Again, shout out to Nerds again in particular for this chapter because he helped me with this one more than usual. So, thanks buddy.
Percy appeared in an alleyway of Kansas City., a thick leather jacket covering his camp shirt. The alley was littered with trash and full dumpsters, a homeless man slumbered beneath some cardboard shielding him from the sunlight. Percy made his way to the street, a warm bowl of soup and a prepaid card appearing in front of the homeless man. The god emerged from the alley and mingled with the passing mortals, who were unaware of the impending doom hanging over the head of the world.
He stopped before a cafe, a little old family business that had existed for nearly two centuries and observed. Percy could feel his presence inside. He was tempted, if ever so slightly, to just 'wrath of god' the place and be done with it. But that wouldn't have been fair, not to the mortals inside who were merely trying to live. It was moments like these that made Percy truly appreciate Zoe being in his life. She reminded him of what it was to be mortal, to have compassion. He entered the cafe, blowing past the hostess with a small application of the Mist. The god settled into a booth opposite a man, his bald, scarred head recognizable to Percy anywhere. "Pallas," he greeted the titan of warcraft.
"Perseus," Pallas returned the greeting. "Thank you for joining me." He wore a light blue windbreaker jacket over kakis and dress shoes.
Percy examined his adversary's attire with a raised eyebrow. "Kakis? Really?"
Pallas shrugged. "I've spent eons in Tartarus. I'm experimenting." He spoke in perfect English this time, but why did he sound like he was from the northeast?
"Well, as long as you don't show up in a dress next time I guess more power to you," Percy stated dryly as a waitress came over and asked for their drinks. Once the waitress was gone, Percy's expression soured. "You're lucky we have history, or you would already be in Tartarus with your brother."
The titan chuckled. "I do not doubt that. I still bear the scars of your time in Tartarus," he said as he ran a finger down the side of his neck. A thick, jagged scar ran from his collar to nearly his ear. A cut made by a jagged blade of bone.
Pallas clutched at his neck in ichor soaked black sand. Perseus stood over the titan with murderous intent. The cries of the crowd deafened him as he looked around the arena.
His eyes eventually found hers. Twin orbs of sparkling nebulae watched him with open love and hunger. He never tired of looking into those eyes. He forever wished to be rid of them. Even if he lived a thousand years, he would never find an equal to her beauty.
The crowd grew silent as she held out her closed fist, her thumb extended outward. Pallas and Perseus watched as she pointed her thumb down. The air shook as the crowd roared in approval. Perseus and Pallas' eyes met, the titan's eyes filled with resignation as he nodded to the demigod.
Perseus raised his bone drakon sword and brought it down.
Percy shrugged. "Should have ducked," he replied before his face darkened. "What do you want Pallas."
"I would pledge myself to you, Lord Perseus," the titan claimed with a bow of his head.
Percy stared at the titan in suspicion. The waitress arrived with their drinks, a fifth of whiskey for Percy and coffee for Pallas, black. The waitress left and Percy tapped his glass, the amber drink turning blue. "Why would you pledge yourself to me?"
Pallas twisted the mug before picking it up by the handle and taking a sip. "Mortals have changed greatly since the last time I walked Gaea. They have discovered everything from caffeine to weapons of mass destruction. I would very much like to see where they go from here."
"You want protection?" Percy asked as he sipped his own drink. "I don't think Zeus will be very receptive of that."
"I am not asking for his protection, nor yours," Pallas explained to the god, his eyes sweeping over the cafe. "I do not fear Nyx, or Tartarus. I have spent too long in the presence of both for them to scare me. But I know the world they would create, and I want none of it." He took another sip. "And I want nothing to do with Zeus. I will swear to you and no other."
Percy looked at the titan skeptically, anger rising into his being. "And I would accept your fealty because why? You aided in my capture, you threatened the life of my daughter and her friends' multiple times, nearly killing her on one such occasion, and you are aiding the goddess who literally made my life hell." Percy felt the tornado that began to form over the city, he quickly dissipated it, turning the storm into a gentle rainfall. The city needed the rain anyways.
"Nyx was a means to an end," said the titan, "I wanted out of Tartarus, and she gave me that opportunity. As for Atelus, we both know that she needed to be pushed. You also know that if I willed it, she would have been dead long before she reached you."
Percy frowned at that. "You still haven't answered me why I should accept your fealty, or why you even choose to give it."
"I choose to give it because it is the right path. I have seen you grow from the impudent demigod into the force of nature you have become," he spoke with conviction. "No matter the outcome, I would choose to die by the side of my student than to live having fought against you." The waitress returned and filled their drinks. "I apologize for what I did to Atelus, but you will need all of the assistance you can muster in this fight."
Percy was interrupted by a pressure falling on the cafe like a thick blanket. The mortals froze, their brains unable to process the pressure exuded from a divine being, as weak as it may be. A man entered the cafe and approached the two, his camouflage gear marking him a hunter. Dim sliver eyes stared at the two with contentment, his auburn hair slicked back. The man stopped before their table. "Perseus, Cousin," the man greeted the two beings with a sneer.
"Lelantos," Percy returned the greeting as he looked the titan up and down. "Looks like your face has finally healed." He smiled at the scowl marring the titan's face. "I am going to assume you have not come to swear fealty to me as well?"
Lelantos looked to Pallas in disgust. "No, I have not. I have come to bring the traitor in and kill you if able."
Percy sighed and downed his whiskey. "Can we at least take this outside the city? This place is nice, and I'd rather not ruin it." The titan of air drew a bronze knife and thrusted it at Percy. Percy caught the blade, twisted his arm back and pulled the titan into the table. A barrier of Mist surrounded the table as Percy teleported himself and Lelantos from the cafe, the barrier protecting the mortals from Percy's divinity.
Percy threw the titan to the ground as they appeared in the fields outside of the city. Pallas quickly appeared next to him, his armor shinning in the morning light. Lelantos climbed to his feet and drew two silver daggers. "I will kill you for your insolence godling!"
Percy scoffed. "You couldn't beat me when I was a demigod. How do you think you'll beat the two of us?"
Lelantos grinned. "I have back up."
Several flashes of light surrounded the duo who stood back-to-back. Percy's shield appeared on his wrist and drakon sword in hand. The flashes receded, revealing four new divine beings standing at the ready. Percy observed his new adversaries, some standing well above him. Two of the figures were titans, both fitted in leather armor with bronze swords. The last two were giants, their towering forms casting large shadows over the Pallas and Percy. "Menoetius, Mimas, Hippolytus, and Astraeus," he counted off before bursting into laughter. He turned to Lelantos with a grin, the titan starring with an uneasy frown. "Is this it? Is this all you could conjure against me?"
Mimas hefted his massive hammer. "I'm going to pound you into dust," the thirty-foot giant growled, the sound reverberating through the earth.
Perseus turned his head towards the giant with a wicked grin. "My daughter could send you packing, I am going to leave you buried." Storm clouds formed overhead, thunder rumbling in the distance.
"You cannot kill us without the aid of a demigod," Hippolytus boasted, spinning his spear around.
Perseus raised an eyebrow at the shorter giant, a light shower of rain filled the air around them. "Who said anything about killing you? I said I will bury you." Perseus blocked a hammer strike with his shield. He shoved the hammer back before parrying a swipe from Lelantos, kicking the titan back. The titan of air flared out his wings, a scowl marring his face. Perseus smiled at the attempt at intimidation. "You'll have to try harder than that Lelantos," he scolded the titan before turning to Pallas. "You ready?" The titan nodded, his sword at the ready. The god and titan attacked the group, Perseus battling the giants, while Pallas rushed toward Meneotius and Astraeus. Lelantos lunged at Perseus, the god of heroes batting him aside as he smacked away the hammer of Mimas. Pallas dodged Meneotius' mace and grabbed him by the throat. He threw the titan of rage who crashed into Hippolytus, the two of them tumbling down to the ground. Perseus kicked Lelantos back into Astraeus, who stumbled into Pallas' waiting fist.
Mimas slammed his hammer, the blunt weapon smashing into the earth with a thunderous crash as Perseus rolled away. The god leaped forward and buried his blade into the knee of the giant. Mimas howled in pain as he fell back, clutching at his bleeding knee. Lelantos lunged at Perseus. Perseus slapped the titan with his shield, sending him flying to the ground. "Really Lelantos? Not even an elder titan? Not one of the big giants? Were they all too scared?" Funnel clouds swirled overhead as if awaiting Perseus' call. Hippolytus rose and thrusted his spear at Perseus. Perseus conjured his sword and deflected the attack, the massive spear carving through the ground. Pallas lunged forward, his blade slicing across the giant's neck before continuing on to engage his brother. Perseus turned to block a dagger, grabbing Lelantos' wrist and pulling him forward into his fist.
Lightning struck Mimas before he could rise, cratering the earth around him. "Are you doing all of this?" Lelantos shouted as he parried Perseus' assault. The rain turned to sleet, the ground turning to mud.
Perseus grinned viciously at the titan. "Do you think it's not enough?" he asked, blocking Meneotius' mace with his shield. "If you wanted more you should've just asked." He whacked Lelantos with the flat of his sword and stomped his foot down. The ground shook beneath them, toppling Hippolytus onto Mimas. Perseus slashed Menoetius across the chest, the titan of rage clutching at the gaping wound. Pallas drew level with Perseus, keeping his distance as he conjured a ring of swirling swords circled around him. Perseus raised an eyebrow at the titan.
Pallas met his gaze with a shrug. They charged the five immortals, Hippolytus meeting them first with his speed. Pallas launched several blades from his whirlwind at the giant, who knocked them aside with his spear. Perseus ducked a thrust of the spear and left the bane of Hermes for Pallas to deal with. The god wove his way through the remaining enemies, dodging not only heavy and light weapons, but also beams of sunlight fired from Astraeus' hands. Pallas quickly joined him, Hippolytus writhing on the ground as he tried to reattach his leg. Perseus and Pallas met their foes head on, Pallas creating weapons from thin air to throw at their enemies and Perseus conjuring lightning to strike at them. Mimas fell quickly, holding his hand to his wrist and allowing it to reattach.
Perseus blocked a Menoetius' mace when a surprised scream drew his attention. Pallas stood with a sword in his gut, his own blade buried into the chest of Astraeus. Perseus slashed at Menoetius before he reappeared next to his friend, shoving the titan of dawn aside as he dissolved into dust. With a wave of his hand a wall of water swept through their enemies, sending them back. "You're getting slow old man," Percy scolded the titan as he looked at his wound.
"Eh," Pallas waved him off. "It's just a flesh wound." He tried to rise with a wince.
Perseus placed a hand on his shoulder. "Stay down Pallas," he ordered before turning to the remaining entities. Menoetius tried healing his wound as Mimas and Hippolytus approached him. Lelantos flew overhead before landing in front of the group. Perseus' eyes glowed with power. "Alright. You guys want a fight?"
The giants and Lelantos charged the god. Perseus met their charge, weaving between the divine beings like a whirlwind. He fought his adversaries with the force of a hundred men. Meneotius quickly joined to help the trio, but Perseus managed to hold his own, quickly maneuvering from one foe to the next in an attempt to keep them off balance. Lightning arced down and struck the titans and giants at random intervals, interrupting their efforts to surround the god. Sleet and hail turned the lush plains of Kansas into a mushy battle ground of mud and ichor-the slick ground limiting Hippolytus' speed and forcing Lelantos to fly to keep up with Perseus. The ground shook-gale force winds threatening to tear the earth asunder.
Perseus threw the titans and giants around like ragdolls. His bloodlust rose as he tore them apart. He was playing with them at this point. They couldn't touch him. He could never be felled by such pitiful beings. Perseus blocked a hammer blow from Mimas when the air turned cold. The mud turned to ice and the tempest quivered. Percy stumbled backwards, paining shooting up his head as someone forced their will upon the world around him. Someone powerful subdued his radiating power. "Know your place Perseus," the deep, thunderous voice crashed through his mind. He could recognize that monstrous voice anywhere. Tartarus was projecting his power. Perseus missed Lelantos entering his guard, his bronze dagger slipping into his rib. Tartarus' presence abated; the air still permeated with raw despair. Perseus gripped the dagger but did not pull it out, spitting out ichor onto the ground.
"You're finished," Lelantos grinned as he brought his second dagger to bear.
Perseus smiled with ichor covered teeth. Tartarus or no, he would not be killed by this weakling. "No, I'm just done playing." His eyes glowed with power.
A pressure overcame them, forcing them to collapse. Lelantos struggled against the overwhelming force to little success. "What...is this power," he groaned out as the pressure pushed him into the slowly melting mud.
Perseus smirked. He could feel Tartarus pressing back against him. He wouldn't be caught off guard twice. Powerful the primordial may be, but this was not his domain. "This, is my power" He released more of his presence. All except Pallas were pushed further into the earth. Perseus grimaced as he limped to Lelantos. "Remember this when you reform," he told the titan as he placed the top of his sword against Lelantos' chest. "You will never stand a chance." He thrusted his blade. Lelantos dissolved into golden dust with merely a whimper. He made quick work of Meneotius before turning to the giants.
"You still can't kill us godling," Mimas groaned with a pained smile. His body creating a giant shaped mold into the earth along with his brother.
Perseus seemed to think about this for a moment. "I never said I would kill you, did I?" He asked the giants with a grin. "Did you know that sinkholes fall under natural disasters?" Both giants' eyes widen as Perseus stopped on the ground. A massive sinkhole appeared below them, the two giants falling into it before it rapidly closed.
Percy sighed before waving away the storm and water from the ground. He gripped the dagger and gave it an experimental tug. It was in deep. Luckily, it slipped between the lower ribs and into empty cavity. He would require healing, but he would not bleed out any time soon as long as he kept the dagger in. He limped to Pallas, who had flashed off his armor and was now holding his gut. "Looks like we both need some work," Percy quipped with a wince.
Pallas breathed heavily and shivered. "Have anywhere in mind?"
Percy nodded. "Will can patch us up at Camp. He won't like it, but he's more discreet than his loudmouth father." Percy held out his hand. Pallas looked at it momentarily before taking it. "We will discuss your fealty at a later date," he informed the titan before they were both consumed in golden light.