Chapter Text
Apparently, Percy could never just have an ordinary day. Of course, not that the life of a demigod was ever ordinary, but his life in particular happened to be a mess. The gods refused to leave him alone, for reasons that were far beyond his understanding. Maybe messing with him was a form of entertainment for them.
It started with a dream, as it often did. He wasn’t sure where he was, but it was dark. It resembled Tartarus- it might even be Tarturus.
A voice whispered deep in the darkness. It was incomprehensible, but the tone sounded familiar, sending shivers up Percy’s spine. It drew him closer, further into the dark, and he found himself idly wishing that he had a light, so he wouldn’t fall.
There was nothing to brace himself against, either, so he stumbled through the dark, searching for the voice. Maybe someone was in trouble. In the distance, there were shouts, the sound of blades ringing against each other. Screams, too. And suddenly, he could smell smoke.
In a moment, he was running. Someone had to be in trouble, maybe many someones-
“Goodbye forever, Percy Jackson,” the voice said.
All too late, Percy recognized the voice. It was Kronos, the Titan of Time.
And then he was falling, surrounded by smoke.
Everything was blurred through the smoke, but it seemed like an ancient city. An ancient city that was burning. People screamed around him, running through the streets. He wasn’t sure how to help, but he pushed himself to his feet, sword in hand. Percy ran against the tide of people-he wasn’t sure what enemy they were running from, but whatever it was, he felt that he should run towards it.
The buildings started to become nicer, and he approached the grounds of what looked like a castle. Around him, figures were locked in battle. They looked like ordinary human soldiers- no monsters could be found here. But they were all dressed in ancient garb, with armor similar to the kind that they wore at camp.
He heard screams coming from the palace, and found himself heading inside. He didn’t know whose side he should be on here, but he knew that he should save as many lives as possible.
Percy kept running, knowing that he was looking for something, but not sure what he was looking for.
He wasn’t sure if he was looking for the baby, but he found him, anyway. Astyanax , read the inscription on the baby’s crib, written in Ancient Greek.
Percy found himself scooping up the infant as the city burned. If he could save just one life, then it would be enough. It would have to be.
It wasn’t long that he stood there, staring out the window. He heard footsteps quickly approaching, running towards him. He spotted the gleam of a sword in the man’s hand before he took him in, and pulled the infant closer to his chest.
The man approached the entrance to the room, and Percy watched as he glanced around, taking in the child in his arms, and then, finally, Percy himself.
The man sheathed his sword as Percy looked at him, holding up his hands. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, “but I will if you don’t give me that baby.”
Percy shook his head silently. “I can’t let you hurt this child,” he replied.
“The gods have demanded that I kill him,” said the man. “I don’t want to, but I must. If he is allowed to live, then my whole world will be destroyed. It’s been prophesied.”
“Damn the prophecy,” snarled Percy. “Astyanax is mine, now. I won’t let you hurt him.”
The man dropped to his knees, placing his head into his hands. “There’s so much blood on my hands- what’s one more?”
“Everything,” said Percy. “I’m not letting you hurt him. We’ll figure out a way around the prophecy.”
“ We?”
Percy shrugged. “Who are you, anyway?”
The man raised his head, his eyes gleaming with pride. “Odysseus of Ithaca. And you are?”
“Percy Jackson.,” said Percy, starting to realize that he was completely screwed. “We wouldn’t happen to be in Troy, would we?”
Odysseus gave him a strange look. “...Yes?”
If Percy was right, and he often was, Odysseus was going to spend twenty years heading back to Ithaca, facing gods and monsters. Maybe one of them could help him get back home.
“Say, does your crew need one more? Or… two?” he said, gesturing to Astyanax.