DISCLAIMER: I do not own PJatO._

Leto led them to a large cave entrance, somewhere near the middle of the island. Beckoning them to follow her inside, she glided into the pitch blackness. Percy's skin prickled at his inability to see. There was a silver spark of light, and a candle lit up the room with more light than a light bulb could offer. She stood in front of them shamelessly, she had no reason to feel awkward because of her nakedness. Percy's eyes found a table and chairs behind the titaness and a bed further behind with a strange curtain cutting off the rest of the cave.

"Please sit." Their hostess' voice seemed oddly cheery all the sudden, compared to the serious, threatening tone it held earlier. Iapetus was the first to move into one of the chairs, followed closely by the other two on their ambassadorial quest.

"You left something out of what I will be doing should I side with you. What is it?"

Aigle turned her head to look at Percy, heart beat erratically thumping against her chest, but Percy held the Titaness' gaze.

"It is less of part of our deal as it would be a favor-"

"Favors are owed favors, what are you willing to give for this extraneous... thing?"

"What do you want along with your freedom?" Leto turned away from them, facing the curtain.

"I have grown used to this island prison. In fact it is my home, but exploring the outside world after so long would be fascinating. I would still return here after any adventures, and for that it would need to be safe. Apollo has left me alone, weaponless and my magic does not hurt Python-" A rumbling hissing sound echoed from beyond the curtain, "A part of my curse from the Queen of the Gods. The serpent has been respawned from the pit to antagonize me. I have managed to put a barrier here to protect myself from the snake. Kill it now and you will have your favor and my agreement to your earlier proposition."

"That's it? Finally I can just kill something to solve my problems. Consider it done."

"Walk through the curtain, it will not stop you."

He walked through before Aigle could get her objection out, but he could still hear her berating Iapetus to just let him go off on his own, and then Iapetus holding her back from following him. Perseus looked at the time on his watch, before it transformed into the sword that had tasted immortal blood. The cave was dark, barely a hint of light except what came from the tiny cracks in the ceiling that stood at least fifty feet above him. It was strange that his heartrate slowed in this type of scenario. He felt relaxed, ready to take on the world.

That was when he was sent careening deeper into the cave as something smashed into his back. The wind was knocked out of his lungs. He was still gasping for air when he heard the mix of a growl and a hiss next to his ear. Without even looking, he tumbled forward, out of reach of the jaws snapping shut around what had been his body. The faint glow of his sword caught his eye and he lunged toward it, his hand closing around the handle, just as he felt something grip his ankle tightly. He was whipped back around and slammed into the ground, the grip never loosening. His vision swam but he was able to make out the form of what looked like a fifty fifty mix of dragon and snake standing over him. Saliva dripped down it's razor sharp teeth onto his body. It was smaller than he expected but it was still large, just over ten feet tall with its feet on the ground and at least fifteen feet long with surprisingly long and spindly sets of limbs.

It had a long snout full of six inch or longer dagger like teeth. For a moment fear racked his brain and he stopped moving, then they both moved at the same time, teeth flying straight for his face and his sword swinging for the beast's arm that was holding onto his leg. The curse of Achilles protected him from the deadly claws, but the pressure building was bound to break bone eventually. His sword reached Python's arm, cutting nearly halfway through it, before the thick bone stopped it, gaining him enough time to roll away as the monster screeched in pain, the blade chewing away at its blood quickly causing the veins close to the injury blacken and pop out in the skin.

He was barely up on one knee and he had to defend himself again from the serpent's teeth, moving to the side and swiping at its face to back it away, scoring a solid cut through the hardest of its scales. It hissed and pulled away to get a safer look at the intruder. Strange as he looked to the serpent, even stranger Python seemed to the demi-titan. The area they stood in now was circular and only had one opening currently behind Python. Percy took a step to his left, sword held in front with both hands, ready to defend or attack. The giant serpent moved right, starting to open up his escape route if it would be needed. His left hand retracted from his blade and he held it, clenched into a tight fist, behind his back. His fist hid the bright gold shine from Python's eyes, all it could do was sense a build-up of energy coming from behind its adversary. It attempted to cut it off by lunging forward with a screech, claws and teeth extended to kill.

Before it reached Percy, he released his power and time slowed to a crawl for Python. It was moving through the air slower than a sloth, jaws wide and eyes wider. Perseus cautiously walked up to the beast. No matter what it was massive and always dangerous. He stopped right at its neck, just behind the head. Lifting his sword with both hands up above his head, he brought it down on Python's neck slicing into the scales, not deep enough to kill it, but it did free the beast from his power. Percy wasn't prepared for that as its shoulder crashed into his chest sending him slamming into the wall again. The curse of the styx protected him from the pain, but he was still reeling and trying to stand straight when teeth clenched onto his sword arm, hard. He could feel his bones about to give in, no matter that his skin was invulnerable. With a shout, he grabbed the serpents upper jaw with his left hand, using his right to push down and left to pull up, he fought against its jaws to pry it open, his muscles bulged and strained until it gave way, and he broke its jaw.

He scrambled back and grabbed his arm, feeling the pain and soreness of having his bones squished. He looked up at the snake as it shook its body, worsening the wound on its neck with each shake, sending blood flying to coat the walls with gore. Its jaw hung loosely and a terrible sound emanated from its maw. Percy knew he had won the fight already from the fear in its eyes and he pushed closer, Python reeling away, but now the exit was behind Percy, offering no escape to the snake. He switched sword hands, flourishing Vengeance, having been forced to learn to wield with either. Python was backed against the cave wall, only option being through the demititan that had ruined its day. Letting out the worst cry yet, it launched itself once again, but this time Percy wasn't going to play with it. With perfect timing he stepped to the right and let Python impale the sword into its own brain, through its mouth, bursting into golden dust for the second time. Vengeance transformed back to its watch form and Percy grabbed his right arm, gritting his teeth together.

"Fuck. That stings." He hissed out.

_

"He is dead." Leto spoke in a completely neutral tone.

"What?!" Aigle yelled out, "No, he can't be! Iapet-"

"Python. She meant Python, αστεράκι." Percy spoke in a tired voice. He quickly found himself holding his lover up with his unhurt arm, keeping her from falling to the ground. "I'm okay. Really." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Never let anyone scare me like that again, alright?"

Percy just grinned and continued to hold her, knowing there would be many scares in their future, enjoying the moment.

_

αστεράκι: means little star in greek according to google. Aigle's name means dazzling light and the zoe connection, even though she isn't a constellation in this story... yet ;)

_

Luke stood in the midst of the Titans' thrones, kneeling and waiting to be addressed. Most were ignoring him, carrying on their own conversations or just staring off into their own versions of space. But there were several pairs of eyes locked onto him. Hyperion, Iapetus, Prometheus, and then the golden eyes of the only demi-titan in the room, whose face held a smile big enough to fit on any of the full Titans.

"My new friend!" Perseus began. "We have called you, for your expertise on the happenings inside Camp Half-Blood and all things demigod related. We wish to begin our recruitment campaign as soon as possible, and you shall be spearheading it, tell us what you need, time, supplies, you name it and it will be yours. Also please stand, some may like to hold onto their superiority complexes, but I like to think we are all equal in our quest to reclaim what is rightfully ours." Luke stood up slowly, thinking of what he would need.

"Some form of transportation, from here to the camp and back." He paused.

"Um, a way to communicate with any that wish to stay as spies, and um, some satyrs or monsters that can track unclaimed demigods in the mortal world that won't harm them and return them to us for training and shelter. Weapons for those that aren't lucky enough to have their own, and a place for them to stay."

"It will be done. Take the night to rest, and find me in the morning for your requests." Luke bowed his head and left the room. He heard Perseus speak to Hyperion: "If you would be so kind to walk with me, I believe we can have our discussion now."

Luke lay back on his bed, eyes wide open, a grin on his face looking forward to the future, and seeing Annabeth again.

_

Perseus lead Hyperion to the same place Atlas had been grunting and toiling for ages, the place he went to speak to his father.

"You know." Hyperion started, "I admit I really didn't think you were up to the job that your position puts you in, perhaps I was right, for you to be calling me away to a private place to beg for my forgiveness. Maybe you are just some scared, power hungry little shit, who somehow wrapped Kronos of all people around his finger and then moved onto Iapetus." Perseus reached for something on his wrist after gathering something from behind Kronos' sarcophagus. "Ah, you wish to give me an offering to placate me, how considerate." He continued, seeing the bag, Perseus had pulled out.

His left wrist glowed for a moment as he stopped the time on his watch and Hyperion's body stopped functioning. Perseus felt a wave of dizziness hit him, but made sure not to show it to Hyperion.

"I really thought you would have known me better by now, Hyperion. Do you know how hard it is to listen to you? But even that pales in comparison to how hard it is to freeze an immortal in time, your mind should be able to process this still, but your body is a useless pile of shit."

"Vengeance here," He shook his watch on his wrist in front of his face, "Helps me channel my powers, but it needs to stay in its current form, so that weapon can't be used to get my threat across. But it's okay, because I have an old friend of yours to help enlighten you." Perseus opened the bag and slowly pulled the Master Bolt out, and if Hyperion's heart had been pumping, his heartrate would have skyrocketed.

"You clearly remember it. You see, Hyperion, Aigle is hidden away, safe from you, but you are not safe from me." A cruel smile found its way onto Perseus' face. He tapped his shoulder with the bolt and channeled the energy outward, zapping Hyperion's immobile body with enough energy to kill an elephant ten times over. He would survive it easily, but he could still feel pain and couldn't even scream it out of himself.

"Let me make myself clear, Hyperion." Percy dropped the spell for one second, allowing the titan to scream for a moment and fall to his kness, his mouth open in a desperate attempt to get the electricity to stop hurting him. His eyes were still wide open.

"I am focused on my tasks and what needs to happen, but when my own Uncle threatens the girl I love, well that is when I have to think on other things, such as how you should be dealt with. Iapetus has turned down the version where I put the bolt so far up your ass that I stab your brain and send you to Tartarus. One of my other favorites is for you to take Atlas' burden off his shoulders, we all know which one of you is stronger, and which one lasts longer of course. Pretty sure you'd be a one pump chump kinda deal with having to keep your father's corpse from fucking your mother's fast asleep form. Immortals are so fucking strange."

"I could have you pledge yourself to me on Khaos, but my father would probably not like that, so I have to make this nice and permanent scar." Tendrils of lightning popped out like static electricity. Perseus held the Master Bolt to Hyperion's crotch and even in the Titan's frozen form, he could feel the panic. He pulled back, before stabbing it straight into his Uncle's manly bits and letting loose and explosion of power from the bolt.

He released Hyperion and the Titan crumbled to ground in agony.

"I swear to Khaos if you don't leave Aigle alone, my father and Iapetus will not hold me back from sending you to the depths of Tartarus. Take him away."

The wind spirits lifted the wounded titan and flung him off the mountain.

"That was... extremely unpleasant." Iapetus appeared in front of him.

"He is lucky."

"I am not so sure about that." He grimaced.

"Well, he should have learnt his lesson at the least." Percy sat down heavily, chugging down a healthy amount of nectar. "That took a lot out of me."

"You just made an immortal your plaything, Percy."

"A stupid immortal, but yeah, felt kinda good." He grinned up at his Uncle.

"Be vigilant." And he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.

_

A.N. So only one review from a dude witha funny but offensive name. A little disappointing but whatever. Thanks to all readers silent or vocal.

THICCESTFA G O O T: Really dude? :D But anyway thanks for the review, here's the what comes next you ordered :)

Thanks for follows and favs and all that, please review.

PEACE.

Also does this bump the story up to M or nah?