A/N
Thank you guys so much for all of the feedback, especially the reviews! =) You don't understand how much they mean to me. Thanks especially to Tom Marvolo Riddle 2 for by far the sweetest review I have ever gotten, and to thedreamthieves who reviewed TWICE! She also has an amazing Piper/Percy friendship story published, which you guys should check out. Anyway, on with the story!
"Annabeth!" Percy was already out the door and halfway up the steps before she could protest.
"Percy! Percy, wait!" Piper sprinted after him, taking the stairs three at a time, somehow managing to grab Percy by the arm before he could do anything stupid. He struggled against her grip, but by some miracle, she managed to hold on. "It's just Phobos, Percy, he's messing with your head. Annabeth's fine."
"But what if she's not? What if you're wrong?" Percy was teetering on the edge of panic, and it was obvious. "I lied to you, Piper," he continued. "Suffocation isn't my worst fear. Losing my friends is." And then he was gone, tearing up the stairs, leaving Piper alone to digest his words.
Taken aback, she made to follow him onto the deck, just as the door in front of her slammed shut, effectively trapping Percy on the other side. "Percy!" She rammed her shoulder into the door, but it wouldn't budge, and the familiar helpless, panicked feeling began to dig at her chest again. "Percy!" She was desperate now, fruitlessly banging on the door with her palm, ignoring the crude splinters of wood she got in return.
"Need a hand?" Startled, she spun around, yanking Katropis from her waistband, only to come face to face with Jason, the rest of the seven right behind him. "Whoa there." Jason raised his hands in mock surrender, gently lowering her knife away from his face. "It's just me, Pipes. What's going on? We heard screaming."
Piper shook her head. Percy's in trouble. Long story. Not important right now, I'll tell you later— promise.
Clearly getting the message, Jason merely nodded, and at that moment, Piper could have kissed him. How he managed to be so understanding and trusting in her, she would never know. Just knowing he was there was a huge relief. She didn't deserve the guy, she really didn't.
Jason kicked at the door twice, with the same result. "Leo, we could use some help here."
"Alright, alright," grumbled Leo, gesturing at the others to step back. "Sometimes I swear you guys only like me for my fire."
"Not the time, Leo," snapped Annabeth, practically stomping her foot with impatience. Not that Piper could blame her. Leo shot Annabeth an apologetic glance before raising his hands, red-hot flames coalescing around his fingers.
"Boom." He launched the fire at the door with an incredible amount of force, knocking it straight off its hinges. Smoke filled the hallway, but Piper fought through it, the others right on her tail, completely unprepared for the sight that met her.
Phobos was leaning against the mast, eyes half-closed, absentmindedly picking at his teeth with a knife, face coated in dried ichor from a wound in his forehead. A wound that she had caused, remembered Piper, without an inch of regret. The bastard had deserved it.
She heard a choking sound off to her right, and whirled around, coming face to face with the scariest thing she had seen all night. Percy was pressed against the wall, feet literally dangling off the ground, with none other than Deimos's arm pressed to his neck.
"YOU!" Piper was practically seeing red, her face livid. "YOU SWORE YOU WOULD LEAVE, THAT YOU WOULDN'T COME BACK!" Taken by surprise, the god jerked around to face her, thankfully dropping Percy in the process. He promptly crumpled to the floor, desperately gagging and choking for breath.
Piper sensed rather than heard Annabeth start forwards to help him, but Phobos held out a hand, sending the daughter of Athena crashing back into the others, ropes lashing them the railing with a mere snap of his fingers. "Not on the River Styx I didn't," snarled Deimos, stepping closer to her. "You really should be more careful, sister." And at that moment, Piper could have cursed herself for being so stupid. She had screwed up, and now her friends were about to pay for it.
"You leave them alone," hissed Piper, treacherous tears stinging at her eyes, only fueling her anger. She didn't care if Deimos and Phobos were gods, she was going to kill them if it was the last thing she did.
"Aww, sister. Are you crying? Here, let me help." Before she could protest, she was already flying through the air, her back slamming painfully into the wall, black spots dancing in front of her eyes. She was barely aware of Jason yelling and calling out her name, but she was too winded to reply. Deimos's face suddenly loomed in front of her, cold eyes gleaming with malice. "Which one should I kill first, huh sister? Your little boyfriend? Or how about this one here?" He nudged an unconscious Percy with his knife, drawing a shallow cut down his arm. "But then again, Phobos would be so sad. He loves listening to him scream."
Anger coursed through her body. No wonder Phobos wasn't doing anything, no wonder Percy was still unconscious. Phobos had him trapped in another nightmare. With a growl she broke free of the god's hold, bringing her leg straight up, connecting to his chin with a sickening crunch. Deimos howled in pain, falling back to the ground, as Piper slid down the wall, landing directly on top of him.
Her first punch hit him square in the eye, knocking his head back into the wood with a satisfying thud. Before he could retaliate her left hand was there, slamming into his nose with a crushing force she didn't even know she had. The god struggled, but at that moment, Piper had the upper hand. She slammed her fists into Deimos's face over and over again, desperate to get the images, no memories, of Percy sobbing into her shoulder, of Percy dying over and over again, out of her head. She was able to land at least three or four more good blows before the god managed to throw her off, sending flying through the air, crashing straight into the table.
"Good move, sister," purred Deimos, icy eyes flashing with anger, ichor dripping down his face. "My turn." His sword was out before she could blink, four solid feet of rough rusted metal. She desperately rolled clear of the blade, narrowly avoiding getting her head chopped off, but his other hand was already out with an inhuman speed, catching her by the collar and forcing her to her knees. She struggled against his grip, but it was futile. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. She could hear the others screaming her name, could see the blade slowly descending towards her. The blade that would finally prove to be her downfall. She closes her eyes, not wanting Deimos's face to be the last she sees.
Suddenly, a defiant yell fills the night, and the pressure at her collar is gone as soon as it had come. Percy is standing above her like some kind of avenging angel, dark hair flying, panting heavily, pure fury in his eyes. Water is churning and whirling around him at a deadly speed, practically his own mini-hurricane of destruction. Deimos is lying on the deck some five yards away, groaning, covered in salt water, while Phobos is staring at Percy with horror in his eyes.
"You were… I had you trapped," spluttered Phobos. "How are you… how did you get out?" Percy merely grinned at him, a psychotic smile that sent shivers down Piper's spine.
"I am so done with you." Riptide was out before she could blink, three feet of deadly sharp Celestial Bronze sailing through the air at an impossible speed, directly at Phobos. But amazingly, Phobos's own blade was already there, deflecting Percy's strike as easily as swatting away a fly. With a well-practiced hand, Percy retaliated, rolling clear of Phobos's weapon, moments before it split him in half, making it look as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
A crack of lightning erupted throughout the sky, followed by an impossibly-loud clap of thunder, only adding to the chaos of the night. Jason was pissed, and it was obvious. But then again, she would be too if she were tied up, powerless to help her friends. Piper tore her eyes from the fight, attempting to push herself to her feet, groaning at the sharp pain that assaulted her. Beside her, Deimos is stirring, spluttering and spitting up water. Uneasy, she grabs the railing, biting back a yelp, as her arm twinges defiantly. She had to get to Jason and the others before Deimos got to her. Or worse, to them. Deimos was completely awake and on his feet now, a murderous look on his face. He attempted to step toward her, fury woven throughout his features, but something was stopping him, some kind of invisible barrier. Jason. It had to be, who else could control the wind like that? One look at him, told her she was right. His eyes were closed, eyebrows scrunched together slightly in concentration.
Growling, Deimos stepped towards Leo and Hazel, but with the same result. Piper looked at Jason, incredulous. He was leaning heavily against the railing, obviously taxed by the effort of keeping the winds under control, yet he still had a small, smug grin upon his face, infuriating Deimos. And at that moment Piper fell in love with him all over again. But Jason, powerful as he was, was still only a half-blood, while Deimos was a god. He couldn't hold him off forever. And already he was waning, the wind-shield around them faltering until it was nearly nonexistent. Beside her, Piper can practically hear the gears turning in Annabeth's head, weighing different options and consequences, eyes flashing dangerously. Deimos is only a few feet away, now, and Piper desperately searches for her knife, fumbling, her hands shaking with adrenaline and fear.
"Looking for this?" She snapped her head up, coming face to face with Deimos, dangling Katropis between his fingers. "Nice blade, I think I'll keep it, thanks." Piper scowled, grabbing for her knife, not caring that she was giving Deimos the reaction he wanted. He snatched the blade away, mockingly, kicking her legs out from under her. "You. sister." he sneered, penetrating each word with a swift kick to her side, "have been. a real. pain. in the butt." An unwarranted whimper escaped her lips, as she felt her ribs crack, only adding to Deimos's smirk. The god stooped down on his knees, dragging her upright by her hair. "It's been real sister."
Time seemed to slow down, as, for the second time that day, Piper found herself staring straight into Deimos's sword, helpless to do anything. And at that moment, it was just her and the sword. The one blade that would surely prove to be her downfall. Everything around her seemed to fade away. She didn't close her eyes this time, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw Annabeth's eyes snap back into focus, filled with adrenaline. "PERCY!"
Across the deck, Percy looked up at the sound of Annabeth's voice, terror striking his features as he saw their position. Before she could blink, he was already sprinting towards her, running as if Hades himself were after him.
"PIPER, DUCK!" He hits the ground himself, sliding down the deck, a massive wave roaring behind him.
Piper didn't hesitate. She wrenched herself from Deimos's grip, screaming in pain as her broken ribs collided with the deck. Percy was there before she could blink, hammering Deimos with crushing blow after crushing blow. "You. Don't. Touch. Her." He growled, fury in his eyes. "You. Don't. Touch. Them." He continued, gesturing to the others, who were still bound, despite their struggles.
With each devastating strike, Percy's anger only seemed to grow, the ocean beneath them responding with a raging vengeance. Massive waves rose on either side of the boat, easily climbing twenty to thirty feet into the air. The deck rocked violently, sending Piper flying into the railing, losing her grip on Katropis, watching helplessly as it sailed over the edge of the boat. She grasped onto the railing for dear life, swallowing back an involuntary wave of terror. She had never seen Percy angry before, truly angry, and it was not something she wanted to see ever again.
He was a scary sight, with his eyes practically glowing in the dark of the night, face twisted into an ruthless mask of hatred and cruelty. This was not the Percy she knew, it was a hidden side, a harder side. He had morphed into someone else entirely, someone no doubt created as a result of all the crap he had been forced to deal with in his life. Piper wondered if this was the Percy that had been to Tartarus, the Percy that had fought Kronos, only coming out in a kill-or-be-killed moment. Until today, that was. Today it had been triggered by anger, and anger alone, and it made Piper sick to think of how long Phobos and Deimos must have been tormenting him to push him to this point.
The ship twists again, violently throwing Piper clear across the deck, straight into Hazel and the others. Wincing, she struggles to undo their bonds, a task virtually impossible with only one functioning arm. Spotting her knife a few feet away, she hastily grabs it, fumbling slightly at the unfamiliar feeling of it in her left hand. Of course she just had to injure her dominant arm. Piper tightens her on the hilt of the blade, marveling at how something so familiar could feel so alien, so foreign. But it would have to do. She hastily returns to Hazel's side, trying her best to ignore the throbbing in her ribs, sawing through the ropes that held her captive as quickly as she dared. They didn't have time for this. She couldn't fight— there was no way, not in the condition she was in, even she had to admit that— and mad or not, Percy couldn't hold off both Phobos and Deimos forever.
As if reading her mind, Percy lets out a choked cry of pain, and it takes all of Piper's determination not to whirl around and run to his side. Percy's stubborn, she told herself, switching to Hazel's other hand. He'll be okay. But somehow she just couldn't swallow down the sense of dread that kept creeping up her throat. Percy cries out again, and this time she does turn around. He's still fighting like a mad-man, but she can tell he's injured. His left elbow is tucked close to his body, an attempt to keep from straining it, and he's limping— badly.
As she watches, Phobos feigns to the left, as Deimos sneaks up behind Percy, sword raised. "PERCY BEHIND YOU!" Her voice echoes across the deck, and Percy doesn't question it, he throws himself to the ground in the nick of time, yelling in pain as his attempt to roll to his feet is dashed by a sharp kick to the side. Deimos kicks him again, and Piper could practically hear his ribs snap in half, as he flies back, crashing into the railing with a small whimper. Before he could pull himself to his feet, Phobos is there, yanking him up by his hair, sword raised. To her horror, Percy isn't moving, only hanging there limply, dejectedly watching the blade that would finally prove to be his downfall, as it sailed through the air, straight at his chest.