Until I Bleed Out

Uranus ran out of the pub, looking like a madman. He knew he was being spied on. He ran down the streets of New York, before being caught by someone, and pulled into an alley. He summoned his sword, and tried to fight whoever it was, but they were quicker. Uranus was disarmed before he knew what happened.

Then a dozen other men fell from the roofs, landing around him and whoever had him disarmed. Uranus shook his head.

"No point trying, you cannot teleport away." The man said, dropping his hood. Uranus faintly recognized him.

"Aydn…?" he quietly said. The man nodded.

"Tie him up." The people obeyed him, tying Uranus by the hands and arms, before harshly throwing him on the ground. Uranus grunted, and turned to face towards the entrance to the alley, where a built, six-foot-four man, twirling a battle axe as if it were a sword walked towards him.

"He's mine now." The man said.

"Perseus." Uranus growled.

"You gods. Like little children, always fighting. Making a mess out of the world." Percy said, sheathing his axe on his back. "And I've got to be the one to now pick it up." Percy knelt down to Uranus's level.

"There's one way you get out of here without being faded, Uranus." his heart dropped. "tell me where Erebus and Nyx hide." Percy looked to the skies. "they're hidden from my vision."

"Never!" Uranus spat at Percy's feet, and Percy kicked him in the jaw.

"You have no power in this position, Uranus. Tell me where he is." Percy said. Uranus shook his head. Percy sighed.

"Even at half strength, I could fade you where you sit, but I want to take my time." Uranus's eyes widened, and Percy unsheathed his axe, dragging along the forearm of Uranus.

"Every time you refuse to tell me, I'll take a finger… then half a limb… then your life." Percy whispered. "Now tell me, Where is Erebus?" Uranus spat at Percy again, and Percy swung his axe with deadly accuracy, taking the index finger of Uranus, who screamed.
"Scream all you want. Nobody can see or hear us." Percy smirked.

"You're a monster!" Uranus said, scared. Percy could recognize fear from the opposite end of the universe, and it was so blatant here, his smirk only grew.

"Possibly. But I do what I must to ensure my victory. Now, Where is Erebus?"

"Never." Percy growled, and swung his axe, removing Erebus's right arm and shoulder. He kicked the god in the face, before stomping on his gut, reaching into his chest. Percy dug around in the body of the god, before pulling out an orb.

"Never is here." Percy swung again, decapitating the god. He turned to his men, who all stared at him with wide eyes.

"What did you just pull from his body?" Alex asked.

"His soul. He's dead."

X

Erebus had another dream. The only time in his existence where he'd had one two nights in a row. This time, he awoke in a forest, wintertime. The man before him sat on a stump, with an orb in his hand. Erebus recognized what type of orb that was.

"Who's is that?" Erebus asked nervously. The man fiddled with it.

"Uranus's. I killed him in New York today. Faded him. The first of many, and I'll do it until every Protogenoi is dead, unless you tell me where you are, Erebus." Erebus shook his head.

"Never." Percy sighed.

"Maybe I'll hunt your wife down and steal her domains next… that sounds awfully interesting, doesn't it?" Percy smirked up at Erebus, who's rage was clear.

"You'd do no such thing."

"Test me." Percy said. Erebus's eyes were wide. "I slaughtered Uranus like I did your son back in the Great War, when he tried to lead the Yotherian Armies. My axe cut through his shoulder like butter… and his head…" Percy wondered off, looking up into the sky. Erebus's rage kept going.

Erebus ran at Percy and swung at him, but Percy merely dodged it, and put his hand into Erebus's chest. Erebus felt the pain, felt Percy's hand on his soul, ready to take it at any moment.

"Imagine if it were real life… you'd be dead already." Percy whispered into Erebus's ear, before pulling away from the god, and summoning his axe. Erebus fell onto both knees, almost bowing before Percy.

"Where you should be. On your knees." Percy smirked, before twirling his axe.

"Time to wake up, Erebus." And he swung downwards, cutting off Erebus's head.

X

Percy had more dreams. This time, of when he was very young, around sixteen, and running up the ranks of Chaos's armies. He and his cohort were on a scouting mission, to planet I-94, an Earth-like planet, inhabited by humans.

Percy's group of fifty had just finished battling a group of a hundred, and they'd managed to capture the king of the state, and his family.

They raided the throne room, and Percy shot tendrils of shadows out of his hands, right through the chests of twelve guards, killing them all instantly. He walked immediately to the king, staring him down.

"Try me or any of my men, I'll slaughter your eldest son before your very eyes." Percy growled. The king, Fredrick III, had caused enough pain to Percy on this expedition already. He'd played enough games. He remembered Chaos's personal orders:

If you capture the king, he deserves death for the mistreatment of his subjects. One of the most truly evil people in the universe.

They'd tied the family up, and brought them to the underground tunnel system that Percy's group had been abusing.

"Captain, I'll takeover first watch. You deserve sleep." Percy agreed, and took a nap.

He woke to screams of death.

All around him, his people were fighting for their lives against a much larger force, attempting to get their king back. Percy shook his head, and jumped to help.

"Captain! They've caught us off guard! We're down to only twenty-five!" Percy growled. He turned to the king and his family, who they still held captive.

"I'm supposed to kill you where you are, but I'll let you wait, for now. Say your final prayers." Percy spat at the king, who glared back.

Walking to the frontline, Percy tried to summon his sword, but was met with something much heavier, an axe he didn't recognize. He twirled it. He'd had minimal training with an axe, but enough to defeat the enemy he was faced with.

He felt something strange along his right arm, leading down his lower torso, and looked, only to be met with a familiar black tattoo he'd seen in his dreams, and one that his father had told him about.

It'll appear once you've entered a certain state of anger, of rage. It'll give you such advanced senses and strengths that you'll be near unkillable, to a point where I'd say with it, you're the best warrior to ever live. It draws from your power, and as you grow, the Marked state will only grow stronger and stronger.

This must be that. It circled his right forearm, leading down to a final bold, black circle on his palm.

He jumped over one of his soldiers who was dueling a human, dressed exactly as the rest. Silver knight armor that covered most vital spots, sword and a shield. Percy lopped his head off as if it was nothing. He pushed forward, dashing and tearing through anything that tested him.

He'd felt comfortable with his sword-but this axe, was euphoria. He'd never felt anything such like it. It span so effortlessly, cut as if he was practicing against air, and parried with no shock. He was shot at, and it was as if the axe had guided his hand, cutting the arrow in half. Percy picked up a shield, flipped a soldier over it, and slammed it on their throat, killing them instantly. He elbowed someone in the mouth, shocking them, before bringing his axe down, cleaving them in half. He was covered in blood.

He didn't know how long it had been, but the enemy called retreat, giving up on the captives. Percy heard nothing but cries of pain from all around him, where there was nothing but dead corpses. A tear dropped from his face, and he fell to a knee, crying. He didn't want this.

Percy composed himself before walking back to the camp, where he was met with very little of his own. He was scared.

"Butchers bill, Trayvon." The son of Ares stuttered, before standing up straight.

"There's only five of us left. The other fourty-five are dead." He said, and there were gasps all around Percy from the other three. He stood calmly, staring dead into the eyes of the King, who smirked at him.

"There will be reinforcements coming for you, son of Chaos." The king spat at Percy's feet, before Percy growled.

"Who did you say I was a son of?" He said, walking up to the King, kneeling to his level. The King's eyes were wide.

"Chaos."

Percy cut off the head of his eldest son, much to the surprise of the family.

"You MONSTER!" his wife said, and Percy smirked at her.

"Be quiet, little lady, or you'll be dead next." Percy said, turning back to the King. "I'm a son of Order. Get it right, you puny little shit. Now, which sounds better? Shall I kill your family before your eyes? Or should I take my time with it?" Percy said. The King's eyes remained wide.

"Quickly." Percy kicked the King in the gut.

"So be it." Percy reached his hand out, and each of the other three family members started to choke, before Percy turned his hand over, palm-up, and clenched it into a fist, and they all dropped dead. His eyes didn't leave the King's.

"They were innocent, Perseus!" Ellie, a daughter of Athena said, gripping his shoulder. He whirled on her.

"Yes, but they knew what he was doing was wrong, and they let him do it, without any warning or remorse, therefore they're in the wrong." he spat at her. "I have personal orders from Chaos herself that if we were to capture this little bastard," he pointed at the King, "I have every green light in the universe to slaughter him and his family. You answer to me, or you answer to her. Your choice." Percy growled. "You insolent little demigods. Always thinking you're the center of the universe." Percy scoffed. "by the gods are you wrong." Percy turned back on the King, unsheathing his axe from his back.

"You deserved to die many, many years ago. You're just lucky I'm a nice person, so I gave you some time." Percy swung down, slicing the King in half, from his shoulder to his waist.

He left the Chaos army after that.

He woke again. Every time. This felt different though- he felt… stronger. He walked to the bathroom, and checked the mirror, and the mark was there, circling his left eye, and down to his right palm. Why was it still here? Order had told him long ago it was impossible to permanently enter the marked state. He shook it off. It'd wear away soon.

It's a sign. A sign that it is time, to try again.

Who the hell was talking to him?

Me, son. Go to the Volcano. Try to assume again. Your power is ready for you.

Percy shook his head. Not right now. He was good enough, he didn't need more.

Trust me, you'll need more.

Why?

Not everyone you trust is your friend, Perseus.

X

"The time has come, Erebus."

"What is it time for, milord?"

"Go to the Volcano. It is where Perseus shall be very soon. He, as of now, does not have enough power to defeat all of us, at once. We can catch him off guard, and seal our victory."

"You're confident that he does not have the power to beat us all?"

"I have never been so confident of something in my life."
"Will it only be him, milord?"

"He may have two people with him, and one of them is on our side. Do not doubt me, Erebus. Your life hangs in the idea that I'm helping you, don't you forget."

shaker boys, shaker.