Percy Jackson, the embodiment of hope.

Chapter 41: A real talk with the Son of Mars. (Farewells)

Frank crashed through the forest, running as far as he could. He had to get away. He didn't even care about the war at the moment, or his place as Praetor. All he could think about was getting away.

He was constantly shifting, in too much emotional turmoil to keep one animal for an extended period of time. A path of destruction was laid out behind, crushed by and elephant, a tiger, a flamingo, a bluebird, and so many others.

Tears dripped down his face as he ran. They had lied to him. She had lied to him. And now Percy would hate him. He would never go back, he decided. Not as himself. He refused to. There was too much. The legion would constantly question his authority, and he sure as hell couldn't be near Camp Half-Blood.

Leo had the right idea. Leave.

Frank winced as Ares and Mars screamed in his head, both telling him to go back and rip his once-friends to shreds. He shook his head and continued running, losing sight of what was in front of him.

He slammed into a tree as a tiger and brought it down. It crashed down in front of him as he finally stopped moving, dazed. He fell on the ground and laid there for a while, eventually melting back into a human. Hot tears filled his eyes.

He managed to pull himself up and look around. He didn't know exactly where he was, but it was beautiful. 

He was near the edge of a cliff, with a long, long drop into water and craggy rocks, while a sunset painted the sky red and yellow.

Tears fell down his cheeks as he staggered to the edge, debating. He sat down, his legs swinging off of the cliff and looking at the rocks at the bottom. One small movement, and...

Well, he had seen the underworld before. And his life was tied to a literal piece of firewood. He didn't fear death much.

He heard the fluttering of wings, and someone sat down beside him. He looked up at the sunset, silent tears still running down his face.

"Never thought anyone would find this place," Percy said.

Frank sniffled and wiped his nose. "It's beautiful. What... what is it?"

Percy smiled under his mask, and his third eye turned green. "It was my special place. I never showed it to anyone. Well..."

In the corner of his eye, he saw a silver arrow embedded into the ground. "I only told one person. Turns out it was her special place as well."

Frank saw the arrow and smiled. "Artemis?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

They both stared at the sunset for a while, enjoying the silence, before Frank spoke again. "I can't believe they would lie to me like that."

Percy nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know."

Frank started to cry again. "Four years of lies and manipulation leads to this. A man, sitting in Artemis's special spot, debating falling off of the cliff, or simply just burning the firewood in his back pocket, with a primordial next to him."

Percy tilted his head. "I wanted to die as well. For a very long time, I wanted to end it. The only thing that kept me going was the hunt, and Artemis. Almost every night, I put my sword to my chest and debated. But... if I did go through with it, I wouldn't have gotten better. I wouldn't have learned of Chaos being my father. And I wouldn't have ever reconciled with my old friends."

Frank smiled as he looked at the sunset. "Where... where is Percy? I know you said that he was a bounty hunter or something, but that's hard for me to believe. He's too important, not to mention powerful, to have not been recruited by someone like Chaos. I mean, when Hazel first saw him..."

His smile fell. "How- how could she do that to me?"

Percy sighed. "I don't know, Frank. People do stupid things sometimes, and hide them. I don't think- I don't like her, or Jason, or Piper, or Annabeth, but... I used to. When I returned, and told them about Percy, something in me wanted to forgive them. But I can't. And I won't. You do remember how they acted on the Argo II, don't you? I mean, Jason always tried to take the lead, Piper tried to use her charmspeak like shackles, Annabeth grew too prideful, and Hazel... well, she always felt inferior, to the point where she would try to find anything she was better than us at, just to feel happy. I think when the war ended, the problems expanded. But we were too blinded by our friendship to recognize it."

Frank looked at Percy with understanding dawning in his eyes. "Percy isn't a bounty hunter, is he?"

Percy shook his head. "No. That's a lie that Hero came up with to throw all of you off."

Frank smiled and took out his firewood, looking at it. "If this were to burst into flames, how would you put it out?"

Percy sighed. "I'd probably control the water from below us."

Frank looked at him with a sorrowful smile. "And if I asked you, as a close friend, to not put it out?"

Percy stiffened. "I would- I- I..."

"Answer me," Frank said. "Please."

Percy's third eye turned a dark blue. "I wouldn't put it out."

Frank nodded and looked back at the sunset. "I'm glad you found a purpose and a life, Percy. But I don't know if... I don't know if I want to continue mine."

Percy nodded in understanding. "Frank, I get it."

He took off his mask. "But you don't have to end it. Come with me. Leo and Calypso are, and maybe Nico and Will are as well. Become a member of my team. You'll get new friends, a new family, and a new identity. You can help in the war, while keeping your identity secret, and... well, firewood wouldn't bother you anymore."

Frank stared at the sunset for a while, before he made his choice, a tear sliding down his face.

He slowly stood up, and then handed the firewood to Percy.

----------------------------------------------------

Percy flew back into the dining pavilion, mask back on. Hazel sat at her table, bawling her eyes out and being consoled by her friends. When she saw Percy, she stood up as fast as she could and ran to him, grabbing his cloak.

"Is he okay? Did you talk to Frank? Where is he?" She asked quickly.

Wordlessly, Percy reached into his cloak and pulled out a small bag of ash. He placed it in her hand, and his third eye turned a dark shade of blue.

Hazel stared at it in horror and incomprehension, while her friends jaws dropped.

"I do not like you," Percy said gruffly. "But I am sorry."

Hazel burst into tears and clutched the bag against her chest, wailing and falling to her knees. Chiron watched from afar, saddened, while Dionysus watched with mostly disinterest, although there was some sort of sadness in his eyes.

Percy walked back to his cabin silently. He entered and took off his mask and cloak, hanging them up. He sighed and walked to his room. He opened a closet and fished out four cloaks and four masks.

He went back downstairs, and stood in front of the new recruits. 

"Alright," he said. "I already told you all the basics, so just accept."

He cleared his throat. "Calypso, daughter of Atlas, do you accept the offer to join Chaos's strike force?"

She nodded and glowed with a bright green light, gasping as power entered her body. Percy handed her her cloak and mask, and she put them on, as was customary.

Percy turned to the next person. "Leo, son of Hephaestus and Gaea, do you accept the offer to join Chaos's strike force?"

Leo nodded, and was enveloped by a bright orange light. He grabbed his cloak and mask, putting them on and making finger guns at Calypso.

Percy turned to the last two people.

"Nico, son of Hades, and Will, son of Apollo, do you accept the offer to be spies and informants of Chaos's strike force?"

They nodded. "Of course."