Jason finally had to be prodded into continuing rather than rereading all of the last one another six times by Nico actually insistently poking him and reminding, "man, do you ever want to move on with your own life?"

"Right, yeah," Jason nodded, but nobody was fooled it was a reluctant hand that finally turned the new page. He was going to go back. He was going to keep that passage safely tucked in his head where nobody could take it again. He didn't know what it meant to him yet, but he knew it was important.

"Let the guy nerd out, what's there even left to go over," Alex shrugged, slouching in her seat and fiddling with the ends of her hair.

Magnus deliberately signed the name Rachel to her, a pretty big chunk of Percy's life that may or may not be insane in her adulthood.

Alex winced and nodded in apology for temporarily forgetting about the lively art girl in the mix of all that. She hoped Percy went up to Hades and demanded with another oath he get his shit together and fix that curse before it ruined any more lives. He probably might have without incinerating Percy on the spot after all the nice things said about his son if they were lucky.

"Blackjack Gets Jacked?" That was a pretty big thing to catch Jason on the right track.

"By who!" Percy flared up immediately. "No one takes my pegasus!"

Annabeth soothed him back gently into his seat with the casual off comment that Blackjack was safe wherever he was, this wasn't a repeat of that cruise ship incident.

Nobody had any wisecracks for that, they liked the winged horse.

... on our way out, I spotted Hermes in a side courtyard of the palace.

"This, does not have the potential to end well," Magnus said with an uneasy frown at Percy, then the book. Nice guy he was, his notorious past of pissing off the gods, and his last major interaction with this god was him flip-flopping between wanting to kill Annabeth and then needing a hug...now Percy had just been witness to his beloved son's death that he'd apparently known was coming. Couple all that in with Percy not being the most stellar guy for any emotional situation, and Magnus was already wondering again how this guy was alive when Kronos being gone should have finally eradicated that.

It hadn't even been one chapter!

..."You sure?" Then she studied my face. "Yeah, you're sure."

Jason really wanted to take those two and lock them in a room and study the outcome. It would probably be his death, but it might be worth it. They were just the most fascinating combination of each other's confidence and flaws.

Hermes didn't seem to notice me approach.

"Can you sneak up on a god?" Alex asked with way to much interest.

"Yes," Thalia sighed with the kind of confidence of one who knew a few to many stories about what happened to people who did. Alex's grin did not drop one bit, of course.

...I will never get over the power of the Mist, and mortal ignorance."

"There's a compliment somewhere in there about the resilience of our race," Jason grinned.

"Half our race," Alex muttered, though it was hard some days to define which half annoyed her more, the human part or the godly part.

... "It was the right choice." Hermes looked at me curiously, then returned to the Iris-message.

"You know, it's not a great sign when a god, this god in particular, has better focus than you Percy," Thalia chuckled.

"Huh?" He asked without interest, still back wondering if Hermes had called him ignorant. Or mist. Either way, it was probably insulting, all for not wanting to be immortal.

... They keep showing a shot of Susan B. Anthony strangling Frederick Douglass.

Magnus had apparently missed out on a few vital History classes to recognize those names in only a vague questionnaire way. He should probably swap out his next fantasy novel for something more historically accurate...assuming any of it was actually true and not also some mist delusion!

...they'll be back to normal in a few weeks; and of course I'll be helping." "You?"

"I've officially lost count of the times you should be dead Percy," Annabeth sighed.

"I never got a proper count to begin with, to much stuff we didn't get to hear about," Jason huffed.

Percy was not amused at either of them trying to get a census going about his mortality...but it might make some of the kids at camp feel better to know he was an outlier so it's not like he'd stop them if they ever got the chance.

...they'll put this down to a solar flare. Anything but the truth."

"Cool," Jason and Magnus said together. The duality of how their domain could branch off into details they'd never have thought to consider was clearly more fascinating to them than it would be to those who had to deal with him complaining about all his multiple jobs.

... I should've kept quiet, but I said, "I owe you an apology."

Percy expected at least three smart-ass remarks about, 'Percy can apologize?!' but instead he got Annabeth's most endearing smile and Magnus chuckling saying, "I can't imagine many people living long enough to get to this stage. Kudos."

He grinned in relief none of his friends seemed to think he was some jerk above admitting when he was wrong.

Hermes gave me a cautious look. "And why is that?"

Will already looked so delighted at the start of this it should have been a little sad, but Nico got it. One would assume a god would just agree he'd been wronged and move on. Both of them were behaving so, casually about this.

Considering the amount of 'casual' and 'normal' actual people he'd even been around, yeah, this was a nice change of pace to ghosts blaming all their troubles on the living.

..."I did know his future," Hermes said miserably.

The confirmation did feel like quite the slap to Percy and Magnus, but while Magnus sighed and looked pretty miserable and conceding to the fact that the gods were just, 'like that' with no care, Percy had a strange, sad smile on his face. Inevitable didn't have to be a bad thing.

. . . that was the hardest thing I've ever done."

In three thousand years? The fact that he admitted to that instead of something more godly, like bragging about helping the last Perseaus with killing Medusa the first time felt so important. Hermes was agreeing with Percy that their kids and how they interacted with them should be acknowledged more, instead of brushing him off or probably taking the chance to smite him as many others would have wanted to.

"You had to let him find his own path, play his part in saving Olympus."

Annabeth pursed her lips against snapping at Percy for that. Playing his part, as if it had all been a game and Luke just hadn't been using the same rule book as the rest of them. She knew he didn't really mean it that way, Percy never would have given him the knife if he'd doubted for a moment Luke would go through with it, believed in him like she always had, but he'd still spent a lot of years with lingering resentment in him. Now he was using Luke as a symbol for why it shouldn't be done again.

She still wasn't convinced that gray area he'd lived in for so long had just been completely erased.

Hermes sighed. "I should not have gotten mad at Annabeth.

Annabeth gave Percy an eye-roll. "You know, when you told me that Hermes actually apologized for yelling at me, I thought he just blurted it out and walked off. You seriously didn't feel the need to tell me before you had a whole conversation?"

"No," Percy shrugged. He'd remembered the important part apparently.

... I thought she could do what I could not and save him.

"I'm, confused," Magnus admitted. "Did Hermes know Luke was going to die, or did he hope he could be saved?"

"Oooh, definitely both," Annabeth sighed. "The gods never assume there's a linear path, though some like to pretend they'll never reach the end of one."

... I should have known better. I was really angry with myself."

Alex tugged on her thick hair along the back of her neck over her tattoo. Yeah, she couldn't even pretend to be mad at hearing a god say that. Anger had a tendency to make you lash out rather than in.

... don't mistake Kronos for dead, Percy."

"I guess, it's a good thing he didn't just get tossed back into Tartarus?" Magnus frowned, he really hadn't been able to process this in his own head long enough to realize that implication. "Since he had to use someone to crawl his way out of there, maybe this'll last even longer?"

"Yeah, hopefully," Annabeth sighed in agreement, but they could all tell by the tone that she agreed with Hermes on this.

...Krios has fled, and Mount Othrys has crumbled into ruins.

Jason tipped his head to the side as those words passed his lips. It left a strange sensation behind. Not a brag, not a lie, just, something. He should know something more about that than just 'crumbled back to ruins.'

He'd gotten hints, flashes, vague as all get out feelings, but reading that gave him a hunger to finally know his truth. He didn't care if it would take five whole books to end there again like Percy's, he really was ready to get started on his own history.

Oceanus slipped back into the deep when it was clear Kronos had lost.

"I bet he looted that game room on his way too," Percy rolled his eyes. He just knew his dad was going to throw that back at him at some point. He was surprised not to see a few relics in this strange place.

Meanwhile, my son died believing I didn't care about him. I will never forgive myself."

In a way that should have been a good thing, Nico felt a frown tugging at his mouth. In some ways he respected his dad holding onto this perfect ideal version of Bianca, maybe it would stop him making the same mistakes again. Between Percy binding them to a promise to stop outright ignoring them, and the gods having literally hundreds of examples on how to be bad parents...maybe some of them would turn out good. It was a wishful hope, but one he hoped for.

"You once told me the hardest thing about being a god" ... "now you know I'm a hypocrite?"

It was hard for Thalia to think of him as that exactly, not with how much he clearly hurt at Luke's passing. He'd wanted Percy to succeed in rescuing him from this fate. Maybe bitter was a better word. He didn't think he could change so he just kept letting this awful shit happen in a continuous spiral of waiting for it to happen.

... He remembered what was important." "Too late for him and me."

Will winced hard, very grateful Travis and Connor and the entirety of the kids at Camp weren't here to hear that. Hermes just considering himself a lost cause right off the bat, after everything the rest of his children had gone through felt right in line with their usual attitudes. Hermes wouldn't be the only one thinking like this, how their kids did great work but it was just par for the course and they could go on with their lives so long as they remembered to claim them more often now.

He didn't know how much good this had done in the long run, the God of Messengers didn't exactly pop into camp every other weekend more than the others, but Will still hoped Percy had gone around and spoken to them all. He seemed the only one able and willing to try at any rate.

If Will tried to do this, he'd just start bowing and babbling or something stupid most likely.

...you think the gods can change their nature?" "Yeah," I said. "I do."

Percy couldn't blame them for the blank looks. Nothing in his own history had exactly paraded this as fact. It probably just sounded like childish wishful thinking.

He had a half hearted excuse if anyone asked, but all he got was Annabeth and Thalia exchanging mystified looks and Jason smiling in hopeful agreement really. It had been his mom's faith his dad had still loved him, that had been the conviction behind that promise.

... Will you see that they get to camp?" "I promise," I said. "And I won't forget."

"So we're going to get awesome sidequest missions with you and Grover in the future, right?" Alex asked eagerly.

"And here I was kind of hoping we'd go on just one mission that didn't involve crazy. Just casually picking up kids from school and showing them camp with no monsters!" But Percy's sigh was one of knowing she was probably right.

..."Percy Jackson," Hermes said, "you might just teach us a thing or two."

"Do you get a star constellation for that?" Alex asked with interest.

"It's really not the height of being a demigod Heracles made it out to be," Annabeth promised with a faint smile. "We'd prefer to be known for how we changed than what we did."

Alex hummed as if she couldn't decide if she agreed or not.

Another god was waiting for me on the way out of Olympus.

The collective groan around the room made Percy grin. It was so validating to see all of them as sick of this as he was, even Thalia and Alex had stopped cheering on more carnage. He really would kind of like to get all this over with too. He was exhausted and he wanted to find out what was wrong with Blackjack!

Athena stood arms crossed and a look on her face that made me think Uh-oh.

Thalia chuckled and elbowed Percy in agreement. "I need to print that one for personal entertainment when the other Hunters think a male doesn't have a sensible bone in his body."

"Sure Thals, if this is really the section you want," Percy rolled his eyes.

"Well I didn't really think I could get away with stealing all five books, so yeah," she agreed.

...jeans and a white blouse, but didn't look any less warlike. Her gray eyes blazed.

"I can't help but just kind of picture you there," Magnus told his cousin.

She blushed in thanks and muttered something about her mom being more intimidating, but there was a pleased smile on her face all the same.

"Well, Percy," she said. "You will stay mortal." "Um, yes, ma'am."

Will couldn't help but smile at the manners. Maybe it was just the southern in him, but it felt nice not to be mocked hearing it, even if these were gods who expected it anyways.

"I would know your reasons."

"She would," Alex mocked at once, grating against the authoritative tone in her head Jason was doing no favors in his calm, casual voice that always held a tone of holding attention effortlessly.

"Can't blame a goddess of wisdom wanting to hear a reason for something unprecedented," Annabeth chuckled.

...Have, you know, a regular high school experience."

"Oh that was a lost cause before it started," Nico snorted, he could have guessed that from Percy even having a better life than him anyways before he heard all this. Even perfect Percy's life hadn't gone without glorious monster attacks he could triumph over.

"Yeah, but I still keep trying," Percy sighed.

"And my daughter?"

"I couldn't leave her," I admitted, my throat dry. "Or Grover," I added quickly. "Or—"

"Spare me." Athena stepped close to me,

"I didn't realize Grover probably would have benefited from you being immortal for quite a while too though," Jason rubbed his jaw with a sad smile. "How long do they live? Certainly longer than our normal life span, so he'd appreciate you being around longer too even if he's not immortal from his, lord of the wild status."

"Yes, I'm so sure that's why Athena didn't buy that," Percy snorted at this guy always trying to derail their crazy into analytical.

... "to save a friend you would destroy the world. Perhaps I was mistaken.

Annabeth smiled in surprise. Her mother hadn't really come across as capable before of admitting to such a thing. The pressure on her shoulders lifted, just a small tug, as she leaned into Percy's side with a sigh of regret for their earlier spat. Yeah, she could be mistaken too. She'd have to have a real talk with him soon.

...she erupted in a column of flame, charring the front of my shirt.

"Lovely woman," Alex snorted, still unimpressed. Probably because she was jealous she couldn't do that too.

Magnus made a meep noise that could have meant anything from agreement to, 'I'm trying not to piss myself that I'm distantly related to that.'

..."Why do you smell like smoke?" "Long story," I said.

"No, it wasn't," Annabeth huffed.

"I delegated all my good summary skills away, remember?" Percy's grin was sheepish, so clearly wanting to change the subject as he squeezed her hand.

She huffed and rolled her eyes at him as she squeezed back. She supposed she could respect she didn't need to know every detail of his life up to now to have the full picture.

... I should've made that part of my gift from the gods: better elevator tunes.

That finally broke a long line of tension lingering in the room. The laughter echoed pleasantly, Will tried to escalate it by promising his dad might do it just to impress Percy specifically or something, but really they just needed that moment of levity after all this.

...mom and Paul arguing with the security guy, who'd returned to his post.

Percy felt a warmth spread out of him he hoped the others felt as much as they did when it was his anger. The smiles that lit them all, the mild teasing about the poor lobby guy unable to finish his book coupled with everyone completely unsurprised that Sally and Paul hadn't just hopped in their car and gone home after all that.

Annabeth had been more surprised than anything not to see Paul causing a distraction so Sally could swipe the keycard personally.

...She hugged the breath right out of me.

"Guess you would do good to practice that somewhere since you don't have to underwater like us plebians," Nico nodded.

"Yeah Nico, I'm sure you'll be first in line to help with that," Percy said with a laugh he hoped wasn't as awkward as it sounded to his ears. He at least hoped he could tease him about that now.

Nico's dry laugh proved he could, so that made the others chuckle along.

..."She was getting a bit anxious," Paul said drily.

"I couldn't tell," Percy mock promised as he rubbed his ribs.

"Then tomorrow's life lesson will be over reading the room," Thalia smirked.

"Great, something you'd finally fail before me," Percy smirked right back.

Jason cleared his throat hard to stop them before they could spiral back out and they acquitted, for now.

..."Paul," my mom chided. "Olympus not for mortals.

Percy really had gotten all the best blend of traits from his parents, Magnus grinned. She didn't try to overstep and expect more from her brief time with the god of the sea. Posideon's power being bottled and expelled in just the right kind of way to keep the power balanced against the worst of the monsters.

Anyway, the important thing is we're safe. All of us."

"I didn't realize you got the anyways thing from your mom!" Magnus burst out laughing at his own mental joke getting that kind of credit.

"She's always trying to look on the bright side," Percy agreed pleasantly.

I was about to relax.

"Oh gods," Magnus resisted the urge to facepalm in horror of what could happen next. Some last-minute twist evil kid at camp was going to burst in on Blackjack and try to kill everyone again?!

...But the life of a demigod is never so easy.

"But you're supposed to be the best of us Percy!" Thalia said with all the exaggerated punctuation of someone fresh off learning her lines at a soap opera. Percy was a tad worried she'd hurt herself with that much sarcasm. "If you believe it, we can do better!"

"Even I couldn't make the gods promise us that," Percy scoffed.

Just then Nico ran in, and his face told me something was wrong.

"You need a new face," Percy huffed. "I've seen that one to many times."

"I like his face," Will frowned, while Nico covered said face with his hand at these idiots.

"Shut it, you know what I meant," Percy scowled.

"I think it's more convenient to know what someone's thinking at a glance, even if you don't like it," Annabeth reminded better.

Percy huffed but didn't argue the point with her, for now.

"It's Rachel," he said. "I just ran into her down on 32nd Street."

"Literally?" Will asked in concern.

"No Will, I do not literally run into anyone if I can avoid it," Nico sighed.

"No, I meant, did she run into you and actually explain this, or did you ask what was going on and she ran you over?" He clarified. He imagined Rachel in a frantic enough mood for either.

"Oh, yeah," Nico nodded, "the second."

Annabeth frowned. "What's she done this time?"

"Annabeth," Percy groaned.

She shrugged. She wasn't apologizing. Rachel had nearly gotten a helicopter crashed last time she'd jumped into her life.

..."She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp."

"Rachel took Blackjack!" Magnus looked like he hurt his neck on that double take.

"Actually that one makes sense. He'd trust someone he knew Percy cared about to hop on and go along," Jason said fairly.

"Can she even enter camp?" Alex asked with concern as Magnus uneasily got up to take the book. "Nobody's there to invite her in, but well, she did stay awake when every other mortal passed out, so she's obviously got some kind of exemption boost. Kudos to her for going big on testing this," she finished with a smirk.

Percy looked a new kind of exhausted, which none of them thought was possible moments ago.

He was going to go after her though, no questions asked. That was his friend off to do another dangerous stunt after he just had to watch Luke and Annabeth do their final dance. He had no idea what she even meant by it and was far too exhausted to guess why!

This poor guy really needed a break from everyone.

PJOPJOPJOPJO

Seeing editing decisions like this in a published book really do make me feel better about my own writing sometimes. Three conversations constitutes a whole chapter huh? Yeah, this couldn't have been tacked onto the end of the last one, and it's a dramatic end to segway into a new one, but it doesn't stop me from laughing that you could have just made this the opening to the next chapter and used cutaway. Nope. Had to make this its whole own thing. Thank you, I'll remember that.