Percy was having a bad day. Actually, scratch that. Percy was having a bad 5 years. He had almost died too many times to count, been a part of two wars and Great Prophecies, lost his memory, attended two very intense summer camps (that if they weren't hidden, would most definitely be condemned for child endangerment), and generally been chased from one end of the Earth to the next. This really wasn't the worst situation he had been in. But the last couple weeks certainly were up there.
He had been hit, shot, put in prison, tranquilized, thrown onto another Earth, been knocked on the head so many times he was certain he had brain damage, then kidnapped. Oh, and don't forget the whole blood draining and being crushed underneath tons of rubble thing. Then, to top things off, that monster had been draining demigods for weeks now, using it as a sick experiment to get faster. They could hurt Percy, but nobody touched his family.
Which is why, as he laid dying under the concrete remains of the storage facility, Percy made a vow. If he ever got out of here, he would ensure Zoom never touched a demigod again.
He seemed to be down there for hours, though in all actuality it was only a few minutes. He could feel the foundation shifting, someone digging their way out, then someone digging their way in. Finally, he saw it. A pinprick of light opened up above him, an intoxicating rush of fresh air wafting down the shaft. His starved lungs tried to consume all of it at once, desperate for oxygen. A concerned face, Caitlin, hovered over him as another person removed rubble from his body. Her audible gasp when the damage was unearthed was enough to tell Percy that he looked as bad as he felt. She was talking to him, but he couldn't hear her. He couldn't hear anything really. Attempting to read her lips, he finally got the message: stay down, you might have spinal damage.
Well, screw that. Percy had made a promise. He was free, so Zoom would pay. It was as if the gods has blessed his vengeance, his thirst for revenge. Either that or they just liked seeing him suffer too much to let him die. Deciding to go with the first one, Percy ignored the concerned faces and hands trying to push him down. He sat up with a groan, evaluating his environment. He was a good 100 meters below the surface, surrounded by a cavern about the size for two people. Percy laughed, aware that he sounded deranged but not having the energy to care. Zoom had saved him to save himself. How ironic was that?
Though his hearing had mostly returned, Percy continued to ignore the protests of Joe and Caitlin. He felt out through the ground, sending out small shockwaves barely large enough to be noticed. Using it like echolocation (yes, he paid attention in school sometimes), he located Zoom on the surface, fighting team Arrow and Cisco. Barry was laying on the ground...trapped? Unconscious? Percy couldn't tell. But then he found his quarry, breaking up the earth around and under Zoom as he continued to run. Using Percy's blood, moving faster than before. But it was Percy's blood, and it acting as a homing beacon for the demigod. However fast Zoom was, he couldn't outrun the earth.
He knew he had to get out of here. He could now feel the ocean nearby, the myriad of underground water sources below him. Pushing out with the water, he ejected Joe and Caitlin from the pit, getting them clear of the danger. Then, pulling the water to him like an old friend, he burst out of the hole in a display of rage and fury. Gathering, pulling, drawing the water to only to push it out in a never ending circle, a hurricane of destruction. The winds joined in symphony with the water, wailing as if they had been waiting for this release. With a quick prayer of thanks to Zeus for his cooperation (apparently even old thunderpants didn't like Zoom), he directed their pent up fury towards the object of his wrath.
He could see the fear and concern from his new friends, but he had no time for that now. He could feel his body protesting his use of power, wanting to sink into the never ending ocean of darkness again. Blood was dripping from his head and his chest, but he ignored it. He had to hold on, prevent this monster from hurting anyone else.
He trapped Zoom in a sphere of water, eerily similar to the maneuver he had used on Barry in the park. Calming the raging storm around him, he landed next to Barry with a stumble. The poor guy's legs looked broken, and Caitlin was attempting to bandage them so that he could move. "How long until he can join the fight?"
Caitlin sent Percy a disapproving look, answering shortly, "He won't. Even once the bones mend, he needs to stay off his legs for a while".
"Yeah and I need a sick day. Neither are going to happen. I'm going to need him to take down Zoom. But for now, I need Barry Allen, not the Flash. We need to keep Zoom from, well, zooming off to my Earth. Any thoughts?"
Barry looked at Harry, who shook his head. "We thought we had trapped him before. But he just came back through".
"How? In English, please. I don't understand any of the sciency mumbo-jumbo".
"We sealed the opened breaches between our two Earths. We thought that only very special circumstances would allow for breaches to be opened again. A singularity. But obviously, Zoom himself can open them himself without those conditions". Barry shook his head. "I am sorry, Percy. Maybe if we had months we could figure out a way. But right now, before Zoom uses a breach? Not likely".
Well, that sucked. Percy pulled his hair in frustration. Why couldn't anything be simple? Why couldn't he just lock the metaphorical door, or beat Zoom over the head with Riptide until he agreed to leave demigods alone...
Wait. Science couldn't make Zoom do something he didn't want to. But Percy's life didn't revolve around science (thank the gods). It was mythological, defying the expectations of a logical and rational world. And though this whole breaches and multiple earths thing was super freaky, it was supposedly very scientific, still subject to the laws of nature. Which meant to thwart Zoom, Percy needed to transcend the laws of nature. Overrule them. Obviously Percy himself couldn't do that, but he knew a bunch of egotistical, finicky beings who could.
With a plan quickly taking shape, Percy walked carefully over to Cisco. "We need to move this party elsewhere. There is too much potential for collateral damage here. Too much attention. What's the best you can do with all these people?"
Cisco hesitated. "One jump? I can get us to Canada, maybe? But that will be it. I have used more energy than I have, like, ever today. That one jump and I will be sleeping like a baby for a week or so".
Cisco was really useful in a fight, but Percy had no choice at this point. "Okay, Canada. Make it quick. I can hold Zoom until we blast out of here. Can Barry open a stable portal to my world if we buy some time?"
Cisco frowned, "Theoretically, yeah, but we would need to be back in Central City, with the lab and the particle accelerator. But I can't get us there, and normal travel will be too dangerous with Zoom lurking".
"Okay, so we might have to bring the party here". Percy hesitated for a moment as he had to refocus on Zoom, who was starting to make headway on getting out of the water bubble. The more Zoom struggled, the more his head ached. Percy just wasn't strong enough right now to resist Zoom's constant attempts to phase through the water. "Do it now, Cisco. I can't hold him for much longer".
Percy lost track of time then, all of his focus directed his water sphere while Cisco made preparations behind him. Both teams looked uncomfortable with the thought of fleeing, but they realized at this point, they were severely outmatched. With Zoom's added speed and two key players down, they were at a disadvantage. Time and space bent sideways as Cisco opened a large breach, pulling the entire team through as Percy let go of his tenuous hold on the water and was sucked through.
And suddenly, the world was quiet other than the sound of birds chirping and the smell of pine trees. Percy's mind was sent back to his quest for Camp Jupiter, with Hazel and Frank and the Pax. What he would give for the aid of the Amazons right about now. Or Frank and Hazel. Hades, he would even take Ella right about now.
Percy felt a tap on his shoulder, then he was being led to a tree stump. He sat down, all his energy expended as Caitlin started cleaning out his many gashes and injuries. He hissed as she felt the back of his head and heard her tutting, mumbling something about a concussion. She then worked her way to his back, where she discovered a few broken vertebrae and a spinal sprain.
"You're lucky to be alive, Percy". She stated while binding his very broken ribs. She then started prodding at his arms, hesitating when Percy recoiled at her touch. "You have a lot of bruising here. What did he do?"
"He drained me". Percy answered, attempting to wiggle out of Caitlin's grasp. He had never enjoyed the infirmary, and they didn't have time for this right now. "Used my blood to make him faster'.
"What? How does that work?" Harry leaned forward, suddenly very curious. Caitlin glared at him. "Not right now, Harry. He needs to sleep. Preferably for a week or two".
"No!" Percy finally was able to stand, ignoring the black spots that danced in front of his eyes. He walked quickly over to Cisco, while Catlin harrumphed and turned to work on Barry. Cisco was panting, his complexion pale and waxy. Percy felt bad asking this of him, but they had no other choice. He turned to face the whole group.
"I host the blood of Olympus. I am a demigod. My blood has special properties. Apparently, it makes Zoom faster. But the one thing it does for sure is get someone through the protective barriers of my camp. And now Zoom has a way to get all the demigod blood he could ever need. Not only will he slaughter hundreds of innocents, but he will use that speed to conquer all the known Earths. We don't have time for rest or recuperation. We need to act now before it is too late".
"I know that I am asking a lot of you. But please, I need your help to get back home. Cisco" Percy turned to him, "I need you to open a breach to my world. It is painfully obvious that we don't have time to mess around with experimenting and getting to Central City".
Cisco laughed humorlessly, keeping one hand on a tree to steady himself, "No. I am sorry Percy. Even at full health, I don't have a good bead on where your Earth is. I told you earlier, after that jump I was out".
Percy nodded, having expected this answer. "Then we have no other choice. Caitlin, I need you to drain my blood into Cisco".
The woods were silent again, everyone staring at Percy in obvious shock. He really didn't think his plan was that insane. He tried again, providing more details this time, "My blood will strengthen Cisco, and give him an idea as to where my Earth is. I know that Cisco can't maintain a stable breach in these conditions, but all we need is to get through once. Someone slips through, gets some help from an old friend of mine, and she can come here to help block Zoom from my Earth. Maybe even reduce his speed. But if we don't do this now, Zoom will wipe my people out. We need to move, now".
Nobody moved. Gods, for being so smart, these people were really slow on the draw. Percy spoke slower, "Now means now, people".
Caitlin finally responded, grabbing her medical bag and sorting through it, "Even if we managed to get your blood into Cisco, this could kill you. And somehow, I don't think your friend would be very happy if we appeared with your dead body".
"Yeah, she probably wouldn't be. But I am not going to die. I can feel a creek not far from here. Let me heal myself while you get set up".
Caitlin nodded like this was acceptable to her, then grabbed needles and tubes and Cisco, pulling them over to the tree stump Percy had occupied recently. Joe and Diggle helped Barry to another tree stump, checking on his legs. Barry gave Percy a thumbs up. Good, he would be ready to go when Zoom got here.
Percy nodded to Oliver, who was counting his arrows, then proceeded to the creek, letting the water slowly drift over his numerous lacerations. His concussion needed to be dealt with, so Percy grabbed that precious half piece of ambrosia from his pocket and consumed it. Instantly, he could feel his headache vanish and could feel the godly food work on his bruised body. It wasn't nearly enough, but would get him through this last battle. Because this was it. They had to win. If they didn't take out Zoom here, he would only get stronger.
An unpleasant rolling of his stomach prompted him to dry heave onto the grass, then expel a blackish liquid. The flow seemed never ending, until it suddenly stopped and Percy flopped into the clear creek water. Zoom's blood. The ambrosia had identified it as a poison. Alright, it was official. The only time Percy had felt worse than this was in Tartarus. He really hated Earth-1.
Allowing himself as much time as he could spare, Percy then trudged back up the slope. He sat down next to the tree stump currently occupied by Cisco, holding out his arms for Caitlin. Wincing as the needles entered his already bruised arms, he relinquished himself to the familiar haze of being drained. But his time, he was filled up again with the blood of a metahuman, not the black poison of Zoom. Got to be grateful for the little things.
The Arrow, Oliver, sat down next to Percy. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "You're pretty brave, kid".
Percy shrugged, "Eh, that's debatable. My girlfriend says I'm just a lucky idiot".
Oliver snorted a little bit, trying to hold in a laugh, "Yeah, I think your girlfriend and Felicity would get along really well. Look kid, this isn't your fight. We would all understand if you want to just go home, get out while you still can".
Percy looked at him incredulously, "You're kidding, right? Zoom has been kidnapping and draining my people for months now. This is more my fight than it is yours, Oliver. Plus, I never run away when my friends are in danger".
Oliver looked vastly uncomfortable, as if heartfelt conversations and emotions were his kryptonite. "I am surprised you consider us friends, after everything".
"What can I say? I'm a people person". Percy glanced at Cisco, who was already starting to perk up. "Let me know when you've had enough, Blink. I'm getting sleepy here".
"Blink?" Cisco looked confused and slightly affronted, "It's Vibe. Why on Earth would you name me Blink?"
Percy held up his hands in surrender, "Whatever you say, man. You just remind me of a comic book character. You know, you blink and you're gone kinda thing? Teleportation? No? Okay, Vibe it is".
They sat there for far too long, Oliver and company keeping watch as Cisco regained his strength. Finally, the man nodded and Caitlin disconnected them from each other. The man was practically glowing and bursting with energy. Glad someone was. "Give me a second to find your Earth". Cisco held up his hands and focused very intently on some trees. Okay, that didn't look productive to Percy, but he would have to assume that Cisco knew what he was doing.
Percy tapped his foot nervously, knowing that Zoom wouldn't let them be for long. As if his thoughts had betrayed them, Oliver started yelling and firing arrows. The rest of team Arrow formed a defensive perimeter, launching arrows and bullets at the rapidly approaching speedster.
Barry, whose legs were finally healed enough to walk, strode up to Percy. Dang the man healed fast.
"I guess that's the signal?" Percy quipped. He turned and muttered some instructions to Cisco, who nodded and started to open the breach.
Barry glanced at Zoom with amusement in his eyes. "We never have enough time, do we? The great cosmic joke: a speedster who always is too late, never enough time to finish the plan".
"Eh, who needs plans? All mine usually go to crap anyways". Percy smiled, a glint of anger and amusement in his eyes, "While we are waiting on our dear Cisco to contact my Earth, what do you say we join Oliver and company to distract the bastard?"
"Okay, so you can take the left flank and I will take the right..."
"No, that's what we have done every other time, and lost. Neither one of us can do this alone. But together..." Percy paused, hoping the Flash would catch his train of thought. Zoom thought he could predict their behavior, so it was time to do something unexpected. "Lightning and water, Flash. A dangerous mixture, chaos even. But chaos isn't necessarily bad, if you can direct it the right way".
"A hurricane of lighting" Barry mused, a grin slowly taking over his face. "Sounds like fun".
I apologize, this chapter and the next were originally going to be published together, but the word count got out of control. I will post the next chapter within the next couple days so that you do not have to wait the usual full week. FYI: there will be two more chapters, one from Barry's POV and one from Percy's POV and then we are done! It's crazy! Thanks to all those who are reading and reviewing.