Percy's P.O.V
Walking around Avengers headquarters was starting to bore me. The twins found chasing around Scott and Peter extremely entertaining. Scott would shrink and grow to throw them off course and Peter would zip around on his webs and perch on top of the ceiling. Nat had started training with Steve and T'Challa, getting back into shape. I preferred to wait until after Christmas to start training. So until the holidays was over I had to find something else to do.
Ryan was too busy with X-Men business to stop by and keep us company and Wanda and Vision were currently vacationing in Europe.
I found myself leaving the safety of the base and slowly walking towards a nearby pond. A swan was folded on the surface, its reflection underneath a mirror of the graceful bird. I was mesmerized by it. It seemed to notice me there and it stared back. It unfolded it's wings and a golden light enveloped it. I instinctively looked away. When I turned back the goddess of beauty was standing on the water before me.
"Perseus." She said
"Aphrodite, what brings you here?" She studied me with a dark expression.
"I had to see you with my own eyes. The great Percy Jackson has returned."
"Indeed I have. Why are you here?" I asked again.
She stalked forward in a sultry manner. "Must there be a reason to visit such a strong, handsome, demigod as yourself?" She said. She winked at me and a wave of lust took over me.
"Why don't we celebrate your return." She suggested. She was right in front of me now and her robe was dangerously low on her shoulders.
I shouldn't have been able to hear inside the facility behind me but for some reason my senses were heightened. I heard Emilii's joyous squeal as she, I assumed, found Peter or Scott. Hearing her made me smile and I thought about her beautiful mother, and the wave of lust was gone. It was replaced with warmth near my heart.
I looked up at the goddess and saw Nat. Her calculating green eyes with her fiery hair swept to the side like I loved. Aphrodite could change into whoever her target was attracted too, but all I saw was my loving partner. That snapped me out of it for good.
"Aphrodite, I don't think this is a good idea." I said. Her smile faltered.
"Why not?"
"I love Natasha."
"Undress yourself." She ordered. I could literally smell all the charm speak she put into her words, the smell of honey and ginger, but it didn't affect me.
"I think I should go." I said. I turned on my heels to leave and she grabbed my arm.
"You dare reject me?" She said. She no longer looked like Nat, I saw her true form. A blonde with kaleidoscope irises. The candescent glow of her form should've blinded me at the least but I could see clear as day. Her grip on my arm lessened and I took two steps back. Her expression darkened and her eyes turned black.
"Yes. Now please, leave."
She stood shocked. She muttered something to herself.
"Tread carefully Percy. Be grateful that I cannot touch your precious family. On this day, you Percy have made an enemy of me." She snarled. With those last words she vanished with a cloud of pink smoke. It no longer smelled like flowers or anything pleasant for that manner. It smelled like brimstone and death. I faintly recalled Leo's warning four years ago about her. Trouble on Olympus
I wondered if that danger still lingered.
Annabeth's P.O.V
I paced the dark cave waiting for the goddess to return. Four years ago when I visited Percy to kill his lover I also discovered something. She was pregnant. I couldn't kill her and her unborn child, children would be more appropriate. Aphrodite told me that Percy was to powerful to be killed so I assumed his children would be too. Aphrodite also told me that since she meddled with fate more dire consequences would be faced if anything else went wrong. She hadn't told me her whole plan but from what I did know it wasn't going to end well for either of us. She had went to go seduce Percy for reasons unknown to me and I was currently awaiting further instructions. When she had appeared back she wasn't happy.
"It didn't work. She wont be pleased. I was supposed to bring him...she'll want a sacrifice." She was speaking so fast I could only make out part of her monologue.
"What's going on?" I said frantically.
She stared at me. "Come."
We appeared on a beach, but the sand was black and the water that crashed against the shore was a violent shade of purple. The sky held no light or clouds, yet somehow I could see. I could make out a dark cave a couple miles away.
"Where are we going?" I asked. She didn't answer me. We kept walking and we were heading right towards that cave. The air was thick and it became hard to breathe.
"Aphrodite what is going on!"
She whipped around. "Silly child, don't you see? He is the key to our plan."
"A plan you wont tell me about." I said forcefully and I immediately regretted it.
"Do care how you speak little girl. Be lucky that I saved your life. I should've left you for dead. No follow and don't say a word."
When we reached the cave I automatically sensed a very strong powerful presence and my hair went ablaze in response.
"Aphrodite I don't think we should be here." I whispered
"Nonsense. She is exactly where she is supposed spawn of Athena." A voice spoke. It was rich and sounded like three voices merged together. It was female.
"Oh great one. I have come to awaken you." Aphrodite spoke.
"Where's the boy?" It asked
She hesitated. "We ran into some complications but I have brought you another offer." She said. She turned to me. It all clicked in my head.
Percy was supposed to be here. I was his replacement.
"No, no no no no no no NOOOO!" I cried but my voice was ripped right from my throat. I felt like all my energy was being sucked right out of me. My hair was on fire but even the flame soon dissipated into a miserable flicker and then it was completely extinguished.
"You will be my noble sacrifice. You will fuel my rage upon humanity. You will help me kill the gods and murder the earth. You will help them burn!" The voice said. It continued to steal my life away and Aphrodite watched. I didn't expect she'd be apart of something so evil, so twisted and masochistic as mass genocide. She would watch everyone she knew die just to get back at the gods. If I had the energy to be disgusted I would. I heard her scream and that was the thing my ears heard. I felt my body clash to the moist ground and that was the last thing I felt. And lastly, I gazed into the eyes, eyes that appeared to hold space itself, as I drew my last breath. And the last thing I saw was a black figure, shaped like a woman step out of the shadows.
