The man stared out his floor to ceiling window and out over the snow-covered cityscape, a massive storm brewing overhead. His golden suit was fitted tightly to his muscular frame. He took a sip of his wine. Things had been progressing nicely; the arms race going on between different sides surpassed even the second titanomachy and his conspirators and himself were raking in the profits. Interestingly, one of their buyers was not who they expected to be in business with, targeting an enemy who was not one. Not that it was his business, they would all fall eventually. Thunder cracked as rain began to fall over the city.

Something seemed off, the storm was tense, strained, like it was holding back. The man turned and approached the mahogany desk that dominated the office space. The office itself was a blend of extravagant modern art and ancient antiques, most of which he was older than. The man tapped the desk, and a series of holographic displays appeared before him. They showed him different camera positions in and around his skyscraper. "Albatrix," he called to.

"Yes Emperor Commodus," a rough, German voice came over the intercom as the holographic image of a massive man with braided blond hair appeared before him.

Commodus swirled his wine in its glass. "Status report."

"All quiet my lord. It looks like it will be a quiet night," Albatrix reported.

The man hummed in thought. "Send out a patrol. Something feels… off," he ordered before ending the call, he knew the monster would fulfill his orders. He turned back to the window. It was probably nothing. Neither camp knew of their operations, and he had spent good money to conceal his presence from the gods. He took a sip of his wine.

Suddenly, Commodus collapsed to his knees as the air around him grew heavy, a presence pressing down on the world around him. Sweat ran down his forehead as whoever it was was making their authority known. As quickly as the presence had come it vanished, leaving Commodus panting as he tried to bring air into his lungs. He shakily rose to his feet and slumped against his desk. "Albatrix? What is happening?" he asked as he pulled up the footage, his eyes widening in horror.

In the foyer, before Albatrix, Alaric, and all of his followers, stood Perseus, God of Destruction. A dark, tattered cloak billowed in a nonexistent wind, revealing dark clothes and a bronze cuirass underneath. The god observed the guards before him with a cold fury before his gaze settled on Commodus' camera. Dread crept into the man's spine as he stared into the piercing sea green eyes of the god. Looking into the righteous fury of the god's eyes, he knew none of his followers would survive.

"You have one chance," Perseus told the gathered guards. His voice resonating through the structure with such force, numerous guards buckled. "Flee or die." He smiled at the camera, his sea green eyes glowing with power.

Commodus felt a sudden surge of unnatural courage infect him. He felt single-handed could storm Olympus singlehanded. The rain intensified outside his window.

Albatrix, through a sudden burst of courage or sheer idiocy, charged the god with a roar, the rest of the guards following close behind. Perseus stood still as the Germani swung his axe, attempting to cleave the god in half. The god reached out and grabbed the axe head, the tile floor around him cratering in the force. Albatrix blanched as Perseus grinned viciously at him. "Your lives are forfeit."

Commodus watched as Perseus tore through his followers with his bare hands, holding back just enough as to not instantly disintegrate them into dust, though Commodus had the feeling it wasn't for any altruistic reasons. The former emperor would have sworn he could hear the god laughing over the screams of his followers. Like a true gladiator of Ancient Rome, the god destroyed each of them in a gruesome display that would have made a Roman crowd scream for blood.

Less than a minute passed, and Perseus was surrounded by golden dust and mangled bodies. Blood and dust covered his body as he observed his handiwork with a cold indifference. Then, without a word, he walked towards the elevator.

What courage was in Commodus vanished as he watched the god leisurely walk into the elevator. He knew the god did not have to fight any of his followers. He could have very easily dropped into his office if he wished, anti-flashing barriers be damned. At the minimum he could have simply snapped his fingers and smote everyone besides him. He chose to brutalize them. He chose to make a point. He quickly hit the intercom again. "All personnel, a threat has come for your god-emperor," he shouted over the speakers, his voice calm though inside he quivered in fear. "He will reach the top floor momentarily. Defend your emperor." The elevator stopped two floors below Commodus' office. He did not believe that his followers could stop the god, but his apparent lust for blood could slow him long enough for Commodus to prepare.

Several minutes later, after the screaming and pleading had stopped, a joyful knock sounded on the door before the final knock blasted the door away. Perseus strolled into the office like it was his own, a casual stride that left no hint to the death and destruction he had left behind. Power rolled off his form in golden waves. The god stopped before the desk of Commodus, the would be god suited in an extravagant set of legion armor. "Honey I'm home," Perseus quipped with a smirk.

"Perseus," the emperor responded, a golden gladius in hand. "How did you find me?"

The god quirked an eyebrow at him. "I've known of your presence since I first became a god. I just had better things to worry about than three pseudo-immortals who try to play both sides. As for your location, well, no one short of Hecate could hide one of my own from me. Even if you three meet the bare minimum to count as Heroes."

Commodus narrowed his eyes but said nothing, his grip on his sword tightening in annoyance. "To what do I owe you the pleasure of your presence, God of Heroes?"

Perseus crossed his arms, his eyes brimming with restrained rage. "I am looking for the brat who thought he could try to take my daughter from me," he growled.

Commodus' eyes narrowed in confusion. "You decimated my followers because you wanted information?"

"Not my fault you never taught them not to challenge a god, though the Ancient Laws have always had loopholes anyways," he said with a shrug.

"You baited them. I felt your power course through the building. They had no choice but to challenge you," Commodus countered.

Perseus did not deny the accusation as his arms fell to his sides, a fierce glare pinning the legacy in his place. "I will only ask this once. Where. Is. Damian?"

Commodus gulped before he found his courage, unsure if he should even trust such an emotion. "And what makes you think I know where he is? Just because I make deals with them doesn't mean I-"

Lightning cracked across the sky and Perseus appeared in front of Commodus, his face a mask of rage. The emperor flinched in surprise and swung his sword. The god easily grabbed the blade and plucked it from his grasp. He grabbed Commodus by the throat and slammed him against the window, spiderweb cracks springing out across the specially crafted glass. The rain turned to sleet and hail as it battered against the side of the building. "So much for the 'New Hercules,'" the god taunted him. "You know what I did to your idol don't you? What I'm about to do to you will make that look like a slap on the wrist."

Commodus' eyes widened in fear. "I don't-I don't know," he stammered as he clawed at the god's wrist. "I've never dealt with him directly, I only ever spoke with Annabet-" Perseus smashed Commodus through the window with a crash, holding the former emperor in the air as sleet and hail pelted them.

"Percy!" an older woman's voice shouted.

Perseus turned his head to find his adoptive mother standing behind him defiantly. Her face was a mask of calm as she looked into the furious gaze of her son. "Percy isn't home right now," the god said in a machine-like voice. "Please leave a message after the beep." The goddess' eyes widened at Perseus' smirk. "Beep." He dropped the would be god, Commodus screaming as he fell.

Amphitrite eyed the god carefully. She did not care for the pretender, he would have had to be dealt with sooner or later, but for Perseus to get involved to such a degree was cause for concern. "Perseus," she acknowledged him. "I understand you are upset, but you need to calm down. You are decimating whole cities with your anger."

Perseus knew what she meant; his domains were running rampant with his emotions. Tsunamis battered the Asian coasts, while wildfires and powerful storms battered the Americas. He had let Khione rampant in Europe and sandstorms across Africa. He was causing global disasters and basking in the power it gave him. Not since he fought Gaea had he felt such power coarse through his being. The power to erase countries, to sink entire civilizations, as his father had done to Atlantis in an age gone by. "I assume Zeus is threatening to smite me if you don't calm me down?" he asked, already knowing the answer even as thunder rumbled in the distance.

"It will not come to that," Amphitrite promised as she slowly approached him. "It's okay to be angry, Perseus. Let me help you." She reached out and cupped his cheek, an action that always served well in the past.

Perseus growled, turning away from her touch but did not retreat when she persisted. "The only help I need is finding the bastard child and running my blade through him. I will kill him, and anyone else who gets in my way."

Amphitrite sighed. "At least call off your dogs. The mortals did nothing to deserve this," she pleaded with him.

Perseus closed his eyes with a huff before opening them again. "There," he told her as a ring went off in his head. Someone was calling him. "I have something to take care of."

"Just promise me you will not have another outburst," she requested of him.

Perseus sighed but gave her a stubborn look. "I can't. Not while Zoe is still under threat," he said before vanishing from the room, leaving his mother with a tear in her eye.

Perseus appeared before Hecate's hut on Olympus, the gray stoned structure resting on the outskirts of the city. He knocked once on the door before entering, finding the place just as disorganized as all the other visits. Hecate thankfully came out from the back of the hut quickly, entering from behind the counter. Her hair was brushed and hanging down to her lower back, a thick fur coat around her petite form. Without much fanfare, she pulled a small bag from within her cloak. "This will hide the owner from just about anyone," she informed him.

Perseus took the bag, giving it a little toss in his hand. "How much?" he asked before tucking the bag into his belt pouch.

Hecate shrugged. "I'll take drachma this time around. Mortals have suffered enough at your expense."

Perseus nodded as he conjured a bag full of the gold coins. What could he say, being the prince of the oceans came with perks. "See you around."

"How is she?" the goddess asked suddenly. At Perseus' questioning gaze, she looked at him expectantly. "You're exuding so much power that you are bending the world around you. I've only seen you this angry a handful of times, all of them involved someone important to you," she explained before leaning on the counter. "That plus the hex bag makes it clear who. You are too powerful to hide, much less wanting to. Reyna is too proud to hide even if she were on death's door. So that leaves your daughter. Though, this begs the question of what could make you want to hide her. Makes me think you doubt your ability to protect her."

"And what," Perseus narrowed his eyes at her with a glare, "exactly do you mean by that Hecate?"

The goddess held her hands up defensively. "I am merely making you aware that your little tantrum has drawn a lot of attention. Others could see it as a sign of weakness and pounce. You do have enemies after all, all of whom would love nothing more than to put the upstart down a peg."

A growl escaped Perseus' lips as power rolled off of him in waves. The air around him quivered and stretched as the ground tremored. "If they wish to test me, they are free to try. They will be the next in a long line of conquests," he claimed, his eyes glowing with power. He witnessed the goddess sjift nervously before him and vanished without a word.

Perseus reappeared in the hallway outside of Reyna's hotel room. He could sense his love moving about the inside of the room, most likely getting ready for the day while Zoe continued sleeping. Before he even knocked, the door opened and revealed Reyna dressed in simple clothes. Her crutch forgotten as her wounds had finally healed. To Percy though, she was still a vision of beauty. Her glossy black hair was draped over her shoulder, likely he had interrupted her brushing it, and her piercing black eyes carried a hard gaze that could pin an immortal in place. A dim, golden glow radiated off her sun kissed skin, his blessing giving her the radiance of a goddess.

How she knew he was there, he wasn't sure, but seeing her gaze soften as she recognized him made his heart flutter uncontrollably. "Hey," was all she said, her voice quiet and vulnerable. Two descriptors he was not used to seeing in the woman.

Percy felt all the anger drain from his being as he gazed into her dark soft eyes. He focused inward on himself and forced the raging emotions inside of him into submission. He would not lose control again. Not with Reyna and Zoe present. The destructive energies he collected with his disasters rolled inside of him like a raging ocean, wailing to be unleashed on the cause of his rage. Oh, how he would make that boy pay for his transgressions, the complications he would bring notwithstanding. No one messed with his daughter and got away with it. Even Pallas had to pay before he was allowed back into the fold, and he was just trying to push her to be better. "Hey," he returned before looking past her and seeing his daughter turn over in bed.

Reyna looked at him up and down. She hadn't seen that cloak in a long, long time. To see it now, covered in blood and dust, left her with a foreboding feeling. "I thought you burned that thing."

Percy looked down at his form before his stained clothes were replaced with an orange sweatshirt and pants. "Turns out divine gifts can't be destroyed so easily," he claimed with a scowl.

The consul nodded and opened the door further, allowing him entrance. Why would he wear it though? He wouldn't revert, would he? She decided to leave it alone for now, it would do no good to start an argument. "I noticed you weren't there when I woke up," she whispered, trying not to disturb the sleeping girl. She closed the door behind him and placed the coin she had been holding on the table.

"I did not leave you unprotected," Percy promised her. Reyna had, as expected, gotten one of the fancier hotel rooms, the small kitchen and dining table as evidence of that. Percy quietly sat at the table where Reyna joined him, picking up her brush and continuing to handle her hair. Percy's gaze rested on Zoe's form, the sleeping girl at peace for possibly the first time that night.

After the night she had previously, Zoe had not felt safe in her own room, understandably, and so asked if she could stay with Reyna. The woman agreed without hesitation and now here they were, sharing a room. Her physical injuries had healed nicely, even her arm that was broken by the boy, but she was still skittish around others, even with him. Reyna was the only person she would willingly be near, and she practically clung to the consul for dear life. Percy wasn't sure how to feel about it. He was glad that she at least felt safe with someone, but she wouldn't meet his eyes and had barely said a word to him. It reminded him of the girls he would bring to Artemis. He didn't think she distrusted him as a man. He had seen her interact with Jason and Liam and, while she was still much more insular, she at least talked to them. It hurt, if he were honest with anyone, but he would take all the pain in the world for her.

"I had to pick something up," he told her and reached into his belt pouch and placed the hex bag on the table.

Reyna eyed the bag carefully. "A concealment charm?" she confirmed with his nod. "Is this not direct interference?"

Percy snorted. "Giving gifts is something allowed by the divine on occasion," he said confidently. "Zoe's shield counts but I am not gifting this to her. I'm gifting it to you. What you do with it is beyond my control."

"Semantics," Reyna claimed with a roll of her eyes before eyeing the bag carefully. "You must really be worried if you are resorting to this."

"The only reason you two are not at Montauk right now is I know both of you would never accept hiding away with the world endangered," Percy revealed with a hard gaze. "This is a compromise. As long as she keeps this on her, she is immune to any form of observation by divine methods. Unfortunately, it includes Iris Messages but since she should be with you for the foreseeable future we can deal with it. If she has this, she will be hidden from even me. Though, I will still be able to sense her and ensure her well-being."

"Do you think the boy, this Damian, is an immortal?" Reyna questioned him.

"Even if he isn't, this should shield her from Nyx, to an extent at least," Percy responded before tapping the small bag. "Though, it doesn't seem to work during dreams since demigods, you know, wander in their sleep."

"That's a shame," Zoe's voice reached them from the bed. Percy and Reyna turned to see the girl sitting upright in bed. "I'm getting tired of these dreams."

"What was this one about?" Percy asked, leaning back in his chair. At her silence he raised a concerning eyebrow at Reyna.

Reyna stood and joined the girl on the bed. "What was your dream about?" she asked her gently.

Zoe looked between the two and sighed. "I-there were voices. I couldn't see anything; the figures were shrouded in shadows."

Reyna frowned. "Was it Nyx?" she asked.

Zoe shook her head. "No, they were all male. One of them was giving a report of some kind. His forces are ready for something. They didn't specify."

Percy and Reyna traded glances. Whatever that meant, it wasn't good. "Zoe?" Percy called out, rising from his chair and slowly approaching her.

The girl looked at him briefly before looking away. "What?" she asked tightly.

"What has you wound so tight around me?" he asked her seriously. "I know you're scared, but I am your father, Zoe. I will never hurt you."

"You don't understand," Zoe tried as she reached for her throat. "I-I've been having… dreams. Dreams of the past."

Reyna placed a hand on her shoulder. "That is not unusual," she told the girl. "Your father once had dreams of one of Heracles' trials."

Zoe shook her head. "This was more than that. I bet in Dad's dreams, Heracles didn't grab him by the throat and try to kill him."

Percy and Reyna shared glances with each other. "What happened?" Reyna asked.

"When-when you told what happened in the Pit. I… I thought I understood," she whispered as her head fell, her long hair covering her face.

Percy's eyes widened minutely. "You saw me. In the Pit," he stated, realizing what she meant.

The girl nodded, and with a quivering voice, recalled her dream; from Perseus' slaughtering of mortals and immortals alike with childlike glee, to the primordial speaking to her, telling Zoe to accept her as her mother, and finally… Perseus attacking her. It was one thing to hear about her father, her protector, being twisted and corrupted, it was another to be on the receiving end of it. Anger flashed across both her parents' eyes as the girl spoke, Reyna at the words of Nyx, and Percy at the actions of his dream self. Zoe looked up through the thick hair around her face, her dark eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry Dad," she apologized, her voice cracking. "I-I know it wasn't you. I know you wouldn't hurt me. But the dream was so vivid, so… real. It felt like I was actually there. That I was just another body in your way. I-"

She was interrupted by Percy surging forward and scooping his daughter into a hug, ancient laws be damned. "Sshhhhh," Percy consoled her. The girl placed her head on his shoulder and cried, the stress finally overtaking her. The god sat, placing her in his lap and cradling her. The girl fit against his body like a jigsaw puzzle, just like when she was little. "You're safe, princess," he promised her. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I will make this world safe for us, Zoe. So we can live in it as a family. I swear it on the Styx." Thunder rumbled in the distance, sealing his pact with his daughter.

Zoe and Reyna looked at him in surprise. "You-you always told me not to swear on the Styx," she said weakly.

Percy gave her a small smile, his eyes catching Reyna's murderous gaze with a wince. He would pay for that later. He knew it wasn't a smart thing to do, but if he broke this promise, he would accept his punishment himself. "I'll handle it, Zo. What's the point of being a god if I can't even protect my daughter?"

A knock on the door interrupted the moment. Percy shared a look with Reyna. He knew who was on the other side. Whatever it was he wanted would not be good. Percy placed his daughter back on the bed and opened the door.

He was tall, standing several inches over Percy. His skin was rubbery, and his ears seemed to mold to the sides of his bald head. His light blue eyes appeared too far apart as they swept across the room before settling on Percy. The figure bowed to Percy before speaking curtly, "Lord Perseus. You are needed."

Percy opened the door further, allowing the god into the apartment. "Delphin," Percy greeted the god of dolphins. "What brings you?"

Delphin looked at the two girls skeptically. "Are they required to be here?"

Percy gave the god an annoyed look. "As the leaders of both camps, they deserve to know what's going on," he told him. Technically he was bending the rules as if it was really about the leaders of camps then he would have brought Jason. "What's going on?"

"Oceanus has made his move and launched an all-out assault against Atlantis," Delphin explained to them. "Your father has requested your assistance. The titan has gathered many monsters and other immortals to his banner."

The other occupants of the rooms straightened in attention. "Oceanus must feel confident in Nyx and Tartarus to be so bold" Percy muttered before approaching the hotel window. "Why would he attack now? Last time he waited until after the war had begun. What does he expect to gain from starting the battle before his allies are even ready for open conflict?"

"Could it have to do with us?" Reyna asked from her place at the table. "Maybe they know we are closing in on Annabeth and have created a diversion to get you away from us. And with the animosity of your father and Zeus it is not like the seas will be receiving help from Olympus."

Percy hummed in thought. "Maybe," he relented before turning back to Delphin. "Tell father I am coming." The god nodded before vanishing promptly in a sea breeze. Percy turned back to the girls and slowly approached them. "I can't just ignore this. I will deal with Oceanus and his armies and then I will track down this Damian. God or not, he will not hide from me."

Reyna gave him a soft smile. "Just be sure to stay safe," she said as she hugged him, her armored form pressing against his.

Percy returned her smile. "Of course," he promised and returned the hug. He then turned to Zoe. "Keep the bag safe, Zoe."

Zoe nodded and rose from her seat. She quickly hugged her father as well. "I love you, Dad. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

Percy chuckled. "All the trouble in the world is worth it for you Zoe, I love you too," he said and kissed the top of her head.