~A/N~ I know some of yall are disappointed with Annabeth in this story. I've seen multiple comments and one dude even wrote about it in his criticisms of PJO, lol. Another, albeit with so much broken sentence structure I could barely understand, said he didn't like the drama with her character. Look, I know my version of Annabeth isn't the best or the most fleshed out but I'm trying to do something different with her character besides just killing her off or having her become a bitch. There's plenty of that to be read in this community. Remember this story is about Percy, not her. But I'm trying my best to give attention to the side characters like they deserve. It makes the story feel more alive in my opinion. So, give me suggestions of what I can do better with her character - or any others - besides flaming me. Or do flame me, I don't care lol. Just don't cry in the comments when I call you a fucker. ~End A/N~
The damp, cool air was the first thing Nico noticed when his body began to awake. The next was the absolute, searing pain across the entirety of his body. Gasping as his pain receptors fired off, he tried to sit up but that was the worst mistake he could make. Groaning out, he slowly lowered himself on his back once more. Once he was confident enough not to black out, he carefully inspected his bare torso to find stitches sewn across his upper ribs. He searched his body more and found another line of stitches which were over his leg. Other than those injuries, there were some cuts across his face and tons of dried blood but that was about it. He rubbed his temple as he tried to remember how he came to be in this condition. The last thing he remembered was walking outside of the Big House after Percy had run out. Oh Gods, that's right. Sally and Paul's souls had been dangerously close to a trip to his father's realm. Reaching out with his senses, he tried to locate the two mortals but found some sort of mental roadblock in his path. It seemed whatever it was had stopped his powers from working properly. Maybe it was the cell he was in. Just where the hell was he?
"You're awake. That's good. Didn't think you were gonna make it." A voice from the corner of the room spoke out. It was a very dark place where he was at but thanks to him being the son of Hades, he could see perfectly fine. Craning his head, he looked over to see Jason leaning against the wall with one knee propped up and a hand resting over it. He was in better shape than him but still had dried blood all over his body. For some reason, he knew it wasn't of his own.
"W-Where are we?" The son of Hades croaked out, his throat severely in need of some water.
"I don't know. They blindfolded me once they took us across the border." Jason responded with an annoyed tone.
"They? Who are you talking about and just what the hell happened last night?" He asked, desperately wanting an answer. Whatever situation they were currently in, he at least knew that it wasn't a good one whatsoever. Jason sighed with such sadness it startled him. He had never seen the son of Jupiter look so defeated before. It was beneath him to look as if he were in some sort of depression.
"New Rome and Camp Half-Blood is what happened." Another voice spoke up. Propping himself against a wall just like Jason had, Nico found himself to be in a jail cell. Looking where the voice had come from a cell across them, he could see Leo standing behind the bars, his hands loosely gripping them.
"What do you mean?" Nico asked, dreading the answer that he knew in the back of his mind. He really hoped it wasn't true but seeing the defeated and betrayed looks on their faces, he knew.
"Seems you already know the answer."
'But why?! Why would they attack us? We've done nothing to warrant that." Nico practically yelled, his voice echoing throughout the entire hallway. Leo let his head drop against the bars as he spoke once more.
"Apparently we attacked Camp Half-Blood. Killed a lot of them and destroyed almost the entire camp." He waved his hand in an exasperated manner. Nico almost laughed at how stupid that sounded. Why in Hades would they attack camp? What purpose did that serve? Sure, they wanted to escape the Gods but doing so through war wasn't what they had in mind. And why would they want to kill their own? Endless questions raced through his head as he tried to come up with a reason. But the entire situation was too complicated to be solved through one simple question. One thing he did know, however, was that things were only to escalate from here. Percy and many others weren't going to let this slide. He wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if they do actually go to war now. How they would be able to win, he didn't have the faintest idea but if Percy was leading the cause then maybe they had the chance. That is if they were able to escape wherever they were at.
"So, they came to our camp for revenge. Killed a lot of us. Connor, Ashley, Aaron, and so many more." Jason finished, his voice all but a whisper at this point. Nico would have hit the stone wall behind him had it not been for his weakened state. He couldn't believe their own people would do this to them. After all they've been through, they do the unthinkable to them. The betrayal and shame were evident on everyone's faces.
"And Percy." Leo said, causing Nico's heart to drop for a moment.
"He died in the Big House which was the first to get hit. I-I couldn't find his body." Jason's muffled voice stuttered.
But that didn't make sense! He remembered Percy running out of the Big House before the attack. He presumed he ran off to New York to go help his mother. Gods, if that's true then it meant he wasn't there for the attack and doesn't know about it. He doesn't know that they were all here behind celestial bars. But most importantly that meant that no one knew that the son of Poseidon still lives. Nico felt relief flood his veins knowing that Percy was still alive. He wished he could use his powers to be certain but there was something in his heart telling him it was true. He guessed he just had to trust that feeling for now.
"Guys, I don't think-" Nico whispered, trying to tell them that they were wrong but a jail door at the end of the hallway loudly opened, interrupting his proclamation. Shutting up quickly so as to not let the information slip, he tried his best to seep into the shadows as he heard the sound of footsteps get closer down the hall. Watching as a figure stopped in front of their cell, he couldn't help his shock as he witnessed Annabeth standing before them on the other side. He could feel the tenseness in the air as she looked at them with a flurry of emotions in her eyes. Jason practically growled at the sight of the daughter of Athena. Standing up on his one good foot, he limped over to her. The two demigods stood in silence, one with shame in her eyes, the other with unbridled rage.
"Well?" The son of Jupiter was the first to speak.
"...She'll live." Annabeth responded after a few moments of hesitation. Immediately, Jason released a breath of air he had been holding. Nico could see him sag in relief at the fact Piper would live.
"But." Annabeth added, causing Jason to sharply look at her. "We couldn't save the baby."
Nico almost choked at that statement. Piper had been pregnant?! Judging by Leo's reaction he could see from the other side of the hallway, it seemed he didn't know that either. Despite the power dampening the cell caused, the air around them became heavy and the sound of thunder outside was loud enough to reach their ears even here. Nico felt his shoulders become weighted down as he watched Jason grab Annabeth's shirt by the collar.
"I should fucking kill you." Jason seethed with lightning flashing across his eyes. Annabeth stayed silent as she grabbed his arm and led it up to her neck. Jason hesitated as she laid his hand across her throat.
"Then snap my neck. Nothing's stopping you." She said as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Staring into her eyes, Jason could see the evident shame and sadness laced in them. But that didn't ease his anger. So what if she was ashamed of what she did. Good! She should feel that and even more! She had led an army into their home! Burned it to the ground and killed her own! As those thoughts became more and more prominent, his hold on her throat began to tighten little by little. He could do it. He could end this right now. He could avenge Piper and their unborn child. He could avenge all those lives that were lost that night. But that wouldn't help the predicament they were in. Killing her wouldn't solve anything besides his own anger.
"No." Jason said, releasing his hold causing Annabeth to sputter out for air. "Killing you would be mercy. I don't want to give you the satisfaction of death and be able to go to Elysium and finally be with Percy. I want you to suffer. I want you to remember every day what you did to your own friends and family. I want you to remember that until your final breath of shame." He spat while limping back to his corner.
Annabeth stayed silent as she rubbed her neck. She didn't know what came across her but at that moment she became just as angry as Jason. Slamming her fist against the bars which made a loud bang resonate throughout the hallway, she furiously looked into the son of Jupiter's eyes.
"Do you think I wanted this?! Do you honestly believe I wanted to lead an army to my friend's home, kill them and burn it to the ground! Do you think I wanted the love of my life to die without me ever even getting a chance to apologize?!"
"Well, you seemed to have no problem doing it! You had the chance to escape with us, but you said no! You had a chance to live a better life with Percy but again you said no!" Jason shot back.
"Oh my Gods, Jason! Grow up! What you guys are trying to accomplish is a fairy tale! There's no way to escape the Gods, believe me!"
"It was working just fine before you showed up!" Leo shouted from his cell across the hall.
"Oh yeah? You're telling me that fighting countless monsters, trekking across miles of barren land, almost dying from starvation, and Hazel's death is fine?!"
Jason darted back in front of the daughter of Athena with uncontrollable rage once again in his eyes.
"Don't you ever mention Hazel's name in front of me. You don't have the right to even utter her name. You weren't there. You didn't see what Ares did to her."
"You're proving my point though." Annabeth responded without so much as flinching. "The Gods found you even in the Godless land. There is nowhere you can hide from them so why even try."
"Because unlike some of us, we want to live a life without them. I would like to grow old without the threat of another war, quest, or whatever the fuck they throw at us on a whim." The son of Jupiter spat.
"Don't think I like the Gods, Jason. I hate some of them just as much as the rest of you. Hera, Zeus, hell even my own mother sometimes. I don't like serving them and being thrown into countless wars without a say. But I'll tell you what I told Percy. They're the best people to rule the world as much as it pains me to say. Kronos, Gaea, or any others would throw this world into a pit of fire and not care for the mortal's suffering."
"Then why didn't you leave with us and let the Gods deal with their own shit if they're perfectly fit to reign over the world?"
"Because after fighting two wars for them, I didn't want to just throw it all away! I lost so many friends and did so much for the Gods that just simply leaving was out of the question. Doing so would just mean that their loss was in vain." Annabeth's grip tightened over the bars as she remembered all her late friends and family. Why couldn't the others understand what she was trying to imply? Giving her life towards one goal which was to keep Olympus preserved was all she ever knew. To simply throw it all away was unfathomable to her.
"And you didn't see Percy when he talked about the Gods." She continued. "You didn't see his eyes when he talked about them. You didn't see the anger and hate he held."
"I've seen what Percy can do to a God, Annabeth. He might be scary when it comes to dealing with immortals, but he was still the best man I ever knew. He had a good heart."
"He did." The daughter of Athena answered. "But so did Luke and from what I could see, Percy was following in his footsteps. They both had the same unquenchable anger in their eyes. The same glare whenever Gods were mentioned."
Annabeth's eyes watered as she remembered her late friend and now late boyfriend. Why did the men she love become the way that they did? Why couldn't Percy have just stayed and not become a shadow of Luke?
"You asked why I didn't leave with Percy." She said, looking up at Jason. "It's because I was scared of what Percy was becoming. I-I didn't want him to become another Luke. I didn't want to lose him as well."
"Well, now you have." Jason said after a moment of contemplation. In his eyes, it was still Annabeth's fault for all that has happened so far. If she would've just gone with them, then maybe Percy and the others would still be alive. If she had gone with them maybe she could've convinced Percy not to become a person like this Luke guy. But now, that chance was long gone. Their friends and family…long gone. Now here they stood on two opposing ends of cell bars wishing that things were different. Wishing that things hadn't led to this moment.
"I know and I'll forever regret it." She whispered before turning to Nico. She needed to move this conversation elsewhere. The mention of Percy's death was bringing her an inch closer to insanity and it wouldn't be too long now until the unemotional mask she was wearing would break. "We tried our best to heal you, but the Gods have been less lenient in the use of our medical supplies towards "traitors"".
"How kind." The son of Hades's simple response was.
"I'll go try to find some more ambrosia but once I get back, they've ordered me to interrogate you. They want to know what your father's role is in this upcoming war and if he'll be a friend or foe."
"War?!" Leo laughed, albeit it was a more detached, disbelieving laugh. "You've either killed or captured all of us traitors. There is no war to be fought. Is Zeus too stupid to realize that?"
Annabeth wanted to reply yes to his comment but held her tongue. She held the same sentiments as Leo but clearly the king was too paranoid to realize that there was no war to be fought anymore. He believed that the death of Percy would inspire those that were loyal to him to rise up in his name and continue on his legacy. But you can't have an uprising if there was no one to rise to the occasion. Poseidon might but with just his forces alone wouldn't be enough to take on all of Olympus. This is why Zeus wanted to know what Hades's intentions were.
"I'll be back as quick as I can, Nico. Just hold on." The daughter of Athena said before walking out of the prison. Silence ensued throughout the hall once more with only Nico's occasional pained grunts echoing out. The son of Hades was conflicted when it came to his now strained relationship with Annabeth. On one hand, he could see where she was coming from. She had fought and given up so much to keep the Gods in power. To throw all that effort away as if it didn't have any meaning must eat at the heart. He knew all too well that feeling after he had left Olympus's realm himself. Fighting wars, seeing friends and family die, doing unimaginable things all in the name of the Gods then just leaving as if it all meant nothing put a bad taste in his mouth. But on the other hand, he couldn't see why Annabeth was still loyal to the immortals. They were ungrateful of their efforts and simply didn't care about the hardship they were put through. Hell, they even debated if they were to be kept alive after doing quests for them. Leaving Olympus made him feel happiness, something he ever rarely felt. He finally was able to feel free for once in his life, breaking the closing, suffocating walls that were the Lotus Casino, the underworld, the battlefield, and the eyes of the Gods.
"That fucking bitch. Saying that we're traitors, ha! Have a look in the mirror and you'll see one." Jason scoffed, sitting back against the cool stone walls.
"There are no traitors. Just family picking the side they believe is right."
"Yeah? I don't know about you but when family kills family, I consider that betraying your blood." The son of Jupiter replied, his teeth clenched so hard they threatened to crack beneath the pressure.
"She along with the rest of them believe that we attacked first. They think we attacked Camp Half-Blood. They only came to our camp for revenge." Nico said, remembering that comment when he had first woken up.
"They should know better than to think that!"
"But they don't which is why we're in the situation we're in right now. To them, we're the family that betrayed their own blood."
The duo contemplated each other's words for a moment, internally debating what would come next. It wasn't until a voice on the other end of the hallway spoke up, interrupting their thoughts.
"Then that means someone is pulling the strings behind the curtain." Leo spoke up, biting his lip as he thought of the possibility.
"What do you mean?" Jason asked, craning his head to look at his friend.
"Obviously we didn't attack the camp, but someone did. That someone however wanted the campers to think that we did and to attack us in turn. They want us to fight and kill one another."
'But why? What's to gain if we're all killing each other?" Nico asked, not seeing why the person pulling the strings would want that to happen. What was able to be gained from that?
"I don't know and I'm not sure I want to find out because whatever that person wants, they clearly don't care about the lives of anyone in their little game to get whatever they want. That person would stop at nothing and would do anything, even kill their own family to achieve it."
While the trio contemplated those words in silence, they were unaware that on the other side of the prison, there was someone doing exactly that. Killing family. With years of experience, it was an easy task to slip past guards and take them out without even a noise. With speed and precision, the figure would dart in between shadows, dragging along any unsuspecting demigod in the process and slitting their throat. If anyone were unfortunate enough to witness this, they would only be able to describe it as if it were a hellhound dragging its next meal to the depths of hell.
With silent footsteps, he finally managed to make it to the entrance of the cell block, where some of his friends were being held. He suspected that there was another wing in which even more demigods were being held captive but for now his only focus was to rescue anyone he came across first. Knocking on the entrance door, he stayed hidden and waited for the perfect moment as the large, celestial bronze door swung open.
Once the opportunity presented itself, he struck without any hesitation, putting a bullet through the eyes of an unsuspecting demigod. Noticing two other guards to his left, he shot two more times, each hitting their mark with ease. Thanks to the gun being silenced, no other guards were alerted in the other wings. The sound of bodies dropping were almost louder rather than the shot itself. After making sure there were no more enemies standing in his way, he began to run through the hall, his eyes sideswiping back and forth in between cells to look for any familiar faces. It didn't take long for that to happen as he stopped in front of a short, Latino boy standing in front of the cell bars.
"Leo?!" He called out, causing the son of Hephaestus to almost fall backward in his state of shock. The younger boy could recognize that voice from anywhere, but it wasn't possible! He was dead…Right?
"P-Percy?" He stuttered out, hoping that he was right. Much to his joy, the hooded figure let down his black hood to reveal the sea-green eyes of the infamous Perseus Jackson.
"It's me, man." Percy replied, giving him his signature smirk. Leo could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at the man who he thought was dead. How was this even possible? He saw the destruction that was wrought upon the big house. No one, not even the infamous son of Poseidon could survive something like that.
"I'll explain everything later, Leo but for now I just need to get you and the others out of here. Do you know where they might be?" He asked only to be answered by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him. Turning around with his pistol at the ready, Percy was shocked to see both Nico and Jason looking at him from their own cell. The son of Poseidon was overjoyed to see that his two cousins were still alive, but that joy was quickly replaced with an unsettling rage. Jason, it seemed was injured in his foot, probably broken but other than the liters of dried blood coating his body, he seemed well enough. Nico however was a different story. The poor kid looked like he had just run a marathon through Tartarus with his breathing heavily labored and stitches lining both his torso and leg.
"I-I knew you were still alive!" Nico rasped out, smiling despite the situation. Jason could only give a nod of his head as he witnessed his thought to be dead cousin standing in front of his very eyes.
"Yeah, well it's gonna take a lot more to kill me. For now, I need you to tell me where I can find the keys to get you out." Percy responded as he looked around for any signs of guards.
"There are no keys." Jason shook his head. "The only way the cells open is with a switch at a control center."
"Where's that then?"
"Deep inside the prison. We're on the outermost wing right now. You'll need to go through at least three cell blocks to get to it. That's all I know though, Percy. They blindfolded us on the way here wherever that may be. I was lucky enough to see the control center." The son of Jupiter sighed.
Percy clicked his tongue at his luck. Going through at least three cell blocks which were probably under heavy surveillance along with his limited amount of ammo was easier said than done. It'd be a miracle if he could even get to the switch. And even if he could get to it and release all of his friends from their cells, how could he even gather them all in one spot to lead them out? This prison was basically the labyrinth. Navigating it with their limited knowledge was impossible. Sighing at this shitty situation, the son of Poseidon decided to do what he was best at. He'll just wing it and hope for the best.
"Here, take this. It'll be useless for me once I'm deep in this shit." Percy said, handing Leo the pistol with two loaded clips. "Use it only when you're out of the cell. You'll need all the ammo you can get to have a chance at escaping."
"Thanks, but what about those two? They can barely walk let alone run out of here." Leo asked, tucking the gun in his jeans.
"I don't know, bro. I'll try to run back as quick as I can to help you out, but you'll be on your own for a little bit." Percy replied. Leo felt apprehensive about his plan or lack thereof but what else could they do besides hope for the best? If they failed at escaping, they were going to be killed one way or another. Mize well take a shot at freedom once again.
"Good luck, Percy. We're all rooting for you." Jason said, his voice barely containing the nervousness he was feeling at the moment. "Try to find Piper for me, will ya."
"You got it, sparky." The son of Poseidon replied before putting on his hood once more before running down the hallway, leaving the trio to sit in silence, desperately hoping that things would work in their favor.
Percy himself could barely contain his nerves as he ran down the dimly lit corridor. He knew this wasn't going to be easy but when have things ever been easy in his life? With Poseidon stalling the Olympians back at the throne room maybe there was still a chance at succeeding. He could easily take on any enemy demigods in this prison and a few minor Gods but once an Olympian shows up, it's game over. They weren't in Alaska anymore which meant the Gods were at full power and he didn't feel like pushing his luck any further trying to face one of them. So this needed to be done quickly and without any witnesses being able to escape and notify the Gods.
In his thoughts, the son of Poseidon failed to hear the sound of people talking getting closer to him as he ran. Rounding the corner, he was met with a squad of ten armored demigods conversing amongst each other. Both parties went silent as they stared at one another from across the hallway. It was like a scene from an action movie as they eyed each other, their hands slowly drawing towards their weapons. With the dimly lit hallway and black hoodie blending in, Percy's glowing celestial bronze sword was a stark contrast as he uncapped it, the sound of metal echoing throughout the halls. Some seemed to recognize the sword as they flinched backwards, their bodies already shaking in pure fear at the sight of him. The ones that didn't however were dumb enough to charge at him with their swords raised. Mirroring their actions, the son of Poseidon ran towards them as well, his body becoming a blur as muscle memory kicked in from years of fighting.
Before he was in reach of their weapons, he slid beneath them baseball style before swiping at two of the demigod's legs, cutting them off as smooth as butter. Deciding that this needed to be ended quickly, Percy willed two other's hearts to expand well beyond its capability before imploding. With only six remaining, he quickly engaged them with his sword, parrying their attacks like it was childsplay. Dodging one strike from behind, he headbutted another in front of him before stabbing him in the leg and kneeing him in the face. The sickening sound of his nose breaking and hitting the back of the brain could be heard even amongst the sound of metal berating against one another.
"Five." Percy mentally counted as he parried another strike, sparks brightly lighting up the hallway. Spinning around an overhead strike, he sliced another person's neck in the process before blocking another sword at his torso in one fluid motion.
"Four."
The fight was all a blur to him as it raged on. The smell of blood pooling on the ground became very evident and even caused two demigods to slip, giving him the chance to deal final blows to both as well. With just two remaining, he knew the fight was winding down. The remaining two were breathing heavily and had already become too worn down to continue fighting. Twirling his bloody sword with a sick gleam, the son of Poseidon prepared to finish the battle but was unprepared for the pair of arms streaking across his neck, rendering him immobile and open.
"G-Get him!" The demigod screamed to his friends as he tried his best to hold the taller, broader man in place. Percy groaned in annoyance as he realized that this was one of the guys who he had cut off their leg. How in Hades he managed to not bleed out and even join back into the fight was beyond him. He tried to use Riptide to get him off, but the sword was too long for this distance which meant he had to figure something out fast before the two demigods stabbed him. Willing his sword back into a pen, Percy quickly reared his arm back before stabbing the guy in the eye. Without a moment of hesitation, the son of Poseidon uncapped the pen with it still in the demigod's eye socket, making the sword jut through the guy's head in a millisecond. Spinning around, he grabbed Riptide's bloody handle which was covered in brains and all sorts of other shit before parrying two strikes that were thrown his way at the same time. Closing the distance, he jammed his sword upwards into one demigod's lower jaw before quickly kicking the last one into the wall behind. Jumping on top of him, he aimed Riptide at the guy's throat, but it seemed the demigod had the will to hold out a little longer, using his hand to hold Riptide in place.
Grunting, Percy slowly pushed his sword closer and closer to the guy's neck until after a few more seconds it slowly sunk into his flesh. With a sickening sound coming out of the younger demigod's throat, Percy watched as the life left his eyes before rolling upwards. Breathing heavily, he decided it was best to keep pushing forward. There was no time to sit back and think about what he had just done to his own kind. Stepping over the bodies he pushed on deeper into the prison. Thankfully, he hadn't come across any more guards along the way but that didn't make things any easier. This prison, as he said earlier, was like Daedalus's labyrinth. Navigating it was one thing, escaping it was another. Running past cell after cell which were filled with his friends, he felt terrible not being able to speak with them but there was no time. He needed to find this control center quickly before reinforcements came. If that were to happen, then it was game over.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of running, the son of Poseidon came across a large opening where in the middle there was a large guard tower. It reminded him of something like the gulag with the layout.
"This has to be it!" He said to himself. This had to be the control center. Without wasting any more time, he began to run up the stairs of the tower before barging through the door. There was only one guard in there who was smart enough to sound the alarms before being killed. Cursing his luck as the blaring alarms began to echo loudly enough for all of Olympus to hear, the son of Poseidon quickly pushed the switch up which let all cells to open. He wanted to smile at his accomplishment, but things were only going to get harder from here. He needed to gather the remaining survivors throughout the three cell blocks which was around one hundred and sixty if his math was right. How in the hell was he going to organize an escape of that magnitude was beyond him. Looking at the control panel he noticed what looked to be a microphone which he assumed relay announcements throughout the entirety of the prison. Forming a plan in his head, he realized that there was a way to organize an escape for all of them. Quickly grabbing the microphone, he flipped on the switch before announcing-
"This is Percy Jackson! Any Camp Freedom demigods need to run like hell to the outermost wing of the prison! We don't have much time, so you better get there or else you'll be left behind! Anyone you see that isn't from our camp is to be treated as hostile! Stay alive and I'll see you soon!" He yelled in the mic before running out of the tower. He needed to get back to Leo to help him escape along with Jason and Nico. As he ran back through the hallways that were now glowing red thanks to the alarms, he was happy to see that every cell was now open and empty. He prayed that everyone could make it out of here. As he ran, he noticed a weird curve at the side of a wall which could barely be spotted even with his good eyes. He knew he didn't have much time but for some reason, his body was drawn to his hidden corridor. Walking down the steps, the son of Poseidon came across two, large golden doors. Thankfully, they were already unlocked but that didn't mean they were any less hard to open. With his muscles straining against the weight, he pulled them open which revealed a small, dark room. At first, he could see nothing which prompted him to almost turn back up the stairs but suddenly his eyes caught the faintest glimpse of celestial bronze chains hooked to a wall.
"Hello?" He called out.
"H-Help." A woman's voice croaked out through the darkness. Bringing out Riptide for more light, Percy's eyes widened to saucers as it revealed the sight of two Goddesses he knew very well. In front of him, chained to the wall, laid both Artemis and Hecate. Both looked beaten badly with bruises and cuts littering their bodies. Tatters of cloth were the only things they wore, revealing much more that a mortal nor demigod should be worthy of looking at. Their aura was next to non thanks to the bronze chains holding them in place which also drained their powers to prevent them from escaping. How he was able to feel their presence, he didn't know.
"My ladies." He ran up to them, quickly hacking at the chains with his sword. Both fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, but it seemed Hecate had a little bit more energy than Artemis as she was able to wobbly and slowly get to her feet.
"Perseus?" Hecate questioned, her voice strained and dry. It seemed neither she nor Artemis had been fed or given water in a long time. The celestial chains only made the torment so much worse.
"Yeah, it's me. Can you walk?" Percy replied to which Hecate nodded her head.
"But she can't. They've been torturing her like a dog." The Goddess pointed over at the moon Goddess who was still unconscious.
"I don't understand. The chains are off. Why aren't your powers regenerating?" He asked as he walked over to Artemis.
"It takes time which is something we don't have at the moment. You'll need to carry her out of here. I can lead us."
"Are you sure, my lady? It looks like you can barely walk yourself."
"I'll manage. Now come, I heard your announcement. We need to get to the outermost wing before it's too late. Zeus has surely already sent reinforcements this way." She said, already beginning her trek outside. Percy looked down at the barely clothed Goddess beneath him and cringed at the thought of what she would do to him if she were to awaken. But this needed to be done. He couldn't just leave her here to suffer even more.
"Please don't kill me when you awaken, Artemis." He whispered as he picked up the fragile Goddess. Her pale skin was warm to the touch which he supposed was a good sign. He tried his best to avert his eyes toward her more delicate areas as he slung her onto his back, piggyback style. Hooking her legs across his lower torso, he quickly followed behind Hecate as they made their way toward Leo and the others.
"A left here." The Goddess whispered as they avoided a squad of reinforcements that were running down the opposite end of the hallway.
"How do you know where to go?" Percy asked.
"I helped design this place."
"Oh…lovely interior."
"Shut up, Jackson."
Deciding it was best to listen to her command, the demigod wisely shut his mouth as he followed the Goddess. It was much quicker this time to arrive back at Leo's cell thanks to her help. He could hear voices as they got closer to the wing, but he could tell that they were friendly.
"Guys, he told me to wait here until he returns. He's the only one that knows how to get out of here." Leo said to the other Camp Freedom demigods who were hounding him with questions.
"How is he alive?!"
"Was that actually him over the intercom? What if it's a trick?!"
Percy almost laughed as he got a closer look at the son of Hephaestus's face which seemed to almost light on fire with annoyance.
"Guys it's actually me, don't worry." Percy interrupted the chaos, deciding to help the poor boy answer some questions. Immediately, a flurry of bodies surrounded the son of Poseidon as the demigods screamed in joy at the return of their savior.
"Woah, Woah, guys back up. I'm sure this Goddess wouldn't like all these demigods seeing her in this state." Percy said, gesturing with his head back at the Olympian who he carried on his back. Immediately, all the males quickly turned their heads in the completely opposite direction, suddenly finding the ground very interesting.
"And what about me? I'm practically naked myself?" Hecate asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She did her best to stay as close to Percy as possible once they had arrived at the outermost wing. Although she wasn't as conservative as Artemis, it didn't mean she liked all the eyes on her. Percy tried to keep his face neutral as he felt the Goddess hug his arm closer to her bust as she tried to hide from the obvious gazes directed her way.
"How many are here?" He asked, wanting to avoid the awkwardness.
"At least fifty. I saw some more of ours run down the other wings but couldn't stop them." Butch answered as he ripped out a steel cell bar from the concrete, using it as a makeshift weapon.
"Ok. Hopefully we'll catch up to them. Hecate will lead us out of here. Once we're out, you follow my lead, ok. I have a plan, but one wrong step will get us killed." The son of Poseidon urgently said before ordering a burly son of Ares to help carry Nico. The poor son of Hades couldn't even stand without the possibility of blacking out. Jason could barely walk himself but thankfully could hold out a little longer.
"Were you able to find Piper?" He asked, desperation evident in his voice.
"No, but I'm sure she's with the others." Percy replied as he picked up the pace. They needed to move quickly because odds are the Olympian reinforcements were already here. It was only a matter of time before the two sides met on opposite ends of a hallway.
"Perce, I can't leave without her. If we can't find her-"
"Jason, I swear on the fucking River Styx that we're gonna find her, ok. I need you to focus right now but I promise we'll get her."
Jason nodded, steeling his apprehension as he continued to hopple alongside the group. It was a tight fit running through the halls with fifty people but at least that meant they had a decent chance of overpowering their enemies with sheer numbers.
"Take a right up ahead." Hecate yelled as they rounded the corner but to their dismay, they came across the first group of reinforcements. Five armored demigods came barreling towards their group with weapons raised. Percy clicked his tongue as he realized he would have to put Artemis down to be able to fight but thankfully it seemed he wouldn't have to do that. Leo came to the rescue as he stood in front of the pack with the pistol he had given him raised before firing off five shots, each hitting their mark with pristine accuracy.
"Thank you, mom, for teaching me how to shoot." The son of Hephaestus muttered as he began to run once more with the awed demigods behind him doing the same. This process continued for another ten minutes with them only coming across two more squads of enemies. Leo took care of most of them with the gun, but Butch had also helped as well, bashing heads open with the steel bar. It was a gruesome sight, but this was a fight for survival. Doing things like killing their own kind was an unfortunate consequence but in their eyes at the moment, it was kill or be killed.
Eventually, they had finally arrived at the exit of the prison, picking up more Camp Freedom demigods along the way, which made Percy worry. There weren't that many reinforcements that came after them which meant that they had to be guarding the exit. Who knew just how many were out there. They didn't have tons of weapons or armor to defend themselves which meant the only plausible thing they could do at the moment was just run.
"Damnit. Ok here's the plan. Odds are there are tons of guards out there waiting for us. I'm going to conjure a storm for us to aid our escape. I need everyone to follow close behind because I'm going to be running like hell towards the ledge."
"Towards the ledge?"
"Oh please don't tell that's our way of escape." Hecate's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen.
"Trust me." Percy replied with a crazed look on his face before kicking open the door, revealing an absolutely chaotic scene in front of them. Olympus's streets were flooded due to the rain he had summoned with many demigods, both enemy and friend, running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
"Run right behind me!" The son of Poseidon yelled over the wind as he charged right through the middle of the chaos.
"We were on Olympus this entire time?!" Leo yelled out in exasperation as he ran, dodging rain, people and swords alike. The others shared his amazement as they looked around, but Percy paid no mind. Instead, he was screaming at those that weren't part of the group to fall in line and follow him.
"W-What's going on?" He could hear Artemis softly speak into his ear, still on the verge of consciousness.
"We're getting the hell out of here, my lady. That's what's going on!" He yelled back, jumping over a guard that tried to tackle him. Butch quickly dispatched the demigod by breaking his kneecaps with his steel bar. They weren't too far now from the edge of Olympus thankfully. In the corner of his eye, he could see even more enemy demigods flood the streets behind him, desperately trying to catch up. There was also a weird glow coming from the throne room which was something he hadn't expected. Maybe it was his father giving him some more time to escape. He hoped that was the case because if the Olympians joined in the chase, it was game over.
"Piper!" Jason's voice yelled over the wind as he spotted his girlfriend being carried by Abby Codwell on her back. Not caring for his broken foot, the son of Jupiter ran to her but was held back by Frank.
"We have to hurry. There's no time. Abby follow us! We got you covered!" He ordered the daughter of Apollo before picking up Jason in his burly arms in order to run faster and catch up to Percy. The son of Poseidon could hear his panicked breathing even through the storm. His heart raced and his legs stung like hell as he ran. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping him aware at the moment as his surroundings turned into a blurry mess. His vision was only tunneled on the edge of Olympus as it got closer and closer. He hoped this plan would work because if it didn't the streets of New York would soon be painted red by one hundred and sixty demigods.
"After them!" Percy could hear an all too familiar voice scream out. He almost stopped dead in his tracks as he looked to his left to see Annabeth, fifty yards out, pointing at them with her dagger. Percy's heart ached in agony as he desperately wanted to speak with her but knew it wasn't possible. His people's safety came first, no matter what. He could see her eyes look dead at him as he ran. It looked like she didn't recognize him at first but as they stared at one another, her eyes widened in shock. Time seemed to slow down as they gazed upon each other, but he had to tear away once he finally arrived at the edge. Not hesitating for a moment, he said a quick prayer to whatever creator was out there before jumping off the edge.
"Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me!" Travis Stoll cried out before following the son of Poseidon's lead. Others shared his sentiment but what other choice did they have? And so, the Camp Freedom demigods all jumped together, looking as if they were the navy seals parachuting down at a football game. Instead, there were no parachutes…which was a problem in most people's eyes.
"AHHHHHHHH!" Percy could hear all the screams behind him as he freefalled towards the asphalt at unimaginable speeds. Turning his body upwards to look behind him, he could see tons of bodies flying in midair, with demigods from Camp Half-Blood staring at them from the edge above. He could barely make out Annabeth's face as he fell, her eyes flooding with a mixture of emotions.
"Better do it now, dad, before we all die!" He yelled out as they got closer to the ground. This was the final part of the plan. Everything was working out perfectly in his favor. He just hoped Poseidon could pull through.
"Dad! Hurry up!" Percy said once more, his voice gaining a twinge of worry. Nothing was happening however much to his dismay. Could his father not hear him? Was he still caught up with the other Olympians? They were only a couple hundred feet above the ground which meant they only had a few more seconds left until they all became a pancake.
"POSEIDON, YOU BETTER FUCKING DO IT NOW!" He yelled again, full-on fear plastered on his face at this point. Closing his eyes, he awaited the inevitable end but thankfully it never came. Just before he hit the ground, he felt his body being teleported away, the feeling of reality being shifted was a feeling he could never get used to. The next second Percy opened his eyes, he realized he was back in Alaska which was the good part. Poseidon had managed to teleport them as planned. The bad part…he teleported them to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the valley.
"OH SHIT!" Percy yelled out as he quickly tucked Artemis's body to his chest before falling down onto the sharp, piercing rocks. The feeling of rocks piercing his back and skin being ripped apart due to the sheer speed of their descent was unbearable to say the least. Was this how Fletcher felt the night he arrived at Camp? The fall never even seemed to end as rock after rock hit him much to his dismay. He did his best to keep his hold on the Goddess in his arms, but it was beginning to slip. Thankfully, the fall that felt like it had gone on forever had finally come to an end as he rolled to a stop against a large pine tree. Blood stained his body and face as he tried to not pass out from the pain. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he craned his eyes upwards to see another pair of silver eyes staring directly into his soul. Looking down, he noticed the predicament he was in. Him underneath an almost naked Goddess straddling him. Thankfully, she didn't seem too mad, too weak to really care at the moment, but the embarrassment was evident on her face.
"Good to see you again, Artemis." Were the only words he could think of saying before his eyes rolled up as he succumbed to the power of Morpheus.