For those who answered my question, thank you! Looks like Poseidon will be an emperor here and not a king! A lot of the worldbuilding I planned for Atlantis leaned heavily towards empire vibes so I'll be going with that

(Plus, it's very much like Poseidon to want to be referred to as the highest title possible lol)

WARNING: incest and attempted sexual assault

IT WAS OFFICIAL: HADES WAS the best god ever. Out of all of the gods, by the way. Yes, even including the ones back home.

Rather than letting her go back to Poseidonis, Hades wanted Percy to stay over at his palace instead and he definitely wasn't taking any no's for an answer. He didn't say why, but she knew. He was clearly worried that Poseidon might actually kill her should he let her go back, and she couldn't blame him. With how scarily calm he was back at Beelzebub's castle, who knew what he would've done to her once they were alone.

Plus, she was super stoked to see what Hades' palace looked like, and it definitely didn't disappoint.

Helheim was a world full of dangerous mountains and Hades' palace rested atop of the tallest one. The mountain was full of fire and lava. It was a long climb too. The way to the top would make any professional rock-climber or dare-devil faint, and it didn't end there. Even after climbing all the way up, there was still a looong-ass staircase to go through. Hades showed it to her. It was like walking up the spine of a gigantic monster, its ribs poking out like a wall (thankfully, Hades didn't have her actually climb it and promptly teleported her to the top).

The palace grounds were surrounded by a massive gate that looked to be made out of enchanted obsidian, onyx, and large bones. Within it was the palace at last. Back home, Hades' palace was a darker version of Olympus—which was kinda sad. She had no idea what Olympus' palace looked like here, but she had a feeling that this Hades didn't try to copy it.

"Uncle Hades?" She spoke up as they began to approach the gates of his palace.

"Hmm?"

"What did you mean back then? When you talked about turning me into a god like with Heracles?" She asked.

"Ah..." He let out a heavy sigh. "You see, powerful gods have the ability to turn humans into a god by ascending them. All of my siblings are capable of doing such, so can Shiva, Odin, Thor, maybe Loki too, Aphrodite... I believe Beelzebub is powerful enough, but I never asked. Zeus is the only one whose ascension has conditions."

"Conditions?" She echoed.

He nodded grimly. "Yes, that would be the Twelve Labors. Heracles was the only one who had ever successfully performed it. Eons ago, he was a human called Alcides. One day, when the gods decided to destroy Thebes, Heracles drank Ambrosia in order to protect his city."

"Ambrosia?" She said quickly, perking up. With how dangerous her situation was becoming, she needed a way to access that so she could heal!

"The Blood of Zeus," he clarified. "He made a single vial available to humans down in Midgard, but he made it so that only a 'true hero' would be able to consume his godly essence and survive whereas lesser men would die a terrible death. When Heracles drank it, he gained the powers of a god and became a demigod."

She blanched. Zeus' blood was considered as 'ambrosia'? Well, there went any chances of her using it to heal. No way was she putting that in her mouth.

"Well, a different sort of demigod from you," he corrected, now remembering that Percy something completely unheard of. "After he drank the Ambrosia and protected Thebes, Zeus offered to turn him into a god. He accepted, but in order for the Ascension to happen, he needed to perform the Twelve Labors first."

Percy's mouth was a little 'o' as she listened intently. Back in her world, the Twelve Labors was a punishment for Heracles, not a test for him to attain godhood.

"Obviously, there's no way your father and I are going to allow you to take that route for ascension," Hades shook his head. "But any of us could turn you into a god, the issue is that your situation is very... delicate. You're biologically half god and half human, and also the product of an ascension gone wrong. We don't know what'll happen if we were to attempt to turn you. Would it complete the ascension and turn you into a full god? Or would it disrupt it further and do unspeakable damage to you?"

He let out a shudder, as if he was already imaging all the things that could go wrong. "This is unknown territory even for us, Percy. I trust Beelzebub to find a safe solution to this, but even I'm scared of what could happen... I'm sorry that you're being put through this."

She shook her head, "It's okay. I'm fine with how things are."

Something in her chest ached. He genuinely seemed to care for her. She kind of felt bad for making him worry so much, especially since this whole thing was nothing but a farce that she was forced to play along with in order to survive until a way back home for her was found.

"So... so once Beelzebub finds a way to 'fix' me, you guys will turn me into a god...?" She asked slowly, heart beating wildly at her chest.

"Yes," he answered with a smile.

But what if I don't want to be a god?

She didn't dare to voice that though. She didn't know how she knew this, but she had a feeling that if she said it aloud, Hades would become upset. So she kept quiet and silently followed him as he led her to the palace.

They passed through the gate and met with a massive pair of doors leading to the inside. The doors had artwork carved into it; she managed to catch brief glimpses of demons and other grotesque monsters before the doors magically opened.

Hades' smile was wider now, visibly excited to see his family.

"Come, Percy, my family is waiting for us." He said, giddily taking her by the shoulder and leading her forward to meet them.

They walked inside, the doors closing behind them. Percy was amazed just by the foyer of the palace. Being the king of Helheim and all, she kind of expected the inside of his palace to be dark and scary, just like the outside.

Beelzebub's place was dark and dreary. Hades' place was dark, but instead of dreariness, there was elegance. The walls were black onyx with Greek columns, there were golden accents and decor, red drapes and carpets, and up above was a massive chandelier made of bones. As if to remind everyone that he was also the god of riches, precious jewels were embedded in sections of the walls, almost as if they were growing on them.

"Father, you're back!" A woman's voice exclaimed cheerily.

Percy snapped her head to the large staircase. A black and white blur was speeding down the stairs and tackled Hades, who opened his arms for them. He held the figure close and spun them around, chuckling.

"Meli," he said with clear fondness in his voice. He stopped spinning them around and set them down. He pressed a chaste kiss on their cheek.

The figure turned to Percy.

Whoa, was her first thought. This woman was obviously a goddess, but she had never seen a goddess that looked like this. She had the appearance of a tall woman (around six feet) with split black-and-white hair that reached the back of her thighs. Her eyes were heterochromatic, one was pure white and blended with the sclera, and the other was black with a black sclera as well. Her lips were painted black with a faded grey edge which looked good against her deathly pale skin.

And her arm. Gods, her arm. One arm looked normal with extra long and sharp nails. But her right arm was devoid of any skin and muscle, it was all bone.

"Father, who is that?" The goddess asked, tilting her head. Her mismatched eyes analyzed her curiously before she let out a gasp. "Oh my... This is Poseidon's aura... Is this the cousin you told us about?"

Hades grinned, placing a hand over Percy's shoulder. "Yes, this is Percilla. Or Percy, as she likes to be called. Percy, this is my second child and eldest daughter, Melinoe."

Melinoe? She nearly choked on her spit. The goddess of ghosts, nightmares, and funerary rites. She had met her back in her world, and it wasn't a very pleasant meeting (Melinoe was kinda helping bring forth the end of the world). She could only hope she could get along better with this one.

"Call me Meli," the goddess smiled. "Father told us about you, and we've been waiting ages to meet you."

"Hi. Nice to meet you," she returned shyly. She seemed nice enough, thankfully.

"Where are your siblings and mother? I'd like to introduce Percy to them as well." Hades said.

"They're in the gardens. Shall we?"

Percy was very nervous as they led her to the gardens located at the back of the palace. She had met Persephone only a handful of times and none of them were very pleasant. She wasn't cruel, but indifferent towards half-bloods and understandably bitter about her situation.

But all that unease disappeared the second they reached the garden.

It was massive. It was probably the brightest and most colorful part of Helheim. She saw familiar plants that came from Midgard and some unfamiliar plants that Persephone had probably created herself. They also varied in size, some were normal, but others were larger than average probably due to Persephone's powers as well.

The aromatic scent seemed to have an unnatural effect on her emotions somehow. The floral smell was able to calm her down in an instant. All of a sudden, all her previous worries were gone. Being transported to another world? Poseidon trying to kill her? Who cared! All she wanted to do was live in this garden forever. It could even be her gravesite for all she cared for.

Snap out of it, she hissed at herself, pinching her side. Clearly the garden was messing with her head. As nice as it was to feel calm, she didn't want to let her guard down.

They walked to the center of the massive garden where a pure white gazebo was stationed. Three other gods were already there, sitting and eating fruits.

One of them rose. It was a man who was almost the spitting image of Hades. He had his pointed ears and wavy silvery hair that was tied up in a low ponytail that reached his chest. His eyes, however, weren't purple like his father's. Instead, it was like a reddish maroon color that reminded her of pomegranates.

"Father," he smiled cordially. He held himself in a regal manner just like Hades did, all straight-laced and proper. "Welcome back."

"Zagreus," Hades returned his smile.

Zagreus. Percy had heard of him before, but never met him. From what she remembered, this guy was the god of wine, hunting, and rebirth. Back home, he was spoken about in a few myths but she didn't really know if he existed or not.

"Guess who father brought~!" Melinoe sang, appearing from behind her. She placed her hands on Percy's shoulders, presenting her proudly.

Zagreus' reddish eyes traveled to her. "Oh my, you must be Percilla. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please, join us."

He met her at the steps of the gazebo and held a hand out to her. Wow, what a gentleman, she couldn't help but think giddily. She accepted it and he helped her up the steps and brought her to her seat.

She was seated across from a breathtaking woman who had pink hair and eyes. Her long tresses were decorated with beautiful flowers. Persephone.

She watched as Hades sat beside her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Persephone smiled, but Percy noticed how melancholic it seemed. It didn't reach her eyes.

"My gods, you're really uncle Poseidon's daughter, hmm?" A new voice said. She turned to the last figure, a goddess with pitch black hair and golden eyes. She wore a crown of burgundy roses and bones. "You're a lot warmer than I expected."

"I'm Makaria," she introduced herself, seeing Percy's confusion.

"My youngest," Hades added.

Another child of Hades she had never met before, but she knew about her too. Makaria. Goddess of 'blessed' death.

"You... you're human, are you not?" Makaria asked, golden eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Do not overwhelm her, children," Persephone's soft voice rang out. "Percy, would you like to eat?"

She looked down at the assortment of fruits and gulped at the sight of pomegranates. "Um... no thanks. I'm not hungry."

"She ate at Beelzebub's place," Hades informed. "Karia," he addressed his youngest. "Back to your question about Percy's... status, well, it's quite a long story but..."

He started to tell everyone about what Beelzebub discovered.

Percy couldn't help but notice how Hades completely dwarfed his wife. Hades was a couple inches over seven feet and Persephone was pretty small for a goddess, just barely six feet. She looked so small next to him.

Persephone's body language was relaxed as she sat beside her husband, but it was her expression that made Percy unsettled. At first glance, she looked serene. Her eyes were gentle and her smile was soft. But Percy recognized that look. That faraway, empty look, as if she was seeing something else play out before her eyes. She looked completely detached from reality, like she was dissociating. She had seen this happen plenty of times from other demigods after the Second Titan War.

Her husband kidnapped her. Probably even raped her too, she remembered. The pit in her stomach worsened.

That was right. Despite how much she liked him, Hades was still a god, and gods would always do whatever they want. Gods were neither moral or immoral, they were simply amoral; they were unconcerned with the rightness or wrongness of something. Rape, murder, abuse—it didn't matter to them.

Percy drew her eyes away from the couple, fidgeting in discomfort. The Persephone back in her world had been kidnapped too and it didn't really phase her much, but for some odd reason it was making her really unsettled now. Maybe because it was staring at her right in the face? Or maybe it was because she actually liked this Hades? It wasn't easy knowing someone you liked had done something horrible to another person.

"—no way!" Melinoe's jaw dropped. "Percy, is that true? You're really half human?"

She was drawn back to the conversation. "Yeah..."

Zagreus was wide-eyed. "How will you achieve godhood? Surely my father can ascend you..."

"I cannot risk it," Hades shook his head solemnly. "No one can. This is something entirely different. If we try to force the ascension to finish, we could do more damage than good."

"So... what are we supposed to do?" Makaria asked, and Percy appreciated that she was talking collectively, as if this was everyone's problem and not just hers.

"For now, we wait until Beelzebub finds a solution," Hades replied. "It's all we can do, really."

"You said so yourself that Percy's soul is mortal," Persephone said slowly. "That means she will age the same way humans do. If Beelzebub does not find a solution soon, she will die of old age."

"And her soul will find a way to Valhalla," Hades reassured. "Please, let's stop talking about this. I'm sure Percy's growing uncomfortable with such a topic."

He was right. Percy suddenly grew tense at the mention of her death.

If she died... would her soul remain here?

No, she mentally shook her head. It wouldn't do her any good to dwell on the negatives. Mnemosyne and the Valkyries would find a way for her to go home soon. She knew they would.

They stayed at the gazebo for another hour before everyone decided it was time to head back. Zagreus, ever the gentleman, offered to lead her to the guest room where she would be staying.

"Humans require multiple meals a day, correct?" The silver haired man asked as he opened the door for her. "I believe the next meal is called 'dinner'? I'll make sure the servants prepare something for you later on."

"Oh no, it's okay!" She was quick to exclaim. "I, uh, ate a lot of food when I was at Beelzebub's, so I'm super full for the whole day!"

And the entire duration of my stay here, so please don't feed me anything!

As nice as the place was (if she ignored all the bad vibes she was getting from this family), she didn't want to stay here forever.

Fortunately, Zagreus accepted her answer. That, or he had no clue that human starvation usually led to death. He nodded and left her to her room.

She didn't really know what else to do here, but it was pretty late anyway so she figured she could probably go straight to bed? Or were they expecting her to be out and about? Did the gods here even sleep?

I doubt it, she thought, remembering Poseidon's scathing comment about her being 'defective' for needing to sleep.

"Ugh," she scowled, crossing her arms. She really couldn't stand that guy.

Beelzebub's just as bad too, she thought, nodding to herself. And he's freakishly smart! He's got all the pieces of the puzzle and now he just needs to put them in place!

Intelligent men always seemed to be her biggest downfall, in more ways than one.

After a while of pacing around her room and muttering curses against Poseidon and Beelzebub, a knock was heard from her door.

"Percy?" Came her uncle's voice. "It's me, may I come in?"

"Sure!" She called, hurrying to answer the door.

Her smile faded fast.

Hades stood on the other side, holding a platter of food. On it was a plate of chicken salad... and beside it was a bowl of opened pomegranates.

"Zagreus told me you wouldn't be eating tonight," he said, smiling almost eerily. "Is there a reason for that?"

"Uh... I'm—I'm not hungry," she lied.

"Nonsense. Human children must eat or else they won't grow." He stated wisely. He then walked into the room and set the platter on her vanity table and motioned for her to sit.

Percy was about to make a dumb comment about how she was already done growing (no, seriously, she was sixteen years old and already 5'10", she was done growing), but decided against it.

She walked over and sat down at her vanity. The food Hades brought her looked and smelled really good, but it was the bowl of pomegranates that made her uneasy. She knew what happened to Persephone. She knew what eating a pomegranate meant down here.

She was about to open her mouth and insist that she wasn't hungry, but it looked like even the Fates of this world had it for her because before she could speak, her stomach rumbled.

The color drained from her face. She swallowed nervously. She didn't move to pick up her utensils.

The smile stayed plastered on Hades face, but that warm, fatherly feeling she always got from him was gone.

"Is there a reason you're so hesitant to eat?" He asked, but something told her that he already knew the reason why.

A large hand crept up her back before stopping at her shoulder.

"I see," he murmured. "You must've heard the story then, hmm? Of how I acquired my Persephone."

Her palms grew sweaty.

"You think you'll be stuck here forever if you eat the food." He went on.

Stiffly, she nodded.

"Is it really so bad here with me? With us?" He asked, tilting his head. "You always seem so fond of me... Do you hate me, Percy?"

"No," she answered quickly. Because she really couldn't hate him. Even after learning what he had done to his wife, and it sickened her.

"But you don't wish to stay with me."

"I... I just really like it under the sea," she answered carefully.

He let out a disappointed sigh, but smile was softer now. "I guess the saying's true, 'what belongs to the sea, always returns to the sea'."

He snapped his fingers, and she watched as black vapor seeped out from her food before evaporating into the air.

"There. I removed the curse. You may eat it now." He told her.

Her hands were shaky as she lifted up her spoon and fork. He had really meant to curse her. To keep her trapped here like he had done to Persephone.

"Shall I feed you?" He teased, looking like he enjoyed the thought a little too much.

She shook her head.

She felt like throwing up, but she couldn't. She forced herself to eat, holding back a shudder when she felt Hades' large hand petting her head, his fingers running lovingly through her dark strands. The action was too romantic. Too intimate. An uncle should not be touching his niece this way.

She kept her head bowed down as she ate. Because if she looked up, she would've seen Hades' dark eyes watching her through the mirror.

‧₊˚✩彡𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟‧₊˚✩彡๋ ࣭ ⭑ ࣭ ⭑

Four days. That was how long she had been staying here with Hades and honestly, she was beginning to miss Poseidon's palace. She would rather stay under the oppressive presence of her 'father', then be under Hades' constant gaze.

Ironically, despite how creeped out she had been by her uncle, she still found Hades' palace far livelier than Poseidon's, which was funny considering Hades literally resided in Hell. Makaria and Melinoe (the latter especially) made the palace light up with their warm personalities and helped distract her from their father.

Percy didn't want to grow too attached, but she couldn't help it. It felt like she had a sister again.

Both goddesses stood at her back; Makaria tying the laces at the back of her top and Melinoe combing through her hair. For a brief second, sadness struck her. Once upon a time, she remembered going through this exact same thing with Silena back at the Aphrodite cabin, just months before the war, just months before she died.

"You need to take better care of your hair, Percy," Silena sighed in disappointment, fingers running through dark hair, damaged from chlorine. "It's so dry and stringy now. Do you really want to go into battle with hair like this?"

Percy snorted. "I'm a little more worried about dying, Silena."

The older girl huffed. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna die like a mess! I already planned how I'm gonna look when I die; I'm thinking pink eyeliner with that shimmery eyeshadow Drew got me from Japan, and..."

Percy frowned as she continued to ramble on. A sense of discomfort welled in her. As the war loomed on the horizon, it became more common for the other campers to talk jokingly about their deaths. It was just their way of coping over becoming child soldiers.

But this felt different.

She couldn't explain it, but the conversation suddenly seemed to take a dark turn.

"Hey, Silena, maybe you shouldn't talk like that..." She said, turning around to face her. Her dried-up ends slipped through Silena's fingertips.

"Hmm?" The daughter of Aphrodite blinked.

"I dunno," she swallowed nervously. "It's just... the way you talk about yourself dying... I dunno, it just... scares me a little."

You sound so certain of it, was what she wanted to say.

The brightness in her eyes dimmed and Silena looked down. Her gaze seemed a thousand miles away. "Oh, Percy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just... you never really know with war."

Silena looked seconds away from bursting into tears.

Percy tried to change the topic. "Hey," she forced herself to smile. "Let's not talk about the war then."

Silena nodded in agreement, but she was still silent.

Percy's eyes scanned the cabin frantically before stopping at an opened envelope she saw on Silena's bed. She could see three big letters on the front: NYU.

Her eyes lit up in recognition. "That's a letter from NYU, isn't it? Did you get accepted?"

Silena smiled weakly. "Yeah... so did Charlie..."

"Really?" Percy perked up like an excited puppy. She remembered Beckendorf telling her that they were planning to attend college together. She already knew he got accepted, so Silena's acceptance letter was all they were waiting for. "That's great! I'm so happy for you guys! Are you gonna be staying at the dorms or living in an apartment together?"

And it was like a dam broke.

Silena couldn't hold it anymore. She fell back onto her bed, head buried in her palms as she started to sob. Percy hurried to her side, hands hovering hesitantly.

She didn't understand. Silena and Beckendorf would be attending college together. Reaching adulthood was every demigod's dream, and reaching that same milestone with someone you loved was a miracle.

So why did Silena look so heartbroken?

(Several months later, as she watched Silena die in Clarisse's arms, she finally found out why.

The happy ending to their love story was snatched away so cruelly.

They almost made it. They could've made it.

Sometimes, love scared her.)

Percy could feel her eyes beginning to water as the memory faded away, but she blinked them back. Fortunately, neither of the sisters seemed to notice.

"There," Makaria took a step back, smiling proudly at the finished laces.

Despite the fact that Percy was only staying here for a short amount of time, the closet in the guest room they had given her was loaded with clothes. And she knew they weren't just hand-me-downs or random clothes they tossed in there because each of them fit her perfectly. She wondered if that was just a thing gods could do; just snap their fingers and boom, clothes.

The sisters liked treating her like a dress-up doll so they always picked her clothes out in the morning. Today, Makaria picked a two piece ensemble; a blood red corset top with a matching skirt. Percy kind of missed the aquatic theme of her old closet, but these were cute too. 

"Father's going to take us out to Valhalla," Melinoe spoke up. "He rarely takes us out. You should come too, Percy."

She stiffened. Her mind still couldn't stop returning back to four days ago; Hades cursing her food, his hand trailing her back, his hand combing her hair. Persephone's lifeless smile.

"No thanks," she replied. "I'll just stay here and play with Cerberus."

A few days ago, Zagreus and his sisters eagerly introduced her to Cerberus, who looked nothing like the three-headed rottweiler from her world. Part of the reason was so they could play together, but the other part was so Cerberus would learn her scent and not turn her into a human chew toy by accident should he run into her.

They had to leave right away. She said her goodbyes to them in her bedroom rather than do it at the foyer, where Hades would no doubt be.

Cerberus was the Watchdog of Hell but most of the time, he just chilled around the palace grounds so that was where she went. She passed by a bunch of ghouls (those were the guards) and lampads (the Underworld nymphs) and gave them a friendly wave before stepping out of the palace.

As massive as the territory was, it wasn't hard trying to find Cerberus. She just had to follow the bloody-dog smell.

"There you are, boy!" She grinned once she spotted him.

This Cerberus was a hundred times more terrifying than the one she was used to back home. First off, he was a lot bigger. And secondly, he was not a rottweiler. He didn't actually look like any normal dog breed. Aside from the three heads, he had multiple eyes. The middle head had five, the right had six, and the left also had six.

The grin slipped away to a grimace when she realized he was in the middle of eating a monster. It looked like a sharp-toothed Alaskan bull worm from that one Spongebob episode. She watched in disgust as Cerberus' middle head slurped it up like it was spaghetti.

When he finally saw her, he let out a loud bark that made her hair fly back. His tail wagged excitedly.

"Look what I got~!" She presented him with a bouncy red ball. "It's your favorite toy!"

When she was first introduced to Cerberus, she asked Zagreus if he could make her a red ball for them to play with. He had been confused by the request, but did so anyway. To her delight, this Cerberus loved bouncy red balls just as much as the Cerberus back from her world did (the Helheim siblings were stupefied when they learned of this).

He barked again, jumping up and down with joy. It felt like Helheim was going through a level 7 earthquake.

"You're so cute," she giggled. "Okay, now fetch!"

She threw the ball to the side with all her strength. Cerberus' three heads barked in unison before chasing after it, probably flattening some poor servants in the process (oops).

The heads fought over the ball. Their razor sharp teeth would've torn the poor toy to shreds but luckily, Zagreus made note of that and made sure to make it extra durable to last longer.

The left head ended up snatching it first and he quickly returned to her, dropping the slobbery ball at her feet.

"Good boy!" She exclaimed. Her lips formed a wistful smile. "Anthonius would've liked you..."

His smiling face flashed into her mind but she shook it off.

She continued playing with Cerberus and when she got bored of that, tried teaching him some tricks. She was just in the middle of teaching him how to play dead when a figure showed up.

She didn't notice it at first, only until Cerberus straightened up and faced the newcomer.

She turned.

"Oh, Zagreus," she smiled at the silver haired god. "I was just playing with Cerby."

"Cerby?" He repeated, amused. "You know, I was initially worried that you feared him, but here you are already giving him a cute nickname."

"He's not that bad. He's a good boy, right, Cerby?"

He let out a happy bark of agreement, his breath making their hair flow back. His breath smelled like blood and dead worms.

"My father and sisters should be coming back soon. They'd like to have lunch with you. Is there anything you'd like to eat?" He asked.

She actually really craved a good burger and fries right now, but she didn't want to make any demands. "I'll eat anything," she said. As long as it's not cursed to keep me here forever, she mentally added.

He nodded and walked closer to her. She didn't notice anything amiss and let him.

"Cerberus," Zagreus made a gesture with his head. Cerberus understood and quickly ambled away, leaving them alone.

She turned to him, confusion in her eyes. Zagreus was already facing her, his gaze intense for some reason.

"...You've been here for almost a week now," he began. "During those days, I've grown to become enamored with you, Percy."

Her mind went blank.

"W-what?"

He didn't stop there. In fact, the more he spoke, the more bewildered she felt. "You're unmarried and a virgin, correct? I doubt Lord Uncle Poseidon would let you be anything else. I've met him multiple times and he seems to like me enough, he would approve of us."

"Um, Zagreus, I don't..." She struggled to find the right words to say without making him mad. She was still stunned by all of this. "Zagreus... You're my cousin. You—I only see you as my cousin."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," he blinked. "But I promise you, I would be an excellent lover. You would never be unsatisfied if you were to wed me. Give me a chance, Percy."

This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening.

He must have seen her eyes darting for an escape route because he quickly grasped her arm before she could make a move.

She wanted to snap at him and tell him to fuck off or slap him in the face, but she remembered the countless stories of gods becoming enraged when rejected. They'd either force themselves on the woman, kill her, or turn her into some animal. She didn't want any of those to happen to her.

"Zagreus, I'm not a god like you are," she said, trying to make him see reason.

"Once Lord Beelzebub finds a way to complete your ascension, we shall get married at once." He stated.

She shook her head, desperate. "I-I wouldn't make a good wife!"

His smile only widened. "That's fine, I'll teach you."

She was running out of excuses. Zagreus took the chance to yank her against him and kiss her, only to hit her cheek instead when she turned away. She recoiled back. He let her go, only so he could push her to the ground and get on top of her.

No, no, no. Her mind went on a haywire the second she felt his large hands roam over her body. The second she felt his clothed cock rub against her, she screamed.

"CERBERUS, COME!"

A loud bark could be heard from the distance, followed by the heavy tremors as the three-headed dog came barreling towards them. He had an eager grin on all three of his faces, unaware of what he was interrupting.

Zagreus tried to steady himself as the ground shook. Percy used the chance to push him off of her. She scrambled up to her feet and ran as fast as she could back to the palace.

Her thoughts were going crazy as she ran up the stairs.

He was going to rape me! Or—or maybe he didn't plan on taking it too far? She shook her head. She should not be making excuses for him. He tried to force a kiss on her, threw her to the ground, and felt her up! Rape or no rape, she never wanted any of that!

She finally reached the second floor. When she turned, she nearly crashed into Persephone.

"Oh! Percy," the pink goddess took a step back and cooled her stunned expression. She frowned slightly. "Your hair is in such disarray... Come, I shall fix your appearance."

Percy stole a glance at the front entrance. Zagreus had yet to arrive. Wordlessly, she turned back to Persephone and nodded, letting her lead her back to the room she had been staying in.

"What happened to you? Why are you such a mess?" Persephone asked curiously after sitting her down at the vanity.

"Zagreus... he... outside, he, um..." Percy couldn't seem to find the words.

Sally Jackson sat down with a seven year old Percy. Gabe was gone, which was a good thing because Sally needed to have a serious conversation with her daughter.

"Honey," she began. "Can you look at me?"

Percy looked up from her coloring book to give her mom her full attention.

"Today, Mrs. Arroyo taught your class about consent, right?" She asked.

"Uh huh." Her little head bobbed up and down to nod, black pigtails swinging in the air. "She taught us about our no-no square."

"And what did she say about that?"

"She said that—that no one's allowed to touch us in our no-no square and that if someone does, we need to tell someone." She recited. It wasn't perfect, but she got the gist of it.

Sally nodded in satisfaction. "That's correct. If someone touches you in a way you don't like, you need to tell me, okay? And if I'm not there, you tell someone else that you trust. Promise mommy that you'll do this."

"Okay, mommy, I promise!"

...But mommy wasn't here and Percy didn't know who to trust.

Despite the lack of explanation, Persephone seemed to understand. Her pink eyes widened minutely. "Zagreus... he touched you, didn't he?"

Percy could feel hope well in her. Hades had forced himself on Persephone so of course she would understand.

She nodded.

Persephone's eyes dimmed. She didn't speak for a while, but when she did, Percy could feel her blood turn to ice.

"My son will treat you well, if that's what you're worried about," she said listlessly. Her fingers calmly threaded through Percy's hair, expertly weaving it back into an intricate braid.

Percy froze. "Um... what?"

"Zagreus is a good man, just like his father," she continued, her words sounding rehearsed. "He will be courteous, so I suggest you choose him. I'm sure your father would approve of him."

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump. Her heart was racing just as fast as it was when Zagreus shoved her to the ground.

"No, that's not what I..." Percy was losing the ability to speak, feeling that previous hope pop like a balloon.

"Young female godlings rarely get to live their lives independently," she sighed despondently. "They get snatched away so quickly, Percy. Married off. Either by their own will or by force. Usually the latter. Hades already had his eye on me when I was just a mere babe, and here I am now. It's why he rarely lets our girls out of Helheim. He's so scared someone will fall for them and take them away."

"My son will treat you well," she repeated firmly. "He is not like the other gods. If I were you, Percy, I'd choose him. And I'd do it before the option to choose gets taken away from you."

"H-he's my cousin," she stammered, her veins feeling like ice. This wasn't what she was expecting when she told Persephone what Zagreus tried to do. She expected comfort, maybe sympathy. Not... not this.

The worst part was that Persephone looked genuinely confused. "So?" And then her eyes lit up, a sparkle coming back after eons of being put in the dark. "Is it my husband that you prefer, then?"

"What?! No! I—"

She chuckled. "Don't be shy, Percy, you can admit it. I am not like Hera; always quick to punish the women near her husband. I've seen how my husband acts around you. And the way he talks about you when you're gone..." She let out an excited shudder, the kind you'd make when reading a mature scene in a book. "I know he will return your feelings."

The way he talks about me? Percy didn't know if she wanted to cry or throw up. Was Persephone telling the truth or joking around? This whole time she had seen Hades as her kind uncle, a father-figure even. But if Persephone was being honest, then that meant he never once saw her as family.

No, she realized. He does see me as family. This is what 'family' is to them. And that was probably the worst part.

She rose to her feet. "Thanks for fixing my hair, Auntie Persephone. I should get going now."

Persephone was still smiling as she left, as if the thought of her husband falling in love with someone else was a happy thought. Considering the fact that he had kidnapped her, it probably was.

This is how she sees me, Percy thought bitterly. A new victim to keep Hades distracted.

‧₊˚✩彡𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟‧₊˚✩彡๋ ࣭ ⭑ ࣭ ⭑

The next morning marked the fifth day of her stay.

Percy wanted to leave.

Yesterday, Zagreus didn't bother her but lunch and dinner had been nerve-wracking for her. None of the others seemed to notice it, Makaria and Melinoe stealing the attention by talking about the shopping spree Hades took them to in Valhalla. Persephone nodded politely, Hades commented occasionally, and Zagreus...

Zagreus just stared at her. With a lovesick look in his eyes that made her sick.

Love, he claimed. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They only knew each other for less than a week. This wasn't love.

"Uncle Hades," she timidly called out to him, spying him walking down a hallway.

"Percy," he beamed warmly. "Is there something you need?"

"I was, um, wondering if it's okay for me to come back... home?" The word tasted bitter to her mouth. Atlantis wasn't her home, but she'd rather be there than here.

He frowned. "Ah, I'm sorry Percy but my brother has yet to calm down after Beelzebub's news. You'll have to stay here a bit longer."

She tried not to look too disappointed. "Oh... T-then can I go visit Beelzebub?"

His name was the first thing to come to her. She really didn't like that guy, but his company was far better than Zagreus'. She'd rather be poked and prodded by an emo mad scientist than be subjected to Zagreus' piss poor version of 'love'.

He looked surprised. "You want to visit Beelzebub?"

She faked a smile. "Mmhmm! I just really miss Beelie!"

Oh gods, she internally gagged.

He smiled, "I didn't realize the two of you have gotten so close! In that case, I'll take you to him right away. Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes!" She nodded enthusiastically.

Fortunately, he took her there right away, as promised.

Beelzebub didn't look particularly happy to see her (but then again, when was he ever happy?), but tried not to make it obvious when Hades was around.

But the second he left, Beelzebub asked her in a deadpanning voice, "Why are you here."

She smiled sheepishly, "I feel like we got off on the wrong track. I trashed your house and you tied me to your chair and proceeded to act like a weirdo. But, I'm willing to forgive you."

"I didn't ask for your forgiveness." He responded blankly.

"Well, I'm giving it to you anyway," she shrugged. "So... why didn't you let my father kill me?"

He sighed, "You seriously came here just to ask me that?"

No, I came here to avoid being raped by my cousin. My uncle's a little sus too, but yeah.

"Just answer the question," she sighed. She might as well start a conversation since she was going to be here for who knew how long.

He let out another sigh, like he was trying to out-sigh her or whatever. "I think you have potential."

Her eyes widened. This was the nicest thing she had ever heard him say.

"Potential?" She echoed, eyes glittering in awe. He had never complimented her before.

He nodded. "Yes. The potential to kill me."

Cue the record scratch.

"Wait what."

"You're not much now—" Um, ouch? "—but you are the daughter of a very powerful god. Not only that, but you've clearly taken the once fabled Curse of Achilles, making you near indestructible—something I never even thought possible. You will be very powerful once I find a way to complete your ascension. Maybe powerful enough to finally put an end to me."

Her jaw was hanging by the time he finished his explanation. It honestly caught her off guard. She was expecting something villainous, like for him to say "I can't just let a potential science experiment go to waste!" or something along those lines.

"Are you insane?!" She sputtered. "I'm not gonna kill you!"

"Percy—"

"—No! I'm not gonna kill you and—and you shouldn't talk like this either!"

"You're weird," he said bluntly. "If I feed you, will you shut up?"

Percy was not done with the conversation, but she wasn't about to say no to food either. Especially since Beelzebub was able to conjure up some really good food.

He led her to the Great Hall, where a plate of turmeric tofu and yeast was waiting for her.

"I'm not gonna shut up by the way," she said through a mouthful of food. "I'm worried for you, dude. Don't you have, like, a therapist?"

"No therapist would want to help me."

"...Damn, that's sad." She muttered under her breath. "What about any friends that you could talk to?" She knew from first hand experience that just having a good friend by your side could help keep the negativity away. It wasn't a permanent cure, but it helped. It felt good.

Beelzebub's eyes turned downward at the mention of friends.

"What is wrong with you?" He suddenly asked.

She stopped eating. "Huh?"

"Why are you doing this? You clearly feel threatened by me. Shouldn't you want me dead?"

She blinked. "Uh... what? I don't want you dead. I mean, sure your interrogation yesterday really scared me, but I don't want you to kill yourself! You're a weird little guy, but I don't want you to die. That's just messed up."

He fell silent at that. Percy went back to eating, completely unaware of the effect her words had on him.

He had scared her, threatened her even... and yet she still found some part of him redeemable enough to not wish for his death.

A familiar, pleasant feeling entered his chest.

But the second that warmth came to him, he squashed it down.

His body went back to feeling cold and empty, but it was for the best. He had been deprived of such kindness for so long now, but he couldn't let it deter him from his goals.

After everything he had done, he did not deserve to live. And he was determined to reach his brutal, ugly end.

‧₊˚✩彡𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟‧₊˚✩彡๋ ࣭ ⭑ ࣭ ⭑

"You went to see Beelzebub."

Percy nearly tripped up the stairs. She turned around and saw Persephone approaching her from the east wing, her face pinched.

"Uh, yeah, why?"

She let out a heavy sigh. "My husband should've stayed with you, or brought Zagreus to guard you at least. Did Beelzebub molest you?"

"What?" The word came out a lot harsher than she intended.

Your son tried to rape me, you knew that already and you didn't care, but you're ready to throw accusations at Beelzebub? Her blood boiled, but she forced herself to stay calm.

"You ought to be more careful, Percy," Persephone said in a serious tone. "Beelzebub is... not like my husband and son. Please be more careful with visiting him, else you'll get stolen by a lovesick god like I was."

She plastered on a polite smile. "I will," she said, her words empty.

Persephone smiled, pleased by her answer. Finally, she let her be.

When Percy returned to the safety of her room, she let out a snort.

She tried to imagine Beelzebub acting like a 'lovesick god' and almost laughed. Him? Stealing her away? Yeah right. 

— author's note —

Here's more fanart! This one's from Athena195

This one is from Gn_Atihsu

And some memes made by Fangirls_Unite:

I'm just posting my favorite tumblr asks at this point lmao:

(I wanted to draw my own version of the tweet memes, but I can't draw 😭😭)