Chapter 1: A meeting that could not be avoided. AN: Hestia is an Olympian as there are fourteen. Dionysus is a good guy here.
Perseus reclined back into his chair, grinning at Dionysus who was doing the same.
He made a point of yawning as Hermes talked about the astronomical implications of selling PC hardware through the business empire the Amazons and their figurehead were building.
And then, the most important matter was brought to his attention by a small yet powerful prayer.
Down on Long Island, three Half-bloods caught their way to Camp, a black haired daughter of Zeus at their head.
She drew power from the storm, a mixture of the wrath of her parent and of Lord Poseidon.
Perseus watched in silent anger as she fought off the furies of Lord Hades and the Cyclopes of Lord Poseidon.
As they trudged forward, little did she know hellhounds followed in the shadows.
As the rain fell and the winds howled, Percy watched at the girl sacrificed herself to save her companions.
Something snapped.
Athena looked at him wide eyed as he vanished off of his throne, reappearing just as the girl was turned into a pine tree.
Luke Castellan watched as a godly presence appeared, leaping to protect Thalia but nigh growling in rage as he was turned into a pine tree.
The figure simply snapped as most of the monsters burnt and disintegrated, the man swiping a spear right through the erinyes at frightening speeds.
The man turned towards the tree in anger, and Luke could feel the rage rolling off of him.
He placed a hand on the tree. It glowed softly but nothing happened.
"Dammit, father, your fucking laws did this," he muttered.
With a smile at Chiron the man simply vanished, an image made of white light remaining a moment longer.
"Come, children," said Chiron, "you are safe now."
"W-We made it?" Asked Annabeth in a small voice.
"We made it…except Thalia."
On Olympus
"You dare go against me like that? Where is your famous neutrality!!" Poseidon bellowed.
"My 'famous neutrality' is wishing that a child is not killed because her father couldn't keep it in his pants!" Returned Perseus,his throne glowing.
"He broke the oath! He deserves to be punished!"
"You mean that he broke the oath before you did? And that your child is not yet old enough to take on the prophecy which may or may not predict her death? Because I think you're in it for the glory, Poseidon. And it will likely remain that way until you actually connect with her. I'm ashamed, uncle. To devolve into a child killer…"
"She was a threat," justified Athena, "it would be wise to at least confirm where her loyalties lie rather than kill her, yes, especially due to the…loyalty of some of our family (read: Perseus), but Lord Hades and Lord Poseidon had valid points. I am just playing devil's advocate here," she added, at Hermes and Perseus' angry looks.
"And that is your justification for chasing two fourteen year olds and a seven year old halfway across the country and eventually to what would have been their death?" Asked Perseus.
"Th-That isn't what I meant to convey," replied Athena, "I merely meant to represent the opposing idea."
"As much as I disagree with Lord Perseus as of this moment, you make a point of 'representing the opposing idea' whenever he's around," said Poseidon, "my, what if, by deplorable chance, Lady Tyche set it that you might agree?"
"This is one of the rare times Lord Perseus takes up Lord Zeus' cause and you again disagree," said Dionysus, "it most certainly feel targeted."
The goddess sat tall and proud. "I will not answer a baseless accusation," she said, glaring at the wine god, "and I most certainly will not admit to anything of that nature."
"Don't worry about it," said Perseus Apollyon good naturedly, "I won't hold it against you…most of the time."
"Peace, children," said Hestia, from the fourteenth throne, "we quarrel when we should be worrying of preparing for the prophecy."
"I will be at camp often and train the children," said Perseus, "I have no children there so you have naught to worry of, Lord Zeus."
"Wait a minute," said Zeus, "did Poseidon sire a child as well?!?!"
Perseus leaned back on his chair and snapped his fingers. Below, in Manhattan, a mother saw her hosue batehd in a protective barrier of light.
"Strike even a hair on her head or that of her mother and I will blast you beyond your domain and into mine," he threatened. "But her stepfather isn't off limits," he added, with a glare at Poseidon who blanched.
"And yet, just now, my own daughter…"
"Had an attempt at her life, which failed. She remains in partial stasis as of this moment. Any attempt at the life of Poseidon's daughter or the children of Hades from the 1930s will be met—"
"HADES HAD CHILDREN?!"
"FATHER! CONTAIN YOURSELF!"
Zeus calmed down.
"As I was saying," seethed Perseus, "born before the oath, they are a contingency plan."
"One more thing," said Zeus, "Athena will be there to watch over you."
"Not even a 'Lady Athena'," said Perseus, "at least some basic etiquette here."
The council agreed and adjourned for the day.
Only Athena and Perseus remained, the latter looking at the former questioningly.
"I'll deny it if anyone asks, but for the record, I'm sorry," she said. "And thank you for saving my daughter. She's a unique one, for sure."
With that, she flashed away.
Dionysus reappeared.
"You're gonna have to take up sword fighting classes," he said, "why anyone would willingly volunteer to be at this camp is beyond me."
Far above, in the stars, in front of a throne woven into the tapestry of Nyx and blessed by the warmth of Hemera, the body of Erebus tempered by Aether, was a loom.
The Loom of Fate.
Every outcome was calculated until only a few were left, restricting the free will of humanity to the whims of fate's chosen outcomes.
In the wrong hands, it was disastrous.
Ananke herself rested among the stars, impregnable Leo and insatiable Draco standing guard.
Even Zeus knew naught of it.
Luke wasn't happy with yesterday.
The way he saw it, the tyrannical King of the gods had restrained Perseus from interfering and saving Thalia.
The gods were stupid. And, well, tyrannical.
Mr. D was too callous.
Perseus seemed fine, but he was still a god and all distant and stuff.
He voiced as much to Annabeth, which resulted in her making her way to the firepit, where a girl not much older than her sat.
"Hi, I'm Annabeth. What's your name?" She asked politely.
"Welcome, Annabeth Chase," said the girl, leveling her with a comforting, ancient stare. "I am Hestia, goddess of the hearth."
Annabeth squeaked but composed herself quickly.
"O-Oh. Umm, I see. I'm Annabeth Chase, unclaimed daughter of Athena, we think. Uhh, how are you? Are you always by the hearth? Why do you look my age?"
"I see Aunt Hestia has a new favorite," said a voice, "and yes, Annabeth. You are most certainly my daughter."
Two figures had approached from behind. A woman in jeans and a white silk blouse stood next to Perseus.
Perseus had put on some less intimidating clothes—hiking boots, cargo pants, and denim jacket.
"I was the favorite," said Perseus, putting a hand in his heart, "the treachery!"
Athena shook her head disparagingly.
"He will, unfortunately, never change. A pity that a son of Zeus be so unwise."
"Don't remind me that he was indeed the one who knocked up my mother. And I won't even bring up Ares or Heracles."
"Fair point. I don't consider you my brother anyway."
"That would be quite weird, considering some of the relationships in our fa—"
"Perseus!"
Annabeth stood wide eyed as her realized she was in the presence of three Olympians.
She quickly latched onto her mother, who led her to breakfast as Perseus and Dionysus conversed animatedly.
"Mr. D's all nice when the other guy's around," grumbled a newer camper.
"'The other guy' is an Olympian," said Clarisse, "it's Perseus and Athena as the guests here."
"I would not have expected to see you here," said Chiron, "but you are welcome, as usual."
"You look…burnt out, uncle," said Perseus easily.
"An apt enough description. If you would tell me how it is on the mountain…?"
"Zeus was adamant that Thalia would be the prophecy child, and now he wishes it to fall to Poseidon's blood and not Hades'."
"You mean to tell me all three have children, nephew?"
"Precisely. Hades are in a state of stasis, I suspect the Lotus tree… but one cannot be too sure in these times."
The centaur rubbed his arm thoughtfully. "Right as usual, nephew. Your siblings…?"
The eldest of the Younger Nine frowned. "Hecate goes back to her birth parentage, and Nemesis may follow. Geras, the Keres, and Lyssa follow. Thanatos, Eris, and Charon are the only ones guaranteed to fight for us, but Charon, well, he isn't a fighter."
The centaur hummed in agreement. "It would've been more, mayhaps, if there wasn't a son of night on the council already. Night's heir is a big mantle to carry, nephew."
"And yet, he refuses to let anyone else carry it," came the voice of Athena. Her dark hair was abnormally dark, and he soon realized that the weather was starting to gather around them—even in the camp where it did not rain.
His father and uncle were fighting again.
"Figures, he's always been that way," said Dionysus, grinning.
"You're the only one who can keep him in line, Dionysus," said Athena. "Except Hades, of course."
"The old bugger wouldn't lay off of Apollo when the two fought," said Chiron, "and yes, I say old because he is the oldest. I am merely the second youngest."
"Eldest," said Athena absently, before blushing and apologizing.
"I remember Sarpedon would always accidentally correct people," said Chiron. He instantly regretted it—Perseus did not like to hear how his only two children had tragic stories.
"It's okay, Chiron," said Perseus. "That was three millennia ago. Athena, have you given young Annabeth the planned gift?"
The goddess shook her head in the negative.
"Ah, I thought not," he replied easily.
"You thought? I didn't know you had it in you," said Athena snarkily.
"But all humans can think, and as you love to express, godly intellects are better circuited and more capable then human ones," he replied. "Surely, as the goddess of wisdom, you would know that? Or should I go to the gods of knowledge…Apollo would love to talk to me, I'm sure."
She spluttered while Dionysus and Perseus veritable howled at her expense.
It was one thing to constantly oppose him when he was an armored presence sitting on a throne of stars. When he was being so friendly it was different.
The soft footfalls behind her alerted her to the small presence tugging at her sleeve.
"Ah, Annabeth," she said, turning. "I have something for you."
She pulled out a small cap, dark blue with a large Yankees monogram emblazoned on it.
"Put it on, daughter," she said. The baseball cap was a little too small but the little blond put it on and gasped as she disappeared.
"I'm invisible! Is it magic, mist, or what? How does it work? Can anyone use it?" She rapidly fired question after question.
"It uses magic to make the air bend light, and yes, anyone can use it," said Athena.
'Interesting,' thought Perseus. 'Even if Hecate tried to do something she likely wouldn't be able to affect it.'
On high Olympus, some celebrated the four thousand six hundred and second anniversary of the Battle of Perseus and Hyperion.
Far above the mortal plane
Where human presence is but a stain
The lord of stars,
The son of night,
Rules over the tapestry of dark and light.
The son of thunder guards fate's loom.
Lowered down to mortal sight,
Was our mortality assumed.
Sing, O muses, of the lord of night
Who fought and killed the Titan of light.
Sing, O muses, of the king of stars
The companion of Bellona, the brother of Mars.
--Calliope, muse of epic poetry