𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍° ! percy jackson

𝐢.𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐢 - 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 (𝐚)

"Don't. How could you, Luke? After everything?" She closed her eyes as Oleander formed into a sword. Luke's eyebrows shot up, him clearly not expecting it. But he didn't look scared. That pricked something wild in Aurora's heart. She couldn't be tamed, like Luke was most likely hoping.

"Rory, listen. Just hear me out. Of all people, you should understand! I've been here since I was a kid, I did everything they ever asked—"

"You did everything they ever asked?" She repeated with a harsh scoff, her grip on Oleander tightening, her hazel blazing with anger. "Don't stand there and give me that bullshit. I did everything they ever asked."

"Yeah, we did. And for what? The world will never be ours as long as our parents rule over this world." Luke's stare turned crazy, almost insane, as he let his rage consume him.

"Luke—" Aurora didn't understand. She didn't understand what he was saying. The gods, being a demigod... this was their life.

"I will do anything, Aurora. I don't care if I hurt anyone! The gods were never on our side—"

Aurora hadn't heard Luke call her her given name in years. It was always Rory. Always. His voice was turning violent, sinister. Aurora felt afraid of his wild gestures and his lunatic words and his demented gaze. She was afraid of who her older brother had become.

"That doesn't mean we have to watch them fall!" She argued pleadingly. Maybe she could fix him, maybe she could make him see—

"It doesn't pay to be a good kid, Aurora. Join me, and the world will finally be ours." Luke grabbed her hand, his grip firm and unshakeable as Aurora tried to pry herself out of his grasp. "You have every right to turn on them. They demanded perfection from a child! Hades personally hunted you down since you were little. He drove your dad away from you at five years old. Come on, Rory. Let's get our revenge! Kronos is here for us, Rory."

Aurora gasped at the Titan Lord's name. She had sneaking suspicions, all the clues adding up, but... Luke? Her Luke?

"He knows us. He knows glory. This quest, Percy, you're a sidekick, Aurora. You're not important to the gods. But you're important to Kronos, to me. Stop being such a fucking people pleaser. You heard him, he spoke to you. Why won't you just listen? Join him. Join us!"

Luke was right, in a sense. Aurora worked her entire life to survive, and she was cast into a quest. And even in her quest, she was nothing but the secondary character to the main character. They didn't care for her, they never did.

In Tartarus, Kronos had told her something she would never forget. He had exactly what Luke had, stating that she was being abused and manipulated and that he wanted her help to overthrow the gods. That wasn't the memorable part, though. Obviously Kronos would use her hatred of Hades, of the gods, against her. They overthrew him, as she recalled. But no. Kronos had said that she had been recommended to him by his bravest soldier. "Join me," the Titan Lord had proposed cynically. "My second in command speaks very highly of you. Join me, and you can get your revenge. I know you, Aurora Miller. I know what the gods have done to you. Do you know what they have done to me? Together, we will make the world ours once more." And Aurora was now realizing that the bravest soldier, Kronos' second in command, was Luke.

Aurora stared in horror at who her friend had become. Sure, they spent their days making fun of the gods, little acts of rebellion for the demigods. But to betray everyone? Annabeth and Percy and Gracie and Connor and Travis and Chiron and Mr. D? His friends, his family, his entire life? Too fucking far.

Aurora felt her heart breaking. A small piece of it chipped off when she had her sneaking suspicions that Luke had poisoned Percy. But those were simply thoughts, irrational ideals and justification, despite the obvious evidence. But like now, that wasn't her Luke. That wasn't her older brother.