Torturous Lamentations
Summary; After suffering a 'mutual' breakup with Annabeth, Percy travels the world. He is captured tortured, and worse. Returning to Olympus, Percy is enlisted as the Guardian of the Hunt, though he is scarred, both emotionally and physically.
Perlia, because I'm trying to make this dark! or however they do that. Possibly Pertemis, but it probably won't be as good. Post 2nd Titan War Pre, 2nd Gigantomachy
1
Percy casually strolled through camp, his destination unknown, when his world broke. "Percy…we need to talk." Annabeth, Percy realized.
Calmly turning around, the male demigod replied, "What about?"
"Us." Annabeth wouldn't meet Percy's confused eyes.
Percy, though he may not be the brightest, realized what this was about, "Why?" He asked, the first tears leaking from his eyes.
"My mother…she forbade our relationship." Annabeth explained, doing her best not to choke up.
Percy, though he didn't want to, accepted this, because he didn't want Annabeth to get in trouble with her mother. "Just go." He replied desolately.
Percy didn't want consolation. He didn't want sympathy. He would solve his own problems. He walked, albeit at a brisker pace than before, back to Cabin Three, rapidly scrawling a note and placing it on his bed.
He stood up, packed a bag, and fled Camp under the cover of night.
.
Dear Chiron, Campers, and all who may be concerned,
I am taking a leave of absence for reasons undefined, and my return date is indefinite. It is not anything that the campers have done; I just need to solve some personal troubles. Do not look for me, for I do not wish to be found. Until I return, I am dead to all of you.
Regards,
Perseus A. Jackson
.
Percy hacked through the thicket that blocked his path westward, the way he'd been traveling for the majority of the month. If he was correct, sooner or later he'd end up in Colorado, where he could build a temporary nesting ground.
After that, Percy didn't have the slightest idea on how to continue. He supposed he would check on mom…the son of Poseidon had forgotten that she'd been murdered. By who, he didn't know. But she would be avenged.
Yes, so he assumed he would go back to Camp after he was done moping and whatnot.
Percy had no idea that his moping would take so long.
.
It was the coldest night of December, when Percy's world crashed. He'd recently returned from hunting, using the bow given to him by Apollo several weeks ago. Though he still wasn't completely attuned to using the projectile-firing weapon, it served better than a melee attack while hunting for animals.
His camp-granted, it was only a tent and a small fire-was in ruins, the tent in shreds, and ashes from the fire were scattered across the small clearing. "Perseus Jackson, I have been expecting you." A lone figure, previously hidden by shadows, stepped into view, a massive broadsword gripped with both hands.
Percy, oblivious as always, asked, "Who are you?"
"Perses, the Titan of destruction, and your EXECUTIONER!" At the last word, the Titan charged, blade raised high above his head.
Percy, wide eyed, came to his senses, rolling under the blade and rapidly firing arrows into the gaps in the Titan's armor. Roaring in pain, Perses lashed out, snagging the bow with the tip of his sword and breaking it in half.
Cursing under his breath, Percy discarded the broken arc, uncapping riptide and charging into hand-to-hand combat with the Titanic figure. Feinting a strike his legs, Percy flicked his wrist, curving riptide upwards and cutting a gash in Perses' celestial bronze breastplate.
The Titan bellowed in agony, stomping harshly on the ground and sending Percy flying through the thicket.
A lone, hooded figure walked back into the clearing, dragging the unconscious son of Poseidon by his hood. "Well done, Perses. It seems the first phase of milord's contingency plan has come to a close. Jackson will break." Flicking his hood back, the figure was revealed to be the one and only Lucas Castellan.
.
Percy remembered waking in a bleak, barren room. "Ah, it seems the son of the sea god wakes." A deep, ancient voice spoke to Percy.
A man, around 6'7" emerged from the shadows, though he remained draped in them. "I see you are in a bit of a… predicament, if you will. As I am not yet at full power, I am unable to aide you, but the moment that I have enough strength to help, I will. Take faith young demigod, you are not alone." The man, along with the setting, disappeared.
.
"Well, my dear grandson, how lovely of you to join us here in Hell." Kronos' sarcastic voice echoed throughout the endless pit, erecting goosebumps along Percy's arms.
"Kronos, I've defeated you. Out for revenge already?" A smirk plastered itself out on Percy's face, but contorted into an expression of pain as the Titan lord drove a knife deep into his shoulder.
"That should teach you to hold your tongue, boy." Kronos hissed as Percy writhed and struggled against the chains which bound him.
"I'm sorry, but I'm considered a very slow learner. I hope that won't interfere with how we continue from now on." Percy retorted in a mock-concerned tone.
"Grandson, you should know how very little patience I possess. Based on that knowledge, your increasingly intolerable quips will cause a very difficult phase in our relationship." The lightly veiled threat behind Kronos' pretense of amiableness caused the hairs on the back of Percy's neck to stand on end.
Turning around, Kronos barked out an order to an unseen monster, "Bring the letterer! Our friend here has asked for some inscriptions." The tone in which Kronos finished his order frightened Percy more than anything he had ever encountered in all of his sixteen years of life.
.
Now, now Seaweed Brain.A voice in Percy's head mockingly chided him. We can't have you passing out before Kronos has even finished his impression, now can we?
Percy bolted to life, cold perspiration beading up on his forehead. He sighed in relief; the Titan lord wasn't making any more engravings on his body. He stared down at the latest one, translating it under his breath.
Ψυχή ενός δαίμονα.
Soul of a demon.
An accompanying carving was placed below it, Ακίνητα της κόλασης, which roughly translated to property of Hell.
"I see you've been examining your wounds." Kronos observed from a hidden vantage point, where he could watch Percy, but remain unseen by the demigod.
Big man sees everything. Nothing is unobserved. No privacy for Seaweed Brain. The voice, which Percy had hoped was just a figment of his dream, rambled crazily.
"Do you like my present?" Kronos asked in a giddy tone. Noticing the scowl on Percy's face, he pouted. "I suppose you don't."
Why don't you like me? I am you, just like you are me. Can't you see that? A puzzled look dawned on the demigod's face and he firmly replied, "You are not me."
Don't presume to know who I am, you met me less than an hour ago. I may not entirely be you; I am still part of you. I have been known as your 'Conscience', though I am actually your Temporal Lobe. I control your sanity, among other things. I am released when you have none. Your hope died depressingly quickly.
Percy suppressed a growl when the Titan lord came into view. He looked back the way he'd come waved his hand invitingly.
Two heavyset Cyclopes came forth, carrying a tub of water, which, by reading their expressions, Percy deemed very burdensome. "Now, Perseus, once you are cast into this pit we call home, your powers are effectively negated, lest I would've escaped many centuries before your birth and reclaimed my throne. My one-eyed friends here are with us to find out just how effectively your powers have been negated." Kronos explained.
A shell of a plan was beginning to form in Percy's mind. If his powers hadn't been canceled, the water would heal his body, giving him enough power to break away, maybe even to escape.
Kronos roughly jerked him forward, promptly dropping the demigod on his knees. Kronos harshly kicked the half-blood in his ribs, which were exposed by the months of starvation. Here in Tartarus, you could survive forever without taking a bite of food, a fact which was saving Percy's life right now.
Percy took the hint, rising to his feet and stumbling forward. He glanced at the tank warily, for the first time realizing that his powers might've actually been negated. He had no time to try to back out now; Kronos roughly grasped a fistful of coarse, ebony hair and yanked, taking his hand and Percy's head and submerging them both in water.
Percy finally realized what drowning felt like.
His first mistake was leaving his mouth open.
As soon as he was in the water, his lungs were clogged full of his element and he realized that he actually couldn't breathe. His eyes widened in shock and he started thrashing, kicking the tub.
But for all his strength, the damned tank wouldn't lurch, wouldn't show that it felt his attempts in the slightest. Just when Percy felt he could take no more, Kronos yanked back, pulling Percy out of the water.
Percy desperately gasped, breathing in all the air he could, but his time above water didn't last long. As soon as he'd sucked in a breath, Kronos dunked him again.
This continued all night…
.
Percy had forgotten the last time he'd seen the sun. It didn't matter. He didn't care anymore.
Currently, he was placed on a spinning wheel and shot at with arrows, most of them hit. It didn't matter. He didn't feel anymore.
He barely grunted when an arrow cut a deep gash in his cheek. "Well, Perseus, how are you feeling?" Kronos happily asked.
"Kronos," Percy started, a dangerous edge to his voice, "if you knew what I was feeling, you would've run away by now. Because you haven't, you might just get…" the demigod paused for effect, "hurt."
A scythe flew out of the darkness, cutting down a rank of reptilian archers. "What sorcery is this?" Kronos bellowed.
Thanatos appeared, his scythe now back in hand, "Hello cousin, I don't believe we've been acquainted."
"You are of no relation to me! You are but a mere minor god!" Kronos screamed disbelievingly.
"I am a son of Nyx, the Primordial goddess of night, and I am here to rescue," he looked down at his iPhone, pressing a few buttons as he did, "one Perseus A. Jackson."
Kronos summoned his scythe and charged, but his attempts were made futile when Thanatos spread his wings, launching out of the striking range of the enraged Titan. The dracaenae archers fired at the personification of death's wings, in order to take him down, but shadows began to wrap themselves around him, deflecting the projectiles.
When the shadows retreated, a woman stood in the place of Thanatos, "Who dares to attack my son?" She thundered. A spear appeared in her hand, "Answer or perish!"
Kronos' eyes narrowed and his scythe shone a golden, ethereal light. "I simply defended my home." He insisted.
"Insolent whelp! My brother wishes not to have the likes of you loitering in his pit!" She bellowed.
"Tartarus faded many years ago, Nyx, and lest you leave, you shall too." Kronos threatened.
She responded with an intense glare, a black laser-light beam coming from her eyes, striking Kronos in the chest. An explosion came once it collided with the Titan of time, decimating the rest of the monsters who had accompanied Kronos in torturing Percy.
She floated down until she was touching the granite floor with her feet, dropping her scythe and letting it get consumed by the earth. "I am sorry I could not come sooner, Perseus. My husband lacked the power necessary to contact me; he hasn't been the same since he was drained by Khaos' minion."
She unstrapped him from the wheel, letting a harmonious, beautiful laugh escape her lips as he tumbled gracelessly to the ground. She helped him up, placing her lips lightly against his forehead. She stepped back, watching as he glowed a transcendent, obsidian light.
When it subsided, he was dressed in a hood, Kevlar pants, and combat boots. A new bow was at his side, along with a quiver over his shoulder. He wore a belt, which held a long hunting knife, riptide and its clone, which Nyx had made, and three throwing knives on each side, which were replaced magically at the hour. Another addition to his arsenal, a spear was also at his back, and its head was made of Primordial obsidian, a metal made with her essence. The most intricate weapon, though, was the thin blade mounted on the inside of his forearm.
A hidden blade, the maker had called it. It responded to a flick of the wrist, extracting from its cover though not completely escaping. It retracted, for future use. Though the weapon was very poor at straight up fighting, it was perfect for ambushes and assassinations.
His eyes were the most unnerving part. Though the hood covered his face down to the nose, you could see a black glow coming from them, and if you removed the hood, his eye sockets were filled with an onyx fire.
He shook his head, unsure of what had just occurred, "Nyx… what just happened?"
"You were given the Αιώνια συγχώρεση, the blessing of Nyx. I do hope you use it wisely." Having said that, she was enveloped by the shadows, and vanished.
Percy reappeared in the throne room of Hades, though the lord of the Underworld was absent. Instead, Thanatos sat Indian style at the foot of Hades' throne. "I trust my mother disposed of the… others." The god of death spoke with some contempt for the monsters, still not opening his eyes.
"Yes," Percy responded, "she was quite helpful."
Thanatos rose to his feet with ease, striding over to where the son of Poseidon was positioned. His index finger extended to his forehead, and Percy fainted as it touched him.
.
When the demigod woke, he was on Olympus, in the gardens. Demeter happened to stumble upon him one day, she shrieked and the rest of the Olympians came to see what had happened. Their reactions were mixed.
Athena looked upon him with a contemptuous gleam in her eyes, as usual. Poseidon rushed forward to embrace his son, but Percy winced and backed away. Dionysus looked bored and indifferent. Artemis had a perplexingly amused expression, and Apollo was delighted, along with Hermes.
Hera was also indifferent. Zeus looked that way as well. Ares was busy sharpening his sword, and Aphrodite appeared to be lustful. Hephaestus was tinkering with an object, which flew off into the air.
Finally, Poseidon spoke up, "Where have you been?"
Percy winced again as the memories hit him, "Places."
Zeus immediately demanded that the son of Poseidon go back to camp, to which Percy vehemently abstained.
"I'll take him!" Aphrodite offered.
Hermes piped up, "No! Let me and Apollo have him! We'll pull pranks and get laid together! The three amigos!"
Hephaestus murmured something about helping him in the forge, and Demeter suggested that he help her in the fields.
Poseidon opted for his son to come to his palace with him and reclaim his rightful place next to him.
Artemis had finally had enough. "I'll take him with the hunt, until he is ready to go back to camp." Everyone stopped bickering and stared at her.
"As much as I may dislike Perseus," Athena started with a distasteful glance at the son of Poseidon, "I believe that the hunt will most likely misuse him the least."
Zeus immediately hopped on board, "Then it is settled! Perseus will accompany Artemis and her hunters until he is ready to return to Camp Half-Blood!"
Slowly, one by one, the Olympians left until only Percy and Artemis were left. "So Perseus, where were you all this time?" Artemis inquired.
"You'll have to gain my trust before I answer that." The son of Poseidon responded, walking away.
.
Percy was, to say the least, shocked at the revelation that he had wings. Now, he definitely didn't expect to find out by being pushed off of Olympus. But when Ares comes calling, who knows what'll happen.
"Hey punk, y'never told me, where've ya been?" Ares boisterously called. Percy ignored him, quickening his pace. That made Ares mad.
He stalked into Percy's way, clamping down on his shoulder and tossing him away, though he never intended to throw him off of Olympus. Percy felt a rush, then a sharp jolt of pain. The next thing he knew, ten feet of black, unkempt, feathery wings were stretched out behind his back, keeping him aloft.
Once Percy spotted a respectable place to land, he dropped, about 30 meters a second. Realizing he didn't know how to pull up, Percy panicked and successfully earned himself a mouthful of dirt.
"Milady," a condescending voice called out, "what is this male doing in our camp?" Percy, now in a crouched position, recognized the hunter as Phoebe, the girl who the Stolls pranked all those years ago.
Seeing that she already had her hunting knives out, ready to attack, Percy went for his bow, but was beat to it.
An arrow pierced his shoulder, and he bit back a curse as he ripped it out. Now he was mad. He disarmed Phoebe quickly, knocking her out with the hilt of his hunting knife. His bow was out now, pinning other hunters to trees.
Artemis perched on a branch, not bothering to interfere. He'd taken out seven hunters already, but it was early morning and there was a possibility that not all of them were up yet. Making sure no one was looking; he uncapped both riptides, spotting his next opponent. Ah shit.
Regardless, he raced forth, bringing his swords down in an 'X' pattern. Thalia blocked them with her shield, retaliating by cutting a gash in Percy's midsection. He didn't even grunt, pulling back and kicking her legs out from under her.
She fell to her knees and Percy flipped over her head. She spun around sweeping his legs and causing him to fall. She tried to impale him with a spear, but he rolled out of the way, and struck, putting his sword point at her temple.
At this point, they were both panting and out of breath. "Who are you?" She asked.
Reaching up and pulling down his hood, he replied, "Long time no see Thals."
Hope you liked. My writing became inconsistent around the middle, and I'm sorry. I'm unsure when this will be updated next.
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