~A/N~ Just wanted to say thank you all for continuing to read the story. I've noticed a lot more traffic flooding in with viewership rising lately. That's always a great motivator for me to continue writing. If you'd like please upvote and comment so I can get feedback and also bring in even more viewers. Thanks and enjoy the chapter.
A week had passed since he had arrived at Camp Freedom. A week of absolute uncertainty, nervousness, learning and most importantly fighting.
"Get up, Fletcher! Get back in formation!" The blonde demigod could hear from Centurion Zhang standing above him. Spitting out a mouthful of dirt, he got back into rank and raised his shield high to avoid the onslaught of blunt arrows that rained down upon them. He could see where the archers were hiding in the trees but right now, they had their backs to the wall. Behind them was the river and in front of them was the enemy, the sixth cohort led by Centurion Di Angelo. The son of Hades had personally seen to it that Fletcher's cohort, the fifth, would never have the chance to go on the offensive. Surrounding them with not only the sixth but also skeleton warriors had certainly limited their ability to do anything besides raise their shields and wait for an opportunity. An opportunity that Fletcher didn't even know if they would get the chance to have.
"Frank, what's the plan here, man?!" Dakota, the son of Bacchus and also the second in command of the fifth, yelled out as he dipped his head above his shield to get a view of the battlefield in front of them.
"We need to take out those archers before we charge! If we don't, we'll just be picked off to the last man!" Frank responded before ordering his archers that were in the back of the ranks to open fire. Fletcher watched as enemy archers fell off the trees as they were hit. Before he knew it the archers had fallen back leaving only the sixth's infantry. Frank was the first one to charge into the enemy lines with his cohort quickly following behind, the sound of metal clanging on metal and war cries soon filled the air. Fletcher could feel adrenaline flood his veins as he made first contact with the enemy. Ducking as a rogue demigod came flying over their shield wall, he quickly used his pommel and rammed it into their gut, rendering them unable to fight any longer. Quickly turning back around, he slashed at a sword that came mere inches from his face before delivering one of his own.
Soon, the world became a blur and the only thing he could comprehend was the need to fight and survive. Hack. Slash. Duck. Those were the words he repeated in his head. It was an amazing feeling, something he had never experienced before. Just throwing all thought out the window and instead just fighting was liberating in a sense. But all good things must come to an end. From the corner of his eye, he watched in slow motion as the backside of a sword came into contact with his face. His helmet took the brunt of the strike, but the force was enough to send him flying backwards. Groaning into the dirt once more, he angrily realized that he was out of the fight now.
Craning his head upwards he watched the sixth with the son of Hades at the front slowly eliminate his cohort one by one. With not only the demigods but also the skeleton warriors Nico conjured surrounding them, there wasn't much they could do except fight to the death. Thankfully no one would be dying today considering this was only a war drill between two cohorts but still it was useful to treat this like a real scenario.
"That's game! The fifth is eliminated!" The loud voice of Will Solace yelled out, immediately running with his medical assistants behind onto the battlefield to help any injured demigods. Watching the son of Apollo rush over to Nico to scan for any injuries, he failed to realize that he was being picked up.
"On your feet, Fletcher. Laying on the ground isn't befitting of a man in the fifth." Frank said, dusting the dirt off his armor.
"Sorry." He replied, the regret in his voice very obvious.
"What for?" The centurion asked with confusion.
"Losing. Getting eliminated like that so easily and not being able to help my squad." Fletcher replied, spitting the dirt out of his mouth in shame.
"Bro, you've only been here for a week." The son of Mars put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "It's gonna take time for you to learn how to properly fight."
"I know but I just feel like dead weight. I'm tired of being someone that no one can count on."
"Fletcher, look at me. You're not dead weight. There's a reason Percy put you in my cohort. He saw something in you, and I trust his judgment. With time and training, I'm sure you'll see that too but for now you gotta pay your dues. Besides, don't get to upset about the loss. That's only the third time the fifth has lost a war game and Nico's a son of the big three. It was gonna take a miracle for us to win."
"Understood, sir. Thanks. We still sparring after dinner?" Fletcher asked, feeling more at ease now thanks to Frank's words.
"Of course. I'll see you then." Frank replied before walking away, giving him one last wave before disappearing in the crowd of demigods. Fletcher sighed as he walked over to the armory. He returned his armor he had on before beginning to trek to his house. He needed to take a shower before it was time for dinner. Walking through the camp, he waved at some familiar faces before arriving at House Rocky. Opening the door, he was immediately greeted with a large, slippery tongue licking his face.
"Gods!" Fletcher cried out as he tried to block the onslaught that befell upon him. Falling backwards from the sheer amount of weight on him, there was nothing he could do except wait until the bear on top of him got bored.
"Rocky, get off me!" He yelled out. Thankfully, the large grizzly had actually listened to his pleas and took his paw that was the size of Fletcher's torso off. Heaving for air, he glared at the bear who only had a look of mocking innocence on its face.
"Not cool, man. Not cool at all." He glared at the bear who only gave a snort in reply before walking over to his cozy rug he liked to sleep on. Rolling his eyes, Fletcher continued to make his way deeper into the house. Climbing up the stairs to floor three where his cohort lived, he quickly walked inside before beelining to the showers. Thankfully no one was here yet because they were probably still down at the war game field.
Because of that it gave him plenty of time and warm water to relax and get ready for dinner. It wasn't often he got to experience hot water because with over twenty people on this floor and with him being the lowest of seniority which meant he always took showers last. And being last meant no warm fucking water. Letting the element do its work and get all the sweat, grime and now slobber off of him, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
Thinking back to Frank's earlier words, he couldn't help but beat himself up. He knew that what his centurion had said was right, but he couldn't help but think he needed to get stronger. Faster. Better. And what did he mean when he said that Percy saw something in him? What could that be? Because in his own eyes, he was a nobody. Dead weight. Why was he put in the fifth cohort, one of the best in terms of fighting capabilities?
Deep in his thoughts, he was interrupted by voices of his cohort walking into the room. Deciding it was best not to think about such things for now, he cut off the water before getting ready for dinner.
"Fletcher! Where have you been man?" Mike Shelby, a son of Ares, asked him with a smile on his face. Turns out the guy had only arrived a week earlier than him so they became friends quickly thanks to being freshmen together.
"Just took a shower and about to head down for dinner. Better hop in there before the hot water is gone." He replied with a smug smirk on the now horrified Mike's face.
"Oh, you son of a bitch!" The son of Ares yelled as he pushed through the crowd towards the showers. Laughing at his friend's misfortune, Fletcher put on some comfortable clothes before making his way down towards the dining pavilion. He still couldn't help but be amazed by Camp Freedom's beauty. With the sun just setting behind the mountains around them, it gave an almost ethereal orange glow to the camp. Not to mention Hazel's tree that stood proudly in the center giving the environment around them a warm, cozy feeling. Apparently, it gave off an aura similar to the Golden Fleece, something he didn't know too much about but had heard the stories from some of the other campers around him.
"Hey, Fletch!" A girl's familiar voice called out to him. Turning around, he was greeted by the sight of Abby who had a big smile written across her face. Involuntarily gaining a smile of his own, he waved back in greeting.
"Fletch? What's that about?" He asked as the duo fell in line together as they continued to trek towards the pavilion.
"Just a nickname. I think Fletcher is too long." She replied.
"Fletcher is a cool name. I see no reason for a nickname." He replied just as easily, causing her to laugh. Gods he was infatuated with her even though they had only known one another for a week now. He couldn't help it. Abby was easily the most beautiful girl he had even seen. With a personality to match and an even better figure, she was perfect to him.
"Guess I'll just have to come up with a better one then." She teased which made him roll his eyes. The two continued to converse about nothing that truly mattered with one another until they finally arrived at the pavilion which was already crowded.
"I'll talk to you later, okay!? Abby yelled out over the noise to him before walking towards a table. Watching her leave, he couldn't help but gain a jealous feeling as he watched the daughter of Apollo sit down next to an older looking guy. His eyes gained a darker color as he watched the guy's arm sling itself over her shoulders. Seeing her laugh as she leaned in closer to the guy was enough to sour his mood for the rest of the night.
His name was Jake Mcgail, a son of Bellona and one year older than both him and Abby. The two weren't dating but they were getting awfully close to it, much to Fletcher's despair. Jake was another reason as to why he wanted to train harder. Beating a son of Bellona was a really difficult task to do for someone like him, a son to who knows whatever God. And it seemed Abby liked guys who were physically capable, something he currently was not at the moment. That's why he asked Frank, one of the biggest guys in camp, to help train him. Yeah, one of the reasons he was doing this was for a girl. So what?! Almost all of human history was caused by guys going after women. This was just another chapter to add to it.
After getting his meal, he sat down with Mike and some other familiar faces before digging in. With his mood sour, it wasn't difficult for his table mates to understand what had transpired.
"Forget about it, Fletchy." Mike said from his side with a mouthful of food. "Abby is way too far out of your league, my league. Hell, even pretty boy Cupid's league over there." He pointed at Justin, a son of Aphrodite.
"Fuck off." Fletcher muttered as he sorrowfully picked at his plate. The table laughed at his misfortune before discussing other topics about which girl was the hottest in camp. Which had the best tits or ass. He didn't pay any attention to it. Abby was the only one he cared for and one way or another he'll figure out a way to make her look his way. Deep in his thoughts, he failed to realize that the most influential person in camp had walked into the pavilion, causing all noise to stop when he raised his hand for silence.
"I need all centurions, lieutenants and war veterans in the war room in five minutes. Don't be late." Percy Jackson announced to everyone before disappearing in a green mist. Fletcher never knew Percy had that sort of power. Matter of fact he didn't really know what powers the leader of their camp had. He's heard the stories but Percy rarely ever participated in war games so he could never see him actually use them. And if he's ever out killing monsters, he's with the first, a very secretive cohort that would never spill its secrets. Especially secrets that pertain to just how powerful Jackson actually is.
"Holy shit. Must be serious." Mike said, being the first to break silence.
"Why do you think that?" Fletcher turned back to his table.
"Last time the council of uppers had met, it was before a huge monster outbreak struck the camp. Only reason I can see them convening now is because something big is about to happen."
Fletcher couldn't help the apprehension that flooded his veins. He wasn't ready to face a monster just yet. He needed more time and training. Training that he guessed he would have to do on his own tonight since Frank would be busy with the meeting. Sighing once again, he picked up his plate before discarding it. He didn't even say goodbye to his friends. Instead, he went straight for the arena.
~X~
Percy slowly looked around the table, trying to gauge the reactions of all that were there. With close to thirty people sitting around him, it was difficult to assess how they truly felt but the vibe in the room was that of mostly confusion and maybe even a little bit of apprehension.
"Are we sure?" Jason piped up from his side.
"Unless someone is lying but I would see no reason as to why they would." Percy replied before continuing. "So that's why I'll ask once again. Did anyone, and I mean anyone, attack or even come across a band of monsters in the last three weeks?"
A chorus of no's went around which made Percy rub his brow. It didn't make any sense but that cyclops he had come across the other night wouldn't have said what he did for nothing. If no one from Camp Freedom had come across that monster camp, then there was only one logical explanation he could think of.
"Then that means we got new players in town."
'Are we sure? Couldn't it just be some rogue demigod who's looking for camp?" Travis asked, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.
"Then why would the cyclops have said demigods? That's insinuating multiple." Katie responded to her boyfriend. Percy couldn't help the smirk that formed on his face as he watched the bickering couple despite the situation. It had reminded him of Annabeth's and his early days. The thought of her was becoming more and more frequent by the day for him. He couldn't help it. He still loved her despite the fight they got in that night. He hoped she still felt the same even after he decided to leave camp. He wouldn't put it past her though to move on from him. He's left her twice now and this time on his own accord. But even after all this time he's still held on to hope. Call it lover's ignorance; he didn't care. He just hoped the next time he saw her; she would at least give him a chance.
And with Jason and Piper having a baby, it only dampened his mood even further when it came to him thinking about Annabeth. What possibilities he might've had with her if he had chosen to stay. Would they have gone to college together? Stayed at camp and teach the younger generation? Start a family? He often had those thoughts about what could've been but now that he was all the way out here in Alaska, that's all they were. Merely wishful thoughts. Nothing more. It wasn't like he didn't have opportunities to move on from her too though. There were plenty of women here who have offered themselves to him but with all that he and Annabeth had gone through, it would have to take a really special girl to make him move on from the daughter of Athena. Truthfully, he didn't know if he really wanted to move on. He was too busy managing camp along with many other things. Having a relationship on top of that would be almost too much even for a guy like him. Deep in his thoughts he failed to realize that Jason had asked him a question.
"W-What?" He blurted out, slightly shaking away his disorientation.
"I said what do you want us to do now that we know there are demigods out in the woods?" He repeated, giving Percy a concerned look. It wasn't like him to space out in important meetings such as these.
"Right well…We don't actually know just how many demigods are out there nor do we know their intentions. That doesn't mean we relax and let the problem fix itself. That's why I want a twenty-four-hour perimeter watch around camp with members of each cohort rotating shifts every two hours."
"Understood."
"My cohort will also do scouting runs during the day to see if we can spot any signs of demigod activity. I'll issue a no contact rule, only observation in case we do actually come across them. Once we have more information than we can figure out what to do from there." He continued, satisfied that everyone seemed to agree with his plan. After discussing more details late into the night, everyone was beginning to tire. So, with the arrangements now in place, Percy dismissed them. Each centurion was to tell their cohort what was taking place and what their role would be first thing in the morning. As for him, he stayed behind his desk and looked on the computer for anything that could benefit camp. That's what he usually did during his down time. Typically, he liked to search up information regarding the mortal town a few miles away from them. What new stores were being built. What supplies were being distributed. Today however, there was something very different that came across the home screen of the Pine Wood's news section.
"Military base Fort Wainwright finally abandoned due to multiple safety and health concerns." He muttered to himself as he continued to read the article. Now this was something that interested him greatly. If they could snatch some supplies from that base such as guns, vehicles and other equipment, it could benefit Camp Freedom greatly. But that was an issue for another time. Now, their focus needed to be situated on the rogue demigods. Exiting out the tab, he brought up Hephaestus T.V. Well, it was more of a website rather than actual T.V channels but it still kept up to date all the news going around the immortal world. He didn't like to check the website often due to him trying to keep away from godly affairs but curiosity about what was going on back home made him check in every so often. Scrolling through, it was mostly just boring advertisements or news about what God cheated on their spouse this time. Percy always got a chuckle when he saw videos of Gods getting cussed out by both their spouse and the person they cheated with at the same time. It was almost like MTV.
About to close the tab and call it a night, his eyes caught something at the bottom right of his screen. Something that made his heart jump out of his chest.
"Camp Half-Blood attacked in the middle of the night by…PAY ONE DRACHMA TO CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE."
Percy yelled in frustration as he quickly tried to pay. Camp was attacked! How?! Who in their right mind would attack?! It couldn't have been Gaea or Kronos's forces. Without their leader, they were simply too stupid to successfully attack camp. Was anyone hurt? Killed? Then his mind flashed Annabeth's face which made his finger tap on the mouse even quicker. He needed to know if she was ok? If she survived. But after he had paid his subscription and the article opened up for him to continue, Nico barged into his office.
"Percy!" The son of Hades yelled out, causing Percy's head to snap away from the screen.
"What?!"
'Something is going on back at your mother's place in New York! I felt Paul's soul enter the Underworld and Sally's is slowly draining from her body!" The younger boy yelled frantically, almost to the point of hyperventilating. He loved Percy's mother like he would if she was his own. She took him in and treated him no differently than anyone else which he appreciated. To feel her soul suddenly be drained like that was scary. The feeling of fear that he rarely ever experienced seeped deep into his bones at the thought of losing her. Without another word Percy pushed past his cousin as he desperately ran towards the river inside the valley. He ignored all those that tried to stop him, even pushing one poor boy harshly onto the ground in an effort to get to the body of water as quickly as he could. Once arriving he noticed an old familiar face he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Percy!" Thetis yelled out to him, waving for his attention. But the son of Poseidon didn't care for what she had to say. The only thing that raced across his mind was getting to his mother's apartment.
"Not now, Thetis!" He yelled back as he tried to jump into the river but was stopped by the Goddess.
"Percy, you need to listen to me! Camp Half-Blood was attacked, and Zeus is fram-"
"I DON'T CARE! MY MOTHER NEEDS ME!" Percy interrupted her, his anger causing the river to violently churn along with the ground beginning to shake heavily. Thetis was thrown back by her Lord's son's anger, flinching at the poisonous green eyes that glared into her soul. Pushing the Goddess back with all his might, he sent her flying backwards into the water before jumping in it himself, letting the current take him into the ocean. His heart pounded heavily, and his veins raced with adrenaline the likes he had never felt before as he pushed his powers to the limit to take him to the Gulf of Alaska. Images of his mother's face flashed inside his head as he swam. There was no way she could be dying. It was his mother! One of the strongest women he had ever seen. Surely she could survive whatever was being thrown at her?! He would make sure of that! He'll get there in time and save her and his sister. By Hades he'll get there! He had too.
With speeds that would tear the flesh off a mortal, Percy pushed his limits even harder once he arrived at the Gulf in a mere minute. Now that there was only open water, he could swim freely. Dipping his head, he rode the currents as they took him to his destination. Already forming a plan, he figured that once he arrived in the Atlantic, he would mist travel to his mother's apartment considering he was close enough to do that without it sapping all his energy. Once he got there however, he needed to be quick. The Gods would feel his presence and would do everything in their power to get him. He will deal with whatever threat laid before him, save his mother and take her and his sister back to Camp Freedom where they could be safe. The thought of his mother and sister experiencing the camp he had built and seeing their awed expressions eased his mind somewhat despite the situation.
After another minute of intense speeds, he somehow knew he had arrived at the Atlantic Ocean due to the water being much colder. Without any hesitation, the son of Poseidon used his powers to mist travel to his mother's apartment in New York. Appearing in front of the door, he quickly kicked it down with all of his might. Running in, the first thing he noticed was the intense smell of blood thanks to the rich iron in it. Next was the battered bodies that littered the floor. He spotted Paul's body leaned up against the wall, a kitchen knife hung loosely in his lifeless hand. It seemed he had tried to stop whoever had broken in but sadly failed. His dead, bloodshot eyes stared in the direction of Percy's next target, his mother. Turning his head slowly towards her, he could see that she was still alive but barely. Blood pooled around her body as she strained for air.
But what made his blood boil however were the three men that surrounded his mother, standing above her with their weapons soaked in her blood. By the gleam of slick bronze that shone despite the darkness that encompassed the apartment, Percy knew that they were celestial bronze swords. Demigods. His own people matter of fact seeing the beaded camp necklace that hung around their necks. He could feel his teeth beginning to crack due to the amount of force he was biting down upon them. Demigods?! His own people!? His own fucking people had done this to his family!?
'Hey! Who the fuck are you?!" One of the men said in a snobbish, stuffy tone.
"Yeah, get the fuck out of here, kid. Before we do to you like we did to this bitch here!" The other said, waving his sword around which sent blood flying not only on the walls but also Percy's face. His own mother's blood…on his face. Despite the darkness that was already around the room, it seemed to get even darker with the only light being from the hallway, illuminating Percy's back giving him the look of a silhouette. The entire building began to shake along with a storm the likes the east coast had never seen before began to brew outside. The windows strained against the harsh battering winds as the demigods stared at one another in silence, not knowing what kind of hell was about to befall upon them.
"Kid, I-I don't want to hurt you! Just fucking leave before I change my mind." The demigod threatened but his tone had changed to that of uncertainty. Seeing the silhouette of the man in the doorway being much larger than that of their own, they knew they weren't dealing with a kid despite their words. Hell, they weren't dealing with a man either judging by the suffocating aura coming from him. No…No…They were dealing with something else.
Percy didn't respond to their loose threats. Instead, his eyes could only stare at his mother's own that silently pleaded for help. She knew who was standing in the doorway despite the darkness that surrounded him, and she couldn't have been happier for his arrival. Giving a dip of her head, that was all it took for Percy to slowly bring out his pen from his pocket. The sudden movement made the demigods get into a defensive stance. With the quietness of the room, the sound of Riptide's bronze metal expanding into sword form caused the men to shrink back. The dim light that the legendary sword gave off illuminated half of Percy's blood splattered face which had a fierce scowl written across it. His one eye that could be seen bled a poisonous green that would make even Hades cringe.
"O-O-O Oh dear Gods." One boy whispered as he realized what they were up against. His legs shook heavily as they tried to support his weight but with Percy's aura weighing down on them, they might as well have turned into jelly. Another boy simply dropped his sword before running out the window. The deafening sound of glass breaking filled the room along with the faint noise of the guy screaming before he splattered on the sidewalk below. He was definitely killed considering they were on the top floor of the apartment. The last boy was perhaps the most confident one as he defiantly stared at Percy. He spat on his mother's body as he began to circle the son of Poseidon. No, he wasn't the most confident. Just the dumbest.
"I don't know who you are, but you'll regret going against me!" He yelled as he charged at Percy.
"NO Josh, wait! That's Percy Jackson!"
But it was too late for the kid. With a simple wave of Percy's hand, the poor boy named Josh became unrecognizable as his body was crushed by an unseen force. The sound of bones breaking and blood boiling at temperatures that the human body couldn't handle had turned the demigod into something that was more akin to a red paste rather than an actual person. The remaining survivor could only let out a strange yelp as he watched his friend get annihilated in less than a second. He watched as the son of Poseidon walked closer and closer to him. Every step he took caused the very building to quake and the storm outside only seemed to get stronger.
"Since you know who I am, I'll let you live for a little longer." Percy said, lifting the boy's terrified face with the tip of Riptide. Opening his eyes, the lone demigod could only describe what was in front of him as a God. With his green eyes staring into his very soul and powerful aura surrounding them, the son of Poseidon looked every bit like one. And if there was one thing the boy knew about Gods, it was that they were not merciful.
"Tell me who sent you here now. If you answer quickly and truthfully, I'll make it quick." Percy said, causing the boy to involuntarily piss his pants.
"I-I-It was Zeus! Zeus sent us. H-He didn't tell us who the lady was! Just that she needed to be dealt with. If I had known she was your mother I wouldn't have done this I swear! P-Please let me-"
The son of Poseidon didn't let him finish the sentence, finding out all the information he needed and the kid's usefulness nonexistent, he rammed Riptide straight into his skull, instantly killing him. Not wasting a moment, Percy was instantly at his mother's side as he tried to stop the bleeding. She had multiple stab wounds across her torso, but he decided on applying pressure to the biggest one.
"DAD! Get down here! Mom needs help!" He yelled into the air before he focused on his mother, whispering over and over again that she would be ok. They both knew that she wouldn't but the shock that overcame him wouldn't let him think anything else besides that she would live.
"P-Percy." Sally softly said, causing his frantic mouth to stop speaking. "My beautiful baby boy." She whispered with tears in her eyes as she caressed her son's cheek with her hand.
"You'll be ok, mom. You'll be ok. W-We'll get dad here and we can heal you. Y-You'll be able to live and-"
"P-Percy we both know that won't happen. It's already too late." She replied, looking down with difficulty at the holes in her chest that only continued to bleed heavily. Looking down himself and cursing his stupidity, Percy used his powers to stop the flow of blood coming out but Sally was right. It was too late. She had lost too much blood. He arrived too late.
"NoNoNoNoNoNoNo. Don't say that! Don't fucking say that!" Percy yelled with tears falling down his cheeks. Despite her time being near, Sally couldn't help but smile at the fact she could see her son's face one last time. She never thought she would ever be able to see him again after he left for Alaska. She could only thank the Fates that they gave her one last chance with her son.
"Percy, listen to me." Sally stopped his frantic yelling. He was hyperventilating but tried his best to listen. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I-I want you to know that." She wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Don't you think for a second that this is your fault, ok? I love you with all my heart, Percy Jackson. I love you so so much." Sally wept, her tears she tried to hold back for her son coming out in full force. Percy could feel her grip begin to weaken as her eyes began to lose their light little by little.
"No mom! Please! Please don't leave me!" Percy wept. His hands were shaking at this point. He could feel his body go into full panic mode. Something he hadn't felt since Tartarus. But this situation was much worse than that place. Sally tried her best to stay alive, still having more to say to her son. But what could she say with such limited time left? She had a lot of things she wanted to say. To experience. Alas, it seemed her string was cut and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Y-Y-You'll beat this world, son. You're so strong and so brave. I-I-I know you can do it." Her voice was barely a whisper by the end of it as her body began to shiver from the loss of blood. Her skin was pearly white, and her eyes had only an ounce of light left in them. Giving one last smile to Percy she leaned her head back and drifted off, content with her son's face being the last thing she could see. Percy let out a strangled wail as he collapsed onto his mother. She couldn't be gone! She just couldn't! She was the only person he had left. Without her he couldn't continue on. He didn't know how long he sat there staring at his mother's lifeless body. He really didn't care. His mind was basically broken at this point, thinking foolishly that she would magically open her eyes and be alive and well. But that wasn't how the world worked. She was gone for good and no amount of ambrosia or nectar could ever change that.
Despite the ringing in his ears, the sound of a baby crying from a different room somehow had managed to reach him. With confusion, Percy slowly stood up and shakily walked to the noise. Due to shock, his body could barely function right as he stumbled towards his destination, desperately leaning against the wall for support. Once arriving in the dark room, he noticed what looked to be a crib that was barely illuminated by the moonlight from a window. Walking closer he realized that what he was staring at was his baby sister. Someone who he hadn't gotten the chance to meet yet. Picking her up and rocky her to stop her cries, he walked over to the window to get a good look at her. Despite all the shit that just occurred, his heart couldn't help but leap with joy. His sister hadn't been killed! She had all the same features as mom which was a relief. Mom is a beautiful woman.
"Was." His shattered mind corrected much to his dismay.
Wiping a tear from her cheek, he realized he still had the blood of his mother on his hands. Seeing the red smear across his sister's pure and innocent face, he softly set her down back on the crib before heading over to the bathroom to wash his hands and get a towel to wash the streak of blood off her. Turning on the faucet, his eyes involuntarily looked at the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and facial features suken. He didn't know if it was the mirror or his eyes that had the small cracks he could barely make out and he didn't really want to find out. Looking away from the sight of the unrecognizable person in front of him, he instead focused on washing his hands. But that was even worse for his mind as he watched the red water pool in the sink. His mother's blood. Watching the blood slowly flow down the drain and disappear off his hands, he couldn't help but think he was washing away the last remnants of his mother. Any last semblance that she had once been alive.
Looking up once more after he couldn't bear the sight any longer, he noticed that his hair had begun to stand straight up. Staring deeper into the mirror to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, he realized that his hair was indeed rising. Why was it doing that? Suddenly he remembered the times he would duel Thalia and she would use her lightning powers against him. Getting hit by one of those always made his hair rise. That's when he realized.
"NOOOOO!" He screamed as he desperately ran into his sister's room. Diving towards her crib in hopes of getting them both out in time before it was too late. Sadly, once again, he was too late as the smell of ozone permeated throughout the air before the room was brightly lit up by the blue ark of lightning. Percy could feel his body begin to involuntarily dissipate in a mist before the true force of the lightning strike hit the building, causing it to crumble as if it was a mere lego toy. He was still hit by the blue ark before he disappeared, causing his eyes to roll back as he experienced intense electricity racing across his body that Thalia could never hope to duplicate.
~X~
Back in Alaska in the dead of the night, three demigods could be seen standing on a cliff overlooking a valley. They watched with fascination at the camp below them bristling with demigods. They could hear the faint sound of laughter and singing which reminded them of their own home.
"So this is Prissy's camp huh?"
"It's bigger than I expected."
Silence once again came across the trio as they realized what they were about to do. They didn't know if they had it in them but it needed to be done. The Gods had commanded it and the fallen needed to be avenged.
"You sure we can do this? Especially to our own people?"
"It's the only option we have."
'Alright then. Let's go get your boyfriend, Princess."