Percy took a deep breath.
He was alone.
His shaking, eager hands fumbled with the slick shower nozzle, hurrying to start the spray of water. Finally, his hands gained traction and steaming water shot out of the silver showerhead. Percy sighed in relief as the water blasted into his matted black hair and rushed down his back and face, catching in his dark eyelashes and slipping over his grin. He hadn't felt anything this relaxing in days.
The bathroom quickly filled with steam and heat, water condensing on to the dull silver walls in little droplets. The water spraying from the shower and running down Percy collected in growing puddles by his feet in the large white tub. The shower curtain was translucent and plastic, oddly shredded in a few places from the occasional clawing of a slipping monster in the tub.
The S.S. Tartarus may've been Percy-proof, but he could feel the water's magic already taking effect on his broken, goo-covered arm. Percy concentrated on letting the water slide over the rest of his skin, healing his cuts, bruises, scrapes, and scratches. It felt good to be in the presence of water again. No, it felt amazing. For once, Percy didn't bother keeping his clothes dry- yes, he was still wearing his clothes and yes, he had two very valid reasons. One, those clothes needed to be washed as much as he did. The black shirt Percy wore was stiff with sweat, dirt, and blood, and his jeans were scuffed and stained from the battles of the last few days. Secondly, Percy preferred not to be naked when he Iris Messaged Camp Half-Blood.
Digging in his sopping wet pockets, Percy found no coins. No drachmas, no quarters, not even a chocolate coin. He was offering-less. Damn, he thought. Guess I'll have to call in a favor with Iris.
"O Iris," Percy began in a hushed voice. The Cyclops medic was no doubt waiting just outside the bathroom door, and Percy figured these walls were too thin for any secrecy. "I owe you an offering. This call is really important - like, the-apocalypse-is-coming level of importance - and I really need to speak with Chiron at Camp Half-Blood."
For a suspenseful second, nothing happened. The mist curling off of the hot water stayed, well, misty. Percy felt his heart seize up at the thought of not being able to warn Camp.
Suddenly, the steam shifted and swirled, warping into the image of a familiar centaur's hairy upper chest and bearded face.
"Thank you, Iris," Percy breathed in quiet relief. Chiron startled upon seeing the sudden Iris Message before breaking into a wide smile.
"Percy!" he announced in surprise. Percy shushed him, holding a finger to his mouth.
"Percy?" Chiron started again, lowering the volume of his voice. "Where are you? Are you alright?"
"Is everybody else alright?"
"Percy, I'm far more interested in your situa-"
"No. I need to know. Is everyone there? Have you heard from Jason, Piper, Nico, or Hazel? I got knocked out before-"
"Everyone made it out, and they're all here at Camp," Chiron answered, and Percy almost laughed in relief. "We've been giving them ambrosia, and by now they've all healed. Everyone's okay. Now, please answer my question: are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Chiron," Percy replied, his voice cracking halfway through. The knot of anxiety that had wedged itself in Percy's chest was loosening already. His friends were alive. He was talking to Chiron. He was happy. However, the look in Chiron's eyes betrayed his doubt that Percy was actually "fine" for one second. The demigod sighed.
"Okay, no; I'm not fine. I'm surrounded by a hell of a lot of monsters, unable to control the ocean in defense, living under the threat of being poisoned into a psychopathic trance. I've been hit, cut, and broken-" Percy held up his right arm to prove his point. "-but I'm not dead, and neither are my friends. That's the best news I've heard all day."
Thick eyebrows drawn into a squint of confusion, Chiron asked, "Where are you, exactly?" Behind him, the lilac of an evening sky cast a calming haze over Camp Half-Blood. From what Percy could see, Chiron was standing on the porch of the Big House, wheelchair tucked neatly in the corner in disuse. Chiron had always been a fan of evening walks in horse-form; gave him a chance to stretch his legs and all.
"Well, I'm in the shower right now," Percy huffed, wiping water away from his eyes but still letting it soothingly run down his face. "But on a grander scale, I'm on board the S.S. Tartarus, which is this giant warship headed straight for Camp. We'll-" Percy gulped. "We'll be there by morning."
"Hmm," Chiron shifted uncomfortably. "That is serious."
Percy held back a biting laugh. "'That is serious' is a bit of understatement, don't you think? Chiron, this is very serious. These guys aren't messing around. Forterae, Aralus, Bonoas, and some guy named Vinomi are out for blood, and a lot of it." Percy looked straight into Chiron's brown eyes, face determined and expression pained. "We should evacuate Camp Half-Blood."
"What?" Chiron had not expected that. "Camp Half-Blood has never evacuated. Not for the Titan War, not for the Firebird Ambush of 1968, not for the Civil War. Our campers are prepared for-"
"Chiron-"
"Our campers are prepared for war, Percy. Our strength should not-"
"Chiron."
"-should not be underestimated-"
"Chiron!"
A loud knock thundered on the bathroom door. "What are you doing in there? Who are you talking to?"
Percy's heart hammered against his chest, and he resisted the urge to swipe a hand through the Iris Message.
"Me?" he called out innocently. "Oh, I'm just, you know, showering…and singing!" Percy cast a quick, furtive glance at Chiron and turned back to yell at the door glistening with condensation in the weak light of the electric lamp hanging from the wall. "I was just singing! It's a habit; I can't help it. You know us demigods, getting lots of traits passed down on the godly side. Aren't the sirens related to Poseidon? Maybe they-"
"Fine, fine," the Cyclops grunted from the other side of the door. "Just keep it down in there."
Percy whistled and hummed for a few seconds to sell the lie before bringing his attention back to Chiron.
"I'm under tight security," Percy whispered, eyes flicking between the locked door and Chiron. "What were we talking about?"
"You wanted me to evacuate Camp Half-Blood," the centaur supplied, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"Oh, that's right- and yes," Percy pointed at Chiron. "I still think that's the best plan."
Chiron's expression grew grim, standing out against the peaceful Camp backdrop. "Percy, the campers can fight this. I suggest you put some faith in them."
"I don't have faith in myself," Percy hissed, his watery eyes disguised by the water clinging to his hair and weighing it down over his face. "Chiron, I'm going to hurt someone. Badly."
"I know, Percy. The potion-"
"It's not just the potion," Percy interrupted, a subtle whimper sneaking into his voice. Quieter, Percy added, "I promised to kill a demigod. I swore on the River Styx."
"I know."
"You what?"
Chiron sighed sadly. "Nico informed me about the entire quest, including your promise."
"Chiron, I'm so sorry. I didn't have a choice. Nico-" Percy couldn't help it; the pressures of the past day grew to be too much. The Stygian Iron chain, the broken arm, the sheer terror of this quest – it all came crashing down on him. Percy choked out a sob, fist racing to his mouth to try and hold it back. "Nico was going to die. I couldn't stand by. I had to promise it." Percy wiped at his eyes with the palm of his hand. "I had to."
"Percy, I understand. We…we will think of a loophole. There must be something…" Chiron dissolved into pensive murmuring, stroking his short beard. Suddenly, a chorus of shouts sounded from somewhere out of sight, and three seconds later Chiron was being pushed out of the way by five heads. Percy couldn't help but smile as Hazel, Nico, Jason, and Piper crowded into frame- along with the boy Percy had pretended to murder during the Opening Ceremony.
"Percy! Oh my gods, is everything okay?" Piper asked, pushing her way to the front, and quickly followed her own question up with, "Why are you soaking wet?"
"I'm healing in the shower," Percy explained, once again lifting his arm. The goo had washed away, and by now Percy assumed that all of his cuts and bruises had faded too. He sniffed, trying to quickly recover from his brief breakdown. No need to worry them more, Percy thought. "I'm okay now. I'm so glad to see that you all got away. Was anyone hurt?"
"We're all safe," Jason grinned, arm wrapping around Piper's shoulders comfortably. "We're glad to see you're alive too."
"Hang in there, Percy!" Hazel piped up, giving him one of her signature comforting smiles.
"Percy Jackson," started the boy from the Ceremony, clearing his throat awkwardly.
"Hello, uh-"
"Quincy Clark," the red-headed demigod supplied. "Son of Ceres."
"Hi, Quincy. Sorry about earlier; it was a necessary part of the plan."
"All is forgiven," Quincy replied, subconsciously rubbing his throat.
Jason raised his hand as if he were in class, grabbing everyone's attention before asking, "What were you and Chiron talking about? Battle plans, I hope?"
"Sort of," Percy responded.
"Percy thinks a Camp-wide evacuation is needed," Chiron answered for Percy, doubt obvious in his voice.
"Camp-wide evacuation?" Nico repeated, incredulous. "What, you think we can't handle it?"
"No, that's not it at all," Percy shot back, already exasperated. "You guys already know that I promised to kill someone," Percy pleaded. "If nobody is there, then I can't kill anyone, and neither can the monsters. This is going to be a huge war, probably bigger than the Titan War in regards to the sheer number of monsters, and I want everyone to be safe." Percy's intense expression caught Chiron's uneasy one. "Chiron, you know what I'm capable of, and you know the threat I pose."
"Yes, I do," replied Chiron. "Try your best to resist them, but if you aren't able to, we will do our best to save you."
"Listen to me," Percy ordered, looking each person in the eyes individually. "If the safest route is to kill me… do it."
"Percy-"
"Please," Percy stopped Jason mid-sentence. "I'd rather die than kill my best friends."
Silence fell over the demigods.
"Look, I know that Camp Half-Blood is tough. We can handle a lot: Gaea, Kronos, everything. But…this is another level. I don't want to risk the safety of the Camp by helping the other side." Percy paused. "If we can't evacuate, then please send for help. Call Thalia and the Hunters. Call Camp Jupiter. Call anybody. Gather as many reinforcements as you can. "
"Already ahead of you," Jason replied. "Hazel notified Frank as soon as we got back to Camp. We were at that Ceremony, too; we saw how many monsters are involved. I'll Iris Message Thalia after this. And Percy-" Jason looked at him, expression determined. "We're going to free you from the monsters and the Hyde."
Percy smiled gratefully. "And I'm going to wreck Vinomi's plans if it's the last thing I do."
Hazel opened her mouth to comment, but instead of hearing her voice, Percy heard a loud, demanding shout echo from somewhere out of sight. The demigods in front of Percy all turned and shifted out of the way as if by magic. Percy's smile widened. There was only one girl who had earned that commanding respect.
"Annabeth!" Percy exclaimed as the blonde demigod forced her way to the front of the crowd. Her curled hair was tugged back into a ponytail, although a few strands always hung out stubbornly around her face. Her grey eyes were intense - relief, joy, and worry mixed into a storm of concern.
"Seaweed Brain," she replied, the huge smile lighting up her face mirroring Percy's. "Thank the gods you found a way to contact us." Then, Annabeth dropped her smile and pointed at Percy with a scolding finger. "What the Hades were you thinking? Getting yourself captured and- and tortured? I've been worried sick! I get a call up in Olympus that, 'Hey, your boyfriend has been taken hostage by a horde of monsters and is trying to pull off a double-agent scheme that will directly affect the conditions of an approaching war?' AND he's all alone?"
"Thank you for summing that up," Percy mumbled, crossing his arms.
"Percy, I-" Annabeth paused, searching for the right words. "I just miss you. I'm worried. Please stay safe."
"I miss you too, Annabeth," Percy replied softly. "I'm doing everything I can." Then, addressing the entire group of demigods, "Some of the monsters here aren't completely convinced about their cause. A telekhine earlier tried to defend a mortal. They don't want any more bloodshed than we do, but they feel like they have to fight in order to prove that they have lives too. We kill them ruthlessly, you know. I think… I think we could make a truce. They kill thousands us, but we kill millions of them. Monsters just react to how they've been treated all their lives. Tyson, Ella - they're good people. Other monsters can be good, too. We just have to initiate that truce."
"Percy," Chiron started, looking hesitant. "I appreciate the idea, but monsters have been attacking us for centuries. I highly doubt that a peace treaty would hold up."
"But has anyone ever tried? Trust me, I really think it could change things for the better."
Hazel spoke up: "I think it's worth a shot."
Nico nodded in agreement. "Misunderstandings are the start of so many feuds," he explained, looking at Percy knowingly. "Why not try?"
"Cerberus was nothing but a lonely puppy," Annabeth added, deep in thought. "Briares the Hundred-Handed One lost his self-confidence." Looking up into Percy's eyes, Annabeth grinned curiously. "I think you may be onto something."
Jason was squinting at the ground; Percy couldn't tell if it was because he was thinking or because he wasn't wearing his glasses, which had been broken the day before. "When would we propose this… treaty?" he asked.
Percy bit his lower lip. "I'm not sure. Unfortunately, I don't think I can convince enough monsters here for a mutiny. The war is going to happen. When we're there, though… maybe we could stage something? I don't-"
A deep thunder clap echoed around the bathroom, shaking the tub Percy was standing in and momentarily shutting off the water.
"What was that?" Piper asked, eyes wide.
Percy turned the shower off fully, listening to the shouts and stomps above him. It couldn't have been thunder, he wondered. There were no storm clouds in the sky when I was out there earlier.
Percy gasped in horror with sudden realization.
"The cannons," he whispered, staring off into space with his mouth open in shock. "Oh my gods- I have to go."
"Wait, what do you mean-"
Percy slashed his hand through the Iris Message, cutting Annabeth off mid-sentence. She could chew him out about it later. Scrambling out of the tub and nearly slipping on the slick floor, Percy lunged for the door while willing the water to drain from his hair and clothes. It pooled on the floor, leaving quite a mess, but he didn't care.
Unlocking the bathroom door and swinging it open, Percy found Dr. Cyclops standing in his way, arms crossed and expression serious. Clouds of heated steam burst through the doorway and fogged the mirrors in the main medic area, curling past the monster and demigod. Who knew that a face with only one eye could look more intense than one with two?
"Do you think I'm deaf?" Dr. Cyclops grumbled. "Unless your singing voice tends to sound like hastily whispered battle plans, then I've caught you in a lie."
The ship rocked heavily under the waves, causing Dr. Cyclops and Percy to grab the doorframe. The padlocks on the medicine cabinets clinked into each other with the rolling movement.
Percy swallowed his nerves. "Look, you've got to under-"
Dr. Cyclops held up a large hand, signaling Percy to stop. "I was prepared to pummel you the moment you stepped out of that shower, but I heard what you said about the truce. Your...your friends agreed with you." He looked anxiously behind himself at the door that led back out onto the S.S. Tartarus' balcony. In a quieter voice, the Cyclops continued, "Do you really think there's a chance?"
Percy moved his hand from the doorframe to the Cyclops' scarred wrist. The monster's head whipped around to face the demigod, and he nearly yanked his hand away before seeing the determination in Percy's green eyes.
"I believe we can start a truce. I really, really do. Help me get us there."
The Cyclops sighed and stepped back, allowing Percy to enter the main room. Percy stood with the patient's table behind him, and the Cyclops stood across from him with the mirrors and cabinets behind him.
"Do you-" Percy started, then took a shaky breath. "The cannons. Did they fire those cannons at a mortal boat?"
The Cyclops' grim look was enough of an answer.
"I have to do something," Percy said, and he turned to leave.
"Wait," came the Cyclops' harsh whisper.
"No." Percy turned around, eyebrows furrowed. "I've done enough waiting around." Fishing Riptide out of his pocket, Percy blurted out, "I can't believe they would just- just shoot a mortal!" Percy unsheathed the sword and jammed it into the patient's table. "What were they thinking? The mortals didn't do anything."
"Forterae did warn you about what would happen if you staged a mutiny," the Cyclops reminded Percy, crossing over and tugging Riptide out of the table.
"She just expects me to stand by while she murders the innocent? The monsters have a vengeance against the demigods, sure, but the mortals are supposed to be left out of it!"
"This is a punishment on you," the Cyclops responded, frustration seeping into his voice. "You staged a mutiny, so Forterae followed through on her punishment. What else did you expect?"
Percy ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know; I thought she was bluffing? I didn't think the mutiny would go wrong in the first place, so I didn't really consider her threats heavily."
"Well from now on, pay attention." The Cyclops put his hands on Percy's shoulders, steadying the demigod but making sure he looked him in the eye. "What do you think you can do? If you go up there now, you won't be able to undo what has been done. Arguing is futile, and nobody is going to listen to your complaints. Besides, how do you expect to show up on the deck above and make a difference? The moment I bring you up there, you will be strapped back into the Stygian Iron chain - I can't do anything to prevent that. Don't give them any more reason to distrust you."
The Cyclops stepped back and held out Riptide. "You want a truce? Start with me. Tyson spoke admiringly of you, and from what I've seen and overheard, you have good intentions. I'll see what I can do to help you."
Percy took Riptide and capped it, tucking it back in his pocket. With matching expressions of determination, they shook hands.
Ha! I'll bet you all thought I abandoned this, didn't you? nOPE. So, I feel at least some explanation is in order: this past year has been insanely busy. Everything on my plate took extreme priority over this fic, so it got pushed to the bottom of my To-Do List every time. I never forgot about it, and it's been hanging over my head for this entire past year. I've decided that updates will occur faster if I keep the chapters shorter; as you can see, this one is about half the length of my more recent chapters. I figured that it would be better if you got more updates, even if they were shorter, because eventually you will have the entire story. You aren't getting less, you're getting the same amount divided into smaller portions.
I want give you all one giant hug for sticking with me all this time. Guests and followers, thank you so much. You mean the world to me. I'm always stunned when I get a new follower, even after all this time. Please continue to leave comments! I appreciate them whole-heartedly!
Some little estimates and factoids:
-this fic will be finished before August
-the next chapter has been started, and I am about a 3rd of the way through it. It will be longer than this one.
-Vinomi finally appears in the next chapter!
Big thank you to everyone again,
-8DemigodRunner8
(PS: I HAVEN'T READ ANY RIORDAN BOOKS POST-BOO, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY DISCREPANCIES WITH NEW CANON)