Percy's eyes winded as realisation dawned on him, "three months."
"What was that?"
"The old man, the serial killer, he mentioned that around three months ago he felt something turn on in him, something that pushed him to return to his killing ways."
"You think the mark had something to do with it?"
Percy nodded, "yeah, but not just that. Ever since Kronos arrived crime has been slowly increasing, it's now at an all time high,even the mortals have noticed it. They believe that some kind of crime kingpin is responsible, but we know better."
"Kronos's influence on the world is affecting the people in it," Artemis quickly caught on, "meaning the more people become evil, the stronger he becomes."
"And if he has already infected half the population of New York alone...." Percy didn't want to think about how strong the Titan was.
"We need to notify Olympus now," Artemis warned.
Percy nodded, "right, give me a second." Percy quickly told Castle that he had to leave, he gave an excuse about his mom being worried. Artemis was waiting for him outside, she looked worried, and had good reason to be.
As Artemis flashed Percy to mount Olympus only one thought ran across Percy's mind, if half the people were infected, they why weren't they all killing?
Only one answer came up.
They weren't killing because they didn't want to. The mark turned a killer back into a killer, so it enforced the evil that was there already. But if an infected didn't want to hurt anyone then they wouldn't.
But that also meant that half the population was currently now a walking time bomb. One slip up, one moment of weakness and they would explode, maybe figuratively, maybe literally. But Percy knew one thing for sure, he had no idea how to stop this.
Okay that's a wrap. I'm proud to say that we are finally getting somewhere in this story. Anyway hope you all are doing good, I'm sorry but I can't do weekly updates, maybe bi-weekly. I have my exams and shit, sigh, things are tough.
Anyway I'm going to do the Jon Snow Gamer story. Look for it on my profile, I should be posting it at least after this story gets updated.
Chapter 55
Chapter 55:
"We need to strike back now!" Ares roared as he got off his throne, "Kronos is already amassing his strength and we need to gather ours."
"We can't just jump into battle Ares," Athena stepped forward to meet her half brother head on, "we are fighting an invisible army here. An army I remind you that has no problem finding out where we live. If we gather our forces now, with nowhere to attack we would just be sitting ducks. It would be equal to putting big red target on our back!"
"So you want us to just sit here and do nothing?!"
"No! I don't say that! We need to fight back, but we can't afford to call our armies yet! That would just give targets for Kronos to attack!"
"Then what do you suppose we do woman?!"
"Plan a strategy of attack!"
"I do have a strategy, attack!"
Poseidon sighed as he looked down at Percy standing besides his throne, "this is the problem of having two Gods of war."
Percy chuckled, "honestly I don't really care. This is some first class entertainment. It's like a spanish soap opera, only more magic and monsters."
Poseidon rolled his eyes as the two water lovers turned to their dysfunctional family.
"Enough!" Zeus finally stepped up stopping the two war god from wagging war, which seemed kind of redundant. "We will not settle anything by arguing about this!"
"Then what do you propose we do father?" Athena asked.
"Artemis," Zeus turned to his daughter, "you said nearly half of the humans have the mark of Kronos?"
The silver eyed Goddess nodded, "indeed father. Half, at least from what I have seen so far."
"Percy," Zeus turned to the son of Poseidon, "you have the most experience with these marked mortals, are they a danger to us?"
Percy hummed, "from what I gather, no, not really. If that was true then we would currently be living in a city filled with killers all out to get us. They way I see it these marks just push the bad people to do bad things, while leaving the good ones unaffected."
"I see... Athena," Zeus turned to his daughter, "have your children investigate these markings, find out how they spread and find out how to stop them."
"They are going to need help," Percy spoke up, "and lots of it."
"And why do you think you exists Percy?" Zeus asked with a chuckle.
"They are going to need people far more powerful than me," Percy clarified stopping Zeus mid sentence.
"What? More powerful than you?"
Percy nodded, "yeah. I could barely even see the mark, and that was with my best effort. The only reason I know what it even looks like is because Artemis managed to see it."
"I see..." Zeus scratched his beard. 'Huh, has anyone noticed Zeus is saying 'I see' a lot? No? Just me? Okay.'
"Artemis, what task are you and your hunters currently engaged in?" Zeus asked.
"The...." Artemis turned to look towards Percy. Zeus noticed what he daughter what looking at and sighed.
"It's fine, he's the impromptu leader of the demigods, he deserves to know about this," Zeus rubbed his temples.
"Well then, father, my hunters and I are currently hunting for the Ophiotaurus," Artemis explained.
"Wait, is that the thing you have been looking for for the past half a year?" Percy asked remembering his talks with Artemis during the beginning of his summer.
"Yes, it is."
"Damn, what type of monster is it that it can hide from you?"
"A very powerful one," Hera explained, "it's part bull and part serpent. It is said that if one harvest the entrails of the beast they will possess the power to overthrow the Gods."
Percy blotched, "shit! That sounds both awesome and horrible!"
Poseidon nodded, "indeed, if the Titans ever got ahold of that.... I shudder to think of what they would do."
"So wait if Artemis herself can't find it what hope do the rest of them have?" Percy asked, "I mean is there like a titan of hunting or something?"
"Well there is uncle Lelantos," Apollo spoke up, "but no one has seen him over centuries, and besides, he's on our side."
Percy looked confused when Artemis spoke up, "Lelantos is our mother's brother. As such he is our uncle by blood and is quite...attached to us."
"Yeah, Artemis is his favorite," Apollo chuckled at his sister.
"Enough," Zeus snapped, "either way it is clear we have much to do. Kronos may be silent for now, but I promise he will not remain that way. He gathers his powers through these marks of his. We also have the problem of the Ophiotaurus to deal with, not to mention Argo."
"Why Argo?" Percy asked, "did he like hack into the Pentagon and steal nuclear launch codes or something?"
The Gods all started at one another before Hermes spoke up, "ah well you know how it is. Argo is a man who can use Haki, so obviously he is of concern."
Percy realised his mistake, this was about that secret that happened 2000 years ago. The same secret the Gods would kill over, the kind that Hermes was protecting him from. Now that he understood what was going on Percy realised how the Gods were looking at him.
Ares looked positively pleased, like he was just waiting for Percy to slip up so that he could kill him. Hermes was begging Percy with his eyes to shut up, the same could be said for both Artemis and Poseidon. Athena looked curious as to what he would do, while Hera, Zeus and Hephaestus just looked surprised he would even ask such a question. Aphrodite kept on not giving a fuck while Dionysus and Demeter followed in her footsteps. And then there was Apollo, the only one who wanted Percy to slip up more that Ares.
"I see," Percy said stroking his chin like Zeus had done several times just a few moment ago, "very well carry on."
The Gods on Percy's side gave a sigh of relief while Apollo and Ares looked like someone had just kicked their puppy.
"Well I have a suggestion," Athena stood up.
"Don't you always," Ares grumbled.
Athena glared at her fellow God of war, but didn't take his bait. "I propose a three front assault. One team, lead by Artemis and her hunters will search for the Ophiotaurus. The second will be lead by me and my children, we will research and find out more about these markings. The third team will deal with finding and locating Kronos army."
"Wait won't you helping your children interfere with some ancient rule or something?" Percy asked.
"A brilliant question Percy," Athena was positively beaming with pride, "such wisdom from a child of Poseidon."
"He get's it from his mother," Poseidon chuckled.
"Clearly," Athena glared, "either way, no. Since Kronos is affecting humans we are allowed to interfere as well."
"So because he broke the rules first you're allowed to break them as well?"
"Indeed yes," Athena nodded.
"But won't Kronos suffer the consequences of his actions?"
"Yes, but I don't really think he cares," Zeus muttered, "either way this is a brilliant plan daughter. Set to it immediately. Who will lead the third team?"
"I was hoping Hermes father," Athena turned to the messenger God, "he is the fastest deity we have."
"I could take a couple of demigods from camp half-blood," Hermes spoke up, "it could be like a quest, expect well it would be a mission."
"Who do you have in mind?" Percy asked a little tense. This meant that his friends would have to fight, he knew they were ready, after all why else did he spend an entire summer training them? But still he worried.
"I was thinking a couple of my kids, maybe even that one son of Hades, what's his name?"
"Nico?"
"Yeah, him. Maybe if you're free-"
"-No," Athena interrupted, "I don't think it would be wise to have Percy come along for a mission regarding stealth."
"Hey I can be sneaky!" Percy protested.
"No, you can't," Poseidon rolled his eyes.
"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway?!" Percy yelled at his dad who laughed it off.
"Fine, good point, but then what is Percy going to do?" Hermes asked, "he is way too valuable not to use."
"I was thinking we use him to find the Ophiotaurus," Athena suggested, "Artemis did not have much luck on her own, maybe with Percy's help she just might find it."
"Ah that's all good and all, but I kind of have school and well.....a normal life," Percy shrugged, "well I try anyway. I can't just push all that aside. Plus if people bearing the mark do go crazy you need someone who can stop them. With my job in the police department I can do just that, keep an eye on things."
"Boy we are in a war for the very soul of the planet," Ares snarled, "your friends and work can be pushed aside for a later time."
"Really? Is that what you did? Is that why you're a lonely little shit stain now that only cares about war?"
"Why you little brat! I should skin you for that!"
"Bring it ugly!" Percy drew Waverider, "I need a reason to release all this pent up anger!"
"Enough!" Zeus threw a lightning bolt into the ground calming everyone, "there will be no fighting in this throne room! Do you both understand?! One more stunt like this and I'll give you both to Hades for a week!"
"Yes Lord Zeus," Percy grumbled forcing himself to add th 'lord' part. He didn't like it, but Zeus was his girlfriend's father, and Percy knew the God was doing his level best not to simply evaporate him on the spot.
"Yes father," Ares grumbled and sat down, but didn't stop glaring at Percy.
"Either way Percy has a point father," Artemis spoke up, "I don't need his help. He is a fighter, not a tracker. Plus if he joins my hunt his mere presence would cause the other hunters, beings who have actual experience in tracking, to get distracted."
"Why would I distract your hunters?" Percy asked.
"You're a man," Artemis shrugged, "if you were there they would spend their time trying to kill you instead of finding the Ophiotaurus."
Percy nodded, "point taken."
Zeus sighed, "very well. For now Percy remains in reserve, but the other three teams are to be set up and operational in a week's time. I don't want delays, we need to be ready for the war, or it will come to us when we least expect it."
"What about the demigods?" Ares asked.
Percy glared, "what about us?"
"They are a vast and powerful army, especially the Romans," Ares smirked, he noticed how angry Percy got when Ares called the Romans better, "we can use them to fight Kronos's army."
"We need to first locate the army Ares," Athena spat.
"Yes....but maybe we can use them to lure the Titans out," Ares smiled.
Percy narrowed his eyes, "I don't like your tone."
"Tough kid."
"Just what are you implying son?" Zeus asked.
"Kronos wants the support of the demigods, but lucky for us Percy here stopped that from happening," Ares grumbled as he acknowledged Percy's help, "but what if the demigods had a change of heart?"
"You would risk our children to set up a trap for Kronos?!" Athena roared.
"Yes, I would!"
"How dare you! These are our children Ares!" Hermes began to yell with a fury Percy had rarely seen displayed by the Messenger God.
"And that's exactly why they should do this!" Ares argued, "they can handle it!"
"And why do you think that?!"
"Because I believe in them!" Ares snapped, "they are warriors, not children. They have been raised to do one thing, fight. And I believe they are strong enough to fight this war, I believe in them. Why don't you?!"
"Because he and Athena don't see us as just warriors," Percy stepped in, "they also see us as what we are supposed to be, children."
Ares glared at Percy, "you are not a child."
Percy nodded, "agreed, but there are still some amongst us that are."
"Is that worth dying for? That innocence?"
"Did you just ask me if it is worth dying for the innocent?" Percy raised an eyebrow.
Ares scoffed, "you hero types are all the same. All talk, no back bone."
"And you give Gods a bad name Ares," Percy snapped.
"Enough!" Zeus snapped, he knew an argument was coming when he saw it, "there will be no talks. We will not under any circumstances endanger the demigods, they are our main fighting force!" Percy coughed into his hand, "and-ah, and our children." Percy smiled.
"Fine!" Ares roared as he got up, "if you all don't want my advice on the matter then far be it for me to deny you your deaths!" Ares charged out of the throne room throwing the doors open behind him.
Zeus grumbled as he rubbed his temples, "this meeting is over. Leave, all of you!"
The Gods flashed away one by one. Percy got a big hug from his dad before the sea God left and now he was alone as he walked out of the throne room with Artemis by his side.
