A/N: Enjoy the chapter :) Let me know what you guys think in the reviews, love to read them.
Chapter 9: Heart-Stopping Poison
Back at Camp Olympus East (formerly known as Camp Half Blood)
"Leo!" a shrill voice shouted, followed by a muffled explosion and a billow of black smoke.
Out of the smoke-filled room tumbled a skinny, pointy-eared familiar mechanic giggling like a goblin. Except he wasn't skinny anymore. Years of hard work in the forges of Hephaestus and in training for the coming war had transformed the captain of the Argo 2 into someone to be physically reckoned with. He had filled out his short frame nicely, but with dense muscle rather than large, a testament to the work that goes on in his forges. But with the massive change in his physique, his personality hadn't changed a bit.
Leo wiped the soot from his face as he continued laughing and running away from the room. Behind him emerged an angry Titaness whose face was just as blackened, her white dress stained as well. She thundered towards him, tackling him before he could escape Cabin 9's new forge. Calypso sat down on his back, flattening Leo face down into the floor. He groaned and struggled but even with his newfound strength he was no match for an angry Titan.
"I'm not getting up until you promise me that we'll get these minibots done without any more explosions that get these ashes all over me," she demanded.
"But you look so pretty like that," Leo answered, still muffled while talking into the ground.
Calypso's face softened at the moron she couldn't believe she had fallen in love with. But she still stood up and kicked him in the side before walking back into the room.
"No more funny business," she warned as Leo writhed on the ground in pain, "These microbombs need to be done before the hunters get here in just over a week,"
Outside, the camp was bustling with similar preparations for the hunters' arrival as well as the impending war. The landscape of the camp only softly resembled what it used to be. The trademark training facilities were scrapped and turned into state-of-the-art war simulators: the climbing wall was replaced by a monster fight ring, where monsters were captured and kept to practice battle against. The sword fighting arena was tripled in size and now housed hundreds of automatons built by Leo and Hephaestus that could be customized to almost any skill level or scenario. Cabins had all gotten larger and there were twice as many as there used to be. But what hadn't changed a bit was the Big House, still the base of operations.
In the ping-pong room, where daily meetings were now held, sat two familiar demigods milling over a map of Long Island Sound. The woman in a purple cape gestured at areas of the ocean as she talked.
"We should dredge up underwater ditches here and here. Gods, this wouldn't even be an issue if Perc- I'm sorry- this would be much easier with someone that could control the seas," Reyna corrected.
"No, it's okay. But you're right, and we need to get started this afternoon on those trenches," replied the daughter of Athena with a small smile on her face.
"Now that that's out of the way, Annabeth, how are you?" Reyna asked genuinely.
Over a year ago, Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter had temporarily and unwillingly merged per request of the gods. Both camps still existed independently, but a facilitating tunnel was rebuilt by Annabeth using the reopened Labyrinth entrance to connect the two with a measly 10 minute walk. The Romans, wanting to adhere to their law of separation from the Greeks while still serving the gods, decided on minimal contact with them.
But when Cameron was outed as a traitor and the perpetrator behind Percy's disappearance, the Romans became slightly more understanding. Still, they held their pride, absolutely certain they never would've been manipulated like the Greeks were, but the camps' relationship improved. This led to a reconnection between the remaining crew of the Argo, to a certain extent, and even the strengthening of new relationships like Reyna with Annabeth, the de facto leader of Camp Half Blood.
"I'm alright. But I do miss him. I hope he's doing alright, wherever he is"
Percy whirled like a cyclone through the ranks of monsters that surged towards the hunters. The more experienced hunters took positions in and around the sparse trees. Fighting in flatlands was less than ideal for the hunters, but they tried their best to make do. Thalia was surrounded by a ring of hunters that were letting off arrows faster than any normal human could dream of, ensuring no monster thought of coming close.
Percy swung Riptide clean through several monsters at a time, ducking the claws of empousae and harpies, the fists of cyclopes, and jaws of hellhounds as he fought towards the drakons. Every so often, he'd see an arrow coming straight down and it would cut down a monster trying to sneak up on him, and he'd smile internally at Rachel's still-ridiculous ability.
The drakons had split off in three directions: one trailing behind the thinning mob of monsters, the other two wrapping around either side to close the distance and encircle the hunters. The four-headed hydra still hung back behind the middle drakon, setting up like a turret. It spat acid into the air, arcing it downwards towards Percy and the mob alike. For some reason, the poisonous liquid did nothing but mildly irritate the monsters whereas it'd burn huge holes in the ground it touched.
Percy took note of this and attacked with renewed vigor. He had to take care of that acid fountain before it moved close enough to land on the line of hunters. Out of the corners of his eyes, he watched a dozen hunters break off to fight each drakon circling the battle on either side. This left less than 10 standing near Thalia and providing support to Percy. He couldn't get the image of a shield out of his mind as he thought about the thin ranks around Thalia. He refocused, averting his attention to the monsters ahead of him.
The hydra released another spurt of poison high into the air. Percy tracked it on the way down, making sure to dodge the acid that he was certain would burn a hole through him. He watched it sizzle onto a duo of Cyclopes. Both winced before they realized the poison dissolved less than an inch above their skin. Percy picked up on it, noticing what seemed like a thin black film around them that seemed to materialize when the poison hit.
It's some lesser form of Erebus' blessing. The poison is probably also enhanced by it and that weird black lining probably neutralizes it from hurting his own forces, Percy realized as he cut down the duo before they regained their senses.
He cleaved through the rest of the monsters with Riptide, sustaining less than minor injuries. Besides a couple punches to the face and an empousai scratch on his side, he was unscathed. Percy dispatched the lone hellhound in front of him, but his accomplishment was short-lived. He realized he was now several dozen yards from Thalia and the hunters. He began to move back towards them when he was rammed in the back by something that weighed several tons.
The impact lifted Percy from the ground and sent him rolling towards the group. He came to a stop mere feet from Thalia's form. Anna, one of the hunters standing with Thalia, ran to kneel at Percy's side.
"Percy, are you alright?" she asked fearfully.
Percy turned away from her as he lifted himself to his hands and knees. He nodded weakly as he spat blood onto the grass. Even in his current condition, he couldn't help but feel horrible for Anna. She was less than 10 years old, thrown into a situation where the two people closest to her laid beaten or dying feet apart. Percy looked back at her and saw her visibly shaking but trying to keep a brave face. Thalia was barely breathing now. It was this image that got Percy shuddering back to his feet as a new wave of adrenaline rushed through him.
The rest of the hunters around Thalia were unleashing hails of arrows into the drakon that had hit Percy. He knew that it wasn't doing serious damage, but it was keeping the serpent at bay, although briefly. As if on queue, the drakon coiled itself in agitation before releasing an earth shattering roar. It charged. Again, Percy was overwhelmed with the mental image of a shield to protect them. The drakon continued to tear towards the group.
Percy closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he embraced the visual. He crossed his arms in an X before exhaling sharply and thrusting his arms out towards either side. He felt a lurch in his chest, as if he had just expelled something from inside him. Percy heard the exclaims of the hunters around him as he opened his eyes. They were encompassed inside a glowing purple dome. They watched through the transparent semi sphere as the drakon reached them, still charging at full speed.
The monster lowered its head, unfazed by what it had seen, ramming its head into the barrier. It realized its mistake when there was a thunderous crack, and the drakon's head bent unnaturally to the side. It screeched in pain as it fell over onto its side, its neck obviously broken, and it was enveloped in a black aura. A rupture formed in the barrier where the massive serpent had struck it, but it started to rapidly repair itself. Rachel was the first to recover from the shock of whatever this new power was.
"It's not dead; look at the neck restructuring itself. We have a few seconds before it's back. This 'bubble' is strong but it cannot withstand more than a hit or two more based on that crack," the huntress said.
"Yeah, you're right. This is my first time using the power, so it's probably the weakest it'll ever be. I'll keep that snake away from here while you guys do what you can for Thalia and then help your sisters with the other two drakons. Also 'bubble.' I like that," Percy responded.
"We'll remove the arrow and seal the wound for now. Good luck, brother," Rachel replied.
Percy's eyes widened as he spread his wings and took flight out of the bubble. He felt a strong sense of protectiveness for all of the hunters, even the ones that may not have accepted him yet. They were still his sisters now, and Percy would kill anything that threatened his family.
He flew over the drakon, back towards the hydra to get it away from the bubble. The drakon was back on its feet, or talons, tearing after Percy's flying form. He was relieved that it took the bait and Percy set down when he was far enough away from the hunters. The drakon covered the distance less than a second slower, snapping its jaws at Percy almost immediately after he had touched the ground. Percy used a combination of parries and rolls on the ground to avoid its razor-sharp teeth. When the drakon got too close, Percy would fly back into the sky and hover just out of reach but not so high that the drakon lost interest in him.
He wanted to tire out the monster and give enough time to Rachel and Anna's group to split off and help with the other two drakons. From his vantage point in the air, he could see all three of the serpents and the fights ensuing with them. On his right was Phoebe and her group and on his left Atalanta and hers. All three drakons were dimensionally identical: well over two hundred feet long and as thick as a city bus, equipped with monstrously large claws on its four legs, and rows of teeth that seemed to have no end.
Their only difference was their color: Phoebe's was an ocean blue, Atalanta's bright green, and Percy's blood red. Percy thought his looked exactly like the one Clarisse killed except this one also had legs. Both hunter groups seemed to be holding their own, corralling the drakon wherever they wanted it to go, using arrows to block their vision while getting in close with long hunting knives to find chinks in their scales. Percy didn't notice the next geyser of acid falling towards him until it nearly reached him.
He instinctively folded his wings above his head, causing him to lose altitude quickly. Most of the poison missed as he made his form as small as he could, but several drops found themselves burning on his wings. Percy's vision blurred from the pain as he gritted his teeth trying not to scream. The liquid was searing into his wings and he was convinced they would melt off of his back. It took all of his concentration to not be mauled by the drakon as he fought to remain conscious.
His vision sharpened and the pain began to subside. Between parries, he glanced at his wings and they appeared to be fully intact. He tried to flap them again and was momentarily blinded from a wave of new pain. He realized what was going on.
So this is how durable gifts from the Creator are. They're wings from Chaos so they must be basically unbreakable, even against monsters like this. But they're attached to a human nervous system, so I'll still feel the same pain even if I'm not taking the damage I normally would if the wings were anything besides beyond-godly.
He successfully retracted his wings, albeit painfully. Percy quickly breathed in and out, reoxygenating his blood more rapidly, a trick he had taught himself to trigger an adrenaline rush. He charged the drakon, now strictly on offense. He needed to reach the hydra as quickly as possible now that he knew how dangerous the poison was. Percy slipped past the drakon's guard with ease, unleashing strike after strike into its blood red scales. But each blow seemed to glance off of it due to the hardness of its skin paired with the blessing of Erebus.
Percy continued to swing harder and harder. None of the slices of Anaklusmos broke its skin, but he knew it could feel the pain. Percy was essentially attacking it with a baseball bat or any other blunt object. Realizing this, he swapped to his Bronze knuckles and continued anew. He whaled on the creature that weighed well over a dozen tons. Percy quickly grew frustrated as his knuckles blistered with pain at the minimal progress he was making. The drakon only needed to catch him off guard once while Percy would need several hours worth of punches.
'Durable gifts from the Creator…' Percy recalled his earlier thought. He wanted to save his Fist of Havoc for the hydra, to be done with it in an instant and not give it a chance to spew any more acid. But he still had his mysterious dagger. Percy slipped it out of his sheath, praying this was its use. The drakon reared its neck back, getting ready for another strike. Percy locked eyes with the monster, remembering how Clarisse had killed its nearly identical counterpart.
It shot towards Percy, who leapt to meet it halfway. Percy struck its upper jaw with his left fist, veering the monster's lunge off course by mere inches. Still in midair, he grabbed a ridge on the drakon's nose with the same hand as he brought down the dagger with the other. He stabbed downward as hard as he could, and realized that level of force wasn't necessary. The dagger ruptured its skin as if it were any other monster.
Percy swore he saw surprise in the drakon's eyes as the demigod perched on its face tore through its scales. He gave the monster no time to roll him off or claw at its own face before he withdrew the knife and began a stabbing rampage. The drakon could only shriek in pain as more adrenaline at his own success caused Percy to move even faster. He ripped apart the monster's head with the dagger, starting with its eyes just like Clarisse had, and the monster shuddered and shed its black aura before dissolving into nothingness, likely a result of the weapon used to kill it.
Percy clamored to his feet, high on the adrenaline of what had just happened. He looked to his right just in time to watch Atalanta's group defeat their green drakon. It was on its last legs, obviously blinded in both eyes based on the dozen arrows pricking out of each one. Percy realized how much easier his fight could've been with a ranged weapon. He watched as Atalanta launched the killing arrow straight through the drakon's right eye. It was a special arrow and it exploded inside the serpent's head, covering the hunters in a plume of golden dust.
Admiring the shot, Percy turned back towards the hydra. He broke into a sprint towards the monster, his heart pounding in excitement as his fist glowed a bright blue. Its four heads trained on Percy as they built up another volley of acid. Instead of in an upwards arc, it got ready to shoot directly at him as he closed the distance between them. Percy took note and realized he'd have to use his wings. He gritted his teeth as he extended them, but the pain was dulled by his excitement. He lifted off the ground, using this chance to take a glance at how Phoebe was handling the remaining drakon.
He watched the scene with horror. Like Percy, Phoebe had jumped onto the head of the drakon with her dagger. This one also had its eyes already poked out by arrows but it was still writhing in anger. She stabbed between the serpent's eyes, holding the dagger with both hands and her legs locked around a ridge on its face. The massive blow bounced off its skin, and the impact likely fractured part of Phoebe's arm. She lost her balance as her legs loosened. The snake noticed and whipped its head to the side to throw her off. She flew off of its head and it reacted immediately, lurching towards her midair form with jaws wide.
Percy made a split second decision and averted his path. It would be impossible for anybody to survive that bite, likely cleaving any mortal clean in two. His wings accelerated him at impossible speeds towards the outstretched serpent, and he disregarded the hydra raring to shoot. Percy outstretched his glowing fist not unlike Superman so he'd collide with the drakon as quickly as possible. His eyes narrowed to keep his vision steady against the winds he blew past. He was sure he could get to Phoebe first. He felt internal relief at his coming victory when his vision turned black at the worst pain he had ever felt.
The hydra had shot its acid. To compensate for the speed he was moving and the distance between them, it was not much but it was more than enough to kill any mortal. Percy screamed as the acid burned into a section of his back, unprotected by his wings. He swore he could feel his soul begin to leave his body. He was dying. His outstretched arm started to dip as his eyes began to close. No. If he was going to die, he'd die. But not without saving Phoebe first.
It took less than a second for him to collide with the drakon after being struck by the poison, but staying on course felt like an eternity to Percy. Percy's resolve to stay conscious faded at the same time he struck the serpent. His glowing fist eviscerated the monster after burying into the side of its head, the flatland being enveloped in a brilliant blue glow followed by a shower of dust. Percy hit the ground facedown, barely breathing and unconscious. Phoebe stared at him in shock, clutching a broken hand, as she sat at his side.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Jackson?" she whispered.
Another one of the hunters called to her as most of the group that was with Thalia arrived.
"The bubble disappeared, what happened?" Rachel said.
"Not now, go handle the hydra! I'll stay with Percy," Phoebe commanded.
Rachel stumbled, not sure if it was because she saw nearly a fist-sized hole in Percy's back or because Phoebe called him by his name. But she grimaced and nodded as all of the hunters in the field grouped up and advanced on the hydra. Phoebe felt inner turmoil as she examined his back. How could he have done this after she had been nothing but awful to him for the entire time he was here? She had never seen a wound like this and didn't know the first thing about complex surgeries so all she could do was pray that he would wake up. Tears stung her eyes as she realized she was helpless to do anything for the man that more than likely was going to die because he saved her.
The hunters versus the hydra was a massacre against the monster. Several of the hunters had been around for hundreds of years and knew everything there was to know about fighting every kind of monster. They knew that hydras were glass cannons; all attack, no defense. And the hunters were specialists in agility, so the hydra could do nothing with its acid but spray and pray. The hunters lit each of their arrows on fire, timing their shots with when the hydras opened their mouths. In just minutes, every head was burned from the inside out and the hydra slumped over, its body burned from within.
Amongst the rest of the hunters, injuries varied from a few with broken bones and almost everyone riddled with cuts and bruises, but no deaths. They split between their two major injured parties, Percy and Thalia, both still unconscious. Rachel had removed the arrow from Thalia and done her best to seal both sides of the wound, but blood still heavily stained her bandages. All of the hunters clasped their hands, praying to Artemis for their safety.
On Olympus
Artemis tapped her foot as she sat in her throne, Zeus droning in the background. It was another routine meeting where nothing of importance was accomplished and Artemis' only role was to confirm that her hunters were on schedule for their coming rendezvous at Camp Olympus E. She felt especially impatient because of what had happened before the meeting. Artemis was ready to get out of the throne room and back to the camp, strangely excited to talk it out and see what happened next. She was lost in her thoughts when she felt a surge of strength, a sign of her hunters praying to her. Immediately worried, she excused herself and flashed out of the meeting.
Artemis appeared in the open field to find two groups of hunters huddled in different areas. She didn't see Thalia or Percy anywhere as she ran to the first group. They immediately made way for their mistress, all starting to speak at once before Atalanta hushed them and briefed Artemis. She kneeled next to her lieutenant's body with tears in her eyes, unsure of whether she was alive or dead. Atalanta seemed to understand this.
"She's alive, Milady. We may need you to take her to Olympus for treatment from one of Apollo's nurses, but we are hopeful. The arrow ran all the way through her, but it was on her side so most vital organs should be unscathed."
Artemis grimaced at "most," but felt mostly relief while Atalanta continued.
"What does need to be worried about is Percy," she finished, gesturing to the other group.
Artemis stood abruptly and appeared next to the other group. The hunters mirrored the first group, moving out of the way to let Artemis see what had happened. Percy laid on his stomach motionless, his head now resting on Phoebe's leg, who sat openly crying with Anna next to her.
"Milady, I'm sorry. The last thing I did was accuse him of being a pig and asking you to kill him. And now -" Phoebe choked out.
Artemis felt the blood rush in her ears. She couldn't process Phoebe's words implying that he was dead. She closed her eyes, sending out a mental call with all of the divine energy she could muster, 'APOLLO.'
"Yeesh, that made my head spin. But thanks for the invitation out of another boring meeting. What's with the urgenc- Oh my me's,"
The sun god had appeared with his fingers on his temples and his million-watt smile, but it quickly shifted to a look of horror. He took on a dead serious tone after one look at Percy. Apollo barked orders for the huntresses to move back and they all moved, having never seen him this humorless before. Apollo's hands glowed blindingly and he placed them over the opening in Percy's back. Percy's shoulders seemed to relax, but Apollo's lack of reaction told the hunters that he was still in grave condition.
"Bring Thalia too," Apollo said, not looking up from his patient as he vanished with his body in a burst of orange.
Wake.
Percy jerked up at the behest of the voice. He scrambled to his feet as his mind tried to comprehend the scene in front of him. Percy stood at what he could only describe as the center of the universe. In every direction, he saw an infinite expanse of planets and stars, nebulae and supernovas, asteroids and comets. He could feel his brain frying as it tried to rationalize where he could possibly be.
Beautiful isn't it?
"Y-yes, Lady Chaos. But how am I here? Where is here? How can I breathe?" Percy finally found his voice and shot one question after another.
This is where I am now. And that planet there? That is where you are. I have brought your spirit here to talk.
Percy felt overwhelmed by the small taste he got of the expansive universe. He couldn't help but feel insignificant.
"Lady Chaos? If you have all of this, why do you care what happens to humans on Earth? Aren't we next to nothing for you?" he asked.
Maybe it was because he was nearly dead coupled with this vision, but Percy felt so weak. To his surprise, Chaos laughed softly.
If I did not care, what kind of Creator would that make me? You humans have shown a propensity for love, courage, and loyalty greater than I could have wished for. Humanity is my greatest creation, how could I not care? Especially when it is my own son threatening it. But that is not what I have brought you here to discuss.
Percy felt a warm sense of belonging at Her response, and snapped to attention as she continued.
You are nearly dead. Your sun god, Apollo, has been working tirelessly on ways to save you and I believe he has finally figured it out. But it is up to you to survive. I have brought you here to tell you Erebus is aware of your newfound powers now, and is very familiar with them. They originate from another universe, one he previously tried to conquer but was pushed back. I gave them to you because they are proven to work against him. There is one more power for you to unearth, and it is the strongest of all. But take caution because your battles will become harder as Erebus will be eager to kill you. Now return to your planet and the woman who cares for you.
Percy soaked in the information that Chaos had just told him, turning red-faced near the end. But he nodded and bowed, his vision fading to black.
Artemis sat in a chair next to a hospital bed, her elbows on her knees and head in her hands. It had been two days since Apollo had completed whatever experimental surgery he had come up with. Percy had been unconscious for 6, brought back from death a dozen times within that period. She had visited Percy every day, desperate for any update. Artemis was ecstatic when Thalia was back on her feet, making a full recovery and that only left Percy.
She sat at his bedside, cursing the timing behind the meeting and the battle that took place immediately after she had left. But she couldn't help but feel incredibly proud of him after hearing the story of what had happened, with him saving Phoebe despite the consequences. Artemis reached out and softly touched Percy's hand, hoping that it'd somehow wake him up.
Artemis closed her eyes and just sat for a few minutes. The room was silent besides the sound of the rhythmic heartbeat monitor. There was an extra blip that Artemis didn't seem to notice until Percy's fingers softly closed around hers. Artemis breathed a sigh that she didn't realize she was holding. The rest of Percy's form remained still but his soft grip held a promise that he'd be alright.
A/N: I wonder how what surgery Apollo came up with to save Percy. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Anyways, I wanted to bring up something from the very beginning of the chapter. As you guys can see, I like Annabeth and want to do something with her character. Is there a particular pairing anyone would like to see? Or some sort of development. I'm very open with what to do with her but I think she was too brilliantly written by Uncle Rick to just get rid of her. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please review any suggestions.