Son of the sea foam

by Master of thr forgotten

Not my story it is on ao3 I place it hear for my convinces if u don’t like that deal with it

10. 10

Son of Sea Foam

CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Atlantis was beautiful.

Percy was a little in awe of it but didn't quite have the time to really gape as he took in the castle towering above him with pearls and glimmering walls. Instead, he took a few cautious steps forward into the nook towards the side of the palace. Shadows were a bit tricky underwater, which made it hard to hide, but they made do. From beside him, Evelyn pushed down her hood and looked around.

"You know what you need to do?" she asked, and Percy pulled out two bottles from his pocket. "That will paralyze the guards. Just put it in their cups- they almost always drink nectar as they work," she said. Percy tilted his head.

"How many times have you been here?"

"Father used to invite me for a week every summer," she shrugged. "I doubt he's changed the routine too much even fifty years later," she said and pointed to another bottle. "That one is for you," she said. "Hecate said it would only protect you from small bursts of magic, so be careful," she warned him. Percy looked down. The bottle looked exactly the same as the first one, save the lids, which were different colors.

"What about you?" he asked and held it out to her. "Here."

"I'm not taking it myself!"

"We can each have a sip," he reasoned and shook the bottle a bit. "I mean, I know it isn't a lot, but it would do something if we're caught. Besides, dad knows you are an enemy." Evelyn hesitated at that. At Percy's pleading look, she sighed and took it, taking a small sip before handing it back. Percy smiled at her before pocketing both.

"What about you?"

"Oh, well," Percy said and went to her side. "I don't need either because, um, I kind of switched the bottles," he said. Evelyn only had a second to register her surprise before her muscles went lax. Percy caught her, throwing her arm over his shoulder with an apologetic hum. "I'm really, really, really sorry. I just needed to get inside, but I figured if you knew what I actually wanted, then you wouldn't have agreed," he said and led her out of the alcove. "You were awesome, though! I wouldn't have ever found this place without you," he said. Based on Evelyn's face... she did not care for the compliment.

"HALT!" someone yelled, and Percy turned to see guards rushing over to them. Percy smiled in greeting, keeping his arms firmly around Evelyn to keep her from floating or falling away. He spied a guard about his age and offered a charming smile.

"Hi," Percy said. "I'm looking for my father. Do you think you could help? If I'm not imposing or anything," he added. There was a long pause as the one Percy was smiling at blushed, while the other two guards looked at each other - frowning a bit as their eyes fell between them. The one on the right cleared his throat.

"Lady Evelyn?"

"Shh! The prince said we mustn't speak of her anymore!"

"But she's right there!"

"Well," the other guard reasoned. He looked stumped before turning his sword to Percy. "Let us speak of him instead! Declare yourself!"

"That's the other demigod lord," the one on the right informed him as the other sighed. "They called him Perseus, but it is absolutely forbidden to even say his name."

"Then why are you saying it?!" the one muttered and shook his head. Percy smiled politely. He had never seen the residents of Atlantis before. They weren't at all what the Little Mermaid had prepared him for. They were still beautiful, but like... in a haunting way. Their skin a dark blue with shark teeth and glowing green eyes. Percy could see how they lured people down to sea. He wanted so badly to just poke one and see if they were real. He refocused on the youngest guard and gave her a slight shake of the head - almost as if the nonsense happening was an inside joke between them. She flushed even darker.

"Do you think you could help us?" he asked, voice growing so sweet that even Mitchell would scold him for laying it on so thick.

"Oh, um... I mean, technically... I have to, right?" she asked, twirling her spear a bit. "Because... you're royalty and all," she laughed. Percy grinned.

"Funny. And here I thought you were the princess," he said and watched as she practically melted. The other two guards rolled their eyes. One hit her arm, and Percy frowned at him.

"We are not to speak of his bloodline!" he said, and the girl hung her head slightly. "Follow me!" he ordered, turning back to Percy, and swam off as the other went behind Percy and Evelyn to ensure there was no funny business. Percy's new friend swam beside him, looking at him with doting eyes. "You are lucky you are royalty. Otherwise, we would not be entertaining this at all."

"Spyro!" the other one groaned. "Stop! You just said that the king was clear on this matter-"

"He is in Atlantis. If he was not of our lord's royal blood, he would have already died, my friend. There is no reason to hide it here."

"Then why did you yell at me for saying it?" the girl asked with a grumble. Percy inwardly digested the words. Royalty? Huh. He had no idea. Not that he had much working knowledge on how royal families worked, but he was pretty sure his mother not being Amphitrite disqualified him from any sort of title (which was fine by him). Evelyn twitched a bit, and Percy regretfully grabbed a piece of rope in their bag to tie her hands together. She couldn't speak or retaliate yet, but Percy got the feeling it would not be pretty when she could.

The walk (or swim?) felt like a long one to wherever they were going. Percy thought it might never end until they reached a large room that could have been something used for a very fancy conference with tables and a stage up front. Soldiers were mulling about in uniforms while cyclops mended weapons. Percy looked for Tyson, hopefully. Before he could spot him, a voice boomed out.

"What is this?"

Everyone froze. Percy looked towards the opposite end of the room and gave a weak smile.

"Hi, dad."

Poseidon looked as he had in that throne room all those years ago. Old and tired. Percy didn't blame him. If his form reflected his internal state, then Percy would be an old man too... or maybe an ostrich. They seem to deal with their problems the way he would like to. Poseidon looked around, eyes flicking around the silent room with a sense of warning before fixing his eyes on Evelyn.

"The knowledge of their presence will not leave this room. Understood?" he asked, voice oddly quiet for such a command. This was apparently worse because everyone hurriedly nodded and went back to what they were doing. Murmurs of assurance filled the room before Poseidon glanced back to them. "Come," he instructed. Evelyn tried to jerk away - having some movement back - but Percy clenched his fist, so the water around her arms froze.

Evelyn gave a sharp intake.

"I taught you that," she managed between gritted teeth. Percy winced.

"I'm sorry," he repeated and pushed her towards an empty chair. She stumbled into it and let out a small scream of frustration. "I am so, so sorry," he said again, shrinking a bit at the wild look in her eyes. "But you knew weren't really on the same side-"

"I think I am owed an explanation," Poseidon interrupted as he sat down. "Neither of you has been seen for many months, and now you come here when we are all on lockdown?" he asked, lifting a hand. "For what?"

Lockdown. That was generous. Olympus had been under lock and key. Zeus' way of ensuring no other Olympians joined them. According to Nico, he had even ordered Hades to shut the Underworld down. The amount of people coming back to life because their souls couldn't get into the Underworld was steadily growing. Except, like, without a healthy body to return to, it wasn't so much coming back to life, but... um, more of a 'zombie apocalypse' type of situation?

The mortals were trying their very best not to panic.

"You don't seem to be on lockdown."

"Hm," Poseidon said and leaned back into his chair. "Not from a lack of effort on my brother's part. However, with us fighting a war, it is hard to simply shut things down," he said and then glanced at Evelyn. "We are losing so far," he added to her. "It appears someone gave Oceanus valuable information about my army and Atlantis. I wonder who that could be."

"I wonder," Evelyn threw back evenly. "Perseus. Let me out," she hissed. "I will be able to break out any second," she began but fell silent when golden ropes appeared to pin her wrists to the table. Fury played over her expression before it slipped into something of defeat as she glowered at Poseidon. "...alright, perhaps that was my fault for being too forthcoming," she muttered. Poseidon scoffed.

"And why are you here?" he asked. Percy hesitated. He didn't want to throw Evelyn under the bus...

"Your trident," Evelyn said, apparently not opposed to throwing herself under the bus. Poseidon blinked. "Percy needs it to take down Zeus. At least, that was what I thought we were doing."

"I'm sorry," Percy told her for the millionth time. Then turned to Poseidon. "I really just came here to talk to you. With everything closed up, I figured you weren't getting any prayers," he said. "Evelyn showed me the way in."

"I brought you here to have a conversation?!"

"...sorry?" Percy said, and Evelyn threw her head back, so it hit the chair behind her. Poseidon raised an eyebrow.

"So... you do not wish to steal my trident?" he clarified, looking almost amused. "Well, I suppose that is somewhat reassuring to know you do not plan to fight my brother after all-"

"Oh, I am," Percy nodded. Poseidon's expression dropped. "Totally am. A hundred percent. I am going to figure out a way to dismember him or maybe throw him in that Void of Chaos or something like that," he shrugged. "That's a little why I need to talk to you," he said. Poseidon tilted his head. "We have this rebellion thing going on - which I know is inconvenient during a war - but, hey. Better now than never? Except now Zeus has gone and closed everything, so it's a little hard to see who is on board."

A few people swimming by glanced at him - trying to subtly stare before Poseidon turned to level them with a cool glare. They scattered.

"...oh my gods," Evelyn muttered from her place at the table. Poseidon's eyes flicked to her.

"There's a bit of Clarence in him, isn't there?" he said. Percy wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but Evelyn stiffened. "And where do you stand on all this?" he asked her. "With this rebellion or with my father?" he asked calmly. Percy glanced between the two. He felt a little bad. Forcing Evelyn to sit down and converse with their father seemed unbearably cruel, but he truly didn't have many options.

Evelyn's eyes trailed over him for a moment before jutting out her chin.

"I like the rebellion. Taking down Zeus is important to me... but I will not let the rest of the Olympians walk free for their crimes simply because they see an opportunity to grab more power," she shrugged. "As it is, they could never win by themselves," she told him with an air of challenge. Poseidon hummed.

"Oh, is that all?" he asked her. The castle shook, but Poseidon easily waved it away with a flick of his wrist. "Your powers won't do you well here," he added to her and sighed. "Evelyn, I did try-"

"No," Evelyn said and shook her head. "No. Don't," she muttered. "You- don't... don't do that," she told him, voice cracking a bit towards the end. "Don't act like you did me a favor." Percy swallowed, shifting awkwardly in his seat. "I mean, I watched them die. All of them. I keep saying it, but nobody seems to understand. I watched as everyone got sicker and sicker. We prayed to you. I kept thinking - I kept hoping that you would do something. It wasn't out of the blue. We told you something was wrong. All of us sat there drinking poison and cutting off our arms and-" she looked away. "I watched them kill each other. I watched them kill themselves. I woke up covered in blood and then watched as Zeus killed them," she said and swallowed, looking down at her hands. "And the last thing I remember was you dragging me to that garden telling me it was going to be okay. I was scared and alone, and I just kept trying to fight," she managed, almost breathless in trying to get the words out. "And I woke up still fighting. And what? You expect me to thank you for that? I couldn't even die! You couldn't even let me have that!" she said, voice rising. "No, I had to wake up in a strange world where everyone who I had ever met is dead. My mother is gone. I tried to find her, but she... she's gone too," she said and shook her head. "People look and dress and speak differently. The world is bigger and louder, and I don't understand it. It's overwhelming, and I just... I have to look around and see that the camp I used to love so much murders people like me. That the one person who I can consider family is hiding. I- how do you think you've done me any favors?" she asked him, fists clenched on the table so hard that her knuckles were white.

Poseidon's face remained unreadable.

"I'm just a kid. He's just a kid," Evelyn said with a nod towards Percy. "I thought you protected your children. Instead, you've just let them all be hunted," she said and gave a weak smile at the table. "They were just kids... and all of them about to fight this war..." she shook her head. "Please, just... don't spare me this time. If you win, please... please let me rest," she said and closed her eyes. "Just let me rest."

It seemed like such a simple request... but Percy doubted that it would ever come true. Even if she died and went to Elysium... he looked back at where Poseidon was quietly digesting the rant. Finally, he placed both hands on the table.

"I cannot say I am surprised it has come to this," he said. Percy waited. Poseidon's fingers tapped on the table, eyes far and distant before he nodded. "It is difficult to choose between those you love," he finally said and then shook his head. "But I have let my children suffer enough."

Percy was a little surprised by that. Not at the last bit, but before that. The subtle implication that Poseidon would choose Zeus - not for his power or fear like Apollo and Artemis implied, but... because he cared. Evelyn must have caught that too because her fingers twitched.

"You are surprised," Poseidon noted calmly. "I have been known to protect my children even when they were in the wrong. There are many myths to prove this."

"I've seen no proof of it," Evelyn said coldly. Poseidon leaned back in his chair. "Why would you even-?" she began. The ire had melted from her voice to make way for genuine confusion. Poseidon's expression remained unreadable.

"When I was born, my father wasted little time devouring me," he said simply. "And when I returned to the world for a second time, there was Zeus," he said and then pursed his lips. "Despite all of his shortcomings, I have not known the world without him," he admitted and shook his head. "I have been wrong in the past. No matter what I say now, there will be no recompense for my silence. I am sorry," he added gently to Evelyn. "I know it means very little now, but..." he trailed off with a sigh. "I truly thought there was nothing that could be done for the longest time. I heard your prayers. I wish I did not. They haunt me to this day. I offered to turn you all immortal in hopes it would right your mind, but when we saw Artemis' hunters were also affected..." he trailed off with a sigh. "It is in the past."

From the doorway, Percy could feel a set of glowing eyes on them. He turned to find a boy a bit older than him watching. Percy tilted his head.

"Perseus Jackson," he greeted, and everyone turned to him. "Am I to believe you are finally coming out of the shadows?" he asked, voice sharp like a whip. Percy tensed. From beside him, Evelyn gave a delighted laugh.

"Ah," she said - almost pleased. "I had hoped you had faded."

"Hello, Evelyn," the boy greeted flatly. Evelyn smiled back dashingly.

"Percy, this is Prince Triton," she introduced and leaned in for a dramatic whisper. "He's Poseidon's heir... because immortals need those," she added with a smirk. Triton's scowl deepened. "Don't worry. I'll give you a chance to show off your stellar leadership skills soon."

Triton sniffed. The subtle glow around him brightened for a moment before he turned to whisper something to Poseidon, who frowned. Their eyes flicked to Evelyn.

"You did not tell Oceanus of our spare defenses?" he asked.

Evelyn paused. "I... forgot," she shrugged, lowering her eyes. Triton scoffed.

"Perhaps she feels a hint of loyalty after all," he said. Evelyn made a face at him. "I say we make the most of it while we can. Who knows what she'll say the second you release her."

"Who says I will release her?" Poseidon asked. Triton looked at him.

"Father, with all due respect, we are not under the illusion that you plan on imprisoning the traitor... as much sense as that makes," he added under his breath. Poseidon's eyes narrowed slightly before waving him away. Triton gave an indignant look - eyes bulging somewhat at the dismissal but gave a curt bow before fixing both him and Evelyn with a cool glance and swimming off. Evelyn watched him go.

"You... aren't imprisoning me?" she asked slowly.

Poseidon shrugged. "I doubt Perseus would let us," he said, and Percy smiled wryly. That was absolutely correct. In retrospect, he wasn't sure what he could really do if they tried to keep her, but he would put up a solid fight all the same. Poseidon shook his head as he flicked his wrist, causing something to appear in the air. "But before you go," he said and placed the item between them. A silver seashell that was about the size of Percy's palm. "When the time is right... break this in half. It will give you what you need," he said solemnly. Percy nodded and reached for it, only for Poseidon to pull it away. "But I need you to promise me something," he added. Percy paused.

"What's that?"

"Zeus is..." Poseidon began and then went quiet. "I have not always agreed with him. I won't in the future. His wrongs are perhaps one of the few to outweigh my own," he sighed and then held the shell back out. "But I would not wish him dead - and I know," he added to Evelyn before she could even react. "It is a horrible thing to admit when I have watched my children killed. If I am honest..." he trailed off and then gave a weak smile. "I knew there would be a day all my mortal children will die. I defend them where I can, but it is a truth I have worked to accept over the many years... but Zeus? He was never a death I prepared for. There are times where I think I might want to see him gone but in the end... I must confess I do not."

Percy's mind flickered to Pollux and Castor.

"You might have to learn."

"I might," Poseidon agreed. "And I am not asking you to promise to spare him," he said - which was insane. To even propose such a thing meant that Poseidon thought Percy could win a fight against Zeus. Wild. Absolutely insane. "But I am asking that you might... promise to consider mercy," he said. "To be better than we have been."

"You mean that you're asking him to be the bigger person, so you don't have to be," Evelyn clarified flatly. Percy flinched. Castor had something like that once... after Percy had gotten into a fight with another camper over Thalia. The memory made his chest ache. Poseidon smiled.

"Perhaps, yes," he agreed softly and placed to shell back down. "I wish you both the best of luck," he said and then snapped his fingers. Evelyn's bindings fell off. "And, for the record, you'll have my blessing. Both of you," he added with a pointed look towards Evelyn. Percy frowned. "Only because I wish for you to survive. Not because I approve," he said and rose, sending more merman racing.

"Blessing for what?"

As usual, nobody bothered to answer. Why would they? Percy very clearly just magically had the answers to everything. Poseidon, to his credit, looked as if he wanted to say more but instead grabbed his trident and held it tightly.

"Brace yourself," he advised, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder as he swam by and squeezed. "It may be time to leave the shadows soon."

With that, he placed two pearls on the table and turned. Evelyn snatched one up before anyone could stop her. She waited - looking pointedly at Percy before he grabbed his own. At least she didn't leave without him. He wouldn't blame exactly blame her if she did. He turned and looked around the room one more time. He hadn't considered the ocean-side of things before. These people were fighting for their homes. Their families. It felt simpler here than on land. The allegiances were more apparent. More cut and dry. Well... that he saw, anyway. Maybe after all of this was done, he would return and try to figure out the ocean politics here. Sighing, he smashed the pearl under his foot.

The process was similar to back when he was twelve and first used these. However, instead of taking them to the surface of the ocean, he found himself only a few feet away from shore when the white ball broke the surface. It pulled them closer in with the coast - like a shell stumbling onto the beach. There was a thud as they hit the rocks close to where the tides pulled in. Percy stumbled forward, catching himself on a rock just in time to see Evelyn already move past the waves back towards the titan camp.

"Evelyn!" he yelled and chased after her. "Evelyn-" he began but was ignored as she walked away. "Evelyn, please. I know you're mad-"

"No," she interrupted and turned back around. "No, I shouldn't be. You're right. I am with the titans. You are with the gods - even if the gods don't include Zeus," she scoffed, shaking her head. "I got... I got sentimental," she said, bitterness lacing her tone. Percy frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I wasn't lying back there," she said and gave a tired smile. "You're my only family left," she sighed and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "My mom first brought me to camp when I was four. I went there every summer. I never knew what it was like to not have a family. There was always someone in our cabin. Always someone at home, whether it was my mother or my uncle or grandparents..." she mused and then kicked the ground. "Here, I... don't really have anyone. And when I see you, I can't help, but..." she began but trailed off. "Well, it's foolish. You have your own family. I can't keep projecting on you."

Percy inwardly screamed.

"Please. Please, let me make it up to you," he said, and she rolled her eyes. "I know you wouldn't have helped me if I told you the truth."

"No," she muttered and crossed her arms over her chest. "I wouldn't."

Percy looked at her helplessly. The ire in her face dwindled.

"Fine," she muttered. "Come on, traitor," she said flatly and jerked her head back to the towering buildings in the distance. Percy didn't question it as he scurried after her. The titan camp was composed of two - well, technically three parts. There was the Princess Andromeda, which was apparently Luke's domain. Percy didn't see why. Boats should be Evelyn's thing, but whatever. He wasn't going to tell the titans how to fight their wars. Evelyn was in charge of the demigod side of things. It was the area Percy had first arrived in when they crash-landed in Apollo's chariot with tents and training grounds. Beyond that was the third section of the camp... the buildings.

Percy wasn't entirely sure what they used to be. All of them were abandoned now, though. Rumor had it that was where monsters and immortals on the titans' side stayed. It looked as if he was about to find out because it was directly where Evelyn was leading him.

"...are you going to kill me?" he asked. Evelyn glowered at him.

"Not today," she said and kicked aside some old boxes in the way to get to a rusted door. "You want to get even for poisoning me?"

"...poison is a strong word," Percy said. Evelyn jiggled the handle of the door. When it didn't open right away, she cursed and took a few steps back before kicking it hard. The door shuddered and creaked open. "But, um, yes."

"Then just have a conversation with him," she said. Percy followed her inside. With... who? "I'm getting tired of telling him no. He apparently just wants to say hi," she grumbled as she walked in. "As if I'm not already being very accommodating," she added under her breath. Percy grimaced as some rats scattered across the floor. Paint was peeling off of the walls, and broken pipes were bursting from the ceiling.

"Sure..." Percy said and stepped over a few planks of wood. "Can I ask who I'm talking to?" he asked. Evelyn started walking up a flight of stairs.

"Take a wild guess."

Percy was exhausted. He had been training non-stop, mourning non-stop, and preparing for a war non-stop. Evelyn was in the same boat, but it made them equally irritable.

"Kronos?" he asked sarcastically as they took another flight of stairs. Evelyn hummed. Wait. Percy almost tripped over a step. "...that was a joke," he said. Evelyn kept climbing. "Are you serious?!" he asked and jumped after her. "Evelyn!"

"You don't have to, but you did say you wanted to make it up to me-"

"Kronos is...? Is he...?" Percy whispered, looking around. Evelyn stopped climbing to open a door out of the stairwell and into a long hallway. She pointed to a door at the very end. "He's in there?" he asked. She nodded. "Ah," he said and bit his lip.

"He won't hurt you," Evelyn said. Percy thought that was a pretty ridiculous thing to say with such confidence, but sure. Percy's eyes flicked back to the door. Sighing, he reached into his bag. "What are you-?" Evelyn began suspiciously - reaching for her net. Her voice broke off when Percy pulled out a small leather book.

"This is yours," he told her and held it out. Evelyn stared at the journal in utter shock. Percy almost wanted to laugh... then cry as she dropped the net by her feet and grabbed it with both hands. She ignored the inked pages to instead pull out the photo Percy had kept in the back. Her breath caught. "I'm sorry I kept it for so long. There wasn't a good time to really give it to you..." he began but trailed off when Evelyn's back hit the wall behind her, sliding down to the ground.

"Thank you," she said quietly. She flipped through the pages - fingers tracing over the worn words and smeared ink before flipping to the back. Percy grimaced. Should he had torn those pages out? He had forgotten about them, honestly. The gibberish written in blood. Percy looked down.

"I... do you remember?" he asked. Evelyn looked up. "What you were trying to write?" he asked with a nod. Her expression went from sad to resigned within seconds.

"Not really, no. I... it was all a blur. We were on the ship, and I was getting sicker. I brought this to make me feel better..." she trailed off and then shuddered. "I hope the blood isn't Vera's," she said. Her brows came together. "Where did you find this?"

"The Poseidon cabin," Percy shrugged. Evelyn blinked a few times.

"I... don't know how it got there. Unless..." she frowned ad hugged it close to her chest. "Perhaps father wanted you to find it," she mused. Percy shrugged. That made sense. Even if he hadn't anticipated all of this happening, he might have wanted Percy to know what his siblings were like. Who they were. The idea seemed to bother Evelyn, though. She bit her lip and absently ran her thumb over the spine.

"I should go... try and survive that," Percy muttered, shuffling towards the door. It was a bit bewildering to casually be sitting down with Kronos but sure. Percy's life had been so full of insanity that he hardly felt fazed by it. Besides, the more craziness that surrounded him, the less he had time to think about... well... it. Him. You know. The thing.

He shoved the thought away before he could delve into despair. Meeting Kronos in a state of mourning probably wasn't the wisest. Evelyn nodded.

"He won't hurt you," she repeated quietly and opened her book back up. Percy internally shook his head. 'Foolish' wasn't quite the word he would use when it came to Evelyn, but it seemed odd that she would swear off all belief in divinity only to rally behind Kronos of all people. Maybe it was desperation or hope or... something he couldn't understand. Figuring now wasn't the time for it, he turned away and walked towards the door.

Should he knock?

...probably. But he wasn't going to. Kronos wasn't who he served, after all. With that thought in mind, he turned the knob and walked inside.

Percy wasn't sure what he had been expecting. More rats and crumbling walls? An obnoxiously uppity room of royal items? Something in between? He supposed what sat in front of him made as much sense as any. He was reminded of a wizard's room. Perhaps an ancient library of a medieval apothecary. Books lined the walls in shelves of dark wood while clocks hung from almost every wall. Candles were strewn about, despite the open window where sunlight fell through. A few tapestries hung from the ceiling - the most prominent being a young woman on the back of a lion with a crown on her head. Bottles and goblets sat on various surfaces, though the one catching Percy's attention the most was on a small table next to what could only be described as a throne.

"I've missed so much over the millennia," the man on the throne mused. "Electricity. How fascinating. Prometheus really needn't bring your kind fire. It sounds like you may have stumbled across it yourselves eventually," he said and flipped another page. Percy swallowed. "Oh, no need to gape. Take a seat," he added without looking up. Percy glanced at where a second throne had appeared.

Interesting. It looked identical to his own, save that Percy's was lined with blue velvet versus his red. Slowly, he sat down.

Percy had seen paintings of Kronos. They were all usually the same. Different depictions of a bearded, half-dressed man eating a child. Some imagery was kinder, but it was safe to say there was a general... theme.

None of that prepared him for the real thing.

It was hard to find the right words. The man in front of him looked... disturbingly familiar. Percy could very clearly see each of the Olympians in front of him. There was a resemblance that was haunting in all of them. Mostly, he looked like Zeus with the proud features etched in a sort of stoic thoughtfulness. His hair was long, like Hades', and the same dark color that seemed blacker than anything he had ever seen. His eyes were a shifting gold - moving between Apollo's and Artemis' shades as he smiled. It was Poseidon's smile. Perhaps that was the creepiest of all.

"Hello, Perseus," he greeted (in a voice that sounded like Athena's but with Hephaestus' drawl) and closed his book. "I'm glad we're finally able to meet in person."

Percy could not say he shared the sentiment. So he didn't say anything at all. He just studied him. It was so, so weird. He sat the way Hera did - like he was molded into the chair since the day he was born. Tilting his head, he gestured to the table beside him. His hands were like Demeter's. A new goblet appeared in his hand before he silently offered it to Percy.

Ha. As if.

"No, thank you," Percy told him, and there was a glimmer of amusement as Kronos set the goblet back down.

"You can probably tell I am weak," he said regretfully. Percy truly could not. He seemed to move with a fluidity that even water couldn't master. "The Golden Fleece is powerful, but I must admit, my son did... quite a number on me," he smiled wryly. Dionysus. Percy had seen that exact look on his face. "I suppose it is ironic that I wish I had more time to recover for this war so fast approaching," he mused and gave a soft smile. "You look very much like your father."

He knew. Big whoop. Percy strangely felt no panic at the reveal.

"I didn't think you knew what my father looked like. Given... you know. The meal," he said dryly. Kronos' eyes glittered.

"Do you know who you sound like?"

"My father?" Percy asked, deeply unimpressed. Kronos' smile widened.

"I couldn't say. All I had time to do was look at him before... you know. The meal," he said softly. Percy narrowed his eyes. "My wife had a wit I suspect is similar to yours," he said and grabbed a goblet of something to take a sip of. "She had a heart of lions, that one," he said and shook his head. "I very much look forward to finding her. I may even forgive her for the rock trick."

His fingers tapped against the goblet thoughtfully. Percy shifted a bit.

"The gods don't know what you are, do they?" Kronos asked. "A shame, really. Zeus did all of that hiding himself as a child. You know, he served as my cup-bearer. Right under my nose the entire time... I had no idea..." he murmured and then gave a small chuckle. "I must admit that it pleases me that it has come full circle. You. Hiding under his nose this whole time," he clicked his tongue. "It's... poetic, almost."

"And how do you know? Did Evelyn tell you?" Percy asked. Kronos took another sip of his drink.

"No," he said, licking his lips. "No, she did not. You have her eyes," he said, and Percy blinked a few times. What? Whose? Evelyn's? He spoke as if he was certain Percy could fill in the blanks to his vague way of framing things. "I know your father inherited them, but they were Rhea's first. We immortal beings can look how we please, but very rarely can anyone replicate those eyes so well. I consider myself somewhat of an expert at telling the difference," he smiled wryly. Percy nodded slowly. Oh. Rhea's eyes. Percy hadn't thought about it. His father's eyes matched the sea. He never considered him inheriting them from anyone. "At any rate, you and I have more important things to discuss," Kronos said and absently brought a finger to his temple, studying Percy intently.

"I won't be joining you," Percy told him. "So you can kill me now."

"Oh, don't be like that," Kronos mused. "We may not be friends, but we can still want some of the same things," he smiled. "You are my best chance of getting rid of my son, after all. Evelyn told me of your... friend's demise," he said, eyes glittering. Percy tensed. "A tragedy for someone so young," he licked his lips again. "I understand your pain."

Percy doubted that he did.

"Luckily, your sister has given me a rather... compelling offer," he said. Percy frowned. He got the feeling they had finally arrived at the point of this little talk of theirs. He wasn't sure how comfortable the start was. "I am lacking in power, but with the right amount, I could... reverse time a bit on a larger scale. Bring you some allies," he said. Percy internally repeated the words back to himself. Reverse on a... larger scale? What did that mean? Allies? How would he-?

Oh. Oh.

"The other Big Three kids," Percy said slowly. "Hugo, Vera - all of them?" he asked. Of course. Evelyn's motivation suddenly became crystal clear. Maybe she wouldn't ever forgive the Olympians for what they've done, but Kronos had the ability to give her back everything she wanted. Her entire life. Maybe at full power, he could even plop her back in the time period she belonged in. Percy closed his eyes.

"There are others you lost too?" Kronos asked. "Thalia Grace, I hear. Perhaps she could aid you in this rebellion against her father."

"And what has Evelyn offered you in return for this?" Percy asked, voice hardening. Kronos chuckled.

"To tie herself to me. Separate bodies, but my form can feed off of hers."

Oh... Oh, no. No, no, no. Percy didn't care for that at all.

"Um," he began and awkwardly cleared his throat. "With all due respect - or, um, as much respect as I can give someone who eats his children - absolutely not."

Kronos smiled at the ground.

"I'm afraid the choice is hers. For you? The choice I am offering is a bit different," he said and stood up. Percy almost bolted from his chair but kept himself steady as he looked up at him. "I only ask that you keep her alive during the process. I don't think that should be too hard for you, no?" he asked. Percy's brows came together. "Despite Evelyn's preference for humanity... she has a very divine soul. I suspect it may be difficult for her to do what needs to be done," he said and stretched out his arms. He was tall. Tall, though surprisingly slender. Percy would never think five gods could fit in his stomach (plus a rock). Part of him wanted to ask about logistics, but... maybe now wasn't the time.

"Keep her alive during what process exactly?" Percy asked. Tying himself to her? Kronos smiled. With a flick of his wrist, the door flung itself opened, clattering against the wall. Percy turned to look at it before giving a sarcastic smile. "Keep her alive during what process?" he repeated. Kronos walked over. For a second, Percy tensed, but the concern was short-lived since the next second he found himself alone in the room. The only sound was the clocks softly ticking.

Son of a bitch.

Shaking his head, he got up and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Evelyn was still in the hallways, flipping a page of her journal.

"Did it go well?" she asked without looking up. Percy ignored her. "Percy?" she asked and got up as he started down the stairs. "Are you-"

"What is wrong with you?" he hissed, spinning around to shove her away. Evelyn spluttered. "You're siding with them to bring your friends back?" he asked, voice rising. Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you at least were trying to do the right thing-"

"I'm sorry, the right thing?" Evelyn repeated. "What right thing are you talking about? There is no right thing," she said, voice rising. "Are you going to pretend that your little set-up is any better?"

"It isn't Kronos-"

"Yeah, it's Artemis and Apollo," Evelyn snorted. "You know, the one who turns her own huntresses into wild animals and her brother who ironically chases everything that moves and gets them turned into trees," she said. Percy scoffed. "Or perhaps you like the tale where they murder children? Or where Apollo got his sister's best friend killed because he was jealous? Or what about that delightful story of Aura?" she asked. Percy bit his tongue. "And let me guess, you're going to get other Olympians onboard? Which ones? Our father, apparently. His myths are always fun to study with the murder and rape - but wait. Are they the right thing?" she asked him.

"Better than Kronos."

"He hasn't done anything they have."

"Evelyn, I'm not saying that are glowing people. They aren't. I know that. But at least they've done good things too. They can maybe even get better! What has Kronos done to prove he can do that?"

"He's going to help me!"

"Will he? Or is he manipulating you?"

"Oh, you would know about manipulation, wouldn't you?" Evelyn asked with a laugh. Percy tensed. "Kind of your forté, isn't it? You know, if your side is so good, why don't you come clean? Tell them who you are. What you are. Everyone here knows what I am. I'm not scared. Are you?" she asked. Percy shook his head. He didn't have time for this. He walked down another flight of stairs, trying to tap down his temper. "Did Castor even know?" Evelyn called after him. Percy froze. "Or did you hide from him too?"

Droplets of water froze from dripping on the ceiling above him.

"Don't," he said quietly.

Evelyn hummed. "I didn't think so," she said, and the droplets shot at her like bullets. She raised her hands to stop them. "Which one of us is the bad guy, again?" she asked him.

Percy walked down the final steps and slammed the door so hard that the entire building shuddered. Liar. Liar. Castor had known exactly who Percy was before he died. She knew nothing. Evelyn was cocky and thought she knew better than everyone else. Why should he listen to her?

He stormed out of the complex of abandoned buildings and outside of the titan camp. Silena was waiting for him on Blackjack.

"Hey," she greeted. "How was Atlantis?"

"I got a seashell and talked to Kronos," he muttered. "Where do the others think I was?"

"Mourning," she answered and offered him a hand to get on Blackjack. "What is this about Kronos?" she asked, voice rising a bit with concern. Percy sighed and went into details of everything that had happened as they launched off into the sky. Silena - as always - was a patient listener. Much to Evelyn's dismay, Silena had changed allegiances alongside a good chunk of the titan army. Now that there was a rumor that Olympians were considering turning against Zeus, it brought in more demigods who were unsure, though minor gods stubbornly remained with Kronos. Percy was a little surprised at how accepting the titans were... Silena said it was only because they considered Zeus a greater threat than anyone else.

"So she has the same idea as Nico," Silena said.

Percy frowned. "What?"

"Nico had an idea," she said with a sigh. "We aren't sure who is going to do it, though," she mused. Percy frowned as Blackjack ducked under a cloud. "I was thinking it should maybe be you... not that the others know why," she said, and Percy clung tighter to her as they dove down. Artemis and Apollo refused to stay in the titan camp. Percy had been much obliged to move as well. It was hard to spend a year staring at the spot your boyfriend was murdered.

Now they were in a small field by a lake. It was still pretty close to the titan camp, honestly, but far enough away from Olympus. Percy slid off of Blackjack and offered him a slice of apple from his pocket. He gave a soft snort, lightly nudging Percy with his nose.

"Well, catch me up in a second," Percy sighed as he rubbed Blackjack's nose. "I need to get changed."

Silena opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Percy walking off towards the small collection of tents pitched up. He made a beeline straight towards the one at the very back and threw back the flap so he could dramatically collapse onto the cot inside. He sighed, rolling over so he could grab the red sweatshirt sitting next to him and buried his face into the hood. It smelled like strawberries and the lake. Part of him wanted to scream, but instead, he slipped it over his head and tried not to imagine Castor wearing it.

"Back so soon?"

Percy snorted.

"You noticed I was gone?" he asked and looked over at the entrance of the tent. Annabeth shrugged. "What are you even doing here? As far as I'm aware, Luke hasn't joined us," he said and moved over so she could join him on the cot. She went quiet for a moment, grimacing as she absently took in the sweatshirt Percy was wearing.

"Castor's?"

"Hm."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly and reached over to squeeze his hand. "And to answer your question, I am here as a... liaison of sorts," she snorted. "We all in agreement about Zeus, but the titans want to see if we can unite against any other wayward Olympians. Hera's name was brought up a few times. Ares' too."

Percy rolled his eyes.

"As if Ares is a threat to them," he muttered. "I beat Ares when I was twelve. I don't think they have much to worry about."

"Maybe you're just powerful."

"Moreso than a titan?" Percy asked doubtfully. "I don't think so," he said. "Besides, this is an obvious attempt to weaken our forces."

"Well, technically, only Artemis and Apollo are on your side," Annabeth pointed out. Zeus has done an excellent job keeping everyone locked up," she said and tapped her fingers against her knee. "Including my mother..." she added, almost absently. Percy frowned and propped himself up on his elbows.

"That reminds me... there was something Apollo said about your mother," he said. Annabeth tilted her head. "It was about a prophecy. Apparently, Metis would bear Zeus a child more powerful than him?" he asked. Annabeth nodded. "Apollo seems to think that it's your mom."

There was a pause.

"Huh," Annabeth finally said. "Well... the prophecy did say a son, but... Metis could have changed it to protect her daughter," she said with a shake of her head. "Or Apollo. I'm not sure. It isn't impossible," she said and brought her brows together. "Why?"

"No reason," Percy lied and stretched out. "I need to meet up with the others. Apparently, there is some big idea Nico has," he said and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Hopefully, the idea is that he stops making me want to shake some sense into him," he added under his breath. Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "He's been driving me a little crazy," he added to her. "With his... attitude."

"Like, little kid attitude or been-cooped-up-in-Underworld attitude?"

"Think... angsty pre-teen who still has the Mark of Hercules on his arm kind of attitude," Percy said and stood up. "If you see Bianca, ask about him. Watch the suffering in her eyes. It's rough," he said. Annabeth rolled her eyes but also got up to follow him out of the tent. She probably wouldn't be joining him in the impromptu meeting given that, you know, she technically wasn't on their side, but it was still nice to see her. "Are you going to visit Daedalus?" he asked as they walked out towards a picnic table where several demigods, Grover, and two gods were surrounded.

"I already stopped by and said hi," she said, jamming her hands in her pockets. She looked kind of tired. Then again, so was he. "I was going to try and design him something to help with walking, but..." she shrugged. "He doesn't seem to want anything."

Percy nodded. He had the same discussion with Will Solace. Daedalus had survived the rockfall during the battle, but the debris had pretty much paralyzed him from the waist down. Percy hadn't been sure how the man would take to it but seemed to be doing well. He wasn't interested in any of the tech or treatments offered to him - he merely wanted his laptop to aid in the war... which, like, Percy was pretty sure he was with them? He honestly couldn't tell. Daedalus was staying with them, so, um, hopefully?

"Yeah, he's been awesome in using the labyrinth to get everyone where they need to go," he said. Annabeth nodded with a slight purse of her lips. The labyrinth was the main way people were ditching the titans to get to their camp. Again, the titans were eerily accommodating with all of this. "He says he wants an assistant, though. I'm not sure who else he would get. Evelyn still has Ariadne's string," he said and shook his head. Maybe Pollux? Percy grimaced at the thought of it.

Giving their final goodbyes, he watched as she marched off - probably to visit some other people and do whatever recon Luke needed. Percy wasn't too concerned. Annabeth - even on their opposing side - would never hurt anyone here. He turned to where the others were waiting for him around the picnic table. Artemis was lowly whispering to Apollo - worry clearly etched in her face as Beckendorf shook his head at something Hazel said.

"No," he said, sounding amused. "I think this is where the confusion is. Pluto was an alias your father gave your mother. His true name is Hades."

Hazel looked unconvinced. She turned to Bianca.

"Are you sure his name isn't Pluto? He told me it was Pluto. I heard other people call him Pluto. Maybe it's a different god," she reasoned. Artemis tensed. Grover moved over to make room for Percy with a warm smile.

"It sounds like it's Hades," Bianca said and then turned to an Iris Message. "What did father say about it, Nico?" she asked. From the other end of the call, Nico irritably looked up. He had dark shadows under his eyes and gotten at least three shades paler. Percy grimaced a bit as he approached and took Grover's offered seat.

"He won't answer any questions about it," he said and ran a hand through his hair. "I-" he began and then stopped talking as he caught himself on the table he was sitting in front of. Bianca reached out as if to steady him before remembering she wasn't actually there. Luckily, another figure righted him.

"He's getting worse," Demeter noted from where she put a hand on Nico's shoulder.

"I'm fine."

"You're a bitch ass liar," Will said, and everyone turned to him. "What? I found out he and I are enemies. I'm trying to be enemy-like," he said and then reconsidered. "I am very sorry you are unwell," he added before perking up. "If you come to camp, we can treat you! I was thinking if I mixed the centaur blood with some nectar that-"

"I don't need anything. If Hercules wants me gone, then there's nothing any of us can do about it," Nico said. Demeter stared him down. "...but thank you for the offer," he added, rubbing his temple. Demeter sighed.

"Ever since Hades closed the Underworld, I've been stuck here-"

"NOBODY INVITED YOU!" a voice boomed. Bianca paused.

"Is... that...?" she began and turned to Percy, who nodded. Yep. He recognized that voice for sure. Nico groaned and buried his face in his hands. Percy almost felt bad for him. It looked like a lot to be part of that family dynamic down there.

"YOU WANTED ME TO LEAVE YOU ALONE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN?!" Demeter shouted back. "IT IS BAD ENOUGH MY DARLING PERSEPHONE IS DOWN HERE HALF THE YEAR, BUT NOW YOU WANT MY SON, TOO?!"

"Your-? HE IS MY SON, DEMETER!"

"Really?" she asked dryly and looked down at Nico. "You're too sweet to be his son," she said. Nico offered her a small smile. "Don't worry. I won't let him take you."

"TAKE HIM?! HE'S IN MY DOMAIN!"

"NOBODY ASKED YOU TO BE PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, HADES!" Demeter shouted back. "ARE YOU PART OF THE REBELLION?!" she asked. Silence. "I DIDN'T THINK SO! GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE!" She smoothed out her dress. "So sorry about that. Bianca, darling, please go on."

"Wait," Percy interrupted. "Are... you are on our side now?" he asked. Demeter tilted her head.

"All of my children had joined this side. As I said, I worried the prophecy would be about them. This was an easy way to get them out of camp. Besides, my daughter is leading the charge," she said with a nod towards Bianca. "I figured I would throw in my support."

"SHE IS MY DAUGHTER!"

"A shame," Demeter said as she gave a small wave to someone outside the message. "I do sorely wish I could be bothered with the opinion of your so-called deadbeat father," she said and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Nico, darling, eat something. You're looking much too pale," she said and turned back to Bianca. "You'll need to bring him something soon," she added lowly. Nico closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm fine-" he repeated and then cut himself off. "Nevermind," he said and took a bite of cereal - possibly to soothe Demeter. "Calypso and I have been talking," he said and rubbed the back of his neck. "About the River Styx. Someone could go in and get the Curse of Achilles." Percy crossed his arms over his chest. Hm. "For whoever is going to be taking down Kronos - or even Zeus -" he added with a pointed look at Percy. "It would be an extra layer of protection."

"If whoever it is could survive it," Bianca said and then turned to Artemis. "Would I be able to as a hunter?" she asked. Artemis pursed her lips.

"You aren't mortal enough," Artemis said apologetically. "You must anchor yourself to your humanity in the Styx, or else your soul will be completely burned away. It isn't... impossible," she reasoned slowly. "But I highly doubt you would succeed," she said, running a hand through her hair. Hazel raised her hand.

"I'm a daughter of Plu- Hades," she corrected herself. "I could maybe do it," she said. Percy pursed his lips. Hazel was... insanely powerful. In ways that were similar to Nico and Bianca, but also kind of different. He didn't understand her completely, but he knew he liked her. She was also only thirteen. The idea of her taking a dip in the River Styx was unappealing.

"I could do it," he volunteered. Everyone turned to him. "I've been training with Evelyn all summer. I'm taking down Zeus," he said, and Apollo shook his head. "Despite your lack of faith," Percy added to him. "This would help with that," he reasoned. Everyone fell silent.

"I think Percy is a good choice," Silena spoke up from beside Beckendorf. Everyone else gave an uncertain murmur.

"Oh, come on," Percy rolled his eyes at them. "Is there a reason I wouldn't be able to do it?" he asked, a note of warning in his voice. A silent dare to bring up Castor or his supposed heritage. Nobody argued.

"I think Percy can do it - should," Grover said because he was terrific and truly Percy's rock in moments like these. The rest of the group relented.

"You'll need Aphrodite's blessing," Artemis warned him. "Which would be hard given she is locked up with the others in Olympus."

Percy considered. Suddenly Poseidon's words made sense. He also got a feeling of what Kronos meant when he asked Percy to keep Evelyn alive. She would be going to the River Styx too. Brilliant. Percy could feel an aneurysm coming on.

"I'm on it," he said and smiled. "When can we leave?" he asked.

The rest of the conversation sorted out various planning as Nico was harassed about his abysmal state of health, and Percy made an internal note to bring Hazel's odd choice of name for Hades to Annabeth. Suddenly, their discussion on Roman gods last year seemed a little too on the nose. Percy brought out his knife from Hephaestus' forge, running his hand over the golden blade thoughtfully. It was about five minutes later when he realized the talking had stopped. When he looked up, almost everyone had dispersed.

"Go," Silena said and took the knife out of his hands. He looked over at her, startled. "Before you leave for the Underworld. Go. Now."

Percy blinked before the words registered.

"Ah. Right. No, thank you."

"You're being cruel."

"Cruel?" Percy asked, mouth dropping. Silena shrugged. "No. No, you don't get to say that," he said. Silena didn't back down. "How is that even fair? As if I haven't been doing my best to-"

"I'm not saying you haven't," Silena interrupted him. "Percy, I love you. You know I love you, but you need to talk to him," she said, putting a hand on his arm. Percy scoffed and tugged away. "Hey," Silena said and reached out again to grab him. "He's hurting too. You guys are in this together. Just... see how he's doing, okay?" Percy swallowed. He really, really, really didn't want to. Silena looked at him expectantly. He sighed.

"...you switched sides just to harass me," he muttered. Silena's expression softened.

"I switched sides for you. Nobody else. If that means harassing you... sure," she said and pushed him. "I'm right about these things. You know I am," she told him. Percy gave a slight shake of his head before dragging his feet out towards the lake. It was a little sad that he knew exactly where to go. Turns out, there were patterns in mourning. At least for some people. Percy tended to take on an avoidance strategy, but there were some who just... repeated cycles until the world made sense again. He didn't understand it, but whatever worked, he supposed.

Swallowing, he navigated to the lake's bank - obscured by newly blossoming trees hanging over the shore. A weeping willow served as a sort of curtain that he could draw back and enter - sending a few peaceful animals scampering at his approach. He found a piece of dirt and sat down. Silence. Trying to remain collected, he kept his eyes forward, refusing to look to the side. From beside him, a soft voice spoke.

"Silena sent you?"

"Yep."

"Against your will?"

"Yep."

"Figures," Pollux laughed. It sounded bitter and hollow. "Can you look at me yet?"

Percy closed his eyes.

"...no," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I just- you..." he swallowed and shook his head. "I can't stand it," he whispered. "I can't. I try looking at you, and it makes me want to scream," he said and fell back so he could stare at the branches filtering the light instead. Looking at the sky was sometimes just as hard, but at least it didn't have Castor's face.

"Sometimes, I just stare in the mirror," Pollux said quietly. "And I just talk to myself and pretend it's him," he said and ran a hand through his hair. "That's probably the first sign of insanity, isn't it?" Percy scoffed. "But I always catch the small differences. Like, the fact he had dimples, and I don't. Then I start to worry I'll forget that stuff, and he'll just be-" he began and cut himself off. Then took a long breath. "It's weird," he finally said. "I've never been without him before."

Percy never had a twin. He wasn't sure he could find anything in the world to compare it to. His mother, maybe? She had always been a constant in his life.

"Bianca said she would summon his ghost for me," Percy said. "Did she tell you that?"

"Yep. What did you say?"

"Couldn't do it. Just broke down crying. You?"

"I said yes, but when she started, I freaked out, and we had to stop," Pollux said bitterly. "Not that I don't want to see him, but I- what do I say? I have no idea," he said, and Percy could see him running a hand through his hair in his peripheral vision.

"...do you blame me?"

The words were out of Percy's mouth before he could think better of them. He could feel Pollux's eyes snap to him.

"Excuse me?"

The tone was a sharp enough change that Percy actually looked at him. He felt like it was a genuine question. However, something about it did not seem to sit well with Pollux at all.

"I... well, you know, the lightning strike was going to hit me, so... I thought..." he began, and Pollux's expression went from dangerous to furious within seconds. "Pollux?" he asked worriedly and sat up. "What did I do?"

Pollux wordlessly slid off of the rock he was perched on and stood directly in front of Percy. For a second, he thought he might punch him, but instead, he knelt in front of him and placed a finger right up to his nose.

"You do not get to do that," he practically hissed. Percy wasn't sure how to respond. "Absolutely not," he said and shoved Percy back into the mud. "Hey- you-" he began, voice shaking and so infuriated that he couldn't form a coherent sentence. "No," he decided. "No, what the Hell, Percy?"

"Why-?"

"Obviously, he died for you!" Pollux shouted, making Percy jump. "I'm not dumb. I know that. You know that. We all know that!" he said. Percy swallowed. "But you think I would be angry with you over that?" he asked. Percy shifted back a little.

"...you seem angry now."

"Yeah, because you think I would blame you," he said, sounding absolutely disgusted. "As if my brother couldn't make his own decisions. As if your stupid little Aphrodite charm lured him over," he shook his head. "No, that was Castor's choice, and don't make it sound like you had anything to do with it. That was his. You can't take that away from him."

"I wasn't trying to!" Percy said. "I just... you never want to blame the people who die, so-"

"I don't blame him, either. I'm not angry with him, Percy. I'm sad that he's dead. I miss him. I'm not angry with him," Pollux said, shaking his head. "Are you?" he asked. Percy stared. He wanted to say no. How could he be? Castor was the dead one. Percy had no right to be angry at him. Not really. Except-

"Yes," he found himself saying. "Of course, I am. He died. He- how could he do that?!" Percy suddenly snapped and threw his hand out. "He just fucks off and leaves us here alone? He decides to let us deal with the war? Without him? I have to do this without him?" he asked, voice rising. "I mean, talk about the suckiest breakup ever! He decided to split up by dying. Why aren't you mad at him?" He stood up before Pollux could answer. "He gets to hang out in the Underworld just waiting for us to join him! We have to wait here and miss him until we die. That isn't fair. What was he thinking? Why would he do that?" he asked and kicked the rock Pollux had been sitting on. "Now, I have to live with this forever. I have to keep seeing his body like that and hating myself over-"

"If the roles were reversed," Pollux interrupted, reaching out to yank Percy's arm. "You would have done the same thing."

It was true. Percy hated it, but it was true. He looked away.

"You can't be angry with him. He died because he cared about you. And you can't be angry with yourself, either."

"Why not?" Percy asked bitterly and pulled his arm away.

"Because he died because he cared about you," Pollux repeated. "And you don't get to undermine that by not caring about yourself. That was his decision. Respect it," he said and stood up, putting his hands in his pockets. "Besides," he said warily. "Hating yourself for the rest of your life would be a real shame because he loved you. Maybe try to figure out how to do that for him," he said and turned away. Percy swallowed. Then flopped back on the ground.

So. Yeah. His day was sucking pretty hard right now. And to make matters worse?

The Underworld. He had messaged Evelyn to meet him there if she also planned to take a fun little dip in the River Styx (yay!), to which she appeared to travel down with Bianca, Hazel, and Will (who was there to hopefully heal Nico). Speaking of which... something else should be made clear before moving forward. Percy cared about Nico. He did. A lot.

"No, thanks."

Which was why he wanted to kill him.

"No... thanks?" Percy repeated and turned to look at where Bianca was grimacing. "You- did you just-? No," he said and held the bottle out. "No, this isn't a 'no, thanks' kind of situation, Nico," he said. Nico scratched his arm with a slight shrug. The arm in question was not in the best shape. Hercules' mark had returned - only now it was bleeding freely, with Nico looking pale and exhausted. Every so often, he might twitch, or his eyes might glaze over, which wasn't really reassuring that he wasn't seconds away from losing his mind.

"Give that to someone else who needs it," Nico said with a nod towards the centaur blood in Percy's hand.

...this child was going to kill him.

"You need it."

"I'm okay," Nico said and twitched again. "Everyone here is immortal or already dead, so I'm good. Really, don't even worry about me. I can't hurt anyone."

"I... Bianca," Percy said and turned to her. "Bianca, make... make him use his brain," he said, voice going up several octaves. "He- do you hear him? He's- I'm having a stroke-"

"Yeah, shh," Bianca said and patted his shoulder. "It's fine. I got this - hey, Nico?" she tried, stepping in front of him and holding out the bottle. "Hi," she smiled. "You know, I was thinking. We could go find some more Mythomagic packets after this. Maybe after you drink some of this, we can try and head to that new store you like? Where I got you those figurines?" she asked. Nico shrugged.

"I don't know..." he said and kicked the ground. "I'm not really that into it right now."

Bianca stared.

"You...? This hasn't happened before - this hasn't happened before," she added to Percy. "I- Nico, you have to drink this. You're sick."

"Yeah, but... maybe it's supposed to be this way," Nico reasoned slowly. Bianca stared. "You don't have a mark. Maybe Hercules only chooses bad kids to put this on," he said slowly and uncertainly crossed his arms over his chest. "Maybe I deserve-"

"NO!" Bianca said loudly, making everyone jump. It was an odd conversation to be having in this pocket of nothingness of the Underworld. There were only shadows and few rocks with dimly lit fires floating around. "Don't you finish that, Nico di Angelo!" she said and threw up her hands. "Where is Calypso? Isn't she supposed to be watching you? You left my brother with some ditzy, love-struck goddess?" Bianca said, spinning to Percy. He frowned.

"Hey, Calypso is nice-"

"Then why is my little brother here saying he deserves to have that damn mark! You said he was okay! You told me you were okay!" she added wildly, spinning back to Nico. Evelyn cleared her throat.

"Nico," she said kindly. "Most of us have had that mark. It isn't an indication of who you are as a person," she said. "I had it. Hugo had it. You don't need to punish yourself like this," she said. Nico looked uncertainly. Hazel nodded.

"Yeah!" she agreed. "I... um, well... I didn't have it exactly-"

"Wait," Evelyn interrupted herself. "You... are a Big Three kid?" she asked. Hazel nodded. "Oh. I don't know you. Who's your parent?" she asked, holding out a hand. Hazel chuckled.

"Yes, well, I was turned into a plant back in the 1940s, so that's probably why," she laughed. Evelyn blinked. "But my father is Plu- er, Hades," she corrected herself. Evelyn opened her mouth.

"I... you're from the 1940s?" she asked. Hazel shrugged. "I'm from the 1940s. Hugo never mentioned you..." she frowned, tilting her head. Hazel looked just as bewildered.

"Who is Hugo?"

Bianca cleared her throat and pointedly looked at where Nico was swaying. Right. This.

"Can you start an IV?" Percy asked, turning to Will. "Because we might just have to pin him down and put it straight in the vein."

"I... can," Will said slowly and then looked at Nico before taking the bottle from Bianca. "I don't think we need one, though," he said and then walked right over to Nico and poked him in the forehead. Nico blinked a few times - looking downright outraged at the action before Will crossed his arms over his chest.

"How are you going to kill me?" he asked. Nico stared.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you going to, like, stab me? Rip my head off? Drink my blood? What's the plan?" he asked. Nico looked at him as if he had lost his mind, which... maybe? "Because I'm not leaving, and if you don't drink this, then you're going to start killing people, right?" he asked. Nico opened his mouth. "Which, I mean, it already sucks of you as it is. Your sister is very worried - er, sisters," he corrected with a nod at Hazel.

"I'm fine-"

"Yes, I can see that," Will said dryly. "And I- is that my shirt?" he interrupted himself. Nico looked down. Then back at Will.

"Maybe," he said and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you look foolish?"

"...I could... buy you some shirts if you want...?"

"How about I lead you to the River Styx?" Hazel suggested as she patted Bianca's arm. "You guys can talk this out."

"You don't know where you're going!" Nico objected. "We aren't even sure you're really a child of Hades-" he said but fell silent when a ghost appeared and bowed down to Hazel. "Alright, maybe you are- hey, how many siblings do we have?" he asked Bianca as she led him towards a rock to sit down. Percy grimaced but figured if they were going to split up... these were pretty safe teams. Sighing, he followed Evelyn and Hazel further into the Underworld.

When they finally approached the blackened bank of the waters, a figure was waiting for them. Percy didn't need an introduction. He may not be a professional at all the Greek heroes and gods, but he did know this one. Achilles.

"So you've come to bear the mark," he greeted. Evelyn and Percy both bowed their heads. "Very few people attempt. Fewer survive," he said. As far as ghosts went, he looked more real than the others. If Percy hadn't already known he was dead, he might not have even guessed it. He gave them the usual warning - that if they were successful at surviving the bath in the Styx, their combat prowess would be greater than any other mortal. Great news. The bad news was that their weaknesses would also increase. That seemed fair.

"I warn you," he began and stepped to the side. "If you enter these waters, you must hold onto your humanity. To lose it would mean to lose your souls. This is no light task. If you survive it... you will not be the same. Have you each received blessings from your godly parents?" he asked. They both nodded. "Very well. I wish you the best of luck."

Percy stepped closer to the shore. The waters were polluted - swirling with everything and anything imaginable. Percy would normally be too disgusted to step foot inside, but given the circumstances... he tried to be brave. His eyes glanced to Evelyn. How was he supposed to help her survive? He wasn't sure he would survive. She looked over at him and grimaced.

"Good luck," she told him and jumped in. A soft, glowing light immediately surrounded her form, bringing her to the center of the river. Not knowing what else to do, Percy took a deep breath and jumped.

There was a long and short version of what happened next. The short version? It sucked. It hurt, and he thought he was drowning and dying. Fun. However, he saw his mom beckoning him alongside Silena and everyone else. For a moment, he thought he saw Castor, but it was only a glimmer before he was gone again. Percy shifted a bit - forcing himself on land.

"Are you coming or not, Pretty Boy?" Annabeth called to him, and Percy moved to see Pollux standing next to her.

"Come on. We're waiting," he said irritably. "Don't we have stuff to do?" he asked. Percy felt the part of his body he had focused on - the small of his back behind his naval - burn as he reached out towards Silena's outstretched hand. The next thing he knew, he was gasping on land with Hazel rubbing his arm.

"...are you okay?" she asked, brushing his hair out of his eyes. Percy groaned, but gave her a weak thumbs up. "Good, because Evelyn hasn't come out yet," she said. Which... come on. Percy had been expecting that, but he had hoped that one thing in his life might actually go well. Internally groaning, he turned back to the waters. "I'm not sure what to do. I could try to go in after- PERCY!" she interrupted herself when he shrugged her off and dove back into the water.

Surprisingly, it just felt like a normal river now with a cool current trying to take him towards inky black pools further downstream. He swam, looking around desperately before he saw a golden light a bit further to his right. He waded out.

"EVELYN!" he shouted. Nothing. He tried to kick his foot out towards the light to see if he could somehow stir something, but all that did was make his foot feel hot to the touch. Sighing, he took a deep breath and dove back under the water. He moved towards the light - letting the world grow hotter and hotter before suddenly he collapsed onto a cobbled road with a gasp.

"Hey! Wait up!"

It took Percy a few seconds to adjust to the shock of the world around him. It was... kind of like being in a museum? No, not quite. Percy frowned as he looked around. He had seen pictures of the 1930s before. Usually in black-and-white or in movies that always had that colored tint over them to let you know the scene was in the past. There were no tints here. The actual color was a little jarring as he digested the city around him. The buildings were simultaneously huge and smaller than anything he had ever seen. Like if a dollhouse version of the world was blown up actually fit humans. The whole thing was surreal.

And in the midst of it was Evelyn storming over.

"I said wait up!" a girl called after her, jogging by. Vera. Percy shook his head. Another memory, perhaps? He looked around for Evelyn. The current version of her had to be around here somewhere. Trying to find whatever her tie was to humanity. "Ev - come on," Vera complained. "You're such a crumb," she grumbled and raced forward to cut Evelyn off. "You cannot seriously be upset with me!"

"For you hijacking my quest and murdering someone?"

"I saved your life!"

"I would have rather died," Evelyn sniffed and marched by her. "I had it all under control," Evelyn said and picked up a basket as she navigated towards a line of fruit stands. "But no, Miss. Bates had to come along and prove she's a gunsel," she muttered and picked up a tomato as she examined it closely. Vera sighed. "That poor harpy didn't need to die," she added.

"It was a harpy. Harpies are monsters."

"So are you," Evelyn said and picked up a few more tomatoes. "Why are you even here? Seriously, are you trying to prove something? Again?"

"No," Vera said indignantly. "I'm not- Hugo is hurt," she went with. Evelyn waited. "He is hurt, and it's foolish of you to go questing with an injured person. Besides, quests typically have three people in them." Evelyn shook her head and went back to her basket. Percy stepped a little closer. They looked younger here. Maybe thirteen? Fourteen?

"Well, this one has two."

"Jeez, Ev. Give me a break," Vera groaned as Evelyn reached into a bag to pull out a coin and place it on the stand before moving to the next one. "Is this about me stabbing you? I had to!" she said desperately. "We barely even knew each other-"

"We barely know each other now."

"That's your fault, not mine," Vera said stubbornly. "Evelyn, please. I would like us to get along," she said and put her hand on her arm. "I know you think I'm..."

"Cruel? Sadistic? Unnecessarily violent?"

"You know, not everyone has it as good as you do," Vera told her. Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "With your pretty mortal mother who dotes on you and your - your dizzy with a dame boyfriend! And your siblings who don't try to kill you and mortal friends - I mean, honestly. What demigod has mortal friends? How is it that everyone you come across adores you?" Vera asked, throwing her hands up. "It is so unbelievably frustrating! And it's easy for you to be all good and- whatever it is you are," she said in disgust. "Not all of us get Poseidon to fawn over us when we so much as pet a horse. Some of us have to prove we have grit," she said, crossing her arms. Evelyn picked up an apple.

"Hugo isn't my boyfriend."

"Not yet," Vera muttered. "Look, I'm sorry I killed the harpy. Just let me stay?" she asked and winced, glancing up at the sky as if she might get scolded for asking. Evelyn looked over at her and put the apple down.

"I don't have it that good," she frowned. Vera scoffed and looked at the ground. "Well, maybe I do compared to everyone else," she admitted. "I thought your mother was alive too?" she asked, tilting her head. Vera gave a non-committal shrug.

"Um, yeah. She just... doesn't like me very much," she muttered and shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm just saying. You would be a little cruel too - under the right circumstances." Evelyn didn't look convinced. "You kill me, you know that? Please?" she asked, softening her voice. Evelyn put a few apples in the basket before placing down another coin. Percy wondered what on Earth she planned to make with tomatoes and apples. What an awful combination.

"Fine," Evelyn said and held up a finger. "Under one condition," she told her. Vera grimaced. "We hold a funeral for that harpy. She was really nice and didn't deserve to be brutally murdered like that."

Vera blinked a few times.

"You...? But it's gone. It turned into golden dust. What funeral can we- okay," she cut herself off when Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Let's find a Chicago overcoat for a harpy of all things," she shook her head. "You're too soft," Vera said, plucking one of the apples from the basket to bite into. "You should be careful. The gods are going to take advantage of that."

"They wouldn't," Evelyn dismissed easily and drifted to another stall with peaches. "Nor would my father let them," she added fondly. Vera made a face at that. "Besides, the others I met don't seem so bad. Lord Apollo was a little full of it but seemed nice enough," she mused as she picked up a peach and put it back. "I think they could all be quite nice if given a chance."

"Not all of them are like your father, Evelyn. Not even your father is like your father all the time," Vera said. Evelyn shook her head. "I'm just saying... too soft," she murmured. Evelyn turned with her basket now full and started walking to the other end of the street. Percy thought about walking with them but was a little confused on how he had gone so long without seeing Evelyn. Well, the one he could speak to. He searched around some corners up until a voice caught his attention once more.

"Hey! Wait up!"

And once again, Evelyn was storming over in the exact direction she had originally come. Percy frowned.

"I said wait up!" Vera called again, and Percy watched in utter confusion as the exact same scene replayed itself again - word for word. He stepped a little closer, examining them closely as he tried to figure out what was going on. The whole thing played the same. Shaking his head, he stepped back.

"EVELYN!" he shouted. This was kind of frustrating. What happened if he stayed too long? Evelyn definitely couldn't stay here too long or risk getting swept away forever. In the distance, he heard a yell.

"Hey! Wait up!"

And they started right from the top. Percy felt his irritation grow. This time, he followed them as they left, but somehow it had morphed into the same exact thing. He had turned a corner to find himself once more in the middle of the same street, with Evelyn marching over and Vera chasing after her.

"Hey! Wait up!"

"What is this?" he muttered and came closer. Absently, he wondered if this was some sort of puzzle. A test? He reached over to one of the stands and put his hand out. It went right through the fruit. He turned to Vera and watched as she continued speaking her same little monologue. Maybe he had to get her away? Perhaps Evelyn was trying to avoid this memory and wanted her gone. Only he couldn't interact with her, either. Big surprise.

"You know, not everyone has it as good as you do," Vera was saying. Percy turned to watch Evelyn and - wait. Percy narrowed his eyes. Her expression had changed. Well, not... changed exactly. He felt a chilling sense of creepiness, though. There were tears on her face. Had they been there before? No, he was certain there hadn't been. "...not all of us get Poseidon to fawn over us when we so much as pet a horse. Some of us have to prove we have grit," Vera continued. This time, when Evelyn reached for the apple, Percy grabbed her wrist.

There was a gasp, and Evelyn collapsed.

"Whoa," Percy said as he jumped forward to catch her. "What the-?" he began but was cut off by Evelyn crying. "Okay. Um, alright. Just breathe. You're okay," he said, rubbing her shoulder. From above them, Vera was continuing on as if nothing happened. She was saying the same lines and speaking to the space Evelyn had been in. "Hey, it's me-"

"No, no- don't make me!" she practically sobbed as she shuddered on the ground. "Please, I'm sorry-"

"Evelyn, it's me."

"No!" she shrieked. "No, I don't-"

"Evelyn!" Percy said loudly and shook her. Her eyes snapped into focus. "We don't have a lot of time. You're in the River Styx, and at some point, your soul is going to burn away into nothing, so we have to find a way to connect you to your mortality," he said. Evelyn looked around, breathing quickly.

"Hugo," she murmured. "It's Hugo. I need to find him."

"Alright," Percy said and helped her up. "Let's find him then. Was he ever on this street with you two?" he asked. Evelyn shook her head. They still ended up searching for another couple of minutes - Percy's anxiety skyrocketing up as Evelyn appeared to get weaker and weaker with each replay of the scene. It was just Vera now. She ran up the street and replayed her side of the conversation as if Evelyn was still there.

"It's no use," Evelyn finally said with a groan. "He isn't here. Why would he be? He's dead."

Vera was dead too, but she was here. Sort of. It was strange. Percy's experience hadn't been a memory or a search. He had seen his family right in front of him. His sister and his mother... Castor hadn't been there, but-

Percy paused. Something clicked in his mind. Castor was dead. So was Hugo. Vera was too, but she didn't appear to Evelyn the same way Percy's family had. This wasn't just a memory. This was a reminder.

"Evelyn," he said gently. She turned, gripping at her hair in frustration from where she was watching Vera with resignation. "It is her."

"No," Evelyn sighed. "It isn't. I know her and I were... it was complicated, but Hugo has always been my tie to humanity," she said and ran her hand through her hair. "Vera was different. She had too much to prove-"

"I know," Percy interrupted. "Hugo is your tie to humanity," he agreed. Evelyn crossed her arms over her chest. "But you were hers. Look."

"Look, I'm sorry I killed the harpy. Just let me stay?" Vera was asking. Evelyn stared.

"See?" Percy told her. "You need to focus on whatever it is that made her... I don't know. Nicer?" he shrugged. Not that he knew Vera very well. It was clearly a complicated relationship but based on what he had seen...

Everything shifted. For a second, Percy's heart dropped. They were too late.

Evelyn was still next to him, though. There were two of her now. One beside him and another shivering on the ground of a rocking boat.

"You look awful," Vera's voice said, and knelt next to her. "Here. Take some more centaur blood," she said. Evelyn shook her head. She was deathly pale - eyes sunken and a dark red dot in the middle of her arm. "Come on, you're getting worse," Vera told her and offered a small bottle.

"That's the last we have," Evelyn muttered and licked her lips. "And you need it if... if... if it ends up on you..." she said, voice a little faint.

"But it hasn't-"

"It will," Evelyn said and leaned against Vera's shoulder. "You have a better chance at surviving. Keep it for yourself. Just... please?" she murmured. Vera stiffened. "You promised before. I don't want to end up like the rest," she whispered. Percy turned to look at the current Evelyn. She was watching with wide eyes.

"I don't remember this," she whispered. Percy put a hand on her arm.

"I'm not killing you," Vera said. There was a tremor in her voice. "I only said I would if you couldn't be saved, and you can," she said firmly. Evelyn coughed and yanked at her hair. "Just... please. Maybe sail us back to-" she began but was cut off by a man popping up with a mop and bucket.

"Hello, madams," he began pompously. "I must ask you-"

Whatever else he was about to say was cut off by Evelyn suddenly launching herself at him. Percy jumped as Vera yelped in alarm. Evelyn's pole didn't hurt him - it looked as if the man was mortal - but that did little to deter her as she scratch at his eyes, screeching something in a language Percy didn't know. Vera yanked her off, throwing her to the ground.

"Evelyn, stop!"

"Get out of my way, you-" Evelyn began but faltered suddenly. "I... I... where...?" she began and fell forward. Vera caught her. Percy grimaced. What was this supposed to prove? If anything, Evelyn's devolving state would connect her less with the very thing that was supposed to anchor her. Maybe Percy should try and pull her out? It was hard to say. For a second, everything went still, and then suddenly, the memory was no longer in the day but at night. The floors of the ship were bloodstained - looking almost black under the starlight as Evelyn murmured to herself.

"Therimachus, Deicoon, Creontiades..." Evelyn murmured in a sing-songy voice as she walked around the deck. Percy involuntarily stepped back. Bodies were all sprawled out lifelessly. Vera seemed to still be alive with her sword out, holding onto her side as if injured. "Megara... Megara..." Evelyn muttered and collapsed onto the ground to start scribbling in her journal. "Megara...Megara...Megara..."

"Why won't she leave?" the Evelyn next to Percy asked. She looked like she was going to throw up. "She can fly. I don't understand."

Vera leaned heavily against the pole, running a hand over her face.

"Evelyn?" she asked weakly and held out her sword when Evelyn's eyes shot up. "The gods are coming for you. We... we need..." she started but braced herself when Evelyn stood up with a feral hiss. "Oh, come on," she groaned. "Evelyn, please. You can hear me, right?" she asked. Percy tilted his head. He remembered - long ago - having a dream about Evelyn and Vera fighting Hugo. There had been no attempt to reason from Vera then. He wondered why she thought she could with Evelyn.

"I can hear you," Evelyn said coolly and took a step towards Vera, weapon pointed out. Vera raised her sword uncertainly. Percy braced himself for a fight, but at that moment, the entire ship shook. Then they were no longer alone. A lightning bolt struck the water as figures appeared on deck. Vera gasped.

"No!" she shouted and spun around to hold up her sword. "Wait - wait!" she said and deflected something from the shadows. "I think I know what's wrong with her! It isn't her fault-" she began, but whatever else she was going to say was cut off by a wild round of chaos. People jumped and shoved and yelled. Percy could make out slight figures of the gods - trying to grab Evelyn as she rabidly managed to keep them all at bay while Vera tried to jump in and halt attacks. "Just listen to me!" Vera yelled, growing frustrated.

Evelyn let out a cry of pain.

"I-" Evelyn yelped as she fell to the floor. Moonlight shone over the boat just in time for Percy to see Hermes step away from her with a hint of regret. Vera dropped her sword.

"You hurt her."

"She's murdered everyone here but you!" Hermes objected as Vera shoved by them. "She'll live if we get her ambrosia," he reasoned. Vera grabbed Evelyn's arms, keeping her upright as the gods moved in a bit closer. It was hard to see who all was there in the dim lighting. Percy could have sworn he saw his father as he leaned down to pick up Evelyn's journal from the ground.

"It isn't her fault!" Vera hissed, turning to them. "You-" she began, and her voice cut off. Percy stared- trying to figure out what happened to her, when he noticed blood blossoming through the front of her shirt. Her chest heaved heavily a few times before she fell to her knees. From behind her, Evelyn blinked as her hands went lax around the pole.

"Vera...?" she murmured and fell forward slightly. "I... my..." she began and then choked. "Oh, my gods..."

"Father is going to be pissed," Ares' voice said wryly. "Apollo, is there anything we can do?"

From the shadows, Apollo stepped forward towards where Vera had fallen, hands clutched around her rapidly expanding wound. Evelyn made a choking sound as she tried to crawl in front of her. Ares poked his spear warningly at her until Poseidon cleared his throat.

"No. No, no, no..." Evelyn said as she put trembling hands over Vera's wound. "I... I don't... where...?" she whispered and looked around. "Where is everyone else?" she managed and then didn't wait for an answer. "Vera, I'm sorry. I'm sorry-"

"Shh," Vera groaned and rolled over. Her eyes flickered to where Apollo had knelt beside her. "Am I done?" she asked - way too calmly for someone who was dying. Apollo wordlessly nodded. "Oh... okay," she managed as she choked on something. Evelyn shook her head. "Hey..." she added to Evelyn and tapped her arm. "I think... you might go a little... cuckoo... again," she said with a small smile. Evelyn stared at her - looking torn between shocked and horrified. "So you have to listen."

"I- I- don't-"

"It's okay," Vera said and patted her arm. "I forgive you. It's fine."

"What?"

"It's okay," Vera repeated softly. Her eyes fluttered. "I... I forgive you," she murmured and squeezed her arm. "I'll see you soon, okay? Hugo and I... we'll wait."

"But-" Evelyn began, but the ship shuddered. When it went still again, Evelyn's eyes had glazed over. Whatever regret or empathy had re-entered her eyes was once again gone. When she looked back at the gods, her expression darkened. Then - without warning - everything went black.

Percy opened his eyes to find himself back on the shore. This time, Evelyn was beside him. He could see Hazel rushing towards them - eyes wide as she jumped over something and parted rocks to reach them faster. Evelyn coughed and rolled over. Percy got up. Personally, he felt great. Stronger. Faster. More... something. He couldn't articulate very well, but all of it was dampened by Evelyn, rolling over and staring at the darkness above them.

"...she forgave me," she whispered. Percy grimaced and held out a hand. Evelyn glanced at him. Then silently accepted it. Her eyes danced around the river, settling over the ghosts all lined up off in the distance. Percy placed a hand on her arm.

"You'll see them again," he said cautiously. "Isn't that why you're doing all of this?"

Evelyn didn't answer. She seemed too lost in thought.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Hazel shouted and stopped running to bend over and catch her breath. After a second, she stood back up. "No!" she yelled and pointed at Percy. "No, don't you ever do that again!" she called and stomped over. "Who does that?! Are you even alive?" she demanded and hit Percy's shoulder. "Yes! Good job!" she shouted and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Bad!" she added. Percy laughed.

"Sorry. Um, we're okay," he said with a look towards Evelyn. She turned to them, dusting herself off silently, and nodded. Percy almost felt a hint of regret. There was a slight glow around her - the same one that Percy probably had. He wondered how stupid he really was... helping her through this. Now she was free for Kronos to draw power from. Still... could he really have left her trap there forever for her soul to be burned away?

No. She had been right before. No matter where they stood in this war... they were all pawns for the immortals. The least they could do was stick together. No matter what the outcome.

Wordlessly, they all began the trek back up to where they had left Bianca, Nico, and Will. Thankfully, they were all still there... but joined by someone new.

"Hi," Rachel said, voice small and terrified. Percy's mouth dropped. "Bianca says if I step out of this circle that I'll die."

Percy turned to where Bianca was looking more and more frustrated with everyone there.

"I didn't mean it as a threat!" she groaned and threw up her hands. "You're a human! Humans don't just gallivant into the Underworld!"

"How did she gallivant into the Underworld?" Hazel asked and waved. "Hi! I'm Hazel, by the way!"

Percy cleared his throat because. Um, like, what?

"Oh," Rachel said and wrung her hands. "Your friend sent me? He said to enter his maze thingy and lead you through it?" she asked. Percy's mouth dropped. Daedalus. That snake. Percy made one mortal friend, and he stole her as his assistant. Ridiculous.

"Since she's still technically in the labyrinth, she's safe," Bianca chimed in. "But if she steps out of that tunnel, then she's stuck here," she said. Rachel took a step back. "So be careful."

"How can you even navigate the maze?" Percy asked. Rachel shrugged.

"There was a glowing light," she said simply. "I follow it, and it brings me places."

Oh, of course. How silly of him. Sighing, Percy stepped inside the labyrinth. It seemed just as good of a place to leave as any. Hazel and Evelyn both followed him, but Will and Bianca hesitated.

"I think I should stay," Bianca said quietly. Everyone turned to her. "Just until Nico is better-"

"You have an army to lead!" Nico objected loudly. "Look, I'm sorry. I'll drink more of the stupid centaur blood," he said, snatching the half-empty bottle from Will. Will yanked it right back with a scowl, slapping Nico's hand away.

"You can't have too much! It's poison, remember?" he asked and then paused. "Sorry," he added and patted Nico's hand.

"You enrage me," Nico told him flatly. Then shook his head. "I could... come with you?" he added, tilting his head at Bianca. "If you really think I'm safe to be around, that is," he added quietly. Percy's stomach churned - thinking to that memory of Evelyn in the river. He turned to find her also staring at Nico with an air of uncertainty.

"Yes," she said suddenly. Everyone turned to her. "Because Hercules will be dead soon, and you'll have nothing more to worry about." She jerked her head into the labyrinth. "Come on. Let's get you back to the land of the living," she told him, and Nico looked at Bianca. There was another beat of hesitation before she nodded.

"What about Calypso?" he asked. Percy couldn't see it, but he was pretty sure Bianca rolled her eyes. "Can she leave the Underworld and find us?"

"What is she even doing?" Bianca muttered. "She should already be with you," she said. Nico scowled at her. "Sorry. Yes. Yes, she can come to find us. I'll find her later if that makes you feel better," she sighed. Relief spread over Nico's face. What was Calypso doing, anyway? He didn't have time to ask since Nico stood up, wincing as he did so. Will came over to his side to help him.

"I don't need your help," Nico muttered as Will put his arm over his shoulders.

"Okay," Will agreed and continued helping him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Nico asked him suspiciously as he entered the labyrinth. Hazel and Bianca filed in so that the rocks covered the exit, leaving them in a pit of darkness. There was a subtle gleam of light, and everyone turned to Will. "...are you... what?" Nico asked, bewildered. "Are you glowing?"

"Apparently," Will sighed and looked around. "Oh, whatever. I can glow! Be grateful because it's dark in here," he groused and then turned to Nico. "I've always been nice to you."

"Not-uh."

"How dare you? I've been nothing but charming!"

"You've done nothing but sabotage me!"

"Sabot-? Have you ever had a friend before?" Will asked indignantly. Nico frowned a bit before shrugging. "...oh. You haven't," he said. "Great, looks like I'm the jerk," he sighed.

"Told you so," Nico muttered. Will glared back. The rest of the group wisely stayed silent as they continued on the path Rachel was leading them.

"Um..." she finally said after a couple minutes. "So... I know Percy and, uh, Hazel now," she added with a wave. "But who are the rest of you people? Or should I just call you Nightlight, Grumpy Kid, and Goddess Girl?"

Bianca laughed, letting her fingers run against the wall, completely at ease.

"I like Goddess Girl, but you can call me Bianca, too. Grumpy Kid is my brother. His name is Nico," she added and jerked her head at Will. "Nightlight is Will. He's our combat medic and Nico's... um, Arch Frenemy," she said. Nico stuck his tongue out at her. "Who are you exactly?" she asked, and for the rest of the way, Rachel and Bianca made idle chit-chat as Rachel explained that Daedalus had appeared to her one morning asking if she was Percy Jackson's clearsighted mortal friend. Upon hearing Percy's name, she said yes and was, thus, enlisted in helping out during the war.

"I am so sorry," Percy told her as they rounded another corner. "I didn't mean to get you involved in all of this-"

"Eh, I wasn't doing anything else," Rachel said. "Might as well do some good. That's what friends are for, right?" she asked.

Will nudged Nico. "Are you taking notes on this?"

"You should have left me in the Underworld," Nico groaned. Percy was about to tell them both to shut up when a door appeared to them. Rachel wasted no time pushing it open and looking out. She peered inside, yelped, and then closed it again. Everyone waited.

"Um," she said and wrung her hands together. "I'm not sure I led you to the right place," she admitted. Percy tilted his head. "But this is where the light is leading me..." she trailed off and then cracked the door open again. "Yeah, I don't know what this place is," she said. Percy looked at the others, who shrugged. Evelyn finally pushed her way forward and opened the door. Then shut it.

Everyone waited again.

"Um," Evelyn said and jutted her thumb at the door. "That is Olympus."

...horribly awkward. Percy turned to Rachel, who had impossibly wide eyes. Great.

Percy was about to suggest for maybe Bianca and Hazel to try shadow traveling them (Nico didn't look well enough to attempt) before a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Wait," he said and pushed past everyone. "Olympus? As in where the other gods are supposedly trapped in?" he asked. Everyone hesitated.

"Percy-" someone said, but Percy shoved himself through the door. A bright light blinded him for a moment as he found himself, indeed, in front of the throne room on Olympus. Percy's skin prickled. Zeus. Zeus was also here. Taking a deep breath, he ignored the calls for him and walked straight inside. The doors boomed open at his entrance. He half-expected them all to be in their thrones, but there was nobody. Typical.

Well, nobody except...

"They're at the titan camp."

Percy turned to find a girl tending to a fire behind him.

"The gods?" he asked. Warm eyes lifted to meet his - a soft orange that seemed to crackle like a gentle campfire.

"Yes," she said. "Zeus wished to launch a preemptive attack. He has been quite... paranoid, as of late. The others went with him," she said simply. Percy stared. This girl... he knew her. At least, he felt he should. She chuckled at his expression. "I am Hestia. We haven't met, officially," she told him and patted a space next to the fire. "Come. We should speak. It won't take long."

Percy wasn't sure he should trust that, but there was a promise in her voice that lulled him in.

"If they're launching an attack, then I should be there to protect-"

"You needn't worry," Hestia interrupted with a heavy sigh. "They will turn against him."

Percy paused.

"Um, they will?" he asked. Hestia grimaced and stoked the fire. It crackled merrily as she worked.

"They do not know of Castor Angevin's death," she said simply. Percy frowned. "I warned Zeus to be forthcoming, but..." she shook her head. "He decided it was best to keep them in the dark. Soon Dionysus will realize his son is dead and turn against his father. Aphrodite will learn he had originally intended to strike you down and do the same. They will all fall away soon after."

Percy didn't know how to respond. He had known Olympus was closed, of course. Known the gods were beyond reach, but... did Dionysus honestly not know Castor's fate? How could Zeus not tell him? Why would he let him know now?

Hestia smiled as if reading his mind. "He does not truly understand the ire they all have locked away from him," she said quietly and shook her head. "He wasn't always like this," she added quietly.

"Cruel and sadistic?"

"He was once a boy who wanted nothing more than to save his family," Hestia chuckled. "You and he were not so different. Hiding from those who would have you killed and trying to save those who you love," she said and placed a hand on his knee. "However, even while deep in Tartarus, our father won. Time changes things. Changes even the most divine and immortal. You cannot rewind it, but you can always hope to change again," she mused. Percy moved a little closer to the flames.

"I don't think there is a way to redeem him," Percy said.

Hestia didn't seem to put out by his response. "Maybe not - but that is not for us to concern ourselves with. That is a struggle that will only lie with him."

Percy mulled over that.

"How... did you know I'm in hiding too? Am I really so obvious?" he laughed.

Hestia smiled. "I do not know what you are hiding," she admitted. Percy tilted his head in surprise. "Only that you are. I can tell when there are those who are uncomfortable in what should be their home. You came close, but there was always... something holding you back," she said and stood up, raising her hands to dim the flames. "You should go. It is time for you to make your decision," she said and grabbed Percy's hand, patting it.

"What decision?"

"The Olympians are down below. I've told them you will be there soon. Hephaestus will help you when the time is right - given he has decided to aid your cause. Simply tell him when to drop the nets, and he will," she said. Percy stared at her. What was she talking about? Was she suggesting he go fight Zeus now?

Which, well, okay, yeah. He had walked in here intending to do just that, but... still. It was weird to think they were all down there potentially waiting for him to appear like some sort of cage match. Hestia led him out of the throne room, pulling his hand to where the labyrinth door was still open. The others were all waiting - stuck, Percy realized. None of them could move out of the door. He had been so concerned with finding Zeus he hadn't noticed they couldn't follow. They all paused when they saw Percy approach.

"Good luck, Perseus Jackson," Hestia said. "I hope you can keep the peace... even though there is no peace to be had in these times," she said and patted his arm. Percy turned - fully intending to thank her for the very cryptic conversation, but she had already gone. Unsure of what else to do, he dragged his feet to the door and walked through.

"What was that about?" Rachel asked, but her voice cut off as the labyrinth completely fell away. They were no longer in a dim corridor but instead in an open field. Near the titan camp, to be precise. He could see the abandoned towers in the distance and the ocean to his side.

Apparently, the demigods were aware of the attack because they gathered around - poised to strike. Nobody moved, though. Percy couldn't be sure who all was there. The titan demigods? The rebellion ones? Campers from Camp Half-Blood? Maybe all of them. He would find out later. Now wasn't the time with the Olympians are loudly arguing with one another.

"SILENCE!" Zeus shouted, and the crowd quieted. "We came here to rid ourselves of-"

"Is it true?" Dionysus interrupted hotly. His thyrsus appeared in his hand as he gestured to where Pollux was standing, looking absolutely baffled. "Has my son been killed at your hand?"

"Hardly surprising," Aphrodite noted. "He has killed his own children and those of Hades and Poseidon. Why not yours? What is upsetting is that he broke our pact to try and kill mine-"

"As if your children are the only who matters!"

"To me? Yes."

Ooh. Percy felt a pang at that. He had worried constantly about Aphrodite's reaction to his identity whenever it was inevitably revealed. This was... not reassuring. Zeus looked around. He seemed genuinely confused by the response. Percy might actually feel bad for him if the confusion wasn't morphing into anger as he glowered around. He looked to where Athena was watching silently - face an impasse.

"Perhaps we should join Artemis and Apollo, after all," Hermes interjected. "I thought them foolish, but if you are to go behind our backs, then maybe we are to draw the line."

"I am the king," Zeus hissed, and thunder crackled above. "I do not need to explain myself to anyone. Hera!" he snapped. Hera said nothing. She looked at him for a few minutes before interlacing her fingers together. Finally, she smiled.

"I have forgiven much of you, husband. Perhaps I have some forgiveness left in me still," she told him and then stepped back towards Pollux. "But I will not forget your attempt on Jason Grace's life."

Interesting. Even more interesting was that at the name, Hera's appearance flickered. Her eyes turned from brown to blue, and her hair grew longer as her clothes became less royal and more battle-ready. She may have even been in armor before she returned to how she originally looked. Percy stared. Jason Grace. Thalia's brother. How did he tie into any of this? Not that he had time for that now. He drew Riptide.

"AND I WON'T FORGET CASTOR'S DEATH!" he shouted. The gods whipped around. Zeus closed his eyes in annoyance. "I said I would defeat you for it, you know. I'm not sure if you heard."

A few of the gods raised their brows in collective surprise as others moved back. Evelyn grabbed Percy's arm, but he shrugged her off.

"Percy-"

"I'm going to do this," Percy snapped as his friends all tried to pull him back. They paused. "I need to do this. I said you could have Hercules, didn't I?" he added to Evelyn. She hesitated, eyes flicking to Zeus. Bianca was shaking her head. "This is my choice," he said firmly and turned back.

"You are challenging me to a duel?" Zeus asked, turning to face him. His master bolt appeared in his hand.

"Sure am!" Percy called and moved away from his friends. "Hope you don't mind getting your ass kicked by a teenager!" he shouted and took a few steps forward. The first bolt of lightning struck, and one of the buildings in the distance went up in flames.

"You are a foolish child," Zeus said. "Blinded by your arrogance in deciding what is right and wrong," he said. Percy scoffed.

"Are you sure it is me you're talking about, my lord?" he asked innocently. Zeus' skin crackled. "I may very well be arrogant, but so are you," he said. There were murmurs from the crowd, and Percy and Zeus began to circle one another. "And, in the past, you have had every reason to be... but not here. Look around. Nobody likes you," he said bluntly. Hermes snorted. Zeus' eyes narrowed.

"You will suffer greatly for your impudence."

"Maybe... but you're going to suffer my impudence first," Percy told him sagely and brought out his sword. If he was going to fight the King of the Gods, he was going to have to give some opinions. Might as well go all the way, right? "Your own children turned against you. It looks like even your own wife - and I am quite frankly very proud of her for that," he added as an afterthought. "We're not cool, but congrats!" he called to her.

A lightning strike hit beside him - regaining his attention.

"Speak your last words," Zeus advised. Oh. Well. Apparently, there was no more foreplay left. Unfortunate. Percy had lots more to say.

"You've killed so many people," he decided. "And I could tell you how horrible it is to lose someone you love, but... I'm not sure you know what love or loss is - so I won't waste my breath," he said and got in position. "Just fight."

"Perhaps you beat my son long ago, but I can assure you I pose a greater challenge," Zeus said as he readied his stance. "You are nothing but a demigod," he said. Percy raised Riptide.

"You have no idea what I am," he said and waited. Three... two... one...

Zeus lashed forward. His movements were quick - like wind zipping around him as Percy weaved and dodged quick lightning strikes charring the ground and metal shards raining from the sky. Percy deflected the metal bits with Riptide as he spun to try and get a good slice into Zeus. Each hit was easily countered or blocked before Percy went back to the defense. Worried whispers darted around them.

Percy swallowed, trying to focus on what he knew. The plates beneath his feet. The ocean to his side. He could feel the Earth as if it were an extension of himself. He thought back to Mount St. Helens and took a deep breath. Zeus lunged again. This time, Percy slammed into the ground, and the Earth trembled beneath him - shaking so violently that trees and buildings shuddered. There was a loud crack, and one of the buildings crumbled into a pile of dust while another one screeched as it leaned to the side. A crack formed between Percy and Zeus, dividing the ground. Percy got up and grabbed the shell Poseidon had given him. If there was a time to use a secret weapon... it would probably be now.

He really hoped it wasn't something stupid.

Running forward, he snapped the shell between his hands. He felt something smooth and long grow in his hand. Another burst of lightning came from the sky. Percy raised it up and - much to his surprise - deflected the hit. Zeus' eyes widened. Percy was a little surprised, too but didn't have much time to investigate. Instead, he let instinct kick in and flipped the weapon over, and drove it into the ground.

There was a sound almost like rain... a pattering as something vibrated beneath him before Percy realized it was the dirt beginning to sink down into the Earth from the previous crack - parting to make a larger divide between him and Zeus. Percy yanked the weapon back and braced himself for another attack.

He didn't have to wait long. Another burst of lightning came - only deflected by Percy raising his arm in the nick of time before redirecting the lightning in front of him. There was a burst of dust as the lightning hit the cavern. Rocks fell, and Percy could feel his body groan at handling such a raw amount of power. From above them, there was a swirl of black clouds coming down.

Oh. Oh, okay. There was now a tornado, apparently. It hit the ground, and the crack between them widened - water spilled in as Zeus seemed to swell in size. The tornado shook the ground, heading straight for Percy. He looked around before eyeing the water in the cavern below. Not knowing what else to do, Percy looked down into the water and brought his hands together. The water began to swirl, forming a violent whirlpool between them.

Zeus threw a bolt of lightning down, and the water burst - sending Percy falling back as he tried to reorient himself. Gathering the mist from the blast, he used the vapors to make more copies of himself around. Zeus roared so that the mist scattered, but Percy was already making his next illusion. The water formed next to him - making a vaguely humanoid shape. Percy took a deep breath.

"Usually, I can show people their desires," he said and slammed his weapon forward to deflect another bolt of lightning. "But what could you want, my lord?" he asked, and Zeus roared again as Percy dodged, jumping on some water that whisked him away. Percy jumped off and rolled between his legs. He swung the weapon, but Zeus spun around, wielding a bolt of lightning like a sword to deflect the hit. "You've always taken what you wanted. Your kingdom - your wife," he said and ducked to avoid a blow as he slammed down the shell weapon to the side - lightly grazing his calf. Zeus' form brightened. "All the lovers you wanted, your children, all of it-" he said, and the water reformed, this time making something that seemed to resemble a tall, slender man before Zeus burst that one into nothing as well.

"I don't think even you know what you want," Percy breathed out and jumped on several rocks to leap into the air, plunging the weapon down into Zeus' arm. He screeched, and when Percy brushed his skin, it burned to the touch. "But... maybe... I can show you... the opposite," he said, and Zeus swatted him to the ground so that he hit a rock with a sickening crack. If it hadn't been for Achilles' curse, his spine might have broken, but here he just got up (leaving a nice little crater behind). Percy clenched his fist, and finally, his powers came through, so the water finished forming the man beside Zeus.

And, really, it said something. It said something that Zeus paused. He knew it was water. He had seen Percy form it. And yet... he still paused.

Kronos' form finished, and Zeus' face hardened. He turned back to Percy, but it was too late. The distraction had given Percy the few seconds he needed. With a battle cry, he jumped on Blackjack, swooping down to swipe down across the back of his neck. Zeus stumbled - ichor flowing freely as Percy caused another tremor underneath them to further unsteady him as he jumped off towards Evelyn. He yanked her net from her hands and thrust it out, catching it just around Zeus' ankles, so he felt back into the whirlpool below. There was a horrifying sizzling sound - water bubbling as steam rose from Zeus' skin as he was sucked down. Percy turned to Hephaestus, remembering Hestia's words.

"NOW!"

The ropes dropped right as Percy raised his hands, so the water froze around Zeus. The rest happened in a blur. Shards of ice shot everywhere as Zeus yanked himself off, but the net had already fallen, trapping him in. A second net came. Then a third. A fourth. A fifth - pinning Zeus down in the pit of water as he screamed. Percy waved his hand, and water rose out of the cavern, forming twisted ribbons of water around him. He grabbed the end of his weapon and pointed it forward - sending them hurtling towards Zeus like a ribbon to seal him in place. Zeus' roars quieted.

Everything was quiet. It was then that Percy realized exactly what he was holding.

Percy stood on top of the rock with Poseidon's trident in hand. His body seemed to buzz with an energy he never felt before - a glow, a blessing, a something that he couldn't quite give a name to as he looked out over the ruins in front of him. Zeus was on the ground, roped in silver, gold, and bronze nets as Percy towered above on the broken piece of stone. Ichor and blood dripped off of him as he breathed heavily in an attempt to catch his breath. A thousand pairs of eyes were on him. Percy raised the trident, and the water around him slammed back down into the ocean.

"My name," he said and met Zeus' blazing eyes below. "Is Perseus Jackson... and I am the son of Poseidon."

He jumped down from the rock, still holding onto the trident. A few people stumbled back, but the Olympians all remained perfectly still. Percy's eyes fell to Zeus' master bolt, crackling dangerously on the ground. Shifting the trident slightly, he reached down and picked it up. More people backed away.

"And I don't think I am the only one in hiding," he said and walked up to the gods. He tried his best to keep himself focused and not look at Aphrodite. He wasn't ready for her reaction. Not yet. Ares was shaking slightly - almost like he might explode any minute. Percy ignored them all until he was face-to-face with Athena. He held out the bolt. "Rumor has it there's a prophecy about you. I'll fulfill mine if you fulfill yours."

Athena stared him down. For a second, he thought she might just disintegrate him.

"You would trust me with this?"

Percy smiled wryly. Then looked at Zeus behind him. It looked as if he was trying to change into his divine form, but the ropes prevented it.

"I'm not sure," he said. "Maybe not completely - and I'm not saying you're in charge forever! But... You are the goddess of battle strategy, and we have a battle on our hands. I think we can form an alliance. You know, as two wolves in sheep's clothing,"

Athena's lips twitched.

Then she took the bolt.