Making a Video Game Company to Get My Waifu - Chapter 22 (Patreon)

"So... How are you feeling?" Bianca asked to Zoe's ghost. Or rather her free floating soul. She was holding her hand to keep her from floating away to the Underworld.

"Tis the most bizarre sight mine eyes has seen yet. And I have seen quite a lot in my life." Zoe stared in stunned shock at her "medically" dead body. "I once saw the Nemean Lion help a blind woman cross the street, before it was picked up by a passing elephant in a parade and thrown in a nearby river."

"...I see." Bianca blinked at the sudden odd story.

"It then went on to dry its fur in a cave, found a female lion and the proceeded to mate with it." Zoe's ghost continued.

"...Okay." Bianca wanted to leave. But she couldn't, she had to keep holding Zoe in place.

"Turns out it wasn't a female lion. It was a manticore. A very male, very distressed manticore." Zoe slowly shook her head at that tragic tale.

"Are you guys done yet please, I feel like we're losing her, but in a different way." Bianca pleaded to the sorceress and the goddess.

"And that's one minute. That should make it count." Pasiphaë said, as she began the revival spell, while ingredients floated and assembled nearby.

"Are you sure?" Artemis asked, who had purged Zoe's body of Atlas' energy, and was keeping the body in a healthy condition, even if the brain was technically dead.

"As sure as can be. Best to revive her now, rather than to wait longer. We have done our best, let's hope it was enough." Pasiphaë nodded.

As her spell finished, a bottle with a potion of smoking golden light came to her hand.

"Bianca, please guide her back to her body now." Pasiphaë said.

"Alright sure." Bianca grasped both Ghost Zoe's hand, and her body's hand. "Just like dismissing those skeletons to the Underworld, but the opposite." She said to herself.

"Exactly." Pasiphaë smiled and nodded.

The sorceress poured the potion into Zoe's mouth, and Bianca felt the link between soul and body no longer needing her input to hold it in place. The daughter of Hades gently guided Zoe back to her body, focusing on that link pulling the soul into the body.

Ghost Zoe disappeared.

Everyone was quiet for a while, wondering if this would work or not.

A few tense seconds passed, with everyone taking shallow breaths.

Zoe gasped, her eyes snapping open, as she took in air of a new life. She took too much air and coughed, before feeling normal again.

"Zoe!" Annabeth cried out with a big smile.

"Welcome back." Percy grinned.

"Good to see you again." Thalia gave a light nod.

"...Really?" Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"I had to carry the sky, Zoe. Fuck the titans or Luke winning in any way." Thalia bit back.

"Heh. It's good to see thou again, Thalia." Zoe smirked.

"You. Yoooou! Not thee, thy or thou!" Thalia cried out.

"Thy way is too confusing. Mine is simple." Zoe shook her head.

"No it's not!" The group talked, joked and laughed.

Man, do I hate that I have to ruin the good mood.

"I'm glad to have you back with us, Zoë." Artemis said with a smile.

I let them bask in the joy of having their friend back for a while. Elbows on my knees, resting my cheek on my fist and watching with a smile.

"I'm glad you are all happy to have your comrade back. But I'm afraid it's too soon to celebrate." Pasiphaë said breaking up the joyful atmosphere. I blinked and looked at her confused, as I sat back up straight. "Son, you'd have taken too long out of politeness to address them."

I looked to the side and coughed, trying not to show a blush.

"Yes." Artemis switched from being all smiles, to being serious and battle-like. Good, she's taking the upcoming titan fight seriously. "I suppose we need to talk about what you wanted out of all of this, Minotaur."

I nodded.

"May I remind you, you are here in our home as a guest." Pasiphaë said through her teeth. Woah, why the harsh tone, mom? "Mind your manners, goddess."

Artemis scowled like she swallowed a lemon before begrudgingly nodding.

Hmm, situation tense because I'm a monster? Still? Ah, wait. She's the Goddess of the Hunt, and I'm one of the beings she's meant to hunt. Right, she's actually being pretty restrained right now.

...Okay, I'm self-justifying her hostility too much right now, but honestly I need her help way more. So I'll push whatever feelings of annoyance at Artemis aside, as much more important things are at stake.

Or maybe I just don't want to think badly of the small girls cult leader, because I just saw her in distress over one of her Hunters, and genuinely looked sad about the possibility of said Huntress dying.

"Woah, why are you all at each other's throat? I mean, we all worked together just now, so aren't we all on the same side?" Percy said, raising his arms in a placating manner.

Yes. Thank you for taking the attention, Percy Jackson.

"Percy, we have helped each other but that does not make us allies." Artemis spoke. "You said that you wished to slay the titan, why not simply trap him once more under the sky?" She asked. "Better yet why do you need to slay him at all, when you have already contained him?"

"Truly, you are your father's daughter, Lady Artemis." Pasiphaë quipped smiling. "Deal with a problem through a temporary solution, assume it will work forever, then ignore it till it becomes relevant again, and be shocked."

"Mind thy tongue, witch, else you might find it removed by the winds." Artemis said back.

"Enough." I said, projecting my presence and aura loudly, similar to what Artemis had once done before in anger. "Mother," I turned to her. "I understand your dislike," Pasiphaë coughed. "Immense dislike the gods and demigods, yet they are our guests. Just as they have an obligation to peace, so do we. Please stop needling them."

In the background Percy was asking about why being guests was so important, and Annabeth explained the concept of xenia to him.

"...I'll try." Pasiphaë frowned but nodded.

"And Lady Artemis?" I gave my friendliest smile. "Do not threaten my mother again."

Artemis sneered.

"What? Do you think you can threaten me, Minotaur?" She growled.

"Hunting you down isn't exactly all that difficult given how the Titans did it. And unlike them, I wouldn't want to capture you, scare you, or desire you. I would just kill you." I started off all smiles, before just having a dry look of contempt.

"Greater beasts than you have tried." She gave a savage grin.

My frown deepened. Fuck me, she really is annoying to interact with.

"There are no greater." I said back.

Tension was at an all time high. It felt like even with the hospitality rules, it might not stop us from coming to blows.

"Why did you endeavor to save me?" Zoe spoke, cutting into the tension. "My lady." Zoe looked at Artemis pleading, and after a moment, the goddess took a deep breath and nodded, relenting and letting her lieutenant carry the talk. "You had no reason nor obligation to help me, help any of us. Even your duty to Bianca was fulfilled."

"That's right." Artemis head snapped up, as she remembered something. "That was your scent I smelled in Maine. At the school where Bianca went."

"Wait, you came?" Bianca's eyes widened in elation.

"Yeah," I rubbed the back to my head bashfully. "I did promise to get Nico those Mythomagic figures before the end of the year. Saw the Hunters were there, so I left and gave the figures to someone else, to give them to him at camp."

"I see." Bianca said, trying not to frown.

"We felt a monster's presence in the area of Westover. It's why we stayed around longer, Bianca. For thy protection." Zoe explained.

Bianca groaned and facepalmed.

"Why are thou upset?" Zoe blinked in confusion.

"It's... never mind." Bianca shook her head.

"For the love of the gods, just use 'you'." Thalia muttered under her breath and Zoe gave her a flat look.

"To answer your question." I said to Zoe. "Because you're her friend." I gestured to Bianca. "And that's enough of a reason for me."

Silence fell on the group. The demigod kids smiled accepting my answer as is. Zoe looked to Artemis, who frowned and looked away, saying nothing for now.

"How did you get someone to send it to camp?" Percy asked. "Can monsters just deliver stuff to camp?" He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.

"No, they can't. I'm interested too in how you got something delivered to someone inside camp. I do remember Nico having more figures before we left." Annabeth said with analytical frown of hers.

"I gave them to Hestia." I shrugged.

"Hestia?" Thalia exclaimed.

"You spoke with Aunt Hestia!?" Artemis looked scandalized.

"How did she not... you know?" Percy asked, gesturing something hitting.

"'Smite me'? Because I was polite, and Hestia is the best." I said with a smile.

"...Loathed am I to agree with a monster, he is correct." Artemis frowned and nodded.

"Huh. Okay, I guess you're cool. Mostly." Thalia said, as she was no longer looking at me with suspicion.

"Really? And 'mostly'?" Percy asked.

"Yeah, Aunt Hestia's the best. And yes, as a son of the Big Three you need to call her that." Thalia nodded. "As for 'mostly', well you made this place, or caused the lightshow, right, big guy?"

"Lightshow!? You call remaking the damn mountain a lightshow?" Annabeth asked, incredulous.

"Not important, Annie." Thalia waved her off. "Well?"

"Yes." I nodded, waiting to see where she was going with this.

"Right." She frowned and nodded. "Well, Luke got away, why the hell didn't you stop him?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him with, well, everything." Percy said. Thalia turned and gave him a deadpan look. "Hey, we suddenly found ourselves on a flying rock with the world looking like a videogame custom level. Give me some slack."

"Wow. Birdbrain, as well as a Kelp Head." Thalia said back.

"Whatever, Sparky." Percy shook his head.

"To answer your question," I said, bringing the discussion back to focus. "I had to prioritize. It was either Atlas or Luke, and Atlas was more immediate." I sighed. "As for Luke, given the sheer amount of influence and aura of the Titan King I felt on him, I'm surprised the Crooked One isn't shoving his hand up the boy's ass and using him as a sock puppet to talk through."

The campers shuddered at the description.

"That's an image." Percy muttered.

"Point is, I'm pretty sure, even if I focused on killing him, the Crooked One would find a way to either bring him back, or ensure his survival, long enough to reach whatever destined battle he's meant for. The Fates will make sure of it."

"Wait, what destined battle? Why would the Fates protect Luke? Kronos wants to destroy Olympus, so why help him?" Percy asked, bewildered.

"It's something old beings like us get a sense of. The boy, Luke, has a feel about him. He has survived as an enemy of Olympus far too long for it to be a coincidence. Odds are the Fates are intervening when necessary to end him in a specific way." My mother explained.

"So there's no point in doing anything then?" Percy frowned.

"Eh," I shrugged. "Its more like as long as you guys do your parts, then everything works out."

"Okay cool." Annabeth spoke as she couldn't contain herself anymore. "What's your part in all of this? How did you do..." she gestured around her. "All of this!?"

"With my Noble Phantasm." I cheekily grinned.

""WHAT!?"" Annabeth and Thalia shouted.

"That shit is real?" Thalia said.

"You said you didn't have one!" Annabeth said accusingly.

"I said Sygkéntrōsi Ēlíou Sfragída is fiction. I never said I didn't have one." I chuckled.

"How!?" Annabeth asked so intensely, I think she was close to just grabbing my shoulder's and shaking me. "Also didn't you use it with those axes when you first attacked Atlas?"

"One, that's just metal infused with magic energy to explode on impact, and air friction. Not everything is a Noble Phantasm. Two, because I can." I said before sighing. "And no, I'm not going to elaborate, because everyone should keep their secrets, if they don't want to share them."

"Then why should we help you?" Artemis asked curtly.

"Because like my mother said." I replied. "This is a temporary measure." As if right on cue, the tower shook violently for a few seconds. "That was the top floor crashing. The Labyrinth is reinforcing the rest, but it won't be able to hold for long." I hummed. "I'd say we have about...five, hmm, six hours tops if we're really lucky, before the west coat looks like a meteor hit it." I lied through my teeth. But a deadline should help here. "Oh, and all sorts of ancient monsters will be created from the Sky meeting the Earth like Hekatonkheires, Elder Cyclopes, and so on, et cetera."

"So what? You're not strong enough to catch the sky?" Artemis grinned mockingly.

"You know what terminal velocity is?" I grinned back. "Do you think you can 'catch' the sky at that speed? I'll humbly admit, I can't. Heck, fucking Atlas can't either."

"Then why not just go up and and hold the sky? Or would the burden be that difficult for you?" Artemis said again.

"Because I refuse to." This time I just openly glared at her. "If you don't like it, volunteer yourself, otherwise, we go with my solution."

"I'm all for killing the fucker." Thalia said, much to the shock of her comrades.

"Thalia!" Annabeth chimed.

"What? The sky was fucking heavy, okay!" Thalia said back. "Point is, how's killing him gonna help?"

"Because anything killed in the Labyrinth belongs to the Labyrinth." Pasiphaë explained.

The demigods looked on in surprise. Annabeth caught on first to the idea, and looked approving of it.

"What?" Artemis shouted in shock. "That's not a feature of the Labyrinth. I've never heard of such thing."

"Well, it is now." I said to the goddess before addressing the kids. "The point is, if Atlas is killed in the Labyrinth then he can carry the burden, or his essence would be absorbed by the Tower and the structure would stabilize and gain his endurance so it can exist forever doing the job, without worrying about future plots to free him."

"That is true." Annabeth nodded in thought.

"If you can control this place, then can't you move him to the top and just have him catch the sky from high up, so there's no momentum and low potential energy?" Thalia asked, much to Annabeth and Percy's shock. "What? I went to school, I know this shit too."

"One." I began. "That would involve moving him which gives him a chance to escape. I don't want him to have a tenth of a tenth of a chance to do so. If you suggest knocking him out," I continued as Thalia opened her mouth. "That involves knocking out the Titan of Strength, and more importantly, Endurance." I emphasize. "And three..." I paused for dramatic effect. "Fuck that guy, I want him dead."

Percy and Thalia snorted and tried to hide their grins.

"I agree." Zoe spoke up, much to the shock of Artemis. "The spear and his blows were painful, and dying was very scary, my lady."

"...The sky was damnably heavy." Artemis grunted, before turning to us. "Fine. But you better have a plan, and a guarantee that you let us leave once we have succeeded.

"Welp," I said with a more relaxed smile. "I swear on the Styx to do my best to help you all survive, and then have you leave the Labyrinth in Manhattan." Thunder echoed. Artemis begrudgingly nodded in acceptance, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "As for a plan, well first of all," I turned to the Protagonist of this world. "Percy, how well are you in using your earthquake powers?"

"My what?" Percy blinked in confusion. And there's that Percy "I don't know what's going on, but surviving anyways" Jackson talent.

I sighed and continued before Annabeth could explain while indignant.

"Do you know why your father is called 'Earthshaker'?" I asked.

And someone I completely didn't expect answered.

"Because Poseidon copulated with the Mother Earth vigorously, that their passion was felt for miles away." Pasiphaë nonchalantly explained.

Everyone slowly turned and looked at her stunned at the answer she gave.

"Because he can cause earthquakes, mom." I said mortified.

"Yes, what did I say?" Pasiphaë blinked at my reply.

"Point is," I looked back to the hero group. "I'm using the Labyrinth to basically trap him and slow him down. Think of it as a debuff effect on speed and strength in a videogame. Can't affect his endurance, but he can eventually be taken down." I said, hope and passion filling my voice. "We have a daughter of Zeus. Lightning can hurt him and stun his nerves and joints, and with air you can maneuver around, and even rip it out of his lungs. We have a son of Poseidon, I can get water from throughout the Labyrinth, and if you get in close, use your power to cause earthquakes, and make them happen within his body. We have a daughter of Hades, who," I looked at Bianca and smile at seeing her with that Guts' like sword. "Seems to have grown a lot since I last saw her." Bianca smiled, her cheeks growing rosy at the praise. "And then we have a literal goddess of hunting, and her two empowered hunters.

"There's my mother who can cast illusions to disorient him, and then there's me." I grinned. "With enough time, regardless of endurance, he can be killed." I explained. "We can discuss what tactics and all those details we want to use, but overall I think we have a solid baseline."

The group was quiet for a moment.

Then Percy raised his hand like in a classroom. "I don't have earthquake powers."

Thalia copied him. "I can't use wind either."

I looked at the two with confusion.

"What?" I blinked at their replies.

"Yeah, Percy never showed the ability to manipulate the earth like that. And Thalia can only use lightning." Annabeth explained.

"That's not a thing. You're their kids, of course you can use all their abilities." I said back in confusion.

I mean, I get them not being able to use those powers well because they have their favorite default, which was where their talent shined, but not using all their parents' powers?

Wait, I'm dealing with the actual PJO kids here, not omniskilled fanfic versions of them.

"How do you explain Heracles not having lightning power then?" Thalia asked with a smirk.

"Skill issue." I said back immediately before I could help it.

Percy snorted, and Zoe laughed out loud, before stopping herself, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Apologies, that was unseemly." Zoe said.

"I feel there's history there." Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Unimportant to the current discussion." Zoe shook her head.

"Son," Pasiphaë spoke up. "Rather than demigods not practicing their powers fully, defaulting to what they prefer, the simple truth is, demigods do not always inherit access to all their parent's domains." She explained before giving Thalia, Percy and Bianca a piercing stare. "However, these three children are truly loved, for they are given everything of their godly parent. They have all their parents powers in full. It is simply a matter of learning to use them."

My mother's words had an effect on all three kids.

Bianca smiled widely at the reminder.

Percy blinked as he stood straight, smiling lightly at the proclamation.

Thalia... frowned and looked down, not believing the words.

"Thanks." Percy said. "I mean that's great but..." He awkwardly looked away. "I still can't do earthquakes. Never felt it before. Don't even know how to start."

Pasiphaë nodded "You are skilled with your Domain of the Sea, correct child?" Percy blinked and nodded. She turned to me. "Son, can you summon a lake here for Percy to heal and use as a method to learn his other power?"

"Yeah, sure." I concentrated a bit, moving things around in the Labyrinth. The ground a bit away from us hollowed into a crater before filling up with water.

"Cool, thanks!" Percy grinned and went for a swim.

"Now, Asterios will naturally be at the front in dealing with the titan. How do you propose to contribute, so we can work together?" Pasiphaë asked Artemis and the rest.

"I'll be up front too. I owe that asshole a few shocks enough to cook him from the inside." Thalia growled.

"I think thee should stay back a little to focus on hitting him with thy lightning, rather than get caught up in melee." Zoe suggested.

"Maybe Asterios and Percy should focus on holding him down, while we try to end him quickly." Annabeth suggested.

"It would not be so easy." Artemis shook her head. "Asterios is right in that we need to weaken him by piling up injuries till we strike the killing blow. Fighting to slay a titan is much different than fighting to push him back."

And so the group kept discussing battle strategies and everything seemed to go well.

"Mooooooooooooooooo!"

"Bessie!?"

"Percy! Why did you have to think about him and distract him!?" Grover cried out as he flapped about in the lake.

The Ophiotauros swam about happily around a confused and nervously laughing Percy.

"What..." Artemis blinked in shock.

"...the fuck?" I asked, incredulous.

For the second time me and Artemis agreed on something in this meeting. This is bizarre.

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AN: My god are transition chapters needed but fuck are they a pain to write.