Betrayal

16

Perseus followed Frank and Hazel, despite knowing where to go. They were headed to the War Room, a room packed with maps, a large conference table, and numerous other things necessary for planning a war. The women with Perseus followed dutifully, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Hazel glanced back with concern. "Uh...shouldn't you leave someone to wait for Nico and, well our sister?"

Perseus' eyebrow arched. "Nico's a big boy. I think he can easily guess where we went. And he's been living here long enough to know how to get here, yes? I'm sure it'll be fine."

Hazel blushed in embarrassment and nodded. "Ah yes, I'm sure you're right."

Frank frowned while looking at the group behind him but said nothing. They soon arrived in front of the door to the War Room and he opened it, allowing everyone to enter. Perseus immediately made his way over to large map and started perusing it for details he was unaware of.

"So...you said you are a monster now, right?" Frank lead off with a question that sounded more like a statement. "If that's so, how do we really know you're still on our side?" There was the real question.

Perseus just clicked in his tongue and continued to look over the map, off handedly retorting back with, "I told you already, if I wasn't "with you" then all of you would already be dead. I can go toe to toe with a lesser Primordial in strength and speed. I mean it really helps I've eaten monsters from their time too, but trust me, you guys can be suspicious of me all you want to be, you have no chance against the later monsters. Even I will have a tough time against them."

Hazel just elbowed Frank in the side to get him to be quiet. This was a battle he could not win. "Now that you're back, what is our first move? Most everyone is starting to get anxious that we won't actually mount a resistance."

Perseus looked at her, almost belaying the stupidity in that question. "They do realize that to call this a "resistance" is more of a farce and whimsical idea, right? None of you are ready to fight."

Frank looked dumbfounded. The Percy that had left them was not the same one they got back. He cold and callous. Already telling him that everyone they had saved together was useless. "How can you say something like that? Do they not mean anything to you? Do you care so little now that you've become a monster both inside and out?" he accused.

A flash of fear rolled through Frank as he finished that statement. Percy's full attention was on him again and he was clearly unhappy. "Don't care? I went to Tartarus to get stronger for them. I look like a monster? I didn't know my appearances mattered that much. I'm like a monster on the inside too? What, do you want me to start eating you? Will that make you happy? Huh Frank? Do you want to keep testing your luck until I snap?" Percy snarled.

At that moment, Nico and Bianca popped out of a shadow. "What's going on?" he asked, realizing he had stopped a conversation and now there was an angry yet awkward tension in the air.

"Frank. I think it's best if you just stop talking. Leave the room and clear your head. You are clearly not thinking straight," Hazel scolded him.

As Frank left, the tension slowly died down and with it, the oppressive aura that permeated the room. "Uh what was that all about?"

"Your Praetor seems to think it's a good idea to keep poking a sleeping beast," was all he got in answer, from Athena.

Reyna stepped forward. "Well, as I'm still a praetor around here, let's continue this meeting. Athena, can you call the other assembled gods?"

Athena's eyes narrowed slightly before she curtly responded in an affirmative. She was acutely aware that she was only jealous of and irritated that this demigod, or maybe more than that now, talked to her like an equal. But the more she thought about it, it didn't surprise her since they were both tied to Perseus who seemed to care little for rank and title. She walked over to the wall and pressed a button near a microphone and called the other gods. Using magical means to contact them would give their position away to the enemy.

While they waited, Perseus continued to look over the map. "Where did you get all this information from?" he asked.

"Scouts and final reports from units as they pulled out of an area. Most of this was paid for in blood and lives," Hazel replied softly.

"Hmm, so it's reliability now is probably close to zero. Anyways, it's better than nothing and at least it tells us where things fell, when, and to what forces initially. I expect a named monster to be behind most of the ones now residing in the city."

"Named? Is there something new behind that response?"

Perseus looked over at Hazel. "Before no, as the Gods were in power and they suppressed the monsters abilities and powers passively. But now Primordials sit on that throne and they are far stronger, not to mention the Creator himself. Without sending him back to the Void from which he crawled out of, I highly doubt anyone can beat him."

"So the monsters got stronger is what you're saying?" Hazel asked.

"By varying degrees but yes. They will be, compared to you, a lot stronger than they were before, and that's just the run of the mill ones. The named ones will be an even bigger issue...and tastier."

Styx stepped behind Perseus and whispered into his ear quietly enough that the demigods couldn't hear, "Your hunger is showing through."

His fists clenched and he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "I need to go out soon. It's been some time since I fed, and the monster inside is hungry. We need to make this meeting quick," he muttered.