Zeus was awoken by a loud knocking at his door.
While it is true that most gods don't actually need sleep, that does not mean that they don't do it. Most do it simply because they want to.
"Open the door, Zeus, we need to talk."
Zeus could recognize the voice of his brother.
As he got out of bed, he saw himself in the mirror.
Old, that's how he looked.
With a snap of his fingers, he was dressed.
But there was nothing he could do about his disheveled look.
It was merely a reflection of the present circumstances.
Walking to the door, he remembered how Hera had left in a furious mood.
Over the past few centuries, he had made an effort to be a better husband.
He'd promised her that he would no longer lie to her, so he could understand her anger at him for finding out he had basically been lying to her since the start of their marriage.
He had hoped to explain to her that it was not his decision to speak of it, but this had only made the situation worse.
"Yes, yes, I'm coming."
As he came to a stop in front of the door, he took a tiny moment to take a deep breath.
As he opened the door, he saw his brother.
But not him alone. With him were his siblings, excluding Hera, and his son, Apollo.
With a sigh, he stepped out of the way, motioning them to step inside.
The group moved to the living room, not saying a word.
When they had all settled down on the couches and chairs, Hestia snapped her fingers to make tea and cookies appear before all of them.
"So, brother, I take it Hera did not react well?"
It was Hades who had spoken first, looking at his brother with pitying eyes.
"Don't get me started," He answered with a groan.
Nodding in understanding, Hades continued.
"Brother, we need to talk. We need to plan how we will act, now."
"What is there to do? They took my little girl, and I was not there to help her."
As he spoke, they could see yellow lightning crackling through his veins.
To them, he seemed mad, but that was far from the reality.
Zeus was tired and sad.
Once more, the rules he had once made when he was young and power-hungry, had cost him.
He had made those very same rules to protect his family, but more importantly, his reign.
And now, because of those stupid laws, they had taken his daughter, and he could not leave to save her.
He looked at his son, Apollo, and saw the anger and heartbreak in his eyes.
Here he was, the mighty king of Olympus, wallowing in his self-pity, while he should be there for his son.
The son who feared for his twin's life, not knowing what was being done to her.
A harsh sound sang through the room.
With a shocked face, Zeus brought his hand up to his stinging cheek.
Hestia's hand had left a red mark on his face.
"I understand that you fear for her, brother, but this will get us nowhere."
Hestia stood in front of him, her slap having brought Zeus out of his trance.
Demeter, speaking for the first time, stood up.
"I may not know the whole situation, but what has happened in the past is no longer of concern," She said, kneeling in front of Zeus, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"Dear brother, while not happy I was kept out of the loop, I believe you would have only done so to protect us."
"She is right, Father, what is done is done, but now we must focus on the here and now."
Zeus could see in his eyes that while he was hurting, he was willing to go to the farthest extents to save his sister.
"This conclave you spoke of, will they be able to lend us help? Soldiers?"
Apollo was picking up speed, and Zeus could see rising once more in him the strong boy who had once killed Python.
With a nod at his nephew, Hades picked up after him.
"Hestia and I have already enlisted Percy's help, but we cannot just let him fix all our problems."
"We must once again become the rulers of old. The gods who resided over the world, in their thrones. The combatants who slayed many a Titan or Giant."
"We must be better. They have taken from us, one of our own," Poseidon spoke up after him.
"And I, for one, am done being a laughing stock in the world of immortals."
Inspired once more by his siblings and son, Zeus stood up.
"You are right. We appear to have gotten content with our power."
Shame washed over him as he spoke the hard truth, but he pushed it away.
His family was right, this was no time for self-pity.
They had taken his daughter, and he would not stand for it.
"Brothers," He said, his voice booming through the room, as he looked at them.
"Make for your kingdoms, gather your troops. Prepare them for the fight ahead."
"Sisters, speak to the Minor Gods, strike any bargain, if necessary, to guarantee their support."
He turned his head to his son.
"Apollo, make for the camp, have Chiron and any elder camper start rigorous training. Take Nike, Bia, Zelus, And Cratus," Zeus said, drawing a questioning eye from his son.
"As long as we do not have certainty of the Minor God's loyalty, they are some of the few we can trust outside of this room."
"You have your tasks. Fulfill them and return to Olympus. I will deal with the council."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Zeus steeled his resolve and spoke a sentence that would change the future irreversibly.
"Prepare yourself, my dear family. For we are going to war."
"I still do not understand why you cannot just teleport us there, Brothir."
Percy groaned as his brother asked him the question again.
They were stood at the fuelling station in front of the Smithsonian.
"Because, my dear, irritating brother, we travel along a Halfblood, and by the laws that the Allfather himself cast upon me when he allowed me to even partake in quests from other realms."
Percy didn't even notice his brother's grumbling as he moved his gaze to said Halfblood.
She had been less aggravated the last two days but now seemed to feel awkward, as if she didn't feel at home in the company.
Honestly, he couldn't blame her.
She was a Greek in the company of three Major Norse deities.
"Can we at least go get something to eat, I'm starving," His brother whined.
"You're a God, Freyr, we both know that you don't starve," Freya butted in, getting fed up with her brother's constant whining.
Zoe was perplexed.
Here were three powerful Gods, at the height of their respective power and domain.
And they were bickering about food.
"Brothir, if we get lunch somewhere, will you then shut up?"
"Hey, I take offense to that," Freyr answered, immediately getting smacked on the head by his sister.
"Okay, yeah, yeah, I'll play nice."
As Zoe watched the siblings bicker, she felt a sudden pressure in the back of her head, the ring on her finger that was her Garmr, her sword, pulsating in tandem.
Looking around, she felt the pain in her head moving with her, as if it was mimicking a compass.
"What the…"
As she focused her gaze upon the museum, the pain seemed to lessen.
"Zoe, are you alright?"
She was taken out of her musings as Percy spoke to her.
With a start, she looked at him.
The moment she did, the pain shot back into her head, like an arrow burying itself in her skull.
She swung her head back in the direction of the museum.
"Yes, I am alright, there is just…"
"I am going to scout around for a bit," She said, moving in the direction of the entrance.
The trio watched her leave with confused looks.
As Zoe walked through the entrance, she moved towards the desk, grabbing a folder with the museum's map in it.
As she opened her folder, she laid her hand on the dot that said; "You are here.".
The thumping in her head got worse.
As she started gliding her finger over the page she saw something interesting.
In a special program, the museum had decided to have a temporary exhibit for world cultures.
"Only this month, learn about all the cultures, Mythology, and history from all over the world," She read on the pamphlet.
She glided her finger further, coming to a stop at the biggest room in the museum.
"Off limits," It read.
As her finger touched the words, the bang in her head finally stopped.
"Apparently, this is where I am going."
As she started walking, she passed by all sorts of things.
It is easy to forget what humanity has accomplished when you are immortal.
She was born thousands of years ago, before even some of the gods.
She had seen societies and cultures be born and die.
Kings and queens had ruled, killed, and been killed.
She had learned hundreds of languages over the years, as they moved with the flame of the west.
Her whole life, she had believed that the gods of those cultures died with their people, and now she found that they were all still here, hiding in the shadows.
She passed by the Greek exhibit, seeing the stories she had lived through, and heard about.
The birth of the Titans, the Titanomachy, and Gigantomachy, the kidnapping of Persephone, the siege of Troy, and the Odyssey.
This was her story, hers and those of the people she loved.
Her eyes fell on a plaque with the Labors of Herakles on it.
Hate filled her heart, this was the man who had taken her life from her.
But even with what happened, she had to be grateful for the life she now had.
Her Mistress had given her the love her father never had.
And now she was captured.
And who knows what her father was doing to her.
She steadied her pace and left the exhibit.
She should have expected, however, that this would lead her into the Norse exhibit.
"Might as well see if I can learn something of use," She said to herself.
As she looked around, she found a section about the Jotnar.
Moving to the collection of plaques and tapestries, she found a section about the Vanir gods, Freya and Freyr.
The picture looked nothing like them, but it was something else that pulled her attention.
"According to the Poetic Edda, These Vanir Gods are the only two known children of Njörðr, and either an unknown sister of his, or the Jotunn Skadi," She read aloud.
"The only two children.."
"Mortals… They don't even know what they're talking about."
The familiar voice jolted Zoe from her thoughts.
It was Perseus who had walked up behind her, reading over her shoulder.
Zoe glared at him, though there was no hate in her eyes.
"Why did they forget you, Perseus?"
Zoe was confused. She did not know much about other pantheons, but she had not expected them to forget about a deity like him completely.
"It is unfortunately not so easy, Zoe. They did not forget me… They have never known me," He said with a sigh.
"You see, when I was born, I was quite sick. To save me, my father and mother enlisted the help of a deity, but this would come at a cost. At my birth, the Norns called me Unbound. They took away that what ailed me, and in doing so, made me a pawn in their games. They foresaw that I would not be bound to the condition of my domain."
Zoe could see the sadness creeping into his eyes.
"I was told I would serve every Pantheon, but in doing so, they took from me the worship that keeps an Immortal alive."
As he explained, Zoe could see the hurt in his eyes.
She started to realize what he was trying to tell her.
"I will not fade when people stop believing in me, for no one believes in me. When all is gone, I will simply be here, to pick up the pieces."
She did not know what to say.
How do you reply to someone saying that they are not sure if they will ever die?
What do you say to someone who believes that they will be left alone, after the end of days?
Perseus cleared his throat.
"I'll also have you know that our mother was not an unnamed sister of my father, that's rancid," He says, hoping to lift the mood.
"Now, maybe it's time to tell me what you're looking for?"
"Oh, umm, yes. I was…"
Zoe tried to think of a lie.
But why would she? This was Perseus, yes, he was a male, but she knew him.
He had proven to be nothing but kind and considerate.
He might be the first male in hundreds of years, who she could actually call friend.
With a sigh, she answered.
"When we were outside, I had a feeling, which has been leading me through the museum."
As he went to answer, Percy froze.
His vision changed, a world of black overtaking him.
Three voices rang through the back of his mind.
"Fate has changed."
As his vision slowly came back, he saw a concerned Zoe's face before him.
But before he could speak, he was once again interrupted.
"Look Mommy, a kitty!"
A loud roar sounded through the room.
The next few moments went extremely fast.
One moment, Percy turned around, standing protectively in front of Zoe, the next, he was on the ground, a giant golden lion on top of him.
As he looked the lion directly in the eyes, the lion stared back at him, drool dripping from his mouth.
"Ah, gods dammit," He said, as the drool dripped on his face.
The lion roared in his face again, as if answering the man.
Percy looked to his right, checking to see if Zoe was alright.
She was climbing the struts and beams to get a vantage point in the ceiling.
Seeing her safely get out of the way, he focussed back on the lion.
"My turn," He said with a manic grin.
The lion, getting surprised by the man's strength, went flying as Percy uppercutted him in the jaw.
"Whoo!" Percy let out a jovial shout, as the lion crashed into a glass case.
He jumped into the air, pulling his limbs close to him.
As he shot them outwards again, a shine overtook his body.
When the light went out, he had transformed into a large white wolf.
The lion, not knowing where this new animal had come from, prowled to its new opponent.
The wolf, in turn, hung his body low above the ground, readying himself for a pounce.
Zoe reached a hanging platform, obviously used for construction.
As she looked down, she could see the lion now circling with a giant wolf.
She saw people running away, screaming their heads off.
She could not blame them, really, even if they were seeing normal-sized animals, a lion and a wolf fighting is not something you want to end in between.
Unfortunately for her, these were not normal-sized animals.
The Nemean lion, Zoe realized with a shock.
How he was here, she did not know. Nor did she know how they were going to kill him.
The lion, nearly six feet tall, was still dwarfed by the wolf, however.
Standing at eight feet tall, the wolf was a creature of deadly beauty.
Its white fur, marred by scars, with two giant leathery wings stuck from its shoulders and a foot-long horn just above his nose.
Two giant teeth stuck out of his mouth, quite akin to a sabretooth.
Where it had come from she did not know, but for now, Zoe was content with the fact that he seemed to be wanting to attack the lion.
But as the wolf turned its head to look at her, she could see its worried eyes.
She could recognize its eyes.
Perseus.
Unfortunately for him, the Nemean lion saw his distraction and chose to use it.
With a mighty pounce, the lion launched itself at Perseus, raking his claws along his side.
Wolf-Perseus let out a loud howl, biting the lion's neck, trying to drag him off.
But to no avail. His teeth couldn't penetrate the golden fur, and the Lion just buried its claws and teeth even deeper into his side.
And all the while, Zoe had been pelting the creature with arrows, but to no avail.
In a last-ditch attempt, Perseus swung his wings outwards, successfully knocking the Lion off of him.
They once again squared up, slowly prowling around each other, the two massive beasts only just fitting in the room.
Zoe could see they were getting nowhere.
Her arrows could not hurt him, nor could Perseus' claws.
She started looking for an alternative way, any way she could get them out of there.
And then she saw it.
"Perseus! The window, get him outside."
As if to let her know he heard her, his giant leathery wings opened again.
Zoe released yet another arrow, but as if by Artemis' will, the arrow skimped the right eye of the beast, drawing its attention.
Moving his gaze to the annoying Huntress, the Lion let out a furious roar.
This would inevitably be his downfall.
Having not seen his Lycan opponent move into place behind him, the Lion was caught completely off guard when the giant wolf barreled straight into him, slamming him into the window.
As the great beasts flew through the window, they landed outside, on the pavement.
With a screech, two eagles flew into the room, transforming into the Vanir children of Njörð.
"Zoe, where is he?" Freya asked in a hurried and worried voice.
"Outside!"
Wasting no time, the gods jumped out the window, Zoe close behind them.
When they landed on the ground, they could see the Nemean Lion get battered by a flying Perseus, still in wolf form.
With every fly-by, he lifted the lion in the air, only to drop it, and smack into him with his horn, and grappled with it to push it into the ground.
The trio was just about to intervene when a shrill scream rang through the air.
Looking at where it came from, they saw a horrifying sight.
On the roof of the museum, were three creatures.
Fifteen feet in length, the white gaunt creatures were absolute horrors.
Skin falling off in certain parts of their bodies, their ashen hide leathery in complexion.
They looked like the twisted image of a man.
Antlers sat upon their heads, human limbs stuck to some of the individual ends.
Their inhumanly long arms had long, sharp nails on the twisted and broken fingers.
One of them had a completely exposed ribcage, its shrunken and dried heart softly thumping in its cage.
Their milky white eyes seemed to see nothing, yet their eyes still sent fear through Zoe's heart.
It was only then that Freya muttered empty words that held no meaning to Zoe whatsoever, yet sent shivers over Zoe's spine.
"Wendigo…"
Heya! Spartan here!
I want to once again really thank the three usual suspects! ;)
TemplarHalo, Ark, and Sol.
So, by this point, I believe it's becoming really clear that I'm just putting all of the coolest creatures from all cultures and mythologies together in one fic.
I am really enjoying this, and am hoping to get more chapters out on the regular.
As always,
Thanks for reading the chapter, I hope you enjoyed.
Check out TemplarHalo on AO3.
Check out Arkkkk on Fanfiction,net.
Check out Sol PJOFan on Fanfiction,net.
Spartan, signing off.