Percy shows a hint of a darker side- and we all kinda wanna tell Bianca to shut up but I mean, she's trying to protect Percy so hey, what can ya do?
A little update on the Kane Chronicles AU, I've written six full chapters and will be starting the official book plotline like, now. It's doing me good to write something different and I'm finding it a lot easier than the Roman AU or this one I have to admit- though I'm not giving up on either of them. I just need to shake things up. If you'd like to give suggestions of things you'd like to see like ships for in the eventual future that'd be great honestly. I'd love to know what you all think.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Yeah, with Percy there you just know that it's gonna be crazy- and, I mean, she gets the chance to go for Octavian so she's having a great time.
JjlovesPJO: Let's be real no ones ready for her.
Atemeta: No need to apologise, it's just it wouldn't work because the Egyptians don't have demigods like the Greeks.
Weirdhead: No ones ever ready.
Guest: See the thing is, Alabaster knows how powerful she is, he's seen it in person so he'd be more like 'Hah, they're lucky she's not at full strength right now or this place would be destroyed' rather than traumatized. Also at one point he's just like 'Go on, go on do it, embrace it' except he's not actually saying anything.
Camphalfblood738857: Thank you! I'm glad you like then, and yeah, that's about right lol. And I mean, they do still need to go to the Roman camp because they know the rest of the Seven are probably there.
Drizzle: Oh believe me with Percy there, they can't lose.
Percy watched as Frank reached into his quiver and pulled out an arrow- it looked heavier, bigger. The iron tip was shaped like the nose cone of a rocket. An ultra thin gold rope trailed from the fletching. Percy raised an eyebrow as she looked at it.
"What does that do? Grappling hook?"
"It's called a hydra arrow," Frank said. "Can you knock out the water cannons?"
A defender appeared on the wall above them. "Hey!" he shouted to his buddies. "Check it out! More victims!"
"Percy," Frank said, "now would be good."
More kids came across the battlements to laugh at them. A few ran to the nearest water cannon and swung the barrel toward Frank.
Percy gave an almost feral grin, staring up at them as someone yelled, "Open wide, losers!" and She focused, clenching her fists as she did and there was an almost deafening crack sound as the cannon exploded in a starburst of blue, green, and white. Defenders screamed as a watery shock wave flattened them against the battlements. Kids toppled over the walls but were snatched by giant eagles and carried to safety. Then the entire eastern wall shuddered as the explosion backed up through the pipelines. One after another, the water cannons on the battlements exploded. The scorpions' fires were doused. Defenders scattered in confusion or were tossed through the air, giving the rescue eagles quite a workout. At the main gates, the Fifth Cohort forgot about their formation. Mystified, they lowered their shields and stared at the chaos as Percy opened her eyes again, still grinning widely- she could feel the power thrumming through her veins, tingling under her skin.
This was how things were supposed to be.
She watched as Frank shot his arrow. It streaked upward, carrying its glittering rope. When it reached the top, the metal point fractured into a dozen lines that lashed out and wrapped around anything they could find—parts of the wall, a scorpion, a broken water cannon, and a couple of defending campers, who yelped and found themselves slammed against the battlements as anchors. From the main rope, handholds extended at two-foot intervals, making a ladder.
"Go!" Frank said.
Percy grinned. "You first, Frank. This is your party. You take the glory, and I have the fun."
Frank hesitated for a moment before he slung his bow on his back and began to climb. He was halfway up before the defenders recovered their senses enough to sound the alarm, and Percy and Hazel were scrambling up behind him.
Percy saw Frank glancing back at the
Fifth Cohort's main group. They were staring up at him, dumbfounded.
"Well?" Frank screamed. "Attack!"
Gwen was the first to unfreeze. She grinned and repeated the order. A cheer went up from the battlefield. Hannibal the elephant trumpeted with happiness, but Percy couldn't afford to watch. Frank clambered to the top of the wall, where three defenders were trying to hack down his rope ladder.
Frank launched himself at the defenders, who toppled like pins. Percy was scaling the ladder quickly, just below Hazel as Frank got to his feet and took command of the battlements, sweeping his pilum back and forth and knocking down defenders. Some shot arrows. Some tried to get under his guard with their swords, but Frank was unstoppable. Then Hazel appeared next to him, swinging her big cavalry sword like she was born for battle.
Then Percy hauled herself up, still grinning widely as she twirled Riptide "Let's have some fun." And they got to work- it was almost laughable how easily they cleared the defenders off the walls. Below them the gates broke. Hannibal barrelled into the fort, arrows and rocks bouncing off his Kevlar armor.
The Fifth Cohort charged in behind the elephant, and the battle went hand-to-hand. Finally, from the edge of the Field of Mars, a battle cry went up. The Third and Fourth
Cohorts ran to join the fight.
"A little late," Hazel grumbled.
"We can't let them get the banners," Frank said.
"No," Percy agreed. "Those are ours." she gave a dangerous grin, "I think it's time to test Bianca's little suggestion." she flicked open the locket and gasped when it transformed, shifting, growing into a beautiful mail shirt made out of pearl- it looked almost like glowing scales- hints of color in the white material.
Percy heard Frank and Hazel gasping as she grinned. "Now that's more like it. "
And with that they rushed down the interior steps and into the enemy base.
The battle was mayhem- just the way Percy liked it, and she and her new friends waded through the enemy, plowing down anyone who stood in their way.
The First and Second Cohorts—pride of Camp Jupiter, a well-oiled, highly disciplined war machine—fell apart under the assault and the sheer novelty of being on the losing side.
Also- they had Percy on their side- Percy wasn't sure what her fighting style was- she was pretty sure she'd started with fencing when she was younger, but whatever it was none of the Romans were used to it, she took down enemy after enemy, rolling under their feet, slashing at them, whacking several campers with the flat of her blade- there was panicking and shrieking wherever she went- and she felt oddly amused at that. It definitely wasn't something that felt strange- she got the feeling she usually caused chaos.
And then she spotted Octavian and she gave another feral grin, eyes gleaming as she heard him screaming something so shrilly that she couldn't understand what he was saying.
She rushed forward, and when one of the defenders raised his shield and crouched to try and defend himself she leapt up, using his shield as a springboard and flipping over a line of shields. She landed in a crouch directly in front of Octavian- who had a terrified look on his face as he took a step back- but there was nowhere for him to run to as she rose to her feet, eyes flashing. "Just to make some things clear. I know how the world works. I know how guys like you work-" he couldn't get away, "and if you dare threaten anyone I care about ever again I will kill you." she slammed the hilt of Riptide into his helmet and the centurion collapsed like a sock puppet.
Percy smirked, stomping on his nice shiny armor before she turned to look from her friends. Frank had run out of arrows and he was using his gladius now and Hazel- Percy let out a burst out mad joyous laughter when she saw that Hazel was on Hannibals back and she charged toward the center of the fort, grinning down at them. "Let's go slowpokes-"
"Now that's just rude!" Percy called back up as she and Frank too off, running alongside the elephant as they headed towards the center of the base.
The inner keep was virtually unguarded. Obviously the defenders never dreamed an assault would get this far. Hannibal busted down the huge doors. Inside, the First and
Second Cohort standard-bearers were sitting around a table playing Mythomagic with cards and figurines. The cohort's emblems were propped carelessly against one wall.
Percy faltered slightly at the sight of the familiar cars and figures- she heard a voice laughing, 'Seriously, what are skeleton warriors attack points? Because I want to know the number, y'know, just for the record because I would kill to figure out what my attack points are-'
Thankfully Percy's distraction didn't last long- Hazel and Hannibal kind of snapped her out of it when they rode straight into the room, and the standard-bearers fell backward out of their chairs. Hannibal stepped on the table, and game pieces scattered.
By the time the rest of the cohort caught up with them, Percy and Frank had disarmed the enemies, grabbed the banners, and climbed onto Hannibal's back with Hazel. They marched out of the keep triumphantly with the enemy colors, Percy and Frank holding them out for everyone to see, Percy still laughing, a wide triumphant grin on her lips.
"You're a genius Frank."
"You two weren't too shabby yourselves." he was beaming back at them- it looked good on him. The newfound confidence. Percy hoped it would last.
The Fifth Cohort formed ranks around them. Together they paraded out of the fort, past stunned enemies and lines of equally mystified allies.
Reyna circled low overhead on her pegasus. "The game is won!" She sounded as if she were trying not to laugh. "Assemble for honors!"
Slowly the campers regrouped on the Field of Mars. Percy saw plenty of minor injuries—some burns, broken bones, black eyes, cuts and gashes, plus a lot of very interesting hairdos from fires and exploding water cannons—but nothing that couldn't be fixed.
Percy, Frank and Hazel slid off the elephant, their comrades swarming around them, pounding Frank on the back, complimenting them all, Frank looked like he'd died and gone to Elysium he was grinning so much- and Hazel met Percy's eyes and she beamed too.
"Guess you were right after all."
"What can I say, I'm just that good-" she was cut off by a voice yelling.
"HELP!" and a couple of camperrushed out of the fortress, carrying a girl on a stretcher. They set her down, and other kids started running over. Even from a distance, Percy recognised Gwen, even if she didn't know her so well. She was in bad shape. She lay on her side on the stretcher with a pilum sticking out of her armor—almost like she was holding it between her chest and her arm, but there was too much blood.
Frank shook his head in disbelief. "No, no, no…" he muttered as he ran to her side.
The medics barked at everyone to stand back and give her air. The whole legion fell silent as the healers worked—trying to get gauze and powdered unicorn horn under Gwen's armor to stop the bleeding, trying to force some nectar into her mouth. Gwen didn't move. Her face was ashen gray.
Finally one of the medics looked up at Reyna and shook his head.
For a moment, there was no sound except water from the ruined cannons trickling down the walls of the fort. Hannibal nuzzled Gwen's hair with his trunk.
Reyna surveyed the campers from her pegasus. Her expression was as hard and dark as iron. "There will be an investigation. Whoever did this, you cost the legion a good officer. Honorable death is one thing, but this..."
Percy was confused, she didn't understand- but she saw the look on Franks face when he looked at the pilum- and she looked at how it was sticking out- speared from behind- and she followed Franks gaze when it landed on Octavian- saw the fury in his eyes- and she felt it too when she noticed that Octavian didn't have his pilum.
Frank went to move forward but before he did Octavian let out a choking sound- and Percy's eyes were glued to him, as everyone's eyes moved towards him- he was turning red- he didn't look interested anymore- he looked terrified, his eyes suddenly bulging out of his head. And Percy felt a deep dark satisfaction at that, fingers curling into fists as he dropped to his knees, unable to breath, he looked petrified as he clawed at his throat- and everyone was moving away from him, several of people crying out- and Percy felt a slow smile forming on her lips Even as Archie appeared at Octavian's side, a false concerned look on his face as he slapped the blond on the back and then looked up, his gaze meeting Percy's for a second- and it was filled with a joyous awe, a delight.
But he wasn't her focus now. Octavian was.
He'd killed one of their own- he had killed her and he looked interested- she felt a sharp pain in her side and her concentration snapped and Octavian toppled forward, sucking in a sharp breath- and Percy turned her head, her eyes flashing with anger before she faltered when she met Bianca's gaze- the other girl must have came running from the observation tower.
Thankfully no one noticed the look Bianca gave her, or the hissed. "You're not a killer Percy."
"He is." Percy hissed back, "He-"
"Percy-" Bianca was cut off by a gasp and everyones gaze swung back to Gwen- who's eyes were open. Percy felt her mouth dropping open in shock as the color came back to Gwen's face.
"Wh-what is it?" She blinked. "What's everyone staring at?" She didn't seem to notice the seven-foot harpoon sticking out through her chest.
Percy could see the medic whispering but she couldn't hear what they said- though she could take a guess as Gwen tried to sit up, but couldn't. "There was a river, and a man asking…for a coin? I turned around and the exit door was open. So I just…I just left. I don't understand. What's happened?"
Everyone stared at her in horror. Nobody tried to help.
"Gwen." Frank knelt next to her. "Don't try to get up. Just close your eyes for a second, okay?"
"Why? What—"
"Just trust me."
Gwen did what he asked.
Frank grabbed the shaft of the pilum below its tip, but his hands were shaking. The wood was slick. "Percy, Hazel—help me." it was easy to see what his plan was and Percy moved quickly, dropping to her knees next to Gwen and gently pushing down on one shoulder as Hazel did the same.
One of the medics realized what he was planning. "Don't!" he said. "You might—"
"What?" Hazel snapped. "Make it worse?"
Frank took a deep breath. "Hold her steady. One, two, three!"
He pulled the pilum out from the front. Gwen didn't even wince. The blood stopped quickly.
Hazel bent down to examine the wound. "It's closing on its own," she said. "I don't know how, but—"
"I feel fine," Gwen protested. "What's everyone worried about?"
Percy and Frank helped the girl to her feet- and Frank and Percy glared at Octavian- who had been helped to his feet, he looked pale, terrified nad confused- it seemed he hadn't figured out what had happened to him.
But Percy tore her gaze away from him as Hazel spoke. "Gwen, there's no easy way to say this. You were dead, somehow you came back."
"I…what?" She stumbled against Frank. Her hand pressed against the ragged hole in her armor. "How—how?"
"Good question." Reyna turned to Bianca, who's eyes were focused on Gwen before they flicked to Percy. "Is this some power of Pluto?"
"No." Bianca shook her head. "Pluto doesn't just let people return from the dead." her gaze lingered on Percy and Hazel. "Not even those who would most deserve it."