AN:...Lesssssssssssss ggggooooooo!
Time: Next Day
Percy stared up at the sky in worry.
The day was... unusual on the tropical island.
The world was in shadows, dark and gloomy. The sky was burning with a ferocious intensity that blinded him if he stared at it for too long, though most of it was hidden behind dark and foreboding clouds that rumbled and growled with thunder, massive storm clouds swirling in the raging winds like an endless, dark vortex. The winds had picked up and were choppy, the waves high as they crashed onto the sandy shores of Ogygia. The sun wasn't visible.
An endless shadow, like a grey tinge, had fallen over the world, tinting the usually vibrant colours on the island with a permanent dullness. The strong winds whipped through the flora on the island, roaring and screeching through the thick, dense forests that covered most of the island. The drooping green leaves of the trees rustled in a sinister manner, the spread-out branches and leaves swaying in an elaborate dance. The tall palm trees that lined the beach swayed and groaned as they were forced to bend, their long, bright green leaves rustling. There was not a sign of natural wildlife on the island, everything had gone into hiding.
The only visible life on the island was the twenty-four divine and semi-divine beings mopping around in the massive house near the beach.
Half of them were in the dining room, watching the stormy world through dull eyes, most of them sleepy and bored, lying with their head on their arms on the table. In the other room, a few shouts could be heard, where they were engaged in another intense gaming session.
But most of it lacked the usual energy- the depressing air of the world seemed to affect their very beings, sapping their vigour and making their bones and bodies seem heavier than usual. The atmosphere was stuffy and humid, but it was not so hot, thanks to the violent winds cooling the island down.
For once, the air conditioner was off, the welcome promise of rain and the cool winds prompting the immortal beings to give the machine a little rest.
The sliding glass door was wide open, and nobody cared for the little sand that entered the room with the refreshing, briny breeze.
Percy sat on the floor in his usual spot by the door, just this time, he was facing opposite direction. His back was to the room, the table and the other girls, and he faced the one world. The cool breeze refreshed him, and he breathed in deeply, feeling like he was standing at the stern of a ship in the middle of the ocean. His raven locks were tousled in the strong winds, making his messy long hair even messier. His clothes were ruffled in the wind, his comfortable, sleeveless black vest hugging his chest and abs as his loose black shorts hung limply around his slim waist. His bare feet dangled outside, his ankles resting in the soft grass as his toes drew patterns in the moist soil.
His dark sea green-eyed followed Artemis as she paced up and down the length of the swimming pool worriedly. Her lush, soft auburn locks bounced as she walked with a nigh impossible speed, falling in a gentle cascade past her shoulders. Her swirling, silver eyes stared off blankly into the choppy waters of the pool, occasionally glancing up at the chaotic sky in worry. She wore the standard Hunter attire, a uniform that had been under lock and key for possibly the longest duration in history. The tight black t-shirt, silver parka, and skinny hunting jeans hugged all her beautiful curves perfectly. Combat boots clicked sharply against the tiled, marble borders of the swimming pool.
She still managed to look beautiful despite her crippling worry for her twin, carrying herself with an effortless grace that marked each and every one of her movements. Millennia of being a lithe, quick Hunter had toned her curvy body perfectly, with a massive rack, a slim, perfectly toned stomach leading to wide, childbearing hips and an equally soft and heavenly bubble butt. Despite the tight, restraining underwear she undoubtedly wore, her feminine assets jiggled and bounced as she paced in worry.
Percy's sharp eyes followed every single bounce, every gentle curve of her soft flesh, following her unconsciously swaying hips and soft bubble butt that jiggled beneath the fabric constraints of her tight blue jeans.
However, despite the eye candy she was unwittingly treating him to, the tension in the air was palpable. Apollo was in danger, everyone on the island knew it.
Percy gulped, nervous for his friend.
Apollo had wanted to join him, and he had denied, because of his own sexuality.
He had just gone through several trials, several brushes with death, and it was unlike that the Triumvirate would be coming back anytime soon, if ever. If he was in danger, it was from the other gods on Olympus.
Percy felt pity for the somewhat naive sun god, coddled and pampered by all the people in the world since ancient times. It made him unbelievably strong, yes, but Apollo had yet to unlock most of his latent powers.
Besides, Apollo was the sun, without which, the world will end... mostly.
Percy gulped. What WERE they doing?
He stood up, worried, not only for his friend, but also for his beautiful goddess. "Artemis, we can-"
The moon goddess whipped around to him, shocked out of her thoughts by his voice cutting through the sounds of the brewing storm. Despite all the sounds around them, the world was silent and foreboding.
Percy was suddenly hugged by a blur of auburn hair, knocking the wind out of him. He felt wet tears moistening his shirt. "Percy... I'm worried."
He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, hugging her comfortingly. He could feel her body shaking as she buried herself deeper into his taller, superior form. "Shh, we will just go and-"
He was cut off. "Percy, I'm going to check on Apollo right now."
And without another word, there was a blinding flash, and Artemis was gone.
Percy turned to the watching girls in the dining room, moving quickly, hurriedly in worry. "I'm going after her, nobody should follow." His voice was stern as he effortlessly slipped into his Dark god mask.
"Percy..." Hestia started worriedly.
Percy made a clicking noise, "Chill, Hestia. It's probably nothing, but we'll check on him anyway. Knowing him, he probably forgot to take put the sun chariot." Even as the words escaped from his lips, he knew nobody believed him. Zeus would go berserk if Apollo just... forgot to take out his sun chariot. Besides, the usually goofy sun god was serious when it came to his godly duties.
He gave a short salute, before he flashed away.
Percy followed Artemis' power signature to her location. Artemis' temple, Olympus.
He passed through what felt like a wave of molasses, before being deposited on the marble floor of the beautiful, elegant temple of the moon goddess.
Picking himself up, feeling a bit woozy and unsure on his feet after the strange feeling.
After taking a moment to reorient himself, his feet carried him to the unmistakable flash of auburn and blonde hair, deeper in the temple. "Artemis, is Apollo okay?!"
Normally, Artemis would ask him how he got into her temple, seeing as she had never given him permission. However, right then, she was too preoccupied with her twin in her arms.
"Percy..." she looked at him worriedly. "I have to show you something." She bit her pink lip as her silver eyes shined at him worriedly.
"Is Apollo okay?" He repeated, slowly.
She gulped, "Yeah, he-" she winced, "she is."
Percy's brain stopped for a moment. Shrugging it off as him hearing her wrong, he shifted her so that he could get a better look at the sun deity.
His heart stopped.
Where he expected to see a sharply built, chiselled, hot sun god, lay a broken, sexy sun goddess, looking almost identical to Artemis, save for her dishevelled state, blonde hair and clear azure eyes.
"Apollo!" He knelt beside him- her, taking the surprisingly light goddess from her twin's arms.
He examined her with a quick eye.
Apollo's face was identical to Artemis', as already stated. Soft, gentle features, on a beautiful face that reflected safety. As compared to Artemis' pale, ivory skin, Apollo's was perfectly tanned, with a milky chocolate tone on her smooth, creamy skin. Her lush, blonde hair shined brightly in the light of the temple, long, and falling in gentle curls to her waist, a shade similar to Atalanta, brighter than Athena's or Aphrodite's. Clear, azure eyes stared at him helplessly, a bright shade reminiscent of the clear sky on a bright, sunny day, somehow different than Aphrodite's, whose shade was closer to a calm lake.
But it was the state she was in, that made his blood boil.
Her clean, white chiton was ripped in many places, and was only enough to cover her feminine modesty, held together by her slender arms and small hands. The rest of the fabric was ripped into shreds, revealing her beautiful, enticing curves, but which made his ichor roar in his ears as his fists clenched tighter in boiling anger. Her cheeks were gold and nose puffy, her eyes bloodshot, revealing that she had been crying for some time. Dried tear tracks stained her cheeks.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" Percy growled predatorily, letting his Darker side out to wreak vengeance on those who dared to hurt Apollo.
She sniffed. "Ze-Zeus."
"Why?"
"He said that if I wanted to be a man's whore so much, I should be a proper man's whore. He turned me to a girl as punishment, and handed me to Ares." She stuttered out between uncontrollable sobs, "He tried to rape me, and I came to the only safe place I could find."
"Did he take away your immortality?" Percy questioned.
"N-No, but I won't be able to use my powers for some time. I-I don't know if I can ever get back to-"
She was cut off. "Come on out! I know you're there, beauty pie!" A gruff voice shouted from outside the table.
Percy was immediately on his feet. "That's Ares."
Artemis hugged her sister tighter. "Don't worry, he won't be able to come inside." Apollo melted in her sister's arms, hiding her face in the moon goddess' chest as she dampened her silver parka with her tears. Her small body was wracked with sobs as she tried to hug her sister tighter, with an intention never to let go. For her, right then, letting go of Artemis meant the difference between life and death.
Percy cursed his attire. Barefoot, with the loose, minimal clothes that he wore on the island of Ogygia. He looked back at the twin archers. "Artemis, take Apollo to Ogygia, I'll just deal with Ares, and come along."
She didn't even try to stop him, just giving a resolute nod, "Be careful, Percy. And crush the bastard's bones to powder." She flashed herself and her new sister away with a bright silver light.
Percy stood up, snapping his fingers to put on his Dark armour.
A comforting, familiar weight materialized out of nowhere on his body. Percy ran his fingers along the smooth, cool surface of the black metal, his helmet resting in his hand. He willed it away, he didn't need it to deal with the wayward war god. The insides, padded with soft velvet, were warm and comforting on his skin. The godly metal covered his feet in a padded structure similar to the combat boots he was used to, crunching and clicking against the marble floor of Artemis' temple.
Percy stared at the door, his mind too preoccupied and angry to take note of the superb architecture that had probably been made by Annabeth when she reconstructed Olympus.
His ears were ringing, and his blood roared, adrenaline pumping in his veins. The distressed state of the sun god...dess emblazoned permanently into his mind.
His jaw muscles tensed, and he gritted his teeth until he feared that his jaw would snap under the pressure.
The familiar weight of Anaklusmos materialized in his right hand, its hilt fitting perfectly in his palm. Percy twirled the Greek sword in his hand, showing off its perfect balance to an imaginary audience, before he sheathed it expertly in one fluid motion at his left hip.
Doomslayer appeared in his left hand, and he willed the Imperial Gold weapon to shrink, as he knew it would. After a few moments, with a dark purple glow, the mighty, double-handed battleaxe, taller than he was, shrunk to an unassuming, light, unobtrusive woodman's axe. He twirled the axe much the same way he had Anaklusmos, and Doomslayer went to his right hip.
The sound of his metal boots clip-clopping against the marble floor of Artemis' temple was the only sound that accompanied his thoughts as he slowly strode to the door in a determined manner.
The grey world that awaited him outside was a sharp contrast to the brightly lit temple he had been inside, and he was disoriented for a moment. It did not last for long, however, as he immediately regained his bearings, a single face popped out of the mass of angry faces.
"Ares." He growled.
The war god seemed shocked for a moment, before he retaliated. "Perseus."
"Leave."
"I won't, unless you give me Apollo! We-" he spread his arms dramatically, making the fellow gods around him cheer, "-have been deprived of the three maidens, so we will have the next best thing! The maiden Artemis' twin sister will be ours!" He shouted.
Percy noted that all of the minor gods were ones who couldn't stand on their own. Pesky gods like Heracles, Deimos, Eros and Phobos.
"Besides," Ares growled, summoning a massive, double-handed broadsword in his gloved hands. "I have a score to settle with you. You took Aphrodite, too."
Percy growled, raising Anaklusmos. "Alright, war god, you had it coming."
"And you had it coming, punk."
The two crouched, their leg muscles tensing, before rushing at each other at supersonic speeds, blowing the minor gods off their feet.
The two swords clanged in the middle, as the two war gods fought for the respect of Percy's girls.
Percy immediately broke off the stalemate, going in for a low strike, swiping his blade at Ares' feet, and forcing him to jump back. Ares wasn't one to give in, as he brought down his massive blade in a deadly arc, moving faster than expected, aided by gravity. Percy simply sidestepped the move, experimentally jabbing at the side of his abdomen.
Ares swatted the blade away with his hand, shifting his grip to jab at Percy's exposed head from up.
Percy ducked, bringing up Anaklusmos so that Ares' sword clanged uselessly against its hilt.
He noticed that Ares had a perfectly designed armour shimmering to existence on his body. The Imperial Gold armour was splattered with specks of blood, and a blood-red cape flowed from his shoulders. His Celestial Bronze sword glowed with a faint red gleam that showed off his domain of War.
Percy grinned, raising Anaklusmos. Now, he was fighting only to down Ares, and why he had even started fighting in the first place, was lost on the two combatants. Now, he was fighting only to enjoy the familiar, intoxicating feel of adrenaline rushing in his veins, the constant fear, excitement of death looming over his head, that kept him on his toes, a feeling which he had all but forgotten.
He was a warrior, born to kill, fight and die.
Percy ducked as Ares swung his sword in a reverse strike, weaving through attacks like a professional boxer. He struck Ares' exposed abdomen, making a small cut clean through the thick, godly armour as he was forced to retreat quickly. Ares roared as first blood was drawn by his opponent, bringing the hilt of his massive sword down with enough force to crush his skull.
Percy jumped back, thinking quickly on his feet for ways to end this fight. It was clear that Ares had greater stamina and endurance, at least the fighting kind, and Percy could not rely on brute strength to win. His greater speed and agility had managed to let him draw blood... but without his any of his powers, he was lost. The laws of godly duels governing this particular match prevented him from using any of his destructive, Dark powers to end Ares.
He felt Doomslayer hum at his waist, and felt a grin curl upon his lips.
Percy again rushed Ares, blindly this time, forcing him to raise his sword to block the attack. He did not relent this time, instead continuing to push the war god. Ares gritted his teeth, before pushing back, using both of his hands to wield his sword.
Slowly but surely, he was pushing Percy back. A feral grin broke out on Ares' rugged face.
Percy tried his best to hide his smile as the war god played right into his hands. He was holding Anaklusmos with only one hand, and the blade pressed against his well-armoured shoulder. His feet dug into the ground, and he could a throbbed ache begin to pound his abused shoulder. He could feel the sweat, cool and inviting, rolling down his forehead. He was aware of all the spectators watching him like a pack of hungry hyenas, waiting for him to falter so that they could pounce.
His other, free hand snaked down to his waist, getting a firm grip on the shrunken, Imperial Gold handle of Doomslayer.
Time for the K.O. attack combo.
Ares screamed as the blade of his axe crunched into his femur bone, making the war god drop his posture to favour his other leg. His heavy blade rested limply with its tip on the ground, held by only one hand as he tried to stifle the bleeding with the other.
Bad mistake to make against an unbelievably fast, dangerous opponent.
Percy was quick to react to the lull in Ares' guard, using it to his advantage as he dislodged Doomslayer from his hip. He kicked his hand, forcing him to drop the heavy broadsword, which clattered to a rest several feet away. Percy did not stop, using the momentum to execute a complete circle, and roundhousing his armoured ankle into the back of Ares' good knee, forcing him to drop to the ground on his knees.
His metal boot ground against the soft soil, the armour not slowing him down the slightest. Rather, it fit him snugly, like a second pair of skin.
Percy raised Doomslayer once more, bringing it down in a deadly arc to lodge the axe deep in the war god's shoulder. Ares screamed in pain as the Imperial Gold blade crunched through his collar bones, into the first pair of his ribs.
However, Percy did not stop, slamming Anaklusmos' bejewelled hilt into Ares' chin, and finally doing the impossible as he knocked out the thick-skulled bastard. The war god lay passed out in a puddle of his golden ichor and a few teeth.
Percy panted for breath, looking around him with dark, mistrustful eyes. The minor gods shifted uncomfortably underneath his scrutinizing gaze, none willing to meet his eyes.
"What is going on here?!" A booming voice ripped through the crowds gathered around to watch the duel between the two war gods.
Percy gulped.
He had cleared the first boss.
Now for the next.
AN: Did you pick up the small reference to Sabaton I slipped into this chapter? Hint: It's found in the song Devil Dogs. Sorry for the late update, but anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter.
Keep calm and CR7!! Keep calm and LM10!! (Messi)