Bring Your Secrets, Bring Your Scars

Cutting Ties, Coming Home

Dedicated to Ebaudains thanks so much for commenting!

Percy woke up panting heavily, a thin sheen of sweat covered his body.  He glanced down at his watch and realized how long he’d been asleep.  Almost an hour and a half. 

Nearly the longest he slept in one go since returning from Tartarus. 

He looked longingly at the name engraved on the marble slab before standing. 

He touched the crimson-colored rose haltingly and made his way stiffly out of the graveyard.  He traced the once-familiar path to his apartment. 

Memories of the war’s aftermath flooded his mind.

Percy left the infirmary and immediately began to throw himself into rebuilding Camp Half-Blood. 

He was a force to be reckoned with, he didn’t sleep unless he passed out from exhaustion, and even then he was never out for long. 

He didn’t eat unless someone forced him to.  Even then, he would eat very little or just throw it up later on. 

He never showed any emotion-at all- even when they burned the shrouds of his loved ones.

Days blurred into nights for Percy.  Every waking moment was the same, trying to numb his grief and ignore his pain. 

He hid his anguish in his work, hid his brokenness in the rebuilding efforts.  After two months the camp was nearly back in running order.

The gods summoned their surviving children to the throne room to receive acknowledgment for the roles they played in the war. 

    All the campers, save Percy, rode the elevator to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. 

Percy refused to get in the elevator, so Posiden flashed him to the throne room.  When Percy appeared in the throne room, the gods and goddesses were bickering amongst themselves.  No big surprise there.

The rest of the demigods filed out of the elevator.  Zeus banged his master bolt against the ground to gain the attention of the throne room’s inhabitants. 

Once order was established, Zeus began to begrudgingly thank the demigods, grant wishes, and give gifts.

Percy was the last one to be called to the attention of the gods.  Poseidon looked at his son and took in the broken eyes and the skinny frame. 

He was saddened by how the war had left his son. 

Zeus offered Percy godhood.  Percy glared at the king of Olympus, a ‘no’ written clearly across his broken features.

  Zeus visibly recoiled at Percy's glare and moved on to the next subject. 

“Perseus,” He thundered, “Your valiant actions have won you three wishes.  If they are within our power, we swear on the river Styx to fulfill them”  Percy looked deep in thought for a moment before answering in an unused voice

“I wish that you would fulfill the promise you made at the end of the last war, release Calypso and the other peaceful titans and giants.” He glared at Zeus once more, a threat is hidden in his scowl, a promise if the gods fail once more. 

His second wish was for the gods to recognize all the minor gods and appoint a Pontifex Maximus at each camp to properly honor all minor deities. 

Nico had already wished for Hestia and Hades to have permanent thrones on Olympus so Percy made his third wish for himself.

“I wish to be separated from the greek and roman gods until I am ready to return.  Do not come to me unless the world is literally ending.   I will let you know when I am ready to return to this life.”