Chapter 121: DA : Chapter 121: Turn On Each Other V
"Granted it looks like I didn't search enough if I didn't even know we had a limited ability to affect the very reality around us such as walking on a surface where it should be empty space but no, that wasn't what really caught my interest."
...
At that Annabeth paused, feeling Demeter's consciousness pass over in possible curiosity but then left. It wouldn't be the first time Aphrodite got into a catfight with some goddess married to whoever Aphrodite slept with at the time.
How convenient for Annabeth since Dionysus would be too lazy to even bother checking what was going on. Knowing she was in the clear she returned her attention to Aphrodite.
"Now where was I? Oh right, hidden abilities for gods. Now one particular that stuck out to me was the ability to relive our memories. At first I thought it was utter bull but after a few tries I learned that it was meant for a god to go over their own history and what happened to them. To get a better understanding or remember something long since in the past.
I could even dive into my memories and re-read whatever news articles were on the morning paper when I was just a baby in my father's arms during breakfast. As long as I lived it, and saw it directly I can recall it so you can understand where I'm going with this, can't you?"
Seeing Aphrodite giving her a shaky nod.
"So you understand my surprise and anger when I first detected your presence don't you? As a demigod I wouldn't have noticed but with the senses of a god it was obvious, at least from my direct view.
That moment in the volcano forge, when I was looking into his eyes, wanting nothing more than to make sure he made it out with me but I knew he wouldn't leave until he was sure to take those telchines down. A kiss that was supposed to be in the cheek for support…"
"It was love," Aphrodite interrupted only for Annabeth to pull her out of the wall only to slam her down into the floor and step on her chest.
"I didn't love him like that you bitch!" she snarled down at the goddess. "I was a hormonal, infatuated girl still trying to get over myself and the boy I'd loved for years. Percy … he was my rock, my constant in years of rapid change and uncertainty." At that point her eyes started to get watery as years of anger and sadness bubbled up.
"Everything just seemed to flow easier around him, even when we butted heads because I did start to love him … as a brother. He was dependable when it came to it, honest, sweet, and loyal. He was someone that made it safe to let my guard down around, to not feel any pressure, especially when I still couldn't come to terms with what I felt for Luke … but you couldn't leave it at that."
She raised her foot and stomped it down again, making Aphrodite cry out with a cough of ichor as the floor gave out under her as tears began to trail down Annabeth's face.
"No. You couldn't help but see a miniature repeat of my mother and Poseidon, only this time, you were hoping we'd actually get together before you stopped influencing me. And then everything changed. Luke was dead so there wasn't anyone for me to run off to and Percy became the hero of Olympus. Suddenly you wanted him, didn't you?" The goddess' silence was more than telling.
"Now I was in the way so you let my real feelings come back and even increased my lust when Percy was gone. How convenient that while Percy became the most desired demigod, I turned into the demigoddess several of you gods wanted as well. Hades, I bet a one point you were considering having us both but then making use of that bastard of a playboy fit right into your plans."
Annabeth gave a dry, mirthless chuckle as she shook her head.
"I have to commend you. You truly were subtle to slip past my mother and Poseidon during that whole mess and then you used my own fatal flaw against me. I slept with the sunny bastard once and that shame kept me from saying anything.
There I was, frustrate, alone, confused about my emotions, and pumped full of lust until I was reunited but by then I could barely stand myself for what I did." Annabeth chocked up and she dropped to her knees, straddling Aphrodite while looking at the goddess through tears with wrathful eyes.
"And then I ran like a good little coward desperately trying to keep what little pride I had intact even though I'm pretty sure a few of the seven knew what happened between me and my current husband," she said, spitting the last word with venom as potent as the blood of a hydra.
"Maybe I would have turned to loving him in that way but I know for a fact that'll never happen now. I'm sure you were told of the new protogenoi and you know he's one of them. There can be no doubt that he knows too, his eyes said as much," she said as she reached down and grabbed a handful of Aphrodite's hair to make sure she couldn't turn her face away.
"I even saw him once in one of the parks, crying into Hestia's shoulder, and I remember not even being able to walk up to him then. I wish I had, maybe then I could have salvaged something with him, but I didn't and now here we are. My mother kidnapped, already down several Olympians, and the demigods might be turned into sacrificial lambs to gods who only use them so I'm going to get the truth."
Annabeth then leaned down so her face however right over the love goddess' face.
"What happened during that week? He wasn't kidnapped, that's for sure so that can only mean that you did something that made him run and if he really took after the Night, he had to have met Nyx which means Tartarus. So, what happened that he literally went to hell?" she asked with a growl.
"I can't …" Aphrodite whispered with fear in her eyes.
"Is that so? Oath on Styx then? Too scared of suffering a little pain, or is it that you're so low in power that breaking an oath might actually end you?" Annabeth asked to which Aphrodite weakly nodded. "Simple enough…"
Without preamble she slammed her fist into Aphrodite's cheek, ichor splattering with a tooth as the goddess cried out.
"Then I'll ask and you nod or shake your head. Clear?"
Aphrodite nodded through tears.
"Good girl," Annabeth muttered before clearing her thoughts and then asking, "Is it true Artemis murdered Sally and Paul before kidnapping his sister?"
Aphrodite didn't move so Annabeth reared her fist back again but then the goddess nodded quickly.
"Was it planned or a random act of spite since she owed him several times over thanks to saving her repeatedly? Nod once for the first option."
A single nod.
"Was she working alone or someone else's orders?"
Two nods.
"Who? Zeus?"
A shaky nod but Annabeth go the feeling there was more. In fact, if that happened, why didn't Poseidon raze hell over it? Sally had been his lover at one point after all unless… She paled at the thought as she looked at Aphrodite.
"D-did Poseidon have part in it?" she asked in just a whisper to which Aphrodite slowly nodded as well.
What the bloody hell was going on!? Percy got his flaw from Poseidon, so how did that turn into him not only leaving Sally alone to her death but instigating it. And Percy probably knew this? It was no wonder he wanted the Olympians dead. However, there was one question she now needed answered.
"Did my mother have any part?" she asked, hoping against hope it wasn't so.
Thank Chaos that Aphrodite shook her head. Annabeth released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Either way, now she knew. Some Olympians, at least the likes of Zeus and Poseidon with Artemis as their attack dog were responsible but it also explained the sudden divide between Hestia and Hades towards the rest of the council.
However, that still left what they did after the fact but then again she already knew that answer. They went with it, out of fear, perhaps their own spite or insecurities, but regardless they did nothing against it and then Percy somehow found out and left.
Now she understood his reasons and then added with the shock of Thalia's disappearance after tearing into Artemis and Jason's disappearing with Nico. It was all falling into place and she could bet good money Jason was another new primordial, though which she didn't have the slightest idea. But now it left her with a dilemma, all revolved around what she would do now.
Turn coat as well, even with the possibility that she wouldn't be welcomed into Percy's forces, or try to stay and help keep her siblings alive against a hopeless battle?
With her thoughts occupied she slowly got up and turned to leave, uncaring of the crying goddess left in her own crater. She took a few steps before pausing and glancing back at one of the goddess she hated most, especially after all she either caused or helped unfold.
"I'll only say this once Aphrodite," she said in a low and dangerous tone, getting the whimpering goddess to look at her dead in the eyes. "Leave. If you're still in this city by tomorrow morning, I don't care what anyone on the council will say … I'll kill you."
She turned away and didn't look back as the goddess continued to cry. As she left the house she stopped funneling any power into the runes keeping her particular barrier up.
She moved on, moving further from the city as she approached the limits of Terminus' barrier keeping all gods from flashing in and out of the city.
The moment she was out of the limits she disappeared in a golden flash … only to reappear on a familiar sandy beach.
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Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
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