Chapter Text
Percy stepped into his cabin and shut the door, letting his head thump onto the wood. He had a lot more to think about after all that. He tugged his shirt halfway off, ready to take a hot shower and fall into bed.
“AHHH!” Percy screamed, pulling his shirt back on and gasping. “Apollo?” He blushed, making sure his shirt was fully back on his body. “What are you doing here? In my cabin?”
Apollo did not look happy. His eyes were like molten gold. In the fading sunlight, they reminded him almost of Chronus.
“Why am I here?” Apollo scoffed as if the question was ridiculous. “Where were you just now, Perseus?”
Percy opened his mouth to answer but then snapped his jaw shut, feeling slightly angry at the god's tone. “Excuse you? You’re here in my cabin demanding answers from me? I don’t think I invited you in here.”
“Don’t be cheeky. You don’t have to answer I think everyone in Olympus knows. What exactly were you doing with Hades? Nothing reckless, I hope?”
“And if I was? It’s none of your business.”
Apollo grabbed Percy’s forearms; his palms were hot, burning through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. “I won’t ask again, Perseus. What did you do?” He demanded. Percy felt the divinity radiating off Apollo in waves, and as much as Percy pretended it didn’t bother him, he was all too aware of how easy it would be for Apollo to end him.
Still, he hated being treated like this. Who did Apollo think he was in Percy’s life to believe he could demand anything from him? He yanked his arms from Apollo’s grip.
“Leave.”
“What?”
“You heard me. This is my cabin, and if you’re going to act like this, you can see yourself out. I don’t have to tell you anything. What I discussed was my business, not yours.”
Apollo laughed coldly, putting a hand over his eyes. “You dare talk to me like that. Have I not proven myself to you? Have I not protected you? Helped you? But fine, you wish me to leave?” He revealed his eyes burning into Percy with barely concealed rage and hurt. “You are so eager to die that you’d go to Hades early? Fine. Do what you will, treat your life so callously, but know this: dying like this is selfish, Perseus.”
The words hit Percy like a brick, and his temper flared. “Selfish!” He opened and closed his mouth, unable to form words past that.
Apollo winced. That didn’t come out right. “Percy… ok, I didn’t mean selfish. I just-”
Percy shook his head, he wasn’t listening.
“Percy.” Poseidon chose the worst moment to appear in his cabin. He had wanted to talk to his son as soon as he’d returned from visiting his brother but had gotten waylaid with preparations for Percy’s coronation.
He looked between Apollo and his son and frowned. “What are you doing in my cabin?”
Apollo was stepping toward Percy and paused, staring at Poseidon with trepidation. “I was fishing for information. I’ll just be going now.” he vanished in a blink of an eye. Poseidon frowned at where Apollo had just been filing that away for a later moment.
Percy took a deep breath. “Dad, can this wait?” He was emotionally exhausted, and the idea of talking with his father made him almost want to cry. Percy loved his da,d but Poseidon was intense. Percy had had enough of that for the moment.
“I suppose I can come back in the morning. You do look tired.” Poseidon ran a hand through Percy’s hair, looking him over, just checking to make sure his brother hadn’t done anything. But his son seemed fine mostly.
“Thanks.”
“Sleep well.” He pressed a hand to Percy’s forehead, reminding Percy of his earliest memory of Poseidon—a warm hand on his head, gentle and comforting. Once his dad was gone, he could finally take his shower and fall into bed, automatically reaching for his sleeping tonic. But it was gone. He knew he hadn’t moved it. It was always there by his bed.
His argument with Apollo came to mind. He would be petty enough to take it. Percy slumped on the bed. He wanted to scream, but instead, he just rolled over and closed his eyes. He didn’t need Apollo’s stupid help. He could sleep just fine on his own.
…
He’s just below the surface, his head bobbing beneath the waves. Percy isn’t worried, though; the water has always meant safety. Then the water turns cold, his legs feel tired, and he struggles to return to the surface. He sinks further and grows colder.
Hands seem to grab at him, pulling him down. He tries to fight them off, but they grip him tighter, and each breath of icy water makes it harder to take another. His lungs are freezing. There are whispers in his ears, and they all tell him to let go. No more fighting. No more pain.
Percy struggled to pull in another breath, but this time the water burned because it wasn’t water. It was poison, and instead of the whispers of the damned, it was the screaming of Akhylis drowning in her poison,, and he was watching himself forcing the poison down his throat. It burns at his insides. Percy tries to scream but no sound leaves his lips. He’s going to die alone.
Percy wakes up his whole cabin is dark, and he still feels the icy grip, and surges up desperately fumbling with the lamp by his bed until soft yellow light illuminates the room. Percy hugs his legs to his chest and tries to calm his racing heart.
“I’m safe. I’m home,” He whispers to himself. “I’m safe. I’m home.” He repeated again and again until he stopped shaking, and that coldness felt like just a memory again. Percy got dressed and grabbed his sword, heading out to the arena.
“I thought you were going to get some sleep.” Poseidon looked at his son with concern. Percy capped his sword and looked at his dad. The sun was already rising over the forest canopy.
He stuck his pen in his pocket,, noticing how sore his arms were from the hours he’d spent training.
“I did.”
“You look more tired than you did yesterday.” Poseidon frowned. “All the more reason.”
“Reason for what?”
“I want you to come with me to Atlantis.” Poseidon smiled.. “I’ve gotten permission from Zeus. Being in my realm will do you some good.”
Percy had always wanted to be invited to his father's kingdom. He’d thought of it so often as a teenager, and now the idea of sinking beneath the waves into the cold depths… “You’re not still afraid of the water?” Poseidon easily read his face frowning. “You have to know it will never hurt you.” He put a hand on Percy’s shoulder. “You are safe in the ocean.”
“You uh.. Know about that?”
“I know my own son. Even if I’m not allowed to be with you I was still always paying attention.” Percy looked up at him, and Poseidon pulled him into a hug. “You’re not alone. I see you Perseus. I see your strength and your courage. I see your fear, and I won’t let it drown you.”
Percy held onto Poseidon tight. He was warm and all-encompassing.
“So… Atlantis.” Percy stepped back, wiping his face quickly, still a bit embarrassed by his tears. Poseidon thankfully said nothing, letting him get away with it.
“It’s your home as much as yours here on the land. Besides, I want you to see it when it’s not ravaged by war.”
“I remember you saying something about a game room?”
Poseidon laughed. “Shall we?”
“Right now?”
“Why not? We have permission.”
“I can’t just leave. I need to make sure things are taken care of here at camp. Besides, I think if I keep disappearing, I might retraumatize the campers.”
“As you wish. When you are ready, come to the beach and call to me.” Poseidon ruffled his hair before he left. Delphin greeted him when he got back to Atlantis.
“No Prince Perseus?” He asked
“He will be coming later today. I want to go over to his room again.” Delphin hid a smile. Poseidon had gone over every detail of Perseus’s room at least ten times. This was such a different side of his king.
“Of course, is there something you wish to change?”
“My son hasn’t been sleeping well. I want to make sure that everything is available to help aid in sleep.”
“Of course. We have a few Atlantean remedies for Atlantean youths. Perhaps we can provide him one before he retires for the night.”
“Perfect!” Poseidon nodded. “How are the preparations for the coronation?”
“Everything is on schedule, my lord. And Amphitrite?”
“I have attempted to speak to my queen many time,s but she will not be swayed.”
“I had hoped with your track record that she might listen to you.”
“Forgive me.”
Poseidon waved off his apologies. “You’ve done well. You have my gratitude.” Poseidon swam to his wife's private rooms. She had claimed the west wing for herself for the days when she was cross with Poseidon. She hadn’t used them much until Perseus’s birth.
He knocked. “My love?” He heard her scoff. “I will not have you acting this way during the coronation.”
“There should be no coronation!” Amphitrite raged.
“We’ve already had this argument and I will hear no more on the matter. You will be there, and you will act like the queen you are.”
“I will not stand by and let you crown your bastard child.”
“He is my true son and you will refrain from calling him anything but that for as long as he is here!” The water around Poseidon swirled with rage. “We must remain a united front for our people. You may be angry with all you like, but Percy is innocent.”
“Is he? Giving him this position of prince may make him think he deserves more. What's stopping him from vying for Triton’s position next? And you who dotes upon this mortal, you’d gladly give him that spot!”
“I will not hear any more of this nonsense!”
“You do not deny it!” Amphitrite yelled back.
“There is nothing to deny. I do not think for an instant that Perseus would even want that position.” Amphitrite did not miss the way he cleverly avoided her concerns. She would not let his mortal bastard son bring his arrogance to her kingdom, even if she had to stand against her husband.
Heroes were all the same. Perseus had already left a devastating mark on Atlantis when he convinced Poseidon to leave them to help Olympus. So many had died that day. Never again.
“Percy…” Cyrus pulled at his jacket nervously. Percy kneeled beside the boy.
“What’s going on?”
“My cabin is supposed to be going to Winged Horseback Riding. But I’m scared of heights. I don’t want to go.”
“Heights can be scary. Is there something in particular that you are scared of about heights?”
“I’m scared of falling. There are no safety nets! It’s dangerous.”
“I see. I guess that can be scary to think about. You know, as a child of Poseidon, I’m not a fan of heights either.”
“Really, but you ride a pegasus all the time.”
“I do have blackjack, and he’s very kind and trustworthy. Having a horse you trust can help with the fear. So what if instead of flying, I help you get to know the horses, we can give them a nice brushing. They love that.”
“No flying.”
“We can work up to that.”
“Ok. I wouldn’t mind that.” Cyrus smiled brightly, and Percy took his hand walking to the stables. Chiron stopped them on the way.
“I thought you would be getting ready to leave Percy?”
“I’m helping out Cyrus for a bit. I don’t have to leave til later.”
“You’re leaving?” Cyrus asked, looking sad.
“Not for long. I’m visiting my family.” He said vaguely. He didn’t want any of the kids to feel jealous.
“Oh, that’s nice. When you come back will you keep helping me.”
“For as long as you need me to.” Percy assured him. “We can start with Blackjack. He’s not a fan of the stables, so I’ll call him over, and we can give him a nice grooming.” Percy whistled, and the black horse descended from the sky. He was always close by for feeding purposes, but he just detested the stables.
“Hey, boss.”
“Hiya, Blackjack, would you like to be brushed?” Cyrus watched Percy pat the horse in awe. Percy pulled over the stool. “Cyrus is going to help. He’s a great kid. Cyrus blushed, looking nervous.
“He’s so big.”
“Blackjack is really sweet. You are… oh fine. He says not to tell anyone he has a rep.” Percy rolled his eyes. Blackjack leaned down and chuffed, sniffing Cyrus and blowing his hair around, making Cyrus laugh.
“See, he’s a big softie,” Percy reassured him and helped him climb up onto the stool. “You want to brush in the same direction as his fur.” Percy demonstrated before handing the boy the brush, helping him get the rhythm. “There you go, you’ve got it.”
Cyrus smiled and kept going, happy to be doing a good job. “He’s beautiful.”
“Want to give him a treat?”
“Yes, please!”
Percy handed Cyrus a sugar cube and showed him how to hold it so that blackjack could eat it, giggling at the feel of his slimy tongue.
“Would you mind brushing him while I’m gone? It’ll only be for a few days.”
“You trust me with that?” Cyrus looked at him with wide eyes.
“I think you’re the perfect choice. Just promise you’ll only give him one sugar cube a day, even if he tries to bribe you into more.”
“I promise!”
—
Percy gathered his things, throwing them in a duffle bag, and headed down to the beach. Jason stopped him briefly to give him an update on his plans. He told Percy he’d have a folder of documents to review when he returned.
He shook his head. Sometimes, Jason was worse than Annabeth.
“I heard you’re heading down to old barnacle beards place.” Percy stopped turning to see Dionysus leaning on the porch of the big house a can of Diet Coke beside him.
“Yeah, I am. I’ll be out of your hair for a bit.”
“Not for long. It seems I’ll have to deal with you much longer if the rumors are true.” He looked Percy up and down.
“I haven’t decided yet.” Percy shrugged. “I actually wanted to talk to you about it. I heard you self ascended.”
“You want some advice.”
“Are you offering?”
Dionysus contemplated Percy, unamused with his attitude. “Have you noticed how the Romans have very few half-bloods? Most of their population are legacies. While camp half-blood is flooded with them?”
“Um, I guess.”
“It’s because us gods prefer our Greek forms, Perry. Me included.” Dionysus looked at him as if he wanted Percy to connect the dots.
“I get it. I can’t say I think you all are that much better in Greek, but I guess you were reasonably helpful when it came to Dr. Thorn.” Percy acquiesced.
“I’ll take that as a thank you.”
“I figured. I don’t think that qualified as advice.”
“I hadn’t decided whether I wanted to give you any yet.”
“Of course.” Percy shouldered his duffle bag, turning to head to the beach.
“Watch your back. Not everyone wants a new god; you’re not immortal yet.” Dionysus threw out casually before vanishing back inside. Percy couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.