Two years. That's how long he'd stayed in Alaska after meeting Void. The immortal visited him daily, helping him train, experiment with his powers and test his limits in different fields. After the training they would occasionally sit down and Percy had asked the elder god many things, clarification about his past, information about his loved ones and sometimes just things he was curious about and wanted to know. Void on the other hand was usually quick to answer, only denying him insight on a few specific topics that he claimed were either taboo or simply not yet for him to know about.

His mental and emotional state had also improved by leaps and bounds to the point where it was almost surreal. He hadn't fully recovered by any means and although he was reluctant to admit it even to himself, he knew that some of the things that happened to him might scar him for a long time forward, but he was able to breathe more freely and his mind was much more at ease than it used to be. Many demons he had carried on his back were now but shadows of a darker past and he was truly glad for that.

Percy sighed. He hadn't noticed at first but Alaska was truly beautiful. Because he lived outside any of the towns he was surrounded by nature from all sides. Now that he paid it some attention, the clean air, the silence of the world without humans in it and the beauty of nature in particular during the peak of winter had all but ensnared him. Or maybe it was the immediate association with his recovery.

A loud snap interrupted his musing as he spotted a giant a little less than a mile away. Another thing snow was good for, the Laistrygonian could have lit a flare and it wouldn't have become any more obvious to spot given how its red vest contrasted the white surroundings. Percy took a deep breath, stretching out his senses towards the giant and latching onto the snow before freezing it. His custom icicle was still hidden behind a fine layer of snow, ready to shoot out at a moment's notice. And that moment came all too soon as a mere lapse in concentration was all it took for the giant to be impaled by the frozen weapon, collapsing in a heap of dust before even hitting the ground.

Void had shown him this particular trick. He had tried freezing water before but had found it terribly difficult, presumably because the sea he was drawing his power from simply didn't freeze. But Void had shown him that he didn't need to cool the water to freeze but could also just compress it for the same result. Though he also said to try and keep the technique to cold weather, something about bad scaling in efficiency. Percy had to admit, science was quite useful at times like these. Not useful enough for him to want to study specifics but useful.

A light frown covered his face, a sign of worry. The Laistrygonian earlier may have been on his own but it had been his tenth kill of the day, yesterday he had killed 25 and the day before that 21. Compared to his early days here where killing 5 per day was a lot there were definitely more monsters now. It was always a bad sign when monsters became more common, especially the likes which attacked normal humans too.

On his way back he already spotted Void, waiting in front of his home like he did every time he came around. There seemed to be a change in the gods' eyes though he wasn't quite confident enough to pinpoint what it was exactly. Still something was different and he was sure of that. "What happened?"

A small frown appeared on the gods' face as he continued to look at him before finally breaking eye contact and mentioning for them to head inside. "Let's sit down first. This will likely take a while." With that he went inside, not really waiting for Percy to respond or agree. The latter followed behind him and took a seat as he was told. Void was often very direct with things but he tended to have a good grasp and be right quite often too.

"You'll have to leave here soon." Percy almost physically recoiled at the statement. That was much more far-reaching than he had anticipated. "You can technically stay longer but a threat is coming towards Olympus and if you want to have a good chance at handling it without losing more friends along the way you'll have to go back in the next couple days."

Well, that was shit. Very shit. So shit in fact that Percy found himself speechless. "You also noticed the increase in monsters, no? That isn't just a coincidence and their numbers will keep increasing for at least a dozen more years until they are impossible to reign in for the demigods."

Void looked at him and waited for a reaction. He had just dropped quite a bomb after all and Percy's gut was telling him that this was still far from everything. He hated his gut right now. But after a moment he got himself back together. Given what Void had told him, he could do something about this mess. "How do I stop that?"

"Short version: Kill Tartarus. You saw him a few years ago when he was starting to regain consciousness and he's getting closer and closer to waking up. Fortunately for you, his main self is chained up just above the entrance to Chaos dominion so he can't come up himself but he'll win all the same if he just keeps sending monsters to slowly get rid of the mortals and demigods until it's safe for the giants to finish the job. Kill him and this ends."

A second bomb. Great, he liked being told that the personification of terror, who also happened to hate him a lot, was waking up. A sudden thought crossed his mind, an idea that sent shivers down his spine. "It was him, wasn't it? The one that whispered to the campers…that was Tartarus"

Void simply nodded, confirming his suspicion. The god had told him long ago that the campers' actions had been spurred on and reinforced by some deity with a grudge against him whispering in their ears. While Void had also made sure to mention that they had never been enchanted or mind-controlled or anything, he still felt sick to his core at the new revelation. "Why?" That was all he could bring up. He wasn't a threat to the primordial so why go that far?

"Pride. You wounded him at the core of his domain and that hurt his pride immensely." He wanted to scream at the answer but he had seen it one too many times to really be surprised. Ares had cursed him in the middle of a war for their survival due to his pride after all…

Still, his 'wounding' of the primordial had been a small scratch on his leg that he managed to land because Damansen kept his father locked in place. And even then he had been launched through the room right after he landed his hit. He hadn't matched Tartarus at all, just gotten in a cheap hit.

"So how do I kill him? I fought him before and I don't think I can even put a scratch on him."

At this Void's eyes became a little downtrodden, a shadow falling over his face. "You'll need power. A lot of it. I can tell you where you can obtain that but… that'll have to wait until you make the more imminent choice how you wish to combat the pit. Will you return to Olympus or will you fight him without getting in contact with them?"

This time he thought for a little longer. He knew he'd be in trouble initially once he returned but he also knew that he wanted to see his friends again. "I'll go back there. I know it might be a little difficult but I want to see them again…my family…"

The word itself felt foreign to him, like he only now discovered what it was. Had it not been for Void he likely wouldn't have used it for much longer seeing as it took the gods' reminder for him to realize that he had exaggerated his memory of betrayal to include some people that weren't there.

While he was lost in thought, Void gave him a small nod before speaking again. "That leaves you with three big issues to address…how do you beat Tartarus, how do you deal with the fallout his death would cause and how do you deal with your fiance?"

Three bombs. He had a fiance. Of course, sure he did. He didn't remember having one but what was life without surprises, right? He had to mentally slap himself to stop the string of curses and loathful thoughts inside of him. "Since when did I have a fiance exactly? I'm pretty sure those don't just appear"

Maybe a little bit of loathing was still there. Or a decent bit given he had heard it even through his own voice. He knew by now that Void didn't mind him showing emotions, even if they were on the ugly side.

"You remember the entire talk about you having to marry Artemis, right? For peace and union and all that play pretend reasoning that Zeus pulled out his arse? They betrothed you without having you there after you disappeared on them."

"...they WHAT? How the fuck is that even possible? Which senseless idiot allowed that?" Screw restraint, why the heck did that have to happen to him. His life was a mess already but a fixable one. Now it was a trainwreck about to explode. Why did anyone think it was a good idea to marry him, or anyone for that matter, to the goddess famous for her hatred of romantic relationships? Did Zeus think?

A hand firmly grasped his shoulder, pulling him out of his inner rant. And out of his body. His soul detached from his body and after seeing only black for a moment he reappeared on…Olympus? It was definitely the throne room but it looked…crude? No, it looked old. Less modern. Less fancy. A look outside told him why. He was on greek Olympus. On the actual mountain. He looked around to find Void anywhere, ready to jump him once he got his hands on him. Yet he couldn't spot the god anywhere and before he could dwell on that more a bright, silver flash filled the room.

In its center stood Artemis, leaning on Apollo for support as they walked to their thrones which, apparently, had been next to each other back then. A golden flash from Apollo's palm called forth the remaining gods but his eyes were stuck on Artemis. She looked worse than he had ever seen her before, worse than when Zoe had died. Her eyes had what he could only call a soulless look, her face was marred with lines he knew came only from despair and crying and her posture…she looked defeated. Like her hope had been taken and squashed, leaving nothing but emptiness behind.

His focus on her only wavered slightly when his father flashed in, his rage palpable enough to make him snap around and look at him wide-eyed. Poseidons' face was radiating hatred and his entire posture, particularly his iron grip on his trident, signaled how willing he was to just kill whoever had pissed him off. Yet even he faltered as he laid eyes on Artemis. What was initially a glare had now turned into more of a wary and uncertain stare. At that moment Apollo spoke up.

"Father, uncle, Olympians, I called you here to explain myself what happened between my sister and Orion. I ask you to please let me finish and-"

His mind droned out Apollo as he started retelling the tale of his half-brother. Now it made sense why Artemis looked like that. He was viewing the Olympian meeting right after Orion had died, right after Artemis found out about what he had done and planned to do. And it also explained his father's anger at the death of one of his children. The only thing it didn't explain was why Void sent him here. He could think of some options but all of them involved things he just didn't want to think about. He didn't want to be a destined husband to Artemis and he'd go murder the Fates with his own damn hands if he was.

"That is outrageous! Poseidon, how dare your son lay his hands on my daughter and her hunt!"

Zeus fury brought him back to the vision. Unlike the many meetings he had borne witness to, this time his father lacked a response and simply bowed his head. "I'm sorry, brother. And I'm sorry Artemis for the pain my own flesh and blood has caused you…I truly am."

His father looked even more dejected than he had ever seen him, including after his mother had died. Knowing that a child of his had become such a monster was eating him up and Percy wasn't the only one able to tell that. Zeus could too.

"We need to make sure that no such thing can ever occur again. Poseidon, your children shall be banned from any demigod settlement henceforth and-"

"Don't you dare, brother", his father's voice had dropped to a whisper, deadly and enraged "Don't you dare use this for your stupid politics" He could sense the tension in the air, Poseidons' very aura silencing him and anyone else in the room. Anyone but Zeus.

"We cannot simply risk this event repeating itself, brother. Your child has harmed not just Artemis and her hunt but the very foundation of our immortal family and I will not allow that to ever happen again."

His eyes brushed past the twins as he looked between his father and Zeus and he could feel pity swell up within him. Every word the two brothers uttered was making the moon goddess flinch, her face now a mask of hurt and pain so vastly different from anything he had seen her wear before. Apollo was trying to calm her down, to comfort her but he was also visibly holding himself back from lashing out at his father and uncle who were continuing to argue about the consequences of this event. It was only a matter of time until someone would snap. And that someone was Artemis.

"Enough! Stop this stupid argument! Orion-" Artemis paused once, swallowing as she said his name out loud. "He's dead already. Father, if there is ever a son of the sea that needs to be put down again, that threatens Olympus or any of its citizens, then I shall do my utmost to do what must be done and kill them, that I swear on the river Styx. But until then, please let peace exist between the demigods."

A low rumble in the background signified the acknowledgement of her oath and Zeus, silent for a moment, nodded his head now, accepting his daughter's wish. "Very well, I shall do as you asked, Artemis. In that case, let us end this meeting here. Rest now, daughter."

His vision turned black once more before he returned to his home, once more looking not at the Olympian council but at Void sitting opposite of him. "What was that?" He had no idea why he just watched this scene.

"Her oath is the reason you're getting married. Artemis might have intended for it to only include the likes of Orion, rapist and murderers that she'd have no qualms killing in response, but she made it to Zeus and so what 'needs to be put down' is for your uncle to decide. He had her kill two demigods of Poseidon before. The first one was around 2500 years ago, the second a millenia ago. When she was sent after the first one, she used the ancient laws which she technically couldn't break to reason why she couldn't kill the boy and had he not slipped up after a little more than a year, she would have been able and willing to spare him for quite a long time. After that Zeus betrothed her to her targets to give her a time limit. Artemis fears marriage and what it may do to her and her hunt so…the threat of it made her act. The second son of Poseidon she killed died of a monster attack after having been continuously mistreated by her hunt while she watched. He was so tired he couldn't keep up with the battle and after his death Zeus declared he was not worthy of an Olympian wife as he was too weak. He was planning to have you go through the same treatment."

Percy felt like vomiting after hearing that. He knew that Zeus cared little for most things other than his power but he had thought that his uncle still had a baseline of decency in him. Hearing what Artemis went through made his blood boil and hearing how Zeus shamelessly abused her momentary vulnerability to turn her into his hitman just…it made him sick. It took him a while to notice he had ripped a chunk of his furniture off by accident and he only noticed when he felt blood run down his fingers from the chunks cutting into his hand.

"That's just…abhorrent." He paused once more, knowing he had to ask more questions and find out more before he regretted it later. "Why doesn't she just break the oath? And why did the other son of the sea even accept the proposal?" He would just let his curiosity lead him and find out all he could while he still could. He didn't know if Void would still talk to him once he was back home.

"The moon attracts the sea. It's not really some inherited love or anything, at best it feels like a crush but that's enough for a 15-year-old, isn't it? And breaking the oath would kill her. Styx is stronger than any of the Olympians, the only reason Zeus doesn't die is because she willingly sealed part of her power to protect her husband after the first Titan War. Even with a large portion of her power sealed though, she's still strong enough to kill any Olympian that is not on the level of Kronos' children. Including Artemis. She'd die and have to reform and the many enemies of her hunt would probably kill every last one of her hunters in the century she'd be gone for."

This time he was more aware as his other hand crushed another part of his furniture. The only reason Artemis was enduring all this was because she wasn't even worried about herself but because she feared losing her hunt. A force that all of Olympus owed immense gratitude to for keeping monsters in check since their foundation ages ago. And yet Zeus was willing to gamble with their lives out of paranoia and some petty spite with Poseidon.

He was vaguely aware that he was influencing the weather right now, something that had happened only once before during his entire stay here. He felt repelled and disgusted to the bone by his uncle, the same king he had helped save twice before. And yet he had to keep asking. "Then what should I do? Can the betrothal be removed?"

"They tried that already. After you disappeared, Zeus wanted to annul it because you might just die on your own and your father eluded to you being in Alaska. He cast a vote for it and those that knew of the nature of Artemis oath back then, Poseidon, Zeus and Apollo all voted for annulment. Same goes for Hermes and Hephaestus who hated the idea of you being married forcefully. Athena didn't vote at all, she was torn between both sides since she hated you but had a soft spot for Artemis, yet also wanted to ensure you remain loyal at all cost through the marriage. Ares hates you, Aphrodite hates Artemis, Dionysus and Hera hate both of you so they all voted for keeping the betrothal. Demeter also voted for keeping the betrothal since she wanted to let Artemis decide. And Artemis, because of Zeus and his poorly phrased order, had to vote for the betrothal being kept. After that Hera officiated the entire thing and formed a bond between you that cannot be broken without her direct consent."

His shoulders sagged progressively more as Void explained the vote. He had hoped at least one more god would be nice to him. Aphrodite for Piper, Ares for Frank, any of them. But no, they were hellbent on making his life as hard as possible. Great. "Why Demeter and Hephaestus?" It was only a small voice in the back of his head that kept him talking, an instinct to get the little bits of information he could get.

"Hephaestus just hates forced marriages. He doesn't want anyone else to suffer that. Demeter on the other hand finally had a proper, long talk with her daughter about Hades and found out that she had not actually been kidnapped, so…she regrets being such a bad mother to Persephone back then and when she realized that Artemis' vote would decide everything she let exactly that happen."

Deep breaths, Percy, deep breaths. He really couldn't fault Demeter and a very subdued part of him was happy for the little bit of good news but the outcome it brought…it was an irrelevant and minor emotion in comparison. He cursed a little, this time not just in his thoughts. Anyone that picked his ire, from Zeus to Hera, Aphrodite, Ares…any of the bastards that had enabled this situation. "What can I do now?"

His voice was shaky, something awfully foreign and strange. He was unsure. If he went back, he'd marry Artemis. There was just no way Hera would ever do him a favor, especially when it meant having mercy on Artemis, one of her husband's other children. Yet he had to go back. He had to make sure his friends were ready and prepared. He couldn't risk their lives for his comfort. A slap on the back of his head brought him back to reality, Void glaring lightly at him.

"You'll have to choose. You can avoid Olympus, go through your father's domain and try to attain the necessary power by my guidance. You'll not be able to meet your friends but you'll be able to stop Tartarus, assuming everything goes well. After that, the titans and giants will wipe out Olympus and all that stood with it, most likely including your friends. Or you'll go to Olympus, meet and warn your friends, get at least them prepared and ready. You'll have to marry Artemis and will be bound to her from then on though, but if things go right you may save your friends from their deaths."

So not much of a choice after all. He wouldn't let them die, no matter what. Especially not after how he had wronged them and condemned them falsely when he first left. "That's really not much of a choice, you know? If Tartarus revives the Titans and Giants then they'll need me to help stop them. If it means I have to marry Artemis to save my friends and family, so be it."

"You're too hasty, Percy. What I'm asking you to do to Tartarus isn't putting him to sleep like you did with Gaia but to send him to the Void, to erase him from this world. When that happens, his power will explode outwards and as a side effect revive everything. Titans, Giants, primordials that are weaker than Tartarus. They'll all be back. Your marriage will only be worth it if you can find a way to deal with them so your choice is me asking for your confidence in exactly that."

He smiled a small smile. He liked this about Void. The god was trying to make him choose the path that would hurt him less. Trying to make him choose not to be the hero this time. He was showing him truly impossible odds, an army he could never possibly beat, even if he were to be the strongest amongst the primordials' offspring. Void was trying to protect him, from himself and the world he was about to jump back into. He really appreciated that, just being asked what he wanted to do, being given a choice.

"I'll go to Olympus. I may be outmatched but I'll still have to try, won't I?" He gave a dry smile, this time not having to force himself. What laid ahead of him was terrifying but he drew strength from the change he could bring. From the people he could save. "What's first on my agenda then? Can I just go meet dad first?" He wanted to see his father as soon as he could but he was also aware of the risk that brought along.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea…this is just my suggestion but Zeus still wants you dead. I'd recommend you get and eat a golden apple to fully erase that possibility. After that you can go meet your father and he can take you to Olympus. For the more imminent things, you should also try to erase Artemis' oath by cutting a deal with Styx…you can reach her through her mother, so…take this."

Void interrupted his musings to give him a small emblem made of steel, pressing it onto his shirt where it stuck. It was simple and circular, mirroring the same glazed look as his eyes had. "Nyx will recognise that and she'll know that I support you. Once you manage to resolve all of that I'll go and visit your dream or something and tell you my idea for how you can grow in power. Anything still unclear?"

"How do I get past Ladon?" He had initially passed getting the apple off but after a second thought he remembered the dragon and he sure didn't like his odds of dodging 100 poisonous heads.

"We have a few days left, don't we?"

Alright, chapter 3. As you can see, I tried to reach all the way back to myths to set this up and explain its origins because I didn't want to just force it in via weird plot. From the next chapter onwards Percy will be out of Alaska and pandemonium will happen. Or something like that, I'm not sure yet.

Now to clarify some things: Percy has been betrayed by some campers but I have (and still am) playing around with his perception of the events and the objective truth because we humans tend to sometimes misremember and exaggerate things by quite a bit.

Another warning ahead, I will not write Artemis as an immense, hardcore man hater because…she's millennia old, I can't very well write her as an immature brat. Especially not when she has many people rely on her and trust her which kind of proves her reliability and also reasonability and maturity to some degree.

Lastly I am thinking of answering questions (that I want answered at this point in the story) from the next chapter onwards, so write them down if you have any. Uploads will probably be once a week from now on, though it can vary if I'm very busy (Christmas week will probably not see any uploads for example) or have too much free time on my hands.

Cheers

M