A/N: Hello Readers! The long awaited next chapter. I'm sorry about leaving you on such a cliffhanger last time, but I hope its worth it. Love you all for sticking with the story though. Also one last thing: Get Percy Jackson a Disney animated series Please I beg you Uncle Rick!

Disclaimer: Not my characters

In Memoriam

Percy

You ever just feel really tired, but know that it's going to be impossible to actually get any sleep?

That's how I felt as I lay down on the cold concrete of the cell and tried to sleep my life away. I really should have been embarrassed, but I was way past the point of caring.

I was really going to die tomorrow…

It was a hard pill to swallow being on death row, and I didn't have any water to wash it down so it was eternally stuck in my throat. I was on the verge of throwing up but I couldn't because I hadn't had food in several days now. It was horrible, but losing everything and being stripped down to the very core in my last hours I finally had enough time to reflect and I came to a realization.

I didn't regret a single thing. Nothing at all. If I had a do over in my life I would do it all again and I would do it without a second thought. I bet if I told anyone my life story and where I ended up, they would have serious doubts, but they would be wrong. I've made so many great friends and have so many incredible memories that I couldn't possibly bear to lose them. I could suffer a thousand deaths before I would willingly give it all up.

So I stood strong and prepared to accept my execution ,but this time with my mind at ease knowing that I lived a life I can be proud of.

With my mind now cleared and relaxed, I was able to conquer the concrete floor and finally doze off.

I knew that it must truly be the end of the road because I couldn't even get a dream. Don't get me wrong, I hate demigod dreams and everything about them, but maybe somewhere deep down, I was hoping for a sign that everything could end up okay.

I don't know how long I was out, but it must have been several hours because I had that groggy feeling you get when you planned on taking a short nap before homework and instead you wake up three hours later to a yelling Step Dad whose one step away from swinging at you. No? Just me? I guess that last part might have been a little too specific but the point still stands. I was groggy and still half-asleep.

Then I heard it and my eyes shot open like a bullet. The clinking of keys

"It's finally time, huh" I muttered as I repositioned myself on the floor to greet Ares before he pulled me off to my final resting place.

The keys and the clanking persisted and slowly got louder as my fate at the hands of Zeus approached, until it turned the corner and fittingly, my life turned on its head.

"A- Ath- Athena?" I stumbled over my words, but I was finally able to get them out.

"Hello Perseus, It's a pleasure to see you again."

I had always thought Athena was a friend, or at least an ally, but the way she had treated me during my 'trial' and her ruling to kill me had destroyed all of my trust in her that turned out to be misplaced in her in the first place. She had just been a pawn of Zeus and therefore a pawn of Nyx as well. And let me tell you. I was not happy to see her and I made a point in my tone to make it overwhelmingly clear.

"Why are you here? I thought Ares was my prison guard dog. At least when he tries to kill me he'll come at me from the front."

Athena sighed but her face remained solid as a stone refusing to betray her feelings over my harsh words.

"How naive you are Perseus. If you really want to know, I was denied a choice in the matter. I really had no other option but to follow along with my fathers vengeful notion of justice."

"But that doesn't explain why you are here now. Have you come to clear your conscious one last time before you send an innocent man to his death? Is that what the gods have come to? Shriveling cowards, all of you."

"Now Perseus, Don't get ahead of yourself. I have no plans of leading you to your death today. In fact, I have come to do just the opposite. I've come to set you free."

I heard her words, but for some reason they wouldn't register in my brain.

"You've come to what?"

"I've come to set you free"

"Are you serious? How?"

Athena's eyes flared with a quick flash of anger, but she quickly hid it again behind her stone cold wall that she called a face.

"You do realize who you're talking to right? I am the goddess of wisdom. I always have a plan. So just trust me and you will be fine."

"But why?"

"I'm not saving you. Fate is. The truth is you've always been and you still are the hero of this story, and luckily for you, there are still pages left to fill. The three sisters of fate themselves have seen to it that your string remains uncut. Their fate for you may be worse than the quick death offered here today, but if you want another chance at life, you have no other choice but to come with me."

I had a hard time trusting her, and the talk of stories and the fates brought up more questions than it answered, but Athena was right. I may have accepted death in my final moments, but I would never pick it over life. Realizing how great my life was and now having a chance to live it again actually reinvigorated my will to survive. So I really didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Okay Athena. I'll follow along with your plan, but don't be mistaken. Following whatever your plan may be doesn't mean I trust you for even a second."

Athena shrugged like she knew that would be my response

"Very well, That is fine with me, but in the meantime let me release you from those chains. We are running out of time and we have a rendezvous to meet."

Before long, I was freed from my chains and we were making our way through hallway after hallway. I swear if I hadn't been walking with the literal goddess of wisdom I would've believed we were lost.

Turn after turn, on and on it went for at least 45 min. The further and further we went the more obvious it was that Athena hadn't been lying about having a plan. She must have mapped out a path to avoid being seen because there wasn't a soul in sight, not even a close call.

My feet and hamstrings were stiff and extra tight from my night on the floor. It took a little while, but they finally started to get loose when we turned a corner that was followed by a signal from Athena indicating we had arrived at our destination.

It was unlike anything I'd seen in all my time at Olympus.

The only way to describe it was incredibly lame.

It was a tiny room that looked like my room at my mom's apartment but instead of being decorated with all of Gabe's crappy car posters and trash, its walls were completely empty. There were only two things in the bare room. An armchair that looked like a massive back problem waiting to happen and a lectern that had a single old book on it that looked like it was about to fall apart.

Why this spot had any place in Olympus I had no idea, but it was here, so if anyone would know about it. Athena would be that one.

We continued our walk and once Athena entered the room she turned around to face me.

"Here we are Perseus. And you're rendezvous is here too."

That was when a voice came from the corner of the room. I said I wouldn't trust Athena, but dammit, my fatal flaw got me again. In my trust of Athena I had barged into the room with her and I had forgotten to take my normal precaution of sweeping the room. If I had I would have never missed the person standing right behind me hidden by shadow in the corner, but instead I had just walked right past them.

"I was wondering when you would show up"

It was her. Over and over again, it was always her. I swear I could never get away from this girl. No matter how hard I tried. I even had a new girlfriend, as short lived and heartbreaking as that was, but that's not good enough. She's always has to find a way back.

And I was starting to do it again. I was falling for her all over again. I couldn't even believe my own heart. After all she's done and with everything I've had to deal with in the last year, I thought it was impossible, but it was happening again. Her drive, her passion, and her unrelenting will was disarming me just like it had all those years ago leaving me putty in her hands.

Before I was torn in two by the conflicted feelings battling both deep in my heart and my brain, I forcibly took back control and composed myself enough to shrug before giving as measured a response as possible.

"Kinda out of my control given the circumstances, Annabeth"

I turned around to face her and what could I expect but a woman just as beautiful as I remembered. It's like she hadn't changed one bit. Which I guess thinking about it makes sense because gods don't age like humans do.

"It's nice to see you again Percy. I know our last meeting didn't quite go as well as you had hoped, but I was never there for Olympus or the council. I was there for you. I didn't know they would put you on death row. Had I known I would've never let them go through with it."

I was still pretty suspicious, but in the end I decided to take her at her word. Even at her worst, she had never lied straight to my face. We stared each other down for a couple more seconds until Athena coughed and regained our attention.

"Now that reintroductions are done you two, you should be going. I already gave Annabeth the instructions and coordinates for the trip, and once you get there I can assure that you will be protected from Zeus' wrath. You will be safe, but stay vigilant because escaping his grasp once again will be your last straw. There will be no going back and he will send everything he has against you with no mercy."

"He can try all he wants. I've seen that everything and I'm more"

Annabeth smirked

"Okay Percy, I'm just going to grab the book over there on the lectern, then we can teleport out of here."

"No wait… We can't go yet."

Annabeth was exasperated "Percy! We're literally out the door. Why can't we leave?"

"Because I need to see Thalia. During the trial I was told that she was in critical condition and that it was my fault. I need to see that she is okay."

This time to my shock they both smiled. It was Athena this time that stepped in to answer my question.

"Rest easy Perseus. There is no need for you to check on Thalia. Yes, she was injured in your rampage, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed. She only suffered a couple broken bones and some deep bruises. In fact, she is already making a strong recovery. Artemis was sent in to a rampage by the injuries, but her deathbed was greatly exaggerated. A couple more days of rest and she will be walking around on her own."

I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to see Thalia, but it was good to hear that I hadn't hurt her too bad. Hopefully once she's back on her feet I'll see her again and we'll be able to hash everything out between each other. In the meantime I just hope Athena is telling the truth.

"That;s good to hear. Sad I won't get to see her for myself but I'll have to believe you. Let's go Annabeth."

She rushed over quickly and grabbed the book then ran back and grabbed my hand. It was warm and slightly clammy. If I didn't know better I would say she was nervous, but that would be impossible… right?

"Where are we gonna go?"

"How about you find out for yourself" Annabeth mocked me and finished it off with a devilish grin

THOOM

We were gone. Teleported in a flash of light from the small corner room and off into the unknown.

A second later we were in the brightest place I've ever been. The light bore into my eyes and forced me to look away while shielding them with my arm. While shielded I had no idea what was going on around me, but all I could tell was that the place was insanely loud. There was a deafening noise everywhere and it was even worse than the lights. My ears almost burst from it.

It took several seconds to adjust, but after a bit I got accustomed to both the noise and light enough that I was able to look at my surroundings and let me tell you, I was not ready for what faced me.

It was the Atlantean Army in all its glory. And they were ready for war.

I stood up straight from my crouched position and I took it all in. As I looked out at the army, I realized why everything had been so bright. We were in the Atlantean army training grounds. A 10 cubic mile area in an air bubble under the sea that was used as a dry area to prepare the troops for land battle and today it was packed to the brim in shiny armored troops who had so much energy they all looked like they drank a pair of Monsters each before assembling.

The view of the plains was incredible. But in my surprise, I had failed to notice where we had teleported in…

We were on the center stage and every single person below was cheering for me and my safe return. They were ready to go to war against all of Olympus, and I was both the rhyme and reason.

At first I hadn't heard him over the noise before, but now that I saw him it became easier to isolate what he was saying.

"We have been shunted and pushed aside for too long! We have been disrespected for too long! Now the final line has been crossed. My own son! My own son! The hero and savior of Olympus. Thrown out like trash, but now we have him back and it is time. Time to strike! To win! For Atlantis!"

The whole crowd gave a massive cheer and the training ground reignited as deafening as it was when I first arrived. After finishing his hype up speech, Poseidon walked over to me and grabbed my arm. Pulling me over to the front of the stage, he began again over the screams of the crowd.

"My lost son has returned from the brink and has come back for his revenge! He is the key that will lead us. To victory!"

He grabbed my arm and raised it up like a boxer winning the heavyweight belt and gave off another massive roar which was returned 100 fold by the crowd. Still in shock, I did little to resist, and I wouldn't be lying if I didn't kinda agree with him. War was my last option and I would do anything to avoid the kind of bloodshed and havoc that it would wreak, but with Nyx on her way from Tartarus and Olympus secretly aiding her return, I don't know if there's any other way to beat her.

The crowd began chanting "Down with Olympus! Down with Olympus!" and I looked under our arms at my father, the sea god Poseidon, while he looked at me. He smiled as I saw a tear fall down his cheek. While on the verge of tears myself, I felt a warm and slightly clammy hand lock with mine on the other side. And for one small second every was right in the world.

I'm home.