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Percy XLVIII

"Percy XLVIII," Hermes read.

Dionysus cringed, preparing for another round of headaches.

Percy sighed tiredly, ready for the worst.

PERCY HAD FOUGHT MANY BATTLES. He'd even fought in a couple of arenas, but nothing like this. In the huge Colosseum, with thousands of cheering ghosts, the god Bacchus staring down at him, and the two twelve-foot giants looming over him,

Poseidon scowled.

The teens listened to the passage with sympathetic expressions on their faces.

Percy gritted his teeth but said nothing. He always knew the immortals watched demigods fight, Ares even mentioned watching reruns on Hephaestus TV, but for Bacchus to be so blatant about it was infuriating. He's even eating snacks!

Keeping his anger in check, Percy crossed his arms and hid his balled fists.

The gods are going to help this time, he reminded himself. They had better or he'd march to Olympus and open the gates himself.

Percy felt as small and insignificant as a bug. He also felt very angry.

"Can't blame you," Chris said with a scowl of his own.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he jumps in at the last minute to get the finishing blow," Percy rolled his eyes.

"He wouldn't," Poseidon shot Dionysus a glare. The god of wine refused to meet his eyes.

"Mr. D did say he was going to step in during the 'grand finale'," Percy shrugged, suppressing a sigh. "I'm pretty sure that means when the twins are too weak to survive whatever he throws at them."

Fighting giants was one thing. Bacchus making it into a game was something else.

"And he just had to add the ditches and lake to make things easier," Percy grumbled sarcastically. The only good thing about all this was Piper getting her shoulder looked at and Nico being safely away from the battle.

Annabeth took his hand in hers, squeezing it in what she hoped would be comforting.

Percy remembered what Luke Castellan had told him years ago, when Percy had come back from his very first quest: Hermes grimaced, feeling a stab of grief.

Percy's face fell, he brushed his hair back. Not now...

With similar thoughts, Annabeth and Thalia winced.

The other readers had pained expressions as they waited in apprehension for what Luke had said.

Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the Olympians?

The gods reared back, now looking extremely uncomfortable.

The demigods anxiously looked away from the immortals.

Percy winced and ducked his head.

Leo's eyes widened, taken aback by the remark. They were only two sentences, but they held such bitterness and contempt, the son of Hephaestus couldn't help but take offense.

"Who the heck says that to a guy after he comes back from his first quest?" Leo said incredulously with a scowl. "And what is he trying to say? That we should stop going on quests because the gods make us do all their dirty work? Get real." 

The boy scoffed, crossing his arms. "Look, I'd love to forget about Gaea and stay at Camp to build a hover craft with my siblings. But evil deities like her crazy family aren't going to leave us alone if we let them destroy humanity."