Chapter 4: Rachel plots my death
Percy's Point of view
Apparently, I'm a wanted guy. Or, so they say. Ever since I helped thwart the attack against Artemis, I've been their new target. Tartarus had hired older demigods who became paid assassins to get my head. Unfortunately, that means I'm grounded here at Athena' place until both the guys are caught or killed.
Camp half-blood is definitely not safe for me as demigods have free access and can come and go as they please and before I knew it, I would be a thousand pieces. My sister, the wisdom goddess, probably thinks it's 'wise' for me to stay on Olympus. That's the story on why I've been stuck here for the past one week.
"Athena, tell me why we are doing this again?" I called out for the umpteenth time.
"So that you do not get yourself killed, considering your knack of finding trouble and I do not get skewered by a certain god of the seas for leaving you be. Now, if you don't shut up, I'm going to test some of Hephaestus' inventions on you".
My Athenian brain came up with a brilliant question. "How do we know if he's killed without having scouts out there?"
"Oh! Don't worry about that. The recently made gods, your pals from aboard the Argo II are on the job. They'll notify you if there is any head start".
"Let me go to camp. Please. We have Argus at camp. We have Peleus and Chiron there. Who else do we need? Or you could just place someone at camp, like the guard at the Empire State Building?"
"Oh my, Percy! How I wish I had your brains". She said sarcastically. "What if he turns out to be a traitor? We don't want to lose our hero, do we?"
I had to shut up. I sat back on the couch in the library while Athena sat at her desk in the center of the room. 'Room' did no justice to it. The library was HUGE. It could almost fit an entire football stadium in it. The room was circular and so were the bookshelves. The shelves glittered with different books all neatly stacked according to their genre. Athena was no fan of clumsiness. An elegant wooden table stood at the center of the room with her chair.
Enough of it though. An idea popped into my mind.
"Hey Athena, can I get an empty book?". She looked at me with narrowed eyes. I held my stand. She silently reached for a drawer in her table, pulled it open to reveal a tattered brown book. She placed it on her table and tapped it. The cover instantly changed color to ocean blue. It had a pen socket. The pen looked similar to Riptide.
"The book is enchanted, Percy. You'll never run out of paper. When you finish the entire book, new pages will pop up without taking up any space". I looked at her with an expression that clearly said 'speak in English'. "The book will always be as thick as it is now. It does not depend on the number of pages used. So is the pen. The ink supply is unlimited. Should you lose it, it will return to its pocket in the book. Why do you need it anyway?"
I hadn't come up with an answer for that. "Uhm... To while away time(?)". I said, though it came out as a question. She looked at me skeptically and handed the book to me. I broke into a run to my room and plopped down on the desk, thinking about a certain blonde I love(d). My hand guided the pen as I drew in the book. The image was something I could never get out of my head. The pen changed its color, depending on the piece of art on the paper. In no time, I was staring at the face of my 'late wise girl'. I didn't notice a drop making its way through my cheek onto the paper, just below the drawing.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was the wisdom goddess. She was staring at the portrait with tear filled eyes. I turned and looked into her eyes. She gave a sigh and spoke up. "I miss her too, Percy. It is beautiful. I never knew you could draw". She said with a small chuckle and watery eyes. I gave her my usual lopsided grin. Her face turned serious.
"Percy, don't waste your life like this. She wouldn't want this, would she? She would want you to be brave and face life. Not drown in her memories. I appreciate you thinking so much about her. You are losing out on your life, Percy. No one can do anything about her. You have an entire lifetime ahead of you. Move on, Perce. I'm sure she'd never forgive you if she knew you were doing this. Think about it". She walked a few feet back towards the door and turned back to face me. "I think you should go and train, Percy".
I got up and hugged her, tears flowing onto her shoulder. "I guess I should. I've slacked off for a long time. I should get back to working on my form". I turned around to the wall where I hung Annabeth's sword. Slinging it onto my back, along with the destroyer, I made my way to the basement.
The basement had a training room that would definitely put camp half-blood's arena to shame. This room was definitely... godly. One side of the room had a weapon's rack. Swords of all shapes and sizes adorned the shelves. Some were hanging off the wall behind. I made my way forward examining all the equipment. There were hunting knives, throwing knives, javelins, spears, shields of all sizes. I even wandered to a section which had weapons whose names I didn't know. I walked into another room. This had armors of different sizes and colors, perks of being the war goddess, I believe. At last, I reached the arena, which had automatons to the side walls. I walked over to them and opened their control panel. I saw a wide range of difficulty all the way from new-recruit to godly. I set the level at beginner, after new recruit and newbie, and activated retreat-at-defeat. The automaton whirred to life and rolled over to the center of the arena, waiting for me. I followed the same pattern for three more automatons and walked to the center of the arena. A large display board popped up in the air to the far end of the arena, near the spectator's stands. The display board counted down from five.
Five... Four... Three... Two... One... A horn was sounded from somewhere, I didn't have time to make it out. The automatons made a clink sound, summoning their swords. I unsheathed the destroyer and the drakon bone sword. Urrgghhh! I need to name it. It is too draining to say 'Annabeth's drakon bone sword' every time I mention it. Remind me later. The automatons came forward at a slow speed, waving their swords wildly at me. The first automaton that reached me was greeted with a slash of destroyer, sending it rolling back. The second automaton had similar luck. I disarmed it and pushed it back. Both these automatons glided back to the stash. The other two came at me, together. I ran forward towards the one on the left, stabbed straight where its chest should have been, if it were human of course, used the sword as a pivot, jumped into the air, rolled spun towards my right and slammed the other automaton with my legs and landed on the ground as both the machines made their way back.
I walked back to them and opened their control panel for the second time. This time, considering how easily I beat them at beginner, I set the mode to godly. The automatons glided at an insane speed to the center of the arena. Three more automatons followed it. I jogged over it the center and held both the swords in my hand, Riptide in my pocket. The screen popped up and started counting down again. When the counter reached zero, all hell broke loose.
The automatons whirred forward at the same speed. All surrounded me and attacked at the same time. I barely managed to strike the first one when a second had come from nowhere and sliced its knife through my shirt, drawing gallons of blood, the third came and swung its weapon where my head just was. The first and the fourth together slashed at the ground together, forcing me to keep rolling. The automatons all gather around me, slicing the air with the swords. Where one sliced, the other left alone. The automatons were effectively completing each other's moves.
Before I could realize, I was running in circles through the arena, with four angry automatons on my tail before one came in front and ambushed me. It sliced through the air in front of me, missing by a hair's width. The other three caught up and were slicing through my skin. If the automatons were removed from the picture, it would look as if I did some sort of a tap dance. Focus, Percy. Not joke-time.
"ATHEENNAAAAA AAAAARRRGGGHHHH...". I shouted with all my strength. The goddess flashed in and with a wave of her hand, sent the machines back to their places. I closed my eyes at the sight of two grey ones piercing through mine. Black engulfed me.
The next thing I knew, I woke up on my bed. An angry goddess sitting at my bedside. I paled considerably.
"YOU IDIOT. I TOLD YOU TO TRAIN. NOT. GET. KILLED. YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND SIMPLE COMMANDS, PERSEUS. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, USING FOUR AUTOMATONS AT GODLY LEVEL? EVEN I USE ONLY ONE. THESE AUTOMATONS WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED. TO. KILL."
I tried getting up and immediately winced at the pain it gave me. Athena looked at me, concern filling her eyes. She placed a hand on my chest, pushing me back. "You are in no condition to get up now. There was a deep gash across your chest I had to call Apollo in to fix you". She handed me a square of ambrosia which I gratefully ate.
"The next time you go there, use one automaton at an immortal level. Or, four at advanced". I nodded.
The air in front of me shimmered. Lady Iris popped up in her message.
"Message from Nico di Angelo. Permission to relay?". I looked at Athena, she nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. "Please, My Lady". The goddess nodded and shimmered away to be replaced by a tired, bound Nico.
"Hey Perce...". He was rudely interrupted with a kick in the face. He landed on the ground, immobile. I hoped he was unconscious. The attacker was a burly man. He had a hood over his face. His body was well built and I could see biceps wanting to break forth from their hold beneath his cloak. He stood reasonably tall, around six feet and maybe three or four inches.
"Almighty Perseus Jackson, the favored son of Poseidon, we meet at last. Look at the pathetic fool here. Your cousin, right? Oh well, Hades might have to claim his own son's soul if you don't turn up here by the second hour from now. I am waiting just outside the gates of the palace, where you took a dip in the Styx. I am not making empty promises". He unsheathed his sword and held it limply above the unconscious son of Hades. "The sword will be deep inside his body and he, at least six feet under the ground if you slack away. Goodluck!" He waved his hand over the mist and cut the connection.
I got out of the chair with so much force that it fell backward. I ran towards the library at insane speed only to crash into Athena, who was coming out of it.
"WATCH IT, PERCY". She took a look at my face and her face morphed into one of worry.
"Athena... Nico... Underworld... Kidnapped... I'm going".
"Wait. Hold on. Tell me everything from the start".
"Athena. I don't have time for that. I've got to go to the underworld right now". She gave me a look that said I wasn't allowed to go anywhere until I explained.
"Athena, I answered the call from Nico. A man held him captive. He's supposed to be my assassin. He told me to come there in two hours to the Styx. If I don't, he threatened to kill my cousin. I'm going there".
I ran out of her palace and stood near the shadows on the streets of Olympus. I did my loudest taxi cab whistle. The shadows grew darker and a huge figure formed from it. My hellhound pet, Mrs. O'Leary came bounding at me and greeted me with a sloppy wet lick.
"I need you to take me to the Styx, girl". She barked and I got on. The light dimmed and cold air slammed into my face. I was greeted by the familiar feeling of being shadow travelled. The next second, I was at the river bank. I was hit at the back of my head and the world went blank.
Artemis' Point of view
'Hey, Artemis'. Athena's voice said in my head.
'I need a favor. Percy has gone to the underworld to rescue a cousin of his, Nico di Angelo. He said he was captured by the assassin we are all searching for. Can you go there? Uncle H allows only you to visit his realm. Please, I need to know he is safe. I will owe you one'.
'I got it, Athena. I'll be there in minutes. I'll try my best'.
'Be safe, Artemis'
She cut the call. The damn, idiotic son of Poseidon. Can't stay in a place.
"Phoebe? Come here immediately". I shouted out in my camp. Fast footsteps were to my right, between the trees. They cleared and the daughter of Ares stood, spear in her hand.
"You called, Milady?"
"Phoebe, we are going to the underworld now. We have a rescue mission. Two demigods. Target is the assassin we have been looking for". She nodded profusely. I held out my hand, she grabbed it and I flashed us both just outside the palace of Hades. We immediately drew our bows and looked at our surroundings.
There were marks of feet being dragged into the bushes. Phoebe yelled. "Milady, one boy is here".
I quickly ran over to the unconscious form of Nico di Angelo. His body was filled with sword slashes. His arm bent in a funny angle. His blood was flowing in rivers. I immediately grabbed the flask of nectar and a few squares of ambrosia. I dropped the nectar into his mouth. He spluttered and opened his eyes. He crawled backward into the bushes and looked at me with fear in his eyes.
"La-Lady Ar-Artemis. I'm sorry I didn't do anything. Pleasedontkillme". I almost wanted to laugh at the boy if I weren't on a rescue mission, which, unfortunately, I was on.
"Later, Nico. Now, where is Perseus?"
"I don't know, milady. He arrived just when I gained consciousness. He fought the cloaked man. I don't know who he is. His voice was very close to that son of Zeus you and the hunt loathe. He was talking about a place where he was embarrassed and that he wanted to torture Percy. If we don't go now, it might be too late".
Anger bubbled in me. So, HE was hired to finish Perseus. This can't be good. Phoebe was looking downright murderous. I can't blame her. I touched the son of Hades' shoulder and flashed him to my brother's palace on Olympus. I grabbed Phoebe's hand and flashed her to his island on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.
What I saw there chilled me to the bone. I felt the air around me drop around fifty degrees. My hands were shivering. Ichor dropped to my feet.
Perseus was chained to a pole, his head hung limp on his neck facing the ground. A few thousand cuts adorned his body. There was a lake beneath him that healed his injuries. It was too slow. He was losing blood fast. The man in the cloak stood in front of him, facing the table with a wide assortment of weapons built for torture. He looked up and saw us.
"Hey, beautiful. Come here, have lunch with me. Then we both go together to my master along with this pathetic excuse of a demigod. I'll request my master to leave you. And then we both sit and watch Olympus being destroyed. How's the plan? Good eh?"
Did I mention I hate that voice? No, wait. I absolutely loathe it. The man in front flipped off his hood showing a face that was almost similar to my father's. This was the man that was hailed as the most powerful demigod in history, Heracles. Pffft. As if. My eyes filled with rage thinking about what he did to my ex-lieutenant, the Titaness, Zoe Nightshade. Absolutely unforgivable.
"Heracles, I'm warning you now. Leave the boy, let us go. We'll pretend as if this never happened. If not, then I have to take him the hard way".
"The hard way eh? Bring it on, beautiful. Let's see what you've got".
I summoned my bow and pulled the string till my ear. A silver arrow materialized in it, ready to be fired.
I aimed at the head of the god. I walked forward. Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Phoebe ready with her spear and shield. The idea of revenge for her late friend sparked the vicious beast within her. Whenever it showed itself, well, let's just say the consequences weren't good. I quickly turned towards the chained demigod and shot two arrows in quick succession, each hitting the handcuffs and shattering them. He fell face first into the water beneath him, still unconscious.
I quickly turned to fight the evil god. The fight was going on well. Phoebe was glowing with a red aura around her. The blessing of Ares. The last time I heard about this was during the battle of Manhattan. I fired arrows with deadly accuracy at the open points on Heracles' armor, drawing ichor. I knew he was weakening. Even then, he was stronger than us. Let's just say, evenly matched.
He took out a spear and a shield, both midnight black. It was unlike any other material I had ever seen. It sucked the light in the surroundings. He swung the sword towards us both, narrowly missing. I quickly drew my hunting knives and slashed at the god. He swung his hand towards my huntress, she flew back and hit the boulder, knocked unconscious. It was only me and him now. The spear in his hand quickly morphed into a sword. I had to admit, for a traitorous god, he was incredibly powerful. It was not everybody who got the title of the strongest man on earth. His muscle strength was unmatched. Rumor has it that he could break mountains with his fist and as of now, I have no intention to test its integrity.
Heracles slashed his sword towards me which I caught on my knife hilt. I caught a movement in the side. I saw Phoebe get back on her feet and rush towards the fight. She attacked with renewed strength and vigor. The god had a tough time parrying both our blades. We occasionally landed lucky hits from which ichor flowed in rivers. We could say that he was tiring out. I gave a curt nod to my huntress and she ran a few feet back, closing her eyes tightly. I unleashed my godly form, the energy of which threw the demigod-turned god into the trees behind.
He slumped down against the base of the tree. His breath was ragged and heavy. I could feel him dying slowly and his essence returning to Tartarus. Phoebe came up beside me and landed the final strike on the assassin, turning him to golden dust. We quickly ran over to Perseus. He was still unconscious. I could detect a faint heartbeat. If we didn't rush, he may not make it. I grabbed Phoebe's hands and flashed us away to camp half-blood.
"APPOOOLLOOO". I yelled into the starry sky. In a golden flash, the god of medicine stood in all his 'glory'. His eyes flew to the fallen demigod. He immediately grabbed him and flashed him to the infirmary in the camp. Few of his sons, led by Will whatever-his-last-name-is rushed forward, grabbing needles filled with some medicine and injecting it into the fallen demigod. They stood back and watched as my brother placed his hand on Perseus' forehead and sent pulses of golden energy. A few seconds later, the breathing of the demigods slowed down and his expression showed that he was completely relaxed.
"Give him a few minutes of sleep and he'll be as good as new. Well not as good, considering the sc-scars on his body. Other than that, he'll be fine". My idiot brother winked at my huntress, earning a growl. "Well, call me if anything goes wrong". He told me seriously and flashed away. I rolled my eyes.
I saw Nico in the corner in the shadows, a lone tear leak from his eyes. I motioned to a camper beside him and he nudged the son of Hades. I called him outside. He nodded and walked out.
"Nico. Can you tell me what exactly happened when Heracles came to the underworld?"
"My Lady, I was taking a walk along the boundaries of Elysium in hopes of talking to Anna-". He paused, took a deep breath and continued. "Annabeth. I felt some noise near the EZ death line. I saw a few people wearing pitch black armor and had weapons of the same material. I never saw that kind of stuff anywhere. It was kind of creepy as well. The leader of the group, which I got to know now, was Heracles. He commanded the army to slaughter Cerebrus, the three headed guard of the underworld. I went in and fought against them. I succeeded in killing his men. I think there were eight or nine of them. He had me from behind. He had some kind of a machine which made me feel really powerless. It trapped me in my deepest fears. After that, he forced me to IM Percy and call him down to the underworld which I did which turned out to be my biggest mistake. Percy turned up as expected with his fatal flaw and tried besting him. He failed at that. I think he had orders from the god of the pit to torture him". The boy paled at that and a few tears leaked from their stronghold. "He coupled the orders he had with his personal grudge against the crew of the Argo II. Now, coming to think of it, I am the one who helped the lame dog over its stile. This is the second time Percy is lured into a trap with me as the bait, the first time in New Rome''.
I almost felt sorry for the demigod. He too had his own share of sufferings. Losing his sister to a quest, the battle of Manhattan, falling to Tartarus and getting captured by the giants. He had faced what would make some one of his age wet their pants. I placed a hand on his shoulder as he cried.
Suddenly, a camper burst in through the door of the infirmary. "Lady Artemis, can you come in for a minute? Percy is awake and wants to see you and Nico". I quickly ran into the cabin with Nico at my heels.
The instant he saw me, he tried standing up to bow. Keyword: Tried. He groaned and sat back on his infirmary bed.
"Relax, Perseus. Don't bow now. This is not the time". "My lady, how did you know where I was?"
"Athena called me, Perseus. She told me to stop you from doing anything stupid". I said, smirking. He caught my eye and blushed beet red.
"Thank you, My Lady. If it weren't for you, I would be Perseus-on-a-stick". He said, his voice laced with immense sarcasm, accompanied by his infamous lopsided grin. I fought back a strong urge to facepalm. Nico rolled his eyes beside me.
I then went on to brief him about what Nico told me and the incidents which took place after he was dragged away to that island, ending with him thanking me profusely. I shrugged it off and let cousins talk among themselves as I went to sit by another bed with Phoebe at my side.
The door swung open, revealing an immensely worried Rachel Elizabeth Dare, better known as my brother's Oracle of Delphi. She ran over to Percy and hugged the life out of him. Suddenly, her body went rigid and green mist flowed out of her mouth, the unmistakable symptoms of a prophecy.
"Sea is lost for more than the gods' span
Only to be found a different man
Three half-bloods shall go under
The sky, the water, the end
The pit of horrors shall they explore
The sea, end the mind of the plans plotted
Come back empty handed
Leave doom to lead forever
Return the one Oh so clever"