We're back to Percy! I'm sorry there haven't been very many action chapters yet, but I promise you don't have to wait much longer.

Chapter VIII

Percy

When Percy regains consciousness, his brain explodes into a supernova of pain. He nearly groans out loud, but stops himself just in time. He opens his eyes to darkness, but since he can sense the walls around him, he knows he's underwater. That realization just confuses him more. If he was underwater, he shouldn't have a headache. The water should have healed it by now.

He sits up, wincing, and gingerly probes the back of his head, where he finds a huge, painful knot on his skull. His ribs don't feel particularly whole either. He puts a hand out, using the wall to steady himself, and slides up to a standing position. His vision, as dark as it already is, blackens at the edges until he's practically blind, and he has to wait for the dizziness to fade, although black spots still dance across his line of sight.

"I hate concussions." He mutters to himself under his breath. He takes a shaky step forward, and another, using the wall to guide him. For a second, he's distracted by the texture of the wall, which is like rough, pitted sandstone. It feels kind of like coral, although Percy's never heard of black coral before. Besides, it feels too deep for any plants to be living here. Too dark.

He continues on for several meters, his legs gaining strength with every step. He comes to the conclusion that he's in a sort of hallway, presumably in an underwater building similar to his dad's palace, although this place definitely isn't as welcoming.

He pulls Riptide from his pocket, clutching the pen tightly. He doesn't uncap it yet, but its presence comforts him. He has a sneaking suspicion about where he is, and if he's right, he'll have need of a good weapon.

He moves slowly forward in the water, walking as he would if he were on land, trying not to alert any enemies to his presence. He counts his steps as he walks.

One...two...three...four...

He wonders, for a moment, what Annabeth is doing. He knows she wouldn't be resting, or sitting alone feeling sorry for herself. No, she's probably mad at him for getting pushed overboard by a sea monster's head, even if it wasn't technically his fault. She'd either be taking charge of a meeting in the mess hall, or working on a project with Leo.

...ten...eleven...twelve...

He feels a bit sorry for Annabeth. He's not entirely sure he can get out of this mess as easily as he has so many times before. But he has to try. For her.

...twenty...twenty-one...twenty-two...

When he reaches twenty-five steps, he suddenly emerges into an enormous room, with a high ceiling that arches high above his head. His stomach starts twisting itself in knots, because he recognizes the place from his dream. He looks towards the far end of the room, where, sure enough, a shadowy throne rests upon a raised dais. Except this time, he can see the figure that sits on the throne.

The man's hair is solid white, bright against the darkness of the room. His skin is deeply tanned. His eyes are like twin black holes. His skin is wrinkled and rough. He's one of the few immortals Percy has met that actually looks old.

But then Percy is distracted from that fact by something else. The man's beard, solid stripes of black, white, and gray, starts moving. And Percy realizes that the man's beard is made of sea snakes.

He shudders inwardly, remembering Medusa and her sisters. But the man's eyes aren't turning him to stone, so they're probably not related. Probably.

Then the man stands, and Percy realizes he has bigger problems. The guy is huge. He has big, burly muscles like a wrestler's, and he looks like he's almost seven feet tall. As old as the guy looks, it's obvious he's in good shape. Maybe he goes to an underwater gym. Then he starts to speak, and his cold, cruel voice makes Percy's legs feel weak all over again.

"Welcome, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon." He seems like he's going to say more, but it's like he's waiting for something. So Percy asks the question foremost in his mind, dreading the answer.

"Who are you?" The man laughs, but it isn't a sound of amusement.

"I am called Pontus." He answers, his face twisting into a grotesque imitation of a smile. Percy's blood runs cold at the name. He'd been expecting this, but it was no less terrifying to hear it confirmed.

"What do you want with me?" Percy asks, although he's pretty sure he already knows the answer, based on his dream. He's just trying to buy some time so he can come up with something that at least resembles a plan.

"Why, for you to join me, of course!" His answer surprises Percy a little, though he doesn't show it. "Gaea is, in a way, my sister, we were both born from Chaos, we were both among the first children. Tartarus, of course, is the eldest, and the closest to our father, besides Nyx, whose palace resides at the entrance to Chaos. Gaea, Ouranos, and I split up the world between us, but unlike the gods, we actually are what we rule. Gaea is the earth. Ouranos was the sky. And I amthe sea!"

Percy doesn't really understand what all this has to do with him, but he listens anyway. He might learn something useful.

"The sea's ruler has changed many times. Oceanus and Poseidon are among the most prominent, the most remembered. But I was the first. And with Gaea's help, I will rise as ruler of the seas once more!"

Ouch, Percy thinks. Must be hard having to admit you need your little sister's help. But he doesn't say it out loud. He has the feeling that would be a very bad idea.

"And what better way to take back the sea from Poseidon than persuading his favorite son to fight against him? He is weak now, with his battling Greek and Roman sides. This is the time to strike! Fight with me, Perseus Jackson! Fight by my side to take back the seas from your father! When has he ever cared for you? Where was he when you fell into Tartarus? Fight with me, Perseus Jackson, and you will rule the seas with me."

This guy is psycho. Percy thinks. My dad does care for me. Otherwise I would have been dead long before I fell into Tartarus.

"Yeah, I don't think so." He says out loud. "My dad does care for me. You said it yourself, I'm his favorite son." He feels a bit weird saying that, as if he's bragging, but Poseidon once told him so, so he knows it's true. "And why would you need my help? I'm only a demigod."

"I don't need your help. I have strength enough to crush that upstart sea god like a bug. But it would be fun to see the look on his face when he realizes his own son is fighting against him. As to the matter of you only being a demigod, you are much more than that. According to...a few reliable sources of mine...you are the most powerful demigod in centuries."

Percy isn't sure how he feels about that. His first feeling is one of shock, then disbelief. He can't be the most powerful demigod in centuries. He's just...Percy. There's nothing special about him. Most of what he's accomplished over the years has been luck. And he's always had help. No, he's sure that someone else is more powerful than him. Thalia. Or Jason. Maybe Nico. And he says so.

"What about Thalia and Jason Grace? They're children of Zeus-or Jupiter-and he's king of the gods." Pontus tries to smile again. It just makes him look constipated. His sea snake beard hisses with laughter at my question.

"The children of Zeus are powerful, it is true. But they both have separate powers. Together, maybe, they would be more powerful than you. But apart, no." He seems to anticipate my next question before I even ask it. "And don't even get me started on the children of Hades! They are nothing compared to the children of Zeus and Poseidon."

Percy knows that's not true. Nico is pretty powerful. Raising the dead is definitely a useful skill. And so is shadow-traveling. Hazel is powerful too, although she's a child of Pluto, not Hades, which makes more of a difference than you might think.

He decides he's getting tired of listening to this guy talk down his friends. And Pontus is most likely going to kill him anyway. Well, try to. Percy can be pretty hard to kill when he wants to. But the point is that there will be a fight at some point, and it might as well be now.

"I think you've got it wrong, Pontus. And I'm not going to fight my dad. He's the rightful ruler of the seas, and you're an idiot to think I would fight him." He uncaps Riptide, and the gleaming bronze blade springs to life in his hand.

Pontus narrows his eyes. "I see." He says. "Well then, I suppose I'll just have to kill you. But first..." He walks over to Percy, until they stand only a few feet apart. "I think a visit to my wife is in order."

His words are so unexpected that Percy doesn't even have time to react when Pontus grabs his arm. His grip is like iron, and Percy is about to try and twist away when a flurry of white bubbles flows in through the windows and surrounds them. There are so many of them that Percy can't see his own body, and his skin tingles where they touch him.

Then, suddenly, he feels like he's being turned inside out and then dissolved. He feels weightless, as if his molecules have suddenly turned to air. His sword is ripped from his hand, and Pontus' own hand disappears from his arm. He gets the sensation of movement, and he feels himself moving quickly upward and to the east.

Yay, cliffhangers! Oh, and guys? Seriously, STOP BEING SILENT READERS! I love getting reviews. It makes me happy inside. And remember to tell me what you think Leo's super secret weapon is. :)