A/N: I hate doing author's notes, but there are many people I must thank—more than I'll be able to personally acknowledge. I'd like to thank (1) every single reader who likes this story enough to keep reading, (2) all of those who've cast a vote for this story, (3) anyone who's commented their love of this story, and (4) the people who have not only enjoyed this story but also my other works. This chapter is a special thanks and dedication to Giraffes_are_awesome who has expressed their enjoyment of this story and several of my other writings too. Thank You!
Percy's POV
1198 words
When I flash to Abrax, he's in the middle of practicing his swordsmanship. I grab him without explanation and flash us both to Olympus. It isn't tactful, but we're under a time crunch. The gods are anxious to help. When we show up in the throne room, all eyes turn to us. For some reason, they all look towards Abrax's sword, then to me, then to Abrax.
Abrax quickly sheaths his sword and goes into a deep, reverent bow at the waist. I've only ever seen him bow so politely when I first met him. I guess it makes sense seeing as this is the first time he's ever met the other gods. But he doesn't rise immediately after like he usually does. It took me a few seconds to realize he was waiting for my permission.
I clear my throat before ordering Abrax to stand. When I do, he stands with perfect posture, hands behind his back, and his head bowed in respect. His gaze doesn't reach any higher than our knees.
I walk to where I was stationed before, expecting Abrax to follow, but he doesn't. He stands as still as a statue, trying to make himself invisible. This timid nature is uncharacteristic but not surprising. It is quite intimidating being around (almost) all of the Olympian gods.
"You entrust him with a weapon?" Demeter ponders disbelievingly.
"Of course I would. Why wouldn't I?" I say defensively.
"Because he is a mere servant!" she argues.
"And he's standing right there!" I shout back, appalled by her blatantly rude behavior.
"That's the problem isn't it!" she replies.
Hades interjects before we get too far. "Why don't we pin this conversation for now. We have more pressing matters."
"Percy, how about you take your... umm... Abrax... outside and explain things," my father suggests gently, though, it is a bit awkward.
Knowing this is not the time to argue, I lead Abrax outside of the throne room. He stays a respectable distance away, head still bowed, as we walk through the garden and find a secluded spot.
"I'm sorry for what was said in there," I tell Abrax. He doesn't react. "I should've known how out of place you must've felt and given you time to prepare."
"It's not your fault, my Lord. I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of the Olympians," he says in a hushed tone like he's afraid of speaking. Based on his demeanor and considering Demeter's opinions, I wouldn't be surprised if he were afraid of speaking on Olympus. Apparently, the gods have more prejudice than I originally thought.
"There's no need to apologize, Abrax, you didn't embarrass me in the slightest," I say kindly but forcefully.
I want him to know I don't hold classist views. I grew up without much. We weren't the worst off, but we certainly weren't rich. I'd taken many summer jobs doing the work people think is below them. What some never appear to understand is that no one is above helping others. Seemingly insignificant acts of service are worth more than anything motivated by self-interest.
Abrax lifts his head a little and glances to check that no one is around before he lifts his head up all the way.
"Am I in trouble, Lord?"
"No, of course not. I simply need you to pass along a message to Tony Stark. It's regarding the usage of my AquaTech facilities. Tell him to use the front doors."
Abrax gives me a confused and skeptical look. "Ok... but why did I need to be summoned to Olympus for you to tell me this task, Lord?"
The only reason I'm not correcting Abrax to call me Percy is because it most likely makes him more comfortable using my proper title on Olympus. While he knows, or I hope he should know, that I would not punish him, the other gods clearly wouldn't hesitate to do so.
"On your way, just keep in mind the specific wording of my Uncle's ruling, though it's changed slightly. In case you've forgotten, I'll state it again: If Thoon takes claim to all of the attacks only then may we interfere in the quest." I overemphasize all the keywords and pointedly look at him to ensure he understands my true intentions.
Abrax nods comprehendingly. "So Lord Z-"
"Don't say his name! We're trying to stay under his radar."
"Right. So Thoon needs to explicitly state he's responsible for the increasing monster attacks in order for you all to help."
"Exactly. But for the record, this is completely irrelevant to the task I'm giving you. I would not dare intervene and go against his orders."
"Totally agree," he says with the mischievous smirk I'm used to. "Quick question..."
"Yes?"
"Why do we keep saying the giant's name when names have power?"
"Good question." I brace myself to channel my inner Annabeth and (what once was) her seemingly infallible knowledge and keen explanatory powers. "Thoon already knows we know about him. And he knows we're all up on Olympus. He assumes we can't attack him directly—I mean, he's not wrong, but still—so using his name is no threat to us. And for the demigods and mortals... well, he already plans to attack them, and he most likely has known their location the whole time, so it makes little difference. Thoon would not want to engage them before the time is right. In my uncle's case, we don't want him to know about our plans, which on the record are nonexistent, so we have refrained from using his name this entire time."
Abrax's eyes light up in excitement. I'll admit, working behind Zeus's back is quite a thrill. Now that the plan is in motion. It's only a matter of time and Abrax's ability to pull a confession out of Thoon.
"How will I get there? Wait, where are they even at?"
"The northern part of Fate, Texas. I'll flash you to my private jet and you can get to them that way."
"All right, let's do it. I'm ready to deliver a message!"
"That's the spirit!"
Not wasting another moment, I flash him to AquaTech's terminals and make sure he gets in safely. Thankfully, Zeus won't care if Abrax is in his domain. The unfortunate truth is that he wouldn't give a servant a second thought. Maybe even a first thought. Abrax is worthless in his eyes, so below the "King of the Gods" that it matters not. But in this instance, it works to our advantage.
Once the jet takes off, I head back to the throne room where we patiently wait for Abrax to complete the unofficial mission. We watch from the heavens thanks to Iris or Fleecy, whoever was running things that day. She sets something up similar to when I watched Nico in the Labyrinth without his knowing. Hestia provides us comfortable chairs around the hearth and we all observe the events together.
It's one of the few times we all enjoy each other's company as family, even if the circumstances are less than agreeable. We only hope that our family down on Earth can hold out for a little longer.