The Devil's Pawn
For the sake of the story, let's say Thalia is fifteen, because if she was any younger, romance would officially be dead. And for all you geniuses out there, feel free to inform me of any informational errors made during the reading.
Somewhat AU: Nyx just stared as her brother was chained to the wall, preparing to be executed. They strung him up like this so he could see the faces of all the people jeering and spitting out insults at him. "Go to hell!" She viciously sneered at Perseus.
He shot her a mocking look, "I guess I'll see you there then…"
Chapter One: What Goes Bump in the Night
Thalia raced up the hill, furiously gesturing for her friends to pass over the top. "No!" Luke yelled, "I won't leave you!"
But Grover, scared as he may be, gathered his courage, gripping Luke from behind his back and pulling him the rest of the way. Tears ran down Luke's cheeks, mixing in with the rain, and he thrashed and thrashed in Grover's hands, but he wouldn't let go.
"THAAALIAAAA!" Tears ran down the daughter of Zeus' cheeks as her friends disappeared from her sight, and she turned around, steeling her courage.
"Well," she dryly muttered, "if I was going to die, it would be soaked to my socks, right?"
The first monster which rounded the hillside was a hellhound, which she killed with a decent amount of difficulty. Ultimately, a spearhead fully buried in its snout had to kill it though.
Before she saw her next opponent, an arrow flew over the verge of the hill, landing only inches away from her right boot. Two twin dracaenae came into view, one wielding a bow and the other brandishing a long, thin knife.
The archer loosed twin arrows, forcing Thalia to hide behind her shield. She could not, however, avoid the knife which drew a shallow cut on her right forearm. "Aaah!" She cried, parrying a second blow with the staff of her spear.
In her peripheral vision, she faintly saw an arrow flying toward her. As the knife-wielding dracaenae lunged, she leapt out of the way with as much force as possible. The arrow, still on its path to her previous position, struck the other dracaenae through the throat, effectively killing it.
She charged toward the archer, stabbing it through the chest with her spear. At the pounding of more feet coming up the hill, she pressed her boot into what was left of the dracaenae, jerking out her spear.
Three harpies came up the hill, swerving in the air and cackling madly. Gripping Thalia with its clawed feet, it picked her up and threw her to the ground.
Groaning, Thalia stood to her feet and threw her spear. It struck the harpy in the wing, throwing it to the ground. Suddenly, something slammed into her side, knocking Thalia on her back.
"τακούνι!" A raspy voice commanded. "Daughter of Zeus, you would not believe the strife your father has caused our master," it spoke. "We are here to gain vengeance."
"So killing me will satiate your bloodlust?" Thalia spat.
"Quiet!" It snapped, inching closer to the girl, who happened to be pinned by a hellhound.
Suddenly, the beast rose, and the gnarled face of Tisiphone, the fury of Hades. In her right hand was a sickle, elongated to the length of a sword, the edges green with poison.
"For Maria," Thalia heard come from the fury's mouth, before the sword curved down, aimed for Thalia's neck. The daughter of Zeus shut her eyes tightly, praying to her father-though she doubted her prayer would be answered.
~Retribution~
When Thalia woke, she lay in a dark, unlit room, on a cold stone bed. "Ugh, I'm dead. Joy," She sarcastically muttered.
"Not quite," a cold, unemotional voice responded, from somewhere in the darkness.
"Who's there?" Thalia asked, fear creeping up on her.
"I'm armed!" She warned, reaching down to grab her spear, but then remembering how she hadn't been able to retrieve her weapon.
"Oh, you mean this?" She heard a mocking tone in the stranger's voice as her spear clattered to the floor in front of her.
"Are you here to torture me?" Thalia timidly asked.
The stranger let out a deep, throaty chuckle. Placing his hand on her shoulder-Thalia will forever deny that she girlishly shrieked- he replied, "I'm here to offer you something."
Thalia finally gained a glimpse of the stranger's appearance. He had long, shaggy black hair, darkened gray eyes, and a scar, running from the edge of his nose to his chin. He wore a simple t-shirt, portraying a skull with an arrow through its eye, and black jeans, overlapping with his black combat boots.
"And what is that?" Thalia growled, regaining some of her courage.
The stranger sighed, running a hand through his long black hair. "My brethren happened to think I was committing treason upon our king, Helix. They captured me, trapped me to a wall and chopped my head off." He lowered his t-shirt, rubbing a scar that stretched all the way along his neck.
"I believe Helix's brother, Fate, is planning to murder his brother… and all of his followers." He lowered his head, letting it hang, and continued, "even though they betrayed me, they're my family, and I can't leave them to die."
"So how do I fit into this?" Thalia asked.
The man raised his head again. "That's the crucial part. They'll recognize me and attack if I come in this form." He slammed a book on the table next to her, flipping to a certain page. "This describes how to merge to essences into one body, or a host, you could say."
Thalia let that sink in. "So… I'm gonna be your host."
"I wish it could be another way… but yeah, you are."
"Firstly, what are you? Who are you?" Thalia asked.
"Well, I believe your kind has a special name for us. The Prometheans. Nyx, Hemera, Aether, Erebus, Gaia, Tartarus, and Hydros, though many of them are likely in hibernation now."
"So which one are you?" Thalia inquired.
"Me? I'm Perseus, the balance."
~Retribution~
"So, how does this merger thing work then?" Thalia questioned once they had reached the destination necessary.
"It's very specifically stated, and must happen at a certain point." He replied.
"So, how are the specifics chosen?" The daughter of Zeus asked.
"Well, I'm not able to merge with just anyone. They have to have mythological parentage," Percy said, leaping up the mountain with godlike agility, "and the specifics are based on their parentage."
"So, that's why we're marching up a mountain? We need an elevated platform to be in the highest part of the sky possible?"
"Sort of. I'll explain when we get there."
The biggest thing that Thalia learned on her 30-minute trip up the remaining part of the mountain was that gods suck at small talk. Like, all of them.
"Here," Percy-what Thalia had shortened his name to- spoke, stretching out his hand, "take my hand, and call down some lightning when I stop chanting."
Thalia nodded and Percy turned to the sky. "κυρία Χάος , σοι επικαλεστεί για τη συγχώνευση ψυχές μας σε ένα , και τα σώματά μας , όπως καλά!"
Thalia felt her gut tighten, and she let out a scream, summoning lightning to their position.
~Retribution~
Luke growled, turning towards Annabeth. "I don't care! They let Thalia die, and now they won't even show me the body! They don't care for us! My father watched as my mom went crazy, but he didn't do a damn thing, did he?"
A single tear slid down Annabeth's cheek, more threatening to follow, but she blinked, forcing them back. "Luke…" she spoke, reaching a hand out towards her friend.
"Agh!" Annabeth fell to the floor, by the doing of the back of Luke's hand.
"Don't follow me, Anna. Don't try to contact me, and let Chiron find out on his own."
With that, Luke marched into the woods, off to Zeus knows where.
Thirty minutes later, Luke had made it to a dirt road in Montauk, and was too busy sharpening his knife to see the Cyclops behind him. The beast clubbed him on the back of his head, knocking him out and dragging him off to an unknown location.
When Luke woke up, all he could see was darkness. "Where am I?" He demanded.
"Oh, you're awake." A monotonous voice drawled.
"Well, Lucas, I heard you're rebelling against Olympus."
"They must pay for their blatant disregard for their children." Luke responded, his eyes narrowing.
"I believe you would be a useful addition to my army."
"That all depends on your army's cause." Luke smoothly responded.
"Oh, you know, the usual. World domination, only on a larger scale. And you, my dear friend, would rule all of the earth with an iron fist and a queen of your choice at your side. The only catch, you must lead the battle on earth, for I have a fight with a much more prominent opponent."
"So, to lead an army under your name, I must know your name. What is it?"
"You may address me as Fate."
~Retribution~
"Ugh!" Thalia grunted as she landed on her stomach.
Squatting beside her, Percy spoke, "If you can't keep up with one of me in a fight, how do you think you'll fare against seven of me, all attacking you simultaneously?"
Thalia spun around, attempting to kick Percy's feet out from under him. Leaping over them, Percy waved his index finger. "Uh, uh, uh, good try, though."
Growling, Thalia leapt to her feet and tried to jab Percy in the cheek. He ducked her punch, jabbing her back in the midsection, then popping up and striking her in the curve between her neck and shoulder.
Thalia flopped to the ground quite pathetically, unable to move anything below her neck. "Don't worry; the paralysis will wear off in a couple of minutes."
When Thalia was up and ready once again, she launched a kick at Percy's midsection. Grabbing her leg, Perseus hauled Thalia up by her jacket collar, throwing her to the ground. Once again, he began taunting Thalia, "Come on, gimme something unexpected!"
Springing to her feet, Thalia grabbed Percy by his shirt collar, crashing her lips into his. Percy was inexperienced in this area, and he was clumsy, whereas Thalia, albeit creepily, was not. When she pulled away, a predatory grin lit up her face, and she murmured, "How's that for unexpected?"
Thalia took pleasure in how flustered Percy was as he released her from training that day.
When she made it to her cabin, it was right next to Percy's, she found her weapons bag, filled with her bow, quiver, and arrows, her spear, and her shield. Slinging her quiver over her shoulder, she grabbed her bow from the bag, heading out to find a suitable clearing fit for archery.
She had taken three shots-none of them were bull's-eyes- before she heard his voice. "You'll have to ditch the bow." Thalia turned around, and immediately wished she hadn't.
The blood rushed to her face as she took in his appearance. He was dressed in a tight fitting tee, displaying his abundant upper body muscles, and black jeans, though he had chosen to come out barefoot.
Regaining her ability to form coherent sentences, Thalia asked, "And why would that be?"
Coming agonizingly close to the teenage girl, he responded, "The people you are going to be with and fighting against are trained to their peak in everything. If you use a bow, they'll spot you from a mile away. It's too bulky." Flashing a sleek, thin knife from Zeus knows where, he continued, "This weapon is small enough for you to throw and remain unnoticed. It is also sharper and stronger than those arrows, as they are made from different metals. This throwing knife is made out of a graphene-alloy only one atom thick, so small it is nearly invisible to an untrained eye."
He tossed it to her, giving her a warning, "Careful. Simply touching the blade could cut you." Once Thalia had righted her grip, she threw the weapon, and it imbedded itself near the center of her target.
She turned to Percy with a smug grin. He returned the look, "Well done," he praised, "but to blend in you'll need to know more than simply how to throw a weapon."
He produced two blades from behind his back, handing one to her before explaining, "Made by the Stygereans, this metal is called Silicone Carbide, and was spread all over the place when their planet exploded two thousand years ago. They're laced with a poison you earthlings call curare, and can stop your breathing in less than a minute. For the sake of survival, I have temporarily removed their poison; at least until you have developed the immunity my blessing grants you."
He swung his sword in wide circles, nodding to Thalia. Taking that as her cue to begin, she swung her sword at his neck, to which he ducked, tapping her chest with the tip of his blade. "You overextended yourself, making it harder to react when necessary."
Thalia feinted at his midsection, curving toward his chest. Percy waited until she had fully extended her arm, before parrying, slapping her wrist with the flat of his blade and forcing her to drop her blade. Thalia sighed, "This is gonna be a long day."
When Percy finally told her to stop, their score was 72-3, and Thalia was pretty sure Percy let her win those three matches. Handing her a rag, Percy slung his shirt over his shoulder-he'd taken it off after around forty duels- and walked away, giving Thalia a wonderful view of his back muscles.
The teenager groaned; that man was such a freaking tease, and she was pretty sure he knew all about the hormones that affected her at her current age.
Suddenly, she was enveloped by darkness, and a splitting headache floored her. So this is who shall oppose my son. I hope you are worthy.
~Retribution~
A young demigod who went by the name of Melvin kneeled before Luke, sputtering out something. "Sire, the demigods are having dreams. A young son of Poseidon has been claimed, and is leaving on a quest currently."
Luke rubbed the unshaved stubble on his chin thoughtfully. "Your information has been quite useful. Return to camp, and bring me any information via Iris Messaging. I must convene with the Grand Master."
The demigod scurried away, and Luke stormed through the tents which made up the current base of the Anti-Olympus army. Brushing away the drapes with led to the holographic communications area, Luke spoke out a command, "Delta-Seven-Bravo-Junior," otherwise known as the code which broadcasted to Fate's domain.
"Broadcast code accepted. Transmitting to Grand Master immediately." The monotonous voice belonging to Fate's advanced supercomputer spoke.
"Yes, commander?" The holographic projection of Fate turned around in his throne, facing Luke.
"The demigods are beginning to suspect that a new threat to Olympus is rising. What shall I do?"
You could nearly see the wheels turning behind the Grand Master's eyes as he processed the information. "Return to camp. Tell them that you were captured by Kronos' army, and that he is the new threat." A necklace appeared on the table next to the hologram appeared, a big red 'F' on the chain. "Tug on this when you need to contact me. I.S. end transmission."
~Retribution~
"So, you were captured by my father's army, but they released you." Chiron seemed to be in disbelief that his father would spare a life.
"He wanted me to send a message. My best guess is that he expected us to act like chickens who've just been beheaded. He wants to get into our heads." Luke explained, wringing his hands under the table they sat at.
"Yes." Chiron mulled over Luke's analysis. "That does sound like my father. The Olympians must know about this. I will be back as soon as they are informed and have come to a consensus."
As soon as Chiron left, Luke took it upon himself to catch up on the happenings at camp while he was away. Apparently, a boy named Gerard had been claimed by Poseidon, though on his way to camp, the Grand Master had informed Luke that he was actually a son of Oceanus, who planned to attack in accordance with Luke's own.
He had worked out a deal with the old sea god that gave him full possession of all the oceans on earth, so long as he left the upper lands alone.
Apparently, this boy had taken Annabeth and Grover on a quest, feigning allegiance to Camp Half-Blood, to retrieve the Scepter of Hecate, the most powerful mystical weapon on the earth.
"Luke!" The son of Hermes turned around to find his two half-brothers, Connor and Travis, stumbling over each other to get to him.
"How've ya been man?" Travis was hunched over, hands on his knees, but looking up at Luke, grinning madly.
"Oh, you know, around Manhattan, and places." Luke replied casually, pulling his brother into a hug.
"You hear about the new kid? I hear he has the hots for Annabeth." Connor was standing slightly behind Travis, also smiling at their recently returned half-brother.
"Really now? It's about time Annie got somebody to look after her." Luke replied, noting this information for future use.
Before their conversation could carry on, a conch horn rang out, and Travis exclaimed, "Let's go!"
"Conner, you come with me!" Luke commanded.
Racing into the forest together, Connor and Luke were quickly confronted by a battalion of dracaenae. Luke was the first to react, whipping his sword out of its scabbard with the hissing noise that always accompanied leather and metal.
Flicking his arm, he quickly decapitated one, whirling around and stopping the knife of another with a parry. Connor was a decent bit clumsier, sloppily taking his knife out, and telegraphing his attacks.
"Connor, look out!" Luke exclaimed, pointing towards the massive hellhound leaping towards Connor.
"Ugh!" Connor fell to the ground, his knife sliding several feet away from him on the forest floor.
"δάγκωμα!" The hellhound teeth ripped into the flesh of the demigod's neck, ripping out his throat.
"Be gone!" Luke commanded, waving his hand at the monsters. Waiting until the commotion on the other side of camp had died down, Luke cut his shirt into tatters, and retrieved the corpse of his half-brother, donning a somber look and trudging back to camp.
"Luke!" Heard a voice call. "What happened?"
Luke looked up, finding the Travis' eyes staring at him sadly, yet expectantly. "Connor ran off into the woods too fast for me. I ran to catch up, but when I found him, a hellhound was on top of him, ripping out his throat. I fought him off, but a group of monsters came for me, so I ran. I'm sorry." Luke hung his head solemnly, as if he expected to be berated.
"It's okay." Travis said softly, his voice barely even heard.
"Really?" Luke looked up hopefully.
"Yeah. Let's tell Chiron what's happened." With that, Travis and Luke marched to the big house to Iris Message Chiron.
~Retribution~
As Thalia had recently learned, black magic sucked. Like, a lot. "Ugh!" Percy slammed into the wall, the shadows creeping towards him.
"Your parents should've told you not to play with magic, kids…" The creepily wrinkled magician stalked towards them, his fingers wriggling in the air.
"You know what?" Percy started, "You're right. But my mom's kinda dead, and my dad's a jackass, so I learned some'f my own."
"Thurisaz!" He exclaimed, and a wall of fire raced toward the black-shawled man. When then fire dissipated, the man stood there, a transparent sphere of darkness around him.
"That's some powerful magic you're playing with. You'll blow this place to hell if y' use any more of that." The sphere had faded, and now the man was reaching into the sleeve of his cloak.
Percy had some black liquid running out of his nose, and he coughed, spitting up some more of it. "What is that?" Thalia hissed.
"Cila," He began, "the blood of the Prometheans. I'll tell you more later. For now, let's waste this jackass. I'll hold off him f'r a few seconds."
He clenched his right fist, uttering a word under his breath. Suddenly, Thalia could move again, though she knew it was temporary. Thalia fluently grasped a throwing knife from her thigh sheathes, launching it at the cloaked man.
It struck him in the temple, and he fell lifelessly to floor with a thud. Percy fell on his hands and knees, coughing and wheezing, till there was a substantial puddle of Cila on the ground. "Percy!" Thalai exclaimed in worry, dropping next to him.
"'M fine," He insisted, wiping his mouth of the blood, "I'll just need a couple hours rest."
"You're obviously not fine. You're weaker than me, and I'm mortal!" Thalia protested, her arms flailing around for emphasis.
"'S just the fact that resisting the merge weakens me. It takes a lot of energy to not be inside you." Percy groaned, rolling onto his back. "I just realized how perverse that sounds."
"Yup." Thalia said, lying down next to him. "What's the deal with this Cila thing anyway?"
"Well, all Prometheans have sort of a filter, I guess. We have ichor, but the thing that separates us from regular immortals is Cila. You see, in exchange for more power than regular gods, we can be killed. We have an organ which holds the Cila, and it must be severed from our bodies by a metal known as Helixean silver, which is the first metal ever created. However, it must be bathed in Sveti beforehand. Y'see, before we Prometheans came, a race before us called Leviathans were created by Fate, pretty much his version of the furies, except there is a whole army of these bad boys. To ensure our safety from these goliaths, Helix created a liquid called Sveti, which will kill them with a simple touch. We must be killed by Helixean silver fully soaked in Sveti, but since the Leviathans cannot touch them, they cannot kill us." Percy took a breath from his long explanation.
"So, does anything else slow these freaks down?" Thalia asked.
"Well, they can be beheaded, and they'll have to reform, but that only takes 'em about a day. Anything else they'll fight through, driven by the mindless rage that they were created with."
"So, why do they have this mindless rage?" Thalia questioned.
"Fate created them when he was mad because Helix was the ruler of the galaxies," Percy explained, climbing to his feet, "anyway, let's get outta here. Smells too much like blood anyway."
~Retribution~
Siris grunted as he slammed into the wall. "What would you need me for anyway?" He taunted. "All I do is gain retribution for what people do to others. You're the wrongdoer here." His bloody smile shone in the small apartment complex.
"You're wrong, assassin. See, over the years, I've studied you. And every job you've ever taken has something in common. They all paid you. True vengeance has no recompense other than the feeling that you've done good. However, truth has never been my forte." The cloaked figure gave a matching smirk, his fist clenching, and the hitman fell from his position on the wall. "I'll pay you triple your whole wealth currently, given your alliance toward me."
Seeing no other alternative, Siris agreed. The cloaked man vanished, leaving a large 'F' where he was standing.
~Retribution~
Luke grinned as he saw the son of Oceanus' smug grin vanish as Annabeth clung to Luke's arm as soon as she passed over the verge of Half-Blood Hill. "What's wrong Gerry? Cat got your tongue?"
I'm trying to put all of the work which I've deemed publishable on here so you can read all of them and then tell me which ones you believe should stay on or I should delete.
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