DA : Chapter 5: Et tu? II

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.

...

He glanced around to see if anyone was looking before he walked to the side of the building, out of any possibly prying eyes. 

Throughout the week he'd lightly tested some of his new abilities and learned some tricks. With his palm firmly pressed against the side of the building he could feel every inch of the marble and stone. 

He could place where exactly each thrown was and even how the occupants were sitting or fidgeting in them. 

He focused more with his mind until an image appeared and he suddenly found himself watching the throne room from above, every word and gesture not escaping his notice.

He noted that Artemis was oddly absent and Hestia was arguing with her brothers, save Hades who looked furious about something but remained silent. He listened in as his curiosity was peaked even more.

"… You can't seriously be considering this!?" Hestia shouted at Poseidon who only waved her off dismissively.

"That upstart has dared to reject our offer again and humiliated us, something must be done!" Zeus boomed as he glared at his older sister.

"But it was his choice," Hestia countered while glaring back with steam literally coming off her. "Why can't you accept that he wishes to live a mortal life?"

"Mortal," Athena spat with disgust, "and why would anyone wish to remain in such a state?"

"For his family!" Hestia shouted back. "He wishes to remain for Sally, Paul, and his baby sister. He wishes to remain because he can protect the demigods that fought beside him for years rather than become a god and be forced to watch them all die!"

Poseidon scoffed before fixing his sister with a glare, "That won't be an issue for long."

"What do you mean?" Hestia asked suspiciously before she suddenly went pale as she grabbed her arm rest.

At the same time Hades shot up, his own features turning to shock and then horror. He seemed to pale more if possible before looking at Poseidon and Zeus.

"W-what … have you done?" he asked in a whisper as the entire room seemed to grow colder.

"Removing a foolish reason for my son to remain mortal," Poseidon answered soberly.

"Y-you … killed them …" Hestia whispered as the hearth seemed to slowly shrink in on itself.

"Not me," Poseidon answered before a silver flash happened, then Artemis appeared with some mortal blood on her hands and a cruel glint in her eyes and a faint smile on her lips.

"It is done uncle," Artemis said just before Hades roared in rage.

"How dare you kill Sally and Paul Blofis!?"

His anger was palpable enough to make every Olympian, save Hestia, shiver but even that didn't compare to the rage Percy was feeling as he listened to this.

Strike Two.

The room started to shake making the Olympians look around in alarm. Percy was starting to see red, wanting nothing more than to gut Artemis and his father, but then a familiar presence appeared in his mind.

'Percy! Control your emotions, don't let yourself be enslaved to them! I know you're angry but you can't do anything now! Please control it! I know you can!' came Nyx's voice, cutting through the clutter of his murderous thoughts.

As he settled something snapped. His anger, once a tempest of burning rage cooled until all he felt was a numb cold in him. His anger turned into a frozen hatred. 

He would see these monsters beg like the animals they are. He would rip apart everything they hold dear and one day, when they were literally pleading to fade, only then would he kill them. So with that thought, he settled and continued to watch as the room stopped shaking. 

The Olympians remained weary but soon returned to their discussion, some glancing at Poseidon to see if he had anything to do with it but he looked just as confused.

Their attention returned to a seething Hades but the god of the underworld simply turned around before muttering, "I will not be part of this," and with that, left in a burst of shadow.

Hestia was silently sobbing, looking at her 'family' in disgust but Zeus ignored it as he looked at Artemis.

"So is it properly done?' he asked to which she nodded firmly with her smile growing for a moment.

"Yes," she answered, "I've almost forgotten what it felt like to properly castrate a boy though I do regret not turning him into a jackalope and feeding him to my wolves. Oh, and don't worry, Phoebe and I made sure it looked like a monster attack."

"B-But … what about Sally?" Hestia asked in a whisper.

Artemis shrugged dismissively though she did fail to meet Hestia's gaze. "Not a maiden, none of my concern. At least I got a new baby girl to train into a proper huntress in the future."

"But that's Percy's sister!" Hestia shouted as she found her strength. "How can you kill his family and then just take the last piece of it!?"

"He's a boy, why should I care?" Artemis asked while looking back at her aunt in anger. "Besides, it's not like he'll ever know."

"But he saved you! Twice! And this is how you repay him!?" Hestia screamed as the other Olympians remained silent while watching.

"I will never owe anything to a damned boy," Artemis growled as her frame glowed silver and her grip on her arm rest tightened to the point of making it crack.

"But this is wr—"

Smack!

Everyone stood still, in shock as they looked at the scene. Poseidon stood before Hestia, his hand still outstretched after having slapped Hestia. She looked at him with betrayal and pain in her eyes, a sizable mark already forming on her cheek.

"Why?" she asked in trembling whisper. "How could you let them kill Sally? To hurt your own son like this?"

"That mortal stopped being my concern the moment she spread her legs for another man," Poseidon growled as he looked at his silently crying sister. 

"And I will not have her be the reason I lose my favored son!" he shouted before he returned back to his throne before adding, "And honestly I would have preferred the child gone too but I can accept Artemis taking her as long as she makes sure he never finds out."

Strike Three!

Hestia looked around the council, looking for any support but she found none. Most agreed, their pride hurt after Percy's refusal, and the few who didn't agree remained silent such as Demeter and Aphrodite. With a final sob Hestia turned before disappearing in a burst of fire, the hearth in the throne room falling barely above the coals burning in it.

Percy watched this all unfold, his hatred for the Olympians growing with every second. He silently watched as Poseidon returned to his throne. Percy was about to leave but caught the last words before his connection to the throne room broke.

"… We'll inform him of his parent's demise tomorrow before offering immortality again … and if he doesn't accept … death will be the answer …"

Percy's eyes snapped open as he looked at the marble wall before him. He glanced down to see ice had formed along his feet and where his hand had touched the wall. His hatred loomed within him, his heart beating sadly as he stepped back from the wall. 

He needed to leave now. He knew it, otherwise he could snap and no one that gets in his way would be spared. 

So he turned around, not glancing back at the grand throne room as he walked towards the path leading to the elevator. He wasn't coming back any time soon … and once he did, this city would be ash …

...

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