Mask Of Pain
Chapter 26
Percy's POV
Percy's world was crumbling right before his eyes. The people, the police cars, the bank and even the whole city existed no more. There was just him, his mother's lifeless body and the Minotaur. It was the reason he was suffering at this moment, the cause of his anger in a physical form. The Beast was now something Percy could express his anger and hate on physically.
Percy stared a few moments longer at his mother's lifeless body before she too disappeared and all that was left was Percy and the Minotaur. Behind the helmet, Percy glared at him with pure hatred. Percy looked down at his hands that formed tight fists on either side of him they were shaking with anger. When he spoke, he did with no sign of emotion.
"You shouldn't have done that," Percy said looking back up at the Minotaur. Percy's hand crept to Riptide on his back; he pulled out the hilt and unleashed it slowly in one movement. He twisted it in hand before he got ready in a fighting stance, separating the distance between his legs and holding Riptide in one hand beside him.
The Minotaur also got ready; it lowered its head and shoulders hunched and neck curved. It pawed at the dry earth with its right giant metallic foot, sending a cloud of dust upwards. The Minotaur was ready to charge.
Suddenly, the Minotaur charged but Percy was ready. The mechanical figure jumped the average distance between them in a few strides. When the Minotaur was only a few feet away, Percy used all his 'super strength' to throw Riptide at the beast.
The Minotaur couldn't dodge it and it caught him in its mechanical shoulder, yet it kept charging. Percy pressed the button on his hand and flew in the air twisting over the Beast, narrowly avoiding the Minotaur's pointy horns.
Percy landed with a roll and turned to see that the Minotaur had stopped with a slide and turned back to face Percy who ran towards it. The Minotaur didn't charge and instead seemed to wait for Percy to come to him.
Just before Percy collided with the Minotaur, he vaulted in the air with his thrusters high enough to come level at the Minotaur's head. Percy readied a punch but the Minotaur was quicker and his right fist hit Percy in the torso sending him to a column next to the stairs of the bank.
Percy's armor protected him from most of the damage but he was sure winded. He landed on the ground and he knelt on one knee, breathing slowly, while he got his strength back. Percy looked back up to see the Minotaur slowly walking around to face him. Percy knew that only way to take the damn thing down was a good punch to the head and if he's lucky he might be able to hit his temple through the Minotaur's helmet. Percy needed a diversion for that.
The Minotaur came to a stop a few feet straight in front of Percy. It brought a giant clawed mechanical hand to Riptide still embedded in its shoulder and tore it out. The Minotaur eyes never looking away from Percy, threw Riptide at Percy's feet.
Percy took it in his right hand and used it to pull himself up before twisting it to his side. Percy behind his helmet stared up at the Minotaur before he lunged forward. Percy slashed Riptide at all the vital parts he could find in the Minotaur's mechanical armor who tried to hit Percy but with no luck.
Percy slashed his blade with his 'super strength' at the joints in the legs of the armor. The Minotaur brought a mechanical clawed hand at Percy, but he back flipped out of the way before slashing once more. Soon Percy was in a rhythm of slashing, dodging and slashing.
Then Percy found an opening and jumped on the Minotaur back. He jumped off before it could catch him and he brought Riptide up to slash at the Minotaur's throat.
Percy landed with a roll as sparks flew from the Minotaur's throat and Percy seized that chance to throw Riptide with his 'super strength' at the Minotaur's shoulder and this time it went hilt deep causing it to scream in a very weird voice.
Percy wasn't finished and pressed the button in his hand and flew to the Minotaur's head. Percy brought his fist up and this time the Minotaur couldn't do anything as Percy's fist connected with the bottom of the mechanical head sending the heavy Minotaur backwards and landed on its back, Percy felt the earth beneath his feet vibrate.
Percy walked slowly over to the dazed Minotaur lying on its back; he stepped on the Minotaur's torso and put the tip of his blade at the Minotaur's throat stopping it from doing anything else. Behind the mask, Percy stared down at him emotionless. He lifted his sword for the killing blow but saw something in the corner of his eye: his mother lying on the floor.
Suddenly he had so many memories flowing through his mind giving him a migraine. He tried to shake them away but it was impossible. His body froze and he couldn't move. His hands were shaking as if another part of him was stopping him. He could see images of his mother cooking his birthday cake for him. He remembered her bringing him to her shop. He remembered why she named him after a Greek hero. The stories she told him about the Greek gods and monsters. The day she told him he was going to have a little brother. He tried to push harder in order to put the blade straight through the Minotaur's throat but he couldn't. Despair welded in him as he felt tears in his eyes when he remembered where he was. The bank, the police cars, the people, the whole city came back into view and he looked away from the Minotaur sheathing Riptide back on his back. Before he jumped of the Minotaur's torso, Percy knocked it out with a mighty kick to its temple.
Percy ignored the cheers of the people and knelt to his mother side. He pushed a curl away from her face as her unblinking eyes were starring where he stood moments before. He closed her eyes.
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Percy was staring at his mother's paled face. He was standing in the morgue back in the underwater base. They have one, mostly because sometimes bodies are found with unexplained deaths. Grover had seen him earlier expressing his condolences.
"I am truly sorry for your loss Percy," Chiron said siting in his wheelchair beside him. Percy didn't look at him and kept an emotionless gaze fixed on his mother's face. He saw in the corner of his eye Chiron rolling away.
"You know," Percy started still looking at his mother who looked like she was sleeping. Percy heard that Chiron stopped. "I used to sneak out whenever I could in the night to go and see her and Tyson so I could keep an eye on them. I used to think that by accepting your proposal I could protect them."
"Yet here I am, five years later standing over her dead body." Percy spat the word out. He hated this. He hated the feeling of helplessness.
"Percy…" Chiron's voice came closer as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "This wasn't your fault."
Percy stayed silent. He tried very hard to believe that, he really did. But it was his fault. He could have saved her somehow. Yet he didn't, because he was afraid.
Chiron's reassuring hand slipped away from his shoulder and he wheeled away in silence. Percy didn't know how long he stood there for. It could have been minutes or hours but he didn't care.
"Mom?" he heard a quiet and broken voice say. He whipped his head to look at who it was. Tyson stood at the doorway with teary eyes. Percy's eyes widened as he quickly walked to him.
"Mom? Mom?! MOM!" Tyson was yelling and Percy grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him out of the room while Tyson kept hitting and scratching Percy hysterically.
"Tyson, Tyson, she's gone!" Percy shook him to make him stop. He looked in his little brothers eyes to make him understand that their mother was gone and she wasn't coming back. "She's gone… she's gone…" he repeated, not really wanting to believe his own words.
Tears formed once more in Tyson's eyes and Percy hugged him. He didn't care how his pullover sweater was getting increasingly soaked from his little brother's tears. He didn't care that he felt a few tears go down his cheeks himself. He just cared about having his brother in his arms and keeping him safe.
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Later, Percy had brought Tyson to bed in one of the guest rooms. Percy found his way back to his room. He sat still in his casual clothes on the side of the bed facing the windows that looked underwater. It was still day time as the sun's rays went through the water illuminating the water at his window. He could see a few fishes here and there but he wasn't paying any attention to them.
He was just staring into space when he heard a soft knock at his door. He didn't even bother to turn around when he spoke. "Come in."
He heard the door open and close as the person walked slowly towards him. It wasn't before the person sat on the bed next to him that he knew who it was: Annabeth.
He was slightly surprised to see her after three days being locked in her room. She was wearing the same black off the shoulder sweater she was wearing three days ago, with purple flannel shorts. Her hair was like princess curls as they tumbled down her shoulder framing her perfect face. Stormy grey eyes bore into his sea green ones with concern. She was biting her pink lips as if not sure what to say.
Suddenly the thoughts of today's events came back to him and he looked back outside thinking of his mother's death still not quite believing it. He felt a hand on his shoulder that stirred him slightly.
"Percy I heard of what happened," he heard her voice not far from his ear and could feel her eyes fixed on him. "I'm so sorry."
That's it, he thought as he suddenly stood up and started to pace back in forth in front her, frustration clawing at him. "Stop saying that! Everyone says that!" he snapped at her.
Annabeth looked surprised at his outburst and looked like she wanted to say something but he cut her off. "Everyone keeps saying that! Everyone I meet says those words to me! I don't want your pity! I just want…"
"I just want…" Percy swallowed hard and he tried to control his anger as he clutched his head. He dropped his hands to his side as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to leave his eyes. He didn't want to look weak, especially in front of Annabeth.
Suddenly Annabeth stood up and held his shoulders. Percy looked anywhere, but at her to hide the tears. He felt her hand touching his chin and she lifted up his face to meet hers. A single tear slid down his cheek followed by another one and another one until soon a steady stream of salty tears flowed down, releasing the sadness and sorrow that has been held inside of him for all this time, but still he did not make a sound.
Then Annabeth did something that surprised him: she hugged him. His body froze as she caught him off guard. The hug might have just been a display of reassurance, yet it felt so much more than that. The surroundings started to disappear; the bed, the walls, his bedroom until there was only them two. The arms that held him were soft yet strong. The feel of her body so close to his, soothed him more than he had expected. He found himself sink deeper and deeper in the hug. He closed his eyes as a lonely tear ran down his cheek.
Soon they broke their hug and Percy found he missed her warmth, but he shook those thoughts away as he brushed his tears away. He looked back at her with a smile and he found her deep in thought.
"Hey," he said gently getting her attention. He looked deep in those stormy grey eyes of hers. "What's up?"
"I…" her voice died away as she looked back at the door. Percy followed her gaze but the door was closed. She looked at the floor anxiously. "Percy I need to tell you something..."
"Okay." Percy raised an eyebrow now getting a little anxious about what she was about to say. When she didn't say anything, he put his hands on her shoulders. "Annabeth, you know you can tell me anything, right?"
She looked at him for a couple seconds before she nodded suddenly gaining confidence. "It's something that's been bothering me for days now and the time never seemed appropriate to tell anyone but now…"
"Do you remember the day when you met me in the library back at school?" she asked and he nodded. He vaguely remembered that day but he didn't see the point of why she was referring to that now.
"Well on my way back home on foot I was followed by a guy," she said. Percy's eyes widened but before he could say anything she glared at him to not interrupt. He clamped his mouth shut.
"When I took him down by surprise, I found out he was just a kid and had several bullet wounds," she told him. "Though before he died he told me something…"
"What did he say?" Percy asked curiously. She took a while to answer as if deciding if she could trust him with this information.
"It was just a name but every time I think of it, I shudder at the thought," she said. Percy tried to think of a name with that much power but... no, he thought nervously. No it can't be…
"What was the name?" he asked trying to control his voice. Annabeth seemed to have caught his tone and looked up at him dead in the eyes as she spoke his name.
"Kronos."