He was a demon, slicing though automatons and monsters, watching them explode into dust. A camper charged at him. He perfectly executed a kick flip while throwing Riptide into the air and catching the weapon as he landed. He locked his weapon with his opponents. The young girl fell onto her back with a look of fear. He narrowed his eyes, the bronze blade in his hand glinted teasingly centimetres away from the girls face.
The young girl whimpered. A child of Athena by the looks of her. Reminding him painstakingly of his best friend and soulmate. She was young, too young. Fighting a losing war. He looked around, taking in the battle scene before him. His allies fighting against his family and friends.
Except they weren't his friends. All of them had fallen under the hands of the gods, every last one of them. These campers, these demigods. They were after his time. Everyone who he had grown with and loved were dead, his brother, his wife, his unborn son, his parents, his sister, his friends and his family. Even his dog and Pegasus. Gone.
And now he had become the thing he was built to destroy. The girl tried to back away but she was tired and battered, caught between his blade and the ground, looking death in the face. He sheaths his weapon, tucking it in his pocket and holding his hand out to the young girl. She was confused for a moment, before she hesitantly took his offer and he helped her stand.
'This isn't your fight.' He told her, 'you're too young. You have a whole life to look forward too.' She looked fronted and suspicious. 'I'm sorry to say. But you could never beat me. How old are you? 13? 14?'
'11.' She said in a hushed tone. He looks her over more. She had no beads around her neck and no tattoo on her arm. No scars marred her skin and that haunted look that older heroes had gotten was yet to plague her. Although it wasn't too far off.
'I have no doubt that you're a smart girl.' He compliments, 'you know that there was no way you could've won. So why did you fight? The Olympians?' He asks, she nods.
He walks over to where her weapon lays discarded and picks it up. Freezing for a moment as he realises it was Annabeth's old dagger. His fist tightens around it but he still turns back to the girl and passes it to her. Her shock had disappeared and small streams of tears leaked down her face.
He brushes them away with the calloused pad of his thumb. 'Find your way away from this battle. Don't let yourself be a pawn. The gods are strong but they need heroes. You have the ability to control your destiny if only you were to take it into your own hands. I learned that a long time ago.'
She scans him critically, 'my battle is over. But yours has only started.' He states vaguely then spins on his heel and walks away from the daughter of Athena. The battle still raged but even as he made his way through, his powerful shoulders and stance caused a brief pause on both sides of the war.
His allies, wicked monsters that he had fought countless times in his teen years watched him with respect. He was a leader and they were willing to follow anyone who had a vendetta against the gods.
He felt sick to his stomach, he should be fighting against the monsters that he now lead. He was once a hero after all.
'Zeus!' He screams into the sky, thunder boomed and the wind buffeted him but he held strong. 'Get down here and face me!' The wind howls in his ears and rain starts to hammer him like a thousand tiny knives. Soon enough the lord of the skies stood before him. Lightning bolt crackling in his hand and aimed straight at the son of Poseidon.
He tilts his head cynically, 'speak Perseus before I blast you into smithereens.' Percy winces at his full name and expertly brings riptide out of his pocket and faces the good with it's sharp tip. He held it in one hand and kept it horizontal.
Zeus narrows his eyes, Percy throws Riptide down in front of the king of gods, causing a startled reaction to elicit from the powerful deity. Without a word, Percy spreads his arms as if to embrace the god and gets onto his knees. The muscles in his back rippling with a tension that had been there for as long as Percy could recall. He bows his head.
'This war will never end. Because I won't give up. My friends, my family, everyone I cared for are dead by the gods fault. Loyalty is and will always be my fatal flaw. I'm willing to toss the world away in order to protect the people I care about.'
Zeus straightens and brings his bolt down to his side. Crouching down and lifting Percy's face by tilting his chin. 'The years have made you bitter. Perseus Jackson. Your anger has caused grief and destruction to gods, demigods and mortals.' Percy felt guilt in the pit of his stomach. He was eye to eye with the son of Kronos. 'You almost succeeded in finishing what Luke Castellan has started all those years ago.'
'My lord... please...'
Zeus held up his other hand to silence Percy. 'You have always been the most dangerous and unreliable weapon to the gods. And yet... you were once our saviour, you stopped the rise of Kronos and Gaia. You have always been the hero, Percy. And now, here you kneel before me, weak and defeated by your own cause. You have no wish to fight me, although you summoned me from my throne. What is it that you want Son Of Poseidon?'
Percy exhales steadily, 'my lord, I know I have no right to ask for any favours, but please... all that I want. All that I've ever wanted was to see my family and friends again.' He replies weakly. 'My allies, the monsters, once I'm gone they'll have no order and will slither back to where they came from... there's only one way to stop this war. And I am willing to follow through with it.'
Zeus backs away a few paces and Percy's gaze drops. 'You are incredibly noble, dear nephew. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have respect for you. Despite the devastation you caused. Are you ready, dear boy?'
'Yes my lord.' No sooner then the words had left his mouth. Percy Jackson felt thousands upon thousands of bolts of electricity course through his body. He felt a sensation of weightlessness before he crashed into the earth and saw the sky for the last time.