Run, run, gotta run! I chanted internally, running, tripping, crap, crap, crap, I thought.
The voice followed me, though, no matter how much I tried to run. It taunted me, tormented me, tortured me with images, threw me on the ground again and again, never stopping, never pausing, just going on and on.
( Smelly Gabe, cutting him with a knife, him bleeding, never letting Mom see, always hiding it, always enduring for her sake, so she won't have to feel the same pain- )
YOU CANNOT RUN FOREVER LITTLE DEMIGOD! A voice boomed in the distance, and it was loud, so loud, can't stop gotta keep-! I screamed, but the only sounds were the echo of the voice and me panting.
( Luke betraying him, betraying Annabeth , trying to kill him, Luke lying dead, dead, dead, his fault, all his fault- )
I WILL CATCH YOU, AND WHEN I DO, YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS WILL NOT BE THERE TO PROTECT YOU!
( so many people gone, Lee dead, Leo missing, Michael missing, Zoe's eyes, blank, shimmering, then gone, gone gone gone - )
WHO SHALL I KILL FIRST? The voice mused. PERHAPS WISDOM'S LITTLE GIRL, OR THE SATYR?
( Silena lying in a puddle of blood, fading, and, holding out her charm, explaining, betraying , no, not that, a hero, she was a hero, she- )
HOW SHALL I KILL THEM, SEA-SPAWN? SHALL I TORTUE THEM, CUT THEM, PERHAPS THE WHIP? A GOOD FLOGGING MIGHT TEACH THE GIRL A LESSON IN MANNERS! The voice laughed, and I cringed, how could he laugh , he was talking about killing , killing Annabeth and Grover , I couldn't believe it, couldn't take it, all I wanted was to die , but I couldn't even do that right!
( choking Misery in her own tear, the sick feeling of satisfaction as she dissolved, wanting, no, needing more, more power, more-!)
( Annabeth's face as she watched her boyfriend become a monster, monster, the one thing he vowed not to do, he was a monster, she couldn't take it, she'd rather die than watch him become the one thing he wasn't, cradling him, rocking him, comforting him as he sobbed, cried, for hours and hours, unable to help, how could she help, why couldn't someone tall he how she could help-! )
And then I wasn't there, in that place , I was in something soft, something warm- my bed, I realized belatedly- and there was someone there, someone with blond hair, Annabeth?
No, not Annabeth, someone else. Someone else was shaking me, calling my name, slapping my face- Jason , I realized- and then he stopped.
I was confused. He wasn't shaking me anymore, was he. . .? oh , I thought, that's me, I'm the one shaking.
I sat up shakily, my trembling arms propping me up, squinting in the sunlight, yet another reminder that I was back, back from Hell -
Jason was saying my name again. It took me a while to figure out why, then I realized I had spaced out, that had probably scared him, I should say something, shouldn't I. . .?
1 hour earlier:
Jason was woken up by screaming, loud screaming, it sounded close, where. . .?
Percy.
Ever since the war had ended, Percy had been different, more closed off, more distant, not opening up to anyone except Annabeth, and even then, not all, and he was scared, scared he'd never be able to help, even as he threw some clothes on and raced to Percy's cabin, praying, praying with all his might it was just a nightmare, please, lease, please-
He threw the door open, and there was Percy, and gods, because he'd never seen his brother in all but name like that, scared, vulnerable , and it was wrong, all wrong, because Percy was supposed to be strong , the strongest one of all-
He rushed to Percy, and started shaking him, slapping him, anything to get him to wake up, he was there for the better part of an hour, no luck, please, wake up!
Finally, finally , he woke up, shaking, and crying, but awake all the same. Jason said his name again, but Percy couldn't hear him, just staring off into space, then he twisted around slowly as his face morphed from utter anguish to confusion to understanding, each emotion taking a while sink in, and Jason knew the answer then, why his friend was so distant, he wasn't back yet, he wasn't back from there, only parts of him are here, he's broken, broken-
But Jason felt the familiar feeling of determination sink into him, pushing against the pity- no, not pity, Percy wouldn't want pity, and a small part of him just wanted to let out a snicker because Percy and pity just didn't go together - and guilt, and sympathy- no, again, Percy wouldn't want sympathy-
And he decided, then and there, that he would help Percy, he'd help glue the pieces back together, he wouldn't stop, he would help him.
He'd keep pushing, and pushing and-
"J- ja- jason?" he heard voice croak, and spun around to see Percy, blinking, no longer quite so separate, he was there, he was really there-
"Hey, don't scare me like that man," Jason said, voice cracking as relief blossomed through him, sure that it was showing on his face because Percy ducked his head with a muttered, "sorry."
"No, no, don't apologize," Jason hurried to say, waving his hands.
Percy snickered, but it quickly turned into a cough, and Jason was thinking, idiot! He's probably sick, why do you always have to be a lunatic!?
When the coughing fit was over, Percy grabbed a bottle of water and took a sip. "'M fine," he muttered, voice hoarse. His face twisted into a scowl.
Jason felt his lips lifting into a half-grin of sorts at Percy's inability to admit his need for help. Jason understood, he was the same way, but Piper helped him open up to more of his friends, and now he wanted to do the same for Percy, because it broke his heart to see his cousin like that-
He quickly shook all thoughts like that out of his mind, because Percy was watching him curiously.
"Something wrong?" Percy asked, scowl deepening.
Jason shook his head mutely, not wanting to upset his cousin ( brothers, they were as close as brothers) but knowing he would have too, maybe even getting the Stolls to tie him down to his bed because he sure as Hades wouldn't let him get up.
Percy swung his legs over the side, or at least tried to, because in seconds Jason was there, pushing him back ( he hated feeling so weak, like he couldn't do anything, needed people to do things for him, it reminded him of that place he wasn't weak, he couldn't afford to be, he-! )
Jason glanced warily at Percy, guessing the thoughts that were running through his brain, and he grimaced, they were so alike in some ways and yet so different, it shouldn't be possible, but it was.
"No," he said firmly, watching Percy protest, but if he got out of bed, he'd collapse. Jason couldn't- wouldn't let that happen. "You are staying in bed, no questions asked, and you are not to leave this bed unless I say so, and if you try anything funny, I'll get the Stolls to tie you up."
Percy pouted, then sank back into bed, leaning his head against the pillows, sighing, and Jason was grateful, because he really didn't want to have to go through with that threat.
"Will you keep me company?" Percy peeked up, hopeful, and Jason had to smother a laugh because it was so cute. He nodded, grinning how Percy perked up.
Jason sat down across from Percy in one of the other beds, a distant part of his mind wondering if he'd have to stay there all day and then shrugged it off, spending time with his brother cousin could be fun, even if he was sick.
They passed the time talking, laughing, complaining about their respective girlfriends(vowing never to tell them about what they said, no matter how much they loved them, they were scary ), and just relishing in the fact that the war was over in general.
Around eleven, Percy was sitting up, still wincing every now and then, but much better than even hours earlier, he frowned, opening his mouth like he wanted to say something, but didn't.
He did it again and at first Jason ignored it, because it wasn't his place to push, but then he finally decided to take the initiative and ask. "What's up?" he asked, frowning and Percy winced, he didn't want to do anything to hurt him, or set him back, but then Percy was talking so he shoved his thoughts to the back of his head and listened.
"I haven't really told you about my life before I became a demigod, have I?" Percy asked slowly, continuing before Jason could say anything. "I just- I didn't have the best home life," he said with a wince. "And I- just don't want to- to complain, or anything, because I know people have had it worse, but. . ."
He swallowed heavily, taking a deep breath before pushing on. "My step-father abused me," he confided, waiting for Jason's reaction.
Jason's mind was reeling, Percy was abused? Why didn't he say anything? Before he even asked the question though his mind knew the answer. Percy didn't want to look weak. Jason felt honored that Percy trusted him to open up this much.
"If you were abused, why didn't you tell anyone?" he didn't ask by who, he knew that Smelly Gabe was his step-father before Paul, and it hurt , it hurt to know that someone could be callous enough to abuse a kid, because that's what Percy was, a kid, that's what they were supposed to be, until the wars messed them up and they were not kids anymore, they were veterans, hardened veterans who'd seen to much death and destruction-
"Gabe, he- he said he'd hurt Mom if I told."
Jason sucked in a sharp breath, this was wrong, all wrong-!
Slowly, carefully, Percy lifted off his shirt to show scars and burns, things that Jason had always assumed were from various monster attacks, but now. . .
"Oh my gods," Jason breathed.
Percy's breathing was coming more heavily now, and Jason leaned forward to rub his back, comfort him, do anything-
Percy was crying now, and Jason was hugging him, and holding him, wishing he could do something more-
"If I did something wrong, make too much noise, not give him enough money, he p-punished me," Percy choked out, now sobbing heavily, and Jason held him even tighter, and Percy leaned into him for strength, comfort anything he could offer-
Eventually, he calmed down, and Percy told him more, how Gabe cut or burned him, how sometimes he wished he could drown, but that he was better now, and Jason promised he could talk to him, anytime, he wouldn't make fun, and Percy promised, promised that he wouldn't self-harm or try to kill himself and that he'd come to Jason if something was bothering him and couldn't talk to anything, and Jason and Percy weren't cousins they were brothers, brothers in all but blood and name ( although sometimes Jason wished he could spill his own blood so Percy wouldn't have to, he wouldn't, he'd just be there for his brother ).