Chapter 31: Revenge is 'Oh So NOT Sweet'

Madison's POV

I woke up with extreme pain in my legs. I was about to sit up, but someone set me back down.

"Don't. They haven't finished healing it yet." I looked over at Percy and then down at my legs. The wound was way worse than I thought. The spear penetrated my legs deep.

"They haven't closed the wound up yet and they still have to clean it out. How are you feeling?"

"Extreme pain and I can barely move my legs." I looked in his eyes and all I saw was worry. "Percy, stop worrying. I should have been more careful. I can't believe I didn't see it coming."

"Don't beat yourself up about it. I should have been with you after everything that happened."

I tried to pull myself up, but failed miserably. Percy helped lift me to where I was sitting up, but my legs were still in place of how the healers put it.

"Lupa and Chiron called a counselors meeting and they want to know what's going on. I told them I would say everything I know, but it doesn't look like you can go to it."

"Looks like you have this one on your own Seaweed Brain."

I smiled at him. He chuckled. "Guess so, alright. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I got the Apollo campers looking after me. Just tell me one thing…"

He raised an eyebrow. "What did Jason want to talk to you about?"

He looked at me, and then smiled. "Girl advice."

I raised an eyebrow. "Piper?"

He nodded. "He needed dating advice."

"Oh, really? From you?"

"Oh shut up."

I smirked. "Okay, okay. You better get going to the meeting."

He gave me a kiss on the forehead and then kept his forehead against mine. "Feel better…" Then he brushed his lips lightly on mine and left.

I snorted. "Tease…" He gave me a quick glace with a triumphed smirked before leaving out the door. Soon after, Will came back in.

"Okay, I'm going to clean out the wound and it's going to be painful." I nodded.

"Just get it over with."

He nodded. "After I clean it, I'm going to close it up with stitches and you need to stay off it for a few weeks."

"Okay…" He placed something on my wound and I immediately felt pain. Will was not kidding. It stung like hell! I gritted my teeth to suppress a scream.

This went on for a few minutes until something was thrown in the room. The next thing I know, I'm struggling to keep my eyes open and I'm coughing like crazy. Will already fell to the floor unconscious.

I saw a pair of legs before me, but I couldn't look up. Before my eyes closed I heard the person say: "Miss me babe?"

Percy's POV

After I explained the situation to everyone, they all agreed to keep an extra eye on the borders and make sure no one unknown tries to attack us. Chiron and Lupa said that they would talk to Zeus. As soon as I took a step out the big house, an Apollo camper came running up. I think her name is Lisa…

"Percy? Percy! PERCY!"

"What's going on?" She ran up to me, practically out of breath.

"Something… is happen-ing in the… infirmary…"

That was enough to get me running. As soon as I ran in, I saw unconscious campers on the floor being attended to by others. Panic started to fill me as I ran to the room Madison was in. I saw Will being attended to by another camper, but I didn't see Madison in the room. I ran over to Will, who was just waking up.

"Where's Madison? What happened?"

"I- I don't know. One minute, I'm cleaning Madison's wound, and then the next; I'm coughing and trying to stay awake."

I looked back over at the bed and noticed something that I didn't before. I picked up the note, and slowly opened it.

Percy:

I have a feeling it will be you reading this. If you haven't already figured it out, Madison is gone. I've taken her. I'm the one that started the group of people against the two of you and if you ever want to see your precious girlfriend ever again, you're going to have to try really hard. I don't plan giving her back anytime soon and it may be too late for her by the time you figure it all out. You both probably forgot about me after the end of the second Titan War, but I haven't disappeared from your lives just yet.

Your Worst Nightmare

I just kept staring and reading the note over and over. I couldn't believe it, Madison is gone and it was all because I was away from her for just a few minutes. I threw the note across the room and sat down with my head in my hands.

"Percy…" I looked up to see a worried looking Annabeth holding the note.

"I can't believe it. I never should have left her side. This is my entire fault…"

"Percy, this is NOT your fault! You need to get a hold of yourself if we are ever going to find Madison."

"I don't know who took her. I don't know how to find her!"

"Percy, think. Who do you know from the second Titan War that you and Madison know and apparently forgotten?"

I thought back to everyone through the war. There was Luke, Ethan, Kronos, and most of them were Titans. They were dead, imprisoned or gone for good. There was also… Oh Gods!

"…Aaron."

Madison's POV

I woke up filling a bit dizzy. Once I got my vision together, I could take in my surroundings. I was in a massive room, lying on a giant bed. It was just then that I realized I must be underwater because I had my tail.

I tried to get off the bed, but the pain in my tail hasn't gotten any better. Will didn't get the chance to finish cleaning it out and close it up. Plus, my hands were tied, for the billionth time!

Someone swam into the room. I looked up and met a face I hoped was long gone.

"Aaron… What in Hades is going on?"

He smirked at me.

"Ah Madison… It has been a while hasn't it?"

"Why am I here? What's going on?"

He laughed as if it was the most hilarious thing in the world.

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet? I thought you were smarter than that."

I gave him a look of confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm the one who brought together the people who despise you and your boyfriend. I'm the one who sent Phobos and Deimos to emotionally scar you, but they failed. I'm the one who sent Triton after you, but your idiotic boyfriend got in the way. I'm the one that sent Ares to injury you greatly; at least he was a success." I gave him a look of hate.

"Why, Aaron? Why would you do this?"

"Because… You thought I just disappeared after the second Titan War, or you probably just forgot about me. I want my revenge and I swore I would have it. You and your precious boyfriend ruined everything. The Titans were going to grant me riches and more, but you ruined that all!"

"Aaron, the Titans were using you! They were going to kill you as soon as they claimed Olympus. They could care less about you!"

"You're wrong! You know nothing!"

"I know that underneath all that hate is a good person. Aaron, you are corrupted by evil. You don't have to be like this. What happened to the boy I grew up with? You used to be nice and innocent, not evil and full of hate."

"He grew up!"

"Into a jerk!"

He was fuming now. "You can rot in here for all I care!" He stalked out, as much as a merman can, and slammed the door, leaving me in darkness.

Still Madison's POV- time skip

It has been three days since mine and Aaron's argument. I haven't eaten or really slept. The pain in my tail has intensified and kept me up in the night. I'm in darkness all the time, so I can never look at my tail to see how bad the wound has gotten.

All of sudden, I saw a glimpse of light. I heard the door open and someone walk in.

"Madison… I thought about what you said, and- Oh my Gods!"

He swam to my side and untied the bonds. Then, he reached somewhere and turned on a lamp that I had no idea was even in the room. I'm usually more observant.

Aaron grabbed my hand. "Madison, I'm so, so sorry! I can't believe... I didn't know…"

I looked down at my tail and saw that they had, in fact, became infected and all of my tail was different shades of red and purple.

"Will didn't get to finish cleaning and close the wound…"

"This is my entire fault… I should have never joined the Titans or sent Phobos, Triton, and Ares after you."

"The Titans… corrupted you. They tricked you and you were... clouded by anger. It's… not your fault." I was having trouble actually talking and getting words out of my mouth. That's not good…

"Still, if I never joined them, things could have been different." He looked up at me. "I'm so sorry for being such a jerk. We were good friends until I ruined it."

I didn't say anything after that.

"How can I help? Is there anything I can do?"

"Go get Percy…"

"I can't leave you here!"

"You have too. I can't feel my tail and there is no way I can swim. They're infected and it is spreading fast. If it spreads too far, I could… die."

"I won't let that happen! But, the swim, it's a two day trip! By the time we get back, the infection will be two times worse…"

"I can make it that long. Please, just go get Percy…"

"Okay, but he might not agree to come with me. I have a feeling he'll attack me on the spot…"

Percy's POV

I'm going to kill Aaron the next time I see him!

FIVE DAYS! Five days is how long I've been searching. I've barely gotten any sleep and my dad had some of his guards searching the sea. Annabeth and Luke have been trying to calm me down, but I've been on edge the whole time.

Right now, I'm in the Poseidon cabin staring at the empty space beside me on the bed. When I was at the Roman camp, this must be what Madison went through.

I heard the conch horn blow signaling lunch. I sighed and got up. I really haven't eaten much, but Annabeth and Luke said I need to even though I'm not hungry.

I walked into the dining pavilion, did the regular offering and sat down. I just really played with my food and didn't eat. I pushed my plate to the side and sat in an uncomfortable silence. About twenty minutes into dinner, I heard my name being yelled by a familiar voice. The first thought that came to me was Madison, but this voice was a man's.

The next thing I know, Aaron ran into the dining pavilion. He seemed in a rush, but I didn't pay much attention to it. I grabbed riptide, clicked it, and in about two seconds, I had him pinned to a wall with riptide at his neck.

"Where's Madison?" I growled in a voice almost unrecognizable.

"Please Percy, if you will give me a sec-"

I dug the sword into his neck deeper.

"Percy!" It was Annabeth. "Relax and he will tell you! Put the sword away…" She came up and pried the sword from my hands and turned it back into a pen. I took it from her.

"Percy…" I glared at him. "I regret everything I've done from joining the Titans, to sending the gods after you, to taking Madison. But right now she needs our help."

"She doesn't need you! You will take me to her and get out of our lives!"

"Okay… I will… But, Percy I must warn you…"

"What?"

"She's… dying…"

"WHAT?"

Madison's POV

I forgot how many days ago Aaron left. Three? Five? I can't seem to think straight. Is he almost there or on his way back? Just lying here is killing me. I hate feeling weak and vulnerable, but here I am with about two-thirds of my body a different shade of red and purple. The infection is spreading and faster than humanly possible. I came to the conclusion that it probably had something to do with the type of spear Ares had. Either way, this is not good. I've already lost feeling in my tail long ago and now, the only thing I can really move is my right arm and head.

I heard something outside the room I was in and it sounded like Percy, but I couldn't yell for him. He was busy yelling at Aaron.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

"Right in that room."

"I swear I'm going to kill you after all this!" The door swung open and I saw the anger on Percy's face melt away to fear and worry when we made eye contact. He rushed to my side and grabbed my right hand.

"Oh my Gods Madison! I- I can't believe… This is my entire fault… I" He was practically in tears.

"Percy! Don't blame yourself!" I took my hand and cupped his cheek. He placed his hand on top of mine.

After a long silence, Percy spoke. "I love you Madison…"

I felt myself tear up a little. "I love you too Percy, but I'm not going anywhere. I refuse to be defeated by an infection after everything."

"And I refuse to let you go after everything we've been through." He kissed me and I felt no pain for the first time in a while. Suddenly, I couldn't feel anything anymore. I was in darkness. I didn't know if it was death or not, but I found the answer soon enough.

"Hello child." I bent down and gave a respectful bow to the three Fates standing in front of me.

"Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis, it is an honor once again."

"Child, you have received the sight, proved yourself, and almost completed the prophecy. It is still not your time though. One more line must be fulfilled. Remember stronger together, you are stronger right now."

"I don't understand."

"You will soon child, you will soon. Now it's time for you to go back. Remember what we said."

I felt feeling return to my body. The thing was, I was still kissing Percy. He pulled away and I realized that I could move!

"Madison… You're… you're healed!"

"I am!" I thought about everything the Fates just told me. "Remember, we're stronger together!" I pulled him onto the bed and kissed him again.

When we pulled apart, that's when Percy started asking questions.

"How is this possible?"

"The Fates… We still have one last line of the prophecy to fulfill."

He smiled at me. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"You didn't."

We were interrupted by Aaron coming into the room.

"Madison… your- how… but, huh?"

I smiled and looked at Percy, but he was glaring at Aaron.

"Percy…" I grabbed his forearm and he looked me dead in the eye. His anger was easy to see, but he relaxed after a little while. He looked back over at Aaron and this time without anger.

"Listen Aaron… I could talk to my dad and um… see if you could have your old position at the palace back…"

Aaron's face lit up a little. "Thanks Perc-"

"That's only if you swear on the River Styx to never go against the gods, and do anything like before to me or Madison."

"I swear, I swear! Thanks Percy, it means a lot… I'm sorry I ever listened to the Titans…"

"Aaron, it's okay now. We forgive you." I told him. Percy looked like he was about to protest, but a stern look from me changed his mind.

"Alright…"

"Now shake on it!" Percy glared at me and Aaron looked uncomfortable, but stuck out his hand.

"Percy…" He sighed and grabbed Aaron's hand firmly.

"Great! Now that that's settled… We should go home!"

Percy grinned. He picked me up bridal style and twirled around in the water. Of course naturally, I giggled (as best as I could underwater).

He placed his forehead against mine after he stopped twirling. "Now let's go home..."

*Up on Olympus*

A figure was watching this all take place. The figure was sharpening a spear that has been recently used seeing as it was coated in dried up blood.

"I shall get you Phoenix and your puny boyfriend if it's the last thing I do. I will figure out your secret." The figure stepped out of the shadows into the light. His fiery red eyes were glistening with fury and a drive for revenge.