The Life of an Olympian

25 | Percy

Percy's POV

956 words

Four things were proven by defeating Thoon.

1. The gods could change for the better

I never asked for them to get out of their thrones and form a circle after the meeting with Zeus. I didn't prompt the Olympians to allow Hygea into the meeting as an equal. I didn't even push for the mortals to join the celebration on Olympus. They did all that on their own. That alone gave me hope that with time and persuasion the Olympians gods could right their wrongs, fix their bad habits, improve the current state of things, and help Earth prosper under their rule.

2. Minor gods are not lesser than major gods in what truly matters

True, minor gods have less power than major gods. But their opinions are just as important. Their help is just as meaningful. Their love is just as strong. It was not Hygea's power as a goddess that convinced the council to allow her into the throne room and stand beside us as equals. It was her faithful devotion to her daughter that showed the council that minor gods were no different than major gods. Minor gods may serve a smaller purpose than the Olympians are set to do for nature and humanity, but they are just as necessary as any other immortal being.

3. Special powers do not make a hero

The mortals have their own respective strengths and weaknesses. As do the demigods. Even if they are enhanced beings, their heroic qualities, their valiance was not judged based on their powers, inherited or otherwise. It was judged based on their courage, determination, bravery, compassion, and humility. Their grit to do what is right even in the face of adversity and opposition. Their willingness to put the lives of others above their own. Their acceptance to do these deeds without want of recognition. Those are the hallmark characteristics of a hero.

4. Overcoming obstacles is not a solo mission

At every step of the way, teamwork was required. No single person could overcome an obstacle by themselves. Even the smallest of contributions played a role in succeeding. It could not be said with complete and utter certainty that without any singular, unspecified, small contribution, we would have prevailed. Furthermore, each challenge required at least two people to conquer it. Cleo saved Alex, Sage, and Abrax from their bonds after Sage pointed out the counter weights. Cleo, Alex, and Sage escaped the Kobalos with the help of the Avengers. Their combined minds figured out the locations of Manea and later Thoon. Natasha needed Sage and Steve's weapons and Thor's assistance to take down Manea. Sage was needed to help Natasha overcome insanity with the help of my advice. The Avengers were needed to defeat the army of monsters. The Sage and Alex were needed to break the mortals from the Mist's manipulation. Abrax was needed by the gods to get a confession from Thoon. The gods needed to work together to bring him down. And, as always, demigods and gods working together were required to defeat the Giant son of Gaea. At no point in this quest was someone overcoming an obstacle on their own. Whether or not they could have managed to do so independently is another argument. But the point stands thus: we may choose our own paths, but we never need to walk it alone.

These four proven points consumed my thoughts as we waited on Olympus for the heroes to return. Gods ran around setting up for a party. Few understood exactly why we were having a party, but when Olympus hosts a party, you don't ask questions. You simply set it up and attend.

Zeus was not very pleased with our decisions, but seeing as how he did not help end the evident threat, he had little say in the matter, especially when Hera and Hestia advocated for the party and the extended invitation to the mortal heroes.

We greeted our guests in the courtyard and held the party outside too. The muses played for us and, as per usual, you heard whatever music you wanted to hear. The Avengers were blown away. I really hoped we didn't fry their minds by letting them see Olympus. It was one thing to hear about all this stuff; it was another to see it for yourself. But I had hoped these heroes were resilient. And I had a feeling they needed to learn how to keep an open mind. Something told me they were going to face things just as crazy as this in the near future.

We gave each hero an olive-crown in honor of their victory. These laurel wreaths were made of real olive branches coated in enchanted gold to last forever. It was a symbol of victory and triumph. It was a token of our appreciation and thanks. It was honestly not the most exciting gift. But Zeus wouldn't let us give them anything else and to appease him, we stuck with the laurels. At least we knew that if there was one thing the Avengers understood, it was that politics can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I mean, they had to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. on a regular basis. That certainly couldn't be easy.

But besides all that, the party was a blast. The music was great. The food was great. The company was great. And the dance moves were horrible. What better of a way to celebrate?

Around 3:00 am the mortals went back down to Earth. The gods, of course, planned to party for another week. I didn't care much for dances, so I returned home with a little surprise for Abrax. The look on his face was priceless.