(A/N: i cannot apologize enough for delaying this chapter!! I promised this chapter for 3k reads but we're almost at 5k, im sorry!!)
(And this chapter is brought to you thanks to NoahSaliah_belieber, whom I made a promise to.)
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Percy sighed and got up, Apollo following closely behind him. A white flash of light engulfed them, and they were in front of the Olympian council. Zeus was glaring at Percy, who glared back carelessly.
"Is there a problem, Drama Queen?" Percy asked sarcastically.
Literally all of the Olympians (bar Zeus) facepalmed in sync. Zeus roared in anger.
"YOU CAUSED AN EARTHQUAKE! DO YOU KNOW HOW DAMAGING IT IS?!" Zeus screamed.
"I know," Percy calmly said, looking bored.
Zeus was completely gold with anger.
"It was an accident, in my defense," Percy said with a shrug.
"See, brother? There was no need of causing it to storm and uproot all of those trees because you had a tantrum," Hestia said innocently.
Percy snorted and smiled at Hestia, who smiled back. She was one incredible goddess.
Zeus grumbled incoherently.
"Leave," he grunted, waving his hand wildly at Apollo and Percy.
Percy rolled his eyes as Apollo flashed them out.
"I didn't cause too much damage, right?" Percy asked Apollo with a wince.
"Nah, just a few properties that were broken and stuff, but no real or important damage," Apollo reassured.
Percy gave a sigh of relief, relaxing a bit.
"I'm so tired, can I just sleep?" He asked Apollo beggingly, looking up with desperate eyes.
"Of course. Do you want me to stay?" Apollo asked.
"Definitely. Can we...uh...cuddle?" Percy asked, blushing a bright crimson and looking at the ground.
Apollo laughed and hugged Percy.
"Of course," he answered.
Percy gave a sigh and walked to his bed, getting under the covers and moving to the side. Apollo followed after him, wrapping an arm around Percy's waist.
Percy cuddled close to Apollo, burying his face in his chest. Soon, he was asleep in his boyfriend's arms. Apollo fell asleep shortly after, entering Morpheus' realm. His sleep was anything but restful as he got plagued with nightmares once again.
He woke up with a strangled gasp and trembling violently. Apollo had left already, and Percy guessed it was for Olympian business. But within all of the chaos, he had finally figured out a way to solve all of this.
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"You need to help me, I don't care whatever the fuck is going on with everybody, you have to," Percy choked out breathlessly to Leo Valdez.
Leo looked at Percy in concern and shock.
"What? Percy, what do you-"
"We don't have much time. Can you help me or not?" Percy asked firmly.
"I can," Leo replied without hesitation, a new look of determination in his eyes.
Percy gave a small smile, stepping into the Hephaestus cabin.
"Okay. So, the rest of the seven can't know this, but I actually do have a plan now. Obviously you remember how Gaea was killed, and my question is, if Apollo was able to sneak in some godly stuff, would you be able to weaponize it further?" Percy asked thoughtfully.
Leo nodded.
"That's easy, as long as we have the explosives," he waved off.
"Now... could you make a type of launch pad, or something similar? Just something big that can safely boost people up in the air, but really, really high up in the air. And we need it in under a week," Percy added hesitantly.
Leo paused for a few seconds, glancing off thoughtfully.
"Yeah," he eventually replied. "It can't be completely safe, though. As long as you have somebody willing to risk their lives, especially with the explosives, and the survive the fall if they could."
Percy nodded.
"I can handle all of that. We can talk near the Big House tomorrow. Just a quick side note, the rest of the seven will be there as well," Percy told him.
Leo hesitantly nodded, showing a small sign of reluctance.
"Okay, I'll talk to Apollo, I think I might be able to get explosives before tomorrow," Percy concluded, moving toward the door.
"Percy," Leo called out hesitantly. "I know that everything is a mess right now, but... I'm your friend, okay? Just remember that. I'm your friend and I don't want this rivalry between the seven to continue anymore."
A smile tugged at Percy's lips.
"Of course, Leo," he replied simply, walking out of the cabin and closing the door with a soft and quiet thud.
Percy sighed, anxious about his plan. He walked into the forest, just enough to be hidden from sight.
"Apollo," Percy called out, his voice loud and strong.
Nothing happened for a few seconds before a flash of light engulfed the forest, making Percy quickly close his eyes. Once he opened them, Apollo was standing in front of him, wearing a look of concern.
"Perce? Is everything okay?" He asked quickly.
"Oh- yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I was wondering... would it be possible for you to sneak me some Olympian-level explosives?" Percy asked hesitantly.
Apollo looked surprised at the request.
"Uh... sure. I bet Hephaestus has some I can steal. Would it be alright if I got help from Hermes, though? You know he's trustable, he'd just be better at stealing than me," Apollo replied, a bit reluctant to admit somebody was better than him at something.
Percy nodded quickly.
"Yeah, as long as we get the explosives, it's fine," he waved off.
Apollo nodded.
"Also, Zeus is gonna order a lockdown soon. With the spy inside of the Olympians and stuff, he doesn't want to risk everybody scattered around," Apollo informed him.
Percy looked surprised.
"I didn't know Zeus was smart!" He exclaimed, genuinely surprised.
Apollo began laughing. Thunder roared across the sky, making Apollo laugh harder to the point he was wheezing, doubled over.
"Per-Percy-" he choked out before falling into another fit of laughter.
Percy chuckled, glancing up at the sky.
"Oh, come on. He finally didn't want to kill me on sight, that was improvement, and now this?" Percy sighed.
Apollo fell, clutching his stomach as he wheezed. Percy rolled his eyes.
"Calm down, 'Pollo," he said with a chuckle.
Apollo sighed happily, still chuckling as he got up.
"As long as you can send the explosives tomorrow without being caught, we're all good to go. If you're caught, there's a big chance that Zeus will think you're the spy. Don't trust the Olympians for now," Percy suggested.
Apollo nodded.
"Also, Perce, what're you gonna use godly explosives for?" He asked cautiously.
Percy winced. Apollo definitely wouldn't let him go through with the plan if he knew it in its entirety. Meanwhile, Apollo also hadn't seen or heard about how Gaea had gotten killed last time, so it wouldn't be a problem to hide the plan but give him an idea of it.
"To kill Gaea. I know how," Percy responded simply.
Apollo looked shocked.
"How, though? Normal Olympian weapons or explosives definitely don't-"
"Just trust me, alright? Trust me, Apollo," Percy said beggingly.
Apollo sighed anxiously.
"Okay. I trust you, Percy. Just... don't die."
Percy hid a flinch. He nodded, aware that if he spoke, Apollo would know he was lying, being the God of truth. Apollo smiled obliviously.
"Okay then, I'll talk to you later. Love you, Perce," he said before flashing out.
Percy gave a long, suffered sigh.
"Love you, too," he mumbled, all alone in the forest.
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The rest of the day wasn't problematic. He made an appearance at meals, not actually eating anything, but just to be seen as to not be suspected.
He did some training for the first time in a while, glad to find himself just as good as he normally was.
Once he finally went to his cabin after dinner, he found a package inside, a big cardboard box, unlabeled and unmarked. Percy didn't want to be near it, so he quickly went to the Hephaestus cabin. He knocked on the door, and Leo answered it.
"Oh, hey, Perce. Is it here?" Leo asked, not mentioning the explosives so that the rest of the cabin didn't get suspicious.
"Yeah, Ap- uh, he just dropped it off at my cabin," Percy responded warily.
Leo nodded, cautiously glancing around before stepping out of his cabin. They walked quickly to Percy's cabin, locking the door behind them.
"Okay, I didn't want to touch it because I don't know how any of this shit works, so you can just take the box, alright?" Percy asked, wanting to move quickly.
"Sure. Oh, Percy, there's a note for you," Leo told him.
Percy quickly went to the other side of the box, seeing a small piece of folded paper attached to the side. He grabbed it quickly but gently, putting it aside to be read later.
He helped Leo carry the box into his cabin, glad that it was after curfew.
"Don't worry, I got it from here," Leo said once they reached his cabin.
"Okay, talk to you tomorrow, then," Percy nodded, going back to his cabin.
He locked the door behind him, sitting down on his bed and grabbing the note. He hesitantly unfolded it, anxiously reading it.
'Hey Percy,
Zeus just ordered the lockdown. He's suspicious of me because I've rarely been on Olympus this past month, and sneaking off today only made him more suspicious. Hermes and I were able to steal Hephaestus' explosives, which works out nicely because he's on Olympus with the lockdown, and he doesn't know that we stole them from his forges.
Artemis tried to question me as well, which hurt, considering my own sister doesn't believe me. In the end, I was able to convince her but I'm still hurt by it. She didn't even apologize.
I'm really sorry about not being able to be with you, but, you know, Zeus.
I really hope you aren't doing anything dangerous.
I don't know much about the situation from Gaea, and granted, all I do know is thanks to you.
Hopefully everything will be okay.
- Apollo'
Percy bit his lip anxiously, his thoughts a messy blur. He simply went to bed, preparing for the next day. He fell asleep easily, but his dreams (read: nightmares) weren't as easy to get by. Luckily, they weren't demigod dreams, and normal, mortal nightmares.
Even though it was fucked up, Percy preferred haunting nightmares to prophetic ones any day.
The next day, he woke up reluctant to get out of bed. He wanted this to be over with, and even with or without the emotional strength this all required, he would do this. Besides, everything would be better after this war.
Right?
Percy doubted that this was even considered a war. More of a battle, if anything. He shuddered as he thought of the past wars. If anything was for sure, it was that Percy wouldn't let anybody else die this time.
He headed to breakfast, ignoring the whispering of the campers for what felt like the millionth time. The campers had seen Percy with Apollo, and so many other times in different situations for these past few months that rumors spread like wildfires, with each appearance causing another fifty conspiracy theories.
Chiron had mostly let the situation go when Apollo had came, and Dionysus couldn't care less. With that thought, Percy glanced at the dining pavilion, seeing no sign of Mr D. This only confirmed Zeus' lockdown further.
And of course, campers were theorizing about it. The Athena cabin was one of the only cabins which of whom hadn't bothered with this stuff, as it all sounded ridiculous to them. Despite how dumb he thought he was, especially compared to Athena-spawns, Percy had to admit that it was easily the smartest option. Judging Athena's childrens' intelligence? That's how he knew Percy had no will to live. Athena could be fucking scary.
With that thought, the grim truth of Annabeth immediately struck him and he bit his lip, quickly finishing his breakfast and leaving the pavilion. He headed to his cabin until he had to meet up with the seven and the others.
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When the time came, Percy hesitantly stepped out of his cabin, walking toward the meeting spot. 'Walking' was a loose term to use with the speed Percy was going, but he couldn't bother with all of the theories and rumors, the whispering between campers.
"Hey, guys," Percy greeted everybody simply.
"What the fuck happened and where the fuck were you?" Jason asked incredulously.
"Yeah, you can't just disappear for weeks on end, and suddenly act normal," Nico backed him up.
"I didn't ask, now, did I?" Percy asked venomously.
Nico looked surprised for a brief second before his expression hardened.
"Have it your way, Percy," Nico responded coldly.
Will glanced at Nico for a second.
"Is everything alright, though? I thought Apollo was with you," Will interjected softly.
Percy sighed and ran a hand through his hair (which definitely needed trimming) and nodded.
"Finally, actually important, relevant questions. Come on, let's go into the forest, I don't want us to be overheard," Percy warned, glancing around.
He was met with nods and the seven and the others followed him into the forest. They sat down, their weapons lying next to them or held loosely in their hands in case of need.
Percy sighed again and looked up at Will.
"Yeah. Apollo was with me, and everything... stuff is complicated. I don't really know how to explain it. It's alright, though. The thing is, yesterday, Zeus demanded a lockdown. Remember the spy within the Olympians? Apparently, Zeus gained half a braincell in the past few months, making one full braincell. Now, he has the Olympians on lockdown so they're not scattered across the country with no way to tell what they're doing," Percy explained.
Will nodded in understanding and Leo suddenly looked up.
"Is that what was in the note?" He asked curiously.
"Note? What note?" Clarisse quickly questioned.
"I have a plan to defeat Gaea. I got help from Apollo, and he left a letter behind, and to answer Leo's question, yeah. Apollo had already told me Zeus was considering it, but they had actually gone into lockdown once he gave the package. This is supposed to be kept a secret, so it would be best if nobody found out besides the people here. What excuse did Chiron make for Mr D being missing?" Percy wondered.
"Apparently Mr D went on a mission to try to negotiate with party ponies for something regarding Camp," Piper snorted.
Percy gave a small chuckle.
"Anyway, Frank, Hazel, Jason, from my understanding, you've been staying here for the entire time because of Gaea?"
The group addressed nodded. Percy bit his lip thoughtfully.
"Gaea wouldn't come alone. She would have an army. Of what, I don't know, and quite frankly, I don't want to know."
Frank looked like he was about to interrupt with a remark, but Hazel pokd him with her elbow to stop him.
"What's going on with Camp Jupiter, though? Praetors?" Percy asked.
"We left it to trustworthy people in lower ranks just below us," Hazel shrugged.
Percy sighed as he nodded.
"So, what's the plan?" Thalia asked, cutting to the chase.
Thalia, like Hazel, Frank, and Jason, was staying at Camp Half-Blood for Gaea's business.
"Same as last time, but this time, we use godly explosives Apollo brought and I'm the one bombing Gaea," Percy summed up.
Everybody went silent.
"You'll die," Clarisse stated simply.
I caught myself before I could retort or shrug.
"I'll probably die. There's a difference."
"Smart-ass," Clarisse retorted.
Percy smirked, turning to address the others.
"So, is there anything you don't understand? Any questions?" He asked.
"Can I ask an irrelevant one?" Jason asked, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Yeah?" Percy replied warily.
"The rumors-"
"No."
Jason gave Percy his best puppy-eyes look and Percy turned away, smirking.
"No. Just no," Percy said warningly.
Jason sighed dramatically, exaggerating his dissapointment. Thalia and Piper rolled their eyes.
"If that's all, we can split up now," Percy told them dismissively, getting up from the forest floor.
He turned away and began walking toward his cabin. He found it incredibly weird that the seven got along so well now, despite having fought for weeks prior to this meeting. It was more stressing than relieving. The prophecy had specifically stated that the seven would be apart and in pieces. If so, what the fuck was this? The Fates' way of rubbing salt in the wound?
Percy closed the door to his cabin with a loud thud, locking it behind him. He faceplanted into his bed, trying to think as his thoughts got muddled together. His worries about everything and the suspicious news working against the prophecy was too overwhelming for him.
Percy tried to take deep breaths as his breaths became short gasps of desperate breaths, leaving him hyperventilating. He shuddered and tried to focus on something else, anything else, but everything reminded him of the prophecy, his guesses, and everything bad that had happened.
Once he had finally gotten his breathing in control, he desperately wished Apollo was with him, his arms wrapped around him, cuddling comfortingly and distracting Percy from all of his worries.
He fell asleep like that, imagining his boyfriend's arms around him once more.
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(A/N: hey. I'm not dead. Might as well be, not having updated in tartarus knows how many months.
Thank NoahSaliah_belieber for this chapter, like I said.
ALSO I KNOW I SAID THAT I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO FINISH IT BY THE 20TH OF THIS MONTH AND ASKED THE DEADLINE TO BE FOR THE 25TH BUT NEW DEAL: I FINISH THIS FIC BY THE 25TH. ALRIGHT? NOT THE NEW CHAPTER, THE ENTIRE FANFIC WILL BE FINISHED BY THE 25TH OF THIS MONTH.
I'm gonna regret this.
Aaannnyyyywayyy, I hope you enjoyed, this was incredibly torturous to write.
Jk. Well... /hj moreso.
I have trauma and cope by writing so you can guess by the 3k word chapter that my mental health is great!!/j
Anyway vote on this motherfucker and I love yall for getting nearly 5k on this fic. I remember when this got 500 reads and I cried.
[Word Count: 3056 words]