Chapter Text
Annabeth tensed as Kronos looked at them with amusement.
She knew Percy could take Luke out, that wasn’t even a question. She might have argued for Luke winning before, but after the past year, Percy had really grown into a real beast of a warrior.
And even ignoring that, she’d seen what Percy did while they were back on the surface. He was on another level from any other demigod.
No, what scared her was the fact that Kronos was there. She’d seen what Kronos could do while in Luke’s body. He wasn’t in Luke’s body right now. He was in a body that radiated a kind of energy she only ever saw in Gods and Titans.
This was very bad.
“You!” Luke was glaring at Percy and Annabeth frowned. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her boyfriend.
“What about me?” Percy didn’t look intimidated but she could tell he was watching Kronos carefully. “Something on my face?”
“Don’t you dare mock me!” Luke snarled, pointing his sword at Percy. “Unless you want us to go again. And I think you remember how that went for you last time.”
“Yeah, when I was thirteen,” Percy snorted. “And I seem to remember being able to distract you long enough for Chiron to show up.”
Kronos snorted, which surprised Annabeth. “You never could get the job done, could you?”
Kronos almost sounded like a disappointed dad talking to his disappointing son. If it were any other situation, Annabeth might have laughed.
“Really, now? In front of them?” Luke looked more exasperated than hurt, almost like he didn’t care what Kronos said, which didn’t fit what he was like just a year ago. Annabeth had no idea what she was watching.
“Yes, in front of them,” Kronos looked at Luke with pure disdain. “You couldn’t get anything right despite all the chances I gave you.”
“You didn’t do shit!” Luke turned his attention to the Titan who just looked vaguely annoyed. “All you did was tell me to get things done so I did!”
“You couldn’t even get the Bolt successfully,” Kronos said completely deadpan. “I’d bet even Jackson could have done that back then and he was twelve.”
“You-”
“Time out!” Percy cut in. It was just like him to get in the middle of an argument like that. Kronos turned to him with a confused smile while Luke just looked murderous. “What’s going on here?”
“Well, you see Jackson,” Kronos had an annoyed look while speaking. “When you convinced this one to redeem himself, it caused us to be sent down here. As he was the mortal body I chose, having had no other option at the time, we ended up being bound. He was sent to Tartarus as punishment for what he did.”
“You sound like you agree with that,” Percy narrowed his eyes and Annabeth grabbed his hand, mostly for comfort as she was confronted with Luke being punished but also so he wouldn’t try to attack them.
Kronos shrugged. “He deserves to be punished for all the blunders he made during the war. This absolute fool,” they all ignored Luke’s indignant cry. “Almost single-handedly led to our loss purely down to his obsession with the two of you. The unfortunate side effect is that I have to endure him for the rest of eternity as my punishment from my ungrateful children.”
Percy frowned. “You ate your kids.”
“And?” Kronos raised an eyebrow, bored.
“Know what, never mind,” Annabeth squeezed Percy’s hand and took over. “What do you mean by eternal?”
Quicker than any of them could react, Kronos sliced Luke in half. Annabeth was stunned into silence, unsure of how to react, but within moments, Luke was put back together and was completely fine. “Hate it when you do that.”
“Good,” Kronos turned back to them after that. “As you can see, this ingrate can not die. He is my punishment apparently, and he is quite the punishment I must say.”
Percy nodded in sympathy and Annabeth had to resist the urge to facepalm. “That sounds rough.”
“Oh, it is,” Kronos sighed. “Really, for a twenty-three-year-old, he acts much more like he’s only about fifteen.”
“Is that why he had a crush on Annabeth?” Percy deadpanned and Annabeth wanted to sigh. She didn’t think Luke really had a crush but Percy was adamant he did.
“Most likely,” Kronos confirmed and Annabeth tensed. “His mind was… an interesting one. He truly is depraved.”
“You wanted to drive humanity back to their caves,” Luke shot back.
“As did you if I recall correctly,” Kronos said and Annabeth dropped her forehead to Percy’s shoulder and sighed aggressively.
“Now then,” Kronos turned back to them. “Why are you two here?”
“We’re fighting your mom,” Percy said casually and Kronos raised an eyebrow.
“Is that so?” He snorted. “Well, in that case, I’d imagine you’d want to make it to the Doors of Death to get out.”
“Yep,” Percy shrugged and Annabeth understood why he was doing this. There was no point in lying to Kronos and really, their lives were already in his hands. There was nothing they could really do to survive.
“I suppose I might as well help you,” Kronos smirked. “If nothing else, it will irritate mother dearest to no end.”
“Wait, really?” Annabeth blinked at that.
Kronos shrugged. “If Gaea wants to favor those half-breeds you call Giants, then I see no reason to help her. If freeing you will irritate her even a bit, then I will consider it a great success.”
Percy shrugged. “Not like we have any better options.”
She hated that he was right.
Hazel sighed as Piper rubbed her back.
“It’s fine, Hazel, it’ll work out,” she soothed and Piper leaned into her side.
“I want to believe that,” Hazel said miserably. She’d just fought with Frank again, this time not even about Leo. He’d said she didn’t trust him and that was why she was hiding things from him.
The problem was she did trust him, she trusted him too much and she didn’t want things to change between them. She didn’t want to lose him of all people so she didn’t know if she should tell him because he might leave her if he knew the truth.
No one besides Sammy ever stayed when they knew the real her and Sammy was long dead.
“It will,” Piper leaned her head against Hazel’s. It felt nice. “You’re young and you’re in your first relationship. Things like this will happen. Just remember that you care about him and he cares about you.”
“He keeps saying I don’t,” she muttered and Piper tightened her arm around her. “Been hiding things from him. Sees me with Leo. Leo and I are just friends but…”
“But he’s hurt and lashing out,” Piper sighed and kissed the top of Hazel’s head. She liked that. “I can’t tell you what to do, Haze, but I can tell you to follow your heart. Things will work out, alright?”
“Okay,” Hazel wrapped her arms around Piper’s waist and buried her face in her shoulder. It felt nice to be held like this, almost like she had an older sister.
They stayed like that for a bit before Hazel broke the silence. “You think Percy and Annabeth will be okay?”
“They have to be,” Piper’s voice broke a bit at that and Hazel squeezed her once. “They have to be.”
Hazel nodded. “The dream Nico had showed that Reyna got a letter from Annabeth in Tartarus. If she could do that, then they can get out.”
“Yeah,” Piper sighed, relaxing a bit. “You’re right.”
After a bit, they broke apart, splitting up to do their chores. By the end of it, Hazel was tired and was stumbling her way down the hall. She should go back to her cabin all things considered but she didn’t want to be alone.
She thought of Frank but talking to him so soon after their fight wasn’t a good idea. Last time she did hadn’t ended well.
She ended up knocking on Leo’s cabin door. She knew when he’d be in the engine room and when he’d be in his cabin by heart.
Maybe she should have been a bit more distant from Leo, but right now she didn’t care. She needed company and Leo was the only option she had.
It helped that she enjoyed being around him.
“Hazel!” he hugged her and she felt herself relax into his arms. It was nice to have someone who cared around her.
“Hey, Leo,” she nuzzled his shoulder and tightened her arms around him. He guided her into the room, his arms still around her, and they lay on the bed.
“What’s wrong, Haze?” his breath was warm against her ear as he rubbed her back.
She sighed, nuzzling into his chest. “Everything’s just too much, Leo. Frank and I are fighting even more now, Jason’s Jason, and it feels like everything’s getting worse and worse every day.”
“I know the feeling,” he kissed her forehead lightly and she probably shouldn’t have felt as warm at that as she did. “We’ll get through it. I promise.”
She sighed and nodded, wanting to believe it. She really did.
And yet, she could only feel the impending dread as he tightened his arms around her.
Jason had to say, this sight in front of him was perfect.
On the bed in front of him were Annabeth Chase and his former colleague Reyna, both as naked as they were on the day they were born with their enhanced breasts for him to see. He let his hands roam over their bodies as he stared right at Percy Jackson, tied to a chair and watching miserably.
He’d been recently castrated, left without his cock and balls as he deserved. To be fair, it was more than him just not deserving it, it was him not being able to use it. He had no reason to have it as he needed to be removed from the gene pool.
“Jason,” his gaze turned to the two vixens spreading their legs further for him. “Come on, we’re waiting.”
He smiled. “Anything for you two, sweethearts.”
He took his time with them, starting with Reyna as he stared Percy down. He’d heard that Reyna had asked for Percy to be her boyfriend when they met at camp, at least since he wasn’t there. Percy might have turned her down, but he knew that Percy would have wanted her. He would be even less of a man than Jason thought if he didn’t.
As such, he was taking her right in front of Percy in every way he could while making sure he was staring Percy right in his eyes. He made Reyna finish in ways he knew Percy would never be able to even if he’d kept his worthless dick.
He didn’t finish in Reyna however. He wouldn’t until he’d gotten Annabeth to take his seed and bear his kid. She was the one who’d bear his first kid, Annabeth being the one perfect to be his consort.
Reyna, good as she was, through no fault of her own, couldn’t be on his level.
It had to be Annabeth, the one born to be his. It wasn’t Reyna’s fault, but she just wasn’t born right for him. He’d keep her on the side though because she was just perfect for that.
And she loved it.
By the time he finished with Annabeth, she was on her front and her blank gaze was directed to Percy. Percy was fully defeated now so he could be put to good use soon enough. For now, Jason smirked at Percy, knowing he’d won.
He woke up again, needing a change of pants, and cursed his luck. It was like his dreams were taunting him with what he could never have. For all he knew Annabeth would be his, he knew it’d be harder to convince Reyna to go with this.
He sighed, getting out of bed and trying to avoid the others. After they got back from the meeting with Cupid, Nico and Hazel told everyone what he’d done and the rest of the crew all turned on him. He supposed Piper always didn’t like him, probably because he’d upgraded after dumping her, but Leo and Frank were on decent terms with Jason.
Granted, he couldn’t recall much about them besides their names, but it had to count for something.
He sighed, putting his clothes away for laundry. He had no more options for fucking given everyone on the ship hated him. Maybe if Reyna made it in time, he could convince her to go for a few rounds. She’d take his side over the others, he was sure about it.
He was startled out of his thoughts when he ran into Nico di Angelo in the hallway. The son of Hades just glared at him, causing Jason to tense up a bit. Was he going to die here? Would he be killed by this small but somehow deadly demigod?
He breathed a sigh of relief when Nico just marched into Percy’s cabin. They’d given the kid that room when he joined them, though he’d burned the mattress and they’d needed to get a new one. Jason wasn’t too sure why but it didn’t matter too much.
Between the two of them, Nico had to die first. And Jason needed to make sure it was soon.
“You think Reyna’s on her way?”
Percy nodded as he dug into the food that came from the Hermes shrine. They’d been sitting there for some time, just trying to rest. Annabeth had gotten the idea to burn a letter at the shrine to get Reyna to make it to the Ancient Lands.
Kronos had been impressed with her choice which didn’t leave Percy feeling very good but he supposed it could be worse.
Hanging out with Kronos and Luke was weirder than anything Percy could have ever prepared himself for. Instead of the two villains who’d made his life hell for three years running, he’d been dealing with a Hallmark dad and his disappointing son.
The two traded barbs like it was their day job, not leaving a snipe unsaid.
“You know, Luke, you could stand to eat more like a person than a rabid animal,” Kronos said mildly, smirking as Luke bristled.
“Last I checked, what mattered was that I ate,” Luke huffed. “Isn’t that what you said when you had us ration beef jerky for weeks?”
“That was when you were meant to be leaders of my army, which you did a poor enough job of being anyway,” Kronos looked totally bored which was somewhat funny. “Now, you are just being a waste of space, which means you must eat in a manner befitting of such a waste of space.”
“If I’m a waste of space, why should I care how I eat?” Luke stuffed his face with the pizza.
Kronos shook his head. “With an outlook like that, no wonder you failed so miserably.”
“Fuck off,” Luke went back to eating like a pig and Percy had no idea what he was watching.
Kronos sighed and turned back to Percy. “Now then, Jackson, why don’t you tell us what we’ve missed over the past year?”
“Why should I?” Percy frowned, not trusting Kronos in the slightest.
“What harm could it bring?” Kronos shrugged. “It’s not like we can do much with it at the moment.”
Percy frowned but conceded the idea. At least, what he’d planned on telling them wouldn’t hurt.
Annabeth seemed to come to the same conclusion as she started explaining what happened, from the moment he disappeared, leaving out that he had disappeared and that Hera was the one to do it, all the way till they fell into Tartarus.
Luke, being Luke, zeroed in on one particular point. “You were mind-controlled into falling in love with him?”
Annabeth nodded, looking embarrassed. “Still not sure how it happened. Percy says Gaea spoke to him about a surprise and he’s sure this was it.”
Kronos hummed and looked at her. “Yes, I do see a curse from Mother’s remnants on you. This is a peculiar one, though. It is based entirely on your proximity to whoever is the center of the curse.”
“So the further from Jason the weaker the curse?” Annabeth frowned and Percy could see a glimpse of her confidence in her answers return.
“Precisely,” Kronos nodded. “Typically, a curse like this would be requested, especially with it having the distance as a factor.”
“So Jason would have asked for this to happen?” Percy growled.
“Also correct,” Kronos didn’t look like he particularly cared which wasn’t surprising. “And by falling into Tartarus, you put enough distance between yourself and Jason Grace to break the curse.”
“It broke while we were dangling over Tartarus,” Annabeth said quietly, looking at Percy with slight awe. “Percy threw himself to grab me and it just broke.”
“Hmm,” Kronos seemed to consider that. “I’d imagine a mix of your sickening love and Tartarus’s pull is likely the culprit. Given how this curse is structured, I’d imagine that to be the case, though more Tartarus’s pull breaking the curse.”
Percy shrugged. “What matters is that the curse is broken.”
“Indeed,” Kronos waved a hand and Percy narrowed his eyes. “And now, Mother can not reapply the curse.”
“Wait, why would you do that?” Percy didn’t feel a single lie in Kronos’s words but that made no sense.
“Because as you children would say these days, fuck her,” Kronos shrugged.
“Works for me,” Percy caught Luke shifting around and glaring at the floor. He turned to him with an unimpressed look. “Something you wanna say, Castellan?”
“You’re saying Jason used mind control to get Annabeth to fall in love with him?” he ground out and he seemed angry. Was it possible that the older brother Annabeth remembered was still in there?
“Yeah, that’s what happened,” she seemed hopeful and his heart clenched at the look in her eyes.
Luke then crushed that hope when he punched the ground. “Gods damn it all! It should’ve been me!”
The three of them looked at Luke with varying levels of exasperation and disgust, though Annabeth had a hint of sadness to it.
“You really are depraved, Castellan,” Kronos commented casually.
“Coming from you, that’s rich.”
Percy wrapped an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders as she deflated further. “It’ll be fine, Beth. I’ve got you.”
She turned to him with a smile. “You always do, even when I’m not myself.”
“Always,” he kissed her gently, not caring that Kronos and Luke were there. They were too busy sniping at each other anyway to notice.
When they broke apart, Annabeth was smiling at him. “You know,” she said with infinite love in her eyes. “I think I would’ve fallen for you again even through the curse.”
“Oh yeah?” he pushed his forehead to hers. “You think so?”
“I was already on the way to that,” she rubbed her nose against his and kissed him once. “I remember thinking I would’ve fallen for you if not for Jason even through the curse. Given enough time and with how Jason was acting, well…”
Percy smiled and kissed her. Of course, Luke had to ruin the moment. “You’re saying you’d have cheated on Jason?”
“Cheated on her rapist with her boyfriend,” Kronos said incredulously. “Why did I ever think you would be a good host? You are as twisted as they come, aren’t you?”
“You ate your own kids,” Luke shot back.
“I fail to see the issue,” Kronos responded drily.
“What am I watching?” Annabeth whispered to him.
“I don’t know but I hate it.”
They didn’t stop there. “Really, Luke, you could have been more like Percy. He was competent enough to be considered a threat at just fourteen years old while you couldn’t do much on your own.”
“If you were more like Poseidon, maybe we would’ve won. He actually did help Percy out unlike you.”
“Maybe if you got actual results I would have been more inclined to help.”
“Maybe if you’d been a better leader, I would’ve fought harder.”
“I should have sent you to your room without supper.”
“You’re not my dad.”
“And thank the Fates for that as you would be even more disappointing than my own children, including Chiron.”
“You-”
“This is gonna be a long trip,” Annabeth sighed and Percy had to nod in agreement. He did not want to be around these two for much longer, but he knew they had to.
He just hoped they still had their sanity by the end of it.
Reyna sighed as she packed her things.
She’d managed to convince the Romans that Jason was a traitor and they needed to help the Greeks against Gaea. It had been surprisingly easy, at least after Octavian joined her in helping.
He seemed to have a personal vendetta against Jason but it didn’t matter. Just meant less work for her.
Now, she had to cross to the Ancient Lands to help the Greeks at Annabeth’s request. The letter seemed different from how Annabeth spoke when they last saw each other so she hoped that meant the daughter of Athena was over whatever it was that ailed her.
Considering she was apparently in Tartarus now, she’d need it.
If Annabeth truly has found the Athena Parthenos then Reyna would gladly go to the Ancient Lands to retrieve it, even if it was technically against their laws.
Octavian didn’t seem willing to stop her, though he did seem to be concerned. “Are you sure about this, praetor?”
“Since when do you care?” she didn’t turn to him, not in the mood to deal with this.
“Believe it or not, I do think you are good for the prosperity of Rome,” he huffed. “Just because we don’t get along doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge that.”
She side-eyed him before getting back to packing. “Still doesn’t explain why you care.”
“Perhaps I’d rather you survive so I don’t have to share this praetorship with some absolute moron,” Octavian said drily.
“Jason and Percy are technically still praetors,” she felt the need to say even if she knew they wouldn’t work.
“Percy would make a fine praetor with the right guidance, I will admit,” Octavian nodded. “But he is Greek and I doubt he will stay. Jason on the other hand…”
“Yeah,” Reyna grimaced. “Not a good choice.”
He huffed. “I am glad you managed to tell us that he was the traitor. Even if now I don’t fully believe it was true, I’ll still take it.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?” Reyna tilted her head. “Seems to go beyond betraying Rome.”
Octavian sighed. “I suppose there’s no reason to hide this. We were dating before he disappeared, and when he came back, it was with a brainwashed girl on his arm.”
Reyna blinked twice. “Wait, you were dating?”
“Yes,” Octavian frowned. “Why is that so surprising?”
“Because Jason and I were dating before he disappeared,” Reyna said, a hole forming in her chest.
“I see,” Octavian ground out after a moment. “I was not aware of that.”
“Nor I of you,” she narrowed her eyes. “He cheats on both of us and then decides to brainwash a different girl when he comes back. I think I’ve got another reason to go to the Ancient Lands now.”
“Yes, I do believe you do,” Octavian nodded. “Do make sure to give him one good punch from me, will you praetor?”
“Of course,” Reyna nodded. “Look after the Legion while I’m gone.”
“You can count on me, Reyna,” Octavian said seriously, extending his hand.
“I know I can,” Reyna shook in and nodded once before turning to her pegasus.
When she saw Jason Grace again, there would be hell to pay.
Hazel was very proud of not throwing up.
She was staring out at the horizon again, contemplating what she should do next. She hadn’t spoken with Frank in a few days now, maybe three, and the quest was just getting worse.
Leo seemed to have a sixth sense for knowing when she needed company as he slid up next to her, not saying anything at first, just giving her company. She appreciated that.
After a bit, he broke the silence. “Who do you think the prophecy’s about?”
Hazel frowned and turned to him, confused. “What?”
Leo sighed. “The prophecy’s pretty clear-cut for the most part. Seven half-bloods shall answer the call’s pretty easy, oath to keep is a weird one but not anything we can think about right now, foes bearing arms are probably gonna be Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus, so that leaves one line.”
“To storm or fire the world must fall,” Hazel hummed. “You think someone’s gonna destroy the world?”
“Either that or someone’s gonna beat Gaea who is the world,” Leo shrugged. “Piper mentioned it to me before I got here.”
“I see,” Hazel nodded. “And you’re the fire, with Percy and Jason being the storm.”
Leo snorted at that. “I mean, I can see Percy being the storm, but I see no universe where Jason is enough of a storm to beat Gaea.”
Hazel laughed and shoved his shoulder. “Dummy.”
Leo smiled and threw his arm around her shoulder. “Got you smiling though.”
“Thanks, Leo,” she leaned her head on his shoulder and they just stood there for some time, staring out at the horizon.
After a bit, he broke the silence again. “How are you and Frank?”
She sighed, pulling away slightly and looking at him. “We tried talking again a few days ago. It went well till it didn’t and we haven’t spoken since.”
“I’m sorry, Hazel,” Leo said, pulling her into his arms. She melted into his embrace. “I wish I could help.”
“You do by being here,” she pulled her head back slightly, arms still around him. He’d been by her side for close to a month now, ever since they met Nemesis. Throughout the whole quest, he’d been her friend, her confidante, her rock in a sense.
Maybe she shouldn’t feel like that. Maybe it should have been Frank who did all that for her, but they’d been at odds since the quest started, which left Leo. She wanted things to be alright with Frank, she understood why he was mad.
She was friends with Leo who attacked their home even if it wasn’t his fault, she’d decided he was her friend before they confirmed it was the Eidolons. She hadn’t told him the full story about Sammy but she’d shown Leo even though she’d wanted to keep it to herself. She had no choice with Leo.
Frank was her boyfriend, but Leo was right here. Maybe that was why she was so lost.
Maybe that was why she kissed him.
It was just a peck at first, one neither of them expected if his expression was anything to go by when they broke apart. He looked at her for a moment before leaning in himself.
She met him halfway, his arms still around her, and this kiss was unlike the first. He pulled her close to him and she tightened her grip, kissing him with all she had. It probably shouldn’t have felt this good, but it did.
He turned her against the railing and pushed her back against it, bringing his hands to her face as she pushed herself up to find a better angle. She lost track of how long they stayed like that before breaking apart.
She stared at him in a daze for a moment before it all came rushing to her. What had she just done?
She didn’t have time to consider what she’d done as a wave of cold blasted over them.
Leo recognized who they were dealing with but he was sent into the sky before he could do anything. Hazel ended up needing to stand against the three interlopers.
She was alone against the three and helpless. She’d felt lost the whole time, and now these people had attacked her friend.
She didn’t give them a chance to talk. Mixing her control over the Mist and gems, she took out the weaker ones before blasting everything she had on the Snow Goddess, driving them off.
It wasn’t too hard and they were left mostly unscathed, but that didn’t matter.
Leo was gone. She didn’t know where he was. And she’d kissed him.