Chapter 2 - Omega
Since Luke had said they'd be back at sunset, Percy – now definitely sixteen – and the others had been working towards that as a time-line. As everyone readied themselves for the approaching army, Typhoon advanced on the city.
Percy had been forced to spend the majority of the day resting, so he was prepared and calmed down after the previous confrontation.
The Titan Army didn't stop this time, instead marching straight down the street towards the demigods. Percy's eyes narrowed when he saw that Kronos or Luke wasn't leading them, unlike the last advance. It was suspicious.
Instead, Prometheus stood at the front. He was still dressed in his tux, which was an odd choice of wear for war, but Percy wasn't going to complain. Like Prometheus' father – Iapetus – the Titan wielded a spear. His grey eyes gleamed with amusement as he set his eyes on Percy.
"I feel that I must congratulate you, Percy. I haven't seen Kronos that angry in millennia," the Titan said. "Unfortunate as it was for the United Nations building. And the hundred or so monsters that he combusted in the blast. Also unfortunate for all of you." He clicked his tongue and shook his head mockingly. "Truly unfortunate. I had hoped to barter for your survival with him – half-blood or no, you are all still mortals, and I do truly care for all mortals."
"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded, Riptide held tightly in his hand.
The Titan across from him scowled. "The angrier we are, the more powerful we are. Anger gives us strength. I'm sure filling in the gaps may be difficult for you, but please do try."
Percy bristled at the intended insult. The other alpha was purposefully trying to anger him.
Prometheus just smiled. "Kronos said that he wants them all dead," he said to the army behind him. "It would be best for us to do as requested. We wouldn't want to disappoint him, would we?"
That seemed to be the signal for an attack. The army surged forward, parting to run around the Titan and the demigods were almost immediately swamped.
In the adrenaline rush of the battle, demigods lashed out as anything coming towards them. A few unfortunate demigods found themselves directly attacking the Titan in the battle, and were promptly tossed aside after a spear was thrust straight through their chest plates.
Then, Percy suddenly found himself facing a familiar swordsman. His moves were very familiar to Percy, familiar and very good. But it was only when Percy's sword bit through the armour covering his sword-arm that he realised who it was. Riptide simply bounced off the skin underneath.
Luke grinned at him – Luke with blue eyes – before slamming the hilt of his sword into Percy's cheek. It didn't break the skin, but he definitely felt the force of the blow as his head snapped to the side and Luke took the opportunity to kick him in the chest. Percy barely even stumbled, which was when he knew there was a definite problem. With Kronos possessing him, Luke's strength had increased a hundredfold, but now he seemed to be back onto even ground with Percy.
What had Prometheus said?
And the hundred or so monsters that he combusted in the blast… Anger gives us strength.
Kronos was gone. Percy's taunting earlier, his attempt at standing firm before the Titan, had caused the Titan to get angry enough that he could rip himself free from Luke. But where was he?
He was distracted by the blade of Luke's sword bouncing off his chest. The other alpha grinned at him, his scent back to normal. "Come on, Perce. Don't get distracted. This is a war, right?" With that said, he lunged and Percy danced to the side to try to get a hit in. Both of them were mostly invulnerable – this fight between them could last for hours.
Percy backed up to give himself room between them as he twisted to look around them. Where could Kronos be? He had to – he ducked as Luke's sword flashed towards him once again and made a desperate lunge towards Luke's helm, ripping it free and tossing it aside to make it clear to anyone whom saw the demigod that he wasn't Kronos any longer – "Thalia!" He yelled when he spotted her stabbing a hellhound a dozen yards away from him.
The daughter of Zeus turned as she heard her name, eyes widening when she saw the back of Luke's head. Luke furiously attacked, looking oddly determined to take Percy down even as Thalia approached.
Luke's attention was quickly taken by her instead.
Percy raised his voice to be heard over the battle. "Kronos is gone from Luke – he's in his own body somewhere. I've got to find him."
Thalia nodded, eyes hardening. "Go," she ordered, "I'll deal with Luke."
Percy darted off, ignoring Luke's yell after him, and dove through the battle. Any demigod he could talk to without distracting too badly, he warned, "Luke isn't hosting Kronos anymore. I think he's around here somewhere as himself – watch who you attack." Hopefully none of the demigods would attack Kronos by accident and get a deadly surprise in retaliation. He faintly wondered why Kronos hadn't wiped the island and the entire eastern seaboard off the map when he rose, but pushed the thought aside. The Titan probably wanted to tear Olympus down by hand – and be able to look Percy in the eyes when he killed him.
Percy forced himself out of the skirmish, using the sudden space to try to seek out Kronos. No doubt the Titan would try to get through to Olympus while the fight was occurring – by completely avoiding the battle he could take out the thrones before the gods would be any the wiser. He tightened his grip on Riptide.
The battle had gone on for two hours, Percy fighting on the edge for the better part of half an hour, when he felt a sudden shift in the air around him.
He somehow knew that, without a doubt, Kronos had just stepped foot onto the street. But Percy couldn't see him, no matter how much he searched. Where was he?
"Here-" a voice called from somewhere within the battle.
Percy didn't take time to think about it, he just plunged straight back into the battle, forcing his way through to where the demigod had screamed – barely distinguishable from the rest of the chaos. Percy immediately realised why he hadn't seen Kronos – the Titan stood at their height, no doubt throwing away any height advantage in favour of subtlety. Not that it meant anything anymore; with a ring of demigods around him and keeping him at spear-point he stood out like a sore-thumb.
A four demigods lay dead at his feet, two probably previously part of the circle and the first two would have raised the alarm.
Kronos wasn't as heavily muscled as the Titans Percy had met before, with an exception of Prometheus. Compared with Atlas, Iapetus and Hyperion, Kronos was obviously the runt. Where the other three were built for brute strength and power – Iapetus perhaps slightly less so – and Prometheus far more fundamentally peaceful, Kronos was obviously built for speed and finesse. That wasn't to say that he couldn't crush a skull in his hands – one of the demigods at his feet proved that – but he was far leaner.
When Percy set his eyes on him, his adrenaline rose to a peak. His sword-arm twitched and he fiercely longed to lunge at the Titan with Riptide.
"Careful, Percy," Clarisse said. She was one of the demigods ringing the Titan. Her eyes were narrowed at him, keeping him in her line of sight even as she turned her head slightly towards Percy.
Where Kronos' eyes had narrowed murderously at the son of Poseidon as soon as Percy stepped into view, they immediately snapped towards Clarisse. As soon as her eyes shifted a fraction towards Percy, he struck. Were it not for the instinctive reactions of the demigods to Clarisse's left and right, his scythe would have carved her into two.
As it was, one spear buried itself into the flesh just above his right hip, finding a chink in his armour, and the other bounced harmlessly off his chest plate. The Titan sharply reared back to avoid a third stab, wrenching the buried spear right from its owner's hands. With his free hand, he ripped the spear straight from his body with a pained grunt and twirled it to throw it back at its owner. The spear punched straight through her breastplate, her body, and sailed out the other side to catch a hellhound in the side. The monster dissolved as the demigod crumpled to the tarmac.
Ichor rolled down Kronos' right thigh, spilling onto the ground at his feet, but he seemed mostly concerned with the gap he'd now created. Percy wasn't about to let the Titan escape, so he slid sideways into the gap.
Clarisse grunted. "Idiot."
Percy just grinned, fixing his eyes on Kronos and readying himself for the inevitable strike. The Titan bared his teeth, letting out a frustrated growl as the circle tightened slightly. He spun, searching for a gap, before abruptly swinging his scythe and shearing the point of the spear right off the shaft. Percy had to jerk back to avoid the blade and Clarisse let out an infuriated snarl as the demigod on her other side had her spear broken, having to drawing her sword instead. Not that she got very far, the scythe swiftly returning to lop off her head.
The son of Poseidon instantly realised why Kronos hadn't just snapped them into oblivion. While they were cornering him and pinning him down, they hadn't directly attacked him – until those two demigods had defended Clarisse from nothing but a faint, since Kronos couldn't hurt them he had to faint an attack, and they'd taken the bait and directly attacked him. His retaliation had been swift.
Kronos couldn't attack them until he baited them into it first – he was no doubt cursing the Ancient Laws – but the demigods wouldn't let him out of the ring. It was an ingenious solution, thoroughly pinning the Titan Lord down through utter lack of action.
Percy smiled grimly as he watched the Titan through narrowed eyes. He couldn't even flash away, as in his current state his intentions would be to incinerate them – hence attacking them, which he couldn't do.
Breathing deeply with obvious frustration, his jaw tense, Kronos stilled in the middle of the ring. The battle continued around them, but the Titan was effectively neutralised. Evidently knowing that they wouldn't hurt him for fear of retaliation, he took the time to check his stab wound over – Percy noted with annoyance that it was already starting to heal.
"Don't react," Percy yelled to the other demigods in the circle. "Whatever he does – he can't physically hurt us unless we attack him first."
Of course, as with every other oath or Law, Kronos had obviously figured out the loop-hole to that one. There was nothing that said he couldn't issue his own challenge. The Titan shifted his chest plate back over the stab wound before he lifted his eyes and met Percy's, a growl bubbling from his throat and rumbling past his lips.
There it was.
Percy bristled. It didn't matter that Kronos could smash him to a pulp and cause fatal internal injuries, he was trying to taunt the alpha demigod to attack him. Percy's jaw tightened. Well, someone had to eventually stop him. Why not him? Something in the back of his mind reminded him that it was that thinking that nearly got him killed by the Titan on the Princess Andromeda, but Percy pushed it aside.
He lifted Riptide. "Right," Percy growled lowly.
"Jackson," Clarisse warned.
He was fully aware of what he was doing, but his instincts wanted him to keep going. Percy stood his ground before the Titan, pointing Riptide at him. "Come at me, bastard," he growled, his adrenaline rising in anticipation.
Kronos came at him.
Now with a target in sight, and a clear challenge made, the Titan could make his move. He rushed at Percy, scythe clattering against sword, and the demigod immediately regretted his challenge when the first block sent vibrations down his arm and he very nearly dropped his sword.
He danced back, light on his feet, and like a bloodhound with a scent, Kronos followed. So long as Percy could keep him occupied for now, they might be able to stop the Titan. Percy kept backing right up, struggling to keep up with the immortal's strikes. It was an immense effort simply to meet the scythe with Riptide and deflect it harmlessly to the side.
Within a minute, Percy had backed right across the battlefield and was pinned with a building at his back. He ducked, Kronos' scythe flashing overhead and burying several feet into the building above him.
Demigods in the skirmish had noticed the fight occurring at the edge and many were preparing themselves to interfere, but Percy didn't want them to. From the look in his eyes, Kronos didn't want any interference either.
As Percy deflected yet another slash, his eyes caught Thalia's. The building groaned behind him as it withstood another cut from Kronos. The demigod nodded grimly to Thalia, noticing her hands crackling with lightning.
Thalia didn't strike Kronos in the back like Percy had expected. Instead, she struck the building behind Percy – the building that had already been taking a beating. Percy swore fiercely as the building toppled. Demigods and monsters alike screamed, running away from the area before it crumpled. Of course, Percy understood why Thalia had hit the building and not Kronos. The building was weaker, and Percy was entirely certain that dropping it on the Titan would do more damage than a lightning bolt from a demigoddess ever would.
The demigod dove and rolled onto his back, keeping his one vulnerable point safe from the falling debris. He inhaled dust and coughed as it slowly cleared, stirring particles up around him.
The alpha wheezed for breath as he propped himself up on his elbows. Somehow, he'd fallen into an air-pocket. Metal supports and wall had crumbled around him, but he was completely safe. Percy glanced up to see a thick metal beam above him, blocking anything from falling further. It was twisted and bent, but held. He followed it along to his right, and his eyes widened when he realised how it hadn't flattened him.
Kronos being taller than Percy had taken the weight. Forced down onto one knee and the leg supporting him pinned in place by another metal support, he'd braced himself and halted the collapse. His scythe was half-buried in the rubble beside him.
Something had evidently caught him in the collapse – ichor dropped steadily from a thick rent in his armour and another stream rolled down the right side of his face.
There was perhaps only four feet between them, if that.
From the furious glare Kronos was giving Percy, the demigod was fortunate that the Titan couldn't reach his scythe.
Percy took a deep breath through his nose to try to calm himself – think – and then paused. Hesitantly, he sniffed again. He rolled his head around to look back at the Titan next to him, still supporting that massive metal support. Kronos' eyes narrowed fiercely at Percy's, and then golden eyes flickered down slightly as Percy took in yet another breath through his nose.
Realisation dawned on Percy even as Kronos growled a low warning – the Titan evidently knew what Percy had just smelt. Luke's scent when Kronos had possessed him had seemed wrong. The amalgamation of the possession was the mingling of their scents. Two dispositions in one body.
Everyone had simply assumed Kronos was an alpha. Being whom he was, it was the obvious option.
It also made earlier that day make much more sense. Kronos had backed down when Percy – an alpha – had stood up to him, and Luke – an alpha – had taken over. Luke's protectiveness of Kronos, his intense loyalty. The other Titans following Kronos around like possessive idiots. Percy had thought they were simply extremely loyal to their pack alpha, but maybe it was more that they were territorial over their most prized omega. Percy had wanted to challenge Kronos not because he was another alpha, but because he was an omega.
Kronos was an omega.
Percy took in another deep breath, and then he let out a low, rumbling snarl. The omega was pinned – he could easily – no. Percy breathed in through his mouth instead, almost choking on his dry throat again, but there was far less distressed omega in that breath, so he decided it was the safest option.
The demigod managed to get into a semi-standing position. He crouched and grabbed the metal support keeping Kronos' leg pinned, doing his best to try to lift it slightly. Kronos' aggressive response was entirely expected, he probably didn't want an alpha so close to him, but Percy pointedly ignored both him and the urge to mate Kronos – again, he didn't think the Titan would be too impressed with that.
Was that really what he wanted, though? He was one of the strongest alpha demigods. Any mortal omega would be happy to be with him, he knew that. So should he help Kronos, or leave the omega to die buried under the building? Then he remembered the fierce protectiveness of Atlas, Iapetus, Hyperion… every Titan he'd come across had been extremely territorial over the omega. Due to his status – King of the Titans, an Elder Titan, the son of two Primordials – and his power Kronos could be the most sought-after omega that ever existed, and the Titans knew it.
And it would very effectively end the war.
Percy called water from around him, using it to bolster his strength so he could lift the metal bar. Kronos glowered furiously at him, looking angered that Percy had dared to help him, but he shifted his leg aside before Percy dropped the bar back down.
The demigod made his decision – on his sixteenth birthday. He would listen to his instincts that insisted on him challenging Kronos at every turn, the instincts that told him to mate with him. He'd make the Titan his, or he'd die trying.
His own scent apparently changed to reflect his decision, his intentions. Kronos bared his teeth in warning and growled – keep away – but Percy just grinned and settled back, crossing his arms as he waited to be rescued.
"So," Percy said, "was Rhea an alpha then? I'd assume so, if you're an omega."
The Titan's jaw tightened.
This would be fun. Percy's lips twitched, and he gravely fought to control his glee.
Kronos' expression darkened at the demigod's amusement. "Stay the fuck away from me."
Yes. Definitely. Very fun.
It seems that I am already far too invested in this...
Maya21098: Nope, not yet. Friends... may have another chapter, but it may not. It is currently not on my schedule, but that will probably change.