If Only They Had Looked

·2·

"I don't remember falling asleep, Athena. I wasn't even tired and yet I still passed out. The fates showed me something." Zeus' brow furrowed. "They showed me Perseus on the day of my attack and she did not look herself. I-I think we may have misjudged." Hera says tiredly.

"Of course we misjudged, we were drugged and mind controlled for Heaven's sake. Besides, I thought we settled already that she had not been in her right mind." Dionysus says, flipping through a magazine.

"What do you mean?" Apollo asks, ignoring Dionysus.

"I mean there was a bland look in her eyes, almost wistful, like she wasn't all there. There was also a look of hesitation or restraint on her face."

"You mean she may have been under a spell." Aphrodite says thoughtfully.

"Well, either way there are still other means of mind control to be considered. If that were even the case, which I doubt." Athena says tiredly. She had tried so desperately to prove Percy's innocence for her daughter. She went through every possible scenario she could think of for an explanation as to why Percy would do anything like that.

"I don't know why we're discussing this anyway. The little bitch attacked mother and deserved her punishment. She even admitted to being guilty, so what are you all going on about?" Ares says, sharpening his spear.

Everyone starts protesting and shouting.

"Hey, don't call her that," Apollo.

"Shut up, Ares. No one asked your opinion, nonetheless wants it," Demeter.

"If you ever call another maiden such a vulgar term ever again, traitor or not, I swear I will rip out your larynx and feed it to my wolves," Artemis.

Ares' hand finds his throat, and he mutters a 'whatever.'

"Quiet," Zeus says.

Everyone queits down and remains silent, the only sound coming from the soft crackling of Hestia's hearth as she silently tends to it.

"The ocean has been at war. More than usual since their princess is gone. Many sea creatures across the oceans had adored Percy and the person she was. The borders between my kingdom and the earth dividing from Hades' is trembling. The ripples are becoming stronger and have started to cave in into portions of my kingdom," Poseidon chimes in.

"Like an earthquake? Barnacles, that's all you," Ares says.

"No, you imbecile. Ripples in the rift between our domains. This is an issue because the last time our lands fought like this was when Typhon tried to rise eons ago from his abode in Tartarus," Poseidon scowls.

"But he did rise, during the second Titan war," Demeter says.

"No, he escaped from under Mt. St. Helens. Two completely different places." Poseidon rubs his face with his hand.

"Well, there has been an uprising in monsters that my hunters have noticed. And they aren't lone as usual. Never alone; either in pairs or full packs," Artemis speculates. "They're reforming faster, as well," Upon seeing the others' panicked faces of another war with Gaea, Artemis quickly adds, "Not immediately, no. But the monsters are coming back sooner than we'd like. The Nemean Lion had returned a couple of weeks ago, but merely 10 years after being defeated. Same with the Manticore."

"My messengers have reported the same, having facing troubles delivering, and I recieved a message from Calypso. She said she sensed the presence of something entering her island, Ogygia," Hermes joins the conversation. "Queen Hylla also reported the same with her establishment of Amazon. They've seen more Hydra monster pop-ups."