Hey guys! New chappie. Now, before we begin, I want to give a shout out to the author PercyPotter123. He has some really good work, including the story 'Knowing When You Need Help'. I highly suggest you guys to check both the author and the story out.
Anyways, here we begin.
Note: I do NOT own PJO or HOO. Otherwise I wouldn't be uploading this here.
Chapter XLIV
All he felt was pain.
Percy could feel the Essence of Styx entering his veins, burning the ichor away as it slowly made its way towards his heart. It was a miracle that Tartarus stabbed him in the abdomen instead, or maybe he did it intentionally in order to prolong his suffering. Either way, he knew that his life was forfeit.
However, even that pain couldn't compare to what he felt at seeing two of the people he cared about die before him, one due to his own decision and the other due to his stupidity. He had believed the primordial when he said that he would spare Tanya, and he had paid the price.
All the grief and frustration roiled within him even as the poison slowly ate away at his body, not giving him a moment's reprieve. His mind constantly replayed what had occurred in the past five minutes, repeatedly witnessing the deaths of both Bob and Tanya. His emotions came to the fore once more, but he could sense a change in them. They had given way to a singular, burning rage, all of it directed towards Tartarus.
He grabbed the blade that was lodged in his gut, pushing it out. Tartarus stumbled back, clearly not having expected any fight from him, but didn't move when he saw the ichor gush out of the wound, tinted with a hint of black. The Essence was already working its way through his body.
"After everything you did to save her, look where you are. Dying at my feet, after you failed to save her," he said, while at the same time flicking his wrist, causing the blade to disappear.
He felt his rage intensify even more, his already weakened control rapidly deteriorating. Hearing him mention Tanya's death so callously was pushing him over the edge, even though he knew that was what the primordial wanted. He didn't care, Tartarus had gone too far.
He understood why the being hadn't finished him off instantly. He wanted to see him beg, plead with or curse him, anything that would make his last moments all the more pathetic. He wasn't going to fulfil the bastard's wish, however. He was going to go down fighting.
He slowly wobbled to his feet, feeling the ground sway beneath him. One hand was placed over the bleeding wound, his fingers already soaked in ichor. Yet he didn't feel any of the pain. The inferno of anger was building within him, reaching a level he had never felt before.
Tartarus flicked his hand once again, sending him flying into a nearby pillar. He crashed into it, but didn't feel anything. His fury had dampened his sensitivity to pain, allowing him to stand up once again.
Tartarus looked slightly surprised at his tenacity. "Even on your last legs, you refuse to go down. I should have expected it, after all. You were never easy to break, even after everything I put you through. I had hoped to see you broken before you died, but I guess it won't happen. I was surprised when you didn't break after I sent I manticore to kill that little huntress you were so fond of. Anyways, goodbye, Perseus."
The primordial slowly approached him, and Percy remembered everything he had been through after the Giant War, all of it a direct result of the actions of the lord of the pit. And then he had the audacity to tell him that Chloe's death had been ordained by him simply to cause him even more grief. His rage finally exploded, pushing past anything he had felt before.
He could feel the restraints in his mind snapping one after the other, his anger overtaking everything present. His vision flooded with red, causing the already tinted landscape of Tartarus to look like it had been bathed in blood. He could feel something burning within his chest, but not from the Essence of Styx. It was something different, something far more powerful.
He felt the heat emanating from his body as he stood, feeling the gaping wound in his gut slowly heal itself. He didn't know what was happening, and frankly, ne couldn't care less. His thoughts were slowly shutting down, focusing on one single impulse: Kill him.
A truly demonic roar tore from his throat as he fell to his knees, feeling his bones shift around within him. His thoughts were shutting down even further, leaving just basic emotions behind. All that was left was one burning need – to bring as much pain to the bastard before him as he possibly could.
Artemis could feel the shock coursing through her as she watched the wound inflicted on Percy by the sword coated in Essence of Styx slowly heal, smoke pouring off his entire body. She had already given up hope, tears streaming down her face after Tartarus had pulled the blade out, electing to force the Olympian to die slowly and painfully. Seeing him stand, and then the wound healing were things none of them had expected.
She could see the change in his eyes. Every time he had become angry, she had seen hints of yellow in his usual green and red orbs, but what she saw at the moment was unprecedented. Both his eyes had been replaced by swirling pits of acidic yellow flames, causing a slight shiver to run up her spine.
All of those watching stumbled back as they heard the roar that came from Percy's mouth. It was something they wouldn't have expected even in the very depths of Tartarus, yet they knew that their ears weren't deceiving them. The sound was so full of malice and hatred that it caused some of them to curl in on themselves, terrified of the scream.
Artemis watched dumbfounded as he hunched over, his bones themselves shifting under his skin. He didn't move for a long while, and neither did they. Even Tartarus stood still, intrigued as to what was happening.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally looked up. Yet, it wasn't truly his face. The lines were far sharper and crueller, with an aura that inspired terror surrounding him. The skin had changed from his regular Mediterranean tan to an almost sickly grey, similar to the colour that she had seen when Dakota had sacrificed himself.
His beard had all but vanished, leaving his entire face visible. She could see that the bone structure of his jaw had shifted, making it look at the same time thinner yet capable of far more damage if he bit, similar to a predator. His hair had remained pitch-black, but it didn't have the same unruly look to it. Instead, it was truly wild, sticking up in any direction it pleased. She thought that it may have even shortened slightly, but she couldn't be sure. All she could say was that it complemented his face well, although it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
He slowly stood, and she could tell that it was not just his face that had changed.
He was definitely taller than before, easily standing at almost eight feet in height. His body looked to have slimmed down, almost on the verge of becoming skeletal. From the slashes present in his shirt, she could almost swear that she could see his ribs. But for some reason, it never gave off the feeling that he was weak. All it did was tell her that he wasn't the same, and the change didn't bode well.
She watched helplessly as a guttural growl escaped his mouth before he grabbed his shirt, tearing it off in a singular motion. His bare chest was bonier than she had first assumed, and his stomach looked like it was slightly sucked in.
His arms had slimmed down as well, with a hint of wiry musculature present. His forearms had a row of bony protrusions running from just above the wrist to just below the elbow, curved and sharp, the colour of bone. It stood out in stark contrast to his grey skin, causing an even heavier weight to settle in her stomach.
His fingers seemed to have elongated slightly, before being capped by black claws, each almost an inch in length. They were gleaming in the dim light, looking just as deadly as any weapon she had seen.
He bared his teeth, showing that they had sharpened to points, his canines having elongated into fangs. She knew that he already had more pronounced canines than others due to his title of God of Monsters, but what she saw now was far more than what he used to have. She didn't know how they even fit in his mouth, but it didn't look comical in the least. She could feel the fear course through her being at the sight.
What happened to him, she thought, her frantic eyes turning to the other Olympians. All of them looked concerned, shocked and slightly scared in varying degrees. Then, her eyes landed on Apollo and the Big Three, and her heart dropped. Their faces showed nothing but pure, unadulterated terror.
They know what's happening, she realized, before rapidly pushing through the crowd, making her way to where the four of them were located. By some stroke of luck, they were all in the same area, giving her the chance to ask them at once.
She heard Tartarus' voice behind her, and even he sounded slightly unsettled. "What is this? A display to make me think twice? I don't think it will work, Perseus. Give up. I must say I'm impressed by you healing from the wound, but it's only temporary. You won't last very long."
She kept moving forward, almost reaching where the four of them were standing, but she couldn't miss Percy's reply in the dead silence that permeated the camp.
A low, terrifying growl was all that Tartarus got in response, before a single phrase was uttered, almost unintelligible due to how gruff it was. "Kill... you..."
She finally reached them, before grabbing her brother by his shoulders, shaking him violently. "Apollo, what in our father's name is happening? Please, tell me!" Her voice was frantic, but it was almost as if he didn't hear her.
"Impossible," the sun god whispered, his face drained of any blood that may have been previously present.
"What are you talking about, Apollo? Father, answer me, please!" She was becoming even more concerned, but it looked like Zeus wasn't going to be much help either.
"No. How could he ever have..." the King of the Gods asked, mostly to himself.
Artemis could feel the fear creeping into her self, seeing how even her father looked to be shaking in his boots at the sight.
She heard an ear-splitting sound from behind her, forcing her to clap her hands over her ears as she turned around.
What she saw was nothing short of utterly terrifying. Percy, or the being that had once been Percy, had lunged forward, attacking Tartarus without any hint of holding back. He didn't even summon his swords, even though there were still there in ring form. Instead, he was slashing at the primordial with his bare claws, already having left a scratch across the lord of the pit's chest. She could see a hint of silver blood ooze out, signifying that it had actually hurt the primordial.
Tartarus didn't look much more than slightly annoyed, but she was a master at reading another's body language, and he wasn't even trying to hide it. By some miracle, he hadn't noticed them viewing the scene, or maybe he wanted them to feel despair at the death of Percy. Either way, he had completely forgotten about them now, and she could see why. Under all the arrogance and scorn, there was a hint of worry coming from the primordial.
He stepped back, creating some distance between the two figures. Tartarus looked like he wanted to end it quickly, and she could hear the sound of the vortex that was his face try to pull Percy in. A small cry was about to escape her throat, but it died out when she saw that he wasn't even fazed by it.
Most would have expected Tartarus to redouble his efforts, yet the primordial simply allowed it to die out, and from what she could observe, he looked just as shocked as the four gods standing beside her.
"Impossible," he whispered, the first time his voice didn't sound like it had power oozing out of its every pore. In fact, it sounded slightly scared. "How can you be... I was expecting..."
Percy simply snarled in response, not even voicing anything. Instead, he lunged once more, his claws swiping a hairsbreadth past Tartarus' neck. She didn't know if it would have done any damage if it had connected, but it looked like the primordial didn't want to take any chances of getting hit by the strikes of whatever Percy had become.
"How can it be you?" He asked, almost as if to himself. "Your character is nothing like what is described! You should never have been able to harbour him!"
Percy snarled once more, the merest whisper of words escaping his lips. "Your... mistake... pushed me... too far..."
Once again, he began his relentless assault, for once pushing the primordial onto the back foot. Artemis knew that it wouldn't last, since at the moment, Tartarus was simply shocked at the development. Once it wore off, he would be able to push Percy back once more.
However, there were more pressing concerns at the moment. She moved to Poseidon, tapping his arm urgently. The sea god looked down to meet her gaze, his face still looking dumbstruck.
"What just happened to your son, Poseidon? Why are all of you so shocked?" she asked, and she could hear Hestia walk up towards her, looking just as concerned and frantic.
Poseidon didn't answer for a long moment, and she was about to give it up as a lost cause when he finally pulled himself together. His eyes were still slightly glazed, as if the shock had made him delirious, but his words were crystal clear.
"The other prophecy is being fulfilled. The ending of the one we received was referencing another one that had been made by Ananke herself eons ago. The wording is forgotten, but all of us remember who it talks about."
He turned back to the Iris message, watching as Percy kept pushing forward relentlessly, never giving a moment's respite to Tartarus. "He is the only person who can bring down the lord of the pit. I just never believed it would be my son who would embody him."
Artemis could feel the dread seeping through her being as she recalled the last line of the prophecy. You mean he's...
"He has become the Demon King," Hades said, his eyes never leaving the fight.
Kill... hurt... maim...
His mind was not rational in the slightest anymore, fixated as it was on bringing down his enemy. The rage was fuelling him, not ebbing in the slightest. If anything, it was only growing.
He could feel the power pulsing within his being, far more than he had ever possessed in the past. Yet his mind didn't even focus on it. All it could think of was seeing the blood seep out of the wounds littering the body of the being before him as he watched him slowly crumble to dust.
He watched as his opponent slowly moved away from where he was, and he could hear him talking, although the words were slightly jumbled to his ears. His mind didn't comprehend much of it, yet he heard the barest snippets.
"How... you... Demon King..." the tone was similar to a question, although he could taste the trepidation in the words, almost as strong as what he sensed in the air surrounding the being before him. The name kept slipping his grasp, but it didn't matter. All he felt was a burning desire to kill him.
Tear... rip... slash...
A small part of him was saying that he was insane, that he should think before doing anything. He dismissed it like the annoying fly that it was, knowing that the thoughts were coming from his weaker half. The half that had kept him suppressed for so many years, and now he was finally free.
He grinned at his enemy, pouring as much of his hatred into the gesture as he could. "Yes," he growled, barely able to make it discernible within the guttural sound. He lunged forward once more, his entire being roaring for blood and pain.
His opponent moved to the side once more, his movements looking far sharper and more coordinated. He knew that he had lost the edge of surprise, but it didn't truly bother him. All he wanted was to see his opponent lie dead on the floor. It didn't matter if it was from a quick attack or from a long drawn out battle, although he would prefer to see him put through torture.
He licked his lips as the being before him summoned a massive sword, almost as large as his own body, although it was easily held by the massive figure. He thought he could see a hint of black along the edges, although it wasn't like that of the substance which had coursed through his veins while his weaker half was in command. It didn't have the same feeling of evil about it, but even if it did, it wouldn't have bothered him.
He lunged forward once more, his claws moving around like a whirlwind. There was no rhyme or reason to his attacks, being fuelled as they were by instinct. The randomness had managed to previously keep his opponent on the back foot, but for no longer, it seemed.
A heavy blow struck him in his flank, sending him tumbling to the side. It wasn't from the sword, but rather from his opponent's bare hand. He had gotten into the being's guard, but it looked like he had underestimated how quickly his foe could adapt to the change. He had paid for it, as he slowly stood, a small dribble of blood rolling down his lips.
He wiped away the offending liquid, seeing the small hint of black on his finger. He could feel a hint of shock within his mind, almost as if his weaker half was taken aback by what his blood looked like. He shoved the thought away once more. Listening to that half would only hold him back.
"You think... best... Tartarus?" Once again, the words were almost incomprehensible, but the last name rang a small bell in his mind. That was his opponent's name. Tartarus.
Pain... destroy... cripple...
He could feel the anger and pain that was present in his other half when the name was mentioned, and he could tell that the being before him, Tartarus, was the reason why he had been able to escape the prison he had been trapped in. Yet, he felt no loyalty or thankfulness. He could tell that his opponent would much sooner see him dead than anything, and he wasn't going to allow it. The anger was still roaring through his veins, making him hiss once more, baring his fangs.
He circled around his opponent, searching for an opening. He was like a predator, stalking prey that was very dangerous and deadly, one he couldn't take lightly no matter how badly he wanted to simply lunge forward and tear its throat out. He hissed once more, readying himself for the next attack.
Kill...
Artemis couldn't take her eyes off what she was seeing. Percy's movements were animalistic, a far cry from his usual elegant grace on the battlefield. However, she had to concede that they were very effective against Tartarus, having forced the primordial onto the back foot for some time.
She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the lord of the pit smashed his palm into Percy's side, sending him flying away. She felt the shock and terror course through her. There's no way he can stand after such a powerful blow. There's no way at all.
Then, compounding onto the shock she already felt, she watched as he stood up, wiping away just a small trace of blood present on his lips. It was almost impossible that he'd only received such a minor wound, but what unsettled her even more was that the liquid was pitch black in colour.
"No, the Essence... it's already infected his blood... he can't..." she stuttered, unable to complete her thoughts. She knew what would happen if it took over completely.
"No," she heard to her right. Her head whipped around, focusing onto Apollo. Her brother looked paler than she'd ever seen him, but his voice somehow didn't waver as much as she thought it would.
"What do you mean," she asked, her attention diverted from the Iris message. Her eyes were now firmly trained on Apollo alone, not leaving his figure as he talked.
"The Essence of Styx may blacken your blood if you allow it to run its entire course, but that's not what happened here," he said, his eyes never leaving the image. "Its effects have actually been dampened, now that I think about it. What you see is the Demon King taking over. He's not the Percy we know anymore."
"What? How is that possible?" She was even more confused, and more than a little scared. "How could he become a completely different person?"
"Because we know it to be true," her father said, speaking for the first time in a long while. "The prophecy confirms it."
"What prophecy?" She was now more confused than she had ever been in her immortal existence. "We know the one Apollo gave, and it only references... you're talking about the one Ananke gave, aren't you?"
"Yes, the very same," Poseidon said. "The Fates do not have any control over Tartarus, but Ananke did. She had made a prophecy that foretold Tartarus' final opponent would be a being known as the Demon King, who would be unleashed due to pure rage and hatred."
"And how did you four recognize it so quickly?" asked Hestia, looking a little angry since it had affected her son directly. "All we knew was that the Demon King was destined to fight Tartarus, but we didn't know what they would look like. But you somehow knew the moment his face shifted."
Apollo sighed deeply, running his hand over his face. His features were still far too pale, and his eyes never left the Iris message. "I asked them not to," he said. "I had a vision of what the Demon King would look like years ago, and I when I reached the throne to tell my father, my uncles were already present. I told them what I saw, and they chose to keep it quiet, since we couldn't allow the knowledge to leak out. It would cause pandemonium on Olympus."
Artemis glanced at her brother, wondering how he had managed to then hide his curse of constantly receiving visions from the other two of the big three. He simply gave her a quick glance, brushing against her mind. "I told them that it was something the Fates had forced on me, and they took it as a sign that it had to be kept quiet."
She felt her hands tremble slightly. They all knew the legend of the Demon King, and how he would be the only being that had enough power to stand up against Tartarus. But how could it be Percy? She thought. He's one of the strongest Olympians, yes, but he shouldn't be able to face off against a primordial.
Then she remembered all the times she had seen him truly angry, and she could easily recall just how much his power had skyrocketed in those occasions. The worst one before now had been in Alaska after Dakota's death, and she could have sworn that if they had been in America, Percy would have likely been as powerful as the Big Three.
Then, her mind brought forth how he always looked like he was holding something back every single time that he became angry. It was like there was something bubbling under his skin, which he was desperately keeping under lock and key.
Chaos, has it always been within him? She wondered. Does it have anything to do with him being the God of Monsters, or is it simply after he became a god? Or is it something that happened when he was in Tartarus during his demigod days, and only became strong enough to act after he attained divinity? Whatever it was, she didn't think they would ever have an answer.
Her eyes once again shifted the image, seeing the two of them locked in combat once more. However, she could tell that Tartarus was gaining the upper hand. He was shrugging off multiple attacks from Per... from the Demon King and was responding with heavy blows that sent his opponent stumbling away, furious hisses escaping his feral mouth.
She felt something break within her as she saw what Percy had become. He had gone from being someone she had come to respect, a person who would always put others before him, to something that was little better than a beast. Even when he spoke, the words were so broken that she couldn't even think if his mental faculties were run by anything other than instinct at that point.
It hurt far more than what she would have assumed, pulling at the strings of her heart as she watched him once again charge Tartarus, her mind replaying the myths she had heard. How the Demon King would either bring down Tartarus, or be brought down by the primordial, after which the lord of the pit would be free to take over the world. Yet, it also said that even if the Demon King won, there was no guarantee that the world was safe. He was a being driven by pure hatred and malice, with no connections or sympathy to anyone.
This isn't Percy, she thought, feeling a small spike of pain in her chest. He's gone, and I don't know if he'll come back.
She could feel the pain persist, and she wasn't going to do anything about it at the moment. She had suppressed it for decades, even making herself believe that it was gone, but in the end, the faint traces of those feelings that she had for Percy had returned once more, and they had grown ever since the talk they had under the ice. And now, it looked like she had lost him once more.
Torture... hurt... slow...
His weaker half was calling out to him again, stronger this time. Something about ending it quickly for some people it cared about. He ignored it once more. There was nothing he had to do with any of that, and he wasn't going to pay attention to it either.
He snarled, lunging forward towards his opponent, Tartarus. His claws whipped forward once more, but the being moved out the way, hitting his once more with his palm. He was sent rolling along the floor, barely avoiding the following strike of the sword.
He slowly stood up, feeling the small nick along his side. It burned slightly, but it wasn't so much that he was unable to ignore it. However, it was enough for his anger to peak once more.
He felt something bubbling within him, and he reached forward, grabbing it and pulling all of it to the fore. He could hear his other half call out, telling him to not do it, but he once again pushed it away. He would never listen to it, not after how it had entrapped him for so long.
He felt something tickle his skin before billowing out in a large circle. All around him, the area was bathed in flames, but they were not the normal orange and red one usually associated with fire. These were acidic green, the tongues of flame easily reaching five feet high despite there being no fuel for it to burn. He could feel the desperate cry of his other half, screaming that it would be uncontrollable, but all it did was make him grin even more. That was perfect for a being who was the embodiment of chaos.
Burn... scorch... heat...
He could feel the shock radiating off his opponent, a delicious taste, although it wasn't as good as fear or terror. He would taste those as well before it was all done, he knew it.
"Definitely... stronger... taken seriously..." he heard amid the white noise ringing in his ears, the only warning he had before the being's aura literally exploded before him, sending him stumbling back. The power was far greater than he had felt previously, almost four times as much as what he himself possessed.
Tartarus rushed forward, his sword coming down in a powerful swing, one he only avoided by the barest of margins. He spun around, his claws swinging forward, but his opponent merely batted it away, forcing him to keep moving with the momentum of his swing. He couldn't recover quickly enough, and paid the price when he felt an elbow smash into his back, sending him crashing to the ground.
He heard the voice in his head desperately screaming at him to summon the armour from the thing that hung around his neck, or to bring forth weapons other than his claws using the two rings around his fingers. As usual, he ignored it. He wasn't some weakling who relied on hunks of metal to help him. He was going to fight with his own body, no matter how it ended.
Shred... dismember... skewer...
He attacked once more, trying to find any weakness in his prey. Tartarus didn't look as comfortable as he had been a few moments ago, avoiding his attacks. A few stray tongues of the green fire almost hit his opponent, and he had only moved out the way in the nick of time.
He was pushing his opponent back once more, when he felt a sudden tremor pass through the floor. He struggled to remain standing, but the quake simply became even stronger, finally tripping him over. He fell to the ground, smashing into the hard stone.
He glanced up, his hazy vision seeing the hulking figure that was striding towards him. He hissed in rage, before scrambling up. However, the moment he was back on his feet, the tremors began once more, forcing him to stumble again.
"No chance... my domain... nothing..." His opponent was gloating, confident in his victory. He felt the anger spike once more. No way... lose... must leave... ground...
He shrieked, the sound causing the entire room to rumble slightly. He banged his fists against the floor, feeling the bones and muscles in his back twist and contort in an excruciating manner. Yet, he persevered, and he was rewarded when he felt something burst forth, allowing him to leap into the air.
He felt the stifling wind rush past his face while even his weaker half fell silent, shocked at what had just occurred. Even his opponent had fallen silent, simply staring at him. He ignored it, allowing his body to twist and turn in the air.
Above... fly... wings...
Artemis' jaw dropped when she saw the wings burst out of the Demon King's back.
They were hideous, spanning twenty five feet and looking like a bat's, the membranous skin stretched in between stark-white bone. She didn't even know how he was able to support himself with almost no muscle mass to speak of, yet somehow there he was, flying in the murky sky of Tartarus in order to avoid the primordial's control over the ground.
Percy would never take to the sky, she thought. The Demon King has taken over, hasn't it?
She watched as the terrifying creature swooped down, a bone-chilling shriek tearing past its lips. It angled itself towards Tartarus, rushing towards the primordial at incredible speeds. The Greek Fire burned along his body, swirling in the air as he flew. The lord of the pit lifted his sword in order to swing it at the Demon King, but he slipped past Tartarus's guard, grazing him on the side with his claws. Tartarus roared in pain as he felt the Geek Fire scald his wound, before he managed to somehow put it out.
Yet, she could see that the King was struggling to gain altitude once more. He was flapping his massive appendages furiously, but their sheer size made it so that they would only move so quickly. He was forced to take a long, rather languid turn before he was able to face Tartarus once more.
Artemis wasn't surprised. After all, his body wasn't suited for flight, and no matter how powerful his meagre amount of musculature may be, it still wouldn't be able to move the wings faster than what he currently could. And he was definitely far heavier than any being that took to the air had any right to be. Frankly, she was astonished he was even able to gain any lift at all, especially with the Greek Fire surrounding him.
His lethargic movement gave Tartarus enough time to reset himself, something she could see angered the Demon King massively. However, she could tell that he was out of tricks as well, and the wings he currently had were his best bet. As she had seen previously, he was acting on instinct, not logic. He clearly hadn't considered the implications of how difficult it would be for someone of his weight, emaciated-looking as he was, to take to the air.
Again, she felt a small pang as she saw another difference between the so called Demon King and Percy. While the latter would act on instinct in multiple occasions, he was also smart enough to avoid such mistakes, his fighting style over time blending both logic and instinct. Now, it looked like all of that progress had been lost in a mere instant, replaced by a creature that was one step away from being considered an animal.
The King swooped down once more, this time as silently as he could. The tongues of flame lashed the air as he rapidly descended towards the towering figure of his opponent. She could see that he was utilizing gravity far more than his own prowess in the air to gain the momentum he did, but she couldn't deny that it would be effective. He streaked down towards Tartarus, ready to smash into the primordial once more.
However, this time around, Tartarus was prepared. He waited until the Demon King was barely a couple yards away, before allowing his aura to pulse outward. Artemis couldn't feel it through the Iris message, but she could tell that it was powerful enough to physically push back the smaller figure of the Demon King, stopping him mid-air. She could only watch as Tartarus used his massive reach to smash the sword against his opponent's side with a sickening crunch, sending the being that had once been Percy tumbling away.
She saw him slowly wobble to his feet, black blood oozing out of his mouth. The right side of his chest looked almost as if it had been caved in from the blow, a few of his bones poking through the skin. The rest of his torso was covered in a long, deep gash from the sword, blood flowing freely from the wound. The Greek Fire died out as he regained his footing, his control no longer able to maintain it. Still, damage had been done to the surroundings, with a massive area engulfed in the green flames.
Yet, his eyes were still burning, and even as she watched, Artemis could have sworn that they grew in intensity, the sickening yellow flaring even brighter within the twin pits. As she watched, the wound along his gut slowly closed up, leaving behind but a faint scar as a reminder. His fractured ribs knit themselves back together, his chest returning to what it once was. A faint hiss was heard before his body burst into green flames once more.
He hissed in pain, obviously feeling the discomfort from the rapid healing, especially since some of his still tender flesh was exposed to Greek Fire. Yet, she was certain that the pain only went on to fuel his anger instead of curtailing it, as he once again took to the air. He was still clumsy and ungainly, but looked slightly more comfortable than he had been before.
He's adapting, she thought, her heart dropping at the sight. At the rate he was going, there was no way Percy would be able to reassert control – if there was any part of him left, that is.
She could see Hecate and Iris tiring rapidly, Poseidon rushing towards them to give another boost to their flagging strength. The image flickered for a second while they adjusted to the sudden influx of power, but it settled down soon enough and they hadn't missed anything.
She watched as the Demon King slowly landed, a few yards away from Tartarus. It looked like he wanted to continue the battle on the ground, and he confirmed her thoughts by folding up his wings. They somehow compacted themselves to not be higher than the top of his head, with the lowest portion barely grazing his calves. They were compressed so close to his back that if would be a miracle if Tartarus managed to grab them to use as a lever or a handle to hurt him, even if he somehow managed to weather the Greek Fire.
The Demon King lunged, his fiery claws aiming for Tartarus' face. Artemis could tell that his movements were even faster than before, something that baffled her. It's almost like he's feeding from the anger and pain he's suffering, she thought, realizing that was probably the explanation.
Yet, Tartarus still had the upper hand. He may have been careful due to the Greek Fire, but he was still able to use his massive blade to deflect the Demon King's attacks even as they came. He was arrogant and impulsive, yes, but Artemis had to concede that at the moment, he was using far more logic than Percy, or the being inhabiting his body, was.
She could only watch as he managed to trip the Demon King, catching his wing as he tumbled. She gasped in surprise, seeing the primordial grimace, yet still not loosen his grip even though the Greek Fire was scorching his palm. Her earlier assumptions had turned out to be terribly wrong, with her underestimating just how powerful and focused the primordial was.
Tartarus pulled his arm back before throwing the Demon King towards the wall, causing him to smash into the stone, a deafening sound ringing throughout the area. She could see the cracks appear on the wall before a large section tumbled down, crushing him under the sheer weight. A massive amount of dust was kicked up by all the fallen rubble, obscuring him from their vision.
Time seemed to grind to a half as Tartarus slowly advanced towards the head of rock, kicking a few stray pieces out of his path. His massive, hulking form finally stopped near the centre of the broken pieces of rock and rubble, before reaching into the midst of the heap, grabbing something and drawing it out.
Artemis felt her heart stop when she saw the broken body of Percy slowly be drawn out, although he was still in the guise of the Demon King. Something told her that if the Demon King died, Percy would die as well, and from the looks of it, she didn't know how he could have survived. So much debris had fallen on top of him, and that was after he had been thrown by the full might of one of the oldest primordials.
Tartarus laughed, a deep, booming sound that made her suddenly feel like she had a huge weight placed atop her shoulders, crushing her almost as much as the weight of the sky did all those decades ago. The same weight Percy had taken from her so that his friends would be able to live.
"So this is the being prophesised to defeat me?" he asked, his eyes trailing over the battered body. "A weakling, and nothing more. You did give me a far greater challenge than the Olympians could, but in the end it was futile to try. But I won't let the insult simply slide past."
He tossed the Demon King to the side, walking away while sweeping his hand towards the wall, clearing all the traces of destruction that had previously been present. "Maybe I'll make that goddess you love so much taste my blade as well. Wouldn't it be fitting for Artemis to die right after you?"
She felt a tremor of fear run up her spine, knowing that he would follow up on his word. And she knew that he wasn't going to waste any time.
Another rumble emanated from the ground, the fissure opening up once more. She could feel the pull of the pit once more, but she could feel a change in the air. Tartarus was going to try to leave, and she knew that the laws wouldn't stop him anymore. It may have been the Demon King that attacked him, but he could interpret it as Percy attacking instead. He was now well within his rights to attack them in retaliation.
She watched the Iris message once more blurry as it was due to the interference that it suffered from. However, she could have sworn that she could see a hint of movement in Percy's body.
Body... hurt... recover...
He could feel the pain lacing through his body, lighting his nerves on fire. He could barely breathe after he had been tossed to the side by Tartarus, forget moving. His eyes cracked open by the barest margin, the blood red tint that had been perpetually present had dampened down, some of the previous colour returning to his vision. It was unnatural for him, although he could hear his weaker half sigh in relief at the sight. He knew that now was the chance for it to take back control, especially with his body so weak.
His ears were buzzing, but he could actually understand what Tartarus was saying, or more accurately, his weaker half did, and he could get the gist of it from the emotions radiating off that part.
"Make the goddess you love... taste my blade... Artemis to die..."
He could feel the raw fury that burst forth from his other half at the words, and he received a brief flash of an image, silver eyes boring into him. He could feel the protectiveness his other half had for the individual, and in his weakened state, some of it bled over into him.
He felt the power grow within him as his rage mounted once more, allowing him to shift slightly. His movements were silent, attracting no attention to him.
Protect... save...
The thoughts were completely alien, but it fuelled him enough to slowly push himself to his feet. He could feel his right wing hurting, but all the pain did was boost him even more. He struggled to get up, noticing that his foe was focusing towards the ceiling where a crack was opening.
The distraction was slight, but it was enough. He lunged forward, ready to attack. Tartarus didn't notice until it was too late.
He drew his claws back, but his other half tugged at his arm, screaming at him to draw the blade strapped onto his right hip. Usually, he would have been able to ignore the voice like it was nothing more than an annoying gnat, but in his weakened state, he wasn't able to. Along with that, something deep in his gut told him to trust it for once.
He drew the dagger, momentarily noting the black ooze coating it. He grinned, realizing what it was, the evil surrounding it almost a beacon of identification. He saw Tartarus' eyes suddenly look down and widen, before he plunged the weapon straight into his opponent's chest.
Victory... death... blood...
Yeah, I'm ending it there. Come on, you know me. I love a good cliff hanger. Anyways, we see what happened with the Demon King plot in this chapter, at least. To those who guessed it in advance, good work (although I may have been a bit too obvious, but still, nice)! And yeah, I ain't apologizing for the last chapter. You can't just have every single good guy survive, there would be no tension then. (Okay, you want to blame someone for my decision, blame George R.R. Martin. Man's far too trigger-happy)
Please review!
Anyways, answering a few questions,
First, I saw it a couple times, so I'll clear it first. No, I won't be reviving Tanya. She's gone, and there's no way to bring her back.
To parallaxyt: I think I've mentioned it already in a chapter, but since I cannot remember the name and am far too lazy to go through the entire thing (and to save you time), no, Annabeth isn't with anyone. She mostly works on architecture on Olympus.
QueenRay12: No, they may have appeared, but they're more side characters. It would become slightly too cluttered if I had to include their reactions as well.