Okay, this week's shout out goes to Suzaku Mizutani for his story "Love Blooms by Chance". Go ahead and read it guys.
The battle continues! Hope you enjoy it.
Note: I do NOT own PJO and HOO. Otherwise, I wouldn't be uploading this year.
Chapter XLII
Percy stood before his troops, the light winds causing his hair to blow sway slightly. The demigods before him still looked uncertain, but he knew that once battle began, that hesitation would disappear quite quickly.
He stepped to the side, allowing Zeus to take the lead. The King of Olympus strode forward, his face set in determination.
"Gods, heroes, monsters!" he bellowed. "Today is the day we stand for our lives! Today is the day we put down this threat once and for all! I know it looks daunting, but we have faced far worse odd in the past, and have made it through stronger. Today, we will show them why they should never try to attack Olympus. I ask this of you once. Are you with me?"
A soft sound came from the centre of the gathering, before slowly expanding, finally encompassing the entire crowd before them. Zeus looked pleased, before quickly stepping down. Percy sighed in relief, thankful that he wouldn't have to endure another one of Zeus' infamous speeches. It seemed even he knew that time was of the essence.
The arrangement was exactly what they had planned. The troops were arrayed in an crescent shape, the entire body prepared to see action. He could see that there were almost no weak spots in their lines. The gods were distributed evenly, ensuring that there was nothing they had to worry about at the beginning.
Even his mom had joined the battle. She said that since it was to be their last charge no matter the outcome, it would be better for her to be part of the main forces. They didn't have to worry about the hectic rush they would usually have between waves if they wanted to be prepared at full strength.
Percy was positioned in the centre of the force, Ares standing right next to him, with Zeus was present a bit deeper in the ranks. He knew that they were going to bear the brunt of the attack, but it didn't bother him. A small grin stretched across his fade. No matter what, the battle was ending that day. It was a thought that both sobered him and brought him endless joy.
He pushed his helmet on, snapping the strap back into place. He could feel the heat of the sun against the metal of his armour, but winter had slowly begun to set in, causing it to have far less effect that it usually would. It helped that his armour was so light, causing the already diminished effect to be lessened even further.
He crouched low, waiting for the first sign of a charge. He wasn't going to risk using his guns in such close-range combat with so many of his own troops before him, but he was more than content with using his blades.
He saw the dust kicked up in the distance as the opposing force finally came into view. All around him, he heard the demigods draw in sharp gasps, and even the monsters shuffle lightly. He couldn't blame them. The army that was bearing down on them was massive, larger than any they had seen previously.
The entire force was at least seven thousand strong, but that wasn't what caught his eyes at first. What truly worried him was noticing extremely powerful monsters present within the line-up. Even from a distance, he could make out the Minotaur, the Nemean Lion, the Chimera, the Manticore, the Caledonian Boar, and he thought he even saw Kampê present within the ranks. It was far more powerful than any force that had ever come before it, apart from Typhon in the Second Titan War.
He could see the hesitation that had once again presented itself on the demigods' faces, causing him to growl audibly. It was a sound he didn't make often, only releasing it when he felt the situation was desperate enough to call for it. Obviously, the predicament he was in classified as such, since his troops were slowly becoming even more demoralized at the near insurmountable odds before them. Or at least they thought.
"Demigods, stand together!" he yelled, his voice barely being heard over the cacophony of the opposing army's charge. "It may look impossible, but remember that this time, the Olympians are fighting alongside you. We will not let you down, but it will only work if you all stand by us as well."
His words were almost inaudible by the end due to the proximity of the monsters, but the troops on his side managed to hear it or else managed to understand the gist of what was trying to say. They were silent for a moment, before slowly banging the butts of their weapons into the ground if it could reach, causing a dull thumping rhythm to emerge from within their army.
He didn't have any more time to reflect on it as he watched the wave slowly advance towards his position, prompting him to summon his twin blades. The green metal of Riptide sprung into his right hand, extending into its classical leaf like shape. Pyrkagiá, on the other had, elongated further, the blade of Volcanic Steel morphing into a three-pronged trident, like the one his father used.
He waited even more, waiting for them to reach him. To his side, Ares charged forward, intent on reaching them first. Percy didn't mind. Now, there was nowhere for his enemy to run off to. They were hemmed in from the sides by his troops and their retreat was blocked by their very own forces. Unless the entire army decided to back away, and he very much doubted they would, there was no place for any of them to hide. However, unlike Ares, he chose not to charge, and instead stand in a spot where when the time came, he would have the strategic advantage in the battle.
In the end, his time finally arrived as he thrust his trident forward, impaling a hellhound in the stomach. He didn't even pause, flicking his wrist, plunging Riptide into the jugular of a nearby dracaena.
He didn't even take the time to remove his weapon, instantly leaping onto the shoulders of a Laistrygonian giant, causing it to glance around, wondering why it suddenly had such a weight on its back. Percy didn't give it long to ponder though. In a swift motion, he stabbed Riptide deep into the cranium of the monster, causing to topple over as he himself jumped to safety.
He glanced backwards, seeing as the two edges of their formation encounter the horde of monsters. He saw the slashes delivered by blades of Celestial Bronze and Imperial Gold, along with the constant poof of monsters bursting into golden dust. However, the sounds of demigods screaming in pain also reached his ears. He knew that there were bound to be deaths, but he certainly hadn't expected anyone to die so early into the battle.
He headed back into battle, feeling the tide constantly flow around him. There were times when he thought they had it in the palm of their hands, but then the monsters would quickly cause the balance to shift over to their side before the pendulum returned to a neutral position before continuing its morbid oscillation.
He had finally been able to utilize his vapour travel, able to swiftly move between locations at the drop of a hat. He shied away from his flame travel, knowing that it ran the risk of hurting the demigods close to him, but it wasn't that much of an issue, since both took relatively the same amount of energy from him, and were less taxing than his silent teleportation, which was far more efficient than the regular flashing used by the other gods.
There were definitely a few highlights of his battles, if they could even be called as such. His encounter with the Minotaur had been almost ridiculously simple, with Percy causing its limbs to be wrapped up in tendrils of water before stabbing it in the stomach, causing it to dissolve to await another decade or two before attempting to even leave the pit once again.
His encounter with the Chimera was far more interesting, but overall, he didn't notice much. The only time he was ever worried about the outcome was when it began to spew fire from its mouth, and even then the worry wasn't directed toward himself. Rather, it was for those around him, since they were not immune to flames like he was.
He stood his ground, allowing the wreathing flames to wash over him before he forced his own control over them, bringing them together as they coalesced into a single ball the size of his head, composed of all the yield that had escaped his mouth.
For a moment, the Chimera felt true fear. Yet in the next, it was leaping into action, the snake head swinging forward in a desperate attempt to catch him off guard. However, all Percy did was send back a small portion of its own fire, powered up due to his inherent connection thanks to his mother.
The snake head reared back for a second, giving him enough time to attack. Pyrkagiá instantly shifted into a spear, reaching forward to stab the snake head as it writhed due to the heat of the flames around it. Instantly, it quieted down, the gleam of life leaving its beady little eyes, signifying that it had moved on.
The lion and goat head attacked with renewed fervour, causing him to respond him kind. He vaulted over the body of the massive monster, before bringing Riptide down in a brutal swing, lopping off the goat head in one single move.
He heard the monster screech in rage, but he sensed that the same beast was suffering from a lot of pain as well. He lunged forward, catching it off guard. It didn't even stand a chance as Pyrkagiá bit deep into it, releasing a torrent of white-hot flames directly into its insides. Percy didn't move until the Chimera burst into golden dust, causing him to smirk victoriously.
He moved on to the next opponent, striking out against a more average monster, catching the empousa as she tried to run past him. He could see the shock in her features as she burst into golden dust, unable to believe that he had caught her so easily.
He turned around, only to see that the rest of the Olympians had begun to call upon their domains to deal with the massive armada. Zeus' lightning bolts were smashing into the most densely populated areas, taking out large swathes in one single strike. He could sense the wetness present on the ground a fair distance to his right, telling him that his father was doing his part as well.
He sensed another deity approach him, the signature one that he knew well. "Hello, Artemis," he said, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips.
"Hello to you as well, Percy," she replied, her back facing his as they stood, ready to take on the sea of forces surrounding them. "Would you care to join me on this dance?"
"Gladly, my lady," he replied, an equal amount of humour in his words.
The two of them moved forward in tandem, his blades and her arrows raining death and destruction upon the opposing forces. The monsters didn't even stand a chance before her constantly changing barrage of arrows, and they had no answer when they faced off against Percy's ever-changing blades, unable to keep up with the sheer speed, strength and grace of the two Olympians.
However, he couldn't distract himself from the sounds of demigods and his own monsters constantly falling around him, unable to withstand the constant onslaught they faced. He knew that they were taking out far more troops than they were losing, but the overwhelming numerical superiority was enough to basically cancel it out.
He glanced towards the hill once more, checking to ensure that the monsters had stopped coming. He noted that the final line had indeed created the hill and had already reached the valley below it, but that wasn't what almost stopped him in his tracks. He could see another force, maybe a thousand strong, begin to cross the hill as well.
Dear Chaos, these waves will never end, he thought. They had barely taken out a thousand monsters, and it looked like all their hard work was to be for naught since the exact same number was returning to the main force. He was at least thankful that the Chimera and Minotaur weren't present since that would have made it even more annoying.
He grunted in frustration, feeling the bloodlust well up within him once again, begging to be unleashed on all the hapless monsters before him. However, he didn't allow it to escape the restraints he had strapped it under. He knew what it could do, but he was also worried that if let loose, he wouldn't be able to differentiate friend and foe while the world was tinted in red. That was what held him back from giving up to his instincts that made him want to lay waste to everything before him.
He had known that ever since he became the God of Monsters, he had a far more brutal side of him. It had always lurked beneath the surface, coming to the fore in brief moments. However, it had happened far too consistently for his liking ever since they stepped into Canada, and after he had come face to face with Tartarus, it was almost as if it were bubbling under his skin, just waiting for the slightest provocation to escape.
He pushed the thoughts aside, ducking a wide swipe from a massive Hyperborean, stabbing the giant in the knees. The massive creature tumbled to the floor, at least until Percy stabbed it in the heart, causing it to shatter into tiny ice chips, instantly melting into water.
He felt the urge to allow the water on the ground to gather around him, giving him another much-needed boost to his energy, but he knew it would be futile. The water had been polluted by the presence of Tartarus himself, and if anything, it would make him weaker than before, and that was the best-case scenario. In the worst case, he would contract an incurable disease a few days down the line, one that would cause him to fade due to just how weak he would become.
He sighed, allowing the water to dribble away. The battle raged on around him, but he wished to focus on the more powerful individuals in the opposing forces. He nodded to Artemis, before moving away, Artemis heading over to where most of her hunters were.
He weaved through the clashing armies while decimating their numbers, noticing that the nature spirits were helping wherever they could. Several of the satyrs looked exhausted as they continuously kept up a rapid tune on their flutes, encouraging the plants to keep growing at a phenomenal rate. They were causing a horde of monsters to trip over and fall, making them easy pickings for any demigod present.
His eyes finally sought out his next target. It was almost impossible to miss with its distinctive pelt, looking like it was a fine sheet of gold. He ran forwards, intent on not losing his quarry. Just before he reached it, he vapour travelled to the spot a few feet before it. He knew he could have finished it instantly by appearing right before it and stabbing it in the eye, but he knew he had to satiate at least some of the battle lust present in his system if he wanted to keep a cool head for the rest of the battle.
The Nemean Lion whirled around, picking up a scent in the air. It recognized it from the last time it had been on the surface, before being killed in Canada. A blurrier memory also came up, when Atlas had commanded it to attack some settlement of the humans. The same scent had been present then as well, although far weaker than now.
Its eyes finally locked onto the armour-clad figure that stood before it, the two blades in his hand, a green sword, and a red trident, slowly retracted into his hands. The Lion couldn't tell exactly where they had gone, but it made it all the more wary. If its foe could summon weapons on a whim, it was in deep trouble.
It snarled, not allowing its lips to open any more than necessary. It had learnt from experience that the individual before it could slip past its guard with ease if there was even the smidgen of an opportunity. Its eyes narrowed into slits, not allowing the god to have any easy way to take it out.
Percy just smiled under his helmet, relishing the challenge before him. He slowly stalked forward, the Lion copying his actions albeit with a touch more wariness than he was displaying. He was barely three yards away when he finally lunged.
He covered the remaining ground in just two strides before leaping towards the top of the creature. He grabbed its hide in a tight grasp before hauling himself up, positioning himself in between its shoulder blades.
The Nemean Lion was beginning to panic. It could easily recall exactly what happened the last time the same person was sitting on its back in such a fashion. It didn't want to experience another bullet through its eyes.
Percy, however, was trying his hardest to position himself close to the beast's eyes, knowing that it would be his best shot at taking it down. The pistol had already formed in his hand, locked, loaded, and ready to take it out.
The Lion felt the cold metal press against its fur, causing it to widen its eyes in alarm. That was its first mistake. The second one was slowing down its movements however inadvertently, causing Percy to get a much firmer grip.
It almost froze when the metal barrel made itself known in its range of vision, almost receiving flashbacks to when it had last seen it. However, its thoughts were cut short by the double discharge of the gun, causing two shells to bury themselves right into the beast's mind. It was dead before it even hit the floor.
Percy landed on the floor, looking around for his next target. The mayhem had become even worse all around him, the two armies almost indistinguishable. Their ranks had already begun to break apart, barely holding on as it was.
He looked around, searching for another foe. It the distance, he could see the Manticore engaging almost five demigods at once. The moment his eyes landed on it, he saw red. He felt the bloodlust rear up once again, but he fought it down, knowing that he had to focus.
This time around, he didn't simply weave through the crowd. Instead, he created a path of destruction as he mowed through the enemy, proving that his name hadn't simply been given to try and achieve a happy ending like the original Perseus. He had proved that the name was perfect for him in moments like these, even more so that his original namesake. He truly was 'The Destroyer', something no one could deny as they watched him wade through the opposite faction as if they weren't even present.
He finally reached the spot where the demigods were trying to contain the Manticore, even though he could tell that they were struggling. One of them had already fallen, a spike impaled in his chest. From his appearance, Percy could guess that he was a son of Hermes.
The similarities to Chloe were far too many to ignore. Once again, he hadn't been quick enough to save him, failing to do what he had promised. He felt the anger try to burst forth yet again, but he kept it down. He was not going to fight like a raging inferno this time around. No, he was going to be more like an icy glacier, bearing down on his enemy on a slow yet inevitable collision, one they had no hope of surviving.
"How are you doing, Thorn?" His voice was neutral, but there was more than enough ice around the edges to draw the monster's attention.
"Who dares?" it began, before freezing when it saw who was standing before it. Uncontrollable fear entered its eyes as it backed away, the scars from their previous encounter still visible.
"No, no. Stay away," it growled. Percy absently noted that it had lost the accent it had once possessed during his encounter with it in his demigod days, but now, he was more interested in seeing it cower before him until he put it down.
"Not so brave now, are you," he hissed. "You would attack those weaker than you and relish the pain you cause, but the moment someone stronger than you comes around, you instantly crumble. At least stand up straight and face it instead of whimpering like a coward."
The monster flinched at his words, knowing that Percy was going to be brutal. It remembered the last time they had met just as clearly as he did. If it were to be even a tenth of the torture he had felt during their last meeting, he would be better off trying to escape the battle to someplace else, and them maybe lie low for a few centuries.
Percy, however, wasn't keen on giving it such an opportunity. His gun rang once more, a Celestial Bronze bullet embedding itself in its shoulder. The Manticore roared, feeling its right foreleg go numb. It was already hampered, and the fight hadn't even been going on for ten seconds.
He didn't slow in his approach, shooting the monster once again, this time in its flank. It roared in agony once more, stumbling in its path. He allowed his gun to shrink down once more, allowing his swords to come out.
The twin blades dug deep into the monster's neck, causing it to screech as it felt the godly metals burn against its flesh. However, Percy had missed the vital areas, or more accurately had avoided them to prolong its suffering. Even though he was still in control, some of his rage had leaked over, causing him to be more violent than usual.
Pyrkagiá shifted into a heavy war hammer, smashing into the collarbone of the Manticore, crushing it under the sheer force it exerted. The monster once again roared in agony, although he could tell that it was weakening.
He was about the shift Riptide into an axe and begin hacking away when his rational mind kicked in once more, telling him to end it now and move on to other monsters before his troops suffered any further losses. He grit his teeth, pushing the call for pain and blood down once again. Instead, he shifted both his weapons back to their normal form, slashing its windpipe in one clean stroke.
He watched dispassionately as the Manticore died before him, looking just as pathetic as he always pictured it to be. He would never forgive it for what it did to Chloe, no matter how many centuries may pass.
His eyes scanned the battlefield once more, searching for any more obvious threats. He spotted both the Erythmanian Boar and Kampê in the distance, but he could see that they were being engaged by Ares and Artemis respectively. He knew he wouldn't have to interfere at that moment, and instead he focused on taking out as many of the infantry as he could.
His surroundings slowly dissolved into nothing more than a constant stream of enemies that he cut down, monster after monster falling to his blade. He kept moving forward, never looking back to see just how far he'd gone. They were not going to stop coming, and he was not going to stop in his tracks either.
Others kept standing beside him as he fought, each one bringing something different to the table. Apollo kept shooting those in the distance before quickly switching over to his sword to cut down those who approached too close for his projectiles to be as effective against. All the while, he kept cracking a few jokes, trying to keep the mood light in the face of their desperate situation.
Hephaestus had joined him at another instance. The forge god was silent like him, instead focusing on swinging his massive hammer around, crushing enemies with a single blow. Percy had to admit that when it came to raw strength, even he would be hard-pressed to keep swinging the weighty hammer over and over like his friend was doing. He had more than enough power to use a lighter hammer, but he preferred to use weapons that were more focused on skill and which slashed an opponent rather than brute force and crushing them. It was why he so rarely used any blunt-force trauma weapons.
Still, the two of them managed to take out a massive swathe of monsters before splitting up, going their own separate ways. Percy glanced towards the hills, trying to see if they had made any progress in their attack. His heart dropped when he noticed that yet another wave of reinforcements created the hill.
Hermes joined him for a while, the two of them using their speed to weave through the monsters, cutting them down before they could even react. They destroyed another squadron with ease, although they were finally beginning to feel the fist hints of exhaustion set in. It was very slight but concerning enough to cause them to speed up even more. They had to take all of them out, and before they dropped down from exhaustion too.
Finally, the two of them returned to where the main bulk of their forces were present. Their lines were just barely holding together, and another charge from the monsters would break their ranks easily.
He glanced to the gods standing next to him. His father was holding his trident aloft, ready to bring it down to unleash a massive wave of water. His mom was a few dozen yards to his left, her hands holding two balls of flame. He remembered what Apollo had told him about the vision the former had received, with one army constantly being replenished by reinforcements and the other using the elements to gain the advantage.
He turned around, picking out where Zeus was located. He was close enough for his voice to carry, something he was thankful for.
"Lord Zeus!" he yelled. "All the Olympians have to use the elements together! There's no other way to push them back. We need to do it now."
Zeus didn't even raise a single objection, instead raising his Master Bolt in the air, summoning a massive bolt of lightning. He directed it forward, smashing it into the monsters arrayed before them. The other Olympians didn't need to hear any verbal command. They knew what they had to do.
It happened at once, with no warning issued to the monsters. A massive wave of water roared forward, looming over them as it crashed down, engulfing a huge portion of their army. It was not alone, either. A raging inferno bore down on them at the same time, angling towards a separate part of the forces.
Percy and his father were focused on the water, while his mom and Hephaestus were controlling the fire. He would have loved to be a part of both attacks, but they needed at least two gods giving their complete on either side to pull it off properly. After all, Amphitrite and Triton had refused to participate in the war when they learnt that he was going to be a part of it.
Poseidon had been forced to disclose his identity in the past while binding them under secrecy oaths of the strongest kind since he knew Percy would be visiting often, and all it had done was make the two of them hate him even more than they used to, since in their eyes, it was blasphemy for a bastard to be inducted into the council before a legitimate child of the sea god. They had chosen to remain in Atlantis under the pretext of guarding it from any undersea threats, although all of them knew it was so that they wouldn't have to interact with him.
At the moment, he could only curse their pettiness. All he could do was stand next to his father, ensuring that the massive wave swallows up as many of their foes as it could.
He could smell the sudden increase in ozone as Zeus maintained the barrage of lightning, dark storm clouds gathering overhead. Rain would have to wait until he and his father had finished with what they were currently doing, but the atmosphere became far more tense.
He could see Demeter growing vines at a phenomenal pace, although he would have liked it if Dionysus were present as well. He may hate the deity, but he couldn't deny that he was almost as good as the goddess of agriculture when he tired, but he knew that the wine god was probably passed out drunk in some shady corner of Olympus. It had been a similar story ever since he lost his throne and position as director of Camp Half-Blood.
He could see bright flashes of gold and silver, telling him that Apollo and Artemis were using their powers to the best they could as well. He knew that Artemis would use hers mostly to blind her opponents, but Apollo's could sear the flesh off bone due to him being connected to the sun. He could also see multiple monsters suddenly keel over, indicating that Apollo was also using his powers over plagues to cause their deaths. He knew that the second part wouldn't hold out for long, since it took quite a bit of strength to make a monster sick enough to die.
He felt the ground rumble slightly, letting him know that Hades had summoned even more of the undead. Nico and Hazel were panting in exhaustion, but the Lord of the Dead was standing tall, directing a truly massive army of skeletons into the fray.
It was pure pandemonium. It was almost impossible to see exactly how many they had taken down amidst all the chaos, but Percy had a feeling that they had definitively turned the tide of the battle. They just had to keep it up for some more time.
The minutes ticked by as they finally relented in their assault, allowing the elements to return to their original positions once more. Percy could feel the sweat running down his forehead, a clear sign as to how much he had exerted himself. Even his father was panting lightly, yet their tiredness was forgotten the moment they witnessed the destruction their massive attack had wrought.
The forces of Tartarus had been decimated. From what they could see, there were barely five hundred monsters left of what had originally been encroaching eight thousand with the reinforcements that had been piling in. He could see the mountains of golden dust that littered the floor, a testament to just how many had perished. A part of him mourned the loss of so many monsters, since he was their patron, but he stifled that impulse, knowing that they had chosen their path.
He lifted his sword, giving the others the signal that it was time to charge. A victorious roar erupted from all the people present. They were lifting their weapons in joy, ready to clean up the final few monsters. They could see that no more reinforcements were pouring in either, making the job even easier.
They readied themselves for the charge, the disarrayed troops morphing into a spear like formation. A last-minute modification made it look like the edges were received, creating two small pockets to gather all of those that the front lines didn't finish off and end them as well. The entire formation moved forward, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
They had barely gotten fifteen yards when they felt a tremor run across the land. All of them stumbled, even Poseidon and Percy, despite their affinity for earthquakes. Even as they ground to a halt, the quake simply ramped up in intensity, causing the ground to sway violently beneath them.
He almost stumbled, missing the charge of a nearby empousa who was ready to use the situation to her advantage. His eyes drifted up too late, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to block her. He noticed the black gleam on the edge of her blade, telling him that she had the Essence of Styx coated on it.
He was ready to accept his fate when a silver arrow pierced the monster's heart, causing it to falter in its tracks, bursting into golden dust right before him. The dagger landed close to him, the blade sticking into the dirt.
He turned around to see Artemis lower her bow, a small smile on her face. "I told you that you could trust me, didn't I?" she said, a small hint of humour in her voice.
He grinned back, feeling a small spark of happiness in his heart. It may have been only one gesture, but it was enough to give him hope.
He didn't even have enough time to ponder on it before he heard a sharp crack echo throughout the area, causing his head to snap around towards the direction where the noise had originated from. His eyes landed on a thin but deep fissure that had opened, running almost fifty yards long, and it was widening before his eyes. The second it was wide enough for a grown man to fall within easily, he felt the puff of sulphurous air hit him in the face, and there was no chance of mistaking where it came from.
Oh, no! No, he couldn't have. It's supposed to be impossible for him to be able to do it, he thought, but the very next moment, he felt the immense wave of power crash into him, leaving no doubt about who was controlling the chasm.
A deep, terrifying laugh echoed from the depths, its sound causing the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"Oh, I definitely have, Perseus. Do you think I wouldn't have been able to find a way around the Law? You should be thankful that the one preventing me from directly attacking you first is iron-clad." There was no questioning it anymore. He would never forget that voice, no matter how many eons passed.
The other Olympians blanched, and he saw Annabeth stumble backwards before Jason caught her arm. He could tell that painful memories were being brought back to other fore of the daughter of Athena's mind, but he couldn't focus on it. He had far bigger problems to deal with.
"Tartarus, your forces have lost. Leave us be, and we will allow you to continue unimpeded." He was bluffing, and everyone knew that. There was no way they would be able to stand up to Tartarus, even if all of them attacked at once.
The disturbing laugh issued forth once more. "Oh, you really think I'm going to fall for it? Please, you all are barely standing, while I haven't even got a scratch on me."
The voice quieted, and Percy could feel that something was about to happen, something that he would not be able to prevent.
His prediction came true when a vacuum like sound emanated from the chasm, like it was trying to inhale everything in its surroundings. However, he didn't feel anything affect him. For a moment, he thought that he had overreacted, that was, until he heard a sharp gasp from behind him.
He whirled around, noticing that none of the others were affected; except for one person. He could see Tanya stumble, her feet giving out from under her as she fell to the floor. Then, he watched helplessly as she was dragged away, her hands desperately trying to cling onto the grassy floor to no avail.
He tried to rush forward in desperation, but a heavy gust of wind from within the depths of the pit threw him backwards, causing him to crash into the ground. He could see something similar happen to everyone else who tried to grab onto the daughter of Aphrodite, leaving her completely on her own.
How's he doing that? It should be impossible. He himself said he can't attack us first, he desperately thought.
Ah, but he only said directly attacking you. Who's to say that he isn't directing someone else to do it, a small part of his mind whispered.
Tanya was almost at the edge of the chasm, desperately clinging on to a small ledge with one arm. He was forcibly reminded of how it had been when he had been in Greece all those years ago, in an almost identical position as to what she was currently in. He didn't even have time to draw a parallel before her grip gave out, sending her tumbling into the depths. She didn't eve have time to cry out.
He was frozen, his shock overwhelming him for a moment. All he heard was Tartarus' final words before the voice faded away.
"Come down here yourself, Perseus. That is, if you ever want to see her alive again."
Artemis watched as the young demigoddess was dragged into the depths of the pit, unable to do a single thing to save her. She could feel the disgust rankle within her, causing her to snarl in anger. Tartarus had crossed a line at that point, one she would never be able to forgive.
For now, she turned towards Percy, trying to gauge his reaction. His helmet was off for the moment, allowing her to see his face. For once, it was reminiscent of his younger days where he was like an open book. She could clearly see the pain that was present on his features, looking just like how he had when Chloe had died in his hands.
His lips were moving soundlessly, a silent scream escaping his lips. She could feel the depth of his agony from where she was, knowing that he had grown extremely close to the young daughter of Aphrodite, regarding her as akin to a younger sister or a daughter, someone who he would always protect. His heart must have been tearing itself apart after seeing that he had failed once more.
She moved forward, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder as she felt him tremble beneath her hand. A feeling of pity welled up within her, causing her to squeeze his shoulder lightly, telling him that she was there to support him if he needed it.
He trembled for a long while, before suddenly seizing up, his body halting any motion whatsoever. The only indication that he was still alive was the shallow rise and fall of his chest. She slowly retracted her hand, feeling an odd sense of foreboding well up within her.
He didn't move for a long while, before finally picking himself up from the ground. She saw another sheath materialize on his belt, causing his regular Stygian Iron daggers to shift to the side to make room for it. She noticed that the new one was noticeably thicker and more protective than the others.
He bent down, slowly extricating the dagger coated with Essence of Styx from the ground before shoving it into the newly fashioned sheath. Her eyes widened in surprise, before instantly narrowing. What is he... oh no, he's going to do it.
She instantly grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away, but he didn't even budge. A fair amount of desperation crept into her action, but it didn't produce any effect on him. Instead, she tried resorting to words, hoping to somehow dissuade him from his insane plan.
"Percy, don't do it! It's what he wants, you'll be playing right into his hands! For the love of Chaos, please don't."
His voice was frighteningly calm as he replied, not a single hint of emotion visible. "I know, but I don't care. I will not leave Tanya to rot in the depths of the pit in his clutches. He's gone too far this time. I will never forgive him."
It was obvious that her words would have no effect on him, and she had already given up on trying to pull him away. She stepped back slightly, trying to see him more clearly. Fear was coursing through her; fear for him, far more than she had ever expected.
"Please, Percy, think this through before you do something so rash. You heard the prophecy, only the Demon King can stop him. You'll be slaughtered," she begged, having thrown her pride to the side. She had long since forgotten about it in the face of what he was about to do.
A mirthless grin crossed his face. "When have I ever done that?" he asked, before stepping towards the pit.
However, he hesitated at the threshold before glancing back at her. She could see the emotions warring his green and red orbs as he looked at her, before stepping forward.
She looked confused for a moment, but he was suddenly right in front of her. He leaned closer, whispering, "I may not get through this alive, and I cannot do it if I still have a regret in my life."
She was about to ask what he meant, but he already answered it for her, leaning down and capturing her lips on his own. She was struck dumb for a second, before she registered exactly what he was doing. He was kissing her.
Her first instinct was to push him away, but before she could act on it, he was already drawing away, a sad smile on his face.
"I love you," he whispered, before turning back towards the pit.
Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions. What had prompted him to do that? Why had he done so? The same questions were circling around within her mind, but even then, she couldn't erase what she had felt during the kiss.
She had felt the love and desperation he had poured into those few seconds before pulling away, and it confused her to an extent she didn't want to admit. Hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it put on display was something else entirely.
However, she was broken out of her thoughts when she saw him approach the edge of the pit. Throwing caution to the wind, she rushed forward, trying to stop him from enacting his suicidal plan. But she was too late. He turned around, catching her eyes once more before shoving his helmet back on. He spread his arms wide before falling backward, tumbling into the depths of Tartarus.
She came to a halt a couple yard from the edge of the chasm, hearing a shriek of agony pierce the air. It was only later that she would realize it came from her own mouth as she watched him fall away from their lives, from her life.
Yeah, left you there. I know you all hate cliffies, but I love them. Anyways, see you guys next week!
Please review!
Anyways, a few questions:
To Guest: No, I didn't kill off a foetus. Estelle was not conceived in my timeline.
To PJIsTheBest: Well, Rachel was the Oracle, and a clear sighted mortal, so I would assume she would be more capable of resisting it. And Dakota, well, I feel that in his state, as I explained, the curse wouldn't be as effective (another curse on him, blah blah). And as to why the Seven turned, I don't think anyone could go on a quest with such high stakes and not have doubts about their partners. The pressure will be insane, and it would be hard as fuck to handle.