Again: I own nothingyourecognise from before this story
Please Favourite/Follow/Review
I'd appreciate any suggestions and comments you have to give.
Hope you enjoy. If not, give me any suggestions on how to make the story better.
Purgatory's arm itched.
His teeth grated.
His hands clenched, then his fingers splayed, desperately wanting to wrap around this arrogant little sod's throat. Or, better yet, drive his axe into the worthless person's skull.
Who did they think they were talking to? He'd been forgiven by the gods, what did these insects' opinions matter? Not that he had anything against demigods, just people who irritated him so much.
Ugh. Diana ad asked him not to cause an issue, though. It would make problems for her and the hunters. Percy had decided to grant her that favour, and Purgatory was compelled to obey. Normally, he would be glad just to receive the order, but gods this was irritating.
He was sat in front of the senate. Apparently they were upset by his behaviour in the Roman camp. His defence hadn't helped much.
"So? The Praetor's a douche." Purgatory had replied to the self-important girl speaking. She struck him as a girl that always got her way. Cheerleader-ish; blonde pigtails, make up plastered on, he could smell the perfume from ten or so feet away. A daughter of Venus, the aspect was sure. "And Jason was even more of a cunt. No loyalty whatsoever." To Percy, that was a serious crime.
"It is one thing to insult one of us, but you have no right to badmouth our gods!"
"I'm going to keep doing it until you give me a good reason." Purgatory smirked, deciding to cut out the part where he had to listen to her yell about him being disrespectful. "Jason Grace is a bastard."
"They are gods!"
"His wife is a bitch."
"You are not a god!"
"Hazel is a little whore." How fun it was to irritate the Romans.
"You are in our senate!"
"Frank is a fat fuck."
"SILENCE!" The girl roared. From the flinches that many of those present involuntarily had, Purgatory summarised that she may have been scary. He didn't see it.
"Have you given up, then?" Purgatory asked, grinning at the girl in front of him. Her face was scarlet with rage at his attitude.
"You- I- How dare-" She spluttered out as she glowered, along with the rest of the Romans, at Purgatory's smiling face. "We are the senate! How dare you show such disrespect?!" Purgatory's expression became serious quickly.
"Because I don't have any respect for you. Same as the reason I'm happy to insult your pathetic gods. I respect one person." A smirk. "And since he currently exists in my head, I see no reason to act like I give a rat's ass what you pathetic people think of me." His smirk grew into a savage grin. "Unless one of you wants to try to earn my respect. Percy says that's fine."
"Oh?" The girl growled. "And how would we go about that?"
"If one of you beats me in a fight." He answered simply.
None of them volunteered, disappointingly. Purgatory guessed they had learned from the 'fights' that he had had with their Praetor and god. A shame, Purgatory had really wanted a chance to put some of these arrogant demigods down.
"We are not going to entertain your idiotic ideas." The girl said haughtingly.
"Cowards." Purgatory spat at her. Hoping to get a reaction. "The lot of you."
Their faces reddened in anger, but evidently none of the Romans were that stupid. Damn.
Then, he was appeased by the entrance of a panicked 12 year old dressed in mismatched Imperial Gold armour. He didn't bother to knock before he burst into the room, babbling manic thoughts as he did so.
"Speak clearly!" The annoying girl barked at the boy.
"M-Monster attack! Attack! Monsters! Overwhelmed! Help!" He screeched. The girl paled at the thought and stood.
"Prepare yourselves! We need to help defend camp! You, you and you! Head out and arrange formation!" She pointed to three present. "You," She pointed at another. "Fetch the hunters!" The 4 rushed out as the other present went to fetch their armour and weaponry. "Purgatory!" She turned back to the man on trial, and found him absent. "Where did he go?!"
-()(_)()-
"You lads are unlucky." The grinning, black haired, figure stood in front of the army that was ready to attack. In his hand, there was a massive golden battle-axe, pulsating softly, that rested on his shoulder. "If ya'd attacked yesterday or tomorrow, you'd have won. Today though?" He chuckled. "Today, I get to slaughter the lot of you."
Had someone else said this, the group would have been angry at the disrespect that they were given. However, they were currently lead by a smarter monster than most.
Echidna looked on the form in front of them with recognition and, worryingly, trepidation. Next to her, the Chimera was cowering slightly at this sight. What was so scary about this man?
Hellhounds growled at Purgatory as Cyclopses readied themselves to fight, and Laistrygonians cracked their knuckles. But, of course, the first to attack was also the dumbest. In Purgatory's opinion, anyway.
The Minotaur charged, barrelling forward with his head lowered. In one of his hands, he held a battered bronze axe; the camp half blood beads had grown in quantity since they last met. Percy gave Purgatory his permission to do some real damage. Unfortunately, the beast was no real challenge.
Purgatory straightened his stance, and raised the golden axe above his head. The power grew as he did and was accompanied by a bright glow. The half cow didn't pay any heed to the preparation and, if anything, sped up.
As the foolish monster charged blindly at Purgatory, the mother of monsters shook her head. She loved all of her children, but the ex resident of the labyrinth had very obvious flaws in intelligence.
The Minotaur neared, within a few arms lengths of Purgatory, and the hybrid swung the axe down in a mighty blow. The half-man creature was struck midway between his identifying horns, and the axe passed through him like a knife though warm butter.
The creature's halves carried on past Purgatory on either side, and burst into a shower of golden dust. The poison eyed figure relaxed again and looked back, eyeing the patch of gold with disappointment.
"Well, that was far too quick for my liking." He shrugged and faced his other enemies. "I guess that's why there are so many of you. Quantity to make up for quality." He ran forward in a blur, crashing into the horde.
The ground rocked under a dozen Cyclops, sending the one eyed giants off balance long enough for the golden blade to dissect the humanoids. Purgatory spun, and slung Agon, his axe, in an imitation of the hammer throw. The axe spun end over end in mid air, and crashed into a pack of HellHounds. The group was obliterated as they were caught by the uncontrolled weapon. As it descended, sticking into the ground, it's master moved.
Purgatory's fighting style did a 180 as he reached the next group, a gang of Laistrygoniana. And emerald and obsidian shield; reminiscent of a Spartan shield, was on his left arm while Riptide was swinging in a deadly arc his right.
The crazed aspect hacked through the larger enemies, eviscerating them in an instant. Others, he slammed the edge of his shield, Enosei, into. Bones broke and skulls smashed under the heavy symbol as the killed's brothers fell to the bronze xiphos.
The group thinned, and golden dust scattered into the wind as a high-speed hurricane picked up. He finished with that group and leapt at the head of the army. Echidna barked out an order to her favoured son, and the Chimera obeyed.
Purgatory slammed the face of his shield into the lion's face. The spike in the centre of the Alpha symbol on the face punctured the thing's forehead. Purgatory rushed past and stabbed riptide into the side, through the crude armour that had been put on the thing in preparation, and into the thick hide. The hybrid humanoid leapt onto his opponents back as the snake pursued him. He yanked the sword back out, and sliced off the offending limb. The twitching serpent fell onto the floor and he turned the xiphos onto the next head. A wild cut decapitated the donkey part of the Chimera, and it burst into dust, leaving only one of the three animals the monster was made of alive.
Echidna watched horrified as the attacker slammed the edge of his shield onto the base of the creature's head. Her child collapsed and dissolved into dust with a pitiful whine.
"No!" She cried out, running toward the scuffle. She was intercepted by a shield, thrown like a Frisbee, slamming into her stomach at strengths enough to tear her in two.
Riptide swapped to Purgatory's left hand as a ball of flame appeared in his other. With a grin, he dove back into the fray, cackling as he went.
-(_)_)_)-
"What the Pluto..." Jess whispered as she and the others of the senate arrived. In place of the mass of monsters they were told of, there was a field painted gold with dust. Well that and two figures left. One was a man absent weapons as he faced off with a wounded empousai.
"Why were you here?" Purgatory called out to the human-ish looking monster. The two were not fighting, in fact, she was wounded badly.
"I-I won't tell you."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Because- o-of where I a-m headed. You don't l-live there any-more." She clutched her stomach and ribs, struggling to speak.
"Oh. Okay." He seized her by the neck, and snapped the spine. As she fell to the floor, the monster evaporated. He batted his hands, shaking the dust off, and turned to face the Romans with a grin. "Hey, guys!" He waved happily to them as they watched him, amazed.
At least this helped his reputation with the Romans. Purgatory smirked at the thought.
-(_)-
'Chiron's still around, then.' Purgatory commented to the silent partner in his head.
The hunters, plus Purgatory, had arrived at Half-Blood hill. The large group had travelled through the morning, the trip being easy enough when aided by the godly abilities making the distances seem much shorter than logic should support. Purgatory wasn't sure why they didn't just teleport, but who was he to question Artemis' methods? She'd been doing this much longer than he or Percy.
He was shaking with anticipation, though. And he could feel similar vibes coming from the stronger aspect. He was going to take control today. Chaos, Purgatory was happy.
What was that feeling?
Immortals belonged in the camp now; the seven shared that duty, to be trainers. But Purgatory sensed some kind of Partial immortal. None of the hunters were missing, so what the hell was that?
Hang on. There was another one approaching from behind. Well, another unidentified person. This one seemed to be a true immortal.
With a snarl, Purgatory drew Riptide, uncapping it and darting to the back of the crowd. In an instant, he had the presence pinned against the trunk of a tree, the blade pressing against her throat.
"Who are you?" Purgatory growled out to the unidentified girl.
"I-Iphegenia." The girl choked out, beginning to draw a hunting knife.
"Uh-uh." The aspect snatched the knife from her, and dropped it to the ground. "Now, answer better. Who are you?" He snarled, allowing her to breath marginally better by removing some pressure from the blade.
"Iphegenia. Who are you."
"My name is Purgatory. I'm charged with protecting the hunt. Give me a reason not to cut your head off."
"You're protecting the hunt? What happened? How the hell are you staying with the hunters? I only know of one guy throughout history that they could tolerate to be here. And I don't think you are Percy Jackson." She scoffed.
"Well, I'm not Percy Jackson yet. Give it a couple of hours. Then ask again." Purgatory grinned at her. "But that hasn't answered my-" Percy spoke up to him. This was one of the myths he paid remembered. "Agamemnon." He said, as a test. Iphegenia flinched at the mention of her father. "Huh." He pulled the blade away from the girl's neck. "Fine." He was a little disappointed, but he had later to look forward to, so he shrugged the feeling off easy enough. "I didn't know you were travelling with Artemis though? I'd heard rumours, sure, but never saw you."
Percy remembered the myth that included Iphegenia: Artemis punished Agamemnon after he killed a sacred stag in a sacred grove and boasted that he was a better hunter than the goddess. When the Greek fleet was preparing at Aulis to depart for Troy to begin the Trojan War, Artemis becalmed the winds. The seer Calchas advised Agamemnon that the only way to appease Artemis was to sacrifice his daughter, Iphigenia. Artemis then snatched Iphigenia from the altar and substituted a deer. Various myths have been told around what happened after Artemis took her. Either she was brought to Tauros and led the priests there, or became Artemis' immortal companion. Evidently, she became immortal.
Purgatory picked up the silver knife from the floor and handed it, hilt first, back to the girl in front of him.
"This was a bad introduction. Hi. I'm Purgatory; the alter aspect of Percy Jackson." He grinned at her, slightly unsettlingly. "Artemis is over there." He pointed to the front of the crowd, and the girl hurried off, eager to get away from the strange man.
-(_)—(_)-(_)-()-
Most of the seven had remained here in the Greek camp. Purgatory didn't understand that. Why would they remain with Cameron as opposed to leaving with Jason and Piper? Had they seriously convinced themselves that the bastard was their friend? Or was it loyalty to the Whore?
As it was, they had arrived on a Friday. Percy had suggested to wait an extra few hours. Purgatory thought that it sounded more fun, and so they were to wait. He had actually made a plan.
Okay, not exactly a plan. He'd decided on an order, and a vague idea of the damage he'd do to them. Of course, Cameron was Percy's. Frank and Hazel weren't going to get too badly hurt, disappointingly. Leo wasn't around. Purgatory guessed he was getting treated on Olympus still. Ah, well. The Elf was irrelevant. He was focused elsewhere.
Purgatory was sat in a tree in the woods, with his feet dangling off the branch as he twirled the hunting knife around his finger. The silver weapon had a hollow pommel. Both aesthetically unique and useful in one of it's abilities.
Frank Zhang was on the lookout as he ran through the woods. It was rumoured that the hunters had a secret weapon. And that weapon was not someone he wanted to meet. The other prevalent rumour was of Percy's return. Even if Percy was just a demigod, he had stood up to Frank's father when he was only 12 years old. Nowadays he would be very strong.
Frank had demanded that Hazel stay and defend the flag. That had been poorly received, but Frank did not regret it at all. 300 years. 300 years in Tartarus would have changed Percy for sure.
He rushed through the woods, searching for the flag. He, unlike Cameron, knew that they needed to finish this ASAP. Else Percy might find them.
But Frank had a plan for that eventuality.
Some might think what he intended might be 'cowardly', but as far as Frank was concerned; Cameron and Annabeth didn't deserve his loyalty. The only reason he and Hazel were still here was because of the potential of her waking up.
He'd sell the bastards out in a second for Hazel. What about if Percy killed her. He may well have descended that far by now. And Frank would not let that happen.
He was clumsy even now, meaning that his footsteps were far from subtle as he ran through the woods. As he stormed through a clearing, the figure above grinned and dropped.
"Oy!"
Frank turned to the source of that shout. He saw familiarities of his old friend, but just as many differences. A tall figure with black hair and green eyes was grinning at the minor god. The wrong shade of green.
"Um... Percy?" He asked, worried. That expression was... off.
"Not quite." He hooked his index finger through the ring of his knife's pommel, and pulled. The knife duplicated, one knife hanging from his forefinger, the other remaining in his grip.
Holding both in an ice-pick grip, Purgatory lunged, too fast for the other immortal to react. The silver blades sliced across his opponent's chest, and the shirt the no longer chubby boy was wearing dyed gold. Following up, a foot slammed into Frank's wounded chest, throwing him several feet through the air until his back slammed into a massive oak tree, and he slid to the ground.
Purgatory raised the knives, and Frank watched as flames licked up the blades with a nervous gulp. The grinning aspect hooked both index fingers through a pommel and the knives began to spin.
Frank was scared. The knives looked live buzz saws as the poison-eyed man walked forward.
"W-Wait! Let me speak first!"
"What? Are you going to beg?" Purgatory asked with a disgusted expression. "Pathetic." He continued his approach.
"No! Not for me, anyway." Purgatory felt Percy approve of the conveyed message.
"For Hazel you mean?" The crazed aspect sighed. He wouldn't get his fun, then. At least, not just yet.
"T-That's right. Do what you want to me." Purgatory's expression turned hopeful until his idea was mostly shot down, then it fell once more. "But please forgive Hazel. We believed Annabeth. It was dumb, but we thought she loved you."
"*Sigh* Fine. I'm not aloud to kill you, but you betrayed him." Purgatory smirked. "So I'm gonna make sure you know the error of your ways."
One knife flew, and stabbed into Frank's shoulder. He let out a curse as the wound went through his body and burned through to the bone.
"Shit!" He exclaimed.
"Hmm."
Again, the blade that remained in Purgatory's hand sliced through Frank's midsection. A vertical cut from shoulder to hip brought another yell of pain. The sadistic aspect twice slammed his foot onto his enemies kneecaps, smashing both.
The minor god cried out.
Purgatory's elbow crunched into the other's face.
"You didn't do anything really. So I suppose I'll go easy on you." He yanked the knife out of his ex-friend's body and the legacy of Poseidon fell to the ground in a heap.
Purgatory looked down at the figure and sighed.
"Well, I guess I'll go talk to your girlfriend next." He said with an evil grin.
Frank desperately tried to reply. Desperately tried to stop him.
Had Percy changed so much?
The aspect dropped some Ambrosia medicine several yards away, and vanished in a black flash.
-()-
Frank took far too long to reach the medicine. Not surprising since he couldn't move either leg without blinding pain, and one arm was half cut off. He stopped often, crying out as well as he could as his bleeding chest drug against the rocky and stone filled ground.
Hazel kept him going.
He was certain that this person had no intention of talking to her. Who knows what Percy was doing to her. He might kill her. He might want revenge for what he was accused of by fulfilling the crime.
Of course if his brain wasn't addled by pain, he'd have realised that even Tartarus wouldn't change Percy that much. He had always been the best of people, after all.
Then again, he had already believed it once before.
Oh gods, was he coming back?
Someone was running through the woods, heading for Frank. Did that mean he was done with Hazel? No. No. No. Frank would kill him. What had he done to Frank's wife?!
The minor god dragged himself forward faster, reaching the spot. He began clawing at the bag of medicine and pulling it to his mouth.
"Frank!" A voice called out. "Frank?!" Had he forgotten where he left the broken figure? "Frank?!" Wait... that was a female voice.
"Hhhzl!" He called out, through his broken jaw.
"Frank!" She was getting nearer.
"Hhzl!"
"Frank!" She arrived in the clearing. "Oh, Frank." She rushed to the crumpled figure, while fishing a Drachma out of her pocket and throwing it into mid air. "Apollo!"
The god of medicine soon arrived.
-(_)-
Cameron was too important to risk in a pathetic game. That was why he was not involved.
No, he was sat in the amphitheatre, relaxing after a long day's work.
Well, what he called work. In reality, he had simply observed the training that others were giving to the campers and criticised their methods and the abilities of the demigods. Further securing the opinions of the majority of the campers opinion of him as a complete asshole.
He was joined by two others. Well, three but one was unconscious. Nico just didn't trust anyone enough to leave her alone. The three were sat in the middle of the stands. Annabeth was cuddled into the side of her far from monogamous boyfriend. Nico glared at the backs of their heads. He had hated Cameron for centuries. He'd only tolerated him. Now, though. Now he knew just what the arrogant sod of a god had done.
He and the slut had tricked Nico into betraying his best friend.
How Annabeth had changed. In such horrible ways, too. Her intelligence had been overridden by her selfish ambition. Cam and his father had convinced her that the son of Poseidon was the most powerful new god there was, and that Cameron's power would grow further and further until he would be the king of Olympus. She certainly hadn't seen the potential that Percy had. Simply because all that time ago he had refused to show his true strength.
And who could blame him? Percy had been persecuted because of his potential, and had only wanted a normal life. Something Nico had respected and admired.
The son of Hades heard the conch horn, announcing the victory of Artemis and her hunters.
-()()()-
Purgatory was giddy. Certainly happier than he could ever recall being.
The time was approaching rapidly. The time for him to lose control and for Percy to come back. The psychotic aspect could not be more excited about the prospect of losing the position in the driver's seat. A strange concept for sure. But given his tenuous-at-best grip on his sanity, that wasn't surprising. In fact, it was to be expected from him.
He was stood of to the side of the amphitheatre as he felt Percy stir far more than he could remember. The truly powerful one of the two was ready to fight. And Purgatory was thrilled. After all; being born in Tartarus, he was a great fan of chaos. Of destruction.
And boy, oh boy, did Percy promise destruction.
-()-
Nico looked up as the crowd came out of the woods. For some reason, none of the campers had been knocked unconscious. But Frank was being supported by Hazel and another camper. He felt worry stir in his chest as he saw the other god's condition. He barely looked healed, and was pale as the son of Hades himself. Blood loss?
Believe it or not, Nico's expression became even more sombre than normal at the thought.
He realised what that meant.
Unfortunately, others weren't so smart.
"Hah! Did you lose to some little sluts, Frank?! How Pathetic can you get?!"
"You Bastard! Shut up!" Hazel exclaimed, in sync with a hunter who was trying to cut Cameron open with her gaze.
"Haha!" He yelled back, arrogance not surprising anyone present. "You think just because you defeated that pathetic god, you think you can stand up to me?!"
"I didn't!" The hunter said grinning. Jessica was now looking at a spot over at the other edge of the amphitheatre to where the crowd had gathered.
"No. That would be me." The grin was stretching the muscles in Purgatory's face almost to the point of pain. "But don't worry. You don't have to worry about me killing you. No that pleasure has been reserved by somebody else." He tilted his head, eyes glinting with untold happiness. "And heere heee coomess!" He sang out, before his features changed.
The slightly sickly face of Purgatory morphed. Gaunt cheeks filled to become healthy. The best description would be sculpted. The entire structure of his face was the same. As well as this, his features became as close to perfect as anyone present could imagine. Well, Cameron believed that his were better. He evidently grew into a fuller body type, too, as his shirt tightened around him. The most obvious change, though, was the eyes of poison. They shifted to a sea green-emerald mix. They glowed with power. The sleeves of Percy's jacket burst into flame, and 8 symbols shone on his toned arms along with the emerald irises.
This was not the same Percy that any of them remembered.
Had any heard what Purgatory had thought to himself, they'd have agreed.
Percy Jackson certainly promised destruction.
"The one to kill you, Brother, will be me."
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I think I have replied to everyone by now.
Once more, please Review/Favourite/Follow. Especially suggestions.
I can promise that Annabeth and Cameron's confrontations will be next chapter. I'm sorry if you wanted it in this one.
To be clear, I'm responding to every review I can through Private Messaging now. Unfortunately, that means I can't respond in that way if you don't have an account. If you make a point that I think needs a response, I'll put it here.