Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or the Olympians, nor any of the Greek gods (Unfortunately!)
Summary: Eight years ago Persephone Jackson made the wrong choice and doomed the world to ruin. The Titans won the war and dragged humanity back to the Dark Ages, raining death and pain upon those who dared to defy them.
But as it happens, hope strives even in darkness. And it rests upon Percy's shoulders to righten her the wrongs she committed and finally fulfill her destiny.
Pairings: Fem!Percy/ Zeus
Rating: M
Warnings: Contains scenes of violence, scenes of sexual nature, implied rape/non-con in the past, as well as some major character deaths
The Darkest Hour
Chapter Two
Wished in the Dark
As most important moments in the recent years of Percy's life, this one was too marked by darkness, this time in the form of the velvety blackness of a moonless night, illuminated only by the torches and fires scattered among the soldiers' camp.
The information Andrew had given her, had led her deep into the wilderness of the Appalachian Mountains, where the only living creatures seemed to be the wild animals she'd managed to glimpse through the thick forest. In fact, there were times she had been sure the soldier had sent her on a wild goose chase, despite how certain in his truthfulness she'd been at the time.
In the end though, after several days of wandering through the woods with only Hector and some insects for company, she had found it, a wide, sprawling flat space, littered with dozens of tents and small fires, a sharp contrast against the wilderness around it. Even from the distance she could see the glints of firelight against armor as monsters and demigods alike rotated around the camp and within, guarding it.
But, as ominous as it looked, the camp held none of her interest. Instead, her gaze was drawn upwards towards the rocky slope and the small flat ledge it led to, nestled at the bottom of an enormous cliff which rose higher than the light of the fire could reach, the top of it shrouded in thick darkness. Normally the cliff would not have drawn her attention as its presence so close to the camp could be explained with the tactical advantage of having one side naturally protected, but the presence of another, much smaller camp at the hilt of the rock raised her suspicion.
So, she urged Hector to circle the bigger camp, careful to keep to the shadows of the surrounding woods and at enough distance so the monsters wouldn't be able to smell her no matter what direction the wind shifted to. Soon though the terrain became too steep even for the sure-footed horse and Percy was forced to dismount or risk both of them tumbling down the slope to a rocky death at the end of it.
The climb upwards was harder than she would have thought. The darkness made it difficult even for her demigod eyes to see where she was going. Still, she managed on, ignoring the scratches the jaded rocks left on her palms, though glad the wind wasn't blowing in the direction of the bigger camp or some monster or another might actually catch the scent of godly blood even in the distance.
Reaching the ledge, Percy dropped into a crouch behind one of the bigger rocks which circled the edge of the ledge like fangs in the maw of an enormous monster, ready to devour whoever dared to step close. Even as small as the space was, the single camp fire in the middle was unable to illuminate it completely, leaving the edges devoid of light, much to the demigoddess benefit.
Her faded black cloak blended with the deep shadow of the night, with only her eyes exposed to the light, glittering somewhat ominously in the dark.
Two male guards were circling the camp, dressed in golden armor with a sickle emblazoned on the front as was common for the titans' troops. The two stars above the sickle displayed that they were demigods, something Percy had already been aware of. While the titans had taken to employing mortals in their armies as well - as there were too few demigods and monsters could not be trusted with some tasks - only demigods were burdened with important missions, for they were naturally stronger than even the best trained humans.
Peeking from behind her cover, the demigoddess kept her eyes on the guards, thinking. While she could challenge them openly and most probably win, chances were the fight would be loud enough to attract the attention of the bigger camp, which was definitely unwanted.
Knowing she had to distract the guards, Percy palmed the ground blindly, hefting a relatively small, rough rock in her hand. Waiting for the moment the two demigods stood nearby, stopping to share some words at the end of the rotation, she hurled the pebble down the slope. Pressing her back against the rock she was hiding behind, Percy listened as her distraction tumbled down the hill, bouncing off the ground and dragging some more debris down with it. Immediately the conversation between the guards halted as both of them listened to the ruckus, peering in the impenetrable darkness.
"What was that?" One of the men asked after the noise faded and nothing followed it. There was an unmistakable sound of metal ringing, indicating that at least one of the guards had drawn a sword. For a moment Percy feared that her plan would fail but then the other man spoke up, bored and tired.
"Probably just a wild animal, Dean." He grumbled, seeming exasperated at his friend's jumpiness. "I've heard that this place is swarming with mountain lions. They say it is the blood that draws them in."
"I'll go check, just to be sure." The first demigod answered, probably a younger one, still eager to prove himself and seeing danger in the smallest disruption of the night.
"Suit yourself, but don't go blaming me if you get yourself eaten by a big cat." The other man sighed, steps already moving to the other side of the camp. "I'll make one more round and go wake the others for their shift."
Percy retreated further in the shadows as one set of footsteps grew fader and another approached. She waited until the guard appeared from behind the boulder, his silhouette illuminated by the fire behind him. Thankfully he was too busy peering in the darkness ahead to notice the shifting of the air next to him as the demigoddess prepared to strike.
Swift as a snake, Percy lunged, her body unfolding from the crouch with deadly accuracy. The demigod had no time to make a sound as one hand clamped on his mouth, the other wielding the bronze dagger which sliced across his jugular. Warm blood splattered down the woman's arm but she ignored it, letting the body drop lifelessly to the ground with a dull thud while she crouched back behind the rock, a predator waiting for its next victim.
The wait was not long, as the camp was pretty small and soon, she could hear the other guard returning, having finished his round.
"Dean?" He called out, looking for his accomplice, grumbling under his breath as he could not see him. "Where is that idiot now?" With a curse, the guard made his way to the place he had last seen the other man. He was nearing a big boulder, when suddenly he stumbled onto something, falling to his knee with a curse. Blindly palming the ground for whatever it was that had tripped him, he made a low sound of shock and horror as his fingers were met with something warm and wet and sticky. Trembling fingers rose towards the light and his mouth opened to scream at the sight of blood coating his skin.
But before his voice had remembered how to work Percy was in front of him, her dagger, shinning crimson with blood, easily sinking between his ribs.
The second guard died with nothing but a chocked breath.
Breathing heavily, Percy wiped her palms against the cloth of her cloak, so her grip on the dagger would not slip because of the blood. Taking the moment to center herself she sighed, cracking her neck, eyes already drawn to the camp. "All right, let's see what you were trying to hide." With silent feet she stepped over the bodies and closer to the camp, all senses set on high alert.
The camp truly was small, consistent of only four tents arranged in a circle around the fire pit, with random wooden crates stacked next to them, probably full with provisions. The guards stationed here probably came from the bigger camp and returned there after their rotation ended, so they had no need for many comforts whilst here.
Two of the tents were obviously empty, unzipped and gaping open. But the other two were shut closed, light snoring heard from within, the other guards resting before a shift which would never come.
It was painfully easy for Percy to sneak into the tents and get rid of the rest of the guards. For a moment she was tempted to remain and search the tents in hope of finding information about more similar camps but the thought was quickly brushed away. It would be too dangerous to remain longer than she had to and chances were, the lowly soldiers had not been given information of the kind she was looking for.
Hastily exiting the tent, Percy wiped her hands against her pants, surprised to realize they were sweaty. It had been years since she had felt the familiar rush of adrenaline when fighting and now that she was so close to finally achieving something it came back in full force, sizzling her nerve endings and quickening her heartbeat.
A familiar wretched smell reached her as she made her way towards the enormous wall of solid rock which sheltered the side of the camp, making her freeze in her tracks. The stench of death and decay she had become familiar with during the last years and it hardly even bothered her anymore, but combined with the distinctive smell of a barn animal, it brought memories from a long time ago.
It took her a moment to spot the dark shape curled at the base of the cliff, an enormous chain as thick as her wrist keeping it anchored to the rock.
The Minotaur slept on a bed of naked bones and dried blood; the results of its last dinner laying half devoured a few steps away. His enormous hairy chest rose and fell in synch with his breath, rumbling growls escaping him even in sleep.
Percy cursed silently at the sight, knowing there was no chance she would be able to get close enough to kill him without alerting him of her presence. As poor as his eyesight was, Pasiphaë's son was gifted with incredible sense of smell and the demigoddess was covered in fresh blood.
Knowing her dagger would be useless against this opponent, she slid it back in the sheath at her thigh, reaching instead for the long sword hanging unused at her side. The well-oiled blade made little sound as it was drawn from the scabbard but still it was enough to alert the sleeping monster something was happening.
The Minotaur awakened with a snort, nose twitching as it sniffed the air. Percy could see the exact moment he detected her presence, obviously recognizing her scent even bellow the smell of blood and gore, dark beady eyes boring into her.
With a mighty roar the Minotaur hefted himself up, the chain straining as it was pulled taunt in the air. There was true hatred in his eyes as he beheld the demigoddess which had somehow managed to send him to Tartarus twice before.
Any chance of secrecy gone, Percy knew she had to act fast or the soldiers would be here before she had the chance to find out what they were hiding.
"Hello, old friend." She muttered; the sword gripped tightly in her hand. Silently thanking whoever had chained the monster, she took a step back bracing herself against the stones protruding from the ground as she prepared to attack. The monster was pulling against the chain, hands waving in her direction, angry roars escaping him when he could not reach her.
With grace to be admired, Percy burst into movement, her sprint breaking into a jumping leap. The Minotaur's swinging arms passed only inches from her soaring body as she reached out with her free hand, wrapping strong fingers around the edge of a black horn and using her momentum to swing herself around and onto the beast's thick neck. Sensing where this was going, Pasiphae's son bucked beneath her, trying to throw her off but she was no longer a twelve-years-old seeing a monster for the first time.
Her knees were locked securely around his neck, keeping her anchored, despite his movements. Before he could even think of trying to squish her against the rock, the demigoddess raised the sword above her head and swung down with a yell, putting all her weight behind the strike. Like a knife through butter the three-foot-long blade sunk in the monster's skull without stopping until it protruded through its lower jaw.
The Minotaur's pained bellow was cut off as he disintegrated in golden dust. Percy let herself fall as his body disappeared from beneath her, rolling into a crouch once she hit the ground. Waiting for the unpleasant jolt the fall had given her to pass, the demigoddess pulled herself to her feet, not caring enough to brush of the golden dust littering her clothes before she approached the cliff, bones cracking beneath her feet.
In the distance raised voices cut through the night, a sure indication that the alarm had been raised in the main camp.
The presence of the Minotaur right at the bottom of the cliff affirmed her suspicion that whatever or whoever was kept here must be on top of it where the light of the fire could not reach.
Laying a hand against the rock, Percy released a sound of surprise as her fingers came away wet with something which was definitely not water. The liquid glittered golden as she brought her fingers closer to inspect it, its consistency so alike blood that she would have mistaken it for it had it not been for its color.
In fact, Percy could count on her fingers the number of times she had seen such a liquid.
Ichor. The blood of the gods.
Strengthened by newfound determination, Percy slid the dagger she had used earlier out of its sheath, as well as its twin, which had remained hidden on her other thigh. Reaching up above her head, she sank one blade in the rock, thankful that she had decided on taking the enchanted celestial bronze daggers instead of the tempered steel hunting knives she sometimes preferred.
A mighty pull proved that the blade was securely lodged in the rock and Percy, now sure the improvised handle could handle her weight used it to pull herself up so that she could stick the other dagger even higher up in the wall.
It was not long before a familiar burn started deep in her muscles, her already tired body protesting every time she had to let go of one of the handles so she could grasp the higher one. But Percy had not survived years under the titans' rule by succumbing to exhaustion.
Her gaze did not move from the shades above and soon she was able to make out a shape in the darkness, a quiet ragged breathing piercing the silence. Her own breaths sped up in excitement as she climbed with new determination.
Here the rock seemed to be permanently stained gold, ichor languidly dripping down its surface and coloring her clothes as she brushed against it.
A few more steps and the demigoddess reached her destination, leaving one dagger lower so she could step on it to keep balance as she pulled herself up next to the slumped shape chained against the cliffside.
At first, she almost thought he must have been dead, so still he was, but his ragged, wet-sounding breaths indicated otherwise. His head was slumped against his chest, a thick veil of matted black hair concealing his face. The woman's gaze though was drawn to his torso which seemed to be a mass of ichor and flesh, his skin hanging in strips and ribs glinting ivory beneath the gore.
Despite having seen her fair share of gore, Percy felt bile rise in her throat though she quickly willed her stomach to calm.
Tightening her grip around the handle of the dagger, she reached out with her free hand, gently brushing her fingers against the man's closest forearm. Despite the carefulness of her touch, it seemed to startle the prisoner, his head snapping up with a strangled cry, heavy manacles cutting into his already raw wrists as he flinched at the contact.
Wild with pain and panic, familiar electric blue eyes met sea-green, recognition flashing inside as he recognized her.
"Jackson?" He whispered in a voice rough with disuse and thirst, wincing slightly as every sound grated against his dry throat. "Impossible. You are dead."
"Not yet, Lord Zeus." Percy muttered, already trying to figure out how to free him and get him off this thrice damned rock without both of them falling to their deaths. She inspected the heavy bronze manacles wrapped around his wrist, connected to the rock by thick heavy looking chains. "Can you move?" She asked quietly, glancing down as alarmed voices penetrated the silence. In the camp at the base of the cliff she could make out movement, four or five figures rushing to the tents. Knowing what they would find inside and where they would check next, the demigoddess cursed under her breath and burst into frantic movement. For now the darkness would hide them, but as soon as the soldiers approached the wall they would see the indents her daggers had left.
"We have to get out of here!" She hissed; eyes wild with urgency. The god, who had been watching the happenings bellow as well, nodded, shifting against the chains, testing his strength. A grimace escaped him as his wounds shifted, but he offered a nod, indicating that he would be able to move.
"Is there something special about these?" Percy ran her fingers over the manacles, watching as flecks of dry ichor crumbled off the surface and disappeared into the wind.
"Enchanted." Zeus breathed out in explanation, pain rolling through his body as the shackles bit into the raw skin of his wrists with every movement. "They suppress a god's power."
Humming in understanding the demigoddess moved, her grasp shifting from the hilt of the dagger still ebbed into the rock to the chain which held the god, careful not to jostle him too much at the movement. "As soon as I release your hand, hold onto me, alright?"
"This is madness!" The Olympian hissed through the pain, the new position bringing his mouth closer to her ear. "You can't bear my weight!"
"Yes, I can." Percy answered trying to project her determination through her voice. His eyes, feverish and pained as they were, held her gaze as if trying to see how serious she was. Whatever he found in her gaze she did not know but finally he voiced his agreement.
It was all Percy needed. With a deep breath she pushed herself off the rock, swinging her body over him, the dagger striking true to its mark. The chain clattered as it broke apart, half of it falling limply against the rock, the other part still attached to the arm Zeus managed to swing around her body, his cry of pain smothered against her shoulder. Percy too let out a pained sound, his added weight dragging her down, fingers slipping against the chain, red blood splashing over the gold as the metal tore the skin of her palm.
"Now what?" The god asked, his voice and breathing even more ragged than before with the added agony of her body pressing against his open wounds.
Taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts, the demigoddess quickly put a plan together.
"Can you reach the other knife strapped on my waistband?" She asked quietly, suppressing her flinch when she felt his fingers scramble down her back and waist, eventually finding the hilt of the knife. "Okay, I will hold you up enough so you would be able to stick it into the rock." Not waiting for his nod in agreement, she wrapped her free arm around him and used all her strength to hoist him up, ignoring the burning of her muscles at the strain.
The sound of the knife sinking in the stone was music to her ears and she allowed her grip to slacken, once she had made sure he was holding on tight enough. Though panting with exhaustion, the woman forced herself to move, once again wrapping her finger around the hilt of the dagger, though now it was much harder because of the blood soaking her hand and sleeve. Still, she prevailed and with a whispered 'Hold on' slashed the last of the chains which held Zeus prisoner.
His muffled cry of pain pierced her ears and she prayed to the Fates that those bellow had not heard it. "Use that to climb." She pressed the dagger into his newly freed hand and thankfully he did not need prompting to sink it into the rough stone.
The voices bellow were growing alarmingly loud as Percy unsheathed yet another knife to compensate for the dagger she had given away. It was a throwing knife, build for aerodynamic rather than swinging with much shorter grip and blade than her daggers. Still she hoped it would hold as she thrust it into the rock.
"Climb!" She ordered and heard Zeus groan as he pulled himself up, slow but at least moving. Positioning herself so she would be able to catch him if he fell, the demigoddess followed his slow progression upwards, wincing at every sound of pain which escaped him. While she knew that most people in his place would have been unable to move let alone climb without screaming, the noise he was making worried her. While she had not been quiet while freeing him - the clang the chains released at the smallest movement made it impossible to be sneaky - the voices from bellow had been louder then, hopefully concealing her actions. Now though, a sudden veil of silence had fallen over the night and it worried her much more than the shouts had.
Still, it did not stop her from climbing on, though she kept her senses on alert, listening for any indication of the soldiers' actions.
She did not have to ponder long for just as the thought crossed her mind, bright light cut through the night, burning her eyes which had gotten used to the dark. In fact, so bright was the light that tears gathered against her lower lids as a punishment for refusing to close her eyes.
Above her, Zeus moaned a curse in Ancient Greek. "A child of Hecate!" He yelled at her, or at least the closest thing to yell he could produce through his dry throat. "Climb!" Not having the time to ponder about how their roles had been reversed, with him prompting her to move now, Percy gripped the dagger pulling herself up higher than before sinking the other knife as high as she could reach.
Now at least she could see the top of the cliff raising right above them, much closer than she had dared to hope. And still the road to the top would prove to be perilous as arrows started whistling past them some sinking into the rock and others tumbling back to the ground below.
An arrow landed in the rock inches from the side of her face, making her kick off the wall with her already scratched legs, hoping it would make her a harder target to hit as well as quicken her procession upwards.
Right above her head the god had already reached the top of the cliff and was pulling himself up, much to her relief.
The relief was short lived though as arrows continued raining down on her, one of them finding purchase in the flesh of her shoulder, deep enough to scrape against the bone. Grip weakened by the sudden pain, it was enough for the knife, already slippery with blood, to escape the cage of her fingers and shoot through the air and into the darkness below.
Looking up, she found the ledge was too far up for her to be able to grasp it to pull herself up.
I'm going to die. The realization pulsed through her whole being. Bellow her, the victorious laughter and jeer of the guards indicated that they, too, knew her end was close. Arrows continued to clang nearby. All that suffering and I'm going to die skewered against a cliff.
"Jackson!" She looked up in the direction of the voice, somewhat surprised to see Zeus' face peeking from the ledge and his arm, covered in wounds and ichor, extended in her direction. She could see the desperation in his eyes as he too, realized that even with his arm outstretched, she was still too far away.
The world still needs you, Percy. Annabeth's words, uttered so long ago in the darkness of a cell, echoed across her mind and Percy found her determination, the utter stubbornness which had allowed her to survive so far, bubble inside her renewed.
Gathering the last of her fading strength, the demigoddess jumped, a yell tearing itself out of her open mouth, as her fingers found purchase around Zeus' wounded wrists. His answering cry of pain echoed through the night but he did not release her. Instead, Percy found herself being slowly pulled up, the rough jagged rocks tearing at her clothes and body as she fought not to let her fingers slip at the blood covering their hands.
Finally, finally, she was close enough to grip the ledge, using it to climb up, ignoring the sting of gravel and dust in the open wounds on her palm.
Once on the top of the ledge, both god and mortal collapsed, their breathing ragged and fast. "Thank you." Percy groaned out once she could speak, but it was only silence which answered her. Suddenly worried, the demigoddess dragged herself over to the fallen Olympian, only to find him unconscious as he lay on his back. The wounds which had been, despite their gruesome appearance, on their way to healing when she found him, now looked aggravated and torn open by the strain, dust and small rocks wedged inside them, causing ichor to flow.
Knowing she had to get him out of there before they were found, Percy forced herself to focus. Closing her eyes, she forced her breathing to calm and her mind to clear, letting her senses expand beyond the physical, searching with her mind for the one presence which could offer assistance.
Fortunately, the one she was looking for was nearby, growing alert at the first brush of her mind against his. It drained her immensely, the effort of reaching out with her mind, a power not meant for those sullied with mortal blood. Still, she pushed all her remaining strength into it, managing to make out one single word.
COME
The order reverberated through Hector's head as well as hers and she felt him startle, before tearing in her direction.
Opening her eyes, the woman groaned as the additional pain of her powers stabbed through her head, as if someone was driving a dagger into her brain and twisting it around. Usually, she would allow herself some rest after such a strain, but now she hadn't the time.
Dragging herself to her knees, she almost smiled at the sight of her approaching steed, but the muscles on her face did not have the strength even for a simple grimace. Instinctively knowing the condition of his master, the horse kneeled next to her, perfectly still as she moved the unconscious god on his back and pulled herself up behind him.
"Safety, Hector." She murmured tiredly, resting her head against Zeus' back as he lay against the horse's neck. "And do try not to be seen." Her consciousness slipped away before the horse had even made a step.
AN: Soooo, I'm alive! Yay!
Honestly I'd given up on writing for a while. I had no inspiration and adulting had completely taken over my life. Still, I am slowly easing back into it and I want to complete all my already posted fanfictions. That will include going back and editing some of them as well as posting new chapters. This one is the first of the PJO bunch to get an update, but eventually they all will, probably with Iris coming up next.
Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites and I hope at least some of you would come back to this.