When Things Fall Apart

Chapter Eleven

"Everyone, welcome to the Winter Solstice council meeting. On the shortest day of the year, we adjourn to discuss the ways to preserve Olympus. We are here with our brother Hades. Where shall we begin? Athena," motioned Zeus.

"Things are looking well, father. The demigods out in the world are living without fear, as monsters are barely attacking. It appears that all of Kronos' forces who survived have fled as far as possible."

Zeus shook his head in delight. "That is excellent news, Athena."

The Olympians went on to discuss other political and social events occurring in the world. Before long, Percy Jackson was brought up.

Zeus looked at his family contemplatively. "Hmm, and any word on Percy Jackson?"

Poseidon shook his head. "The last one who saw him was Artemis. She..." he lowered his voice in sadness. "She saw him jumping into Tartarus." The whole council sat there in shock. The flames of the hearth seemed to diminish greatly.

"What he says is true," Artemis replied. "I tried to talk him out of it, but..." her voice started to falter. She put on her brave face, trying to convince everyone (and mainly herself), that she was in no way affected by the boy, Percy Jackson. "He told me he had to do it. And he just let himself go. He didn't seem concerned in the slightest. It was all he cared about." Everyone went silent. All that was heard was the occasional crack of the hearth's firewood.

"And that is the last we have heard of him?" Zeus asked. Artemis and Poseidon nodded their heads.

"Brother, if I may." Everyone gazed towards Hades, who sat in his impromptu throne for the occasion.

"Why yes, Hades. Say your piece," Zeus replied, motioning him to continue.

"What they said was true. But, it's not the whole truth." Everyone looked at him confused.

"What is that supposed to mean, brother. This better not be leading to a stupid joke," Poseidon warned.

Hades looked at him without fear. "What I am about to tell you, even I couldn't make up. Percy did indeed find his way to Tartarus. However," everyone seemed to be on the edge of their seats, especially Artemis, who was gripping the handle of her throne so hard, her knuckles were turning white. "I saw him, erh, afterwards."

Poseidon stood up, grabbing his trident. "This isn't funny, Hades!" Hades put his arms up in defense.

"What I am about to tell you, I swear on the Styx is true." Poseidon gave him a skeptical look and sat back down.

"I saw Percy after he made the jump. He escaped Tartarus."

"Impossible," Zeus and Poseidon said at the same time. They gave each other a look, and then looked away.

"Again, what I am saying is the truth. I found him walking past my palace weeks after Artemis left empty-handed. She never told me where he had gone. I assumed he was going to Elysium to visit Annabeth. I knew it was prohibited for the living to do, but I knew my Furies would stop him in his tracks." Everyone stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Anyways, I didn't think much of it, and then he was back by my castle, nearly a month later. I asked him where he was. Tartarus! He never told me why he went down there to begin with, but he said that he climbed his way back up."

Everyone sat there in shock. Not even the gods could escape Tartarus.

Hades continued, "That's not all. He told me he was just going to leave the Underworld after. If anyone would have told me that on its own, I wouldn't have believed them. But he just came back from Tartarus! So, after weeks, when I never saw him again, I just thought to myself, 'he did it'."

Zeus put his face in his hands, like it was too much for his brain (although everyone was feeling that way).

"Hades, are you claiming that Percy Jackson, a demigod, mortal boy, escaped Tartarus and then just decided he was going to 'walk out' of the Underworld?" Zeus asked.

Hades just shook his head. "That is correct, brother." Zeus looked over to Athena, who had a concerned look on her face. She mouthed, 'we need to talk' to him, which Artemis noticed.

"Well, I think we all need some time to think about that. I am going to reserve any judgment or initiative for now, and I suggest you all do the same. Council dismissed," he boomed.

After the meeting, Artemis pretended to walk out, but she stood at the door, as Athena and Zeus were talking inside.

"Father, this isn't good. This isn't good at all," she told him.

"What do you mean Athena?"

"No one would willingly jump into Tartarus for nothing, and then escape. This isn't a Houdini act. There are two questions here: why and how. The how question is easier. As far as we know, it is impossible to escape Tartarus by simply 'climbing back' up it. The same mechanism to prevent it is used for Sisyphus in the Fields of Punishment. Anyone under the jurisdiction of fate cannot do it, but he did. Which leads me to why he jumped in the first place. If I am correct, Percy found something he shouldn't have. Something very, very terrible, that was meant to be hidden from all."

"And what would that be?" Zeus asked.

"He found the oldest manuscript of Homer, which included," she seemed to stumble on her word.

"What, Athena?"

"He found out how to make an immortal fade. If my theory is correct, he assumed one of the Titan's put the curse on Annabeth, so he went down there to fade that person. Then, he managed to escape both Tartarus and the Underworld because of the consequence, not being bound by fate."

Zeus looked at her shocked. "What does this mean, Athena? He knows how to kill us all."

She shook her head. "That is indeed what we know. However, who knows what he is capable of. He is bound to nothing. Not our rules, not the world, not even the Fates. I know that you would want him to swear on the Styx not to make any more immortals fade, but he cannot even do that anymore. His obligations and ties to anything mean nothing. And let's not forgot he exhibited the power of a god when Annabeth died." Although Athena did not know about Percy causing the causal fabric to rip whenever he met anyone, she knew that he was the biggest threat to Olympus.

Zeus looked upset. "Then what is there to do?"

"We have to destroy him. He is as dangerous as any titan, including Hyperion or Kronos."

Zeus shook his head. "Very well. I will send out the minor gods and demigods to find him and, if necessary, kill him."

Athena shook her head, hesitantly. "Yes father. And I think we have one advantage. If he is not bound by the Styx, he is not immortal, so that should save us a lot of time."

"Good," Zeus replied. Then he left with a strike of lightning.

Artemis stood outside in shock of what she had just heard. Percy Jackson was now the enemy of Olympus, and Zeus wanted him dead or alive.