Percy POV
When I first woke up, momentarily, I was fazed. A bright, ethereal light was seeping through the curtains, making me blink rapidly. Groaning, I lifted my head up, only to be hit with rapid bursts of headaches. Looking to my left, I saw Calypso in bed next to me, her beautiful caramel hair a mess. For a moment, amidst the pounding of my head, I paused to gaze upon her face. She looked so cute when she was sleeping, it was unbelievable. Even Aphrodite would be jealous.
"Mornin'" Calypso's sleepy voice came. I couldn't help but smile. After days stuck in Alaska, hearing her voice was like hearing a sound I had been longing to listen to for ages.
"What happened yesterday?" I frowned, still clutching my head. Calypso snorted.
"You don't remember?"
"Well not really." A light smile played on her lips.
"You don't remember how tense and stressed out you were yesterday?" All of a sudden, it came rushing back to me, as if a barrier had been removed from my mind.
"Oh…" was all I could say.
For a moment, I was stunned. Baffled, one could say.
"Calypso, are you okay?" I asked, getting a couple of snickers which I ignored.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she asked with a small frown. I sighed, very confused now.
"How did you beat Gone's army?" I asked. "We're talking about the same person who beat me, kidnapped Artemis, and destroyed the council in mere minutes." Something didn't add up. How could it be over so easily? Perhaps I was just being paranoid, but it didn't make sense.
At this point, the rest of the Revenant were crowding around me, cheering loudly.
"Oh Percy, you should've seen us!" Frank exclaimed. "So basically, Calypso was fighting Gone by herself and managed to last a minute before Gone kicked her to the ground. Luckily, Hazel was there and blocked Gone's sword strike. They started battling and I joined in, until Gone slashed Hazel in the upper arm and she fell to the ground in pain. Now here's where it gets real good! After Hazel fell, Gone was getting cocky and said something like, 'One girl down, Calypso will be two, and that Piper girl is never making it out of Alaska.' Percy, Jason lost it! Oh my, you should've seen what happened. Jason went into a fit of rage, just charging at the unsuspecting Gone and throwing him to the floor. The two began to grapple, and Gone's strength was starting to overpower him, until the Olympians finally came, having destroyed the rest of the army." Jason suddenly started blushing like crazy, and it was obvious.
"Did… did you really say that?" Piper asked a beetroot red Jason who timidly nodded. "That is one of the sweetest things I've heard in a long time," she smiled, giving him a peck on the lips.
"Anyway," Frank continued, "Defeated, Gone ran away like a coward, and narrowly escaped death, but we know he's gone to Alaska, and soon enough, we'll launch a strike of our own and win!" I couldn't help but feel prideful at Frank's description of the Revenant in battle, but there was still something gnawing at the back of my mind.
"Did Gone use any of his magical orbs?" I asked. Hazel frowned.
"That's what I was confused about as well," she admitted. "I expected him to use at least one of his magical orbs to limit our powers, but not."
As the others gathered around, eagerly asking for details about our victory, I struggled to find my voice.
"But what if he's not really gone?" I blurted out, my voice filled with tension.
"Hah," Leo smirked. "Gone not being gone, oh come on, you can't say that's not one of the funniest things you've heard all day." Piper's glare quickly shut him up, before she motioned for me to continue.
"What if he has another plan, another way to come back?" I asked. The room fell into a hushed silence as everyone turned their attention to me. I could even see a few concerned glances being exchanged.
"Percy, we've won," Calypso began. "We've fought hard, and victory is ours. Gone is finally defeated, and Olympus is safe." I opened my mouth to argue, but Athena quickly cut me off.
"Perseus, when you reduced Artemis, did Gone's armies attack you?" she asked.
"Of course," I replied. "They didn't want us rescuing anyone."
"And did you defeat the armies?" I sighed, unsure where she was going with this.
"Athena, I obliterated most of their shoulders on the way in. On the way out, we were in a rush and had a frail moon goddess with us, so safety was a bigger priority, but even then, we killed most of his guards. There's barely anyone left." Athena smirked.
"You've answered your own question. How can Gone ever launch a counter attack if we eliminated all his enemies, and you killed most of the remaining ones. Trust me, we can finally relax." As it suddenly clicked in me, I realised they were right. Gone had no form of counter attacking. All that was left was to capture him and make him face charges for his crimes.
"We're free?" I asked Calypso, who eagerly nodded.
"We're free!" she giggled, hugging me tightly in front of all the Olympians.
I tried to show my happiness, but before I could even begin forming a sentence, my legs suddenly gave way beneath me, and I collapsed to the floor. Immediately, panic washed over everyone's faces as they rushed to my sides, their voices a blur. I struggled to reassure them that I was okay, that it was just exhaustion, but my body betrayed me. It sent me stumbling back to the floor as soon as I tried getting up. Apollo was the first to start examining me, which should've been no surprise.
"Everything good, doc?" I joked. His face only tightened with worry.
"Percy," Apollo frowned, "you have some pretty bad wounds down in your leg" I waved them off with a flick of my hand.
"Apollo, I'm sure they'll heal naturally," I said with an exasperated sigh.
""It doesn't matter, Percy, you need to rest," he insisted, his tone gentle but firm. "You've pushed yourself beyond your limits more times in the last week than Zeus has girlfriends." The Lord of the Sky scowled, but nevertheless let it slide. It wouldn't be wise to argue about this with the god of truth… especially when his wife was also there, glaring at him with demon eyes.
Calypso's eyes widened, and she began to get a little scared.
"He's right! Percy, you can't keep pushing yourself like this. You need to recover." No matter how much I tried to insist that I was fine, they weren't having it, and apparently neither was my body. Feeling heavy, my eyelids began to droop with exhaustion. I suppose it had been a while since I'd last had a nap. When you're on a rescue mission, sleep becomes less of a priority…
Reluctantly, I let Apollo and Calypso guide me to a spare house nearby, where she gently laid me on the bed. Apollo muttered something about needing to see Artemis and quickly dashed out of there, which was more than fine by me. As the warmth of the bed enveloped me, I felt Calypso's presence beside me. She cuddled close, wrapping her arms around me, her touch soothing. I felt a wave of comfort wash over me as I slowly succumbed to sleep, knowing that I was safe in Calypso's arms.
"Ah, well can you blame me?" I asked her. "I was tired, hungry, wary, and did I mention tired?" Calypso giggled, before turning around in the bed to face me. She leaned forwards, almost as if to kiss me, but I gently pushed her back.
"Percy?" she frowned. I sighed. This conversation had been coming for a while, but now that it was actually here, I was starting to panic.
"Calypso" I began, unable to meet her gaze. "Do you remember, back when we were on the run, in a hotel, we had a talk together?"
"We had quite a few talks," she noted. "Would you care to elaborate further?"
"The one where we talked about the future… you know… more specifically our future."
"Oh," was all Calypso said. "So we're having that talk now?" I nodded my head sadly, and the two of us sat in an uncomfortable silence. Now awake, Calypso had gotten out of the duvet and sat on the bed opposite me.
"Well who is is?" she asked. I couldn't tell whether she was talking in anger or in happiness.
"Someone you'd probably not like," I admitted, causing her to give me a coy smile.
"You approved?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in amusement. Playfully, she punched my arm, snuggling up closer to me.
"Of course not," she replied, "but you deserve someone who will make you feel special, and if she does that, then as long as she doesn't hurt you, I guess I can let it slide." Calypso smiled warmly at me.
"We knew this day would come," she said softly. "And to be honest, as fun as life has been with you, I still have so much more to see and do." I nodded, relief flooding through me. Originally, I had feared that my admission would hurt her, but her understanding demeanour was definitely nice for a change.
"Honestly Calypso, you're taking this much better than I thought you would," I sighed. "I thought it would hurt you." A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Calypso's lips as she squeezed my hand reassuringly.
"Percy, I've been stuck on an island for millenia, I've had my time to heal and grow. Just like you, I've come to realise that the future holds possibilities and paths we can't ignore. Sometimes, we delve deeper into our feelings and find love in hatred, other times we meet new people and immediately connect." My heart skipped a beat, but I couldn't help but smirk at what she said.
"Hmm, meet new people and immediately connect?" I repeated. "It sounds like Calypso fancies someone, eh?" Blushing lightly, she offered a sheepish smile, making me laugh.
"Well, as you said, as long as they treat you like the magical person you are, I'm cool with it… Just please don't let it be my dad, that would be really gross and weird." She chuckled with me at this.
"Don't worry, it's not," she smiled, interwinding her fingers with mine.
"It's fine for us to embrace what lies ahead now, isn't it?" Calypso nodded, her eyes shining with a mix of sadness and hope.
"Yes Percy," she confirmed. "It's time for us to both find our own happiness."
With a shared understanding, we rose from the bed, our embrace lingering for a moment longer. It was a bittersweet farewell, filled with gratitude for the memories we had created together. As we released each other, I looked into Calypso's eyes, the unspoken words between us resonating deeply. Our paths were diverging, but our connection would always remain a cherished part of our past.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice filled with reminisce and appreciation. Calypso's smile also held a hint of nostalgia as she replied, "Thank you too, Percy, for freeing me and for the last five years on the run. I wouldn't trade a single thing for it." I smiled at her.
"Now go get her tiger, and make sure you inform me when the wedding is!" she snickered, pushing me out of the house. Laughing with her and blushing hard, I began walking to a place I've needed to head to for a while.
Artemis' palace.
Artemis POV
"And then," I continued, my voice steady yet tinged with the memory's lingering fear, "Gone's grip tightened around my throat, his laughter echoing in that cold, barren room. I could feel my strength waning, my powers already blocked by the magic of Alaska." I paused, allowing the gravity of the moment to sink in.
"How did you ever manage to escape then?" Sophie asked in awe. A faint smile graced my lips as I met Sophie's gaze.
"It's ironic," I mused. "My whole life, I've always taught you that most males are to be stayed away from, yet my life was saved by two males. Thanks to the bravery of Percy and the Revenant, I managed to get out of that lair. I have to give credit where it is due. They fought valiantly, distracting the entire army, sneaking throughout the base to free me and then travel all the way back." Suddenly, we were interrupted by the doorbell, its chime cutting through the sombre atmosphere. I turned to Charlotte, my voice authoritative yet gentle. We still weren't on the best of terms.
"Charlotte, please see who is at the door." Curiosity piqued, my hunters exchanged glances, their attention momentarily diverted. Rolling her eyes, Charlotte rose from her seat and made her way towards the entrance. I pursed my lips but didn't make a comment, instead turning back to my hunters.
"So what you're saying," Sophie began with a frown, "is that not all males are bad?" I nodded.
"Of course some are just horrible, but the good ones, once you get to know them, can become the cause of joy in your heart." With a teasing smile, Sophie opened her mouth to say something, but that was when Charlotte returned, and to my surprise, she was not alone.
Perseus Jackson stood beside her, his piercing gaze sweeping over the assembled hunters. There was an obvious, awkward tension in the air, only amplified by the guilty expression etched across Thalia's face as she avoided his gaze.
"I need to talk to Artemis… alone," he declared, his eyes unwavering. Silent, firm, and resolute, his voice cut through the silence. The hunters hesitated, glancing between each other, as if unsure of how to react. Had this been any other person, I would've blasted them straight out of my palace, but it was Perseus, the person who'd travelled all the way to Alaska to save me, and more importantly, even after all our previous… issues, he was still willing to talk things out.
Unyielding, Percy added, "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to leave us alone right now, or I'll have to make you." Another wave of wariness washed over the room. I knew I had to intervene or else there would definitely be a fight coming.
"It's fine, just go down and make some tea or something," I said with a faint smile. Slowly and hesitantly, they began to withdraw from the room, their eyes lingering with unspoken questions and concern.
Once we were finally alone, Percy and I stood face to face, the weight of unspoken words and unresolved emotions hanging in the air. I braced myself for the conversation that was about to unfold. Knowing Percy from his time at the hunt, this could either be a joyous conversation, or a miserable one.
"Sooo Percy," I spoke softly. "What is it you need to tell me?" Percy took a deep breath, his eyes locked with mine and filled with determination.
"Artemis," he began. "Ever since rescuing you from Alaska, I've been doing a lot of thinking, mainly about relationships and how to navigate them. You see, five years ago when I got with Calypso, I thought that she was the one for me, but only later did I realise that we were never to last. Calypso is too friendly, and even for her it's hard to tell where the boundary between friendship and love is. She and I have had some conversations, and we've both agreed that the time has come for us to move on." My heart skipped a beat as his words sank in. Percy and Calypso, moving on? A swirl of emotions coursed through me—surprise, curiosity, and dare I say a tinge of hope?
"My mind often goes back to the events where you and Thalia destroyed me both mentally and physically." I opened my mouth to say something, but he raised his hand.
"Let me finish," he said softly. "As I reflect on those times, I realise that yes, you overreacted, but it was all due to your unjust hatred towards men blinding you. It clouded your judgement, you lost all of your rational thoughts and hurt me deeply. Even since that incident, time and time again, you have tried to make amends in different ways, and I was oblivious to it all. It took you getting captured by Gone for me to finally see what you've been trying to do." He took a deep shuddering breath, and for the first time in five years, Percy offered me a warm smile.
"Of course, we'd need to take it slowly, and I still have nightmares from that incident, but I think I've learned that you actually do care for me, even if you have a weird way of showing it." Smiling back, my heart euphoric, I struggled to find my voice.
"Percy, I…" I began, but before I could utter another word, a sudden, maniacal laughter echoed throughout Olympus, shattering the fragile movement. The air grew heavy with a sense of impending danger, and my entire body clenched with unease. Percy's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting from weariness to alertness. Without waiting, he ran straight out of my palace, shoving hunters out of the way. I followed closely behind, mouthing the word 'sorry' to whoever was pushed out of the way.
As we burst out of my palace into the cool breeze of Olympus, the laughter was only growing louder. To my right, I saw Percy's grip tighten on his now activated staff.
"Oh… no way… did you actually… so dumb…" Through the maniacal laughter, an all too familiar voice managed to wheeze out a few words. Then, all of a sudden the laughter stopped.
"Poor poor Olympians," the voice of terror snickered. "Always thinking you're safe. How dare any of you assume I retreated because I was scared of you. No… this ends NOW!" Behind me, the hunt were also staring, wide eyed.
"Meet your doom!" the voice gleefully cackled. "Meet your destructor! Meet the last thing you'll see before I slice you in half! Meet… Gone, alive and well, and with an army much bigger than before!
Soooo, how was that!? Finally got some Pertemis in, and a sickly sweet plot twist!