Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO.
Percy POV
My quest-mates - Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Leo- were frozen still. The trail of dark smoke left by the disintegrated Argo II lingered in the sky, almost looking as if the sky itself was tearing apart. We stood in a loose group observing the remnants of Camp Half-Blood from atop the hill and beside Thalia's tree. The cabins were smouldering shells devoid of life. The once luscious green grass was now blackened and dead.
"What the-" I muttered still gazing around the ruins of my home.
The Big-House's roof had collapsed in on itself in the very middle. There was no doubt in my mind that it was irreparable. Massive spinners of baby-blue coloured wood lay scattered on the remains of the roof and around the husk of the building, almost like it was an army closing in on its outnumbered prey.
A faint glint caught my eye; the dull gold of Kampê's damaged scimitar stood out among the wreckage, almost taunting my gaze. The poison that lingered on its blade had corroded the once proud and vibrant gold. Now irregular splotches of gold remained, with the blade dominated by a sickly dark green hue.
I wasn't sure whether seeing that blade was a good or bad sign; on one hand, its survival appeared to be a powerful symbol of our successes, but then again, it had survived the Big Houses' destruction but outlived the camp.
"I can't believe it," chocked out Annabeth, holding back tears.
I wrapped my scratched and bruised arms around her and embraced her quivering form.
"Shhhh," I murmured into her ear, "don't worry Wise Girl, we can rebuild Camp."
She simply nodded, too grief-stricken to respond.
The heavy silenced continued to suffocate us, and I continued to survey the damage. The tables of the dining pavilion had been crushed, with chunks of marble being scattered haphazardly throughout the centre of camp. The Hearth was in no better shape than the surrounding buildings; the flames had been choked by a chunk of some glittering and glowing projectile.
"What could have caused all of this damage?" I asked anyone willing to listen.
Jason gasped and then turned to me, his bright blue eyes turning dark and stormy. "Percy… I know exactly what caused this but… I can't believe the Roman's would every resort to it."
"The projectile is a mixture of imperial gold and other incendiaries. Once it reaches the peak of its arc, it explodes and spreads deadly shrapnel in all directions," he continued. "Just think of it as a bomb with deadly shrapnel," summarised Jason grimly.
I was absolutely speechless. How could the Roman's have caused such damage? Sure, they were warlike and aggressive but this… this is beyond anything I have ever witnessed. The only parallel to this damage was when Kronos tore down most of Olympus during the second Titanomachy.
"Why would they do this Jason?," I questioned through clenched teeth.
"I have no doubt in my mind that this was one of Octavian's schemes," he answered curtly.
I finally managed to tear away my gaze from this depressing scene, only to see the tips of spears and a purple banner flying defiantly in the wind.
"Hey!" I shouted, "The Roman's are still here!"
Before anyone could process what I had said, I sprinted across the bloodied grass towards the murderous Legion.
"Percy! You can't confront the whole legion by yourself!" Annabeth pleaded, but rage had clouded my mind.
Just as I had snatched Riptide's pen form from my pocket, a wall of shouts and cries hit me like a freight train. Were the Roman's fighting the Greeks? Questions flooded into my mind, but despite my confusion, I willed my legs to carry me towards them.
"Annabeth! Jason! Come quick!" I shouted, my voice echoing throughout the Camp.
My initial suspicions were proved wrong; a mixture of purple-clad warriors fought side by side with the Greek Campers against a sea of monsters.
The bloodshed was horrific, the red hue that covered the trampled strawberry fields was no longer simply from the fruit; it was blood. The blood spilled from the demigods and legacies against an army of Gaea's forces.
The thought of continual suffering and bloodshed was aggravating and became too much to bear. My whole demigod life had revolved around violence and death. Despite the power I held, I was never enough to stop it. Never enough to save my friends.
The sight of the minotaur smashing his way through the demigods' defence line snapped me out of my musings. Simply seeing the 9ft tall half-man, half-bull caused me to snap.
Rage filled my view as I let out a guttural roar. The tugging in my gut that always occurred when I use my powers was now a violent pull as if the whole of Mount Olympus had been chained to me and was pulling me down.
My vision began to blur as I felt a sudden release of divine power from within. A blinding and searing light was emitted from my body and the very earth started to shake.
I could hear the rumbling, but that was all, it had drowned out the cries of the demigods and the roars of the monsters. The ground had begun to collapse in on itself and split, opening small chasms.
My pent-up anger fuelled the divine onslaught. I could feel the ocean yearning to reach and comfort me. The waves hammered against the distant beach like a constant bombardment of artillery.
Just as the other six horses of the prophecy arrived, the sky darkened and took on an ominous hue, with the wind wailed and sped through the Camp.
"Percy!" screamed Annabeth, "Please- stop!" she pleaded, her calculating grey eyes gazing into my own. "Do it for me, Seaweed-Brain." She tentatively touched my arm and brought me closer.
I could feel my anger dissipate and my power deplete. I could do nothing but collapse into her arms in exhaustion.
"Shhhh," she murmured while stroking my hair softly, "Its okay, we're here now."
"Bro, are you good?" Jason inquired, his words laced with worry.
"Yeah, bro," I replied with a slight smile, despite the emotional turmoil bubbling deep within my soul.
Leo opened his mouth to speak, but our ears were suddenly greeted with the deafening noise of a retreating monster army.
"Prissy!" Clarrise yelled, throwing off her blood-red helmet and punching me in the arm. "Where have you been? Has Gaea been defeated?" she demanded.
I was about to answer her question but Annabeth beat me to it, "We only just got back from Athens. And no, Percy and my blood was spilled in the Parthenon, so Gaea should be fully awakened any minute now." she stated dejectedly.
"But then where will she awak-"
Clarrise was interrupted by the earth-shaking more vigorously than at any previous moment in history. The flat plains of the strawberry fields buckled and warped, forming craters and mounds. The roar of the earth drowned out all other noise and caused us to all fall to out knees in pain.
After a few moments, the deep rumbling was replaced by a high pitched wail laced with power; Gaea had awoken.
"Oh shit," moaned Leo.
I couldn't help but share his sentiments. We had failed to stop the earth mother from awakening from her slumber. The disappointment and sorrow of our defeat crushed me. It was as if I was once again under the sky.
Half-Blood hill began to shift, shake, and warp more violently than any other area, with a small piece of Earth becoming raised. The cause behind this anomaly became clear to me within seconds, as the Earth began to take the shape of a 50ft tall women.
One of the most powerful protogenoi loomed over the forces of Olympus with a gleeful expression. Her face was moulded out of stone, much like those at Mount Rushmore, as were her arms and legs. Her long and flowing dress was made of a brown dirt, riddled with vibrant green vines and plants.
"I have awoken," boomed the Earth goddess. Her words carried across the field like an explosion, causing everyone to be forced closer to the ground and cover their ears. "And you have failed," continued Gaea.
It seemed to be all over. I couldn't believe what was happening. After years of fighting for the gods, it had finally come to an end. My mind simply couldn't comprehend it. The prophecy seemed to be so clear in stating that we would be successful.
The prophecy… I suddenly remembered the lines of the prophecy that ensured Gaea's downfall:
To storm or fire, the world must fall,
What this meant, I didn't know, but the looks I got from Leo indicated that he was thinking the same thing.
Within a split second, Leo brought his fingers up to his mouth and whistled. The sound echoed throughout the valley, and drew all attention to him.
"Well, well, well." drawled Gaea. "What do we have here?"
Leo didn't respond, he simply narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Do you have any last words before I smite you, Son of Hephaestus?" Gaea sneered.
"Yeah…" Leo calm stated. "Fuck you." After the words left his mouth, I saw a flash of bronze and Leo was snatched up by Festus's gleaming claw.
Gaea looked absolutely livid. Her face was contorted into a look of absolute loathing, and without warning, she pulled her arm back.
Seeing this, I darted towards Leo. Gaea was planning on killing him and I had to stop her.
"Leo watch out!" I screamed as Gaea released a bolt of pure godly energy. Just as he turned his head towards the Earth mother, I jumped and pushed him out of the way of the deadly projectile.
The Latino elf was thrown to the ground, and swiftly hauled up by Festus, but just as I was about to celebrate his safety, I felt a searing pain.
I let loose an anguished scream. The searing heat of whatever Gaea hit me with was one thousand times more painful than bathing in the Styx. I could feel every fibre of my body ignite and burn.
The raw power that Gaea had struck me with was burning through my body like a fire in a forest. My mortal body couldn't handle the divine power. It was like when a demigod consumes far too much nectar and ambrosia, except one million times more painful.
I fell to my knees, my muscles twitching. The searing pain hadn't subsided. I opened my mouth to scream again, but nothing came out. I could feel my body finally give in to Gaea's attack. Using my dying breath, I looked over to Annabeth one last time.
The agony finally subsided, but I can't really explain what I feel now. I feel so… light and free. It was almost as if I was floating. It was almost as if I was dea-
Oh, gods. Before I could collect my thoughts, my soul was whisked away from the battlefield, with my last view of it being Gaea snatched up and taken up into the sky by Leo, Jason, and Festus the dragon.
I was now zooming across the land at the speed of light. The land was now a blur, and the only thing that I could do was… nothing.
I had ever felt such a sense of profound nothingness.
As my trip continued, I couldn't help but reflect on my life; my first quest, my first kiss… If I had a physical body, I would be crying my eyes out.
My journey to the underworld suddenly slowed to a halt and I read the sign of the building I had arrived at; DOA Recording Studios. It has been so long since I was here last.
My soul slowly drifted through the glass doors and into the lobby. It was filled to the brim with dead souls. Men, women, and children all floating there with their eyes glazed over and their faces contorted in expressions of disbelief and pain.
"Perseus Jackson," boomed a voice that sounded so familiar to me. "I see you have finally died. Did you drown in a bathtub again?" Charon, the ferryman to the realm of Hades, asked innocently.
I opened my mouth to answer but no words came out; I had lost my voice.
"Ah yes, I see you have figured out that you have lost your voice," stated Charon, his facial expressions indicating sorrow. "Do not fear Perseus. That's what happens to the dead. Unfortunately for you, but fortunately for me. Could you imagine the headache I would get if the dead could speak?"
Charon slowly stepped down from his raised pedestal and made his way towards me while smoothing out the creases in his tailor-made Italian suit. "Follow me, Mr Jackson. Since you got me a pay rise, I'll ferry you across the Styx for no charge."
I nodded my head in gratitude and followed his retreating form to an open elevator.
The elevator trip was excruciatingly painful due to my urge to fidget. I guess ADHD never goes away. It doesn't help that the music was even worse than what was played in the elevator to Olympus.
After about two minutes, a soft ding rang out, and the doors opened to the expansive and maroon coloured wasteland known as the underworld.
Charon escorted me to his rickety boat, and as soon as I boarded it, he took his place at the back and started to push off with a long stick, propelling us down the mighty Styx. As we continued our journey, his appearance changed from a dark-skinned and muscly man wearing an expensive Italian suit to a bone-thin creature covered from head to toe in a ripped black cloak.
"Almost there, don't you worry Mr Jackson," Charon joked.
The waters of the Styx were even more polluted than the first time I visited the underworld. The waters were blanketed in layers of garbage from all of humanities broken dreams. Before, you could at least see the vibrant waters, but now, I had no such luck.
Charon lazily maneuverer the ferry to the shores and swiftly hopped out and began to walk towards the lines of dead people. I followed along, reminiscing about how much the underworld looked like the New Jersey Turnpike.
He continued onwards, pushing through endless scores of souls, muttering profanities under his breath. I followed along and we eventually reached an elevated, black marble table, behind which sat three cloaked figures wearing blindingly bright golden masks.
"I bid you farewell and wish you good luck Pursues," Charon whispered to me before trudging back towards his ferry.
"Perseus Jackson," stated one of the masked figures. "We are the judges of the underworld. Do you wish to try for Elysium?" continued the judge in a monotone and ominous voice.
"Um… yes," I murmured, surprised that my voice actually worked.
"Very well," another one of the judges stated.
All of the there judges turned to face me, and their golden masks looked deep into my soul, looking through my memories in order to determine whether I was an acceptable candidate for Elysium.
My life literally flashed before my eyes at super-speed. I saw myself fighting the minotaur on that rainy night, fuelled by hatred for my mothers 'death'. I then saw myself dragging Grover over the property line to safety.
I then saw myself decapitation Medusa… fighting the Chimera… retrieving Ares's shield from the abandoned water park… fighting and defeating Ares… and returning Zeus's master bolt to him.
"Acceptable," murmured one of the judges before continuing the flashback.
I now saw myself sneaking standing of for Tyson… fighting off the Laistrygonian Giants… slaying the Colchis Bull… sneaking out of camp… defeating Circe… sailing past the Sirens… defeating Polyphemus… retrieving the Golden Fleece… and giving the fleece to Clarrise.
The leftmost judge nodded its head slightly, and the onslaught of memories continued.
Saving fighting the Manticore… saving Bianca and Nico Di Angelo… helping to defeat the Nemean Lion… befriending the Ophiotaurus… fighting and escaping from the Spartoi… battling Luke and Atlas… taking the weight of the sky.
The stream of memories continued showing the major accomplishments from my short life, defeating Hyperion, giving Luke the knife, turning down godhood for a more noble wish, my escapades in Alaska, defeating Polybotes, surviving Tartarus, fighting the Giants, and finally, saving Leo from death.
After a tense pause, all three judges stated, "You are worthy, Perseus Jackson. Would you like to attempt for rebirth, or enter into Elysium?"
The moment they asked the question, my mind lingered on the thoughts of all of my lost friends that were waiting for me in Elysium; Beckendorf, Silena, Lee Fletcher, Luke, and so many more. It was clear to me which choice I had to make.
"I wish to go to Elysium," I stated confidently, eliciting a nod from the judges.
After I made my choice, I could feel my soul being pulled towards Elysium. I could feel the happiness and serenity radiating out of it.
When I finally reached the entrance, I saw a massive black-metal gate with the word 'Elysium' etched onto it in a fancy gold lettering.
As the gates opened, I couldn't help but smile sadly.