Chapter 18: The Vengeful, the lonely and the hated

I was still blown away by what just happened. The goddess Athena had just told me to go defeat a god that was pretty much the most hated god at camp half-blood. It was easier said than done that was for sure. I still didn't really know how she expected me to do something like that. I was just a regular, slightly messed up, bloke. How could I beat Phthonos? At least I had some help. I was pretty sure Luke and Maximus would help. Luke had lost friends to Phthonos and Maximus probably wanted to break free from his old master once and for all. I hoped they had any ideas on how to defeat Phthonos, and who this Colin guy was. Athena seemed all right but she had put quite the task on him without telling him what to do. I made my way to the big house. It was where I was supposed to do quite some time ago. Better late then never.

There we were, the five us were all sitting in the big house not knowing what to do. I told them what Athena told me. How Phthonos wanted to turn someone into a super minion with Hyperion's power. How Athena told me to go to Hades to ask for help. I couldn't believe that they believed me. It was quite a weird story. Of course for demigods it wasn't that weird at all. We were all quiet, just thinking of a way to get Hades to help us. And how he could help us.
"I think we should ask for a quest." Grace said.
"Chiron won't allow it. No matter how great the danger he wouldn't send anyone to Hades, especially not three people." Luke said.
"What's a quest?" Maximus asked. I had the exact same question.
"Quests are tasks for demigods. Something is up, a quest gets put up. The quest leader gets a meeting with the oracle and then you said out. For bigger quests a group of three goes. It's a sacred number. Whenever more than three go, someone dies." Luke explained. "And the last quest that required for someone to go to see good old Hades got two people killed and one locked up in the underworld. The idiot didn't know his mythology and ate a piece of chicken. He's been there cleaning up Hades's palace for three years now." That didn't really inspire confidence. After all we had to go there and I really wasn't up for being Hades' housemaid.
"So what do we do? Athena gave him this job he has to do whether Chiron allows it or not." Grace said. She was right. I could hardly tell Athena to bug someone else. This was my task now.
"We can hardly go without Chiron knowing and without a prophecy from Rachel." Maria said. She had been quiet, I figured that was because of my presence. It was no secret that she didn't like me at all. I didn't really blame her. She had met Colt twice now. Once he had tried to kill her the other he had been locked up but even that couldn't have been a fun experience.
"Who's Colin?" I asked. I hadn't said a thing since I finished my story. I hadn't mentioned Colin until now. And as soon as I did I realized that I shouldn't have. Everyone went quiet and looked at me with sad eyes. Except for Maximus of course. He had a questioning look like me. Neither of us had an idea why this was so bad.
"Colin Price is someone at camp. Well he used to be at camp. These days he just roams the woods and sneaks in to snatch some food every once in a while. He used to be an all right guy. Nice kid. He was a good friend of Eric's and when Phthonos killed him Colin went mad. He hunted Phthonos down and attacked him." Luke explained.
"So what happened?" I asked.
"He got cursed. A curse of hatred. No one can look upon him and give him any kindness. When we're not around him we feel bad but as soon as we see him we hate him. Pretty soon that started working both ways. He hates us all and would probably love to see camp destroyed. How do you know his name?"
"Athena told me to go talk to him just before she disappeared."
"Talk to Colin? The last person that tried to do that nearly got herself killed." Maria said.
"Who tried?" Maximus asked. I didn't really care who. I just wanted to figure out a way to get him to talk. I understood why Athena wanted me to talk to him. Maximus had worked for Phthonos so he probably didn't have much insight on how to defeat him. But Colin fought Phthonos, and ever since then he had probably thought of ways to defeat him for once and for all.
"His ex girlfriend, Summer Rhodes." Maria answered. Maria didn't seem to have much of a problem with Maximus. Maybe it was because that wasn't as personal as what Colt did. "She said some stupid things to him, it wasn't her fault, even though she loved him she was still affected by Phthonos' curse."
"Shouldn't you be one of those people that believe that love beats everything?" I asked. She looked at me with a destructive look. Obviously I had no right to crack jokes.
"I do, but Phthonos even corrupts that I suppose." She answered. She looked away from me again. I didn't think she'd ever forgive me, it didn't really matter. Being forgiven for the things Colt didn't wasn't really my problem at the moment.
"Either way we should go talk to him. He'll listen when we tell him what we're planning." I figured that if Athena told me to talk to this guy I should.
"We're not planning anything. We have no idea how to defeat Phthonos." Maximus said. I knew someone would bring that one up.
"He doesn't have to know that."

After a while we decided that it was better that Luke and I went instead of all of us. Colin would probably feel like he was being attacked if all of us went. We searched the woods for quite some time. We went after every rustle of the leaves we heard. Sometimes we found that it was nothing but a forest animal but after a while both of us realized we were being watched. Something was following us around. And this wasn't a monster. There had been more than enough chances to attack us...no this thing was watching us, not trying to attack. This thing was Colin Price.
"We know you're here Colin." Luke said. We heard something move. He was circling around us, staying out of sight at all time.
"What are you doing here?" It didn't take me long to figure out why Colin stayed out of sight. As long as we didn't actually see him the curse wouldn't effect us.
"We need to talk to you about Phthonos." I said.
"Who's the new kid Luke? Is that Jake's pet people used to whisper about." Colin said. I had no idea what he meant. I doubted that I wanted to know.
"That's not something you should talk about Colin." Luke said. I knew what they were talking about. Jake's plan. I still had no idea what it meant exactly but Luke knew something about it and so did Colin.
"Why shouldn't I? The Styx can kill me for all I care. I have nothing to lose." The Styx, the river you needed to cross to get into the underworld. What did that river have to do with anything? And why would it kill him? It was a river.
"If you know how to defeat Phthonos then you have something to gain." Luke was trying to persuade Colin. It didn't really seem to work. Colin just kept on circling us like some animal.
"Phthonos. You can't beat Phthonos. He'll kill you, or make you end up like me. Hear that pet? Don't even bother." Colin was talking to me now. I had no idea where the pet thing came from but that was Colin's preferred way of calling me.
"I'm not a pet." I said. I didn't really believe that. I knew Jake had some kind of plan. And now Phthonos seemed to have some kind of plan for me. It didn't seem like I had many decisions of my own.
"That's what you think." I really started to dislike this guy. I didn't know if that was because of the curse or because he was being a total bastard.
"Look, if you know nothing about Phthonos we'll leave you alone." I said. That seemed to piss him off. He stopped moving around and showed himself. He didn't seem like a normal person, not any more. His clothes were dirty and ripped, his hair was greasy and he had quite a few cuts on his face. He smelled foul and I guessed that he didn't have a bath for a while. But more than that...just the sight of him. Made me burn with hatred. I hated this kid more than Phthonos, more than William, more than Colt. I could see Luke's face change as well. The look he wore I hadn't seen before. A look of pure disgust. It was as if he wasn't looking at a person but at a disgusting animal that should be put down. What I felt was different though. Thoughts went through my mind, visions of Colt's memories, visions I hadn't had before. I felt control slipping away, Colt was taking over. My hate triggered him to come out. My hate was what created him and it was what brought him out. I could feel him taking, and it hurt like hell. I rubbed my temples and closed my eyes...and then it was gone. I felt no hatred. I didn't feel Colt taking over. I was just me again. It truly was just sight. If I didn't look at him I didn't hate him.
"Look at you Colin. You used to be such a nice guy and now you're an animal. Strolling through the woods with your face covered in dirt." The sound in Luke's voice was different. I remember how he spoke to me after Colt nearly killed Maria. And he was very pissed then. Now though his voice didn't even sound like his own voice.
"Luke close your eyes." I tried. It worked for me so I figured if Luke would do the same the hate would disappear.
"Shut up Angel. You should open them. If you just look at him you would understand. We should put this thing out of his misery."
"Luke close your eyes!" I tried again.
"Why? Not seeing this pathetic excuse of a demigod won't help. I could still smell him. You sicken me Colin. You sicken me more than Phthonos himself. If Eric could see you right now he would spit on you." That's when I knew I had to jump in. I knew where Luke was standing. I didn't need my eye sight for that. I just hoped I hit him where I wanted to. I swung for his head. I needed to knock him out. He wasn't going to close his eyes, so I closed them for him. I could hear him fall to the ground. He was out cold.
"Why would you do that puppet?"
"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked him. I didn't hate him. I didn't really like him but this way the curse didn't seem to have much effect.
"Because it's what you are. All this you're doing right now. You think it's free will. Trust me it's not. And Luke over there. He knows it's not. He's in on it, or he will be. I'm not really sure about that one."
"Do you know how to defeat Phthonos?" I asked. I couldn't let him get to me. He was lying, he had to be.
"There is no way. You have seen me, this is what he did to me. It's what he'll do to you. You stand no chance. Anyway Angel...this has been fun, but I should be going now." I heard his foot steps, the rustling of the leafs. When I heard nothing. I opened my eyes.
"Well that was unproductive." I said more to myself than anyone else. Luke was laying on the ground still out cold. My hand hurt from the punch, Luke had a hard head.
"Was it really?" I heard a voice say. I turned around lightning quick, behind me stood Athena. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
"It was unproductive, what did he tell us that was of any use." The truth was I was pissed at the goddess. I had to knock out Luke, nearly lost control and Colin confused more than ever.
"He didn't tell you anything, but he showed you. Phthonos can do things to people you wouldn't believe. Colin is a victim but so are others. He destroys a person and everyone close to his victim."
"So what am I supposed to learn from that?" I asked. I didn't really understand what the goddess meant.
"That you have to be extremely careful with Phthonos. He won't kill you, but he will try to break your spirit. Your journey won't be easy Angel."
"I don't even know what to do. Go ask Hades for help and then what? What if he won't help? What if he decides to feed us chicken?" This was my breaking point. I had been scared all along. Ever since Phthonos entered the picture, ever since I saw him kill Jake. How was I supposed to beat him if Jake couldn't? How was I supposed to beat Samael? How was I supposed to be a hero?
"You'll find your path Angel. You have your friends." She looked at Luke who started to wake. "Good luck Angel." Then she disappeared again. At that moment Luke got sat up with a drowsy look on his face.
"What did I miss?"