Third Person POV:
Anger and frustration flowed through his body, and no amount of monsters getting vaporized from the slightest brush against his aura could soothe him. He had tried to exercise his old favorite past time on a few unlucky mortals that crossed his path, yet found no success in calming himself watching their weak bodies wither into dust in seconds with just a snap of his fingers. Usually, he avoided mingling with mortals at all, seeing them as lesser beings more or less equivalent to rats, but couldn't help and appreciate the establishments he currently found himself inside of. Surrounded by the smell of alcohol, dimmed lighting and gorgeous women, the Titan of Time managed an uneasy smile as he attempted to relax himself. It was difficult, and more than often, he'd accidentally lost hold of his anger, and cause one of the willing girls beside him to flinch as a hint of his kill aura revealed itself.
Why was he here in the first place? That was good question. In fact, Kronos himself pondered for many minutes what he was doing. But then, he always returned to the same answer. There was an unexpected wrench in the gears, and this wrench was near impossible to get rid of unless Kronos himself took up the mission personally. He had lost two armies to a single individual, and if that wasn't annoying enough, Ethan's personal report nearly made Kronos zap the shaking demigod into a grease stain right then and there. It wasn't the son of Nemesis' fault, but Kronos couldn't help but gnash his teeth regardless. Everything should have been perfect. The gods would be occupied with an old friend of his, no ally. Not really a friend. While they left Olympus unprotected, or rather, up to the demigods to defend. And Kronos would have no problems taking care of them himself, if his powers returned to him quicker. Hence the reason why he had an army... that was now mostly dead.
"Dammit!" Kronos cursed, slamming his fist down on the armrest so hard that it crunched beneath his arm. Of course, there was still at least a year's time before the fulfillment of the blasted prophecy. That was more than enough time for him to regather his forces, including his blood brothers and that'd help him fight in the west whilst he fought in the east. But no matter how many monsters were amassed, Kronos knew his efforts wouldn't be enough. From his spies, he knew simply that the powerful demigod known as Riptide at most was an alternate universe traveler. That alone was strange enough and difficult to believe, and Kronos swore his spies were lying before Ethan's report of the attack on the so-called puny camp returned. Hearing that it took only the demigod no less than 6 seconds to essentially one-shot a drakon was extremely impressive, and definitely something Kronos hadn't heard of before. And supposedly, a son of Poseidon, who could control Greek fire at will. Kronos would have to be stupid to ignore the obvious threat the demigod posed. Being able to swat his entire army of monsters not once, but twice by himself. Taking down ancient monsters with barely a blink of an eye, easily saving hundreds of normal demigods' lives. Need he say more?
He didn't want to admit defeat. No matter the cost, he'd fight for his revenge against the puny gods head on. The Titan would raze Olympus to the ground and rebuild a world led by his own kind.
Kronos grinned as a plan began to form in his head. He needed to reach as close to full power as he could. Whilst he was thankful for the son of Hermes for sacrificing his body for the Titan, Kronos knew the flesh and blood wouldn't be able to handle his ultimate abilities. From the news of current reports, if he wasn't able to go all out, he may be severely weakened before his inevitable fight with the gods. That wouldn't do. His eyes flashed gold, glowing with faint patterns of cogs like a clock. His skin glowed just slightly, causing the sleeping girls atop him to groan softly.
"It's time," Kronos glowered at the ceiling, jaw set in determination. He hadn't been so prepared to do this, as he trusted his mortal body as enough to deal with an army of puny heroes. But that was no longer the case. There was a new enemy on the horizon, a worthy adversary searching for his head. And it would be most impolite as a man for Kronos to fight him at a quarter of his best.
"Let's see, Riptide." Kronos licked his lips in anticipation, his anger giving away for resolve. "I'm coming for you! Beware the Titans! Beware my strength!"
He sat silently for a few more seconds before his body shimmered slightly. Where a once golden eyed teenager sat was replaced by a shower of gold as the Titan of Time warped himself back to his camps. Once he reappeared back inside his tent, Ethan Nakamura burst inside, nearly falling on his face as he tripped over his feet to bow down.
"My lord! You've returned! How was your break?"
Kronos chuckled, his eyes alight with excitement. "Listen closely, Nakamura. I've realized something while I was resting. It is a personal matter I must take care of. However, I still have responsibilities for you to handle."
"M-Me?" Ethan shuddered out, before clearing his throat. "Sorry, what sort of task mi'lord?"
"I need you to man the armies of Kronos." The Titan ordered, ignoring the slim panic that slipped through Ethan's gaze. "I will be absent from my forces for up till the next summer. As I'm sure you're aware, there is currently an enemy that we cannot nor have the means to deal with. I have a method, but I cannot watch my army and do so simultaneously. Do you comprehend my words, Nakamura?!"
Ethan grimaced and glared hard at the dirt beneath him, fully mustering up the strength to stare back at the Titan's overpowering stare. Revenge against the gods, I'll have it! That was his conviction, his reason to serve this immortal who would change the world for the better. And now, here this immortal was, handing him an important task he'd never imagined to receive.
"I understand mi'lord." Ethan clenched his fists, wrapping one hand on the pommel of his sword. "I'll do everything in my power to grow this force, and have it fully ready for your return."
Kronos laughed heartily and smirked. "Excellent. Have it done as you say. And now, leave! This Titan has places to go!"
As soon as Ethan took off, the Titan's gaze turned hard. He knelt onto the ground and placed a single palm against the earth. In a language as old as the earth itself, he spoke slowly, "Hear me, Great Regions of the World! Allow me travel to the deepest dwellings where those who are punished for eternity roam. Allow me to see the wrath of suffering and the abomination of monsters for myself. Let me greet Tartarus, The Primordial of the Abyss!"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a massive column of power blasted from beneath him, and Kronos gritted his teeth as a fearsome aura battered his own.
WHO DARES TO SPEAK MY NAME LIKE THEY KNOW ME?!
Kronos growled and spoke once more. "I wish to exercise my right to visit my Primordial grandfather. Allow me this, Tartarus!"
The ground burst forth at his feet, and dark red light shot through and surrounded the Titan as if to trap him. Kronos had mere seconds to blink before he simply disappeared, vanishing in thin air.
The Titan resisted the urge to scream as winds buffeted him from no particular direction. The crisp air of the city was replaced with the burning scent of Tartarus' acidic atmosphere, and Kronos had to cough once or twice to get used to the sudden change. He wasn't like the gods, who feared the Pit with every inch of their souls. Technically, Tartarus was his uncle, thus, Kronos still felt somewhat comfortable in Tartarus' domain, though he didn't prefer to spend his time there.
When he finally landed, Kronos felt a blast of power fly over him, about as comforting as a blanket of barbed wire. He winced and glanced up, swallowing at the sight of Tartarus in his humanoid form. A massive giant figure with searing red orbs for eyes that burned and sparked with raw power. Black armor made of the very same rocks that made up the hellish domain, glowing red as souls trapped inside attempted their futile escape. A gaping maw where his mouth should be, sucking in the essence of anything of lesser will. Kronos cringed, then tightened his will. He came here to train himself up, not sacrifice himself to become another one of Tartarus' prisoners.
Kronos? You squirt, how dare you request something so audacious!
The Titan glared at the primordial, pushing against the scalding aura with a burst of his own. There is an enemy in my way that I cannot defeat with my current power. I MUST get stronger!
Hmmmm... Tartarus grunted, a single breath sucking in more unfortunate souls. And you believe your grandfather can help you?
Yes. Kronos nodded. This body you see is only temporary. It should've been enough. But I know it's not.
Not enough against the gods? Tartarus asked. Who is powerful enough to require your fullest strength?
A stranger from another world, Kronos said simply. It's difficult to describe. However, I'd like no mistakes. Revenge will be mine. I swear it.
Tartarus shook his head and laughed, shaking the whole ground with rumbling vibrations. You seem slightly different from when I knew you before. Less foolish. He paused. I'll grant you an audience with him. But, I cannot sit by and pretend I saw nothing. Once you get what you want, come back to me.
Why? Kronos asked, confused.
I'll teach you. Tartarus smirked, if his eyes said anything. I'll train you in the pits of hell what you get from that old man. You're about to fight an enemy who can face you in full? You've been scattered for centuries brat. I wouldn't rely on your chronokinesis for everything. And if you fight like you did back then... The primordial tapered off, his gaze flashing dangerously. It won't be hard to whoop your ass into the next millennia.
Kronos' eyes widened, then narrowed. I'll be in your care then. Now if you would...
So impatient, Tartarus grunted. You will find an empty hall a few steps behind me. Follow it down and once you reach the Black Room, await him. He'll come. It's been several millennia since he was last summoned after all.
Kronos nodded, straightening himself slowly as he managed his way past Tartarus, escaping the primordial's pressuring aura. The souls of the other primordials weren't locked away in the pit per say. They were merely stored in here, in a sort of deep hibernation in which Tartarus could communicate with them for short periods if he wished.
"The Black Room," Kronos murmured, scanning the plaques besides the doorways, grinning as he recognized the correct one. "It's here."
He stepped inside, immediately enveloped by what could only be described as an angry wave of power that easily knocked the titan onto his knees. Kronos gritted his teeth and opened his mouth to speak. Chronos! I seek–
You fool! A ancient voice embodying the history of all time and space reverberated around Kronos, making the titan wince. You dare show your face after the farce you pulled with my powers?
Huh?
Don't act clueless! The primordial of time rumbled furiously. Do you think I'm unaware of how irresponsible you are with one of the grandest abilities the universe has ever seen? Bah, who uses the powers of Time itself to wither away mortals for fun? I am ashamed that my glorious domain fell into the hands of such a stupid fool!
Kronos stared into the darkness shocked, his anger subsiding for a moment of realization. Sure, he knew he wielded one of the most powerful natural abilities the universe could offer, but what had he done with that power?
Chronos, The titan bowed his head in respect. You have said nothing wrong about me. Forgive your junior for being naive. However, I request your help. An unknown adversary with dangerous abilities threatens my plans to reinstate the power of the titans as the head of this world. I see now that I have used my... your abilities without any skill. I seek your advice, Chronos, the Primordial of Time. Kronos knew he'd been rude, his status as king and the slayer of Ouranos corrupting his mind and ruining his ability to see past his monstrous ego. In many ways, he was no different than the very gods Luke had complained about, and that thought disgusted him.
Begone! The primordial responded, his aura retreating. I know you, Kronos. You are the king of the Titans, the one responsible for the final blow. Yet, you don't think, and are single handedly responsible for the ultimate downfall of your own kind, thanks to your paranoia of your own children. You pulled the same shit as your father did. What makes me want to help someone who'll just lose again? Words are easy to say, after all.
Kronos nearly cracked his immortal teeth as he stood up, his eyes filled with raw will and rage. I'm not the same as I once was, Chronos. If you won't help me, that's fine. What can you do anyways, locked away in the depths of Tartarus? I'll find a way myself.
Silence reigned the room and for a moment, Kronos wondered how long it'd be before he got blasted. Sure, Chronos might be nothing more than a soul left but Kronos wouldn't know if the primordial had to ability to still delete him or not.
Ha! Chronos laughed, startling the titan. Where did your guts come from, Kronos? For someone who merely rages at the first sign of annoyance, I'm surprised you didn't retaliate against me sooner.
Kronos took a deep breath, then glared at the dark space before him. I'm here to learn from the first being to ever wield the powers of Time. Who better to teach me than the Master of Time himself?
Very well. Chronos mused. Perhaps you'll learn a little more too.
Kronos clenched his fists in victory. "Just you wait, Riptide," He vowed, mind filled with resolution. "Your head is mine! And after that..." He threw his head back and laughed much to the amusement of the watching primordial. "NEXT, THE DOWNFALL OF OLYMPUS!"
§§§§§
"Pitiful!" Tartarus bellowed as Kronos slammed into the side of the wall... again.
"Fuck!" Kronos cursed, wincing as his immortal body slowly healed the multitude of bruises decorating it. Once he returned from his agreement with Chronos to teach him, Tartarus immediately dragged him into an introductory training session to test exactly how good Kronos was at fighting. And well, the titan soon found out that he was, in absolutely no other words, total shit. Even though Tartarus allowed him to use his chronokinesis, Kronos was still getting his ass handed to him.
He had tried slowing the primordial down, as Kronos did on many of his enemies. Usually that worked, but as he stood there gloating over the fact that even Tartarus could do nothing against the slowing of time, he felt a tap behind him that distracted his focus, leading to Tartarus breaking free and resulting in a hard punch to Kronos' face. Turns out, although he could slow Tartarus' movement, he couldn't slow the primordials' thoughts, which could control the very landscape the two were fighting on.
"Your enemy is a son of the sea, is he not?" Tartarus glared at Kronos, whose bedraggled form struggled to hold itself up. "He most likely controls the sea with his mind, not his hands! Just because you freeze him solid, doesn't mean he can't free himself by distracting your focus. This is what I meant by you being too reliant on your powers. Because as soon as I break free," He stomped over to Kronos, looming over the winded Titan. "You are absolutely defenseless!"
Kronos nodded, then stood shakily. For nearly an hour now, he had humbly held his complaints, getting beat to pulp by nothing but Tartarus' fists. Each punch only made reality clearer to Kronos that he basically had no idea how to fight properly. He no longer could just swing his scythe around and walk leisurely into a fight. It was just as Tartarus said over and over, that without his powers, he was done for. Sure, he still had the durability of a titan and most likely wouldn't be hurt by the puny swords and arrows that armed the demigods. But who knows, Riptide might have something that works against Titans from his original world. And Kronos doubted his hunch was wrong.
"We stop here for now." Tartarus backed off, heading to the opposite side of the makeshift arena and sitting down. "You are weak."
Kronos couldn't do much but silently agree. Up in the city, his armies were nothing but ants in his eyes. Helpful for domination yes, but ants regardless. His brothers were more or less as strong as he was, which after what just happened, was clearly not much. His best general Atlas was trapped under a funnel of sky for eternity, and Kronos wasn't stupid enough to attempt to find a temporary placeholder just to break out the egotistical blockhead who had more brawn than brain. If he really looked at it, he had basically no one but himself to rely on.
"Do you even know the extent of your powers?" Tartarus asked after a moment of silence. "Is all you can do slow time in a fight?" His tone was incredulous, as if he couldn't believe Kronos was that close-minded.
Kronos sighed. "Well no. I'm well aware of the various aspects of time that I can utilize, although, slowing time is pretty much all I usually need in a fight."
Tartarus grunted in disbelief. "You aren't leaving here anytime soon right?"
"Errr... no," Kronos said. "Why?"
"Cause I'm going to give you a task," Tartarus said. "Think... seriously think about what else you can do with your powers. Experiment, and practice. You want to get stronger? Then train. There are plenty of monsters in my domain that could beat you in a swordfight. Challenge your lazy ass, and when you can finally defeat me..." The primordial let his words hang, letting Kronos finish the rest in his mind.
Kronos nodded firmly, staring down at his hands. He had one year at most to master his skills, and regain his true form. If he wanted to win, he needed to work for it. "So be it," he muttered, giving Tartarus a silent nod before walking out the arena to find a place to rest.
For the next few weeks, Kronos found himself working in a strict training regime. He would fight against monsters with no powers, relying on only his body and sword/scythe to tear through his opponents. After ripping through a whole sector, Tartarus would drag him into their makeshift arena and beat the titan black and blue. While Kronos struggled to see and stand straight, he'd talk to Chronos. What Kronos discovered about his chronokinesis only made the titan work harder.
To awaken your true form faster, Chronos explained. One must awaken their domain to the fullest. You're a titan using a mortal body. Even though your soul and mind are your own, mortal bodies have many impurities. You'll not be able to handle even the simplest of titan power in your current form.
To start, you must truly understand the extent of your powers, Chronos had said. Do you really think all you can do is slow time? What about speeding it up? Freezing it? Applying it to yourself, instead of your opponents? Think, Kronos, and experiment. Find out more about yourself, and master your powers.
The Titan of Time sat upon a pile of black boulders, gazing at the blue-gold orb of power in his hand. Intricate gears rotated inside the sphere of time, as if to represent his mind. It had been months since the primordial of time first said those words. And now, Kronos believed he'd found something.
BOOOOM!
Kronos looked up, eyes narrowing as he noticed the approaching drakon. His hand gripped his sword as he stood, his body wreathed in gold. Power thrummed in his limbs, and he smirked. "Just what I needed."
"2nd Hour," He muttered, before blinking off the boulder he stood on, rematerializing in midair right between the drakon's teeth. "Momentum, Bladestorm!" Sixteen impossibly fast strikes slashed across the monster's maw. As the drakon roared in pain, Kronos skillfully maneuvered his way down to the ground, grinning like crazy. Without another second, he blinked away again, slashing away at the drakon so fast, the titan was nothing more than a golden blur flickering in and out of sight. When he finished, Kronos landed, his sword raised in the air. Time stilled for a moment as the drakon exploded into a cloud of yellow dust. Kronos stood, looking back at the once again calm hellscape.
"Speed," He said, deactivating his ability. "Why hadn't I thought of that before?"
His success in discovering another way to utilize his power only made him more excited. When he used 2nd Hour against Tartarus, the primordial still beat him, although with more difficulty than usual. Progress, Kronos told himself. At least he was making progress. Tartarus seemed proud as well, and though Kronos didn't say it, the Titan looked forward to the silent praise.
Over time, more of his mortal shell was shaved away. Kronos noticed that his arms were constantly aflame during another monster farming session, and realized that the once pale mortal skin he had had darkened into a rich copper tone, encased by a layer of black rock armor that occasionally shot flames. Blonde hair was replaced with black strands, until the only trace of Luke was a single eye. The titan's left eye turned electric blue and stayed that way, no matter how long he trained for in hell.
Kronos could now last hours against Tartarus, able to beat the primordial into a kneel several times in a single spar. He rarely gave Tartarus a break, playing with all the skills he discovered in order to defeat his long time caretaker and trainer. His scythe, which retained the ability to transform back into a sword if need be, had been imbued with the essence of the Pit, found only in the crystals native to the caves in Tartarus' domain. A weapon capable of severing a god's soul from their body in a single fatal hit. A weapon that could slice through a mountain range with ease. A weapon of cutting through even a primordial's durability. But Kronos was no longer naive enough to believe that such an ultimate strength could protect him forever. He would continue to spend hours alone, buried in the midst of millions of monsters, using nothing but his fists and powers to discover every strength and every weakness about himself.
"1st Hour," Kronos inhaled, his left eye shining as he activated his ability. "Reduction, Wave Blast!" He slammed his fist downwards, causing a bright blue wave of energy to shoot across the ground in front of him. As he stepped forward and burst into a sprint, zipping through the landscape thanks to his awakened immortal speed, his right eye glowed brightly. "2nd Hour, Momentum!" His scythe materialized in his hands as he broke the sound barrier and appeared in the center of a thousand Cyclops. "Cyclone!"
For a hovering second, one thousand Cyclops stood still. In a blink of an eye, sixteen crescent strokes shot out in a circle, reducing the monsters into fine dust.
"THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!" Kronos yelled, raising his face up to the sky, his hands thrown on both sides, palms up.
"So this is what you've been up to?" Tartarus' familiar voice sounded out, and Kronos turned serious, nodding towards one of the beings responsible for his success.
"Yeh," Kronos smiled victoriously. "Think you can beat this, old man?"
"Ha, in your dreams," Tartarus laughed good-naturedly, accidentally swallowing up some unfortunate weaklings in the process. "You've grown more than I ever imagined from someone like you."
Kronos stared at the hellscape that he had lived in for nearly a year's time. A place he had walked into blindly, expecting help as an idiot who could barely fight without his powers. He was going to leave as a Titan, a Titan who knew his powers inside out, who trained every day of his life, learning more about himself than he ever had in his millennia of existence. He knew confidently, he could walk into the gods and win. With his Hours, his aces, and his emergency ticket, he'd emerge victorious.
"One more match?" Tartarus asked as the primordial activated his battle armor. An aura that once washed over Kronos like a looming beast of death was nothing like such any longer.
"I WILL beat you." Kronos said firmly, activating his armor as well. Black Tartarus earth armor materialized on his body as his eyes glowed powerfully. Blue and gold orbs of light that glinted with the faint patterns of gears as Kronos powered up. "I'm gonna give you an ass-whooping you'll never forget!" And with that, he shot forward, laughing maniacally, his scythe thirsting for blood.
"HA!" Tartarus roared, then slammed his fist into the ground. A shockwave of tremors blasted towards Kronos, a deadly wave of lava and shattered glass that the Titan couldn't slow. But that didn't matter, because Kronos wasn't his old-self any longer.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that," Kronos said, flashing gold as he blinked out of the way midair, reappearing before Tartarus' face. "First Hour, Momentum, Bladestorm!"
Tartarus grunted as he managed to dodge every impossibly fast strike, catching only a few nicks on his shoulders. Demonic energy charged in his right hand, and his own sword appeared in a swirl of power. His left arm erupted with molten flame, tinted with a hint of black. "You asked for this, you squirt!"
Kronos flipped backwards as Tartarus swung his sword right where the Titan had been standing. His eyes narrowed as a wave of foreign energy passed through his body, and exhaled as a sudden weakness surged through his limbs.
"Heh, looks like he's taking this seriously." Kronos muttered as the air around him began to darken. With now limited vision and suppressed abilities, Tartarus was definitely not joking around.
POOOOOW! Kronos yelled in surprise as a bolt of dark energy slammed into him and threw him several yards back. If not for his immortal durability, he would've been vaporized. Another bolt shot through, and the titan dropped onto the ground, too winded at the moment to react otherwise. He rolled away, grasping his scythe tightly.
Well, he's got this whole area under his control. Kronos thought. I'm never going to get my vision back. He knew Tartarus had many ranged attacks, considering the primordial had the ability to manipulate the literal abyss world with a mere thought. And though Tartarus could fight decently well with a sword, Kronos had the best chance of beating him there, as he could move faster than Tartarus could react.
Kronos could sense Tartarus' aura and flew towards it, occasionally blinking a random direction to dodge the massive lasers of dark energy shooting through the dark. Despite training for so long, Tartarus was still a primordial, and thus, had far more strength and power than a Titan could ever amass. Kronos knew that, but didn't let that stop him.
"First Hour, Momentum," Kronos threw his fist back, his wrist encircled by golden coils, like a gauss rifle getting charged. "Missile." His palm shot forward, releasing a ball of energy that sliced through the darkness, swallowed almost immediately by Tartarus' darkness. For a few seconds, Kronos wondered if he missed, which would really suck, but the following explosion accompanied by a surprised roar made him smirk victoriously.
"Guess he wasn't ready for that," Kronos shot forward, until he could make out a vague outline of his target. His mind focused his power as he approached the primordial, knowing that Tartarus could sense his aura.
"Third Hour," Kronos inhaled as he spun his scythe. "Absolute Zero!" Though Kronos couldn't see it, Tartarus was now coated in a thin sheen of blue. The primordial found himself frozen in place, and mentally braced himself for Kronos' oncoming attack.
"First Hour," Kronos brought his scythe up, crossing with his right hand over his left shoulder. "Momentum, Sky Slicer!" The blade erupted with pure energy as Kronos slashed across Tartarus' frozen body, yet he wasn't finished. He blinked behind the primordial, counting the seconds he had left to finish his attack. "First Hour, Momentum, Galeforce!" Kronos landed an array of lethal slices and cuts across Tartarus' unmoving body, doing no visible damage. He landed behind Tartarus, who unfroze mid-roar, turning around to find Kronos standing still.
"Give it a second," Kronos chuckled tiredly, using his scythe for support.
Tartarus had only a few breaths before his body exploded with soul-searing pain. His immortal body burned as blade wounds carved themselves across his body all at once, multiplying the pain ten-fold. The primordial huffed, feeling his wounds bleed with the essence of the five rivers.
"You..." Tartarus stumbled, then righted himself. His body was already healing the damage, and despite Kronos' best efforts, the primordial's stamina was barely depleted. "You little squirt, what was that?!"
Kronos laughed, turning around to face his teacher. "A little... something I picked up... while experimenting."
"Heh," Tartarus smiled, which looked rather gruesome, thought Kronos was used to it. "I suppose it's safe to say this match is over?"
"You're still ages more powerful than me, Tartarus," Kronos rolled his eyes. "I could never beat you, even if I pulled my ace."
The primordial chuckled and pulled back his aura, causing the darkness of the abyss to disappear. He reached out and guided the exhausted titan back towards the makeshift arena. "I believe you are ready, Titan of Time."
Kronos smiled proudly at the primordial's use of his title. This was it. It was time for his revenge to begin.
§§§§§
(Weeks before Kronos descended to Tartarus...)
Percy POV:
I glanced over my shoulder, then whipped my head around, smirking as I brought my katana forward and blocked a strike flying from the shadows coming for my head. Faster than I could see, the intruding blade disappeared and reappeared near my midsection, only to miss as I dodged. The attacker was undeterred and continued his onslaught, blinking in and out of the darkness, the only sign of his presence being the aura of fear his blade left behind. I heard a firm inhale in my right and had two seconds to smirk before a flurry of slashes and strikes rained onto my blade. I gritted my teeth, partly surprised by the amount of strength behind the attacks. I mean, I should've expected it. This was a student of the greatest self-proclaimed swordsman in the world, and it would only make sense that he was improving far more than he ever had before.
However, what I didn't expect was a second Nico leaping out from above and landing below me, slashing the back of my knees before disappearing. As I winced in pain from actually getting hit, Nico appeared again, his blade thrust towards my face. Concentration set in my face and I dissolved my skull into water, letting the blade slice through without hurting me. The headshot blow seemed to surprise Nico, and his eyes widened momentarily. I took advantage of that and pushed him back with a water wall, before unleashing my own storm of attacks, thundering down on Nico like a waterfall off a cliff, yet retaining the grace and control of an experienced swordsman. His eyes flashed fiercely and he responded in kind, his black steel against my silver. Our blades locked and we stood still, facing each other. Nothing but our ragged breaths permeated the silence for a few seconds, until I smiled and relaxed.
"Now that's a spar!" I chuckled, sheathing my katana in its sheath. "You've seriously improved." I turned around and glanced at the back of my knees, groaning as the flesh molded back into the proper shape. "Can't believe you actually got a hit on me."
"I trained every moment I could," Nico had remained in his pose, his sword still held aloft. The intensity I'd seen in his eyes were still there, yet his proud grin showed his true feelings. "You have gave me the best skills nobody else bothered to give me. It would be upsetting if I sat back and did nothing with them."
I laughed. "Sure, sure. I was surprised though. Shadow clones, Nico?"
Nico scratched the back of head embarrassed. "Oh yeah. Sorry, I know you said no powers, but I wanted to show you them so badly. And I actually got a hit on you! So..." He looked up sheepishly. "It still counts a win."
I smirked. "It does and I'm not ashamed to admit that a demigod landed a strike on me in doing so. Plus, it only shows me just how much you've expanded your fighting kit. How many clones can you make?"
Nico crossed his arms. "One at the most right now. With continuous in-battle shadow traveling, it's difficult to maintain the form and shape of more than one. I could make more to distract you, but knowing you, they'd be ignored. So I put all my power in creating a fighter capable of dishing out attacks, just enough to make you believe it was me before jumping out from behind to hit you."
"It certainly worked," I mused. "I mean, I couldn't tell the difference between the clone and you in the heat of the spar. Make your clone again?"
Nico took a deep breath. "Can we go for some snacks and water first? I don't think I can create one without falling right now."
I stared him down and he stared back, unflinchingly. I nodded and smiled. "Nice. Then let's go. I could do with a burger or two."
"Thanks sir."
§§§§§
"I don't think a burger has ever tasted so good before." Nico sighed happily, having downed three burgers before I even finished one.
I chuckled. "You were like a vacuum in there. Were you that drained?"
Nico nodded. "Yeh, I couldn't believe it either. Using all my powers and skills in the span of barely a minute took so much strength I thought I wouldn't be able to follow through with my attacks."
"Stamina training then." I said, staring up at the evening sky. "That's our next task."
Nico smiled. "I'm excited, don't get me wrong. But gimme a break for a day."
"You'll rest the rest of today and next morning," I said. "Nothing more. War is coming. The last thing you want is to be caught off-guard right?"
"You're right, as always." Nico nodded firmly. "I'm sorry, I let my laziness get the better of me."
I patted him on the shoulder. "Don't stress it. We'll get all the breaks we want after the war is done. And plus, I might actually give you one. You've grown and overcome so many obstacles, it's insane. I mean, I never even imagined you could control shadows to this extent!"
"Dad's been helping me," Nico admitted. "Seems like your talk with him really motivated him to connect personally with me. I don't think I've ever seen Hades so passionate about something regarding his demigod children before."
"That's interesting," I said. "Seems like the gods here are... more accepting of spending time with their kids. Heck, I even got good ole' thunderpants to help with Thalia a while back."
The sky rumbled, and Nico looked up, surprised. "Uh, Perce?"
I chuckled. "Yeh, yeh, I'm calling you out Zeus! Please don't vaporize me, thank you."
The sky rumbled again, thought this sounded more like an indignant huff, making me smile.
"Anyways, Thalia now has a more... versatile use of her abilities." I mused.
"If I remember correctly, she was wreathed in lightning?"
I nodded. "Yup. Instead of merely summoning lightning from the sky, we figured out she can channel lightning within her for a short amount of time. Pretty cool, and makes her infinitely more dangerous to fight. Though, still not a reliable weapon once her enemies figure out it's only usable in a burst of time."
"That would be the same case for me if I don't practice, right?" Nico said. "My stamina right now is not good enough. I promise I'll be up and ready tomorrow morning, if that's alright?"
I shook my head. "As eager as I am to get started on new techniques, rest is important for your body as well. We've been fighting a lot lately. Take the day off. Train if you want to, but don't overwork yourself. I don't have any assignments for you until 24 hours later."
Nico chuckled. "Thanks Perseus. I'll keep that in mind."
"But first," I said. "Let's head back to your place. I wanna see that shadow clone."
We made our way to a forgotten alleyway and disappeared in our spots, him into shadows, me into vapor. The two of us appeared back in the courtyard in the Underworld where we'd been allowed to train, only to be surprised with an unexpected visitor.
"Bi?" Nico asked, eyes wide. "What are you doing here?"
Bianca ignored her brother and walked up to me, her eyes aflame with almost a defiant glare. I watched her stone faced, waiting for whatever she was about to throw my way.
"Train me." Bianca said, squaring her shoulders.
"Train you?" I asked. "What for?"
"I want you to train me like you do Nico," Bianca said. "I saw my brother on the battlefield that day. I saw all of you on the battlefield, fighting extraordinarily. And where was I? Sniping from the trees. I'm tired of it."
I gazed at the girl, who stared back. That same fire I saw in Nico's eyes were there... the will to prove themselves to be greater than what people currently saw them as. Except her flames were brighter, and with it I felt a cold and powerful aura emanate from her body.
"I'm a child of the Big Three as well," Bianca said. "And even though the Hunt has been good to me, they won't help with unlocking my inherited abilities. And seeing you Nico..." She gestured to him. "Make shadow clones? That's amazing! But hearing that not only Perseus has been working with you, but also Father?" She looked about to cry in frustration. "I haven't had any of that!"
"You want to improve?" I asked, focusing on the girl.
"Yes!"
"And you will not complain about my methods in doing so?"
Bianca gazed at me. "I'm tired of sticking to the sidelines. If my younger twin has the strength, why don't I?"
I stared back, unsure of how to respond. The problem with Bianca was that I knew next to nothing about her. She was the biggest curveball, the biggest wrench in the gears. I knew her for a single quest, and not even the whole quest. I hadn't even known her parentage before she died. And being a Hunter, Bianca made no reveals and gave no hints of her possible abilities. Would she be like Nico, armed with umbrakinesis and the undead? Or would she be like Hazel, a queen of riches? Or would she be even rarer, and hold command over the deadliest flame next to Greek fire? There was simply no clue to what she'd be able to do.
"I will train you." I said. "But I will not hold back anything. Ask Nico. Whatever I say, goes."
Nico gave a quick nod of affirmation, and Bianca followed suit.
I gave a sigh and chuckled. "Looks like I'll have to take both of Hades' kids under my wing. No worries. Professor Perce will get you caught up in no time."
I turned my attention back to Bianca. "Unfortunately, you won't be starting today. I gave Nico an off-day for the next 24 hours. Do whatever you want, and if Nico feels up to it, perhaps he can share some basic techniques I've given him with you. But before I leave you to your own devices... Nico, how bout that clone?"
Nico focused and immediately, a shadow sprouted from the ground beside him and formed into a humanoid shape. A few seconds later, a perfect form of Nico stood beside real-Nico, besides the fact that shadow-Nico had no pupils and little aesthetic design. Literally, a shadow of the real human. It was obvious to me now with the two standing side by side that they had a different feel in auras, but so slight that I wouldn't have noticed in the heat of battle.
"Draw your blade," I said.
Shadow-Nico did so, and I ran my finger along the sharp edge. Though a shadow, the blade was as solid as a real sword. And while it mimicked the look of Nico's Stygian Iron blade, it didn't have the same effects the actual metal had, thus, the usual draining sensation I felt was absent.
"You can cancel the shadow now," I said. "You aren't tired?"
Nico shrugged. "The shadow isn't doing anything. So not much energy is being exerted to keep him up."
"And you can slice and fight?"
Nico nodded. "I can work my shadows like a normal sword would."
I nodded. "Cool. I'll leave you both now. I've got some business to run."
I left the Underworld and vapor-traveled back up to New York, appearing next to a coffee-shop near my apartment. From there, I made my way home, taking in the scent of the brisk city air. The moment I saw my apartment, all thoughts of what to do next left me. Exhaustion rushed my mind, and I found myself stumbling into my bedroom, where I immediately crashed down in my bed. It wasn't long before I passed out.
I ended up spending a few days at home. I needed to be alone for a while. I didn't want to show it, but my duties were beginning to hound on me. Maintaining communications with both the Romans and Greeks without anybody finding out, the troubling discussion I held with Aminah, running hardcore training for my girlfriend, sister, and both di Angelo twins, and dealing with minor issues in between... well, I haven't felt this busy since the Giant War back in my original universe.
"Perce? We should talk," Atti called one morning through an Iris Message, right after I had finished my morning run.
"What about?" I asked, snatching a piece of toast whilst I stared at my sister.
Atti looked behind her as if she were checking for something, then looked back. "It's about... your love life."
I couldn't help but groan. I don't know how Atti found out, but whatever the case, I was definitely struggling with finding out a solution to my Zoë-Artemis issue. Yes, I was immortal, however, didn't particularly want to incur the wrath of either goddess for making the wrong choice.
"What about it?" I sighed.
Atti snickered, yet her eyes remained serious. "Zoë begged for my help a few days back and well... I have an idea that would work if the two of them agreed."
"And I suppose I have to be the one to tell them this solution?" I asked. "Sis, that's a one way ticket to another catfight, you know?"
Atti rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't want those two to be split up over you any more than you do, but if you don't do something now, this could effect our dynamic in battle in the future."
I pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation. "You're right. But exactly what is your solution?"
Atti smirked deviously and suddenly, I felt a rush of unease. "What is it?" Her expression shifted into a deadpan. "You date them both. At the same time."
"..." I stared blankly at Atti, took a deep breath and stood up. "Where are you?"
"Uh..." Atti took one look at the blankness of my face and tensed. "Nowhere in particular?"
"You're at Camp, okay," I said, then dematerialized on the spot without breaking the call. I reappeared behind Atti, who had been calling from her bed in Cabin 3. "Wanna try running that be me again?"
"Dammit, don't do that!" Atti turned and launched a pillow at me. "You scared the shit out of me!"
I tossed the pillow aside. "What's this about me dating two of them? Isn't that cheating on Zoë?"
Atti shook her head. "First, not if they both agree to it. And yes, that's horrible reasoning, but I managed to find one loophole for your case. Both Artemis and Zoë have lived in a time when it was normal for men to have polyamorous relationships. I know it might seem like you're betraying Zoë, but you wouldn't be if you're loyal to both... right?"
I sat down at the edge of a bed and thought about her words. "I-I don't know to be honest. Zoë seems to have a real problem against me dating Artemis, or the idea of it at all."
"She's jealous," Atti said. "Look, you're Zoë's first official boyfriend who hasn't abused her like Hercules did. She's going to feel naturally protective of the one who has cared for her so well. And now, she's seeing her best friend also have the same feelings. And knowing her personality, Zoë never goes down without a fight over the things she loves."
"You've done quite a bit of research," I said after a moment of silence. "What made you so invested in my private life?"
Atti huffed. "You think I wanted to do this?" She sighed. "Zoë pulled me aside when you went to do your 'work.'" Atti said. "She told me about your love triangle fiasco, and well, now I'm here."
I didn't really know what to say. Dating not one but two Hunters simultaneously. That was far above my social paygrade. Even though Aminah had somewhat foretold me of eventually having a harem, I still felt shocked that accepting that fact might be the only real solution. Yes, it felt wrong for certain reasons, however, I was immortal now. I had no chance as far as I knew when it came to returning to my own world. If Artemis' feelings never faded, then the relationship between her and Zoë would sour further, and the two might one day disconnect altogether simply because they both liked the same man: me. And that was the last thing I wished to see in a world I had worked so hard to save.
"Do you have a plan or something then?" I asked.
"Of course, dear brother," Atti smiled. "You think I would call you just to make fun of your predicament?"
"Yes, actually," I deadpanned. "I can."
Atti paused, and sighed. "Okay normally, I would, but I can't help it if one of my best friends comes to me for help and she also happens to be dating my brother."
"So...?" I gestured with my palms raised, indicating that I wanted to hear Atti's plan.
"Basically," Atti began. "I bring Zoë out for some girl time, because she'd be way too emotional with you to take the news, and you would be too nice. You take Artemis somewhere, and tell her the same. If the two agree, boom, you now have two girlfriends you have to take care of, and you better do it right unless you want to lose your balls. If they disagree, well damn, I don't really have a back up plan for this, and besides, I'd prefer not to drag this out cause in case you forgot bro..." Atti rolled her eyes. "There's something much bigger than this that we have to take care of."
"Uh huh," I agreed. "That's actually... kinda well thought out."
"Thank me later for saving your ass when it actually works out." Atti stood and sauntered off. "I'm bringing Zoë out tomorrow. You better plan something with Artemis soon, before Zoë gets wind of what's going on."
I sighed as I watched my sister disappear into the bathroom. Atti had made a ton of good points, mainly the reminder that I was supposed to be helping the demigods and my students prepare for war. Suck it up, Percy Jackson, I muttered mentally. I took a deep breath and dematerialized, my mind mixed with dread and anticipation for what's to come.
A/N: Damn. It's been a long time. So long, that I forgot I was even a fanfiction writer in the first place.
No, seriously though, life has been rough. I went through some very self-hating sessions in which my mentality collapsed, leading me to being unable to do anything, and that cut off my motivation to perform daily activities properly, as well as made me consider quitting writing in general. I ended up creating tens of outlines for the last segment of this story, only to leave them rotting in my drive as I lost all will to publish any updates.
Now, I'm doing a lot better. I was originally really excited to write this section, as I would get to flesh out all the main characters' abilities and create powers for those who don't have any in canon, i.e. Bianca. Since the final battle will include much more 1v1s, both heroes and villains will be getting major ability upgrades beyond whatever was mentioned in the original book series. As you can see, Kronos just got his power boost, and yes, he has more Hours to reveal in future chapters.
In terms of an update schedule, there isn't one. I know a few of you have been asking about it, but with how inconsistent my mentality is currently, plus just daily life priorities, uploading chapters isn't the number one thing I'm focusing my attention on. So that's really all I'm gonna say about that.
I hoped you enjoy this update, and wish all of you a wonderful day. R&R.
Peace out, you legends.
~ Zayden Shade