Three days later and Percy still couldn't get decent sleep. Every night it was the same. The Presence in his room would study him as Percy lay there paralyzed, eyes forced shut. Every time Percy would awake in a burst of fiery godly energy. The walls in his room began to wear away with each night. His eyes developed purple shadows and he began seeing things like shadows observing him from afar. No one could even walk past him without receiving a death glare.
That made the days pass by even slower than they already did. But eventually the day of his second fight arrived. The fighters walked into the side room reserved for participants. Most of the aliens towered over him and smirked down at him. The smaller ones were smart; they regarded him with caution. He simply kept his wits to himself and tried to seem as relaxed as possible. Inside he was almost hyperventilating. The terms of the match wouldn't be disclosed until everyone was in the room. He had no idea whether he was expected to kill his opponent or not. And that scared him. He had never truly killed anyone before. Monsters sure. But they exploded into dust. How would he feel about having a cold corpse left behind as evidence of his deeds?
Someone walked up behind him and Percy tensed up, the Presence ingrained in his mind. His eyes widened. It was Bregamar. The black-skinned Rayune didn't look at him. "Bathroom," Was all he said.
Percy stopped and pretended to check his pockets and shoes. Very inconspicuous, indeed. He walked off in pursuit, checking the area. Anyone still in the hallways weren't paying attention. At the entrance, a couple of aliens stood watch, arms crossed. Percy raised a brow in question. The guards grunted and stepped aside. He walked in and found Bregamar tinkering with something in his hands.
"What's up?" He opened.
Bregamar scowled. "What's up? Your damned coordinates, that's what." He held up a small grey circle.
"Great," He held out his palm.
"Not so fast. If you get yourself killed the examiners will find this on you."
"Why didn't you wait until after the match then?"
"Because there may not be an after the match."
Percy couldn't help but feel offended. "If you had such little faith in my abilities, you shouldn't have hired me."
Bregamar lowered his voice. "It's not that, boy. My informants have delivered some news. You're walking into a trap. Apparently some guard has it out for you. He rigged the match in favor of your opponent. It'll be a death match to be fought with weapons."
Percy clenched his jaw. "Verequi. I knew it!"
Bregamar was stunned. "What did you say?"
"The guard. His name is Verequi. He paid me a visit three days ago threatening to interfere with my fights but I thought he was referring to my money. It looks like this is what he was talking about."
The Rayune considered, looking like a huge revelation had just been made. "Okay...this might work in our favor." He said almost to himself.
Percy balked. "What in Hades are you talking about?"
"Just give me time to think since clearly you can't think for yourself."
Percy scowled. "Stop talking to me like I'm stupid. If you stopped speaking like you were trying to make every syllable a riddle, maybe I would understand your stupid plans."
Bregamar rolled his eyes. "Good, it's out of your system. Just try and survive. I have a lot of achyma invested in you. Here, take your coordinates."
Percy caught the disk and studied it. He then narrowed his eyes at Bregamar. "Why the change of plans?"
"That Verequi. I know him. I have an idea. If I get caught, it's best for you to have them."
Percy said nothing, just staring at him. He was lying. He could feel it. But why? He left without another word.
Bregamar watched the human walk away and released the breath he had been holding. He waited by the entrance to the bathroom until the Tuckaseegee twins stationed outside gave him the go. He walked out quickly, hiding his face as much as he could from all the hidden cameras, his identical alles right behind him. He made turns without hesitation, the maze of tunnels and the patrol schedule of the guards long since memorized.
Colony AR-31 and its dormitories were set up in a way that made getting from the mines to the rooms extremely easy, if confusing, but the main bullet he had to avoid was the rail system. That was the only area in the Worker Section that had facial recognition. It made his job much harder but it was worth it.
When he initially heard Percy name the guard he had mentioned, Bregamar's spirit nearly escaped his body. If Verequi was making rounds in the Worker Section, how could he continue his escapades? But then he realized: he didn't need to keep making secret trips to the Worker Section if Percy was no longer there. Yes... if Percy was the one who had the plans...he could force him into coercion.
He made his way to the end of the Section where the corridor split to either side, a pair of guards standing watch, blocking entrance into the deeper sections of the ship. They crouched off to the side, out of the guards' line of sight. He turned to the twins. "Remember when I said you might have to spend a few days in a cell block?"
The older twin nodded. "No problem, boss." He then grabbed his brother by the neck and launched him into view of the guards.
The younger brother roared and retaliated. They engaged in a believable fight and the Rayune guards made their move. The brothers led their fight off to the side, away from the corridor. The guards busted out their electric tamers and went to work, the shrieks echoing down the hallways. Bregamar silently jogged down the path. To the left, the entrance to the Other Side awaited. And to the right, another maze. He took the latter.
The blinding white of the Worker Section died away immediately, changing to dark greys and black. The lights were dimmed and the floor changed from smooth and polished to plain metal, his footsteps making loud THUNKS. Somewhere in here, unknown to even the guards, there was a special door for maintenance crews. After several minutes, Bregamar reached it. His hand dug around his pocket and found his makeshift access card, waving it at the control panel. He entered and shut the door, the lights flickering to life.
Inside, another maze, this one much more cramped and lined with old computers long since made obsolete by modern tech. By Emergarst, these computers still utilized wires! Regardless, they controlled the temperature, water flow, waste disposal systems, electric grid, and power functions for the Other Side. He made his way through the rows of screens and buttons until he arrived. Even to the maintenance crews, they would barely be able to tell where they were or what distinguished this area from any of the rest. But Bregamar's eidetic memory had proven time and time again to be his most valuable tool.
If the warden Temenok had spent his funds how he was supposed to, his ship would long since have been updated and made Bregamar's job that much more difficult. As it was...
The black Rayune ran his fingers along the edges of the grate and released the concealed clasps to unveil an entrance into the enormous ventilation system. He stepped into the furious winds, digging his feet into the floor to keep his balance. He shakily replaced the grate and locked it behind him. The air currents battered him and he knew if he lost his footing, he would fly off to the engines and possibly his death. He spread his hands and pushed against both walls, making sure a violent rush of air wouldn't whisk him away. He slowly made his way down yet another maze.
He reached his destination a few minutes later and pulled out his tool to pry open the loose section of wall. Crawling inside, he crept along silently for he was now inside the very walls of the ship and any noise would prompt suspicion. He tiptoed on for half a mile, turning corners and climbing the walls, dragging himself across the ceiling and scrambling down. He reached his cell and pushed the panel under his bed up. Scrambling up, he stood in front of the door just as Verequi and his cronies got to his cell.
"And here's the Little Brother." The Rayune smiled. "How're you doin' there champ?"
Bregamar smirked half-heartedly. "Just fine, captain. How are you?"
Verequi confirmed on his holopad Bregamar's presence and looked up. "Happy as a Harlaki's next client. I got two more workers to keep me company during these long nights and a debt is being settled as we speak. I'm in such a good mood I might finally grant you that roommate you've been looking for, Breggie."
"Very kind of you, captain."
Verequi laughed. "I'm just messing with ya'. You already know what you have to do to be reunited with your big bro, don't you?"
Bregamar felt the fire rise and his eyes could kill. "I'll politely decline once more, captain."
The Rayune leaned in close to the transparent energy barrier. "That's okay. Think about it, black sugar. You got all the time in the galaxy."
He winked and walked off to the next cell, leaving Bregamar with a foul taste in his mouth and more violent energy than he knew what to do with. Maybe it was time to vent in the Pit. For now though, all he could do was wait. It was like Verequi said. Bregamar stared out the window of his tiny cell all around the cold prison block, watching the guards make their rounds, hearing his fellow prisoners scream and make threats. All he had was time.
Percy walked into the fighter's locker room, still deep in thought. Bregamar...why give him the coordinates? It didn't make sense how quickly his mind changed.
"Fighters, listen up! There's been a change in plans. Temenok's hosting a special little event for some friends of his. He wants some more...energy in the arena tonight. All of you will have a weapon to use in your next fight. Of course, you don't have to. But I doubt your opponent will be so hesitant to risk a fair fight."
Percy looked around as did everyone else. Nobody knew who was fighting who. That meant no one could make any pre-fight agreements as to whether or not to use a weapon. They clarified it was optional when it very clearly wasn't.
"In your designated lockers, we have randomly assigned you a weapon. Again, to keep it interesting. In addition, the fights are open-ended. You can choose to kill your opponent...or not."
Everyone immediately began protesting. "That's not fair!" and "We're workers! We fight for recreation, not to the death!" and "We're not savages!"
"Silence! These are the new rules going forward! In case you don't follow galactic events, Father Orgon is dead. His sons have finally assumed rule and initiated a Triumvirate. The galactic laws put in place are being rewritten as I speak! Temenok is free to run his Colony as he sees fit and he has chosen this. You can either walk away without hearing the prize or you can shut up and listen!"
Percy felt like the only one not in the loop. Who was Father Orgon? A king? The president? Why would Temenok decide to make his matches to the death? The other workers seemed to understand what was happening but they didn't like it. What they did like was the mention of a prize...
"The fights are no longer considered one-offs. They will now conform to the rules of a basic tournament. Whoever wins will be awarded a 50,000 achym prize."
The room was silent. Percy wasn't even breathing. 50,000? That was half the money he needed to buy his ship! Technically, he didn't even need to do the breakout with Bregamar anymore. All he needed was the coordinates. Was there anyone else on this enormous ship who could help him? He was willing to bet there was. But then again...he would have to kill who knows how many people to do it. Was he willing to risk whatever humanity he had left? Just to return to Earth?
A couple aliens walked out immediately. The rest were frozen, captivated by the words. Percy didn't know what he wanted. But when the guard announced him as the first fighter, Percy found himself opening up the locker that was connected to the sorting center and retrieving his assigned weapon. A battle ax the length of one entire Percy.
The grip was foreign and yet familiar. The blade was colored bright red, as if to mask any blood stains. He hefted the weapon and numbly made his way to the front of the crowd. The guards stopped him. "Customary search."
Percy held out his arms, not protesting. Then, his eyes widened and his heart sank as he remembered the disk Bregamar had given him. The guard pulled it from his pocket and held it up. "What is this?"
Percy swallowed and opened his mouth. He stood there like an idiot, choking. He had no idea. He didn't know what it was or how to explain it. From the looks on their faces, the sentries obviously did. "Seems like someone's been exploring restricted areas of the ship. Curious."
"That's not mine!" Percy blurted, a little too late.
"Sure it's not. Why don't we go explain this to Temenok?"
"Temenok?"
"Of course! He's taking some time out of his busy schedule to make an inspection. I wonder how he'll react when you interrupt him."
Father Orgon was no doubt the single greatest Rayune to ever live. Not the smartest, though he was very wise; Not the most powerful, though he carried great strength; And not the most popular, though he was worshipped as a god. But he certainly was the greatest. Under his leadership, the Rayune had marched on Mekessi, the galaxy now known as Grimbard, and taken it back from the Banashek.
When the Banashek had first driven out the Rayune people from the galaxy, the 5th Dimension had been only used for travelling between stars and perhaps a few attacks. However, when Orgon rose to power with his grand plan to retake his people's home, he harnessed the power of the 5th Dimension on a scale never before seen to launch a galactic invasion. Over the course of a decade he led a glorious campaign, taking countless worlds. When the nebula clouds cleared, the image was of a galaxy reborn: Grimbard.
He ruled for decades after that, bringing forth the Golden Age. But immediately after his life's work had come to fruition, his downfall began. He courted various women of all species including Banashek, much to the chagrin and outrage of the Rayune. They believed they would eliminate the Banashek from the galaxy for their crimes against them. And when the King granted a pardon to the Banashek and even a solar system to reside in, their dreams crumbled. Some turned against him.
See, when the Banashek had driven the Rayune out of the then-known Mekessi, the Rayune were forced to take shelter in a smaller satellite galaxy they called Scepis. And when Orgon declared the Banashek people free of any punishment, Scepis turned on him. They completely closed the galaxy to anyone coming in or leaving. Orgon spent the rest of his life trying to mend that mistake to no avail.
The only three children he sired of pure Rayune origin were named his true heirs. The others were cast out upon Orgon's death not too long ago. The Three Brothers took to power and, fed on Rayune ideologies of supremacy by the people and Orgon's advisors, declared their rule a Triumvirate. Now all of Grimbard held their breath as to what their next move would be...
And Temenok was already enjoying some of the freedoms he had been granted under the Triumvirate.
No longer did he have to bargain with the Zorum for their planet Hanaku. Now he could freely enslave their world and take their strongest warriors. He no longer had to hide his gladiator matches from the rest of the galaxy. He could broadcast the events and make millions of achyma. He could build an arena on Hanaku itself and become rich in a few short years. The gears were slow to turn but turn they would.
He figured that as long as construction of his Arena was under way, he could turn Colony AR-31 into one big tournament. Forget mining for asteroids. As long as he was making the Three Brothers money, they would allow him to do whatever he wanted. Although, he did still have to keep production at a certain level.
He was so lost in his schemes, he almost jumped when the door swished open, revealing two guards and Percy Jackson. Temenok narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"
The guards, so confident in their own little world, looked almost scared when they stepped into his. "Um," One guard cleared his throat, raising the small grey object. "A disk containing some schematics to AR-31 was found on his person, sir."
Temenok frowned. "Leave us."
They blinked, not sure if they heard him properly. Percy stepped forward and they left the room. Temenok gestured to a chair in front of his inspection desk. "Sit."
The Warden took a seat as well, studying the human over steepled fingers. "Let me see if I understand this correctly. Two months ago, you show up on Hanaku. No ship, no records, no identity. You say you ran with pirates and smugglers. You say you crash-landed on my planet despite any evidence to confirm your words. I choose not to lock you up and instead give you a job on my colony and an opportunity to fly away free of any charges...and you steal plans for my facility?"
Percy fidgeted as he sat, staring everywhere as Temenok spoke but now he looked him in the eye. "You left out the part where you planned to use me as bait to capture my pirate friends. You also forgot to mention Colony AR-31 is a prison where you keep any Zorum who refuse to give in to our demands. Remember that?"
Temenok smiled and leaned back in his chair. "So your plan was to what? Steal blueprints of my facility to liberate the poor Zorum, is that it?"
Percy's jaw muscles worked. "Maybe."
Temenok leaned forward again. "Who are you Percy Jackson? A simple stranger, a nobody who carries the blood of a god?" Percy's eyes widened and he continued. "Yes, I know all about that. I've seen you fight. Taking on a Zorum powerful enough to wreck a starship without a single scratch to show for it? I take that back: pounded into the ground, skull caved in, blood pouring out of every hole on your face, regenerating and overpowering a Zorum powerful enough to wreck a starship?"
Temenok could feel the power emanating from the human. It was remarkable! "Is that what you wish to do to me, Percy Jackson? Why don't you? I couldn't possibly defend myself against such strength."
Percy almost looked confused. "Who are you? What are you hiding?"
Temenok smiled and spread his arms. "I am a simple Rayune Warden, promoted 25 years ago to bargain for control of this planet. And as an afterthought, oversee a mining colony. I stage illegal gladiator fights and profit greatly off of them. I take in and house prisoners, working them to death. I have nothing to hide."
"Somehow, I doubt that."
"Doubt the truth all you want, Percy."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
Temenok shrugged. "Perhaps I want to be transparent with a future client. Perhaps I want to foster a mutually beneficial relationship."
"Client? Do you mean the fighting arena?"
"You are the most gifted fighter I have seen in over a decade since the reign of Urumaq the Backbreaker. And I've only witnessed one of your fights. That begs the question: where do you come from?"
Percy stood, planting his hands on the table. Temenok did not flinch. "I'll make it simple for you, Warden. I came from a galaxy far far away from this one and I need to get back. I have no intention of being your little action figure. I need a ship and coordinates. That's it."
Temenok considered. He measured his words as he spoke them. "I can make you a very wealthy man, Percy Jackson. I can show you the wonders of the galaxy. I can help you search for your home. I just need a few years of your time. Ten, maximum."
Percy shook his head. "I don't have time to play gladiator, Warden. I need to go home. Now. The people need me."
Temenok rubbed his chin. "How about this: you don't get a ship or my help unless you first help me."
Percy's eyes turned sinister as he rose to his full height. "You will give me what I want."
Temenok rose to his feet as well, pulling out a blaster. "Take it then!"
He fired off a crisp electric blue shot, the plasma burning its way through the air.
Percy dodged the energy easily, vaulting the desk and batting the weapon across the room. Temenok rammed into him but Percy was ready, grabbing him under the armpits and using his own momentum to launch him into the wall. At the sound of the blaster shot, the guards burst into the room, leveling their automatic rifles. Percy's instincts saved him. Sensing a water pipe running directly under the floor they stood on, he clenched his fist and the pipe burst with the force of a small bomb, tearing completely through the metallic floor. The soldiers went flying, their rifles firing off several shots on their own.
Temenok quickly darted up and dove for his weapon. Percy swiped at the air with a grunt and the length of the entire pipe ruptured. Now the entire room was drenched in water and quickly flooding. Temenok managed to grab hold of his gun and fire off a couple shots. Percy dashed forward in bursts, dodging everything. His foot connected under the Warden's chin and the force carried him all the way up to the low ceiling. If Temenok had been a human, his entire head might've been ripped off.
The soldiers had recovered and engaged but Percy used the water to form a thick shield. The bolts of plasma lost a majority of their power as they ripped through the liquid. Percy clenched his muscles and the water froze into one big chunk of ice. He tossed it at them and they were crushed under the weight. Incapacitated, not dead.
Temenok moaned, hands cradling his head. It seemed Percy broke something along his spine in his anger. He was not dissuaded. Walking up to him, he put his foot on his neck and stepped hard. "So, Warden, you gonna help me get back to my world?"
Temenok gargled out blood. "Fuck you!"
"Wrong answer." Percy snarled. He manipulated the blood currents in his body, raising him into the air. Before, he had made sure the doctors he threatened couldn't cry out in pain. He afforded Temenok the luxury, reveling in his screams. Some part of Percy raged at him to stop. He began having difficulty knowing where he was and what he was doing. It was like two split personalities fighting for control.
And then, in slow motion, a figure began to materialize as if from the very water molecules in the air. Percy turned, eyes widening. That feeling...it was the Presence! The Presence that haunted his nightmares the last three days.
It was a male humanoid. His skin was like a platinum colored mirror. He wore a black suit with shining dots like stars, a navy blue dress shirt, a black tie with orange symbols imprinted where it met the collar. The shoulders of the suit had four celestial blue dashes that glowed fiercely. But it was the face that did it. His entire head was like platinum melted down and poured into the shape of a human skull. His face was completely smooth -no cheekbones or nose, or eyes- and where his visage would be was simply the moving images of galactic nebula clouds drifting by. Percy felt like he could have stuck his hand into his face and actually touched them. Left hand in his pocket, the other levitated a glass cube containing a miniature solar system.
And the sheer aura of power that this being was giving off...it was enough to make Percy almost forget how to keep the fluids in his body from leaking out. No one he had ever met, not Zeus or even Tartarus, had this amount of power. It was infinitely greater. His very presence seemed to make the room flicker out of existence, the atoms of the very ground, air, and light drawn to him. Percy somehow knew that if this God stayed here any longer, the entire area would collapse into a black hole.
The being's left hand escaped his pocket and he pointed at him as if Percy had committed blasphemy. Time itself completely stopped. Percy could not move or think any coherent thoughts. He was simply a witness. He was not meant to act nor could he.
His voice carried the weight of a supercluster of galaxies, his words divine law. "Percy Jackson. The Half-Blood God. Power has corrupted you. You must repent."
The deity warped out of existence and time rushed into being. Percy dropped to his knees, every drop of energy drained. His eyes shut and he collapsed onto the floor.
You could describe Temenok in a number of ways: cruel, powerful, ambitious. But never weak. As soon as the doctors placed the cast on his neck, he was on his feet. Back straight, utilizing as little motion as possible, and very cautious but on his feet. He stood off to the side, watching Percy float about in Ferruzja's glass. The doctors argued amongst themselves furiously. The biological tests...the results...it was all wrong. It didn't make sense. Even Temenok could not believe his eyes.
Percy Jackson...did not carry the blood of a god. At all.
"Is anyone going to explain to me what is going on here?"
The doctors stopped their bickering. "Y-Yes, sir. I...well, we-"
"Doctor Topolov, and it was you also I believe, told me Percy Jackson was part god. And yet...these scans show nothing to support that conclusion. Why is that?"
The doctor swallowed nervously. "Sir, I swear we ran every test at our disposal today just like we did two months ago. I don't understand-"
"It is your job to understand! That is why I employ you! A sentient does not simply test positive for godly blood and then negative by losing consciousness! Figure it out or you can share a cell with your friend Topolov!"
He tried his best to storm out without straining his spine or looking ridiculous. It wasn't easy.
Nothing made sense anymore. His team had gone over the security tapes in his office and found the files completely corrupted. Temenok himself could only remember Percy Jackson using some terrifying, excruciating ability to lift him into the air before he collapsed. Again, it didn't make sense.
He yanked a guard over, watching him squirm under his withering gaze. "As soon as the doctors finish their diagnostics, tattoo some numbers on his forehead."
"L-Literally, sir?"
The Warden slapped him upside the head. "No, not fucking literally, you imbecile. Get out of my sight!"
"B-But I'm guarding the human, s-sir!"
"Then go hide around the corner until I'm out of your sight! By Emergarst, why do I employ people like you?"
Temenok wobbled his way down the hallway. Percy Jackson turned out to be the biggest waste of time of his entire life. He thought he could gain a bit of recognition by capturing the famed pirate crew, the Mekessi Angels. That was a bust. He thought he could recruit Percy as his gladiator champion. Now that was a bust. The only satisfaction he could derive now would be watching Percy Jackson, the biggest what-if he would ever have, rot away in Prison AR-31.
A/N:
Yes, I have returned with some gifts: Edits! Like it? Favorite and Follow. Questions or thoughts? Leave em in a review. Byeeeee ;)