happened here. If you wish to save Annabeth, Bianca, and Nico from Zeus' wrath, it will be in your best interest to maintain that lie. Goodbye, Percy, I shall make sure that no more Gabe Uglianos can harm people once I take over the world."
Percy heard Luke's footsteps echoing in the door, and tears began to fill his eyes. As they began to close, and as darkness claimed him, Percy couldn't keep his eyes away from Hades' corpse. The only person who had welcomed him with open arms, now was dead because Percy, once again, had been too weak to stop it.
THE END OF PART III
This chapter, along with one towards the end, is what initially inspired me to write this story. It has been a long time coming, but after the release of the TV show I had the desire to write a little and wrote 2 chapters back to back.
The interludes have the skeleton outlined, so I need to start filling them up.
If anyone cares for it, here's a discord server if you want to talk about this or other stories. I'm not really good at managing communities and prefer to stay a bit more on the down low, but oh well. I think it could be fun. If you want to be a mod of it just lmk.
/URWajbHu
As always, take care of each other. Be kind. Share, like, comment, and see you on the next one.