A/N: This was just an idea for a story that came to my mind as I thought about a different approach to Percy's relation with the Romans and a twist different to the typical betrayal story.

Chapter 1.

The forest was silent, leaves untouched by any breeze. The moon was not shining in the sky, ominously hovering above the unmoving trees. Suddenly, disrupting the still image of nature violently, a blur flashed through the trees. Pursuing the blur, roaring loudly, was a massive lion, one easily as large as a dumpster truck. Its golden skin was beautiful, lighting up its surroundings despite the notable absence of the moon.

The lion bounded nimbly after the blur, dodging various trunks and branches as it tried to catch up to its prey. Once again, the lion instinctively roared in excitement while leaping after the blur, its jaws wide enough to swallow a car whole. In a flash, the blur turned around and pulled out a ballpoint pen. Within seconds, the pen morphed into a stunning three foot long blade that glowed with power, its bronze color glowing in the darkness of the forest. Quick as a heartbeat, the blur lunged forward, sword outstretched, and pierced straight through the open mouth of the surprise lion.

The huge lion screamed in pain before exploding into golden dust that settled on the now unmoving blur. The slayer of the beast was actually a sixteen year old boy with dark hair and striking sea-green eyes that seemed to peer into one's very soul. He was handsome, with regal cheekbones and a well-shaped face. The boy was lean but muscled, and was clearly a fighter. He sported a dirtied, ripped orange shirt along with worn-out black shorts.

He looked as if he had been sleeping in the forest for days; despite his clear fitness, he seemed half-dead. His sea-green eyes, once filled with mirth and joy, now reflected bitter emptiness. It was as if he was emotionless. Pain was evident, covered up by the blank façade maintained even when alone.

The boy glanced at the ground where the lion disappeared into golden dust and chuckled at the sight of the lion's pelt remaining there. He leaned forward and picked up the spoil, contemplating it intensely. Painful memories flooded his mind of a stunning girl that resembled a Persian princess, complete with a silver circlet on her head. He just looked at his sword sadly, a tear dropping from the corner of his eye.

He sat down awkwardly, leaning against a tree and still clutched the lion's pelt. He sat and thought about how he, the once savior of the gods, the supposed hero of Olympus, had been reduced to this half-dead state, running around hopelessly, heartbroken, shattered, betrayed.

Anger flashed in his eyes as he recalled the brutal treatment, the betrayals. Gritting his teeth, the boy stood up and grabbed a branch angrily. With a simple flick of his wrist, he broke it off and gripped it tightly, hoping to cause himself pain, to escape the anguish.

Nothing went his way, however. His impenetrable skin prevented the simple branch from drawing blood. Sighing, the boy thought back to one of his old jokes, the one about the arrogant hero, Heracles. He had always sympathized slightly with Heracles under the reason that the infamous hero was more unlucky than himself. Now, however, the boy knew that was false.

Before settling down, an idea popped into the mind of the sixteen year old, quirking his lips upwards, revealing traces of the former mirth that once encompassed his attractive face. He broke the branch in half and placed each half on the ground. Then, he raised his hand in the direction of the two branches and clenched his fist. Slowly, inexorably, water began pulling out of the branch pieces. He smiled, a grim smile that did not reach his eyes. Grabbing the two dried sticks, he rubbed them together quickly, lighting a fire.

As the fire bloomed, the boy took the lion's pelt again and faced the fire. To his own surprise, he muttered a quick prayer to one he would have never thought to. Queen Hera, for you, I sacrifice the pelt of the Nemean Lion. You were right about her all those years ago, I apologize for my foolishness.

The boy then threw the pelt in and watched it burn, a sweet aroma rising from the flaming fur. After a few moments, it disappeared completely. The boy then turned away and stumbled over to the tree, tired from running away from the Nemean Lion for so long. As he prepared to embrace sleep, someone cleared their throat. Shocked, the boy spun around, whipping out his sword. The sight that awaited him paralyzed him.

"My my, Perseus Jackson. The hero of Olympus. What are you doing here?"

The boy, Perseus, gulped before bowing low, "Lady Hera, I am honored."

Perseus tilted his neck slightly before looking back at the figure standing next to the fire, "You ask why I'm here?"

She nodded, a surprised expression still gracing her features. She stepped forward and sat down next to the boy, motioning to him to explain.

Perseus grimaced before nodding in acknowledgment, "It all started a couple weeks after the end of the Titan War. And, before I go on, I would much prefer if you called me Percy; Perseus makes me feel old."

To his surprise, Hera chuckled lightly, "Very well then Percy, I will honor your request. After all, you are the first demigod to ever sacrifice something to me, especially something of that magnitude."

Percy smirked, traces of his former more playful self shining through, "The pelt reminded me of Heracles. He hurt Zoe, which I disapprove of, and I knew the irony of his pelt being sacrificed to you would not be lost."

The goddess laughed once again, before nodding to him for him to deliver his story. Percy sighed but began his story…

(Flashback)

Percy walked along the border of the camp on his way to the pine tree that had once been Thalia. A golden fleece glittered in the brilliant glare of the sun, and a large dragon lay peacefully around the tree. Percy smiled and strode towards the dragon, petting it on the head gently.

"Hey there Peleus."

The weather was perfect, although in Camp Half-Blood, it always was. Apollo's chariot was flying high in the sky, bathing the Earth in comforting sunlight. Nothing could damper Percy's mood; it was simply too beautiful of a day. As he lost himself in his thoughts, a loud roar suddenly arose. Percy's senses immediately snapped him out of his dreams. The boy looked out past the border and saw a familiar figure in the distance, chasing what appeared to be a fifteen year old boy.

Percy grinned, pulling out his trusted pen and uncapping it. Anaklusmos roared into life in his grasp, its celestial bronze emanating power. With a yell of defiance, he charged past the borders and straight towards the incoming figures. The boy was being chased by none other than Percy's old friend, the Minotaur. As Percy approached the Minotaur, he smiled menacingly at the monster.

"Hey ground beef, how's it been? Was Tartarus a nice vacation spot?"

The monster roared angrily, clearly recognizing him. Percy shot a quick glance around to see where the boy went, and noticed him cowering before a tree. Sighing about wimpy new campers, he advanced the Minotaur. The beast's beady eyes narrowed, and it huffed several times, pawing the ground. Percy easily recognized the signs of it preparing to charge, just grinning cheekily at the preparing monster. The Minotaur snapped at the sight of his unimpressed opponent and charged, bellowing with rage.

Slickly, the son of Poseidon twisted out of the way of the beast and brought Anaklusmos down swiftly, severing its arm, then flicked his wrist, all in a matter of seconds. The Minotaur came to a halt, as its arm lay on the ground behind tauntingly. It looked down at its chest and saw tremendous amount of blood coming from his wound when Percy flicked his wrist. Grinning sadistically, the boy stepped towards the Minotaur and stabbed it through the heart, causing it to explode into golden dust.

Smiling at the bit of excitement, Percy looked back at the tree where he had last seen the scared boy. Briefly, he wondered why the teenager hadn't been claimed yet. However, he was nowhere to be seen. Whirling around wildly, Percy analyzed his surroundings for other possible adversaries when he felt a tingle on the back of his neck. He spun around and saw the boy swing a sword at his head. Before he could raise Anaklusmos, the blow struck him and caused him to stagger from the impact, protected from death by the blessing of the Styx.

Percy roared in anger, "What the fuck are you doing?"

The boy backed away, fear evident on his face. The blessing automated his actions as Percy's hatred wrapped him up. His eyes glowed as a deadly sea-green light circled him. Quick as lightning, he lunged forward, feinting a slash to the right with his sword. When the boy raised his sword to deflect the blow, Percy smashed his left fist into his face, shattering the boy's nose and throwing him back several yards.

Still angered, he walked over to the boy and kicked him hard in the chest, the sound of ribs cracking piercing the air. Glaring down at the bloody heap beneath him in pure hatred, Percy raised Anaklusmos and stabbed down into his shoulder, twisting it. It was as if the attempt on his life had unleashed a sadistic side of his personality kept down by his constant role as a leader, this side that had been held down for so long due to the knowledge that so many lives depended on him.

The boy bleeding out on the ground was screaming in pain when suddenly a flash appeared behind Percy. Percy whirled around, sword at the ready, but recognized Poseidon. Poseidon glared at his son angrily, then held up his trident in Percy's direction, "What do you think you're doing? Why are you killing my son?"

Percy gasped in horror, "This piece of trash is my brother? He tried to kill me after I saved him from the Minotaur!"

"Don't lie Perseus," he spat. "Are you jealous that you aren't the only son of Poseidon?"

Shocked at seeing his father so enraged at him, Percy just shook his head in desperation, a tear threatening to form in his eyes.

"Father, I swear –"

"No more lies! You will apologize to your brother once he is healed."

Percy backed away, then turned and ran in the direction of camp, shaking in disbelief at his father's reaction and at his own blood lust.

Four months later (still flashback)

Percy smiled at the sight of camp; he was returning to his home for the first time in a month since he had gone on a minor quest in an effort to track down rogue demigods left over from the Titan War and offer them pardons in exchange for vows of loyalty to Olympus. He was eager to see his girlfriend Annabeth, who he finally began dating to his great joy immediately after the end of the war.

He strode into camp confidently, before his smile turned sour as he remembered the new poison that had entered the camp. The boy who tried to kill him that first day, his brother, had quickly recovered and began manipulating campers with his heartfelt lies. According to the boy's tragic story, he slayed the Minotaur before Percy managed to get to them, and in his jealousy, had attacked him while his back was turned and proceeded to almost kill him. All the new campers brought in immediately after the war now regarded him in disgust, but Percy barely cared.

What mattered to him was the fact that he still had his true friends, the older demigods who had stuck by him throughout the Titan War, and his lovely girlfriend.

As Percy past the Big House, he peeked his head in and called out a greeting to Chiron. The ancient trainer of heroes replied in kind, albeit with a forced smile, one that Percy noticed but did not pay much attention to. He continued on his way to the Athena cabin when he caught sight of the Stolls.

"Hey guys, how's it been? Any good new pranks?" Percy called out to the twins. The two immediately whirled around and glared at the son of Poseidon with a look of disgust.

"Why do you even bother talking to us? Are we not 'pitifully weak and pathetic jokers'?"

Percy looked at them in confusion. Travis sneered, "Don't play dumb Percy. We know what you said."

With that, they walked away quickly. Shocked and slightly confused, Percy shrugged and decided to fix the misunderstanding later. He still needed to greet Annabeth and his other friends. As he walked past the cabins, he noticed that everyone seemed to be avoiding him like the plague. Newer campers were openly shooting him looks full of hatred, while older campers he called out greetings to occasionally just looked away.

A flicker of suspicion entered Percy; he had an ominous feeling in his chest, a thoroughly bad omen about the future. Hesitantly, Percy opened the door of his cabin quietly. Nothing could've prepared him for what he saw. On his bed were two half-naked teenagers, a blonde girl on top of a black-haired boy. Percy recognized them instantly.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?" he bellowed, rage unlike anything he had ever felt before seeping into his veins, taking control of his body. The two figures looked up, Annabeth with a guilty look on her face while the boy sported an incredibly smug face.

"P-P-Percy? What are you doing here?" stammered Annabeth

"WHAT AM I DOING HERE? THIS IS MY CABIN!" Percy roared, his eyes beginning to glow with power, his aura magnifying in intensity. Suddenly, the sound of roaring winds pierced the air as the cabin was literally destroyed, its structure battered by a massive storm that had formed outside.

"I-It's n-n-not what you think it is Percy," she cried out, trying to come forward and hug him. Percy let out a primal scream of rage and raised his arms to the sky, manipulating the wind to throw her back against the bed. The massive hurricane that had formed around him grew bigger, tearing the other cabins off their foundations as an immensely powerful earthquake tore through the grounds of the camp. Rain began pouring, battering the camp intensely, despite its immunity to the effects of natural weather.

"NOT WHAT I THINK IT IS? I GO ON A QUEST FOR A MONTH, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MY GIRLFRIEND, BUT THE FIRST THING I SEE IS HER FUCKING MY PIECE OF SHIT BROTHER ON MY BED," he yelled through the howling storm. The trees of the forest began uprooting, and the cries of angry tree nymphs invaded the air. Percy then managed to hold his rage down for a moment, calming the storm. All the cabins that had been swirling in the air, half destroyed, all began dropping from the air onto the fearful campers. The once majestic camp lay in absolute ruin, the forest half destroyed, all the cabins obliterated, moaning and wounded campers bleeding out on the ground, hurt by the effects of the storm and the destroyed cabins.

Percy just shook his head, closing his eyes, heartbreaking sobs tearing through him. He had somehow lost everything; ever since his brother had come to camp, everything he held dear to him had been torn apart. What had become his second home had clearly abandoned him; his father had betrayed him; no other gods even bothered contacting him anymore.

Without another word to anyone, he turned and fled out of camp, sprinting at full speed through the devastation he had caused.

Several days later (still flashback)

Percy stumbled through the streets of New York, his home town, in search of his mom's apartment. After fleeing the remains of the camp, he forged his path through the forest, borderline starving, as he trekked to New York.

Now, he stood outside the apartment, but there was an unnatural stillness in the air. For some reason, the lights were all off in the apartment, despite it being dusk. Percy gripped the pen in his pocket and went to knock. With a gasp of panic, he noticed the door wasn't completely closed.

Percy inhaled and exhaled before pushing it open, Anaklusmos out and ready in his hand. An eerie silence haunted him as Percy contemplated the still living room nervously, no traces of life in the room. Stealthily, he sneaked over to the door to his mother and stepfather's room. Gritting his teeth in determination, he pushed open that door as well and strode through, Anaklusmos in a guarded position. However, the sight in front of him shocked him to the bone.

On their bed lay the cold and bloody bodies of Sally Jackson and Paul Blofis. Percy just gaped in shock, unable to accept what he was seeing. After a few moments of paralysis, he screamed in pain, unable to hold anything in anymore.

The ground began shaking tremendously, with a force that was even more powerful than that of Poseidon. The building began collapsing as Percy walked over to the body of his mother, tears flowing down his face ceaselessly.

"Why mom… WHY! I lost everything," he sobbed, hugging his dead mother tightly. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a small piece of paper pinned to the crumbling walls with a bloody knife. Wiping away his tears, Percy stumbled over to the note and read it quickly:

-o-

How does it feel to be broken? They even begged for mercy, groveling at my feet, when I plunged the knife into their worthless bodies.

My regards,

Mike

-o-

Percy blinked, absorbing the letter. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. His worthless brother, Mike, initiated the betrayal of the camp, of his father, and now killed the only family he had left in the world. His mother, the greatest woman in the world, dead at the hands of a pathetic piece of trash.

Percy's eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously. The series of shocks over the past few days had stretched his nerves to new levels. As the roof began crumpling under the intense pressure of the earthquake he was still unconsciously powering, Percy pictured the ruins of Camp Half-Blood and pictured himself there, about to tear Mike apart.

Suddenly, his body seemed to dissolve into the air. At the exact location where he had pictured himself, standing among the rubble of his former home, his body reformed into its normal, solid form. Percy fell to one knee, gasping for breath. For the first time, he had managed to mist travel, one of the most difficult powers of Poseidon to master. It often required decades of training, and very, very few of Poseidon's children had been able to even use it. Now, his pure anger had torn any barriers that once shielded the true potential of the angry demigod. As he recovered, the voice he despised called across the clearing, "Back already, worthless shit? Did my actions not drive you away? Did you find your pathetic parents?"

At the last question, Percy snapped. He straightened to his feet immediately, then turned towards the source of the voice. Pure hatred displayed in his eyes as he glared at his half-brother, who flinched. The other campers seemed to be hiding behind him, peering at Percy's standing form with fear and disgust. Percy grinned, a pure, sadistic smile adorning his lips. His once striking sea-green eyes were darkened with rage and an evil glint.

Suddenly, Percy moved. With incredible speed, fast enough to leave after images, he charged Mike and shouldered him, sending him flying back a hundred yards, into the crowd of watching demigods. There were a few cracking sounds following that impact, and Mike screamed in pain. All his ribs had fractured, with one of them sticking out of his chest. His vertebrae had also fractured upon impact with the ground.

Percy grinned again before sticking his hand out. Slowly, Mike was lifted into the air, screaming. Percy's grin widened as he began clenching his hand slowly, with Mike shrieking more than ever before. Then, his eyes hardened and he moved his hand down rapidly in the air. Mike followed the motion and was smashed into the ground again. He just groaned in pain on the ground, half conscious. The sadistic smile never left Percy's face as he began superheating Mike's blood. Once his anger and grief at his mother's death unlocked the full potential of his power, Percy could now control water anywhere, including in the blood of people.

Mike began screaming again while the crowd of demigods just watched the brutal torture silently, terrified of the power Percy was showing. His aura had increased dramatically, as it now was greater than that of any minor god. The wicked smile he sported just further incited fear in the campers that had betrayed him. Percy kept superheating and cooling Mike's blood, relishing in the pain the demigod was experiencing.

After almost ten minutes of this constant brutality, Chiron galloped forward and interposed himself between Percy and Mike.

"Enough Percy, I understand you are angry but –"

Percy's grin disappeared and he clenched his fist again, and Mike just screamed. His hands began moving of their own accord, with his right hand moving involuntarily over to his left one. Without intending to, he began breaking his own fingers one by one. With each one, Mike shrieked in pain. While this occurred, Percy let his eyes fall on his former trainer.

"Chiron, stay out of this. That piece of shit ruined my life, and not just because he took my home from me. No, what he did that caused him to deserve this and much worse, is the fact that he killed my parents in cold blood," Percy said emotionlessly. A look of horror passed over Chiron's face.

"Exactly centaur; now do you understand my rage? Do you see why this bastard deserves every ounce of this pain?" he asked quietly, dangerously.

"DO YOU?" Percy roared before snapping his fingers. Mike's arms and legs all bent at horrible angles, and the boy just whimpered on the ground, his vocal chords destroyed from all his screaming. He then walked over to Mike's shaking form on the ground and raised his foot, crushing his neck underfoot and finally ending the son of Poseidon's misery. Some of the demigods in the crowd yelled abuse at Percy at the sight of this. Grinning sadistically, the sixteen year old turned to the demigods who shouted at him and raised his hand, lifting them all off the ground using his control over their blood. Percy noticed all of them were new campers, so his unleashed dark personality felt no flickers of remorse. He simply waved his hand, tossing them into trees back and forth until every of their bodies were bloody. Smiling once more, he bowed mockingly to the crowd.

"Listen campers, every single one of you," he said darkly. "If I ever see a Camp Half-Blood camper again, I will torture you and kill you the same way I did to your friends here today. You were warned. Fear me."

With that, he mist travelled away from the camp, covered in blood, into a forest, where he collapsed, absolutely drained from the ridiculous amount of energy he expended controlling the blood of all those demigods for so long.

(Flashback End)

"And so, Lady Hera, I ended up on the run for the past couple months. I've been wandering these forests alone. In fact, you're the first person I've spoken to since the incident," he finished hoarsely. Hera just looked at the broken man in front of her with utter shock on her face, trying to understand the past he just explained to her.

Percy saw her look of shock and hung his head sadly, "I understand, Lady Hera. You are probably horrified at the dark aspect that took over me then, and you probably want to kill me for the sheer power I possess now. I don't care anymore. Kill me if you want, I would embrace death."

Hera blinked, unable to comprehend what had happened to the once indomitable Savior of Olympus, the one all the campers had looked up to. Her motherly instincts took over and she did something that shocked both of them.

Hera hugged Percy tightly, whispering comforting words in his ear. At first, Percy stiffened, stunned at Hera's actions, but then he relaxed in her hug. Without intending to, the dam broke, and all the pain he had kept in himself since these events poured out, and he began crying uncontrollably onto Hera's shoulder. The Queen of the Gods didn't shy back, just gripped the now broken man and allowed him to release his sorrows.

They remained in this position for an hour until Percy's tears dried up at last. His once beautiful sea green eyes were reddened, and the pain in them was still evident, although they had lessened after this emotional outbreak. His gaze trained on Hera's and he raised an eyebrow questioningly,

"Lady Hera, why? I thought you hated demigods, you should hate me for what I've done and what I am."

Hera just shook her head, "No, Percy. You are one of a kind. You have done so much for us gods, but this is how that stupid brother of mine repays you. You are not to blame, Percy. That pathetic half-brother of yours is. He is the kind I despise. You have accomplished the impossible too many times. In fact, I think your actions were, albeit a bit over the top, the same as I would've done if I were in your shoes. I know that it can be unimaginably painful to lose all your friends, family, and loved one in quick succession, especially in this manner."

Percy flinched at the mention of Anna– no, her, and just lay back against the tree next to him. Hera scooted over and settled next to him, looking sadly at the broken man who was the greatest demigod of all time, trying to find a way to bring him out of this depression. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"Percy, I have an idea. I will completely understand if you don't want to do this, but I can't bear seeing a hero like you reduced to this," she began. Percy turned his head and just observed her.

"There is another place you can go to, similar to that accursed camp, but different. What I'm about to tell you is one of the most sacred secrets of the gods. I'll need you to swear on the Styx never to tell anyone this unless it has already been revealed or I give you permission."

Percy hesitated, then nodded, "Okay, I swear on the Styx to your terms."

Hera allowed a small smile to come to her lips, "On the other side of the country, there is a camp named Camp Jupiter. It's near San Francisco. Now, to understand this, you need to comprehend that us gods have two aspects. When Greece fell and the Romans raised their empire and began worshipping us under different names, we developed a second aspect more attuned to the Romans. As such, we are generally more militaristic and justice-oriented. For example, your torture of that pitiful excuse for a human being would not have been frowned upon in this camp. Camp Jupiter is where we send the demigods born to the gods' Roman aspects."

Percy blinked, absorbing the information. He then asked, "Is this the main reason why we're always warned away from the Bay Area?"

"This is indeed the biggest reason. Every times Greeks and Romans have come together, they have clashed. In fact, their last big confrontation incited the American Civil War. That was when we swore the oath never to reveal the existence of one to the other again."

Percy nodded, "Then why have you told me this?"

"Because, Percy, you are the greatest hero and demigod of all time. Despite what those idiotic campers have done, you deserve better. I want to offer this as a new home to you, since now that I know of your fate, I refuse to see you wander around these woods alone anymore. You need to heal in presence of people. The added benefit is that you will not have to come into contact with Camp Half-Blood again," Hera explained.

"Lady Hera, there is one problem. After what my father – former father – did to me, I cannot enter this Roman camp as his son. I will not," Percy said.

Hera smiled, "That's why I have my following proposition. I know what you have lost, and I have always wanted a son as great as you. I want to adopt you, Percy. Will you be my son? I know I cannot fill Sally's role, but I hope I can do my best. I don't want to see this kind of grief from you."

Percy just blinked in shock. Hera, the hater of demigods, the supposed most bitter and cruel goddess, was offering to adopt him. She had been incredibly sympathetic to him, and was willing to be his mother! He contemplated the offer for a few moments before nodding, "Lady Hera, I cannot imagine a greater honor. I would love to be your son."

The goddess smiled widely, "Very well Percy. I, Hera, Queen of the Gods, choose to adopt Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon."

She motioned towards Percy, who understood instantly, "I, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, choose to be adopted by Lady Hera, Queen of the Gods."

A flash of light suddenly surrounded Percy for a few moments before dissipating, leaving the boy panting on his knees. Slowly, he stood up. Hera looked at him and noticed that some of his features had changed, and that his aura had increased even more. Around his stunning sea green eyes, who had regained some of their sparkle, were bands of brown. His cheekbones had heightened slightly, giving him an air of royalty.

Hera smiled at her new son and hugged him. Percy's pained eyes brightened and a smile finally began creeping its way onto his face again as he hugged her back. Hera pulled back and looked at him, "Don't call me Lady Hera or any type of formality anymore. Call me mom or mother."

Percy grinned, "Sure thing, mom. I can't express how happy this makes me, to have someone that cares about me again."

Hera smiled at her new son, "Of course. Now, I will take you to the Roman camp. Remember, never reveal anything about Camp Half-Blood."

Percy rolled his eyes, "Don't worry."

Before Hera could flash Percy to the West coast, the flames of the fire Percy had made suddenly glowed intensely, and a young girl stepped out of them, accompanied by a young woman. Percy recognized both rapidly: one was his favorite goddess Hestia, and the other was the mother of her, Athena. When he saw her, he tensed and gripped his pen. Hestia spoke up quickly, "Peace, Perseus, neither of us are here to harm you."

Hera stood up and faced her sister and Athena, "You better not."

Hestia just smiled at Hera, a knowing glint in her eyes, "I know what you did Hera, and it was a noble act. As the goddess of family, I felt the sheer pain that tore Percy's being apart a couple months ago, when his family was destroyed. For the first time, hope was completely extinguished in a demigod."

All of the people just stared at Hestia in shock as she continued grimly, "That's why I wasn't able to find you Percy, despite my greatest efforts. However, tonight, I felt a flicker in the hearth. Hope had returned to the greatest demigod, and he had a family again."

Athena just looked at the ground sadly, unable to meet Percy's eyes. Hestia smiled warmly at Percy, "You cannot believe how glad I am that I found you again. I hoped that you would not die of your hopelessness, and tonight has brought you back from the brink. I know of Hera's plan to find you a new home, and before you go, I would like to give you my blessing and make you my champion."

Percy gaped at the goddess, "Me? Greatest demigod? I do not deserve your blessing, Lady Hestia! Have you seen what I've done?"

Athena rolled her eyes, "Percy, despite what our relations have been in the past, I have seen how great a man you are. You truly are the greatest demigod of all time, and I simply cannot understand how my daughter, who proclaims herself to be my smartest daughter ever, would ever want to leave someone like you."

Percy just stood there, shocked at the praise he was receiving, especially from the goddess that used to despise him. He then turned back to Hestia and bowed, "It would be my honor for me to receive your blessing and become your champion, Lady Hestia."

Hestia giggled happily, waving away the bow, "I don't want you to treat me so formally, especially now that you're going to be my champion."

She raised her hands towards Percy, and her hands lit on fire. Instantly, a warm glow passed over the demigod, calming him tremendously. After a few minutes, the glow wore off, and he felt like he was back to normal. Percy looked at Hestia in the eye, bowing, "Thank you Hestia."

"You now have power over fire, whether it be combat or healing, and you can calm other people with your touch. In addition, you can conjure any home-cooked food thanks to my blessing."

Percy nodded in acknowledgment as Hestia stepped back and nodded to Athena, who moved towards me.

"Perseus, I know I haven't treated you well in the past. I also know that what my daughter did was wrong, and that caused me to lose a lot of respect for her. As a form of forgiveness, I would like you to accept my blessing as well."

Percy nodded, "Okay Lady Athena."

"Despite my hatred for those Romans due to what they have done for me, I will make you my champion too."

She raised her hands in Percy's direction, similar to Hestia. A gray glow surrounded Percy for a few minutes, before it wore off.

"My blessing increases your brain processes dramatically, decreasing your ADHD and dyslexia off the battlefield to insignificant levels. In addition, you can now strategize and develop battle plans on the fly, analyzing any possible surroundings during a time of war. This will aid you in the future," explained Athena.

Percy bowed courteously to her as well, "Thank you Athena. I'd like to note that your daughter's actions are not your fault at all; she is the one who made her choice."

Athena looked at Percy curiously, with newfound respect shining in her eyes. Hestia motioned to Athena and smiled at Hera, "We must go now, back to Olympus. We will contact you again once you meet with the Romans."

Hera nodded at the two goddesses as they flashed away before turning back to Percy. As a result of these multiple blessings, he now had obtained traits from his patrons and mother. His former sea green eyes had changed drastically. Now, brown and gray clashed in his iris along with moving sea green specks, with a sea green band running around his pupil and iris. Most notable, however, was that his eyes were like flames of brown and gray, clearly a side effect of Hestia's blessing.

"Son, you're probably curious what powers you gained from me."

Percy nodded, smiling inwardly at hearing son again.

"My domain is often ignored, but you have a few unique gifts. First, your mind has become a lot stronger. You can shield your mind from anyone who tries to read your mind, manipulate you, or incapacitate you. You can also in turn look at people's minds and thoughts, similar to a god, but this power is limited to mortals and demigods. Any very strong demigod and any god will most often remain unaffected. In addition, you can change your features without using the Mist in the minds of other people. This technique actually roots from slight manipulation of the minds of the people who see your disguised form, as your power forces their eyes to see you differently. This will help you especially when you join Camp Jupiter or if you encounter any gods that hold grudges against you."

Percy's eyes widened; he hadn't expected Hera to be so powerful. His new mother chuckled at his stunned expression.

"Percy, did you really expect one of the children of Kronos and Rhea to be powerless? However, you'll need some training before you can use these powers fully. I can train you with my powers and ask Hestia to aid you with the powers she gifted you through her blessing for a few months before we send you to Camp Jupiter," Hera said.

Percy nodded, "That sounds reasonable. What would be the point of these abilities without being able to use them?"

Hera smiled and grabbed his shoulder, flashing him away from the desolate fire that was the last trace of the broken, shattered Percy she had seen initially in the clearing.