'What did you do…?' I stare at Matthew, confused.

Matthew takes of his helmet, revealing a European face with a pair of blue eyes. Similar like mine, the color of an ocean. His brown hair falls straight down to his neck. He looks like a street thug, just with armor, better hair, clean face, and a meter and a half golden lance. He is around the same height as I am, probably just a little bit taller. He's wearing a full body armor, like a medieval knight, only his armor is shining.

He throws his helmet to the side and then he looks at me.

'Percy Jackson… I heard so much about you.' He smirks. Matthew has a slight French accent with cheerful tone in it.

I stare at my wound; it's still leaking blood even though the water should have healed it right away.

Matthew looks at me; 'The favorite son of Poseidon thinks that the water is still on his side. Don't expect the water to heal you Percy, it has been set that way the moment you enter the ocean. Don't blame the water though. After all, it is only listening to a higher power.'

I stare at him, confused.

'The power and everything else would still be there, but the water won't heal any of our injuries anymore. Another thing is that, just to be fair, as long as we're here in this battlefield, the water won't listen to us.' Matthew continues.

I look at Matthew; 'Why…?'

'Don't be silly Percy. If none of us can get hurt, the gods would be bored watching us fight.' Matthew replies.

'I shouldn't even be able to get hurt.' I murmur.

'Then it would be boring if you can't get hurt, that you can only be killed by striking your Achilles's heel. It would be one-sided, according to the gods. I was against that actually, I prefer if you could just keep the Styx's blessing, so that I would at least have a little bit of challenge.'

I glare at Matthew; 'How were you able to remove it?'

Matthew smirks, 'I like that Percy, your anger is a delight to me. If you must know how, the Kraken's blood has been rigged by Pontus to do that. Pontus thinks highly of you, he thinks that you will kill the Kraken, that the Kraken's blood will drench you. Personally, I did not think that you were able to kill it, obviously you proved me wrong. The Kraken's blood burns away your iron skin, your Styx's blessing; Pontus has removed that by using the Kraken's blood. I have nothing to do with it.'

Matthew looks amused, probably because of the panicking expression on my face.

I calm myself down; it's alright Percy. You survived fifteen years without the blessing of the Styx.

I put up my stance and ready to face Matthew.

Matthew smirks, 'Before we do this, how about a story?'

I raise my eyebrow, 'A story?'

'Yes, why not? If you're going to die, you might as well know why.'

'I rather we just skip to the part where I punch you in the face.' I reply.

Matthew smiles, 'Don't be like that Percy. I think you'll enjoy it; it's about Poseidon's true face.'

I put my sword down in response for that. Matthew smirks; I know he can tell that he got my attention.

Matthew begins to circle me, he gazes far like he's recalling some really old memories.

'I was born in the year of 1895 into a French family; a noble family, you might say. Heavily influenced by the British though, a happy family nevertheless.' Matthew smiles, but this time it's a genuine pure smile, not some disturbing smirks.

Matthew continues; 'We live in Paris; me, my mother, and my father. It was tough, being born into nobility and all, you have to learn to be graceful and look educated. Still, it was the happiest moments of my life.'

Matthew pauses, he stops moving and closes his eyes.

He opens his eyes again and there's a sad reflection in his eyes; 'My mother used to wake me up in the middle of the night. She would take me to the back yard and hand me a golden pocket watch. She said that it was a gift from my uncle, my father's brother. Funny thing is… My father didn't have any siblings.'

Matthew swings his lance and the lance turns into a golden pocket watch, he stares at it.

'My mother trained me in the art of spear, I never understood why, she only said that it was for my own protection, I never complaint. It was in my blood, I loved every swing that I made and I was very talented in it. My mother also made me pray to the gods, as she joins me in prayer as well. One god always stands in particular, Poseidon, she always prays for Poseidon to visit her once more. When I turn fifteen, I thought my mother was a bit crazy, but I still loved her and I still pray to the gods every day.' Matthew laughs.

He clicks the pocket watch and it turns back into a lance.

'Then I turn seventeen, and my father decided that we should take a vacation, so we went to England. You see, my mother loved the sea, for some reason she just loved everything about it; the cold breeze, the splash of the water and just the pure smell of the ocean. So you can imagine how thrilled my mother was when my father got us tickets to a cruise on its maiden voyage.'

Matthew's face suddenly turns grim.

'I'm sure you have heard about it Percy, in fact, you might even have seen it. 1,514 people died because the ship crashed into an iceberg. But don't you just find it a little bit odd? How come a cruise with high-tech equipment and advanced safety features at that time, crashed into an iceberg during its maiden voyage?' Matthew looks upset.

I knew what he was talking about. The ship, when Matthew turns seventeen, the year would be 1912.

Matthew continues, there's a painful tone in his voice; 'My mother… She prayed to Poseidon before the voyage… So did I. Poseidon didn't answer our prayer, instead he spits on my mother's face. My parents died in that cruise, I survive because I can breathe underwater. But my mother couldn't.'

I stare at Matthew with anger; 'You blame our father because of an accident that happened ninety years ago? He didn't know about it! If he did, he wouldn't let that happen!'

Matthew laughs, 'On the contrary, Percy. Nothing happened in the ocean without Poseidon's knowledge.'

I shook my head and then I stare at him with pity, 'You're blinded with rage, Matthew. Our father wouldn't—'

Matthew screamed; 'He is not my Father!'

Matthew's face is full of anger. His eyes are full of hatred.

'My father… Died, crushed by rubbles when he went looking for help. My mom and I were trapped in a room, water is leaking out, she held me tight while she prayed to Poseidon. I prayed as well, I was scared, and I put my whole heart praying to Poseidon.'

Matthew pauses, he looks up and there is just so much hatred on his face.

'Poseidon came… Formed from water into the form of a man and it gave my mother false hope. I didn't even remember what he said back then. All I could remember was that my mother begged him to save our lives. Poseidon didn't grant us that, he left us to our death.' Matthew clenches his fist.

I look at him with disbelief in my eyes, 'That can't be true…'

'I watch my mother drown while I feel nothing… I just feel the cold embrace of the water giving me strength as it sapped away my mother's… I would have died as well, if it wasn't for Willy. I was trapped for three days without any food and I couldn't open the door. I was starving… Weak... Doomed… I was about to die, and then the door opened.'

Matthew looks at me and then he laughs.

'I survived. Willy told me everything, about who I really am, about his objectives, about how I can have my revenge on Poseidon if I can be patient. So I did, I waited ninety years to have my revenge.'

Matthew points his lance towards me, 'And nothing will stand in my way.'

I put up my stance again, 'You lied, our father couldn't have possibly done that.'

Matthew smirks, 'I'm done talking.'

Matthew charges.