Next chapter folks! I'm so thrilled that I received like 6 reviews on the first day! Honestly, I was expecting one at most! Anyhoo, read on!
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or the one song mentioned in this chapter. All rights go to their respective owners.
Percy POV
I couldn't understand what I was seeing. The person shrouded in smoke was clearly me, but how the hell did I get all the way to Camp Half-Blood without knowing? Never mind that, why the effing hell would I want to destroy the Camp?
I was so confused and shocked by what I had just seen that it took me a moment to realize that I was no longer in Canada. No, I did not pull a Dorothy and say I don't think we're in Kansas anymore (insert high-pitched girly voice). On the contrary, I knew exactly where I was. And I did not like it one bit.
I stood in the magnanimous throne room of the gods. Every time I came here I always felt dwarfed by its size. But it wasn't the size of the room that intimidated me right now; it was the gods sitting there that did.
Said gods were all glaring down at me with the exception of three. Athena stares at me with a crease between her brows, evidently thinking hard. Hades watches me with understanding written in his eyes, and Hestia gives me a sad smile. Besides them, everyone else looks extremely mad, including my father. In fact, I think I've pissed him off the most, never mind that I have no idea what the hell is going on!
Zeus rises from his throne, his lighting bolt crackling with energy in his ginormous fist. I quickly kneel in front of him, assuming that it's the best thing to do judging by his anger.
I think about the Iris message again. Please don't let it be real, I silently pray.
"My lord Zeus," I begin, hoping to explain that I am completely clueless. "My lord, I swear that I have no idea what's going on, so if-"
"Silence!" Zeus bellows, his voice ricocheting through the cavernous hall. His face is red and his nostrils flare with anger when he speaks.
"You have no right to speak after what you have done!"
"But my lord, that's what I'm-"
"SILENCE!"
This time it is my father who stands, his eyes blazing with fury. He takes a step forward and I flinch back involuntarily.
"Perseus Jackson," Poseidon starts, his gaze hard on my still kneeling form. "I hereby disown you as my son and brethren. Your powers, though they cannot be completely diminished, will be limited and almost null. You will be stripped of every memory about the godly world, except for the desolation you have inflicted upon your kin. This day will haunt you forever. By the command of my lord Zeus, no god is permitted to associate with you, nor are they allowed to aid you in any way."
Every word he says feels like it's stabbing me repeatedly. I can hardly process it. I'm - banished?
I slowly stand.
"My lords please listen to me. I swear I have no idea what's going on and I didn't destroy the camp. Please-"
"Enough!" Zeus rages, cutting me off yet again. I'm starting to lose patience. It would really help if someone told me what is going on!
I let out an exasperated sigh and run my hands through my hair. "Can someone please tell me what happened to Camp?"
"Like you need to ask, punk," Aries growls. "After all, you're the one who mutilated them. You know what I'd like to know," he says leaning forward on his throne. "Is where the hell did you get those powers from? Are you working with Tartarus or something?"
At the mention of Tartarus, Aphrodite (who had been crying into a silk handkerchief) gasps and sits up, her eyes narrowing. Demeter looks up as well, the plants at her feet withering into black dust.
"Is that how you did it?" She demands. "Are you helping Tartarus?"
I open my mouth to deny it, but the words seem stuck in my throat. The gods take this as confirmation and immediately advance towards me, summoning their weapons. Zeus yells at them to stop and they yell back, claiming that I deserve to be tortured. The gods are all arguing amongst one another and I'm caught in the crossfire.
I hear someone breathing behind me and whirl around, drawing Anaklusmos. I come face to face with my dad who's pointing his very sharp trident at my heart.
"It's only right that I should kill you after you've betrayed me," He says, his breath coming in short bursts. His sea green eyes look half crazed and he has a maniacal grin on his face.
"Brother," Zeus cautions. There's pin-drop silence all around.
Then Athena gasps suddenly. I glance briefly over my shoulder at her and in that moment Poseidon stabs me straight through my chest.
I feel warm blood seep onto my navy blue shirt. I liked that shirt, I muse. Then the pain hits. It feels like it's spreading to every inch of my body; every pore is on fire. There's a white light and I realize that it's coming from me. I'm glowing.
Another fresh wave of agony hits and I writhe in pain. Why am I not dying yet? The gods are staring at me in shock and horror, and I start to feel myself slowly slipping away. I hold on, gritting my teeth, and trying to twist my head around. My gaze finally lands on Athena and I see a spark of complete understanding lit up in her eyes.
Just as I let go, my mind conjures up one last question. Who sent me those Iris messages?
Then I fall into an void of darkness.
Third Person POV
Annabeth Chase opens her eyes to a wasteland of death.
The one home she knew, burned to the ground. Her friends, bloody and twisted lay at her feet. And yet she is still standing.
Annabeth stares at the battlefield before her. She remembers when the attack first came. They were having breakfast and she was telling stories about Camp to Jade, the 8 year old daughter of Hermes. Then one of the lookouts came running, claiming that Percy was attacking the campers. Annabeth didn't believe him of course. Not until she saw Percy wreathed in a darkness that mutilated whomever touched it.
She saw him ruthlessly killing his friends without the slightest hesitation, grinning in glee as he did. She couldn't believe this was the same Percy she had seen 3 months ago. What had happened to him? The same person who had gone to great lengths to save Nico was now tearing him apart limb from limb. The same person who had traveled to a Cyclops's lair to rescue Grover had reduced the satyr to a bloody mess of bones and hooves. He was the one who had found Jade, who had given her a home, saying that she was part of their family now. And Jade...
Annabeth started panicking, frantically searching for Jade.
"Jade!" She screamed, her voice echoing through the empty camp. "Jade!"
"Annabeth!"
Annabeth paused, listening.
The cry came again. "Annabeth!"
"Jade!"
Annabeth rushed towards the voice. She lifted a piece of one of the cabins, throwing it aside. Underneath it, bloody and bruised, lies Jade, her tiny hand reaching towards Annabeth.
"Oh Jade," Annabeth whispers in horror, cradling the child. Jade coughs, her lips ringed with blood. Her arm is twisted at a strange angle, the stark white bone jutting out. A blackened piece of flesh sizzles on her stomach and pops, pus and blood oozing out. Her brown hair is stained with red, her feet fused together somehow. She's surrounded by an unbelievable amount of blood.
"No," Annabeth sobs. "No, no, no, no, no!"
Tears fall onto Jade's cheek as she and Annabeth cry together. There's nothing more to do and they both know it.
"Annabeth," Jade croaks. "Can you sing me that pretty song?"
Annabeth swallows, tears streaming, and nods. She starts singing softly, and Jade closes her eyes, a smile crossing her ruined face.
"What would I do without your smart mouth? Draggin' me in and you kicken' me out. You got my head spinning. No kidding. I can't pin you down. What's going on in that beautiful mind? I'm on your magical mystery ride. And I'm so dizzy. Don't know what hit me. But I'll be alright."
Jade gasps and her breath starts coming in short bursts.
"Jade!" Annabeth sobs.
"Please," Jade whispers. "keep singing."
So Annabeth gulps back her tears and continues.
"My head's underwater, but I'm breathing fine. You're crazy and I'm out of my mind. Cause all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections."
By this time Jade's body is beginning to still. She takes one last shuddering breath, a sigh echoing in the wind. Then she drifts away, leaving a bloody shell in Annabeth's arms.
Annabeth lets out a choked cry, cradling the young girl's body. She looks into Jade's beautiful emerald eyes, now devoid of laughter and clouded with death. She thinks of the time when Jade stole Piper's jewelry and ran around until dinner, refusing to give any of it back. Annabeth remembers watching the meteor shower with her, pointing out the constellations and licking sticky ice cream. She remembers when Jade first arrived at Camp, half hidden behind Percy's lanky form.
Percy...
I'm going to make him pay, Annabeth thinks, her gray eyes glimmering with vengeance. He's going to pay for what he's done.
Annabeth throws back her head and screams to the never ending sky.
"I, Annabeth Chase, will hunt down Perseus Jackson wherever he may be, and kill him! He will die at my hands, begging for mercy! I swear by the River Styx, I will not rest till I find him!"
Thunder rumbles and the ground shakes by the near impossibility of her oath.
Annabeth gently lays Jade down on the ground and strikes a match. She holds it to Jade's body until it catches, and watches as the flames consume the last of her. Annabeth opens her locket and pours a bit of the ashes inside. Then she turns.
Anyone watching would have immediately shrunk away from the pure hatred and anger in her gaze. Her jaw is tense, her body taut as bowstring. Her gray eyes are like cold steel, filled with certain purpose: to destroy the one that had taken her family from her.
Annabeth turned her back on Camp Half-Blood and trudged towards the shattered barrier.
Percy POV
I woke to a realm of darkness.
When I say realm of darkness, I actually mean complete and utter nothingness everywhere. Seriously, there was nothing at all. Normally I would be freaking out, but I don't really feel anything right now. My friends are gone and I'm banished from the godly world. Also, I think I'm dead.
You're not dead.
Yep, and now I'm nuts.
I hear an amused laugh in my head. It sounds feminine. Kind of. Anyways, there happens to be a voice inside my head and for some reason, I'm still not panicking.
Percy, you are not dead. However, neither are you alive. You are in between.
Great, now the voice inside my head is also bonkers. The voice laughs again. It sounds more girly this time, although that might just be my imagination. Then everything is quiet once more.
I think about what happened just moments before I ended up here. I try not to dwell on the reasons behind my banishment. It hurts too much. Instead, I think about the fact that Poseidon stabbed me. Nice to know that Daddy listens when I explain. There was something strange about him, almost as if he wasn't there. I sift through my memories of the previous months looking for something, anything, that can tell me what's going on. Then I remember that I'm not supposed to remember anything. Good Ol' Dad said that all my memories would be erased, so why do I still have them?
Because I saved them for you.
Ah, there's that voice we all love.
I saved you and your memories Percy, but if you want I can let you die.
That actually seems preferable right now.
Or I could give you a chance to fix this mess.
Say what? Who was this person? And what did she mean by that?
I am saying you could change the past to avoid the future.
Sounds interesting.
As for who I am, the voice chuckles.
I am Void
Hey guys I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it took so long, I just have a lot of homework and stuff ya know? Anyways, like I said before, I got about 6 reviews on the first day and I'm soooooo happy! I'm glad that people are actually enjoying my story. So why don't we answer some of the reviews, yes?
AgitatedDog9288: Thank you! You were the first to review!
Ellanore: There is going to be a pairing but I agree with you. Percy should totally let off some steam when he's mad instead of being held back by his girlfriend!
Djberneman: He and Him is God. I'm kinda religious and I just wanted God to be mentioned.
Margo McKnew: Thank you so much for the great advice! I promise I will do my best to finish this story. I did check out Rick Riordan's site and it was pretty useful, so thanks a bunch!
MJ-Booklover: I'm all about the cliffys!
payonc96: Thank you so much!
Ok guys that's it and I'll try to update soon but I'm gonna be completely out for about 4 days so it might be a while till I put something out there. In the mean time I'll see y'all later! Ciao!
-Reaper
P.S. The song Annabeth sings is called All Of Me by John Legend. I personally like the Nightcore version better but the words are the same.
P.P.S. I said I would put little pieces of info in the A/Ns so here's something: Void sent Percy the Iris messages so he would know what was going on.
