Here it is. The chapter, the one that so many people have been dreading- I am fully ready for the reactions of all of you my beloved readers- honestly I can't freaking wait it's gonna be hilarious. Also, word of working, I may not be able to update tomorrow, we'll see.
Replies:
Undeath9087: And we're back with the pit! I'm looking forward to your reaction especially honestly. I think you may laugh at me. I have been sorta mean with it lately. And honestly- yes angst, but also Bianca and Reyna being complete morons about their feelings just gets to me.
Drizzle: Yeah, the next few chapters after this are all them.
Guest: Why of course.
To absolutely no ones surprise, Nico and Leo's instant reactions to Percy's orders were to refuse to leave her behind- which was annoying to say the least.
"Don't be fucking stupid." Nico snarled the words, "We followed you in here specifically so that we wouldn't lose you again idiot!" he sliced the head off of a flesh eating horse that got too close."
"What he said." Leo blasted an empousa with fire, "Don't give us crap about how you don't want to leave us because we don't want to leave you behind either. Gods and people think I'm dumb."
"We can't all stay!" Percy let out a frustrated yell from her spot- and she focused on the veins- a phalanx of Cyclops' were charging forward. Percy focused harder and the vein nearest to their feet burst open, spraying the monsters with liquid fire from the Phlegethon.
The firewater might have healed mortals, but it didn't do the Cyclopes any favors. They combusted in a tidal wave of heat. The burst vein sealed itself, but nothing remained of the monsters except a row of scorch marks. Percy felt herself swaying, the mixture of pain and the use of her powers was draining her.
At least the display had scared the monsters- they seemed almost hesitant- so Percy focused- ignoring the pain in her chest as she did it again, a vein closer to the bulk of the monsters this time- and they backed away further.
"If you guys stay we're all dead!" Percy screamed the words. "We're all dead."
"Then we die together." Nico shot back, and Percy could see that he was crying again. "We lost you once I'm not going through that again not ever."
"So you'll make the others go through it?"
"We're a family because of you!" Leo shot back, "You're worth dying for Percy! Get that through your thick skull."
And what was Percy supposed to say to that. She was sure there were words, brave words that would win Nico and Leo over, that would make them leave her behind but she couldn't think of any. And she could see that they didn't have long left- even with the monsters afraid to attack.
Bobs attacks upon Tartarus were slowing. The god was learning to control his new body- which was what Percy had sort of hoped he wouldn't do. Saber-toothed Small Bob was lunging at the god but Tartarus smacked the cat sideways. Bob charged, bellowing with rage, but Tartarus grabbed his spear and yanked it out of his hands. He kicked Bob downhill, knocking over a row of telkhines like sea mammal bowling pins.
"YIELD!" Tartarus thundered.
"I will not," Bob said. "You are not my master."
"Die in defiance!", then, said the god of the pit. "You Titans are nothing to me. My children the giants were always better, stronger, and more vicious. They will make the upper world as dark as my realm!"
Tartarus snapped the spear in half. Bob wailed in agony. Saber-toothed Small Bob leaped to his aid, snarling at Tartarus and baring his fangs. The Titan struggled to rise.
Percy screamed, throwing herself forward, trying to drag herself towards the Titan and the Protogenus.
She might die doing it but in that moment she was more than willing to try fighting Tartarus himself, but Leo was lunging, grabbing her and dragging her back- and that just made the pain in her crushed and mangled legs even worse.
And then a ripple of alarm passed through the army. In the distance, Percy heard shrieks, screams, and a persistent boom, boom, boom that was too fast to be the heartbeat in the ground—more like something large and heavy, running at full speed. An Earthborn spun into the air as if he'd been tossed. A plume of bright-green gas billowed across the top of the monstrous horde like the spray from a poison riot hose. Everything in its path dissolved.
Across the swath of sizzling, newly empty ground, Percy saw the cause of the commotion. She almost sobbed with relief.
The Maeonian drakon spread its frilled collar and hissed, its poison breath filling the battlefield with the smell of pine and ginger. It shifted its hundred-foot-long body, flicking its dappled green tail and wiping out a battalion of ogres.
Riding on its back was a red-skinned giant with flowers in his rust-colored braids, a jerkin of green leather, and a drakon-rib lance in his hand.
"Damasen!" Percy screamed his name, and she could hear Nico's relieved gasp, Leo's little;
"Yes!"
The giant inclined his head towards them, "Percy Jackson. Let us see if I can have a new fate!"
"What is this?" Tartarus hissed the question. "Why have you come, my disgraced son?"
Damasen turned his head to look at them- and his expression was clear. He was telling them to leave, that they had to get away- and then he turned top Tartarus. The Maeonian drakon stamped its feet and snarled.
"Father, you wished for a more worthy opponent?" Damasen asked calmly. "I am one of the giants you are so proud of. You wished me to be more warlike? Perhaps I will start by destroying you!"
Damasen levelled his lance and charged.
The monstrous army swarmed him, but the Maeonian drakon flattened everything in its path, sweeping its tail and spraying poison while Damasen jabbed at Tartarus, forcing the god to retreat like a cornered lion.
Bob stumbled away from the battle, his saber-toothed cat at his side. Percy gave them as much cover as she could, ignoring her own exhaustion and the fact that blood had started dripping from her nose—causing blood vessels in the ground to burst one after the other. Some monsters were vaporized in Styx water. Others got a Cocytus shower and collapsed, weeping hopelessly. Others were doused with liquid Lethe and stared blankly around them, no longer sure where they were or even who they were.
Bob limped to the Doors. Golden ichor flowed from the wounds on his arms and chest. His janitor's outfit hung in tatters. His posture was twisted and hunched, as if Tartarus's breaking the spear had broken something inside him. Despite all that, he was grinning, his silver eyes bright with satisfaction.
"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.
Tartarus lumbered after him, his iron boots making craters in the ground.
"You cannot kill me!" he bellowed. "I am the pit itself. You might as well try to kill the earth. Gaea and I—we are eternal. We own you, flesh and spirit!"
He brought down his massive fist, first knocking Damasen off of the back of the Drakon and then again, bringing it down to crush him even as Damasen raised his javelin, and Percy braced herself for it-for him to crush Damasen- but before he could make contact something drew his attention- and even Damasen turned his head to look.
Monsters were crying out, stampeding away from what looked like a wave of darkness.
Percy felt her eyes go wide- and her heart was pounding in her chest as she saw who was at the front of that writhing wave of darkness, and was she going insane? Was she hallucinating? She had to be right? But no, no Nico and Leo almost dropped her in their shock- and Bob's mouth had dropped open and he whimpered.
Because leading the wave of darkness, on her Stygian Iron chariot was Nyx.
"Sister!" Tartarus' voice was not impressed, "What are you doing here?"
"I was called." Nyx's voice was imperious. "It seems that you and I are at cross purposes brother. You want to kill my little mortal. And I'd be rather entertained by her survival."
"You-" Nico's voice cracked, "By all the gods I wish I had your skill at winning people over." Nico breathed out.
"Don't ask me how I do it." Percy breathed out, "Because I have no idea."
"You will not interfere in my business!" Tartarus' voice was furious, "I will have their blood."
"No brother, you will not." Nyx turned her head slightly even as Damasen staggered to his feet, "Go Giant. Join them. I shall deal with my brother, and I shall ensure the button remains pressed." her eyes met Percy's across the distance.
"Perhaps this time Night shall be merciful."
"Thank you!" Percy almost sobbed the words, "Thank you lady Nyx!" she'd make sure at least some of her burnt offerings were to Nyx every meal, from now on. She'd make sure to show her appreciation because Damasen was turning and running towards them.
Tartarus lunged towards him by Nyx's whip sliced through the air with a sharp high pitched noise, curling around his wrist- and oh- oh gods. Percy let out a panicked whimper. "We need to get the Hades out of here!" she almost shrieked the words.
After all, Nyx and Tartarus were both Protogenos.
That meant that both of them were so far above even gods and Titans and Giants that they could destroy them.
If they got caught in the crossfire of a battle between Tartarus and Nyx they would be worse than dead Percy was sure of that much.
And Bob was nodding, scooping her up- Percy gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain as he thudded into the elevator, the magic of the Doors of Death shrinking him so that he could fit through, while Nico and Leo held the doors for Damasen.
Percy turned her head- he was thundering towards them, and behind him Percy could see Tartarus and Nyx fighting- Tartarus didn't bother with weapons- which gave Nyx a sort of advantage, she could use her whip from more of a distance- it was wrapped tightly around Tartarus' throat now- and Percy could also see shadows, darkness surging towards the doors from behind Damasen- and gods but she hoped that Nyx would keep her word. She assumed that the shadows- which did look thick enough to be a physical thing, would be pinning down the button.
And then Damasen was shrinking too, as he dove into the elevator car- and Nico and Leo leapt in just as darkness exploded out from around Nyx- and the doors slid closed before it could reach them- but Tartarus' bellow of fury echoed in Percy's ears even as Bob practically dropped her to the floor and threw himself at the doors, Damasen joining him a second later as Small Bob purred by Bob's feet- and together the Giant and the Titan kept the doors pinned shut, and the three demigods collapsed into heaps on the floor.
Percy flopped back, closing her eyes, her heart racing in her chest.
The last leg of their journey was out of their hands now.
It was all up to Nyx.
