Chapter Text
Olympus
The sun started to set on Olympus as some particularly dark storm clouds were forming overhead. The council was having an emergency meeting about recent monster whereabouts, and things were getting hectic.
The gods, as usual, were arguing amongst themselves about literally everything and nothing at the same time. Some were just doing their own things. Thunder rumbled outside as the gods continued arguing.
Zeus and Poseidon were bickering about who was better and which powers were better. Artemis and Apollo were both playing rock, paper, scissors since they were bored out of their mind with the meeting going sideways. Demeter looked bored as she ate her cereal and sighed as she looked at everyone arguing. Athena was reading a book on strategic ways to take down titans and giants. Aphrodite and Ares were just flirting to absolutely no one’s surprise.
Dionysus was just sleeping as Hermes was grinning manically and putting cups on his sleeping head. Hephaestus was tinkering with what looked like a watch, and he clicked a button, which ended up turning it into a shield. Hestia was tending to the hearth, and Hades was just looking at his brothers with annoyance. Hera looked like she was about to murder her husband and her brother as they continued to argue.
Then, out of nowhere, Apollo felt that feeling he always got when a new prophecy was about to be issued by the oracle. He sat up straighter, and then he fell from his throne onto the council floor on his knees. Everyone immediately quieted down as their eyes started to widen, as they knew what was about to come next.
Apollo’s eyes began to glaze over and turn a glowing green smoke as he began to cite a new prophecy.
From the abyss, a shadow arises and crawls
A battle for one or death for all
The Heroes of old will lead, but one shall revolt
The Mark of Olympus, shall one restore
Ashes and Blood, Curses and Stones
One born of Storm, one born of Dove
Will lead the charge against the Betrayers call
Apollo then started coughing as he looked around at everyone looking at him in horror. He laughed nervously as he said, “That bad, huh?”
Zeus looked as if he was trying to swallow a mouse. He was about to speak, but was interrupted as three bright flashes came into the throne room. They then noticed it was the three fates as they began to speak in unison.
“The new prophecy has been declared, war is coming, not soon, but prepare, for we will all depend on it. Prepare the Half-Bloods, for this battle that comes next, it will be for the fate of all. The heroes of old will rise again. New powers will stir. The end will near. Brace yourselves,” the fates finished as they flashed back out.
“Shit,” all of the gods minus Hestia said in unison.
Poseidon's head hung low as he then realized that somehow, someway, Percy would be involved in this new prophecy. Aphrodite looked as if the color had drained from her face. Her suspicions have become a reality from what she said to Percy earlier that day when she went to visit him. Something was rising, and it wasn’t going to end how they wanted it to go.
None of them spoke until only one of them finally did, being no other than Hermes. “Hahaha, well, on that happy note, let’s tell the kids, and we should definitely try to figure out what it all means,” Hermes said as he started fidgeting on his throne.
Athena spoke up then, “The fates said not soon, so we still have time, but it will be wise to warn the demigods. I will also try to decipher the prophecy to the best I can.”
All the gods nodded their heads as they all started to flash out. A feeling of despair and dread was left in the wake of the new prophecy.
Camp Half-Blood: Earlier that day
Percy woke up with an unexpected weight on his chest. He opened his eyes to see a mess of dark hair sprawled across his chest. He panicked as he didn't know who it was, but then smiled as he realized who it was, being none other than Drew. Her chest was rising up and down slowly as she breathed in. Percy noted that she smelled like nutmeg and pine, heavily reminding him of Christmas.
He thought about everything that happened last night. He remembered himself opening up to her and Drew opening up to him. He remembered the anguish and hurt on her face when she told him of what happened to her. He felt a sort of protectiveness for her now. She opened up about how exactly she felt about what people thought of her. Her insecurities are out now to him, and he intends to protect her.
Then, he remembered the kiss. Tender and passionate and full of broken promises of the past and new hopes for the future. Then they made out for another hour, which made Percy blush as it got pretty heated. Even if they didn’t take things further, it was still filled with lots of passion and a new type of intimacy that Percy had never felt before. Percy honestly felt guilty for everything that happened last night, but he knew that he technically had nothing to worry about. It was Annabeth who broke up with him, but he still felt a bit guilty for moving on so fast. Usually, he would unintentionally let the guilt eat away at him. But this time, he didn’t feel any different. He had to admit to himself that even before they broke up, their relationship was starting to go stale, and both were arguing more and more. He was ripped away from his thoughts as he felt Drew stir.
She began to stir more as she opened her warm brown eyes, and they stared right back at him. She gave him a smile, a genuine one as she realized that she was in his arms. The smile made Percy’s heart flutter as he smiled back at her.
“Good morning, handsome,” she said as she sat up, yawned, and stretched, which Percy compared to a cat stretching. She then laid back down as he hugged her close again.
“Good morning to you too, gorgeous,” he said, smirking at her. They both closed their eyes as they held each other, enjoying each other’s warmth.
They then heard a breathy voice say, “Well, well, well, what do we have here, huh?” The voice said, which got both of them to instantly open their eyes again and sit up as they looked at the source of the voice.
In the middle of the room stood the goddess Aphrodite, Drew’s mother. She was beautiful, Percy had to admit. But the issue was that she’s been trying to get with him for a while now, and it has been getting on his nerves.
“Mmm, is my beloved daughter enjoying her time with a certain son of the sea god?” She says as she giggles and winks at Percy, causing him to blush.
“Mother!!!” Drew exclaimed as she buried her face in the crook of Percy’s neck. He could feel the heat of her face on his neck as she gave him one kiss on it.
“Don’t worry, my dear, I just came to talk. At first, it was only with Percy, but with you here, I might as well talk to both of you,” she said, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
Percy looked at Aphrodite with a nervous look because whenever she wanted to talk to him personally, she never had anything good to say.
“Well, let’s get started. To start off, Percy, I am extremely sorry for what happened between Annabeth and you. And I swear on the river Styx that I had no part or influence in your breakup. She made that decision herself,” she said to Percy as his worried expression went away when he heard a roll of thunder rumbling.
He sighed, “Well, at least that clears one of my worries.” Aphrodite just gives him a warm smile that just reassures him that things will be alright.
“And now, to the next thing at hand. You and Drew,” the goddess said as both Drew and Percy looked at each other, and they both began to blush slightly. “Quite frankly, I will support you two if you decide to begin a relationship together,” she says as both of the demigods look at each other again and smile. Both of them took a bit to respond, but when they were able to find their voice again, it was Drew who spoke.
“I think it’s best if we both just wait a bit before we do get together,” she said as she held onto Percy tighter. “And also, I don’t want Percy to feel rushed if we do get in a relationship, I mean, he did just break up with Annabeth.” Percy just looks at her and smiles with appreciation because she voiced exactly what he was thinking.
Aphrodite just gave them a smile as she spoke, “Well, it is your choice then, you have my blessing, Percy, to be with my daughter.”
She makes her way over to Percy and puts a hand on his right shoulder. Percy begins to glow a soft pink as he feels a feeling of euphoria overcome him. Then, the goddess removes her hand and places it on Drew, causing the same effect over her.
“Just a little gift for you both, you can now change your appearances at will, and Percy, you have minor control over charmspeak,” Aphrodite said as Percy began to look at her with a look of straight bewilderment. “Just a little thank you for always being there and helping Piper out during the war. And also because you’re with Drew now,” she said with a smile that warmed Percy.
Suddenly, Percy notes that there is a hint of hesitation in her face, as if she wants to say something but can’t.
“Are you okay?” Percy asked with concern in his voice as he pointed out her hesitation. “You look like you want to say something but can’t.”
She looks at him and sighs, “You’ve always been very perceptive, haven’t you?” She fidgeted with her fingers, and Percy noticed that she was scared. “Percy, something’s going to happen, I don’t know exactly what, but I can feel it,” she said with a look of dread and worry.
Percy, being more confused than anything, sits up fully, bringing Drew with him, who, while they were talking, crawled onto his lap. “What do you mean?” He asked, curiosity evident in his voice and equally filled with worry.
“Something Ancient is stirring, very old magic is at work. I fear something big is coming….something that will be too much for us. I….I can feel it, and it feels very cold and dark. The other gods can’t feel it,” she said as she paused to look at them since she was looking down. She saw his eyebrows furrow, probably pondering all of her words. “I think I can feel it, and they can because I’m technically way older than all of them. I was born from a primordial, so I’m going to take a shot in the dark and guess that whatever is stirring, it may be as old as the primordials, maybe even older.”
Percy just started at her and blinked owlishly. He pondered all of her words with fear slowly creeping up his body. He quickly shut it out; he knew he couldn’t let her words get to him. But he knew that whatever was rising, it would make things so much worse for everyone.
“Okay…..geez, can’t I go through with the rest of my life without another war?” he grumbled in annoyance, making Drew cover her mouth to hide a laugh. Percy threw her a quick glare, but it had no anger behind it, more just playful annoyance.
Aphrodite just looked at him with sympathy, understanding passing through her face. She knew how much Percy had suffered and how much he had fought since he arrived at camp. She could tell that he was as 100% serious about what he said, as she remembered all of the suffering that the wars brought to him. So many friends gone and so many regrets. She shoved those thoughts away as she got up.
“Well, I must take my leave now, Hera wanted me to do her nails and heart and such,” she said, giving them both a wide smile. “You two take care and stay safe,” she said as she went to the door. Then she looked back and gave them a mischievous smirk as she said, “Remember to use protection if you see it necessary.” She gave them a wink as the last thing she saw was their faces bright red and Drew yelling out, “Mother!!!.” She closed the door, and Percy saw her flash out.
Percy just stared at the ground as his mind began to process everything that the love goddess just said to him. His mind raced anxiously as the realization truly came down upon him. Another war was coming, and he was probably going to be dragged into it. He was beginning to get mad. Why couldn't he just go a couple of years without getting pulled into another war? He sighed, pain evident in his voice. Percy was tired; he just wanted to relax and enjoy his time with his friends. But the fates have a different say in things.
Drew picks up on his disappointment and anger and begins to comfort him. "Hey hey it's okay...I know it's been a rough couple of years, but you'll pull through this one as you always do... We'll pull through," she says as he begins to nod his head slowly.
"Yeah, thank you.....It's just I wish I could, you know, maybe have a year where things don't go down the cosmic shitter," he says as he lies back down on his bed, Drew following suit. She just nodded as she looked up at his ceiling.
"That's just how life is for us demigods, we can't catch a break, ever," she said as she sat back up, bringing Percy along with her. "Come on, let's go for a walk, maybe that'll help calm you down and clear your mind," she suggested. Percy contemplated it for a moment and then gave her a nod.
"Okay...yeah, let's go, I need the walk anyway," he said as Percy stood up, Drew mirroring his motions. They took turns changing in his bathroom and finished cleaning around his cabin. They then left, hand in hand as they prepared for the walk.
Camp Half-Blood was beautiful when you didn't focus too much on the fact that outside of there, monsters were ready to pounce on any unsuspecting demigod. Percy thought this as he walked with Drew. His mind was still racing from Aphrodite's talk, and the anxiety of it all was slowly creeping up on him. As Percy and Drew continued to walk, he heard a voice. Quiet but strong. Cautious but firm. He couldn’t make out any of the words as it continued on. Then he stopped suddenly, catching Drew off guard. "Percy?" Drew asked, confused and concerned as to why they just stopped out of nowhere. He stood very still as a new sensation came over him. His vision started to blink and fade, as the edges of his vision had a blueish light to it, until his entire vision had that blueish light (just think of it like Cisco's vision from The Flash Show).
In an instant, he was transported somewhere else, somewhere he hadn't been to in a while. Mount Othyrs. He walked around as he looked at the ruins of the Titan base. He saw Atlas still under the sky, struggling to keep it up as it bore down on him. His face was turned into a scowl as he kept struggling, the weight of the heavens ever present on his shoulders.
Percy began to walk towards Atlas, drawn to the area where he was. He walked past the ruins, fully aware of his surroundings as he continued walking. As he walked, he saw blood of all kinds on the base ground, making his heart sink as he then saw bodies littering the floor. He saw familiar faces, making his chest heavy. He saw Thalia, Katie, Reyna, Annabeth, Frank, Hazel, Jason, and Piper. He saw the bodies of some of the Olympians and some minor gods. He saw the bodies of monsters of all kinds. He kept looking around as he walked and noticed he didn't see himself. He began to feel paranoia and fear out of the blue, catching him off guard. Dread seeped into his bones and into the depths of his mind as he neared Atlas. He suddenly collapsed onto his knees, pain flaring and spreading throughout his body. He looked up from the ground to find Atlas staring at him, dread in the eyes of the Titan of Endurance.
"Jackson," Atlas said in a bitter tone. Percy couldn't blame him for being bitter; the last time he saw Atlas, they put him under the sky again. "Atlas," he says, his voice strained as the pain in his body continued to be present. "What is this? What is happening?"
"You're supposed to be dead.....how are you alive? What kind of trickery is this?" The Titan says, his voice breaking due to the weight on him, but also due to fear.
"What do you mean I'm supposed to be dead, Atlas?" He says, confused and scared as to why the Titan was speaking with fear in his voice.
"You......it was......it-" Atlas says before his voice breaks completely as his eyes begin to glow green, and green smoke begins to seep from his eyes and mouth. Percy's heart begins to race as Atlas begins to speak, and visions begin to appear before him.
The Broken One stirs with powers lust
Atlas' voice rings out throughout the whole of the Titan Base as a moving image of a battlefield appears before Percy. He sees people running past him as he turns around and looks up to see a figure in the sky, floating with a sword in its hand. Power radiating off of it in visible waves, but this power looked dark. Percy walks closer to the floating figure as he begins to see its face, which is covered in shadows. He then looks at its eyes, and he stops walking. Its eyes were a mix of fiery orange and golden, with what looked like gold and green mixed together. Kronos, the eyes of Kronos. But they were different, too different. Then the figure looked at him, and then it spoke.
"Little hero.....so young.....so foolish.......Tired of fighting, are we?" It says to Percy as he begins to walk backwards, the voice sending fear and chills down his spine. "Well, that's too bad.....for you shall witness my might.....my revenge......and the fall of all you love dearly." It began to laugh, its laughter sending shockwaves of darkness spreading throughout the battlefield. "We will meet young hero....soon....We will meet," It said as it began to come towards Percy and whispered two words that he hadn't heard in a long time. "Brace Yourself. Then the scene shifted completely as the next words were spoken by Atlas again.
And bring an end to all that is just
The scene changed into Percy being high in the sky, and he looked around as he saw he was near space. He looked down at the Earth, and his eyes widened at the view before him. Dozens upon dozens of spots on the Earth were covered in fire and in darkness. Cracks were spreading throughout the face of the Earth, destroying and collapsing anything in their way. Percy then saw Mount Olympus collapsing, destroying the ground below. Percy began to hyperventilate as the destruction continued to rage on. Then the scene changed again as Atlas spoke the next words of what Percy began to realize was a prophecy.
An oath to keep till the end of time
Percy was in a room full of darkness, as around him, winds began to pick up, carrying sand of all colors that glowed as the winds around him began to go faster. Out of it, shapes and figures began to form as he saw parts of the sand take form into two people. One of the two forms began to take the shape of a man with golden and blue sand, and the other with the shape of a woman with golden and red sand. Percy couldn't make out who they were, but he heard them begin to speak.
"They're not going to make it, Time.....we have to go," the woman's voice began to speak, her ethereal voice sad and rushed.
"We have to try......please, we have to.....we can't just leave them," the man spoke as he looked at something that was out of Percy's view.
"It's too late, we have to go now.....live to fight another day......you can't always save everyone," she said, tears fell down her face as she grabbed the man's hand, and they began to run.
"Then I will avenge them.....I will," the man said as waves of power rolled off of him.
Percy then saw an explosion of energy as the scene shifted slightly, still on the man and woman. They spoke to each other, but Percy couldn't figure out what they were saying. The only part he heard from them was the last part of their conversation as he heard the woman say, "Promise me, please.....Promise me." The man looked at her and spoke, saying, "I swear-" before the entire room where Percy was in began to shift and contort in ripples.
Revenge born from broken ties
The scene finished contorting as Percy returned to Camp Half-Blood. The only thing was that it was in complete ruins, campers were dead here and there, the big house was on fire, and the beach was covered in blood. Percy begins to walk around until he sees a figure on his knees, holding someone in their arms. Percy makes his way to them, curiosity overriding every instinct that told him that looking would break him. As he made his way towards them, he saw who the figure had in their arms. Annabeth.
Percy's heart dropped at the sight of his dead friend. Her eyes were lifeless, her skin a pale grey color, and her body limp. The figure, who was enveloped in pure shadows, wept as they held the lifeless body of the daughter of Athena.
"They promised us, they promised.....," the figure said in a deep, pained, whispered voice. Percy then knelt on both knees in front of the figure holding his friend's corpse. The figure's voice was distorted and broken up, as if scattered into a thousand pieces. "It should.......me........not you.....," the figure whispered as the Earth began to tremble. Then the figure looked up at him, and Percy's whole being was filled with dread. The figure was still covered in shadows, but its eyes...its eyes were a fiery orange with red(Imagine Sith eyes from Star Wars). Pure hatred and pain leaked out of them in waves as Percy became overwhelmed with hopelessness and that gnawing feeling of dread. Then the world shifted again, and Percy was taken to the next part of his vision.
An era gone and worlds torn
Percy's vision came back as the world settled, but the world looked horrible. He looked up ahead, and in the sky, there were tears in the fabric of reality itself. Percy saw as people ran around in panic and distress as the tears began to widen. He saw the ground breaking apart before him and saw the destruction of a city just north of his view. He looked at the tears, and in them, Percy saw something moving. Hands began to appear out of them, thousands of human hands began to leak out, and began to fall out in unison. They began to grab onto anyone nearby as they tore into people, leaving bloody masses behind. What looked like spider legs and tentacles began to come out of the tears, expanding them to let out their horrors. Percy felt himself become overwhelmed at the eldritch horrors he was witnessing as tears fell down his face. The ground shook again as Percy was ripped out of this part of the vision and into the next one.
Atlas' voice rang out again, all around Percy as he spoke again, his words taking a finalized kind of tone.
Will bring new light to the Darkened World
Percy was then taken somewhere else as his vision came back, and he landed on his knees. He took several moments to catch his breath as the horrors that he witnessed were way too fresh on his mind. After taking a breather, he looks up to get a look around his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that something was wrong. No. Everything was wrong. Everywhere around him, everything was somehow distorted. Trees looked elongated. Black, almost pitch black tendrils were gathered around some buildings and some trees. He saw some buildings floating in the air, destroyed and falling apart. He then realized that everything, even his vision, had a darker tone to it. He looked up towards the sun, and even that looked wrong. Too elongated, too glitched out, and distorted.
He got up and began to walk around, dread still filled every single part of his body as he looked around. Percy noted how everything around him looked exactly like how a glitched-out and corrupted horror game would look. The ground began to shake again as Percy closed his eyes and prepared himself to be ripped out from this vision into another. But that never came. He opened his eyes, and a singular tear appeared before him, only a bit far from him. He then saw a group of people come out of the tear, but he couldn't make out who they were since his vision looked as if he was looking through broken lenses as he looked at them. The group before him stood on guard as they looked around them and began to walk forward. They started to become less and less obscured, but then the ground shook again, and Percy felt himself be ripped out of the vision once again.
Percy came to again as he immediately realized he was back on Othyrs. He looked at Atlas, who was already looking at him dead in the eyes, and he spoke. "What did I just witness?" Percy said, his voice weak and scared, betraying what he wanted to show the titan before him. " Why?" He said, his voice scarred and broken from the horrors that were inflicted on him.
"I do not know, young hero," Atlas spat with bitterness. "What is coming cannot be undone; it cannot be prevented. What you specifically saw...is not at all what it truly seems," the titan said with a strained voice as he continued to suffer under the weight of his burden.
"What does that mean, Atlas? What do you mean by that?!" Percy said, desperate to understand and know what he saw.
"I.....cannot........say....," Atlas said in struggling parts as Percy was then pulled out of the vision of the titan base back into his reality.
"PERCY?!" A voice yelled at him as he came back to his senses. He looked around as he then realized a crowd had formed around him. Everyone was looking at him with concern and terrified expressions. He then saw that Drew was holding his hands so tightly that he felt them slightly numb. He squeezed them, and she loosened them up as he looked her in her eyes. He saw tears falling down her face as she saw the look of utter horror and fright etched on it.
"What happened?" Percy asked, his throat feeling like he had screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Percy," said someone near the front of the crowd. He looked to see who it was, and he saw that it was Will Solace. "You just spoke a prophecy......Percy, what did you see?" he said, his voice small and scared. Everyone mirrored the expression that Drew had on her face, even Will had it.
"I...I......don't......I don't know," was all he could muster before his vision went dark and he passed out cold.