Chapter 20

Manhattan

Chaos.

Chaos everywhere.

Can you imagine it? Here, let me help you. Mortals screamed, as they blindly ran in all directions. Parents screamed the names of their children as they were separated in the crowed. Car horns blared as people ran through the slow traffic, the oh-so-kind drivers shouted oh-so-nicely.

The funny thing? Half the people running around terrified, didn't even know the real threat. They simply see others running for their lives and assume it best to follow suit. Call it a survival skill, pure instinct if you will, but face it- monkey see, monkey do.

In the center of all these chaotic events stands the cause himself. A handsome young man, with dark golden eyes, jet black hair, and a sick and twisted smile.

In his hands he held a long mettle baseball bat.

"The maniac has a gun!" A mortal man yelled, running.

Or was it gun he had?

"Mommy! I want a sword too!" a little boy whined while his mother dragged him away from the scene.

A sword?

Okay, whatever he had, he was swinging it around wildly causing mortals to fall.

The mysterious figure laughed. "You cannot escape! One day you shall bow down to me! I will be your king!" His voice sounded deep, not at all matching his looks, except maybe his eyes.

Somewhere in the crowed a man who looked very much like the boy in the street except with sea green eyes called out, "Percy! Stop this, this isn't right!" There was a pleading look in his eyes, as he slowly moved towards the boy – Percy – with his hands out in front of him.

"I know you can do this, son." He said. "I know you're strong enough."

Percy flinched at his words, as if they hurt him. He looked up with swirly gold and green eyes.

"Don't you see?" He asked, his words spoken by two voices in sync. One, a deep growl full with power that seemed to be time itself, and the other the voice of a hopeless teenager whom lost his own battle. "I'm not strong enough! And I never will be! No matter how hard I try!" His breathing sped up as he yelled. "I practice and practice, I try to make the best decisions, I really do, and all the right choices." By now tears were streaming down his cheeks, leaving trails behind. "But I can't anymore. If what I'm doing isn't good enough then I guess it never will be…" He trailed off. By the time he finished his rant his voice was just the teenagers.

Around him and the strange man the mortals still ran around like crazy, oblivious to the fact Percy had long gone put down his weapon. The danger is gone. For now.

"Percy." The man said sadly. "You are strong enough. I know you are, and you do make good choices. I could never be prouder."

Percy's breathing slowed down. "But I wasn't lying." He said.

"What?" the man asked confused.

"I'm not strong enough. Not this time." He said, as his eyes went back to gold.

Percy lifted up his mysterious weapon, and lunged at the man.

Caught off guard the man was stabbed, and golden ichor started to pour out of his wound. The weapon flickered, until it settled on the image of a sword.

The man looked shocked. "P-P-Percy." He stuttered out, as he fell to his knees.

Percy laughed in that deep voice of his once again. "Oh hello son."

Suddenly two other men came running towards the scene. One was seemingly older than the other two, and he had dark, shaggy black hair, pale skin and black eyes. The other one – the youngest – had wind swept blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

"Brother!" the oldest yelled. He ran over to the man who was lying on the floor, ichor pooling out around him.

Percy pulled out his sword, and swiped it at the blond superman, "How nice of you to join us. All we need is your sisters and the family would be back together again!"

Blondie snarled. "Get out of my nephew!"

Percy feigned surprise and faked a gasp. "Does little o'Zeusy have feelings?!"

Blondie – Zeus – Snarled once again. "I said, Get. Out. Of. My. Nephew." Each word came out as a snarl.

Another teenager with sun tanned skin and blinding white teeth came up. He had light brown hair and when he arrived he immediately went over to the man on the ground. He started feeding the man something and slowly but surely his wound closed up.

The other man, with dark hair, got up and joined his brother Zeus. "Leave the boy, father."

Percy laughed once again. "Make me." He sneered.

The man with dark hair took out a gleaming black sword as Percy held up his own silver sword.

"Hades, don't do this." The man said weakly from the ground.

Hades glanced at his brother on the floor, "I'll be fine."

Zeus rolled his eyes. "I don't think it's you he's worried about."

Percy laughed. "You think you can beat me?"

He lunged at Hades, who quickly blocked the attack. Hades swiped his sword as Percy who merely jumped out of the way. The circled each other for a while before Percy aimed a swipe at his lower left side.

Hades managed to block it right before it hit him and he slipped his blade against Percy's.

Percy's eyes narrowed at this as Hades started to push down with his blade. With equal force Percy pushed up, as the blades shook violently against each other.

Suddenly, Percy twisted his wrist, causing the blades to unlock and Hades to stumble forward from the amount of downward force he was using. Quickly, Percy swiped Hades' legs out from under him, causing him to fall.

Percy lifted his sword up and was about to deliver the final blow when another sword blocked his. He looked up to see Zeus in battle position, a determined expression on his face.

Percy grinned as he launched a flurry of attacks at Zeus who barely reflected them. Zeus was strong, but he didn't move quickly enough and was clearly rusty. Zeus switched to offence as he tried to keep up. He faked a left then quick as lightening switched to the right. Percy had already moved to the left and wasn't able to block the hit to his right.

He stumbled slightly as a slight gasp escaped his lips. Zeus struck again as Percy clutched his side with one hand and blocked it with his other.

Now Hades was back up, and joined in. Block after Block Percy moved swiftly with one hand. He ducked a blow from Hades then jumped one from Zeus right after. Finally, Percy got the upper hand.

He swiftly locked blades with Zeus' sword, and thrust down ward, causing it to fly out of his hands and out of reach. Zeus blocked up as Percy quickly swung around and hit Hades' sword arm, causing his moves to become more unsteady.

Percy once again swiped Hades feet from under him, and walked up to him, twirling his sword experimentally.

"Don't do this Perseus. Fight it." Said Hades.

Percy raised his sword above his head, determined to deliver the blow this time. "All is fair in love and war." He grinned. "Except there is no love, and nothings fair." And with that, he swung downward.

Hades didn't flinch as the blade came towards him. He looked steadily into Percy's eyes, awaiting his fate.

"No!" Boomed Zeus

"Son please!" cried the man.

Right when the blade was about to hit plunge itself into Hades, Percy twitched, throwing his sword to the left, and quickly stepped back, green eyes wide.

He took another step back as Hades slowly sat up.

"Percy…" he said carefully.

"No." Percy said eyes wide, shaking his head.

He took another step back. Then another. And another. "No!" he screamed.

His eyes suddenly turned a leafy green. The ground split open behind him. He gave another look around, fear and guilt still clear in his eyes.

And then he took another step back.

Right into the crack in the Earth.