There are scenes in this chapter that are graphic- both in a sexual sense and a violent sense. You'll know both when you see them but be warned. There's a reason this story is rated M.
I told you, once, long ago, that this was the story of how I made my greatest, worst mistake. I told you, even back then, that I'd tell this story to you the way I relive it in my head- over and over and over again.
Now you've been with me for a while- two years or so. But, here's where it starts. Here's the day everything went wrong.
The mission had ended uneventfully enough, as you probably remember. I slid down the banks of Westover with Bianca and Nico nestled in my arms, as Khione slid down the hill on a slide of ice.
"I know you guys must be scared, confused, and weirded out, but you just need to trust me for a second," The frigid air of Maine stung my cheeks and nose as I scanned the icy waters, my eyes squinting against the brilliant moonlight reflecting off the waves. "Just one more second."
I let my instincts take over, and I seeped a little bit of power into the water in front of me, thinking: I need a means of transportation.
A massive raft of ice, easily twenty feet tall, rose out of the ocean like some kind of icy fortress. The surface was jagged and rough, pocked with deep crevices and sharp edges that glinted menacingly. The ice was a dazzling shade of blue, the color so vibrant it looked almost unnatural.
As it drifted closer, I could feel the cold radiating off the ice in waves, enveloping me in a chill that seemed to seep deep into my bones. I could see the delicate patterns etched into the surface of the ice, a network of lines and shapes that felt vaguely Greek.
As it docked against the shore, a small doorway melted through the ice.
"How…how did you do that?" Bianca gasped from behind me. Her floppy cap was dancing in the wind, "You made that thing appear out of nowhere."
"Trust me, it's better if we talk inside," I urged the two of them. My gaze flicked to Khione, who was watching me with the same fascination from before, "It's getting late, and you don't want to be out and about right now. Especially not considering what we have to talk about."
I approached the raft cautiously, pushing the ice with my foot before stepping on board. I mean, I was pretty sure it was safe, but I didn't want to have to explain to Hades why his kids died of hypothermia, so I figured I'd test it out first. It was surprisingly sturdy, and the coldness of the ice seeped through my shoes and into my feet, but it was worth it - the raft was the perfect solution to my predicament.
Now since we were traveling with a goddess, the likelihood of us getting mobbed by something was way higher. As long as we were inside the block of ice, we would be invincible.
My cousins and Khione followed me inside. They both looked scared to death, while Khione looked like she approved of the raft- and why wouldn't she?
The walls, floor, and even the seats were all made of solid ice, making it feel as though we had basically stepped into a giant, frozen block. The air was frigid and crisp, and the sound of our footsteps echoed loudly in the small space.
You know, I'll tell you, though, despite the chill, the inside of the boat was surprisingly cozy. The smooth surface of the ice walls was still carved into those intricate patterns from before, and it created a delicate lacework effect that sparkled in the dim light.
I carved the ice inside, raising stumps that had backrests, kind of like small seats. Even though the cushions were made of ice, they were surprisingly soft and comfortable. As we all sat, the icy block submerged.
With a tiny bit of effort on my part, it began to move, gliding silently across the water. The sound of the ice creaking and groaning was the only thing that broke the stillness of the moment, and the water around us was a deep, inky blue, with the ice walls of the boat reflecting the light in a thousand different ways.
"You have questions," I looked at Bianca and Nico as I snapped my fingers, spawning a fire in the middle of the raft, "But first, just hear me out. Now, there's definitely a better way to do this, like the camp orientation video, but screw it- the Greek gods are real."
"Like Mythomagic?" Nico asked excitedly, clutching his Poseidon figuring so hard his fingertips turned white.
"Uh, yeah, like Mythomagic. Not that it's all fun and games, though. Every aspect of the Greek world is real, including the monsters, and the prophecies and stuff. The main thing you need to know for now is that the Greek gods still go around having kids, too," I explained, pointing to the ice around us. "For example, I'm the son of Poseidon. That means I get all these fun water-controlling powers and stuff. Well, and a lot more, but yeah. I think that for starters, that's good."
"You said we're cousins," Bianca remembered suddenly. Her face was darkened by the shadow of a Greenland shark as it passed over the boat, "So does that mean you know who our dad is?"
"I sure do. He's the nicest guy ever. Let me tell you, a few summers back, he and I had a real doozy of a fight together," I said, smiling. My smile died down a bit as I added, "As for who he is…I think he wants to introduce himself, so I'm not going to give out any names just yet—"
"Good call, Perce," I yelped and almost fell out of my seat as Hades appeared behind me. The Game went all wonky, ripping apart the world in front of me and forcing my attention behind me, where my uncle first appeared as a mass of black ink, "Sorry for dropping by so unexpectedly, but you know what they say! Speak of the devil…"
As the Game's warning died down, I almost did a double-take at the man standing before me. He was so like and unlike the Hades I knew; it was kind of weird.
It was kind of like the Hades I knew grew up, bought a house, got married, and put his kids through college, or something.
His normally tousled brown hair was now salt-and-pepper, and perfectly styled. His eyes were still brown, and warm, but they were sparkling with a hint of wisdom. He had a strong, chiseled jawline and a vibe to him that was hard to ignore.
I could admit, it was probably a better look for meeting his kids. It made sense that with me, he'd rather portray the 'cool uncle' vibe, but there was something undeniable about this form of his, too- the way he carried himself was utterly captivating. He held himself with relaxed ease, as though he knew that the world was his oyster and he had nothing to prove. And yet, there was a kindness in his eyes that belied his effortless confidence.
Despite his looks, Hades still maintained that completely down-to-earth feeling he always had. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a simple button-down shirt, and he seemed just as comfortable in our iceberg boat as Khione and I were.
"Nico, Bianca," he said warmly, walking up next to me and clapping my shoulder. "It's so good to see you again."
"D-dad?" Nico whimpered, dropping his figurine on the floor and inching toward Hades, his feet shuffling against the ice.
"Hello, son," Hades dropped to a knee, so he was eye-level with Nico- something which I thought was kind of funny. How often is it you see the Lord of the Dead kneeling in an iceberg? Nico ran forward and Hades picked him up in a hug, ruffling his hair. He gestured at Bianca, "Come on, Bianca. No need to hang back."
As they all engaged in a three-way hug I slowly walked over to Khione, "Maybe we should give them some privacy."
I snapped my fingers, and a wall of ice erupted between them and us, closing us off.
"Your control over ice is impressive," Khione complimented, tilting her head at me, "Tell me, Perseus, where are we right now?"
"We're 44.3876 degrees due north, 68.2039 degrees west," I inclined my head at her as another stump of ice formed for me to sit on, "We're hurtling through the water at a pretty decent pace right now. We'll probably touch down at camp in an hour."
"You continue to impress," Khione's eyes glittered. "It's no wonder The General is wary of you."
"That's the second time today I've heard that name," I said, remembering the Manticore's proclamation. "Any chance you can tell me who it is?"
"I cannot," Khione replied. "Though I may want to, his true name and nature are locked behind the shackles of a sacrifice."
"A sacrifice?" I repeated, frowning. "I don't think I'm familiar with that term. Not in the way you seem to be implying, anyway."
"Mm. Not many mortals are. Sacrifices can be used to a proclaim a limitation or restriction that the sacrificer imposes on themselves in order to strengthen their abilities or gain a particular power. The restrictions themselves can vary widely in their nature and severity, and they are often tied to the user's personality, goals, and values."
"I still don't get it," I leaned forward so Khione and I were face to face. Khione's cheeks flushed. "So, what, you just kill something and burn it while chanting, like some old-timey Greek priest?"
"Well…I suppose the easiest way to explain it would be through an example. In our history, there have been several examples of not only gods but also mortals who have imposed conditions on themselves or others in order to gain power or achieve a specific goal. The easiest example is the story of Achilles, the hero of the Trojan War. When Achilles was born, his mother Thetis, a sea goddess, wanted to make him invincible. She dipped him into the river Styx, which was said to grant immortality and invincibility to those who bathed in it. However, because Thetis held him by the heel, that part of his body was not bathed in the water and remained vulnerable. You're aware of how that story ends, correctly?"
I nodded, giving her a thumbs down. "Splat."
"Splat," Khione agreed, "Another example is Orpheus. When his wife Eurydice died, Orpheus journeyed to the underworld to try and bring her back to life. Hades agreed to let Eurydice return to the world of the living, but only on the condition that Orpheus did not look back at her until they had reached the surface. Orpheus agreed to the condition, but as they neared the surface, he could not resist the urge to look back, and Eurydice was lost to him forever."
"I think I get what you're saying now. In both examples, Achilles and Orpheus imposed conditions on themselves or were subject to conditions imposed by other, stronger people in order to gain power or achieve a specific goal," I tapped my chin, "But this character…The General…you're saying he's locked himself behind a sacrifice? If your logic is to be followed, what did he gain?"
"Well, one thing you need to understand is that the power of your sacrifice correlates with what you get out of it. The General gave away his identity- his whole life basically for power," Khione explained, frowning. "A terrifying man, if the stories are to be believed."
"What's the point of giving away everything you are for power?" I wondered aloud. The more sinister, dark implication bounced around in my head, "And, if that's really how much he gave up, how strong did he get? And what's his goal?"
"I think you and I both know," Khione said quietly. "To destroy the gods."
I blew a raspberry, "Then, I need to stop him. As soon as possible, if what you're saying is true."
"Were you not listening to what I said?" Khione said, her nostrils flaring. "He's likely gained power strong enough to bring the gods to their knees. Do you truly think you can fight him?"
"Meh. Maybe not now," I agreed, "But eventually. Anyway—"
The ice wall melted, and Hades stepped through. "Ah! Nephew. I wanted to thank you again for a job well done."
I stood up to shake his hand, "Of course, uncle. It was my pleasure."
"Modest! He's always so modest. Khione, looking lovely as ever," Hades said with a hearty chuckle, smiling at Khione. "Now, Percy, may I ask what your plans are tomorrow?"
"Uh, training sesh in the morning, lunch with you, and then I'm heading into the city with some of the kids from camp for a dance," I listed off. "I'm not actually going to the dance, though."
"A dance! Can we go?" Bianca asked from behind Hades, her cheeks flushed from excitement. She pouted at Hades, "Can we, dad? Can we?"
I gaped at the girl. Khione and I were alone for, like, two minutes and she was already this comfortable with her dad? It took me a few months before I warmed up to my dad and a year before I was fully comfortable with him!
"I don't see why not, my dear. If Percy allows it," Hades gave me a pointed look.
I couldn't tell you the last time I was this confused, "I, uh, sure. It's just, um, Jason, Piper, and Thalia are going, so there's a solid chance a monster shows up—"
"No monsters!" Hades declared. He made a sweeping gesture with his arm, "It's the least I can do! I'm in a good mood, even if two of my least favorite brother's kids will be there."
"Okay," I spluttered. "That's fine, then. We can definitely get them in."
"Awesome!" Nico pumped his fist. "A dance with a bunch of demigods! This is so cool!"
"Are we still on for lunch?" I asked Hades, who grinned and nodded. "Uh, okay."
"Great! Your card from before should still work! I'll, unfortunately, have to take my leave," Hades said with a flourish. "See you later, children!"
"Alright, what the heck happened on the boat last night?" I instantly asked Hades as I met him in his study for lunch the next day. "That was the weirdest turnaround I've ever seen, uncle."
"I know, I know," Hades said placatingly, sliding a pizza box across the table. A sixer of Dr. Pepper rested at the foot of my chair as I sat down, "It's just, well, this isn't my first time meeting them. I helped raise them."
"How are they still young?" I asked. "If they were born around WW2, shouldn't they be like, way older?"
"Unimportant," Hades waved off my concern. He took a bite out of his slice of pizza, "It was just a matter of removing a block I put on some of their memories, is all."
"Okay, well, debrief is pretty simple: I left camp around 8, and got to Westover around 9. I'd studied the schematics of Westover Hall, so finding the gym was a piece of cake. I gave them the codeword, and we made a beeline for the water when we were accosted by Khione and a monster- the Manticore. I convinced Khione to switch sides and dealt with the Manticore. The rest, well, you were there for."
You have completed the quest: {Dancing with the Devil}
|| Your uncles Hades has specifically requested your help in retrieving his children, who were unjustly targeted by Zeus during the introduction of the Great Prophecy. Now, feeling assuaged by the appearance of not one but three other children of the Big Three, he wants to reintroduce his children to the world- but safely. It's up to you to decide whether it's fair or not. ||
{Rewards:}
- 200,000 EXP!*
- Stygian Iron infusion for [Riptide]!
- Stygian Iron Infusion for [Ilvis]!
- Access to [the Underworld]!
- Maxed out reputation with [Hades]!
- You've unlocked the [Sacrifice Tree]!
*Note that the [EXP] provided for this quest will be doubled upon completion, as per your title of the [Divine Consultant].
The Game buzzed with notifications.
[PERSEUS JACKSON]
[SON OF POSEIDON]
[HESTIA'S FAVORED]
[ECHIDNA'S BANE]
[GODSLAYER]
[HERA'S BLESSING]
[DIVINE CONSULTANT]
[SPARK OF DIVINITY][OC]
[LVL]: 88 (75,600/110,000)
[HP]: 150,000/150,000 (BOOSTED)
[SP]: 125,000/125,000
[MP]: 230,000/230,000 (BOOSTED)
[FEALTY]: Camp Half-Blood
[STR]: 212 (+5)
[VIT]: 47
[DEX]: 236 (+5)
[INT]: 106
[CHA]: 89 (+5)
[WIS]: 48
[LUC]: 42
[SP]: 20
[PP]: 42
[$]: 37,000USD, 670D
|| Son of the legendary God of the Seas and Sally Jackson, Percy is the current [Child of Prophecy]. Despite his murky past, Percy is ready to take on his future with determination. ||
|| The title [SON OF POSEIDON] permanently grants 1000 [MP] and boosts the rate of mana regeneration. ||
|| The title [HESTIA'S FAVORED] permanently regenerates your health by 30% and increases by a factor of 5% for every 1000 [HP] below half! ||
|| The title [ECHIDNA'S BANE] allows the user to be immune to all poison! ||
|| The title [GODSLAYER] grants the user double EXP when involved in a fight with a deity! This effect scales, doubling for every immortal opponent and tripling for every Olympian! ||
|| The title [HERA'S BLESSING] allows its user to trespass on sacred grounds and feel ambient divine energy! ||
|| The title [DIVINE CONSULTANT] doubles the [EXP] gained by doing a quest given to you by any deity! ||
|| The title [SPARK OF DIVINITY][OC] grants the user echoes of Oceanus' power. This includes enhanced physical gifts, the tongue of the old times, and much more. ||
"I knew I chose the right guy for the job," Hades complimented me with a shake of his head, "Thanks again, Percy. Everything from the planning to the execution was super professional. I almost can't believe you're the same kid who was shitting himself in that meeting two years ago."
"I learned and grew," I said sagely. "All there is to it! Say, for my payment…"
"Oh, right. What did you want, again?"
"Could you bless my blades?" I asked, my mind flashing back to the wicked-looking knives Monaxia had shown me. I pulled out Riptide and Ilvis, "I think it could be kind of cool."
"It might ruffle some feathers up in Olympus, but I don't see why not. You've done more for me than any other demigod, so they can shove it," Hades clapped his hands together. He slowly pulled apart his fingertips, and a black, gooey substance oozed out of the gap, settling on the table. Watching it writhe around made me lose my appetite a little, "Pass them here."
I handed the coin and pen to Hades, who snapped his fingers. A plate of gold appeared, with five sticks of burning incense. He waved his hand, and the smoke billowed around the room, thickening the air with the scent of brimstone and cardamon.
As soon as the last ray of sunlight vanished behind the smoke from the incense, the room became gradually darker, and a cold breeze flowed through the open window. The once casual atmosphere quickly turned eerie, and the can of soda in my hand quickly began to frost over. The soft glow of the lamp on the table flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
As the seconds passed, the smoke thickened. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and a chill ran down my spine. I could feel an ominous presence in the room, kind of like something or someone was watching me.
The mist began to take shape, coalescing into a twisted form. A dark figure emerged from the shadows behind Hades, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
"Blades of mortal hands, I bless you with the strength of the underworld. May the Stygian iron that runs through you be as unbreakable as the chains of Tartarus. May your edges be sharp enough to cleave through any obstacle, and your weight be light enough to make your wielder swift as a wraith," Even though he was chanting in English, it was clear that Hades was speaking some sort of ancient words of power.
Every time a word left his mouth, the low light of the room got even lower, and the temperature of the room dropped lower and lower. Black mana- the same mana I'd seen on the beach when he'd demolished Ares- seeped up from the ink on his desk.
It was like he was calling upon the infernal energy of the underworld- infusing my weapons with the essence of death itself.
He dipped the items into the ink. The metal hissed and sizzled. Black fire erupted from the table, burning brighter and hotter than any fire I'd ever seen before.
From my spot across the table, even though I couldn't see my swords anymore, I could feel the power beginning to course through them; they were humming with dark energy. Hades' voice deepened, and his eyes turned black, "Let the touch of your blades bring fear to those who oppose you, and let your strikes be true and deadly. I bless you with the power of the dead, and the fury of the damned. Rise now, blades of Stygian iron, and serve your master well."
Ilvis and Riptide rose back out of the ink, bubbling as if they'd been dipped into a vat of molten lava. With a reverential nod, Hades leaned forward and placed his hand upon the blades, chanting again. The blades turned black as midnight and seemed to pulse with a life of their own.
"Here ya go," Hades winked at me as the presence retreated, and the room returned to normal. "Freshly blessed- those little puppies are dialed up to 11 now. You know, Celestial Bronze- as well as Imperial Gold, like your little coin there- weapons destroy a monster's physical form and their essence returns to Tartarus, but Stygian Iron? It absorbs the essence of the monsters you kill. You, for all intents and purposes, destroy it."
"Whoa," I muttered as I rolled Riptide over in my hands. It crackled with ice as my fingers made contact with it, "So…I can prevent a monster from reforming with these?"
"Mm. Every monster you kill is killed for good," Hades sighed, leaning back into his chair, "And every human, god, whatever else. Trust me, if anyone else asked me for these, I would've sent them straight to Tartarus, but you? I don't think any other member of my family has ever willingly helped me this much. Even then, this is all you're getting. Any more weapons like that, and I'll get a council summons. This is already kind of toeing the line, but like I said, they can shove it over a sword or two."
"Thanks, uncle, it means a lot," I said honestly. "I don't even know what to say."
"Don't mention it," Hades replied in a relaxed tone, giving me a wink. "Oh, by the way, did you see that they announced a Budokai 4? I'm thinking when it comes out, you come down to the Underworld…"
In two hours, my world would be horribly, irrevocably reversed. The entire future, my future, everyone's future would be sent careening off course, twisting into something horrible and malicious.
But, we'll get there. In two hours, that is.
At that moment, I was just a guy who'd been called into the Zeus cabin- well, not called. Thalia had blindfolded me and all but kidnapped me from the Poseidon cabin the second I got back from lunch with Hades.
I'd been wearing the blindfold so long, it had begun to itch. The dark, vague shape moving in front of me was all I could discern. "Can I look now?"
"Not yet, Seaweed Brain," Thalia said in an annoyed tone of voice. I was sitting on her bed in the Zeus cabin, presumably waiting for her to get ready for the Fall Ball. "You can't rush perfection."
"Yeah, right," I grumbled under my breath, "Been here for an hour, but apparently—"
"Okay, done!" Thalia said abruptly, ripping the blindfold off in one fluid motion. I was assaulted by light, and raised a hand to cover my eyes when she grabbed my hand and put it down, "What do you think?"
"I think you need to turn down the lights in here," I grumbled, black spots dancing in my vision as my eyes adjusted to her cabin. "You frog-marched me from my cabin, blindfolded, and you have the nerve…"
The complaint died on my tongue as my eyes were immediately drawn to the stunning figure standing in front of me. Thalia was wearing a tight black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating her every move.
The room seemed to fade away as I looked her up and down, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel her gaze on me as she nervously tried to make conversation, but I couldn't even comprehend a word, my eyes never leaving her alluring figure.
The way the dress clung to her body seemed to hypnotize me, making it difficult to focus on anything else. I swear, the next time I fight a monster, all they need to do is get a picture of Thalia wearing this dress and paste it on a shield, and I'll be helpless.
"Percy?" As she moved forward, the soft fabric of the dress swayed with her every step, the tightness of it showing off the ripple of her abs, and the muscles on her back. The way it hugged her hips and butt made my head spin, my mind filling with desire. "Are you okay?"
"I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," I couldn't help but feel drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. I gently got off her bed. Her face broke out into a smile- I almost didn't even notice that she'd applied lipstick.
"Coming from a guy who dated Aphrodite, I'll definitely take that," Thalia giggled, closing the distance between us, and placing a hand on my chest. Her fingers played with one of the buttons on my shirt, "So, you like what you see?"
"I do," My hands felt like fire as I placed them on her waist. My fingers dug into the fabric of her dress as I pulled her closer, "I think you're going to break the necks of everyone there."
"The plan was to only break one neck," Thalia whispered, looking up at me, her eyes sparkling. Her hot breath tickled the side of my neck, "And it worked. At least, I think it worked. Do you have any comment on that?"
"I think I have one," I said, tightening my grip on her waist and pulling her into a kiss. Her lips were hot and tingly, like a current of electricity was running through them. She moaned into my mouth as I grabbed her even harder.
I pulled out of the kiss a few moments later, resting my forehead on hers and grabbing her face in my hands.
"How's that for—" She smashed her lips back on mine, pushing me back on her bed as her hands went into my hair. Her tongue ran across my lips. I opened my mouth, and it dove inside, running over my teeth. Her tongue felt hot and wet, and it left the vague taste of blueberries dancing across my mouth.
I rose back up, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her on top of me. Thalia's hands grabbed my hair tightly, and she bit my lip, kissing me hungrily. When we broke for air, she peppered my face with kisses and said, "Happy birthday."
"Few months late, but I'll take it," I quickly got my sentence out before her lips found mine again. Her hand wrapped around my left hand, and she pinned it to the bed, interlacing her fingers in mine.
She squealed into my mouth as my right hand grabbed her butt. She pulled away, breathily, and whispered, "Oh, someone's feeling forward."
"Don't pretend you're not dry-humping me right now," I shot back, grabbing her and flipping her back on the bed. Her eyes were lidded with pleasure. The room was quiet besides our heavy breaths, "Damn, Thalia."
She lunged forward and began heatedly kissing me again, leading my hand back to her butt. Thalia was kissing me in a way I'd never been kissed before. Her kisses were heavy and hungry. She was kissing me like I was a drug- her hands were digging into my body and her legs were wrapping around my thigh. She kept moving her hips, grinding against me.
"Hey, Thals," The door opened. "You ready for the— OH MY GOD!"
Thalia and I quickly broke away from each other as Piper's shrill scream pierced through the air. I hurriedly fixed my hair and looked toward the doorway, where she was standing, her mouth agape. "Piper! Um, this really, uh, isn't what it looks like—"
"It looks like you and Thalia are attacking each other, that's what it looks like!"
"Um," I spared Thalia, who was still panting on her bed, a glance, and I had to ignore the rush of adrenaline and want that flared through my body. It was so powerful, I almost didn't care that Piper was there, or that we'd been caught. I just wanted to feel her lips on mine again, but I forced myself to look back at Piper, who was staring at the both of us expectantly. "Yeah, you're pretty spot on about that."
"I can't look at either of you right now," Piper said, looking at the floor with an embarrassed expression. She shook her head, "You're late for pictures! Just…take a second to get modest and meet us in front of the Big House. God…"
"Piper— okay, wow, she's s already gone," I'd never seen her run away so fast. I looked back at Thalia, offering her my hand. "Alright, Thals. Let's go take some pictures."
"One more," Thalia planted a sweet kiss on my lips. When she pulled away, I could see the neediness in her eyes. "Damn. We need to pick this back up tonight."
"You're not going to hear me complain about it," I agreed, wiping some lipstick off my lips as I gave her one more appreciative up-down. "Now come on. I don't want to be the one to explain why we were so late."
In my defense, we weren't that late to the Big House.
The front lawn of it had been transformed into a makeshift photo studio, with a plain white backdrop set up against the porch. There was a camera set on a tripod, and Jason and Malcolm were already there, taking turns posing in front of it.
Bianca and Nico were there, too, dressed up and ready to go. Behind the tripod, Chiron was in his wheel-chair form, excitedly clicking pictures. He kept gesturing for Malcolm and Jason to switch poses, and they cycled through everything from a cowboy pose to a prom pose.
"I still don't know why you guys wanted me here," I admitted to Silena and Piper as we walked up to them. "I'm not even going to the dance!"
"Neither is Malcolm, and neither am I," Silena pointed out. She gestured downward, showing off her dress. "It's an excuse to get dressed up and take some pictures, wonder boy. It's a good way to remember this night. Plus, with all the negative stuff floating around, it's nice to just take in the good stuff for once."
I wouldn't admit it out loud, but that actually kind of made sense to me.
Looking around, I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride.
Piper had been a raw, angry demigod, mad at both her godly and ungodly parents. She hated camp, me, and everything else in her life. Heck, when I'd first met her, she could barely hold a Minotaur's horn, and now, she could probably duel most people at camp to a standstill. She'd mellowed out, and carved herself a niche. She made friends, mentored younger demigods, and loved everything about camp.
Jason was, quite literally, Prometheus' wing. A deadly combo of training and latent power- we'd nearly blow up the Hudson river when we fought. Prometheus had scrubbed him clean of emotion, deprived him of anything that wasn't battle-related. Then, he began coming to school with me and hanging out at home. And now, well, he was like a second son to my mom, my brother in all but blood, and he was going to a high school dance, with a date.
"Fine," I relented a few moments later, a bright smile settling on my face, "I get it. What are we standing around for, then? Let's take some pictures!"
Despite the fact that I hated taking pictures, I didn't mind it that night. I didn't complain once as Piper and Silena dragged me through all kinds of poses, or when Thalia wanted to take one with just us.
Though, looking back, if there was some way I could throw myself back in time, there's no way in hell I'd let myself be in those pictures. There's no way I'd even let myself be around everybody. I was about an hour away from making the most important decision of my life.
No, I'd go to my cabin. I'd swing by and see my old table. I'd spend a few more minutes teasing Malcolm, and I'd make the extra stop at Annabeth's internship to say hi to her. I'd take in the sight of camp one last time- if only I'd known how long it was going to be before I got to come back.
Instead, I took in the moment. I laughed and joked with my friends. I put Malcolm on my shoulders and even took a picture with Chiron. Just as the moon began to break out in the night sky, and Argus gestured that it was time to go, for the first time, I felt a flash of unease.
Unfortunately, it was gone way too fast. Way. Too. Fast. Because, by the end of it, I was only thirty minutes away.
Fifteen minutes away, and I was walking along 302 and 5th, looking for the telltale pink-and-orange storefront. It was pretty easy to find, and I noticed, funnily enough, that the door handles were shaped like Ds.
The sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries and rich, bold coffee enveloped me as I walked into the Dunkin' Donuts where Luke wanted me to meet him. The sound of chatter and the hum of machines filled my ears.
"Perce!" Luke called from one of the tables, with two steaming cups of coffee. He was wearing a maroon crewneck and a pair of faded jeans- he looked like a college student dropping in for a quick snack, not a demigod warrior capable of destroying two city blocks. "Over here!"
I walked over to his table as the sound of the espresso machine hissing, and the clatter of cups being stacked filled the air. As I settled into my seat, I could hear the baristas calling out orders in a singsong voice. "What's up, Luke? That was quick. I thought you'd need some time to figure out what Grandpa had planned."
"I did- and, well, I do," Luke admitted, waving his hand. A small, translucent barrier appeared around us. As I looked at it, confused, he said, "Privacy ward. No one can hear what we're talking about, and any sort of spyware, like invisible IMs will be disabled."
"You need to teach me how to do that," I muttered, leaning back in my chair and taking Luke's offered coffee. I turned my attention to the walls, which were painted in the same ridiculous shade of orange and pink, adorned with pictures of smiling customers and playful illustrations of donuts and coffee cups. The long, polished counter stretched out close to us, showcasing an array of colorful donuts, bagels, and muffins. "So, what's up?"
"This dude named The General," Luke said, sighing and interlacing his fingers, "I've been in and out of meetings with him. There's, apparently, a plot to overthrow the gods involving some mythical creature. I'm not sure about all the details, but pretty soon, they're going to make a push to reinstate the Titans base out west."
"In the Garden of Hesperides," I guessed, tapping my fingers on the table, "Bad news."
"Yep. Definitely bad news," Luke agreed, his shoulders sagging. "There's no intel on this guy, either. He's always in the shadows, so I can't see his face, and his voice is through one of those modulators on calls. I literally have no idea who it could be, but he seems confident in his abilities. Not only that, but he's bringing a weird amount of structure to the army- he's diverting a lot of resources into studying you."
"Me?"
"You," Luke said seriously. "You're a huge thorn in their plans, and his plan right now involves getting you out west and fighting you himself, though they're still working out the specifics."
"I'll be ready," I waved off Luke's concern. "What about the influx of demigods? Did you figure out why Grandpa's so focused on that?"
"I have…an idea," Luke's face darkened. His jaw tightened as he cast his gaze downward. "Do you know the story of how he imprisoned the gods?"
"Yeah. He had this prophecy in mind, right? Something about how one of his kids was going to be his downfall. He didn't trust his kids or his wife, so he started eating them, one by one. But then his wife, Rhea, I think, hid baby Zeus, and gave Grandpa a rock to eat instead. And later when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad into barfing them out."
"That's right," Luke nodded, running a hand through his hair, "After they came out, the gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. The part of the story people don't focus on, however, is the fact that they were only okay because they were gods. If they were human, they would've been digested."
"Okay, and…" I trailed off, and Luke took a moment to compose himself.
"What you need to understand is that although the Titans were often depicted as fearsome and monstrous beings, never, ever were they described as consuming the flesh of their own kind or of humans," Luke explained, pulling a book out of his backpack and sliding it across the table.
Its leather cover was cracked and worn, and its pages were yellowed and brittle with age. As I opened the book, the smell of old parchment and ink filled my nose. I began leafing through- the first few pages were filled with intricate illustrations of the Titans, depicting them as towering giants with fierce expressions and massive bodies.
Luke spoke up from across the table, "If you look through that book, though, you'll see that they were associated with natural phenomena such as the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, and the sea. The only time a Titan did anything like what our Grandpa did was, well, when he ate the gods. Doesn't that make you wonder? Why would he do that so randomly?"
"You think he needed more of a reason?" I questioned, rubbing my neck as I kept flipping through the pages. "Wasn't getting the message about, I don't know, overthrowing him enough?"
"But then, why eat them? Why not kill them outright, like so many Titans did to each other? It just doesn't add up. Or it didn't, anyway, until I asked Grandpa himself," Luke's stony expression turned queasy, "He ate them for power. When you're a Titan- or, rather, when you're a Titan like him, you can absorb lifeforms. Do you get where I'm going?"
"No," I said immediately. The prospect forming in my head was too gross, too horrible for me to even want to consider. "You don't think…"
"I don't know," Luke said cautiously, though it was clear to us both that he was giving the idea a lot of merit. "I have to look into it more. The General has given me access to his personal library to help plan, and he's got all kinds of books like this. There has to be something else going on. And, if there isn't, there has to be something we can do about this."
Now, if you've been paying attention, you know that fifteen minutes, more or less, have passed since I walked in and started talking. You're right, of course. Right around this point, people started shuffling and moving frantically, but at that moment, Luke's privacy ward stopped all noise from going in and out.
I should've stood up, though. Our conversation was over. There was nothing else left to say. Or, well, there shouldn't have been, but his last few sentences had gotten me thinking. The book he'd shown me was in-depth and full of ancient knowledge. I highly doubted that a book like that existed anywhere else.
Maybe The General's library had other books like that too. Books that could help me out, too. I bit my lip and asked, "Can you look something up for me?"
"I don't see why not," Luke said, taking the book back and stuffing it back in his backpack. "What do you need?"
"Well, not me, specifically," I said, exhaling through my nose. "Malcolm, one of the Athena kids. He's got this gift—" I spat the word gift, "of foresight, but I'm afraid that as he gets older, it'll start to get worse."
"And he'll eventually go insane and start raving about the future, and fate, and stuff," Luke said, a pained expression forming on his face. I opened my mouth to say something, but Luke raised his hand, "I get it. I'll look into it, and see what I can find. I can't make any promises, though."
"Sorry," I automatically said when he was done, "I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."
"No, you're fine," Luke sighed. "And, to be honest, I get it. If I thought there was anything I could do to help my mom, I would've. I might have to be sneaky about it, but I promise you that I'll at least try to find something that can help. In the meantime, I need you to make sure you're in tip-top shape. I have no idea what The General is planning, but I highly doubt he'd be this confident about fighting you if he didn't really think he could put you six feet under. So, you work on that, and I'll work on this. Sound good?"
"Yep. Thanks, Luke," I said genuinely. I'd been a bit iffy on trusting him, but so far, our partnership had been fruitful. He gave me a small smile and fist bump as we stood up. "Want to meet next week? Or whenever you get more info?"
"Next week is fine," Luke said, waving his hand and dissolving the privacy ward. He began saying, "I'll let you…what the fuck?"
I followed his line of vision to one of the mounted television screens, which was showing Midtown High, with a gigantic column of smoke billowing out of the roof, "We're here, still updating live from right outside Midtown High, where a gas leak seems to have derailed a school dance! It's been five minutes, and there's still no sign of students running out…"
The screen went fuzzy, and a dark shape seemed to emerge out of the smoke. The last thing the news forecast captured was a plume of fire erupting, and I stood up abruptly. "I need to go."
Luke matched my serious expression with one of his own, "Go. We'll talk later."
I focused on Midtown High, hoping my locker was still there. I'd placed a stash of [Death Drop] marked arrows there in case I was ever mobbed by some monsters at school.
The world twisted to black around me, and I was instantly transported to the inside of my old locker, fresh with pictures of me and MJ, and filled to the brim with notes and binders from when I was still an active student here.
I blasted the locker door open with a kick and stepped out into the hallway.
I was immediately hit by a thick cloud of acrid smoke that filled my lungs and stung my eyes. The air was hot and heavy. It was difficult to breathe, and I could feel the sweat beginning to bead on my forehead as my body tried to cool down.
What the fuck?
I jogged through the hallway, speeding down the hall to the cafeteria, where I knew the dance would be when a sob suddenly caught my attention: "Help! Please, god, somebody help!"
"I'm coming!" I hollered, diving through more of the smoke and almost running headfirst into a collapsed part of the ceiling, where the sob had come from.
"Liz?" I felt like my whole body had been dunked in ice. I dropped under the scaffolding as fast as I could, grunting as I lifted it up so she could slide out from underneath. "Move, Liz! You need to slide out!"
The smoke billowed again, blasting out in swathes from the cafeteria. "Damn it, Liz, you need to move!"
I stooped closer, transferring the collapsed part of the building to my back and trying to nudge her away when I was met with the sight of her glassy eyes staring back at me. I almost dropped the scaffolding in surprise.
"LIZ!" I screamed, grabbing her and rolling out of the way as the scaffolding came crashing down. I looked down at her, grabbing her face and shaking her shoulders. "This isn't funny. I know you're mad I didn't come back, but this isn't the way to do it."
"This is too far," She didn't reply. I felt warm liquid seep onto my hands. My voice broke, "You didn't have to make a point like this. I would've replied to a text, too, you know."
I tried not to stare directly into her eyes. "Please…"
After some time, I lowered her body to the ground, trying to ignore the tears streaming down my face as I stood back up.
Anger built inside of me, shuddering breaths beginning to leave my body as it started shaking with a weird but potent mix of anger and sadness. My vision blurred and my heart started pounding hard and fast in my chest, hammering as if it was trying to break free from the cage of my ribs.
A feeling of pressure that had slowly been building in my chest made it feel like my heart might explode. Anger churned and roiled inside of me like a raging tempest, consuming my thoughts and drowning out any other emotions.
I began running toward the cafeteria again.
I felt like I was on fire, my skin hot and flushed as my body tried to cope with this intense feeling of rage. [Gamer's Mind] felt useless.
My muscles tensed and my jaw clenched, as I got closer to the cafeteria.
My mind raced as I tried to figure out what happened. Hades had told me no monsters would be here, so it couldn't be that. Was it a Titan? Did a gas leak truly occur in the middle of the school dance?
No gas leak could've done this.
I want to lash out, to scream and yell and break something, anything, to release the pressure that was building inside of me, but I kept my cool as I reached the cafeteria.
I shoved it open and fell to my knees. There was a singed ring of ash in the middle of the cafeteria, with a gigantic hole in the ceiling. All around the middle, though, there were bodies on top of bodies, some charred, others crushed half to death.
And the one closest to the door?
"This can't be happening," I whispered to myself, staring at MJ's distinctive red hair.
You know, sometimes in the movies, when the good guy loses the person he cares about, there's this really sweet and tender moment where they get to say bye, and the person dies a nice, painless, clean death.
MJ did not die a death like that. Her body had been crushed in half, and her arms and legs were spotted with third-degree burns. If it hadn't been for her hair, I wouldn't have even known it was her.
I gritted my teeth as hot tears began rolling down my face again. Through my blurred vision, I shot up through the hole in the ceiling and looked toward the parking lot, where Piper and Jason were fighting what had to be the monster that did this.
I turned my attention to the writhing shape and saw a schoolbus-sized thing moving through the shadows of the parking lot. It was hissing, its front half writhing in all different directions. I couldn't understand what I was seeing at first. Then I realized the thing had multiple necks—at least seven, each topped with a hissing reptilian head. Its skin was leathery and each head was diamond-shaped, like a rattlesnake's, but the mouths were lined with jagged rows of sharklike teeth.
"NO!" I screamed, jumping off the rooftop and slamming down into the parking lot with enough force to completely shatter the pavement underneath me. "YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!"
I balled up my fist and slammed the pavement with it. [Seismic Wave] flared to life on the top right of my screen, and Jason and Piper were sent stumbling backward.
Piper saw me first. "Percy! Thank god!"
I blurred in front of the Hyrda, not even caring anymore. The creature's scaly skin glistened in the moonlight, and its eyes glowed with an otherworldly fire. Its heads all turned to me, opening up slowly with balls of fire.
Medusa's eye flared with power, and my tears dried up, being replaced instead by cold, hard, conviction.
The Hydra began to turn to stone, its scales hardening and its features becoming increasingly rigid. The hissing and spitting stopped, and the creature's many heads fell silent. The transformation was slow but inexorable, as the stone crept up the Hydra's body, encasing it in an unyielding shell. I let out a primal scream and slammed my fist into the base of the stone statue, crumbling it instantly.
Piper lunged forward, wrapping her arms around my neck and sobbing into my chest, "Percy, it's so horrible—"
"I know," I cut her off as more angry tears formed in my eyes. I comfortingly patted her head for a minute as my fingers fumbled around in my pocket, looking for the card Hades gave me. "Where are Thalia, Nico, and Bianca?"
"She's getting them out of here," Piper sniffed. "She didn't want them to see...well..."
"This was a fucking lie. Hades told me there would be no monsters, he assured me it was safe. And a fucking HYRDA of all THINGS SHOWS UP!" I whispered angrily to her, "This is completely on him, okay? It's going to be fine. I'll explain that he messed up, and he's going to let everyone come back."
I felt like I was beginning to lose control, like a wild animal that had been backed into a corner. The rational part of my brain tried to remind me that this level of anger was dangerous, that it could lead to consequences that I'd end up regretting, but the anger flowing through me drowned out that voice.
I went to twirl the card when my vision lit up pink.
"Amy!" Jason called, the relief palpable in his voice as he turned to the source. "Oh, thank Zeus you're okay! I know this all looks so weird, but I promise…"
"No," I said quietly, though it must've been louder than I thought, since everyone turned to look at me, including Jason, whose eyebrows were knitted together. I stared at Amy as the anger from before began building again, "No fucking way."
"Percy?" Piper whispered from beside me. She was still trembling, but I didn't even spare her a glance as I continued staring at the blonde, who was quickly running down the stairs beside the school. "Percy, what's wrong?"
The sky began to darken, a thick and ominous cloud cover blanketing the land. The air grew heavy and still as if the world was holding its breath in anticipation.
"You…" My brain began putting pieces together, "You just…you took the name I gave you that night in Santa Monica. You were at the party that night last year. That's why the Minotaur attacked me that night outside of MJ's house."
"Please, I…" Amy- well, Aphrodite's eyes began to widen as she covered her mouth. A sob worked itself out, "I would've never…"
"MY FRIENDS DIED IN THERE!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, pointing at Aphrodite. "I HELD LIZ IN MY ARMS AS SHE DIED. MJ WAS BURNED ALIVE AND CRUSHED LIKE A TWIG!"
And then, with a deafening crack of thunder, the storm began.
Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the dark clouds with an otherworldly glow. The rumble of thunder shook the earth beneath my feet, a primal and fearsome sound that made everyone but me flinch.
"WHY? WHY DID YOU DO THIS?" I pulled myself out of Piper's grip and screamed so hard my voice grew hoarse. I stepped closer and closer to Aphrodite. "YOU KILLED EVERYONE IN THAT ROOM BY JUST BEING THERE!"
"Percy, what's going on?" Jason watched the whole interaction with a confused expression, his suit singed in half, "What are you talking about?"
"YOUR LITTLE GIRLFRIEND IS APHRODITE, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT," I wheeled on him. I snarled, turning back to Aphrodite. "OUT OF ALL OF THE STUPID, IDIOTIC THINGS YOU'VE EVER DONE, THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST OF THEM ALL!"
The clouds began to roil and churn, a maelstrom of energy and power that seemed almost alive. The winds picked up, whipping my hair and clothes around me like rag dolls.
"I'm going to Hades and sorting this out," I eventually wrestled my anger back under control. "He'll bring everyone back."
"He won't," Aphrodite said quietly. "He, of all the gods, must respect the laws of death—"
"You shut the fuck up!" I snapped. "You don't get a say in any of this! You just…just stop. I'll be back."
I went to twirl the card, again, when a pink beam of energy shot out of Aphodite's hand and pulled it into her waiting palm.
She gave me a sad look, "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do this, Percy. There are laws we must follow."
"So, it's okay for you to break the laws, and come down here for a dance?" I said, slowly pulling out Riptide and Ilvis. They both sprang into their brand new Stygian Iron forms, "But I can't break them to fix your mistake?"
"What are you doing?" Jason re-entered the conversation. He looked warily at the weapons in my hands.
"I'm only going to ask once- give me the card, Aphrodite."
Aphrodite steeled herself and put the card in her pocket. "Percy, you need to—"
"Aphrodite," I said, my body shaking. Raindrops the size of golf balls began to pelt the ground, beating against the pavement like a thousand tiny drums. "I will go through you if I have to. Give. Me. The. Card."
Jason stepped in front of her. His hand was inching toward his bracelet, "Percy, we can talk about this."
"You're taking her side on this?" I tried to keep the hurt out of my voice. The rain began to come down in sheets, pounding against the ground with relentless intensity. The sound of it was deafening, drowning out the roar of the thunder and the wind. "Fine by me, but we're not going to be talking about jackshit, Jason. The time for talking is over."
"You can't fight a goddess!" Piper screamed from beside me, her voice barely topping the wind swirling around us, "Percy!"
"I'm only saying this once," I turned to Piper, and then back to Jason and Aphrodite, "Stay out of my way, or I'll make you. I'm getting my friends back no matter what."
Jason's hammer appeared in his hands. I ignited my swords in green fire and stared back at Piper, waiting for her to make a call. As she drew her dagger and looked at me with a sad expression, I felt a scowl form on my face.
"Every single person in that room had a life, and a future," I glared at Aphrodite, "And you snatched it all away. So, now, if yours is the one I have to take to get theirs back, I'll do it."
The storm was upon us, and there was no escaping its fury.
AN: Boy, that was a doozy. I'll answer reviews after Part 2!