₍ ⌨ ᶻᶻᶻ 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ... ₎
˚ ༘♡ ·˚꒰𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄
𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐦
𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕
┏━━━━ ★ ━━━━┓
𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝓙
┗━━━━ ★ ━━━━┛
He went to see Luke's mom—which was sad. Then his own mom to ask for permission to do a very suicidal idea—which was heartbreaking. Only to wind up in the Underworld, betrayed by Nico so he could find out more about his mom.
It's been a very long few hours.
Now, before he was fully awake, Percy had Nico pinned to the floor of the cell with the edge of his sword at the boy's throat.
"Want...to...rescue," he choked.
Anger was a hell of an alarm. "Oh, yeah? And why should I trust you?"
"No...choice?" he gagged.
Percy really wished he hadn't said something logical like that. But, he let him go.
Nico curled into a ball and made retching sounds while his throat recovered. Finally he got to his feet, eyeing Percy's sword warily. His own blade was sheathed. If Nico had wanted to kill him, he could've done it while he slept. Still, he didn't trust Nico after he sold him out to his dad.
"We have to get out of here," he said.
"Why?" Percy said. "Does your dad want to talk to me again?"
He winced. "Percy, I swear on the River Styx, I didn't know what he was planning."
"You know what your dad is like!"
"He tricked me. He promised—" Nico held up his hands. "Look...right now, we need to leave. I put the guards to sleep, but it won't last."
Percy wanted to strangle him again. Unfortunately, he was right. They didn't have time to argue, and he couldn't escape on his own. Nico pointed at the wall. A whole section vanished, revealing a corridor.
"Come on." Nico led the way.
Having Annabeth's invisibility hat would've been helpful, but it wouldn't have mattered. Every time they came to a skeleton guard, Nico just pointed at it, and its glowing eyes dimmed. Unfortunately, the more Nico did it, the more tired he seemed.
They walked through a maze of corridors filled with guards. By the time they reached a kitchen staffed by skeletal cooks and servants, Percy was practically carrying Nico. He managed to put all the dead to sleep but nearly passed out himself. He dragged Nico out of the servants' entrance and into the Fields of Asphodel.
He almost felt relieved until he heard the sound of bronze gongs high in the castle.
"Alarms," Nico murmured sleepily.
"What do we do?"
He yawned then frowned like he was trying to remember. "How about...run?"
Running with a drowsy child of Hades was more like doing a three-legged race with a life-size rag doll. Percy lugged Nico along, holding his sword in front of them. The spirits of the dead made way like the Celestial bronze was a blazing fire.
The sound of gongs rolled across the fields. Ahead loomed the walls of Erebos, but the longer they walked, the farther away they seemed. Percy was about to collapse from exhaustion when he heard a familiar
"WOOOOOF!"
Mrs. O'Leary bounded out of nowhere and ran circles around them both, ready to play.
"Good girl." Percy said tiredly. "Can you give us a ride to the Styx?"
The word Styx got her excited, maybe thinking he meant sticks.
She jumped a few times, chased her tail just to teach it who was boss, and then calmed down enough for Percy to push Nico onto her back. He climb aboard, and she raced toward the gates. She leaped straight over the EZ-DEATH line, sending guards sprawling and causing more alarms to blare. Cerberus barked, but he sounded more excited than angry, like: Can I play too?
Fortunately for them, unfortunately for Cerberus, he didn't follow them. Mrs. O'Leary kept running. She didn't stop until they were far upriver and the fires of Erebos had disappeared in the murk.
Nico slid off Mrs. O'Leary's back and crumpled in a heap on the black sand.
Percy took out a square of ambrosia. It was a little bashed up, but Nico chewed it.
"Uh," he mumbled. "Better."
"Your powers drain you too much," Percy said.
He nodded sleepily. "With great power . . . comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."
"Whoa, zombie dude." Percy caught him before he could pass out again. "We're at the river. You need to tell me what to do."
Percy fed him the last of his ambrosia, which was a little dangerous. Fortunately, it seemed to do the trick. Nico shook his head a few times and struggled to his feet.
"My father will be coming soon," he said. "We should hurry."
The River Styx's current swirled with strange objects—broken toys, ripped-up college diplomas, wilted homecoming corsages—all the dreams people had thrown away as they'd passed from life into death. Looking at the black water, I could think of about three million places I'd rather swim.
"So...I just jump in?"
"You have to prepare yourself first," Nico said, "or the river will destroy you. It will burn away your body and soul."
"Sounds fun," Percy muttered.
"This is no joke," Nico warned. "There is only one way to stay anchored to your mortal life. You have to..."
He glanced behind him with his eyes wide. Percy turned and found himself face-to-face with a Greek warrior.
For a second Percy thought he was Ares, because this guy looked exactly like the god of war—tall and buff, with a cruel scarred face and closely shaved black hair. He wore a white tunic and bronze armor. He held a plumed war helm under his arm. But his eyes were human—pale green like a shallow sea—and a bloody arrow stuck out of his left calf, just above the ankle.
Percy sucked at Greek names, but even he knew the greatest warrior of all time, who had died from a wounded heel.
"Achilles," Percy breathed out.
The ghost nodded. "I warned the other one not to follow my path. Now I will warn you."
"Luke? You spoke with Luke?"
"Do not do this," he said. "It will make you powerful. But it will also make you weak. Your prowess in combat will be beyond any mortal's, but your weaknesses, your failings will increase as well."
"You mean I'll have a bad heel?" Percy said. "Couldn't I just, like, wear something besides sandals? No offense."
He stared down at his bloody foot. "The heel is only my physical weakness, demigod. My mother, Thetis, held me there when she dipped me in the Styx. What really killed me was my own arrogance. Beware! Turn back!"
He meant it. Percy could hear the regret and bitterness in his voice. He was honestly trying to save him from a terrible fate.
Then again, Luke had been here, and he hadn't turned back.
That's why Luke had been able to host the spirit of Kronos without his body disintegrating. This is how he'd prepared himself, and why he seemed impossible to kill. He had bathed in the River Styx and taken on the powers of the greatest mortal hero, Achilles. He was invincible.
"I have to," Percy said. "Otherwise, I don't stand a chance."
Achilles lowered his head. "Let the gods witness I tried. Hero, if you must do this, concentrate on your mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point where your soul will anchor your body to the world. It will be your greatest weakness, but also your only hope. No man may be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of what keeps you mortal, and the River Styx will burn you to ashes. You will cease to exist."
"I don't suppose you could tel me Luke's mortal point."
He scowled, "Prepare yourself, boy. Whether you survive this or not, you have sealed your doom!"
With that happy thought, he vanished.
"Percy," Nico said, "maybe he's right."
"This was your idea!"
"I know, but now that we're here—"
"Just wait on the shore. If anything happens to me...Well, maybe Hades will get his wish, and you'll be the child of the prophecy after all."
Nico didn't seem pleased about that, but Percy couldn't find himself to care.
Before Percy could change his mind, he concentrated on the small of his back—a tiny point just opposite his navel. It was well defended when he wore his armor. It would be hard to hit by accident, and few enemies would aim for it on purpose. No place was perfect, but this seemed right to him and a lot more dignified then his armpit or something.
Percy pictured a bungee cord connecting him to the world from the small of his back. With that, he stepped into the river.
Imagine jumping into a pit of boiling acid. Now multiply that pain times fifty. The Styx wasn't even close to as comfortable to swim in.
Percy really did plan to walk in slow and courageous like a real hero. As soon as the water touched his legs, his muscles turned to jelly and he fell face-first into the current.
He was submerged completely. For the first time in his life, he couldn't breathe underwater. He finally understood the panic of drowning. Every nerve in his body burned. As he was dissolving into the water, he saw faces—Rachel, Grover, Tyson, Annabeth, my mother—but they faded as soon as they appeared.
"Percy," my mom said. "I give you my blessing."
"Be safe, brother!" Tyson pleaded.
"Don't do something stupid," Annabeth said.
"Enchiladas!" Grover said.
Percy wasn't sure where that came from, but it didn't seem to help much.
He was losing the fight. The pain was too much. His hands and feet were melting into the water, his soul was being ripped from his body. He couldn't remember who he was, why he was here. The pain of Kronos's scythe had been nothing compared to this.
The cord, a familiar voice said. Your lifeline, you shrimpy jackass!
Suddenly there was a tug in his lower back. The current pulled at him, but it wasn't carrying him away anymore. The string in his back was keeping him tied to the shore.
"Fucking pandas, Percy." It was definitely Anastasia's voice. "Get up, your fight isn't over yet."
The cord strengthened.
He could see Anastasia now—Ana. Blue eyes glowing gold, her gloves hands crossed over her chest, hair full of white and red curls. An eyebrow was raised but she looked amused and he realized he was on the concrete floor, his skateboard she painted for him right beside him.
"C'mon, Pretty-Boy," she said with the smallest, uncovered smile he's only seen four times. She held her hand out, "Now get up and try again before those kids run you over."
They all came flooding back to him, drowning him in the sharper, colorful memories.
He was Percy Jackson.
He reached forward and took Anastasia's hand.
Percy bursted out of the river and collapsed on the sand. Nico scrambled back in surprise.
"Are you okay?" he stammered. "Your skin. Oh, gods. You're hurt!"
His arms were bright red. He felt like every inch of his body had been broiled over a slow flame, like a pig roasting over a fire.
Although he knew she wouldn't be there, he looked around for Anastasia.
"I'm fine...I think."
The color of his skin turned back to normal. The pain subsided. Mrs. O'Leary came up and sniffed him with concern.
"Do you feel stronger?" Nico asked.
Before Percy could even decide how he felt, a voice boomed, "THERE!"
An army of the dead marched toward them. A hundred skeletal Roman legionnaires led the way with shields and spears. Behind them came an equal number of British redcoats with bayonets fixed. In the middle of the host, Hades himself rode a black-and-gold chariot pulled by nightmare horses, their eyes and manes smoldering with fire.
"You will not escape me this time, Percy Jackson!" Hades bellowed. "Destroy him!"
"Father, no!" Nico shouted, but it was too late. The front line of Roman zombies lowered their spears and advanced.
Mrs. O'Leary growled and got ready to pounce. Maybe that's what set himself off. He didn't want them hurting his dog, and he was tired of Hades' being an asshole.
If he was going to die, he was going to die fighting.
Percy yelled, and the River Styx exploded. A black tidal wave smashed into the legionnaires. Spears and shields flew everywhere. Roman zombies began to dissolve, smoke coming off their bronze helmets.
The redcoats lowered their bayonets, but why would he wait for them?
So, he charged.
Somehow, it had to be the stupidest thing he's ever done. A hundred muskets fired directly at him, point blank...but all of them missed. He crashed into their line and started hacking with Riptide.
Bayonets jabbed.
Swords slashed.
Guns reloaded.
Guns fired.
Nothing touched him.
Percy whirled through the ranks, slashing redcoats to dust, one after the other. His mind went on autopilot: stab, dodge, cut, deflect, roll. Riptide was no longer a sword. It was an arc of pure destruction.
He broke through the enemy line and leaped into the black chariot. Hades raised his staff. A bolt of dark energy shot toward him, but he easily deflected it off his blade and slammed into the god. The god and himself both tumbled out of the chariot.
The next thing Percy knew, his knee was planted on Hades's chest. He was holding the collar of his royal robes in one fist, and the tip of his sword was poised right over his face.
Silence. The army did nothing to defend their master. He glanced back and realized why. There was nothing left of them but weapons in the sand and piles of smoking, empty uniforms.
He had destroyed them all.
He didn't know how to feel about that.
Hades swallowed. "Now, Jackson, listen here..."
He was immortal. There was no way Percy could kill him, but gods can be wounded. He knew that firsthand, and Percy figured a sword in the face wouldn't feel too good.
"Just because I'm a nice person," Percy snarled, "I'll let you go. But first, tell me about that trap!"
Hades melted into nothing, leaving him holding empty black robes.
Percy cursed and got to his feet, breathing heavily. Now that the danger was over, he realized how tired he was. Every muscle in his body ached. When he looked down at his clothing, they were slashed to pieces and full of bullet holes, but he was fine. Not a mark on him.
Nico's mouth hung open. "You just...with a sword...you just—"
"I think the river thing worked," Percy said.
"Oh gee," he said sarcastically. "You think?"
Mrs. O'Leary barked happily and wagged her tail. She bounded around, sniffing empty uniforms and hunting for bones. Percy lifted Hades's robe. He could still see the tormented faces shimmering in the fabric.
He walked to the edge of the river. "Be free."
Percy dropped the robe in the water and watched as it swirled away, dissolving in the current.
"Go back to your father," Percy told Nico. "Tell him he owes me for letting him go. Find out what's going to happen to Mount Olympus and convince him to help."
Nico stared at me. "I...I can't. He'll hate me now. I mean...even more."
"You have to," Perct said. "You owe me too."
His ears turned red. "Percy, I told you I was sorry. Please...let me come with you. I want to fight."
"You'll be more help down here."
"You mean you don't trust me anymore," he said miserably.
Percy didn't answer, he couldn't think clearly. He was too stunned by what he'd just done in battle to think clearly.
"Just go back to your father," Percy said, trying not to sound too harsh. "Work on him. You're the only person who might be able to get him to listen."
"That's a depressing thought." Nico sighed. "All right. I'll do my best. Besides, he's still hiding something from me about my mom. Maybe I can find out what."
"Good luck. Now Mrs. O'Leary and I have to go."
"Where?" Nico said.
Percy looked at the cave entrance and thought about the long climb back to the world of the living. "To get this war started. It's time I found Luke."
┏━━━━ ★ ━━━━┓
𝓐𝓷𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓪 𝓐.
┗━━━━ ★ ━━━━┛
Connor and Annabeth helped Anastasia out of the van once they approached the Empire State Building. Something had happened almost two hours ago, an hour before Percy had messaged Annabeth. It was the worst pain she had ever felt. Throughout the past year, she's been able to just keep going despite the pain, not this time.
It felt like she was being boiled alive.
At this point, she felt a little better, but her whole body still felt hot.
"How are you feeling?" Annabeth asked for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes.
"I'm fine," Anastasia repeated again, shrugging her and Connor off.
"How's your eye?"
Right. That...She's having a little problem with her eye. And by little problem, she means can't see out of her right eye because it's very blurry and was just bleeding. A demigod somewhere got their eye poked out so now...well, she can't see out of it. Unless she could find the demigod and heal the injury, she'll probably never be able to see out of it. Not to mention, at least four demigods have walked into camp on the verge of death and she had to heal them before she had to amputate one of their legs.
She's had a very fun few hours.
She's so tired. She hadn't eaten anything except a few granola bars a day in two weeks. And hadn't slept more then an hour or two a day in months—if she manages to get some sleep.
Annabeth and her both walked over to Percy—or Annabeth dragged her over to Percy more realistically. Already, she knew he did something stupid. It was all... all wrong. He wasn't mortal, but he was human. It was like all the injuries he's ever had had completely disappeared. Although she had her earplugs in, she knew his heart, while beating...wasn't right.
"Ana," Percy looked at her worriedly. "Are you okay?"
She stared at him for a moment, "Oh, sorry, were you talking to me?"
"Now's not the time to be petty," Annabeth scolded.
"Says who?"
Annabeth rolled her eyes and looked over at Percy, who was still looking at her worriedly. "She's fine."
Percy nodded, not convinced, and turned to the rest of the group. "Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you."
Chiron shook his head. "I came to wish you luck, my boy. But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned."
"Wait, what?" Anastasia looked over at Annabeth, who looked a little sheepish.
"But you're our leader," Percy said to Chiron.
He smiled. "I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader."
Percy looked ready to protest, but just nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay, like I told Annabeth on the phone, something bad is going to happen by tonight. Some kind of trap. We've got to get an audience with Zeus and convince him to defend the city. Remember, we can't take no for an answer."
Percy asked Argus to watch Mrs. O'Leary, which neither of them looked happy about.
Chiron shook his hand. "You'll do well, Percy. Just remember your strengths and beware your weaknesses."
Percy nodded and turned to them, "Let's go."
︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿︿
. . ⇢ [𝒌𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔] ˎˊ˗ ꒰ :🖇️: ꒱
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ion got much to say loves <3