Percy felt a little bad for leaving Artemis in such a rush, but he was worried about what Athena had done; beautiful didn't begin to describe Artemis, but right at this point in time, Percy didn't know how to feel. They'd gone for a beautiful dinner alone, only for it to have all been a distraction? Artemis would never do that to him, but then what was Athena talking about? The only way for him to find out was to get to Aphrodite's and see what the story was.
He felt a rush of mixed emotions as he sprinted towards the Empire State Building. The serene evening with Artemis now felt like a distant memory, clouded by the urgency of the situation. Luckily for him, the Empire State Building wasn't too far, and Percy's anxiety fueled his speed.
Reaching the building, Percy approached the security guard stationed at the entrance. He wasted no time.
"I need the 600th floor, NOW," he blurted. The security guard raised an eyebrow, ready to dismiss Percy's request.
"There's no six hundredth floor-Oh. It's you again," he remarked. Percy nodded fervently.
"Yeah, it's me, and I need access ASAP." The security guard hesitated for a moment, glancing around as if making sure no one else was around. Finally, he hit the buzzer and jerked his head, signalling Percy to proceed.
"Thanks," he muttered, dashing into the elevator.
As the elevator ascended, Percy couldn't help but notice that the familiar tune of 'Stayin' Alive' filled the small space. It had become somewhat of a theme song during his visits to Olympus. An odd choice for a divine realm, but Percy paced around in the elevator, trying to focus on the beat and not the anxiety gnawing at him. As soon as the elevator dinged on the six hundredth floor, he burst out, surprising a group of satyrs who were loitering nearby. Ignoring their bewildered stares, he sprinted down the roads of Olympus, not stopping once for a breather.
Reaching Aphrodite's palace in record time, Percy didn't bother with polite formalities. He rang the doorbell frantically, panting heavily. All this running made his legs ache and he momentarily stumbled before regaining his footing.
"Aphrodite, open the door!" he yelled, banging hard and ringing the doorbell a dozen more times. Still with no response, Percy's frustration escalated.
"I'm warning you. Open the door this second!" Still no response. "That's it, I'm barging in!" he declared, his voice echoing through the divine halls. He stepped back, took a deep breath, and with a resolute determination, slammed into the door, counting aloud.
"One!" The door remained obstinate.
"Two!" Again, no response.
"Three!" On the third attempt, Percy flung all this weight into the door and it finally gave in, falling to the ground with a dull thud. He made a mental note to make sure Aphrodite improved her doors.
As Percy stumbled into Aphrodite's palace, shock painted his features. The beautiful haven he once knew was now a chaotic scene of destruction. Furniture lay overturned, delicate decorations shattered, and the air was heavy with the scent of turmoil. It was as if a tempest had torn through the place, leaving behind a trail of havoc.
Fury ignited in Percy's eyes. He clenched his fists, his jaw set in a determined line.
"Aphrodite!" Percy shouted, his voice echoing through the disarray. No response came. He moved through the wreckage, scanning for any signs of movement. Anxiety gnawed at him, and he called out names with increasing urgency.
"They're not here," a voice called behind him. Percy whipped his head around like lightning, only to find himself face to face with a strikingly pretty woman. Her flawless skin had a light tan, and her straight, midnight black hair framed her face in a striking contrast. The woman was wearing am obsidian-black long sleeved, mini bodycon paired with thigh-high boots and latex gloves, all the same colour, exuding an air of mysterious allure. The only unsetting feature was her eyes… Pools of pure hatred that seemed to stare through his soul. With an air of nonchalance, the woman sucked on a lollipop, the contrast between the sweetness of the candy and the venom in her gaze adding another uneasy later to her demeanour.
"Wh-where are they?" Percy stammered, momentarily caught off guard. With a sigh, the woman slowly popped the lollipop out of her mouth, her eyes never leaving Percy's.
"Last I checked, they were being carried out by Ares and Demeter. The sight wasn't pretty, I'll tell you that much." Percy's concern deepended, and he rubbed his face, wiping the sweat away.
"You… you're Styx, aren't you?" he ventured, the realisation sinking in. She nodded.
"Yeah. Why? Didn't expect a daughter of Nyx to look this hot?" she quipped, her tone mocking. Percy, however, wasn't in the mood for banter.
"I was gonna find a better time to do this, but you're here now so I might as well. I wanted to apologise," he admitted with a sigh. Styx arched an eyebrow, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"For what?"
"For washing away your curse in the Little Tiber," Percy confessed. "I felt pretty bad about it and don't want any bad blood between us. It was more of a 'heat of the moment' type of thing. Your immortality thing was really awesome though. It helped me a lot through the second Titan war and before I got to Camp Jupiter." Styx studied him, her gaze calculating.
"Selfless, caring, and respectful. Maybe the Fates were right in giving you rivers as a domain," she mused, the venom in her eyes softening for a moment. "I'll see you around, Perseus Jackson." With that, Styx turned and gracefully disappeared into the shadows, leaving Percy alone amidst the wreckage of Aphrodite's palace.
Percy was ready to leave, before from the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of a bright pink scarf hanging undamaged from a door peg. It stood out amongst all the destruction. Intrigued, he approached and took the scarf in his hands, marvelling at how soft it felt against his skin. Without a second thought, he slipped it on, the vibrant colour contrasting with the debris-laden surroundings.
Feeling a bit more composed and slightly warmer, Percy decided to go up to his room. However, as he moved toward the stairs, he realised they were blocked by rubble; parts of the roof had destroyed the stairs, making upstairs impossible to get to. Grumbling under his breath, he went for plan B, trudging through the scattered debris and stepping over rocks and fragments toward the backroom. In the dim light of the damaged palace, Percy spotted one of his dusty jackets buried beneath the rocks. He heaved the rocks away, unintentionally tearing a part of the jacket in the process. Regardless, he pulled it up, wiped whatever dust he could off and slipped it on.
Fully dressed in the jacket and pink scarf, Percy made his way out of Aphrodite's palace. The night air outside was crisp and cold, much colder than it had been earlier during his date. It's almost like the war was messing up everything. Percy had been warned before about the severe implications of a divine war when Zeus lost his master bolt, but only now was he understanding just how cataclysmic this all could turn out. Today it was the weather, what if tomorrow it was the sky or the earth? War was a natural transgression against order, and Percy knew that the consequences would be… intense.
"What did you do," Artemis glared, her voice venomous, so much that Apollo flinched.
"Hermes," the sun god said quietly. "Give us some space please." Hermes didn't need to be told twice. Avoiding all eye contact, he quickly walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind.
Apollo sighed as if he had sensed this conversation was inevitable. He looked at Artemis with a mixture of guilt and resignation.
"Artemis…" he began, but she abruptly cut him off.
"Don't you dare 'Artemis' me! How would you feel if you were on a date, Apollo?" she shot at him, her voice sharp and filled with venom. Apollo flinched at the intensity of her anger. "And then you find out that the date was nothing more than a distraction, and to make matters worse, the other person suspects they were being used by you?" The goddess was on another level of anger. Practically seething, she took several deep breaths to calm herself. At the same time Apollo ran his hand through his golden hair, looking at her with a mixture of unease and nervousness.
"I didn't like doing it," Apollo finally admitted, his voice softer now, a mix of remorse and melancholy.
"Then why did you then?" Artemis demanded. Yes this war was important, and yes Artemis had agreed to help, but there was no need for Apollo to try and ruin the start of her first proper relationship before it had even blossomed.
"Athena needed Percy distracted," Apollo explained. "She came to me and I said I'd take care of it. This was a very last minute thing and you two were already on a date. What would happen if I said he didn't need to be distracted because he's on a date with Artemis?" he added sarcastically. Artemis glared at him, her anger barely contained.
"You could've told her there was no need for such a scheme. You could've explained that Percy wouldn't need distracting-"
"Do you think Athena would be taking chances?" Apollo shot back. "You know how she is. Calculating, strategic—she wouldn't leave anything to chance. No… If I were to say Percy was already distracted, she'd demand proof, and then it'd be back to square one."
"You ever heard of an oath on the Styx?"
"You think I'm taking chances?" Apollo countered. "I may have been 99.99% sure Percy was distracted, but I'm not taking that 0.01% chance that your date finished early or he went back to the palace to get his coat and he's not distracted and have Styx punish me. Whereas, if there's a 0.01% chance he's not distracted and goes back to the palace, Athena's plan wouldn't've been too ruined. It's about maintaining the right, delicate balance. I don't think you understand how hard it is for me to fight this war and keep your relationship secret at the same time, yet I'm still trying my best. I'm sorry she ruined your date, but this was the best I could do. Otherwise, we'd either be losing this war or your entire relationship would be public."
"So what?" the goddess snapped. "I'm meant to thank you now?" Apollo only sighed.
"Moves and countermoves, sis," he replied. "Moves and countermoves."
For a moment, Artemis wanted to scream, to unleash her frustration, but she just felt empty and hollow instead. The image of hurt on Percy's face when Athena came played on repeat in her mind, and it weighed heavily on her. She couldn't comprehend why this war had escalated so fast, and why everyone seemed to be against her in everything she did.
"Artemis, I truly am sorry," the sun god admitted. "Whether you want to believe it or not, that's the truth. I never wanted to do it, and even now I feel bad and I'm sorry if it's ruined your relationship with Percy in any-"
"Ruined!?" she yelled. "He practically walked out on me just for freaking Aphrodite."
"And I'll do my best to fix it, I promise. But this war has a higher priority than your love life and that's the hard truth. I will try to explain to Percy that it was me not you and that you're still good for him," Apollo admitted, his tone softer now, devoid of the defensiveness. "But sometimes, we have to make difficult choices for the greater good."
Artemis remained silent, her eyes locked with her brother's. As much as she hated it, Apollo was right in saying this war was more important. But still…
"A warning would've been nice," she grumbled. Apollo shrugged.
"If I could've, I would've, but this was very last minute."
"Last minute?" Artemis frowned. "How so?" Apollo hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
"An opportunity presented itself to attack Aphrodite early on when she wouldn't be expecting it. In order for it to work, we needed Percy gone. To protect the secrecy of your relationship, I told Athena I'd take care of it." Artemis's irritation deepened.
"And she agreed to that without hesitation?" Apollo nodded.
"Yeah. Then they attacked. She found you and Percy, rubbed salt in the wound by taunting him, and the next thing I know, you're storming in here in the middle of the night which, by the way, really isn't cool." Artemis was silent for a moment, digesting the information. Athena's tactics were ruthless, and Artemis couldn't help but feel a growing sense of anger towards the goddess of wisdom.
"What was this opportunity?" she asked, her voice sharp. All of a sudden, Apollo became more secretive, his tone lowering.
"I… uhh, I can't exactly say."
"Why not?" Artemis demanded. "You're telling me after everything that just happened between me and him, you won't even tell me the full story!?"
"Let's just say Athena's interests were aligned with someone else's. If words get to a specific person about who it is, things can get really messy, really fast. We don't want that, do we?"
"Right now, I don't even know if I wanna be on Athena's side," Artemis grumbled under her breath. She was torn between her loyalty to Athena and her growing disdain for the manipulative tactics employed. Besides, there was still the question over why Aphrodite would bother lying to start a war? As much as she disliked the goddess of beauty, she'd been pretty helpful with Artemis's first relationship and violence never was her thing.
"I'll do what I can to minimise Percy's involvement in these schemes," Apollo assured her. "But Artemis, enough dating; start focusing on this war. The quicker it's over, the quicker you and Percy can become a thing and hopefully get married soon." She didn't even blush. The goddess was just in too foul of a mood to even care.
"Sure," she muttered under her breath, walking towards the door.
"Goodnight, Artemis," Apollo called out behind her.
She didn't even have the heart to reply.
"Percy!?"
Startled, the young god turned around to find Nico grinning crazily at him. Despite the ruined state of his clothes, a bandage here and there and a few visible gashes, Nico's smile was remarkably intact. Hobbling over, he pulled Percy into a tight hug, which Percy readily returned.
"Oh man, it is good to see you," Nico said.
"Likewise," Percy replied. "After seeing the state of Aphrodite's palace and hearing the rumours, I thought something might've happened to you too." Nico nodded, before eventually breaking the hug and just staring at him.
"So what happened?" Percy asked, concerned. Immediately, Nico's expression turned grave, his tone becoming much more sombre.
"We got attacked in an ambush at Aphrodite's palace," the son of Hades admitted.
"I had a feeling," Percy replied. "Who did it though, and why?"
Nico jerked his thumb toward a silver, beautiful tall building.
"Better to explain everything inside," he mumbled, turning towards the building. Without saying a word, Percy followed him inside. They didn't talk much. Nico seemed to be relieved Percy was okay, and Percy was relieved nothing serious had happened to Nico. The walk up the stairs was brief but tense, and the corridor seemed to stretch on forever. At the end of it, they went up more stairs before finally arriving at the door to what must be the penthouse. The sounds of heated arguments and shouting echoed from within.
"The gods aren't happy with what Athena did, and they aren't happy with you," Nico explained after noticing Percy's reaction.
"Me!? What did I do?" Percy asked incredulously.
Nico simply said, "You'll see," before opening the door and ushering Percy through.
Inside, the scene was chaotic. There were roughly twenty or so other immortals inside, each one having their own fervent discussion. Their voices blended into a cacophony of anger and frustration. Some gods were seated in chairs, while some were crowded around a bed in the corner. Others didn't care much and were playing an intense game of pool in the middle of the penthouse.
Slowly, upon noticing a new presence, their voices quietened, and everyone turned to look at Percy. He felt uneasy under their collective gaze, unsure of what awaited him. At first, silence. Then, from behind somewhere came a slow, loud clap echoing through the room. Ares, with a smirk plastered on his face, sauntered towards Percy. He wore a simple t-shirt, and a bandage adorned one of his biceps. Percy's irritation flared at the sight of the god of war.
"What do you want?" Percy grumbled, his voice edged with frustration. Ares reached Percy and, ignoring the tension, patted him on the back.
"Just wanted to congratulate you, Percy. Successfully ruined the war before it even properly started." Percy sighed and pushed Ares away. The war god gave him a hard look but didn't say or do anything.
"I didn't do it on purpose, and I didn't know. What's going on here, anyway?"
Before anyone could answer, Hera interrupted, her voice cutting through the room.
"Didn't know what?" she asked quietly. "Didn't know that Artemis doesn't like you and probably never will? Didn't know she was using you? Didn't know that because of you, Aphrodite had to face seven gods at once?"
Percy stood there, speechless, absorbing the weight of Hera's words.
"She… She what?" he managed to stammer after a moment of silence.
"Her and Nico got ambushed by Athena, Hermes, Apollo, and a few more minor gods," Ares glared exasperatedly. "You were supposed to be there to help. But where were you?" Percy felt the weight of Ares' accusation.
"I...I didn't know. How could I help if I haven't even unlocked my godly true form?" he retorted. Ares scoffed.
"You have powers, Percy. Use them. Warn someone, create illusions for something other than pranks." Taking a deep breath, Percy tried to find the right words.
"Look, alright, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Ares, however, wasn't in the mood for apologies.
"This is serious, Jackson!" he roared, interrupting the poor boy. "This is a real war, not some mortal skirmish. This is divine! You had one job – to protect Aphrodite. Instead, you're too busy making lovey-dovey eyes with Artemis, who's playing you for a fool!" Percy's frustration bubbled within him.
"Artemis isn't playing me. This is a misunderstanding."
"Percy," Demeter said quietly. "I have to agree with Hera and Ares here. Artemis is a maiden goddess. She's never courting you. I don't want to be brutal but it's the truth. This 'date' was only a plot to distract you. Please move on, Perseus. For your sake and for ours."
"Guys…" Percy managed to stammer out. "Let me figure out my own business by myself please-"
"Yeah that doesn't work when your 'business' starts interfering with a civil war!" Ares yelled. "Leave Artemis, never go back to her, and if you see her on the battlefield your orders are to show no mercy-"
"ENOUGH!"
Slowly, upon hearing this new voice, the crowd seemed to part. There, his one and only mentor, Aphrodite, made her way towards them, pushing through the other gods and goddesses until she was standing opposite him. Initially, Percy gasped at the sight of her – a vision marred by makeup attempting to hide scars, bandages, and bloodstains on her clothes.
"Aph... what happened?" he whispered, unable to hide the shock in his voice.
"You did-" Ares tried to interject, but Aphrodite raised a hand, silencing him.
"I said enough." Her voice cut through the tension. She shifted her gaze to Percy, and despite the pain and weariness in her eyes, there was a determination that couldn't be ignored.
"What matters now is that we learn from our mistakes-"
"Talking to you, Percy," Ares coughed loudly.
-"And we make sure this doesn't happen again." Her words hung in the air, a call to unity. However, Percy noticed the unspoken message in her eyes as she glanced at him. He knew well enough that she wanted to talk to him, most likely about the Artemis scenario when no one else was around.
"Nice speech," Hera said, "but we need to focus on counters. What's our plan?"
"That's what war is," Ares declared, seizing the stage. "Moves and countermoves. Athena striked us when we were unprepared. If anything, I call that cowardice!" A cheer erupted from the penthouse. Percy noticed some of the gods cheering like Harmonia, Zagreus, Hemeros, Anteros, Pothos and Eros. However, there were still many unknown to him. Aphrodite sure did have her contacts, and there were only so many names he could remember.
"Moves and countermoves," Ares repeated, his voice softer, yet still carrying a sinister undertone. "The way I see it, we have three options. Firstly, we can end this war right now, admit we were wrong and call it a day. What do we think?" A chorus of boos rung throughout the penthouse. Ares chuckled.
"I didn't think so either. Like Hades we're admitting we're wrong to Athena! Now, the second option is to offer Percy here as bait."
"Ares," Aphrodite frowned, her tone warning. "We are not doing that."
"Just hear me out!" he protested. "Percy pretends he liked Artemis's date and he plays her instead! We all attack and this way we don't need to worry about Artemis or the hunt."
"Which part of 'we are not doing that' did you not understand?" Aphrodite glared. "I'm not offering him up like a sacrificial lamb!" The war god shrugged.
"I mean we don't know for sure if Artemis will kill him. At least he can try to survive for a bit longer." If anything, Aphrodite's glares hardened and, reluctantly, Ares dropped it.
"Fine," he sighed. "The final option is to launch a full-on attack on her. It'll take a week or so to coordinate, and it'll be tough… very tough, but we can do it. Imagine it. Just imagine if everyone in this room attacked Athena's side simultaneously. Love, War, Fear, Family, Battlelust-"
"Cereal," Demeter pointed out.
"Sure," Ares sighed. "Cereal as well. All these domains attacking her. I mean, if we do it properly, I don't see how it can go wrong?" A lot of ways, Percy thought, though he didn't say it out loud: Ares was already in a pretty bad mood.
"That could work," Aphrodite said after a while. "But only if the domains work together." Ares's glare flickered to Percy.
"Tell me then, boy. Are you going to join us, or run away at the first sight of Artemis?" Percy took a deep breath in, standing up straight.
"I don't love Artemis," he lied. The truth was he was just confused. Regardless, Percy was sure Artemis had a reasonable explanation for what happened during their date. "She used me, and I'm ready to do whatever it takes for my revenge. Athena has taken things too far, and if you need someone to man the front lines, count me in." Aphrodite gave him a subtle nod, indicating he was saying the right things and mouthed the words "thank you."
"Very well then," Ares sighed. "Meeting adjourned. I'm going to get some people to draw up a strategy and then we execute it." Casting one last glare at Percy, the war god stormed out of the penthouse, slamming the doors shut as he did.
"Ah, I always thought he was a bit dramatic," Aphrodite mused. Percy, on the other hand, was more focused on the important stuff.
"Aphrodite, what did you do to your arm?" he muttered. "Nico, grab be that bandage roll would you?" Aphrodite rolled her eyes playfully.
"Percy, you fuss too much. It's just a scratch."
"Yeah, and I'm the God of Pranks," Percy retorted, his gaze fixed on her injured arm. "Nico, the bandages?"
Nico tossed the bandage roll to Percy, who caught it effortlessly. He walked over to Aphrodite, his expression stern.
"Hold still, please." Percy carefully unwound the bandages, revealing a nasty gash on Aphrodite's arm. It seemed like someone had plunged something sharp into her arm and ripped it back out.
"You didn't need to do this, Percy. I've had worse," she said, trying to downplay the severity of the injury.
"Shush," Percy said, his tone firm. Aphrodite mockingly raised an eyebrow.
"Oooh, getting cocky, are we? You shouldn't be shushing a goddess like that, you know."
"Yeah, well, that same goddess shouldn't be asking to be spoon-fed trifle by a guy who's got a girlfriend," Percy shot back, focusing on her wound.
Aphrodite glanced around, ensuring no one was too focused on her. Sure of their privacy, she leaned forwards, her voice a hushed whisper.
"So, you're still a thing?" Percy shrugged nonchalantly.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Well, after what Artemis did, I thought you'd be having second thoughts," Aphrodite admitted.
"Let me stop you there," Percy interrupted. "Artemis didn't do anything, I'm almost certain of it. Believe me, she was just as shocked as me when Athena said I'd been set up." Aphrodite leaned in, her expression skeptical.
"It's called acting, Percy."
"No, it's not," Percy insisted, pulling the bandage tightly around his mentor's arm. Once certain it was going to hold, he began carefully wrapping it around, a trick he'd learned during his times at the Camp Half-Blood infirmary. "You need to stop hating Artemis." Aphrodite interrupted with a sound that was a mix of a laugh, a scoff and a gasp.
"Hating on her?" she asked quietly, her voice sounding much less playful. "Careful, Percy, don't forget who set you two up in the first place, and don't forget who has the power to break you up with a snap of her fingers." Percy sighed, looking up at her.
"I'm grateful for that, I honestly am, but I know Artemis has an explanation for this. Just wait. It'll make sense later."
"Sure it will," Aphrodite replied unconvincingly as Percy continued tending to her wound, the makeshift bandages securing her arm.
Finishing up dressing the wound, Percy couldn't help but wonder who had done the previous bandaging.
"Who did this bandage before?" he muttered. "Not trying to be rude, but I don't think they know anything about bandages." Aphrodite chuckled softly.
"Well, normally, we just use ambrosia for wounds. Remember, gods aren't limited on how much we can eat, so we can stuff ourselves to quickly heal. The only issue is we're somehow in a shortage of ambrosia. We've sent a couple of gods to get some, but I think Athena's side might have beaten them to it. At any rate, mortal medicine is the way to go for now."
Percy nodded, tying the bandage more securely. As he did, he noticed Aphrodite frown slightly.
"This feels tight," she mumbled. "Like really tight. Way tighter than I remember them being."
"Good," he replied.
"Are you sure you're doing it right?" the goddess asked. Percy sighed.
"It's meant to be like this. Keeping pressure on the wound is kinda the goal here. Now where else were you cut…?" Almost immediately, Aphrodite smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes that made his heart sink.
"Trust me, Perseus, you don't want to know," she snickered. Percy sighed in annoyance.
"Well I can't help you out if you don't say," he retorted. "And I don't know when that ambrosia is coming but it seems to be taking forever." Aphrodite raised her hands in a dramatic gesture.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," she said quietly. "Now, when Athena first launched onto me I actually held up fairly well. All those years of pointless training with Ares actually came in use. Of course it all turned bad when like ten more gods came. Anyway, just before Ares turned up Athena lunged at me and I leapt to the side. Good news, right? The bad news is, in the process, my leg got exposed, and that's where the sword hit." Percy facepalmed, exasperated.
"Why couldn't you just say that in the first place?" he muttered. "Now where is it on your leg?" Aphrodite grinned playfully before pointing towards the top of her thigh, not too far from the hip. As she did, Percy's eyes widened, forming an "O" with his mouth. Aphrodite grinned.
"I did warn you. Now, wrap that bandage, hero." When Percy didn't move, the goddess continued savouring his embarrassment.
"What's wrong?" she asked mischievously. Percy blushed furiously, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks. Aphrodite continued to revel in the moment, saying, "You said you wanted to help me, and now you can. Would you like me to lift my dress up so you can check the wound out first-"
"No!" he said quickly, pinching himself hard. "Uhh, Harmonia, come here please."
Casually, another woman sauntered up to them, her long, brunette hair cascading down, and her large doe eyes framed by a warm expression. Unlike most gods, she wore mortal clothing—a crop top and denim jeans. She greeted Percy with a friendly smile.
"Hello, Perseus. Nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise," Percy replied, a bit flustered.
"What's up?" Percy simply pointed to Aphrodite, saying.
"She has a wound on her thigh, and I think you're the best person to take care of it." Harmonia scrunched her face in confusion.
"Why? You obviously seem better with bandages."
"Yeah… Um, well you see-"
"He's embarrassed," Aphrodite teased, earning an eye roll and a blush from Percy. The goddess studied him carefully before eventually sitting down.
"Fine," she sighed, efficiently taking over the task from Percy and working on the bandages herself.
Finally, Percy sat down, taking a deep breath. Aphrodite placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You good?" she asked as Harmonia pulled the bandage tightly.
"Yeah, just stressed," Percy admitted. Aphrodite arched an eyebrow.
"Stressed about Artemis?" she asked. Percy shrugged, and luckily for him, Aphrodite seemed to pick up on his reluctance to talk about it. He was navigating a complicated web of emotions. On one hand, he was in an amazing relationship, but on the other, Ares' words echoed in his mind, planting seeds of doubt about Artemis's intentions. She would never hurt him, and she looked just as surprised when Athena barged in, but still, there was the tiniest of chances. He just hoped Artemis could come and explain everything to him now.
"Wait, Artemis?" Harmonia asked, looking up from the bandages. "What about her?" Aphrodite jerked a thumb towards Percy.
"He's smitten for her," she explained. Harmonia tightened the bandage and looked at Percy with wide eyes.
"He's what!?" Aphrodite nodded, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"Yep. Totally head over heels." Harmonia shook her head in disbelief.
"Wow. I didn't see that coming. How did Artemis take it?" Aphrodite casually shrugged.
"Oh, She's in love too. They're like peas in a pod. Oh, Harmonia, I've got another cut or something on my shoulder so check that out please." Nodding, the goddess finished tying the leg bandage before examining the shoulder. At the same time, Percy shot Aphrodite a dirty glare, but she merely scoffed.
"Oh, don't give me that look. Harmonia won't spill the beans." Harmonia, still absorbed in her bandaging duties, chimed in, "Nope. Your secret's safe with me."
"And she's happy for you two," Aphrodite added with a sly smile.
"I don't want anyone knowing," Percy muttered, still uncomfortable with the situation. Harmonia sighed sympathetically.
"Percy, do you know what my domains are?" He thought for a moment before hazarding a guess.
"Uh, harmony?" Harmonia snorted.
"Yeah. I'm the anti-Eris, you could say."
"Ran into her before," Percy muttered. "Not a big fan."
"Me neither," she admitted. "But the point is I try to reduce chaos. Telling others about your relationship with Artemis is most likely to cause many more problems, which is why I'll remain silent. I promise." Percy reluctantly accepted her assurance, though he still wasn't happy with Aphrodite telling. Either way, what's done is done.
"Wait a second," Harmonia frowned, as if suddenly realising something. "So was the date you had with Artemis when Aphrodite got attacked actually fake?"
"No, it was real-
"-The correct answer," Aphrodite smoothly interjected, "is that we are unsure. Percy believes she'd never do that to him, but we need a really good explanation because how did she conveniently take him out the same time Athena came to my palace?" Harmonia nodded, seeming genuinely concerned.
"Wow, that really complicates things," she remarked. Percy sighed, agreeing with her assessment.
"Yeah, unfortunately."
Just then, Percy noticed Nico walking towards them with a drink in hand.
"About time," Percy muttered. As Nico got closer, Percy remarked, "I was wondering where you were." Nico grinned, holding up the drink.
"Have you tried these drinks? They taste awesome." Aphrodite smirked.
"Ah yes, Pothos was always the bartender of the family. His drinks are very nice. Honestly, you're lucky to try one."
"Couldn't agree more," Harmonia agreed. The peace goddess then stepped back, looking at Aphrodite. "Okay, Aphrodite, your bandages seem done. Don't undo them until I find a book on modern medicine. As for the ambrosia, Iris sent a message just before Percy called me, saying Enyo and Hebe have got the ambrosia and are making their way back carefully." Nico raised an eyebrow.
"Can't they just flash?" Harmonia sighed.
"Not if Athena's figured out a way to ban flashing."
"Has she?" Percy asked curiously. Harmonia thought for a moment, before shaking her head.
"No, but Hecate has, and lucky for us, Hecate's also joined Athena's side." A sinking feeling settled in his stomach.
"She has?" he asked uneasily. The goddess sighed.
"My, my, Percy," Harmonia said. "You really need to start focusing more on this war. Maybe it's time to quit the love rollercoaster. There are more important rides in life…" With that, the goddess walked away, her auburn hair bounding behind.
"What's that about?" Nico asked. Percy shook his head.
"Nothing," he mumbled. Nico didn't seem convinced by Percy's answer, so he decided to change the subject.
"So what really happened when Athena attacked?" He was still confused. Percy had heard a few snippets of what went down, but he wanted the full story, and he wanted to find out how Nico left Aphrodite's palace with only a few minor scratches.
"So about an hour after he left," Aphrodite began, "I'd made Nico some dinner, and we'd just finished. Then I heard a doorbell and opened the door to be greeted by Athena. She pushed her way in and started attacking. I was able to dodge most of them, but my knife was upstairs and I couldn't really fight that well. Think of it as Athena's spear versus my umbrella. Probably three or so minutes later, the other however many gods barged in and joined Athena, and that's where things really started taking a bad turn for me. Luckily, Ares was close by and he heard the commotion, so he came, saw Athena, and got Hera and Demeter as backup. Harmonia, Pothos, Hemeros, and a few others joined in. Upon realising it wasn't just them versus me anymore, Athena's side called it a day and quickly left, but not before collapsing part of my roof." Percy nodded and then turned his attention to Nico.
"What about you?" Percy asked. "Where were you in all of this?" Slowly, Nico's grin widened.
"I ruined her plan," he said happily. Percy furrowed his brow.
"How?"
"Basically, Athena knows if she seriously hurts me, Hades is gonna get annoyed. He's not the best father, but he's still a father and I'm still his only demigod son. And if Hades starts taking a side in this war, even if it's just a passive one, she knows things will go downhill for her. Hades might start sending zombie soldiers after her or might even interfere directly with the war and help Aphrodite. That's why the whole time Athena was trying to do minimal damage to me." Percy nodded. It seemed logical and frankly, he was pretty happy that Nico was okay.
"So then what?" he asked. "What happened when Ares came with the other gods?"
"Not much," Nico admitted. "Aphrodite had quite a bit of ichor so Demeter and Hera were doing what they could to minimise the damage. Ares was interrogating me about what had happened, why you weren't there and just general stuff. Not too long later, they carried Aphrodite out and brought her here, to her five star hotel. The penthouse was the only free room so that's where we went. I was told to stand outside and watch from the shadows, telling them if Athena came to the hotel or tried making any more moves this night, and that's where I ran into you!" Percy nodded. It had been such a relief finding out Nico was all good. It felt like a burden had been lifted off his shoulders.
After a while, Aphrodite looked at Percy and said, "Your turn." He was confused.
"What?" Naturally, Aphrodite took a moment to smirk at his confusion.
"I mean how did you figure out something was wrong?"
"Honestly, it's not a cool story like yours is," he admitted. "Athena barged in the middle of our date and taunted me, saying she'd hurt you or something. I had no idea what she meant, so I ran straight to Olympus. I thought we were still in the negotiations phase of the war. That's where I, funny enough, met Styx, and she told me where—"
"Wait, what?" Aphrodite cut in, suddenly sitting straight and alert. "You met Styx at my palace? Why didn't you say so?" Percy frowned.
"I didn't think it was important?" It was strange how fast someone's demeanour could change. All of a sudden, the love goddess was looking stressed out and anxious.
"I need to go somewhere," she muttered, standing upright and wincing as she got up.
"Aphrodite," Percy began. "I don't think you should be going anywhere until you've healed off."
"It's fine the ambrosia should be here soon," she insisted. "I'll be back in a bit, hopefully. Until then, room 302 and room 303 should be free in case you too want to crash out for a bit. I'll see you in the morning." Not waiting for a response, the goddess went to Ares, mumbling something in his ear. As she walked out, Percy shrugged at Nico.
"You down for some trifle?"
Aphrodite winced as she entered the restaurant. The ambrosia was working its healing magic, allowing her to move with more ease, but it was slow; they'd only managed to find so much.
"Lady Aphrodite!" the owner began, getting up to shake her hand. "My, my this is an honour. Please take a seat." Waving him away, she scanned the room before spotting someone sitting alone in the corner, engrossed in her meal. Making her way over, Aphrodite took a seat across from the solitary figure.
"What did I ever do to you?" she asked, her voice laced with venom.
"Hello, Aphrodite," Styx replied with an air of nonchalance. "How's the weather?"
"What did I do?" the goddess pressed. Styx rolled her eyes, her hair rippling like dark water,
"I don't know what you mean." A hiss escaped Aphrodite's lips.
"Don't play games with me," she snarled. "I know you did something. It's not a coincidence you were just at my palace when Percy turned up." Styx narrowed her eyes, a hint of amusement playing on her features.
"Did Percy connect the dots? Impressive."
"I connected the dots," Aphrodite corrected. "Percy doesn't know you well enough to know you were at my palace because, like always, you wanted to admire your handiwork. And now I want to know why you helped Athena attack me." Seemingly unfazed, Styx took her sweet time eating a chip.
"Proof?" she asked. In response, Aphrodite slammed her hand down on the table, drawing the attention of the restaurant patrons and causing Styx's drink to spill.
Now Aphrodite had annoyed the river goddess. Standing up, Styx wiped water off her bodycon, glaring at the love goddess.
"This is why I told Athena not to tell anyone about my involvement. Our interests are momentarily aligned, and she decided to do this!?" Styx exclaimed.
"What did I do to you?" Aphrodite repeated as calmly as she could. Styx scowled.
"You did the one thing I can never stand for. You broke an oath on my river, and you're lucky I haven't done anything more to you... yet." Aphrodite was confused. This conversation wasn't going the way she'd expected.
"When? I keep all my oaths on your river."
"Really?" Styx retorted. "Well did you keep the oath about not meddling in Percy's love life in ways he wouldn't want?" Immediately, Aphrodite paled.
"How-how did you know?" she asked hoarsely. Styx laughed mirthlessly.
"I'm Styx. It's my duty to know. Now, go on. Explain to me how I'm wrong. Did you not mess with Percy's love life?"
"I…" the goddess began, but she was at a loss for words. "Look. Percy was in love with Artemis, and she loved him back. I will swear right now on the river Styx that Artemis had feelings for Percy after the whole Cetus incident… But she's so slow. She doesn't understand mortal relationships and would never have gotten with Percy. The only thing I did was speed things up. That's it. Their love is real, not fake. They love each other dearly and are such a cute couple. I just sped things up so Percy and Artemis could both have a shot at a relationship because Percy deserves it."
Styx smiled at her admission.
"Look at how you are. Can't even go a few months without meddling in someone's life," she remarked.
"I didn't do this for myself!" Aphrodite defended. "I did this for Percy, and for Percy only. He deserves a chance at love, and Artemis liked him before I interfered." Styx paused for a moment, downing whatever remained of her drink.
"I know," she said softly. "And that's why I'm not telling him, and neither are you. See I actually like Percy. He's a good person, and if the Fates have done anything good it's making him the god of all rivers, because out of everyone, he's best suited for it. I want him to be happy, and that's why he will never ever find out you sped things up with their relationship."
Styx then leaned close into Aphrodite's ear, her hot breath tickling the love goddess's neck.
"But make no mistake, oathbreaker. You do not have my support in this war. Not today, not tomorrow, and not ever. Perhaps your intentions were good, but I will show you the consequences of breaking an oath on my river, and the consequences will be… intense."
Hope that made sense! Percy's struggling to deal with all of this, and Apollo's also struggling to balance the war with Artemis's relationship. Artemis has no idea how to rectify this, Ares is getting everyone ready for another massive fight, and Aphrodite broke an oath on the Styx regarding Percy's relationship. Wow... A lot of stuff in one chapter XD. Either way, really really hope you liked this and definitely do leave a review if this is interesting and you wanna see more!