Trapped

Prologue

Percy looked up at Zeus, hands tucked away carefully in his pockets to hide how they shook. He still couldn't hide the waiver in his voice as he spoke.

"Are you sure it will work?" He glanced between the gathered gods before his eyes rested back on Zeus.

"It has to. Not even Athena can think of another method that could work." The arrogant king's voice was unusually quiet, a thread of kindness could even be heard. The softer expression lasted a moment longer before the Lord of the Skies straightened up and spoke once more.

"Step forwards Perseus Jackson, Son of Poesidon; Lord of the Seas, Son of Sally Jackson, Hero of Olympus. Kneel and accept your burden and gift." As per instructed, Percy approached the King's throne and knelt carefully, holding himself steady with a knee and one hand pressed into the cold marble floor of the throne room of the gods. He forced his eyes shut, ignoring the wet sting of tears that pushed back as a hand pressed into his shoulder. More hands were placed along Percy's back, while one came to rest in his hair.

Slowly and suddenly, all at once and lasting for hours, a heat began to build within him. It raced up his spine, leaving him with a sick feverish sensation, before it began to swell. Branching off the boiling heat consumed him until it pressed against his skin, begging to burst through and be released into the open air. Just when he was certain the heat was going to kill him before the plan could ever be put into effect, all of the heat settled in, drifting away as if it had never been. At some point, the hands had all drawn away, leaving Percy once more, kneeling alone before filled thrones. The marble beneath his skin was warm and thrumming with life, magic, and history.

"Rise, Perseus, god of the Loyal and the Martyrs. Those who would give themselves so that others may triumph. With minor domain over storms, quakes, and water" Zeus's voice roared through the room once more, Percy obeyed once more. This time, rather than giving the gods his full attention, Percy paid more attention to himself. As far as he could tell, physically nothing had changed. He still had scars where his old ones had been, and a quick check in a mirror offered by Aphrodite confirmed the white streak in his hair remained, if not becoming more pronounced. The longer he looked however, the more he noticed. His eyes held a new shimmer, a hint at the power he felt within, deeper than even his bones. Aches from injuries past no longer bothered him at all. Finishing his self inspection, Percy shifted his eyes towards the gods, looking over each one.

"Go forth, young god, and complete your quest." Zeus finally said, meeting Percy's eyes for what felt like the first, and final, time. With a deep breath, Percy nodded his agreement and turned away, leaving the throne room.

~~~~~

Percy sat up slowly in his bed, glancing around the empty cabin. He regretted for a moment, not sleeping next to Annabeth on his final day as a mortal, but the regret passed. Annabeth was smarter than he would ever be, she would understand what he did and why he did it. It would hurt at first, but she would understand.

After pulling on his pajamas, Percy sat down on his bed to think over the plan one final time. Gaia would rise today, every prophecy pointed towards that fact. His job was to bait her into rising in an uninhabited valley, surrounded by mountains but flat enough that a battle could reasonably take place. After he had engaged her, drawing her focus, each of the prophetic seven and Nico would place a device they had been given on the other side of the surrounding mountains. Once these devices were placed, Leo would activate them using a remote he had been gifted by his father. 

The demi-gods with devices were instructed to treat them as live bombs, and move over 100 meters back before activation. Unknown to them, this was so that they would be unable to interfere with the devices that upon activation, would first reach out to each other, before spreading through the air and the soil in an unholy mix of magics and sciences, until the entire Valley was sealed within.

Gaia would be unable to escape, eradicating any threat she may hold.

The only price of the final battle would be Percy himself.