Betrayed But Never Forgotten

We disown our godly half

Percy's pov

   

I hate my mom, I hate Jason, I hate the camp, I hate the Gods, I hate my life. I saved the world how many times and this is how they repay me. Annabeth did nothing wrong and this is how they treat her. Piper did nothing wrong but was dumped by her boyfriend. The bitter thoughts swirled in my mind like a hurricane as we walked down the empty road.

The air was muggy and thick, clinging to my skin like a second layer. The asphalt beneath our feet was still damp from an earlier rainfall, puddles reflecting the sliver of moon that occasionally peeked through the heavy cloud cover. Annabeth walked silently on my left, her blonde hair catching what little moonlight filtered down, while Piper walked on my right, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead. Nobody talked, which I was thankful for. The silence felt appropriate for our collective misery.

I can't believe my own mother, the woman who had protected me all these years, who had married Gabe to keep me safe, who had always been my rock – disowned me. The memory of her cold eyes as she turned away from me replayed in my mind over and over. What had I done to deserve this? After everything I'd sacrificed for Olympus?

As I was drowning in these thoughts, my senses dulled by grief and anger, I didn't notice the hellhound emerge from the shadows until it was almost too late. The massive beast, larger than any car, materialized from the darkness ahead, its red eyes gleaming with hunger.

"Percy, watch out!" Annabeth's voice cut through my stupor as she tackled me, her body colliding with mine with enough force to knock the air from my lungs. In the same movement, she reached out and dragged Piper down with us, all three of us tumbling onto the wet pavement in a tangle of limbs.

My battle instincts finally kicked in. I uncapped Riptide, the celestial bronze expanding into a gleaming sword that cast a faint glow across our faces. As the hellhound pounced, muscles bunching beneath its midnight fur, I sliced upward, feeling the blade sink deep into its stomach. The creature howled, a sound that seemed to echo through the empty night.

I rolled out of the way just as massive jaws snapped at the space where my head had been moments before. The creature's hot breath washed over me, carrying the stench of sulfur and death. I watched as Piper, her face set in determination, drove her dagger into the hellhound's thick neck. The monster cried out in pain, but kept coming, seemingly unfazed by what should have been a fatal wound.

Annabeth, her gray eyes calculating even in the chaos, threw her dagger with deadly precision. The blade spun through the air like an arrow before embedding itself deep in the hellhound's skull. Just as the beast made one final lunge toward me, it exploded into a shower of golden dust that rained down on the wet pavement.

Breathing heavily, I capped Riptide and helped Annabeth to her feet, her hand warm in mine despite everything. I brushed the monster dust from my clothes and looked around, confused by the unnaturally quick disintegration. Something felt different about this attack.

That's when I saw it – a black portal materializing in the air before us, the edges shimmering like oil on water. Out stepped a figure that radiated such power that the air around us seemed to vibrate. He wore a cloak as black as the void, but it was his eyes that held me transfixed – swirling pools of black and white, like galaxies in motion. His skin was pale white, almost luminescent in the darkness, and his hair was midnight black, seeming to absorb what little light there was.

"Who are you!" I demanded, instinctively raising Riptide to his throat, though some part of me knew this being could probably wipe me from existence with a thought.

The figure regarded me with those cosmic eyes, and when he spoke, his voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. "I am Chaos, the creator of the universe."

Beside me, Annabeth gasped audibly, her extensive knowledge of mythology clearly telling her exactly who – or what – stood before us. She immediately dropped to one knee, and Piper, following her lead, did the same. I remained standing, my sword still raised, though my hands had begun to tremble.

"Rise," Chaos said with a casual wave of his hand, as if dismissing an outdated custom. "I don't like the formalities."

His gaze returned to me, curiosity evident in those swirling eyes. "You're the first person not to bow or cower in fear toward me. Why is that?"

The question caught me off guard, but I answered honestly, lowering my sword slightly. "We were all born once. It doesn't matter the amount of wealth or status a person or being has – we are all equals."

Chaos studied me for a moment, then nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He turned to address all three of us, his presence somehow making the night air feel even heavier.

"I would like to offer you a place in my army," he stated simply, as if offering us a ride home rather than a complete change of existence.

"Yes," the three of us replied in unison, without hesitation. There was nothing left for us here – no parents who wanted us, no camp that felt like home anymore.

Chaos smiled, a gesture that seemed to brighten the very air around us, and clapped his hands together. The sound resonated like thunder. "First, you must disown your parents, or they will be able to track you wherever you go."

I nodded grimly and stepped forward first. I stabbed Riptide into the ground, the blade sinking easily into the asphalt as if it were sand. The words came easier than I expected: "I, Perseus Jackson, hereby disown Poseidon, god of earthquakes and the seas, as my father."

A green aura surrounded me for a moment, pulsing like the tides before fading away. Riptide shimmered and vanished, the connection to my father's gift severed forever. I felt a momentary pang of loss, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of liberation.

Annabeth went next, her face a mask of determination as she placed her Yankees cap on the ground. The magical item lay there, looking innocuous despite its power. "I, Annabeth Chase, hereby disown Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, as my mother." Her voice didn't waver, though I could see the cost of those words in her eyes. She glowed gray for an instant, before the light faded and her cap disappeared.

Annabeth stepped back, giving Piper room to complete the ritual. Piper took a deep breath, then placed her enchanted makeup mirror on the wet ground. "I, Piper McLean, hereby disown Aphrodite, goddess of beauty, as my mother." A pink glow surrounded her briefly before dissipating, and the mirror vanished like the other items.

When we were done, we faced Chaos once more, somehow feeling both lighter and more vulnerable.

"Now that's done," he said, his voice gentle but filled with power, "let's head to planet Orbiton, also known as Chaos planet." With that, he turned and stepped back into the swirling portal.

Piper was the first to follow, her chin held high as she walked into the unknown. Annabeth went next, pausing only to squeeze my hand before she disappeared into the void.

Before I stepped in, I turned for one last look at Earth – at the skyline of New York in the distance, at the world I had saved multiple times only to be abandoned by it. I thought of my mom – my real mom, Sally – and felt a twinge of regret that I couldn't say goodbye. But this was my choice now. My new path.

With a deep breath, I stepped into the portal, leaving behind the world of gods and betrayal for whatever waited on the other side.