Chapter 2 - Heart
There was no time to stop and think when they arrived back at Camp. Will Solace, the only remaining child of Apollo, struggled to heal those whom Hestia hadn't managed to get around to healing herself.
Percy helped those whom could still move to grab anything that wasn't nailed down and run it to the entrance to the Labyrinth. There were only eight demigods able to help – of the remaining six, two of them were in critical condition still and the other four unable to help even if not at imminent risk of dying. It felt to Percy that they were far from capable – fourteen demigods against the Titans. The priority was their remaining nectar and ambrosia, closely followed by weapons, food and water.
It was hopeless.
The world around them seemed deathly still despite the manic activity, as if it was holding it's breath and waiting for the storm that would undoubtedly emerge in the chaos of Olympus' collapse.
Percy was only aware of the death when he passed the Big House on his way to grab the Golden Fleece off Thalia's Tree. A body was covered by a white sheet on the lawn out front, the sheet stained red. Percy paused and stared for a few seconds before steeling his heart and hurrying on to the Fleece. He urged Peleus to leave the tree, waving the Golden Fleece before the large bronze dragon and encouraging him to follow them – any dragon would be useful to have helping them. Passing back by the Big House, Percy faltered when he saw Annabeth crying over the sheet. Peleus snapped at Percy, as if telling him to hurry up as smoke curled from his mouth, and Percy started off again – though Annabeth noticed him and made her way over.
"Malcolm," Annabeth whispered. Malcolm Pace, the son of Athena, had died from his wounds only a half hour after their arrival at Camp Half-Blood.
There was no time to stop and mourn.
Percy continued leading Peleus with the Golden Fleece, straight over to Hades before tossing the Golden Fleece at the god's feet. The dragon growled and settled over it on the ground, bronze scales rustling as they scraped against each other with every flex of the dragon's muscles. Yellow eyes watched Percy closely as he turned and headed back to Camp, intending to grab anything else.
Percy had just reached the cabins, intending to scavenge through them for anything he could find when Hestia materialised in the hearth. Bleeding golden ichor, she was crumpled in the smouldering coals.
"What happened?" Percy demanded, forgetting all respect in the sharp panic that turned his stomach.
"Time," Hestia whispered, her eyes clouded over as ichor trickled from between her lips. Percy hovered over her, not sure how he could even begin with helping to heal the gaping wound through her stomach. A sword had pierced through her stomach, and a gash split the goddess diagonally from shoulder to hip – exposing bone and muscle. Various other more minor injuries were scattered over her, but none of them worried Percy so much as those two larger ones. "Your time is up," Hestia murmured. "I have delayed them as long as I can."
"Where are Demeter and-"
"Gone," Hestia rasped. She took a deep, rattling breath and slowly forced herself to her feet.
Percy had never seen an immortal get this injured before – the reality that they'd be facing living tanks able to shrug off the deadliest of blows chilled his blood and made him want to throw up. "Are you sure you should be moving?"
"They will be here soon," Hestia said, taking a deep breath as she straightened. Percy tried to avoid looking at all the blood, knowing he'd be sick if he did – the sight of it just… and the smell, he couldn't stand it.
"Who?" Percy whispered, dread pooling in his stomach.
"Does it matter?" Hestia shook her head slightly. "You all must go – now. The barrier won't last long against him."
Him.
Percy swallowed. "I thought he was busy?"
"He was. Now he isn't." The goddess grimaced, clutching at her injuries. "And he is, as ever, very angry that anyone survived." Hestia raised her gaze towards the red sky overhead. "You all need to leave," she repeated.
Percy nodded slightly, taking a few steps away from Hestia. "Thank you… Lady Hestia," he murmured, lowering himself into a bow.
Hestia's answering smile was small and sad. It pulled at something in Percy's heart, even as she stepped towards him despite him backing away. She rested a hand on Percy's chest, over his heart. "This will be difficult for you," Hestia murmured to Percy. "I do not know how long this will last, nor if you will survive. But no matter what happens, you must not lose your heart." Despite her injuries, the Last Olympian's eyes were as fierce as fire. "Promise me that, Percy Jackson. Your heart will see you through."
Percy stared back at her, feeling his heart throbbing and its beat roar in his ears. He wanted to say no. His mother had been killed, and Paul too. Camp… the demigods whom remained would have to leave. There was no longer anywhere that would be safe for demigods to settle, not as long as the Titans hunted them down. But still, Percy nodded his head to Hestia. "I promise," he whispered to her. Though Percy knew it was a promise he couldn't keep – his heart just wasn't in the fight anymore.
Hestia merely smiled however. "I shall hold you to that," she warned him before sighing. "Tell my brother the Underworld isn't safe," Hestia said to Percy. "He must not try to return. It's more than likely that the Titan in the Underworld is taking over in the Titan Lord's name as we speak."
Percy nodded. "I'll tell him. Not that he'll listen to me."
"Go now then," Hestia said, "and remember your promise to me, Percy Jackson. If you lose your heart, so shall many others. Be strong."
"I'll try," Percy said.
"That is all I ask."
Hestia ushered him away then, even as she settled down next to the Camp's Hearth for one last time. The coals smouldered in the pit, though when she began to care for them a small flame flickered in the depths. Percy felt a warmth spread through his chest as he made his way towards the Big House – even mortally wounded, Hestia's magic was strong. The few demigods he passed nodded to him with a new eagerness to their movements, even as Percy warned them of the imminent approach of the Titans.
Percy bounded into the Big House, immediately starting to grab up the few medical supplies that Will was using, much to his startled protests. "What in Hades – Percy! I need them," Will snapped. While he looked extremely stressed, probably with the two wounded demigods he was trying to keep alive, he moved with an undeniable intent.
"We have to leave – now. Titans are coming."
Alarm sparked in Will's eyes, and he immediately started helping Percy to pack their supplies, casting a concerned glance towards the other demigods. "Some of the others will help get them out," Percy added when he saw the hesitation. He shoved a bundle of supplies into Will's arms. "And so will I. But you need to go – you're the only medic we have left, Will."
That just seemed to pile on the stress, and Will's shoulders slumped. "I know," he whispered. "Gods, I know."
Percy nodded slightly. "Good," he said, noting the shadows twist in the corner. "Then Nico can take you to the Labyrinth."
"What?"
Nico stepped out of the shadows with a scowl, holding a hand out to Will. "I've been told to grab you," he said as he snatched up Will's hand.
Will looked startled, twisting to face Percy before he nodded slightly. "I – oh, okay," he said, promptly letting out a startled yelp when Nico pulled him into the shadows and they disappeared.
Percy was staring between the two wounded demigods and trying to figure out how he'd get them to the Labyrinth when the air trembled around him. His gut twisted, the air crackling around him and Percy knew instinctively when was going to happen – Percy bolted to the window, heart in his throat, just in time to see the lightning crash against the barrier around Camp.
The air shook a few seconds later, as Percy was still blinking stars out of his eyes. The window he was staring out of shattered from the concussive blast – shards of glass bouncing off Percy's iron skin.
"Shit," Percy whispered as dark thunder clouds swarmed overhead.
"It won't hold," Nico's voice said behind Percy, resting both hands on the injured demigods before slinking back into the shadows before Percy could respond.
Percy bit his tongue instead, returning to staring out of the window and up at the storm over Camp Half-Blood. It reminded him distinctly of Zeus, the taste of ozone metallic in Percy's mouth. The second blast of lightning again ricocheted off the Camp's barrier, though the sky shimmered weakly and Percy winced as the force of wind crashed into him and sent him stumbling back a pace.
The third strike happened only a minute later.
"Percy," Nico urged from behind him, and Percy turned to find Nico was hovering behind him – hand extended.
"Wait," Percy muttered, feeling it down to his bones. A second later it crashed into the barrier above Camp Half-Blood, this time shattering the shield like glass which gleamed in the shadow of the thunder clouds. The barrier dissolved, stretching out from the point of impact even as one, two – three comets blasted through the hole. They slammed into the ground in rapid succession, each shaking the ground and gauging craters into the field.
"Percy," Nico hissed, his voice shaking.
"Wait," Percy repeated, his eyes locked on the ash dancing through the air. Percy squinted, trying to see – to pierce the dust cloud.
The three Titans stepped from the craters, expelled from the ash as if even it disapproved of their existence. Percy's breath caught in his throat when he saw Hestia standing between the three and the rest of the Camp. He recognised the first one, Hyperion, whom scowled when his burning eyes settled onto the goddess. His armour burnt with flames, scorching hot and unyielding as he stepped towards the goddess.
The second Titan was new to Percy. Seemingly the opposite of Hyperion, his armour looked to be carved from a glacier and frigid blue eyes regarded Hestia with a wild and cunning intelligence. Though he hardly seemed to care for the Olympian in their path, eyes instead cutting towards the third Titan between the others.
Him, Percy hadn't seen. Not face-to-face yet. Thunder rumbled overhead, clouds smothering the valley in darkness. Though eyes of molten gold cut through it all, sliding over Hestia and clearly dismissing her as insignificant – and somehow amongst the silence that had settled amongst the valley, then found Percy with unerring accuracy.
Percy didn't need to be told whom this was. Those eyes alone revealed this one, that and the dark hair which framed his face – a face which was horrifyingly similar to that of Percy's father and his uncles.
Kronos smiled then, cruel and vicious as if envisioning Percy's head hanging on a wall somewhere for all to see.
Percy clenched his fists, his eyes burning a hole into Kronos' head as he took a step forwards and considered the chances of him being capable of taking Kronos down. That monster had killed his mom. Though the Titan didn't seem irritated, only amused as if Percy were a kitten baring it's claws and hissing at him. Percy swallowed, his legs trembling slightly – the weight of the world seemed to crash over his shoulders again as he stared, and a knee collapsed under Percy sending him crashing to the floor.
The demigod gasped, stunned even as the weight vanished. He heard a whisper of a laugh in the wind beside his ear and recoiled, only for the laughter to echo through his head. A hand touched his shoulder, and Percy felt the familiarity of shadow-travel.
"Percy! Are you alright?" Nico demanded, looking startled as he stared down at him. They were in the clearing just outside the Labyrinth – Kronos was no longer in sight, though Percy didn't feel any safer knowing that he was still in Camp. He felt eyes on him, eyes that he couldn't see.
Percy stared at his shaking hands. "Can you feel that?"
"Yes," Nico whispered, face paler than usual. "It's why we have to go – now. He can See us if we stay here."
"How? How in Hades can he do that?" Percy demanded.
"It'll take too long to explain," Nico said as he tugged at Percy's hand. "Now come on!"
Percy nodded, scrambling back to his feet. "Right," he agreed. Everything was dark and sound seemed muted, aside from the clash of metal in the distance as Hestia fought. Percy made for the entrance of the Labyrinth, gaping wide and yet somehow still darker than the thunderclouds overhead.
The demigods stumbled towards the mouth and Percy hesitated, remembering clearly his last adventure in the depths.
A breath on the wind, as if an exhale, jerked him out of his worries. His breath caught as words followed.
"Run. Hide," Kronos' voice murmured to Percy, horrifying in its intensity yet startlingly calm and amused. "But know that if you stand against me, you will never find sanctuary and you will never rest. I will find you, Perseus Jackson, and the rest of your half-breed friends. And I will tear you apart and feed you to my monsters."
"Fuck off," Percy said to the wind, before he jumped into the Labyrinth after Nico.
Shorter than the last one by a fair bit... but I just wanted to post this so - here. Chapter two. So, in case it's not clear from the first two chapters, I'm going to warn you now - not everyone will survive this. I wanted to make it clear that no one is safe in this story from these chapters.
Blue: Will do!
Diana8528: Yeah, when I first read PJO I was... 12 or smth. Now 10 years later the books just seem lacking so this is my solution XD. A dark story in which the Titans win. Trust me.. you will absolutely despise Kronos before the end of this fic.
Kronoslord oftime: me too! XD
srociox: thanks!
BlueFireRunes: thanks for the follow!
Thatgremlinbitch: thank you XD
elexiacharlie: there will absolutely be a dark side to the demigods in this. They're going to have to do horrible stuff to survive. I'm gonna be blurring the lines between good and evil in this XD
thegoldraven: The answer was... I kinda got distracted lol. University started again this week though and I just needed something to do to take away the stress which is already starting XD. So I wrote most of this last night (I'm honestly quite impressed with myself). Kronos waging war and dominating everything will be fun XD.