𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠 // 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑦 𝑗𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑠𝑜𝑛 ＆𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑙𝑦𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈.

－ • ꕥ • －

"𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛
𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒"
— 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

－ • ꕥ • －

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐃, 𝐏𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 Percy, Evangeline and Annabeth towards a table in that order. Evangeline's cold expression had softened once she realized how sad Hermes was just at hearing Luke's name. "Okay. Time and space are easy, kids. Parenting is...something else entirely. Have a seat." Hermes sat down on the opposite side of a table.

"You've never been a real parent, Hermes. How would you know it's hard?" Evangeline remarked, sitting down as a waitress gave Hermes a drink.

He rolled his eyes. "Only a naive child would think that way," Hermes responded and then laid eyes on Annabeth. "I remember you. You were there. Last time I saw Luke." he brought his drink to his lips.

Annabeth nodded curtly. "Yes. I saw you argue. I heard what he said. That what happened to his mom was your fault. That it was all your fault. That he hated you. Help us get to the Underworld. Help us retrieve Zeus's master bolt from Hades, and he'll see that you care." Annabeth's words clearly affected Hermes more than he cared to admit.

The god paused. "There is a way into the Underworld. A secret way. I've helped others find it before. And do you know what happens every time? I mean, every single time. You don't want my help, trust me." Hermes tried to steer them away from their quest.

"No, we actually kind of do." Percy said tenatively, looking at Evangeline and Annabeth. Hermes set his drink down.

"I was warned to stay away from Luke and his mother. Warned that no matter how much I tried to help, I would just make things worse. And I went anyway. And it wasn't just awful for Luke. It was awful for all of us. Do you know what that feels like?" Hermes leant forward, seeing Evangeline's expression falter. "To be so close to someone you love, knowing neither of you has any choice but to keep hurting each other? I know you do." he put his hand on Percy's arm, sucking him into a memory.

Hermes touched Evangeline's arm before she could realize it and she was swept up, landing as an eleven-year-old kid in a dingy apartment in Chicago. She was alone, Noah wasn't there. It was just her, her father and the voice of her mother in her head, trying to help but only confusing Evangeline to the point of being struck by her father. Evangeline came out of the memory, panting.

"Should I remind you, too?" Hermes tried to do the same to Annabeth, but she jerked her arm away.

"I remember just fine. Are you gonna help us or not?" Annabeth asked.

Hermes sat back against his seat. "I don't get involved anymore. It's just not worth it. I'm sorry." he drank from his glass.

Evangeline scoffed. "That's the easy thing to do. Just walk away? Really?" she was quickly growing upset.

"You're lecturing me? That's funny." Hermes chuckled, his disdain for the teenager showing itself.

"Why do you hate me, Hermes? The real answer." Evangeline spoke, leant forward on the table, her blue eyes sinking into Hermes'.

He set his drink down. "You're a daughter of Aphrodite. Born to manipulate and break hearts and destroy lives." Hermes sneered, Percy and Annabeth exchanging looks behind Evangeline's back.