Rise (Percy Jackson x Reader)

twenty-four

edited: april 4, 2021; rewritten: august 10&11, 2024
✺✺✺

"Why are you being so hostile?"

"Is it really that hard to believe?"

Hades sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose as (Y/N) watches, utterly frustrated. "Look," he starts, trying to stay calm, "I told Percy Jackson to bring me the bolt, and I'd give him his mother. I did release his mother, but I never said anything about afterwards."

(Y/N) throws her hands up in annoyance. "You can't just kill people because you feel like it, Hades!"

Hades furrows his eyebrows, that sentence not seeming completely right.

"Oh, don't act like that's not true," (Y/N) says, noticing his expression.

He turns his head in his chair to look at her. "I didn't go back on my word," he defends.

"You had no right to give that word in the first place! You had no proof that Percy was the lightning thief. Zero! You decided to abduct his mother and use her as leverage because of Zeus' baseless accusation! That's not okay!"

"But he did have the bolt."

"Because Luke Castellan knew we were coming here to try to bargain with you. We wanted to convince you that Percy was—is—innocent and didn't steal the bolt. Luke stole it, and he gave Percy that shield after he hid it in there. Percy was falsely accused and didn't even know he was bringing it to you."

"That doesn't change anything."

"Yes, it does!" (Y/N) exclaims. "It should change your perception, at least! We went through hell in order to get to Hell! All because you decided, without any proof, that Percy had the bolt. You held his mother hostage and threatened to never release her unless he gave you something he didn't even have!" She scoffs, pushing up from her chair. She looks him up and down with scrutiny, eyes narrowing. "Is your desire for power really so overwhelming that you've lost any shred of decency or logical thought that was once in you? Or are you just that horrible of a person?"

Red flames spark at the base of her chair, creeping upward. Hades's skin flushes as his shock boils into rage. He rises, looking down at her with clenched fists.

"You, of all people, do not have the right to speak to me like that."

"Oh, I can speak to you however I damn well please."

Both of them face each other with fury, and the growing fire lightens to orange.

"You," Hades seethes, "have been nothing but ungrateful ever since you died and required my assistance."

"That was your choice!" (Y/N) rebuts, an incredulous laugh backing her words. "I was about to accept being dead until you decided to change that! And what the fuck does that have to do with this situation? You can't just bring that up whenever you feel like trying to win an argument against me, Hades! If you're that concerned about having my gratitude, then you wouldn't try to murder my friends every fucking chance you get! You have NO RIGHT to tell me that I'm being 'ungrateful' when you're the person that is making me hate you even more!"

(Y/N)'s chest rises and falls heavily as the fire behind her burns even fiercer, skipping yellow and becoming white-hot. Her eyes gleam red, her arms shaking with tension and an internal struggle to not murder the god in front of her. Hades tightens his jaw—his hellhounds sense his fury, creeping into the room and flanking his sides as they eye (Y/N).