A/N: slight canon divergence ️ but y'all already know wtf goin on*

PERI'S POV

Some people dream of swimming in gold. After having first hand experience, I'd say that those people don't realize just how impractical it is.

I'm not sure there's a therapist equipped to deal with the trauma I'm going to have to work through after having my father up my nose, in my ears, and in my mouth. See, you probably just got uncomfortable reading that— so imagine how I'd feel trying to explain that to a mental health professional? But I digress. Now, where was I? Oh right, the pool of ichor exploded like somebody had dropped a nuke.

I was surrounded by what appeared to be an inverted waterfall of gold. The ichor seemed to rush around me in a protective whirlpool, hardening in areas where Clytius attempted to cut through with his black blade. Over the roar of the rushing rapids that was my father's blood, I could hear the distinct sound of Clytius's disembodied voice as he growled and cursed with frustration. With each strike of his Stygian Iron sword, the protective shell of gold that encompassed me grew weaker and weaker. Droplets of ichor splattered against my face like golden raindrops.

My body definitely wasn't at a hundred percent, but strangely enough I didn't feel a searing ache every time I took a breath anymore. My head wasn't pounding, my ears weren't ringing. Even my overwhelming earth sickness was fading. I could stand on my feet without swaying— which meant I could fight.

"That's the spirit, Master!" exclaimed a deep, masculine voice that I didn't recognize. "Just say the word, and we'll begin to feast on the blood of our enemies— starting with Clytius."

"Who said that?" I looked around myself wildly, searching for the source of the voice, but I couldn't even see the clouds of Mist from my turbulent ichor cocoon. "Show yourself!"

To my surprise, my own hand flew up. In my grasp was... something. It was definitely something, alright. It was like no weapon I'd ever seen before. There was a prominent Omega symbol on the base of the hilt comprised of gold, but above that things got pretty weird. It appeared more like a whip than a sword. Instead of a solid blade, the sword fragments seemed to be held together by a bright red chord... no, upon closer inspection it was definitely blood, crystallized or solidified somehow.

My blood. But what? How?

"Gaze upon me with disbelief all you like," the weapon rumbled in a deep tenor. "But I am the manifestation of your deepest desire upon our Soul Resonance: vengeance. I've taken it upon myself to choose the moniker BloodFang."

Great. Just when I thought I'd gotten my bearings, and now my brain was smoking all over again.

"Soul Resonance?" I repeated in confusion. "BloodFang? What happened to Goldie?" I shook my head roughly. "And why are you talking?! I probably should've led with that."

The weapon hummed deeply in response. "Yes, my previous life was good, simple, if not a bit short. But you used your father's gift to bring me back, and you managed to complete the Soul Resonance this time— the act of breathing life into metal and creating an automaton. This is why I can finally speak."

"Oh," was all I could think to say.

"Now if you're done with your questioning," the weapon growled, "I'm feeling very thirsty for a certain giant's blood."

At that moment, the swirling ichor around me hardened and cracked as Clytius struck with his sword. For a brief second, I was greeted with the giant's cruel visage before the gold shell hastily reassembled itself. I swallowed thickly. It wouldn't be long before Clytius broke through completely.

I'd be lying if I said I understood even half of what had just transpired. But there was something that I did know: I wanted to make Clytius feel my wrath. I wanted to make him remember my name after I sent his shadow covered ass back to Tartarus where he belonged.

A low chuckle emanated from BloodFang. "Yes, Master. Wield me with a precise anger. Hone your fury to a fine point. I have no doubt that you will learn to use me in your own way, but know this: we are as one. Our souls are intertwined. I'll grow stronger as I feast on blood, and in turn so will you."

I sensed an underlying tone in his (oh gods, I'm using pronouns for a weapon) voice, as if suggesting "if you let what happened to Goldie happen to me, then it'll be worse than the indescribable pain you'd felt then". A shiver ran down my spine at the recent memory of my body writhing in agony on the cold tiles below. The only thing that could be worse than that... Soul Resonance... is this weapon suggesting that if he's destroyed, my soul would be destroyed, too? Or a part of my soul at the very least? Gods, what have I done? I didn't mean to, I didn't know—

Clytius roared suddenly, the floor rumbling with the echo of his creepy disembodied voice. Don't tell me the mighty Omega-Blood is hiding. You're even more of a coward than your pathetic father! Killing you will be even more satisfying than it was to end Anastasios, that sorry excuse for a god.

My body went rigid as a board. In that moment, even louder than the flowing ichor, even louder than the Stygian Iron sword as it tried to slice through the barrier, impossibly loud in my ears was the rush of my own blood, boiling hot with anger. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, all of my cells buzzing with crazed, furious energy.

They say when you go into a blind rage that you see red, courtesy of Ares. For me, however, it was a flash of gold that danced in the corners of my vision.

"Master, your anger," BloodFang's voice was strained. "I can feel its power, it's incredible—"

"He killed my father," I muttered through gritted teeth, my fingers tightening around the weapon's hilt. "I'm going to... I'll destroy him."

The next few moments were a blur. After the ichor around me shattered, I went into an animalistic frenzy that would make even Wolverine cower. The Mist continued to glow and shift, but there was nothing that could tear my gold tinted vision from Clytius, nothing that could stop me from bringing this creature immeasurable pain. I don't remember much besides my senses being overloaded; the feel of cold metal in my hands, the tinny smell of blood in my nostrils, the screaming scrapes of metal against metal— and the delicious roars of a cruel giant in agony.

BloodFang, my weapon, he was extraordinary to say the least. I wasn't used to having this much reach, and the bladed whip seemed to curve midair in order to impale the heavily armored giant, leaving no margin for error. When Clytius drew near, the weapon contracted in on itself, and the blood chord would spread along the cracks to bind the blade fragments together. In this sword form, I could block and parry the shadow cloaked giant's attacks and make quick, close strikes.

Now I understood what BloodFang had said. We were one. The ichor that flowed from Clytius was almost immediately absorbed by the living weapon, and I could feel the change in my own body as he grew stronger. The giant's healing abilities seemed to slow along with his movements, while I felt renewed with each strike. The soreness in my muscles faded with each drop of ichor spilled, and I felt as though I could keep going like this forever. Which was perfect, since I didn't plan on letting up anytime soon.

He killed the only family I've ever known.

With a scream of outrage, I lashed out with BloodFang, wrapping the giant's torso in the lengthy whip. The sword fragments grew longer at my will, piercing through his Stygian Iron armor. He cried out, as if I cared. If anything, it made me grin with utter joy. Clytius thrashed in an attempt to free himself, but it only drew more ichor from his body, strengthening me and my bloodthirsty weapon.

"What's wrong, Clytius?" I taunted, urging BloodFang to squeeze his form even tighter. "Don't tell me a mighty giant such as yourself is being hurt by a coward like me."

You cannot kill me, little one. Clytius growled.

"I'm not trying to kill you," I smirked wickedly. "Not yet anyway. I want to break you first."

There was a harsh crack, then another as the giant's armor began to split into pieces. I was so enamored, so delightfully enraptured by the roars of agony being torn from the mouth of Clytius that I almost didn't notice the Mist rapidly clearing like someone pulled the drain plug in a bathtub. By the time I realized it, the entire cavern was clear of the thick fog that had once completely consumed it.

Across the room, I caught sight of bouncing cinnamon curls as Hazel drop kicked Pasiphaë into a hole in the floor that I don't remember being there when we first arrived. The sorceress screamed as she fell to unknown depths before the hole in the floor sealed itself. Hazel and Leo were breathing heavily from exertion, but they whipped their heads around as if searching for something, someone. Then their gaze fell upon me and Clytius, and the pair of demigods froze. Their eyes widened, horror written all over their faces. But it wasn't directed toward the shadow cloaked giant.

No, they looked terrified of me.

It was then that I took a step back and looked down at myself. My hands were covered in blood, red and gold alike staining my skin. A droplet of ichor fell into my palms, and I came to the conclusion that my face must've been covered in the stuff as well. The golden hue around my vision faded away as my stomach fell with disgust at my own actions.

What have I done? They think I'm a monster.

"Your anger is receding!" BloodFang berated. "Why? My strength is waning. I won't be able to restrain the giant—"

Just then the elevator dinged, the sound far too pleasant and mundane considering the circumstances. Hazel jolted out of her stupor enough to leap to action. She ran the short distance and pressed the Up button. The Doors of Death opened with a hiss. Black smoke billowed out, and two bodies spilled face-first onto the floor— Percy and Annabeth, limp as corpses.

Hazel sobbed. "Oh, gods…"

My heart clenched at the sight of their motionless forms. "Are they...?"

NO! Clytius roared suddenly.

He must've regained some strength back, because he moved with an unexpected speed. The giant spun around, unbinding himself from the weapon that had once held him firmly. Without a moment's hesitation, Clytius grabbed the end of the bladed whip and flung it over his head. Unfortunately for me, I was still gripping the weapon's hilt, and I was sent flying for the second time today. My body crashed into the obsidian wall with a sickening crunch, and the air in my lungs was forcibly ripped out. I coughed and sputtered, but miraculously nothing felt broken.

"What was that?" BloodFang demanded at my side. "You exchanged your anger for shame?! That's the weakest emotion! I can't believe you. I hope hitting the wall knocked some sense into you, Master."

"Would you shut up?" I groaned, sitting up on my haunches.

Dazed, I barely registered Leo screaming my name. Through blurry vision, I could see the son of Hephaestus erupt in a massive blaze. He shot white-hot columns of flame at the giant, but Clytius's smoky aura absorbed them on impact. Tendrils of black haze traveled back up the lines of fire, snuffing out the light and heat and covering Leo in darkness. Leo fell to his knees, clutching at his throat.

"No!" Hazel ran toward him, but Gale chattered urgently on her shoulder— a clear warning.

"I would not." Clytius's voice reverberated from Leo's mouth. "You do not understand, tiny demigods. I devour magic. I destroy the voice and the soul. You cannot oppose me."

I pushed myself to my feet somehow, a surge of rage flowing through me. BloodFang must've had enough residual strength for the both of us. A myriad of emotions coursed through my body as I stared at Leo's body being used like some sort of puppet for the shadowy's giants twisted ventriloquist act. I felt another compulsion to rip Clytius apart, but I didn't want to go feral again. I didn't want to lose myself to rage and bloodlust. Still, my vision flickered with gold on and off.

"Yesss, there's that fury," BloodFang crooned.

"No," I said through gritted teeth as I fought against my impulses. "Can't lose control."

Can't become a monster.

Black fog spread farther across the chamber, covering Annabeth and Percy, billowing toward Hazel. The daughter of Pluto and I locked eyes from across the room on either side of Clytius. Fear was evident in her golden orbs, but her body was in a fighting stance that would make any Roman officer beam with pride. It was just the two of us now. The look that she'd given me before, terrified and unfamiliar (as if we were strangers, even after everything we've been through), was burned in the back of my eyelids permanently even though she'd washed her face of the expression.

"Hazel, get back!" I said, wielding BloodFang.

I have to protect her, even if she's scared of me too now. I promised Frank.

"F-fire," Hazel stammered in Clytius's direction. "You're supposed to be weak against it."

The giant chuckled, using Annabeth's vocal cords this time. "You were counting on that, eh? It is true I do not like fire. But Leo Valdez's flames are not strong enough to trouble me."

Somewhere behind Hazel, a soft, lyrical voice said, "What about my flames, old friend?"

Gale squeaked excitedly and jumped from Hazel's shoulder, scampering to the entrance of the cavern where a blond woman with milky white eyes stood in a black dress, the Mist swirling around her.

The giant stumbled backward. "You," he said from Percy's mouth.

"Me," Hecate agreed. She spread her arms. Blazing torches appeared in her hands. "It has been millennia since I fought at the side of a demigod, but Hazel Levesque has proven herself worthy. And the Omega-Blood looks like she's found her second wind. What do you say, Clytius? Shall we play with fire?"