"Stop fidgeting," Hades told me for what felt like the millionth time, staring at me from across the elevator. "Swear to my dear old pops, kid, I've felt your foot tapping across this elevator since we stepped inside."

I stopped tapping my foot against the carpeted floor. "Sorry, uncle."

"Relax, bubble brain. Four of the gods in that room are already on your side," Hades snarked. He looked over at me, and his voice softened. "You did good, nephew. It'll be fine. Trust me."

I nodded back at him. [Gamer's Mind] kept me from feeling most of the brunt of my nervousness, but a bit of it still slipped through. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, though- for all of the fear, the anxiety, the dread someone in my position should've been feeling, the only manifestation of my feelings was light foot-tapping.

I shook my head at the absurdity of my life. An hour ago, I was facing certain death on the sandy shores of Santa Monica beach. Now, my uncle and I were both standing in this elevator, which I was told allegedly went all the way up to Olympus. Piper was downstairs, taking a power nap at the security desk.

Well, technically, she never woke up after the helm incident, but Hades assured me she was okay. He just plopped her down next to the guy up front and ushered me into the elevator quickly. The last I saw of her was a bewildered security guard poking her with his pen.

My uncle said something about 'less mortal eyes seeing Olympus,' but I was willing to bet he just didn't want to deal with the headache of her having a full-on meltdown in front of all of the twelve Olympians.

Understandable. Sort of. A part of me still thought she deserved something for the trauma she'd been through in the last week, but Hades wasn't really budging.

So, it was me and my uncle. Well, and the sobbing mess that was Ares.

The doors slid open. I stepped out and almost had a heart attack. I take back the allegedly I'd tacked on before- the elevator really did lead to Olympus.

I was standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below me was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. In front of me, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. My eyes followed the stairway to its end, where my brain just could not accept what I saw.

From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow.

Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces-a city of mansions-all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow.

Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rose bushes. I could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome, and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it wasn't in ruins. It was new and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must've looked twenty-five hundred years ago.

"First time's always the best," Hades walked out behind me, staring wistfully toward Olympus. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Once you know everyone's dirty laundry, though...it looks completely different. Let's just say the prettiest places have the most to hide."

My first trip through Olympus went by in a daze.

We passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at me from their garden. Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia-on-a-stick, a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus-TV.

The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered- there were satyrs, naiads, and a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses.

A few pointed at Ares and laughed. Several of them turned to watch me pass and whispered to themselves.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.

Room really isn't the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet.

Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of the statue of liberty, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood.

An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit, where I saw Hestia sitting. She waved at me warmly when I walked in.

The thrones were almost all filled. Ignoring the immense pressure of the room- it felt like I was walking into a wall of pure mana- I took a deep breath.

I didn't have to be told what to do. I came toward the throne all the way in the center and knelt.

Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well-trimmed beard, marbled gray and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy gray.

I wondered how I looked in comparison. A little ant, covered in blood and sweat. My makeshift eyepatch was back around Medusa's eye. Riptide, as a show of strength, was hanging by my waist in its sword form thanks to some magic from my uncle.

A few tense moments passed. I debated saying something, but I figured I probably shouldn't speak unless spoken to.

I held out the lightning bolt, pointing the metallic cylinder toward the Lord of the Skies.

Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a twenty-foot javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on my scalp rise.

Hades kicked Ares to the ground in front of Zeus. "Little brother."

Zeus looked at Hades. "Brother, what have you done to my son?"

"Your son," Hades spat, kicking Ares in the stomach. A small groan escaped the War God's lips. "Stole your bolt and my helm with the help of a demigod named Luke Castellan. As for what happened to him, I can't take the credit for that."

"You can't?" Zeus echoed, leaning forward on his throne. His gray eyes flashed blue for a moment, and the bolt crackled loudly, almost as if it was getting excited to be fired. "Then who can?"

"Percy can," Hades said confidently, nodding toward me. "Your son is in the state he is in because of him."

Silence. Pure silence.

Look, I'll be the first to tell you my uncle is a clever guy. A smart one, even. He manufactured a deal to get everyone what they want. He played Ares like a fiddle, engineering a plan that would allow him to beat down on him with the wrath of the Underworld. Hell, he even convinced the guy at the front desk to let us in- that guy's had it out for me ever since I tracked some mud in here during a school field trip.

Exposing me like that in front of everyone, though? If we weren't in the presence of other gods at the moment, I would've blurted out a quick what the fuck and bolted.

"Lord Hades," A voice spoke up from the left side of the room. My eye rested on a woman sitting rigidly on a straight-backed throne that was built to look like a simple wooden chair.

Hah, as if. I could see the rivulets of mana swirling in and out of the ornately carved designs. It flowed all around the base of the throne and around the armrests, concentrating into the side, where there was a bronze shield lying face down.

Annabeth's gray eyes regarded me coldly. "You mean to tell us that this…boy caught Ares and incapacitated him?"

"My dear niece," Hades swept his hand. Black wisps of smoke curled off of his fingertips, forming a cloud in the middle of the room. It floated above the hearth and rippled. A moment later, it started to show my fight with Ares. "I can prove it."

A few minutes passed as the Olympians watched my fight with Ares.

See, I wouldn't say I like seeing videos of myself even when I'm alone. I can't stand it. My voice, my face, it all just makes me feel all kinds of weird. Having a video of myself shown in front of the most powerful beings on the planet?

Yeah, this was not shaping up to be a fun night so far.

"Yo, you rocked his shit!" A bright voice said, next to Athena. I craned my neck a little bit and saw an extremely handsome god.

I'll be the first to tell you I'm straight, but I'd have to be blind to not see this dude's attractiveness.

He was tall and muscular- bronzed, even, like a Baywatch lifeguard, with long golden hair tied back in a man bun and eyes that shone like the sun. "Bout time, too. He was a straight bitch to be around for the last century."

"Apollo," Zeus warned.

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, dad," Apollo said, discreetly winking at me.

Gee. For some reason, I felt like he wasn't that sorry at all.

"That fire," Athena said, tapping her chin in thought. She turned her gaze back to me. "It belongs to Lady Hestia, does it not? Where did you come to acquire it?"

"Perseus is my champion," Hestia replied, still tending to the hearth. She was in her adult form now, and her eyes were peacefully orange, but I knew better.

I could see her hand, still smoldering inside the hearth. I knew the second someone tried to hurt me, she'd whip her hand out and toast them into the next century.

I relaxed a little.

Honestly, I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but half of the throne room gasped loudly.

Zeus leaned forward on his throne. His face was slightly sour, twisting and contorting as if he'd just licked a lemon. "Sister… do you mean to tell me...to tell us that you gave this Sea Spawn power over your domain? You knowingly allowed him the power of two of the Elder Gods?"

"I did," Hestia answered calmly. I wasn't sure if she was using [Serenity Inducement]or not, but I was starting to feel warm, comfortable, even. "His loyalty to his loved ones is unyielding. He took on this quest to save his mother, after all. I see no other demigod worthy to wield such power."

My cheeks were burning. It felt like I was at a family reunion with a bunch of people I'd never met and my aunt and uncle were hyping me up after too much wine or something.

Now, all Hades had to do was scream and get into a fistfight with my other uncle and it would be like that one time I was forced to go to a Christmas party with Smelly Gabe.

I shuddered.

"His mother?" Echoed the woman sitting next to Zeus. She had long, licorice-black hair and large, soft brown eyes that made me feel right at home for some reason. Her face, though- was slightly cold and unfeeling. Regal and pretty, sure, but sort of in an unapproachable type of way, like that of a supermodel or a statue or something. "Why is his mother in this situation at all?"

"Well, your darling son saw reason in threatening the boy's family and friends," Hades piped up, glaring balefully at Ares, who was still curled into a ball on the ground, twitching occasionally. Hades really did a number on him. "You let him run around unchecked for centuries! A twelve-year-old demigod had to have his mother snatched from him to take care of it!"

"I am critical of this fact as well. The council failed with respect to curbing Ares' ego," The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward.

She had a look on her face that I understood all too well. It was that critical look all teachers got before telling your parents exactly how much of a troublemaker you were. That looked that promised a stern-talking-to the second you got home.

I was all too accustomed to that look.

Athena dropped the bomb, "Be that as it may, it is undeniable that there is a security risk here with the boy."

"Sister!" Apollo said indignantly. "How can you-"

Athena cut him off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. As we know from the war, children of the three Elder Gods are incredibly dangerous. While the daughter of Zeus is no longer eligible to be the one of prophecy, this boy has shown he's much more powerful than the average demigod."

"She's got a point," Zeus grumbled, looking down at me. The bolt crackled again. "A fresh demigod should not be able to duel Ares to a standstill."

It was sort of weird, to be honest. I felt like I was at an interview or something, and Zeus was the guy in charge who just found out I was lying about my experience.

Except, instead of telling me to go somewhere else for a job, he was thinking about killing me for it.

"Well, my lord," Another woman interjected. Auburn hair, a silver parka?

Artemis shifted in her seat. Her fingers fiddled with the string of a silver bow that was currently resting on her lap. "The boy did not duel Ares to a standstill. A more appropriate assessment of the situation would be that the boy withstood Ares' onslaught long enough for Lord Hades to arrive. Rather than penalize the boy for his potential, I would rather commend him for achieving such a feat in battle at such a young age. If we continue to discourage strength, the caliber of heroes available to us will quickly trend downward."

"Which is only natural," Hera added, nodding at me. Her cold façade cracked for a moment as she gave me a small smile. "I can feel the boy's love for his mother, without actively trying to. I get the feeling that the boy would fight all of us at once for her safety, even at the certainty of his own ruin. I will not allow such loyalty to be punished."

Maybe it was a good thing Piper didn't come up with us.

I was expecting, like, a pat on the back and maybe a high five from my dad. I could deal with that, and I think Piper could, too.

I wasn't expecting the council to try to kill me.

"I'm with Arty," Apollo said, smiling for a moment. "Little cuz is too interesting to kill off right now! Perce, if you're ever tryna get some archery-"

"Apollo," Zeus warned again. I got the vibe that this was a common occurrence during council meetings. "Speak with the boy on your own time. Since it appears we've reached an impasse, I'll leave it up to the council. All those for the boy to live?"

I exhaled slowly as a bunch of hands shot straight up. I did a quick scan around the room.

Hera, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, my dad, Hestia, Hades, and even Demeter voted for me. I understood most of those, but Demeter? She just got on my good side for that one.

"Those against?"

No one raised their hand.

I felt like smacking my forehead. I knew Zeus couldn't vote because he was the king or whatever, but really, Athena?

What was the point of spouting off about how I was a "security risk" if she wasn't going to do anything about it? Was she just playing devil's advocate, or was she just trying to get me killed?

And hey, I got my eyes on you, too, Hephaestus. I'll keep your ugly mug in mind in case you ever want my help.

Mr. D, eh, that was expected. That donut joke must be fresh on his mind.

"It's settled, then. The boy lives," Zeus boomed. I was starting to think this guy just liked to show off. He rose and looked at me. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"Of course, Lord Zeus," I replied, still kneeling somehow.

Have you ever tried kneeling after fighting a god? I felt like my legs were going to snap off!

"For your deeds to me, I will grant you one gift," Zeus said, stunning the room. He stretched his right arm towards me. "Speak."

One gift? From the king of all gods? Man, there was so much I wanted, if I'm being honest. I could get Gabe taken care of, maybe get a million bucks or a lifetime supply of blue food.

Did I really want that? Could I even accept such a gift?

Well, I could. I'm not going to lie, I'd accept any one of those gifts in a heartbeat. Honestly, though, I knew there was only one thing I wanted to do.

"I would like for Hestia and Hades to get thrones on the council," I said seriously, my body tensing. I was expecting Zeus to hurl the bolt at me and disintegrate my body into a million tiny pieces. "They're both Elder Gods, and without them, I would have never been able to stick up to Ares and retrieve your bolt. They deserve to be here."

Now, I know what you're probably wondering. Why didn't I take the million dollars?

I'll tell you firsthand, it wasn't out of some noble cause or some feel-good Hallmark moment. I just remembered that I could make money off of one of the quest rewards I got a few hours ago.

That, and, I really couldn't have achieved any of this without my aunt and uncle. If it weren't for them, my mom would've died. They gave me the greatest gift in the whole world by keeping her safe.

To my surprise, Zeus just nodded, sighing. "You are correct. Brother, sister, talk to the lump, and give him your throne ideas. Now, then. I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

One by one, the Olympians left. Athena gave me one last unreadable look before transforming into an owl and flying out of the palace.

Demeter waved and disappeared inside a gigantic plant that sprung up from underneath her, just as Apollo and Artemis flashed away, Apollo giving me one last thumbs up before he disappeared.

Pretty soon, it was just me, my uncle, Hestia, Poseidon, and Hera.

Hera stepped off of her throne and shrunk down to human form. She walked over to me, tapping her lotus staff on the ground every once in a while.

I stayed on the ground, but she tapped my shoulder gently with her staff. A soft, purplish glow surrounded my body, and an invisible force picked me back up to my feet.

"Lady Hera," I said respectfully. I knew from Annabeth was Hera was notorious for her hatred of demigods, so I wasn't really sure how to play this one.

"There's no need to bow to me, Perseus," Hera said softly, an unreadable expression forming in her eyes. "You took this quest to save your mother, am I correct?"

"Yes," I replied instantly. I didn't know what I was sure of anymore, but I'd always be sure of that. "I just recently realized how much she sacrificed to keep me safe as a child. I plan on repaying her for the rest of my days."

Hera smiled at me again. "Such loyalty…you truly are special. May I ask why you used your wish to give thrones to my brother and sister? Surely, you must've wanted to ask for something more similar to money or power?"

"Well, not really," I said honestly. I knew she was testing me, but I didn't have to lie or exaggerate. The truth was good enough for me, and I hoped it would be for her, too. "Without the help of Lady Hestia and Lord Hades, I would've had no way of succeeding in my quest. The very least I could do for them was the return of what's rightfully theirs, anyway."

"As far as demigods are concerned, I generally disapprove," Hera admitted, turning away from me and walking back towards her throne. As she reached the steps in front of it, she turned and looked back at me. "You, Perseus, might just be the exception."

She was gone in a flash of purple light.

[BLESSING OF HERA] acquired!

I blinked at the notification.

Huh…I guess I really did impress her.

"Well, kiddo, there's nothing left to say but thanks," Hades said, throwing an arm around my shoulder. "I wasn't expecting him to offer you a reward, and I wasn't expecting you to take that as a reward, but I appreciate it. Seriously- I appreciate it, like, a lot. You're always welcome in the Underworld."

"It's nothing, uncle," I replied, honestly. "It's the least I could do."

"Your friend Piper is already at camp. I had my wife move her into her cabin while she came back to drop off your mom," Hades gave me another sincere smile and ruffled my hair. "I gotta head back to the palace. Your mom will be back at your place, waiting for you. You did good, nephew. You did real good."

The ground next to Hades opened up, and he jumped in with little more than a wave. The mess that was Ares also disappeared into the hole.

Huh. I guess Hades is still mad.

My dad and Hestia walked over to me next. Hestia wrapped me up in a warm hug and kissed my cheek gently. "Thank you, my champion."

"Of course, Lady Hestia," I said, smiling like a little kid. My entire body felt super warm like I was just wrapped up in a blanket. "It was nothing. It was nothing at all."

Poseidon clapped my shoulder. "You did well, son. You did well."

"Thanks, Dad," My smile was threatening to split my face in half. Two weeks ago, I was just an academically underachieving kid who never knew his dad.

Now, though? I knew my dad. I knew my aunt, my uncle. I had real friends- a real home.

"What are your plans this summer?" Poseidon asked me, the corners of his eyes crinkling with smile lines.

"Uh, wow, I didn't think about that," It was mid-June.

I'd forgotten it was mid-June.

Well, in my defense, I was under the impression that I would be dead before mid-June, but anyway, "Yeah, wow, I have no idea. I'll probably just spend some time with my mom and stay at camp for some time, too."

"Well," Poseidon said, reaching into his pocket. "Maybe I can help you out with that."

My eyebrows shot towards my hairline as he placed two keys in my hand. "What's this?"

"If you'd like to, I want you to come to Atlantis this summer," Poseidon said, a little nervously. His much bigger hand closed my hand around the keys. "I know you and your mother have had a tough life, and that I haven't been there as much as I wanted to be. I- look, I don't have any excuses. I don't. I left you and your mother to a horrible life. The Ancient Laws do dictate that I can't be there for you, but…"

"They say nothing about me," Hestia finished, a small smile stretching across her face. "If you'd like, I can take you to Atlantis and help you get settled in."

I was floored. Atlantis?

"I- wow. You want me to come with you to Atlantis?" I somehow stumbled out.

"I do," Poseidon confirmed. "On the ground, our progress would be limited. Underwater, however, I could teach you a great many things about battle strategy and help you branch off your hydrokinesis. You could live with me and serve in my court, to say the least. We'd get in a lot of training."

"That sounds good," I said, visions of Atlantis floating around in my head. Swimming with the dolphins, and training every day with my dad. Suddenly, my grand vision crumbled. "But…my mom. I'm not leaving her alone with Gabe."

Hestia's nose crinkled at the mention of my stepfather. "I've been observing that…man for a few days. I believe he is the lowest that humanity has to offer."

"I agree. I think you should show him your new eye," Poseidon said venomously. He took a moment to compose himself. "That leads to what I just gave you. Look closer."

I dangled the keys in front of my eyes. There was a small strip of leather with a surfboard design on it. Carved along the side, right along the waves, was a message: Hither Hills.

"Hither Hills?" I read aloud, running my finger over the beautiful design. "What is that?"

"That, my champion, is the new house your father and I purchased for you and your mother," Hestia smiled at me brightly. "Hither Hills- right in Montauk. It's a seven-minute walk to the beach."

The keys in my hand suddenly felt like pure gold. "Oh- oh no, no, no, no. There's no way I can accept this."

"You can," Poseidon said firmly. "Money is of no concern to us, Percy. Getting you and your mother in a safe space is what matters. Plus, you could visit her all the time if she was there."

"Won't she get lonely?" I asked. I mean, sure, it was sort of a feeble attempt at finding an excuse, but my dad just grinned at me.

"Are you forgetting the fact that you have two goddesses on your side?" My dad laughed loudly.

"Relax, my champion," Hestia soothed, gently cupping my face. "I will keep your mother company. And Aphrodite, on occasion."

"Well, then, I accept," I beamed. My dad grinned right back at me and pulled me in for a quick one-armed hug.

"Excellent," Poseidon said happily. "Take a while, get your mom settled into the house, stay at camp for a while, and I'll let you know when I'm ready for you."

"Sounds good to me, dad," I said, and he waved at me before disappearing into a sea breeze.

"I will also take my leave, now," Hestia said, kissing my forehead. "Bye, Percy. I will see you at camp."

"Goodbye, Lady Hestia," I said, and she smiled at me, leaving in a column of red-hot fire that charred the front of my t-shirt.

I was alone in the throne room, now.

I took a deep breath. Everything had changed so much in the past few weeks. All I wanted right now was to see my mom and take her to the new house Hestia and my dad got us.

First, though, I was hungry. Really hungry.

I pocketed the keys and whistled a happy tune as I started to walk back toward Olympus. The plan was simple: I was going going to take the elevator back down, catch a cab to my neighborhood, eat a big boy pizza, and kick Gabe's ass.

I gently opened the doors. My shoes crunched against the Olympus stairs as I began to make my way down.

"You did it," A voice called from the top of the staircase. I turned around and saw that Aphrodite was looking back down at me, looking the same as she had a few days ago.

I don't know how she got to the top of the stairs, or how long she was waiting there. Aphrodite was wringing her hands nervously, and for the first time, I actually kind of felt sorry for her.

She's been neglected for a long while, now. Just because she acts like it didn't hurt doesn't mean it actually didn't.

"Hey," I said, cutting her off before she could say anything else. This week, this month had all been about change for me, right? If I could fight the God of War, maybe, just maybe, I could make this work, too.

"Hello," Aphrodite said, nervously. I guess I don't blame her- all of our interactions in the past had been sort of uncomfortable.

There was no reason we couldn't change that, now, though. I took a deep breath and spoke the words that would forever change the course of my life.

"Do you maybe want to come to grab some pizza with me?"

Mostly a fluffy chapter. This chapter and the next one or two will most likely be fluffy- and then we get into some good ol' training sequences. I hope you guys liked the little Atlantis storyline mention- it'll be coming up pretty soon! Let me know what you thought of this chapter!

Also- guys. We hit 20k views. 20k.

This story is really starting to take off, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you all for the continued support, and rest assured- these updates are gonna keep coming in hot.

Now, then. Onto my favorite part!

Araqiel: I feel that- Hera/Percy would've been my second choice if I didn't become so enamored with the Aphrodite/Percy pairing. Maybe someday in the future, I'll write a Hera/Percy story. Thanks for the support, though!

Ranger Wheatley: Thanks! Straight from my noggin! As for the Aphrodite thing, I'm sticking with it- sorry 'bout that. I feel like you rarely see this sort of romantic entanglement in a Gamer!Percy story so…time to break the mold!

Tiwa Vol: That's fair- I'll think about doing that. Thank you!

Marsolino: Okay, funny story. When I was writing that chapter, for some reason, I swear I thought Clairvoyance was a spell in Skyrim that showed you where gold was, but it was actually a spell in Skyrim that showed you where your quest objective was…so…yeah. I changed it up.

Huntingkiddo13: Hah, me too, man, me too. I have some really fun stuff planned for the inevitable mess that's going to come from Piper and Aphrodite. Well, and all the other girls who will have a crush on Percy. Buckle up…

ElDaniWar: I'm sorry that you lost all interest in the fic after a little kid was intimidated by literal gods. He must've been such a pussy for not being able to stand up against four Olympians at the age of twelve with a week's worth of training. *facepalm*

Yesirsski: Oh man, I love reading your reviews. They're always incredibly eloquent and detailed- thank you so much for taking the time to write them out like that! Writing the barrage of insults was fun on my end, too, rest assured. The slow burn is needed, I feel like. A lot of the Gamer!Percy stories I have read just have him hop into a relationship, but I'm trying to go for a more realistic angle, so to speak.

Evyplayz121: Thanks for the review! Limit Break is an emotional reaction, but the thing is, it's completely randomized. It's not, like, a crutch for him, because he can't always activate it when he wants to.

Blackbelt219: Thank you! You're one of the few people to like that I did that. Updates will most definitely continue to come!

XenonDark: Hahaha! Your review actually made me snort. I'm very glad my chapter was that good! This one wasn't as action-packed but believe me- I have plenty of those chapters planned.

Baumbarth: Yeah, no, I definitely feel that. I won't be letting it get out of hand, trust me. Percy will most definitely get his ass served to him on a silver platter quite a few times before the story ends. The other Gamer!Fics, in my opinion, make him godlike much too fast.

kyuubi7: Thanks, man! You've been a real one since the first chapter of this story!

Just a fan of fics: Thank you! I won't be letting Percy get too OP too fast, no worries. I plan on developing his character a lot before he truly enters his prime. I agree! Death Drop was his only real option there, unfortunately.

OgFrosty: This isn't and will never be a harem fic. I just don't mess with that. Percy is too loyal to 'cheat' on Aphrodite, even if he never consented to be in a relationship with her. I just mean that he will go through some romantically uncomfortable situations with other women.

Zoom99: He wasn't wasting his time by talking, he was using Ares' past to his advantage. Even with Limit Break, Percy didn't stand a chance at beating him outright, so he had to get crafty.

See you soon.

-Maroon

EDIT 4/20/21: Spelling, and small dialogue changes.

EDIT 11/14/22: Grammar!