Percy was exhausted.
It wasn't just a physical exhaustion though. Sure, dock work wasn't exactly fun, and it wasn't exactly easy, and it didn't exactly pay well, but it had some perks.
One of those specific perks was Erik.
The man was a kind soul, despite his pants-shittingly terrifying stature and body. He was always nice, always gentle, always friendly, especially with Percy. Any time he brought his boat out to the dock on a fishing expedition he'd always strike up a conversation with Percy, asking him how he was adjusting, how he was doing, how Zoe was treating him. It made Percy smile every time it happened.
It wasn't the physical aspect of dock work that got to him, it was the mental one.
The work was, for a son of the sea God, unbearably mind numbingly simple. Any task, no matter how complex or how difficult, his ocean-wired brain immediately knew how to fix without so much as a second thought. He didn't have to focus, or even really look at what he was doing. He just absent mindedly let his body go on literal auto pilot as he cast ropes, strung nets, fixed engines, or did whatever was asked of him. Of course, being this close to the sea always made him nervous too, but it was the mental exertion, or lack thereof that really got to him.
He never had to focus on work, so all he could ever focus on were his thoughts.
His thoughts, his memories, his trauma. All of it. It ate away at him from the second he showed up to work and continued to do so until he got back home and popped another one of his pills.
It must have been pretty evident to Erik that day since the first thing he did to the boy was hand him a beer can. Percy chuckled at the offer as he looked up at the man.
"You know I'm only 18 right?" He asked the giant, as Erik gave him a shrug and a sly grin.
"Don't sweat it..." Erik said, giving a quick glance over his shoulder, "... between you and me? I was downing whiskey at 15."
Percy chuckled as he took the can and followed Erik up the dock, away from the boats and away from the sea. They walked together, as they did most days during Percy's break, having a casual conversation they did.
"So..." Erik said, taking a swig as he did, "How are things?"
"Well." Percy began, as an answer failed to present itself. He sighed and just gave Erik a look. A look the man understood immediately as They're going shitty.
He shook his head, giving Percy his own look that said the words before he spoke them. "You should quit, kid."
Percy sighed, "I know."
"You hate the work." Erik added.
"I know." Percy repeated.
"And the pay ain't good." Erik continued.
"Yeah..." Percy said, glumly looking at the floor, "I know. Problem is this is a small town, Erik. Small towns don't have lots of jobs."
The giant of a man nodded at Percy's words. He was right, in a way. Most places in town were family owned and, for the most part, could only afford to pay their sons and daughters in I.o.u.'s that never got cashed. The only other real option was lumberjacking, but Erik had recalled how badly things had gone when he'd tried bringing Percy up the mountain.
They were kinda stuck, until their solution drove around the corner.
Erik noticed it first, the sheriff's truck, slowly pulling around the corner as sheriff Sterr waved to a couple crossing the street. He paused for a moment, an idea slowly forming in his mind, before he smiled, clapping a hand on Percy's shoulder.
"I've got an idea, kid."
Percy turned to Erik, a bit of a confused look on his face as Erik led him up the street, over to the sheriff's truck that had just parked at the station.
Percy followed Erik, admittedly not having much of a choice as the man's massive hand guided him up the sidewalk. The got closer to police station and Erik stopped Percy outside of the door.
He turned to Percy, cooking an eyebrow as he looked him up and down. Percy looked... well, admittedly not great. Brown boots, tan rigger pants, black carhartt work shirt tucked in and a cropped black toque. He was a little sweaty and a little more stained, but... he looked like a worker, like someone who knew the value of hard work. Like a good, reliable young man.
He looked perfect.
"Uh, Erik." Percy asked, turning to the station, "Why are we at your wife's work?"
"Because..." Erik replied, locking his thumb and using it to straighten out Percy's eyebrows, "... my lovely wife has been mentioning for weeks, if not months now..." He leaned in a bit, cracking a small grin at Percy, "... that the sheriff's looking for a deputy."
Percy's gaze snapped upward, meeting Erik's with a look of slight shock.
"I don't know about that, Erik..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.
The man shook his head with a sigh, " Percy, you'd make a wonderful deputy."
Percy sighed, giving his head a shake, "I don't exactly have a good history of... de-escalating conflict, Erik..."
The man shook his head, "Percy, it's hammer falls. The only conflict you'll have to de-escalate is when the raccoons start fighting over garbage."
The man didn't let Percy respond as he grabbed his shoulders and turned him to the door. "Look Percy, I ain't gonna watch you live the rest of your days sulking around the docks. Now you walk in there and ask for the position and I guarantee you, you won't regret it."
Percy sighed, and shot the man a look. "Alright. Just for you, and Freya." He said, before a smile tugged at his cheeks. "... because if I don't try for it then I'm sure James Levinson will."
Erik shuddered at the idea of the man famous for having a tree full of bullets becoming deputy. He composed himself and gave Percy a smile. "Talk to Frey, she'll set you up."
Percy nodded before he walked up the steps, stepping through the doorway and approaching the front desk. Freya looked up immediately, a small smile spreading across her face as she met his eyes.
"Percy." She said, to which he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "To what do I owe the pleasure."
"Well, your husband, to be honest." He answered, looking around, "Is, uh... is the sheriff free?" Percy asked.
"I am, as a matter of fact." A voice said from behind him. Percy swallowed slightly as he turned around, meeting eyes with the sheriff, who had a black cowboy hat resting on his head. Percy steeled himself as the man approached him, crossing his arms as he did, "How may I help you?"
"Well..." Percy answered, his gaze skittering nervously as he did, "I was actually looking g for a job. As deputy."
The sheriff was silent for a moment, his eyes drawn back into a slight squint as he looked the boy up and down.
"Well, we are looking for a new deputy..." The sheriff replied, as he shot a glance at Freya, "...and as I recall, that Levinson man was a bit... unruly."
Freya sighed, "That's underselling it, to say the least."
The sheriff nodded, before turning to Percy with slightly pursed lips , "Why would you like to be a deputy, son?"
Percy thought about it for a moment, racking his brain for the right words to say, before he took a breath and answered.
"Because I've been told I'm selfless." He said, his eyes darkening a bit as he spoke and memories flashed behind his eyes, "...to a fault sometimes." He turned his gaze back to the sheriff, "and I think that's something a deputy needs to be. So a deputy sounds like something I should be."
The sheriff was silent for a moment, probably pondering what Percy had just said and secretly giving Percy a panic attack as he silently feared he'd just said the worst possible thing. Those fears ceased when a small smile drew across the sheriff's lips.
"Y know, I don't know own if anyone's ever told you this before, but you are so damn likeable, boy..." He said, clapping a hand on Percy's shoulder, "... it's like you've got magic in your blood."
Percy bit back the immediate response that sprang into his mind and instead let out a smile for the sheriff, who eagerly returned it with a laugh.
"How soon can you start?" The sheriff asked him, as he glanced at the calendar on rhe wall, "because I'm needed up the mountain tomorrow and if you can start, well, immediately, I'd be awful grateful."
Percy was silent for a moment, before his smile grew, "Absolutely."
"Perfect! But first things first..." The sheriff said, glancing him up and down, "We're gonna need to get you in uniform."
He turned to Freya, "Miss Redd, do we still have spares in the back?"
Freya stood up, smiling at Percy as she did, "We sure do. I'll go grab one."
"Excellent." The sheriff said, before he turned back to Percy and narrowed his eyes slightly, "But, I don't think that'll do."
Percy turned back to the sheriff, a worried look in his eye as he did, "It won't?"
"No." The sheriff said, a smile spreading across his lips as he did, "I think you need a little something to complete the look."
He reached up, pulling off Percy's toque, before he reached up and grabbed his cowboy hat, plopping it down on Percy's head.
"There. Now that right there? That's a look that suits you son. Even better than me." The sheriff said, as Percy reached up to run his hand over the brim of the hat.
Percy was over the moon, and his beaming smile wasn't doing much to hide it. No more sea, no more thinking about his past, no more shit pay (hopefully). In all of around five minutes the man in front of him had solved just about all of his problems.
"I..." Percy said, struggling to find the right words to say, before the most genuine ones came out.
"Thank you, for everything..." Percy said before glancing at the sheriff's badge, "... Sheriff Sterr."
The sheriff shook his head, "Only criminals call me sheriff, Percy. The names Theodore Richard Sterr." He said, before shooting Percy a look, "But you can call me Richard."
Richard.
Theodore Richard Sterr.
The sheriff of hammer falls, who Percy had known just about the entire time he'd been there, who Percy had to thank for his job, who Percy had, more than once, shared good memories with.
The sheriff of hammer falls was standing in front of him, having just dropped off the wolf's back. The sheriff of hammer falls was dressed in Nordic robes, a dark blend of leather and furs that hung off his body as a crown cast to resemble two horns sat on his brow. The sheriff of hammer falls was here, on the mountain.
He smiled at Percy, a slender smile that bled slyness and burned with knowledge. He took a few steps forward, moving a bit closer to Percy as the twins stepped forward too, weapons in hand, bit stopped when Percy raised his hand, a look of confused anger painted across his face.
"Sheriff..." He said, in a tone that couldn't decide if it was betrayed or confused, "What are you doing here?"
The sheriff smiled, raising his hands as he did a little spin, "Here? Come on now, Percy, you're smarter than that." He stopped, staring at Percy as his voice took on a dark tone, "You know why I'm here."
Percy shook his head, raising his sword a bit as he did, "No. No I don't." He couldn't really get much out, nor could he think, nor do much of anything other than try to process what he was seeing.
The sheriff shook his head, turning away from the group as he did, before he looked back at them, towards the twins.
"They know who I am..." He said, that same sly smile drawn across his face, "... don't you, boys?"
The twins gritted their teeth, their hands still tight around their weapons as they stood, not uttering a word. The sheriff grinned at their lack of a response.
"Not too talkative, eh? That's alright, I'm sure he'll figure it out." The sheriff held out his hands, taking a step back as if to present himself as he did. "Come one, Percy. Who am I?"
Percy was silent, he was still in too much shock to think, he gritted his teeth and took a breath, "Sheriff-"
"No Percy. That's not the right answer..." The sheriff said, interrupting him as he held up a finger, pointing it to the sky. "I'll give you a hint, though." He took a step forward, making the twins tense up as he did, "It's been right there, right from the start. You've always known my real identity, Percy. It was just hidden in the fake one."
Percy shook his head in confusion. He wasn't making any sense, and Percy was getting angrier with every word he said.
"Richard-" He began, but the sheriff snapped his hand up, stopping his words in their tracks.
"You're on the right track, Percy. Let's do it together." He held his hands up, motioning as he spoke. "Theodore Richard Sterr. Shorten some names, replace some letters with initials, and..."
Percy gritted his teeth, trying to piece things together, trying to focus, trying to understand, when suddenly,
It hit him.
Like a 2x4 to the stomach, like a shotgun blast to the chest, like a swing from Thor's hammer to the head. It hit him, and sweeped his legs out from under him, practically dropping him on his ass as he finally figured it out.
Theodore Richard Sterr.
T. Rick. Sterr
Trickster.
The man smiled as he watched the realization creep across Percy's face.
"You know who I am, Percy." He said with a slight twitch of his lip, "Now say it."
"Loki..." Percy whispered, "You're Loki, the Trickster God." The man smiled, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath.
"You have no idea, Percy..." The God breathed as he opened his eyes, which now glowed a piercing green, "...how long I've waited to hear that name again."
He let out a smile and chuckled as Percy hefted his sword again, with two hands this time as the God paced in front of them.
"It wasn't easy, you know..." Loki said, keeping his eyes on Percy as he spoke. Percy frowned, confusion across his face as he watched the God move.
"What are you talking about?" He replied, still holding his sword tight.
The God shook his head with another laugh, "Getting you here, Percy. Getting you to this mountain. You would not believe how long it took me."
Percy was so lost it hurt, his jaw clenched as he watched the God walk back and forth.
"What do you mean getting me here?"
The God snapped his gaze to Percy, "I mean getting you to hammer falls. Really, Percy, who do you think grasped you tight and pulled you from the brink to this town?"
Percy felt his legs go numb at the gods words, struggling to respond.
"I don't understand ."
"No, I suppose..." The God began as he stretched his shoulders, "You deserve and explanation." But that wasn't enough. Percy was angry, and couldn't really do a good job hiding it.
"Why? Why did you need me here? I don't understand, my friends, they-"
He stopped talking when Loki held up his hand with a small grin. "Your friends? Come on now, Percy. They were in my plan, even from the start."
The Trickster shook his head as Percy felt his breathing get heavy, "I knew you were going to leave them behind, Percy. You were always going to abandon them, to save them from the horrors you were so convinced they'd suffer through, and make this trip on your own." Loki let out a slight laugh before he clicked his tongue and focused back on Percy, "And by doing so, guaranteeing my niece wouldn't be here to stop the prophecy."
Percy gritted his teeth, "You planned this all out, from the start, didn't you?"
Loki grinned, "I was there from the start, Percy." He said, turning perpendicular to Percy as he lifted his chin. "Who do you think led the hunters here and guided them to you? Reuniting you with your old life and bringing back out that hero, who'd surely accept this quest?"
He placed a hand behind his back, cracking the knuckles on his other as he did. "Who do you think planted those visions of your lonely trek here in your mind as you slept, sowing the seeds of your eventual abandonment of your group, so you'd leave behind my oh-so-important niece?"
He leaned towards Percy, a flash of malice sparking in his green irises. "Who do you think whispered in Nico's ear in the pit? Guaranteeing one of your groups demise and assuring that you'd make this trip alone?"
Percy felt his breath hitch at Loki's last statement, red hot anger firing through him as he took a step forward, but the massive hound bore its teeth at him, snarling as it did so. Percy stopped, feeling Magni's hand on his shoulder as he did. Percy didn't need to look at the God to know what he was trying to say.
Not yet. But oh boy, did Percy ever want it now.
The Trickster grinned as he sensed Percy's anger, "Then again, I didn't really need to do much..." He said, observing his fingernails, "...after all, abandoning them? Thats quite the heroic thing to do Percy."
He looked up at the demigod, "And you just can't help but be a hero, eh Percy?" A smile drew across his lips, "...it's in your nature."
Loki let an expression spread across his face, a mix of a sneer and smile, as he kept talking.
"And now here you are..." He gestured up to the moon, "...and there it is..." He turned back to the group, "... and just in case you have any ideas..." He snapped his fingers and figures walked out of the snow from behind him, figures Percy recognized immediately. The heralds of Baldr, and Baldr himself.
"...They're here as back up." The Trickster God concluded, before turning back to the hound.
Loki caught Percy's reaction to seeing the God of beauty and slinked out a smile, "I take it you've met my brother before?"
"More or less..." Percy replied as he shot a glare at Baldr.
The Trickster grinned as he looked back at his brother, "Yes, I've heard all about how much he's longed for you to join his heralds..." The Trickster turn his gaze to Percy, "... perhaps, when this is done, he'll finally get his wish."
Percy scoffed, "Fat chance."
Baldr took his queue and stepped forward, his eyes glowing as he glared at Percy.
"Perhaps your mind will change when I rip that harlots heart from her chest."
Percy felt his own anger flare up, the sword that laid in his hands glowing a little brighter as his eyes burned with their own hate.
"What did you just say..." He tried to begin, but was cut off as Loki raised his hands.
"I will have no more of this." The Trickster said, cutti g Percy off as he did, "I have waited long enough to rid myself of my enemies, and I will wait no longer."
He turned to Fenrir, whose face took on a more gentle expression as Loki gazed up at the beast.
Son..." The God said, drawing a slight look of shock from Percy at the word, "You may begin."
The wolf made a motion with its head, as if it were nodding, before it sat on its haunches and turned to the moon.
Percy froze for a moment, feeling a sickening feeling of deja vu. He knew what was about to happen, they all did, and yet the twins still held his shoulders, holding him back. He wanted to run forward, to attack, to drive his blade through Richa- Loki's heart. But he knew he couldn't. The heralds already had their weapons drawn, and Baldr had his blue eyes boring into him. There's was nothing they could do, nothing that wouldn't end in their deaths. All they could do was wait, until something saved them.
Something did when a volley of arrows impaled themselves into the wolf's hide. A volley of silver arrows. The beast roared and raised to its feet turning its attackers before Percy had a chance to, but Percy already knew who was behind him, and it was reassured when a gunshot rang out and a burst of crimson shot from the beasts forehead, making it reel back with a roar.
Right between the eyes, just like she said it would, Percy thought to himself. He turned around, if only for a second, and saw her, past the crowd of hunters, past his group of friends, even past the goddess who's silver eyes bore into the wolf.
Zoe. His Zoe. Body tense, arrow notched in her bow, eyes drawn back in a venomous glare. A glare pointed right at him.
He couldn't help but smile.
He turned back forward, glancing at the twins as he did, who's eyes were glowing an even brighter blue before.
"Now can we attack?" He growled, to which Modi grinned and hit play on the cd player.
"You're damn right we can."
The music fit.
That was one of the first things Zoe thought as she sprinted forward, notching and firing arrow after arrow into the giant wolf as her sisters did the same. It wasn't a tune she recognized, but one that she assumed the twins had chosen. It was angry, and fast, and aggressive as it orchestrated their movements, filling them with a rage that matched its energy.
She could tell Artemis hated it, and that gave Zoe confidence, because it meant she try extra hard to kill the bad guys so she could shut it off herself.
She lunged forward, drawing back her bow as three of her arrows implanted themselves into the massive hound. It reared up and roared, causing the group behind it to raise their weapons. A group Zoe recognized.
The heralds of Baldr, and Baldr himself.
She shot another glance at Artemis, who met it instantly, before shifting her gaze to the arrow in her quiver. Artemis followed her eyes, before looking over at Baldr. She knew, Zoe knew she knew, and that's all Zoe needed.
The group pulled ahead of her as Zoe slowed down and came to a stop right next to Percy and his two companions, the twins, who Zoe didn't even have time to be happy to see.
"Boys. Leave us. Go kill that fucking dog." She said, in a tone as dark as the glare she was staring at Percy.
The twins gulped as they hefted their weapons, whispering out a "Yes ma'am." Before they leapt through the air, landing on the hounds neck as they brought their weapons down on its neck. Then it was just the two of them. Zoe and Percy. He swallowed.
"I'm-" He couldn't even get the first.word out before a sharp slap struck him in the face.
He turned back to her, a glum, guilty look in his eye as his gaze dropped. "I deserved that..."
Zoe was breathing heavy. She wasn't even sure why, if it was the rage, or the frustration, or the happiness at seeing him again. But it was more than likely a combination of the three.
"If you ever..." She hissed, anger dripping from her tone, " ever do that again, I will kill you myself, got that Jackson?"
He let a breath out of his nose, shifting his glance up a bit to meet hers, "I got it."
"Good." She said, before she grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss. A kiss so deep, so sweet, that she almost forgot how angry she was. She let her fingernails dig into his neck as she struggled to keep her mind ready for the battle that was sa few feet away, and not melt into his arms on that plateau.
She pulled away and looked him in the eye as he let a dme spread across his face. "Good?" He asked.
"Good." She replied, before she turned back to the fight. "That the sheriff?" She asked him.
"Yup." He replied.
"Is he a bad guy?" She asked.
"Oh, you're damn right he is." He replied with a sneer.
She felt a smile tug at her lips. "Good." She said, notching an arrow as she did. "Always thought he was a smarmy dick."
Percy turned to her with a smirk, his gaze softening a bit as he looked at her, like it always had since the day he'd shown up.
"Then let's go kick his ass, girlfriend."
She grinned at him, clenching her bow tight as she did, "Would love to... Boyfriend."
Kicking his ass was not nearly as easy as they'd hoped.
They lunged toward the God, who'd been watching them in silence as they'd had their little reunion, Zoe letting loose an arrow and Percy bringing maelstroms flaming blade down on the God simultaneously.
The God simply flickered and disappeared the second they were going to make contact.
They both reeled back, immediate going back to back as they scanned their surroundings for the God. He was nowhere in sight and the battle next to them wasn't getting any easier. Percy turned to the group, Zoe matching his motion.
Artemis had her hands full. She was on the offense with Fenrir, weaving between his legs as she took shots at his stomach with her bow. The arrows couldn't have been bigger than splinters to the beast, but there must've been some of that hecate magic in them because it roared with every shot. It was clear though that this wasn't effective enough, and the hunters had their own hands full with the heralds.
Watching those two groups battle was just fascinating. It was horrifying too, knowing their allies were in danger, but it was a spectacle nonetheless. The hunters moved like wolves, slinking low to the ground and dodging the heralds attacks as they slashed with their knives and let loose their arrows. It was a good strategy, but a risky one, and that was made apparent by the way the heralds fought.
They were just vicious. Their attacks were ruthless. Destructive. Every swing of their swords dripped with malice and every arrow they let fly was flown with hatred. It made sense, though. They didn't like girls, and the girls didn't like them, and both groups fought like they had some unspoken point to prove about who was better at not liking the other.
Percy glanced back and forth between the two as he turned to Zoe.
"You go with your sisters, I'll take the dog."
Zoe shot him a look, "Splitting us up again?"
He grimaced, "They both need help..."
She gave him a worried look, before she stuffed it and gave him a smile, "You just promise you won't let that dog kill you."
He smiled, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze as his face tightened with worry, "So long as you promise I won't see you die again."
She reached up, pulling his face down to hers so she could plant a soft, quick kiss on his lips, before she pulled back with a smile.
"I promise."
He grinned, hefting his sword, "Good." He said, before he clicked his lips and shifted into a sly tone, "I think I'll make agnolotti tonight."
She smiled, notching an arrow as she took off to her sisters, "I'll make sure to work up an appetite."
He smiled all his own as he took off towards the hound.
The hound that looked even bigger now that it was up close and pissed and had dozens of arrows in its gut.
Percy ducked under a leg, taking a flaming swing with moskstraumen at the beasts Achilles heel, in a move that hit a little too close to home for Percy.
He dodged a swipe of the hounds claws and skidded over to Artemis, who was putting on quite a showing notching and flying three arrows at once.
He'd always wondered where Zoe learned to do that...
"Lady Artemis." He got out, dodging another errant swipe as he clipped his blade off the beasts claw.
"Can it with the formalities," Artemjs growled as she let fly three more arrows into the hounds neck, the shots landing g a little too close to Magni and Modi , who were swipe g at the hounds neck like it was goi g out of style. They must've realized blades weren't doing the trick, so they shot each other a gaze adn nodded, still in that creepy twin sync, and brought their hands up.
The lightning practically split the sky as it crashed into the hounds neck, Making it let out a snarl of pain.
The Shockwave was big. Too big. Big enough that it sent Percy flying back, straight towards the heralds and the hunters. He landed on his ass, watching as a herald turned to him with a sneer. The man lifted his bow, preparing to notch an arrow as he looked at Percy.
"Such potential..." The man said, before his eyes went wide and he looked down at the the sword poking through his chest.
The stygian iron sword.
Nico drew the blade out, knocking the herald aside as he reached down and grabbed Percy's hand, bringing him to his feet.
"Thanks for the save, death breath." Percy said with a smile.
Nico pressed his back against Percy's, swiping at another herald as he did, "Im sure you'll pay it forward, kelp head."
Percy gritted his teeth, his eyes lending g on a certain figure as he did, "Oh I'm about to pay something forward."
Loki.
The God was there, standing there, his green irises glowing as he smiled at Percy, a long slender blade in his hand. The chaos around them faded away, melting into a blur in Percy's peripheral as the gods words echoed in his mind.
Who do you think whispered in Nico's ear in the pit?
Percy felt rage boil inside him.
"He's the one." He snarled, "The one who led you over the pit, Nico."
"Percy..." Nico said, his voice filled with worry, "What are you talking about? There's no one there?"
Percy felt confusion flood his mind, "What're you talking about, right-" He turned to Nico, and felt a pit drop in his stomach, because there was no Nico.
There was no one. Not a soul surrounded him.
He whirled around, panic shooting up his spine as he searched around him in the snow, desperately trying to find someone, anyone in the storm. But he couldn't. No one was there, the entire group had vanished.
All except him, and Loki.
His eyes locked on the Trickster, narrowing into a glare as he stared at the God. Loki smiled in return, with that same wry smile he'd given the moment he'd revealed himself.
"What's the matter Percy?" He asked, lifting his blade, "No more friends to save you?"
Percy lifted his own blade, Moskstraumen glowing with flames as he did. "I don't need their saving. I've bested gods before, you'll be all the same."
Loki made a tsk task noise as he lunged forward, jutting his blade towards Percy as he did. Percy sidestepped, swinging up with maelstrom, bit the Trickster rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the blade.
"Not bad..." Loki said, "...Annabeth teach you that trick?"
Percy grit his teeth as he surged forward, bringing maelstrom down only to meet Loki's blade and lock in front of their faces.
"Yknow..." Loki said, whispering g right into Percy's face, "Originally? It was supposed to be the two of you here. Not the huntress."
Percy snarled, kicking his leg out in front of him and landing his boat in fhe sheriff's stomach. The man moved backwards, before he sidestepped another one of Percy's attacks.
"I'm honest, Percy. Annabeth was meant to be the one to come here, that's how they planned it..." He said, pointing towards the sky, "... but where's the fun in that, eh?"
Percy's anger melted for a moment, confusion dashing across his eyes. He risked a moment, to let out a word.
"What?"
The Trickster smiled, a wry, evil look that stained Percy's vision. "Come on now, Percy. You don't think if was just the water that I fluenced Annabeth down there, do you?"
Percy froze, his eyes widened as his breath hitched, he struggled to speak, and when he did, only a single, quiet word came out.
"No."
Loki noticed, and his smile grew as his eyes narrowed.
"Oh yes, boy. Did you really think you were ever in control? That you ever had a choice?" He took a step forward, spinning his blade as he did, "That's how I made you stay here, away from them, away from Annabeth. How I made you fall in love with Zoe. How I made you come to this mountain. It all started with splitting you..." He said, raising his blade as he did, "...Splitting you from her."
Percy wanted to be sick, he wanted to scream, but more than anything, he wanted the bastards head. He lunged forward, bringing his blade down like a guillotine, intending to cleave his head from his shoulders. The Trickster simply sidestepped, before deriving a knee into Percy's midsection. Percy fell to Moskstraumen landing off to the side.
Percy breathed heavily as lokie pointed his blade at his throat, making him raise his gaze to the God.
"It's not too late, you know. Join me, Percy. Join me, and I can give it all back. Cast an illusion over you and her that'll let you live out the lives you were meant to."
Percy shook his head, a sneer pulling at his lips.
"I don't believe you, not a word of it."
Loki shook his head, disappointment clear in his eyes.
"Fine." He said in an exhausted and frustrated tone, "If you don't believe me..." He pressed his hand to Percy's forehead before he could resist, "... let me show you."
It was warm.
Thats the first thought that Percy thought as the sun from the morning cast itself over his bed. It was warm, warm and comforting. Like a nice stew, like a soft fire, like a kiss from a lover.
It was warm, so Percy's eyes snapped open. Because warmth meant morning.
He threw his sheets off of him, grumbling as he rolled himself out of bed and rose to his feet. He yawned, stretching as he did so, and picked his clock up off his bedside table.
8:47 a.m.
He frowned slightly at that, because that wasn't normal. He had grown very, extremely used to his early morning wake up calls, so a lack of one was certainly troubling. He pulled on his jeans and purple t-shirt before he walked over to his balcony, stepping out onto it as he did.
New Rome. Still as beautiful as the day he'd moved here. He could still remember the day, remember when he'd shown up at his mother's apartment, gigantic nervous smile on his face and told her he was moving there. Her reaction had been... fun, to say the least. Hn one hand, her pride in her son was pretty evident, but on the other, she couldn't exactly hide the tinge of sadness, not that he wouldn't have been able to spot it.
"I'll call. Don't worry, there's not a chance she'll let me forget."
"Well..." Sally had said, a smile on her face and an eyebrow raised, "She's always been the smarter one, if I'm being honest."
It had been a little mean, but she was right. She'd always been smarter than him, and prettier than him, and braver than him, and a whole bunch of other things.
Things he loved.
He turned away from his balcony, stepping back into his room as he crossed over to his door. He heard something on the other side. Something that sounded like hushed voices and quiet laughing. He paused as he reached for the door handle, a small smile forming gon his lips, before he opened it and stepped through.
He walked through his home, over to the kitchen, where he was met with nothing. Not a soul in the room, but a smell there instead. A smell he recognized.
Pancakes.
He let out a very loud, very emphasized sigh, as he spun in a slow circle.
"Well, I guess nobody's home." He loudly announced as he heard a soft giggle from around the corner, it making his smile grow a bit larger, "And if no one's home, Leo did need my help with Esperanza, so I guess I'll just be going then."
He couldn't, partly because he didn't want to and partly because a squealing little gir ran around the corner, followed not nearly as quickly by her mom.
The girl was young, barely even 4. She was only about as tall as Percy's legs, but hugged them tight all the same. She beamed up at him with her toothy grin and her Grey eyes and her thick black hair.
"Good morning daddy."
He smiled, reaching down to pick the girl up as he did, "Good morning Silena. Have a good sleep?" He asked her. She nodded, before she turned back to the other figure, to her mother, who had a smile all her own as she held up a plate of pancakes. "Me and mommy made you pancakes."
Percy narrowed his eyes, pursing his lips as he did, "Silena..." He whispered into his daughter's ear, "You know I love pancakes, but why did the two of you make them so early this morning."
"Because, Seaweed brain." The woman said, a frustrated smile over her face as she did, "It's a special day today." She turned to her daughter, "Isn't it honey?"
"Mhm." The gril said Turning to her father, "Don't tell me you forgot daddy."
Percy took a breath as he stared off into space, before he flicked his eyes up to her, to the woman, to the mother of his child.
Annabeth, who had the most unimpressed look on her face.
"It's... Tuesday?" He said, to which both his daughter and Annabeth sighed.
"No, Percy." She sighed, "It's your birthday, remember?"
He felt his jaw drop, as a bit of a noise squeaked out, making his daughter giggle in his arms. "Right." He said quickly.
"Right." Annabeth said, setting the pancakes down o the table as she fished some candles out of her pocket, "Meaning, it's time for you to blow out some candles, Seaweed Brain."
Percy smiled, carrying his daughter over to the table as she squealed with delight. Percy noticed something as he crossed over to the table though.
Snow flakes. Falling past the kitchen window. He was so certain of it that it almost wiped the smile from his face, but he focused back on the take when the smell of the pancakes filled his nose.
He sat down, right next to Annabeth as he sat silent on his knee, smiling at the candles that stuck out of the pancakes.
The blue pancakes. Because, gods, did she ever know him.
He smiled as she took his hand in hers, rolling her hand over his wedding ring as she did.
"Well?" She asked him.
"Well?" He replied, raising his eyebrows as he did.
"Well," She said, leaningninto his shoulder, "Got any wishes?"
Percy brought his hand up to his jaw in mock thought, making his daughter laugh from his lap.
"Nope." He said, shaking his head, "I don't think things can get much better than this."
Annabeth smiled at his words before planting a kiss on his cheek.
A kiss that felt cold, like it was frozen against his skin.
He felt himself pale slightly and his smile waver as something... pulled at his mind. Something that felt important, no, someone that felt important. He was distracted again as the radio that sat on their counter whirled to life. It crackled with fuzz as a voice came through. A voice he recognized.
Zoe's voice, and it was calling his name.
"Percy?" He was pulled from the moment as his wife grasped his hand. "Are you alright, Seaweed Brain?"
He shook his head, "I... I don't know." He said, as he felt a feeling creep up his stomach.
His daughter giggled in his lap as she twirled his finger in his hair, "Are you nervous about the candles, daddy?"
He let a smile spread across his face as he turned to the girl, "Of course not, Sally."
He froze, his thoughts frosting over with panic as a memory pried at his mind, begging to come forth. Why did he say that, why did he call her that?
Annabeth either hadn't noticed, or chose not to address it, as she smiled again, "Well, why don't you blow out your candles, Seaweed Brain. We've got plans, you know..." She said, poking her daughter on the nose as the little girl giggled, "Plans to go to the pool, if you recall."
Percy tried to smile, he did, but something... something was wrong, he just knew it, he could feel it. He took a deep breath, and blew out the candles.
He could see his breath.
He stood up suddenly, gasping as he did, and backing away from the table. Annabeth caught her daughter as she fell, holding her in her arms as she turned to Percy with a look of hurt comfusion.
"Percy, whats wrong?" She asked, but he couldn't answer. He heaved in breaths as he slowly turned in a circle, taking in details around him. Why were all the pictures of them in the same pose. Why wasn't the clock ticking. Why could he see his breath. He closed his eyes as he heard a ringing in his ear, and a voice calling through it.
Zoes voice, louder this time.
"Percy." Annabeths voice called from behind him, "Please talk to me."
He turned back to her, and froze when he did, as he stared into his wife and daughters eyes.
Their glowing green eyes.
"Percy, you don't want to leave, do you?" Annabeth asked him as she took a step forward.
"You won't leave us, will you daddy?" Silena said from his wife's arms.
He struggles to breathe as he took a step back, watching as the window behind them started to frost over, as the walls did the same. His family took a step forward, following him as he backed away.
"Please..." He said, as his words choked in his throat, "Please, stop..."
"Percy..." Annabeth whispered to him, " This is what you want, what you've always wanted. Stay with us, my love."
"Stay with us, daddy." His daughter said from her arms.
He felt his breathing steady, and his eyes narrow, as suddenly a familiar weight nestled into his hand. He looked down, and there it was.
Moskstraumen. Ablaze, while the home continued to freeze.
He held the grip tight ashe looked back at his family, who were still approaching him. Their skin was pale, and their eyes still glowed green, and they moved towards them as he struggled to watch.
"Pleae, Seaweed Brain..." Annabeth said as her voice broke slightly, "...please stay with us."
He felt a tear well in his eye. "I... I can't..."
She looked down, her own tears dripping g down her cheeks. "Then you know what you have to do."
He felt the sword raise, up into the sky next to him. He felt his grip tighten, as his throat did the same, the tear that had welled in his eye now dripped down his cheek.
"I love you." She said, in a tone so broken Percy nearly dropped the blade. But he didn't, his jaw only clenched as he powered through what he felt, what he wanted to say back.
"I know..." He said.
He swung the sword.
The second it struck her body, she burst into frost, showering the room and Percy's vision in a cloud of ice. Percy closed his eyes immediately, feeling the real world come back to him as the cold pierced his body and his memories snapped back into his head.
Memories of Zoe.
That wasn't the only thing he felt. He felt the blade skitter across something. Across a body. A real body.
The Trickster God let out a cry as Moskstraumen's flaming blade slashed his chest, making him reel back and take a knee as he did, bringing his hand up to the wound.
He snarled at Percy, his eyes glowing with a hate that Percy matched with his own.
"You bastard..." Loki sneered, "I offer you everything, all you could ever want, and you throw it in my face."
"I know what I want." Percy said, a his girlfriend's face appeared in his mind, "And you can do nothing to help me get it."
Loki shook his head, a low growl rumbling out of his throat, "It was never real, you fool. It was orchestrated by ME." He said, his voice turning to a roar as he stood up, "THE ONLY REASON SHE'S HERE IS BECAUSE OF ME."
"Then why don't you do us both a favor and die, then?" Percy growled back. Loki stiffened, before his eyes took on a dark look.
"Like your mother did?"
Percy froze, red hot fury shooting through his body, "What did you just say?"
"You heard me, Percy ." Loki said, hisneyes flashing with hate, "I was there from the start. Always. Every step of the way." He raised his sword as he spoke.
"Who do you think killed your mother and started all this in the first place?"
Percy couldn't talk. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. All he could do was bring Moskstraumen down as hard as he could onto the gods blade. Apparently harder than the God could handle, because he dropped to a knee, the illusion that surrounded them fading into frost as the battle returned to existence. Percy didn't care though, he couldn't even bring himself to acknowledge reality that had burst back in around him.
Alm he could focus on was killing the man in front of him.
He brought his sword down again, harder this time, sending sparks off the blades as they clashed. He pressed in, letting out a low growlnas he pressed his blade against Loki's, bringing the flaming blade as close as he could to the Trickster gods face. Loki gritted his teeth, pushing away and making Percy stumble backward. Percy whirled back towards the Trickster, sword swinging, before he stopped.
It wasn't loki standing there, it was Leo.
"Perce? You okay man?" The boy asked casually as Percy stood there, mouth agape like a fish, as the boy took a step forward. Percy blinked, hard, and apparently it must've worked, because Leo's eyes went from their natural onyx to a glowing green.
Apparently it wasn't soon enough, because the Trickster grinned through Leo's face and swept Percy's legs, sending him falling to the floor as he raised his sword to Percy's throat.
"You can't help it, Percy..." Loki said with a smile, "It's in your nature."
He moved his hand, ready to drive his blade into Percy, before he stopped, stiffening up as he turned around.
With a silver arrow sticking out of his back.
He kept turning, until his eyes locked on the figure who'd hit him, and gods above, Percy wanted nothing more than to laugh in his face.
Zoe. Standing there with another three arrows notched and drawn, aiming right at the Trickster. He sneered as he looked at her.
"I should've left you in the stars."
"Yeah." She replied, drawing her bow back, "You should've."
He didn't get the chance to reply as three arrows pierced into his chest. He reeled back, roaring in pain as he snapped his fingers, disappearing into a burst of frost. Percy let out heavy breaths as he struggled to his feet, quickly stumbling over to Zoe, who he pulled into a tight hug.
"Zoe..." Was all he could manage through ragged breaths.
"Yeah, it's me." She said with chuckle, before she pulled away with a slight glare, "But how do I know it's you?"
He stepped back and sighed, looking her in the eyes.
"12 times. I said your name 12 times."
She let a smile spread across her gave before she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. He chuckled as he returned it.
"What. No kiss this time?"
"Help me save Artemis first, Jackson..." She said, a small smile spreading across her lips, "...and you'll get all the kisses you want."
Artemis would never admit she needed saving, much less admit it to a man. But yet, this was not a particularly good situation.
The hunters had, for the most part, met an impasse with the heralds. Every time one of theirs fell, one of the heralds did too. Every time they reached down to pick their sister up, the heralds did the same. They were getting nowhere, until Leif joined in.
He knew the heralds. Better than anyone, especially the hunters. He k ew how they moved, how they fought, how they killed. He knew how to beat them, despite the guilt it poured into him.
That guilt melted when he spotted Annabeth, with a cut above her eye.
Leif was, frankly, done denying his feelings, no matter how terrifying they were. He was done acting like he was confused, he was done pretending he didn't know know how he felt, and, in this moment, he was done pretending he'd ever cared about the heralds in the first place.
He grabbed a hunter, red hot anger in his eyes as he whispered into her ear.
"They can't level change, they're too heavy. Get them on the ground, and they're as good as dead."
The girl looked at him, a spark of an emotion flashing in her eyes, before she firmed her jaw, and gave him a quick nod, drawing her bow as she ran. Leif focused back on Annabeth, who was getting outclassed by the man in front of her. Leif drew his bow and notched an arrow, letting it fly and impale itself into the man's chest. Annabeth turned back to Leif as the herald fell, a smile growing on her face as her eyes met his.
He felt his chest tighten, and his jaw clenched, and he knew.
He was going to tell her how he felt, but after they weren't dead.
He drew another arrow, watching as the hunters slowly but surely gained the upper hand, tripping the heralds fo their knees before slashing at them with their hunting knives. But Leif couldn't focus on that, all he could focus on was the hound.
The hound, and Baldr, who was sat on its shoulders.
They weren't winning.
They'd beaten the heralds and as far as Leif could tell Loki had been handled, but they weren't at all winning.
It didn't matter what they did to the beast, how badly they tried to wound it, it just kept coming, kept shrugging off the arrows, kept ignoring the sword swings. Nothing was working.
Except for Freya.
Every time she cocked her rifle and pulled the trigger, it was as if a string guided her shots right through the beasts heart. It roared at every bullet, and the rest of the group were taking notice.
Magni and Modi were also, to their credit, doing some damage. More than those who weren't Freya, but not as much as Freya.
But even if they had her, it was only a matter of time till the hound figured it out... and when it did?
They were doomed.
They needed a miracle, they needed a blessing, they needed a God.
So that's what they got.
It was subtle at first, a slight rumble in the sky. It groaned over the mountain, a tumbling noise that was clear as anything the second Leif heard it, the second it cast itself across the sky.
Thunder. Low grumbling thunder.
Thunder that preceeded a bolt of lightning, that punched into the plateau, slamming into Fenrir and cutting a hole through the mountain as it did.
The storm cleared, and there he was. Thor. In all of his coverall clad glory. He was there, standing in front of them, hammer in hand, beard flowing in the wind.
He was there and he looked like shit.
He raised his hammer, a bolt of lightning casting off it into the sky, before he brought the hammer down, dragging that same bolt back down into the hound, who didn't seem nearly as fazed the second time around.
The wolf growled, a foreign voice invading Leif's and everyone else's mind.
Your power is weak here, God of thunder...
"Aye," Thor replied out loud, before shooting a glance at his daughter as his face tensed, "But I'll do for now."
Thor spun his hammer in his hand, letting it pull him upwards and slamming him into the hounds face. They rolled away together as the group tightened up, lifting their weapons as they watched the two beings battle.
Their fight was intense. Vicious. It went on and on as the two beings slammed attacks into each other, with it being very clear that one was doing a lot more damage than the other. Thor heaved with all his might, but no matter how hard he tried, the wolf shrugged soft his attacks. It was as if it just weren't meant to be, Thor being victorious.
Like it weren't prophecized.
Percy watched as they battled, Moskstraumen still in his hand as the group around him struggled to catch their breaths.
All focused on Thor, and his fight. Too focused, too focused to the point that they didn't see him come, didn't hear him approach.
Didn't notice Baldr, until he drove a sword through Leif's back.
Annabeth was the first to see it, she was the first to watch as the blade pierced through leifs chest, watch as he looked down at the blade, before immediately looking at her, right in her eyes as Baldr dropped him to the floor, spitting out "traitor..." as he did. Annabeth was the first to see it but Artemis was the first to react.
She crossed over to Baldr, so quickly it seemed impossible, and plunger her dagger into his heart. The God stiffened, glancing at the blade before he ripped it from his chest and cast it aside. A laugh pulled from deep inside him and he grabbed Artemis, pulling her tight to him as he wrapped his arm around her throat.
Weapons were raised, almost immediately, but baldr held up his free hand, motioning it across the group.
"One move and she dies."
No one faltered, no one lost their nerve, they all kept their weapons trained on Baldr as he stood, hand firmly on Artemis' throat. Percy'ssword was raised, as was Nico's. Freya's.gun was aimed, Zoe had an arrow notched. They all were ready to kill all except Annabeth, who clutched Leif's hand as she pressed her free on to his wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.
Zoe had her bow drawn, her face pulled tight, as she looked for an opening to let fly the arrow she'd been sure to notch. But there wasn't one, and Baldr wasn't going to give one either.
Baldr grinned, running his hand over Artemis' cheek as he sneered over her shoulder. He took a step back, back towards the Crack in the earth Thor had left when he'd split the mountain.
"I cannot tell you..." He whispered into the goddesses ear as her face warped in disgust, "how long I've waited for this moment."
Artemis didn't focus on him though not at all. She focused on Zoe, on her eyes, just like she'd done for centuries. She looked her in the eye, then looked at her bow. She then loosened her finger and tapped on her shoulder, the shoulder that was pressed against his chest.
Right over his heart.
Zoe knew. Knew what the goddess wanted, knew what she needed, knew that it wouldn't kill her.
"Any final words?" The God asked her. She smiled slightly, looking Zoe in the eye as she gave her a slight nod.
"None at all."
Baldr tensed his arms, but Zoe was faster.
She let the arrow fly. It sailed through the air, perfectly aimed at its mark. Artemis' shoulder.
The arrow plunged in, sinking deep, and Artemis grit her teeth with a hiss. There wasn't any time for pain, or complaints, or anything else as she grabbed it and plunged it all the way through, through her body, through her shoulder.
Straight into his heart.
The God of Beauty stiffened, his eyes widened, his jaw tightened. he stumbled away from them, the arrow pulling free as it remained in Artemis' shoulder. His body flashed again, his tattoos and eyes flickering with a blue light as he stumbled backwards, eyes piercing the group with hatred. He felt his teeth grit as words escaped him, followed closely by blood that dripped from his mouth.
"Wenches..."
He was silenced when Artemis' boot landed on his chest, kicking him into the pit and sending his body tumbling into the darkness.
They didn't have time to celebrate, nor congratulate. They didn't have time to Teel Zoe she was a great shot or tell Artemis take was a badass. There wasn't time for any of that.
All they could focus on was the man who was laying on the ground cradled in Annabeth's arms.
He was dying, Percy knew it. He'd seen this before, this kind of wound, and he knew, despite how much he hated it and how much he didn't want to believe it, he knew. Leif wasn't going to make it.
Annabeth was trying her best, running her hand over his face, forcing a smile through her tears as she held him in her arms, but she knew just as well as Percy. This was the end.
"Annabeth... " He struggled, as she ran her hands hands across his face.
"It's all right, Leif. You're gonna be okay." He saw through the lie like it was made of glass. He shook his head.
"No... I'm not..." He said through gasps.
She choked back a sob, trying her hardest not to let him see her cry. Not like this, not at the end.
"Annabeth..." He said, his eyes cold and tired, "... I... I care for you." He said, looking for the right words to say.
Annabeth let out a sad smile, as a tear fell down her cheek. "You mean you like me, don't you?"
He was silent for a moment as he swallowed back his nerves.
"Yes... I do..." He swallowed again, a bit of blood dripping from his mouth as he did, "Do you... feel the same?"
Annabeth was silent for a moment, an agonizing moment, before she turned away from him. To Percy. Their eyes met, a man dying in Annabeth's arms, a man confessing himself to her, a man who'd only get one chance to say what he needed to. It sparked a memory in Percy's mind that used to hurt when he thought about it, but now?
He gave her a gentle smile, and she returned it, knowing what she wanted to say.
She turned back to Leif, and brought her face down to his, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"I do, Leif... and I'm sorry... I'm sorry I waited until now to say it."
He let out a weak smile.
"It's alright..." He said, raising his hand to touch her face, "... wherever I go... after this..."
A single tear fell down his cheek as his blue eyes met hers. His eyes that held so much more than his dying breath could say, all the emotion, all the truth he'd silenced and buried within himself. He ignored all that, and left her with final words, words he felt said all he hadn't, and all he wanted to say.
"...I'll wait for you there."
With that, he breathed. A long, rasping breath that croaked through his throat, letting his life flow out of him as it did. His hand fell from Annabeth's face, landing in the snow next to him as the light that shone in his blue eyes finally went out.
And then there was nothing.
The God of thunder wasn't having a good time. He really wasn't, and it wasn't something he wanted to joke about either.
The hound was... frustrating. That put it mildly. What it really was was ferocious. Ravenous. Unstoppable. At least for the God of thunder, who couldn't help but feel outmatched.
Because that's how it's supposed to be, A amall voice spoke in the back of his mind, That's how it was meant to be all along.
He grit his teeth and pushed forward, swinging his hammer as his twin sons kept themselves at his shoulders, jabbing the beast with their weapons as they did.
They weren't winning, that was clear, and it didn't get much better when Percy stepped in.
Percy couldn't stand to stay back, to do nothing. He couldn't stand the idea of losing anyone else. He'd told everyone to stay there, which they'd done mostly because they were still in shock from Leif's death.
Percy had barely known the man, and he still couldn't bear to think about the body that laid a few dozen feet from him. He grit his teeth and fought harder.
He swung his sword across the wolf's back as the twins both called lightning down onto the beast, the bolts punching through the sky as they electrocuted the monster.
It wasn't enough, and read was made all the more clear when a swipe of the wolf's paw sent Percy flying back to the group.
He landed, already rolling back to his feet as he did, but couldn't go back.
Zoe wouldn't let him.
She grasped his hand, holding it tight as she glared him down, her teeth gritted tight.
"Percy. Stop."
He heaved breaths as he turned back to the wolf, then back to her, his own jaw tightening as he did.
"I can't. I can't just do nothing."
Zoe's face fell, her eyes went dark, and her mouth twisted itself into a frown.
"Percy... you can't beat this..."
She was interrupted when something landed by them. Something heavy. Something that shot snow into the air and made an audible clang as it landed.
The hammer. Thor's hammer.
Mjolnir.
Percy let his eyes fall on the hammer. On the steel head, and the wooden grip, and the leather strip that was weaved around it. He let his eyes flick back over to Zoe. Her eyes said it all, even as her mouth was clamped shut.
Don't.
He did.
He picked it up.
It felt wrong immediately.
The hammer weighed down in his hand, feeling uneven and heavy, like he could just barely get it off the ground. It tingled as he held it too, sending electric sparks up his arm that nearly made the appendage go numb. It felt like a live wire. It felt like a car battery hooked up to his arm. It felt like pure lightning sat in his fist.
It felt wrong, like he shouldn't be holding it.
He turned back to the wolf, feeling his hand slip from Zoe's as he charged forward towards the beast. The beast who had its jaws around Thor, who had a hand on either jaw, holding them open with his brute strength as his sons buried their weapons into the beasts stomach.
Thor caught glimpse of Percy from the corner of his eye as he approached, and several things happened. He stared at the boy, then at the hammer, then back at Percy.
His brow furrowed, his mouth pulled into a frown, and he mouthed a word. A word Percy couldn't have possibly heard, but he knew what it was.
Don't.
He should've listened.
The second he was close enough, Fenrir ripped his jaws from the God and swiped him aside, turning to Percy as he ran forward. Percy felt the hammer behind to pulse, tho throb with electricity and make that numb feeling in his arm even more intense.
He got closer, and closer and closer, all while the hound stared at him.
He brought the hammer up, and brought it down with as much force as he could on the hound.
And nothing happened.
No pain, no reaction, nothing. The wolf just stared at him, with those crimson eyes, as Percy heard that voice creep into his mind again, saying the exact words he knew he'd hear.
How... disappointing...
The hound followed that by swiping him back across the plateau.
Percy landed with a thud, and with another feeling that really snapped him back into reality pretty damn quick.
His shin breaking.
It happened fast. Too fast. Too fast for him to process. He leaned back, feeling the pain register as Mjolnir still laid in his hands.
He groaned as he felt people surround him, people he recognized as his mind declouded from the pain. Zoe. Nico. Even Freya was there, tearing his pant leg off so she could tend to his leg. Annabeth was still paralyzed by Leif and Artemis had an arm clutched to her shoulder, seeing to the wounded hunters.
"We need to set it. Now." She said, her voice wavering with fear. Percy couldn't even begin to focus on her words.
He was in thought.
He knew, right from the start, right from when Thor had brought Freya to them. He knew what had to happen, what he had to do. He'd tried to deny it, tried to just force himself into he role...
Because that's what heroes did.
He felt voices tugging in his mind.
Apollo's, You just can't help but be a hero, Percy.
Artemis', You just can't help but be a hero Percy.
Loki's, you just can't help it, Percy.
It was in his nature.
Now here he was, at the top of a mountain, about to die surrounded by his friends, all because he'd gone and done it again. Tried to sacrifice himself. Tried to save them all at the cost of himself. Tried to be a hero.
Another voice played in his head. Forseti's, what he'd said after he'd shown Percy the vision. The vision of a future he'd wanted so, so badly, but knew that he wouldn't have. Not if he kept doing this, kept being the hero.
Why did you show me that?
Percy had asked. The man had simply smiled as he answered.
To make you stop.
To make you stop.
To make you stop.
Percy's eyes snapped back into focus, and he knew in an instant what to do, what he needed to do.
Freya was still working g on his leg desperately trying to fix it to a splint while Zoe and Nico did everything they could to help her. They stopped when Percy made them.
By holding Mjolnir up to Freya.
She looked up at him, shock in her eyes as she did, bit her gaze was met by a firm one.
One of confidence.
Only a mortal child of Thor, that's what the twins had said, and Percy was done trying to deny it.
"Percy, I-" Freya tried to get out, but he simply shook his head, grimacing g at the pain it shot through his leg.
"It was always going to be you." He said, as he forced a smile on his lips, "Always."
She blinked, then did it again, before a firm look crossed her face.
She reached up, and gripped the hammer, and pulled it from his grasp, and damn...
Damn, did it ever look right.
She hefted the weapon as it glowed in her hands, she felt it swelled with power as it filled her body. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, before she opened themThey were glowing, a bright electric blue. She took a deep breath, letting a cloud of fog blow out as she looked at Percy. He had the biggest smile on his face as he spoke.
"Now go kick that dogs ass."
She smiled, before she turned back to the hound.
Magni and Modi were laying a few dozen feet away, most of their armour scattered around them as they groaned on the floor, bit that wasn't what she focused on. It was the wolf, who had her father pinned to the ground under its paw as it snarled at him.
She didn't hesitate, and neither did Mjolnir.
She threw it, sending the weapon flying across the plateau before it slammed into the hound's face.
This wasn't like Percy's swing, this sent the dog flying.
Mjolnir stopped as it struck the beast, floating in place where it had made impact, right over Thor's fave as he laid on the ground. He watched as the hammer flew back, back into freyas grip, and followed it with his eyes, a smile spreading across his face and a coughing laugh escaping him as he watched it land in her grasp. He said something, quietly through his partially crushed chest, but loud enough for her to hear.
"That's my girl..."
Freya felt a smile spread across her face as she sprinted forward, towards the giant beast as Percy and the rest watched her. Zoe sat down next to Percy, tightly grabbing his hand as she scowled at him.
"Was that so hard?" She asked, as Freya brought the hammer up into the wolf's jaw, upper cutting it across the plateau.
"No..." He grumbled, before he pointed at his still-broken leg, "But that was."
Zoe's eyes shifted back to his wound and she moved immediately, bringing her hands down to compkete the splint as the person who'd started it got busy killing the hound.
Freya was vicious. Maybe it was built up from all those years behind that desk or maybe it was because this thing had just had its paws and teeth all over dear old dad, but she was ruthless. Merciless. Unhesitant to slam dad's hammer into the Fenrir's head until it's eyes popped out, but the dog didn't seem too ready to just lay there and take it.
It snarled, swiping at her with its paw and sending her flying, a move that should've made her break her bones just as Percy had, but Mjolnir... must've had her back.
She lander on her feet, and felt the hammer spinning in her hand, her body having subconsciously made the movement before she threw the weapon forward, the strap dragging her body along with it as The weapon crashed into the wolf's face.
It howled in pain as a few massive teeth flew from its mouth, it's body sliding towards the crack that Thor had made in the mountain.
The beast stood, snarling as blood dripped from its maw and it glared at Freya, who gripped the hammer tight. It's voice sneered, invading her mind.
I will not be bested by a mere mortal...
Freya smiled, a glaring look she shot in the dogs direction as she gave her response.
"Half mortal..." She said, lifting the hammer I to the sky, "...half Thor."
The beasts eyes widened, it's jaw tightened, it's eyes bulged. It tried to lunge, tried to attack, tried to do anything, but it couldn't.
All it could do was stand there as a bolt of lightning cut through the sky, blowing it off its feet, and sending its body deep into the pit as it howled, all the way down.
Freya took deep breaths, letting the hammer drop to the ground as she put her hands on her knees, heaving for air.
She stiffened as she felt a hand on her shoulder, the hammer immediately flying back into her hand as she whirled around, ready to take of a head if needed.
It wasn't needed, it was just her dad. Her dad with a smile on his face, her dad with a tear dripping from his eye, her dad who somehow looked on top of the world despite looking like he'd just... well, just gotten his ass kicked by a giant dog.
"Dad..." Freya said, but that's all she could get out before he pulled her into a deep hug.
"Daughter..." He returned, before he caught himself, and said the right word, "...Freya."
He pulled away, looking her in the eyes as he did.
"I'm so proud of you."
Freya grinned, she couldn't help it. The smile.pulled at her face as she gave Mjolnir a little spin in her hand.
"Not bad, eh?"
"Yeah, you can say that again." A voice said behind her, and she turned around with a smile as the twins limped their way over.
Magni, who'd spoken, took a second to pull his helmet off his head and toss it aside before he beamed a smile at Freya.
"Sis..." He said, glancing at the hammer.
"You look badass." Modi added, hefting his cd player on his shoulder as For Whom the Bell Tolls softly played from it.
She shot them a grin, "Thanks guys, you guys look, well..."
She didn't need to finish, Magni said it for her with a breathy laugh, "We look like shit."
"Yeah, I mean geez..." Modi said, shaking a wound out of his hand, "...you made that look easy, sis."
Freya blushed as she hefted the hammer, taking a minute to gaze over the thing, before she handed it back to her father. He looked at her in confusion.
"What?" She asked.
He grinned, taking a step back, "Why don't you keep it for a while. Yknow..." He shot her a crooked smile, "...just in case Erik gets feisty."
She laughed out loud, letting happiness and relief wash over her, before reality crept back to her.
Percy.
She surged over to the group, where he admittedly looked slightly less shitty than she thought he would.
He opened his eyes as she approached and have her a weak smile as Zoe tightly gripped his hand.
"Hey Frey."
The daughter of Thor dropped to his leg, putting Mjolnir down as she tightened the splint "Don't you hey Frey me you dumb prick. What the hell were you thinking? What is the matter with you, always going around and trying to-"
She stopped talking when he held up his hand, making her meet his eyes.
"Thank you Freya."
She was taken aback, and silenced. She didn't know how to respond, or how to react. She just let an honest question come out.
"For what, specifically? Killing the dog? Because, and I don't mean to brag, it wasn't too hard."
He smiled at her again, as he tightly gripped Zoe's hand and let his gaze drift over to his girlfriend, a silent moment happening between the two as her onyx eyes stared into his sea green orbs.
"No." He said, turning to her, "For saving me." His smile grew a bit.
"For being the hero."
Maybe it was from the pain, or the relief of everything being done, but Percy passed out just about as soon as the words left his mouth.
I need a break.
Or maybe I don't, maybe you'll get another chapter in another few days. Maybe, maybe maybe...
No. I need a break.
One thing I can tell you. That good old fashioned, classic, bronzeandsteel traditional fluff is coming back in full force the next chapter(s?), so get ready.
On another note, shoutout to everyone who called the sheriff being loki. Theodore Richard Sterr. Trickster. Not bad, eh? Clever tricky son of a gun was the puppet master the whole damn time.
Master of puppets, that's another good Metallica song.
Can you tell my brain is fried? It is, I am actually gonna take a break for a bit after this. But don't worry, I'll have a new chapter(s?) soon, and I'll make sure to end on a nice, sappy note that'll have you all wiping tears.
See you guys soon.
-Bronzeandsteel