4 DA : Chapter 4: Et tu? I
AN :
To make sure it is clear, the story is AU so there might be some changed details about what happened in the two wars. I'll explain it through exposition if there was so no one gets confused. Just two details that are changed so far:
1) Tartarus didn't manifest and face Percy when he escaped. Percy did meet Danmeson (I can't remember how to spell his name, Ares' Bane) but he didn't come to Percy's rescue. Bob did come down but had to leave Percy and Annabeth alone before the House of Night.
2) Rather than a month or so, the time between the second Titan war and Percy's abduction was nearly 1 year so all characters are older (won't matter much since they'll get older with time skips anyways).
That's all I can think of that's relevant for now. Now, onward to the story!
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They stood before the council, haggard and sore. The great seven looked on towards the gods surrounding them, each preening with pride and overflowing ego. Percy listened on as Zeus continued on his long speech about 'their' great victory in this war and how it would be remembered for ages.
Percy wanted to scoff at his uncle and walk out of there but he kept a blank façade for now. Soon Zeus finally finished and got on to the big rewards.
"… and so, the council has decided to gift each of you with immortality and possibly … Godhood," Zeus said, the last words looking rather difficult for him since it meant more than just his son would get the honor. "… Do you accept?" he asked in a booming voice.
"Yes!" came one immediate reply, making several heads turn in surprise to look at the speaker.
Annabeth looked ready to pop with excitement, completely ignoring her battered leg as she grinned with her reply.
The sight made what little affection remaining for her crumble, his eyes dulling as he mentally shook his head. 'It looks like even after everything I do … I still wasn't good enough,' he thought dejectedly as some of his friends gave him nervous glances.
He returned a small smile to ease them on it but inside the world was going cold as one of his last reasons to fight for happiness left him without a second thought.
Strike One.
He even glanced around the throne room and noted that Athena looked pleased with her daughter's choice along with Apollo surprisingly. That made Percy frown as he wondered why was that but he tucked it away for now.
"Well?" Zeus questioned with his famous impatience, looking at the rest of the heroes. Jason cleared his throat in response before stepping forward, but not without taking Piper's hand in his own.
"Father … though I would be honored to accept godhood … I must decline in favor of a change to my reward," he said, earning shocked looks from most of the Olympians aside from Aphrodite as she looked on with approval.
"And what would that be, my son?" asked Zeus in a stern though not hostile tone.
"Well …" Jason started as he glanced at Piper who nodded back while giving his hand a squeeze. "… rather than full immortality, I wish for Piper and I to gain partial immortality and be placed as guardians of New Rome."
Zeus seemed to mull it over for a minute, occasionally glancing at other council members, before he nodded as swiped his hand at the pair of demigods. They both glowed their respective color matching their parents before it faded and the pair stepped back with a slight bow, warm smiles on their faces.
"And the rest?" Hera asked since Zeus seemed to be buried in his thoughts at the moment while eyeing his son.
Frank and Hazel followed suite, their requests being similar but with the addition of having their curses removed, allowing both to control their lives which would hopefully be happy from now on.
Next came Leo and he accepted becoming a god to work with his father, though Percy felt there was another purpose to his decision but he could ask later.
And lastly they all looked to Percy as he stepped forward, noting how his father looked at him with pride. It made him smile but he knew that smile wouldn't last once his request was finished.
"Perseus Jackson," Zeus boomed as thunder crackled above making every god roll their eyes. "The council has seen fit to not only offer you Godhood but to make you the 13th Olympian. Do you accept?"
The councilors leaned forward in anticipation, his friends looking on in awe and Percy even noted the calculating gleam in Annabeth's eyes but he sighed as he shook his head.
"With all due respect Lord Zeus … I must decline," he answered much to the gasps of those in attendance. "Instead I would rather exchange my gift for a few requests."
At his words he could see the anger flash in several sets of eyes, namely Zeus, Hera, Posiedon, and Athena which made him curious as to why? Shouldn't she be happy since it would mean it would be impossible for Percy and Annabeth to maintain their farce of a relationship?
"Are you saying that you refuse such a generous offer? That being an Olympian isn't good enough?" Athena practically hissed.
'Now I see why her flaw is pride,' he thought even as he didn't back down from any of the looks. Seeing as no one else was going to speak he continued on with his request.
"My requests are simple and well within your power," he said evenly as he looked straight at Zeus.
"And what would they be?" Zeus asked with barely restrained anger in his eyes.
"One is that Hestia and Hades are reinstated as Olympians. They are the two eldest and deserve to be on the council," he replied.
Zeus reddened a little before he nodded curtly and snapped his fingers. Two thrones immediately shot up out of the marble floors, one at each end of the male and female side. One seemed to be made of living flames with the design of a hearth at the back rest.
The second was made of a dark obsidian with carved skulls and faint wails of agony drifting along the surface. Before Percy could continue on with his second request he was suddenly tackled into a hug by an eight year old goddess who was continually thanking him.
He chuckled as he returned a brief hug before they separated. Just seeing Hestia's glowing smile made him feel as if all was right with the world, her flaming eyes dancing with joy.
She then walked to her new throne, ascending to full godly height before sitting comfortably. Percy glanced at Hades' throne to see him materialize in it out of shadows. He gave Percy one firm nod with a faint smile, a miracle in the case of Hades, before Percy turned to address Zeus again.
"For my second and final request, I ask that all peaceful Titans such as Leto and Calypso be set free," he asked.
Silence reigned for a time as some of the Olympians looked at each other before Zeus looked at him and nodded. With that, the meeting finished and the heroes were dismissed but informed of the party that would commence in a few short hours to celebrate them … but Percy didn't really feel like celebrating.
...
Percy walked along the roads of Olympus, not really heading anywhere in particular. It had been a week since the battle and strangely, his father had requested him to remain in the immortal city for the week to discuss some things with him.
He wasn't sure what it was about but he couldn't shake a slowly growing feeling of dread building in his gut.
Throughout the week Hestia had kept him company, helping him finally deal with the emotions left after what Annabeth did and how he found out.
He's walked in on a private conversation between Piper and Jason while they were waiting for Annabeth to find the Mark of Athena. He'd eavesdropped by accident and caught the fatal words.
'I saw her once coming from the woods with her clothes messed up and limping funny,' Piper said in a whisper.
'You don't think …?' Jason didn't finish the sentence.
'I don't think … I know,' she replied in a sad tone. 'And it was always when she'd get most stressed about wanting to find Percy.'
'Then we should tell him,' Jason said firmly.
'It's not our place Jason … Annabeth has to come clean about this,' she replied.
'But …'
Percy had left before they could continue, his heart slowly cracking as he made it to his room, crying himself to sleep while he could only ask one thing, why? Even after all had happened he kept the appearance of a happy and silly boyfriend for the trip and quest, knowing that he needed to focus for now or else the world would be doomed.
Luckily Hestia's kindness and warmth helped him and he regularly stayed at her palace rather than his father's. But, as the week went by, he noticed how whenever he happened by an Olympian, they would give him an odd glance before walking off and Hestia seemed nervous whenever around him.
He even caught the traces of regret in her eyes but for what, he wasn't sure. He broke out of his thoughts as he noticed that he'd walked all the way to the throne room by accident but the doors were oddly closed, peaking his curiosity.
...
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