In which Percy is just generally so depressed that it's her ground state of being and Akhlys is just like 'This girl irritates me.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Well I think I'll give the extract because I think it'll be very funny, and it'll just make reactions to that scene even better when the time comes. I truly am cruel aren't I? And yes there will be more surface scenes.
DrizzleRain: It is the darkest scene for Percy in canon- though after the scene with Alabaster in this fic I feel like there's no way what she does to Akhlys could be darker purely because of how personal it was.
Guest: I do love the Akhlys scene, and also, I have handled Nyx very differently in a way which is gonna have a huge impact.
Drizzle: I definitely think you're gonna freak at the scene with Bob and Damasen.
Jubby1905: Any time someone questions Percy doing something reckless or stupid 'I am gay and traumatized! Fuck off!'
AkitoshTheBold: Yeah, it'll take time but Alabaster is no longer a barrier.
EXTRACT! DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!
"Go," he ordered. "I will hold the button."
Percy gawked at him. "Bob-" she felt her heart breaking, "No. No I am not leaving you!" But Nico and Leo were already picking her up, one on either side. And she could hear Leo letting out sobs.
"I wanted you to meet Calypso."
"You will tell her about me." Bob told Leo. "You will look after my granddaughter."
"I- I promise." Leo's voice caught.
And Percy was sobbing, shaking her head frantically- they couldn't abandon Bob and Damasen, they couldn't.
"NO!" She was screaming the word, "No please please I don't want to you can't- I wanted to help you both!"
"You have-"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Percy struggled in her brothers arms as they started to drag her backwards, "He'll destroy you both he'll destroy you!"
"Percy we don't have a choice!" Nico's voice cracked, "We have to leave-"
"Leave me with them leave me!" she had tears pouring down her cheeks, "PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE THEM!"
"It is okay." Bob's expression was soft. "I will hold the button for you. You must stop the madness of Gaea." and Percy felt like she was about to shatter- she turned her head, seeing Tartarus and Damasen still fighting- the Maeonian drakon trampled through monsters, its feet making sickening squish squish noises as if stomping grapes.
On its back, Damasen yelled insults and jabbed at the god of the pit, taunting Tartarus farther away from the Doors.
It felt strange, Percy had never in a million years thought she'd miss the comfort of a swamp, which she was staying in with her brothers, a Titan and a freaking giant. And she did miss it. The swamp had felt safe, comfortable, the air had been slightly smelly but fairly fresh.
Compared to stumbling through the darkness in the thick, cold air, the only warmth coming from Leo, who was radiating heat to help his siblings stay warm, the swamp had been Elysium.
It didn't help that the ground couldn't decide on what it was- it was alternating between pointy rocks and pools of much, and Percy could never tell when it was going to change. Even walking a short distance was exhausting- she'd felt wonderful leaving the hut, with a full belly from their packs provisions, and the bulk of her wounds healed, though there was still an aching pain from the small of her back.
Now she was aching all over again. She'd pulled on a makeshift tunic of drakon leather over her destroyed tee but it didn't do anything to protect her from the chill.
But at least she did have Nico and Leo with her, she knew they were safe enough, she'd kill anything that even hinted at being a threat to them. And Leo's powers really were comforting, he wasn't exactly on fire but his skin was hot to touch, his heat was radiating from him.
Percy and Nico were on either side of him, keeping close to the warmth- which somehow managed to fend off the worst of the seeping horribly cold.
Still, even with her brothers by her side Percy was struggling to stay focused- she tried to think of good things- of reasons to keep walking.
She'd feel so happy earlier, but Tartarus sapped all good thoughts, made everything feel dark and heavy, it drained away all of the hope she'd been feeling.
No. She gritted her teeth, she was not going to let the pit win. She reached out, gripping Leo's hand tightly- and he turned his head to look at her, giving her a shaky smile- and gods but his face looked almost ashen in the grayness around them.
It was a terrifying thought.
"You doing okay?" Percy pitched her voice low, "Both of you boys?"
"I miss the others." Leo said quietly, "I wanna see Cal and Luke and our friends again."
"We will." Nico muttered the words, "We will. And I'll see Will again. And they'll yell at us." and Percy peered around Leo so that she could focus on Nico- who's expression was almost lost- and she could see that he was clinging to Leo's other hand just as tightly as she was.
"Nico's right." Percy took as deep a breath as she could- even with Leo's heat it felt like it was chilling her lungs- not a pleasant sensation to say the least. "Rachel knew this was coming and she saw us getting out. We're going to make it. We'll see the others again and they'll mother us and fuss and we'll get sick of it I promise you."
"I just-" Leo's voice wavered, "It's hard. This place- it's like- it's like the River Cocytus again except it's worse."
"Dunno how you're holding up so well." Nico added, directing that at Percy, "In the Cocytus you were-"
"I- have a new perspective." Percy's smile was genuine if strained.
"What happened?"
"That-" but, no, no Percy did not want to go into detail about how she'd tortured Alabaster- she was slightly worried that they'd freak out if they knew how guiltless she felt about it- she was pretty sure that it wasn't normal to feel happy because of torturing someone but she did. "That is a long story."
"But Alabaster's gone now?" Leo's voice was faintly hopeful. "He can't hurt you again- 'cause- cause seeing him hurt you sucked worse than anything else."
"Oh Leo." Percy slid her arm around his shoulder, ignoring the fact that his skin was so hot that it was uncomfortable. "Alabaster is not a problem anymore, you guys hear me? I left him behind and he was really injured. If he's still alive- which isn't likely- I highly doubt he'll ever recover in a way that'll make him a threat to us again."
"Good." that came from Nico. "Otherwise I'd have ripped his soul from his body- I'm a son of Hades there's gotta be some way for me to do that-"
"And I'd have burned him alive."
And okay- okay judging from the gleams in her brothers eyes they were being deathly serious and maybe Percy didn't have to be quite so concerned about how they'd react if they knew just what she'd done to the bastard.
"You- I love you guy." Percy shook her head, letting out a weak laugh before, "Where are we even going."
"Bob had an idea." Nico shook his head "We were talking about what we'd do when we found you. Bob told us that we'd never be able to get to the Doors of Death because of how well guarded they are but there might be a way for us to not be seen. Isn't that right?"
"Death Mist." Bob told them, "If you get the Death Mist it will hide you from the monsters."
"You think we'll be able to get it?" Percy asked, her brows furrowing very slightly.
"You must get it from Akhlys." Bob said. "We are close now." he glanced back at them, glowing a faint silver. "Then we will go to the Doors."
"You're the best Bob." Percy gave him a small smile "We don't deserve you."
"You're Bob's friends." Bob's expression was... it was strange. Percy couldn't read it. "I made a promise. I will keep it. I helped Nico and Leo find Percy and now I will help you out of the pit. And Leo will see Calypso again." Bob did smile when he said that, "I will help my granddaughter."
And Leo beamed at that. "She's gonna be so happy when she gets to meet you." he told Bob, "I know she sometimes feels kinda lonely, not having much family around. It'll be nice for her and Zoe to have a grandfather."
"You think they will like Bob?"
"What's not to like my dude?" Leo shot back with a grin, "You're pretty awesome, the best Titan I have ever met. The fact that you're still helping us? That's just awesome."
"Leo's right." Nico piped up, "I know they're not family but it would be pretty good, to be able to introduce you to the others. I'm pretty sure they'd all love to thank you for helping us."
"Definitely." Percy agreed, "It'd be pretty cool for you to get to see Bia and Thalia again."
"And the stars." Bob spoke slowly, "I would like to see the stars again."
"You'd really get along with Zoe." Percy's voice softened, "She loves the stars too. Maybe some day you guys can star gaze together- I'm sure she could tell you so much. I think she'd like that."
Then the darkness dispersed with a massive sigh, like the last breath of a dying god. In front of them was a clearing—a barren field of dust and stones. In the centre, about twenty yards away, knelt the gruesome figure of a woman, her clothes tattered, her limbs emaciated, her skin leathery green. Her head was bent as she sobbed quietly, and the sound shattered all Percy's hopes.
Her life was suddenly pointless, all of the good in the world seemed to fade away, the hopes that had been starting to form again were washed away like a castle in the sand.
The woman in front of them cried as if she was mourning the death of the entire world.
"We're here." Bob spoke proudly, "Akhlys can help."
And then Bob trudged forward.
Percy hesitated, biting her lip hard before she let go of Leo's hand, moving so that she was blocking her baby brothers from the woman as she followed close behind Bob, muttering a soft. "Stay behind me you two.
At least the area wasn't quite as dark- it wasn't light exactly, but more of a soupy white fog.
"Akhlys!" Bob called.
The creature raised her head, and Percy's stomach screamed, Help me!
Her body was bad enough. She looked like the victim of a famine—limbs like sticks, swollen knees and knobby elbows, rags for clothes, broken fingernails and toenails. Dust was caked on her skin and piled on her shoulders as if she'd taken a shower at the bottom of an hourglass.
Her face was utter desolation. Her eyes were sunken and rheumy, pouring out tears. Her nose dripped like a waterfall. Her
stringy gray hair was matted to her skull in greasy tufts, and her cheeks were raked and bleeding as if she'd been clawing herself.
Percy swallowed hard, lowering her gaze- it was difficult to meet her eyes. Across her knees lay an ancient shield—a battered circle of wood and bronze, painted with the likeness of Akhlys herself holding a shield, so the image seemed to go on forever, smaller and smaller.
Akhlys followed her gaze, letting out a wail, "The shield of Hercules. He painted me on its surface, so his enemies would see me in their final moments—the goddess of misery." She coughed so hard, it made Percy's chest hurt. "As if Hercules knew true misery. It's not even a good likeness!"
And- okay, okay Percy couldn't hep but remember her brief time on Hercules' little island, she was still kind of a mess about all that- but- she'd enjoyed several parts of that meeting- including the parts where she'd threw wine over Hercules and punched him repeatedly- and, well, the making out had been fun too she wouldn't deny that.
Hearing his name down here felt strange. "What's his shield doing here?"
And the goddess stared at Percy with her wet milky eyes. Her cheeks dripped blood, making red polka dots on her tattered dress. "He doesn't need it anymore, does he? It came here when his mortal body was burned. A reminder, I suppose, that no shield is sufficient. In the end, misery overtakes all of you. Even Hercules."
"I dunno." Percy muttered the words, "He didn't seem so miserable when I met him-"
"Gross." Leo's voice came from behind Percy, and she resisted the urge to laugh at the tone. That was definitely a traumatized baby sibling voice.
"Too much information." Nico added, "You're worse than Luke you know that?"
"Excuse you I happen to enjoy traumatizing you guys so you complaining doesn't help."
"You-" Akhlys' gaze was focused on Percy, "You've known true misery. I can sense it on you. It surrounds you-"
"You don't say." Percy rolled her eyes, "I don't need you to diagnose me lady I know I have depression and PTSD thank you very much. I'm no stranger to thoughts about how everything would be better if I was dead again." she paused, "Which is possibly why I'm not as badly effected as I probably should be by- whatever the heck type of vibe you're putting out is."
"You really need Mr. D's. Therapy sessions again." Nico grumbled the words, "I'm the son of Hades and even I don't get that depressed."
Percy poked her tongue out at Nico at that before turning to Akhlys again, "Yeah, misery is like an old friend for me. What's the big deal with that?" and the goddess looked irritated to say the least.
"And what about the misery you've caused- I can sense that too-"
"Oh." Percy blinked, "You may be talking about- yeah I don't feel bad for that-" she ignored the narrow eyed looks her baby brothers shot her at that. "So if you're trying to make me feel guilty then you're gonna fail." well- feeling guilty for not feeling guilty didn't actually count. "Listen- maybe this was a mistake. Bob how exactly is this lady gonna help us?"
The Titan shifted and winced, as if Small Bob- as Percy had been told the kitten was named, was clawing at his armpit.
"Akhlys controls the Death Mist." he stated firmly. "She can hide you."
