#typhon pjo

[knightofthenewrepublic]

[writer-room]

Listen when people say they want Percy to go on a villain arc most times I see it as they want him to go dark, want him to start murdering, maiming, going full Luke, etc. And I support that. If anyone deserves to kill people it's this kid.

However, let us be realistic for a moment, because I quite like the other alternative. Villain arc Percy usually entails "he's finally had enough of the Gods bullshit & will do things his own way". Let us think on this. What would Percy most likely do in this situation? Would it really be murder right off the bat?

I think he'd be the pettiest, annoying little shit there is. And because one can't usually threaten the Gods in a way that truly matters, but they can make them sweat really hard.

This goes beyond ignoring their calls and leaving them on read. He refuses to give food offerings unless it's the nastiest shit known to man. Bribes the cyclops into hucking huge objects up Mount Olympus before they all scurry off. Finds the olive tree Athena gave to Athens, and while he wouldn't have the heart to destroy it, he'd for sure rip off a branch & mail it to her (Annabeth nearly had to put them in witness protection).

Eventually it gets to the point he has Nico on speed-dial and offers him a shit ton of fast food & a 'get out of Percy's quest bullshit free' pass if he could hop into the Underworld and yoink up some annoying spirits or dead monsters to piss off the Gods. When the Gods get pissed at him Percy just silently pulls out some safe-for-demigods phone like "hang on I wanna see how many happy meals I owe Nico for bringing Typhon back up". They know he is not bluffing.

Could the Gods counteract him? Yeah, sure, Hera gave him amnesia and it was like 90% effective for a while. However, he kind of went off the rails, everyone else went off the rails, and then they had even more Roman nonsense to deal with. If anything it both solved but also made even more problems. And a much angrier Percy. So, frankly, they're very confident it could work, but they're a little worried about what the aftermath would be.

Ares suggests just killing him. Poseidon takes offense to this. Artemis scoffs and says even Ares couldn't beat him. Everyone stops for a moment. The question is not asked verbally. But it is seen in the darting eyes and shifting seats.

Can they kill Percy Jackson?

Well, sure, they must be able to. He's a powerful kid, no doubt, with powerful allies, but they are Gods. Of course they can kill him. So that's not the real question, they wouldn't dare really entertain such a thing to ever confirm if it was true, but this is rather the layer of frosting hiding the real atrocity of a cake underneath it.

What will they lose trying to kill Percy Jackson?

What will remain standing in the face of some 18-year-old who lived one of the hardest knocks of life, loves so much it makes them sick, is so completely unaware of his own strength not even they know its full extent, and currently has absolutely zero fucks to give about the end of a reign longer than he will ever understand?

They decide to quietly shut the lid on that whole fiasco and let Percy do whatever he wants.

Unfortunately, they can't exactly ignore everyone else. And everyone else is who Percy cares about the most. So, think of it more like leaving a grenade in a locked box in the attic. Just hope and pray you've moved out before something gets curious and starts rummaging around up there.

[renaissanceousia]

i still think poseidon's more powerful than zeus idk... bc yeah the sky might be larger than the ocean BUT the ocean is deep and mysterious so it's automatically more scarier and more powerful to me

[books-and-dragons]

a minor detail from the nereid in this scene had me wondering...

who is 'us'?

since it's a nereid speaking, are we to assume the nereid is speaking on behalf of all sea life, of atlantis? by extension, does this mean that the ocean has always been aware of percy?

i mean, at least in part that's a given- in the books, poseidon had cyclops checking in on percy. posiedon really isn't making much of an attempt to keep percy a secret, at least not from his own people/subjects.

it felt like a very interesting addition, this implication the sea is looking out for percy, cares for him in what is suggested to be an equal capacity to that of poseidon- the nereid is quick to make this comparison

already, we're having an emphasis on how poseidon claims to care for percy- which contrasts several other gods we've seen thus far (*cough*athena*cough*), and now we're also getting the suggestion that this sentiment for percy is shared by others of the ocean's domain.

there's always been a shared sense of belonging for percy when it comes to the water- at camp, when he meets the naiads he describes it as feeling like seeing long-lost family, over the books it's suggested percy spends a lot of time helping out sea life with their problems (including getting stuck in traps), and when we see atlantis we understand there's whole other civilisations that exist- with their own politics and bonds. atlantis is no different, an entire species of people, a whole ecosystem and political environment- a society. one that already expresses lament for not being able to involve themselves in percy's life until this point, or interact at all.

percy goes from having his mother, and struggling to ever find a place he belongs, to the possibility there's a whole other civilisation he may belong to, who care for him. imagine how conflicting that will feel.

[flower1622]

From what i saw people commenting about PJO, i made some different opinions from Rick and the fandom:

. "Percy is the most powerful"

Percy is still a mortal, he gets tired and also could be defeated by the gods (especially his father), Typhon (if I'm not mistaken), the cabins of Hypnos, Hecate, Zeus and Hades or maybe Dionysus too. Who knows? I think that any character/cabin with a good strategy could win from Percy.

. "Annabeth is the most intelligent"

Even though she is daughter of Athena, from what people commented, there are other characters that are or can be smarter than her many times.

. "Percabeth is the best ship"

I already made posts about this ship and I find the couple a little toxic sometimes with red flags. I like to watch the version from the series because they seem more mature and I love the way Percy cares about Annabeth. However, Annabeth can have some questionable actions towards Percy.

. "He could be saved"

I don't remember many things about Luke, but from what some people commented, I guess that Luke would have joined Kronos by the same way. He kinda seems arrogant and a little pyscho. Maybe if Thalia had survived when they were kids....I don't know.

. "Perachel, Pernico and many other ships with Percy (that are not Percabeth) are horrible"

I don't agree because everyone can ship Percy with any other character. If the fandom doesn't like when people outside it judge the fandom because they only ship Percabeth, the best way is to give voice to multishipper fans. Respect always! If someone doesn't like Pernico because of age, that's also okay. Others should respect your decision. But, Solangelo wouldn't be very different either from Pernico. Rachel is a good option for Percy. She seems to really care about him even though they don't know each other very well. I think the hate on her is totally desnecessary. In my opinion, there are better ships than Percabeth.

. "Jason is boring"

I don't know the character because I didn't read HOO, but from what people commented...he doesn't seem so bad. He seems a nice person that cares about others and tries to do what is right. So, I don't understand the hate on him either.

. "Leo and Calypso are toxic because of age"

I don't think an age difference would result in a couple being toxic. Again, I didn't read HOO. So, I don't know the characters, but if the problem is about age, I guess people wouldn't like Solangelo or a vampire romance.

. "Rick likes to kill blonde guys"

It's funny to see Rick using a blonde boy as the protagonist (who isn't blonde) in his series.

. "Solangelo and Percabeth had the best chemistry"

Although I like Solangelo a little better than Percabeth, I don't think the two ships had a great development. Sorry! Percy and Nico also had more chemistry with other characters than with their own partners.

. "Percabeth had the best enemies to lovers story"

Romeo and Juliet - We don't exist

Percy and Thalia - We don't exist

Percy and Clarisse - We don't exist

Percy and Jason - We don't exist

Percy and Luke - We don't exist

Percy and Nico - We don't exist

. " It's so cute when Percy tries to get well with Athena because of Annabeth"

Am I the only one that find this relationship boring between these two? I think Percy would have a more interesting relationship with other gods like Hades, Ares or even Zeus...

."Annabeth was only rude to Rachel because she was jealous"

Alright. So, if we ever feel jealous, it's okay to be rude to other people, even if they are being nice to us and we don't even know them.

Annabeth can be arrogant and for these kind of people, they like to have control over everything. When something happens that wasn't in their plans, they get mad. Rachel happened to be one of those things she couldn't control. Percy wasn't even Annabeth's boyfriend at that time and she already was possessive of him, but that would explain her stalking him. This usually happens when someone gets obsessed with something (like in Annabeth's case). There are people who love this, but in real life they wouldn't like to have someone too possessive of them or they are this kind of obsessed people. I have these two possibilites on my mind since some of them see themselves in Annabeth's questionable actions towards her partner. So, I really wouldn't like to know how they really are in a relationship because real life tends to be ten times worse than the fictional world. Coming back to Annabeth with Rachel...she even calls the girl "just a human" in front of Percy (her future boyfriend) who has a human mother that he loves very much, thanks! But, I got curious. Isn't Annabeth human too?

I know she can be a demigod, but without powers, she is not that different from a human. In the world, there are very intelligent humans like Annabeth. So, I don't get Annabeth's words. I got this part about Rachel with a post here on Tumblr by a page that showed many moments with Annabeth and Percy from the books.

. "Annabeth is the queen and everyone should obey and bow to her"

There are some people who think like this and my reaction is just...

I think Annabeth could be one...in neverland. The lost boys don't study. They obey Peter Pan because he has the knowledge. Annabeth has knowledge and intelligence. She would do well there teaching the kids. She even could take Percy with her. He would love the place. Both would stay young forever. Unfortunately, they don't exist in real life, so it would be pretty hard to visit them and bow, along with Peter, Percy and the lost boys to the new queen of neverland. Sorry! I wish many characters were real, with some exceptions of course.

. " If Percy can't trust Annabeth, he can't trust anyone else"

He needs help.

. "Annabeth is Percy's weakness"

Does he have a family? A best friend? A brother? Friends? 🤔

[pavo-dence]

hades 2 olympian update just dropped so i’m throwing my hat into the ring on final boss predictions bc i got the new one right teehee

[everythingwasalreadypicked]

I just find it funny how any interaction between Poseidon, Hecate and Athena in smartwatermagic context in my mind always ends up with undertones of all of them thinking "I am a better parent than the other two" without fail

Athena and Poseidon by viria and Hecate by CarolMylius on deviantart

[bright-eyes-strawberry-lies]

"Kronos is worse!"

Prove it.

Show me the pages where Kronos does anything bad the gods don't do. Show me how he even matches them.

Zeus ate his pregnant wife (that's how we got Athena). Zeus, Hades, and Ares tried to kill Percy, Hades succeed in killing Thalia, and Hera tried to kill Annabeth. Apollo tortured Halcyon Green. Zeus and Poseidon killed thousands of mortals with their bitch fits. Dionysus made mortals lose their minds.

In Rick's world, in Rick's version of the myths, the worst thing Kronos does is eat his children (unsuccessfully).

[miramilocamimira]

Come With Me

Part of the for @z-eusie

Zeus looks around, checking on his family as they argue about what to do. They all were carrying bruises, cuts, and wounds from Typhon. He sees ichor dried onto their skin.

Thunder roars, momentarily stopping his family’s discussion. His body feels like it’s burning, his mind clouded by the feeling. Things were supposed to be better. There wasn't supposed to be more. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE.

Zeus closes his eyes and breathes. He has to calm himself. It wouldn't do for him to give in to his rage and grow careless. Slowly, the thunder quiets down to dull rumble and he opens his eyes again.

The other gods were talking about fleeing. About leaving Olympus and defending their own domains or hiding from the attack. It's hard to blame them.

The storm giant was far stronger than even he thought.

The council starts screaming at each other, growing louder and louder. It's fairly easy to hear the growing terror and hysteria in their voices. And it’s not fair. It isn’t fair. It’s not.

They don't want to be here. And they shouldn't. He doesn't even- he can't… They should- “Go.”

There’s silence and Zeus realizes this is the first time he's spoken since they'd convened. He feels their stares and the weight behind what he'd said hits him. He told them to run.

But is it not right? Gaia has sent Typhon after him. Not them. They were only caught up in this mess because they had sided with him. He glances around and sees hints of relief. The idea that they would not have to take to the field again…

It has to be the right decision.

“Go,” He speaks again, “I will not stop you.” And he won't. He'll be too busy to even consider finding them soon enough. His family starts speaking again. This time, it's to decide where to go.

Some speak of Egypt. Others wonder if going across the seas would bring them safety. He finds himself memorizing what they look like, the mannerisms, and the like as he waits.

Hera and Poseidon are speaking off to the side and he watches as her body relaxes, a soft smile coming to her face as their brother no doubt agrees to let her come to the sea. Today, her hair is golden and tied back in a simple plait. Her eyes are silver and shiny like the stars at night.

As always, she is the most beautiful and radiant being he’d ever laid eyes upon.

Zeus watches as they all start leaving. And soon enough, it was just Hera, Poseidon, and himself. His brother nods to Hera before disappearing and he hears her come up to him.

“Poseidon has offered me protection. I'd be back with our uncle and aunt.” Oceanus and Tethys lived very, very deep inside the sea. It is a good idea and should provide adequate protection.

“That’s good.”

“I noticed you didn't speak with anyone. Do you have somewhere else in mind?” She asks and he can feel worry coming off her.

“Something like that.” He says. He knows she hates it when he responds like this. Hera’s left eye twitches as it always does when she’s annoyed.

“I see. Are you heading north then?” He shakes his head. “I do not wish to play games with you, Zeus. Just tell me.”

“Love, it isn't that I wish to play games. I just think that it's obvious where I'm going.” Her eyebrows furrow and her lips make a line. It doesn't take long for realization to hit and for her to grow concerned.

“You’re not leaving? But Typhon will- you're going to fight him!” She screams at him and he stands up. “Call the others back if you think we can win than they should-!”

“NO!” He bellows. “It is safer for them and you, if you all are out of my way.” She had stepped back when he yelled and he felt guilty.

“You… you are scared.” His wife states.

“He’ll destroy everything if he is left to his own devices. Someone has to stop him from killing off mankind.”

“It doesn’t have to be you.” The thunder’s howl is deafening.

“And who else can, Hera? They were barely standing. Our family was in pain. Our siblings and children exhausted, reliving the horrors of war. We had just barely settled into peace after the giants!” He turns away and he can hear the bolt crackle as he gets worked up.

“THEN WE’LL FIGURE IT OUT!” She shrieks back. “We can talk with Poseidon, we can do something, anything, that isn't this!” He knows if he turns back to face her, he’ll see her tears and lose his resolve. And he can't.

He stiffens as she leans on him, strands of her hair tickling the back of his neck.

“Come with me. Please. I'm sure Poseidon will let you hide with us.”

“Someone needs to fight Typhon.” Her hands hit his back and he can feel anger rolling off her in waves.

“Fine.” She hisses. “But don't expect us to risk our lives to save you from your own stupidity when you finally realize you're in too deep.” The weight is removed and she takes off. All that's left is him. His cheeks are wet like he's stood out in the rain.

“Gods, love, how could I not know?” Zeus whispers to the empty thrones. He wipes his face and grasps his bolt.

He has no other option. He has to win. Typhon cannot be allowed to harm his loved ones anymore.

[percabeth4life]

Typhon, the greatest terror of the Gods, would only know Percy Jackson as the guy who freed him from his prison.

[pizzawrench]

smth so crazy abt poseidon x percy athena x annabeth and hades x nico being the godly parent x demigod child duos most instrumental in the titan war like without them all of civilization would’ve been destroyed. destroyed ik zeus was fucking BOILING

[tsarisfanfiction]

Eclipse: Chapter 27

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Teen Genre: Family/Adventure Characters: Apollo, Hades Unsurprisingly, the ichor warning continues for this chapter... I have a discord server for all my fics, including this one!  If you wanna chat with me or with other readers about stuff I write (or just be social in general), hop on over and say hi! <<Chapter 26

APOLLO XXVII

Mother of monsters And her horrific husband We can’t win this fight

Apollo was terrified.  It was taking everything he had to stay upright, to not fall over in an ungainly lump of ichor and leaking essence as his form desperately tried to heal, but without a miracle, he couldn’t see how they were going to escape the monstrous couple.

It wasn’t even his looming erasure from existence that terrified him the most; he’d faced that before, with Python on the very edge of Chaos, and it was hardly a comfortable feeling but it paled in comparison to dark glittering eyes and the knowledge that the moment he fell, Will would be Styx’s.

Perhaps Koios was right, and he’d been trying too hard to fulfil the prophecy after all.

Typhon responded in a language long dead before Apollo had been born, the rumbling noise of an off-key orchestra as clashing sounds pierced through his essence, words unintelligible.  The elongated, bloated fingers tipped with serpentine heads – what was it with monsters and snakes – were easier to understand as they lashed out at Hades.

His uncle slashed back desperately, cutting off the snake heads of the first to reach him, but he was off balance and barely holding himself together.  Apollo had no weapons, no time to even try and summon a fresh bow from the distant Overworld – and never had the Overworld felt so far away as it did at that moment – but he couldn’t just stand by as his uncle was torn to shreds.

Koios got there first, massive sword blocking the initial onslaught.  “We will make it to the surface,” he grit out, his countenance devoid of amusement for the first time since he’d caught up with them and made things complicated and threatening in ways Apollo really didn’t want to deal with.

There was something about his insistence that had been bothering Apollo.  The future wasn’t solid, nothing more than a trail of potentials unless events fell in the exact manner to draw one into existence, and Koios should know that at least as well as Apollo did – better, arguably.

And yet.

Koios was convinced that he would make it to the surface, had mentioned his sister but not his mother, and Nico and Will had been talking about Artemis, so it made sense.  Apollo was certain that his grandfather had seen it, not just as a possibility but as a very, very rare certainty that Apollo in four and a half millennia had never experienced himself.  Even now, the Fates had shown him nothing of the sort, but it wouldn’t be the first time they hadn’t shown him something important.  For all that he did see, he didn’t see far more, and he could believe that Koios saw different things.

The only thing that was missing was how.

How they were going to get out of Tartarus – how they were going to get away from Typhon and Echidna long enough to even try.

Bob had joined the fray, spinning his broken spear aggressively to keep Typhon back, but it only seemed to be extending the inevitable.  Apollo threw himself closer, letting out a shout because his voice was the only weapon he had left, but Typhon was so loud he didn’t seem to even notice.  A tail swept past him, catching him in the stomach and smashing him into Hades, which in turn sent them like skittles into the titans.

They landed in an ichor-covered mess at one of Typhon’s feet.

Being so thoroughly beaten had become a second nature to Apollo as a mortal, when Lester could barely fight in the first place, but as Apollo, as a god, it was alien.

Not even Python had been this powerful, but Typhon had always been known as the strongest of Gaia’s children, had sent them scattering to Egypt the first time they saw him for a reason.  Adding Echidna into the mix hadn’t even been necessary.

“The way out?” Koios hissed, detangling himself from his position at the bottom of the heap.  Apollo found himself flung to the ground and clawed his way upright slowly, feeling more than seeing his uncle’s dark essence trying to pull itself together again.  He reached out his own, battered essence to support Hades – if he couldn’t fight, he could at least heal – and felt the streak of light within his uncle respond sluggishly.

“A way out?” Echidna repeated, laughing lightly behind her fangs.  “There isn’t one, titan.  You will cease to exist here and now.”

There was a crack, too sharp and crisp to be natural, or Tartarus tearing up beneath them.  The resulting force shoved the monsters back a pace, but Apollo wasn’t looking at them anymore, not when two massive doors had appeared right in front of him.

For the briefest moment, Apollo’s startled mind thought that somehow the doors to Olympus had reached Tartarus, before he realised that the colours were all wrong – black and silver in place of white and gold – and that the disembodied frames were the pitch darkness of Stygian Iron.

Then they opened.

“Lord Hades!” Thanatos called, as pale as Apollo had ever seen him – the exact shade of pale he’d been in his vision – but gripping his scythe in a way that was clearly meant for battle.  “Lord Apollo!”

“Th-” Hades began, but Apollo wasn’t hesitating and wasn’t going to let his uncle hesitate either.  His vision in the prison hadn’t been the present, it had been the future and that future was now, Thanatos had felt Tartarus rising, realised that they would never escape without help, and for reasons Apollo couldn’t even begin to fathom, come to get them.

There was no time for any other thoughts, for everything else Apollo had seen in the vision and their implications.  He grabbed his uncle and ran.  Hades didn’t fight him, missing the context Apollo had but clearly realising what Thanatos’ presence meant: a way out.  It was hardly graceful or elegant; neither of them were much more than spilling essence barely contained within an ichor-coated, fragile form.

“No!” Echidna roared, echoed innumerable times by Typhon’s deep growl.  She lunged for them, but Thanatos was there, his scythe blocking the massive body and covering them as Apollo and Hades all but fell through the Doors of Death, a bright streak of golden ichor in their wake.

Bob tumbled through after them, and then, to Apollo’s resigned horror, Koios barged his way in just as Thanatos retreated after them, scythe whirling and slashing in a way the god of peaceful death rarely used – but not never, and it was clear Thanatos knew how to be violent and vicious as he opened up a gash along Echidna’s flank, hacked off reaching snake-headed fingers as Typhon reached for him, then took the split second opening of their clear surprise at a god not known for his combat causing them injury to turn tail and fly through the doors.

They slammed shut the instant the last iridescent black feather of his wings passed through, and everything shifted.

“Who is pressing the button?” Koios demanded.  “What is stopping them from following?”  His sword was still at the ready as he warily watched the closed doors.

Thanatos ignored him, crouching down by Hades and Apollo as they slowly pulled themselves together.  “I trust your business is concluded, Lord Hades,” he said, with a glance at Bob.

“It had better be,” Hades replied, his voice slightly husky – not that Apollo could comment when he was in at least as much of a state.  “I am not returning there.”

That was a sentiment Apollo whole-heartedly agreed with.

Koios, on the other hand, didn’t appear to take being ignored kindly as he bashed his sword into the floor hard enough that the ichor pooling around them splashed up.

“Have you trapped us here?” he demanded.  Even Bob looked disquieted, and Thanatos finally turned to face the titans, looking extremely unimpressed.

“These are my Doors,” he said firmly.  “Unlike titans who steal them and then bastardise their use, I do not need outside influence to use them.  We will shortly arrive in the Overworld.”

“You are no match for Tartarus, Typhon or Echidna,” Koios retorted.  “They will pry these open and follow.”

“They won’t,” Thanatos replied, with a certainty that even paused the aggressive titan.  “There are no chains.”

“The Doors are no longer in the Pit, are they?” Bob realised.  “They moved.”

“The Doors of Death do not belong in Tartarus,” Hades said, straightening up fully.  His form had fully coalesced again, although Apollo could tell it was still fragile, more a mask than a reflection of his true state.  Apollo stood next to him, and was only somewhat startled when his uncle clasped his arm and his essence extended towards him, not mingling but the intent there.

Before this experience, Apollo would never have considered being able to mutually heal with his uncle, let alone actually doing it.  If Hades was willing to do it in front of Thanatos – in front of the titans, although he suspected Koios had seen it already, if he’d been following them as long as he claimed – then Apollo wouldn’t refuse.

Besides, they still had Koios to deal with.  He was dangerous – not that Bob wasn’t, but they had an accord with him and a mutual interest.  With Koios, there was none of that, and that worried Apollo.  Was Koios truly just looking to escape Tartarus, or did he have more intentions?  Was his vision of being out with Apollo and Artemis truly enough for him to throw himself into the worst Tartarus had to offer?

Apollo feared it wasn’t.

He clasped Hades’ arm in turn, and let the light of Elysium, of the Isle of the Blessed and rebirth mingle with his own light of healing.  Thanatos glanced back at them in surprise, but didn’t comment.

“I was not expecting you, titan of the north,” the god of death said instead, focusing his attention on Koios.  “Iapetus – Bob? – I was aware would be there, but there was no mention of you.”

Koios scoffed.  “I would not be so sure about that,” he said.  “Tell me, grandson, what was the exact wording of that prophecy you’ve been attempting to subvert?”

Apollo bristled.  “I have not been attempting to subvert it!” he insisted; the titan was wrong, he’d claimed it as his own, and with two – no, three, he realised, the golden ichor running across the floor of the Doors catching his attention – lines now coming to pass, he was confident that the Fates had accepted his and Hades’ claim.

“Are you not supposed to be the god of truth?” Koios laughed.  “But if you want to lie to yourself, that is of no concern to me – the prophecy, Phoebus.”

“We are no longer in the Pit,” Bob added.  “You said you would reveal it once we were out.”

Apollo sighed, but felt the words build in his throat regardless.

Sunshine and darkness go deeper than earth Topaz and silver search for rebirth Gold passes through the shadow of death A fading light to take one final breath

“One more line to go,” Koios observed, and Apollo disliked that he’d unravelled the meanings of the first three lines so easily, but Apollo’s own prophetic domains had been inherited from the titan side of his lineage – not just his maternal grandmother but his grandfather as well.  If there was anyone else in existence who could tell when prophetic lines had come to pass, it was his maternal titan ancestors.

“One more line to go,” he agreed reluctantly, gesturing at the golden ichor they’d dragged through the Doors of Death when Hades and Thanatos looked at him in askance.  No-one needed explanation for the first two.  As for the single one still to go, it was, as the final lines of prophecies tended to be, the direst one.

Thanatos walked over to the closed doors and pushed them open.  “We’ve arrived.”

Koios was the first to barge past, almost knocking Thanatos aside in his determination to get out.  The god of death looked at him disparagingly before fixing Apollo and Hades with a stare.  “I could not stop him from entering, but did he have to be with you?” he asked in clear disapproval.

“It seems as though he did,” Hades grumbled.  Interestingly, Bob didn’t protest at their complaints at his brother’s escape; perhaps the titan realised how much of an issue Koios might be, loose in the Overworld.

Realising that they had to do something about him before the other gods – his father – realised that not one, but two titans had escaped Tartarus, Apollo reluctantly separated from Hades, putting a stop to their mutual healing as he followed his grandfather out into the Overworld.

They emerged in the large, dark hall of the Necromanteion, a temple Apollo hadn’t spent much time in but recognised nonetheless, even if he hadn’t already known that it was the location of the mortal, unmoving, side of the Doors of Death.  They were underground, but compared to the depths of the Pit they’d just – miraculously – escaped from, it felt like he was on top of the world.  Strength swelled as he ran after the titan, before remembering what being out of Tartarus meant and simply dematerialising, appearing outside the temple, under the fresh air and the sun as it passed to the west.

It felt like Sol was the one covering that shift, and Apollo spared a moment to watch it on its downwards arc – dusk was approaching, soon Artemis would take to the skies in her chariot for the night.  Despite the lateness of the day, the warmth of the sun revitalised him further, and with a thought, a new bow materialised in his hand, his quiver filled to the brim with arrows.

Everything that Tartarus had tried to take from him was back, or near enough.  He was still wearied, weakened from the ichor loss he hadn’t fully replenished, but bathed in the rays of his own celestial domain, he felt stronger.

“Phoebus,” Koios greeted.  The titan had stopped just outside the temple, likewise looking up at the sky.  “Join me.”  He gestured for Apollo to approach, seemingly unconcerned that he was fully armed again.  Then again, he, too, was standing stronger, wounds closing with his hand draped over the hilt of his sword.  “Your sister is coming.”

Artemis was.  Apollo could feel her clearly, the moon to his sun on a collision course.

He could also feel that she was not happy.

Koios gestured again, and warily Apollo stepped closer, staying out of immediate sword range.  “It’s a shame Leto and Phoebe aren’t here,” he commented, almost idly.  “It would have been nice to have the whole family.”  He shrugged.  “I will have to find them.”

“What do you want, Koios?” Apollo asked, aware of Hades and Bob behind them, not intervening but present.  Thanatos was nowhere to be felt, but Apollo had not expected him to stay.

Knowing his uncle was there, that if Koios attacked, he wouldn’t be alone, was a strange yet comforting feeling.

“Freedom,” the titan said, “much the same as you, grandson.”

“I have freedom,” Apollo dismissed, ignoring the small voice in the back of his head that pointed out he wanted to be able to do more than the Ancient Laws allowed.

Koios laughed, full of humour but also derision.  “The freedom to be stripped mortal whenever you displease your father?” he challenged.  “The freedom to cower behind as many masks as you can conjure rather than risk making the wrong enemy?  You have a strange way of saying the truth, Phoebus.”

Apollo was saved from finding an answer to the titan who knew far too much for his liking – titan of knowledge, he couldn’t not remember, Koios was somehow worse than Athena – by a bolt of silver light exploding into existence in front of him.

Artemis had never been a fool, and a single glance around the scene had her pinning Apollo with a heavily disapproving look.  “Phoebus Apollo, what have you done?”

Despite himself, Apollo couldn’t help giving her a genuine smile.  “It’s good to see you, too, dear sister,” he said.  Almost automatically, he took a step closer to her, further from Koios.

“Granddaughter,” the titan interrupted, and Artemis’ silver eyes snapped from assessing Apollo – and no doubt racking up an entire list of grievances to air at him in the process – to instead inspect the ice-blue titan.  “Artemis, yes?”

They had the same eyes, Apollo realised, seeing his twin and their grandfather regard each other, clearly assessing.  Artemis’ posture was rigid, the fact that she was in her favourite pre-pubescent form doing nothing to detract from the way she was as taut as a drawn bowstring.

“Koios,” she said after a moment, no doubt but plenty of suspicion in her voice.  “You should be in the Pit.”

“And yet, here I am,” Koios replied, spreading his arms and bestowing a smile upon them.  It was a self-satisfied look, not a kind smile.  “Thanks to Phoebus here.”

“You forced your way out,” Apollo corrected hurriedly, sensing his twin’s increasing ire and feeling the need to set the story straight.  “You were never the aim.”

“But Iapetus was,” Artemis said, looking far more terrifying than twelve year old girls had any right to – not even Meg could hold a candle to a four and a half millennia old goddess, even if they looked of an age.  “Apollo.  Are you trying to be punished again?  Father is furious at your disappearance; once he realises exactly what you’ve done…”  She trailed off, seemingly unable or unwilling to elaborate further.  She didn’t need to.

“There is a way to prevent punishment,” Koios murmured, drawing both Apollo and Artemis’ attention back to him.  The fading light of the sun reflected off of his cold, cold eyes, calculating at best and a promise of cruelty at worst.  The smile he gave them was too full of teeth, too full of malice for Apollo to trust it for even a moment.

Artemis’s bow materialised in her hand, an open sign of her own mistrust.  “And that is?” she demanded, with the air that she knew she wouldn’t approve of whatever their grandfather had in mind.

“He can’t punish Phoebus if he isn’t in any position to do so,” Koios said slowly.  Behind him, Apollo felt Hades lurch forwards.  “Or you, nephew.”  The titan had also noticed.  “You asked what I wanted,” he said, addressing Apollo directly.  “What I want is that tyrant gone, for those upstart gods who mocked me to grovel at my feet, knowing that they will never rule again.”  He glanced sideways, where Hades had halved the gap between the two of them and was standing a little way away from Apollo.  “You are different, Hades.  Your brother rewarded you for your help by shutting you away, too, did he not?  Then you protected my brother, when you could and should have handed him over, and finally came to rescue him.  I have no interest in the Underworld; so long as you do not oppose me, I would be perfectly content to leave you alone in turn.”

“You want to overthrow Olympus,” Artemis said bluntly.  “Did you learn nothing from your previous attempt?”

“From my youngest brother’s attempt, you mean?” Koios corrected.  “None of those plans were of my devising, but yes, I learned plenty.  Your father has held that throne far too long; how can you call yourselves gods when you whimper and cower behind masks and shields, constantly in fear of your own father’s retribution?  Sometimes,” he grinned, all sharp again, “fathers need to be disposed of.  Isn’t that right, brother, Hades?”

“No,” Artemis said sharply, before either could respond.  “Your father, and the Crooked One, but if you insist on extending that to my father, I will stop you here and now.”

“Even if it’s the only way to save Phoebus from his wrath?” Koios pressed.

“No,” Apollo agreed.  He remembered previous attempts to talk Zeus down, even overthrow him, and they had never worked – and Artemis was right, Koios had not just spoken about Zeus.  All the gods that had opposed him, save Hades so long as Hades did not fight back – Olympus.

Apollo could never stand aside and let Olympus fall.

He glanced up at the darkening sky, disconcerted at the lack of thunder or lightning.  Koios was forcing them to talk about treason – surely Zeus would have noticed by now?  Once, Apollo might have thought Zeus was waiting to see what their response would be, but in recent centuries, even a hint had been enough for the lightning to come down.  The silence was disconcerting.

“No?” Koios repeated.  “Phoebus, do you want to be punished?  If I was not clear, I am offering for you, children of my beloved daughter, to join with me.  You would be honoured, finally in the position beings as fine as you should always have been.  Even if you are too afraid to stand against your father, all you have to do is stand aside.”

Instinctively, Apollo and Artemis stood closer together, close enough for the familiarity of his twin’s essence to wash over and through his, and despite their differences, despite Artemis’ disapproval at his various antics across the millennia, especially those their father had deemed rebellious, he could feel nothing but a thrum of agreement in this.

It was the same feeling they’d had when Tityos had tried to rape their mother, when Niobe had boasted of being a better mother than the titaness of motherhood herself.  The moment of being fully in sync, two halves of one whole.

Koios could not be allowed to tear down Olympus.

As fast as thought, golden and silver arrows combined flew towards the titan, who growled as he ducked away, his massive sword coming up to act as a shield.

“Do not be foolish, Phoebus, Artemis!” he scolded.  “The glory days of Olympus have passed; she will fall, and you will fall with her if you do not step away now.”

There was Koios’ certainty again, an absolute confidence in an unchangeable future, but this time, Apollo wasn’t so convinced that he was right.  He’d seen Olympus crumble, stones cascading down and the mountain turning to the same broken shell Mouth Othrys had been for his entire existence, yes, but he’d also seen her thriving, glorious days that spanned millennia more.  Apollo had seen possibilities, different paths that the future could still take, and even now, faced with Koios’ certainty, not all of those paths belonged to defeated potentials.  Many, many still laid open, Olympus’ fate far from sealed.

“No,” he said, calm and measured.  Certain in his own way.  “One day, in the far future, the time of the Olympians will come to an end, but not now.  Not from this.”

“We are Olympians,” Artemis added, as though she thought Koios needed reminding of that.  “We are loyal to Olympus.  If you insist on attacking, then you are our enemy.  Sometimes, it is the grandfathers that must fall.”

Rage flashed through icy blue eyes, but Apollo and Artemis were ready for Koios’ attack and scattered, arrows flying in their wake.  There was no delay between thought and materialisation now, no split second of weakness as Apollo was unguarded, unarmed.

“Iapetus!” the titan barked, stamping his foot and summoning a wave of ice that rushed to Apollo.  He shimmered out of existence just before it struck, reappearing in mid-air with the setting sun at his back, and let loose another barrage.

Bob moved, stepping forwards, but his spear was still half-broken, and he seemed hesitant.  “Brother-”

He was stopped by Hades, the god gripping his arm tightly.  “Koios would see the demigods you promised to protect dead,” Apollo heard his uncle say.  “It is not just Olympus he wants to destroy.”  The underlying threat was there; if Bob stepped in, if Bob turned on them, then their alliance was moot and Hades, too, would join the fray.

“I am aware,” Bob said, his voice hard.  “I will keep my word, Hades.  I had plenty of time to think in that cell; I know that you showed me mercy, the day Nico brought me to you.  More than that, you protected me, for reasons I still cannot fathom.  We were mortal enemies from the moment you were born, and yet when you had the chance to destroy me, millennia later, you did not.  And if a god can do that, then so can a titan.”

“You were always the most honourable,” Hades replied.

“Iapetus!” Koios shouted again, dodging a hail of golden arrows and ending up in the path of the silver projectiles instead.

“My name is Bob, Koios,” the titan called back, crossing his arms.  “Why do you insist on doing this, brother?  Our brothers are gone; the age of titans is passed.  We should co-exist with the gods, not seek to destroy them.”

Koios roared, and Apollo took advantage of his split-second distraction to plant an arrow in the small of his back, knocking him forwards half a pace.  Artemis drove several arrows towards his front; off-balance, Koios didn’t manage to block all of them, and received a silver shaft to his shoulder.  “You’ve gone soft, Iapetus!” he snarled.  “You were always the weak one but now you’re just pathetic!  Co-exist with the gods?  Did your memories come back diluted of the atrocities they did to us?  Was millennia in Tartarus not enough to teach you that the gods will never be our allies?  The time of the gods has run its course; it is time for the titans to return.”

“Kindness is not softness!” Bob replied.  “How is it that for everything you see, brother, you have never seen that?  I will be kind, now, as Hades, Phoebus and the demigods have shown me is possible, but I will not be soft.  Stop this madness, brother, and I will stand by you, but not until then.”

Koios let out a howl of betrayal.

Chapter 28>>

[wise-blue-cookies]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson Characters: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson), Kronos (Percy Jackson), Nyx (Percy Jackson), Tartarus (Percy Jackson), Typhon (Percy Jackson), Echidna (Percy Jackson), Hyperion (Percy Jackson), Akhlys (Percy Jackson), Bob | Iapetus (Percy Jackson), Medusa (Percy Jackson), Damasen (Percy Jackson), Styx (Percy Jackson), Kelli (Percy Jackson) Additional Tags: Everyone but Percy and Annabeth are writing the letters, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, sorta lmao, Percy jackson and the chalice of the Gods prediction (fake), Humor, recommendation letters, Creepy monsters, Typhon is banned from being around Percy, no beta we die like bianca Series: Part 7 of Queen's Crack Fic Camp Summary:

Percy really didn’t expect that many of his enemies to write him a letter of recommendation, it was more of a joke that he threw down that note asking for it with an explanation of how it worked (and some griping about the Gods). So the several hundred letters delivered to him by a very deadly hellhound was extremely unexpected.

[one-stray-god]

Listen, I've read Percy Jackson and this is an example of the mist if I've ever seen one.

What are dead man walking tornadoes? :O

it’s a multi-vortex tornado. i dont remember the tribe it originates from (i think it was cherokee), but there’s a native american legend…? saying? that goes “if you see a man in a tornado, you are about to die.”

the most infamous shot of a dead man walking tornado hit jarrell, texas in 1997

it did so much damage to the town it caused the scale that tornados are measured by, the fijita scale, undergo revisions, and it made anchoring buildings in the tornado alley region pretty much mandatory. (it took the entire town off the map. only those who had taken shelter outside of the town or in underground bunkers survived.)

two more examples of dead man walking tornadoes looking like a person are a tornado from 2011 that hit cullman, alabama

and a tornado from 1975 that hit xenia, ohio

edit: it has been brought to my attention that the native american “legend” part of this post was a rumor spread by a documentary.

i have been asked to remove it, but i believe in letting my errors stand because i’m not perfect. i make mistakes

[restinslices]

Everything pt4 (FINALE)

PJO Show Ares x Child!Reader (no gender specified)

Word count: 6772

Summary: It’s been years since you’ve spoken with your father, but with Kronos’ armies marching and the final battle approaching, you have one question on your mind. If you survived this, would it be too late to mend what was broken? Unbeknownst to you, Ares is wondering the same thing. Warnings: Spoilers for The Last Olympian (not too big though), giving Hestia a power idk if she has for the plot, angst, OOC Ares but y’all know this already

You know what sucks more than daddy issues?

The world ending. 

Both are seriously draining but the world ending? It was a real bummer. Not only was it a bummer, but it was incredibly confusing. You expected to be actively in battle right now, not being made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich by Luke's mom. 

As shady as it sounded, you couldn't understand for the life of you how Hermes had fallen in love with her. She looked as if she had been electrocuted multiple times and the smile she wore reminded you of something you'd see in a horror movie. Looks aside, sandwiches and cookies were rotting in her house and it smelled like something had died. You couldn't see Hermes being here. 

“Ms. Castellan” you began as nicely as possible. “I'm not Luke. My friends aren't either. This is Percy, Nico and I'm Y/N. We're…” the people that want Luke dead. No. You couldn't say that. “We're friends of Luke. That's all”. She seemed to understand what you said, even if her eyes told a different story. 

“Friends… Friends? Friends with my precious boy…” you almost scoffed. “I'm so glad he has friends. I've always wanted to meet his friends”. She spoke like she was in a dream state and her eyes stayed on you, not blinking once. “You've come for a sleepover? I'd have to talk to your parents first. I need to know if you have allergies! Then your parents and I can also be friends and spend time together! I'm sure I'd like them”. 

You forced yourself to keep smiling at her, even if she unknowingly brought up something you were trying desperately not to think about. In 2007 you and your father Ares came to an agreement that it'd be best if you never saw each other again. The year was 2009 and you were still keeping up your side of the deal. You didn't burn offerings for him, you didn't go see him for that field trip, you haven't even uttered his name since then. When you heard about the gods fighting Typhon, you tried not to think about him getting hurt. 

You were the one that proposed the deal, yet you immediately regretted it. A part of you thought “good job! You're keeping your peace! Your relationship would've never gotten better anyway!”. The largest part of you kept thinking “but what if you were wrong? What if he changed?”. 

You shook your head. Curse your stupid loyalty. You could've turned Nico and Percy down, but Percy pleaded with you to come with him. The last time you become someone's adoptive older sibling… 

“Nah, you wouldn't like my dad Ms. Castellan. He's a real hardhead”. She chuckled, which looked insanely creepy because she still hadn't blinked. 

“Men tend to be. I'm sure he's still very lovely”. Yeah, if you enjoyed headaches. 

Nico took over the conversation and thankfully your familial issues were no longer a topic. Thankfully should be in quotations though, because the conversation quickly turned depressing. May Castellan spoke like she was floating and talked about her son and Hermes as if the last couple of years hadn't happened at all. In your heart, you knew that she either didn't know, or she forgot. You didn't know what happened to her and why she looked like she took a tumble in Wonderland and never escaped, but whatever happened caused her to never see reality the same. You pitied her. Poor woman. Forever making sandwiches for a boy that had grown into a man. An angel that snipped his own wings. 

Suddenly she stopped and screamed. You all jumped up and you pushed the two boys behind you. You doubted May Castellan would try to fight any of you, but you wouldn't take that chance. 

A glowing green filled her vision and she rasped “My child! Must protect him! Hermes! Help! Not my child! Not his fate! No!”. She grabbed at your shoulders and continued screaming about fates and you pushed her off. 

“Guys! Let's get out of here!” You yelled to the boys behind you. 

You were prepared to run out of there, but May collapsed and Percy ran to catch her before she could hit the floor. 

As quickly as she was screaming about fate and her eyes were glowing, it all stopped. She went back to her version of normal. 

“Normal” was a word that really sucked as a demigod because your version of normal would never be what you wanted. What you wished was normal for you was going to school, complaining about teachers, listening to music and playing video games. Your normal was fighting monsters, training, keeping the world from ending and nightmares. When other people's lives diverged from the norm, it was probably something small, like dyeing their hair a neon color. Your version of “well this doesn't always happen” was sitting across from Hestia and listening to her do that thing gods do, where they give you advice in riddles. 

The conversation was mainly on Percy, until it wasn’t anymore. Hestia looked over at you and you couldn’t help but feel small under her gaze (which was comical considering she looked like an 8 year old girl), like she was peering deep into your soul in search of something. 

In any other circumstance, you would’ve stayed silent. You didn’t have time for more mysteries right now, so you cleared your throat and said “my lady, is there something you want to say?”. 

“I just wonder…”

”Wonder? About what? Please, I wanna hear it” 

“I wonder whose side you’re on”. 

What?

Your brows furrowed. “The gods obviously”.

”Is it obvious though?”. You had to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. Making an enemy out of Hestia wasn’t on your to do list.

”My lady, may I speak bluntly?”. She nodded. You really wished she didn’t choose the form of a child so you wouldn’t feel so silly. “The world is ending and there’s still so much I haven’t done. I’m stressed out, wondering if I’ll survive the battle-” if your father would care if you didn’t, “-if our efforts will be enough, how many mortals will die, if the gods survive their battle with Typhon. Please don’t add ‘not understanding a riddle’ to my stress. Whatever you’re thinking, just say it”. You could feel Nico shooting you a ‘are you crazy?’ look. How else were you supposed to say it? You thought you were being extremely kind and respectful. The alternative was “English please”.

Hestia looked you over as she thought. “I’ve heard about your conversations with your father”. Yeah sure, let’s bring that up again. Perfect!

You shifted uneasily, not wanting to talk about this anymore. Hestia either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “I wonder why you didn’t side with Kronos”.

You couldn’t stop yourself from rolling your eyes this time. Did she truly think so little of you? “Why would I side with him?”.

”Many of the demigods on his side feel neglected. No doubt you do as well. I wonder what’s the difference between you and them” 

“Brains” you answered. “We all have parental issues. You don’t side with a guy like Kronos”

”You think little of those demigods? Think yourself above them?” 

“You know what I did when I was angry with Ares?” His name felt strange on your tongue. It’d been so long since you said his name. “I gave myself terrible bangs and wore all black. I stared outside car windows, listened to sad music and imagined myself in a music video. I wrote in a diary that said ‘do not touch or I’ll kill you!’, all in uppercase letters. I didn’t side with a crazy Titan that wants to destroy the world as we know it. Seems a bit extreme, don’t you think?”. She nodded.

“My lady I mean this with respect and love in my heart; what is the point of this conversation?”.

She poked at the fire a bit before answering. “This battle will be a hard one. Perhaps I am buying time and trying to memorize your face in case something goes wrong”. Gee, thanks for all the hope lady.

”If something goes wrong for me, I at least hope everyone else gets a happy ending”

”Your death does not frighten you?” She asked with a raised brow.

”Of course it does” you answered truthfully. “But I can’t let fear stop me from doing what I know is right. You’re the goddess of the home, so you should understand when I say I fight for my home. I don’t think home is just a place though. Home can be people. Percy, Annabeth, 

Grover, Nico…” you swallowed, “… my dad. They’re my home. I won’t let my home be hurt without a fight. I’m willing to fight, kill, and die for my home. That’s how much home means to me”.

She smiled. “Spoken like a true child of Ares”. You wish she’d just tell you why she was hassling you in simple words. “But homes can be hectic-“

”My relationship with Ares is hectic but it doesn’t matter”

”You have hope”

”Sounds more like a statement than a question” you mumbled.

You looked at the fire, not wanting to look at (what appeared to be) the child on your ass.

When looking at the flames, for whatever reason you thought of home.

Images flashed in your mind. Images of camp, of laughing campers, of you and Percy giving Sally multiple heart attacks.

Of you and Annabeth debating, you and Grover planting flowers, you and Clarisse training together.

Images of your life flashed quickly, yet it all made sense. You could see everything as if you were there again.

Then the images slowed.

You felt Ares arms as he caught you when you fell from multiple floors up in the mall.

You could smell burgers and fries in the diner and saw him sitting across from you.

You could hear the two of you arguing and your ears started to burn with rage when you suddenly felt his warm embrace. You leaned into him and sighed, feeling his beard against the top of your head. You probably looked ridiculous to everyone else in the diner, but you didn’t care. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt his warmth and you knew you never would again. 

“I love you dad” you said.

You couldn’t believe what you heard next. He said “I love you too” and he genuinely sounded like he meant it. At the time, you thought there was no possible way he could’ve been being genuine.

“He’s gotten good at lying” you thought. “That’s all. He doesn’t care. You’re making things up”.

But what if you were wrong? What if there was a chance?

”I have to have hope” you said out loud. You were too busy looking at memories in the fire and missed Hestia’s satisfied smile. 

Hope.

Home.

If you were still alive by the end of the war, you knew you’d have to break your end of the agreement.

You knew you had to go home.

***

Everyone knew war was coming.

The hope for everyone else was that Kronos would never get strong enough to challenge the gods. Hope wasn’t something you could depend on though. You had to actually work, and apparently the gods hadn't done enough. 

All the gods, besides one, was nervous. Of course Ares was more excited than nervous, like a child in a candy store. If he had the power to control time, he’d speed this whole thing up so he could be in battle already. The anticipation was killing him.

It was so grim and depressing in Olympus. Everyone was on edge and acting as if this would be their last time seeing each other. Complete and utter bullshit. They were the 12 Olympians for fucks sake! Anyone else there was there for a reason. They’d beat Kronos and his army, then drink to their victory and hug their children.

Hug their children? 

“Stop”, he thought. “Not that shit again”.

He didn’t wanna think about children.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and made his way to a nearby fireplace.

”Ares” Hestia greeted without having to look at him.

“Hestia” he greeted back and sat down next to her on the ground. “Poking at the fire again?”

“What else is there to do?”

“You could be preparing for the battle”. She made a noise of disapproval, 

“You know I'm not one for fighting. I am where home is”. He couldn't say he understood it, but whatever kept her happy. Ares wasn't fond of all the gods, but he liked Hestia. She stayed to herself and overall was friendly with everyone. She didn't blab her mouth or make jokes about him and Aphrodite being caught by Hephaestus. She was a breath of fresh air honestly. 

Hestia looked over at him and cocked her head to the side. “No” he said before she could get anything out, “don't start asking me questions about feelings and try to dissect me”. Hestia was nice and all, but she always noticed when someone was off, and even if they weren't she'd find a way to make a conversation more deep than it needed to be. 

“Ares, the battle ahead will be a difficult one. There's a possibility that you could be destroyed or that your children-”

“Don't”. His voice came out harsh and he shot her a warning look. Unfortunately for him, Hestia was never intimidated by that. 

“They can die. Do you think they're keeping their feelings bottled? I doubt it. I hear them whisper their fears around the campfire at camp. They're terrified Ares.”

“How many are terrified?”

“All of them”. 

He wished he didn't ask. He should've stayed curious. 

Hestia was right. Any of his children could die. Maybe all of them. They all probably whispered to each other in their cabin, trying to comfort each other, and what was he doing? Sitting in Olympus. 

He hated that he cared. Ever since his last talk with a particular child, he had been trying to build those walls back up and go back to being his “normal” self. Unfortunately, those cracks seemed to remain and refused to go away. He tried to seal them, but even something as small as a talk with Hestia revealed those cracks again. “They'll be ok” he said although he knew the truth. The truth was that he had no idea what would happen. 

“I could deliver a message to them if you'd like”

“There's nothing I can think to say to them”

“Then perhaps you could say something to me. Whatever is on your mind, you can speak and I will listen”. 

Ares didn't wanna look at her so instead he looked at the fire in an attempt to ignore her. That proved to be an error when his nose filled with the familiar smell of rain and his ears filled his child's voice. 

“To me… to me you were everything. You are everything. “. Your tears mixed in with the rain and you wore a deep frown full of a child's repeated crushed dreams. His heart squeezed tightly for the first time in a while and he hated it. That's when it all started. 

Other memories flashed. Memories of him and the other Olympians fighting wars, sometimes with each other. 

He saw a time before strict rules and before he vowed to keep himself distant from his children. A time when he mourned them fully and intensely when their final breath passed their lips and their bodies became limp. 

He saw the time now and while it was full of distance and misery, he saw his other children. He saw them visiting him and talking about things he didn't care about but listened to anyway. Saw their sad faces and hung heads when they had to leave. 

It all went back to you though. 

“You want more from the child of Ares?!” You had puffed your chest when you said his name and held your sword tighter. “I have plenty to give!”. 

He heard your back and forth snarky comments to each other before the smell of food filled his nose and the conversation went from humorous to angry then sad. 

“I don't matter to you. Just admit it so we can move on”. You were so wrong but you said the words with such conviction. You genuinely thought you were right. Was that truly how neglectful he had become? All his children had become strangers and he couldn't blame anyone but himself. 

“Seeing you at all, it gives me hope” Was hope so bad to have though?

“You want this?”

“No” you said immediately. He remembers how he was surprised you had been that honest with him. He thought you'd make up a lie and pretend to be extremely confident, but your voice cracked and this time there was no rain to hide your tears. If earlier you wore a frown of repeated crushed dreams, that day your eyes filled with a child's final dream crushed. 

But then he felt the both of you hug and he couldn't help but think to himself “Does the dream have to be crushed? Does hope have to be lost?”. 

The fire continued to show him more memories of his children before it went back to you purposefully ignoring him. He had to admit that seeing you spend time with Hermes instead of him made his brows lower in frustration. But he agreed to a deal. 

“Ares?” Hestia questioned. Ares kept staring at the fire and hoped the images would return, but they slowly faded away. She said his name again. She had saw what he saw and felt the way his heart cried. It was a feeling she never wanted to experience again. 

He agreed to that deal… but what would happen to him if he broke it? Nothing that hasn't happened before. How could he see all of that and still want to keep his side of the deal?

“I think…” he whispered “I think I miss my children…”. 

His children. His family. His home. He had to believe that hope was possible. 

Hope.

Home.

He'd fight with his all while keeping everyone in the back of his mind. He knew he'd have to break his end of the deal. 

He knew he had to go home.

***

If someone were to ask how you felt in this exact moment, it'd be irritation. Because of some stupid disagreement between the Ares kids and the Apollo kids, Clarisse ordered that none of Ares' children were to attend the battle. When you reminded Clarisse that this battle was bigger than some stupid argument over a chariot and that campers have already died and more will, she simply puffed her chest and went on about how she's tired of Ares getting disrespected. Sure, ok. Maybe you got a point Clarisse. Couldn't this wait until after though?

You shared some harsh words, half of them being curse words, and joined the battle with everyone else. 

Manhattan as a whole was trapped in a deep sleep, yet somehow they seemed like the lucky ones. Sure, maybe a monster would step on them but at least they'd die in their sleep. If you died you'd be fully conscious and you knew it'd hurt. 

Only a fool feels no fear. A bigger fool lets fear paralyze them. You did your best to let your fear move you through your enemies and you cut and hacked at them, leaving a trail of dust in your wake. You tried at first to ignore how many old campers you were killing, but it was hard to when your sword was soaked and you stared in the eyes of people you used to call friends before you took their life. It didn't feel good but it was either you or them. None of them held their punches and those same kids came in camp and killed campers, so you wouldn't hold your punches either. 

A squeal filled your ears and you winced as you looked up. The fighting stopped and you understood why when you saw a huge flying pig heading straight towards everyone. You scoffed and wanted to make some sort of joke, but figured now wasn't the time. 

“As far as I know, no hero has ever beaten it” you heard Annabeth say when you got closer to her and Percy. Your heart beat in a skittish panic but you forced yourself to hold your sword firmly and say the words “we will” as serious and brave as you could muster. 

Percy had some idea and while you were told to keep the enemies back, your eyes landed on a white Pegasus and you knew you couldn't. 

“Hey Annabeth” you grabbed her arm, making sure not to grab too tight because of her previous wound. 

“Yeah?” she asked. Annabeth looked terrible. She was covered in dirt, dust, blood, and her hair was so out of place that you thought May Castellan would take kindly to her. You didn't know how you looked but you knew that all of you would need showers if you survived. 

“I love you too”

No. When you survived. 

“I'm gonna try and help Percy. Stay here. I'll come back. I promise”. Before she could ask you what you meant or remind you that you couldn't promise such a thing, you ran off to the Pegasus. 

“Hey buddy” you waved and forced a smile. You knew Percy could understand them and vice versa, but you couldn't understand them and you didn't know if that could understand you. “Me” you pointed at yourself, “friendly” you raised a thumbs up. You pet its head and it didn't bite you, so you assumed it understood. 

“Me” you pointed at yourself. “You” you pointed at the Pegasus. “Follow Percy and pig” you pointed at Percy and the pig, who were quickly vanishing from view. It nodded its head and after a sigh of relief, you got on its back. 

If it wasn't for the war and death, you'd say you were really enjoying this. How many people could say they had done something like this? Not many, that's for sure. 

“Hey Sharkboy!” You yelled when you were within shouting distance. Percy thankfully was no longer hanging by a rope, but was on Blackjack. You didn't know if Blackjack recognized you as the one always giving him donuts, but he made a pleased sound when he saw you. “Uh, is this a part of your plan?” You motioned to the statue that took his place attached to the rope. “It's a pretty shit one”. 

The boy rolled his eyes and huffed at you. Whether it was because of the nickname or insulting his plan, you didn't know. It made you smile either way. “I gotta get close to it! I can activate the statue to fight the pig!”. 

Flying pigs, fighting statues, just another day as a demigod. You rubbed in between your brows to stop the migraine that was forming. How hadn't you gone insane yet?

“It sounds crazy but-” Percy kept talking but you stopped listening. You looked behind you at the battle and like a fool, you froze. 

Manhattan was a war zone. This you knew. Seeing it up high like you were a god though made it all seem so much worse. You could see family being forced to fight each other. You could hear screams and pleads and crying. You could see kids trying to dodge being stepped on. You saw so many people not being allowed to mourn. You saw death. You saw it everywhere. 

Then your shock and fear turned to anger. These were your friends and family killing each other! Sure, they were still responsible for their actions, but there wouldn't be any actions for them to take if Kronos hadn't got in the way. He used these people and he didn't care how many died. He just wanted his throne. Annabeth could die. Grover could die. Percy could die. 

Your father could be destroyed. 

You didn't know how you looked, but you must've looked terrifying because Percy “talks back to everyone” Jackson looked at you the way you expected him to look at the gods; with edge. 

“Hey-”

You pet the animal under you neck and pointed at the pig “closer!” You ordered. It obeyed. It beat its wings harder and you passed Blackjack and Percy with ease. The closer you got, the more you could smell its stench. Under normal circumstances you'd pinch your nose and walk the opposite way, but this time you kept going straight towards it. 

The animal under you whined and you assumed that meant it was having a hard time keeping up. Your eyes fell to the rope and you knew what you had to do. 

Your sword morphed back into a necklace when you brought it close to you and after so much practice, clasping it wasn't a problem for you anymore. 

“Good boy or girl. I'll get you some snacks when this is all over. You like donuts?” it made a pleased sound and you pet its neck. 

You moved so that instead of straddling the animal, your legs were hanging over one side. 

“Don't let me die” you whispered to no one in particular then you pushed yourself off. 

A mixture of luck and skill prevented you from becoming a mark on the concrete. 

The rope burned your bare hands but you held on anyway. You managed to grab on above the statue and started climbing upwards, using the beating in your chest to motivate you not to fall and die. The white Pegasus stayed beside you as you forced yourself up the rope and you gripped the pig's fur to pull yourself all the way up. Now, pigs don't have tons of fur, but a giant pig had plenty enough to grab onto. 

The wind blew through your hair so harshly that you were surprised it didn't snatch it all off. The pig was flying at an intense speed with its only goal being to destroy everything you loved. 

You pulled your necklace off and it turned back into the double edged sword your father gifted you so many years ago. 

It was only now that you realized something. 

When you killed this thing, it'd disintegrate. You wouldn't. In the mall you were high up but you were only up a couple floors. Now you were definitely above the mall and many other buildings. The white Pegasus was no longer keeping up with you and when you looked behind you, Percy and Blackjack were still a while away. 

Percy connected the dots a lot faster than you did and you saw his lips move and Blackjack's wings flap faster. 

What do you say when you know you're gonna die? Damn. You didn't have time to prepare and you didn't have time for a speech. 

You felt like you were looking back at the flames. At home. At hope. You were supposed to return home after the battle and things would be okay again. But in the same breath, this is why you were fighting. You were fighting for your home and so the people you love could live as peacefully as they could. 

The sword felt heavier in your hand. You smiled to yourself. You still had a piece of home with you and you'd use it to better the lives of the other people you call home. 

You screamed as loud as you could in hopes Percy would hear you. “IF EVERYTHING GOES OKAY, TELL MY DAD THAT…” tell him what? You had so much to say. What could wrap everything you wanted to say together?

“... TELL HIM I MISS HIM! AND THAT I LOVE HIM!”. 

Blackjack's wings beat harder, yet he was still far. Percy wore a look of determination and you laughed. You couldn't believe he was still the young scared boy that arrived at camp when he was 12. 

“I LOVE YOU GUYS TOO!”. You smiled at him to leave him with something nice to remember. “THIS WAS FUN!”. 

You turned away from him and with as much strength as you could muster you plunged the sword through the pig’s skin. 

You felt its body crumble away and then you felt yourself slipping through the air. 

***

As one could assume, war was Ares' element and where he felt the most comfortable. There wasn't much to say about the battle. Sure, it was a battle for humanity but honestly? Ares wasn't that worried. Call it an inflated sense of self. Was it really that though when you could back up how high you thought of yourself?

As corny as it sounded, the war in his mind was much more intense. As he fought, his mind kept slipping back to what he saw in the flames. His family. His children. His home. His hope. The reason he fought. Sure he liked a good fight but he fought this giant monster with the other Olympians for his family. 

Ares is a proud man, so naturally he had faith that his children would survive the battle, but an ego could only get you so far. He knew the truth. He knew that any of his children could be crushed at any second, or squeezed to death, or stabbed, or eaten, or whatever Kronos and his army had planned. He knew that he could return to whatever was left of Olympus and he could mourn children that he had forced to become strangers. He wanted to be better. He had to be. He just needed time and that meant he needed his children alive. Especially the one that started this. 

Besides the diner, Ares had only held you once. He didn't think he'd remember it well yet somehow he could smell the cookies your mother had baked and he could remember exactly how the furniture was. He could see blinds covering the windows and the white walls lined with family photos and art pieces. He could see the black couch that sat across from the TV which sat on a table. 

And he could feel your mother place you in his arms. 

“This is your child” she had said. He looked over at her and she smiled down at you with a sense of joy and pride, which was much different to how he saw her look at you recently, with hate and contempt. 

You were so small then. Only months old, still exploring the world and having no idea how life would beat you down. You cooed as you looked up at him and shifted in his arms. He wondered if somehow you knew he was your father and that he was no threat to you. 

So small. So curious. So innocent. Now you were a warrior seasoned by the battles you had been fighting since you were a small child. 

He kept thinking about what would happen next the entire time. He knew he'd have to break his end of the agreement, but it was up to you and any of his other children to accept him turning a new page. It absolutely did NOT frighten him more than the Titan he was battling. Absolutely not. 

As Ares suspected, the Olympians and their children won the war. Kronos was gone and his armies were slaughtered. That was the best part. He didn't get the chance to have a good look at the battle, but seeing the damage the demigods caused made him proud. He hadn't seen you though, which was something he noted. 

The worst part was looking at Percy Jackson's face. Sure, he started the fight but that didn't matter! When Ares said “enemy for life” he meant it! The fact that he had to listen to Percy be praised and he couldn't beat on him right then and there made him tap his finger against the arm of his chair in discontent. 

“Lord Ares” Percy said and he could tell he hated saying the “Lord” part. It made him grin. 

“Boy?”

Percy's fist balled and Ares continued smirking. 

“I have a message from your child”. 

His smirk fell when he heard your name. A message? Did that mean… 

“They said that they missed you and loved you. They were… They…” he paused and Ares leaned forward. “They were in trouble and out of everything they could've said, they said that. They’re-” 

Ares didn't let him finish. He jumped out his chair and his feet thundered against the ground as he sped walked to the elevator. 

This couldn't be. That boy was wrong. His child was fine! He wanted to be better for them and now…?

No. No no no no! This couldn't be! He pressed the floor button repeatedly hoping that the elevator would move faster, even if he knew that's not how elevators worked. 

He lied to you once and said that gods didn't feel fear. How wrong he was. His whole body felt warm and if he wasn't pressing the button then he was tapping his fingers against his legs and if he wasn't doing that then he was pacing and if he wasn't doing that then he was imagining your limp body covered in blood. Was it at least quick?

“I love you dad”

No… 

Not his baby… 

After what felt like hours the elevator dinged and the doors opened. 

He stepped into the hall of the building. 

***

Turns out you should give Blackjack a lot more credit. 

You closed your eyes and hoped that the fall wouldn't hurt as much as you suspected it would and then suddenly your crotch hit something hard. 

“Fuck!” You exclaimed. Your eyes flew open and that's when you realized Blackjack actually managed to catch you. Percy let out a breath you suspected he was holding the whole time. 

“You don't ever do that again!” he scolded. Ironic coming from the guy who always did stupid things. 

“I hope I won't have to”. He rolled his eyes and looked back ahead of him. 

“I just knew you were gonna do something stupid. I just couldn't tell what it was at first. And don't you ever look at me like that again”

“Like what?”

“Like you want to kill something”. Once again, ironic. Percy had that same look on his face more times than you could count, but instead of arguing you kept a hand on his shoulder and said “sure Sharkboy”. 

You tried to tune out the rest of the battle to keep yourself sane. One moment you and Percy joined everyone else, then Percy and Annabeth went to Olympus and now you were sitting in the Empire State building completely exhausted. You were slumped in a chair, covered in dirt and grime when the Stoll brothers came over. 

“Guess what we have” Connor said in a sing song voice and raised his brows.

“An Advil?”. The two laughed like what you said was funny. It wasn't funny to you. Your head was killing you. 

“Even better” Travis said. “Boom!”. You hadn't noticed the bag he had on him somehow, and when he opened it your eyes were filled with candy. You looked back up at their faces, both with an ear to ear smile. 

“I thought Percy said not to snatch anything when everyone was asleep”. 

“We didn't! How could you say something like that?” The two looked at each other with faux innocence but their devious smiles betrayed them. Whatever. You were too tired to scold them and it wasn't your business that got ransacked. 

“Listen, we'd typically charge for these but since you killed that pig, you can get something for free”

You raised a brow at them and looked at them disinterested. “Or I could report you and make you take all that back”

“You won't” Travis challenged. 

Little shit was right. 

You looked in the bag for what you wanted and chuckled when you saw it. 

When you and Ares talked in the rain that night, you debated on burning a fruit roll up as an offering. You decided that was a shit offering and didn't do it, but your father saw you in the rain and came over anyway. 

Now that same flavor of fruit roll up was sitting at the top of all of that candy. 

You took it and thanked the two. They were on their way after, probably about to scam some poor kid by overcharging it. They never tried that with you or any of the other older kids. 

You pocketed the candy and used your sword to help you stand. You were exhausted. Your shoulders sagged, your back ached and you smelled like everything unfortunate in the world. You needed a shower and new clothes desperately. 

You began walking then a ding filled your ears and out of curiosity you turned from the door and looked over. 

It was him. 

By the way his eyes softened you could tell he saw you. You were done lying to yourself and convincing yourself he didn't care. You knew you saw relief in his eyes. 

Maybe Ares should've listened to what else Percy was gonna say. Maybe he was gonna say “they're fine but you should really talk to them”. Something like that. 

Ares had seen you tear up multiple times. In sadness, in anger, in betrayal. This time though? You didn't look hurt. You looked relieved. You looked like how he felt. You looked like a huge pain had been lifted off your shoulders. If before you looked like a child whose dreams were crushed, now you looked like an adult who realized there was nothing crushed that couldn't be fixed. 

You had grown up more since he last saw you. He didn't wanna miss any more years. 

“And I hope the idea of me calling you Ares instead of dad terrifies you” 

The words rang in his ears. You were right. It terrified him. It paralyzed him. He had one question on his mind. 

What would you call him?

The two of you stood facing each other for seconds but it felt longer. Both your minds were racing. You were both thinking of the past, the fact that both of you were okay, and wondering what the future would be.

You felt like a kid again. You just stared at him with so many emotions coursing through you. The main ones being joy and relief. 

Without thinking, you threw your sword to the side and ran at him. “Daddy!” You shouted with the inner voice of a child who was finally getting everything they wanted. You jumped into his arms and he caught you. His grasp was firm and he kept you close. 

You both closed your eyes and focused on each other's warm embrace. You were both okay. You were both home. Neither of you held your tears and vulnerabilities from each other. 

“I heard you were missing me” he said. You knew it was a joke but you couldn't laugh. You nodded into his shoulder. 

“I did”. 

“I missed you too” he admitted. It felt so good to finally admit. 

It felt so good to finally hear. He missed you. He cared for you. He loved you. He was holding you. 

“I don't like our agreement anymore” you mumbled. “You gonna rearrange my fingers or-”

“No” he answered firmly. He set you down and his hands held your face. “No” he said again. 

“Not gonna turn me into an ant either?” You joked. He smiled at you and pulled you into another hug.

“I love you dad”

“I love you too”. 

Ares did something he hadn't done in a while and he kissed the top of your head like he saw other fathers do. It surprised him how much happiness it filled him with. You on the other hand thought this would only happen in dreams. You were so glad you were wrong. 

Then he did something else he hadn't done in a while. 

He apologized. 

“I'm sorry”

“I know” you answered simply.

“I'm gonna be better”. 

You smiled and closed your eyes, allowing yourself to melt in his embrace. 

“I believe you”. 

Hope. 

Home. 

You two managed to hold onto hope. What others would call delusional or stupid, you called a dream. You both managed to make that dream a reality. 

After years and years of complications, heartache and frustration, you two made it. 

You two made it home. 

If y’all sexualize the reader calling Ares “daddy” I swear I will rewrite this and have the reader die a terrible death. Do NOT-

Anyway y’all IT’S HERE! We finally made it to the end! Y’all feeling as proud and emotional as I do? Originally Everything wasn’t gonna be a series. I made pt1 and was like “yeah. A simple one shot” but people wanted more and it became a series. I got 2 abandoned series for different fandoms so it’s an accomplishment I finished this one. I don’t have any new series planned right now but I wanted to say thank you for the support Everything has gotten and the nice comments I’ve received. This was really fun. Until next time! (Also I told y’all they’d get a happy ending. I know some of y’all didn’t believe me)

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