The Demigod Revolution

by IIAPOLLYII

He's done being their pawn. He's tired of fighting their wars, doing their quest, and seeing his friends die all for nothing. He's sick of being the Gods's plaything. Enough is enough. It's time to leave, escape from their reign and live a life that's worth living. He'll be labeled a traitor and hunted for the remainder of his days but that's ok. REMAINDER OF SUMMARY INSIDE

37. Chapter 37 : The Water of Calamity

~A/N~ JOIN MY NEW DISCORD. Just made one and got tons of stuff in there like PJO news, plug-your-fanfics-, story teasers, and a lot more. I also think we're gonna do a movie night for the new PJO show when it comes out. Here's the link

/8YRVhAMn

In case you can't join, please PM me and I'll send you a link. Enjoy the chapter!

~End A/N~

After they had captured the elf alchemist-turned-zombie, Haleth had ordered his guards to take her to a chamber to try and get information out of her. How he was going to do that considering she didn't have a lower jaw to talk, Percy didn't know but he was sure the elven king had something up his sleeve. As for them, Haleth had announced that there was to be a feast in honor of their group being the first non-nature spirits to arrive in Pangea along with a witness of Pan. The son of Poseidon was apprehensive about that since he didn't like parties that much, especially parties with him being the main guest but it seemed Jason, Will, and the hunters really wanted to stay for the night. He couldn't blame them for their eagerness. The city was really something else, on par with Olympus in terms of beauty and bigger than both the Golden City and New Rome in size. Not to mention that the people of the city seemed to be friendlier now to them. If that was because of Lyah or her father ordering them to, he didn't know or really care. As long as his friends were safe and having fun, that was all that mattered. Seeing them around the fifty-foot table, eating various foods, and dancing to music, it seemed they most definitely were.

"Look at him!" Jason and Thalia drunkenly laughed, pointing over at Percy who was the last one sitting at the table. Percy flipped them off but couldn't help his own smirk to stretch across his face. The reason they were laughing at him was because as a witness of Pan, there were certain customary measures to be taken, namely being dressed in a multitude of flower wreaths and necklaces. There had been so many wrapped around him that he looked more like a colorful caterpillar rather than a witness of Pan. He didn't dare take them off, however, to not disrespect the people or King of Pangea. Nature spirits, although kind, were not to be angered. Percy knew that firsthand from countless times of dealing with them.

"Want me to stick an arrow up their asses." Artemis said, taking a seat next to him. The demigod turned to her with difficulty since all the flowers restricted his movement. Looking at her, he could see that she too was laughing but was trying her best to hold it in.

'You too? Really?" He replied, causing the Goddess to burst out laughing. Leaning over, she gave him a deep hug, nuzzling into his neck. "You're just so cute!"

Percy stiffened, daring not to move a muscle. He could smell the alcohol in her breath as she continued to lean her entire body against him. Thankfully, the flowers acted as a barrier between him and her, not allowing him to feel all of Artemis. Looking over at the Hunters who were thankfully distracted, he tried to push her away but that only caused her to strengthen her grip on him.

"Artemis, you need to get off of me before your girls see." He said into her ear, causing the Goddess to shiver.

"Why?" She whispered solemnly.

"What do you mean why? You're The maiden goddess who hates men. What will your hunters do if they see us like this." He replied. Although he was on good terms with the hunters, he really didn't want to incur their wrath today. He might've had the curse of Achilles but that didn't mean there weren't ways for them to kill him.

"They love you, it's fine." She drunkenly whispered nonchalantly. This was Percy Jackson, the greatest demigod in all of history. Everyone loves him. Why shouldn't she?

"Artemis, for real. Get off of me." He said a little more seriously than he had intended. The Goddess lied still for a moment as if she had just been shot.

"Why do you look at Hecate and Reyna but not me?" Artemis whispered too quietly for him to hear before she got off of him and walked away without another word. Percy watched her fleeting figure with a mixture of emotions but knew it was better this way. As much as he wanted to explore his and Artemis's relationship, whatever that might be, there were other things that needed his attention more. He couldn't give his full attention to her which was something she deserved. Maybe later down the line, after the war, if he was still even alive, he would explore his options with her. For now, however, that was just out of his realm. Plus, he was still holding onto Annabeth. He knew that would do him no good but he couldn't help it. Life without her was just unfathomable to him even though he had been away from her for close to two years now. He guessed it was the hope of one day reuniting with her that kept him going despite the video Athena had shown him. The image of that guy kissing her flashed through his mind, causing an anger he rarely ever felt to bubble within him. He swore that if the video was real and that guy really was with Annabeth, he'd kill him within a heartbeat.

"Percy." A man's voice interrupted his murderous thoughts. Looking up, he came face to face with the king who had a mask of indifference on. "Come with me, please."

Without hesitation, he took off the wreaths before following Haleth to wherever he wanted to go. Walking through desolate hallways and staircases for quite some time, the two had finally ended up in the lower quarters of the palace. It was cold beyond belief down there, cold enough for him to see his breath. Opening one of the chamber doors, the pair walked into a dark room with only one light dangling from the ceiling. It illuminated a figure strapped down to a chair, its legs, arms, and head bound against it. He was glad that it was because when he walked in, the elf-turned-zombie laid its eyes on him before giving a guttural screech as it desperately tried to lunge at him but to no avail. Haleth cringed at the sight but nevertheless walked up to its side, presenting the elf to the demigod.

"We've done tests on it and have tried to access its memories. We've gotten some clues but we can't decipher them. I was hoping you could."

"What did you do to access Elanor's memories?" Percy asked, watching in slight disgust as the zombie began to wither around at the mention of her name.

"Don't say its name. It seems to trigger some type of emotional response even though it's dead." Haleth said, stepping back as the monster spat a strange liquid onto the ground. The demigod was amazed that it was able to do these types of things despite being dead. He would've thought that to only be a power of Hades but clearly, someone else had a less refined version to do so. He wondered if it was because of the substance in the red vial. Tarteric lifestream, whatever that was.

"What have you gotten out of her?" He asked, causing the blonde elf to sigh in disappointment.

"Not much. She keeps repeating "The Lord" inside her mind. For some reason, she's also repeating yours."

"Mine?" Percy asked, confused. Why would it repeat his name? As far as he knew, he didn't have any elf enemies to warrant such attention. Hell, he hadn't even met one until a few hours ago. Looking apprehensively at the monster that continued to wither around in the chair, he kneeled in front of it. Watching its beady, bloodshot eyes stare right into his own with a look that can only be described as rabid.

"What else did you see?"

"A man, in a setup similar to her basement. Red vials were everywhere. It looked to be a laboratory above an arena oddly enough." He replied, causing Percy's eyes to widen. He knew who he was talking about. The person he saw in her memories was the same one that had held Thalia captive in Antaeus's arena. The same man that had said "Hail the Lord" before slitting his own throat. He didn't know much about him since he hadn't yet been able to approach Thalia about her time with him but it seemed he would need to do so sooner rather than later. There were still missing pieces of the puzzle and the sooner they could connect them, the sooner they could find out who the Lord was and take him down before he could do any more damage with the red vials.

"I brought you here for more than that, however." Haleth said, drawing his attention away. "I'd like for you to enter her mind with my assistance of course."

"Why?" Percy asked.

"Because you might be able to decipher the clues inside her head. She's repeating your name over and over again. You're somehow a part of this strange story. I believe it's time we find out why."

Percy thought to himself if he should really attempt what the king was asking. Going inside the mind of a dead elf who'd been taken over by some strange power was probably not the best thing to do for his own health. But if doing so could help them find anything of importance and potentially stop another player from joining in on the war between Olympus and Camp Freedom, then so be it.

"Let's do it." He replied, nodding to himself.

Haleth thanked him for his bravery before placing his hand on the top of the monster's head. Closing his eyes in concentration, a pulse of light began to emit underneath his pale hand.

"Place your hand on top of mine quickly, Perseus. We don't have much time. There is too much darkness in here pushing me out." He said with strain. Doing as he said, the moment his skin had made contact, his vision was thrusted into another dimension.

"What the…" Percy said, looking around at his surroundings. It seemed he was in a dark cave, his only source of light being that of one lone candle sitting in the middle. The dim glow illuminated the walls, revealing strange red symbols. Walking closer to them, the son of Poseidon took a closer inspection, soon realizing that it wasn't just random symbols but paintings of past events as well.

Walking along the cave walls, it seemed the paintings were in chronological order like it was some sort of book telling a story. It first began with what looked to be a baby in a cradle on some battlefield. Around the infant laid only death and destruction. Countless cities, forests, and hills were burning in the background. Even the very ground beneath the cradle was ablaze.

Walking more to his right, the next painting revealed the infant now turned into a young boy carrying a sword and shield on his back. Surrounding him were ancient soldiers kneeling and praying to him, offering sacrifices such as meat, wine, and even children and women alike.

Percy felt a shiver run across his spine as he looked over at the next painting. It looked to be a scene straight out of Dracula. An entire field littered with corpses with pikes running through them. Men, women, and children, no one was spared. As far as the eye could see, there was only death. Above the field, levitating in clouds with a total eclipse above his head was the boy now turned man. He was dressed in ancient Greek armor, his arms raised to his side making it seem he was looking for praise at the destruction he had caused.

The son of Poseidon almost didn't want to look at the last painting but he needed to find out the last part of the story. These were clues that might help him unravel the mystery of what exactly was happening. Taking a step over, Percy's eyes widened as he ran his eyes over the wall.

"W-What is this?" He whispered in shock, leaning in closer to make sure his eyes weren't deceiving him. The final painting, concluding the story, was that of the man fighting three other deities around him on a mountain. The three deities, Gods symbolized by their domains of lightning, water, and death, were battling the main character, armed with only a flaming sword. Percy could easily recognize his father in the painting, his trident driven into the skull of his enemy. What shocked him even further was the flaming sword being driven into Poseidon's heart. Hades and Zeus weren't looking fair as well. The God of the underworld was on the ground, his arm outstretched towards Poseidon in agony. Zeus was the only one who seemed to still be in commission but his lightning bolt was missing and had a fair amount of ichor leaking out of him.

Percy could only stare with blank eyes at the painting, not believing that it could be true. One man taking on the Big Three and winning?! It was impossible! Plus, if it were true, why hadn't he ever heard of the story? Surely it was in the books somewhere.

Continuing to look at it, the son of Poseidon failed to see the candle in the cave beginning to flicker, cutting off his only source of light. The darkness breaking his attention away, faint whispers soon began to fill the air. Reaching into his pocket for his pen, he bit the inside of his cheek angrily when he realized it wasn't there. It seemed he would be walking blind for the remainder of his time here.

Not wanting to but knowing it was possibly his only way out of here, he began to investigate in the direction of where the whispers were coming from. Walking down the dark cave that didn't seem to ever end, the whispers began to only get louder. Caressing his ears, they were so close that he could almost imagine their breath hitting him. He couldn't make out what they were saying but the more he walked in the direction they were coming from, the louder they got. Eventually, he came upon the end of the cave, a pile of boulders blocking him from going any further. It didn't seem he needed to walk any further, however, as his eyes landed upon a woman sitting down, her back turned to him. The whispers were practically screaming in his ears at this point, signifying that it was this person responsible for them. Taking a step closer, he failed to notice a rock in front of his foot, accidentally kicking it and drawing noise to his position. Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, everything stopped. The whispers, the howl of the wind, even his breathing, it all stopped as if time had frozen.

The crouched woman craned her head upward in a startling fast and abnormal way. The demigod could only watch in horror as she began to slowly turn her neck around like an owl back toward him. The crunch of bone and tearing of muscle could be heard echoing in the cave as she rotated her neck backward slowly. Her eyes were leaking blood and she had a deranged smile written across her face.

"Perseus…Perseus…Perseus." The woman repeatedly whispered, her lips trembling. The son of Poseidon involuntarily took a step back at the sight, quickly realizing who he was looking at.

"Elanor?" He questioned. The elf's appearance, although still horrific, looked different compared to what she looked like in the real world. She wasn't missing half her face and her skin looked slightly more healthy, despite the bloody eyes and blood-stained trails running down it.

"PERSEUS!" The elf screamed out suddenly, leaping back at him with inhuman speed. The demigod fell back in shock, hitting his back against the sharp rocks harshly. Looking up, the woman was now on top of him, crying heavily, leaking both blood and saliva on him.

"Kill me! P-Please for the love of the Gods kill me!" She cried out, desperately grabbing his face to make him look at her. Percy's heart raced as he desperately tried to get her off of him but to no avail.

"He's keeping me here! He's keeping me alive so he can speak to you! Please, you have to hurry and kill me before…." Eleanor tried to warn but it was too late. The demigod could only watch in horror as the woman's eyes dilated, blinking once before revealing ominous, green eyes so similar to his own. The woman snapped her neck back in place, looking directly at him and giving a big smile.

"Oh, it's been so long since I've been able to feel pain. How wonderful it is." A man's voice said. It was deep and scratchy, seemingly as if it hadn't been used in a long time. But there was a tone of authority behind it. Powerful. He could tell just by those simple words that this was a man who no one dared disrespect. Allowing a moment of opportunity for Percy to escape since the man was too busy relishing the feeling of pain, the demigod quickly punched the woman in the face before getting to his feet.

"AHAHHAHAH, yes, yesssss! That was a good punch, Perseus! You definitely have the curse of the Styx with that iron punch of yours!" The man's deranged voice said, rolling on the ground in fits of laughter seemingly unaware that their jaw had just been broken.

"Who are you?" The son of Poseidon asked. This wasn't Elanor anymore, that much he could tell.

"I'm the man you just saw in those paintings over there." He replied, snapping his jaw back in place. Percy's heart skipped a beat but stayed calm, making sure not to show any fear. He had a feeling if he did so, this man would prey on it in a second.

"I want a name." He stated, causing the man in a woman's body to roll his eyes.

"I know you want it just so you can go ask your father later about who I am and how to defeat me. Il'll play your game though if you insist…my name is Polemus." The man, now identified, replied, giving a curt bow.

"Never heard of you." Percy said, causing the man to give a short laugh in reply.

"I've heard about your infamous off-handed comments that rile up even the likes of Kronos. Rest assured you don't have to worry about that with me." He said before continuing.

"But of course, you haven't heard of me. Your father and his brothers made sure of that."

"That painting on the wall? Is that why?"

"HA, of course it is, child! That battle is the very reason you haven't heard my name. I embarrassed the Big Three so badly that my name, my reputation, my entire existence was wiped clean from the scrolls!" Polemus laughed, his voice taking on a reminiscent tone.

"I guess you're also the one responsible for all those red vials that keep popping up everywhere."

"Guilty as charged. I'm not responsible for procuring them, however. That would be thanks to my scientists. It seems you've already met two of them." He replied, gesturing to the body of Elanor. A flashback of the man in the arena holding Thalia captive flashed throughout Percy's mind for a brief moment, remembering how he also had red vials.

"Sadly, you killed the other one and I'm sure you or that elf king bastard is gonna take care of this one." He said, gesturing to the destroyed body of Elanor.

"But I'll be done speaking to you when that's all said and done." Polemus smiled, blood leaking out the corner of his mouth that he paid no attention to. In fact, he seemed to relish it, tasting the blood like a fine wine.

"Gods, is it good though to be back. The last time I breathed in the smell of blood must've beeeeen…yeah, must've been when I killed your father!"

"Well looks like you didn't kill him hard enough. He's enjoying life at Atlantis right now." Percy said, a hint of agitation in his voice from his father being spoken down upon like that.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he's very much enjoying preparing for war with Olympus. Speaking of which, how's that coming along for you? Last I heard your camp was preparing too. You built a really nice wall around it apparently. I'd love to visit one day."

Percy tried his best to not let the shock show on his face but some inevitably leaked out. A leak that Polemus exploited to the fullest.

"Oh yes, I know about that. I also know you have Artemis and Hecate in there too. Must be nice having two beautiful Goddesses to surround yourself with any time you please. Let's see what else, oh yes, the fifty-thousand troops your father is readying. The raid on that mortal military base, very smart I must say, Percy. Very smart. I would've done the same. You and I are a lot alike."

"We're not. I promise you that." The demigod snapped back. How in the hell did this guy know all of this? He must have had eyes everywhere if he knew about Poseidon's army and the raid on Fort Wainwright. Watching the man in a woman's body lean against the cave wall cockily with his arms folded, Percy knew this guy was prepared for whatever is thrown at him. He was a lot like Kronos in the war, always knowing what was happening even when he wasn't around. It seriously pissed him off.

"We are, Perseus. We most certainly are. You'll find that out soon enough when we meet again. I just have to get my damn body back." Polemus said the last part more to himself, showing agitation for the first time since they began the conversation. Percy heard it but decided to stay quiet. The more they talked, the more the man would hopefully spill more information about himself. Information that he would most definitely need.

"So what exactly are you? A forgotten God or something?"

"Man, you just want me to spill everything out. Where's the fun in that? What's next, you want me to tell my master plan of how I'm going to take over Olympus."

"Hey, you took over her body to speak to me, so speak." Percy replied, sitting down on a boulder. Knowing that there wasn't much this man could do in his hosts' state, he felt more at ease. He was strange, to say the least. He'd never heard the name Polemus before. Annabeth nor his father had ever mentioned it which made him think what this man could have possibly done to earn himself being erased from their history. What made him fight all three brothers and even kill his father? How'd he even gain the power to do so?

"Na, I don't have much time left in this body. I'm sure when you go meet with your father and mention my name, he'll tell you all you need to know." He waved off Percy's demand without a care. The son of Poseidon gritted his teeth in annoyance, amazed at how annoyed he had gotten so quickly. Was this how his enemies felt when he would do the exact same thing to them? Man, he should probably go apologize cause this guy pisses him the fuck off.

"I just wanted to meet you face to face. I wanted to know just who I was dealing with before I killed you all. Doesn't seem like I need to worry too much." He said nonchalantly as if he didn't just say he'd kill the most powerful demigod alive.

"Why do you want Olympus?" He asked but it seemed their time was coming to an end.

"Percy I can't hold it much longer! I'm bringing you out!" Haleth's voice suddenly called out.

"Guess that question will have to wait for another time." Polemus gave a smile. "Before we meet again, Perseus, I'll give you a piece of advice. A friend to friend if you will."

"Do not fight in this war if you don't want your friends to die. You have no hope of winning against Zeus let alone me."

The son of Poseidon opened his mouth to reply but it was too late. His vision was beginning to shift back to the physical realm again. The last thing he saw in that cave was Polemus's crazed green eyes shift back into Elanor's

"Kill me." The elf sadly whispered before he was taken away.

Reappearing back in the chamber with the king, Percy gasped heavily as he took a step back. Letting his vision adjust, he looked down at the elf that was still strapped to the chair, looking vastly different from what she did in the vision. Remembering just how scared and hurt she was in that cave, he decided the best thing he could do for her was honor her demand. Even though she worked for that man as a scientist and had experimented on innocent people, he had a feeling she was a lot like the demigods who served under Kronos during the Titan War. Manipulated and served lies.

'What'd you see?" Haleth questioned, watching the demigod pull out the knife that was cleansed in the water of calamity. Gripping it tightly, the son of Poseidon leveled the weapon at the elf's heart. Elanor, despite being in a crazed zombie state, seemed to realize what was about to happen and welcomed it.

"Death." Percy simply replied before thrusting the knife into her torso, watching the elf's eyes gain a look of life to them, Staring at each other in silence, Percy could tell she was saying thank you before they rolled to the back of her head, never to see the world again.

After explaining what'd he seen in the vision, Haleth had sent him back upstairs to a room to get some rest. He had originally wanted to immediately head back to camp to make sure everything was okay, remembering Polemus's words about how he had eyes everywhere. After seeing the state all of his friends were in however after the party was over, he knew that was out of the equation. They were all passed out drunk, every single last one of them.

"Nooo, please, not the brick." Jason snorted in his sleep, rolling over in the bed.

Percy wished he was able to feel an ounce of what they were feeling. He would love to just down a bottle and sleep without any care or worries. Sighing, he leaned against a chair in the corner of the room, silently reminding himself that he could never do that again. He'd been able to tone down his drinking problem since the camp was built but not a day went by without temptation. Just one bottle could help him close his eyes and make him temporally forget about all the troubles he had. But that was all it was, a temporary fix.

Leaning his head back against the chair, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. That guy, Polemus, had him worried. He didn't know what he exactly was but he must be powerful. Kronos-level power considering he was able to fight the Big Three. Perhaps even stronger than the titan king since he managed to kill his father. Why did he want war with Olympus anyway? And why now? Looking at his sleeping friend's faces though, he realized that it didn't matter the reason why. If Polemus wanted war, then so be it. He'll kill him and Zeus if it means keeping his friends safe. No one was going to threaten their lives or freedom.

Sitting in that chair for what felt like hours, he contemplated what his next move should be. There was a lot that still needed to be done before the next battle. He'd like to get more weapons and armor in their arsenal. They had plenty at the moment but he'd like to implement more modern, mortal weapons into their ranks as well. Seeing their capabilities against Olympus's first wave of attackers, it could greatly reduce their own casualties and give them an advantage. Next was his own army. He'd like to run some wargames that simulated urban combat. They would need all the practice they could get before the invasion of New York. He knew those streets like the back of his hand but if Camp Freedom expects to win the war, they'll have to as well.

Another was getting more allies. At the moment, the Gods on his side were Poseidon, Hades, Artemis, Hecate, and Apollo. It was a formidable amount and a group that could definitely take on Olympus but he'd like to have more, including the minor Gods. He remembered just how important of a role they had in the Titan War. They were one of the reasons why it started in the first place. If he could get them, along with a couple more Olympians on his side, they would have no problem invading. That didn't mean it would be a walk in the park. Zeus, Athena, Ares, along with who knows whatever minor Gods, would make sure of that. If he could get the remaining Olympians, at least some of them on his side, it'd make a difference.

How he would do that, he didn't know. All he did know was that it needed to be done, no matter the consequences. If they couldn't get more immortals on their side…well, only time would tell he supposed. Closing his eyes in exhaustion, he tried to get all those things off his mind for just at least a moment. He could already feel the headache forming. But alas, it seemed the night for him wasn't over quite yet.

Feeling a sharp, flaring, pain in his abdomen, Percy shot up from his chair, gasping in shock.

"What the hell?" He grunted, looking down for any type of wounds on his body. Finding none, he at least felt some relief in that but the pain was only becoming greater to the point that his grunts would soon awaken the others. Quickly making his way out of the chamber, he stumbled into the wall, dark spots blocking his vision. What the fuck was wrong with him? Had he been poisoned? Something he drank? A flash of Polemus's green eyes shot through his mind, scaring him for a moment that it might've been him causing this. But there's no way he could possibly do that, right?

Stumbling through the desolate hallways grasping his chest, he had no clue what to do. He'd never experienced this before in his life. It was as if there was a sword going straight through his heart. Breathing heavily, the son of Poseidon was actually getting scared now. Everyone was drunk and asleep. He didn't know any doctors in the area besides Will but he was out of commission. There was no one here for him which meant he would have to solve this situation on his own.

Falling into a doorway, he hit his head on what felt like grass, confusing him. Shakily looking up, he could see through his blurry vision that he had made it to the king's garden somehow. Being in there, however, only seemed to cause the pain to worsen to the point that he belched up whatever food he'd eaten earlier.

Gasping heavily, he turned to lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling that was painted like the night sky. Seeing the constellations calmed him down slightly but didn't help the pain. Staring at the ceiling that even had Zoe's constellation, he outstretched his hand toward it.

"W-What do I do?" He whispered, his voice getting fainter by the second. It wouldn't be too long until he succumbed to the mind-splitting pain. The stars only twinkled in reply, causing the demigod to close his eyes. What was he expecting, asking the stars to give him guidance? Screaming out at the pain that was flaring into his throat now, it seemed whatever was happening to him was spreading throughout his entire body.

Tears welling in his eyes, he opened them once more to find the constellation looking different compared to the last time he'd seen it. One star at the end of it, symbolizing Zoe's arrow that she was notching, was brighter than the rest. He thought it was his eyes playing tricks on him considering his vision was worsening by the second but taking the time to inspect it, despite the pain, he could tell that it was actually brighter!

What did it mean though? Was it just the ceiling doing this or was it Zoe trying to tell him something? Imagining the hunter notching an arrow, he craned his head over to the direction where she was aiming. His eyes landed on the exact point where the arrow would've landed, causing hope to spout in his chest.

"The water of Calamity." He whispered, taking no time to start crawling toward it. He didn't know exactly what it was considering it felt different from his natural element but if it was actually water then it could probably save him from dying to whatever was occurring inside of him.

Desperately crawling on his hands and knees, it felt like an eternity to get to the water. Coughing onto the ground, he noticed blood staining the pure, green grass.

"Shit." He said to himself. He needed to get there fast before he coughed up a lung. Trying to crawl faster, he was only a couple feet away from the small pond, lifting his hopes. The shortening distance, however, only seemed to amplify the pain in his body. Withering on the ground, he screamed out like an animal who had just been shot. This pain was on par with the Styx which was something he never wanted to experience again.

Letting out a primal growl of pure determination, he pushed past the pain and continued his journey of only a couple feet. Every inch he gained brought on even greater torment but finally, after a few more minutes, he had managed to make it to the pond's edge. The strain was practically making his eyes feel like they were about to burst as he stared into the water which led him to slide into it without hesitation.

Immediately, his entire body went lax, leading him to finally breathe in a sigh of relief. It seemed this was actually water considering he was still able to do all things he naturally could in the element. Closing his eyes, he let the water take him to the bottom. The water was extremely cold much to his confusion considering this was an indoor water source but he didn't mind. The cold numbed his body and took his mind off the pain.

"Perc…." A faint voice called out, causing his eyes to open suddenly. Looking around for the source, he was amazed to find a vision he had never expected to see down here. It was Camp Half-Blood in the early years when he had first arrived. He knew this by the Olympian cabins being the only ones built instead of all the minor Gods Annabeth had built after the war.

"Percy, come on!" The voices said, much clearer now. He watched his younger self come into view, running toward the beach with familiar friends, alive and dead, in tow. The sight brought a smile to his face, remembering just how happy times were back then when they didn't have much to worry about like wars and quests. The vision rippled into another one, this time showing a scene between Annabeth and him.

"Come back safe." He could hear her say before watching her kiss him. His smile faltered for a moment as he continued to watch.

"Annabeth…" He called out, watching her give a bright smile in reply. He couldn't remember the last time she had a smile like that at him sadly. He only remembered the smile she gave to the man she was kissing in the video Athena had shown. Doubt and hurt quickly bubbled inside the son of Poseidon, causing the vision to shift in relation to the things he was feeling. This time the vision showed him in his mother's apartment the night she had died. He could see the bodies of his family and of the demigods he had killed lying before him. He stood over them in his armor Hecate had given him. He, along with his sword, was soaked in blood. His chest and shoulders seemed to be heaving for air as he stood over them. Percy could see his green eyes through the golden mask, staring at his dead mother. Eyes that held such despair, pain, and hate. He knew this vision was altered considering he didn't have the armor at that time but was this how he looked that night? Did his eyes really hold that much hate?

The Percy before him wasn't one that he was used to seeing but he had a feeling a lot of others knew this side of him better than he did. He was just now getting to see what he really looked like during times such as these. His vision self looked up from the ground and turned to him. Those green eyes stared into his soul as he began to take the helmet off, revealing a face beneath it that wasn't his. He knew who it was though despite never seeing this person before. He could recognize those familiar green eyes so similar to his own.

"Told you we were alike."

The son of Poseidon reeled back in shock as he watched Polemus slash the vision away with his sword. This action seemed to cause the pond to fight against Percy, wanting him out of its water. Choking on its essence and unable to breathe, the demigod fought his way to the surface. He could hear the man's laugh underneath him as he swam to the top, spurring him to go faster.

Breaking the water's surface, he gasped for air as he clawed his fingers into the pond's edge, desperately holding on as if the water was a black hole sucking him back in. He could feel its force attempting to drag him back down, causing his heart to race even faster. He didn't want to drown in this pond. It wasn't a natural water! It was something different! Something that tricked you and lured you in before ending your life

His fingers were starting to lose their grip on the dirt beneath him. Desperately holding on, he was relieved to see a hand suddenly grab ahold of his arm before dragging him out. Coughing up water, the son of Poseidon laid on his side as he looked up to the man above him.

"What have you done?" Haleth said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Slowly getting to his feet, Percy put his hands on top of his head as he tried to control his breathing. It seemed his irrational fear of drowning was still as prevalent as ever. He felt the king grab ahold of his shoulders as he once again asked what he had done. His tone was serious yet scared as if he was shocked to see him alive.

"I-I guess I had a heart attack or something like that. I didn't know what to do and I somehow stumbled here." Percy replied, gesturing to the garden around him.

"You were in the water of calamity, Perseus!" The king cried out.

"Water heals me." He replied easily.

"Gods, how are you alive? You-You shouldn't be alive after going in there. That water isn't meant for any living being. Its only purpose is to rid of any impurities in a weapon!" Haleth yelled, his hands also on his head in pure disbelief. No one had ever been in the water of calamity before. It was unknown what could happen to a person if one were to step foot into it. This son of Poseidon, however, was in it for an entire night!

"I'm alive, okay? I had to go in there or else I would've died in that hallway. I don't know what happened to me last night but I do know I wouldn't be talking to you right now if I hadn't done what I did."

"Percy, we've been looking for you for hours. It's late in the afternoon now. You've been in there for at least ten hours." The elf said, causing Percy to squint his eyes in confusion. Ten hours?! That wasn't possible. It felt like he was only in that water for a couple of minutes at the most! Leading him out of the garden, the king asked to bring him to one of his physicians to make sure that everything was okay with the demigod before they sent him and his group back to Camp Freedom.

Walking out of the sanctuary and closing its doors, the duo failed to see the faint trails of lightning clawing out Percy's fingertips.