The Hanging Tree | Percabeth

Percy

"He is going to fucking pay. I hate him. I'm going to kill him." Annabeth was shoving clothes in her bag and ranting about what Luke did to Piper.

"Maybe you should think about this. Think this through," I tried to reason. She wasn't thinking clearly and it was going to hurt her. She had a tendency to not think things through when she was angry.

She paused and looked down at her hands. They were shaking so badly you would think they were having a seizure. "He took Piper, Percy. He may have done right thing at in the Titan war but he murdered Piper while trying to murder you. I hate him, I want him dead." She turned towards me and rested her hands behind her on the dresser. "He won't get into Elysium a second time. I can't... I can't lose anyone else. He keeps taking people away from me. He deserves to die." She started crying again but I could heat the poison for Luke in her voice.

I pulled her to my chest. I put one arm around her waist, and the other on the back of her head, holding her close. "I understand. Let me go with you."

"No."

"Annabeth—"

"Percy. He wants you dead. Not me. I can't risk your life like that." She shuddered and buried her face in my hoodie.

"I'm a half-blood. It's my job to be dangerous."

"No. That's final." She turned around to finish packing her bags.

That afternoon she left to go after Luke. I left to go up to Olympus. If Hades gave Luke a second chance, he would give Piper one too.

"Floor 600," I said to the doorman.

He barely looked up from his book. "No such floor, sonny."

I lowered my voice, "I said... Floor 600."

He looked up and flinched, "Gods, it's you. Okay, here's the key. You know the way." He returned to his book.

I stormed into the throne room and the Big Three were in their thrones. "Hades."

Hades nodded from his black and gold throne. "Jackson."

"Give Piper a second chance."

"Percy, I would if I could. But I cannot." He said solemnly.

"You gave Luke one. And he killed her, he destroyed my father's cabin, and he is actively hunting me. Piper is a hero. We could never have defeated Gaea without her. You have a villain another chance but not someone who deserves it?" I tried to keep my anger under control.

"Luke went to Elysium. Piper did not, she went to Asphodel."

"She... what? Why NOT?!" I yelled.

"Son—" My father interrupted.

"PIPER WENT TO ASPHODEL?! SHE IS A HERO! SHE SHOULDN'T BE THERE! LUKE ONLY WENT TO ELYSIUM BECAUSE HE WAS A HERO ONCE. PIPER SPENT HER ENTIRE LIFE AFTER COMING TO CAMP HALF-BLOOD MAKING SACRIFICE AFTER SACRIFICE AND YOU'RE TELLING ME SHE IS IN ASPHODEL??" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Percy. Don't speak to the Lord of the Dead like that," Poseidon interrupted.

"And why not?! Because he is a god? Because he can snap my life away in a second? I'm sick and tired of you people expecting me to respect you when you don't respect me! Well guess what? Respect is a two-way-street and I'm done with your shit!" I snapped.

I was yelling so loud Olympus started to shake under my feet. Anger rolled off of me in waves.

"Watch your tone, boy." Zeus chimed in.

I turned towards him and yelled, "And you! Don't even get me started! You are a dick to everyone! You let your wife torture Annabeth for stupid reasons! You may rule the world, and my life, and everything around me but I will not bow down to any of you until demigods get the respect they deserve! They fight your battles while you sit up here and lounge in your thrones without a care in the world! And you don't even have the respect to say thank you because your egos take up all of Olympus!"

Zeus shifted in his seat and reached for his lightning bolt. "Yeah, fucking blast me to smitherens because you can't take the truth. I have spent every waking moment since I was TWELVE protecting and serving Olympus. If it wasn't for me and all the other half-bloods you would not even be sitting on those thrones. Kronos would. So go fuck yourself. I don't care anymore. My life can't get any more destroyed. Piper is gone. Annabeth is trying to kill Luke because you people gave him a second chance. Luke is slowly destroying Annabeth. You replaced my memories and helped him in the process. Do you even care how fucking broken I was inside racking my brain trying to find the name Annabeth. I gave up immortality for her. I fell into Tartarus with her. I fought with her in so many wars. I didn't even remember because you idiots thought it would be a good idea to listen to Luke." I ranted.

Olympus was shaking and probably so was the rest of Manhattan. A mini hurricane started forming at my feet soaking the throne room.

"You best watch what you say," warned Zeus.

"No. No, I'm done listening to you. You aren't my mom, you aren't my dad. I'm not lifting a finger for anyone on Olympus until Piper is brought back and Luke is in the Fields of Punishment reliving the pain he caused everyone who cared about him." I spun around, my mini hurricane whipped around at their feet and walked out of Olympus.

When I got down to the main road Annabeth was waiting for me, eyes widened. "Chiron called me back. Percy, what did you do?"