Hey everybody reading this, I'm so sorry this chapter is like two weeks late. I caught COVID and felt awful, like literally no energy to write or do anything whatsoever. Thankfully I'm better now and the only symptom left is the inability to taste. Which sucks lol, but I'm back, and after this chapter, it should be smooth sailing.
Also really quick, I have a review request. I need someone to leave a review telling me what the longest Percy Jackson fanfic is, and how long it is in both the word count and chapter count, please. I'm asking because I plan on this story becoming the longest in the Percy Jackson tab. I'm just curious as to what the longest already is, and want to know how much further I have before I surpass it. By the end of this book we'll be at five hundred thousand words easily, so I just want to know! So if anyone could find out and leave a review telling me, I'd really appreciate it!
Follow up to that, I by no means am only writing this story to be the longest. I write this out of enjoyment and I try to bring the best quality possible. So just because I want this fic to be the longest, doesn't mean I'm going to pack filler chapters in and pointless dialogue, because I'm not. I just have so many ideas for this story, and at least three more books planned, and considering we'll pass five hundred thousand on book two, I figured It would happen anyway. Just wanted to let you all know that the quality won't decrease just because of the new goal.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.
Now then, on with the eighteenth chapter. Can things go back to the way they were?
18. The Duel Of Divided Souls
Harper
(Seven Years Ago - Third Person POV)
"RUN, HARPER!"
The little girl in question ran as hard as she could, her older brother close behind. Snow crunched underneath them with each step, the white substance reaching over four inches in depth.
They passed trees and ducked under branches to make their escape from the creature that chased them. Levi was simultaneously trying to fend it off while running, and Harper had clear instructions to not look back, but she couldn't help but do so, the worry of something happening to Levi overtaking her.
"Lee!" She shouted, "It's getting closer!"
The monster she was referring to was an Aeternae. A skinny, tall, tight skinned creature with long bony fangs and saw-like horns on both sides of it's temple. It was thirsty for blood, it's snarling, saliva covered mouth proved it as it bounded after them wildly.
Levi and Harper were barely outrunning it, mainly because they had gotten a head start on the creature. The two had been walking in the forest near their house, when they spotted something suspicious. Numerous red splotches on the snowy ground, which Levi soon identified as blood. He originally thought of telling Harper to go back to the house while he investigated, but figured she was getting strong enough that even if it was a monster, she would be alright.
Boy, does he wish now he had sent her back.
They had followed the trail for a hundred yards or so, and eventually found it, the Aeternae, feasting on a mangled deer. It spotted them immediately and chased after them, finding the two children far more appealing than the deer.
Levi told Harper to run and not look back, not even for him. This gave her a better chance of getting away. Levi stayed behind and swiped the air in front of the monster with his sword to keep it at bay. It worked for a few moments, but the monster only got angrier, and hungrier.
Levi knew that even if something did happen, at least he would get attacked first, and not Harper. He purposefully stayed in the back to protect her.
He had to, after all, this was his fault anyway.
Harper had wanted to see the snow so badly, because in this part of the country, snow was a rare thing. Georgia was hot most of the time, and if there was snow, the two kids hardly ever saw it in their area.
But this time was different. It had come down hard, and in large fluffy sheets. Levi had only seen it like this once before, when he was small, and Harper was still a baby. The memory was vague, but every now and then, he would try to describe it to his younger sister. Harper always listened on with awe. Snow to her sounded like the most wonderful thing.
So when she begged Levi to take her to the woods so she could see more of it...it was hard to resist her pleas.
But it was still his fault, because he caved in. He knew the risk, he knew that if there were monster nearby, they would be in the forest. They had smelled his scent before, and he had either dealt with them, or if they were too dangerous, he avoided them.
The Aeternae was in the dangerous category.
It was quick, first of all, and Levi missed every strike aimed at it. The other thing, was it's horns and claws. They looked like they could cut a tree in half, let alone two fleshy children. He saw what it did to the deer.
But he knew he had to do something. The house was still far away, both he and Harper would be out of breath before they could make it. And even if they did, what then? The monster would destroy the house with them in it, and their father. Levi never cared about him much, and to be honest...he had envisioned his death a few times.
But to the Aeternae? Being ripped to shreds? He wouldn't even wish that on his own abusive father.
So you can imagine how badly he didn't want it to even get an inch closer to Harper. He had to take action fast, or this thing would catch up and kill them.
He cupped his hand over his mouth, "Harper! I want you to be ready, okay?"
She looked behind her, and he waved her the other way furiously.
"Don't look back! You hear me, don't look back! Just reply facing forward!"
She was shivering, not from the cold, but out of fear. Her teeth chattered with her reply, "O-Okay!"
"I'm going to attack this thing head on! As soon as I do it, get ready to hide, okay?!"
"But-"
"Just do as I say! Understand?!"
She nodded, a whimper hanging on the edge of her tongue, "I-I understand!"
"Good." Levi mumbled, and waited for the right opportunity. The next time the monster lunged at him, instead of jumping, he would turn and strike. Sure, he had a fifty fifty chance of getting caught by a horn or a claw, but if he could hit it good, it would give them a good chance to escape.
He waited and waited, and finally, the Aeternae bounced forward, it's claws outstretched.
Levi turned instantly and held his sword up in a stabbing motion beside his head. The claws passed his body, one of them managing to scrape the side of his stomach. He felt the pain, but held firm on his sword, and didn't waver.
"Die!" He yelled, and jabbed his sword at the monster.
It hit the Aeternae in it's left eye, five inches of the sword going through it's socket, blood seeping through the cracks.
It made a horrible sound of pain, an other worldly screech. Levi took this chance to withdraw his sword and run.
The monster gripped it's eye and howled, flailing around wildly. Levi saw Harper far in front of him, and he sighed with relief. She had listened to him.
But that sigh of relief soon turned to utter shock when he saw a tall, skinny figure emerge from the trees beside her.
"Harper, look out!" Levi tried to warn her, but it was too late. By the time she had noticed the second Aeternae, it had slashed it's fingernails across her front side.
Blood flew in the air and she fell to the ground, half of her sinking into the deep snow.
Levi stood there, horrified. His heart had sunk to the point that he felt like he was going to vomit.
"No..." He said, speechless.
The Aeternae raised it's claws for another attack, but Levi was ready. He gripped his sword tightly and gritted his teeth. He was enraged.
"YOU BASTARD!" He yelled, and charged the monster.
(Present Day - Harper's POV)
"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked Levi, with a glare.
He stared up at me, looking no different than the last time I saw him. His hair was the same length, parted in the middle and coming down to his ears. His face was clean shaven, slightly more tan than mine, and that scar was still there, the one he supposedly got trying to become the host of Typhon.
"We've been working with the Griffith's for a while now." He said, "Those things you fought were called Frost Giants. They belong to the Norse pantheon."
I smirked, "Yeah, and we beat the shit out of them."
He didn't say anything.
"I'll ask again. Why are you here? You gonna kill me while I'm restrained? Or are your twisted friends gonna hold me down like with Chiron?"
He rubbed his forehead with his hand, "Harper, I just want to talk."
A laugh escaped my throat and echoed in the dungeon. A humorless laugh.
"You can't be serious. After everything you've done, you actually believe I'd listen to a damn thing you have to say?"
"I understand that you're angry, and that you hate me. But...I don't hate you, okay? I don't want it to be like this."
I couldn't believe what was happening right now. Again with this?
"You think I do?" I said, "No, I don't. But you made it this way the moment you joined Ouranos."
He clenched his fists, "If you would just let me explain to you...let me show you the truth, the plan Ouranos has for this world, it would-"
"NO!" I yelled angrily.
It took him by surprise. His eyes widened and he reared his head back a little. I couldn't take it anymore, the delusions, the excuses.
"Do you honestly believe in that crap, Levi?! I mean, have you not stopped for one second and thought about your actions? Thought that Ouranos may be just using you and the other three?"
"He wouldn't use me."
I groaned, "Wake up, Levi! Ouranos is thousands of years old! Do you actually think he cares about you? He's just using you to get what he wants! And the moment he does...he's gonna kill you."
Levi lowered his head, like he knew this would come from me. But it also seemed like to me, and call me crazy, he had thought about this too.
Of course he had, because the old Levi was still in there, somewhere deep down, the Levi that was cautious, and didn't trust just anybody.
Still he tried to convince himself, "He won't kill me, Harper. You don't know what he's really like. If only you did, then you'd understand."
"It's a front Levi, he's manipulating you, using his charisma to trick you. And even if he does have some genuine grand vision for the world, the way he wants to get there isn't right. The methods he uses...you honestly can't tell me you agree with them one hundred percent."
He shook his head, "Of course I don't agree with everything. I don't enjoy killing, Harper."
I spread my hands out incredulously, "Then why do you follow him?! Why are you his errand boy if you don't agree with him fully?"
"Because it's the only way." He said, "It's a hard path, and it's a very extreme path...but I've accepted that it's necessary to improve the world."
"Really? Killing Chiron, Will, nearly destroying Camp, and fighting your own sister is necessary to improve the world? Face it, with Ouranos at the top, there won't be a world left to improve, and you know it."
"I hated doing those things Harper. I didn't want to kill Chiron or Will, but we knew that Camp Half Blood would resist, so we had to."
I remembered the event clearly. Chiron giving the Camp to Percy and Annabeth, Will's head being chopped off, the Camp in ruins afterward. But somehow, we survived, and we would still keep fighting.
I voiced this to Levi, "We will always resist, Levi. You think we're the bad guys for doing so? You really think Chiron was on our side because he was a bad person? No, it's because he knew Ouranos's real plan."
But he continued to argue, "I think you resisted because you're afraid of change. You all cling to the gods because you've known no different, no better. But I promise you that Ouranos is better than them."
He said "them" with a near snarl, which I caught. And suddenly it hit me, the possible reason for all of this, why Levi is really doing this.
"Is this about our mother?" I asked.
The word struck a nerve. His eyes became dangerous, and he pointed a finger at me, "Harper...don't."
"It is, isn't it? That's why you're with Ouranos. You want revenge on her, don't you? On all the gods?"
He scowled, "It's no secret. You know how I feel about them."
I was boiling with anger. How could he just throw away everything for something so petty?
"They suck, so what? Why do you care?"
An audible snort came from him, "Don't be hypocritical, you used to hate our mother, and I imagine you still do. Me...there's never been a doubt about how I feel for the gods, and that won't change."
"I've gotten over our mother, and you should too. Just like dad, you killed him, but did that fix anything? Do you feel better about it?"
Even through the darkness of the room, I could see his face darken several shades. "We are children of Nemesis, and he was my target of revenge. He was scum, and he deserved it, of course I feel better."
I could see straight through him, "That's a lie. You wanna know who my target of revenge is, Levi? It's you. And as much as this goes against what I've been thinking for the past year...I know for a fact that I wouldn't feel better if I killed you."
He looked genuinely surprised at my reveal, but there was a hint of expectance there, like he figured it was him.
"I'm your target?" He said shrilly, "Yeah I...expected that."
I wanted so bad to shake my hands in frustration, but due to my current situation, all I could do was seethe.
"Don't you understand though, I don't WANT to kill you! In fact, I hate the very idea of fighting you! You're my brother! My fucking role model! You think I want to kill you?! I don't! But you've drifted so far from your old self that I need to kill you! It's the only way to save you from yourself!"
I inhaled sharply after my outburst, breathing audibly through my mouth, bitterness etched in each breath. I felt my eyes sting from the sheer words that I said, the admittance that I truly didn't want to kill him. It was true. Despite my hate for the past year, at the end of the day...I still loved him.
He just stood there, wide eyed and stunned. "Harper..."
I couldn't take this anymore. Before the tears fell out, or my resolve fell...I couldn't sit still any longer. I can't stay hung up on him, I can't keep believing he's going to change. The more I prolong his death and hold back, the more hurt I'll be in the end.
I have to kill him here.
Like a snap in my brain, I decided to take action. I pressed my thumbs in the palms of my gloved hands, praying that my knives were somewhere in this room.
Levi was still taken back by what I said, and wasn't aware of the dual glints coming from his belt. He must have taken my knives when I was unconscious.
They immediately flew towards my hands, and I registered quickly that I wouldn't be able to cut myself free with the way my hands were.
At least with my hands I couldn't...
I quick idea sprang into my head, one that could work. Instead of catching the right knife in my hand, I would catch it in my mouth, and cut a single hand free first, then the rest.
I caught the left knife in my grip, the other one maybe a millisecond behind. And the thing with them is they come blade first, since that's the part that's metal. I usually just catch the handles as they pass my hands, but this would not be like that. I tilted my head to the side to avoid the blade stabbing me, and opened my mouth, ready to bite down on the grip.
Thankfully I had enough room to move my head, because the blade missed me by an inch. Once the handle entered my line of sight, I leaned forward and bit down on it, grabbing it right out of the air perfectly. Once I registered that it was actually in my mouth, I gritted my teeth against the leather and swung my head down at the chain as hard as I could. The blade connected and shattered the chain, the celestial bronze being too much for the regular steel. I didn't bother to even wonder why they hadn't locked me with celestial bronze, but right now I was thankful for it.
Once the chain was cut, I let go of the knife and caught it with my hand, bringing it against the rest of my bindings within a second and cutting them all. There was a moment's delay before I touched the floor, and when I did I instantly felt my ankles throb from the constant tension of the cuffs. I winced at the pain.
I had no doubt been suspended for hours, the length of that taking a toll on my body. This would be a huge disadvantage, but that just meant I had to make up for it.
Levi had snapped out of his shocked state and fully realized I was free now. I had to give myself some equal ground. In what ways could I strengthen myself to fight him?
I did a quick scan around the room. The walls were fairly tight, so I could bounce off of them quick. But the tightness of the space also meant that Levi's reach would be harder to avoid, so that basically cancels out any chance of the upper hand. What else could I do?
I glanced behind me and noticed the two torches, simultaneously lit. They gave off most of the light in this room...
An idea sprang into my head, and with a quick spin, I kicked out both of the flames, immediately shutting off any orange light shining. The small room was completely pitch black now, save for my knives, but that might as well have been nothing, because with their glow, I could barely see the floor below me.
But unlike Levi, I was used to this kind of environment. I did unorthodox training all the time back at Camp, with special permission from Chiron. You guys already know why I was allowed to do it, he understood what I was going through, plain and simple.
Now he was gone.
Thanks to Levi, my brother, who's standing in front of me right now.
Suddenly the image of Chiron flashed in my mind, dead on the ground, one leg chopped off and his chest impaled. It was insulting, the hero trainer killed by four punks.
No, I told myself. They aren't punks. They're psychopathic, angry kids manipulated and used by Ouranos.
Doesn't excuse anything. The rage I felt that day began to fill my core, and it all came back to me, that hatred, every horrible emotion that clouded my brain...it all flooded back.
"This is for Chiron!" I shouted at Levi, and rushed him, using the brick floor as a launchpad, I slashed at the side of his cloak.
He yelled in pain and clutched his rib cage. I heard blood fall to the floor, the sound of his teeth grinding.
"AGH!" He yelled, "WAIT! Harper, I don't want to fight!"
I thought I saw him hold his hands up in surrender, but even if I did, I was blind to that right now. All I saw was Chiron's killer, not my brother.
I went back for another pass, and sliced at his side again, but missed this time. He was catching on, and dodging. I would have to use another route.
I bent down and jumped from the floor to the ceiling, then on the wall, and repeated the process several times, using the small space to my advantage, I was going so fast that everything other than Levi was nothing but a blur. Levi himself stood still, but looked around in confusion, trying to locate me.
Finally, I gained enough momentum to satisfy my anger, and leapt off the wall towards Levi.
In not even a second, my boots connected with his body in a bone crunching smash. I wasn't sure what I had hit, because all I felt beneath me was the texture of his cloak, but even further than that, was something solid, so I knew I had got him either way.
He grunted and slid back several feet, the sound of his combat boots grinding against the brick stuck out, and I was able to keep up with where he went. Little things like that I needed to watch out for. Things like a change in breath, sounds of movement, or his sword being unsheathed were vital in staying alive.
When he didn't unsheathe his sword, I growled in frustration, and followed up my attack, spinning my knives in hand before slashing at him.
I sliced my knife in a downward arc towards the floor, aiming for his neck, but missed and slashed the ground instead, sending sparks flying and temporarily showing me the gray surface.
I turned and found him behind me, not even trying to attack. What was he doing?
"You're going to have to fight back, Levi!" I said, and charged him again, my knives all over the place.
He weaved and saw through each attack, "I don't want to fight! Please, let's just talk about this!"
I gritted my teeth in frustration. My knives were like little flashes of silver light, zooming in front of me with precision. But Levi was dodging without a beat. Had I underestimated him?
I responded to what he said, "It's too late! I can't let you lie to me anymore!"
"I never lied to you!"
This time, with a grunt of anger, I leapt up and brought both knives down on him in a stabbing position, but he caught me off guard in what he did next. He finally drew his sword, and blocked my blow.
The force of the clash kept me suspended in mid air, the pressure of my knives against his sword the only thing holding me up. When we collided, it was like some kind of barrier had been broken, like the sound waves in the room reverberated or something. Wind blew everywhere, hitting the brick walls and throwing strands of hair in my face. I saw multiple sparks fly and dance on the ground, little embers of our blades.
We struggled for half a second, and by the time I realized I needed to get out of this, it was too late. He already gripped my throat with his left hand. The force of his fingers was nigh-unbearable. I gasped for air, feeling my windpipe practically being crushed.
He brought my face closer to his, my entire body being held up by him now.
"Why do you make me do this?" He growled questioningly.
I clutched his wrists as hard as I could manage while still holding my knives, and I actually let out a croak, "You brought this on yourself. You knew how I'd feel-"
I didn't get to finish. As soon as I reached the word feel, he snarled and turned around quicker than I could anticipate, slinging me towards the wall. I was airborne for what felt like an entire minute before I hit the solid substance, crashing through it immediately and landing outside.
Two things immediately hit me. Back pain, and cold.
First the back pain. Levi had thrown me hard, and I most definitely felt it. My back had crashed against a thick brick wall at probably a hundred miles an hour, shattering the side of the building like it was glass and sending brick chips hurdling like they were shards. A throb now pulsed through my vertebrae as I lay in the snow.
And the second thing, snow. I had forgotten about it, being inside for so long, but once I hit the wall, I was instantly reminded of just how cold it was in this place. A literal blizzard was raging all around and behind me, constantly. The crisp, thin air hit my nose as soon as I landed to the ground, making it hard to breathe on top of getting thrown. And the flakes that fell, fell relentlessly. Each one was followed by another, landing somewhere on my body and melting immediately.
I groaned, but managed to push myself up to a standing position. I stumbled at first but caught my balance, and saw Levi standing at the broken brick opening, the contrast of his dark cloak against the snow making him look like some ancient assassin, or a demon.
He hadn't forgotten about what I said, "You think I brought this on myself, huh?"
He quickly closed the distance and swiped his sword at my head, to which I parried.
"You did! You joined Ouranos, and thought I'd be completely okay with it?!"
My turn to strike. I threw a single knife at his chest in a distraction, he knocked it away, and I took my chance. I spun around and roundhouse kicked him in the jaw, sending his head to the side in recoil.
I used my glove to summon my knife back, "I understand it's hard to let go of revenge, Levi. But you have to! You have to forget about the gods, and just accept what you have!"
He growled and swung his sword down at me in a overhead arc. I rolled to the side and heard it hit the snowy ground, uprooting thick sheets of the white substance.
I got up, greeted with a precise stab from him. I barely managed to knock it away with both hands. He was quicker than I thought.
And angrier too, he continued to argue with me. "And what do I have, Harper? WHAT DO I HAVE?!"
He yelled the last part, and with a loud grunt, a powerful, quick step, he spun around and brought his sword up to the side of his face, in that perfect stabbing position he always practiced. I knew I wouldn't be able to block or dodge it.
But I tried anyway. I brought my knives up in front of me in an X shape, and let it hit them. The clash made a loud noise and vibrated my hands. But not only that, it knocked away my knives and flattened me on my back again. I landed hard on the snow and felt myself sink six inches deep, the flaky ice surrounding the rest of my body and dropping my temperature steadily.
That wasn't the only thing. I felt a painful sting near my gut, like I'd been hacked by a knife.
Levi got me. It was the only explanation. But I could've swore I blocked his attack...
No time to think about that! He's going to kill me if I don't move!
"Huh, Harper?!" He continued in rage, "Tell me!"
He swung at the ground again, but I was gone, darting around him like a lion surrounding it's prey. Only...in this situation I was kind of the prey, having more wounds than him, but still.
He looked around to find me, but it was unsuccessful. I was too fast for him.
I nearly smirked. I had him now. Finally, after all of this anguish, I could end it, and be done with all of this...
"WHAT DO I HAVE?!" He yelled, his voice cracking.
That nearly stopped me, and it certainly made me stumble a step or two. The sheer desperation in his voice, as if he truly had no idea.
He beat his chest with his fist, "Stop running Harper! Tell me what I have that I should forget my mission for!"
I couldn't do this anymore.
I skidded to a stop on the snow, my shoulders slumped slightly.
I couldn't go on like this. Hearing him like that...it hurt me, so bad. I kept seeing that little boy I once knew. My big brother, the person I admired most. I tried, I really did, to look past the memories and face the monster. But...I couldn't. I just couldn't let go of the idea of saving him.
He turned and found me, and didn't attack.
In a voice barely above a whisper, I said, "You have me."
I wasn't sure if he caught it. Honestly I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but it was screaming in my mind, so it just naturally came out of my mouth.
"What?"
I repeated louder, "You have me, Levi."
He stood there blankly, processing those four words. When he did, he gritted his teeth and shook his head vigorously.
"Make up your mind, Harper!" He shouted, hands spread at his side, "Do you want to kill me, or save me?! Which is it!"
"I DON'T KNOW!" I screamed back, closing my eyes tightly shut to get out that extra volume. My throat constricted with the yell, letting out all the tension behind it. My voice echoed throughout the area, bouncing off the mansion like a shockwave.
It shut Levi up. He now stood there like a deer in headlights, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, his sword nearly falling out of his hand.
The cold was starting to get to me, nipping at my skin like a needle. But I ignored it, and breathed hard. Not just out of being frozen, but out of frustration.
"I...don't know." I said, "Half of me wants to kill you for what you did to Chiron, Will, and the Camp. But...the other half still thinks there's a chance of saving you, of...getting my brother back." My head slumped more, "It's always been that way. And as stupid as it is, no matter what you do, I think it'll always be that way."
Levi was thunderstruck, but he managed a croaky reply. "Harper..."
I held a hand up, "No! Just don't say anything. I know you're going to try and justify your actions or whatever. I'm tired of hearing it."
But he did it anyway. "Harper...I'm truly sorry about Will and Chiron. I don't enjoy things like that...I really, really don't. I hate some of the things Ouranos does, and that's the truth, but...I'm not so dense that I can't see that it's for the greater good. His plan...will work, and these are the things we have to do to get there. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is."
I tightened my lips, "Don't you understand, Levi?! You keep defending him because you want revenge on our mother! You don't actually want Ouranos's approval! What do you care about what some Primordial thinks about you?"
He shot right back, "It's true I want revenge on Nemesis. And that is a plus. But I also want to see the world become a place where demigods aren't abandoned. Where monsters don't kill innocent children just because they smell good. Where the gods manipulate everything, ignore their children, and get away with it!"
"Life's not fair, you know that!" I said even louder, "Bitterness gets you nowhere! Why can't you forget about it and come home?"
I asked that last part a little softer, and more desperate. I didn't want to sound weak, especially to him right now, but I couldn't help it. It was how I felt. As much as I wanted to kill him for what he did, I also...still loved him, and wanted him to return to normal. After all, he was just bitter, and driven to delusion by Ouranos. That damn Primordial knows how to manipulate people's weak points, use their fears, or their ambitions against them. That's what he was doing to Levi. It just showed me how dangerous the god's tongue was.
Levi registered what I said, and thought for a moment. He looked at both of his hands, one wielding the sword, and the other free, like he was making a choice on which to use, or like he was choosing between the right side, and the wrong side.
My heart sunk when he gripped his sword tighter.
"I'm sorry, Harper. I don't want to kill you, and I hate how things are between us. But if I must sacrifice our relationship for the greater good of all people, so they won't have to go through what we went through, then I'll do it!"
He charged me after that declaration, more ferocious than ever. I was so in shock that nothing I said could convince him. My movements were slowed at first, and he got me a couple of times, cutting my shoulder and arms a bit, but nothing major. I finally regained my senses, and realized that nothing I could do or say would bring him back. This was truly how things would be from now on, until one of us dies.
A fate worthy of Tartarus, I think.
My eyes began to sting, my mouth quivered with each strike and parry. The clangs of our blades brought back individual memories, like they were flicking an on and off switch, flashing a light on all of the good times we had, the picture of Levi before the ugly scar, before Ouranos's brainwashing, before the war.
They filled me with sadness, and rage. And I fought harder, now that I knew there was nothing I could do.
My attacks became faster, until my knives became flurries of silver light. Eventually I broke Levi's defense, and saw an opening for his midsection.
With a shout, I bent down and used all of the force in my legs to plant myself in Levi's gut like a bullet, kicking his spine and ribs with such force that any regular human would've been obliderated.
He fell back and rolled a couple of times, his cloak become covered in snow and water. He landed in a stop on his knees, clutching his wounded stomach that I had both cut, and now probably broken.
I walked up to him, both knives in hand, and looked down on him.
"If you'd sacrifice us. Everything we've been through together, for a psychopathic god that's only using you as an errand boy...then you're truly too far gone. And there's no chance in saving you."
He looked up at me, hurt clear on his face, and in his eyes. Like he was pleading with me to stop.
I forced myself to be strong, to make my good eye as emotionless as possible. I had to harden my heart or I'd never be able to do this.
He coughed, "Do it then. End this, for good."
I nodded, just ready to get this over with. I could grieve later, think about the things I should've said, and regret, of course.
But now, I had to kill him.
I spun my knives once and brought them in front of me.
"Goodbye, Levi."
I sliced his neck open.
Wait...
As soon as the blades met his skin, they passed right through, like it was nothing but an afterimage. His form started to ripple, and mist started to spread-
The mist...
Oh gods, I thought. He got me.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Levi said, directly behind me.
I tried to turn around and slice him for good this time, but he was ready. He grabbed my shoulders and slammed his knee into my already throbbing back, making the pain ten times worse.
I fell to my knees, my knives laying on the snow next to my frozen hands. My mouth suddenly filled with a thick substance, and the taste of iron overflowed my tongue.
I spat out a clump of blood and coughed. That knee had done a lot of damage. Damn it! I should've seen it coming. A trick of the mist. I knew Levi was good with the mist, and probably only increased his skill with Ouranos. I had let my emotions blind me, yet again.
So stupid!
Levi's boot firmly kicked my side. I yelped in pain and doubled over, clutching my kidney area.
"Honestly Harper, I thought you were better with the mist than that. At least good enough to see through an afterimage."
I coughed again, "Damn you."
He clicked his tongue, "I meant everything I said you know, about not wanting to kill you, and not wanting to fight you. But...I didn't want to kill Chiron either, yet I had to, because he was in the way, and he was against us."
I felt his body heat hover over mine as he squatted next to me.
"I love you Harper, I do. But you're against us, and now I have to kill you."
I heard the faint sound of his sword being raised. Don't ask me how. I don't have enhanced hearing or anything like that, so call it instinct if you want, but I heard the faint sound of the metal against the air, and I knew what was coming.
I planted my boot in the snow next to me, and managed to roll out of the way. To my expectation, the sound of Levi's sword crashing against the snow soon followed.
I turned around to summon my knives back to me, but was met with pure black, then a sting shooting up my face. Levi's fist connected with my nose, and I was sent crumpling ten feet further from the mansion, the blizzard only growing worse.
I felt my eyes water from the pain, my nose pulsing with each throb. I was no doubt broken, and I was probably bleeding a storm right now.
This was no joke, he was stronger than me, and he had the intent to kill.
I had to do something. But what could I do? I had overestimated myself, and figured I could even the odds. But no, in this snow, I can't do anything. Even using my speed won't help. That kick would've killed most monsters, yet he took it, and he's still able to fight just fine. His durability is off the charts for just being a Son of Nemesis, and if I used my speed, he would just take my hits, and eventually catch me.
I groaned as I got up, my body on fire. But I had to keep going. I got up and saw him stalking towards me. To my surprise, he threw his sword into the ground, sinking half of it until it stood upright.
He pointed at me, "I'll make things fair. No knives, no sword."
I gritted my teeth and glared, "You bastard, Levi. I'm not that little girl you have to let win anymore! Give me all you got! I don't wanna kill you at your lowest!"
He closed the distance, "Still got that spirit, huh kiddo?"
He jabbed at me, I dodged and met his shin with mine in a kick, fumbling him slightly.
"Don't call me that!" I shouted and grabbed his cloak, bashing my elbow into his forehead.
He took it in stride though, and wrapped his arm around mine, holding me in place.
"Can't run now." He said, and brought his free fist up into my chin, uppercutting me. I flew a foot off the ground in recoil, completely dazed for a moment. Before I could even register the pain, Levi followed up by rearing his other fist back, and swinging it at my cheek, meeting it.
I spun around like I'd been thrown by a giant. I landed hard on the snow and rolled until I stopped face down. My body was completely freezing now. I was so cold, I couldn't even shiver, or register that I was cold anymore. It was just...numb.
My vision was hazy, everything was moving around constantly, like I was drunk or something. I would see shapes in the snow, or stars every now and then. I know that sounds stupid and cartoonish, but seriously, I was seeing little stars in my vision right now.
I caught the sight of red dots on the snow, my blood dripping from my face. This was not good at all. Levi was beating the hell out of me, and there was nothing I could do. Even without the cold, he was too skilled. Maybe if we stayed in that building, and I had some good light, I may have been able to beat him. But I'm not sure. He's far more dangerous than he used to be, and I was seeing that now.
I took the time to beat my fist against the ground. Why was I so weak? Why, in this whole quest, does it feel like I've been coddled, like I've needed saving constantly, like I can't hold my own? Suddenly, I understood Matt's anguish on our first quest. When I first heard him vent about his frustrations of being weak, and not being able to beat Malachi, I didn't really understand, and thought it was kinda pointless. But now...I knew how he felt. Being beaten senseless is the worst. Especially by Levi.
I heard him approach me, step by step, he was getting closer. His boots were crunching against the snow without a care in the world.
I shook my head, causing a strand of falling blood to fly loose. I would not go down like this. I still had some fight in me, dammit.
I was going to do whatever it took, to even the odds.
I waited for Levi to get a few feet away from me, and then I stuck out my hand, and pressed my thumb into my palm. I silently hoped I was aiming in the right direction.
I felt my knife grip hit my hand, and I silently shouted in victory. I finally had it!
Faster than he could comprehend, I turned and blindly stabbed at Levi, knowing that it would hit somewhere. It did. Almost all of the blade pierced Levi's skin, and entered his thigh.
He howled in pain, and grabbed my wrist. But that only made it worse. The movement caused the knife to wiggle around inside, only cutting him more, and probably severing a couple of veins.
He grunted in agony and yanked my hand away, bringing the knife with it.
"AGHH!" He cried, and grabbed a fistful of my leather jacket, pulling me up to his waist level. His eyes were wide with fury and disbelief, his teeth were bared and showing, like a wild animal. He wasn't expecting that, and to be honest, neither was I.
"Parting gift." I muttered, a smirk on my face.
He snarled and smashed his knuckles against the center of my face in a punch, then again just as quickly. Thick needles shot up my nervous system, my brain rattled, and my broken nose only deepened. I could feel more blood instantly gush out.
He threw me to the ground on my back, and I lay there, unable to move. My body was in immeasurable pain right now, especially my face. It felt like it had been bashed over and over by a sledgehammer, and considering Levi's strength, that was an understatement comparison.
I breathed faintly, able to make out him falling to the ground on his bad knee, grabbing at the wound desperately and groaning loudly in pain. Good. Part of me, the part that wanted to kill him, was glad I could deal a good blow.
"You got me." He exhaled, voice breaking a little from the pain, "You got me good, Harper. You did."
He put pressure on the wound for a few moments, then decided against it, focusing his attention on me. He managed to stand up and hobble over to me.
He stepped on my palm, not allowing another attempt to summon a knife back. I winced at the new sensation of pressure on my hand.
He had me. I was just...not strong enough. I thought I could take him, but...I just wasn't strong enough.
"It ends here, Harper. I realize that all of this...will end with a death. And unfortunately, that's going to be you."
He reached over and grabbed his sword, heaving it up.
I...was too weak.
I had let everybody down. I couldn't convince him to come back, I wasn't strong enough to kill him, and now I was going to die.
There were a lot of things I hated about my life, the obvious things...well, you already know. But...there were things I loved too, things I wanted to see again.
I wanted to see Camp in it's prime again, I wanted to see Aiden, Percy, Annabeth. I wanted to see Sera and Malachi again, and hell, I even wanted to see Talon.
But most of all, I wanted to see Matt.
Right then and there, I knew I was going to die. I knew Levi was going to kill me, and this war would go on, and he'd probably die too, or who knows, maybe help Ouranos take over the world, and maybe truly realize one day that he was wrong.
But right now, he would kill me. I knew this was it, and in that moment, I forgave Matt. All the months of anger and bitterness towards him washed away, and suddenly, I understood his choice, and that he was only thinking of me when he made it. Sure, he might have been in the wrong, but it didn't matter. He was just a teenager, like me.
I wanted to see him again, but I knew that wouldn't happen now. So I tried to imagine his face. Yeah, there it is...
But somehow, that only made things worse, because when I started to think of Matt, I thought of Levi again. And specifically, I thought of a memory...
I wasn't sure if being in the snow was what caused it, but all of a sudden, a memory popped into my head.
Out of nowhere, tears rolled down my cheeks, and I looked up at Levi, for probably the last time, and tried to picture the old him on his face. The face of the boy who saved me that day from the Aeternae, when I nearly died...
(Seven Years Ago - Third Person POV)
"YOU BASTARD!" He yelled, and charged the monster.
The Aeternae didn't even see it coming, the enraged boy, trying to protect his sister. One would almost feel bad for the monster if they saw the onslaught that ensued.
Levi hacked and slashed away at it, swinging his sword with part skill and part wildness, yelling with each strike.
The Aeternae's limbs went flying at one point, and died within the first few seconds, but Levi kept going, bringing his sword down on the corpse even after it was dead, for good measure.
Finally, he stopped, and breathed hard, the cold draining his stamina quicker than he thought. With a glance, he looked down at what he had done.
The monster was unrecognizable now, it's body completely cut to shreds and mangled body parts all over the place, blood outlining it. As soon as Levi looked at it, it faded away in golden dust, like every monster did.
It was then that Levi released the tension in his body, and remembered his fallen sister.
"Oh gods, Harper!" He cried, and knelt next to her, cradling her body.
She was breathing faint, and nearly unconscious, but still aware of what was going on.
"It hurts, Lee." She whimpered.
Levi forced a hand through the snow and wrapped his arm under her knees, then the other around her neck, and picked her up.
"I know." He tried to say comfortingly, but it came out as a panicked breath. Levi was freaking out on the inside. He had never seen his sister receive such a deadly wound. It was bad, so bad that-
No, he thought. She is NOT going to die, not if I have anything to do with it.
He picked her up and started walking as fast as he could in the direction of their house, the second Aeternae long gone by now, probably retreating after seeing it's dead friend.
Levi stumbled a few steps, and breathed quickly, too quickly.
"It's okay, it's okay, we're okay, kiddo." He mumbled, too himself just as much as Harper.
She began to cry in pain, trying to clutch her wound, but Levi stopped her.
"Shh, it's okay, it's okay. We'll be at the house in a minute, just hold on-" He was interrupted by a hidden tree trunk in the snow, hitting him hard in the shin and causing him to fall over. He spun just in time in mid air and landed on his back, Harper on top of him.
He sighed in relief. He had shielded her body with his. If she had fell over into the snow, more blood could've leaked out, and that was the last thing he would let happen.
"Damn..." He said in anguish, a few tears threatening to leak out of him as well. This was all his fault. He shouldn't have gave in to her pleas. They should have stayed in the house!
Harper started to shiver, and curled up closer to Levi, as close as she could. She was still silently crying from the pain.
Levi knew what he had to do. He couldn't lay here and blame himself. He had to save her. He had to, or else he would lose her. Then who would he go fishing with? Train with? Laugh with? Who would he pass on his experiences to? Who would he put all of his love into if she died?
He gripped her tighter with one arm, and pushed himself off the ground with the other.
"Come on, kiddo. We can do it, just a little further..."
He got up and held her as tight as he could now, stumbling with a hurt leg, it was all he could do to breathe, let alone walk. But he had to do it, for her.
After what seemed like, and probably was, a few thousand steps, they made it to their house. Levi spotted a single window illuminated with a fire light.
He breathed a smile, "W-We're here, Harper! You're gonna be okay! I have some ambrosia in my room!"
She glanced weakly at the house and smiled, "Thanks...Lee."
(Present Day - Harper's POV)
I remembered that night so vividly, for being young.
The pain then actually felt similar to the pain now, only it wasn't so much in my skull as it was my torso.
I don't know why, but that entire night flashed through my head, and I remembered how protective Levi was of me, how desperate he was to get me back to the house. It proved that he would've done anything for me, even putting himself at risk.
I thought it funny that it would be my last thought before death, but somehow...I was content with it.
I waited...and waited.
But nothing came.
I blinked several times, and my vision cleared a little. I looked up and saw the tip of Levi's sword directly in front of my face, probably a few inches from my nose, and it was shaking violently.
I then saw Levi's face, and to my surprise, he was straining. His eyes were wide, his teeth were gritted, and he looked...extremely hesitant. He was shaking, like he didn't want to do it.
"Damn it..." He said, and brought the sword up, ready to stab, but as soon as he brought it up, it shook again.
"DAMN IT!" He shouted, and threw the weapon to the ground. It crashed in the snow, and he stepped off of my palm, and grabbed his hair with his hands.
Did he...no, no way.
He looked at me, his face conveying a million emotions. Sadness, the main one. As I looked into his eyes, I saw clearly...he remembered the same thing as me, the same night.
He remembered it, and couldn't bring himself to kill me.
He stumbled over to me and fell to his knees, looking at my beaten face, the blood on it, it sent him over the edge.
"No...no, no, no, no. What the hell have I done?" He gripped his hair again, and his mouth contorted.
"Damn it..." He kept muttering, "Oh no, no..."
He shook his head, "No, no, I can't do it. I can' t do it. I'm so sorry."
I wanted to reply, but I couldn't. Every time I tried, blood would block the way, and it would spill out of my mouth.
A tear escaped Levi's right eye, and he touched my forehead lightly, "Gods...what the hell have I done? Harper...no, no, no. I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to..."
He kept muttering incoherently, but his face read clear. He was in deep regret for hurting me.
But...what? This was the same guy that killed Chiron, that worked for Ouranos. Unless...a part of the old Levi was still left.
This had to be a trick...right?
My thoughts were broken when he reached under me and picked me up, bridal style. My head rolled over and hit his shoulder. It was almost uncontrollable, I couldn't even move, so I had no choice but to let him carry me. What was he doing?
I heard him sniffle, and felt more of his tears hit my face. I looked up and saw strain on his, wincing from the pain in his leg. He stumbled every now and then, and my free arm would dangle off.
"I-It's okay...It's okay, Harper. I'm...sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
I kept dozing in and out of consciousness, my vision hazier than ever. I couldn't even fully register what he was saying yet, or the fact that he had stopped from killing me, and was now carrying me like he did in that memory.
After a few more steps, my vision went completely black as I passed out. But it was short lived, because I opened my eyes faintly to find myself on the floor of the dungeon room, where we'd started, and Levi was doing something, he was...wrapping his cloak around me, or trying to.
His wounded leg kept him from moving too much, but he attempted to swaddle me with the cloak, revealing a thin undershirt and weapon straps on his torso. Black combat jeans and boots on his lower body.
His hands were shaking as he gripped the cloth, trying to cover me up in it.
He must've not realized I had gained consciousness, because he was whispering to himself It seemed, but I couldn't make out everything. I caught a lot of "No, no, no" and "what have I done?" And "Why did it come to this, Levi?"
Finally he stopped trying to cover me up, and took a long look at my face. I could make out his features, even through my blurry vision, and they were...practically unrecognizable, at least for the Levi I've come to know. He looked...concerned for me, he looked regretful, he looked...like his old self.
What was happening? Did he actually remember what I remembered in that moment, and it triggered something in him, to make him regret hurting me?
I was so conflicted right now, I just wanted to be fully conscious, I wanted to talk to him about it. This could be my last chance to convince him to come to our side, and maybe my best chance.
I parted my bloody lips just enough, "L-Levi..."
His eyes widened, "Harper? Oh man, you're alive!" He breathed in what seemed like relief.
I tried to talk again, but I only coughed.
"Hey, don't try to talk. It's...gonna be okay. I...I...I'm the one that caused this. I'm so sorry, Harper. I don't know what came over me...I just..."
He tried to come up with more words, but just ended up grabbing his hair again. "I...can't be near you, Harper. No, I've got to get out of here, I can't hurt you again. I'm...sorry, I just can't..."
I wanted to tell him to wait, so that we could talk about this. The old Levi was back for a moment, and that moment was now. I needed to get him back.
"W-Wait." I managed.
But he stood up, and held a hand out to me, "J-Just hang on, I'll fix this. I'll get some ambrosia...a-and I'll be right back!" He stumbled and caught himself on the wall, then ran off out of the building.
I was so in shock at what the hell just happened. First he tried to kill me, then he...just stopped himself. I'm convinced he had the same memory as me, and that...triggered something within him, to make him forget about Ouranos for one second, and bring his old self back.
Maybe...
I'm not sure. All I know is that he could've killed me, but he didn't.
That doesn't excuse what he did though, another part of me said. He beat you nearly to death.
But he didn't kill me. Does that mean...he's still in there, somewhere?
I was so conflicted I wanted to scream, and not just that, but he left before I could even try to say anything!
And now here I am, hardly able to move in the dungeon behind the Griffith Mansion.
Things couldn't get any worse.
I laid there for probably ten minutes, my face throbbing, my body stinging with cuts. I was still bleeding, for sure. Everything was pure agony right now.
A couple of times I tried to push myself up, but my arms would wobble and I'd fall back down. I even tried to push myself with my legs so I could lean up on the wall behind me. I managed to slide myself back a few feet, but further than that, I just lost all energy, and my legs slumped back to the ground, helpless.
Would Levi actually come back for me? He said he would get ambrosia, and be right back...
Or is this part of some sick game? Trying to gain my trust, only to kill me when I least expect it.
But his face...it was genuinely regretful, and it reminded me of him a few years ago.
I closed my eyes, my head starting to hurt more from all of the confusion. I had no idea what to feel right now. Hope that there's still a chance? Or dread that this conflict still continues?
Either way, I was badly wounded, and alone. I couldn't rely on Levi to come back, hell no. I had to get out of here.
But on my own? Like this? There was...no way, I had to admit.
I was completely defeated, for the first time in my life, I truly felt an overwhelming loss. Even though I was still alive, I felt worse than ever.
I was weak, and couldn't beat him. Then he decides to be a good guy for a few minutes, and leaves me with all of these conflicting emotions, or well, only skyrocketing the ones I already had.
Have I already mentioned this day is the worst?
CRASH!
My thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing noise, like the side of the wall imploded. I couldn't raise my head to look up at the source, but after a few seconds, I felt the cold wind against my body once more, and I knew it was no illusion. The side of the wall actually had been destroyed.
I blinked a couple of times, and saw a figure approaching me. The outline of the body was muscular, and tall.
"Oh gods...Harper." It said.
I felt my chest leap a little. It had to be Levi, back with ambrosia. He had actually...came back for me. I couldn't believe it. Maybe I could talk some sense into him and-
Wait a second...
Every moment my vision got better, and every moment the figure looked less and less like my brother.
"Levi?" I croaked.
The figure gasped in surprise and cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing my bloody forehead.
"No, Harper. It's me...Matt."
Oh, it's not Levi, it's Matt.
...
Wait, WHAT?!
(000)
Wow, what a mind twisting chapter. I was getting stressed just writing this lol. But I had fun nether the less, and think it turned out pretty good.
We're finally caught up, Matt and Harper have reunited! But the question is, where do they go from here?
Find out next chapter!
Until Next Time.