AN: New Story! Me and Asdof789 have been cooking this up. I'm tagging him as a co-author cause his ideas are baked into this story too.

This is an idea that simply wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it the Asdof789 started adding stuff too when I pitched it to him. I hope you guy enjoy!

This was probably the weirdest day in Percy's short but lively (read horrifying) demigod career.

That was saying a lot considering he had been to the underworld, turned into a hamster, and killed a lion with space food.

Today took the cake though.

He started off his day by wrestling a homeless god before breakfast. For lunch, lightning struck the car he was riding in (that wasn't an accident), followed by a twilight snack of a rousing (read deadly) game of tag with a hydra. Then for dinner, he had a deathmatch with a Titan while the goddess of the moon was trapped underneath his former burden.

He guessed that was the new normal for his life.

*Thwip*

*Thwip*

Under the cover of arrow fire, Percy stepped in and thrust his sword. The golden dual-tipped javelin effortlessly parried the bronze blade.

"Weak." Atlas sneered at him. "The demigods of yesteryear were way stronger than this!"

Frustrated, Percy aimed a kick at Atlas' chest but found it akin to hitting a brick wall. Thankfully, Atlas couldn't punish the move due to the knife he blocked from impacting his side.

"Don't loseth thy merit," Zoë advised him from his right as the two backpedaled. "That gent wanteth thee to beest fell. Sloppy. Maketh mistakes!"

Percy nodded, only half-understanding Zoe's accent, and then did what he did best: Taunt the enemy.

"Do you enjoy the sound of your own voice that much, or is every Titan a Saturday morning cartoon villain?"

Atlas laughed maniacally as he swept his spear, forcing Percy and Zoë to jump. That left them wide open as a boot connected with Percy's chest, and a backhand to Zoë's face sent them both flying across the top of Mount Othrys.

"Make petty jokes while you can, if anything I should be insulted. Not by your baseless banter and quibble, no. But the fact that the best Olympus can muster against me is a puny son of Poseidon and my disgrace of a daughter."

Percy winced at the callous way Atlus addressed his daughter. Almost imperceptibly, Zoë deflated.

"Now they—" Atlas gestured with his hand to where Thalia and Luke were fighting like demons while lightning crackled around them. "They are worthy additions to the Crooked One's army!"

Percy pushed himself to his feet and glared at the Titan general. His xiphos, Riptide, was clenched so tight in his hand that his knuckles were white. "Like Thalia would ever join you!"

Atlas stomped his foot and the whole mountain shook. Percy had to adjust his footing to keep his balance. "That's not up to you, boy. Time ticks down until her birthday. A birthday that will herald the rebirth of the Titan stronghold. Fate has chosen her to bring an end to the age of the gods, just like it's the fate of you two to die here at my hand."

"Fat chance!"

"Percy!"

Percy ran forward, sword drawn intent on tearing Atlas apart—or die trying. Zoe hastily hurried behind him and together they engaged Atlas in combat again. Percy couldn't help himself. He didn't care if Atlas talked about him all day long, but he drew the line at his friends.

Atlas smirked at the two charging demigods and levied his spear. He effortlessly engaged the two of them and that's when he realized what Zoe was trying to warn him about. He easily blocked and parried every attack they threw at him. At times he even seemed like he was bored with Percy's attempts to attack him. The only thing that kept Atlas somewhat serious was Zoe filling almost every chick of his armor with arrows made of moonlight. Despite his ichor leaking onto the ground, the Titan of endurance kept moving like a sentient bulldozer.

As the fight dragged on, Percy's sword started to feel heavier in his hands and Atlas started to speed up.

For being as big as three Percys stacked on top of each other, Atlas moved as if he were a man who had just shed his heavy armor. Which Percy supposed was accurate as his ADHD eyes glanced toward the moon goddess Artemis.

Speaking of…

Though her face was drenched in sweat she wasn't even looking at him–or at least her lieutenant–fighting for all of their ever-shortening lives. Her silver eyes were trying to look behind her for some reason, but the burden wouldn't even allow her to turn her head. Her lips were curled in a snarl and Percy was reminded of a wolf when something unknown had entered its territory. Was her hair always black or was it just him?

"Eyes forward, Sea Scum!"

With a murderous glee, Atlas capitalized on Percy's momentary lapse in concentration with a wicked thrust that was so powerful it bent the wind around his spear.

"Percy!"

It's too fast to dodge!

At Annabeth's scream, Percy tried to raise his sword to block in a last-ditch effort but found it weighed a million pounds. A brief flash of an angry war god clad in biker gear ran through Percy's mind.

"Your blade will fail you when you need it most."

Damnit… Percy thought to himself. Was this where it ends? He was only fourteen years old. His tombstone would read 'Here lies Percy Jackson: Died because he looked away.'

What a lame death.

Why couldn't it be something cooler, like being snapped away by Thanos in the Infinity War comic? Poof. Turned to dust. Or rescuing Annabeth while a bunch of bombs go off in the background like an action movie or something?

Annabeth.

As the spear headed straight toward his heart, his thoughts turned to the blonde-haired daughter of Athena. It was his fuck up in the first place that caused her to fall over the cliff. Now he wouldn't be able to apologize for not dancing with her back at Westover Hall.

Splash*

Percy blinked. Golden Ichor had splashed across his face and Atlas' spear had pierced the ground right next to him. He looked at the Titan to see he was now missing an index and middle finger.

He felt like the world paused as Atlas looked down at his now incomplete hand. The Titan locked eyes with him and then let out a mighty earth-shaking roar that sent Percy falling on his ass.

"JACKSON!"

Dumbfounded all Percy could do was try to call backwards when Atlas lunged at him.

That's when his day got even weirder, and the green demon rabbit appeared.

BAAM! *

With a sound akin to the time he set off that cannon at the Saratoga Battlefield, a black and red boot impacted Atlas' face sending him sliding across the ruins to where he finally collided with a pillar. The Titan's face alight with shock at being forcibly moved so easily.

Even Thalia and Luke stopped fighting momentarily to stare at the new figure that landed in the middle of the battlefield.

Percy looked up to see he was in a princess carry of one of the most demented figures he could possibly imagine.

He was clad in a raggedy, dirty, worn, green jumpsuit and black and red boots frayed to the point they resembled talons more than shoes. Similarly, the gloves on his hands had the appearance of claws instead of hands. His arms were covered in gnarled, twisted red vambraces.

The most unnerving part about the figure's appearance in Percy's opinion was the mask. Warped, cracked, chipped, stained metal made up a creepy smile. Below a dirty and dingy yellow scarf was wrapped around his neck. Above, eerie green eyes with black sclera stared at him in an unknown emotion. Finally, the cover of his mask elongated into two thin strands giving the impression of rabbit ears. Altogether his wear gave off the impression he crawled out from under a bridge—in Hades.

His savior turned his attention away from him and to Atlas who looked equal parts confused, surprised, and absolutely apoplectic (Take that Annabeth, he knew big words too).

Percy wanted to thank whoever it was but…

"Hey, put me down! I'm not some damsel in distress. Do I look like Princess Peach or Mary Jane Watson to you?!"

Sometimes he couldn't help what he blurted out.

Thankfully he didn't take it personally. His eyes left Atlas and back down to him.

"Are you alright?" He asked. His cadence had a slight lisp as if he wasn't familiar with some of the sounds in the words.

The moment the stranger's eyes left Atlas, the Titan charged but was swiftly interrupted by another gunshot and arrow to his knee making him howl in pain.

"The gunshot did wind, while impressive, wasn't mine own owneth. Who is't art thee?"

"No time to explain!" The figure shouted. Ignoring his injuries, Atlas charged at them once again, this time all the bullets and arrows in the world wouldn't stop his advance.

Thalia raised her weapons ready to assist but found herself quickly occupied by a smiling Luke once more.

"I don't know who you are or where you came from, but I'm totally going to crush you into a grease spot for interfering!"

Percy screamed and tried to wriggle out of the stranger's grasp before they both got flattened.

Green lightning flared around the stranger's body and right when Atlus was about to impact them, the stranger leaped twenty feet into the air!

"What the–!"

"Hold on tight." Percy did as he was told as the stranger performed a flip and brought his leg down in an axe kick. The impact sent a shockwave of wind through the area making Thalia and Luke stumble in their battle.

Unfortunately, Atlas had simply moved his head and allowed his shoulder to take the brunt of the blow. The Titan of Endurance sneered, completely unfazed as he grabbed the stranger by the ankle.

"Even though, I am royally pissed off… I have to admit that wasn't a half-bad kick." Fat veins bulged underneath his purplish skin as he leaned his head in and took a huge whiff of the stranger while keeping him suspended in the air. "I don't smell any of those repugnant gods on you. Tell me, do you feel like joining the winning side?"

"I don't claim to know much about the situation here…" Percy's heart sank. What were the odds this guy would turn on them? Underneath the burden, Artemis stared at the foreign interloper with clear interest. "But I do know you were trying to kill a bunch of kids including your daughter!"

The stranger swung his free leg and kicked Atlas right in the face! Percy took no small amount of joy as he watched his neck snap back and ichor fly from his mouth. Unfortunately, Atlas' body didn't move much, he'd earned his moniker for a reason.

"Then die like the rest of them!"

Atlas twisted his hips and flung them like a discus.

This is the end… Percy thought for the second time that day. They were heading right past the columns and were going to fly right over the edge of the mountain.

"You don't need to worry. I'm here, and I've got you."

Like the green lighting earlier a bunch of black tendrils protruded out of the stranger and latched on to the architecture, both stopping their flight and righting them. The stranger finally set Percy down when they landed on the ground.

"Dude… What are you?" Percy asked, watching the tendrils retreat into the man's back almost as fast as they appeared.

"...I was a hero," he said, his arms lowering. "Now I just want to help who I can…"

"Then help us kick his purple ass back under Hades!"

The stranger nodded and took a fighting pose. Riptide still had yet to return to pocket and the water was too far away for him to manipulate. Not to mention, he didn't want to risk calling Bessie back to the West Coast. He didn't know how much help he could be outside of being a decoy.

Percy then realized the palace was rebuilding itself. They had to beat Atlas ASAP.

He looked at Artemis again and noticed she still wasn't looking at Atlas or Zoe's vain attempt to hold his attention. She was looking directly at the stranger.

The Titan's Curse one must withstand…

Suddenly an idea popped into his head.

"Hey, I have a plan."

The stranger tilted his head to him in interest. "See that woman over there?" He pointed to Artemis. "That's the-"

Shut Up.

For some reason, he got the feeling he shouldn't be explaining this. Like this conversation shouldn't be happening in the first place.

Percy pushed past the feeling and kept talking. "-The Goddess of the Moon. If we free her, she can beat Atlas before this place can fully form. The only problem is someone has to hold up the sky in her place. If you can distract Atlas I can–"

Percy turned his head to see the stranger was already gone. He frantically searched around to see him glowing green and darting past Atlas' furious attacks. He waved his arm and thick pink smoke erupted from his body. Using the opening, he ran past a stunned Zoe, and finally knelt next to Artemis, grabbing the chains next to her wrist.

"Holy shit, he's fast!" Percy exclaimed. "Is he a Hermes kid?!"

—X—

Izuku was basically on autopilot. He had been going for weeks now. He had to keep moving, it was all he knew. The exhaustion was getting to him, he could see the blackness on the edge of his vision, and his muscles screamed under the pressure… but he knew he had a job to do. So, he would do it.

He activated Fa-Jin and combined with Danger Sense, he avoided being grabbed by the purple guy in the military suit and golden armor.

"He's like a bear trying to swat at bees!" Banjo said in his head, trying not to laugh.

"I don't think you have room to talk…" En replied.

"Stay focused…" Kudo advised him gruffly. "Goddess or not, freeing the woman is our objective."

Izuku mentally nodded and released Smokescreen to create an opening. He bounced off the man's arm and the moment his feet touched the ground he darted past the shouting dark-haired girl with the bow. Within a second or two, he was in front of the woman with the auburn hair and silver eyes. She glared at him in pure venom even though she was straining under the burden of the sky.

"Ιαπωνικά…" She spat at him through clenched teeth.

Izuku reached out to try and grab the manacles around her wrist but then the woman growled. "Don't touch me male scum."

Izuku ignored her as he grabbed the chain. Danger sense didn't go off, so he saw no need to worry. "I'm just here to help. Nothing more."

He summoned fifty-five percent Full Cowling and yanked the chain, the metal easily snapping like a cheap paperclip. He then did the same for the ones around her feet.

"I'll take the sky."

"You do not know what you're getting into, boy," she said as if the word boy was the worst insult she could come up with. "The burden will kill a mortal like yourself. Especially one who reeks of death like you."

Izuku stood beside her. He took her words seriously and saw the genuine concern past the tough façade she put up. He was well aware he was already on the brink. "Wouldn't be the first time I've faced my own death."

Artemis stared at him in wonder but then relented with a half sigh. "Let the fates be my witness that I tried."

"I hope you know what you're doing, kiddo… Good luck, we're with you." Nana wished him well one last time. He wasn't exactly on the best of terms with the vestiges, but he appreciated the sentiment.

Izuku took a deep breath, got down on one knee, and reached his hands up to the sky. He didn't know what to expect when the Jackson kid said his plan, but he marveled when his hands physically felt the soft but heavy and firm clouds.

"Hgnh!" Izuku managed to muffle his grunt as he and Artemis held the sky together. The force was heavier than anything he ever endured so far. It felt even heavier than trying to force Muscular or Shigaraki back home.

Then Artemis slipped out from next to him and went to join the battle.

He couldn't stop the grunt from escaping his throat as the weight increased a thousandfold!

His body immediately tensed when the weight of the entire sky bore down on him. His vision turned blurry from both the strain and his previous exhaustion. He couldn't even describe how heavy it was. He instantly shifted to one hundred Full Cowling. Electricity poured off him as he used Blackwhip to brace his bones. Even still, he could feel himself start to sink into the ground.

"Ninth! Keep… going!" In a herculean effort, he looked beside him to see the familiar figure of Yoichi next to him on one knee, also holding his hands up and his skinny body struggling underneath the burden.

First?!

"Always… beside you." Izuku looked to his other side to see Kudo also bearing the weight.

"Meant… it!" Bruce added behind him.

"Grrr…" Hikage let out an animalistic but supportive growl.

"Light… work…together!" Banjo had the nerve to laugh after having to force out every word.

"Speak… for yourself!" En said in disagreement.

"Never alone…" Nana reassured him.

Every time one of the vestiges joined him, he could feel the sky lighten just a little bit. He could even feel All Might's unwavering support giving him the strength he needed to endure.

Izuku strained to see what was happening on the battlefield. Artemis was going toe-to-toe with the titan. The Titan swung his massive arms in endless lariats. Artemis proved too fast for him, she slashed at him using a pair of twin silver knives she pulled from her sleeves, spilling his golden blood as she shifted between different animals. Izuku absently wondered what their quirks were.

Every attempt Atlas made to reclaim his spear to even the playing field was met with either a new gunshot wound courtesy of his partner, or a volley of arrows from the girl who fought with Artemis.

Over by the edge, the girl with the spiky black hair and shield slowly but surely overwhelmed the man with the blonde hair and scar.

Percy ran over to attend to another girl who was shouting for the dueling pair to stop.

"Get ready."

If he could, Izuku would have flinched at hearing a voice from another living person in his mind. That hadn't happened to him since the last time he saw Mandalay…

"Focus!"

Kudo's shout brought his attention back to the fight. Artemis traded her knives for a bow, and she was using the titan's head for target practice. Atlas brushed it off and kept swinging, Danger Sense pinged in Izuku's head, and he knew something bad was about to happen.

"No matter how many times you shoot, stab, or kick me, I'll always get back up! God, demigod, or mortal, none of you peons are a match for me!" Atlas laughed as he flexed his biceps and ejected both the arrow and hair from his body.

"Yeah, you sound real tough while you had that arrow sticking out of your brain like a unicorn! At least then you'd have an excuse for being a dumbass."

"Oh, Jackson… I have a special punishment in mind for you," Atlas chuckled as he reared his gigantic fist back and glared at Artemis. "But be patient for once in your life and allow me to deal with this bitch first before I get to the rest of you maggots."

Artemis snarled at the insult and rage clouded her features.

Izuku knew the trick that was coming. Kacchan had used it on him too many times to count after the trial exercise.

Atlas threw a big telegraphed right punch that Artemis dodged. However, it was a feint. Atlas quickly crouched down and did an expert kickboxing leg sweep that knocked the woman down.

"No!"

The girl with the bow ran forward in defense. To Izuku it was like a trainwreck in motion. The girl shot an arrow that went right into Atlas' mouth. He roared and then crunched down on the arrow like a potato chip. The huge man then reared his arm back for what everyone knew was a death blow. The girl had closed her eyes in anticipation.

"DIE!"

"BANG*

Just like Percy, the girl found herself covered in golden blood. On the ground, Atlas' hand twitched still clenched in a fist.

Artemis was the only person not frozen in shock. She grabbed the nearby javelin and pulled back using it like a springboard. She launched herself right into Atlas' spine and sent him flying right towards Izuku!

Izuku went limp and allowed Atlas to send him flying the moment he smacked into him. The vestiges returned to his body as he sailed through the air. He weakly smiled as he saw the Titan be crushed under the burden and scramble to stand up without the use of a hand.

He turned his gaze and saw he was about to fall off the mountain. Atlas had smacked into him too hard.

Damn… I'm too tired to use Float. And there's nothing to grab with Blackwhip.

"I've got you."

He felt a soft impact as a pair of arms wrapped around his midsection. He tilted his head up and found himself staring at Lady Nagant's brilliantly purple eyes. Even though she had grown it out over the past two weeks, she was still missing a good chunk of hair, having used it as ammunition.

"My eyes and your legs are a pretty devastating combination, ain't it?" She said softly as she bore the brunt of his body weight against her shoulder.

Izuku struggled to keep his eyes open now that everything was hopefully over. "Yeah. I told you…You were always a Hero."

"Don't sell yourself short, you were great out there too. Not many could say they held the literal fucking sky." She huffed realizing Izuku's body was losing its tension, and his breathing was becoming slower. Unconsciously, Blackwhip wrapped around her arms and body restraining her quirk for the most part. It made her feel safe per their arrangement.

"You never make things easy, do you? Always putting me and my requests first." she muttered, knowing the teen could no longer hear her. She shifted her legs awkwardly as she tried to get off her air platform and back onto the mountain. It was the worst three-legged race imaginable, but she'd manage. They had so far, and they'd continue to do so. "But I guess that's what makes you… My Hero."

Below them the monsters were starting to swarm, some looked like the legends she'd heard of as a little girl, but others seemed utterly inhuman.

Nagant smiled at the knocked-out teen. "You really picked a good time to pass out, huh?"

—X—

Percy was trying to hold a screaming Annabeth back, trying to keep her from laying into Thalia. The daughter of Zeus had used the distraction of Atlas' defeat to knock Luke off the mountain.

Percy had tried to reason with her, but that had only made it worse.

"He—He made his choice, Annabeth," Thalia said, still white as a sheet, tears starting to fall down her face.

"Bullshit! Both of you want him dead, that's what it is!"

Percy flinched back, it was rare to hear Annabeth angry enough to swear. He pulled both girls back from the ledge to keep them from looking at Luke's broken form.

"Kill them!"

The trio looked to see that at the foot of the mountain monsters were using each other as literal stepping stones to get to them. A giant reached down, grabbed a dracaena, and tossed her up.

"We need to get moving!" Percy was the first to react, dashing towards Artemis who was attending to Zoe who was down on the ground. Behind him, Thalia shouted as she shot a lightning bolt that vaporized the dracaena who reached the plateau.

When he reached the goddess, her head jerked up at him in surprise, her face almost as ashen and grief-stricken as the girls. Zoe was in her arms, her parka missing. She was still breathing, and her eyes were open, but it did nothing to ease the bad feeling he had.

"The wound is poisoned."

Percy racked his brain at the goddess' words. He didn't remember Zoe taking a hit he hadn't as well.

Artemis saw his expression and moved her arm away from Zoe's side. Percy's eyes widened as he took in the chunk of flesh missing from her side festering pink and yellow. He had completely forgotten about her fight with the Drakon earlier.

Red lines were running up her side and toward the rest of her body. Percy didn't have the most medical knowledge but even he knew the signs of poison spreading.

"We can't just sit here, we have to get her help!"

No one moved at Percy's words. Annabeth and Thalia were still shell-shocked. Artemis herself was frazzled over Zoe's condition and the green stranger was knocked out in a woman's arms.

When did she get there?

That wasn't important. No one was in the condition for an extended fight.

Down below other monsters mimicked what the giant had done.

Atlas, having got to his feet somehow and shifted the burden to his back, deeply laughed at him. "A foreigner's interference prevented me from killing you, but it seems you shall die either way!"

Percy was tempted to take Riptide and stab the guy in his purple bastard face. "Seriously, do you ever shut the hell up?!"

Percy was certain they'd met their doom right there but then a second miracle happened.

"Get away from my daughter you bastards!"

A Sopwith Camel swooped out of the night sky! The machine guns on the wings rotated at full speed as they unleashed their payload into the monster's assault.

"Mr. Chase!"

"Holy shit!"

"Nice guns!"

"Dad?!"

"Like hell, I'll let her end up as a monster's dinner!" Dr. Chase jammed his finger on the fire button and quickly turned the incoming army into a sand bar you'd see at the beach

If he had money on him, Percy would have paid all of it plus the clothes on his back to keep looking at Annabeth's completely red face. If only he had a way to take a picture.

Dr. Chase banked his plane for a second strafe and leaned his head out of the plane. "Run!"

His order shocked everyone out of their stupor, the gravity of the situation falling on them. Artemis plucked the hunting horn off Zoe's waist and blew it, its sound echoing through the valley.

While they waited, Dr. Chase completed another pass. He expertly avoided javelins and giant swipes as he continued to wreak devastation on Kronos' forces.

"Wait–Are his bullets made of Celestial Bronze?"

"A brave man," Artemis said with begrudging respect, her eyes slipping to the unconscious stranger too.

"Is that really my dad…?"

"Believe it Owl Head," Percy said maliciously as he lightly elbowed Annabeth. "Let's call this revenge for all those embarrassing baby stories you asked my mom."

"Oh, this doesn't even compare," She replied with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Percy's smile fell as realized the surprise wouldn't last forever. The monsters were already rearranging themselves into formations.

Just then the moonlight beside them coalesced into a silver chariot descending from the sky, drawn by twelve immaculate deer.

"Get in," Artemis ordered.

Annabeth ushered Thalia on board while Percy helped Artemis with Zoe after wrapping her in a blanket. Artemis grabbed the reins, yet they still hadn't taken off.

Percy blinked and looked behind them to see the woman and the stranger were still there, the former staring at them impassively. "They helped us, we have to help them," he said, breaking the silence. "I can't just leave them to die."

"My sister was right," Artemis started. "Loyalty is your fatal flaw."

Percy was about to argue with her, but she raised her hand and stepped off the chariot. "But in this case, you are right. The boy freed me and put his trust in me blindly. I owe him at least this much."

Percy nodded and together they went over to the duo. The moment they reached him he saw they were tethered together by the same mysterious black stuff that had saved him earlier.

"Nice of you to offer us a rescue," The woman greeted. That's when Percy noticed aside from being quite beautiful, her hair was purple and pink. "Personally, I was quite ready to die. He doesn't deserve it though."

Artemis raised an eyebrow but grabbed the woman by the arm. "I assume you are the sniper, yes?"

The woman allowed herself to be pulled up, the black stuff extending between them, but not uncovering her arms. "Guilty as charged." She tilted her head at the masked man Percy was having a hell of a time trying to support. "Mr. Hero here wanted to meddle, so I thought I'd give him a hand this time."

Percy groaned as he half dragged the man who saved his life to the chariots. "What… is this guy made of…?"

The woman cackled as they got onboard, Annabeth and Thalia looking at them with wonder. "Would you buy it if I told you he's malnourished and he's lighter than he's ever been?"

"No, I wouldn't," Percy deadpanned as he placed the guy sitting up against the wall of the chariot. His yellow backpack would have probably been very awkward to lay on. He learned that lesson the hard way in the back of a truck heading to Las Vegas a year and a half ago.

"I understandably have questions," Artemis said, as she willed the chariot into the sky. Dr. Chase, seeing them safely leave, turned his biplane and followed close behind them like an honor guard.

"I have them too," Percy said. His ADHD brain was split between the mysterious duo and the fact he was currently riding on what amounted to Santa Claus's sleigh.

"What's there to ask?" The woman threw her hands up helplessly which to Percy looked quite funny since they resembled TV censor bars. "Damn fool would barely eat anything. Kept giving me his food. On top of that, he refuses to steal to survive."

"That raises more questions." Annabeth and Thalia said at the same time.

"Let's start with a name," Artemis asked first.

"In the field, they call me Lady Nagant."

"A homage to Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko," Artemis nodded appreciatively. "I see. A fine warrior."

"Who?"

"A Soviet sniper with over 300 confirmed kills during World War II, Percy," Annabeth informed him. It was nice to have her back. "They called her 'Lady Death'."

"And the rabbit over here?" Thalia lightly tapped the man with her foot.

Lady Nagant paused, unsure of what to say. "His field name is Deku."

"Like a Deku scrub from The Legend of Zelda?"

"Far from it…" The four of them waited for her to elaborate, but she never did.

"That's enough for now," Artemis said grimly. "We can question her later, we have to make a stop for now."

—X—

Percy stared up at the night sky Riptide in hand. The stars were out in full force and with them the constellations. But tonight marked the debut of a new one:

Zoe the Huntress.

She had succumbed to the poison and her had honored her by gifting her a place among the stars. Her bow now pointed north as their guiding light.

"It's not your fault you know," Thalia said as she stood beside him, wiping her face from a fresh round of tears.

Over by the airstrip of Crissy Field, Annabeth, and her dad were talking animatedly with Lady Nagant about World War II stuff he couldn't fathom to wrap his brain around. He was just happy they were taking her mind off Luke. At the sniper's feet, Deku snored peacefully like an oversized marionette that had its strings cut–or not judging by the black tether that connected him to Nagant.

"I know," he said mournfully. The top of Mt. Tamalpais raged with thunder and lightning in the distance. For once it wasn't related to Zeus. "Still sucks."

A moment of silence passed by them before Thalia decided to speak again. "What do you think of those two?" She gestured to Nagant and Deku.

Grateful for the subject change, Percy shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. He saved my life so he can't be all bad."

"It also helps that the woman is a looker. Especially the boobs and hips," Thaila supplied, nudging him in good nature and cupping her own chest. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."

A small smile formed on Percy's lips. He's a teen in puberty. Sue him for having eyes that worked. "I admit… She's very beautiful–If you tell Annabeth I said that, I'll kill you."

Thalia pantomimed a zipper on her mouth. "My lips are sealed."

"Why do you think Artemis is so interested in them anyway?" he mused.

Zeus's daughter folded her hands behind her head. "Beats the hell outta me. I won't pretend to know what goes on in a god's mind."

"Still. Artemis told them to wait at Camp Half-Blood. They can't be normal by any means."

"What gave it away?" Thalia asked sarcastically. "The weird hair color or the black plasma that's currently connecting them, which, by the way, you can't cut."

Percy cringed in embarrassment. He had tried to separate the two, but his sword had bounced back as if he had put a stick on a rubber band. He wanted to try again, but Nagant had called him off, a wry smile on her face.

"You don't have to be a dick about it."

"I enjoy busting your balls, Seaweed Brain."

"How could I ever forget? You and Annabeth both."

"We don't want you to."

Then they heard the whoosh of four sets of Pegasus wings.

"Hey, boss!" Blackjack's voice played in his mind. "I'm glad you survived without me!"

"Glad to see you too, buddy!" Percy said happily as Blackjack pushed his muzzle into Percy's body.

"I heard through the grapevine that you and your friends needed a ride, so I brought Guido, Chizuru, and Porkpie with me."

Percy didn't hesitate to get on Blackjack's back. "Yeah, we need to get to Olympus as fast as we can!"

"That's what I was told; take you three to Olympus and the two weird people to Camp."

He nodded, brought two fingers to his mouth, and blew. The shrill whistle got everyone's attention and within a minute or two and a teary goodbye between Annabeth and her father, they were each on a different pegasus. The sole exception was Nagant and Deku, who were together on Chizuru's back.

"What does this boy eat!? He feels like nine people at once!" The mare whinnied in complaint.

"Now you know how I felt when I had to give that cyclops a ride…" Guido neighed in sympathy.

Percy kicked Blackjack's side, and they took off, the other three following closely. Soon, the entirety of the bay area was a cluster of gleaming specks behind them. Percy snorted at Thalia who almost immediately joined Deku in falling asleep, both of them slumped against the mane of their respective horses. He wondered… Wasn't it past midnight on the East Coast? If so, that meant Thalia was already sixteen.

He allowed himself to glance at the sleeping girl, then to Deku and Nagant. So many questions. He had the feeling his life just got a lot more complicated.

"Next stop… Olympus," he muttered to himself as Annabeth and Porkpie strode up next to him.

"Happy birthday."

Percy took a seat on the ledge at Thalia's other side and handed a cupcake to both her and Annabeth.

"Stupid Olympus time…" Thalia grumbled as she passed the plate to Annabeth trying not to look outward. The silver and blue frosting stuck to her hand when she pulled the muffin wrapper off.

Percy's theory had proven true. By the time they had gotten back to New York, it was well past midnight. Thalia had reasoned that because she was born in California it wasn't her birthday yet, but Zeus and Apollo had pointed out in return that since Olympus was the subject, the time on Olympus itself was what mattered.

Annabeth scraped some frosting off the top with her finger and licked it. "I wouldn't complain if I were you, You're no longer the subject of a potentially world-ending prophecy."

"Whoo, go me," Percy lamely pumped his arm after sticking the number 16 cupcake pin in his mouth like a pacifier. "I feel so special now…"

"Sorry…" Annabeth said, looking away sheepishly.

"It's not your fault, Wise Girl. I'll take one for the team if it means Thalia gets to enjoy her life for once."

Thalia deflated and stared at her cupcake as if she was trying to determine the best way to attack it. "You're too nice for your own good. Anyone ever told you that?"

"Yeah," Percy admitted, suckling on the pin. "But I can't help it when it comes to the people I care about."

Thalia's cheeks turned red, and she refused to meet their eyes. "Neither of you plan on making this easy, do you?"

"Nope."

"Nada."

"You two suck. I had this whole big plan of joining the hunters. I'd remove myself from the prophecy and I wouldn't be a burden on you two anymore. You wouldn't have to worry about me turning on you."

Annabeth set her half-eaten cupcake to the side and hugged the older girl, putting her chin on her shoulder. "You'll never be a burden to us."

"You're stuck with us, Pinecone Face. We're in this together," He rustled the pin around in his mouth, "Come Hades or high water. Probably both in our case."

Thalia eyed Percy suspiciously. He was about to ask what was wrong when she yanked the pin out of his mouth and threw it over the edge.

"Hey!" Percy cried. He extended his hand, helplessly watching the piece of plastic fall below the snow clouds and into the New York City skyline.

"You look ridiculous with that shit in your mouth. You're not a baby."

Annabeth sighed in relief, letting go of Thalia. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking that. Thank the gods you did it, or I might have had to."

"Littering is punishable by a fine, you know?"

"Shove it up your ass, Seaweed Brain."

The three then broke into a round of laughter. The night seemed just a little bit brighter to Percy now that they were back together. He spied the muses, including Thalia's namesake, setting up the music and party favors in the courtyard. He could've sworn he heard the first couple of notes from 'Every Breath You Take' play from the speakers. He tapped his fingers on his elbow as he plucked up the courage to say what he needed.

"Um… After the gods finish talking—Would the both of you like to dance with me? I figure I owe you two at least that after I fucked up at Westover Hall."

Annabeth and Thalia glanced at each other and an unspoken agreement passed between them that Percy couldn't decipher.

"We accept!" Annabeth said as both girls nodded their heads in confirmation.

The smile that formed on Percy's face could have turned night to day. It then dimmed when he realized the gods were still talking. Even now, he could hear Athena laying out plans. Annabeth read his face and shot him a sympathetic look.

"I don't think anything bad is going to happen to Deku and Lady Nagant."

"Like they totally didn't just vote to kill me fifteen minutes ago…"

Thalia caught the mood and laced her arm around Percy's. "I think they're more curious than they are hostile right now."

"My mom mentioned Odysseus. I think they want to question them before they come to any decisions."

"All we can do is hope you took the aggro off most of the aggression, Percy…"

—X—

Zeus rubbed his hand down his face. Athena's tangents were normally the longest part of the solstice meetings which is why he saved her for last. He thought he'd gotten her out of the way before the demigods showed up.

He was sorely mistaken.

After they finished talking about what to do with Poseidon's son, the second revelation of the events in California was made known.

His other daughter, Artemis, had apparently picked up two stray mortals. Not just any mortals, or even the rarer clear-sighted ones, but ones with weird powers and unidentifiable origins. That sparked another debate on what to do with them.

Ares wanted to put them in a gladiator arena to fight for their lives.

While Artemis had a grudging respect for the man, she was more interested in the woman for reasons she wouldn't share.

His wife, Hera, wanted to marry one of them off as a pre-emptive attempt to build a diplomatic bond. He would have considered it if she wasn't trying to marry off his daughter. A thinly veiled attempt at revenge he quickly shut down.

His son, Hermes, was interested in the story of how they got there. 'And steal their gear' went unsaid by the rest of the council.

Hephaestus, Demeter, Dionysus, and Aphrodite remained ambivalent. The latter was seemingly more interested in his daughter, Athena's daughter, and Poseidon's son talking on the ledge. He suppressed a shiver.

Hades and Hestia remained silent though they exchanged looks every so often.

In a rarity, Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena's interests had aligned with Artemis'. They opted for giving them a chance to speak before flaying them or letting them be. Zeus suspected his brother, and son had done it out of obligation for the stranger's deeds.

However, that didn't stop Athena from filibustering them. Within ten minutes most of them were ready to fall asleep.

"Okay, okay… You've made your point, my daughter," Zeus said, stopping her tirade. Athena made her clipboard vanish "You, Apollo, and Artemis are to report to Camp Half-Blood as soon as the boy wakes up. I'll leave the decision to you three."

"Hey, but what about—"

Zeus cut off Ares with a clap of thunder which also caused Demeter to drop her box of Special K Chocolate Delight Cereal. She glared at him. He wondered if he should risk trying to smooth things over later.

"The matter is resolved. Let the festivities begin!"

He vanished in a flash of lightning, not giving Hera the chance to corner him about his daughter's survival.

He saw a brief image the moment his daughter started talking.

Fate had a strange way of moving.

He needed to turn as much of a blind eye as he could to the affairs of those two mortals. If the others got involved with them? Fine. But he wouldn't involve himself more than the standard decree as king of the land.

To neither kill nor save as the old adage went.

Any interference from him would attract unwanted attention they couldn't afford.

Mount Othrys was a more pressing concern anyway.

AN: A bit too close to canon for my liking with my current writing style but it's necessary before we get to divergence. Me and Asdf0789 have spitballed some ideas though. I have to do some reading before I put it in action.

But…I still got to mess with the dialogue(Age it up baby!) and cut out the ancillary stuff like Percy and Annabeth chatting and the majority of Zoe's death scene, so It wasn't all bad.

Speaking of… sorry guys, Zoe still dies here. If it wasn't Atlas, the poison would have killed her. Atlas sped things along in canon. Either way, she would've "died by a parent's hand".