Hi! Just wanted to start off by saying that this is all for fun, and that I do not own any of the materials. Anyways, hope you enjoy this story.
"Okay! Okay! I admit it, I was wrong. We do need that brat of yours, brother." A disgruntled voice sighed, "I'm sorry for constantly trying to kill Perseus; is that what you wanted to hear?" The voice thundered. The man seemed annoyed that he had to swallow his pride and admit he was at fault for his misguided beliefs. Studying the man, he appeared to be well-groomed, in his mid-forties, wearing what seemed to be an expensive striped suit. He gripped a long quarterstaff in his hand that pulsed with power. Oddly enough, the man's eyes blazed with crackling electricity.
Next to the speaker stood a tall, middle-aged man with a surfer tan, wearing a casual Hawaiian T-shirt and cargo pants. The man stands around six-foot-three, with a heavier build. Like the well-dressed man, he was holding a weapon—a trident. "Well… Yes, I did want you to admit that you were wrong for trying to kill my boy at every step of the way, brother. It does put a smile on my face to hear you apologize as well." A second, masculine voice replied in a jaded manner.
"Now I want you to say, 'I'm Zeus, and I'm stupid for trying to kill the only person that could've possibly helped us in this dire situation,'" the second voice continued in a mocking tone, prompting a growl of irritation from the first speaker, Zeus. "I swear, Poseidon, I will smite you with the last of my remaining powers."
"I would like to see you try, little brother." Poseidon shot back.
"Poseidon, Zeus," a third voice perked up, interrupting the duo's squabble, "do you two wish to waste more time arguing like children, or should we prepare the ritual?" The speaker had an almost soothing tone in his voice, unlike the previous two. His voice was much quieter, yet it seemed to carry a sense of authority.
"Hades," Zeus grunted, "glad that you were able to join us. Finally said goodbye to your wife?" Hades chose not to answer Zeus's question as he raised his bony, skeletal-like arm toward the skies. "She's close," Hades stated ominously. Closing his eyes, the ground around the trio began to stir and shake. Slowly, marble pillars erupted from the earth within a sixty-foot radius around Hades.
"Zeus." Hades began but was cut off by Zeus, "Yeah, yeah. I got it." Zeus lifted his quarterstaff as his eyes flared with divine fire. "I—Zeus—lord of the skies and king of the Gods—summon you, Bolothamogg, the watcher from beyond the stars, to serve us one last time."
As he sent his declaration, dark clouds began to coalesce, and dark purple fires sparked into existence above the marble pillars with a thunderous roar, accompanied by a flash of blue-black lightning that struck the center of the ritual circle. In the blink of an eye, a creature appeared where the lightning struck. The creature gathered its surroundings before an insidious maw formed at its base as it spoke, "You who dare summon me, wish for me to do your bidding?" it bellowed aloud.
The three Gods couldn't help but flinch at the disgusting creature. It was seemingly composed purely of flesh, with no structural support; fleshy tentacles were writhing around, trying to grasp at anything and everything. The strangest part was that it had hundreds, if not thousands, of eyes dotted throughout its body—if you can even call it a body.
"We ask for your service one last time, watcher," Hades restated Zeus's initial plea, "to amend our mistakes."
"Interesting." The creature mumbled, "You who ruled without kindness or compassion wish to alter the past so that you can revel in a more favorable future. And what are you willing to sacrifice?"
The three Gods looked at each other, unsure how to answer the creature's question. As they contemplated their options, Poseidon stepped closer to the creature. "If my sacrifice is necessary for my son to live once more, and if it is necessary for us to have another chance at doing things properly, then I shall happily sacrifice my essence." Poseidon declared.
"Poseidon, you…"
"Peace, brother. I have already made up my mind. If this creature seeks a sacrifice for our request, then I am more than happy to oblige."
"I, too, shall give my essence." Hades followed his brother's lead. Poseidon and Hades looked toward Zeus expectantly. Feeling the harsh gaze of his older brothers, Zeus couldn't help but sigh in resignation, "The King of Gods begging for help from an outsider. Fine, I too shall give my essence."
"You Gods, foolish enough to sacrifice the one thing that grants you control over the laws over the fabric of this universe. Fine, I shall grant you your wish." Its voice echoed throughout the desolate lands, resembling that of hundreds of whispers, clawing at each other, as if each were trying to be heard. The hundreds of eyes the creature possessed began to glow simultaneously in a deep, blood-red color as runic markings popped themselves into existence. As the symbols continuously poured from the creature's eyes and maw, they all began to claw their way throughout the ritual circle, grasping at the marble pillars.
"Alright, let's get this over with," Poseidon grumbled in a dejected tone, "before she interrupts our plan."
"It'll be alright, brother. Have faith that this will work." Hades tried his best to comfort Poseidon, "While we may not be there to help Perseus directly, we can arm him for the trials and tribulations he will endure."
"A part of me trusts that Percy will manage to find a way to prevent this from happening, but another part of me fears that against these monsters, he might not stand a chance."
"Brother, as much as I detest that boy of yours, I believe he could go against destiny and free us from this horrible fate." Zeus had his doubts as well, but he knew Poseidon needed reassurance that his son would be able to fight and save them—save the world from the biggest threat they've faced. "Thank you, brothers." Poseidon gave a slight nod as a small smile formed on his lips, "I shall place all my trust in Percy. There's no point in worrying about events that we will never see."
Stepping forward toward the creature, Poseidon cleared his throat as he gripped the trident in his hand. "Percy, my pride and joy. You were everything a father could have wished for, son. You were noble and kind to others, even when they've treated you harshly; even in the darkest of times, you kept your heart pure and remained true to yourself." Poseidon paused for a moment, "When I learned of your death, I was truly devastated. I saw that the world sincerely lost one of the brightest beacons of hope and kindness. I've been given this opportunity to change all of that, and I will not take this for granted. To you, my son, I leave Endbringer in your care for the harsh times ahead. The trident has served me well over the years, and I hope it will serve you well too." A small tear streamed down Poseidon's face as he knelt down, head bowing toward the creature.
Hades and Zeus watched with bated breaths as the tentacles from the formless creature shot toward Poseidon, piercing through his chest. Slowly, Poseidon's body began to glow as a harsh beam of radiant fire erupted from his eyes and mouth before slowly being extinguished as the arcane symbols enveloped Poseidon's entire body. Once the harsh light died down, the trident Poseidon once gripped so tightly clattered to the ground next to a pile of ash.
The two Gods watched as the mound of flesh and tentacles grinned fiendishly as reality itself began to shift and tear around it. "Fantastic! Fantastic!" The creature screamed in amusement, "Shall we continue the fun?"
Taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves, Zeus stepped forward, head held high towards the creature. "Perseus Jackson—son of Poseidon," Zeus started, "though I detest your existence, I must request your aid once again. While it is unbecoming of me to request it this many times; I must make an exception for this dire situation. Perseus Jackson, you shall face an enemy we Gods have failed against. To assist you in this mission, I shall gift you the power to harness lightning. May you use it wisely." Finishing his mini-monologue, Zeus felt a sharp pain erupt from his chest as the world grew bright for a brief moment in time. When the light died, a set of bracers sat above an ash pile.
"I guess it's my turn, huh?" Hades stared toward the location where his two brothers were consumed. Like his two brothers, Hades followed their actions. "Perseus Jackson, when I first met you, I thought you were a pompous and arrogant child seeking attention. When you were twelve, you boldly came into my domain uninvited and then dared to accuse me of stealing my brother's weapon. But I guess ultimately, that is what I liked most about you, kid. Like my brother and your father have said, you will have a rough time ahead of you. Hence, to help you on your journey, I shall gift you the power I hold dearest in my heart; I shall grant you the ability to manipulate the souls of others. May our gifts help you defy the Fates and Destiny." Hades whispered his proclamation. Like his brothers, Hades was promptly consumed by the creature, leaving behind a small ring.
"You three foolish Gods believe you are capable of changing what has already happened, and even more foolish to believe that one mortal is capable of defying the laws of this universe. But this will surely entertain me." The creature laughed, "The boy will buckle under the weight placed on him; his soul razed for the Gods; by the Gods."
"My, my; what an interesting sight to behold. Why is such an ugly creature like yourself doing on this plane of existence?" A feminine voice rang aloud, drawing the attention of the eldritch abomination. Stepping forward, towards the ritualistic pillars; a slender woman in her early thirties with bright golden hair is revealed. Her face was expressionless as she approached the mound of fleshy mass.
"Another guest?" The creature stared back. The Goddess couldn't help but grin in amusement, "Tell me, Goddess, do you also wish to follow these foolish Gods in their attempts to alter history?"
"Gross, it talks." The Goddess remarked, prompting a snarl from the creature, "Yes, yes." The Goddess waved her hand dismissively, "I too shall follow my father in his foolish attempts to alter our history." The Goddess finally answered, "I will sacrifice the essence of luck to help Perseus accomplish this near-impossible task." The Goddess smiled cheerfully; though her eyes betrayed her emotions. Burning with anger and hatred.
"Here I thought your father was an arrogant fool for believing he could exchange his most important asset to alter history. But you, my darling; you take the proverbial cake! You, the Goddess of Luck, the one entity who could manipulate luck to her very whims, willingly wish to exchange it for uncertainty. You Gods are more pathetic than I remembered."
The Goddess merely stood by as the abomination insulted her and her family. "What can I say?" The Goddess shrugged nonchalantly, "We Gods are filled with pride." Keeping the gentle smile on her face, the Goddess stepped closer toward the ritual circle. "So, are you going to keep ranting about how stupid we Gods are, or are you going to accept my offering?"
"I will enjoy watching that smile of yours die as you crumble into nothingness." It growled as the millions of eyes decorating its body simultaneously glared at the blonde Goddess in front of him. "Is that a promise?" The Goddess asked innocently, "You promise you'll watch?"
With an irritated growl, the creature thrusted one of its many tentacles toward the Goddess. The moment it pierced through the Goddess's abdomen, she couldn't help but give an audible gasp of pain. A steady stream of golden blood flowed from her wound and mouth. "No longer laughing, Goddess? Here I thought to give you a painless death, but you, like your kind, couldn't keep your mouth shut." The creature mocked back. Slowly, runic inscriptions began to appear beneath the Goddess's skin; the runes began moving, shifting, and turning as a small portal appeared. "You pathetic Goddess; you dare try to escape our agreement?" The creature growled out, "Not try." The Goddess gave a bloodied smirk, "Already have." The marble pillars began to crumble inward, throwing large chunks of rock toward the creature. The creature howled angrily as many of the marble chunks smashed into it.
"Being the only entity capable of manipulating luck has its perks." The Goddess gave a taunting laugh as she grabbed the tentacle with both of her hands before quickly pulling it out of her. Landing gracefully on her feet, the blonde Goddess dashed toward the items left behind by her father and uncles, ducking and weaving through the hazards in her way. In quick succession, the Goddess grabbed the bracers, the trident, and the ring before sprinting back toward the closing portal.
Stopping above the portal, the Goddess turned back to face the creature one last time, "You 'Elder-Evils' are all the same, you know that? You mock us for being arrogant fools, but you are also the same as us. Maybe learn a little humility, eh?" The Goddess gave a two-finger salute as she allowed her body to fall backward through the portal.
Unbeknownst to the Greek Gods, a cloaked figure had been watching the entire scene unfold atop a cliff overlooking the area. "Heh." The figure snorted, "Another problem to deal with." The person reached into their cloak, pulling out a small metallic box. "I should've known the Aberration would've failed me." The figure sighed. Turning their attention toward the box, the figure slowly slid the cover off, "Since we're here giving out late eulogies—to you, Percy." Dropping the box, the cloaked figure watched as dust poured out of the box. "Go on," the figure commanded, "give Percy all the love in the world." Slowly, the dust began merging together, clumps at first, then it began to take form, shifting and changing into a metallic owl. Once it had taken shape, the owl shot into the skies, flying toward the abomination comprised of flesh and eyes.
"It will be great seeing the champion of Olympus, the savior of the world, raze the world that depends on him so." The figure chuckled, turning away from the cliff's edge. "Annabeth! What happened?" A static-filled voice rang aloud, prompting another sigh from the cloaked figure. Reaching into their cloak a second time, the figure pulled out a small handheld transceiver, "They managed to send the heart of Azathoth through." The figure replied back, "Are you sure?"
"Positive; even so, Percy will never be able to stop us, Luke." A sinister smile formed as the woman lowered her hood, causing a mess of blonde hair to fall out. She had a gorgeous face, but what stood out most were her striking grey eyes. "I hope you enjoy my gift, love." The metallic owl soared through the tumultuous skies, its wings slicing through the dark clouds churned by Bolothamogg's presence.
