ตอน 116: Chapter 116
[Third Person's PoV]
"OUR GRANDFATHER!?" Thalia practically screamed.
"You mean K—"
Before she could finish, Lucian quickly covered her mouth. "Are you crazy!? Why would you just up and shout out his name!?"
"Mmmhmmmm," was all she could mumble with Lucian's hand still covering her mouth.
"Right..." Lucian said as he took his hand away. "As I was saying, are you crazy!?"
"Sorry, I thought you said no one could hear us down here," Thalia replied.
"I appreciate the confidence in my abilities, but names are just way too powerful, even for my enchantments," Lucian said, shaking his head.
"Wait, how do you know he's in contact with your grandfather?" Annabeth asked, looking confused.
Thalia, hearing this, also turned toward Lucian curiously.
"Because he came in contact with me. Remember when I told you about my encounter with the Fates?"
Annabeth was confused about what that had to do with anything but nodded.
"I didn't mention it, but that same night, he contacted me, asking us to join forces and help him make the gods suffer or something like that."
"You declined, right?" Thalia asked.
"No, we shook hands and became the best of friends. What do you think?" Lucian said with a straight face.
"Sorry, but you are really unpredictable. In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if you did become friends with him," Thalia replied with the same straight face.
"Thank you," Lucian said with a smile, appreciating the comment.
"It wasn't a compliment."
"We're getting off topic. So how do you know he went after Luke after contacting you?" Annabeth asked.
"I mean, it's obvious. Who here dislikes the gods to the point of joining hands with someone they're not supposed to if it means they get to make them pay for their actions?"
Annabeth and Thalia sighed. "Luke."
"Still, that doesn't really prove he's working with K—our grandfather. Wow, that feels weird to say," Thalia said, wanting to defend Luke and not immediately think the worst of him.
"Bring him down here," Lucian said.
"What?" they both asked, bewildered.
Lucian sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bring. Him. Down. Here. It's the only way for you two to get confirmation. We'll confront him right here and now."
"Fine," Thalia answered immediately, exiting the room.
"Are you sure this is wise, Lucian?" Annabeth asked worriedly.
"Nope," Lucian answered honestly, popping the 'p.' "This could go in the wrong direction and we could end up losing a friend because of it."
"Let's try for it not to come to that," Annabeth said with a downcast expression. "Please."
"No promises."
After a minute, Thalia returned, holding Luke by the wrist and dragging him down to the basement.
Luke's smile slowly dropped as Thalia closed and locked the door behind her. Luke scanned the room, seeing Lucian leaning back in a chair, Annabeth looking at him with worry.
When he turned back to Thalia, he saw her leaning against the wall. He let out a sigh and rubbed his face with his hand.
"So you guys found out, huh?"
"So it's true?" Thalia asked, a bit sad.
Luke didn't answer her. Instead, he looked at Lucian. "And I'm guessing you somehow found out and told them."
"I've known for a while actually, but they were beginning to get worried about you," Lucian said, shrugging.
"So how did you figure it out?" Luke asked, his expression becoming stoic.
"Did you think you were the first one he came into contact with?" Lucian asked with a raised eyebrow.
Luke scoffed and kissed his teeth. "Why am I not surprised? I'm the backup option then, typical."
"You're upset that you were the backup option?" Annabeth asked, looking at him weirdly.
"No, but by the fact that it is Lucian," Luke answered straightforwardly.
"Huh?" Thalia and Annabeth said at the same time.
While Lucian nodded in understanding, "I would be jealous of me too. Don't worry."
"I'm not jealous!" Luke snapped, before looking unsure. "No, perhaps it is. If I had your powers and abilities, I would definitely be in a better position than I am now. If I had them, I would have a better chance against the gods."
"That still doesn't make it right to side with that man," Annabeth said with narrowed eyes.
"But it's the only option I have! We have the same goals, and ultimately it isn't something for any of you to decide."
"He's using you Luke, don't you understand, he is using your hate against the gods to complete whatever goal he has. There was a reason he was chopped up into multiple pieces and scattered around in the abyss." Annabeth said, looking straight at Luke.
"I may not be as smart as you Annabeth, but I'm not stupid, the same way he's using me, I'm using him."
"Phttt" Lucian covered his mouth and looked towards the side.
"What's so funny?" He asked coldly.
"My goodness don't you hear yourself." Lucian said with an eyeroll, "That's like the textbook answer of someone that's getting used would say"
"Lucian" Annabeth said looking at him pleasingly, "Please don't antagonize him. We're trying to help him not drive him away."
"I don't need your help!" Luke said before turning to look at Lucian with narrowed eyes, "And you might think I don't know what I am doing, but I do. I know the risks, I know the consequences, but this is the path I've chosen. I can't sit idly by while the gods continue to wreak havoc on our lives. If working with him is what it takes to make a difference, then so be it."
"You're going to get a lot of people killed," Lucian said without much emotion. "You go down this path, it will mean war. And when people go to war, they will need soldiers. Then those soldiers die in the middle of that senseless war you created. You think your conscience would be able to take that?"
Luke's gaze faltered a bit, but he simply shook his head. "And what do you want me to do, just sit around and do nothing? Sorry, I don't have that luxury."
"If you think I'm just sitting around here doing nothing, then you are dumber than I previously expected. You think I don't want to fight some of those gods as well? I very much do, but I will do it my own way, the way which doesn't result in the deaths of hundreds."
Lucian and Luke just stared at each other.
"So what now? Are you going to hand me over or something?"
"The hell? No. You think we're having this intervention because we want to punish you for your actions or something? It's because we care about you. If we report you, it will result in your death." Lucian said with a scoff.
"What?" Thalia asked in surprise.
Annabeth pointed to the skies as she nodded in agreement. "He wouldn't be very happy to find someone working with him and would unhesitatingly kill him for his actions. So reporting him is out of the question."
"If you're not going to report me, then why don't you just join me instead? You yourself said it, Lucian, you don't like the gods any less than I do. If we all work together, we will stand a better chance."
Lucian sighed again. "You and your charisma… that's going to get a lot of people on your side who do have a thing against the gods. Unfortunately, like I said, I already have my own plans and ideas, so I'll have to decline."
Luke sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "This will most likely mean we will be enemies at some point in time, won't it?"
"Most likely," Lucian nodded. He then offered the side of his fist. "Well, we'll still have time until the final conclusion, so don't get yourself killed until then."
"Heh, I'm pretty resourceful, so I'll manage just perfectly," Luke said, returning the gesture before walking back.
Annabeth and Thalia were just looking at each other in confusion, unsure of what was happening.
"Weren't you two literally just at each other's throats about to attack each other? How did it end like that?" Thalia asked with knitted eyebrows.
Lucian just waved her off. "It's a guy thing. We both know there will come a time where we will be standing on opposite sides of the war. But since it isn't that time yet, we aren't letting it ruin our friendship."
"That makes no sense," Thalia said, shaking her head.
"That's because you aren't a guy. Now that we know I was right, let's get back to our planning, shall we?"
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A/N: Honestly… should I rewrite this story? I would definitely restart where his mother died and instead of going out early he would try until he's 12 or something.
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