Chapter 21

Thx guys for your awesome reviews, it means more than you can know. I decided to treat you with this chapter, longer with lots of torture and evil Percy/Strazio. Hope you like the new chapter…

Time passes so slowly when you are alone and in pain, thought Kronos as he drifted in and out of consciousness, never quite managing to clear his head. He had long since stopped trying to heal himself or stop the pain, finding it far less excruciating to just let the waves of agony wash over him.

He, after what felt like years, heard harsh footsteps of spiked black combat boots against cold obsidian stone. No… despite the seemingly long time lapse, he knew he was not strong enough for another torture round. His conscious was barely strong enough to observe his limited surroundings, let alone repel the mind-shattering torture that would come with Strazio. He could still feel the silver poison blades, could still feel the burn of heated iron, and could still feel the sharp lash of the whip against his skin. His whole body was screaming out at him; no more, no more pain, make it stop. Kronos willed with his whole soul that it was not Strazio.

But as the door swung open, Strazio in his black attire stood, and he radiated a power, that would equate to a minor primordial or at least three major titans combined. The shadows in the room began to thrash agitatedly as though disturbed by something, and although the only light source was from the corridor that spilled in behind him, the brightness seemed to simply enhance the darkness of the shady figure rather than retract from it.

"Hello, Kronos. Miss me?" Strazio's voice was filled with such sadistic glee that made even Kronos shiver involuntary.

Kronos felt cold metal trace along his skin, lightly reopening the wound from before, not enough for him to lose consciousness from the pain, but enough to cause pain that caused him to wither in agony. The metallic taste of ichor filled Kronos's mouth as he bit his lip to stop himself from crying out as the blade sunk into a deep welt left from the earlier flogging.

Kronos heard a merciless chuckle escape from his tormentor's lips, and the dagger dug in deeper. This time he could not help a small gasp of pain leak out of his bloody mouth.

"Pain, such a necessary part of life and yet, most beings go too far lengths to avoid it – and no more than immortals. I never understood why. Power only comes from sacrifice and sacrifice is pain. Tell me Kronos have you ever truly sacrificed something valuable for a cause? Do you think you have ever felt true pain?"

Kronos spat at Strazio. Strazio laughed a hollow malicious sound that eerily reminded Kronos of Tartarus himself. The sharp bloody blade continued to trace his wounds with an almost gentle carefulness.

"You can't keep quiet forever, Titan. You will break." The single minded certainty in Strazio's voice sent shivers down Kronos's spine.

"Can you feel it?" The dagger bit into his skin harshly, Strazio's sadistic smirk grew wider, as Kronos instinctively flinched. He gradually began to feel something tugging on the edges of his mind. Fear. Something about Strazio felt unhuman, almost monstrous. The sheer pleasure he was gaining from the simple torturing of the Titan was sickening. Blood poured from the wounds onto the floor creating puddles of gold.

"How long do you think you can last, Titan, How long will you be able to keep the pain at bay? I can already see the cracks appearing, already I can see you breaking. Pathetic."

Immense anger that had been building up rose inside Kronos, it was bad enough that this wretched mortal was daring to torture a Titan, the king of the titans no less, but was calling him pathetic, thinking that he would break this easily.

"Hold your tongue, mortal. You are nothing, you know nothing. You think yourself dark and evil, you know nothing true darkness and true evil. You are a fool, Gaea will punish you beyond anything your stupid mortal brain can come up with. She will tear down all you love. You cannot escape. You are weak. You wouldn't survive a minute in Tartarus." Kronos held his head high, ending the livid rant.

But to his immense surprise Strazio threw his head back and laughed. Strazio leaned closer the titan's face and Kronos saw something that made his golden ichor run icy cold. A silver medallion hung on a stygian iron chain. The design was simple, a snake curling around on itself, its tail in its mouth. A common symbol for infinity, but this ensign was different, a pair of red and black flaming gems took the place of the serpent's eyes, and the medallion pulsated a deep dark power – reminding Kronos of Tartarus and all of its horrors. It was the symbol of Tartarus. Kronos knew as well as any that had ever resided in the pit, that this particular medallion could only ever be worn by two different people; the Champion of the Pit Arena or Tartarus's own dark Champion.

Tartarus had not ever had a champion that either survived the ritual or didn't immediately go insane; so Strazio must be the Champion of the Pit Arena, someone powerful enough to defeat every monster in Tartarus and gain the elusive abyss's favor, something very, very few had done, Kronos thought. Things about Strazio began to make far more sense now; his great skill with torture, his power over darkness and his elusive nature, all hallmarks of a Pit Arena Champion, and he should know as his brother Perses, titan of destruction, was the Pit Arena Champion for many centuries.

This mortal before him had beaten the Titan of Destruction in a face to face battle, something that even all the Olympians combined had not done; they had to rely on trickery and surprise to take on such a damaging force. But still in the back of his mind, Kronos felt that he was missing something important about his heartless torturer, something that equated to his hatred of both Titans and Olympians alike, something about him that made him powerful enough to gain Tartarus favor, something about him that would push him to the limits of insanity, something about him that had him in Tartarus in the first place.

"What… Who are you?" Kronos's voice shook despite his pained efforts.

"I have been called many things, Titan. A Hero, a fool, a monster, a traitor; only one of those things are true. Which one do you think, Titan?" Strazio's voice was filled with hatred.

Despite Kronos knowing the game Strazio was playing, his thirst to find more of the tyrant in front of him. Obviously not Hero, though Kronos straight away. Not a monster, even though he was sadistic and a torture, he wasn't a monster like some of the ones in Tartarus, besides no monster could be powerful enough to become the Pit Champion. Not a fool either, he would not have been able to plan their capture so smoothly otherwise. The last one it is.

"Traitor." Kronos cried out as one of his leg bones snapped.

"Try again." The cruel voice taunted.

Kronos revised his thoughts, maybe he was a human/monster hybrid.

"Monster." Another leg bone shattered.

"Wrong again."

"Fool." Another cry was torn from the titan of times lips. At least four ribs were smashed in that punch. That meant there was only one left…

"You're completely and utterly delusional."

"You need to work on your insults, Titan." Strazio smirked, highly amused.

Kronos spat at his feet. Strazio's hand shot out and grabbed his throat in a vice grip, Kronos choked as his windpipe was slowly crushed and the air forced out of his body.

"Wrong move. I tire of these games. Are your Ready to talk?" Hissed Strazio.

"I am a titan, I will not stoops so low as to break in your hands, Mortal."

"Funny, doesn't those lines sound familiar, Titan?"

Kronos froze. A memory resurfaced, unbidden, into his mind

Kronos's POV

I was feeling triumphant, finally after years of hard work he was to rise from Tartarus again to destroy his pathetic Olympian children. The greatest threat to my return was chained in the room next door and my scythe was almost ready to use.

My stupid brother, Krios was prattling on about something or other. I sneered at him and began to boast, knowing full well the demi-gad in the other room could hear me.

"Less than twenty years till we have enough power to not only rise every monster and being stuck in this hell-hole, but to crush the Olympians. Now that our greatest threat is gone;" I cast a look at the chained demi-god. "The Half-bloods are easy targets, especially now they have combined the two camps, and we shall dispose of them before they even know we have risen and they shall fall easily."

"What of Hades? He will almost certainly know when we have risen." Krios replied anxiously.

"The other Olympians do trust nor listen to him. They will not heed his warnings." I smirked satisfied that in the Olympian arrogance, their downfall will be swift and painful.

"What of the immortal demi-gods? They will not be as easily subdued, especially that Annie girl and the boy, Jason."

I inwardly rolled my eyes, my stupid brother couldn't even see that those two half-bloods were weak and arrogant like their parents and without a proper leader would easily be subdued. And even with Jackson, I was only defeated because of the silly cowardly mortal I was forced to use as a host, this time I would be at full power and have no such weakness.

"All demi-gods have flaws, the Annie girl has pride and the son of Juniper has his arrogance. Without that wretched son of Poseidon, they are nothing, there is nothing keeping them from tearing each other apart. Demi-gods are easily manipulated, I won't need a mortal host this time."

A three Telekhines walked into the room and hurriedly bowed to me.

"My lord, your scythe is on schedule. One more dose of blood and it will be ready." The lead Telekhine said respectfully to me.

"Good, and I know just where to get the blood." I cast a look at the wretched demi-god, I think a little leaving present is in order, I know he will not survive long in the Pit Arena.

I slowly walked over and unsheathed a special dagger that I have been keeping for this exact moment; clear dagger and pierced the worthless demigod before me. I relished the scream that were torn from Jackson, as a clearly intense pain filled him. I pulled out the dagger from the man's chest, now covered in blood, I watched curiously as the blood infused with the dagger to become crimson red.

I walked out and let my brothers and the stupid monsters to have their fun.

A week Later…

I slowly dragged open the door to the son of Poseidon's holding cell, letting the metal scape against the stone floor. I sneered at the pathetic sight before me, the demigod body had been reduced to a sickly white mass of scar tissue barely held together. I could tell that even breathing was painful for him.

"Hello, Hero." I mocked, "Ready to join me? Or do you want to go through another round?"

The man, exhausted, just shook his head tiredly. I sighed expecting this, and slowly drew my newly remade scythe.

I said to the man afore me, "This is your last chance, before you go to the Pit Arena. Remember what the Olympians have done to you, they forced you in here, this is your chance for revenge, join me and you can have power you can bring the Olympians down. I can save you from the Pit Arena, you need not suffer any longer."

I watch the broken man raise his head, his green eyes defiant. "I will suffer either way, I will never stoop so low as to join you." The voice though barely above a whisper seemed to echo around the room. I snarled frustrated and advanced towards the man, scythe lifted; ready to slash, ready to inflict the pain he deserves.

"You won't forget this pain, you will forever be in torment, and this is your torture." I laughed.

"Do what you will, Kronos but in the end you shall fail in your ultimate goal, for like the Olympians you do not realize the truth. In the end, it matters not whom rules Earth, it is but the first step. The Olympians only rule because they are the best option not because they are good or wise. Soon they shall fall, action will be taken to make a better world, there are greater powers at work than you realize, soon there will be a better option, a new ruler, and it will not be you."

I smirked his words were warped and emotionless, "It seems you've finally lost your mind, took you long enough." I laughed at him, knowing that insanity would be even more of a hindrance in the Pit Arena.

"Keep laughing, Kronos. Let's see who's truly laughing in the end."

I spat the defiant man's face, "Here's a little reminder of me."

I slashed downwards, a gash opened up on his face right down his left eye tracing his left cheekbone curling down to the edge of his mouth.

Then I broke the chains that held the man. He collapsed on the floor but he stood up unsteadily.

"Time for the Arena, let's see how well you go without your friends." I couldn't wait for the screams.

I watched as the man stumbled out of the cell to a tunnel, at the end there was a gate, he walked towards it and entered the arena.

3rd person POV

"What… How did you…?" Kronos was so lost for words he was unable to finish his sentence.

"This is your last chance to talk." Strazio's tone was so deliberately mocking

"How…?" Kronos was bewildered, only one person was there… No…

Strazio leaned close to Kronos ear, his voice impossibly quiet, "Do you know what Strazio means in Italian?"

Kronos shook his head, unnerved from the cold and yet vaguely mischievous voice, unable to speak for the fear of Strazio's wrath.

"Torment and torture, Titan, Torment and torture." Strazio laughed insanely

"No… you can't be… I saw him die, he's dead… your insane… you can't…" Kronos stuttered

Strazio reached for his hood and pulled it down.

"Believe me now, Titan." Percy Jackson smirked cockily at Kronos stunned face. He smiled and continued, "Look, Titan, your dimwit brother is awakening."

Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnn… Finally finished this overly long chapter :D

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