A/N. Reviews.

"Percy is visiting THE GOD? Ig a war is starting soon... with the amount of taunting he does to his enemies I have absolutely no faith in his political abilities" -Sankarea396

Nah, he's not meeting God. ANd he does alright lmao.

"bro ordered the gift from temu or sth" -q1234567

What?

Onto the chapter!

Chapter Twenty

Mephistopheles shifted from foot to foot. "Your majesty, are you sure that is wise? They want you dead. They set Azazel against you."

Percy grinned. "Exactly. They set Azazel against me. They didn't do it themselves. We know they can come down here, Gabriel did that, so why didn't he just come down here and do it himself?" He stopped and waited for Mephistopheles to make the connection.

"They don't want to do it themselves. For whatever reason, they don't want their hands dirty. If I go up there, I am relatively sure I will be safe. Maybe they will verbally threaten me, but it wouldn't be the first time."

"You say you are relatively sure. How sure would you say you are?"

Percy frowned. "About fifty percent. I've banked on worse odds before. Besides, I have the power of Lucifer now. That should help me if I get into a scrap."

"Yes, you have Lucifer's power, Your Majesty, but do you know how to use it? How to wield it as if it were your own? The two times you have used it have been in reaction to your anger, and in a life threatening situat—oh."

Percy nodded. "Worse comes to worse, I have that in my back pocket, as well as the knife to make a quick escape. Look. This wasn't a decision I made rashly, Mephistopheles. I acknowledge that there are risks involved, but my entire life has been filled with risks, I'm used to them. The information I stand to gain weighs more than the potential dangers."

"I believe you, Lord. I am just worried, that is all. I do not intend to stand in the way of your decision making, nor question them. Rather, just to ensure you have thought them through. To advise you."

"And I appreciate that. I really do." Percy stood up. "I'm guessing you can't come with me."

Mephistopheles shook his head. "No, My Lord. If you remember, all of demonkind is not welcome. I'm not sure even you would be. They seem to look down on pagans quite a bit."

"A damn shame. I would feel better with you watching my back. I feel it's pretty exposed right now."

"Why? Your subjects are in support of you now, after what you did to Azazel. They have come to accept you."

Percy pursed his lips. "Yes, what I did to Azazel." He muttered. He had spent a long time in the shower after the duel, washing the blood and sweat from his body. Once he was done, he had sat and pondered. Had he gone too far? What he did was brutal, there wasn't any other word for it.

He was no stranger to death, not even to dealing it to demigods. Despite trying not to, he was sure he killed a couple during the Battle of Manhattan. But he had tried to be merciful. With Azazel, mercy was the farthest thing from his mind. One one hand, he had gained respect with Hell's denizens, on the other, had he lost himself to his Wrath?

Ever since he became the King of Hell, he had put on an act. A strategy to keep surviving. But where did the act end and he begin? The line was becoming more and more blurred everyday. One day, would he look into the mirror and find his hair blonde, his eyes the color of amber? Would he start wearing tuxedos and sprout white wings? He was on a seesaw, and it was starting to tilt the other way.

"Your Majesty?" Mephistopheles asked. "Are you alright?"

Percy took in a breath. "I'm fine. Just thinking." He paused. "Um…" He hesitated before asking, "Whatever happened to that assassin you locked up?"

"He is still in the dungeon, My Lord. Hasn't said a word."

Percy nodded. "Kill him. I want it done quietly. I already have the demon's support, but I can no longer risk having a traitor here. He was only allowed to live since he could have led us to his employer, but he has already been found and tried. The assassin has no use going further." He could feel the seesaw tip further.

Mephistopheles bowed his head. "Your will be done, My Lord."

"Thank you, Mephistopheles." Percy said, as he stood up. "One more thing."

"Yes, Lord?"

"Describe Heaven to me."

Mephistopheles didn't say anything for a couple of beats. He took a deep breath and let it out. "It's beautiful." He said at last. The words came out with reluctance, like he couldn't believe they were coming out of his mouth. "A paradise. A city made of silver, set against a cosmic backdrop. There… there isn't anything quite like it."

Percy closed his eyes as he envisioned the words Mephistopheles spoke, trying to bring them to life. He drew his knife across the air, the tip tearing the fabric of reality as if it was paper. When the Son of Poseidon opened his eyes, a street stood before him in the rift. Silver buildings lined the street, the color only broken by green bushes here and there.

Percy turned to Mephistopheles, who just nodded and smiled, gesturing for him to enter. "Do be careful, My Lord. I would hate to see a new face on the throne so soon."

"I will, Mephistopheles. I would hate to lose my life when I am so young."

Percy turned and faced the rift. Slowly, cautiously, he stepped through. He didn't know if he had access, if he'd be kicked out immediately. Better to inch into the water rather than jump in the deep end. When nothing stopped his entry, he fully crossed the threshold and the rift closed behind him.

He sheathed the blade and looked around him. Behind him, where the rift had been, was a view he never even imagined seeing. The road ended at a balcony, and Percy found himself entranced by the beauty that lay behind it. He approached the railing before leaning against it.

Before him, just as Mephistopheles had said, lay the cosmos. Swirls of purple and blue, colliding and drifting, stars twinkling, some shooting across the sky. It was infinity—real infinity. Tangible infinity, an infinity he could comprehend. There was no end to the space before him, stretching on and on. He reached out and grasped nothing. It looked so close he could touch it, yet it was probably light years away. As he stared into the universe before him, he was interrupted by a voice from behind him.

"What are you doing outside of Eden, mortal?"

Percy turned around to see an angel clothed in white robes. He had curly blond hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. A golden halo hung above his head. Percy couldn't tell if it was glowing, due to the glowing silver everywhere. White wings sprouted from his back, reminding him of Lucifer.

"Uh, hello?"

"What are you doing outside of Eden, mortal?" Then the angel narrowed his eyes. "You reek. And why are you wearing clothes?"

The angel snapped his fingers and Percy suddenly felt a cold wind blow southward. He glanced down to see his clothes missing. He covered his pelvis the best he could. "Follow me. We will get you back to where you belong." The angel smiled, but it was cold, with nothing behind the eyes.

Percy hesitated, not trusting the angel. But he didn't really have a better idea. He was naked and alone. He followed behind the angel, whose name he did not know. The angel led him down a couple of streets before he came upon a building made of pure silver, much like every other building he could see. Artemis would love it here, he thought, before frowning. The conversation they had shared when she found out was constantly playing in his mind, the only respite he had was sleep and the fight with Azazel. He was running out of distractions. Was he only here as a distraction?

The angel led him to a door and opened it. He gestured for Percy to enter. Percy took a look inside. The room reminded him of a classroom, with chairs all facing the same direction, a human sitting in each chair, save a couple. They were sitting still, the room quiet. Percy's curiosity got the better of him, and he entered the room. The door closed behind him, the soft click as the latch clicked into place the only sound in the room. Percy slowly crept into the room. He approached the closest person, a woman with dark skin. She was just as naked as he was, as was everyone in the room, and as he approached her, he noticed that her eyes were glazed over.

He waved a hand in front of her face, No reaction. He pulled back and blinked. He moved to the next person and waved a hand in front of his face, only to get the same result. He looked over the sea of people, not one moving, not even a gentle rise and fall of the chest that denoted breathing. They were still as statues.

The door opened behind him causing Percy to turn around. "I thought I smelled my brother. The stench of sin has never been this strong without him." The angel said. This one looked exactly like Lucifer, except his hair was exceptionally longer. He, like the previous angel, wore a white robe. A golden halo floated over his head. A frown was plastered on his face as he regarded Percy coldly. "However, you are not him. Which leads me to believe that you are his successor."

"Uh, yeah. Um, what's going on here?" He gestured to the unmoving humans.

"You shouldn't be here."

"No shit."

"No need for such strong language. You truly do rule Hell." The angel glanced at the humans, before looking back at Percy. "They are at peace. What I'm curious about is why you are here."

Percy frowned. That answer was vague as fuck, but he decided to drop it. "Can I get some clothes first?"

The angel didn't move for a second, leaving Percy wondering if he was even going to answer, before the angel waved his hand and Percy was suddenly clothed in a white robe similar to the one the angel was wearing. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you."

"Good, now, why are you here? You don't belong here, and never will."

"Damn, that's kind of harsh." When the angel didn't reply, Percy asked, "Can I at least get your name, so I know who I'm talking to?"

"I am the archangel, Michael."

"Archangel… You're pretty high up there, aren't you?"

"Technically no, but yes, I am."

"Then maybe you can explain to me why Heaven wants me dead?"

"Heaven doesn't want you dead."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "I overheard Gabriel discussing my assassination with Azazel. He said God wanted me dead."

Michael blinked slowly. "That is news to me."

"Mmhmm. I'm sure." Percy said.

"If I had to guess, it has something to do with your refusal to take place in the Revelation."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Right, I refuse because I don't want to die, and so you send someone to kill me anyways. Fuckin' great."

"Fate seems to favor you, doesn't it? If you are not dead now, all it means is that you will take place in the Revelation. Whether you want to or not. Your life has been dictated long before you were born."

"Hold on, aren't you guys all about free will? That seems to be the answer given whenever the question is asked about why God allows evil to exist in his world. So what about free will?"

Michael snorted. "Those who use that answer know little. Certainly not enough to give answers on the behalf of my father. The answer though, is quite simple, evil exists because evil is in fact, necessary."

"That's bullshit if I ever heard it."

"Typical of a mortal. Unable to accept the answer. There must always be more to it. To dig deeper into an abyss, looking for a treasure that doesn't exist. You'll never find the meaning of life, because there is none."

"A lot of deflection. You're avoiding the question. What about free will?"

"What did I say? You wouldn't accept the answer even if I did tell you. There is no free will, Perseus. Maybe if I explain this to you in a way you will understand. Do you remember what you were offered at the end of the Second Titanomachy?"

"To become a God?"

"Yes, very good. However, unlike the many others who would have in your position, you didn't accept."

"Because I wanted to prevent something like that war from happening again. By removing the motivations of the enemy, I removed a cause that could result in another war."

"Yes, sure. Whatever the reason, you didn't accept. Instead, you were kidnapped and fought another war, a second gigantomachy. A war that was foretold millenia ago in the Sibylline Books with the Prophecy of Seven, a prophecy in which you were included."

"Are you just reading my life back to me? No need, I lived it."

Michael held up a hand. "Patience. My point will be evident soon. As I said, you were part of the Prophecy of Seven, a prophecy that was foretold in ancient times. Look at it this way, Perseus. You were always going to be a part of the Seven, and as such, were never going to choose immortality. Fate wouldn't have allowed it. There was never a choice, but rather a line on a script that you performed. You ask about Free Will, and I give you an example. What do you think?"

"No." Percy said shortly. "There is no Free Will."

"Good. Maybe now you will understand. You will take Lucifer's place in the Revelation, and lead evil towards its destruction."

"And the world with it."

"What makes you say that?"

"Gabriel told me paradise would be created out of the remains of the Earth, which means the world is going to be destroyed."

"Well, you are aware of the mortal expression, eggs for an omelet."

"These are people's lives!"

"This is a better future for us all."

"A future built on blood."

"Do you know about succession? When a forest burns down, it grows back later, just as healthy, if not healthier than before. There are more nutrients in the soil, and new habitats are created. That's all this is, Perseus. Secondary succession in its purest form. A sacrifice so a better forest may bloom."

An angel entered the room. "Micheal. You are needed." She glanced at Percy, but didn't say anything, and moved her attention back to Michael.

"Think about it, Perseus." The archangel said, before turning and leaving the room. The room was quiet now that the conversation was over. Percy looked back at the people, stuck in trances.

Heaven was supposed to be a paradise, that is what he heard throughout his childhood. And yet, all it was was a room full of catatonic dead people. What would paradise on Earth look like after the Revelation? He didn't think he wanted to know.

He unsheathed his knife and cut the air, his throne room appearing in the rift. He stepped through the rift and sighed. He ran a hand through his hair as he approached Mephistopheles. "Did it go well?" The demon asked.

Percy sat down. "I don't know."

"I must say, do not trust everything Heaven says. They are not above lying to get what they want. They will twist definitions, actions, and words if they think it will help them."

"I caught the archangel Michael in a lie. He said he didn't know they ordered attempts on my life. Then proceeded to tell me exactly why there were attempts on my life."

"And what reason did he have?"

"Take a guess."

"The Revelation?"

"The Revelation."

"What will you do now?"

"I… I think I need an outsider's perspective."

"Are you sure, my lord? I recall you being very against anyone finding out."

Percy sighed. "She already knows. I just have to hope she doesn't shoot me on sight."

LINE BREAK

"Azazel is dead, Michael." Gabriel said as the archangel walked into the Primum Mobile.

"And Perseus is alive. He and I just had a chat."

"This is not good. The pagan is messing with our plans.

God sat on his throne, chin resting on his fist, eyes closed. He raised his other hand, placating his bickering children. They quieted. "The Revelation will happen, but the pagan is, as Gabriel said, messing with my plan. And while it is just one, many may join him soon. These… lesser gods must be dealt with first. Michael, prepare the Host. We are at war."

A/N. Sorry this chapter took so long, life kinda got in the way. I also didn't have a lot of motivation. But here we are. The first mention of forest fire and secondary succession. It will be mentioned more down the line as well because it's a theme in this story! That's right, your boy is moving on up, he now has themes in his story!

Thoughts?