Percy in this chapter is like, the definition of grin and bear it- she hates her situation and she would be much happier just punching and stabbing Alabaster- but on the other hand, she knows that won't work so she's forcing herself not to- also, she's not too bad at this manipulation stuff.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Frank is awesome as he is and everyone knows that! And yeah there's a chance there's a few mistakes! sorry!
AkitoshTheBold: You'll only have to wait- ooops, wait I can't tell you that! Spoilers!
Drizzle: It really is isn't it? Gotta love the badassery.
Percy lost track of time down in the pit- there wasn't any day or night, she couldn't even be sure that time passed normally down here.
She and Alabaster would walk for what felt like hours- would fight off monsters that found them, would drink the firewater from his bottle, and continue onwards.
Occasionally they'd stop, find somewhere sheltered where they could rest, but never for long. And all the while Percy felt sick from proximity to the one person she hated most in all of the universe.
But she knew she couldn't escape- a part of her wondered if he was leading her farther and farther away from the Phlegethon. She wouldn't put it past him but she had no way of knowing, and accusing him of it would almost definitely end up with her in more pain- and the pain in her back was almost unbearable still as it was.
No. No accusing him would be stupid- she needed his bottle to stay alive, as much as she loathed even the thought of that. Without it she had no doubt that she'd die very quickly- and she just couldn't take that risk. He claimed that it as anchored to himself, that the spell on the bottle would fade if he died, leave her on her own with no way to the Phlegethon in time. So for now she had to stick with him, she needed him. Gods but if it came down to it she might even protect him if it meant that she'd be able to get back to her brothers.
But she hated that every moment she spent with him she was terrified that he'd turn around and pin her down again- that he'd decide that there was nothing to hold him back from making her his in every way.
She slipped her hand into her pocket, fingers curling around Riptide.
If he did she'd fight him off- she couldn't let him do that to her, even if she had to die alone down here because of it.
"Percy?" Alabaster's voice drew her out of her thoughts- and it drove her insane, how concerned he sounded. He truly did believe that he loved her, he did care in a twisted, horrifying violent way and it made it hard to deal with him because no matter what she said or did he could never understand what made her hate him so much because on his mind everything he'd done was justifiable. He was insane, but it wasn't the glaringly obvious type of insane at first glance. It was an insidious type of insanity. Of obsession.
"Sorry-" Percy gave a fake little smile, tilting her head just so, "I zoned out. Are you okay Bas?" and his face almost seemed to light up, not just at the question but at the nickname, at the lack of hate in her voice when she used it.
If it wasn't life or death she might feel guilty but- the more she fooled him into thinking she was softening towards him the better chance she had of getting out of this nightmare alive.
"It's hard down here." Alabaster reached out, grabbing Percy's hand and squeezing- and she forced herself not to pull her hand free. "It plays with your mind. But I'm here Percy I'm staying with you no matter what." and she could hear his silent- 'No one else is. No one else can help you only I can Percy' and it made her want to punch him. But no. No she could do this. He'd spent years trying to manipulate her, it was time she returned the favor, and she'd do a better job of it.
So she didn't pull away, she glanced down at their hands, a hesitant look on her face before she lifted her head to look at him before looking away.
And maybe she should be worried about how completely not guilty she felt-but then why should she feel guilty. After all he'd done to her, this was nothing. So what if she was going to break his shrivelled up little black heart? Why should she care when he'd spent years tormenting her.
In fact she almost felt a rush of satisfaction when she saw that almost hopeful look in his eyes.
It wasn't her fault he was desperate after all, she was just playing the game so that she could come out of this alive.
That was all.
"I know." Percy exhaled softly avoiding his gaze, "I know. You won't leave me." and despite the fact that a part of her desperately wanted to pull away from him she didn't and they walked hand in hand for a while- Percy wasn't sure how long before Percy heard something- she pulled her hand free quickly, her eyes wide.
"Did you hear that?"
"No." Alabaster frowned, "Hear wh-" he was cut off, mostly because Percy had shoved him over, just in time, and she let out a cry of pain when something embedded itself in her shoulder, dropping to her knees almost instantly.
"SHIT!"
"Percy!" Alabaster was on his feet again, spinning in the direction the attack had come from- and Percy groaned when she spotted a familiar face- along with a lions body and a long scorpion like tail- with those multicolored eyes.
"Oh for fuck sake." she gritted her teeth as she ripped the spike out of her shoulder, "You again!" and fuck but she'd forgotten how much the manticore's poison hurt.
"What are you doing?" Alabaster yelled the words, "You used to work for me!"
"I worked for Lord Kronos." the manticore still had his annoying French accent Percy noticed, "And now I work for Mother Gaea herself-"
"I told her I'd bring Percy to her!" Alabaster snapped the words, gripping his sword tightly-and just wonderful, just what Percy wanted to hear- and gods but she wasn't actually going to have to rely on Alabaster to defend her was she?
She clutched her shoulder, watching as Alabaster squared off with the manticore.
"Mother Gaea no longer trusts you to get the job done. She believes that you are too soft on the girl-"
And oh but Percy had a lot of choice words that she'd like to say about that bullshit-but no, no if she was trying to play him then bringing up the fact that he was an abusive piece of shit in front of him was probably not productive-
"She's my wife, I can do what I like to her!"
-even if it was getting very hard not to just say fuck it and break his face.
"Her life is mother Gaea's! As is yours!" and then the manticore was attacking, and Percy cried out- he moved so fast that he was almost a blur- but Alabaster had always been a fierce fighter too, she'd never been able to deny that fact.
Still, it wasn't often that she's actually got to watch him fight- since usually she'd been the one fighting him, and she bit her lip hard, watching him with wide eyes as he moved- and he was almost as fast as the manticore.
From a practical standpoint Percy could admit that it was impressive- she knew that he was probably the only demigod of their generation that could match her and Luke. Or at least come close anyway.
She winced when the Manticore's spikes almost hit Alabaster's leg- he was fast enough to dodge though, ducking and rolling- and gods but what had things come to that she was rooting for her abusive stalker/husband.
And when he managed to slice the monster's head off Percy let out a relieved gasp- genuine this time, she needed him alive after all, for that stupid bottle. At least until they reached the Plegethon.
She stared with wide as eyes Alabaster turned to look at her- he was flushed and panting from exertion but he was uninjured, and he dropped his sword, sprinting towards her, his eyes wide as he dropped to his knees just in front of her.
"Percy! Shit he hurt you- gods I-" his hands hovered awkwardly by her shoulder- and she flinched-she couldn't help it.
"It-" Percy swallowed hard, "It won't kill me." her voice cracked, "It- it hurts but it won't kill-"
"Here-" he pulled a little bag of ambrosia squares from his pocket, opening it and holding it out for her. "Here- it'll help-"
"I-" Percy hesitated before reaching out slowly with her uninjured arm to take a square of the ambrosia- popping it into
her mouth and letting out a soft relieved noise as the searing pain from her shoulder started to ease- even if it didn't go away completely. "Thank you."
"You- you took the blow for me." Alabaster was giving her a stunned look.
"I- I did."
"Why?" and seriously- that was such a stupid question- he'd told her the bottle with the fire water in it was connected to him, if he died she died. But- she might as well take advantage of his desperation.
"I- I don't know." she swallowed hard, "I- I just- did."
"You-" Alabaster's expression softened and he shifted, pressing his lips to her cheek, and Percy forced herself not to flinch away, "I knew you'd come around." his voice was incredibly soft.
"What you said to him-" Percy faltered, "About- bringing me to Gaea." she knew it was very likely of course- he was a twisted bastard but- she could use it- so she made sure that there was a note of hurt in her voice, of confusion and fear,
"I- I thought you were-"
"I-" Alabaster shook his head, "I told her I'd bring you to her yes. Of course I did but- I don't- Percy you know I don't want to hurt you-"
"But you do Bas." Percy pitched her voice softer, "You do hurt me. How can you ask me to trust you. I just took a poison spike for you and you- you've been taking me to Gaea all this time."
"I won't." Alabaster shook his head, "Percy I won't- I swear I will get you out of Tartarus no matter what. I swear on the Styx that I won't hand you over to Gaea I won't- we can go to the Plegethon- I won't betray you like that I'll get you out of here."
And oh. Oh but that was just better than anything Percy had expected from him it really was.
"Really." Percy made her face light up like a little kid at Christmas, surging forward and wrapping one arm around him, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind urging her to get as far away from him as she could. "Alabaster that- thank you!"
And Alabaster's arms were instantly around her, gentle. "Don't- don't thank me. Gods I would do anything for you Percy.
The fact that you don't know that- but- but maybe- maybe I have- I've handled things badly in the past- I'm sorry for losing my temper with you before-"
"I-it's okay." Percy resisted the urge to punch him, it was incredibly tempting. "I just- why did you? I don't- I didn't do anything wrong-"
"I just-" Alabaster faltered, "While you were asleep- it was- it was like- being here- I know Lord Kronos is gone but it was like I could hear his voice, whispering in my head.
And Percy reeled back as if she'd been struck, lurching away from him and scrambling backwards, a terrified look on her face.
"No- no- Kronos- Kronos is gone he's long gone-" Percy's voice cracked, "He can't- he's gone." but they were in the pit- and Alabaster did have a unique connection to the Titan.
Was it possible that even scattered as widely as he was, that he might just be able to reach into Alabaster's mind? That he might be able to whisper little thoughts?
Or was it Tartarus itself, messing with Alabaster's mind- gods she needed to run she needed- But Alabaster caught her wrist- his eyes wide.
"Percy- Percy please no I know you're afraid I know you are but I won't- I won't listen to it again. I love you Percy- don't leave me."
And Percy wanted to sob and scream and rage.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I am! I swear, I swear I won't listen to the voice. I won't hurt you again!"
But- the thing was, Percy didn't have a choice did she? The bracelet bound her to Alabaster. She had no choice but to stay with him.
