Chapter 23: Welcome to the Jungle.
3RD PERSON POV
The training period had ended, but there was an unspoken tension that lingered in the air at the camp. Everyone was on edge and tried their hardest to quell the sensation with more training, but with every passing day it was getting heavier.
By the time a week had gone by, Percy had had enough and it was driving him nuts so he called a meeting with the camp leaders.
PERCY POV
"This tension that's building is driving me and the rest of the campers mad. I'm going to go out and try to gather more intel," I said and got a mixed reaction. The Seven plus Reyna and Lupa seemed to agree with the sentiment. The counsellors were rather indifferent about the suggestion and Thalia, Annabeth, and Chiron were wholeheartedly against it.
"I don't think that's the best idea, Percy," Annabeth said with a nodding Thalia beside her. "Information wins wars," was my cold reply. They looked at each other and knew that they weren't going to shake me off of it. "I'm coming with you then," Thalia spoke out but I shook my head. "No. I go alone. This is my mission. You can't mask your aura like I can, nor sense others. I love you, Thals, but you;d slow me down," I told her and I could tell she wanted to argue.
The rest of those in the meeting cleared out to leave only Thalia and myself in the war room. "Why do you always have to be the hero?" Thalia asked me, her voice on the fringe of breaking. I sighed before replying. "Because if I do, then Estelle and Lora and the other girls and boys don't have to grow up the same way you and I did, Thals."
"I know that! It's just not fair!" she yelled in return and I pulled her into a soft hug. "I think the Fates consider it payback for all the immortals I pissed off. Themselves included," I whispered and got a watery chuckle out of her. She pulled away and looked at me.
"Be careful. You have little girls to train and raise. And a maiden goddess to confess your love to," she said and I went cherry red and sputtered for an answer much to her amusement. "Come on, Kelp-Head. You two have nicknames for each other, spar alone regularly, and I see all the not-so-subtle glances and smiles you two give each other," she said and I rubbed my neck sheepishly.
"Yeah, well… What can I say?" I said nervously. "If you hurt her, you know what happens," she threatened and I let a hearty chuckle. "Believe me Thals, I'm more afraid of what she will do if I ever hurt her," I told her and we shared a laugh.
ARTEMIS POV
Percy asked me to meet him at the beach at camp again to discuss something, which made me extremely nervous. 'Gods, is this about how I kissed him on the cheek? Does he hate me? Maybe he wants to return my feelings?' I mused as I walked the length of the beach to get to him.
"I gotta go back out there, Arty. We need intel and the campers are too on edge," he said while looking up at the moon and I frowned instantly. "No you don't, Percy. It's natural to be on edge, you should know!" I argued but he wasn't having it. "I'll tell you the same thing I told the others: information wins wars. I have to," he said and my heart sank again.
"Why is it always you?" I asked and he chuckled lightly as he walked over to me. "You sound just like Thalia," he said and I smiled a little bit. "You gave me a reason to keep fighting. I have to do it so Estelle and the others don't have to grow up the same way I did," he said and I smiled again. I gently placed a hand on his cheek and we stared into each other's eyes.
"Make sure you come back in one piece. For them and for me," I said softly and he smiled with his eyes closed, leaning into my hand. "I will… I have something I have to make sure I come back to tell you anyways," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes, as he gently removed my hand from his face and kissed my palm.
My heart raced at both the action and the implication. "Tell me now," I said and he smirked and laughed. "No, I don't think I will. It'll be much better to wait," he said and I grew red in anger and embarrassment over worrying so much. "Perseus Achilles Jackson, you will tell me right now!" I yelled at him, though there wasn't any malice in my voice.
"Phoebe Artemis, you will have to wait," he said with a wink and disappeared in a flash of fire.
'Gods, this man,' I thought, but the smile on my face betrayed the nature of it.
3RD PERSON POV
Percy traveled first to the area around CHB to ensure that the army or any of the forces hadn't yet arrived. Athena, Annabeth, and himself speculated that the camp would likely face the full front of their forces, and then they would march on Olympus itself with Tartarus. They figured Tartarus wouldn't waste his time with the camp.
After ensuring that CHB was secured, he traveled then to Camp Jupiter to secure their position. So far nothing was out of the ordinary, but something in the air felt off to Percy's demigod senses. He scouted several areas and there were no physical signs of his forces. He made a mental note to check back in about three hours.
He then ventured to Seattle to double check on the Amazons and again, there was an uncertainty in the air, but otherwise there was nothing to report. That was how Percy spent that night; bouncing among all three locations, but favoring the ones on the West Coast, until he finally traveled to his apartment to catch his three hours of sleep.
After awakening, Percy showered and sent an IM to those at CHB to check the status and they too had nothing to report. He decided to circulate between the three locations and any possible routes to be taken between the three to see if he could discover any of the forces.
He found a few strangling groups and finished them off in the blink of an eye, but otherwise that was his routine for a couple of weeks. Wake up from the nightmares, scout, destroy, scout, repeat. It wasn't until just before the seventh month after the war announcement had the strikes come; and in full force, they came.
PERCY POV
I woke up in a panic from the nightmares and instantly knew that today was the day. They would strike today. I quickly sent an IM to Artemis. "Arty!" I yelled and she whipped around to see me. "Today. I don't know how I know and I don't know when. But I woke up and I know it's today," I said and her eyes widened before I cut the message.
I made sure I had all of my weapons and materials secured. Once I did, I checked the unguarded Camp Jupiter first and found the sense of unease in the air a fraction stronger. 'It feels like the moment I leave, they'll come,' I thought so I threw a drachma in the air. "Yo, Fleecy. Do me a solid!" I called. "Hylla. Amazons' HQ."
The screen came into focus and everyone was running around frantically. "Hylla!" I yelled and she whipped her head up to look at me. "They're here, Percy. A lot of them. Maybe 400 monsters and a Titan or two. We're not sure, but they're getting ready." I cursed under my breath and nodded.
My mind was running at a mile a minute. 'I need to back them up. They'll be slaughtered if I don't. I can't leave Camp Jupiter unguarded though. They'll destroy it even with no one here. But we can repair the damage, not the people,' I thought rapidly and made the decision to help the Amazons.
I quickly flashed into the camp, and as expected, Terminus appeared before me. "Terminus. I'm not an enemy, it's me Jackson," I started and he looked shocked. "No time. War with Tartarus, if they invade here even though we moved everyone out, notify me immediately. I got to go," I told him.
'Camp Jupiter will be fine. They're immortal beings and this is war. I'm sure they've scouted that we moved everyone out of it and they may only send troops as a diversion,' were the last thoughts to cross my mind as I fire traveled to Seattle.
3RD PERSON POV
Percy showed up outside of the HQ and between the two opposing forces. He looked to his left to see Hylla and the Amazons getting ready for the ultimate battle. The Amazons were bigger than the Hunt, but still only amounted to nearly 100; somewhere in the 70s or 80s if Percy really had to guess. All of their expressions were grim, yet determined.
He looked to his right at the enemy army and they indeed were outnumbered about 4:1. Leading the charge, he noticed the Titans Atlas and Prometheus and growled. "Ah, Perseus Jackson. Did you enjoy your vacation in Tartarus?" Prometheus asked in mock sweetness and Hylla looked at Percy with wide eyes. Percy nodded solemnly to her before answering.
"I didn't realize that Atlas was so incompetent that he constantly required you to speak for him, Prometheus," Percy said, but his warrior persona was creeping in with every word. Atlas snarled at the demigod. "Do not forget how our last match ended, boy. I believe my traitorous daughter perished," Atlas mocked to the Guardian and all emotion left his face and voice.
"If you leave Prometheus, you'd better pray I am not able to find you. As for you General, do not speak words you cannot hope to back up with your spear," Percy said and Atlas growled again.
Percy took a knee in front of the Amazons and the air temperature dropped. Slowly, a dozen ice clones began to form around him, each with one of his weapons and corresponding fighting style. He rose from the ground and the clones mirrored him as he popped a piece of ambrosia in his mouth and dumped water on his head.
He turned to talk over his shoulder as his armor spread across his body, "Hylla, these clones will help with the monsters. I'm sure others will perish in the collateral with my fight with Atlas. He's mine and mine alone. I am only here to finish him off and Prometheus if he doesn't flee. Then I have to get to Camp Half-Blood immediately to help them." Hylla gave him a tight smile and a nod and the battle began.
A good portion of the Amazons and two of the ice clones stayed to the back and provided supporting fire with their bows. A lot of monsters fell by them and even more took their place, but they continued firing until they ran out of arrows or had no choice but to change tactics.
The other ice clones were replica demons of Percy on the battlefield, as was expected. Duplicates with each one of his weapons; two with dual swords, two with knives, two with katana, two with trident, and two with Diagrapsei. All 10 of them, nearly as lethal as the original man and weapon and working alongside the Amazons that chose close combat to defend their sisters and home.
Prometheus was nowhere in sight, but Percy didn't worry about that at the moment. He was solely focused on Atlas, the killer of his friend and one of the greatest heros, and the bubbling rage that sat just below the emotionless surface he was exhibiting.
They danced dangerously back and forth with one another. Titan against demigod; spear against trident and both fighting for the complete defeat of the other. Atlas' thrusts were parried with the points and or shaft of Percy's trident and Percy's slashes were blocked by the shaft of Atlas' spear. The landscape constantly being reformed around them with each strike and any monster unlucky enough to be near them exploded into gold dust.
"You're better than I remember you being, demigod," Atlas said as he attempted another thrust, which Percy easily dodged and attempted to counter with the sharpened butt of his trident. Percy didn't say anything in return, much to Atlas' annoyance. He was too busy thinking.
'I can't be here too long. I need to end this soon,' Percy thought as he dodged another swing of Atlas' spear. As he leapt back, he launched several throwing knives in conjunction with ice spikes from the atmosphere behind the Titan. Some knives and spikes lodged in his limbs, but he quickly snapped the ice off. 'He must have learned from Perses' defeat,' Percy mused.
Percy set his trident ablaze with Greek fire and Atlas seemed a little less smug. Percy rushed him quickly and tried to overwhelm him a flurry of strikes. Some hit and cut the titan across his arms and a few on his torso, matching the Guardian's own state, but Percy didn't yet have the advantage fully and pushed harder.
Atlas swung his spear like a baseball bat and Percy blocked it with his trident, but the force of the blow launched him to the side. Before he could hit the ground, Percy fire traveled to a blindspot and threw his fire coated trident, catching Atlas in his dominant shoulder.
Atlas hissed in pain and Percy pressed further, charging into Atlas' guard as Diagrapsei grew to its full size in his right hand. With a hefty swing, Percy brought down the ax on Atlas' spear and made him drop it. Without missing a beat, the ax lodged itself into the ground, pinning the spear there and Percy delivered a jumping spin kick laced with his earthshaker ability to Atlas' jaw.
Atlas sailed backward at the force of the kick with his jaw certainly broken, but Percy fire traveled in front of his flying body and created an ice wall for him to slam into. Atlas had the air purged from his lungs in a painful gasp as his back hit the wall, but the instant he collided with it and stopped his momentum, the wall was gone and Percy delivered another punch with his earthshaker abilities directly to the Titan's spine.
Percy felt a crunch, but was unsure if it was a vertebrae in the Titan's back or his own hand, nor did he care. Atlas was groaning and panting as he laid on his back, staring at the sky that he used to hold. Suddenly, ice spikes pierced his limbs and crucified him, causing him to hiss in pain again. He looked down his nose to see Percy standing on his chest, making his already short, ragged breaths even shorter and more ragged.
"You win, boy. But the Gods will fall. They can't stop the Titans and the Giants along with the Pit himself," Atlas rasped. Percy simply looked down on the Titan and summoned his bow. "Do you know what I named this bow?" he asked, not expecting and not getting an answer. "Nightshade. After your daughter; after my friend," Percy said and looked the Titan in the eyes one last time.
"It may not be ended by her hand, but I imagine she is smiling down at the fact that you were killed by a 'Nightshade'," Percy said and in the blink of an eye, two arrows spouted from the Titan's eyes before he crumbled into dust. Percy withdrew all of his weapons and stretched his senses across the battlefield. 'Prometheus coward away. No surprise there,' he thought as he noticed the amount of Amazons that had fallen. 'Too many. Always too many,' Percy thought bitterly.
From his position, he gave the ground a hefty stomp, channeling his earthshaker abilities to spread outward, but avoided any ground that he sensed an Amazon warrior's aura on. That was enough to give them the upper hand back on the monsters that remained; around 40 or so of them. Percy traveled to where he sensed Hylla.
"Hylla, you got it from here?" he asked quickly. Hylla pulled her spear from a cyclops and looked at Percy and nodded. "Keep my sister safe," she said and Percy nodded and flashed to the top of the Big House to get a quick view of what was going on. It was a literal shit show out there, littered with mountains of gold dust and some demigod bodies, both Greek and Roman, here and there.
In summary: it was not going to be an easy fight.
AN: Chapter 23! I know in the last chapters or so I said the War is starting, but the war technically started with Percy scouting and such so I should've really said the final battles. I was planning on not rewriting but proofreading and making any changes one the entire story was done anyways; like a Remastered edition so to speak.
Also: I'm contemplating a new story. Son of Storms, Bastard of the Seas where Percy is a Son of Susano'o first, but Poseidon chases him back out of the States and replaces Sally's memories of Susano'o with himself. Percy is then abused heavily by Gabe and Sally is murdered, but before Gabe can kill Percy, he is saved and raised by Artemis and the Hunt. Story follows Titan's Curse and I plan a few changes (i.e. Perlia ship and after TC Percy goes to Japan to further train with Susano'o) would you be interested? Let me know. Send me ideas and suggestions for this Vanishing Hero, the one I mentioned I might write, and Retribution.
Until next time!