"Annabeth, get down!"
As the shout rang out, the blonde-haired daughter of Athena's leg shot back, digging into the snow to catch her weight as she ducked her head down. An Empousa stood before her, sword raised high and ready to strike, only to stop short as a high-pressured blade of water whizzed through the air. Time seemed to stall for an instant, before the creature's sword clattered against the ground, almost immediately followed by its upper torso.
Annabeth let out a sigh of relief the beast reduced to dust, returning to a battle stance with her fingers tightly wrapped around the grip of her celestial bronze dagger. She spun around to see Percy standing with his arm outstretched, rings of water swirling around where he stood in torrents. Even as the waters raged ceaselessly about him, the orange shirt he had on his being was tattered, and a cut dragged from his forehead to his chin. He seemed fatigued, and unsurprisingly so. As he stood at the frontline of the battle, the swathes of monsters shredding themselves against his barrier, the overwhelmingly impenetrable defence he had come up with months before was starting to look whelmingly penetrable. Between his heavy breaths, he raised his blade above his head and parried a hefty strike from a Laestrygonian who managed to breach the swirling vortex.
"You ain't gonna have time for your little friends," the giant growled. "Not while you gotta deal with ol' Billie Bob."
"I swear, every time I see one of you guys your names sound more and more redneck." Percy grumbled.
In an instant he released his grip on Riptide as the snow beneath his carried him forward, right past the guard of his enemy before propelling him upward. He introduced the giant's face to the heel of his worn-out reeboks as a pile of snow turned to water, whipping through the air and catching Riptide and returning it to his master's grip. Percy pressed his weight forward, pushing the monster backward as he brought Riptide down into its face. With a single well-placed blow, he reduced the beast to dust before it could hit the ground.
"Good day then, Joe Bob." He quipped, trying to keep his cool.
As he landed, his eyes darted from side to side before narrowing. Despite his best efforts the waves of monsters were slipping by his guard, charging to where his friends were fighting. A volley of arrows ripped through the air followed by a crackle of lightning, reducing an attacking force to a cloud of golden dust – no doubt the work of Thalia and the hunters of Artemis. They had come to this frigid wasteland to meet with them on a quest given by Artemis herself, which Percy had thought was strange given that it was described as a simple fetch quest. But given the heavy presence of the followers of Kronos, the artifact was far more powerful than any of them had thought.
"P-percy!" a raspy voice called through staggered breaths. "Now!"
That was the cue he had been waiting for. He held his hands out and the water around him lashed out in a burst, cutting through the monsters closest to him. As soon as he had cleared the area, he clenched his fists and pulled them to his chest, drawing the snow and ice on the ground around him into liquid that encased him and propelled him backward like a torpedo. As he whizzed through the air, he saw a line of roughly 30 men with large round shields locked in a shield wall, their spears pointed and ready. Or rather he thought they were men for a moment, until the grisly sight of their putrid grey flesh reminded him that they were the handiwork of his cousin; a cousin who Annabeth was holding up, his legs barely supporting his weight after the sheer strain of what he had just conjured. As Percy landed, he rushed to their side.
"Nico, are you alright?" he asked.
The pale skinned youth nodded but didn't speak. Annabeth glanced at him and back to Percy.
"The shield wall won't hold them for long," she stated, glancing briefly at the risen souls of heroes reliving their legendary battle at the hot gates.
"The hunters are wounded and running low on ammunition too", Thalia added, placing a hand on Percy's shoulder as she stepped forward. "We have to retreat, there's no other option."
The son of Poseidon wiped the blood from his face, looking around and assessing the situation. The party dispatched to deal with the quest had consisted of Annabeth, Nico and himself, all heroes of the Second Titan War, in addition to the hunters of Artemis. Yet even with the might of children of the Big Three and the famed elite fighting force with the tactical brilliance of Athena's brightest child they were undoubtedly on their last legs. Percy knew whatever they were here for had to be important, but whatever it was, it couldn't be more important than the lives of everyone gathered here. He turned to Annabeth.
"We'll need an escape plan." He said, his voice resolute. "If we just turn and run they'll catch us as soon as they're done with King Leonidas over there."
"If you still have the strength, you could collapse the ledge and bring an avalanche down to cover our escape. But we'll all have to clear this area if not we'll be swept away as well."
In spite of the situation, a smile crept onto Percy's lips as Annabeth explained her plan. The way her stormy grey eyes seemed to shine as she showed off her mighty intellect always made him feel at home. He would probably have swept her off her feet and kissed her if their lives weren't all in danger.
"Once we get past the outcropping, we should be able to-"
Annabeth's explanation was cut off by a high-pitched shriek that pierced the frigid air. With nigh-militaristic precision the forces they had raised their weapons and scattered their gazes in all directions, scanning for the source of the sound. Through the howling winds of the frozen tundra, there was a shrill whistling, getting louder with each moment. But even the sharp-eared hunters barely picked it up before an enormous body burst through the clouds and spread its wings, sending shockwaves reverberating across the battlefield. It unhinged its jaws as it flew past the lines of the reanimated Spartans, unleashing a chilling screech with such force that it blasted the land beneath it, tearing through the shields of Celestial bronze and sending a third of the undead battle force back to the hands of Hades.
"What the-"
"Is that a gods-forsaken dragon?" Thalia blurted out before Percy could finish.
Annabeth swallowed hard as she took a look at the creature, which was now swerving around to make a second pass.
"An amphiptere." She corrected. "No claws, no legs."
"Not really what I meant." Thalia growled. "Hunters! Loose at will!"
With a single shout arrows began ripping through the air at the winged monstrosity, yet barely any found their mark. The serpentine form of the amphiptere was far too nimble, and the force of its massive leathery wings was enough to repel a bulk of the ranged assault. What few arrows made it through the creature's guard seemed to barely phase it, though what it had managed to do was piss it off.
Percy barely had a moment to raise a mass of water to offset the blast it unleashed at their location. Even then, the liquid barrier could diffuse but a fraction of the force and the blast ripped through their ranks, sending up a cloud of snow as it exploded in a shockwave.
Percy felt the wind get knocked out of him as the explosion of force struck him in the back, throwing him face first into the snow. He cursed under his breath as he pulled himself form where he landed. What he'd give to have the curse of the Styx back right now. But now was hardly the time to think back on past decisions. As his head began to clear, panic gripped his heart.
Annabeth.
He shook off the delirium, his ears still ringing, dusting himself off and turning to his allies. All around him demigods and immortal warriors were pulling themselves from the snow. His eyes scanned the environment until he caught sight of a spot of orange, dashing to it with a hand outstretched commanding the snow to water and clearing the mass aside to reveal the blonde's form. Percy flipped her onto her back and cradled her, running his hand along her face.
"Please be ok, please be ok…" he muttered as he checked her vitals, sending a silent prayer to Apollo for whatever healing might be necessary.
Percy wasn't sure if it was an answer to his prayer, nor did he care when Annabeth coughed and her eyes shot open. Her gaze met his, and she understood immediately, caressing his face and forcing a smile.
"I'm alright seaweed brain," she said, panting. "Help me up?"
Percy let out a sigh of relief and held her as she rose to her feet, but a quick glance to the others made one thing clear – they were in no position to fight. Gazing upon the scene before him, time seem to pass in slow motion. Hunters were injured and unconscious, Thalia was limping, and Nico was still on his knees catching his breath. On the other end of the battlefield, the weakened lines of the zombie Spartans were being pushed back by the endless hordes of monsters, and the icing on the cake was of course the amphiptere swooping in for another strike he could make out in the corner of his eye.
A sinking feeling wrung at his stomach. It was one thing to say that these warriors could no longer fight. It was another matter entirely if they would even be able to flee. At the rate things were going, the army would be upon them before they could make it around the next bend. Percy gritted his teeth. Even now the scythe of Kronos weighed on the young demigod, slicing away at the time they needed so desperately. His eyes shut and his eyebrows furrowed as began to wrack his mind for a solution, there had to be something he could do, but each idea seemed worse than the last.
Thalia.
His cousin. So strong willed and determined. Someone who always had his back, no matter what. The girl had done so much for him, how could he possibly let her down now?
Nico.
The boy was basically his younger brother. The kid looked up to him – trusted him. After failing to protect his sister, he couldn't allow himself to fail him too.
Annabeth.
As the thought entered his mind, his eyes snapped open.
Annabeth.
It was ride or die time.
Annabeth.
There was no need for further consideration.
He turned to Thalia.
"Get her out of here Pinecone Face." He commanded.
Thalia would have argued, but her attempt was met with the resolute gaze of the son of the sea, and it said all that needed to be said. She nodded and took over supporting Annabeth, who quickly put two and two together.
"Percy?"
Her voice was breaking, and her hands were trembling as her boyfriend turned to face the oncoming hordes. He looked over his shoulder, a silly grin on his face as his eyes met hers, the smile and the face that brought her comfort even in the darkest of nights.
"Follow your plan Annabeth, lead them to safety." He said, "I know you can do it."
"Percy, no!" she screamed, her voice laced with pain.
Though he heard her voice, her words could not sway him. He charged towards the enemy with hands stretched to his side. With each step he took the snow at his side added to the growing torrents of water at his command. With a swing of the arm the water coalesced and froze itself into a ledge that reached over the heads of what Spartan Warriors were still in unlife, darting up it before clenching his fists, bringing the other water trails together to form a sphere. He compressed the sphere as much as he could before his fist shifted to a forward-facing open palm, and the relentless roar of the ocean filled the air as concentrated bolts of water began to fire from the water orb, each one with the force of a bullet.
The attack tore a line through the enemy forces at first but was then angled upwards toward the diving amphiptere.
The flying serpent was powerful, but even its hardened scales were not immune to the sheer force with which it was struck. The water bullets tore away at its flesh, not enough to piece through its body entirely, but more than enough to shred its armoured hide. Perhaps if there was more time it could be killed that way, but there was far more at stake than just this fight.
His free hand gestured to the cliff face, his veins popping as he strained to reach for abilities he was far less familiar with. Perhaps a child of Hades might have power over the earth – but he was the son of the Earthshaker.
As the Amphiptere barrelled towards him, he looked over his shoulder.
In the distance he saw his friends limping away, Annabeth being dragged along by his two weary cousins. Her face was distraught, and it broke his heart to see her in distress, but he knew he had to protect her.
As the last Spartan fell, Percy dug deep, every muscle in his body screaming as the ground began to tremble. The amphiptere's jaw opened, the air around it warping as it prepared for its strike as around the ice spire where he stood the armies of monsters began to charge.
Percy let out a roar as he summoned the power bequeathed by his blood, the cliff face beside him shattering as rock and snow began to rain down at his location. Monsters froze as the horrible cracking of stone caught their attention, and they attempted to scatter. But they were quickly swept up by the mountain that was collapsing upon them. A boulder caught the amphiptere in the side and threw it to the ground, sending it crashing into waves of Empousa.
Percy looked up as the sheet of white came plummeting down towards him, exhausted. As he rested on his knees, unable to move, he thought to his friends and smiled.
As far as the life of a hero went, this wasn't the worst way to go.
…
…
…
His hands shot up, as the moisture was ripped from the air around him, swirling about him to form a bubble that solidified into a frozen barrier. The process repeated, another layer gathering before the first, but as this was happening, time slowed to a halt.
The falling snow stopped in place and the monsters were still. Percy himself was no longer able to move.
The world around him began to fragment, shattering like glass as it reduced to a great white emptiness. The Amphiptere shattered and faded, as did the army. Then the sky. Then the ground. Then Percy himself too shattered into fading particles.
Percy's eyes shot open and immediately shut again as he was blinded by a white light. He winced a bit as his eyelids fluttered, trying to adjust to the environment. Sweat was dripping down his neck and his breath was heavy. He swallowed hard then took a long, slow breath to calm himself, taking in his surroundings as his vision adjusted to the light.
Directly in front of him, against the wall of the room, was a long table laden with snacks from across the globe and a plethora of drinks to match. To his left were some beanbags and a coffee table, as well as a relative menagerie of plush toys. It took a moment for it to all click, and then he remembered where he actually was.
He reached his hands up to remove the visor that rested on his head, wiggling along the leather of his seat into a sitting posture and placing it by his side. He was then greeted by the clattering of ice cubes as a glass of blue liquid was offered to him, and he graciously accepted. Taking a sip from the glass, the familiar flavour of blue lemonade on his tongue helped ground him in his reality, as the person who handed him the drink dragged a chair over to sit in front of him.
"How are you feeling Percy?" he asked.
"A little shaken." Percy admitted, taking another sip from his glass. "By the way, thanks for the drink Shin."
A soft smile formed on Kageshini's lips, but quickly curled into a concerned gaze. He let out a sigh and clasped his hands together. Best to just get to the point.
"This is the seventh time you've desynchronized to this particular memory Percy."
Kageshini's voice held neither judgement nor contempt, but the words themselves made Percy's stomach turn. With pursed lips he sat his glass down next to him, lowering his head.
"I can't help myself every time it comes to that point." Percy lamented. "That was when everything… well I wouldn't say went wrong… but that's when everything… well…"
Percy struggled to form his words, but Kageshini placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded at him, offering some measure of reassurance. Percy took a moment to collect himself and continued.
"That was when my life took a big turn, and probably the last time I saw everyone I cared about." He said, before meeting Kageshini's eyes. "Well, everyone I cared about from that part of my life."
Kageshini nodded as he leaned back into his chair a pulled out a notebook, jotting down some of his thoughts. He looked over to a desk behind the seat Percy was in, where three large screens sat in a curve.
"Miss Mclean?" he called out. "You can go take your lunch break early."
The chocolate-brown haired Cherokee girl popped her head out from behind the screens looking a little bit confused.
"Are you sure?" She queried. "There's still some data from the Animus that needs to be processed."
"I'll handle it later." Kageshini replied. "Go ahead and grab a bite."
"Alright then, if you say so." She said as she stepped out from behind the desk, tossing her jacket onto her chair as she made her way to the door. "See you later then Dr. Kageshini. Catch you Percy!"
"See you Piper!" Percy called as she slipped through the doorway, letting the door shut behind her.
Piper Mclean had been doing some admirable work in the Animus lab. Once the Assassin order found that the system could allow you to revisit not just your ancestor's memories but also your own, they immediately began research into its therapeutic applications and information retrieval potential. When Piper was found and brought into the order, her natural ability in emotional insight made her a prime candidate for the therapeutic process, and she began training in the labs regularly. With her recent performance, Percy would have put in a good word for her with the Grand Master if he didn't think Kageshini had already done it.
"She will make a great member in the order in due time." Kageshini mused.
"Absolutely." Percy agreed. "I'm glad we found her before the Templar could get to her."
There was a moment of silence after that, and it seemed to drag on far longer than either man found comfortable.
"Let's get to the point Percy," Kageshini finally said, breaking the silence. "I don't think you're ready to return to Camp Half-Blood, even if the Grand Master thinks it's necessary."
"Well I can agree with you on that one. So if you could just tell him that and we can-"
"We both know that isn't an option."
"It was worth a try."
Kageshini was torn between giving the son of Poseidon a hug and slapping him so hard he would need a trip to the infirmary. But beneath the annoyance his concern for his friend had not wavered in the slightest.
Percy had approached him as soon as Allastar had assigned him on this mission, explaining that he felt like he still wasn't ready to handle the consequences of being dead to his loved ones for a year. It certainly didn't help that he knew some of them had… well… moved on without him. In spite of that he knew the longer he stayed dead to them the harder it was going to be to re-integrate with his old life, so one way or another he was going to make it work.
It was that very determination that motivated Kageshini to help him. But motivation wasn't giving the senior Assassin a solution to Percy's plight. Given his day job as a Clinical Psychologist, he would rather Percy have a longer time to process the trauma of losing his life by dropping a mountain on himself, strange as the scenario might sound. Looking at his downtrodden friend, however, Kageshini would pull out whatever tricks he had left.
"Percy." He said, his voice now dead serious.
Percy looked up and cocked his head to the side curiously.
"If you're willing, we can confront 'that' incident." He said. "Mediated with the assistance of Piper's Charmspeak of course. And naturally with Allastar's approval."
"Are you… wait… you mean… the beach?"
Kageshini nodded.
"Only if you want to."
Percy wanted to respond, but he hesitated. That evening had been a hurtful one and had motivated him to return to the order for the past three months even though he had the choice to return to camp. He knew he couldn't blame her, given what had happened. But he still felt betrayed, and he hadn't been ready to face reality. And in all honesty, he still didn't want to. But he had to move forward. For the order, for the fate of Olympus and for her. He wanted to be able to face her again, and to do so without hurting her.
"How do we do this?" he asked.
Kageshini seemed a bit surprised at Percy's willingness, but he wasn't one to question the decisions of the man known for being as unpredictable as the seas.
"I'll have to take some time to get Allastar's approval." He replied. "If he gives the green light we can proceed… likely around 8pm tomorrow night."
"Just in time for me to leave for camp in the morning."
"I'll be honest, it's cutting it close, but it's possible." Kageshini admitted. "Just… take the next day or so to clear your head and make sure you're ready for this. Go hang out with some of the other demigod assassins or something, you're a hero to them."
"That's… what's kind of awkward about it." Percy complained as he downed the last of his drink. "But I'll do that. Thanks Shin."
Percy rose from his seat and Kageshini patted him on the shoulder before rolling his chair back to the computer desk. He set his glass on the table as he pulled the door open, waving to Kageshini as he walked out.
Guess it was time for some prescription relaxation.