Chapter Seven -Revealed-
Hector had decided not to return to Camp Jupiter, instead he stayed with Jaxson and his family for the last three days. They enjoyed each other's company, laughing and grinning. Then it dawned on Hector…it was the last day before the Hearth Decision.
"Jax, can I tell you something?" Hector pulled him aside.
"Yeah, anything." Jax smiled.
Hector nodded and guided him to the kitchen where they would be alone, the rest of the family was watching a movie.
"What's up Hecki," Jax frowned. "You seem off."
"It's me Jax," Hector grimaced. "I'm Olympos."
Jax cocked his head confused, "What do you mean?"
"I'm the God you're all afraid of," Olympos walked behind Jax and transformed. "I'm the judge."
Jax retreated backwards towards the door silently and disturbed, "You lied to me?"
"I didn't lie," Olympos faltered. "I just didn't know how to tell you."
"Let me guess," Jax laughed weakly. "You made your choice to destroy the world?"
Olympos shook his head, "Let's not talk about that"
Jax was handling this rather well, Olympos had thought he'd break down or hit him.
"I suppose you hate me now?" Olympos nodded. "I'll go…and Happy Birthday."
Jax looked at the alarm clock on the counter, it was 8 PM on August 23rd. Then he looked back at where Olympos…he was gone. He didn't know how to feel after hearing that, but it was too late to talk to him now.
Olympos took the elevator down to ground level, he shifted back into Hector before the doors opened. He walked the streets of Manhattan as it rained, he looked up for the Empire State Building and found it was about 2 miles out. He began walking to it, the streets filled with honking and footsteps. Quickly he put on his hoodie and the rain intensified. The lights on the street lit up as the sun hit the edge of the land in the distance. He smiled to himself, it wasn't as pretty down here compared to up in the apartment with Jax. His eyes suddenly were filled with tears, it surprised him. Sadness was one of the few things he hadn't felt in ages. It hurt, his eyes turned pink as he cried with his head down. He continued down to the Empire State Building and sat on a bench outside of it. The rain patted down on his fabric hoodie as he sat on the bench contemplating his decision to tell Jax.
"You know," A males voice interrupted his thoughts. "That was a good decision."
He looked up and found a pale man with black hair in a charcoal suit standing in front of him with an umbrella. He gestured for Hector to scoot over and he did.
"I've been watching you for a while now," He said. "Your choices were good ones."
"Don't pity me Hades." Hector sighed.
"Not pity," Hades chuckled. "This is genuinely how I feel old friend."
Hector's face contorted into confusion, "Old Friend?"
"Friends don't ditch each other and imprison the other." He couldn't even feel angry.
"I didn't ditch you," Hades scoffed. "I protested your imprisonment as well…I'm sorry I failed Olympos."
The two God's sat next to each other, "What's done is done."
Hades nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes. The God Of Death rarely liked anybody but he'd always been friends with Olympos before the imprisonment. They got along because they found that Death and Living forever weren't that different.
"You remember that one time we raided Kronos palace?" Hades began.
"You and the Olympians?." Olympos grinned softly. "I remember watching it from the ground."
They both smiled, "I actually accidentally hit a tray and it went flying at Atlas's head."
The God's laughed hysterically, exchanging stories and tales of their adventures of now and then.
"I miss you Olympos," Hades smiled. "I know you already made your decision…whatever it is I support you."
Hector nodded and Hades checked his wrist which read 10 PM, "Oh it's time for me to go…death waits for no one after all."
"True," Hector cleared his throat. "I'll see you at the Hearth Decision?"
"Of course." Hades smiled.
The eerie God stood and began to walk down the street before stopping, "Do you have a place to sleep for the night?"
Hector glanced up at him through the thick rain, "I do not."
"Come," Hades reached out and offered his hand. "You'll stay with me and Peresphone for the night."
Hector smiled a tad, "Thank you."
He grabbed his hand and suddenly the world warped, he was no longer on the streets of Manhattan but in the Palace of Hades. He stood in his living room in front of a fire, soaked and dripping water.
"I suppose you're going to maintain that form until tomorrow's decision?" Hades asked.
"I will," Hector nodded. "Only way to continue my hiding…not to mention I must've alerted them when I revealed myself to Jaxson."
Hades nodded and snapped his fingers, a pair of skeletal servants marched into the room with robes made of black silk with undergarments.
"Change and join us for dinner." Hades nodded and left the room.
Hector took the clothing while eyeing the skeletons, he kept a stone exterior as they left the chambers.
"Sacks of bones." He muttered and began changing.
After he changed a breeze passed into the building, he felt it…a God other than Peresphone and Hades was here. There were two in fact but he swallowed his anxiety and left towards the dining room through the complicated halls. He walked into the room to find a woman in a golden dress and hair with dried leaves in it. Next to her was a man in a black suit, his skin was fair and tan.
"Who is this mortal Thanatos?" The woman asked the man next to her.
"I have no idea Lady Demeter." Thanatos spoke softly as his eyes scanned Hector.
"This is my son," Hades entered the room with his wife Peresphone who looked like a younger Demeter. "Hector Olyos."
"Another bastard eh?" Demeter glared at Hector, leaving him with an itching feeling in his palms.
"Welcome my lord," Thanatos waved warmly with a smile. "Enjoy your stay."
Hector nodded and sat next to the now seated Peresphone, he sat across from Thanatos.
Persephone eyed him suspiciously, "What brings you here Mother?"
"You left so suddenly despite it being your summer time with me," Demeter pouted. "Why wouldn't I visit?"
"I wanted to spend my last days with my husband who seems to be as loyal as ever." She grit her teeth.
Hades shook his head and sighed, "So Thanatos, how was the recovery of the Doors of Death?"
"Smooth Boss," He grinned. "Though I did let you know who got away."
Hades nodded happily, "Thank you."
Demeter's lips pursed, "So Hector…what exactly are you doing here?"
He paused before speaking, the thoughts of Jax flooded his head and he blinked away some tears.
"I lost my home," He started. "Father allowed me to stay here."
"Very fitting for an accident." Demeter said with a slight smile.
"Demeter!" Hades hissed and the room shook.
'Oh boy.' Thanatos thought.
"How dare you address him like that?" Hades ranted on.
Hector slyly slipped some Ambrosia and Nectar into his pocket, quickly retreating while the two argued about Demeter's behavior. Persephone noticed while Thanatos tried to calm the situation down. Once he found the guest room he sat on the chair and ate his Ambrosia. He sipped on his nectar as if he was dehydrated. Once he was finished he sat back and stared at the moving ceiling.
"You're no mortal," Persephone's voice came from his door and his head turned quickly. "You would have died had you eaten all of that."
Hector thought of a way to avoid this situation but in the end he was too tired to lie.
"Who knew I'd be caught by a peaceful Goddess?" Hector began changing into his original form.
"Olympos?" Persephone stumbled back.
In his original form Olympos could barely mask his presence, "I am but please…I just want to rest in peace."
Persephone grimaced, "So my husband aided you?"
"He always has," He chuckled sadly. "Right before the Olympians waged war on the Titan's I met your husband."
Persephone seemed interested.
"He and I became close since I didn't side with either," He smiled. "We enjoyed each other's company during the War in secret…eventually he introduced me to the others after their war ended."
Then his face darkened, "They imprisoned me after finding out I was the source of their power…they feared I'd take it away."
"But why?" Persephone asked.
"Because the God's fear what they cannot control or orchestrate," He continued. "Which is why Zeus initiated the attack."
He held out his hand to the Goddess, "Would you like to see what I saw?"
She hesitantly grasped his hand and they were suddenly in a vineyard, it was dark out.
"What is this?" She asked, still holding his hand.
"History is forever," He grinned sadly. "Unfortunately I never forget what I see."
They found a young Olympos laying in the field, he watched the stars with a smile.
"Why are we here?" She asked impatiently.
"Quiet down…and look." He ordered.
Hades arrived and helped Olympos to his feet, the rest of the Olympians arrived shortly.
"Brother this is Olympos," Hades grinned ear to ear. "God of Immortality and my friend."
Zeus's face was serious, "Was he here before us?"
"He's always been here," Hades laughed. "He is forever after all."
The five other Olympians murmured amongst themselves, "He must be where we got our origin from."
"Whose son are you?" Zeus stepped forward.
"My father is Chaos," The innocent and idiotic Olympos smiled. "You must all know him."
Zeus nodded with a smile, "Detain him."
"What?" The grin on Hades face disappeared.
"Detain him." Zeus repeated and his siblings excluding himself and Hades all rushed to grip a limb.
"Why are you doing this brother?" Hades asked frantically. "He hasn't done anything."
"Quiet down," Zeus sneered. "His existence is a threat to us all."
The Olympians holding Olympos struggled as he resisted, "I love you all…why are you doing this?"
Zeus examined the Primordial God, "I vote we cut him into pieces and throw him into tartarus."
"NO!" Hades pushed Zeus.
"You dare?!" Zeus snarled and drew his weapon.
"I do not want a fight brother!" Hades raised his hands. "But I will not allow you to cut my friend up and banish him as we did to our father and he to his."
"I second that," Hestia raised her hand. "Perhaps a less violent option, Zeus?"
The Olympians were torn at this decision, they chained the God to a rock and created a meeting. It wasn't until the next night that they unchained the exhausted Olympos and called for aid from Erebus.
"A void hm?" Erebus mused.
"Brother don't…I beg of you." Olympos cried out exasperated.
"It will be done." Erebus grinned at Zeus.
The God of Darkness never liked Olympos…he claimed that the only thing to exist forever should be the dark. It took the Olympians and Erebus a total of ten days to create the prison. Once it was created, they tossed the Eldest son of Chaos into the pit…his sentence being eternal.
The scene changed and the two were now back in the room, the eyes of Persephone were filled with tears. The other three God's had joined them without disturbing them and now stood next to the two.
"I'm sorry…" Demeter's face felt somber. "I was young and believed you would've been a bigger monster than our Father."
Olympos smiled with his eyes watered down, "It's alright…I forgive you."
Even Thanatos had tears in his eyes.
"Come now…" Hades called to the others as he left. "Leave him to rest…his announcement is tomorrow."
The other's left Olympos, he did not change back to Hector…instead he accepted his charade was over. He laid on the bed and closed his eyes…his dreams filled with Jax and the others at camp. He smiled in his sleep…his eyes tearing up.