Percy's POV: (Before Grover Found Him)
I'm looking and can feel the soul burning stare, "What?" I asked knowing full well the answer I'm going to get. So before there is anything on their end, I continue, "I know what I'm doing." I sighed, basically having the same mantra for awhile now. Even though it hardly helps most of the same. "I know," I whisper pulling a determined look. But it does help sometimes and I say it, more or less, for those times.
"Do they?" The question hit harder than it should. Though in the end, I think it is best that they do not know. I still have yet to look away.
I smirked, now that is a thought, "...no one will understand anyway." It's not a sad thought, just something that is better for everyone. However, there is a part of me that questions if that's true.
"Are you sure?" Of course, always verbally saying what I am thinking. Bringing it out into the world has a different effect than leaving the thought buried in my head. I mean sure, I can have the exact same process going on well within the confines of my skull, but it just isn't the same.
I'm staring, I know that too, how could I not? His eyes and mine are exactly the same. The conviction is there, hell, so is the determination and will. "It doesn't matter." I smile, looking directly into those irises. The only thing that is lacking, the only thing that is nearly impossible to do myself, is to inveigle thyself. This is my attempt at doing so.
"You could always explain it and make sure they do." It- I- he- whatever, has a point. But the chance of that going the way I need it to go, is fairly low. It may be what I want, however, that is out of the question. This isn't exactly for my sake.
I hit back with a counterpoint, sinking my chin into my palm, "So that they do what exactly? Call me crazy? I get enough of that from you," I merely blink, thinking back at all the times I look at a reflection and call it crazy. It, being I. "Or, let me guess, so that they stop me from getting to Luke?" Afterall, this conversation is mine in the making.
I have thought this over many times and it always comes back to this. I ask, "Is that really the answer? Is he?" I started it knowing well and full how it was going to end.
Though, in the past there was always some doubt. I answer, "Isn't he?" I give myself a lopsided grin. And I intend to finish it by looking at myself without a shred of cynicism.
"That's what I was trying to find out. And there isn't going to be anyone to stop me." Not even myself.
"Right, I just need to play the part. Do my part." After all, who knows me better than I?
I release my control over the water, letting the duplicate break apart into thousands of tiny drops. There was a point, not too long ago, where I couldn't even stand the idea of looking at calm water, let alone an echo of myself embedded in it. The comfort that moving water brought as my reflection constantly broke into millions of pieces was impalpable. Yet, I needed to get away from that mindset and get to working on my next step. A step forward, it can be a single simple step, like Psyche taught me. So long as I moved.
Comfort is a trap. I was comfortable with being broken and watching me break, so long as I didn't have to do anything. But that has changed.
It is safe to say that, now, I can look into my own eyes without disgust, I can hear my own voice without shrinking into myself. There is something completely different when I actually talk, out loud, to myself and hear it. Instead of having every thought thought on before moving forward, I can speak without a break and let it flow in a way that my brain doesn't allow, but my tongue does. Instinct - my instinct, I can always count on.
I'm back.
Mostly.
Now:
I rolled out of the way just as a heavy club swung over my head, followed quickly by two more. These Cyclops sure are a pain to deal with, they are almost competent. "And here I thought you'd put up more of a fight." One of the freak Cyclops chuckled as the other monsters started enclosing the circle around me. I didn't plan it this way, but I can make it work. Hopefully.
"You're not worth it." I taunted as I ducked from another club strike. Yea I get it, it's a great idea to anger the monsters even more so. They are getting braver and I have yet to even slay one of these bastards.
Hell, if Grover gets here soon, I won't even have to. It'd be a lot easier if I did want to right now, but camp needs to see the danger that they are actually in. It's not like I can constantly stay and watch over them.
And there is a tad bit of a problem... I can't necessarily use my powers. Well, I can, I just won't. I mean I don't want to, not in a fighting regard. I doubt it makes sense, but when I try it feels like- well- it doesn't sit right in the pit of my stomach... To be honest I'm a little scared to try. Every part of my body screams when I try. Ironic, a son of the sea and he doesn't want to use water, how pathetic is that?
I sidestepped a wild grab from a skeleton, but landed into the grubby hands of a metal goat which, "O we'll make it worth your while." The, I'm assuming leader here, Empousa whispered in a sultry tone right into my ear. She jumped back, keeping her distance before I can take a swing.
"I doubt it, but that doesn't matter." I leaped over a low swing of a pipe from one of the Cyclops, using his forearm as a springboard to kick him in his eye. He roared, sweeping violently all around, hitting one of his brothers? in the face. "I just need to stall." I smirked, finally getting a bit of distance. Because that is so easy. With three Cyclopes, two of those big scorpions, three Dracaenae, a damn Empousa, and a couple of freaking skeletons!
I lunged back, barely dodging sharp claws aimed for my pretty face. Oh right, how could I forget the crème de la crème; a Nemean Lion!
"Why you cocky little bassstard." A Dracaenae hissed, swiping at my head in succession with her sister monsters. I must be out of practice because the last one barely managed to nick the side of my cheek close to my lips.
"Oi, almost got me." I taunted licking up the little sliver of blood that oozed out. Maybe I should feel a little worried about the whole situation, but I'm strangely not. In fact, holding Riptide in my hand doing exactly what I planned to is easily pushing a rush through my veins. Oh man, it's a rush with no clear ending. I may lose, I may win, but it isn't as concise as my scuffle with Atlas. It feels great.
Before they can think of a counter I dash forward swiping upward at a skeleton almost cleaving it's skull in half, before ducking from a jab committed by the other and kicking it in the very exposed ribs, forcing it to stumble back a little. Not much, but enough.
Though afore my advantage is utilized, one of the single-eyed big hunks lunges forward aiming a kick at my chest. I roll out of the way with zero chance to catch my breath as the Empousa nearly attaches herself to my exposed shoulders while two of the Dracaena slash at my legs and face yet again. I grab ahold of the blood sucker's arm, swinging her around into the couple of slithering snake suckers, knocking them only slightly back. Now it's easy to backflip - cool, I know - over a strike from one of the scorpions driving the tip of my blade directly in it's ugly mug, dropping the number of monsters to eleven.
My side roared in pain as a club threw me off of my feet, rolling me towards a drooling kitty cat. I kicked off the ground right as his snout or whatever hit the ground where I was at. With no time to dwell if anything is broken, I kicked the feline in the eye, jumping off his face as it tried to claw me and directly impaling a Dracaenea too distracted by the Lion's cry of pain.
I dashed forward ducking under a couple of jabs from the skeletons and sidestepping a crash of a trunk. It was easy to jump off the trunk and float close enough to the eye of one the suckers who managed to hit me. I sliced through the eye, blinding a damn Cyclops, shrinking back from the shriek that escaped it's lips. My ribs definitely hurt, but I don't think that anything is broken, hopefully.
I lunged over at the keeled over monster and plunged Riptide into it's chest until my hilt punched his skin, letting in disintegrate and go back to hell.
"Percy!" Chiron shouted, nailing a shot between eyes of a Dracaenae, disintegrating it on the spot. Well would you look at that, one more down. Just eight more to go.
"Finally." I mumble with a short huff of air, rolling out of the way skeletal hands trying to nab me.
From the corner of my eyes I see campers charging and splitting off into four groups, as I duck under a heavy swipe from the big cat. The skeletons charge and I barely notice a few archers litter the scorpion with arrows.
My back hits a tree, shit! Some rope wraps around my waist pinning my wrists back and little room to fight back or cut my way through. I struggle, but nothing. The biggest of the monsters looks just about ready to dive bomb me and the skeletons rattle their teeth together in a way I can only take as a laugh. Fan-freaking-tastic.
The ropes suddenly drape off of me and I barely have time to slide away. I hear a crash behind me, but continued to slide. In front of me the Empuosa has been gutted down by Clarisse and the Cyclops just got beheaded by the Stoll brothers. I hear the elongated sound of s cut off as another one of the monsters is cut down. Leaving only three.
"Percy!" A few people scream, but that only made me turn fast enough to see the jaws of the Nemean Lion swallow me whole. Shit!
A sharp pain plagued both my sides of my right thigh, forcing me to try to shift my body from one side to the other in a desperate hope of finding some temporary relief. Nothing. Drool coted everything and her rough tongue nipped away at my flesh. Panic slowly took over as, for a moment, a way out of this pain, this jaw, began to seem more and more unrealistic. I grabbed Riptide stabbing and slashing at anything and everything. One deep breath followed another, surely this pain can be ignored if I tried.
Fighting through the pain was becoming increasingly difficult, but above all else it became increasingly difficult to breath and move.
Suddenly a wave of light cut through the dark... I'm falling.
I crash into the ground. Terrified, I kept my eyes clamped shut. Whatever caused the agonizing sharp pains in my leg, I am sure it doesn't look pretty. The pain subsided at times, only to flare up again and with more increased intensity. With the passing of each moment the pain only seemed to get worse and worse. For a moment that was all I can think about.
It became harder and harder to swallow the pain, to ignore the sensations and the voices telling me to stop. But I desperately looked and realized...
The skeletons are no where to be found. But the campers are everywhere.
I bring my hand to my side and fight through the enormous pain emitting from the gashes on my leg. I wobble a lot with black dots and doubles hitting my sight hard. Then everything goes black.
For the next few moments I teeter on the edge of being awake and not when, what felt like a punch to my face, woke me up. Punching back my instincts to run and fight I take a deep breath and look around.
I barely noticed that we got into the Big House and made our onto the porch with nearly everybody's eyes on me. I guess now is as good as time as any. Before I pass out again, or not. Who knows. Something doesn't feel quite right.
"Go ahead." I said as soon as my nerves finally calmed down a little. Not that that would last long considering, well you know. Okay, I know I'm missing something here, something vital like how, what, when, but damn I just want to move. And go away.
"What the hell was that!?" Annabeth started off, just like I expected her to, though that's making me think that I need to get out of my head for awhile.
"The labyrinth." I said like it was totally obvious, which in retrospect, it isn't because who expects a damn underground maze to pop up in the middle of the forest spewing out monsters? I clench as pain snapped through my legs.
"You knew." Silena pointed out.
"Sorry?" I mean I did, but not until Quintus filled me in on the whole thing. I thought it was just a cave dug by the titan army to ambush us with some magic influence or something. Never in my life did I think it was the Labyrinth of ole.
Travis glared at me, which looked very menacing from a guy as care free as him. "Why didn't you do anything?"
I glared right back, hating the accusation, "I did." My voice is stern, even though I spent most of that time trying to train myself back into shape. "I trained and trained and trained until I felt comfortable enough to fight myself." Even though my body still screams at me to avoid water and earth. It's still screaming, but now at everything. "I taught in the only way I know how to, by correcting mistakes and trying again until the body couldn't take it anymore. Hell, I even had help with old guy Quintus teaching in more ways than I knew how to."
"But you didn't say anything? Warn anybody?" Chiron rolled up asking in his own stern voice.
"If I did then anybody with half a brain wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing there is impending doom coming at some random time in the future. They'd always be on edge and tired. You should know that tired people make mistakes that cost lives better than anyone. This way they were prepared and didn't have time to worry. Just get up and help. When they survive, that's when they could freak out. Now they have experience. Good experience." I bit my lip and held my breath as more waves hit me.
"Is that why you were out all hours of the night? So no one else was? What about the veterans?" Clarisse asked, I wondered when they would ask me about that and, you know, I wouldn't be able to dodge the question.
"Yes." I said ignoring the part about the more experienced ones. Frankly I just didn't want to deal with them.
"Liar, you had something planned, for tonight no less and Quintus was undoubtably involved." Annabeth called me out on it, pointing her finger in a threatening way. "Dreams don't lie Percy, especially not the ones that come to us." Yea, I know that.
"I am not lying. I was keeping watch and I was trying to prepare you guys in a way that normal ways of camp lessons wouldn't. It was a simple plan to use the forest to hunt monsters, like actually hunt them so they wouldn't die during their first battle." I understand that won't magically make everything better, but how else am I supposed to help? It's the only way I know how to, through trial and error with real world experience.
"Then who was?-" Annabeth's eyes squinted then shifted to my friend, "Grover, you knew?" Her voice sounded broken and soft, as if something clicked. This is not good.
"He didn't. I swear Grover has - had - nothing to do with me and my plan. I just wanted everyone to be prepared." I answered quickly, defending my friend. If he doesn't want them to know, then they won't, it's better they don't anyway. "But there is something else you all need to know. They know we're vulnerable, and sooner or later they'll try again, but it won't be with a small regiment like back there." A few of the counselors looked at me wondering how I am so certain, so I continued, "See, I had a dream too. They are looking for a way to navigate the labyrinth and are getting pretty damn close."
Kati stood up scrunching up her face before she asked "So you're saying that they can't as of now?" I nodded, "Then how'd did they find a way into the border?" Everyone looked deeply concerned and they should be. But more so than anyone, Chiron looked a hundred years older.
"I led them here." I looked down ashamed, because I am. It wasn't supposed to go down like this. That was the point of having a plan. But, of course murphy just had to get in the way like he always does. "When I first fell in the earth closed in on itself above me trapping me. So I did the only natural thing I could, I sat and waited, and waited. I can't even tell you how long it was, but nature's calling got the better of me. And since I'm not a barbarian, and didn't want to do my business at the entrance, I rounded a corner-" Actually it was Grover, but he didn't want to go off by himself so I came along and the rest is history, as they say, "Who would have guessed it changes? Not me. Well, either way I spent what felt like a day wandering until I literally bumped into a camp of theirs. I ran, they followed. My guess is my smell is pretty easy to discern in a cave."
"Wait, what do you mean bumped into?" Grover asked. Funny.
"I bumped into a skeleton and he grabbed at me, getting a piece of my shirt. That's when I booked it." They, I mean most of them, looked at each other. I don't get why, it's not like it was all that great an encounter. I held back a shudder by biting the inside of my cheek, hard. No reason to give anymore ideas on why I should stay any longer.
"How did you get out?" Chiron asked, but it wasn't really a question, more so a demand with a bad alternative. I guess we're going to ignore what I just said, great.
"Honestly?" I sat down, resting my chin on both of my palms, ignoring my body's plea for water. To heal. "I don't know. And I swear that's the truth." It really is, in some convoluted way, it is. I don't know how we were led out, what directions were taken, nor anything really. Just that we popped out by Zeus's fist, with Quintus smiling his ass off in a old creepy way.
"How exactly did you come by Quintus?" Annabeth pointed her finger at me accusingly, probably already knowing that it was I who introduced the camp to him. She's probably already knows more than she is letting on. Crap.
I knew that question was coming sooner or later, but just like many other things, I failed to come up with a solid answer. How can I tell them that he found me? Saved Grover and I while leading us carefully back to the camp's hidden underground entrance. Yea, because that sounds so damn believable and not at all like a trap, maybe even sabotage, in the making.
I straightened up and told them, "My brother sent him, said that in exchange for a place to stay, he'll teach us." I noted all the quizzical looks aimed at me so I continued, "I have no reason to doubt Triton's aid in the matter." Recently, I can tell how uncomfortable some campers were getting with the gods and inability to say something outright. Not that I can complain, considering I'm lying to them all. Frankly, I don't even know what Quintus wants. "So, if anyone cares to join me, I'll be taking watch tonight." I walked out. More like limped out.
Two joined me. Charles and Silena.
Yea, sorry for the long wait. Seriously, I'm very sorry and hope you enjoy this chapter. I thought that I'd have more time on my hands, but I can barely find time nowadays to write. Again, sorry and hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long to make.