717 Years Ago
Throne Room
"Percy," Nico begged.
Hestia's heart broke at the sight of her boys. She was an idiot, an absolute idiot. And this painful sight and dreaded situation greeted her like death. She felt their hurt. She felt the hearth respond and suffer, as it always does in times like this, but. This? This was too close to her hearth, and therefore, she felt it so much more.
She looked at Poseidon. The storms have gotten worse now, and she feared that his brother is too overwhelmed to be in the right mind. Hera looked mortified. Hestia could feel the controlled outrage in Zeus. Hades just looked sad.
Ares seemed amused, excited for a blood bath. Apollo looked neutral, but a flash of confusion could be seen in his eyes. The future was very much changing by the second, and some were so fogged it gave him a headache. Hermes's heart was with the boy in the same way that the son of Poseidon's was when Luke had died.
"Where is he?!" Percy's voice rang loud and clear, demanding and deadly. The atmosphere became even more loaded. Nico thanked the fates that Percy was currently depleted of all energy source, right now. Or else, they wouldn't be able to hide everything anymore.
"SUCH DISRESPECT!" Zeus bellowed, thunder and lightning shooting off around the perimeter of the throne room. Percy didn't even flinch. Instead, he fought the urge to lunge at the lightning god, Nico doing everything to keep his hold on his cousin.
"Disrespect?! No, that son of a HALF-TROLL, RAT-EATING, MUNGE BUCKET—!"
Nico groaned as he interrupted Percy by forcing him down his knees. Nico's eyes were darker than night. His face hard but emotionless when he pleaded, "Yes, disrespect, Percy. Please, I'm begging you. Wait for the council to be completed before you address the gods—fuck, you didn't even bow to them yet. Please, we can gut the fucking turd afterwards."
Percy growled as a reply. A flash of light.
Artemis, the last of the council, has finally arrived with Thalia and…the others. Artemis heart broke. Not for the boy, no. Another childbirth that couldn't go through, she thought sadly.
Thalia rushed to Percy, ignoring the gods and Zeus's call for Apollo to help the wounded demigods. She kneeled down and whispered to Percy, "Stop it, kelp-head," she tried to say, her hands clenched, knuckles white.
Percy snapped to look at her away from said son of a half-troll. "What," he spat. "I want his blood spilt. And you're not my queen yet." Thalia jolted him, she cringed as if the jolt she sent to him was sent to her as well. She forced him to look at her dead in the eyes—his eyes glazed with fury.
"Look at me, Percy," she says voice very cold. "Now look at him," she said.
And Percy's whole body felt energized with hatred as he did. "He's on a knee, Percy. He's bleeding from your wounds that Apollo is desperately trying to heal. And on his back, my spear. We've got your back. But we have to be careful. I'm not queen yet. Yes. That makes you our leader. And the wrong step from you will lead us to imminent war."
Percy steadied his voice, "And if war is what I want? It's not like we're going to lose."
Thalia punched him in the guts. "Yes we will. We'll lose lives after lives of people, until we fight on through a new Age built with blood and flesh damned by this day—damned by you. Is that how you want the fates to play my Birthright through?!"
Apollo finished healing him minimally. And Zeus calls for the council to start formally. They all stare expectantly at the children of the elder gods. Dee, Drew and Dray bow to them. They watched and waited for the other three to do the same.
Dionysius was mildly concerned, yes. He had a soft spot for the demigod—an iota of a spot. But mostly, he was concerned whether this night was going to end with one less camper for him to watch over. Athena was trying to figure out how this will end. Why does she feel the threat of war when there was no reason to? Aphrodite wondered how Perseus was going to deal with this when she was certain that Percy was very much weak. Demeter just watched on.
The other three did not bow. Nico didn't acceptably so. He was still hard pressed on holding the son of Poseidon back. Thalia was on his other side, standing protectively. Finally, Perseus managed to shake Nico off and stand up.
Percy's eyes turned dark green. "Well?" he spat as he cocked his head slowly, every part of him itching to lunge at the son of Zeus.
More lightning shot up. "SUCH INCOLENCE!" Zeus bellowed. "For one who has spilled the blood of a son of the king of gods!"
Nico thanked the fates yet again that Percy didn't see Drew smirk. Then again, the fates were pushing it. Nico had bitten himself to blood from holding himself back. He too wished to just kill the little bastard.
It was Percy's turn to bellow. "BLOOD RIGHTFULLY MINE TO SPILL, god king!" He turned to Poseidon who has gone awfully pale and silent through all this. "And you, have you nothing to say?! What happened to her being a fucking queen among queens?! If anything, it's actually you who owes me blood." It was to this that Percy uncapped riptide and pointed the sword at his father in one swift motion.
"Percy!" Hestia exclaimed, exchanging a quick look with Thalia to prod her to disarm him quickly. The clanking sound of the sword did not faze Percy at all.
"I want the two of them put to trial!" Percy demanded. Poseidon finally zoned in to a set of emotions among millions warring in him.
"Listen to yourself, son!" Poseidon's voice boomed. "You come marching in utter disrespect with a wounded son of Zeus whose state you do not deny of your doing. You even go as far as demanding me of trial and blood. Have you no sense? Remember your place! You act like a child whose toy was taken away from him!"
Threatened. Confusingly defensive. Angry.
A grain of sand could've dropped down the room and be heard like a bomb going boom. That was the moment that drove Percy to shed his first tear for their death. No one dared speak. This time it took both Thalia and Nico to restrain Percy. They couldn't really use their powers without the Gods feeling their shifting and changing energies.
Shit, Nico thought. Percy was crippling them, energywise. They won't be able to restrain Percy for long at all. And to add to their worries, Percy was drained of energy from the start. He's pushing himself. Nico's afraid Percy's gonna burn himself out tapping into more energy right now. Nico didn't think Percy noticed, though. Percy's probably reacting right now. Not thinking at all.
"A FUCKING TOY!? REALLY?!" Percy shouted with all his might.
The whole Throne Room trembled. All eyes were on the son of Poseidon, except for Thalia and Nico. They exchanged a panic stricken look. Percy was practically eating himself from the inside by using his powers like this.
As if to prove their thoughts, the shaking intensified, and Percy had managed to wrangle himself off Thalia and Nico. He spit blood on the floor.
Percy spread his arms out, "Well FUCK YOU, Lord Poseidon. You think I don't know it was you who sent all those monsters?! Yeah, why don't you go explain that to them. But then again, I have no right to say that, HUH? I should APOLOGIZE. I'm ABSOLUTLEY sorry for being so SILLY as to want justice over a TOY". Percy took a deep breath before continuing.
"I'm done." He said, and the shaking stopped. "Do you hear me, Olympians? I'm fucking done! I refuse to serve you any longer. I am not your soldier. I am not your hero. And you, Lord Poseidon," He spat the name as he turns his head towards his father, "I am not your demigod."
"And I will not bow to you any longer. Maybe some fucking day, when you treat me as a person that is not a tool. That had a family. And that cherished them with everything that that person had—unlike most of you here. Maybe then, I'll stand beside all of you again. Fucking maybe."
He turned his back and started to walk away. But Zeus and Poseidon had other ideas. They felt absolutely disrespected. And to make it worse, one does not simply exits the Throne room in the middle of a council!
"POMPOUS BRAT!" Zeus screamed at the same time Poseidon said, "GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT, PERSEUS."
Poseidon summoned a torrent of waves to push Percy back to the center at the same time Zeus threw a lightning bolt. Nico and Thalia were quick to defend him, and they would've been successful too, had Percy not blood-bended the two to stay put.
A load cackle was heard and a flash of light blinded most of them. The gods gasped at the sight they found themselves looking at. The gods' attack certainly left charred marks on him, his shirt was beyond tattered. Yet Percy Jackson had two torrent of waves at his side crackling with lightning. And as quick as sound, he unleashed them at the feet of the two Gods' who attacked him.
He coughed more blood, but his glare did not lose any intensity. "Disgusting." He muttered looking at the King of the gods. It was heard loud and clear. "Sometimes, I wonder who the real monsters are." The water from the waves levitated in the air, drop by drop.
"I'm leaving. No one will stop me." He said. He gave Aphrodite a look that no one noticed. Suddenly, all the water turned to thick mist. Even with the speed that Poseidon cleared it, it was too late. Percy Jackson was gone.
An hour ago
Percy never really thought of himself as a seriously power hungry person. In fact, he cringes at all he's gained for himself for the past few years— somethings are just too much. But, sometimes (and right now was one of them), he wished he could just make himself give in. Take the power that's been egging him, the power that's been begging to be claimed. He doesn't really crave the power, but he was just getting tired of fighting it. Tired of making himself barely able when such delicious power was begging him for consumption every single second of his life.
Such was his thoughts when he had to fight for his life as he swam the seas from the Beyonds. The waters were more rough than usual. His father must have been having quite the fit. Percy dragged himself out of Montauk waters. His eyes were droopy and a good night's sleep was probably a good idea.
Then, for a second, his vision went dark.
Stay strong, Balítsa.
Percy crumbled to his feet as his vision returns. Then darkness again.
I will feed on you tonight. Thank me tomorrow.
Shit, he thought, color coming back to his eyes for good now. Shit. What the hell was Bia talking about? Bia never went as far as sapping him when he had just drained himself up. Did he do something wrong? This was too much for just a punishment. Yet—she had called him Balítsa. Percy scoffed at it. Bia had taken amusement went she had discovered 'nicknames' and decided that she would 'grace Percy with one' and call him her little ball of energy. It was too long. She settled for 'little ball' instead, even though Percy tried to tell her that 'Percy' was already a nickname.
Bia only called him that when he had pleased her somewhat—as much as personifications can ever be pleased, if they ever are. Percy groaned in frustration. He felt a chill in his spine. Bia. The rough seas. He could feel darkness and death—his death? Again, he scoffed. Oh how he wish it was. As if the fates would ever bless him and kill him as easy as that.
A shift in darkness.
With such painful effort, he had his sword threateningly pressed on the intruder's neck. Said intruder had his hands up. His dark eyes blazed with exasperation and—a chill ran down Percy's spine. He could see a frantic madness in Nico's eyes.
"Where the fuck have you been?!" Nico exclaimed, shoving Percy's sword off.
Percy gave him a confused look and had just enough time before Nico engulfed both of them in shadows.
Of course, by the time they got there, it was already too late. They were greeted by such a horrifying sight that would forever be engraved in Percy's mind. Nico's blood ran cold and he was frozen in his spot. Something caught his eye. There was someone watching them. He could feel it. Percy, however, didn't notice it at all.
All he could do was whisper "No." before running towards the two dead bodies lying on the apartment floor. He checked for their heart beats even when it was obvious they had none. Parts of their stomach had been eaten by whatever monster had did this to them. He cradled them to his chest. And then.
He remembered. Not two bodies. Three.
"No." This time he sobbed and the whole building shook as it did.
"LET ME GO!"
Percy looked at Nico instead of where the voice came from. Nico's hands were fisted, a tear drop running down his cheek. Percy did not need to look at where the voice came from. Nico had him trapped. Their intruder was wrapped in darkness and said darkness was steadily moving towards them. Percy's blood was boiling. He knew the owner of that voice.
Nico put their intruder between them, still trapped in shadows. Nico revealed his face. The little fucker was smirking. Percy growled and the smirk was wiped off his face. He trembled as Percy stalked to him closer his eyes burning with energy. With every step Percy took, the building rumbled. He yelped as Nico bound him tighter with the darkness he controlled.
"I didn't kill them! I swear it on the Styx!"
Thunder rumbled in the distant. Percy showed no reaction. "Pry his mind," he barked Nico. The darkness engulf all the whites in their intruder's eyes. And then Nico was suddenly on top of him punching him as the darkness grabbed his neck in an attempt to choke him. He made inhumane sounds trying to make please.
"Stop! Please!"
Percy's head swiveled to the owner of the two voices. There he saw Dray and Dee, every inch of skin he could see, bruised and wounded.
"SHUT UP!"
That was all Nico replied to them as he continued to punch the son of Zeus. Percy went to him. "What did you see, Nico?" Percy ignored the other demigods' continuous please to stop. But Nico just continued with his punching. And only when Nico felt Drew's soul nearing death did he let the darkness ease its grip on the boy.
Drew gasped desperately. Nico was still punching him, but it held no force. At this point, he was just openly crying. And it was Percy this time who was rooted to a spot. Percy asked him again what he saw, there was a crack in his voice. The presence of the bodies behind him was smashing through his heart.
Nico sobbed, "Nothing. He watched them, Percy. He watched them as monster after monster came after your parents. He watched, and he laughed." Nico spat.
Percy picked Nico up and put him aside as he cries for their loss. He stepped on Drew's chest who was sprawled in the floor still trying catch his breath. Percy stepped on him harder. "Tell. Me. Why."
All he got was incoherent sounds. He stepped on his chest harder and demanded him again for answers before he loosened the pressure in his foot. Drew wheezed. He took a big gulped of air and spat-wheezed at him "Y-you took everything—", he gasped for air, "—from me!".
Nico hissed. "Percy! I thought you did it subtly." Nico's head swirled. This is bad. This is really bad. If he knew, then he could expose Percy's connections to Energy. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Percy just snarled. He stepped harder on Drew again. "He's been talking to you isn't he? He's the one who told you." Drew gasped. Percy leaned down and whispered to his ear, his hand slamming Drew's chest. "This is how it's going to be," Percy starts, his voice sounded like Death and his scythe.
"I'm going to let you breath. And then, you're going to talk. If the first thing that goes out of your mouth is not what I tell you to say, I'm going to make your blood boil until it kills you. Understand?"
Drew nods his head frantically. "You will say, 'I swear on the River Styx to never let anyone know of what Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, son of the mortal I watched being murdered, has done to my powers. Nor will I tell anyone or anything about any of my knowledge of Perseus Jackson's powers. I will not tell them or reveal to them or express to them about all these in anyway whatsoever to anything or anyone. I will not utter or express these in anyway till my soul is destroyed.'"
Percy let's go of the pressure on Drew's chest. The tendrils of darkness over his hands and arms do not, however, let him go completely. Drew gasped for a few more breaths before he desperately utters what Percy has told him to say.
"Now let me go!" He spat.
Percy snorted. "No. I'm not yet done with you." Percy pulled Riptide out. Drew's eyes widened. "You said you wouldn't kill me if I swore!" He pleaded. Percy just scoffed at him as he slashed Drew's shirt open.
Drew's screams filled the air as Percy drew. Riptide was definitely not in pen sword as he scarred Drew. It was in the middle of this did the flash of silver appear. He heard Thalia gasped behind Drew's screams. She went pass him to check the bodies, if it were real. He could feel the other hunters search around the apartment and help Dray and Dee up.
And he could feel the goddess of the Hunt calmly walked towards him. He did not care. He went about his drawing.
Nico stretched his arm at his side, blocking Artemis's path as she was a few steps behind him now. "No." Nico dared to say. "He's not done making him scream yet." Nico's eyes didn't leave the sight of Percy etching a Trident covering the whole of Drew's chest. Artemis was taken aback, yet she let what the boy said slide.
Artemis pushes the demigod's arm out of her way; she met little resistance. When she reached Perseus, he stretched out an arm with his point finger up, as if to say, 'one moment.' With one final scream from Drew, he etched the last line on his chest with his sword and Percy spat at him.
Artemis's eyes were hard. She wanted this tragedy to be over quickly. She did not wait for Percy to speak or look at him. She touched his shoulder and teleported him straight to Olympus. Then she looked at Nico.
"Go to him. He will need someone to control himself." The goddess said. The last of Nico's tears dried, and then darkness. He was gone.
Yes, the goddess felt grief over the death—especially with the loss of a childbirth. But they were on orders. "Thalia, compose yourself." She ordered her lieutenant who was kneeling, with teary eyes, beside the dead bodies. The dead bodies of the closest things she had to parents. The closes thing she and Nico had to parents.
"Yes, mistress." They went to the other demigods. Drew, Dray and Dree were being given first aid by the hunters. Drew was in tears. Dray looked like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were open eyed but the colors were dull, his lips paler than usual.
Artemis turned to the girl. "The Council will be complete soon. So I hope I only ask you of this once, child. What happened?"
Her voice was shaky. But after a moment, she responded. "Chiron had sensed a large number of monsters—a very large number of monsters—enter the city. He sent a number of teams to protect the mortals and diminish their numbers.
"Drew volunteered right away—I don't know why. He's not usually keen on this unless it's for a quest. The monsters…it was weird. It was like they were looking for something. The groups split up like we planned. But Drew wanted to split from us too. He said he wanted to check on something.
"We got worried because he's been acting weird. We followed him. He went here. By the time we found him, monsters were already attack inside the apartment. The other mortals had flee. And Drew…" She sobbed.
Artemis urged her. "Yes? What did you find?"
"Drew was there h-hiding, watching these two mortals getting killed by monsters. Just watching! I swear we didn't know they were Percy's parents. I swear! And I swear we tried saving them! Swear it on the River Styx! There were at least five of them and by the time Dray and I killed the four of them—the two mortals were dead. And the last of the monster was already starting t-to eat them. We killed it too.
"But we got injured and weak from fighting them. All I remember after that is passing out and coming to back and forth till Percy and Nico arrived." she started to cry here, adding a soft, "We're so sorry."
Drew's screamed pierced through the air. Thalia had rammed her spear through him after the daughter of Poseidon finished her story. Artemis gave Thalia a sharp look before sighing. She teleported everyone to the throne room. It was best to start the council soon. Who knows how this night would go.
A/N:
Now you know why guys :)
Two updates in one day! Whoa, yeah. Just making up for the half year I've been gone! (Pls forgive the grammar, it's been too long and I was too excited to write again so...hehehe so sorry!)
APRIL: Hope your still with me? Your review was very much appreciated! Hope I don't tire you out with all this and with the pace I update! Thank you so much for your kind words!
I hope the chapters I post are decent and that they still make sense guys. I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense anymore because of all the time away from it, tell me and I'll see if we can fix the problem!
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