Kidemonas

Chapter 1. Im sorry, but #angst-no-comfort for a bit.

"Are you sure?" 

Maria Hill nodded. "Positive. We have positive matches on Target 1 from 1867, 1974 and 2001." 

Nick Fury examined the CCTV footage himself.  

"Call them in." 

Agent Hill nodded, and dismissed herself. 

Fury looked back at the footage. 

In the short, 3 second clips was a pair of teenagers. One a girl with short black hair and lightning blue eyes. 

The other had the same black hair, his eyes a brilliant sea green the same color as his jacket, the same color as every report of him. 

They only had a first name. 

Perseus. 

—-----------

Perseus was old. 

Not as old as his father, or some of his aunts and uncles, but older than most cities nowadays. 

He had minded it at first, not wanting to leave his life behind, and he was happy as the years passed, his wife still by his side and the people who were willing to die with him all those millenia ago still fighting next to him to keep the monsters at bay. 

But then Annabeth had gone missing. 

He searched for her. Oh how he searched. The Kidemonas spread across the globe in a green cloaked plague, searching every corner and striking down any who stood in their way, scouring the mortal world and mythological alike.

Nothing. 

Years had passed, Percy falling deeper and deeper into darkness, only the Elders able to draw him out of his tent, still filled with her books and diagrams and models in the desperate attempt to keep her close, to keep alive the belief that she would be back and need her things. 

Need him just as much as he needed her. 

The door opened and someone came in, plopping down on the couch. 

Percy barely looked up to see his cousin. "Is it that time already?" 

Thalia gave him a sad glance. "Yeah. Come on. Maybe it will be different this year?" 

Percy knew it wouldn't be but nodded, letting the huntress pull him off the couch and outside. 

Clarrisse was waiting, promising Percy she would handle things while he was gone like she hadn't been running the guard in all but name for decades. 

Percy took a deep breath, and forced himself to be okay. "Alright. Let's go." 

Thalia gave him a look, not convinced at all, but took his arm. 

The guardians nearby turned away as Percy flashed them across the world, reappearing in Greece, where it was nearly midnight. 

Thalia looked around cautiously, eyes and ears peeled for any monsters. Even with one, soon to be two, gods as back up, the immortal demigoddess knew that the monsters of their homeland were forces to be reckoned with. 

"He's already here." Percy said, weaving the Mist so that the few mortals here mourning their more recent dead would pay the pair no mind. 

"Thank you." Thalia said as they walked through the weather-worn steles. "I know most the survivors hate him but-" 

"It's okay." Percy assured. "We were kids. I don't blame him for grandfather's actions." 

Thalia took a deep breath, electric blue eyes filled with sadness. "Do you think-" 

"It's useless to debate what ifs." 

Thalia laughed, even as tears dripped down her face. "At least Annabeth managed to drill something into your head." 

She didn't have a grave, but they would mourn her here all the same. 

They turned left, ducking into a more isolated part of the cemetery, Percy ignoring the mortals he felt nearby. There were only 5 anyway, scattered around the cemetery. Late night mourners were pretty common, living family trying to be closer to their loved ones. 

There was a boy waiting for them, dressed in black from head to toe with a silver skull ring on his finger. 

"Hey, Percy. Thalia."

"Nico."

"Hey, Neeks." Percy grinned. "You look younger than usual" 

Nico looked down at his hands in confusion. "Oh. I had a pick up right before this. Little kid, terrified of older men. Figured I wouldn't make the trip worse " 

Percy growled. "Want me to handle it?" 

"Already did. Thanks though." 

Thalia looked incensed but then she saw the faded lettering on the stele, ones in celestial bronze so they wouldn't completely wear away even after millenia. 

"Hi, Luke. It's been another year." She murmured, fingers tracing the stele. 

Nico reached into the shadows and pulled out some Tupperware filled with sandwiches and a few bottles of wine. 

He handed two of everything to Thalia and held out a wine glass to Percy. 

Thalia poured Luke a drink first, and then Annabeth even though she had no grave, just memorials, before pouring herself, Percy and Nico a small glass. 

"To Luke." She said, raising the glass.

"To Annabeth." Percy toasted, even as his heart splintered. 

"To those who will never be forgotten." Nico agreed. 

The clouds split, moonlight pouring down on the clearing as they drank Olympian Wine and that's when Thalia saw the tip of the rifle