Deals and Destinies
"Ha. Great," said Percy in a tone that was almost mocking and sarcastic as he read the newspaper that the vendor passing through the train cars had left for Annabeth, who seemed intent on catching up on something.
In the photo, Percy stood with a distant expression, caught by some tourist who must have thought it was worth photographing him. In his hands, he held his swords—though in the image they looked like nothing more than two blurred shapes: one black, the other bronze. They could easily be mistaken for baseball bats.
However, the real question wasn't why he looked so spaced out in the photo, but why anyone would even use two baseball bats.
Percy had to admit, though, that the pose looked pretty cool. What he didn't like was what was written above and below the picture—or rather, all around it.
It read:
"Percy Jackson, 12 years old, wanted for questioning in relation to the disappearance of his parents, Sally Jackson and Gabe Ugliano, two weeks ago. He was last seen boarding a bus with several elderly women. The bus later exploded on a highway in New Jersey shortly after Jackson left the scene. According to statements, police believe he may be traveling with two teenage accomplices."
"Now everyone's going to think I enjoy beating up old ladies," Percy said with a strained smile.
Annabeth and Grover exchanged a glance.
"Don't worry, the police are mortals," Annabeth said, trying to sound calm. "They won't be able to find us… easily," she added, though her tone didn't sound entirely confident.
Percy decided to focus on his magic book instead, his attention sharper than before as the train rushed along the rails.
Annabeth, however, kept glancing at him from time to time, something Percy noticed easily. Finally, without lifting his eyes too far from the pages, he sighed.
"Just say it," he muttered, tired of her persistent looks.
"Fine. Who's the one asking for your help?" she asked directly.
"Huh?" Percy set the book aside to look at her, confused.
"When you were asleep, you said someone wanted your help," Annabeth explained, watching him intently.
"…" Percy stared at her silently, debating whether or not to tell her. In the end, he decided it might be worth hearing a second opinion besides what his teacher had told him earlier.
Annabeth listened to Percy's story, frowning and thinking for a while.
"It's unlikely that it's Hades," she finally said. "He always appears on his throne, without a single smile," she added with mild disdain.
"He offered me my mother in exchange for the deal. Who else could it be? After all, he's the one who took her," Percy replied coldly.
"Well, you've got a point… but if what he wants is to start a war and escape the Underworld, why would he ask you to bring the bolt if he's supposed to already have it?" Annabeth asked, puzzled.
Percy's expression grew complicated.
"Don't tell me you actually considered it," she said, looking surprised.
"No," Percy answered bitterly. "My teacher said that if I didn't know who I was making a deal with, I could end up in a place full of books and rotting tentacles. Whatever that place is," he added with irritation.
Annabeth looked at him in confusion.
"You already told him? When?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter," Percy said, reopening his book. He wanted to learn as fast as possible—to be ready for whatever came next. If he had to fight, he wanted to be prepared.
Annabeth sighed. "You can't make a deal with Hades. He's a liar and greedy," she said, but Percy spoke up without lifting his eyes from the pages.
"Like all gods, right?" he said, with a faint trace of mockery in his voice.
"Not all of them are like that," Annabeth replied quickly, defensive.
"Oh yeah?" Percy finally looked up. "Isn't Athena the one who has children with men she deems intelligent enough to bear them, then leaves the babies at their fathers' doors without even asking if they can raise them? Or wasn't it the same goddess who struck Arachne just because she wove better than her? When Arachne tried to end her life, Athena turned her into a spider so she'd weave forever. Or maybe… wasn't it her rivalry with Hera and Aphrodite over who was the most beautiful that sparked one of the bloodiest wars in history?"
Percy's tone grew harsher with each word, his eyes glinting with a strange light.
Annabeth looked at him in disbelief—not only because of the knowledge he had, but because those were stories few dared to even whisper, least of all children of Athena.
Percy didn't stop.
"Hera and Heracles. Apollo sending plagues to those who didn't worship him. Artemis punishing Callisto because of Zeus. Aphrodite and the curse of Lemnos. Hermes turning mortals into birds just for fun. Dionysus driving kingdoms insane and into slaughter for rejecting his cult. Poseidon sinking fleets on a whim. Zeus deceiving women. Ares, who only craves war, destruction, and bloo—"
He stopped suddenly, as if a revelation had struck him silent.
"It's not completely like that," Annabeth said, standing up with anger. But she couldn't continue. She found no words to defend them—especially not her mother. Everything Percy had said was true, though they were truths rarely spoken aloud.
Percy looked at her quietly, then turned his gaze back toward the window.
"I don't get why you insist on defending them. None of them are good people… or whatever they are. Like Medusa said, to them we're just toys they can control," he muttered coldly.
"My mother isn't like that. She… she protects me when I need her. She let me reach the camp when not even my father cared enough to worry about me," said Annabeth, her voice trembling with contained fury.
Percy looked at her, his expression a little calmer this time.
"My father… he didn't love me," she continued tensely. "He didn't want children. Even when I was born, he asked Athena to take me away because he was too busy with his work. He spoke about my arrival as if it were the most annoying thing that had ever happened to him. And when he married his new wife, he didn't even want me near their kids. They pretended I didn't exist. They despised me, hated me…"
Her voice began to crack, growing softer and heavy with sadness. "So I ran away. I left home with no one but Athena watching over me."
As she spoke, Annabeth squeezed tightly the small college ring hanging from her necklace, as if that little piece of metal was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Her words seemed to strike something deep within Percy. He sighed quietly, feeling a pang of guilt. He looked at her, unsure how to comfort her, scratching his head awkwardly. Maybe he had gone too far. But it truly frustrated him to see her defend the gods when they were the main reason behind so many problems—those of the present, the future, and probably many more yet to come.
Not to mention the fact that Zeus seemed ready to strike him down with a lightning bolt every time he remembered Percy existed.
Percy lowered his voice, speaking more softly. "My mom married a horrible man who made my entire childhood a nightmare… and she still chose him to protect me," he said, his tone tinged with melancholy. "Maybe your father did the same."
Annabeth, completely defeated, her eyes brimming with tears, whispered, "He doesn't love me."
She looked down, her voice barely audible. "His wife treated me like a monster. And when I got close to their children, they pushed me away. Every time something dangerous happened, or a monster showed up, they all looked at me with resentment… as if saying, 'How dare you put our family in danger?'"
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. "That's why it bothers me when you speak badly of Athena."
When she said it, she lifted her gaze toward Percy, her eyes locking onto his.
Percy, feeling that look, let out another sigh. There was no arguing with that.
"All right, it's my fault. Maybe I got carried away," he admitted. "But to be fair, being a good mother doesn't necessarily make her a good person. Still… let's make a deal."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone more relaxed.
"I'll try my hardest not to speak out against the gods, and in exchange, you'll try your hardest not to defend them to the death."
Annabeth looked at him, slightly annoyed, but the intensity in her eyes slowly faded. Her expression softened, and for the first time during the conversation, she seemed lighter—almost relieved.
"Fine," she finally said.
Percy nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips, as if that truce was enough… for now.