I dreamt I was in a horrible nightmare.
I was a monster, ravaging a village full of ordinary people. I would cleave the men in two, violate the women in unspeakable ways before crushing their skulls, then lastly, I would devour the children whole. I reduced the whole village to ashes and corpses, covered in blood by the end. Yet, I still craved more chaos and death.
It turned out my nightmare wasn't too far off from what was happening in the real world. I recall faint visions of me fighting people, people I knew. I had a vision where I nearly bisected Piper before I was pushed away, likely by Calypso. Another where I attacked Nico who had emerged from his cabin to check out the commotion, narrowly dodging my sword as it stabbed into the stone of the Hades cabin, causing a massive crack.
The next scene reminded me of when I was possessed by an eidolon, except I was by myself this time. I didn't know where the water I summoned came from, maybe the lake, but I was summoning torrents of it as I tried to kill everything in my path. I recalled fighting Jason at some point, but I was far too much for him in my current state, whatever was in the pie had amplified my power substantially. I remember backing him into a corner, forcing him to summon his mini master bolt from Zeus, hesitating to throw it as he likely thought it would kill me. The last thing I saw before fading to black was the agitated face of Dionysus.
I awoke an unknown amount of time later, shaking like a leaf and heaving, my heat trying to climb out of my throat. I tried to sit up but I couldn't, I looked around and saw I was heavily chained to a metal cage around the bed, each limb having two tight cuffs on them along with chains wrapped around my torso that restricted my movement almost entirely. I then noticed my clothes were shredded, like I was attacked by a tiger. I looked around the room but saw no one else, I was completely alone. I didn't know what room I was in or if I was even in camp anymore. A million questions raced through my head as I suddenly remembered what happened before losing consciousness.
Did I really attack my friends? Did I hurt anyone? Did I... kill someone...? What the Hades was in that pie?! Did Katie know about it?! Annabeth seemed to recognize it too late...
I tried to call out, but no sound came out, as if I had screamed my voice out. I then realized just how hungry and thirsty I was, but I couldn't do anything about it until someone came to check on me.
If someone comes to check on me...
I laid there for who knows how long, as there were no clocks or windows and only a few lit candles around the room. I began to grow drowsy again when I heard the door creak at long last. I hastily lifted my head to see who had entered.
"Percy...?" Annabeth asked in a frightened tone as she approached slowly.
I tried to speak again but my voice was gone, so all that came out were strained gargles. I just looked at her pleadingly for help, hoping she'd understand.
"I have some ambrosia with me, it should heal your throat and the rest of your minor wounds." She whispered before pulling out a Ziploc bag with a familiar brownie inside it.
She then opened the bag and pulled out the brownie, sticking her arm between the bars of the cage before putting it in my mouth, the taste of my mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies on my tastebuds. A few moments later and I tried to test speaking again.
"Annabeth..." I whispered in a tired voice. "What... happened...?"
Tears started to pour down her face as she opened the cage and ran over to me on the bed, enveloping me in a hug as she sobbed.
"Thank the gods, you're finally back to normal...!" She bawled as she cradled my head. "I-I was s-so worried..."
"Please, tell me what happened! The last thing I remember was... pulling out my sword... Oh gods, I felt so angry! I wanted to kill something, anything, everything!" I pleaded with her. "I had these visions... I nearly killed Piper, Nico, Jason... what—what was wrong with me?!"
Annabeth slowly rose her head to look me in the eyes. Hers were bloodshot pretty badly, I also noticed some bags under her eyes. How long was I out?
"Percy, have you ever heard of the word 'berserker'? Do you know the origins of it?" She asked me shakily.
I wracked my brain for a minute, the word feeling familiar. "It means someone who attacks with wild abandon, right?"
"Yes, but that's not all. It comes from descriptions of warriors during the days of the Vikings. These warriors were known for their sheer ferocity in battle, but were also unable to tell friend and foe alike during their rampages. They would enter these trancelike states by eating a specific type of mushroom or plant." Annabeth explained to me, realization dawning on my face.
"You mean, I was drugged with a mushroom or something that made me lose control?" I asked her.
"You were definitely drugged with something, but it wasn't what actual berserkers used. Whatever was in that pie you ate, it was far more potent and powerful than any normal hallucinogen. You... didn't even seem like a demigod anymore under the effects, you were more like... a monster. You just roared and attacked everyone you saw." She said in a quiet voice.
"Please tell me I didn't hurt anyone. Please tell me that... that I didn't—" I tried to say before I choked up.
"No, you didn't kill anyone, thankfully," Annabeth said quickly, which greatly relieved me. "But... you did hurt a lot of people. You nearly smashed apart a few cabins, damaged the rest of them, the campgrounds were flooded and broken up, the whole arena is flooded, the medical tent was full for an entire day. We had to request supplies from Camp Jupiter, that's how bad it was."
"What about our friends? Are they ok?" I asked, feeling indescribable amounts of guilt.
"Our friends are mostly fine now. Argus was knocked unconscious almost immediately after engaging you and Mrs. O'Leary was too frightened and confused to fight, the poor girl. Everyone else was evacuated as far away from you as possible while Nico and Jason kept you occupied," She explained further. "Clarisse wanted so badly to go knock you senseless, but she had to stay behind and protect her godson in case Nico and Jason fell. I also think—though she'd never admit it—that she knew she stood no chance against you in the state you were in."
"Coach Hedge is still here? I thought his family left after Gaea's defeat? Where were Chiron and Mr. D during all of this?"
"Hedge wasn't supposed to leave until tomorrow—er, the tomorrow of when you attacked. Now, they're staying due to the status of the camp to help out. Chiron was the one who organized the evacuation and went to get Mr. D off his ass to aid us once it became clear that Jason and Nico weren't going to last much longer against you. Apparently, Chiron told him that Zeus wouldn't be too happy if he stood by as all of the gods' children were slaughtered. That motivated him pretty well, to say the least. You and Dionysus fought intensely for a few minutes before he finally managed to subdue you with a surprise attack. I think the battle may not have gone in his favor if you weren't showing fatigue from so much fighting beforehand, if I'm honest. After that, you were knocked unconscious and taken here to the basement in the Big House. The Hephaestus kids constructed this cage, bed, and your bindings." She finished before taking in a deep breath.
"Why was I locked up? How long have I been down here, Annabeth?" I asked in confusion.
"Mr. D insisted on it after seeing your condition. He said that he's seen what you had before but couldn't remember where or what it was for sure. He... made the right call," She whispered the last part almost inaudibly. "You... were in that frenzied state for a long time, Percy. It's been three days now, I was so worried you weren't going to recover, everyone was."
"THREE DAYS?!" I shouted in terror.
That means I only have two days left to get three more girls! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!
"This is a nightmare, it has to be!" I panicked, struggling in my chains.
"It gets worse, Percy. A lot of campers were mad at you after your assault, even after me and Chiron explained that something had influenced you. They wanted blood, and since it was clear you weren't the one at fault, they went for the next most obvious: the one who made the pie, Katie Gardner," Annabeth told me, a pained expression on her face. "Katie went into hysterics, she swore up and down that she had nothing to do with what caused you to go berserk. She even swore on the Styx multiple times during her interrogation, but most people still aren't convinced she's innocent."
"I can't blame them, I'm having a hard time not blaming her either," I grumbled honestly. "But if she really is innocent, then we need to prove it by finding the culprit. Where is Apollo when you need him?"
Annabeth made another conflicted face at my words. "That's the thing, Percy. That won't be easy to do, especially in the time frame we now have in regards to the harem. Another thing is that the camp is now under total lockdown, no one is allowed to leave or enter without Mr. D's express permission. You, in particular, are under house arrest until Chiron and Mr. D are confident that you won't turn wild again."
I wanted to wake up from this nightmare.
"I can't be under house arrest, I have too much important stuff to do! The harem deadline is in two days! I also need to prove Katie and I are innocent in this! What am I going to do?!" I raved like a lunatic, feeling like my entire life was falling to pieces.
"I know, Percy, trust me. I know. Since you're back to your old self now, we can maybe convince them that you're no longer dangerous. But, I don't know what to do about our other problems..." She murmured worryingly as she gripped her arms tightly.
I let out a frustrated groan as I knew she was right. "I don't know what to do either. Piper is probably back to being scared of me again, after all that progress we made. Hades, I bet the entire camp is terrified of me now. I have no idea where to start with helping Katie... also, can you free me?"
"I'll have to ask Chiron to free you, he has the keys. Both him and Mr. D are going to have to agree that you're stable enough first though," She said regretfully. "As for the harem, I'm not sure if you can do both at the same time either, frankly. Maybe you'll just have to choose to save Katie later."
"I can't do that, my ass is on the line too! Yet again, I only have two days left... Fuck!" I cursed angrily. "I'll have to decide what to do and quick. Go get Chiron and Mr. D so I can get out of here."
Annabeth nodded and left without saying a word. As I waited to be freed, I contemplated my options in my current situation. Two days to get three girls and to prove Katie's innocence? It seemed completely impossible. I may have just accidentally blown my shot with Piper, I've made no progress with Rachel, and I still don't know what to do about the last girl...
I then felt a stubborn indignation bubble inside me that would have made Ares blush and gritted my teeth in determination.
I'm the two time savior of Olympus, I fought the god of war at twelve years old, survived the Sea of Monsters, held up the literal sky, navigated the Labyrinth, bested Kronos and the giants. I've done the impossible many times now, I can do this!
I then decided then and there I needed to patch things with Piper—if I needed to, that is—and pay Rachel a visit and try my damndest to convince her. As for the last girl? If I can prove Katie is innocent, maybe I can convince her too. Girls have a thing for the heroic type, right? Desperate times call for desperate measures.
A while later I heard the door to the basement open, where Annabeth descended down the stairs followed by Chiron and a very reluctant Mr. D, the latter having a scowl on his face.
"Are you... back to normal, Percy?" Chiron asked carefully, like I might jump at him.
"I think so, me and Annabeth talked earlier... It's total chaos up there, isn't it?" I asked with a frown.
"It sure is, no thanks to you, Percy Jackson! Why couldn't you have turned rabid when you were twelve and I could have easily destroyed you without anyone caring?!" Mr. D yelled at me as he crushed his Diet Coke can.
"Lord Dionysus, please calm down. You know just as well that what happened three days ago wasn't the boy's fault." Chiron scolded him before turning back to me. "It would seem that despite our efforts, the enemy still managed to sneak in undetected. How they managed it, I am unsure. Could it really have been miss Gardner...?"
"Look, Chiron, there's no way it can be Katie, this just isn't something she'd do! She fought with us in Manhattan and against Gaea, why would she turn traitor now? Not to mention if she really were on their side why would she remain at camp? She would have fled the same way she snuck in those ingredients for the pie!" I blurted immediately.
"Bah, of course you'd defend her, Phineas Jacobson! You're in cahoots with each other, I'm sure!" Mr. D accused me before summoning another can of Diet Coke. "If I had my way both of you would be on your way to the Underworld!"
"It's a good thing you can't do that, then," I snapped at him before looking back at Chiron. "You gotta let me out of here! Please! I have to prove our innocence plus I still have the harem issue to fix! I've lost three days, I don't have anymore time to lose!"
Chiron sighed and stayed silent for a moment before inhaling and turning towards Mr. D. "Percy needs to be freed, Lord Dionysus. I think it's clear now that he is no longer influenced by the pie he consumed."
"I disagree, my friendly centaur. I think he is merely tricking us into thinking he's no longer blood crazed. As soon as we were to free him, I have no doubts he'd attack." Dionysus rebutted before taking a drink of his soda.
"Oh for the—I swear on the River Styx I am no longer under the influence of the evil pie and I will not turn berserk again." I said as thunder boomed overhead. "There, happy? Now if I really do go rabid the Styx will destroy me! Self-cleaning problem!"
Mr. D grumbled to himself for a few seconds before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring of keys, then tossing them to Annabeth. "Fine, free the cretin."
Annabeth nodded and quickly ran inside the cage and started undoing my shackles. After a couple minutes I was finally free and sat up, stretching and rubbing my wrists and ankles. Annabeth sat down next to me and hugged me, looking relieved that I was free again. While I enjoyed our reunion, I didn't have any time to lose now. I stood up and looked to her.
"Come on, we have work to do. First things first though, I'm going to put on some new clothes." I announced as I held my hand out to Annabeth, which she took with a smile.
I then turned back towards Mr. D. "I also need your permission to be able to come and go from camp freely, in case I need to go somewhere else during this."
"Fine, whatever. You and your friends are free to enter and leave camp at your own discretion. Just get out of my sight already, Patrick Jinkleheimer." Mr. D barked at us.
I then took hold of Annabeth's hand and took her with me up the stairs and out of the basement, then out of the Big House itself.
The second I stepped outside, I could hardly believe my eyes at the destruction I had wrought.
The stables had the roof completely torn off, the Hecate cabin was missing its door and one of its walls, the entire Hypnos cabin had all of its walls sheared off—somehow Clovis was still sleeping soundly on his bed—and the rest of the cabins also looked battered in one way or another. The Strawberry Fields had been totally flooded, along with the arena. The amphitheater was missing some tiles and the huge bonfire was gone, the archery area was missing targets, countless trees were badly damaged and the ground was muddy and all kinds of messed up like an earthquake occurred, which maybe it did since I blew up a volcano once...
"Holy shit," I gasped. "Have repairs not been made yet?"
"These are the repairs, Percy. You should have seen the state the camp was in after you were taken down, it looked like a category four hurricane and a magnitude seven earthquake went off at the same time." Annabeth told me, which just made me feel worse.
"It makes so much sense now..." I muttered as I stood there, feeling numb.
Annabeth looked at me with concern. "What does, Percy?"
"Why Piper was so afraid of me, why the rest of the seven were, why even the gods wanted to kill me... the sheer destruction I can cause is just... unparalleled," I whispered, my knees giving out, all of my bravado from earlier vanishing. "I'm a monster... Dionysus was right, I am too dangerous to let live."
I suddenly felt a stinging sensation on my right cheek and raised a hand to it, realizing I had just been slapped. I turned my head to Annabeth who was glaring at me so intensely I thought holes were going to poke through me, tears welling in her eyes.
"I never want to hear you say that again, Percy. Do you understand me? Never! You're not a monster and you know it! None of this is your fault, why do you insist on constantly taking the blame for things that you didn't cause?!" She ranted at me as she grabbed my torn shirt, pulling me up to my feet and glaring into my eyes. "What would I do if you were dead, huh?! You mean everything to me! Everything! I'd give up everything I own and severe all ties just to have you in my life! Yet you... you dare say you deserve death?! I... UGH!"
She then pushed me against the railing and kissed me fervently, her tongue pushing into my mouth as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I instinctively kissed her back, meeting her passion with my own, my arms snaking around her waist. We stood there in each other's embrace for several minutes before separating, my sea green orbs locked onto her stormy grey ones.
"You're right as usual, Annabeth. I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me..." I apologized deeply, regretting ever saying what I did earlier.
"I know you didn't mean it, I just wanted you to know how I felt about such destructive thoughts. You're my whole world, Percy, I wouldn't have the strength to continue without you at my side." She murmured softly against my chest as she pressed herself against me.
I kissed the top of her golden hair and hugged her tightly. "I feel the same way, Annabeth. That's why I risked falling into Tartarus to try and save you. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Annabeth lifted her head up and smiled lovingly at me. "I know you would, that's what I love and hate about you. You're so damn selfless, it really worries me on occasion. Just know I'd do the same as well."
"I know." I said simply before kissing her gently again one more time. "Now then, let's go. I still need new clothes and we're burning daylight."
