Percy Jackson was familiar with many feelings.

He was familiar with pain. He was familiar with humiliation. He was familiar with loss and heartache.

What he was not familiar with, however, was betrayal.

Less than an hour after he was found in his cabin, bawling over the lifeless corpse of his younger brother, he was now in the throne room of Olympus, bound in celestial bronze and old-fashioned titanium chains, being forced to endure the expressions of all the gods. Some looked at him in disbelief, others with shock and horror, others with simple pity.

All except for one. Zeus.

The King of the Gods regarded Percy Jackson with a look that redefined sadism. The smile he bore on his old, bearded face spoke of insurmountable glee, and primeval satisfaction in seeing a demigod he hated and despised brought low at last.

"Percy Jackson, " spoke Zeus after minutes of silent excitement. "You stand accused of the murder of your own half-brother, Noah Cassidy. How do you respond to this charge?"

Percy sighed. No denying the facts. He looked up and spoke his answer in a calm, yet tired voice. "Guilty."

Every god on the council, apart from Zeus himself, gasped. They did not want to believe that Percy had done it, and yet he wasn't denying it. He had confessed.

Poseidon spoke. "Son, please tell us why! Please!"

Percy looked back at his father with a morbid expression. "I...I didn't want to. I loved my brother more than anything. It's just...it was..."

The next few words that came out of his mouth, barely anyone could hear. "It was the only way to set him free."

"Percy, what do you mean by that?" Athena asked. Her curiosity made her want so badly to know.

All Percy did, however, was hang his head in sorrow.

"It doesn't matter what he means, daughter," said Zeus in a way that clarified his obsession with getting the demigod out of the room as quickly as possible. "All that matters is he did the deed. He confessed. He's guilty. Therefore, he shall receive punishment."

Percy didn't bother asking what his punishment was. He knew. Tartarus.

"Very well," he said simply, "I just ask that I get the chance to say goodbye to my mortal family."

Strangely, Zeus's smile grew tenfold, as if he was waiting for the chance to tell Percy something.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but that's not possible, Jackson. You see, your mother, stepfather and little sister are...no longer with us."

Percy's head shot up, eyes wide in shock. All the other gods turned to stare at their king, silently wondering why he was saying this as if he felt good about it.

"No," Percy said, his voice low and shaken. "No, no, no, no, no. It can't be."

"Oh, indeed, Perseus," Zeus confirmed, barely repressing a chuckle.

Percy's eyes closed, and tears came down his cheeks in a miniature tsunami.

Before Zeus could say anything more, a great howl was heard, as a massive black shape bounded out from behind a column. It was Mrs. O'Leary, having just shadow-traveled to Olympus.

"Girl?" Percy said, rather startled. "What are you doing here?"

In response, the creature nuzzled her master to comfort him.

"Guards, send him to Tartarus," Zeus ordered. At the sound of the king's command, four well-muscled humanoids bearing the insignia of the royal house of Olympus stepped toward the chained prisoner. Mrs. O'Leary stood her ground, growling a challenge, ready to defend her master with all her strength and will.

But then a sad, empty voice said, "Wait."

Percy raised a hand and caressed his loyal pet. "Thanks, girl. You're pretty much the only one left who hasn't turned against me. I don't want you to lay down your life for me. You don't deserve to suffer. I love you, girl. I'll never forget you."

The gods on the council all were struck by the hellhound's devotion to the young man who owned her, and to his willingness to accept his fate. Some even shed tears.

But Zeus would have none of it. "For protecting a traitor and criminal, the beast shall be banished to Tartarus as well."

The hellhound nuzzled the son of Poseidon lovingly. He gave a sly smile. "At least I won't be alone this time."

The boy who had saved Olympus more than once, who had led demigods in battle, and had faced more trials and tribulations than any hero from any era, raised his head and glared at the God of the Skies. The look in his eyes was not volcanic rage, but cold, vitriolic disdain and determination. And it was the most terrifying thing that many of the Olympians there had ever seen. Even Zeus could not withstand it before cowering back.

"Know this, Zeus," Percy said, his tone firm and composed. "This won't be the last you see of me. Someday, somehow, I will rise from the pit once more, and when I do, I swear on the Styx, the Acheron, the Phlegethon, the Cocytus, the Lethe and the Primordials themselves, that your golden ichor will stain this floor, and your severed head will lay on the ground at my feet."

The Olympians were shocked at this. This man had sworn vengeance against the King of the Gods, swearing on not just the Styx, but all five rivers and the Primordials themselves. They were unnerved, startled even.

As he was lifted from the floor and his chains removed, his eyes never lifted off the youngest child of Kronos, who sat in his throne, frozen in sheer shock and terror.

"The rest of you," he added. "I hold no grudge against you, for you've done nothing wrong. You all will be spared the agony I will deliver on your king. You are my family, and I love you."

That made most of them smile.

"Well, Mrs. O'Leary," he said, turning to the hellhound standing obediently by his side. "Tartarus awaits us."

The hellhound whined sadly, and the son of Poseidon patted her head to console her. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I don't wanna go back, either. But at least no demigods will hurt you down there."

After giving the gods one last goodbye, the boy and his "dog" leaped through the waiting portal to Tartarus.

Note: This is my first ever fanfic, so I'm quite nervous as to how people will respond to it. Also, if you'd like to comment and give me some pointers, that'd be great. I tried reading the regulations and restrictions, but it was so difficult to absorb all that info, so if I do something wrong now or at any point in the future, I apologize in advance. Hope you enjoy it.