Ch. 19

Seated on his throne on Mount Othrys yet again, Perseus smiled around at the assembled beings before him.

He looked to his left where the Titans Iapetus, Krios, Hecate and Coeus sat in plush conjured chairs lining one side of the throne room. To his right, only half of the conjured seats were occupied. The gods Hades and Nemesis watched the image projected in the middle of the throne room.

A collection of mist in the middle of the room showed the scene playing out at Camp Half Blood and captured the the divine attention of both titans and gods. The assembled immortals watched as the demigods of Camp Half Blood looked up with uncomprehending stares at the goddesses Eris and Lyssa floating above them. They seemed too confused by their presence to do anything at first. Then, like a switch had been turned on, the remaining phalanxes that hadn't descended into chaos became overwhelmed by the influence of the two goddesses. What was left of their defenses broke into absolute mayhem, some of them charging rabidly into the army of undead, while others turned on their fellow demigods, attacking their closest brethren and fighting with animalistic ferocity. Despite the desperate attempts of Chiron to control the heroes, the campers were consumed by discord and bloodlust.

It would now be easy for Perseus' forces to overrun and destroy the demigod camp once and for all. Several of the immortals watching the scene expected to see that but were surprised when the image of the campers disappeared.

The scene shifted to reveal the daughter of Hades, Bianca, placing her hand on Daedalus' shoulder and the son of Athena falling to the ground, his metal body breaking into pieces. They watched as the ground shook under the two armies, knocking the majority of both forces off their feet. Even if they couldn't actually see it, everyone seated in Perseus' makeshift throne room all knew that the earthquake had been caused by the destruction of the Labyrinth, crushing the majority of their attacking army before they could even enter the battlefield.

Two figures materialized in seats on the right side of the throne room, breaking everyone's gazes from the scene playing out at Camp Half Blood.

"Well done, ladies," Perseus smiled as Eris and Lyssa appeared in the seats to the left of Nemesis."

Eris gave the same maniacal smile she had when she had spread her influence over the campers, "That was quite enjoyable Perseus. I just wish we could have had a little more fun though. It's been so long since I've been able to openly exert my will on such a large gathering of heroes."

Perseus gave her an amused smile, "Patience, Eris. This is just the beginning. I promise, you will have plenty of chances to spread your chaos in the coming months."

The Goddess of Discord seemed pleased by this and grinned diabolically, sitting back in her seat and turning to watch with satisfaction the chaos enfolding in the mist. The image showed the campers scrambling to treat the wounded from the battle while destroying what remained of the undead army.

"We could have crushed the demigods," Coeus said disbelievingly to Perseus. "Why didn't we just kill them now, leaving the gods without their mortal heroes to fight their battles for them."

A few other heads turned towards Perseus, seeming to mirror ask the same question.

"Because," Perseus said with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "we don't want to kill the mortals. We are immortals and our fight is with the Olympians, not the less than one hundred demigods of Camp Half-Blood. This council of immortals is above such things, I suggest you get on board with that before we challenge the gods in the final battle."

Coeus looked like he wanted to argue but the cold look in Perseus eyes made him pause.

"Look," Perseus said looking around at the gods and titans assembled before him, "When we destroy the gods, if the demigods get in our way, then we'll crush them without a second thought. But this council will be better than the Olympians. We will not use mortals to fight our battles. And we will not throw the lives of mortals away like they aren't even worth a second thought. We are and will continue to be better than they are. That is why are going to win. If anyone here doesn't agree with that, then step forward now, my throne is available to anyone who is willing to challenge me for the right to rule this new council."

Perseus looked around at the assembled gods and titans but they all kept their heads down, eyes trained on the image of Camp Half Blood or the floor of the throne room.

"Very well," Perseus nodded before he was cut off by Coeus again.

"What about the daughter of Zeus? Shouldn't we destroy her before the prophecy runs its course? The lines of the prophecy make clear that whatever choice she makes will decide the fate of Olympus."

A quiet murmuring of agreement broke out amongst the gods and titans before they were silenced.

"No," Perseus said with certainty. "We will not tamper with the will of the Fates. That girl is the child of the prophecy, we will let destiny play out as the Fates have chosen. Whether her choice means our victory or our defeat, we will not interfere."

"Why would we leave such a thing to chance?" Coeus asked incredulously, "we are leaving our fate to chance when we could take control of the war to come!"

Perseus smiled with surprising patience, "Because, grandfather, if we kill the daughter of Zeus, the prophecy will simply move on to the next child of the eldest sons of Kronos."

"Yes," Coeus nodded like this made his point, "but that would be the daughter of Hades. We know she is on our side. We can..."

"No," Perseus cut in with a edge to his voice, "We will not put this on Hades' child. This would simply put a target on her back for the next eighteen months. Zeus and the other gods would do anything they could to kill her. And if they succeeded, then the prophecy would fall to Nico, who would also be hunted by the Olympians. I will not put their lives in danger. Besides, Zeus or Poseidon may have other children we don't know about. Have you checked with the Romans to make sure there are no other children of the Big Three?"

Coeus opened his mouth but then closed it, the thought of the Roman demigods not having occurred to him.

"Exactly," Perseus nodded, "I am confident that Thalia is destined to be the child of the prophecy. Trust me, Coeus, I know what I'm doing."

Coeus again looked like he wanted to continue arguing but Perseus continued speaking before he could.

"You do not know everything at play, grandfather. Believe me, this is our moment. If we kill Thalia, then we will ruin everything. The Fates have weaved a more complex destiny than you know. This council will follow my plans for our war on the gods until someone replaces me as the next King of Olympus."

Perseus eyed the Titan, almost daring him to challenge him. Coeus seemed to consider it for a brief moment then turned away from his grandson's invitation for a challenge. Something had changed in Perseus since Coeus had known him as a young godling. His personality hadn't changed but underneath the persona he projected, he could sense a power. One that he dared not challenge was ready to rise to surface any second and crush his enemies.

"Yes," the titan nodded, trying to hide the edge of nervousness he felt, "if you believe this the path to defeating the gods, then I will follow you into battle."

"Good," Perseus smiled before turning to the other immortals seated before him, "now I believe we should turn our attention to our plans going forward. We've shown the gods just a fraction of our true force with this attack on camp."

"I have to ask, what is our plan for the demigods of Camp Half Blood?" Iapetus asked, no challenge in his question, just curiosity.

"My hope," Perseus said looking around the room, "is that word will spread through camp that it was Nico and Bianca who convinced Daedalus to sacrifice himself. Perhaps, this will help us sway some of the heroes to our side when the final battle comes. If Bianca's message is circulated through the camp, then they will know I ordered her to seek out Daedalus and in doing so, sacrifice our army to protect the campers. The demigods don't know our army was made up of nothing up Hades' undead soldiers. We don't need them to fight for us, merely to step aside when we're ready for our assault on Olympus. We still have a handful of spies inside camp, they will do what they can to sway favor to our side."

"But what if they cannot be turned to our side?" Krios asked.

Perseus simply turned his palms up, "Then they will die. As I have said, I will try to spare the demigods, but I will not allow them to stop us. Soon, our ally Pan will have complete control of the nature spirits, severely depleting the defenses of Olympus."

This seemed to satisfy the titans when it came to dealing with the demigods.

"What about the twins?" Coeus asked leaning forward, wondering what his grandson planned to do about his two siblings, one of them being his wife.

Perseus' face instantly darkened, his pitch black eyes boring into Coeus' icy blue white ones.

"They are mine," he said in a low growl. "Apollo is open game in the battle but his fate is mine to decide. No one is to kill him. His eternal punishment will be mine to choose."

"And Artemis?" Coeus raised an eyebrow.

"If anyone lays a finger on her, then they had might as well side with Zeus as they will truly know what it is to feel my wrath," he said in barely more than a whisper. "She and Zeus belong to me. No one touches them except me. Is that understood?"

Perseus looked around at each of the immortals seated before him. None of the titans met his eyes. Hades just nodded. He didn't look nervous like the titans but just seemed to understand Perseus' reasons and would not challenge him. The three daughters of Nyx all smiled, their grins seeming to turn more evil as he looked down at each goddess going from Nemesis to Eris to Lyssa.

"Very well," Perseus finally said with more calmness, "Then we all know what we need to do. Begin our preparations, when the eighteenth of July is here, we will launch our assault on Olympus and remove those usurpers once and for all!"

Line Break

Thalia spent the twenty-four hours following the battle helping as best she could with the wounded. There were a staggering number of injured campers, but despite the chaos that overtook them after the appearance of Eris and Lyssa, they only lost four demigods in the battle. On the other hand, there were dozens of wounded campers. The injuries ranged from missing limbs to broken bones and lacerations. Several had been injured when a number of the demigods turned on each other under the influence of Eris and Lyssa. The rest were injured fighting the zombie army of Hades. Surprisingly, there was only a single fatality that was inflicted by Hades' army. It was like they were intentionally trying to wound and maim the campers but not inflict any fatal injuries.

That thought sent Thalia's already confused mind spinning, wondering what exactly had been the point of this attack on camp.

Either way, given the state of the campers, when Daedalus sacrificed his life to destroy the Labyrinth, they were incredibly lucky to escape with so few fatalities.

But that did little to lessen the pain of the campers they lost. Two sons of Athena, a daughter of Ares and an unclaimed demigod from the Hermes Cabin made up the fallen. The night following the battle, they burned shrouds of the fallen before dinner, leaving a somber mood over the demigods as they gathered to eat.

Once everyone had all gotten their food and sacrificed a portion in the brazier, Chiron stood at the head table of the dining pavilion.

"We lost great friends and brave heroes in yesterday's battle," he said sadly but tried to turn his tone optimistic, "but by the will of the gods, we have emerged victorious over our enemy," he raised his glass. "To the gods!"

Only a handful of campers raised their glasses and a barely audible murmur of, "To the gods," emerged from the campers.

Thalia couldn't blame them. She hadn't raised her glass or said a word when Chiron tried to toast the gods. The gods had done nothing to help them survive the battle. The only reason they hadn't been destroyed was because that psychopath Perseus had wanted them to know he could destroy them but that he also could be merciful. She wasn't sure who she despised more; the gods for leaving them to the fight a battle they had brought on the campers alone or that nut job Perseus who thought they would appreciate the fact that he only killed a few and maimed dozens more in the battle.

It was like choosing between being stabbed in the left or the right arm. Both options sucked and neither were the least bit appealing to her.

Perseus had deployed two goddesses who wreaked havoc on the campers, killing two and injuring many others. Yet the gods did nothing. She knew the ancient laws prevented the gods from interfering in mortal affairs but if Perseus could use goddesses, then why couldn't the gods do something to protect them? It was seeming more and more like they hiding behind their supposed laws to avoid doing anything to help their kids.

And the thought of Eris and Lyssa made her shiver. Doing nothing but spreading their influence over the campers, they'd been able to disable their entire army of demigods. It made her wonder what else Perseus might be saving for his true assault on Olympus.

She was broken from her thoughts when she noticed a shadow appear over her untouched plate. She looked up and found Chiron standing in his centaur form looking down at her almost nervously.

"We should talk. When you're done eating, I'll be in the Big House." He said before cantering off towards the head table. She watched him go, eyeing him as he said his goodbyes to the two satyrs seated at the table. One of them was her friend Grover, who looked truly awful. He had deep bags under his eyes and a look of despair as he watched Chiron trot off towards the Big House. She made a note to find Grover later to talk to him as he was clearly having a rough time since the whole freeing Pan thing that happened on their quest.

Thalia waited a minute then looked down at her plate, deciding she wasn't going to develop an appetite anytime soon and took off towards the Big House.

She stepped inside without knocking and found Chiron clutching a cup of coffee in the kitchen. He already had a steaming cup waiting for her. She snatched it up, sipping on the steaming beverage greedily, anxious for a little caffeine to rejuvenate her weary body a bit.

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes, both them focusing on their coffees. Thalia was waiting for him to explain why he summoned her to the Big House while he seemed anxious to begin the conversation. Finally Chiron set down his cup and exhaled deeply.

"I'm sorry that this has been laid on your shoulders, my dear." He said apologetically, " But I think it's time we talk about the great prophecy so we can prepare for what will unfold in the next few months before your sixteenth birthday."

Before Chiron could continue, Thalia cut him off, "I already know the prophecy, Chiron." She said simply, waiting to see his reaction.

To her surprise, this didn't seem to be a surprise him.

"Perseus told you?" He asked but it was clear he already knew the answer.

"When he kidnapped me before the quest to Mount Othrys," she said without emotion.

Chiron was momentarily unsure of what to say before he sighed, "I should have told you years ago."

"You're damn right you should of!" She snapped back, finally able to vent her anger at Chiron, probably the person she trusted most in the world, for hiding something so important from her.

"I'm sorry," he said lowering his head, "Zeus ordered that I not reveal the prophecy until I was certain of which demigod it was meant for."

Thalia's face heated up but she managed to control her emotions, "What a shocker," she sneered, "Zeus wanted to keep me in the dark about a prophecy that says I'll die to protect him."

"My dear," Chiron said trying to sound optimistic, "We can't know what the lines of the prophecy truly mean. Lines of prophecy often don't reveal their true meaning until they actually play out. Just because..." He was cut off as Thalia' eyes narrowed.

"Like the prophecy to rescue Artemis? One shall die by a parent's hand... That seemed pretty easy to decipher. I watched Athena plunge her spear right into Annabeth's chest." Thalia said bitterly, unable to hide her anger as she remembered the image of her friend being impaled by Athena who had been so desperate for vengeance that she couldn't stop herself when her daughter had done the heroic thing.

Chiron didn't try to argue with her. He just lowered his gaze, "I understand your frustration," he said softly. "If I could take your place, I would in a heartbeat. I am so sorry, Thalia."

Hearing him sound so defeated, Thalia felt some of her anger dissipate, though it did nothing to stop her from feeling bitter towards the gods and the Fates. She let out a deep breath and leaned down, laying her head on her hands as they rested on the kitchen island, cupping her mug of coffee.

Chiron looked at her sadly but knew they needed to discuss the prophecy. He swallowed the lump in his throat and steeled his nerves.

"The prophecy though," he said gently, trying to get her to liven up so they could discuss it logically.

"A half-blood of the eldest gods," she sighed slowly lifting her head.

"Shall reach sixteen against all odds." She continued dejectedly, not wanting to read the next four lines. Chiron seemed to notice this and finished it for her.

"And see the world in endless sleep,"

"The hero's soul cursed blade shall reap,"

"A single choice shall end his days,"

"Olympus to preserve or raze."

Thalia shook her head, "A single choice will end my days... to preserve or raze Olympus!" She finished in a low growl. "Why should I sacrifice myself for the gods? What have they ever done for me or any of the campers? Tell me, Chiron, give me one example of the gods doing something to make mine or any of the campers lives' better?"

Chiron looked at her sympathetically, "My dear," he said gently, "You have to understand..."

"Understand what?" She hissed. "I'm in a lose lose situation. Perseus is a psychopath but how much better are the gods? They go around making demigods without a care in the world but then leave their children to deal with lives of suffering and death! If I could, I'd choose to destroy both the gods and Perseus! Neither deserve to rule the world!"

Thunder rumbled overhead and Chiron tried to speak only for Thalia to cut him off, "So when I mention wanting the gods to fall, Zeus is listening... But when we're being overwhelmed but and army of undead, the gods suddenly can't interfere? Basically the gods are there when its convenient for them, otherwise, we're on our own?"

She looked at Chiron but for once he seemed to have no answer. This only made her anger grow.

"Exactly!" She growled, "Then I guess Zeus will just have to wait and see what I decide. Maybe I'll save the gods, maybe I won't. If he doesn't like that proposition then he can kill me now! I'm sure that daughter of Hades, Bianca, will be much more decisive in which side she'll choose."

"Thalia," Chiron tried to say but the daughter of Zeus was already marching out of the Big House, leaving Chiron to just shake his head, wondering if he'd just made things much worse.

Line Break

Inside a glowing silver palace on Olympus, Artemis stood leaning over a marble countertop, her face buried in her hands as her mind raced through the memories of what she'd seen earlier in the day. She'd watched Perseus' attack dismantle the forces of Camp Half Blood in the matter of minutes. If he'd wanted, he could have destroyed the camp and her hunters easily.

She was stuck on Olympus on Zeus' orders. She silently seethed, wishing she could go back in time and have a redo of the biggest mistake of her immortal life. If she'd done what she should have, she would have watched Perseus drive his sword through Zeus' chest, ending his tyrannical rule once and for all.

But, alas, she'd let her emotions control here and acted out of instinct rather than thinking it through logically.

She'd had her chance for happiness two millennia ago. If she'd just kept her mouth shut, Perseus would have defeated Zeus and become king of the gods. But, in a moment of panic, she'd succumbed to Zeus' threats from their encounter in the forest.

In the moment, her mind had solely been focused on saving her hunters, fulfilling her promise to protect them from the cruelty of men. She hadn't had a chance to think things through logically. After Zeus' threat, they'd been summoned to an emergency meeting of the Olympian Council. She'd pleaded with Perseus to submit to their father but as she should have expected, he refused to bend the knee to Zeus ever again.

If her mind had been rational, she would have realized that she had no reason to fear Zeus' threat if Perseus became king. She cursed herself for her impulsiveness, like she had done thousands of times over the past two millennia.

The ensuing battle had raged on for nearly a week. She'd tried to help Perseus as often as she could, lending her strength to him whenever she thought their father wouldn't notice. But when Perseus had Zeus on his back, the threat against her hunters had spurred her to act without thinking. Just her words had been enough to distract her love from the battle long enough for Zeus to land a fatal blow. Despite his promises to be merciful, Zeus had inflicted the harshest punishment upon Perseus, casting him into Tartarus and ensuring he was properly imprisoned in the pit for centuries to come.

The memory of that moment made her blood boil. Zeus had killed her hunters just to prove a point. And then, when she finally agreed to support him, he'd lied about being merciful to Perseus.

The only person she hated more than her father was herself. She was the really the one to blame, even if it had been Zeus who'd inflicted the punishments on both her and Perseus.

Artemis was so enveloped in her memories that she didn't notice the other presence in her palace until his voice broke her from the past.

"Artemis," Apollo said gently, "Are you okay?"

Despite his surprisingly gentle tone, his presence made her bristle.

"Get out of my house, Apollo." She growled.

"Sister," he protested but was cut off when Artemis rose stood up, her body flickering with power as she struggled to hold in her divine form. She wanted to destroy her twin for appearing uninvited in her home. She had and never would forgive him for being the one who brought her to that clearing to meet Zeus.

"What are you doing here, Apollo?" She hissed, "We have nothing to talk about."

Apollo looked nervous but seemed to steel his nerves, "Yes we do." He said trying to sound confident. "You left the throne room before Zeus had dismissed us."

She was rolled her eyes and was about tell Apollo to get out again when his expression became more frantic, "We need to get to Camp Half Blood. Zeus thinks the spy is one of your hunters."

Her annoyance vanished instantly as finally met his gaze, a look of panic on her face.

"He's sending Dionysus back to camp to interrogate the hunters. I don't know if one of them is actually Perseus' spy or not but we need to get them out of there."

Artemis felt a sharp pain in her chest as she again remembered watching Zeus strike down her hunters one after another until she submitted to his demands all those centuries ago.

She was about to flash herself off Olympus but paused as she eyed Apollo warily, "You're willing to defy father just to protect my hunters?" She asked, unable to hide the suspicion from her tone.

Apollo cast his gaze away from his twin, a look of shame covering his face, "Look," he said miserably, "I know you've always blamed me for everything that happened. I had no idea what Zeus was planning when I brought you to him all those years ago. But I promise, I won't let him do that again. I won't let him hurt your hunters, I swear to you, Artemis, I just want to protect them."

She searched her twin for any signs of deceit but found only genuine concern in his face. She stood up and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, probably the most affection she'd shown him in over two thousand years.

"I believe you. We have to protect them. If you truly want to help, then we need to get them out of Camp Half Blood right now. Will you help me? I can't shield them from Zeus' eyes myself but perhaps if we work together, we can obscure his vision of camp long enough to get them somewhere safe."

Apollo looked up, finally meeting her eyes, "Yes," he said confidently, "I will do whatever I need to. But we must work quickly before Dionysus gets to camp and senses our presence."

Without another word, both children of Leto vanished in flashes of gold and silver, leaving Olympus and defying Zeus' command that no Olympian set foot in the mortal world without his express orders.

They both reappeared inside the Artemis Cabin in Camp Half Blood. What they found was not what they had expected. Dionysus stood at the entrance of the cabin looking surprised to see both his fellow Olympians suddenly materialize in the middle of the cabin.

That wasn't what caught them so off guard though. It was the two figures bound in celestial bronze chains a few feet in front of them.

Zoe and Phoebe were both on their knees, their wrists and ankles shackled with the God of Wine glowering down at them.

"Good," Dionysus mused, "You can help me bring these traitors to Olympus. I found them trying to persuade the rest of your hunters to join Perseus and his foolhardy plans to try to destroy Olympus. I believe father will have many questions and many painful incentives for them to tell him everything they know of Perseus' plans."

Artemis turned and met Apollo's eyes, a silent conversation occurring between them in a matter of seconds. Then Apollo turned back to Dionysus and nodded agreeably.

"This is great," he smiled, "these two will be very helpful for learning the enemy's plans. I will take them to Olympus right now." He stepped forward to transport the two traitors away when Dionysus stepped forward and held up his hand.

"No," he said forcefully. "Zeus told me to bring any spies I find to him personally. You two can interrogate the rest of the hunters and find out if there are any other traitors in their ranks."

Apollo stopped his approach towards the two prisoners like he was ready to consent to his younger half-sibling's orders. Dionysus stepped forward, ready to transport his prisoners away when the smirk covering Apollo's face made him pause.

Without another word, Apollo thrust his right hand forward, unleashing a torrent of golden energy that hit the wine god right in the chest, blasting him out of the Artemis Cabin and sending him flailing several hundred yards away. Ignoring the shocked murmurs of the hunters and Artemis' look of love and gratitude, he put a hand on the shoulders of Phoebe and Zoe before vanishing in a shower of gold.

Artemis stepped forward, "Come my huntresses," she commanded, summoning them in close to her as she heard thunder boom overhead with such force the roof of the cabin vibrated. Through the doorway, she could see the glowing form of Dionysus charging back towards the cabin at inhuman speeds when she made a waving motion with her arms and her dozen hunters were engulfed in a silver light and disappeared from the cabin. Once they were gone, she ran forward out of the cabin and kicked her leg forward violently, connecting with Dionysus' chest, catching him off guard. He flew back several feet, crashing to the ground in the middle of camp. She appeared standing over him, her beautiful face was marred with a look of loathing.

"Father may have manipulated me once by hurting my hunters," she growled, spitting the words out more for Zeus than Dionysus as she glanced at the storm clouds above her, "but I promise you, I am not naive enough to fall for his empty threats again."

A small gathering of demigods was quickly around to two Olympians, watching the scene is silent awe.

Artemis watched the storm clouds above as they coalesced. Milliseconds before they could unleash the monstrous bolt of lightning they were brewing, Artemis raised her right hand to the heavens and to the surprise of every single demigod watching the scene unfold, she extended her middle finger.

"Consider this my emancipation, father!" She screamed to the storm clouds, vanishing in a flash of silver, just as a monstrous bolt of lightning dropped from the sky, striking the spot she'd been standing.

The small gathering of demigods were knocked backwards from the explosion of the lightning strike. But it was the still prone form of Dionysus felt the brunt of the attack as his immortal body shook and convulsed on the ground in the middle of camp.

A.N: Hmmmm...

Thoughts? There will be many more twists and turns to come, so don't start thinking you know what will happen going forward. I'm like a mad scientist, literally letting this story play out as I write it. I promise to keep you on your toes until the very end.

Also, second note: For those complaining about the length of chapters... stop. You whine when I write 3k chapters then still whine when I write 5k plus... I'm not writing 20k chapters... it's just not what I do. If it's such a big deal, read something else. Not trying to rant but sick of seeing ppl whine about chapter lengths. I'm not publishing under 1k word chapters... so deal with it... otherwise, I think you can guess where I'm going to tell you to go... It's somewhere between Fuck and Off.