I Tell Zeus His Family Sucks… Wait… I'm Part of His Family!
Percy stood inside the elevator while soft background music played through the speakers in the corner, as if this were an absurdly simple trip to an upper floor.
Even though technically the floor he was being taken to was the highest floor that could possibly exist.
Because the moment the doors opened again, Percy's eyes widened so hard he nearly had a heart attack.
Outside the doors, where there normally should've been office floors or something similar, there was now only a small stone walkway floating in the middle of the void.
And below it, Manhattan could be seen from airplane height.
And ahead of him, marble stairs spiraled upward around an enormous cloud.
Percy's eyes followed the staircase all the way to the top, and his shock only grew stronger.
Even his brain struggled to process what he was seeing.
Maybe finally understanding why a normal person's head could explode just from stepping onto Olympus.
Even he struggled to process the information his eyes recognized and his brain barely managed to understand.
It was the enormous peak of a mountain above the clouds, with its summit covered in snow.
And palaces surrounding the mountain.
All kinds of structures.
A city of mansions, all with columned porticos, golden terraces, and bronze braziers burning with a thousand fires.
The roads spiraled upward toward the peak, where the largest palace of all rose against the snow.
And in the fragile hanging gardens surrounding it, olive trees and rose bushes bloomed.
There was even an open air market, a stone amphitheater, a hippodrome, and a coliseum.
Just like the ruins and stories from ancient times.
Except these were new, spotless, and unbelievably colorful.
Like Athens must have looked fifteen hundred years ago.
Percy shook his head.
He didn't have time to keep marveling at everything around him.
As far as he knew, there were only minutes left before the deadline ran out for returning the bolt.
So even while ignoring everything around him, he hurried his pace and headed directly toward the palace at the summit.
Noticing as he got closer that it seemed to be the complete opposite of Hades' palace.
Where everything there had been black and bronze.
This one, meanwhile, was entirely white with silver glimmers shining across it.
That made Percy think back to Hades' words.
He didn't come to Olympus very often because he was perfectly fine in the Underworld, besides being buried in work.
And maybe he really had ended up with the worst job out of the three brothers while the other two enjoyed living here.
And Percy doubted they had nearly as much work as Hades if they had enough free time to almost start a war.
That thought made Percy nod slightly with a bit of pity toward Hades.
Lost in those thoughts, Percy arrived at the main hall, if it could even be called that considering the place was larger than any station he had ever seen, including Grand Central.
Which supposedly was the largest station in the world.
Though Percy couldn't remember whether it was that one or some German station that actually held the record.
Twelve thrones were arranged in the shape of an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half Blood.
And assuming they were arranged the same way, these also represented each god's place.
A massive fire burned in the central brazier.
Its flames shining with flashes that made it seem like this had been humanity's first fire.
And only two seats appeared occupied while the others remained completely empty.
The main throne on the right, and the one directly beside it to the left.
And nobody needed to tell Percy who the two gods seated there were, both of them focusing their gaze on him the moment he entered.
Or rather…
As if they had been waiting for him for a long time already.
The moment Percy felt both their gazes, who were currently in the same giant human forms Hades had used the first time, he couldn't stop himself from feeling that same heavy pressure trying to force him to kneel.
But at the same time, for some reason, he felt as if his body wanted to burst into flames at any moment.
Barely enduring the presence of the two of them.
Which, by the way, he had never felt with Hades.
Maybe because the god of the Underworld had heavily suppressed that sensation.
Something that apparently had been possible.
Only increasing Percy's appreciation for one of his uncles.
Percy approached and could finally see the two people there up close.
One wore a perfectly tailored suit and a neatly groomed beard, faint electric sparks occasionally running through it while a deadly glow shined inside his gray eyes.
He sat upon the main and largest throne, made perhaps from silver or some similar material.
The other looked much simpler.
Like some surfer who got lost and ended up in the wrong place.
Even his fish themed chair physically hurt to look at in a place like this.
His surfer clothes, consisting of shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, only made the contrast worse.
And those green eyes looked incredibly similar to the ones Percy saw every morning in the mirror while getting ready to start his day.
Percy didn't say much and stopped briefly before taking the backpack off his shoulders and opening it, pulling the object from inside.
Making Zeus' gaze shine intensely with danger.
While Percy grabbed the Master Bolt with both hands and offered it forward, lowering his head slightly.
Zeus stared at Percy for several seconds in complete silence.
He even lightly tapped the armrest of his throne.
Which was the only sound echoing throughout the entire place.
"Aren't you going to take it, brother?" Poseidon asked calmly while his gaze shifted from Percy, without showing any clear emotion, toward his brother.
Percy noticed this from his father and honestly, it didn't surprise him that much.
Maybe he even preferred this over his father trying to suddenly make up with him or hug him after all these years.
Zeus gave one final tap against the armrest with his finger, this one sounding slightly louder than the others.
Percy, unable to bear the silence any longer, opened his mouth.
"I didn't steal the Master Bolt. But my companions and I managed to recover it and I brought it back to stop…"
"You failed," Zeus said, interrupting him.
Causing Percy's eyes to widen in surprise as he raised his head and met Zeus' gaze.
"You arrived one minute too late," Zeus added in a cold tone while slightly moving one finger, making the bolt fly directly into his hand.
Percy looked confused.
He even lowered his gaze toward the watch on his wrist.
The watch Harry had lent him so he wouldn't arrive late.
And just as Zeus said, the agreed time had passed by exactly one minute.
But that minute was still there.
Showing that it had only passed the moment Zeus finally spoke.
"I… but…" Percy tried to say while staring at the king of the gods.
Because technically, the silence Zeus had taken earlier had been those important missing seconds.
Poseidon let out a small sigh while closing his eyes, as if he had already expected this.
Percy understood that too and couldn't help standing there completely stunned.
"Brother, is this truly necessary?" Poseidon asked while honestly sounding somewhat tired.
It was obvious he didn't want to start a war against Zeus, but neither did he want to be the one who backed down first.
"I gave an order and a deadline that was not met according to my terms. Therefore I cannot go back on my word," Zeus said with cold calmness while glancing toward his brother.
Poseidon shook his head.
"A great many people will die."
"Most likely," Zeus answered with complete calm, making it clear he would not take back his words.
"It's Kronos," Percy suddenly said, interrupting the conversation between both gods.
Making both gods turn their eyes toward him once more.
"He's behind all of this. He's escaping Tartarus, or at least trying to. He's recovering his strength so he can come after you. And Ares has been helping him," Percy said, taking advantage of having both their attention again.
"You may leave," Zeus said, interrupting him.
Completely calmly.
"But…"
"I know where Kronos is. I put him there. I know who he is, because I am his son. Of course he's gathering strength. He always is. He is always planning, always scheming. He has tried for eons. And that day never comes. And it never will," Zeus said with absolute confidence. "Thank you for the information. That is the only reason I'm allowing you to leave here alive. Now I have a war to prepare for. So when I say you may leave, it means you should be grateful and disappear from my sight," Zeus said in a dangerous tone, even causing his eyes to look deadly.
Meanwhile Poseidon simply watched the interaction without adding much more.
Though his hand now rested on the trident beside him.
"But the war doesn't need to…"
"Enough," Zeus said while the clouds surrounding Olympus flashed for a moment, bringing with them the roar of thunder. "You have no voice or vote here. This war will continue. And it will end only with one side victorious. And you are leaving this place with your life. Did you actually think we were going to negotiate?" Zeus asked mockingly.
"I thought at least someone who's lived that long would listen. That he'd realize fighting my father would only weaken you exactly the way Kronos wants," Percy said.
Even though his legs trembled slightly under Zeus' presence, he couldn't stay silent.
"I will not be weakened by anyone," Zeus said confidently.
"Oh really? Don't you realize it? Your family is a mess. They don't respect you because they love you; they do it because they're afraid of you. Ares, your own son, betrayed you the moment someone stronger appeared. Do you really think he'll be the only one? How long do you think the others will still fear you once your father returns and puts you right back where you sent him?" Percy said, now completely filled with fury.
As Zeus' eyes became more and more dangerous.
To the point he even tightened his grip on the Master Bolt, which began releasing sparks and the smell of burned ozone.
And in a burst of fury, he pointed it directly at Percy.
Prepared to completely erase the insolent demigod who dared speak such truths to him.
But before he could even throw it, Poseidon, who until now had seemed like nothing more than an observer, raised his trident and pointed it directly at Zeus' throat.
While the trident glowed intensely with a sea green light, carrying with it the full power of the ocean.
Poseidon stopped Zeus' attack and slowly turned his gaze toward the brother seated beside him.
While his eyes showed colossal fury.
But not only because Poseidon was aiming the trident at him.
But because of the other person now standing at Zeus' opposite side, holding back the arm that was about to throw the Master Bolt at Percy.
"Brothers," said the cold and deadly voice of the god of the Underworld.
Who was now present on Olympus despite normally appearing only during the solstice.
Stopping his brother's attack against Percy.
Even Poseidon looked surprised.
While Zeus' anger only seemed to grow further at the presence of the god of the Underworld.
"Hades…" Zeus growled while clenching his teeth as he looked at Hades and then Poseidon, as if comparing whether these two brothers had joined forces to fight against him.
Meanwhile the lightning surrounding Olympus intensified more and more with every threatening second.