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Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any characters associated with the series or in actual Mythology.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Things were different, he could feel it. No longer was he the simple 'mortal' whom he had always mistakenly believed himself to be. Now, the changes were subtle, but wholly encompassing at the same time - a paradox beyond a paradox. As soon as they had all left Camp, the moment when he had passed through the barrier, a feeling had washed over him, freezing him on the spot.

His power was unmasked, and his brother's was, as well. He had no idea how to mask them, for he hadn't learned from his mother, and stupidly hadn't thought to ask any of Hecate's children at Camp, if there were even any. Now, as the group of five were in the heart of New York City, Percy felt twitchy, antsy - how hadn't they been noticed yet? Luke was the leader even though it was Percy's Quest, but he had deferred to the older half-blood, trusting him, thankful for the guy's actions in securing the knowledge of the whereabouts for Hephaestus' Chains.

"Hey, Luke, where are we going?" Annabeth asked from her side next to Luke. "If we want to go to the Underworld- "

"We first need to know where the Underworld is, Annabeth," the son of Hermes grunted, runes engraved in his arms glowing as Percy looked on in fascination. "That's what I'm trying to do, and then afterward, we'll begin the trip to the state of Washington after a little stop someplace first."

Percy leaned forward, trying to glimpse the runes on Luke's skin, "How are you going to find the location of the portal to the Underworld?"

"Magic, Percy, magic," the reply was dry. "All gods are magic-wielders, but Hecate is the supreme authority and the strongest of any immortal, no matter who they are, even the Big Three. It seems that I inherited some of my father's ability for magic, so I might as well use it."

"Could you teach Athos and I, then?"

"Maybe, but there are more important matters to deal with. I know that you noticed where we're at, but do you realize the significance of the nursing home across the street?"

Grover snorted, "To hopefully receive some 'points' with any potential onlookers, specifically the attractive group of ladies over there?"

Annabeth scowled at Grover's words and Athos, who had glimpsed the expression, quickly spoke up. "That's a stupid thing to do, Grover," his brother risked a glance at Athena's daughter and received nothing in reply.

Percy rolled his eyes at his brother's blatant crush and attempts to impress her. "What can be so important about a nursing home, Luke? It's just full of old people."

"And what do old people do, Percy?" Luke asked, muttered words of Ancient Greek escaping his lips, that somehow, Percy understood. 'The Realm of the Dead do we seek, where Death leaves you to face all that seems bleak. Help us find it, any departed soul. Without your aid, we will never reach our goal.'

"Um… play chess?" Athos guessed, "How about sleep? I bet that they do a lot of that!"

Grover tapped his crutches together, "No, my little friend, old people are more likely to try their hands at puzzles. Maybe some last minute gambling, trying to secure their grandchildren's futures. Am I right, Luke?"

"They die!" Luke snapped, glaring at Grover with a hideous frown, ignoring the concerned glances from other sidewalk-walkers. "That's what old people do: they kick the bucket."

Grover looked subdued and Percy was reminded of his best friend's words from yesterday. 'Luke has had it out for me since Thalia's death.'

Percy then clasped his friend on the shoulder, silently supporting him. "Okay, that was quite a crass way to put it, Luke, but why is that so impor- …holy shit!" He exclaimed after a moment of silence, "That's genius! You're waiting for one of the old people to die and then what? Their souls leave their body and Hades collects them?"

Luke looked at him, seeming impressed, "Close, my friend, close, but no. Thanatos will collect the newly-departed souls and drop them off to Hades, who takes… care of them, I guess you could say. We'll know when Thanatos shows up, I'm certain, and I'll simply put a small tracking spell on the fallen soul."

"Why not on Thanatos, Luke?" Athos demanded, "Wouldn't it be easier since we'll know when he shows up?"

"You'd think that, right? But, no, we can't do that. Thanatos is Death himself, the harbinger of sorrow for mortals. He is immensely powerful- …and, actually, now that I'm thinking about it, nobody knows how powerful. He does serve Hades, so I suspect that he's stronger than most immortals, but below the Big Three."

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows, "But that can't be right, Luke, can it? Thanatos is the son of Nyx and Erebus - he's a Primordial himself. How could he… fall under the Big Three's power?"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted before Luke could answer. "Who are Nyx and Erebus? And what the hell is a Primordial?" Annabeth looked appalled by his question, lips parting in pure shock. "Why are you looking at me like that? Who are they? I've never heard of them."

Athena's daughter huffed, "Nyx and Erebus are Primordials, Percy,"

"Well, of course," he snarked. "I figured that out because, apparently, Thanatos, who is a Primordial himself, is the son of Nyx and Erebus." He dimly noticed that Luke had returned to chanting.

"That's no reason to be rude, though," she glowered up at him, but he was unimpressed.

"I'm sorry for being crass towards you, but I could be a lot more rude, in all honesty. If you think that's being rude, you're in for an awakening. Anyway, Primordials are…?" He asked, leaning his head forward. "They're gods, right?"

Annabeth sighed, "The Primordials were the first race of deities and beings to come into existence, predating both the Titans and the reign of Olympus. Legend says that their sizes were incalculable, astronomical, cosmic beings who reigned eternal."

"Why the past tense, then?" Athos wondered, bright eyes shining with curiosity.

Luke finally stopped muttering that mantra under his breath and his exhale of breath was audible. "I guess that it's time for a history lesson, then. You should have learned this at Camp, but since you were so quick to receive a Quest, you'll learn it now because you need to know it. The Protogenoi formed the fabric of the world, coming into existence from Chaos, the Realm where the Void and the Creators exist."

Grover nodded his head, turning towards Percy. "Did you catch that? The Creators, as in plural? It's important, trust me."

"Yes, I did," he said slowly, wondering where the story would lead.

"Good, Chronos and- "

"Ananke," he whispered, remembering the Oracle's words. "Chronos and Ananke are the Creators, aren't they?"

Luke's dark eyes pierced Percy's white orbs. "Yes, but how did you know that?"

He shook his head, feeling uncomfortable. "Chiron must have mentioned it in class or something," he purposefully avoided Grover's questioning stare.

Luckily, Luke seemed to buy his excuse. "Well, they say that existence is measured in age, is it not? Time begins at birth, at creation, but inevitably, time for any being, god or Titan or even Primordial, comes to an end. Except, of course, for Time itself; it, or I should say he, will outlast all. The legends reveal that upon the first stroke in the vastness of the Void and even beyond, Chronos - Time himself - simply came to be. They say that emptiness was infinite and that Chronos' only companion was Ananke, Fate herself. Time and Fate then procreated, giving birth to their children, the Protogenoi. Then, together, they shut their offspring out of the Void, to the space where the world had yet to form."

"What about the Primordials?" Athos asked, "Nyx and Erebus, and any others, what did they do?"

Annabeth chuckled, gray eyes brimming with haughtiness. "What else? They battled, of course, the very wrath of the Protogenoi raging out of control for eternity, never tiring, forever fighting. But eventually, Primordials began to fall, their very dying physical bodies creating the world, fashioning it into shape, into being." Annabeth pointed around, "Look around you, Athos and Percy, this world was founded by the body parts of the Protogenoi. Now, there are still Protogenoi in existence, but they are weak, much weaker than the strongest of their race, who included: Ouranos, Gaia, Tartarus, Pontus, Erebus, Nyx, Aether, Eros, Hemera, Thalassa, Ourea, and Hydros."

"And the ones still alive?" Percy wet his lips, wondering if any of the strongest of the Protogenoi were still in existence, "Who are they?"

"Morpheus, Hypnos, Thanatos, Charon, Eris, Nemesis, Akhlys, Gaia, and Tartarus are the only Primordials still in existence, who can actually manifest themselves in a physical body, whom the gods know of. You're familiar with the story of Kronos, are you not?" Annabeth asked while Luke turned away, and Percy dimly noticed that he returned to his Ancient Greek quiet chanting.

"Yes, of course, I am. He's my grandfather, apparently," he replied, feeling offended. "Chiron taught it in class."

Grover shook his head, "He taught a very abridged version, my friend. If you want to survive and even thrive in this new world that you've been forced into, you're going to need to understand the full story."

"Well said, Grover, I commend you." Annabeth complimented, "As the Primordial War finally ended, there were three of the mighty Protogenoi remaining: Ouranos, Gaia, and Tartarus. The former two, who would later, respectively, become the Sky and Earth - not the planet, but the soil and dirt and so on - allied with each other and through their combined strength, nearly destroyed Tartarus, but from what the gods know, a small and weak fraction of his essence survives where his body fell - the domain of Tartarus: the deep, fathomless abyss of torment and suffering, the very prison of the Titans. After Tartarus' seeming destruction, Ouranos and Gaia, after confirming that none of the weaker Primordials would rise up, procreated, creating the Titan race."

"I know the rest," he interrupted. "Gaia eventually became outraged by her husband's cruelty to their children, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclops, and ordered the Titans to destroy Ouranos, but only Kronos had the balls to do it, and when he did somehow manage to destroy his father - thus, apparently, creating the Sky - he was deemed King of the Titans. Then, however, it was prophesied that Kronos would be overthrown by his own children, just as Kronos had overthrown Ouranos. Fearing his fate, his very destiny, the King of the Titans devoured his children one by one, until finally, his wife, whatever her name was, couldn't handle another such loss, and hid her final child, my father, Zeus. She instead gave her husband a rock, and because Kronos was such a moron, he foolishly swallowed it, thinking that it had been the child who she had given birth to."

"Your grandmother's name was Rhea, Percy," the daughter of Athena said quickly. "And as your father grew, his desire to free his siblings was nurtured, and when he did return to the place of his birth to liberate the swallowed-gods, slicing open Kronos' stomach, spilling his own father's lifeblood, the tide of blood drowning innocent animals, the first Titanomachy began." Annabeth finished.

"Okay, that's not too bad," he shrugged. "So, when is Death himself, who is, apparently, weaker than my dad, coming?"

Luke quieted his chants, eyes snapping open in a dark flash, "The Fates must be smiling down on us because this is ironic: he's here, Death is here. Can't you feel him?"

Percy stared at the nursing home and felt the power inside him and slowly, ever so slowly, he reached out like a learning baby, and he felt it, the presence full of dark power, of withering decay and frailty.

"Yes, I can, but do the tracking spell!" He cried out, feeling the presence ebb away like a shadow in the light. "He's leaving!"

"I just did it, Percy. Give me a moment to…" Luke's eyes became wide, "Well, I'll be damned in the Fields of Punishment like a cheap hooker. The Underworld is in, believe it or not, Hollywood."

He blinked, "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not,"

Athos threw his arms in the air, "Why Hollywood? That doesn't make sense!"

Annabeth's sigh was heard by them all, echoing in the air. "It doesn't matter whether or not it makes sense, you fools. It's perfect; the Fates, indeed, are smiling down on us. We know that we need to go to Washington for the Chains, but now, we won't need to make a long trip to the Underworld. California is only a couple thousand miles away from Washington."

"Good, so are we leaving?" Grover bleated, "I don't like being so exposed, so out in the open like this. I feel like there are monsters staring at us right now."

Luke snapped his fingers, runes floating in the air in a dark light. "Yes, but first, we need to make a quick stop."

"Why?" Athos demanded, looking solemn. "Why can't we go rescue our mom already?"

Percy narrowed his eyes as Luke's fists clenched ominously. "It's a long trip to Washington - and to the Underworld, nonetheless. You three," he pointed at Annabeth, Athos, and Percy, "need protection. Grover and I can handle ourselves, mostly, but you three? You're sitting ducks for monsters. I have some shields that you three can use - and good ones, at that."

He exhaled roughly, "Fine, so where do we need to go to get the shields?"

"To my brother's," was Luke's reply as he began to walk, the rest of them following dutifully. "Don't worry, it's not far. We just need to go to Fitz Global."

His brother's jaw dropped and Percy narrowly refrained from having the same reaction. "The billionaire's company?" Athos demanded, running up to Luke. "He's famous!"

Luke continued walking, "He's the son of a god, a son of Hermes like me. So, yes, Patrick Fitzroy Patrick is my brother."

"How do you even know him?" Grover asked, looking baffled. "When did you meet him? And what the hell kind of name is Patrick Fitzroy Patrick? Is that his full name?"

"Yes, that's his full name. In history," Luke began, "the surname of Fitzroy identified a bastard son of a king. Henry VIII's son- "

Athos interrupted, "The wife-killer? The King of England?"

"- is a perfect example of that: Henry Fitzroy. Yes, Athos, that Henry VIII. And from what my brother has shared with me, his mother named him Patrick because Hermes had masqueraded as a mortal named Patrick who had grand dreams of ruling a kingdom. So, my brother's name literally translates to: Patrick, the bastard son of King Patrick. The name's quite popular in Ireland I hear: FitzPatrick, at least, an amalgamated version."

"When did you meet him, then? How do you even know him?" Annabeth tilted her head to the side, seeming quite puzzled. "How come you've never told me?"

"Oh, I had seen pictures of him, Annabeth, viewing the astounding similar looks between all of Hermes' children and him, and so, during the Christmas season this past winter, I met him and he revealed that he was a son of Hermes, too. That's when, as a gesture of good faith towards my newly-found brother, I asked him to look after the three shields for me. As to why I didn't tell you, I didn't want you to get offended."

"Why?"

Luke chuckled, "Well, he's quite blunt and, from what I've seen, brutally honest and uncaring for one's own emotions. He's a cool guy, though, a real nice one."

Annabeth smiled, "That's a paradox, you know? So, your brother is one who abides by the philosophy that facts take precedence over one's feelings?"

"Sort of, and he doesn't give a damn, as long as, in his words, the river of money stays flowing."

Percy scrunched his eyebrows, "How is he in the Mortal Realm, then? He doesn't have magic, right? That's the only reason that my mom and Athos and I were able to survive for so long."

Luke turned, pointing at the huge skyscraper. "He's not a grandson of Hecate like you and Athos, if what I've heard about Sally Jackson is correct, if that was what you were asking, Percy. I don't know the answer to how he has stayed in the Mortal Realm without the use of mageía for so long, but I'm sure that you could ask him when we meet him because, frankly, that's an excellent question, one that I wonder myself."

"Did Hermes disown him?" Annabeth wondered, "That's the only explanation that I could think of as to how monsters haven't murdered him."

"I'm not sure," the son of Hermes frowned. "It's a possibility, though, but I have no idea what he could have possibly done to piss off our father; Hermes is notorious for his laid-back attitude on Olympus, a similarity that he and Apollo share from what I've heard."

Percy shrugged and, after looking both ways, crossed the street. "Let's go ask him," he called out.

"Wait!" Luke cried out and Percy stopped in the middle of traffic, immediately blurring back to the group in a streak of lightning, eyes panicked. What if people saw him?

He looked around, but nobody seemed to notice. "What the fuck just happened?" He muttered, watching as Luke and Annabeth and even Grover all looked very amused. "Did nobody just see that? I literally blurred back here in a blaze of lightning, in less than a second!"

"You didn't explain the Mist to him?" Luke glanced at Grover with an amused brow raised. "Must I do everything?" He placed a hand on Percy's shoulder. "Very well. All right, my friend, here it goes: the Mist is a supernatural force that was created by your own grandmother so that- "

"The Titan, Rhea created the Mist? That doesn't make sense." Athos' brows were furrowed, "That… oh, you mean Hecate! She was our mom's mom!"

Luke inhaled slowly, "Yes, Hecate, Athos. Anyway, your grandmother created the Mist to prevent mortals from learning about the gods and the Immortal Realm."

"How does it work?" Percy asked, wondering if his mother ever used it.

"The Mist twists a mortal's mind and sight from witnessing any inkling of gods, monsters, Titans, and any other potential mythological creature and supernatural occurrences. It then replaces whatever is actually happening with something that the mortal mind could comprehend." Annabeth said before Luke could.

Percy saw a middle-aged man approaching on the sidewalk and had an idea. "Hey!" He called out, walking towards him, wanting to test their words. "Excuse me, sir, but what do you see when I do this?" The energy slowly condensed into his hand and streams of beautiful lightning sparkled and crackled with power.

The man frowned, "That's one ugly tattoo, kid, you might want to think about removing it."

"Okay, but how about this?" Feeling quite confident, he pulled out the pen from his pocket and pointed it directly at the man, watching in awe as it, once again, transformed into the beautiful Greek sword.

"Kid, get that fuckin' baseball bat out of my face," the man huffed and turned around, muttering about idiotic teenagers.

Annabeth laughed, "Don't you see? The Mist is great!"

"But it doesn't always work," Grover said and Percy whirled towards him. "It is extremely rare but a clear-sighted mortal is sometimes encountered, and as a result, the Mist doesn't work on them."

Athos grinned wickedly, eyes gleaming. "So you're saying that these clear-sighted mortals can see through the lies of the Jedi, right?"

Percy groaned aloud, ignoring Grover's barely stifled laughter. "I thought that we had agreed that you would stop quoting Star Wars prequel memes?"

"I thought that the deal was only for a year," his brother stared up at him innocently.

He shook his head, "Now, we're making it two years. It's only been a few months and you just quoted one! The deal wasn't over yet."

Athos looked distraught, "But that's not fair! You said only a year."

Percy grinned triumphantly, seizing his opportunity. "I'm altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further." He quoted Darth Vader with a smirk.

His brother's jaw dropped before a brilliant smile split his features, "That was awesome!" He high-fived him.

"You two are peculiar," the daughter of Athena said with displeasure.

Luke's lips had twitched slightly in a smile but it was gone. "Anyway, before all of that started, I want to message my brother. I need a few drachmas. Anyone got some?" Immediately, Annabeth reached into her own pocket, pulling out a few silver coins. "Thank you, Annabeth."

Grover pulled out a bottle of water, "Athos, my little friend, can you shoot some fire at the water as it is being poured out?"

His brother recoiled, "What? I don't know how to do that."

"Yes, you do, Athos. It's in your blood, remember? I've seen it. You can do it." Grover smiled gently, "Just focus and feel it, refusing to cower. You're strong, stronger than you know."

"You are," Percy nodded his head, placing a hand on Athos' tense shoulder. "I don't care if you can shoot fire out from your fists, okay? In fact, one thing that I learned in the school this past year - the only thing, actually - was that fire and lightning are kin to another; at least the… the mortals think so."

Athos looked up hopefully, "Really?"

"Yes, so we'll always be family no matter what. Plus, we're grandsons of Hecate, too. I'm certain that when we rescue mom from the depths of Hades, she'll teach us how to use magic as she does. We'll always be bonded forever, brother mine."

"I'd like that," his brother murmured before his eyes closed. "You can start pouring, Grover, but do it slowly, please." Percy watched as Grover tipped the bottle slightly, the echoing sound of water splashing against the sidewalk lightly ever-present. His brother's breathing became heavier and his fists began to burn brightly, glowing with dashing veins of pure sunlight. His brother's eyes snapped open and fire burned in his hands. Athos stared down at the strong, flickering flames in awe before he pushed his hands, streams of fire smashing into the water, steam beginning to cloud through the air.

Grover immediately whispered something in Ancient Greek that was too low for Percy to hear and a rainbow sparkled out of the steam. Then Annabeth tossed the coins into the rainbow, "Oh, Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept this offering and show us Patrick Fitzroy Patrick."

A swirling image coalesced in the air and a handsome man appeared, looking quite similar to Luke. He blinked and a huge smile split his features. "Luke! How have you been, my man? I've been wondering when I'd hear from you."

Luke stepped into the main sight of the… image. "Hey, how's it going? I'm on a Quest and I need those shields that I gave you. Do you still have them?"

"Oh, yeah, just come on by and pick them up. I'd love to talk to you. Hey, is that a son of Apollo and daughter of Athena who I see?"

"Yes, and you can talk to them in a few minutes. We're actually just right outside of your building."

Patrick Fitzroy Patrick beamed, "Come on in, I'm just in the middle of a meeting with this fat prick who had been like godzilla, shaking the whole building when he made his way into my office."

"How dare you?" A deep voice growled out and Percy gathered that the voice belonged to the 'fat prick' who had been like godzilla. "Why would you say that to my face? Show decorum, Patrick!"

Percy leaned forward, wanting to hear the answer and he wasn't disappointed. "I would say it to your back, fatass, but you're already taking up all of the space in my office! Not to mention, your face is fatter than any that I've ever seen!"

"I do not have a fat face!"

"Yes, you do! I've been waiting for the reveal that you're storing your nuts for winter. And your head is fat, too!"

"I'm going to take everything from you, Patrick! When I'm through with you, I'll own everything! You won't even be able to work at McDonald's afterward."

"Oh, please, the only thing more hollow than that threat is your already-mentioned big, fat head."

"I've had just about enough of you! You better watch it, or the deal is off!"

"Well, you know what? I guarantee that you wouldn't be saying that shit if I came with some extra large curly fries and a fat-building soda 'cause you obviously love those! Oh, I shouldn't have said that, man, I didn't mean that. …Haven't you ever had something just fall out of your mouth- …oh, I guess not since you clearly eat everything in sight."

Luke sighed, placing his fingers on his nose. "We'll be their soon, Patrick, okay?"

Athos frowned, eyebrows furrowing. "Is the other man a mortal? How does he hear it? Can he see it, see us?"

Grover shushed him. "The Mist is probably showing Patrick Fitzroy Patrick speaking on a cell phone right now. That's why the 'fat prick' can communicate with us, sort of."

"But Patrick Fitzroy Patrick said that he saw a daughter of Athena and a… a son of… Apollo. What would the other man think of that?"

"Who cares?" Percy quietly interjected. "The Mist must have changed the words in the man's mind, shaping it to be something more plausible. Just listen!"

"You'll be hearing from my attorney, you jackass!" The 'fat prick' declared.

Patrick Fitzroy Patrick's snort echoed. "I didn't even want this deal anyway, it was a shit show. Matter of fact, answer me this: where did you find this so-called attorney? The ice cream shop?"

"Okay, bye-bye," Luke swiped a hand through the… image and smiled. "See? Quite a great guy, right?" He asked sarcastically.

"That was pretty funny," Percy confessed. "If I'm ever in that situation, I might just use those."

"You might have that chance sooner than you think," the son of Hermes muttered. "Let's go,"

XxXxXxXxXxX

"You sneaky motherfucker!" Percy watched as Luke was pulled into a fierce hug by his older brother. "I've been holding onto these bad boy shields of yours since the Winter Solstice and was thinking about selling them - I've had them too long!"

Luke smiled tightly, to Percy's confusion. "That would have been a bad idea, trust me."

"Well, come on," Patrick Fitzroy Patrick waved them all in, looking at Percy and Athos curiously. "I know that one of you is a son of Apollo, it's a blatantly dead giveaway, but you both share traits that make me think that… you're both still somehow siblings."

Athos looked happier than Percy had seen him since their mom had… been killed. "Really? You can tell?"

"Yeah, the similarities are subtle, and not many would notice, but then again, the Aphrodite Cabin had always declared that I was more observant than any other male. Let me guess, the same mother?"

Percy nodded, "Yeah, my name is Percy and this is my younger brother, Athos."

Patrick Fitzroy Patrick grinned, perfect teeth flashing. "Well, it's an honor to meet you both, a far better experience than that fat whale who I had just been forced to converse with."

"So, where are my shields?" Luke interrupted, looking almost impatient. "We're on a Quest, so we can't stay in one place for too long, lest we draw monsters to your presence."

"Don't worry!" The billionaire laughed boisterously, patting his waist, lifting up his shirt before any of them could react, revealing the sight of a bronze-colored, glowing belt. "This bad-lookin' motherfucker here has kept me safe ever since I left Camp a dozen years ago - it's useful, helpful, and effective. The trifecta!"

"A Celestial Bronze belt?" Grover frowned, craning his head forward, "Why are you wearing it?"

Annabeth's eyes shone with comprehension and excitement. "It nullifies your abilities and thus, your aura of power!"

Patrick Fitzroy Patrick smiled smugly with pride. "Yes, ma'am, it sure does, and guess what? It also masks my scent."

Luke raised his eyebrows, "Really? How? You're not a magic-wielder."

"Correct, my brother, correct, but this belt was enchanted by one of Hecate's daughters when I was still at Camp. You see, I knew that I was never going to live continuously at Camp Half-Blood; I wanted to live in the Mortal Realm and make a name for myself and be remembered, not forgotten as most half-bloods are. So, when I was fifteen, I concocted the belt idea and tricked some of Hephaestus' children to make the belt, able to inherently stretch and shrink to my waist size. Then, because she owed me a favor, Sally enchanted the belt so that it would conceal my demigod scent."

Percy's eyes widened and his lips parted for he knew, without a doubt, that Patrick was speaking of his mother. "Sally? Sally! You knew Sally Jackson?"

The billionaire's smile faded and a look of concern crossed his features, "Yes, but how do you know her? She died after she left Camp on her eighteenth birthday. I never saw her again. She's been dead for around sixteen years now." A sad and almost wistful-looking emotion shone in his eyes.

"Know her? She's our mom!" Athos cried out, a haunted look beginning to appear on his face.

Patrick Fitzroy Patrick blinked, a multitude of emotions rapidly coloring his countenance. "She's alive? Sally's alive? You're her children?"

"They are," Grover said confidently. "I met Sally myself and she was definitely a daughter of Hecate, the strongest who I've ever seen."

The billionaire analyzed both Percy and Athos with his eyebrows furrowed. "Athos is Apollo's son, that's obvious, but whose son are you, Percy? I've never seen a half-blood who looks like you, something which tells me that you are truly special."

"He is Zeus' son, Rick," Luke said before anyone else could. "He's the King of the gods' son. Technically, he could even be classified as the Prince of Olympus."

"You don't say," Patrick Fitzroy Patrick exhaled roughly. "She's alive? By the gods, she faked her death, that clever woman. So Sally laid with both Zeus and Apollo, but where is she? Why isn't she with you? I like to think that I knew Sally pretty well and I know that she would never let her kids proceed on a Quest without her."

Percy swallowed and tried to answer, but no words passed his lips, emotions beginning to overwhelm him. Athos' lip quivered and they huddled together in support, unable to answer the questions.

Grover did for them, "Sally died protecting both of her children, Mr. Patrick Fitzroy Patrick. The Minotaur had been unleashed on us as we tried to reach Camp and Sally was killed by that bastard. That's what the Quest is for, actually. Percy and Athos are going to rescue their mom from the depths of the Underworld and ensnare Hades in the Chains of Hephaestus, forcing him to relinquish her."

"Oh, Sally," the man breathed out, looking saddened. "I always knew that you would have been a good mother." He turned to both Percy and Athos, a forlorn and mournful expression on his face. "I'm sorry for your loss, boys, and I'm not going to insult you by declaring that I understand how you feel or that I miss her, too, because that would be fuckin' wrong. Your mother was too good for the hand that the Fates had dealt her. Anything that you guys need, just let me know and it's yours. Money isn't an issue and even if it was, I wouldn't fuckin' care."

Percy nodded thankfully, finally controlling his emotions, stuffing them back down while several tears fell down Athos' cheeks. "Thank you, sir. You cared for my mother deeply, didn't you?"

Patrick Fitzroy Patrick paused before he inhaled slowly. "Please, call me Rick, and I'll be honest with ya: I was enthralled with your mother, Percy. She was incredible and beautiful and so strong, stronger than anyone else who I've met. Matter of fact, I can see her strength in you two."

"She raised us the right way," he said softly, his emotions in chaos, and just when he had thought that he had controlled them. "If you are sincere about your offer- "

"And I am, I swear on the River Styx." Thunder shook the building and Percy felt his admiration and respect for the billionaire increase.

"- then if we could get those shields that Luke keeps talking about, it would help us a lot with the Quest to get our mom back."

Rick nodded, "Sure, right this way, I'll show you all." He turned around and everyone began to follow him, but Percy remained where he was standing.

"I need a drink of water," he called out lamely. "I'll meet you in a few minutes." Luke glanced back at him and he knew that the guy didn't believe him for a second, but he tactfully didn't say anything.

"Understandable, Percy," Rick's voice began to diminish as he continued to lead everyone else away. "To your right, there's a water machine. Help yourself."

Percy smiled tightly and walked to the water machine when he noticed it, pulling a cup of water to his lips with a shaking hand, hoping that the water would help soothe his warring mind and heart, all of the emotions chaotically smashing into one another, threatening to transform his mindset into eternal mood-swings.

He stepped towards the large, glass window, the sunlight warming him even through the material and he dimly wondered if Apollo was looking at him. He stared at his reflection, instead, observing the pale skin and white orbs, the heartbroken expression on his face. He shook himself several times for he couldn't afford to show weakness, not now! He needed to be strong for Athos during the duration of the Quest so that they could get their mom back. His brother looked up to him for guidance and Percy refused to show his sorrow, his emotional anguish. Slowly, he worked to adjust the facade of calm arrogance, and after several more moments, he opened his eyes in satisfaction.

But when he caught sight of his reflection, he recoiled in shock, the cup of water falling to the floor with the force of a bomb. It wasn't his reflection that stared back at him with narrowed eyes and a curious expression on their face, but his father's. Percy's breathing elevated and he looked wildly around, trying to see if Zeus was in the room, but no, he was just in the reflection of the glass, staring at him critically.

He tried to be brave and gather his composure, but he knew that his words sounded like those of a beaten child's. "It is an honor to invoke the gaze of the King of the gods."

Zeus' head tilted upward, the white orbs that were identical to Percy's own, a beacon to his eyes. "You know who I am, another riddle added to the surplus of questions that your existence has caused me. You have claimed yourself as my son multiple times, a blasphemous slight that I should smite you for, but as I stare at you now, I cannot help but realize that you are, indeed, of my blood. I can feel it, the bond that we share that you know nothing of. The lightning and thunder sing in your blood, declaring: 'Son of the Sky, Son of the Sky.' Who are you?"

"I'm Percy, sir- I mean, um, I'm Perseus Jackson," he said warily, mind working furiously, trying to figure out what… his father wanted. Why was he here? Was he here to kill him? But that couldn't be right for Zeus had just declared that Percy was actually his son, something that did bring him small amounts of pleasure.

"Jackson?" Zeus' eyes seemed to stare into his soul, and he wondered if his father was somehow reading his mind. "I have no memory of your conception, Perseus, so how are you my son? Who is your mother?"

He swallowed, "My mother is- …was Sally Jackson, sir, a um… she was a daughter of Hecate."

His father's white orbs seemed to glow brighter, shaming any stars in the heavens. "My, power is written in your Fate, isn't it? A son of Zeus, one with incredible potential and still growing, and yet you are a legacy, the grandson of Hecate. You have the ability to be very dangerous, and I might just have use for you."

"Have use for me?" He echoed, "What the fu- …what is that supposed to mean?"

"You received a Quest from the Oracle, tell me of what it says." Zeus suddenly demanded and Percy didn't dare demand that his father ask Apollo to spit out at him, so he told him the words. After, his father looked pleased and nodded his head. "Return my Bolt to me and I will claim you as my own and give you a priceless gift, my son."

"And what about… Poseidon's Trident?" He asked hesitantly, uncertain of what he should do, afraid of angering Zeus.

"I don't care about my brother's weapon, I care about mine. A god has no family, you would do well to remember that." Percy frowned at those words, remembering the bond that he had glimpsed between Zeus and Poseidon during his dream after the Minotaur. "Retrieve my Bolt from the darkness that blocks my sight and bring the knowledge of the thief, too. I will not tolerate anything less."

He swallowed, feeling insignificant in front of a mere reflection of his father, nearly quivering in place, but his words were remarkably clear. "I will return the Bolt, King of the gods,"

Zeus seemed satisfied and his white orbs stared through Percy, looking at something that he couldn't. "Be wary of a pretty face, Perseus. You never know which one is a snake and which one isn't. The mortals say that the eyes are cursed hooks to the soul, and I suspect that you wouldn't want your soul to be eternally trapped in a statue."

Percy blinked as his father vanished from the glass, his own reflection now staring back at him. What the hell did any of that mean? He leaned his head against the window, his breath fogging the glass, and it took a lot of effort to refrain from sinking to his knees. He had just finally met his father face-to-face, or reflection, after years of always being fatherless, and even after Percy had discovered that Zeus was actually his father, he had always still expected never to meet him. And their 'meeting' hadn't been what he would have expected. He could still feel the effects of the fear in his mind wreaking havoc to his body and he wiped away the sweat that had broken out on his forehead, sweeping his hair out of the way as his fingers collected the moisture.

"Statue, curse, snake, eyes," he said softly, repeating the words that his father had said, the ones that were a silent scream in his ears. A hand suddenly touched his shoulder and he jerked to attention, whirling around, pausing at the sight of the kind-looking woman whom he recognized as Rick's secretary.

She seemed to gaze at him in concern, eyes a warm brown color. "Is everything all right, sir? Do you need help?"

He shook his head, trying to clear away the fog. "No, ma'am, I'm okay. Thank you for asking," he was thankful to speak with someone not named Zeus. "I merely lost track of time. I was stuck in my head."

"Ahh, I can understand that. Are you here for Mr. Patrick? I don't know if you remember, but I'm his secretary - we met earlier. If you could come back with me- "

"Oh, that's okay, ma'am, I know who you are. Rick- I mean, Mr. Patrick told me to wait by the water machine." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another woman, a beautiful woman step through the doorway, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, and he could have sworn that the strands of her hair moved. He couldn't help but stare at her, taken aback by her fierce allure, wondering if this new woman was a daughter or legacy of Aphrodite somehow.

"Sir?" The secretary leaned in closer, "What's wrong?" She turned around and saw the beautiful woman who had just walked in. "Just a minute, sir, I need to help this woman." The secretary approached the newly-arrived woman, a smile on her face. "How may I help you, ma'am? Do you have an appointment?"

The beautiful woman turned and Percy stiffened, knowing that even though she was wearing sunglasses, her eyes were locked onto him. "No, darling, you cannot help me," her words flowed smoothly and seductively, her very voice like honey. "Soon, though, I will have the help that I need and be healed of this terrible curse."

"Curse?" He muttered, furiously thinking as the woman stepped closer, hands moving upward to grab the sunglasses. What was he missing? Who was the woman and why did he feel under threat, like an animal who was in the presence of the predator? Why did it feel like the Minotaur all over again? 'Be wary of a pretty face, Perseus. You never know which one is a snake and which one isn't. The mortals say that the eyes are cursed hooks to the soul, and I suspect that you wouldn't want your soul to be eternally trapped in a statue.' His father's words howled in his mind and he gasped, springing back, finally connecting the dots. "Medusa! You're her, aren't you? Fuck!"

The woman froze at his words for a moment before a smile graced her face. Her fingers slid off the sunglasses, her cursed eyes still thankfully hidden, and before his own white orbs, her skin shifted to an unnatural and unhealthy-looking pale color. Her fingers grew into sharp talons, and a forked-tongue darted out between her lips. Shimmering scales seemed to appear and they shone under the light as all of the strands of her hair swayed and became snakes that suddenly began to turn to look at him. One of the snakes then reached down and ripped away the sunglasses.

Percy immediately slammed his eyes shut, trying to desperately figure out what to do. What had Chiron said in class? For fuck's sake, it was his namesake who had slain her in mythology, so why hadn't he memorized it? He cursed himself as he heard the hissing of dozens of snakes in unison, the sound sending chills down his spine.

"My, you are clever, son of Zeus, but that won't save you - and it won't save her, either."

The secretary!

He almost opened his eyes, but he refrained, keeping them squeezed shut. "Leave her alone! Don't hurt her! She's just- "

"It's too late for the mortal, son of Zeus. She was frozen in stone the moment when my babies caught glimpse of her." He heard a terrible screeching sound and somehow knew that Medusa's talons were scraping the stone-turned woman. "And it's too late for you, now."

"ATHOS!" He roared, trying to warn his brother and everyone else. "It's Medusa! Keep away! She's here!"

Medusa's elegant laughter filled the air, "I have frozen tens of thousands of half-bloods, many children of the Big Three among them. I have only been killed once in my entire existence since that lying and cold-hearted Athena cursed me, son of Zeus. Do you think that it will happen again? No, I am now fully aware of the trick of reflections, so there will be no trickery this time! Your little group of Quest-doers will perish with you, frozen in stone for eternity, more additions to add to my… collection. Then my reward will be my freedom from Wisdom's curse."

"Haven't you heard?" He kept his eyes closed as he looked into the well inside him, and grabbed the rage and courage, the power. "The Minotaur had been able to claim the same, but I destroyed that greasy fuck just as I'll destroy you."

A hand touched his face, talons ghosting over his lips with painful precision. "Such delusions of self-grandeur, young one. You're not wrong about that cretin, the Minotaur, though. From everything that I've heard, you survived a direct strike to the head from his hammer, a truly impressive feat. It has been a long time, maybe never, since I've added such a beautiful and powerful half-blood to my collection. I'm certain that every monster in the Realm can feel your strength; we are drawn to it, as the mortals say, like bees to honey." He kept his eyes shut as he felt Medusa come closer, hot breath colliding with his face. "I wonder what I must do to see those eyes of yours. Torture could work and so could threatening that brother of yours, but I would hate to do that to you. No, how about something easier? How about… a kiss?"

Before he could even protest, her fingers gripped his head with bruising force and a pair of lips caught his own fiercely. It took every ounce of willpower that he possessed to keep his eyes shut, especially when her forked-tongue pried his mouth open and began to poke and search everywhere in his mouth. He tried to shove her off him, but the grip on his face was too strong, too painful - he feared that he if shoved her with all of his strength, he would decapitate himself because her grip on his head was so strong! He was utterly helpless, repulsed, horrified, and even - to his shame - slightly aroused as Medusa kissed him roughly and deeply ravaged his mouth with her forked-tongue.

"Hey, get away from him, snake-face!" He heard Grover shout and suddenly, Medusa's lips left his own with a wet, sucking sound, and he could breathe and try to escape since her grip on his face lessened. At the opportunity, he shoved Medusa off him, and the feeling of her strong fingers being violently removed from his head was extremely painful. He hissed and then, while keeping his eyes shut, he wiped his lips with his hand, feeling all of the spittle and saliva coat his hand now.

He heard a crack and Medusa's scream of rage, "You will know no gentle death, son of Hermes. You'll pay for that!"

A hand touched his shoulder, and Percy wrenched it off, twisting harshly before a harsh bark of pain echoed. "It's me, Percy!" Rick's voice hissed, "You can open your eyes now, she's not looking over here. Luke is fending her off. …Oh, gentle Jasmine. Medusa reached her, I see."

Warily, his eyes opened and, indeed, he wasn't immediately turned to stone and it was Rick who was speaking to him. He dared to glance at Medusa and saw that she had transformed into a long serpent, face still the same that he had seen when she had entered the area except, now, she wore no sunglasses and her hair was dozens of snakes. And the secretary, Jasmine, had been crumbled into small pieces, and he wished that he had been able to prevent it, but he couldn't focus on his regret and guilt about Jasmine.

"Where's Athos?" He demanded, looking everywhere but at Medusa. "And why hasn't she turned Luke to stone? She clearly sees him."

Rick grinned, "It's part of the children of Hermes' gifts. We run too fast. The stench of the dark magic that Athena cursed her with can't reach us because we run away before we are turned to stone. If Luke stops running, he'll be a statue just like… Jasmine. As for your brother, Grover pulled him and Annabeth, along with the shields, out of the room immediately when he caught sight of you and Medusa… kissing. What the fuck was that?"

"She was trying to force me to open my eyes," he growled out, still feeling the horror of that moment in his mind as he watched Luke blurring around the room, gusts of wind exploding in random places. "We need to help him - I don't know how long he can last."

"I don't know how long I will last, but I'll do what I can." Rick pulled off the Celestial Bronze belt and Percy immediately felt the change, could sense the aura of power that surrounded Rick, and while it was nowhere near Luke's, it was still strong. In fact, Medusa's head jerked up as Rick blurred towards her and Percy immediately turned away, trying to remain flesh.

"Son of Zeus, we have unfinished business! Your Quest mustn't continue!" Medusa screeched and he heard her dash at him. Percy immediately bolted, thunder booming and roaring in the air as he ran as fast as lightning itself, and he could hear the song in his blood as he blurred around the building, tearing through walls and floors, trying to escape from a condemnation to be an eternal statue: 'Son of the Sky. Son of the Sky.'

Time was slower as he ran around and eventually, he dared to turn around, wondering if Medusa was still chasing him. He regretted it when she was only mere feet behind him, her eyes glowing with an unholy, freezing power as her snake-body slithered forward faster than any regular snake that he had ever seen. In a panic, especially when he began to feel her dark magic begin to affect him, he somehow ran even faster, fear a presence in his mind.

How could he defeat someone whom he couldn't look at, especially when she knew about the reflection trick?

"Hey, if we team up, I'm sure that we can somehow figure it out." Rick suddenly appeared next to him, running effortlessly and Percy abruptly realized how dangerous a fully-matured son of Hermes could be, able to run faster than anyone else, even him, since Hermes was the god of Speed.

Percy glanced behind him as he crashed through a wall, the vibrations shaking through him but they didn't hurt one bit. "What the fuck can we do? She's fast!"

"But so are we." Luke's voice had a strange echo quality to it as he appeared out of seemingly nowhere. "Throw lightning at her, Percy. I know that you can do it. I saw Thalia do it all of the time!"

He blinked and narrowly avoided a frozen-in-time employee, focusing and drawing on the power, the energy inside him. Then, he stopped in his tracks and after squeezing his eyes shut, whirled around when he felt Medusa halt behind him. With eyes closed, he felt himself unleash torrents of lightning from his fingers in crackling and screeching streams of power, felt the dazzle in the air as electricity sparked across his body in a harmonious dance.

Medusa screamed in pain, the sound almost making Percy open his eyes. "You will never know peace when you're part of my collection, Jackson!"

"Here, Percy, catch!" Rick cried out and he turned to the side, cracking open his eyelid and plucked the beautiful shield out of the air, feeling the smooth and strong metal graze his fingers. Then the forms of Luke and Rick blurred through the air as Percy hid behind the shield, seeing the outlines of Medusa's screeching snake-body.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw animals appear, rushing out one of the broken walls, charging past him at Medusa. "Grover," he whispered, remembering the Museum.

Percy peeked over the edge of the shield and his eyes widened in dread when Medusa howled, a wave of dark magic exploding from her wounded body. He instinctively ducked his head behind the shield, bracing himself against the powerful breeze.

"Fuck!" Grover roared from the hole in the wall and Percy watched in horror as the wave smashed into both Luke and Rick, sweeping them off of their feet, destroying all of the animals that Grover had… summoned.

In the blink of an eye, Medusa snatched the bodies of Luke and Rick in her snake-body, slowly coiling around them, squeezing like the mightiest python and boa constrictors imaginable, scales shimmering with the stench of vile magic.

"Open your eyes, sons of Hermes, sneak a peek," she purred darkly, not looking tired at all as Percy barely peered past the shield. Thankfully, their eyes were shut but based on their agonized expressions as Medusa attempted to suffocate them, crushing their chests as she tightened her grip, her snake-body coiled so tightly that some of her scales cracked ominously; they couldn't keep them squeezed shut much longer.

He had to do something, but thinking anxiously, he didn't know. He could run at her, but that would only begin the cycle all over again where he, Luke, and Rick simply chased her - actually, the other way around. No, he needed something, a killing blow that would destroy Medusa just as the Minotaur.

The Minotaur!

Percy yanked his sack around and jammed his hand into it, thinking of the Minotaur's Hammer and then his hand grasped the handle. He eagerly, rapidly pulled it out, the pulsing, black-colored energy humming. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his own power and felt it flow into the hammer, and when his eyes opened, the color of the energy had morphed into an amalgamation of the black color and his lightning.

From what Chiron had said, and from what he himself had experienced firsthand, the hammer negated one's healing factor. If he smashed the hammer into Medusa, she would be immobilized because she would be unable to heal from the damage that his strike had dealt.

With his mind set in eternal stone, he inhaled slowly, hearing Luke and Rick's groans of pain, and then he blasted off around the shield directly at Medusa. Time slowed down once more and Percy saw Medusa look right at him, glowing orbs trying to consume him in eternity, but thankfully, she couldn't uncoil herself from around Luke and Rick fast enough to use most of her body to defend herself.

Now only mere feet from her, he jumped forward, striding across her long snake-body and then he lunged at her, determination gnawing at his heart. He refused to witness more people die because of him! Medusa brought up her arms to shield herself, but Percy had been expecting it. Instead of immediately plowing into her, he raised the hammer overhead and brought it down heavily on her arms as he ran by.

Her screams echoed strangely just as Rick and Luke's voices had done, but he wasn't finished. Immediately after shattering her arms, as he continued to run around her, he drew on strength, the divine strength that he had inherited from his father, and he swung his arm around faster than lightning, smashing the hammer into Medusa's cheek.

Her head snapped to the side grotesquely and Percy heard the expulsion of a gasped breath, the throaty whimper that echoed through the area as he stopped in place. When she didn't move except to collapse backward, her snake-body releasing a stunned Luke and Rick, he knew that he had succeeded, that the hammer had accomplished what it had been meant to.

Dropping the hammer back into his sack, he pulled out the pen-sword from his pocket and flicked off the cap, standing upright unflinchingly when the majestic blade sprang upward, only a hair's breadth away from his nose. He walked forward towards where Medusa's broken-necked head lay, realizing that she wasn't truly dead, otherwise her body would have burst into golden dust just as the Furies and the Minotaur had.

"Are you guys all right?" He looked at Luke and Rick as he passed, observing them as they grasped at their chests, gratefully clawing at them. "It looks like you couldn't have lasted another moment in her grip." Neither spoke, instead waving at him, inhaling slowly, probably waiting for their almost fully caved-in chests to heal.

"Way to go, man!" Grover suddenly hooted and stepped through the hole in the wall. "When she destroyed my animals, I thought that we would all be done for, but you saved the day again. Well done. I left Athos and Annabeth, along with the two other shields, in a different room just in case, so I'll get them while you… finish it."

He nodded in understanding as he turned around and then he crouched over Medusa's head, watching as the hair-snakes thrashed and writhed, hissing and snapping at him, but he wasn't concerned. He wouldn't be frozen in stone forever; Medusa couldn't even move her head to lock her deadly eyes onto him.

"You've frozen your last victim, Medusa," he said quietly. "No more will face the hold of eternity as a statue."

"I will return, son of Zeus, we always do. Even if you sever my head, Tartarus will not hold me forever. I will eventually be able to return to the Mortal Realm and when I do, my first act will be to track you down and add you to my collection - and every one of your bloodline, too!"

Percy narrowed his eyes, "Then I'll kill you again, but before I do sever your head, one last thing: tell my dear uncle that I'll be seeing him soon; he will pay for what he's done."

A croaked huff of laughter echoed from where her face was permanently turned. "Foolish boy, you know nothing of what's actually happening. You're just a pawn in a game that you don't even know that's being played."

He ignored her words and brought down his sword, but hesitated. This was different. Medusa was different. She was capable of speech and words, unlike the Minotaur. She was dreadfully beautiful whereas the Minotaur was the ugliest motherfucker whom he had ever encountered. Medusa actually kind of resembled a human, at least before she had revealed her true form, and her face especially, except for that… tongue.

When her snake-hair moved and began to curl around the sword, he remembered that Medusa wasn't human. She was a monster who would have frozen him as a statue, along with Athos and everyone else, to add to a collection that undoubtedly contained hundreds of thousands of half-bloods. She didn't deserve to be treated as a human. She was a monster, and monsters deserved to be put down.

Percy began to breathe rapidly, gathering his courage and psyching himself up, and then he swung the sword down. Her head rolled to the side and the body, after several moments, began to waver and then it burst into the golden dust just as the Minotaur's had.

"It's over," Rick confirmed as he came to stand next to him as Percy rose back to his full height. "Well done, my new friend, well done. Your gallant and power-filled legend is already growing quite rapidly. Your brother had already told me of the Minotaur while we had been getting the shields. I may be out of line, but I know that your mother, regardless of her feelings about this life, would be filled with pride that you are surviving."

Luke passed him and kneeled down over Medusa's head. After a moment, he picked it up and presented it to him. "Here you go, it's yours, Percy, yours by conquest. The head still works after her death if you point it at someone and simply take the sunglasses off."

He grabbed Medusa's head by the snake-hair and felt tremors of revulsion shake through him.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Annabeth's voice echoed and Percy turned around, watching as she exited the hole in the wall. "You attract monsters like bees are to honey." He flinched as those were nearly identical to the words that Medusa had uttered before she… kissed him.

"I'm undefeated so far," he replied after a moment of swallowing his disgust and smiled at his brother. "It's all right, she's dead. Do you have the shields?" He didn't see them, even when he focused intently.

Athos huddled close to him, staring at Medusa's head with repulsed fascination. "Yeah, I put them in my sack." His eyes closed, "Why do these monsters keep attacking us?"

"Because of who you are, Athos." Rick put his Celestial Bronze belt back on and Percy felt his aura vanish, as if it were never there. "All children of the gods face monsters. It's inevitable."

"Sorry about your building, man," he looked around and observed the silent carnage. "You're not going to sue me, are you?"

Rick laughed before he sobered, "No, don't worry, Percy, I'll take care of it. I'll tell the mortal media that it was a robbery and several of my employees were unfortunately and… most sadly caught in the attack."

"We need to depart," Luke declared. "We can't stay in one place too long, otherwise every monster in the world will come down on us."

"It was good to see you, Luke, and I wish you all the best in your Quest." Rick nodded sincerely. "Percy, a moment?"

He was taken aback, but he recovered. "Sure,"

"We'll be waiting outside the building, then." Luke motioned as he exited the room. "Come on, everyone."

Athos seemed hesitant to leave, so Percy smiled gently. "Hey, bud, it will be okay. Rick's not gonna hurt me. I'll be right down to join you, all right?"

"I don't bite, I swear, Athos," Rick pointed at Medusa's head that was still held in Percy's hand. "He will unleash that on me if I do attack him, deal?"

His brother nodded his head and slowly left the room.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Percy turned to Rick, putting Medusa's head in his sack, knowing that he wouldn't need to use it, that Rick wouldn't attack him.

Rick rubbed his hands together softly before a strange look crossed over his face. "Your brother and Grover revealed how you revealed to them that you're Quest was to also try to recover your father's Bolt, how it's been stolen since the Winter Solstice along with Poseidon's Trident."

"Yeah, but what about it?"

"Just be wary, okay? There are many out there who would manipulate and extort you for their own purposes."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"One more word before you go: emotion without devotion only leads to a commotion, Percy. If you want to save your mother, be loyal to the agenda that you desire; don't become distracted. It's the only way to succeed. How else do you think that I made it this far?" Rick then smirked, "By the way, how was that kiss with Medusa? Is she a good kisser?"

Percy frowned and rolled his eyes, turning around to leave. "Fuck you, man," he ignored Rick's laughter. "It was totally uncalled-for, what she did," he shivered before he looked back at his new friend. "Thanks for everything, Rick, and when we rescue my mom, I'll tell her to give you a call or summon an… what was it called?"

"Iris message?"

"Yes, that! I'll tell her to give you one."

XxXxXxXxXxX

The fire crackled through the darkness of the forest and Luke reclined back against the tree, watching lazily as Annabeth introduced Ambrosia and Nectar to the Jackson brats.

"You must pace yourself; the gods can consume these like air itself- "

Percy interrupted, a strange look on his face. "Wait, do gods even breathe?"

"- but half-bloods have to be more careful." Annabeth paused, her face slackening. "Well, the gods don't need air to survive, so no, I suppose that they don't breathe."

"They have lungs, don't they?" Percy asked, "Chiron said in class that the gods are perfectly similar to humans in appearances save for their impeccable-lookin' features, so wouldn't they have lungs, then?"

"Yes, they would," Annabeth was clearly taken aback. "I actually don't know why they do, though…"

Zeus' son nodded his head, "They're gods, so they don't need 'em, but they have 'em because… maybe they wanted to somehow blend in? Who knows? Wait, matter of fact, why do they even, technically, have a heart?"

Luke answered. "A god does have blood, Percy, but it's ichor, golden in color. All immortal beings have ichor, it's the fundamental key to their immortality. The Titans have it, the gods have it, and some monsters have it, too. The heart of a god would act the same way that a human's does, keeping the ichor flowing."

Athos looked confused. "But blood runs through the human body mainly to keep oxygen circulating, spread nutrients, and to remove the carbon dioxide build-up and other waste. If a god doesn't need oxygen, why would the heart matter? Their immortal bodies wouldn't create carbon dioxide, either, because they don't need oxygen, thus canceling out the whole purpose for a heart. Couldn't they just have the ichor without the heart? Couldn't it just, I don't know, sit there in their veins, if they even have veins?"

"Well said, Athos." Annabeth shockingly said and Apollo's son grinned ear-to-ear at her praise. "The Jackson brothers raise excellent points that I've never truly considered, but enough about the physiology of a god; we could debate for the rest of eternity without knowing the truth unless one of the gods specifically reveals our much-needed answers. Anyway, if any half-blood eats too much Ambrosia, they'll feel feverish, and in severe cases of too much consumption, they could even perish."

"So, this is what the gods eat?" Athos' eyebrows were scrunched together, looking down at the Ambrosia in his hand hesitantly. "What does it taste like?"

"The greatest things imaginable," Grover piped in. "It's different for everyone; whatever you yourself think is the best-tasting food ever, the Ambrosia will taste like it."

Luke raised an eyebrow as Athos immediately shoved the Ambrosia into his mouth, cheeks puffing out as he chewed rapidly. "It tastes like mom's cookies!"

Percy, at those words, followed his little brother's actions, popping the Ambrosia into his own mouth in a blurred motion. After a moment, his white orbs - ones the reminded Luke that Thalia was the one who died, not Percy - became wide in awe, and with his mouth still slightly full, he spoke, his groan of delight an echo in his words. "This is so good that I want to sew my fucking ass cheeks together so that it will never leave my body."

Annabeth's face twisted in revulsion while Luke's own twisted in amusement. "That is disgusting," his once-close, daughter-like friend exclaimed, scooting away from Percy and closer to Athos, and Luke noticed that the kid looked elated.

Grover snorted and chewed on his own Ambrosia. "That won't be a problem for me, Percy, because I don't have ass cheeks."

Percy's white orbs latched onto Grover's and he finished chewing. "You lucky bastard," he said it with such seriousness that Luke actually felt true laughter bubble in his chest and escape through his nose in an amused snort.

Athos frowned, "Wait, what? How do you… you know, expunge your waste?"

"Expunge my waste?" Grover muttered, looking confused.

Percy rolled his eyes, "Is there an echo in this forest?"

Grover shook his head, "Expunge my waste? What does- "

"Ahh, so there is an echo in this forest," the son of Zeus nodded his head, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Thanks for clearing that up, my friend."

"Fuck you, Percy, I don't understand what your brother is asking!"

"He means, how do you take a dump without ass cheeks?"

"Oh, I - and regular humans and half-bloods, for that matter - don't need them. Ass cheeks are not important in the process of taking a shit; they only touch the toilet seat. I just simply do it just like a goat does, my shorter friend," the Satyr responded without batting an eyelid.

Annabeth suddenly stood up with her Ambrosia and Nectar, and Athos looked panicked. "Woah! Where are you going, Annabeth? What are you doing?"

"I'm no longer able to eat around you. I'll think that I'll go over there somewhere to, hopefully, keep the disgust at bay. I'm going to eat alone."

"You can't eat alone!" Athos cried out in horror, and Luke raised an eyebrow as Athos stood to his feet. "I'll go with you."

Before either could march off, Percy interjected with a roll of his eyes, looking at his younger brother pointedly. "We're all going to stay here, okay? Annabeth, Grover and I… apologize for our… crude words. I'm sorry that we disgusted you."

Annabeth huffed before slowly sitting back down, Athos following her like a lost puppy. "You really shouldn't be pursuing subjects such as those when people are trying to eat." Her voice was firm, almost mother-like, and based on the look on Percy's face, he didn't like it. "Better yet, don't do it in front of me. You guys can be all gross when I'm not around."

Luke closed his eyes, feigning sleep so that he would be left alone; he really wasn't in the mood to deal with children, specifically ones who were blinded by the gods. "Let's just go to sleep, everyone. You don't need to worry, I erected magical barriers that will alert us if monsters are near."

"That sounds like a good idea," Annabeth said and he sensed that she had laid back.

"That shit with Medusa took a lot out of me, so I should rest, too." Percy's voice grated on his ears, but Luke resisted the urge to inflict harm on him. It wasn't Jackson who had been in Medusa's grip as she tried to crush bodies, it had been Luke and Rick. The phantom pain of that bitch's strong grip spasmed through his chest, and Luke inhaled slowly, keeping himself calm.

He opened his eyelid to look one last time at every one. Grover was already asleep, hooves arcing in the air slightly. Percy was staring into the fire, propped on one arm, and Athos was curled next to him, eyes closed. Annabeth had scooted over to the other side of the fire, her New York Yankees hat laying on her chest, ready to be dawned in a moment's notice, her eyelids shut.

Luke leaned back against the tree once more in satisfaction and felt Morpheus' grip curl around his mind, and he knew that his master wished to speak with him. Surrendering himself to the power, he was sucked into the Shaper of Dreams' Realm, and then deposited before the Crooked One.

The ubiquitous darkness welcomed him, the souls of the damned screeching an unholy chorus in Ancient Greek: "You'll be one of us, you'll be one of us!"

Ignoring them, Luke kneeled where his master's presence dwarfed over him. "Gutta cavat lapidem," he intoned respectfully.

"Gutta cavat lapidem, a water drop hollows a stone." By the tone, he recognized that Kronos was not angry, which was a relief. "Jackson is strong, glorious for my ambitions. He slew the stone-turner, second in his kind's history to achieve such an unrivaled feat. Have you begun your mission, Castellan?"

"It will soon commence, Crooked One. He already trusts me, a folly that the Fates have ordained. They are clearly on our side. Athos Jackson will die, and the gods will be blamed for it, specifically Zeus."

"See to it, Castellan. Perseus Jackson is a prize that must be mine. I've spent much of my energy on him. That time and effort cannot be wasted."

"Your will be done,"

"You are useful, Castellan, one who is willing to follow me."

"You're perceptive, Crooked One. Perhaps if I had been in the First Titanchomy, aiding you then, the Moirai would have chosen a different reality."

"You're now presumptuous, overly bold."

"Always. I must be, or I could never succeed in heralding your rising to power, Crooked One. You know that I know that you could swat my existence away at any moment you so choose, but you don't because I must be of value."

"Make certain that my Trojan Horse is on the path to me, Castellan. If Jackson doesn't become mine, your value in my eyes will drop, and then you will die."

Luke gasped as he was sent careening back into his body and he shot up soundlessly, the fire a flickering spark in his peripheral vision. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the forest immediately and panic swept through him when Percy was nowhere to be seen.

He shot to his feet, twisting and turning, stretching out his mageía. There! After making certain that everyone else was still stuck in Morpheus' grasp, he followed the path that Percy had taken.

Soon enough, he found the kid and the sight that met his eyes was one that he hadn't expected: Percy sat on a large boulder, one of his fists curled tightly into the rock, making deep fissures, cracks spider-webbing in all directions from his great strength. In his other hand, he held the Minotaur's Hammer, a deep hatred carved into the kid's features, the light of Artemis' Chariot doing nothing to hide it.

"You should probably try to get some sleep, Percy," he approached him, making sure to make his footsteps audible.

Jackson's gaze snapped to his own, "Luke, what… what is it?"

"I was worried when you weren't by the fire," he shrugged his shoulders, purposefully keeping his posture lose and unthreatening. "I thought that a monster had somehow gotten through the barrier."

Percy put the Minotaur's Hammer back into his sack. "Sorry, I just needed a moment by myself."

"That's understandable, you've been through a lot."

"How did you deal with it?"

"Deal with what?"

"...Thalia's death, how did you keep yourself from succumbing to the boiling hatred and… the grief?"

Luke glanced away to keep the kid from glimpsing the rage that crossed his face. "Why do you ask, Percy?"

"My mom."

"Thalia wasn't my mother, she was my best friend, my… my everything," he said honestly, unable to keep the long-dormant love for Thalia from being provoked by Percy's words.

"But you felt those things, right? Every time I see that fuckin' hammer, I want to stab myself. I wield the weapon of the bastard who slaughtered my mother right in front of me. That's the only reason why I was able to kill Medusa: the thing's ability to negate a healing factor kept her broken neck from healing. Then I had been able to kill her without fear of being trapped in eternity as a statue." Percy leaped off the boulder and began to pace in front of Luke, looking like an aggravated animal. "That sick fuck… murdered my mom and I spit on her memory by using that damned hammer, but it's the only thing that has kept us all alive. UGH!"

"You miss her," he said after a moment.

Percy glared at him, the white orbs flashing with the power of lightning, and Luke heard thunder clouds boom in the sky. "No shit, Luke! Of course, I miss her! She is…" a horrible devastation crossed Percy's face and the kid collapsed to his knees, the ground shaking slightly at the impact. "She was my mother, and now she's gone," he whispered, deep and sorrowful pain echoing in the air.

Luke felt incredibly uncomfortable, but his hatred for Sally Jackson - Sally Jackson! - was still just as strong, perhaps even stronger. "You know, are you sure that you want to do this?" Percy looked up with a pale face, but he continued calmly. "Your mother could be in Elysium, you know? It's a paradise above paradise, Percy. She could be at peace- "

"I don't care!" Percy snapped, looking raw, almost broken. "I'm selfish, okay? I need her in my life," a broken, sob-filled laugh escaped the kid's lips, and he turned his head to the ground, hands curled into tight fists. "When I was younger, I had always promised myself that I wouldn't miss it, you know? I never wanted to look back someday to find that I had taken everything for granted." The wind picked up slightly, ruffling through Luke's hair. "Yet… that's exactly what I fucking did. Now my mom is gone, and I never gotta tell her how much she meant to me, how much I did take her for granted, how much I loved her. All of the beautiful things that I missed because I…" the words were soft and Luke craned his head forward, trying to hear. "I was too much of a fuckin' child. I don't get a rewind to fix my mistakes, and I sure as hell don't get a do-over; my mistakes will always be there." When Percy's face turned upward, Luke's breath caught at the tears spilling down the kid's pale cheeks in streams of misery. "When I rescue my mom from my life-stealing uncle, the first thing that I am going to do is apologize and tell her how much she means to me. I'm selfish beyond egotism, but I don't care. I need more time with my mom."

He nodded his head in consideration. "You raise excellent points. I'm sorry if I offended you about Elysium, it wasn't my intention."

"What about your mom, Luke?" Percy sniffed, wiping his cheeks and swollen eyes. "Is she still alive?"

"She died a long time ago," he smiled tightly, the memories of that day when he escaped from her insane clutches flashing in his mind: his hands that had wrapped around her throat, literally squeezing the life out of her frail-looking body, the way her insane eyes had burst from their sockets, how her magical attacks did nothing to stop him, and then how she had slackened under his grip, her body falling to the floor with a thud, Thanatos sweeping her away to the Underworld, and hopefully, the Fields of Punishment.

"Perhaps we could rescue her from the Underworld, too, if you want."

Luke turned towards the kid, startled by the suggestion. "It's been almost a decade since my mother died, Percy, a decade that is too late. She had perished long before her body withered; she's been dead to me for a long time."

Percy swallowed, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be, she was insane," he slowly sat down next to him, sensing that now would be an excellent point to begin the turning of Perseus to Kronos' side by sharing truths. "She tortured me, you know? She beat me and touched me, and her insane laughter is still a rupturing echo in my scarred mind to this day."

The kid looked horrified, "But she was your mom!"

"She didn't know the meaning of the word, Percy, just as the gods don't know the meaning of the word family and parent." Luke lowered his voice slightly, "Hermes has done nothing for me, ever. He never saved me from my insane mother. Instead, he left me to rot in her abusive clutches. I've never even met him; never received any gifts, either. The only time when I even felt his presence at all was when he had claimed me, an honor that I should worship him for, but you know what? I spit on his presence, cursing him vehemently. The gods are petty and vain, selfish beyond fantasy. Their arrogance is legendary and their tempers even more so. They kill mortals when they feel like it, impregnating them with their cursed seed when lust clouds their divine minds, and sire half-bloods who they have no intention of ever knowing, nonetheless raising or loving." His eyes locked onto Percy's white orbs, and he ignored the memories of Thalia for now. "The mortals are playthings to the gods, but I'll tell you a secret that Chiron wouldn't dare share: the gods envy us, Percy, in all of the ways that matter."

"Envy us? Why would they be jealous of… mortals?"

"Because mortals die," he said softly. "They envy us because any moment, any at all, could be our last. The gods have long forgotten what fear feels like, what life truly is, and how to live it. Us mortals, even half-bloods, see the ubiquitous beauty in life because we are inevitably doomed to wither and decay, no matter if we can potentially live much longer than a full-blooded mortal; the monsters will eventually consume us or the gods themselves will slay us. They look down at the mortals from their abode on Olympus and they are jealous of our ability to fully love one person, to live life to its fullest, to experience things for the first time." Luke clenched his hands into tight fists. "So they harm the mortals to inflict pain on those whom they envy because the gods are so content in their ichor-fueled immortality that they refuse to live as a mortal, to experience the things that they truly yearn for. Olympus should implode, and all of the gods with it! They don't deserve their selfish immortality."

"That makes a lot of sense," the kid nodded slowly, his voice quiet. "Who deserves immortality, then? The Titans who are locked away in Tartarus? The half-bloods? Other gods? Are there other… pantheons? Is that the word? Do the Egyptian, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Hindu, Mayan, Japanese, and Chinese… pantheons exist? Are the Greeks the only one, or are there more?"

"The Greeks are the only pantheon, Percy."

"Good, because all of the creation myths - everything in everyone's version of history - would contradict each other," the kid sat up straighter. "Then, just as history has dictated, a void of power would appear. If the gods suddenly forfeited their immortality, who would replace them? It would mostly be like every revolution in history! The Bolshevik Revolution, after slaughtering the House of Romanov, created a vacuum of power that went to Lenin, and then Stalin after him. Look at Germany and Hitler! Then you have the France Revolution and Napoleon's blatant power grab to become Emperor after King Louis XVI of France was executed via a Guillotine by his own citizens. When someone is overthrown or relinquished from power, new infrastructures always take place - something, whether it's vile or decent, will inevitably fill the void, and it's usually vile!" Percy's white orbs froze Luke in place. "You clearly detest the gods, and rightly so, but who would fill that void of incalculable power? Demigods? The Minor Primordials? What about the Titans? They still exist; I know that they do because Annabeth said earlier that Tartarus was the Titan's prison, not their grave."

Luke raised his eyebrows, but inside, he was seething; the kid was a lot smarter and cleverer than he had accounted for. "What if the Titans replaced the gods?" He then asked lightly, "Are they so much worse than them?"

"My grandfather consumed his own children," the kid interjected flatly. "There's no fuckin' way that I would ever be okay with a cannibal in charge of the universe or something."

"That's true," he relented, trying a different angle. "What makes you so certain that the Titans are worse, then?"

"All of the legends and stories, of course! My cannibalistic grandfather was their King!"

"Yes, but who wrote those stories, who created those seemingly infallible legends?" Percy's face froze and Luke nodded his head. "Yes, the gods did, and I'm certain that you know that history is written by the victors, right? I'm not saying that the gods lied, but isn't it possible that the Titans aren't the scum of the Immortal Realm as everyone thinks?"

Percy tilted his head, his white orbs unnerving. "But you think that the gods are the scum of the Immortal Realm, don't you?"

"Damn right, I do," he said truthfully. "They expect us, their children, to worship the ground they never walk on. We're nothing but toy soldiers in their eyes, weapons that they can discard when they feel like it. We don't owe them anything, Percy, we never have."

"I don't care about the gods either," the kid said shockingly. "I don't give a fuck if my dad somehow ceases to exist right now. I've been ordained to recover his stolen Bolt, but I don't give a rat's ass whether I get it or not. The only thing that I care about is my mother, and that's my only focus. Enough about the gods, Luke, I wish for my ears to be free from such abuse."

"I can't blame you, then," he said softly before an idea came to him; he could secure more trust from Percy. "You mentioned earlier about wanting to learn magic, right? Do you want me to teach you a little bit?"

Percy grinned, "Hell yes!"

"What do you want to learn?"

The kid furrowed his dark eyebrows, the antithesis of Thalia's, and hummed. "I suppose that… I want to be out of a monster's sense, you know? My mom kept me and my brother hidden from the gazes of monsters for years, and I want to learn how to do that on my own. It could help with our Quest."

"Very well, I think that I can do that," he stood to his feet slowly. "Remain sitting and follow my instructions, okay?"

"Thanks, Luke,"

He smiled, the sinister intent behind his actions hidden from Percy. "If you ever need anything, my new friend, I'll be here to help you."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Well, that's all for this one, everyone. I hope that you all enjoyed it. If you'd like, please leave a review and tell me what you thought of it. I'd really appreciate it; it helps me out!

**Percy gets a history lesson! In the books, I don't think that there was ever a true history lesson-like scene at all in the Percy Jackson series, even though it wasn't necessarily needed. It WAS needed, though, in the Heroes of Olympus series, but there wasn't one either, and I believe that it was sorely needed for those half-bloods, for all half-bloods. I mean, shouldn't they know where they come from, their lineage, their divine heritage beyond the Olympians and Titans? The Primordials are their direct ancestors and they are truly important in the Greek Mythological world, but the Primordials were never really explored besides Gaea herself – and even then, she was wholly disappointing, especially the way how she was 'beaten' in the Blood of Olympus book.

I obviously changed things up because, honestly, I was kind of tired of the same old Chaos is the first and all. I have seen other stories and myths where the first being wasn't Chaos but Chronos, the Primordial of Time, and it makes sense. In the Orphic myths, Chronos was the creator of the cosmos because he gave birth to Chaos, Aether, and an egg. I know that it's not in line with Canon, but I changed it. Time, in my opinion, is seen as an eternal concept far more than Chaos is - and Fate, too. Some of the things that Luke says about Chronos is taken directly from Smite. If one thinks about it, why is Kronos so powerful? Why was he King of the Titans? Why was he the only one who had the balls to face Ouranos? Because his domain of power was over time! Time is the most powerful and destructive force in creation. They or those who control time, control everything. So shouldn't the creator, the father of the Primordials be such a being, be time itself? Chronos' consort has always been Ananke, so I pictured her as the mother of the Primordials, then.

**Patrick Fitzroy Patrick (Rick) appears! He is a now-billionaire son of Hermes who left Camp Half-Blood years ago and survived in the Mortal World because he has a Celestial Bronze belt, which masks his aura, that was enchanted by Sally Jackson years ago to keep his scent masked, too, when he wears it. I always found it interesting, when in Canon, there were no half-bloods who lived in the Mortal Realm at all. Sure, I know it's dangerous but many of the children of the gods would be clever enough to figure out numerous ways to survive just as Sally Jackson and Patrick Fitzroy Patrick were able to - through magic and a Celestial Bronze belt. Yes, some of Patrick's words to the 'fat prick' were quotes of Al Bundy from Married with Children and a few from the TV show Frasier. They seem like something that a billionaire would say to someone who they don't want to deal with; it was the quickest way to get the meeting concluded, by insulting the man.

Medusa shows up and they all duke it out. I didn't want to do the Canon route of Aunty Em's Emporium because it has happened too many times in other stories - and plus, how it all happens seems to be childish and unrealistic. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm changing quite a bit of things. Medusa's appearance is taken directly from the Clash of the Titans movie; I always liked that rendition of her with a snake-like body instead of how she appeared in Canon. Medusa would actually be very strong because of her snake-body, so that's what I did for this story. How else was she able to kiss Percy without him pushing her off of him? (Sorry if that scene creeped people out, but it seems like something that Medusa would do - she seems like a seducer who wants people to open their eyes by listening to her words, but she can use force if she needs to.) Since Medusa was cursed by Athena to be a snake, pretty much, she is practically, in all sense, a snake creature. Reptiles are able to extend their metabolic energy reserves by keeping themselves sustained at a lower output rate for a long period of time. Mammals aren't able to do that because they rapidly accumulate their energy and then they just as quickly burn their reserves in one powerful surge. So, while the half-bloods fight her, she's just getting warmed up pretty much. And that doesn't even take into account her turning-to-stone powers. So, in conclusion, why nobody has ever defeated her before save for the original Perseus and now Percy is because she, logically, is so dreadfully powerful and deadly.

Percy is actually very fast; any child of Zeus is! Zeus is the deity of lightning, so Zeus himself is, at the very least, as fast as lightning itself, which travels at about one-third of the speed of light – how insane is that? In myths, Zeus is light speed capable, but his children in this, such as Percy, would definitely be as fast as lightning - and they have the potential to become faster! I always thought that Rick Riordan had missed an opportunity for Zeus' children in regard to their speed. In Canon, it would have elevated Thalia and Jason, and all of the other half-bloods who Zeus sired, if they inherit that part of their father's abilities, to Percy's Canon-level of power. (Let's be honest, without that speed, Percy would effortlessly kick both of their asses.) The only half-bloods who would be faster than Zeus' children, in all honesty, would be Hermes' children. But because Zeus is Zeus, probably the strongest of the Big Three, the strongest in mythology, then Zeus' children have the potential to surpass Hermes' children in speed.

**Luke and Percy talk! I tried to show some vulnerability for Percy because, let's all be honest, he has been acting like his dear old dad by being arrogant - mostly. Luke senses an opportunity to begin to sway Percy to join him and Kronos, but since Percy is a lot smarter than he was in Canon, he pokes holes in Luke's philosophy. I am fully aware that the way the French Revolution and Napoleon's rise to power happened was a lot different with how it played out in history – along with Hitler's rise to becoming Chancellor and later Führer of Germany – but the way I wrote it out is a teenager's understanding of how it all happened. Percy is a smart guy, but he's no child of Athena or a learned adult. He's just a kid still in spite of his actions; he's only 14-years-old, after all. And yes, I did use some quotes from the movie Troy, particularly the one about how the gods are envious of mortals. Luke would undermine the gods at every given opportunity to sway Percy, and by declaring the faults of the gods, he begins to declare his own personal theories about everything.

Okay, I may be completely alone by having this opinion, but it has always really, really, really bothered me how Riordan incorporated different mythologies into one universe. I mean, really? I understand why he did it, what he was trying to do from a story standpoint, but it makes no sense logically! There's a reason why all of the pantheons and mythologies are separated in history and by scholars! The only pantheons and mythologies that are allowed to be breathed in the same sentence are the Greek and Romans - they are the exact same, after all. That's it, and even then, it gets extremely complicated in Riordan's story when there is a Roman version of Camp Half-Blood. When he added the Egyptian and Norse deities, it just completely ruined everything from a world-building point-of-view. The idea had merit but that doesn't mean that it makes sense. He can do whatever he wants, though; it's his creation, but I, as a fan of Percy Jackson, question some things as a result of his decision.

How do all of the Nine Realms in Norse Mythology - Alfheim, Asgard, Helheim, Jötunheim, Midgard, Muspelheim, Niflheim, Svartalfheim, and Vanaheim - all exist in the Percy Jackson universe? What about Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life in Norse Mythology? It connects the Nine Realms together, but then if the Norse and Greeks are in the same universe, it discounts everything from Greek Mythology such as the Primordials and Chaos! If Yggdrasil exists in Percy Jackson, what happens to Earth and everything that occurred on it during the Titanchomies? The entire Percy Jackson universe becomes devoid of any sense for realism and continuity. Is Midgard what the Olympians - the Greeks - rule over? If so, that skews everything. What happens to the Primordial deities such as Gaea who are literally the Earth? Would Primordials just simply 'sit tight' on one measly planet instead of conquering everything else? I don't think so. Does Asgard have their own Primordials? What makes up Asgard? Do they have their own version of Gaea? What about Ouranos?

In Norse myths, Odin is the one who fashioned Midgard - the Earth - out of Ymir's slaughtered flesh and body, so obviously, the Primordials weren't Ymir's torn flesh. ("From Ymir's flesh, the earth was created. And from his sweat, the sea. Mountains from bone, trees from hair, and from his skull, the sky. And from his eyebrows, the blithe gods made, Midgard, home of the sons of men. And from his brains, they sculpted the grim clouds.") Then we get to the World Serpent, the trickster, Loki's son who is prophesied to kill Thor when Ragnarök begins, who lives in Midgard's oceans, encircling the entire planet. How would Poseidon be okay with a being of that magnitude and power living in his Realm? If anything, Poseidon would have used the Midgard Serpent to help him overthrow Zeus to seize control of Olympus and rule over all of the other gods. What about Loki's prison where the venomous snake drips its poison on him, causing earthquakes as he thrashes from pain?

The Olympians would notice and probably wouldn't take too kindly to another god in their Realm - which, if everything was supposed to magically align together, and it doesn't, would be Midgard. If anything, they could free Loki and he would bring Ragnarök early and if Ragnarök occurred, would it only affect the Norse? The Greeks don't have an Armageddon-like event in their myths, so… how could all of this happen? What about Valhalla versus Hades' Realm? All mortals are doomed to Hades, yet now there is supposed to be another afterlife. And what is supposed to determine which mortals go to which Underworld? And then there is the Egyptian Underworld since the Egyptian gods are in Riordan's universe! Are there now supposed to be different Underworlds?

Now, what about the Egyptian gods? What about the Egyptian Sun god Ra who created the universe? I thought that that was Chaos - or, in this story, the Primordials borne by Chronos and Ananke? Also, if all of these pantheons exist, wouldn't they have all gone to war with one another by now? How would that go down? Although, I do think, personally, that the Greek gods would win, but if we go down that road, it destroys everything because there would probably be some stupid treaty that must be followed. So, I decided to cut off any ability for myself to explore the other pantheons and mythologies. The only one is Greek. There will be no Norse or Egyptian! My mind will not be changed.

Well, I think that's everything. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review and tell me what you thought about it.

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