We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone.
"You did WHAT!?" Zeus roared, causing Percy to flinch. "Who's idea was this?" Jason stepped forwards, his face a mix of pride and fear.
"I did," he replied. Zeus only glared at him.
"In what cold clockwork of the stars above did you think you were allowed to do this?" Behind them, all the gods seemed to be in a state of silence. Poseidon was frowning, while Hera was glaring. Apollo was wowing while Demeter was nodding. And Hades was grinning while Artemis was looking at him with a hint of curiosity, and dare he say amazement?
"I don't need permission from you," Jason began. He tried to stay confident, but it came off as more of a nervous squeak if anything. Zeus glowered, returning to his throne. With a sigh, the king of gods leaned back, stroking his beard tentatively.
"You need my permission for everything and anything," he glared. "That goes for all of you!" Zeus pointed at the seven. "You are minor gods. Minor! You're all insignificant. If you didn't exist, the world would still work without any issues. The only people who might slightly contribute to society are Perseus and Jason, and that doesn't give you any right to pretend you're more powerful than someone like me."
"I wasn't trying to-" Jason began, but Zeus cut him off.
"Silence!" he bellowed. "I'm talking!" At this, Hera seemed to whisper something into his ear and the king of gods took a deep breath, as if trying to calm down.
"The funniest thing is I didn't even need to grant any of you immortality. Perseus already rejected it, and no matter what you say, in my eyes, none of you did anything close to deserve immortality."
"We fought Gaia," Leo tried. "Beat some giants up for you. I mean, come on, surely that deserves some credit."
"Credit," Zeus emphasised. "Certainly not godhood. I only compiled because somehow, the rest of the council thought fighting a few giants equated to making you all gods. But that doesn't mean you can take advantage of this and make other people immoral!" Again, silence engulfed the council and no one dared utter a word. Percy had never seen Zeus this angry.
"Brother," Poseidon began, choosing his words carefully. "Nico and Reyna helped in this war. They transported the Athena Parthenos all the way to camp."
"And if I gave every delivery man immortality, who would be left?"
"They did more than they needed to," the sea god replied. "And without-"
"Are you not listening to me!" Zeus roared. "They did something, yeah sure, but they did not deserve godhood!" Poseidon remained calm and collected, though Percy noticed a flash of anger in his eyes.
"Be careful how you talk to me, brother," Poseidon warned. Zeus only shrugged it off, turning his attention back to Jason. He seemed to just stare at his son, as if he was thinking of the right words.
"Where are Reyna and Nico now?" he muttered.
"Celebrating," Piper said. "And rightly so." Another glare from Zeus shut her up. He seemed to think for a long time, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"Reyna is a praetor, is she not?" Jason nodded.
"Yeah, why?" Zeus leaned forwards, his eyes cold and emotionless, and for the first time that meeting, Percy felt nervous.
"Strip her of her duties."
Percy didn't think he heard the god properly.
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked. "You-You can't just do that."
"Can't I?" Zeus replied harshly. "I gave you an order to leave Reyna and Nico as mortals and to run every godly decision you make by me. You defied my orders and you're lucky this is all I'm demanding… Well for now."
"Why are we getting punished?" Percy groaned. "Artemis has done the same thing hundreds of times, and I'm sure Apollo has once or twice." Again, Zeus scowled. It seems that was all he was doing at this meeting.
"They are Olympians. They are powerful, members of the council. You are nothing, and you have no right to act like one. Effective immediately, Reyna is to be stripped of her praetorship." Percy was at a loss for words. At first, he thought this was good. At least Zeus wasn't making them reverse their change, but as he thought more about it, he realised how devastated Reyna will be when she hears this. Her praetorship meant everything to her, and now, Zeus was throwing it away like it was nothing.
"Meeting adjourned," Zeus sighed. "And you two better remember to talk to me the next time you want to execute another brilliant idea. Fail to comply this time and the consequences will be… Severe." With a thunderous blast, the god flashed out of the council room with his wife.
"Wow," Piper breathed once everyone else had left. "That could've gone so much worse. At least they're still immortal."
"Could've gone so much better," Percy muttered. "Now Reyna's gonna lose her praetorship and it's all my fault."
"No need to blame yourself," Hazel tried. Percy had nearly forgotten about her. She was holding hands with Frank, the two looking just as relieved as Piper.
"I should've talked to Poseidon about this," he muttered. "Or at least found an alternative, but no. I just had to rush Jason's idea and now look where we are."
"We are exactly where we wanted to be," Jason said firmly. "Together, all of us, and all immortals. I should be heading back now. Need to find a good way to break the news to Reyna."
"I'll come with you!" Piper said, squeezing his hand tightly. Jason smiled and the two flashed away.
"Sorry Perce," Frank sighed, giving him a hug, "but we knew something like this would happen. And no matter what, Reyna will always be grateful that we got her immortality, as will Nico." With that, Frank and Hazel left. Finally, it was just Percy and Leo, alone in the grand throne room.
"What are you gonna do now, Leo?" Percy sighed. The boy gave an honest shrug.
"Nothing much," he admitted. "Got some stuff to forge, and then got a date with Calypso." Percy smiled.
"I'm happy for you," he admitted. Leo grinned, giving him a huh.
"Thanks! See you around, Percy!" Leo bounded out of the throne room and now it was just Percy, alone, by himself.
"Together, all of us," he muttered to himself. "Yeah right. Look at me now, all alone, with no one but the wind for company." He sighed, walking out of the throne room and taking a breath of fresh air.
As Vivienne sat in the front passenger seat of the car, her gaze was fixed on the passing scenery outside. The city lights blurred into streaks of colour as Reyna navigated through the bustling streets. Above, the night sky stretched above, speckled with stars that seemed to twinkle with untold stories. Vivienne couldn't help but be captivated by the ethereal beauty of the night, a stark contrast to the chaos that had unfolded in the subway not long ago. She wondered if Percy, with his godly perspective, ever took the time to appreciate such moments.
Ever since Atalanta, things had been pretty calm and peaceful. They'd gone north to Nashville for a bit, before making their way back south. No surprise monster attacks, no arguments, and no fights. Just a serene ride. It almost made Vivienne forget about the quest and everything. At times, the five of them felt like a group of regular teenagers on a regular road trip across America. The only strange thing was even though Vivienne looked the oldest, she was by far the youngest, by about six hundred and thirty years, to be exact.
She looked around at her fellow quest members. Reyna was yawning, though still driving their rusty old car towards Dallas, albeit slowly. In the back, everyone was getting ready to sleep. Thalia, Atalanta and Phoebe were all resting their heads on one another and had a blanket on (don't ask where that came from because that's definitely a story for another day.) That left Vivienne in the passenger seat, tired, curious, and bored out of her mind. It seems with every passing day, she only had more questions about Percy Jackson and what happened five hundred years ago. She had questions for what happened before as well, such as how on earth did Percy pull Artemis, and more stuff like why Thalia joined the hunt, or how was Reyna somehow affiliated with the hunt, yet not with them at the same time?
"Reyna," Vivienne began. "How did you become an immortal?" The question seemed to catch the driver by surprise.
"Uhhh, what?" she asked.
"How did you become an immortal?" Vivienne repeated. "I mean you told me you became a mortal in a different way to everyone else, and you also said it cost you your praetorship. I just wanna know what was so special about your way, and why couldn't you become a god the normal way?" The girl bit her lip, concentrating on the road ahead. After a minute or so of silence, Vivienne sighed.
"I just wanna know," she mumbled. "You all treat me differently. I get the secrets and all; some things are just not meant to be said aloud, but I'm still part of this quest. I thought we were all friends, or at least acquaintances. Instead, I feel like I'm just dead weight to all of you, something you don't want to have with you, but you're forced to bring because I'm the one with the prophecy."
"Viv," Thalia began, her tone careful. "We don't think that of you. "We love you and are glad you're in this quest with us. It's been some time since any of us have been able to spend quality time with someone your age."
"But then why all the secrecy?" she protested. "It's my quest, and I'm not gonna tell anyone else." Thalia sighed. Vivienne just didn't understand why she was treated so differently.
"The short story? It's Artemis's rules."
"What's the long story then?" she frowned. She got that Artemis might not want some people to learn about her former relationships, but surely that isn't it, and even if it is, what's her relationship got to do with stuff like Percy's domains or what he was like?
"Like you said," Thalia began, "some things are better left unsaid."
"Thalia-"
"-And if you trust us, you'll accept that and drop it," she interrupted. Her tone was never rude or superior, just firm. Of course Vivienne didn't want to drop it, but Thalia wasn't leaving it up for discussion.
"We'll tell you everything," she said, "but in due time. If I say everything right now, there's a half decent chance you'll turn around, leave the quest and forget about the Greek gods. That's the type of seriousness we're dealing with."
"I'd never do that," she tried, but Thalia interrupted her.
"You wouldn't? Viv, you gotta remember, we were all demigods just like you at one point. We've experienced the same feelings of despair, fear and hopelessness. For now, just trust us. As for Reyna…"
As all eyes turned to their driver, the ex-praetor let out a sigh.
"My story isn't that interesting," she said, "but I don't mind telling you anyway. It's not that I was trying to ignore you earlier, but seriously, manuals suck. This car must be decades old, and driving it is not easy." Vivienne nodded. She supposed she might've been too harsh, but could she really be blamed? All she wants is to feel like a part of the quest, and not like an outsider.
"So what happened?" Vivienne asked. Reyna's eyes were concentrated on a car on the road, watching it swerve into her lane. She gently presses the brakes, increasing the distance between them and the car.
"I was never meant to be immortal," Reyna sighed. "According to the gods, I didn't deserve it. Carrying the Athena Parthenos all the way to Camp Half-Blood with a crazy satyr and half-zombie son of Hades supposedly wasn't worthy of godhood. Therefore, when everyone got their domains and stuff, I was essentially given a 'pat on the back.' The gods said their thanks, Athena congratulated me and gave me some cool spear, but when Jason and Percy brought the topic of my godhood, Zeus shut it down without hesitation."
"A stupid thing to do, really," Phoebe muttered. She'd been quietly observing the conversation for a while now. "Reyna and Nico both faced death more times than I can count, and the gods didn't care. If I recall correctly, Percy angered Zeus so much in a later meeting about Reyna's praetorship that the poor boy nearly got struck by Zeus' master bolt. I tell you, Vivienne, Percy really enjoyed irritating gods, especially the more stuck up ones."
"Hey, you calling my father stuck up?" Thalia asked.
"Perhaps," she grinned slyly. Thalia nodded.
"Good, because on this rare occasion, I'll agree."
"What happened after the meeting then?" Vivienne asked, steering the conversation back to Reyna's immortality.
"When Percy came back from a quest with Artemis, Jason had one of his 200IQ ideas. He said, 'why don't we make Nico and Reyna champions?'"
"What's a champion?" Vivienne frowned.
"It's… Uh… Well normally it's just someone who has a slice of your powers, but you get different types of champions. And one type of champion is the hunters of Artemis. They get a slice of her powers, but they also swear allegiance to her, and in return, get partial immortality." Vivienne gasped.
"You swore your allegiance to Percy and Jason?" She shrugged.
"At the time, it seemed like a good idea. I get some powers and partial immortality." Vivienne nodded. She didn't even realise gods could do that; she thought it was something limited to Artemis.
"Which god's champion are you then?" Phoebe snorted.
"Oh no, me and Nico are both only Jason's champions. Percy would never let us have his domains. He struggled enough with them. At the time I thought it was selfish, but only later did I thank him for it. I'm Jason's champion of Fights, and Nico's his champion of Heroes."
"Wow," the daughter of Hephaestus breathed. "I-I didn't think minor gods could do that type of stuff." Reyna smirked, a bittersweet one.
"That's where the issue comes in," she sighed. "See, minor gods aren't allowed to do that. At least now without Zeus's explicit permission. When Jason and Percy told Zeus what they'd done, he was… furious would be an understatement. Zeus was livid at his own son, and Perseus didn't have it much better. In the end Zeus let us keep our partial immortality due to some complications with reversing it, but I was stripped of my praetorship in front of the entirety of Rome."
"Isn't that a bit far?" Vivienne asked. "Why in front of everyone?"
"Public humiliation," Reyna explained. "He wanted us to regret ever becoming immortals, and show the world what happens when you try to find loopholes. Nico got a punishment, though it wasn't half as bad as mine."
"What was it?"
"Nico was forced to join the hunt for twenty years," Thalia grinned. "Best twenty years of my life." Vivienne frowned.
"I thought only girls could join the hunt."
"That's why it was the best twenty years," Thalia winked, her grin mischievous. She leaned back in her seat.
"Besides, that's half the reason Percy and Artemis got so close. He'd always visit Nico every few weeks, and at that time, the hunt was very small, so there was nothing for us to do. Whenever Percy came, all of us, Artemis included, would sit at a campfire with him and talk. Then, when everyone went to bed, guess who was still up, huddled by the campfire?"
"Percy and Artemis?" Vivienne tried. Thalia snapped her fingers.
"Bingo! I tell you, they were the cutest couple Olympus had ever seen. Even Aphrodite was jealous of how strong their love was."
"And then?" Immediately, Thalia's eyes seemed to sink, and her voice softened.
"And then he left," she murmured quietly. "He left me, he left his father, he left Reyna, he left Olympus, he left the world, and most importantly, he left Artemis."
"The answer to your question is no by the way," Percy sighed, opening his door and gesturing for his sisters to go in first.
"What?" Hemera protested. "Oh come on, you don't even know what my question was going to be." Percy raised his eyebrow.
"Hemera, I know the next five questions that are about to come out of your mouth, and all of them revolve around me coming back to Olympus and helping out. I've said it once and I'll say it again. I'm not coming back."
"I've already tried," Eris muttered. "Our brother is just too stubborn."
"See, I get you calling me 'brother,' Eris," he began. "But how am I Hemera's brother? It makes no sense!"
"Doesn't it?" Eris smiled coyly. "If I'm your sister, and Hemera is my sister, then by extension, you and Hemera are siblings as well."
"Eris, it doesn't work like that," Percy groaned. The girl shrugged.
"Whatever."
Settling into a homely atmosphere, Percy, ever the reluctant host, gestured towards a fine, leather couch for his sisters to take a seat.
"So, Percy, you're telling me you're not even going to consider returning?" Hemera asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. Percy sighed, leaning against the doorway.
"I've been over this with Eris. The Olympians have their gods, and I have my island. It's a nice arrangement." Eris, who had sprawled out on the couch, chuckled.
"He's got his little paradise here, complete with a bungalow, a farm and random sisters showing up." Hemera, however, was unsatisfied.
"I don't understand," she frowned. "Olympus is your home. You're everything. Why won't you come back?" Percy sighed, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and resolve.
"Hemera, it's not that simple. Things have changed, and I can't go back to the way they were." She pursed her lips in thought.
"And what if I said the gods need you? What if I said we need you?" Her eyes were searching his for a sign of reconsideration.
"Oh, the great Percy Jackson," Eris chimed in, her voice mocking, "saviour of Olympus, turns his back on the gods. How poetic." Percy shot Eris a stern look before returning his attention to Hemera
"It's not about turning my back on anyone. I left for a reason. Things got… complicated, and it's better for everyone if I stay here."
"Complicated?" Eris snorted. "You mean you made a mistake and figured the best solution was to run away so it'd never happen again. That's like saying you ran a red light in traffic so you'll never drive again to never get a ticket." Percy's jaw tightened, though he didn't say anything, simply opening his makeshift fridge and taking three steaks out. Hemera, sensing the tension, tried to bridge the gap with understanding.
"Percy, whatever happened, we can work through it together. The gods, the Olympians, they're your family. You can't stay isolated here forever." Percy ran a hand through his dishevelled hair, frustration evident in his eyes.
"Hemera," he began as calmly as he could, "I appreciate your concern, but a person who cares for their family is meant to do what's best for them, and the best thing for them is to be as far away from me as possible. Besides, my family is here, on this island."
"Oh, how touching," Eris grinned. "Percy found a family among fish and cattle."
"Sometimes, you need to make sacrifices for the greater good," he said, ignoring Eris. The goddess of strife was usually kind and considerate to him, but as soon as another god came into the fray, she went to her usual, mischievous, chaotic ways.
"Percy, come on now. You've had your five hundred years of solitude. Me, Eris, and everyone else have kept your location quiet, but enough's enough. There's a war coming our way and I need every soldier I can get." Hemera dropped her tone to a much lower one, before whispering, "Percy, can't you see that people miss you? That people need you? Think of your father. Your half-sisters. Your godly friends. Your beautiful, moonlit love, Phoebe Ar-"
"NO NAMES!" Percy roared, cutting her off. The force of his outburst was enough to send a nearby vase crashing to the floor. The shattered pieces echoed in the cottage, mirroring the fragments of Percy's composure.
Hemera recoiled, her eyes widening at the unexpected outburst. Even Eris, accustomed to chaos, seemed momentarily taken aback by the intensity of Percy's reaction. His eyes blazed with a mix of anger and sorrow, emotions he had tried to bury deep within the confines of his island.
Realising what he'd just done, Percy took a deep breath, attempting to rein in the storm of emotions swirling within him. His hands trembled, something rare for him, as he knelt down to pick up the broken shards of the vase, each piece a metaphor for the fractured pieces of his past.
"I... I'm sorry," Percy muttered, his voice a mix of regret and shame. "I shouldn't have reacted like that. But why are you using names? It's the one rule I have." Hemera, recovering from the shock, cautiously approached him.
"Percy, I didn't mean to upset you. I just thought…" He shook his head, not wanting to talk about this. It had been aeons since he'd heard that name, and just the mention sent a shiver of nostalgia down his spine. Reluctantly, Percy confronted the reality that, no matter how much he tried to escape it, his past would always find a way to resurface… to remind him of what he did all those years ago.
Percy sighed.
"I can't change what's done," he admitted, his tone tinged with a hint of regret. "But I can change the future. I'm here to protect, to save people in my own way" Eris chuckled darkly.
"Protect? You mean hide. Running away doesn't make you a protector, Percy." He shrugged.
"Debatable."
"Are we ignoring the fact that I'm dealing with a war?" Hemera asked. "Seriously, what you're doing is honourable and I respect it. Not many people can watch the world pass by from a tiny island, all alone. It's just there are better ways to help people, like coming back-"
"I said I'm not coming back!" Percy's eyes flared with anger. "Can't you understand that? Drop it."
A tense silence settled over the room. Percy, weary and drained, softened his gaze and turned back to Hemera.
"Now, Hemera, do you prefer your steak medium rare or well done?" Attempting to shift the atmosphere, she smiled weakly.
"Anything will do, Percy. Just get me some food. I'm famished. Energy is exactly what I need right now."
Heading into the kitchen, Percy retrieved three steaks from the 'freezer' and placed them on the counter. As he began to set up his makeshift stove, the sizzle of the pan accompanied the soft hum of the flames beneath. In the meantime, the quiet voices of Hemera and Eris in the backroom danced in Percy's heightened ears. He wasn't one to eavesdrop intentionally, but his godly senses made it nearly impossible to ignore the quiet conversation.
"Does he usually snap like that?" Hemera's concerned whisper reached Percy's ears, and he paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the steaks. The question hung in the air, laden with worry.
"I mean I don't visit often," Eris muttered nonchalantly, "but when I do, he's usually just... sorrowful, not angry. I've never seen him yell like that." Hemera's sigh was almost audible.
"This isolation really isn't good for him." Percy's hands stilled for a moment. The weight of those words lingered in the air, an unspoken truth that had accompanied him throughout the centuries. The isolation, the self-imposed exile on his island, had become both a sanctuary and a confinement. It shielded him from the world's chaos, but it also denied him the solace of companionship. It denied him friendship, and most of all, it denied him love.
Resuming his task, Percy placed the steaks on the hot surface, their sizzle filling the room. The aroma of searing meat began to waft through the air, a welcome distraction from the heavy atmosphere that hung over the cottage.
As he flipped the steaks with a practised flick of the spatula, Percy considered the implications of his sisters' conversation. It wasn't lost on him that his solitude might be taking a toll on his well-being, but Percy was adamant that this was the only way to keep the world safe. The echoes of his past, the mistakes and losses, still consumed him.
With a thoughtful frown, Percy continued to cook, the rhythmic sizzle punctuating the silence. He couldn't deny the truth in Hemera's words, but the prospect of returning to a world that held both joy, pain and heartache remained a daunting choice.
Walking back into the living room, he noticed Hemera had set a plate up for the three of them. Percy carefully placed the plates down.
"Lunch is served," he declared, "albeit a little early." He took a seat and, without waiting, dug in. The aroma of the perfectly cooked steaks filled the room.
"Oh wow, this is very nice," Percy," Hemera remarked.
"Thanks," Percy replied between bites. "Eris?"
"Awesome!" she nodded. Hemera glanced towards Eris's steak and looked mortified.
"Eris! That's not even a cooked steak! It looks all raw!" The goddess shrugged.
"I like it this way," she grinned cheekily.
"Are you planning to stay the night?" Percy asked Hemera, ignoring Eris and her steak. If she liked her steak extremely rare, who was he to judge? Hemera shook her head.
"No, I'm sure you have enough trouble with Eris here."
"Hey!" Eris protested.
"Not at all," Percy interjected. "As my mother used to say, there's always room for more." Hemera smiled.
"It's nice of you, but honestly, don't worry. Besides, I've got another place to stay." Percy frowned.
"I thought Nyx kicked you out," he remarked.
"No, I left," Hemera corrected. Eris muttered a sarcastic "Sure" under her breath, earning a sharp look from Hemera.
"How's the war going?" Percy asked, shifting the conversation. Hemera sighed, her expression turning serious.
"It's tough. The gods are preparing the demigods, and I'm gathering whatever support I can. Nyx has a formidable and extensive army. It's going to be a tough one." She continued, "I just don't understand why you can't come. Your help would make a significant difference." Percy's jaw tightened.
"We're not going through this conversation again," he grumbled. Eris, sitting nearby, couldn't help but giggle sadistically, revelling in the tension. "Besides," Percy added, "If you remember, I convinced Eris to join your side."
"I don't want Eris though," she sighed. "Eris doesn't listen to orders, causes chaos in her own ranks, and charges into battle without any warning. I want you."
"Eris is stronger," Percy noted.
"Darn right!" she chimed in. Hemera, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow.
"Really?" she asked, "because that's not what happened last time you both fought."
"Eris was tired then, remember?," he defended. "That's how I won."
"I was not!" the strife goddess protested, feeling her honour at stake. "I just let him win because I felt bad."
"Even if I am stronger," Percy began, "Eris's support comes with all her children, and we know she has… A lot of children." The goddess of strife grinned wickedly while Hemera rolled her eyes.
"Maybe," she admitted, "but a lot of her children support Nyx anyway. In fact, that's one of the reasons I needed to speak to you."
"To tell me her children are on the enemy's side?" Percy frowned. He wasn't involved in this war, nor was he going to be. Why would she come all this way to tell him?
"No," Hemera said. "But Nyx found out about the prophecy."
"Which prophecy?" Percy groaned. "There's like fifty at this point. The seeker prophecy. Apollo's chicken prophecy. The great prophecy-"
"The one they gave to that girl. The one to find you." Percy nodded. He hadn't heard it himself, but he knew of it.
"What about it?" he frowned. Hemera leaned in, staring Percy deep in the eyes.
"Nyx has taken it too literally. She's paranoid that the fire girl will bring you back so she's asked one of Eris's children to make sure under no circumstances they reach you." Percy's hand tightened around his fork.
"And which child is this?" he growled.
"I can answer that," Eris sighed, though she seemed more annoyed if anything. Her usual, sadistic gleam had been replaced by a moody one.
"It's Makhai."
Hope this was a nice chapter. I felt a bit odd about it, but I'm still posting it. Also, went for a longer-style chapter this time. Do let me know fi you prefer these longer chapters (~5000 words) or the usual chapters (~4000 words.) Otherwise, sorry for being late and hope to catch you in the next update!