Until I Bleed Out
Artemis sat in her bedroom, in her temple on Anubis, when Aphrodite came in.
"Look, Artemis… I know what I saw was not normal for you…" Aphrodite trailed off. Artemis glared at her.
"You'll tell nobody! Especially not him." She growled. Aphrodite jolted back.
"I promise it. I just want to know, where did these feelings come from?" Aphrodite said, taking a seat next to her sister.
"I don't know… I just know that I love him… I can't explain it, Aphrodite." Artemis muttered. "God, what are my hunters going to think of me?" She buried her head in her hands.
"They'll follow you no matter what, Artemis. I promise you." Aphrodite said, comforting her sister.
"You think?"
"I know."
X
Percy was scouring Iridonia, searching for a possible source that could maybe lead to the reason he's receiving his dreams.
"I hate this planet." Alex growled.
"You've been here once before, for a coronation of yours, into Erebus's army. Stop judging it." Percy said, looking around.
"You lived here once?" Alex asked. Percy smiled.
"Where I grew up. Where I was raised. My true home." Percy said, picking up a flower, and smelling it. "I love it here. All of my firsts. First kill, first kiss, first date… first time seeing her. First time having s-" Alex coughed.
"I don't need to know that, Sir." Alex said, before Percy sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Sorry." Percy said. They kept walking.
They were walking for around ten minutes, before Percy's mood noticeably changed.
"We're being watched, Alex." Percy said, his face not changing, still showing joy. Alex frowned.
"I don't feel it."
"You will soon, they're about to be above us. Be ready for an attack. Worst goes to worst, I'll teleport you out, and find my own way out." Percy said, looking around.
"But what if they capture you?"
"Never a capture I haven't escaped." Percy said, smirking at Alex.
Percy's prediction was right. The PING of a coord snapping in place was heard above him, and Percy and Alex reacted, splitting apart, before the figure dropped between the two of them, landing in a kneel. Percy didn't even have a weapon out, but Alex was quaking in his shoes. What if this person was stronger than Perseus? He stopped questioning it. Nobody was stronger than Perseus.
"I'm afraid we haven't met, and you're on the land that I own." Percy said, smirking to the man, and the man growled.
The man rose, to around 6'2''. He was built strong, but thinner than Percy, lacking some of the muscle that surrounded Percy's bones. The cloak covered the man's face, but Percy didn't care.
"Answer me. Who are you?" Percy said, calmly.
"Gosh, you look so much like mother." The man said, whipping down his cloak.
He looked like an exact mirror of Perseus.
"Who are you?" Percy said, his tone much more sharp. The main realized he hadn't said anything.
"I am Potter, we're both descendants of Ivy, our mother" the man said, reaching his hand out to shake Percy's, and Percy shook it, shocked.
"Who's your father?" Percy said, praying he didn't say Order.
"Zeus." Percy's mind couldn't comprehend it.
"When did they have time to birth a child…" Percy muttered.
"He raped her in unconsciousness, and I am the result, or atleast… that's what she told me. She hid me from you, and I was told I was to never see you, but I have appeared to broken such rule." Potter said, looking at Percy. "I never got to know you, and I apologize. All I know of you is that you're strong, and you're something special. She spoke of you like she was speaking of the brightest star in the world." Tears started to drop from Percy's eye. "I wish she spoke of me like that." He muttered.
"I'm sure she-" He caught himself, choking on her, "loves you so much."
"I haven't seen mother in over a million years… tell me, how is she?" Potter asked, innocent. Percy couldn't believe it. He shook his head.
"You don't know." He said. It wasn't a question. Potter shook his head.
"What happened?"
"She was captured, one night, after the events of the Great War, and was enslaved by the Beast clan." Percy whispered. "They murdered her…" He said, almost sobbing. "I slaughtered every last one of them, singlehandedly making them go extinct." Alex's eyes widened. "I even brought an army, but they did nothing to help me. They only rampaged through buildings. I killed every one." Percy whispered, looking at Potter. "I'm so, so sorry." He said, and he hugged his newfound half brother. Potter was just as shocked.
"I can't believe it…" Potter said. "Where I was born… I've never been back. Can you atleast take me there?" Potter asked, looking into Percy's eyes. Percy's eyes widened. He was born in the castle then, wasn't he? He had to be.
"I can take you there- a great castle, the greatest you've ever seen, fifty miles north of here. Abandoned, but good as new." Percy said. Potter nodded.
The castle was great. Overlooking a river, the walls were over twenty meters high, with sentries and dust-covered turrets blockading the top of the wall. Inside the walls was like a city, with houses left and right, all abandoned, or destroyed.
"Who built this… I've never seen it before…" Potter said. Percy shook his head.
"My father built it in hope of providing our mother with what she always dreamed of; permanence." Percy whispered the last word.
They arrived at the gate of the main building, where Percy and his family once lived.
"Who is your father?" Potter asked, turning to Percy.
"Order." Percy said, shamefully. Potter's eyes widened.
"No wonder she said you're something special… I've only heard rumors of the one true son of Order, but to be directly related to him…" Potter trailed off. Percy nodded.
"It's not as glamorous as you might think."
They entered the castle.
X
"If it comes to such, I'd rather the gods fight elsewhere." Aether said, looking into the dark eyes of Erebus.
"I will duel you to the death in our true forms, brother." Erebus said. Aether nodded.
"I refuse to do so near the demigods and the monsters. I do not want to risk more lives than I have to." Aether said, shaking his head. Erebus thought about it.
"I've made a many deals recently, and I'll make this one."
He extended his hand, and they shook on it. Thunder boomed above them.
X
"You made them go extinct?" Alex asked. Percy nodded.
"Slaughtered, every last one. Women. Children. Men. I cut the king apart, finger by finger, limb by limb. Made sure to cut directly through every joint. He suffered the worst. I resurrected him six times, just to slaughter him again. I assumed my true form, and destroyed half the city, and my army destroyed the rest. I forced his eldest daughter to be raped before his eyes, and made his eldest son eat the king's only good eye. All six times. I've never regretted it." Percy muttered.
"You're a monster for that." Potter said, mid-swig of water. Percy nodded.
"Arguably."
"That time and only one other time was the only times I've ever gone full-form, and assumed my power." Percy said, looking into the night sky. Potter frowned.
"Don't you stroll around in your true form?" Percy laughed.
"Gods no. I stroll around in a suit, or naked, depending on if you're asking my wife." Percy told Potter, who laughed.
"Your humor outweighs your power, it seems." Potter said, smiling at Percy, who nodded.
"And the other time?" Alex asked. Percy grimaced.
"To end the Great War. They were awfully close together, about thirty-four hours apart." Percy muttered.
Percy began to describe the scene.
The deserts of Iridonia, where the great Army of Order, standing at a million strong, held behind Percy, who stared forward, into the eyes of the Emperor of the Yotherian army, a direct son of Gaea, blessed by all five of the original primordials. The Yotherian army was the greatest ever, an elite force, nearly three million, of the greatest fighters assembled over fifty planets, trying to overthrow the rule of Order and Chaos. Percy had something to say.
The two generals met in the middle, staring at one another.
"Hello, Perseus."
"Acausia." Percy growled.
"Don't be so fiesty. I want to deal with that energy when I'm in bed with your little Chaos girlfriend later tonight." Strike one. "I heard she's making rounds around my camps… behind your back. Besides… it's been- three years? Since you've seen her." Acausia said, smirking.
Percy felt strange, as if a snake was crawling up his skin, but he disregarded it. His senses kicked in, and he caught the blade of the attempted backstab, only to have his chest stabbed from behind. The person who tried to backstab him ran back to the Yotherian army, but Acausia stood there, holding his blade in Percy's heart.
"I didn't realize you were so easy to kill, Percy." Percy fumbled, but got his shirt off. He could fix this- he had to. "If I knew you were this easy, I would've done it earlier. Maybe Annabeth is as easy?" Acausia said, eyebrow raised. Percy growled, tear dropping from his eye.
The sensation came back, like spiders crawling up his back.
"I'll kill you. I'll kill you all for that." Percy whispered, and Acausia laughed.
"Like you have the power to. Mere demigod… I'll slaughter your father and rape your mother in front of your eyes if you live." Percy fell to a kneel, head down.
"Kneel before me, your king." Acausia said, smirking at the dark-haired boy. "We were brothers once, Perseus, but you betrayed that friendship after you chose her. She was mine for the taking!" Acausia screamed, kicking Percy's gut. He grunted. "You followed my every move, I taught you everything you know! You have nothing you can hide from me, boy!" Acausia said, laughter growing with every word.
"You test my power." Percy whispered.
"I test nothing! I knew you were weak." Acausia growled. "Besides, where would you be without me, Perseus?" Acausia said, arrogantly.
Percy's head whipped up, a black tattoo engraved into his skin, circling around his chest, and around his eye.
Acausia's sword plopped out from Percy's chest, who reached behind him, war axe flying from the army behind him.
"Let's find out."
Percy charged Acausia, axe in hand. Acausia met him, his sword and shield blocking Percy's first strike. Percy faked a swing, and punched Acausia in the jaw, who stumbled back.
"Always the bravest of us!" Percy screamed, wind picking up around him. "But you could never make the hard decisions!"
Percy's war axe flew down in a deadly arc, being met with a shield. Acausia flew up, attacking Perseus, who met each attempt with a counter. Percy saw an opening when Acausia's shield loosened, and Percy dodged an attack, and swung on the shield, and Acausia cried with pain. Percy kicked Acausia back, who landed on his knees. He took the shield off.
"Our power will survive!" Percy said, charging the stunned Acausia.
Acausia tried to swing downwards, before Percy jumped back, and stomped on the blade, kicking it out of Acausia's hand, before spinning his axe, baseball-swinging it into the right shoulder of Acausia, who screamed with pain. Percy growled, the wind getting even more heavy, before switching his grip to double-backhanded, pulling Acausia's shoulder from his body.
"WE WERE BROTHERS ONCE!" Perseus screamed. Acausia rose once more, picking his sword up with his singular left arm.
"YOU BETRAYED ME!" Acausia screamed back.
"I BETRAYED NOBODY! I JUST CHOSE TO SIDE WITH MY FATHER!" Perseus screamed over the wind. "BUT HERE, WE ARE ENEMIES."
Acausia charged Perseus, wildly swinging, and Percy batted away the strike, kicking Acausia in the chest.
"I LOVED YOU!" Percy screamed.
Acausia shook his head.
"YOU'RE A MONSTER! POSSESSED BY POWER! BRAINWASHED BY YOUR DEAD FATHER!" Acausia spat at Percy, who walked to the boy. Acausia stood, and ran at Percy. Percy flicked his axe to the backhand, and rammed it into the boy's chest, who screamed with pain. Percy dislodged the axe, and kicked Acausia's leg out, and he knelt. Percy swung his axe, barely missing Acausia's neck, flying forward over the boy's head, before reverting it back, and slamming into the boy's skull. Percy placed his foot on Acausia's back, and pulled, tearing his head from his body.
He was still clawing at his neck when he was decapitated. He raised the head on his axe, turning towards his army, unscathed, the tattoo still reigning supreme along his body.
"FOR ORDER!"
"FOR ORDER!" the army called in response, and charged forward. Percy picked up Acausia's sword, dual wielding the axe and the sword.
I love you, Brother.
"The two armies fought that day. We lost thousands. I believe the final death out was 42803." Percy shook his head. "They lost just under three million. We killed every last one of them, no stragglers. Order commanded me and the army to do so. He saw their forming as disrespect to his power, and wanted them all dead. I pleaded for mercy for them, thinking some of them had to be innocent, but he swore an oath on the Black Stone that such was a lie." Percy said.
"I'm so sorry, Perseus." Alex whispered. Percy's eyes flicked to the boy.
"Do not pity me. I was born into this life, and I've realized the benefits I've been given far outweigh the pain I've dealt with. I've died once before, and I'd die again before I regret my decisions." Alex's eyes widened.
"How'd you die?"
"My true power rejected me once. With someone as powerful as me, a child, we're supposed to be at half strength until we're twenty-one. I tried to assume my full power at nineteen, and died for it. I thankfully still had my immortality." Percy said, smirking.
"Did it reject you when you assumed it again?" Potter asked.
"No. I've never tried since. I've been at half-strength since nineteen. I'm scared of the results." Percy said.
"You mean…"
"Despite being at only half strength, I remain to be the strongest being in the universe."
"Will you try to assume full power during this war?" Percy sighed.
"Maybe. The location of where my power resides is hidden beyond my vision, but I believe on the brink of death, someone greater than me will take me there, and I'll try again." Percy said, looking into the night sky. The visions came to him again. He stood on the edge, about to jump into the volcano, where lava awaited him, but below that… dark energy radiated through the stone, begging for its master to come take it.
Percy shook his head violently.
"Are you okay?" Potter asked.
"I'm fine, brother. Apologies." Percy said.
X
The nightmares hit Erebus like a bus. He doesn't usually get visions in his dreams, but something beyond his will had chosen to show him an image.
A black-eyed boy stood above a dead corpse, with black power covering his lower body and giving him wings. A coil, almost like a large tattoo, emerged from the thing covering his body, and wrapped all along his arms, torso, and circled around his eye. The man's eyes flicked to Erebus.
"You're visualizing your deathbed." the man whispered. Erebus woke with a start, heart beating. What was that vision? He'd never had nightmares before. Something about that man… that power… he was stronger than Perseus. Erebus had never felt anything like it. He'd been in the presence of all original protogenoi, Chaos, and Order, but even then… the aura that that man gave off was… incredulous.
"What are you up for?" Nyx said beside him. Erebus's heart dropped. Every time he saw his wife now… he was scared. The promise he made to Aragon…
Erebus would kill Aragon. He decided then. He couldn't let him have his wife.
Erebus sighed.
"I had a nightmare. Someone powerful- stronger than Perseus was, told me I was on my deathbed. I couldn't believe it. I haven't had a nightmare since the original giant war." Erebus put his head in his hands, "Go back to sleep, Nyx. I'm sorry." Erebus said, and Nyx turned back over.
Who was that?
X
Go back to where your majority is, Perseus.
Percy shook his head. He was walking through the streets of Stockholm.
"You know, the voice in your head might just be right." Percy didn't even have to face the man to know who he was talking to.
"I've had visions recently. Reliving my past." Percy muttered. Order's eyebrow raised.
"Elaborate, my son."
"I relived killing you, after the Great War." Order grimaced. Not a day he'd like to relive, either. "I don't know why. I can't control it, they're just hitting me at random points now. I relived meeting Annabeth, falling in love, and our first night together." Percy said, still walking.
"Most recently, I relived killing Acausia. It was like I was young again, there again, stomping my axe into his skull, and destroying my enemies." Percy said.
"You were made for such dominance, Perseus." Order said, pitying his son.
"Was that all I was made for?" Percy said, a tear forming at the edge of his eye. Order scowled.
"Of course not, but it is your greatest strength. Your ability in battle, your power… It's the reason you are who you are. Don't mistake it." Order said, throwing his arm around Percy's shoulders. Order sighed.
"Ivy would've been so proud of you, I'm sure of it." Percy's eyes widened.
"Father… I…" Percy didn't know how to say it. Order frowned.
"What is it?"
"Mother has another child, Potter King, a son of Zeus. He told me Zeus raped her in her sleep… and she was forced to hide him… Do you know of him?" Percy said, meeting Order's eyes. The anger radiated through both, almost as if you were to break this gaze, you'd die in an instant. Order's eyes softened first. He knew his son had a reason behind all of this… if he didn't, the entire Olympian council would be dead right now.
"No. I didn't know of such. I'd like to meet him someday, but that's not soon. Do you intend to get revenge on Zeus?" Order asked. Percy looked forward.
"I do not know. I need the Olympian council… I know after the war, I'll slaughter Zeus like the lamb he is. Maybe his children too. We'll decide." Percy said.
X
Potter's dreams never held value, but he never declined to have a dream.
Except for this one. He wished he declined this.
He woke in his house, as if it were any other day, in this dream, and walked to the bathroom.
He looked up into the mirror, and saw, his right arm was missing, and along the middle of his face and forehead, a familiar scar ran down, almost like the blade of an axe.
Then he woke up.
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