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It all started with a large smirk being plastered on Hermes' face. To the Olympian Council, or at least the ones who were currently present and paying attention, this was never a good sign.
That smirk on Hermes' face was the same smirk that Hermes had plastered on every time he was causing trouble. Apollo shuddered as that smirk brought back memories of the first time he had seen that maniacal grin; when Hermes had only just been born and immediately stole Apollo's beloved sacred cows.
With the knowledge that the younger god was up to something, Apollo, who's throne is situated directly next to Hermes thus making him the first to notice that iconic maniacal grin, allowed a small smile creep its way onto his own godly face. As of late, the council had been so uptight, it was to the point where arguing seemed to be a new constant in their lives, which was saying something as arguing was always a normal in godly meetings. With that said, if Hermes was going to be giving Apollo something to laugh about, even if only for a few impossibly short minutes, then whatever idiotic scheme Hermes had come up with was fine with Apollo.
"-poor wheat fields are just being tortured by you two! How are the mortals supposed to have a plentiful harvest of grain if their crops are being destroyed by your bickering?!" Demeter scolded her brothers. The goddess was yelling and pointing with such a ferocity that her small crown of wheat was askew on her head.
Apollo reluctantly focused back in on the council meeting, immediately regretting his decision as Zeus and Poseidon started arguing again. Both gods seemed to be making themselves slightly taller with each insult, their godly aura exuding with more vigor as their yells became more vicious.
"Well if Poseidon's little whelp didn't steal my master bolt, then I would not have reason to cause such havoc," Zeus grumbled, low and threatening.
"Perseus did not steal anything! You are paranoid, brother. My son did not even know the truth of his parentage until this summer. Tell me, Zeus, how exactly would he steal your master bolt?" Poseidon glared at Zeus with the force of a thousand tides.
"You are a liar! That is why! You are trying to overthrow me!" Zeus cried out in anger, it seemed as though lightening moved through his veins.
"Why on Gaea's earth would I want to do that? I have enough responsibilities in my own kingdom!" Poseidon bit out in fury, every word he spoke shook like an earthquake.
"Enough! Stop arguing! Poseidon's son- oh what's his name? Oh! Perseus! Perseus is on a quest to recover Zeus' bolt. I do not understand why we cannot hold judgement until after the deadline. He is only twelve," Aphrodite spoke up and for a moment the tension ceased the two gods re-gathering themselves and seeming more human like than a simple personification of their domains.
"See, Aphrodite has enough sense to know that it is idiotic of you to try to kill my son while he is trying to help you!" Poseidon glared hard at his brother but at least now it didn't seem like the force of his gaze could swallow cities.
"Aphrodite is clouded by her domain of love. She probably has misplaced care for the boy," Zeus dismissed in annoyance.
"Do you want to say that again, Zeus?" Aphrodite asked, her beautiful face twisting dangerously.
"There is no point of making each other angry, we need to be a united front! Perhaps someone stealing the bolt was not just a smite against father but also a threat to all of Olympus," Artemis spoke up, only to be ignored by the tense gods in the room.
"Now, 'Dite, we all know that sometimes your domain does-" Ares began condescendingly.
"Watch your words carefully, Ares, or I swear on every tragic love story that I will ruin the rest of your immortal life," Aphrodite glared harshly at Ares.
"Perhaps Aphrodite has a point," Hephaestus looked up from some metal project in his lap. While he did not necessarily care about the fight at hand, he decided to speak in support of his wife since she was currently less than pleased with Ares. If there was one opportunity he was not going to pass up, it was angering his brother.
"Of course I do! It is common sense! Athena just won't admit it because she would rather kill an innocent boy than ever side with Poseidon," Aphrodite rolled her eyes while Ares glared fiercely at Hephaestus.
"Do not speak such lies, Aphrodite! I am siding with father because he is correct," Athena scowled at the love goddess.
"Well, when the boy is cleared, I want an apology," Aphrodite said shortly as she raised a delicate eyebrow.
Apollo rubbed a tired hand down his face before resting his head in his chin. The headaches that the council gave him as of late surely rivaled the headache Zeus had experienced that resulted in Athena's birth.
Apollo let his eyes flicker to Hermes once again and his foul mood cleared just a bit. The maniacal grin was still there but now his eyes were twinkling with mischief and he was tapping his foot impatiently. Apollo knew he had something to do or say but was waiting for the exact right moment. Interesting.
"An apology? For what exactly?" Athena sneered in her outrage.
"For being so stubborn, so fixated on your own hubris, that you allow yourself to forego your wisdom and choose the wrong side. You do not even give the boy a chance. He is twelve and if Poseidon says that the boy had nothing to do with it then we as the council should trust him if only because he has no reason to lie to us, not when something else could be threatening us," Aphrodite spoke seriously, her words measured as she made her stance clear.
In times like these, Apollo hated that no one remembered he was the God of Knowledge, Truth, and Logic. No one asked his opinion in these matters much anymore, even though he was usually right.
"How dare you! It is clear that from what we have seen, the boy is incredibly impertinent! He deserves to be punished for his crimes!" Athena practically growled her words.
Poseidon's eyebrows narrowed and his face dropped completely, giving him a much darker look. Apollo noted that he resembled his Ancient Greek mythos much more with the dark and ominous look on his face, especially in comparison with the look the sea god usually sported nowadays with fisherman's hats and Hawaiian shirts. Poseidon's more welcoming and friendly look could not be found as he glared threateningly at Athena.
Poseidon, however, never got the chance to open his mouth to yell at Athena because Aphrodite had chosen to resume her rant.
"What proof do you have of these crimes, Athena!? Nothing. I guarantee it! No one here has been able to do anything more than place wild accusations on the boy. In fact, I believe that Perseus deserves to be impertinent! After all that you have put him through thus far, it is only right for the boy to be!" Aphrodite huffed as she crossed her arms.
Before Athena could retort, Hermes took this as the moment he was waiting for as he threw his arms open and the smile became even larger.
"Speaking of dear Perseus, he has sent a package," Hermes had the package appear in the middle of the room.
"See! He has clearly decided to simply turn over the masterbolt!" Athena turned her nose up defiantly.
"Alright then, Athena, you open it," Aphrodite smiled almost evilly, the love goddess was very confident that the boy had not stolen it, and so whatever lay within the box could only be leverage for Athena to be proven wrong.
"Fine! I will!" Athena huffed as she got up from her decadent throne.
Poseidon looked at the package wearily, he knew that his son would not have simply mailed the masterbolt if he had found it. As Poseidon examined the look on his nephews face, his worry only increased. What had his son done and how was he supposed to stop the rest of the council from killing him for it?
"It reads: To the gods, best wishes, Percy Jackson." Athena read snootily before undoing the tape.
Hermes leaned forward in his seat in anticipation. Apollo looked at his brother in a moment of suspicion before he too settled an eager gaze on the package.
When Athena opened the package, at first no one thought anything had happened. Athena didn't seem to react to whatever was in the box, and nothing harmful had tried to escape wither. Then, suddenly, it was as if the goddess of wisdom was moving in slow motion. A look of pure rage was slowly etching itself onto her face, detail by detail. Her eyebrows rose slowly to their highest position and her mouth slowly opened in horror before closing once more as she settled into a simmering rage.
Apollo tilted his head in confusion, not quite understanding what could make Athena act this way. Meanwhile, Hermes was biting his hand in an effort to keep from laughing hysterically at the goddess' misfortune.
Aphrodite raised a perfect eyebrow, "Well? What is it?"
For all that Poseidon was worrying, he didn't dare to let it show on his face. He couldn't, for he would not give the rest of the council an opportunity to understand just how much the boy meant to him. Especially not when some of the council already wanted the boy dead.
Athena was still moving in slow motion. Her mouth was slowly opening again but her eyes still were not moving away from the package, it was as if she were entranced by it.
Apollo thought hard. What could have this kind of affect on Athena? Not much would allow the uptight goddess to make a fool of herself. Which based off the muffled laughs of Ares, she was succeeding at.
"What is it, Athena!" Zeus yelled, "I command you to tell me!"
Although Zeus had commanded answers from the goddess, Athena did not increase her pace. Her look of outrage was finally perfectly etched onto her face, akin to a sculpture from the ancient times.
When she finally was able to detach her eyes from the object, her movements became fluid once more.
"How dare he! This is treason! I'll kill him for this!" Athena screamed in fury.
Apollo noted that Hermes was now biting his cheek very hard in an attempt to restrain himself and Apollo was willing to bet that he had drew some ichor from the force of the bite.
"Athena would you quit the dramatics and tell me what is in the forsaken box!?" Zeus demanded, his temper rising once again.
"The impertinent demigod has sent the council Medusa's head!" Athena screamed hysterically.
Poseidon froze in fear, his son had met Medusa? Percy had killed Medusa? But Percy was only twelve! Poseidon blinked in shock, scrambling in his godly mind to come up with some way to save his son from a deadly lightning bolt that could very possibly be aimed at him soon.
Apollo's jaw dropped and a scoff of disbelief escaped him. The boy had slain Medusa? He wondered if he could bribe Iris into showing him the moment it had happened, after all, she was always watching heroes.
Hermes had to hold his breath even though his godly chest ached. Perseus may not have been his child but he did have the spirit of his children. Yes, Percy seemed alright indeed.
Aphrodite smiled wickedly, "Awe, 'Thena, were you bested by Medusa once again?"
Hermes couldn't contain his laughter anymore. He burst into raucous laughter that spread to Apollo, Aphrodite, and Ares. Hephaestus was smirking. Hera looked unimpressed. Demeter looked almost smug. Even Artemis had let a small humorous smile grace her face.
Poseidon's frantic brain paused for a moment as he thought of how much Triton would love to have seen this. After all that Athena had done to harm Triton in the past, all beings of the sea basked in Athena's plights.
"Silence!" Zeus bellowed in a booming voice that surely traveled far beyond the throne room.
Reluctantly, the council quietened. Although, their satisfied smirks refused to be wiped off of their godly faces.
"Now, Poseidon. It is clear your demigod has posed a clear threat to Olympus. It is only right that we must kill him for such an action lest we allow others to make a mockery of our council," Zeus said simply.
"Don't you dare-" Poseidon started to growl lowly at his brother.
"Absolutely not!" Aphrodite spoke up, aghast at Zeus' proclamation.
"Aphrodite, I think you would be wise to silence yourself in this matter," Zeus warned, the tone in his voice threatening the goddess' actions.
"No! The boy is clearly providing us with proof that he is not only on his quest but also making notable advances on his journey!" Aphrodite glared defiantly.
"I have to agree. The boy- Perseus- he would have known that Medusa's head has little affect on us. If he can kill her, he is definitely smart enough to know she can't kill us," Apollo spoke up, the logic in the argument too vital to ignore.
"Apollo, do not-" Zeus began to warn his oldest son.
"Part of Apollo's domains are logic and truth. He would not lie about this and what he says makes perfect sense. Perseus may be a boy but if he has lived this long, then he would also know that as gods, we cannot die by Medusa's gaze. Perhaps he has even heard the story of Athena looking upon Medusa's gaze," Artemis spoke up in defense of her twin.
"Be that as it may, his blatant disrespect shall not be ignored and he shall be made an example of," Athena glowered, still tense from her fury.
"Sorry, but as a sender through Hermes delivery services, he acted completely in accordance with our policies. The tape your ripped off so carelessly was our warning label," Hermes spoke up at once, reciting his policy with a twinkle in his eyes.
"There are rules, Athena. We aren't meant to negatively meddle in quests, not anymore," Demeter spoke up in a rare outward support for the demigods.
"My son is on a quest for you Zeus, do not complicate matters before he is able to prove his innocence." Poseidon's tone was calm and yet the council knew there was a promise of violence laced in every word he spoke if his son was to be harmed.
Athena scowled fiercely, realizing that she had no support from the council and stormed away to her temple on Olympus, promptly ending that day's council meeting.
As she spied on her daughter and those foolish boys, she scowled once more as Annabeth smiled at the son of Poseidon. So it seems her daughter was just as impertinent as this boy. Fine, well if that was the case, Athena will not stand simply aside and let these mere children make a mockery of her. She was the revered goddess of wisdom, they should have known better than to slander her.
Perhaps this way her daughter will learn a valuable lesson about her place in the world and how she compares to the grace of a goddess such as Athena herself.
While Athena stewed in her temple, watching the children get aboard the train, Poseidon was not just sitting idly by. In his own temple, the sea god watched over his son, forehead creased in worry and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, alluding to his hurt.
Poseidon greatly regretted not being there for the boy, not being there for Sally. He knew though, that the already big target on Percy's back would have increased by tenfold. Poseidon cared about his son and so he stayed far away. Instead, he opted to send out others to watch over his son. A loyal cyclops here, a nereid there, any being that Poseidon could ask to confidentially oversee his son, he did.
So, only a day or so later, (keeping track of time was harder when in mortal time frames) when he noticed in one of his many glances into his son's journey that he was planning to seek refuge in one of Athena's temples, suspicion grew throughout his godly being.
It is often forgotten that Poseidon was once the god who possessed the domain of strategy, long before Athena ever existed, even within the confines of Zeus' big head. Those instincts never fade, even though he had no claim over the domain today. He knew to expect Athena not to simply sit aside and let the event go. So as Poseidon waited in his temple, since his brother refused to let him leave Olympus in his paranoia, he allowed himself to take as many sneak peaks at his son's journey as he could without Zeus, or any other godly being for that matter, noticing.
However, as Poseidon saw Echidna and the Chimera chasing his son and friends off the train and in the direction of the temple of Athena, he realized very quickly what the wretched goddess was planning to do- or rather what she was planning to not do. Poseidon knew that in any way that he was to proceed, he needed to tread very carefully, any wrong move would be taken by Zeus not only as a threat but also as solidified proof that Percy was the thief. So he called on one of his most trusted Nereids, a sister of his wife Amphitrite, and sent her to the river that ran along where Percy was. He could not help his son, but he could do so indirectly.
Poseidon only hoped that the children would be able to pull off the impossible and outrun the monster and its mother. He watched the children fight with an eyebrow raised, he was quite impressed by their abilities. Then he noticed something that caused a small hurricane to form off the coast of the Florida Keys; there was a Chimera stinger sticking out of his son, out of Sally Jackson's son.
He watched with bated breathe as the two, he believed he had heard the Satyr be called Grover and the child of Athena to be called Annabeth, rush his son to a large puddle of water. Poseidon sighed knowing that now it was in Percy's hands. Would Percy accept his father and begin to heal? Or would he refuse and continue to wither away.
Poseidon's questioning thoughts we answered when Percy did not begin to regain color once splashed the first time. Poseidon's face pinched as if he was experiencing physical pain, not used to the vehement rejection from one of his children.
"Why must you hate me so, Percy? If you just stopped rejecting me as your father, you'd allow your powers to help you," Poseidon whispered as he hung his head.
The god knew he was to blame and it wasn't his son's fault that the gods had to live by the ancient laws, however, it stung nonetheless. If Percy had been anyone else than his son, than Sally Jackson's son, he wouldn't be so forgiving and certainly wouldn't be laying the blame on himself. But as it were, Perseus was both of those things and Poseidon couldn't help the massive soft spot in his godly rage when it came to the young boy.
Poseidon continued to watch in an uncomfortable amount of rare helplessness as Percy was lugged back towards the temple of Athena as the Chimera and Echidna drew near once again. Poseidon hated to see how sallow his child looked as the poison took effect in his system.
As he saw the children enter one of the small pods he debated the effects of any reckless behavior on his part. If it came down to it, could Poseidon stand by as these three children were made an example of for Athena's wounded ego. No, he absolutely could not, and the god was well aware of it.
Poseidon wasn't sure when he had summoned his trident but he noticed when the temple floor began to crack under its pressure as the god leaned on it for support.
As he saw Echidna take the first step into the temple, the miniscule amount of misplaced hope he had in the back of his mind that told him he had read the situation wrong vanished. That Athena with her wretched hubris and thirst for vengeance. Poseidon knew it would come back to bite her in the ass one day, whether her own child delivered that karma or if he himself had to give her a poke with his trident.
Poseidon watched regretfully as Annabeth went on to blame herself with tears forming in her eyes. A part of him that had always been a bit partial to mere children had felt furious, she was a child who had spent her whole life in full devotion of Athena and yet Athena was willing to let her be murdered within a temple, how vain of her. This was not ancient times. They were not supposed to act this way anymore and yet Athena let her hubris control her. How she was the goddess of wisdom, Poseidon never knew.
Then when Poseidon refocused in after being lost in his thoughts, Percy was pushing Annabeth into the stairwell and locking them out. Effectively trapping him in with the Chimera and Echidna. It was a suicidal move and Poseidon felt the seas thrum angrily.
Poseidon cared little for his younger brothers rage at the moment as Percy attempted to strike the monster and was immediately flung against the wall.
The sea god quickly debated his options, he could perhaps send a Pegasus to sweep him far away. No, he shook the thought away, there was no time for that. There was little time for anything aside from teleporting to Percy and kidnapping him. He would keep it in mind as as a very last resort.
Poseidon paced anxiously as the Chimera breathed fire at Percy. He watched in horror as his son crawled away, already weakened from the poison spreading in his system. Then Echidna just had to make a gigantic hole right in front of his son. Poseidon felt his fury creep back up into his mind as his son miraculously got the energy to get back up and face the Chimera with riptide in his shaky grasp. Poseidon was quick to notice how Percy was staggering as he crept forward, his eyes seemingly taking on a more sunken purple look with every passing moment.
Percy swung. The Chimera knocked riptide out of his hands and then flung him against the wall once more. This time however, instead on landing on the floor, he tumbled straight down through the hole in the floor. Poseidon swore in ancient tongues and reared his trident ready to do whatever it took.
It was then that Poseidon noticed that Percy wasn't yet falling. With strength that sea god could not fathom he have under the effects of the Chimera poison, Percy held tightly onto the structural metal on the side of the hole. Poseidon knew though, that no matter how strong he held on, with Echidna and the Chimera hovering above him, Percy would have no choice to let go.
Poseidon sensed the location Percy within and with a feeling of immense relief he noticed that the river was not far, less than a hundred feet away. He could reach Percy, if Percy let him.
"Let go, son. I'll catch you. I promise, Percy. Just let go," Poseidon whispered like a gentle wave that rolled out onto a beach.
Percy's one hand lost grip.
"It's okay, Percy. I'm going to catch you," Poseidon continued to assure his son although he knew his son would not hear.
Percy looked down towards the water and paused. It was at that moment that Poseidon heard Percy mentally pray to him.
"Father, help me." Percy's voice whispered into Poseidon's head.
"I will. I will, Percy, but you have to let go." Poseidon whispered on edge now as the Chimera looked like it was going to breathe fire once more.
Finally, Percy lost his grip and he plummeted towards the ground.
It was only a few seconds later that Poseidon sprung into action, demanding that the waters to do as he commanded. The water from the river shot up as if it was Poseidon's own hand, reaching out to catch his son.
"Come on, Percy, reach for me," Poseidon hoped against all hope that his son would instinctively understand the pull in his gut connecting him to the sea god.
Poseidon relaxed when he could feel his son wrapped in the presence of his domain and deposited him into the river where he could would be able to heal from the poison.
Although when his son realized his foot was snagged, Poseidon also realized that the boy was still frightened. He was now incredibly grateful that he had sent one of his wife's sisters to watch over the boy. Nereids had a calming presence and the part of Percy that was connected to the seas would trust them.
He listened a bit emotionally at the speech given to his son. Every word was true, he was proud of his son and he did wish so badly that he could be there with him. However, it was up to Percy to decide whether he was going to reject the sea that was inside of him or not.
When Percy breathed, Poseidon did as well. It was a step in what would be a long journey for the two of them. But Poseidon could be settled with the knowledge that at least his son accepted who he was.
Athena would get her dose of karma eventually, Poseidon was confident that Fate would ensure it.
And as Percy hauled himself out of the river to come face to face with his shocked friends, Poseidon was also confident that those three would make it out of this journey alive. It was not just Percy who held his favor, the sea god supposed he could include a loyal satyr and a betrayed daughter of Athena as well.
Poseidon heard a frustrated scream from off in the distance and knew Athena had also been watching. With a grin, Poseidon wandered back to watch his son and friends, they made for quite a good distraction whilst he was practically being being held captive on Olympus.