Two Months After Percy First Met Up With Athena, He is 17 years and 8 months old.
Percy POV
I paced back and forth in my cabin, thinking about the recent events. Hestia had found out about me "trying to rape Aphrodite". Luckily, Artemis and my father still don't know. I wish someone else besides Artemis knew, because she's a man-hater. Because of that, she's out, just like the other gods.
I also heard from Athena during our meetings that lots of minor gods know about it. She doesn't know their opinion on it, though.
And yes, dear readers, I have meetings with a goddess who... I don't know. But she and I have gotten closer. I feel like I really know the gray-eyed goddess better, and I think she now approves of Annabeth and I at least a little bit. A little bit.
Rachel and I still haven't told anyone about Ares beating me up, me "trying to rape Aphrodite", or about the visions. We agreed we should wait for a prophecy before we say anything.
The younger campers talk about me. I know because I am stealthy, and I tend to happen to be there when they talk about me behind my back, so I eavesdrop. Not heroic, but I just wonder. What am I viewed as now? Turns out they talk bad at me. "Weak, loser, dumb, etc." Kind of hurts to hear those things about me.
The older campers who I don't know really well also talk weirdly about me, even though I fought by their sides in both wars. As for my friends, they seem distant. Hazel, Frank, Jason, Piper, Leo, Will, Reyna, Dakota, everyone. Annabeth and I have mended some parts of our relationship, but it feels as if it's just broken. But I try. We hang out a lot, even more after she rejected me. But every time we do, I think she just wants our time to be over as soon as possible.
My only real friend that I know is real and I trust is Rachel, probably because she is the one who had the visions. If she didn't have visions and didn't come to me about them, she might've started being distant too. Nico starts to often spend time with either his father, or travelling between camps. Thalia spends all her time with the Hunters, so she doesn't believe it either. Yet.
I go to Camp Jupiter, too, and I hear bad things about me there. I have to start transferring my luggage to Camp somehow, after all. I also planned to propose to Annabeth, someway or somehow before college starts. I want people to know she's mine for the taking.
The part that troubled me the most was the occurrence of demigod dreams. I've had at least two every single week, and one time, I had five in one week. They were all about the hooded man. Some show him in Tartarus, some show him fighting, and some show him saving naked people. I don't know why the naked part, though. All I know that I had a meeting with Athena today, and she should be flashing me in right now.
"Percy, are you ready?"
I nodded straight away, recognizing the wisdom's goddess voice immediately asking me if I was ready to be flashed in. And so I was.
"Athena." I hugged her.
"Percy." She hugged back. I told you readers that we were close.
"Any new updates on the 'rape' problem?" I made air-quotes around "rape".
"Some of the minor gods who fought at least a little bit with us in the wars believe the Council when they say that you tried to 'rape' Aphrodite."
"But I don't understand, why can we not just present my case to the Council and say she's lying?"
"Percy, you have to understand that we can't just go into the Throne Room without you being zapped for 5 seconds. Do you hear me? And we have to have more information from Aphrodite and why she did that, without confronting her about it head-on."
"So, can't you go and talk to her about it?"
"I-"
"Please?" I wrapped my arms around her waist, which was risky, but I had done it before. I liked seeing her blush, she was just too adorable.
She looked into my eyes. I looked into hers, and those stormy gray eyes I was so used to caught me. I couldn't keep my eyes off her, she was just too beautiful. Too...Annabeth. That's when she blushed even harder, and I realized I had pulled her closer to me.
"Please?" I asked again, this time planting my face in the crook of her neck.
She gasped, loudly. "P-Percy!"
"What?" I said. Since I was talking using my tongue, it slid across her neck, wetting it a bit.
"What are you doing? You are with my daughter for Olympus's sake!"
"This is my way of pleading to you, oh wise and gorgeous Athena."
"Shut up and get off me. I will talk to Aphrodite."
"Thank you, Athena. It really means a lot." I kissed the back of her hand, smirking at her blushing face.
"Y-yeah, yeah."
"Are you sure I can't stay longer?" I quickly took her hand, and walked over to a chair. I sat her down on my lap and wrapped my arms around her waist again, except this time from behind.
"Percy-"
"Uh uh uh, shh." I whispered behind her ear, and she seemed to shiver under my touch.
"Seriously, though, I-i should f-flash you back. I don't want anyone getting suspicious, ok?"
"Alright, Love." I said and she flashed me to Rachel's cave.
She jumped up, looking a bit scared, but recognized me. "Hey, how'd your meeting go?"
"Good," I smirked. "She said she'd talk to Aphrodite, without confronting her."
"Anything else, interesting happen?" She asked, looking at my smirk.
"Oh, nothing much. I kind of just made her sit on my lap."
"Percy! She could smite you for that!"
"She seemed to enjoy it." I smirked, again, looking at Rachel's shocked face. "Remember, this stays between you and me, okay?"
She nodded quickly. "Alright, you can go now."
"Ok, ok, fine." I raised my hands in surrender and walked out of the door. Since it's been a long time since I've explored the forest, I decided to walk around a bit. I missed Capture The Flag, as we haven't played it in a while. I passed Camp Half-Blood hill, and looked longingly at the roads. I don't know why, but it reminded me of my mother.
Deciding I should go back and iris message my mother, I went down passed the hill. I stopped, hearing some singing. I recognized the singing, so I didn't try to run away. I was frozen on the spot, not knowing what to do. It was a haunting voice, creepy and crazy. Like a frozen doll looking at you. Like it watched you everywhere you went, and sung haunting things.
"La la la la," a girl came into view, looking dazed and drunk.
"La la la la," more came out of their hiding spots, surrounding me.
"Well, well, well, Percy Jackson. Our master has sent us to get you. Come, come, now." One Maenad grabbed me, and another on my other arm. I tried to fight them, but after a few moments of grabbing onto me, I felt dazed. I felt drunk. I felt like walking around aimlessly. Is this what Maenads feel like?
I walked wordlessly with the Maenads until we came into a clearing. I saw someone familiar.
"Peter Johnson," the wine god said. His maenads surrounded him and I, us in the middle of the circle.
"I've heard you tried to rape Aphrodite and Athena?"
Where did he get Athena from? Did she lie? What was going on? Why were they lying?
"I take this as my excuse to say not to rape anyone, you pest." He punched my arm, and I heard a snap.
I fell back, dizzy from the effects of the Maenads holding me. He snapped, and two empty wine bottles formed in his hand. He threw one, and then the other, with precise aim. Both hit me in the arms. I looked down, seeing double vision, and saw red cuts. Glass met skin, and one after the other kept shattering. The sound wasn't satisfying like usual, it was disgusting. I looked up, to see Dionysus smiling evilly at me. He punched me in the face, and I laid down.
"Get up, you punk."
I felt like doing what he commanded, so I got up. I didn't want to, but something forced me. What was he doing to me?
Just as I got on my knees, ready to stand up, he punched me in the gut, multiple times. I clutched my stomach, and threw up a bit. He threw me against a tree, and smashed me onto another one.
I groaned, and chuckled. He got out even bigger wine bottles, which were filled with red wine. He threw them at my face, and some wine got in my eyes, up my nose, in my ears, and in my mouth. I cried, not knowing what to do. I had shards of glass sticking all over me. Wine looked like blood, but I also had real blood dribbling down from my cuts and gashes.
He walked up to me, readying his finishing blow. Kill me already, please, I thought and pleaded. He held me up by the collar of my shirt, and pushed me up against a tree. He carved the word "rapist", "loser", "fake", and other words on my chest. Then, for the final blow, he punched the words, or my chest, and then dropped me.
I gasped for air, my lungs screaming for release. My cuts and gashes ached, wounded, and bled even more. I touched my face with a shaky hand, and pulled back immediately. I could tell my face was glassy now, all sharp, little pieces of glass sticking out in all directions. It would hurt to take out just one, and I had hundreds lodged into my skin. I saw him snap his fingers, and I was teleported to who knows where. I passed out before any more pain could suffocate me.
"What...?" I groaned, sitting up.
"Oh, thank the gods, Percy you're awake!" Rachel rushed to my side.
"No thanking the gods..."
"What, why not?"
"Dionysus..."
"What? He did this to you?"
"Well, where do you think I got the wine streaks and glass shards from?" I muttered, weakly.
"He threw wine bottles at you?!' Rachel closed her fists.
"Ugh...don't tell anyone about me..."
"We need to get you help, though! I'll go tell Chiron."
"NO!" I sat up, fiercely, but then started aching.
"Alright, I won't. Don't strain yourself, lay back down." She ordered, and I obliged.
"How long have I been out?"
"A couple hours. Dinner's gonna be soon, and people will wonder why you aren't there."
"We have to get me to the lake. I can heal there and take the shards out less painfully."
"I don't know...you are pretty weak right now..."
"Please, RED, we've got to do this."
"Fine, but you are coming right back after this." She crossed her arms across her chest, and I smiled at her stubbornness.
"Ok, ok, I'll come back and rest. Happy?"
She smiled, and nodded. Rachel lifted me from my back, and I used my hands to help me. I felt sharp pains throughout my arms as I pushed the shards in my hands further into my skin, but I stifled my yells of pain, not wanting to worry Rachel any further.
"Alright, Percy. Take it nice and slow." She helped walk me to the opening of her cave, and out of it. We walked behind the hills, not wanting to attract attention. With caring help from Rachel, we made it to the sea in about 15 minutes, less time used than I expected.
I collapsed in the water, and felt my strength slowly but surely regaining. The water coursed through me, like mom's blue cookies making me happy. I felt refreshed, renewed. I felt better. I manipulated the water to take out shards, at first, one at a time. But as I took out more, I made it so that I took out three or four at a time. As soon as I did, I manipulated the water even further to quickly heal my cuts. Now, all I had were a few scars, as the cuts were healed quickly. Easily coverable with a few clothes.
The whole process took about 30 minutes, and Rachel, she was my moral support. Without her, I would've probably died. I had never met the wrath of a god like that, never ever. With Ares when I was 12, that was because we had a fair fight. But this time, Ares instantly wrapped me up in chains. And Dionysus, he was just mean. Like, a madman gone even crazier.
"You good?" Rachel asked me.
"Yeah," I replied, walking out of the water.
"Wow, you're actually fully healed."
"Yeah, I actually am," I fake chuckled, lying to her about the words he carved in my skin.
"Come on, dinner is soon."
"I need to iris message my mom really quickly, let her know how I am doing. You go ahead."
"Ok, see you at dinner." She walked off, which left me staring at the waves. I wanted to talk to my mom about something. I made a little rainbow and flipped a drachma into it.
"Oh, Lady Iris, show me Sally Jackson, my mother, lives in apartment on ******* street."
An image of my mother with Estelle, my baby sister, showed up. She looked adorable, with her little giggles, and my mother, who looked as beautiful as always.
"Hey mom."
My mom turned to me, and smiled. "Hey, Percy. How's camp?"
"Great," I lied.
"That's wonderful! You ready for college?"
"I hope I am,"
That got my mom to chuckle. "Yes, that's your big brother," She cooed to Estelle, who clapped happily. I smiled at the bond the two had formed.
"How's Paul?" I asked.
"He's doing good, and actually he got promoted. He teaches two different subjects now, so he gets better payment. How about Annabeth?"
"That's awesome for him! As for Annabeth, I'm thinking of proposing before college starts. A demigod's life is short, and I want to spend as much of it as possible with her. You think it's a good idea."
"THAT'S AMAZING!" She shrieked in happiness, causing Estelle to shriek too.
"I wanted to know... can I drop by later this weekend?"
My mom's face turned into a strained smile. "Actually, we... won't be here, Perce. Sorry, sweetie. You can come next time."
"That's cool, mom. Anyways, I have to go to dinner. See you soon." I waved, and cut through the iris message. I sighed, disappointedly, and started walking towards the dining pavilion. That is, until a water tendril grabbed my foot. I wanted to manipulate it to let go, but it didn't listen. It was listening to someone more powerful I was dragged into the ocean, arms flailing around, and my screams for help were silenced by the water. I tried to use the other water around me to help me, but they stayed put and didn't listen.
All of a sudden, I was zooming though the ocean so fast I couldn't see anything but blue. My eyes crossed, and my stomach felt weightless as if I were going down on a rollercoaster at super high speeds. Then I was somewhere familiar, and I turned around to see three gods.
I bowed. "Father. Lady Amphitrite, Prince Triton."
"S-son." My father said, shakily. Amphitrite looped her arm through my father's and rubbed her hand along his arm, speaking in soft words.
"YOU!" Triton stepped forward, pointing at me, accusingly. "You tried to rape not one, but TWO OLYMPIANS?! Such a disgrace to our family!"
I stood in shock, and stepped back as a realization dawned on me. I wasn't here to be greeted warmly by my father, but to be beaten for doing something I didn't.
"Triton! Enough! Can you two just please, go. I wish to speak to him alone."
Triton and Amphitrite glared at the words, glared at me, and then walked out.
"Father, I-" I started to plead, but he put a hand up which silenced me.
"I don't know who to believe. An Olympian would never go as far as to lie about something so great, and I'd never think you could do something like that."
We were both shaking, him because of the news, and I in fear. But I gathered my courage and managed to say, "Exactly! I c-could never do that, Father. I d-didn't..."
"Just say the words, Perseus. I need someone to believe. Please, don't lie to me. If you did it, just say it." My father looked pleadingly into my eyes. He had tear stains all across his face, and I started crying too. My father believed the Olympians over me.
"I didn't..." I faltered, too shocked to say anything.
He put his hand up again, and used his other to pinch the bridge of his nose. He looked down and away form me, shaking his head. "Don't say another word," His voice was shaky, like an earthquake. "Just please, leave."
I stepped back. My jaw was wide open, as I wanted to say something. But no words came back, and the other two gods came in the room. Amphitrite hugged my father, and he hugged her back as if clinging onto the only thing left in the world. Triton walked up to me, punched me in the gut, slapped me across the face, and kicked me back into the wall.
I gasped in pain and shock, hurt, and betrayal. Triton got a trident, and wrote on my skin with one prong. He carved, DISGRACE, into my skin. I screamed in pain, and I was flashed to my cabin.
I sat on my bed, hugging my knees and rocking back and forth, hearing the springs of the bed. My very own father, the one I relied on, the one god that I thought loved me. My help, my advice, my mentor, my father. He betrayed me. He hurt me. He watched Triton carve the word DISGRACE into my skin, and didn't do anything about it. He believed the Olympians. I shook my head, not wanting to remind myself of what happened.
I quickly got a towel, stopped the bleeding, and covered the word up with my change of pants. I walked outside just as the dinner horn sounded, and made my way to the Poseidon table.
That night I sacrificed food, to all the Olympian goddesses excluding Artemis, and Poseidon. I looked straight into the fire, and I saw someone emerge from it. It was only for a mere second, but I saw Hestia, with a sad, angry, and disappointed look on her face. I trudged away, depressed at the events that had taken place.
I saw Rachel heading to her cave, so I tapped her on the shoulder.
"What's up?"
"My father knows, and apparently Athena lied too, and said that I tried to rape her."
Rachel's eyes widened, and she tugged on my arm. "Come on, I had a vision while you were gone."
(3145 words OMG LONGEST ONE BY FAR!)
I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in the next one! Bye! ✌