Revenge, Best Served Cold

.8.

He let out a deep breath. Steeled his nerves. The black mask sat on the table at his side, its empty eye sockets both soothing and mocking him as he stared deep into it. The darkness swirled around in his head as he reached out, feeling the icy surface even through his gloves. As if on autopilot, he raised his hands and slipped it over his head, the darkness welcome despite how dim his quarters were already. He gazed into the mirror, eyes trailing downward. Black suit, black armor, black gloves. A silver ring placed on his index finger. With a deep breath, he turned toward the door and walked out. 

~

His return was not a pleasant one. As soon as they stepped on the grass, Percy let out a violent shudder, grabbing whatever nearby object to steady himself. Unfortunately, it just so happened to be Luke and he let out a surprised yelp before the two nearly tumbled down the hill. Silena grabbed Percy's other shoulder and prevented them both from falling, stifling a gentle laugh. As the two straightened themselves out, Luke seemed more concerned than anything, placing a hand on his bicep. 

"You good?" He asked, eyes gleaming with concern even behind his mask. Percy nodded slowly, tremors still wracking his form. His body seemed to have a visceral reaction to the very air of Camp Half-Blood, but he let out a breath and took in another one slowly, forcing his body to calm down. Slowly the tremors seemed to stop, until all that was left was the lingering feeling of unease. Even as he took a step forward, the grass seemed to wither and die around his feet. A bitter smile crossed his face under his mask at that realization. He wasn't particularly surprised. He knew that he wasn't welcome long before the grass started withering under his feet. 

In the time that it took Luke and Percy to right themselves again, people started trickling in one by one, until that stream turned into a river and within a few minutes, the whole camp was there. Gazing down at all of them, he wondered idly how easy it would be to chuck a grenade down there and watch as the body parts rained. Too bad. Before long, even Chiron himself trotted out, walking to the head of the group as he stared up at their little group. "The Skouro Strato have certainly made a name for themselves," he called up toward them, his tone light but his eyes clearly conveying his malice. Percy stepped forward, a laugh bubbling up out of his chest. His voice had changed over time, becoming deeper and raspier - just another side affect of his experience with Polybotes. His vocal cords were never the same. Neither was he. 

He couldn't help his mirth, but quickly sobered up, surveying the scared faces below him with an ease like he was just window shopping. His eyes caught onto a streak of blonde hair, and he couldn't help the sudden stab of anger that left him winded. There she was. She looked a bit older, yes, but still happy. Anger coiled deeply in him, leaving him cold and frigid as if he had been dipped into an ice bath. His hand shook as he curled it into a fist, squeezing so tight he could swear he punctured through his glove into his skin below. Letting out a shaky breath, he turned his attention back to Chiron. A biting grin spread across his face, but he knew that nobody could see it. 

"Indeed we have. And for good reason. Olympus has hired us to be their personal... Allyship, I suppose. We are intended to work here, for this to serve as our headquarters. I'm sure you don't mind," Percy swept down the hill immediately, his cape flickering in the wind. His personal group followed closely, always surveying their surroundings for threats. As he approached the crowd they parted automatically. He could taste their fear, and it filled him with great satisfaction. For all he had been through here, he now enjoyed the feeling of power it gave him to see them all cower as he approached. Even Chiron looked a bit nervous, his tail swishing erratically behind him. "Where will you all stay then? We can clear a cabin..." His voice trailed off as Percy shook his head, holding his hand as if to silence him. "We have our own cabin." And with that, he waved his hand through the air toward an empty plot of land. The ground immediately started rumbling and the crowd murmured and moved anxiously, staring as if the ground would swallow them up. After a moment, the ground split open and the peak of a cabin started moving upward. 

The roof was black, the tiling inlaid with silver, and the walls were a dark grey with silver accents. The symbol of Erebus gleamed above the door, and as it came to rest above ground, the ground stopped rumbling. The rift closed, and Percy just looked at the cabin with a slightly resigned expression. 'Really, dad? So dramatic...' He thought silently, and was awarded with the faintest whisper of a chuckle in his head before his father's presence retreated. The crowd was silent now, and he just rolled his eyes before indicating to the others to enter. He followed after them, closing the door as they all entered, letting out a sigh he didn't know he was holding as he leaned against the door heavily. The group quickly slid the masks off their faces, taking in the air with a deep breath. 

"Holy shit. That was insane," Silena's voice piped up through the silence, her smirk evident in her voice even as Percy couldn't see her. With a tired chuckle, he nodded. "Always had a flair for the dramatic. My dad's insufferable sometimes." 

"Okay... But like, he gave us this swanky new joint. Can't complain," She flopped down on a large bed as Beckendorf immediately returned to her side, talking to her softly as she gave him a radiant smile and continued talking to her boyfriend even as the rest of their group started mingling around the cabin. Percy slid down the door stiffly. Even though they were in his father's cabin, his body still protested at being in Camp Half-Blood again. Luke caught his eye and quickly made his way to his side, kneeling next to him. His eyes were understanding, and even though neither said a word, Percy knew that Luke was feeling the same. His body seemed heavier, as if he was moving through water, and a dull ache was starting in his head. He knew it'd be a while until he felt better, but he figured a nap could help. With Luke's help, he got to his feet before stumbling to the nearest bed, sinking into its soft embrace with a relieved sigh. 

"Wake me up when it's time for dinner. Can't wait to see what shit goes down..." A hand raised from underneath a mountain of pillows and gestured vaguely before it slumped down. Percy's eyes felt heavy, and he didn't fight it. Before he slipped into oblivion, he felt a gentle weight cover his shoulders and he felt warm. A small smile crossed his face as he fell asleep. 

Luke just shook his head with a small smile as he straightened, his arms crossing over his chest. Silena glanced at him, and she raised an eyebrow. He felt his face flush and he just squinted at her in return. They were like that for a bit, each trading suspicious or annoyed expressions until Luke had to break away, laughing. Beckendorf just watched them passively, smiling as he held Silena's hand. Even as Luke looked at Silena, his stomach turned with guilt. He still remembered what had happened all those years ago, and while they had talked about it, and Silena had forgiven him, he still felt guilty. She had deserved a lot more, deserved to live out a long life with Beckendorf, deserved to have a house and tons of kids. Not this. 

As if she knew what he was thinking, she frowned at him. "I don't regret this life." Her voice was like a declaration and she was firm in her statements. Luke nodded vaguely, still conflicted, but ended up deciding that it wasn't worth fighting over. With a gentle smile, he drew up a chair and sat next to the bed that Percy was sleeping in. He'd wake him once it was time.

A.N.: Just so we're clear, I've never read The Trials of Apollo so if I write anything that seems off from the main canon, it's also because this world is based on all of the events post-Heroes of Olympus but without involving The Trials of Apollo.